Wildlife photography is quite difficult but once you get the hang of it, you will be able to come home with photos that you can add to your portfolio. When you understand light, photography becomes all the more interesting and using this for wildlife photography can help to capture portraits of animals and birds in unique ways. Here are some stunning wildlife portraits that make wonderful use of side lighting so you can get ideas and some inspiration for your next wildlife photography session.
Side lighting is one of the most interesting and common types of lighting set up that works great for many genre of photography. Side lighting helps to add depth and drama to the photo also enhancing the textures through light and shadows. If you are struggling to understand light or use it to your advantage, we recommend you to check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy that will help you to discover the secrets to controlling, manipulating and reading light used by the professionals.
When using side light, especially out in nature, in the wild, you may not always be lucky enough for the light to fall at the desired angle. You need to move around and shoot from different angles, perspectives to get the light falling in the right direction to capture the shot that you intended. You need to study the light in the location and then control or manipulate it to your desire. To learn more about this process, check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy.
Photo by Geranimo
Photo by jean wimmerlin
Photo by Abhijit Sinha
Photo by Clayton Hafer
Photo by Ratanjot Singh
Photo by mana5280
Light in the wild cannot always be great for a photographer’s advantage. There are times when photographers choose a particular time of the day, for their shots – early mornings and late afternoons mostly. But, what about other times of the day when actions happen in the wilderness and many interesting subjects are out and about in the wild? You do not want to miss those opportunities. Check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy and this guide will give you the ability to recognize, control, and manipulate light. The course is taught through 155 pages of easy learning, packed with illustrations, case-studies and assignments to verify your knowledge.
Light is the basis for photography and photographers are constantly looking for the best light possible to photograph their subjects. If you are a photographer who will only shoot under brilliant light situations, then you are missing out on a lot. Imagine you are on a safari or travelling and if you confine yourself to only shooting during the golden hour, you will be missing on the beauty and stories that unfold during the rest of the day.
The same applies to bird photography. Although bird photos turn out great when the light is soft or falling from the side at a lower angle, you can still use available light during any time of the day to get the best shots possible. Understanding light is of paramount importance and if you are struggling to use any light to your advantage, we recommend you to check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy, and discover how to produce amazing images.
And for your inspiration, here are 23 bird photographs there are shot with a good understanding of light.
Photo by Nitty Ditty
Photo by Rob Potter
Photo by Jonny Gios
Photo by Harshit Suryawanshi
Photo by David Clode
Photo by Tristan chatagny
Photo by René Lehmkuhl
Photo by Huzeyfe Turan
Light changes constantly throughout the day and if you observe carefully. it alters the mood of a scene as it changes. So, when you understand light and start using it, you will be able to alter the mood in your images or use a particular type of light to bring in a certain mood to your images. This eBook, “Understanding Light” by Photzy has 88 easy-to-follow pages packed with training, illustrations and assignments.
Photo by Hansjörg Rath
Photo by Jeremy Hynes
Photo by Rob Potter
Photo by Harshit Suryawanshi
Photo by Anna-Lena Helbrecht
Photo by René Lehmkuhl
Photo by Rohit Varma
Photo by Bob Brewer
When you understand light, you will be able to work around with the available light by either using reflectors or diffusers if necessary to change the intensity of light or to fill in areas where light is less. Understanding light is very interesting once you start to understand how it works and if you are worried where to start, check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy that will teach you about all the qualities of light and how to use them to your advantage.
Macro photography is fascinating and it reveals a lot of hidden details of the natural world and of manmade objects, that wouldn’t be seen otherwise. When it comes to macro photography, lighting is very important. Although a lot of photographers make use of artificial lighting setups to capture macro images both indoors and outdoors, natural lighting is always the best option and will yield the most beautiful, natural looking images.
Photo by olena ivanova
When it comes to natural light, depending on the location and subject, the right light needs to be chosen. Soft light that illuminates the subject rom the side at an angle can be a great choice for macro photography. Learning how to use available natural light can go a long way in capturing stunning macro photographs. Here are 25 macro photos that are captured using natural light.
Artificial lighting is an investment and not many photographers want to invest in additional accessories or take the extra measures in setting up the scene with the desired lighting. Natural day light is always available and learning how to use it creatively, even under tricky light situations is a skill. If you are feeling stuck with using natural light all the time in your photography, we would recommend you to check out this course “Mastering Natural Light” by Photzy. It has over 3 hours of educational content that includes multimedia lessons, case-studies, diagrams, exercises and more that will help you to master natural light.
Photo by Mister Starman
Photo by Sjoukje Bos
Photo by Siegfried Poepperl
Photo by S N Pattenden
Photo by Aaron Burden
Photo by Skyler Ewing
Photo by Alexander Grey
Photo by Nick Fewings
When talking about natural light for photography, people often settle down for the most glorious golden hour and sometimes the diffused light on overcast days. This makes some photographers believe that other lighting situations are not ideal for photography, which is not true. Check out this course “Mastering Natural Light” by Photzy that talks about the role of light in photography and also where you will learn why there is “No’ bad light for photography.
Photo by Dominik Lückmann
Photo by Fanning Tseng
Photo by Richard K
Photo by Nat Weerawong
Photo by Jez Timms
Photo by Bozhin Karaivanov
Photo by Skyler Ewing
Photo by Nina Ha
When we hear about natural light for photography, we immediately think that shots need to be captured outdoors in order to use natural light. In fact, windows are great sources of natural light indoors and the light coming through it at different times of the day can help to capture varying moods. This course “Mastering Natural Light” by Photzy goes in depth into the fundamentals, understanding of natural light and working with it, important relationship between natural light and post-processing and a comprehensive guide to the different kinds of natural light.
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F5.6, 1/25s
My hometown is Chengdu, situated in the vast Sichuan Basin of China. Just over 200 kilometers away from this flat expanse lies a series of parallel mountain ranges stretching east to west, spanning thousands of kilometers. This region has countless snow-capped peaks, pristine lakes, deep gorges, and winding rivers.
It also boasts extraordinary biodiversity, including globally renowned species such as the giant panda and golden monkey.
Additionally, the area is rich in cultural diversity, with multiple ethnic groups coexisting and blending their unique traditions. Collectively, we refer to this region as the Grand Hengduan Mountains.
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F8, 1/800sSigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 1/1000s
Since I first picked up a camera, the Grand Hengduan Mountains have remained my most frequently photographed subject.
In my earlier photographic endeavors, I often relied on wide-angle lenses to capture the region’s grandeur and majestic landscapes. However, for this particular project, I challenged myself to shoot exclusively with the Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports lens.
This choice not only pushed me out of my comfort zone but also allowed me to explore this familiar terrain with a fresh perspective, unveiling an entirely new dimension of beauty.
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 1/6400sSigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 1/10000s
The Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports is a truly unique lens in today’s market. Before using it, I couldn’t fully envision the kind of results it could achieve. This fast telephoto lens delivers strikingly dramatic subjects, with a powerful sense of spatial compression and an extremely shallow depth of field.
Its ability to carve distinct visual layers in a scene is remarkable.
The lens is equipped with a High-response Linear Actuator (HLA), ensuring swift and precise autofocus. Even when photographing distant wildlife against a complex background, the lens rapidly locks focus on the subject, allowing me to capture dynamic moments with exceptional clarity.
Throughout this project, every shutter release amazed me. Familiar landscapes transformed before my eyes, revealing unexpected nuances and perspectives.
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 2sSigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 1/3s
The F2 aperture, combined with the lens’s robust optical stabilization, enabled me to shoot at low ISO settings even in dim lighting conditions. This maintained superb image quality while unveiling delicate details I had previously overlooked.
From the faint glow of Tibetan watchtowers at blue hour to the warm flicker of lights in village homes, or the subtle glimmers atop mountain peaks at dawn – these intricate elements, once ignored, now enriched my visual narrative.
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 1/26000sSigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F2, 1/3200sSigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F5.6, 1/640s
The optical performance of this lens exceeded my expectations.
Even at its widest aperture of F2, the image quality remained impeccably sharp from center to edge, even in complex lighting scenarios.
The lens features Nano Porous Coating (NPC) technology, effectively minimizing flare and ghosting. This proved invaluable when I witnessed a magnificent sea of clouds at sunrise. Even shooting directly toward the sun, the results were breathtakingly clear and vibrant.
Another standout feature was the newly designed tripod mount, which doubled as a practical carrying handle. Its Arca-Swiss compatibility made tripod installation seamless, ensuring I never missed a decisive moment in the field.
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F5.6, 1/50sSigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F4, 1/4000s
Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports Sony a1 ISO 100, F5.6, 1/1600s
My landscape photography journey with the Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports lens was immensely rewarding. The lens performed flawlessly, capturing nature’s intricate details and fleeting moments of light and shadow.
As a photographer, I find immense joy in waiting, observing, and discovering these subtle transformations.
With this lens, I was able to distill those magical moments into visual memories that reflect the beauty and wonder of our world.
One of the most interesting subjects to photograph on this planet is the humans and it is because of the varied characters and personalities that each human possesses. Portrait is a unique genre and similar to all other genre in photography, one needs to give importance to composition when creating a portrait. It is through effective compositional guidelines that the photographer can create a visual impact and connect to the viewer through their photography.
A portrait needs to convey the character and mood of the person and composing a portrait can be a bit tougher than you might think. There are several things like lighting, right subject, best camera settings and locations you need to get right to create successful and compelling portraits.
In order to create engaging portraits and not snapshots, you need to have the skills and technical knowledge in making portraits. One of the most important factors among these are composition techniques and here are six composition techniques that can be used to improve your portraits.
Placing the eyes on the upper third
Filling the frame
Framing your subject using frame within a frame
Using leading lines
Leaving space for your subject to look at
Using different perspectives or angles
1. Place The Eyes In The Upper Third:
You may all have heard about the basic rule that most photographers start with – the rule of thirds. In order to create a visual impact in your portraits, when shooting in portrait orientation, it is best to have the eyes of the subject on the upper third of the frame.
Štefan Štefančík
If you are shooting in landscape orientation, then going by the rule of thirds, it is good to have the dominant eye of the subject on or near one of the vertical lines of the rule of thirds grid.
Bollie6734
Note:
An exception to the above technique can be when you are shooting full body shots where you can be positioning your subject on the right or left third of the image.
2. Fill the Frame:
When making a portrait, you are capturing the character and features of the person. So do not hesitate to get close and fill the frame with your subject’s face. Do not limit yourself to just the headshots, but try filling the frame when you do head and shoulders shots, medium shots or three-quarter shots.
Filling the frame with the subject’s face also helps emphasize textures and other details like lines, wrinkles, etc. in the portrait. You can also look into the subject through a closer view of their eyes in the photograph.
Luxstorm
3. Frame Your Subject With Frames Within The Frame:
When making portraits, you do not have to eliminate or blur the background, instead use the elements like doors, windows, lines, etc. to frame the subject to keep the viewer’s attention on your subject.
Clem Onojeghuo
You can also use elements like windows, doors, arches or any other natural or man-made structures in the foreground to frame your subject to create visually interesting images.
Corey Saldana
Samarth Singhai
4. Use Lines To Lead The Viewer To Your Subject:
Lines are another interesting feature when it comes to composition for any genre of photography. They can be so powerful and be used to lead the viewer into the frame to your subject. Use lines and frame your subject in such a way that the lines lead the viewer’s eyes to the subject or their eyes.
5. Leave Space In Front Of The Subject:
This is a very important technique that needs to be taken care of. If you are making a portrait where the subject is looking in one direction or their body is facing a particular direction, then, always leave space in the direction your subject is looking into (in front of them) or their body is facing, just like how you would leave space in the direction of movement of your subject. Do not frame in a way that the subject is positioned, facing a direction where they exit the frame immediately.
Mustafa Omar
6. Use A Different Angle Or Perspective:
Do not stop with just straight up shots at eye level, but change angles to show your subject from a totally different perspective. You can get higher or lower or move to the left or right of your subject to get the right composition and personality of your subject. It also helps avoid certain distracting elements behind or around your subject and can lead to powerful portraits sometimes.
TunaOlger
These are some of the many composition techniques required to create stunning portraits, but with the techniques mentioned here, you can create beautiful well-composed portraits. Once you master these techniques, do not hesitate to break these techniques in a creative way.
Black and white photography is timelessly beautiful. It lets the viewer focus on the story without getting distracted by any colours that may be too dominant and shadow the subject or the story.
Shooting in black and white is not so easy as it seems – it is not just about removing the colours from the image, but about having a range of tones that will make the subject stand out and make the image very compelling or effective.
“With black and white, what you have to say counts more than the way you say it.” – Gian Marco Marano
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge
When shooting black and white images, it is always good to shoot in colour and then convert the image to black and white, but for that, one should learn to see in black and white. In order to create a great black and white image, there need to be contrasts between the lights and darks and the photographer needs to have a good understanding of tonality.
Note that distinct colours do not always convert to distinct tones when converted to black and white, but tweaking the luminance values may help.
An example is in the illustrations below, which are discussed in articles in the “Further Reading” section below.
Basic conversion in Lightroom. Tweaking the luminance may help. Illustration by Dahlia
A slight variation of the above colors gives some tonal range. Illustration by Dahlia
Here are 25 black and white images that seem surreal and emotive and these images will inspire you to shoot black and white if you do not do that already.
If you have shot black and white photos before or converted your colour images to black and white, but were disappointed with the results, we would recommend you to check out this useful eBook, “Better Black And White” by Photzy. It is a complete step-by-step guide to convert your images to beautiful black and whites.
Photo by felipepelaquim
Photo by Esteban Amaro
Photo by David Werbrouck
Photo by Ehud Neuhaus
Photo by Damien Schnorhk
Photo by Asher Ward
Photo by Tai’s Captures
Photo by Mukul Kumar
Experienced photographers will look at a photo or a scene and will know if it will work well in black and white. Learning to see a scene in black and white is important in order to capture the right images and get stunning results. If you want to quickly dive into black and white photography, this simple easy-to-follow eBook, “Better Black And White” by Photzy covers everything you need to know about producing your own powerful share-worthy black and white images.
Photo by Vincent NICOLAS
Photo by Dave Hoefler
Photo by andreas kretschmer
Photo by Guillaume Issaly
Photo by Sergi Ferrete
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge
Photo by Ales Krivec
Photo by Metin Ozer
Black and white photography is an art, but some photographers often think that converting an image to black and white often happens at the click of a button or by just bringing the saturation slider to the lowest value. That is not true and some tweaking is required to get the best results. Whether you are using Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements or any other software, this eBook “Better Black And White” by Photzy has enough information to help you achieve the great results with the software you already have.
Windy days are not often considered to be a good day for outdoor photography, especially if one is shooting landscape, portraits, etc. When capturing photographs of any genre in general, photographers always aim to have the elements and subjects in the frame in sharp focus. But what if you can use the movements in the frame to your advantage to capture some creative photographs?
Here are 21 photos, that will inspire you to capture stunning outdoor photographs on a windy day.
The next time the weather gets windy, do not put your camera away and stay indoors. Some creative long exposure shots of the moving elements or even freezing the movement, can make for great storytelling photographs. Besides this creative idea, if you feel that you are running out of ideas to photograph anything, we recommend you to check out “The Creativity Catalog” by Photzy that will open your mind to the possibilities around you.
Photo by Fer Nando
Photo by John Fowler
Photo by Ksenia Makagonova
Photo by Ivo van Beek
Photo by Randy Fath
Photo by Sinitta Leunen
Photo by Shashank Kumawat
Photo by Regine Tholen
In order for photographers to keep their creativity running, they cannot be always travelling to exotic or new locations to capture new and exciting images. If you wish to come up with your own ideas and projects to kick-start your creativity, we recommend you to check out “The Creativity Catalog” by Photzy. This 209 pages guide covers 20 chapters that include creativity sparking assignments and ideas.
Photo by Andreas Brunn
Photo by Les Anderson
Photo by Terrillo Walls
Photo by Brandon Stoll
Photo by Vera Davidova
Photo by Abi Ismail
Photo by Jamie Street
For photographers, walking through the same neighbourhood or familiar places everyday can seem pretty boring and this may sometimes lead to photographer’s block. Photographers should always be ready to see things differently or from a different perspective in order to capture unique and creative shots everyday. Movements can also be used as a compositional tool. The “The Creativity Catalog” by Photzy comes with assignments that will make you feel inspired and motivated.
It is almost rainy season in most of the tropical and sub-tropical countries and it is one of those seasons that brings in respite from the summer heat, especially in the tropics. Some photographers worry about shooting in the rain, because they are concerned about their gears’ safety and also getting wet in the rain.
Rain photography is magical and sometimes dramatic, and can be very rewarding of you take a few precautions when shooting in the rain. There are a lot of subjects and scenes that can be beautifully shot during the rain if one embraces the elements, understands light and focuses on the details.
If you would love to understand the secrets of recognizing the right light, control it and manipulate it according to the situation you are shooting, we highly recommend you to check out the eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy. This guide will uncover the secrets behind controlling the available light and will leave others wondering how you did it.
Here are 18 photographs of the rainy season that can help you with some inspiration to shoot in the rain.
Photo by Gil Ribeiro
Photo by Jusdevoyage
Photo by Todd Diemer
Photo by Jack Finnigan
Photo by Makoto Tsuka
Photo by Matteo Catanese
There are many ways in which rain can be photographed. You can capture the stormy sky, reflections, puddles, even stay indoors and capture the falling rain. During this time, the light can be quite tricky but shooting from the right angle and perspective while also using the right camera settings can help you to capture better photos. We recommend you to check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy that has 155 pages of fast and easy learning, packed with illustrations, case studies and assignments to verify your knowledge.
Photo by Urban Vintage
Photo by Imthiyas Iqbal
Photo by Hannah Domsic
Photo by Jack Finnigan
Photo by Luca Bravo
Photo by Michael Podger
When out to photograph the rain, besides the grand scene in front of you, it is also good to focus on the details for some macro photography, patterns and textures. Also look for actions in the outdoors, like vehicles speeding, children splashing in the puddles, or dramatic skies. The colours can be rich, so if you work with the light, you are sure to come home with some great photographs. Check out “Understanding Light” by Photzy if you need to learn more about using light to your advantage in tricky situations.
Scientists Find New Evidence That South Korea’s Female Freedivers Evolved for a Life Underwater
By Ian Bongso-Seldrup, May 8, 2025 @ 10:00 AM (EST) Source: CNN
Haenyeo sing traditional songs before heading out to sea to harvest abalone, sea urchins, seaweed, and other seafood from the waters around Jeju Island, South Korea
Scientists studying the DNA of the famous female freedivers of Jeju Island—the haenyeo—have discovered there are unique genetic differences that the women have evolved to cope with the physiological stress of freediving. Published in the scientific journal Cell Reports on May 2, 2025, the research was led by Melissa Ann Ilardo, a geneticist and assistant professor in biomedical informatics at the University of Utah.
Ilardo and her colleagues recruited 30 haenyeo divers, 30 non-diving women from Jeju Island, and 31 women from the South Korean mainland for the study. The participants’ average age was 65. As well as sequencing their genomes from blood samples, the researchers compared their heart rates, blood pressure and spleen sizes. In order to simulate dives, participants held their breath while submerging their faces in cold water, stimulating the mammalian dive reflex. As a result, the heart rate slows, blood pressure increases and the spleen contracts.
The analysis showed that the participants from Jeju—divers as well as non-divers—were more than four times more likely than the participants from the mainland to have a genetic variant associated with lower blood pressure. “Your blood pressure increases as you dive,” explains Ilardo. “Their [Jeju residents’] blood pressure increases less.” The scientists suggest that the genetic trait may have evolved to keep unborn babies safe—since the haenyeo dive throughout pregnancy, when high blood pressure can be dangerous.
Previous research has linked cold and pain tolerance to another genetic variation, and this study revealed that the participants from Jeju were more likely to have this genetic variant. However, the researchers weren’t able to say with certainty whether the variant may be important for the haenyeo’s ability to dive throughout the year, since the participants’ ability to withstand low temperatures was not measured in the study.
Genetics wasn’t the only factor to explain the haenyeo’s impressive diving capabilities. During the tests, the researchers also found a dramatic difference between the heart rates of the divers versus the non-divers. A reduced heart rate would help the haenyeo conserve oxygen during their dives. “Actually, their heart rate dropped about 50% more over the course of the dive than the control (participants),” says Ilardo. “We know that it’s because of training, because it’s something that we only saw in the haenyeo.”
While much more work needs to be done, the research could potentially lead to the development of new drugs for lowering blood pressure.
