All articles by dhavalilama

It wasn’t that long ago when the word “influencer” wasn’t in most of our vocabularies. However, thanks to the power of social media, influencers not only represent one of the fastest-growing careers in recent memory—but also one of the, well, most influential ones as well. Some celebrities have jumped on the influencer bandwagon and some
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Photography Books Everyone Should Read

I recently read two photography books about nature – that involve nothing related to photography – that re-invigorated my passion for landscape and natural photography. That makes zero sense but let me explain. As any artist or photographer knows passion ebbs and flows. I can only be at my best when I am inspired to
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Snowy Desert Landscapes

It’s not every day you see snowfall in Las Vegas. I was lucky enough to photograph these amazing snowy desert landscapes. My snowy Las Vegas photos were also featured in SF Gate! The Weather Service of Las Vegas Reported: “The system dropped down from Canada, and it’s very cold and caused snow levels to fall
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Low Fog Photography

Low fog photography is hard to time. But there’s nothing like shooting a low fog event. To my surprise one occurred in Las Vegas last week – a rarity to say the least. I have shot many low fog events in Los Angeles and they never cease to amaze me. Low fog is caused when
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Less

I am nearing 40 years old and only know understanding the concept of less. Less spending, less travel, less eating, less chasing, less movement, less thinking, less judgment… The list goes on. A happy involves less I’ve come to learn. My knee injury has allowed me to slow down and enjoy the minutiae of daily
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Photography Trends in 2023: The Future of Photography

Technology is moving as quick as it ever has. Keeping up with photography trends in 2023 will be ever more important! How to Become a Better Photographer in 2023 Are you an aspiring photographer who wants to take your skills to the next level? With a few tips and tricks, you can easily become a
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Biking Photography

This year I discovered a new vehicle: a bicycle. A road bike to be precise. After years of reluctance I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a road bike. I have to say it’s literally the best way to get around. Living in Vegas means less cars, less assholes and plenty of road to roam
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Desert Chronicles : Winter 2023

I do such a terrible job updating this blog. I enjoy writing. Every year around this time I get a burst of inspiration that usually dissipates around late March. Then I get bogged down in work and balancing said work with life and then it all crumbles until I stare at his blog and laugh.
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7 Useful Winter Photography Tips

Winter is a great time to take photographs if you prepare, can stand the elements and know how to take your gloves on and off over and over and over again. I’ve learned a lot of things over the years and have almost lost some appendages (fingers primarily) due to unpreparedness. With great risk, comes
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Sunset Season: The Photographer’s Guide to Sunset Photography

It’s sunset season and that means if you can ditch your day job early enough and gawk at the sky you’ll (more often than not) see beautiful sunsets. Why does winter have the best sunsets? Sounds counter-intuitive right? The skies are usually cloudier and the sun (at least theoretically) seems less intense. Low humidity +
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Visual Transience: Fall Photography

Fall Photography There’s something about the transience of Fall that lends itself to captivating photographic opportunities. Fall photography is preferred because it’s where all nature’s magic is hidden. Winter’s chill deters a lot of people from picking up their cameras. The layering, the preparation and the uncertainty of the season is why many people use
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The Best Affordable Cameras to Buy in 2022

Wondering what set of cameras to buy in 2022? If you are ready to take the plunge and buy a new camera this year, you will quickly find there is no shortage of different camera options out there. It may see complicated to filter through all of the different cameras out there to find the
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How to Plan For a Photography Trip

Planning for a trip is difficult. Planning a photography trip is downright brutal. I’ve put together this guide to help aspiring and seasoned photographers save time on packing. Through years of failed attempts, countless overweight bags, dozens of broken zippers and torn cases I’ve learned a lot! Rather than rambling on I’ll let the graphic
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A Beginner’s NFT Guide for Photographers

NFT Guide for Photographers There are so many photographers today who are talking about NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens. So I decided to make an NFT Guide for Photographers.  As NFTs grow in popularity, they are looking to completely reshape the digital photography world—and artists need to be able to keep up. While many people in
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How to Plan for a Hiking Trip

This summer I am getting back into planning hiking trips & backpacking adventures and admittedly I forgot a lot of the tips and tricks that made it so easy for me to get into the outdoors in years past. So I decided to do what I always do when my brain is scattered: I made
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Staying Active: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

These past few months have been a blur. I’ve been spending an abundance of my time staying active in the outdoors snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, playing basketball and going for a stroll whenever I can. These activities have lightened the mood, refocused my energy on physical and mental health and have made
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2021 The Year of Irrational Exuberance

The Year of Irrational Exuberance! You know the times they are a changing when Instagram models, idiots you knew from high school and shoe shine boys start doling out investing advice. I’ve been lucky in many ways. I’m no Rhodes Scholar, I’m not a member of Mensa nor am I so full of myself that
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iPhone vs DSLR: The Competition Narrows

iPhone vs DSLR Iphone vs DSLR: A debate that’s been raging for years. With #iphoneonly enthusiasts on one side and photo pros lugging around DSLRs on the other. It’s becoming more and more evident that the iPhone is starting to outperform my DSLR cameras in daylight. The ease of use, simple click of a button
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Twitter Outrage & the Death Of Expertise

Everyday I log onto Twitter and decide what Twitter outrage will consume my mind for the next 24 hours. In a world where everyone has a voice and some voices are more important than others (based purely on the number of people who follow you) there’s bound to be issues. Last week Wall Street learned
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January 2021 Book Review

I am going to try something new. January 2021 Book Review coming through… This year I’ve been consuming books at a staggering pace which I am sure I won’t be able to maintain. I’ve read books about cryptocurrency, income inequality, mass movements and minimalism. I’ve taken it easy on fiction which of course means I
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The Year 2021: Pink and White

This month has been pretty slow, enjoyably so! Pink and White the colors that flow. If not for my drone and camera I don’t think I would have left my house at all. I’ve been clicking away since the holiday. Also, I just realized the last two sentences rhymed. I didn’t do that deliberately, I’m
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Best Books of 2020 (According to Me)

Due to the pandemic many of us found ourselves reading much more than we have in years past.  Below I’ll highlight what I thought were the best books of 2020 . In a typical year I tend to read 25-30 books but it in 2020 I doubled my book intake and read a whopping 60
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7 Lessons From 2020. Also, Goodbye 2020

2020 was has been a tough and challenging year for everyone so I put together some lessons from 2020 that I found helpful. In 2020 I lost a hero in Kobe Bryant, a close friend and my way of life. Countless people lost much more, and I can’t even pretend to imagine what that felt
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The Solstice: Winter Solstice 2020

Today is Winter Solstice and marks the shortest day of the year, but each subsequent day will be longer and brighter. Both figuratively and literally. By happenstance photography takes me to interesting places on auspicious days. This morning I lined up sunrise with a famous lighthouse in Los Angeles to mark the solstice (and honestly
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My 2020 Pandemic Playlist

Admittedly I’ve tried every possible way to stay focused during the pandemic and the only remedy that has stuck is creating playlists on Spotify and listening to them over and over and over and over again until it’s time to make a new pandemic playlist. There hasn’t been an album since the start of the
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Things to Know Before Buying Photos Online

With the amount of content being created on a daily basis online there is a new market for people buying photos online . While some photographers sell prints for home or gallery displays, other photographers shoot and sell stock photos that can be used on websites and other online platform. No matter the reason you
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What is Focal Length?

When it comes to understanding some of the mots important photography principles out there—one of the most important is undoubtedly focal length. If you are new to the world of photography, this may seem like a foreign term, but it is one that is important to understanding photographs and how they are taken. Even if
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5 Photography Mistakes to Avoid

Whether you are completely new to the world of photography, or if you are just working on taking your skills to the next level, there is so much to learn about this art form and certain photography mistakes you HAVE to avoid. While there are countless guides, articles, videos and classes about all of the
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Tips for How to Print Digital Photos Yourself

If you want to take your digital photos and transform them into stunning, professional-quality images, it is easier than you think. In fact, you can easily learn how to print digital photos at home. If you have some digital photos on your hands that you would love to have printed off so that you can
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How to Prepare for a Photography Project

If you are looking to take on a new photography project, there is no better way to grow you photography skills and to push yourself creatively. Whether you are a professional photographer looking for a personal side project, or are a weekend warrior who wants to take on a new side project—a great photography project
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How to Take Stunning Architectural Photography

Whether you have a love for historic creations or are more intrigued by modern marvels, there is a lot that goes into architectural photography. However, architectural photos are some of the most famous and most viewed photos in the world. If you fail to take the right type of architectural photos, it can look like
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What is HDR Photography?

HDR photography is a very specific type of high-contrast, high-definition photography that makes an image jump off the screen. While there is no denying the beauty of HDR photography, capturing these types of photos isn’t always as simple as it seems. The good news is, I can help you get a better grasp on HDR
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Milky Way Photography : The Ultimate Guide

Milky Way Photography Every photographer knows that the right subject ( like Milky Way photography)  can make all of the difference when it comes to the quality of their finished product. In terms of subject matter you can find in nature, very few things can compare to the unprecedented beauty of a sparkly night sky.
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5 Photography Composition Mistakes to Avoid

When it comes to taking an ordinary photo and transforming it into an extraordinary photo—nothing will transform your image quite like photography composition. While photography composition is one of the most important elements of setting up a photo, it is also one of the most difficult concepts for new photographers to grasp. It is so
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What is Photography?

What is Photography ? It is hard to imagine a world where photography doesn’t exist. Just think about how prevalent photography is in our world, from the ability to capture family moments to admiring famous photographic art, pictures really make up a lot of our world. However, while most people could identify what a photograph
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3 Step Guide to Perfect Exposure

Perfect exposure . It is one of the most important elements in creating a stunning photo, but it is also one of the most difficult concepts for many photographers to grasp. At its core, exposure is essentially how much light you let into the sensor on your camera. Simply put, the more light you let
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Your Photography Dictionary : 20 Terms All Beginning Photographers Should Know

Photography Dictionary If you are just getting started in the world of photography and need a photography dictionary —then one of the most confusing things to adjust to is likely going to be all of the terms and photography lingo. There are a lot of definitions to learn when it comes to mastering the art
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How to Shoot Deep Sky Photography

There are very few things that are as awe-inspiring and as magical as deep sky photography. Not even looking through a telescope can compare to the images that deep sky photos can capture. This is because a camera can record even more light than we can comprehend with our eyes—which allows us to get the
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Your Guide to Slow Shutter Speeds

One of the many things that makes photography such an amazing art-form is that it allows us to capture a single moment in time through slow shutter speeds. However, photography does have its limits, especially when it comes to capturing motion. The good news is, by shooting with slow shutter speeds and allowing for long
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What is ISO? Dhavalilama’s Photo Basics

When it comes to improving your photography skills, no matter how early on into your career you may be—one of the best things that you can do is to have a really strong understanding of photography basics. This includes understanding ISO. So what is ISO ? If you aren’t already familiar with ISO, or are
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Drone Photography: A Comprehensive Guide

One of the newest and most tech-heavy forms of photography to impact the industry in recent years has to be drone photography. Aerial drone photography is changing the way that we look at photos and videos and it can be a great addition to your current photography profile. What is Drone Photography? So, what exactly
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Instagram Photography Guide: 10 Ways to Improve Your Reach

What is Instagram Photography? As a “photo based” social media platform that has nearly taken over the internet, it should come as no surprise that Instagram is one of the places for any photographer to share their work and to reach more followers, supporters, clients and media outlets. However, no matter how beautiful your photos
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How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse

The solar eclipse is one of the most beautiful and unique occurrences that happens in nature and many people still dont know how to photograph a solar eclipse. If you aren’t already familiar with the solar eclipse and what it is—it occurs whenever the moon’s shadow falls on the earth. A solar eclipse can only
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A Brief History of Photography

Photography has technically been around for hundreds of years, and while the art of capturing photos has definitely progressed and changed over the years, it is still important to have an understanding of the history of photography to really appreciate it for what it is today. What is the History of Photography? What is history
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Should You Go To Photography School?

There are many amateur photographers out there, who are understandably thinking about photography school. While years ago this was one of the best ways to learn more about photography, it isn’t the only way to get a great photography education. Before you start writing those tuition checks, take a look at some additional insights on
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Natural Light Photography : A Beginner’s Guide

When it comes to capturing stunning images, natural light photography is always going to be your best friend, no matter who your subject is. The right lighting can completely make or break this type of image and be the difference between an ordinary photo of someone’s face and a memorable, emotion-provoking photo. Lighting truly is
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National Parks Photography : The Top 5 Parks to Photograph

National Parks Photography The first step to taking amazing national parks photography is finding a truly breathtaking subject for your image. If you, like many photographers, love to take photos of nature, then you don’t need to travel across the globe to find some of the most beautiful natural places in the world—you can stay
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What is Camera Aperture? Dhavalilama’s Photography Basics

When it comes to mastering the art of photography, it is always important to first understand the basics. One of the most important of these basic concepts is camera aperture . No matter how novice, or experienced you may be, a strong foundation of photography basics can really make a difference in how your photos
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9 Urban Photography Tips for Beginners

  While there are many different types of photography, urban photography is perhaps one of the broadest and most diverse forms. Urban photography, sometimes known as stress photography, can vary as much as the city you are shooting in—but there are still a few tips that every urban photographer should keep in mind as they
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The Ultimate Landscape Photography Guide

There is something about landscape photography that is so beautiful. Being able to capture nature in its most honest form is one of many people’s favorite things about photography. However, while landscape photography may look effortless (as there are no people to deal with), it is actually a very delicate art form and a very
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