Today, I’d like to share a bit about my own photo journey. Whether you are at the very beginning or nearing the end of your own, I’m guessing you’ll find a few similarities.
Editing portraits is about more than adjusting sliders—it's understanding how subtle choices shape your final image. Getting comfortable with Lightroom can make your portraits look more intentional and polished.
Taking a long walk to photograph nature can feel creatively liberating. It clears your mind and pushes you to slow down, helping you see scenes you might otherwise overlook.
Photography, like any artistic pursuit, needs to be cultivated. You have to invest in it. And while cameras, lenses, and accessories are often the focus of photographic investment, what can really elevate your craft is putting more of yourself into your work.
Street photography can feel intimidating if you're naturally introverted or shy around strangers. Overcoming that initial fear matters, because without it, you might miss capturing compelling moments that happen right in front of you.
Josh Dury, a photographer based in Somerset, UK, recently captured a panoramic image showing all eight planets—including Earth—in a single frame. He took the photograph on February 22, 2025, during an uncommon astronomical event called the "planetary parade," an occurrence when all eight planets align on one side of the Sun.
At the 2025 CP+ show in Japan, Kaoru Mokunaka, Chief Leica Camera Representative for Japan, confirmed that the L-Mount Alliance is actively seeking to expand its membership.
I have considered doing a 365 photography challenge in the past but have refrained from putting myself under that much meaningless pressure. The idea of taking a photo every day for a year sounds like it could help build consistency, but in reality, it often leads to uninspired shooting, creative burnout, and a portfolio full of forgettable images. Instead of improving your craft, you end up taking photos just for the sake of it—grabbing a quick shot of coffee, a random leaf, or whatever happens to be nearby—just to keep up with the challenge.
Photo editing can seem complicated, with endless techniques and software tools competing for your attention. Yet, at its core, successful editing comes down to mastering foundational skills that simplify your process and elevate your results.
Photography can be simplified down to the art of capturing light, and we all learn to capture that light correctly for perfect exposure. But what if that is actually hurting our creativity and work? This advice changed how I take 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 2025, 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.
Sigma's latest camera, the BF, might be one of the most unique and divisive releases in recent photography history. With a sleek, minimalist design and unusual feature choices, this camera pushes boundaries—but those quirks might either attract or repel you, depending on your needs and style.
Travel photography is more than packing your camera and booking flights. How you plan your trip and what you focus on once you arrive can significantly affect the quality of your images.
YouTube is a great place to learn about photography. You can discover how to do something, research gear, and get inspiration. However, the problem with most photography content is that it’s structured around selling you stuff you don’t need. The latest example—a huge example—is the idea that you might need a 100-megapixel medium format camera.
If you want to learn how to get better colors in your photos, then this video by Todd Dominey is for you.
When we think of AI editing tools, it’s easy to get caught up in flashy features like Generative Fill or the Remove Tool. But did you know there’s a whole world of lesser-known AI-powered tools in Photoshop and Lightroom?
Photography gear is constantly evolving, redefining what it means to be “professional.” Once, carrying massive DSLRs and powerful flashes was the mark of a serious photographer—now, smaller, more efficient setups are taking over.
It's a topic of constant debate amongst photographers: Is a full frame camera "better" than a smaller format?
Mastering the technical side of photography is easy. Learning how to expose an image, use lighting, and compose a shot is all just mechanics. You can study the inverse square law, diffraction, and the rule of thirds, but none of that will make you stand out. The difference between a technically proficient photographer and a great one is not something you can learn from a tutorial.
I have to say that on many days, I find myself using a DxO product—most frequently, their PureRAW software, which looks at my image metadata in my RAW files and gives me a near-perfect image, correcting my sensor/lens combination, sharpening, and removing imperfections like vignettes and ringing. DxO has more than 100,000 camera/lens combinations covering almost any gear. Even both my DJI drones are covered by DxO.
There are three pieces of really bad “pro advice” that have cropped up more than once on YouTube channels. We need to talk about this to help you avoid wasting time and losing money unnecessarily if you’re thinking about making a living from your camera.
Sony has announced the 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS, its longest full frame E-mount lens to date. Designed for birding, wildlife, and sports photography, the lens extends Sony’s mirrorless telephoto capabilities beyond the previous 600mm limit, reaching up to 800mm. It is also compatible with Sony’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, pushing its range up to 1,600mm.
If you’ve ever wanted to dive deep into the entire process of editing a photo—from raw files to final stylization—this video is a must-watch. It’s a thorough tutorial that walks you through every step, and trust me, it’s packed with insights.
Sony has introduced the 16mm f/1.8 G, an ultra-wide full frame E-mount prime lens designed for both photographers and videographers. The lens offers a combination of compact size, high-resolution optics, fast autofocus, and a bright f/1.8 aperture, making it well-suited for landscape, architectural, and astrophotography applications.
Switching from Lightroom to another digital asset management and development tool can be daunting for photographers. There are very good reasons to, and DxO PhotoLab 8 is one of the most compelling options. Here’s why and how a Sony Ambassador made the switch.
Flat, gray skies might seem uninspiring, but they offer a unique advantage. Instead of working around harsh shadows and strong highlights, you control the final image. The light is soft and even, allowing for more creative flexibility, especially in black and white photography.
Knowing when to stop editing a photo is one of the biggest challenges in photography. With endless tools at your disposal, it’s easy to push an image too far. Colors become unnatural, skin loses texture, and the final result can feel more artificial than real. Understanding when to stop isn’t just about technical limits—it’s about maintaining authenticity in your images.
Adobe has announced the launch of Photoshop on iPhone, bringing its well-known image editing tools to mobile users. The app is designed to provide a streamlined, mobile-first experience while retaining essential Photoshop features such as layering, masking, and Adobe Firefly-powered AI tools. An Android version is expected later in 2025.
Zeiss has introduced the Otus ML series, a new line of manual focus prime lenses designed for professional photographers and high-end visual creators. The Otus ML family brings Zeiss’s signature optical quality to mirrorless mounts, launching with the 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 lenses in 2025.
As you may guess, I am not a fan of rules, and the question I often ask is, "Who made the rules, and why do they think they can tell me what to think?" In fact, I may get a T-shirt made that says in large letters, "Screw the rules and screw the horse they came on!" So there, I've said it. And if that sets your teeth on edge... just read on!
Some natural environments are filled with interesting and unique compositions for landscape photographers. It can be like being a kid on a playground. How do you make sense of it all and distill the scenes down to images for your portfolio?
Strong landscape photography isn’t just about finding a beautiful location—it’s about how you compose, frame, and time your shots to create something extraordinary. Weather and light can be unpredictable, but knowing how to work with what you have can make all the difference.
Adding atmospheric elements like fog can transform a flat image into something more dramatic and immersive. Lightroom Classic now offers better tools to create and control fog, allowing you to shape the mood of an image without needing perfect weather conditions.
Macro photography opens up a world of detail that often goes unnoticed. Small subjects like fungi, moss, and intricate textures can turn into striking images when framed properly. But working at this level presents its own set of challenges, from finding the right focal length to dealing with distortion in certain lenses.
Panasonic has launched the Lumix S1R II. After sitting through the media briefing, I wondered if I had been daydreaming. On paper, the Lumix S1R II is possibly the best hybrid camera on the market. The specs are simply incredible. Potentially, it’s a creator’s dream come true. Let’s take a look at why.
A new compact color and light meter from Datacolor offers a better way to set your exposure.
Confidence in photography isn't just about skill—it's about feeling comfortable with your camera, your surroundings, and yourself. Many people struggle with nerves when shooting in public or taking portraits, but overcoming these fears can lead to better work. Understanding how to build confidence can make a significant difference in your photography.
Sigma just announced several new products, and they aren’t small updates. These are major releases, from a versatile superzoom to a professional-grade telephoto lens to a completely reimagined mirrorless camera. If you’re looking for new gear that pushes boundaries, this announcement is worth paying attention to.
Venturing into the world of film can be daunting, and choosing a camera to get you started can be a challenge. Here’s a recommendation that might save you some time.
Sky selection is often one of the most important steps in editing landscape and outdoor images. Whether you’re adjusting exposure, enhancing colors, or replacing the sky entirely, getting a clean selection makes all the difference. Automated tools help, but they don’t always get it right, so knowing how to refine a mask is essential.
Coming to you from Matt Kloskowski, this practical video breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of different sky selection methods in Adobe’s raw editors. The Select Sky tool is the first stop in most cases, offering quick and accurate...
Long exposure photography transforms everyday scenes into something surreal. But pulling off the perfect long exposure shot isn’t as simple as setting a long shutter speed. Conditions, composition, and even patience play a huge role in making it work.
Changing the mood of an image doesn’t always require elaborate setups or complex software. A few strategic adjustments in Lightroom can completely transform a photo, shifting colors, reshaping light, and creating a more dramatic effect. This kind of editing isn’t about correcting mistakes—it’s about making the image match your vision.
Simplicity in photography can be both freeing and frustrating. When you strip away complex tools and techniques, all that’s left is light, time, and a bit of luck. Shooting with a pinhole camera pushes that idea to the extreme. No lens, no moving parts—just a box with a hole, a piece of film, and a whole lot of patience.
AI-generated images are becoming so convincing that even skilled photographers are being accused of faking their work.
Sigma has announced the 300-600mm f/4 DG OS | Sports, a large-aperture ultra-telephoto zoom lens designed for professional sports, wildlife, and action photography. The lens is built exclusively for full frame mirrorless cameras and will be available for Sony E-mount and L-Mount in April 2025 at a retail price of $5,999.
Sigma has announced the launch of the 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary, a new all-in-one zoom lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras.
Sigma has officially announced the Sigma BF, a full frame mirrorless camera designed with a minimalist philosophy. The BF strips away traditional camera complexities while retaining high-end imaging capabilities, offering an intuitive user experience.
A legendary and elusive creature in the world of photography, autofocus can feel almost mythical to some. For beginners—and even some intermediate photographers—its modes, functions, and best uses often remain a mystery. Look no further; let’s break it down and explore how to make the most of autofocus.
Several New Jersey brides say they are still waiting for their wedding photos months after their big day.
Shooting in a busy public space at night brings a unique set of challenges. Crowds, moving traffic, mixed lighting, and time constraints all make it difficult to get a clean, well-composed image. Add in a model, reflections, and a three-minute window to capture the perfect shot, and the difficulty level skyrockets.
