Recent Natural Light Articles

[Video] Come Along For The Ride, Karl Grobl

This video features humanitarian photographer, Karl Grobl as he travels to Cambodia to shoot the Angkor Hospital for Children. In this episode of his new series titled, "Come Along For The Ride", he goes behind the scenes to describe his technique and thought process as he's working. Karl has shot for more than 85 different NGOs in over 50 countries.

Reviewing Images From a Professional Editorial Assignment

In the age of social media, we often only ever get to see the best version of things: the best-looking meal images, our best-looking selves in selfies, the best this, the best that. For photographers, this too can mean that we only ever get to see the best images from other photographers.

[Video] Even Surf Videos Are Beautiful These Days

Matt Kleiner is currently directing RUSTY'S new signature film due out early next year. This short film is made up of just some of the "leftover" clips that the team filmed over a 4 day period while the light and surf was perfect. Man, I wish my leftover clips were this rad! Matt calls this surf short "LIGHT // The Natural Agent That Stimulates Sight". Enjoy!

11 Hour Timelapse From an Air Plane

Kate and Nate over at the Beepshow make all kinds of interesting timelapse projects. I first heard about their videos the other day when I came across this timelapse featured on Gizmodo. Using just a Canon 5D and a 16mm-35mm lens (and well an iphone too), they were able to photograph a full 11 hour flight from San Francisco to Paris. Using long exposure images ranging from 2 to 30 seconds long, they captured all sorts of interesting scenes 30,000 feet up including a spectacular view of the Aurora Borealis. Nate really lucked out having Air France and his fellow passengers allow him to film the whole trip without raising too much of a fuss. For more information about how this was created including the original score created on the ipad, head over to the full post here.
How to Create Great Product Photographs With Natural Light

Product photography is a deceptively deep genre of the craft and to get the most out of it requires experience and often a lot of lighting equipment. But that isn't to say lots of lighting equipment is always necessary. Here is how one photographer uses only natural light and still gets some beautiful results.

Behind the Scenes of a Shoot for a Commercial Using Only Natural Light

Shooting a commercial is a difficult task at the best of times, but to do so only utilizing natural light, is even trickier. In this video, go behind the scenes of the shoot as Eric Floberg walks you through settings, equipment, and considerations to get to the professional final result.

Huge DIY Camera That Shoots On X-Ray Film

Darren Samuelson created a "great big camera." Although it isn't quite as big as another camera we have featured on FS, it is still just as interesting. Darren's camera shoots on 14x36inch X-Ray negative film.

Darren's Great Big Camera from SULTAN on Vimeo.

Greenpeace Through The Lens: Photographer Pierre Gleizes

In 2011, Greenpeace - the world's largest environmental campaigning organisation - celebrates its 40th anniversary. French photographer Pierre Gleizes has shot some of the organisation's best known photographs over the three decades he has worked for Greenpeace. Some of these pictures have truly changed the way we look at our planet and the environment.
Space Shuttle Program Turns 30, Takes An Epic Picture

This month NASA's space shuttle program turned 30. To commemorate the occasion they decided to take a single image that included every single employee standing together in the shape of a shuttle.
Red Bull's Illume Photo Exhibit Is Itself Art

Yesterday I got an email from one of the Red Bull brand managers inviting me out to 2010 Illume Photo Exhibit here in Charleston, South Carolina. Illume is a traveling exhibit where dozens of images from the world's best action and extreme sports photographers are displayed on huge 6'x6' backlit panels. I have to say it was one of the most interesting photo displays I have ever seen, and the winning photos are nothing short of spectacular. The next stop on the tour is Miami, Florida but you can check out the images and future tour dates at Red Bull Illume Online. Also, check out this BTS video we posted last year of one of the winning images.
Jim Reed is One Crazy Photographer

With a bunch of hurricanes heading our way, I figured it might be fun to show everyone that rainy days do not mean you cannot still pick up your camera. Jim Reed has made a career out of extreme weather photography and has some pretty wild videos to document his craft. Some may call it a craft and others may just call it being out of your mind but either way it puts a smile on my face. Click the full post to watch Jim run straight up into a tornado. <
David Nguyen: ViViD Magazine

If you really want to feel like your photography is complete garbage, which I suggest you do every now and then, head over to LA Fashion Photographer David Nguyen's Website. Lucky for us we have a nice little BTS video from David during his recent fall fashion shoot for ViViD Magazine. Lots of natural light and scrimming for you strobe shooters :) Who knows, maybe we can see more of David working Behind the Scenes down the road!

ViViD Magazine Fall 2010 Photoshoot from Matt Rodgers on Vimeo.

Vanessa Williams In Her Natural State

If you've ever been hired to photograph an environmental portrait or a lifestyle image, most of the time your client is expecting a very natural looking image. Using too much flash will kill the mood and remove any sense of a natural environment. Matthew Jordan is no stranger around here, and we love his videos because he articulates his intentions well and tells why he does the setups he does. In this short and to the point video, Matthew talks about how he photographed a natural lifestyle portrait of Vanessa Williams with her daughter. Knowing how to pull off an image like this is an important tool to have in your bag of tricks and is a big money maker in the editorial and lifestyle market.
Mark Peterman: A Conversation With An Editorial Photographer

In this video from AdoramaTv, Mark Wallace sits down with Mark Peterman to discuss camera gear, location scouting, lighting, and overall creative drive. Mark Peterman is an editorial and commercial photographer from Arizona who has a portfolio that is a bit tough to describe. What really draws me to Mark's work is his really simple and clean lighting, often natural, along with his use of very muted and subdued colors. I'm sure Mark's background in graphic design also plays a part in his simple and clean style.
Peter Lik's Photos Require Their Own Furniture

The Fstoppers team just got back from Miami and the Bahamas, and while we were there we came across Peter Lik's newest art gallery in Miami Beach. I was first introduced to Peter's amazing landscape photos at his Las Vegas gallery in the Venetian Hotel, and I'm always blown away every time I step into one of his galleries. Peter uses large format panoramic cameras (some film some digital) and then prints them LARGE with his own special printing process. When his prints are displayed under gallery lighting the images pop off the wall unlike anything I've ever seen before. You can even dim the lights to reveal different qualities in the prints. Check out this video of Peter talking about what makes a good landscape photo and click the full post to see how you can see Peter on your television soon! <
Tom Lowe Uses The Timelapse Crane

We have posted Tom's work before. Here is a little behind the scenes of how he actually does it.

Behind the Scenes: Timelapse Crane from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

California Sunbounce: Expensive But Worth It

Nobody ever said that California Sunbounce makes cheap gear, in fact, you may hear people complain that their products are over priced. I can say from experience though that their products are extremely well made and if you like having the best, their products may be for you. Check out their promo video below and click here to see their full product line up. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUgX7VcYfjk<
Contest Entry:  Burning Steel Wool

Dave, Jono, and Braden are some fun lads from Australia who like to sling around burning metal during their photoshoots. Luckily for our readers they decided to participate in the behind the scenes video contest and show everyone how they too can get this wild effect. Check out this interesting video and feel free to leave comments for the guys below! <
Contest Entry: Diana Deaver Shoots With Window Light

Diana Deaver is a talented photographer and good friend of mine from Charleston SC. A few weeks before the deadline she told me that she was working on a contest submission that would focus on natural lighting. Diana is a master of natural light and so I was very excited to see what she could come up with. Check out her very informatve video below. You don't need expensive gear to get quality images guys! <
The Next Generation of Fstoppers

This week we are featuring a few standout BTS videos created by our readers for the Fstoppers Behind the Scenes Contest ending this Saturday. If you want to see all of the submissions jump on over to the forum and see how the competition is shaping up. In the meantime, you have to check out what Parker Smith and his [jr]high school friends created for the contest. While the photography itself is nothing ground breaking, seeing young photographers like Luke and Trent work with other teenagers is nothing short of inspiring. It just goes to show what a little initiative and some creativity can do.

BTS - Poolside Photo Shoot from Parker Smith on Vimeo.

Diana Deaver Shoots In An Empty Church

To help raise money for the AIDs foundation, Diana Deaver did a photoshoot in a nearby church that was being renovated. Diana set up the shoot, did the models hair, made the models dress, and shot all the pictures with nothing more than some natural light and a little on camera fill. If that isn't enough to inspire you, I don't know what is. ><
[BTS Video] Honda Let's Viewers Explore Unknown Territory

Inspired by Google's street view, Honda Civic is launching their 2012 campaign by creating an interactive 360 degree online experience that will let viewers explore unique environments that have never been seen before. This behind the scenes video is just a peek at what is to come and so far it is pretty awesome. They have filmed areas like the previously unexplored Alaskan ice caves and an underwater art museum in Cancun, and the Boneyard at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. Watch the preview and making of Honda's upcoming campaign below.
Tim Shepherd Spends 2 Years Photographing Plants

When I first saw this video I was completely blown away. Using timelapse and high speed photography, Tim Shepherd and David Attenborough produce some stunning footage of plants growing over the course of 2 years. Check out this crazy video produced by the BBC <
After the Storm, We Get Spectacular Light

Even with all the planning, the one thing you can't control is the weather. But if you wait out the storm, you can sometimes get some spectacular light.

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.

Storytelling From the Swamp!

Scott Holstein sent us this video a while back and it must have gotten lost in our email (thanks iphone fans). Being from Tallahassee, Florida, Scott decided to use the swamp as his backdrop. He also came up with a cleaver way to light up little lanterns used in the shoot. Maybe I'm the only one, but I'd be a little scared of getting eaten alive or being bit by something hiding in those country swamps! <
Monument Valley Timelapse With Philip Bloom

Philip Bloom is an amazing British DP, Director, and Film Maker who also works hard to bring us some neat gadget to use out in the field when filming DSLR video. When I saw this timelapse video of Monument Valley out in Utah, I knew this BTS video/audio would appeal to our landscape photographers who are often stuck watching fashion and commercial videos. So in an effort to change it up a bit, go ahead and load both the audio and video tracks (hit play and then pause) and start with the audio track. Philip also outlines a lot of the gear used in this timelapse over at his blog so check that out too. Enjoy Monument Valley commentary by PhilipBloom

Monument Valley from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Eric Bradshaw Goes All Out With His Island Fashion Shoot

Our good friend Eric Bradshaw told us about a shoot he had in the works and we knew that we had to document it. An island, a team of 15, and 5 beautiful models... What more could you ask for. More info and a youtube version after the jump. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0NPSATuS4<