Recent BTS Articles

A Week in the Life of a Full-Time YouTuber

Becoming a full-time YouTuber — or really any content creator — is the dream of many. Although I've never had any aspirations to do it per sé, I can't deny I find myself envious at times. So, could you really do it?
Photographing Strangers on Film

Photography as a job and as a hobby are two very different things. For professional photographers, this distinction means consistently working at their practice, rather than at certain points or only if inspiration strikes.

Should You Devote Your Time and Money Into Creating a Spec Ad?

The issue of whether or not photographers should work for free is a polarizing one. Some of us feel we should not haul thousands of dollars worth of lighting and camera gear to a location and spend a full day shooting just to gain a reward that comes in the form of intangible exposure. Others feel doing regular collaborations with like-minded peers to produce new work is valuable in nurturing a photographer’s creative process.

How to Overcome Winter Burnout

If you find yourself struggling during the colder, darker seasons, you're far from alone. In this video, Aidin Robbins goes through how he combats winter burnout and how you can, too.

Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 and CoolPix A Now Available For Pre Order

Fstoppers posted last night that the newest lens from Nikon the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, their exciting new CoolPix A and a bunch of other compact cameras had been announced. Well, now they're all available for preorder! Follow the links below to pre order one of these exciting new gadgets!

Working With What You Have

As a photographer, you don’t always get a great studio or a perfect location for your shoot. Sometimes, you have to work with what you have. This is a great video to show you just that.
Three Serious Lessons for Artists From a Film About Laughter

The best part about creating personal projects is the opportunity to grow in a pressure-free environment. I just finished shooting such a project with a couple of friends, and the lessons I learned at “play” turned out to be the kind I’ll be sure to use in my work.

National Geographic Films Fastest Animal In Slow Mo

If you were asked to film the world's fastest animal running in slow motion, what would you do? Director Hans Weise and cinematographer Greg Wilson teamed up with National Geographic to produce some stunning footage of a cheetah running at full speed. After meticulously building a 410 foot dolly to die for, the team propelled a few Canon 1D X cameras and a high speed Phantom along side the cheetah. I can't wait to see the final footage but after watching the behind the scenes video I'm sure it's going to be breathtaking.

UPDATE: Here is the final slow motion footage...

Patience and Deliberateness in Death Valley

Death Valley is a vast expanse of landscape with varying terrains throughout the park. As a visitor, it is easy to find yourself rushing from place to place to take it all in and capture it in images. Is that the best way to photograph it? Or is being slow, patient, and deliberate a better approach?