Unless you normally wander around with two or three external flashes to balance your lighting, your more than likely just using whatever your camera came equipped with.
While this does mean some limitations, smart use of your flash can turn less than optimal shooting environments into viable opportunities and not like the pictures where so many of us look ghoulish while the rest of the room disappears into obscurity that seem to line our parents’ albums.

If you’ve already taken control over things like the exposure settings and the camera’s sensor …

The Jemaa el-Fnaa is the central market place and square of the Old City in Marrakech’s medina quarter.

While the true origin of its name remains unclear, translation of Jemaa means “congregational mosque” and probably refers to a destroyed Almoravid mosque.
The Fnaa however derived from “Fana” or “Fina” could mean “death” or “a courtyard / space in front of a building.”
Which as you could see would have two very different meanings. Possible translations have included “the mosque or assembly of death,” or “the Mosque at the End of the …

Ever wonder why some of your pictures looked a little washed out. Black jeans look a little closer to grey. Or snow which ends up looking dirty.

That in fact is a good sign.
Your camera is doing its job. The problem is that job is getting as close to middle grey as possible.
In dark lighting situations, where the subject matter is also dark, your camera ends up taking underexposed pictures.
In situations where the lighting is bright, and your subject material white, the camera as you’ve guessed ends up …

Ever wonder where all of these holidays come from? I often do.
So to that end I decided to look into the history of Father’s Day and learned as celebrations go it’s a relatively new one.
First observed in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908, the celebration was organized to commemorate the 210 fathers lost during the Monongah Mining disaster of December 6, 1907.
Unfortunately West Virginia did not officially register the holiday, and it would be two years before another attempt would be made to for official recognition.
The actual …

Composition has to be one of the few things that stuck with me from high school, and is now a pretty easy thing for most people to implement.
The majority of digital cameras made today come with a display screen that is broken up into nine squares. Known as the Rule of Thirds, the lines that bisect the screen are the places where you want to line up the horizon and your subject.

Horizontally this can even include things like railings, or anything else running across the screen. Whereas the vertical …

With the likelihood of us being able to swing by Morocco for a few days after our cruise in November, I thought I’d take the opportunity to write about our first visit there and how our stay in a quiet little riad rekindled my taste for hard-boiled eggs.
When I was a kid I used to love them.
My father would usually make them for me on the weekend when we had more time for breakfast, and I would happily sit in front of the TV dunking strips of toast – …

Next up in our Game of Thrones world tour is Scotland.  Though there wasn’t as much filming in the country as there was in Northern Ireland, it’s nearby enough to make a stop if you’re in the neighborhood – and there’s ample reasons to visit the Scottish moors and lochs.
Doune Castle

Winterfell as we see it on-screen was born at Doune Castle, the first location where Game of Thrones began shooting its pilot.  It was built in the late 14th century by the Duke of Albany, the Regent of Scotland from …

When I was a younger – despite anything else I might have to say about being there – I was privileged to attend a high school that funded a pretty well rounded multimedia program. My photography courses for example took me through everything from making a simple pinhole camera, to developing and manipulating my own work in the dark room, and really gave me an appreciation for it.
I also learned about photography’s history, and the many innovations that have occurred in its lifetime. Of course this was all back in …

So far, HBO’s Game of Thrones has been a huge boon for Northern Ireland’s economy, bringing back millions into the country.  With a second season coming and at least one location in Northern Ireland confirmed, it’s like to continue to bring money in, not only from the production itself, but from fans inspired to visit out of interest in the show, or in the stunning vistas featured on-screen.  Here’s a few locations you might want to put on your Game of Thrones itinerary:
The Paint Hall in Belfast

The production centered at …

Looks like the science fiction of Star Trek has come one step closer to becoming fact, with Quest Visual’s announcement of their new augmented reality app Word Lens, which is capable of translating – in real time – signs written in Spanish or English to the other.
Wired is indicating there are some bugs that still need to be worked out, but were otherwise impressed.
And how can you not be, you don’t even need an internet connection for the app to work. All for just $10!
Travel really does feel like …