This is a lesson that extends far beyond photography and one that took me years to understand: The amount of work you put into something does not affect the quality of the finished product.
Fstoppers is happy to announce one final sale for 2016. Enjoy the holidays and dive into some fantastic photography education by getting $50-$100 off our original tutorials. If you've received some extra gift money for photography or want to share valuable knowledge with a loved one, act from now until New Years day to save on Fstoppers products. Check out the full list of deals below.
SLR Lounge is well known for their excellent photography tutorials. This Holiday season they're offering deals up to 50% off on their products. Whether you're looking for a better wedding photography workflow, want to learn a few new lighting tricks, or simply want to make yourself a better photographer, this is a great opportunity to grow in the field. Make sure to act between now and New Years to take advantage of these great deals!
About a year and a half ago, I was walking on a local beach and realized that for a few weeks of the year, the sun would set in a perfect line of sight down the beach. I thought it might be a fun photographic challenge to create a super telephoto picture with a body builder "holding" the sun in an Atlas style pose. In my mind, the entire scene would be lit rather than have a typical sun silhouette image. Little did I realize how much work I was getting myself into.
I'm no audiophile but I do appreciate high quality sound. I can't count how many different amps, speakers, and headphones I've purchased over the past 20 years. It seems like I'm always searching for something just a little bit better. Finally though, after years of searching, I feel like I've found the best audio setup for the money.
Our friends at ViewBug teamed up with Discovery Photo Tours to offer an unforgettable Italy photo adventure to one lucky photographer. Submit your image to the completely free “Around the World” photo contest and you could win a seat on Discovery Photo Tours' Spring 2017 Italy Photo Tour! This all-inclusive, eight-day tour will be an incredible journey through the heart of Italy. Start in Rome and wind through the Tuscan countryside, into Florence, and end in Cinque Terre.
While I’ll always try my best to get the shot right in camera, there're occasions, like when I photographed this beauty editorial, when that’s not always feasible. In this short tutorial, I'll show you how to change your background in a few short steps.
One of the best camera deals is back, and it is just in time for the holidays. Ebay seller BuyDig is selling refurbished Nikon D750 camera bodies again for $1249. We've featured this deal before in the past but this is by far the lowest price we've ever seen on one of the best full frame cameras on the market. It's unclear when Nikon will be updating the D750 camera so this might be the best deal on this camera until 2017.
Motion Array has been hard at work adding new features recently. For example, they recently came out with a video portfolio site builder. With this feature, any paid subscriber can create a custom site to show their video work, complete with text, images, and contact information (all editable). Users can even use their own custom domain or have one supplied by Motion Array. But now, Motion Array is at it again with Requests. Essentially, any paid member of the Motion Array community can put in a request for any type of creative asset that Motion Array offers.
SLR Lounge creates some incredible educational photography content. For the next few days, they're offering a big discount on every product in their store. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, every single product in the SLR Lounge store is 30% off. Check out their incredible deals and find which tutorial you'd like to buy HERE.
It's the time of year to save on your spending. Cameras, computers, lenses, tripods, grips, and just about any other photography related item is on sale this Black Friday at B&H. If you've been planning on buying any photography equipment this season, now is definitely the time to act with discounts and rebates being offered for hundreds of dollars.
For the past month, the Fstoppers team has been working with Clay Cook filming a new original tutorial on Editorial Photography. While we were filming, we used some of our time with Clay to offer feedback to a variety of images submitted by the Fstoppers community. We chose 20 images to critique. Check out our selections below and add your thoughts and ratings to the comments below. If you want to learn more about the new tutorial with Clay Cook, be sure to signup below to receive more information and an early bird discount.
Fstoppers is happy to announce the next round of Critique the Community. We invite everyone to submit your best editorial and fashion images to be critiqued by Clay Cook. Please follow the guidelines for submissions below to ensure eligibility for your image to be chosen. We will be accepting submissions through Friday night, November 18 and will be offering feedback to a total of 20 pictures.
Fstoppers is bringing it back to the basics with our latest project, Photography 101: How to Use Your Digital Camera and Edit Photos in Photoshop. If you're just getting started in your photography career or simply want to learn how to take better pictures, this tutorial will teach you the fundamentals that bridge the gap into any genre of photography. This tutorial also offers ground up training in how to successfully use Photoshop to improve your images dramatically.
Most photographers who are just starting off have a difficult time discerning what depth of field is and an even more difficult time trying to envision it. In this short tutorial, I'll show how to envision depth of field, and three easy way to manipulate it.
Have you ever wondered how to create portraits with those dreamy watercolor backgrounds? In the following tips, I’ll give you a few tricks on how I achieve this whimsical, ethereal look in my work.
It's finally time to wrap up our behind the scenes series of Mike Kelley's Where Art Meets Architecture 2 photography tutorial. In this episode Mike photographs a 12 million dollar house on a cliff in Hawaii, and we wrap up our trip with an incredible swim with wild dolphin.
As a photographer who has spent the last couple of years around plenty of other sponsored photographers and one who has a couple of sponsors of his own, I’m going to share the one thing that no one is actually saying aloud, the one decision you should consider before you ever press the buy button on any photography equipment.
Photographers are often perplexed by the variety of clients they encounter each day. Even with a target market identified, it seems that no two patrons are the same. Though with time and patience, photographers can begin to categorize clients. By understanding different client types, photographers can not only reflect upon their current marketing strategies, but can understand how to market to a wider range of consumers.
I've never owned a Mac computer, I've always been a Windows guy. I do keep up with Apple because I love technology and I couldn't live without my iPhone and iPad. Everyone tells me I should switch to a Mac but once again I'm glad that I haven't.
Andreas H. Bitesnich is one of the world's most renowned fine art nude photographers, with work published and exhibited internationally for the last 25 years. His images carry a signature style and a simple aesthetic that combines beauty and form. Recently, Bitesnich created a photography tutorial that delves into how he achieves his incredible looks. That wealth of knowledge is now available to the Fstoppers community.
For anyone who appreciates the use of flash, there comes a point in photography work when you want more power than a standard speedlite can offer. Many strobe options provide more power, but require you to be tied up to power outlets. Few strobes offer a simple portable lighting option. Many would contend the Profoto B1 is currently the best self contained portable strobe on the market. That may be changing with Impact's newly released strobe, the Venture TTL 600.
Here's the truth. Until recently, I thought professionals using mirrorless cameras were a joke. I grew up in the days of film. Got my hands dirty in the darkroom. Had a Canon A1 and F1 in my camera collection, plus learned on others like a Pentax 35mm as well. Feeling the weight of the camera in my hands and hearing the sound of the mirror slap was part of the joy of photography for me. Pun entirely intended.
If you’re interested in shooting production sets, like with fashion photography, you’re going to need to build a team beyond yourself. The truth of the matter is that your success will depend on who you know and what they can do for you. As blatant as that sounds, it’s the nitty-gritty truth about building a team.
Last week I wrote a post detailing my frustration with getting airline agents to check my bags under the "media rate" that I am entitled to as a photographer or "film making crew." I decided to print my own media pass so that this will never be an issue again and today they arrived.
Our behind the scenes series during the filming of Where Art Meets Architecture 2 continues today with Episode 7. In this episode we continue shooting an incredible modern home in the middle of a lava field and we attempt to entertain ourselves in a few different ways while we are out in the middle of nowhere.
Did you know that photographers and videographers get special rates on checked bags with most major airlines? Some airlines will allow you to save money on extra bags and others will allow you to save money on over-weight bags. You just have to prove that you are a photographer/videographer and that's harder than it sounds.
Our behind the scenes series during the filming of Where Art Meets Architecture II continues today with episode six. In this episode we fly to Hawaii, get ripped off by Delta, lose one of our bags and our drone, and film our first lesson at a house built in the middle of a lava field.
Another iPhone has hit the market and once again Apple has claimed that its camera creates "DSLR quality pictures." I never believe when any cell phone manufacturer makes this claim, so I decided to put it to the test.
What’s the best photograph you’ve ever taken? If it’s as good as you think it is, it could win you your choice of Canon 5D Mk III, Nikon D500, Sony a7 II, or Fujifilm X-T1. It’s all part of My Best Shot, a free photo contest presented by ViewBug, the world’s largest photo contest community.
Mike Kelley's Where Art Meets Architecture 2 Behind The Scenes continues today with Episode 5. In this episode we continue shooting the "tree house" from last week, and Patrick breaks Mike's rib in a go-cart.
Earlier this year, Patrick Hall did a thorough comparison of a variety of neutral density filter brands. The test included findings on color cast, vignetting, exposure, and sharpness. The goal was to find the best and most cost efficient neutral density filter available. In an effort to dig a little deeper into the question which filter is best for your gear set, I decided to add on a test of a similar product that photographers may prefer, filter holder sets.
It's October and this year has been one of my most productive years as a working photographer to date! I finished writing my second book this year (which will launch in August), I'll have taught over 30 workshops by the end of the year, my number of clients has increased exponentially, and my income has also increased as a result of that effort. How? Simply accountability and focused productivity. Over the course of the last year, I've worked on reducing my total "work time" by purposely controlling my productivity. Here are five methods that I've used to become exponentially more productive.
Not since the Canon 5D Mark II hit the market have we seen a camera series as a technology revolutionary as the Sony Alpha series. I’m speaking specifically about the a7S, a7S II, a7R II and the a6300. Let’s look at the a6300 for example, 4K video output, great low light capability, an awesome autofocus capability, frame rate options and lens options, all for under $1,000. All those options are packed into a camera that weights 14.3 ounces with a battery.
Marketing your business and your creative work can be tough. Doing it in a small market can be even tougher. It can often seem overwhelming, but with some careful analysis and planning, you can maximize your opportunities. Having worked in sales and marketing for the better part of 18 years, I've picked up a few tips and tricks that I believe would help any photographer struggling to establish themselves in any market.
Recently I've concluded that most professional photographers actually believe that telephoto lenses compress the subject and background in an image and that simply is not true.
The mixing brush tool is one of the most underutilized tools in portrait retouching. When used correctly, the mixing brush tool can be used to blend blotchy skin together, fix makeup in areas where a makeup artist may have missed applying makeup, etc. Here is a quick introduction to using the mixing brush as a portrait photographer.
Are you a photographer or videographer who loves to write? Fstoppers is looking to hire several creative professionals to write for us. If you enjoy reading Fstoppers and think you may have something to offer, we want to hear from you!
Where Art Meets Architecture 2 Behind the Scenes continues today with episode four. In this episode, we rent an incredible home in Beverly Hills to live in and photograph for four days.
Where Art Meets Architecture 2 Behind the Scenes continues today with Episode 3. Normally, our BTS episodes include some educational content, but this episode is for entertainment only. In this episode, we leave all of our gear behind, and Pye Jirsa from SLR Lounge takes us all out in his race car.
Stabilizing a video camera used to be a heavy, cumbersome, and expensive task. Today, with the help of smaller cameras and electronic gimbals, stable 4K footage has becoming increasingly affordable and compact. DJI has taken this idea to the max and created a handheld stabilized camera that can shoot 4K raw footage.
Fstoppers has worked hard to bring you valuable educational content from incredible photographers like Peter Hurley, Mike Kelley, Dylan Patrick, Elia Locardi, and Joey Wright. Now we're asking for your help! We at Fstoppers are preparing to create our next premium photography tutorial which will probably cost around $300. We would like to know from the Fstoppers community which genres we should focus on and who it should be with. Would you take a quick one minute survey to help us out?
Believe it or not, the iPhone is a professional choice for many videographers today. If you're looking to stabilize your iPhone's video footage, we've found one of the cheapest and most convenient options available.
Unless you’re a well established fashion and beauty photographer with the support of an agent or a plethora of business acumen, you probably aren’t going to make much money when you’re first starting out in the business. This is why it’s important to learn how to be scrappy and work with less gear if you’re working on a budget. In these lighting tutorials, I’ll show you three easy-to-replicate fashion and beauty setups that fit almost every budget.
Saying that you're "just a photographer" can be one of the most self-deprecating things that you can say as a professional. Those three simple words can destroy your credibility even if you're just trying to be humble about chasing your passion.
Shooting weddings can get to the best of us. Maybe it's when we were waiting for all of the family members to come together to take a big family photo in the middle of a wedding reception. Perhaps it was one of those moments when your bride turned against you. Or maybe, the lifestyle of a wedding photographer just became too much. Whatever it is, I think all wedding photographers have had frustrating times in their career.
Earlier this year Fstoppers teamed up with Miami-based swimwear photographer Joey Wright to produce a full blown tutorial on all things related to swimwear photography. All in all, Joey's tutorial Swimwear Photography - Lighting, Posing, and Retouching is 8 hours of on-location photography and 12 hours of Joey's full postproduction workflow. Today we are releasing a short 50 minute excerpt from the tutorial as well as the included raw file so you can follow along at home.
When I first started photography at 15 years old, I didn’t know anything about organizing a team. I would bribe my younger sister into being my model for the afternoon, pulling clothing from her wardrobe and doing the makeup (really badly) myself. I was worlds away from the average fashion photography set, which typically involves a team of agency represented models, a professional make up artist, hair stylist, set designer, wardrobe stylist, and assistants. This is how I conducted my photoshoots for years, and after a while I realized that I needed to expand.
Where Art Meets Architecture 2 Behind The Scenes continues today with Episode 2. In this episode we photograph a $15 million home in Venice Beach.
