Being able to identify, understand and modify light is one of the most important skills you can master in photography.

Why, I hear you ask?!

Because knowing how to use light effectively will allow you to turn everyday, mundane scenes into something magical and awe-inspiring, help you feel confident shooting in ANY type of light at any time of day, allow you to get more creative images AND make you feel inspired to pick up your camera every waking moment.

Not bad for something that is essentially free 😉

Of course, light is fundamentally important in photography (since without it we would only have a black frame!) but going beyond simply seeing light for the sake of exposure is what allows us to convey depth, mood and emotion in our photos.

In short, it’s that magic missing ingredient that lifts up every single image, and makes it look “otherworldly”.

Which is why, once you have mastered the fundamentals of photography (such as shooting in manual mode, getting sharp focus and using composition and ideally, knowing how to edit those images!) then then next thing I recommend is learning more about LIGHT.

So here’s 4 big reasons why learning about light will have a big impact on your images….

It can sometimes be the Nirvana of child photography - getting images where your child looks happy, full and joy and completely carefree…..unlike the moody face you normally get :-)

But it is totally doable! There’s just a few things to keep in mind.

In this week’s blog post, I’ve got five tips for you that will help you capture the joy of children, whether you are photographing your own family, or for client sessions if you’re in business.

Shooting with a 50mm f1.8 lens can be a game-changer for your photography. Follow these tips to make the most of this versatile lens.

It's been quite a few years now since I made the switch from Aperture Priority Mode to shooting in Manual Mode, and it was one of the BEST things I ever did to improve my photography skills. 

It was like a whole new world opened up to me, and I started TRULY understanding exposure, and in turn, getting the images that I wanted.

Of course, there was a lot to learn, and there are some things I wish I had known before I started!

So, here are 10 things about shooting in Manual Mode that you might just wish you knew…

Ever wondered how you can take beautiful studio portraits at home? Then you’re in the perfect place! I’m going to share with you how I take studio portraits at home using nothing more than natural light, and some simple inexpensive backdrops.

When I first started learning photography, and for a long while beyond that, I would spend a lot of my time looking at what OTHER photographers were doing.

I would search for interviews to see what lenses they used, I would scour blogs for information, or go into forums or groups to ask people for help, for quick tips or tricks.

At this point, you might be thinking “What’s the problem with that?! I do that too!”

Guess what - I’m going to tell you 😀

One of the things that used to REALLY confuse me when I first started learning photography was all the different types of camera lenses that were available,  which one I would need, and when I would use each one!

So as I’m willing to bet this bamboozles you too, I’ve put together this post that should make it all seem a damn sight easier to understand.

It breaks down the different types of lenses you can get, the variations you can find within that, along with suggestions for when you would use each one.  

Plus, at the end of this post you’ll also get access to a free bonus download, The Which Lens Quick Guide, so don’t leave without it!

Let’s dig in…

As photographers, we’re often told that we need to “find our photography style” but let’s face it, it can be a daunting task!

Since this often isn’t a concrete thing that you can grasp hold of, learn how to do in a tutorial, or have someone else show you, how do you even start to find your photography voice?  

That’s exactly what we are going to look at today!

I’m going to give you 4 tools that you can use to help you find (or refine) your unique photography voice and style…

In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the 10 settings that I personally change when I get my hands on a new camera,  so that I have my camera set up exactly the way I want it. 

If you’re shooting with the kit lens that came with your camera, you’re probably finding getting certain shots a struggle, and thinking that you need to ditch your kit lens, and invest in a more expensive lens in order to get good photos.

While there are definitely benefits to getting higher quality lenses as your budget allows, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get great photos with your kit lens - it’s all about understanding the limitations of your kit lens, and how to work around them.

In this blog post, we’re talking about back button focus - what it is, why you might want to give it a shot, and how to use it if you do!

In this episode I’m sharing 7 things I wish I had known back in the beginning of my photography journey, so that you can avoid some of the mistakes that pretty much everything single one of us makes - and most importantly can continue to make for years!

I’ll be talking about everything from how to avoid noise in your images, what might be causing your blurry photos and why your photos might not be as bad as you think, plus a whole lot more, so it is going to be a jam packed episode.

Ever wondered exactly when and why you might want to use a dedicated flash unit (such as a speedlight) in photography?

In this blog post, I’m going to break down the 3 most common ways that natural light photographers will supplement existing light with an on camera flash unit!

When you first start out in photography, there is SO much to learn, so much information being thrown at you, and so much to discover that you can feel like you’re being pulled in twenty different directions at the same time!

But even after you have been shooting for a while, there can still be a question about what your NEXT steps should be. Photographers never truly stop learning or trying something new, so in some ways you are always on a learning pathway (there isn’t a finish line as such!) but what areas need your attention after you have mastered the basics?

Over the years, I’ve considered this a LOT, and have a loose learning pathway that I want to share with you. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t prescriptive, and you definitely don’t have to follow this exactly, but the following can serve as a guide as to what to focus on first if you’re a beginner, or where to go next if you’re more experienced.

Want to know how to get good pictures at the beach? Then this is for you! Today we’re going to look at how to plan your beach photoshoot to get the best results, along with some tips for beach photography, including what time of day to shoot, what to wear for portraits at the beach, what equipment you will need, ideal camera settings and much, much more!