Photography Education

Whether you just picked up your first camera or you've been shooting for years and hit a plateau, there's always more to learn. This section is where Fstoppers publishes educational content aimed at genuinely improving your photography — not just gear tips, but the foundational understanding of light, composition, and visual thinking that makes the difference between a competent photographer and a compelling one.

Have Trends and Social Media Forced Creators to a Bitter End Game?

Everything is copyable in the digital age and that's not including copyright infringement or stealing imagery. Nor is it an indictment for following the popularity curve. When something is trending on any online platform, creators are going to jump on the bandwagon. It's not an if, but a when. 

Preparing For My First Art Gallery

As a wedding photographer, having a gallery of my work has never been something that has crossed my mind. So when I was approached by The Apollo on Emma about putting some of my work on display, I had to dive down the rabbit hole of possibilities.   

Wide Angle Photography With Gavin Hoey

Olympus UK has just released another Facebook Live video as part of their "Learn with Olympus" series. Their Ambassador, Gavin Hoey, talks about wide-angle photography.

 

https://www.facebook.com/124688874241403/videos/1233508470380560/?__so__=watchlist&__rv__=video_home_www_playlist_video_list

Pomodoro: An Easy Writing Technique

Recently, I was lucky enough to have a portfolio review with a photography agent. It was only my second review ever and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect — so when four agents from the one agency popped up in the Zoom meeting, I was a little intimidated. They were lovely and warm and welcoming though. I just wanted to knit them a hat.

An Interesting Two-Light Setup for Professional Portraits

Portrait lighting does not always have to be expensive or overly complicated. This excellent video tutorial will show you a professional portrait lighting setup that only requires two speedlights, two shoot-through umbrellas, and a reflector. 

How Film Photography Can Make You a Better Photographer

We have long been in the digital age, but film has remained as an indulgence, a creative tool, or even the medium of choice for a few photographers. If you have been considering dabbling in it, this excellent video will show you some of the reasons it can make you a better overall photographer.  

How To Successfully Use Blur in Your Photographs

Blur is generally seen as a negative thing in photographs. Sure, it can fully ruin an otherwise good image or take away from a moment that would have otherwise been wonderful to document. But, blur can also be an amazing and helpful tool, one that can add a lot to an image, as long as it is used intentionally and thoughtfully. 

Here’s What I Learned From Not Judging My Work

A problem that many photographers face is being unhappy with their photos. This ends up running shoots and makes matters even worse. Some never fully experience the joy of creating that photography can bring.  

5 Tips for Taking Good Portraits in Ugly Locations

A lot of the time, you have complete control over a portrait, including where you take it and thus, the background that complements your subject(s). But in other situations (wedding photography, for example), you do not get much of a choice and may be stuck with a boring, distracting, or simply unpleasing background.

How to More Effectively Use Shadows in Your Photography

We talk about how to add light and shape it in a scene quite a lot, but as important as that is, so too are the shadows in your photos. This great video tutorial discusses how you can use shadows to create better, more dynamic, and more compelling images.  

How to Use Perspective to Give Your Photos a Sense of Depth

One of the marks of a lot of good images is the ability to make a two-dimensional photo have the feel of a three-dimensional scene. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to take advantage of the way the human brain determines distance to give your images a deeper sense of depth.  

Six Minutes of Tips to Improve Your Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is a tricky genre that takes the combination of good technique, creativity, and the ability to work with people simultaneously. If you have been struggling with it a bit, this helpful video tutorial contains six minutes of rapid-fire tips and techniques to help you improve your work. 

What Is Photographic Truth?

Photography struggles with truth as a concept. With other art forms, truth is generally a non-issue. We do not question whether a painting is real. We do not question whether a dance is real.

How To Trick WhatsApp Into Sending Uncompressed Images

Having WhatsApp aggressively compress your images, strip out important metadata, and delete your handpicked color profiles is downright annoying for photographers. Thankfully, there is an easy way to trick WhatsApp into sending your precious images unharmed. 

7 Common Landscape Photography Editing Mistakes

Landscape photography is a genre that often requires editing to complete your image more heavily than most others, and as such, there are a lot of places where things can go a bit awry during post-processing. This informative video tutorial details seven common editing mistakes landscape photographers make so you can be aware of them and avoid them.  

10 Helpful Tips for Taking Better Photos

Are you feeling a bit stuck lately and wondering how you can improve your images? Check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you 10 helpful tips for improving your work.  

Breaking Through Creative Doldrums: Tips for Photographers

Creative blocks and lack of motivation for picking up the camera happen to the best of us. While there are times it is best to just embrace the downtime and wait for inspiration to strike, more frequently, it is better to take active steps to push past the doldrums.

Photography Rules Are Made to Be Broken

Photography is full of rules regarding every aspect, including composition, lighting, editing, and more. And while those rules can be tremendously useful, adhering to them strictly is likely to handcuff your creativity and limit your growth as a photographer. This interesting video essay discusses the ideas of learning the rules, following them, and then breaking them.  

Are Good Sunsets and Sunrises Overrated in Landscape Photography?

No doubt, a sunrise or sunset showering a scene with dramatic golden light is a popular look for a good reason, but it should not be all that we look for in landscape photography, and you could be missing out on great shots if you ignore gray days. This interesting video examines the topic and discusses why there is more to life than obsessing over sunsets.   

What Is the Right Focal Length for Portraits?

Focal length is by far one of the most important choices you can make when it comes to portraiture, as it makes a huge difference on how your subject is rendered. This helpful video will show you how five different common focal lengths render the same subject.  

Do You Need or Want New Photo Equipment?

Look at your gear right now. How much of it did you need and how much of it did you want? Knowing the difference between the two can save you thousands and make you a more sophisticated photographer who focuses on art.  

Clean up Reflections With This Cool Trick

Automotive reflections can be a pain, especially if you are restricted to where you can shoot the vehicle. Reflections of the surrounding environment can really ruin your image. 

How to Create Useful Custom Vignettes in Lightroom

Vignettes can make or break an image and can literally lay waste to the final outcome if overcooked. I’ve never been a big fan of the vignette feature in Lightroom, but that’s not because of what it does or how I use it. It’s simply because of the immovability of it. 

Is Photography Art?

Of course photography is art. Is all photography art? Debatable. Is all photography good art? Nope. Most photography is bad art. Is your photography good art? 

5 Common Traps New Wedding Photographers Fall Into

Wedding photography is a challenging genre that requires you to be at the top of your game in every facet. If you are new to it, it can be easy to make mistakes along the way. This excellent video tutorial discusses five common traps new wedding photographers fall into and how to be better by avoiding them. 

6 Color Harmonies You Must Know

Color theory is crucial to color photography. Clever use of color can create harmony or drama in your images. Check out this great video to learn more about ways you can combine color in your photography.  

5 Elements of Any Successful Photo

Photography is a language that can be used quite powerfully. Learning how to use elements of this language to create meaning will certainly improve your images. Check out this great video to delve into the five most common elements of this beautiful tongue – photography. 

 

What You Should Do When You Get a New Camera

Getting a new camera is super exciting, but before you dive into it, there are some things you will want to do to make sure you get the best possible experience. This helpful video tutorial will guide you through how to make sure your new camera is ready to go. 

What You Need to Know About Traveling With Lithium Ion Batteries

The vast majority of batteries for cameras, computers, and other devices are lithium ion, and the government has very strict regulations on how you can travel with them. If you are headed somewhere soon, check out this helpful video that breaks down what you need to know about traveling with such batteries safely so you can avoid any hassles at the airport.  

7 Common Landscape Photography Myths

Every genre has myths and misunderstandings around it, and landscape photography is no different. Knowing what they are can help you to avoid making common mistakes and to advance more quickly. This helpful video essay discusses seven common landscape photography myths and the truth behind them.  

When, Why, and How to Use Focus Stacking for Better Images

When it comes to landscape and macro photography, sometimes, you need more depth of field than you can get in a single exposure. When that is the case, focus stacking can give you more depth of field and sharper images, and it is not a particularly difficult technique either!

3 Photography Skills That Will Pay Off Forever

Photography, like most crafts, has a number of strands to it. To become a master of the craft, there is a lot of ground to cover, but there are certain skills that will pay dividends for the rest of your career. 

Why Leaving Your Tripod Behind Can Be a Good Thing for Your Photography

Tripods and landscape photography tend to go hand in hand. And while they are great for both maximizing the technical quality of your images and for enabling certain creative methods, they can actually be a hindrance at other times. This interesting video explores why sometimes, it is better to avoid using a tripod. 

Lens Hoods: Do You Actually Need Them?

When you buy new (or used) lenses, they almost always come with a lens hood that you can attach to the end of the lens. They serve various purposes but do you really need to use them?

5 Tips for Creating Soft Light When Working With Strobes

Soft lighting is often more flattering, but if you are new to working with strobes, it can be a bit tricky to create it in a natural way. This excellent video tutorial will show you a one-light setup that will help you create soft light that is flattering and suitable for a range of portraits.