My apologies for the site being a bit wierd lately. People should be able to log in now as usual. If you can't, try resetting your password. Everything should be smooth from here.

This monkey tried attacking me afterwards, hence, the title.

Widescreen 2560 x 1600 1920 x 1200 1680 x 1050 1440 x 900 1280 x 800 Normal 1920 x 1440 1600 x 1200 1280 x 1024 1280 x 960 1024 x 768

So I will be releasing the High res versions of my wallpaper again, I'll put one up every now and then. Since this got featured at deviantart recently, I thought it would be appropriate to release it. Here is is!

Widescreen 2560 x 1600 1920 x 1200 1680 x 1050 1440 x 900 1280 x 800 Normal 1920 x 1440 1600 x 1200 1280 x 1024 1280 x 960 1024 x 768 800 x 600

A member of the site Jorge, asked me how I process my images to put on the web. I use the basic processing methods outlined in my Post Processing Basics guide.

Since every photo is different, and the steps for each one will vary, it is difficult to set concrete steps to process an image. I have attempted to break down the steps into some simple basic ones that I do to almost every photo, and posted a tutorial about it.

Thanks Jorge for supplying me with the photo which he took of the Devils Tower in Wyoming. It is a beautiful shot with a little bit of editing...

Click here to read the Processing for Web tutorial - Step by Step guide for beginners

I won't get the next guide finished by today, so I thought I'd share with you my experience with Tripods. I have never used them in my photography - ever.

It is not because I think they are useless... far from it. There have been many times I have wished I had a tripod around. What do you do in such a situation? You improvise. Look around the built and natural environment for a while, and you are likely to find something that will do. A fence, a log, even the ground.

This is one of my favorite shots, which I will use as an example (click for larger).

While a tripod is ideal for a shot like this, don't let the lack of one stop you from trying. I have never used a tripod because I really can't be bothered carrying one around. It will be another piece of equipment needed on my travels, and more weight is the last thing I need.

Most of my photos I adjust so that the shutter speed is fast enough for me to do it hand-held. I have a pretty steady hand and anything faster than 1/60s is what I aim for, and 1/30s if I really need to go that low.

I find that using found objects around you can sometimes give you shots from interesting perspectives you may not have thought about otherwise. So next time you go on a trip and are hesitating to take that tripod along with you - don't. You'll probably enjoy your trip more, and end up spending more time taking photos than setting up a tripod

What is Dodging and Burning? I have just written a new guide filed under 'Photo-editing' which shows you exactly how versatile these tools are. It is fairly easy to use once you understand how it works. I'd love to see examples of this guide applied to your work, so post them up in the forums if you want to receive any help or feedback on your technique!

Click to read the guide to Dodge and Burn tools with using Photoshop