Possibly the second most frequently asked question by the beginning photographer (after "Which camera should I buy?") is, "What accessories should I purchase next?" There's no correct answer to this question. Much of a photographer's secondary equipment is determined by his/her photographic specialty, preferences and shooting style. However, that doesn't stop Hub from publishing a recommended "what next" list for those new to photography.Some attempt has been made to prioritize this list,... Read Full Story

I'm frequently asked if the images I use in my educational blogs and live classes can be purchased. I have resisted selling my images because I was concerned about affordability. I print all my images. Consequently each print is expensive, exacting and intended to meet the standards of a gallery print. As a result, the cost of prints might be out of reach for the readers I attempt to help in my digital photography blogs.I recently discovered a solution that makes it possible to provide an eco... Read Full Story

I'm frequently asked if the images I use in my educational blogs and live classes can be purchased. I have resisted selling my images because I was concerned about affordability. I print all my images. Consequently each print is expensive, exacting and intended to meet the standards of a gallery print. As a result, the cost of prints might be out of reach for the readers I attempt to help in my digital photography blogs.I recently discovered a solution that makes it possible to provide an eco... Read Full Story

Photography goes through phases. The straight documentary use of photography for which is was originally intended remains constant. Life requires documentation by both family photographers and professionals. All those billions of pictures become our personal and shared global history.But, there are processes and styles of photographic imagery that pass in and our of favor on a fairly regular basis. Black & white photography is a good example. It all began as black & white images ... Read Full Story

In Part 24a - White Balancing in the iDarkroom, the concepts of "neutrality" in color and "known reference" were explained. Pretty exciting stuff. Right? If you have not read Part 24a, take the time now. It will make this discussion much easier to follow and understand.Using these concepts, it's possible to apply white balancing in the iDarkroom to control precisely the color rendition of any image. Precise color in photographic terms means that colors in the print or ... Read Full Story

Note: This is the second of a two part series on the care of DSLR image sensors. To better understand the subject, please start with Sensing Your DSLR Sensor's Condition.Figure 1 - Hub's Canon D30 sensor test before cleaningThere is no doubt that my camera's sensor requires cleaning. Figure 1 shows the dust spots that were detected from the test procedure discussed in my previous post. I am not proud of my "dust collection", and the images it produces reflect its poor st... Read Full Story

Note: Although I consider myself photographically competent, I need to acknowledge the information and insights I received from two trusted photo industry friends as I researched these two articles on Camera Sensors, Tom Houston of Pro Photo Supply and Dave Sleeth of Advance Camera -- both organizations are Portland, Oregon camera stores. Each gentleman helped me develop this information in a manner that would be most easily understood by the community of beginning DSLR photographers who re... Read Full Story

For the first-time DSLR camera buyer, the choices and options can be overwhelming. Here's a list of questions and considerations for making that big decision. A good camera store will ask the same questions to help determine which cameras are the best fit for their customers. Unfortunately, when shopping on the Internet or at mass merchandisers, little or no expert advice is available. So, answer the questions in this list, and take the list with you when you shop for that first DSLR.... Read Full Story

It's a special treat to have John Wimberley join the family of Visionary Photographers. John is a photographic purist in the finest tradition of the art. His dedication to technical excellence and the spiritualism that guides his imagery results in black and white works of art with a vibrancy, clarity and insightfulness that moves the soul.John makes his home in Ashland, Oregon and remains a very active photographer with personal photography projects, numerous exhibits, a new book (Evidenc... Read Full Story

In my blog for beginning DSLR camera users, Hub's Camera, the topic of setting the proper white balance was the subject of a three part post (Part 24a, 24b and 24c). It is also possible to correct an image's white balance in the digital darkroom after the picture has been taken. Regardless of whether you decide to address the issue of white balance when taking the picture or in your computer as a "post processing" procedure, white balance is critical to the accurate renditio... Read Full Story