Recent Opinion Articles

Secrets to Crafting Top-Quality Beauty Portraits

This article is for those of you how enjoy beauty photography: from fashion and advertising beauty, to beauty portraits of non-models and even boudoir photography. And while there are always millions or rules, trends and opinions, I base my article on my own ideas and beliefs as to what's important to be aware of to successfully create attractive beauty images.

If Canon Is Planning an Even Cheaper Full Frame Mirrorless Camera, What Will It Be?

During a fascinating interview given by one of the company's senior executives, Canon dropped a few bombshells, including the plan for a full frame mirrorless camera that is even cheaper than the recently launched EOS RP. When you consider how affordable (and limited) the RP is, you have to wonder what Canon has in mind.

Why Every Photographer Should Own an Old DSLR

Old DSLRs might seem outdated, but they still have a lot to offer. If you’re just starting out or looking for a way to refresh your photography, picking up one of these affordable, chunky cameras can be a great decision.

Some of the Best Little Things About Canon Cameras

When it comes to mirrorless cameras, there are normally a few specifications and features that capture all the headlines — things like frame rates, sensor resolution, and autofocus. And while those are important, every camera comes with little features that might not capture those top headlines but that make a significant difference in your day-to-day usage. This interesting video discusses some of the best little features in Canon cameras.

The Future of Photography

According to my extensive research (Back to the Future Part One, Two, and Three), we should be in an age of flying cars, sneakers with power-laces, and hoverboards by now. We all know that life often imitates art, but let’s expand on that for a moment and take a stab at how photography may advance in the future.

Three Driving Forces That Will Shape Your Photography In 2014

Change is afoot and 2014 could well be the year that completely redefines the photo and video landscape as we know it. It doesn’t matter if you you shoot weddings, fashion, portraits, landscapes, products, food or concerts - these changes will affect us all. Here are three game changers - let's take a look at what they are, what they could mean for you, your photography and your business.

A Very Emotional Portrait Session of a Family with Their Stillborn Daughter

Lindsey Villatoro is an event and portrait photographer based in Menifee, California. She’s a wife and a mother of three girls who loves taking photos of babies, children, destination weddings and families – what she considers to be a “photographer of life.” But she also offers another unique photography service: “Forever Loved” sessions. These are portraits that a family wants of their loved ones who have either recently recovered from an illness, are incurably terminal or (in the case of this particular story) have recently died. I reached out to Lindsey to give us a look at one of her most recent clients’ story.

The True Focal Length for Realistic Photography

Understanding focal length can change how you see the world through your camera. For many, the concept might sound a bit technical, but it's more about creating images that feel natural, like they could have been seen with your own eyes.

4 Things Photographers Should Do Every Day

Life as an artist is a never-ending series of peaks and valleys full of both joy and inevitable disappointment. But adding a bit of routine into a life seemingly devoid of it can make you both a better photographer and a happier human being.

Should The Photography Industry Turn Its Back on Doug Gordon?

Doug Gordon is a prevailing photographer and educator in the photography community. Whether you recognize his name or not, you've probably seen him on stages for just about every photo expo in the last five years. Through his industry connections, Doug has found a lot of success in his career, but what many don't know, is that he has stirred up a lot of controversy through plagiarism and deceitfulness.

Color Grade Like A Pro – The Secret To Cinematic Imagery

Getting it right in camera is one of the most important steps to achieving a great photograph, but color grading is what can really take your work to entirely new level. It has taken me nearly 2 years to find the right process and perfect combination to obtain the right look. And, over the course of my time writing for Fstoppers, I've been asked dozens of times about the coloring and process behind my imagery. Well, I've finally broken it all down in one quick tutorial.

Why Photographers Hate My Images

I recently shot a new portfolio and every photographer I have shown it to thinks it is rubbish. But every art director, buyer, agent, and creative director loves it. Let's look into why this is.

The Fujifilm X-T4: The Best Camera I Won't Be Buying (Probably)

Fujifilm has officially announced the X-T4 and to me it looks like a brilliant camera. Fuji has implemented most of the major requests made by many within the community. My initial reaction in London was extremely positive towards the camera. Unfortunately, there are still a few reasons that hold me back from upgrading.

Mastering the 50mm Lens: Why Your Shots Feel Off

Have you ever come back from a shoot using your 50mm lens, only to find the images feeling slightly off, but you can't pinpoint exactly why? Understanding how to use this popular lens correctly can drastically improve your photography results.

9 Most Common Beauty Photography Mistakes

I would like to wrap up my Secrets to Crafting Top-Quality Beauty Portraits series in a quick roundup on the most common mistakes I have been noticing beginner Beauty photographers make.

I will sure talk more about Beauty photography in the future, but I'd like to summarize a few things at this point.

10 Photographers to Look to for Inspiration

No matter what skill level you're at in photography, it's often helpful to take a break and spark the creative process on some new ideas by looking at the work of others; this shouldn't be confused with imitation, but rather used as a tool for building original ideas. The following list highlights the work and skills of creatives who offer inspiration throughout the industry that I, and many others turn to for a new perspective. Of course this is purely opinion, and readers who follow others who aren't listed are encouraged to promote them in the comments.

Why the Nikon D850 Could Make the Canon 5D Mark IV Obsolete

Like the Nikon D750, the Canon 5D Mark IV is the parent brand’s attempt at making what’s arguably the most versatile professional full-frame camera system that fits the needs of most professional photographers, except that it beats the D750 on nearly every metric that matters, as it should for a newer camera. Still, Nikon’s D850 easily strips the versatility title from Canon for plenty of reasons, not the least of which is resolution. The 5DS line, however, isn’t the only thing at which Nikon is taking aim with the new D850.

Selective Color - Possibly The Best Tool For Photographers

Much to my dismay, I've recently discovered that many photographers are unaware of the power of selective coloring. With its versatility, I'm convinced it's one of the most powerful tools for photographers today. It sounds insane, but I've used selective coloring for the majority of my photos over the last few years, and have left largely everyone impressed with my techniques. And no, I'm not trolling you.

Fstoppers Awards The Best Photography Gear of 2015

For the past few weeks, the entire Fstoppers team has been debating about the best photography gear of 2015. We even reached out to the Fstoppers community for your opinions as well. After hours and hours of debate, our list is finally complete.

Is It Time To Change the Laws on Street Photography?

There’s been some intense discussion in recent weeks as to whether freedom of expression gives photographers the right to be intrusive and disrespectful towards their subjects when photographing in public. Do the laws governing street photography need to be addressed, or does any change pose a threat to the First Amendment?

The Full Frame Cult Is Getting Tiring

I wish we’d all just move on. The format that used to be a compromise between image quality and price in the film days is nowadays being taken as the sole possibility for a serious photographer, and if you are not part of the gang, you apparently deserve to be ridiculed.

Please Stop Making These Six Types of Street Photographs

I have long been a staunch critic of the street photography genre. One of the biggest problems I've seen over the years, most notably as a judge in dozens of major contests, is derivative work. In this article, I will discuss six types of street photographs that we simply don't need any more of.

The Disappointments of a Newbie Photographer Nobody Talks About

Photography today is more accessible than ever before because cameras are everywhere: not only shaped as DSLRs, but in phones, tablets, laptops, and in the James Bond ball-point pen. It is easy to press a button a capture something your camera is pointed to. Lots of people are thinking about taking the snapshot game to another level: buying a professional camera and making professional photographs. Most of these purchases end with disappointments, but there's not much talk about them. This article will take a peek behind the scenes of the failures newbies face when they first try using a DSLR.

Have I Already Found My Dream Camera?

The holiday season, and the rash of sales that goes with it, always inspires a simple question: “what purchases would make an improvement to my photography business?” But, the more pertinent question, far less often asked, is: “do I really need to make any purchases at all?”

Please Don't Tell Me You're Doing This With All Your Photos

Can you imagine buying a gorgeous new Ferrari, then storing it in the darkness of your garage forever? Sounds pretty crazy, right? But you could be doing almost the exact equivalent when it comes to your photography.

Sigma's 20mm f/1.4 Art Is Pure Heaven with No Competition (Unless You Shoot Nikon)

If you don't know Sigma's Art series lenses yet, you're missing out. Their well established 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and zoom options in the Art lineup shine, but it's hard to believe it took this long for a wide-angle 20mm f/1.4 Art to make it out into the real world. But the moment I began shooting with this beauty is the moment of the past didn't matter anymore. We're in a new world: there's a 20mm to die for; and this is it.