When you step into the photography realm you hear new words, meaning of which eludes you. One of them, so simple, and still so mysterious is the "f-stop" (or simply "stop"). What does it mean? What does it measure or represent? Read the article "Understanding Light Stops" to be in the know.

Just found a great blog with various techniques about photography. Jim Talkington talks and shows (in video) his view on various topics of photography. Even those who shoot film can find something to learn and read about.

Here is how Jim describes himself:

My name is Jim Talkington and I’ve made my living as a professional photographer for 20+ years. Currently the co-owner of Daylight Photo (a commercial / advertising photography studio) in Cincinnati, OH, my career has wound its way through many facets of the profession: advertising, photojournalism, editorial, catalog, darkroom technician, retail photo sales, writer…you name it, I’ve probably tried it. And I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything.

This short but very precise article will tell you 10 ways to make great portraits. And though in some of the photographs presented there you will see a hint on the 11th tip, I will illustrate it a bit more (in addition to the ones described in the article): Break the bubble. This term originated in the cinematography simply means that you tilt the camera - don't align to the horizontal or vertical lines.
The image above is a candid shot, which illustrates the tilted angle of view. I know, it employs (unintentionally) a few other tips, but still due to the tilt it creates a certain feeling - imbalance and dynamic, which may be what you are looking for

At Sony website I found a good summary of basic composition tips that can make you take better photographs. These tips are presented in easy to understand manner and accompanied with images. Take a look and see whether you know all of them. I found something new for myself

Chuck Westfall, who is Director of Media & Customer Relationship at Canon, gives a few answers to intriguing questions regarding photo gear. One of the questions is related to the myth that when you turn the Image Stabilizer (IS) on your lens while the camera is mounted on a tripod, the IS will introduce its own shake to the image.

Here is a quote of what he has to say on this issue:

Next, virtually all Canon Image Stabilizer lenses except the now-discontinued original 1995 EF75-300mm IS model have some degree of tripod-sensing. In most cases, what that means is that when the lens senses that it's completely steady, it effectively prevents the IS mechanism from moving. With typical IS lenses like the EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM or EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, that’s about as far as it goes. In other words, the IS mechanism doesn’t move when the lens is mounted on a tripod, but by the same token, it doesn’t compensate for other sources of vibration such as the slap of the camera’s reflex mirror prior to the beginning of an exposure.

See more answers on various questions by Chuck Westfall.