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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
- Keith Cooper’s City Light Luminar presets
Keith's 'City Light' presets for MacPhun's Luminar photo editing software. Developed for architectural images when converting from colour to B&W. Before and after examples, and how they differ from 'straight' B&W conversions. Also using them as a luminance adjustment for colour images.
- Macro photography for a trade stand
Macrophotography setup for producing photographs of small electronic components for the Electronica trade show. Photographs of components along with brightly coloured gummy bears on a polished metal surface.
- Print of a photo of a sunset from my loft
Photographing an interesting sunset out of the loft window at home. How a simple photo, basic processing and printing produces a 22 inch by 33 inch print. Why any problems in making great prints probably doesn't come from deficiencies in equipment and software.
- Tutorial: A large black and white print of the harbour at Staithes
Looking at the whole process, from photography to printing, Keith's tutorisl shows how he produced a 22" x 43" wide angle view of the harbour at Staithes in N. Yorkshire. Includes details on image stitching, B&W conversion and using masked adjustment layers.
- Better scenic and landscape holiday photos
Keith was recently asked for a few quick and -simple- tips for better scenic vacation photos by a local business group. A few basic ideas that have stood the test of time and help create better looking landscape photos.
- Kaiser tabletop photo kit review
'Easyfit' tabletop product photography kit with shooting table and two continuous lights with diffusers. Basic product photography setup along with examples of use showing how care with lighting impacts even basic product photos
- Basic Photoshop Elements tutorials
Basic image adjustment tutorials with Photoshop Elements. Using just the most basic tools that are essential parts of image editing
- Why I use the Fisheye-Hemi plugin
Fisheye lenses are great, with their extreme wide angle and their distinctive perspective, but sometimes you want a bit more. The Fisheye hemi plugin provides some interesting variations
There are over 1100 free articles and reviews on the site - thanks to everyone who helps support it.
We appreciate any purchases you make through our partners such as B&H which help us sustain the site.
Using equipment in non-standard ways. Hacks and mods.
- Novoflex lens adapters for EOS R and Nikon Z
Novoflex announce a range of new lens adapters for manual lenses with Canon EOS R and Nikon Z mirrorless cameras.
- Simple Inkjet printer cleaning
Cleaning old, clogged and dried up ink from inkjet printers using commonly available household cleaning products. Common solvents and additives quickly cut though ink buildup. A look at different household cleaners and how they can help shift dried up printer ink
- Lens testing for coma with a laser star
Testing lenses for coma with a laser pointer star simulator in the daytime. Simple test setup also shows starburst diffraction spikes
- Techart EF lens to Fuji GFX lens adapter
Techart EF lens to Fuji GFX lens adapter with AF functionality. Lens aperture can be set from the camera control dial. Firmware is updateable
- DIY Telecentric macro lenses
Joining various old lenses together with filter rings and cardboard makes a range of specialist lenses that normally cost thousands of pounds. Simple experiments with telecentric macro lenses.
- Canon 5Ds is fine with old lenses
Despite worries that many more megapixels might mean old lenses needed replacing, some tests with a 5Ds show that it benefits all lenses. A rising tide floats all boats
- Canon EW-73C lens hood from modifying an EW-73B
Lens hood for the EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS Modifying a cheap third party EW-73B lens hood to match a Canon EW-73C lens hood at a fraction of the price.
- Zeiss MC S 135mm f3-5 on Canon 100D
Testing an M42 screw fit Zeiss MC S 135mm f3.5 manual focus telephoto lens on a Canon 100D/SL1 crop sensor camera with an M42-EF adapter.
Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.
- The Paragon 500mm f8 lens
Testing a manual focus Paragon 500mm f8 long focus lens on a Canon RP mirrorless full frame camera with adapters. Is it worth the few pounds paid for it
- Upsizing and sharpening for making a print
Editing, sharpening and upsizing part of an old digital photo from a 10MP camera to make an A2 sized print. Image resizing for larger prints and why your editing workflow matters.
- Book Review: 52 Assignments Landscape Photography
Book Review: 52 Assignments, Landscape Photography. A collection of 52 project ideas relating to Landscape photography. Lots of suggestions to help expand your photography and experiment.
- Book Review: Everything about taking Photographs
Book Review: 'Everything you always wanted to know about taking better photographs', '50 images and 50 explanations' by Antony Zacharias. £12.99 Ammonite press October 2019
- Detailed Panasonic S1R camera review
Panasonic Lumix S1R usage review. Using the 47MP full frame mirrorless camera with special emphasis on the 187MP multi-shot high resolution mode and support of third party specialist lenses.
- Reverse grad filter 100x150mm
Using the K&F Concept Reverse graduated neutral density GND8 3 stop filter 100x150mm. Rectangular filter with graduated filter density
- A simple black and white print
A simple black and white print workflow aimed at showing just how easy it is to create a black and white landscape print, with a few simple edits.
- What are you doing with your photos
How do you decide what to do with all the photos you take, why did you take them and who gets to see them. A process any photographer should think about. Yes, this means you...
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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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
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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...Get our Newsletter for new articles/reviews and why not visit Keith's YouTube Channel
...My book about how to use tilt/shift lenses is now available.