A Walk in the Woods

Today’s Post by Mark Toal This photo was taken on a late winter day in Portland. The reason I start with where and when it was made is that the photo shows the kind of amazing light that we get here in Oregon during the winter and spring. Photographers describe it as a natural soft...

The Difference? Where t...

Today’s Post by Joe Farace Ansel Adams once famously said that the difference between a good picture and a bad one was “knowing where to stand.” For studio photography you can add that the difference is also in knowing where to place the lights. Let me show you what I mean: ...

Recycle Your Old Camera

Today’s post is by Mark Toal Old camera bodies, whether SLR or mirrorless, tend not to have much re-sale value, especially by the time you get around to buying your next new camera. We’ve probably all have an older camera body sitting around that we don’t use much sitting in a closet...

Follow Your Passion �...

Today’s Post by Mark Toal I’m frequently asked how I find the things that I photograph? The answer is that I follow my passions and interests. A good example is my steam train photography. A few years ago, my photo group—do you belong to one?—went on a tour of an old steam train...

SP&S 700 Steam Tra...

Today’s Video by Mark Toal It’s been a while since Mark has shot some of the great-looking photographs of trains that he has graced this blog with in the past. Today as a treat for owners of 5K monitors and 5KiMacs, Mark produced this short feature to show a 4K video clip...

Make Self Portraits Not...

Today’s Post by Mark Toal The art of the self portrait seems to have turned into a way to say “look where I am and whom I’m with.” At least that’s what it said in an article It’s a way to say “look at me, I’m here.” In reality photography and painting have a long...