Photography Tutorials — Shut Your Aperture School
Photography Learning Hub
Shut Your Aperture /learn/ section is a library of photography tutorials organized into 14 core topics. Whether you’re learning camera fundamentals, Lightroom editing, or building a photography business, pick a topic below to get started.
Each section contains sub-topic hubs with 20 in-depth articles each. All guides are written by Edin Chavez, 15+ years as a professional photographer.
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Featured Photography Spots Across the USA GPS coordinates, gear recommendations, and golden-hour tips for the best photography locations across the United States.
Horseshoe Bend Photography Guide: Sunrise, Sunset, Wide Lens & Cliff Safety Page, AZ Old Faithful: Photography Guide Yellowstone, WY Grand Prismatic Spring: Photography Guide Yellowstone, WY Navy Pier: Photography Guide Chicago, IL Delicate Arch: Photography Guide Arches, UT Carlsbad Caverns Entrance: Photography Guide Carlsbad, NM Crater Lake: Photography Guide Crater Lake, OR Bow Bridge Central Park: Photography Guide New York, NY Mather Point: Photography Guide Grand Canyon, AZ Vernal Falls: Photography Guide Yosemite, CA Cloud Gate (The Bean): Photography Guide Chicago, IL Golden Gate Bridge: Photography Guide San Francisco, CA McWay Falls: Photography Guide Big Sur, CA South Beach: Photography Guide Miami, FL Tunnel View: Photography Guide Yosemite, CA Top of the Rock: Photography Guide New York, NY Schwabacher Landing: Photography Guide Grand Teton, WY Bryce Canyon Sunrise Point: Photography Guide Bryce Canyon, UT Photographing Bourbon Street at Night: Complete Guide New Orleans, LA Multnomah Falls: Photography Guide Columbia Gorge, OR Bixby Bridge: Photography Guide Big Sur, CA Photographing Vessel, Hudson Yards: Complete Guide New York, NY Wynwood Walls: Photography Guide Miami, FL Boston Skyline from Charlestown: Photography Guide Boston, MA Forsyth Park Fountain: Photography Guide Savannah, GA Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: Photography Guide Miami, FL Cannon Beach Photography Guide: Haystack Rock, Tides, Sunset & Wildlife Law Cannon Beach, OR Na Pali Coast: Photography Guide Kauai, HI Lombard Street: Photography Guide San Francisco, CA Cadillac Mountain Sunrise: Photography Guide Acadia, ME The Watchman: Photography Guide Zion, UT Maroon Bells Photography Guide: Sunrise Alpenglow, Shuttle System & Crater Lake Aspen, CO Clingmans Dome: Photography Guide Great Smoky Mountains, TN DUMBO / Manhattan Bridge: Photography Guide New York, NY Mesa Arch: Photography Guide Canyonlands, UT White Sands National Park: Photography Guide White Sands, NM Mormon Row: Photography Guide Grand Teton, WY Diamond Head: Photography Guide Honolulu, HI Griffith Observatory Photography Guide: Hollywood Sign, Skyline & Building Los Angeles, CA French Quarter Balconies: Photography Guide New Orleans, LA Brooklyn Bridge: Photography Guide New York, NY Photographing The Subway: Complete Guide Zion, UT Bonaventure Cemetery: Photography Guide Savannah, GA Photographing Lincoln Park Conservatory: Complete Guide Chicago, IL Glacier Point: Photography Guide Yosemite, CA Antelope Canyon: Photography Guide Page, AZ Painted Ladies: Photography Guide San Francisco, CA Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Photography Guide (Drained Through Mid-2026) Washington, DC Kerry Park Photography Guide: Seattle Skyline, Mount Rainier & Blue Hour Seattle, WA Bass Harbor Lighthouse: Photography Guide Acadia, ME
The Working Photographer's Kit
What to Pack
A focused landscape kit handles every shot at Photography Tutorials without breaking your back. Here is the working photographer's pack list — every link goes to B&H Photo Video (our primary supplier) or Amazon (for accessories and same-day delivery in the US).
What & Why B&H Amazon Wide-angle zoom (14-35mm range)
The single most important lens for sweeping vistas. Pair with a circular polarizer for skies and water.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon → Sturdy travel tripod
Carbon fiber, packs to 15 inches, holds steady in wind off the coast. Essential for blue-hour and long-exposure work.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon → Circular polarizer (77mm or 82mm)
Cuts haze, deepens sky, reveals texture in water. Non-negotiable for landscape work.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon → 10-stop ND filter
For 30-second exposures that turn moving water and clouds into silk.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon → Extra batteries (3 minimum)
Cold weather and long exposures eat batteries. Carry triple what you think you need.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon → Fast SD/CFexpress cards
V90 or CFexpress depending on your body. Two cards minimum so a failure mid-trip is recoverable.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon → Microfiber lens cloths
Salt spray, mist, and dust will ruin every shot if you don't carry a cloth.
Shop B&H → Shop Amazon →
B&H and Amazon links are affiliate links. We earn a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we use or would buy ourselves.