Jefferson Graham
DIYPhotography
Manhattan Beach, CA, United States
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Past articles by Jefferson:
Use these ten simple tricks to raise your smartphone photos to a new level
We all know how to click the shutter button on our phones and get a basic shot. But how to take it to the next level? I get asked the question all the time, and with a new year ahead of us, what a great time to up our game, right? Here are 10 of […] → Read More
The ten best photo spots in Paris
Look up any list of the most photographed cities in the world, and Paris is in the top 3, usually along with New York and London. And for good reason: every street is a work of art. Even if the Eiffel Tower has been photographed millions of times, we all bring something new to it. […] → Read More
This is where you can bring your camera in San Francisco and not get it stolen
It happened again in San Francisco. A wedding photographer was attacked while covering portraits at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts, yet another in a long line of terrible situations playing out in a city that has chosen, for whatever reason, not to crack down on these series of camera crimes. Because I’m a victim of camera theft and have written extensively […] → Read More
Don't leave your gear in your car: More smash & grabs in San Francisco
I was in San Francisco this week to make an appearance on KRON4 TV, plugging PhotowalksTV (thank you Ken Maccarone!) and in-between, naturally, cruised all over the city photographing the magic. I didn’t get robbed of camera gear this time, but it did happen near me, in real-time, to two people, as I stood in Alamo Square, photographing […] → Read More
The importance of teaming up with other photographers in your photo walks
Amy Joseph, who has a small gallery in tiny Pismo Beach, California, agreed to go on a photoshoot with me of her amazingly photogenic coastal town and led the way. No, we weren’t going to photograph the Pier (everyone does that) and when I suggested doing the sunset from the top of the nearby hotel, she […] → Read More
How to clean up San Francisco from camera thefts
If you missed the explosive report by KGO-TV reporter Dan Noyes on the theft epidemic in San Francisco, I want to both share his stories, and offer some common-sense solutions to a problem that’s gotten way out of hand. You know that thieves in San Francisco (and elsewhere) are smashing the windows of cars to […] → Read More
Amazon, Google, SmugMug, Apple: what's the best home for your photos?
When last we met, I pointed out the perils of using Apple’s iCloud Photos for photo backup for one simple reason: if you delete an image off your iPhone, Apple will in turn also delete it from iCloud*. This time I’d like to go over the best alternative photo backup options for you in more detail, because […] → Read More
Don't use iCloud to backup your photos
My friend Bill just returned from a family vacation in Costa Rica and shot lots of photos and video on his iPhone, including some killer shots of breakfasts with local monkeys. No surprise that once he got home, he checked his iPhone storage and found that it was 98% full. Just a few more snaps, […] → Read More
How to tag your photos to easily find them in digital archives
We had a death in the family this week, as my brother-in-law Michael Stroud passed away, after a three-week hospital stint. There are many parts of the grieving process, of course, and one big one is revisiting memories, with photos and video. As the photographer and archivist in the family, I spent several days this week […] → Read More
San Francisco’s top 10 photo hits you don’t want to miss
San Francisco isn’t the most visited U.S. city. In fact it’s no. 5, after New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Orlando, attracting 3.3 million visitors yearly, per the World Atlas. But it happens to be the most photogenic, IMHO, with more photo eye candy per square mile than its competitors. Think about it—the New York […] → Read More
Where NOT to bring your camera in San Francisco
As you know, there has sadly been a raft of camera thefts in San Francisco of late, putting a spotlight on places you might want to think twice about hauling expensive camera gear with you the next time you visit. The news reports on the thefts usually aren’t very specific about the exact location of […] → Read More
Try this simple smartphone double exposure pano on your next photo walk
Once upon a time, I used to spend hours in the darkroom, making elaborate double exposures with negatives. Then, in the digital era, I started making them in Photoshop, which took so little time, and could be done in minutes. Now, anyone can do easily do it in seconds, with any smartphone. And it’s a […] → Read More
Can you do bird photography with an iPhone?
One of the most popular photo seminars in the world happens every December, when hundreds of photographers flock to the tiny town of Socorro, New Mexico to document the migration of some 20,000 birds en route to Mexico. Could I pull it off with just an iPhone? The serious shutterbugs bring along giant lenses of […] → Read More
Can you shoot underwater Photography with an iPhone?
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we tried to revive wet smartphones by sticking them in a bag of rice and hoping for the best. Now, most modern smartphones are “water-resistant.” If water gets into them, they won’t be destroyed, like in years past. Still, we’re not supposed to dunk them in the water. […] → Read More
13 iPhone camera settings photographers need to know
Common sense says you pick up the iPhone, open the camera app and just start shooting. That’ll work, but there happens to be so many settings and features hidden within these phones that stump way too many people, even some of us pros sometimes. Thus, I was inspired to jot them all down and explain […] → Read More
Where did iPhone's Live Photos go?
For years, Apple’s iPhone Live Photos has been my favorite smartphone camera trick. But now the tricks are seemingly gone! But it’s not. Apple just decided to put the tools in a new place. So let me bring you up to date so you won’t get lost trying to find it. Apple first announced Live Photos way back in […] → Read More
A simple tip to avoid reflections when shooting with your phone
We’ve all been there. We’re trying to get great food shots in a bakery, but the brownies and cookies are hidden behind reflective glass. Our shot is ruined! Or we’ve paid good money to go to an urban rooftop or another location for the best view in town, only we’re stuck behind glass. Foiled again! […] → Read More
GoPro HERO 9 vs HERO 10: Should you upgrade or not?
I use the GoPro Hero cameras all the time for my video productions, but not for action. I like the tiny Hero’s for moving car shots, street walking and just general situations where a little camera can be placed in out of the way places to pick up my shot. So when the Hero 10 […] → Read More
Seven reasons to shoot at the same location over and over again
How many times can you photograph the exact same thing, over and over again? I’ve asked myself that question too many times, in regards to a certain local monument, the historic, majestic pier that greets visitors to the small Los Angeles beach community I live in. Manhattan Beach, California is anchored by the historic, 101-year-old […] → Read More
I shot an entire Photowalk episode with iPhone 13's "Cinematic Mode," and I'm impressed
The reaction I’ve gotten from people watching my latest #shotonaniPhone Photowalks video episode has been across the board. “What camera did you use to shoot this? It looks amazing.” That was the first comment. My sentiment too. This is related to the one key new feature of the latest iPhone, which is “Cinematic Mode.” It […] → Read More