How You Can Create a Short Film

It might seem to be an easy transition for a photographer to become a filmmaker. At the core of each of these disciplines is storytelling. A photographer tells a story in a single instant captured at the decisive moment, while a filmmaker tells a story over a period of time, often incorporating elements such as editing and sound to help tell that story.

A Review of the Impressive Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a1 mirrorless camera is, by far, one of the most capable and versatile cameras ever released, with just about every feature you could ever want for any photo or video need you might have. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Approach to Photography?

The pandemic has been one of the most impactful events in the lifetimes of most that are alive today. It has been singular and brutal, affecting people, businesses, and infrastructure. Whether you're a professional photographer or a hobbyist, it undoubtedly changed the status quo for you, but how?

I Didn't Believe the Hype Until I Tried AI Noise Reduction Myself

As a landscape photographer, I don't usually deal with too much noise in my images unless I'm shooting nightscapes. Once I started shooting more wildlife during my time in Alaska, I decided to give it a try and I was absolutely blown away with the results.

A Review of the Sigma 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM Sports Lens

Usually, if you want to use a supertelephoto prime lens for things like wildlife or sports photography, you have to use first-party options. However, Sigma offers a rare exception to that rule, the 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM Sports, and it offers that combination of extra-long focal length and wide aperture sought after by many professionals at a significantly more affordable price. Can it match pace with the likes of Canon and Nikon? This great video review takes a look at the lens to answer that question.

Forget Iceland, This Place Should Be On Your Go-to List

Over recent years, photographers have flocked to places like Iceland, the Greek islands, and Bali. It might now seem that there's nowhere new or unique to explore. You'd be wrong to think so. This is an untapped gem you have to see.

The Journey to Finding Your Style as a Photographer

Are you struggling to find your style as a photographer? In teaching photography, I am often asked how you even know what your style should be. This is both the easiest and hardest question. Let me explain why.

Are Vintage Digital Cameras the Biggest New Photography Trend?

Digital camera technology has reached a point where even our phones can produce images that can be mistaken for a “real camera” to the untrained eye. Photographers have never had more affordable access to image-making tools that can produce crisp, high-resolution images, rivaling those of professional gear from not very long ago. So, why then have objectively inferior vintage digital cameras been making a sudden comeback?

4 Podcasts To Help You Navigate Your Photography Side Hustle 

Listen up! Whether you have a full-fledged career in photography, the pandemic got you exploring it as your side hustle, or you are just dreaming of taking your hobby to the next level, then look no further. These podcasts will educate, enthuse, and enable you to make your dream career of camera (and paycheck) in hand, come true.

The Ricoh GRIII X: The Best Travel Camera Out There?

When you want to travel light but still have a quality camera in hand, you often have to make some difficult decisions and settle for regrettable compromises. But what if a light, pocketable camera solved many of those problems?

Check Out This Amazing DIY Pond for Filming Wildlife

One of the most difficult aspects of wildlife and bird photography is finding your subjects and having the patience to wait for them to come into position in frame. So, what if you could make your own spot that you knew would attract wildlife? This photographer and filmmaker designed and built his own pond for bird and wildlife photography, and this awesome video shows the location and the beautiful footage he gets there.

How You Should Edit Your Landscape Photos

Rarely is a compelling landscape photo made entirely in camera; the majority of such images require at least some degree of editing to be complete, and this is your chance to show off both your technique and your creative vision. So, how do you actually approach the edit? This fantastic video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing how to edit your images properly.

How to Take Good Photos in Bad Light

One of the most challenging and often frustrating parts of landscape photography is that you do not get any control over the light. While you can do your best to predict the conditions, nature will not always cooperate. So, can you create good photos in boring light? Absolutely, and this great video will show you some of what you can accomplish and how to go about it.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Sunny Summer" Challenge

GuruShots, "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” recently asked photographers to participate in a Summer challenge by submitting their best Sunny Summer photo into a worldwide challenge. With thousands of entries were sent in and millions of votes were cast to select the top images from the challenge. Check out the three winners as well as the 60 top rated images below.

Will Image-Generating Software Dall-E 2 Take Jobs From Photographers?

DALL·E 2 is a new artificial intelligence system that can create realistic images and art from a written description. No more elaborate styling and lighting setups: you can now just pop in a description of what you want, and DALL-E-2 delivers the image. Too good to be true? Too threatening to the forever-taking-hits photography industry? See for yourself with my prerelease test run.

A Review of the Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition Camera

Consumer 360 cameras have come quite a long way in the last few years, and you can now get professional-level video and photos from many models. Well-known manufacturer Insta360 recently released the ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition in collaboration with Leica, and this excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Seven Essential Photography Lessons

There are some essential things about being a photographer, most of which photography books don't usually mention. Here are the seven most important lessons I learned as a photographer, including one exercise I use to hone my skills.

A Review of the Fujifilm X-H2S Mirrorless Camera

The Fujifilm X-H2S is the company's newest mirrorless camera in the renowned X Series, and it comes with a variety of new features and improvements over its predecessor. If you are interested in the camera, check out this great video review that takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Fstoppers Reviews the Haida CPL VND Pro II, a Variable ND Filter With Polarization

A variable neutral density filter can be very handy. You only need one filter that covers multiple strengths. Haida released the CPL VND Pro II, a variable neutral density filter that works also as a polarizing filter. Haida asked me to review this new variable ND filter with polarization abilities.

How to Import and Export Images in Lightroom More Efficiently

Two of the most fundamental tasks you will perform in Lightroom are importing and exporting images. When you are working with large batches, both processes can take a significant amount of time, and as such, it is well worth taking the time to establish a consistent and efficient system. This excellent video tutorial will show you an effective system to ensure that you are not wasting any time when importing and exporting photos in Lightroom.

What Filters Does a Professional Landscape Photographer Use?

In the world of influencers and competition for social media gravitas, it's no small feat to amass 217,000 followers. That tells me they must have something good to offer. So, when this photographer shared which filters he uses, I took notice. You should too.

The Trouble With Instagram

If I promise to not curse and do my best to keep my rants to a minimum, can we have a discussion about the ongoing dilemma for photographers which is Instagram?

Is the 50mm Lens the Test of a Good Photographer?

The 50mm lens is one of the most common lenses out there, and yet, it can be a weirdly challenging one to use. Why is it so difficult to master, and how can you create better photos with one? This excellent video takes a look at the 50mm lens, why it is tough to work with, and what you can do to improve your shots.

A Review of the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 SE Lens

35mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular and versatile out there, suitable for a huge range of applications, from events coverage to portraits, astrophotography, and more. The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 SE is quite an interesting alternative to many mainstream options, and 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.

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How to Get More Gigs as a Wedding Second Shooter

If you are looking to break into the wedding industry, one of the best things you can do is become a second shooter. If you are ready to start picking up more second shooter gigs, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced wedding photographer offering seven tips to help land more bookings.

Portable Connectivity: We Review the Anker 555 USB-C Hub (8-in-1)

While the ports on modern laptops are enough for most users, photographers and filmmakers have much higher connectivity demands than the average person. A portable hub can be a lifesaver for a creative on the go. In this review, we take a look at the Anker 555 USB-C 8-in-1 Hub and if it can provide both the ports and performance a demanding workflow requires.

The Lightroom Features a Professional Photographer Uses Most

Lightroom is the sort of program that you can spend years using, only to discover something you had never seen before. Whether you are new to the program or a seasoned user, this great video tutorial is likely to have a useful nugget of information in it sure to improve your images and make your workflow easier and more efficient.

5 Lightroom Tips You Might Not Know

As someone who spends nearly every day working in Lightroom, I've discovered a few features that most people might not know about. From organization to editing techniques, there's likely something in here you didn't know you could do in Lightroom.

How to Make Money From Other People's Content For Free

The title of this article could be described as clickbait; however, it is factually correct. I will be discussing how you can legally make money from other people's content in this article.

How to Create Three Distinctive Looks Using One Octabox

The octabox is one of the most fundamental and useful lighting modifiers out there, able to provide a wide variety of looks for portraiture while remaining relatively easy to set up and master, making it an ideal first choice for anyone working on learning artificial lighting. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to take one octabox and get three distinctive lighting styles from it, giving you a lot of versatility without a lot of work.

How to Create Compelling Woodland Photos

Woodland photography is an interesting and challenging sub-genre of landscape work that requires a bit of a different approach in order to create successful images. If you would like to improve your forest photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer discussing some helpful advice for taking better landscape images.

How I Edited My Most Popular Photo on Fstoppers

In this article, I share some techniques I used to edit my most popular photo here on Fstoppers. With 4.36 points from 95 votes, it appealed to many of you. But aside from the great subject with Mohamed and his dromedaries and the beautiful, golden evening light, the final image required quite some work to achieve this pristine look.

A Review of Sigma's 105mm f/1.4 Art Lens

Sigma's Art series of lenses features some of the most highly regarded options in the industry, offering impressive image quality at prices that often significantly undercut those of first-party options. The 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is the longest focal length in the lineup with an f/1.4 maximum aperture, making it an intriguing option for portrait and wedding shooters. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Long-Awaited Canon Lens Is on the Way

Canon's RF lens library has been steadily growing, with a wide variety of standard lenses and more extreme options for a range of photographers' needs. Nonetheless, there are still a few lenses that professionals are looking for, and thankfully, another one will likely be on its way soon, with some major improvements in tow.

Should You Specialize or Be a Generalist Photographer?

When most photographers start out, they photograph a wide range of genres and eventually find one or a few genres they enjoy and would like to specialize in. If you want to start making money from your photography, you will encounter an important question: should you specialize or be a generalist? This excellent video features an experienced photographer discussing the question and offerings some useful advice.

Who Makes the Best 85mm Lens? Samyang, Sony, or Sigma?

An 85mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is the tool of choice for countless portrait and wedding photographers, offering a classic, flattering focal length in tandem with shallow depth of field and plenty of low-light capabilities. Such lenses run a wide gamut of prices, however. This excellent video comparison takes a look at three options with a $1,000 price difference between them, the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II, Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM, and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art.

Will Art Created By Artificial Intelligence Kill The Artist?

Most of my photography friends have been playing around with some form of AI Art, and the results are pretty remarkable. However, as amazing as this technology is, I'm sure I am not the only one wondering if Artificial Intelligence will leave us all looking for new careers.