Ilex Posts

For most photographers, the 50mm lens is the first one they buy, right after the one that comes with their camera. Why? Because they’re cheap, easy-to-carry, and they allow for some amazing creative options, with even the most modestly priced offering stunning bokeh. If you don’t have one already, once you’ve started reading Life in […]

We all know the value of a cup of tea, and most visitors to this page will be equally acquainted with the significance of bestselling photographer-author Michael Freeman. While Freeman has provided the world with a prodigious number of books for photographers through ilex, he is, of course, also a working professional photographer (where else […]

It’s been a few weeks since the start of the year and the weather is starting to conspire against your resolutions to run miles each day and shed last year’s weight gain. It’s not that you made the wrong resolutions – you just chose the wrong time of year. Save that for Spring, when the […]

Adam Juniper, author of the Complete Guide to Drones, has some tips for those looking to pick up a new drone for themselves or a loved one. Fun Learning with Tello The RYZE Tello; it’s like learning, but you’ll be having too much fun to notice. Imagine a drone built using Intel and DJI tech, […]

If you’re shopping for photography lovers this Christmas, you can’t go wrong with a good book. Here are a few of our favourites from 2018, all shown alongside the latest pricing from Amazon so you can check the latest pricing and be sure it’ll arrive in time for the big day.  The Photography Bible  | […]

A fundamental part of composition, balance is arranging the elements of the frame such that tension is both created and resolved. Balance is not about things being exactly the same in some scientific sense: that is veering into the idea of symmetry. You are not necessarily aiming for perfect and literal equality in every section […]

How do you know whether the person you’ve photographed in a white coat is a doctor, a scientist, or an artist? You don’t, unless you add a layer of context. An operating theatre, a set of bubbling beakers, or a fist full of paintbrushes—these details don’t tell the whole story, but they do help add […]

Shooting at eye level is the default position for most photographers. By simply playing with perspective, however, you can change the story behind an image and make it immediately more interesting. Find one subject and use it to try the following exercises in perspective. Get low Shooting from a low angle—with the camera placed below […]

Film Noir was a term used to describe the dark, menacing thrillers and detective films that were hugely popular during the 1940s and 50s. The style, often in black and white, creates incredibly striking, cinematic images. A film noir style shoot is incredible fun, and a great way to expand your portfolio. When heading out […]

A good black-and-white photo is classic. But colour is seductive. Colour is the spice of life, and it is a key driver in evoking emotion in your photographs. It is, without question, one of the most powerful forms of non- verbal communication. If you’re looking for photographers whose relationship with colour is seminal, take a […]

Lighting your subject using one gel is a simple and great way to either set an overall mood or add interest to a specific area of the image, such as hair, clothing, silhouette, or other details. This technique can be achieved through the use of either one light (gelled) or by adding extra lights (non-gelled), […]

The rule of odds is simple to understand: odd numbers of items work better in a photograph than even numbers of the same things. If you a photographing more than one of something, three or five of those somethings will be more interesting than two or four. Why is this? It is mainly because the […]