Photography tutorials and how-to articles

Articles aimed at helping you improve aspects of your photography

There are a growing number of entirely free tutorials and ‘how to’ articles on this site. This page provides links to all of them.

They range from photo composition to ‘photo-hacks’ or building your own specialist lenses from discarded camera equipment.

Many of our articles and reviews are also written to help explain how and why you would use different equipment and techniques, not just a list of a product’s functionality.

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If you think of something that might be useful, please let Keith know – many articles have come from questions asked by readers.

The sections below split all the articles into three broad categories.

Specialist index pages

• Keith’s photo blog
• Articles and Reviews
• Camera and printer rumours
• Digital Black and White
• Colour Management
• All about using tilt and shift
• Photography book reviews
• The business side of photography
• Keith’s ‘gear list’ for his work
• Gallery of some of Keith’s prints
• Some of Keith’s travel blogs
• Some of Keith’s link choices

For even more detail, check the category listings and search box at the right of the page

Editing your photos. Tools and tips

• Video: tilt/shift lens basics – horizontally shifted imagesKeith Cooper looks at using horizontal (left/right) shift of the lens to offset the camera viewpoint and control aspects of apparent image geometry and perspective (9 mins)
• Roll paper printing tipsUsing roll paper for your printing Some tips if you're new to roll media Site update: Thanks for everyone's support - work is still very sparse, but at least I've lots of videos, articles and reviews to write - if you've any suggestions or questions,...
• Setting up the P900 roll paper unitInstallation and setup for the Epson P900 printer roll paper unit option. The powered rear paper holder allows the use of roll paper at up to 17" width on the P900 A2/17" printer
• Video: tilt/shift lens basics – diagonally shifted imagesKeith Cooper looks at using a diagonal shift of the lens to offset the camera viewpoint and control aspects of apparent image geometry and perspective (7 mins)
• Video: tilt/shift lens basics – stitching shifted imagesKeith Cooper looks at stitching pairs of shifted images taken with a tilt shift lens, to give a larger higher megapixel image with wider coverage (3m 50s)
• Video: Tilt shift lens basics – vertical lens shiftKeith Cooper looks at basic vertical (up/down) lens shift with a tilt/shift lens, to correct converging vertical lines when looking upwards (3m 30s)
• Video: The black and white printer test imageKeith Cooper looks at the basics of using his specialist black and white printer test image to evaluate black and white printing (6mins)
• Helicon Focus focus stacking part 3Review: Helicon Focus for focus stacking part 3. Making highly detailed macro photographs of very small objects, using a stackshot macro rail and MP-E65mm macro lens. Camera options for mirrorless

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Using equipment in non-standard ways. Hacks and mods.

• Jessop zoom slide duplicator lensTesting a 35mm zoom slide copier on a modern digital camera with some slides from the 1970's. Includes image processing and lighting concerns and a quick look at photo image quality from the 70's
• Using old lenses on a modern DSLR/mirrorless cameraLens adapters allow you to use old lenses on a modern DSLR or mirrorless camera. Many old lenses work very well if you can live without autofocus. Performance varies, but it's possible to learn lot of use for the rest of your photography
• Using effects lens filtersAfter being given some assorted lens filters dating back to film days, Keith wonders if they are still of any use with modern digital cameras and how B&W film 'emulation' has its limits.
• Adapted lens – Soligor 300mm f5.5Adapted lens experiments - Soligor 300mm f5.5 on an RF mount EOS RP mirrorless camera. Using adapters on a manual focus telephoto from 1975 on a modern mirrorless camera
• Fotodiox tilt-shift lens adapterReview of the Fotodiox TLT ROKR tilt-shift lens adapter for mounting medium format lenses on mirrorless cameras. M645 to Canon RF tested. Available also for M645 to Nikon Z along with many other lens/body combination.
• Canon SDK updatedCanon Europe announces a new SDK and API Package for Developers. Software Development Kit (SDK) adds SX70 HS to supported cameras. incl. camera control API
• Lighting CRI with i1Profiler and the i1ProLighting CRI measurement using X-Rite i1Profiler software and the i1Pro spectrophotomenter, with the free Osram LED ColorCalculator software
• Book Review: 52 Assignments Experimental PhotographyBook Review: 52 Assignments, Experimental Photography. 52 project ideas to help you explore different aspects of photography, film and digital. with low and high tech ideas and hacks

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Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.

• Book Review: Isle of Skye – Photographer’s guideBook Review: Isle of Skye and NW Scotland - Photographer's guide by David Hickey. Locations, maps and tours with detailed photographic tips and suggestions covering equipment, photography and image processing.
• Looking at the Canon R5 cameraKeith Cooper looks at the Canon EOS R5 45MP mirrorless camera, from the POV of an architectural photographer, including extensive use of tilt shift lenses
• Diagonal lens shiftDiagonal lens shift - Keith looks at using a tilt/shift or shift only lens by combining horizontal and vertical lens movements. Using an off-set viewpoint in images
• What goes into a printWhat goes into a photo print - getting more from your prints. Looking at printers, image preparation and just what makes a print worth going on your wall. Why are you making prints and who are they for?
• Tilt-shift and moving beyond the small world lookThe model world style of photos taken with lens tilt is but a small part of what can be achieved with a tilt-shift lens. Controlling and using lens tilt is not the black art some seem to think...
• Helicon Focus focus stacking part 3Review: Helicon Focus for focus stacking part 3. Making highly detailed macro photographs of very small objects, using a stackshot macro rail and MP-E65mm macro lens. Camera options for mirrorless
• Helicon Focus focus stacking part 2Review: Helicon Focus for focus stacking part 2. Moving the camera to create source images for a stack. Creating depth of field.
• Helicon Focus for basic focus stackingReview: using Helicon Focus for basic focus stacking of images for increased depth of field for macro and close up photography - Photos taken by stepping lens focus

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Training – for companies

These are aspects of training that I provide (on location, not at our offices) as part of Northlight’s business.

We also have a training directory that is freely available for any professional photographer who offers training.

It’s arranged by location, so as long as you are a pro photographer, a free link is available

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Other areas of our site that may be of interest...

All the latest articles/reviews and photo news items appear on Keith's Photo blog 

Keith explains tilt and shift lenses

Keith has written a book that looks at the many ways that tilt/shift lenses can benefit your photography from a technical and creative point of view.

ISBN 9781785007712

Book now available

There is also a specific index page on the site with links to all Keith's articles, reviews and videos about using tilt and shift.

We've a whole section of the site devoted to  Digital Black and White photography and printing. It covers all of Keith's specialist articles and reviews. Other sections include Colour management and Keith's camera hacks - there are over 1200 articles/reviews here...

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