Reed Hoffmann’s Photography Blog
Soap Bubbles
In these days of heavy hand-washing, a recent household chore led to a fun soap bubble shoot. No, not THAT kind of shoot… After filling some of the soap dispensers in our house, I rinsed out the bulk container and left it draining in the sink. When I went back to take...
Favorite Moments from 2019
Most years, in January or February I try to post a story about some of my favorite photos from the previous year. But this year I was so busy then that I never got around to it, and thought, “oh well.” Now, though, I have time on my hands, so here goes. Part of the...
The Compression Myth Debunked
This story is a short one, because the visual evidence is so obvious. There’s no such thing as “compression” of the scene when talking about telephoto lenses. When you use a telephoto lens, you’re simply getting a narrower angle of view than what you see with your...
Coping with COVID-19
What do you do if COVID-19 has brought your life to a screeching halt and you’re a photographer? You're certainly not going to any workshops in the next few weeks, nor camera club meetings or sporting events or concerts or… you get the idea. Here are a few...
Street Photography
I’ve just returned from leading two trips to Cuba, and the street photography there is amazing. To be honest, though, I have mixed feelings about street photography. I’m all for it when it’s done in a way that’s courteous to the subject or says something about...
Cuba Photography Workshop
The bucket list of every photographer I know has Cuba near the top. Last week I returned from my first trip there, and it definitely it lived up to its expectations. Two years ago I began planning a photography workshop in Cuba. My friends at adventure travel company...
Secrets of Autofocus Part 2 – Back-button Focus
Aside from understanding what the different focus modes on your camera do, the single best thing you can do to improve your use of autofocus is what’s often referred to as “back-button focus.” Here’s why… Back in the early 90s, when decent autofocus was in its...
My Kansas City Chiefs Season Recap
With the Chiefs playing in the Super Bowl next weekend, I thought this would be a good time to do a recap of some of my favorite photos from this season. While travel kept me away from the early games, beginning in late October I managed to shoot the last five of...
Annual Photography Maintenance Program
I hope your new year is off to a good start, and that means off to a good start photographically as well. Here are a few tips for an annual photography maintenance program: Every photographer’s workflow should include taking care of certain things each January. Here’s...
Nikon Z 7 and Z 6 Settings
I’ve been using Nikon’s Z 7 and Z 6 cameras for over a year now, and for the most part have been very happy with them. Here's why, and the camera settings I've used that work best for me. (if you want to see images, most of what I've posted to Instagram the past year...