Recent Strobe light Articles

Andreas Sjodin:  How To Pull The Most Out Of Your Models

Andreas Sjodin is a commercial and catalog photographer who has basically shot for everyone under the sun. Right after you watch this video you need to head over to his website and check out his amazing portfolio! I've said this so many times I hope you guys aren't sick of hearing me say this: Great and interesting photographs are almost never about technical lighting. I know with my own work, many times the best images are often not the ones that rely on the most innovative lighting but rather focus on something interesting or naturally beautiful. I love what Andreas says while shooting for mega clothing company H&M: "The easiest thing to shoot is someone looking good, what's difficult is to shoot someone looking good and interesting, and inspiring." I really think this approach is what separates the boys from the men, and it should be evident with Andreas's one light setup in this shoot. Enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwW5XOn-MwE<
Peter Hurley Photographs Chaske Spencer of Twilight

Our good friend Peter Hurley has been tearing up Twitter the last few days which can only mean one thing: He's done something pretty exciting! Peter loves to film his own videos on his Flip HD camera while in the middle of his shoots so the footage is always a bit spontaneous. Check out this short clip of Peter as he shoots Twilight megastar Chaske Spencer in his studio and on top of his roof. If you watch closely you may even see the Empire State Building a half a dozen times :) Check out the final images over at Peter's blog http://www.comeontakeyourbestshot.com/ and if you haven't watched our Fstoppers Original on Peter check it out here.
Gregory Heisler Lights a Time Magazine Cover

When I first saw Gregory Heisler, I thought he was a college professor not a professional photographer. I guess in reality he is both since this is one of the most indepth BTS videos I've seen explaining how to construct lighting that doesn't call too much attention to itself. I'm always a big fan of images like this since shooting environmental portraits forces you to not only produce a great portrait but also create something iconic and often time monumental. Gregory does a great job with this portrait of then NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Much props to Profoto for producing some really educational videos.
Marie-Louise Cadosch Shoots Fashion In A Bus

Here is an interesting photoshoot where Marie-Louise Cadosch lights her model inside an old bus. Instead of trying to fit the lights inside, they decide to light through the glass and the results speak for themselves.Check out the final images and more info from this Fashion Breakdown shoot here and more on the toning of these images here. <
Dave Black:  Shooting Motorcross with 8 Speedlights

Dave Black is a professional photographer who shoots some of the most stylized sports images I have ever seen. In this BTS video, Dave is pairing up 8 SB900 flashes with two Radio Popper PX triggers on two Lightware Foursquare brackets. Why does he use such a crazy setup when shooting motorcross? Often times with fast action sports you need to shoot with quick shutter speeds beyond the 1/250th of a second flash sync limit. The only way to do this is to use the FP high speed Sync mode Nikon (and Canon) flashes offer when hardwired to your camera. Luckily Radio Popper (and Pocket Wizard for Canon) have created wireless radio iTTL/eTTL syncing which gives you the ability to us High Speed Sync with your flashes off camera over long distances. This setup is about as complex as you can possibly get (and expensive) but Dave has made a great video showing off the setup. Unfortunately he does little to explain WHY this setup is necessary. Head over to his Lightware Foursquare / Radio Popper Post to read more about how it all comes together and be sure to check out Dave's portfolio as well. <
Melissa Rodwell Shoots Harper's Bazaar Cover

Melissa Rodwell is back with Fashion Photography Blog shooting a Harper's Bazaar Cover. I'll let the video and pictures speak for themselves but I do have to say that I am huge fan of this simple single hard light. Easy setup, great results! Update: Woops, I just realized that Strobist posted yesterday. Just wanted to give David credit as well.

Harper's Bazaar Arabia-Louis Vuitton from Melissa Rodwell on Vimeo.

How To Take Surfing Pictures With Studio Lighting

I've taken small strobes out into the ocean to shoot kiteboarders in the past and it wasn't a huge success. My assistants were getting bashed by waves and the small strobes just aren't powerful enough to really show up in the day. Robert Snow had a much better plan though. He decided to go to a wave pool where the waves always break in the same spot and set up beefy studio lighting on the land.

Wave Pool Shoot from Cavin Brothers on Vimeo.

Brian Skerry Becomes One With the Ocean

As a commercial wedding photographer, I know very little about how to take compelling underwater images. Luckily underwater photographer Brian Skerry and National Geographic have shared this short BTS video on what it's like diving with fish and swimming over coral reefs. I think it's interesting how simple but necessary the lighting setup is for this field of photography; most of us "land photographer" probably take for granted the complex lighting setups we can easily construct. Most of us also don't bring "backup gear" to our shoots because we expect our gear to break! Hopefully we will see more videos like this from other underwater photographers. <
Photography Changes, Lighting Doesn't

Have you ever seen "How To" photography videos from the 80's and 90's? Most of these videos are so cheesy that it's hard to take anything of value away from them. In the video below Dean Collins teaches a workshop on the properties of light and instead of focusing on current trends, he sticks to the fundamentals. This video was shot in 91 but it is still completely relevant today. <
How To Light A Land Rover By Tim Wallace

I just ran across this quick BTS of a Land Rover photoshoot. The video itself isn't that impressive but the photography sure is. It's really interesting to see how Tim Wallace determined his lighting. First he focused on the ambient light for the background and then after he had that locked in he added 3 strobes to fill in the car but keep the sky dark. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDq8O5ia4Mk<
Maybe You Only Need 1 Light

So many times we photographers think we need to use every single strobe light we own just because they are there in our bag. I've been a victim of it and I'm sure you have too. Instructional photographer Tony Corbell has an old video he made for the folks at Profoto which really showcases the variety of light you can get from just one single light source. There is an old saying that goes the best light is the light you have with you but maybe it should go the best light is sometimes the simplest light. <
Alexia Sinclair Shoots Macbeth

This video was just sent over to us by a reader and I am so glad it was because I am now a huge fan of Alexia Sinclair. In this video Sinclair was hired to shoot the campaign imagery for the New Zealand Opera's performance of "Macbeth". The production value of the shoot alone is amazing and her retouching is amazing to watch as well.

Alexia Sinclair: Behind the Scenes - Macbeth from Sultana Studios on Vimeo.

Joseph Anthony Baker Photographs Taylor Swift

Some musicians release a new album with a mediocre cd booklet or no booklet at all. But when country star Taylor Swift releases an album she sets out to create photographs that depict her songs in cinematic fashion. Taylor and Nashville musician photographer Joseph Anthony Baker work together to create very stylized sets which are often as tongue-in-cheek as some of the lyrical content in her songs. Shooting these sort of fantasy images requires a lot of art direction and a mastery of set design and elaborate lighting but the results are truly amazing! Click the full post for part 2 of the series (part 3 requires a comcast login) and head over to Taylor's website to see the final images.
Veterans Of The Fighting Lady

My good friend Diana Deaver just sent this video over that she recently helped created and I really love it. 8 of the top photographers in the area got together to shoot portraits of US veterans in Charleston and listen to their incredible stories. I believe Diana shot this video and her stills using the 5D Mark II. This photography exhibit will be open to the public on November 5th. Projects like these are really what make me love living in Charleston, SC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmFDR3yhAKU
Melissa Rodwell Shoots Fashion For Genlux

FashionPhotographyBlog.com brings us a great BTSV of Melissa Rodwell. Check it out to see what goes into large set design. Correct me I am wrong but she appears be shooting with a Nikon D3X and 85mm 1.4. <
How To Take A Punch To The Face

Kelly Kline is a commercial and editorial photographer based out of NYC and Atlanta who has a fantastic portfolio full of top professional atheletes. In this behind the scenes video she has teamed up with MMA fighter Matthew Polly for his new book Tapped Out. This shoot is definitely a commercial for the Profoto Pro-8a Air Packs but also shows what is possible when you push not only your gear but your creativity to the limits. <
Beauty Confessional:  1950'sville

Beauty Confessional is a fashion based blog out of the UK but that doesn't mean that their tough motion photos shouldn't be appreciated world wide! I love what photographer Piers Vernon Kell has done with these images and the editing reminds me of something you'd see in a Hitchcock or Woody Allen opener. If you are looking to add a twist to your own photography or simply advertise your own creativity in a new fashion take notes from this video! <
Stefan Segers Outlines an Ad Campaign

Stefan Segers is a commercial photographer from the Netherlands. Although all of his website is in Dutch, he was nice enough to produce a behind the scenes video in English just for Fstoppers. Stefan explains from start to finish how he created the artistic look for the lastest Pajar campaign. I really love this straightforward behind the scenes video because Stefan's approach is pretty simple but very professional in it's final execution. <
Mirage Boardshorts' Bullet Time Ad

FS reader Luke Avery just sent this video over to us and it's a great one. Check out all the work that goes into creating this 1 minute ad. View the full post to see the finished product. <
How To Light Glass

Lighting products can be extremely tricky. Especially if that product happens to be reflective. Check out this video from LearnMyShot.com and see how they choose to light 7 wine bottles. The video itself isn't a large production but there is a boat load of good info to be learned. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NicM0o87dPE<
Andreas Yannelos Destroys A Guitar To Get The Shot

Andreas Yannelos just threw his new video up on our forum and I thought it deserved a little time on our front page. Enjoy a quick look at his last photoshoot and then head over to his site and try to figure out Swedish. ><
Jay P. Morgan Brings The Outdoors Inside

Jay P. Morgan sent me this quick video tutorial he created a few weeks ago and I just remembered to post it. It actually works out well because Jay just let me know that he is doing a Photo/Video Seminar in Universal Studios back lot. If you happen to be California around November 6th I highly suggest checking it out. Check out the full post to see a second video promo for this upcoming seminar.

Electra Bike: Photo How to Video! from Jay P. Morgan on Vimeo.

David Jackson Creates a Creepy Circus

David Jackson is a commercial photographer based out of Appleton, Wisconsin and this week he has released a personal project entitled "Circus". Dave puts a lot of effort into not only every detail of this shoot but also in explaining why it is important to shoot for yourself and not just for clients. You only book the types of jobs you already have in your portfolio and if you want to book something new down the road you really have to go out and shoot similar images for yourself first...and for free. This first video is a bit long and has few BTS clips but there is also a second less informative BTS video just for the shoot itself. Both videos are in the full post and if you want to see the final images check them out here. David also has a second post outlining in complete detail every element of the photoshoot which is really worth checking out here. Lots of videos, lots of posts, but a pretty cool concept.

Shear Chaos Salon Circus Shoot :: Technical Banter from David Jackson on Vimeo.

Jay P Morgan Shoots 50's Style

I just got off the phone with Jay P Morgan, a big production photographer out of California. Jay shoots usually entail big concepts and bigger set designs but in this video he keeps it relatively simple. Check out Jay's lighting scheme for this 50's style shoot.

50's Shot using a Beauty Dish & OctoDome. from Jay P. Morgan on Vimeo.

Chase Jarvis Shoots Womens PGA (A While Ago)

What does a guy have to do to find a high quality, informative BTSV around here? Apparently I have to start looking at videos that were released years ago. Here is a quick BTS Chase made over 2 years ago. We haven't ever posted it but if you have seen it, don't get mad at us; good BTSVs are hard to come by these days. ><
How To Photograph A Movie Theater By Rich Legg

Rich Legg is a successful stock photographer, and he goes all out in this video as he tries to make the prefect stock photo of a movie theater audience. If you haven't checked out stock photography, I highly encourage you to sign up and test your skills. Nothing proves whether your photography is marketable or not like putting it up on a site like shutterstock or istockphoto. This video is great on how to light large groups and also how to efficiently gather model releases from a large pool of model.
Leibovitz Shoots Sean Connery For Louis Vuitton

Annie Leibovitz is perhaps the most well known photographer in the world and her work always stands out from the crowded world of photography. While her Louis Vuitton campaign with Sean Connery is a few years old now, there is still a lot of great information to be gained from the beach shoot. Using nothing more than a Photek Softlighter, Annie balances her ambient light well with her soft broad lighting to create a really awesome series of images. ><
How To Shoot Splash Photography

Here is a very simple but totally informative video about splash photography. I cannot figure out who this photographer is, if you happen to know please post it in the comments below. <
Tomasz Tomaszewski Explains Shooting in Total Darkness

Tomasz Tomaszewski is a photojournalistic photographer who often shoots for National Geographic Poland. It's quite amazing to see the depth of the images he has taken inside the harsh conditions of coal mines that feature dust, moisture, and poisonous gases. Equipped with just a Nikon D3, a few SB-900s, and a small Softbox, Tomasz has some of the most compelling images of people working on site that I have ever seen. Check out the final images here at http://www.tomasztomaszewski.com/gallery.html <
David Hobby Deconstructs A Portrait

We get a lot of emails from readers pointing us to interesting photoshoots and many times the videos themselves offer very little insight into the mind of the photographer. Unfortunately this video has no such commentary from David Hobby but the good news is he has a complete article outlining how he shot this portrait of cellist Caleb Jones. Watch David as he uses his Orbis Ring Flash and Umbrella to get his signature look. He also does a great job making Caleb feel at home in front of the camera. Props to Erik Couse for using his iPhone 3Gs to capture something creative!

Behind the Scenes - Caleb Jones Photo Shoot from Erik Couse on Vimeo.

Contest Entry:  Sans Talbot's Spitfire

As Lee has posted earlier, this week we are going to continue to feature some of our favorite BTS videos from the FS Contest. Austin, TX based photographer Sans Talbot really raised the bar on the contest when he filmed the shooting of his visual concept "Spitfire". This video is great on many levels but what I really love is the effort Sans puts into educating other photographers on how they too can get other creative professionals involved in their photoshoots. Sans also goes into great detail about how he combined multiple images to create one large file for his final rendering. Enjoy. <
Contest Entry:  Sean Armenta Deconstructs A Beauty Shot

We knew there were going to be a lot of last minute contest videos submitted but never would we have thought this many of you would have waited until the last minute. I want to thank everyone for participating but I'll give no sympathy to those who lost lots of sleep this weekend trying to meet deadlines ha! Sean Armenta's BTS video is the latest of the last minute entries, and in it he shows how you can create clean and professional beauty shots just like you seen the pages of women's magazines such as Elle, Vogue, and Glamour. All of this was also done with just one light which should help those of you on a budget. Check out Sean's website as well since he has some amazing photos in his portfolio!

Sean Armenta | One Light Beauty Setup from Sean Armenta on Vimeo.

Mark Lebryk Turns To Tanning Beds For His Contest Entry

Mark Lebryk decided to try something a bit different for his BTS contest entry and we are glad he did! Mark worked together with his client Ultrasun USA to show what goes into shooting product photos for a website. In a nutshell, Mark takes over 100 photographs of each tanning bed, retouches each one, and then renders them into an interactive 360 degree web presentation. Check out Mark's video and be sure to head over to Ultrasun USA to view the final products online.
Contest Entry: Thomas And Grant Shoot A Corvette

The bar has officially been raised. Thomas Woodson and Grant Lankford just submitted an amazing BTSV for the contest. This video has it all; it is fun to watch, it is informative, and it has fantastic final images. The most exciting part to me though is that they did all of this with just 1 strobe and a bed sheet! These guys are both in College (Thomas looks like he may be in 5th grade) with minimum gear and yet they managed to created one of the most compelling BTSVs I have seen in a very long time. Feel free to ask them questions below and check out Thomas' detailed forum post about car photography here.

Behind The Scenes Corvette Photo Shoot from Grant Lankford on Vimeo.

Contest Entry: Photo 54 Shoots With Crap Gear

I am really enjoying this quality images from low quality gear thing that has been going on around here lately. Check out Studio 54 shooting with just 1 light.

BTS - Entry Level Gear from Photo54 on Vimeo.

Richie Thomassen Shoots The Most Beautiful BTSV Ever

Let me begin by saying that this BTSV is not very informative. I usually only post videos that will help others learn but I must make an exception. This video is the most beautiful behind the scenes video I have ever seen. As creative professionals this video should be inspiring to us all on so many levels. Who would have thought that you could turn a simple photoshoot into a work of art. Thank you Richie Thomassen, you have given me something to aspire to. It is time to step up the video production of our BTSVs. Oh, and I almost forgot; the photographer is Wynn Ruji and his car portfolio is fantastic.

Jaguar XJ | Behind the Scenes from Richie Thomassen on Vimeo.

Contest Entry: Lorand Peli Puts Models On Lava

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." <
Fstoppers Welcomes Klaus!

This week we are going to be featuring some of our favorite BTS videos submitted to our Behind the Scenes Contest that ends this Saturday! When this video from photographer Klaus (if he really even is a photographer) was posted on our Forum, it sparked up a lot of dialog. It may not be the most complicated photoshoot or even the most educational but it is the most fun and entertaining photoshoot of all of the contest entries. Photography and photographers need a sense of humor and this video accomplishes just that. Hope you guys enjoy and make sure you have your videos completed and posted by Saturday night! <
Contest Entry: Hang Up And Drive

Doug Howell just submitted his BTSV for the contest. This video is short but it packs in the technical details! It's great to see the making of a real advertisement from start to finish. Please remember to give Doug some feedback below. ><
Contest Submission: Benjamin "Von Wong" Shoots Zombies

Benjamin "Von Wong" just submitted his BTS contest entry that was shot by Eric Bindman. This is our first large production entry and is defiantly an inspiring watch. The pictures can be seen here and I must say, they are quite stunning. I think Benjamin may have easily won this contest if he had given more technical detail about the shoot itself but hey, I am not going to be the judge. Please remember to give Ben some feedback by commenting below, he made this video to help all of us. <
Contest Entry: Rydell Belles (Who Needs Video Gear?)

Nathan Smith and Chris David had a shoot lined up with the Rydell Belles, a local roller Derby team. Nathan didn't have a video camera or professional editing software but he managed to create a BTS video anyway. The final images may not blow your mind but the video should be a huge inspiration because Nathan created this with his iPhone 3gs and iMovie. Half way through this thing I realized that I was captivated by a totally informative video with no audio and terrible video quality. This is a great example of how good editing can make up for a lack of gear. Great job guys. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnurfSOJ08<
Mike Sisk Makes A Mess

Mike Sisk of FX Studios just sent this video over to us. He used falling paper to make his background a bit more interesting and appeared to tether his camera to his iPad to review his shots. Cool idea!

Flying Papers - BTS from Fx Studios on Vimeo.

Cole Barash Shoots Sports Silhouette's

It's rare that I watch a BTS video that gets me all excited but Cole Barash has done it. This video reminds me of what Fstoppers is all about because I am once again inspired. When you think that it has all been done before it's nice to be reminded how wrong you are. Check out the final shots from this fantastic shoot here. Please remember to comment below and give this photographer some love. ><
Lady Gaga for Rolling Stone Magazine

Love her or hate her, you have to admit Lada Gaga is a breath of fresh air when it comes to being creative with her music videos and photoshoots. When it comes to going all out in both production and creative thinking, Lada Gaga is always an inspiration. In this video you can see just how many looks she goes through to find a compelling image for the cover. And I'm sure the "throw away" images made some pretty good article photos as well.
The Bugatti Glamour 2009 Backstage

Our website is finally working again as the traffic from the iPhone video slows down. We are going to get back to releasing 1 BTS video every day. Friday night we had an Fstoppers get together in NYC and it was a big hit. About 22 photographers showed up including Tkae Mendez. Tkae just sent this great BTS video over to me. Enjoy...
The iPhone Fashion Shoot By Lee Morris

A few weeks ago I did a full fashion photo shoot with my iPhone 3gs. I posted a few of the images and asked people to critique them (never exposing that they were shot on my cell phone). I couldn't help but laugh when a few of our readers claimed that these were "the best images I had ever taken." Nobody ever claimed that they were too grainy, too soft, or lacked detail. View this full post to read the full story and see the high res shots from this photoshoot. ><
Behind the scenes with the "Matrix" look

George Chatzakis is an advertising and fashion photographer based out of Greece. For the last Porcelana ad campaign, George used a bunch of small point and shoot cameras to get that "matrix" style effect where multiple camera angles are capturing in the exact same moment in time. It's a really cool, and expensive, trick you have probably seen on MTV or on the big screen. The little bit of talking in this video is in another language but I think there is still a lot to be taken from watching this short video. Hope all our American readers are having a good holiday weekend!

Porcelana - Making Of from Real Creations on Vimeo.

Scott McClellan Blows Up A Kitchen

Tobi, one of our readers, just pointed me to this video. This is a fantastic example of a great concept for a photo shoot. After you check out the video you can see Scott's website here. ><
Joseph Watts Shoots Tom Anderson

Joseph just sent this BTS video over to me. The video is lacking but the images are so good that I wanted to post this anyway. It is pretty amazing what you can do with a small softbox on a stick. You can view more details about this shoot and the final images here. ><
Annie Leibovitz photographs Keith Richards

I'm a big fan of Annie Leibovitz's photography (who isn't), and a few weeks ago I was admiring this photograph she did of Keith Richards for Louis Vuitton. I was really happy when I found a short behind the scenes video of it via Strobist even though the quality is really poor. Click the post to view the final image and hopefully you can see how relatively simple this photoshoot was in lighting. It's the overall production and attention to detail that really makes this image so awesome.