Recent Editorial Photography Articles

How to Take Photos of Strangers When Traveling

Approaching strangers whether in your own community or from a foreign culture is one of the more difficult skills even veteran photographers often struggle with.

Using Variable Neutral Density Filters In Bright Sunlight

Gary from F8 Photography and Mikey from Lightenupandshoot have crossed paths while traveling through Hong Kong. Lee and I ran into Mikey out at WPPI in Las Vegas a few months ago where he told us of some up coming adventures he had planned for Southeast Asia. These guys are really laid back and excited to break out into a photoshoot at any given time. In this video they take a ferry over to a local island to capture a few images of some friends they made in Hong Kong. Around 2:30, Gary talks about using a Variable Neutral Density Filter to almost completely destroy the ambient light while still shooting wide open at f1.2 and maxing out his shutter sync speed at 1/250. I've never attempted this technique, but it has been made famous by many photographers including Joey L. Does anyone have an opinion about these variable neutral density filters or use this technique in their own work? If so feel free to post an image in the comments below.
Your First Editorial Photography Assignment: Part 2

Welcome back to this series on editorial photography. Last week, we discussed the basics of preparing yourself for your first editorial assignment and shooting individual frames in a variety of different ways. There were a couple of questions in the comments, which I will be addressing in next week's post. This week, we will focus on multiple frames and making them work together. Specifically, we'll be looking to tell a story using multiple photographs.

Video Proof That Many War Images Are Staged

We have all read how biased different news organizations can be when it comes to the cold hard facts. We've also pretty much come to expect that a photograph tells a story better than anything else. Documentary film maker Ruben Salvadori recently exposed how some of the most epic images from war torn areas of the world are actually staged...and it's pretty surprising. Ruben recognized how photographers can drastically change the mood of a scene just by being present, so he decided to turn the cameras on the photographers themselves and show just how "dangerous" many of events we see on tv and in print really are. Next time you see an image that appears to be in the thick of the action, step back and ask the question "but how many photographers are standing right off camera?" You can read more here about this video project and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Fstoppers Reviews the Benro S2 and S4 Video Monopods

Monopods, once really only useful in a handful of situations, have evolved into irreplaceable members of our creative arsenals due to the advent of high quality video being produced in DSLRs. The idea of a “video monopod” might frighten video purists, but there are those such as Patrick Hall and myself who swear by them. Manfrotto’s version was a fantastic foray into the medium, but slightly pricey. Benro recently released their more affordable versions, and I was more than ready to see if they were able to hold their own.

[BTS] Annie Leibovitz Shoots "Nice Work If You Can Get It"

Annie Liebovitz is probably the world's best known photographer, and in this video she's working on an assignment for Vanity Fair magazine with Matthew Broderick and Kelli O'Hara for the magazine's April issue.

[Editorial] Why Nikon Built the D3200

I have seen a lot of remarks and questions as to why Nikon released a 24 megapixel consumer camera. Why did they pack so many megapixels into a crop sensor? The ISO performance is likely to suffer (though we won’t know for sure until we test it out). The smarter move? Keep the megapixels the same and increase the ISO performance. So why didn’t Nikon do this?

Fstoppers Atlantis: The Most Fulfilling Experience Of My Life So Far

I've had some pretty amazing experiences in my life. Fstoppers.com has given me incredible opportunities like meeting Bon Jovi, or riding in the first Lamborghini Aventador in America. Our international workshop last week took a year of planning and insane amounts of stress. On top of it all, I had the flu during the entire week. Even still, last week was the most rewarding week of my life.

Citizen Journalism Ethics: Bystander Who Filmed Walter Scott Shooting Seeks Payout

A gut-wrenching mobile video clip depicting South Carolina police officer Michael Slager killing Walter Scott went viral earlier this month. The bystander behind the footage, Feidin Santana, has partnered with celebrity publicity agency Markson Sparks to license the footage, causing a stir among those who claim he's profiting from a death.

Nevada Journalist Tackled By Police While Covering Wildfires Near Reno

Today's edition of "The Law vs. The Photographer" brings us to Reno, Nevada, where 60 year-old Reno Gazette-Journal journalist Tim Dunn was tackled and then cited by police for documenting wildfires on public land near Reno, NV. The offense? Wearing protective clothing, which was apparently seen as an attempt to impersonate firefighters.

Behind the Scenes of Vivida's "Released by Love" Photoshoot

Simeon Quarrie, owner of wedding production company Vivida, is back with another amazing and unique editorial-style pre-wedding photoshoot for one of his couples. In this behind the scenes video he shows just how much planning and work goes into a great quality photoshoot production. The concept for the shoot is a whimsical story about severing the ties of restriction with the power of love starring a beautiful couple as its centerpiece.

Celebrating Your Achievements in Photography

We are our own worst enemies. As photographers and artists, we can be unfairly hard on ourselves and on our work. While it is healthy to be critical of one’s creations, it can be very difficult to stay motivated if you do not receive the right kind of encouragement from others, as well as from yourself. Slumps and dry spells of inspiration are par for the course in art, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By initiating a few simple practices, you can give back to yourself, and recognize the many accomplishments you've made in your journey as a photographer.

[Editorial] The Hottest Point of Photographer Contention: iPhones

Photographers foam at the mouth, flail their arms, and shout expletives when it comes to the subject of iPhone photography. With the introduction of a global leader in lens manufacture entering the iPhone market, are they seeing something many outspoken photographers refuse to believe? Read More.
National Geographic Celebrates 125 Year Milestone With 'The Photography Issue'

Whatever type of photography you focus on, I doubt there are many of us that aren’t mesmerized every time we pick up and thumb through a copy of National Geographic magazine. Over it’s lifetime, it's become synonymous with capturing images of people, places and wildlife that show us the undiscovered or hidden side of our increasingly homogenized world.

Incredible News (Kind Of): Getty Images Makes Their Images Free To Use

The world's largest stock photography service has recently taken off the majority of watermarks on their photos online. Getty images has millions upon millions of photos in their stock library and will now allow anyone to use eligible images from their library for business or personal use, but it comes with one stipulation that could be a deal breaker for some.

The Search For Inspiration: Shoot The Skies

Imagine someone were to ask you to count the number of photographs you see from the moment you open your eyes in the morning until the moment you close them again that night. Between looking through your own work, as well as the various social media and news sites, the number of images we expose ourselves to is probably well over a thousand.

Robyn Lawley Becomes The First Plus Size Ralph Lauren Model

In the world of modeling where thin is the only way to go, model Robyn Lawley is definitely bucking the trend. She was recently hired as the first plus sized model ever to front a campaign for clothing designer Ralph Lauren.

The Nearly Indestructible ioSafe is More Than Just an Awesome Server Array

If you're like me (and basically every photographer I know), you're a little bit paranoid. Your heart skips a beat when you hit "Format" on your memory cards. You don't trust a source unless it's backed up. ioSafe was not originally built for photographers, but it certainly caters to them with a fireproof, water proof and basically life proof design. With the addition of specialized apps, ioSafe looks to be a the way to store and monitor your precious images and video.

[FS Spotlight] Mike Schreiber Shoots Hip Hop's Biggest Stars...With Natural Light

Mike Schreiber is not your average photographer. The renowned hip hop photog shoots natural light, has never assisted, and doesn't give a crap about your fancy digital camera. This badass photographer has shot for Vibe, Spin, Atlantic Records, The Source, XXL, and URB, and his portfolio is filled with incredible images of Erkyah Badu, John Legend, Mos Def, Diddy, MIA, and Nas. Not enough? Schreiber recently released his first book, True Hip Hop. I knew it was going to be a good interview when hip hop photographer Mike Schreiber’s e-mail signed off with the words “Find food. Mate. Don’t get eaten.” Check out our interview, where Schreiber talks about getting the shot, getting to the top, and keeping it real in the digital age.
Timelapse Machine Review: The Syrp Genie Gets a Lot Right

There is no avoiding it: timelapse is popular right now. With the ability to use relatively low-cost cameras to still generate extremely high resolution video, hardly a day goes by without a new, amazing timelapse video blowing up on Vimeo. The Syrp Genie is a Kickstarter success story, garnering over six times the original asking pledge amount. After using it for several months, I have to say it gets a lot right, but it still left me wishing it did more.

Four Unique Ways to Using Your Seamless Paper Roll

Do you ever feel that you want to take your studio images to the next level but only have a few seamless paper rolls laying around? In this short video learn how you can make the most of your seamless paper and take your images to the next level.

Amazing Photos Of The 9/11 Tribute In Light

11 years passed since that horrible day on September 11, 2001, where 2,996 people lost their lives and many more injured in the biggest terror attack in history. Since that horrifying day, every year on the night of 9/11 - NYC's sky is being lit up by 2 beams of lights as a memorial for the twin towers. Check out the best photos of 'Tribute In Lights' found on the net.

The Story Behind 'Migrant Mother' One Of The Most Famous Photographs Of All Time

Perhaps no single photo is more symbolic of America’s troubles during the Great Depression than Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother.” Depicting an itinerant farm worker, Florence Owens Thompson, and five of her children apparently in the grips of despair on the side of the road, this single image came to surmise an entire era.

Fstoppers Reviews the Edelkrone Slider Plus, the Ultimate Travel Slider

If you shoot video, you know that sliders make all the difference. I personally love the cinematic production value you can get out of a slider; the kind of shots you can produce are those that really elevate the end product. However, sliders can be large and obtrusive, not to mention difficult to travel with. When I saw that Edelkrone's SliderPlus promised to deliver that quality I was looking for but remain compact, I couldn't wait to try it out.

Build Relationships, Not Clients

Some years ago, I got started in photography and started looking to find clients that would pay me for my work. I showed up to client meetings, polite, cordial, and generic - hoping that my portfolio would "wow" them. I was sure that keeping a personal life and business life separate was the way to go, boy was I wrong.

Recreating Vintage Ads to Reverse Gender Roles

What happens when a visual artist overhears his uncles discussing how women "are better off cooking, taking care of the kitchen, and fulfilling their 'womanly duties?'" Eli Rezkallah, who's a photographer and a visual artist currently residing in Beirut, came up with the idea of creating a controversial set of photographs that reverse the traditional gender roles, that had been so strongly embedded within our society through advertisement during the twentieth century.

How to Get the Most Out of and Do More With Your Travel Photography

Traveling to create new photography can get expensive fast, but whether it's for personal work, stock, or your portfolio, it is often a necessary part of advancing your work. There are lots of ways to monetize these images and tricks to shoulder the upfront costs involved in creating them. This is the approach and tips I use to get the most out of my travel photography.