There are few better ways to learn about mistakes in photography than watching someone knowledgeable critiquing photographs. This video is exactly that and contains seven mistakes that are easily avoided.
Topaz Labs Photo AI has been officially released, so take a look here to see what it is, how to use it, and how well it sharpens a blurry photograph.
I am a sucker for gadgets, but I am also a skeptic, so when I took the plunge on an inexpensive handheld digital microscope I found for macro photography, I didn’t have high expectations.
The Fujifilm X-H2 is the company's latest entry in its highly popular X Series line of mirrorless cameras, and it brings with it some impressive new features, the most notable being its new 40-megapixel sensor, the highest ever in an APS-C camera. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera, how it compares to the X-H2S, and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
When it comes to video work, while getting good visuals is obviously crucial, you also have to know how to record high-quality audio as well, or the final product will be dragged down. One of the most fundamental and crucial bits of knowledge you will need is how microphone polar response patterns work and which to choose for different situations. This excellent video tutorial will show you what polar response patterns are, the properties of the most common types, and how to pick the right one for a specific scenario.
One of the most challenging parts of landscape photography is that you constantly have to balance ever-evolving conditions, seeking out new compositions, and managing camera settings and equipment. What if you could remove one of those from the equation, though? This excellent video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing how you can make finding new compositions far easier.
Tamron is one of the most exciting companies in the photography world right now, putting pressure on other manufacturers by releasing lenses that offer a ton of performance for their respective prices and that often push the envelope of design. One of the most exciting lenses in their current lineup is the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Knowing how to light, pose, and shoot a portrait is only half of what it takes to produce a compelling finished product. Almost all portraits will need some degree of retouching, and as such, your editing skills need to be just as sharp as your skills behind the camera. If you are new to the craft, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you five easy techniques for retouching skin in Photoshop.
Composition is one of the trickier parts of any photographer genre, as it is a bit more nebulous and tricky to talk about than something quantifiable like camera settings. It can be particularly tough in landscape photography, where we get no control over the placement of elements in the frame. If composition is something you are struggling with at the moment, check out this great video tutorial that offers some helpful tips and advice sure to put you on the right track.
The Fujifilm X-H2 mirrorless camera is the company's newest option in the X Series line, and it is a major step forward, being the first to offer a high-resolution sensor — the highest ever in an APS-C camera, in fact. There is more than just that sensor to be excited about, though. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera from a photography perspective and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
The future of art has arrived. And it isn’t pretty.
Standard zoom lenses with f/2.8 apertures are some of the most popular workhorses out there, as they cover many commonly used focal lengths and offer enough light-gathering power to handle a wide range of scenarios and needs. However, such lenses can be quite expensive, which is why the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD, which comes in at $799, is such an intriguing option. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and if its performance and image quality can outpace its bargain price tag.
Recently, Canon banned the production and sales of some third-party lenses for its RF mount cameras. Many photography enthusiasts bemoaned the decision and claimed Canon would lose out because of it. Now that Canon has confirmed the prohibition, what does the future look like for its RF mount cameras and lenses?
Have you ever felt stuck as a creative? Have you experienced being out of ideas when you badly needed them?
In January 2021, OM Digital Solutions acquired the Olympus Imaging Division, and though the cameras and lenses live on, the original iconic company was gone in some sense. So, what caused the downfall of one of the most respected and oldest photography companies on the planet? This interesting video takes a look at the history of the Olympus Imaging Division, where things started to go awry, and why it led to its ultimate failure.
The "shoot and burn," a photoshoot in which the photographer immediately delivers the images with minimal edits, saw a peak in popularity in the first decade or so of digital, when the novelty and convenience of digital files made the prospect of instant delivery enticing for a lot of customers, especially in genres like family photography. Now, with the rise of AI-powered culling and editing software, there loom some interesting questions: will the shoot and burn see a resurgence, and will it be a good thing for photographers?
When you are new to photography, there is a lot to try to learn all at the same time: creative vision, controlling technical parameters, editing, and a lot more. If you are new to photography and looking for some guidance on how to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you five great tips and techniques for creating better photos in no time at all.
Being a professional photographer is a demanding career that requires you to wear many hats and rarely allows time to catch one's breath. As such, burnout is a common issue among professional photographers. So, when you experience it, what can you do? This excellent video essay features an experienced photographer discussing his experiences with burnout and how he handles it.
85mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular out there, particularly for portrait photographers, where their flattering focal length and narrow depth of field make them ideal for photographing people. Nonetheless, such lenses can cost well north of $2,000, which is what makes the Meike 85mm f/1.8, which costs less than $200, so intriguing. Can it keep up with more expensive options, though? This great video review takes a look at its performance and image quality to answer that question.
The Internet can be a cruel and unforgiving place, especially when sharing your art, opinions, or creative endeavors with people worldwide.
With lenses like the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, Tamron has shown that in addition to creating pragmatic, affordable lenses, they also have their eyes on those that push the boundaries of design and offer unique capabilities. One such lens is the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, which offers an unusually wide range of focal lengths, and this excellent video review takes a deep look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Electronic Hub recently posted a study divulging which electronics have the most unreliable reviews on Amazon, with some of our most beloved cameras sitting near the top.
I asked in a Dutch photography community how they feel about black and white photography for landscapes. It seems it's not generally accepted, and many strange reasons are given why black and white shouldn’t be used. I’d like to share a few of those reasons that caught me by surprise.
It should go without saying that everyone reading here at Fstoppers is interested in taking photos. I know that many of you also want to shake things up and make some money doing it. With three new upcoming start dates, it’s worth taking a look at Side Hustle 101, the product of Canon Canada’s new partnership with The Maker’s Collective.
In between specialized equipment, camera settings, forecasting, creative vision, and more, it takes a lot to learn how to create compelling landscape photos. But perhaps nothing is trickier to learn than the art of composition. If that is something you struggle with a bit, check out this great video tutorial that features a range of helpful advice from an experienced landscape photographer.
Canon recently caused a fair amount of controversy when it came out that they had requested that Viltrox stop manufacturing autofocus lenses for the RF mount, as they feel doing so infringes on their intellectual property. The incident seems to explain the curious lack of third-party lenses for the RF mount. Has Canon made a mistake?
It's something we are all seeking. There is no doubt that some photographers are fantastic at what they do, but even the best won't create a great shot every time. So, is there a secret formula to creating one?
There are a lot of approaches to landscape photography, and each offers different benefits and drawbacks and places different demands on your time, effort, creative vision, and technique. If you would like to improve your landscape images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will walk you through a few shots and offer some great tips and advice along the way.
OM Digital Solutions announced an update to their lens road map, and macro photographers will be excited about what's there. Plus, they have a new Linear PCM sound recorder.
Like most photographers, I own more than one camera bag. There is my main bag, my video gear bag, my small kit bag, my rolling bag for airplane travel, and that one, never-been-used, just sitting in the back of the closet, camera bag of unknown origin.
Have you ever had a photo where the color cast was so bad that you thought it was unrecoverable? This simple Photoshop quick trick shows you how to fix even the most extreme color casts.
Landscape photography takes a combination of technical skill, creative vision, and the ability to work in and with a wide range of conditions. There are some common mistakes all landscape photographers make at one point or another, and this fantastic video tutorial details five of them and what you can do to fix them or avoid them in the first place.
The Hasselblad X1D 50C and X1D II 50C helped to redefine the paradigm of medium format, putting a large sensor inside a sleek, small body. Now, the X2D 100C is here, and not only does it double the resolution of its predecessors, it brings with it a bevy of impressive improvements and new features. In this review, we take a look at the camera and what you can expect.
Landscape photography is a genre with an above-average emphasis on technical skill and perfection, and we often try to avoid making any mistakes. Mistakes are not always bad, though, and occasionally, they can even lead to "happy accidents," as Bob Ross would say. This great video shows how mistakes can sometimes be a good thing and why you might want to embrace them just a bit more.
Venus Optics is well known for making unique, interesting, and versatile lenses that offer capabilities that are not possible with other options. Their newest lens, the Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO, offers the promise of fantastic image quality in tandem with ultra-high levels of magnification, all at an affordable price. How does it perform? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.
In order to create great portraits, you need to have a lot of great components: lighting, composition, as well as camera and lens choice. Deciding what focal length to use for portraiture can be difficult, so in this article, I will make a few suggestions on lenses you should use for your next portrait photoshoot.
Some of Photoshop's most recent updates have added some incredibly powerful editing tools. This new blur filter not only works amazingly well on landscapes images, it is stunning on portraits as well. See how to use it here.
When it comes to landscape photography, few pieces of equipment are considered more vital than the tripod. And while it is certainly a fantastic piece of equipment, it also significantly alters your workflow. So, do you really need a tripod? This great video examines the question and if you can afford to leave your tripod at home the next time you head out.
The Canon EOS R3 has been quite well received, and though it has some top-level professional capabilities that help it compete with cameras like the Sony a1 and Nikon Z9, it is not meant to be Canon's flagship mirrorless camera. That title will belong to the EOS R1, whenever it gets here, but when will that be?
Have you ever held back on sharing your photos, pitching an idea, or showcasing your art? How many times have you let Impostor Syndrome hold you back?
It sounds counterintuitive, but there is a lot of truth to it: the better you get at photography, the harder it gets. Why is that? This excellent video discusses this seeming paradox and how you can avoid falling into a rut because of it.
Mobile phone cameras have taking gargantuan strides forward in the last decade, to the point where they are unquestionably able to compete with dedicated cameras in certain areas. So, how is the new flagship iPhone in one area it claims dominance?
There's a big mistake some photographers repeat time and again. It can cause more damage to their professional or amateur career than an out-of-focus photograph.
It is no secret that the proper exposure is fundamental to creating a good landscape image, but it is even more important than you might think. If you would like to improve your landscape photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer discussing some of the many reasons that getting the proper exposure is so crucial to a successful shot.
"Game-changer" is an oft-used buzzword these days, but seldom does the product live up to the hype. See why this photographer is adamant the new Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD lens is indeed a game-changer.
How many times have you been stuck in a photographic rut? If your photo mojo got up, walked out, and slammed the door in your face, then there are things you can do to get it to come back. It has happened to me.
Artificial lighting is its own world, and it can be a bit overwhelming to try to tackle it all when you are new to the pursuit, which leads to some common misconceptions about the different types of flash, what they are used for, and how they work. This excellent video tutorial examines a lot of those misconceptions and offers a lot of helpful information that will make you better prepared to tackle working with artificial light.
A few years ago, if you wanted good image quality from a supertelephoto zoom lens, your only real choice was a first-party option. In the past few years, however, we have seen a real surge in high-quality third-party options that offer a lot of versatility and image quality at prices that often significantly undercut first-party lenses. This great video review takes a look at three of those, the Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD, and Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary.
Imagine a world where words can create images. Now imagine what that would do for the art world and photography. Well, it's here and it's not going to go away.
Becoming a successful photographer takes a combination of a lot of factors coming together all at the same time to make successful images, some objective and some subjective. And while every photographer will have a unique approach to the craft, there are some common traits that almost every successful creative has. If you would like to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses five common traits of successful photographers.
