
...Get our Newsletter for new articles/reviews and why not subscribe to Keith's YouTube Channel
...Keith's book about how to use tilt/shift lenses is now available.
Our site contains affiliate links - these help support the site. See our Advertising policies for more
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.
Never miss new articles/reviews – sign up for our Newsletter (2-4 max. per month)
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
- How to use a shift lens on your camera
How to use a shift lens on a camera, the results you get and why you should use one. Perspective control and changing your viewpoint with specialist lenses, Why doing it in camera beats software
- 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
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.
- Photosniper 300mm with Canon 100D
Using 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 – PF05
Cleaning 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 SL1
Using 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 Pro
Making 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 lenses
Trying 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 conversion
Using 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 lenses
Using 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
- The wonders of bad lenses
Home made DIY lenses are easy to make for your camera and a great way to see what really matters to you when photographing subjects. A simple lens made with cardboard
Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.
- PPL TSE-Adapter – lens shift review
The PPL TSE Adapter attaches Canon TS-E shift lenses directly to a tripod mount. This lets you shift the camera not the lens, eliminating parallax errors
- Making a black and white photograph
The whole process of making a large black and white photograph, right from stopping to take the photo, through to final fine-art printmaking.
- Autopano Giga 3 review update
Review of Autopano Giga from Kolor. Version 3 update is faster, adds additional functionality for stitching images and the projection geometry used for output.
- Diminishing returns – the new photo equipment question
How much better is new photographic equipment compared to the previous version. Have big jumps in performance gone for ever? New reviews are getting more difficult.
- Older photographers – let them use DSLRs
Phone cameras fail in a big way if you have forgotten your glasses - why camera design needs to consider older people. Good viewfinders matter for everyone
- Producing better photographs
Why 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 lens
A 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.
- After the Photokina 2012 show…
What's really new at Photokina in 2012 and what will make a real difference to photography, Keith picks a few items...
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
Never miss a new article or review - Sign up for our occasional (ad-free) Newsletter and Keith's YouTube Channel
Enjoyed this article?
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
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...
Articles below by Keith (Google's picks for matching this page)
See all of Keith's 1000+ articles and reviews
We're an Amazon affiliate. so receive commission on any purchases you make
...Get our Newsletter for new articles/reviews and why not subscribe to Keith's YouTube Channel
...Keith's book about how to use tilt/shift lenses is now available.
Our site contains affiliate links - these help support the site. See our Advertising policies for more