Learning how to use and modify light is essential for taking your photos to the next level in photography because how you use and control the light will determine how your photos turn out!  One tool you can use to modify and shape light is called a reflector.  If you’ve heard people talking about using a reflector,  but weren’t quite sure what it does, or indeed whether you need one, then I created this episode for you!  Simply put, a reflector is simply a tool that will help you change or...

Light is the single most important element of your photo, and is one that  can lift a mediocre, mundane scene into something incredible and awe-inspiring. That’s why learning how to use light to its full potential is so incredibly important if you want to take your photos to the next level.  However, I understand that working with natural light can seem a little overwhelming at first, because you don’t get to choose the light you are given on any particular day!  But that doesn’t mean you...

“What do all these numbers on these camera lenses actually mean?!”  This was one of my very first questions I had when buying my first DSLR and I don’t mind telling you, it took me a little while to figure out!  So in this week’s episode, I’m going to break down what the numbers on your camera lens actually mean, so that you can figure out how a particular lens will perform,  and therefore whether it is the right lens for you.  Tune into today’s episode to learn:  What the numbers...

In today’s podcast, I’m answering a question that has been submitted by one of our listeners, about shooting to 0 in manual mode. This is such a great question, because I’m sure that so many people wonder the same thing when they first make the switch to shooting in manual mode. Tune in to find out the answer!  Tune into today’s episode to learn:  Whether you should always meter to 0 in manual mode, or whether you should shoot over or under Why using exposure compensation isn’t...

These days, smartphones are not only a way to keep in touch with people, they are also a great tool for photographers! Not only can you take great photos with your phone, you can also use a number of apps that have been created especially for photographers.  In this podcast, I’m going to share 5 apps that I personally use and love.  Even though I don't use all of these all of the time, they are so useful that they stay on my phone / iPad for when I need them! The idea for this podcast...

Whether you’re a long time user of Lightroom or Lightroom Classic, OR you’re brand new to editing and just wondering which program to get, you’ve probably come to realize that there are two different programs available from Adobe, both (confusingly!) called Lightroom.  This always raises a lot of questions, particularly for those who are just starting out on their editing journey, and are confused about which one they should get, and the differences between the two!  Adobe does make...

I’ve always said that photography is a game of two halves - one side of our brain needs to focus on the technical aspects, such as our camera settings, where to focus, finding the light etc.  The other side needs to see the creative possibilities - the composition, angles, or unique twist we can stamp on our photos!  As photographers, it’s pretty common to focus more on the technical side, and don’t set aside some time for nurturing or practicing our creativity!   While learning the...

There were so many times back at the early stages of my photography journey where I felt totally disheartened and frustrated, because no matter what I did,  my photos just didn't turn out the way that I had envisaged in  my head,  and nothing like the photos I wanted to take.  Of course, there can be several reasons why each individual image doesn’t quite hit the mark, but if it’s happening frequently, and most importantly,  you don’t know what you’re doing wrong, it’s time to take control...

Do you ever feel like you’re not really in control of your image? That you’re just winging it, and hoping for the best when you press the shutter? Or maybe you get all flustered and not sure what you should be doing?  Then you are going to love this week’s episode!  In it, I’m going to break down the FIVE questions you should ask yourself when you take your photo.  Asking yourself these questions will help you shoot more purposefully, which in turn, will help you get better photos! So join...

Are you thinking of starting your own photography business, but wondering if you are ready to take the plunge and start charging for your work? Or how long you need to have been shooting for? Or what experience do you need??  Then this week’s episode is for you!  I'm going to talk about some of the things that I personally think you should have in place, and be able to do, before you start charging for your skills.  Tune in to learn:  Why deciding what type of business - and who you...

In this week’s episode, we’re going to be talking about lenses, specifically one type of lens, called “fast lenses”.  You may have already heard this term bandied about and wondered what the heck it refers to! Or maybe you’ve already heard of it, but not sure exactly WHY you might want one, if this is something you should get, and what you should look for if you did!  So tune in as I break down exactly what fast glass refers, and why adding one to your lens collection is a good idea! I...

As we kick off a brand new year, it’s a great time to think about how to organize and clean up your digital image files, and a great program that can really help you do this, is Lightroom Classic. In fact, that is exactly why Lightroom Classic was created - to give photographers like yourself a tool to manage your photos with a complete end to end workflow.   So today on the podcast, I’m going to give you 6 tips for helping you organize your images using Lightroom Classic.   Now if you...

Did you get a brand new DSLR or Mirrorless camera under the Christmas tree last year? Then this episode is for you!  Getting your first camera is both exciting and terribly overwhelming! There’s so many dials, buttons and menu options that it can feel a bit daunting at first.  I know both from personal experience, and from teaching photography to thousands of students over the last 8 years that it can also be very disheartening when you don’t get the photos you want from your camera. So...

Back in 2015,  I completed my first ever Project 365!   Taking a photo every single day for a year not only improved my photography skills,  because it gave me the opportunity to practice every single day, and try out new things, but also gave me a wonderful record of my day to day life.  Taking a photo a day is almost like your own personal journal,  so it’s also a fantastic personal project as well as a photographic one.  Over the years I have completed more Project 365’s - but also failed...

Photographing Christmas morning can be a little tricky - there can be lots going on, the lighting is often less than ideal, and of course, you want to actually be present in the moment and not stuck behind a camera all the time! Plus if your day starts out like my Christmas mornings used to work out, you’re woken up by the kids, dragged downstairs half asleep, only to find that your camera is out of battery and you have a full memory card just when you want to start snapping away at the kids...

We’re doing something a little bit different on the podcast today, as I’m sharing the audio from a free lesson we share in our FREE Christmas Photography Boot camp! I highly recommend that you join the bootcamp to get the full video training, so that you can get the fun diagrams and image examples, plus of course, get the video training we have coming up on Day 2 and 3 of the boot camp too!  Today we’re sharing the lesson from Day One, which is all about Creative Light Bokeh.  We cover,...

Whenever you try your hand at anything new, you are bound to make a few mistakes along the way!  And learning photography is definitely no exception. Although making mistakes can actually be a good thing, as they are part and parcel of the process for learning photography, that doesn’t mean that we need to keep making them, or indeed, make them in the first place!  I certainly made my fair share of mistakes when learning photography, but after teaching thousands of others over the last 7...

I have no doubt that you have heard, time and time again, that if you want to improve your photos, and most importantly, get the images that you see in your head to translate to the camera,  you need to learn how to shoot in manual mode.  But I also know that no matter how many times you hear that, you can feel reluctant to make that final switch to shooting in manual mode. I know because I went through the same time too! And I have taught thousands of students in my Auto to Awesome program...

Learning photography can often feel very overwhelming - there is much to learn, so many different factors and element, and so much information to get your head around, that it can feel very daunting to know where to start, or what to focus on next. This is obviously worse at the very beginning of your photography journey, when everything is brand new to you! But even if you have been shooting a while, it can be hard to know where to focus your efforts to get your photos to the NEXT level.  ...

In this episode, I’m time traveling back to 2007 when I first picked up my camera, and giving you a guided tour of my photography journey over the last 17  years or so! I’m sharing my ups and downs, the mistakes I’ve made, the challenges I’ve had, and the lessons I've learned along the way. Most importantly, I’ll also be sharing what actually moved the needle the most for me in photography, what changed my photographs for the better, and what I would recommend to other photographers at...

Have you wondered about whether you should get an external flash unit, particularly if you are a hobbyist who doesn’t shoot weddings - because you’re just not sure when or where, or even why, you would use it? If so, you’re going to enjoy this week’s episode, because I’m diving into why you might find that an external flash unit a good idea, the situations where you might want to use an external flash unit, and some suggestions on what to look for if you do decide to buy a flash unit, and...

One of the questions I get asked a lot is about how to go about choosing your camera settings when shooting in manual mode, and whether there is a correct order in which to set them. I know it can feel a little daunting when you move from having the camera make decisions for you, to making ALL of them yourself, so in this week’s episode, I’m going to talk about the best way to approach choosing your own camera settings, and what order to choose them in.  In today’s episode you’ll learn:  ...

As we move into the winter months (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere!) you can often find yourself shooting in low light conditions, in other words, places where there is a limited amount of light to shoot with! I know that this can seem daunting at first, but over the years I have really started to look forward to this time of year, because it means I get to start working with very little light.  So in this week’s episode, I’m going to share with you some tips for working in low...

This week, I’m taking you behind the scenes a little bit, as I talk about the latest addition to my photography gear, the Fujifilm X100V! So tune into today’s episode and we’ll discuss: Why I purchased this particular camera in the first place.  Where this type of camera excels.  What type of photography I personally intend to use it for, and what “gap” it filled in my photography arsenal First impressions of this camera and whether it has lived up to expectations. Some...

We all struggle with getting noise in our images from time to time. Unfortunately, noise can lead to our images looking a little less sharp and clear as we would like, particularly if you have a crop frame camera, which doesn’t handle noise as well as your full frame counterparts! Although you can (and should!) do your best to minimise noise in camera, there are always going to be situations when we have to push our ISO higher than we would like, which is when we need to fix it in...