Most Bookmarked

The world’s best photographers are defined by their styles. For example, you can instantly look at an image by Martin Schoeller or Annie Leibovitz and recognize what you’re seeing. Their work is distinctly theirs. I believe that a big part of a photographer's success lies in finding this style. It may not come easily to everyone, however.

You read that right: shouldn't. Wedding photography is a field that many photographers work within at least once or twice in their budding careers. Is it for you, though? Do you have what it takes? Even some of the most seasoned professional wedding photographers have thrown in the towel and moved on to other forms of work. Why is this, you inquire? I asked several of my colleagues – wedding photographers and other professional shutterbugs alike – their thoughts on why they think shooting weddings for a living sucks. These are the top five responses I received.

I will soon be releasing a start-to-finish retouching tutorial video here at Fstoppers on my most recent fashion editorial photoshoot. But before I do, I wanted to start warming our readers up with a complete gear list. In this article, I share with you everything I used on my shoot, the breakdown of costs, and where to find all the gear and extras: from the Profoto Strobe all the way down to the gaffer tape.

Anyone who is interested in portrait, fashion or/and beauty retouching knows how wonderful the Dodge & Burn technique is for skin retouching. We have talked about various methods and the fundamental knowledge of light and shadow rendering in 2-dimensional art before, and I would like to offer you yet another important piece of the D&B puzzle - the brush settings in Photoshop, which will help you achieve greater results when using this technique.

I guess I’ve always been different; I’ve never really yearned for a big studio space. As a freelance photographer, the majority of my clients require that I come to their location and shoot on-site. I have a strict organizational-mobile system to transport all my equipment which includes over 8 strobes, 2 scrims and a plethora of staging props and modifiers. I’m asked quite often about my studio and where I shoot all these incredible portraits and dramatic fashion editorials. The answer is easy; my living room.

When it comes to the quantity of lights that one needs, opinions are often heavily polarized and a hotly contested debate often rages. There are those that are staunch supporters of one light while others claim that a handful of lights are needed before anything meaningful can be done. Ultimately neither group is right as there is no definable minimum or maximum number of lights that one should use.

It's hard to look at our photography with objective eyes. We know how much planning went into the shoot. We know how complicated the shoot was. We know how many hours in Photoshop we spent. The sad truth is, none of that matters. Your image should speak for itself. Let me help you rate your photography fairly.

When retouching in Photoshop, there are many different ways to achieve the same thing. Personally, I've always struggled to find the best method to remove shadows under the eyes. Like everything else in Photoshop, there are a slew of methods to correct this, but each of them had their weaknesses. Check out this simple - yet slightly hidden - method that you probably never knew existed.

This is yet another article of the Secrets to Crafting Top-Quality Beauty Portraits series. If you haven't read the first three, you can find them here: on compositing, on shooting Beauty portraits on location and in studio.

Today I would like to talk about framing, posing and directing your models when shooting Beauty portraits. While lighting and compositing are very important parts of creating a striking image, the model's pose, facial expression and her body language can make or break it.

About six months ago, I wrote a piece comparing flash techniques to HDR and ambient-only techniques when shooting for architecture and interiors clients. There was some great discussion involved and many valid points raised, and I'd like to take a few minutes to bring up another scenario that really shows the benefits of using flash whenever possible when dealing with interior or architectural situations.

Finding the right conditions for photographing forests can make or break an image. Fog, light, and composition all play a role in transforming a chaotic scene into something visually compelling. If you’ve ever struggled to create strong forest images, focusing on these elements can help.

Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw give you plenty of powerful tools to enhance your images, but some adjustments can do more harm than good if used incorrectly. Over-processing is easy to spot—crushed shadows, unnatural contrast, and an artificial look that takes away from the image instead of improving it. Three sliders in particular tend to cause the most damage when misused.

What if you could control perspective distortion and focus with pinpoint accuracy at any aperture? Dive into the world of tilt/shift lenses and learn how pros use the Scheimpflug Principle to create stunning images.

Adding contrast can transform an image, but it often changes more than just light and shadow. It also affects color saturation, sometimes in ways that don’t look natural. Understanding how to manage this is key to creating polished images without overdoing it.

Reflecting on your work and setting intentions for the future can transform the way you approach photography. With a new year comes an opportunity to refine habits, focus your energy, and work toward meaningful progress in your craft.

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one is the perfect time to reflect on your photography progression and think about the year ahead. What will you work on improving? How will your approach change? The five tips offered in this video will help you have a strong start.

As the holiday season approaches, the towns and neighborhoods in my neck of rural Utah light up with the magical glow of Christmas lights, presenting a wonderful opportunity to capture dynamic scenes that are heavy on holiday vibes.

Photographing the landscape can be hard work, at times very hard work. It entails rising well before daylight in most cases and working in sometimes very harsh conditions. Most of the time, you will be out in the woods until well past dark, waiting for just the right moment, which may not come—even after your most valiant efforts. It makes sense, then, to do everything you can to stack the odds in your favor. Here are some thoughts on that.

When Adobe updated Lightroom Classic, they introduced a feature called Content Credentials. This tool provides a way to establish ownership of your images and track how edits, including AI tools, were applied. Whether for contests, client work, or personal projects, Content Credentials offer additional transparency and security for your photos.

I’ve noticed that dramatic photos, full of bright colors from a sunset or a scenic view, get the most likes on social media. People aren’t liking the photographer’s skillful technique; they’re liking what they’re seeing—the colors, the location, etc. Of course, many of these photos are taken by photographers solely because of the colors or the view, with no other reason.

Landscape and street photography, in particular, saturate social media feeds, and most of the photos are simply nice views, vibrant colors, or dramatic, high-contrast lighting. Then there are those who...

Editing skies in landscape photos can be challenging, especially when you want to create a vibrant, natural look. Using Lightroom’s tone curve is an effective way to add depth and color without overcomplicating your workflow.

Contre-jour photography offers a dramatic and challenging way to add depth and impact to your images. This style, which involves backlighting your subject, demands an understanding of lighting, exposure, and post-processing. It’s a versatile technique that works across subjects like landscapes, portraits, and nature.