Fstoppers Original Articles

Exclusive articles and expert opinions written by Fstoppers’ talented team of creative professionals. Here we cover everything from the latest photographic techniques to advice on running a successful photography business, to first hand accounts of working in the photography industry.

How I Broke the New Leica SL2 and Why I Think It's Amazing

A recent launch event in Paris gave me the opportunity to hold a Leica for the very first time, and I quickly broke it. Leica’s brand new SL2 is a 47-megapixel beast that shoots 20 frames per second. Despite my capacity for crippling technology, I learned that there’s a lot to love about this camera and that Leica — with the SL2 in particular — might be more than a luxury brand for those with too much money.

13 Tips for an Improved Lightroom Experience

Lightroom is probably the most used photo database program available, with an integrated raw file editor, and many options for post processing. These thirteen tips can improve your Lightroom experience.

How to Build a Website, Part 3: My Site Goes Live

For the last month, we've teamed up with Wix for a series called "How to Build a Website." In this series, Lee and I talk about some of the advantages and mistakes photographers make when creating their own website. Today, I release my new commercial photography website and walk you through the process.

Insights on Retouching With Kelly Robitaille

Recently, I had the good fortune to interview high-end retoucher Kelly Robitaille to get her insights on retouching and learn how she’s built her career and skills as a high-end retoucher as well as getting her advice to those who want to build a similar career.

Why I've Never Changed Camera Brands

There seems to be a flurry of “I’ve changed brand” going on again at the moment. I find the entire thing very alien, but mostly because I have never changed camera brands, and there is a good reason for that.

A Look at YouPic Pro

With an ever-expanding selection of community-based services and subscriptions to choose from, it can be difficult to find a platform that feels like your own and where your rights as a photographer are respected and protected. Let's dig into dig into why YouPic has grown into one of the most trusted home for photographers, and why celebrated and respected names such as Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, Adam Hinton, and David Yarrow utilize YouPic Pro's subscription in their photography work.

The Myths of ISO

Eye-es-oh or eye-soh? Not as simple as you think! Tip: Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Did Adobe Improve Their Creative Cloud App? I Think Not

In March, I did a post that was critical of Adobe applications of late: lots of bugs, sometimes unintelligible offshore customer support, and their Creative Cloud menu bar app (on Mac OS) that seemed more a marketing device than a useful way to know about Adobe updates (on Windows, the Creative cloud app is launched from the Task Bar).

You Might Want to Check Your Lightroom Settings More Often

The Lens Corrections panels in the Lightroom Develop Module and Adobe Camera Raw provides the ability to correct lens problems such as distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. These settings are often turned on and never given a second thought.

Have You Already Customized Your Camera to Your Own Needs?

Did you know a lot of people use their camera without setting it up for their needs? If you have done this already, you may find nothing new in this article. If you don’t know what I am talking about, perhaps you should read it.

What is Canon Building? Could It Be the New Niche Dominance of f/2.0 Zooms?

Canon has just released the trifecta of f/2.8 lenses that cement the workhorse length of optics for professionals and prosumers alike, but they are still missing a flagship mirrorless camera body to take advantage. This is only part of Canon’s future strategy when competing against Sony and Nikon which may include a new family of f/2.0 zooms.

The Pros and Cons of User-Submitted Editorials

Having your work in a print magazine is seen as the goal for many, but are all print magazines created equal? With the boom of on-demand printing, there has been an increase in user-submitted editorial magazines. But are these magazines for real?

How a 360 Camera Could Replace Several Others

In the course of being a visual journalism educator, I’ve come to realize that while here at Fstoppers my colleagues and readers might be attuned to 360 cameras and imaging, by and large most of the viewing public is not, but perhaps it's time they should be.

Free Tutorial: How to Photograph an Engagement Session

For many photographers, the first type of photoshoot they will ever book is an engagement session. In this extended tutorial, I will walk you through four different setups that you can use regardless of your location or skill level.