From the time I was a child, I have been fascinated by all things related to the NASA moon missions of the 1970s. I’ve been particularly intrigued by the photographs that were taken by astronauts on their way to the moon and the surface as well.
Corporate events are perhaps my favorite thing to photograph these days. There are so many different shots I can create at a conference that I am never bored. Networking opportunities are in abundance at any given corporate affair, and most of the people in the room are working for a company that has the budget to hire me to shoot for them.
Adding artificial light to your natural light scene is a relatively simple technique that you can use to create an image that depicts the scene more dramatically than it appeared to your eyes when you were there.
A wildlife photographer must be prepared to wait hours for a shot to emerge. And once that shot appears, she may only have one second in which to capture the scene before it changes. Making things more complicated are the dozens of variables that can affect the quality of the shot, including weather, erratic animal behavior, and even other photographers working in the same location.
We often describe children as creative. We are impressed at how they create art using nothing more than a crayon and a sheet of blank paper. Many adults, however, neglect the artistic spark they had in their youth and label themselves as “not creative.” The Creativity Conference, a no-cost, full-day event held in New York City on June 10, presented speakers who encouraged the adults in attendance to believe that they are indeed creatives who should be proud to pursue and share their artistic creations.
Mastering portraiture involves more than knowing which lens to use to ensure your photograph does not show unflattering perspective distortion. It is not enough that you understand where to place strobes to create dramatic lighting. As portrait photographer Mark Mann explains in this excellent video, it is important that you make a personal connection with your subject.
Photographers are creators. As creatives, we have something to say. Photography, as a medium, can capture a mood or a message as powerfully as words, music, paintings, and sculptures. Embarking on a personal project is the perfect opportunity for a photographer to convey their message without the influence of any client concerns.
For several years now, many of us have used Instagram as our primary outlet for sharing and viewing images. However, Instagram has made it clear that the platform is shifting its focus to video. If you haven’t been practicing capturing portraits on video, now might be a good time to start learning how to do so.
Sometimes it is difficult for me to look back at the photographs I created early in my career. The shots are all technically strong, but there is something missing. That missing element can be defined as vision. In this article, I will detail my journey in understanding the need to incorporate this crucial element into my art.
Working with photo assistants can often make your life easier. Having someone who can do the heavy lifting for you can leave you free to concentrate on working with your client on a shoot. When you don’t have to worry about moving nightstands or doing light checks, you can put more effort into creating a memorable experience for your client.
Keeping up with every new feature that is added to Lightroom and Photoshop is a never-ending task I’ve long since given up on. Fortunately, both programs currently perform all the tasks I require from them. Still, I like to periodically make myself aware of improvements to these programs to ensure that I don’t miss something that might speed up or otherwise improve my workflow.
If you ever get the feeling that photography is not valued today, it might interest you to know that Getty Images is offering $85k in three new editorial grants to support photojournalists and organizations, with an emphasis on supporting photographers whose work shines a light on important issues of our time.
Mark Thompson is a Getty Images photographer with over 25 years of experience covering F1 races, including Red Bull Racing. I spoke with him to gain insight into what it is like to cover this competition.
I estimate over 90% of my shots are taken indoors, so I don’t give much thought to how my cameras would perform in a rainstorm. I’m in the minority with my lack of concern in this area, apparently, because I frequently see photographers voice their concerns when a new camera is announced that does not have weather-sealing.
At Fstoppers we love having our readership contribute articles to the site. There is a dedicated link on our contact page that makes it easy to send in your pitch. Your suggestion is sent to all of the Fstoppers writers and this gives you many opportunities for someone to find your pitch interesting and have it be published on the site.
Like it or not, video is the preferred means of communication for most content creators these days. A quick look at Fstoppers itself proves that. Even when it is a photographer who is providing information to other photographers, video is the medium of choice.
Covering the world’s greatest athletes at the Olympic Games is nothing more than a dream for many photographers. For Getty Images’ Bruce Bennett, photographing the Olympics is just another day at the office. I spoke with Bruce about his experience covering hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Utilizing natural light in your photography can be a quick and easy way to create portraits without having to fuss over strobes, light stands, and light modifiers. In this video, photographer Anita Sadowska takes us along for a swimwear shoot in an NYC location that features floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow for a generous amount of natural light to enter.
Chances are, everyone in your circle knows you are a photographer. How many of those people have an understanding of what you actually do on a day-to-day basis? This brief, but funny video by Niels Kemp highlights some of the misconceptions he encounters from the people closest to him.
If you are a beginning photographer who has only worked with amateur models, it may be your dream to work with a professional model one day. Is there a noticeable difference between working with a professional model and an amateur model?
A Brenizer portrait is a composite photograph that is created by combining 9-15 different captures into a single final image. The technique is often performed using a full frame digital camera but the final image has a perspective that resembles an image taken on a medium format camera. In this video, photographer Steven Schultz takes this technique one step further by using a medium format film camera to create a Brenizer portrait.
As a photographer who is dedicated to your craft, one way you can distinguish yourself from a casual hobbyist is through your mastery of lighting. A new video by Mark Bone gives 5 guidelines you can consider when you want to add light to a portrait. Although Bone is a filmmaker rather than a photographer, these tips apply to photography as much as they apply to filmmaking.
An industrial photographer is someone who photographs the people and the products associated with multi-million dollar companies that make machines and tools for industries such as power and electric, trucking, and construction. As an industrial photographer, you will photograph everything from a two-ton drill used underground to a two-inch screw that secures a safety harness used by workers from a state electric company.
My recent shoot with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mitchell S. Jackson turned out great but was not without problems. Join me for a detailed look at how it all went down.
Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, it’s safe to assume that you’d love to make at least $100,000 a year with your photography. Chances are, you’ve already heard that the key to reaching this number is to have multiple streams of income. In this video, Evan Ranft offers an alternate path for making six figures a year.
It is common to see family members using their phones to take photographs at family events. Often these images aren’t memorable because of poor composition and bad lighting. Here’s an easy lighting setup you can use to create professional-quality photographs.
Capturing hundreds of images on a shoot is easy. Culling a large number of images down to a handful of keepers is a time-consuming and often mentally difficult process for an artist. In this video, originally posted by Wired, photographer Steve Winter takes us through his thought process as he reduces 112 images down to one single select.
Picflow is a new program that allows you to deliver images to your client and for that client to select and even download their favorites. Let’s take a look at Picflow's features and operations.
A street photographer’s task is to observe the mundane human interactions that take place throughout the day and turn them into something worthy of being preserved and shared through photography. This is not an easy task.
Leica has always tried to maintain a balance between their reverence for the past and their willingness to embrace the future through innovative camera releases that shoot black and white only or cameras that don’t have a rear LCD. I believe their next flagship release, expected to be unveiled on January 13, 2022, will take the bold step of removing all buttons, dials, and switches from the back of the camera in favor of a touchscreen-only interface.
Photographing a single image each day for a 365 Project sounds easy, but in practice, it requires a tremendous amount of dedication. If you put some thought into this undertaking, however, you can succeed in completing a 365 Project next year.
