Articles on art photography, and why we create
Essays by Martin and Samantha Lee Osner on the part of photography nobody teaches you. Why the work stalls, what separates a photograph from a piece of art, and how to keep making things in a world that is very loud.
Sharpness Has a Voice, and So Does Blur
Why chasing sharpness might be costing you creative depth in photography. A look at when to hold focus and when to let blur do the talking instead.
'Expressions of the Wild' - A Photo Alchemy Experience
How a giraffe, seen for a moment in the bushveld at Marloth Park, became an artwork. Camera movement, handmade texture, and the Photo Alchemy process.
Is Digital Camera Photography Dying, or Are We Forgetting Why Photography Matters?
More photographs are made now than at any time in history, so photography is not dying. The question is whether we have forgotten what it is actually for.
Breaking Free from the Lonely Art of Art
Making work alone is not the same as making it in isolation. Why creative partnerships matter, and how to find people who actually see what you are doing.
The Art of Digital Hand-Painting in Photoshop
Samantha Lee Osner takes a black-and-white photograph and paints it by hand in Photoshop. No painting experience is needed to follow what she does.
Discovering Your Creative DNA
Creativity does not leave you, it waits for permission. On the myth that art belongs to the talented few, and why perfection is usually what stops you.
The Creative Pause
Five to fifteen minutes of making something on purpose. Small enough to do today, and in a world this loud it is closer to rebellion than it sounds.
Stop Scrolling and Start Creating
The first of an eight part series. When did you last make something with your hands, rather than look at something somebody else made?
Photography to Fine Art: Navigating Creative Boundaries
Martin on the three levels of the craft and his own route through them, from photographer to artist, and where the line between them actually falls.
How Well Do You Really Know Your Camera? Master Manual Mode for Brilliant Photography.
Ten questions on the fundamentals, with the answers at the end. Score seven and you are ready for manual mode. Score less and you know where to begin.
RAW vs. JPG: Why Shooting in RAW Format is a Game-Changer
What your camera quietly throws away the moment it writes a JPG, and why that costs you more than file size when you come to work the picture up.
Photography, Art Photography & Fine Art Photography: Understanding the Differences
Pure, decorative and expressive. What separates the three, why the difference matters to a buyer, and how to tell which one you are making.