Welcome back for your last creative challenge!  If you are brand new to the blog, every month in 2017 I have posted a creative exercise or a mini photography project for you to do.  This is the final one of the year, so I hope you can join me for it!

So, here it is:  the final challenge of 2017.

If you have been following along since the start of the year, I hope you have enjoyed them all!  We’ve had a great mix of challenges I think, definitely something for everyone.

Remember, you can do the vast majority of these challenges at ANY time, so I’ll be back next week with a post that rounds up ALL the different challenges and projects I have here on the blog, so that you can pin or bookmark it for easy reference for going forward.

But back to this final challenge, as we are going to take on a mini photography project for this final month: a December Daily.

One of the BEST things about teaching people photography is simply the impact it can have on your students, and the images they take.

Seriously, nothing makes me feel happier than when I get an email from a student saying how much more confident they feel after taking one of my courses, or how it is all coming together for them, or when I see a student on Facebook or Instagram and they are simply rocking their camera.

A few weeks ago, I was on Instagram and viewing some of the images posted by my students, when a few caught my eye. They were from the same photographer, Katie Lynn, and I was blown away by how amazing they were.  I was even happier when I learnt that she shoots with what some would call “basic” gear - an entry level camera with a crop sensor and the kit lens - absolute, 100% proof that you honestly don’t need the most expensive gear to make great photographs!

So I asked Katie Lynn if she would do a case study for me, because I really wanted you to see the impact learning your camera can make on your images, and how it can improve your skills and images SO much more than getting the latest lens or a new set of actions.  

I’ve done a few case studies on the blog (I’ve linked to them at the bottom of this post if you would like to read more!) as I love seeing the journeys of photographers, but this is the first time I have had a student do this so I am extra delighted to have Katie here!

Take it away, Katie….

It’s getting to be that most magical time of the year: the time when you might be allowed to get your hands on some new photography loot!

To help you with some ideas of what to put on your own wish list, or what to give a photographer friend or family member, here are some ideas that I know you would love to receive in your stocking this year.   

Pin it or share it with your family so they know what they can get you!

Welcome back for another creative challenge! If you are new to the blog, every month for 2017 I have been posting a photography project / creative exercise for you to do.   There is only a couple of months left , but come back again on the first Tuesday of December for your FINAL assignment of 2017!  You can of course do these projects / creativity exercises at ANY time, so at the bottom of this post you will find links to the previous challenges too :) 

For this month's challenge we are going to be creating a photo series.

What is a photo series I hear you ask? Well, it's simply a group of photos that come together to create a common theme or story. 

Ready? Let's dive in! 

Adobe recently announced that there is now TWO different versions of Lightroom available on its subscription plan, and naturally, that has lead to some confusion about what the differences between the two are, and which one you should use.

These two different versions are called Lightroom CC and LIghtroom Classic, and they are each aimed at entirely different sets of people, so you do want to make sure you are using the best one for your needs.

You might also be wondering what the heck happened to Lightroom 6,  the only version of LIghtroom available as a download version for a one time fee, so we’ll cover that today too!

Phew, that’s a lot to get through - best crack on...

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd pop in to give you some tips for getting the best pictures you can during this fun holiday!

This is one time where I think I have as much fun capturing the event as other people have in taking part :)

We've all had it, images where our subject looks soft, and out of focus and we wonder where the heck it has all gone wrong!  

There can be several reasons why your images aren't looking as tack sharp as we want them to be, and (luckily!) few things we can do to make it better. 

So here are THREE things to check if you feel you are constantly getting soft or out of focus images.  Of course, there are a other involved in getting a tack sharp images, but chances are if your images aren't as sharp as you want them to be, it's one of these :) 

One of the most common questions I hear about Lightroom is "When should I take my images into Photoshop when I've been working in Lightroom?" 

Following closely on it's heels is this question: "I'm not getting the images I want in Lightroom, do I need to learn Photoshop?" 

The good news is I can answer both questions in one blog post!  

So if you are currently using LIghtroom, and are wondering about when and why you should sometimes use Photoshop, OR if you feel like you are not getting the images you want in Lightroom, and are wondering if doing more in Photoshop is the answer to your prayers. then this is the blog post for you :)  

Sound good? Then read on...

When I first started my photography journey many years ago, my whole reason for picking up my camera was to ensure that I could capture all the things that made my son special .  It's amazing just how quickly it all changes, and before you know it they have moved onto the next "phase" of their own journey - and you blinked and missed it :) 

When you are in the thick of the daily grind, it can sometimes be hard to stop and think about what's important to capture.  So today, I'm giving you five different things you can capture so that you can document this current "stage" of your children. 

Lightroom has a number of options within it's crop tool that can help you make sure you get the absolute best crop for your image.  That way you can make sure you have the used a composition for your photo that gives it the most impact! 

In this post, I'm going to walk you step by step through using the crop tool, and the different options you can choose to help you get the best crop in Lightroom. 

Let's dig in!

Most of us have fallen for a common Lightroom myth or misconception at some point in time - myself included!  For me, it was assuming that Lightroom wasn't for hobbyists and that I really need to use Photoshop if I wanted to get images like the "pros", when nothing could be further from the truth! 

Let's break down 5 Lightroom myths that you might believe that is stopping you from making the most of this amazing program....

I used to be terrified of shadows when I was taking pictures!  I wanted the image to be as shadow free as possible, because dealing with the shadows are where they were falling on my subject was a nightmare I wasn't ready to contend with. 

But once you have got to grips with the basics of your camera, introducing shadows is an amazing way to make your images more engaging. 

Here's four reasons why shadows can add impact to your photos, and why you should start to try to incorporate them today! 

Once you switch from shooting in JPEG over to the RAW file format, you will notice that your images look a little flat and dull straight out of camera in comparison to how they used to look! 

That's simply because when you shoot in JPEG, your camera applies contrast, saturation and contrast, but the RAW file has none of that applied, which is why you need to add in some "pop" to images yourself! (You can read some more reasons why you should be editing your photos here - read it, then come back!) 

So, let's look at some really simply adjustments you can make to give your RAW images a bit of a lift! 

Welcome back for another creative challenge!  If you are new to the blog, every month for 2017 I will be posting a creative exercise / mini photography project for you to do.  So if you like the idea of a monthly flex of your photography muscles, come back on the first Tuesday of every month for your assignment.  

Yup. we've got another Scavenger Hunt, but this time for Fall. Now, this wasn't what I had originally had planned, but because I had so many people request it, via email and in our Facebook Group, I like to give you what you want! 

As per the Summer Scavenger Hunt, you've got a downloadable list of prompts, and all you need to do is go out is simply go out and capture what is on the list. 

You have no doubt heard, time and time again, that you should learn how to shoot in manual mode if you want to improve your photography skills - so many times that I bet you are probably sick of hearing it!) 

But exactly WHY is it so darn important? 

Well, that's exactly what we are going to dive into in this blog post :-)