First Impressions Are Everything On Your Instagram Profile

A lot of people came to visit when I shared why most of us are not exactly the best at Instagram due to lack of hustle and effort. When someone takes the time to comment or like a few photos I will usually take the few seconds to go see their profile and immediately judge it. We all do it. Sometimes it is a good impression, but often since the majority of us don't plan the posts much, it is not. There are people out there doing it much better than us though. Let me show you some profiles that have a stunning first impression.

The Analog Look in Lightroom: A Review of RNI’s All Films Pack

There’s a lot of options in the preset and profiles space, but in my experience, one has stood above the rest. If you’re looking to bring a bit of analog spirit to your images, here’s why RNI's All Films 5 pack is the product you should get.

Using Magic Lantern With Focus Peaking For Free-lensing

Magic lantern is by far the best thing to happen to the DSLR cameras. It offers so many options not given to you by the normal Canon firmware that it should be sin not to install it. This is a quick little walkthrough on how I use ML for easy, accurate free-lensing.

Where To Find Photography Models and How To Approach Them

Some photographers go their entire career without deliberately photographing people. However, most of us, at some point, will want or need to photograph people in specific situations. If you’re not used to working with models, here’s some helpful advice on how to go about it. Whether you want to learn portraiture or need to shoot a model for a specific job, this guide will be of use.

Review: Fotodiox's LED is a Modular Monobloc-Style Video Light Worth Having

LED has come a long way in the last three years. It was not too long ago that serious photographers and videographers were having a hard time with the idea of LED. They tended to be under powered and cast unattractive shadows. But there was potential, and that potential is beginning to blossom. Fotodiox’s LED100WA monobloc-style heads are one such shining example of how far LED has come and what can be done with it.

How to Set Up Your Wacom Tablet for Capture One and Why You Should

There aren’t many things photographers unanimously agree on, but the desire to improve post-processing results and reduce the time required to do it is one. With so much of a photographer’s time spent behind a computer, anything that not only expedites but enhances the experience is welcomed with open arms, and using a Wacom pen tablet is one such thing. For Capture One, using a Wacom Tablet can be a real boon, and here’s how.

Print Your Photography: Part Three

It turns out that every different kind of paper out there isn't going to be the right choice for every shot that you have. Sometimes, you'll make the wrong choice and the content won't make sense on the type of paper.

[Contest] The Winner Of A Nikon D800 Or Canon 5D Mark III Is

A few weeks ago Fstoppers teamed up with SLR Lounge for a contest giveaway. The contest wasn't just any contest though; we wanted to give one of our lucky readers either a brand new Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon D800 camera of their choosing. All the entries were in by April 30th, and yesterday we picked our lucky winner. Cross your fingers and say a little prayer before you hit the full post...

And the Winner of the High Megapixel Camera Giveaway Is...

Last month Fstoppers teamed up with SLR Lounge and BH Photo for an exciting camera giveaway. If you missed the entry post, basically we were giving one lucky winner their choice between the Nikon D810, Sony A7RII, and the Canon 5DsR high megapixel cameras. Yesterday we released our own review of all three of these cameras and today we are excited to announce the winner of a brand new camera!

Dynamic Target Tracking Camera Can Follow Fast Moving Objects

When I first saw this video, my jaw was hanging open. This new dynamic target tracking camera is absolutely outstanding, capable of following extremely fast moving objects as well as able to project images on fast moving objects. It's something out of science fiction, and I love it.

3 Ways to Control Natural Light for Portraits

I usually use natural light as my go-to for quick group photos or for portraits that need to be done very quickly or with very little gear. That doesn’t mean you can’t shape or control natural light to create studio quality images wherever you are. Here’s three easy ways to shape natural light for your next portrait shoot.

Fstoppers Interviews Renowned Landscape Photographer Gary Randall

If you don't already follow Gary Randall, I don't think it will take you very long at all to understand why you should be following him. I first ran across Randall's work on 500px back in 2012 when I first joined that site and was looking up landscape photographers to follow. He quickly became one of my all-time favorite landscape photographers and I have been inspired by his work time and time again. I feel lucky that I was able to spend well over an hour on the phone chatting with him, getting to know him a little better, and to learn about his approach to photography.

How Will 5G Change Photography?

5G, the fifth generation of cellular wireless technology, is currently in the process of being rolled out, and it promises blazing fast speeds that rival some of the fastest hard-wired connections. And that has me excited, as it could significantly change the way photographers work.

Sold: The Most Expensive Photography Books

Do you know what the most expensive photography book ever sold was? What would your guess be? How about the most expensive photography books on retail shelves? The rarest or most sought after? Take a few guesses, write them down, and then compare when you get to the end.

Why the Influx of Amateurs Is Not Killing the Industry

Cameras have become so dumbed down in recent years that pretty much anyone can take great shots with even an iPhone or an entry-level camera. Here’s why you do not need to worry about the explosion of mediocre photography impacting your business.

Retouching Skin Utilizing Frequency Separation

When retouching photos of people there are a lot of things to take into consideration, especially when it comes to working on their skin. Retouching skin can be a very tricky thing! It's very easy for it to look too blotchy or too plastic, and normally that is not what you want. My favorite method is frequency separation, and I reference this tutorial by Sara Kiesling often. How do you retouch skin? Let us know in the comments!

DJI Announces Plans to Cripple Unregistered Drones

DJI issued a press release this past Saturday detailing their "new application activation process" that will go into effect at the end of this week. Users who do not register their drones with the site will find their units subject to "restricted operations."

Don't Charge for Time Spent, Charge for Time Lost

When somebody asks how much they should be charging for their service, this is the single best piece of advice I’ve been able to give. It’s hardly unique, but it puts things into a much better perspective. I always suggest justifying your prices, and prevent reduced hours. Here is the problem with charging by the hour, and how I fix it.

10 Simple Tips to Capture Professional Photos With Your Phone

Phone cameras have reached a point where they are capable of taking professional quality images. Whether you're brand new to photography or trying to get the most out of your phone photos on your next vacation, there will be a few tips here for you.
B&H Explora's 14 Favorite Photographers of 2014 and Their Resolutions for the New Year

Recently featured on B&H's Explora blog, the well-established photo and video sales giant compiled a list of some of their favorite photographers and had them discuss what 2014 meant to them and what they plan on doing to make 2015 even better. There are a lot of very talented people on the "Inspiration For The New Year" list, which also includes a few of the writers at Fstoppers. Seeing what each of these photographers are most thankful for in their career and reading what they feel they need to work on is a great chance to put into perspective our individual daily struggle.

Serena Williams Slams NY Times for Erroneously Printing Photo of Venus

Talk about a publishing faux pas. In an interview for Williams' new venture fund, the NY Times mistakenly used an image of her sister, Venus. Covering Serena’s new $111 million fund, the article also referred to her as "Tennis Star" rather than using her name in its headline. In a tweet on March 2nd, Williams called out the NY Times.

Night Photography: Finding Your Way in the Dark (Workshop BTS)

Night photography is a very broad category, open to many different approaches and techniques to create a unique image of the world, or universe around us. The team at Walley Films has done a great job in this video, documenting the night/light painting photo workshop led by Scott Martin and Lance Keimig in Texas. While you won't get the full hands-on workshop experience, hopefully you can pick up some tips or inspiration for your own work.

Bazaar Magazine Fashion Editorial Shot Entirely On Film

These days it's hard to come by a fashion shoot that's not shot with a digital camera. That's why when Fstoppers discovered on a Facebook Film Shooters group that Indonesian based photographers Wirawan Sanjaya and partner Gaillard Mathieu had convinced the editors at Bazaar Magazine to allow him to shoot the entire editorial on film, we just had to reach out! The stakes were high, but his results were stunning.

Five Essential Tips for Protecting Your Camera in the Rain

Embracing inclement weather, such as rain, can help add interest to your landscape photographs. Rain can add richness to colors, atmospheric mist, or even dark, moody clouds for grand scenes. But how do you protect your camera gear in these conditions? Here are five tips to help keep your camera safe.

How to Succeed at a Portfolio Review

The portfolio review is likened to speed dating for good reason — you often have only 20 minutes to make a lasting impression. Whether you are having a one-on-one chat in a prospective client’s office or meeting at a photo festival round robin with several reviewers, here’s some advice for how to succeed… and, hopefully, put yourself in contention for future visual opportunities. As the saying goes, “you never have a second chance to make a first impression.”

In the Field With Nikon's 500mm f/5.6 PF

We dragged Nikon’s new 500mm f/5.6 PF out to the Galapagos islands, up over the Andes, and down into the Amazon jungle to put it through its paces — as well as through numerous rain showers, muddy trails, and squadrons of mosquitos. None of it fazed the lens a bit, though the mosquitos at times drove me a little mad.

Visual Effects Reel Shows The Hard Work That Goes Into The Walking Dead (NSFW)

The Walking Dead is among the hottest shows on television today. The amount of work that goes into the visual production to make this show so spectacular and real often goes unnoticed by its fan base. The latest reel from production company Stargate Studios shows us the amount of work they had to put into the latest season of AMC’s hot television series.