Recent Editorial Photography Articles

Why I Bought A 4 Year Old Camera

Recently I was chatting in a photo forum and mentioned that I am loving my new Canon 5D MK2. Someone noticed and said, "do you mean the MK3?" When I told them no, I recently bought a new MK2 I got flamed with questions of, "WHY?!?!" Well let me explain...

Behind The Scenes Video: Benjamin Von Wong Shoots Blazing Fine Art

Every Week Benjamin Von Wong releases new behind the scenes content for your viewing pleasure. This week Ben takes off for Paris and tackles the challenge of shooting a piece of fine art called the “WOM dog” by Cyril Anguelidis. Ben and his talented fire-wielding partner-in-crime, Andrey DAS, took their time in pre-production. They sketched out what exact effects were to be used around the expensive sculpture for the most dramatic look, while still keeping the crew and subject safe.

Fstoppers Reviews The Rokinon 35mm F/1.4 Aspherical Lens: A Fantastic Value For The Money

Rokinon recently released a new offering in the 35mm lens range, and I was super excited to get my hands on it for a number of reasons. The great price, wide aperture, and popular focal length of 35mm makes for a great combo, but never having used a Rokinon product before I wasn't quite sure what to expect. After an extensive review covering nearly two months (thank you Rokinon, for lending it to me for that long!)

Photographing a Rattlesnake: How I Did It and Why I Won't Do It Again

Whenever I talk to another photographer the topic of “personal work” always comes up. Usually in the casual form of, “hey, have you shot any personal work lately?” This standard artistic rendition of the workplace, “how’s the weather” is usually brushed off and more enjoyable conversations quickly replace it. However, for me, it is probably better that my “personal work” remains limited, for doing it usually leeds to bodily harm (or in this case recurring nightmares).

Review: The Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC is a Solid Long Tele-Zoom Lens

Telephoto lenses are a key part in nearly every photographer’s camera bag. Having a solid long telephoto lens in our arsenal lets us be prepared for numerous scenarios without having to switch out our primes and possibly miss the shot. Tamron’s latest lens revamp is the 70-200mm f/2.8 DI VC USD, and it’s a solid option for those looking at this focal length.

Fstoppers Exclusive: Shooting Cirque du Soleil with Matt Beard

Photographing a Cirque Du Soleil show requires a bit of acrobatics from any photographer up to the challenge. Matt Beard is one of the few photographers, hand picked by Cirque, to bring his talent and experience into capturing both live action and beautifully staged shots. He has worked with Cirque for many years, under the wing of master photographer Veronique Vial (as a photographer’s assistant) and had gained first hand experience in the ways of a Cirque shoot.

Samyang Optics' Unusual Three-Brand Market Testing

Market testing happens all the time. It's not uncommon for brands to test identical products under different names in different markets or cultures. It is rare, however, to see one company brand three competing products against each other in the same industry in the same country/culture. That is what Samyang Optics appears to be doing in the United States with their Bower, Samyang and Rokinon brands.

How To Ask For (And Receive) Good Critiques And Comments

Being a member of a lot of online photography communities, I see stuff like this all the time. A photographer just took a shot that I can tell they are really excited about, and want some feedback on it. They'll post it to a forum or a Facebook page with the typical "C&C please." line. And it drives me up a wall.

What is Really Behind WeddingWire's Bride's Choice Award?

My Facebook news feed is being littered with photographers today announcing from their soap box that they won the 2012 Bride’s Choice Award thereby putting them in the Top 5% of their industry. Some may call it an award, I call it a deceptive marketing scheme.

Interview With Fashion And Lifestyle Photographer Mike Monaghan

I have never personally met Mike, however I can't seem to get away from him. He definitely has some amazing shots that stand out from the rest of the crowd. I know Mike through a Facebook group called CREATIVOS, which is a group for photographers looking to share tips, tricks, and images and grow within the industry. I keep seeing his work pop up and can't take my eyes away from it.

As Toshiba Looks into Light Field Sensor, Is Lytro's Tech Catching On?

When we all first heard about the light field sensor in the Lytro camera, there was a considerable amount of excitement. Many of us really saw something great in the ability to focus our images after the fact. But when the tech actually made it to market, it turned out that though neat, it wasn't really practical yet. Now with Toshiba rumored to be developing a light field sensor for mobile phones, is it safe to say this is really catching on?

Interview With Lifestyle Photographer Noah Sahady

I have been following Noah's work for some time now and have fell in love with every shot he has ever put up. His work is absolutely incredible and I feel everyone should take a look at this. I decided to do a quick interview with him to get to know him a little bit more.

I Just Bought The iPhone 5 For $40.

I use my iPhone camera more than any other camera I own. It is on me all the time and is so convenient to quickly share photos from. Even on photo shoots I always find myself pulling out the iPhone for a couple BTS snaps or video. I have had the iPhone 4 since it came out and it has been showing it's age. I heard of a way to get an iPhone 5 for the cost of sales tax, and so I decided to give it a shot tonight.

Watch This BTS Of An Editorial Photoshoot

Check out a BTS editorial shoot with Brandon Hill. When i first started watching this video I was not expecting a solid finished product, but i quickly ate my own words after seeing the final photos. From looking at the images on the camera to the final product it is evident that Brandon, or a retoucher, did an excellent job in post. It is interesting how adding a different BG color can make the image come alive. It's also apparent that Brandon knows his light ratios very well. These portraits only being done with 2 softboxes is quite impressive. That rim light has just enough kick to separate it, but still have plenty of detail in it, a very delicate ratio.

'Snow Fall:' A Riveting Piece Which May Just Set The Standard For The Journalism Of The Future

The New York Times just released an absolutely incredible piece of journalism titled 'Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek,' which is a story told through the use of still images, video, computer animations and one hell of a piece of writing. I have to say that this looks like (I at least hope) the future of editorial journalism. It's been a long time since I've read, watched, or looked at a piece that captivated me like this one.

HDR Vs. Flash For Interiors And Real Estate Photography

I know that many of our readers are real estate photographers or have at least tried their hand at real estate photography. The most common method used to create 'good enough' real estate photos is HDR: whether it is tonemapping or exposure fusion, HDR is definitely the most-used method for real estate and beginner interior photographers. In this post, I'll do a comparison between tonemapping, exposure fusion, single on-camera flash, and multiple off-camera flash, and show you the benefits (or disadvantages, rather) of each.

How Blind People 'See' Colors

As photographers, we spend hours on fixing colors on our images every month. Some people might even spend hours on just one image before they will be satisfied with how the colors look (me included). This is why seeing this video, of someone who NEVER saw colors, is so interesting. Tommy Edison is blind since birth, and have never seen any color in his life. Something I cant even process. Not knowing what color is. Its too crazy for me to even imagine.

FS Review: Sigma's New 35mm f/1.4 is Amazing

Fewer things get me as excited and enthusiastic about gear in my studio than something reliable. I just want it to work. Part of the reason I haven’t shot much on a Nikon is that it takes too much thinking for me. Having shot on Canon for 10 years, I just like using something that my hands just understand. The same goes for tripods, lights, and most definitely applies to lenses. For me, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens just works, and might be have the best combination of speed and sharpness in and auto focus-enabled lens I have ever had the pleasure of shooting.

The Photographers You Idolize Are No Better Than You

We look up to other people in all aspects of our lives. Most of us admire our parents or an older sibling. We desire to be like those who have "made it" like actors, musicians, or wealthy business owners. As photographers, we probably all have a list of our favorite people in the industry. I'm here to tell you that they are no better at photography than you are.

All the Wrong Emphasis: Reuters' Best Images of Year Exif Data

This morning our pals at PopPhoto tweeted, "The most popular photography story this morning is the Exif of Reuters' best images of the year. Not the pictures. Doing it wrong." I have to agree with them here. Instead of focusing on the images, the story is instead focused on what they were shot with. Is that what we are reduced to? Oogling over gear?

Powerful Photos Of Devastation And Destruction Around The World

It could be the aftermath of a war, or the result of a strong Tsunami. It could be the destruction of a Hurricane, or the Devastation of a terror attack. The moment after something horrible happens, is also the moment people capture powerful images of (bad) historic events. We all remember few iconic shots of such events, photos we've seen for hundreds of times on TV, in newspapers or just online. This is why I chose to feature very powerful images you probably never saw before.

Sigma Answers Your Questions About the New Lenses & Business

If you've been paying attention to Sigma over the past five months, you know that they have been producing better and higher quality lenses than ever before. I personally have been extremely impressed with the pro-level glass that Sigma is producing, with few complaints during testing. Recently, their new lens lineup has piqued a significant amount of interest from you readers, so we took a few minutes to sit down with Sigma and pose some of your burning questions regarding their new lenses, the business, and what we can expect in the future.

30 Photos Of Life After Hurricane Sandy

Over a week and a half passed since Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, and things are far from being back to normal. Many lost their homes and businesses, and many still have no electricity. In the past 11 days media outlets showed thousands of photos of the storm and the aftermath, and we also shared some of our own photos taken during that week. Now, its time to see the best Hurricane Sandy photos found on Flickr!

Canon's new 24-70mm f/4 Lens is Perplexing

When Canon released the upgraded 24-70mm f/2.8 II lens earlier this year, it was met with a serious mix of emotions. Why was it so expensive, and where the HECK was the image stabilization? And sure, the lens performs magnificently, but it left a lot to be desired. Last night, Canon announced a new member to the lens family, and many of us are confused as to where a 24-70mm f/4 IS fits into the picture between the 24-105 f/4 IS and the 24-70mm f/2.8 II.

Fstoppers Reviews the Custom SLR C-Loop and Glide Strap

When I test products, I like to have a plan. I put together what I think the product should handle and then carefully execute and document the situation. It's the easiest and best way for me to give a fair assessment of the gear. A relatively straightforward and planned review was on my schedule for the C-Loop and Glide Strap but instead, I found myself in the midst of a natural disaster and the desire to capture the moment as best I could. This required the cooperation of this camera strap, and inadvertantly, resulted in this review.

On the Ground: The FS Perspective of Hurricane Sandy

I don't expect many of you have lived through a natural disaster, and that's a good thing. Up until this point, the worst I had ever experienced was a couple of earthquakes, the most damaging of which occurred when I was a toddler. But these past few days living in the heart of Manhattan (and Jerrit, Noam, and Jon as well, spread out across the city) have been a scary, eye-opening challenge.

Assignment Photokina with the Olympus OM-D E-M5

Derrick Story of thedigitalstory.com has been a fan of the Olympus portable cameras for a few years now, and has really taken a liking to the Olympus OM-D E-M5 mirrorless camera. He recently traveled to Cologne, Germany armed with the micro four thirds compact camera, and his story proves that you can get a whole lot of bang for such a small package.

Behind The Scenes Video And Virtual Tour With Larry Perez

We here at Fstoppers are all about 'Behind The Scenes'. We are dedicated to finding the best behind the scenes content for your viewing pleasure. Most photographers usually have their videographer buddies film their shoots for videos, but Larry Perez and the people over at Kanga Marketing went a step further. They created two virtual tours of their shoot for the 2013 Pinch a Penny catalog.

The State of Kodak at PhotoPlus Broke My Heart

There are a few names in this industry that have always meant something. Nikon. Canon. Hasselblad. Fuji. Kodak. The latter has had a rough go of things in the past couple years, culminating in what can essentially be called a final meltdown in early 2012. Chapter Eleven bankruptcy and a rapidly collapsing stock price have left the company a shell of what it was. This week at PhotoPlus, I saw the realization of that at their booth, and it was one of the saddest things I have experienced in recent memory.

CreativeLIVE: Watch Eight Pro Photographers Speak Live In NYC

Right now the hottest spot on the globe for photography is in New York City at Photo Plus. Our good friends at creativeLIVE have set up an unbelievable opportunity for photographers to learn from eight of the industry's leading photographers all for FREE. Catch creativeLIVE's free event Photographers Ignite live right now. If you missed any of the speakers or want to revisit these amazing workshops,

Blackmagic Cinema: The Camera That Surprised Us All

I can’t have been the only one caught by surprise when I first heard of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera earlier this year. Let’s be honest: to those of us in this field, there are only a handful of companies from whom we expect to see new cameras. Sure, once in a while we get a newcomer to the field, but they rarely capture our attention for long. Fact is, they just can’t hold up in a market saturated with top quality equipment. We as consumers only have so much money to spend. Blackmagic Design turned that stigma on its head.

On Photo Critiques: Treat Others How You Wish To Be Treated

I never went to college or any other secondary school for photography. I have been blessed to fall into this hobby turned career in an era when photographic knowledge is readily available online, and a vast amount of it is 100% free. However when it came time to make my work public on the web, the outcome wasn't always pleasant. You see, constructive criticism is a great tool for learning and growing, but the keyword is constructive.

Getting Inspiration: What is Your Favorite Photography Book?

Inspiration comes from a variety of sources, but I'm guessing that seeing the works of others has always been big for you. Seeing someone else's work probably is what got you interested in photography to begin with. So what gets your creativity flowing? For me, though my work in photography resides in the Advertising / Editorial realm, inspiration for my work comes in the form of photojournalism.

Street Photography with the Leica M9 Through the Eyes of William Palank

Perfect travel or street photography is a delicate concoction of the right place and the right time mixed with a superb eye for the extraordinary. William J Palank is one of those individuals who managed to brew that concoction with a supernatural elegance. While traversing the globe, his weapon of choice these days is the Leica M9, a digital rangefinder that produces an uncannily beautiful image. To help us celebrate Mirrorless Month, Palank describes what about the Lecia M9 allows him to shoot at his best.

Facebook Changes Trouble Business Page Owners

Recently Facebook made some changes to it’s Edgerank algorithm and in so doing, without warning might have just killed your reach on your posts by 50% or more. I witnessed the change when on October 4th I posted an album from a shoot and expected the current expected reach of 3000-4000 views but after 24 hours the album had only 86 total views. I was quite concerned by the news and thought at first it must have been a glitch before actually discovering Facebook had changed things up yet again and business page owners are in an uproar about it. I'll share my experience below, some interesting finds and what I am doing about it to continue reaching my fans.

The Videographers Guide To Music Videos

Watch this insightful video on some of the in's and out's about directing in the music video world. In this video producers talk about markets, budgets, and how a little creativity can go a long way. To help them fund more videos visit

Considering the Choice: To E, or not to E

Forgive me for the non-linear article to follow, but this is my first evaluation of the transitive properties of the figurative "E" and it's marginal utility in the life of the Nikon D800. Whereas others may tell you which camera can photograph grass or your pet Weimaraner, I would like to talk about the real life application the D800 has to those of us that call this hobby a job.

Apple Solves Annoying Flaring Issue for Cameras the World Over

You know how sometimes you get that annoying flare when taking a photo? I mean yeah, sometimes it's artsy, but other times it's just annoying. Don't you wish there was an easy way to get rid of that flare? It's an achievement that would change photography forever. Apple leads the way in pioneering new ways of thinking, as yesterday they solved this issue. Photographers rejoice!

'Specialicious' Behind The Scenes Shoot With Jonathan Thorpe

Northern Virginia Magazine wanted a fun and different approach to an ad for their bargain locator website, Specialicious.com. Jonathan Thorpe, an amazing commercial photographer and a regular on our Fstoppers Facebook group, was assigned the task of shooting the project. The concept, a beauty queen who shopped on the website and is trying a paintball experience for the first time.

Sony Buys Shares of Olympus, Makes Good on Promise to Support Camera Division

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony is buying up a healthy share of Olympus stock, furthering on their previous announcement that the two companies would share tech and co-produce product. This is a huge, bold move that makes real Sony's promise to continue to build their camera division. Sony, I am impressed. You're on your way to making me a believer.

Fstoppers Exclusive: How Marek Glaser Made the Insane BMW M5 Bullet Commercial

What does it take to turn a blue BMW M5 into a bullet? A little of this, and a little of that, but mostly it takes a team of talented individuals with a dream and the know-how. With a limitless imagination, impeccable understanding of light and meticulous attention to detail, photographer/director Marek Glaser and Big Block digital productions took the imaginary and made it reality.

Robyn Lawley Becomes The First Plus Size Ralph Lauren Model

In the world of modeling where thin is the only way to go, model Robyn Lawley is definitely bucking the trend. She was recently hired as the first plus sized model ever to front a campaign for clothing designer Ralph Lauren.

Giuliano Bekor's Merchant 1948 BTS Photo Campaign

Giuliano Bekor is an amazing commercial and advertising photographer based out of Los Angeles. Recently he traveled down to Australia to produce a short editorial film for the clothing company Merchant 1948. The concept involves a set of short films based around the idea of models finding a ton of cash and avoiding the police by flying away in vintage airplanes. As ridiculous as that sounds, Giuliano's execution makes for a really entertaining editorial spread.

5 Reasons Why Being a Photography Assistant Is Worth It

Earlier this month, Drew Gurian sat down with Allen Murabayashi of Photoshelter to discuss the ins and outs of being a photography assistant. In this hour-long interview, Drew breaks it down for us and leaves us with five reasons being an assistant is worth it.

Fstoppers First Impressions of the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II

When the original 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens came out, it quickly became the go-to, do everything lens of choice for almost every Canon photographer I knew. Yes, we all had our prime favorites, but if we needed a workhorse that we could rely upon to do-it-all or only had the space to bring one lens, we grabbed for our 24-70. The original is still considered to be an amazing lens, and it's no wonder that it's one of the toughest lenses to find used on the market. Needless to say, I am excited about the upgraded 24-70mm L II.

Amazing Photos Of The 9/11 Tribute In Light

11 years passed since that horrible day on September 11, 2001, where 2,996 people lost their lives and many more injured in the biggest terror attack in history. Since that horrifying day, every year on the night of 9/11 - NYC's sky is being lit up by 2 beams of lights as a memorial for the twin towers. Check out the best photos of 'Tribute In Lights' found on the net.

Behind The Scenes: Cover Shoot For Backpacker Magazine

For the yet unreleased October 'survival' issue of Backpacker magazine, adventure photographer, Bud Force, decided instead of having a model dangling perilously off of a cliff that he would do a creative composite. He shot the background at 'El Capitan' peak in Guadalupe Moutains National Park and the subject at Mineral Wells State Park.

The Better Pancake: Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II

About a month ago, you might recall my bitter disappointment with Canon’s new 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens. Aside from being light, it presented very little else that I could see as a positive. So my search for a great pancake lens continued, eventually leading me to the Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II Aspherical lens.