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.

3 Cameras for Travel Photography This Summer

The summer season is fast approaching, and many of us are preparing to jet off on our summer vacations to destinations all over the world. Whether you are going for a beach vacation or lounging around the pool with your family, having a camera at hand is always a great way to capture those special moments.

How to Get Your Photos Noticed and Appreciated

Like reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to music, when people look at your photos, you probably want them to spend time and appreciate them. In a world where people constantly scroll and instantly forget your photos, are there ways you can have your photos noticed? Let's find out.

Resurrecting My Abandoned Ricoh GR in Year 2024, Is It Worth My Effort?

Camera gear talk is probably something that we as photographers cannot resist often when we are discussing photography. Some cameras hold a special place in our hearts not just for their technical prowess but for the memories they carry. One such camera for me is the Ricoh GR.

Improve Your Photography by Getting the Reps In

As photographers looking to improve our craft, we watch YouTube videos, buy online training, read articles, and maybe even take a class or two. We can pursue our quest for information and consume all of these trainings and never see a marked improvement. The key to getting better? Get those reps in.

Save 95% and get $3,700+ in Video Products

Fstoppers has partnered with 5DayDeal to offer the best video bundle deal of 2024. Included are education, software, and tools from a wide of variety leaders in the industry that will help take your work to the next level. The product list is incredible this year.

6 Helpful Tips for Beginning Photographers

There are many things to consider in order to capture great photos. You need to know about exposure, composition, and how to operate the camera. It’s easy to get on the wrong track, which can introduce confusion and disappointing results. Here are some tips for beginning photographers.

Mastering Headshot Photography With the Canon EOS R5 and RF 100mm Lens

Want to get great commercial, headshot photos using the Canon R5 and the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM lens? The following advice will help you produce the best professional headshots and show you how to interact with your clients for stunning, natural results.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2024): Christine Kennedy

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.

Aftershoot: Hours Worth of Editing Reduced to Minutes

Working as a photographer for over a decade has helped me realize one important thing: I hate editing photos. I absolutely love every aspect of being a photographer, except for the editing. This is why Aftershoot has been incredibly useful to me.

Don’t Use a Variable Neutral Density Filter for Photography

If long exposures are preferred, there are limits to how far you can go unless you wait for darkness. The best alternative is a neutral density filter, which allows the desired long exposure at any time of day. Whatever you do, don’t use a variable neutral density filter for photography.

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.

Is the Panasonic S9 the Full Frame GM1 We Always Wanted?

I have spent much (digital) ink on how great a camera the Panasonic GM1 is, even in 2024. Someone at Panasonic must think so too, because the new S9 looks like it’s channeling big GM1 energy, and that’s an awesome thing.

Finals Days In "Unique Lighting" Contest

We are almost 48 hours from the latest Critique the Community photo contest. The theme for this month's contest is "Unique Lighting" and the prizes include several new products from the lighting company Profoto.

Do This for Every Lens You Buy

Imagine heading to a photo shoot and noticing afterward that most images you took are partially out of focus. You are sure you set the focus right, and the depth of field in the photos is also sufficient. The problem might be a decentered lens.

Half of the lenses I bought in the past 15 years were decentered. At first, I didn't know of that problem. The first wide angle lens I got from Canon required focus-stacking all the time. Since I mostly shot landscapes, it wasn't clear to me that this was due to a problem with the lens and not because of the topography of the...

The Best Images from GuruShots "Photogenic Pursuits" Challenge

Have you tried is the "The World’s Greatest Photo Game" from GuruShots? They offer challenges all the time and allow photographers of every level to submit and participate. Their latest challenge "Photogenic Pursuits," received thousands of entries and millions of votes. You can see the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

Fstoppers Interviews Paige Vincent, Extreme Weather Photographer

The Great Plains offer some of the most extreme and jaw-dropping weather on Earth, and those who venture there with their camera are rewarded with some of the most unique and stunning images possible. We interviewed Paige Vincent, a photographer capturing those phenomena.

Why Is Woodland Photography So Hard?

Woodland photography, while rewarding, presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to shooting and bagging some banger shots. From intricate compositions to unpredictable lighting conditions, capturing the flow of forests requires skill, patience, and adaptability. For this article, I want to dive into the reasons why woodland photography is considered difficult and explore methods to overcome these obstacles.

Download These Raw Files From Fujifilm’s Newest Cameras

Fujifilm recently held an event in NYC for photographers to gain hands-on time with their two most recent camera releases. Fstoppers was there, and we are pleased to provide you with three downloadable raw image files from each camera.

Art and Advocacy: A Chat With Lindsay Adler on Her Psoriasis Awareness Campaign and Life Behind the Lens

What do you get when you pair an industry titan in creative beauty images with a campaign promoting psoriasis awareness? You get images you're anxiously curious to see, and an interview you want to watch. For the lucky New Yorkers, you also get the perfect outing for this weekend. I sat down with Adler to talk about the “Clearly Me” campaign she shot, which will be on display this weekend at Nine Line Galleries, NYC. If you follow my writing, you know we took rabbit trails into all kinds of tangents that will keep you learning, laughing, and hopefully leave you inspired with takeaways that will apply to your own photographic journey.

How Committing To a Routine Can Make You a Better Artist

When you are trying to build yourself into the artist you want to be, a little ordinary can help you do the extraordinary.

As I’m sitting down to write this, I’ve just had a quick peek over at the clock in the upper right-hand corner of my screen. It has just rounded 5:43 am, and I’ve already been at work long enough to have long forgotten about the sleep I wiped from my eyes when I rolled out of bed. To some, this might seem like an early time. Others might be wondering why I slept in so late. The exact time on the clock isn’t important. What is important is that this...

picdrop – Photo Gallery Software You Should Try

One of the most common things clients can ask for from photographers is providing photo galleries. This allows you to not only deliver a better customer experience but also to boost sales. Let’s see how picdrop can help you create the best galleries for your clients.

A Northern Lights Weekend to Remember

On Friday, May 10, millions of people, maybe billions, were treated to one of nature's finest shows. Following a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a large geomagnetic storm headed our way and treated us to a northern lights display to remember.

How To Survive Technological Changes as an Artist

With new technology being invented seemingly every day with the power to upend our profession, it’s easy to become despondent about the future of our art form. Luckily, there is one fundamental advantage we hold which cannot be engineered out of existence.

I Screwed Up the Northern Lights. How Did You Do?

Your social media feeds have probably been full of purple and green night skies that last few days if you're almost anywhere in the United States, or if you have U.S.-based friends. Chances are, they got a good glimpse of and possibly photographed a rare event: Northern Lights.

Looking Into the Possibilities for Using an External Screen for Photography

An external recorder can be a good choice for video. Such a recorder has no use for photography, but it can function as an external screen. Since you don’t need the recording option, there are some affordable possibilities as well. Perhaps an external screen can be of benefit for your photography?

Why Your Gear Matters Most for the Ultimate Photography Genre

Bird photography is arguably the most demanding genre. The equipment quality, the photographer's camera skills, and their ability to create a narrative are pushed far beyond any other genre. Here’s what I discovered about cameras, lenses, and bird photography.

15 Keyboard Shortcuts to Speed Up Your Color Grading Process in Davinci Resolve

For years, I have heard good things about Davinci Resolve as a powerful industry-standard video editing software. Despite all the positive things I have heard, I was reluctant to make the shift from Adobe Premiere Pro, fearing the entire process of relearning new software from scratch. However, motivated by the frustration of frequent crashes, I have finally made the call for the long-needed switchover.

Two Recommended Workflows to Curate Your Photos for Every Photoshoot

In the world of digital photography, our discussion topic has always revolved around equipment, software tricks, and tips for getting better images. But deep down, we should know that data management discipline after every shoot is also crucially important. After all, what is there to edit and publish if there is mishandling of our photo files?

10 Suggestions for Creative Waterfall Photos

It’s always fun to take pictures of a waterfall. It doesn’t matter if the waterfall is small or huge. The movement of the water, the mist around it, and the patterns in the water are amazing subjects to capture. I have 10 suggestions for a variety of creative waterfall photos.

Sony a9 III Global Shutter Versus High-Speed Sync

Have you heard the buzz? Sony just unveiled the Sony a9 III, boasting the groundbreaking feature of being the first full frame camera equipped with a global shutter. This technological leap has sent shockwaves through the photography industry, but it's also sparked a flurry of questions, particularly regarding its compatibility with flash and whether it outperforms high-speed sync. But before we delve into that, let's demystify what a global shutter is and how it revolutionizes flash photography.

Maximizing Your Photography Trips Through Appropriate Clothing Choices

Capturing the beauty of the natural world through photography is an art form that requires a keen eye, technical skills, and creative vision. However, one often underestimated aspect that can significantly impact the outcome of a landscape photography trip is the choice of clothing.

Can You Learn Everything About Landscape Photography From YouTube?

YouTube has made it easier to improve your landscape photography. Videos are available about any facet of the topic you could want to explore. Are you confused about a technique? There is a video for it. But can you really learn everything about landscape photography from YouTube?

Discovering Zoner Photo Studio X Pro's New and Attractive Functionality

Since HDR has been used (wrongly) so much in the past, it's a good time to make people aware of the changes happening in the industry. Zoner Photo Studio X Pro's latest update includes its new True HDR process. This comprehensive software has much to offer, not least an end to overblown HDR photos.

Five Essential Tips for Protecting Your Camera in the Rain

Embracing inclement weather, such as rain, can help add interest to your landscape photographs. Rain can add richness to colors, atmospheric mist, or even dark, moody clouds for grand scenes. But how do you protect your camera gear in these conditions? Here are five tips to help keep your camera safe.

The Power of Familiarity in Photography

In landscape photography, there is a powerful reason why it's important to have a go-to location, which cannot be overstated. While the attraction of venturing into new and potentially uncharted territory may be strong, there also exists meaningful value in revisiting familiar spots time and again. This article will delve deeper into the significance of returning to familiar locations and how it can enhance your photographic skills and artistic expression.

Why It's Important to Challenge Ourselves in Photography

As a landscape photographer, the chase to capture stunning images of breathtaking scenes is a continuous journey. Yet, in the middle of this mission for the perfect shot, lies a crucial aspect often overlooked—the necessity of challenging ourselves and getting out of our comfort zone. In this article, let’s dive into why pushing our boundaries and embracing discomfort is vital in the journey of landscape photography.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (April 2024): Cheryl Lalonde

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.