Have you ever seen a photo essay? Or flipped through the pages of a travel magazine and drooled over the pages? Or even looked through a beautiful wedding album? These are all examples of a photographer telling a story through pictures. Like with any good story, there are hills and valleys, pauses and exclamations. There's variety, story arc and plot. To visually describe an event, place or situation, here are some tips to keep in mind. They all involve moving your feet! More

Laying in bed last night with my recently upgraded iPhone 5, I began to think about the technology we love and use and how quickly we churn through our tech. How many cell phones, tablets, computers, and tech in general have I gone through? It turns out my numbers are kind of shamefully high. So what's your number? More

Last week we discussed how to build a basic home photography studio, this week we're taking it on the road! Here are all the essentials I take with me for an on location shoot. More

If you aren't familiar with cinemagraphs, they're best described as images that take animated .gifs to to the next level. Pioneered by visual artist Kevin Burg, a cinemagraph is composed of a series of images — like a movie or an animated .gif —but only one component of the image is left moving. Closer to a photo than a video, the visual effect ranges from visually stunning to comical. More

Setting up a first studio at home doesn't have to be a daunting affair. With a few inexpensive solutions, you can photograph small objects with terrific results. And you can take the principles of this contrived setting out with you into the world when shooting outside of your studio. Here's what you need… More

If you consider its history, the camera has really been one of the most ubiquitous consumer gadgets of all time. From the original Brownie and the Kodak company to Instagram and the iPhone, taking pictures has been a gadget focused hobbyist pursuit for more than 100 years. Explore the history of the camera and celebrate a century of beautiful design with these home decor solutions and vintage camera finds from my personal collection and around the web. More

FUJIFILM XF1
• $499.99 (Available October)
• FUJIFILM

If there's a trend that doesn't seem to be losing steam, it's the one where manufacturers merge yesterday's mechanical film camera looks with the digital imaging technology of today. And there may be no better example at an affordable price as Fujifilm's recently announced, XF1. Inside the aluminum body is a 12-megapixel 2/3-inch image sensor (the same as the XS1 and X10) and a fast, optically stabilized 25-100mm f/1.8 - f/4.9 lens controlled with a mechanical zoom ring. But the truth is the potential market for the handsome XF1 will be more concerned with the fashionable black, red or tan faux leather finish, the so-simple, so-nice design, and a budget friendly $499.99 price tag. I don't blame them...I'd like one as a travel camera myself!

This week we have the distinct pleasure of welcoming a wonderful food, travel and lifestyle photographer to Super Photo Magic School. I've long admired the photography of Danielle Tsi. Her award-winning blog, Beyond the Plate, focuses on food, the people who produce artisan goods, travel, and the real stories that intersect between these subjects. More

You know those beautiful super-macro photos that turn something tiny—like a matchstick head — into a detailed and developed and gorgeous work of art? Yeah, you totally don't need a fancy camera to take shots like that for yourself. All you need is a smartphone (really!) and an old keychain laser pointer. More

How many of us live far apart from our family, where "seeing" one another may be limited to a Facetime or Skype video call...perhaps a once a year holiday visit if you're fortunate? Photographer John Clang combined technology (Skype+digital projector) and photography for his series, Being Together, documenting satellite family members projected together with their far-off parents, grandparents, and extended family members in a touching light...
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