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Lessons a Professional Landscape Photographer Has Learned After 10 Years in Business

Of all the genres out there, landscape photography is probably one of the most nebulous when it comes to establishing yourself professionally and building a career out of it. This great video features an experienced professional discussing his journey from amateur to professional landscape photographer over the last decade and many of the lessons he has learned along the way.

One of the Keys to Improving Your Landscape Photography

One of the most interesting and sometimes frustrating aspects of landscape photography is that you get no control over the elements of the frame, the lighting, or the surrounding conditions. And that will often mean that things will not be as you hoped or planned, but that should not deter you. This excellent video features an experienced landscape photographer discussing one of the key elements to improving your work.

A Guide to Retouching Portrait Images

When it comes to portrait photos, lighting and shooting the image is only half of the process. Knowing how to edit your images with a careful touch while still applying your signature creative look is the other half. This excellent video tutorial will show you how one photographer edits his shots using a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop.

Techniques to Save a Poor Landscape Photo

Of course, we all try to get out photos are close to right as possible in camera, but none of us are perfect, and mistakes will happen. So, if you really miss the mark, what can you do to save an image you really want to use? This excellent video tutorial will show you some helpful tips and techniques for rescuing that shot.

Shunning Popular Opinions to Elevate your Photographs

Certain beliefs dominate photography, leading to a monotonous similarity in images. Breaking free from peer-pressure-imposed restrictions can revolutionize your pictures. But don’t expect those lost in the fog of mediocrity and with limited imagination to appreciate it.

Unpopular Photography Opinions. Do They Matter? Yes.

People are not always willing to listen to unpopular opinions, mainly because they often do not agree with them. This stems from the human tendency to confirm our preexisting views and dismiss any information that challenges them.

Save a Landscape Photograph With a Black and White Edit

For the most part, a landscape photo is not finished once you press the shutter, as half of the image-making process is in the direction you decide to take the edit. Sometimes, if you are looking at an image you know has potential but you can't figure out to do with it, you should consider turning it into a black and white photo. This great video tutorial makes a case for why and shows you some techniques to do so.

How to Not Piss Off Other Photographers

We all love having a spot to ourselves, but many times, that isn’t possible. There are a few unspoken rules when it comes to shooting in congested areas that every photographer should know.

3 Ways to Become a Better Photographer

Today, I’d just like to muse a bit of some lessons I’ve learned over a long career as a professional photographer. Hopefully, some of these concepts will help you as well.

How to Improve Your Photography Without Spending Any Money

There are plenty of ways to get better images, we’ve all seen articles on which new camera to purchase, which new laptop will improve your editing, which courses to purchase, or where in the world you can visit to get stunning images. But what about some truly effective ways to improve your ability to get the shot without spending a penny?

Tips for Ensuring Your Photography Is Improving

Being self-critical is too easy or too hard, but in both cases, it can be difficult to be effective with it. In this video, Nigel Danson takes you on a shoot and discusses some of the ways he ensures his photography is improving.

How to Become a Successful Bird Photographer

Bird photography is not an easy genre in which to find success; it takes a fair amount of both specialized equipment and knowledge (a lot of which is outside photography) along with a lot of time, patience, and effort to find success. This great video features a few seasoned bird photographers discussing how to navigate the road to success in bird photography and some of the important lessons they learned along the way.

Why Every Photographer Should Try This Camera Setting

Whether you’re using full auto, aperture priority, shutter speed priority, or manual mode, there’s a setting that could make your life easier. Here’s why it could be useful to almost every photographer out there.

Three Ways to Use a Second Light for Portraits

Every photographer starting out with artificial light should work exclusively with a single strobe until they are comfortable with the basics of lighting, but once you feel like you are ready to move on to more advanced setups, the first step, of course, is to add a second light, which opens up a wide range of creative possibilities. This fantastic video tutorial will show you three different ways to use that second light for portrait work to expand your creative palette.

Learn How These Fantastic Portraits Were Lit and Shot

Portrait lighting is about a lot more than simply creating a technically balanced image of your subject; it is your chance to exercise your creativity and show off your subject in a compelling and interesting fashion. If you would like to improve your own portrait photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how one photographer lit and shot a set of portraits using several lights and modifiers.

5 Hacks for an Inovativ Camera Cart

Camera carts can be an expensive tool on set, and Inovativ are at the top of the bunch. Hopefully, these ideas can get more out of your cart for less.

How to Master Red Sky Photography

Morning red needs some special requirements to appear. Find out how to plan and photograph red sky to get a masterpiece.

How to Deal With Boring Clear Skies in Landscape Photography

While clear blue skies are often desirable simply for the nice weather they bring, when it comes to landscape photography, they are rather boring and can make it hard to create compelling images. It is not impossible, however; it just takes a bit of adjustment to your technique and creative approach. This fantastic video tutorial will show you some helpful tips for taking great landscape photos even when the sky is totally clear.

A Beginner's Guide to Masks and Layers in Photoshop

Two of the most fundamental and important features in Photoshop are layers and masks, and it is rare you will ever edit an image without using one or both of them. If you are new to Photoshop and want to begin building your knowledge of the application, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of layers and masks and how to use them to edit your images.

Better Retouching Results With These Three Questions

When it comes to retouching, or more concretely, the removal of unwanted objects from photos, there are a few things you can do to make the editing a lot easier. In this article, I share three questions you can ask yourself in the field before taking your photos. Those questions will help you to get much better starting material for your retouching.

The Only Rule You Need for Landscape Photography

Seven years ago, I have stopped using photography rules, which massively improved my photography. But there is one rule that makes the difference between an average shot and a masterpiece. And it is something different than you might think.

8 Common Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make

There are a lot of different facets you have to learn and master when you are starting out as a photographer, and as such, things can go wrong due to a variety of reasons. If you are new to photography and looking to improve, check out this excellent video tutorial that details eight common mistakes beginner photographers make and how to fix them or avoid them entirely in the first place.

The Scandal That's Ruining the Photographic Industry

Have you noticed the bigotry towards women in the photographic industry? It's there and I feel partly to blame. But some camera manufacturers and big photography businesses are the worst offenders.

3 Common Landscape Photography Mistakes That Can Derail Your Images

Landscape photography is a tough genre that requires a lot of factors to all come together in order to produce a successful image, ranging from technical aptitude to creative vision and even a little luck with the conditions. As such, it is important to be aware of common mistakes that can derail you in your pursuits. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing three such mistakes and what you can do to fix or avoid them in the first place.

5 Tips for Backing Up Your Files and Protecting Your Photos and Videos

Joe DiGiovanna is creating an incredible 30-year time-lapse of New York City; so, if there is anyone to ask about proper file backup strategy, my money would be on him. In this helpful video tutorial, he shares five great tips to ensure you are backing up your files properly and effectively, just in case disaster strikes.

The Danger of Emotion in Photography

Emotion is a powerful tool, and it is often essential to the photographic process and our ability to motivate ourselves and find the best versions of our creative selves. On the other hand, emotion can be a dangerous thing that leads you down the wrong path if you are not careful. This fantastic video essay discusses both the pros and cons of emotion in photography to help you make the most of it.

Focus Stacking Made Easy With Helicon Focus

A few weeks ago I published an article here on Fstoppers about handheld focus stacking. In this article I share my in-the-field workflow, as well as the automatic stacking option Photoshop offers to put all images together during photo editing. This option has its limitations though and because I lately had to work on some very complex stacks, I had to look for a better solution. And with Helicon Focus I found it.

How to Find Better Landscape Photos

When it comes to landscape photography, you can't control the elements in the frame like you can in just about any other genre, which, of course, means you need to be able to find elegant and compelling images instead of building them. If you want to improve your landscape photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you three helpful tips for finding better landscape photos.

7 Tips for Better Milky Way Photos

It’s springtime, which means that for most of us around the world, the core of the Milky Way galaxy, or the “Galactic Bulge,” will be prominently visible in the night sky roughly through the end of summer.

Some Helpful Tips for Long Exposures in Landscape Photography

When it comes to landscape photography, long exposures are one of the most ubiquitous techniques you will see. Taking a long exposure involves more than simply cranking up that shutter speed, however. If you would like to improve your own work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you some great tips for taking long exposures.

How to Use Lightroom to Check if Your Photo Has a Subject

It’s important to have a subject in your photo. Without a subject, a photo may be less interesting to look at. Sometimes, the subject is easy to spot, but at other times, it might be more difficult. You can get some help from Lightroom to check if your photo has a subject.

Build Your Online Photography Portfolio Faster with Zenfolio

Looking for the best option to build your website or portfolio can be a daunting task with so many options out there. Are you looking for one to share your photos and videos, maybe book your clients directly online, a way to share proofs, sell prints and other products, or is there something else you need on your site?

Are You Improvising in Your Landscape Photography Enough?

When it comes to landscape photography, knowing how to plan in advance will generally yield much more success than simply heading out and winging it. That does not mean you should never just grab your camera and see what you can find, however. In fact, doing that can actually be the better choice in some situations, and this excellent video explores just when you should consider doing so.

What Is the Difference Between Speedlights, Monolights, and Packs and Heads?

When it comes to lighting, the three main types you can choose from are speedlights, monolights, and packs and heads. These three all have their own merits and drawbacks, and if you are thinking about investing in your own lighting system, it is important to know which is best suited for your work. This excellent video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of all three options and help you decide which to choose.

A Surprisingly Easy Technique I Use to Get More Clients as a Professional Photographer

You can only be profitable as a photographer if you have clients. Clients are the good and bad about being an artist. On one hand, you are paid to do what you love, but on the other, they usually don’t care about the same stuff you care about. In this article, I will tell you exactly what your clients want from you.

Simple Editing Tips for Better Landscape Photos

Landscape photography often relies on rather complex and involved edits that go deep into Photoshop, but you do not have to make deep edits to create a compelling image. In fact, you can often skip Photoshop altogether and rely solely on Lightroom. This excellent video tutorial shares some simple but helpful tips for creating better landscape image edits using Lightroom.

How to Get Your Landscape Photos in Focus

Landscape photography is just like any other genre in that you can do everything right, but if you miss focus, the resulting image will be a throwaway. So, what can you do to ensure that your photos are perfectly in focus every time you press the shutter? This helpful video tutorial will show you one professional landscape photographer's secret.

How to Find the Best Landscape Photography Locations

Part of becoming a successful landscape photographer is knowing how to find worthwhile locations to take your camera to. And while learning settings and editing are pretty well codified, location scouting can be a bit more difficult to master. This great video tutorial will show you a professional landscape photographer's thought process in choosing locations and how you can find those golden spots for compelling images.

A Behind the Scenes Guide to Short and Broad Lighting

Portraiture is one of the most versatile genres of photography, housing many sub-genres within it. One of the most impactful skillsets you can acquire for the craft is lighting and so it is important to know the basic setups and what different lighting styles achieve.

From Photographer to Director

Photographers who want to dabble with video and have some apprehension will learn from this post. While video and photography are not identical, they have great overlap in concepts and it's likely that you know more than you think.

How Big Does Your Photography Studio Need to Be?

When it comes to choosing a space for studio photography, it is often a tradeoff between having enough room for all your equipment and for whatever creative ideas you envision versus the cost of renting said space. If you are wondering how much room you need for full-length portraits, check out this excellent video that will show you everything you need to know.

The New Standard: Apple Displays

With the release of Apple’s new Studio Display, the new creative standard may be here. Are the specs and price good enough?

The Unsung Heroes of Portrait Lenses

There are many staple lenses in portrait photography that are recommended to beginners and professionals alike. However, there is something of an unsung hero lurking in a different genre entirely that could complement your gear arsenal perfectly.