Before I get started I want to let everyone know to do this at their own risk; we don’t want to hear about how your laptop fell off this stand because you didn’t tighten a bolt down all the way. Now if you’re looking for a professional stand to use every day, I’d recommend buying a specifically designed product, but this DIY stand is a great option for occasional use. Now that my liability is gone, lets have some fun.
Bokeh is the out of focus or blurry areas of a photograph. The wider the aperture a camera is shooting on, the softer the Bokeh is. In this cool DIY video, Matt from Make Magazine, shows an easy way to add a little flair to your pictures by creating custom shapes for your bokeh. Although everyone seems to break out this technique with stars and hearts around Christmas time, as Christmas lights are a great light source for this technique, here are a few more creative examples.
As I promised when I wrote my Anatomy of An Interior Shoot post a few weeks ago, if the interest was there, I’d continue the series. I’m happy to report that I’ve got much more in stock for you. If you’re interested in kicking your architectural and interiors photography into high gear and adding some special sauce to your photos, this post is for you. [more]
Everyone knows Peter Hurley uses fairly expensive Kino Flo lights to give his clients nice soft beauty lighting. Fstoppers reader Tristan Penner decided to build a portable and inexpensive alternative to Peter’s setup using standard Fluorescent lights. The setup might not improve too much on the portability but the quality of light does look really nice. What’s really cool is Tristan is able to travel to people’s homes with this setup bypassing the [more]
If you work out of a studio, you know how annoying paper seamless backdrops can be…they always wrinkle and warp. We recently changed over to the Savage Vinyl backdrops and they seem to last a lot longer. The guys over at OKstrobist have an even cheaper alternative for those looking for a DIY approach and it’s pretty clever. Even though this can still cost as much as $170, you aren’t stuck [more]
You often hear film makers say, “Your video is only as good as your audio”. Obviously video production goes a long way too but poor audio can completely ruin an otherwise great video. Until recently, DSLR cameras have been anything but great at recording audio. The on board microphones are noisy and prone to record camera noise. Plugging an external microphone into the line-in has also left a lot to be desired. So how should someone [more]
As anyone who has tried to shoot video with a DSLR knows, creating a smooth, professional follow-focus motion can be a bit of a nightmare unless you’re willing to shell out for high-end equipment, and then deal with lugging it all around. How about a $45 solution that gets amazing results and works on any DSLR lens? [more]
I have been on the look out for an affordable rolling camera bag for some time. Thinktank, Lowepro, and Pelican all have great products, but when it comes down to it I really don’t want to drop $300+ on a bag. What is so special about these “specialized” camera bags anyway? [more]
If you have ever used dual monitors, it’s very difficult going back to using just one. I’m forced to use one tiny monitor on my laptop every time I travel and its always made working on the road a slow and painful task. That is until I learned that I could use my iPad as a wireless second monitor and pair it with my laptop no matter where I am. [more]
Admittedly this DIY project takes a little more effort than some but the results are pretty damn cool. Benjamin Von Wong takes a page from DIY Photography and makes a pretty slick fluorescent light track system, turning a small one room into a photo studio. Check out the video and if you decided this is something you must do, then head over to the VonStudio Blog for complete project detail. Parts, pricing, assembly, pros, cons, the works! [more]
Have you ever wanted to give your models that wind swept look. This 56 second quick tip from our friend Benjamin Von Wong can save you from having to lug around a heavy and often expensive fan. So simple, most of us over look it and here is all you need.
Also be sure to check out Ben’s latest project “Von Wong Does Europe“.
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We get a lot of Kickstarter projects emailed to us and sometimes they are interesting and other times they look like a desperate plea for money. We usually don’t feature such projects but today I’m making an exception. Benjamin Von Wong has been featured on Fstoppers probably more than anyone else. This year he plans to goto Europe to produce inspiring photoshoots but at the same time film informative behind the scenes videos. Hopefully this post will [more]
Via NikonRumors, this is something everyone should know about: a do-it-yourself $30 wifi kit for the Nikon D4! It really speaks for itself. Read on for the details. Who knows, maybe something similar could be done for the 1D X. I wouldn’t be surprised at all… [more]
When it comes to photography projects, Benjamin Von Wong is one of the most prolific guys I know. It seems like every few posts I’m compelled to bring you something cool Ben is doing. Whether it’s playing with his pliable models, setting them ablaze or just a quick tip. His latest venture has him teaming up with Udi Tirosh over at DIY Photography to show us how to light paint with steel wool. Including the basic technique, location, safety and a few other helpful tips to consider. For someone who plays with fire as much as Ben and with hair that big, he must know what he is doing… right? [more]
A hyper, over caffeinated Benjamin Von Wong sent me this super short, super simple but super easy to overlook tip. So, if you plan on traveling any time in the near future and have 38 seconds to spare, give it a look.
Benjimin Von Wong:
Quick Tip # 1 – Bring a powerbar when you travel! Oh, and don’t drink too much coffee before filming! [more]
