There’s no doubt that smartphone cameras are getting better and better. But still, we often hear that large prints of smartphone photos can’t look nearly as good as those taken with a DLSR or mirrorless. In his latest video, Nigel Danson decided to test this and made 30 x 24” prints of his smartphone photos. And despite some people’s claims – they actually look pretty impressive. Interestingly enough, this was Nigel’s first time to print smartphone images this big....

Creativity in any discipline is about finding new and original ideas. When they strike, creative thoughts seem to appear out of nowhere – light bulb moments. Sometimes it seems like creativity is something intangible that we can’t control. But are there ways you can nurture your own creativity? How can we better create the conditions for those moments of inspiration to strike? In her TED talk, Julie Burstein, an expert in creative thought, offers insight into how creativity grows out of everyday experiences....

It can take a while to figure out what does and doesn’t work in Photoshop for new photographers. We’ve all been there. We’ve discovered some new tool or technique, and we go overboard. We think it looks amazing, we start doing it to every image, but we’re really doing ourselves more harm than good. In the long run, it’s all part of the learning experience, but the sooner we figure this stuff out, the sooner we can move on....

Aputure has come a long way since its founding in 2005. Every year they bring us an array of newer and better lights, and occasionally something that’s just a little bit different. But one light that got a lot of attention at NAB 2019 in Las Vegas a few months ago was the Aputure 300D Mark II. Well, now it’s available to buy and is shipping now. The Aputure 300D Mark II builds upon the original in a number of ways, sporting a new enclosure, with a new control unit, wireless capabilities and it’s 20% brighter than its predecessor, offering 45,000 lux output with the reflector at one metre and 80,000 lux with the Fresnel attachment....

We were all beginners to Photoshop at some point. It’s a rite of passage with just about anything. You have to be a beginner before you can become skilled. And as beginners we make mistakes. Lots of them. But mistakes are how we learn. This video from photographer Nino Batista highlights his list of the top 10 amateur portrait retouching Photoshop mistakes. We’ve probably all done these at some point or another....