Six Important Shortcuts That Won't Harm Your Photography

There's almost an infinite amount of decisions that a photographer has to make on their journey to becoming a professional. While many of these choices may be somewhat trivial, other decisions will place you on the wrong path, cost you money, or slow your progress down dramatically.

A Simple and Straightforward Technique for Improving Your Photo Edits

Image editing takes a lot of skill in numerous techniques and creative vision to pull off successfully, and even the most talented and experienced photographers and retouchers can occasionally go awry in their work. Anyone, novice or experienced, can improve their image edits with this simple technique.

Is Sony About to Announce a 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Lens?

While details still remain a little cloudy, we can be fairly certain that Sony has a few announcements coming up in the next couple of weeks, and we can now be pretty sure that one of them is a brand new 12-24mm f/2.8 GM for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

An Australian Photographer is Hosting his Charitable Art Exhibit Inside Minecraft

For many, the name "Minecraft" evokes images of 12-year-olds toiling away in a cube-like virtual world. The image is surely foreign to much of our readership. But the foreign and new are now commonplace, and we are sure to see new uses for virtual worlds of all kinds — even art galleries and fundraisers.

How to Price Local Commercial Photography

In this video, I go over how I price local and small commercial photography jobs. The video covers day rates, license fees, and how they differ from bigger jobs.

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Are You Stir Crazy Yet? Gear, Photos, and Adventure in the Amazon

The rainforest canopy rustled overhead with the fragrant scent of an oncoming downpour. Glancing down at the sodden trail, we noticed a set of paw prints pressed into the detritus-flecked mud, each five inches across. They led in a slow procession of confident strides down the center of the jungle path. The hairs rose on the back of my neck.

Why So Many Photographers Get Into Education

You may have noticed a photography education form in recent years online. With the popularization of digital courses, photographers have found fantastic ways to spread education in their community. They’ve also found a lot of opportunities for their business growth in creating an educational platform. So, why do so many photographers get into education in the first place?

Watch This Free, In-Depth and Advanced Tutorial for Retouching Hair

In my experience, it's been rare for me to watch a tutorial on YouTube and feel completely satisfied with the information being presented. In many instances, the information is either really basic, common knowledge or just a new way of saying something that's already been said. The video linked above is a very welcome change from that.

Which Camera Manufacturers Might Not Survive?

The last few years have not been kind to the photography industry. With smartphone manufacturers flooding the market with easily accessible and relatively good quality cameras, the camera industry has struggled. Now, with COVID-19 hitting the mix, the tough times have become far worse.

How Do You Store 200 Terabytes of Data Without Spending Tens of Thousands of Dollars?

When it comes to storing data, photographers have it easy. What if you’re a filmmaker shooting on multiple cameras across multiple projects for multiple clients? Resolution is increasing by the year, and fortunately, hard drives are also growing in size, but what do you do if you have 200 terabytes of data to look after?

How Many Film Cameras and Lenses Is Too Many?

If you're like me and just about every photographer I know that shoots film, you have more than one camera. Maybe one or two 35mm options, a 645 or 6x6 camera, and perhaps a 6x7 camera. The question is though, how many is too many?

Zero Budget Projects are a Myth

You can't do a project on a zero budget. If you actually spent a zero amount, that means you never did anything.

Tips to Make Your Models Comfortable During Test Shoots

When it comes to photographing models, a comfortable subject can make for exceptional photos. Making your subjects feel like they are in a safe and welcoming environment will make your photoshoot a successful photo set for both your portfolio and the models. As a photographer, it is your responsibility to make the subject of your images feel comfortable and in a safe space.

Five Lenses Every Portrait Photographer Should Have

In order to be a great portrait photographer you need a set of decent tools in order to do your job. Whether you work in the studio or out in the field we take a look at five top lenses for portrait photography.

New Preset Pack Released by SLR Lounge and DVLOP

A new pack of presets, called Crush, has just been released by SLR Lounge and DVLOP. With a "bold and vivid" aesthetic, this pack combines DVLOP's technical background in preset development with SLR Lounge's professional style. Want to see what's included?

Learning to Stay on Budget From the Greatest Filmmaker

Making movies is expensive. It's harder than you think to go from an unlimited budget to one of just a few million dollars. Sarcasm aside, what can we learn when a giant of cinema tries to shoot a masterpiece on budget?

Don't Let Distractions Ruin Your Images

Distractions can ruin what would otherwise be a great photo, and they can sneak up on you more easily than you might expect. This interesting video discusses the issues of distractions in landscape photos and what we can do about them.

Everything You Need to Know About the HSL Panel in Lightroom

The HSL panel is by far one of the most powerful ways to edit your photos in Lightroom and to develop a signature style. If you are a bit unsure of how to use the HSL panel in Lightroom, this fantastic video tutorial will get you up and running in no time.

7 Great Composition Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photos

Composition is a tricky and intricate aspect of landscape photography, and though there are no hard and fast rules, there are lots of great tricks and guidelines that can help you on your way. This helpful video will show you seven great tricks to improve your landscape image compositions.

Why Carrying a Compact Camera Can Make You a Better Photographer

Compact cameras have fallen from popularity in the last decade with the rise of the smartphone, with most photographers working with their full setup and carrying a phone on the side. However, some photographers still carry along a compact camera, and this great video discusses why you should consider doing the same.

Are Lightweight Cameras Ruining Videos?

Lighter has always been better with technology, particularly when you carry the item around. But is it truly always better to be lighter?

A Start to Finish Tutorial on Light Painting a Car

Light painting a car can be tricky to get right and difficult to know exactly what steps to take in camera. This video shows you the complete process, from garage space through to finished (and frankly brilliant) image.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2020): Teodora Dimitrova

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.

Why Aren’t Canon Fans More Excited About This New Lens?

Canon’s RF mount has opened up new avenues when it comes to lens design, but the ludicrous prices of its premium glass close it off from huge swathes of potential customers. All of that might be about to change thanks to one tiny lens manufacturer.

Facebook Bans Renowned Colorist, Deems World War II Photos 'Dangerous'

After numerous suspensions of her social media accounts, a renowned photo colorist fears she will be permanently blocked from Facebook and Instagram. She says she is hesitant to continue posting new work after the social platforms previously threatened to ban her for posting colorized images of Nazi leaders.

A Beginner's Guide to Layer Masks in Photoshop

Layer masks are one of the most fundamental and powerful tools in Photoshop and one of the first things anyone new to the application should work on mastering. If you are new to Photoshop, this great video will show you everything you need to know about how layer masks work and how you can use them in your image editing.

How Does the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Compare to Both Sony 70-200mm Lenses?

The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens is the final entry into the company's trinity of f/2.8 zoom lens, and like the 28-75mm f/2.8 and 17-28mm f/2.8, it is quite a bit cheaper than similar first party lenses. If you are wondering how it compares to the more expensive options, check out this great comparison with the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/4.