Fstoppers Original Articles

She Dies Tomorrow: An Interview With Cinematographer Jay Keitel

She Dies Tomorrow has been celebrated for its unsettling sensibilities and unorthodox filmmaking techniques. Independent Spirit Award-nominated cinematographer Jay Keitel's work on the film is one of the main factors in the film's moody success. I recently had the chance to ask Keitel a series of questions about his approach to filmmaking on She Dies Tomorrow.

The Pros and Cons of User-Submitted Editorials

Having your work in a print magazine is seen as the goal for many, but are all print magazines created equal? With the boom of on-demand printing, there has been an increase in user-submitted editorial magazines. But are these magazines for real?

Using ACDSee Pro for iOS and Mobile Sync to Edit and Manage Photos

In a market saturated with mobile editing apps, ACD System's combo of ACDSee Pro and Mobile Sync for iOS stands out as one of the best options for editing your photos on the go with features ranging from quirky filters to advanced editing functionality that can provide professional results. In this article, we will be taking a look at how you can leverage ACDSee's mobile tools as part of your editing workflow.

Cybersecurity: Saving Our Photographs From Attack

President Biden brings sanctions against Russia for cyber-attacks. As cyber-attacks become ever more sophisticated, we photographers need to tighten our security and awareness of the risks, with twelve hints to keep you safe.

WPPI Is Bigger and Better Than Ever!

WPPI is one of the biggest photography conferences in the world. But after COVID, the show struggled to make a comeback. Thankfully, WPPI is now as good as it ever was, and getting better each year.

A Year of COVID in Two Minutes

Just a year ago, as the pandemic spread around the world, the lives of billions of people changed dramatically. Here is a short video that shows the most impactful moments of the crisis through an emotional narrative.

How to Use Adjustment Layers in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2018

Recently Fstoppers reviewed ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2018, the newest version of their all-in-one editing flagship. If you are not familiar with ACDSee’s platform, it is an editing suite similar to Capture One Pro or Photoshop, but also includes photo managing tools and quick editing capabilities similar to Lightroom. This gives ACDSee a unique combined platform that simplifies the average user’s workflow and eliminates the costly need for multiple programs.

Pitch Your Idea With These Four Easy Tips!

Most photographers starting are happy to create an image, stick it on their social media platforms, and call it a day. This doesn’t really cut it once photography becomes more of a career, though, so in this article, I’ll talk a bit more about how to pitch your ideas.

How Do We Keep the Honeymoon Passion After the Novelty Wears Off?

Early on in our photographic career, it seemed as though every photo we took was a new masterpiece. It was clear that I was meant to be a photographer by the awe-inspiring photos I was taking of the streets of New York. Fast-forward a few years, and you couldn't pay me to admit those photos were mine, much less show them.

Unique Holiday Gift Idea: Photograph Your Own Pet Calendar

The holidays months can bring extra leisure time, and there's nothing more rewarding than spending that free time on a challenging photography project. During last year's fall holidays I decided to turn my available energy into something creative and fun: a pet calendar for 2018.

Post-pandemic: The State of Creatives in 2022

We are quickly approaching the three-year mark since the pandemic, and most creatives have found their new normal. Our new "normals" are all unique, but the common thread is a re-evaluation of our goals, priorities, and non-negotiables as working artists. WeTransfer and TRIPTK polled over 6,500 artists from 180 countries about success, fulfillment, and happiness. The 57-page report was released as The 2022 Ideas Report, and I'm here to share the results. First, let's start with a quiz. Grab a pen, and let's see how on target you are with the state of the industry.

The Coffee Shop Sessions With Kai Eason

Saturday mornings, for most people, are about errands or relaxation. But for photographer Kai Eason, Saturday mornings are spent at local coffee shops, photographing a film photography portrait series known as "The Coffee Shop Sessions."

Your Voice is Something You Build, Not Something You Find

When people talk about finding their “voice,” you might get the impression they looked down one day and there it was — lying on the ground, fully formed and functional, just waiting to be used. In my experience, though, finding your voice is more about hard work. And time. Lots of time. Our voices are built, not found. It seemingly takes forever. A decade or more. And here’s the frustrating thing: you can’t rush it. There are no shortcuts to finding your voice. You have to go the long way — slowly accumulating influences, trying on different styles, finding a voice that feels natural — and then refine it slowly, project after project, year after year. The good news is that while there isn’t a shortcut, there is a path.

From Stuck to Inspired: Breaking Free From Photographer's Block

Photographer's block, also known as creative block, is a common challenge that many photographers encounter during their artistic journey. It is a frustrating and sometimes overwhelming feeling of being stuck, unable to find inspiration or ideas for new photographic projects. Photographer's block can affect photographers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned professionals. However, it is essential to recognize that it is a natural part of the creative process. In this article, we will explore the causes of photographer's block and provide practical strategies to unlock creativity and overcome this creative hurdle.

Can Social Media Kill Our Aesthetic Vision?

What do good coffee and good images have in common? Our taste and the ability to understand their ingredients need to be trained. But we can also walk into the trap of feckless consumption.

Pop Quiz: Did You Change Your Camera’s Clock?

If you live in the United States (and aren’t fortunate enough to reside in Arizona), you probably set all of your clocks back an hour on Sunday to switch out of daylight saving time. I’ll put aside, for now, the arguments about why the daylight saving time system is outdated and annoying, and just ask you this: did you remember to change the clock on your cameras?

Behold the Power of Gesture!

When you think of the elements of an image that make it successful and interesting most photographers immediately refer to the powers of color, form, texture, light/dark, and visual rhythm. There is another that is often overlooked: gesture. Unlike the other elements, gesture can't easily be preplanned into your composition; it's a fleeting thing. However, when you add in an interesting gesture to your frame, it's transformative.

How to Make an Editing Time-lapse and Increase Engagement

An editing time-lapse is a great way to give viewers a peek behind the scenes of how you edit your photos, is a quick watch, and a fantastic way to get people engaged in your content. So, how do you make them?

The American Daguerre - John Plumbe

Imagine pursuing your dream but lacking the funds to do so, then coming across a technology so amazing that you see the opportunity to establish a new business as a market leader, creating a chain of branches. John Plumbe, the Daguerreotype portraitist, did just this in 1840 which led to some of the most enduring photos of Washington D.C.

Top 10 Tips for Kite Aerial Photographers

You've now got a kite, a rig, and a camera and have completed your first test flight as a kite aerial photographer. This kite flying malarkey is harder than it looks, so here are the top ten tips for acquiring great photos.

Photojournalists Aren’t Always in Lockstep With What They Photograph

There was an interaction I had at the bagel store on Martin Luther King Day, when I went to photograph a pro-Palestine rally in New York City, that most accurately captures my often conflicted view about what’s happening these days in front of my lens as a photojournalist.

Use Storytelling to Stay Relevant: Fstoppers Interviews Kate Woodman

Working as a commercial photographer during the COVID-19 pandemic requires a healthy dose of creativity, and commercial photographer Kate Woodman, known for her conceptual images and mastery of color, is using that creativity to navigate how she can still be a viable resource to the industry while keeping an eye toward the future.

Unfold The Beauty of Layflat Photo Books

There are many options out there for printing and presenting your images. In this article, we look at the multitude of benefits of creating a Layflat Photo Book and shed light on why they are fast becoming a favorite amongst professional photographers looking for a budget-minded alternative to Flush Mount Albums.


Are You Making This Common Mistake When Dealing With Failure?

One of the most common reactions to failure is saying that you will try harder next time. It’s an easy, quite popular way of dealing with failure at one thing or another. However, simply trying harder and expecting a different result is hardly a great way to progress. Here’s why it doesn’t work, and here is what does.

Rocket Launch Photography Challenges

Two successful SpaceX missions last week, one on each coast, prompted me to review my rocket launch photo procedures, particularly since the Monday (Sept. 13) launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base was the first after a long hiatus. For those of us in southern California, it was a photo op we were eagerly awaiting since it was scheduled for after sunset.

Should You Photograph a Friend's Wedding?

Photographing a friend's wedding sounds like a blast. Is it really worth it, though? Make sure to consider these things before making a decision.

How You Can Win Part of $85,000 in Getty Images Grant Money

If you ever get the feeling that photography is not valued today, it might interest you to know that Getty Images is offering $85k in three new editorial grants to support photojournalists and organizations, with an emphasis on supporting photographers whose work shines a light on important issues of our time.

Photographic Exhibition to Tackle Loneliness Amongst Elderly

For some of us becoming old may be a thing of a distant future, for others it may be a day-to-day experience. However, for many of us "empathy for our older population is lacking, and audiences need reminding that we are all aging and old people need to feel the joy of human interaction too". This is one of many reasons why photographer, known simply as "Z", has put together a photographic exhibition to highlight the legacy of those who may find themselves lonely and forgotten.

Five Tips for Underwater Wide-Angle Composition

As with land-based photography, patience and planning can go a long way underwater. And while some aspects of topside image composition are the same below the surface, there are other elements at play underwater that you should keep in mind when composing your shots.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Photogenic Pursuits" Challenge

Have you tried is the "The World’s Greatest Photo Game" from GuruShots? They offer challenges all the time and allow photographers of every level to submit and participate. Their latest challenge "Photogenic Pursuits," received thousands of entries and millions of votes. You can see the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 4: San Francisco

Over the last year and a half, we’ve all realized the importance of connections. And as the world grapples with how to connect at a time when we’ve become increasingly isolated, there’s nothing better than finding symbols of hope in the real world.

Tips for Managing Time and Location Data in Photos

Have you ever had to sort through a box of photos, perhaps from your parents’ collection of vacation photos? An all too common question is: “When was this photo taken?”

Covering the Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge

I’ve been covering the Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge like clockwork for well over a decade now, and I think it’s fair to say that I’ve picked up a few useful habits along the way. For those unfamiliar with the event, imagine several hundred folks in various stages of near-nudity packed into a corner of the beach. It’s typically rather cold - though some years have been colder than others - and everyone’s working themselves up into a fevered lather. In this excitement, a drum team forms up, creating a corridor from the top of the beach to the ocean. As the sound of those instruments gets louder and faster and more aggressive, the signal is sounded and the mob stampedes towards the Atlantic.

How to Evaluate Yourself to Stay on Track

One task all photographers should take from the professional office environment is quarterly reviews. How do you know where you've gone if you haven't looked back? How do you keep track of progress without setting goals for yourself? Self-evaluations are an important part of the growth process.

Spend $166, Get Over $3,000 in Photography Products Now

5DayDeal is back with a photography bundle that's better than ever. This year, Fstoppers is including our tutorial with Elia Locardi, "Photographing the World 2." The full bundle only costs $166 and is 95% off the total value of the bundle.

So You Want to Make a Movie? How Are You Going to Pay For That?

In an industry dominated by budgets in the millions, or even hundreds of millions, how can an independent filmmaker get their vision to market? YouTube, VIMEO, luck? The festival circuit? Making a movie is expensive, so how does a rising artist find enough financial support to break into the business of film?

Repeat What You Know to Master It

You can watch as many YouTube videos as you want. The only way you will ever know how to do something well is if you’ve actually done it, and repeated it a few times to make it stick.

We Are Lady Parts: A New Way to Tell Stories About Bands

We Are Lady Parts, the story of an all-Muslim-female punk band in London, is a groundbreaking collaboration between creator Nida Manzoor and cinematographer Diana Olifirova. Not only is the plot compelling and refreshing, but Olifirova and Manzoor also use a variety of filmmaking techniques to develop character, move the story along, and visually excite their audience. I had a chance to speak with Olifirova about putting Manzoor’s project on screen.

As Photographers We Should Take Time To Be Thankful

With many of my fellow Americans preparing to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, let’s take a moment away from turkey and dodging awkward conversations about politics to give thanks to those who provide us the motivation to persevere.

Apple Vision Pro is Goofy

Monday, Apple made a groundbreaking announcement: the release of their Apple Vision Pro augmented reality (AR) headset, priced at $3,500. As an enthusiast, I can't help but feel a mix of excitement and skepticism about this new product.

Music on Set: Who Plays DJ?

Music has a very strong connection to studio photography. I’d wager that the vast majority of people imagine studios with music driving the shoot. Think Blow-Up or more recently, Austin Powers. Music can help to energize your set. But, what happens when you’re just not as in touch with the poppiest of pop culture anymore?