Photography is more than just pointing and shooting—it’s about capturing the world in a way that tells a story or evokes emotion. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced shooter, there’s always something new to learn. From choosing the right gear and mastering light to nailing composition and post-processing, these tips will help refine your skills and make your photos stand out. Dive in and explore practical advice to take your photography to the next level!
Shooting flowers with the Leica Summilux 50mm Classic is all about capturing character over clinical perfection. This lens has a signature rendering — a mix of sharp focus, smooth bokeh, and that slightly dreamy glow wide open — that turns simple subjects like flowers into something poetic. At f/1.4, the Summilux gives you a shallow…
This flower was just a few centimeters wide, and while this photo appears to have been taken with a macro lens, it wasn’t! It was captured with the impressive 35mm APO lens. What a remarkable lens.
Ginzan Onsen at night is pure magic, like stepping into a scene from a Ghibli film. Nestled in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture, this hot spring town transforms after dark into an ethereal vision—warm lanterns glowing softly, their reflections shimmering on the Ginzan River, while the beautifully preserved Taisho-era ryokan exude a timeless charm. And…
A close-up photo of flowers at home, captured with the Nokton 28mm lens wide open, showcasing the lens’s beautiful bokeh effect that softly blurs the background, and thus emphasizing the delicate beauty of the blooms. Wide-angle fast lenses like this are not common, and I particularly love the unique qualities of this Nokton lens. Well…
After using the JPEGs straight from the Leica M11, I started noticing how film-like the high ISO files looked. Unlike many digital cameras that aggressively smooth out noise, the M11 retains a fine, organic grain structure, giving images a textured quality reminiscent of classic film stocks. The noise doesn’t feel artificial or obtrusive; instead, it…
Okinawa’s flowers are vibrant and unique, reflecting the subtropical beauty of the region. From the striking hibiscus, often used as a symbol of Okinawa’s warm and welcoming culture, to bougainvillea with its bright clusters of petals, the island is a paradise for floral enthusiasts. Seasonal blossoms like cherry trees blooming earlier than on mainland Japan…
The Voigtländer Nokton lenses are highly regarded for their ability to produce stunningly beautiful bokeh, characterized by smooth, creamy out-of-focus areas and gentle transitions that lend images a distinctive, dreamy quality (here the 28mm). In side-by-side comparisons, the Nokton lenses often rival or even surpass the bokeh rendering of their Leica equivalents, which are widely…
Using the EF 100-400mm lens with a 1.4x extender and an RF adapter on your Canon EOS R6 is a powerhouse setup for lunar photography. This combination enhances your ability to capture detailed, high-quality images of the moon, even in the varying light conditions of late afternoon and early night. Why This Setup is Ideal…
When I point my macro lens towards tiny street flowers, it feels like stepping into a hidden world filled with incredible details and unexpected beauty. At first glance, these flowers might seem small and ordinary, blending into the urban environment of cracks in sidewalks, forgotten corners, or the edges of busy streets. But through the…
Ueno Zoo in Tokyo is home to black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), small, burrowing rodents native to North America. These social animals are known for their intricate underground colonies, called “towns,” and their distinctive vocalizations that resemble a dog’s bark. While not currently endangered, prairie dogs play a crucial role in their native ecosystems. Ueno Zoo’s…