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The Most Important Thing to Do Before Sharpening Your Images

The Internet is full of articles and videos telling you what technique will revolutionize the way you add sharpness to your images, but almost none of them tell you the most crucial step to take before sharpening, no matter the technique. In this article, I’ll show you this simple yet essential action to make your sharpening genuinely efficient.

Printing Your Photos: A Workflow Start to Finish

Are you starting to print your photography? Are you looking to sell prints for the fans of your work? This new video gives a great rundown of colorimetry, papers, and the value of the print.

Blend-if: One of the Most Useful Features in Photoshop

The Blend-if feature is easy to miss if you're not looking for it in Photoshop, but it's one of the most useful tools you can have in your post-processing kit. This great video will show you what Blend-if is and how it works as well as some useful examples.

Ready to Go from Amateur to Pro Photographer? Here’s What You Need to Know to Get Started

Practicing photography as a hobby versus building a business upon your photography are two very different monsters. Running a successful photography business is what distinguishes a pro from an amateur. Without the proper preparations or knowledge, your budding photography business can quickly flounder. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking of turning your hobby into a professional business.

How to Edit Every Ugly Location to Look Like an Editorial

I have always loved shooting in ugly places such as gas stations and abandoned buildings, but it took me a while to learn how to make these places look magical in my images. You can't just put a beautiful woman in front of these places and expect it to work.

The Ultimate Tutorial on Product Photography

Brian Rodgers Jr. has become the most popular and highly rated product photographer on Fstoppers, and today we are releasing his full-length product photography tutorial, “The Hero Shot.”

Saving an Image Using Split Toning in Lightroom

Sometimes, you'll come home with an image that seems rather unremarkable, but when you play with it for a bit in Lightroom, it suddenly becomes something you hadn't envisioned when you first shot it. This great video will show you how to split toning saved an image.

Five Books That Changed My Life as a Professional Photographer

We live in the Information Age. There is no doubt a ton of information on the Internet about photography and just about any other subject you’d care to know about. While the Internet is a great place to learn and e-books are convenient, there’s still something special about holding a printed book in your hand. I have e-books and printed books alike. For me personally, I notice that I’m more inclined to actually read a book if I’m not reading it on a screen. I prefer to put away my backlit digital devices in favor of reading a printed page. With that out of the way, I’d like to talk about five books that have helped shape my business as a professional photographer.

Seven Quick and Easy Photo Fixes Using Lightroom

When you're first starting out post-processing work in both Lightroom and Photoshop, any sort of editing can feel like it takes a long time, just because there are so many ways of going about things and it can take a little while to get your bearings. This great video will show you seven quick and straightforward fixes for photos using Lightroom.

Photo by Nik Thavisone

If you've ever wondered where photographers are getting this gorgeous colored powder for portraits, stock imagery, and dance photos, it turns out it's very easy and affordable to make at home. This powder can be used in endlessly creative ways to add an eye-catching unique and fine art element to your studio or outdoor photography. Clients and followers love seeing these fun images, and it's an absolute blast to photograph.

Getting Started With Pricing Your Photography Services

Whether you know it or not, psychology plays a big role in successful pricing strategies for both products and services. Our brains are wired to pick up on subtle cues when it comes to weighing the value of something. So how do we successfully price our photography services? Here are a few tips to help you restructure your pricing for a successful year.

How to Shoot and Edit Natural Looking Holiday Home Photos

Real estate photography, while not the sexiest of photography genres, is quite accessible and a handy way to earn some cash, especially if your starting out. Many interior design and architectural photographers cut their teeth taking photos for estate agents and holiday home companies, but much of the high volume stuff looks way too flashy. In this article I'll show you a relatively easy way to get natural looking light without blown-out windows.

How to Plan a Portrait or Fashion Photoshoot

So you have a great photoshoot idea that's been burning a hole in the back of your brain. As amazing as it sounds to you, you continue to push it back. Finding the task of planning and executing said shoot has been daunting to say the least. I'm someone who as a beginner found this to be a problem that held me back more times than once. However, I'm here to say that by developing a process of sorts, this obstacle can become a thing of the past.

Don't Quit, the Struggle Is Normal: The Four Stages of Competence

Are you frustrated with your photographs and wondering why you can’t seem to produce the images you see in your head? Maybe you’re shooting all the time but don’t feel like you see the kind of progress you expected, or you’re beginning to give up the hope of becoming a great photographer because it seems like there is just so much to learn. If this is you, don’t despair, you’re simply in a stage of progress on the ladder of mastery known as “conscious incompetence,” and better work is only one rung away.

Three Lighting Setups Using Window Light

One of the best things about window light is that you can find it almost anywhere. As winter approaches and chilly weather threatens to keep photo sessions indoors, photographers will face the choice of how to light their portraits. Strobes and flashes are a great option, but not all photographers own them. Almost everyone has access to a window though, and a window has plenty to offer any photographer who knows how to use it.

Starting a Photography Business as an Introvert

I didn’t realize I was an introvert until I was well into my 20s. I’m not shy, and I don’t mind speaking up in a crowd if I’m asked a question, so I always assumed I was an extrovert. You can imagine my surprise, then, when taking the Myers Briggs personality test in college yielded the result that I was an introvert. It all started to make sense. I would constantly find myself shying away from social events, although I considered myself social and had many friends, and I never liked any job that included a high volume of social interaction within a day, it exhausted me. When starting my business, one of my biggest struggles became working with my introversion.

Ten Things I Learned After One Year as a Freelance Photographer

A freelance lifestyle is a goal that many aspire towards in photography and videography. It’s a goal I achieved this time exactly one year ago. After a brief honeymoon period, I quickly learned some important lessons that I’d like to share with those who look to be making the leap across the great divide.

Exposure Blend Landscapes Like a Pro

My passion for photography stemmed from a series of trips I had taken overseas and a desire to capture the beauty of those places with more finesse. Landscapes were a natural draw for me and it didn’t take long to come across the concept of exposure blending.

12 Reasons Why I Suck at Instagram and You Probably Do Too

Like many photographers, I've been scratching my head at how to win the Instagram game. Over the last six months, I decided to up my game and upload daily content and be more active on the platform. The results are out, I still totally suck at it. My reach, engagement, and even numbers of followers have gone down. So rather than blame the platform or the evil algorithm, I did some detective work to find out why I was really bad at it, and chances are you will recognize yourself in some of those points.

Obsession: The Divide Between Making Hundreds to Thousands as a Professional Photographer

I’ve learned a lot over the past 15 years as a professional artist. I’ve learned a lot about fear, failure, and success. I’ve been fortunate enough to mentor and educate thousands of photographers all over the world. Even as a young four-year photographer who many would still consider “green,” I’ve taught photographers from all walks of life, all levels of advancement, and even some who had reached a level of comfortable success.

An In-Depth Look Into Shooting Great Fashion Photography for E-commerce

Mannequin poses in fashion e-commerce photography is now a thing of the past. Fact. Fashion website brands are now dominated by a hybrid style of photography that mixes editorial influences whilst satisfying the desire of the customer to view garments before purchase. We go behind-the-scenes with British fashion photographer Luke Ayling as he shoots 40 looks for The Sports Edit in one day.

Four Must Have Detail Shots in Your Next Boudoir Session

Detail shots are one of the most neglected shots I see missing from boudoir photographers portfolios. Not only do they compliment another image when placed in an album, they can help to create larger sales in the end. Keeping a mental note of which detail shots to not forget can help you in your flow during the session as well as helping you see another angle you might not have thought about before.

Three Easy Ways To Drive New Followers To Your Instagram For Free [Instagram Tips: Part 1]

Earning the right followers, the right way. In this article I'm excited to share three easy "techniques" that I've used to drive engagement and a stronger following on Instagram. These steps have stood the test of time while trying out different ideas through trial and error. You may know one of these techniques, you may know all of them. Nevertheless, let's get started!

The Fastest, Easiest Shortcut To Posting Hashtags on Instagram That You've Never Seen Before [Instagram Tips: Part 3]

Instagram is known as the consensus favorite app by photographers in today's age, but even with its name implying posting photos instantly, it's still a pain sometimes to post photos on-the-go at times. For Part Three of my Instagram series, I'll be sharing the absolute fastest method any user can adopt to spend less time posting Instagram photos and more time shooting!

Why the Key Ingredient of a Successful Photographer Is a Recognizable Style

There are a zillion photographers out there, but there aren’t a zillion clients. How do you make your work stand out? Success comes when a client will book you because it's you and not because you are just another good photographer. In the process, having a recognizable style might also make you a happier photographer. But how can you get there?

10 Books Every Photographer Should Read Now

As a photographer, focusing on improving your craft is one of the most important things to do. Money can buy the latest equipment, but it can't buy you knowledge of how to use that equipment.

5 Ways to Improve Your SkyGuider Pro

So, you’ve gone out and bought an iOptron SkyGuider Pro. You’ve assembled it, read the instructions, maybe even watched a YouTube video on how to use it, and you’ve got the basics down. But you find yourself wondering if it could be better. Yes, it can be heaps better.

How to Create a Pure White Background in Camera

Many photographers struggle with creating a pure white background in camera, but it is an essential skill that all of us must master. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to do with the right setup. In this article and the accompanying video, I detail my method for creating a pleasing white background on camera.

Do You Know All of These Lightroom Shortcuts for Faster Edits?

Lightroom obviously is a powerful editor with the highest level of user-friendliness. It’s made to help beginners and advanced photographers edit their photographs within the blink of an eye. Its shortcuts can speed up your edits. Here are my favorite ones and a description of when and how I use them.

5 Tips To Help Edit All Your Photos

One of the most difficult things in editing isn't knowing how to color grade, use radial filters, or Photoshop. It's knowing what a photo needs once you sit down to edit it and these five tips should help guide you in tackling any photo you have.

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.

The Relationship Between the Foreground and the Background

Using something in the foreground of your landscape image can add a lot of depth, but placing a foreground in your composition without consideration is not the way. It can be smart to give it a little thought. In this article, I will give you a couple of things to consider that may lead to a better composition.

How to Remove Glare From Glasses Using Photoshop

A good studio photographer will know how to prevent glare from being captured in a subject’s spectacles, but it’s not always possible to avoid catching reflections during less controlled shoots. This detailed tutorial from Unmesh Dinda of PiXimperfect gives you a complete explanation of how to remove it.

A Beginner's Guide to Layer Masks in Photoshop

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.

An Introduction to Previews and Working Offline in Capture One

Capture One is multifaceted image processing and asset management software. As a raw processor, it is considered the gold standard, supporting over 500+ cameras, and with it comes a uniquely powerful tool-set for developing, color grading, and tethering. But that is just the tip of the technological iceberg that is Capture One. With a focus on user experience, its mountain of capability and complexity is hidden under a veneer of simplicity so as to make working with your images fast, focused, and easy. What we'll address today should help in understanding how the software works and how to bend it to your liking, hopefully resulting in an even better experience.

5 Techniques in Adobe Lightroom Raw Processing You Might Not Know

Lightroom has become even better and more powerful the past few years and knowing all the little tips and tricks in the software with each new update can be a class in itself. Here’s five techniques you may not know that the Adobe raw processor can do to help you make better images faster and easier.

How to Get Better Skin Tones in Lightroom

One of the most subtle but crucial aspects of any portrait is the skin tones. And while you can spend lots of time in Photoshop tweaking them to be just right, sometimes, you do not want to invest that much effort into an image. This excellent tutorial will show you how to get better skin tones using only Lightroom.

The Secrets of Hidden Lightroom Keywords

Many photographers live and breathe by keywording their photos in Lightroom. Keywords can be used both for describing images, as well as combined with other features of Lightroom for organizing, searching, publishing, and exporting photos.

Are You Making These Lightroom and Photoshop Mistakes?

If you're like me and primarily use Lightroom Classic for your photo editing, you probably occasionally edit a photo in Photoshop. If you do, you might be making the same Photoshop file mistakes I made.

Learn How to Shoot a Cinematic Headshot

The cinematic headshot is an eye-catching look that can really stand out from the more standard headshot against a normal background. This great video will give you a look at how it is done and the sort of results you can achieve.

The Power of Luminosity Masks in Photoshop

Photoshop is an extremely intricate program for which there is a multitude of ways to accomplish any one task. Nonetheless, one of the most fundamental techniques almost every photographer should know is how to create and use luminosity masks. This great video tutorial will show you how to use them.