Recent Opinion Articles

David Hockney: Photoshop is Boring

Very few of us have been involved in photography and art long enough to truly appreciate how much change has taken place in when it comes to cameras and photographs. David Hockney, a British artist who has dedicated much of his life to painting and photography, thinks some of the art in imagery has been lost along the way. In short, Photoshop is boring.

How To Ask For (And Receive) Good Critiques And Comments

Being a member of a lot of online photography communities, I see stuff like this all the time. A photographer just took a shot that I can tell they are really excited about, and want some feedback on it. They'll post it to a forum or a Facebook page with the typical "C&C please." line. And it drives me up a wall.

Shooting On-Location Video Interviews And Rock Climbers With DSLRs

Back in September I spent a few days in New River Gorge, West Virginia, rock climbing with a group of friends. For this trip I developed a plan to put together a short documentary that would involve shooting an interview in the climbing area and doing a multicamera shoot of a climber. Watch the final video, and then read on for a breakdown of how it was all done.

Why Being a Wedding Photographer is the Best Job in the World

Over the last few days, I've taken some time to reflect on 2012 and my work as a wedding photographer. Yes, it's getting close to mid January, New Years has long past, and you may think it's a little late to be retrospective, right?

As Toshiba Looks into Light Field Sensor, Is Lytro's Tech Catching On?

When we all first heard about the light field sensor in the Lytro camera, there was a considerable amount of excitement. Many of us really saw something great in the ability to focus our images after the fact. But when the tech actually made it to market, it turned out that though neat, it wasn't really practical yet. Now with Toshiba rumored to be developing a light field sensor for mobile phones, is it safe to say this is really catching on?

Why We Photographers / Creatives Should Look Out For Each Other

Let's be honest, writing for a photography website, you notice that a lot of us photographers like to gripe at each other. Hey, you're more than welcome to express yourself as you wish since this is the internet and all. Although, I wanted to do a short positive post about how and why we should be a little nicer to each other. Sometimes it equals more resources and more money. Reason enough for you?

The Future of the Combination of Video and Stills

In the last several years camera development has taken huge strides in giving photographic capabilities of stills to video. Non film makers now have the capability of taking cinematic quality video without needing to upgrade from their dslr. In this video, Untitled Film Works unpacks the continual merging of stills and video.

Instafail! Instagram Explains New Terms Of Service

Earlier I posted about Instagram's new terms of service. Instagram has now released a statement concerning their new terms of service that was under the scrutiny... of the entire internet. Following in the footsteps of sites like Twitpic it seems that Instagram either got ahead of themselves or didn't think that users would catch on to its confusing and/or misleading jargon on its TOS update announcement. In a statement entitled, 'Thank You, and we're listening...' on their blog, Instagram clears up some of the perplexing language on the new terms of service.

HDR Vs. Flash For Interiors And Real Estate Photography

I know that many of our readers are real estate photographers or have at least tried their hand at real estate photography. The most common method used to create 'good enough' real estate photos is HDR: whether it is tonemapping or exposure fusion, HDR is definitely the most-used method for real estate and beginner interior photographers. In this post, I'll do a comparison between tonemapping, exposure fusion, single on-camera flash, and multiple off-camera flash, and show you the benefits (or disadvantages, rather) of each.

All the Wrong Emphasis: Reuters' Best Images of Year Exif Data

This morning our pals at PopPhoto tweeted, "The most popular photography story this morning is the Exif of Reuters' best images of the year. Not the pictures. Doing it wrong." I have to agree with them here. Instead of focusing on the images, the story is instead focused on what they were shot with. Is that what we are reduced to? Oogling over gear?

"What If Money Didn't Matter": Great Tip To All Creative People Out There

Take a 3-minute break from whatever you're doing right now, and listen to this short recorded lecture of British philosopher and writer Alan Watts (1915-1973). This is a very inspirational, thought-provoking and interesting to anyone who ever wanted to work in the industry - Doesn't matter if its as a photographer, film maker, sound-man or a retoucher. Listen, and decide: 'What do you desire?'.

Sharing Your Photos Online, What Site Is Best For You?

I have always had a love for the visual arts. As a kid I constantly was shooting and editing snowboard and skateboard videos with friends, as I grew older I got more and more into photography. In June of 2007 I purchased my first DSLR to start shooting hardcore punk rock shows, and soon after made a Flickr to share my work with the rest of the world. 5 years and some change later Flickr seems to be on the decline, and I am left wondering, "what now?"

Would You Pay To Watch Select Vimeo Content?

Vimeo recently rolled out a Tip Jar feature for it’s content creators, where you can tip a donation to the artist. Coming up next for Vimeo is a Pay-To-View service, where audiences will actually have to pay to watch the video. It’s controlled solely by the creators, but will Vimeo take a cut of the money, like they do with the tip jar?

Mormonism And Homosexuality: The Book Of Mormon Missionary Positions  [NSFW]

First, let me start off by saying that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Yes, I am Mormon. When a fellow Fstopper writer posted this piece in our writer's group at first I was saddened to see the material within the link, but then I took a step back and really processed what this series of photographs meant. The photographs depict a pair of Mormon missionaries in various sexual positions. The photographs may be quite simple, but the message is not. Warning: Some of these photographs might be offensive to some readers.

Canon's new 24-70mm f/4 Lens is Perplexing

When Canon released the upgraded 24-70mm f/2.8 II lens earlier this year, it was met with a serious mix of emotions. Why was it so expensive, and where the HECK was the image stabilization? And sure, the lens performs magnificently, but it left a lot to be desired. Last night, Canon announced a new member to the lens family, and many of us are confused as to where a 24-70mm f/4 IS fits into the picture between the 24-105 f/4 IS and the 24-70mm f/2.8 II.

Did The Romney Campaign Photoshop This Or Is Someone Just Terrible With Their iPhone?

So before anyone thinks I am expressing any political views on Fstoppers, know this, I AM NOT. I came across this yesterday and at first glance I thought, "well look, a politician lying, SURPRISE SURPRISE," but then upon further examination I have decided for myself that this is just someone who shot a terrible panoramic on their iPhone. Maybe Mitt needs to hire someone with a little more photo knowledge to run his Instagram account.

The State of Kodak at PhotoPlus Broke My Heart

There are a few names in this industry that have always meant something. Nikon. Canon. Hasselblad. Fuji. Kodak. The latter has had a rough go of things in the past couple years, culminating in what can essentially be called a final meltdown in early 2012. Chapter Eleven bankruptcy and a rapidly collapsing stock price have left the company a shell of what it was. This week at PhotoPlus, I saw the realization of that at their booth, and it was one of the saddest things I have experienced in recent memory.

On Photo Critiques: Treat Others How You Wish To Be Treated

I never went to college or any other secondary school for photography. I have been blessed to fall into this hobby turned career in an era when photographic knowledge is readily available online, and a vast amount of it is 100% free. However when it came time to make my work public on the web, the outcome wasn't always pleasant. You see, constructive criticism is a great tool for learning and growing, but the keyword is constructive.

Considering the Choice: To E, or not to E

Forgive me for the non-linear article to follow, but this is my first evaluation of the transitive properties of the figurative "E" and it's marginal utility in the life of the Nikon D800. Whereas others may tell you which camera can photograph grass or your pet Weimaraner, I would like to talk about the real life application the D800 has to those of us that call this hobby a job.

Sony Buys Shares of Olympus, Makes Good on Promise to Support Camera Division

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony is buying up a healthy share of Olympus stock, furthering on their previous announcement that the two companies would share tech and co-produce product. This is a huge, bold move that makes real Sony's promise to continue to build their camera division. Sony, I am impressed. You're on your way to making me a believer.

Informative Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II Sharpness Test

BorrowLenses recently published a test they did looking at the sharpness between Canon's latest 24-70mm f/2.8 L II lens and the original, and were pleased to note several distinct reasons you might want to pick up the new one. The new version two has less chromatic aberrations, less vignetting, and is also sharper than the original. Though we are still testing this lens and haven't yet reached a verdict, their test might help you decide one way or the other.

Fstoppers First Impressions of the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II

When the original 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens came out, it quickly became the go-to, do everything lens of choice for almost every Canon photographer I knew. Yes, we all had our prime favorites, but if we needed a workhorse that we could rely upon to do-it-all or only had the space to bring one lens, we grabbed for our 24-70. The original is still considered to be an amazing lens, and it's no wonder that it's one of the toughest lenses to find used on the market. Needless to say, I am excited about the upgraded 24-70mm L II.

Is The Nikon D600 Priced Too High For Its Features?

If there was one thing that people are unanimously saying about Nikon's new D600 "budget" full frame camera, it's that the price is entirely too high. No matter which blog you read, it seems everyone cannot believe the MSRP of $2,099.95. But are these claims valid? Does Nikon's smallest full frame DSLR really lack the features that professionals desire? In the full post I'll tell you why I just bought two of these cameras and why the price seems just right.

Inspiration: An Interview with Von Wong by Von Wong

Spend 16 minutes with Benjamin Von Wong as he answers questions about inspiration, photography as a career and himself. Benjamin is very prolific and for that reason on it's own he is worth listening to. Getting off your ass and doing it is the hardest part and some of what Benjamin has to say may help you do that. Check out his Q&A as there are definitely words to live by.