If you are a geek, an avid DIYer, a painter, or a curious photographer, this one is definitely for you. Learning how the camera works by making a camera obscura that is actually usable is such a fun project.
In this six-minute video, YouTuber workphlo breaks down a simple DIY diffuser that works especially well when going for a "glossy" look in your product photos. This technique applies to close-ups of reflective products.
While having a brick-and-mortar studio is nice, it isn't always feasible. Photographers create backdrops out of their homes, garages, or on set to disguise the location using stands with muslins, seamless paper, or even collapsible options as well. In searching for other options, I found a portable wood look to be the perfect fit.
Creating soft light can become an expensive pursuit. A large, indirect softbox will cost around $2,000 and the cheaper ones are often badly built, are small, or generally lack good light quality. Being a tight git, I set about finding a way to create high quality, soft light for my food photography, although this set up will work for pretty much all genres.
If you're into tinkering gear and customizing things to the way you like them then this might be your kind of video. Be prepared though as it requires quite a bit of technical know-how to fully understand and that's before we even start talking about trying to replicate what he achieved! However even without trying to attempt your own version I am sure you'll find this to be a rather interesting video to watch.
Are you still shooting film? Are you as impatient as I am and wish you could view your film as soon as you get home? If so, then this video is a must-watch.
Windows can be used to create interesting shots, especially when using the reflections to your advantage, but that’s not the only way to incorporate glass in your photoshoot. There are several different ways, but what if you are looking for a grungy-looking window for a specific concept you have in mind? Here's how to make one.
For a lot of us who are chasing a career in photography, we soon come to a bit of a pinch point. We have thrown all our money into cameras, computers, lenses, and lights, so our house is a mess of kit clutter. Here's how to build your own dedicated studio.
If you're ever seen portraits shot somewhere like an arcade or next to a neon sign, you know they offer a neat look full of washes of color that envelop the model. If you don't have access to such lighting, this great video will show you how to recreate the effect at home.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Ilford Photo released a video on how to develop your own black and white film. Now, they've followed it up by giving you everything you need to know in order to turn those negatives into beautiful, tangible prints.
Photographer and digital artist Renee Robyn is known for creating magical composites complete with gorgeous costumes and dreamy scenery. But what happens when there is no designer to provide styling, no makeup artist, and a budget of only $50 to spend?
G.A.S (Gear Accumulation Syndrome), is something all photographers feel it at some point in their careers. That feeling the gear they have is never good enough. Learn how to overcome that, and start taking the photos you've always dreamed of today.
Along the lines of my "it's not about the gear" principle that I believe in so much nowadays (believe me, it took years to drum that into my head), this is a quick tutorial on how to use an IKEA lampshade for an unusually simple product photography setup and covers both the shooting and the retouching for the example photos.
Are you thinking of designing and outfitting a portrait studio? I recently did just that, and through a little research and a lot of trial and error, I discovered some great, versatile finds that make life in a photography studio much easier.
Photography gear can get quite expensive and put a huge dent in our wallets. While there are many things we wouldn’t want to cheap out on, there are several DIY hacks that can solve some of our wants and still fit within our budget. Some of those hacks are great for adding effects and different looks to shots. Here are eight DIY photo filters.
The lust for better photo gear is something every photographer struggles with. In our photography industry, many people swear by the quality of light of this brand verses that brand, but in the end isn't light just light? In this video I create a classic beauty lighting setup with $10,000 worth of lighting equipment and then replicate that same setup with only $425 worth of lighting equipment. Will they look the same? This is the Rich Photographer vs Poor Photographer lighting test.
Being an artist isn't easy, especially when the world is against our way of life and creation. The artist life is discouraging for sure, and every once in a while I still have days where I just want to lay in bed. I have learned that you can't let yourself have many of these days if you want to be great, there's always someone else who's pushing through it. Whether you're a professional or just a hobbyist, being uninspired sucks. Luckily there are so many things you can do to beat the gloom and keep on creating.
If you're a creator of any kind, chances are you've experienced being in a creative rut at some point in your journey to make cool stuff. As a photographer and cinematographer, nothing could be more true for me. Photographers by nature, I feel, have a "do it yourself" attitude. In talking with Photographer Nikki Smith, a DIY backdrop project could be just what you need to reignite that missing spark and add an additional element of creativity to your work.
A pinhole camera is essentially a box with a piece of photo-sensitive paper on the inside and a tiny hole on the other side of the box. It's used by pointing the hole at a light source or reflected light, exposing the paper through the pinhole and then covering again. Simple. So, whats stopping us from doing it with our digital cameras? Nothing, that's what, so get up off your bum and start creating something different, like Blue Mantle Films just did.
You wouldn't expect that certain locations alone could assist you in learning the art of photography, but they do — especially if you are one that needs to experiment to learn. Photographing someone in these two locations will force you to learn about all kinds of light, get creative with posing, and help you create images that are full of substance and all the elements of art.
One way to spice up your photography is to add gels to your lights so you can produce colorful and edgy looking imagery. Adding wild colors to your photos can offer a lot of creativity but gels can also be used in a much more subtle fashion to slightly alter the color of your background and sky. In today's video I want to share two simple techniques I use to help make my backgrounds on location look more interesting.
Whether you shoot portraits, still life, fashion, beauty, or even video, there will be a time when you’ll need to shoot overhead for some reason. Don’t ask me why, I’m just sure that one day you will. So while I can’t help you with when and why, I can share the latest video from Peter McKinnon explaining how. Watch this tutorial to learn all about setting up a secure, compact, and efficient overhead setup.
One of the most important underlying themes in being a successful photographer is streamlining your workflow. That may be in how to edit photos quickly, how to organize video files, how to quickly produce invoices, or any number of tasks that you have to perform over and over again. One aspect of my business where I found myself wasting a lot of time was in my battery charging. In today's video, I'm going to outline how Fstoppers created our battery charging station and how you too can make your life a lot easier as you prepare for the next day's photoshoot.
Photographers all over the world have found something absolutely incredible happens when you blow soap bubbles in the freezing winter temperatures. As these delicate bubbles freeze almost instantly, inside each one a unique universe of patterns and shapes comes to life right in front of your eyes. If you're lucky enough to be enduring the worldwide cold front we're having, give this a shot to make the brutal winter more fun and beautiful.
If you've ever wondered where photographers are getting this gorgeous colored powder for portraits, stock imagery, and dance photos, it turns out it's very easy and affordable to make at home. This powder can be used in endlessly creative ways to add an eye-catching unique and fine art element to your studio or outdoor photography. Clients and followers love seeing these fun images, and it's an absolute blast to photograph.
With the holiday season in full swing during December, I decided to put my camera down and focus on coming up with new ideas and concepts rather than just shooting straight away. Being a big fan of Felix Hernandez Rodriguez and the miniatures he brings to life through his photography, I decided to build my own set and photograph it.
Have you ever had to buy presents for a friend or family member that likes photography, or thinks of you as the photographer in the group who will know best what will make their selfies and cat pictures that much better? Here is a quick guide from James Popsys on what to get them if you don't want to spend that much money.
Photographers and cinematographers sometimes find themselves in the middle of a shoot wishing they had some piece of equipment to get that shot just right. Whether a gimbal has broken or the light just isn't cooperating, sometimes you just need a creative solution to make the image you visualize in your head. Vlogger and Photographer Hayden Pedersen has put together a video with some clever hacks to help you create the shot you want — video or still — when you might not have exactly the right piece of equipment to accomplish it. And, best of all, you can see them all in less than two minutes.
There have been debates circling the internet lately on users abandoning Adobe’s eco-system of photo applications for a new player in town. Macphun, soon to be Skylum Software, has been making waves lately with their latest release of Luminar 2018. The once strictly Mac-based software company has branched out (part of the reason for the renaming) to include Windows users as well, and people are stoked. With a seemingly endless list of features and upgrades to the latest version, many have considered that it may be about time to try something that’s just different than the industry giant, Lightroom. However, users are still perplexed on how exactly they would make the change, what would they miss from Lightroom, and is it really necessary.
Go behind the scenes to see how one photographer used every day Christmas lights to create beautiful portraits in her own bedroom.
