Fstoppers Original Articles
Pandemic Face Masks Are Really Screwing Up Autofocus
With masks required basically everywhere, I’ve been able to get away with small things, such as not shaving as often since no one can see my face. Unfortunately, what makes personal grooming easier makes autofocusing a bit harder as my camera struggles to find a face with a mask on.
Dealing With Criticism as a Photographer
Remember the old adage, “If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all”? Yeah, that’s not really a thing on the Internet. As photographers we need to understand that criticism is rampant, it's unavoidable, and it's also not always a bad thing. Here’s how to embrace it.
The Secret Power You Can Use to Elevate Your Photos
There are two powerful areas we can use to take our photos to the next level. Yet, they are rarely written about in photography articles.
Planning for a Wildlife Photography Trip as a Landscape Photographer
I bet that I'm not the only photographer to at least think about the idea of diving into wildlife photography while standing in the middle of wilderness. It couldn't be that much different, could it?
Is it Copying, or Just Inspiration?
You’re scrolling through social media when you see a photograph that looks terribly familiar; it looks so much like one of your photographs that it takes you a minute to realize that it’s some else’s work. What do you do?
What OM System's Live View, Live Composite, and Live ND Do and How to Use Them
Most cameras have at least one exclusive attribute, and the OM System Cameras have more than most. Its ever-expanding “Live” collection contains some of its unique computational photography features. Let’s dive into five of its tools to find out what they do and how you can use them.
The Important Career-Building Exercise You Might Be Ignoring
You buy tutorials, you go to workshops, you read the latest article about gear, try to keep up with industry trends, run social media ads, and do everything else you can think of to create a strong career. But you might not be doing the one thing that could benefit your career the most: in-person networking.
How Photographer Donja Pitsch Shot 'The Christmas Story' for Glamour Spain
Photographer Donja Pitsch is a Paris based fashion and advertising photographer who has shot for publications such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Glamour. This time, the shoot is for Glamour Spain.
Helpful Advice for Approaching Your Photography Clients
At some point in any photographer’s career, I am pretty sure you will at some point come across clients who will just send in inquiry with zero context asking how much you charge for a photoshoot. There is no way we could have possibly been able to provide an accurate project cost estimate without having any information on a project scope to establish the parameters. These types of clients are those that keep me awake at night, not because I am incapable of delivering but because these clients will have unrealistic expectations of what we can deliver.
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Shooting Beauty With a 7" Reflector
In my never ending pursuit for the perfect lighting modifier, I tested shooting beauty with a 7” reflector as my key light.
The Art of Composite Photography: Part Three
Welcome back to The Art of Composite Photography. In the previous parts, we have covered pre-visualization, planning, and unbreakable rules.
Finding Unique Perspectives at The Most Photographed Bridge In The World
As a long-time resident of the Bay Area, I’ve had the privilege of photographing the Golden Gate Bridge for over ten years. Whether it’s capturing the low fog rolling in or watching the golden light of sunrise and sunset cast its warm glow over the bridge, this landmark never ceases to amaze me. The Marin Headlands offer some of the best vantage points, especially when the fog is low, and the atmosphere feels almost otherworldly. It’s a scene that continues to inspire me, even after all this time.
No Photography Allowed: Has Photography Ever Ruined Your Experience?
As photographers we often see the world through our cameras — literally. If we aren't holding a camera, we're often planning or imagining a photo. The drive to compose and take photos shapes the way we interact with the world. Has this compulsion ever ruined an experience for you?
Profiting Multiple Ways with Adobe Stock Images
I am always on the hunt for new stock images to incorporate into my photography and find that stock enhances my photography business in several ways. Stock provides me with the ability to incorporate different locations and textures into my images that I am not able to easily shoot. As a result, I have not only seen improvements in my own work, I have also gained an eye for spotting opportunities to take extra images to sell.
Neuroscience Kung Fu: Use Contrast to Immediately Guide the Eye to the Most Critical Elements of Your Images
Contrast extraction is one of the most important aspects of visual processing. It plays a tremendous role in how we view images, where our eyes are drawn to first, and where they linger. In this article we'll learn a few simple tricks to create more engaging photographs — and why they work.
Always in Season - A Beauty Photographer's First Foray into Video
Growing up, my dad liked to quote an old song called “Warpaint” by the Brooks Brothers: “With all that lipstick powder and paint, you all dressed up like what you ain’t.” It was his defense against the inevitable growing up of his teenage daughters, but never once did I buy into it. Instead, I embraced makeup, hair styling, clothing, and more as a path to self-expression.
Rethinking Photo Composition: What Are You Saying?
We spend years at school learning to read and write text: the meanings of words, what happens when you put them together, how to make yourself more easily understood, methods for convincing others of your point of view, etc. But for many of us, images and visual language are left for us to work out for ourselves. If a picture is worth a thousand words, why do we neglect visual language so much?
How to Look Fantastic on Zoom: Your Face, Clothes, Home, and Tech
With lockdown, we're suddenly all on Zoom 24/7. It's great that we can remain connected even when we're working from home, but not so great that we have to see ourselves on screen every time we speak to someone.
Why You Probably Should Update Adobe Photoshop and Bridge at the Same Time
I have found a few different times in the past that some features of Adobe Bridge randomly go missing, namely the Photoshop menu.
Could Lost Photo Opportunities Actually Be Good For You?
I took a two-week trip to Hawaii last month with the intentions of not bringing along a bunch of camera gear. That was a fine thought in and of itself, but now I’m wondering if I could have mustered the courage to take an extended trip to a picturesque location without bringing a real camera at all?
Pye Jirsa VS Lee Morris Round 2: Vote now!
Yep you read that right! After Pye Jirsa completely destroyed Lee Morris in our last Puerto Rican Photo Challenge, Lee is back for revenge. We need your help deciding the winner so please vote in the full article.
Has Image Stabilization Become a Necessity Today?
Every new camera incorporates some form of stabilization system. While much of photography doesn’t necessarily require image stabilization, on some occasions, it may have become a necessity, especially with today's high-resolution cameras.
Does Being Too Late Ruin Your Photo Day?
As landscape photographers, we are used to leaving our warm bed in the early morning, being on location, and also having a composition before the sun starts to rise. But what if we arrive after the sun has come up? Is there still a way to go home with strong photographs?
How Google Creates Insanely Detailed 3D Worlds from Photographs
Ever wonder how Google manages to render everything from bushes and boulders to bridge trusses and skyscrapers in amazing three-dimensional detail? In this article, we’ll find out how. It involves a high-tech lawnmower, a lot of computing power, and thousands of terabytes of data.
Why Briese Neos Is a Game-Changer for Studio Photographers
Sometimes, there are images you want to create without knowing how you can create them. The imagination runs wild, while the technical abilities tell you no. One such image was created at Briese Studios with the new Briese Neos, a product of no limits and wild imagination.
The Ultimate Backup: Insurance for Photographers
The Oxford English Dictionary defines accident as “an unpleasant event that happens unexpectedly and causes injury or damage.” Accidents happen. It doesn’t matter how careful you are or how much common sense you have. That’s why they’re called accidents.
A Realistic Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers
Every year, there is a gift guide released that is supposed to help family, friends, and significant others buy something for their budding photographer. The problem is photography is an incredibly specific hobby, and most gifts given unfortunately don’t help. Here is a list of gifts that will appreciated by any photographer.
Behind the Scenes: Photographing the MetLife Monster Energy Supercross Race
I mostly shoot non-ball type of sports like surfing, sailing, skate, motocross, and of course, my favorite the Monster Energy Supercross series.
Four Questions To Help You Decide Whether To Upgrade Your Photo Gear
Should I upgrade or shouldn’t I upgrade? It’s an age-old question. But perhaps the first question you should ask is: “can I buy?"
Caffenol Processing for Micro-Niche Photography
Jaana and Lorenzö of the studio Cahute have put a spin on the digital age of instant viewing by taking a step back into the past with a classic process of portraits on paper. They created a market for themselves that is so micro-niched they have yet to find another studio specializing solely in this process.
You'll Never Be Happy as an Artist If You're Not True to Yourself
The whole "artists don't care what others think" thing is a giant lie. Most artists care what others think of their work more than anyone else in the world. Creativity is an unsure and scary thing, and a little validation makes us feel good. It's poisonous.
Photographic Criticasters: Why You Should Not Be One and What to Be Instead
Criticism of photography is commonplace. Sometimes, it is invited and genuine, other times, not. How you decide to give or receive it can affect your self-esteem as a photographer. Moreover, it says much about your own creative abilities. Here's how to appreciate criticism and avoid being a criticaster.
Planning and Executing Impromptu Location Portraits
I recently travelled to the local racetrack with my brother for an open track day and decided that while he was out riding, I would try to make a few portraits of the other attending riders. I spent plenty of time ahead of the trip planning lighting, gear, locations, and more. This is a step by step walkthrough of how I created this series of portraits.
Photographer Creates Surreal Images Inspired by Life Events
Like many other members of the Fstoppers community, I’m often inspired and taken back by the images I see shared here. Canadian Fine Art Photographer Micahla Latta is one of those community members posting some incredible conceptual photographs to her portfolio, enriching the community with wonderfully surreal creations.
Paris by Night: The City of Lights Through a vivo X70 Pro+ Smartphone Camera Lens
How many times have you gone out after dark, wishing you had your camera with you? Night photography opens up a world of extraordinary images, and with the advanced technologies of our mobile phones today, you can get excellent image quality.
The Ultimate Millennial: Can You Monitor Audio With AirPods?
Wireless audio monitoring is meant to be a cardinal sin, but isn’t youth about breaking the rules?
Using Elements From Other Cultures in Your Images, the Right Way
As Halloween comes to a close and we reflect on all the creative costumes roaming the streets, I think it’s a good time we take a moment to talk about cultural appropriation. We are blessed as photographers to be able to view images from any culture in the world through the Internet. It’s pretty cool that we have access to unlimited inspiration from just about everywhere, something the founding fathers of photography had nothing close to. It's important for photographers to have a vast basic knowledge of cultures, subcultures, and social classes so that we can always use culture with respect and honor in our images.
Standing Out With Photography Work You Care About (Or, Don't Rush to Find a Style)
Every few months I find myself reflecting on my work and career, about where I want it to go and how I want to position myself as a photographer. When I'm doing “work” photography I find that I'm really one among thousands of photographers. So lately I’ve been pondering things like “what do I really care about?” that I can show off through photography that other photographers don't, or can't. What do I have that other's don't?
Finding and Capitalizing on Current and Future Trends With Your Photography
Photography trends and the demand for types of images are ever evolving. Staying up to date on current trends and looking to the future is a great way to stay relevant.
I Set Up My Content Credentials. You Should Too.
For centuries, art was created in a physical form and limited to one original copy. If an artist wanted attribution, they could sign or carve their name into the artwork. No matter where the art traveled, the attribution traveled with it. Today, much of our work is shared digitally, where watermarks or crediting do not appear alongside the art. Widespread adoption of the new Content Credentials standard may give digital artists the recognition they deserve.
The Fastest-Growing Culling Tool: Narrative Select Software Arrives for Windows
“It's not AI that will take your job; it’s someone who’s using AI who will.” Narrative Select is the fastest-growing photo-culling software. Until now, it’s only been available to Mac users. That is about to change, as it becomes available to even more photographers.
The US and China Trade War Will Affect Photographers, but When?
Gear. Photographers go crazy over new lenses, lights, cameras, and all the ancillary parts that go with them. Many of us have added to our bags during this holiday season, and a few are holding off for those big purchases still. What if I told you that the prices of lenses, lights, and other equipment may be going up 25 percent or more in only a few months?
The Pursuit of Truth: Will AI Prompt a Return to Film Photography?
Are we living in a post-truth era of photography, where the authenticity and reliability of images have become questionable? Given the rise in AI’s association with photography and the ease with which photos can be altered, it might be worth considering a return to the use of traditional film as a means to regain trust and ensure the integrity of photography.
Is the Camera a Key to Experiences?
Landscape photographers use a camera to capture stunning images, but have you stopped to think about how the same camera is a key to experiences? A key to new places. A key to new adventures. A key to an enhanced experience with nature. A key to meeting new people.
Want Followers? You Need to Think About What Your Value Is to Them
Social media has an infinite, universal audience. But as you define your niche, your potential audience becomes smaller and smaller. Not everyone is interested in macro photography of sand, so how do you maximize your audience? By understanding what your potential value is to your followers.
Are We Growing Into Lazy Photographers Due to AI?
The use of AI offers the ability to create almost lifelike images. This has nothing to do with photography. However, AI can also be used for removing unwanted parts of a photo. Is this feature making us lazy, taking less care while photographing? After all, we can easily fix it in post.
Defying the Sahara - A Photographic Adventure With Audray Saulem
Reportage seems to be a genre where feminine qualities are seen as an obstacle rather then as an asset. I sat down with French photographer Audray Saulem who proved them wrong and listened to her experience shooting an epic race of 210 kilometers in the Sahara over 6 grueling days.
Sometimes You Just Have to Get a Good, Paid Model Instead
There are times when you can get away working with a friend or someone willing to model for you for free, but then there are those times where you save yourself money, time, and effort by simply booking a professional model! How to decide which one to go for?
Five Tips for Surviving a Bad Day as a Photographer
Yes, photographers can and do have bad days. Following your favorite photographers on Instagram, it might seem that all the photographers in the world are cruising along while you alone battle horrible days. And guess what, bad days are more common than you might think. So, it is important that we as a community learn and help each other survive bad days. I’ve created an action plan for myself that has helped me overcome difficult days and I hope this will help you as well.