The Sony World Photo Awards Has Lost Its Credibility as a Competition

When the Sony World Photography Awards (WPA) suddenly decided to remove photographs of Hong Kong protests from its website, it destroyed its credibility as a competition. If the decisions of the judges are being edited to avoid upsetting the Chinese government, how is this not censorship?

Learn How to Make Your Own Light Table for Close-Up Photos

Using items you probably already have at home, you can make your own light table that’s perfect for close-up photographs, because, let's face it, not all of us have the room or budget for full-size professional light tables.

What Should We Do About Facial Hair?

How many times do we have to shoot an epic project and start the post-processing knowing that there will be a considerable amount of time spent removing facial hair? Is this how it should be, or can it be changed?

Is Makeup More Harmful Than Photoshop?

It seems like over the last 10 years, more and more photographers, retouchers, and influencers have been accused of promoting distorted and unrealistic body image expectations to children and the general public. As a photographer, I was curious if retouching with Photoshop was more or less deceptive than using face-altering makeup. Today, I put my social experiment to the test.

Photographer Sets up Trail Cam, Discovers Bears, Deer, Bobcats Use His Log Bridge

A wildlife photographer based in Pennsylvania has set up a log bridge across a river, before installing a trail cam. Over the past couple of years since its installation, he has captured footage of a whole host of wild animals, including bears, beavers, deer, and a collection of birds, and now the resulting footage is doing the rounds on the internet.

5 Time-Saving Tips for Photographers

Photography can be very time-consuming. Over the years, I have picked up a few workarounds, so hopefully ,you can avoid the hours and days that I have pilfered away. These are my five time-saving tips.

Living in the Days of Pretend Big Productions

We live in interesting times when everything is expected to look good, show high numbers, and have flashy abbreviated job titles. What actually lies beneath the shiny plastic cover is often something rather humble.

Is This Tamron 35-150mm the Best Walk-Around Lens on the Market?

If you're looking for a lens that's super sharp, incredibly versatile, remarkably cheap, and able to cover almost every scenario you want from a walk-around lens, then this 35-150mm lens from Tamron is perfect. These images testify to that.

Comparing Medium Format Film to Digital

There is no doubt that digital has surpassed the quality of 35mm film, but medium format film still offers tremendous quality and is significantly cheaper than digital medium format. How does it compare to a modern medium format camera? This great video takes a look at the two and the results you can expect from them.

How to Dodge and Burn Photos in Lightroom

Dodging and burning is one of the most fundamental and versatile techniques any photographer can use to post-process their photos. However, you do not always need Photoshop to do it. This great video will show you how to dodge and burn your photos in Lightroom.

Film Photographer Gives His Opinion on Which Film Camera You Should Buy

If you think that there are too many options today when considering buying a digital camera, then spare a thought for those who are interested in buying a film camera. Thankfully, this video can give those who are new to the format a better idea of what's on offer.

'Apocalypse Now': Intention and Commitment

Have you ever come back to a piece of work that you know almost like the back of your hand and yet, you're still surprised by its depth? You see something new, something inspiring?

The Fujifilm X-T4: The Best Camera I Won't Be Buying (Probably)

Fujifilm has officially announced the X-T4 and to me it looks like a brilliant camera. Fuji has implemented most of the major requests made by many within the community. My initial reaction in London was extremely positive towards the camera. Unfortunately, there are still a few reasons that hold me back from upgrading.

Gif or Jif? Jif Peanut Butter Pokes Fun With Limited-Edition Run

Jif, the popular American peanut butter company, launched a new campaign last week with the popular site GIPHY to settle the GIF pronunciation debate once and for all and in doing so, claims they "finally put a lid on the #jifvsgif debate." Available with several fun messages printed about, a limited 40-oz. jar labeled "Jif" on one side and "Gif" on the other is also now available from Amazon while supplies last.

How Does Autofocus Actually Work?

It's the unsung hero of your photos, and it's always been improving. It's that little switch on the lens. We've become accustomed to AF, and for good reason. It works, and it works very well.

Department of Justice Sides With Kentucky Photographer Who Refuses to Shoot Gay Weddings

A Kentucky-based photographer who refuses to photograph same-sex weddings is being backed in her legal battle by the Department of Justice, which says requiring her to do so would be “violat[ing] her sincerely held religious beliefs,” and “invades her First Amendment rights.” She is fighting against a Louisville ordinance that bans local businesses from discriminating against homosexual customers.

Lighting and Posing Tips for Swimwear and Boudoir Photos

Posing can be a tricky thing to master, and there are special considerations you have to make when you are on a swimwear or boudoir shoot. This excellent video will give you lots of helpful lighting and posing tips for both swimwear and boudoir photography.

What Are Your Worst Photography Habits?

No photographer is perfect, and we all have our bad habits that we should probably break. What are your bad habits? This interesting video features a photographer detailing five of his and the effects they have.

Fast and Sharp: A Look at the Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art Lens

Sigma's Art series of lenses is loved by many photographers for its combination of great optical quality and relatively affordable prices that often undercut first party manufacturers by around 50 percent. Their 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art lens for Sony E and L mounts pushes boundaries a bit, as it is the first in the series with a maximum aperture of f/1.2. How does it hold up in practice? This great video takes a look to answer that question.

The Best Bokeh for Fuji Shooters: A Review of the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD Lens

Any bokeh fanatic knows that to push the boundaries of background blur further and further, you need ultra-wide aperture lenses. But it is not just a wide aperture that can produce that buttery smooth bokeh. Lenses with an apodization filter can also make bokeh much nicer. This great video review takes a look at Fujifilm's version of such a lens and if it is worth the extra price.

How to Be Inspired but Not Be a Thief

Being inspired is a part of creative expression in all mediums. We are all inspired by different people and things, but when are you no longer inspired and instead just stealing? There's a process to understanding how you should take inspiration and apply it to your own work. Once you find that line, you can be more comfortable in finding inspiration.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (February 2020): Hananiah Aldrich

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 2019, 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.

How to Correct Skin Tones in Lightroom

Getting skin tones just right is a subtle but very important aspect of creating professional portraits and setting your work above that of others. Photoshop has lots of tools for working on skin tones, but if you want to keep everything in one application, this helpful tutorial will show you how to get great skin tones working solely in Lightroom.

All Photographers Need a Tilt-Shift Lens: Here's Why

One of the biggest misconceptions I have come across in the industry is that tilt-shift lenses are just for people who shoot architecture. Once you understand how these specialist lenses work, you'll realize how big of a deal they can be for almost any genre of photography.