Your First Film Camera for Under $50

It’s no well-kept secret that cell phone cameras have made digital photography ubiquitous. Over the last few years, film has regained popularity. In her video, Madison Beach shares a few reasons why you should be shooting film!

Get Ready for Winter Landscape Photography With Nick Page

With winter approaching fast (for our readers in the northern hemisphere), it's time for landscape photographers to prepare for snowy scenes and cold sunrises. Though it can introduce a new level of challenge to your standard photography routine, photographing landscapes in the winter can also be very rewarding and will certainly add a new dimension to your portfolio.

A Simple and Straightforward Product Photography Walkthrough

Product photography is a tough genre that will really challenge your lighting skills and attention to detail. The great part about it, though, is that you can practice it at home, even if you do not have much space, and the techniques you pick up are applicable to a wide range of other genres. To help you get started, this great video tutorial will show you a simple and straightforward product shoot walkthrough.

Which Is Better for You: 85mm or 135mm Lenses?

When it comes to shorter telephoto primes, 85mm is probably the most common choice, but 135mm is often a popular second option. So, which is the right choice for your work? This fantastic video takes a look at the two focal lengths and shows you some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

How to Create Light Rays Using Photoshop

A few light rays in something like a backlit portrait can be a nice finishing touch that adds a bit extra to the image. Of course, we can't always be so lucky as to capture them in camera. However, it is not overly difficult to add them in post, and this great video tutorial will show you how to do it easily in Photoshop.

You No Longer Need Photography Skills to Be a Good Photographer

When you combine modern photography gear, even at the entry-level, with today's post-production software, it has never been easier for people to get high-quality images. The days of perfectly matching time, elements, and light are essentially done.

Is the Cheapest Samsung Frame TV Worth Your Money?

While many of us hold printing photographs in high regard — myself included — digital displays of photography are becoming more prevalent, affordable, and effective. But is Samsung's range of frame TVs worth your hard-earned cash?

Are Modern Zoom Lenses a Better Choice Than Primes?

A decade ago, the differences between zoom and prime lenses were stark: zooms offered convenience and versatility, while primes offered better image quality and more extreme apertures. However, the gap has closed in recent years, with zooms showing marked jumps in image quality and pushing their designs to new extremes, blurring the line between the two. So, can you get by with just zooms now? This insightful video takes a deep look at the question.

How to Take Better Indoor Pet Photographs

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the season of shorter days and more time spent indoors is upon us. Indoor pet photography can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to result in leaving the camera down until spring.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (November 2021): Melody Mellinger

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.

10 Steps for Creating a Black and White Image in Lightroom

Sometimes, a black and white edit can be what really breathes life into a photo. However, a good black and white edit is about a lot more than simply pulling all of the color out of an image. This excellent video tutorial will show you 10 steps to creating a compelling black and white image using Lightroom.

What's the Future of Photography?

No doubt, photography is in a time of change. As the abilities of cameras skyrocket, ironically, the demand for photographers decreases, as all that technology makes it easier for normal consumers to get photos that are good enough for their needs. So, what is the future of photography? Is the industry going to look completely different in a decade or two? What will cameras be like? This interesting video tackles some of those questions.

How to Be Original With Your Photography

In some sense, it is harder than ever to be a photographer producing truly original work. The world is absolutely inundated with images, and creating something that stands apart from the pack is quite the challenge. So, how can we be original with our images? This excellent video essay discusses the topic and offers some good insight.

Helpful Tips for Getting the Most From Lightroom's New Masking Features

Lightroom's masking features recently got a huge upgrade, and they have enabled some new capabilities that truly make working on your images far easier and more efficient. If you still have not taken a deep dive into the new masking panel yet, check out this great video tutorial that will give you some useful tips for getting the most out of it.

My Bokeh Is Better Than Yours Part Two: How to Calculate Blur

In the first part of this series of two, I introduced bokeh — out-of-focus areas — and outlined the main controls of defocus. These include sensor size, focal length, aperture, distance to subject, and distance to the backdrop. How, then, do you compare defocus between lenses and cameras? Read on.

Pentax Continues to March to Their Own Beat

Two years ago, Ricoh executives claimed that most users would return to DSLRs in one or two years. Two years later, that has not happened, but it has not stopped the company from continuing to march to their own unique beat, as this interview reveals.

The 3 P's of Landscape Photography

Creating a successful landscape image takes a variety of skills, some that don't even involve a camera. If you want to get on the road to success, check out this great video tutorial that will help you frame your approach to landscape photography through three major aspects.

Up the Production Value of Your Portraits With Topaz Labs 

Perhaps some of the biggest dealbreakers for images are sharpness, resolution, and noise. No one likes a blurry low-res ISO 25,600 file. Yet, sometimes the client picks the worst possible file that is the definition of poor image quality. Luckily, Topaz Labs have developed AI-enabled software which lets you save your portraits. Act fast and take advantage of their Cyber Monday prices.

Things Nobody Teaches You About Photography

Becoming a successful photographer is a remarkably complex thing that takes the confluence of a range of skills, creativity, and often, a bit of luck. If you are new to photography and wondering how to bring it all together, check out this great video that features an experienced photographer discussing things no one really teaches beginners.

What's the Advantage of Having Studio Setups Logged In Your Metadata?

Imagine you can open up Lightroom and browse through the lighting setup (a graphic from top down) that shows you what you did during your shoot, where each photo has its lights, and the setup of these lights, all embedded. Would that be beneficial?

Get Her a Camera!

I operate a channel that helps photographers on YouTube and Instagram, and both audiences are predominantly male. I've worked on sets for over a dozen years, where there is the expectation that men are the directors or photographers and women handle the glam. Is that a problem? Yes, it's a big problem, and here's why.

How To Get Cinematic Footage in Any Location, Every Time

If you're pursuing filmmaking and you want to start shooting documentary-style films, this video will give you what you need to make sure you get cinematic shots and can tell a compelling story.

Fstoppers Reviews Venus Optic’s 85mm f/5.6 2x Macro Lens: Amazing Magnification From a Tiny Lens

If you’re into macro photography, you might be wondering why so many macro lenses emphasize a wide aperture; f/2.8 is nice to have, but when focused down to 1:1, it’ll leave you with no depth of field. From my point of view, Venus Optics seems to have had the same thought. They built a macro lens with a spec sheet that’s focused on delivering macro results. Is this the new best option for macro photographers?

Why a Drone Is My Favorite Purchase That I Did Not Need

Drones are appealing to a wide gamut of people, from creatives to tech-heads, to aviation enthusiasts. For me, it was perhaps a blend of all three, but something I couldn't easily justify. Nevertheless, I bought one anyway, and it turned out to be the best poor decision I've ever made.

A Review of the Quirky and Capable Fujifilm X100V Mirrorless Camera

I have never loved a fixed prime lens camera, except for the Fujifilm X100 series. Quirky, fun, and impressively capable, these small cameras have become quite respected across the industry. Now in the fifth generation, the newest version is highly refined and versatile, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it.

Sony a7 IV Versus Sony a7 III: Should You Upgrade?

Sony kept fans waiting a long time before finally unveiling the a7 IV, and with the release date quickly approaching, a7 III users will be weighing whether it’s worth the upgrade. And what if you're pondering your first a7 camera? Should you shell out the extra cash for the newer camera?

A Review of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 Lens

It might not be the most exciting lens out there, but Nikon's NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 is highly portable, affordable, and surprisingly sharp given its size and price. If you are looking for such a lens, check out this excellent video that takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Sam Newton Shares His Four Tips to Film Maker Success

Sam Newton made a big impact in the YouTube community when he filmed a music video about how he'll be the next Peter McKinnon. He dropped a lot of names, and since all the big YouTubers watched it, he got mentioned by most of them and therefore got a large following on the platform. This is how he started and his advice for the long game in making films.

What I Took on a 10-Day Commercial Ad Campaign

Knowing what equipment you should take on a job is always difficult, so I thought I would share with you what I ended up taking on a 10-day ad campaign, and more importantly, why.

How to Choose the Right Camera Gear

Camera gear is not only meant for professional work, it is a ton of fun as well. However, it is quite expensive, and as such, every purchase you make should be carefully considered beforehand. This helpful video tutorial features some good advice on how to choose the right gear for you.

Ways to Improve Your Photography Without a Camera

Photography is the sort of thing you can always find new ways in which to improve, whether it is your technique, creativity, business, or something else. If you are looking for ways to improve your photography, be sure to check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you several ways to become a better photographer that will not require a camera.

10 Very Affordable Gifts for Photographers

If you’re plotting a gift for the photographer in your life, check out this list of ideas. I should warn you, some of them are slightly silly, but they are all very affordable and could make for some excellent stocking fillers.

A Review of the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens was highly respected for being relatively affordable compared to other premium lenses while still offering tack-sharp images, fantastic image stabilization, and of course, 1:1 macro capability, all making for one of the most versatile lenses out there. The RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM follows up on the EF version's legacy by introducing a range of new features and improvements, and this great video review takes a look at how it performs.

How to Shoot Kodak's Incredible Aerochrome Film

I recently interviewed Australian film photographer Rob Walwyn on his incredible images documenting the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated Australia’s east coast in late 2019 and early 2020. Walwyn’s project, "Karrikins," led to his first solo exhibition at the 2021 Head On Photo Festival in Sydney.

How to Retouch a Dramatic Portrait From Start to Finish

Portraiture is one of the most popular genres of photography for many reasons and photographs of people are often the ones that are looked at the most and for the longest. One style within portraiture that is a staple is the dramatic look. In this video, watch a start-to-finish edit of a portrait with the dramatic look as the end goal.

Will Sony Release These Four New Cameras in 2022?

2021 has been a busy year for flagship cameras from Nikon and Canon and while Sony made a significant impact after finally announcing the a7 IV, the company might feel that it is now behind the competition. With that in mind, what does it have in store for 2022?

Fstoppers Reviews the HEX x Misshattan Ranger DSLR Sling Bag

I’ve never been one to consider style in my bag purchases, but if that style comes at no extra cost, then, why not? That’s certainly the case with the new HEX x Misshattan Ranger DSLR Sling, a different take on the company’s regular Ranger DSLR Sling.

Helpful Tips to Improve Your Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is a challenging genre that requires you to not only be deft and confident with your camera and post-processing, but also able to make the subject comfortable in front of your lens. If you would like to improve your portrait photography, check out this awesome video tutorial that will give you a wide variety of helpful tips to get you on the right track.

Photography Gift Ideas for Under $100

With Christmas lurking over the hill like a bright red flashing pickpocket, it's time to start figuring out what to buy your loved ones. If they are a photographer, here are some ideas that won't bankrupt you.

How to Photograph a Translucent Product on a White Background

A product shot on a clean, white background with no distractions is a look that will always be in demand, though it presents some challenges to the photographer creating the image. Those challenges increase when the product is translucent and lets light through it, but this excellent video tutorial will show you how to deal with such a situation to produce a professional final image.

5 Common Mistakes New Photographers Make

When you are new to photography, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to learn and master a multitude of techniques and technical parameters all while developing a creative style at the same time. It is completely normal to make mistakes along the way. This helpful video tutorial discusses five common mistakes beginners make and how to fix them or avoid them entirely so you can get on the path to better images more quickly.

Improve Your Astrophotography With Topaz Labs

Astrophotography and nighttime photography generally come with their own respective challenges. The biggest problem tends to be increased noise especially in the shadow areas of an image. But what if there was some incredibly smart software that could magically get rid of the noise and improve your images, would you use it?

A Lesson on How Spotting Interesting Light Can Improve Your Street Photography

Light makes or breaks most scenes, whether video or stills photography. In many genres, it's controllable and you can set it up how you like it. But with genres that are candid and wild — street photography for instance — you need to be able to identify brief opportunities as scenes and light interact.

Fstoppers Interviews Rob Walwyn on His Upcoming Photo Exhibition 'Karrikins'

Australian photographer Rob Walwyn is hosting the first exhibition of his project ‘Karrikins’ as part of Sydney's Head On Photo Festival. Karrikins documents the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated Australia’s east coast in late 2019 and early 2020. What makes Walwyn’s images even more stunning is his use of Kodak’s discontinued false-color infrared film Aerochrome.

When Should You Make a Photo Black and White?

Of all the edits you can do to a photo, perhaps none is more fundamentally transformative than converting it to black and white. However, how do you know when to make that conversion? This excellent video tutorial discusses the topic as it applies to wedding photos and portraits and offers some helpful advice.