Photographers, Stop Making These Excuses

We all make excuses as photographers; I will be the first to admit that I have been frequently guilty of this. But falling into the habit of making excuses can impede our work, growth, and even our bottom lines, which is why it is so important to break the cycle. This excellent video discusses five common excuses we all make and how we can do better.

How to Take Photographs Like Joel Meyerowitz

Street photography has been a staple genre of our craft since the camera's inception, and some of the most iconic images — and photographers — in history, were made on the street. Here's how you can emulate one of the greats.

Interview With a Professional Landscape and Travel Photographer

Tom Archer has been able to turn his passion for travel and the outdoors into a full-time career. In this video, he discusses his professional journey and the things that shaped his photographic style — sharing some quality tips along the way.

'The Way I See It': Pete Souza Throwing Shade

The Way I See It is marketed as a look behind the curtain of two of the most iconic U.S. Presidencies in the last century, courtesy of White House Photographer Pete Souza. It's quite a bit more than that. To be upfront, if you don't believe in photojournalism or the importance of a historical record, if you're a Trump supporter with thin skin, or if you have an inability to think critically, this movie likely isn't for you. To be honest, neither is this article.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (October 2020): Kevin Morefield

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 2020, 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.

Canon Is Resurgent and Sony Is Declining in Japan, But Does It Matter?

Photo Rumors recently covered the latest BCN report on the state of the mirrorless market in Japan, which showed a resurgent Canon growing at the expense of Sony, with Nikon trailing a distant third. However, the report only outlines what is happening in the Japanese camera market and only for current sales. How important is the Japanese market?

Can the Sony a7S III Hold Its Own as a Stills Camera?

The Sony a7S III is finally here, and it offers impressive video performance and a refined feature set for professionals. Can it be used as a hybrid camera for both stills and video work? This excellent video review takes a look at the camera from both perspectives and if it is a good all-around choice.

How to Add Snow to an Image in Photoshop

No doubt, snow can be a fantastic addition to a wide range of images, but not all of us live in a place that gets snow, or we might be shooting in the wrong season. No problem, though, as we have Photoshop, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use it to add snow to any photo.

How to Carve a Photo Perfectly Into a Pumpkin — or Not

Each Halloween brings another battle to see who can carve the most intricate image into the side of a pumpkin. Engineer and hardcore geek Shane Wighton of Stuff Made Here designed and built his own robot to see how close he could get to the perfect pumpkin photo of his wife. It's about as crazy as it sounds.

How Should You Set up Your Autofocus to Get Sharp Panning Shots?

Creating a panning shot that has a nice blurry background thanks to a slow shutter speed tends to be a combination of skill and luck at the best of times. However, how can you maximize the number of sharp images and how should you focus? This in-depth video gives you all the details.

How to Reduce the Noise in Your Photos When They're Captured

Noise is the enemy of photographers everywhere, and we spend a ton of time discussing different post-processing software and techniques for reducing it as much as possible. But reducing noise starts from the moment you choose your camera settings. This fantastically comprehensive video will show you what noise is, why it appears in your photos, and numerous ways you can mitigate it in camera.

How Our Community Made Senior Photos Happen During COVID

Our local high school had an idea to get senior photos taken for the young adults that have been working their whole life to achieve something, only to have it turn into an afterthought overshadowed by a serious global pandemic.

Using Lightroom's New Tools for Better Color in Your Images

Lightroom's latest update brought with it numerous improvements and new features, one of the most significant being the changes to and expansion of the color editing tools. This excellent video tutorial will show you how the new and more powerful color editing features can be used to create stronger images.

How Good Is the Autofocus on the New Nikon Z 6II?

Nikon’s second wave of mirrorless full frame cameras are about to hit the shelves and many will be asking whether the Japanese manufacturer has made changes to the autofocus system. Wedding photographer Taylor Jackson has put a pre-production model to the test.

Sony a7S III Review for Filming and Photographing Wildlife

Everything else aside, the Sony a7S III’s recording options alone place it in contention for many potential buyers wanting high-quality video at a price that enthusiasts and budding pros can still justify. In this hands-on review I look at the a7S III in the context of capturing wildlife video and photos.

How Good Is the 2020 iPad Air for Content Creators?

Apple's iPad line has long established itself as mature and powerful content consumption devices. However, in the past few generations, we have seen increasingly powerful processors, top-end screens, and the addition of useful tools (such as the Apple Pencil) also position the iPad as a versatile content creation device. If you are considering an iPad for your creative work, check out this fantastic review of the 2020 iPad Air.

The Unique Way Tilt-Shift Lenses Work

Tilt-shift lenses are some of the most unique and useful lenses out there. This great video will show you how they work and why they are so prized for lots of different work.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Incredible Architecture" Challenge

GuruShots, host of "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” has released yet another fantastic challenge. Participants were invited to submit their best photos of "Incredible Architecture." The challenge received thousands of entries and millions of votes. Check out the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

Should You Use Teleconverters Instead of Longer Lenses?

Long telephoto lenses can be very expensive, but a reasonable alternative is a teleconverter, which attaches between your camera and lens and increases its focal length. However, teleconverters come with their own set of drawbacks. This excellent video discusses the use of teleconverters, including why you might want to consider one for your own work.

Snobbery Towards Mobile Phone Photography Is Just Gatekeeping the Industry

One of photography's most weathered tropes is "the best camera is the one you have with you," and yet, online courses, tutorials, and articles on mobile phone photography are met with a barrage of abuse. The dismissal of using camera phones as "not real photography" is just gatekeeping in our industry.

Fstoppers Reviews the Gaomon PD156 Pro Editing Tablet

When it comes to editing, most people prefer a pen over a mouse to get finer detail and more accuracy. And the holy grail of this experience is to be able to use your pen on an actual screen. So today, we are taking a look at the Gaomon PD156 Pro.

These Fantastic DIY Lighting Modifiers Cost Nothing to Make

Lighting modifiers are powerful creative tools that can drastically change the look of your photos and videos, but they can also grow very expensive quite quickly. Luckily, if you understand the basics of lighting, you can create a variety of DIY modifiers using basic items and materials you probably already own and save yourself a ton of money in the process.

Why Is Pentax Convinced That DSLRs Are the Future?

Pentax recently announced the K-3 Mark III, the third iteration of their flagship APS-C camera, which reinforces their stance that their future (and as they argue, the future of photography) is in DSLRs, not mirrorless cameras. With an industry increasingly focused on mirrorless cameras, why is Pentax going against the grain?

10 Great Films to Watch for Cinematography

Whether you're a filmmaker, videographer, or just a stills shooter, there's a lot that can be learned from some of the greats of cinematography.

Costumes
Critique the Community

Costumes

Submit Your Best Photos of Subjects Wearing Costumes

Whether it's cosplay, high fashion, or a Halloween party, we want to see your best photos of subjects in costumes.

This contest has ended.
Adobe Lightroom Classic 10 Received New Updates

Following the 2021 version of Photoshop, Adobe also released new updates for the Lightroom Classic version 10, bringing some new features and UI improvements.

5 Ways to Stay Creative During This Dreadful Time

This year has taken a number of different tolls on people. For us photographers and videographers, one casualty for many has been creativity. Here are five ways you can keep creative during this testing period.

Lightroom Shortcuts You Probably Didn't Know Existed

The faster you can edit a photograph in Lightroom, the more time you have to go back out and shoot. The catch is keeping your edits high quality while also saving time, so I'll show you some essential Lightroom shortcuts that you can use next time you go to edit.