Fstoppers Original Articles

Sometimes, Photography Sucks

Photography is a fun, creative field, where we get away from the tedium and soul-sucking nature of the 9-5 to chase our dreams, to be creative, to be our own bosses. It's amazing, right? Meh, sometimes. Sometimes, it sucks.

3D Printing Your Own Camera Accessories

I'm a gadget guy. I always appreciate anything that can make my life easier, safer, or more enjoyable. When I recently acquired a Kywoo3D Tycoon 3D printer, I thought it would be an excellent time to make my photography life easier.

golden retriever sitting on log

Many photographers who are beginning to dabble in pet photography ask about the best lens to use when photographing pets. While there is no right or wrong answer, as a dog photographer who primarily specializes in outdoor sessions, I use a telephoto lens for the majority of photos I take. If I were limited to just a single focal length to use for photographing dogs, I’d go with 200mm, and there are several reasons for this decision.

Behind the Scenes of the 2015 Milk Calendar with Arum Light (NSFW)

Last year we featured London-based photographer Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz with Aurum Light for his 1940’s pin up inspired milk portraits, which were then picked up for Coca-Cola's Farelife campaign. His fresh take on motion and liquids was put together in a well received and sold out magazine. This year, Jaroslav brought it bigger and better with his team by creating this years titled calendar “Splash Heroes.”

Just Go Shoot Photos

After multiple attempts to capture sunrise or sunset and not getting the conditions I wanted, I decided I was going to take photos no matter what the conditions were, forcing myself out of my comfort zone and pushing myself to be a better photographer.

4 Podcasts To Help You Navigate Your Photography Side Hustle 

Listen up! Whether you have a full-fledged career in photography, the pandemic got you exploring it as your side hustle, or you are just dreaming of taking your hobby to the next level, then look no further. These podcasts will educate, enthuse, and enable you to make your dream career of camera (and paycheck) in hand, come true.

Wedding Vendors Aren't Entitled to Pictures

In a typical wedding, dozens of vendors come together to make the bride's day special. All these vendors have one thing in common: the photographer doesn't owe them a single picture.

A Quick and Easy Way to Color Grade Images in Photoshop

Adding to or accentuating the color tones in an image is a very effective way of telling a story, eliciting an emotion, or strengthening the aesthetic. In this short walkthrough, I'll explain how I can speedily color grade my images.

Wedding Photographers, Your Next Gear Purchase Should Be a Photobooth

As a wedding photographer, we are always looking for new and interesting ways to add to our income. This usually comes in the form of photoshoots, prints, albums, and various types of upgrades, but most wedding photographers seem to be missing out on one of the easiest ways to make more money.

How to Define What Makes a Great Photograph Great

Photographers tend to bemoan that everyone's seeming belief that they are a photo critic. Event though the vast majority of people aren't really experienced enough or aware enough of what makes a good photo to be taken seriously. This position is often weakened by the fact that even top photographers generally can't agree on what makes a great photo. I'd propose the argument that the average viewer actually is quite aware of what makes a great photo while the nit picks of us pros more often than not have little to do with photographic greatness and more to do with photographic elitism.

Three Reasons Why Instagram's Algorithm is Garbage

The year is 2017 and at this point, it's fair to say that most people are on Instagram. Now I don't think that you have to be and I don't believe that an Instagram presence is a requirement for your success. If you've chosen to forgo this particular media app you're not necessarily missing out. IG is a tool at your disposal and as time goes on, that tool becomes increasingly useless. Here are three reasons why Instagram's algorithm is garbage and may not be worth your time anyways.

The Seven Essential Elements for Improving Your Photos

There are different opinions about what makes good photography. Many suggest it’s a single ingredient; they are wrong. If we want to grow in our art, it’s by combining seven elements that we have any hope of improving.

Several Ways Photographers Can Earn a Little Extra Income

There are a lot of variables to consider when discussing the income we generate from our photography. Aspiring professionals often site a lack of work when defending their status as either hobbyist or part time photographers, but the truth is often a little more complicated than that. When times get tough, many creative photographers use the skills they’ve collected to generate income in other ways.

How Many Lenses Do You Actually Need?

With more and more amazing lenses being introduced at a dizzying pace, I find myself asking a very basic question: How many lenses do I actually need?

Five Reasons to Raise Your Portrait Photography Prices

You get what you pay for. In most cases, this saying rings true. However, there is another narrative playing out in the photographic world. This other, rather untold story has a central character getting much, much more than what they pay for. When it comes to portrait photography, clients are reaping rewards from photographers who are unwilling or too fearful to raise their prices. There comes a time when something other than a photographer’s livelihood must give.

Why I Can't Love the Fujifilm X-Pro2

Some may say I'm squarely in the Fuji fanboy camp. I love their cameras and lenses, and will sing their praises whenever I feel it is due. However, today I'm going to write about the one camera I haven't liked in the lineup so far: the X-Pro2 (aside from the X-Pro1, which was a very immature realization of the X system). I have been looking for a second body to go alongside my X-T2 for a while now, and an exceptionally good sale in Australia meant I could pick up an X-Pro2 for $600 off the retail price. This was too good to pass up, and I ordered one as my second camera.

Is Any Photograph Actually Worth $6,500,000?

Peter Lik must be one very happy camper. Earlier we broke the news of the sale of the “Phantom”, a black and white image of Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, sold for a record breaking $6.5m, making it the most expensive photograph ever sold. A massive internal discussion amongst Fstoppers writers took place shortly thereafter, arguing whether any photograph was actually worth that much money.

Should You Buy the Nikon Z8 or Z9?

After the release of Nikon’s new Z8 mirrorless camera, you may be asking yourself a simple question. Should you get the Z8 or its big brother, the Z9?

Easily Isolate Your Layers in Photoshop

Working in Photoshop with multiple layers and then trying to navigate to those layers to make tweaks to your edits can sometimes be time-consuming and at times also very annoying if you have forgotten to name the layer.

Considering One of Canon's Lens Kits? Here's a Way to Get More Value for Your Dollar

I was on Instagram the other day when an ad for one of Canon’s two-lens kits popped up. The kits package together a couple of interesting options for photographers looking to step up from a kit lens, but the real question is: are the lenses a good value for photographers or should the money be spent elsewhere?

Improve Your Flower Photos With These 5 Tips

Flowers can be a wonderful opportunity for photographers to practice their camera skills. Whether receiving a bunch as a gift, or wanting to record the flowers in your own garden, there are a few things you can do to improve your flowery shots.

Behind the Scenes of Felix Hernandez's Fine Art Concept 'The Wardrobe'

Photographer Felix Hernandez has done it again. If the name doesn't ring a bell then you might know him by his amazing miniature photography such as "The Love Car" or his "The Crow & The Dove." These projects has been floating around on the Internet, and we have an exclusive on his new project called "The Wardrobe."

A is for Amateurs, P is for Professionals, M is for Masters: Hogwash!

A long time ago, I heard someone utter this bit of nonsense. Depending upon the genre of photography you shoot, there are good arguments for using manual controls and settings. However, there are times when your camera’s automated technologies prove the Luddites wrong, then automation is king.

Justin Timberlake's 'Say Something' Video Shows Masterful Steadicam and Focus Pulling Work

I just watched Justin Timberlake's "Say Something" video, and then, I watched it again. No doubt that's professional production work. Knowing the technical challenges of such a video, for me it felt like I was watching a reality show. The almost "unplugged" vibe of the song was so right for that video that the rest of my senses could be focused on how those guys pull that work off (pun intended). This article will be a humble attempt to reveal how they shot the video.

4 Ideas To Get Your Photography Business Out Of A Funk

We have all been there at one point or another. The thought of picking up a camera and having to take more pictures seems less than appealing. Shooting the same thing over and over, dealing with frustrating clients, or simply not getting the results you had hoped for. All these things can take a toll on your mental state and will eventually translate into feelings of disdain towards your passion. It might feel like you need a miracle to find your passion again, but here are four things which have worked for me, and maybe they can work for you as well!

Using Lightroom Export Presets to Speed Up Your Workflow

Often when we are editing in Lightroom we find ourselves doing the same tasks over and over again. The key to speeding up your workflow is finding ways to minimize the amount of steps it takes to do these regular tasks and fortunately Lightroom gives us many options to do this. One of my favorites is the 'Export Presets.'

Really, Nobody Cares What Camera You Use

Quite frankly, neither should you. I understand that we all love our gear and we all have dreams of upgrading and moving on to bigger and better things, but that's not the real point of it all, not really.

5 Pro Editing Tips To Make Your Photos Instantly Better

There is a lot of various advice on the internet. A large chunk of it is bad or irrelevant. Editing images is an art. It is an art that takes a while to master. Because there is so much bad info online, I decided to share some of my favorite editing techniques I use to get my signature look.

My Favorite Secondhand Marketplace

If you haven’t wrapped up your holiday shopping yet, consider buying secondhand in exchange for a great deal.

The Best Sharpening Technique I've Used

Sharpness: it's what we all want from our photos and it's something many of us obsess over. If your shot out of camera isn't quite as razor edge as you'd like, there are quite a few ways to get more sharpness in post-production. This method is by far my favorite.

Why Every Photographer Should Give a DAM

Aside from being a catchy acronym, Digital Asset Management is an incredibly important concept in the world of digital photography that is too often overlooked.

Why the Key Ingredient of a Successful Photographer Is a Recognizable Style

There are a zillion photographers out there, but there aren’t a zillion clients. How do you make your work stand out? Success comes when a client will book you because it's you and not because you are just another good photographer. In the process, having a recognizable style might also make you a happier photographer. But how can you get there?

8 Ways to Survive Long Stretches of No Work as a Freelance Photographer or Filmmaker

Whether you’re a photographer, filmmaker, video editor, first assistant, or even just starting out as a PA, you’ve got to work to survive. There are many lengths of time where the work might seem to be non-stop; you work so much that when you do have free time, you might not even know what to do with yourself. The winds of fate can change quickly though, and you might find yourself all of sudden not having any new jobs lined up. After doing this dance for over ten years as a video producer and photographer now based out of Lexington, Kentucky, I’ve learned a few things about dealing with the stresses of when business is slow.

Canon's Smart Move With Sigma and Tamron Shakes Up the APS-C Lens Market

The recent introduction of new lenses for Canon's RF-S mount by third-party manufacturers Sigma and Tamron is a significant development for the industry. These lenses, all designed for APS-C format cameras, are a significant development that reveals Canon's strategic approach to its mirrorless camera lineup.

No, Your Presets Did Not 'Save Your Images'

This is a pet peeve of mine, so I am going to thank you in advance for indulging me. There seems to be a rampant misunderstanding in certain levels of the photo community as to what editing presets are, and what they actually accomplish. I (like many of you I would assume) am a member of various photo-centric groups on Facebook. In particular, I am a member of groups for people who have purchased Lightroom and ACR preset packs from a variety of creators. Almost daily I see posts in these groups that go something like this: "I thought my photos were beyond hope, but then I applied "WHIMSICAL PRESET NAME" and they were saved! These presets are amazing!!!1!111!!!" Sound familiar?

Rethinking the JPEG

At the most basic level, photographers seem to be in two camps when it comes to image file types. There are those who care about the look of their images and shoot with big RAW files and those who don’t and use the smaller JPEG files.

RAW files offer a tremendous level of control over noise, tonality and color; a hearty file that can cope with the demands of our creativity.

Creative Ways to Light Boudoir Clients

In today's somewhat over saturated market of boudoir photography, everyone is looking to shoot something new and unique. It can be difficult to find a new perspective on shooting when so many ways have already been discovered. So how can you get creative and grasp the attention of the viewers without reinventing the wheel?

A Downloadable Wedding Photographer’s Checklist

It was my first wedding to shoot and I had never shot one before. I get stressed out really easily, so doing this was a bad idea for me all the way around. I missed shots, I missed a set of groups, and my lighting for the reception was terrible. On top of not having a clue on how to get a proper exposure for a wedding and what images were important to the couple, I delivered full-resolution files on a plethora of disks that caused more confusion than good. Today, I'm using online galleries provided by Pixieset and flash drives for file delivery.

Don't Upgrade Your RAM From Apple On Your MAC PRO Until You See This

Upgrading your RAM from Apple is a lot like buying your tires directly from the car dealership. It's overpriced for essentially the same product and you shouldn't do it. In this video I cover the benefits of upgrading your RAM from a third party to maximize your computers ability for retouching and file management through various applications like Lightroom.

This One Setting Changed the Way I Shoot Wildlife

So, what are the best settings for wildlife photography? Most people would argue that aperture priority would be the best way to tackle shooting fast action like wildlife and sports. It gives you the best balance between automatic camera settings (like picking the correct shutter speed) and manual control (like the ability to compensate for exposure).