How to Create Hard Shadows and Soft Shadows in Your Photography

Did you know studies have shown that viewers form an opinion of people within 1/10th of a second of seeing them? In a similar way, viewers judge brands with a cursory glance. Brands rely on design elements such as color, shape, line, and font to communicate their identity and values.

2 Landscape Photographers Go Head-to-Head With a 70mm Challenge

One way to test your skills and to improve your creativity at the same time is to set yourself a shooting challenge. In this video, Nigel Danson and James Popsys go head-to-head with the challenge of shooting landscapes with only a 70mm focal length.

How to Improve Your Wedding Website and Get More Bookings

The website is the calling card of most photographers nowadays, and its design, user experience, and information all contribute to whether a potential client is likely to book you or move on. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced wedding photographer discussing several ways you can improve your website to increase your bookings.

A Look at Some of the Best Cameras and Lenses of the Past Few Years

It certainly is an exciting time to be a gear nerd, with manufacturers having released some truly next-level cameras and lenses in the last few years. This interesting video review takes a look at some of the best options of the last few years, their pros and cons, and how they compare to each other.

Did Nikon Hit the Sweet Spot With the Z fc Mirrorless Camera?

Nikon's first retro-inspired camera, the Df, came out to mostly middling reviews noting its emphasis on form over function. Their second effort, the mirrorless Z fc, keeps the retro aesthetic and features far more competitive specs. Did the company hit the sweet spot this time? This great video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from the Z fc.

10 Common Questions About Using Vintage Lenses

Vintage lenses have exploded in popularity in the last few years, offering photographers much more affordable options and unique looks that are not seen in more modern lenses. However, with so many options out there, it can be a bit hard to know where to look, what to buy, and how much to spend. This excellent video answers 10 common questions about using vintage lenses to get you on the right track.

We Review the Haida M10 Generation II Filter Holder

I started using the Haida M10 filter system in January 2020, and I liked it a lot. Since that time I have been using the M10 filter system exclusively. Now, Haida released a second generation with many improvements. I was provided with an M10 generation II filter holder for review.

The Proper Way to Use a Wide Angle Lens for Landscape Photography

When it comes to landscape photography, the lens of choice is almost always some sort of wide angle, whether a 16-35mm, 24mm, or something similar. And while such lenses are absolutely effective in the genre, there is a common mistake landscape photographers make with them, and this helpful video details both what it is and how to correct it.

How to Fake the Panning Effect in Adobe Photoshop

Panning photography has a few uses, but it's most commonly seen in motorsport. It's a tricky technique to get the most out of and on occasion, it's not even possible. In those situations, perhaps you can fake it instead.

Which of These Affordable 85mm Lenses Is Better?

85mm lenses are some of the most popular out there, but premium options can easily run well north of $2,000, which may be a lot more than you want or need to spend. There are many more affordable options that produce great results, and this excellent video review takes a look at two for Canon mirrorless cameras, the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 RF II and Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM.

How to Create Dramatic Headshots With Three Lights, One Light at a Time

Creating dramatic headshots using multiple lights doesn't have to be difficult. One of the best ways to become proficient at using a three-light setup is by building it one light at a time. In this article and the accompanying video, I will demonstrate how you can easily create dramatic headshots and portraits using a key light, kicker light, and fill light.

A Reminder Every New Photographer Needs to Hear

Taking successful photographs take a combination of a wide range of techniques, creative vision, timing, and often, a little bit of luck, and as such, it can take a long time to become consistently successful. If you are feeling a bit discouraged by the slow process, this great video has a message you need to hear.

If You Need a Bigger Backdrop for a Photoshoot, Try This

Have you ever had a great background you want to use for an image but it just isn't big enough? With this combination of techniques, both in-camera and in post-production, you can make it seem as if it was big enough.

The One Technique Everyone Should Be Talking About

Edward Weston began his career making soft, almost out-of-focus images that emphasized patterns and light. After a trip to Mexico in the 1920s, he decided that photography was really about details and realistic depictions of the world. He made a complete turnaround in his work and began making work that was simple and focused on tones and textures. He got so into "straight" photography that he didn’t even believe in cropping his images.

7 Camera Settings You Should Consider Changing

Modern digital cameras are remarkably complex machines, and there are a lot of parameters and settings you can adjust that will improve both the quality of your images and your ability to get the shot you want. This helpful video tutorial will show you seven camera settings (some well known and some not as obvious) you should consider changing to improve your photography experience.

How to Take Photos Without a Lens

The lens is obviously one of the most fundamental pieces of photography gear along with the camera, but strictly speaking, you do not actually need one to create an image. This interesting video will take you behind the scenes of a neat photography process that lets you take photos without even using a lens and show you the workflow and results.

How to Make the Most of the Wedding Photography Off-Season

In most places in the Northern Hemisphere, wedding photography is in the middle of its seasonal dip, giving photographers a chance to catch their breath and focus on other things for a while. So, what can you do to keep your business well oiled and ready for the next season? This excellent video tutorial will give you some ideas.

Is There a New King of Photoshop and Lightroom Performance?

The reviews on Intel’s 12th Gen Core desktop processors, named Alder Lake, have all come in, and the results are surprising. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your computer or just want to stay up to date on tech trends, you’ve got to see how these chips performed.

The Camera Industry in 2022: What Will the Future Bring?

2021 was another dramatic year for the camera industry despite logistical issues and ongoing battles with the global pandemic. We have a good idea of specific cameras to be released in 2022, but what else can we expect?

The Three Best Fujifilm X Mount Lenses

What are your favorite three Fujifilm X Mount lenses? As a Fujifilm fanboy, this is a question I have often mulled over — with the answer changing as often as new lenses are released.

A Look at Portraits Shot at Every Aperture

There is a bit of an obsession with shooting portraits at extremely wide apertures nowadays, and certainly, that is a popular look for a reason. Nonetheless, always shooting at f/1.4 to blow the background to smithereens can become a bit of a crutch and end up making your work a bit one-dimensional. This awesome video will show you portraits shot at everything from f/1.4 to f/16 to show you the strengths and drawbacks of each aperture.

A Professional Landscape Photographer Takes You Through His Mistakes

If you spend time on YouTube or Instagram, it can seem like professional landscape photographers are incapable of taking a bad photo, and it can be a bit discouraging. If you sometimes feel like that, it is well worth watching this video that takes you behind the scenes with a professional landscape photographer to give you a real look at the the process, including the mistakes along the way and the eventual successes.

Epic Medium Format Snow-Chasing Adventure

At this time of year, many readers of Fstoppers will only have to look out their windows to see snow. So, can you imagine driving 560 miles (900 km) in one day just for a glimpse of the white stuff?

The Best Way to Hashtag for Instagram

Using hashtags is still one of the best ways to get new eyes on your content regardless of what social media platform you are using. This method will save you time and change how you apply hashtags forever.

What Is the Best Medium Format Film Camera for Portraits?

Medium format sensors are usually housed in expensive cameras, but with film bodies, you have far more options without having to remortgage. In this video, one film photographer discusses what the best medium format film camera for portraits is.

The Importance of Taking Pictures for Their Own Sake

When was the last time you grabbed your camera and went for a walk or a hike with no particular purpose in mind? It can be more beneficial than you might think, and this great video essay discusses why.

How Much a Photographer and YouTuber Made in 2021

2020 and 2021 were anything but normal, and they hit photographers and creatives especially hard. This interesting video features a professional photographer and YouTuber sharing how much money he earned in 2021 down to the cent and breaking down where it all came from.

The 120-Year-Old Argument Against Gear

Alfred Stieglitz’s influence on photography is incomparable. Hailed as the "father of pictorialism," he not only helped define the movement but helped forward photography’s place in a broader art context.

A Review of the Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens

A good macro lens can be one of the most versatile in a photographer's bag, offering fantastic sharpness suitable for things like portraits in addition to its extreme magnification capabilities. The Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO offers even more magnification than normal, and this great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Five Reasons to Consider Capture One Over Lightroom

When it comes to software for editing and general management of your photos, the two major options are Lightroom and Capture One. Both have their pros and cons, and if you are currently wondering which is right for you or considering a switch, this excellent video overview will give you five reasons to consider Capture One over Lightroom.

8 Tools to Help You Improve Your Photography Business

If you want to be a successful photographer, it takes a lot more than being good with a camera and having creative ideas. All the most successful photographers are there because they understand how to run a proper business. If you are ready to revamp your approach in 2022, this awesome video will show you eight tools that will make you more efficient and productive and give you a better chance of finding success.

Why the S1R Is Still One of the Best Cameras for Landscape Photographers

Though the Panasonic Lumix S1R remains a dark-horse contender among its full frame mirrorless competitors, I believe Panasonic made a strong entry into the market that is still worth considering over the more established and up-to-date competition. Check out this article to learn about some interesting features that the S1R has to offer for landscape photographers.

Why You Should Shoot Film in 2022!

In the last few years, analog photographic processes have been making a big resurgence. After many years of emulating the film look digitally with presets, such as for Lightroom, many photographers are making the full jump into film photography.

5 Helpful Tips for Bird Photography

Bird photography is a challenging and fun genre that takes a lot of good technique, patience, understanding of animal behavior, and creativity to make compelling images. Whether you are new to the genre or a seasoned pro, this awesome video tutorial will give you five excellent tips that are sure to help you produce better photos.

Iris Photography: Could This Be Your Niche?

With an ever-increasing line of new photographic studios popping up, how do you carve out an income for yourself and at the same time create a niche for your business? Have you considered iris photography?

Beautiful, Minimalist Photography on a Scottish Island

Scotland has some stunning natural beauty, but the islands surrounding it are often neglected. In this video, one landscape photographer goes to the Isle of Harris and Lewis to conduct some stunning, minimalist photography.

5 Excuses That Are Holding Back Your Photography

More often than not, a photographer's greatest enemy when it comes to improving and growing as a creative is actually themselves. It can be a sneaky thing, though; we do not always notice when we are making our own lives unnecessarily difficult and holding back our work. This great video features a seasoned photographer discussing five common excuses we all need to push past to continue to grow as photographers.

How a Black Mist Filter Can Make Your Videos More Cinematic

Well, we've made it to the final video in Elia Locardi's eight-part video series on using filters for landscape photography. In this final episode, we will take a look at the new Nisi Black Mist filter set and how it can be used to improve your landscape photos and videos. Make sure you enter the final contest to win a set of your own.

How a National Geographic Photographer Selects the Best Images From a Shoot

Capturing hundreds of images on a shoot is easy. Culling a large number of images down to a handful of keepers is a time-consuming and often mentally difficult process for an artist. In this video, originally posted by Wired, photographer Steve Winter takes us through his thought process as he reduces 112 images down to one single select.

Is It Worth Switching From Full Frame to a Smaller Sensor?

When it comes to sensor size, the majority of the time, we talk about if it is worth moving from a smaller sensor to a bigger sensor, such as going from full frame to medium format. However, in the last few years, we have seen significant advances in the capabilities of APS-C cameras, both in terms of performance and sensor quality. So, is it worth trading in your gear for a smaller, lighter, and likely more affordable kit? This interesting video features a longtime photographer discussing his thoughts six years after switching.

7 Quick Tips for a Positive Change in Your Photography

A new year is here and with it comes the opportunity to reflect and make plans for how you will spend the next 12 months. If you're looking for inspiration on how to improve, here are seven quick tips to change your photography for the better.