Fstoppers Interviews Retoucher and Photographer Marina Dean-Francis

After spending a fair amount of time looking through the best images that the Fstoppers community has to offer, it's pretty easy to see what sets them apart. Not only are the shots themselves exceptional, but the post processing is world class (Julia Kuzmenko McKim and Michael Woloszynowicz, Photoshop extraordinaires, hold a few of our top spots). Photographers often take on their own post work either because of budget or wanting to maintain their full creative vision. Sometimes, even great photographers call on the retouching gods to lace their images with a bit of perfection. Marina Dean-Francis is one such retoucher (and photographer) with that incredible power.

Which Of These Images Is Best? Vote Now!

Update: The results are in. Patrick and I are once again competing to see who can photograph the same model best. It's up to you to decide.

What Should He Do With His Hands? Here Are Three Quick Answers

If you've spent 10 minutes behind the camera, chances are someone has asked you, "What do I do with my hands?" For women, the possibilities range from graceful, balletic caresses to angular, fashion-driven poses. But, what do you with with men? These are my top three tips to always have an answer.

Shoot, Print, And Frame A Massive Peter Lik Style Photograph On A Budget

If you have seen Peter Lik's work in person then you understand that it's impossible to put into words the look and quality of his prints. Peter's photography (and his post production) is fantastic, but what really makes his work stand out is his printing and presentation. If his images were printed on standard photo paper at a standard size, his work would not have the same "wow" factor.

Fstoppers Reviews the Parabolix Parabolic Reflectors

If you follow big name photographers or pages like FamousBTSMag on Instagram or elsewhere, you’ve likely seen a parabolic reflector. Even more likely is the prestigious names that are Broncolor or Briese plastered on the side. The results that these modifiers produce are absolutely gorgeous, there’s no doubt there. They offer the most even light spread of any modifier, a large range of sizes, and incredible versatility. If you’ve done some research, however, you’ll throw the idea of shooting with one out the door because of their incredibly steep price. A few months ago, I stumbled on a company by the name of Parabolix. What I found seemed entirely too good to be true.

The Film Photographer Who Came In From the Cold

It's winter in the Northern hemisphere. Though it's only been winter for about week – at least if you go by the Old Farmer's Almanac, which I'm certain we all still read religiously – it's been cold for a while. For film photographers, summer is a happy season with enough light, with gorgeous colors, and little worry about malfunctioning equipment. If you're not hanging out in the wettest of jungles or the hottest of deserts, anyway. The cold is less kind to our equipment and our medium. Cameras are susceptible to malfunction, film becomes brittle.

Rumor: Canon 6D Specs Leaked Before Launch

New Canon 6D specs have been leaked, and they show a 20 megapixel sensor, full frame, APS-C sized body with built in WiFi and GPS among other notable features. Oh, and the rumored price is under $2000.

Why Is Woodland Photography So Hard?

Woodland photography, while rewarding, presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to shooting and bagging some banger shots. From intricate compositions to unpredictable lighting conditions, capturing the flow of forests requires skill, patience, and adaptability. For this article, I want to dive into the reasons why woodland photography is considered difficult and explore methods to overcome these obstacles.

Exclusive First Look: Really Right Stuff's iPhone Case

Ok, you're probably pretty skeptical right now reading that title alone. I hear ya, so was I. Really Right Stuff is known for extremely high quality carbon fiber tripods, not cases, and definitely not something in mobile computing. After hearing my surprise, the guys at Really Right Stuff laughed and made me think of it this way: the iPhone is the most popular camera on the market. It would be weird if they didn't support it, as they are one of the best camera support companies out there. Hearing that, I was ready to give this thing a look.

Lacie Announces Radically Rethought d2 Thunderbolt 2 Desktop Drive

I have used a lot of hard drives over my career and that includes what was to me, at the time, the rather excellent Lacie d2 Thunderbolt. It wasn't long, however, until other manufacturers came up with better options leading to the d2 feeling a bit underwhelming. That changes today with the announcement of the d2 Thunderbolt 2.

4 Reasons to Consider Using a Rental Photography Studio

Shooting in a photography studio can seem a bit daunting. A lot of photographers choose to shoot outdoors due to budget constraints and the fear of stepping into a studio. There are, however, some real benefits to shooting in a studio and they apply to both new and experienced photographers. If you have not had a chance to try shooting in a studio I highly recommend the experience.

5 Ways to Enhance Your Editing Results

When it comes to making great imagery, post-production is perhaps one of the most important steps that can make or break your image. Sure, you can master all elements to making an image, but if you forget post-production, you will be stuck miles behind someone who knows how to edit. In this article, we will discuss ways how to get better results when editing.

We Review the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro Lens for Fujifilm X-Mount

The Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro lens is the second offering in the company's line of lenses designed to appeal to professional photographers. In this review, we will find out if this lens has what it takes to get the job done for serious amateurs and professionals alike.

Ten Guidelines for Using a Tripod

It is a photographers nightmare to see precious and expensive camera equipment fall. I have seen it happen quite often and most of the times a tripod was involved. Fortunately it never involved my equipment. Perhaps it is due to luck, but I believe ten important guidelines helped a lot.

Right Place, Right Time: Capturing A Gorgeous Murmuration In The South Of France

About a year ago I posted a short and sweet little film about the phenomenon known as a murmuration, which is when an enormous flock of starlings gather together in one location and create a breathtaking visual feast. Filmmaker Neels Castillon was out preparing to shoot recently in Marseille, France, when a murmuration took place right above his head and he was able to capture the entire thing in beautiful high definition.

Samsung Releases T5 Portable SSD

I've reviewed the earlier version of Samsung's T-series SSD drive, but today, they've announced a new version with better performance across the board. Up from 450 MB/s, the Portable SSD T5 now offers up to 540 MB/s read and 515 MB/s write speeds. It also comes in new colors. The 250 GB and 500 GB sizes will come in Alluring Blue while Deep Black will be reserved for the 1 TB and 2 TB capacities.

10 Steps to Your First $20,000 in Fine Art Sales in 2020

Spending your Covid-19 isolation time working on your business now could mean art sales later. Seattle-based Fine Art Photographer Jason Matias, who runs a program that helps artists sell their art, has a few tips for how to go about snagging those sales.

Is This Photography Trend Overrated?

The shutter drag/slow shutter trend has found its way into any niche in photography but particularly amongst wedding photography. But is the trend a clever use of camera techniques to add a different feeling or is it overrated?

Is There Any Film Left in Japan?

From time to time you see images circulating on social media of Japanese camera store shelves awash with film. I’m not talking about half a dozen pro packs of Portra, I’m talking about hundreds and hundreds of rolls of film. More film than you could shoot in 10 years. Names of long-forgotten emulsions that many die-hard film shooters can’t even recall.

Facebook Ends Click-Baiting,You'll Never Believe What Happens Next!

Facebook made a few changes to their news feed algorithm that you should know about if you have a Facebook page. The first change should hopefully end the “You’ll never believe what happens next” posts from taking over your feed. The second is going to unify how links are posted.

Luminar Neo Now Shipping: We Review the Release Version

Skylum has kept reviewers well stocked with pre-release versions of Luminar Neo, and I've reported on the results. Nowm we've got the release version, although it is still not complete, which I'll detail below. Here's our review.

Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Video Camera?

There’s nothing quite so frustrating to anyone in the business, as having your camera become outdated in less than a year. When I look at the current line up of camcorders, I’m beginning to think that they’re about to be replaced by the cameras that should have been released in the first place. The camcorder market is falling behind.

Create Skin Texture From Scratch In Photoshop

The good people over at PHLEARN are at it again, this time with a great little tutorial on creating skin texture from scratch. I find that healing (or whichever method you use) under the eyes in particular tends to destroy the most texture, so this is a great way to put some back in.