5 Tips for Photography Websites

In this video, I look at some of the dos and don'ts of photography websites. Although there are many ways to skin a cat, there are some things that are real turn-offs for potential photography clients. Here are my top five tips.

Tips and Tricks for Cinematic Lighting

Lighting is often the difference between a boring scene and an interesting one. In this video, you get to see a full breakdown of the transformation of a scene from flat and common lighting, through to complex and cinematic looking.

The Psychological Benefits of Post-Mortem Photography

Death photography was, at one time, a popular way of preserving a memory of a loved one who has passed. This video discusses the history of it, and suggests that it can still play a role in modern society as a way to cope with grief.

This Free Software From Sony Could Make Gimbals Redundant

Filmmaker Mark Bone has just discovered that some free software from Sony can stabilize footage from his FX9 to the point that he’s wondering how often he will ever need to use a gimbal in the future. Check out this short video.

Here's a Cost-Effective Way to Get Some Really Long Glass

Like many photographers in quarantine, I’ve been trying to get creative without the ability to get out. I’ve had a lot of gear sitting around that doesn’t get much use, and so I’ve gone through my boxes to dust them off and see what’s possible. One gem I had forgotten about was the FotodioX Mount Adapter that lets me mount my Nikon F glass to my Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Group Photos
Critique the Community

Group Photos

Submit Your Best Group Photos

In this episode of Critique the Community, we are looking for your best photographs featuring groups of people. The group needs to be more than 2 people and can be of any genre of photography.

This contest has ended.
9 Helpful Composition Tips for Landscape Photography

Composition in landscape photography can be a really subtle and tricky thing. If it is something you struggle with, this excellent video tutorial will give you nine guidelines that can help you improve the compositions of your landscape images.

How to Retouch Skin Using Dodging and Burning in Photoshop

It is quite impressive just how advanced editing and retouching tools have become, but even so, many of the world's best retouchers prefer a more fundamental, old fashioned technique: dodging and burning. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how you can use dodging and burning for retouching skin using Photoshop.

Critique the Community Images Taken During Quarantine

Congratulations to the Winners!

Congrats to everyone who submitted and had their image published in this week's Critique the Community. If your image was featured, send Lee Morris a message on Fstoppers and he will add your tutorial of choice to your downloads.  We really enjoyed all the images selected and hope that this episode has given you some ideas for your own photography during these difficult times. 

The next Critique the Community is going to be "groups of people" which will go live here shortly.  

A Review of the IRIX 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 Lens

Most macro lenses are generally in the 100mm range, but sometimes, macro photographers prefer longer focal lengths, as they can give better telephoto compression and longer working distances when trying not to disturb a subject. If you are interested in such a lens at an affordable price, check out this great video review of the IRIX 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 lens.

A Complete Guide to the Sony Camera Menu System

There is no doubt that Sony cameras are some of most advanced on the market, but with those advanced capabilities come some very intricate and complex menus that can be a bit difficult to navigate. This great video tutorial will show you every item in the Sony menu system, including what it does and how you can customize it to your liking.

3 Unique Self-Portrait Ideas You Can Try at Home

If there's one subject you're always going to have access to, it's you. Here are three great ideas that can work as templates or inspiration for some self-portraits to try.

Extreme Street Photography With Kai and Lok, Covid-19 Edition

As the lockdown continues, many of us may be struggling to find ways to keep ourselves entertained. Worse than that is the fact that many of us may be feeling a little under utilized. It's probably not that easy to flex our creative muscles during this time, especially if your kind of work specifically requires you to be out and about.

COVID-19 Positive: What Happens When You Are Infected While Running a Business

Businesses all over the world are in crisis due to COVID-19. Small companies are scrambling to figure out a way to keep their business open or at least relevant while this pandemic takes over. Studios are shutting their doors and owners prepping before their state gets the shelter in place order. But what happens if you, as the owner, test positive for the virus?

How I Got the Shot: Glass Car Model

Shooting something translucent on a reflective surface can take some effort, but with a few tips, you can do it with ease.

How to Choose Your Photography Business Name

We all have a bit of time on our hands right now, and if you want to set up a photography business or perhaps reassess your current position, this is a great time to do it and this video offers advice on how to name your business and work out who it is that you are.

Learn How This Beauty Image Was Lit and Shot

Beauty images are a wonderful chance for you to find your personal style through your choices of lighting, posing, and editing. This excellent video tutorial will show you how a photographer used two lights and gels to create a unique beauty image.

Instagram Finally Brings Messaging Ability to Desktop

If there is anything that annoys me about Instagram, it is definitely the inability to respond to direct messages on a desktop computer. Thankfully, the company has finally brought the ability to read and respond to direct messages to the web version of the app.

The New Phase One Lab Gives IQ4 150MP Owners An Impressive New Tool

Phase One Labs is a new function available for Phase One IQ4 150MP and 150 Achromatic digital back owners. The lab offers beta versions of features currently in development, allowing photographers to provide feedback for future releases. Even though it’s only in beta, the first feature is a doozy.

Check Out These Great Three-Light Setups

You can produce great images with a wide range of lighting setups ranging from natural light all the way up to several lights. However, a three-light setup is often a sweet spot for a lot of photographers, as it provides a lot of versatility while still being relatively manageable. This excellent video will show you a range of creative three-light setups you can use for your own images.

A Look at the Eerily Empty World of New York City During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented shutdowns, bringing normal life to a complete halt in many places around the world, making for eerie scenes as normally bustling neighborhoods stand empty and quiet. This fascinating video tours the streets of New York City to show how starkly different the world is during the COVID-19 shutdown.

The Benefits of Using a Grid With a Softbox

Softboxes are by far some of the most commonly used lighting modifiers, but they are not perfect. One of the most useful ways you can augment a softbox's functionality is by adding a grid. This excellent video will show you how to use a grid on a softbox and why it will make your work easier and better.

Canon Patents 8mm f/4 Fisheye Lens

Canon has been pushing the boundaries of lens design recently, with some highly impressive optics coming to market, some never seen before. It seems the company is showing no signs of stopping, as a patent for an extremely wide full frame fisheye lens has just emerged.

A Review of the Samyang XP 35mm f/1.2 Lens

A 35mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most useful optics a photographer can own, as it offers a versatile focal length along with excellent light-gathering and depth of field performance. This excellent video review takes a look at the relatively affordable Samyang XP 35mm f/1.2 lens and if it can stand up to the demands of professional photographers.

Weather Sealing Review and How to Photograph a Cycling Race

Weather sealing has been an anxiety of mine over the years (before I became a studio bunny) and I was never sure how far I could push it. A few weeks ago I decided to find out by shooting in the rain for two hours.

Fstoppers Reviews RNI's All Films 5 Preset Pack for Adobe Lightroom and ACR

Late last year, Really Nice Images released their latest Lightroom preset pack, All Films 5. I've spent the last couple of months experimenting with it and will share my experience with it so far. I'll dig into the flagship features of creative profiles, native fading, and highlight protection to see if they are all they're cracked up to be.

How to Photograph Flowers With Items From Around Your House

If you are stuck at home and itching to practice your technique and explore your creativity a bit, you might have to get a bit clever with your use of materials and choice of subjects. This great video tutorial will show you how you can photograph flowers using just materials you have lying around your house.

Learn How This Natural Light Beauty Image Was Shot and Edited

If you are interested in beauty photography, you might be used to complex lighting setup to produce the often intricate lighting you see in the final images. And while these sorts of multi-light setups certainly have their place, you might be surprised by just how much you can accomplish even using only natural light. This excellent video will show you how a photographer lit, shot, and edited this natural light beauty photo.

New Sony Firmware Allows You to Close Shutter When Swapping Lenses

In a move that’s destined to please a lot of fans, Sony has released a firmware update that allows you to close the shutter of the new Sony a9 II while changing lenses. Will the update roll out to other cameras, and is Sony about to kill off its Imaging Edge Remote mobile app?

How to Properly Export Your Photos From Lightroom

The final step of any Lightroom session is the export process, and while it might seem like a simple thing, the application actually provides you with a wide range of options that allow you to customize the output to your needs. This excellent video will show you everything you need to know about exporting photos from Lightroom.

A Beginner's Guide to Camera Exposure Settings

The exposure triangle refers to the three parameters that control the exposure of your photographs: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Each affects your photos in a different way, and as such, it is very important that you master them both to shoot technically apt images and to ensure you can bring your creative visions to fruition. This great video will introduce you to the exposure triangle and how to use it for your own work.

Stunning Quality: A Review of the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

The 70-200mm f/2.8 is a workhorse lens for a wide variety of photographers in many genres, providing a versatile range of useful focal lengths paired with a wide maximum aperture. This great video review takes a look at the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens and if it continues the tradition of excellence established by its DSLR predecessor.

How to Properly Use a Tripod

One of the most fundamental and useful pieces of gear any photographer or videographer can own is a tripod. These two excellent videos will give you numerous tips to ensure that you are getting the most out of your tripod.