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.

Canon 1D X Mark III Details Emerge: Some New Information, Lots of Confusion

Various rumor sites got themselves a little bit excited in the last few days, inadvertently posting “complete specifications” for the forthcoming 1D X Mark III but listing the features of the Mark II instead. In among a lot of confusion, a few details may have become clear, at least.

Five Ways Lightroom Is Just Better

Following up from last’s week’s article about Capture One, today, we’ll take a look at its main rival in the raw processing field, Lightroom. To keep things on a relatively level playing field, I’ll be discussing what is now called “Lightroom Classic,” the desktop version of Lightroom.

The Secret to Longevity in Photography

Whenever an aspiring photographer asks me for the secret to beginning their career, I always respond with the same answer: Step one is to remember that photography is a marathon and not a sprint.

5 Ways the Photography Community Can Be Better in 2020

Every year, we all take steps to grow as photographers, but maybe it's time we start growing as a community. Here are some things we can all stop doing in the new year to grow positively together.

Is Fujifilm Acros II Worth the Extra Cost?

There's been a lot of doom and gloom about film and its viability as a photographic medium in the last few years. Film stocks seemed to be fading away faster than ever. However, this past year, Fujifilm decided to bring back one of their most beloved modern films, Acros, in a new formulation: Acros II. In this great video, Roger from Shoot Film Like a Boss puts the film through its paces and gives his thoughts.

Blogging for Photographers in 2020: What Actually Works?

When it comes to blogging, there are a lot of things that can help drive traffic to your site. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of things that you can spend tons of time on and be left with a minimal return. In this video, Corey and Dylan give photographers a solid game plan for going into 2020.

Lighting Ratios Explained Simply

Lighting can be as simple or as complex as you make it. As someone who uses light meters myself, I struggle to articulate why using this handy tool can be a far more efficient way to light a scene. In this informative video, the simplicity of lighting a portrait using ratios is explained far better than I ever could!

My Best Photography Buys of 2019

In 2019, I switched mounts, tried out some new gear, and built a new editing setup. Looking back at the year, there are some pieces of equipment I’d buy again in a heartbeat, while others weren’t even worth the cost of return shipping.

Ten Creators to Watch on TikTok

A lot of people think TikTok is juvenile, or have not even heard of it. Yet, after 1 billion downloads and upwards of 500 million monthly users, the app is on the map.

"Evil Eyes" Sunrise Captured During Solar Eclipse

Historically speaking, solar eclipses have been surrounded by myths, legends, and superstitions. If you're one of those individuals who remains superstitious about sunrises and solar eclipses, then you should probably avoid looking at this image for too long.

What Were the Best and Worst Cameras of the Last Decade?

While sales have fallen off a cliff, innovation continued apace during the twenty-tens (tenners? Tennies? Tenties? Your suggestions below, please), and Kai Wong has kindly put together a list of the best and worst of the decade — both in terms of specific cameras but also technological developments — with the help of his candid cohort, Lok Cheung.

What's Wrong With Buying Lightroom Presets?

Presets are a contentious topic in the world of photography, especially when it seems that every photographer on YouTube has a pack of film emulations to flog. That said, they do have their place, and the people at Mango Street run you through what to consider when buying and how to put them to good use.

How You Can Achieve Cinematic Lighting on Any Budget

Have you ever gone to the movies and was blown away by the lighting and cinematography of a certain scene and wish you could go home and recreate that look yourself? The problem usually arises that you don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars of lights accessible to you. In this quick video, learn how you can achieve a cinematic lighting scheme on any budget.

A Decade of Filmmaking: Ranking the Best?

New Year's Eve is a great spot from which to look back over the year and evaluate the ups and downs of the previous 365 days. For filmmakers, it's a great time to take stock of the year's best of lists. When time is running out for an entire decade, this means that there is an extra special treat: best of the decade lists! Do you have favorite films from this closing decade?

Fstoppers Reviews Four Camera Backpacks

Opinions on which camera backpack a photographer should use are probably only second to which camera system they should use. With so many brands of packs out there, and not to mention multiple versions by each of the manufactures, it can be challenging to pick a backpack. To help the readers of Fstoppers, I took a look at four backpacks to see how they stack up.

My 10 Most Used Pieces of Gear in 2019

With the year coming to an end, it’s a great time to take inventory and see what you did right and what needs improvement. This also translates to your gear. What was used the most and what should be thrown up for sale? This is a list of my most used gear for 2019.

Get This Free Pack of Dynamic Video Transitions for Davinci Resolve

After getting familiar with the general interface of your chosen video editing software, and perhaps after your first few simple edits, the next step for most aspiring editors or YouTube creators might be to start learning a few fancy transitions to flex those creative muscles and spice up your new videos. This YouTuber has just made your lives a little easier.

How to Remove Object From Video Using Content Aware Fill Tool in After Effects

Most photographers are familiar with the content aware fill tool. This features has been part of Photoshop for years and can be a life saver to remove unwanted or distracting elements from an image. Adobe recently implemented this tool in After Effects and this short tutorial shows how to use it.

Medium Format Point and Shoot? Yes Please

For those that are unaware, the Fujifilm GA645 is capable of 100% auto settings like a true point and shoot – autofocus, autoexposure, as well as autoadvance.

The Benefits and Creative Opportunities of Hard Light

A lot of the work photographers do in modifying and controlling light for portraiture comes down to softening the light to render facial features in a more flattering way. But that does not mean that hard light does not have its place, and this quick and great video discusses three good reasons to try it out along with showing lots of examples.

Nikon D780 Rumored Specs and Announcement Date Emerge

There is no doubt that camera companies are increasingly moving into the mirrorless realm, but that does not mean DSLRs are totally done for. Fans of Nikon's DSLRs will be happy to hear that the wildly popular D750 is due to get an update fairly soon.

The Easiest Way to Replace a Sky in a Photo

I've been replacing skies manually in Photoshop for over 15 years now. It's time-consuming and tedious, but I assumed it was the only way. But now, Luminar 4 claims to be able to swap skies with a single click, and it's quite impressive.

An Introduction to VR180 Format

VR180 is a relatively new format used for the interactive and immersive content. Unlike the traditional 360-degree capturing, it only allows you to capture a limited 180-degree field of view, and according to the Google, it will be the new trend for content creators.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (December 2019): Suvi Sievilä

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.

Cramming a Large Keylight Into a Backpack

Recently Caleb Pike demonstrated an old trick with new tech, and it’s eye opening how much lighting one can cram into a tiny space these days.

7 Tips for Shooting Video With Zero Budget

Sometimes you don't get the budget you were hoping for on jobs or you want to shoot your own project without incurring too much of a financial hit. What can you do?

A Look at the Fascinating Process of Making Photo Books

Even as we are firmly planted in the digital realm, there is really nothing that can replace the tactile sensation of flipping through a photo book. However, they are not as straightforward to create as you might think, taking an impressive dose of precision and attention to detail to create the final product. This excellent video takes a behind the scenes look at the process.

What Photo-Processing Software Is Right for You?

These days, there are numerous options for cataloging and editing your photos, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This excellent video will give you an overview of the different programs to help you decide which is right for your style and workflow.

How to Turn a White Wall Into a Black Background

When you are new to lighting, you might think you need a black background to take photos with, well, a black background, but you might be surprised to know that with some careful technique, you can make even a white wall into a black background. This great video video will give you a very practical lesson in lighting to show you how it affects the look of your background.

Submit Your Most Unique Photo
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Submit Your Most Unique Photo

Submit Your Most Unique Photo

We've all taken a photo of a pet, a landscape, a flower, or a girl walking on train tracks. We don't want to see any of that, unless of course you've figured out a way to do one of these cliche shots in a different way. We want to see something unique.

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Your Photography Is Worthless: This Is Why!

The concept of working for “credit” is not a new one, nor is it unique to photography. Yet, it is one of the few industries that everyone thinks should work for free.