Recent BTS Articles

New Corporate Head Shot Technique In Photoshop

Phlearn has something ridiculous like 500 free photoshop tutorials to help you polish your images. This tutorial series, so far, has been one of my favorites. Aaron Nace, the founder of Phlearn, shows us a new technique with custom brushes for giving your subjects a unique corporate head shot look. This tutorial is a 4 part video series, enjoy.

Will Video Cameras Kill Still Photography? Red Epic Vs Hasselblad

UPDATED WITH PETER'S Full RES FILES! New cameras are getting faster and faster each year. In over a decade DSLRs have gone from 6 fps to 12 fps, and now many can shoot 60 frames of HD video. We've all heard it before, "At some point photographers will just shoot video and pull the best frame out" but is this really even feasible? Fstoppers.com recently teamed up with Peter Hurley to test this theory as we compared the Hasselblad H3D-22 with the Red Epic. The results are shocking!

Photographer Felix Hernandez Shoots Epic Scenes Using Miniature Cars

Confession: I love me some Felix Hernandez, and I'm pretty sure the rest of Fstoppers would agree with me. Felix first came onto my radar when we did an article on his piece "The Wardrobe" in June of last year. Then, later that same month, he won "Fstoppers Photographer of the Month" where a variety of his awesome miniature-based photography was featured. This past May we featured him again after Audi hired him to do an artistic campaign for the new Audi Q2. I hope you're getting the idea now; Felix Hernandez makes magic, and he's back with more.

Behind the Scenes - Annie Leibovitz Photographs a Lincoln Continental Campaign

Even though she doesn't have a professional portfolio website, her name is widely known. Annie Leibovitz has done yet another nice shoot. This time it is for a Lincoln Continental campaign. Her style is very distinctive — both working with the subjects, lighting, and post processing. Although her lighting is simple, many photographers find it hard to achieve such a look. There are details that are not obvious if we look only from the technical side of her work.

Using Toys To Satisfy My Client's Seemingly Impossible Request

When a client came to me and asked if I could do a composite that featured a dragon, my first response was, "Of course, no problem. This is going to be so much fun!" Immediately following the conversation, reality set in and the haunting feeling that I had bitten off more than I could chew began to overwhelm me. After a momentary panic episode, I promptly began racking my brain on how I was going to pull off this impossible feat. Luckily in the end, creativity prevailed!

How To Achieve the Film Look Using Lightroom

It seems as if the film edit is getting more popular every day. A lot of beginner photographers out there will do anything to achieve this look. The easiest way to do that is to buy presets but I want to show you how to create the look yourself. I believe once you understand how to create the look yourself you can begin to find your own style. I know too many photographers that take an image, slap a preset on it, and call it good. All the editing on these images was done in Lightroom 5.

Photographer Philipp Rupprecht Shoots the Porsche 918 Spyder Hypercar in a Locomotive Hall

Cars are beautiful pieces of machinery, some more so than others. Photographer Philipp Rupprecht came across a chance to shoot a Porsche 918 Spyder as soon as it was delivered, which almost took a year to begin. With a chance to shoot an amazing automobile, I probably would have waited as well. Philipp and his team where able to take the Porsche to a 100 year-old locomotive hall that's usually available for large events; I'm very envious of a location like that.

A Twelve-Mile Hike for Competition Prints [NSFW]

Working with clients on a day-to-day basis, it can be very easy to fall into a creative rut, using the same go-to posing, styling, and scenery for the simple reason we know what will sell during a client viewing appointment. For the business aspect, this is very efficient when selling images. For the artist, many feel the need for something more by pushing the creative limits. A little adventure is all it may take to get geared back up and into the creative mindset.

Incredibly Sad Video of How 'The Hobbit' Trilogy Was One of the Worst Films to Create and Eventually Watch

Peter Jackson's first steps into Middle-earth with “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” was incredible as it followed Frodo and his good friend Samwise Gamgee as they fight their way to Mordor in one of the greatest trilogies of the early 2000s. You can guess that my excitement level was high when they finally announced “The Hobbit” would come to the big screen in its own series, though as many could have guessed it was a terrible venture that overwhelmed its director at the high cost of making a mediocre follow-up to its previously successful trilogy.

Fstoppers Review Of The Panasonic Lumix GH4: Is It Ready For Professional Use?

In short, no it is not. But a few minor dealbreakers are all that stand between leaving this camera on the shelf, and making it best digital camera in its class.

After nearly a month of capturing video, stills, and timelapse media with the Panasonic GH4, I laughed, I cried, and I almost threw it off a mountain. At times it was a joy to shoot with, and other times it wouldn’t even power on with a full battery. I’ll give you a complete, unbiased rundown in my full review, complete with video samples.

How I Improved My Photography by Ditching HDR

If you rely heavily on HDR for your image processing, I have some news for you: It can be a lazy approach, and you may be using it in the wrong applications. It's time to learn about the limitations of HDR and far better alternatives at your disposal.

Back Lighting: Shooting and Editing

Just like any other lighting scenario, back lighting has it's quirks and can give you completely different looks depending on how you control it. Learn how to shoot for different looks, and pick up a few tricks for shooting and editing back lit images!
Simple Tip To Mastering Off-Camera Flash (2-Min Read)

Over the last 12-months there has been a surge of photographers wanting to learn off-camera flash. Regularly I receive emails or Facebook messages from other photographers asking for tips. Over the years I have tried to remember what made learning off-camera flash so easy for me and time and time again it comes down to one simple tip.

How to Create The Popular Matte Look in Lightroom

While in Las Vegas attending the annual WPPI conference I stopped in and spent some time at the print competition. There I repeatedly noticed that many of the prints had a matte type of look to them. Now part of this is the choice of paper they print on, but also how the photos is processed plays a big part as well. I created this quick video to share with you how this look is achieved very easily in Lightroom. I have also included some sample before and after photos below.

Amazingly In-Depth Video Tutorial on Product Lighting

So today we have for you a remarkably in depth lighting tutorial from Mr. Karl Taylor. In this video Karl breaks down this high end product shoot step by step, in exquisite detail. Starting from the finalized setup, he walks you through each element of the shot, taking each away to demonstrate it's purpose. Giving you the "behind the camera" perspective, he then rebuilds the set, again explaining the process to achieve the final image.

NSFW: A Behind The Scenes Look At A Virtual Reality Porn Shoot

The porn industry is a bit of an early adopter. It is some of the most consumed content and as such its creators are always keeping current with the latest technology to gain an edge over the competition and to bring the consumers the best and latest experience. As such, it is not a big surprise to see that virtual reality is the next big thing being explored on porn sets.

No Photoshop Needed for Jennifer Lawrence

And of course she pulls it off! There are so many articles online right now that are in a fuss over how manipulative Photoshop editing can be. Check out Fstopper's post on how Women React to Being Photoshopped As Cover Models if you don't believe me. It's not uncommon for print work to be heavily retouched by some of the best in the world, Jennifer Lawrence show's it's not needed with her latest untouched shoot.

5 Lighting Setups For Shooting in Direct Sunlight

Shooting in harsh sunlight is always a challenge. Recently I shot a test while out on a trip in Los Angeles. Due to scheduling we had to start shooting around 4 p.m., so we were dealing with hard sunlight. In this post we will look at five different setups you can use to shoot in and manipulate these less than ideal lighting conditions. In a previous post, I showed how to quickly scrim hard lighting. In this quick tutorial we will look five different ways to light while in the same environment and conditions in order to alter the look of our image.

How Casey Neistat is Reinventing Filmmaking with Daily Vlogs on YouTube

If you've never heard of Casey Neistat then you have probably been living under a rock for the last few years as he has skyrocketed to stardom on YouTube. His fame comes from the creation of videos he posts to the online media source labeling them as "movies" or "films." Over the last two weeks, Neistat has created a new video every single day highlighting his incredibly interesting daily life in New York City. Here are the results as he ventures into the future of filmmaking and vlogging.

Portrait Photography in Bright Midday Sun

Natural light portraiture is forever popular, but as us photographers know, more light isn't necessarily better. In fact, like half-breed vampires, we shy away from the sun at its brightest during midday.

Umbrellas - A Simple Guide To Use The Right One For The Right Job

Umbrellas have been a staple light modifier for decades. But if you’ve ever wondered why there are so many types, or how the light quality from your strobe is affected by the size, lining, fabric or shape of the umbrella, then this post is for you.

'Watchtower Of Turkey' - Quite Possibly The Most Compelling Film You See This Year

How are you getting people to look at and engage with your work? This is something we all have to think about constantly in today’s visually saturated market place. It’s why it’s all the more important to look at – and learn from – those producing stunning and engaging work. Let me introduce you to Leonardo Dalessandri, and his latest project “Watchtower Of Turkey”, a video that he worked on over the course of a year and quite possibly some of the best visual media you’ll see in 2015.

How to Get Away from the Average Ring Shot

Rings can be considered one of the most important details of a wedding day. The groom may have spent months trying to find the right ring, and even longer saving up to purchase it. When the bride first announces their engagement, all of her friends can't wait to see the ring. It’s the only item from the wedding day that most couples will have their entire lives (besides the images of course). When I take pictures of the rings, I want to capture more than just the ring sitting on a table. I want something visually interesting and unique. Here is how I do it.

April Fool's: BTS Of Bar Refaeli's  First Nude Photoshoot

After Bar Refaeli took over the Superbowl with her controversial commercial, Bar found time to do something she never did before: pose nude for a magazine shoot. The magazine that paid her to do that is currently unknown, but somehow the photos leaked earlier today. Check out the BTS and the final results in the post.

The Five Most Ridiculous Products for Photography

From time to time, we’re graced with a new product that completely changes our workflow and makes our lives as photographers a hundred times easier than it was before. However, this luxury isn’t always the case, and we’re sometimes graced with some of the most ridiculous products imaginable.

The Clever Way James Cameron Dealt With an Interesting Problem in 'Titanic'

If you know your Titanic history well, the thumbnail for this article should look very strange to you. This is because "Titanic" director James Cameron had to deal with an interesting issue during filming, and this neat behind the scenes video takes a look at how he solved it.

Schwartz Wins Most Beautiful Commercial of the Year

I know it's only a week and a half into the new year, but I'm calling it early. Schwartz Flavour Shots has the most beautiful commercial of the year. Created by DJ MJ Cole with filmmaker Chris Cairns and a brilliant assist from the pyrotechnic wizards 'Machine Shop,' this video is a pretty spicy set of slow motion explosions. Schwartz calls it a 'Sonic Flavourscape.'