Are you as stealthy as a fog horn? Do you have all the grace of a dirigible in a sudden windstorm? Certain genres of photography — wedding and wildlife photography in particular — require a certain physical tact, an ability to be unseen. Check out our tips on how to capture the focus of an event without becoming the focus of the event.

There have been several posts on Fstoppers over the years extolling the virtues of the pre-shoot location scout. Knowing your location in advance not only helps to keep the crushing dread of a possible creative block to a minimum, but your confidence and decisiveness carries across to your clients. They start to see you as a god of light, a master of scene. But sometimes, location scouts don’t go as planned: sometimes, it rains, sometimes, you don’t plan for a gigantic Buddhist festival to be taking place, and sometimes, you accidentally bring a two year-old.

A few months ago I wrote a two part article on branding for photographers. In this article I will continue with branding for photographers, and why you should keep your brands separated. The most common thing I see are wedding photographers combining their wedding work with their family, baby, senior, and even commercial work. While I completely understand the tendency to not only simplify your marketing, but also the concept that by showing your multiple talents you will increase your value to clients, combining genre's is one of the biggest things hurting the growth of your business.

I remember one of my first introductions to branding. I was sitting in a workshop and the Nike logo popped up on the screen and then Mercedes and then Coca Cola. It’s the most common way to explain branding. Showing popular logos and letting the audience realize they have a connection to that logo, good or bad, and therefore a connection to that company and their product. That is branding, but that’s not all that branding is.

I came across a web app for scheduling appointments that was a complete game changer for my business! It's by far my favorite productivity tool. Every wedding photographer needs to check this out. It could be the missing link you need in your business to book more wedding photography clients. In my first week I was able to arrange seven meetings and book two clients. Wow! This changes everything.

Are you starting out as a wedding photographer? Maybe you're looking to improve the quality of what you deliver. Here are my top 10 must-have shots, when they will happen during the day, and key information to consider when setting them up, finessing, and completing them.

Australian wedding photographer Jonas Peterson is one of the best around, shooting extravagant weddings in exotic locations on a regular basis. A recent wedding he shot in Kenya may be the most incredible though, described by Peterson as “easily one of the most amazing experiences of my life.” I recently contacted Jonas to ask for more information about his breathtaking images from the Masai Mara, and he was kind enough to share with me his experiences on the beautiful reserve in Kenya.

“I’ve traveled the world and shot weddings pretty much...

In today's wedding video business market, the female demographic is vastly unrepresented and is far outnumbered by men. In this insightful video, discover the ways that one female videographer found success and is booking 80 weddings a year!

When Wedding Photographer Annie Crossman was shooting her last wedding before her maternity break, she wanted to make it a memorable one. However, she never expected it to end up on local news after police crashed it.

There are dozens of articles pitting iPhones against typical pro-grade cameras. Dozens of iPhones shootouts. But, what happens when a professional photographer actually relies on an iPhone to shoot and deliver work to clients?

The shutter drag/slow shutter trend has found its way into any niche in photography but particularly amongst wedding photography. But is the trend a clever use of camera techniques to add a different feeling or is it overrated?

Wedding photography can be one of the more daunting genres. For many people, their wedding day is one of the most important days of their lives. As photographers, it's crucial to capture these moments carefully and as best we can. This is especially important when it comes to the bride.

As a photographer, at some point a friend, relative, co-worker, or a follower will ask you to photograph their wedding. Regardless of whether you are a product photographer, pet photographer, or any other kind of photographer that has nothing to do with weddings, they will ask you. And at some point, you will say yes, which is probably how you have found this article.

Are you a photographer who only shoots exclusively with ambient light or only with flash? Is one actually better than the other?

Remember Justin Wojtczak? If not, make sure you watch this video of Patrick surprising him with the news that he won the Fstoppers 2011 BTS Contest. Well Justin is back with his latest behind the scenes video. In this BTSV Justin takes a bride into a creek in the woods of Georgia and shows us how to shoot on a budget.

Although I've been shooting weddings for years, I've always done bridal portraits as a "day of" service. In Colorado, there wasn't much of a market for bridal portraits before the big day. Now that I've moved to North Carolina, it's an entirely different ballgame! Pre-wedding portraits are big business down South. So, how can you separate yourself from the pack? Well for starters, take advantage of the fact that you now have one resource that isn't on your side on the actual wedding day: time.

Outsourcing is quickly becoming a standard practice. More and more photographers are using outsourcing services full time, while others are using them during the busy part of their season. While outsourcing has become more common in the industry, there are still some questions as to it’s worth. Photographers not familiar with the service see ups and downs to incorporating this type of service, and sometimes it can be hard to see which side wins. After my last article reviewing ProImageEditors, people wanted to know if it was worth it.

The COVID-19 epidemic has thrown the photography community into a financial tailspin. And while some of us are busy trying to survive, others are taking this business downturn as an opportunity to reinvent their business, do a better job of living out one’s values, and form deeper connections with our clients.

We can talk fairly objectively about camera settings and post-processing techniques, but something that remains a bit more nebulous and difficult to learn is posing. This great video will show you a range of great poses for your next wedding or engagement shoot.

As a wedding photographer, regardless of which part of the world you're based, it's always fascinating to look at the yearly statistics of your industry and see how you compare. Take a look at the results from the U.K.-based wedding portal Your Perfect Wedding Photographer.

I was standing in a camera shop in the centre of Brisbane when the anxiety began to take hold. Lizzie and I have a shoot this afternoon, and from all accounts it should be awesome: rockin’ couple, engagement party, private boat, emerald green dress, and the big city lights of Brisbane as the backdrop. I have the tools, and I have the talent. So, why am I so nervous, and why do I love this feeling so much?

A few years ago, after about 10 phone call attempts, I got in touch with a guy who was in charge of licensing the music for a major band. I wanted to purchase the rights for a single song to to play in the background on my wedding website. I was told that if my budget was below $15,000 he didn't have time to talk to me. Since my budget was around $100, our conversation ended quickly. It has always been practically impossible for individuals to purchase licenses for popular music... until now.

Michael Ash Smith is a commercial wedding, portrait, and lifestyle photographer based out of Barto, PA. As a hybrid photographer, much of Michael's work is done on 35mm and medium format film with some instant film here and there for special occasions. He recently shared images from a wedding he shot over on the Junebug Weddings blog. The difference? Everything he shot that day was with instant film.

What are your bets on how the wedding photography industry will look by the time we get through the pandemic? Here, an award-winning wedding photographer shares his experiences on getting through this period and looks to the future of the industry.

Wedding photography is one of the most challenging genres out there, and given the pressure and lack of second chances, most photographers opt for high-end digital equipment to ensure the best chances of getting the shots they need. Given today's client expectations, can you still shoot a wedding on film? This neat video features a photographer taking you through his entire film photography kit for a wedding.

Having had a small wedding myself, one in which I invited 72 of my closest friends and family and 72 people arrived ready to celebrate the biggest day of my life together. Three years since that magnificent day but not one regret in the small nature of the day, it was the photos and memories that I hold most dear to me to this day. This is one memory though I would love to have recreated with my GoPro.

In a silent protest for same sex marriage equality, Australian couple, Abbey and Mitchell Johnston held their hands to their ears during the compulsory matrimony words, "marriage is between a man and woman." They were quickly joined by their bridal party, friends, and family in what was a simple but strong visual statement of their strong personal beliefs on the subject. Luckily, Thomas Stewart Weddings was on the scene to capture all of these photos!