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Congratulations to the winners!

Last month's bokeh themed Critique the Community was a huge success! The entries were really beautiful, and the winning images are absolutely stunning!

For this specific contest, first place wins lenses from Lensbaby and second and third take home a free tutorial of their choice.  Congratulations to everyone who made the episode and to all the other amazing images that simply weren't chosen. If you want to participate in the next critique, stay tuned to Fstoppers.com/Contest and good luck to everyone who enters!

Rolling Shutter: Why Your Golf Club Looks Bent in Photos

If you've ever photographed a fast-moving propeller and watched it turn into a series of curved boomerangs, or captured a golf swing where the club looks like overcooked spaghetti, you've met rolling shutter. It's one of the most misunderstood phenomena in digital photography, but don't worry, I'm here to teach you what you need to know. 

Active Contests

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We want to see the images that still give you chills

Welcome to the October installment of the Critique the Community! This month's critique theme is going to be "Scary," and we want to see your best photographs that scared you in some way.

TerraMaster F4 SSD NAS: Compact, Affordable Storage for Creatives

For most of us, storage is an unavoidable part of the workflow. Many creatives don’t see having a NAS as a luxury, but rather as a necessity. Small studios and teams rely on having a server to be able to access shared files fast and on the go. Having an SSD-powered NAS can be the heart of a small production, but can it handle what is needed from a modern team? I tested it out. 

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Congratulations to the winners!

A few weeks ago we wrapped up our Critique the Community contest for September, and you, the community, had some unbelievable submissions. This episode is long but hopefully you enjoy the images and our rants as well. 

Below are the top 3 images from this critique. Please private message Lee Morris to claim your prize. 

Congrats to each of the winners and we look forward to seeing your best images in our next contest!

The Real-World Pros and Cons of OM System’s 50-200mm f/2.8 Lens

Long wildlife zooms usually force you to choose between reach, speed, and weight, and you often end up sacrificing at least one. The OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f/2.8 IS PRO lens is built to pull off a 100–400mm full frame equivalent range while still being something you can actually carry around a bird park for hours. 

The Simple Lighting Trick That Balances Background Exposure

Lighting a background with a single light sounds simple until you see the ugly gradient running from one side to the other. If you shoot portraits or products against seamless paper, getting that background clean and even can save time, keep your images consistent, and give you more control over how everything looks in camera. 

How to Master Generative Fill in Photoshop

AI editing is no longer a side feature you occasionally test and forget. It is now a core part of how you clean, build, and style images in Photoshop, and it changes how much time you spend behind the computer. 

Three All-In-One Zooms, One Sony Body: How to Pick the Right Lens for You

Choosing an all-in-one zoom for a Sony full frame body is a big commitment, because that lens often lives on the camera for trips, family events, and everyday shooting. This video looks at three very different takes on the 20-200mm class and digs into which one is right for you. 

Holiday Gift Gear Guide for Night Photographers

As night photographers, we sometimes have different needs than a lot of everyday photographers out there. I thought I’d make a gift guide that has us night photographers squarely in mind. 

Under $25 Powerpax Slimline AAA Battery Storage Caddy

Available via Amazon

Stop Crowding Your Landscapes: The Power of Negative Space

You are taught early to fill the frame, pack every corner with mountains, clouds, and texture until nothing feels empty. The video above argues that if you never leave room around your subject, your landscapes can start to feel crowded, noisy and harder for viewers to read at a glance. 

My Favorite Street and Travel Photography Backpack: Think Tank FocusPoint 22L

When I am out and about doing street and urban photography—and even a lot of travel photography—my preference is to have minimal gear with me. So the ideal bag to hold what little I carry is a small shoulder bag. But there are plenty of times when I need something a little larger to carry a second camera or action camera and audio equipment for vlogging. 

Why This $1,500 Pocket Camera Still Tempts Photographers

The Ricoh GR series has a strange pull on people who care about having a real camera in their pocket instead of a phone, and the new GR IV pushes that idea further while charging a premium that competes with serious interchangeable-lens bodies.

10 Crazy Photography Facts You Didn't Know

Photography is full of surprising history, weird technical quirks, and fascinating stories that even experienced photographers might not know. From the mathematical precision behind f-stops to cameras abandoned on the moon, these facts reveal just how wild the world of photography really is. 

Wildlife Reach Without the Weight: Why This Two-Lens Kit Just Works

Pushing into serious wildlife and nature work means dealing with long focal lengths, unstable weather, and subjects that do not care about your comfort. Pairing a compact body with the right two-lens kit can be the difference between missing a fleeting bird and walking away with a sharp frame from a safe distance. 

Hasselblad X2D II 100C Review: An Artist’s Medium Format Tool

The Hasselblad X2D II 100C medium format mirrorless camera is built as a stills-only body for when you want an art tool rather than a hybrid spec sheet trophy. This review focuses on how it actually changes the way you shoot, from waist-level landscapes and cars to tracking subjects that don’t stand still. 

Stop Blowing Out Skies: Simple Dynamic Range Fixes for Wildlife Shots

When you come home with a file where the sky is blown out and the shadows are empty, the real culprit is usually dynamic range. Understanding how much brightness your camera can actually record is what lets you keep a bird sitting in both sun and shade looking believable.