How To

Back when I discussed the seven things every photographer should have in his arsenal, I mentioned replacing the neckache-inducing camera strap with one of the many alternatives that can be found online. From necktie-inspired straps to the geeky-but-awesome Spider Holster, superior options are abundant.

Originally made popular by Custom SLR, the gliding camera strap is my favorite of these alternatives. Using the tripod mount as an anchor, the gliding camera strap gives you the comfort of an over-the-shoulder hang with the convenience of grabbing your camera and hitting the shutter button at a moment's notice.

The unexpected genius of … Read more

The internal flash of a dSLR comes in handy when shooting in low light and indoors but can sometimes be too harsh on your subjects. Bouncing the flash is a great way to distribute the light more uniformly, allowing for more than just foreground assets to show up in the photo. Bouncing the flash is also great for avoiding harsh shadows and those pesky red eyes.

So how do you bounce a flash? Well, the easiest way is to use an external flash attachment. The problem is that external flashes are bulky, heavy, and cumbersome to travel with. This makes them less desirable to carry around and decreases the chances you'll actually have one when you need it most.… Read more

Anyone who's ever shopped for a piece of art to hang behind the living room sofa knows that big art typically comes at a big price. Even if you pick up some mass-produced Ikea canvas, you still have to contend with fitting it in the car, or paying someone to deliver it to your doorstep.

If you have more time on your hands than money, there are some easy solutions for printing infinitely large posters from even the most modest printer.

The first step is the image. Whether you're going to print in black and white or full … Read more

What I always say to friends saving up for a dSLR is this: you'd better be saving for a lot more than just the camera.

Memory cards and camera bags are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the suite of accessories dSLR owners depend on. And that goes for casual, amateur photographers, GWC (guys with cameras), and pros.

Whether you're a new or prospective dSLR owner, these are the accessories you'll want to pick up as you build your photographer's arsenal.

1. Extra batteries This one's a no-brainer, but newbies often … Read more

If you got yourself an AirPrint-enabled printer and printed an Instagram photo from your iPhone's Camera Roll, then you were undoubtedly disappointed with the result. AirPrint assumes any and all photos in your Camera Roll are rectangular. So, when you print a square Instagram photo, the top and bottom of the photo get clipped.

With PrintYourInsta, you can print your Instagram photos in their entirety. Actually, PrintYourInsta creates a 4x6 postcard centered around your Instagram photo. (The photo itself is 3.25x3.25 inches.)

The free app lets you print out a basic postcard, which features no background pattern. … Read more

It's no secret that Instagram is a fantastic photo-sharing app. One thing it doesn't do, however, is let you converse privately with user Instagram users. If you have friends on Instagram you'd like trade comments with that won't be seen by the rest of the Instagram community, give iPhone app InstaTalks a whirl.

… Read more

If you're like many others (including me), you habitually turn to Facebook when you want to share photos online. Arguably, that's perfectly fine -- after all, your photos are not only stored in a place you access often, but are quickly shared with friends and family who use the social network (so, basically, everyone).

The downside? Facebook doesn't offer much beyond tagging, likes, and comments. What if you want to order prints? Or search for photos by date, name, or tag? Most importantly: what happens when you get sick of Facebook and cancel your account?

The benefits … Read more

CollageIt Free seems to be making its way up the ranks in the Mac App Store, so let's take a look at what this free collage app can do.

When you first launch the app, it opens a window with a variety of templates spread across four styles: Mosaic, Grid, Center, and Pile. After you choose a template, you can then start adding photos to the app to start making your collage. You can either use the "+" button in the lower-left corner of the CollageIt window to browse photos to add to your collage, or you can … Read more

Chances are you have a stack of photo albums collecting dust in a closet somewhere. Maybe they make for a fun coffee table chat, but if you want to share your memories with friends and family online, or simply create a backup of your photos, where do you start?

There are several ways to go about digitizing your printed photo collection. Depending on how many photos you have and how DIY-eager you are, your choice will vary.

1. For the highest quality, use a scanner To ensure minimal loss in original photo quality, use a flatbed scanner. This might be … Read more