Fstoppers Original Articles

4 Ways to Manipulate the Foreground and Background in a Landscape Photo

If you combine foreground and background in a landscape photo, the two must work together. There are four ways to manipulate the relationship between the foreground and background. You just have to use depth of field, distance, and focal length in the best possible way.

Photographing Oxford: So Much More Than Dreaming Spires

Oxford is quite the most beautiful city. It has history and is full of stories that will enchant you and the non-photographers traveling with you. Just a tour of the main colleges would be enough to fill your camera with stunning images.

Is Stock Photography Worth It in 2023?

One of the biggest questions for many is how to make money from photography. There are many ways of doing it, such as photographing weddings, pets, portraits, or even products, but there are also ways to make money, such as stock photography. In this article, I discuss my experiences of using stock photography websites.

Tether Tools Releases a Variety of USB-C Cables for All Your New Gear Needs

Tether Tools is well known for its variety of wired and wireless products that make tethering easier and safer for your equipment. They have consistently been able to create products that solve problems that most photographers experience. Today with the release of their newest cables, the TetherPro USB-C products, they solve what has been a huge frustration for many early USB-C adopters.

Looking Ahead: Your Photography Business in 2019

December can be a trying time for photographers running a business. As business slows down, discouragement can creep in. Luckily, however, January is around the corner, which means a new beginning and new goals for a new year.

The Time to Form Your Creative Team Is Before Your Big Break Arrives

As you begin to get bigger and bigger jobs, it will soon be increasingly obvious that much of your success will be derived from the team members you choose to surround yourself with. No matter how good you may be, having an equally if not more qualified team surrounding you can make the difference between an average photograph and a great one.

two dogs standing in the surf at the beach on a sunny day

When planning a dog photography session, one of the most important details to consider is the place where the photos will be taken. There are a number of factors that come into play when choosing a setting, and the optimal location can differ from one dog to the next. Here are a few tips on choosing the perfect location for your next dog photography session.

Raising a Toast to a Decade of Full Frame Sony E Mount

Sony has been pioneering change in the imaging world for over a decade. Let's take a look at why the 10-year anniversary of its full frame E Mount and Alpha mirrorless system is so significant.
Pandemic Face Masks Are Really Screwing Up Autofocus

With masks required basically everywhere, I’ve been able to get away with small things, such as not shaving as often since no one can see my face. Unfortunately, what makes personal grooming easier makes autofocusing a bit harder as my camera struggles to find a face with a mask on.

Dealing With Criticism as a Photographer

Remember the old adage, “If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all”? Yeah, that’s not really a thing on the Internet. As photographers we need to understand that criticism is rampant, it's unavoidable, and it's also not always a bad thing. Here’s how to embrace it.

Is it Copying, or Just Inspiration?

You’re scrolling through social media when you see a photograph that looks terribly familiar; it looks so much like one of your photographs that it takes you a minute to realize that it’s some else’s work. What do you do?

What OM System's Live View, Live Composite, and Live ND Do and How to Use Them

Most cameras have at least one exclusive attribute, and the OM System Cameras have more than most. Its ever-expanding “Live” collection contains some of its unique computational photography features. Let’s dive into five of its tools to find out what they do and how you can use them.

The Important Career-Building Exercise You Might Be Ignoring

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.

Helpful Advice for Approaching Your Photography Clients

At some point in any photographer’s career, I am pretty sure you will at some point come across clients who will just send in inquiry with zero context asking how much you charge for a photoshoot. There is no way we could have possibly been able to provide an accurate project cost estimate without having any information on a project scope to establish the parameters. These types of clients are those that keep me awake at night, not because I am incapable of delivering but because these clients will have unrealistic expectations of what we can deliver.

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Shooting Beauty With a 7" Reflector

In my never ending pursuit for the perfect lighting modifier, I tested shooting beauty with a 7” reflector as my key light.

Finding Unique Perspectives at The Most Photographed Bridge In The World

As a long-time resident of the Bay Area, I’ve had the privilege of photographing the Golden Gate Bridge for over ten years. Whether it’s capturing the low fog rolling in or watching the golden light of sunrise and sunset cast its warm glow over the bridge, this landmark never ceases to amaze me. The Marin Headlands offer some of the best vantage points, especially when the fog is low, and the atmosphere feels almost otherworldly. It’s a scene that continues to inspire me, even after all this time.

No Photography Allowed: Has Photography Ever Ruined Your Experience?

As photographers we often see the world through our cameras — literally. If we aren't holding a camera, we're often planning or imagining a photo. The drive to compose and take photos shapes the way we interact with the world. Has this compulsion ever ruined an experience for you?

Profiting Multiple Ways with Adobe Stock Images

I am always on the hunt for new stock images to incorporate into my photography and find that stock enhances my photography business in several ways. Stock provides me with the ability to incorporate different locations and textures into my images that I am not able to easily shoot. As a result, I have not only seen improvements in my own work, I have also gained an eye for spotting opportunities to take extra images to sell.


Always in Season - A Beauty Photographer's First Foray into Video

Growing up, my dad liked to quote an old song called “Warpaint” by the Brooks Brothers: “With all that lipstick powder and paint, you all dressed up like what you ain’t.” It was his defense against the inevitable growing up of his teenage daughters, but never once did I buy into it. Instead, I embraced makeup, hair styling, clothing, and more as a path to self-expression.

Rethinking Photo Composition: What Are You Saying?

We spend years at school learning to read and write text: the meanings of words, what happens when you put them together, how to make yourself more easily understood, methods for convincing others of your point of view, etc. But for many of us, images and visual language are left for us to work out for ourselves. If a picture is worth a thousand words, why do we neglect visual language so much?

Could Lost Photo Opportunities Actually Be Good For You?

I took a two-week trip to Hawaii last month with the intentions of not bringing along a bunch of camera gear. That was a fine thought in and of itself, but now I’m wondering if I could have mustered the courage to take an extended trip to a picturesque location without bringing a real camera at all?

Pye Jirsa VS Lee Morris Round 2: Vote now!

Yep you read that right! After Pye Jirsa completely destroyed Lee Morris in our last Puerto Rican Photo Challenge, Lee is back for revenge. We need your help deciding the winner so please vote in the full article.

Has Image Stabilization Become a Necessity Today?

Every new camera incorporates some form of stabilization system. While much of photography doesn’t necessarily require image stabilization, on some occasions, it may have become a necessity, especially with today's high-resolution cameras.

Does Being Too Late Ruin Your Photo Day?

As landscape photographers, we are used to leaving our warm bed in the early morning, being on location, and also having a composition before the sun starts to rise. But what if we arrive after the sun has come up? Is there still a way to go home with strong photographs?

How Google Creates Insanely Detailed 3D Worlds from Photographs

Ever wonder how Google manages to render everything from bushes and boulders to bridge trusses and skyscrapers in amazing three-dimensional detail? In this article, we’ll find out how. It involves a high-tech lawnmower, a lot of computing power, and thousands of terabytes of data.

Why Briese Neos Is a Game-Changer for Studio Photographers

Sometimes, there are images you want to create without knowing how you can create them. The imagination runs wild, while the technical abilities tell you no. One such image was created at Briese Studios with the new Briese Neos, a product of no limits and wild imagination.

The Ultimate Backup: Insurance for Photographers

The Oxford English Dictionary defines accident as “an unpleasant event that happens unexpectedly and causes injury or damage.” Accidents happen. It doesn’t matter how careful you are or how much common sense you have. That’s why they’re called accidents.

The Awkward Stage in Photography: A Personal Reflection on Creative Plateau, Its Trap, and Solution

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my own journey in photography, questioning why progress sometimes feels stagnant. After speaking to a few industry experts, I have come to realize that there’s an awkward stage every creative reaches. A plateau where inspiration seems to dry up, and even slight growth feels like an impossible uphill battle. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this plateau isn’t just about skill or talent but about two fundamental limitations involving effort and money. Both demand deeper commitment, and without that, breaking through the stagnation feels impossible.

A Realistic Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers

Every year, there is a gift guide released that is supposed to help family, friends, and significant others buy something for their budding photographer. The problem is photography is an incredibly specific hobby, and most gifts given unfortunately don’t help. Here is a list of gifts that will appreciated by any photographer.

Caffenol Processing for Micro-Niche Photography

Jaana and Lorenzö of the studio Cahute have put a spin on the digital age of instant viewing by taking a step back into the past with a classic process of portraits on paper. They created a market for themselves that is so micro-niched they have yet to find another studio specializing solely in this process.

You'll Never Be Happy as an Artist If You're Not True to Yourself

The whole "artists don't care what others think" thing is a giant lie. Most artists care what others think of their work more than anyone else in the world. Creativity is an unsure and scary thing, and a little validation makes us feel good. It's poisonous.

Photographic Criticasters: Why You Should Not Be One and What to Be Instead

Criticism of photography is commonplace. Sometimes, it is invited and genuine, other times, not. How you decide to give or receive it can affect your self-esteem as a photographer. Moreover, it says much about your own creative abilities. Here's how to appreciate criticism and avoid being a criticaster.

Planning and Executing Impromptu Location Portraits

I recently travelled to the local racetrack with my brother for an open track day and decided that while he was out riding, I would try to make a few portraits of the other attending riders. I spent plenty of time ahead of the trip planning lighting, gear, locations, and more. This is a step by step walkthrough of how I created this series of portraits.

Photographer Creates Surreal Images Inspired by Life Events

Like many other members of the Fstoppers community, I’m often inspired and taken back by the images I see shared here. Canadian Fine Art Photographer Micahla Latta is one of those community members posting some incredible conceptual photographs to her portfolio, enriching the community with wonderfully surreal creations.

Using Elements From Other Cultures in Your Images, the Right Way

As Halloween comes to a close and we reflect on all the creative costumes roaming the streets, I think it’s a good time we take a moment to talk about cultural appropriation. We are blessed as photographers to be able to view images from any culture in the world through the Internet. It’s pretty cool that we have access to unlimited inspiration from just about everywhere, something the founding fathers of photography had nothing close to. It's important for photographers to have a vast basic knowledge of cultures, subcultures, and social classes so that we can always use culture with respect and honor in our images.

Standing Out With Photography Work You Care About (Or, Don't Rush to Find a Style)

Every few months I find myself reflecting on my work and career, about where I want it to go and how I want to position myself as a photographer. When I'm doing “work” photography I find that I'm really one among thousands of photographers. So lately I’ve been pondering things like “what do I really care about?” that I can show off through photography that other photographers don't, or can't. What do I have that other's don't?

I Set Up My Content Credentials. You Should Too.

For centuries, art was created in a physical form and limited to one original copy. If an artist wanted attribution, they could sign or carve their name into the artwork. No matter where the art traveled, the attribution traveled with it. Today, much of our work is shared digitally, where watermarks or crediting do not appear alongside the art. Widespread adoption of the new Content Credentials standard may give digital artists the recognition they deserve.

Shifting From Photographer To Videographer: Where Do You Start?

You’ve been a photographer for many years, and you’re curious about making videos. After all, your camera likely has some amazing video capabilities. But moving to video is daunting; there’s so much more involved than still photography. Here are a few thoughts to help you get started.