Fstoppers Original Articles

Sometimes, the simplest ideas can create some really cool images. Here’s how I created a fun and colorful DIY photoshoot backdrop for less than $25.

Being asked to work for free can be a frustrating experience for photographers who have invested years of hard work and dedication to master their craft. In a time where equipment and running costs are so high, it has never been so important to politely decline requests to work for free.

Filip Majerčík, a diverse Slovak photographer, shares his incredible project that has taken six years to complete over 50 trips, resulting in 3 TB of data to process. His passion and dedication capture his country’s beauty from a sensitive, awe-inspiring perspective.

Knowing what photos work best and worst in different lighting conditions can help us create the best possible photos. Here's how to do it.

In the modern world of photography, it's easy to be lured into the belief that owning the latest and most expensive gear will automatically elevate your skills as a photographer. However, the truth is far from this misconception. While high-quality equipment can undoubtedly enhance certain aspects of your photography, it is essential to understand that gear alone does not make you a better photographer. In this article, let's delve into the reasons why true photographic prowess lies in the photographer's skill, creativity, and vision rather than the equipment they possess.

In the world of photography, the debate over whether gear truly impacts the quality of a photographer's work has been going for years. Some argue that it is the photographer's skill and vision that matter most, while others firmly believe that having the right gear can significantly elevate one's abilities. This article aims to shed light on the argument that gear does make you a better photographer, by exploring how advanced equipment empowers photographers, enhances creative possibilities, and enables the pursuit of excellence.

Photography has long been regarded as an art form that captures moments, emotions, and memories, preserving them for generations to come. The constantly evolving photography landscape is mostly driven by the advancement of the tools and technologies used to create and deliver photographs. While the art of photography has progressively changed and improved, the way images are developed has not changed much and often lagged behind based on the traditional lab approach.

It’s been a minute since I shot color film. I’ve been shooting digital on a Canon 5D Mark IV for years. How does The Canon EOS-1N RS with Portra 400 compare?

Landscape photography offers endless opportunities to capture breathtaking scenes and create stunning images. However, one common issue that can plague your landscape photographs is the presence of dust spots. These pesky little specks can appear on your images and distract the viewer's attention from the beauty of the scene. In this article, we will explore several effective techniques to help you avoid dust spots in your landscape images and maintain the integrity of your photographs.

The three-year-old camera is already seeing some solid discounts, for a variety of reasons.

In the world of photography, capturing the perfect shot often requires meticulous attention to detail. From adjusting camera settings to framing the subject just right, photographers invest significant effort in creating stunning visuals. However, amidst all the technicalities, there is one often overlooked but indispensable tool that can make or break the outcome of a photograph: the tripod.

Landscape photography is a rewarding and captivating pursuit that allows us to capture the natural beauty of the world around us. However, it often involves long hours of carrying heavy camera gear and traversing various terrains. To fully enjoy and excel in this art form, it is crucial to prioritize the health and maintenance of your back and lumbar region. In this article, we will explore the significance of good back and lumbar maintenance for landscape photography. We will discuss the role of a suitable camera bag, the importance of ergonomic camera gear choices, and various exercises that can help you maintain a healthy spine, ensuring longevity and comfort in your photographic journey.

As a beginner photographer, your natural instinct often tries to capture everything that catches your eye. If you’re standing in front of the most beautiful view you’ve ever seen, of course you’ll want to show the whole scene in your image, but you’ll often create the most compelling images by showing less.

Landscape photography is a pursuit that requires patience, dedication, and a persistent mindset. From waiting for the right conditions to refining compositions during challenging moments, as landscape photographers, we face a range of experiences that test our resolve. This article delves into the significance of persistence in landscape photography, exploring how embracing unfavorable conditions can benefit our skills, how enjoying the rewards of successful shots can continue to benefit us long after the shoot, the importance of how considered post-processing and printing of our banger combine and contribute to help us become a successful landscape photographer.

Do you find yourself arriving at a landscape photography location, getting the tripod set up, the camera out of the camera bag, and then walking away disappointed with your images? Something not quite right? I have some tips for finding your shot, whether it is a new location or one of your old favorites!

Today, I’d like to recount a fun story about how the past is never really the past. It is only a prologue.

The mistakes you make in life, including photography, leave a tart, bitter taste in your mouth, especially when they’re your fault and entirely avoidable. The solution? Don't make them. Here are three easy steps photographers from any genre can implement to immediately improve compositions and eliminate unnecessary errors.

Today, a brief thought on when, sometimes, the solution isn’t X or Y, but X and Y.

Grand trips for landscape photography are exciting and can make it look like you’re really living the landscape photographer life. But practicing your landscape photography locally shouldn’t be underestimated if you want to improve your technical and compositional skills.

One regular and boring argument proposed by some is that the camera doesn’t matter. That’s hogwash. A good quality camera is vitally important for photography, and here’s why.

Wildlife photography has always been a passion for me. It's not something that pays the bills, but it's something that I love, and it is great for my own mental health. Recently, I was informed of a family of Little Owls in England, and the young Owlets had just begun fledging from the nest. I took the near three-hour drive down to the location and watched these beautiful creatures.

It's not often that my favorite flash system goes on sale, so when it does it's pretty big news. Now until August 31st, Profoto is offering up to $600 off their B10x and B10x Plus flash heads. If you looking to add to your kit or are wanting to switch over to a powerful and portable flash system that uses Profoto's light modifiers, this is a great deal to check out.

What separates a good image from a mediocre one? As a photographer who has conducted over 50 shoots in the past few months, this is a question I've asked myself countless times. Through this continuous exploration and practice, I've become adept at recognizing the essential components that elevate an image to greatness. In this article, I'll share my insights and reveal the five crucial ingredients that contribute to the creation of a remarkable photograph.

The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2023, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

With all the new advancements in technology, specifically with the emergence of AI, why would you still need to have a set of filters for landscape photography? How do you start and what should you start with?

Success in photography is a fairly vague metric. Some measure it by the number of followers on Instagram, others by ratings on photography forums, and some people by the gear you use. However, none of these three things mean success. In fact, a photographer who shoots on the latest gear, gets 5-star ratings on forums, and has a million followers is not necessarily successful. Here is what an actually successful photographer is.

Instagram is one of the most important marketing tools for photographers in 2023. Being able to optimize your images for the platform so that they perform best is a great way to attract new customers and build a following. In this article, I will explain some of the things that work well for photographers on Instagram.

I was challenged to photograph a portrait shoot on another random camera, but this one was really not what I was expecting. How do you take artistic portraits using an instant camera?

Even if you’re standing in the middle of a great-looking landscape, it can be difficult to make an inspiring photo. Many people feel the need to capture as much as possible in one single frame, but that’s not the solution. Keep these three things in mind, and your landscape photo will improve a lot.

Filmora, a leading video editing software, took a distinctive approach to connect with the creators' community attending VidCon 2023 in Anaheim, CA. At this event, Filmora sponsored a creator session featuring popular YouTubers creators NichLmao and Jensen Tung where they delved into the exciting possibilities of AI in video creation, empowering creators to enhance their creativity and productivity.

Like a lot of creatives, finding that perfect desk setup is sort of like searching for the holy grail. But after a lot of searching, I think I found mine.

Long exposures are useful to convey a sense of motion in photos, whether that's bodies of water that seemingly look like glass or car taillights whooshing by in a street scene. The iPhone allows you to create scenes like this easily. It's just a bit hidden.

Whether you are a wedding, newborn, or boudoir photographer, delivering the final product to your clients is a true pleasure. The look on their faces when they see your beautiful work makes the job so much more satisfying. But how can we elevate the client experience even further?

Pop quiz, hotshot. What is the best investment you can make in your photography today?

I have the best part of a decade of professional photography under my belt, with some very hard years and some good years during that time. I have learned a lot about the craft, the industry, and most of all, about running a small business. The majority of the lessons that had the most significant impact on my career were not around techniques, post-production, or even equipment; they were about running a business.

There are many ways to sell prints online. In the last article of this series, we already looked at one of them that was free and easy to set up. But it might not be the right way to sell prints professionally. If branding and customer relations are important to you, a customized online store might be a better solution. In this article, I share how to set one up.

I've been hearing about Patreon for a while, and I'm officially curious. Join me on my experiment to see if Patreon is actually a viable income source for photographers.

We have entered a time as photographers where we are seeing monumental changes in the industry. There are more tools than ever before to streamline our workflows, push the bounds of creativity, and increase our visibility as creatives.

There are some who believe creativity is a gift given to only a handful of people. Those of us who regularly engage in the practice of making art understand that we all have the ability to create something that has never existed before. It is common for us to struggle in our search for inspiration, and self-doubt can be a powerful enemy. A new organization may be of assistance to those who chose to engage in this struggle.

Here are 13 essential things to know about why your photos are not sharp and what you can do about it. Included are some that are often overlooked.

When it comes to landscape photography, certain destinations immediately come to mind – the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, the majestic mountains of the Canadian Rockies, or the iconic landmarks of the American Southwest. However, there is one country that often gets overlooked as a photography hotspot: Ireland.

In last week’s article, I chose to talk about the joys of going small with lighting gear. In today’s article, we’ll go big, very big, with the Aputure LS 1200d Pro LED Light Kit.

Photography is an art that allows us to capture moments, freeze time, and express our creativity. One fascinating subject that many photographers are drawn to is small waterfalls. These cascading wonders provide an incredible opportunity to capture the beauty of nature. While wide angle lenses are often popular for landscape photography, telephoto lenses have their own unique advantages. In this post, let's explore how using a telephoto lens can significantly enhance your photography skills when capturing small waterfalls. Specifically, we will discuss the benefits of long exposures at half a second, and explore the focal length range from 70 to 200mm.

It doesn't matter how good your composition is if you have this one glaring error. Take a look to see what it is, if you're guilty of doing it, and how to fix it.

As photographers, we are constantly in pursuit of the perfect shot. Sometimes, the conditions don't align as expected, and the location we had in mind for a stunning sunset turns out to be better suited for a breathtaking sunrise. In such situations, it's important to embrace the opportunity and capture the beauty of the moment.

We had an idea for a shoot and acted on it. We had no idea that this photo would take me all the way to the legendary Abbey Road Studios.

When it comes to photoshoot locations, few things can top a cave. This was a wild photoshoot adventure.