Light first. Camera second.
Practical notes on photography craft: portrait light, three-point lighting, film and digital, and photographing the architecture and streets of Italian cities.
Portrait Light From One Window
A north-facing window and a white card can do most of what a studio does. The skill is in where you put the person.
02A · STUDIOThree-Point Lighting, Explained Without Jargon
Most studio lighting setups are variations on one simple idea: a main light, something to soften its shadows and a light that separates the subject from the background.
03A · CRAFTFilm and Digital: The Real Differences
Arguments about film versus digital often miss the practical points: how each records light, what each costs you per frame and what happens after you press the shutter.
04A · TRAVELPhotographing Florence: Light, Bridges and the Duomo
Florence is a city of stone, river and marble, packed into narrow streets. Timing and position matter more than any lens you carry.
05A · ARCHITECTUREKeeping Buildings Straight: Verticals, Perspective and Distance
Tilt the camera up at a church and its walls lean backwards. That is geometry, not a fault, and there are three ways to deal with it.
06A · LOW LIGHTShooting Indoors and in Low Light, Politely
Churches, museums, cafés and grand old interiors are where travel photographs get difficult: little light, no tripod and rules about where cameras are welcome.
07A · PRACTICALPhotographing Screens, Receipts and Documents Clearly
Not every useful photograph is beautiful. A clear picture of a document, a receipt or an error message can save hours of back-and-forth.