Recent BTS Articles

[BTS] Brett Warren Shoots "The Ugly Duckling"

Brett Warren is a photographer based out of Nashville, TN who studied under Annie Leibovitz. You can definitely see the Leibovitz influence in his finished work and in how he lights his subjects. For most of his work he uses a single light source balanced with natural light, which is very similar to some of the behind the scenes videos and images we've seen from Annie Leibovitz herself.

Behind the Scenes of an 8K D850 Time-Lapse in the African Desert

Late last year, Photographer Marsel van Oosten received one of those phone calls that we all dream of: Nikon rang to ask if he would be interested in shooting a time-lapse to promote the global launch of their new, groundbreaking camera: the D850.

Adorama Unearthed: A Photography Series that Captures the American Rockies

The best parts of landscape photography is a mix of the planning and adventure to travel to and explore a new destination all while photographing the beauty of the area that you’re in. In this new series from Adorama, you have the opportunity to take a trip through the American Rockies with three photographers as they traverse some of the most beautiful and least seen lakes and mountains in the USA.

Tips For Shooting On Location - Lights, Cameras, And A Warrior Princess

The Slanted Lens recently posted a new behind the scenes video, explaining the process for a project that involves shooting photos of a warrior princess out by Vasquez Rocks. This video really dives in to considerations you have to make as a photographer when shooting on a remote location like this. From location scouting, to running power for lights, and even considering bathrooms for the crew, this insightful BTS video shows us how Jay P. Morgan approached this challenge.

Fantastic Example of How to Composite and Retouch a Beautiful Product Shoot

In this video, Commercial Photographer Joshua Geiger walks you through how to easily composite and retouch a product shoot using mid to low-range watches, yet brings them to life in a high end way. His technique is fairly simply but the experience he shows in layering his shot and adding texture via smoke and atmosphere is brilliant.

Assassin's Creed Meets Parkour In This Real Life Film - Behind The Scenes

Devin Graham is no stranger to danger, as seen in his previous projects like Epic Rope Swing or Camera Warfare. He is back with a new project, which follows a professional freerunner around the city, dressed up as Altair, the main character in the video game Assassin's Creed. This video shows you how Devin used a Glidecam to get his footage, and a green screen for a tricky fx shot. Check out the final video inside the post!

Wet Plate Collodion and the Joys of Being a Beginner

In my research to come up with ideas for blog posts, I watch a lot of videos. A few months ago I came across a few videos about the wet plate collodion process and I was hooked! The results are so unique that I just had to participate in it myself.

Behind the Scenes on the Set of Metallica's 'Hardwired' Music Video

Here’s a really cool behind-the-scenes look at the set of Metallica’s "Hardwired" music video. This is the first single from their new album “Hardwired To Self Destruct” slated for a November 18 release. Let’s take a look at this video from a cinematography point of view. I think this video is a great example of how you can create an effective music video out of a seemingly simple set. This music video features no B-roll, just great footage of the band hammering it out.
Learn How to Restore Vintage Photographs

Old and damaged photographs are easy to come by. Most have been stored in boxes in the back of a closet left to dust and wither without a second thought. That is until said person goes to tidy up one day and finds an invaluable treasure trove long forgotten.

The Picture Project- London by Night

Matt Davey, a music photographer based in Essex, and iPhonographer Dilshad Corleone take to the streets of London and go on a fun journey of self-discovery and in the process create a collaborative project of creative individuals using the power of photography. I caught up with Matt and he broke down the project and the great experiences that he gained from collaborating with his fellow colleagues.

Official Davos Photographer Shares a Day Shooting the Event

I recently had the chance to speak to Greg Beadle, one of the official photographers for the World Economic Forum Event in Davos. From the start he made it clear that as an official photographer for the World Economic Forum, it is his job to “promote the annual meeting through photographs that best emulate the positive experiences and results here in Davos.” He said the energy is tangible and throughout the week, world leaders, celebrities, and wealthy elite will come together to discuss and try solve the current issues of the world today. This is what a day as a photographer at Davos is like.

Fun Video Shows 10 Ways to Light Yourself, and the Moods they Create

Simple differences in the quality of light on a face can have a significant impact on how a person is perceived. I'm always a sucker for seeing how those different looks are achieved, and the team from The Lighting Channel has put together a video that demonstrates 10 different lighting looks on a face, along with the moods they create.

Metallic Mood Photoshoot BTS With Rob Werlinger

When Profoto contacted Portland-based fashion photographer Rob Werlinger about doing a blog post for them, he pulled out all the stops. "The concept revolved around metallics and you can see them used prominently in the wardrobe, makeup, and also reflected in the mood and emotion of the model,” writes Rob. “Since we were using the 'Profoto Pro-8a packs' that feature action-stopping short flash duration times, I wanted to bring in a strong element of motion as well.”

Go Behind the Scenes With These Wedding Photographers

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.

Incredible Photography Into the Heart of an Active Volcano

There are occasions where you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you're taking images that are some of the best you may ever take. This video shows us behind the scenes as Nigel Danson photographs an active volcano, and I can safely say, this will be one of those moments for him.

Learning From The Masters: Albert Watson Photographs Dancer Sergei Polunin

Albert Watson. Legend. Period, end. With a career spanning five decades and multiple iconic images, his career in fashion and portraiture would be the aspiration of any budding photographer. Alongside Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, PDN recognized him as one of the twenty most influential photographers of all time. And in a new video by Profoto, the man whose subjects have ranged from Alfred Hitchcock to Kate Moss, discusses his approach to lighting, photography, and life.

Behind the Scenes on Photographer Ray Demski’s Latest Personal Project, ‘Fireball’

I know that I’m preaching to the choir when I say that personal projects, free from the constraints of commercial clients dictating production details, are an important outlet for creativity and staying sharp on your skills. Photographer Ray Demski just dropped his latest passion project, "Fireball," combining parkour, football (soccer), and beatboxing.

Action Flash Photography With a Strobe Attached to a Drone

Drones have grown into a standard item to own not only for videographers, but also for many photographers. Most have used them to capture images from the sky or places hardly accessible otherwise. A few have played around with these small machines to light their subject in a unique way, just like our very own Patrick Hall did when lighting a lighthouse with a DJI Phantom and a Nikon strobe. Photographer David Robinson took this to the next level and strapped an Elinchrom ELB 400 to an octocopter.

New iPhone App for Amazing Time-lapses in 4K

Have you ever taken a time-lapse with your phone and been... underwhelmed? They can look choppy, gritty, and far from the professional-quality videos you can produce using a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Well, a solution may, quite literally, be in hand.
[BTSV] The Making Of Canon's 5d Mark III Promo Video, Radball

You may remember Canon's promo video for the 5d Mark III that I posted a couple of weeks ago, which showcased the, ehem, interesting sport of Radball. Love it or hate it, I think we can at least agree that it was pretty entertaining. Canon recently released a companion to the promo video which goes behind the scenes into the filming of the piece.

TogTools - Podcasts For Photographers

I was recently introduced to a new business, TogTools.com, from a photographer friend of mine and co-founder, Jess Robertson. TogTools is a free online resource for new or emerging photographers to gain knowledge through various podcast interviews from notable creatives in our industry. The focus of their interviews are all things related to running a successful business.

Behind the Scenes of My Nike-Inspired World Cup Photoshoot

Every four years during the summer, the sports world pauses to draw its attention to the top echelon of professional football. I decided to put together a World Cup inspired shoot, shoot some concepts I haven't done before, and give you a behind-the-scenes, education glimpse.

lighting-tests-bose-sessions-music

All too often in our business, we are thrust into a job in which we either have no time for or cannot afford lighting tests. I find that these gigs force me to fall back on my old tricks and techniques. This can lead to the dangerous place of shooting stuff that all looks the same. Sure, you can try out new ideas on personal projects, but sometimes, the job calls for stuff that you don’t own or cannot afford to get. Usually, when planning a shoot, I have great theories and fantastic ideas on how to pull off a look. However, the idea of winging it in front of a client...

Joey Shanks Explains to Fstoppers How He Re-Created the Black Hole from the Movie Interstellar

If you’re interested in getting big budget looks in your low budget indie film, then you should be very familiar with the Shanks FX channel on YouTube. If you’re not, you should get acquainted with it… like now! Joe Schenkenberg aka Joey Shanks is the man with the know-how when it comes to creating Hollywood effects out of simple household items. He teamed up with PBS Digital Studios to bring you quality behind-the-scenes content online and has recently partnered with Red Giant to explain how he created a black hole effect very similar looking to the one in the recent movie Interstellar – all captured in-camera.

Sports: A Study In Motion

The execution of this photoshoot was one of the more difficult one’s I have dealt with in sometime. Balance had to be achieved between the still and motion aspect of each frame and angular light consistency had to be given up in exchange for drama.