Recent Videography Articles

Kessler Reveals New Automatic Panning Add-On For Sliders: The Parallax

Known for their industry leading camera sliders and portable jibs, Kessler continues to innovate by creating useful products for filmmakers. Their latest creation is called the Parallax, and in this video, Eric Kessler demonstrates how it works to create a motor-less, controlled panning action on your existing slider. This can make a move where during your camera's horizontal move, the head pans to stay with its subject.

Cinematographer Ranks Cameras in a Tier List From Best to Worst

One cinematographer takes the majority of commonly used, video-centric or cinema cameras, and assembles them in a tier list from "God Mode" (of which there is only one), to "The group that shall not be named". Do you agree with the rankings?

Hilarious Short Film Makes a Strong Case for Unplugged Weddings

We're all aware of the problems that come from wedding guests with DSLRs or an addiction to selfies, but perhaps never before has the issue been captured so succinctly and hilariously. "Unplugged" simultaneously shows the frustration of the modern wedding photographer and makes a strong case for guests to sit down, put their cameras and phones away, and simply enjoy the ceremony, all while giving us a good chuckle in the process.

Get A Free Lesson In Timelapse From Vincent Laforet

DSLR Video pioneer Vincent Laforet partnered with Canon to create a 4 part instructional video series where he shares many great tips for getting started with shooting timelapse sequences. He takes viewers with him on a shoot in Bryce Canyon and explains his setup, and also goes in to detail on: finding a subject matter, lens selection, how to calculate properly to get enough frames, using intervalometers, and so much more. This is loaded with tons of great tips, a must watch if you do any timelapse work.

Woman with Vitiligo Proves Bullies of her Past Wrong as She Turns Top Model

Chantelle Brown-Young was teased in school, often called "zebra" or "cow" becuase of her skin condition, vitiligo. However, things began to change when a Toronto photographer encouraged her to model at 16. Her alter-ego-named Instagram (@winnieharlow) became an outlet for her modeling photos and soon enough, Tyra Banks contacted her to become a part of America's Next Top Model (ANTM).

Side by Side Video Highlights The Talents of Visual Effects Teams (NSFW)

From time to time, we show of some behind the scenes videos of popular movies and TV shows that highlight the hard work done behind the camera to make the stories come alive. However, rarely do we get to see a side by side comparison of a visual effect heavy movie such as Final Destination 5, showing us all the hard work that is done to seamlessly create exciting moments on a budget.

One Simple Trick for Better Color Grading in Adobe Premiere Pro

Color grading is a profession in and of itself, which means the technical know-how, the theory, and the nuance, all run very deep indeed. However, some methods are more powerful and useful than others, and this one particular tool could greatly impact your work.

Video Editing Performance: Is the 2016 MacBook Pro Really Faster Than the Old One?

Right before the new MacBook Pro 2016 release, FStoppers published an article about the laptop's performance when working with 5K ProRes video footage. It wasn't clear what exact model was used, nor was it said what kind of tests were performed. Now, in the post-release era, we've had a chance to see how the new laptop performs against the older 2015 model in a display-by-display battle to help better evaluate whether or not it's actually worth buying.

Oops Olympus! Justin Bieber's New Music Video Was Also Shot With GoPros [UPDATED]

A couple of nights ago a close friend of mine, Jesse, gushed over Justin Bieber's new music video, 'Beauty and A Beat'. How it was entirely shot with the new Olympus TG-1 (a point-and-shoot camera) and how I should write a post about it for the site. So, taking his lead I went ahead and did some research on Justin's new music video.

How To Make A Steadicam From Two Old Hard Drives

Do you have any old hard drives kicking around? If you fancy yourself a bit of a DIY'er you might be pleasantly susprised at what you can make out of those old storage devices! Youtube user, Rulof Maker, shows us how to make a Steadicam out of 2 old hard drives and a few pieces from the hardware store. How's that for a fun spring project?

Glyn Dewis Shows You How to Save an Almost Unusable Image

In this valuable tutorial Glyn Dewis takes a quick snapshot and shows you how to pull detail from highlights and shadows to make it a beautiful image. Dewis mentions some great workflow tips and tricks in Adobe Lightroom as well as how to bring your image over, non destructively, to Photoshop camera raw.

Do Yourself a Favor and Stop Using Your Gimbal So Much

Since we’ve propelled so far forward, so fast in gimbal technology, it seems that shooting on a gimbal is almost a necessity for most videographers or filmmakers these days — but it shouldn’t be that way. The convenience that’s provided by most gimbals can’t be understated and I would be 100 percent wrong if I implied that they’re not useful tools. They are absolutely powerful tools that we’re lucky to have, and in such small packages. But because of that convenience and functionality, we’ve lost the importance of the decision making process when lining up a shot.

This Pelican Took One Of The Most Beautiful Bird's-eye View Videos Of All Time

Here at Fstoppers we featured many animal-related GoPro videos in the past [here are a few as a reminder: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5], and all are unique and interesting. Some are visually stunning. But this video taken by a pelican takes home the award for the most beautiful video ever taken by an animal.

How to Shoot Slow Motion Boudoir Videos

Have you started to dabble into creating videos simultaneously with your photoshoots? Having the capability and provide your clients with the option to include a slow motion boudoir video along with their photos could help set you apart from the rest. So, where do you begin?

How to Get the Most From Nikon’s Auto AF Fine Tune

Camera bodies and lenses are factory calibrated by default, but sometimes they require further adjustments to achieve better results when focusing. With the Nikon's AF fine tune feature on supported models, you can manually make precise adjustments to fix any focusing problems.

Canon Just Announced a Camera Capable of Shooting Over ISO 4 Million

That is not a typo. Canon's newest camera is its first "multi-function" camera and is capable of something entirely refreshing (and maybe even a bit scary): capable of shooting 1080p at an equivalent of over four million ISO, the ME20F-SH can shoot objects that even the naked eye cannot see (objects lit by less than 0.0005 lux of illumination) in Full HD. While all cameras are somewhat multi-purpose by nature, Canon's "multi-function" designation of this camera speaks to the wide range of uses for which the ME20F-SH can be adapted given such features.

Photoshoot Breakdown - Behind The Scenes Into Camaro Photoshoot

Yesterday, I showed you the process of pre-producing a successful photoshoot and used a recent session as an example on all the steps it takes to put together a successful session with a large team. Today, I put together a breakdown of the entire production and post production process on creating a successful portrait session and a behind the scenes look into what all goes into it.

Canon Calls the 70D a "Game Changer," Watch Their Promo Videos Now

Last night Canon unveiled the successor to their popular 60D DSLR, the EOS 70D. There is a lot to like about the camera, but where Canon is focusing the brunt of their marketing is around the new Dual Pixel sensor which supposedly offers significantly faster focusing during video production. We've gathered a few videos from numerous Canon sources for your perusal to get you excited for Canon's next camera.

"To the Ends of the Earth" Canon Nails it Again

After hitting it out of the park a few months ago with the brilliant "Eye-Opening" commercial, Canon Austraila releases another one. "To the Ends of the Earth" features Canon Master Krystle Wright doing what she does best - creating breathtaking action photos in epic places. Her persuit of adventure leads her to some amazing locations in this video - from climbing the tops of mountains to jumping from sheer cliffs to freediving under the ocean. I'm pretty sure she's giving the Dos Equis guy a run for his money.

The Truth Behind Why Casey Neistat Stopped Vlogging and Started a Media Technology Company With CNN

You heard it all across the internet last week as YouTube legend Casey Neistat ended his daily vlogs after nearly a year and half and sold his company Beme for an outstanding amount of money. Jumping to a new project of this scale can only be described as scary and empowering. With many articles and stories being told around the world right now its easy to get caught up in the news and speculation as to why he moved and what brought it on. Here is the story from the man himself, Casey Neistat.

Which 50mm Lens Should You Buy? Kai From DigitalRev Compares Models

The always entertaining Kai from DigitalRev TV takes to the streets, armed with 3 different models of Canon 50mm lenses: The 1.8, 1.4, and 1.2L. Using phrases like "sphincter twitching" and "buying meth", he colorfully illustrates his points about choosing the right lens based on your budget and compares the look and feel of each model.

Our First Shoot With The Canon C100 And Atomos Ninja

The release of the C series of cinema cameras from Canon has garnered a lot of attention of filmmakers as a great alternative to cameras like the RED. After much debate, our studio purchased the camera a few months back and recently flew to Austin to shoot two commercial spots. We couldn't have been happier with the results.

How Von Wong Turned Tech Employees Into Athletic Superstars...With Only $20, And A Lot Of Creativity

Benjamin Von Wong is at it again. He teamed up with the team at SmugMug on yet another collaborative masterpiece. This time, he left the cold, foggy San Francisco forest, and retreated to the warm, sunny outdoor confines of the SmugMug campus in Mountain View, California. With only $20, a couple lights, and a lot of creativity, he turned everyday tech employees into athletic specimens.

Johnny FPV's Piloting Skills Give Drones a New Perspective

Drones create unique new ways to film but as technology seems to advance day after day, true pilots begin to push these drones to their limits. Meet Johnny FPV, a drone pilot who has helped take FPV freestyle to the public eye.

NikonHacker Brings Magic-Lantern-Style Firmware Hacks to Nikon

It's no secret that you can hack Canon cameras firmware with 3rd party hackers like Magic Lantern to push higher dynamic range and bitrate. Nikonhacker is looking to bring the same performance to their ecosystem. Their new set of hacks (for 11 cameras) allows you to push 1,080 video at up to 64mbps.

A Closer Look at the New Canon 80D DSLR Camera

While most professionals may have overlooked the latest DSLR to come out from Canon, the 80D, there are a few new features that are important to note. Whether you're a Canon shooter or not, keeping up with the featureset that's included with a modestly priced ($1200) compact camera is a good way to stay plugged in to where certain manufacturers are at, especially when it comes to having a lower-cost, backup camera. Here's a few videos that go in-depth with the 80D, and point out some of the more notable tricks this little camera has up it's sleeve.

The Aviator Travel Jib: A Portable Jib For Video Shoots In Hard To Reach Places

My passion is shooting outdoor lifestyle and documentary projects, and those shoots often require me to be on the go and in remote areas. Historically, getting an expensive jib or crane in those locations was not possible. With the Aviator Carbon Fiber Travel Jib, taking a jib into the field is not only possible, but easy for everyone.

Stream Multiple Cameras to Multiple Social Networks, No Laptop Needed

2019 CES award-winning YoloBox looks like a tablet monitor when you unpack it, but it so much more than that. If you’re planning on streaming an event like a wedding live on location, it’s the only device you need to connect to your cameras and sound equipment, so you can share it with an online audience on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, all at once.

Marine Correspondent Photographs Star Wars Stormtroopers in Real-Life Combat Situations

Take a look behind the scenes as Photographer, Producer, and Marine Gunnery Sergeant Joseph DiGIrolamo documents the work of Photographer Matthew Callahan. Callahan is a U.S. Marine Combat Correspondent, who, when not telling the stories of the men and women who serve, is working on his personal fine art project, "Galactic Warfighters." This riveting photo essay is aimed at humanizing the fictional, faceless stormtrooper characters of the Star Wars galaxy.

Everything There Is to Know about Long-Exposure Photography

When learning a new photographic technique, it typically takes quite a bit of practice time before you achieve pleasing results. With long-exposure photography, that learning time is extended because every frame can take minutes to complete. In this video from B&H, photographer Deborah Sandidge does an excellent job of accelerating the learning process thanks to in-depth explanations of strategy and set-up behind each photo presented.

Another Step in the Evolution of Wedding Photo Booths

It wasn't that many years ago when our very own Lee Morris took me on one of his wedding gigs and totally opened my eyes to what wedding photography could be. I had this idea in my head that weddings were boring, cheesy and a photographic cinch to shoot. But when Lee introduced me to the idea of setting up killer seamless white photo booths at receptions, I realized they could be

Tilt-Shift Time-Lapse Filmed from a Drone Makes Detroit Look Amazing

To say that time-lapse video and drone footage is everywhere would be an understatement. YouTube is chalk full of amateur aerial video with the recent abundance of inexpensive drones, and time-lapse clips are everywhere. If they are a fad remains to be seen but sometimes we get to see some really innovative videos showcasing some true creativity.

NASA Releases a Time-Lapse One Year and One Million Miles in the Making

NASA's aptly named EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera) camera sits about one million miles from our planet, where it uses an array of sensors to monitor and provide observations of cloud heights, aerosols, vegetation growth, and the state of ozone in the atmosphere. It also provides some pretty neat images of Earth, which NASA has assembled into a year-long time-lapse.

Tips For Packing Photo Or Video Gear On Hiking And Backpacking Trips

Hiking season is in full swing and in the last few years I've incorporated a lot of video and photography while on week long trips in the backcountry. When every pound of weight counts, you have to choose your gear carefully. In this post I’ll share my tricks and tips for making a useful kit without weighing you down.

GNARBOX Wants to Help You Ditch Your Laptop in the Field

I’m outdoors a lot and I post images and video of my adventures to social media all the time. But one of the biggest problems I have is if it’s anything more than a snapshot on my iPhone, or a video on my GoPro I can pull over to my phone via WiFi, I have to wait till I get home to edit on my laptop, slowing down the time it takes from getting the shot to sharing it with my followers.

This DreamWorks Animator Is Using His VFX Skills To Turn His Son Into a Superhero

James is not one of the ordinary kids in town. James is a superhero shooting lasers from his eyes and flying around. These super powers are all possible thanks to his dad, Daniel Hashimoto, who is a DreamWorks animator and a visual effects specialist based in LA. Daniel decided to use his visual effects skills and upgrade his own home-videos of his young son James, who is now also known as "The Action Kid".

Detailed Tutorial On Shooting Day To Night Timelapses

Preston Kanak has released another highly informative video, this one on the subject of capturing successful day to night timelapses. In this long video, he covers different methods for achieving good results, such as bulb ramping, aperture priority, or blending it in post. Each of these methods is a bit different, and Preston shares many tips along way while showing plenty of examples.

Become A Better Videographer – Shoot Like A Video Editor

For those of you who shoot video, want to get better at shooting video, edit your own video, or edit video shot by others, this article is all about you wonderful guys and gals. As someone who is editing a lot, I thought this short video was fantastic. The great hints and tips provided here are totally free, you don’t have to buy anything to get something out of this article, and if you aren’t doing this stuff already, this is guaranteed to make you both a stronger video shooter, and a producer of stronger edits.

DIY: Build A Video Camera Slider for $30

A recent tutorial online shows us how we're able to take our video production with the use of a video slider. Often, camera sliders can cost hundreds of dollars, and can even break $1000 for a professional quality one. This latest tutorial shows you how you can make one in just an hour of time, and a mere $30 spent at your local Ikea.

A DSLR Shooter Reviews the Hasselblad CFV-50c

Last time I wrote an article for Fstoppers was almost a year ago when I had just picked up a Hasselblad V-system medium format film camera for the first time. If you remember my first post, I taught myself to shoot 120 film while traveling in Europe. I reported my findings as best as someone with only a month of practical experience could. In the year that's passed I've learned so much about the modern uses and challenges of this legendary camera system and it has become a fixture in my studio. In today's market it's not always the right tool for the job, but when it is, it's a remarkably satisfying camera to use.
Adobe's New Morph Cut In Premiere Pro CC Is Almost Like Magic

If you are a videographer or a photographer dabbling in video you know how much of a pain in the ass it can be cutting interview footage with just one camera angle. The feared "jump cut" in an interview can completely ruin the overall production and professionalism of your entire video project. Luckily, Adobe has recently debuted their new Morph Cut tool in Premiere Pro CC to help filmmakers fix this sometimes unavoidable problem.

A Cheap LitePanels Alternative? A Review Of The Zabolight LED Light Kit

An LED light kit for video is something I've always wanted to own. After years of using hot ARRI and Lowel lights, and renting LitePanels when the budget allowed, I discovered a company called Zabolight that was making LED panels and other fixtures at a much cheaper price. I purchased a kit of these, and did some testing to see how they compared to other more expensive brands.

The Best Commercial of 2015 Was Produced By Two Art Students

Many photography and film students fail to dream big enough during their undergraduate studies. The work they produce seems more like an exercise than a passionate project for their own portfolios. For German film students Daniel Titz & Dorian Lebherz this was definitely not the case. In what might be the most moving commercial of 2015, Daniel and Dorian crafted a touching mock ad for Johnnie Walker that shows just how effective you can make your personal projects if you take them seriously.

Here's A List Of The Best Canon Photo/Video Gear To Travel With

This morning I found myself aimlessly surfing through Vimeo and I ran across a great video by Photographer/Videographer Alex Cornell. In this 14 minute video Alex takes us through all of the gear that he brought to Iceland to capture both still images and 4k video.

Film VS Digital – The Documentary “Side By Side” Nails It

You know that moment when you start to watch a documentary, not knowing if it will be any good, and then walk away with your jaw on the floor as the credits roll? That was me last night. If you're interested in the film VS. digital debate; the progression of technology; where things are going for visual media; cinematography; how the media we use to create images affects how we feel about what we see or watch (and why), or how changes in the photographic industry have influenced cinema, you positively, absolutely need to check out Side By Side. Like, now.

Casey Neistat Axes Canon 70D... Literally

If you haven't been keeping up with Casey Neistat's daily vlogs, then you absolutely need to start. They're a great source of creative inspiration, lots of running cut-scenes, and the occasional viral video. In this particular vlog, Neistat tells a story on the importance of not quitting and, while filming, experiences an error with his Canon 70D. You may not believe how he solves it.

Official Old Town Road Music Video Does Not Disappoint

I grew up on MTV and can remember the excitement surrounding newly premiered videos from bands I liked. Now, the place to see the new videos is YouTube, and the latest video of the hit song "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus is a wonderful mix of cinema and culture.