What's The Best Advice for Turning Pro as a Photographer?

We've all needed help on the path to becoming photographers. Did some great advice help get you there? Advice may help you out of a bind or may help you to understand something you can't quite get the hang of. Of course, advice may also lead you down the wrong road. So, once you receive advice, you have to determine the value of the guidance. Is it good or bad advice? I asked a few photography colleagues to share the best advice they've received on turning pro. I'd love to hear about good advice you've been given, or good advice you'd like to share on turning pro.

Women and Advertising: How One Company Is Ahead of the Game

DJI's latest advertisement for the Mavic Air is incredibly woke. Not only is it targeting the growing number of women heading outdoors in search of adventure, it also pokes a little bit of fun at gender politics in the world of filmmaking and photography.

Mike Kelley Photographs Modern Architecture Behind The Scenes Episode 7

Our behind the scenes series during the filming of Where Art Meets Architecture 2 continues today with Episode 7. In this episode we continue shooting an incredible modern home in the middle of a lava field and we attempt to entertain ourselves in a few different ways while we are out in the middle of nowhere.

Try Being Your Own Test Subject for Photoshop Practice

Maybe you don't need any practice in Photoshop, maybe you do. Perhaps you're just looking to kill some time and create something fun, bizarre, hilarious, or something simply unlike anything you've ever done before.

Customize Your Lightroom End Marks

Here is a great little video by the people over at SLR Lounge that really has nothing to do with productivity, speed, or even making you a better photographer. It's just cool feature that allows you to brand your Lightroom with your own logo, making the entire program appear custom to your own business.

[Contest Entry] Projecting Shapes Of Light On A Model NSFW

The Fstoppers 2011 BTS Contest is now closed and we are going through every single video 1 by 1 to choose our favorites that will make it to the next round. In the next round our panel of celebrity judges will narrow the lot down to the top 3 winners. At this point we still have not seen every video but if you would like to look through them yourself, you can see them all here on our forum. I just ran across this really interesting video by Loren Byerstein and Syx Langemann that involved shooting a nude model with a projected pattern. Not only do they show you how they did it but they have actually released the software to make your own patterns easily. If you want to give something like this a try on your own, you can download the software here.
Instagram is Bringing an Intriguing 'Buy Now' Feature for Products Within Posts Next Week

Everyone might not be familiar or privy to the changes that Instagram has made over the last couple years, but one thing is for sure, they are doing some great things when dealing with brands and how they feed ads to their consumers. Next week, they will begin to roll out a feature in which select brands will be able to tag specific products for people to click through and purchase with one click, all in-app.

Building a Darkroom When You Have No Room

Although I've professed my love for film many times in many articles, I've always been missing a key ingredient to the analog experience. Namely, I've never learned to print my own film in the darkroom. Sad, I know. Well, no more! My journey to teaching myself to use a darkroom starts now and, whether you like it or not, I'm taking you with me. First things first: Where the hell am I going to put a darkroom?

BTS Video of Incredible Maternity Shoot by Simeon Quarrie

Here at Fstoppers we have featured the fascinating talent of Simeon Quarrie before as he takes what could be an ordinary shoot and turns it into the extraordinary. Back in July we featured his behind the scenes video of a pre-wedding shoot staged in the rain and in May we shared with you how he goes above and beyond to put together a finished video product the same day that the clients can watch during the wedding reception. Today, I was fascinated yet again while watching the behind the scenes video of Simeon on a maternity shoot.

 [Video] “The Simple Things” Makes You Feel Like A Kid, Reminds Us To Slow Down

Everyday people get caught up in their work, are worried about the latest new camera, or become stressed over minor inconveniences. I know I’m guilty of all of these. After watching this video, I felt myself more relaxed and started remembering the importance of slowing down in life. You can miss out on so much by being too wrapped up in work and not taking time to appreciate the people you love and the simple things you get to share with them. This video from MDfilms is a breath of fresh air amidst a tumultuous day.

Mark Seliger Has a New Discussion-Based Photography Show

This is the first episode of Mark Seliger's new show called Capture. He is filming the show in his studio in Manhattan. In this episode, Seliger sits down with Platon, staff photographer for The New Yorker known for his portraits of US Presidents and other important world figures. Actor Dylan McDermott also sits in on the conversation, discussing his photography work and inspiration.

Photographer Ben Sassani Takes Us Inside the Home Kitchens of Professional Chefs

Have you ever gone out to a restaurant and seen a chef slaving away in the back for hour after hour, producing one delicious dish after another, and asked yourself, “Do they even enjoy cooking once they get home?” Well the answer to that is “Yes!” and photographer Ben Sassani takes viewers behind the scenes (and refrigerator doors) of some of the top chefs around with his personal project Shoot My Chef.

CineStill Opens Pre-Orders for 50D 120 Medium Format Daylight Film

CineStill is best known for its 35mm motion picture films that it processes and repackages for use in still cameras, but it's only recently that they dove into medium format with a high-speed, 800T (tungsten-balanced) film. Right now, 50D, a fine-grain daylight film stock already available in 35mm is now also available for pre-order in 120. The official announcement will be up on their site tomorrow, but you can see image samples and already pre-order if you read on.

Audio Recording Basics: Using Shotgun Microphones for Documentary Video Production

Audio is arguably the most important facet of any film or video production. There is a saying that goes: “Audio is 70% of what you see,” which means that sound makes up more of the experience than the visuals do. So while we may spend a lot of time planning for what our shot looks like, it’s even more important that we mic it properly for the best audio recording possible.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (November 2017): Shavonne Wong

The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2017, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

Olympus Has a Great New Ad Campaign! But is It Enough?

Photographers like pulling for the underdog, and each year photographers are hoping to see Olympus return to the throne they once held, or at least make an appearance in the Court. Back when film was king, the Olympus brand was as strong as Canon, Nikon, and Kodak. But in the digital age and especially in the last year, things haven't been so great. Yet this new advertising campaign could change all that- It's witty, quick, original, and best of all, relatable.

Zeiss Adds 15mm, 18mm, and 135mm DSLR Lenses to the Milvus Line

Expanding upon the high-end manual focus line of Milvus lenses for DSLR cameras, today Zeiss announced they are adding three new additions. These new lenses — a 15mm f/2.8, 18mm f/2.8, and 135mm f/2 — will feature the same solid optical quality housed within a beautiful barrel design that the Milvus line is known for. Created for both high-resolution photography and videography, the new lenses will begin shipping at the end of October.

How to Restart Your Career as a Photographer in Another Country

Despite the fact that it requires certain skills at a certain level, photography is one of the easiest things to do as a job anywhere in the world. But there are some other things to consider if you are relocating to another country.

The World's Largest Stop Motion Animation: Shot On A Cell Phone

Now I'm not exactly sure what the "largest stop motion animation" actually means but there is no doubt this video is pretty spectacular. You may remember Aardman Productions from our post on the world's smallest stop motion video which is equally as mind blowing. This time they decided to use the beach as their canvas and film the entire animation on a Nokia N8 cell phone.. It's pretty amazing to think how much work went into changing each frame on a set this large especially with tourists and tides. Check out the video below and then jump to the full post to watch how they created this clever cell phone commercial.
POLL: Do You Approve of Adobe’s Choice to Focus on Mobile? Let Them Know!

Though it’s easy to think Adobe, being the giant company that they are, doesn’t pay attention to the opinions of the average layperson, it has been my experience that the opposite is true. At the very least, the developers and project managers at Adobe indeed read Fstoppers, so this is your chance to tell them: is their direction the right one for photographers and filmmakers?

Taking a Break From Instagram

Some people thrive in the social media arena. However, others find it a battle not worth fighting.

This Is The Scariest Base Jumping Video Ever

It seems like every week someone uploads a new GoPro video which gives me shivers. Well this video has topped them all. 3 guys with helmet cams climb on to the OUTSIDE of a elevator and ride it to the top of the building before jumping off. The first person view makes you really feel like you are there.
Light & Motion and Elinchrom Start a New Collaboration

The Swiss flash manufacturer, Elinchrom, and the innovative video light maker, Light & Motion, announced today that they are joining forces to bring new game-changing products to the market. The news comes in right after Elinchrom made the Skyport Protocol open to other brands. Thus, it’s no surprise that the new partnership is unveiled along with two new wirelessly controllable video lights.