Lessons From My First Two Months as a Location Independent Landscape Photographer

What would it be like to take a year long travel sabbatical to photograph the world? When I started in November, I expected it to look like my last five years of landscape photography trips — just back to back. After just two months of being location independent, it’s fair to say I was pretty far off the mark. Here are seven lessons I’ve learned.

How Useful Is an External Field Monitor for Stills Photographers?

I've watched with interest as videographers use external small monitors attached to their DSLR or mirrorless cameras. I could see the advantages: the larger screen, the ability to see vectorscopes, histograms, and the variety of focus tools available. At the same time, I wondered if a monitor would enhance my landscape and nighttime photography, so I took the plunge, and here are my findings.

What to Do When Your Image Goes Viral on the Internet

Many of us have been there. You upload your work to a social media platform only to find out months later that your photos have gained the attention of the masses. Immediately you start getting bombarded with emails, phone calls, and publications start reaching out. You quickly realize the moment you have always been waiting for is happening right now, but a new reality also sinks in: you have no clue what in the world you are supposed to do with all of this attention. In this video I sit down with Mike Kelley to discuss some of the steps you should take to capitalize on your viral photo series.

Review of the Sony a9 Mark III Without Focusing Too Much on the Global Shutter

When the Sony a9 Mark III is mentioned, it is all about the global shutter. While there is a benefit from this kind of sensor readout, the camera is much more than that. Although the global sensor needs to be mentioned, I want to look beyond that one single thing everyone seems to be obsessed about.

How Photographing Skylines Made Me a Better Photographer

Photographing skylines and cityscapes takes a lot of technical ability, both in knowing what gear to bring and how to capture a variety of lighting conditions. Many photographers have made careers out of perfecting this genre, taking it even further by mixing in astrophotography, light painting, and even motion. Whether you're looking to explore your own backyard or get more out of traveling, shooting skylines can open your eyes to new possibilities no matter what type of photography you shoot.

More Canon Lenses Are Coming Before the End of 2023

Canon has had their foot firmly planted on the gas when it comes to RF lenses, releasing many in a short few years and pushing the boundaries of design with some remarkably capable options. And while 2023 is coming to a close, it seems the company is not yet done, with more lenses likely to come in the next few months.

How I Shot a Magazine Cover with Liam Gallagher

In September I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of a couple of hours of Liam Gallagher’s time to shoot a magazine cover and 12-page spread. Here’s a detailed breakdown of my thought process, creative ideas and how the shoot was executed on the day.

Berserk: Mental Institution Themed High-Fashion Photoshoot

Amy Lynn is a 24 year old photographer from Nebraska who wanted to do an institutionalized themed shoot for a long time. Right before Halloween, she decided to finally make it happen by heading to local thrift shops in search of the right materials to match her vision. The BTS video captures the whole process and the final results are more than awesome.

Canon Discusses the Future of DSLRs and Their Mirrorless Cameras

The photography community is at a bit of a crossroads, as manufacturers continue to make the transition from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, and many might be wondering just what their plans are. Canon recently gave an interview and clarified what the future holds.

Photographers: It’s Time to Update Your Copyright

While it is true that a photo or design element is instantly copyrighted the moment it’s created, there are still a few good reasons to update your copyright on your website and within your metadata in photos at the start of a new year.

Photographer Blake Little 'Preserves' Models in Honey [NSFW]

For the "Preservation" project, widely acclaimed Los Angeles-based photographer Blake Little covered a variety of models in 4,500 pounds of honey. You read that right. The idea for this shoot was originally inspired by a previous session where he depicted a man as a bear eating honey. He was startled by the way that the honey gave the appearance that the man was "preserved in amber" and by how it can "distort and amplify forms."

How To Hack Your Tripod To Make It Safer And Easier To Use

Ease of use and equipment safety are two things that can always improve our lives as photographers and videographers. With few small add-ons and hacks you can save precious time on your shoots, and on top of that make your camera safer. In the video above, Griffin Hammond is showing you the 2 items that will make your Tripod (and Glidecam, shoulder rig and monopod) just way more user friendly: the Giottos M621 and the Manfrotto 555B.

Google Photos Tests Game-Changing AI Photo Transformation Tool

Google Photos is pushing the boundaries of image editing, testing a new feature that uses generative AI to transform photos in a groundbreaking way. Last week, I talked about Google Photos's revolutionary changes to their search feature, and today, we're going to explore the editing features themselves. Named the "Magic Editor," this innovative tool promises to offer a level of manipulation that allows users to make drastic changes to their photos seamlessly.

Canon Plans to Release Seven New Mirrorless Lenses This Year

Canon is showing no signs of slowing down, as alongside the announcement of the powerful R5 mirrorless camera, they have also announced that seven new RF mirrorless lenses are scheduled for release this year alone, along with two new lens extenders for the mirrorless mount.

Fstoppers Talks With One Of The Most Sought After Action Sports Photographers: Garth Milan

If you have ever opened up a motocross magazine or have seen pictures of the best motocross athletes you were probably looking at one of Garth Milans pictures. He has definitely made a name for himself in the action sports world. He also shoots all the red bull events. To say the least he is a photographer that deserves much respect. I was privileged enough to break him away from his busy schedule for a interview.

The Art Of Saying No And Keeping A Client Happy

Finding clients is a challenge all by itself so when we are fortunate enough to have some in our corner it is a natural reaction for us to go above and beyond the call of duty to keep them happy. While this is admirable from a customer service point of view it is not always feasible to say yes to every request. Here is how I have learned to overcome my fear of saying “no” to a client.

How to Shoot for Free and Still Profit

When you start out in photography there’s a few things seasoned photographers will tell every amateur like read your camera manual or always have extra SD cards with you. Some of the advice is concrete, but one I always had a problem with is never shoot for free.

Offer Clients a Modern Photo Delivery Option

If you are a photographer who is utilizing physical DVDs, USB drives, or even digital solutions like Dropbox to deliver client images, then take note as there is another way.

Mark Seliger's Oscar Party Portraits for Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is taking to Instagram to show off Mark Seliger’s celebrity portraits from the Oscars last night. While you may not have watched the award show in its entirety, or at all, the shots are worth taking a peek at. Vanity Fair has been uploading a bunch of images from the likes of Steve Martin to Lady Gaga since last night, there is even a neat time-lapse of the team building the studio for Seliger.