Nearly everyone today knows about the effectiveness of Google Maps for finding locations anywhere in the world and even perhaps saving them for reference later. There have been countless articles, written even here on Fstoppers, which exhibit its usefulness.
Bird photography is a popular genre that can be undertaken in a variety of different ways, with each style presenting its own challenges. Nonetheless, there are common elements in what makes a successful bird photo, and this excellent video features two seasoned pros discussing seven important aspects of every compelling image.
Landscape photography takes the confluence of technical skill, creative vision, the ability to plan, and often, just a bit of luck. And while we can spend a ton of time both at the computer and behind the camera improving our skills, one of the qualities that can help you make better images has nothing to do with either of those.
Besides focus, exposure, and composition, there are three other interlinking elements that we need to consider when taking photos. Sometimes, we overlook one of these, concentrating, maybe too much, on the other two.
Landscape photography is a wildly popular genre. Hop on Instagram, and you can quickly find thousands upon thousands of jaw-dropping images. But what is it that separates a really good image from a truly world-class photo? This excellent video essay examines the topic.
Landscape photography requires a fair share of specialized gear, and knowing when to upgrade or what to splurge on can make a big difference in both your image quality and the ease and enjoyment of the experience. This excellent video features an experienced landscape photographer discussing six such pieces of gear that improved his landscape photography.
Normally in portraiture, you get a high level of control over the lighting, but in some scenarios (weddings, for example), you will have to think, light, and shoot on your feet. This excellent video tutorial will show you several ways to shoot nighttime portraits with a variety of different techniques and for a range of different creative looks.
Frequency separation and dodge and burn are powerful techniques for retouching photographs. But which one is better?
Wildlife photographers deploy a range of tactics when attempting to capture birds, and those which are very easily scared and move incredibly quickly offer a particular challenge. This video shows you some tactics to deploy in order to get some fantastic photos.
The season of red, orange, and yellow leaves is just about here. Whether you’ve already gone out and taken some photos or are just about to, it can be really helpful to keep a few key concepts in mind. In this guide, we'll be taking a look at what to do when you’re behind the camera, as well as in front of the monitor editing those shots.
There's a good chance you've heard of the "Ring of Fire," a technique popularized by wedding and portrait photographer Sam Hurd. The Ring of Fire is a special effects technique that uses a piece of copper tube to reflect light and create a highlight flare in the shape of a ring. This technique has been widely adopted, and to create this effect for yourself is pretty easy.
Photographing for free can hurt your brand or build a whole new business branch. There are photographers who work for free because they are afraid to charge. Then, there are photographers who work for free in the form of test shoots.
There are many combinations and properties of light, all of which have different consequences and effects on both the technical and creative aspects of your images. One of the most fundamental properties every photographer needs to know is the hardness of light, and this excellent video tutorial will show you both when and how to use soft and hard light for portraiture.
Shooting into the sun can do anything from providing a nice visual element and contrast to creating stunning rays that cascade across the frame.
Photography is an art form, and sometimes, we can forget to treat it as such and to help ourselves grow as artists. This excellent video featured a seasoned photographer detailing five mistakes he has made as an artist and how to avoid or fix them.
Experienced photographers only need the basic camera settings of focusing, metering and exposure. It’s necessary having a grasp of these fundamentals, but extra features and technologies make our lives a lot easier. Here are ten I need. What are yours?
Headshots are a tricky genre, as they require you to not only have skills behind the camera and with your lighting, but also with posing and your ability to make people feel comfortable in front of the lens. If you would like to improve your headshots, check out this great video tutorial that features five helpful tips from a top-level photographer.
Why do we keep seeing photographers make the same photography marketing mistakes? In this video, I take a look at the mistakes I see photographers making time and time again and look at how to avoid such pitfalls.
As photographers, we come across many different scenarios, and it might not be possible to get the perfect shot with the perfect lighting 100% of the time. It could've been that we didn't have the right gear with us or that we were in a rush. Either way, that shouldn't be a reason to shy away from trying to get the best possible shot and bringing it to life in post-production.
Zahar is a high-end retoucher who has worked with Vogue, Elle, Bazaar, and other magazines. His commercial clients include some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Dior.
Few events bring more photographers out with their cameras than the leaves changing in fall, and no matter what you shoot, it is a fantastic opportunity to capture beautiful shots of dramatic colors and landscapes.
When it comes to photography and the quest to improve, there is no shortage of advice out there. Some of it's great, some of it is rather questionable, and some of it is utter nonsense. Here's some of the worst advice I've received over the years.
Effective compositions are something we all struggle with at one time or another, and with so many ways to construct a frame, it can be tough to know how to fix things. If you are struggling with your landscape compositions, this excellent video tutorial will offer some useful advice that is sure to improve your work.
Most of us love to take our cameras on a trip, but on the other hand, when you get home from a long vacation and are feeling tired, it can feel daunting to sit down to a few thousand photos. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to quickly and effectively edit vacation photos.
We are always looking for more ways to increase our photo and video business, but given the nature of creative pursuits, the road to more success is not always clear. If you are looking to increase your business, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you five tips to get more clients and increase your income.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: there are probably 1.2 trillion pieces of content about running a business.
Few photographers are more well known and respected than Albert Watson, and even those who do not know him by name have likely seen his work before. His distinctive style is the envy of a lot of photographers, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to create that look in your own images.
Popularity is a weird thing. It can be a gratifying thing to achieve widespread acclaim for your work, but if you are not careful, it can turn on you, making you create work to please others instead of yourself. So, who cares who likes your photos? This important video essay discusses the topic and one photographer's experience.
In some sense, it is easier to learn some things in photography than it is others. For example, camera settings are objective quantities that can be rigorously defined with regard to different scenarios. Others are a bit more nebulous and difficult to nail down, composition being one of the most notorious.
What constitutes photographic success? What is success for you? I’ve been asking these questions myself from the day I started taking images professionally. Here is what success in photography is.
If you are used to creating landscape images of wide-open views that stretch for miles, stepping into a forest for the first time can be a bit daunting and tough to tackle. Nonetheless, it is well worth taking the time to learn, as you can create fantastic, compelling, and unique photos in the forest.
When you are new to artificial lighting, it can be a bit tricky to try to take in all the terminology, techniques, and creative practices at the same time, and as such, it is important to make sure you start out the right way.
We all have certain types of images we like to shoot and specific ways of crafting them, and while having a recognizable personal style is a good thing, we can all sometimes end up habitually creating the same images over and over.
Replacing a sky is one of the most common and useful skills a Photoshop user can have, and there are several ways to go about it. If you are beginning to learn the technique, this awesome video tutorial will show you four different ways to go about it using Photoshop.
Film photography has been making a steady, slightly unexpected comeback for the past few years. In this article, I break down some of the reasons why that is happening, as well as say why it may be slightly dangerous for creatives.
Landscape images are often composed according to some sort of established method, such as the rule of thirds, the golden spiral, or some other rule. And while those rules exist because they can help you, certainly, they are not the only way to work.
Let's face it, we photographers like shiny objects. Especially when first starting out, it’s always tempting to find some new camera, lens, or other tool we can put in our tool belt that is going to help us be a better photographer. Sadly, that cool new piece of gear is not really going to make you a better photographer, but here are a few things that might.
As camera technology continues to advance at stomach-churning speed, it might be wise to remind ourselves of just how far we've come, as it's so easy to get caught up in the never-ending lust for the next shiny new toy.
If you look at a lot of the work of top landscape photographers, you might get the impression that the subjects of their photos are hidden away in hard-to-reach locations that require significant time and resources to reach. And sure, that is true sometimes, but you might be surprised by just how much is available to you close by.
When it comes to landscape photography, the lens of choice is normally a wide angle. You can create fantastic images with them, but they come with their own challenges as well. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to get the most out of your wide angle lens when shooting landscape images.
We often strive for technically perfect photographs, going to great lengths to perfect our camera technique and post-processing and often investing a lot of money in the best equipment we can afford. But sometimes, it can be fun to move away from those sorts of shots for a bit and explore more creative image-making processes.
It doesn't matter for how long you have used Adobe Photoshop, there is always more you can learn. In this video, learn some lesser-known functions hidden away in menus for working on the colors of your images.
Shooting weddings involves a number of challenges, including having to work with whatever light you are given that day while still being expected to produce memorable, compelling images for your couple and their family. This awesome video tutorial will show you how a photographer captured a great couples portrait in a field even with harsh sunlight complicating the equation.
If you work in a studio, it is not a big deal to have a lot of heavy gear, but if you are someone like a landscape photographer who is often hiking miles and miles with a bag of gear, every little ounce makes a big difference. This great video shows how one photographer majorly trimmed his bag while still carrying everything he needs to create.
I am willing to bet that a lot of us have not thought about cleaning our camera viewfinder before, and I am also willing to bet that if those of us who have not thought about it looked at our viewfinders right now, we would be a bit grossed out. Take five minutes and watch this helpful video to learn how to clean yours so it is bright, clear, and clean.
If you are anything like me, you have probably found yourself agonizing over finding just the right location for a portrait shoot at one time or another. It does not have to be that difficult, though, and this helpful video tutorial will give you some great tips for finding suitable locations quickly and easily.
What comes to mind when you think about fashion photography? If you are aware of the stereotypes surrounding fashion, then it’s certainly something along the lines of young, sexy models in revealing clothes. In this article, I will try to explain why fashion is so much more than that.
We are all always striving for better and better image quality, and a lot of the time, it simply comes down to improving our techniques or trying new methods. One such method is exposure to the right, and this great video tutorial will show you what it is and how it can improve your photos.
At the start of March 2020, I found myself at a photography convention in Cape Town, South Africa, to present a workshop on travel photography. The central theme of my presentation was the notion that it isn't necessary to travel to be a successful travel photographer.
If you are anything like me, you have probably experienced the feeling of sitting in front of your computer, agonizing over which shot from a series of similar images you should select to edit. So, what is it that every good landscape photo should have? This informative video tutorial discusses three things that most (if not all) landscape photos have.