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.

How to Set up a Photoshoot at Home on a Budget

With many of us in isolation and with limited space, you might need to get creative when it comes to shooting photographs at home. If you need some ideas for how to get started, check out this short video which shows you how to put a shower curtain to really good use. 

Self-Isolation Series, Part One: Product Photography

Many countries around the world are now experiencing social distancing and practicing self-isolation, me (in the U.K) included. So I’m pledging to run a series of photography tutorials for those of us affected by these measures.  

The Problem of Burnout in Photography

Being a successful professional can be an insane amount of work, and it is very common for photographers to end up burning out and become disillusioned with the entire pursuit. This excellent video examines the topic of burnout and recovery in photography. 

How to Save Time by Batch Editing Your Photos in Lightroom

If you are someone who frequently comes home with loads of related images that you edit in a similar fashion, it will save you a ton of time if you learn how to take advantage of Lightroom's batch-editing capabilities. This excellent video will show you everything you need to know to be up and running.  

Helpful Tips for Introverted Photographers

Watch any successful photographer work, and you will notice that they are either an extrovert or very good at playing the part of one. The simple truth is that many of us are introverts, however, and it can be very difficult for us to work with people. This great video will give you some helpful tips for being a photographer as an introvert.  

How to Convert an Image to Black and White Using Photoshop

Creating a successful black and white image takes a lot more than simply pulling all of the saturation out of a color photo. This excellent video tutorial will show you what you need to know to create more effective black and white images using Photoshop. 

Create Incredible Portraits in Small Spaces

You don’t need a big studio, and you don’t need to travel to an exotic location to create incredible photos. All you need is a space to work in, even if it’s a small one. 

A Complete Guide to Retouching Portraits in Photoshop

Lighting and shooting a good portrait is only half the work; after you have taken the winning shot, you still have to edit the image, which is where the other half of the magic happens. This excellent video tutorial will give you a comprehensive lesson on retouching a portrait using Photoshop. 

When Should You Remove Something From a Landscape Photo?

Unlike most other genres, you do not always get the chance to remove distractions from the frame in landscape photography. But when should you use post-processing software to remove an object from a landscape image after the fact? This excellent video discusses how to tell whether something is a help or a distraction in a landscape photo. 

How to Properly Clean and Disinfect Your Camera Equipment

As coronavirus continues to spread, the importance of proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures has never been higher. And with camera equipment being something you hold and press to your face, it is a good time to review how to properly clean and disinfect your gear. 

If You Do Not Do This As a Creative You Will Not Succeed

How serious are you about making this crazy photography game full time? It is an amazing feeling to get to create every day, but are you forgetting to do the other eighty percent of what is needed to survive?  

6 Useful Editing Techniques for Landscape Photographers

One of the things I most love about landscape photography is the multitude of ways you can edit any image to produce a wide range of moods and creative effects. This excellent video details six editing techniques a landscape photographer uses to put a more personal touch on his images. 

How to Use the Radial Filter in Lightroom

The radial filter in Lightroom and Camera Raw is a powerful tool if you know how to use it. 

In the latest video from Nigel Danson, he gives us five creative ways to use the radial filter in Lightroom. In case you use Photoshop and Camera Raw, these tips apply there too.

What Is a Global Shutter and Why Is It So Desirable?

Rolling shutter is a common issue with many cameras that you have likely encountered at some point, but there is another technology that circumvents all those issues: the global shutter. This great video discusses what a global shutter is and why it is such a desirable thing. 

How to Choose the Right Lights for Your Photography

Photography equipment can be pretty daunting at times, especially with such variety and costs attached to it, but out of all of the gear, lighting is perhaps the most confusing area to buy into.  

Advanced Editing Techniques in Lightroom

Photographers generally think of Lightroom as the place to catalog their images and perform basic edits, while leaving Photoshop for the more advanced work. And while that is certainly a good general guideline, you might be surprised by just how much you can do in Lightroom. This great video will show you a range of more advanced editing techniques in Lightroom. 

Filling Income Gaps for Wedding Photographers During COVID-19

Wedding photographers are being hit hard during COVID-19/coronavirus shutdowns. With events anywhere from 100, to 50, to 10 people being shut down, dependent on the city, couples and photographers alike are scrambling to pick up the pieces. With the coronavirus switching things up for the peak of wedding season in many markets, it has left wedding photographers wondering how to fill the gap.

Ideas for Wedding Photographers During COVID-19

COVID-19 is causing lots of uncertainty, especially for wedding photographers. Wedding photography often puts you in a room with 100, 200, even 300 people who have often been traveling. It’s no surprise that this pandemic has had a major effect on the weddings industry. Many photographers are facing postponements, cancellations, and halted bookings.

What Is Exposure Compensation and How Does It Work?

A fundamental function that you can find on pretty much any camera is exposure compensation, and depending on how you shoot, it can be a crucial aspect of your workflow. This excellent video will introduce you to exposure compensation, explaining what it is and how you can use it in your own work. 

What Can Photographers Do During This Coronavirus Downtime?

These are tough times, and they're likely to get tougher. The virus has been spreading quickly, affecting countries around the world and causing the cancellation of many events. This article isn’t intended to be doom and gloom or alarmist for the sake of it, but rather to help.  

6 Ways to Import Photos Into Lightroom Classic

One of the attributes of great software is that it has multiple ways to accomplish a single task. Lightroom Classic is one of those in that it has various ways to import files. 

These differing import methods each have their benefits and limitations, but most importantly, they help you work in a way that is best for your workflow.

How You Can Use Focal Length in a Different, More Creative Way

If your subject is far away, you can use a longer focal length to bring it closer. When the subject is very large, a shorter focal length can capture it al at once. But did you know the focal length can also be used in another way?

 

9 Ideas and Tips for Springtime Landscape Photography

Spring is just around the corner, and as the weather finally starts to warm up and life begins to blossom, it is a great time to grab your camera and head outside. This excellent video will give you nine helpful tips and ideas for landscape photography during the springtime. 

How to Shoot Landscape Photography in Bad Weather

When you see great landscape photos, you probably notice that most of them show scenes lit by gorgeous sun and graced by beautiful weather, but of course, the reality is that the weather does not always cooperate that much, and for many of us, it rarely does. This excellent video discusses the importance of embracing poor weather as a landscape photographer. 

New Web Video Series Shows How Photographers 'Got the Shot'

Every time a photographer puts his or her work on display, whether in a gallery, online, at a local cafe or wherever, it gives viewers a glimpse of what that photographer saw when they made the shot. But it's just a moment, a flash of time captured in ones and zeroes, then printed or shared on social media.

The National Association of Broadcasters Show Has Been Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

And another photography-related show has been canceled. 

Following closely on the heels of the cancellation and rescheduling of CP+ in Japan and The Photography Show in England, The National Association of Broadcasters just canceled their April trade show in Las Vegas, citing health concerns.

https://twitter.com/NABShow/status/1237801294246694912

How I Shot This Rock Climbing Photograph and Got a Lesson in Humility

I recently returned from 10 days of camping in the Swiss mountains, having just taken one of my favorite climbing images. As is often the case, it was another lesson in humility: sometimes, you need the person in your photograph to tell you what you’re doing wrong. Here’s how it came about. 

What Is the Right Camera for You?

It is great just how many cameras are on the market right now, but at the same time, the number of options can be a bit overwhelming. If you are looking to invest in a camera and a bit unsure of what is right for you, this helpful video will run you through a range of things you should consider and understand before you pull out your credit card for that shiny new toy. 

What Is It That Makes a Good Landscape Photo?

If you are new to landscape photography, it can be tricky trying to bring together all the elements that make a good image. This excellent video discusses the process behind making a wide variety of landscape photos and everything that makes them successful images. 

3 Lesser Known But Useful Lightroom Features

Lightroom is an intricate program full of lots of capabilities, and it can be easy to overlook some features. This great video discusses three lesser known capabilities in the program that will help you take your edits further and make your workflow more efficient. 

A Great Bit of Photography Advice I Wish I Had Heard as a Beginner

The internet is absolutely inundated with advice on how to be a better photographer, and that is a great thing for the most part. Nonetheless, this great video told me something that I never heard as a beginner, and I would have progressed a lot quicker as a photographer if I had. 

The Unique Joys of Landscape Photography in a Snowstorm

Snowstorms can be pretty unpleasant to work in, but they can also give you rather unique photographic opportunities. If you have never shot in one, this great video will show what it is like and the sort of images you can create. 

How to Use Focus Stacking for the Sharpest Photos Possible

Landscape photographers often aim to get everything from the foreground of a scene to the most distant elements in focus. Focus stacking is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this, and this helpful video will show you how to use it for your own work. 

Five Ways to Put Models At Ease for Better Portraits

Not all of us work with professional models that can turn on the natural-looking poses when the lens is bearing down on them. Whether it’s Auntie Jean or an aspiring model-to-be, some people just don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera, and this often makes for awkward-looking portraits.

5 Simple Tips to Improve Your Sea and Coast Photography

Sea and coast photography, also known as seascape photography, is one of the harder disciplines to master within nature and landscape photography. Many things can go wrong, and it can cost you your camera if you misjudge a wave.