Photography Humor

Photography culture has its quirks — the gear obsessions, the golden hour chasers, the pixel peepers, the endless debates about which camera brand is actually best. This section leans into all of it with humor, satire, and the kind of observations that every photographer recognizes immediately. Sometimes you just need to laugh at the hobby.

Ideas, Concepts, and Execution: No Idea Is a Bad Idea

Yesterday, I was watching TV, when I saw this Progressive ad play for the first time. I really like their concept with the whole "don't be your parents" commercials, and because of that, I began thinking about coming up with the ideas for work like this.

Sixty-Second Portraits on the Streets of Las Vegas

Last week wrapped up another successful year for WPPI and a great learning experience for so many photographers. One of the things that people often don't take advantage of at these large conferences is the chance to work alongside other photographers, challenging themselves to shoot outside their comfort zone. These photographers did just that and filmed it for our benefit. 

We Pirated Our Own Video and This Is What Happened

Piracy is a major issue among all types of creatives. Regardless of if you make handbags, design websites, create beautiful paintings, produce movies, or craft amazing photographs, at some point or another, someone is going to steal and rip off your work. Recently, we decided to run a social experiment; we actually pirated one of our own tutorials and put it online for free before it was even released to the public. What happened next was pretty interesting.

It's Arrived: The Joy of Bringing Home a New Camera

After many long months of waiting, my new D850 has finally arrived! If you read my previous article about the joy/trauma of being on backorder, you’ll probably have some inkling of how excited I am at the moment. But as this is not my first new arrival and most, if not all of you, have experienced the same situation, I thought I’d take a moment to try and describe our universal moment.

And the Winners of the Photoshop Contest Are...

For the last week we have been receiving submissions for our Photoshop contest to say farewell to Chelsey. She has chosen five winners to receive a free Fstoppers tutorial. 

Are Common Photography Terms Dated and Stupid?

Two popular photographers and YouTube personalities are suggesting that the many of the most common terms in photography are, well, stupid. You decide whether or not the current photography vocabulary needs revamping.

Photographer Heroically Attempts to Go Entire Day Without Complaining

Los Angeles, CA: A Southern California photographer recently caught the attention of his peers as he heroically attempted to go an entire day without complaining, making it into the early evening before he was derailed by the announcement of another Canon camera without 4K.

My iPad and Me: Making Lemons Into Lemonade

In the grand tradition of turning lemons into lemonade, I thought I would share with you a quick story about how a less than desirable situation for me this weekend turned into a chance to improve my business and my approach.

One of the Funniest AI Photos Fails We've Ever Seen

Technology is getting really smart, so much so that it often intuits what we want before we even tell it. Such is the case with Google Photos, which will do things like create panoramas out of images it detects were taken near each other. Sometimes, the AI isn't as smart as it needs to be, however, and you end up with hilarious results.

Want to Go Viral? Here's How to Retouch a Portrait Like That Internet Sensation

Unless you've been completely off Internet for the past 24 hours, you'll have already seen the amazingly unique retouching skills of a portrait photographer in Missouri. While there is speculation on whether this is real or some kind of publicity stunt, one thing is clear: the photos are hilarious. Someone was bound to create a how-to at some stage, and thankfully, one of our favorite YouTube Photoshop wizards, Antti Karppinen, was quick on the draw. Pun intended.

What is a Selfie and Who Invented It?

Producer, director, writer, editor, actor, and researcher, Sarah Burton has to wear many hats while working for BuzzFeed Video, but can she answer the question, "Who Invented the Selfie?" Spoiler alert, she can't but as the adage goes, it's the journey not the destination. Watch as Burton humorously struggles to discover who took the first selfie, and struggles even further when the very definition of selfie comes into question.

Words of Wisdom for New Photographers

So you received a fancy new DSLR or mirrorless camera for Christmas, or immediately went to the local electronics store with your wallet resembling George Costanzas’ from “Seinfeld,” filled to the brim with holiday gift cards, and picked yourself a kit that has everything you need to conqueror the photography trenches, including not one but two lenses. You may be asking yourself, why would people not buy this? Buying just a camera body when this is such a good deal, makes little sense when you're first starting out. If this is sounding anything remotely close to recent thoughts you’ve had, stick around. In all honesty, I wish I would have had a few of these pointers when I got started in photography.

Watch as a Photographer Unnervingly Cracks Open a $6,000 Camera

Toronto-based photographer and filmmaker, Peter McKinnon, is a big jerk. You won't see me saying that very often as I truly do respect McKinnon as a content creator, but at the three minute, twenty-second mark of this video my butt clenched up and stayed that way for an entire six minutes and fifty-five seconds. If you're into that kind of thing then watch as McKinnon takes apart his very delicate, and very expensive Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

Peter McKinnon's First Video of 2018 Sets the Tone for Success in the New Year

It's 2018. A brand new page. For us creatives, renewed energy, and enthusiastic drive is what it will take to kick the new year off right. And who better to personify said energy than coffee fueled, Toronto-based photographer / cinematographer Peter Mckinnon? In his first "vlogtorial" style video of 2018 Mckinnon takes to the streets of Toronto with friend and sage-like video creator Chris Hau.

Every Photographer Ever: Camera Bags

Somehow, every three months, a new bag manufacturer figures out a way to bend the laws of physics to make a smaller bag that holds even more gear. 

Fstoppers Exclusive: Santa Is Switching to Drone Delivery

Amazon is not the only company planning on using drones for shipping. Following the trend, Santa Claus enrolled the professional drone pilots from Team BlackSheep to expedite the massive gift delivery operation. Here is an inside look at the Christmas mission operated directly from Finland.

The Perfect Gift Guide for DIY Photographers

Have you ever had to buy presents for a friend or family member that likes photography, or thinks of you as the photographer in the group who will know best what will make their selfies and cat pictures that much better? Here is a quick guide from James Popsys on what to get them if you don't want to spend that much money.

Mob of Photographers Attacks Videographers at Workshop: Lindsay Adler Wields a Lightsaber

For as long as I can remember, there has been a tension between photographers and videographers at events. Why, why I say, can't we all just get along? Watch as an angry mob of photographers go to war against a small group of brave videographers in an epic battle for the ages. The grossly outnumbered videographers face off against the likes of Sal Cincotta, Lindsay Adler, Chuck Arlund, and more during a workshop in Tucson, Arizona.

How I Used Writing to Weave a Narrative Into a Photo Album

I created a photobook with captions, for my sister, featuring her two daughters. I had never created an album or photobook before, so I wasn’t sure how to organize the shots. Added to that, the photos were taken over a four week period. So, how did I combine all these to make a cohesive narrative? I wrote a bedtime story.

How to Create a Double Exposure in Photoshop

Mark Duffy is an Irish photographer, graphic designer, and drummer with a shaved head and a glorious beard. He has a pretty slick new YouTube channel where he intends to teach people how he goes about editing his photos using Photoshop and Lightroom. In this video Duffy teaches us how to create double exposures in Photoshop.

As Far as Photobombs Go, This One Is Pretty Hilarious

How's your Monday going? While I'm not psychic, I'm willing to guess it's probably going better than this Weather Channel camera-person's day. Check out this hilarious example of what happens when all your preparation and planning for that one shot is ruined by something you never saw coming.

Wedding Photographer's Badly-Angled Photo Goes Viral

Looking through the photos from your friend's wedding should be an enjoyable experience. We're often looking our best and have plenty of great memories of the day - but one man has taken to Twitter after spotting one not-so-great photo of himself.

The Disappointments of a Newbie Photographer Nobody Talks About

Photography today is more accessible than ever before because cameras are everywhere: not only shaped as DSLRs, but in phones, tablets, laptops, and in the James Bond ball-point pen. It is easy to press a button a capture something your camera is pointed to. Lots of people are thinking about taking the snapshot game to another level: buying a professional camera and making professional photographs. Most of these purchases end with disappointments, but there's not much talk about them. This article will take a peek behind the scenes of the failures newbies face when they first try using a DSLR.

Photoshopping Climbers Out of Images Becomes Funny Rock Worshipping Scene

In one of the more ridiculous things I've seen on the Internet lately; simply removing the main subject matter from these bouldering images has revealed a completely different photo. The people left appear to praising or worshipping these large rocks, and the variety and groups of people in some of the photos just adds to the level of absurdity.

Ruining People's Instagram Food Photos Gets Priceless Reactions

You're either going to feel very satisfied or very upset. Regardless of what group you fall into, relax and have a laugh at the stunned reactions from these folks who are attempting to take pictures of their food, only to have it ruined at the last moment.

Toddler Who Recreates His Uncle's Modeling Photos Is Sure to Make You Smile

18-month-old Augie is getting a head start in the modeling industry thanks to his uncle, New York-based model Aristotle Polites, and the adorable Instagram account they share. What began as an older sister teasing her younger brother by having her son imitate his uncle's modeling photos has turned into a social media following of over 28,000 people.

A Most Unusual Portfolio Meeting: Instagram Edition

You don’t need me to tell you the importance of social media. Many of you under a certain age likely can’t picture your life without it. Judging by the number of selfie sticks and Facebook screens annoyingly lighting up dark movie theaters, social media had apparently become as important as breathing. Even those who came of age before the dawn of the smartphone are not immune to its charms. And in an increasingly connected world, our devices are not only a social diversion, but can also become a business necessity. This week, I had an experience that drove home just how necessary it can be.

The Ultimate Guide For Making a Bad Video

Whether you are making a video blog, a wedding video, a documentary, a commercial, a tutorial, a short film, or a feature film, there are times you make a bad one. Here are a few tips that will make sure you are consistent in making a bad video every single time.

Make ‘Em Laugh: The Genius of Buster Keaton

I’ve written before about the genius of Buster Keaton. Agent Zero on the landscape of cinematic laughter, his influences stretch far and wide. Even nearly 100 years after the high point of his career, you can still see references to “The Great Stone Face” in everything from the films of Wes Anderson to the action comedy of Jackie Chan. In a world without dialogue, Keaton embodied the still-true mantra of motion pictures: show don’t tell. Without the ability, or in his case, desire to draw laughs through witty dialogue, he instead used action, composition, and creativity to tickle our funny bones. The lessons that can be gleaned from watching the master at work are essential learning for any visual storyteller, and this video from Every Frame A Painting helps detail Keaton's approach.

The Edit Photo Button: Brilliant Photoshop Tool Can Transform Any Image into a Masterpiece

Has anyone ever told you that you're cheating when you apply any post-processing to your image after the initial capture of that image? Well, the reality is that what you were told is completely true. You see, for decades, cameras have had the innate ability to perceive what the scene should look like. In fact, all cameras have always been built with special recognition and reproduction capabilities that quite literally take all the hard work away from the photographer. This leaves you, the photographer, with a much easier job. The advent of the Edit Photo button within Photoshop is simply another way that technology has made our job, as photographers, much easier.

Is the Nikon D850 for Men Only?

The Nikon D850 is quite the beast of a camera. It holds a massive 45.7-megapixel full-frame sensor that can record 4k video and create 8k time-lapses. It can shoot at a blazing fast seven frames per second and has an enormous 51 image buffer when shooting 14-bit raw images. The focus speed is insanely fast, deadly accurate, and offers 153 focus points with 130% more frame coverage than the older Nikon D810. The only problem with such an amazing monster of a camera is that Nikon thinks it’s too much for women to handle.

Some of the Most Absurd and Expensive Bloopers in Filmmaking History

We've all had mishaps on set, whether that was tripping over a lighting stand or dropping a lens. And while those can certainly be costly mistakes, they pale in comparison to the amount of money in play when something goes wrong on a top-dollar film production. Here are some expensive and hilariously absurd examples of such bloopers.

Teenage Photographer Styles His Baby Brother as Pennywise From 'It,' Becomes Internet-Famous in Three Days

Believe it or not, these bone-chilling images were created by a 17-year-old boy from a small town in Mississippi out of sheer boredom. I think it's safe to say that Eagan Tilghman's boredom may be cured for life if he grasps his sudden Internet fame and runs with it. This isn't just another cute cat video or clever Trump meme. This is art with a heartwarming story. Eagan wrote a short commentary on his Facebook page, letting us in on why he created the images. His words alone are beautiful, haunting, and beyond his years.

Hurricane Irma – Don’t Become a Liability

The latest forecast estimates that the superlative category five hurricane Irma may land directly on the most populated area of South Florida near the city of Miami. The last time a massive storm hit the region was in 1992 with hurricane Andrew. But back then, there were no Instagram or Facebook to display stupid behaviors. Here is what you shouldn't do during a hurricane as a photographer.