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

• Reducing halos with Silver Efex Pro 2Ways of using colour to black and white conversion software such as Nik Silver Efex Pro that do not produce unwanted halo effects around objects. Ensuring that trees don't make the sky lighter for example
• 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

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

• Deactivate the ink level counter on the Epson 4000Ensuring that ink cartridges always read as full on the Epson Stylus Pro 4000 17" printer. Turning off the ink counter is an alternative to using a chip reset device.
• Swap black ink on the Epson 4880 PrinterA different way of swapping black ink types on the Epson 4880 printer that reduces ink waste compared to the official technique. Use with care
• Modify Canon tilt shift lensChanging the shift axis alignment for Canon TS-E lenses, TS-E 90 modification shown. Similar for TS-E45 and TS-E 24 (mark 1 version)
• Maintenance tank in Epson large format printersLooking at the maintenance tank in some large format Epson printers. How to reset it when full so that it can continue to be used. Use this technique with care, since overflows are very messy.
• A Canon MPP view camera adapterMaking an adapter to fit a DSLR camera to the back of a 4x5 (5x4) view camera, using the existing lens and camera movements. Construction details and parts used. learning about camera movements
• Ultrachrome inks in an Epson 10000 large format printerConversion of an Epson SP10000 dye based ink printer to use Ultrachrome pigment based inks and carts from an Epson 10600. Changing ink types
• A digital pinhole camera using a Canon 1DsConstruction ideas and sample images for several different designs of pinhole adapter for a Canon full frame DSLR camera. Digital pinhole photography experiments at different focal lengths
• MonoChromePro pigment inks for black and white printingReview of the MonoChromePro pigment ink set for black and white printing. Includes custom profile curve creation procedures for using QuadToneRIP (QTR). Making use of black and diluted black (grey) ink sets for monochrome photo printing

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Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.

• Video: Black and White from colourKeith looks the basics of turning a colour image into black and white. Why simple 'convert to BW' conversions are often only a starting point, and how simple adjustments can change the whole feel of the image (8m 30s)
• 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.

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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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