There are three things in life that photographers will clear their schedules for: Apple announcements, Nikon/Canon late-night pre-orders for new flagship bodies, and Adobe product releases. So clear your schedules, guys and gals; because Adobe’s Lightroom 6 is here with more speed (FINALLY!), more features, and rich mobile integration.
What happens when you take a group of best friends who are all talented photographers and cinematographers and give them a near unlimited budget? The greatest bachelor party of all time. A group of friends decided that they needed to give their best friend a truly epic send off before his wedding.
Instagram has been around for a few years now and it comes with no surprise people still want to find new and interesting ways to manipulate and push the limits of how it all works. Though the Instagram algorithm has its secret formula no one can seem to solve they still find ways to get around that, this time it's for fun. Thanks to a handful of advertising specialists and social media experts we now have Likecreeper!
This week Instagram released an all new photo collage app to the masses called Layout. Similar to their last development, Hyperlapse, it's completely separate from the original photo sharing application. Though I am glad Instagram is branching out into new ventures, it feels as though this one might be a complete waste.
Vincent Laforet's famed "Air" series takes yet another turn from New York and Las Vegas, finally arriving in San Francisco. Fstoppers caught up with Laforet to discuss ever-shifting challenges throughout the project, G-Technology's recent support of the project which will bring it to Europe this summer, and the future of the project as a whole.
Vanity Fair is taking to Instagram to show off Mark Seliger’s celebrity portraits from the Oscars last night. While you may not have watched the award show in its entirety, or at all, the shots are worth taking a peek at. Vanity Fair has been uploading a bunch of images from the likes of Steve Martin to Lady Gaga since last night, there is even a neat time-lapse of the team building the studio for Seliger.
During the last few weeks, Instagram has teased in your news feeds that they were removing and deactivating spam accounts. Their message mentioned it would ultimately result in a loss in the follower count on your profiles, as shown above. This had many people running for the hills, imagining their tens of thousands of followers would turn to dust, and the loss of that clout they have built over the years will be all but nothing. The results have been widespread, but here are a few accounts to check in on as I give my thoughts on the whole thing.
Yes, the instant print camera popularized by the one and only Polaroid is back and in a new form factor for 2015. The long awaited Socialmatic doesn't use film but rather snaps and shares your photos via the web and social media options along with delivering nifty adhesive prints of your photos. Wrapped in an Android based OS that shares to Facebook, Twitter and of course Instagram, I'm interested in seeing how people respond to its release come January.
For an app that brings the hipster out in everyone, Instagram showed it can really grow up today. Five new filter updates almost wouldn't matter. So what? We have a million other apps and editing tools and already sometimes too many Instagram filters. But today's update brings something that Instagram has lacked from Day One: subtlety.
Last week Facebook rolled out a relatively minor update, but it may be one that has important consequences for your business' exposure on Facebook. Taking a break from changes to the the ever-evolving newsfeed algorithms (changes that have steadily decreased pages’ organic reach), this time Facebook switched their focus to the search capabilities of the social media platform. With the new changes, the Graph Search tool is now capable of searching through posts for content and keywords. What does this mean for your business page? Well, it appears that with a little diligence, your posts could see an increase in organic reach through this new feature.
There is a new image format called BPG (Better Portable Graphics) designed by the French programmer Fabrice Bellard and it promises to deliver better visual quality at half the file size of JPEG! Can BPG unseat the aging but popular JPEG format?
This week has been a big one for Instagram. The social media platform announced that it is cleaning up spammers, and Fortune noted that Instagram has left Twitter in the dust with 300 million active users. What does this mean for our businesses? If you aren’t on Instagram, or using it actively, you are missing out.
It's been an absolute pleasure seeing friends and colleagues getting chosen for social media campaigns and commercial photography jobs all around the world as a result of sharing their talents via Instagram. With mobile media teams popping up around the country bidding for projects with companies like GE, NatGeo Wild and beyond, it's amazing to see their work featured across the web and in print media. My pals Scott Borrero and Ravi Vora have teamed up with Jeep to create this awesome behind-the-scenes video about a trip out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to shoot for their new Grand Cherokee. The results are just captivating.
As a relatively recent convert to Instagram, a former outsider-looking-in, there are a few things about the app that I don’t particularly care for or make use of. Like most people I know, I’m not at all tempted to make use of the built-in, over-cooked, HDR-gone-wrong filters. When I do post a photo taken on my phone, it’s been edited in VSCO Cam. I’m also not a huge fan of the user interface in Instagram. It’s a little clunky, oft overwhelming, and features a rather uninspiring design. For a better viewing, browsing, and exploring experience I’ve turned to a seemingly unknown app, Primary.
Some of our readers have been sharp to figure it out, but until now we haven’t formally announced that Fstoppers can now be found on Instagram (@officialfstoppers). Follow us for Photo of the Day selections from our impressive community, images from the talented photographers who write for Fstoppers, and some behind-the-scenes shots of what we’re working on. Leave a link to your favorite portfolio image within our community and we’ll pick some to ‘gram over the next few days.
The great team at Artifact Uprising has created a strong list of tips by some of the top mobile photographers on Instagram. Having been engulfed in the mobile photography, or iPhoneography, world for almost two years I have found that in the end the camera you use has nothing to do with the quality of your images you create. Just to clarify, by quality I mean the moment captured and the purpose behind the shot, not the pixel density. These guys truly are proof that the best camera is the one you have with you.
I’ll never forget the email; I was on a plane somewhere over the Florida coast, on my way to the Bahamas for the Fstoppers Workshops 2014. Just before I left the States, I had signed on with the artist consulting firm Wonderful Machine. The first step in preparation for a press release was to tear my website apart. The critique was tough and they slashed it hard… here I am in one of the most beautiful places in the world, feeling a truck load of anxiety. For years, I had thought I had a clean and straight to the point website, but it turns out I needed to strip it down even more.
Instagram just celebrated four years since launching in the app store bringing inspiration and encouragement to many creatives in that time, especially photographers. If you were not aware, each weekend they host something called the Weekend Hashtag Project or WHP for short, choosing a specific topic for followers to shoot within that theme all for a chance to be featured that next Monday on their blog and to be seen by millions of viewers.
One of the big things lacking in my workflow was the ability to schedule Instagram posts. I have a personal Instagram as well as two work focused Instagram accounts and remembering to post on each one is time consuming and frustrating. About once a month I'll check to see if Hootsuite has added the ability to schedule instagram posts, but unfortunately it still does not. This month, my Google search led me to Latergramme and I was instantly smitten.
Having just started in photography two years ago I have a strong passion for creatives willing to share their passion and tips with the community. Fstoppers included, its one of the reasons I found all the information I needed with little to no cost starting out. Skillshare is launching an exciting series of classes highlighting how some of the best photographers in the world do what they do best, take incredible photos and share them with the world.
Over the last several years, I’ve been fortunate enough to grow an audience wider than I’d ever thought possible. From the days of taking photos of whatever was in front of me, to speaking at the Phase One Stand Out Photographic Forums this October in LA and San Francisco, it’s been, to the say the least, quite an adventure. All that would not be possible, however, if it wasn’t for the Google and, more importantly, a core group of photographers who, at one point or another, shared with me the answers to questions that had been burning so bright in my mind, that I literally couldn’t sleep until I’d found a satisfactory answer.
If you're on Instagram and have been immersed in the community they have built, you have most likely come across Bethany Olsen and Cory Staudacher feeds by now. Both photographers from Seattle met through mutual friends via the social network and eventual became an instant hit while sharing incredible photos across the Pacific Northwest gaining over 500,000 followers combined.
Finding success isn't everything, but when it comes to big name brands winning at social media it is certainly worth noting. Brands have been finding ways to connect with audiences for years while companies like Instagram always bring new avenues to explore. Here is how they are changing the game and pushing Taco Bell and Chobani to new heights in reaching their audiences.
If you’ve been following along, you may remember that back in July, I packed up my apartment, loaded up my car, and set off on a month-long cross country tour of the southern United States with my girlfriend Holly and my dog, Olive. Along the way we met and hung out with some incredible people, had the opportunity to take great photos, ate at some great local places and most importantly, got to experience first hand the freedom of the open road.
How many times have you heard the saying "if you want it done right you've got to do it yourself"? Well, that is not always the best mindset. This business we are in is all about collaboration, and the sooner you embrace what others have to offer, the sooner you will put out work that is competitive. Collaboration has many benefits that can take your work to the next level.
Let’s face it. From the first moment we decide to pick up a camera, call ourselves a photographer, and try to make some money at what we do, we are constantly trying to find ways to stand out from the billion or so other photographers in our our who are trying to do that exact same thing.
Facebook made a few changes to their news feed algorithm that you should know about if you have a Facebook page. The first change should hopefully end the “You’ll never believe what happens next” posts from taking over your feed. The second is going to unify how links are posted.
Photographer Lorenz Holder takes us on a behind the scenes look into seven top smartphone photography tips and tricks. Walking us through things like "The Driveby Pano" and making your own macro lens with a simple drop of water, you can see how the innovation in photography has grown in the mobile world.
With a community of over 200 million users, Instagram has become a powerhouse of social media. It didn't take long before the realization that monetization of that user base was the key to continuing to grow. Instagram began the slow rollout of ads on feeds almost a year ago which has proven successful and as a result, they are adding analytics tools for businesses to get a better grasp of what their ads are generating.
DSTRUX launched a new iOS app of the same name yesterday that changes the way content owners control their images' usage across the web. A universal Snapchat of sorts, DSTRUX brings private and controled viewing of images to anyone with an Internet browser.
500px has taken the world by storm since their launch in 2009. In many ways it's become the new hub for sharing and expoloring work from some of the greatest photographers around. This nifty little pluggin from the developers at 500px (available here) will alow you add one quick step to your workflow to share your images on the site.
After years of seeing "Please, No Photos of the Art" signs in every museum across the country over the years, you might find it interesting to hear that the bans have finally started disapearing, and even photo-taking promoted for the sake of social media advertising. The National Gallery has finally opened the floor to promoting photos by mobile and amateur photographers and encourage the idea to take photos of the art and post those images to social media platforms. This is a pretty big deal considering the stance on the issue for so long was very anti-photographs.
Coversplash, a new photo sharing and photography forum site, is the creation of four college guys who wanted to create a one stop shop for all your photo needs. Coversplash gives you the ability to create a website to show off your work, easily tell stories with integrated tools, sell stock images and even interact with other photographers in the community.
Have you ever felt with limited in your creative field because of where you live? Finn Beales has done what most in his region only dream of: escaping that limitation and embracing the world around him to create his own path as a professional photographer.
If we do anything long enough, we run the risk that it may become monotonous and/or boring. While there is no fix-all for everyone, over the last few years, I’ve discovered several ways to help me break out of whatever photography-related funk I’ve found myself in.
Over the years I have been able to organically build a base of over 26,500+ people that follow my work on Facebook. In addition, while many complain that Facebook is only sharing their posts with less than 10% of their fan base, I am averaging around 40% of my fans that are seeing my posts. So what's the secret? Here's how I get my fans engaged and some tips that will help you do the same.
It was just a couple years into using Instagram myself before I noticed one name pop up regularly: Merek Davis. Having first been introduced to him as "The Mextures Dude," the fascination with him and the incredible inspriation he brought along with him had me hooked. I immediately began downloading free Mextures individually from his website and using apps like Image Blender to add them to my shots to enhance them with these magnificent colors, textures and custom film grains.
If you’re on Facebook, you’ve no doubt seen some occasional teaser images from various artists announcing their addition to the August network. While the team has been relatively mum about the details behind August, their vision is simple yet ambitious. If they are successful, it could prove to be one of the most powerful and beneficial platforms for artists to date.
YouTube Star Michelle Phan, who has 6.7 million subscribers to her beauty tutorials, is being sued for multiple copyright infringements. Ultra Records claim Phan has used music from its artists Kaskade, Deadmau5, and Calvin Harris, and profited from them. The company's lawyers claim they have found over 50 examples of her using said music.
LIVE NOW! One of my favorite things about Instagram has to be the community. Having followed Pei Ketron for years now and watching her work evolve has been an incredible learning experience for myself. Today, for FREE, she is working with PhotoShelter.com to offer a webinar on tips and tricks to building a following on Instagram. Why should you listen to Pei? For one, she has over 800,000 followers and a portfolio of work that includes Mercedes and Ona bags. A must see if you are intersted in taking your social media to the next level on Instagram!
At first when I saw the title of the document in question "The Photographers Guide to Instagram," I was hesitant and almost blew it off as yet another cliché, small list of tips and tricks that have been passed around for the past 4 years since the inception of the popular photo sharing app. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it's much more than that, and a must-read for anyone finding themselves not maximizing Instagram for its full potential.
The ever talented team at Scanline VFX have posted their most recent BTS video of the popular wight fight scene from the Game of Thrones Season 4 Finale. In this run down you can see the incredible detail and heavy visual effects work that goes into each and every scene from that fight. This one sequence has been remored to be one of the most expensive scenes created for the show.
New Orleans, Louisiana. If you’ve been following along, you may remember me mentioning at some point that starting around the beginning of July, my girlfriend Holly, our dog Olive, and I, will be giving up our apartment, putting almost everything we own into storage, and hitting the open road for at least two to six months.
Last year Mercedes-Benz USA (@MBUSA) ran a very successful social media campaign using Instagram and some of its top influencers to spread the word about the new CLA which you can read about here. Now, they are at it again with a new approach on the much anticipated Mercedes GLA. What better way to advertise than to hit social media with some absolutely stunning adventure photos?
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of testing out the Phase One IQ250, and so I thought I would put together a practical write up of my time spent the Phase One IQ250 Camera System, the Capture One software, and whether or not either one has found a permanent place in my workflow.
Facebook has officially released their new app, Slingshot, which was accidentally leaked/teased to the app store early last week and then quickly removed. The concept of this app is to share photos via message with friends, similar to the well known app Snapchat, but Facebook says they put a different approach to this app that will make it stand out and not be the same.
The music business is a brutal, cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world and I lived it for nearly 10 years. Since the age of 16, I struggled as a touring musician, surviving off nothing but cold Spaghettios and sleeping in a decade-old 8-passenger van. I was fortunate enough to explore the nation and see things that most will never see, but by the time I left the business I was completely burnt out.
A number of years ago, I read on a photography/marketing blog that there are reasons why we, as photographers, should think about working for free. As I was just then beginning my journey with my brand-new DSLR, I took the information with a grain of salt and imagined a day where getting paid to do what I love wasn’t some far-off pipe dream,
