Fstoppers Original Articles

Photographer and Fstoppers alum Limor Garfinkle has been working on a very interesting project for the last two years: designing and shooting portraits of comedians that show off their unique personalities. Now, the project is ready for its gallery premiere at the TBS Comedy Hub as part of the New York Comedy Festival, with the proceeds benefiting the Mount Sinai Division of ADHD and Learning Disorders. Fstoppers recently interviewed her about the process and fun experience of shooting these portraits.

You might have missed it, but last night, the earth cracked and shifted a little in the world of the photo community. The “Stand Out! Photographic Forums” launched and details the first of a series of events that promise to offer up some of the most exciting photographic speakers I’ve seen in a long time. Not only that, but the price is ridiculously low to hear them talk. Something special is afoot, read on to get the full scoop.

I've recently returned from Hokkaido, Japan, where I spent a week doing research for my 2019 photo tour.

Constructive Criticism is a unicorn in online photography groups; much sought after, but rarely found. Good constructive criticism, or CC as it's often referred to, can be some of the most helpful and growth inducing feedback a photographer can receive but, in the wrong hands, it can be a sword that cuts confidence to ribbons. Here is how to give, and receive, CC in a way that wont destroy your soul.

If you are a photographer looking for a low competition niche market that is in high demand during the spring and summer months, you might want to consider offering ERAS photos. ERAS stands for Electronic Residency Application Service, and it is the system that medical students use to apply for residency programs in the United States. As part of their application, they need to submit a professional photo that meets certain specifications and showcases their personality and professionalism. This photo can make a big difference in their chances of getting an interview and matching with their preferred program.

New York is the city that never sleeps. It’s a city that’s famous for it’s bustling streets and the weird and wonderful community that populate it. It’s a hub of activity, or at least it was until lockdown.

As a portrait photographer, you’ve probably considered hiring a professional makeup artist to prep your clients. In this first part of a two-part series, a professional makeup artist tells us everything we need to know about making professional makeup a part of our portrait photography offerings.

Last month we launched the new #FstoppersTravel hashtag on Instagram and the results are breathtaking. We've poured over thousands of images and handpicked a few for you to enjoy. Check out December's selection of inspiring travel photography by Fstoppers fans.

If you already own an interchangeable lens camera, you can make a pinhole lens in five minutes.

Handmade selling is on the rise and with it comes an increasing number of new product photographers. Quality product photography is essential for marketing your goods, but it doesn't need to be expensive or overly technical. In fact, there are some easy things that you can adjust that will help elevate your product photographs to the next level!

Reports are coming in from Madrid of price hikes of 1000% for rooms in the Spanish capital. The cause for this is two English soccer clubs competing in the finals of the Champions League, arguably one of the world’s most watched sporting events. With all eyes on travel options to Spain, I thought I’d share some of my photography related highlights there.

It’s time to spring-clean your photography website! Don’t leave it until you've finally shot that new body of work you’ve been meaning to shoot. There are several things you can do to your website to freshen it up without shooting new images first.

Photographers often write to me to share their portfolios and websites. I am not often impressed. Today's photography is repetitive and derivative in a way that I find immensely underwhelming. Yet, every so often, I am surprised. Susanne Otterberg is one such surprise.

Here are 13 essential things to know about why your photos are not sharp and what you can do about it. Included are some that are often overlooked.

Ed Keating, Pulitzer Prize-winner, career photographer of over thirty years and mentee and friend of Robert Frank (the most celebrated American documentary photographer probably ever), is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met. I filmed and edited this exclusive Fstoppers interview, as his insight was just too good not to share. No matter what type of photographer you are, I’m sure you can all take something of value away from this video interview.

Profoto sent us a couple of newly released softboxes. Let's test them out.

As I always discuss, I am looking constantly for every way to streamline every little detail of my workflow as much as possible. Today I want to talk about what you do after you run your actions. It's a very simple thing that I rarely see anyone do.

Have you ever had a photo of yours stolen? Here are some important things you should know about.

The fast pace of changing technology is not slowing down. Add to the mix new mirrorless systems, VR, 8K it’s starting to make more and more sense to rent camera bodies, or does it?

Carrie Beene has long been one of the top retouchers known for her amazing work on ads for cosmetics and hair product companies. We recently sat down with Carrie to learn more about how she started and what advice she has for aspiring retouchers.

No matter how young and beautiful your models are for business stock photos, buyers often feel that the images come across as stuffy and old-fashioned. That’s not just a guess, it comes from many years of experience in the industry. Here are a few things you need to pay attention to when working with models for a business photo-shoot that will help make your business stock photos more attractive to buyers.

Last week David Strauss and I challenged each other in the next installment of our Puerto Rican Photo Challenge series. You guys voted on the best image and in this video the loser has to accept defeat!

Climbing is a sport that has existed for centuries, however, over the past few years it has started to skyrocket in popularity, rapidly becoming a mainstream activity. So much so that even the folks at the Olympics have noticed and added it to the docket as a new medal event in 2020. With an increase in professional climbers competing at the highest level also comes a need for photographers who are able to capture this impressive sport. Christopher Beauchamp is one of the sport’s leading shooters and was kind enough to chat with Fstoppers about his career.

After five months and 101 albums, Mercedes Murray has finally completed her biggest creative project yet. Finding herself homebound in mid-March along with millions of other San Francisco area residents, Murray started out by searching for a way to keep busy and entertained, but her work quickly turned into a valuable creative outlet, offering a method to voice her feelings on both COVID-19 and her frustrations with politics. From Bruce Springsteen to No Doubt, Murray set out to replicate some of music’s most iconic album covers using only what was available in her home.

Photography is a hobby/profession that can take a serious toll on your wallet. The cost of a lot of precision, technologically advanced equipment can lead you to be very protective of your gear (and rightfully so). Is it worth risking it to get the shot?

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 2019, 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.

A photograph that does not tell a story, is a lifeless picture – it’s a failure to capture the viewer and therefore, his heart. One single photograph can inspire a person if a photographer knows how to tell a good story. Because photographer Paul Choy wanted to find out the truth for himself behind media headlines, and because he wanted to tell the individual stories of each refugee, he set out for the refugees’ camps in Calais and Greece with his camera. The result is the ‘Faceless, Forgotten’ – a photo essay and a documentary about the struggles of refugees.

Have you ever run out to a shoot and realized that despite your best laid plans, you left something behind? Packed up, boarded a plane, and realized you left your memory cards or film at home? How far back did you have to go to get it? Imagine realizing that you had to travel 238,900 miles? Or worse, 170 years into the past.

People are constantly visiting me here in Arizona, and wanting me to point out the best places to take photos. Of course everyone wants to hit the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and maybe Horseshoe Bend.

There are many times in the automotive industry that when you're asked to shoot a car, you frequently cannot move the car either from where it is or far from where it's being stored due to its rarity, sometimes condition, and sometimes even questionable street-legality. This can definitely cause some problems when it comes to producing high-end images of the cars for a client. If they want only detail shots then you're good as you won't need to show much of the background to accomplish their goals. However, if they've got high hopes and want the car to be pictured anywhere except where it actually is you have to be a bit creative.

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.

Today, I’m reviewing the XDynamics Evolve 2 Drone. I’ll share thoughts on build, performance, and other details as well as my favorite features. Drones, or “airplane cameras” as my kids call them, are an awesome piece of technology that can take your photos to a whole new level.

The new Nikon Z 9 is nearly a perfect camera for my needs. So how could it get even more perfect?

Including all of the person's head in your photograph is considered to be one of the basic rules of portraits. Clipping off the top of someone's head is considered a rookie mistake. However, I want you to consider taking a different approach to that old standard.

The end of this color trifecta of themes is another great one featuring a precious metal in a number of different forms. The wide variety and quality of submissions in this list make it easily worth its weight in gold.

I am a doer. I pride myself on getting things accomplished. Doing things rather than talking about them. I even keep a strict log to make sure that I make the absolute most out of every 24 hour period. Productivity is my spirit animal. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t that a bit excessive? The answer is more than likely yes. And I don’t open that way as a means of boasting. Like many, my greatest strength is often my greatest weakness. My obsessiveness over getting things done has driven me to compile a diverse list of accomplishments (and failures). But, in a profession where the best course of action can require patience, obsessing over productivity can often drive you plum crazy.

If there is one thing that makes a landscape photo “come alive,” it is adding depth to it. Adding depth either invites the viewer into the photo or can make the photo feel like looking through a window.

If you've taken photos in your past travels that may not have exactly pleased you, you should take some time after a while to revisit them.

Seldom is as much thought given to what the subject will wear than when preparing for a newborn photography session. Clients will often choose a color scheme to complement the baby room, or will select a relatively neutral palette, so that the finished artwork will look appropriate in any room. As newborn photographers, sometimes we’re called upon to make changes to the colors of a wrap, background, or accessory. Here are two fast ways of adjusting the color of a wrap using Photoshop.

If you ever entered the dark depths of Deviant Art a few years back, you would have most likely stumbled upon the name Conzpiracy at some point in your journey. Like a modern-day urban legend, his complex manipulations of the macabre made waves through the DA community.

Did you know that before Hasselblad became the official camera of the moon, space exploration was photographed with modified versions of simple drugstore cameras?

I'm a symmetry snob. If you are going for the down the center shot, get in the middle. It may seem obvious but at the end of the day a few inches can make a huge difference and actually make or break your photo. So as much as you want to start filling that memory card, slow down and make the fine tune adjustments.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that help you appreciate your spare time. When you’re constantly driven to create, not having a personal project stewing can be agonizing the way nails to a chalkboard stab at more than just your ear drums.

At this year’s Outdoor Retailer trade show in Denver, Colorado, the biggest names in the outdoor industry came together for one event to show off their latest and greatest to the world. While most of the products at the show were geared more toward outdoor equipment and snow gear, there were brands unveiling products that most photographers and videographers who work in the outdoors will be extremely excited about.

In the world of photography, capturing the perfect shot often requires meticulous attention to detail. From adjusting camera settings to framing the subject just right, photographers invest significant effort in creating stunning visuals. However, amidst all the technicalities, there is one often overlooked but indispensable tool that can make or break the outcome of a photograph: the tripod.

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 2019, 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.

Take a look at this Lightroom CC fueled, wedding day sneak peak for iPad-equipped photographers.

Have you traced back your interest in photography and the arts to its origin? What or who was the catalyst?

The past few weeks I have been driving up the parkway here in New Jersey for work, my eye kept getting drawn towards this one specific railroad bridge between exit 136 and 137. Every time I passed by it, my eyes would follow it until I had to turn to see the road in front of me again. It was one of those things that I had to remember so I could go back and photograph it when the time came. Today was the day that I set out to photograph it, but before anything, I had to put a little bit of planning into it.

Everyone wants to bring in money with client work, but not setting aside time for personal projects can be detrimental your growth as an artist, and to the bottom line. Here are three reasons you should always schedule personal projects.