The Dwarf II Smart Telescope Is One Amazing Gadget
I've been an amateur astronomer since I was around 11 years old. I had an uncle, a retired engineer, who had a small reflecting telescope, and when I saw Saturn for the first time I was hooked. Photography through a telescope came much later for me, and it was a very difficult undertaking in the film days. I remember taking some star shots to the drugstore for processing, and they told me they threw them away because there were just a bunch of white spots on them, and I should take better care to learn how to take pictures. Oh well.
Five Places in Cornwall You Must Photograph
Cornwall is one of those places I cannot get enough of. I've visited three times over the past years and can't wait to be back. In this article, I show you five of my favorite photo locations in Cornwall.
Which of These Canon Lenses Is Better?
While fast zooms generally get most of the attention, Canon also makes some excellent slower zoom lenses for people who don't need an f/2.8 aperture or who want to save some weight in their bag or money in their bank account. Two such options are the RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM and RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM, and this great video comparison takes a look at both to help you choose the right one for your needs.
A Closer Look at Luminar Neo Pano Stitching
Shooting panoramas can be a highly rewarding exercise. However, there is always the dread in the back of my mind as to whether I will be able to stitch it correctly when back in my editing suite. I, for one, have had this challenge with an image that I thought was going to be a banger, only for the horizon to slope off or for an important part of the foreground or sky to end up not stitching, resulting in a scrapped image.
The Smoke Ninja: An Affordable, Pocket-Sized Fog Machine
It's amazing what a little fog or haze can do to spice up an image or video clip. But you don't have to rely on the bulky machines that need to be plugged into a wall.
We Review theRocknRoller Cart R12T: Every Photographer Needs One!
There is something innately annoying about having to carry stuff. I can't decide if it’s shoulder pain, back pain, or just a general need to do physical activity. If you are a photographer who has to bring out more gear than a camera bag’s worth, this is a product for you. Don’t think so? Then read on!
From the Archives: Stories From Life Magazine's Greatest Photographers
How to Turn the Sony a7C II Into a $6,000 Cinema Camera for Just $300 (Sort Of)
The brand new Sony a7C II offers a huge amount of tech in a very compact body. What if you could supercharge it so that it suddenly had most of the functionality of a cinema camera? Can you get the best of both worlds? How much would it cost?
Make Your Video Amazing: We Review the Hohem iSteady MT2
Ever thought about shooting video? If so, you should consider a gimbal stabilizer. You won't go wrong with a Hohem iSteady MT2, with its outstanding AI tracking feature.
How to Make More Compelling Photos Through Compositing
3 Tips to Improve Your Travel Photography
When traveling, it's often the case that photographers zero in on the iconic sights that everyone else gets: the Eiffel Tower in France, Big Ben in London, etc. But instead of capturing what everyone else gets, there are ways to capture the feel of a place without necessarily getting the "standard" shot.
Why You Should Do Things Even if They Can't Be Tracked
Still Not Taking APS-C Seriously? We Review the Sony a6700
Sony has recently released a successor to a fan-favorite a6600 fittingly called the a6700. Don’t get me wrong, in those few days I had it it performed well, but there are some features that would elevate it to a different level. First things first though, what did Sony do well with the a6700?
Why Your Handheld Photos Aren't Sharp
If you are anything like me, you hate having to lug a tripod around, a hate which is only outmatched by your disdain for unstrapping it, setting it up, and packing it up again. If you are going to shoot handheld, though, you need to have careful technique and awareness to ensure you still come away with sharp images. This excellent video tutorial discusses some of the common reasons why photographers end up with soft images when shooting handheld and what you can do to fix those mistakes.
Why One Photographer Wants to Leave Leica After Four Years
Leica is arguably the most polarizing photography brand out there, though its users tend to be fiercely loyal to the brand, which is why it is always interesting to hear why when one leaves them for another system. This insightful video essay features a photographer discussing why he might leave Leica after four years with the brand and switch to Nikon.
Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (August 2023): Jess Hess
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 2023, 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.
Shooting Portraits on a $10,000 Lens
The Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM is one of the most exciting lenses to come along in several years, and it is tailor-made for the needs of wildlife and sports photographers. Of course, there is no reason you can't use it for other things, such as portraits. This fun video follows well-known portrait photographer Lindsay Adler as she works with the lens for a portrait session.
A Review of the New Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II Lens
The new Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II lens is here, and it brings with it a nice range of improvements and new features that will make it a desirable option for many photographers and filmmakers. How does it hold up in practice? This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you will be able to expect from it in practice.
Simply Undefeated: We Review the Datacolor Spyder X2 Elite
Is Stock Photography Worth It in 2023?
One of the biggest questions for many is how to make money from photography. There are many ways of doing it, such as photographing weddings, pets, portraits, or even products, but there are also ways to make money, such as stock photography. In this article, I discuss my experiences of using stock photography websites.
Red Flags in Photography Clients
Perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of running a professional photography business is that you have to deal with all clients yourself, including those who might be looking to take advantage of you. It pays to be aware of some of the red flags these clients will frequently show before you get involved with them in order to save yourself a lot of headaches down the road. This great video essay features an experienced commercial photographer discussing some of the most common things to watch out for.
3 Tips for Taking Better Portrait Photographs
Portrait photography is a challenging genre that requires not just a creative voice and technical command, but the ability to work with people at the same time. If you are new to the genre and would like to improve your portrait images, check out this helpful video tutorial that shares three tips that will put you on the track to better results.
Four Tips for Getting Started as a Landscape Photographer
3 Reasons Why One Photographer Uses Prime Lenses for Wedding Photography
Wedding photography is a very challenging genre that requires a lot of versatility both as a photographer and in terms of gear. As such, 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are highly popular options, but they are far from the only choices for wedding work. This great video essay features a seasoned wedding photographer discussing some of the reasons he prefers using prime lenses for his work instead.
DXO Is Back With a Solid Update to Nik Collection Version 6.3
I go way back with the Nik Tools software. I bought the set before Google snapped it up, then they let it sit virtually idle. DXO got it six years ago and have added their own deep knowledge of photo editing and, I think, fulfilled the dream of what the Nik Collection should be.