Recent Product Photography Articles

Atomos Offers Hot Swapping With New Power Station

Atomos, known for their field recorders, has recently announced a new portable power solution. The Power Station, as it is called, has the ability to power up to 3 devices simultaneously and features hot swapping. The device is powered by Sony L-series batteries, but adapters for Canon LP-6 and Nikon EN-EL15 battieries will be available.

Canon 6D for Under $2000 & Other Deals

The Canon faithful were likely a little disappointed they didn't see the drastic price cuts that the Nikon D600 saw just before the holiday, but we can take slight solace in the current sale price of the Canon 6D this week on B&H and Amazon. Though not quite as steep as those D600 deals, the 6D can be grabbed for just a hair under $2000. For the Nikon shooters, two new bundles from B&H keep the deals for the D600 rolling with two new bundled kits at $700 off retail. Finally, RedRock Micro is having a big end-of-the-year sale worth looking into, rounding out these deals of the day.

Sick Trailer for the New GoPro HD Hero2

So I am going through some of the slow-mo HD camera options that are on the market right now for an adventure I will be taking soon, and I stumbled upon the new GoPro HD Hero2. On their site they have one of the illest trailers I have ever seen for a camera, and I had to watch it several times. This isn't an ad for the camera and I am not saying that this is the one I will buy, but man what else compares? With that said, watch this trailer, it really is rad to see what kind of punch that tiny package can deliver! (that's what she said)
Panasonic Lumix GH4 Now In Stock

The much anticipated Panasonic Lumix GH4 has finally reached the store shelves today and is available for order. We've talked about this camera in the past, and impressed with it's 4K video capabilities, but more so on the fact that it's 10-bit 4:2:2 recording at the same resolution. At the reasonable price point of $1,698, the Panasonic GH4 may be the best camera choice available for videographers on a budget.

VSCO Film 03 Is On Sale Till Tuesday

For anyone who might have missed it, I did a little review of VSCO 3 last week. VSCO Film emulsions are great at emulating an analog film look for your digital photos and also offers custom profiles for your camera manufacturer, if you are shooting Nikon, Canon, or now Fuji (just for Film 03), to further improve performance of the presets.

PhaseOne Announces the IQ150: The IQ250 Minus WiFi for $29,990

At a $5,000 "discount" compared to the IQ250, the IQ150 seems almost identical in every way. While we don't currently have much information, we do know that the IQ150 features the same Sony 50MP CMOS sensor that is featured in the IQ250, Hasselblad H5D-50c, Mamiya Leaf Credo 50, and Pentax 645z, boasting the same native and useable ISO range of 100-6400. The only [in]visible difference is the lack of WiFi and $29,990 price tag (compared to the IQ250's $34,990).

How to Create a 360-Degree Product Shot Using a Turntable

With many online selling platforms now presenting rotating images of products, knowing how to create a 360-degree shot might be an important addition to your business. This excellent tutorial shows you a very simple and affordable setup.

Olympus Announces New PEN E-PL7 "Selfie-King"

Olympus announced the successor to the successful micro four thirds E-PL5, creatively named the E-PL7. It has a few new features that MFT photographers will like, but the flip down screen will be getting most of the attention. Olympus designed the screen with optimal selfie composition in mind. The styling of the camera screams "vintage modern," the oxymoron of choice for many camera makers in that market.

Behind The Scenes On The 2011 Maybelline Calendar

Each year Maybelline creates a limited edition calendar featuring crazy concepts and wild makeup. This year the cosmetic brand teamed up with photographer Kenneth Willardt to produce some very vibrant images. Make sure you head over to Kenneth's commercial section of his website to view a bunch of the images. His ability to light a set is worth taking note as well as the overall production they put into these images.
[FS Spotlight] Lisa Hubbard Keeps It Interesting: Chic, Playful Interiors and Still Lifes

When photographers think about their dream shoot, it usually has more to do with Angelina Jolie and a Ferrari than painstakingly positioning a piece of cooked cauliflower. Shooting interiors and still lifes can be notoriously difficult. And when done poorly, it can be downright boring... which is why I love photographer Lisa Hubbard and her work. Hubbard’s work is fresh and quirky, with a style and sense of humor that never gets old. Her impressive list of clients, including Anthropolgie, Absolut, Bon Appetit, Burberry, Kmart, and Martha Stewart, certainly agree. Check out this week’s FS Spotlight with Lisa Hubbard to get the scoop on her life as a successful interior and lifestyle photographer.
Critique the Community: Submit Your Product Images Now

To celebrate the release of our newest product photography tutorial, the next episode of Critique the Community will be focused on product images. After having spent weeks with Brian Rodgers Jr. and watching him work, Lee and Patrick are ready to see how your images stand up against the highest rated product photographers on Fstoppers. From the submissions, we will choose one lucky person to win a free Fstoppers tutorial. We will be accepting submissions between now and Friday, February 2nd, at midnight and will select a total of 20 images for the video. Make sure you follow the submission guidelines below to be eligible to participate.

How To Paint Vinyl Backgrounds for Food and Product Photography

Food and product photography backgrounds can be incredibly difficult to come by in certain parts of the world. There are lots of tutorials out there about how to create your own textured backgrounds and wood backgrounds. But vinyl backgrounds are the bomb when it comes to portability and saving space. Creating them isn’t too difficult either.

How To Shoot Motorcycles In The Studio

James Douglas was commissioned to shoot high end bikes for Riders Alley's catalog. He was kind enough to shoot a simple BTS so that we could also be a part of the fun. I enjoyed seeing the relatively simple background and lighting produce a great finished product.
Can Your Hard Drive Survive a Swim in the Ocean? This G-Drive ev ATC Did

I baby my external hard drives. I always wrap them in bubble wrap when taking them from home to the coffee shop, and I even have a little mini-pelican case for longer trips. I couldn't imagine how bad it would be if it happened to get even a quick salt water splash, let alone get stuck in the sand. In this video, watch what happens when this G-Tech hard drive is thrown right into the surf of the ocean.

Critique the Community Episode 25: Product Photography

To celebrate our most recent tutorial release with Brian Rodgers Jr., this weeks episode of Critique the Community features product photography images. We chose 20 of the images and rated them using the Fstoppers rating system. We also gave a free tutorial away to

Priolite Gives Pentax Users High-Speed Sync

Relatively new to the professional flash world, German strobe manufacture Priolite is wasting no time in making a name for itself in the big leagues. Their latest product, the RC-HS/P, is a transmitter/controller for their lights that enables high-speed sync (HSS) with the Pentax line of cameras, and most excitingly, Pentax’s digital medium format 645Z.

How to Create Effective Overhead Product Lighting

Even if it is not your specialty, product photography is a fantastic way to practice creating precisely crafted lighting. This great video will show you how to create a versatile overhead product lighting setup that you can use on a variety of items and vary to your personal taste.

How to Make Your Own Wood Backdrops for Food and Product Photography

There are lots of great options from pre-made to digitally printed backdrops available, but a lot of them are not cheap, and if you want to have a wide variety, it adds up quickly. That is why I supplement my collection with my own homemade DIY backdrops.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Mirrorless Camera Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 is a fine camera, if unassuming. But that quality might make it something you’d really enjoy using -- it’s a certain stealthy quality. At the very least, you’ll want to give this one a second look.

Blackmagic Adds PL Mount to the Beloved Cinema Camera and a Plethora of Hardware

Announced today at IDC, Blackmagic showed off a new Blackmagic Cinema Camera sporting a PL mount (For Arri and Red Camera systems) as well as a series of rackmountable interfaces, monitors and input systems. These additions to their lineup help prove once again that Blackmagic is ready to play with the professional level videographers.

Nikon Updates Its 500mm f/4 and 600mm f/4 Super-Telephotos with New Coatings, Lighter Components, and Heftier Prices

Those lenses we all dream of owning but that only few truly need (and are able to afford) just got a refreshed introduction with a focus on weight reduction combined with the implementation of the latest lens coat and crystal technologies. With the new additions, however, come brand new price tags in excess of $2,000 more than the predecessors for the AF-S 500mm f/4E FL ED VR and AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lenses.

product-photography-critique

Submissions for a new episode of "Critique the Community" are now open! Between now and the end of the day on September 23rd, you have a chance to submit PRODUCT images to be critiqued by the Fstoppers team. For this episode, we will be giving feedback to 20 pictures. To qualify you must follow the submission rules below.

Pentax Q Mirrorless Camera Review

From the start, the Pentax Q has one thing going for it: it’s the smallest interchangeable lens camera in the world. At first glance, this little guy seems like the photojournalist’s dream. But does it do better than your average point and shoot?

[Video] Sony NEX-FS700 Hands on Video Overview

This week the Fstop Academy released some BTS footage and a short film shot with the new Sony NEX-FS700. On their site they also have a great write up as well as a complete video overview reviewing Sony's new 4k Super 35mm toy for the video boys. Enjoy!