Fstoppers Original Articles

Three days ago we gave you a tour of the new Fstoppers studio in Puerto Rico but we didn't answer your biggest question: why in the world did we move to Puerto Rico?

When I was a kid I thought I was stupid. No one could figure out why I couldn’t remember the colors of all the crayons. My teachers thought I had a learning disability. I remember having to pick up a crayon over and over to read the name so I knew what color it was.

So you want to go on a photography road trip, you pick your favorite spots from Instagram to hit up. You’re all set right? Well, not exactly. There are some major factors you should be considering before planning out the trip.

At the heart of photography as a medium is a fundamental problem: every photograph is a lie. This slippery instability is often what makes it effective as a tool for communication, but it can also create problems for some of the world’s most respected photographers, including Steve McCurry and, more recently, fine art photographer Tom Hunter.

It was all over the news; the superbloodwolfmoon of January 21st 2019. It was special, it was very rare, and it was spectacular. Or so they said. But was it really that special and did it show on the photos that I took during the four hour eclipse of the Moon? Let me tell you my story.

Portraits are a great way to reflect professionalism. As a portrait photographer, what are the things that you can ensure to get the best for your clients? There are a few important areas that you have to pay attention to as a portrait photographer. Here is a quick article that discusses on how to arrive at the perfect professional portrait.

If you’ve ever had lens flare ruin a seemingly perfect shot, this extremely simple technique will save you a ton of headache in post-processing.

Sure, you want to be successful and fully engaged in your craft but if you don't take some time for yourself every once in a while it can wear on you over time. Taking a calculated break every once in a while can have incredible benefits.

Variety is king during a one to three-week landscape photography trip. Visiting a few points of interest per day ensures at least one spot will work out. But to take your photography to the next level, it’s crucial to revisit the same location many, many times — and not just for the weather.

Every new camera release sparks a conversation about features, with today's biggest concerns often being the number of card slots and the crop on the 4K. The presence of a flip-out screen also seems to be near the top of the list and while it seems to be critical for vloggers, just how important is to the rest of the camera-buying public?

Just a couple months ago Patrick and I made the last minute decision to move to Puerto Rico. We've rented a giant house to live and work in and we will be sharing the process of turning this empty home into the new Fstoppers Studio.

In today's competitive marketplace, successful photographers are finding themselves creating more and more content that isn't strictly photo based. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are reaching more and more people with video content. In today's article, I outline 10 simple tips you can use to polish your video content.

Subscribe to business or productivity "influencers" on the web and you'll receive a variety of tips: “Nap this long,” “Consume more of these,” “Turn that device off!” But how do these techniques apply to photo editing, and can a one-size-fits-all productivity approach help us photographers use our editing time more efficiently?

Every few months I find myself reflecting on my work and career, about where I want it to go and how I want to position myself as a photographer. When I'm doing “work” photography I find that I'm really one among thousands of photographers. So lately I’ve been pondering things like “what do I really care about?” that I can show off through photography that other photographers don't, or can't. What do I have that other's don't?

When mirrorless cameras first started gaining popularity within the industry, brands and photographers were generally discussing the weight and size advantages. This was predominantly true until larger faster aperture lenses were brought into production and the mirrorless weight advantage was supposedly debunked.

Professional Photographer’s of America (PPA) has been the foremost association campaigning for photographers for over 150 years, but is still growing with its membership even today. With over half of photographers in the non-profit association capturing weddings as part or the majority of their income, PPA has moved forward with creating a new degree that specifically evaluates and promotes wedding photographers. With the Master of Photography degree and Master Artist degree already part and parcel to the education options in the association, does qualifying photographers with a new set of rules make better artists or lessen the value of the other degrees?

Travel photography is an alluring genre. The thought of getting paid to explore and discover the world is one that most photographers have entertained. In this article, I touch on an uncomfortable truth about travel photography and present seven tips based on this truth.

Comparing your work can be one of the healthiest reminders of just how far you've come in your photography even if those early photos are a bit embarrassing. Come share yours!

Once again Fstoppers talks with cinematographer Gonzalo Amat about his work on the third season of "The Man in the High Castle." In this interview we will dive deeper into the technical execution of the project: preproduction and shooting. A significant part of the article will be on the way Amat worked on lighting the scenes.

Almost weekly I see an article online or a comment about how cheap photographers are undermining the industry or that they are ruining it for us.

We’ve all heard it and probably noticed it first hand: social media is destroying our happiness and is directly related to instilling FOMO, the "fear of missing out" in people. We photographers are no exception. So how do we defeat an enemy that lives within our own minds?

Have you ever had an inkling to give self portraits a go? This can be a great way to improve your photography and boost your confidence, but how do you get started? Here's a few tips when it comes to shooting self portraiture!

The best landscape shots can require planning and preparation, but when the shot doesn’t come together, photographers can still walk away with something valuable.

The last thing you want to deal with is computer crashes in the middle of editing. If you have been in the business long enough you know it will happen sooner or later. Let's face it, electronics can crash, malfunction, or worse. Having a solid backup plan for your images is important to keep your cool and carry on.

In my own little blinkered world, Nikon have always made the best camera system and Microsoft the most utilitarian operating system. Do you fall in to that camp?

When I'm looking for a fine art paper with a crisp, clean, and beautifully tactile feel to it, one of my first thoughts is to turn to the William Turner paper from Hahnemühle. This is without question one of my top five papers that I've seen and printed on thus far, have you tried it yet?

Aperture is one of our strongest technical creative tools as photographers and filmmakers. Although it’s simply just a hole for light to pass through, it can be used to create so many different effects in our images. By considering the effects it has and working with them, we can intentionally make very different images just by changing our aperture.

It’s easy to celebrate our successes in photography — the proud moments in-between creating and presenting a picture that we’re particularly fond of. But what about the times we fail? I think there’s a good argument for celebrating our photography failures, and here’s why.

Are you committing these editing mistakes, and potentially ruining your portraits?

I mainly work in locations that are associated with storm and rain and I absolutely love the results of that photography.

The "dolly zoom" or "zolly" was made famous by Hitchcock in the movie "Vertigo" and since then has been used in countless Hollywood movies. Just a few years ago, this move was almost impossible to pull off but with today's new gear, almost anyone can do it.

Photographer Magic Owen was offered the opportunity by HUNGER Magazine to set her own brief for a shoot at the gorgeous venue, Castle Ashby. Having been given the chance to shoot in a location that magical with such creative freedom, Owen decided to create a modernized Wonderland style shoot.

When I first started out, I had no idea what to do and how this whole photography business is supposed to work. However, I was blessed to have a mentor who is a legend in my industry this side of the world where I come from.

In a field crowded with options, there is no better value for the money than the Fuji X-T3.

I got a few questions about the Electronic View Finder on a mirrorless camera concerning flash photography. And yes, when you use the wrong settings it can be quite a challenge using a mirrorless camera in dark situations when flash is needed. The solution is fairly simple.

I got through the Sunday eclipse and helped a couple of friends with their first time try at eclipse imaging. It got me thinking about what I've learned over the years that might save you some time when the next one comes along.

Dear Instagram. Here are ten things that would make Instagram that little bit better and keep your users happy. Thanks for your attention.

Today I want to talk about business maintenance and some of the less fun aspects of your business but important nonetheless. New Year's is a great time to go through and look at all your channels, social media, website, etc and see if there's anything that needs cleaning up or adjusting.

This past October award-winning photographer Jérôme Brunet published his 20-year retrospective coffee table book "Into The Light" that collects over 150 of his amazing music images.

When you think of the elements of an image that make it successful and interesting most photographers immediately refer to the powers of color, form, texture, light/dark, and visual rhythm. There is another that is often overlooked: gesture. Unlike the other elements, gesture can't easily be preplanned into your composition; it's a fleeting thing. However, when you add in an interesting gesture to your frame, it's transformative.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has developed new rules that stand to unlock all sorts of unique drone photos.

I've heard several arguments in the past against cropping images. But in my opinion cropping is OK. Here's why.

Whenever updating software, it is wise to be careful and make sure everything works as expected. Updating Photoshop had recently caused me a pretty serious issue that reminds us of how much our workflow can be affected by something as simple as a software update.

One small piece of gear is an essential buy for landscape, travel, and adventure photographers. Even if you already own one, a number of recent developments may mean it is time to update.

I shoot for a clothing boutique and we shoot outside at the same area weekly. To say I have overused the available locations is an understatement. Sometimes I find myself on the side of the road, next to a rundown building I’ve shot at 20 times already, and think to myself, how in the world can I make this different? I’ll bet most of us have been there at some point.

Dear Sony, why is it so difficult for you to get the flip-out screen right? It's as though you're trying to do absolutely everything you can with your screen except give us what we've been asking for. How many times do we have to ask you Sony? Almost everyone asked for the flip-out touch screen, instead, you gave us a completely useless flip-up screen.

What caused my obsession with camera bags? It was a simple question I asked myself to prepare for this article. The answer was much easier to find in my head and I didn't have to dig as deep as I thought. It was Indiana Jones.

We’re calling it now: 2019 will be the year of new voices. In 2018, younger generations have been the force behind social movements and social change.

More often than not, we’re our own worst enemies when it comes to landing the types of jobs we long to be hired for. Are you making it more difficult than it should be for potential clients to hire you for those photo jobs you keep waiting on?

It's probably happened to you: you're shooting away and someone, usually the venue owner, approaches you. You get that sinking feeling hearing those dreaded five words: "Can I get a copy?"