Natural Light Architecture
Critique the Community

Natural Light Architecture

With Mike Kelley
Show Us Your Best Natural Light Architecture Photographs

World-renowned architectural photographer Mike Kelley, made light painting buildings mainstream but sometimes, natural light is the best choice. For this next critique, we want to see shots that were taken without any additional strobe light.

This contest has ended.
What Do We Do When Good Photographers Are Bad People?

The truth is that there are many talented creatives out there who might not necessarily be the best people behind the scenes. Should we separate the art from the artist, or should their work be boycotted? This great video discusses this rather nuanced topic.

What Kind of Photographer Are You?

One fantastic thing about photography is the sheer amount of genres you can specialize in and all the different ways you can approach it. In order to find success, it is crucial that you not only understand who you are as a photographer but also how that should influence your work with clients. This great video discusses the various types of photographers and how you can move forward in your career.

The Joys of Landscape Photography Using a Drone

In the past few years, drones that offer good image quality have become both quite affordable and portable, making them a great way to get an alternative perspective and create unique and eye-catching images. This excellent video discusses the joys of using a drone for landscape photography.

Terminally Ill Man Has Livestream of His Death Blocked by Facebook

A terminally ill man who had been intending to livestream his death on Facebook has had the plan blocked by the social media platform. He is protesting France’s right-to-die laws after President Emmanuel Macron denied his right to voluntary euthanasia and has since ceased eating and drinking.

Five Reasons You Should Be Shooting Astrophotography

It doesn't take long to burn out on a single photographic genre, especially for a creative person not being challenged enough. If you’re in danger of burnout and could use a unique challenge to reignite your passion for photography, consider astrophotography.

Three Things You Should Do to Improve Your Instagram Experience

In between the ads seemingly every three posts, forced "suggested" posts and accounts, and the infamous algorithm, a lot of us have grown very apathetic toward Instagram in the last few years. If you are one of those people, here are three ways to make the app more enjoyable again.

This Is the Sony FX6... Probably

On September 2, Sony announced that the previously rumored FX6 cinema camera was indeed coming before the end of 2020. Here’s some juicy speculation on what we can expect.

How to Whiten Teeth in Video Using Premiere Pro

Whitening a subject's teeth is one of the most common adjustments a photographer has to make to images, and similarly, you may have to do the same thing for video work. This great video tutorial will show you how to use Premiere Pro to whiten your subject's teeth.

A Review of the Quirky But Capable Sigma fp Camera

The Sigma fp is quite the interesting camera, with an extremely small footprint that makes it perfect for a variety of applications that call for a versatile device with a full frame sensor. If you are looking for such a camera, check out this great video review.

Is the Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR the Company's New Best Portrait Lens?

For a long time, the XF 56mm f/1.2 R has been considered the ultimate Fujifilm portrait lens, but now that the crazy XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR is here, its place on the throne might be in danger. This video review takes a look at the new lens and the kind of images you can expect from it.

You Might Not Need a Gimbal With the a7S III

Back in April, filmmaker Mark Bone released a video singing the praises of Catalyst Browse, free software from Sony that took the gyro data from the FX9 and processed handheld footage to make it look as though it was shot on a gimbal. It turns out that the Sony a7S III does exactly the same, and it’s far better than warp stabilization.

Filming and Editing a Cinematic Wildlife Video

In this article I will be giving some insight behind the creation of my latest video, “Green Heron: A Cinematic Portrait,” which includes dealing with gear limitations, working with music and sound effects, and forming wildlife footage into a story.

Fstoppers Reviews the GIM 19” 48W Ring Light

Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve used quite a few different types of ring lights for my portrait and product work. Each had its own particular benefits and drawbacks. Nothing was ever quite “perfect,” but most worked well enough in their given role. This is my review of the very affordable GIM 19” 48W Ring Light.

Capturing the Best Poses for Bird Photography

Getting a flighty little bird in the frame and snapping a photo is a thrilling experience. Many times it’s not easy. But, if you want to step up your bird photography, there are some particular poses to pay attention to that will make better images.

Shooting Wide Open Isn't Always the Best Choice

I will be the first to admit that shooting at super-wide apertures like f/1.4 is a lot of fun. But like many things in life, just because you can do it does not mean you always should. This great video discusses why there is more to life than wide open shots and why you should consider stopping down more often.

Editing Stock Music to Make Better Videos

Unless you have the budget, time, or talent for an original soundtrack, the music you choose when creating videos is probably going to need a little finessing in order to fit in perfectly with your project. Here’s how to get it done inside Final Cut Pro X.

9 Mistakes to Avoid When Shooting Photos With Flash in Studio

No doubt, any photographer who plans to work in a studio will need to learn proper artificial lighting techniques to realize their creative visions, but flash comes with its own pitfalls and challenges. If you are struggling or new to such techniques, this fantastic video will show you nine mistakes to avoid and how to fix them.

Choosing Between a Softbox or Scrim

As photographers, we have a huge selection of modifiers at our disposal. Some of the more traditional ones such as a softbox or a scrim may seem somewhat dull, but they both offer very different and useful qualities of light when used correctly.

Panasonic's Silence: The Micro Four Thirds Conundrum

At the beginning of the summer, Olympus announced the sale of their imaging division, leaving the future of their highly regarded OM-D range and Micro Four Thirds (MFT) more widely in disarray. The other half of the MFT founding partnership — Panasonic — has been strangely quiet on the subject. Their next move is crucial, so what might it be?

A Deep Dive Into Photoshop's Adjustment Layers

Photoshop's core adjustment layers are diverse and powerful, but are you using them to their full potential? I'm going to bet that you're not; check out this video to find out why.

The Most Common Food Photography Mistakes

Food and product photography is an ever-growing niche, and with this comes trends in the pitfalls and mistakes that we all make when photographing food. In this video, I cover the most common things that trip us up.

How to Remove Anything, Even From a Complex Perspective

Some elements of images are easy to remove with a quick use of the clone stamp. Some, however, swiftly become a nightmare as perspectives and light ruin the effect. Here's how to remove anything from an image, even if it's taken at an angle.

A Review of the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens

A wide-aperture 50mm lens is one of the most versatile prime lenses almost any photographer can use. If you are a Nikon shooter looking for such a lens for your work, check out this great review of the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G lens.

Can Pixel Shift Give You the Best High Resolution Images?

Olympus cameras, though micro four thirds, have a pixel shift mode seen in several other manufacturer's cameras, and it allows to take higher resolution images despite a smaller and lower resolution sensor. But can it compete with genuinely high resolution sensors?

Light, Affordable, and High Quality: A Review of the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens

The 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens is the workhorse of choice for a wide range of photographers and videographers, offering a lot of versatility for different situations. Tamron's 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens offers that versatility at a very affordable price and portable footprint. How does it hold up in practice? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.

How to Increase Your Chances of Winning a Photography Competition

There's a huge variety of photography competitions, from your local camera club, to huge global awards and some big prizes if you win. So, how do you win a photography competition, and is there a special formula you can use to reap the rewards?

Is Canon Planning an Even Cheaper Full Frame Mirrorless Camera?

If you were impressed by Canon’s ability to keep the price so low on the EOS RP, you might be a little shocked to hear that the manufacturer might be planning a full frame mirrorless camera that’s even more affordable. Just how much cheaper can a camera get, and what features can be ditched to keep the price down?

A Review of the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens

A good macro lens can be one of the most versatile optics a photographer can own. If you are looking for such a lens for your own arsenal, check out this great video review of the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS.

Here's Why Natural Light Photographers Need to Learn How to Use Flash

One of the most important things a photographer needs to learn to understand is lighting. Without it, it's essentially not possible to do any kind of conventional photography. Learning how to use different kinds of light sources is also important. Although natural light can be great, being able to use flash effectively is extremely useful.

A Guide to Minimalist Landscape Photography

No doubt, a lot of landscape photography is about complex compositions full of vibrant colors and ornate features. But at the other end of the spectrum is minimalist work, which can be just as compelling. This great video will give you some helpful tips and a guided example of minimalist landscape photography.

Does the Sony a7S III Have Dual Gain ISO?

The recently released and long-awaited Sony a7S III marks a significant step forward in terms of camera technology, bringing some remarkable dynamic range and 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording. As the camera falls into the hands of more reviewers, a question remains: does it have dual gain ISO?

Building a Magical Empire: Fstoppers Interviews Bella Kotak

Bella Kotak is an international fine art, fashion, and portrait photographer whose magical aesthetic has gained her fans all across the globe and garnered her features in industry magazines like Rangefinder and PhotoPlus, but her photography career didn’t start in the happiest place.

What I've Learned From Starting a YouTube Channel

As photographers, it's vital not to keep all our eggs in one basket, but to expand our means of income by setting up different revenue streams, one of the most popular of those streams being YouTube. But is it still possible to make money from it in 2020?

Trying Out an Olympus OM-D: Why Are These Cameras Not That Popular?

I have met a lot of photographers who are using an Olympus camera. They are often very enthusiastic about their gear. A lot of their functions cannot be found in other cameras, which makes Olympus quite unique. If these cameras are so unique, why aren’t these more popular? I tried an Olympus for a few weeks to find out.

Taking Apart a $10,000 Mirrorless Fuji Camera Damaged by Saltwater

LensRentals has shared a number of images of the inside of a Fuji camera after staff took it apart when it died without obvious explanation. The customer had used it underwater within dive housing, and despite appearing fine on the outside, LensRentals discovered that inside, there was evidence of saltwater damage.

In the Entertainment Industry, You Need FU Money

In my 10th-grade drama class, my teacher would usually hand me a detention slip for "toilet humor" for breaking her rules with my drama productions. I was immature and found humor in pushing her buttons.