Fstoppers Original Articles

The Joy of Creating Art: Non-Technical Edition

Today, hopefully, you’ll allow me a brief break from discussing tech and technique to revel in a bit of the pure joy that is the process of photography.

Acrylic Prints From ZNO: A Must Try

One of the best ways to display your work is by creating acrylic prints of them. Be it your own desire or a client wanting to go extra on their last photoshoot, acrylic-mounted prints are one of the best ways to create physical copies of your images. In this article, we will see how you can use client galleries to prompt your clients to purchase acrylic prints and display them on your wall.


Why a 365 Challenge Might Be Hurting Your Photography Instead of Helping It

I have considered doing a 365 photography challenge in the past but have refrained from putting myself under that much meaningless pressure. The idea of taking a photo every day for a year sounds like it could help build consistency, but in reality, it often leads to uninspired shooting, creative burnout, and a portfolio full of forgettable images. Instead of improving your craft, you end up taking photos just for the sake of it—grabbing a quick shot of coffee, a random leaf, or whatever happens to be nearby—just to keep up with the challenge.

Unleash the Fun: Must-Have Tools for Pawsome Pet Portrait Sessions

Attention, all pet-loving shutterbugs! If you're a studio portrait photographer with a passion for pup photography, then you've come to the right place. We're about to let you in on a little secret that will have those furry friends wagging their tails with joy during your next pet portrait session. That secret? It's all about the right tools. So, grab your camera and let's dive into the world of pet-tastic props!

How to Edit a Landscape From Start to Finish With ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2018

When it comes to landscape photography, preparation and using the right tools go a long way to get that perfect shot. Tripods, filters, or even drones can all take your image to that next level. However, many photographers don’t give enough importance or time to the editing process of their images. With software that combines multiple tools into one program and simplified non-destructive editing, ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2018 can make it easier to experiment with new edits on overlooked images and even save some of those over or underexposed captures.

Why I Used to Hate Making Wedding Albums

Before I created Fstoppers, I was a full-time wedding photographer. Over that time, I designed a handful of wedding albums as both show albums and as client albums. To be honest, I never really enjoyed the album-making process. Now, the tables have turned, and for my wife's first year anniversary gift, I decided to make an album with images from my own wedding. How will my wife respond, and will I enjoy the process? Let's find out!

The Photo Creators: A Boutique Conference for Hands-On Learning

Not all conferences are created equal. While I am a big fan of the large conferences, sharing a room with hundreds of people isn't always the best way to learn. So, if you still want to learn from big names such as Lindsey Adler and Joe McNally, but in a small hands-on environment, then The Photo Creators may be what you are looking for.

Preparing For My First Art Gallery

As a wedding photographer, having a gallery of my work has never been something that has crossed my mind. So when I was approached by The Apollo on Emma about putting some of my work on display, I had to dive down the rabbit hole of possibilities.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (September 2022): Hanny Honeymoon

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.

Save $50 on Fstoppers Tutorials for the Holidays

Fstoppers wants to say thank you to all our loyal readers with one final holiday sale as we wrap up 2017. Over the next week, we are offering $50 off a wide variety of our original photography tutorials. Visit the Fstoppers store to take advantage of these savings for your last minute holiday shopping and save by using code "HOLIDAY50" at checkout.

Photographic Virtues Series: Teamwork

In this series, I attempt to identify the key professional virtues I have found to be the most important in building my own career, as well as identifying traits of other successful photographers that are most key to their success. Today’s virtue: teamwork.

Natural Talent Is a Made-Up Excuse to Not Move Forward

Natural talent is something often attributed left and right to people. Talent is quite mysterious; no one can put their finger on what it is. If it’s there, you can make it, but if it’s not, you cant. But is it all a made-up excuse? It might be.

Why Printing Instant Photos at Weddings Can Elevate Your Photography Business

As photographers, we often focus on capturing the perfect shot, editing it meticulously, and delivering polished galleries to our clients. But in the midst of digital workflows and online galleries, there’s one thing that consistently surprises and delights wedding clients: instant prints.

Sustaining Your Growth After a Photography Workshop

The impact of a photography workshop doesn’t end with the last official event. If you continue to engage with the lessons and inspiration you gained during your time there, you can allow them to shape your photographic journey in meaningful and lasting ways.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (September 2023): Yong Lei van Barlingen

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.

Searching for Inspiration: Cinema the Closest Relative

Looking at other photographers’ work for inspiration can be overwhelming. With an almost unlimited amount of photography to look through, I can feel lost. I often turn to other mediums to look for inspiration.

Projecting Into the Future: Anticipate Your Subjects

Photography is all about time. It's the only visual art that is able to hold a single moment and fix it for our lasting consideration. To make that happen we as photographers must be keenly aware of both the slice of time that we are capturing and the all the time which leads up to that important moment. To do this well we must look into the future.

6 Essential Parent Dance Tips for Impactful Wedding Photos

Parent dances, such as the mother-son dance and father-daughter dance, are critical events during most wedding receptions. They are opportunities to capture beautiful, emotional moments that showcase key relationships in your client’s lives. They also give photographers plenty of opportunities to showcase their creativity with interesting compositions, impactful lighting, and more. To help you take better parent dance photos, here are six essential tips.

5 Things To Know Before Photographing Your First Beach Wedding

The romance of a beach wedding is undeniable, but so are the obstacles photographers face. Whether it’s harsh lighting, strong winds, or unexpected crowds, mastering beach wedding photography requires skill and adaptability.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2024): Christine Kennedy

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.

Save up to 60% Off on All Fstoppers Original Tutorials

The Holidays are here and we are celebrating with our best sale of the year! Right now, all Fstoppers photography and video tutorials on sale to kick off the season. Every course is automatically 30% off but when you add additional products to your cart, you can get up to 60% off each tutorial.

Connection Through Color: Black and White Photographs Take on New Life

One could easily say that nothing is what it seems because our minds create a subjective representation of the world around us. With memories, this representation may be even more complex. As scientists explain, encoding a memory in the brain is a biological event that begins with a sensory experience. Every memory we have captures emotions, and colors are one of those aspects that evoke and illustrate what we feel.

From Start-Up Curiosity to Cultural Colossus: A 20-Year History of YouTube

On February 14, 2025, YouTube celebrates its 20th anniversary—a milestone that invites deep reflection on how a single website, originally conceived as a platform for sharing simple video clips, evolved into a global cultural powerhouse. Over two tumultuous decades, YouTube has transformed media hierarchies, empowered ordinary individuals to become creators, and reshaped public discourse on a myriad of social, political, and cultural issues.

Three Things I Look For When Hiring Crew Members

As the scope of your projects grow, so will your team, and it’s important to surround yourself with the best possible team to ensure the best possible end product. But how do you go about choosing the right people?

How to Style and Photograph Soup

As we head deeper into autumn, it’s officially soup season! I love to make and eat soups in the cold weather months, but they can be pretty challenging to style and photograph. In this post, I’m sharing my tips on how to transform a blob of beige soup into a dynamic and interesting image.

Zoner Photo Studio X: Powering Up with Faster and Easier Features

Zoner Photo Studio X (ZPS X) is an all-encompassing post-production suite and file management system that has been quietly growing into something truly impressive. In the latest update, ZPS X has seen some major user experience upgrades, making it faster and easier to use than ever before.

FICTION: In the Blink of An Eye Part II

Continuing on our serialization of a photography themed short story, here is Part 2 of "In the Blink of an Eye." If you didn't manage to read Part 1 last week, then catch up to find out what Charlie Sydcup videoed during a trip to the City of London.

The Power of a Video: Making the Chennai Children's Choir's Dreams Come True

Videos are the next big thing, and it is happening already. With the advent of social media, the power of a video to touch minds and influence decisions is huge. We recently did a fundraising video for a children’s choir and were amazed by the response. This post is a quick recap of what we learned in the process.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (November 2023): Kareem Quow

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.

Why Sound Can Be More Important Than Your Video

As a photographer, I'm starting to use video more often, whether to work on a client's project or promote my work using video. Most, if not all, mirrorless cameras on the market today can also produce high-quality 4K video. However, there is one factor that needs to be taken into account when making a video: sound. Sound is often overlooked, yet it is one of the most essential factors in any video or film.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (June 2023): Petri Damstén

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.

Uncovering California’s Quiet Beauty with Lukas Felzmann’s Across Ground

Set aside the rush of daily life to unwind with a photobook that invites you into California’s diverse landscapes. Lukas Felzmann’s Across Ground beckons photographers and art lovers to sit down, silence distractions, and immerse themselves in its poetic exploration of nature and culture. This article offers reasons why you might want to make a peaceful retreat into the pages of this photobook.

Elevating Music Photography: Hip Hop Culture In The Frame With Ajani Charles

I recently had the chance to get a personalized tour of Ajani Charles' solo hip-hop photography show being hosted at Toronto's City Centre Airport. Charles' exhibit is the result of a lifelong passion that has turned into a massive personal and professional adventure: Project T-Dot. I thought I was going to get a straightforward gallery tour from one of Canon Canada's Ambassadors, but I walked away with a whole lot more. Due to its popularity, the exhibit has just been extended to July 24, 2025.

The Pollinator Path: A Video Journey Among Cornwall's Rarest Bees

Embarking on an intrepid journey through Cornwall's rugged landscapes, our mission to capture one of the UK's rarest bees, the Large Scabious Mining Bee, unfolds amidst the wild beauty of a National Trust farm. Join us as we delve into the world of solitary bees, where conservation efforts are sparking hope in the most unexpected of places.

The Guilty: Making Movies With Intention in the Time of COVID

Intention in filmmaking has the potential to elevate movies. As a photographer, watching a movie with thoughtful cinematography is my favorite way to pass a Friday night. Maz Makhani’s work on The Guilty, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Antoine Fuqua, is an example of realizing this potential.

An Interview With Jordan Blake: Vulnerability and Strength Through Self-Portraiture

Jordan Blake is a black artist originally from Nigeria. He has lived in Baltimore, USA for several years. After finishing college, he made the move to New York to better figure out and explore who he is and what type of images he wants to create. Of course, it doesn’t go unnoticed that New York also offers greater opportunities for collaboration and sharing of work.

Adding Music to Video With ACDSee Video Studio 3

Music adds mood and personality to a video, reinforcing the message and engaging the viewer. In this tutorial, we are going to look at how to add and cut clips of music in a video with ACDSee Video Studio 3.