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Mt. Etna, located on the Italian coast, is Europe’s tallest active volcano and is in an almost constant state of activity. In the dramatic video below, you’ll see a BBC camera crew and several tourists make a harrowing escape when Etna exploded last Thursday and spewed hot steam and molten rocks on the group.

In the trifecta of portrait lenses—85mm, 105mm, and 135mm—the 85mm focal length is the gateway. It’s short enough for tight shooting spaces, while producing a real portrait look, yet versatile enough for use in other genres, including photojournalism, where a nifty 50 comes up a bit short. Enter Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens ($1,199) that’s fast enough for reportage and long enough for portraiture.

A while back we shared a viral video in which six photographers shot the same model with widely varying results, partly because they were given false information about the person being photographed. The video below was inspired by that challenge and resulted in quite a creative experience.

Just about everyone using Photoshop is familiar with making selections and masks while editing their images. In this basic tutorial from Ed Gregory you’ll learn how to use Photoshop’s Refine Edge tool to make those selections and masks more precise and specific.

Lens condensation is an inconvenient and potentially damaging problem for those of us living in hot, humid climates and photographers traveling to similar locations. The problem arises when you leave a cold, air conditioned room and step outside into the heat.

I tend to travel on the wide side when it comes to lens selection, so it was exciting to get a hold of Tamron’s new super telephoto zoom—the SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (Model A022). And what better way to give this big beauty a try than to take it on safari? Admittedly, this “safari” was of the local variety with a quick trip to the recently renovated Audubon Zoo barely two miles from my home in New Orleans. I also spent an afternoon with the Tamron 150-600mm G2 ($1,399) on one of the many bayous running through Southern Louisiana to shoot some gators and less exotic wildlife.

We usually turn to Mathieu Stern for insight on adapting bargain vintage lenses for use with modern digital cameras. But in the quick video below, Stern gives a 30-second tutorial on making eyes “pop” with Photoshop.