Photo How To

Conventional wisdom is that autofocus is the best mode to use for photographing birds, especially when your subjects are in flight. But every so often manual focus is a better choice, as you’ll see in the tutorial below.

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in Canon Explorers of Light education program. This month's column is by Bob Davis on how collaboration with other photographers can improve creativity).

Summer isn’t typically the favorite season for serious landscape photographers, in part because of early sunrises and late sunsets. If that sounds familiar, and you prefer to shoot in autumn and winter, this tutorial may help you fall in love with outdoor photography during summer.

Don't worry—you won't have to carry around a mirror. These images are all about observation and imagination.

Your mirrorless or DSLR camera probably offers four Exposure Modes: Program, Aperture, Shutter and Manual. Program Mode is easy, Manual Mode is slow, and Aperture Priority Mode is the best in most situations. Here’s why.

Many photographers prefer to shoot portraits outdoors, either because they don’t have a studio or they like the look achieved with available light. There’s a bit more to this method than you may think, but it’s all explained clearly in the behind-the-scenes video below.

If your creative juices are running low, and you need a jolt of inspiration, the quick video below is exactly what you need. You’ll pick up a bunch of simple tips, in less than three minutes, for creating eye-popping images than make people ask, “How did you do that?”