Win a Canon T2i DSLR with Video!

Are you a photographer who felt like you were unable to participate in our BTS summer contest because you didn't own a DSLR that shot video? Well our good friend Michael over at www.Michaelthemaven.com is hosting a few contests and one of the prizes is a Canon T2i digital camera. What do you have to do to win you ask? Just submit your best cell phone photo! Lee and I are "Celebrity" judges for the contest and right now only 20 submissions have been made. You can read more about the contest here and you have until Friday to submit. Too bad we are judges or I might have tried to enter myself :)
10 Essential Tips for Scaling and Optimizing Your Business (Part 1 of 2)

Stepping into the world of professional photography isn't just about mastering the art of creating stunning images. It's about becoming a dynamic, evolving brand in an industry that never stands still. As photographers, we are visual storytellers, but often, we become so engrossed in narrating other people's stories that we overlook our own.

Travis Harris (FS Fan) Visits Charleston For 5 Days

A few weeks ago I got a friend request and a nice message from Travis Harris, a shooter out of Miami that I had never met before. 4 weeks later he was on a plane to assist me and hang out for 5 days. Travis left yesterday and just a few minutes ago he wrote a kind and inspiring post about his trip on our forum. Travis took a big chance and I think we can all learn from him. Check out his story here. Please feel free to join in the conversation and add your own messages to the post.
Dave Dugdale: How To Do Your Own Green Screen

Dave Dugdale has been an Fstoppers reader for a while now but I had not come across his own useful site Learning DSLR Video until yesterday. He left a comment on one of our videos and I clicked on his site to check it out (yes we actually check out our reader's sites). When I saw one of his videos I immediately emailed him and asked if he would teach me how to colorkey footage in Premiere. Now Dave is not a photographer at all but rather an audio engineer, and what is so cool about his videos are that they document his progression into the field of videography. As a professional photographer myself, I feel like I'm in the same boat as Dave and I'm sure a lot of you guys feel that way too. Dave is filming on a Canon T2i and editing on Premiere CS5. If you are just getting into audio or video, stop by LearningDSLRVideo.com and check out some of his work. Hopefully you can use this information for your own BTS videos; I know we are going to do this soon on one of our FS Originals in the near future. <
A to Z of Photography: Wayne Quilliam and the Queen

In this issue of the A to Z of Photography we turn to possibly the thorniest letter of the alphabet: Q. Fear not as we take you on a journey from an interview with the antipodean photographer Wayne Quilliam, through Elvis, Brahmanandam Kanneganti, Kim Kardashian, Princess Diana, and Donald Trump before finally arriving at the Queen.

DxO Brings a Unique ReShape Fusion Tool to ViewPoint 5

DxO has continued to innovate with tools for serious photo editors, and today they are releasing a significant update to ViewPoint 5, their tool that fixes geometry, perspective, and shapes. Anyone who does architectural or city photography is going to want this tool if they don't have it already.

Jet and Ebony Photography Archive Sold, Will Remain in the Public Eye

Johnson Publishing Company, the former publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, filed for liquidation in April of this year. There was a worry that their image archive would end up being sold to a private collector and that the images, which represent decades of African American culture and history, would disappear.

Apple Unveils New iPad Air: More Power, More Versatility, More Choices

Apple has just announced a significant update to its popular iPad Air line, introducing a redesigned 11-inch model and an all-new 13-inch option. This marks the first time the iPad Air is available in two sizes, catering to users who prefer a more portable device and those who desire a larger canvas for work and creativity. Both models boast impressive upgrades, including the powerful M2 chip, enhanced AI capabilities, a landscape-oriented front camera, and faster Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.

Sigma Fixes Issues with Optical Stabilization and Live View AF with its Lenses on the D5300

Sigma reached out this morning to let us know that they have put out a free firmware upgrade for photographers using Nikon mount Sigma lenses on their Nikon D5300 cameras. Sigma had discovered that, when paired with the D5300 camera, its Nikon mount lenses containing internal motors do not properly operate the optical stabilization (OS) and Live View AF functionality.

Olympus Announces Six New Compact Cameras at CES

Olympus blew the doors off the camera announcing train with six cameras released at CES this week: the STYLUS SH-50 IHS, two new STYLUS TOUGH IHS cameras, the TOUGH TG-2,the STYLUS SZ-16 iHS and the STYLUS SZ-15. There is kind of a lot to take in, so let's go one by one and so we can cover what these are all about.

Are You Ready For Back in Person? Consider HOWL, an Ethical Wildlife Photography Conference

As the world slowly opens back up, it's time to consider photography conventions as a means to link back up with like-minded photographers. Postponed last year in the shadow of COVID-19, HOWL, A Wildlife Photo Convention is back. Even if you don't live close to Whitney, Ontario, the gateway to Algonquin, you can still attend virtually. HOWL is running October 21, 22, and 23, 2022.

GoPro Releases New Trim and Share Features for Camera and App

These days, if you don't own a GoPro, you're pretty much a person that doesn't own a GoPro. But if you ARE a person that owns a GoPro, then get ready to enjoy some sweet new features that will make creating and sharing your content even easier.

NYC Photography Get Together In 2 Days

On Wednesday Patrick and I are flying to NY to shoot our next Fstoppers original BTS video. This video is going to be huge... so huge that I don't want to talk about it because I still fear it may not happen. While we are up there I wanted to grab drinks with Peter Hurley but then I thought: "why don't we instead grab drinks with a bunch of photographers!" So we are going to open this up to any and everyone. This Thursday at 7:30 we are going to meet up at "The Ainsworth" bar at 122 West 26th Street NYC. I will be there with Patrick Hall, Jerrit Pruyn, and the talented but unstable Peter Hurley. As many of you know I am a talented artist and so I created a illustration of what the night might be like. Anyway, if you are in the area and interested in hanging out then please add me to facebook and warn me that you are coming. We hope that everyone will come and hang out; as you can see by the picture it's going to be a good time.
Ocean Photographer on a Budget? Get the Joby Sea Pal

As a travel photographer who has spent years chasing waves across the globe, finding the right water housing has always been a challenge. I’ve lugged around massive setups like AquaTech’s housings, which offer great protection but take up a ridiculous amount of space and weight in my bag. When I discovered the Joby Sea Pal, I was skeptical—could a lightweight, budget-friendly water housing really meet the demands of professional ocean photography? After months of testing it in various conditions with my iPhone 11 Pro Max, I can confidently say: yes, it can.

Drunk Droning Set to Be Illegal in New Jersey

New Jersey lawmakers approved legislation on Monday to ban inebriated drone operation. With drone sales continuing to skyrocket in 2017, there are increased concerns of drone accidents, leading to increased regulation worldwide on the aerial gadgets. If the bill is signed into law by outgoing governor Chris Christie or governor-elect Phil Murphy, the message that the state of New Jersey will deliver is don't drink and drone.

The Joy of Creating Art: Non-Technical Edition

Today, hopefully, you’ll allow me a brief break from discussing tech and technique to revel in a bit of the pure joy that is the process of photography.

Acrylic Prints From ZNO: A Must Try

One of the best ways to display your work is by creating acrylic prints of them. Be it your own desire or a client wanting to go extra on their last photoshoot, acrylic-mounted prints are one of the best ways to create physical copies of your images. In this article, we will see how you can use client galleries to prompt your clients to purchase acrylic prints and display them on your wall.


Tim Shepherd Spends 2 Years Photographing Plants

When I first saw this video I was completely blown away. Using timelapse and high speed photography, Tim Shepherd and David Attenborough produce some stunning footage of plants growing over the course of 2 years. Check out this crazy video produced by the BBC <
Why a 365 Challenge Might Be Hurting Your Photography Instead of Helping It

I have considered doing a 365 photography challenge in the past but have refrained from putting myself under that much meaningless pressure. The idea of taking a photo every day for a year sounds like it could help build consistency, but in reality, it often leads to uninspired shooting, creative burnout, and a portfolio full of forgettable images. Instead of improving your craft, you end up taking photos just for the sake of it—grabbing a quick shot of coffee, a random leaf, or whatever happens to be nearby—just to keep up with the challenge.

Unleash the Fun: Must-Have Tools for Pawsome Pet Portrait Sessions

Attention, all pet-loving shutterbugs! If you're a studio portrait photographer with a passion for pup photography, then you've come to the right place. We're about to let you in on a little secret that will have those furry friends wagging their tails with joy during your next pet portrait session. That secret? It's all about the right tools. So, grab your camera and let's dive into the world of pet-tastic props!

Cole Barash Shoots Sports Silhouette's

It's rare that I watch a BTS video that gets me all excited but Cole Barash has done it. This video reminds me of what Fstoppers is all about because I am once again inspired. When you think that it has all been done before it's nice to be reminded how wrong you are. Check out the final shots from this fantastic shoot here. Please remember to comment below and give this photographer some love. ><
[Video] Speeding Around The World in Under 5 minutes

After Kien Lam quit his job and bought a ticket for London he hit 17 countries via 19 planes, 58 buses and 18 boats, in 343 days and took 6237 photos. See the time lapse video that sums up his trip in under 5 minutes and be sure to check out his blog at: kienlam.net for the amazing details of his trip.

"After I quit my job last year, I packed a bag, grabbed my camera and bought a one way ticket to London. 17 countries later, I compiled this time lapse of the many amazing places I came across. Original Music: "Places and Faces" by William Lam. Will is an extremely talented musical composer whose range is barely touched in this composition he wrote specifically for the video. He's also my little brother. Visit http://kienlam.net to download the MP3."
The Best Fstoppers Posts From November 2011

Your "Likes", "Tweets", comments and clicks all help us know which are our best posts of the month. And because we don't want anyone to miss any of Fstoppers' goodness we put "The Best of" in a monthly newsletter for you. So, if you missed anything this November check out the top posts of the month and sign up for our newsletter here

[Deal] The Nikon P7000 Is Currently 50% Off At Amazon

It's that time of the year again when all of our favorite photo gear goes on sale. We plan to post sales all day long on our Facebook and Twitter page but for the best deals like the one below, we will post them on Fstoppers. Online sales sometimes only last a few minutes so we will be pulling posts down once the deal is no longer available. Currently the Nikon P7000 is 50% off at Amazon.
WOW Cataclysm:  The Making of a Monster

Every now and then we come across a behind the scenes video that falls somewhere between the scope of photo/video production and computer graphics/animation. As creative artists, we need to be able to pull from a library of visual inspiration regardless of its original context. Even though I'm not a gamer by any stretch of the imagination, I've always been fascinated by the commercials I see on television or the "movie" posters I see promoting the latest state of the art video games. Check out what Blizzard Entertainment created for the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm trailer; it's pretty amazing what can be done not only graphically but also from an advertising point of view. Click the full post to see the final trailer for one of the most mocked popular video games of all time. <
Only 15 Days Left To Win A Free Ipad!

It is December 1st which means you only have 15 days left to win the Apple iPad we are giving away through our Twitter Account. If you haven't heard about this or have been living under a rock, click the video below to find out how you can win and also be sure to check out Lee Morris's post on how to use an Eye-Fi card to wirelessly tether your DSLR camera to the iPad.

Fstoppers is Giving Away an Apple Ipad from FStoppers on Vimeo.

Veterans Of The Fighting Lady

My good friend Diana Deaver just sent this video over that she recently helped created and I really love it. 8 of the top photographers in the area got together to shoot portraits of US veterans in Charleston and listen to their incredible stories. I believe Diana shot this video and her stills using the 5D Mark II. This photography exhibit will be open to the public on November 5th. Projects like these are really what make me love living in Charleston, SC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmFDR3yhAKU
Tom Guilmette Plays With The Kessler Shuttle

Tom Guilmette has been creating a bunch of interesting videos recently, this being no exception. Check out his new toy below.

Kessler Shuttle Pod Dolly System Tutorial - Oracle Controller and ElektraDRIVE Motor from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.