It's All About the Details: A Couple of Photo Processing Tips

Anyone familiar with Karl Shakur's work is aware of his creativity, extreme attention to detail, and recognizable style. This video he produced during the COVID shutdown takes a quick dive into how he achieves his consistent color grading and clean aesthetic using Lightroom and Photoshop (although I was able to accomplish all of these things using Capture One Pro).

What Is The Real Difference Between Budget and Premium Lights?

One of the greatest things to happen in recent years for photography is the huge increase in incredibly well-designed budget lighting systems. Although most of them come from the same factories as the premium brands, offer similar specs on paper, and often have alarmingly similar looks, what is the real difference?

If Fuji's Instax Is the Cash Cow, Should It Produce Digital Cameras?

Fuji's Instax line of products — the legacy of its film heyday — is successful. They've sold more than 50 million cameras, with 10 million alone in the 2019 business year. However, more than that, it's the financial powerhouse for its Imaging division, turning over twice as much money as its digital counterpart. It's strange to think that film is where the money is, but for Fuji, that is the case. So, why is it making digital cameras?

The Best 35mm Lens: Showdown Between the New Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art and the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM

The newly announced Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art DG DN is the updated version of the previous and popular DG HSM version. With a greater number of elements, more aperture blades, and weather-sealing, all contained in a lighter design, the new lens seems like it could be a brilliant option. However, how does it compare with some of the other options on the market?

Some Inspiration: Finalists of the Second Annual Whalebone Photo Contest

Whalebone Magazine (the self-proclaimed ninth-best magazine in the world) just wrapped up their Second Annual Whalebone Photo Contest, leading up to the release of their aptly named Photo Issue. Categories included Water, Adventure, Human, Motion, Joy, and Weather — whatever those things mean to you.

A Novel Way of Understanding Composition in Photography

Composition in photography is deep if not fairly abstract subject matter, and beyond the Rule of Thirds and Golden Spiral, things can get very subjective or in need of contextualization. This video offers quite a different way of approaching composition, using a technique developed by graphic designers.

Is the Hype Real? Fstoppers Reviews the Sony a1

This isn't one of those first impressions or my thoughts about the Sony a1 from behind a desk. In fact, over my course with the camera, I have shot more than 10 thousand frames. So here is the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A Quick Tutorial on How To Replace a Sky in Photoshop

If you've ever left a shoot a little disappointed with how the weather panned out — and I imagine this is a feeling we're all familiar with — perhaps changing the sky in post-production might salvage your images.

Wedding Photography: Is Life Better as a Second Shooter?

Wedding photography is a rather polarizing genre, with many people warning against getting into it due to its pressures and expectations. But for those who have an interest in it but might be put off by its demands, there is another option: being a second shooter. This excellent video discusses five reasons why being a second shooter might be the best choice for you.

How to Edit Stunning Portraits Using Luminar AI

Luminar AI offers a very different workflow when compared to Lightroom and Capture One, and one of the biggest differences is probably the speed at which changes can be made, thanks to some intelligent automation. This short video gives you insights into simple techniques that deliver great results.

Don't Overlook the Value of the Canon EOS RP

Mirrorless cameras have become incredibly advanced in the last few years, but not all of us need top-shelf features in our primary or secondary bodies. For Canon shooters, the EOS RP offers full frame mirrorless at a very affordable price, and this great video review discusses why it is still a relevant body a few years after its release.

What Has Apple Got Planned for the iPad Pro?

Last week, on April 20th, 2021, Apple announced a range of new products. The Apple April event this year was one of the most eagerly anticipated in recent memory. Usually, the tech community has a good idea of what to expect from Apple at their events, but this time was different.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (April 2021): Hanna Wimmer

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.

A Look at the New Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens

Sony's new FE 14mm f/1.8 GM lens is here, and it stands as one of the widest-aperture ultra-wide angle lenses ever made, giving photographers and videographers unique creative capabilities. If you are interested in what this new lens can do, check out this excellent video review that examines the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

AI Is Everywhere in Photography. Should We Just Learn To Love It?

The floodgates for artificial intelligence’s interference (or improvements, depending on your point of view) in digital photography have opened up since Apple and Google made it mainstream, with advancements such as Portrait Mode and Night Sight. Adobe took it another direction when it added an A.I.-powered “enhance” feature that enabled the enlarging of photos beyond what’s naturally possible. But is this making photography less real than it should be?

Helpful Tips for New Film Photographers

Film photography has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, and it is a fun way to explore your creativity and experience a different way of making images. If you are new to film photography, this excellent video tutorial will provide you with a variety of helpful tips to get you up and running in no time.

Does Sensor Size Make That Big a Difference in Your Work?

There is a lot of debate back and forth about just how important sensor size is in photography. And with professional-level camera and lens lines available in Micro Four Thirds, APS-C, full frame, and medium format, you might wonder which is right for your work. This great video compares APS-C to medium format for landscape photography, and you might be surprised by just how well the smaller sensor holds up.

5 Misleading Specs That Can Trick Camera Buyers

If you're looking at buying a new piece of equipment, you will likely just look at the spec sheet and compare it to something similar. But even the numbers don't tell the full story.

Is the Canon EOS R5 Worth the Price for Landscape Photography?

The Canon EOS R5 has turned a lot of heads for its high-powered features, and while those are great to have, not all genres require such advanced capabilities. So, is it worth paying the premium price for the EOS R5 for a genre like landscape photography? This excellent video review compares the EOS R5 to the 50-megapixel 5DS R, which can be bought for about a third of the price, to help you decide.

5 Tips for Better Wildlife Photographs

Do you want to become a better wildlife photographer but you aren’t sure where to start? Here are five tips to help you create beautiful animal photographs no matter your skill level.

5 Great Tips To Help You Make the Most Of Vintage Lenses

Using vintage lenses is a great way to produce images and footage that is full of character. Here are five great tips to help you get to grips when attaching a piece of history to your shiny new digital camera.

Bird Photography With the Canon EOS R5

The Canon EOS R5 is one of the most impressive cameras we have seen in quite some time, and it brings with it a huge range of impressive features and improvements. This excellent video puts it to the test with both native and adapted lenses to show you the kind of performance and image quality you can expect.

A Look at the New DJI Air 2S Drone

The DJI Air 2S is here, and it brings with it some major improvements and upgrades over the Mavic Air 2 while still maintaining an ultra-portable profile. This excellent video review takes a look at how it compares to the Mavic Air 2 and the type of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Look at a Classic Film Camera: The Canon A-1

Film photography has seen a bit of a resurgence in the last few years, and if you are just getting into it, the vast array of cameras out there can be a bit overwhelming at first. This great video review takes a look at a classic camera and a great choice for trying out film, the Canon A-1.

How to Adjust Facial Features Using Photoshop

It used to be rather tricky trying to adjust certain facial features in Photoshop in a convincing manner, but Adobe recently added a lot of semi-automated features for doing so. This helpful video tutorial will walk you through the tools, showing you how to use them and giving you a variety of tips for getting the best possible results out of them.

Capturing Intimate Wave Photography With a Telephoto Lens

The ocean has long been a muse for artists of every sort. For photographers, coastal waves, in particular, provide a pleasant combination of color and motion which presents many creative opportunities. Using a telephoto lens, it is possible to capture incredible detail from a safe (not to mention dry) location.

Tips and Tricks for Shooting the Icelandic Volcano at Night

As the Icelandic volcano continues to erupt in Gelingadalur, Iceland, these two photographers share their very best tips and tricks for photographing a volcanic eruption, and luckily the same techniques can be applied to landscape photography anywhere in the world with an active, erupting volcano.

How Often Should You Post To Instagram in 2021?

Instagram isn’t as relevant as it once was, largely thanks to freebooting, community accounts, and influencer over-saturation, but for many photographers, it’s still a great way to connect with an audience. How often should you post to get the most engagement?

The Free Map App All Photographers Should Be Using

It doesn't matter what type of photographer you are, having the ability to accurately document and locate hard-to-find spots is worth its weight in gold. This app is about to revolutionize how we all shoot on location.

We Review the Fujifilm GFX 100S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

This year seems like it’s shaping up to be the second wave of megapixel wars from the major manufacturers. In this review, we’ll take a look at the 102-megapixel Fujifilm GFX 100S medium format mirrorless camera and what it has been like to work with over the last month.

A Review of the New Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Lens

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is here, providing an update to the company's first-ever Art Series lens with a bevy of new features and improvements, all at a very affordable price. This excellent video review takes a look at the new lens and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

3 Tips for Creating Dramatic Lighting in Your Portraits

Lighting holds the keys to the overall feel of an image for the most part, particularly with portraiture. In this video, you will see behind-the-scenes of a dramatic, moody portrait shoot with some tips on how to replicate the style yourself.

How to Remove Anything in Photoshop

One of the most common and versatile uses of Photoshop is removing objects from an image in a convincing manner. If you are new to the program, this helpful video tutorial will show you two useful tools that will help you remove just about anything when used in tandem.

5 Helpful Tips for Better Posing

While things like camera settings and light placement are quantifiable, posing is a bit more subjective and nebulous and thus is often one of the last things photographers really master. If you have been having a bit of trouble improving your posing, this helpful video tutorial will show you five great tips that will advance your images.

Photographers: It's Just for Social, Can You Drop Your Rates?

For years, we've heard clients ask photographers for a few images. The client would pay for all types of usage rights and then they'd ask for a few images as freebies, for social media. And that trend continued for several years. We'd throw in a few for social media and make the client happy. As social media grew, the budgets stayed small.

Is This the Best Portrait Lens Available Today?

Portrait lenses are some of the most popular optics out there, and as such, photographers have a huge range of choices that offer a variety of capabilities at many price points. This great video review takes a look at one of the best portrait lenses out there, the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR and the kind of image quality you can expect from it.