For aspiring commercial photographers, understanding the key factors that contribute to a thriving career is crucial. While technical skills and artistic talent are undoubtedly important, there are other essential elements that can make or break a photographer's success in the competitive world of professional photography.

Committing to long-term photography projects can be a deeply rewarding experience. While the immediacy of sharing photos on social media can be exciting, investing time and effort into a project that spans weeks, months, or even years allows for a more meaningful connection with the subject matter and personal growth as an artist.

When manufacturers give specifications of lenses, there is a lot of detail that is meaningless to many consumers of their products. When we writers review them, we tend to give the same information. Here’s a method I think would be much more helpful to most photographers.

Deadpan photography is a unique and thought-provoking style that challenges conventional notions of what makes a compelling image. By stripping away emotion and focusing on simple, straightforward compositions, deadpan photography encourages viewers to see the world in a new light.

Tempest Photography, a renowned provider of school portraits across the UK, finds itself embroiled in controversy following allegations of excluding children with additional support needs (ASN) and those in wheelchairs from class group photos.

The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2023, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

If you've followed my writing, you'll know that I rarely pick up my camera if I don't have a contract attached to the action. Call it the joys and perils of being a commercial photographer. You get paid to do what you love, yet your love morphs into a duty and can lose its allure. This is why I surprised myself on my recent work trip to California.

As photographers, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that the latest and greatest gear will instantly improve our skills and creativity. However, this mindset can often hold us back from truly growing as artists and honing our craft.

With the incredible advancements in smartphone camera technology, it's no surprise that more and more photographers are turning to their iPhones for both personal and professional photography. Learning how to maximize the capabilities of your iPhone camera can open up a world of creative possibilities and allow you to capture stunning images wherever you go

Many dream of having one, yet most can’t ever afford one. What makes the Hasselblad X2D 100C so special? Should you even think about getting one? Who is it for, anyway? There are quite a few questions I had when I was getting this camera, and in the few weeks of using it, I got some answers.

The photography world was stunned on March 29 as we heard the news that Alyn Wallace, a popular and incredible astrophotographer, has sadly passed away. In this article, I want to pay tribute to Alyn.

We live in a time where over a trillion photos are taken yearly, the photography landscape has never been more competitive. For us photographers, this means that simply capturing quality images isn't enough; effective marketing in today’s rapidly evolving digital age is the only real key to success.

Preparing for a shoot is more than just setting up lights and cameras; it involves a detailed workflow that ensures data integrity and efficiency throughout the process. Understanding and implementing a streamlined workflow is crucial for safeguarding your work and maintaining productivity, especially when handling high-volume or high-stakes shoots.

Lightroom is a more powerful tool than ever, and you can easily edit an entire portrait in the program. This helpful video tutorial will show you how.

Zhiyun is a brand name that is most known for its gimbals, which offer solid build, useful features and reliability, so it’s good news now that they have ventured into the world of studio lighting!

WPPI is one of the biggest photography conferences in the world. But after COVID, the show struggled to make a comeback. Thankfully, WPPI is now as good as it ever was, and getting better each year.

Many of us don’t consider the harm we do with our photos. Our actions might be innocent, but there's a dark side to most genres that we don't ever consider.

Crafting the perfect landscape photograph involves much more than just pointing a camera at a scenic view. This fantastic video shares the process and will help you find and create better images.

A photographer's encounter with a tragedy can be transformative, both personally and professionally. Justin Mott's coverage of a deadly stampede in Cambodia for The New York Times offers a deep dive into the complexities and emotional weight carried by photojournalists on assignment.

Being an artist means more than just creating the perfect image.

Understanding how to manage and reduce noise is a critical aspect of editing for any photographer who shoots at high ISOs. This helpful video tutorial will show you what noise is and how to manage it in your images.

The evolution of a photographer's skill set and perspective over time can drastically change the way they view their craft, especially in the realm of landscape photography. This video documents one such examination and some common mistakes that emerged.

Choosing the right camera can be a daunting task for photographers and videographers alike, whether they are just starting out or looking to upgrade their gear. Nonetheless, it's a pivotal decision and one that takes a lot of thought. This helpful video will make the decision easier.

Waking up early for sunrise photography sessions can transform a photographer's portfolio, offering unique lighting conditions and serene landscapes devoid of crowds. This practice is not just about capturing the golden hour but also about embracing the discipline required to seize these moments, for which you'll often be greatly awarded.

Choosing the right gear in photography extends beyond mere preference; it gets into the strategic selection of tools that profoundly affect the quality and focus of a photographer's work, as well as their bank account.

Access to key photographic locations is increasingly becoming a concern among photographers worldwide. As iconic landscapes attract more visitors each year, issues surrounding access, preservation, and management arise. This article delves into the factors contributing to the potential loss of access to these sites and explores perspectives from both landowners and photographers.

Understanding the fundamentals of flash photography is crucial for photographers aiming to elevate their portraits. This fantastic video tutorial shares five tips sure to help you improve.

Mastering Lightroom's masking tools can significantly elevate a photographer's post-processing workflow, allowing for precise adjustments that bring creative visions to life without much work. This helpful video tutorial will put you on the right path.

The NAB Show is back and is set for April 13-17 in Las Vegas. This year, learn about the creator economy, innovation in media, engage in workshops, and network with industry leaders.

Here's something that should excite Adobe Lightroom users. It's a plug-in that will index your online or offline photo or video assets and bring them up in Lightroom instantly. It's a Mac app from CYME, the company that has a similar app called Peakto that's currently offered for Mac users. The difference is that Peakto searches those assets and they can be opened in any editor, including Lightroom, Capture One, DxO, Luminar, and others. Peakto Search is aimed at Lightroom users and appears as a menu bar item on your Mac.

100-400mm lenses are some of the most versatile out there, offering a ton of reach suitable for everything from birds to landscapes, making them desirable for many photographer's kits. Nonetheless, such lenses can be pricey, which is what makes the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary an intriguing option. The excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from the lens in the real world.

The new Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN | Art is here, and it promises extreme performance and remarkable image quality at all apertures, all for a very reasonable price. How does it perform in the real world? This excellent video review takes a look.

For Nikon shooters looking to lighten their load without sacrificing reach, Nikon has just announced the release of the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR full frame superzoom.

Each month this year, Fstoppers is running a genre specific Critique the Community contest with some amazing prizes. The theme for March is "Weddings," and we are giving away $3,000 in prizes to 3 lucky winners. Oh, and one of the most successful wedding photographers I know, Pye Jirsa, will be guest judging the images. Here are the details!

The Godox X3 is a premium flash trigger, with a crystal clear OLED touchscreen and minimalist design. But does this trigger have the brains to match the beauty? In this review, I'll test the X3 versus Godox's previous flagship trigger and help you figure out which option is best for your flash kit.

Photographing a seascape with crashing waves along the shore and the movement of the water can be a challenge for a landscape photographer. This video provides several tips on capturing dramatic images from the seashore with an ultrawide lens.

Photography is an art form that allows us to document life’s journey and encapsulate moments that hold profound significance. This fantastic video details one photographer's transformation from a corporate professional to a passionate artist, giving a compelling narrative about pursuing happiness and finding solace in photography.

Adobe has unveiled a new feature inside its Adobe Firefly portal that gives users more control over the final look of images and art created using Generative AI. The feature is called Structure Reference and offers users control over an aspect of their output that has been unavailable previously.

Capturing the essence of everyday moments has become a transformative trend, particularly resonating with photographers who seek to find and showcase beauty in the mundane. This trend, which emphasizes the art of noticing the subtle yet profound beauty in our surroundings, offers a fresh perspective.

Sigma promises the potential for truly extraordinary imagery with the new 50mm f/1.2 DG DN | Art lens, the latest addition that pairs unmatched brightness with precision craftsmanship. Here's a look at the remarkable new lens.

Unlock the full potential of your photography journey with specialized lenses designed to elevate your creativity and skills. From capturing the minute details of a dewdrop to bending the rules of perspective, this guide introduces you to the world beyond standard lenses.

The importance of the positioning of the key light in portrait photography cannot be overstated, with its placement being crucial to defining the subject's features and the overall mood of the photograph. For portrait photographers, mastering key light placement is foundational, affecting everything from the sharpness of shadows to the subtleties of facial contours.

Achieving the right balance and evenness in skin texture is a nuanced skill that significantly enhances the depth and realism of portraits. This challenge, common for portrait photographers, requires a delicate approach to preserve skin texture while ensuring it looks natural and evenly lit. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to achieve that balance in Photoshop.

Supertelephoto lenses offer a ton of versatility, but you often have to pay top dollar for those capabilities. However, Canon's RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM lens bucks that trend by offering all the versatility in focal lengths for under $2,000. This helpful video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Mastering the intricacies of medium format photography can significantly elevate the quality and impact of one’s work. This great video takes a look at the Fujifilm GFX 100 II, a 100-megapixel medium format digital camera, equipped with an ultra-sharp tilt-shift lens, showcasing not just the technical prowess of this setup but also its artistic potential.

Navigating the evolving landscape of professional photography is becoming increasingly complex, with significant shifts in industry practices, client expectations, and revenue models. Understanding these changes is crucial for photographers who wish to stay relevant and competitive in a rapidly transforming market.

Christopher Sturm, a talented photographer known for his captivating work and vibrant presence in the creative community, has shared a deeply personal and urgent message. Christopher has been diagnosed with cancer, an unexpected battle that has swiftly altered the trajectory of his life and work, and he is asking for our help in the form of donations for his treatment. Please consider donating.

As a photojournalism professor, one of the questions I get asked most by beginning photographers is, "What camera should I buy?" As if there's a single, definitive answer to that. The answer I always give is: What do you want to do? There's a camera out there for everyone, and here's a guide for what to look for when you're starting out.

Understanding the nuances between different focal lengths is pivotal for photographers, especially when it comes to portrait photography. The choice between a 50mm and an 85mm lens can significantly impact the aesthetic and feel of a photograph, making it a critical decision in a photographer's creative process. This helpful video tutorial will help newcomers to portrait work pick the right lens.