The modern autofocus systems are advanced. Sometimes, it looks like you will never again miss a shot when it comes down to focusing. But the autofocus can still fail under certain circumstances. Let’s look at the moments when even the most advanced autofocus can give up.
Portrait photography is a challenging genre, as it takes a combination of technical savvy, creative vision, and the ability to work with people to create successful images. If you would like to improve your own portraits, check out this helpful video that features an experienced photographer giving a lot of great advice sure to help you make better photos.
When it comes to portraits, perhaps no feature is more important than the eyes, and as such, giving them a little extra attention in the post-processing stage can help you take your images to the next level. This great video tutorial will show you how to edit eyes using only Lightroom.
Once upon a time, we would learn a skill, practice it, hone it, and that would be our main area of expertise and way of making a living. In 2022, however, it would seem that mastering your camera, actually taking photos, editing them, and then applying that skill might not be everything you need to be a successful photographer in today's climate.
When it comes to portrait photography, soft light is often the method of choice, as it provides flattering renderings suitable for a wide range of styles and subjects. If you are new to working with artificial lighting and interested in learning more, check out this helpful video tutorial that will show you how to create elegant soft light for portrait work.
24-70mm f/2.8 lenses are the workhorses of choice for a huge range of photographers and filmmakers, as they offer a very versatile focal length range in tandem with a wide maximum aperture. Nonetheless, not everyone needs that f/2.8 aperture, and if you are willing to exchange that for f/4, you can get even more focal length range at a reduced price. For Canon shooters, one such lens is the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and this great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
A few years ago, a small Hong Kong-based company called Megadap raised some eyebrows when they announced their newest product, the MTZ11, which allowed Leica M mount lenses (along with a host of other manual-focus mounts when used with adapters) to be used with the Nikon Z body with autofocus.
When you are a hobbyist, you can drop whatever money you can reasonably afford on gear if it makes you happy. However, when you are a professional, gear is a business expense, and as such, you have to pay more careful attention to its impact on your bottom line and if you truly need it. This great video tutorial features an experienced photographer discussing just what gear a professional really needs.
Normally, lenses with wide maximum apertures, such as f/1.4, sit at the expensive end of the spectrum, costing anywhere from several hundred to multiple thousands of dollars. And so, a new 35mm f/1.4 lens that costs just $73 is sure to turn some heads, but can it actually turn in decent images? This excellent video review takes a look at the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 to answer that question.
Night photography can be technically daunting. Even with modern cameras, it's not easy to capture high-quality night photos. While photographing the stars already requires high ISOs combined with wide apertures, capturing details in the landscape is even more difficult in the dark. In this article, I walk you through my night photography workflow, which combines image averaging with time blending and focus stacking to achieve high-quality results.
Drones have become a remarkably long way in the last few years, and you can now get professional-level images and video from most normal consumer models. As such, if you are a real estate photographer, it is a great time to consider diversifying your offerings by adding drone imagery. This helpful video tutorial offers an excellent guide to drone real estate photography from the gear you need through editing the images.
The Canon EOS R3 and EOS R5 are the company's two most powerful full frame cameras at the moment, offering powerful though different feature sets at two distinct price points. So, which is right for your work? This great video review takes a good look at both cameras to help you decide which is right for your needs.
Lightroom presets come with a mixed bag of acceptance. Some think they are an abomination to a learned skill and craft and should never be used, whereas others enjoy the look and feel they provide to their images. It's not just as black and white as that, and it's down to the individual whether to use them or not, but one thing to make no mistake about is the time it takes to create them.
Modern cinematic productions have begun evolving yet again, this time replacing the green screen. Some of the most impressive films of recent years have used OLED screens and Unreal Engine.
ND filters are tremendously useful for landscape photographers, giving you far more creative control over your images and the abiilty to make photos that simply would not be possible otherwise. If you are new to landscape photography, check out this neat video that features an experienced photographer showing you some of what you can accomplish with one.
Needless to say, there's a fair few logistical complexities when photographing ice cream. After shooting for a vegan ice cream brand for a couple of years now, here are my best tips for running a smooth shoot when you’re capturing ice cream.
Modern cameras and lenses offer remarkably good image quality — levels that were only dreamed of even just a decade ago. And with those increased capabilities have come increased standards and expectations. But at this point, how much image quality do we really need? This interesting video poses the question and examines a scenario where getting the shot might take precedence.
A good composition is a tricky and often elusive thing, particularly since it is not as easily objectively codified as something like the right camera settings for a given scene or situation. As such, any heuristic tricks to go about finding a compelling composition are worth knowing. This excellent video tutorial details one such trick and why it can be really useful.
Good organization skills are crucial in almost every business environment. The same obviously applies to professional photographers, especially when it comes to managing photos. Many photographers will use the built-in catalog system available in Lightroom. However, a company called Mylio may have a much better solution available for you.
Sharpness is one of the most fundamental and crucial aspects of a good image, and there are a lot of aspects and techniques you need to have down pat to ensure consistently successful photos. If you are new to photography, check out this awesome video tutorial that discusses some important tips and techniques for ensuring you get sharp photos every time.
Canon's supertelephoto prime lenses are some of the most extreme lenses out there in terms of image quality, performance, and yes, price. If you are able and willing to shell out for one, though, you can generally expect a superlative experience. So, what exactly does that $13,000 get you? This neat video takes a casual look at the Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM lens to answer that question.
The Venus Optics Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe lens captured the photography world's attention by being one of the most unique lenses we have ever seen and allowing photographers and filmmakers to get shots that simply would not be possible otherwise. The new Laowa 24mm T14 2x PeriProbe ups the ante over the original, and this neat video takes a look at what you can do with it.
Outdoor Photographer awarded the grand prize of their "Great Outdoors 2021" to a composite image that violates the rules of the competition as stated on the official website. This controversy gives rise to an ethical question regarding photography competitions that fail to enforce their own rules.
24-70mm f/2.8 lenses are the workhorses of choice for a wide variety of photographers and filmmakers, suitable for anything from weddings to landscape work and much more. Sony recently released the second iteration of their version, the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, and this great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
When it comes to portrait photography, learning to work with artificial lighting will make you far more versatile and enable creative opportunities that simply would not be possible otherwise. If that is something you would like to start diving into, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the fundamentals and have you ready to tackle your first shoot.
Viltrox has been manufacturing thirrd party lenses for some time now and has been hitting the mark with build and quality at a very reasonable price range. Their latest release, the 13mm f/1.4 is aimed at photographers and vloggers.
Sharp images are the desire of every photographer, but there are many factors that can derail that pursuit and leave you with frustratingly soft photos. If you are struggling to get crisp shots, check out this helpful video tutorial that discusses six reasons your photos are not as sharp as you would like them to be and what you can do to fix those issues.
Canon Canada just launched Canon Creator Lab as part of what I'm calling its new community-building mandate. A lot of corporations these days talk about building community, about creating a space to encourage growth. Most of it seems to be lip service at best. Here, however, we're seeing Canon Canada invest time and money into a free hub designed to help photographers get better while actually connecting with each other. Being a Canadian, I'm proud that Canon's Canadian operation is looking to lead the global photography community into this space.
Insta360’s cameras have been using the same 360 sensor setup for about three years, and now, it’s getting a serious update. Will the quality make up for the bulk?
When you think of landscape photography, you probably think of using a lens with a wider focal length range, such as a 16-35mm. Of course, there is a reason such lenses are so widely used, but they are not the only option. In fact, much longer focal lengths can create equally compelling photos. This excellent video tutorial will show why a telephoto zoom lens can help you create eye-catching landscape photos.
Almost every landscape photo requires some degree of editing to create a finished product. Lightroom is far more powerful than it used to be and offers some impressively capable and efficient tools for editing your images. This excellent video tutorial will show you five tips that will make your Lightroom landscape image editing both easier and better.
When considering what lens to buy, there are a few features and technical aspects you should consider to help make your choice. If being able to customize the way your lens focuses is important to you, you will want to check out the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2.
Lighting portraits is about more than simply creating a technically correct exposure and rendering your subject in a flattering way. It is your chance to create a certain atmosphere and develop a recognizable personal style. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to use hard lighting to create a cinematic portrait.
Sony has expanded their lens lineup quite a bit in the past few years, and they now offer a wide range of focal length options for many applications and budgets. If you are wondering which lenses are right for your work, check out this great video that features an experienced photographer discussing his 10 favorite Sony lenses.
I have likely made a great many mistakes over the course of my photography career, but one could well still be impacting me today. The question is, are you making it, and if you are, should you do anything to change?
Seascape photography is so different from shooting landscapes. Its dynamic nature makes it one of our most exciting and challenging subjects. The distinct difficulties of capturing the ocean require a different set of skills and learning some of the secrets of the sea.
We've all done it: you've taken an image you like but the horizon isn't quite straight and you didn't give yourself enough room to crop without sacrificing your composition. Here is how you can easily straighten a tilted photograph without cropping by using Adobe Photoshop.
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 2022, 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.
Most expensive lenses include a lens hood. For the cheaper lenses, you have to order a lens hood separately. Is a lens hood so important you have to use it, or can you do without such an accessory? Let’s look at lens hoods a bit in this article.
Here are five tips that save you money and get you high-quality backdrops. This is important because you must stand out as a successful photographer, and we all know that blending into the crowd isn't exactly the best way to book clients.
It is the dream of many to become a full-time YouTuber or content creator, particularly in photography. It is, however, an arduous pursuit with a low success rate. This full-time YouTuber goes through his top 10 mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Canon Canada has opened applications for the second installment of its groundbreaking FUTURES program, geared to developing emerging photographers between 18 and 24. How often do we see major corporations make a point of nurturing, not just sharing five-minute videos, but actually committed to nurturing?
The GH6 is the latest entry in Panasonic's popular line of mirrorless micro four thirds cameras, and it brings with it a wide variety of improved capabilities and new features. This great video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
Knowing how to compose a frame and choose the right camera settings is only half of what it takes to create a good photo. The other half is knowing how to edit the file into a polished final image. If you are new to photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you nine effective techniques for creating more compelling and eye-catching images.
The Samyang AF 75mm f/1.8 FE offers a unique focal length in a lens that is quite lightweight and compact in addition to being very affordable, making it an interesting option for portrait photographers. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Fstoppers has teamed up with Infinite Tools to bring you the best retouching plugins online. These tools are relevant for every type of photographer and will dramatically speed up and improve any retouching workflow. We are offering them at 20% off in the Fstoppers Store through July 5th.
We all want to improve our photography and get recognition for our work. However, there are two big distractions that we need to push aside to achieve success in our art. The first obstacle is the largest. Usually hailed as the key to photographic success, it has more disadvantages than helpful attributes.
A 50mm lens with a very wide maximum aperture can tackle a wide variety of scenarios and needs ranging from portraiture to events coverage. Nonetheless, such lenses can easily run north of $2,000, which makes the $218 price tag on the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95 lens particularly eye-catching. Can it offer much at that price point, though? This great video review takes a look at its image quality and price to answer that question.
CreativeLive, the online learning platform for creatives, founded by photographer Chase Jarvis and now a Fiverr company, has announced its acquisition of the full catalog and website of Wildist.co, a popular online resource for outdoor and adventure photographers.
Nikon has been busy on the super telephoto lens front as of late. The latest addition, the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S, presents an option for photographers who need the extra reach without straining your budget.
