You could say a lot of things about the Space Hero Mission, but the concept of exploration of this world is unmistakable. The whimsical combination of the character of an astronaut with the seemingly endless exploration of the natural ends of our planet here on Earth takes the normally arduous task of worldwide expedition and makes it more relatable. As the mission has recruited dozens of participants to serve as models in their unique space suit, there is still room and time to be a part of this fun project and get your own photograph taken while inside a space suit.

In his trademark understated introduction, Ted Forbes acknowledges that technology is a charged conversation for photographers. Photographers are something of a Luddite-like bunch. On the whole, we seem to have a preference for the technology we learned the craft on. Be that a medium format film camera, a digital DSLR and an early version of Photoshop Elements or a more modern mirrorless, we seem to stand up against the tide of change like it's in our DNA. What are we going to do about the rise of machine learning?

There comes a time in every budding photographer's life, and for you, that time just might be now, when the promise of an incredible opportunity comes along — an opportunity that seems like just the thing you've been waiting for: a chance to travel to someplace tropical and live that insta-influencer dream life.

One of the simplest questions that could be asked of photography, but surprisingly difficult to answer. What is the type of photograph you most enjoy taking?

If you're a creative of any sort, you probably deal with doubt on a daily basis. It can be beneficial, or it can be crippling, all depending on how we embrace its presence in our work and lives.

360-degree video is a great way to tell immersive stories. Until recently though, the experience hasn’t been all that accessible. Just to view 360-degree content the way it was meant to look, you’d need an expensive headset like an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive and a fairly beefy computer to run it on like a high-end Alienware or something with a powerful graphics card. This meant that while VR content was being produced in droves, few people were experiencing it the way it was meant to be. That’s about to change. Oculus just announced a standalone VR headset called the Oculus Go.

We all know what art is, right? Or maybe not.

Innovative camera manufacturer Leica is investing heavily in Light, a startup company developing a proprietary camera system for self-driving cars. The big question: will Light’s new camera system fix the bugs that plagued their notorious L16 camera which tanked because of image processing issues?

Remember the cliché expression the eyes are the window to the soul? They aren't kidding around with that one, and when you capture a piercing look, you can instantly and easily grab the viewer's attention.

Many creatives are similar in a number of ways; we're self-critical, often riddled with doubt, and take losses hard. However, one commonality is tied up in all of these, and it can be highly detrimental: perfectionism.

Mark Zukerberg and the people over at Meta have just launched the new Instagram-adjacent app, Threads, which sees scores of photographers jumping ship from Twitter. Here, we unpack our initial thoughts on the new contender on the social scene.

We live in an age of instant gratification, and as such, it can be hard to have the patience it takes to develop and master a skill over the course of several years, and photography certainly is not immune to that. There is a temptation to throw money at the problem, and while that shiny new camera or lens will certainly be fun to play with, it will not make you a better photographer. This insightful video discusses seven reasons why.

Making a living in an oversaturated marketplace can be a challenge even without a global pandemic present to further shrink the marketplace. It takes a lot of tools, even some unexpected ones, to make it the distance.

Today, I’d like to share a bit about my own photo journey. Whether you are at the very beginning or nearing the end of your own, I’m guessing you’ll find a few similarities.

When you begin your journey into photography, you feel gated by how small your arsenal of equipment is, despite the elders of the craft telling you it doesn't matter. But, is there a negative correlation between creativity and the amount of gear owned? For me, I suspect there might be.

Sometimes you don’t have to look far and wide for artistic inspiration. Oftentimes the answer you seek is right around the corner.

As good as it feels to already know, it’s the learning that is the most fun.

When you are trying to build yourself into the artist you want to be, a little ordinary can help you do the extraordinary.

As I’m sitting down to write this, I’ve just had a quick peek over at the clock in the upper right-hand corner of my screen. It has just rounded 5:43 am, and I’ve already been at work long enough to have long forgotten about the sleep I wiped from my eyes when I rolled out of bed. To some, this might seem like an early time. Others might be wondering why I slept in so late. The exact time on the clock isn’t important. What is important is that this...

If you are a professional filmmaker or photographer working with a regular camera from any of the large makers, there is no simple and reliable way to encrypt your files in camera. To put pressure on camera makers to provide such an option, the Freedom of the Press Foundation released open letters to Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Fuji, and Sony requesting that the manufacturers add encryption. The identical letters to five major camera makers were signed each by over 150 journalists, photographers, and filmmakers and sent out on December 14.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but, I think it's a good idea to hire a professional photographer that specializes in what you need. It's for this reason that I hired a professional photographer, despite the fact that I too work as a professional photographer. In this article, I'm going to discuss why.

Choosing the right gear can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available at varying price points. It's essential to consider whether to invest in expensive, well-known brands or to opt for more affordable alternatives.

Most of the world is on an enforced break right now, which we can't do much about. But when the fog clears, what can you do if you find your motivation for photography has fallen off a cliff?

Those of you who think timecode is for knowing when's lunchtime on set, should watch this video. Those who know what timecode is, may not know how it was developed and should also watch this video. It's an exceptional piece by Filmmaker IQ.

About four months ago, I downgraded my phone. I went from what would be considered a more photography-oriented phone, the iPhone 14 Pro, to the less photo-feature-rich iPhone 13 Mini. I don’t miss the photography pieces of the phone at all, and I’ll bet you won’t either.

Pop quiz, hotshot. What is the best investment you can make in your photography today?

"Good artists copy, great artists steal" was a quote famously uttered by Steve Jobs, who attributed it to Pablo Picasso. But, like many aphorisms like it, the quote has many origin stories. So, who really was the original creator? Well, it's complicated.

If you've ever experienced a flare or diagnosis of a chronic illness while being self-employed, you'll understand the overwhelm of navigating your health and your business interests. It can be hard to focus on rest and recovery when you're fearful about the longevity of your business and the cash flow you need to live.

For the next episode of Critique the Community, we would like to invite Fstoppers members to send over their best Family Portraits for feedback. Your submission can include families, kids, or babies. We will keep submissions open through Friday, January 12th, at midnight and will release the feedback from Lee and Patrick early next week. Make sure to check out the guidelines below to make sure the picture you provide is eligible to be chosen.

It can grind by slowly, then it flies, but whatever which way you cut it, the whiling of time is business time, your time. Here are the three most important reasons why it matters and how you can use this to increase your financial return.