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

• Making a black and white photographThe whole process of making a large black and white photograph, right from stopping to take the photo, through to final fine-art printmaking.
• Camera AF MicroadjustmentChecking for front or back focus with camera AF. Fine-tuning camera autofocus setup. AF Microadjustment without special tools or the need to spend any money.
• Producing better photographsWhy you probably don't need to rush out and spend money to improve your photography - it about thinking more, and taking more photos. New cameras and lenses are nice but not as essential as you might think
• Alternative focus technique for tilted lensA simple iterative procedure for setting optimal focus for a tilted lens. A step by step approach to set the plane of focus where you want it for a tilt/shift lens.
• Black and white print linearisation with the i1Pro 2Using the X-Rite i1Pro 2 spectrophotometer to measure black and white test print targets to create linearising curves and profile with the QTR software package
• Making a 14 metre photographic printThe GigaPan photography and image processing and editing needed to make a 14 metre panoramic sequence print of Leicester city centre at dusk
• Black and white from ColourLarge collection of methods and techniques for converting colour images to black and white. Photoshop techniques and references to specialist plugins
• Using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 for dull colour imagesContrast boosting by using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 for dull colour images. Using software designed for producing black and white images to adjust image luminosity

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

• Swapping the black ink on the Epson 7600 and 9600Black ink swap - An unofficial method for swapping photo black and matte black inks on the Epson 7600/9600 printers, reducing ink waste.
• Using your film scanner as a microscopeLooking at a variety of very small objects using a film scanner as a microscope, with unexposed film as a slide and slide cover. Examples show a Bee wing, sugar and salt crystals, and plant seeds.

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Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.

• Stitcher Pro reviewReview of Stitcher Pro software (version 5.5) from Realviz. Panoramic stitching software for making large photos from many smaller ones.
• Digital Camera profiling with SG ColorChecker cardCamera profiling with the GMB/X-Rite SG ColorChecker card using i1Match. Includes information for using the SG ColorChecker for calibrating ACR
• Pictures at an exhibition – preparationProblems, considerations and issues encountered when showing and displaying an exhibition of large photographs by Keith Cooper. Making it work for your photographs
• Black and White, the digital wayAn introduction to black and white photography in the digital age. An extended version of an article Keith Cooper wrote for Canon.
• A 35mm black and white landscape photographer goes digitalLooking at what changed and what didn't when a film based landscape photographer decided to make the switch to an all digital workflow.
• Using your film scanner as a microscopeLooking at a variety of very small objects using a film scanner as a microscope, with unexposed film as a slide and slide cover. Examples show a Bee wing, sugar and salt crystals, and plant seeds.

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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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