No, it’s not a trick question. I recently asked Fstoppers readers about their absolute must-have in a camera, and the clear winner was autofocus. But there is a lot to autofocus, so I want to examine some of its aspects more deeply.

Sony has established the era of the incremental update, offering new bodies at an alarming rate that are putting the old guard to shame. Where flagships used to be replaced every four to five years, Sony has just announced its ultimate camera after the first iteration has been on the market for a mere two-and-a-half. Is this what customers want, and is the a9 II a big disappointment?

For most studio owners, outbuildings end up full of all sorts of junk, but there will be those key bits of kit that are just used day in and day out, and it's probably where you really want to invest your money.

Creating panoramic photographs is nothing new; most of us have either had a crack with a camera or maybe even with a phone app/camera. A lot of my work involves creating panoramic/stitched-together photographs with a tilt-shift lens, which in my opinion is the best way to do so.

They say RGB lights will make you get rid of old-fashioned color gels. This article shows exactly the opposite. You should keep your gels and even buy more.

Lightroom is a complex and intricate application, and it can be easy to overlook features in the program that can make your life far easier and efficient or even open up new capabilities. This helpful video features three tips that anyone using Lightroom should definitely know about.

When it comes to camera brands most appreciated by photographers for their colors, Fujifilm and Canon generally get top nods. Which of those two do you prefer? Try out this blind comparison test to see if your preference is really as strong as you think!

On many cameras, there’s something incredibly satisfying about pushing a button and feeling the mechanical shutter — especially combined with a big chunky mirror — flick in and out of place in a fraction of a second. Some, however, are plain awful. Which ones do you like, and which ones make you feel like the camera is about to fall apart?

For many, wildlife photography is all about natural colors and objective realism. The light, composition, and behavior captured should do all the talking. And for the most part, I agree — for that other tiny little bit, though, I beg to differ. Please allow me to elaborate in more ways than one.

It seems as though almost every time I ask one of my close friends about a particular aspect of their photo, I usually hear the same reply: "I forgot" or "I didn't think of that." My answer is, typically, "make a checklist."

Is any purpose of creating more important than producing something of lasting value?

Getting familiar with Photoshop is a long process, and who better to reveal some little-known features than someone with more than 20 years of experience? This excellent video from Jamie Windsor will speed up your workflow and uncover some powerful features that you might not have known exist.

Sigma's Art series of lenses continues to impress, and perhaps one of the most alluring in the entire lineup is the 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, which offers excellent wide-open sharpness along with the ability to turn any background into a gooey swath of bokeh. How good is it? Check out this quick and practical review.

V-flats are one of the most useful lighting items a studio photographer can have. In fact, they can allow you to create much more complex lighting setups just by shaping a single light. This great video will show you how you can create three different lighting setups using just a single strobe and some v-flats.

5 Day Deal is back again and even though Patrick and I made a video attempting to explain it, we are still getting a ton of questions and complaints from confused photographers. People keep asking us if this is a scam. Let me try to answer everyone's questions.

One of the most important aspects of any portrait is the eyes. The eyes are what any viewer is naturally drawn to when looking at an image, and thus, it is worth spending just a little extra time making sure they are just right. This great tutorial will show you a technique for enhancing the eyes in Photoshop.

When you're scrolling through Instagram and you stumble upon a creative portrait or effect, what's the first thing that goes through your mind? You probably think it's just "Photoshopped." in, but in this video, see how Lindsay Adler created these artistic and creative effects in camera.

Traditionally, professional sports photographers use top-level cameras with low-to-medium resolution, as these cameras typically have the fastest frame rates, which are needed to capture professional athletes in action. But with Sony putting fast burst rates even in their higher-resolution cameras, sports photographers can now have the best of both worlds. This great video discusses using a Sony a7R IV for NFL football photography.

Do you believe that your images are objective representations of reality? You might be mistaken. Here are a few arguments why.

In the age of Instagram, if you can rock a floppy sun hat and big Hollywood sunglasses and have at least 3,000 followers, then you have a voice big enough to represent any number of companies, but being a brand ambassador isn’t all beach-side sangrias and posing with vibrant murals: scam artists have found Instagram, and the perpetrators are plentiful.

It’s no secret that with each new camera release, we’re seeing more megapixels, increased dynamic range and overall more information in our files. So what does that mean for professional photographers and retouchers who are working in the field today?

The Fuji X-T3 is one of the latest powerhouses in the company's line of highly popular cameras, and with it comes a plethora of features that have attracted both photographers and videographers. Is it right for you? This great video review takes a very practical look at the camera after long-term usage.

The popularity of drones is soaring as the idea of creating unique images and original content continues to attract photographers and videographers. But drones are also causing a lot of problems for users, sometimes landing them in prison. Here's what you need to know.

Sony surprised pretty much everyone when they recently announced the a7R IV, the latest in their line of high-resolution full frame cameras and an update to the a7R III. While the a7R IV has a lot of great features and upgrades, the a7R III is quite the powerhouse itself, and you may be wondering if you need to upgrade. This great video overview discusses the differences between the two and will help you decide which is right for you.

Copying our files to a computer after a shooting session is mandatory step. But there is more than Windows file transfer utility. TeraCopy not only copies your files but it makes sure that your precious data arrives at destination safely.

Gina Manning Photography has been working with the Bruno Magli team for two seasons now, shaping their brand and new campaign and collections visually. I’ve been fortunate enough to harvest an incredibly collaborative and artistic relationship that has led the way for us to make the art I love seeing in the world!

I’m rubbish at taking portraits. I’m definitely better than I was, but it’s very much a work in progress. Other than shooting more, how can you make yourself improve?

I am lucky enough to have hosted or been a part of workshops around the world. One thing I teach in my workshops is that photographers should not look at other photography to be inspired.

Well it had to come… the final installment of the A to Z of Photography appeared last week and with that a huge void in my life! With every end there is a new beginning, but before we reach that, where did the A to Z start, what topics did it traverse in its winding journey, and what were some of the highlights?

Time-lapses are one of those things that I wish I had the time and budget to do. They involve a lot of planning, time, knowledge, and gear to pull off.

Hollywood post-production houses have faced quite a peculiar "slow crash" of the famous "trash can" Mac Pro during editing in Avid Media Composer. At the end, it turns out the problem is caused by something you'd least expect.

I was not very impressed by the Canon M50 camera when it came last year. But mounting a crazily expensive cinelens on this entry level mirrorless is an entertaining challenge.

The advent of social media plunged the vast majority of us into a new era, face first. The alleged centrality of the medium to photographers meant your work is constantly under review, which isn't without consequences.

A strong composition is the holy grail of landscape photography, and there are always new things to learn.

Dodging and burning is an old school technique that existed long before digital cameras and software. This does not mean it shouldn't be in a modern photographer's bag of tricks.

When color grading your work, don't overlook the importance of targeting the skin tones in your workflow. Perfecting the skin color can drastically help your images, but how would you color grade skin?

It's been exactly a year since the release of Nikon's flagship full-frame mirrorless camera and the camera has been tested in so many different genres. For this review, I test out this camera for compatibility in the exact kind of photography that I do: urban photography.

When it comes to alternatives to mainstream photo editing software, ACDSee has been one of the best and most popular options for many photographers. I've had the pleasure of using much of their software over the last year and I'm pretty excited about their latest edition.

We look at the world in color, even when we want to shoot black and white photos. Color can be very distracting in that case. Thanks to digital photography it is possible to change the world into black and white before you take the picture.

With drones becoming more and more mainstream, people are doing some new and interesting things that require a lot of skill and control. In this video, Mr. Steele, an FPV freestyle pilot and the owner of Ethix, takes us on a ride through his house on one of his 5" custom builds.

If the Sony a9 summed up in one word is “performance,” the new a9 II in one word is “connectivity.”

Unfortunately, I don't think it's a huge stretch to think that many of us may see our professions being replaced by AI.

One thing many of us struggle with in our journeys as photographers and filmmakers is finding what we want to say and then expressing it effectively through our chosen medium. In this short documentary about Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen, we get a look into what informs a photographers choice of subject matter and method of expression.

Range masking is one of the less used yet more powerful features in Adobe Lightroom. If you haven't used them, check out this tutorial covering the ins and outs.

The demands of photographers have changed over the years when it comes to transporting their gear. For those who demand a bag that gets the job done and looks great while doing it, there are some great options on the market these days. Today we'll look at one such option, the f-stop Dyota 20.

I’ve written about this before, but I think it bears repeating. Don’t let a lack of finances convince you that you can’t achieve your goals as a photographer.

Lenses are critical, yet many photographers tend to attach mediocre entry-level zoom glass on their camera when there are plenty of affordable quality lenses on the market. Here is a personal selection of some of the best optics that can be found under $300.

A photographer’s Grinch-themed Christmas photoshoots have been going viral this week, making appearances on news outlets such as People and the Today Show. However, things have since taken a sour turn after the photographer received an email from Dr. Seuss Enterprises threatening legal action for using their character for commercial gain.