On-Location Photography

Shooting on location means giving up the control of a studio and gaining something far more interesting — the unpredictability of the real world. This section covers what it takes to work successfully on location: finding and vetting locations, navigating permits, managing gear in unpredictable conditions, working with available light, and turning environmental challenges into creative advantages.

Could High Resolution Video End The Future Of Photography?

For years, videographers have been saying video will replace photography altogether. Last year we tested this controversial statement in our own Red Epic Video vs Hasselblad Photo Shootout. In this latest video, Abraham Joffe along with Philip Bloom and Sue Bryce test the idea of simply pulling out still shots from video and printing them at reasonable sizes.

How To Build A Profitable Portrait Studio

Starting tomorrow Friday January 4 - January 6, photographer Bambi Cantrell will be sharing helpful tips that can help elevate your portrait photography career. Hosted by creativeLIVE, this workshop will be take place at Bambi's studio in San Francisco.

Interview With Lifestyle Photographer Noah Sahady

I have been following Noah's work for some time now and have fell in love with every shot he has ever put up. His work is absolutely incredible and I feel everyone should take a look at this. I decided to do a quick interview with him to get to know him a little bit more.  

Making Films And Photographs Of Africa's Wildlife For 30 Years

In a recent 60 Minutes special, CBS Reporter Lara Logan spent time with Dereck and Beverly Joubert in Southern Africa. The Jouberts have been shooting images and video of the wildlife there, for over 30 years. They have produced countless amazing images and have even created documentary films from the content they captured. Embedded video inside. 

Change The Look Of Your Image by Using Grid Spots

In this corporate headshot shoot by The Slanted Lens, Jay P Morgan plays around with a 10, 20 and 30 degree grid to show us how each one will give a drastically different look. Throughout the entire shoot he is constantly feathering the light. If you've ever shot on the streets of New York then you'll understand why he has to keep his set up very mobile.

Watch the Largest Iceberg Breakup Ever Caught on Camera

Photographer James Balog has put together a documentary called "Chasing Ice," which we featured last October, designed to look at the controversial issue of climate change. The video here is the trailer if you haven't yet seen it, but I stumbled upon another video of the largest iceberg breakup ever caught on camera over at The Guardian.

One Day On Earth Begins Now! 12.12.12

For the past 3 years the One Day On Earth community has set out to capture video of the entire planet on triple digit days (10.10.10, 11.11.11, 12.12.12). In short the project is comprised of amateur and professional filmmakers from every country, background, technique, etc. and creates a beautiful, geotagged video archive of the day.

Intimate Exposé On Commercial Photographer Fred Lyon

I'm a big fan of the mission and idea behind websites like Kickstarter. I appreciate creating a community of people from all over the world who help each other pursue their dreams. On Indieagogo, a site similar to Kickstarter, I came across this cool project on photographer, Fred Lyons.  After spending 7 decades behind the camera, Lyon is still going strong at 88 years old.

Free Wedding Cinematography Workshop With Vanessa & Rob

If you've always wanted to get into wedding cinematography then this is your jump start. Starting at 9AM tomorrow, Monday December 3 creativeLIVE will be hosting a FREE Wedding Cinematography workshop With Vanessa & Rob. Together, they've got a career's worth of film-making knowledge and will be packing it into this three day course.

Five "Not So Common" Tips for Photographers Who Travel

Joey L. has done a lot of traveling over the last seven years on commercial assignments and collected bits of wisdom along the way for other traveling photographers he shared on his blog. While reading through it I immediately picked up some useful tips that I plan on implementing on my upcoming trip to Honduras.  

Learn How To Balance a Setting Sun With Strobes

In this video from The Slanted Lens, Jay P Morgan shows us a behind the scenes look at how you can achieve that colorful, rich-looking sunset. This is a technique that is a must if you do any type of portraiture or wedding photography. Your clients will be really happy with the results, not to mention it will look great in your portfolio. This photo shoot is for writer, Robert L.

Tips For Shooting On Location - Lights, Cameras, And A Warrior Princess

The Slanted Lens recently posted a new behind the scenes video, explaining the process for a project that involves shooting photos of a warrior princess out by Vasquez Rocks. This video really dives in to considerations you have to make as a photographer when shooting on a remote location like this.

Spectacular Entries in National Geographic Photography Contest

One of the best contests each year is the National Geographic Photography Contest. They always receive so many photographic entries that are simply amazing shot from locations all over the world. I picked out a few of my favorites to share here along with the links to go see more.  

A Lion Goes to Town on a Canon 5D Mark II and Lens

Ed Hetherington was photographing animal life in Kenya from a remote on-the-ground setup when a lion approached and found it rather odd...and oddly tasty. The series of images that followed show the lion sniffing, carrying, and enjoying the camera for a while. The lens survived despite getting a little dirty, but the body wasn't so lucky... 

Depth of Field as a Creative Tool

With a simple change in focal length, we know that we can drastically change and control the depth of field. In this lesson from The Slanted Lens, Jay P Morgan shoots a fashion portrait at the Vasquez Rocks in California. Not only does he cover how to control the depth of field, but you'll also learn how he uses this tip to enhance his work. 

Paris In Motion Part 2

Not to long ago we showed you part 1 of Paris in Motion by Mayeul Akpovi along with the behind the scenes of how they did it. Well, Mayeul just released part 2. I still love the look of doing these hyper laps shots. They give a whole other dimension to time-laps photography.  

What are your thoughts on these videos? Do you guys like them?

via - photographyblogger.net

Existence- A Time-Lapse by Michael Shainblum

It takes a lot of patience to put together an extended time-lapse work; I have great admiration for anyone who actually finishes one. "Existence" is a time-lapse project which Michael Shainblum worked hard on for four months.

Large Format Film for Corporate Brochure

I teamed up with Luquire George Andrews, an ad agency in Charlotte, NC, to create four images for a corporate brochure for Lincoln Harris, a commercial real estate company with properties in 26 states.  LGA wanted to feature b/w photographs of executives in Lincoln Harris' properties. 

Chase Jarvis Live: Behind Brain Farm's Art of Flight

Most of our readers should be familiar with Brain Farm. Basically they have been taking cinematography to the next level when it comes to action sports; think of them as the planet earth of extreme footage. Chase Jarvis recently invited executive producer Chad Jackson and pro snowboarder Travis Rice over to his Seattle studio to talk about the release of The Art of Flight.

RAW Timelapse Tutorial Part II: Preproduction Preparations

The next chapter in Preston Kanak's 'The RAW Timelapse Tutorial' series is now available for free on Preston's Vimeo page. In this chapter Preston goes over the importance of planning your timelapse  (pre-production) in three different sections: Story, Scheduling and Scouting.

BASE Jumping For Pirelli's Annual TV Commercial - Behind The Scenes

Pirelli, known on this site mostly for their (NSFW) Calendar Photoshoots, also creates their TV spots with a high-level approach. Literally, this behind the scenes video shows the setup and production needed to capture skiers BASE jumping off of a huge cliff. How do Pirelli tires fit in? Check out the final cut of the completed video and you'll see how it all comes together.

The Secret To Photographing Rock Climbing Is... A Ladder?

It just might be, although not used in the traditional way. An image of adventure photographer Corey Rich and free-climber Alex Honnold shows Corey shooting photos from an extended ladder, on the side of a rock face that is several hundred feet in the air. Shooting rock climbing photos can often be a challenge, and I for one have done it a few times but never considered a ladder before.

How To Shoot A Car Ad In NYC With No Permits And No Notice

Recently, I was approached by my Creative Director, Scott Rodgers, over at the ad agency Tier 10 Marketing to shoot some ads with the newly redesigned 2013 Honda Accord. The problem? The shoot had to take place in less than 48 hours, we were shooting with 2 of the first cars in the United States, and there was literally NO time to permit for a shoot that had to take place in New York City.

Tips For Shooting Better Portraits At Sunset

Lighting Asylum has brought us this informative look behind the scenes of a sunset portrait shoot, and it gets pretty in depth with how the photographer handles over-exposed back lighting, poor color in the clouds, and flash positioning. The photographer gives some insight on his process for camera settings, and even shows how he gels a flash to get the sky to change colors.

Very Little Stars: Yet Another Amazing Timelapse That You Need To Watch

Alright, seriously. I keep telling myself that I'm sick of timelapses, that I don't need to watch five minutes of clouds, or that I don't need to watch a million cars stream past at lightspeed. We get it, we've seen a million sunsets, we've seen the stars pan overhead as the camera moves on a dolly. And then I watched 'Very Little Stars' by Ben Wiggins, and I took it all back. Oh my goodness.

How To Make Smoke Lay On Water

In this lighting lesson, Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens offers a very cool DIY effect; how to make smoke lay on water. Achieving smoke and wind in photography are two very difficult tasks that Jay P. made very easy by showing this step by step process. Have you guys ever experienced with smoke and wind? If so, share your images and how you did it in the comments below.  

An Entire Wedding Shot On An iPhone And Processed Using Instagram

Kim A. Thomas, a photographer out of San Francisco, recently shot an entire wedding using just her iPhone. She processed everything using Instagram as well. The couple, Jonathan and Brandi, wanted her to do so by request. She never used an SLR for any of the shots. Her main camera was the iPhone 4s with an iPhone 4 as a backup. She did use an SLR mount for her lenses and a tripod.

Can You Really Edit A Wedding On An iPad?

Shot entirely on a Nikon D7000, wedding photographer Dieter Chaney did something I never thought was possible. Having free time during the dinner break, he was able to edit his favorite images using the Snapseed App (from Nik Software) right on his ipad. He later displayed them in a slideshow for all of the wedding guests to see. How's that for instant gratification?

 

The Tutu Project: An Inspiring and Refreshing Project That Aims To Fight Breast Cancer

Photographer Bob Carey has taken the fight against cancer into his own hands with the most unusual of tools: a man-sized pink tutu. By creating a combination of whimsical and emotionally charged self-portraits, Bob's project tugs at the heartstrings and spreads awareness in a humorous, yet touching, way. Check out the amazing photos and story in this video, which was produced by PocketWizard.

Tips To Improve Your Event Photography

This lesson from Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens is a little different than his others. Mostly shooting on a Canon 7D with a Tamron 17-50mm lens, he gives several helpful tips on how he shot this celebrity event. We may not always be able to bring extra lighting and a Kessler Crane but there are will always be more to learn ways we can improve. Check out this video for more ways to learn!

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).  

Interview With Magnum Photographer Christopher Anderson

Talented Magnum Photographer, Christopher Anderson, experienced something that completely changed his life. In June 2000, while traveling in Haiti, he met writer Michael Finkel and together they documented a group of 44 Haitians on their journey to the United States. A few days after they set sail, they realized the handmade boat was sinking.

Joe McNally Explains Softbox Grids and How To Gel Your Flash

Adorama TV has been mixing up their youtube channel lately, and this week features the TTL acrobatics of Joe McNally. Joe walks you through a typical street portrait as he accentuates the natural ambient light with a single speedlight gelled red. The more useful tip Joe gives is how to control the spill of your large softlight with an "egg crate" or softbox grid.

Samsara Is The Most Beautiful Movie That You Can't Afford To Miss

This movie appeals to every photographer due to the stunning visuals. Shot entirely on 70mm film, Samsara is a movie that spans twenty five countries and took five years to make. Not only does it encompass the grand scope of humanity, the visuals are simply mesmerizing. Be sure to watch this trailer in HD and full screen to experience the full effect.

 

Ben Willmore Teaches Light Painting Tips For Photographers

As photographers, we are always sculpting our images with light. But if you've seen any of the light painting posts here on Fstoppers, then you know just how complex the art of light painting can get. Photographer Ben Willmore has been using small constant lights in his images for years, and now he's offering a free online workshop for anyone wanting to learn the craft.

Shooting Zombies Through A Car

In this behind the scenes video, photographer Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens shows us how he shoots zombies through a car using a Kessler shuttle pod. The camera movement is the most crucial part in making this commercial. The Kessler pod has to stay high enough so that when they move through the car, it will not shake the camera.

GoPro Action: Blair Bunting Takes to the Skies in an F-16

Besides being an excellent photographer, Blair Bunting (who you may remember from our Lamborghini Aventador video) is an avid aeronautics hobbyist. He recently had the opportunity to photograph a U.S. military F-16, which was an honor in itself. But when he was offered the chance to fly in the jet, the experience was once in a lifetime. Check out the GoPro madness!

Fisherman Captures Amazing Footage Of Dolphins Underwater With Gopro

One thing I love about the Gopro Hero 2 cameras is that normal, everyday people can record amazing footage that has never been seen before. Such is the case with Mark Peters who thought he was just going to film some albacore tuna during his fishing trip. Little did Mark know what his GoPro would capture inside his homemade underwater torpedo.

Octodomes Ping Pong And Fire At The Beach

In this lighting lesson by Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens, shoots promotional material for Cui Baoqun, a Chinese champion ping-pong player. Using the information from his previous lesson on octoboxes, he was able to achieve some nice, dynamic shots.

Trey Ratcliff's New Zealand Timelapse Is A Breathtaking Six Minute Trip to Mordor

Trey Ratcliff, the world's foremost HDR guru, recently relocated to Queenstown, New Zealand, which is quite possibly the most beautiful little town in the world. He just released a timelapse video of his first thirty days and thirty nights spent in the town, and it is definitely worth a watch - especially in the native 4k format. Wow!

Fstoppers Reviews the Sigma 180mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Specialized lenses are tricky things. Since they are built for a set of specific purposes in mind, they really need to follow through on that small list of tasks lest they be discarded as an unnecessary expenditure. That is a lot of pressure to make an outstanding lens, so how did Sigma fare with their new 180mm f/2.8 macro? Is it a good addition to your lens collection?  

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.

Is This Picture Too Good to be True?

Since he posted this image on his facebook profile, Shawn Heinrich's image has drawn a lot of attention. Many have stated the the shot is just a little too perfect to have happened all at once. Upon first glance, what do you think?

 

Behind The Scenes on a Trash The Dress Session

Remember Justin Wojtczak? If not, make sure you watch this video of Patrick surprising him with the news that he won the Fstoppers 2011 BTS Contest. Well Justin is back with his latest behind the scenes video. In this BTSV Justin takes a bride into a creek in the woods of Georgia and shows us how to shoot on a budget. 

Pentax Vs. Afghanistan: One US Soldier Puts His Camera's Weather Sealing To The Test

Alex Jansen, who is currently on a deployment in Afghanistan, recently created this video showing off the weather and dust sealing capabilities of his Pentax K-5 and K-7 cameras. I know that even though my Canon 1D claims to be 'weather and dust resistant' it would be a cold day in hell before I ever voluntarily did something like this to my camera (and lenses!).

Preview ESPN's Body Issue 2012

If you're a sports fan, or even if you just like toned and tan bodies, you're going to want to pick up the next issue of ESPN (hits newsstands Friday). It's filled with some pretty sexy images of the United States' favorite athletes in nothing but their birthday suits.