Battle of the Photography Blogs: SLR Lounge Versus Fstoppers

It's another day in Puerto Rico and another photography shootout. Last week, we asked you which photo was better, but today, we take you behind the scenes and reveal the winning images. This is a battle for the photography blogs!

Aerial Photography Is Not as Easy as It Looks

With drone technology, aerial photography may seem easier than ever to achieve these days. However, to the discerning eye, the quality just isn't there sometimes. This leaves photographers with only a few options to consider if they want to capture a scene from the sky.

The Hilarious Moment a Dad Recorded Himself Instead of His Daughter's Graduation

Technology moves along at a breakneck pace, and it often develops a bit faster than all of us can keep up with it. Perhaps nowhere is that more hilariously illustrated than when someone unknowingly uses the front-facing camera instead of the rear-facing camera to record an event, which is exactly what happened to this dad at his daughter's graduation.

Gradients Help You Fake the Look of Colored Lighting Gels in Photoshop

Colored lighting gels can take the illumination in your images from standard to outstanding by adding color for a touch of interest and depth. And while nothing can create that look quite like the real thing, you can fake an interesting colored gel effect for your images using some simple tricks in Photoshop.

A Tale of Three Firmware Updates: Two Were Fine, One Was Awful.

Software and firmware updates are a fact of life for photographers. They don't come all that often and usually offer bug fixes or new or improved features. As a longtime Canon user, I found firmware updates easy and unintrusive. Having recently moved to a Sony a7 III, I'm rather shocked at the complexity of what should have be a simple operation.

Fstoppers Review: Taking Tamron’s 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 on the Road

Tamron has long been known as a reliable manufacturer of high-quality lenses, and their recent series of SP lenses has more than demonstrated their commitment to excellence. Through priorities for speed, clarity, optics, and a field-friendly design, Tamron has created a fabulous workhorse lens in their new 15-30mm (Model A041). The lens replaces the previous Model A012, delivering a variety of new features that make the lens not only faster and more reliable than its predecessor, but allowing it to yield surprisingly crisp, beautiful images. I put the 15-30mm G2 to the test on my recent 17-day journey through Belize, traipsing through Mayan ruins, along wind- and salt-swept beaches, and in the most humid of jungle environments. Let’s take a look at how this sweet piece of glass performed.

Photo-Stealing Scandal as Renowned Photographer Is Stripped of Numerous Awards

Award-winning Australian photographer Lisa Saad has had numerous of her prestigious wins discounted after it was ruled her entries had been created using other photographers’ photos. Several major organizations made the decision to strip her of awards they’d previously selected her for.

Apple to Release 8-Core Macbook, Photoshop to Run 75% Faster

A new announcement from Apple has seen the company reveal plans to bring out its first 8-core MacBook Pro. Set to be the fastest notebook ever made, the new tech will be able to handle running Photoshop at much quicker speeds.

Why Are Zeiss Loxia Lenses so Expensive?

Zeiss lenses are known for being high quality, precision optical instruments with price tags to match. But what makes them so expensive anyway? This great video dives in to find out.

Fujifilm Announces the GFX100: 100+ Megapixels, 4K, In-Body Stabilization, Phase Detection Autofocus, All Under $10,000

Today, Fujifilm has announced the GFX100, their latest medium format camera. With a newly designed sensor with over 100 megapixels, in-body image stabilization, phase detection autofocus that covers approximately 100% of the frame, 4K video, and more, all coming in under $10,000, it looks like an absolute monster of a camera at an impressive price.

Five Tips for Getting More In-Focus Landscape Photos

Knowing where and how to focus is one of the most crucial steps to getting crisp and sharp landscape photos. This helpful video will give you five tips and techniques on how to properly focus your landscape photos to get tack-sharp images.

Two Centuries of Street Photography: An Incredible Compilation

Street photography has captured windows into history across almost two centuries now, and taking a tour through a collection of them is an amazing look at society, individuals, and more and their evolution. Check out this fantastic compilation that shows a photo from every year starting all the way back in 1838.

Really, Nobody Cares What Camera You Use

Quite frankly, neither should you. I understand that we all love our gear and we all have dreams of upgrading and moving on to bigger and better things, but that's not the real point of it all, not really.

Earn More With Better Album Workflow and Sales

Recently, I teamed up with Ted Linczak to discuss a simple source of revenue that many wedding photographers fail to utilize well: wedding albums. Ted adds tens of thousands of dollars to his business every year with a few simple workflow and sales techniques. In this video, he shares some of his tips.

New Documentary Exposes How People Cheat at Instagram

A new 49-minute documentary has been released with the aim of exposing the “shocking” goings-on that happen beneath the surface of Instagram. The film promises to delve into the “lawless economics” of the social media site.

The Importance of Exercising Your Creativity

Creativity comes in many forms, but something that all disciplines have in common is that you need to practice — not just your technical skill, but the act of thinking differently.

Learn All About In-Camera Transitions

In-camera transitions can seem to be a very easy technique to shoot, but they require deeper understanding than you might think. In this video, Jesse Driftwood explains in detail how to go about working with a sequence of clips, preplanning your shot, whipping and panning accordingly, and bringing it all together in post-production.

A Music Video Highlights the Disturbing Reality of the Porn Industry [NSFW]

Obviously, no one watches porn videos, but the adult industry represents 30% of internet bandwidth with a greater visitor count than Amazon, Netflix, and Twitter combined. The French artist Hierophante, who specializes in social satire, made a short video depicting all the cliché of porn videos.

A Simple Trick for Crafting Better Client Inquiries

Initial client inquiries can set the tone for the entire interaction and can often dictate whether or not you'll end up closing the sale. This great video shows a simple trick that can help set up every client interaction to be more successful right off the bat.

Is the Canon EOS RP a Worthwhile Budget Full Frame Mirrorless Camera?

Though the Canon EOS RP is certainly limited in some respects, it remains a highly affordable full frame mirrorless camera and thus, an intriguing option of any photographer who is looking for a full frame camera at a budget-friendly price. Is it right for you? This excellent and balanced review takes a look at the camera.

Three Concert Photography Tips

Have you always wanted to photograph live concerts, but are anxious about how to start? Were you recently hired for your first concert photography gig, but don't still looking for more ideas on how to capture great moments of the show? Well look no further, and keep reading.

A Guide to the Not so Obvious Photo Spots in Arizona

People are constantly visiting me here in Arizona, and wanting me to point out the best places to take photos. Of course everyone wants to hit the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and maybe Horseshoe Bend.

Old Manual Lenses for Portraits on Mirrorless

So you finally made the jump to mirrorless! You've got that sexy new Sony/Nikon/Canon/Fuji/Panasonic and you're itching to get cracking on some awesome portraits! It's about then that you realize that the kit lens isn't going to cut it and you didn't quite budget as well as you'd thought for some shiny new system lenses. What's a photographer to do? Buy some cheap, old glass to get you going!

Uniquely Beautiful Bokeh: A Look at the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens

If you're a bokeh fanatic, you're probably always chasing those wide aperture lenses to get that smooth, out-of-focus look that makes your subject pop against the background. But, you might be surprised by the beautiful bokeh you can get from a lens that only has an aperture of f/2.8. Check out this great video on a fascinating lens.

Outdoor and Wildlife Photography Safety

As I’m preparing to search for black bears to photograph, my personal safety has certainly come to mind a few times. When photographing wildlife, the combined safety of both ourselves and the species we are seeking out should be the top priority. In this article, I go over a few things to keep in mind when you head out into the great outdoors with your camera.

How to Make Great Wedding Images in Not so Ideal Conditions

If you are a wedding photographer, then at some point in your career you will be faced with the challenge of making great images with conditions that are less then ideal. These tips can help you make the best of any situation.

Five Steps to Make Powerful Wide-Angle Photos

There is no doubt that the wide-angle zoom lens is the most popular for landscape photography and is my go-to lens in most of my work. It is however, not necessarily the easiest lens to use as it takes in a lot of the landscape.

How I Combined Art and Photography to Bring Awareness to Social Issues

Combine sculpture, photography, and a powerful message to bring social change to the world and you get a series of impactful works that can bring awareness to important issues. In the case of this personal photography project, I covered my bathroom with over 3000 ibuprofen tablets to bring attention to the widespread problems with drugs and addiction.

The Power of Luminosity Masks in Photoshop

Photoshop is a massive and nuanced program, for which there are many ways to accomplish any one task. However, one of the most useful techniques to know is luminosity masks, which are powerful and versatile additions to your editing arsenal. This helpful video will get you started with them.

Are You Guilty of These Five Big Composition Mistakes?

What's the most important thing to master in photography? I asked this question to ten photographers and eight gave the same answer: composition. More than gear or technical know-how, understanding composition and avoiding common errors that many people make will help you improve your photography more than anything else.

Is $2,700 Fair for Canon’s New Lens?

Canon’s new RF 85mm f/1.2 L has been officially announced, along with a hefty price tag. Considering the specifications and market this lens will compete in, is the price fair?

Learn to See Before You Waste Money on Gear You Don't Need

I remember the days when all I wanted was that next piece of gear, one more light, a newer body, the latest tech, the highest pixel count, and the lowest aperture. I was certain I was only one purchase away from better work. I wasn’t, and chances are, neither are you.

Photographer Documents One of the Rarest Treks on Earth

There are mysterious places that swirl with intrigue and evoke dreams of the sights that lie within the unknown. These are the places that often seem so perfectly suited for a photographer with a wandering spirit. Arriving at the wondrous location, however, is only half the battle for the inclined documenter.

Everything You Need to Know About When and How to Use the Dehaze Tool in Lightroom

Lightroom's Dehaze tool can be a lifesaver in certain cases, bringing back photos that you might not have been able to recover otherwise. But that doesn't mean you should always use it whenever you see a bit of fog or haze in your photos. This great video shows you the ins and outs of the tool and discusses the best and worst cases for its usage.