Fstoppers Original Articles

Art is about storytelling. It’s about using all the tools at one’s disposal to convey and idea or an emotion. To connect an audience to a brand, or a personality, or a moment in a way the no other medium can. Along with my own technique, the ingenuity of the on-camera talent and the creative team behind it, plus the tools necessary to complete the job, the location you select for your shoot is one of the many raw materials that will have an effect on the eventual alchemy you bring forth to produce a great image.

Photographers Kristina Sherk and Chris Crumley have been a dynamic pair for years with their underwater photography. Crumley's shots of Sherk's mermaid modeling have gone viral around the world. However, Sherk decided to take on a new endeavor and create her own underwater art.

There’s nothing worse than visiting a location prior to shooting, only to miss out on important details. Avoid headaches, and make sure that you’re prepared for the shoot day.

If you're like me, you just had a couple of months’ worth of work canceled and are now looking for alternative income streams. If you want to know how to start selling prints online — with no setup costs and no ongoing fees — read on.

Wotancraft’s new camera backpack gives you versatility and camera storage without looking like a camera bag.

It's now officially twelve (shopping) weeks to Christmas and so in the spirit of the 12 Days of Christmas, we start our countdown — not with 12 drummers drumming — with the top 12 ways to pimp your camera.

So it's finally happened:Phase One and Fujifilm have collaborated to bring film simulations to the newest version of Capture One! The film simulations in Capture One work with most of Fujifilm's cameras, except those with the X-Trans I and II sensor (The XPro 1, X-T1 etc.) but why should you care and how do you do it?

Planning and timing is the key; especially, when it comes to a serious photography or video work. Usually, you have to deal with lots of details in a fast-paced environment, and manage your own crew as well. Therefore, it's better to be planned and be prepared against any possible misfortune. All you need is a well prepared production call sheet.

As a new writer on here, sometimes, it is hard to come up with new content to write about. I really have to put my brain to use. Sometimes, I randomly come up with ideas and topics to write about, and that is definitely one reason I'm glad I switched back to the iPhone. Whenever I come up with a thought or idea to write about, I hop into my Notes app and start writing some ideas down. Now, when I go home, it’s on my iPad, computer, phone, etc., and I can sit down and start to write more about it.

Ever meet someone who is so upbeat and happy that they can’t help but greet you with a big smile and hug every single time they see you? Ask anyone in the photo industry and you'll know, that’s Jaleel King.

I have a confession to make: this past week I've been playing around with images that I've taken with my cell phone over the last year or so. I went to backup my phone's photos and decided why not try and play with them a bit in Photoshop during some downtime. You know what? I've been having a great time, my creative gears are turning, and I have a new found respect and appreciation for that tiny camera built into my phone.

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'll be featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

Photography is as much a business as it is an art. Amid the myriad choices that shape a photographer's journey, one pivotal decision looms large: pricing. For those straddling photography alongside another profession, striking the right pricing balance can be both an art and a science. Navigating my dual professional roles, I discovered that pricing isn't merely a reflection of an image's worth; it's a strategic tool, ensuring equilibrium between passion, profession, and personal moments.

Fuji recently unveiled their Instax Wide photo printer, over 20 years after the format first made its appearance. So, why has it taken Fuji so long?

The Really Right Stuff PG-01 Compact Pano-Gimbal Head allows you to shoot multi-row panoramas without parallax. I bought one a couple of years ago and it's time to share my findings of this compact solution for panoramas.

Whenever a new iPhone is released, we start to see comparisons being made against "proper" cameras. Generally speaking, these comparisons are met with some hostility and the most frequent comment I see is about how iPhones will never replace proper cameras. I wonder, would it be a good thing if smartphones actually did replace our cameras?

Street photography is a popular genre and a favorite of mine to admire. This week's submissions by our readers produced an exceptional list and helped the WeeklyFstop gain some needed street credit.

If you have photographed a subject with and without a grid modifier, you have probably noticed your power output is much lower with the grid on. This causes a less-exposed subject, forcing you to increase your light power to compensate.

Continuing a tradition of impressive innovation and compact, affordable glass, Samyang/Rokinon has produced a new lens for Sony full-frame cameras that is completely unique: an autofocus 75mm f/1.8 prime lens. How so much quality can be packed into something so tiny is remarkable.

More often than not, we’re our own worst enemies when it comes to landing the types of jobs we long to be hired for. Are you making it more difficult than it should be for potential clients to hire you for those photo jobs you keep waiting on?

Seascape photography has a way of captivating our senses, drawing us into the mesmerizing beauty of the ocean's rhythms. However, not every day at the coast is blessed with perfect weather and ideal conditions. As photographers, we must adapt and find creative solutions to capture stunning seascapes even when faced with challenging circumstances. Let’s explore the art of using long exposures to transform less-than-ideal conditions into ethereal and evocative seascapes.

What lured you into photography? Was it a specific genre? Was it a person? Whatever the case, I want to lay out the benefits of being as open and experimental as possible when you are new to the craft.

Life as we know it has suddenly changed, and most of our businesses have ground to a near stop. Many of us were left scrambling to figure out how to keep some sort of work coming in. But when you primarily photograph people, yet your state has issued stay-at-home orders, you really have to explore ways to carry on.

I keep on seeing the advertisements about software for reducing noise in digital photos. It gives the idea noise is always a huge problem that needs to be addressed. This is advertising, of course. Or is it indeed an issue that we have to solve with specialized software?.

When you run a photography business, client leads are everything. However, if you can’t get potential leads to respond to you, your business can flounder. Here are a few reasons why potential clients may not be getting back to you after they initially reach out.

Let’s face it, in today’s world it is always better to be safe than sorry, especially for artists with demanding clients. I’m a huge believer in utilizing contracts to keep everyone on the same page, but contracts can be difficult when they are severely limiting.

Photography is an art form that often demands more than creativity; it requires courage, perseverance, and sometimes a willingness to take life-altering risks. Over the years, some photographers, including even myself, have ventured into jaw-dropping locations to capture images that defy both logic and limits. These stories are a testament to the lengths artists will go to for the perfect shot.

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?

We often draw inspiration from several mediums; art, music, and film to name a few. These inspirations are blended together and found within our work. This article digs deeper into what may give our work moody undertones and makes us feel exactly how we feel when looking at it.

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 2017, 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.

This month's winner is Mario Olvera! His work is notable for its strikingly imaginative concepts and top-notch lighting. Be sure to check out our favorite shots of his...

When you rely on creativity for work, a battle with the absence of these abilities can be detrimental, especially when you’re freelance. No matter what type of creative work you do, there will come a time when you feel like your powers have dried up and you are no longer capable. It will seem like the ability to do anything is gone forever, everything you make is crap, and no good ideas seem to be coming to you. To understand this problem as universal and cyclical is a step towards understanding what it is that drives your creative abilities. There are ways to elevate past these woes and continue creating your best work. Here are five easy practices that can help you in your woes next time you are met with a creative block.

When it comes to landscape photography, certain destinations immediately come to mind – the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, the majestic mountains of the Canadian Rockies, or the iconic landmarks of the American Southwest. However, there is one country that often gets overlooked as a photography hotspot: Ireland.

Whether you are a photographer or videographer, more and more content creators are adding constant lights as their go-to lighting setups. Quasar Science recently released their 30-watt T8 bulbs with raving reviews, and today, I explore six useful lighting setups you can build with four lights under $80 each.

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?

When I was starting out as a professional photographer, I felt I had to be all things to all people. Any work that came in, no matter what genre of photography, how boring or bizarre, I said yes. If a company came to me with a request and they said they couldn't afford my quote, I'd bend myself in to unnatural shapes to accommodate them, because some money is better than no money, right? I eventually came to the conclusion that this was unsustainable and I began to say no and to quote those awful click-bait titles, you'll never guess what happened next.

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?

Hiring a professional makeup artist for your studio can be a daunting task, but one that can be rewarding when it comes to client satisfaction. In the second half of this two-part interview, we will delve a little more into what we, as photographers, should be looking for when we set out to hire a makeup artist for our own studios.

For as long as there has been business, there has been networking. If you read any book on business or entrepreneurship it's immediately apparent that people and relationships are the cornerstone of success. It will come as no surprise, therefore, that the merit of social media is huge; this is well-trodden ground and tiresome. However, I feel compelled to promote one aspect of online networking that has separated itself from the pack for me.

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.

Airport authorities officially say that film at or above ISO 800 may be damaged by X-ray scanning. But they really should tell you that ISO 800 film will be damaged and that less sensitive film still could be affected. I found this out the hard way. Here's how I learned an important lesson along with a few other tips for avoiding issues while traveling with film.

From coating your lenses with Vaseline to creating pinhole cameras, we all love experimenting with camera and lens hacks from time to time. While it's hardly a new found trick, and while it's not as harmful as it sounds, lens whacking can give you impressive effects to give your footage just that extra bit of finesse and adds a lovely romantic element overall, especially when combined with slow-motion footage.

Prepping for the off season is something we rarely do, as we barely have time to keep our heads above water during the busy season. Even though we may break goals and surpass expectations at certian times, there are always a few months out of the year where we feel like we are starving for work. A couple months of low sales can take half the year to make-up and recover financially.

In today's competitive marketplace, successful photographers are finding themselves creating more and more content that isn't strictly photo based. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are reaching more and more people with video content. In today's article, I outline 10 simple tips you can use to polish your video content.

Awakening your creative mind can be a challenge, but from my previous article "Fstoppers Creative Photography Challenge (Part One)" I hope that these challenges are helping you overcome your creative rut. Sometimes it's hard to spot simple things and sometimes you just don't have that drive to take that photo. There are tons of options to sharpen you creative skills, but I find these challenges relaxing. Here are some more added challenges for you to continue.

"Keep your head down and always know where the ball is. It hurts when you get hit." And with that, I was off and running. Here's what it was like stepping out of portraits and events and into the world of professional sports photography.

The Great Plains offer some of the most extreme and jaw-dropping weather on Earth, and those who venture there with their camera are rewarded with some of the most unique and stunning images possible. We interviewed Paige Vincent, a photographer capturing those phenomena.

Repeatedly say something is good, loud enough and long enough, so that anyone who listening to you believes it. Raise that single voice to a chorus and then that belief becomes fact. So is fine art photography the classic con job?

Over the last couple of years, the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) market was booming, and I couldn't scroll through the Twitterverse without seeing the many posts saying "GM", sharing their images and links to buy them as NFTs. After a huge crash in 2022, the NFT crew has finally started disappearing from my timelines, and good riddance to them.

The time has finally come. Leading to this moment, you sat in the hot sun for hours, waiting for the grazing of the bird’s toe on the water, creating mesmerizing concentric circles, and boom: you got it!

As often is the case, the aftermath of tragedy has drawn my attention away from the cool gadgets and techniques of the photographic profession and caused my mind to drift back to the why. Allow me a moment to indulge a larger question.