Taking your passion and making a career out of it is the dream for many, but it stays an abstract dream for the majority. There are a lot of factors involved, but if you are in a position where you can and might take the leap, it's worth knowing what's on the table.
Gear acquisition syndrome, or G.A.S, is a name for those of us that like to accumulate tech gear, and in this case specifically, photographic equipment, normally in detriment to the learning process. If you struggle with G.A.S, then here are 10 ways to cure yourself.
It's a massive time-saver if you don't have to write out text, get it into your video project, align it correctly, and make corrections. It's now automatic in Premiere Pro, and it's something that puts Adobe ahead of Final Cut and Da Vinci Resolve.
If you were inspired by the majestic beauty of Washington State’s North Cascades in the first leg of our Pacific Northwest Escape (you can read all about the adventure here), wait until you see the magic of Oregon’s coastline through our lens.
He is one of the most revered photographers in the world. Having captured iconic images that became staples of modern culture, Albert Watson is a person that doesn’t need a long introduction. Recently, Fstoppers arranged an exclusive interview with Mr. Watson, where we asked the questions any beginner would want to have answers to. Read on to see what he had to say.
35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses are some of the most popular out there, offering relatively neutral focal lengths quite suitable for portraiture. However, each one renders your subject quite differently and is appropriate for different situations. This great video compares the three focal lengths and will show you the sort of images you can get from each to help you choose the right for your work.
Sony's a7 and a9 lines and the new a1 get the majority of the attention from the photography community, but the a6000 line it still widely respected as a portable and capable line. This excellent video review takes a look at their APS-C flagship, the a6600, and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
A location can make or break a photograph, so don't get caught in a bad spot. Fortunately, you don't need to go heading out for hours on end to learn how to do this. In this article, I've put together five of the most powerful techniques you can use to make the best of a bad location.
Making your images more eye-catching and appealing is almost always a worthwhile goal, but how can you achieve that? One way is to take pointers from cinema where such metrics are crucial to the success of a picture.
The new Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM lens offers an extreme combination of focal length and maximum aperture that create unique creative opportunities and does so in an impressively small package. This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
When I look at product photography and video in the fashion and beauty product industry, many of the shots are now computer-generated. It might be at a steep cost initially to get the team to create the products in 3D space, but once that’s done, the product can be used in any scene you need for the client. Are we beyond photography?
The Nikon Z fc has arrived, offering the company's latest mirrorless technology in tandem with a retro-inspired design that aims to capitalize on both the aesthetic of older cameras and their manual controls that return to a purer form of photography. With a small size and affordable price, it looks like a potential hit for Nikon, and this awesome video review takes a first look at the camera and what you can expect.
Undoubtedly one of the most revered focal lengths in portrait photography, this prime has many fans, despite its obvious limitations. Watch behind-the-scenes of a portrait shoot using the fastest 135mm on the market and then ask a loved one to hide your bank card.
Self-devised projects may seem like a waste of time. But are they really?
The Sony a7 III is a great camera, but it is a few years old now, and creatives are starting to wonder what the company will offer in the a7 IV. What would you like to see?
Tamron has been on a roll the last few years, producing lenses that offer great performance and image quality in tandem with smart compromises that help them undercut the prices of first-party manufacturers, often by significant amounts. The 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD is one of their latest, and this awesome video review takes a look at the lens and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Landscape photography is somewhat synonymous with shooting large scenes with a wide angle lens, but what about more intimate landscapes? On a recent trip through Colorado, I found myself using a telephoto lens almost exclusively and came up with five tips that might help your try one out for yourself.
Editing can be one of the biggest time commitments for any photographer, and it can also be a rather tedious and boring task depending on what you shoot. As such, it is well worth making the effort to streamline the process anywhere you can. This awesome video tutorial discusses 10 different tips that will help you make your post-processing workflow more efficient.
Color is one of the most important aspects of photography. It's good to know what your settings should be if you're planning on printing or publishing to the web. This video explains the difference in a simple way.
As photographers, it is easy to get caught up on what is in the middle of the frame and ignore what may fall on the edges. But, the edges can actually have a surprising impact on how successful your compositions are, and being more purposeful about that part of the image can really improve your photographs!
Film photography has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, and there are literally hundreds of used film camera models available to choose from, which can lead to a bit of decision paralysis. So, what kind of film camera is right for you? This great video discusses three different kinds of film cameras, their pros and cons, and which is the right kind for you.
Released late last year, the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 S is a stunning lens and welcome addition to the options available for the Z mount. However sharp and fast it might be, is it let down by an autofocus system that simply doesn’t compare to those of Canon and Sony?
The film community is a pretty friendly place. I've made a lot of good mates all over the world since launching my film photography podcast, "Matt Loves Cameras," three years ago.
During what is likely the most tumultuous global period in our lifetime, it's easy to become jaded, frustrated, and feel as if you have lost your way. The question is, why that happens, how do you pull yourself out of that rut before it does real damage?
No doubt, most of us love the soft, warm light afforded by the golden hour, but simply put, a lot of the time, you will head outside with your camera and be greeted with harsh, unforgiving light. That does not mean you should simply pack your camera in and head back inside; in fact, you can make images that are just as great in harsh light, and this awesome video tutorial discusses what to do when you encounter that light.
Landscape photography is not my thing. I use it to exercise the fundamentals and have something to do when I need a break from the family on camping trips, but that's the extent of it for me personally. But I feel for landscape photographers. It's a crowded field in an already crowded profession. It's hard to make your images not look like everyone else's, especially when everyone has access to the same subject matter you do.
Are you feeling comfortable with working with a single light and the basic properties of how light behaves and how to leverage it for your portrait photos? This great video tutorial will show the thought process behind a multi-light lifestyle portrait setup with v-flats to create a clean, natural look suitable for a wide variety of applications.
While most of us are not full-time stock photographers, the idea of selling some of our work online to earn some passive income on the side is quite appealing. That being said, there are literally dozens of places to sell your work, so which is the right choice? This great video takes you through a photographer's earnings on many different sites throughout 2021 so far and discusses his experience.
Lighting can make or break a fitness portrait. Our goal is to highlight the form and definition of your subject as well as the movement if the intended photo involves action. In this tutorial, I'm going to walk through a few basic fitness photography lighting techniques.
I started living in my SUV a few months ago to pursue landscape photography full-time. This episode is the pure essence of what a true day involves.
One of the greatest advancements gear-wise of the last few years has been the proliferation of affordable but high-quality supertelephoto zoom lenses, bringing ultra-long focal lengths and genres like wildlife to many more photographers than before. Nonetheless, at the very top end, supertelephoto prime lenses still sit as the professional equipment of choice, and they command quite high prices — five digits, in fact. So, what does that money get you? This great video review takes a look.
Do you like photographing long exposures with an ND filter, but don’t like carrying a large filter holder and square ND filters? In that case, Haida’s NanoPro magnetic filters may be a nice solution.
Shooting from a plane is a privilege few of us are lucky enough to experience, and it can yield some incredible images that simply would not be possible otherwise. This neat video goes behind the scenes to show you how a photographer shoots landscape images from a plane and also shows some of the stunning photos he is able to capture.
Unlike a lot of Europe, power lines in the United States are almost always above ground, and that can be annoying and ruin what otherwise might be a great shot. Luckily, for the most part, they are not particularly hard to edit out of an image, and this helpful video tutorial will show you how to quickly take care of them using Lightroom.
Want to improve your images? Here are seven rarely talked-about approaches, not involving the camera settings or composition, that may help you take your photography to the next level.
Should you get a prime lens or a zoom lens? Do you need a really fast lens or can you compromise? Three great Nikon lenses are put against each other here and those questions, plus more, are examined.
There are a few places on earth where it is difficult to not be inspired. Iceland is undoubtedly one of them, and it's difficult to resist shooting every minute you are there. In this video, go behind the scenes on a shoot in Iceland's highlands during a colorful sunrise.
The number of devices we need to connect to our computers on a daily basis seems to be never-ending. From SSDs to monitors and graphics tablets, it seems like we never have enough ports. The CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub attempts to address this by simply giving us a large number of our most commonly used ports, USB and Thunderbolt, and making sure they all operate at full speed.
When it comes to landscape photography, the most important accessory in the bag is without a doubt your set of filters. Investing in a good set of filters can vastly improve the quality of your images and make your workflow much more efficient and enjoyable. This awesome video review takes a look at the Kase Wolverine system and why it is so desirable.
Luminar AI offers a lot of impressive automated capabilities to allow you to quickly and effectively tackle a wide variety of edits and creative styles. If you are new to the program or wondering what it is capable of, check out this awesome video tutorial that will show you how to enhance an image using Luminar AI.
Everyone is talking about the Canon, Sony, and Nikon full frame mirrorless cameras. But there is another brand that isn’t getting a lot of attention: Panasonic. It released the Lumix S5 last year and now I got a chance to review this camera.
Apple's M1 Macs caught the attention of a lot of the industry, and while they blew old Intel Macs out of the water, PCs are still around too, of course. So, how do M1 Macs hold up against PCs for photo and video work? This great video comparison takes a look.
There are few more frustrating feelings than boredom, particularly if you need to be creative for a living. However, if you can harness that and make it work for you, boredom can be the catalyst for outlandish creativity you might not have otherwise thought of.
One of the Holy Grail quests for astrophotographers is the search for dark skies. Few of us are fortunate enough to live in ideal dark skies, but most of us are mobile enough to get to somewhere better than the center of an urban area.
Canon has held its number one position within the photography industry for more than 30 years. During this time, the industry has experienced what could be described as a duopoly. With Nikon holding its number two position for much of this time, innovation may have suffered. This has changed since Sony developed its first full frame mirrorless camera.
There are a lot of "rules" in photography, but the best ones are self-imposed that have the sole purpose of improving how you work with a camera in your hand. This rule is new to me, and it's definitely going to get used next time I'm out with my camera.
Street photography is one of the most popular genres of photography, both for professional and amateur photographers. Done well, it can produce art that not only tells a story about a particular moment in time but also provides us with a window onto the human condition. Questions have been asked, however, about the ethics of street photography, and whether photographers ought to be doing it at all.
In this article, you will discover some good news if you own the DJI RS 2 or DJI RSC 2 and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro camera. DJI has recently released a software update that fixes the front focus dial issue on supported lenses.
Finding inspiration for your next shoot can be difficult, but going for a vintage vibe can offer so many avenues with all the various eras to choose from. While it's nice to see Gen Z embracing the 90s, we don't often see much love for the 70s in popular media these days, but thankfully this world-famous fashion photographer found just the right props at bargain prices to produce something magical.
A photographer has built his own DIY ultra-large format digital camera from scratch. The rig uses a 600mm f/9 lens and has a projection area of one meter, making for some crazy images.
