Fstoppers Original Articles

When a photographer is desperate for bookings, an inexperienced business owner will turn to the only option they know of: lowering their prices. Before doing this, you should consider all of the other options you have before deciding to compete with others on price.

As with any first-generation product, there's good and bad when it comes to Nikon's new mirrorless cameras, lenses, and accessories. Here's a little more information about some of the features of the Z6 and Z7 cameras and the system as a whole so you can decide if it's right for you.

[Update]: This is not necessarily Nikon's answer to a completely pro-line mirrorless body (scroll down for update).

Why do we care so much what people think of our photos? Do we shoot for others or do we shoot for ourselves? Does it help us progress by having strangers or even people we know comment on our photos? What about formal reviews by so-called experts?

The wedding photography industry can be described in one way: over-saturated. With this in mind, it can be an overwhelming and discouraging thought to stick out from the crowd. However, creating a niche for yourself is a surefire way to get seen by more clients.

Are you on Instagram? Yes? Do you want to learn more about good lighting and technology used to create beautiful images? Of course you do. Go follow the ASC.

Pet photography is as popular as ever right now, as more and more people become pet owners. In fact, according to a recent survey by American Pet Products Association, nearly 80 million American households have pets.

It is no secret that “bad” weather provides great opportunities for moody, dramatic and atmospheric landscape photos. In this article, I will share a few important tips for photographing in such weather.

As more and more photographers are starting to dabble into video, the need for versatile yet affordable constant lighting gear is ever changing. Today I test the new Boling BL-50 lights to see if they could be the best bang for the buck.

In this week's lighting breakdown, I'm going to explain why and how I used a flash outdoors during midday to create this fun, casual portrait.

As any filmmaker knows, time is money. Falling behind on a project doesn’t just put a dent in your schedule, it can also put a dent in your income. That's why it’s so important that you have some time-saving strategies up your sleeve to ensure that if some unforeseen delay occurs, you have the ability to steer your project back on course.

Given the choice to bring one accessory when shooting landscapes, it absolutely needs to be a circular polarizer and this is why.

When photographing interiors, flash is your friend, but a friend who needs some management. While flash brightens rooms, reduces glare, and brings out true colors, it can also produce the frustrating issue of ugly shadows.

Most photographers are familiar with using a neutral density filter to create dreamy, long exposure photographs, but should you use a neutral density filter when shooting time-lapses too? In today's video, I explore why using a 10-stop ND filter might be perfect for more than just still photography.

Over the years, I’ve acquired an interesting array of “tools” that I use for setting up and maintaining my underwater camera housing. I wish I had known earlier about some of the items I travel with, as they have made my life quite a bit easier. Most of what I carry with me has been a result of trial and error, and I’d like to pass along that information to any budding underwater photographers out there.

Let’s talk some more about photographing motocross, and this time, let’s get down to the technical aspect of photographing this great sport. Don’t worry, you don’t need lots of expensive gear to get decent photographs, especially if you are shooting at your local track.

I had to deal with a problem, when the video editor's processed footage looked great, but once exported and uploaded on YouTube, it looked dull and desaturated.

Too often, we think of our personal or professional failures as something that will negatively impact us for a long time and others will judge or look down on us for, when in reality, these mistakes and failures are what help us grow.

For photographers, taking pictures comes naturally. Marketing, creating content, and blogging, however, may not flow as easily. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing when creating content for your blog.

With all the excitement in recent weeks about the release of the new Nikon mirrorless camera and its homage to the history of a great camera company, I thought I would take a moment to look back at the evolution of the Fujifilm X100 series into its current form and talk about why it still isn’t truly a mature camera.

I’ve had the fortune of being let loose with a high-end Phase One medium format full frame digital camera; here is what I learned.

While the Perseid Meteor Shower was putting on a show earlier this week, I was fast asleep. Luckily for all of us, a lot of talented photographers planned ahead and captured some great photos.

All I’ll say, is that I owned the original a7 and it kinda sucked. Is Nikon going to get it right the “first” time? Or will next week's supposed announcement of the Z-series cameras begin a long cycle of trying to one up themselves while trying to keep up with the major mirrorless players?

Making a photograph can be a painstaking process involving location scouting, test shots, lighting setups, model releases and so much more, depending on your subject. However, some subjects — such as wildlife, children, sporting events, and such — require a photographer to be much more nimble. That's why I try to follow a few simple rules to be ready for when that unexpected magic moment arrives.

Artists invariably love color, and artists using camera mediums are no different. However, for photographers and videographers, there is a foundational element of color in our work that is too often neglected: color management.

Mirrorless cameras may well be the future, but I'm not buying the hype that they're revolutionary. Not yet anyway.

Nikon will officially announce its new Z mount full frame mirrorless system in a few days while Canon and Sony are expected to follow with major product release. Meanwhile, DJI should unveil a new version of the Mavic Pro.

I love photographing actions sports like surfing, skateboarding, cycling, MTB, and of course motocross and Supercross. Motocross and its cousin Supercross are great sports to photograph and are easy for fans with cameras to get close to the action. Read this first article of a three article series to get some tips to make your first outing or your hundredth outing a little more rewarding.

Most of you might be saying: "you're nuts! Haven’t you been sailing? Luxury car driving? Golfing all over the place?" And luckily, I have, and let me tell you, photography is the most expensive sport I have ever practiced.

Though Adobe Photoshop CS6 came out more than six years ago, there are a good many people still using it in 2018. Some don’t need to upgrade, others can’t afford the monthly fee, and still others refuse to buy into the software as a service model.

The art of photography can mean a lot of different things but no matter what it means to you, the fact is that what we know as photography is the product of an endless journey of experimentation from artists all over the world.

Have the questions your family ask you like “are we there yet?” been replaced with “how much camera stuff do you really need?” And “why do I have to carry this camera lightbulb thing in my suitcase?” Read on and the following tips just might save your family from a horrible vacation.

When you set aside time to learn as a photographer, how do you spend that time? Do you peruse your portfolio or browse through a respected photographer’s portfolio to break down why some photos “worked”? You may fall prey to a cognitive bias called Survivorship Bias.

In this article, I'm going to break down this dramatic lighting setup and explain why light placement and angle are important.

Last year Sony released the a9, the pinnacle of mirrorless camera technology. Since then I have not stopped hearing about this camera. I know I'm late, but I finally got my hands on one, and I was able to play with it for a couple of weeks. How does it compare to my Nikon D850? Let's find out.

I already wrote an article stating that this camera is the best wedding photography camera you can buy. But like most cameras, it's not perfect. These are eight things holding back the a7 III.

The exposure compensation dial. What's it for, exactly? And who on earth uses this completely useless knob that's taking up precious space on top of so many camera bodies?

I really have to admit it, but not every day do I feel like taking photos for someone else, but most days I feel like going out there and taking photos for myself. Most people see photography as something that just involves grabbing a camera or a mobile device and shooting whatever it is we see out there, but not for me. For me, photography is something else: it is a passion, it is an idea bigger than myself; for me, to be a photographer is to live.

If you are a photographer who is utilizing physical DVDs, USB drives, or even digital solutions like Dropbox to deliver client images, then take note as there is another way.

You may hate heavily post-processed images and videos, but do you hate them the right way? Here's how to properly do it.

Traveling to create new photography can get expensive fast, but whether it's for personal work, stock, or your portfolio, it is often a necessary part of advancing your work. There are lots of ways to monetize these images and tricks to shoulder the upfront costs involved in creating them. This is the approach and tips I use to get the most out of my travel photography.

We all get stressed about our gear at some point in our careers. Knowing how much and what quality of photography gear you need is complicated. This will help shed some light on exactly how much equipment a professional photographer needs.

Fashion and Editorial Photographer Clay Cook recently partnered with Stash, a mobile investment app, to photograph Instagram personality Baddie Winkle for a retirement themed campaign. I had the opportunity to pull up with Cook to discuss the shoot as well as learn more about how he approaches his business and brand.

One of the most difficult parts of any art is learning to express the things you feel through the medium you are working with. Today we’ll look at one way of approaching this in photography.

Weather and conditions permitting, the Perseid meteor shower puts on an annual show that blows stargazers away. Use these five photography tips to capture this dazzling spectacle.

Compositing frames in your interior photographs can be extremely time-consuming. With this simple technique developed by Mike Kelley, you can quickly and easily lighten doorways in post-processing while freeing up your editing time.

I've been holding off on learning video ever since I started my photographic career. Having now taken the plunge, I can safely say that I wish I had embraced video sooner.

I never tire of creating over-under water images, a technique advanced and popularized by National Geographic photographer David Doubilet. The over-under or half and half image provides a window into two very different worlds in a single frame, and if done well can be a powerful tool in fostering a greater appreciation for the other 71 percent of our planet.

Way back when the Canon T3i was the camera to have, I dabbled in video just enough to get frustrated and quit. Years later and after a lot of trial and error, I’ve made the switch almost entirely to creating short films and commercial work. Here are the big takeaways from my experience.

Having time to get out and shoot can always be a challenge no matter how much you love photography. Luckily, a lunch break is almost always free and a great way to sneak in some time you might otherwise never find.

Maybe now, ironically, is the best time of all to be a DSLR user.