Fstoppers Original Articles

I'm sure most, if not all, of you have heard about the idea of paying-it-forward. Did you know that recent studies have shown that this phenomenon is a learned behaviour? How can we as photographers use our skills to encourage others to benefit projects and philanthropy close to our hearts? I had a chance to chat with photographer Michelle Valberg, whose habit of giving back just saw her appointed to the Order of Canada this past summer.

Photography education is a constantly fluctuating space, ever evolving from one approach to the next in an effort to differentiate from the pack. The Photo Creators Conference is the next evolution in the chain.

It’s time to spring-clean your photography website! Don’t leave it until you've finally shot that new body of work you’ve been meaning to shoot. There are several things you can do to your website to freshen it up without shooting new images first.

Rhy Dyball is a photographer and artist working with themes uncanny and eerie images.

Canon CPS is changing for the better? We talk to Frankie Jim, the man in charge of Canon’s Professional Services in the UK, to find out what’s changing and assess if these changes happening are for the better or worse?

Drones provide photographers with incredible image opportunities but still lack dynamic range and pixel count of their grounded handheld counterparts. What if you could increase your dynamic range, resolution, and take better images?

I just got a new camera! Well, sort of.

Are you a photographer or a content creator? More and more photographers take on several roles and end up being content creators rather than traditional photographers. The industry is changing every year, and as it looks now, you have to learn content creation to stay in business. Photography is not enough.

There are many reasons why we take photographs. It's the intrinsic motivation that has the greatest value, and for me, it has paid off. Have you discovered why you should be seeking that and neither the money nor a pat on your back?

Collaborating with models for trade shoots, often referred to as TFP (Time for Print), provides a wealth of benefits to both parties involved. In this type of collaboration, neither party charges for their services, but both receive valuable assets in the form of high-quality images that can be used to build their respective portfolios.

We all know Mark Mann from the close-up, soul-bearing portraits of what feels like every celebrity, public figure, and president in current times. Prolific seems a fitting word that should be permanently grafted to any discussion of the artist’s work. Today, however, we are getting to know Mark Mann in a way that you never have.

In a recent article, I shared a selection of easy-to-avoid photo editing mistakes. Today, it's time for five more. Some of them might sound obvious, while others are more subtle. What they all have in common: they can ruin an otherwise great edit.

In recent years, boudoir photography has experienced quite a surge in popularity, attracting women of all ages and backgrounds who want to capture their beauty in a classy and sensual way. While it's true that the rise in confidence and body positivity among women has played a significant role in this trend, there are several other factors contributing to its growing popularity.

On the never-ending camera buyer’s merry-go-round? Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way.

There are many simple and effective techniques that you can utilize to improve your photography when you're just starting out. Check out these seven simple tips to help you improve your photography as a beginner.

As a photographer, you know that having the right gear can sometimes make all the difference, and this includes tripods. With the launch of the Benro Theta, shooting just became more fun and easy. This revolutionary tripod combines portability, stability, and intelligence, making it one of the most essential tools for photographers on the go.

As a photographer, understanding your place in the market is essential to the success of your business. Whether you are just starting out or are an established photographer, it's important to have a clear understanding of your competition, your preferred target audience, and demand for the photography services you offer.

Photo editing is a powerful tool that allows you to transform your images in many ways, from enhancing the atmosphere in a photo to increase of image quality. However, common editing mistakes can negatively impact the final result. In this article, we'll explore five of those.

Automation is now an integral part of photography. There are innovative ways you can use it to make your workflow run like clockwork and allow you the time to concentrate on your creativity.

In this article and the accompanying video, I will show you how to create four unique portrait looks using one light and v-flats.

Taking amazing photos is the wish of every landscape photographer. You can go out and photograph what you encounter, or you can plan everything in great detail. What do you prefer, planning the perfect photo or taking your chances? Or is there a way in between? Let’s find out.

LinkedIn is not just a platform for jobseekers; it is a powerful networking and marketing channel for entrepreneurs, such as photographers. If you ever serve other businesses with your photography, then LinkedIn is a great place online to find and connect with the right people in your niche. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Rain in the forecast can be a disappointment for photographers and their clients, especially if they planned an outdoor photoshoot. Rain can ruin the vision for perfect, directional lighting that was originally planned, making it difficult to capture the desired mood or atmosphere. However, instead of rescheduling or moving the shoot entirely indoors, photographers have an opportunity to capture interesting and creative photos with an outdoor rain photoshoot. In this article, we’ll provide you with some rain photoshoot tips to prepare and inspire your creativity.

Landscape photography can be done anywhere and everywhere. That’s undeniable. However, there are certain places that would be best for when you are learning and standing out.

The first thing that comes to mind when panoramas are mentioned is an extremely wide field of view. Often, you need multiple photos to cover such angles. A panorama can also be achieved by a crop. Which method should you use for landscapes? Cropping or stitching?

Let’s chat a bit. Have you ever stopped to think why you chose photography over all other avenues of artistic expression?

Are you thinking of buying yet another lens? Can't wait for a new body? (In my case, reincarnation is the only option). This article covers the main reason why my Synology DS1821+ is the best purchase I made in 2020 for my photography business.

Adobe's Lightroom masking feature introduced just under a year ago revolutionized the workflow for many photographers by automating the tedious task of creating individual masks for specific parts of an image. This AI masking feature allows photographers to easily separate the foreground from the background, easily break down the parts of a portrait, and apply various edits to each individual part.

When V-Flat released the new Karl Taylor Light Cone, the comments ranged from dismissive jokes about "the cone of shame" to excitement for a product designed by esteemed commercial photographer Karl Taylor. I decided to take the cones into my product studio and see for myself if this simple tool really delivered the effortless results it boasted.

It takes years of practice to become good at sports photography. Basketball, for example, is fast-paced, with frequent turnovers. When covering a game, you need to be attentive to all of the action happening on the court. But even if you photograph all of the crucial plays, something may be missing from your coverage. This article will help you understand the variety of potential shots at a basketball game and what you need to do to ensure that you capture them properly.

The art of boudoir photography, which is playful, imaginative, and private, honors the femininity and beauty of women (though the genre is expanding rapidly to men as well). It's all about capturing personal and stirring moments that highlight your clients' best features. But have you ever thought about holding your boudoir sessions outside?

My business insurance has rocketed in price this year with a 33% increase. Yet, I would not do without it. Like anything with monetary value, cameras can be targeted by thieves. That risk is growing.

Today, we will eschew all the glitz, glamour, and pixel-peeping and get down to brass tacks on why I chose to use a specific camera for a specific use case.

Are you starting out as a wedding photographer? Maybe you're looking to improve the quality of what you deliver. Here are my top 10 must-have shots, when they will happen during the day, and key information to consider when setting them up, finessing, and completing them.

Have you ever experienced being delighted about the outcome of your photographs but ended up getting a different reaction from your audience? Here’s a step that might help you curate your images better.

When you love photographing moving subjects, it may be difficult to get a perfectly sharp photo. The best way is by moving your camera with the subject to keep it in the frame. This technique is called panning. I have 10 tips for successful panning photography.

Price lists can be dangerous, but they can also be great. How do you know if you should reveal your hand and have one displayed on your website?

Visiting beautiful locations for landscape photography can be quite rewarding. Often these, are one-time occasions. If you want to visit the same location more than once, you have to look for something close. This article is about making a long-term series of photos of one location.

Photography is quite literally painting with light. As such, it’s important for a photographer to be able to see and shape light.

In last week’s article, I discussed three mistakes to avoid when building a career as a photographer or filmmaker. Today, let’s look into three broader concepts that you might want to lean into.

Despite the deep-freeze of a cold January day, a lone photographer moved swiftly through the graffiti-covered halls of what was once a bustling psychiatric center in the heart of Long Island in New York.

Most of the time, a landscape photo will show the horizon. The best position of that horizon depends on what's important in the photo. Do you place the horizon at the top, the bottom, or somewhere else in the frame? If you struggle with that decision, this article may give a helping hand.

Sony's AirPeak drone is the world‘s smallest drone that can carry a full frame Alpha series mirrorless camera. It's also a versatile aerial platform that's capable of carrying other payloads. Check out how professional drone pilot Craig Coker deployed powerful drone-lighting tools to capture stunning images of world-class athletes in the first AirPeak "Light The Night" showcase.

What does it really take to get by in an industry where any Tom, Dick, and Harry has it in them to harvest likes on images like basking sharks devouring krill? Who’s doing it better? Well, everyone, right? What’s happening, day to day, week to week in the life of an active professional photographer? Well, I’m laying it all on the line. Telling it like it is. Here’s a desperately honest account of what happens in an average week for me, an honestly average photographer.

Choosing a lens which will give you desired results for a particular portrait assignment is an integral part of being a photographer.

Low budget doesn't have to mean low quality. Here's a handy tip for keeping your backgrounds interesting.

Mostly, photographers learn the camera settings and compositional techniques first. Those basics of photography are essential. But when we have mastered those, what do we do next?