Fstoppers Original Articles

The dreaded 2016 has come to an end and from the ashes has risen a brand new year filled with creative opportunity. Everyone wants to be better this year than they were last year, no matter what year it is and 2017 will be no different. Improvement, however, doesn't just happen, it begins with a plan. If you don't have one, you need one. Antoine De Saint-Exupéry once wrote: "A goal without a plan is a wish." He was right, stop waiting for a road to being a better photographer to reveal itself and instead start paving one for yourself.

We have to deal with annoying Internet trolls on a daily basis. They usually try to start an argument by posting a ridiculous comment on Fstoppers, Facebook, or YouTube. They used to really bother me, but at this point, I've become pretty impervious to negative comments, but sometimes, these trolls take things too far, especially when they think they are anonymous.

Anyone can pick up a camera and learn how to shoot, regardless of sex or race. However, if you examine the top tiers of the genre, that basic tenet seems to be less assured. Why is photography seemingly dominated by white males?

I came across a talk in my Facebook feed (of all places) the other day, and I have to admit that it struck a particular chord with me and raised a few questions. As photographers and videographers, we're mostly married to our computers, we have necessary if not uneasy relationships with social media, and many of us are part of the millennial generation. So, how do we find happiness in all this?

Remember when Apple used to charge money to update your iPhone? While we’ve gotten rather used to free mobile updates over the past couple years, the trend is as strong as ever with our cameras. Should this still be the case?

Time-lapse photography has quickly become one of the most popular forms of creative expression in the past year. A ton of expensive gear and advanced methods exist to produce cinema quality videos like the opening sequence in "House of Cards," but this shouldn’t deter you from getting out and trying it on your own.

The votes are in, and you've helped to choose our Fstoppers Photographer of the Year! We've also randomly selected one member who voted to receive a free Fstoppers tutorial of their choice!

Artist Jason Shaltz explores the everyday lives of some of horror's biggest icons in his latest personal project, “Everyday Horrors.” Most of us know who Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers are, but outside of their gruesome yet successfully franchised acts, what do we really know about them? Well, like any good horror fan, Jason sat down and tried to capture what it might look like if they lived among us, had errands to run, or just enjoyed a nice day off.

If you’ve ever tried photographing a newborn, you can appreciate how important it is to have a sleepy baby for your session. Some well-known tricks to encourage a baby to fall asleep include keeping the room very warm, playing white noise, and making sure the baby has a full belly. Newborns operate on a schedule of their own, and sometimes no matter what you do, they are wide awake and not overly happy with being placed in any sort of prop you have on hand. Thankfully there are a few things that you can do to salvage a session with an unhappy newborn.

Someone once said that "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." This means you have to take lots of pictures to get better in the craft. I don't agree with that. Improving your photography as well as videography skills is often compared to an athlete training. The athlete regularly repeats a number of exercises for certain muscles. Musicians are the same. They train their abilities to play musical instruments by repeating sound sequences and so do singers. All these disciplines repeat and repeat what they do. It has to be the same with photography, right?

When you’re in a romantic relationship and both of you are landscape photographers, it’s easy to make any travels central to photography. But should you? In the final episode of this series, four couples give their best advice on juggling photography and a romance like a pro. But first, here's how these couples handle their holidays.

The thing you should know before you ever attend a photography workshop, spend money on one tutorial, or invest in even one single conference is this: You are going to be your own greatest roadblock to success.

Now that the holidays are over, there will be an influx of photographers on the scene testing out their new DSLRs hoping to put their own creativity out into the world. As seasoned photographers, we know that it cannot stop at the shutter click for our clients so that is where vendors and products come into play. There are many options in this industry to chose from, whether it be flash drives, custom packaging, or even financial software. So where do you begin?

If I had a nickel for every time I encounter a photographer who is preparing to sell all their gear and jump ship to another camera brand I would actually be able to do so myself. Except I wouldn't. Swapping out camera brands based on some ill-conceived belief that it is the brand of gear you use that is holding you back will do nothing more than lighten your wallet and force you to spend a chunk of time relearning a new interface.

I'm not the type of person that likes switching brands. I've been with Nikon from day one, but my needs are changing, and Panasonic seems to have made my dream camera. I know this may sound crazy, but I may soon be selling the majority of my Nikon gear and buying six Panasonic GH5 cameras.

On a late night twitter search one of my guilty pleasures is following Pee Wee Herman; it just so happened Pee Wee tweeted an image from this artist's account where he took a dump truck and filled it with fruit loops. How could I not dig further and find out who this creative and silly person is and what else have they done?

Earning the right followers, the right way. In this article I'm excited to share three easy "techniques" that I've used to drive engagement and a stronger following on Instagram. These steps have stood the test of time while trying out different ideas through trial and error. You may know one of these techniques, you may know all of them. Nevertheless, let's get started!

Hands up, who is doing a year-long photo project in 2017? I see. That's quite a few of you. Commendable. It's a big thing, to commit yourself to do something creative for a whole year. Heck, it's a big thing to commit yourself to doing most anything for a whole year. Imagine committing to eating chia seeds every day for a year, or biking to work, or giving up smoking, or giving up biking or chia seeds. I shudder to think. But you don't have to. It's fine not to. No, that doesn't mean you should slack off and do nothing. Here's the case for smaller, shorter, more concentrated projects. They're just as fulfilling, I promise.

The Royal Photographic Society today announced that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, will be receiving an honorary lifetime membership. She will likely become the first person to receive the accolade without having won one of the society's awards. Question marks have been raised as to whether the amateur photographer's work is deemed worthy of such an honor.

The Golden Ratio? Psh. That's so 2016. If you want to really take your photography to the next level, it's time you step up to the Platinum Ratio.

Recently, I've gotten into surfing. I'm quite possibly the worst surfer in the world, but through surfing, I met some great, artistic friends. I acted as the DP on a super fun all-women's surf film this summer. I had no idea how to shoot surfers, so it was a huge learning experience. Now that I know a little bit more about it (and I stress the "little bit more"), I thought I would try and shoot a personal project just for fun to test out an artsy-fartsy idea.

Creating selections in Photoshop can be a painstaking process, oftentimes with mixed results. I learned about luminosity masking by way of exposure blending for landscapes, but its applications are varied.

Want to start the new year with a free tutorial from Fstoppers? Help us choose our Photographer of the Year!

Style. The idea of finding your own voice and style has become an intricate part of growing as a photographer and differentiating yourself from the competition. It's not only a way to get work, but a way to be remembered in a field of talented artists. But, as a portrait photographer, I find that my need to make a signature image sometimes gets in the way of capturing the human being in front of me. I'm so concerned about making the image "cool" that it's almost as if the person in front of the camera doesn't matter. Today, that ends (I hope).

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 2016, we featured a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represented both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

January 1 is time for new beginnings, and the Blue Riband event for amateur photographers worldwide is the 365 Project. For the few of you who this doesn’t sound familiar, the name of the game is to try to post a picture a day without fail for a whole year. It has developed the skills and talents of many incredible photographers, but it’s not for everyone. Here are 10 things to consider before you decide to embark on your own 365 project.

Last year, I came up with an idea. A far fetched idea though it may have been, it was something I really wanted to do. I wanted to combine all of the things I love into one project, and make it a reality. Those things were photography, helping those less fortunate than myself, physical printing, travel, traditional cultures, and the sharing of knowledge. The culmination of these would be both a hardcover and a softcover book. The publication of the results would be self-published using funds from a Kickstarter campaign. It might seem like a crazy undertaking for one person, but it's very doable if you plan it right.

It's winter in the Northern hemisphere. Though it's only been winter for about week – at least if you go by the Old Farmer's Almanac, which I'm certain we all still read religiously – it's been cold for a while. For film photographers, summer is a happy season with enough light, with gorgeous colors, and little worry about malfunctioning equipment. If you're not hanging out in the wettest of jungles or the hottest of deserts, anyway. The cold is less kind to our equipment and our medium. Cameras are susceptible to malfunction, film becomes brittle.

Unless you have a stash of cash just waiting for that moment you start filling your studio with furniture, most likely you have been at the bottom of the budget. Pinteresting your way through DIYs on old furniture, Craigslist, or even flea market finds will be how the majority start their collection of studio furniture. So how can you take something that was left for trash and incorporate it into your high-end luxury vision?

As much as we’d all like to be able to say that we’ve lived life up to this point with no regrets, the fact is, some of us may have many; and that’s OK. Identifying things you may have done differently is a vital step towards moving forward in a productive way. Here are five aspects of photography that you may regret if you're not conscious of them as you work throughout the next five years.

If you're not a professional photographer, chances are that you may be under the impression that they do little more than take pictures all day, every day. While we definitely know that's not the case — I'm probably only actually shooting for around 20 percent of my work week, and running a business for the other 80 percent — that's not what I wanted to portray when I got asked to be "job shadowed" by an eighth grade girl a while back. I decided to make the day at least a little more interesting.

This is not an article supposed to inspire you. It’s not written to be thought of as something light hearted and full of heart-warming messages. It’s a call to arms. We’re heading into 2017. 2016 was a rollercoaster. We’ve had unexpected Brexit, US Elections, the death of icons who gave us music that gave us purpose. Musicians like Leonard Cohen, Dawid Bowie, Prince, and George Michael will never be again. That time has past. In the film industry we’ve just lost Carrie Fisher who played Princess Laia in Star Wars, and we also lost the great Mohammed Ali.

As in any romantic relationship, photography couples too get to know each other better over time. You gradually learn to both adapt and thrive when you manage a photography business together. In this series, I explore the benefits to shooting and running a photography business together with your better half. Last week I introduced four astounding landscape photography couples. This week, I asked them how their past prepared them for the future of photography.

Gonzalo Amat brings us through how he started in photography, and grew into a cinematographer for Amazon. Are they the new HBO, free from rules and regulation, and does that make the job more fun?

The magnificence of 2016 is about to come to and end and with it comes a throng of New Years resolutions, most of which will be broken by mid next week. Many New Years resolutions, however, are quite useful and beckon for positive change, while others can be more damaging than beneficial. Today we are going to take a peek at some of the most common, and also most useless new years resolutions that seem to come about each year.

I'll admit, I was a little shocked when I came across Henri Kack's Reddit post last week. That's right, the band notorious for taking down Napster in the Northern California Lawsuit filed in December of 1999, is now being accused of using an image from a concert photographer/fan without permission. Released on the band's official Metallica YouTube page on November 17, 2016, in the latest video for their song "Murder One" you can see at 5:33 the image in question. Although altered and animated, it's clear that this is indeed the same image that can be found on Kack's DeviantArt page.

Drones are a lot of fun, but they're made for fair weather. Winter weather is generally not the friendliest, but with a little thought and preparation, you can capture the beauty of winter landscapes from above.

You’ve got the perfect composition, great light, and an amazing subject. You push the shutter and the image looks pretty good on your mini LCD screen. You import the shot and quickly realize it suffers from a common issue: color cast.

It's happened to me and it has most likely happened to you: you order a shirt and can't wait for it to arrive. Then it does and it's a completely different hue than what was pictured in the online store or catalog. Odds are the photographer may not have used a color chart during his or her shoot. There are many photographers that never learn to use a color chart at all, and others who won't do a shoot without one. Here are a few major points on how a color chart can help make your product photography color spot on.

Every year, without fail, I’ll get a handful of emails and Facebook messages from friends and family asking me how to use the new camera they got for Christmas. While I’m always happy to help, I have to assume there are other people out there that may not have a photographer friend to reach out to. So with that, here is a quick list of things you should do with that new camera.

The megapixel war is almost over for still digital cameras. But we see another battle started, the same one for digital video cameras. All camera manufacturers are now marketing their 4K, 6K, and 8K devices, including phones. 2K starts to look quite old school, but is it?

The month of January is generally a slower time of the year for portrait photographers. While you spend most of the year working hard in your business, the down times give you an opportunity to plan ahead and get organized for the next busy season. Whether you photograph people or pets, an effective way to market to new clients is to engage in activities that involve you meeting them in person. Here are three suggestions for free activities to try in the New Year for meeting prospective clients face-to-face.

So how do you balance a romantic relationship with a life that revolves around photography? In this series, I explore the benefits to shooting and running a photography business together with your better half. Of course we'll tackle the common pitfalls and find out how you can shape the perfect photography holiday. Let's start by introducing the eight amazing creatives in landscape photography who will make you want to buy your romance a camera for Christmas.

For about a year now I have been shooting with my DJI Phantom 3 and it has really been an eye opener for me. I have shot people, cars, landscapes, real estate, and so much more. Learning how to fly and shoot from an aerial perspective was probably the harder part of things, which is why I needed a place I could go to fly freely. Luckily, I went to school at Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey which is only about a mile away from the beach.

My entire senior year of college, I would take my drone out in the morning, day or even dusk just...

The Christmas Wish Project that has now gone viral and this incredible photography and Photoshop work is being showcased across the world, bringing joy and imagination to her audience. Karen Alsop, the photographer behind the project, was kind enough to exclusively share the behind the scenes of her project.

At the end of each year there is is always the hustle mindset of pushing harder for the upcoming business actions. More bookings, solid client interactions, and in many cases the push to top the previous years' finances. So how does one start off the new year with client bookings already on the calendar? By simply not forgetting those who booked you the previous year.

Morten Rustad’s a rarity, managing to make time-lapse photography his fulltime gig – and today he’s teamed up with New Zealand based company Syrp to share his expertise and host their latest Filmmaking Guide: “How to Setup a Long-Distance Cable Cam Motion Time-lapse”.

On today’s winter solstice, for some reason, I thought back to that time a couple of years ago when the Ice Bucket Challenge was floating around the internet. Remember that? The “either donate to ALS research or record yourself having a bucket of ice water dumped on your head” craze that filled up your Facebook feed in mid-2014 with terrible vertical cell phone videos of water going everywhere? Sure you do.

On a recent visit to my hometown, a friend of a friend asked if I would be able to photograph some inventory for her online art business. Most of her products were small to medium sized and she had a considerable backlog that needed to go up as quickly as possible. Being away from most of the gear in my studio, I had to improvise a bit if I was going to earn the business.

I’ll admit that I’m in a creative rut. And like any photographer that feels frustrated, there’s only one thing to do: go in a different direction. For well over a year I’ve been shooting hardly anything besides studio portraits. While I love that genre and the work that I’ve created in that time, I feel like my work has hit a wall creatively. After watching several photographers and filmmakers doing these a-photo-a-day projects, I decided to give it a go in 2017.