by Reed Hoffmann | Jun 3, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Composition, Focus, Intermediate, Lenses, People
Like most photographers, I love wide aperture (“fast”) lenses for their ability to turn a distracting background into a beautifully out-of-focus blob. But that shallow focus can also make it hard to keep the subject sharp. If you’re within ten feet, an inch or two...
by Reed Hoffmann | Apr 1, 2021 | Action, Beginner, Education, Flash, Focus, Intermediate, Light, Technology
I’ve always tried to be a “glass half-full” kind of person, which has been a challenge the past year. Having to cancel most of my workshops was frustrating, but it did push me to create and start teaching online classes. Not only has that turned out to be fun, but...
by Reed Hoffmann | Mar 16, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, Travel, Wildlife
Every spring, 80% of the world’s sandhill crane population ends up just five hours away from me. At its peak, about a million cranes find their way to the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska during their migration north. So last week I did my own two-day migration...
by Reed Hoffmann | Feb 25, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Beginner, Camera Gear, Composition, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, Light, Night Photography, People, Sports, Travel, Wildlife, Workshops
I doubt that many of us will look back fondly on 2020, with lives turned upside down due to COVID. Despite having to cancel over a half-dozen workshops, I count myself lucky. My wife and I, our kids and extended family, have been able to stay healthy and avoid...
by Reed Hoffmann | Jan 29, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Camera Gear, Education, Intermediate, Lenses, Sports
If there’s one thing that’s pretty much guaranteed to ruin a good photo, it’s being out of focus. Not surprisingly, then, I get lots of questions about autofocus settings whenever I’m teaching photography. Of course, those settings don’t just change between different...
by Reed Hoffmann | Jan 14, 2021 | Action, Advanced, Exposure, Flash, Intermediate, Light, Technology
With winter here, those of us who live in cold weather climates may find ourselves looking to do more indoor photography, and perhaps using flash. In which case understanding the difference between front-curtain, slow and rear-curtain sync is important. That word...