With so many of us having access to cameras today, whether through a mobile phone, tablet, compact camera or digital SLR, it’s not surprising that we’re keen to take better photos. The internet is often the first port of call when it comes to finding out more about learning photography.

Luckily, there are many keen photographers out there eager to share their knowledge with you over their blogs. We’ve put together a list of ten brilliant photography blogs that will help you develop your photography skills so that you can take beautiful shots too. From beginner to amateur, even through to advanced, you’ll find a variety of posts on these blogs that will give you some great inspiration and tips.

PhotographyBlog.com

Photography Blog is a great site for more than just photography how-tos. They also have camera and lens reviews, so if you’re looking to invest in something more professional have a look through their recommendations. They even review mobile phone cameras.

BeginnersPhotographyBlog.com

With essential posts to teach you about basic camera features and how to use them, this blog is perfect for anyone eager to learn the fundamentals of photography – particularly for those who want to learn more about SLR cameras.

Ingrid also posts videos that are easy to follow. This video explains how aperture size can be used to alter the appearance of your photo.

DigitalPhotographySchool.com

As well as having general photography tips, this blog has some fantastic insights for specific genres of photography. These are worth exploring if you’re keen to venture into taking different types of photographs, or if you want to go down a particular route.

For example, this post on documentary photography is helpful for those looking to take photos of social situations, people and environments. This would be a great post to read before coming on one of Images In The Sun’s photography tours.

ePhotozine.com

Although not strictly a blog, ePhotozine post photography tips almost daily. You’ll find advice for getting a great shot in a multitude of situations – from bridges to food.

There are also very helpful posts for beginners, such as Basic Considerations Before Pressing the shutter. This post gives an excellent overview of the process of taking a good photo.

PetaPixel.com

Peta Pixel offers inspiration and tips for both budding and experienced photographers. The site also has some more general posts about the latest photography-related news and products too.

PhotographyBlogger.net

Photography Blogger is ideal for anyone looking to brush up on their photography skills or keen to learn some new techniques. A variety of photographers contribute to the site, so you can read about all types of photography.

DigitalPhotoBuzz.com

Lighting is really integral to taking an effective photo and this blog will certainly help you out with any lighting issues! Mark Stagi writes most of the articles on Digital Photo Buzz and has a whole section dedicated to lighting here. Editing tips are also available on this blog, great for anyone looking to take their photography to the next level.

PictureCorrect.com

Whilst digital photography has unsurprisingly boomed in popularity, film photography is still a really interesting medium to work with. As this post states, Philip Bloom often shoots in film as it’s an entirely different and challenging experience.

Not only will you more about older photography mediums on Picture Correct, they also have tips from world-renowned photographers.

DIYPhotography.net

DIY Photography shares kit information and some really cool techniques. If you no longer consider yourself a beginner, this blog could be an excellent resource. But if you’re new to photography, basics such as focal length are also explained. With advice for studio photography as well as outdoor, this blog covers a whole host of topics.

PhotoForBeginners.com

Although you might assume this blog is solely for beginners, it has numerous articles also perfect for amateurs wanting to develop their skills. The tutorials on this site are really superb, with step-by-step images and commentary. Plus, each tutorial lists everything you’ll need.

With so many different photography blogs offering tutorials to camera reviews, taking a great photo and learning photography has never been easier. Together these ten blogs cover everything from the fundamentals to advanced editing techniques, so no matter your level of experience you’re likely to learn something new from reading the right posts.

Image credit: Dan Foy

Photographic tips on shooting sunsets.

Stunning cloud formations greeted us at Todra Gorge last week just as we arrived as part of our photography tour itinerary. Ever wondered why sunsets are have a red glow to them.  Here’s why…

The red colour in the sky at sunset (and sunrise) is due to an effect called Rayleigh scattering.  When sunlight enters the earth’s atmosphere, air and water vapour absorbs part of the light scattering it.  White sunlight is composed of light waves of different colours, whereas blue light has the shortest wavelength and red light has the longest. The short-wavelength blue light is easier to be scattered. The sun is very close to the horizon during sunset. Sunlight must pass through a thicker atmosphere in order to reach the ground. Most of the blue light has been scattered away and red light remains. Therefore the sun appears red during sunset.

In the absence of cloud formations, for sunset photos to work beyond snapshots, there needs to be foreground interest, a silhouette of a person works particularly well.  Other things to think about include using manual focus instead of the auto system as sometimes the auto focus doesn’t work as the camera has to hunt for a subject as particles in the sky are not sufficient,  so switching to manual focus and focusing on infinity will help here. Don’t forget to zoom in first to focus.

Do not over expose the sky and give emphasis to the sun. Silhouettes of objects can be made by keeping the picture metering with a strong back light source, creating under exposure for front objects. It is also recommended to set the camera to the smallest aperture to control the sun’s halo running the photo. A smaller aperture size will give more of a starbust quality. Do pay attention to shooting and looking directly at the sun as this is risky. Staring at the sun can cause eye damage and staring through a lens with the naked eye that is potentially a magnifier will increase this risk plus the camera will be damaged. I recommend framing up with the sun just out of shot and repositioning to take the photo, whilst not looking directly at the sun but it’s best advised to consider including the sun once it’s at it’s lowest point.  Winter light is often the best time of year to find interesting cloud formations particularly in Morocco.  Photography Holidays and Photography Tours with us can be seen here.

The winter months in Morocco have given way to the emergence of wild flowers in the countryside and the green shoots of consistant 20+ temperatures. To celebrate spring we’re offering some new Photo Holidays with summer photo workshops in Spain, teaming up with London based photographer and tutor, Rob Irving who will be offering week long courses with the emphasis on post production work with your computers.  You don’t need to be an advanced photographer but just having some basic knowledge of your camera will allow Rob to take you to the next stage of how to think ahead for getting the best out of your computer adjustments. So if you have software and don’t know how to use it properly or are thinking about buying some, then a week in sunny Spain complete with pool as left, during August may be an addition your photographic ambitions.  You can view the workshop information here.

February was a busy month with tours to the desert and photo holidays at our base in Essaouira. Morris, Ed & Alison joined Naima and myself for the High Atlas Tour. Ed is seen here photographing in the Dades Valley with our local guide and a lady who lives nearby in caves with her family.  Part of what we offer on the tours is the chance to meet and photograph the local people which may not be available with independent travel or with other tour companies.

Back in Essaouira, and an occasional glimpse into the tutor at work, perhaps getting too close for comfort, thanks Peter;-) with guest, Ian at the waterfalls near Essaouira.  Finding angles, compositional balance, controlling histograms all part of the enjoyment of photographing in one location and discovering what feels right.  You can read Ian’s review of his week’s photo holiday in Essaouira.

In other news Ryanair are back into the Moroccan holiday market with flights from both Luton and Stansted to Marrakesh and Agadir…

offering especially good value during the periods when the other carriers are hiking prices. Also Ryanair has announced direct flights to Essaouira from both Brussels and Marseille from May this year.  Both Morocco and Spain offer fabulous sunshine hours, culture and photographic delights.  We endeavour to keep our prices competitive whilst offering the best value for money.

A recent photo from the last tour ranked 5 on the list of the week’s best entires in the telegraph.

November’s two photography tours to the High Atlas and desert dunes offered some stunning views as always and some new discoveries.

The oasis at Fint is a small gem of a place located off the main tourist trail and beautifully untouched.  The unusual rock formations and reflections make it quite a treat for photographers.  On both occasions the winter light was clear.  One of the benefits of running photography tours from Sept to May is the advantage of less hazy light. Also the winter months offer snow capped peaks and occasional (dare I say it) cloud formations which can add a lot to landscape imagery.  The heights of some roads over the Atlas and indeed the nestled villages below provide fantastic opportunities for epic images.  We discovered one stunning viewpoint by chance after misreading the map.  In terms of other subjects available to the photographer here are souks, villages and dunes.  The magic of Merzouga where we base ourselves to photograph the dunes, never ceases to delight.  Guided by our own Gnawi  musician we ventured as far south as Taouz, some 15 km south of Merzouga and within touching distance of the Algerian border.  Nomads came to greet us and we gave the children pens.  Always bring pens! Tours usually run monthly from September to May.  Please go to the tours page to register for a detailed itinerary and check our gallery of images from recent trips here.