Blog
Posts that pair first-hand shooting notes with settings and the math behind them.
Shooting the Same Building Outside and Inside: Handheld Exposure and Composition Without a Tripod
Six handheld photos and their EXIF from a large wooden building, outside and inside, covering lens angle choice, vertical vs. horizontal framing, and how to expose in a dark interior without a tripod.
November 5, 2026 · 17 min read
How to Photograph Autumn in a City Park: Composing Skyscrapers and Fall Colors in One Frame
Skyscrapers, a traditional pavilion, silvergrass and fall leaves, and sky reflected in water: six photos of autumn in a city park with their EXIF settings, covering composition and shooting settings.
November 2, 2026 · 17 min read
Horizontal vs. Vertical Composition: How to Choose Photo Orientation for the Scene
Four horizontal and four vertical photos, from a beach and alleys to a train and a taxi, compared with their EXIF settings to show how to choose between horizontal and vertical shooting.
October 29, 2026 · 15 min read
6 Autumn Scenes to Photograph, With Camera Settings and Composition
Cosmos, a leaf-covered path, a dragonfly against the sky, and a pavilion with an airplane: six autumn scenes explained with 8 photos I took myself and their EXIF settings.
October 26, 2026 · 15 min read
5 Composition Checks Before You Press the Shutter
Even with the same camera and lens, photos differ because of composition. Five checks, diagonals, repetition, frame within a frame, balance of curves and straight lines, and reflection and symmetry, explained with 9 photos I took and their EXIF.
October 22, 2026 · 12 min read
Prime or Zoom for Travel? Walking Japan with a Single 40mm Lens
Based on taking only a 40mm prime on my first trip abroad, this post sums up the strengths and limits of shooting travel scenery with a prime, and how it differs from a zoom, with 14 photos and EXIF. Useful if you're deciding on a lens before a trip.
October 19, 2026 · 15 min read
Do You Really Need a Wide-Angle Lens for Landscapes? How Standard and Telephoto Lenses Capture Scenery Differently
It's easy to assume landscapes must be shot with a wide-angle lens. Using 8 photos I took myself and their EXIF, this post compares how wide, standard, and telephoto lenses capture scenery differently, including full-frame equivalent focal lengths.
October 15, 2026 · 13 min read
Same Photo, Different Mood: When Retouching Changes the Intent of a Photograph
The same scene can feel different depending on the edit. We compare five photos side by side in two edits and look at how color temperature, contrast, saturation, and shadows change the mood, and at what intent you want to put in.
October 12, 2026 · 9 min read
Why a Bright (Wide-Aperture) Lens Helps for Indoor Photography
Why a lens with a low f-number helps when shooting indoors with little light. The difference between f1.2–f1.8 primes and f2.8 zooms, how to balance ISO and shutter speed with an f4 or slower lens, and camera-shake cautions, with real shooting EXIF.
October 7, 2026 · 10 min read
Best Camera Settings for Light Starbursts in Night Photography
The camera settings I use to capture clean light starbursts at night: ISO 50–800, aperture F8–F11, shutter speeds of 10–30 seconds, real EXIF examples, and how to adjust for the brightness around you.
October 1, 2026 · 8 min read