Fstoppers Original Articles

Focusing on the world of post production today, I’ll share some experiences from the last couple months working with the latest Mac Pro and OWC 32TB Accelsior 8M2 PCIe 4.0 Storage Card. 

Please, no more mugs shaped like lenses. No more photography pun t-shirts. Photographers, filmmakers, and content creators; send this article to the gift givers in your life for some handy hints on what gifts you would actually like to receive.

Authenticity is the holy grail of being an artist. If you’ve managed to find your own authentic voice, you’ve achieved more than most photographers will ever do. I won't lie to you: it takes time to find your own authentic voice. Here are some steps that you can take to find yours.

Seattle, WA: Local photographer Wyatt Jones recently decided to switch from shooting in raw to JPEG format in an effort to spend less time editing images. However, he soon discovered he was spending even more time explaining his decision to horrified fellow photographers who were developing negative opinions. 

Doing photography full-time is anyone's dream. Full-time is regarded as a sign of making it in the business. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Here are some of the blessings and curses of being a full-time photographer.

Do you remember the excitement and anticipation of dropping off film rolls at the photo development lab, waiting days or even weeks to get your printed photos back? For those of us who grew up in the pre-digital era, film photography was a much more nostalgic experience than the instant images we can take and view today.

A number of years ago, while still an ambassador for Hasselblad, I received a fateful phone call from a gentleman asking if he could pick my brain about the newly released Hasselblad X1D. I agreed, and we proceeded to talk about cameras, both past and present, along with the photos we had taken with them. It was a jovial conversation, but it wasn't until we were talking about the Hasselblad 500 that he said the line: "That is the camera I used to photograph the Mir Space Station."

Photography has always existed in multiple spheres - as an artistic medium, a vehicle for documenting history, a channel for self-expression, a tool for surveillance, and a form of casual communication. With the meteoric rise of social media in the 21st century, however, the ways in which photos are produced, consumed, and understood have profoundly changed. While social media offers photographers unparalleled opportunities for visibility, it has also homogenized photographic styles, marginalized minority voices, and constrained creative freedom.

Cross polarization transforms images of a variety of clear subjects into rainbow, fluorescent works of art with equipment that you probably already have. Learn the easy process behind this clever optical technique to create some masterpieces of your own.

Finding a good composition can be tricky at times, especially when photographing landscapes. After all, nature can be a bit chaotic. I believe the key to capturing interesting images is finding a good balance in your composition. Of course, this principle applies to other photography genres as well.

Since its origins in the 19th century, photography has proven to be a powerful medium for documenting human life and bringing awareness to social issues. When a photograph captures an injustice or iconic moment, it can resonate around the world and galvanize people to take action. Photography's unique ability to convey visual information makes it an unparalleled tool for social change.

In our hyper-connected online world, trying to suppress information can often backfire in spectacular fashion. This unintended consequence even has a name: the Streisand Effect. And it has produced some truly hilarious and downright bizarre outcomes when individuals, companies, and even governments try to censor content on the internet.

Parent dances, such as the mother-son dance and father-daughter dance, are critical events during most wedding receptions. They are opportunities to capture beautiful, emotional moments that showcase key relationships in your client’s lives. They also give photographers plenty of opportunities to showcase their creativity with interesting compositions, impactful lighting, and more. To help you take better parent dance photos, here are six essential tips.

Creating an effective staging plan for property photography involves careful planning, attention to detail, and a focus on highlighting the property's best features. Here's a comprehensive staging plan that I use that includes the use of props and emphasizes cleanliness.

It hasn't been long since I reviewed that Dwarf II portable telescope/camera combo. I found it reasonably priced, ($595 with filters, tripod, extra battery and carry bag), easy to use, and something that was going to excite people of all ages who have longed to take good astrophotographs without spending a fortune or having to learn a lot of complicated science and processing skills.

The photo shoot has ended and you are now finished with the editing of the images. What are you going to do next? You could deliver the images to your clients digitally, which can feel soulless, or you can go that extra mile and deliver beautiful fine art prints to your clients. In this article, I will show you how.

I know the term "game-changer" is a tired cliché. However, having put Virtual Staging AI through its paces, I see it's a phrase that should have been reserved for this software, as it will revolutionize the real estate photography market.

Every computer company charges more for extra features, but Apple has created the perfect pricing scheme with the new M3 Macbook Pros to fool all of us into paying even more for a new laptop. 

Sony's new a9 III camera is set to revolutionize professional photography. With the world's first full frame global shutter sensor, this remarkable technology eliminates historic limitations to unlock astounding new creative possibilities.

Attending a portrait workshop with a photographer that you greatly admire can be an intimidating experience. Last month, I had the opportunity to spend a day at the New York Lighting Workshop with photographer extraordinaire, Felix Kunze, and it was not at all what I expected.

In every photoshoot, I will always perform a three-part culling process, and it ensures I always pick the best images.

Throughout my pursuit in the photography journey for more than a decade, my focus has always been on the hunt for the most suitable full frame camera to use for work and personal use. Regardless of the brand, the “perfect” camera has to at least fulfill these three criteria: wide range of lens adaptability and availability, high megapixel count, and within my acceptable budget.