FStoppers

Enter and Win $1200 in Aftershoot Prizes

Welcome to the April 2025 Critique the Community Contest! For this month's contest we want to make it super simple and inclusive by asking for your best portrait images. They can be full length, headshots, single person, multiple people, natural light or lit in the studio. Anything is fair game for this critique!

As always, please write a short story on how you took the portrait, what camera gear and lighting you used, any challenges you faced, and any other interesting information about the shoot in general.

Rules This contest is 100% free to join Each photographer...

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Effective portrait lighting isn't about sticking to strict rules or imitating standard setups. Knowing when and why to adjust your lighting approach directly influences your results, making your portraits feel genuine and expressive.

Coming to you from Tim Kelly's Master Photo Techniques and Susan Torregrosa, this practical video explores how to handle lighting setups naturally, breaking from the habit of always positioning your main lights on the left. Torregrosa explains clearly why varying the placement of...

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You're probably convinced your gear is holding your photography back, but what if the real issue is simpler—and far more essential? The problem might be that you're missing three fundamental skills, ones rarely discussed but vital to capturing great images.

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Organizing and renaming your photos effectively saves you significant time and frustration. Lightroom isn't just about photo editing—it can transform the way you manage your images, helping you locate and name your files quickly, even if you never touch the editing features.

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There’s an unspoken rule in the creative industry: follow up, but don’t expect a reply. What used to be a rare frustration has now become the norm—emails left unanswered, proposals ignored, relationships that once felt solid suddenly vanishing into the ether. The rise of ghosting, a term originally coined for dating culture, has now taken hold in the business world, and creatives are feeling the brunt of it.<--break->

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Understanding shutter speed is essential if you want to control movement in your photography. It directly affects how sharp or blurred moving subjects appear in your images.

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Street photography is intimidating if you're naturally introverted, but it's entirely manageable once you know how to adapt your style. Interacting with strangers and being highly visible aren't required if you learn to navigate it thoughtfully.

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The Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary lens offers an impressive 19x zoom range, designed specifically for APS-C sensor cameras. With a 35mm equivalent of 24-450mm, this lens delivers remarkable versatility, making it appealing for those who need a wide range without constantly changing gear.

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Long exposure photography is one of the most effective ways to convey movement in a still image. Whether it’s the soft blur of flowing water, the streaking motion of clouds, or the hypnotic trails of city lights, long exposure transforms scenes into something beyond what the human eye can perceive.

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Anyone who has dedicated themselves to photography long enough has felt the harsh undercurrents that run beneath the romantic facade: the self-doubt, the exhaustion, the unrelenting demands of an audience always hungry for more. We’re told to love what we do, but the unspoken caveat is that genuine commitment to photography—as with any passion—demands sacrifice, endurance, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths.

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Taking your camera for a casual walk without any specific plans can shift how you see everyday surroundings. Many photographers underestimate the value of unstructured, spontaneous sessions, but it’s these low-pressure outings that often yield surprising insights and fresh perspectives.

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Photoshop continues to evolve, introducing tools designed to simplify your editing workflow and enhance the quality of your images. Here's a look at five of the best.

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The Nikon COOLPIX P1100 is Nikon's latest bridge camera, built for photographers who want an extreme zoom range without changing lenses. With a wild focal length range of 24-3000mm, it's worth a look.

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Pricing is a major sticking point for wedding photographers. It can easily turn into an obsession, overshadowing what genuinely matters in your photography business.

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You're set to capture something amazing with your camera, but where should you begin? Without a clear process, it's easy to rush, overlook details, or end up with photos that miss the mark. Let’s outline a simple, repeatable approach to help you slow down, capture more, and make each shot count.

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Improving your photography isn't just about mastering the technical aspects; it involves insights gathered from real experiences. Understanding the subtle lessons beyond the basics can dramatically shape your photographic journey.

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Many photographers debate the necessity of high-resolution cameras, especially when most images today are viewed on small screens. Yet, high megapixel counts offer practical advantages beyond mere sharpness or image quality.

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Limiting yourself to a single fixed lens can transform how you see and capture your surroundings. It's a deliberate constraint that makes you rethink every shot and pushes you to become more creative in your photography.

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The most valuable skill you can learn in photography might not be what you expect. It’s about taking the ordinary things you see every day and making them stand out visually, transforming the mundane into something striking.

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Efficient editing in Lightroom or Camera Raw can significantly elevate the quality of your landscape photos without overwhelming you with complexity. Learning focused techniques helps you produce professional-level results consistently.

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