How to Deal With Boring Clear Skies in Landscape Photography

While clear blue skies are often desirable simply for the nice weather they bring, when it comes to landscape photography, they are rather boring and can make it hard to create compelling images. It is not impossible, however; it just takes a bit of adjustment to your technique and creative approach. This fantastic video tutorial will show you some helpful tips for taking great landscape photos even when the sky is totally clear.

Why Great Movies Use the 60-30-10 Percent Color Rule

There are many characteristics of great movies that you may miss unless you spend the time to really consider all the components. Color is a major factor in any visual medium, but did you know about the 60-30-10 rule?

This Legendary Camera Is Just $330

There have been a few digital cameras that have been landmarks in the industry, whether as major technological steps forward or impressive performers. One such groundbreaking camera was the Canon 5D Mark II, and this neat video takes a look at the camera and how you can still use it for great shots even 14 years after it was released.

Which Is Better: The DJI Mic or Rode Wireless Go II?

Video is more prevalent than ever, and along with the expectation of high-quality production and editing, clients expect top-notch audio to match. The Rode Wireless GO II has been a popular choice for some time, but the DJI Mic has recently challenged it and offers some compelling features and smart design choices that make it a great alternative. This excellent video review takes a look at both options to help you choose which is right for your work.

A Beginner's Guide to Masks and Layers in Photoshop

Two of the most fundamental and important features in Photoshop are layers and masks, and it is rare you will ever edit an image without using one or both of them. If you are new to Photoshop and want to begin building your knowledge of the application, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of layers and masks and how to use them to edit your images.

Can Sigma Dethrone This Impressive Fujifilm Lens?

Sigma has finally arrived on the Fujifilm X mount, and it has photographers excited at the prospect of using the company's popular lenses that are well known for providing excellent image quality at impressively competitive prices. One such example is the affordable 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, and this fantastic video review compares it to the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR to see which provides better performance and image quality.

5 Tips To Reinvigorate Your Photography

Lost your photography mojo? It's something that happens to us all and not just once, it's a part of life but let's not get philosophical here, let's just look at a few ways to reinvigorate your photography.

Your First Photos Will Be Bad, but That's Alright!

Photography is a high. The magic that some of those first images a photographer takes is difficult to put into words. The joy that comes from image-making hooks you, and often, there is no turning back.

How To Mix Lights on Location

Being a photographer means being able to adapt to any given lighting situation to create images that are remarkable. In this video, Sophia Carey shares some of her insights with a behind-the-scenes look at a night portrait shoot on film.

How to Choose the Right ISO for Your Photos

Along with shutter speed and aperture, ISO is one of the three fundamental parameters for determining the correct exposure of your images. ISO is a bit different from aperture and shutter speed, however, as you almost never use it for creative purposes like the other two. So, how do you manage it properly? This helpful video tutorial will show you what you need to know to choose the right ISO for every photo.

Perfect Your Compositions Using the Principles of Art and Design

Following on from my article about the seven elements of art and how they can perfect your photography, I thought I would share a summary of the principles of art. Knowing how they work can make all the difference to how well your compositions work.

How to Use Lightroom and Photoshop to Sculpt the Light in a Photo

Flat light in an otherwise interesting photo can be a frustrating thing, but with the dynamic range and post-processing latitude of a lot of modern sensors, you can do quite a lot to reshape an image in post and turn it into a compelling photo. This fantastic video tutorial will tell you how to take a photo that suffers from flat light but that has potential and use Lightroom and Photoshop to turn it into something great.

A Six-Month Review of the DJI Action 2 Camera

DJI's Action 2 is a tiny action camera meant to be placed in a variety of challenging environments and still come away with compelling footage, making it potentially quite the fun sidekick. This great video review takes a look at the camera after six months of usage, including how it holds up and the kind of performance and quality you can expect from it.

Picfair's Urban Wildlife Photography Awards

Picfair is sponsoring a new Urban Wildlife Photography Awards competition intended to celebrate our growing connection with urban wildlife. Enter here. Hurry, entries close May 31, 2022 at midnight.

A Powerful Way to Change Focus With Photoshop Filters and AI

Have you ever had to shoot a photograph at f/11 while wishing you were shooting f/1.8? If you've ever wanted to change the depth of field of a photograph, you know that creating a depth map isn’t the easiest thing to do. Instead of struggling to create the perfect depth map in Adobe Photoshop, using selections and brushes, this video guides you down a simpler path.

Are Your Photos Not Sharp? Here Are 15 Reasons Why

It's taken me years to figure out the myriad reasons why my photos weren't always as sharp as I expected. You can cut out all of that learning time by watching this one video that sums it all up.

Filmora 11: Unleashing the Power of Video in Your Business

Like it or not, video is the preferred means of communication for most content creators these days. A quick look at Fstoppers itself proves that. Even when it is a photographer who is providing information to other photographers, video is the medium of choice.

Focus Stacking Made Easy With Helicon Focus

A few weeks ago I published an article here on Fstoppers about handheld focus stacking. In this article I share my in-the-field workflow, as well as the automatic stacking option Photoshop offers to put all images together during photo editing. This option has its limitations though and because I lately had to work on some very complex stacks, I had to look for a better solution. And with Helicon Focus I found it.

The Nikon Z9 Is Better Than the Sony a1, Or Is It?

It's no secret that everyone is buzzing about the Sony a1 and the Nikon Z 9. Both are beautiful mirrorless cameras that have a lot of great features to offer. But, which one should you pick?

Are Photos Supposed to Show Reality?

In this video, MIT Associate Professor Ramesh Raskar says that photo-realism is dead. They're discussing machine learning and technologies working to give us evenly exposed night-time images on our mobile phones. If these technologies are not available in professional cameras today, will they ever be, and would you want them as a professional photographer?

How to Create a High Key Background and Rim Lights Using a Softbox

Creating a high key background and adding rim lights is a fantastic way to add a really professional touch to your images, but doing so can take three or four extra lights on top of whatever you are already using to light your subject, often making it particularly cumbersome. What if you could add the high key background and rim lights using just a single light? This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do it.

8 Common Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make

There are a lot of different facets you have to learn and master when you are starting out as a photographer, and as such, things can go wrong due to a variety of reasons. If you are new to photography and looking to improve, check out this excellent video tutorial that details eight common mistakes beginner photographers make and how to fix them or avoid them entirely in the first place.

100 Photoshoot Ideas in 6 Minutes

Are you feeling a bit stuck creatively lately and unsure of how to break out of the rut? This fantastic video tutorial will show you 100 interesting and creative photoshoot ideas in just six minutes, and it is sure to help you find the inspiration you need.

Can You Tell the Difference Between the 24-70mm EF and RF Lenses? Look For Yourself and Prepare to Be Shocked

I upgraded my camera to the Canon EOS R5 last year and have since been shooting with my adapter ring and the EF lenses. If this sounds like jargon to you: let me catch you up to speed. Canon launched its first mirrorless camera in 2018, and the mount on the mirrorless cameras is different than the ones of the previous DSLRs. As a workaround, you can use an adapter ring to shoot with your older EF lenses on the new mirrorless cameras.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (March 2022): Hajnalka Beren

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.

Does Color Accuracy Make a Big Difference in Professional Photography?

When starting out in photography, we get busy trying to understand the basics: shutter speed, aperture, composition, etc. As we progress, we start to care about much subtler things, such as color reproduction, sharpness, and, of course, color accuracy. But is color accuracy just a myth? Let’s find out.

How Color Theory Can Help You Improve Your Photos

When it comes to often-neglected topics that deserve a lot more attention than they get, color theory has to be near the top of the list. Understanding how different colors interact and how you use them to complement, balance, or play off each other is a fantastic way to start making more creative, harmonious, and compelling photos. This fantastic video tutorial shows how to use the power of color theory to make eye-catching portraits.

A First Look at the New Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S Lens

With Nikon and Canon starting to push quite hard in the professional mirrorless realm in the last few years, we have seen a resurgence of the development of professional supertelephoto lenses. Most such lenses have long been near the top of image quality and autofocus performance, so a lot of the focus has been on reducing weight and size while maintaining that performance and image quality. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens is the latest in that trend, and this great video takes a first look at what we can expect from it.

3 Common Landscape Photography Mistakes That Can Derail Your Images

Landscape photography is a tough genre that requires a lot of factors to all come together in order to produce a successful image, ranging from technical aptitude to creative vision and even a little luck with the conditions. As such, it is important to be aware of common mistakes that can derail you in your pursuits. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing three such mistakes and what you can do to fix or avoid them in the first place.

We Review the Westcott Optical Spot by Lindsay Adler

The Westcott Optical Spot by Lindsay Adler is a modifier that can be used to create a variety of in-studio effects including shapes, patterns, hues, and selective shadowing of a subject or background. If you are a portrait photographer, this device can open up a myriad of creative options for you and your clients.

What Will Surprise the Next Generation About Photography Today

Technology moves quickly, and it only takes a few generations for there to feel like a profound divide between age groups. What do you think the next generation will not know about the photography of today or will be surprised by?

5 Tips for Backing Up Your Files and Protecting Your Photos and Videos

Joe DiGiovanna is creating an incredible 30-year time-lapse of New York City; so, if there is anyone to ask about proper file backup strategy, my money would be on him. In this helpful video tutorial, he shares five great tips to ensure you are backing up your files properly and effectively, just in case disaster strikes.

A Messier Road Trip Through the Sky

March brings the Spring equinox, hope for improved weather, and the possibility of a marathon road trip through the sky via the Messier list of astronomical objects. Note: it’s not supposed to be a “messy” list.

A Review of the Affordable But Impressive Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 Lens

A small, affordable prime lens with a relatively wide focal length can be tremendously useful (as long as it has the image quality to back it up), and at just $256 and 5.5 oz (155 g), the Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens certainly fits the bill. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of sharpness and performance you can expect from it in real-world usage.

The Fun of Shooting Street Photography at 200mm

Most street photography is shot at around 24mm or 35mm, but, of course, there is no reason you can't shoot it at longer focal lengths — even much longer if you so desire. This fun video follows a street photographer as he roams around Chicago, shooting at 200mm and showing just how different the photos look with such a distinctive focal length.

100 Years of Men in Love: An Accidental Collection

Photos are, at their essence, about acting as a witness to a feeling or emotion. Neal Treadwell and Hugh Nini's accidental collection, 100 Years of Men in Love, is a witness to love and hope. Showing on HereTV, David Millbern's documentary about Nini and Treadwell's collection is well worth the 60 minute investment.

The Sony a7C Versus the a7 IV: Which Mirrorless Camera Is Right for You?

When it comes to Sony's a7 series of camera, both the a7C and a7 IV are the most generalist options, offering the best balance of photo and video features at reasonable prices. So, if you are looking for an all-around option, which of the two is the best? This great video comparison takes a look at the two cameras to help you decide which is right for you.

4 Tips for Creating Window Light in Studio

The look of light filtering through a window to light a subject is both quite recognizable, even to the non-photographer, and a fantastic way to give your portraits a natural and elegant look. However, depending on where your studio is and when you are working, you may not always have the luxury of perfect window light. It is not that difficult to create it with artificial lighting, though, and this awesome video tutorial will show you four tips to ensure you get the best possible result.

The Most Important Rule to Improve Your Photography

Whether you are just starting your journey or are a seasoned veteran, allowing yourself to fail can be difficult as an artist. Yet, it continues to be the absolute best way to improve your work.

Which Fujifilm 35mm Lens Is Best?

50mm (equivalent) lenses are rather versatile, able to cover a range of situations. Fujifilm shooters have quite a few options available to them at that focal length, and this excellent video comparison takes a look at three of them: the Fujifilm XC 35mm f/2, XF 35mm f/1.4 R, and the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR.

How to Grow Your Food Photography Business

When it comes to building a successful photography business, the ability to know where and how to find new clients is crucial to long-term survival, as they will not always come to your door. Every genre requires different techniques and methods to accomplish that, and this fantastic video tutorial will give you a ton of great advice on how to track down and land new food photography clients.