Behind the Scenes

The final image rarely tells the whole story. Behind the scenes content pulls back the curtain on how photographers actually work — the lighting diagrams, the location logistics, the decisions made in the moment, and the problems solved on the fly. This section features shoot breakdowns, workflow reveals, and candid looks at what it really takes to produce professional photography.

Compositing A Unique Family Portrait With Ben Von Wong

Back again, Benjamin Von Wong takes on family portraits this time in another one of his behind the scenes videos. See how he put together 4 different scenes to make typically mundane photography style come to life. Using a D800E and Photoshop, check out how Ben works his magic.  

Here is the final composite. For more information, check out Ben's blog about the shoot.

BTS: ASU's 'Sparky' Gets A Fiery Update

Arizona State University's mascot, 'Sparky', and its football team, the Arizona Sun Devils, have lit up several stadiums over the years with it's blazing and rock-driven intro video, but after seven seasons it looks like poor Sparky is in need of an update.

Netflix Adds Documentary Depciting War At Its Most Terrible

Now available on Netflix, "Shooting Robert King" goes behind the scenes of what it was like to be a documentary war photographer. You always hear and see images from the war but NEVER about what it's like to be thrown into it as a documentary photographer. At just 24, American photojournalist Robert King began his 15 year journey to follow his passion.

Rare Behind The Scenes Clip Of Iconic Scene From Raiders Of The Lost Ark

In this clip of an alternate take of the swordfight where Indi shoots the villian, we see the scene being choreographed in a compeltely different way than what went on to make the final film. Ironically enough, this scene is easily one of the most iconic segments from that series. This brings to mind all sorts of speculative questions; What was the original scene written to be?

Behind The Scenes... Gangnam Style!

This past week I have been bombarded with this poppy, silly and downright hilarious song. My co-workers play it nonstop, my two daughters won't stop singing along to it and the other night while at a local bar a group of very happy drunk people attempted to dance the signature pony-style dance.

Curiosity Rover’s Landing On Mars - Now In Amazing Homemade Ultra-HD Version

Independent video producer Bard Canning spent 4 weeks trying to improve the footage of Curiosity's landing released by NASA last month, and the result is insanely amazing. He used thousands of tracking points in a technique called motion-flow interpolation, and added sound effects to make it look and sound even more realistic.

Shooting Rock Climbers With Studio Strobes

Tom Bol utilizes some extra tall light stands and generous amounts of sand bagging to get some studio strobes up on a wall with some rock climbers. Check out this behind the scenes video to see how easy it is to use studio strobes in an elevated situation like climbing.

Behind The Scenes Of 'Dream Music' Is As Awesome As The Original

A while ago we posted the video Dream Music Part 2, which has since blown up and become a huge hit online. Marc Donahue, one of the co-creators along with Sean Michael Williams, shot me a link to their behind the scenes reel, which shows timelapses of timelapses, using various setups with their Dynamic Perception Dolly kit.

Lenovo's "Seize the Night" Alternate Ending Challenge: "Do"

Lenovo, a worldwide computer company that manufacturers laptops, have gathered fifteen of what they believe are the best college filmmakers for their 'Seize the Night' Alternate Ending challenge. One of the contestants is a graduate of the University of Alabama (now a film student at USC), Xavier Burgin. His entry into the competition is called 'Do'.

How Douglas Sonders Processes His "Beard Series"

Douglas Sonders has been features a few times on this site with some incredible images and this series doesn't depart from that sentiment. This video walks you through the post production of his "Beard Series" and gives you some great insights into how to use some excellent Nik Software to create a beautiful high contract black and white image.

 

Behind The Scenes: Cover Shoot For Backpacker Magazine

For the yet unreleased October 'survival' issue of Backpacker magazine, adventure  photographer, Bud Force, decided instead of having a model dangling perilously off of a cliff  that he would do a creative composite. He shot the background at 'El Capitan' peak in Guadalupe Moutains National Park and the subject at Mineral Wells State Park. 

John Keatley Shoots "Bad Coffee"

Photographer John Keatley takes us behind the scenes of his latest series "Bad Coffee" and gives us a great look at how it was shot. He gives us some really interesting insights into how he deals with the with the myriad of ideas that come from working with retouchers, assistants and make up artists on a big shoot.  

Assassin's Creed Meets Parkour In This Real Life Film - Behind The Scenes

Devin Graham is no stranger to danger, as seen in his previous projects like Epic Rope Swing or Camera Warfare. He is back with a new project, which follows a professional freerunner around the city, dressed up as Altair, the main character in the video game Assassin's Creed. This video shows you how Devin used a Glidecam to get his footage, and a green screen for a tricky fx shot.

Product Photography In The Garage, Capture One Has You Covered

Hey guys, Paul here. Today is a busy day of packing for me. I'm shooting 41 shows for New York Fashion week and my plane leaves bright and early. I will share my experience with all of you as soon as I get back. For now, I wanted to share a quick down and dirty solution to shooting product shots, or any subject for that matter, especially when you have the client present in the studio...

Chase Jarvis Breaks Down a Time Lapse Set Up

If you've ever wondered about a simple, travel friendly time lapse setup, check this out. During his recent time in South Africa, Chase Jarvis was able to use four different cameras to capture time lapse sequences over the course of two hours. Not only does Chase break down the settings he uses, he also explains how time settings of his camera will translate to a final product at 24 fps.

Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and his DSLR in Space

FS Reader Clifford Pate brought these images to our attention, asking if the DSLR Russuian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka was using on the International Space Station was a Nikon or a Canon. That legendary DSLR battle aside, it's cool to see how the cosmonauts work with a DSLR, and the kind of equipment that goes into the process (beyond just the camera).  

BTSV: The Girls of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Shoot

I am an old school Tekken fan. There was a time when I could compete against my little brother, one handed while only watching his controller. Back then my true loves were photography and the obscenely hot girls of Tekken. So you can imagine my excitement when they put out a quick BTSV for the upcoming release of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 featuring the girls of Tekken.  

A Behind the Scenes Look at Tim McGraw's "Car Stories"

Joey L teams up with Variable to capture Tim McGraw on his ranch. Unfortunately there isn't any narration in this BTSV but you do get to see what went into the final and to drool over their use of a RC helicopter mounted Epic Red. You can see the final video in the full post.

BTSV of Air Canada's 75th Anniversary Commercial

Director and designer Karmin Zariffa was hired by SpaFax and AirCanada to turn out their promo videos in celebration of AirCanada's 75th anniversary. The spots showcase air hostess uniforms and airplanes used over the years. Karmin used a lot of in camera effects and object building to pull these off and we are thankful to be able to see how he and his team did. Enjoy this BTSV.

Using a Miniature World With Green Screen

We are in an age where CG dominates today's movies and cartoons. While the effects can be pretty cool, it can be refreshing when people work old-school and create a work based off green screen and creativity. 

Behind The Scenes: Bringing The Toy Box To Life

Follow The Mill Visual Effects Studio, a leading CGI and special effects global company as they walk you through the Norfolk Southern campaign, "City of Possibilites'. Computer generated imagery has always astounded me in how much processing it takes to get the final result.

Pre Wedding Photos in Jaipur India

If your wedding client asked to have a customized pre wedding shoot halfway around the world, how would you treat the opportunity? Simeon Quarrie, who has developed a reputation for himself as an incredible creative and committed photographer jumped at the option to be flown to Jaipur, India to shoot in a unique setting for his wedding clients.  

Behind The Scenes: Shooting The Master Of Horror

John Carpenter. His name is synonymous with fear. The films he has made in the last 40 years has been the cause of both delight and terror in several generations. 'The Thing' used to have me scrambling under the covers at night during my childhood while 'Big Trouble in Little China' had me laughing at jokes I was still too young to understand.

Behind The Scenes: How To Photograph The Olympics With Reuters

Earlier in the year, Fstoppers showed you how Sports Illustrated photographers photograph a superbowl. Just as the 2012 Olympics in London have come to a close, Reuters has released a behind the scenes video on how their photographers take images during the world's most celebrated sporting event.

BTS Videos Of Annie Leibovitz's Disney Dream Portraits

Last week Lee Morris posted a few behind the scenes images of Annie Leibovitz's latest Disney Campaign featuring Russell Brand as the villainous Captain Hook and funnymen Jack Black, Will Ferrell and Jason Segel as the hitchhiking ghosts from 'The Haunted Mansion' ride.  Here are two behind the scenes videos of each photoshoot respectively.  

This Pac-Man Fan Film Will Blow Your Mind (Behind The Scenes Video Too)

It's true, I have a soft spot in my heart for fan films, but this short is simply too good to ignore. James Farr took his passion and turned it into a script, and then over the course of a year was able to put together this project with the help of many other talented folks. This looks better than most video game movies Hollywood is putting out these days!

Why TTL is Joe McNally's Default Flash System Over Radio

Here is a 13 minute video of Joe McNally testing out the range and application of the built-in and SB-900 flashes. If your knee jerk reaction to TTL is that it's too limited and too problematic watching this demonstration by Joe may just have you giving TTL transmission use a second look.  

A Bird's Eye View of Aerial Cinematography

Aerial Cinematography has always been a fascination of mine. Aerial shots tend to easily blow away normal stationary ground shots I find, but I've always wondered how people achieved such amazing footage and what they used.

Adapting Your Commercial Project Cross Culturally

Anyone who works commercially knows how important it is to adapt the product you deliver to your clients needs; this is especially true when dealing cross culturally. Voodoo Partners in Germany does an excellent job of this as they take us behind the scenes in one of their recent Jewelry commercials to be aired in Qatar.

Behind The Lens With Gregory Heisler

Stumptown Visuals sat down with world renowned photographer, Gregory Heisler just before he spoke at ASMP Oregon's August meeting. Gregory, who is best known for photographing more than 70 Time Magazine cover portraits, gives us a glimpse into what it's like to be behind the lens and have worked with some of the most famous people in the world.  

(Via)

Impressive Slow Motion Video Using The Sony FS700

With just $500 and 4 days to film, Luke Neumann of Neumann Films created one heck of a slow motion video with the new Sony NEX-FS700. What sets this video apart from all the others is that in at least every clip something or someone is flying through the air. With 24 frames per second we are able to see a ridiculous amount of detail captured on video.

Matching Image With Sound For "The Dark Knight Rises"

One of the greatest experiences in watching films is when the sound and image work together in a cohesive unit that drives the intended emotions home for the viewers. Creating that experience takes the work of highly skilled professionals, like Hans Zimmer and Richard King.

How To Photograph A Spacedive: BTS With Red Bull

Red Bull is about to attempt a feat never accomplished before. Stratos is the name of the project where Red Bull will attempt to have Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiver, free fall over 22 miles above the Earth and in the process break the speed of sound.

Beneath The Diaper: A Hilarious BTS Interpretation Of Anne Geddes

By now, we have all heard of Anne Geddes, the photographer famous for capturing moments of babies dressed up in various outfits, posed on beautiful sets. The World instantly fell in love with her. No matter how difficult the job, she always makes it look easy. Have you ever wondered how she gets the shot and makes everything look so effortless?

How To Turn Sunlight Into Moonlight

In this behind the scenes lighting lesson, Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens does something we might not often think to do: he uses the natural sunlight and turns it into moonlight-like light for this 1920's "speakeasy-themed" shoot. Believe it or not, he was able to achieve moonlight all in the camera - no post processing involved.

DCP Productions Puts the Geico Money Man into HDR Video

If you watch TV shows through any medium, there's a decent chance you've seen Geico's new Money Motorcycle Man. DCP Productions was kind enough to give a little behind the scenes on how they utilized 3D capture technology to video the money man and give him an HDR look.

Behind The Scenes Video Of Building Robotic Camera Rigs For The 2012 Olympics

A few weeks ago we posted an article about the robotic cameras that were being placed at various venues for the 2012 London Olympics. With this video by Lefteris Pitarakis, you can take a closer look at these rigs and how they're operated, and hear from the Associated Press Photographers who are installing and operating these Canon 1DX rigs.

 

Behind the Scenes of David Guetta's "Titanium"

My main man in Montreal, photographer Benjamin Von Wong, sent me two videos last week. The first is this great peek bts of David Guetta's "Titanium" video. And the second is of Ben kicking, burning and drenching the Silicon Power Rugged Armor A80 to see if it really is as indestructible as it claims.

A Habit of Gravity Defying Photography

Li Wei has earned his way to recognition in China through his trademark gravity defying images. This video, recently featured by the Creators Project, gives a little behind the scenes glimpse of how Li Wei was inspired to pursue his aerial stunts and how his creative ideas have reflected the quickly changing culture and country around him.  

The Age Of Aquarius. BTS With NASA And One World One Ocean.

Join the  MacGillivrays of One World One Ocean  as they take you under the sea and into 'inner space'  to document NASA's NEEMO 16 mission (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations). Aquanauts are sent to Aquarius (the world's only undersea laboratory) to live underwater for two weeks which can simulate living on a space station.

The 'Ugly' Modeling Agency - The Agency For Atypical Models

Featured on National Geographic's show 'Taboo', this modeling agency is unique in the sense that it doesn't represent people you would normally think of as 'models'. They represent people who specifically have interesting features about them, that make them stand out in a unique way. Amazon Eve, the world's tallest female model, is one example.

WWII Video Replaces Guns With DSLRs + Behind The Scenes + Explosions!

We've featured videos from Devin Graham before, as he's best known for his hugely popular Epic Rope Swing and Dubstep Violin videos. In this new video, Devin has been working with WWII groups to add more action films to his portfolio, this video definitely shows that he knows what he is doing. Hit the jump for the behind the scenes video! 

Von Wong Shoots Superbowl Leather Designer

Benjamin Von Wong gives us some tips for shooting with less than optimal conditions as he goes to work on models wearing pieces made by master leather worker Cecilio Martinez. This latest and last installment of Ben's European tour finds him in Spain, without power, light stands, experienced models or the ability to speak Spanish.

Behind The Scenes With Zak Noyle: What It Takes To Create Amazing Surf Images

Zak Noyle is one of the world's most respected surf photographers, and in this two-part documentary by RedBull, we get a fascinating glimpse into his world. From his photographic mission and technique to the training that he undergoes to be able to stay afloat in some of the world's largest surf, this mini-doc has it all.

The Copter Kids Show Off Aerial Slow Motion

Thanks to remote controlled copters, aerial photography and video has brought some fantastic new content to the scene in the last few years, especially from guys like the Copter Kids. For their latest video, the Copter Kids grab the new Sony FS700 and take it to the skies alongside a motorcycle with some awesome results.