Fstoppers Original Articles

Sometimes it is difficult for me to look back at the photographs I created early in my career. The shots are all technically strong, but there is something missing. That missing element can be defined as vision. In this article, I will detail my journey in understanding the need to incorporate this crucial element into my art.

A couple of months ago, I tried Final Cut Pro for the first time. Surprisingly, there were many things I liked about Final Cut, but it wasn't enough to convince me to switch from Premiere. Today, I'm giving Final Cut Pro another try.

If you love landscape photography, you probably know a lot about camera equipment, settings, and the most common composition rules and techniques. But landscape photography is not always about those things. I have six important tips that are often overlooked.

When I started photography, one of the hardest things for me was to pick the editing software I should use. Indeed, a lot of photographers face the same problem every day. Looking beyond the classic choices, there is arguably much better software you can choose: ACDSee Gemstone Photo Editor 12. It combines the functionality of several Adobe products into one affordable and intuitive software.

In part three of this series, we will discuss tips 11 through 15. These are steps you can take today to grow your photography business. If you missed the previous articles, you can read part one here, and part two here.

I have to admit it: I’ve never been on team Lightroom. This may be a bit of a low blow, but Lightroom has always seemed like the sandbox for those who couldn’t play on the big-boy playground: Photoshop, of course.

How far should you sit from your screen? How large can you print your photos? Why are stacked sensors better? There is much more to those pixels than you might think.

Building a career as a professional artist is a long journey of ups and downs. Here’s one lesson to take along to help you on your way.

This editing technique is something every landscape photographer should learn. It can be especially helpful when you're approaching an image with a few technical flaws.

Being a well-rounded photographer who can succeed in any situation is the ultimate goal for most photographers. However, what happens when you are forced to take a portrait by lighting from below? Today, I take the challenge.

Some accepted truths about photography proved wrong over the years. Just as beliefs in seemingly unassailable attitudes have been eroded by time, so too will things we believe are correct now. Are my predictions for the future uncomfortable, or will you embrace the changes?

It can be frustrating when, as a new photographer, you want to work with models. You put your little ad up on Facebook and… nothing. What do you do?

If spring has been a mixed bag of poor weather and few targets for you, as it has been for many of us, things are looking up as May rolls in. A total lunar eclipse highlights the list on May 15-16.

I recently made the switch to Mac after a lifetime of Windows. My MacBook Pro isn’t perfect, but in this video ,I discuss the top 10 things that it does better than my Windows machines.

If you haven't heard of GuruShots, it's a photography website that hosts "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” They host regular challenges and allow photographers of every level to submit and participate. Their latest challenge "Marvelous Still Life," 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.

What do you do when you have a light that doesn't fit into the standard set of categories?

How do you make sure that your photos make a lasting impression? Is there a formula that can help you achieve better visual design?

Over the last three years, I have built out four new photography studios, and each time, I find better and better ways to streamline my spaces. In this video, I want to share with you one of the coolest ways to mount your seamless paper or Gravity backdrops.

The light is amazing. There are dozens of compositions waiting out there. But where are you? Sitting in your office, working eagerly for your boss or for your clients? I found a solution to combine my job with my landscape photography, to photograph wherever and whenever I want.

Metering and exposure are uneasy companions. Although they seem to work well together on the surface, the metering can trick you into exposing badly. Here are some experiments showing you how to take control of exposure and use it creatively, especially in aperture priority mode.

So, you’ve got two or more internet sources and you want to combine them to create one faster, more reliable connection? Here’s how to do it.

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.

Hey, camera manufacturers! Stop lying to us.

Cities and architecture have, besides landscapes, always been my favorite subjects to photograph. Moreover, they provide the perfect balance during my travels. If the conditions are not ideal for landscape photography, I can usually find something to photograph in a city. And in this article, I share techniques I apply to come away with great results.

There may not be any firm answers. But, there are a few things to consider when considering a career in photography.

Having the sun in your shot while shooting landscapes during the sunrise or sunset contributes a lot to the impact of your photos. But how do you deal with unwanted spots and flare?

There is a saying that zoom lenses can make you a lazy photographer. And that might be true if you use them the wrong way.

Premiere Pro templates are one of the few quick solutions that can help elevate your video production. Graphics, text, typography, and animations can help you illustrate your points far more effectively. Unfortunately, trying to get all of those elements into your video, especially if creating them from scratch in a software like After Effects, can be expensive or time-consuming. A company called Videvo has a great solution.

Hopefully, these videos help readers de-stress, and maybe you’ll learn something new along the way.

Do you think you have your finger on the pulse of the photography industry? Who still holds the title for most used cameras: Canon, Nikon, or Sony? What lenses are the top 3 most used lenses? Which specialty of photographers make the most money and which make the least? What genre of photography took the biggest losses during the pandemic?

There are a couple of things you can do to get sharper photos with your long lens. But what if we want to go even further? This lens hack might be a bit crazy, but it is the best I have ever seen because it really works, and it is feasible on location. Find out how to get sharper telephoto shots.

Chris Fain of Profoto's Geared Up has asked yours truly to share a few lighting setups I use often in the studio. Today, May 3rd at 11am EST, you can log into the live show and ask me all your favorite lighting questions!

Have you ever felt unsatisfied or disconnected from your photos? It’s important to know we all go through this and these are a few things you can do to help.

As a photographer and videographer, I need a lot of fast, redundant, widely accessible storage. Let me show you my setup.

With video capabilities on par with the best available options for moving images, Nikon’s Z 9’s has gone from a hopeful purchase to a critical part of my photography and filmmaking.

A tripod can get dirty over time, especially if used in water, sea water, sand, and mud. A regular cleaning will extend its lifetime. I have cleaned my Gitzo tripod after heavy use at sea, and I will show how it can be done in five easy steps.

Recently, I had an issue with OnlyFans. While I don’t feel it’s right to disclose the details of that particular case to preserve privacy, I uncovered a much bigger issue. Boiled down, if your work is stolen, you will have to pay to see it and stop it from being used unlawfully.

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 2022, 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.

They say that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. As photographers, I'm sure many of you can relate to this sentiment as strongly as I do. I had an experience at an on-location shoot that reminded me how important it is to expect the unexpected as a photographer, which I would like to share with you.

Every time we make the leap to the next expensive purchase, there is a lingering thought in our head: will I regret it later? Well, at least in my head. Nonetheless, if I need to make a purchase, I do it. Here are some purchases that I wish I didn’t make.

If you are being honest with yourself would you say you are completely happy with how your photography is going? A few small changes could be all that you need to take things to a more fulfilling and successful level.

The UK’s new Online Safety Bill is a massive change, heralding a new digital age that is safer for users. Tech giants and websites will be held to account, and they don’t have to be UK based to face the enormous consequences. This will affect photographers and photography websites around the world.

One of the first devices I bought for my office when I started with photography was, in addition to a proper monitor, a calibration device. Editing my photos with accurate colors and brightness has always been a priority for me. And the use of a colorimeter and monitor calibration software is a requirement for achieving those. In this article, I explain how to use such a calibration system.

In part two of this series, we will discuss tips six through ten. These are steps you can take today to grow your photography business. If you missed part one, you can read it by clicking here. Special thanks to Lancaster, PA based headshot photographer Richard Waine for collaborating with us to create this series.

On some days, we can see one composition beside another, but on other days, it is hard to find just a single one. What is the difference between those days, and how can we increase our chances to find outstanding compositions all the time?

Few of us will ever become truly great photographers, but giving yourself the best chance of it is still very much worthwhile. There is one method that is certainly a key ingredient, but it's often overlooked because it's not as interesting as buying new equipment or traveling to new places.

Composition is one of the more difficult things to learn. There are many rules and guidelines that can make a good composition. The crop tool inside Lightroom and Photoshop offers a bit of help to learn about composition and even helps you achieve the best possible composition in post.

There are sometimes surprising overlaps between photography and music. The more we learn about music, the more we can understand how that knowledge can improve our photography.

If you ever get the feeling that photography is not valued today, it might interest you to know that Getty Images is offering $85k in three new editorial grants to support photojournalists and organizations, with an emphasis on supporting photographers whose work shines a light on important issues of our time.

Some photographers go their entire career without deliberately photographing people. However, most of us, at some point, will want or need to photograph people in specific situations. If you’re not used to working with models, here’s some helpful advice on how to go about it. Whether you want to learn portraiture or need to shoot a model for a specific job, this guide will be of use.