Recent Education Articles

Subjective Versus Objective: Pictorialism

In today's world of photography, there's a fierce debate going on whether AI art is in fact, art. On one side there are proponents of AI art that see these programs as another tool that can be used to express one's vision. On the other side are the traditionalists, who staunchly oppose AI art, arguing that it deviates from the essence of art as a medium of objective representation. Only time will tell how this plays out and how these two views learn to coexist.

What Can Wedding Photographers Do About the Engagement Gap?

Generally, you can expect relative stability in the amount of couples needing wedding photography services, at least across short to medium periods of time. However, the COVID pandemic was an unprecedented hit to the industry that resulted in less couples getting engaged in subsequent years, meaning that a few years later, we are seeing a drop in those couples getting married, placing strain on wedding photographers. What can wedding shooters do to weather the lull? This helpful video tutorial offers a range of great ideas and advice.

Helpful Advice for Cropping Landscape Images

When it comes to landscape photography, few creative decisions have a greater impact on the final image than your choice of crop. And yet, that can be a bit of a nebulous thing to nail down for a lot of photographers. If you would like to improve your crops and your overall images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer offering a lot of helpful advice and insight into what makes a good crop.

How Are You Doing After COVID?

Thankfully, the worst of COVID seems to be behind us, but its effects are still being felt far and wide in many different ways. If you have had the misfortune to suffer from long-term effects from COVID, it is important to know that you are not alone. This excellent video essay features a landscape photographer discussing his experience with the issue and how he has been coping with it.

How "Pretty Woman" Used Cinematography to Create a Modern Fairytale

Released in 1990, "Pretty Woman" became a massive box office success, but it wasn’t just the storyline that made it memorable. The film’s visual style, particularly its use of lighting and color, gave it a dreamlike quality that still feels fresh decades later. Understanding how these elements work can teach you a lot about creating a specific mood or aesthetic in your own projects.

Learn How to Light and Shoot This Dramatic Product Shot

Even if it is not your specialty, product photography is a great genre to practice because it will seriously challenge your lighting and editing skills, both of which will likely carry over to other genres in which you work. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to light, shoot, and edit a dramatic multiple-product shot using just three speedlights.

5 Helpful Tips for Better Black and White Portraits

A black and white portrait can be one of the most powerful ways to represent a person, but it takes more than just desaturating a color image to make an effective final photo. If you would like to learn how to do that, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you five tips sure to help you create better black and white portraits.

How to Add Convincing Lens Flares to Your Videos

You've fired up Premiere Pro. You've watched the entire JJ Abrams repertoire... twice. You're ready. Here's how to add convincing and tasteful lens flares to your videos.

Some Useful Tips for Lighting Bald People in Video

Lighting bald people can present some difficulties, as the extra exposed skin can create additional hot spots that take some care to prevent, while separating them from the background often takes a bit of a different approach than when working with someone with hair. This helpful video will show you a proper lighting setup for someone who's bald.

Dealing With Fear as a Photographer

Photography is a challenging career, particularly since it does not have the sort of well-established stable path that something like a more traditional job does. Fear is a natural thing to arise from that experience, and as such, it is important to be prepared for it and ready to handle it in a healthy manner. This great video essay features an experienced pro discussing the issue and how to cope with fear.

5 Helpful Tips to Improve Your Snowflake Macro Photography

Many of us are mired in the cold and snow of winter, but that does not mean our creative juices should stop flowing. In fact, winter offers a vast range of unique photo opportunities, some requiring long trips and some only needing you to step outside your back door. Macro snowflake photography falls into the latter category, and this excellent video tutorial features an experienced photographer giving five tips to help you come away with the best possible images.

Why You're Being Ghosted by Potential Clients

How many times have you had a promising conversation started with a potential client, only for them to simply stop responding to you, never completing a booking? It is a very frustrating but also very common experience. This helpful video tutorial shares some useful advice and techniques to decrease that ghosting rate and land more clients.

Helpful Tips for Better Location Scouting

Whether you are planning a video shoot, touring the grounds of an upcoming wedding, or looking ahead to a sunset shoot at your favorite landscape spot, the importance of location scouting cannot be overstated. This helpful video will give you lots of great tips and techniques to improve your location scouting.

Mistakes That Hurt Your Photography and Your Business

Being a photographer and running a photography business are both complex things with a lot of different parts and places where things can potentially go wrong. This fantastic video tutorial discusses a wide range of mistakes photographers commonly make and how to fix them or avoid them entirely.

Open Shade: The Key to Perfect Outdoor Lighting

Using open shade can transform your outdoor photography by providing soft, directional light without the need for complex lighting setups. This technique leverages natural light to create stunning images with minimal equipment, making it a great skill to master.

What Should You Do When You Find Your Photos Have Been Stolen?

It is one of the most upsetting things that can happen to a photographer, and it is frustratingly common: you discover your images have been stolen and used without permission. What can you do in this situation? What can you do the prevent it in the future? This excellent video essay features a seasoned photographer discussing the issue and offering a lot of helpful advice.

Navigating the Shift to Professional Photography

Shifting careers to pursue a passion in photography is a path fraught with challenges and learning curves, as vividly shared by those who've transitioned to professional photography. Their experiences underscore the importance of passion-driven work and the common pitfalls awaiting new entrants into the photography business. This important video essay details seven such pitfalls.

How To Prepare for Your First Paid Photoshoot

Running your first paid photoshoot can be a daunting process, with organization, planning other people and products, and timing to get right, there's a lot more to juggle than just camera settings. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prepare for your first paid gig.

Action Comes Before Motivation

Would you shoot the same thing every day for a year as a personal project? This video shows how much value there is in routine. This is a story all about how a guy’s life got flipped upside down.

Where To Catch The Fstoppers Team At Photo Plus Expo

Going to the upcoming PDN Photo Plus Expo in New York City or just looking for a great photo workshop in the near future? Well here is a chance to see the Fstoppers team in action! Below is a list of classes, presentations, and general shenanigans you will find us hosting in the near future. Make sure to at least come out and say hello.

Should Photographers Still Be Doing Outreach During Covid-19?

There's no denying that, as photographers, we are living through unprecedented times. No one truly knows what we should be doing or how the next few months will pan out. One big question that keeps coming up is this: should we still be reaching out to brands, magazines, and agencies we'd like to shoot for?

Are You Tired of Trying to Make Good Images?

Without a doubt, being a photographer, whether amateur or professional, can sometimes be an exhausting venture. Between clients, social media, trying to constantly innovate creatively, and much more, it is easy to get run down. Are you tired of the chase to make good photos?

Do Better Cameras Make Better Photographs?

There’s a lot of debate about whether high-end gear leads to better photographs. While modern cameras offer convenience and reliability, it’s worth questioning if they actually improve your artistic output or just make the process easier.

How Music Can Impact Our Photography

There are sometimes surprising overlaps between photography and music. The more we learn about music, the more we can understand how that knowledge can improve our photography.