Stories by Dave Johnson

How to use a flash with your camera and light your photos

Cameras are like sunflowers: They thrive on light. And when there isn't enough light to go around, you need to add some of your own -- that's where your camera's flash comes in. Looking for ways to take better flash photos? You should learn to master...

5 essential iOS apps for photographers

Last year, I told you about five reasons photographers should love the iPhone. The apps I mentioned back then are still great, but this week, I've rounded up five more iOS apps that I highly recommend.

Adobe Lightroom 4.1 photography software

Adobe Lightroom 4.1 is a comprehensive, self-contained environment for importing, editing, organizing, printing, and sharing your photos.

How to take a great Facebook profile picture

Recently, I saw something online that struck me as a little funny: Someone was advertising a service to take portraits for Facebook profile photos. Why, I wondered, would anyone pay money to have their face snapped for a little 100-pixel thumbnail? T...

Taking care of your digital camera

Did you get a new camera over the holidays? I did. I am quite excited about my new Nikon D7000, which was my "big present" on Christmas morning. If, like me, you have a shiny new camera to play with, here are some things you can do to get the most ou...

Apply the Orton Effect for Glowing, Vibrant Photos

There are a handful of photographers whom I've admired and tried to emulate over the years. Michael Orton is one of them. His soft, glowing, almost ethereal photos have always been special to me. Even if you don't know Orton's name, there's little do...

Understanding Camera Lens Model Numbers

Most products these days appear to be named by--and for--robots. My television is a Sony KDL46EX600, for example, and I recently found myself shopping for a refrigerator that goes by the sexy name of GSCS3PGXSS. Jennifer Blue, from Australia, recentl...

Photography Gift Guide: Photo Editors, Mobile Apps, Tripods, and Memory Cards

When I was about 10 years old, I begged my parents for a pocket-sized transistor radio. I didn't really want the radio very much; instead, I secretly wanted to pretend it was a number of other things, including a walkie-talkie and a camera. That's ri...

Four Ways Photographers Can Use Microsoft Paint

I've met two kinds of photographers in my travels. There's the Frugal Photographer who eagerly tries all the cheap and free photo tools.

Blur Photos Artistically With Your Camera's Zoom

Photography has changed quite a bit in the last few decades. Back in the days of film, it was hard to add special effects to your photos because that generally required a darkroom.

Shoot awesome holiday photos

Welcome to the holiday season. Starting at Halloween and continuing through Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's, this is the time of year when photo opportunities with your friends and family come thick and fast.

Solve photo problems with image-editing tools

Sure, you probably know all the run-of-the-mill tools in your photo editor. You can erase blemishes with the clone tool and adjust exposure with the contrast slider. But have you ever tried adding fake clouds to a plain blue sky, turning a crowded ro...

How to photograph waterfalls and moving water

While I'm not a huge fan of camping or long, multi-day hiking trips, I do love visiting waterfalls. There's something about the rush of water that's both exciting and beautiful.

Five tips for taking photos of animals

We're in the middle of a dry heat wave in Seattle, a city usually known for mild weather and lots of precipitation. My cats and dogs (all six of them) are responding by lying about lethargically, which is a great opportunity for me to catch some of m...

Two ways to remove people from your vacation photos

No matter where you travel, you're probably going to have some trouble taking photos--not necessarily because of any technical issues with your camera, but because there will be so many people in the way of what you're trying to shoot.