Important Photography Links

Hello.

I've compiled a list of sites that I have found useful, and that I believe have a lot to offer. This list is obviously far from exhaustive, but I hope this will be a helpful resource for you all.

If there is a site that has helped you immensely and want to share it, please Email it to me. I do want to keep this list as compact as possible, but want to make sure to share important information.

Broad Photographic Resources

DPReview	Perhaps the best place to not only begin, but to learn a lot about photography. Camera reviews are top-notch, and the forums cover everything photographic.
Radiant Vista	Learn much about Photoshop (see Photoshop Workbench) and about how to "see" images. Informative and easy to follow video tutorials.
Thom Hogan	While mostly geared towards Nikon equipment (his user guides are essential), he's a wealth of level-headed knowledge. Keep an eye out for him in the DPReview forums.
Luminous Landscape	A great resource with many tutorials and reviews - reviews go beyond just cameras to printers, software, tripods, scanners, etc.
Photozone	Just about any lens you can think of has been tested here. Lab and real-world tests - very reputable.

Portrait Information

Portrait Lighting	Some basic concepts for lighting and portraits.
Wedding Photos	A fabulous guide on how to take and light great wedding photos (with gorgeous examples included).
Eye Editing	Tutorial on improving eyes in Photoshop - really helps to make a portrait picture pop.

Lighting

Strobist	This, to me, is one of the best sites for lighting (flash) information. It goes beyond the how-to (and covers so much of that!), and really inspires. Truly is a must-see.
Light Box	Instructions on how to make your own, inexpensive light-box.
On-Camera Flash	How to effectively use on-camera flash.
Photoflex Lighting School	They cover lighting from the basics right up to studio lighting with complex kits - clear and well explained.
dg28.com	Dozens of specific lighting tutorials. Covers a lot of issues that come up when lighting a subject, and how to get around those issues.
Wedding Lighting	An excellent walk-through for wedding lighting. Written for Nikon Flashes.
Bouncecard 1 Bouncecard 2 Bouncecard 2	Three different do-it-yourself (DIY) flash bounce cards. They're all cheap and easy to make, and all do wonders!
Wireless Flash Compensation	In-depth Wireless Flash Compensation instructions for Nikon CLS flash systems.

Sharpening

Sharpening 101	Thom Hogan's Article on sharpening. Clearly covers the how's and why's of sharpening.
Advanced Sharpening	A tutorial with some solid, advanced sharpening techniques.
Un-Sharp Mask	How to apply un-sharp mask (USM), and just as importantly, the theory behind the task.
USM Values	Some USM values - useful as a rough guide until you get the hang of things.
Haze Removal	Using USM to remove haze from pictures - powerful tool, wha?

Photoshop

Action Central	This is the site that introduced me to Actions. Has many actions already built that you can load into Photoshop. Also has some great tutorials so you can build your own actions.
Photoshop Lab	This page has several Photoshop tutorials - many of which go beyond regular photo editing.
Russel Brown	This guy really knows his way around Photoshop. The links stretch long down the page, so make sure you take a good look.

Colour Management

Colour Management Basics	The basics of Colour Management, including aRGB and sRGB. Covers when to use each for JPG, RAW, printing, and the web.
Colour Management Discussion	A good discussion of the many pros and cons of using different colour spaces.

Sources of Inspiration

Matthew Hollett	My friend, Matthew Hollet's, website. He has a natural eye for photography, and a gift for writing. Check out his Oughtful section. When I read the words he puts with his pictures, it makes me wish I could shoot every second of every day.
Brian Larter	Brian's blog has some great images (he just began a photo-a-day project for this year!), and some inspiring Photo Projects. It's ideas like Brian's that keep me shooting when I feel I've run out of ideas. He's also involved with environmental movements - because without a world to take pictures of, we'd all be lost.
Photocritic.org	A fun, useful collection of photography links. They go beyond the usual (like the science behind people blinking in photos!). Check back often to see the constant additions.
Photoblogs.org	An always-changing collection of the best photo blogs. Technique and skill are covered with the many other links above, but sometimes inspiration is what you need. And with hundreds of blogs to pick from, there's no end to the inspiration you'll find here.

And there you have it. A long list of amazing internet photographic resources.

Please remember that the internet is not the be all and end all of resources. There are many many excellent books and magazines out there, not to mention other photographers at local camera clubs or at your local camera shop. And be sure to get out and shoot! There's no point in learning all the best techniques if you aren't out using them to take pictures. (In fact, pick up a camera right now and take a picture. Of yourself, your friend, the food in your fridge!)

Again, please Email me if you have any sites you want to share with me. We all have lots to learn!

Thanks.
Matt