I always say, once you have the core foundations of Photoshop down you are pretty much set. There are plenty of neat tricks to learn, but most of the time the tricks are one-offs.
When I first started incorporating DSLR video into my photography business, I quickly realized that having smooth movement was paramount in creating great footage. In our quest to find the perfect DSLR slider, the Fstoppers team was excited with the announcement of the Redrock Micro's One Man Crew. But would this be the end all be all for sliders...we put it to the test.
Our cameras today are extremely powerful with settings and features that help us archive stellar image quality. But sometimes the images we come home with just don't capture the true essence of what was photographed and what our eyes saw. The photo is just a bit overexposed or underexposed and doesn't capture what we felt in that moment we pressed down on the shutter button. We fiddle and tweak in Photoshop with sliders and brushes, but there is another tool to add to the arsenal: masks. Specifically, luminosity masks.
Colorists and video production folks are already familiar with LUTs (Lookup Table) and likely already use them for color grading videos. This is the next level for working with LUTs.
St. Louis Wedding Photographer Sal Cincotta shares his strategies for pricing wedding photography packages, how to use "pull through" and when to adjust to fit the market.
I awoke Friday morning to see a heart-wrenching Facebook post from a friend of mine. She had knocked her camera into a lake.
The Sony a7S II was a popular camera, but photographers and filmmakers have been waiting for the third iteration in the series for a few years now, with some beginning to wonder if it will ever make it to the market. The good news is that Sony has confirmed that we can expect the a7S III later this year with some major changes.
Wider was always better when I first began photographing landscapes. As an amateur photographer and outdoor enthusiast, all I wanted to do was cut down on weight in my pack when heading off on long, adventure-filled days in the mountains. But slowly my focus shifted from going out to hike, while maybe capturing beautiful moments, to fully focusing my time and attention on capturing beautiful landscapes. Hiking became the mode of transportation while photography became the reason for heading to the mountains.
So many tripod choices out there for photographers to choose from, but where does one start? This time, we're looking at two affordable options suitable both for professionals as well as amateurs.
Fuji’s latest camera in their popular X-Series line up, the X-T1, has been officially announced. Although I wrote a brief summary of the features and spec’s being passed around the rumor mill, the official announcement has just been made so we can now confirm details.
Let me preface this article by saying that I LOVE Billy and the rest of the team at Resource. I’ve shared quite a few hung-over mornings with you guys at misc. photo conferences and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I would also like to note that I disagree with much of the article that they just ran.
Adobe is updating its video applications and adding new features across the board. Many of these features include improvements for editing virtual reality content, smarter automated tasks, and some other features modeled after Final Cut 7, which Apple announced will not be supported in its upcoming MacOS High Sierra update.
After finally taking my first flight with all my gear, Vin and I made it to where we needed to go. Having the gear and keeping your eye on it is probably the biggest concern when it comes to traveling. I want to give some fellow travelers some advice on gear and transporting it when needed.
With July coming to an end, summer in the North East is in full swing and what better time to get out and shoot than the present. Whether you are shooting portraits or landscapes, in the daylight or under the stars, sometimes the best way to stay motivated and make sure you are having fun with your photography is to keep things simple. While I don’t go bare-bones with one camera and a lens, if I am out adventuring, chasing a sunset, or on a day trip hiking through the forest, I like to keep my gear minimal. While each piece of equipment has various uses, here is a look into my camera bag and different ways you can use each piece of equipment.
A couple weeks ago, fellow Fstoppers writer Peter House wrote an article on focusing your work. I got excited at the possibilities of him giving tough love on the photography community as a whole. This article however, while exceptional, was centered on focusing your business efforts to grow to new clients. I’m here to do it a little different, and going to tell you what you're doing wrong and why you need to stop.
Let’s face it. Film photography is having a bit of a moment, and the growth in popularity is exponential. The question is: is it a fad or is it going to be around for a while?
It's official! The world's fastest mirrorless camera lens is going to be shipping worldwide in the very near future. With a 40mm focal length perfect for many situations, the lens is topped with a maximum aperture of f/0.85. The prime lens is now in stock based on their press release. Looks like the Voiglander 17mm f/0.95 has some competition now!
That’s right, I said it: If you aren’t sharing content on Instagram, you are shutting the door on a world of potential opportunities! With over 200 million users, this social network has the power to become one of your most important means of promoting your photography business.
Passive income, the Holy Grail of personal finances. Who wouldn’t want to make money from all those old photos without having to lift a finger? With that in mind, I’m going to share with you my own experiences as a casual photographer selling my existing back catalog of digital photos online. It’s been an interesting experience to say the least and I even made a little money.
We are quite familiar to the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, and perhaps the Fibonacci spiral. We know how to use it in photography, more or less, and we all have heard about breaking these composition rules. But perhaps you should use composition theory instead.
Many photographers rely on their 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.4 lenses to give that dreamy, narrow depth of field look to their portraits. These two lenses have become a staple for portrait, headshot, wedding, and boudoir photographers who enjoy the soft look that comes with a narrow depth of field and natural lighting. But what happens when you want to create a similar effect in the studio, where your strobes are often too powerful for shooting wide open? Today, I'm going to share with you a fairly unconventional lighting technique that will allow you to shoot your lenses wide open in the studio.
How many bags do you travel with for landscape photography? Two or three depending on the trip duration? How about one carry-on sized backpack for a year of travel?
Sexual harassment and abuse are real within the industry; there's no denying that. By now, I am sure you have heard about the Hollywood news and all the allegations against Producer Harvey Weinstein coming out, spanning over decades where he used his power and influence on models and actresses to get away with sexual misconduct. Weinstein isn’t the only one in the industry facing these accusations, and it seems like more allegations are coming out, including ones against Terry Richardson.
Well renowned portrait photographer Gregory Heisler in his interview above with Maine Media Workshops + College, shares invaluable insight and advice for photographers. Heisler begins with a funny incedent that took place when he was starting off as a photographer. From there he goes on covering everything from the mistakes he made in business, to understanding and developing your unique style in photography.
Analyzing data from thousands of film photographs, this scientific analysis sought to assess the characteristics of film photographs that are associated with success on social media.
Coloring outside the lines is a good metaphor for when a photographer decides to take a leap outside the norm in a photographic genre.
Ah July 4th. For us in the United States, this national holiday calls for hot dogs, beer and most importantly fireworks. YouTuber Jos Stinglingh may have published this video of a DJI Phantom 2 and a GoPro a couple months ago in West Palm Beach, Florida, but there are few dates more apt to view it than today.
Panasonic’s latest and greatest cameras will have a much better chance of success.
Visual effects have been a huge part of the movie industry since well... movies began. Adding that extra little touch of magic makes a movie that much better and there are millions of ways to do that.
Having spent years photographing the night sky from the Milky Way to exploding meteors to man-made space junk disintegrating in the atmosphere, I thought I had seen it all. Then I drove as far north into Canada as you can possibly go, and everything changed.
