Fstoppers Original Articles

A One-Stop Audio Solution for (Most) Creators

No video is complete without a soundtrack. Excellent sound and SFX can make or break your production, which is why it is so important to get it right. If you’re looking for a royalty-free platform that offers a one-stop solution for audio, look no further than Artlist.

A to Z of Photography: Yashica and Madame Yevonde

In this article we turn to the society photographer, and fortune teller sounding, Madame Yevonde, but before her another Japanese brand that bit the dust. Yashica were prominent in the post-war photographic world, but when did they cease production?

Are We Having Fun With Photography?

When was the last time you can remember having fun with your photography? Not the joy of landing a photography job or the excitement of nailing that one photo, but rather childlike fun while shooting.

Is a PPA Super One Day Class Worth It?

Twice a year Professional Photographers of America hosts a learning opportunity for any photographer, whether they are a PPA member of not. PPA calls these Super One Days and they are available throughout the country and held by local photographers that give their time and expertise to a diversified set of subjects in many local communities. The options for classes range from different aspects of the business of photography, to shooting many different types of imagery, to post-processing, and even creating with prints and products in mind. The diversity of options available and that it’s many times a local photographer offering a class makes these educational opportunities worthwhile.

The Fstoppers Daily Diary While Quarantined in Puerto Rico

Like much of the world, Lee and I have found ourselves in mandatory lockdown in our home. During this uncertain time, we thought it would be interesting to record our thoughts, experience, and predictions in a daily diary that we can reflect on years from now. We welcome you to our Coronavirus Journal.

Pond5 Lets Photographers and Videographers Set Their Own Price for Stock Video, Stills, and More

A number of websites offer multimedia content to content creators for their projects through an easy-to-access online portal. But as well as those sites serve the many that use them, they all have one thing in common: they set the price for all content. Letting photographers, videographers, and musicians set the price for their own work, Pond5 is an exception in a set of businesses between which it is increasingly hard to differentiate.

We Speak to the Photographer Documenting Love Stories of Couples and Families Impacted by the Global Refugee Crisis

One photographer recently travelled to both Turkey and Mexico to document the global refugee crisis in pictures, a series that went on to earn him a win at the World Press Photo Awards. We spoke with the man himself to uncover more details about the inspiring love stories of couples and families who have been forced to flee their native countries in search of a better life.

Behind the Scenes of Photoshop Week at CreativeLive

Every year, CreativeLive hosts an event called Photoshop Week that feature classes from world-renowned experts. These free classes range from beginner level classes to expert level education. While most people only get to see these classes through a computer screen, I got the opportunity to see first hand what goes on behind the scenes.

On Location with NETGEAR M6 Pro: An Essential Tool for Nomad Photographers

For adventure photographers, having reliable internet access in remote locations is a game-changer. Lukas Mann, an adventure photographer based in Vancouver, shared his experiences on how NETGEAR has significantly improved his workflow and client satisfaction. Here's a detailed look at how the NETGEAR Nighthawk M6 Pro mobile hotspot is transforming the way outdoor photographers operate.

PortraitPro 24: Redefining Digital Retouching

Retouching has long been a time-consuming process that not many of us photographers enjoy. Yet, it is inevitable to have to retouch your photos. Fortunately, PortraitPro 24 is introducing more advanced features and capabilities that have further cemented the software’s reputation as a must-have tool for portrait photographers. Read on to find out why.

The Art of Digital Imaging

Do you consider this an art form separate from photography, or do you consider this an extension of photography?

COVID-19 Positive: What Happens When You Are Infected While Running a Business

Businesses all over the world are in crisis due to COVID-19. Small companies are scrambling to figure out a way to keep their business open or at least relevant while this pandemic takes over. Studios are shutting their doors and owners prepping before their state gets the shelter in place order. But what happens if you, as the owner, test positive for the virus?

Providing Pre-Shoot Tips to Your Engagement Couples: Part Two

‘Tis the season for wedding bookings! With that in mind, here is part two of an overview of my engagement shoot prep booklet. I provided this information to my couples when I was regularly shooting weddings. I hope that you find this helpful.

Does Having a Part-Time Job Stop You From Being a Pro?

Professional photography is a pretty exclusive club in someways. It is a dream job that many of us are protective of and online this can be seen by those defining what makes you a professional photographer.

Is Natural Light the 'Best Light'?

I've recently heard this statement confidently asserted, mostly by non-photographers, when talking about lighting. I briefly mentioned that it's a little more complicated than that without delving into a whole lesson on light and how it works, but it did leave me pondering the statement longer.

Top 10 WeeklyFstop Photos: Gathering

So apparently "gathering" seemed to scare away some people since we only seemed to gather about 20 percent as many entries as we have last week. Luckily, the quality of the entries was right on par with the previous themes delivering yet another great top 10 list.

Top 10 WeeklyFstop Photos: Snow

We asked for snow and we sure got it. I spent the week enjoying the weather with my family. We alternated between outside time in the yard throwing snowballs, building forts, and warming up by the fireplace with hot chocolate. I was too busy having fun to get any photos, but luckily for all of us, our readers were not. This week's list might make you a bit cold so I suggest grabbing a blanket.

Enjoying the Holidays May Mean Putting Down Your Camera and ‘Clocking Out’

For many of us, the holidays are about spending time with family and friends, exchanging gifts, travel, and leisure. If you’re the photographer among your family and friends, chances are it’s expected that you’ll capture the love and joy and all of the genuine smiles with your professional camera, because after all, it’s what you love to do, isn’t it?

How to Prepare for a Restaurant Photoshoot

You’ve been commissioned to photograph new images for a restaurant, but there’s a lot of spinning plates and moving parts. In this article, I share my essential steps for preparing for and running a photoshoot at a restaurant.

Retouchers Unite to Restore Damaged Photos From Hurricane Harvey

With all the destruction hurricane Harvey left behind from its rampage against the Texas coast, we have a tremendous number of people who affected with enormous lost. While most things can be replaced over time, there are some things that can’t be which many might overlook, like family photos for example.

Memories of Overdevelopment and 9/11

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, many NY based photographers and film makers found themselves documenting one of the most traumatic events in American history, the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers.

Three Tips to Find Your Own Style

As a photographer, you’re attracted to everything that catches your attention, which sometimes leads to a very disparate amount of files. When you observe your portfolio, you can’t get a sense of coherence from it. Here are three tips that might help you identify a pattern in your photography and find your style.

Why Framed Canvas Is the Preferred Method of Delivering Photo Prints

In today’s world of photography where we are spoiled with choices, selecting the ideal method for delivering photo prints can be a daunting task. With an array of options available, photographers often find themselves constantly in a dilemma of choosing the perfect print method that is not only capable of showcasing their work in the best physical form but also provides an exceptional experience for their clients.

Easily Age and Erode Objects in Your Composites With These Apps

Photographing toys can be a lot of fun, but they don’t always look like the most realistic subjects. Here are a couple of quick and dirty ways to add an aged, eroded look to your composited playthings to up the realism of your toy photographs.

Know Your Subject, Improve Your Photography

It's a phrase I've heard countless times, and I doubt I'm the only photographer to hear it: "Wow! Right place at the right time, huh?" Whether it's a photo of my children, a wildlife shot capturing a decisive moment, or a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime landscape, viewers often think we just got lucky to capture an incredible photo. In their minds, they only see how they would have gone about capturing that shot, which often is the simple three-step process of raise camera, point, shoot.

Learning to Embrace Hard Light

Early in my photographic career, I was really into hard light in my photos, but at a point, I started opting for really soft, diffused light, that is until recently. I’ve recently revisited using hard light, and here’s how it has shifted my photography.

Composing Underwater Images

I recently co-hosted a Webinar on underwater and wildlife photography with my fellow Fstopper’s writer, Mike O’Leary. During that half hour general discussion a participant asked for advice on composing an image underwater. While composition underwater can be a little tricky at first, I’ve put together a short list of things to keep in the back of your mind when you are first getting started.

Nikki Smith and a Life Dedicated to Adventure Photography

Nikki Smith first picked up a camera when she was five years old. The next summer, one of her images won her a blue ribbon at the Utah State Fair. Fast forward to today, and you’ll find her photographs throughout countless outdoor or climbing magazines, guidebooks, advertisements, and company catalogs.

The Common Sense Merits of a Simple Kit

In grade school, we’re often taught to keep things simple. Although valuable advice, simplicity often gets overlooked by photographers. This article is quite simply a reminder to keep it simple.

Critique the Community Is Back! Submit Your Commercial Photographs

Fstoppers is happy to announce we're bringing back Critique the Community in 2018. We invite everyone to submit your best commercial image to be critiqued by the Fstoppers team. We are keeping this first critique of 2018 pretty vague and broad, so if you think your image is "commercial" then submit in the comments below! Please follow the guidelines for submissions below to ensure eligibility for your image to be chosen. We will be accepting submissions through Thursday night, January 4, and will be offering feedback to a total of 20 pictures.

Everything Has Changed: 4 Steps to Becoming a Fashion Photographer in 2024

I consider fashion to be one of the most difficult industries to break into. There is no clear pathway, and you are not really taught how to do it. Moreover, every photographer has to almost invent their own pathway. In this article, I will talk about my path as a fresh fashion photographer and give tips on how to succeed in the industry.

How to Make Your Puppy Portraits Pop

Making great portraits isn't only for people, and with our pets being live-in models, we can get a little more practice perfecting our lighting and post-processing even at home.

How to Go Beyond Photography by Telling Stories

As much as we would like to deny it, the true essence of photography extends beyond the simple act of capturing images. For centuries, photographers have been using photography as a medium to curate stories that evoke emotions, ignite imaginations, or even create a lasting impression of moments and spaces around us. As an experienced photographer for over a decade, I firmly believe that the process of photography involves a lot more than just clicking the shutter button. A complete process of photography also involves a meticulous effort in crafting a series of images that tells stories through a careful process of curation and presentation of images.

Creating Time-lapse Videos with Mencoder

Time-lapse videos have grown in popularity as a direct result of their unusual perspective on the world and the success of digital stills cameras. Here's my low cost route to creating them.

Do You Dare to Bare Your Emotions in Your Photographs?

You may know how to photograph your subject in a certain light situation, you may know how to compose your photograph to create additional drama, but do you allow your true emotions and feelings shine in your work?

Quick Tips to Get the Shot in Any Condition

Photographing underwater possess its own challenges even in clear visibility. Coming into a body of water you are unaware of the conditions can make or break you, only if you allow it to.

Is Photography and Artificial Intelligence a Good Mix?

Artificial intelligence has come into our lives in various ways, and photography is no exception. In fact, did you know that it's already being used in smartphone cameras? But what is the future looking like for merging artificial intelligence and subjective, artistic craftsmanship?