When it comes to filming, using a fast shutter speed is generally a bad idea. For most applications, you'll probably want to keep your shutter speed somewhere around 1/60 of a second, maybe even slower, depending of course on what frame rate your shooting at. The reason for this is because it allows for more smoother and cinematic looking footage which isn't choppy or harsh looking. Faster shutters speeds generally can be a little jarring to look at. The problem with this is that to compensate for this slower shutter speed you may need to stop your lens down. This, in turn, prevents you from getting that shallow depth of field, especially when filming outdoors.

While trade tariffs may seem appealing to nationalists, in the long term, a trade war will damage the economies of all countries. Here are the main reasons photographers in America and around the world might not welcome them and why you might consider buying camera gear now.

It’s probably fair to say that we would all like to improve our photography, perhaps in a small specific way or maybe a whole new aspect, such as off-camera flash or wedding photography. Having a desire to improve is why we do things like buying lots of expensive new equipment in the hope it will improve our images or spend hours taking photos and editing them, much to the annoyance of our family and partners.

Image manipulation in various forms has been around from nearly the beginning of the medium itself, and the ethics of that process have been debated for nearly as long. Although this topic seems rather Sisyphean in nature, a conversation with an individual on Instagram inspired me to take a look at it from the perspective of social media in particular.

Everyone’s life journey is different and often the road of the bravest leads to the most unexpected discoveries and inspiring experiences. It is never someone else’s decision of which path we take in our way and what we become. Henri Matisse, one of the giants of modern art, once said that creativity takes courage and I can’t agree more. We, as humans, have an obligation to grow as a person, as a professional,and as an artist, and inspiration plays a major role in this process.

Is there anything better than buying new gear? Or anything worse than subsequent buyer’s regret? Here are some questions to ask yourself before you kiss your cash bye-bye.

Taking a peek into the daily routine of a professional, photographer or otherwise, can produce some interesting sights. Every photographer’s professional life is unique, yet most of us face similar daily challenges and strive for similar successes.

Art is subjective. No matter how many books are written. No matter how many advancements in technology tout how the newest device will turn you overnight into a photographic Picasso. At the end of the day, art comes from you. The individual. It is a reflection of your voice and how you see the world. What are your hopes and dreams? Your fears and obsessions?

Here is the why and how I recommend you photograph the sky.

Do you ever feel like you are swimming upstream, trying to keep all of the facets of your busy schedule together as a freelance photographer? There are countless articles, blogs, and books about how to separate your work and free time to improve job satisfaction and productivity, but the secret is not about improving your work-life balance, it’s about ignoring the perception of a work-life balance altogether.

Yesterday, Instagram announced that they had made some changes in what they will now allow to performed automatically. With this update, Instagram business profiles have gained the ability to have posts scheduled and published without any additional manual work via third-party applications. Non-Business profiles will likely gain this feature in 2019 according to the announcement. This news has been very favorably received so far, but instead shouldn’t we be running for the hills? Hear me out.

Like it or not, Canon is one of the most dominant forces in the camera industry, and their bodies and lenses can be found in the hands of countless professionals and hobbyists. Of course, that does not mean the company is infallible, however. This interesting video discusses the good and bad of Canon cameras and what they can do to be even better in the future.

In a world where AI is becoming more prevalent, advancements in editing software, and a time when cameras have become more accessible than ever, it poses a question: has photography become too easy?

The omnipresence of camera phones and their prospect of "replacing" professional cameras has caused an uneasy stir within the photographic community. And now adding to this agitation are a few professionals who are offering photography workshops based on shooting with smartphone cameras.

One of the toughest personal self-searching processes a photographer will go through is defining their style. Many of us will latch on to a composition or a color palette, sometimes by accident, that isn't really defining but is a part of our learning process as photographers. Eventually we learn what we like or value in a photograph and as we create, this becomes our style. But, can you define your style and explain it to someone else or even yourself?

AI has been the talk of the town around the photography industry for a few months now, with opinions ranging from it being a fantastic tool that will significantly reduce and streamline photographers' workflows to it being the death knell of many parts of the industry. This interesting video essay features an experienced commercial photographer offering some more pragmatic and balanced thoughts on how AI will change the industry.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's a huge stretch to think that many of us may see our professions being replaced by AI.

Lens sharpness is one of the most sought-after characteristics in photography, with photographers often willing to shell out a lot of money on lenses that are often quite bulky and a lot to carry around. Why are we so obsessed with sharpness? How much do we really need? This excellent video essay discusses the topic.

One of the biggest trends in photography is the increasing presence of tools that leverage AI technologies to make everything from subject selection to full-scale edits more powerful and to enable new creative avenues. Is that necessarily a good thing, though? This thought-provoking video tackles the topic and offers an experienced landscape photographer's thoughts on the matter.

Til death do us part? Apparently not, according to a popular wedding photographer who shares three signs she's picked up along the way that indicate a marriage will end in tears — of unhappiness.

You wanted it and now you've got it. Almost every single video-capturing device today boasts 4K capture. Do you feel the future is here?

Becoming a successful professional photographer requires more than just being able to shoot a pretty sunset or stunning portrait. It's about how you run your business.

A little handshake can go a long way.

There’s nothing worse than seeing wonderful photographers wasting their efforts by hiding stunning images away on dusty, unseen hard drives.

How has the Sonya9 III fared during an entire wedding season? I share my thoughts after extended use.

Have you ever gone to the see a romantic comedy and absolutely fallen in love? Have you ever gone to a romantic comedy and spent the majority of the film’s running time politely sneaking peeks at your watch? Have you ever realized that both movies were essentially the same story and wondered why you couldn’t get enough of the first, and got way too much of the second?

The golden spiral is often touted as a sort of magical tool for photo composition that automatically creates balanced, compelling images, but it is not without controversy regarding its effectiveness. This interesting video features one photographer examining the concept and discussing why he thinks it is not a good tool for beginners to use in their photography.

During my latest trip to the Faroe Islands I noticed how many tourists were flying drones. Drones are very popular, and rules for flying become more strict by the hour. I wonder why people like to fly a drone; is it just to fly, or to make films? I use it for landscape photography.

These days, there aren't many people that are still shooting with film. For some people who used to shoot professionally with film, the idea of going back is simply unbearable — the chemicals, missed shots, and the hassle to finally produce an image that takes all but a simple click on a digital camera. Have we gotten to a point where film is finally dead?

FotoClient is a new cloud based platform which aims to be a total business management solution for photographers and studios. From lead management to invoicing FotoClient wants to tackle it all. I put it to the test at my studio to see how it performs in the real world. Starting at just $10/month, could this be the solution you are looking for?