My Secret Weapon Lens

I remember when I first started photography, I'd try and find out what lens and camera had been used for every photograph I liked. I was convinced that if I had that combination of glass and mirrors I would be creating masterpieces. Unfortunately, that train of thought is closer to smoke and mirrors, and I soon knew better. Curiously, however, I now think there's some truth to it, and that truth was revealed to me by a lens that is now my secret weapon.

The Canon EOS R5 Is Getting a Major Upgrade

Recently, rumors have swirled regarding the release of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II mirrorless camera, the follow-up to the company's wildly popular EOS R5. It seems as though that release might take a bit longer than initially thought, but in the meantime, EOS R5 users will likely get to enjoy a major upgrade to their cameras' capabilities.

How Many Studio Lights do you Really Need?

When it comes to the quantity of lights that one needs, opinions are often heavily polarized and a hotly contested debate often rages. There are those that are staunch supporters of one light while others claim that a handful of lights are needed before anything meaningful can be done. Ultimately neither group is right as there is no definable minimum or maximum number of lights that one should use.

3 Great Lenses That Aren't On Your Radar But Probably Should Be

As photographers, many of us are obsessive gear heads always on the hunt for the holy grail of glass. No lens is good enough, we have this mysterious idea of a perfect lens in our imagination that no company could possibly ever actually create. There are, however, a ton of fantastic lenses out there that many photographer would never give a second thought that are more than capable of bringing magic to your next shoot. In this post I'm going to cover three of my favorites.

Is Adding Boudoir Sessions To Your Photography Business Right For You?

When winter hit and weddings and senior portraits weren't generating any income, Michael Sasser decided to expand his reach by adding boudoir style photography to his repertoire. If you're looking for a way to increase your business through the slow months, this might be just the thing for you. In this interview, Michael explains how his new sessions have been working out.

Fstoppers Real Estate and Architecture Photography Tutorial With Mike Kelley

Each year Patrick and I work on one extremely large project. Two years ago we created The Art Behind The Headshot with Peter Hurley. Last year we finished our 14 hour tutorial on how to become a wedding photographer. In 2013 we teamed up with Mike Kelley to produce what I believe is the best resource available on How To Photograph Real Estate, Architecture, and Interiors.

Does Holding a Fuji Camera Give You a License to Be Obnoxious?

A strong critical reaction has led to Fujifilm pulling an advertisement that highlighted the work of photographer Tatsuo Suzuki. It seems that holding an expensive camera is not a license for an obnoxious and provocative style of street photography.

How To Get Stunning Light Each Daytime for Landscape Photography

One of the biggest mistakes in landscape photography is to think that the best light appears just around sunset or sunrise. You could get the best light you have ever seen in your life straight around noon, as well. This is what you have to consider.

Let Lightroom Organize Your Photos in Less Than 30 Seconds

Most Lightroom users aren't taking advantage of this simple feature that literally organizes your photos for you, and it only takes around 30 seconds to set up in Lightroom Classic. Save time, and keep your library organized by following this tutorial.

Women React To Being Photoshopped As Cover Models

Flawless models and perfect-looking celebrities are all around us. We see their perfect bodies on magazine covers and their smooth skin on ads and billboards. Girls today grow up having a distorted view on what 'Beauty' really is, and many of them aspire to look like the photoshopped version of the famous people they love - flawless and perfect. Check out this video of 'real' women react to being photoshopped into cover girls with flawless bodies and perfect skin, the way they always wanted to look like.

Five Steps to Incredible Minimalist Photography

Minimalism is a fascinating genre of photography and one, which can deliver some incredible and powerful photos. This is the genre where “less is more” really shines. Here I share five steps you can take to create incredible minimalist photos.

Want to Save Money on Your Adobe Subscription? Try This Simple Trick

Earlier this year, Adobe ditched the option to buy Lightroom for a one-off fee, forcing customers to take out annual subscriptions with monthly payments, and annoying a few people along the way. However, this subscription model does present a few opportunities to save money. Check out this simple trick.

Thousands of Boudoir Galleries Hacked, Private Client Galleries Revealed

Recently, a huge string of hackers were exposed for getting into private boudoir galleries and downloading images of nude models and clients directly from the photographer’s websites. Some of these people were using them for personal pleasure, as ransom to get money from the model/client, and many more other disgusting things. I reached out to Erin from Erin Watson Photography, who was one of the targets of the group of hackers.

Is Technology in Photography Lowering the Bar or Increasing Freedom?

The craft of photography has arguably changed more in the last 20 years than in the century before it. With each improvement to the equipment comes the inevitable groans of many photographers who believe the technology takes away from the craft. Is that well-founded or mistaken?

Poachers Posed as Wildlife Photographers to Illegally Hunt Deer

Two men in upstate New York have pleaded guilty to a wildlife poaching scheme that involved posing as a female wildlife photographer on social media. The duo used the fake profile to befriend real photographers, gaining inside information on the locations of large deer in no-hunting zones.

Canon 70D to Replace 7D & 60D; 7DII to Be "Entry Level Full Frame"

Amidst the leaked Nikon D600 and D400 specs, we have some rumors arising from the Canon side. The Nikon D600 is being called an entry-level full frame, so it's no wonder that Canon is also ready with their foray into this market with their revamped 7DII and replacing both the 60D and the original 7D with the upcoming 70D.

My Unique Proposal Through a Lens

After dating for more then 2 years and having some of the best years of my life the time came to propose to my girlfriend. I knew I wanted something intimate, original / unique and true to who we are. I had the idea to use a vintage camera and tripod as part of the proposal. Then the experimenting began to find the best way to incorporate this.

Six Photoshop Features All Photographers Must Master

It doesn't matter what kind of photographer you are, chances are your images will benefit from being edited in some way. If you are serious about your pictures looking their best, these six key Photoshop techniques are well worth mastering.

Stop Giving Free Photography Services to Friends and Family

Photography is a commodity; It's not a secret, and we all know it. When I meet a new group of people, it seems that every time the conversation of “jobs” or “careers” is brought up, inevitably, someone is always a “photographer” by trade. Commodification is a process that happens to every industry, and we couldn’t prevent it even if we tried. So since becoming a commodity is unavoidable in any market, we, as small business owners, have to learn to overcome being branded a “commodity.”

Everything We Think We Know About the Canon 5D Mark IV

There may be no camera more eagerly anticipated than the Canon 5D Mark IV. The 5D Mark III is one of the workhorses of the industry, but it's definitely showing its age as of late, and many are clamoring for Canon to catch up. The 1D-X Mark II is certainly promising, but for many wedding and portrait photographers, the 5D series is their bread and butter. Here's everything we think we know about the forthcoming camera.

The 2.5D Effect: How To Make a Parallax Image

There is something magical about having your 2D photos seem like they're actually 3D. It brings them to life in a way none other method can. The depth, the complexity and the subtle movements give your regular 2D photos more meaning and context, and it makes the viewer focus on the image much more than normal. Joe Fellows is a master of the 2.5D (Parallax) Effect and in this short video he shows you everything you need to know to make this effect yourself on your own images.

Drone Almost Collides with Southwest Flight Near LAX at 4,000 Feet

Following several recent similar incidents with drones flying much higher than the FAA-mandated 400-foot recreational altitude, another incident occurred Monday as a Southwest passenger jet attempted to land. The pilot reported flying just under what seemed to be a red recreational helicopter drone at 4,000 feet: "Hey, there was just one of those radio-controlled helicopter things that went right over the top of us at 4,000."

Retouching, You're Going About it All Wrong

Retouching problems start well before we sit down in front of the computer and begin pushing pixels around. I know this because as I reflect on my past work, I realize that I’m as guilty of making countless mistakes as much as anyone else. Rather than talk about techniques like dodging and burning, frequency separation, etc. let’s focus on more high level problems that might be leading you in the wrong direction.

Why I Couldn't Care Less About a Nikon D810 Replacement

So many are awaiting an announcement from Nikon related to their next best thing, but let’s face it, the Nikon D810 is a pretty incredible camera that more than meets the needs of many professional photographers all over the world. That being said, why should I even consider upgrading to whatever Nikon decides to replace the D810 with?