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

• Topaz AI Gigapixel – updated V1.1Topaz AI Gigapixel - Image resizing software - updated to V1.1 now includes CPU and GPU processing options and more control of images noise and blur handling
• Topaz AI Clear reviewTopaz AI Clear review - A automated Image processing 'pro' adjustment within Topaz Studio. Noise reduction and sharpening for photographs.
• Book Review: Mastering Long ExposureBook Review: Mastering Long Exposure - A definitive guide for photographers by Antony Zacharias. Looking at uses for and the techniques needed for long exposure photography in any lighting conditions.
• Topaz AI GigaPixel reviewTopaz AI GigaPixel software review. Testing Topaz's image resizing software on a range of sample images and testing results on screen and as large prints, Standalone app lets you resize to 600% and handles huge files
• Topaz AI Gigapixel upsizingTopaz have announced some smart new software for upscaling images called A.I. Gigapixel. It uses the power of your graphics card and neural network based techniques to achieve impressive resizing results. Keith written has a full review of it too.
• Fixing lens aberrations for shift lensesApproaches for manually fixing lens aberrations for tilt/shift lenses. Vignetting, pincushion and barrel distortion, and chromatic aberration. What to do when you forgot to note down the settings of your T/S lens
• Nik plugins by DxO – review info.Looking at the Nik image editing plugins - The updated version of the Nik plugin collection is launched by DxO with improved compatibility for modern apps. Links to all of Keith's detailed reviews of the plugins
• 5Ds or 5Ds R – worth the extra cost?A very quick comparison of an identical shot with the Canon EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R shows differences - are they worth the extra you have to pay?

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

• Zeiss MC S 135mm f3-5 on Canon 100DTesting 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.
• Photosniper 300mm with Canon 100DUsing the Russian Tair 3 phs Photosniper 300mm f4.5 lens and rifle stock with a Canon EOS 100D/SL1 DSLR. Includes modification to use external trigger
• Cleaning Canon printheads – iPF8300 – PF05Cleaning and replacing the printheads - on a Canon iPF8300 large format printer, with the PF-05 printhead. Canon large format print heads are a user replaceable part. Whilst cleaning might help, it could be that you need a new print head.
• Macro on the Canon EOS 100D SL1Using the 18MP Canon EOS 100D (SL1) for macrophotography. Tested with extension tubes and a tilt/shift lens and the specialised MP-E65 Macro lens. Showing some benefits of a crop sensor camera with small pixels
• Use a survey tripod for the GigaPan Epic ProMaking use of a survey tripod and tribrach with thread size adapters to level and mount a GigaPan Epic Pro. Very solid and easy to set up and accurately level for GigaPan photos
• Testing add-on tele and wide angle convertor lensesTrying out a range of tele and wide angle converter attachments for the front of lenses. Converters increase or decrease the focal length of a lens. Quality differs widely, but the effects can be interesting
• Canon 5D mk2 Infrared conversionUsing an Infrared (IR) modified DSLR camera for digital infrared photography. Looking at exposure and lens choices, along with image processing options. Testing an IR modified Canon EOS 5D mk2 - it it just about luminous trees
• Make your own macro lensesUsing old lenses and equipment with modern digital cameras to make a high magnification macro lens. Reversing a lens and making a mount for it. Macro photography without the expense of buying a specialist macro lens

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Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.

• Printing Black and White digital photographyPrinting Black and White digital photography, is the second part of an interview with Keith Cooper about all aspects of digital monochrome photography
• Black and white digital photography with Keith CooperAn extended version of a magazine interview with Keith Cooper, discussing different aspects of digital black and white photography. B&W photography tips and advice
• 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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