Sponsored Content

This section contains sponsored content and partner features produced in collaboration with brands in the photography and imaging industry. All sponsored content is clearly labeled. Fstoppers is selective about the partners we work with, focusing on brands and products relevant to our community.

Improve Your Astrophotography With Topaz Labs

Astrophotography and nighttime photography generally come with their own respective challenges. The biggest problem tends to be increased noise especially in the shadow areas of an image. But what if there was some incredibly smart software that could magically get rid of the noise and improve your images, would you use it? 

2021 Black Friday Deals for Photographers

Black Friday sales are here and we want to keep you up to date on some of the best photography deals available. These savings are only available for a very limited timeframe, so if there's something that piques your interest, make sure to act on it now!

How to Improve Your Wildlife Photography With the Topaz Image Quality Bundle

As a professional nature photographer, Topaz DeNoise is an essential part of my workflow. I had heard about it for years, but since I owned Lightroom and Photoshop, I didn’t add Topaz into my software library until last spring. I was late to the party, but at least I can save you the trouble. Just DeNoise alone is worth every penny. Come see why.

Color Grading in Capture One: Easy, Powerful, Fast

Before getting into the thick of this article, there is an important distinction that needs to be addressed when discussing the coloring of images (and video, for that matter), and that’s between color correction and color grading.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Beach Time" Challenge

GuruShots is a photography site that hosts "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” In their latest challenge, they invited participants to submit their best photos of "Beach Time." There was such a great variety of seascapes and ideas incorporated into the challenge set. There were thousands of entires and millions of votes but the winners of the challenge were decided.  Check out the three winners as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

How I Created the Ultimate Photobooth for My Wedding

A wedding photo booth can be one of the most entertaining and memorable activities at your wedding. They can also be a total dud and waste of money. In this video, I share my top tips for building a successful photo booth for my wedding!

5 Fan Favorite Capture One Features (Plus a Bonus)

If you’re reading this, the likelihood is that you’re looking for better software to treat your images. The quest to find the best photo editing software is not necessarily an easy one, but it is a necessary one. While you may change camera bodies, lenses, lights, locations, and styles, the one constant that touches all your images is the software used to develop them.

How I Got the Shot: Lighting Studio Portrait With Photo Backdrop

We are not always fortunate to have the perfect background that matches the total vision of a shoot. The same goes for having a huge budget to build the set, which leaves a few options. Spend the time with compositions or use a printed backdrop to complete the scene. To save time, at least in my case, I opted to go with a printed backdrop for the shoot since there would be multiple images. 

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 5: Mount Baker and Picture Lake

Sometimes, you don’t have to stray too far to find what you’re looking for. After traveling the coast and sharing our journey with you, our Pacific Northwest Escape has come to an end with a stop in our own backyard, where Mother Nature’s beauty is on full display. 

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 4: San Francisco

Over the last year and a half, we’ve all realized the importance of connections. And as the world grapples with how to connect at a time when we’ve become increasingly isolated, there’s nothing better than finding symbols of hope in the real world.

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 3: Natural Bridges in Oregon

The pandemic has forced many of us to stay home. But that doesn’t mean we can’t experience the wonder of our own backyard. And in the Pacific Northwest, there’s so much to explore. The last year or so has provided us with an opportunity to be inspired by Mother Nature and inspire other budding photographers by showing them the magic of America through our lens.

The Best Images From GuruShots 'Minimalist Shots' Challenge

GuruShots is a website that hosts "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” and it's latest challenge has drawn some attention. Participants were invited to submit their best images of "Minimalist Shots." Thousands of people entered and millions of votes were cast for their favorites. Check out the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 2: Driving to Oregon

If you were inspired by the majestic beauty of Washington State’s North Cascades in the first leg of our Pacific Northwest Escape (you can read all about the adventure here), wait until you see the magic of Oregon’s coastline through our lens.

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 1: Helicopter Shooting the North Cascades

Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, sits one of America’s most majestic spots — and every photographer’s dream. Often called the American Alps, North Cascades National Park features endless opportunities to capture America in all its striking glory. But before you point and shoot, you need to know where to look.

SmugMug Source Preview: Say Goodbye to NAS Servers and Hello to the Best Cloud Storage Yet

SmugMug, a household name when it comes to online image hosting, has developed a new service called Source. Already known for their incredible functions in online display and sales of images, SmugMug is taking the next leap towards providing photographers with new, never-seen-before cloud storage and management service for next to nothing.

Zoner Photo Studio X Changed My Professional Photography Workflow

Every time a piece of software catches attention, a question many photographers ask is how useful it is in a professional workflow. This is exactly what this article is aimed to answer about Zoner Photo Studio X. I used it in a professional photography workflow and saw how it could be integrated. 

We Review the New Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens

As a working professional, I rely on my gear and need it to perform in all conditions. Recently, I was given the opportunity to field-test the new Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD. It may just surprise you, as it did me.

The Top Five Photography Spots in Socotra: This Place Is Beautiful

Socotra is one of the most stunning places on the planet to photograph. Its strikingly white sand dunes and breathtaking dragon blood trees certainly have a lot to do with it. But there’s way more to love about one of the planet’s most biodiverse islands.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Mostly Black" Challenge

GuruShots is a photography site that hosts "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” In their latest challenge, they invited participants to submit their best photos of "Mostly Black." I loved seeing the variety of images and mood this challenge set. There were thousands of entires and millions of votes but the winners of the challenge were decided.  Check out the three winners as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

PortraitPro 21 Is Here and Better Than Ever

Retouching portraits is a crucial process, but it is also highly time-consuming, particularly if you are working with a large batch of images. PortraitPro 21 is here, and it brings a wide variety of intelligent features that will streamline your workflow and save you a ton of time.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Impressive Architecture" Challenge

GuruShots is a photography website that hosts "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” In their latest challenge, they invited participants to submit their best photos of "Impressive Architecture." The challenge received thousands of entries and millions of votes. You can see the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

ACDSee Photo Studio's Color Wheels Are Great for Refining Color in Travel Photos

In my look at the new features of ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021, I was excited to see the inclusion of color wheels and tone wheels. I first started using this style of editor in video production; it’s a big part of what gives stylized video like Mad Max its distinctive look. When editing photos, however, it’s a great, intuitive way of working with the luminosity and color ranges in your image.

Fstoppers Reviews the Newly Launched Gura Gear Chobe 2.0

Gura Gear, a company known for its durable on-the-go focused bags, is back with an update to its Chobe shoulder bag. This time around, it comes in two different sizes and multiple configurations, but maintains that same excellent construction of the original bag. Let’s take a look at the new Chobe 2.0.

The Tone Wheels in Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 Are Powerful Editing Tools

Color is one of the most important aspects in photography. If you've read any of my previous articles, color is the thing that I'm frequently yapping on about, because it really is crucial. It's what gives many images that emotional connection that we feel and that connection can make or break an image. 

Tips on How to Edit a Promo Video

Producing a promotional video is one of the tougher kinds of content to produce as a videographer. These types of videos tend not to be super long; however, the impact they're required to make is what put them in that challenging category. In a recent video, we offer up some valuable tips to help you edit your promos more effectively. 

Are AI Features Taking Over Photo Editing? Is It Time to Panic or Celebrate?

Serious and pro photographers can't help but notice that AI is creeping into our craft. Maybe "creeping in" is not the correct metaphor. It's actually rushing toward just about every software application we use. Luminar was an early adopter, and their upcoming Luminar AI, well, it has AI in its name.

The Best Images from GuruShots "Incredible Architecture" Challenge

GuruShots, host of "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” has released yet another fantastic challenge. Participants were invited to submit their best photos of "Incredible Architecture." The challenge received thousands of entries and millions of votes. Check out the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

Photo Studio Ultimate 2021's Color Wheel Tool Will Change the Way You Edit Color

ACDSee's brand new edition of Photo Studio Ultimate has arrived on the scene and offers a powerful new tool to revolutionize color editing in your photography workflow. With plenty of fantastic new features, upgrades to old favorites, and a few time-saving innovations, this software is a strong contender in the world of photo editing.

This New Modular Hardshell Backpack Is Close to Perfect

There's no lack of choice when it comes to camera bags anymore, with new arrivals happening almost every month. So. it takes more than a polished marketing campaign to catch a useful level of attention, and this newcomer is more than that.

PHOTOPLUS 2020 Moves Online, Make Sure You Attend the Launch: Register Now for Free

Earlier this year, as COVID-19 was growing into the problem it is now, many photography trade shows were either canceled or postponed. This was a huge disappointment for many, including myself. Fortunately, one of the my favorite shows is bringing the experience online and from the looks of it there's lots to look forward to. 

Will Off Camera Flash Make The iPhone a Professional Camera?

The day has finally come when photographers can sync their powerful off-camera flashes with their Apple iPhone using Profoto's new AirX syncing system. Being the skeptic I am, I had to see for myself if using 500 Ws of powerful strobe light with your cell phone was simply a gimmick or potentially an industry game-changer. Today, I'm left swallowing my pride. 

Canvases: Affordable Art for the Nomadic Lifestyle

I move a lot. It’s kind of my thing. In the past sixteen years, I’ve called fourteen different places home and I’m currently packing up and getting ready to move again. One thing I’ve discovered over the years is that lightweight, self-contained art — like canvases — is easier and safer to move. I’m always open to trying out different vendors for printed products, so I was excited to give 365Canvas a try and see if their products would work well for my nomadic lifestyle.

How the Datacolor SpyderX Photo Kit Can Improve Your Photos

Color is one of the most important things to photographers, but surprisingly, we often do not do everything we can and should do to ensure our colors are accurate and consistent. Datacolor's SpyderX Photo Kit makes it easier than ever to make sure your colors are spot on from the moment you press the shutter to the final export, and Datacolor is offering it for 50% off. Let's look at how it can help you. 

EaseUS RecExperts: A Powerful Screen Recorder for Both Beginners and Professionals

One of the most useful tools that I bought in the last few years was a screen recorder. For many of our YouTube videos, having a screen recorder has been extremely useful, be it for comparison or simply to show a technique in Photoshop or Lightroom. Recently, I've been testing the EaseUs RecExperts' screen recording software, and it's by far the best I've used. 

Three Lighting Setups Every Photographer Can Use

Being a good photographer often means knowing where to position your lights to create the desired effect. However, the placement of your lights is only part of the equation; sometimes, it's just as important to set the color of your lights as well. In today's video, I'll show you three different lighting setups that also use color to alter the final images. 

The Best Images from GuruShots "World of Water" Challenge

GuruShots, creator of "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” hosts hundreds of various themed challenges open for anyone to enter. They recently hosted a challenge entitled "World of Water" that received thousands of entries and had millions of votes. Check out the three winners of the challenge below as well as the 100 top rated images.