The number of affordable lighting products available from Godox has exploded in the last few years. If you’re not sure which modifier will best suit your work, check out this in-depth video to help you make your choice.
On Saturdays and Tuesdays, live photography streams broadcast on Olympus U.K.'s Facebook page. This week’s Tuesday video, a High Key photography tutorial, was presented by Gavin Hoey and is now available as a video.
While I agree that a great photographer can create incredible images using basic tools, it is no secret that great tools can help a good photographer achieve greatness. Over the last year or two, new strobes, new lenses, and a plethora of modifiers have helped elevate my studio photography to new levels, but one tool has brought it to a new level more than anything else: painted backdrops. And so, I wanted to share some resources on how to get painted backdrops without putting a second mortgage on your house.
The background is an element of a scene that's easy to overlook, but it has huge power over the final image. Here are two of the best backgrounds for accentuating skin tones in your portraits.
No doubt, it is fun to learn about cameras, lenses, and editing techniques, and learning how to properly use a C-stand or clamp might not be as immediately alluring, but it is just as important when it comes to working in a studio and accomplishing what you need to. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to use a variety of common studio equipment effectively.
Flashguns and strobe lights aren't just for capturing perfectly exposed subjects, they can be valuable as creative assets too.
There are times where you just don't have enough space, time, or material to cover your entire scene with an infinite backdrop. One workaround that you can do is to use as much as you have, and then extend it across the rest of the image in Photoshop.
In this video I walk through my office desk set up at my studio and go through in detail what I use, and why I use it. Considering I spend more time here than anywhere else, I thought it wise to spend a bit more time and money on it.
With so many lighting setups, it can be difficult to narrow down which ones to use. One of my personal favorites is described right here, in-depth, in this behind-the-scenes video: clamshell lighting.
Photography studios come in many shapes and sizes, from family portrait studios on the high street to elaborate YouTuber sets. In this article, I walk you around my studio and explain why I have the layout and kit that I do for my work.
There is always more you can do with photography in your own home, and I have some incredible results, but this use of a projector is up there with the best.
As creatives, we often spend a good amount of time at our desks, and this past year for a lot of us has seen that amount of time double if not triple. Sales of desk chairs over the last year shows that we are not alone in that, but how much research did you do into buying your desk chair?
I’ve lived in many places and every time, as much as I’ve wanted to set up a small studio, most apartments were not conducive to doing so, or I’ve had partners with so much junk that even a free wall was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I’ve finally had the occasion to leave one wall free for that mini portrait setup and I’m glad I did. It’s something every photographer should plan their furniture arrangements around.
The best portrait photographers always use the most expensive lighting set ups — right? This great video from photographer Irene Rudnyk shows you how to create stunning results from a single on-camera flash that costs only $50.
Candlelight can create some beautifully atmospheric images but using it to light a model can be a challenge given that it’s typically a small and unflattering source that’s not necessarily going to be in the right place to give the desired effect. This video shows you how to mix it with a strobe to get great results.
If, like me, you are pondering asking Santa for some lighting gear for Christmas to start putting together a home studio, check out this short video to show you what can be achieved through a very simple setup that’s very affordable.
There are many light modifiers available and the selection can become confusing at times. Some areas, in fact, are confusing even when you understand them. The primary suspect is the parabolic softbox.
When done in a certain way, photographing your subject from above can result in unique and sometimes gravity-defying results. Check out this tutorial, which you can try at home with some basic equipment.
If you want to practice portraits at home, but don't want to spend a fortune on peripherals for a home studio, this is for you.
Have you ever wanted one of those really expensive studio camera stands that are popular in large commercial studios? Well, now you can build your own with 3D printed parts and DIY patience.
Lightroom has enjoyed dominance in its area for over a decade and has been the go-to raw processor and catalog tool for many photographers. However, rivals have been creeping up and improving gradually, with Capture One 20 now being considered by many to be better in some regards.
I am not a tech head, as you may well know. However, there are some items of equipment that I didn't upgrade that have ended up holding my commercial photography career back.
Now, more than ever, there are a ton of reasons to switch to a different camera ecosystem. whether you're making the switch from one brand to another or just switching to a mirrorless system. If you've been doing photography as a hobby for a long time or make a living with it, you've probably built up a collection of bodies, lenses, and even some flashes all within the same system. Sure, you can get adapters from Canon to Sony or EF to RF, but that's probably just going to save you a few bucks.
Shooting good portraits at home can be done with the simplest of setups.
For many photographic applications natural light is almost always preferable — the only problem is, oftentimes the quality of that natural light is either too harsh or too diffused. This tutorial discusses the conditions for good natural light, and how you can reproduce it using some inexpensive equipment.
If you have ever said to yourself that making a YouTube video looks easy, you aren't wrong. If you want it to look good, though, there are some steps you should take to ensure your video is up to par and pleasing to the viewer.
One of the worst myths in the photography industry is about how high quality gear is required in order to produce high quality results. This mostly nonsense and as you develop your skills within the industry, you'll quickly realize how gear, in general, has little to do with the quality of results you can produce.
It's rare that any piece of photographic equipment is versatile and affordable enough that I recommend it to everyone, but the GVM-600S Ring Light is one of those rare products. If you shoot photos or videos, you should buy this light.
Being a good photographer often means knowing where to position your lights to create the desired effect. However, the placement of your lights is only part of the equation; sometimes, it's just as important to set the color of your lights as well. In today's video, I'll show you three different lighting setups that also use color to alter the final images.
It can be intimidating when you see some behind-the-scenes photos of studio setups, and there are multiple lights everywhere, and you only have one light. While sometimes, it does come in handy to have multiples, there is a lot you can do with only one light. Could you do a high-key portrait with only one light?
If you've got one light sitting around, I challenge you to find three creative ways to use it. If you need help coming with ideas, that's where this helpful video comes in to play.
With so many lighting modifiers, understanding how each one works and in what situation you ought to use them can be a little daunting. In this video, Karl Taylor discusses two of the most common and demonstrates their differences.
Storing seamless paper rolls in your home or studio is always a bit of a task, especially once the collection has grown over the years. Although there are off-the-shelf options, I found that this simple $20 build does a great job.
One photography technique I've always been interested in learning is how to photograph ink in water. The resulting images are beautiful on their own, but having a library of ink clouds and paint explosions for use in composite work is also super valuable. In this video tutorial, I'll show you some of the best tips and tricks I've learned capturing ink in my own studio.
Today on our new Fstoppers Live channel, we had the chance to interview Vasyl Nykolyshyn, the owner of Raycrown accessories, about a brand new shoot-through octabox concept he has designed. Not only is this light modifier wind-resistant and easy to build and break down, but it can also be used off-axis as a large soft light and on-axis as a massive ring light. Let us know what you think!
When shooting fitness photography, lighting plays a big part to help capture all details in the subject's appearance. How many lights should you have? What are some of the best placements for strobes during the shoot?
One of the great things about photography is that you can practice it anywhere. You don't need expensive equipment to get the shot or a massive studio to get the photos you need.
When working on location, softboxes are not always the best choice as they can be quite cumbersome to assemble. Umbrellas tend to be a lot faster to set up. Thanks to Elinchrom and its Snaplux range, you won't have to choose between the light quality of a softbox and the ease of use an umbrella.
If you want a project at home that will improve your small studio photography as well as your Photoshop and compositing skills, look no further. This detailed tutorial takes you through the entire process of shooting Oreos falling into a glass of glue. I mean milk.
How do you get professional results when you're just starting out and you don't have the space or budget for those grand studios?
If you work in fashion or commercial projects, you probably have used or seen a cyclorama before. If you've looked into getting one professionally built for your own space, you know a cyclorama can cost several thousand dollars and doesn't always fit in everyone's budget. If you have decided to build your own, here's some great information to help you start.
By now, most of the countries around the world are under full lockdown or about to undergo lockdown. At the time of writing, my country (South Africa) would be one of the latest to undergo lockdown. Tensions seem to increase the day before the actual event, as people question what they'll be doing with themselves while locked in a house for three weeks or longer. Luckily, it doesn't need to be as scary as you think, especially if you're a photographer.
You don’t need a big studio, and you don’t need to travel to an exotic location to create incredible photos. All you need is a space to work in, even if it’s a small one.
For those of you with a neglected DSLR camera gathering dust on the shelf this is the perfect time to learn some new techniques, like a few basics of still-life photography. Whether you have a dusty DSLR or just a smartphone, this video has some great tips to help beat the self-isolation blues.
One thing I love the most about my job is to be able to work with hugely talented people in my team. It’s always so inspirational to be around them and never fails to serve as an outstanding learning opportunity.
Have any experience in a studio? Yes? No? Doesn’t matter. You should give 4x5 a try. It’s addictive.
A couple of months ago I was given the opportunity to photograph Korean-American stylist, lifestyle blogger, and digital influencer, Chriselle Lim for the cover of Female Malaysia magazine. It’s always exciting to be able to shoot a cover for a magazine, especially one that is the leading fashion and beauty magazine in Malaysia, and I particularly love photographing strong, successful women. Gotta be around these role models!
Elinchrom has always been known for its superb light modifiers. But the strobes designed by the Swiss flash manufacturer are just as good. Now marks a new direction for the brand with the introduction of the ELC 125 and ELC 500.
This series of photographs was initially intended to celebrate the beautiful diversity of black women in honor of Black History Month, but by the end of the shoot, it had become so much more than that. I’m going to attempt to explain the powerful effect this shoot had on me, though I have to admit I may not have the words to properly elucidate why.
I was recently in America doing more photography work and did a total of 11 photoshoots in the one month I was there. It was an incredibly long flight from Singapore, gotta make my time there worth it!
