Easing Into Astrophotography With a Telescope

If you’ve been shooting (landscape) astrophotos for a while but are relatively new to astronomy, you may be contemplating stepping up to a telescope for your astrophotography. But taking the next step isn’t as simple as getting a longer lens for more magnified views. You should understand the changes in your shooting and equipment that this implies.

A Review of the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens

The 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for a wide range of photographers in many different genres, but if you do not need the extra stop of aperture, you can save a lot of money and gain some extra reach by opting for a 24-105mm f/4 lens. For Canon mirrorless shooters, there is the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and this excellent video review takes a look at the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Tips to Build Your Food Photography Portfolio

While I personally enjoy eating my food, there are times where that food is worth a photo as much as a bite. That said, if it’s a field you are looking to get into, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

How Do You Want to Be Remembered as a Photographer?

Let’s face it, you are a good photographer, but your chances of being celebrated for your photography 50 or more years from now are slim. But what can you do to increase your chances of being remembered?

How to Create a Realistic Sky Replacement Using Photoshop's AI Tools

Sky replacement used to be a fairly tedious thing and one that took a lot of careful editing and know-how to get just right, but in recent years, we have seen the rise of automated tools that cut out a lot of the time and difficulty involved in the process. Photoshop now has such tools, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use them to create realistic sky replacements in your own images.

How To Get the Most Out of Summer Landscape Photography

Summer is here, and with the weather warming up, it is a great time to get out with your camera, enjoy the elements, and make some great landscape images. With so many opportunities, you might be wondering how to get started. This excellent video tutorial will show you a range of great tips to help you get the most out of your summer landscape photography.

A Review of the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Lens

An ultra-wide angle zoom lens with a wide maximum aperture is a highly versatile optic that can excel in a lot of situations ranging from landscape photography to events coverage. For Sony shooters, there is the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM, and this great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

Fstoppers Reviews the New Magbox Pro Softboxes From Magmod

The wait is over, and by now, you all have now heard the news! Magmod just announced the release of seven new products: two upgrades and five all-new additions to the MagBox lineup. So, let's jump into them.

The Problem With Doing What You Love

Doing what you love is the dream for many and a reality for some. However, it comes with its own difficulties and pitfalls along the way — perhaps even more — and it's not for everyone.

What Was Your Worst Photoshoot Ever?

We have all had our fair share of smooth photoshoots where everything goes like a dream and probably a few not-so-smooth shoots where it feels like one never-ending disaster you can't escape. What was your worst photoshoot? This fun video features a photographer discussing his and offering some of the lessons he learned from the experience.

How Big of an Issue Is the Canon EOS R5's Overheating in the Real World?

When the Canon EOS R5 was first announced, one of its marquee features was its 8K raw video, but videographers quickly ran into issues with the camera overheating when recording in both 8K and 4K, leading some to question just how useful the camera actually is for video work. How much is this truly an issue in real-world usage, though? This excellent video review features a cinematographer and director discussing how the camera performs in specific modes after months of usage.

Nikon’s Decision to Go Retro Could Be a Stroke of Genius

According to rumors, Nikon’s next Z-mount camera will feature retro styling with a choice of three different looks. For a manufacturer whose mirrorless cameras have often been overshadowed by releases from Sony and Canon, rediscovering a feature that makes a product distinctive could be a smart move from Nikon.

How to Shoot a Professional Black and White Portrait With Just One Light

If you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, you will probably notice that they frequently use more complex two- or three-light setups. Such setups certainly have their place, as they enable a lot of creative flexibility, but that does not mean you cannot take professional portraits with just a single light. This excellent video tutorial will show you an effective single-light portrait setup for taking compelling images.

How to Focus Stack for Perfect Sharpness From Start to Finish: Part One

As you progress in landscape photography, you might find yourself wondering how others get everything in focus within their images. In this article series and video, I'll go over how to focus stack while in the field and what to do once you sit down to process your images.

How to Focus Stack Nighttime Landscapes

Focus stacking is a common technique used by landscape photographers for images in which ultra-deep depth of field and high levels of sharpness are desired. You can use it for nighttime landscapes that incorporate things like the Milky Way as well, though it takes some additional considerations. This excellent video tutorial will show you a workflow for the technique as well as offer some helpful tips to ensure you get the best quality images.

A New Astrophotography Plug-in and Some Thoughts on Topaz Plugins for Astro Work

For astrophotographers who use Photoshop, here's some interesting and some good news. A just-released plug-in called APF-R (Absolute Point of Focus) can do wonders for your images. Astrophotographer Christoph Kaltseis has developed APF-R in order to achieve high-resolution, ultra-sharp images that still look natural. As astro-imagers know, trying to sharpen point sources like stars can result in ugly halos and other unwanted artifacts.

The Loupedeck Live Saved My Workflow

When it comes to tools designed to help you edit, the main factor for me is time. Yes, I want tools to make things easier and more intuitive, but at the end of the day, those features must help save me time. The Loupedeck Live does all that and more.

Which Camera Mode Should You Use?

Manual mode is often held up as the mark of a professional photographer, and while it is definitely something every photographer should master, that does not mean it is the best choice for every situation. So, how do you know which mode to use? This quick and helpful video discusses what you need to know.

How to Photograph Light Trails

One of the most popular long-exposure subjects out there is light trails, in which the headlights and taillights of moving vehicles create eye-catching pathways throughout the frame. They can be a great creative tool, and they are also a ton of fun to shoot. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to create great light trail shots.

Comparing the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 to the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD

A supertelephoto zoom lens is a fantastically versatile piece of equipment that can open up new creative opportunities in a wide variety of genres. Nowadays, there is a range of options available to photographers, and this excellent video compares two of the most intriguing lenses: the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 and the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD.

Photographers Charge That Much?

You push a button on the really nice camera and then run it through a neat little filter. That's all photographers do, right? Then, why are we expensive, and why would any client want to invest that much into a good photographer? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a camera and push the button yourself?

The Common Sense Merits of a Simple Kit

In grade school, we’re often taught to keep things simple. Although valuable advice, simplicity often gets overlooked by photographers. This article is quite simply a reminder to keep it simple.

Are Night Sky Filters Worth Buying?

Astrophotography is a tricky business, even if you happen to live in the Namib desert. However, if you don't live in such a remote location, you'll likely have struggled with light pollution. In recent years, we have seen a number of filters designed to help with this problem. But do they work?

Fujifilm Pixel Shift Versus Hasselblad Multi-Shot: 400-Megapixel Files Compared

The Fujifilm GFX 100 and the Hasselblad H6D 400c are both high-resolution monster cameras. Each camera can shoot 100-megapixel files, and if you use the pixel shift features, you can produce huge 400-megapixel images. This is more resolution than any camera on the market, and we decided to compare both camera systems.

The Gear That Got Me Started in Food Photography

When I first got interested in food photography, I was really overwhelmed by what I needed to get. And then, I heard Andrew Scrivani say: “The best gear to get you started is the camera in your pocket and the light from the window.” That was true, to an extent.

How Good Is the Nikon Z 6II Mirrorless Camera?

Nikon was a bit slow out of the gate in the mirrorless race, but they are now on their second generation of the Z 6 and Z 7 models, and they bring with them some improvements and new features over the original cameras. This excellent video review takes a look at the Z 6 II and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.

How Good Is the Fujifilm X-E4 Mirrorless Camera?

One of the unique features of the Fujifilm X Series is that almost every camera model has the same sensor, which means if you do not need top-shelf professional features, you can still get the best image quality the company has to offer. The X-E4 uses the company's newest X-Trans sensor and adds a range of new and useful features while keeping an affordable price. This great video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of image quality and performance you can expect from it.

Bought a New Lens? Here’s the First Thing You Should Do

Whether you just bought a new lens from a reputable vendor or snagged a deal off an auction site, you’ve got to test it. Fortunately, you don’t need a crazy, dedicated setup just to check out your gear. In this guide, I’ll run through how I’d test a newly acquired lens in about 10 minutes, all without any fancy gear.

How Does the Latest Lightroom Update Impact the Average User?

The latest Lightroom Classic update has just landed, and there are a fair few features and functions that will benefit many professional users. But what about the average Joe who uses Lightroom occasionally for their own hobbyist snaps?

Some Helpful Tips on Photographing Waterfalls

Waterfalls are some of the most popular landscape photography subjects out there, and there are as many ways to photograph them as there are waterfalls in the world. If you are new to photographing them, this awesome video tutorial will give you some great tips from an experienced landscape photographer that will improve your work.

How to Photograph in Harsh Sun

Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are now in the throes of summer, which means harsh sunshine for a larger part of the day. While midday sun is generally not ideal for photographs, it isn't always avoidable. Luckily, there are some simple ways to work around and even with that blazing star and still end up with strong images.

How to Get Perfect Exposure and Accurate Color in Videos

If you have ever struggled to get perfect exposure with accurate colors in your videos, then you are not alone. But with the help of the X-Rite ColorChecker Video and DaVinci Resolve 17, you will be able to create perfect-looking videos in a fraction of the time.

We Review the New Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens

As a working professional, I rely on my gear and need it to perform in all conditions. Recently, I was given the opportunity to field-test the new Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD. It may just surprise you, as it did me.

Choosing the Right Film Based on Conditions

Unlike digital photography, where pretty much all the style is added in the editing process, in film photography, you are making a significant creative decision the moment you choose which film to put in your camera. So, how do you know which to choose? This interesting video follows a photographer as he discusses shooting the same area with several different films and some of the decisions that go into each shot.

Improving Landscape Photos by Creating Separation

If you look at the work of a lot of successful landscape photographers, you will probably notice that the majority of them are very good at controlling the layers of an image to create a sense of depth that draws the viewer in and encourages them to linger and explore the photo. Being able to effectively separate those layers to avoid the image becoming cluttered is a crucial skill, and this excellent video tutorial discusses how to compose your photos to do just that.

Here's Why You Should Put Yourself in Your Landscape Images

A lot of landscape photographers will tell you that the best types of images are devoid of people — just nature in all its splendid, unspoiled glory. I beg to differ. Here are some reasons why you should put yourself in the frame of your landscape images.

A Review of the Fujifilm GFX 100S for Cityscape Photography

The GFX 100S is one of the most impressive cameras available now, offering high-level medium format image quality with a feature set traditionally reserved for full frame bodies, and put together at an impressively competitive price. This excellent video review puts the camera to the test in one of the areas for which its dynamic range and extreme resolution are seemingly best suited: cityscapes.

5 Ways to Make Your Portable Workspace Better

A lot of the time, we have to work out of our dedicated offices, and that can be a bit of a pain given a lot of the specialized tools creatives tend to use for their work. If you find yourself on the go a lot, this helpful video will give you five tips to improve your portable workspace to make it more efficient, effective, and enjoyable to use.

The A Mount: Sony's Future That Never Was

Sony's not a camera company or at least hasn't been until relatively recently. Its heritage is as un-optical as any recent manufacturer can be and is certainly far removed from the heritage of the likes of Nikon, Canon, Leica, and Pentax. Yet, among the gravestones we see littering the photographic landscape, it seems likely that the A mount will soon join them, finally severing any link to the past. So, why wasn't the A mount Sony's future?

How to Change the Color of Plants and Foliage in Photoshop

One of the most common and useful functions of Photoshop is the ability to change the color of different objects for creative effect. If you are shooting outdoor portraits, landscape photography, or anything else with plants or foliage, this excellent video tutorial will show you how to easily and convincingly change their color using Photoshop.

3 Things To Unlearn When Shooting Editorial and Lifestyle Food Images

Food is a fundamental part of survival. The very first thing we do after being born is eat. Human brains know food on a primal and instinctual level. Our brains automatically reject or call into question food imagery that doesn't look real. In advertising, our brains are a little more forgiving.

How To Capture Steam and Smoke in Food Photography

One of the things that can drive someone new to food photography mad is capturing steam or smoke. It doesn't have to be complicated. And it is easy to do without any special equipment to create the steam or smoke.