Behind the Scenes

In mid-2018, photographer Brett Stanley got a call from Jason Foster, who is the manager for Natalie Mering’s band, Weyes Blood (signed to Sub Pop). Take a moment to go listen to some of their tracks before continuing this story. Or, never mind, stay here! Keep reading! 

Has it been a while since you got back to your photography roots with a creative shoot just for you? Sometimes, we need to hang up the business hat and get back to what makes us feel happy and creative. Here's some inspiration.

In the world of Instagram and social media, what we see, is a lot of times not as it really seems. The line between what is real and what is fake is quickly blurring. In this article, go behind the scenes with instagram photographer, Calob Castellon and see how he creates captivating portraits using nothing more than a camera, and a little bit of creativity. If he can do it, you can too. 

Most photographers dream of being recognized on a large scale for their work. But for Russell Ord, an Australian-based, internationally awarded photographer, action on dreams means the creation of a new reality.

When you see portraits of people in exotic locations, do you think they are actually shot on location? Or do you think the background has been composited in using Photoshop? In this article, see how Lindsay Adler created these on-location portraits in a forest without leaving the comfort of her studio. 

As a kid, photographer Ilya Nodia absolutely loved the Russian TV show “Titans Wrestling.” It was a local TV channel that bought records of American wrestling and translated it. He fell in love while watching characters such as Hulk Hogan, Bill Goldberg, Sting, Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Paige and made his parents crazy while he collected merchandise and themed wrestling toys.

Let's face it, when you're in business as a portrait photographer, the person who usually ends up in front of your camera is not going to be a professional model. That's why it's all the more important that you can give a regular person the guidance they need to look and feel like a superstar.

Have you ever wondered what went into photographing a comedian? In this article, I take you behind the scenes of a recent client shoot I did using a fun aesthetic and mood to match my subjects' larger-than-life personality. 

55 nights of shooting. Your favorite characters fighting for their lives, some never to be on the screen again. How was “The Long Night” episode shot to keep us in suspense for the longest battle scene ever created for television or film? Spoilers ahead.

Often we scroll through other photographers' Instagram feeds, wondering "How the heck did they get that shot?" We now have the unusual opportunity to learn exactly how one photographer captures “that shot,” and what we learn is surprising.

Good action scenes are not always achieved through complex VFX, expensive practical effects such as explosions, or carefully choreographed fight sequences. In this video, you will see a few simple tricks that can help you tell an action story better using your existing tools.

Sometimes shooting on location, or even finding the ideal location, can be so difficult that a photographer has to rely on their own ingenuity to bring their vision to life. Here is how I turned my tiny bathtub into a forest pond for a magical shoot, with some tips on how you can do the same thing.

Go behind the scenes of this awesome image and learn how to create it yourself, from lighting all the way through post-processing.

I love shooting film, it's not always the best choice, but the idea that I am forced to slow down and really be sure I like my frame before I hit the shutter overall makes me shoot more efficiently, reduce the amount of culling at the end of the shoot (which is my least favorite part of any photoshoot to be honest), and with shooting with 6x7 I can get a very specific look that is hard to replicate with smaller sensors, for better and worse.

When one of the worlds most renowned headshot photographer, Peter Hurley shows up at your high school photography class to teach you about how to take better headshots, it's definitely a class you don't want to be absent for. In this article see how Peter used his photography skills to give back and inspire a high school community. 

What happens when the sun is setting and you want to get a balanced exposure of the setting sun in the background and your subject? The reality is you can't without the use of a strobe and high speed sync. In this article, I’ll share with you how I was able to get a perfect exposure on my subject and the background using high-speed sync.  

In this video, go behind the scenes with adventure sports photographer Christian Pondella as he travels to Greenland and photographs professional climber Will Gadd ice climbing in the polar landscape. 

Canadian Photographer Chris Nicholls (Not to be confused with Chris Niccolls of DPReview) shoots for magazines like Marie Claire, FASHION, and in this video, Dress To Kill. Thankfully he had a behind the scenes crew with him to capture just how difficult it can be to shoot in the Californian desert, even with a full team. 

Do you ever get the opportunity that you just can't let slip away? In this quick behind the scenes breakdown, see how I shot a portrait of inspirational speaker and renowned musical prodigy, Sparsh Shah.

Get an eye-opening look at the Fujifilm factory in this new video.

When you see an incredible location in images, often our gut reaction is, that it must be Photoshopped or that you need to go to an epic location to get great shots. In this article, see how I shot these cinematic portraits on the side of a road in my area by using just one camera and one lens. No fancy lighting or Photoshop. 

Lighting large areas at night can be a serious budget challenge. Even in night interiors you can end up needing more lights and grip you might be able to afford. Here are a few solutions that can get the job done without breaking the bank.

Lee Cohen is currently one of the best ski photographers, and his images just might be some of the most iconic of all time. Watch this video to get a glimpse of his daily ski photography routine and to hear of his motivations. 

When you talk about macro photography, people instinctively think bugs, insects, and creepy crawlies up close and personal, but there is so much more you can do when it comes to macro photography.

Have you ever wanted to create a bright, sunny image, but it was rainy and overcast outside? In this article, see how I recreated the sun when I shot this edgy fashion editorial in my small home living room.

Finding new locations to shoot can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you don't live in the area. What can you do to improve your chances of finding those amazing photoshoot locations? 

Music has a very strong connection to studio photography. I’d wager that the vast majority of people imagine studios with music driving the shoot. Think Blow-Up or more recently, Austin Powers. Music can help to energize your set. But, what happens when you’re just not as in touch with the poppiest of pop culture anymore?

Last week, we continued our exploration of Puerto Rico with our second shootout challenge. This time, we mixed it up a little bit with a guest photographer, and the results were pretty interesting.

Do you struggle to get proper focus when photographing the stars at night? Has nothing you tried worked for you? Then this video will help with your astrophotography aspirations. 

Commercial and fine art photographer Jan Gonzales was commissioned by Fujifilm Global to create a series of images using the GF 250mm f/4 telephoto lens for the Fujifilm GFX system.

Photographing glass or any kind of object that is semi or fully transparent can present some serious challenges. 

In last week’s article, I introduced you to the inspiring work of Minnesota-based fine art photographer, R. J. Kern. This week, I connected with him again and was able to gain insight into what it took to create his most recent project, "The Unchosen Ones". If you were inspired by his work last week, I can assure you you'll be blown away by this one, too.

When it comes to building out your kit, there is the eternal quandary. Constant lights or strobes? What are the advantages of each? What are the disadvantages of each? What are you giving up going with one over the other? This video from The Creative Contrast gives us a small look into why you may want to choose one over the other.

Photographer Aaron Anderson has once again created an amazing set of images that came from an idea he could not shake. It's often been said that anyone can do something once but to keep coming back with impressive results is what differentiates the best from the rest.

Through a matter of circumstance, I found myself working with multiple camera systems to fulfill a variety of assignments over the last month. Here are a few thoughts on why I chose each system and what I learned from the process.

Have you ever seen someone's work and been not only blown away by the technical ability of the photographs, but how it emotionally touches you as well? That is the epitome of the beautiful work of Minnesota-based photographer R. J. Kern. In this article, take a look at his amazing work, and I can assure you you'll walk away inspired too.

Our new studio in Puerto Rico had so much echo that it was ruining the audio in all of our videos. I'm happy to say that we have finally figured things out, and we've learned a few things that might help you as well. 

Do you want to dip your toes into the world of wedding photography? Or maybe you just booked your first wedding and still are a little nervous about how the day is going to unwind? Well then this behind-the-scenes video is for you.

The devastating effects of bottom trawlers lead one activist and photographer to create a campaign to drive emotional messages through their imagery. 

Knowing how to get a lot of different looks from one light is an integral skill to have as a photographer and this video from The Creative Contrast shows us all four simple setups to quickly get a bunch of different photos to build out a model's portfolio

With more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, Johnny Wu has carved something of a niche: photographing action figures in his home studio to the extent that they look like screengrabs from a movie. In this video, we get a behind-the-scenes look into how he creates his images.

Have you ever seen a mind-blowing creative shot and wondered how the artist made the image? In this very informative 10-minute behind-the-scenes video, see how Alexis Cuarezma shot these creative portraits of professional boxer, Devon Lee. 

Boudoir photographers shoot in all types of lighting. Some prefer bright and airy while others tend to be more moved by the moody and darker looks. There is a creative style just in-between with harsh lighting that can be interesting to shoot and to edit.

Every once in a while an article pops up claiming a cool looking video or an image was shot on an iPhone. Often this becomes a stage for arguments between Apple and non-Apple fans. I decided to look at this film with a different mindset and hopefully you will appreciate it too from a filmmaking standpoint.

Photographing interesting people will forever be a love of mine. But photographing a person who is unambiguously an expert at his craft while he works was all kinds of fascinating.

In this video, CookeOpticsTV sits down with the acclaimed cinematographer to discuss his process.

Have you ever wondered what went into creating a moody fashion shoot? In this article, go behind the scenes of a fashion shoot I did using a darker aesthetic and mood.

When shooting beauty, there is a lot to keep in mind. How does the makeup look? Is the lighting clean? In the background clean? How is the model's expression? Learn my own process and join me behind the scenes in shooting a male beauty story with the Fujifilm GFX 50S.

As many of you know, Lee and I recently moved to Puerto Rico, and with that move, we are having to completely redesign our new studio space. In today's video, we tackle our in-home network and wireless Internet connection. Surely the limitations in Puerto Rico will prove to give us trouble... or will it?

Last week Lee Morris and I embarked on something I like to call "The Puerto Rican landscape challenge." The goal of this series is to not only showcase some of the most beautiful locations on the island of Puerto Rico, but to also find out, once and for all, who is the better landscape photographer. Today is the beginning of this ultimate challenge.