Beyond Boudoir: Photographing Real Couples in Bed

"I get invited into strangers' bedrooms to photograph real sex," shouted the headline. A few days ago, I encountered the work of Roxy Hervé, a London and Paris-based artist/photographer who had been interviewed by Vice. The headline wasn't accurate (and has since been changed), but as I found out from speaking to a few other photographers, it did lead me to discover how easily boudoir photography can turn into something else.

What Canon's Full-Frame Mirrorless System Needs to Be Successful

To many of us, it's become apparent that mirrorless is the future for cameras. The huge advancements in short period of time have made them very popular. Companies like Fuji, Sony, and Panasonic have developed some fantastic cameras, and their respective ecosystems are growing fast with new lenses and accessories. Currently, Canon and Nikon have remained behind when it comes to effective and professional mirrorless systems and many disappointed professionals have already jumped ship to other manufacturers. As it becomes clear that Canon is developing their own model, here's what I think it needs to compete with those alread out there.

Fstoppers First Look: Sigma's New 18-35 f/1.8

When we announced the new 18-35mm f/1.8 lens from Sigma, the excited and joy-filled response from you all was nearly instantaneous (which was rather impressive since it was confirmed at just past 1 in the morning eastern time). I too was particularly excited because of what this lens means to the industry and the future of lens design. I want to share with you my first impressions of the lens, which arrived in my studio just a few minutes ago.

Is the Panasonic S9 the Full Frame GM1 We Always Wanted?

I have spent much (digital) ink on how great a camera the Panasonic GM1 is, even in 2024. Someone at Panasonic must think so too, because the new S9 looks like it’s channeling big GM1 energy, and that’s an awesome thing.

A Better Way To Use the Rule of Thirds To Your Advantage

There is a love-hate relationship when it comes to the rule of thirds. Some love it, others resent it. It is said to kill creativity, but it can help you get a more attractive image. I believe we often use the rule of thirds the wrong way.

The Best Gimbal For The GH5 and Mirrorless Cameras

We recently got B&H to send us 6 of the most popular gimbals for mirrorless cameras. We spent hours figuring out all six and tediously balancing each of them multiple times so that you wouldn't have to. Luckily, there is a clear winner.

[DIY] The DIY $30 Rolling Camera Bag

I have been on the look out for an affordable rolling camera bag for some time. Thinktank, Lowepro, and Pelican all have great products, but when it comes down to it I really don't want to drop $300+ on a bag. What is so special about these "specialized" camera bags anyway?

We Review the Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera

I’ve gotten the great pleasure of getting to spend the last two weeks with Nikon’s brand new, Z8 mirrorless camera. Here are a few reasons why this might be the camera for you.

This Camera Feature is a Game Changer

I recently started shooting with a Nikon Z 7 and noticed something interesting when reviewing some images from a shoot. There was a feature that I didn’t pay much attention to, but I think it’s really undervalued.

Stop Using Clarity Like This In Post-Processing and How to Do It Better

The times of oversaturating and selective coloring might be over, but clarity is here to pick up where those post-processing horrors left of. Now don’t get me wrong, I think that clarity is an amazing effect that can do wonders on your images… just not if you use it on the whole image and crank it to the max. I realize, that seeing this sudden increase in drama and grittiness might feel satisfying to some but too often has it used in attempts to turn uninteresting photos into something that they are not.

Drone Comparison: New Parrot Anafi vs. DJI Mavic Air

Parrot just announced a new drone that may be able to challenge DJI's domination in the hobby market. Let’s take a look at the specifications and check if the French manufacturer can take on the Chinese leader.

Rapper T.I. Complains About Music Piracy and Then Proceeds to Blatantly Steal Photographer's Work

In the continuing saga of musicians complaining about others stealing their work or not getting paid enough for their work and then ripping off hard-working photographers, the rapper T.I. has joined the pack. T.I., most famous for hits "Rubberband Man" and "Whatever You Like" has stolen a Trinidadian photographer's work for use in an invitation to a party he's hosting. The photographer has called him out!

Final Release of Adobe Lightroom 5 is Available Now

After much anticipation, Adobe has just announced the latest iteration of their popular editing and workflow program, Lightroom 5. The early adopters to the Creative Cloud services will be happy to see a notification to download waiting for them right now, while the non-Creative Cloud perpetual license version is available for purchase on Adobe’s website now (and everywhere now). While we reserve full judgement on the program until after a thorough review, let's take a quick look at this final release and see how it handles.

What I Have Learned Searching for a Wedding Photographer

I recently got engaged and have started the process of finding my wedding photographer. Something that has become very hard since I have decided to rule out the possibility of a friend shooting it, because let's face it, they need to be drinking. As a wedding photographer myself, I noticed some positives and negatives in other businesses first impressions. These are just things that have become my pet peeves while seeking a photographer, mostly website related.

Don't Waste Your Money by Falling for These Misleading Camera Specs

There are a few key specs that camera manufacturers and users gravitate toward and that capture headlines when new products are released. However, some of these specs can be misleading, and it is important that you understand what you are really purchasing before you pull out your credit card. Here are four specs to research a bit further before you buy that shiny new camera.

April Fool's: BTS Of Bar Refaeli's  First Nude Photoshoot

After Bar Refaeli took over the Superbowl with her controversial commercial, Bar found time to do something she never did before: pose nude for a magazine shoot. The magazine that paid her to do that is currently unknown, but somehow the photos leaked earlier today. Check out the BTS and the final results in the post.

Sigma Says It Will Start Making Smaller Lenses

In a refreshingly candid and open interview with DPReview, Sigma’s Chief Executive Officer, Kazuto Yamaki, has given an insight into how the Japanese lens and camera manufacturer is performing, and revealed some of its plans for the future.

Canon's Supertelephoto Mirrorless Lenses Are Coming

Canon's supertelephoto lenses (informally known as the "big whites") are crucial for wildlife, sports, and photojournalism work and are also widely known as some of the best optics the company produces. As Canon continues to build out the RF mirrorless lens lineup, it looks like a lineup of supertelephoto lenses is coming soon.

Download Peter Hurley's Newest Photography Tutorial For Free

A few months ago Fstoppers teamed up with Peter Hurley to produce the 6 hour tutorial Illuminating The Face which covered all of the intricacies of lighting a person's face in a studio environment. Thanks to Profoto, today we are releasing an additional chapter for free.
Instagram Fact-Checkers Are Now Hiding Creative or Photoshopped Images

As a company, Facebook has quite a prudish mentality when it comes to art and creative works in general. This is why we have campaigns like "Free The Nipple," because Instagram doesn't really seem to appreciate art. What's worse is Instagram is now targeting images they consider "fake," which includes composites and works of a surreal nature.

The Ultimate Screen Calibration Guide

Talk to a photographer long enough and the question of screen calibration will be brought up. Often many will say it's an incredibly important tool in your post production workflow, and often many more disregard it all together. So what is screen calibration? Is it still a viable issue within photography today, or is it becoming more and more obsolete, like sync cables and light meters? I'm here to explain it to you.

Will There Be a Canon 5D Mark V?

While the 1D series has always been Canon's flagship line, the 5D series is the camera of most working photographers. As the industry moves toward mirrorless cameras, the release of the 5D mirrorless equivalent, the R5, leaves us wondering: will we see a 5D Mark V, or was the 5D Mark IV the last Canon 5 Series DSLR?

Sigma Expected to Announce Unique New Full Frame Camera Later This Month

Sigma has always made niche cameras with special sensors that were beloved by the devoted few who used them, but in the last year or so, they have started to venture into more mainstream territory. Now, the company seems set to release a rather unique camera that combines both their old and new philosophies.

Canon Admits to Slow Innovation, Pledges to Focus on 'Cutting Edge' Technology

Though Canon is atop the camera industry in market share, many photographers complain about the company's seemingly glacial pace of innovation, particularly as compared to the quickly charging likes of Sony and Fuji. In a recent interview, Canon's CEO has pledged to focus on innovation, how much of that will be directed at consumer cameras and lenses remains to be seen.

Did B&H Just Leak New Apple Products?

Everyone's favorite camera store, B&H in NYC, has built placeholder product pages for Apple products that are supposed to be announced tomorrow. Is this actually a leak or are they simply preparing for any products to be announced?