Photography tips that actually stick.
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Free photography guides
Learn photography one skill at a time.
11 in-depth guides and 122 articles, each guide a complete path from the basics to advanced technique. Pick what you want to get better at and work through it at your own pace.
Camera Settings
Master aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and manual mode with practical guides. Learn to think of camera settings as creative decisions, not technical definitions.
13 articles
Sharp Photos
Diagnose and fix blurry photos. Understand autofocus modes, camera shake, and the step-by-step techniques you need for consistently tack-sharp images.
11 articles
Composition
Learn composition as a set of choices that direct attention. Master the art of guiding your viewer's eye through deliberate decisions, not memorized rules.
11 articles
Lighting
Learn to see light as a creative tool you can shape and control. Practical techniques for reading, finding, and working with any lighting situation.
12 articles
Flash
Flash adds light when available light falls short. Learn speedlight basics, bounce and fill flash, off-camera setups, sync speed, and color gels.
12 articles
Common Mistakes
Frustrated with your photos? Learn to identify the most common photography mistakes and get practical fixes for each one. Free checklist included.
9 articles
Photo Editing
Learn photo editing and Lightroom techniques that improve your images without overdoing it. From basic adjustments to advanced workflows for beginners.
11 articles
Phone Photography
Learn what phone cameras do well and where they struggle. Practical tips for composition, lighting, and editing to get better photos from your pocket camera.
11 articles
Portraits
Learn portrait photography focused on connection and flattering results. Practical techniques for making anyone look good, from posing to finding great light.
11 articles
Landscape
Learn landscape photography techniques that help you find compelling scenes anywhere. Master composition, light, and camera settings for better scenic photos.
12 articles
Low Light
Learn to shoot in challenging light. Understand the three-way tradeoff between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture that determines every low light decision.
9 articles
Not sure where to start?
Start Here points you to the right guide for whatever is holding your photos back, whether they are blurry, too dark, or just boring.
Start hereFree photography tools
Do the math before you shoot.
16 free calculators and planners for the numbers behind a good photo. Work out depth of field, time golden hour, convert an ND filter exposure, and more, right in your browser.
Exposure Calculator
Input any two of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to get the third value plus equivalent exposures.
Open toolDepth of Field Calculator
Calculate your depth of field, near/far focus limits, and hyperfocal distance for any camera and lens combo.
Open toolGolden Hour Calculator
Find golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, and sunset times for any location and date. Plan your shoots perfectly.
Open toolND Filter Calculator
Calculate your new shutter speed with any ND filter. Essential for long exposure photography.
Open toolStar Trails / 500 Rule Calculator
Calculate max shutter speed before stars trail using the 500 Rule and the more accurate NPF Rule. Includes Milky Way settings recommendations.
Open toolCrop Factor Calculator
Find the 35mm equivalent focal length and field of view for any sensor size and lens combination.
Open toolUsing Claude, ChatGPT, or another AI assistant? Connect the free DailyPhotoTips MCP server and it can run these same calculators for you.
About DailyPhotoTips
Written by photographers who teach.
DailyPhotoTips started in 2019 as a short daily email with one practical photography tip. Today it reaches tens of thousands of photographers around the world, and this site gathers the best of that teaching into structured guides.
It is made by Jon C. Phillips, founder of Contrastly, and Brett Fox, founder of Photzy, who bring more than 30 years of combined experience teaching photography. Everything here favors technique over gear, so it works with the camera you already own.
More about usMore ways to learn
- Photography tips for beginners Ten practical tips that improve every photo you take, starting today.
- Photography FAQ Straight answers to the questions photographers ask most.
- Photography glossary More than 250 photography terms explained in plain English.
- Free downloads Exposure triangle cheat sheets, Lightroom presets, and a long exposure guide.
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