📨 Join 56,000+ Photographers enjoying The Morning Blaze - my free, online photography publication where I share photo tips, tutorials, & inspiration I’ve gained throughout my journey from beginner to professional Landscape Photographer.
Share
📸 This Focus Setting is Killing Your Sharp Photos!
Published 29 days ago • 3 min read
Hello, my friend!
One of the most common frustrations I hear from photographers is soft or out-of-focus images. More often than not, it comes down to either shooting technique or the focus settings being used.
I just released a video diving deep into this exact issue—and it’s already resonating with a lot of folks. If you’ve ever struggled with sharpness, I think you’ll find this episode especially helpful.
I hope you find some useful information in this edition of The Morning Blaze and as always thanks so much for reading & sharing. Have a great weekend! - Mark D.
Patagonia, Chile
📺 MY NEW VIDEOS
This Focus Setting is Killing Your Sharp Photos!
Why do your landscape photos look soft—even with a tripod and a sharp lens? The answer might be hiding in your camera’s autofocus settings. In this video, I’ll show you the #1 autofocus mistake that ruins sharpness in landscape photography—and the exact camera settings you need to change to instantly fix it. Whether you’re a beginner or just never thought to question your default AF mode, this simple adjustment will transform your results.
If you’ve ever been told to always shoot at f/11, only take photos during golden hour, or that better gear equals better photos—you’re not alone. I believed a lot of those things too when I was a beginner. In this video, I’m sharing some of the biggest lies in landscape photography that held me back for years. These are the tips and “rules” that get repeated all the time, but they’re not always helpful—and in some cases, they can actually make your photos worse.
Spaces are filling fast for next year's Lofoten Islands workshop. Dramatic peaks, arctic light, and coastal landscapes unlike anywhere else, it's one of the most inspiring places I've ever photographed. If Lofoten has been on your bucket list, now's the time to grab your spot before it's gone👉 https://geni.us/lofoten2026
Pro vs Beginner Photo Editing! (everyone should try this)
If you happen to be in a rut with your photography, unhappy with your rate of improvement, I'd highly recommend going through this exercise. It's difficult to see how much we've progressed when all you see is where you're currently at with your photography. And, in this video, I re-edit one of my favorite landscape photos from when I was a beginner and compare the results at the end in order to determine how far I've come with my own photo editing skill set.
I've been 100% all-in on landscape photography for almost 10 years now. During these years, I lost my corporate job in the financial marketing space, subsequently built a business solely around outdoor photography, made numerous mistakes along the way, learned more about photography than I ever thought possible, created an online photography publication with over 56,000 readers, and most importantly, edited thousands of landscape photographs. In this article, I’ll share with you the defining moments of my photographic journey in hopes you’ll be able to progress faster in yours.
✅ 1. Embrace Shoshin: The Beginner’s Mindset
The term "Shoshin" is a Japanese Zen concept that means "beginner’s mindset." As we progress in any field, we tend to become know-it-alls. The more you learn, the more your mind closes off to new ideas. When you're a beginner, your rate of improvement is rapid because you're a sponge, absorbing every bit of information. Embracing the beginner’s mindset, whether you’re new to photography or have been doing it for decades, is one of the best things you can do to continually learn and grow.
✅ 2. The Power of Perspective
We all see the world the same way, with our eyes at the top of our heads. This common perspective makes photographs taken at eye level look ordinary. By shifting your perspective—getting lower to the ground, higher up, or moving to the side—you create unique and intriguing images that stand out. Experiment with different angles to capture the world in ways that people don't typically see. >> Read More
🤓 PHOTO NERDS
🌪️ The first known photo of a tornado was was captured on August 28, 1884 in Howard, South Dakota.
📸 Epson brought the first mirrorless camera to the consumer market in 2004 for $3,000.
✨ INSPO
"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." - Ansel Adams
“The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?” -Edward Weston
🌳 FINAL WORD
I want to thank you for subscribing to The Morning Blaze. A great deal of effort goes into each edition and I hope you find it helpful.
I'm always looking to improve, do you have any feedback you can provide? Is there anything you wish was here, that isn't?
If you have something you'd like me to know, just hit reply on this email.
📨 Join 56,000+ Photographers enjoying The Morning Blaze - my free, online photography publication where I share photo tips, tutorials, & inspiration I’ve gained throughout my journey from beginner to professional Landscape Photographer.
Hello, my friend! I’m excited to share a video with you today—one that tackles a challenge I’ve faced for years: getting white balance just right in landscape scenes. If you’ve ever struggled with white balance or felt like your images looked too cool, too warm, or just… off—this tip will forever solve that problem. After tons of trial and error, I finally landed on a simple process that actually works—and I walk you through it in this video below. I hope you find some useful information in...
Hello, my friend! Summer is upon us, and I, for one, am already dreaming of crisp fall mornings—those quiet moments when the air bites just enough to wake your senses, and the trails wind through golden forests and misty peaks. There’s something magical about hiking into the mountains with a camera in hand, chasing that perfect light as the seasons shift. 🥵 But until then, summer offers its own unique beauty and challenges—bright skies, long days, and plenty of opportunities to refine your...
Hello, my friend! 2025 is flying by—it’s hard to believe June is nearly here! I hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy the beauty of spring wherever you are in the world. Below is a new photo from the Smokies—a quiet moment that really resonated with me. I hope you find some useful information in this edition of The Morning Blaze and as always thanks so much for reading & sharing. Have a great weekend! - Mark D. Smoky Mountains, TN 📺 MY NEW VIDEOS Finally! Lightroom Just Made Landscape Editing Way...