Fstoppers Original Articles

Modern business exists for one primary purpose: to maximize profit. In this article, I’ll explain why, for the past six years, I’ve run my business in the opposite spirit, often knowingly leaving money on the table.

Music has a very strong connection to studio photography. I’d wager that the vast majority of people imagine studios with music driving the shoot. Think Blow-Up or more recently, Austin Powers. Music can help to energize your set. But, what happens when you’re just not as in touch with the poppiest of pop culture anymore?

Instagram has changed a lot in the past year with new algorithms, new content opportunities, stories, and live videos, just to name a few features. Although Instagram’s organic reach isn’t as great as it once was a few years ago, the platform can still be a key component of any photographer’s business. Here are seven tips to help photographers get more exposure on Instagram.

Last week, we continued our exploration of Puerto Rico with our second shootout challenge. This time, we mixed it up a little bit with a guest photographer, and the results were pretty interesting.

We all know how expensive being a photographer can be and while there are some no-go areas for cutting costs, there are still several huge savings to be had if you look in the right places and change a few habits.

Back in 2018, I wrote an article about being a professional photographer and how viable it was. I thought it was time to update this.

Commercial and fine art photographer Jan Gonzales was commissioned by Fujifilm Global to create a series of images using the GF 250mm f/4 telephoto lens for the Fujifilm GFX system.

National Geographic is under increasing pressure to strip the prize it awarded to a photograph portraying residents of Varanasi, India sleeping on their rooftops. Those voicing their complaints to the magazine argue that is both racist and a gross invasion of privacy while the magazine is refusing to engage in a debate.

A photographer has switched to the Nikon Z 7 and taken to Antarctica in order to test the new equipment’s capabilities in extreme weather. He discusses his findings exclusively with Fstoppers.

Around this time last year, I wrote an article called “Why Other Camera Manufacturers Should Be More Like Fuji.” Although I wasn't the only one saying this, it seems that Sony has taken note.

My broken Alienware computer has become quite a controversy in the last week, but in the end, Dell came through for me.

Since moving to the Creative Cloud software-as-a-service model, Adobe has been providing several feature updates per year to its software. But these features have come at a cost of ever-increasing system requirements, begging the question: Is it worth it?

As you are just beginning to learn photography, finding new subjects and techniques is as simple as picking up a camera. But as your career and art form progress, sometimes it takes a bit of positive action to keep the flame alive.

As photographers we are artists, so what we display on our own walls, in our own living spaces, should be of paramount importance to us. What do you display for others to see?

We often talk about setting the right prices for our photography packages or having a great website but we often overlook this one fundamental factor that has a huge impact on the kind of photography clients we attract.

A few months ago I purchased a Tiny Whoop to fly in and around my house in hopes of getting better at flying. Little did I know that months later, this would turn into an addiction where I was more interested in drones than ever before.

Who doesn't love a photography related bargain? The problem is that some of those cheaper deals could cause you some serious headaches further down the line. Here are ten items which you should always avoid buying on the cheap.

This week we continue our Puerto Rican Photo Challenge. In our second challenge, two photographers explore the elaborate cave systems hidden deep within the central hills of Puerto Rico. In the full article, you can vote which image was the best and later this week we will reveal the winning image.

There is a history of actors becoming directors, models become designers, and, more recently, athletes becoming photographers. Isaac Rochell, defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers, is one of the latest to step up to the lens. More often than not, the photography of these second career artists focuses on their first career: sport. What do you think about second-career photographers?

In last week’s article, I introduced you to the inspiring work of Minnesota-based fine art photographer, R. J. Kern. This week, I connected with him again and was able to gain insight into what it took to create his most recent project, "The Unchosen Ones". If you were inspired by his work last week, I can assure you you'll be blown away by this one, too.

In a crowded industry, standing out can be difficult. Chris M Forsyth, Montral-based photographer specializing in capturing unusual spaces, manages to do just that, and with aplomb.

As someone who produces videos for YouTube, one of the things I've struggled with is the music. Buying individual songs from people to use in projects can be very costly and impractical. Fortunately, platforms like Artlist.io make it extremely easy to find the right piece.

If you've often been shooting in what seems like dramatic light only to get back to your computer and realize that the images are kind of so so, then you're not alone. However, in certain situations, what seems like a dull and unimpressive image might just need a little tweaking to take it to another level.

We have some incredibly talented photographers posting images to the Fstoppers Community and in today's video, Patrick and I picked out 10 of our favorite photographs that are currently trending.

"I'm a natural light photographer. I don't shoot with artificial lights. I don't like the look of strobe-lit portraits." That's fine, but why are your post-processed images look so unnatural?

What's the best wildlife photography camera and lens combo for under $500? Here are four different systems to check out.

Have you ever been in that moment when you’ve composed the scene just how you wanted, you’ve nailed your focus, you’ve placed your grad perfectly to balance the exposure and you’re about to take the photograph when you’re interrupted by someone telling you that you’re not allowed to use a tripod at the location?

Photography's expensive. Bodies, lenses, filters, software: it all adds up. But what about tripods? Do you really need to spend big on them to get what you want?

You’ve set out to write your very first script. You’ve got the character and an idea of what the ending looks like, and now you want to put pen to paper, or "fingers to keyboard".

Plenty of phone companies claim that their advertising images were shot with their phones. Some are outright lying, but others are in more of a grey area. When is it accurate to claim that is was shot with a phone?

This is a three-step template on how to shoot consistently good engagement photos through a structured plan involving composition, lighting, and poses.

Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest players in baseball history. Jennifer Lopez is the flyest of the Fly Girls. Together, they've become the power couple of Instagram. They're so popular, in fact, that their recent engagement photos drew 15 million likes and 325,000 comments on the photo-sharing platform, despite being, well, pretty terrible photos. That's because Instagram users, by and large, are not photography lovers. They are voyeurs.

Fujifilm has expanded its weather-resistant lens lineup for X-series cameras with the introduction of the Fujinon XF16mm f/2.8 R WR. I got the chance to take a pre-production sample for a first look.

You may think the title sounds rubbish (pun intended), but hear me out. This project is a great entry into street photography to help you grow accustomed to shooting targeted concepts in public, instead of feeling overwhelmed of all the possible photo opportunities around you.

With the EOS-1D X Mark II having just passed its third birthday, speculation is emerging over what Canon is planning for its successor. It’s long been mooted that the Mark III will arrive in time for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but how will it compare to the competition?

It's incredibly common to see any marketing campaign talk about how some accessory or lens is "life changing" and will bring your photography to the next level. And then you buy it and inevitably realize that it is your own ability that is holding you back. But there is something you can buy, multiple somethings actually, that will honestly help make you a better photographer.

Some photographers seem to have careers that appear to have started at the very top of the industry's ladder. For others, the early days of their photography careers are something they try to hide from. How has your photography evolved over the years?

There are only two things certain in life, as the saying goes: taxes and death. For something so certain, modern society has difficulty with understanding, and dealing with, our own mortality. So why is photographing death such a taboo subject?

Last week on Fstoppers, Nando Harmsen shared his technique for creating long exposures without a filter that involved stacking many, many photos in Adobe Photoshop. With my technique, there are a few extra caveats, however it only involves two photos and a mask in any layer-based photo editor.

Photographer Aaron Anderson has once again created an amazing set of images that came from an idea he could not shake. It's often been said that anyone can do something once but to keep coming back with impressive results is what differentiates the best from the rest.

Up-selling is part and parcel of the wedding and portrait photography business. Many photographers depend on these selling techniques to generate a decent income. But similar opportunities can be found in the commercial genre — you just need to know how to target them.

What happens when you combine an incredible collection of horror movie action figures, a vivid imagination, and awesome photography skills? Meet Jesse Diaz, a toy collector and photographer from Los Angeles, CA, whose incredibly realistic images of his toy horror figures in action are both entertaining and impressive.

Bumping into my old mentor at an American Photographic Artists lecture yesterday reminded me of the importance of building a photography community and the benefits beyond the obvious.

Through a matter of circumstance, I found myself working with multiple camera systems to fulfill a variety of assignments over the last month. Here are a few thoughts on why I chose each system and what I learned from the process.

Capture One Pro 12 was released at the end of 2018, and since then, it has made my workflow drastically more efficient. Let me share some of my tips to help you supercharge your workflow with this latest version.

It's so simple yet so powerful and has literally saved me hundreds of hours and untold gallons of frustrated, angry sweat. If you want to know a quick, fast camera hack that can make your photography life a rosy ride of comfort, then keep on reading.

Many creators hold originality to be one of the biggest values in their art, whether it is music, painting, photography or any other subject. Concerning photography, what is even original when billions of photos are taken and uploaded each day?

Shark photography is a popular and exciting part of shooting underwater. Many photographers travel the world over to get up close and personal with these mysterious creatures. If you are planning to start photographing sharks, it’s important to have a read through some of the items below to keep yourself and the very creatures you are in awe of safe.

Adobe's Lightroom is a divisive piece of software. Proponents love the consistency and close compatibility with Photoshop, while others argue it is inefficient with resources and has inferior processing compared to competitors. I want to take a look at a much simpler, fundamental issue with Lightroom.

You buy tutorials, you go to workshops, you read the latest article about gear, try to keep up with industry trends, run social media ads, and do everything else you can think of to create a strong career. But you might not be doing the one thing that could benefit your career the most: in-person networking.