Baber Afzal is the soft-spoken talent who only found his way to photography after picking up his sister’s Sony point-and-shoot nearly over a decade ago. That twist of fate has led him to work for some very well-established clients in the UAE, including the Porsche UAE’s new Panamera campaign.

Comicbookgirl19 has to be my favorite channel on youtube at the moment. She and her trusty side-kick, 'Robot', review the latest shows, movies and comic books. Recently she interviewed one of the greatest practical special effects artists of our time, Alec Gillis. They discuss why practical effects seem to be losing traction in the film industry and how it will affect future filmmaking.

This is the first episode of Mark Seliger's new show called Capture. He is filming the show in his studio in Manhattan. In this episode, Seliger sits down with Platon, staff photographer for The New Yorker known for his portraits of US Presidents and other important world figures. Actor Dylan McDermott also sits in on the conversation, discussing his photography work and inspiration.

If you are like me, you don’t necessarily dread your annual trip to visit your accountant. Yes, it brings with it some anxiety, but a big part of running a business is knowing what your tax burden will generally be, and preparing for that throughout the year. Even with all the planning, we all know the feeling of being hit with a larger-than-expected tax bill, or a smaller-than-expected refund. That’s why I reached out to Brandon Scott, a fellow professional photographer who spent years as a working CPA in his home state of California.

Here's a behind the scenes video featuring editorial and advertising photographer Stefan Ruiz. He traveled to Monterrey, Mexico to document the "Cholombiano" youth street culture. Skip to about the ten minute mark to see the set up and capture. He shoots exclusively on 4x5 film, and is highly influenced by renaissance paintings.

As Halloween nears, we are all soon to be bombarded with a litany of images in our social media feeds of our friend’s unwilling pets being forced to don cute/embarrassing outfits picked out by their fawning owners. In fact, it’s highly likely that we have perpetrated this subtle canine fashion abuse ourselves at some point and time in our lives. How can you help it? They’re just so darn cute. But what is far less likely is that any of us will have achieved the rakish heights of the world’s foremost purveyor of canine imagery, William Wegman.

When I first heard about Chase Guttman’s book on drone photography, I was intrigued. Not so much at the subject, or the photos, but in the person behind them. As a person who loves to travel and photograph while doing it, I’m always curious as to how people get their foot in the door in this very competitive industry, especially at a young age. The answer is: he didn’t do it alone, as none of us do.

Tom Oldham photographs celebrities in a totally refreshing way — real expressions, getting under the skin of a polished image. Winner of the 2020 Open Photographer of the Year, Tom tells us about his approach and his inspirations.

Photographer and Fstoppers alum Limor Garfinkle has been working on a very interesting project for the last two years: designing and shooting portraits of comedians that show off their unique personalities. Now, the project is ready for its gallery premiere at the TBS Comedy Hub as part of the New York Comedy Festival, with the proceeds benefiting the Mount Sinai Division of ADHD and Learning Disorders. Fstoppers recently interviewed her about the process and fun experience of shooting these portraits.

As a portrait photographer, you’ve probably considered hiring a professional makeup artist to prep your clients. In this first part of a two-part series, a professional makeup artist tells us everything we need to know about making professional makeup a part of our portrait photography offerings.

New York is the city that never sleeps. It’s a city that’s famous for it’s bustling streets and the weird and wonderful community that populate it. It’s a hub of activity, or at least it was until lockdown.

Ed Keating, Pulitzer Prize-winner, career photographer of over thirty years and mentee and friend of Robert Frank (the most celebrated American documentary photographer probably ever), is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met. I filmed and edited this exclusive Fstoppers interview, as his insight was just too good not to share. No matter what type of photographer you are, I’m sure you can all take something of value away from this video interview.

Carrie Beene has long been one of the top retouchers known for her amazing work on ads for cosmetics and hair product companies. We recently sat down with Carrie to learn more about how she started and what advice she has for aspiring retouchers.

Climbing is a sport that has existed for centuries, however, over the past few years it has started to skyrocket in popularity, rapidly becoming a mainstream activity. So much so that even the folks at the Olympics have noticed and added it to the docket as a new medal event in 2020. With an increase in professional climbers competing at the highest level also comes a need for photographers who are able to capture this impressive sport. Christopher Beauchamp is one of the sport’s leading shooters and was kind enough to chat with Fstoppers about his career.

After five months and 101 albums, Mercedes Murray has finally completed her biggest creative project yet. Finding herself homebound in mid-March along with millions of other San Francisco area residents, Murray started out by searching for a way to keep busy and entertained, but her work quickly turned into a valuable creative outlet, offering a method to voice her feelings on both COVID-19 and her frustrations with politics. From Bruce Springsteen to No Doubt, Murray set out to replicate some of music’s most iconic album covers using only what was available in her home.

A photograph that does not tell a story, is a lifeless picture – it’s a failure to capture the viewer and therefore, his heart. One single photograph can inspire a person if a photographer knows how to tell a good story. Because photographer Paul Choy wanted to find out the truth for himself behind media headlines, and because he wanted to tell the individual stories of each refugee, he set out for the refugees’ camps in Calais and Greece with his camera. The result is the ‘Faceless, Forgotten’ – a photo essay and a documentary about the struggles of refugees.

Last week you saw the video guide for "How to buy a used digital camera" and for this week, it's part two of our tutorial with Fullerton Cameras. This video contains a lot of great information on the purchase of used SLR cameras, what to look out for, what to ask and much more.

Mary Bel is a single mom of 2 teenage kids, works full time, and finds a small glimpse of love, through self-portraiture.

I was 14. After a year of mowing lawns and shoveling driveways I had finally saved up enough money to buy my first real camera (a Canon S30). At the the time, online stores like Amazon barely existed. Still growing in their late-90s infancy, the global online marketplaces we have become so accustomed to (like eBay) were barely a blip on the retail radar. Instead, I got in the car, and my mom drove me to an amazing place that felt like the center of the photography universe. Housed in an old bank (vault and all) was this incredible, gear-packed mecca called Milford Photo. My visit that day changed my life forever.

What does it take to document a 2,000-kilometer run deep in the scorching-hot Namibia desert for over four weeks straight? And how is it possible to edit, upload, and share videos and photographs completely off the grid? Just ask Travel, Lifestyle, and Adventure Photographer Ryan Richardson from Life Outside Studios for the answer.

It seems like Stillmotion is never content sitting still for long. These Portland based filmmakers have spent the better part of a decade chasing their dreams and doing so on their own terms. The one consistent thread for Stillmotion has always been executing amazing stories that need to be told.

With the wealth of options out there for lens-adapting and DIY modifications, many industrious photographers are taking things to the next level. The process of adapting anamorphic projection lenses to a take-up lens has been well-established for years now.

There are so many ways to approach photography. We can search for artistic expression, money, Instagram fame, or any number of other things. Photographer Damari McBride believes we should all do a volunteer photo-journalistic project at least once. Let’s find out why.

National Geographic Magazine has been educating people since 1888 about cultures, places, wildlife, and science. While the writing is always well researched and written, it is the photography supporting the essays that has really captured the attention of its readers. Some of its current crop of contributing photographers discuss their roles, photos, and why photography plays an important part of raising awareness in this video.

Mark your calendars for this Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. EST for a chance to talk with Clay Cook, the instructor of our newest tutorial covering fashion and editorial photography. This is a great chance to ask Clay anything you want to know about shooting, lighting, post-processing, and the business side of his work. The event will be held over Facebook live on the Fstoppers Facebook page.

"A Book of Beards" is exactly what it sounds like. Dudes and huge gnarly beards documented in black and white by photographer and art director Justin James Muir. What started out as a simple idea, evolved into something much much bigger.

Sponsored by “Hunger Free Colorado”, a recent photo series gave digital cameras to 15 woman living on food stamps in Colorado, and asked them to document their lives using the cameras in a series called "Hunger Through My Lens". The concept is simple, but what it leaves us with, is some incredibly powerful images on the harsh reality of the lives of those battling hunger in America.

Peter Menzel is an award winning photojournalist whose work has appeared in many national and international publications such as: National Geographic, Time, Wired, Geo, Stern, Paris Match, Life, Le Figaro and Forbes. Today his new project: Waste in Focus. A documentary project that profiles eight families in four different cities with one weeks worth of trash.

Creative genius rarely erupts onto the scene full force and in your face. Its entrance into the world is often quiet, gentle, allowing only a few to see it and recognize its brilliance. Such is the case with Portland, Oregon-based Kate Woodman, whose use of color in her work produces an instant halt to the ever scrolling feed of images - causing even the average user to stop and appreciate the story unfolding before them.

Backing up is easy, right? You import your photos from a memory card, then everything is safe and sound on your hard drive. Wrong. Norwegian startup — Piql — believes the answer is to back up your files to film.

I was completely blown away when I came across Diane Villadsen's project “Old Friends,” a high-fashion, conceptual take on aging. To celebrate the process all of us will go through eventually, why not do it in a unique way through photography and fashion? I got in touch with Villadsen to find out more about her inspiration for the shoot.

Antti Karppinen is a digital artist, photographer, retoucher, and instructor from Finland with a unique eye for visual storytelling through photography. His work relies on traditional photography skills combined with an active imagination and complex Photoshop editing work to create fantastical images. He spoke with me about his work, process, and the inspiration behind a couple of his most popular composites.

Pratik Naik is one of the more recognizable people in the photography industry, with tutorials across numerous educational platforms. But what most people don't know about Pratik Naik is that he was never supposed to be a retoucher.

Fashion and Editorial Photographer Clay Cook recently partnered with Stash, a mobile investment app, to photograph Instagram personality Baddie Winkle for a retirement themed campaign. I had the opportunity to pull up with Cook to discuss the shoot as well as learn more about how he approaches his business and brand.

Introverts find joy and comfort in being alone, not because of a dislike of other people, but because they are happiest when they're in their own space. So, how can a truly introverted person switch to a full-on social situation where clients need to be directed or posed in a confident manner?

At the beginning of 2018, I set a goal to read one book a week to broaden my mind and seek inspiration from new places. So far, I've stuck with it. Lee Morris, Mike Kelley, and I decided to sit down on camera and discuss the experience.

If you're a photographer or videographer, keeping abreast of creative trends is pivotal to best positioning yourself to continually evolve and turn profits. Fstoppers spoke with Shutterstock Creative Director Terrence Morash about how creative trends are analyzed and predicted and how photographers and videographers can use that information to their advantage.

Along with only a few other luminaries of his generation, Gian Paolo Barbieri helped to create the foundations of modern fashion photography. By pushing fashion photography beyond fashion commerce, the depth of Barbieri’s images forces us to consider them as art as much as commerce. I had the chance to ask Barbieri a few questions about being a pioneer in his field and what it takes to create a legacy.

From an early age, Bertie Gregory was sailing, surfing, swimming in the ocean. He was always outside, taking in nature. When you spend that amount of time outdoors and in nature, you gain an appreciation for it by osmosis. Even in England, a place not known for wildlife, he was able to appreciate it.

Stefano Carnelli is an Italian photographer living in London and Berlin, shooting socially-engaged, documentary images on medium-format film with a particular interest in the relationship between people and landscapes. His recent project, “Transumanza,” explores the lives of shepherds and their flocks in the Po Valley of northern Italy, examining how their historic traditions have changed in response to globalization and an ever-shifting landscape.

It is the dream of many amateur photographers to be hired for celebrity photo shoots and high-status advertising gigs. What could be more exciting than photographing a famous singer in a large photo studio with stylists, digital techs, and assistants at your beck and call? Imagine how great it would be to see your photographs published on a magazine or album cover. Best of all, commercial jobs can pay well over $10,000 for a single day of work. Surely this is better than just photographing ordinary folk, right? Maybe not.

Over the next two days, you have a chance to submit your landscape photos to be critiqued by Elia Locardi and Fstoppers in a new episode of "Critique the Community." Our last Critique the Community with Elia Locardi included some great thoughts and advice on improving your images. If you would like another chance to have your picture reviewed by Elia, upload your landscape image of choice to your Fstoppers account, then paste the URL of the image in the comments below.

I asked Paul how he thinks his life would have been without picking up his camera that day. He said, "I'm confident I'd have killed myself sooner or later." A harrowing answer encased in an important story.

Morgen Cooper tells the true story of Moji, a young shreditor (shooter-director-editor), whose life is saved by his camera. Moji's story is full of lessons for young creatives.

Recently, I had the good fortune to interview high-end retoucher Kelly Robitaille to get her insights on retouching and learn how she’s built her career and skills as a high-end retoucher as well as getting her advice to those who want to build a similar career.

This weekend, Fstoppers has been at PhotoPlus Expo in New York City to give an inside look at all the new products being announced to the photography community. Yesterday, we showed off new products from Samsung, Spider Holster and more, and the day before we showed off the impressive DEFY gimbal system and others. Today, we were able to look into Sigma, Canon and Nikon's new product lines.

For many people, starting a YouTube channel can be a creative outlet, an opportunity to educate, or a job. For Matt it was a chance to share his thoughts and opinions about something he loved – the lasting impact on the film community was just a bonus.

See how one guy left Australia with nothing but a dream and arrived in Iceland to a job cleaning toilets, but persisted and became a full-time content creator and photo tour guide with more than 700,000 followers.