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.

Keith has produced over 850 videos which include several how-to type ones. For a full index of all videos on YouTube, there is a categorised index page here:

Index: All of Keith’s 850+ YT videos

The videos and articles here 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
• Index for all of Keith’s videos [850+]
• 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

• Epson Traditional Photo Paper reviewReview of Epson's Traditional Photo Paper - a fine art lustre finish paper also know as Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper in the USA and some other regions
• Review – sharpening images with Nik Sharpener ProDetailed review of Nik Sharpener pro V3. Tested as a photoshop plugin allowing a range of sharpening effects for screen and print.
• Room lighting for image editingPaying some attention to the lighting levels and decoration in the areas where you edit photographs has a beneficial influence on quality and consistency
• Canon 1Ds Mark III Noise and ISOLooking at noise in images captured over the full range of ISO settings shows that by sticking to whole stop ISO settings, you get lower noise levels
• Fisheye Hemi Plugin reviewImage editing plugin for Photoshop which provides a range of pre computed geometry corrections and adjustments for images taken with a fisheye lens - any image or lens can be used.
• 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
• Colour Management in your web browser – Test ImagesSome quick tests to see how colour management is being handled in your web browser. How images in different colour spaces look on your screen.
• DxO Optics Pro V4.2 reviewReview of RAW file processing using DxO Optics Pro V4.2. Includes geometric corrections, noise reduction and lens correction features

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

• Canon 5Ds is fine with old lensesDespite 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-73BLens 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 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

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Ideas for developing photographic skills and aspects of photographic composition.

• 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.
• Autopano Giga 3 review updateReview 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 questionHow 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 DSLRsPhone 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 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.
• 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...
• Re-using the zone system?With its origins in the exposure and development of film, do aspects of the zone system still work in today's digital black and white photography?

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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