Composing for Crop: Start With the End

When do you start thinking about cropping? Although it is something most of us usually do in editing software after we’ve taken our photos, I’d suggest thinking about cropping before pressing the shutter.

Stephen Alvarez Lights Up Entire Caves

Have you ever watched a scary movie where the only part of the scene you can see is being lit by a small flash light or candle from five feet away? Well those are the conditions cave photographer Stephen Alvarez regularly works in when he climbs below the earth's surface. Together with his team of assistants, Stephen is able to light his photographs in majestic fashion by strategically placing his lights throughout large caverns. I have really never seen anything like this before, and it makes me appreciate my easy work environments in comparison. Be sure to head over to Stephen's website to check out more cave images as well as his photojournalistic work through National Geographic.

Earth From Below from Stephen Alvarez on Vimeo.

2 Contests. 3 Great Prizes. 36 Hours Left to Win!

Happy Memorial Day everybody! Just want to remind everyone that we have 2 awesome photo contests going on here at Fstoppers, where we are giving away 3 big prizes. Be sure to head over to our brand new Flickr Group Contest and submit your favorite shot from your photostream to win a Lowepro Sport 200 AW Backpack. Also, we have our Monthly Photo Contest going on in our forums where you can win a Photoflex 42" Multidisc and a Black Rapid Sport Strap. But hurry up, because you only have 36 hours left. Submissions to both contests end at 11:59pm on May 31st. GOOD LUCK!
The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival Kicks off This Week in NYC

A film festival dedicated strictly to wildlife conservation films kicks off its eighth year in New York City later this week. Over the course of ten days, the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival will screen over 100 documentary films from around the world, many of which are world premieres.

The Artist's Paradox

In a career where our job is literally to be creative, sometimes the one thing you don’t get to be is… creative.

Printing Your Images: Make More Through An Online Client Photo Gallery Without Being Sale-sy

When was the last time you fulfilled a print order? When I think of print sales, I envision awkwardly contrived meetings where proofs have been held hostage and finally revealed as leverage, using the client's emotions to maximize profits. I know in-person sales is an effective strategy, and photographers bankroll this method frequently. However, for the majority of photographers who don't want to take that approach, providing an online client photo gallery and a few simple suggestions can help you maximize your profits without the pressure of in-person-sales tactics.

Every Atem Mini Switcher Compared: From the Atem Mini to the Atem Mini Extreme ISO

The Atem Mini switchers have become extremely popular for creatives that wish to take their streaming to the next level. Having the ability to switch between a number of different cameras and angles can be invaluable in many instances. Blackmagic Design seems to have the best options on the market, but which model is the right one for you?

Great Performance at a Great Price: Fstoppers Reviews PGYTECH’s Mavic 3 Filter Line

DJI’s Mavic 3 is an amazing drone, but DJI’s pricing for their filters isn’t so amazing. Fortunately, companies like PGYTECH have made a range of filters compatible with the Mavic 3’s unique mount and camera setup. Are they worth pairing with the high-performance camera the drone is equipped with? I put PGYTECH’s Mavic 3 filter series to the test in this review.

 Learn To Use The Canon Rebel T4i In Depth With John Greengo

For someone on the move, the Canon T4i is not a bad option. This camera is the smallest you can get without going mirrorless. From 9am-1pm today only, creativeLIVE will be hosting an intensive workshop with Photographer John Greengo. John will go in-depth with the Canon T4i and show you how to get the most out of what you have in the least amount of time.

Reciprocal Gaze: An Exclusive Interview with "Visitors" Director Godfrey Reggio

Thirty years after their original collaboration for Koyaanisqatsi, filmmaker Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass are at it again with documentary where the audience is placed in an unusual situation: watching the varied expressions of others interacting with technology. This video, an Fstoppers exclusive, gives you a look into the mind of Godfrey Reggio while making the film.

Upgrade Your Canon 1D-X Firmware!

Canon just released a firmware update for the Canon 1D-X, offering autofocus point illumination in red and a single, center cross-type AF point available at f/8. You can upgrade now, here.

CreativeLIVE: Watch Eight Pro Photographers Speak Live In NYC

Right now the hottest spot on the globe for photography is in New York City at Photo Plus. Our good friends at creativeLIVE have set up an unbelievable opportunity for photographers to learn from eight of the industry's leading photographers all for FREE. Catch creativeLIVE's free event Photographers Ignite live right now. If you missed any of the speakers or want to revisit these amazing workshops,

Give Yourself a Break From Time to Time

Sure, you want to be successful and fully engaged in your craft but if you don't take some time for yourself every once in a while it can wear on you over time. Taking a calculated break every once in a while can have incredible benefits.

What's Your Photo Story?

Interpreting a photo can be a difficult task. We capture a moment and those moments are not equifinal, that is they don't all lead to a known end. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The visual juxtaposition of people and objects have the potential to lead to multiple outcomes or multiverses. John Berger perceived this notion of equifinality as an inherent metric of photo quality in terms of how much of the moment a photo can inform us and what we can then say about its past and potential futures — its “quotation” as he called it.

California Sunbounce: Expensive But Worth It

Nobody ever said that California Sunbounce makes cheap gear, in fact, you may hear people complain that their products are over priced. I can say from experience though that their products are extremely well made and if you like having the best, their products may be for you. Check out their promo video below and click here to see their full product line up. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUgX7VcYfjk<
Nikon's Newest Mirrorless Lenses for the 1 Series

Nikon recently announced the development of three new lenses for the 1 series cameras, including the 1 V2 just announced yesterday. The 10-100mm f/4-5.6, 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6, and a 32mm f/1.2. The announcement confirms Nikon's solid commitment to its mirrorless series, especially alongside its drastic changes to the V2 to make it a more professional mirrorless platform.

Flickr Pulls Creative Commons Images from Wall Art Service

Last week Flickr pulled all the Creative Commons images from its Wall Art service after massive community backlash. Flickr initially launched the service in July, enabling you to order mounted prints and canvas of images in your photostream. In November, they also added a feature for purchasing licensed artist's work along those marked under Creative Commons.

Share Your Spherical Panorama as a VR Video

NASA/JPL’s recent posting of the first Mars panoramic view from the Perseverance rover brought me back to some experimentation I had been doing a few years ago with spherical (360x180 degree) panoramic photos. Standardized viewers for interactively viewing panoramas aren’t readily available even today, but one option for sharing is to post a video on YouTube.

We Review the Genaray Portabright COB LED

It seems more and more, competitors are showing up in the COB LED lighting world, and this is no exception. This is the Genaray Portabright, and here's what it’s like to shoot with and ultimately who it could be for.

iPads, Light Painting, And A Lot Of Calculations

I remember when I was first playing around with my first SLR camera and someone explained to me the concept of painting with light over the course of a long exposure. Well the guys over at Dentsu London have decided to make light painting extremely complex by creating a sort of stop motion animation with ipads displaying different shapes. There is really no way I can explain this so you pretty much just have to watch this for yourself. You can read more about this project over at Dentsu London's blog here.

Making Future Magic: iPad light painting from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

Podcasting 101: How Do You Start and Can They Make You Money?

I listen to podcasts every day on all sorts of topics, including photography. Thus, I began thinking about how you start a podcast from scratch and whether, ultimately, you can turn them into money. I asked a veteran podcaster these questions and more.

Fstoppers Meetup At Photo Plus In NYC Tonight

The entire Fstoppers office and many of the Fstoppers writers are at PPE this year. Today we will be wandering around the convention center and we hope you'll come say hello. Tonight at 8pm we're throwing a small get-together with a few big names in the industry.

Selfie-Related Deaths Are Now a 'Public Health Problem'

A sobering new global report sheds light on the rising death toll of people pursuing risky selfies in popular outdoor destinations across continents. Over 300 casualties occurred in barely a decade - cementing the practice as a legitimate public safety crisis requiring urgent solutions.

Live In NYC? Let's Meet Up... Again

A few weeks ago we decided to try to get FS readers in the NYC area to meet up one night. We made a simple post with a time and address and it turned out to be a great event. Over 20 photographers showed up included a few big names in the industry. At the end of the night Peter Hurley actually invited everyone up to his studio for a tour and actually gave us all some quick headshots. I had such a great time with our last event, I want to do it again. Tomorrow (Thursday August 12th) we will be meeting at D.B.A (41 First Ave. New York, NY 10003) at 7pm. Honestly, this get together has little to do with Fstoppers. It is really about meeting others within your industry. No matter how established you are, we would love to see you tomorrow night. At the last event we had a couple of the top photographers in the industry and we had those who were just getting started and wanted to start assisting. This event will be great for networking and an all around good time. If you plan to come please leave a comment below so we can have some what of a heads up. Update: I have just been given confirmation that David Bergman will be there. You may have seen one of his 8 SI covers.
In Surprise Move, Apple Announces RCS Support Is Coming to iPhone Next Year

In an unexpected move, Apple has announced plans to support RCS (Rich Communication Services) on their devices starting next year. RCS is an open messaging protocol that allows features like read receipts, high-quality media sharing, typing indicators, and more between different platforms.

LAST CHANCE: Win a Year of SmugMug Pro and a Copy of Lightroom 4

SmugMug is celebrating its 10th birthday, and want you to partake in the festivities by giving away a year of SmugMug Pro (awesome website/portfolio hosting service) and a copy of Lightroom 4 (the best combination photo editing and photography workflow program) for either PC or Mac! We have extended the deadline until tomorrow, so get your entries in!