Exclusive articles and expert opinions written by Fstoppers’ talented team of creative professionals. Here we cover everything from the latest photographic techniques to advice on running a successful photography business, to first hand accounts of working in the photography industry.
My business insurance has rocketed in price this year with a 33% increase. Yet, I would not do without it. Like anything with monetary value, cameras can be targeted by thieves. That risk is growing.
Today, we will eschew all the glitz, glamour, and pixel-peeping and get down to brass tacks on why I chose to use a specific camera for a specific use case.
Are you starting out as a wedding photographer? Maybe you're looking to improve the quality of what you deliver. Here are my top 10 must-have shots, when they will happen during the day, and key information to consider when setting them up, finessing, and completing them.
Have you ever experienced being delighted about the outcome of your photographs but ended up getting a different reaction from your audience? Here’s a step that might help you curate your images better.
When you love photographing moving subjects, it may be difficult to get a perfectly sharp photo. The best way is by moving your camera with the subject to keep it in the frame. This technique is called panning. I have 10 tips for successful panning photography.
Price lists can be dangerous, but they can also be great. How do you know if you should reveal your hand and have one displayed on your website?
Visiting beautiful locations for landscape photography can be quite rewarding. Often these, are one-time occasions. If you want to visit the same location more than once, you have to look for something close. This article is about making a long-term series of photos of one location.
Photography is quite literally painting with light. As such, it’s important for a photographer to be able to see and shape light.
In last week’s article, I discussed three mistakes to avoid when building a career as a photographer or filmmaker. Today, let’s look into three broader concepts that you might want to lean into.
Despite the deep-freeze of a cold January day, a lone photographer moved swiftly through the graffiti-covered halls of what was once a bustling psychiatric center in the heart of Long Island in New York.
Most of the time, a landscape photo will show the horizon. The best position of that horizon depends on what's important in the photo. Do you place the horizon at the top, the bottom, or somewhere else in the frame? If you struggle with that decision, this article may give a helping hand.
Sony's AirPeak drone is the world‘s smallest drone that can carry a full frame Alpha series mirrorless camera. It's also a versatile aerial platform that's capable of carrying other payloads. Check out how professional drone pilot Craig Coker deployed powerful drone-lighting tools to capture stunning images of world-class athletes in the first AirPeak "Light The Night" showcase.
What does it really take to get by in an industry where any Tom, Dick, and Harry has it in them to harvest likes on images like basking sharks devouring krill? Who’s doing it better? Well, everyone, right? What’s happening, day to day, week to week in the life of an active professional photographer? Well, I’m laying it all on the line. Telling it like it is. Here’s a desperately honest account of what happens in an average week for me, an honestly average photographer.
Choosing a lens which will give you desired results for a particular portrait assignment is an integral part of being a photographer.
Low budget doesn't have to mean low quality. Here's a handy tip for keeping your backgrounds interesting.
Mostly, photographers learn the camera settings and compositional techniques first. Those basics of photography are essential. But when we have mastered those, what do we do next?
There are times when achieving a balanced exposure across your entire image is ideal, ensuring that you don't lose the details in your shadows and highlights. But, some of the most interesting images do not follow that rule whatsoever, and you should try shooting that way too.
While I'm not fond of using AI to replace the creative process, I think it is incredibly helpful in enhancing image quality. With the right AI tools, you can rescue photos that may have been unusable otherwise. Topaz Photo AI is such a tool, and in this article, we look at its capabilities, limitations, and ways to get the best results.
The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2023, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.
Can you shoot exclusively in JPEG as a professional photographer? Check out our interview with award winning wedding and portrait photographer Scott Robert Lim, as he explains why he's been shooting only in JPEG for over 23 years.
Photography has come a long way since its invention in the 19th century. Starting off as a status symbol usually associated with the rich, it has grown far and wide to become one of the most common ways of artistic expression. As it grew more and more, it also sparked the rise of some worrying tendencies. In this article, we will discuss some of the most worrying tendencies that plague modern photography.
Forget the rule of thirds and leading lines. This is not an article that will give recipes or magic bullets for composing images. Instead, we will talk about methods and broad approaches I used to go beyond the cliché techniques and create unique imagery
In a recent article of mine, I discussed switching from a DSLR to a smartphone for casual photography. Recently, one of my friends reached out to me and asked what camera he should get for a trip he is going to. I told him: to use his phone and gave him some tips. Here are the top 7 tips that every smartphone photographer should know.
The impact of smartphones on photography has been well documented and profound. One lesser-discussed element of smartphones' influence on photography, however, might be the change in what photographers now want and expect from dedicated cameras.
Recent research shows that there are excellent reasons why you should abandon the camera phone that have nothing to do with how good the pictures are. There’s a darker side to camera phones that we ignore at our peril.
Canon’s cinema line of cameras ushered forward the post-DSLR years for video users, and now, they could be set to do the same with mirrorless designs.
In a lot of my articles, I go on about how incredible Capture One is and how every photographer (with a few exceptions) should switch from Lightroom to Capture One. In this article, we will finally take a deep dive and see for ourselves why it’s worth considering the switch in 2023.
Although it sounds like a nasty disease, like athlete's foot or tennis elbow, the photographer's eye isn't that. We take our eyes for granted, and they are an essential part of photography, both metaphorically and literally.
When it comes to making great imagery, post-production is perhaps one of the most important steps that can make or break your image. Sure, you can master all elements to making an image, but if you forget post-production, you will be stuck miles behind someone who knows how to edit. In this article, we will discuss ways how to get better results when editing.
The advice I often hear on the internet is this: choose a photography genre and stick to it. I want to float the idea of developing your style instead and shooting what you’re passionate about. I’m not talking about the jack of all trades approach, but developing your skills in a few genres that you like and come naturally to you.
Most of the problems I get asked to fix in my role as technical support for photographers has to do with Lightroom. This article will show you the way I use Lightroom to be able to find any photograph I've shot in the last 10 years in under a minute. This is how best to organize and categorize your files to best serve you as a photographer and the tips and tricks that you might have otherwise missed.
Addiction. Hedonism. Chasing the dopamine hit. Just another taste. Just one more like. Ok, maybe 10, then I’m done. I swear it’s all I need! Here’s what I’m doing. Here’s what I’ve done. Here’s who’s doing this and hey, look, I’m present. Lifting the lid on the banality of everyday life. Journalists of the quotidian. Instagram is not what it used to be. We can all agree to that. And no truer is that than from the perspective of the humble photographer. Surely, it’s time to grow up, isn’t it?
If you’re thinking of making your love for photography into the thing that pays the bills, here are a few pitfalls which you might want to avoid.
As a photographer, it's important for you to understand the significance of branding in your industry. While it may not seem obvious, branding is just as important for small businesses like yours as it is for large corporations. Branding encompasses much more than just a logo. It is the first interaction a potential client will have with your business.
Some beginning photographers keep on shooting in JPEG because of one reason. They’re a bit of afraid of the raw file format. But shooting in raw is easier than you think. If you want to start photographing in raw but you don’t know how, I’ll show you how it’s done.
Seascape photography is a challenging yet rewarding genre of photography. The dynamic nature of the sea makes taking photos at the coast very exciting, but it also requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. And that's what I'll share in this article as seven tips that'll help you take your seascape photography to the next level.
What skills other than knowing your camera kit and how to take a good photo do you need to make your fledgling photography business work, grow, and be sustainable while still standing out from the crowd? What tools do you need and what websites are good enough to bookmark and check daily? These five tips will help you on your way.
Color grading your images can be fun, yet, in some cases, an arduous task. The subtle nuances that it can provide can make or break an image. Learning to color grade effectively takes years, and understanding the subtle differences that adding numerical values can make to the RGB of your image is an art form.
No sun? No problem! Fake natural light in the studio.
Nothing is more frustrating than having the wrong camera settings, especially during decisive moments. These images are probably beyond recovery. That’s why you have to check the camera setting every single time you go out. Just assume the settings are wrong. Always.
In our biggest FAQ about product photography yet, we discuss some of the most common questions a photographer at any skill level might have, from simple ones about settings to complex ones about the type of reflection a leather surface produces under hard light. This article was created to help you create better product images.
Today, I will definitively answer an age-old question. Or perhaps, more likely, pontificate on something that all people and all artists have been asking since the beginning of time.
I consider myself a Canon shooter through and through. This article isn’t about one camera manufacturer being objectively better or worse than another.
A fundamental lesson in photography is the exposure triangle. Learning about ISO, shutter speed, and aperture is something all photographers should do.
Studio photographers are often admired for their lighting skills, and for good reason. Creating compelling portrait lighting is not only extremely difficult, but requires lighting gear, backdrops, and a shooting space. Editing can play either a small or large role in the final image. Have you ever wondered how much of what you see was created in camera, as opposed to in the editing room? In this article, I will show you some before and after images from my own studio work and lift the veil on my editing process.
Once upon a time, Sigma was a brand thought of by many as the compromise lens if you couldn't afford the household names. Times have changed, though, and Sigma has gone beyond offering competitive lenses to making remarkable lenses and even some notable industry firsts. Being a photographer who works heavily in product work, I decided to put the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art lens in a shoot-off against the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro, and the results were... well, read on and find out for yourself!
Costa Rica is a place of breathtaking beauty, with lush rainforests, towering volcanoes, and pristine beaches. From the misty cloud forests of Monteverde to the remote beaches of Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica offers an endless array of photo opportunities. Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur with a passion for capturing nature's beauty, Costa Rica is a destination you should not miss.
Today, we’re talking websites. What are the dos and what are the don’ts?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the photography industry by automating many tasks that were previously done manually. This has the potential to greatly impact the way photos are taken, edited, and shared. Should we be worried about AI or embrace it?
Nobody wants to fail at photography, do they? Success and failure are both achievable, although the latter is easier. This is how to set about failing and, therefore, succeeding.
