Sponsored Content

Modernity has brought increased convenience and comfort to countless lives, but there have been unintended consequences as well. Increasing urbanization has caused more and more people worldwide to lose their primal connection with nature, something that is almost impossible to replace by technology alone. The brilliant river of stars known as the Milky Way that has dominated the night sky and human imaginations since time immemorial is no longer visible to one third of the Earth’s population, and 80 percent of Americans. This is especially tragic for photographers.

The entire Fstoppers office and many of the Fstoppers writers are at PPE this year. Today we will be wandering around the convention center and we hope you'll come say hello. Tonight at 8pm we're throwing a small get-together with a few big names in the industry.

One of the biggest hits at a wedding reception (or any event) is the photobooth. It’s an area where guests can gather around and make ridiculous faces, dress in silly props, and have an overall great time. When running a photography business that shoots events, we are always asked if we offer photobooth services, so I think it's a natural evolution to want to incorporate one into your packages. When I first found the booth from Photobooth Supply Co, it instantly stood out from all the other options.

It's about time for a new approach. There are a few online stores and stock libraries where you can get templates, videos, and music that help you save time when creating professional videos. Some of them can get really tricky when dealing with prices and licensing.  

[UPDATE] The winners have been announced! Check out the winners page to see some incredible video editing.

Filmsupply and Musicbed have partnered up to bring you a film competition that could change your life. Without having to shoot one frame of footage, you could win up to $100,000 in cash, prizes, and incredible experiences. Although you're not restricted to only using their content, this competition allows you to tap into the huge libraries of both Musicbed and Filmsupply to create and submit your 60-second film. Check out the submission guidelines below.

As an entertainment and tour photographer, Susannah Brittany primarily shoot stills and video shots for some of the world’s top pop and country music artists. This basically involves shooting all day long: while they are doing media interviews or meet and greets, of/during travel on the bus, behind the scenes content of the artists getting ready or in-between shows, and then of course, while they are performing. Her work ends up being used used for new media distribution, including YouTube, social media, and sizzle reels.

The winners of the contest have been chosen. Congratulations to:

Joshua Jeppesen

Hector Reyes

Ian Johns

We will be in touch with you via your Fstoppers messaging system to receive your prize! Thank you to everyone who participated.

You don’t need the best gear to take good photos, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have them. PRO EDU just dropped the covers on their latest tutorial featuring one of world’s greatest, two-time winner of the esteemed “International Photographer of the Year Award”, Sandro Miller.

Helped by great design, marketing, and a superb product to boot, Syrp’s motorized time-lapse aid, the Genie, became incredibly popular with photographers. As the product that launched the company on Kickstarter three years ago, it was a premium offering, though. And sometimes, it’s useful to have something fantastic in a “light” version. Enter the Genie Mini.

Most photographers get into the field to pursue their passion; it's when they start to plan the business aspects that they hit the road bumps. Most experienced photographers will tell you that you can't expect to get booked simply because you have good pictures. The only way to become relevant in your niche is to consistently stay in front of your audience. Social media plays a huge part in this – it gives you exposure to your target audience, peers in the industry, and experts at the same time. It is thus an invaluable resource for getting new opportunities and growing your business. Here are 5 tips to help you get the best out of social media.

HEX is a creative brand, and photographers are creative people. Just like we as photographers want our shots to be our own, we want our camera bags to have a unique look. That's just what HEX did through design, aesthetics, and protective elements - they designed HEX camera bags for the modern photographer. We reviewed the HEX DSLR Sling and DSLR Backpack; here's what we thought.

[UPDATE: A winner has been chosen. Congratulations to Verginiya Yancheva for getting 48 upvotes for her image! Check out her winning image below.]

We are teaming up with Moleskine and MILK to give away one of their new Leather Albums (valued at $795), and YOU are all judges! Submit your images, and the Fstoppers Community will upvote their favorite image which they believe "belongs in an album." There are just two simple steps to enter! 

Smartphones get a bad rap. They’re ruining the photography business, they’re the downfall of society - you know, that sort of thing. Wedding photographers complain about the glare of screens dotting the aisle like a runway landing strip. Newborn photographers cringe when mom shoots over their shoulder. Clients text you at all hours of the night, not realizing your “work phone” is sitting on your bedside table. But as much as we hate on smartphones, we can’t ignore that they’ve given us the ability to network, communicate, and market in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago. Here’s how to use your smartphone to build your business more effectively. 

This week, I was able to watch Karl Taylor's "Making Money From Your Photography" tutorial. As a young photographer, I learned a ton from this three-hour tutorial and believe that any photographer, regardless of age or experience, could learn something new. 

Although the summer heat is still lingering, fall is swiftly approaching. It's that time again: time to hit the books and head back to school. Books are expensive, but we have some exciting news: The New York Institute of Photography is giving three lucky winners their choice of a free photography course! There are just three easy steps to enter for your chance to win. 

What do you keep in your camera bag that helps you stay inspired and creative? The team over at Format and ONA Bags want to know. They also want to give you $6,000 worth of prizes. Interested? It's really simple to enter the #myOnHand Instagram Contest. 

I’m always fascinated when a photographer uses their talents for a greater cause than themselves. SlickforceGirl is a commercial and creative pinup brand that helps raise awareness for women’s causes and breast cancer. I recently had the opportunity to review creator Nick Saglimbeni’s Mastering Lighting series, and I wanted to sit with Nick to discuss his SlickforceGirl campaign and how he uses the techniques taught in Mastering Lighting within the campaign.

When you think of branding, you might think of the basics: a fantastic logo, a clever tagline, a carefully chosen color palette.

Last month, the creators of MotoCMS, an award winning DIY website building program, ran a Kickstarter campaign for Defrozo, a free display and marketing melding of Smugmug, ShootQ and Zenfolio. What could be more fun than putting up some photos and have the offers pour in, right? I was excited to get started.  Look out, Big Boys, Defrozo is here, and it’s awesome! 

It goes without saying as photographers we prefer gear to be highly attractive in both form and function. Usually taking a hit in one department or the other due in part by price or depth in features, it's never a flawless combination. These two things for many companies is difficult as they balance high-end product design with outstanding thought in function all while fitting it inside an appropriate price point. Enter the perfect blend of both with the Union Street Camera Bag by ONA. It's not just another accessory in the world of camera gear, but rather a perfect pairing of design and functionality that I can truly stand behind and wear with distinction.

Drone technology and camera technology are on converging courses. Photography and flight actually share a twin history of development dating to the turn of the twentieth century, with the Wright brothers’ first flight on the heels of the proliferation of Kodak’s “Brownie” box camera. But thanks largely to the smartphone revolution this convergence is now advancing at a remarkable rate, as core components for both drones and cameras become increasingly smaller and more powerful. It’s easier than ever—and with 3DR’s open copter platforms

We're bringing you great contests hosted by our pals at Viewbug weekly, and this week you can have a chance to win a wall of metal prints valued at $500 and have your photo featured at Miller's booth at Imaging USA 2015. Just show us your best outdoor portrait! 

We're bringing you great contests hosted by our pals at Viewbug weekly, and this week you can have a chance to win a new tripod and camera bag from Vanguard. Just show us a photo that would have been impossible to take without a tripod... Drag that shutter!

We're happy to say that our weekly contests are back, thanks to our friends at Viewbug! Need a new website? Make sure you enter this week's contest to be eligible to win a new website from Squarespace (who I use for my site and love it). All you have to do is impress judge Fefo Bouvier with your best rural scenery photo.

Color management in photography and videography extends well beyond display calibration – it includes color control from beginning to end, from capture to final output. In this article, we’ll explore a new tool that helps you ensure that your image capture is well controlled and that your capture device delivers vibrant accurate color – whether you’re using, for example, one camera on set, different cameras in different lighting conditions, or multiple cameras on set at the same time.

I became a photographer because I love taking photos, and I’m fortunate enough to be one of those lucky few who gets paid to do what they love. That being said, when I got my start in this industry, I don’t think I could have anticipated just how much work was involved in running my own photography business. From taking and editing photos, to filing invoices, to professional networking, there’s no shortage to the number of items that fill my to do list each day.

We’ve teamed up with SanDisk for a product bundle giveaway featuring the Extreme PRO CompactFlash, newly upgraded Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I cards and the Ultra Dual USB Drive to bring you the ultimate memory storage bundle. All you need to do to win is tell us what you will shoot with all that storage space!

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week if you impress the ViewBug community, you could win yourself a feature on Fstoppers.com! The winner's photo will be given a 24 hour feature on our top slider as picture of the day as well as a full featured article.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week, we don't want you to forget to enter to win Adobe Photoshop CC for Photographers, 2014 Release by Martin Evening! All you need to do is share your best photos showing human faces. Be creative!

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week your best "old and rusty" image enters you a chance to win... a mystery prize! Once you submit your image, the prize will be revealed. You could win awesome prizes and have your photo reviewed by renowned photographers. Don't miss out! 

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week you can win the entire suite of Macphun software and an Instax 90 Mini camera. This contest is judged by photographer Karen Hutton.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week you can a solid year of SmugMug Pro by submitting your best photo taken way down at ground level. This contest is judged by commercial photographer Jessica Zollman.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week if you impress the ViewBug community, you could win yourself a feature on Fstoppers.com (we just posted one of those features today)! The winner's photo will be given a 24 hour feature on our top slider as picture of the day as well as a full featured article.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week we want you to win a Canon Rebel T5i, 18-55mm Lens and 32GB EyeFi Mobi as well as 3 months free Eyefi Cloud membership and the opportunity to be featured in an Eyefi advertising campaign or on their website! This is easily one of the best prizes we have been able to offer, so don't miss out! 

Joel Grimes is no stranger to commercial photography. For the last 27 years, Joel has worked for top advertising agencies and corporations across the globe, producing work for clients such as AT&T, Comcast, Hewlett Packard, Hyatt, Procter & Gamble, Visa and countless others. Today and tomorrow, Joel will be sharing what he's learned through the years on CreativeLive.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week, master Photoshop with Adobe Photoshop CC for Photographers, 2014 Release by Martin Evening! All you need to do is share your best photos showing human faces. Be creative!

Jared Polin, aka FRO from FroKnowsPhoto, is teaching a free low-light photography course today through Wednesday on CreativeLive. Using a mix of live shoots and lectures, Jared's course will be a tremendous resource for beginner photographers seeking to confidently approach difficult low-lighting situation such as tight spaces, dark halls and live concerts.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week enter to win a Bumblebee Pro Light Backpack by Manfrotto, while three runners up will receive a 3-in-1 light PRO backpack​. Winners will be selected based on the best images that best show moments in the wilderness!

We've been partnering with Viewbug to host great contests with sweet prizes every week! One of our monthly ongoing contests is to give one entrant a chance to be featured on Fstoppers. Volume 1 of that contest is in the finalil stage, so head on over to see who is in the running to win that feature!

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week if you impress the ViewBug community, you could win yourself a feature on Fstoppers.com! The winner’s photo will be given a 24 hour feature on our top slider as picture of the day as well as a full featured article.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week, you have a chance to win either a National Geographic Earth Explorer Small Backpack or an Earth Explorer Messenger sling bag. Show us your best photo of a journey into nature to win!

When you think of conceptual, high-fashion photo shoots, you imagine big budgets. Turns out, couture shoot concepts don’t have to cost more than $100. Professional photographer Amanda Diaz is demonstrating how to do just that right now during her CreativeLive class aimed to help photographers concept, style, and capture stunning images on a true DIY budget.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week enter your best photo featuring tree trunks to win a WoodSnap Photo Collage worth $1000, with the People's Choice winner nabbing one worth $500. Woodsnap is a nifty way to showcase your images printed as custom wood wall art.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week you can give your GoPro more storage space than ever with a 128GB microSDXC card and adapter (two of these are being given away with 10 more 64GB microSDXC cards to runners up).

Capturing beautiful skin tones is essential to any great portrait, yet skin is notoriously difficult to photograph and retouch. For the next 3 days on CreativeLive, you can join Lindsay to Learn how to handle your subject's skin and add polish to all of your portraits. For the next 3 days, Lindsay will take you through the essentials of understanding, lighting, photographing and retouching skin in all its variations.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week if you impress the ViewBug community, you could win yourself a feature on Fstoppers.com! The winner's photo will be given a 24 hour feature on our top slider as picture of the day as well as a full featured article.

As a photographer, nothing defines your talent more than your ability to capture, create, and place the right light. Award-winning portrait photographer Sue Bryce joins studio lighting wunderkind Felix Kunze for a free, live, lighting masterclass covering the universally most-used portrait scenarios. You will learn how to work with both natural and studio light — so that you are prepared to walk into any environment and take a gorgeous photograph.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week you can Nikon 1 J1 mirrorless camera and a NIKKOR 10-30mm VR Lens by submitting your "Dirt Road" photo. This contest will be judged by Vitaliy Zalishchyker, a photo student based in Hamburg, Germany.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week you can win a Tamron SP 24-70 F/2.8 Di VC USD by submitting your best golden hour photo. This contest will be judged by Michael C. Snell, a travel photographer based in Lawrence, Kansas.

Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! We're starting things off with a bang by giving away your choice of a Canon 5K Mark III or a Nikon D800, arguably two of the best DSLRs on the market. The theme of the contest is "Creative Compositions." The contest will be judged by Dan Carr, a senior photographer for the Canadian ski magazine Skier.