Recent Workshops Articles

Those Glowing Mushrooms (Part 2): 7 Steps to Processing Your Own Fantasy World

The weather outside is heinous. Seemingly perpetual rain batters the windows as we fire up the computer. The northern autumn is definitely on our doorstep and one of the first signs of this change of seasons is the increasing number of mushrooms in the forest. We’ve bagged 69 shots of just one composition previously and this is a great time to post-process them. Let’s get into Lightroom before more fungi start to come up after the showers have passed. Let your imagination run wild with the post-processing of glowing mushrooms that are straight out of a fantasy film. Here is how I process my own little fantasy world.

Those Glowing Mushrooms (Part 1): 6 Steps to Photographing Your Own Fantasy World

As the northern autumn draws closer, bizarre little creatures pop up all over the temperate forest. On the forest floor, underneath hedgerows and on trees, alive or the ones who have fallen. Fungi are the cleaning crew of the forest as they take care of layers of fallen deadwood and provide nutrients back to the forest. Surely they are great subjects for macro photography. Like everyone else, I’m looking to find their reproductive organs: Mushrooms. They let our imagination run wild as these little toadstools hint of fantasy worlds when photographed in a certain way. This is how I recreate my own little fantasy world.

A Look Back At Fstoppers Workshops 2015 And Our Plans For The Future

When we created Fstoppers five years ago, we always knew that eventually we would host a live event of some kind. In 2013 we started planning for our first ever live photography workshop that would take place in the Bahamas the following year. Our first workshop proved to be far more complicated and expensive than we ever imagined but it was an amazing experience so we decided to attempt it one more time in 2015.

Recap: Final Day of The Fstoppers Workshop in The Bahamas

Well, we've just ended our last day in the Bahamas and it holds true that days fly by. Our final classes just ended and I'm almost positive everyone is going back to their rooms to nap before our last night on the island.

Recap: Day Four of Fstoppers Workshop in The Bahamas

We're almost to our fifth day in the Bahamas and it's getting hot down here! Our second round of classes kicked off today with a new set of students in each class. Tonight our second round of instructor dinners starts as well as our second drink and mingle.

Recap: Day Two of Fstoppers Workshop in the Bahamas

We're nearing the end of day two down here in the Bahamas and it's safe to say everyone is working their tails off! We had classes that started at 6 a.m. and are still going strong.

Recap: Day One of Fstoppers Workshop in the Bahamas

We're about ready to head to the welcome party down at the Fstoppers Workshop in the Atlantis, and gaging from the use of the hashtag, our attendees are livin' rough. Here's a recap of some of the classes and behind-the-scenes photos.

Follow Fstoppers On Periscope For The Bahamas Workshops Behind the Scenes

Were you not able to attend this year's Fstoppers Workshops in the Bahamas? Well if you want to check out some of fun behind the scenes action live follow us on Periscope. Basically Periscope is a live video streaming app that will allow you to shadow some of the top photographers in the biz including Peter Hurley, Pye Jirsa, Julia Kuzmenko, Aaron Nace, Mike Kelley, and more.

Matthew Jordan Smith Discusses a Long Fashion Career and Tyra Banks’ ANTM

When a fashion photographer travels between both coasts of the U.S., shoots assignments in the Caribbean islands, and spans the continents of Europe and Asia for work, it’s safe to say he’s “made it.” Living through those experiences when the stakes are so high prepares you for anything – and that’s experience from which we are all lucky to learn.

Win Two Free Classes at Fstoppers Workshops in the Bahamas with Monte Isom and Erik Valind


Fellow Fstoppers instructor Erik Valind and I, Monte Isom, have come up with a contest that offers the whole package to aspiring and working photographers. In my class I'll be teaching how to break into the advertising business and land those large budget jobs to make photography a career instead of just a hobby. Erik will be teaching a class about controlling light with speedlights, where you'll learn to maximize natural light as well as how to light on small to medium budget productions.

Fashion Photography And The Sound of Music

During the course of my 28-year photo career I’ve learned a lot from simply watching great movies, but watching great movies alone isn’t enough. You have to practice once you’ve been exposed to new information. We all love watching movies, and today I’d like to share an exercise you can do after watching a classic movie to become a better photographer.

10 Things I Learned From Interviewing Fashion Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith

Matthew Jordan Smith has gained a reputation as one of the industry's top fashion photographers and also as one of the leading photography educators. Those of us who have seen Smith teaching or in interviews have been left with the same impression: he is a photographer and instructor that is forthcoming, sincere, and passionate. My experience in interviewing him proved all of these to be correct. Smith was both very candid and insightful, and here are 10 takeaways from my interview.

Here are the Winners of the 2015 Fstoppers Workshops Contests

The 2015 Fstoppers Workshops is right around the corner, and 2 weeks ago we launched one final contest. Today 5 lucky winners will receive a free spot in a class of their choosing and one of those winners will receive an additional free class, a paid flight to the Bahamas, and a free hotel room for the 6 day event. If you entered this contest through one of our 5 social media platforms you definitely need to keep reading!

Win a Free Trip to Fstoppers 2015 Photography Workshop In the Bahamas

UPDATE: Two More Days! The second Fstoppers Workshops is only two months away, and just like last year we want to give someone the photography experience of a lifetime. On March 19th we are going to give away 5 free classes away to 5 lucky photographers. Our grand prize winner will recieve 2 workshops and we will also cover the cost of their flight and hotel.

Fstoppers Talks With Professional Photographers Live Friday March 13th

Join Patrick and Lee of Fstoppers on Spreecast TONIGHT at 8:30 EST as they talk with a few of the top photographers teaching at the 2015 Fstoppers Workshops. We will be talking about our upcoming event in the Bahamas while our guests will be answering questions from our audience. Any topic is fair game so if you want to ask questions about business, retouching, lighting, marketing, or gaining commercial clients the floor will be yours.

The Complete Guide To Product Photography and Retouching | RGG EDU

PRO.edu has released its newest tutorial, "The Complete Guide to Product Photography and Retouching." This in-depth tutorial features over 20 hours of content on shooting and retouching, taught by Tony Roslund. The tutorial is currently available and being sold with a $25-off early-bird discount, this week only. Use the promo code 25OFF to recieve the discount at checkout. RGG brings us a curriculum based approach to teaching photography with 55 Pre-production, 11 Photo Shoot, and 11 Retouching tutorial videos.

The Winner For The Fstoppers Workshops Announced Below | PRO EDU

Last week we announced a contest for an all access pass to PRO EDU's workshops down in the Bahamas this year with the Fstoppers & Rob Grimm. Thanks to everyone that entered the contest sponsored by Black Rapid, ROSCO, and Resolution Rentals. Below are the winners!

Win An All Access Pass To The Fstoppers Workshops + 40 Other Prizes This Week ONLY

This week we are giving away 41 prizes to 41 photographers and winning couldn't be any easier. We've got boxes full of camera straps from Black Rapid, gel flash packs from ROSCO, lens rental gift certificates from Resolution Rentals, and an all access pass to the Fstoppers workshop with Rob Grimm and PRO EDU. Winning has never been easier and takes a few minutes.

CONTEST WEEK | WIN An All Access Pass To The Fstoppers Workshops + 40 Other Prizes From PRO EDU

Over the next week we are giving away 41 prizes to 41 people that include free rentals for gear & lenses from Resolution Rentals, camera straps from Black Rapid, gel flash packs from ROSCO, and a $3,000 all access pass to the Fstoppers workshops with PRO EDU and Rob Grimm. A total of 41 people will be picked for these prizes so your odds of winning are pretty good. Winners will be announced here Friday February 27th. Check below for the details on how to win.

Only 6 Seats Left in Pye and Justin's Wedding Photography Workshop

If you're planning on attending Lin and Jirsa's Ultimate Wedding Workshop 101 down in the Bahamas you will want to act fast. With only 6 seats left in this class, Pye and Justin will be covering proper exposure and how to shoot in manual, how to pose your couples, how to modify natural light, on and off camera flash, and much more. If you have seen the wedding work of Lin and Jirsa Weddings then you know Pye, Justin, and the rest of their team are at the pinnacle of the wedding genre. Their 101 workshop takes place May 13th through May 14th.

Master Studio Lighting For Products, Beverages, and Glass In This 2-Day Workshop - Only A Few Spots Left

This May Rob Grimm from PRO EDU is hosting two workshops in the Bahamas designed to build your knowledge of studio lighting & compositon for food, beverage, & product photography. Come spend a week with us building images and learning the ins and outs of the industry, working with clients, pricing, and everything in between. Th best part is that you get a $1,000 gift certificate to PRO EDU to re-take the classes and master post-production.

Learn To Become A Conceptual Photographer with Fstoppers and Phlearn

Why It's Awesome?

Aaron Nace and the Phlearn team have designed this Photography & Compositing Essentials Class for the beginner photographer looking to enter the world of compositing and conceptual photography. A successful composite image requires a strong concept, solid lighting and posing fundamentals, and quality Photoshop skills. Based off the workflow of one of the best-known conceptual photographers, this class will teach you the essential skills to create your own composite images.

2015 Workshop Trailer

Video of Fstoppers Workshops 2015 -...
Patrick and Lee Answer Everyone's Questions About Fstoppers Workshops 2015

If you missed last years Fstoppers Photography Workshops in the Bahamas, you may not know what it's all about. From May 13th -19th we Fstoppers will once again have 20 different photography workshops take place at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. In this video Lee and Patrick answer everyone's top questions about the event.

Meet Rob Grimm | Food & Beverage Fstoppers Workshop Instructor

This May will be the second year in a row Rob Grimm will teach two studio lighting and composition classes at the Fstoppers workshops in the Bahamas. After selling out early last year, Rob will be leading two multi-day classes that focus on lighting, composition, and styling for two different workshops. The best part is you also get a $1,000 gift certificate to PRO EDU for going to take what you learned even further.

Win Free Access To Fstoppers Photography Workshops In The Bahamas

On May 13th - 17th of this year Fstoppers is once again putting on an incredible event for photographers. 10 of the top photographers in the industry today will be teaching 20 different courses in the Bahamas at Atlantis Resort. This is your chance to win a free class of your choice worth up to $1500.

How to Photograph and Retouch a Hotel Room in 15 Minutes

Last year at my workshop in the Bahamas, my students challenged me to photograph a hotel room in under five minutes. They then wanted to see how fast I could retouch it, and I've decided to do it again, this time capturing it on camera, to show everyone what is possible with only a few minutes on location, a bit of Photoshop knowledge, and of course a lot of practice in the art of previsualization!

Reserve Your Seat At The Fstoppers Workshops 2015 for $500

The Fstoppers Workshops is back again for 2015 with the best photography workshops on the incredible island of Nassau in the Bahamas. If you are planning on coming but do not have the full amount saved, you can reserve all of your photography workshops for just $500 before they sell out.