Nature Photography

Moving time lapse videos are becoming more and more popular these days. Check out the video below to see Patryk Kizny take the DriveCam Slider for a test.

Autumn. A short timelapse film from Patryk Kizny on Vimeo.

Bob Poole is a DP (Director of Photography for you still shooters) who often works for National Geographic. While filming researcher Jake Wall who is studying the migration of African elephants, Bob and his team came across one of the most amazing things I've ever seen capture on video. You gotta watch this video to believe it but Bob was trapped in a sand storm in Mail for 4 hours while the sun was all but completely blocked by the flying debris. It always amazes me when I see photographers or videographers capture nature at it's best.

The Fstoppers team just got back from Miami and the Bahamas, and while we were there we came across Peter Lik's newest art gallery in Miami Beach. I was first introduced to Peter's amazing landscape photos at his Las Vegas gallery in the Venetian Hotel, and I'm always blown away every time I step into one of his galleries. Peter uses large format panoramic cameras (some film some digital) and then prints them LARGE with his own special printing process. When his prints are displayed under gallery lighting the images pop off the wall unlike anything I've ever seen before. You can even dim the lights to reveal different qualities in the prints. Check out this video of Peter talking about what makes a good landscape photo and click the full post to see how you can see Peter on your television soon! <

With a bunch of hurricanes heading our way, I figured it might be fun to show everyone that rainy days do not mean you cannot still pick up your camera. Jim Reed has made a career out of extreme weather photography and has some pretty wild videos to document his craft. Some may call it a craft and others may just call it being out of your mind but either way it puts a smile on my face. Click the full post to watch Jim run straight up into a tornado. <

Sometimes videos don't require a BTS because although they are a unique idea, they don't necessarily have to be complicated. Danny writes "Everyone has experienced fireworks. It is truly a magical sight. I set out to capture them, not as we know them normally, but in a way that many of you may not have seen them before. For this, I used Bokeh, which originates from the Japanese word "boke", which means "blur" or "haze"."

Bokeh from Danny Cooke on Vimeo.

We have posted Tom's work before. Here is a little behind the scenes of how he actually does it.

Behind the Scenes: Timelapse Crane from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

Philip Bloom is an amazing British DP, Director, and Film Maker who also works hard to bring us some neat gadget to use out in the field when filming DSLR video. When I saw this timelapse video of Monument Valley out in Utah, I knew this BTS video/audio would appeal to our landscape photographers who are often stuck watching fashion and commercial videos. So in an effort to change it up a bit, go ahead and load both the audio and video tracks (hit play and then pause) and start with the audio track. Philip also outlines a lot of the gear used in this timelapse over at his blog so check that out too. Enjoy Monument Valley commentary by PhilipBloom

Monument Valley from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Ok, not REALLY, but that was the concept for the shoot. I like this BTSV for 2 reasons. First, he has a concept. So many photographers just take headshots of girls and forget about coming up with any sort of idea or theme for the pictures. Lorand Peli planned this shoot out before he ever started and it shows. The second reason I really like this video is because the finished pictures are high quality. I have seen a few contest submissions where the concept is fantastic but the finished product falls short. Enjoy this BTSV while trying not to feel dirty with all of the "interesting camera angles." <

Scott Holstein sent us this video a while back and it must have gotten lost in our email (thanks iphone fans). Being from Tallahassee, Florida, Scott decided to use the swamp as his backdrop. He also came up with a cleaver way to light up little lanterns used in the shoot. Maybe I'm the only one, but I'd be a little scared of getting eaten alive or being bit by something hiding in those country swamps! <

When I first saw this video it put a big smile on my face. I really wish the photographer had shared some insight on this video since it seems like such a unique situation but we are just left with this short clip. You can see the final photos here but I'm not sure why they did not use a more interesting shot of the bear.

Koda from Academy on Vimeo.

The only thing this BTS video is missing is the actually images! But it is still really cool so I will give it a pass. They wrote: "Hand launching a custom built Canon 5D Mark II aerial drone from a boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico to capture oil spill imagery: Although we are able to hand launch our drones in very confined space, we've never done this from the back of a very unstable pitching and rolling boat...in rain and drizzle. Over $10,000 in equipment can be lost in an instant! Between boat movement and gulf winds this was an extreme challenge! What a great show of talent"

Joey L is always an inspiration because not only is he really young but because he is really forward thinking with his creativity. Here is the behind the scenes video of his latest project The Mentawai. It's pretty wild to see the logistics of a shoot like this and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Click Here to see the final images and the original video posted by Joey L.

If you didn't know, the GoPro HD is a cheap video camera that shoots stunning HD footage. These guys attach it to a weather balloon and then let it fly (what appears to be) into space and then they use GPS to retrieve it. Is this for real!?!

Balloon flight, shot with an HD HERO camera from GoPro. from Francois Brahic on Vimeo.

The first time I clicked on Paul Ripke's website and saw the images on it, I knew I had found something special. Fstoppers reader Thomas send us this video and Tobi helped translate what is going on this video. It maybe a little long for some of you especially if you only understand English but it's still pretty awesome. Check out the full post to see the images and a simple translation of how Paul is shooting this watch ad.

IWC from Paul Ripke on Vimeo.

Giuliano Bekor is a famous fashion photographer who has had various covers of Vogue, Elle, and Bazaar to name just a few. Today he takes us to "Africa" where BeBe is doing their summer 09 catalog with wild elephants, lions, and giraffes. This video is crazy but totally awesome! ><

Check out John Chiara's home made camera; it's so big he had to build it inside of a trailer! If you thought it was tough getting out and shooting, you now have no excuse after you watch the amount of effort put into making these images. <

When I first saw this video I was completely blown away. Using timelapse and high speed photography, Tim Shepherd and David Attenborough produce some stunning footage of plants growing over the course of 2 years. Check out this crazy video produced by the BBC <

Dave Lehl is one of the best snowboard photographers in North America. Luckily we are good friends and were allowed to tag along during one of his photoshoots in the back country of Vail, Colorado. In Dave's own words, what you are about to watch is "pretty typical"...Click the post for another video of Dave talking about his career. <

It's not often that we see photoshoots taking place a night. After you watch the Bui Brothers knock this shoot out, head over to there blog to view the stills from the shoot here. Justine Ezarik Photos – iJustine Photoshoot behind the scenes video from The Bui Brothers on Vimeo.

It is amazing what creative professionals are doing with their cameras. Sam O'Hare blew my mind today with his short NYC video called The Sandpit. I thought I knew how he created this but was completely wrong. Take a guess then click the link to read about how it was really shot.

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Dom Daher is an extreme sport photographer. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have to shoot commercial photos while avoiding crashing waves and aggressive surfers then this video should wet your appetite. <

This is the is what Fstoppers is all about. National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has created a book that will feature portraits of endangered species. To go along with his book he created a quick video promo. This video is the behind the scenes of that promo. View the full post to see the extraordinary finished product.

RARE: Behind the Scenes from Joel Sartore on Vimeo.

Lars Franzen shows us how to take amazing pictures outside with only small battery powered strobes. If you want to see more of Lars' amazing photography check out his site at: www.larsfranzen.com ><

Our good friend Eric Bradshaw told us about a shoot he had in the works and we knew that we had to document it. An island, a team of 15, and 5 beautiful models... What more could you ask for. More info and a youtube version after the jump. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0NPSATuS4<

I spend most of my time in Charleston, SC and NYC. It was February and Charleston was uncomfortably cold and NYC was unbearably cold. I had some free time so I decided to fly down to Placencia Belize and learn to scuba dive. As a photographer I wanted to get some cool photography as well. The trip ended up being the most memorable trip of my life but I broke 2 of my 3 underwater cameras on the first day and I didn't get a single quality image under the water... Read more after the jump and watch the youtube version is you happen to be on your cell phone. ><