Recent Opinion Articles

Turning Around That Creative Jealousy

Yay! You're doing something creative.

We can all probably remember the moment when we first realized that we could create cool stuff. That moment when we looked at something we'd made from scratch and not only were we not disappointed by what we created, not only were other people impressed by what we created, but we actually liked what we'd done.

[UPDATED] "Wedding Chicks" Blog Breaks Terms of Service to Make More Money

Wedding Chicks has responded (located at bottom of article).

Advertising utilizing social media has been an uphill trend for those of us in the photography profession, but when does it become unscrupulous for a company to charge photographers for more exposure using their social media sites? When the social media sites say it's against their terms of service, apparently. Wedding Chicks, a popular wedding blog, is doing just that to wedding photographers on Pinterest and other social media sites.

22 Tips To Make Your 'WPPI 2014' Experience Amazing

WPPI is less than 4 weeks away! The largest annual industry event for photographers and filmmakers that draws in over 13,000+ people to learn new techniques, build relationships, experience new products and find solutions for their business. This will be my 6th year attending WPPI and so I wanted to use my experience to share some valuable tips I have learned throughout the years.

Using Your Camera's Pointless Features To Get The Most Out Of Your Shots

With modern technology within Adobe Camera Raw, you're limiting yourself considerably when shooting in JPEG. However, by shooting in Raw, you're removing the purpose of many of the features within the camera. Settings such as 'Picture Style' serve no real purpose when shooting in Raw, because all the adjustments added to photos, will be stripped when put on your computer. Regardless, I shoot in monochromatic, and it has helped my work considerably.

Practice Patience - Results That Reap The Reward

Photographers and artists alike are extremely passionate people. With strict deadlines and hectic schedules, we all have the tendency to jump the gun and act or open our mouth before taking a step back from the situation. There is one word which you will be hearing a lot throughout this article. It is a trait at the core of what we do and it’s very much a necessary virtue: patience.

The Road To Seeing by Dan Winters - Book Preview

I love photo books but you’ll rarely catch me with my nose inside a book by a photographer. Then there are short bursts of frenetic reading interspersed throughout the literary vacuum. So when I’m trying to desperately get advanced copies of a 700-page book written by a photographer, something weird is going on.

FS Review: Sigma Hits Success Again with 24-105mm f/4 OS HSM Lens

I don’t know about you guys, but when Sigma announced the 24-105mm f/4 lens last year, I got very excited. The Canon 24-105mm f/4 was one of my favorite video lenses early on. It’s an extremely versatile focal length that, besides the slow f/4 constant aperture, was largely pretty usable in nearly any environment. Sadly, the lens was only good for video because it just wasn’t very sharp. That’s why Sigma’s attempt got me so jazzed. Based on prior experience with their Art line, I had high expectations for Sigma's new zoom lens.

Fstoppers Review Of The Strahlen LED Light

Last month we posted an article about a unique LED lighting solution called “Strahlen” that was crowdfunding. On paper, the specs of these lights look great, but how well do they perform in a real production setting? I got my hands on a kit of Strahlens, and after an interview shoot with them I found out that they were the real deal.

Become A Better Director With These 6 Tips

I recently came upon an exhibit entitled “Faces In The Crowd” by photographer Alex Prager and it really got me thinking. Not about the creativity, the concept, or the message. I wasn’t even thinking about any of the technical aspects that would have gone into creating these images. As my eyes wandered across the sea of people represented in her images I had but one thought in my mind; it took one amazing director to pull this off.

Important Lesson For All Wedding Photographers

As wedding photographers we are hired to show up and photograph one of the most important days in the life of our clients. So what happens if you get sick, or even die, with weddings jobs under contract? Do you have a plan? This week I had an eye opening experience that made me rethink my own plan. Here's my story and some tips to help you develop a plan of your own.

The Shortest, Most Insightful Interview Of A Photographer I’ve Ever Seen

“There was a sniper, he was trying to kill me, and he hit my camera which was by my face, and I still have that Nikon camera with a bullet hole in it". So begins one of the most compelling interviews I’ve ever seen. Welcome to a rip-roaring three minutes and twenty seconds of a wonderful journey into the mind of Don McCullin.

A Tale of Two Magazine Covers

Boston Magazine’s May 2013 cover image by photographer Mitchell Feinberg depicted running shoes from Boston marathoners shaped into a heart. It was a fitting, smartly conceived statement to a city recuperating from the terror of the finish line marathon bomb attacks. To promote the upcoming Bath Half Marathon 2014, Bath Magazine in the UK printed a cover image almost identical to the Boston edition, sparking an internet controversy.

Fstoppers Reviews the Sony a7R Compact Full Frame Camera

If there was a camera that really got people talking in 2013, it was the Sony a7 and a7R. Hailed as a “game changer” and “camera of the year” by both PDN and PopPhoto, it’s gotten a lot of attention. A full frame, powerful and purportedly pro-level mirrorless compact, what’s not to love? Many Sony fans were quick to hail it as the beginning of the end for the DSLR, and even many DSLR shooters seemed ready to join them. I’ve been shooting with the a7R for a few weeks now, and it’s time I laid down my personal verdict on this camera.

Complete Guide To Becoming A Photo Assistant

Your quickest way to becoming a better photographer is real world experience from a seasoned photographer. As studio manager for a busy studio servicing the commercial advertising world we have a crew of assistants in multiple cities that we rely on heavily. All of which need to understand the following rules, mores, and tips to get you to become the best assistant in the industry.

Are You Harnessing The Full Power Of Instagram?

Whether you love or loathe Instagram, today's post looks at just how powerful a tool it can be. Last week, a friend took a simple shot from his bedroom window. Within an hour, it was picked up by the AP, and began appearing in major publications nationally. Depending on how you treat it, Instagram can be a firecracker or a stick of dynamite for your business and social presence. The punch it packs is up to you.

Leica Celebrates A Centenary of Camera Craftsmanship

This year, Leica turns 100. The “Leitz”, the first camera for 35mm film, was brought to market back in 1914 by Oskar Barnack. Just what is it it that makes Leicas so special in the eyes of so many great photographers, and does this justify the often insane costs of ownership?

The Future Of Photography?

About 15 years ago, the first DSLR was introduced. The Nikon D1 showed consumers that digital was the future, and was quickly superseded by the Canon 1D. Sporting just 2.7 megapixels (and 4.15 megapixels for the Canon D1), the technology wasn't quite there to make the DSLR groundbreaking. 15 years later, the DSLR has become the staple for photographers everywhere. So where will we be in say, another 15 years?

Re-Review: The Fotopro Tripod is Much Better Than Originally Thought

Before I heap on the apologies, I do want to say that I get sent a lot of gear. Gear that varies in required skill level, genre of photography and purpose. I've reviewed a lot of equipment over the years, and eventually I was bound to make a mistake- I'm pretty much the furthest thing from infallible. Well it happened, and I'm sorry. My initial review of the Fotopro tripod was negative due in most part to, you got it, user error.

Identifying and Overcoming Your Photographic Fears

You would think with the incredible amount of knowledge out there (not just on Fstoppers but on the whole of the internet) that there would be no shortage of incredibly successful, monumentally wealthy photographers in the world. Yet for some mysterious reason, only a small percentage of us ever make it to a real sense of success. Why is that? We can't attribute it to skill levels, there are plenty of insanely successful photographers whose images are by many definitions, well...flat out bad.

Thinking Of Crowdfunding Your Next Video Project? Learn From My Failed Attempt

I recently wrapped up a kickstarter project that was trying to raise $10,000 for the production of a documentary film. During its 30-day run, and weeks of planning that went into it beforehand, I got my own crash course in fundraising and marketing. I’ll share what I learned in this article.

Marketing Tip: Demand Social Responsibility

Demanding anything is a scary notion but the trend towards social and global responsibility is growing in 2014, and having the right voice and attitude can result in elevating your brand. As we enter the New Year it is no longer enough to make separate personal and professional goals. The distinction between the two is blurring for many businesses as the global marketplace looks towards feel good solutions. How can you be part of the change?

True Lifestyle Photography and How to Get the Most Out of Your Session

According to Wikipedia lifestyle photography is "a style of portrait / people photography which aims to capture and document real-life events, situations, or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of the everyday." Photographers every day are advertising sessions as lifestyle photography, but in reality, are totally missing the mark.

Kansas City Under Fire After Requiring Photo Permits in Public Parks

The internet is up in arms about a recent law enacted in Overland Park, KS. Professional photographers are now required to obtain a permit to photograph clients in any of the 83 parks under the jurisdiction of Overland Park Parks and Recreation. For some reason photographers worldwide are upset about this. Given that this author is actually a resident of the area, I'm going to ride the line between news and opinion a bit.

Should I Pay $100,000 To Learn To Play Guitar

I have always been a huge music fan. A few years ago I bought a guitar and I've had a blast learning the basics. One day I would love to play professionally but I'm not exactly sure how to get paid for my music. I'm considering paying $100,000 for someone to teach me how to play guitar.

5 Tips To Help Your Photography Business Survive And Thrive In 2014

So, it’s two weeks into the new year – how are things shaping up? Booked a ton of new work? Setting up to land your dream client? If, like me, you’re still working out the kinks and wondering how you’ll make it all work, this post is for you. I’ve got five tips to help keep you going, keep you motivated and keep you on track for the year ahead.

This Year Will Be The End of the 'Disc Burning' Era

It all started happening in the early 2000's as the once expensive CD-R disc burners began to heavily drop in price and later came pre-installed in every computer. Then clients started asking, "Can I get a disc with the photos?" and a new era of disc burning began which lasted over 10 years. Fortunately, over the last few years other options have become available, which leads me the prediction. This year will be the very last in the 'disc burning era' and quite honestly I can't be any happier about it.

Fstoppers Reviews The Profoto B1 Studio Strobe

Quite possibly the most exciting product announced within the last year comes from lighting company Profoto with the announcement of the Profoto B1 studio strobe. Promising TTL within a 500 watt/sec studio strobe is exciting all on its own, but they also announced that this device is cordless, with a built in battery pack. But does the light live up to its hype?

Fotopro Tripod Original Review (Has Been Updated)

THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN MOVED AND UPDATED. When an idea is good, it’s bound to sprout imitators. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this. Often it leads to a product that took the good from one idea and implemented other original concepts to make an end product amazing. But sometimes, and rather frequently in the photo industry, we end up with products that feel like hollow copies, existing to just take advantage of positive consumer feelings towards an existing product. That’s what I feel happened with the Fotopro tripod.

Commercial Photography: Recipe For Success

My photographer-friend from Moscow Aleksey Dovgulya is visiting me in Los Angeles right now. We went to the same high school, but only met in 2008 after I got into photography. While I was studying in Australia Aleksey built an impressive list of commercial clients in Russia. In the past few years he has photographed for major brands such as Rolls-Royce, Renault, BMW, Schwartzkopf & Henkel, Benetton, Vogue, Christian Louboutin, and the list goes on and on.

Fstoppers Reviews The Pad Prompter by OneTakeOnly

Speaking on camera can be stressful. Some people are born with that fearless gene that allows you to get that first take right out of the gate... the rest of us are not as fortunate. Thankfully for us there's teleprompters that help walk us through the process of speaking on camera. One of these popular teleprompters is the Pad Prompter by OneTakeOnly. A prompter that utilizes your portable tablet and transforms awkwardness to smooth takes.

Keeping Life Simple as an Entrepreneur

I don't think many small business owners would ever describe their lives as stress free, or simple. The process of growing, running and maintaining a business is a difficult and time consuming endeavor to say the least. Does that mean that we as creative entrepreneurs are doomed to have endlessly complicated lives? Not in the least. Yes, working hard comes with the territory but, having happier, simpler lives is as easy as changing a few habits.

7 Penny Pinching Locations When Shooting On A Budget!

There are many hurdles that a new photographer tries to overcome early in his or her career, one of which is simply that we don’t have the funding and massive budgets that some of our more well established peers might have. When it comes to choosing a location for our photo shoots we often find ourselves restricted. Here are 7 places you can shoot on a budget!

Ingenious Camera Work Allows Photographer To "Time Travel" In Self Portrait Series

I’m always intrigued by those photographers who shoot self portraits, particularly when they bring something new to the mix. Chino Otsuka used her camera and some skillful Photoshop work to not only carry out a self portrait series, but to transport herself back in time, into photographs featuring her younger self - sometimes from almost three decades in to her past. The results are both thought provoking and mesmerizing.

9 Most Common Beauty Photography Mistakes

I would like to wrap up my Secrets to Crafting Top-Quality Beauty Portraits series in a quick roundup on the most common mistakes I have been noticing beginner Beauty photographers make.

I will sure talk more about Beauty photography in the future, but I'd like to summarize a few things at this point.

Three Driving Forces That Will Shape Your Photography In 2014

Change is afoot and 2014 could well be the year that completely redefines the photo and video landscape as we know it. It doesn’t matter if you you shoot weddings, fashion, portraits, landscapes, products, food or concerts - these changes will affect us all. Here are three game changers - let's take a look at what they are, what they could mean for you, your photography and your business.

A Year In Review - Fstoppers Best Posts of 2013

Yesterday, I posted about the most viewed post from this past year. While those posts are great pieces in their own right, there is so much more content for learning on Fstoppers. So this time, I want to show you the absolute best original content posts of this past year. These aren't organized by views, or anything arbitrary like that, these are just some of our favorite posts from this past year.

The Photographic Resolution You Shouldn't Make This Year

We each do it every year saying the same thing. "This year it will be different, I'm going to actually complete my resolutions!" We may make it and complete a couple but, very rarely do we have the stamina and discipline to keep going until the list is done. Going into 2014 you're going to see a lot of resolution idea lists for photographers and that's fine for most, but you're going to be different.

1SE, Because We Are Too Damn Busy To Remember The Things We Did

Being a photographer (or videographer) is probably one of the most interesting professions out there. We get to experience so many things no one else can. We get unique access to shoot amazing people, events or places. Personally, I find it hard to remember all these things I do every day and tend to forget some pretty fantastic things. Exactly one year ago I found a great solution for that problem, an app that became the favorite thing on my phone - 1 Second Everyday.

Five Steps to Improve Your Creativity

Creativity is not some mysterious, elusive attribute that only the lucky people get. It is a skill that can be learned and developed. A muscle that can and will get stronger with work. One of the most painful statements I hear from discouraged aspiring photographers is "I love photography, but I'm just not creative enough." It is akin to saying that you have a dream but no faith in your ability to reach it. The statement of "I'm just not creative" denies

Get Inspired, Be Challenged - Three Photography Books To Push Your Creativity Into 2014 And Beyond

Some photographers have the wonderful ability to marry creative technique with technical application, and then convey this to us in a way that is genuinely interesting and educational. I picked up three such books this year and would describe them all “inspir-cational” - a wonderful mix of both inspiring work, combined with a high level of educational value. If you’re looking for a little learning as well as something to inspire in the New Year, I can heartily recommend all three.

Fstoppers Answers - How Do You Market To Social Media?

Each week on Fstoppers Answers, we answer a question asked by the photography community. This week, we were asked - "How do you market to social media? (When marketing your photography on social media, is it more effective to always be trickling out content constantly, or less frequently but higher quality and more content at once. For example, if I do a shoot with a model, should I post a photo a day, or a set a week?)"

A First Impression of the Sony a7R & How Canon/Nikon Can Beat It

Yesterday I got my hands on the new Sony a7R for a review here at Fstoppers, and I was instantly and somewhat begrudgingly a fan of it. It feels great in hand, doesn't lack physical buttons like with other interchangeable lens compacts (ILCs), and it sounds fantastic (the shutter has an absurdly glorious “click” that you can’t help but love). My feelings for the a7R were such that I began to wonder why Canon and Nikon can’t seem to get it right in the ILC market. The answer to making the perfect compact appears so clear, but they don’t seem to have any interest of going this direction.

Famed Music Producer Responds to Photography Community Backlash

A few days ago I covered a story here on Fstoppers about an online altercation between a massively popular music producer, Diplo, and a Canadian based photography collective under the name of Visualbass. Diplo has recently stepped forward and has made a statement on Fstoppers about the incident.

Famed Music Producer Caught in Photographer Drama

Last night on the EDM Photographers Facebook group a member posted a tweet from an upset photographer who wasn't properly credited for an image that famed music producer, Diplo, posted on his Instagram feed. The concert photography collective, Visualbass, tweeted their irritation to Diplo about the uncredited photo and was met with a rather unpleasant and public exchange from the artist.

Stunning Graffiti Artwork Video “Limitless” BTS And Interview With Creator, Selina Miles

I’ve just had Selina’s answers back for this interview and feel sick. Some numbers - 80 hours shooting, 7000+ stills, 40+ hours of rendering, sleeping in shifts to meet deadlines. I thought my current project was tough - compared to her's, I feel like I'm sat on a beach drinking a piña colada. Her video “Limitless” has had 6+ million views in 2 weeks, so all her hard work paid off. Read on to find out how she put this beautiful video together.

Film VS Digital – The Documentary “Side By Side” Nails It

You know that moment when you start to watch a documentary, not knowing if it will be any good, and then walk away with your jaw on the floor as the credits roll? That was me last night. If you're interested in the film VS. digital debate; the progression of technology; where things are going for visual media; cinematography; how the media we use to create images affects how we feel about what we see or watch (and why), or how changes in the photographic industry have influenced cinema, you positively, absolutely need to check out Side By Side. Like, now.

Determining If A Photo Should Be Left In Color Or Converted To Black And White

After a recent trip abroad, I was excited to go through and process my images. I came across an image that I felt looked great in both color and black and white. Unsure of what to do, I started questioning the criteria that I use to determine if a photo should be left in color or converted to black and white. In the process, I decided to ask my colleagues and came up with a guide.

Secrets to Crafting Top-Quality Beauty Portraits

This article is for those of you how enjoy beauty photography: from fashion and advertising beauty, to beauty portraits of non-models and even boudoir photography. And while there are always millions or rules, trends and opinions, I base my article on my own ideas and beliefs as to what's important to be aware of to successfully create attractive beauty images.

FS Review: Could DSLR Video Shooters Easily Move to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera?

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera isn’t new, but when it was first introduced it created such a buzz that actually getting one’s hands on the new video camera proved difficult. Though Blackmagic has since pumped out the Pocket Cinema Camera and the 4K Cinema Camera, the original 2.5K camera is still quite the looker. I wanted to know, would it be possible to transition from my beloved DSLRs and over to the Blackmagic, which boasts some rather impressive specs, without much trouble?

SmartAlbums: The Single Best Black Friday Purchase You Will Make

If you do anything with albums whether it's wedding albums, personal albums or even portfolios to sit around your studio, this is going to be your jam. Two amazing photographers have developed a program called SmartAlbums. It's a full application that allows you to create albums without all the hassle. And yes, it's possible.