Recent BTS Articles

How I Would Use Three Different Light Modifiers

I've seen people learn photography and lighting from a technical standpoint and for me, it always went over my head. What!? There is a mathematical calculation to getting good light? I always went for what "felt good" and for the longest time I felt insecure about my process, even though I booked often.

Director of Netflix Hit 'Extraction' Strapped Himself to Hood of Car for Chase Scene

Netflix’s "Extraction" has just become the most watched Netflix original film, with 90 million viewers over its first four-week period, which means director Sam Hargrave’s efforts paid off. In this newly released video, we see footage of how Hargrave straped himself to a car in order to film an epic one-take car chase scene.

DIY Your Way Into Product Photography

While most of us are sitting at home as non-essential personnel, many have come up with ways to keep the creativity flowing. Some are learning how to photograph wildlife, some leaning on their new love for macro, and some even testing out product photography for the first time. One photographer decided to test out some DIY options for products saving herself some money while she had the time on her hands.

Inspiration for Shooting Intimate Portraits at Home

Hopefully, you’re enjoying confinement with people that are close to you and if that’s the case, you might want to try a project that takes advantage of what’s immediately to hand: natural light and the human body. Check out this short video for some tips on how to get started.

How Astrid Obert Shot 'Inception' in Cape Town

As creatives, we all love opportunities to work out creativity muscles and test how far we can push it. This was how the shoot “Inception” came about for photographer Astrid Obert.

A New Short-Form Tutorial Series: How I Got The Shot

We're certainly seeing an upsurge in behind the scenes tutorials. If you're looking for some great insight, look no further. I've talked about Nathan Elson's tutorials before, and I maintain that his series really stands out.

How I Got the Shot: Glass Car Model

Shooting something translucent on a reflective surface can take some effort, but with a few tips, you can do it with ease.

Why One Photograper Teaches Photography for Better Mental Health

Billions of people around the world are self-isolating to slow the spread of Coronavirus. However, it's not just our physical wellbeing at risk, but also our mental health. Stu McKenzie has pioneered a new project to help veterans with PTSD, which could also help those suffering from anxiety and depression during the quarantine.

Stuck at Home? Take Your Photoshoot Online With Animal Crossing

The coronavirus lockdown has many of us searching for creative outlets, and if you’re looking to add to your portfolio during this tense period, Animal Crossing may be the solution. Photographer Jessica Kobeissi takes us behind the scenes of her latest shoot and offers us an insight into how she works while raising questions about her sanity.

How to Create Great Self Portraits While at Home

While stuck at home, self portraits are a great way to practice photography and editing. So watch this video by a grand master of those two thing, Brooke Shaden, for some insight and a glance at her workflow.

New Web Video Series Shows How Photographers 'Got the Shot'

Every time a photographer puts his or her work on display, whether in a gallery, online, at a local cafe or wherever, it gives viewers a glimpse of what that photographer saw when they made the shot. But it's just a moment, a flash of time captured in ones and zeroes, then printed or shared on social media. It doesn't, however, tell the entire story of how the photographer made the image.

How I Shot This Rock Climbing Photograph and Got a Lesson in Humility

I recently returned from 10 days of camping in the Swiss mountains, having just taken one of my favorite climbing images. As is often the case, it was another lesson in humility: sometimes, you need the person in your photograph to tell you what you’re doing wrong. Here’s how it came about.

How I Shot This Pastel Beauty Spread for Female Malaysia

One thing I love the most about my job is to be able to work with hugely talented people in my team. It’s always so inspirational to be around them and never fails to serve as an outstanding learning opportunity.

Six Steps to Sharper Selfies

So, you want to photograph yourself but don’t have anyone to stand in to get your focus set? No problem, all you need is a tripod and a coin for sharp selfies, every time.

Tips to Improve Your Real Estate Photography

Real estate photography can be a profitable extension of your existing company, or you can become a specialist in the area. If you are just starting out, Brad Filliponi has a few tips to get you on the right track.

How I Shot Chriselle Lim for the Cover of Female Malaysia

A couple of months ago I was given the opportunity to photograph Korean-American stylist, lifestyle blogger, and digital influencer, Chriselle Lim for the cover of Female Malaysia magazine. It’s always exciting to be able to shoot a cover for a magazine, especially one that is the leading fashion and beauty magazine in Malaysia, and I particularly love photographing strong, successful women. Gotta be around these role models!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Small Shooting Space

For many photographers, space can be an issue when it comes to your shooting area. It can be difficult to obtain a variety of looks when you are working with just one room. However, with just a few small changes, you can give your clients more than enough to chose from to create an album.

This Is How Much Work It Takes to Make a YouTube Video

Consistently crafting compelling, professionally produced, and innovative YouTube content is no small feat, and you might be surprised by just how much work goes into even the smallest and most straightforward videos. This fascinating video takes a look behind the scenes at just what goes into making a YouTube video and the difficulties encountered along the way.

How to Create Neon Background Effects in Your Studio Portraits

It’s always interesting to see how gelled lighting can shape the aesthetic of a portrait, especially when we can match that colored gel with a small amount of post production to create an interesting background to a scene. Here’s a quick photography breakdown and post processing tutorial that will help you create a neon sign inspired portrait with just a few complementary colored gels and Photoshop.

How 2019 Fstoppers Photographer of the Year Jan Gonzales Shot 'Circus of Doom'

“Circus of Doom” is a circus-inspired conceptual portraiture with the Fujifilm X-T200. “Doom” sounds scary, but “Circus” sounds awesome, so I'm slightly confused, but I'm definitely in! This is not the first time Fujifilm ambassador Jan Gonzales has been written about and definitely will not be last. I mean, have you seen his work? There is no question as to why Gonzales garners the attention that he does. His work is fun, inventive, and unique, which is ultimately what every creative should be aiming for.

6 Easy Tricks to Create Great Portraits Anywhere

Being a master of your craft sometimes means taking exciting and memorable portraits in not-so-interesting locations and circumstances. Here are six simple tricks to help make your portraits more creative while removing distracting elements and creating more engagement.

5 Underrated Items in My Camera Bag

With all the discussion of the best camera on the planet or the most powerful lights, there’s a lot in a professional photographer's bag that goes overlooked. So today, I’m going to take a short look at what’s in my own camera bag.

How to Edit Faster With the 'Dark Mode' Technique

Is there a faster and easier way to create dramatic images in Lightroom that still sticks with your style? Here’s a quick tutorial and a different way of taking one of your images and using the power of Adobe’s software to create a stunning portrait.

How the Unfortunate Events Around 'Bad Boys' Made Michael Bay Famous

Did you know that the initial idea for "Bad Boys" was to have Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey as the main actors? If that happened, today, the movie would be probably known as a family movie. Instead, there were unfortunate events around the production of the blockbuster that made a few people quite famous.