How to Use the New Photoshop Sky Replacement Features

Earlier this month, Adobe updated the sky replacement features in Photoshop CC. This feature can make an image pop or make it look over-processed and fake. Make sure you know how to get the best out of this powerful Photoshop feature and create strong, realistic images.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (September 2021): James Quantz Jr

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 2021, 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.

Helpful Composition Advice for Landscape Photography

Effective compositions are something we all struggle with at one time or another, and with so many ways to construct a frame, it can be tough to know how to fix things. If you are struggling with your landscape compositions, this excellent video tutorial will offer some useful advice that is sure to improve your work.

How to Edit Vacation Photos

Most of us love to take our cameras on a trip, but on the other hand, when you get home from a long vacation and are feeling tired, it can feel daunting to sit down to a few thousand photos. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to quickly and effectively edit vacation photos.

5 Ways to Increase Your Business

We are always looking for more ways to increase our photo and video business, but given the nature of creative pursuits, the road to more success is not always clear. If you are looking to increase your business, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you five tips to get more clients and increase your income.

The 7 Mistakes to Avoid That Can Destroy Your Photography Business

Let’s address the elephant in the room: there are probably 1.2 trillion pieces of content about running a business. I’ve read maybe half of them myself, and there’s some outstanding information available, but let’s set a goal to create the top mistakes to avoid when you decide to go from hobbyist to professional.

How to Take Photos Like Albert Watson

Few photographers are more well known and respected than Albert Watson, and even those who do not know him by name have likely seen his work before. His distinctive style is the envy of a lot of photographers, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to create that look in your own images.

Who Cares Who Likes Your Photography?

Popularity is a weird thing. It can be a gratifying thing to achieve widespread acclaim for your work, but if you are not careful, it can turn on you, making you create work to please others instead of yourself. So, who cares who likes your photos? This important video essay discusses the topic and one photographer's experience.

On the Art of Composing a Photograph

In some sense, it is easier to learn some things in photography than it is others. For example, camera settings are objective quantities that can be rigorously defined with regard to different scenarios. Others are a bit more nebulous and difficult to nail down, composition being one of the most notorious. This fantastic video dives into the subject and discusses a famous example.

Is the Fujifilm GFX 100S the Ultimate Studio Camera?

The Fujifilm GFX series of mirrorless cameras has turned a lot of industry paradigms on their heads, bringing medium format capabilities into the same price range as the upper levels of full frame cameras. With all of its resolution and dynamic range, is the GFX 100S the ultimate camera for photographers working in a studio? This great video review takes a look.

Who is the Nikon Z fc For?

With the kit lens, this looks like Nikon is trying to do what Fujifilm did with their X cameras. Making things look vintage might be the opinion, but perhaps that is what a camera is supposed to be like. Not all the images are as sharp as what's possible today with the eye- or face-tracking technology we have, but perhaps that's the point: to enjoy shooting.

What Is the Best Camera and Lens Combination for Portraits?

If you’re pondering the perfect combination of camera body and lens for shooting portraits, check out this series of suggestions for budgets ranging from $1,000 all the way through to $10,000. What would you go for?

What About Photography Hooked You? What Gripped Me Is Unusual

After nearly 15 years of being a photographer — or rather, actively practicing the craft — I had a sudden realization as to what drew me into photography in the first place. It may not be the most common attraction, but I doubt I am alone.

How Well Does the Canon R5 Work With EF Lenses?

With many photographers making the switch from DSLR to mirrorless systems, there are a lot of us wondering if all those old lenses we've acquired over the years will still work as well on new cameras, or whether we'll have to swallow the expense of all new lenses too.

We Review The Sony ZV-E10: What Can It Do and Who Was It Made For?

Sony recently released the ZV-E10, an entry-level interchangeable lens APS-C camera that supposedly expands the capabilities for beginning photographers, videographers, and vloggers. What can it do, and who was this camera made for?

10 Helpful Tips for Woodland Photography

If you are used to creating landscape images of wide-open views that stretch for miles, stepping into a forest for the first time can be a bit daunting and tough to tackle. Nonetheless, it is well worth taking the time to learn, as you can create fantastic, compelling, and unique photos in the forest. This excellent video tutorial will give you 10 helpful tips to start you on your way.

An Easy One-Light Studio Portrait Photography Setup

When you are new to artificial lighting, it can be a bit tricky to try to take in all the terminology, techniques, and creative practices at the same time, and as such, it is important to make sure you start out the right way. The best way to begin learning is by working with a single light, and this great video tutorial will show you an effective one-light setup for creating compelling portraits.

Is a Canon EOS R7 APS-C Mirrorless Camera Finally Coming Next Year?

Canon has done a pretty impressive job quickly building out the RF mirrorless system to provide equivalent cameras and lenses for their EF counterparts, but one item that has been conspicuously missing is a high-level APS-C camera akin to the popular 7D series. It seems that will likely change next year, though, with at least one RF mount APS-C camera coming to the market.

A Filmmaker's Review of the Apple iPhone 13 and Its Cinematic Mode

The video specs, both software and hardware, of the new iPhone have caused a bit of a stir as we have seen some impressive upgrades. It is clearly gearing more towards, if not professional videographers, then professional quality and features. But, how good is it really?

Genius, Madness, and Obsession: How the Instant Camera Was Invented

You could be forgiven for believing that the requirement for instant gratification is a rather new affliction. However, it's more likely that swift results were gated behind technology and that the few inventions that provided it were well placed for unprecedented success, like the instant camera.

A Review of the Leica Q2 Camera

A compact camera with a fixed lens designed specifically for its sensor can be a fantastic tool for things like street photography, documentary work, or simply your daily walk. One of the top options in this category is the Leica Q2, and this awesome video review discusses the camera and the sort of experience and performance you can expect from it in practice.

The End of the Strobe? We Review Viltrox's Weeylite Ninja 300

Viltrox has released a new single-color LED continuous light under their Weeylite brand. At $179 for the base package, it's a compelling option. So, is this the end of the strobe? Find out in this exclusive Fstoppers review.

5 Ideas to Help You Break Free From the Same Old Landscape Photos

We all have certain types of images we like to shoot and specific ways of crafting them, and while having a recognizable personal style is a good thing, we can all sometimes end up habitually creating the same images over and over. If you are feeling like you have been doing the same thing over and over in your landscape work lately, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you five ideas to breathe some new life into your photos.

Four Methods for Replacing a Sky in Photoshop

Replacing a sky is one of the most common and useful skills a Photoshop user can have, and there are several ways to go about it. If you are beginning to learn the technique, this awesome video tutorial will show you four different ways to go about it using Photoshop.

Is Film Making a Comeback Because We Are Lazy Photographers?

Film photography has been making a steady, slightly unexpected comeback for the past few years. In this article, I break down some of the reasons why that is happening, as well as say why it may be slightly dangerous for creatives.

Can You Compose Landscape Images by Feel?

Landscape images are often composed according to some sort of established method, such as the rule of thirds, the golden spiral, or some other rule. And while those rules exist because they can help you, certainly, they are not the only way to work. In fact, sometimes, composing by intuition and feel is the way to go, and this great video tutorial discusses why that can be such a good thing.

7 Simple Tips for Creating More Impactful Photographs

There is nothing worse than seeing an attractive scene, creating a photograph of it, and then when you sit down at your computer, you realize it's boring. This can be the result of a number of mistakes and this video offers seven actionable tips to make sure your images grab viewers' attention.

That New Camera Won’t Make You a Better Photographer

Let's face it, we photographers like shiny objects. Especially when first starting out, it’s always tempting to find some new camera, lens, or other tool we can put in our tool belt that is going to help us be a better photographer. Sadly, that cool new piece of gear is not really going to make you a better photographer, but here are a few things that might.

A Brief History of Photography

As camera technology continues to advance at stomach-churning speed, it might be wise to remind ourselves of just how far we've come, as it's so easy to get caught up in the never-ending lust for the next shiny new toy. Sometimes, our focus on processors and edge-to-edge sharpness make us forget about the art, the craft, and the photographers that came before us, so sit back and enjoy this short hop through the history of photography.

PhotoDirector Gets Updates With New AI Features: We Review It

CyberLink has an update for its long-available PhotoDirector image editor, which runs on Mac OS and Windows. This latest version is called PhotoDirector 13. New light effects and color adjustment features have been added. The company claims you can turn any photo into a "visual masterpiece with a comprehensive set of AI tools, including AI-powered Sky Replacement and Photo Animation effects."

Canon Confirms the EOS R3 Is Not a Flagship Camera

The Canon EOS R3 is one of the most technologically advanced cameras that Canon has produced. Improvements to the autofocus alone put the Canon EOS R3 ahead of almost every camera that Canon has ever produced. Despite this, Canon maintains that the EOS R3 is not a 1 series flagship camera.

Landscape Photography Opportunities Are Closer Than You Think

If you look at a lot of the work of top landscape photographers, you might get the impression that the subjects of their photos are hidden away in hard-to-reach locations that require significant time and resources to reach. And sure, that is true sometimes, but you might be surprised by just how much is available to you close by. This great video discusses just how much you can capture with ease.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Wide Angle Lens in Landscape Photography

When it comes to landscape photography, the lens of choice is normally a wide angle. You can create fantastic images with them, but they come with their own challenges as well. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to get the most out of your wide angle lens when shooting landscape images.

How to Make Your Photos Look Like Paintings

We often strive for technically perfect photographs, going to great lengths to perfect our camera technique and post-processing and often investing a lot of money in the best equipment we can afford. But sometimes, it can be fun to move away from those sorts of shots for a bit and explore more creative image-making processes. This awesome video tutorial will show you one such process, which will allow you to make your photos look like paintings.

Astrophotography From $100 to $10,000

Astrophotography has quickly become incredibly popular these days, with the advent of increasingly smaller and affordable star trackers, and not to mention the global pandemic, which has forced people to make do with photographing what is immediately around them, or above them.

Should You Work for Free as a Photographer?

Art either has extremely high value or no value at all. Getting from one to the other can take decades. Some never make it to the other end. The same is true for photography. At the start of your career, you will surely create art for free. But should you?

A Long-Term Review of the Sony a7S III Mirrorless Camera

The long-awaited Sony a7S III finally appeared on the market last year, and it has been in the hands of a lot of filmmakers for the past year. If you have been considering the camera for your own work, check out this great video review that discusses just how powerful it is in real-world usage.

Learn How This Tricky Couples Portrait Was Shot

Shooting weddings involves a number of challenges, including having to work with whatever light you are given that day while still being expected to produce memorable, compelling images for your couple and their family. This awesome video tutorial will show you how a photographer captured a great couples portrait in a field even with harsh sunlight complicating the equation.

How to Easily Fix Blue Sky Gradients in Photoshop

Often caused by polarizer filters, lens vignetting, or side-lit scenes, gradients can be a pain to handle in post-processing. Follow these simple steps in Photoshop to gain control over gradients commonly found in blue sky images.

How One Photographer Cut The Weight of His Gear in Half

If you work in a studio, it is not a big deal to have a lot of heavy gear, but if you are someone like a landscape photographer who is often hiking miles and miles with a bag of gear, every little ounce makes a big difference. This great video shows how one photographer majorly trimmed his bag while still carrying everything he needs to create.

How to Clean Your Camera's Viewfinder

I am willing to bet that a lot of us have not thought about cleaning our camera viewfinder before, and I am also willing to bet that if those of us who have not thought about it looked at our viewfinders right now, we would be a bit grossed out. Take five minutes and watch this helpful video to learn how to clean yours so it is bright, clear, and clean.

Helpful Ideas for Finding Great Portrait Locations

If you are anything like me, you have probably found yourself agonizing over finding just the right location for a portrait shoot at one time or another. It does not have to be that difficult, though, and this helpful video tutorial will give you some great tips for finding suitable locations quickly and easily.