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Enter your Best "Dark" or "Low-Key" images

Welcome to the April Critique the Community!  For this contest/critique, we are doing another abstract theme that should allow more photographers to enter. For this month we want to see your most "dark" or "low key" photographs.

Developing Cyanotypes on Glass

Very often in photography, things go very wrong. In this video, Nicole Small shares her successes and failures in developing cyanotypes.

How a Photographer Shot This Levitating Model on Location

The levitating portrait is something of a classic and for good reason: it's effective at catching the eye and holding the viewer. In this video, watch a full breakdown, including behind-the-scenes footage, of how the shot was achieved, from start to finish.

Create a Cinematic Orange and Teal Color Grade in Lightroom

For the past decade modern cinema has opted for the orange and teal color grade to provide a wonderfully cinematic feel, and thanks to the new tools in Lightroom you can turn your shots into cinematic masterpieces, too.

The Best Tiny FPV Drones for Filming in Tight Spaces

Drones have improved at a rate of knots in the last decade or so, and now you are able to film usable HD footage with a tiny, agile drone. This has lead to a revolution of creative videography. In this video, one videographer and drone-lover goes through his top picks for this niche type of drone.

How I Got a Photography Agent

If like me, you have always wanted to be a commercial photographer, then having a good agent is a really important part of this. However, there are far more photographers than there are agents, so how do you get one?

How Polaroid Made Billions, Lost Billions, and Has Risen Again From the Ashes

The story of Polaroid offers a fascinating insight into the evolution of camera technology. Once a titan of the photographic industry, Polaroid failure to innovate and anticipate the shift to digital led to its bankruptcy, but a return to analog processes has breathed new life into this former giant.

Photographing Strangers on Film

Photography as a job and as a hobby are two very different things. For professional photographers, this distinction means consistently working at their practice, rather than at certain points or only if inspiration strikes.

What Is This Famous Camera Like 20 Years Later?

The original Canon 1D came out almost 20 years ago, in November of 2001, and it represented the company's arrival on the professional digital camera market. Since then, the 1D series has become well known for its high-level capabilities and almost unbreakable build, becoming a favorite of countless pros around the world. What was the original model like, though? This neat video takes a look at the shooting experience and image quality. Spoiler alert: the colors are beautiful. 

7 Helpful Ideas to Break Out of a Creative Rut

Creative ruts are something we all go through at one time or another, and they can be frustrating if you are a hobbyist and downright dangerous if you are a professional whose income relies upon your ability to come up with interesting and effective ideas and content. So, what can you do when the creative juices stop flowing? This excellent video tutorial will give you seven ideas to help you get back on track. 

Is the DJI Phantom 5 Finally on Its Way? Or Is It the Osmo Mobile 5 Next?

It has been over three years since any update to DJI's Phantom series, and given how quickly the line used to see updates and how the Mavic models have progressed, it would not be unreasonable to assume the Phantom series has been put out to pasture. That might not be the case, however, as DJI's latest event invite seems to point at a new model. 

How to Pick the Right Wedding Photographer: 7 Tips You Should Know

If you're looking into hiring a wedding photographer, you may not have much experience with the profession. Although you can pick photographers you like, there is more to the story than just that. So, how can you make sure you're hiring the right photographer? Here are seven tips that can help ensure you aren't disappointed.

6 Tips For Getting Started In Street Photography

Street photography is perhaps one of the most celebrated and ubiquitous forms of the art of photography. Names like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier, and William Eggleston pervade any list of "greatest photographers of all time," so if you also want to try your hand at it, what is the best way way to approach it?

Essential Skills Every Photographer Needs

No doubt, it is a lot of fun to nerd out over cameras and lenses, but becoming a successful photographer takes a variety of essential skills that have nothing to do with the latest and greatest equipment. This excellent video discusses three of those important skills and how they will make you a better photographer. 

What Should You Do When You Find Your Photos Have Been Stolen?

It is one of the most upsetting things that can happen to a photographer, and it is frustratingly common: you discover your images have been stolen and used without permission. What can you do in this situation? What can you do the prevent it in the future? This excellent video essay features a seasoned photographer discussing the issue and offering a lot of helpful advice. 

How to Break the Photography Rules

There are a lot of "rules" in photography, meant to codify what makes a good image and how to create one yourself. But for every rule there is out there, there are 100 notable exceptions to it. So, how do you break the rules in a way that produces compelling photos? This excellent video discusses three different ways to go about it. 

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (August 2021): Kim Silver

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 2021, 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.

Behind the Scenes of a Shoot for a Commercial Using Only Natural Light

Shooting a commercial is a difficult task at the best of times, but to do so only utilizing natural light, is even trickier. In this video, go behind the scenes of the shoot as Eric Floberg walks you through settings, equipment, and considerations to get to the professional final result.

A Common Editing Mistake Landscape Photographers Make

The vast majority of landscape photos are only half done once the shutter has been pressed; a lot of the image is created in the edit, both from a technical standpoint and in adding your personal style. As such, it is important to be aware of where things can go wrong, and this excellent video tutorial details one of the most common mistakes and what you can do to avoid it.