We've featured Yuri Arcurs, the worlds most successful micro stock photographer, many times here on Fstoppers. In a time when people complain that the value of photography has gone the way of the buffalo, Yuri has created an empire on images that cost less than $1. In this video Yuri explains exactly what makes a great stock image and what it is specifically [read full story]
Photographers love Zack Arias because of his no nonsense, laid back approach to photography. In his full blog post Why I Moved To Medium Format :: Phase One IQ140 Review, Zack describes some of the amazing features these DSLR alternatives have for the commercial photographer. If his posted examples aren't enough to have you foaming at the mouth, this full review video will definitely have you lusting after in-camera WB adjustments and the LCD touch screen found on the IQ140 digital back!
Have you ever noticed when you are hanging out with another photographer, your non photography friends absolutely hate you? This video had me laughing a few times because like it or not we all sound like this from time to time. After you watch this, leave your favorite photographer cliche in the comments.
We haven't posted a deal here recently because, well, there really hasn't been many deals since the holidays. One of our favorite crop lenses, the Sigma 17 -50 2.8 OS, is currently under $600 (retails $669) for the first time in a long while. Click the full post to hear why like like it so much.
Remember when Apple released the new version of its flagship video editing program Final Cut X? If not, you might want a refresher course with Conan O'brien. Basically the backlash was almost unanimous, and it made many of us thankful we chose Adobe's Premiere as our editing software of choice. Well today there is an upgrade that apparently fixes most of the complaints from FCP X users. [Read More]
Now this is pretty interesting. Recently at the 2012 SHOT show (tradeshow for outdoors and hunting), Foursevens revealed their new lithium powered LED light. Unlike typical LED lights, the XM18 produces an unprecedented 15,000 lumens of light. According to my simple calculations, the XM18 might be more powerful than your low to mid level Arri HMI lights!
Jay P Morgan's Behind The Scenes Videos seem to pop up every single week. In this week's episode, Jay teaches a few tricks for shooting black and white photography. Everyone knows how to convert their images into black and white in Photoshop but Jay recommends turning your camera to BW so you can see the results real time. He then uses Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro to make the final tweaks when he gets back to the studio. Watch the full behind the scenes video to see some other useful lighting tips as well.
Every photographer needs a few things in their bag of tricks. An easy trick is to add some smoke to your images for effect. You can always create photo smoke on a budget if you want to MacGyver it but there is another solution - two solutions in fact. Click the full post to watch a video on how easily smoke can be created with two liquids.
It's always good humor when someone makes a career path diagram outlining possible jobs within a particular field. If you aren't sure about whether your skills are best utilized as a Director, Studio Head, Screenwriter, Producer, or Film Critic then this is a great starting point. Hopefully someone makes one of these based on art buying and photography publishing. Without cheating, which path do you naturally fall into?
I love optical illusions, and this simple trick used in a Sony Cybershot ad was one I had not seen before. Click on the full post to see this image large. Then stare at the color triangle in the middle of the model's nose for 30 seconds. Then stare at a white wall or screen and blink rapidly! You should see the model take her clothes off in near full color! The brain is a strange strange machine indeed!
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!
Trey Ratcliff is a very successful photographer who also runs a very popular blog Stuck in Customs. In a recent lecture for Google, Trey explains what makes the internet so exciting for creative professionals, and how you too can put your own internet stimulus out there for others to enjoy. It's interesting watching this watching this... [full post]
The response Peter Hurley's downloadable tutorial The Art Behind The Headshot has been receiving over the last few months has been unbelievable. Peter's technique has changed the way so many photographers approach working with models, and it's apparent by his facebook group that photographers of all skill levels are taking the best headshots in their portfolios. So we have decided to release one free lesson from the DVD for those of you who might still be on the fence. Peter's knowledge is expensive sure, but it's guaranteed to change the way you shoot headshots for the rest of your career. We believe in this so much that if you don't think your headshots are any better after watching 4 hours of Peter's instructions we will give you your money back guaranteed!
With just over a week since it's announcement, Nikon's flagship D4 DSLR is already causing a stir in the most unlikely of places. The camera will feature a slot for the new XQD memory card which moves data much faster than current SD or CF cards. But can the card become the next media standard? Both Lexar and Sandisk, the later of which helped design the format, have said that they will not produce the XQD cards anytime soon. So what do you think? Click the full post to leave your comments and participate our poll.
If you are a sports fan, you are going to love this interview. Grover over at Photoshelter recently interviewed Sports Illustrated Director of Photography Steve Fine. Steve's job is to pick out the absolute best "super selects" from a handful of sports photographers and publish those photos in record time (sometimes within hours). I recently met Steve and what I found interesting about his job is not only the insane amount of work that goes into finding the absolute cream of the crop photos but also how important Steve's eye has to be to tell the story of each game in only a handful of frames. With SI, their photo team winds up with dozens if not hundreds of great images but only a very select few can be published to represent the final theme of the game. The following interview is pretty long but definitely worth checking out, especially if you are interested in knowing how sports photography or wired images are used to create the magazines we see on newsstands daily. Enjoy!
The BBC has produced some of my favorite shows of all time. Their newest program called Earthflight captures amazing HD video from the skies as they put you literally on the wings of wild birds. I really can't imagine how they got these shots of eagles stalking unsuspecting flamingos but it's definitely not filmed on a Gopro Hero. Click the full post to check out the amazing view in full HD glory!
I just wrapped up a future Fstoppers video here in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I'd love to grab a drink with anyone in the area. The meetup starts at 8pm Tonight Tuesday the 10th at Bar Tonique located at 820 North Rampart St. It's located just on the edge of the French Quarter so we can escape all the hoopla that comes with Bourbon Street. Hopefully I'll see you there.
Have you ever wondered just how many photographs are taken each day? Maybe you've wondered where the most photos are taken throughout the world. Well the GPS data tracking company Triposo has released a timelapse video that shows exactly where most of the world's photographs are taken. With the help from sites like Flickr, Dmoz, TouristEye, Open Street Maps, and dozens others, Triposo was able to plot popular areas for photography using GPS data embedded into the photographs themselves. Not only did they capture the location of the photos but also the day it was taken. Click the full post to see still shots of the most popular days people are using their cameras.
Peter Hurley is pretty well known among the Fstoppers crowd but after the release of his highly anticipated DVD, The Art Behind The Headshot, Peter has become an inspiration to hundreds of photographers around the world. If you've purchased his 4 hour training session on how to take the perfect headshot then you know just how powerful his teaching techniques can be for your career. But what you might not know is Peter has created an interactive community on Facebook for those of you who want even more instruction! If you've already purchased The Art Behind The Headshot, you need to join The Artists Behind The Headshot Facebook Group. Not only can you post your own photos and have Peter critique them directly but you can also talk business with other photographers who have purchased Peter's digital tutorial or attended his Headshot Intensive. I just got off a private conference call with Peter and his guest speaker Delane Rouse (who photographed over 800 lawyers in 2011!) It was really amazing to have over 25 photographers logged on and sharing business tips on exactly how they are making money in their local communities. These extra help sessions are only available to those who are members of the private Facebook group so join now! The information shared tonight was worth it's weight in gold, and it's inspiring to hear how people are turning their photo hobbies into full blown careers!
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