Fstoppers Original Articles

What do you think of when you hear the term "composite"? Lots of hours with the Pen tool cutting out elements or fiddling around with the Refine Edge tool?

A common piece of advice for photography beginners is to use your phone to take images, as it's a powerful camera in the right hands. I used to give this advice too, but after a lot of thought, I realized I was wrong.

Following up from last’s week’s article about Capture One, today, we’ll take a look at its main rival in the raw processing field, Lightroom. To keep things on a relatively level playing field, I’ll be discussing what is now called “Lightroom Classic,” the desktop version of Lightroom.

Whenever an aspiring photographer asks me for the secret to beginning their career, I always respond with the same answer: Step one is to remember that photography is a marathon and not a sprint.

It’s time to drop these bad habits and clean up your photography act in 2020. Head into the next decade like a warrior.

Every year, we all take steps to grow as photographers, but maybe it's time we start growing as a community. Here are some things we can all stop doing in the new year to grow positively together.

In 2019, I switched mounts, tried out some new gear, and built a new editing setup. Looking back at the year, there are some pieces of equipment I’d buy again in a heartbeat, while others weren’t even worth the cost of return shipping.

A lot of people think TikTok is juvenile, or have not even heard of it. Yet, after 1 billion downloads and upwards of 500 million monthly users, the app is on the map.

Seagate released the 5TB version of the Backup Plus Portable series. Available for $100, this hard drive represents a great value for backup and cold storage application. However, the SMR technology comes with one disadvantage.

With the year coming to an end, it’s a great time to take inventory and see what you did right and what needs improvement. This also translates to your gear. What was used the most and what should be thrown up for sale? This is a list of my most used gear for 2019.

Want to start the new year with a free tutorial from Fstoppers? All you have to do is help us choose our Photographer of the Year!

I've been replacing skies manually in Photoshop for over 15 years now. It's time-consuming and tedious, but I assumed it was the only way. But now, Luminar 4 claims to be able to swap skies with a single click, and it's quite impressive.

VR180 is a relatively new format used for the interactive and immersive content. Unlike the traditional 360-degree capturing, it only allows you to capture a limited 180-degree field of view, and according to the Google, it will be the new trend for content creators.

The discount in the retail industry is a very common, if not vital, technique applied by all businesses, big and small. But is the discount applicable and economically sound in the world of photography and filmmaking?

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 2019, 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.

I'm not joking. Anyone who comments on this article will get a follow up message in December 2020 to see how you got on. Why? Because both committing a goal to paper and telling someone your goal both increase the chances you'll meet it.

I’ve owned a lot of bags over my photography and video production career, and as someone who travels a lot carrying a backpack when walking or biking, I’d like to point out a few things backpack designers and manufacturers should consider.

The concept of working for “credit” is not a new one, nor is it unique to photography. Yet, it is one of the few industries that everyone thinks should work for free.

Whether you are planning your trip to the desert from across a couple state lines or from across the world, here are a few things to take into account before actually spending any money on your travel plans.

There have been plenty of occasions where someone has asked me which camera they should buy up to a certain price point. My first question almost always is to ask them what smartphone they currently have. The reason for this is because smartphone cameras have come such a long way that they’re now viable tools for photography and video.

I’ve always known about Google’s Night Sight mode on Pixel phones as a method to take pictures in near darkness, but it seemed somewhat overkill in daylight. As it turns out, it can actually push your pictures to DSLR-like levels of detail and sharpness if you use it right.

Scottsdale, Arizona-based headshot photographer Tony Taafe went from selling $60,000 in his first year of business to $250,000 in his third, and he wants to help other photographers do the same thing.

It's Christmas week and the 12 weeks of Christmas reaches its last installment. There had to be a number 1 and what better choice than the most iconic photo of all time?

Since this is Santa’s week of choice, I thought it might be a good time to put out a wishlist of my own.

Ever felt a little overwhelmed at the prospect of creating a great image? Ever wonder why it seems to happen so rarely? Creating a great photograph that resonates with your audience is really complicated. But in this three-part series, we’re going to try to bring a little bit of order to that chaos!

Christmas is over and after slowly digesting their family dinners, thousands of enthusiasts are eager to learn how to efficiently use their freshly acquired devices. If you just got hold of a camera, you might ask yourself, where to start your journey.

While you can use almost any lens to make an environmental portrait, there are a combination of features that make the 35mm a great choice for this style of portraiture.

Earlier this year, Adobe ditched the option to buy Lightroom for a one-off fee, forcing customers to take out annual subscriptions with monthly payments, and annoying a few people along the way. However, this subscription model does present a few opportunities to save money. Check out this simple trick.

If you're starting out in the photography industry, getting to grips with all the different aspects that make a good image can be quite challenging. For professionals, camera settings and lighting methods may seem obvious but if you're a beginner that may not be the case. Attending a workshop might just be the best thing to do when starting out.

Photographers understand the potential of imagery to change people’s lives, but sometimes this can work in very subtle ways. The most inspiring images can come from discovering a niche and, in the words of one photographer, creating what you want to see in the world. What happens when your own passion combines with something that deserves greater visibility?

If you've been having trouble keeping your photos in an organized yet future-proof way, then check out my thoughts on the issue here.

If you're ready to check out a few more fantasy portrait photographers, then you're in the right place. This time around, the goal is to find and highlight a few folks that you're probably not already following but are definitely worth a look.

Choosing the software to suit your specific needs is not an easy decision for most. A quick search of internet forums will introduce you to zealots from all sides who will tear down anyone who doesn’t use their chosen software. It’s unhelpful at best. As someone who has played for both sides over the past few years, I’ve had a good look into both Capture One and Lightroom. Today, we’re going to look at five reasons why Capture One is simply better than Lightroom. Next week, we’ll do the opposite.

Did your dreams come true this holiday season? Are you holding a shiny new camera, eager to mount a lens and run out to start shooting? Before you do that, be sure to read this list of 10 things you should do to make sure you maximize your experience with your new camera.

Mario Olvera is a photographer, digital artist, and friend from Mexico. He creates surreal conceptual composite images and commercial works.

It's Christmas, you finally got that camera you wanted, and you are ready to dive into the world of photography. How do you get the best pictures possible immediately, though?

No, this is not yet another article about the rule of thirds. Rather, it's about a simple composition technique I've used consistently over the years to maximize the impact of my images. Best of all, it's easy to duplicate.

Life is comprised of a magical interweaving of yin and yang, that infinite dance of opposites that complement one another. Twos, couplets, opposites, pairs — call them what you will, but we see this play out in photography again and again, so discover five of the best.

The tone curve in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is a powerful tool. Subtle changes to the tone curve can make a big difference in the look and feel of your image. Here are a few tips and tricks that will make your tone curve adjustments easier and more precise.

Sometimes, we love our images a little too much. Overconfidence can hinder you becoming a better photographer. Where does this confidence come from? What do we do about it?

Following on from the success of its f/2.8 standard and wide-angle zoom lenses for Sony, Tamron is in the process of launching a selection of primes. I’ve been using the 35m f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 for the last couple of weeks, and it’s proven fun and surprising.

One thing to remember when creating composites is that a couple of extra little details can make a huge difference.

Last week, Adobe reported that the fourth quarter of 2019 was the most lucrative in the company’s history, delivering annual revenues of $11 billion. Given that it’s rare to hear a good word said about Adobe in the world of photography and videography, why is the company still so incredibly successful?

The easiest answer to "why do photography?" would be "money." But, if that's not the case, have you ever taken the time to ask yourself if photography is the right thing for you, what you get out of it, and what your reason is for doing it in the first place?

One task all photographers should take from the professional office environment is quarterly reviews. How do you know where you've gone if you haven't looked back? How do you keep track of progress without setting goals for yourself? Self-evaluations are an important part of the growth process.

World-renowned photographer and storyteller Corey Rich has led a life filled with unforgettable memories. From watching and recording history take place while hanging on the side of Yosemite’s El Capitan, to sleeping in a snow cave with climbing’s most accomplished athletes, there is not much he hasn’t seen or done.

Imagine you’re somewhere deep in the Pacific Rain Forest to take pictures of the elusive spirit bear. It’s wet, and it’s cold. On top of that, the light is patchy, the shadows are dark. There’s a bit of movement down river. You lift your camera to your eye to capture the moment. In your imagination, what were you holding? A DSLR and a long lens? In actual fact, for some photographers, more and more often, it’s a mirrorless kit.

Let’s face it. Film photography is having a bit of a moment, and the growth in popularity is exponential. The question is: is it a fad or is it going to be around for a while?

The holidays bring a lot of traveling, something that can be quite a pain for photographers carrying lots of fragile equipment. In this article, I discuss 10 helpful tips to ensure that you and your photography gear arrive to your destination both safely and headache-free.

Ever find yourself needing the inspiration to create an image, but you just can muster up any from anywhere?