Recent Lifestyle Photography Articles

Tethering And Tape - The Importance Of Investing In Prevention

I always tether. Whether it's for a client or fashion editorial, the CamRanger has played a very important role in capturing rock solid images. But, before the wonderful technology of wireless tethering came into the picture, I always tethered to a workstation. However, that came with the annoyance of a long tether cable dangling off your camera. I always felt the sense of being trapped or held back from moving freely, I was always concerned and it was always a distraction.

Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer Omar Carter Dies at 29

We've featured his work on Fstoppers before, New York native photographer Omar Carter was always known for his infectious smile, warm heart and talent as an up-and-coming wedding and lifestyle photographer. The photography community is shocked to hear of his passing on December 24 2013 from meningitis.

How I Became a Location Independent Travel Photographer

Naomi and I just celebrated our 40th month of being on the road full-time and living a 100% location independent lifestyle. Looking back, it seems like a lifetime ago when we made that crazy decision to sell nearly everything we owned and adopt a life filled with travel photography. In a way, it really was a lifetime ago because we were completely different people back then living very different lives; two people with a dream of what could be, teeming with optimism, but with no real idea of how it would all work out in the end.

Undone Glamour: The Photography of Neave Bozorgi (NSFW)

Photographer Neave Bozorgi’s work captures the seemingly effortless beauty of his subjects, evoking a sense of undone glamour and sun-soaked easiness synonymous with the urban west coast. I talked with Bozorgi about the evolution of his work since his start in 2011, and where he’s headed next.

Is Boudoir Photography Becoming More of a Feeling Than Location?

Boudoir photography is not a new concept, however, the way in which it is viewed has changed drastically over the years. When it once was an art form on the female body, represented solely indoors in a bedroom, the title now has moved to include other versions. It could be argued that if it does not adhere to specific criteria, it cannot be called boudoir. In my opinion, the original term might just need to be evolved to include other concepts as the term among the majority of photographers in this genre refer to boudoir as more of a feeling than a location.

Does This New Evidence Suggest the Copycat Travel Photographer Story That Went Viral is A Hoax?

Last week we reported on one of the most extreme cases of a photographer having their work ripped off. The story was that of Lauren Bullen, a travel photographer who allegedly discovered one of her followers was quite literally travelling the globe in order to replicate her images. Seem far-fetched? These new clues suggest the whole thing may have been a hoax.

Capture One Express: Straightforward, Powerful, and Free

What is Capture One Express? Simply put, it’s a totally free and simplified version of the Capture One editing software that still offers the same superior raw handling ability as the Pro version.

Fstoppers Interviews Swim and Lifestyle Photographer Joey Wright (Semi-NSFW)

Joey Wright is a swim and lifestyle photographer based in Florida. Despite only picking up a camera a few years ago, Joey is a already regular contributor to SI.com with clients ranging from Callaway Golf, the Atlanta Falcons and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and is recognized as a Wescott Top Pro. He's also really, really likable.

Awesome Saran Wrap Sledding Almost Destroys $65,000 Red Epic Camera

Stewart Edgington seems like a pretty rad guy if you ask me. He and his friends created what is bound to be a viral winter video. The concept: super slow motion video of his friends sledding, tubing, couching, and saran wrapping down a snowy slope. All of the shots were filmed on a Fastcam, Canon 60D, Canon 5D MK III, and a Red Epic but things could have turned tragic as a "Ski couch" nearly takes out both the Red Camera and the whole camera station. While

Free-Lensing: Turn Your Old Lens Into a Tilt-Shift Lens

Israeli based photographer Dima Vazinovich is specializing in news, documentary and wedding photography. One thing that separates him from other photographers in the industry is the unique and creative look his photography has. Recently Dima decided to try adding a new kind of look to his portfolio, and the results are truly amazing. The idea: “Freelensing” / tilt shifting with a cheap broken 50mm 1.8 lens to create magical images.

Four Birth Photographers Who Capture the Glory of Motherhood

Birth photography has become a popular sub-genre of documentary photography that shows the raw, real, and beautiful journey of bringing new life to the planet. It seems fitting to spend a few minutes on this Mother's Day remembering how your mom earned the right to exclaim: "Hey, I brought you into this world, so [insert personalized threat]!"

Gabe McClintock and the Beauty of Natural Light Boudoir Photography

Gabe McClintock is an internationally known award-winning wedding and boudoir photographer based out of Alberta, Canada. His work carries an incredible amount of intimate nuances with a tonality that shifts towards dark and atmospheric. With so much emphasis out there about his wedding work, I took a bit of time to talk with McClintock in regards to his absolutely beautiful boudoir photography in hopes to better understand his approach and workflow.

Awesome Photos Of Couples That Won't Make You Sick

As someone who spends a lot of time looking at photos online - if it's on Flickr, Facebook or Tumblr - I come across hundreds of photos of couples every month. The problem is: the photos are almost always kitschy, boring and make you feel sick inside. You know what i'm talking about. This is why I chose to feature some great images of couples that will actually make you stop and think. Maybe even smile.

Fstoppers Original: Success in Photography

This year Patrick and I were invited to Gulf Photo Plus in Dubai to film a behind the scenes look of what it's really like to go to this exotic workshop. The experience itself was one of the highlights of my life but the most memorable moment for me was the few minutes I had with each of the instructors. I decided to interview them about the pitfalls of their careers and what it takes to become successful as a photographer.

17 Outstanding Photos from Apple's 'Shot on iPhone 6' World Gallery

We share over 1.8 billion photos per day, and thanks to the ever-growing technology in cameras paired with the expansive world of social media platforms it's become increasingly easy to add the title "photographer" to the resume. Apple has searched high and low for the world's absolute best photographers and their work that spans the planet. The "Shot on iPhone 6" World Gallery features photos from creatives spanning 70 cities in 24 countries, and brings the mobile photography community front and center proving again that the best camera is the one that's with you.

What It's Really Like Being a Freelance Photographer

It’s been almost 3 years since I moved to London to pursue photography as a career. I’ve learnt that there are many misconceptions about those who take photos for a living - so here I’m setting the record straight about what day-to-day life is really like for a portrait photographer in one of the world’s biggest cities.

Why I Stopped Taking My Camera

A couple of years ago, I broke an important rule I made for myself: never take my camera on family outings. We were going to visit the zoo with extended family, and my grandmother said, "You should bring your camera! I bet you could get some great photos of the animals." The whole thing was very innocuous and she was well intentioned, but the results were exactly what I had decided I wanted to avoid, and a good reminder of why I made that rule for myself in the first place. If you find yourself doing the same thing I do, then perhaps this is a good rule for you to adopt.

How to Shoot Full Length Editorials in Studio: Full Gear List and Lighting Setup

In this tutorial I will show you how to setup your studio strobes for full length portraits as we shoot an editorial style lighting setup. First we will look at the entire gear list we used and you can use for a similar setup, from the backdrop to the studio heads. I will breakdown our lighting. with lighting diagrams and explanation of WHY we are placing our lights where we are. Also, in this video tutorial we share some Behind The Scenes from our shoot day.

Photography Marketing 101: Sell Yourself (The Jimmy Buffett Theory)

Last summer, my friend Andy and I, and his six year-old son, were out location scouting. As we drove around, the three of us were playing a very intense game of word association. One of us would say a word, and the others would quickly say the first word that came to mind. As we neared a potential location, Andy called out, “Key West” to which I mindlessly responded, “Jimmy Buffett…” In that instant, I realized that everything I thought I knew about marketing myself as a photographer was completely and utterly wrong.

Five Reasons Why You Should Work For Free (Sometimes)

A number of years ago, I read on a photography/marketing blog that there are reasons why we, as photographers, should think about working for free. As I was just then beginning my journey with my brand-new DSLR, I took the information with a grain of salt and imagined a day where getting paid to do what I love wasn’t some far-off pipe dream,

The Life of a President - BTS Pictures of George W. Bush

When I imagine the president of the United States, what comes to mind first is the campaign trail and all the national decisions he's involved with. It's hard to picture what the day to day of the presidential life brings. This collection of pictures of former president George W. Bush does a fantastic job of capturing the in between moments that show how normal presidents are.

Practice Patience - Results That Reap The Reward

Photographers and artists alike are extremely passionate people. With strict deadlines and hectic schedules, we all have the tendency to jump the gun and act or open our mouth before taking a step back from the situation. There is one word which you will be hearing a lot throughout this article. It is a trait at the core of what we do and it’s very much a necessary virtue: patience.

The Most Motivational Thing I've Ever Heard

Although it would seem like common sense, proper motivation is key toward not only getting things done, but getting things done well. This is true in any creative field and this is especially true, it seems, in the over-saturated everybody-with-a-camera-is-a-photographer world we live in.

Tim Kemple Shares His First Impressions Of The Phase One IQ250 CMOS

Adventure Sports Photographer Tim Kemple was one of the only photographers in the world who was lucky enough to try out the new Phase One IQ250 that was just announced earlier today. Check out the behind the scenes video, but also read the full article for my interview with Tim, where he shares his thoughts on the system, as well as what it's like to beta test cameras.

Meet the App That's 'Replacing Selfie Sticks' With Professional Photographers

Lately, I’ve noticed a huge surge in the number of emails I’ve received inquiring about my interest in partnering up with a website or app that claims to be shaping the next generation of holiday photo. One email even introduced its company’s services with a tagline of “the app that’s replacing selfie sticks.”

Not All Heroes Wear Capes: A Series Worth Viewing

Brandon Cawood, from Dalton GA, has taken appreciating first responders to the next level. What began as a personal project to photograph local EMS personnel, soon blew up and went viral. Cawood captures priceless moments in the daily lives of firefighters, police and other public safety personnel. He has a movie poster style and pulls it off in a flawless manner.

Editorial Fashion Shoot: A Complete Gear List

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.