Recent Hacks Articles

Playing One of the Most Famous Computer Games of the 90s on a Camera

Doom is considered to be one of the most breakthrough and important computer games of all time, and its legacy has endured well into the 21st century. Just for fun, someone decided to see if it could run on a digital camera from 1998, and it turns out, not only can it run on it, you can actually play it!

5 Tips for Making YouTube Videos Faster

Creating video content can be so time-consuming that it is off-putting for people starting out on platforms like YouTube. In this video, and experienced videographer and YouTuber, Sidney Diongzon, goes through five tips to help speed up and smooth out your workflow.

How To Prepare for Day of Wedding Photography

Finely tuned preparation is critical to successful wedding photography, particularly if you want to avoid unnecessary stress on the big day. Wedding photographer and Fuji ambassador John Branch IV runs you through how he gets ready for a couple’s big day.

A Creative DIY Technique for Recreating the Red Carpet Glambot Effect

There's been a sharp spike in creative videography in the last decade, particularly with consumer gimbals becoming available. Here is a great example of that innovation with a recreation of the Glambot style of shooting seen predominately on the red carpet.

Look Like You Know What You're Doing With These Camera Hacks

Having been a freelancer for the majority of my professional life, there is rarely one part of my operation where I am not bootstrapped for cash. Yet, it’s been the most beneficial because it shows the power of creativity no matter how cruel the rig. In the end, the shot does the talking.

Gradients Help You Fake the Look of Colored Lighting Gels in Photoshop

Colored lighting gels can take the illumination in your images from standard to outstanding by adding color for a touch of interest and depth. And while nothing can create that look quite like the real thing, you can fake an interesting colored gel effect for your images using some simple tricks in Photoshop.

This Camera Bag Has a Built in Reflector

So you find yourself on set without any lights, and no reflectors. Normally you would need to get creative and make something up. However Scott Tallenger is trying to fix this niche problem by building a reflector right into a messenger bag.

Having Trouble? Adobe Provides Detailed Instructions for Migrating from Aperture to Lightroom

Earlier today, Fstoppers writer Adam Ottke published an article introducing Adobe's latest plugin to help Apple iPhoto and Aperture users mirgrate to Adobe Lightroom. Unfortunately, many of the folks who've tried to use it have run into complications. Adobe seems to be watching closely, as they quickly updated the plugin page with detailed instructions guiding users through the migration process. For the full scoop, you can check out Adam's earlier article here, and see Adobe's full blog post here.

10 Ways To Give Your Apple Boxes Some Character

A great way to add variety to the poses during a session is to add a prop. Having an assortment of props can be very beneficial, and some good ones to have are apple boxes. They seem to be a very popular choice in portraits, especially more editorial-styled ones. These are a must-have for any photography studio, at least in my opinion.

How to Take Sharp Milky Way Selfies

When taking landscape photos, it can sometimes be helpful to put yourself into the scene to provide a sense of scale. The same is true for night photos. But the long exposure times make it hard to create sharp selfies. In this video, Alyn Wallace shows how to solve this problem.

5 James Bond Secrets to Protein Bars for Photographers

Hold on to your taste buds, folks, because we're about to embark on a deliciously hilarious journey through the secrets of protein bars! Get ready to discover the five covert tricks that turn these humble snacks into protein-packed wonders that would make even James Bond jealous. So, grab your fork and knife (yes, we take protein bars seriously), put on your best British accent, and let's uncover these delectable secrets and how they can help you overcome the hunger pains that might force you back home and miss that banger shot.

Unique Holiday Gift Idea: Photograph Your Own Pet Calendar

The holidays months can bring extra leisure time, and there's nothing more rewarding than spending that free time on a challenging photography project. During last year's fall holidays I decided to turn my available energy into something creative and fun: a pet calendar for 2018.

How to Build a Set on a Budget

An image isn’t just about a subject, such as a model, or the clothes or hair or makeup. A huge aspect of image-making is the setting or set design.

Got a Bad Gift? Here Are 5 Ways to Turn It Into Something Useful

If you ended up with oven mitts and no gift receipt instead of the 50mm lens you actually wanted, all hope isn’t lost. Whether you’ve got it easy with an Amazon gift card or are trying to find a way to use store credit to Home Depot, every store has at least something that can come in handy as a photographer.

How to Carve a Photo Perfectly Into a Pumpkin — or Not

Each Halloween brings another battle to see who can carve the most intricate image into the side of a pumpkin. Engineer and hardcore geek Shane Wighton of Stuff Made Here designed and built his own robot to see how close he could get to the perfect pumpkin photo of his wife. It's about as crazy as it sounds.

How To Find Inspiration and Trigger Ideas for Your Next Project

Many of us photographers have found the last year particularly challenging when it comes to feeling creative, finding motivation, and seeking inspiration. This excellent video is a reminder that breaking out of a rut doesn’t come about by sitting at home waiting for it to happen.