Recent Commercial Articles
DJI Phantom 2 Now Features Autonomous Flight
DJI has been a major player in the quadcopter arena for quite some time. While there are MANY other brands out there, DJI has set out to make flying easy, especially for those with no experience. Now it will be even easier to start flying thanks to the addition of Autonomous flight. They call it Ground Station.
Interview And Behind The Scenes With Fashion Photographer Luke Schneider
I have been following Luke Schneider's work for quite some time and it just keeps getting better and better. He has a nack for fashion photography and it clearly shows. I decided to find out a bit about him and what his goals are for the future and current project. He is still in college so he has quite a bit of time ahead of him to achieve his goals. From the looks of it, he is well on his way there.
Yokohama's BTS of Sports Cars Playing Duck Duck Goose and X's and O's
In one of their most recent advertising campaigns, Yokohama blends a fun mix of high speed sports car chases and childhood games to produce two different commercials. The filming process involved multiple rigs and setups to get a variety of shots, including the director hanging through the windshield of a truck filming the driver. Check out the final commercials below.
Truth In Advertising? "This Is A Generic Brand Video" Is Equally Parts Scary And Funny
Creative writer Kendra Eash wrote a painfully accurate article for Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendencies that put into perspective what most brand and corporation videos look and sound like. Taking it to the next level, stock clip site Dissolve realized it was indeed generic, and pulled together their own stock clips cut to Kendra's writing, resulting in a hilarious edit.
Capturing The Catwalk: The Ultimate Guide To Photographing Runway
Zoom, focus, spray and pray. That seems to be the M.O. of many photographers who shoot runway. I admit, I was one of those photographers. The one who scours through thousands of images at the end of the night, wishing they had shot more strategically. And, after two hours of culling, flagging three images per look, they’d be lucky if only one was tack sharp. After many shows, I’d criticize my every move and would long for a time machine to do it all over again.
How to Breathe Life Into a Complex Dance Photoshoot
Have you ever wondered how dance companies and productions get those amazing photographs of their artists in perfectly posed dance stances? Well, Benjamin Von Wong has recently thrown some light over the intricate process of lighting and shooting a complex dance campaign.
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
In the often collaborative world of fashion and commercial photography, there are many who contribute to the final product. From the styling of the model and the brands involved, to your crew and retoucher. No fashion image is a solo act, yet there are many who will never credit those that were a part of the production. This phenomenon is not exclusive to photographers, but to models and other creative professionals. Before you post up your next photograph without credits, give the following reasons some consideration.
An Inside Look At Car Photography Post Production
Annie Leibovitz Shoots Kirsten Dunst
[BTS Video] Backstage At A Victoria's Secret Shoot With Photographer Russell James
Proof That Hand Models Are Insane
A Most Unusual Portfolio Meeting: Instagram Edition
You don’t need me to tell you the importance of social media. Many of you under a certain age likely can’t picture your life without it. Judging by the number of selfie sticks and Facebook screens annoyingly lighting up dark movie theaters, social media had apparently become as important as breathing. Even those who came of age before the dawn of the smartphone are not immune to its charms. And in an increasingly connected world, our devices are not only a social diversion, but can also become a business necessity. This week, I had an experience that drove home just how necessary it can be.
New to Commercial Photography? You Should Try Up-Selling.
Up-selling is part and parcel of the wedding and portrait photography business. Many photographers depend on these selling techniques to generate a decent income. But similar opportunities can be found in the commercial genre — you just need to know how to target them.
One Part BTS Video, Three Parts Victoria's Secret
Testing Centers and UAV Rules for U.S. Drone Pilots
If you are a member of the United States and you own a drone, you know that some rules were made. Thankfully these rules didn’t kill us, they didn’t stop us from flying for commercial use, but they did give us a reasonable way to deal with drones in all kinds of different situations.
Smart Campaign of an Animal Shelter Speaks for Itself
Visual imagery, when used properly, can become one of the most powerful tools of making an impact around any disturbing topic. The recent campaign for an animal shelter World for All in India is a bright example of it. Photos of puppies and kittens might work, but I am inspired by how the creative team took this campaign beyond what we see on a regular basis. Optical illusion, more precisely figure–ground reversal, is used intentionally to create new visual images with the play of foreground and background within an existing image.
A Photoshoot For The Star Wars Fans
Behind the Scenes on the Set of Metallica's 'Hardwired' Music Video
For Your Next Photoshoot, Try Building An Interesting Set
Inside Portfolio Reviews With Sports Illustrated Cover Photographer Alexis Cuarezma
Being a working commercial photographer requires consistent self-marketing and, according to award-winning commercial sports and portrait photographer Alexis Cuarezma — whose work can be seen on the cover of Sports Illustrated — portfolio reviews are a great way to do just that.
A Guide to Working With Modeling Agencies: Part 2
Alright, So you've made it past the hard part, making contact and getting the ok from the agency to work with their talent (As discussed in Part 1). Now what? Well now you book your first model!
Review of Two New Post Processing Tutorials from Retouching Academy - Now Available in Fstoppers Store!
We at Fstoppers have always been big fans of the incredible photographers and retouchers who form Retouching Academy. The talent and educational knowledge of Julia Kuzmenko McKim has been shown in our 2015 Fstoppers workshop, through many posts on Fstoppers and Retouching Academy, and is condensed in her Studio Beauty photography tutorial. Now, another instructor at Retouching Academy is stepping up to bring more invaluable information to the community. Michael Woloszynowicz presents the newest tutorials from RA with an in depth look at the process of Dodge and Burn as well as Color Grading.
How to Use and Photograph Real Snow for Overlays in Photoshop
It might be the most wonderful time of the year but that doesn't mean there will be snow falling for your photo shoot. In this video, you’ll learn how to photograph and use real snow for overlays in Photoshop.
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.
360 Degree Camera Drives The World's Most Dangerous Road
[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.
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.
Cat Footwear Produces A Slow-Mo Matrix Style Commercial
BTS: Kitchen Heat for an Art Museum
A while back, while on a shoot for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art here in Northwest Arkansas, I was asked to get a shot of the museum’s executive chef and the Director of Culinary for their members magazine. Time was short, the kitchen was starting to prep for dinner service, and every second I was there I was inconveniencing someone. I had to get in and out quickly and create a dynamic image in the process. Here’s how it happened.