Why Inspiration Is Overrated
Photography is a creative pursuit, and as such, our inspiration can wax and wane. The truth is, though: inspiration is overrated.
Photography is a creative pursuit, and as such, our inspiration can wax and wane. The truth is, though: inspiration is overrated.
Should we separate the art from the artist? Are we complicit in perpetuating terrible behavior when we elevate talented creatives who also happen to be poor humans?
Venus Optics makes some of the most fascinating lenses in the world, and they are showing no signs of stopping, as their latest lens is an absolute show-stopper, as it is the world's first full frame 9mm rectilinear (non-fisheye) lens. What is it like shooting with it? Check out this fantastic review to see.
Image editing takes a lot of skill in numerous techniques and creative vision to pull off successfully, and even the most talented and experienced photographers and retouchers can occasionally go awry in their work. Anyone, novice or experienced, can improve their image edits with this simple technique.
Do you remember the game "Would You Rather?" It is a straightforward premise: pick two equally unappetizing options, and make the player choose between them. It is equal parts cringing and laughing, so jump in and give it a try.
Composition is one of the trickiest and subtlest aspects of photography and is often one of the last things photographers master. If that is something you personally struggle with, you should try this simple change in thinking to make more powerful and compelling images.
Distractions can ruin what would otherwise be a great photo, and they can sneak up on you more easily than you might expect. This interesting video discusses the issues of distractions in landscape photos and what we can do about them.
The HSL panel is by far one of the most powerful ways to edit your photos in Lightroom and to develop a signature style. If you are a bit unsure of how to use the HSL panel in Lightroom, this fantastic video tutorial will get you up and running in no time.
Composition is a tricky and intricate aspect of landscape photography, and though there are no hard and fast rules, there are lots of great tricks and guidelines that can help you on your way. This helpful video will show you seven great tricks to improve your landscape image compositions.
Compact cameras have fallen from popularity in the last decade with the rise of the smartphone, with most photographers working with their full setup and carrying a phone on the side. However, some photographers still carry along a compact camera, and this great video discusses why you should consider doing the same.
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 2020, 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.
Layer masks are one of the most fundamental and powerful tools in Photoshop and one of the first things anyone new to the application should work on mastering. If you are new to Photoshop, this great video will show you everything you need to know about how layer masks work and how you can use them in your image editing.
Wildlife and sports photographers live on supertelephotos lenses, and Sony offers two great zoom options in that range. However, they have overlapping focal length ranges and some similar features, so you might be wondering which of the two is right for you. This great video takes a look at both of them to help you decide which one is right for your work.
The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens is the final entry into the company's trinity of f/2.8 zoom lens, and like the 28-75mm f/2.8 and 17-28mm f/2.8, it is quite a bit cheaper than similar first party lenses. If you are wondering how it compares to the more expensive options, check out this great comparison with the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/4.
Perhaps no compositional guideline is more strongly ingrained in the minds of photographers than the rule of thirds. And while it is certainly a useful heuristic, it is not the law, and it is overused quite a bit of the time. This great video discusses why the rule of thirds is overrated.
Our photos are important to us, and as such, it can be difficult to be honest with ourselves and objectively evaluate their quality. However, if we want to improve as photographers, it is crucial that we be willing to do so, and this great video discusses why.
Noise is something we pretty much all try to minimize in our photos, and we know that one of the best ways to avoid it is to shoot at as low an ISO as possible. But even at low ISO values, you can still see noise, particularly as you shoot longer exposures. This great video will show you what long exposure noise is, why it happens, and how you can fix it.
A lot of photographers think that using automatic modes on a camera is a sign of a lack of technique or ability, but it is not such a black and white issue. Here is why you should consider using automatic modes in certain situations.
In the past few years, there has been a surge of online freelance marketplaces, and on them, you can often find photo and video editors waiting to process your work for fees ranging from just $5 to well into the hundreds. This fun video shows what happens when total strangers edit a filmmaker's sushi commercial.
A CNN correspondent and his camera crew were arrested live on air while reporting on events in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.