Are you thinking of buying yet another lens? Can't wait for a new body? (In my case, reincarnation is the only option). This article covers the main reason why my Synology DS1821+ is the best purchase I made in 2020 for my photography business.
Becoming a professional photographer can be a scary thing, especially because, unlike a traditional job, the pathway to sustainable success is much more nebulous and often changing. What are the most common fears people have about becoming a pro? How can you mitigate those fears? This excellent video features an experience professional photographer discussing the topic.
This review is for you if you’re a Capture One Pro user and are wondering if the iPad version is worth adding to your workflow. It is also for those who don’t yet use Capture One but are looking for a budget-friendly introduction to it and already own an iPad. I will be looking at the application’s features, pros and cons, and comparing them to the desktop version.
Of course, knowing how to light and pose a portrait is essential to creating a successful image, but the process does not end there. Having an effective, structured, and efficient post-processing workflow will help ensure that you can create polished shots every time. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced portrait photographer sharing his workflow.
I'm not a big fan of ultra-wide angle lenses. Shooting at 12mm usually requires that you get really close to your subject and create weird, warped-out-looking images, but I was recently hired for a job that required a wide field of view. I ended up buying three lenses to find the right tool for the job.
The fleet of lenses I use is old. Actually old to the point where I am genuinely surprised how it still works. Nonetheless, the old Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS is still a good choice for many photographers. Here is why I will be holding onto my copy of this excellent lens.
A new toy brings more joy into my photo workflow.
The Hasselblad X1D 50C and X1D II 50C helped to redefine the paradigm of medium format, putting a large sensor inside a sleek, small body. Now, the X2D 100C is here, and not only does it double the resolution of its predecessors, it brings with it a bevy of impressive improvements and new features. In this review, we take a look at the camera and what you can expect.
Landscape photography is a challenging genre that takes a combination of strong technical skills, planning ahead, a keen awareness of conditions, and often, a smidgen of luck. As such, there are a lot of places where things can go a bit wrong and end up derailing your images. This great video tutorial details five such mistakes and how to fix them or avoid them altogether.
When I was looking for a camera that could shoot higher resolution than my Canon 5D Mark IV, I had three options: Phase One, Canon 5DD, or mirrorless. I ended up getting the Canon 5Ds, and after using it for a bunch of work, here are my long-term thoughts.
CineStill film is hyped to the absolute max, and whether you love it or hate it, they have built a pretty impressive company and injected new life into the film community. Thanks to them, we now have packaged motion picture stocks, ready to shoot in film cameras and be developed in C-41 chemicals.
Today, let’s discuss some of the biggest changes currently happening in the market and how those changes will affect our lives and our businesses as professional photographers.
I tested a range of raw camera files in different development programs in a quest to find the ultimate development tool. This time it is the turn of DxO PhotoLab 6. Lightroom is good, and Capture One was better. How does Photolab 6 compare, and is it worth the investment?
About a decade ago, 150-600mm lenses exploded in popularity, as offerings from companies like Tamron and Sigma gave photographers the opportunity to access decent image quality at focal lengths that were traditionally prohibitively expensive for most users. They have only grown in popularity in recent years, and their versatility and affordable prices make them an excellent tool for many applications. This helpful video discusses some of their best and lesser-known uses.
The Godox AD200 has been around for a few years now, and in 2019, Godox released the "Pro" version of the AD200. Is this small, lightweight, powerful flash the right choice for you in 2023? Why do so many photographers think so highly of this pocket flash?
Adobe recently rolled out one of its biggest Lightroom feature updates in quite some time: AI noise reduction. Promising to vastly out-perform the previous system, the new functionality has some stiff competition from many other options. How does it perform in practice? This great video overview takes a look at what you can expect.
50mm lenses with wide apertures are some of the most useful and versatile options a photographer can own, suitable for a wide range of genres and applications, including portraits, low-light events, and much more. For Fujifilm shooters, there is the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR, this excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.
With ever-increasing lens choices from both first-party and third-party manufacturers, how do you know what lens is going to be right for you and your needs? Articles such as this on Fstoppers and YouTube videos all help in your search, but how do you narrow your search to the best lens for your requirements?
Lens makers these days are coming up with some incredible options that were unheard of just a few short years ago. That continues here, with the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 lens put up against the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 in a battle for the title of best wildlife lens. You could also make a case for it being an action sports lens shootout too. So, how do they perform, and which comes out on top?
Although depth of field is often discussed in portrait photography, the conversation tends to center around background bokeh. In this article and the accompanying video, however, I would like to address depth of field as it relates to the face itself and attempt to answer the question as to which aperture is best for photographing faces.
It used to be that wedding photographers had to carry expensive top-level optics in order to ensure they could reliably deliver professional shots. However, in recent years, third-party and mid-tier lenses have made remarkable steps forward, and it is now possible to save both your back and your bank account by purchasing more modest options and still be able to deliver excellent images. This excellent video discusses some of the best options out there for Sony users.
We would be hard-pressed to find a photographer who wasn't familiar with mega-brands Tamron and Sigma offering lower-priced lenses to rival the designs put out by the giants: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and more. This week, there has been buzz in the nerdy sublayers of photography sites about a new lens coming out: the Samyang 35-150mm f/2-2.8. Let's dive into this.
With ON1 Photo Raw 2023 having just won a Pop Photo Award for its AI features, it is apt to compare the app with Lightroom next. How would it stand up to different camera raw files?
Today, we will eschew all the glitz, glamour, and pixel-peeping and get down to brass tacks on why I chose to use a specific camera for a specific use case.
Few lenses are more famous than the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM, renowned for its extreme design and insane bokeh, making it a favorite of numerous portrait and wedding photographers for many years. Now available on the used market for about the same price as the far newer RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, you might wonder which is right for you. This great video comparison will help you decide.
Imagine a world where words can create images. Now imagine what that would do for the art world and photography. Well, it's here and it's not going to go away.
Some months ago, I was excited enough to place a preorder upon hearing of the announcement of Sky-Watcher’s Star Adventurer GTi, the latest in their Star Adventurer series of star trackers. In September, I finally received it and have been checking it out. Let’s see if it has indeed met my expectations.
When you are new to working with artificial light, it is important to start out with a single source at first to build your confidence and knowledge. And just because you are only shooting with one light, it does not mean you can't produce professional-level images. This fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to get started with one-light portraits.
One of the trickiest aspects of landscape photography is that, unlike many other genres, you have no control over the elements in the frame, and as such, it can be tricky to find your individual voice and sense of creativity. It is not impossible, though. This great video tutorial discusses the topic and offers a range of helpful advice on how to find your creative voice in the genre.
A couple of years ago, I got a chance to review the Profoto B2 flash with the AirTTL trigger. Although I loved the flash, I had some doubts about the trigger. Now, there is the new Profoto Connect Pro trigger. Is it worth the upgrade?
Why would anyone shot with an antique lens from the days of Britney spears and the spice girls? Well, while our opinions of their music might differ, we call can agree that the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 is still an awesome lens, despite being as old as Nickelback's “How You Remind Me”.
Like any other art, there are clichés in photography, and it is worth being aware of them before you head out with your camera. This great video tutorial takes a look at seven of the most common ones, how they became clichés, and whether we should embrace them or do something else.
On December 20, 2022, Ricoh Imaging made an announcement that few in the photography community saw coming. The owners of the Ricoh and Pentax lines of cameras announced that they are looking at making film cameras again.
I’ve always had a set of “work” cameras and “fun” cameras, the former being big, heavy professional tools and the latter being the kind I’d bring on family trips and for street photography.
Do you struggle with your landscape photography when at a new location? It can be challenging when you are photographing a new area. You don’t have a go-to composition, you don’t know when the light is best, and so on. This video walks through how one photographer approaches a new location.
Tamron has updated their ever-popular 28-75mm lens with a new second-generation version that packs a punch for Sony E mount users. Read on to see how it performed in the field when challenged by a variety of subjects and lighting conditions.
If one argument gets photographers riled, it’s whether one should protect the front element of a lens with a UV filter. Should we instead use a lens hood? Let’s settle the argument with this definitive answer by testing an Urth Plus+ pro filter.
Canon has been aggressively filling out their RF mirrorless lens lineup, but there are still a fair number of missing options. It looks like the company will be turning their attention to wide angle options next, with four L Series professional primes likely to be released in the next year.
The new Fujifilm body is getting some rave reviews and if you're lucky enough to own it, you might want to set aside some time to get it firing on all cylinders. This video will help you with exactly that, walking you through the features and hidden tricks and tips.
There are few skills more fundamental to Photoshop than knowing how to make a proper selection. Done right, it allows you to take greater control of your edits and dial in precise adjustments. And in recent years, Adobe has greatly expanded the application's selection tools. If you are new to the program, check out this excellent video tutorial that will get you up and running with Photoshop's many selection capabilities in no time.
At $679, the Canon EOS R50 offers an affordable entry point into Canon's mirrorless system, though it still brings along an array of enticing features. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.
A fundamental lesson in photography is the exposure triangle. Learning about ISO, shutter speed, and aperture is something all photographers should do.
As photographers, we often find ourselves at exciting places such as concerts, parties, and sporting events. Many photographers spend hours of their day working with other people. It is common to see photographers interacting with people and asking the people they are photographing to move a bit to the left or to position their hands differently. On the surface, it might seem that photographers are extroverts who love being out and about.
You might think that creating enveloping wraparound light requires multiple sources, but it can actually be done with just a single source. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create such a portrait using only a single light and a small home studio.
Do you edit your photos, post them, and leave them to sit on your hard drive, never to be touched again? If so, you might be missing out. This great video features an experienced photographer discussing why you should consider digging into your portfolio to pull out those older photos to edit again.
DxO PhotoLab 6.3 has just been released, and it's persuaded me to change my workflow. Here's why you should consider giving it a try.
If you value accurate colors and a high-quality computer display, Eizo is one of the better choices. The company released two professional 27-inch screens towards the end of 2022. One of them has 4K resolution and the other WQHD resolution. Let’s take a close look at the latter.
There’s nothing like having a neat and efficient workstation, and for on-the-go digital creatives, this means having a laptop that you can bring everywhere is obviously a must. However, when in your personal workspace, having a docking station to bridge it with all your peripherals makes a huge difference in your workflow.
