Recent BTS Articles

A Twelve-Mile Hike for Competition Prints [NSFW]

Working with clients on a day-to-day basis, it can be very easy to fall into a creative rut, using the same go-to posing, styling, and scenery for the simple reason we know what will sell during a client viewing appointment. For the business aspect, this is very efficient when selling images. For the artist, many feel the need for something more by pushing the creative limits. A little adventure is all it may take to get geared back up and into the creative mindset.

Check out This Creative One Dollar Lighting Setup

"Gear isn't everything." We seasoned pros say it all the time, but often when standing under a pair Profoto B1 flash heads, so it can be hard to swallow for some. Well, if ever you needed convincing, this might just do the trick.

Behind the Scenes for Selling Large Wall Art Using Samples

In the digital world it may almost seem as though selling albums or wall art would be a thing of the past. The majority of clients will want to post their session to social media and go about their day. As photographers, it is up to us to educate the client about the importance of having a physical piece of art as well as the right type of art for their home.

It Was Practical Effects, Not CGI, Behind Apple's 'Welcome Home' Ad

Earlier this month, Apple released a new Spike Jonze-directed ad titled “Welcome Home” that featured FKA Twigs dancing through shapeshifting apartment. Today, AdWeek shared a revealing behind-the-scenes video where we learn that almost all of it was practical effects. It’s almost unbelievable.

Apple Attempts Coming Back to Its Core

Apple's latest ad campaigns give an idea of what it is trying to achieve and who it is trying to talk to. Check out these behind-the-scenes videos that show how Apple shot these iMac Pro ads to help it re-align its focus on the creative.

Behind the Scenes of OK Go's Red Star Macalline Commercial

OK Go have always been famous for their crafted and extremely complex music videos. This time, they made a commercial for a big Chinese furniture store all shot as a single steadicam take and full of optical illusions and practical effects.

Natural Light Photoshoot: No Equipment, No Excuses

Let me admit something: I'm not a technical photographer. Bless those that fuss with all of the specs and have an analytical approach to photography, I suppose that I rely on my own method. As a self-taught photographer, I acquired knowledge by watching other photographers create. Each had their distinct style, some were technical and others instinctual but each was equally an artist.

Benjamin Von Wong Shows Us How Photography Can Change the World

We all know that humans are destroying the earth, but we live in a time where the destruction has become too much to take lightly anymore. Will artists be the ones to bring the earth together to clean and protect it? Benjamin Von Wong shows us that the answer is yes, and he asks all of us to join him.

If You Love the Idea of Portraits, an Arcade, and Neon Colors, Watch This

If you've scrolled Instagram for more than a few seconds you've probably encountered portraits shot with very colorful neon lights; bright scenes with 80's vibes shot in arcades or urban downtown areas. If you've wondered how to shoot in a similar style, check this one out.

Can the Sony a7 III's Autofocus Live Up to the Hype?

There is a lot of buzz around Sony’s recent announcement of the a7 III, and for good reason: at the price point, there is no camera on the market with a better feature set. But does the autofocus hold up to Sony’s extravagant claims?

How I Shot This With Hard Lighting

Lighting can be a major pain in the ass and that is especially the case if you're not a technical person, like me. After picking up the camera 7 years ago I am still constantly learning about the many different aspects of lighting.

'Underwater Beauty': The Process Behind Creating This Image

"Underwater Beauty" was an image commissioned by a local company as a part of their campaign supporting various independent artists. The image was created as a composite for obvious reasons. In this article, I'd like to walk you through the process of creating it from the initial idea to the final result.

Why Tethering Is an Essential Part of Commercial Photography

While I was initially slow to adopt the notion of being literally tied to an external machine while I went full throttle through my photo shoots, I’ve found the process not only beneficial, but absolutely essential.

Barbarian Transformation Photoshoot With Renee Robyn for Less Than $50

Photographer and digital artist Renee Robyn is known for creating magical composites complete with gorgeous costumes and dreamy scenery. But what happens when there is no designer to provide styling, no makeup artist, and a budget of only $50 to spend?

Going Back to the Basics and Learning to Recognize Good Light

These days there are a million things that you need to juggle simultaneously as a working photographer. You need to be managing your website, social media, and constantly be replying to emails. We tend to forget the actual craft of photography and most importantly telling your story with light.

Behind the Scenes at the Winter Olympics with Getty Images

As the Winter Olympics draws to a close, Getty Images has offered this fascinating insight into the logistics of covering this remarkable and incredibly cold event. Battling geography, climate, and equipment while coordinating a huge team of photographers is an immense challenge.

Everything You Need to Know for Your First Paid Photoshoot

While most of us here have been through the experience of your first paid photoshoot, there are definitely a lot of users here using the content of this site to further themselves to a professional level.

How to Remove Large Objects in Photoshop

Have you ever tried to remove an object from a photo, but just couldn't get it to look right, whether it be because of the lighting, color, or actual selection? This tutorial provides a handful of tips for perfectly removing objects in Photoshop.

PTW III Behind the Scenes: We Got Stuck in the Dubai Desert Overnight

Our latest series of behind the scenes episodes with Elia Locardi are almost over. In today's episode we continue to explore the rooftops of Dubai in search of the perfect cityscape photograph of the city. We then head out to a remote desert to photograph the stars only to find out our guide had other plans. This is “Photographing the World III” behind the scenes episode 12!

BTS: The Incredible 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Drone Light Show

What is it like to see a larger-than-life bird made up of a record-setting 1,218 individual drones fly seamlessly over a full stadium? What did it take to plan for that number of drones to come together to create the shapes of snowboarders and skiers and the five Olympic rings? While that was the plan, that didn't quite happen as expected, possibly due to hacking. But take a look behind the scenes of Intel's Olympic drone team as they prepared for this year's winter Olympics ceremonies and completed the record-setting flight that made NBC's delayed U.S. broadcasting of the opening ceremony.

An Overhead Camera Setup That Won't Break the Bank

Creating an overhead shot in studio can seem like a basic task at first, but the space can quickly become cluttered as the set becomes more complex and more assistants are on location. This video shows how to build an inexpensive, sturdy camera rig that won’t come crashing down in the middle of a shoot.

Creating World-Class Fine Art Images on a Budget

A couple of flowers, some DIY, and basic Photoshop skills along with a strong creative vision in mind is all you need to make a stunning image. If you are starting out in photography and want to get into fashion, beauty, or fine art but have a rather small budget, you should definitely look at this inspiring behind-the-scenes video of Bella Kotak.

Beauty YouTuber Uses Over $10,000 Worth of Equipment to Shoot Makeup Videos

Recently, one of the most significant beauty and makeup YouTubers released a video showing what kind of setup she’s using to shoot, and it’s absolute madness. If you thought people on YouTube were still shooting with webcams and the iPhone flashlight, you are in for a real surprise.

How to Shoot in Antarctica

Not many of us can say that we’ve shot on every single continent, but Kenneth Browne is here to tell us how he dealt with one of the toughest shooting locations on earth.

Gear for Photographers and Videographers at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show

At this year’s Outdoor Retailer trade show in Denver, Colorado, the biggest names in the outdoor industry came together for one event to show off their latest and greatest to the world. While most of the products at the show were geared more toward outdoor equipment and snow gear, there were brands unveiling products that most photographers and videographers who work in the outdoors will be extremely excited about.

How I Created a Viral Video and What I Learned in the Process

A few days ago, I published a copycat video on my Vimeo account. After the video was first shared by DPReview, the file became viral and got shared hundreds of thousands of times all over Internet. How did I produce this little funny video? How does having 250,000 views per day affect your visibility and social network accounts? And finally, what does this video really mean?

How to Shoot Night Photography

If you haven't tried out night photography before, you sure are missing out on some fun and creative opportunities. One thing for sure, it's quite different than shooting during the day, so I understand why some of you may be hesitant to venture out at night with your camera.

Official Davos Photographer Shares a Day Shooting the Event

I recently had the chance to speak to Greg Beadle, one of the official photographers for the World Economic Forum Event in Davos. From the start he made it clear that as an official photographer for the World Economic Forum, it is his job to “promote the annual meeting through photographs that best emulate the positive experiences and results here in Davos.” He said the energy is tangible and throughout the week, world leaders, celebrities, and wealthy elite will come together to discuss and try solve the current issues of the world today. This is what a day as a photographer at Davos is like.

Behind the Scenes of a Spectacular Time-Lapse Film in the Canadian Wilderness

Traveling 5,500 kilometers in six weeks, Filmmaker Florian Nick explored the wilds of British Columbia and Alberta in search of beautiful scenery, capturing 54,000 photos along the way. The result is a gorgeous time-lapse film showcasing the best of the region in stunning detail and sweeping scale. Nick discussed the making of the film with Fstoppers.

Adventure Photographer Passionate About Career

Almost every adventure and landscape photographer wants to travel the world. Capturing new landscapes and experiences in new, epic locations is a trait ingrained in outdoor photographers. But how does one balance the need for personal exploration, the need to quench a creative thirst, and the opportunity to be there for one's family?

Adventure Filmmaking: The Worst Job That You've Always Wanted

I've wanted to be a content creator for documentaries, a la National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, since I was little. But then again, who hasn’t? I taught myself photography throughout college while studying biology and anthropology in hopes of, someday, finding myself in the situation to put all of that together as some sort of adventure photographer. I’ve been lucky enough to do a little of that type of work already, but nothing compared to these guys. In this series from The Crew, you can go behind the scenes with a crew that travels to some of the riskiest and most beautiful parts of the world just to create beautiful footage for you to enjoy.

Get A Grip: A Product Photographer's Guide To Using A-Clamps

When it comes to studio product photography, we use a lot of tools in the studio. Sure, there’s the obvious: cameras, lenses, and lights. But today I want to talk about one of those little indispensable tools that can really make all the difference on set. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the years of working in a studio environment, it’s that you can never have enough clamps! There’s always something that you need to hold in place, or simply rig.

Creating a Photoshoot on a Budget

Juhamatti Vahdersalo gives us another glimpse in to how he creates scenes in one of his latest projects “Too Much is Never Enough.” With studios potentially spending thousands of dollars to bring sets alive, Vahdersalo walks us through how this setup cost a mere $75. If you don’t remember, we featured his creations in November when he showed everyone what cardboard and a little imagination can do.

Real-World Test to See If the Sony a7R III Is the Best in the World

Back at it again, the charmingly abrasive but always informative Jaren Polin (or as most of us know him, Froknowsphoto) released a new real-world review on Sony’s newly released a7R III. Love him or hate him, Polin always puts out the some of the most in-depth camera reviews in the photography YouTube space, and this video is no exception.

DIY Photography Backdrop Resources, and Why You Should Make Your Own

If you're a creator of any kind, chances are you've experienced being in a creative rut at some point in your journey to make cool stuff. As a photographer and cinematographer, nothing could be more true for me. Photographers by nature, I feel, have a "do it yourself" attitude. In talking with Photographer Nikki Smith, a DIY backdrop project could be just what you need to reignite that missing spark and add an additional element of creativity to your work.

Our $3,000 DSLR Was Stolen in Italy and We Filmed It Happen

Yes, you read that title correctly. In this episode of the behind the scenes of “Photographing the World 3,” we face the most disastrous day of filming yet! While Lee was recovering our crashed DJI Mavic in the mountains of Matera, someone on the hiking trail stole our brand new Nikon D500 DSLR and Tamron 18-270mm lens.

 Using a DJI Mavic Pro to Light Paint a Tesla

San Diego, California, content creator Aldryn Estacio of Flytpath, and photographer Spencer Pablo wanted to collaborate together on a fun project. And what would be more fun than using a light equipped drone to light paint a pair of great looking, matte black Teslas at night?