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.

Why Is Pentax Convinced That DSLRs Are the Future?

Pentax recently announced the K-3 Mark III, the third iteration of their flagship APS-C camera, which reinforces their stance that their future (and as they argue, the future of photography) is in DSLRs, not mirrorless cameras. With an industry increasingly focused on mirrorless cameras, why is Pentax going against the grain?

5 Ways to Stay Creative During This Dreadful Time

This year has taken a number of different tolls on people. For us photographers and videographers, one casualty for many has been creativity. Here are five ways you can keep creative during this testing period.

Lightroom Shortcuts You Probably Didn't Know Existed

The faster you can edit a photograph in Lightroom, the more time you have to go back out and shoot. The catch is keeping your edits high quality while also saving time, so I'll show you some essential Lightroom shortcuts that you can use next time you go to edit.

Take Fewer, Better Pictures While Traveling, And More Video

How many pictures do you average per day while traveling? I often shoot between 500 and 600 frames. That’s one picture every two waking, semi-caffeinated minutes. On our last trip, however, I hardly took any. And the results were enlightening.

The 12 Best Prime Lenses for Sony Shooters on a Budget

The Sony system is blessed with an abundance of thirdparty manufacturers making excellent glass. Many of them are available for a discount right now, so here’s a short roundup of the best autofocus prime lenses available on the FE mount, from wide to telephoto.

Tone Curve is the Most Powerful Tool in Lightroom

Whether you're just starting out or are a professional photographer, knowing how to properly use a tone curve is one of the most important editing techniques you can learn. In this video and article I'll show you everything you need to get started in less than 5 minutes.

iPhone 12 Pro Video Tested Against a Pro Camera

We all hate to admit it, but the most popular photo and video camera in the world is the iPhone. The iPhone 12 Pro was just released, and I decided to put its video cameras to the test by comparing them to the Sony a7S III. The phone did surprisingly well.

Five Steps to Find Your Perfect Photography Gear

Finding the perfect camera system is not that easy. Before you make a large and long-lasting investment, you should do proper research and critically analyze your own needs. Step by step, you will get closer to the best possible system for yourself.

Does Adobe Need to Start Again and Build Lightroom from Scratch?

Lightroom totally dominates the realm of digital asset management (DAM) — a solution for everything, it fits the mold of most photographic workflows, however the bitter pill to swallow can be the treacle-like performance and that monthly subscription. Is it time for Adobe to start again?

Which Shot of Yours Has the Best Story Behind It?

Some shots are great without a story, some are great and tell a story, but occasionally, the story couldn't be told in one image. Which shot in your portfolio has the best story behind it, and what's the story?

Photo Face Mask Round Up: A New Potential Revenue Stream for Photographers

Back in March, Globe Newswire reported that the global facemask market is expected to reach $21.2 billion in sales by 2026. For many photographers, this represents an opportunity to try out a new revenue stream as other sources of income dry up. So, how do you get started selling face masks featuring your photos? We'll take a look at a few vendors on the market.

'Places You'll Pray' Captures Muslims Expressing Their Faith in Unexpected Places

Photographer Sana Ullah got the idea for her “Places You’ll Pray” photo project while shopping with her sister, who ducked into a fitting room once to pray as part of her Muslim faith, and so, it’s fitting that the first photo she took for the series several years ago was in a shopping mall.

Creator or Destroyer: Photography, Drugs, and Substance Abuse

Drug and alcohol addiction often go hand in hand with art. Painting has Van Gogh and Pollock, poetry has Coleridge and Ginsburg, music has The Beatles and Jim Morrison, and novels have Burroughs and Welsh. I was, however, surprised by how little information I could find about photographers’ substance abuse. Where are the in-depth books about photographers that were inspired or crushed by their addictions?

How to Blend Multiple Photos in Landscape Photography

Ever wonder how photographers capture what looks like a single moment in time, but you're not quite sure how they got it all in one shot? Join me for another day of adventuring in the San Juan mountains to find out.

4 Reasons to Consider Lenses Before Considering Which Camera to Buy

Most gear chatter online tends to center around the endless and ultimately useless debate about which camera bodies are the best on the market and will transform you overnight into a photographic superhero combining the skills of Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, and James Nachtwey into one without ever having to practice or learn your craft. But with all the focus on sensors and capture devices, we often pay far too little attention to each image's first port of entry: the lens.

These Sources Will Help You Find the Right Photography Gear

While there is much discussion about different camera brands, models, and the development of the market, the perfect camera still hasn't been built. This article will show you where to find information to make your best choice from what's available.

Why Don't All Cameras Have These Five Features?

Modern cameras are much more than light-tight boxes for capturing images; they are small but powerful computers that offer an array of capabilities for photographers. Here are five features that every modern camera should have.

The Truth About the Exposure Triangle, and Should You Use It?

Making the relation between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO visible is the idea behind the exposure triangle. I have seen many beautiful drawings of the exposure triangle, but what does this diagram really show? Let’s find out.

Is Canon's New Camera Nothing More Than a Firmware Upgrade?

Canon’s big announcement this week was the brand new EOS M50 Mark II, an upgrade to the insanely popular M50 that was released in 2018. But how “brand new” is it, and does it qualify as an upgrade if all of the new features could easily have been delivered through a firmware update?

The iPhone 12 Has Dropped and So Has My Pulse

The iPhone 11 Pro hit the market last year with not two, but three lenses. It was a novel idea to have three lenses, a wide, medium and telephoto, on one phone body. Given that the iPhone 11 series was widely regarded as a stepping stone year, I had high hopes for something big for photography in the iPhone 12. And I was disappointed.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: 10 Years of BCN Sales Awards

BCN Retail's sales data is a staple of the photographic industry for providing an indicator of the level of sales across the sector. It's now been 10 years since they began reporting on DSLR and MILC sales, so what does the data show, are their any strong trends, and can it help us understand the future?

The Lens That Every Sony User Should Buy? Fstoppers Reviews the Samyang 35mm f/1.8

Until 18 months ago, affordable 35mm primes for the Sony system were like hen’s teeth. Last year, Sony finally plugged the gaping void in its lens lineup, and now, a new contender has appeared: the lightweight, affordable AF 35mm f/1.8 from Samyang/Rokinon — appealing to full frame and APS-C shooters alike.

Taking Back the Narrative: Fstoppers Interviews Ryan RedCorn

The visual narrative of indigenous people in the United States has been largely controlled by cameras held in hands of those who don’t belong to their communities. Award-winning Osage photographer Ryan RedCorn is changing that one shutter click at a time.

How to Get the Best Fall Colors in Your Phone Photos

Fall is here! The leaves around you have hopefully taken on some great colors, but you might not be getting the draw dropping pictures you want. Fortunately, there’s 5 easy tricks you can try and they all work with your phone.

One of the Best Ways to Become a Better Photographer

There are a thousand skills — technical, artistic, and observational — that need to be mastered to make great images. But to really get better we have to, first, learn to do this.

How Has COVID-19 Affected You as a Photographer?

2020 is the most unusual year most of us have gone through, and its effects have been far-reaching. The question is, how has it impacted you as a photographer? Whether you're professional, amateur, or somewhere in between, we want to know how you have been affected.

This Is How You Prepare for a Wedding Shoot

Avoid the rookie mistakes that other amateurs make and jump ahead with some professional preparation for your first, or your next wedding photoshoot. You'll be surprised how often these steps are overlooked.

8 Things I Never Imagined I'd Retouch Regularly

Some people think a photographer's job is glamorous. And perhaps it is, at times. At other times, though, photographers find themselves retouching some really annoying and frankly quite gross details.

When Does It Stop Being Photography and Start Becoming Digital Art?

There have never been more creative options available to photographers. Whether it’s in camera, in post-production with software like Photoshop, or at the touch of a button on a smartphone app, choices seem limitless. But when is it no longer actual photography?

The Role of Hard Work in Photography

Shooting mediocre photographs is as easy as can be. Modern cameras do most of the job on their own. To shoot outstanding photographs, there is much more to consider.