Bob Atkins

Article: FAQ: What does a more expensive lens really buy you?.A case study of a bargain vs. a pro lens with the same focal range

Everyone likes a bargain, so price is always a factor in choosing a lens. However, there can be very significant differences in prices between lenses which on first glance may appear to be very similar.

Article: Wildlife Service: Beyond Long Lenses.How to choose all the gear you need to bag great shots of animals in the wild--and why DSLRs make a difference

The stock in trade of the wildlife photographer is the telephoto lens. Most animals are small and get spooked when humans are near.

Article: Pixels and Printing: Size Matters.How many pixels per inch to make a good-looking print

An important factor in print quality is the number of pixels per inch (ppi) used to make the print. The more pixels per inch, the finer the detail in the print will be and the sharper it will look.

Article: Buying Guide: Choosing a Lens.The best lens might not always be the right lens for you

Choosing a lens for your DSLR or mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera can be a difficult task, not because there are so few choices, but because there are often so many.

Article: Dust Busters!.How to clean dust off of your DSLR's sensor without ruining it (hopefully!)

Do you see mysterious dark spots on your DSLR images?

Article: Adorama Photographs America: Acadia National Park.For nature and landscape photographers, this is the Maine event

Bob Atkins takes you to one of the most photographically fascinating corners of the country, Maine's Acadia National Park.

News: 100 in 100: Shoot to Sell.

Day 93: Studies of online auctions show that the quality of the photograph of the item being auctioned has a direct effect on the number of bids and the final sale price. Poorly photographed items

Article: Driven to Abstraction.Look for colors and patterns

Abstract photography concentrates on colors and patterns rather than recognizable subjects.

News: 100 in 100: Saturate Color.

Day 82: If you think your images look a little less colorful than they should, try adjusting color saturation. Saturation is the purity of a color. High saturation colors look brighter and more v

News: 100 in 100: What's A UV Filter For?.

A UV filter is one of the most common accessories purchased by SLR lens owners. It is designed to block UV light, i.e. light with a shorter wavelength than blue/violet, and which is invisible to

Article: What's A UV Filter For?.Demystifying a common accessory

A UV filter is one of the most common accessories purchased by SLR lens owners.

Article: Beware of Lens Flare.How to keep your scenes clear of errant light

Lens flare happens when non-image-forming light enters a lens and falls on thefilm or sensor. If the light is well diffused it lowers the contrast of the image.

News: 100 in 100: Size Matters.

Day 77: An important factor in print quality is the number of pixels per inch (ppi) used to make the print. The more pixels per inch, the finer the detail in the print will be and the sharper it wi

News: 100 in 100: Think Vertical.

Day 71: The natural tendency of most photographers is to shoot images in a horizontal (landscape) format rather than a vertical (portrait) format. There are at least two reasons for this...[Read it

News: 100 in 100: Polarize For Bluer Skies.

Day 70: When photographing subjects which are backlit against a bright blue sky, the exposure required for the subject can often result in the sky being somewhat overexposed and washed out. Sometim

Article: Polarize For Bluer Skies.Intensify the hues

When photographing subjects which are backlit against a bright blue sky, the exposure required for the subject can often result in the sky being somewhat overexposed and washed out.

News: 100 in 100: Photographing Fireworks.

Day 67: Photographing fireworks is pretty easy but you need two things. First, a digital camera that allows you to set a long shutter speed and second, a tripod. Open the shutter before the shells

Article: Boost ISO to Increase Depth.The benefits of high speed, continued

Most people think of high ISO settings on a digital camera as something to use when shooting in low light, but there are other situations in which a higher ISO setting can beuseful.

Article: Diffusing your Flash.Learn how to bounce

If you've ever seen lighting in a pro studio, you'll have noticed that thelight sources are large, with either the flash being bounced from an umbrella or inside alarge softbox. The reason for this is that the larger the light source, the softer yourshadows will be.

Article: Hand-Held Photos in Low Light.A simple shutter speed formula

If you're shooting handheld images in low light, there's a simple formula to know.

Article: Use White Balance Settings Creatively.Find your picture's true colors

The White Balance (WB) setting on your digital camera is designed to enable you toshoot an image in which the colors appear normal, i.e. whites look whitewith no color tint.

News: 100 in 100: Use White Balance Settings Creatively.

Day 33: The White Balance (WB) setting on your digital camera is designed to enable you to shoot an image in which the colors appear normal, i.e. whites look white with no color tint. Most cameras

News: 100 in 100: Protect Your Camera From Rain.

Day 22: With a few exceptions, cameras and water do not mix. When shooting in the rain, water entering the camera can short out internal electronics, sometimes leading to permanent failure...[Read

News: 100 in 100: When To Use Extreme Apertures.

Day 25: There are few, if any, interchangeable lenses that give the highest resolution when used wide open or when fully stopped fully, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use those apertures. Let'

Article: When To Use Extreme Apertures.The f stops here

There are few, if any, interchangeable lenses that give the highest resolution when used wide open or when fully stopped fully, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use those apertures.

Article: Is Off-Brand Ink OK?.The proof is in the prints

Photo-quality inkjet printers can be found for under $100, but you may find that it's almost as cheap to buy another printer as it is to replace the ink cartridges made by the printer manufacturer!

News: 100 in 100: The Sharpest Aperture on Any Lens.

Day 6: Most lenses have a "sweet spot," an aperture at which they perform best. At the widest apertures optical defects like spherical aberration often lower image quality, while at the smallest

Article: Winter photography tips.How to keep all of your camera gear running smoothly when the weather outside is frightful

Working in cold weather presents problems for both photographers and their equipment.

Article: Lens Defect Detective.Is your lens a a sharp shooter or a fuzzy dog? Test it and find out

Anyone who has followed photography discussions on the web over the last 10 years or so will have noticed an increasing number of complaints about defective lenses. It's gotten to the point where I've actually seen some people complain that they are afraid tobuy a lens in case they get a bad one!

Article: Clean it up!.How to keep your lenses and filters smudge- and scratch-free

The best way to keep lenses and filters clean is not to get them get dirty in the firstplace. This may sound trite, but every cleaning carries with it a very small risk ofcausing problems.

Article: FOCUS ON LENSES: Fuzzy Logic.Sharp lenses are good, but here's why you should pay attention to background blur and bokeh

While sharpness is an essential part of most photographs, the creative use of backround blur can be a very useful compositional element.