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.
I am sure you have all seen the comments where people suggest that being a pro photographer ruins the fun of photography. I want to dig deeper into this idea. Having spent a good proportion of my working life being a hobbyist and professional, I would like to offer my insight and experiences on the subject.
I wanted to see if I could turn a 600mm telephoto lens into a makeshift macro lens. Did I manage to get any decent macro photos out of it? You tell me.
If you’re like me and you shoot a lot film, you lean heavily if not exclusively on the used market. Even then, nearly all of my digital photography gear came to me used.
It's rare that any piece of photographic equipment is versatile and affordable enough that I recommend it to everyone, but the GVM-600S Ring Light is one of those rare products. If you shoot photos or videos, you should buy this light.
Have you ever wondered what the person on the other end of a zoom call looks like outside of what the camera shows? In this article, take a look at the heartwarming work and message behind Tallahassee based commercial photographers, The Workmans, and their hilarious new series, #COVIDwear: Business on Top, Quarantine on the Bottom.
Everyone has a different photography skill level. There's nothing wrong with being a beginner or an intermediate. However, if you desire to improve your photography, you might be your biggest hindrance.
Canon has recently announced their new flagship cameras, the R5 and R6. There will be no 5D mark V, and the Canon shooters looking to upgrade will need to eventually sell off their old glass for almost nothing.
2020 has brought with it a lot of very exciting new cameras and lenses, and like many, you might be considering whipping out your credit card and placing an order. Before you do that, though, be sure to ask yourself these five questions.
This travel photography series definitely speaks volumes beyond just travel and photography.
Flowers can be a wonderful opportunity for photographers to practice their camera skills. Whether receiving a bunch as a gift, or wanting to record the flowers in your own garden, there are a few things you can do to improve your flowery shots.
An email I received this week stopped me in my tracks. For two things so important to me — mental health and photography — I don't do enough to discuss it. So, I'm going to change that.
August is the time for photographing the annual Perseid meteor shower. It is one of the most spectacular ones, and definitely worth photographing. If you want to get the best pictures, some preparations have to be made.
Too often portrait photographers obsess with key and fill lighting, and forget about the light that illuminates the background or rear of a subject. In this piece I discover the power of using the back light as my main light source.
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 2020, 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.
Between the Sony a7S III’s announced specs satisfying the five-year hype and its praise given in early reviews, it appears that the new camera is off to a great launch. However, I noticed a feature was missing.
Yesterday, we talked about five common mistakes beginner photographers make. Now, let's talk about five common mistakes professional photographers make.
The photography news channels have been awash with announcements from Canon over the past few weeks and rightly so as it had a lot to talk about with the release of two new mirrorless cameras. But has it got its mirrorless development strategy wrong?
We are all unique people, but there are some mistakes that almost every new photographer makes at some point. Here are five common mistakes to watch out for in your own work.
A brief look back at just some of the many ways my own mind has played tricks on me along my journey from hobbyist to working professional.
I’m incredibly nervous. $10,000 is a lot of money. In fact, I can’t remember ever spending $10,000 at once. With that in mind, there are two things I must think about before I hit that big, blue "buy" button.
The Sony a7S III was just announced and it's so close to being my "perfect" camera.
Today, Sony announced their long-awaited a7S III with an eagle-eye focus on video performance. For those less enthused about a video-oriented camera, here’s what we can expect for Sony’s other product lines based on the new developments inside the a7S III.
Tamron has become a brand new company in the last few years and has achieved both success and popularity with their newer lenses. They are using a philosophy different from many other companies, and it is why they are currently my favorite photography success.
Have you ever seen someone's work and been not only blown away by the technical ability of the photographs, but how it emotionally moves you as well? In this article, take a look at the inspiring work and message behind photographer, Russ Watkins new series, Black and White:Perception vs. Reality.
In the latest episode of "Moments in Time" in the Philippines, I traveled to Legazpi along with Win Magsino to capture images of Mt. Mayon, a very beautiful and iconic volcano on the island of Luzon. In this post, I will take a more in-depth look at the post-processing that went into creating the final image.
Being a good photographer often means knowing where to position your lights to create the desired effect. However, the placement of your lights is only part of the equation; sometimes, it's just as important to set the color of your lights as well. In today's video, I'll show you three different lighting setups that also use color to alter the final images.
GuruShots, creator of "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” hosts hundreds of various themed challenges open for anyone to enter. They recently hosted a challenge entitled "World of Water" that received thousands of entries and had millions of votes. Check out the three winners of the challenge below as well as the 100 top rated images.
We spend a lot of time discussing camera gear and the like, but given the amount of time we spend at our computers for our work, it is also worth talking about ways to make our lives easier in our office, whether that is at home or in a dedicated studio. Here are six things that make my office life easier and more enjoyable.
I worked hard when I first started in photography to become competent both behind the camera and when interfacing with clients, but a subtle error I was making worked against me for a long time until I realized how to fix it. Here is why learning how to think more like a client can improve your work.
We all have shots we want to capture, and usually, we can orchestrate the image into life. But sometimes, a shot becomes so evasive you get a little obsessed with capturing it. What is yours?
Landscape photography is fun and exciting when the landscape in front of you is grand and epic, but what do you do when the landscape is flat and boring?
If you pick up a camera, you need to know some things about photography. You need to know how the camera works, and how to acquire the results you have in mind. Are you willing to take the effort to get it right the first time, or do you rely on repairing the errors?
Pentax launched a new "brand vision" recently in preparation for its upcoming product release, going as far as to develop an extensive webpage and supporting video to promote its DSLR cameras. Here are 10 reasons why their camera strategy is in disarray.
If you enjoyed reading about mind-blowing photography facts, here are 10 more that you will find fascinating.
When Adobe changed its Creative Suite software to a subscription-based Creative Cloud a few years ago, there was much gnashing of teeth and consternation amongst the photo community. We were used to paying a one-time payment for software to use for many years, without being forced to upgrade. So why is it that photo apps get a pass for doing the same thing when it comes to subscription models?
A few years ago, Adobe moved to a subscription model for their Creative Suite, a decision that was fraught with controversy, particularly since many creatives felt it was a money grab. If you prefer to work with software that is either free or that only requires a one-time payment, here are some great alternatives.
Having photography as your full-time job is desirable for many. But what's it really like to start one from scratch?
Comet NEOWISE has been hanging around in night skies around the world for a little while now, and most photographers who have been blessed with clear skies have captured at least one shot of the comet. Beyond getting a good exposure, how do you process your astro shots for the best effect? In this tutorial, I'll show you how I edit mine.
Anyone who's shot Comet NEOWISE has noticed one thing: it looks a bit small in the frame when shooting on wider lenses. That's why with the help of some image editing, creating a composite where we replace the sky may be the best way to produce a stunning comet composite.
With the release of the new Canon R5 and R6, everyone's itching for more and more details. So, I figured who better to ask than the Canon Explorers of Light who have already been able to use these cameras for months.
Eye autofocus, insanely fast burst rates, 8K raw video, and more. There is no doubt that camera features are getting better and better at a crazy pace. But the thing I am most excited for is not on a camera, it is in post-processing: artificial intelligence.
Photographers are obsessed with improving their work through new gear purchases, extra lighting, and better retouching, but there's one trick that's often overlooked: the power of moving 12 inches.
With a bevy of camera announcements (and rumored announcements) setting the internet on fire over the last couple of weeks, I thought it might be fun to offer a review of a different sort.
If you’re a budget-conscious photographer looking to buy a full-frame mirrorless camera in August, you should probably just buy the new Nikon Z 5. For the money, it looks amazing.
The more time that passes in which I am a professional photographer, the more I distill the various components that have a hand in success in this industry, revealing which are vital and which are posturing as important. Here is a component that I would consider one of the most important, if not the most important.
Street photography is a particularly tough genre to achieve success in: it takes a combination of a quick eye, good instincts, and a dose of bravery, and even then, a little luck certainly helps. Personally, I think that even with that taken into account, a lot of street photography is simply bad photography and exploitative of the subjects.
Just about every photographer experiences those moments where they decide their photograph would be better suited monochromatic. How and when to convert it can make a critical difference.
The advent of the smartphone camera completely eliminated the point and shoot market save for a few niche exceptions, thereby eliminating a large potential customer base for many manufacturers. What can those manufacturers do to attract smartphone shooters toward dedicated devices?
I strive to capture moments in time with my photography, and one thing I like is once in a lifetime or very rare moments. The Neowise comet (aka C/2020 F3 NEOWISE) is one of those moments that won't happen again for about another 6,800 years.
With a slew of new cameras coming out in recent times, the market has shifted. While there are now some great value options, it means there are also some poorly priced ones too. Which is the worst value camera right now?
