Fstoppers Original Articles

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 2023, 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.

Can you shoot exclusively in JPEG as a professional photographer? Check out our interview with award winning wedding and portrait photographer Scott Robert Lim, as he explains why he's been shooting only in JPEG for over 23 years.

Photography has come a long way since its invention in the 19th century. Starting off as a status symbol usually associated with the rich, it has grown far and wide to become one of the most common ways of artistic expression. As it grew more and more, it also sparked the rise of some worrying tendencies. In this article, we will discuss some of the most worrying tendencies that plague modern photography.

Forget the rule of thirds and leading lines. This is not an article that will give recipes or magic bullets for composing images. Instead, we will talk about methods and broad approaches I used to go beyond the cliché techniques and create unique imagery

In a recent article of mine, I discussed switching from a DSLR to a smartphone for casual photography. Recently, one of my friends reached out to me and asked what camera he should get for a trip he is going to. I told him: to use his phone and gave him some tips. Here are the top 7 tips that every smartphone photographer should know.

The impact of smartphones on photography has been well documented and profound. One lesser-discussed element of smartphones' influence on photography, however, might be the change in what photographers now want and expect from dedicated cameras.

Recent research shows that there are excellent reasons why you should abandon the camera phone that have nothing to do with how good the pictures are. There’s a darker side to camera phones that we ignore at our peril.

Canon’s cinema line of cameras ushered forward the post-DSLR years for video users, and now, they could be set to do the same with mirrorless designs.

In a lot of my articles, I go on about how incredible Capture One is and how every photographer (with a few exceptions) should switch from Lightroom to Capture One. In this article, we will finally take a deep dive and see for ourselves why it’s worth considering the switch in 2023.

Although it sounds like a nasty disease, like athlete's foot or tennis elbow, the photographer's eye isn't that. We take our eyes for granted, and they are an essential part of photography, both metaphorically and literally.

When it comes to making great imagery, post-production is perhaps one of the most important steps that can make or break your image. Sure, you can master all elements to making an image, but if you forget post-production, you will be stuck miles behind someone who knows how to edit. In this article, we will discuss ways how to get better results when editing.

The advice I often hear on the internet is this: choose a photography genre and stick to it. I want to float the idea of developing your style instead and shooting what you’re passionate about. I’m not talking about the jack of all trades approach, but developing your skills in a few genres that you like and come naturally to you.

Most of the problems I get asked to fix in my role as technical support for photographers has to do with Lightroom. This article will show you the way I use Lightroom to be able to find any photograph I've shot in the last 10 years in under a minute. This is how best to organize and categorize your files to best serve you as a photographer and the tips and tricks that you might have otherwise missed.

Addiction. Hedonism. Chasing the dopamine hit. Just another taste. Just one more like. Ok, maybe 10, then I’m done. I swear it’s all I need! Here’s what I’m doing. Here’s what I’ve done. Here’s who’s doing this and hey, look, I’m present. Lifting the lid on the banality of everyday life. Journalists of the quotidian. Instagram is not what it used to be. We can all agree to that. And no truer is that than from the perspective of the humble photographer. Surely, it’s time to grow up, isn’t it?

If you’re thinking of making your love for photography into the thing that pays the bills, here are a few pitfalls which you might want to avoid.

As a photographer, it's important for you to understand the significance of branding in your industry. While it may not seem obvious, branding is just as important for small businesses like yours as it is for large corporations. Branding encompasses much more than just a logo. It is the first interaction a potential client will have with your business.

Some beginning photographers keep on shooting in JPEG because of one reason. They’re a bit of afraid of the raw file format. But shooting in raw is easier than you think. If you want to start photographing in raw but you don’t know how, I’ll show you how it’s done.

Seascape photography is a challenging yet rewarding genre of photography. The dynamic nature of the sea makes taking photos at the coast very exciting, but it also requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. And that's what I'll share in this article as seven tips that'll help you take your seascape photography to the next level.

What skills other than knowing your camera kit and how to take a good photo do you need to make your fledgling photography business work, grow, and be sustainable while still standing out from the crowd? What tools do you need and what websites are good enough to bookmark and check daily? These five tips will help you on your way.

Color grading your images can be fun, yet, in some cases, an arduous task. The subtle nuances that it can provide can make or break an image. Learning to color grade effectively takes years, and understanding the subtle differences that adding numerical values can make to the RGB of your image is an art form.

No sun? No problem! Fake natural light in the studio.

Nothing is more frustrating than having the wrong camera settings, especially during decisive moments. These images are probably beyond recovery. That’s why you have to check the camera setting every single time you go out. Just assume the settings are wrong. Always.

In our biggest FAQ about product photography yet, we discuss some of the most common questions a photographer at any skill level might have, from simple ones about settings to complex ones about the type of reflection a leather surface produces under hard light. This article was created to help you create better product images.

Today, I will definitively answer an age-old question. Or perhaps, more likely, pontificate on something that all people and all artists have been asking since the beginning of time.

I consider myself a Canon shooter through and through. This article isn’t about one camera manufacturer being objectively better or worse than another.

A fundamental lesson in photography is the exposure triangle. Learning about ISO, shutter speed, and aperture is something all photographers should do.

Studio photographers are often admired for their lighting skills, and for good reason. Creating compelling portrait lighting is not only extremely difficult, but requires lighting gear, backdrops, and a shooting space. Editing can play either a small or large role in the final image. Have you ever wondered how much of what you see was created in camera, as opposed to in the editing room? In this article, I will show you some before and after images from my own studio work and lift the veil on my editing process.

Once upon a time, Sigma was a brand thought of by many as the compromise lens if you couldn't afford the household names. Times have changed, though, and Sigma has gone beyond offering competitive lenses to making remarkable lenses and even some notable industry firsts. Being a photographer who works heavily in product work, I decided to put the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art lens in a shoot-off against the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro, and the results were... well, read on and find out for yourself!

Costa Rica is a place of breathtaking beauty, with lush rainforests, towering volcanoes, and pristine beaches. From the misty cloud forests of Monteverde to the remote beaches of Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica offers an endless array of photo opportunities. Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur with a passion for capturing nature's beauty, Costa Rica is a destination you should not miss.

Today, we’re talking websites. What are the dos and what are the don’ts?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the photography industry by automating many tasks that were previously done manually. This has the potential to greatly impact the way photos are taken, edited, and shared. Should we be worried about AI or embrace it?

Nobody wants to fail at photography, do they? Success and failure are both achievable, although the latter is easier. This is how to set about failing and, therefore, succeeding.

On January 17, 2023, the Oversight Board issued a decision advising Meta to revise its policies on freeing the nipple. Here's what that decision actually says.

Lightroom is one of the most popular photo-editing programs. We talk a lot about the library module and the develop module. The other available modules are almost never mentioned. What are these modules? But more important, are these useful?

Learning how to create good headshots is no easy task. With so much advice on the internet available, it can be hard finding a good place to learn professional headshot photography. This is why we here at Fstoppers created this comprehensive article that answers some of the most frequently asked questions.

If you’re relying solely on cloud-based storage alone such as Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, etc., stop! This is a disaster if you’re a professional or a semi-pro photographer. Allow me to explain why.

Phone photography has reached the point where it's good enough for online consumption, but can those photos keep up their appearance printed large?

Reading is what? FUN-damental! Ok, my bad dad joke aside, books are a great way to gain a deeper perspective on a topic from those making great strides within a field.

Besides composition, choosing the correct exposure is essential for your photography. Achieving that requires understanding how metering works and how to control the camera's settings. It's here that some cameras excel and others let you down.

CGI is usually associated with movies, but it has its place in photography too. In fact, you create elaborate and creative backgrounds for your shoots using CGI software.

Most cameras are similar in many ways, but they also have unique features that other models lack. Choosing the wrong camera can be an expensive mistake. Here are things to consider before spending your hard-earned cash.

As a headshot photographer, it's your job to make sure your clients look their best. However, taking the perfect studio headshot isn't just about lighting and composition. It's also about understanding your client's needs and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera.

With 28 days to celebrate Black History Month in February, let's take 28 opportunities to celebrate some talented black photographers who are currently making history with their work.

Instagram's censoring policies make no sense at all. But the least they could do is not call women prostitutes based on what they are wearing.

Today, I’ll share a few thoughts on the Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 wide angle zoom after getting to try it hands on for a bit of testing.

The term "boudoir photography" brings to mind scenes along the lines of a woman dressed in lingerie, standing near a window, adjusting her attire. Perhaps we imagine a woman who is partially nude lying on a bed. However, this interpretation of boudoir photography does not have to be the only way this genre is defined. If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and expand your interpretation of what a boudoir session looks like, you may be able to dramatically increase your clientele and sales.

ISO can be used as a tool to adjust exposure, and you can even use an automatic ISO setting. I’ll explain how you can use auto ISO in the best possible way.

Why do creators often resort to clickbait?

When you begin your journey into photography, you feel gated by how small your arsenal of equipment is, despite the elders of the craft telling you it doesn't matter. But, is there a negative correlation between creativity and the amount of gear owned? For me, I suspect there might be.

Here are some helpful tips on camera settings that you should use to capture crisp movement in the studio. I made a detailed video, but here is a breakdown of the settings you need to understand to keep your images sharp.