Fstoppers Original Articles

Exclusive articles and expert opinions written by Fstoppers’ talented team of creative professionals. Here we cover everything from the latest photographic techniques to advice on running a successful photography business, to first hand accounts of working in the photography industry.

Which Nikon Should You Buy In 2024?

With the announcement of the new Nikon Z6III last week, it inspired me to have a little fun thought experiment as the Nikon lineup of mirrorless cameras continues to take shape.

Why One Great Shot Is Better Than Hundreds in Landscape Photography

In landscape photography, there's often a misconception that success is measured by the number of great shots captured in a single outing. However, this mindset can be limiting and lead to burnout for many. Sometimes, the true reward comes from capturing just one exceptional shot. Focusing on quality over quantity not only enhances your craft but also deepens your connection with the landscape. Here’s why and how to embrace this approach.

Are We Growing Into Lazy Photographers Due to AI?

The use of AI offers the ability to create almost lifelike images. This has nothing to do with photography. However, AI can also be used for removing unwanted parts of a photo. Is this feature making us lazy, taking less care while photographing? After all, we can easily fix it in post.

Lessons Learned and Unveiling the Art of Creating Authentic Portraits with Iowa Farm Families

Embarking on the journey of crafting a portrait as a non-portrait photographer can be daunting, often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and low confidence. However, creating a photograph need not be an overwhelming task. With a few simple pointers, you can step into the realm of portrait photography with a newfound sense of capability and confidence.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (June 2024): Narek Zohrabyan

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 2023, 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.

Nurturing Inspiration Over A Decade: Rankin

Finding the creativity and inspiration to succeed as a premier fashion and editorial photographer is hard enough, keeping it up for more than three decades is a completely different story altogether. Rankin's new show at 180 Studios is a retrospective of Rankin's first decade of work at Dazed and Confused, one of photography's most influential magazines.

Photographing Live Music: A Primer for Concert Photography

Photographing live music can be an amazing experience once you embrace the idea that you have no control over any of the elements in your frame. So how do you create great pictures when you have limited angles to shoot from, terrible lighting, and no control over what your subject will do next?

Why Photographers Should Learn From the Masters and Forget Canikony

Although any photographer worth their salt knows there is always more to learn, they might not understand what to look for when studying great art. At first, it can seem inaccessible. So here is a first taste of what to look for and consider adopting into your photography.

Try This Simple Trick to Master Your Long Exposures

Long exposure photography is a powerful technique in landscape photography, allowing you to capture the smooth, dynamic movement of clouds and water while keeping stationary elements sharp. One challenge we often face is dealing with moving subjects, such as boats, which can result in blurred images if not properly stabilized. Ensuring the stability of boats is crucial to achieving sharp, high-quality long exposures.

Instagram’s Ham-Fisted Approach to Labeling Photos as AI Is Bad for Creatives

In the last week, Instagram has been automatically labeling any photo touched by artificial intelligence tools as "Made with AI." On the surface, this sounds like a win for photographers decrying the use of AI as intellectual property theft. But in practice, the way Meta has decided to call out AI leaves little room for nuance and debate.

AI Can't Do This

The AI creations we get presented with on social media are getting increasingly ridiculous. A massive tornado over a deep canyon? Bring it on. A burning furnace of ash and embers over the coast? Yes, please. Or really? All those concoctions are missing one essential ingredient. Ok, not just one. But in this article, I'll focus on what I think is the most important piece AI images are missing.

Road Trip Ready: Must-Have Equipment for Your Next Photography Adventure

Summer is finally here, and it's the perfect time to embark on your next photographic adventure. You've meticulously scouted locations, carefully booked your night stays, and secured that reliable rental car. But have you honestly considered all the essential gear to make your photography adventure a thrilling success?

Things To Consider Before You Buy a Lens

There’s a lot of talk about cameras and, consequently, lenses get overlooked. With competing priorities when you buy a lens, here are some things that could affect your decision on which lens to buy.

 Easy Instagram Reels for Photographers

In a world dominated by short-form video content, integrating your still images into this new trend can seem challenging. However, there is an easier way to bridge this gap.

3 Ways That Starting in Film Made Me a Better Digital Photographer

There was a recent meme that took a jab at photographers from the generation of the pen tool in Photoshop. It personified us as old ladies with walkers being escorted out by a younger generation with their AI tools. In the comments, someone remarked, “Let’s see how these young bucks would survive with the 1999 version of Photoshop.”

4 Essential Video Accessories for Creators on a Budget

It's easier than ever to get started with video, thanks to the great video capabilities of most cameras (and even phones!), but having the right accessories can make a huge difference. Here are some essential accessories every videographer should consider adding to their kit.

Putting Generative AI and Editing Aside, Why Is It so Hard to Portray the Truth With Photography?

As far as we can recall, photography is often seen as a direct representation of reality. However, the truth is far more complex as we dive deeper to examine the underlying issue. The issue isn't just about altering reality through manipulation with Photoshop or generating images with AI. Instead, I believe our societal expectations and perceptions have fundamentally altered how we view and interpret photographs.

Do This to Get Brilliant Colors

Do the colors in your photos sometimes look wrong, but you don't know how to correct them? This article and video can help. I show you how to get brilliant colors in your images.

3 Cameras for Travel Photography This Summer

The summer season is fast approaching, and many of us are preparing to jet off on our summer vacations to destinations all over the world. Whether you are going for a beach vacation or lounging around the pool with your family, having a camera at hand is always a great way to capture those special moments.

How to Get Your Photos Noticed and Appreciated

Like reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to music, when people look at your photos, you probably want them to spend time and appreciate them. In a world where people constantly scroll and instantly forget your photos, are there ways you can have your photos noticed? Let's find out.

Resurrecting My Abandoned Ricoh GR in Year 2024, Is It Worth My Effort?

Camera gear talk is probably something that we as photographers cannot resist often when we are discussing photography. Some cameras hold a special place in our hearts not just for their technical prowess but for the memories they carry. One such camera for me is the Ricoh GR.

Improve Your Photography by Getting the Reps In

As photographers looking to improve our craft, we watch YouTube videos, buy online training, read articles, and maybe even take a class or two. We can pursue our quest for information and consume all of these trainings and never see a marked improvement. The key to getting better? Get those reps in.

Save 95% and get $3,700+ in Video Products

Fstoppers has partnered with 5DayDeal to offer the best video bundle deal of 2024. Included are education, software, and tools from a wide of variety leaders in the industry that will help take your work to the next level. The product list is incredible this year.

6 Helpful Tips for Beginning Photographers

There are many things to consider in order to capture great photos. You need to know about exposure, composition, and how to operate the camera. It’s easy to get on the wrong track, which can introduce confusion and disappointing results. Here are some tips for beginning photographers.

Mastering Headshot Photography With the Canon EOS R5 and RF 100mm Lens

Want to get great commercial, headshot photos using the Canon R5 and the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM lens? The following advice will help you produce the best professional headshots and show you how to interact with your clients for stunning, natural results.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2024): Christine Kennedy

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 2023, 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.

Aftershoot: Hours Worth of Editing Reduced to Minutes

Working as a photographer for over a decade has helped me realize one important thing: I hate editing photos. I absolutely love every aspect of being a photographer, except for the editing. This is why Aftershoot has been incredibly useful to me.

Don’t Use a Variable Neutral Density Filter for Photography

If long exposures are preferred, there are limits to how far you can go unless you wait for darkness. The best alternative is a neutral density filter, which allows the desired long exposure at any time of day. Whatever you do, don’t use a variable neutral density filter for photography.

What OM System's Live View, Live Composite, and Live ND Do and How to Use Them

Most cameras have at least one exclusive attribute, and the OM System Cameras have more than most. Its ever-expanding “Live” collection contains some of its unique computational photography features. Let’s dive into five of its tools to find out what they do and how you can use them.

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.

Finals Days In "Unique Lighting" Contest

We are almost 48 hours from the latest Critique the Community photo contest. The theme for this month's contest is "Unique Lighting" and the prizes include several new products from the lighting company Profoto.

Do This for Every Lens You Buy

Imagine heading to a photo shoot and noticing afterward that most images you took are partially out of focus. You are sure you set the focus right, and the depth of field in the photos is also sufficient. The problem might be a decentered lens.

Half of the lenses I bought in the past 15 years were decentered. At first, I didn't know of that problem. The first wide angle lens I got from Canon required focus-stacking all the time. Since I mostly shot landscapes, it wasn't clear to me that this was due to a problem with the lens and not because of the topography of the...

The Best Images from GuruShots "Photogenic Pursuits" Challenge

Have you tried is the "The World’s Greatest Photo Game" from GuruShots? They offer challenges all the time and allow photographers of every level to submit and participate. Their latest challenge "Photogenic Pursuits," received thousands of entries and millions of votes. You can see the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.