Nobody wants to fail at photography, do they? Success and failure are both achievable, although the latter is easier. This is how to set about failing and, therefore, succeeding.

Though the words only differ by a single letter, the difference between making and taking an image could not be more immense. One is a passive approach meant to capture what occurs in front of the camera should something interesting cross its view, while the other is an active engagement in the creative process that draws on the technique, imagination, and foresight of the photographer. This great video takes you behind the scenes of a stunning wildlife image to show you the difference and why it matters.

Have you used this little-known tool in recent versions of Photoshop? Have you even seen it? It makes editing images so much easier. See it in use here.

A creative and well-executed edit can take a modest snapshot and turn it into an eye-catching image. Lightroom's new masking features contain some impressively powerful tools that allow you to quickly and accurately select and edit different parts of your image, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to take advantage of them to create a moody, dark-toned edit that helps your subject pop out from that atmosphere.

DxO PhotoLab is well regarded as one of the finest raw editors available for pro and semi-pro photographers. Although certainly not as well known as the Adobe products like Photoshop and Lightroom, it offers very powerful tools that have gotten a lot of attention.

The Canon EOS R50 is here, and it brings with it a lot of Canon's advanced mirrorless camera features at a very affordable price. This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.

The Canon EOS R8 is here. Here is what you can expect.

On January 17, 2023, the Oversight Board issued a decision advising Meta to revise its policies on freeing the nipple. Here's what that decision actually says.

Though it fell out of use for a while, the Fresnel lens has regained popularity for portraiture work, where it can provide a sharp and impactful light quality that is still flattering on the subject's facial features. If you have not used a Fresnel before and want to learn how to employ one to create compelling portraits, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know.

I have quickly become a big fan of the Sigma Contemporary lenses for Fujifilm X Mount. A few months back, I reviewed the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, a lens that delivers superb image quality and performance in an extremely small and well-constructed package. More recently, I had a chance to test the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 and 30mm f/1.4 on the Fujifilm X-T5, and I was once again impressed by the results.

Lightroom is one of the most popular photo-editing programs. We talk a lot about the library module and the develop module. The other available modules are almost never mentioned. What are these modules? But more important, are these useful?

Samsung's latest update to its flagship phone is here, and the Galaxy S23 Ulta brings with it a range of improvements and new features, including new camera modules led by a 200-megapixel wide angle camera. This great video review takes a look at the cameras on the new phone and everything you can expect from them in usage.

A couple of weeks ago, I published a piece on the Jack of All Trades Photographer, which covered the plight of the gigging photographer just starting out, doing what he or she can to build portfolio content and generally begin to make a living from it. Imagine my surprise when just a few days later, the topic was covered by straight-talking, commercial super talent and formerly of this parish, Scott Choucino!

It's devilishly simple, but this marketing tip by a renowned wedding photographer absolutely exploded his numbers. I think it's applicable to many types of photography, so to learn what it is and how you can implement it, take a look.

Film is enjoying a resurgence right now, and yet, in an age of ever-burgeoning megapixel counts and clinically sharp lenses, it can seem a bit strange to some to purchase an old film camera whose technical image quality could not dream of competing with modern equipment. And yet, that is exactly what you should do, as one photographer argues in this interesting video essay.

Sigma's Art line of lenses have long been popular for offering superlative image quality at prices that are often significantly more affordable than first-party options. Today, the series welcomes its newest member, the 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art.

Professional photographers rejoice. Today, Nikon has finally announced the release of two new lenses, including the highly anticipated NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S and the pint-sized Z 26mm f/2.8.

Learning how to create good headshots is no easy task. With so much advice on the internet available, it can be hard finding a good place to learn professional headshot photography. This is why we here at Fstoppers created this comprehensive article that answers some of the most frequently asked questions.

When you use a wide angle lens, you can fit so many things in the frame, it can be difficult knowing what you should include and what you shouldn't. Here, we take a look at one simple composition technique you can use to enhance your wide angle photography skills.

There are a lot of common rules about portrait photography, but rules are meant to be broken, and one photographer shares how he does that in a meaningful way after shooting more than 100,000 portraits.

Constant lighting has dropped dramatically in price, with companies like SmallRig making excellent products — along with accessories — that are refreshingly accessible. How good is the SmallRig RC120B, a bicolor packing a decent amount of power and coming in at just $259?

In the past couple of years, Viltrox has established themselves as a manufacturer capable of creating lenses at some of the most competitive prices on the market that often outperform their affordable costs. One of their newest offerings, the AF 75mm f/1.2 XF, offers Fujifilm X series users the enticing combination of an ultra-wide aperture, a portrait focal length, and an affordable price. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Manual mode can be a bit intimidating to a lot of new photographers, but learning how and when to use it will make you a better shooter and give you far more creative control over your images. This helpful video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of manual mode and how to use it to create technically correct and creatively inspired photos.

Starting a photography studio can be an exciting and fulfilling endeavor, but it can also be challenging to make it profitable. Here are a few tips to help you create a successful and profitable photography studio.

Artificial intelligence is coming for photographers, just not in the way you're thinking.

If you’re relying solely on cloud-based storage alone such as Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, etc., stop! This is a disaster if you’re a professional or a semi-pro photographer. Allow me to explain why.

While many professionals employ the use of complex setups consisting of multiple lights, even just a single source can create vivid and compelling images when in the right hands. This excellent video tutorial will take you behind the scenes to show you how a photographer shot a striking series of full-body portraits using just one light.

Phone photography has reached the point where it's good enough for online consumption, but can those photos keep up their appearance printed large?

Reading is what? FUN-damental! Ok, my bad dad joke aside, books are a great way to gain a deeper perspective on a topic from those making great strides within a field.

The Canon EOS R6 was one of the most well-balanced cameras of the past few years, offering a range of the advanced features found on the EOS R5 without the more extreme specs that most photographers do not need, making it a practical and well-priced option for a huge range of users. The EOS R6 Mark II follows up on the original with a range of improvements and new features, and this great video review takes a look at how it holds up for wedding and travel photography.

In the world of cinema camera technology, RED has established itself as a major player. Starting off as the underdog, they have pushed industry stalwarts to innovate or die. However, a recent revelation has sparked concern among competitors and consumers alike. RED is preventing other camera manufacturers like Sony, Nikon, and DJI from innovating by enforcing its broad patent for on-camera compressed raw video.

This is the video I've been waiting for! SEO is the bane of my life. If I'm being honest, I don't really understand it. Being 48 and a photographer for almost 16 years, I have a good knowledge of my job-related skills and what it means to be able to capture a great photograph. However, I, as I suspect like a lot of photographers, know just enough about social media, websites, and SEO to be dangerous. This video outlines what it takes to get to the top of Google in 2023 and where to go to get more information about the subject.

Zeiss lenses are loved for their uncompromising image quality, with sharp rendering, deep and contrasty colors, and beautiful bokeh. The Batis 40mm f/2 CF offers the respected Batis design in tandem with a wide aperture and unique focal length. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Besides composition, choosing the correct exposure is essential for your photography. Achieving that requires understanding how metering works and how to control the camera's settings. It's here that some cameras excel and others let you down.

If you shoot a lot of astrophotos, you know all about gradients. They are almost always present in your images, and they have to be removed to smooth out the sky background and make your images look their best.

If you enjoy taking photographs at night and want to experiment with different techniques, this is the video for you. Here are 5 slow shutter speed tricks to get some great-looking images after dark.

CGI is usually associated with movies, but it has its place in photography too. In fact, you create elaborate and creative backgrounds for your shoots using CGI software.

The Canon EOS R8, the company's latest full frame mirrorless camera, is likely on the way soon, and while we have not learned much about the camera yet, a set of rumored specs have emerged. Take a look at what you can expect.

As advanced as editing tools have become in recent years, dodging and burning remains as one of the most fundamental and powerful techniques for shaping the light in your images, de-emphasizing blemishes, and drawing attention to your subject in a natural but compelling fashion. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use dodging and burning for editing portraits in Photoshop.

When it comes to learning lighting, we often focus on how to light the subject in a flattering way, but of course, the backdrop deserves attention too. It is about more than just getting the exposure on the background right, however. With a bit of know-how, you can drastically alter the appearance of the background just by how you place your subject and source relative to it. This great video tutorial will show you how to adjust your lighting to take full control of the appearance of your backdrop.

Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines now feature M2 chipsets, and as such, they all offer powerful performance in tandem with impressively long battery life. Nonetheless, there are many distinguishing features between them. So, which is right for your needs? This great video comparison pits the M2 MacBook Air against the M2 Pro MacBook Pro to help you decide which to get.

Most cameras are similar in many ways, but they also have unique features that other models lack. Choosing the wrong camera can be an expensive mistake. Here are things to consider before spending your hard-earned cash.

In this video, Glyn Dewis effortlessly explains how he manages to capture the iconic Prince of Wales bridge spanning the border between Wales and England. As a proud Welshman, this was intriguing to me, and as a photographer this is engaging and really shows the potential that mobile technology has to be able to improve the availability and quality of immediate photography.

As a headshot photographer, it's your job to make sure your clients look their best. However, taking the perfect studio headshot isn't just about lighting and composition. It's also about understanding your client's needs and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera.

With 28 days to celebrate Black History Month in February, let's take 28 opportunities to celebrate some talented black photographers who are currently making history with their work.

This review is for you if you’re a Capture One Pro user and are wondering if the iPad version is worth adding to your workflow. It is also for those who don’t yet use Capture One but are looking for a budget-friendly introduction to it and already own an iPad. I will be looking at the application’s features, pros and cons, and comparing them to the desktop version.

Lightroom for lefties? No problem. Adobe's latest update is designed to make Lightroom Mobile more accessible for everyone. Glyn Dewis shows us what to do if you're a left-handed user in Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop.

Do you struggle to get high-quality landscape images when the weather is bad and the light's poor? Here, we look at five important things you can do to get amazing landscape photos in horrible weather conditions.

One of the challenges of wedding photography is that you are on a tight timeline, and if conditions are not flattering or conducive to portraiture, you have no choice but to power through them and still create the best images you can. So, what can you do when the big day presents with harsh, hard light? This excellent video tutorial features an experienced wedding photographer showing you how she handles harsh light to still create flattering, memorable images.

Time to get excited. New Canon cameras and lenses are on the way soon.