New Year's Resolution: Don't Pick Up Your Camera

The New Year is a good opportunity to pursue new goals or finally get around to doing those things that have been on your long-list. However have you thought about not picking up a camera?

Is Consistency Actually Important? What Even Is It?

Consistency is undoubtedly important for many reasons. For those that want to develop a style that makes their work identifiable, defining what consistency means to them is a crucial step. For some, consistency may not matter at all.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Macro Photography" Challenge

Fstoppers recently teamed up with GuruShots, "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” to host a challenge celebrating the release of our new tutorial, Mastering Macro Photography. Hundreds of macro photos were submitted and the top three winners were selected. Check them out below along with 100 other top rated images.

Learn All About Adjustment Layers in Photoshop

If you are new to Photoshop, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the functionality and wondering what you should focus on learning first. Adjustment layers are one of the most fundamental and flexible tools you will find in the program, and they are tremendously useful for almost any photographer. This helpful video will help you become proficient with them.

DSLR Versus Mirrorless: Which Is Right for You in 2020?

There is certainly no doubt that the photography industry is headed toward mirrorless as the dominant technology, but that does not mean that DSLRs are totally obsolete and gone for good already. In fact, a DSLR is still a better choice for a lot of photographers, and this helpful video takes a look at which is right for you in 2020.

How to Create Great Glassware Photography With Just Two Speedlights

Even if it is not your professional specialty, product photography is a great genre for any photographer to practice simply because of the lighting challenges you will encounter and the problem-solving skills you will develop. This excellent tutorial will show you how to create a great glassware shot using just two speedlights and a bit of Photoshop.

Travel Photographer Explains the Use of Layers in Composition

There are many ways to approach composition in photography and filmmaking. One of the most powerful ways to add storytelling into your images is to compose using layers. In this video, travel photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich discusses the concept while taking us through several examples from his own work.

The Top Astronomical Events of 2020 for Astrophotography

Whether you are looking to get into astrophotography or take your skills to the next level, 2020 has lots of great astronomical events happening all over the world. Planning in advance and being in the right place at the right time is the first step to getting amazing shots.

Top 5 Affordable, Smaller Cameras

Whether you're thinking about getting your first camera, or like me, you're interested in having a small secondary camera, this video is worthwhile viewing!

What Makes a Good Photographer?

We all want to be better photographers, but it is not always clear how to go about that or what it is that makes for a good photographer. This interesting video essay examines the difference between good and bad photographers and just what it is we should be looking for in our own work.

Hands On: Insta360’s Clever New Modular Camera

Insta360’s ONE X has been a huge success for them; however, in the wake of the GoPro Hero 8, it’s about time they meet new demands. The GoPro Hero 8 and GoPro MAX 360 cameras are the flagships to beat: Insta360 is trying to take on both at once, for the same price as one.

One of My Top Three Photography Career Tools

You need balance as a photographer, and that means addressing the business side as well. We are creative beings, and running the day to day is something we're so great at avoiding.

Photos of Rumored Nikon D780 Leak Online

The first images of Nikon’s anticipated D780 have appeared online. Ahead of the official announcement, expected sometime this week, photos showing every angle of the new model have surfaced.

YouTuber Buys and Tests All the Cheap Cameras on Wish

We all know that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Even though many of us have learned that lesson the hard way, the lure of a cheap deal can sometimes be too strong to resist. If you've ever been tempted to make a sketchy photography-related purchase online, this video is a must-watch.

Fstoppers Reviews the Laowa 4mm Fisheye for Sony APS-C

Fisheye lenses are always nice to have in your bag. Though they may not always be applicable, especially for professional work, having a nice fisheye lens adds a certain spice to your photos.

Fstoppers Reviews the GoPro MAX 360° Camera

When I needed a 360-degree camera for my real estate photography, I was looking for the Ricoh Theta Z1. I got the new GoPro MAX 360 instead, because the Ricoh was not available at that time. Now, I want to share my thoughts on this 360-degree action camera.

Why You Should Consider Shooting Both Film and Digital

There is no doubt that digital is by far the choice of the majority of professionals nowadays, but there is still a contingent of photographers who are avidly devoted to shooting film, either exclusively or in tandem with digital. This interesting video takes a look at using both simultaneously and why that can benefit you as a photographer.

The Super Clamp: One of the Most Useful Tools in a Photographer's Toolkit

It is certainly not the sexiest topic to talk about, but for any photographer or videographer working with any sort of lighting or studio equipment, the super clamp is a highly useful tool that will come in handy over and over again. This great video will introduce you to super clamps and show you some of the many things they are useful for.

The Importance of Good Taste to Being a Successful Photographer

There seems to be a black hole of information on the topic of taste when it comes to photography, despite it being critical for what most of us strive to achieve. In making this video, I discovered why it's such an avoided topic.

Achieve Selection Perfection Using This Technique

Creating an accurate selection of a subject's limbs is deceptively difficult. The edges often look sharp and easy to cut out, but that often isn't the case when you put the selection in the hands of Photoshop's AI. However, using this technique, you can accurately smooth out the ragged edges of the selection to create perfect edges and a crisp cut-out.

Make It a New Year’s Resolution to Introduce Photography to a Loved One

It’s no secret that the photography industry is struggling right now. People are taking more photos than ever, but not on actual cameras. That’s where the photography community can step in and change things by adopting this new year’s resolution: introduce a loved one to photography this year.

Unmissable Night Sky Events in 2020

A large part of photographing specific events is planning. Obviously, being in the right place at the right time is the key to successfully photographing an event that occurs only at particular places and times, but you can only plan when you know something is going to happen.

The Most Important Rule in Lighting

There are lots of rules when it comes to lighting, from the inverse square law, to lighting ratios, and everything in-between. But in this video, Lindsay Adler talks to us about the most important rule in lighting.

10 of the Most Interesting and Entertaining Live Cameras You Can Watch Right Now

Advances in cameras and more readily available internet bandwidth have made it possible for almost anyone to set up live streams of events just about anywhere nowadays, bringing us new and interesting windows on the world. Here are 10 of the most interesting live cameras you can watch right now.

A Comprehensive Guide to Sky Replacement Using Luminar 4

One of Luminar 4's most intriguing features is its AI sky replacement that can convincingly swap the sky in a photo (a task that can be quite tedious otherwise) in just a few clicks. While it is mostly automated, there are still a few tweaks and tips that can help you get the most out of the software. This great video will show you everything you need to know about using the feature.

What is Your Parents' Best Photo?

There are many things in life you have a choice over, but your parents are not one of them! You are born and — to a greater or lesser extent — bred, shaping the person you are today. So have you looked at their photographs?

5 Productive New Year’s Resolutions for Photographers in 2020

At the start of the year 2019, I told myself to make significant changes for me to achieve more this year and it has resulted to what I can definitely call the best year for my photography. Let me share with you 5 of them that I think can bring you more progress for 2020.

Blending for Composites in Photoshop

What do you think of when you hear the term "composite"? Lots of hours with the Pen tool cutting out elements or fiddling around with the Refine Edge tool?

The Best 20 Sports Images of the Decade

As the bells chimed to bring in the new year, we said sayonara to the second decade of this century. And didn’t we see some iconic sports moments during that time? Here are 20 of the best.

Why the Best Camera for Beginners Isn't Their Phone

A common piece of advice for photography beginners is to use your phone to take images, as it's a powerful camera in the right hands. I used to give this advice too, but after a lot of thought, I realized I was wrong.

3 Things Photographers Get Wrong About Flash

If you’re diving into using strobes for the first time or if you are still learning how to use additive lighting in your photography, then definitely check out these three misconceptions that many photographers have about shooting with flash.

Ignore 98% of the Photography Market to Win

The video title alone should make you want to come and dispute this claim, but give it a couple of minutes of your time. The majority of people won’t support you or appreciate your work. You’re not alone, and here is an example.