Fstoppers Originals

One of the first things I learned early on after becoming a full-time photographer is the importance of establishing a diversity of revenue streams.

Donald Trump has been on a tear lately on Twitter when it comes to social video. The problem is, he’s doing it all wrong. 

A man from Egoton, England has had his life ruined after his outstretched arms became stuck while posing for a selfie at the top of a mountain. 

In this behind the scenes article, see how I set up my studio in the athletics office of my school and shot a series of intense portraits of my college football team.  

Most photographers have started with a crop camera when digital photography was introduced. Only after a few years, the full frame cameras became affordable and that is the moment when all the discussions about the effect of depth of field and crop sensors started, often with the mentioning of physics laws and mathematical calculations.

If you own a cheap older lens, go back to the first set of images you captured with it, then compare those to images shot recently with that same lens. You might be surprised by how much better those old images look.

Not all lenses are created equal, and unfortunately for photographers, quality lenses are quite expensive and necessary to creating great work.

A few weeks ago, I spent two days in Doha, the capital of Qatar, especially to shoot some of its amazing architecture. And due to a little serendipitous oversight, I ended up getting exactly what I wanted. 

Photoshop CC 2019 launched with plenty of new features, but many users have already started to complain about the radical changes in some tools and shortcuts. Luckily, you can revert those settings and use those tools and shortcuts in legacy mode.  

Boudoir photographers are constantly on social media's radar. Images are flagged daily even if they are subtle. With numerous lingerie ads being approved daily, boudoir photographers have been working to get an answer on why this type of photography is still considered against Facebook policy. 

Are you new to underwater photography, or need to brush up a bit? Unsure where to get your feet wet first? While there are many ideal places around the world that are perfect for beginners, I've compiled a few of the spots that I love for their calm conditions, easy entries, and photographic opportunities.

If you're using the monthly Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop package, make sure you make the most for your money and have looked at the free available resources to help you design, from collages to branding mock-ups. 

Most photographers have invested in several camera bags over their career. Often, you need something that can hold everything including the kitchen sink, but other times, you might want something a bit more stylish and compact. Today, I check out one of the most compact yet stylish bags I've ever reviewed: the Wotancraft Sniper Backpack. 

One of the most rewarding parts of photography is choosing the right type of light for an assignment. The light that will best help convey what we’ve been hired to shoot. Nowhere is that more true than in shooting athletic wear. 

V-flats are traditionally not portable by any means. For those that have a little DIY in them, I made my own portable v-flats that I can take with me anywhere I need. Here’s how to make them. 

The holiday season is upon us and dreams of new camera gear are dancing in our heads. Our email boxes are full of offers for deals on lenses, flashes, tripods and of course those new mirrorless cameras. If only we could have it all, our photographs would be so much better.

I do not adhere to a certain style and that gives me a lot of freedom. 

If you have not read, my the first part of this article be sure to check it out.

Next year, we are planning on creating more video content than ever and the vast majority of it will be available for free on the Fstoppers YouTube channel. We want to cater our videos around the aspects of photography and video that you want to learn. Will you help us with some feedback? 

If you’ve run a photography business for any amount of time, I can almost guarantee that you’ve come across clients who make requests you don’t want to fill. 

“Can we see all the outtakes?”

“Can we have the raw files?’

“I want to share this photo on Instagram, can I put filters on it?”

“Can we print this at Walmart for my grandma?”

One of the greatest challenges that we have as photographers is to try to show a three-dimensional world in only two dimensions. That missing dimension, depth, can only be implied. There are many ways to create a feeling of depth. Lighting and composition are two, but my favorite is using what I call dimensional framing. 

If a picture tells a thousand words, these photographs of Baja 1000 race vehicles created after the race tell tales of blood, sweat, tears, and the epic battles that ensue every year as racers battle it out in Mexico.  

In Part One of this series, we began writing our business plan by focusing on the nuts and bolts of our business. In this section, we will start to expand on those roots and add to the "what" by knowing our "why". 

Olympus has produced a beautiful series of videos on YouTube whereby its ambassadors visit some stunning locations, exploring Lapland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Namibia. What’s noticeable is that all of the Olympus Xplorers are men. 

In an effort to please everyone, setting expectations and educating your clients is something that creatives often shy away from. But why not create a shiny little brochure to educate your wedding clients? 

In this article, go behind the scenes of a recent shoot and see how I shot, lit, and edited this 1920s inspired shoot. 

How do you replace a golden goose? Ever since the cinema essayists at "Every Frame a Painting" (EFaP) stopped posting, I’ve been asking myself the same question over and over. I’ve tossed my net far and wide, and this is what I’ve caught.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfGKNJ4mldE