Shooting model portraits well has less to do with gear than most people assume, and everything to do with understanding light and how to pose a subject. Whether you're working with a phone by a window or a pair of strobes in a studio, the gap between a flat, forgettable shot and one that actually stops someone mid-scroll comes down to a handful of decisions you make before you ever press the shutter. 

[Read More]

The Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 is already a well-regarded fast prime, but Viltrox has now released a revised version called the AF 35mm f/1.2 STF N, dropping the LED display and swapping the old control ring for a proper aperture ring. If you shoot Sony E-mount and have been watching this lens, the changes are worth understanding before you spend $999. 

[Read More]

YouTube has a burnout problem, and Gerald Undone just went public with his. After more than a decade of lab-style camera reviews, Undone announced he's stepping away from the format entirely. The conversation about why is more honest than most creators ever get on camera. 

[Read More]

There’s something surprisingly novel about making a new lens for a system that predates the governments of many modern countries. The Leica Thread Mount (LTM, also known as the M39 mount), born in the early 20th century wasn’t designed for firmware updates, autofocus motors, or clinical perfection. It was designed for walking. For looking. For getting close enough to feel like you were part of the scene rather than observing it from a safe distance.  

[Read More]

Many photographers produce carefully crafted images and still struggle to gain attention. The problem is rarely a lack of skill. In many cases, the photographs simply belong to an earlier photographic moment. 

[Read More]

When you calculate whether photography can support you financially, you start with the obvious math: how many sessions per month, times your session rate, equals annual income. That number looks promising. It is also wrong, because it does not account for the dozens of expenses that sit between your gross revenue and the money you actually take home. 

[Read More]