This interactive community aims to help fellow photographers create more beautiful images by giving them direct access to some of the best photographers in the business.

The best part, joining is free! Once you become a member, you will have access to photography lessons, engage in meaningful conversations with image creators, and win prizes along the way.

Also, you will have the chance to showcase your own work and receive feedback, praise, or both from other photographers. You might even make it into our top 5 photos of the week!

Get started on your journey to becoming a better photographer by 

Introducing: ACDSee Connect!

When you travel you want your bag to be as light as possible. For a photographer, traveling light can be a daunting task, particularly when deciding what camera accessories are necessary for your trip. For our 

 these are the 3 accessories we recommend bringing with you if you are the lucky winner, or if you are planning a trip and are unsure what camera accessories you should bring.

One of the most convenient things every photographer should have is a camera backpack. You can store the body of your camera, extra lenses, a travel tripod, extra batteries, memory cards, and more. Camera backpacks have a lot of padding compared to a regular backpack, so if you’re going hiking with it, or you’re just concerned about protecting your gear, it is the way to go! They also have dividers so you can safely and conveniently store your gear.

If you’re looking for a backpack to hike with, a day pack, or something else, there are an assortment of options to choose from. Some good quality camera backpacks include the 

 backpack. If these don’t catch your eye, you can check out 

 reviews to find the perfect camera backpack for you! They have an extensive list of camera backpacks that they review and rate for qualities such as capacity, look, ease of use, and more!

It is always a good idea to travel with a tripod. You don’t need to bring a full-sized tripod with you as there are some made specifically for traveling. Having a tripod can help make it possible to capture landscapes, group photos, night shots, long exposure shots, etc.

There are a few excellent tripods we recommend you consider purchasing for traveling. The 

 is a small lightweight tripod that you can wrap around and mold into different formations to achieve the best photo. Another one is the 

 travel tripod. MeFOTO is a company that is focused on travel tripods, so you know that they are going to produce an amazing product that you can get in an abundance of colors! A third tripod we recommend is the 

. The benefits of this tripod are that it is compact (folds to 12 inches) and includes a 

 where you can hang weight to make the tripod sturdier.

A tripod can help you get the best image while traveling. You don’t want to be somewhere and say, “I should have brought my tripod” because when you’re traveling, you never know when you’ll be back.

To view more top-rated tripods, check out 

 reviews on some of the best ones they’ve found.

Having a lens cap is necessary so you don’t scratch or break your camera lens. But it is SO easy to lose them. You’re taking it on and off your camera, it’s small and is easy to misplace. So, if you think this will happen to you, there are two options you can choose from. You can either get a universal lens cap or get a strap for your lens cap.

A universal lens cap is a great item to have while traveling. They are lightweight and, like it states, it’s universal so it will be able to fit most lens types and models. 

 offers a universal lens cap that is perfect for traveling. It is made from a durable rubber material, which gives it many benefits. As KURVD states on their website, it can fit an array of different lenses, from standard to wide angle (60mm- 150 mm). It is compact and lightweight. Since it is rubber, it can fold and fit into almost any compartment when it’s not on your camera. They also claim to be element–proof, which is beneficial if you are traveling to a rainy climate or somewhere warm and sandy, like the beach. When researching universal camera lenses, KUVRD seems to be the most popular brand to purchase. But there are also other choices that you can find on 

. Also, if you lose this lens cap it is not a big deal, as it is not for a specific lens and you can easily order a new one.

A second option to keep your lens cap safe is a lens cap strap. It is exactly what it sounds like. It is a strap you can attach onto the body of your camera to your lens cap. With this, you’ll never have to worry about misplacing your lens cap. They are cheap and easy to use. Most of them have an elastic string you can attach to the body of your camera, and then a sticker you can stick to your lens. Personally, I have had one on my camera for years and it is very durable and affordable. These products are so similar to one another that we do not have a specific brand that we recommend. Just make sure that you get one with a good adhesive sticker and a quality looking elastic. These are great for while you’re traveling, as you won’t be concerned with losing your cap.

We hope that our recommendations have helped you narrow down the essential camera accessories for your trip. Do you have any good accessory recommendations that we did not mention? Let us know in the comments!

3 Accessories Every Photographer Should Bring While Traveling

Father’s Day is coming up quickly. Are you feeling unsure about what to get the dad in your life? Look no further because we have you covered. If your dad, grandpa, uncle, or husband has an interest in photography, then this is the gift guide for you!

 is the perfect gift for the dad who always has a camera in his hand or is passionate about taking photos but doesn’t have the time for complicated editing systems and techniques.

Ultimate 2021 is easy to use and very user-friendly. With Ultimate's advanced DAM (Digital Asset Management) abilities, your dad can organize all his photos, from family portraits to shots of the boys' camping trip. Ultimate also offers Develop mode which offers a RAW editor for advanced non-destructive editing, meaning your dad can make as many changes as he likes without permanently altering the photo. Ultimate also offers an exciting Layers Editor for creative compositions and new editing features such as color wheels and tone wheels. Once you purchase Ultimate 2021, you will instantly receive your download code -- no waiting for shipping and delivery!

Has your dad been interested in taking family videos? Luxea Video Editor 6 is our latest video editing software, perfect for all levels of video editors. Your dad can turn his home movies into masterpieces. (Don't blame us if he invites you to a screening party of the latest home video.) Luxea 6 offers many notable features and improvements such as timeline markers, color LUT opacity, targeted screen recording, and so much more. Luxea also has cool content packs that you can add on to give your videos some pizazz. Luxea 6 is free forever with only a short intro and outro branding tag. Want to get rid of the intro/outro tag? We offer many different purchasing options that you can see 

. Once your purchase is complete, you will instantly receive your download code -- no waiting for shipping and delivery!

Does your dad have an interest in photography but could use a bit of guidance to grow his skills? Get him one of 

 Alec Watson is our go to Director of Photography and owner of 

 takes you through 6 different lighting scenarios to give you the technical knowledge and an array of experiences that you can draw from to vastly improve your portrait photography. The second course Alec offers is 

WAMSI: DSLR Photography Workflow Simplified

. WAMSI is a photography workflow that takes the complexity out of DSLR camera photography. Having a simplified workflow increases confidence, allowing you to be in your creative space immediately. Once you purchase either of Alec’s courses you have instant access!

A new camera lens is a great gift but if you are going to go with this gift option, you need to know what your dad already has, what he wants, and what kind of lens he would get the most use out of. Is he wanting to try a new technique? Move into the world of wildlife photography? What kind of lens would he most likely benefit from? Every time he grabs his new camera lens, he will think, “I’m so glad I got this for Father’s Day!” 

 magazine covers a great explanation of 

Tripods can be overlooked as gifts or proper photography gear because they can be heavy and awkward to carry. However, tripods can help the photographer create stunning photos. In some cases, tripods are a necessity when shooting. If your dad does not have a tripod, this is a great gift option! Need a little more convincing on the necessity of a tripod? Check out our previous blog, 

Not sure which kind of tripod would be best for your dad? Check out another previous blog, 

We hope that our list will help your dad, brother, uncle, grandpa, or husband have the best Father’s Day ever!

5 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Dad!

In just four steps, transform your underwhelming photos into stunning, Black & White Masterpieces with ACDSee.

Transform Any Photo into a Dramatic Black & White Masterpiece

WAMSI - Photography Workflow Classes with Alec Watson: 

How many AMAZING shots have you missed because of wrong settings? WAMSI – is a photography workflow course taught by Alec Watson that takes the complexity out of DSLR Camera Photography. With WAMSI you will take perfect images – quickly – from shot one. 

ACDSee and Alec Watson Present: WAMSI

Companies use a subscription business model to ensure revenue for salaries and research and development, or to avoid layoffs when the most recent version of their product doesn’t perform as well as the previous year. The problem is that most consumers don’t want a company’s hand in their pocket every month.

At ACD Systems, we’ve considered going completely subscription, but after hearing from our customers, we determined that model isn’t what they want. Instead of forcing our loyal customers—some of over 20 years—into an uncomfortable situation, we listened, and now offer perpetual and subscription payment options.

Meanwhile, Adobe has announced that the new Lightroom CC will only be available as a subscription. This has shocked, confused, and upset many of their longtime users, causing some to question their loyalty. For the occasional user, they only see an unwelcome expense, a trap, a loss of control, and that Adobe is heading in a worrisome direction. They are concerned that, with a monthly plan, Adobe will lack the incentive to provide consistent, meaningful software improvements.

There is also an underlying distrust of Lightroom CC’s new service in which the user can access their photos in the cloud and pull them down when they need to edit them. The idea of depending on Adobe’s cloud is fraught with unknowns, which users perceive to threaten the stability and longevity of their collections. And after investing potentially hundreds of hours cataloging and keywording images, the idea of no longer “owning” access to their database leaves them feeling uneasy.

“With a subscription model, . . . you end up paying for support for ever more cameras you don’t have and features you don’t necessarily want, in the knowledge that you’ll lose most of the software’s capability if, for whatever reason, you don’t choose to continue your subscription. The idea that your existing work becomes less controllable, less dynamic, is uncomfortable.

The idea of losing the ability to edit my existing files, even though my needs haven’t changed is obnoxious enough that I don’t want to further commit myself and my images to a Lightroom database.

All purchases are ultimately a balance between what the customer wants, and the company is willing to give them, for the money. With this latest move, it feels to me like that balance has been lost: the move favors Adobe much more than it benefits me.”

—Butler, Richard, ‘RIP Lightroom 6: Death by subscription model’, 