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How-To

Valuable tips, tricks and techniques for every step of the photographic process.

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  • The Fix: Center of Interest

    We make three of your best shots even better by honing in on the center of interest.
    • By Debbie Grossman And Dan Richards on December 16, 2008

    Altared State
    Taylor Miller, Lawrence, KS
    The Problem:
    We thought that the real subject in this photo was the angled beam of light, slicing through the frame diagonally. A few too many picture elements distracted from it, as did the overly bright floor and altar railing.

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  • Picture Doctor: 4 Ways to Tame Flare

    Prescriptions for Better Photos
    • By Dan Richards on December 16, 2008

    Are you mystified by light spots in your photos like the one here? They're not ghostly spirits or film flaws, they're flare: unwanted light bouncing through the lens onto the film or digital sensor from a bright source, such as the sun, streetlights at night, or lamps indoors. The spots are visual echoes of the source. Here's how to beat flare:

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  • PopPhoto.com's College Photo Contest Grand Prize Winner

    Julie Goodwin of Middlesex Community College in Connecticut wins the grand prize.
    • By Jay Defoore on December 16, 2008

    Julie Goodwin's top two passions are photography and dance, so it stands to reason that good things would result from the combination of the two.

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  • Lighting: Tone Deft

    How to light-and not light- dark skin.
    • By Peter Kolonia on December 16, 2008

    There's no real secret to correctly lighting dark skin. Light normally, meter and expose correctly, and you should get accurate skin tones and fully textured skin surfaces.
    That said, there's a real difference between lighting relatively dark skin and lighter skin. Light complexions are somewhat tolerant of underexposure, but intolerant of overexposure. Ever had a pale subject's skin blow out when your flash got too close?

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  • RAW vs. JPEG

    Which format should you shoot?
    • By Michael J. Mcnamara on December 16, 2008

    Do you mow yourown lawn, wash your own car, and fix things when they break? Then you should shoot photos in the RAW! No, not nude. I'm talking about setting your digital camera to store images in its RAW file format instead of JPEG. If you're not even sure what a RAW file is, you're not alone-as we learned from a recent online survey of more than 2,500 visitors to www.PopPhoto.com: While a vocal minority of Pop Photo Forum members (and many pros) swear RAW is the only choice for real photographers, my own experience supports the survey results.

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  • Digital Toolbox: Bright Ideas

    Three quick ways to fix underexposure.
    • By Debbie Grossman on December 16, 2008

    Was your camera's autofocus tricked by a bright spot in the frame? Did you underestimate the exposure you'd need for your subject?
    Try these techniques to salvage those too-dark images.

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  • 25 Cent Fortunes

    How "ordinary" photographers are making Big Money shooting for small stock agencies.
    • By Kerrie Mitchell on December 16, 2008

    Stock photographer Jaimie Duplass likes to be surprised by where her pictures turn up.
    The 38-year-old mother of three from Russellville, AR, often uses her son James as a model. At the age of three, he's already appeared on several magazine covers, the Wal-Mart website, and-one of Duplass' favorites-a billboard in Poland.

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  • Camera Phones Come of Age

    Latest models dial up picture quality.
    • By Michael J. Mcnamara on December 16, 2008

    Do you have framed photos on your wall that were taken with a camera phone?
    We didn't think so. Most of those now on the market can barely capture a decent image to email or view on a tiny LCD screen. But that could change with the latest phones packing 2 Megapixels or more.
    In fact, amateur photographers shopping for 3 to 5MP digital cameras might take a phone alternative, especially if they plan to make just 4x6- to 8x10-inch prints.

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  • How to...

    • By Pop Photo Staff on December 16, 2008

    Pimp your ride
    If you're tired of the usual computer slide-shows and web galleries, consider Dub Wheels' PimpStar LED rims: wheels that look like disco lights when your car's stopped, then display images when it moves. You can even send the pictures to your wheels from your laptop- hopefully at a red light. Ranging from $12,500 to $19,500 for a set of four, street. (www.customwheel.com)

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  • Letters: Share your tips, questions, and comments

    Cold-Blooded Chillers
    • On December 16, 2008

    Cold Blooded Chillers
    The you can do it article "Buggin': A plan for those bitten by the macro bug" (May 2006) was wrong. Anyone who condones chilling insects to get a shot is inhumane. To take a crerature and endanger its life for a photo can never be right. I take insect macros, but the only chilling that is ever done to mine is by Mother Nature when one strays out into the winter.
    William Geddings
    Sumter, SC

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