We as photographers capture light. It's the fastest thing we know in space and time, and we try make it still to enjoy and share with others. It's the one thing we as photographers use every time we press the shutter button.
DSLR Guide, created by Simon Cade, is one of my go-to resources for all things film and cinema.
When you hear the term “HDR photography,” you probably either cringe, or start to smile at the thought of beautifully balanced landscape and architectural imagery created by the likes of Trey Ratcliff.
Grids are probably amongst the best pieces of equipment a photographer using flash can own. Alas, they are often either underrated or misunderstood. On one of my recent shoots, I decided to create a lighting setup with grids on every single strobe.
I've always had this issue with regards to the sound design of video and how to actually get something that is usable for the video you are working on. It's either getting audio from a stock library, having a friend compose something, or making it yourself. And the latter is really very time-consuming, and I'd rather focus on the stuff I enjoy and am good at, like shooting photos or video.
Have you ever seen those amazing shots that show a subject holding its place in the frame while the background falls away or becomes extremely compressed?
It’s that time of year again, and no, I don’t mean last night's Super Bowl. Tax season is upon us and for many creative professionals it can either be a joyous occasion or one filled with dread.
Creating stunning portraits of our canine companions requires so much more than technical knowledge of photography. Understanding how to coax a dog into just the right spot while keeping them relaxed and happy is crucial to capturing genuine expressions with perfectly composed surroundings.
Have you experienced watching 30-second clips that felt long and boring, while some 10-minute videos seemed engaging and interesting? It's not always about the length of the footage. It's about how you tell the story.
W. Eugene Smith was an American photojournalist who was active from the 1930s to the 1970s when he passed away. He was, as Ted Forbes states in the video, one of the most prolific photographers of his time.
Ah, the crown of the (Ant)arctic. Known in the northern hemisphere as the Aurora Borealis (northern lights), and as the Aurora Australis in the southern hemisphere, these brightly colored bands of moving and waving light are a majestic display in the night sky. Who doesn't want to take a picture of this otherworldly phenomenon? Here's exactly how to do it.
It's always such a sensitive subject for the creative industry. Money is what the creative industry hates to ask for. but loves to have for their gear and career. So let's get it out there. Professional photography is a business, and in photography, you'll only flourish at it because you love what you do.
If you follow world class retoucher and owner of Solstice Retouching, Pratik Naik, you already know he is something of a jokester. Routinely posting quirky comments, mostly photography or retouching related, Pratik could very well be the Ellen DeGeneres of our industry, although I can't say for sure until I see him dance. Pratik's blog often carries over many of his antics.
There are plenty of mistakes beginner photographers make along the road to becoming a seasoned pro. While it's important not to be discouraged by small, correctable mistakes, it's equally as important to acknowledge them.
The Canon Digital Learning Center just released their newest guidebook and it's for the EOS-1D X Mark II. The downloadable PDF is 148 pages entirely on the camera's 61 point AF system.
Last year I got a chance to work with UNICEF on a maternity project where I had to work with a lot of moms-to-be and kids. I have been surrounded with kids all my life and was a new mom myself, so I instantly agreed to be part of it. This was a challenge I was happy to embrace. It is not hard to photograph your own child, a sibling, or someone you already know.
As photographers, we're often found shooting familiar subjects in everyday spaces.
In the past few years, flash manufacturers have put a lot of efforts to let cameras’ x-sync fade into obsolescence. However, the current solutions are not perfect and aren’t always intuitive to use for non-tech-savvy photographers. In 2016, I made a comparison between Hi-Sync and HSS.
Aside from being a catchy acronym, Digital Asset Management is an incredibly important concept in the world of digital photography that is too often overlooked.
In a previous article, I shared some tips on scouting locations for a documentary video shoot where interviews would be captured. The next step is to decide on a frame that complements your talent, topic, and tone. In this video, we discuss background elements we see in potential frames, any why one “look” might work better than another.
Mastering how to control and manage light is essential to becoming a proficient photographer or videographer. If you are new to using off-camera lighting, this short video by Film Riot provides an excellent demonstration of how a single light can be used to produce a variety of effects.
How many of you like to add atmospheric effects to your work to give them more life? This is completely subjective but I tend to add fog and light streaks to my automotive glamour work to give it a little more “pop.”
One of the most overlooked aspects during the jump from amateur to professional photographer is the business end of contracts. You may be excited for this new adventure of creating art, but if you are asking for payment for your services, your contract is the last place you want to skimp on the details.
Managing color in photography is one of the hardest things to master. A red berry in a green bush just jumps out at you, while brown skies don't often make for great looking images. Aside from color having a profound impact on any given scene, color has its own luminosity values as well, making it color theory something to pay close attention to before your next shoot.
It's not as hard as it looks. If you've ever been intimidated by, or even questioned the idea of shooting portraits on large format film, maybe George and Jack can help.
Taking photos at night can be an incredibly creative and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, increasing levels of light pollution in cities and urban areas makes it virtually impossible to include any detail in your sky which is often a major aspect of your composition. Adding stars is an easy and effective answer to this problem.
Karl Taylor is a name you’ve probably heard of if you look for photography videos on YouTube. He’s been working with big brands such as Hasselblad and Broncolor to create comprehensive content helping beginners as well as advanced photographers. In his latest video, he shows us how he created a beautiful lighting setup yielding photoshopped-like results.
We've briefly covered the release of this very special filter before. It blocks out the artificial light of our modern world, light pollution. STC's Astro-Multispectra Filter is designed to block out the orange and green hues from sodium and mercury street lamps.
A key factor in the success of any photography business is the ability to produce technically sound images that stand out and differentiate your style from that of other photographers. As a pet photographer, one way to generate bold and professional-looking images from your outdoor sessions is to light your subjects with off-camera flash.
I've heard stories of clients who said that. They feel the service of a certain photographer is way too expensive, as to them, it's merely clicking of a button. I tend to agree with many who say that.
There is a theory that the best creative people have to live in a world that is chaotic and unstructured. Whilst there may be some great examples to cite such as Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin, imagine what they would have created with clear minds. Being organized, having effective systems, and achieving mindfulness creates more time for creatives to do what they do best; Think with clarity.
No matter what genre of photography you shoot, anyone can benefit from learning to better sculpt light in their images. This great video not only shows you how to light one object, but also how to light several objects to create dimensionality and clarity in your images.
Shortcuts for Adobe Premiere Pro are like the force is to a Jedi. The alt/option key on the keyboard allows you to remove some time-consuming drags of footage across the timeline. It speeds you up. Moving footage around on your timeline can often be exactly that: a drag. Enter the alt or option key.
There comes a time where you need to cut ties with other artists who are not blending well with your company. Makeup artists are very hard to come by in my small town and when one failed to show for more than one appointment it was time to say our goodbyes. But what happens to the session that was a no show?
As photographers and videographers, the resolution of our displays is crucial to our ability to see the detail of our work. That's why it's a treat to see how far we've come since the advent of displays.
Histograms are a very useful tool for checking that you haven't clipped any blacks or whites in a scene and ensuring you have a proper exposure. However, they're often misunderstood. This great video clears up some misconceptions and shows exactly why they're useful and how they should be used.
Many of you are familiar with Ted Forbes and his popular YouTube channel, "The Art of Photography." Personally, I’ve always appreciated his candid nature and helpful attitude towards anyone and everyone on their photographic journeys.
Fstoppers is heading back out on the road with Elia Locardi to film the latest installment of "Photographing the World." This time time around, the gang will be heading to the Alps, Dubai, and a few countries in South America as they explore even more advanced landscape techniques and post processing.
Using textures to enhance photographs is a creative technique that is often overlooked. The best part is that it can be achieved completely free and usually in a matter of seconds. A texture is essentially an image of anything with a relatively continuous surface. Examples include brick, scratched wood or metal, dirt, or even older film image like in my first example.
Photos of wedding rings arranged together before they are exchanged are must-have detail shots for every wedding. Wedding photographers are always looking for creative ways to photograph rings.
Visual and special effects have a long history; they've been around since the dawn of filmmaking. Here are some great examples from silent films where the techniques used behind the scenes are still relevant today.
The time of year in which many of us pause, reflect, and consider the changes we wish to make for the year ahead has arrived. Resolution inquiries may excite you or fill you with dread as friends or family members begin asking you what you have planned for 2017. Myself, I am not a fan of resolutions set at New Year and forgotten a few weeks later.
Some artists have dreamed about having their work on display in art galleries since they were young. Others dream of the fame it will bring the moment the doors extend on opening night. There are few inbetween that know the true reality that one does not always follow the other. So how do you know if having your art in a gallery is the right step for you?
Drinks play an important role in movies. Why does James Bond drink his Martini shaken, and not stirred?
Time-lapse photography has quickly become one of the most popular forms of creative expression in the past year. A ton of expensive gear and advanced methods exist to produce cinema quality videos like the opening sequence in "House of Cards," but this shouldn’t deter you from getting out and trying it on your own.
If you’ve ever tried photographing a newborn, you can appreciate how important it is to have a sleepy baby for your session. Some well-known tricks to encourage a baby to fall asleep include keeping the room very warm, playing white noise, and making sure the baby has a full belly.
Someone once said that "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." This means you have to take lots of pictures to get better in the craft. I don't agree with that. Improving your photography as well as videography skills is often compared to an athlete training. The athlete regularly repeats a number of exercises for certain muscles. Musicians are the same.
The thing you should know before you ever attend a photography workshop, spend money on one tutorial, or invest in even one single conference is this: You are going to be your own greatest roadblock to success.
In this episode of Chase Jarvis RAW, a fired up Jarvis goes off on a thoughtful stream of consciousness and details why so many photographers or filmmakers might not see the engagement they are looking for with their work. To him, it's because they likely stop working once the content has been created and shared, and they don't go on to interact with their community or audience.