Fun Photography Experiment: Inside a Camera Obscura

We all have cameras and know how to operate them. But how well do you understand the image forming principles? Modern technologies spoil us and we are often not required to possess any knowledge about the process behind the functions of a device. However, such knowledge can lead you to fun experiments like the one I am going to share with you today.

This Is Most Impressive Sports Video I've Ever Seen

Yes this is a photography website, and no this video doesn't really have anything to do with photography. But being that I own this website and I'm excited to go snowboarding in a few weeks I thought I'd share this incredible video of all of the best snowboard tricks from the last year.

How a Photography Business Became a Shipwreck

Why do some photography businesses fail? Training courses talk about how to make a business work, but overlook the commonplace mistakes. This is how not to run a business, with five lessons from a photography business that stank and sank.

Compact and Always by Your Side: We Review the Leica Q3

Many have waited for it patiently, and even more can only dream of affording it, but there is one thing you simply cannot deny: the Leica Q3 is a damn good camera. Is it worth the price? To many Leica lovers, undoubtedly. To you? Well, let’s see what it offers first.

Trey Ratcliff's New Camera Bag Made Over $500k In 20 hours On Kickstarter

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know who Trey Ratcliff was until a few months ago. Being that I was engulfed in landscape photography for the last 10 months of my life, Trey's name eventually came up in conversation. If you didn't know, Trey is "the most followed photographer in the world" and now he has created a camera bag.

How to Shoot Surfing at Night

About two years ago, in the spirit of adventure and creativity, I decided I was going to try and photograph the ocean with artificial lighting. I had an image in my head of all the things I’ve seen in daylight hours, with the stark contrast of an illuminated wave against a dark backdrop. A run-of-the-mill day down at the beach certainly wasn’t going to do either. We were going to go straight to the top and shoot the biggest and meanest waves we could find.

B&H Takes a First Look at the Fujifilm GFX 50S

They compare the usability to that of the X-T2 but with a larger sensor. The camera boxes a 51.4mp Bayer sensor and not an X-Trans sensor like you will get in the X-Pro and X-T camera line-ups. It looks well-built, just like what you would get from Fujifilm, and it looks usable in many photographic environments, in studio or on location.

What's Your Deal Breaker When It Comes to Buying a New Camera?

You’ve done your research and looked at all the different options available and finally made a decision on which camera to buy. Then at the last minute you learn about something that’s an absolute deal breaker and you pull the plug. What is one thing that would stop you from buying a particular camera?

Instagram: The Death of Original Perception and Photographs

I recently read an insightful Instagram post, made by Outside magazine. In this post, creative director Emma Sheffer spoke of a loss of originality and the current saturation of homogeneity in Instagram feeds. With her comments, I couldn't agree more.

Can GTA 5 Can Teach Us To Be Better Photographers?

Grand Theft Auto 5, which launched yesterday, is the most expensive video game ever produced, at a cost of $250 million of production and marketing costs. It also set records for day one sales. Most of the short time I played over the last day was spent inside the house one of the one of the main protagonists. I moved from room to room and realized I’d just spent almost an hour trying to work out how to position the character for best dramatic lighting effect. As I stepped outside and watched the sunset and saw the lighting change, it got me thinking - can Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 5 actually help us to improve our photography?

Great Trick for Pouring Liquid in a Product Shot

Photographer Rob Grimm has posted a nice little BTS of his 'Micro Brewery Project' - where the photographs feature some various beers from the United States based on "unique bottle design, label, and/or flavor profile." The video starts out with a great, little trick for creating an even pour in a photo. The bottle itself is clamped in place, but by using twine, nail polish remover and fire, you can cleanly remove the bottom.

Why I Moved to Fuji X Cameras for Engagement Work

As mirrorless cameras get better and better, the temptation to lose the weight and bulk of the DSLR is becoming very large for many photographers. Wedding photographers like V Opoku are opting for the smaller footprint of the Fujifilm X-Series, as is famed Music and Editorial Photographer Zack Arias. Humanitarian Photographer David DuChemin also has them in the mix, and much of his beautiful work in northern Kenya was shot on these small and light cameras. I have had a slightly tumultuous relationship with these cameras, but have come to love using them so much that I have found ways to work them from a toy for personal work into business.

Are Your Photos Future-Proof?

A number of products premiering at CES 2019 give an indication to the future of photography and videography. Even without new equipment, there are some changes you can make to ensure your images and video are ready for the future.

4 Things I Was Never Told When Becoming a Photographer 

Photography may seem like a very glamorous career. The entry point is very low, and you can start with 0 investment: just use your phone. However, as you progress further and further, you may encounter that there are several things you didn't expect photographers to do. In this article, I will go through some of those.

Accelerate Your Photo Editing Workflow with Color Lookup Tables

Color lookup tables (also known as LUTs or 3DLUTs) have been a popular tool used by colorists in the video industry for a while and are just starting to find their way into photography. LUTs are a great alternative to actions or expensive plugins that can help speed up your editing workflow.

How to Shoot Big Productions on a Low Budget

Dreaming big is never a bad thing for a photographer. The more imaginative your ideas, the easier it is to stand out amongst your peers. Yet there is often a very real, and very high price tag associated with grand productions. Producing personal projects that you’re passionate about is vital for many photographers in the fashion industry. However, it can be frustrating to lack the funds necessary to bring your vision to life for more ambitious projects. Fortunately, there are many options available to photographers to help them bring that production to life, without breaking the bank in the process.

Lighting Basics - How To Do It Properly And Why You Should Care

You may have the newest DSLR or the fastest lenses known to man, but without even a basic understanding of light, it is going to be an uphill battle to create the images you envision. While this tutorial is directed primarily toward animators, the ideas and concepts within it are applicable to anyone who wants a better understanding of some basic lighting fundamentals.

Fstoppers Reviews the Nikon Z 6II, Is It Worth the Upgrade?

For the first time in history, Nikon released a camera that carries the mark II addition in its name. It is indeed the same camera as the mark I, but with a lot of improvements. I reviewed the Nikon Z 6II to find out if it is worth the upgrade.

Fstoppers Reviews the Zhongyi Lens Turbo II Nikon F to Fujifilm X Focal Reducer

The popularity of adapting lenses from one system to another is undeniable. One thing you might want to do is adapt a lens designed for a larger sensor to a small-sensor camera. For example, adapting a full-frame lens to an APS-C sensor. This is where focal reducers like the Zhongyi Lens Turbo II come in.

No More Re-Composing: Use Your Camera's Custom Functions

I know that I am not the only one that runs into this issue. I set my focal point, get the focus that I want and go to take the shot, only to have my focus change when I re-compose. By going into your camera's custom functions, you can set up your camera so that it will only focus when you hit the star button with your thumb.

The Top 4 Factors That Determine Your Success in Photography or Any Creative Field

So, you want to be a successful photographer? Or retoucher? Or art director? Or just about any other creative field imaginable? It is a treacherous road, ranging from emotional bliss to hopeless depression. Be prepared to battle the fiercest of foes with nothing more than obsessive determination and your arsenal of skills.

Review: NEC's EA275WMI 27-Inch Display Offers a Reasonable Entry Into Professional, Color-Accurate Monitors

It’s hard to pick a component of gear that’s most important for editing your color-dependent photo and video work. But it’s easy to say that a great, accurate, wide-gamut monitor is near the top of that list. NEC recently gave us a chance to review a monitor of theirs that's popular for its balance of features, size, and mid-range price for its tier: the EA275WMI-BK.

Long Exposures on an iPhone: No Tripod Needed

I always have my iPhone with me (it's an iPhone 15 Pro Max), and I've been able to capture some excellent images when I'm without my usual gear. But there are times when I'd like to do some long exposures, and without a tripod, you're up the creek with just an iPhone.