The majority of my generation doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about gender discrimination and gender issues in their career path, myself included. I actively avoided all the gender studies kids in college, finding their “keg-conversation” a tad too zealous for comfort. However, through my never-ending quest for FS Spotlight subjects, I can’t help noticing that a disproportionate number of renowned photographers are men. “Hm, coincidence?” I wondered. “Or is photography still a man’s world?” My personal impression was that while the world of established, renowned photographers is male-dominated, I know just as many young female photographers as male. But as I stared at the Fstoppers writer’s roster – 17 writers, 15 men, 2 women, I decided it was time to do a bit of research.
If you thought The Beatles post was amazing, you’ll be elated when you see this set. These are indeed rare photos of some of the greatest icons of all time, some of which are living and some that are no longer with us. Waste no more time reading and check out these amazing pictures in the full post.
In the ’40′s, Ansel Adams took on the job to document Los Angeles for Fortune Magazine. In his own words, “none of the pictures were very good.” However, many oppose his thoughts. Do you feel as though these images reflect his viewpoints? (Full Post)
Chris Burkard spends his days traveling to some of the planet’s most magnificent beaches, where he navigates all sorts of technical complications in search of the perfect surfing shot. Despite obstacles such as drunk Chilean boat captains, salt water corrosion, and even being thrown in a Russian prison, Burkard continually manages to capture the moment, the beauty of the landscape, and create timeless photographs. The Surfer magazine staff photographer has traveled the globe, won the Red Bull illume photo competition, and released photo book The California Surf Project… and he’s only 25 years old. Fstoppers catches up with the globe-trotting youngster to ask about his gear, craziest stories, and the technical aspects of shooting in the water. Hear Chris talk about his work in the video below, and then read the full FS Spotlight interview.
Name a celebrity. Yep, go on. Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Zooey Deschanel, Ben Stiller, Samuel L Jackson. How about an athlete? Serena Williams, Jeff Gordon, Shaquille O’Neal. Brian Smith has worked with them all. I recently sat down with Brian for an Fstoppers exclusive interview and he was glad to share his insight, techniques, and advice with us. Check out the full post for the entire text.
Few photographers can nonchalantly say, “Yeah, I’ve had blood splashed on my camera.” But for sports photographer Joshua Hedges, 12 year veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, it’s just another day in the office.
The West Texas native has been become known for his mixed martial arts photography, and his work has been featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, USA Today, Time magazine, The New York Times, and The LA Times. Fstoppers catches up with Hedges to hear about his favorite fight, why shooting the UFC is different from other sports, and staying focused while two guys pummel each other. Check out the full FS Spotlight interview!
If you thought Jasper James’s City Silhouettes were crazy wait until you see Ira Fox’s Puddle Portraits. Using the natural reflections caused by rain puddles, Ira has captured the world in an interesting yet pyschodelic way. The results are one of a kind, and it just goes to show how thinking outside the box can pay off in a big way! [Full Post]
A few days ago we showed you what it’s like to be a Sport Illustrated Editor. The NFL Conference Championship games are about kick off in a few hours so it seems fitting to bring you San Francisco 49ers team photographer Michael Zagaris as he talks about capturing the two key plays of the ’9ers Division Championship game. Enjoy!
How would you react if security officers told you that you were breaking the law by photographing a building from public property? One British photographer was faced with just that question, and here is how he reacted. View the full post to see the video, which is funny, sad, eye-opening and jaw-dropping all at once.
The Washington Post published an HDR photograph on the front page which caused the public to react in a negative manner. Do you think HDR is acceptable in photojournalism? Where do you draw the line? Check out the full post for the story and let us know your thoughts.
Some of the most iconic black and white images of our time, shown colorized by Sanna Dullaway, gives us a glimpse into how these images would have looked had they been taken in full color. Are they better in color or left in black and white? You have see these images in the full post.
A unique behind the scenes look with Joe McNally in his Sense of Sight cover story (A National Geographic Production – circa 1992). Talk about a blast from the past. It’s great seeing his thought process and work ethic through the entire process. It shows that no matter how old this video is, there’s still a lot to be learned from watching the master at work. Check out the full post to see the video.
With just under three weeks left until the deadline of our 2011 Behind The Scenes Contest, our readers are really hitting it into high gear by turning in some awesome videos! Some of the ideas you guys come up with are really clever and a refreshing alternative to the boring “glamorized music videos” we receive daily. Wedding photographer Jaroslav Repta (based out of Bratislave, Slovakia) recently filmed an entire wedding from the perspective of his camera by mounting a GoPro Hero on his DSLR. Having started off as a wedding photographer myself, I found it really interesting to watch some of the conditions Jaroslav had to work in, and how his creative eye made the most of every situation. Weddings are tough with harsh sunlight one second and low light action the next, but Jaroslav shows how he (and tons of other fstoppers) work quick to find an interesting image. Love or hate weddings, I think everyone will get a kick out of seeing the hustle and bustle required at every wedding.
We have all read how biased different news organizations can be when it comes to the cold hard facts. We’ve also pretty much come to expect that a photograph tells a story better than anything else. Documentary film maker Ruben Salvadori recently exposed how some of the most epic images from war torn areas of the world are actually staged…and it’s pretty surprising. Ruben recognized how photographers can drastically change the mood of a scene just by being present, so he decided to turn the cameras on the photographers themselves and show just how “dangerous” many of events we see on tv and in print really are. Next time you see an image that appears to be in the thick of the action, step back and ask the question “but how many photographers are standing right off camera?” You can read more here about this video project and let us know what you think in the comments below. [more]
A few weeks ago I posted a video that created a lot of unintentional buzz about poorly compositing athletes together on a football field. Well this video from Monte Isom doesn’t include much photoshop but still produces a lot of great images. Monte always has a great time on his sets and hopefully you NYC readers will be able to share a drink with him tomorrow at our FS Meetup.
