Below are the most bookmarked articles by our members.
There are only a select few truly universal things that every photographer must have. While you may think of the obvious, such as cameras, lenses, bags, and other kit, we won't talk about any of these in this particular article. Instead, we will talk more about a service that every photographer must use in order to be a real pro.
Being a photographer can be a very expensive endeavor. Seeing pros on the internet have the latest and greatest gear in large quantities makes you wonder if this is what you need to be one of them. The truth is, no. Here is our list of basic gear that you need to start a business.
Drone photography is becoming increasingly popular for landscape photographers and for good reason. Drones offer a unique perspective of the world we live in that can be used to capture stunning landscape imagery. If you're new to drone photography or if you're looking to improve your skills, here are 10 tips to help you take stunning landscape photos with your drone alongside equipment and accessories to consider.
One of the trickiest aspects of landscape photography is that, unlike many other genres, you have no control over the elements in the frame, and as such, it can be tricky to find your individual voice and sense of creativity. It is not impossible, though. This great video tutorial discusses the topic and offers a range of helpful advice on how to find your creative voice in the genre.
Have you ever fantasized about transforming a corner of your home into a professional photography haven? Are you eager to cut costs, minimize stress, and craft remarkable images for your clients, all from the comfort of your own space? If so, this article is for you. As a seasoned headshot and portrait photographer, I've recently transitioned from a sprawling industrial studio in Richmond, Virginia to my cozy, basement-based studio in Atlanta, and I couldn't be more delighted.
If you are new to editing your images, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the dozens of sliders and adjustments available to you in Lightroom. They are not too difficult once you get the hang of them, though. This great video tutorial features an experienced photographer sharing his Lightroom editing work to get you on your way.
When it comes to portrait photography, most people will reach for a lens with a focal length between about 85mm and 135mm, maybe a little longer or wider for certain applications or creative exploration. But there is no rule that says portrait photography has to be shot at those focal lengths; you can easily push into more extreme options for a bit of fun and creative invigoration. This short video will show you some of what you can create when shooting portraits with a supertelephoto zoom lens.
Photographing star trails is more than just taking pictures. It takes time to shoot on location, and it takes even more time to edit the images afterward. I have ten tips that can help you get amazing star trails.
For many people, landscape photography has become a popularity contest, chasing likes and adulation over creative inspiration and an individual voice. And that is a shame for many reasons, both individual and collective. This important video essay features an experienced landscape photographer discussing the issue and what really matters in the craft.
Do you struggle with creativity? In the first of this two-part series, we will look at what science and psychology have discovered about people who are creative. The good news is that they are habits that you can learn. Here are some exercises to help you with that.
When you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, you might think that you need complex multi-light setups in order to produce top-level images. And while it is true that two- or three- light setups are common, you might be surprised by what you can accomplish with just a single light. This great video tutorial will show you three easy and creative one-light portrait photography setups.
My first-ever article on Fstoppers condemned the use of presets and inspired photographers to focus on creating their own color grades and styles. Looking back, I still stand by some of those points, but not all of them. You see, while using presets is bad, creating your own presets might actually be beneficial to your photography and editing workflow.
Architecture is an art form that reflects human creativity and engineering ingenuity and is not simply about buildings and structures, and one of the most fascinating ways, for me anyway, to capture the beauty of architecture is through multiple-exposure photography.
Wildlife photography is a challenging genre that requires sound technique, specialized equipment, particular knowledge, and heaps of patience, often for just a few seconds of prime opportunity for a shot. Whether you are new to the genre or a seasoned pro, this helpful video tutorial will show you six common mistakes wildlife photographers make and how to fix them or avoid them in the first place.
I've long been fascinated by the work of Joel Tjintjelaar and Julia Anna Gospodarou. Those two are among the pioneers of a popular editing style for black and white architecture photos that is very graphical and introduces strong contrasts and lighting that feel surreal. In this fantastic video by Ben Harvey, you learn how such images are created.
Landscape photography is a challenging genre that takes a combination of strong technical skills, planning ahead, a keen awareness of conditions, and often, a smidgen of luck. As such, there are a lot of places where things can go a bit wrong and end up derailing your images. This great video tutorial details five such mistakes and how to fix them or avoid them altogether.
Landscape photography takes a wide variety of skills and techniques in order to find success, and often, just a bit of luck thrown in. However, one skills that tends to elude photographers more than any other is composition. If composition is something you tend to find yourself struggling with, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a range of helpful advice sure to improve your landscape image compositions.
The technical side of photography takes a lot of committed study and practice to master, and it is something to be proud of when you have gained the skills to stride confidently into a variety of scenarios and produce adept images. Nonetheless, just that alone is not enough to find success and recognition, particularly in the professional realm. This great video essay features an experienced photographer discussing what it is that differentiates the most memorable pros from their peers.
The nostalgia of film and the decades gone is fascinating so no wonder film presets and looks are popular to buy for your editing software. They’re pretty easy to make yourself if you put a little bit of time into understanding what elements in editing make the film look different from digital. Follow my tutorial to make your own vintage film presets for Capture One, Lightroom or PhotoShop.
By far, one of the common retouching requests photographers receive when editing portraits is to lighten dark circles under the eyes. Thankfully, it is not an especially difficult problem to address, and this excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to do to lighten those circles in a convincing and high-quality manner.
Being a photographer, whether a hobbyist or professional, is a complex endeavor in today's world, and it can be easy to be sidetracked by a wide range of issues or red herrings. If you sometimes find yourself struggling with that, check out this important video that is a useful reminder of what matters in photography and what the real nature of progress is.