Behind the Scenes

Watch YouTube star Julien Solomita follow behind-the-scenes as fellow YouTuber Keaton Keller of Tech Smart reviews the new DJI Phantom 4 Quadcopter obstacle avoidance feature. As a review, it isn't to be taken too seriously with Keller attempting to fly the drone into a tree, branches, a tripod, and finally himself.

Most people will agree that Alfred Hitchcock was a master of film. "Vertigo" may have been his biggest masterpiece. It's a subtle and meticulously crafted film that weaves complex storylines into a thrilling experience for the viewer. It's amazing to examine just how thorough Hitchcock truly was. Studying his methods can greatly inform your own filmmaking. 

London-based Sports and Portrait Photographer Levon Biss wanted to see how he could take his commercial lighting techniques into the world of macro photography.

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.

The Hitfilm crew, Kirstie Tostevin, Josh Davies, and Simon Jones take over Film Riot to bring you a kick-butt tutorial on how to create an Iron Man heads-up display effect with their free HitFilm 4 Express software.​ This eight-minute video takes us all the way from pre-production to post-production.  

As a headshot and portrait photographer, I'm always looking to streamline my process and create consistent results for my clients. With that in mind I want to share with you my "bread and butter," super-simple setup I've been using for the last two years.

Vancouver-based filmmakers, Jason Lucas and Matt Dennison, are all about trying to make quality videos. They're also all about trying to help you make quality videos! In this seven-minute video the IFHT (I Focking Hate That) crew run down 32 steps on, "How To Be A Filmmaker".

This short but awesome behind-the-scenes video from Adrien Veczan shows his setup and technique for capturing a product photo of a bottle of cranberry vodka. Check out the video and then read on to hear a little bit more about his approach and method, which utilizes different lights to paint different parts of the bottle for his final image. 

In this video, Guadalajara-based Photographer and Retoucher Sid Vasandani, shows us how to recreate that classic Steven Meisel vibe, used in his controversial campaigns for Vague Italia's, "Makeover Madness" and "Supermodel Enter Rehab". Watch as Sid walks us through a behind-the-scenes shoot, where he runs down the lighting

On one side, we have advertising photography, where everything is contrived and meant to look a certain way. It might as well be a painting with how planned out each step is. On the other, we have photojournalism. As the opposite, true photojournalism should never be staged, posed or "created." The idea is to capture what is and has happened.

Photographer Erik Christian, based in Hudson Valley, NY, created athletic portraits using continuous lights and strobes. He recently shot a series of mixed light portraits for a local newspaper that annually features their local high school basketball all-stars. He decided to shoot the team much more creatively than past portrait sessions.  

Following the introduction of its Immerge virtual reality system, Lytro, the "light field" camera company whose consumer models we now see discounted nearly everywhere, recently left the consumer space to concentrate on and introduce its new product, Lytro Cinema.

It's been said that Prague-based Photographer and Retoucher Erik Johansson doesn't capture moments, he captures ideas. To him, photography is a way to actualize complex, surreal concepts that are in his head.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Syrp's awesome, affordable, perfectly executed Genie Mini time-lapse device. However, time-lapse photography and videography barely covers the beginning of what can be done with the New Zealand company's awesome devices. The Slanted Lens' Jay P.

I've never been one for artificial light in my photography, and it's an issue that many photographers come across when leaving that oh, so beautiful natural light. The struggle of having a budget to put towards lighting equipment can be daunting but shouldn't limit you in finding the best way to create the shot.

In February, Sony announced their new "G-Master" lineup of full frame zoom lenses, with fast apertures and made specifically for their mirrorless camera options, like the popular the a7rII, or even the recently reviewed a6300. In this video review by Chelsea and Tony Northrup, they got to kick the tires of the new 24-70mm f/2.8 Sony G-Master lens, and were impressed by the results. 

We have finally made it to the end of our behind-the-scenes series of Elia Locardi's “Photographing the World” tutorial.

Take a trip back to a time before World War II where the idea of a portable 35mm camera was just becoming a reality. Filmarchives Online brings us an amazing peek into the Earnst Leitz Optische Werke factory in Wetzlar, Germany sometime between the two World Wars. 

As someone who makes a full time living working as a photographer I am often asked for advice on how to get started and how to make it in this career. Despite the seemingly impossible odds, it is in fact quite possible to make a fantastic living in this industry.

Since the birth of social media, almost every business, public figure, and of course, creative, like us, are discovering new, interesting ways to engage with their following to portray value. In our industry, engagement and creativity in garnering it is very essential because of the abundance of noise and content that exists in the social media world.

Photographing The World Behind The Scenes continues today with Episode 17. This is the second to last episode in our series. In this video, we head back to New Zealand to photograph astrophotography with Elia Locardi.  

Any resource that explores the art of film and video editing I find utterly fascinating, and this video is a fantastic example of just that. Director/Editor Joey Scoma of Rocketjump Film School created this video that explores many of the different ways that editors can go from one shot to the next. 

It is somewhat cathartic to know that creating something beautiful can leave a profound impact on the creator. It seems possible for the emotional impact we feel when viewing art to be measured in the volume of revelation the artist unloaded to create it. This is reassurance that something that resonates is real. 

Creating a music video for a national act is one of the most intense tasks for a modern day filmmaker.  Sure, the tools are more affordable, but declining budgets and insane turnaround times can turn your production into a sprint.

A couple of a weeks ago I shared a video called "Centriphone," which left many people (myself included) wondering how exactly the creator, Nicolas Vuignier, was able to capture this incredible effect. Just today he has released a behind-the-scenes video explaining exactly how it was done, along with plans for how anyone can make their own with a 3D printer. 

If you’ve been working with video in the last few years and are looking to take your post-production to the next level, color grading absolutely needs to be something you consider incorporating into your workflow. DaVinci Resolve is not only a powerful software for doing this, but it's base version is actually free for anyone. 

"Undisturbed Places" is a time-lapse film by Maciej Tomkow. This breathtaking four-minute film transports you to some of the most beautiful uninhabited places in the world. Tomkow presents them in a way that creates a sense of awe that I didn’t think possible.

It's usually all about that sweet, soft light.

Before I get into the meat of this article, I have to admit, I was initially very against the idea of Snapchat because I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of disposable content that disappears after 24 hours. For quite a long time, I didn’t understand how it made any sense at all compared to other social media platforms.  

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.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to film detail shots of a product? If you haven't ever tried it, you may not fully appreciate all of the effort that goes into every second of this footage. Luckily, we get an insider's look at what it really takes.  

If you were on Fstoppers last week (or anywhere on the internet for that matter), you probably saw the newest music video from popular band OK Go. The band is known for their incredibly complicated filming, choreography, and performances which go into each video.

Do you feel at a certain point, after making a long run of photoshoots, that you're hitting a wall with your creative side? Or have you "lost your touch" so to speak? This is also known as "Creative Burnout." As creatives, we've all been there before. At one point we all plateau and need to find a way to break the "funk" to get back of the swing of things.

Your headache from over-drinking (either in celebration or in deep depression) may be wearing off, but for those that had to photograph Super Bowl 50, that headache began days before the big day. The preparation for covering the game took its toll on those that enable us look back on it this week.

Are you thinking of becoming an assistant? Trust me; assisting can be brutal, yet it can be exciting as well. It really depends on who you assist. Working in this role is the best way to gain lots of experience, especially when you're working your way to becoming a professional photographer.

Big movies mean big budgets, which usually mean big visual effects.

In Episode 12 of Photographing The World Behind the Scenes, we spend our final three days in Singapore. Elia teaches one final lesson for the Cityscape photography tutorial, but the highlight of our time in Singapore was spent with the locals. 

Jay P. Morgan with The Slanted Lens has released a new video that demonstrates how he and his team were able to precisely capture the exact moment they wanted, using the laser mode on the MIOPS trigger system. Morgan breaks down the tricks for getting just the right shot, without having to rapid-fire a bunch of extra, useless images. 

Watch as Josh Connolly tests out the slow motion explosion he bought off Amazon Prime (ya, you heard me) and then learn how to create your very own.

It’s safe to say that this camera doesn’t suck, and in the hands of someone like Tim Kemple, who’s at the top of their game, the results are pretty incredible. I got the chance to chat with Tim about his thoughts on using the new Phase One XF 100MP camera, including what happened when he flew it on a drone over a waterfall. 

World-renowned photographer and visual engineer Benjamin Von Wong has done it again. His breathtaking, inspiring photography has taken yet another step and this time for a great cause. According to Von Wong, this is the hardest shoot he has ever pulled off, and one he hopes has the biggest impact. 

This short film is a great piece of satire, aimed at some of the stereotypical characters and views found on an indie film set. Couple that with a concept that is ridiculous, yet believable enough to be true, and you've got gold. This humorous short takes you behind the scenes of a film shot using only the Toyota Prius backup camera. 

Reporters Without Borders has released a wonderful video that demonstrates the importance of having impartial and unbiased coverage of war and conflicts. In the video they juxtapose images and video footage which popular media presents, with that of independent photojournalists, for a stark contrast that effectively displays the different messages both are trying to get across. 

Working as a behind-the-scenes or “stills” photographer is an entirely different experience to most usual photography jobs. As photographers we naturally tend to take charge of the creative direction, and are used to getting our own way.

The next time you're having a rough day thinking about how all your photography is looking the same, the competition is stiff, and bookings are down, remember that there are photographers out there taking pictures exclusively of the male anatomy and translating those into $10,000 limited edition prints. 

As you’ve most likely heard the news, the world has lost one of the most influential musicians of this generation, David Bowie, at the age of 69. His transcendence and originality is something all artists can admire. Chris Duffy, the son of photographer Brian Duffy, takes you behind the scenes of the creative direction for some of Bowie and his father's collaborations. 

In this video, Daniel Norton of Adorama takes you into his studio, showing you how to set up for three different lighting scenarios, with the ability to change from one to another at the flip of a switch. This is great for if you have extremely limited time with models or actors and need alternate looks or options between them. 

Lighting action and sports photography can often be complex. The flash cannot always be placed where it should and with the x-sync limitation of our cameras, it can be difficult to have the required settings. But some photographers, like Tristan Shu, master their craft and can push the boundaries of flash photography. 

Have you ever wondered what motivates all those successful, high-end professional photographers you look up to? Chances are, if you're a fan of this site, you already have a lot in common with them but Nikon Ambassador Corey Rich helps put that drive into words as he goes behind the scenes with five of Nikon's heavy hitters.