5 Tips to Pass Your First Portfolio Review With Flying Colors!

A portfolio review is a great way to get feedback and direction for your photographic practice. It’s also a great way to connect with industry professionals. If you have been considering getting your work professionally reviewed, this article can shed some insights on what to expect and how to prepare.

Canon Unveils the EOS C80: A 6K Full Frame Cinema Camera for Filmmakers

Canon has announced the new EOS C80, a 6K full frame cinema camera designed for filmmakers who need advanced features in a compact package. This new camera offers impressive capabilities including a back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, triple-base ISO, and advanced autofocus technology, making it a powerful option for both professional and enthusiast videographers.

Sally Davies' 'New Yorkers' May Be the Best Photography Monograph Of 2021

As a photographer and a photography critic, I see and review hundreds of photo books. Most, unfortunately, are not all that good. Some are actually outright bad, and others are okay, but ultimately just bring more of the same to the table. This is not the case with Sally Davies' first-ever monograph, "New Yorkers."

How to Succeed at Completing a 365 Project in 2022

Photographing a single image each day for a 365 Project sounds easy, but in practice, it requires a tremendous amount of dedication. If you put some thought into this undertaking, however, you can succeed in completing a 365 Project next year.

CIPA 2020 Summary: The Year of the Mirrorless Camera

CIPA has released their figures for 2020 production and shipments of cameras and lenses. While it might make for some brutal reading in terms of the bottom line, it was a landmark year for one reason: mirrorless cameras outproduced DSLRs for the first time.

Flickr Spotlight - Kids Play Soccer All Around The World

As you all know Euro 2012 is being played this month with some of the best soccer players in the world. Those stars didn't become stars just like that, most of them started playing as young kids out on the streets, or in their local field. I truly believe that soccer is probably one of the only things in the world that is 100% international, 100% border-less. All you need is a ball, thats all.

10 Tips for Writing Better Film Scripts

It's not uncommon to see Hollywood directors writing the script for their own films. It's very common for us as filmmakers to write scripts for some of the films we make. Those helpful writing tips can make a great difference in the way you write scripts from now on.

BTS Of A Photography Workshop... In Bullet Time

The workshop started like any other; 22 photographers and 20 models (with guns) pile into a room and begin shooting at each other. Then the guys at Blown Apart Studios have an idea. How about a bullet time video shot in 1 take with a Steadicam? With absolutely no planning they yelled for everyone to freeze and they filmed the frozen scene for 2 minutes.
How to Make DaVinci Resolve Playback Faster In Two Clicks

DaVinci Resolve is a fantastic tool and has everything most videographers need to create perfect looking videos. However, the playback can be a bit slow and thus make the whole workflow a pain. But there is a one-click solution that will make your life much better. When I found out about it, my editing process became much faster.

How to Deal With Rejection as a Freelance Photographer

When going freelance in any profession, you will get faced with rejection after rejection. Not getting enough love on social media, emails not being replied to, and inquiries not leading to bookings are frustrating parts of running a self-employed photography business. “Don’t take it personally,” they say. But how?

Full Tutorial On Mastering Studio Light

We have featured many of Mark Wallace's excellent tutorials with Adorama TV, and it is apparent from the comments that everyone appreciates his simple and thorough explanations. Recently Mark released a full length DVD that covers a wide range of topics for all levels of photographers. There must be over 15 different lighting setups, and he covers everything from portraits, headshots, fashion, and glamour to camera gear, light modifiers, and the properties of light. We always feature quality videos for free on Fstoppers, but we also realize a lot of work can go into these extensive DVD tutorials. If you've enjoyed the tutorials Mark has given for free, take some time to check out his Studio Lighting Essentials DVD. If you prefer a more hands on approach, Mark has several Studio Lighting 101 classes which we hope to check out ourselves next time we are in Phoenix, AZ.
Does Being a Pro Photographer Ruin Your Passion?

I am sure you have all seen the comments where people suggest that being a pro photographer ruins the fun of photography. I want to dig deeper into this idea. Having spent a good proportion of my working life being a hobbyist and professional, I would like to offer my insight and experiences on the subject.

Do I Need an Agent for Photography?

Photography agents are nothing new. They've been around for a long time, but since the advent of social media they seem like something we are all a lot more aware of; anyone who's anyone has an agent, right? However, there are a few misconceptions out there as to what an agent offers.

How to Shoot Street Photography in Quiet Areas

I’m sure we’ve all read enough about how the world has been changing in recent months. But unless you’re in Antarctica, you’re probably wanting to get away from the crowded areas for a while.

Wotancraft Ryker Bag Gets a Little Leica-Centric Brother: A Review

By now you are likely no stranger to Wotancraft and their incredibly delicious camera bags. We've reviewed a slew of them here on Fstoppers over the past few years, and I was not shy about remarking that their flagship Ryker is one of my favorite shoulder bags of all time.

Robert Rodriguez Exposes Kobe Bryant's Black Mamba

One of my favorite directors is Robert Rodriquez, and I was about to post another great BTS video showcasing his directing skills when I came across this video. Most of this short Nike commercial is shot on green screen but that doesn't mean that you as a photographer can't take away something from this big production. I love Robert's ability to tell a story with wild twists and turns all while sprinkling his films with exciting characters and effects that still bring out the teenager in us all. Click the full post to watch the final Nike Black Mamba short film.
Why Spelling Might Cost You Clients

Spelling may be a basic elementary school subject, but it seems more and more people spell things immensely wrong or simply use the wrong word. The words you use which may not even have anything to do with photography can and very likely will change how you are viewed by your customers.

Beauty Retouching Part 1 - Skin Cleanup: An FS PPT by Sean Armenta

Hello Fstoppers! My name is Sean Armenta, and this is my little spot on Fstoppers called The Post Production Tutorial. If you enjoy these videos, feel free to subscribe to my new Fstoppers PPT Youtube Channel for the latest updates. Feel free to connect with me on the right side bar and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about retouching. This week I am excited to showcase my beauty retouching workflow for you from start to finish. I have divided it into a mini-series, and the first part will deal with skin cleanup utilizing the three tools (Healing Brush, Clone Stamp, and Patch Tool) that we went over in a previous FS PPT. I showed you the techniques, now I will show you how I put them into use. I hope to provide insight as to why I use certain techniques and tools, when I use them, and how I use them. I will also be going over how I use Imagenomic's Portraiture in the following episodes of this mini-series, which I have been getting numerous requests for. Many thanks once more for your continued support and encouragement! Be sure to drop by my Prep To Post workshop website at www.preptopost.com for even more information on photography, lighting, and retouching.
Life Time Fitness Behind The Scenes

Go behind the scenes with Matt Hawthorne in his photo shoot with Lifetime Fitness. I wish the video was a little more informative but throughout the video you can check out some of the lighting setups. I found it pretty interesting that in a couple shots he uses mirrors and bare profotos. With work this high quality you can see that there is a lot of effort that goes into it, with big production teams and trucks full of equipment. Matt is definitely one of my favorite commercial photographers and you should check out his work. Matt Hawthorne.com

The Wednesday Rundown 1.4.12

Howdy and welcome to the Wednesday Rundown. Another year has come and gone. Hopefully this year you will get out and shoot more. Gets some inspiration and ideas with Joel as he walks us through his cover shoot for the Fstoppers BTS contest. If you have a video that you think we might like to post, please click on "submit content" above.
snowflake forming timelapse

Winter has come and at full speed for parts of the US already. This is an amazing time-lapse of how that fluffy white snow is formed. It’s serenely mesmerizing, not unlike the feeling watching it quietly falling from the night sky.

Registration for Adobe MAX Is Free This Year

It's going to be virtual, but for all of us based in different places in the world, this is great news. They're showcasing everything new, so you can be an early adopter and work more efficiently and learn something new. Keanu Reeves, Annie Leibovitz, and award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay will be participating too, so it's going to be interesting and entertaining.