50 Free Resources That Will Improve Your Photography Skills

Photography is a wonderful hobby enjoyed by lots of people all over the world. It’s a very enjoyable passtime, but also a very technical one. There’s a bewildering range of cameras, lenses and accessories, and photographers also have to get to grips with computers and image editing software packages. It can get very confusing, especially for newcomers to the hobby, and there always seems to be something to new to learn, even for experienced photographers.
With this in mind we’ve put together a list of over 50 free resources that will be useful to anyone involved in photography. We’ve compiled a list of the best and most comprehensive websites that will help you get the most out of your photography equipment. You’ll find a gold mine of articles on equipment and technique, plus advice from some of the most active and well-known professional photographers practising today.
We’ve divided these websites into categories for easy reference, but please bear in mind that many of these websites deal with more than topic. Many talk about both photography techniques and camera equipment, for example. We’ve categorised them according to how we think you will find them most useful. The resources section at the bottom of the article has links to more articles about photography websites, so check them out.
[By the way: The network tab (on the top of the page) is updated several times a day. It features selected articles from the best web design blogs!]

Beginner’s Zone

These websites are an excellent place to start for beginners. They have content for more advanced users too.
Digital Photography School
Very comprehensive photography resource. Lots of inspirational and informative articles.

Photodoto
Click on the Photography 101 link for an excellent set of articles for beginners.

About.com: Photography
Photography articles and techniques from the team at About.com.

Inspiration

The EOScars
More and more digital SLRs are coming with a movie recording mode. The highest spec models rival the quality of high end movie recording equipment and have been used to shoot music videos and movie trailers. The EOScars compiles the best movies recorded with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

Photography Now
Portfolios from past masters and contemporary greats.

World Press Photo
Anyone interested in photojournalism needs to check out this website. You can look at the winning images from the annual World Press Photo Contest and read interviews with professional photojournalists.

National Geographic Photography
Beautiful showcases of inspirational photography plus tips and advice from National Geographic photojournalists.
Exposure Compensation
Focusing on the work of inspirational photographers from around the world.

Technical Stuff

Cambridge in Colour
A series of very technical tutorials about aspects of digital photography such as camera sensors, histograms, colour management and autofocus.
Luminous Landscape
Another website with a comprehensive series of technical articles. One of the oldest and most prestigious photography websites around.
Depth of Field Master
Depth of field is commonly misunderstood. This website explains depth of field very well. You can also print out depth of field tables for your lenses – a must for landscape and architecture photographers.

Ken Rockwell
Straightforward technical advice from a pro photographer.
Canon Professional Network
Lots of technical advice for Canon users and inspiration from Canon’s Ambassadors – pro photographers using Canon equipment.

Canon Digital Learning Centre
More technical advice and tutorials for Canon users.
Nikon Digitutor
Camera specific tutorials for Nikon users.
Pentax User Magazine
The website of Pentax User Magazine, brought to you by the publishes of ePhotozine (another great photography resource), lots of useful info for Pentax camera owners.
Photo Notes
Technical articles. Some excellent summaries of camera specs – click the Lookup link to see them.

Photography Equipment

It’s stating the obvious but photography is impossible without the basic equipment of a camera or camera body and lens. There are hundreds of pieces of equipment and many brands to choose from. These websites will help you make sense of the choices.
Digital Photography Review
Comprehensive reviews on just about every new piece of digital photography equipment released over the last few years. The first stop for anyone interested in purchasing new gear or understanding more about the features of what they already own.
Radiant Lite
Lots of equipment reviews.

Photography and Photoshop Technique

Photo Answers
The official website of UK photography magazines Practical Photography and Digital Photo. Lots of news and technique to complement the magazines.

Strobist
All the information you need to use your camera’s portable flash unit to its full advantage.

Joe NcNally
Joe McNally built his reputation as a commercial photographer specialising in the use of Nikon’s portable flashes. He passes on his knowledge in his blog.

Photoshop Daily
Photoshop tutorials from the publishers of UK magazine Photoshop Creative.

Apogee Photo Magazine
Articles, tips, techniques and portfolios.
Photojojo
Technique and creative ideas.

Photography Blogs

Discussion about the topics and techniques that matter most to contemporary photographers.
The Online Photographer
Lots of articles about equipment, technique and the concepts behind photography.

Epic Edits
Lots of techniques and advice. The recent series about making fine art prints is very useful.

All Day I Dream of Photography
Lots of interesting photography articles.

Toy Cameras

Toy cameras have become very popular over the last few years. Learn all about them at these websites:
Holga Blog
All about holgas.

Toy Camera
Light Leaks
Print magazine featuring the best toy camera photography from around the web.

Square Frog
Life through a plastic lens – techniques and tips.

Four Corners Dark

Professional Photographers

One of the best ways to learn about photography is to study the work and ideas of professional photographers. Luckily, the trend for pros to blog about their work has created some priceless educational resources. Here are some of the best:
Chase Jarvis
Professional commercial photographer Chase Jarvis on the latest developments in the industry.
The Digital Trekker
Travel photographer Matt Brandon talks about his work and the ideas behind his photos.

Pixelated Image
Humanitarian photography David duChemin discusses his career and work.

Pixsylated
Syl Arena’s photography web magazine. Includes the excellent ‘Lessons I didn’t learn in photo school’ series.

Photo Smudger
London based snapper Tom Miles shares his real world experience. Essential reading for any student or photographer aspiring to work in London.

Digital Pro Talk
Social photographer David Ziser blogs about making a living in the competetive world of social photography.

Photocrati
Articles for photographers, by photographers. A wealth of information and insights from some of the world’s best pro photographers.
Interviews by Crash Taylor
Social and wedding photographer Crash Taylor interviews some of the best known names in the business. Essential reading for anyone who wants to break into wedding or social photography.

Other Useful Resources

Photo Compete
Once you’ve polished up your photography skills no doubt you’ll be tempted to enter a few photography competitions. Photo Compete has a listing of current photography competitions.
Photo Competitions
Even more photography competitions including the big name competitions from companies like Sony and National Geographic.
Pro-Imaging Photo Competitions
But make sure you read this before entering a photography competition. There are competitions that take away your copyright – this website lists the competitions that don’t.
Photopreneur
A ton of ideas for making money from your photos.
Photo Netcast
Photography podcasts bought to you by a team of passionate photographers.

Photographers who photograph need models, stylists and make-up artists. You can search for them at Model Mayhem and Purestorm. You can also search by geographical area there.
Purestorm

In light reports of photographers being harassed by security guards and police, it’s a good idea to know your rights. These websites have the information that you need:
Photographers’ legal rights – UK
Photographers’ legal rights – United States
Photographers’ legal rights – Australia

Last Click

JPG Mag
The magazine that publishes your photos and your articles.

List of English words of Malay origin

 

Agar (also 'agar-agar')

a gelatinous substance obtained from various kinds of red seaweed and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods.

Amok (also 'amuck' or 'amock')

out of control, especially when armed and dangerous; in a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree, 'berserk', as in 'to run amok'.

Babirusa (also 'babiroussa') 

from French babiroussa, from Malay babi hog + rusa deer. A wild pig (Babyrousa babyrussa) of the East Indies with backward-curving tusks.

Balanda (also 'ballanda' or 'ballander') 

from Makasar balanda, from Malay belanda, from Dutch Hollander meaning a white person, a European.

Bamboo 

from bambu

Banteng 

from banteng, 'a SE Asian forest ox that resembles the domestic cow, domesticated in Bali [Bos javanicus.]'

Binturong 

from binturong, 'a large species of civet, Arctictis binturong, of SE Asia'.

Caddy (also 'caddie')

from kati (a measurement unit, whereby 1 kati = approximately 600 g).

Cassowary 

from kasuari/kesuari, 'a very large flightless bird related to the emu'.

Catty 

from kati (a unit of measurement)

Camphor 

see Kapur. From Old French camphore or Mediaeval Latin camphora, from Arabic 'kāfūr', from Malay kapur.

Cempedak (also Chempedak) 

from Cempedak, a species of tree and its fruit in the family Moraceae.

Cockatoo 

from kakaktua, a parrot with an erectile crest.

Compound (enclosed group of buildings) 

by folk etymology from kampung or 'village'

Cooties 

from kutu, 'lice'

Dammar 

from damar, 'resin; resin obtained from various mainly Indo-Malaysian trees, used to make varnish.'

Dugong 

from duyung, 'mermaid'

Durian 

from duri 'thorns', hence durian, 'thorny'

Gambier 

from gambir(the name of the plant), an astringent extract of a tropical Asian plant, used in tanning'

Gecko 

from geko,gekok

Gingham 

from ginggang

Gong 

from gong, a metal disc with a turned rim that gives a resonant note when struck.

Gutta-percha 

(a type of tree whose sap is used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber) from getah, 'rubber' and perca, 'scrap/piece'; hence getah perca, 'a scrap/piece of rubber'

ikat 

from ikat, 'to bind', a style of weaving that uses a process similar to tie-dye to dye the threads.

Jackfruit 

generally cited as deriving from the Malayalam chakka or cakkai via the Portuguese jaca, which came from the Malay/Indonesian word nangka.

Junk (type of boat) 

from jong

Kapok 

from kapuk, 'a fine fibrous substance which grows around the seeds of a ceiba or silk-cotton tree, used as stuffing for cushions'

Kapur 

from kapur a large tropical tree which yields light brown wood, edible fruit, and camphor [Genus Dryobalanops.]

Komodo 

from komodo

Kris (also archaic 'creese') 

from keris, 'a Malay/Indonesian dagger with a wavy-edged blade'

Launch 

from lancar (meaning 'swift', 'nimble'; and 'making something moves faster'; and 'doing or held something like an action, attack etc.' ) and lancaran (meaning 'a kind of swift boat' - in old Malay literatures) , 'a large motor boat.'

Langsat 

from langsat, a species of fruit-bearing tree belonging to the family Meliaceae [Lansium domesticum]

Mangosteen 

from manggustan, also known as Manggis

Meranti  

from meranti, 'white, red, or yellow hardwood from a SE Asian tree (genus Shorea)'

Merbau  

from merbau, 'the hardwood of a SE Asian tree (genus Intsia)'

Orangutan 

from orang hutan or 'people of the jungle'

paddy 

as in 'paddy-field' or 'rice paddy', from padi, referring to the rice plant Oryza sativa.

Pandanus 

from pandan, 'a tropical tree or shrub with a twisted stem, long spiny leaves, and fibrous edible fruit.[Genus Pandanus.]'

Pangolin 

from pengguling, 'one that rolls/curls'

Pantoum 

from pantun, 'a Malay poetic/verse form'.

Parang 

from parang, 'a Malayan machete',

Picul 

from pikul (a unit of measurement)

Proa (also 'prahu' or 'prau')

from perahu, 'a Malaysian or Indonesian sailing boat, typically having a large triangular sail and an outrigger'

Rambutan 

from rambut 'hair', hence rambutan, 'hairy'

Ramie 

from rami, 'the plant of the nettle family which yields this fibre, native to tropical Asia. [Boehmeria nivea.]'

Rattan 

from rotan

Sago 

from sagu, '(sago palm) the palm from which most sago is obtained, growing in freshwater swamps in SE Asia. [Metroxylon sagu.]; any of a number of other palms or cycads which yield a similar starch.'

Salak 

from salak, ' a species of palm tree (family Arecaceae) native to Indonesia and Malaysia [Salacca zalacca]'

Sambal 

from sambal, (in oriental cookery) relish made with vegetables or fruit and spices.

Sarong 

from sarung, 'wrap/sheath'

Satay (also 'sate') 

from Malay satai, Javanese/Indonesian "sate", 'an Indonesian and Malaysian dish consisting of small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer and served with spiced sauce.'

Seladang 

from seladang, a wild ox with a dark brown or black coat with white lower legs, native to India and Malaysia. [Bos gaurus.] .

Siamang 

from siamang, 'a large black gibbon native to Sumatra and Malaya [Hylobates syndactylus.]'

Silat 

from silat, 'a Malay's martial art'

Tael 

from tahil (a unit of measurement) meaning 'weight'

Tokay 

from toke of Malay dialect, means 'a large grey SE Asian gecko with orange and blue spots. [Gekko gecko.]

Trepang 

from teripang/trepang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

360º Panoramic Photography

All these pictures are 360°x180° panoramas projected to look like small planets using a projection called stereographic projection. Stereographic Projection is an art-form and is technically mapping a sphere onto a plane. The execution is very difficult to get right but the outcome of such a photography style is simply astounding. One way to picture the stereographic projection is to imagine again a screen near our viewable sphere

10 Haiwan yang anda mungkin tidak pernah tahu beracun

Ada banyak makhluk di planet ini yang secara meluas diketahui beracun atau berbisa termasuk banyak spesies labah-labah, ular dan kalajengking. Di sini adalah 10 haiwan yang anda mungkin tidak pernah tahu itu beracun.

10. Biawak Komodo (Komodo Dragon)

Ok, beberapa orang mungkin mendengar tentang Biawak Komodo dan kaedah di mana ia membunuh mangsanya, tetapi adakah anda tahu, sebenarnya ia berbisa juga? Biawak Komodo adalah pembunuh yang sangat sabar, yang diperlukan hanyalah satu gigitan dari biawak besar untuk perlahan-lahan dan menyakitkan membunuhmu. Biawak Komodo menggunakan air liurnya yang sangat beracun (yang mengandungi lebih daripada 50 jenis bakteria) yang perlahan-lahan merebak dan seterusnya mematikan mangsanya. Namun penemuan terkini mendapati bahawa Biawak Komodo memiliki kelenjar racun dalam mulutnya yang sebelum ini disangkal kajiannya.

9. Gila Monster

Jangan risau Gila Monster tidak terdapat di Malaysia....tetapi cukup umum di barat daya Amerika Syarikat dan beberapa bahagian Mexico dan walaupun beracun tetapi jarang kes kematian manusia dilaporkan. Saluran racunnya melalui alur di gigi dan terus ke mangsanya, kerana itu mangsa Gila Monster akan mati serta-merta..

8. Platypus

Platypus

Untuk makluman anda, Platypus adalah satu-satunya haiwan mamalia yang bertelur..Bisanya terletak ditaji haiwan tersebut, Tajinya yang beracun itu jauh lebih kuat selama musim mengawan dan menyebabkan para penyelidik percaya bahawa taji ini digunakan ketika bersaing untuk mendapatkan pasangan, walaubagaimanapun racun itu tidak dianggap berbahaya bagi manusia - tetapi anda akan benar-benar ingin mencuba?? :D

7. Sotong Katak (Cuttlefish)

sotong katak (Cuttlefish)

Nota : hidupan air pertama di dalam senarai ini adalah Sotong katak yang sangat erat dikaitankan dengan keluarga obor-obor dan sotong. Seperti yang dapat anda lihat pada gambar di atas pada bahagian depan Sotong terdiri dari sepuluh tentakel, begitu juga obor-obor atau sotong kurita tapi ini bukan terletaknya rahsia sotong ini. Di tengah-tengah 10 tentakel di dasar kepalanya itu terdapat paruh, muncung paruh ini mempunyai kemampuan untuk menyuntikkan racun pada kelajuan cahaya dan terus melumpuhkan sistem saraf. Hati-hati buat penyelam di Pulau Sipadan kerana haiwan ini ada di sana....

6. Batu Karang (Coral)

Batu Karang Palythoa

Ada ratusan Batu Karang yang berbeza di dunia dan adakah anda percaya bahawa beberapa daripadanya berbisa? Batu Karang yang paling berbisa adalah Palythoa yang boleh membunuh manusia jika mendapat kesempatan untuk menyuntik racun yang cukup ke dalam diri penyelam. Tidak kajian yang banyak bagi batu karang beracun tetapi diketahui bahawa gejala racun Palythoa termasuk sesak nafas & dada dan denyutan nadi menjadi cepat.

5. Ulat Gonggok (Millipede)

Anda mungkin kenal dengan kaki seribu ini kerana sangat umum di lingkungan kawasan hutan seperti taman negara dan ladang. Haiwan ini boleh mengeluarkan racun dan sianida melalui liang-liang di dalam abdomennya mereka yang dapat berbahaya kepada serangga-serangga kecil.

4. Lipan (Centipede)

Meskipun kebanyakan lipan tidak berbahaya tetapi mereka mempunyai taring pada hujung depan bersebelahan dengan antena mereka yang mana mengandungi racun. Biasa racun dari lipan tidak berbahaya namun terdapat beberapa spesies lipan yang lebih besar mempunyai bisa yang sangat berbahaya bagi haiwan kecil dan kanak-kanak dan boleh menyebabkan kematian jika dibiarkan tanpa rawatan.

3. Cone Snail

Cone Snail

Siput Kon tidak berbahaya tetapi ia akan menyengat apabila terancam, dengan belalai yang unik seperti tombak yang digunakan untuk menyerang mangsanya  (biasanya ikan kecil). Racun dari siput ini cukup kuat untuk melumpuhkan mangsa dengan segera, pesanan untuk penyelam, berhati-hati apabila anda menyelam di laut, kerana Siput Kon dilaporkan bertanggung jawab untuk sejumlah kematian manusia.

2. Hooded Pitohui

Hooded Pitohui

Hooded Pitohui memang beracun. Walaubagaimanapun burung ini hanya ditemui di Papua New Guinea dan bulu dan kulitnya mengandungi racun yang sama ditemui pada anak panah kodok beracun, meskipun tidak begitu kuat. Hanya dengan menyentuh burung ini sudah cukup untuk merebakkan racun berbahayanya. namun lebih berbahaya lagi sekiranya anda makan keseluruhan burung, termasuk bulun pelepahya....haha

1. Slow Loris (dijumpai di rantau Asia, terutama Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China & India)

Slow Loris

Loris adalah antara spesis monyet@kera yang berbisa. walaupun berbisa pada taringnya yang boleh menyebabkan kematian namun dipercayai dengan memakan dagingnya dapat menyembuhkan penyakit kusta, dan tonik yang diperbuat darinya dipercayai dapat menyembuhkan luka, patah tulang dan memberi tenaga bagi ibu selepas bersalin..lebih aneh lagi.ada yang sanggup menjadikannya sebagai haiwan peliharaan , dengan membuang taring terlebih dahulu sebelum menjualnya..Amat menyedihkan apabila haiwan yang dikategorikan sebagai haiwan terancam ini didagangkan dengan jumlah yang besar secara haram terutamanya di negara Indonesia dan Kemboja.