The Practicing Photographer

Get a weekly serving of photographic insight, instruction, and inspiration from photographer, teacher, and author Ben Long.

The Practicing Photographer

• Phone photography with intent

Introduction

• Introducing The Practicing Photographer

Previous Episodes

• Choosing a camera
• Looking at light as a subject
• Using a small reflector to add fill light
• Editing photo metadata with PhotosInfo Pro for iPad
• Let your lens reshape you
• Compositing street photography images with Photoshop
• Expand your filter options with step-up and step-down rings
• Shooting without a memory card
• Give yourself a year-long assignment
• Working with reflections
• Exploring mirrorless cameras
• Batch processing photos with the Adobe Image Processor
• Limiting yourself to a fixed-focal-length lens
• Creating tiny worlds: Shooting technique
• Creating tiny worlds: Post-processing techniques
• Shooting macro shots on an iPhone
• Using a tripod
• Wildlife and staying present
• Batch exposure adjustments on raw files
• Why Shoot Polaroid
• Seizing an opportunity
• Four photographers do a light-as-subject exercise
• Shooting macro bug photos with a reversed lens
• Varnishing a photo for a painterly effect
• Shooting wildlife
• Discussion on how to shoot architecture
• Using a lens hood
• Working with themes
• Setting up an HDR time lapse
• Processing an HDR time lapse
• Two perspectives on travel photography
• Scanning Photos
• Photo assignment: shooting an egg
• Reviewing the egg shot images
• Shooting in your own backyard
• Jpeg iPad import process
• Shooting a product shot in open shade
• Reviewing the product shot images
• Warming up
• Taking a panning action shot
• Scanning polaroid negatives and processing in Photoshop
• Shooting a silhouette
• Going with an ultra-light gear configuration
• Working with masks and calculations in Photoshop
• Working with flash for macro photography
• Colorizing a black and white photo in Photoshop
• Using duct tape and zip ties in the field
• When the on camera flash is casting a shadow
• Using Lightroom on the road
• Listening to your camera to get good exposure
• Shooting a successful self portrait with a phone
• Switching to Lightroom from another application
• Photographing animals in wildlife refuges
• Shooting level
• Photoshop and Automator
• Shooting when the light is flat
• Discussing the business of stock photography
• Shooting tethered to a monitor
• Making a 360 degree panorama on the iPhone
• Understanding the three flash setup
• Shooting a three flash portrait
• Understanding the differences with third party lenses
• Understanding why files look different on depending on device
• Working with a geotagging app on the iPhone
• Using high speed flash sync to dim ambient light
• Using your iPad as a second monitor
• Understanding exposure with a leaf shutter camera
• Photography practice through mimicry
• Canon wireless flash with built in radio control
• Posing and shooting pairs of people
• Shooting with a shape in mind
• Shooting tethered to a laptop
• Softboxes vs. umbrellas
• Getting your project out into the world
• Exploring how to think about shooting a new environment
• Discussing the book "The Passionate Photographer" with Steve Simon
• Highlighting iOS 8 updates on the iPhone5S
• Exploring manual controls with iOS 8 and ProCamera
• Understanding how to compose with an empty sky
• Using an iPhone to make a print in the darkroom
• How to use glycerin as a photography tool
• Understanding micro focus adjustment and Lens Align
• Working with hair in post
• Taking a quick portrait and directing a subject
• Getting inspired through the work of others
• Taking a flattering portrait with flash
• Creating an unaligned HDR image
• Exploring how to use Bokeh
• Shooting stills from a drone
• Using a monitor to get a first person view of the aerial camera
• Understanding lens profile correction
• Working with models
• Understanding the labels on SD cards
• Setting up a macro time lapse of a flower
• Taking a portrait that's tightly cropped or slightly obscured
• Tips for shooting panoramas
• Carrying a point-and-shoot camera
• Adjusting the color of shadows in an image
• Evaluating camera-strap options
• The 100th Practicing Photographer
• Using light-pollution maps for planning night shoots
• Shooting a series of star shots for a stack
• Stitching together stacks of stars
• Understanding how to clean sensor dust
• Dry sensor cleaning
• Cleaning the sensor with moisture
• Composing in the center
• Working with an electronic shutter control
• Understanding how to use the Wi-Fi feature in some cameras
• Exploring the software equivalent to graduated ND (neutral density) filters
• Don't be predictable in your framing
• Shooting with ND filter and flash to balance subject and background exposure
• Understanding when to go low contrast
• Reasons for shooting images alone
• Working with colored lens filters and converting to black and white
• Waiting for a subject when the light is good
• Understanding options for tripod heads
• Shooting a slow-shutter zoom-and-spin shot for light effect
• Shooting and processing a long exposure at night
• Getting creative with image curation
• Why equivalent lenses don't always meter the same
• Pulling stills from a time lapse
• Composing an image using what you have
• Using good photography skills always
• Converting an image to B&W with Lightroom and Photoshop
• Critiquing images from a group photo event
• Taking the "why not?" kind of shot
• Using a MIDI Lightroom controller
• Vignetting
• Thinking about shooting a metaphor image
• Evaluating different lenses with the same focal length
• Looking at anti-shine options for a natural looking portrait
• Exploring monopod options
• Shooting a product shot on black glass
• Shooting three images without leaving your chair
• Exploring options with high-speed video
• Light painting with a drone at night
• Inspire
• Taking a look at Google Photos
• Using your iPad as a cintique for photo editing
• The future of drone technology
• Correcting a B&W image for print
• Minimizing camera baggage
• Using the Dehaze feature in Lightroom
• What makes a good photograph?
• The importance of a catch light
• Working without a tripod
• Printer options
• Looking at tilt-shift options in post
• Handing out business cards as a photographer
• Shooting time-lapse panos with an egg timer
• Developing a photographic style
• Understanding the wide-angle macro lens
• Shooting with a wide-angle macro lens
• Avoiding the intimidation factor in photography
• Editing photos using a bigger screen
• Understanding JPEG profiles in raw processing
• Exploring image processing in Snapseed
• The relationship between saturation and brightness
• Working with Smart Objects in Photoshop
• Using a table or other surface to support a tiny tripod
• Storytelling through photographic images
• Understanding how cameras handle ISO and low light
• Exploring lo-fi printing options
• Making a transition from photo to video
• Contrast and phase detection in cameras
• IOS macro photography gear
• Getting access to photographic subjects
• Shooting a handheld macro focus stack
• Post-processing a handheld macro focus stack
• Understanding the job of a photojournalist
• Converting a camera to infrared
• Introduction to Bob Sober macro bug photographer
• Finding a macro insect project to shoot
• IR Conversion Part 2
• Macro insect photography gear and setup
• Raw editing in Lightroom mobile
• Shooting a macro insect shot
• Macro insect photo editing workflow
• Editing an Infrared image
• A brief history of photography
• Workflow with Lightroom for mobile
• You probably already have a full frame camera
• Shooting with a Petzval lens
• Nighttime drone photography using a cube light
• Photographing water from a drone at night using a second drone
• Remembering that your photographic vision matters
• Using the face detection built into the camera
• Working with raw files on the iPhone
• Using the gimble as a camera stabilizer
• What is a low-pass filter?
• Lindsay Addario's book, It's What I Do
• Photography with drones in an immersive view
• F-stops vs. t-stops: Understanding what this means
• Teleconverters and lenses
• Cards speeds and newer formats in cameras
• Recovering details and exposure settings
• Understanding Raids and when to use them
• Media card care
• Dual slot
• Adding EXIF viewer to your phone
• Shooting raw on iOS and Android with other apps
• Exploring smart previews
• Shooting aerial photos from a helicopter
• Camera raw filter in Photoshop
• Flying and photo batteries
• Using improv to improve your photography
• Partial vignettes on photos
• Addressing the concept of luck in photography
• Options for making a stand for VR cameras
• 360 image editing plugins
• Using a gimbal with an SLR
• Review of drones that are meant for selfies
• Telling a story with nine images
• Respecting culture and subjects in photos
• Photographing an iconic city or just a hometown
• Looking at the Nikon KeyMission
• Should you be shooting in 4K?
• Using metadata to sort and find images in a catalogue
• Scanning images for preservation and restoration
• Using images to find additional information
• Choosing a lens
• Switching camera systems
• Getting faster performance out of Lightroom
• Looking at video options on the Fuji X-T2
• Filling a media card to find images
• Media card challenge image review
• Using 360 drones
• Finding your place in the photo market
• VR gimbals
• State of the commercial photo industry
• Working with a photo subject
• Posing a photo subject
• Diversifying to broaden your projects
• Framing and safety
• Building Smart Previews in Lightroom
• Getting the best images by increasing the amount you shoot
• Colorize-it.com for colorizing black and white images
• Processing older images in a newer RAW processor
• Taking a safari through your own images
• Looking at custom book options for showcasing photos
• Shooting with two cameras simultaneously
• Making images in color intentionally
• RAW converter options
• Drone flight
• Basic abstract photography
• Aspect ratio
• Focus lock on your camera
• Getting commercial photography clients
• Using Adobe Bridge for renaming
• Using the Astropad app
• Working with dim sunlight
• Configuring dual cards
• Comparing the Fuji GFX and the Hasselblad X1D
• Long lens options
• Moving images from catalogs
• Photography education
• Large sensors and dynamic range
• The state of commercial photography
• In-camera focus stacking
• Photoshop alternatives: Capture One Pro
• Exposure isn't everything
• Why shoot film?
• Culling
• Photoshop alternatives: Luminar Pro
• Learning rhythm from magazines
• Choosing a film camera
• Essential Photoshop keyboard shortcuts
• Analog workflow
• Easily produce giant prints
• Photoshop alternatives: Photos
• Luna Display
• Choosing film
• Photo fads
• Konrad Eek influencers: Imboden and Grant
• Portrait lighting techniques
• Is a cinema lens right for you?
• Konrad Eek Influencers: Orland and Sexton
• Diopter control
• Incorporate printing into your photo workflows
• Konrad Eek Influencers: Uelsmann and Mann
• Loupedeck for Lightroom
• Manage expectations when printing
• The importance of being in a niche
• Printing small
• Not everyone sees things the way you do
• Why you should strive to get into a rut
• Lens flare removal
• Select images for a portfolio
• Paper choice for prints
• Seeing what you don't see
• Maybe you don't know enough yet
• Body positioning with a wide-angle lens
• Aspect ratio for portraits
• When in doubt
• Composition lesson from Instagram
• Looking vs. seeing
• Avoid the zoom!
• Confidence booster: Shift perspective
• Greatest hit: Working with a photo subject
• Essential skill: Developing a photographic style
• Do you need a carnet?
• Production insurance: Worth it?
• Back in action with Polaroid
• Scan large items
• Scan large negatives
• Wedding photography: Is it for you?
• Wedding photography: Skills and gear
• Wedding photography: Marketing
• Wedding photography: The business
• Create an honest portrait
• Converting video with ScanCafe
• Photographing birds in the wild
• Do you need an external light meter?
• A portrait assignment
• Why group critiques are good for you
• How to critique a photo, part 1
• How to critique a photo, part 2
• Greatest hit: Seeing accurate white in images
• Essential skill: How to look at photograph
• Am I good?
• Boredom
• Clichés
• Trying to control the shoot before you start
• Finding inspiration
• The difference between Of and About
• An everyday project
• Learning from students
• Photo project: Holiday edition
• Life as a project
• Why take a workshop?
• Photographic honesty
• Sensor size and depth of field
• To Instagram or not to Instagram
• Up to interpretation
• Photographic style
• Shooting a selfie video in focus
• Create a portrait with a tilt-shift lens
• Why things going wrong can be good news
• Should you talk to your model or not?
• Don't tire out your portrait model
• Photography drills
• Development stages of a photographer
• Don't overdo it!
• Digital chores
• Photos and words
• Stay-at-home exercises
• How to make yourself practice
• Eneloop rechargeable batteries
• Understanding your medium
• Darkroom for iOS
• iOS image editing extensions
• On set: Simplicity
• On set: Corners
• On set: The build
• On set: Lighting
• On set: Same pieces, new set
• Choose a price first
• Rewind: What makes a good photograph?
• Rewind: Finding your place in the photo market
• Rewind: Choosing a camera
• On time and in tune
• Five ways to look like a genius
• Five ways to look like an idiot
• Avalanche for aperture
• The value of instant photography
• Evaluating a wide-angle lens
• Buyer's guide: Fuji Instax mini camera
• Buyer's guide: Fuji Instax SQUARE
• Auction catalogs
• Photographic inspiration: George Byrne
• Get out and shoot (safely)
• Do ruts exist?
• 16-bit in Photoshop
• When do you become a photographer?
• The artist's statement
• Constraints
• Legibility and communication
• Good Photoshop isn't a good photo
• Check your goal
• Two kinds of seeing
• Photographers to consider
• The other meaning of practice
• Instant Print care
• How to sell a photo class
• Leave yourself wanting more
• Web-based photo editing with Pixlr
• Finding inspiration at home
• Photography isn't precious
• The practicing mindset
• Practice privacy
• Seeing like other people
• Why JPEG is okay
• The authority of process
• Shoot for yourself
• Printer maintenance
• How much can you crop?
• Fear and focus
• Discomfort
• Solo production, part 1
• Discomfort: Wrap-up
• Documenting
• It's up to you
• The language of shooting
• Practicing strong choices
• The book
• Collaboration
• Choosing a camera
• Is more dynamic range better?
• What can you learn from renting a camera?
• Seeing an image in post
• What does it mean to be an expert?
• Beware of overtraining
• Find shapes in landscapes
• Find shapes in cityscapes
• When to use a tripod
• Should you still shoot HDR?
• The 70% rule
• Lighting starter kit, part 1
• Lighting starter kit, part 2
• Moving from digital to film
• Use Stream Deck to work with photos
• Rewind: Looking at light as a subject
• Rewind: Composition lesson from Instagram
• Rewind: Deepen your understanding
• Work with a three-way laser
• The rules about rules
• An exercise in writing
• Make your own gear
• Diopters
• Revisiting your images
• You can stop worrying about gear
• The other kind of lens flare
• Story
• Resolution by any other name
• Shoot flowers with an infrared lens
• Photograph with app-based lights
• Surviving AI in the world of photography
• What I learned from David McNeese
• Why you need an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
• Phone photo-editing limitations
• The AI elephant in the room
• Transition from digital to film
• Switching camera brands
• Work smarter, not harder, with a gear cart
• REWIND: Finding inspiration at home
• Is AI cheating?
• A film shoot critique project
• How to get unstuck
• Video settings for photographers
• Practice photography using AI
• An AI storybook project
• Interview: Jacob Cunningham, part 1
• Photo review: Failures vs. disappointments
• Interview: Jacob Cunningham, part 2
• Photo review: The right way to critique, part 1
• Photo review: The right way to critique, part 2
• How to make a photo book
• Rewind: What does it mean to be an expert?
• Photo critique: Elizabeth Greenberg