Our sixth Christmas guest writer, commercial photographer Keith Cooper from Northlight Images, shares his top tips for becoming a professional photographer.

So you want to be a Pro Photographer?

Many people wonder about their futures and whether it’s a good time to become a professional commercial photographer?

I often get asked about what it takes - so here are some of my answers. Remember I’m a commercial photographer (so no weddings or portrait work) - If you want to be a wedding photographer then ask one of them :-)

Our fifth Christmas guest writer, long-time professional photographer Philip Dunn from PhotoActive, shares his top tips for taking great photos of mixed light.

Ever wondered how to create those wonderful atmospheric exterior photographs where golden light from a house window streams into the cold, blue light of the street? You must have seen them – National Geographic photographers use this technique all the time when taking pictures of villages or towns. Advertising photographers use it when photographing hotels and guest houses. It’s a really old trick to make the place look cosy and inviting – the front door is often left open so that yellow light spills out onto the doorstep.

Our fourth Christmas guest writer, one of Britain’s most accomplished large format photographers, David Ward from Light & Land, shares his top tips for taking great photos of winter landscapes.

Many people dream of the long, languorous days of summer, with its gentle, warm zephyrs. But, as a landscape photographer I dream of the short days of winter, preferably with snow and ice. Despite what you may think this isn’t simply a case of me being contrary. No, honestly, it isn’t! For me there are many compelling reasons why landscape photography is a more worthwhile experience in winter.

Our second Christmas guest writer, world famous photo-blogger David J. Nightingale from Chromasia, shares his top tips for creating great high dynamic range (HDR) photos.

Our first Christmas guest writer, world class photographer Annabel Williams, shares her top tips for taking great photos of children.

People always say, ‘Never work with children or animals’ – where’s the challenge in that!

Capturing stunning images of children is one of the most rewarding parts of my job – and while they aren’t always perfectly behaved, there are many ways in which you can put them at ease and within a great environment in order to shoot the best images possible!

Parents and Grandparents always want beautiful shots of their little ones – and today there are so many different ways to present these – framed prints, albums, on canvass, photobooks and even digital photo frames.

In anticipation of the Bonfire Night celebrations in the UK this weekend, I’ve trawled the web for the 10 best tips and tutorials on photographing fireworks. You still have a day or so to read through all this great free advice before you head out, so have a read and learn how to take great fireworks photos. Even if you don’t live in the UK, these great tips should come in handy on more than one occasion this year. And after this weekend, when you’ve taken lots of award-winning photos of fireworks displays, make sure to share them in our Gallery.