Cameras & Photography

The images of our ancestors are locked away and disappearing on tarnished silver plates. Scientists have found a way to bring them back to life.

By Carrie Tatro

Among the millions of pictures taken every year, some capture our hearts and stand the test of time. Here are the stories behind 13 of the most iconic.

By Nathan Chandler & Yves Jeffcoat

Televised sports coverage offers amazing aerial views of all the action. How are those dazzling angles captured? It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's Skycam.

By Nathan Chandler

Thermographic cameras detect infrared light (or heat) invisible to the human eye. How can the camera's sensors register temperature at a distance, and how can the tech be used?

By Nathan Chandler

The Lytro camera has attracted attention for its ability to let viewers focus on different aspects of a photo after it has been taken. How is the device different from traditional cameras, and how does it operate?

By Jonathan Strickland

Tilt-shift photography takes the power of the angle to an extreme. By altering the plane of focus of a photograph and distorting the perspective, tilt-shift photography can make a normal scene look like a miniature model set.

By Wesley Fenlon

Cloud photo storage allows you to share photos readily and safeguard them from digital disaster. In this article, we'll share tips for navigating cloud-based photo services.

By Nathan Chandler

Look through a door's peephole and you'll see how a fisheye lens can distort a scene while providing a 180-degree view. So how are these lenses used?

By Matt Cunningham

High drama and dim light are the hallmarks of film noir, and those elements are also vital to film noir photography.

By Stephanie Crawford

A red rose, a green eye, a gold ring: Against a black-and-white background, colored objects command attention. How can you create this effect at home?

By Matt Cunningham

The longer a camera's shutter stays open, the more light it takes in, and photographers use that fact to create breathtaking images, capturing the beauty of motion. What are the best pro tips for creating eye-popping photos using slow shutter speed?

By Wesley Fenlon

You've made a picture on your computer, pasted it into a Word document and would like to know how to place a watermark on the picture. Here's how to place a watermark on pictures.

By Marie Look

If you know how to calculate image size and PPI when printing, you'll be sure that your printed photos are crisp and vibrant. Learn about how to calculate image size and PPI when printing in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Even the best camera needs a good photographer to capture the best images possible. No matter your skill level, you still need to know the basic photography terms and tenets. Here are 10 of the most important ones.

By Ed Grabianowski

Digital cameras allow amateurs to produce stunning photos worthy of the pros. It takes more than a camera, though. Here are photography techniques to know!

By John Kelly

We'll tell you how you can take better pictures by taking advantage of the light sources you have available to you -- and by using a few tips and tricks when the lighting is less than ideal.

By Jamie Page Deaton

Sure, action shots make great photos. But some of the best pictures are of common, everyday items -- this is the case for still life photography.

By Jane McGrath

Maybe you've seen ads for online photography courses and considered signing up. But will you learn something about photography on a computer, or is it better to go to an actual classroom?

By Jane McGrath

Do you want to make a new photo look as though it was taken in the early 1900s? You're looking for the sepia tone effect — and all it takes is a special chemical soak or a few clicks on the computer to get it. Learn how today!

By Patrick J. Kiger

When you look at a photograph, consider all of the visual elements that make it so striking: light versus dark, red against blue, black on white. How do we make these things that seem to clash work so harmoniously on paper?

By Dave Roos

In consumer optical devices like cameras and telescopes, aperture is an incredibly important concept. But what is it, exactly? Let's find out!

By Nathan Chandler

When you take a photo and hear that distinctive click, you’re really hearing the sound of the camera’s shutter opening and closing in a fraction of a second. That shutter speed can dramatically alter photo quality — and fortunately, you can control it!

By Ed Grabianowski

All these numbers and letters might seem confusing at first, but using your camera's f-stops is really quite simple once you understand some basic principles. Find out how fiddling with f-stops can enhance your photos.

By Nathan Chandler

ISO speed is one of three things that determine the quality of your photos. How can you control ISO speed to get the best shots possible? Learn all about it here.

By Dave Roos

The best photographers feel a need -- a need for ideal film speed. But what is film speed and why does it matter?

By Thorin Klosowski