AI Photography: A Fed-up Tim Tadder Sets the Record Straight

Tim Tadder is widely revered as a bold and visionary photography icon. With numerous accolades to his name and a client list ranging from Amazon to Nike, he is recognized as a leader in advertising photography and beyond. Since late January, though, he has turned into a highly controversial artist in the industry with his work in AI. I sat down to chat with him about the polarizing pieces he has been creating.

Peak Design Launches Kickstarter for Four New Bags Built on Success of Everyday Messenger

In the same style and featuring many of the same advancements (such as Peak Design's MagLatch) as the original Everyday Messenger bag, Peak Design is back, this time with four new bags based on a backpack (in two sizes), tote, and small sling design. If you want to get in on the best prices, you still have time to save an additional 10 dollars on early bird pricing. But the campaign is already more than 15 percent fully funded, and it's moving fast.

Alien Skin Exposure X2 Adds Advanced Layering Tools

Alien Skin Exposure has long been known as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom. But since Exposure X was released, it’s trying to compete with the big names in the raw processing department. The software has grown into a standalone app and isn’t just a plugin anymore. Today, Alien Skin is announcing an update for Exposure X2, making it more powerful than ever.

Behind the Scenes Video Photographing Stunning Military Jets

We've shown you how the USAF Thunderbirds get their amazing imagery, but how do others do it? Go behind the scenes with aerial photographer Liz Kaszynski in this incredible video highlighting what goes into the process for the most epic military jet photos in the world. Liz explains where she travels along with the strenuous training that goes into shooting such an interesting subject matter.

How I Edit Monochrome Portraits

In this quick guide, I'm going to demonstrate how I edited a particular set of portraits for a magazine. Taken as part of the Face of London Runway 2019 contest, these black and white images were shot in studio and processed with a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop.

Savage Sports Photography

How do you get “the shot”? The saliva spewing out, as a fighter gets the decisive knockout blow. The sprinters desperately leaning forward in to gain the winning inch as they cross the finish line. The water tracing the swimmer's face as they come up gasping for air. Sporting events happen so fast, and even if you make the most of your camera's impressive burst rate, it takes a lot more to nail your sports photos. These are three pillars I always lean on to create savage sports imagery.

A Time-lapse Cinemagraph Made With 12 Images

This Cinemagraph time-lapse was made using only 12 JPEG images. The software allows photographers to create motion within a static photograph. You need to upload each image to the website, and then you design the movement within each image. Once you get a moving image "flowing" you can render it out and import it into Adobe Premiere Pro to create the final time-lapse.

A Slightly More Scientific Totally Rad! Replichrome Review: Can a Preset Faithfully Emulate Film?

The world is filled with presets. Everywhere you look, you can find presets that promise to give you a certain look. Hipster, soft skin, blue sky, Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One — today, filters promise to do anything and everything. But what happens when a company like Totally Rad! promises to emulate film? A one-click solution to turn your raw files into Kodak Portra 400 shots? Is it possible? Let’s find out.

The Gnarbox: Incredible Tech, But Who Needs It?

The Gnarbox was the most popular new product at this year's Photo Plus Expo. It's a waterproof external hard drive with card slots, USB jacks, and Wi-Fi. This tiny box allows you to backup and edit your photos and videos from your smartphone without the need for a laptop. But who would want to do that?

Five Inspirational Photography Books

There are many great photography books out there but this is a list of five of my all-time favorites, the ones routinely jockeying for space on my nightstand even though I’ve read or pawed through them numerous times. Each is a continual source of inspiration and provides welcome insight into the thought-process behind successful imagemaking at the highest level.

Sony Announces a7S II with Internal 4K Video and ISO 409,600 Shooting

Ever since the release of the original a7, Sony hasn't been shy about quickly updating their now-popular line of full-frame mirrorless cameras. Geared towards cinematographers, low-light shooters, and anyone who likes a lot of tech, the Sony a7S II is now the sixth camera in the series since 2013. Boasting in-body 5-axis stabilization and a promise of clean images throughout its impressive ISO range, the a7S II is likely to continue growing the brand's reputation for making quality compact full-frame cameras.

Review: Aluminium Dibond from Zor.com

Today I’m testing out a direct to aluminum print from Zor.com, which is supposed to bring out vibrant colors and incredible image clarity. The 3mm Dibond is fashioned from two thin sheets of aluminum, with a low-density core of polyethylene. This makes the print sturdy and durable, but also very lightweight. But to be honest, I’m awfully skeptic of printing on anything other than fine-art papers. Call me a conservative printer. Let’s find out if Dibond can change my mind.

Redux: My Nikon-PC, Your Canon-Mac

Last week I postulated that as I was a PC user who shot Nikon, did Mac users shoot Canon? Here's a summary of how readers voted and what they thought.

Photo by Nik Thavisone

If you've ever wondered where photographers are getting this gorgeous colored powder for portraits, stock imagery, and dance photos, it turns out it's very easy and affordable to make at home. This powder can be used in endlessly creative ways to add an eye-catching unique and fine art element to your studio or outdoor photography. Clients and followers love seeing these fun images, and it's an absolute blast to photograph.

Fstoppers Reviews the Godox XPro Wireless Flash Trigger for Fujifilm

It seems that every time I close my eyes, Godox releases a new product. Their array of hot-shoe flashes, portable strobes, modifiers, and other flash gear seems to have no end. The great thing about a company like this with a fast product cycle is that technology develops very quickly. Starting with basic flash triggers just a few years ago, Godox now offers multiple solutions and supports TTL and HSS technologies for all major brands. Their new Godox XPro trigger series is no exception, with versions for Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm already on the market. Let’s take a look at the Fujifilm version of the trigger today, the Godox XPro-F.

From Kickstarter to Kickin' Ass: Fstoppers Reviews the Elusive Langly Alpha Pro Camera Bag

Hitting your goal on Kickstarter is one thing, but to absolutely kill the competition by making something that truly stands out and brings a follower base stronger than any other brand brings real value. Langly has humble beginnings, as they started their first campaign on Kickstarter a few years ago, hoping to bring their simple goal to life. Now, they have over 170,000 followers on Instagram and plenty of social backing to keep them building for years to come, while also launching one new accessory after another.

Lowepro Expands Applauded ProTactic Line with Four New Photography Bags

It was some time ago now that I reviewed one of Lowepro's first ProTactic AW bags when it first came out, and it was quite well received on this end. Today, Lowepro announced the addition of four new bags to the ProTactic line which are easily recognizable and known for their external SlipLock-compatible accessory and webbing system and semi-rigid, premium build. Today's newest bags come in smaller sizes and, for the first time, in shoulder-bag variants — all maintaining the all-weather (AW) design with smaller mirrorless or single-body kits in mind. For the commuters or über-mobile that don't need room for multiple bodies and half a dozen lenses in addition to a 15-inch laptop, these smaller options may be the best choice now that they're on the market.

4 Improvements I Love in the Nikon Z 6II

Just got a new box in the mail with a rather awesome surprise; a loaner Nikon Z 6II. I will have the camera for a couple months to fully put through its paces, but wanted to share some initial thoughts.

Products that Sell - Senior Portrait Photography

As senior portrait photographers, we are often plagued with the decision of what to offer and what to sell to our clients. For those doing in-studio sales, the goal is to sell products that people desire and want in their homes. Below are five products that sell like hot cakes in my studio to high school seniors and their families.

A Quick Tip to Elevate Your Wide-Angle Photography Skills

Here is a short, beginner level, video featuring 30+ year veteran, commercial photographer Bryan Peterson at work. It does have a couple of jarring advertisment cuts but AdoramaTV needs to make a buck too and heck, they are providing you with free education.

A Food Delivery Company Is Encouraging a Hashtag Which Enables It to Claim Copyright of Any Photo

Deliveroo, a UK-based food delivery company of a similar caliber to Postmates and UberEats, is targeting users to use the hashtag #yesDeliveroo as a means of gaining the rights to use peoples photos for their commercial gain. The contract that the copyright owner commits to by using the hashtag sees them surrender their image(s) to Deliveroo “for any purpose” and “royalty free,” and by doing so, they “have no right to withdraw at any time.”

[Studio Lighting] Could This Be The Best Light For The Photo Studio?

As photographers, we are always in search of that new unique lighting modifier to add to our bag of tricks. I recently saw this video on Strobist where Amber Gray claims her Broncolor Para FB could actually reduce the amount of post production on her models. That statement seemed a bit bold when I first heard it; usually I credit a great makeup artist for awesome skin texture rather than a specific light. I've never used a ring flash

NASA Posts Awesome 360° Video from Curiosity Rover on Mars

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), based in Pasadena, CA, recently released a 360-degree video of a vista of Mars' Namib Dune from their rover, Curiosity. On one hand, it's an all-encompassing, but static, noiseless video. Yet, on the other hand, it's the most realistic, hands-on, feels-like-you-were-there video of another planet that we have. If you think about it for a moment while you're watching, it suddenly hits you: we're really there. We have a presence on Martian land.

Dear Churches, Your Photography Rules Might be Making it Harder on Both of Us

Working as a wedding photographer is often an exercise in mutual respect with other vendors who have parallel, yet sometimes different, priorities in serving the bridal couple and their family. Most of time everyone is on the same team, but occasionally we photographers run into rules that don’t serve anyone properly. When those rules come from the church, it’s often hard to explain them away.

There Will Likely Be a Canon EOS R3 Mark II

The Canon EOS R3 was an impressive camera and represented a new camera line for the company, as Canon was abundantly clear that the R3 was not a replacement for a flagship EOS R1. As such, many people wondered if the EOS R3 would be a one-and-done camera meant as a stop-gap until the arrival of the EOS R1 or if Canon would release a second-generation model. It seems the latter is the case, with an EOS R3 Mark II planned for 2025.

25 Photos Of Food That Will Make You Very Hungry

If you follow us here on Fstoppers, you know how much we love food and food photography. For the past few months we posted here countless of tutorials, methods, tricks and business tips to help you take your food photography to the next level. Now it's time for some inspiration: Check out this set of delicious-looking dishes that will leave you hungry. Very hungry.