Understanding the influence of shapes is a crucial aspect often overlooked by many practitioners in the field. Shapes are not just basic elements of design; they're powerful tools that can evoke emotions and tell stories, making their study essential for photographers aiming to enhance their visual storytelling.

In Part 1 of this article, we discussed the competitive landscape that photographers face in today's digital age, where the easily accessible smartphones can challenge even the most skilled professionals to distinguish their work. Now, it's time to take those principles and build up an even stronger branding and marketing strategy.

Navigating low-light conditions remains one of the most challenging scenarios for photographers, requiring a deep understanding of camera settings and creative use of available resources. This helpful video provides valuable insights and practical advice that can significantly enhance the quality of photos taken in such tricky environments.

The 85mm f/1.4 lens is perhaps the most classic and highly sought-after model, offering an excellent portrait focal length in tandem with a wide maximum aperture for especially soft backgrounds. However, such lenses are often rather expensive, easily topping $2,000. So, at less than $500, the Meike 85mm f/1.4 AF is an especially intriguing option. This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Today, it is common for a small company of 1-3 employees to design, create, and market a product without outsourcing any part of the process. Hiring someone from outside to market or sell the product is not an option for a small organization that must be conscious of how every penny is spent.

Laowa, the lens brand from Venus Optics, has once again produced a groundbreaking wide angle lens: the new 10mm f/2.8 Zero-Distortion lens. A demo unit of this lens was available for testing at the Photography Show in Birmingham, and we decided to produce some test images and clips to see how it performed.

Switching to a new camera system is a pivotal moment for any photographer, marking a transition filled with excitement and uncertainty. But moving to a significantly smaller sensor size is particularly challenging. Can micro four thirds compete with full frame in a challenging environment?

Several days ago, on March 29, the photography world was rocked by the news of Alyn Wallace's sudden passing. The family of Alyn have now released a statement on his Instagram page.

A few months ago, I wrote an article about how to get your website to the top of Google. I talked about the importance of search engine optimization, content strategies, keyword research, and search intent. If you put your SEO foundation in place following that article, you are ready to create content that will rank on Google.

In an era where digital cameras are packed with an overwhelming array of features and buttons, the pursuit of simplicity in photography has become increasingly appealing to many photographers. Streamlining the photographic process and minimizing gear can lead to a more focused, productive, and enjoyable experience behind the lens.

Capturing landscape photography images is only half of the process. Mastering the art of editing will help strengthen your images by finding the balance between too much editing and not enough editing of the photograph. This video highlights some common editing mistakes landscape photographers make.

Whether to share locations in landscape photography is a frequent topic of discussion in landscape photographer communities. People get frustrated when they ask where a photo was taken and the photographer won’t tell them. Are they gatekeeping, or are they trying to protect the natural landscape?

For aspiring commercial photographers, understanding the key factors that contribute to a thriving career is crucial. While technical skills and artistic talent are undoubtedly important, there are other essential elements that can make or break a photographer's success in the competitive world of professional photography.

Committing to long-term photography projects can be a deeply rewarding experience. While the immediacy of sharing photos on social media can be exciting, investing time and effort into a project that spans weeks, months, or even years allows for a more meaningful connection with the subject matter and personal growth as an artist.

When manufacturers give specifications of lenses, there is a lot of detail that is meaningless to many consumers of their products. When we writers review them, we tend to give the same information. Here’s a method I think would be much more helpful to most photographers.

Deadpan photography is a unique and thought-provoking style that challenges conventional notions of what makes a compelling image. By stripping away emotion and focusing on simple, straightforward compositions, deadpan photography encourages viewers to see the world in a new light.

Tempest Photography, a renowned provider of school portraits across the UK, finds itself embroiled in controversy following allegations of excluding children with additional support needs (ASN) and those in wheelchairs from class group photos.

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 2023, 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.

If you've followed my writing, you'll know that I rarely pick up my camera if I don't have a contract attached to the action. Call it the joys and perils of being a commercial photographer. You get paid to do what you love, yet your love morphs into a duty and can lose its allure. This is why I surprised myself on my recent work trip to California.

As photographers, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that the latest and greatest gear will instantly improve our skills and creativity. However, this mindset can often hold us back from truly growing as artists and honing our craft.

With the incredible advancements in smartphone camera technology, it's no surprise that more and more photographers are turning to their iPhones for both personal and professional photography. Learning how to maximize the capabilities of your iPhone camera can open up a world of creative possibilities and allow you to capture stunning images wherever you go

Many dream of having one, yet most can’t ever afford one. What makes the Hasselblad X2D 100C so special? Should you even think about getting one? Who is it for, anyway? There are quite a few questions I had when I was getting this camera, and in the few weeks of using it, I got some answers.

The photography world was stunned on March 29 as we heard the news that Alyn Wallace, a popular and incredible astrophotographer, has sadly passed away. In this article, I want to pay tribute to Alyn.

We live in a time where over a trillion photos are taken yearly, the photography landscape has never been more competitive. For us photographers, this means that simply capturing quality images isn't enough; effective marketing in today’s rapidly evolving digital age is the only real key to success.

Preparing for a shoot is more than just setting up lights and cameras; it involves a detailed workflow that ensures data integrity and efficiency throughout the process. Understanding and implementing a streamlined workflow is crucial for safeguarding your work and maintaining productivity, especially when handling high-volume or high-stakes shoots.

Lightroom is a more powerful tool than ever, and you can easily edit an entire portrait in the program. This helpful video tutorial will show you how.

Zhiyun is a brand name that is most known for its gimbals, which offer solid build, useful features and reliability, so it’s good news now that they have ventured into the world of studio lighting!

WPPI is one of the biggest photography conferences in the world. But after COVID, the show struggled to make a comeback. Thankfully, WPPI is now as good as it ever was, and getting better each year.

Many of us don’t consider the harm we do with our photos. Our actions might be innocent, but there's a dark side to most genres that we don't ever consider.

Crafting the perfect landscape photograph involves much more than just pointing a camera at a scenic view. This fantastic video shares the process and will help you find and create better images.

A photographer's encounter with a tragedy can be transformative, both personally and professionally. Justin Mott's coverage of a deadly stampede in Cambodia for The New York Times offers a deep dive into the complexities and emotional weight carried by photojournalists on assignment.

Being an artist means more than just creating the perfect image.

Understanding how to manage and reduce noise is a critical aspect of editing for any photographer who shoots at high ISOs. This helpful video tutorial will show you what noise is and how to manage it in your images.

The evolution of a photographer's skill set and perspective over time can drastically change the way they view their craft, especially in the realm of landscape photography. This video documents one such examination and some common mistakes that emerged.

Choosing the right camera can be a daunting task for photographers and videographers alike, whether they are just starting out or looking to upgrade their gear. Nonetheless, it's a pivotal decision and one that takes a lot of thought. This helpful video will make the decision easier.

Waking up early for sunrise photography sessions can transform a photographer's portfolio, offering unique lighting conditions and serene landscapes devoid of crowds. This practice is not just about capturing the golden hour but also about embracing the discipline required to seize these moments, for which you'll often be greatly awarded.

Choosing the right gear in photography extends beyond mere preference; it gets into the strategic selection of tools that profoundly affect the quality and focus of a photographer's work, as well as their bank account.

Access to key photographic locations is increasingly becoming a concern among photographers worldwide. As iconic landscapes attract more visitors each year, issues surrounding access, preservation, and management arise. This article delves into the factors contributing to the potential loss of access to these sites and explores perspectives from both landowners and photographers.

Understanding the fundamentals of flash photography is crucial for photographers aiming to elevate their portraits. This fantastic video tutorial shares five tips sure to help you improve.

Mastering Lightroom's masking tools can significantly elevate a photographer's post-processing workflow, allowing for precise adjustments that bring creative visions to life without much work. This helpful video tutorial will put you on the right path.

The NAB Show is back and is set for April 13-17 in Las Vegas. This year, learn about the creator economy, innovation in media, engage in workshops, and network with industry leaders.

Here's something that should excite Adobe Lightroom users. It's a plug-in that will index your online or offline photo or video assets and bring them up in Lightroom instantly. It's a Mac app from CYME, the company that has a similar app called Peakto that's currently offered for Mac users. The difference is that Peakto searches those assets and they can be opened in any editor, including Lightroom, Capture One, DxO, Luminar, and others. Peakto Search is aimed at Lightroom users and appears as a menu bar item on your Mac.

100-400mm lenses are some of the most versatile out there, offering a ton of reach suitable for everything from birds to landscapes, making them desirable for many photographer's kits. Nonetheless, such lenses can be pricey, which is what makes the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary an intriguing option. The excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from the lens in the real world.

The new Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN | Art is here, and it promises extreme performance and remarkable image quality at all apertures, all for a very reasonable price. How does it perform in the real world? This excellent video review takes a look.

For Nikon shooters looking to lighten their load without sacrificing reach, Nikon has just announced the release of the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR full frame superzoom.

Each month this year, Fstoppers is running a genre specific Critique the Community contest with some amazing prizes. The theme for March is "Weddings," and we are giving away $3,000 in prizes to 3 lucky winners. Oh, and one of the most successful wedding photographers I know, Pye Jirsa, will be guest judging the images. Here are the details!

The Godox X3 is a premium flash trigger, with a crystal clear OLED touchscreen and minimalist design. But does this trigger have the brains to match the beauty? In this review, I'll test the X3 versus Godox's previous flagship trigger and help you figure out which option is best for your flash kit.

Photographing a seascape with crashing waves along the shore and the movement of the water can be a challenge for a landscape photographer. This video provides several tips on capturing dramatic images from the seashore with an ultrawide lens.