Behind The Scenes

Have you ever wanted to create a bright, sunny image, but it was rainy and overcast outside? In this article, see how I recreated the sun when I shot this edgy fashion editorial in my small home living room.

Finding new locations to shoot can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you don't live in the area. What can you do to improve your chances of finding those amazing photoshoot locations?

Music has a very strong connection to studio photography. I’d wager that the vast majority of people imagine studios with music driving the shoot. Think Blow-Up or more recently, Austin Powers. Music can help to energize your set. But, what happens when you’re just not as in touch with the poppiest of pop culture anymore?

Last week, we continued our exploration of Puerto Rico with our second shootout challenge. This time, we mixed it up a little bit with a guest photographer, and the results were pretty interesting.

Do you struggle to get proper focus when photographing the stars at night? Has nothing you tried worked for you? Then this video will help with your astrophotography aspirations.

Commercial and fine art photographer Jan Gonzales was commissioned by Fujifilm Global to create a series of images using the GF 250mm f/4 telephoto lens for the Fujifilm GFX system.

Photographing glass or any kind of object that is semi or fully transparent can present some serious challenges.

In last week’s article, I introduced you to the inspiring work of Minnesota-based fine art photographer, R. J. Kern. This week, I connected with him again and was able to gain insight into what it took to create his most recent project, "The Unchosen Ones". If you were inspired by his work last week, I can assure you you'll be blown away by this one, too.

When it comes to building out your kit, there is the eternal quandary. Constant lights or strobes? What are the advantages of each? What are the disadvantages of each? What are you giving up going with one over the other? This video from The Creative Contrast gives us a small look into why you may want to choose one over the other.

Photographer Aaron Anderson has once again created an amazing set of images that came from an idea he could not shake. It's often been said that anyone can do something once but to keep coming back with impressive results is what differentiates the best from the rest.

Through a matter of circumstance, I found myself working with multiple camera systems to fulfill a variety of assignments over the last month. Here are a few thoughts on why I chose each system and what I learned from the process.

Have you ever seen someone's work and been not only blown away by the technical ability of the photographs, but how it emotionally touches you as well? That is the epitome of the beautiful work of Minnesota-based photographer R. J. Kern. In this article, take a look at his amazing work, and I can assure you you'll walk away inspired too.

Our new studio in Puerto Rico had so much echo that it was ruining the audio in all of our videos. I'm happy to say that we have finally figured things out, and we've learned a few things that might help you as well.

Do you want to dip your toes into the world of wedding photography? Or maybe you just booked your first wedding and still are a little nervous about how the day is going to unwind? Well then this behind-the-scenes video is for you.

The devastating effects of bottom trawlers lead one activist and photographer to create a campaign to drive emotional messages through their imagery.

Knowing how to get a lot of different looks from one light is an integral skill to have as a photographer and this video from The Creative Contrast shows us all four simple setups to quickly get a bunch of different photos to build out a model's portfolio

With more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, Johnny Wu has carved something of a niche: photographing action figures in his home studio to the extent that they look like screengrabs from a movie. In this video, we get a behind-the-scenes look into how he creates his images.

Have you ever seen a mind-blowing creative shot and wondered how the artist made the image? In this very informative 10-minute behind-the-scenes video, see how Alexis Cuarezma shot these creative portraits of professional boxer, Devon Lee.

Boudoir photographers shoot in all types of lighting. Some prefer bright and airy while others tend to be more moved by the moody and darker looks. There is a creative style just in-between with harsh lighting that can be interesting to shoot and to edit.

Every once in a while an article pops up claiming a cool looking video or an image was shot on an iPhone. Often this becomes a stage for arguments between Apple and non-Apple fans. I decided to look at this film with a different mindset and hopefully you will appreciate it too from a filmmaking standpoint.

Photographing interesting people will forever be a love of mine. But photographing a person who is unambiguously an expert at his craft while he works was all kinds of fascinating.

In this video, CookeOpticsTV sits down with the acclaimed cinematographer to discuss his process.

Have you ever wondered what went into creating a moody fashion shoot? In this article, go behind the scenes of a fashion shoot I did using a darker aesthetic and mood.

When shooting beauty, there is a lot to keep in mind. How does the makeup look? Is the lighting clean? In the background clean? How is the model's expression? Learn my own process and join me behind the scenes in shooting a male beauty story with the Fujifilm GFX 50S.

As many of you know, Lee and I recently moved to Puerto Rico, and with that move, we are having to completely redesign our new studio space. In today's video, we tackle our in-home network and wireless Internet connection. Surely the limitations in Puerto Rico will prove to give us trouble... or will it?

Last week Lee Morris and I embarked on something I like to call "The Puerto Rican landscape challenge." The goal of this series is to not only showcase some of the most beautiful locations on the island of Puerto Rico, but to also find out, once and for all, who is the better landscape photographer. Today is the beginning of this ultimate challenge.

I recently moved to Bozeman, Montana and was looking for photographic inspiration in my new home. Check out this video featuring photographer Max Lowe to see the beauty Montana has to offer.

When Per Florian Appelgren first got the brief from L'Officiel Indonesia, he was excited as shooting styled beauty is his strong suit and he absolutely loved doing it. Being able to work with a top-tier model such as Sara from GirlsClub Management Berlin was also a huge plus point.

This shoot was an art project that Amber Gray had been dreaming of for a long time. One of the things that she often explores in her work is the relationship between feminine energy and the natural world, and this concept in particular really exemplifies that idea in a surreal way.

This exciting shoot came about when photographer Aaron Anderson was tasked to creating content for Elinchrom’s new ELB 500 TTL and Lifted Up Fitness’s web page, making it a multiple clients shoot.

Nearly 10 years into taking photos, it’s safe to say I’ve been bored of my own pictures lately, and have been increasingly open-minded in looking for new ways to keep my work innovative. Delving deeper into creative concepts, the best way I feel I’ve improved as a photographer is by exploring set design and focusing my efforts on the pre-production.

Nature and wildlife photography can often be a difficult genre of photography to be successful in. But award-winning nature photographer Thomas Mangelsen is an exception. Watch this video to learn about what makes this photographer's work stand out from the rest.

Apple's latest iPad Pro ads tout what you're able to do with the new tablet as it gets closer and closer to offering the full capabilities of your computer, camera, and editing suite. Today, however, Apple shared a look into how it made those ads with the iPad itself (from the shoot to the edit) as the iPad Pro became both subject and filmmaker.

Photographer Giles Clement decided to spend an afternoon building his own 16x20-inch field camera from wood and plastic and make his own ambrotypes on large sheets of glass. This very short video reveals the magic of homemade, large format photography.

Once again Fstoppers talks with cinematographer Gonzalo Amat about his work on the third season of "The Man in the High Castle." In this interview we will dive deeper into the technical execution of the project: preproduction and shooting. A significant part of the article will be on the way Amat worked on lighting the scenes.