Fstoppers Original Articles

The payouts for stock photography have become something of a joke to many photographers, but is there a better way to look at things? I’ve changed how I’ve approached stock photography, and in doing so, came away with a refreshed view of photography as a whole.

Olympus recently announced the sale of their camera division, bringing an end to the storied company's history, at least in the iteration that we know. Does that mean the end of micro four thirds along with it?

Why is it that certain sunsets stand out more than others? After all, it’s not every day we see a good one. Well, that depends on a few different things that must come together to produce the kind of sunsets we want to capture in camera. In this piece, I'll outline what to look for and when.

Take a moment and look at your smartphone. The touchscreen is the only way to operate the device, except for a few buttons on the side, perhaps. Modern cameras also have touchscreens, but often, they are very limited. I wonder why that is.

Photography is full of hundreds of terms. Here are 30 of the most important to know.

The shock news landed this morning that Olympus has sold their camera division to Japan Industrial Partners Inc. (JIP), and while they have confirmed to Olympus that both OM-D and Zuiko will be utilized, fears are growing that the camera division will be metaphorically melted down for parts.

There are a lot of fantastic resources for information on photography, but sometimes, there is some utterly useless advice offered. So, for a bit of light relief, I want to know what the worst photography advice you've ever been given is.

While we all like numbers, sheer specs are rarely the best way to decide which photography gear will be best for you.

Last year I got to shoot my first national campaign for Absolut Vodka, it was an incredible, life-changing, experience.

Ken Yu is a photo assistant and digital technician who has been on countless sets, so when states slowly started to reopen for business amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he became concerned about how the photographers could move forward safely. When he reached out to me to have a discussion about reopening practices, I said yes, because the waters are murky and it's a discussion worth having.

Photography, like many creative careers, rarely has a path to success that is straight and without unexpected twists. If you want to find success in the field, it is crucial that you stay flexible to the possibility of the shape of your career evolving or even changing shape drastically.

Horses make for fantastic additions to a photo, whether you are taking pictures of a beloved companion or using them for a fashion shoot. However, I often see photographers treat horses like an afterthought in a photo, when they could make them look so much better with a little knowledge and practice. Here are 10 tips to improve your work with horses.

In an age of ultra sharpness and perfect optical balance, our technically brilliant images can often lack charm. So in this tutorial, I'll show you how to use retro lenses on your modern digital camera for photographs that have a lot of character and harken back to the days of film.

Continuing a tradition of impressive innovation and compact, affordable glass, Samyang/Rokinon has produced a new lens for Sony full-frame cameras that is completely unique: an autofocus 75mm f/1.8 prime lens. How so much quality can be packed into something so tiny is remarkable.

In this article, you will learn seven tips and tricks, plus some bonus tips to manage a collaborative filmmaking project.

Wireless devices have become a part of our daily life and work. As someone who uses them professionally, I decided to measure their electromagnetic radiation to see if they are a threat to my health. The results may be interesting to you.

Since the beginning of time, humans have told stories for education, historical record, and entertainment. The timeless adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" is one we have all heard, and probably repeated, but I want to focus on the things that words can't describe.

I recently found all my father's old analog lenses in the attic, including this 1960s 400mm f/6.3 telephoto. So I wanted to see how good it was for bird photography.

How often do you just go out and shoot, whether it is a hike in the woods with your camera or a portrait session? While there is something to be said for being in the moment and letting things happen organically, let us talk about why pre-planning your shoots can improve your images.

I get it. f/1.4, f/1.2, and even f/0.95 are way more exciting and drool-worthy than f/1.8, but in an era of forever-bloating lens designs, perhaps f/1.8 is exactly what we need more of. Here are some of the reasons why I would love to see more f/1.8 lenses from various manufacturers.

It can grind by slowly, then it flies, but whatever which way you cut it, the whiling of time is business time, your time. Here are the three most important reasons why it matters and how you can use this to increase your financial return.

It’s summer now, and that means we have good temperatures and conditions to go out and shoot. Sunrise and sunset are especially great moments to get good photography conditions, not only because you can catch incredible colors but also because the light can be too harsh during the day.

Experts shoot manual mode – that’s a myth. However, there are some reasons why you shouldn’t rely on your automatic and semi-automatic modes too much.

Being a photographer can be a bit of a slog in between the tedium of day-to-day work and dealing with the various issues that often arise. Here are four things you should try doing to become a happier and more satisfied photographer.

I live and breathe landscape photography and there are so many great tips you can test and try out yourself. Here are five tips I benefit a lot from in my work that you can implement to improve your landscape photography right now.

It sounds like the dream to be able to live from your passion. It surely is fantastic and can be done if you are willing to work for it, but there are parts of this job that might be less attractive once you get to know about them.

Canon makes a wide variety of fantastic lenses, but they are rarely cheap, and you can quickly find yourself spending a lot of money trying to build out your lens library. Luckily, after decades of releasing lenses, there are a few hidden gems if you know where to look. Here are five lenses you should check out.

In recent weeks, racial inequality has been brought to the forefront of awareness for many around the world. In light of the cultural shift that has the world talking about the Black Lives Matter movement, is it time for the photography community to change some terminology?

Lightroom received a group of new features as part of Adobe’s latest Creative Cloud batch of updates, but one in particular stands out as a huge shift to how you work with the software. Want to know how to make it work for you?

Photographers spend a ton of time working on their technical and creative skills both with their cameras and in their post-processing. But the most important skill you can have as a professional has nothing to do with either of those.

Tom Oldham photographs celebrities in a totally refreshing way — real expressions, getting under the skin of a polished image. Winner of the 2020 Open Photographer of the Year, Tom tells us about his approach and his inspirations.

The DSLR camera market has truly been struggling with the growing popularity of mirrorless cameras. They may not be dead entirely, but the ones you have are getting hit even worse.

Production safety might not be the most exciting aspect of your photography career, but these days, like it or not, it’s one of the most important.

Photographers — myself included — love using wide-open apertures of fast glass. If we need something more in focus than that can offer, we'll use around the sweet spot of the lens, or from f/8 to f/11. But what about all the apertures in between?

What is the most important camera feature for you? Dynamic range? Burst rate? Autofocus performance? There are a lot of key camera specs that have objective impacts on our image-making, but spec sheets fail to capture one of the most important aspects of a camera.

As you get more comfortable with editing, you’ll probably come across color spaces. Just picking a random color space to edit or export with can cause major issues with your photos, however. Want to know which color space to use and when?

For many people, starting a YouTube channel can be a creative outlet, an opportunity to educate, or a job. For Matt it was a chance to share his thoughts and opinions about something he loved – the lasting impact on the film community was just a bonus.

A lot of photographers spend a good chunk of time reading about gear and considering if they should pull out their credit card to purchase that fancy new camera or lens. Here are three good reasons to purchase new gear and three bad reasons to do so.

There's a seldom discussed threat to any business owner or self-employed person. That threat can drastically affect photographers if they aren't aware of it, and it has been seen many times over already.

I'm a knowledge junky. I've always been a fan of photography tips and tricks, storing away bits of information that make what I do easier, more enjoyable, or safer. But what about things you shouldn't do?

If you’ve ever wondered what publishers are looking for from photographers, here are some really helpful nuggets of wisdom from the publisher of one of Australia’s most iconic magazines.

With the wide theatrical release of "The Picture Of His Life" just a few days away, I thought it might be interesting to create a list of some of the best documentaries about photography and photographers ever made. What are your favorites?

Modern cameras are little technical marvels packed to the brim with interesting and useful features — some more useful than others. Here are five of the most overrated camera features.

Terrified of creepy crawlies he may be, but Mofeed Abu-Shalwa has committed his career to photographing and researching tiny creatures. I interviewed him to find out more about his incredible, jewel-like, and award-winning photographs — and how he got over his fear.

If you love shooting landscapes, you probably thought about using neutral density. Perhaps you already own a set of nice filters, but do you know which filter you need to use? This beginners guide can help you choosing the right neutral density filter.

The rumored Canon lenses coming out have got a lot of us talking and pricked up a number of ears. One set of ears it ought to have pricked up, however, is Olympus' — and here's why.

Photographers have a special skill that allows them to capture the world in ways others can't, and your images can make a big difference in a lot of ways. Here are 10 ways to do good with your camera.

When your income disappears overnight, what do you do? Like many professional photographers during the lockdown, Tristan Poyser found himself suddenly out of work. He took a job at the Amazon warehouse, which led to a fascinating documentary project with unprecedented access to this notoriously secretive company.

What does being a photographer mean to you? Do the people around you see you in the same way?

Generally, photo lenses follow this rule: sharpness, low weight, low cost — pick two. And yet, Tamron seems to have bucked that trend with the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD, which is sharp, light, and highly affordable. Here's why it has become the lens that spends the most time on my camera.