Recent Location Articles

Sydney's Five Best Landscape Locations

This article is for first time visitors to Sydney, Australia. The city and its beaches are riddled with picturesque spots so it will be difficult not to find a unique location. I will include the general areas around the beautiful harbor.

Why One Photograper Teaches Photography for Better Mental Health

Billions of people around the world are self-isolating to slow the spread of Coronavirus. However, it's not just our physical wellbeing at risk, but also our mental health. Stu McKenzie has pioneered a new project to help veterans with PTSD, which could also help those suffering from anxiety and depression during the quarantine.

[Timelapse] Tom Lowe's Newest TimeScapes Trailer Is Timelapse At Its Best

We first featured film maker and timelapse master Tom Lowe almost 2 years ago. This week he released another mind blowing trailer for his documentary TimeScapes (pre order your copy here). Tom's vision was to give viewers a modern look at the American Midwest in all of its glory, and it to say it's glorious is an understatement! Shot primarily on Canon 5d MKIIs and RED Epics (with some of the best cine lenses available), TimeScapes has to be the best timelapse videos I've ever seen. This project has taken Tom over 2 years to film so you know the final release is going to be great to watch especially in ultra HD. Head over to Tom's Vimeo page for more details on how this was shot, and also check out our original post to see some BTS on how Tom creates these breathtaking images.
Bob Poole Films the Most Amazing Moment of His Life

Bob Poole is a DP (Director of Photography for you still shooters) who often works for National Geographic. While filming researcher Jake Wall who is studying the migration of African elephants, Bob and his team came across one of the most amazing things I've ever seen capture on video. You gotta watch this video to believe it but Bob was trapped in a sand storm in Mail for 4 hours while the sun was all but completely blocked by the flying debris. It always amazes me when I see photographers or videographers capture nature at it's best.
How To Photograph/Film A First Descent

Many photographers claim that they will never shoot a wedding because there is too much pressure. If you miss some of the key moments, you will never get another chance. I agree with this to an extent but at least weddings have hundreds of "moments" over the course of a day. If I miss a couple, it's usually not a big deal. A first descent is another story though. In the video below, Lucas Gilman shows us all of the work that goes into capturing just 5-10 seconds. When it comes to something like this, there is absolutely no room for error.
The Mountains of the Scottish Highlands: A Time-Lapse

There’s no shortage of bucket list destinations, but Scotland is a pretty special place. My first photography trip was to Scotland, and my last trip in the UK ended with the Scottish Highlands.

A Time Lapse Shot Of 3 Locations At The Same Time

Everyone likes a good time lapse right? Well Philip Bloom just created one but it has a unique twist. Bloom's video was created with 3 cameras shooting simultaneously outside of his hotel window. He shot with a 5DMII, T2i, and T3i all shooting towards different areas of the landscape at different focal lengths. Check out the full post to see the finished product.
Behind the Scenes of 'After DayZ'

In this behind the scenes video we follow the team over at Corridor Digital as they create a stunning and moving fanfilm after the video game mod of DayZ. Corridor Digital is made up of two friends, Sam Gorski and Niko Pueringer . Apparently, Sam and Niko are huge fans of the zombie video game mod and wanted to tip their hats to the creators of the game. In the behind the scenes video they talk about filming on location and the VFX process. Below is another video by Sam and Niko explaining their workflow while filming and editing.

How A Good Behind The Scenes Video Should Be Made

Shawn Smith is a photographer from Melbourne Australia. His company Blinq sent us this very informative BTS video outlining how they recently shot editorial portraits for two Ironman triathletes Luke Bell and Matt White. What caught me most about this video was how Shawn gave so much detail and insight into each photograph he was setting up. They were using top of the line gear like Profoto 7B packs and beauty dishes, but all of these shots could have easily been produced with less expensive gear and small speedlight modifiers for the photographer working with a budget. If you want to see how Sean and crew approach shooting triathletes underwater and in their natural element, check out the exciting video we featured back in December.
How To Quickly Style A Model And Location For A Photo Shoot

The guys over a Lighten Up And Shoot have created a quick video that shows how they quickly created some very compelling images of a model with very little work. I think its very easy for us to over-think when we are on a shoot but sometimes the easiest answer is the best answer.
2.3 GigaPixel Image Of The Worlds Largest Sky Scraper

If you like detail in your images then this video is for you. Check out this quick video of 2.3 gigapixel image being played with in photoshop. You can view the full file here and you can easily create images of this size yourself with a Giga Pan EPIC Pro. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPK9FCBhV-Y<
Photographing Heritage Railroads

Trains, trains, trains. Heritage Railroads offer a lot of fun and a great photographic subject for those who like to travel. In this article I share my methods of capturing these magnificent vintage iron horses.

Shoot Moving Time Lapse With DriveCam

Moving time lapse videos are becoming more and more popular these days. Check out the video below to see Patryk Kizny take the DriveCam Slider for a test.

Autumn. A short timelapse film from Patryk Kizny on Vimeo.

Alex Prager Was Born In the Wrong Decade

I have to admit, I really enjoy the bands, artists, photographers and other creative professionals I discover watching Carson Daly's show Last Call. One such artist is Los Angeles based photographer Alex Prager. If I had to describe her work, it would be very editorial in nature with a lot of retro clothing, fashion wigs, and classic Americana references. What I find most inspiring about her work is that she holds nothing back when creating the bright and simple world found in her photographs. Almost every one of her images looks as if it was actually created in 1967 whether it be the hair style, the makeup, the clothing, the cultural references, or even the lighting and film grain. What's even more remarkable is her humble story on how she became a photographer with no formal training at all. If you enjoy this interview from MOMA then click the full post to watch more candid video of Alex talking about her work.
JR Pastes His Photographs On Buildings Around The World

We were just sent an incredible TED talk with artist "JR". During his speech JR talks about his incredible art project that entailed traveling around the world, photographing locals with power stories, and then pasting their images on the sides and tops of buildings. The video is long, and starts off a bit slow, but really is worth finishing. At the end of the video JR gives us all a call to action by taking part in his new project "Inside Out". Art is a powerful thing, and can easily change the world.
Octodomes Ping Pong And Fire At The Beach

In this lighting lesson by Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens, shoots promotional material for Cui Baoqun, a Chinese champion ping-pong player. Using the information from his previous lesson on octoboxes, he was able to achieve some nice, dynamic shots.

The Dark Side Of The Lens

I remember seeing this video a long time ago and really enjoyed it. Maybe we thought it was not educational enough to post it but after watching it again I think it's worth sharing. For those of you who have not already seen this short story, the Dark Side Of The Lens is a poetic journey into mind of surf photographer Mickey Smith. The cinematography is outstanding and the locations are breathtaking. It's this sort of presentation that truly makes me appreciate what we all do as artists.
Mirage Boardshorts' Bullet Time Ad

FS reader Luke Avery just sent this video over to us and it's a great one. Check out all the work that goes into creating this 1 minute ad. View the full post to see the finished product. <
Dave Hill Takes You INSIDE His Photographs 3D Style

We have featured a lot of Dave Hill's unbelievable photoshoots here on Fstoppers. So when I saw his Adventure Series posted over at Strobist I thought it was an older video. Oh how I was wrong....way wrong! In his latest video, Dave Hill places his composite images into an After Effects type environment and lets you see every layer and all it's photoshopped glory. The video outlines all 11 images so it's a bit long but you will probably still find yourself watching all of them in wonder. This video was also a great reminder that Dave is to work making behind the scenes videos so you will probably see a lot more of him in the near future. What do you guys think? What is your favorite image from this series?
Lakai Blows Up Skateboarders To Sell Shoes

You may remember a post that we did months back of Lakai shooting a video with skateboarder jumping over huge flames... Well I believe this video is actually older but I like it more. This time the shoe company used explosives to ramp up the excitment and I love it! Usually we post the BTS on the front page but the finished product is so cool I'd rather you watch it first; then you can hit the full post to see all of the "mistakes" that actually made it into the finished product.
Great Photos Taken With A Long Exposure And Sparklers

Von Wong, a photographer who has been featured on Fstoppers many times already, has created yet another great BTSV. In this edition Von Wong uses a long exposure and some sparklers to create some really killer images. We have all probably taken long exposures of sparklers but with a little creativity, you can create a real portfolio piece with anything.
How Your Photography Can Help Change The World

I'm always a bit cynical when people tell me they want to become a photographer so their images can change the world. Living in a post modern society where we are bombarded with images, it is easy to think we have become so desensitized to visuals that nothing can move us into action. Well after watching the latest video from [FRAMED] featuring the work of humanitarian photographer Benjamin Edwards, I have been quickly reminded that photography really can change the way we view the outside world and therefore change the how we interact with it. Benjamin's story and images are an inspiration, and through Emote360 and World Relief Benjamin has been able to inspire others around him to help those less fortunate and in need. What do you guys think; does photography inspire you to change the world?
Make Quick Selections for Basic Compositing on Your iPad Using Photoshop Mix

Though there are other programs out there that say they can quickly cutout objects from the background via masks and leave you with a clean end result, I've tried a few of those programs and they just don't seem to cut it. The process to create these masks also seem very awkward. Now you can quickly create (pretty darn good) masks on your iPad using Photoshop Mix, a mobile offering from Adobe we told you about earlier this year.

Behind The Scenes Of A Comedy Short

Jay P Morgan is most known for his photography but he is also a director. In the video below Jay shows us the technical side of shooting a quick comedy short. Many of the same techniques for video also apply to stills. Check out the full post to see the finished video.
How Amber Gray Shot Her Photo Art Project ‘Andromeda Suite’

This shoot was an art project that Amber Gray had been dreaming of for a long time. One of the things that she often explores in her work is the relationship between feminine energy and the natural world, and this concept in particular really exemplifies that idea in a surreal way.

Timelapse Of The Oldest Motor Plant In The World

Everyone loves a good timelapse video, and Benjamin Sichert has a great one here. Ben filmed this at the NA Otto & Cie factory in Germany which was the first plant to produce 4 stroke combustion engines back in the 1870s. As you can clearly see in the video, this was entirely filmed on a Canon 5D Mark II (video sequences), a Nikon D90 (photo sequences), and the automated Pocket Slider. I love how Ben added a behind the scenes element by including a few camera shots of the setup and motion. It always amazes me what these motorized dollies can do...might have to pick one up soon.
StillMotion Shoots Video At An Aquarium With The Red Epic

As we have said many times before, we are huge fans of the crew at StillMotion for their wedding work. In this video, the team steps outside of their standard job to shoot for Shedd Aquarium. They decided to film most of the project on the new Red Epic so that they could shoot at variable frame rates up to 300fps. In the video below, they take us behind the scenes of the creation of this project. Check out the full post to see the reel from the shoot.
Vintage Lights For A Vintage Shoot

R. J. Kern and Amanda Tipton are both photographers from Denver Colorado. Together they setup a vintage "Mad Men" style photoshoot at the Cruise Room within the Oxford Hotel. They give a lot of useful information about how to achieve a true throw back look by using Fresnel Hot Lights, vintage clothing, and a classic 1950's style location. By shooting with hot lights, RJ and Amanda are both able to shoot at the same time without having to worry about recycle rates or light contamination as they work on sets in close proximity to each other. You can check out Amanda's images HERE and RJ's image HERE. I think both sessions turned out great but if you have a preference for one style over another, let us know in the comments.

Inspired by Light: Behind the Scenes of a Vintage Shoot from R. J. Kern on Vimeo.

Ralph Lauren's Runway Event Goes 4D

The other day I came across a popular video on Vimeo right now that featured an amazing new projection technique hitting large buildings across the world. The art is called 3D Projection Mapping and the effect is really cool. By creating 3D graphic models and merging it with video and stills shot on green screen, these artists are able to project dynamic sequences onto buildings in a way that makes them come to life. Everyone from Samsung, Adidas, and Toyota have used 3D projection mapping for advertising, and the results are spectacular. Ralph Lauren recently created a 3D Projection Map sequence for their 10 years of digital innovation runway show in NYC and they filmed a great behind the scenes video. Click the full post to see the final video and several other amazing videos.
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.

Inspiring and Stunning Time Lapse Featuring the Night Skies Over Kings Canyon

You’ll feel inspired after watching Gavin Heffernan’s (Sunchaser Pictures) stunning time lapse video KINGS, taken in Kings Canyon and Sequoia national park in California. Star trails, the Milky Way and meteors paired with a dramatic soundtrack produce a truly epic and magical visual.

Detailed Lighting Setup For An Amazing Western Shoot

Jay P. Morgan seems to be releasing one great BTSV after another. I have enjoyed them all but I must admit that this one is by far my favorite. At his last workshop, Jay used a 5D Mark II and 4 studio strobes to professionally light his western themed set. If you don't have all of the studio gear yet, keep in mind that it is possible to light scenes like these with much smaller and cheaper speedlights as well (like the SB-900 or 580EX), just keep in mind that they will not be as powerful as a studio system.
Clark Little Lets Waves Crash Onto His Camera

UPDATE: Rich Tully works directly with Clark Little and just sent us this much better video. Click the full post for the original video posted: One thing I love about running a website like Fstoppers is that I am introduced to all sorts of photography I would never have come across on my own. Such is the case with professional wave photographer Clark Little (you must check out his website). I owe a thanks to my dad who first told me about Clark's work and now we have a video that shows what it is like to be directly in contact with a huge wave crashing over you. If Clark comes across this post, we'd love to see a formal behind the scenes made with interviews and some information about how your approach to 'wave photography' has evolved. Perhaps Fstoppers needs to head out to Hawaii this spring!
Raw And Untamed With Joe Cornish And Colin Prior

Colin Prior and Joe Cornish are revered as two of the greatest British landscape photographers of all time, and their work has garnered a large following globally. This video series follows Colin and Joe as they embark on a journey through the Scottish Highlands, explore its stunning scenery, and capture its raw and untamed beauty through their lenses.
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)
Photographing Rainbows and Moonbows At Yosemite National Park

This video was emailed to us and I when I watched it I thought "wow I've never seen anything like this before!" We've all seen rainbows and you've probably had your fair share of experiences taking images of them. What's so interesting about this video is it showcases the elusive "moonbow" formed as moonlight passes through the mist created by waterfalls. Yosemite National Park is known for it's amazing rock formations, waterfalls, and forests but few people know how beautiful it can look after the sun has set.
Dancers Among Us: Urban NYC Portraits

Jordan Matter is a headshot photographer based out of NYC but does some rather quirky personal projects. One of his going projects is titled Dancers Among Us where he places professional dancers in urban environments and tries to capture a spontaneous yet thought provoking image. I must admit some of his tactics might be a bit unlawful and I don't recommend necessarily following his advice but the concept is pretty interesting. Shooting in public places is always tough especially when you want a high production value but doing it in NYC can be extremely tough without getting proper licenses. View more images from this series here. //--> //--> //-->
A Timelapse Video Of Chicago Taken From A Boat

Patrick and I were just in Chicago a few weeks ago filming an upcoming FS Original and when we asked the locals what we needed to do, everyone suggested the architectural boat tour. Riding a boat through the center of a huge city was a really cool experience and if you ever visit, I would suggest you also check it out. It appears that Philip Bloom also went on the same tour but he (being the smart guy that he is) strapped a camera to the boat and made a video out of it. Now everyone can enjoy hours of boating through Chicago in about 3 minutes.
Interview with Set in The Street Photographer Justin Bettman

Justin Bettman is a portrait and editorial photographer based out of NYC and I first came across his #SetintheStreet project while scrolling through Facebook. I thought it was a fun, creative and unique project that was worth sharing! I love that the art kind of lived on after the shoot itself with him leaving the sets in place for people to engage with. So cool, right!?! With that said, I decided I had to interview him to find out what are his processes in creating these photographs.

Glen Friedman: 80s Skateboarding and Hiphop Photographer

There are so many photographer's who I don't know by name but recognize their work once it pops up. One such name many of you may not be instantly familiar with is cultural photographer Glen Friedman who is most famous for his photographs of early skateboarding pioneers Tony Alva, Jay Adams, and Duane Peters, and rebellious hip hop artists like Ice-T, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and Run D.M.C. In this video Glenn talks about his work and in the second video he talks about what it was like growing up during one of the creative hot beds of American and World culture. If you are in the San Francisco in the next few days, check out his gallery showing at 941 Geary Gallery before it wraps up the end of the month. Oh and the first words out of this video are "Fuck You All" just as a warning :)
Paris In Motion Part 2

Not to long ago we showed you part 1 of Paris in Motion by Mayeul Akpovi along with the behind the scenes of how they did it. Well, Mayeul just released part 2. I still love the look of doing these hyper laps shots. They give a whole other dimension to time-laps photography.

[Video] Brilliant Cinema Reel By Brain Farm

Digital cinema powerhouse, Brain Farm, released its new 2012 reel a few days ago online. As a photographer and someone who isn't heavily involved in video production, it's hard for me to get excited about video reels. But Brain Farm left me wanting more and more of their footage. I was in awe as I watched this reel. Kudos to the whole BF team, and I look forward to seeing you guys take over the world someday. Enjoy!

Cruise to the Bahamas With Concert Photographer David Bergman

Concert photography is probably one of the most appealing genres to shoot for any photographer. When I first picked up a camera, the only thing I wanted to photograph was my favorite bands as they played live. Our good friend and Canon Explorer of Light ambassador David Bergman is launching a pretty unique live workshop called Shoot From the Pit that will not only let you work side by side with David himself but also shoot a variety of artists as they perform live.

[Video] How Many Lights Do You Need To Light A Delivery Truck?

A few weeks ago, commercial photographer Jay P Morgan showed us how to balance strobe light with ambient light on a large 18 wheeler (which involved closing down a California highway on ramp). In this video Jay is shooting a lifestyle image for Pilot Freight Services which requires him to light a large outdoor areas with studio lighting. The answer to the question in the title could probably be "one light," but using one strobe on a commercial shoot is not only going to produce a less than perfect image, it is also going to look unprofessional from the eyes of the art director. When photographing large advertising campaigns, I've learned that giving your clients that "wow" experience is perhaps even more important that the actual final image so don't underestimate the saying under promise and over deliver. What is great about this photoshoot is that even if you don't shoot large campaigns like this on a daily basis, it should still force you to think why certain lights are needed, and more importantly, ask what you yourself would do if this was your hired job.
BTS: How This Beautiful Slow-Mo Film of a House Set on Fire Was Made

Slow motion is, certainly, one of the most beautiful cinematic inventions of all time. It can show us so many things that are not normally visible and can make any "normal" scene look magical and unique. For the past few years the slow motion technologies have continued to improve, and just last year the Phantom Flex4K Digital Cinema Camera was announced introducing some groundbreaking slow motion abilities like shooting at 1,000fps at at 4K resolution. Shortly after its release, Director Brendan Bellomo and cinematographer Greg Wilson got their hands on the camera and took it for a test and created this beautiful video called "Let Me Know When You See Fire."

How To Light A Semi-Truck Against The Los Angeles Skyline

Jay P. Morgan is a commercial photographer based out in Los Angeles. His behind the scenes videos have been a hit with our readers because they always feature some useful lighting or photoshopping technique. In his latest video, Jay shuts down a highway ramp in order to light an 18 wheeler truck against the LA skyline. It's pretty interesting that an image like this is shot in camera and not completely photoshopped but that's what makes Jay P. Morgan a hero around the office. If you enjoy this video be sure to check out some of his other videos here.
Patrick And I go to Las Vegas/Shoot In A $15,000 Per Night Penthouse

I am not a rich man, and even if I was I never see myself dropping $15,000 to stay in a hotel room for one night. However, if I happened to meet someone that wanted to give it to me for free you better believe I would stay there, and set up a photoshoot. And that is exactly what happened. Click on this post to see a second video of us talking about the shoot afterwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu1R6w1Mh90
Freddie Wong Builds His Own Gun Shots

If you are not already subscribed to Freddie Wong's YouTube channel, you should go there right now and watch one of Youtube's most popular animators. Well this week he has created a really simple video called The Freeze Shootout and has provided a quick behind the scenes video on how he did it. Watch the full video here and click on the full post to watch how he created it.