Taking photos is a little like playing golf. An amateur can luck into a great tee shot, or snap a brilliant shot. Being consistent is a different story. You have to practice and, in photography, that means taking lots of photos in different scenarios. No two photos are alike, after all, because your subject — whether it’s food, the stars, buildings or friends — and your environment will constantly change; for each, you’ll need to refactor variables like light and composition.
It’s complicated, admittedly, and you’ll need more than just your smartphone for the job (despite what marketing campaigns say). Read on to find the best how-to’s and gear guides to get you started.
How-To Guides
Aerial, Food, Landscape, Candid Shots and More
How to Take a Better Food Photo
Tips and tricks from Daniel Krieger, a celebrated food photographer who has shot nearly 100 assignments for The New York Times, along with his work for Food & Wine and Bon Appétit.
How to Take Beautiful Photos of Cars
Inspiring automotive photos take more than just a thumb and an iPhone.
How to Take Better Landscape Photographs
Professional adventure photographer Bradley Castañeda shares the tips, techniques and gear you’ll need to to take better landscape photographs.
How to Take Better Wedding Photos
We ask Jonny Hoffner, co-owner of Paper Antler Photography, the secrets of wedding photography, to help improve our own photo game.
How to Shoot Architectural Photography
An award-winning architectural photographer reveals how to shoot massive buildings effectively, and how structures evoke emotion.
Read the Story
How to Take Great Photos While Flying
A plane ticket is a free selection of stunning shots — provided you know how to make them happen.
How to Capture Stunning Star Trail Photos
Step-by-step instructions for how to take star trail photographs. Hint: It’s not as simple as opening the camera and kicking back.
How Photograph Straight Lines (Correctly)
A common photography mistake — and how to fix it.
Camera Guides
The Gear You Need
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Point-and-shoots are easy to use and convenient, but they can’t take as beautiful photographs as a DSLR. Read the Story
When shooting on top of a mountain or in the heart of the city, make sure you have the right tripod. Read the Story
Street photographer? Portrait photographer? These are the prime lenses you need. Read the Story
Capture your next adventure in high res with some of the best compact digital cameras. Read the Story
A photographer’s two-week tour of Hokkaido, and the tools he brought with him. Read the Story
Find your real focus.. Read the Story
