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.

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.

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.

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.

Cameras on phones have gotten incredibly good in the last five years, but can their images hold up in print? I wanted to find out, and the results blew me away.

The artist and urban explorer known as Slippn fell six stories and broke her back for her art. Despite the incredible images urban explorers can often get, she is now warning others of the dangers.

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.

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.

For most photographers, the idea of a (relatively) fast lens covering everything from 35mm to 150mm is a dream come true. Does the Tamron lens live up to the dream?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

I didn't ever intend to be a professional photographer, I didn't even intend to be a part-time photographer. Nevertheless, I am approaching 10 years of making money from my camera, and I took the time to write down some key lessons and takeaways.

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.

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.

I have had an Instagram for a while now. Having tailored my account to photography, Instagram has been the backbone for my social media presence. But I, as well as most creators, don't like using it. We still do, though.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You are going to learn how to book more photo clients now! It’s easier when you ask the right questions. This blog will guide you through the first client meeting. It's the most important meeting where they decide who to hire and for what budget.

LiteGear has announced the Auroris, a turnkey solution for overhead lighting.

When it comes to dodging and burning, you probably think of using it on portraits, but really, it is a technique that can improve your photos in just about any genre, landscape photography included. If you are wondering how to apply it to your own work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to do it entirely in Lightroom.

Everyone knows that photographing small children is extremely challenging. But you haven’t lived until you’ve attempted to photograph your kids.

Emotion is a powerful tool, and it is often essential to the photographic process and our ability to motivate ourselves and find the best versions of our creative selves. On the other hand, emotion can be a dangerous thing that leads you down the wrong path if you are not careful. This fantastic video essay discusses both the pros and cons of emotion in photography to help you make the most of it.

The glow of streetlights and the like can add a nice bit of warmth, elegance, and atmosphere to a nighttime cityscape photo, but, of course, you do not get control over those lights, and they will not always be turned on when you are out shooting. It is not too difficult to turn them "on," and you do not even need Photoshop to do it. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to do it quickly and convincingly using Lightroom.

It’s important to have a subject in your photo. Without a subject, a photo may be less interesting to look at. Sometimes, the subject is easy to spot, but at other times, it might be more difficult. You can get some help from Lightroom to check if your photo has a subject.

Bird photography is a challenging genre, requiring top-level technique, specialized equipment, and an excellent understanding of animal behavior to produce compelling images, but when you get it all right, the results can be stunning. If you would like to improve your bird photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial by an experienced bird photographer that will show you everything that goes into making a compelling bird image from start to finish.

Shift lenses provide crucial solutions to problems faced by architectural and real estate photographers, and until recently, options have been extremely limited. Let’s take a look at this new shift lens option from Laowa.

Do you consider yourself a successful photographer? Is that something you want to be? How do you even measure that? There are certain things that all top photographers have, whether as amateurs or professionals. The Canon R5 isn’t one of them.

We often get quite caught up in the headline-grabbing specs of cameras — things like sensor resolution, burst speed, autofocus, and more. However, one thing you will not find on a spec sheet but that can have a huge impact on your quality of life is a camera's handling. Which cameras have been the best? This neat video discusses five top choices.

When it comes to landscape photography, you can't control the elements in the frame like you can in just about any other genre, which, of course, means you need to be able to find elegant and compelling images instead of building them. If you want to improve your landscape photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you three helpful tips for finding better landscape photos.

As a photographer, you inevitably meet a lot of other photographers in the industry. As much as I am not a fan of putting anyone in a box, it is still lots of fun and can make for some great jokes. In this article, I will do just that: list the seven most common photographer types I met.