Check it out guys. Here is another great speaker from Luminance 2012. Heck he isn't just a great speaker but also a great photographer, husband, father and friend to have (so he tells me). Zack gives us some insight on what it means to be genuine and what that means for your social media and ultimately your business. No need to learn the hard way, just watch.
Looking for your daily inspiration? Look no further. As a result of the famous Blue Marble photograph, author Frank White coined the term 'The Overview Effect.' The Overview Effect is the reaction most astronauts have to seeing the Earth from space: common features of the experience are a feeling of awe for the planet,
This Do-It-Yourself equipment video by Jay P Morgan of The Slanted Lens features Cinematographer Lars Lindstrom as he shows us how easy it is to build your own camera shoulder rig. To make this rig all you'll need is some standard PVC piping and a few other items from your home-improvement store. If you're in a bind and can quite afford one of the more expensive rigs, this is a great alternative for just under $10.
Like it or not, Instagram isn't going anywhere. I personally love Instagram because I can snap a photo, post it, and share it with everyone who follows me in less than a minute. With that being said though, I do miss the times I spent as a kid, looking at projected slide film with my family on the holidays. Now thanks to Projecteo I can have those times back again!
Have you ever wondered who the people are behind some of Instagram's biggest profiles? With the way it's setup, you see their work first but you don't get to know too much about who they are. Some of the users on Instagram have tremendous followings. What drives them to shoot and who are they? Here are some great interviews about them and their work.
We featured Elena Jasic on here last month, and this month she is back with this awesome tutorial on how to add freckles in post to your photos. Elena is a young and upcoming fashion and beauty photographer from Philadelphia. The photo in this tutorial is from Chris Zupo. You can also find the brush used in this tutorial here. If you guys try this technique out, share a link to it with us in the comments on this post!
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.
How many times have you seen an amazing timelapse project, and wondered where exactly the photographer was when they recorded their exposures? Or maybe you wondered what they had to do to get to such an amazing vantage point? Sean Goebel created his timelapse film "Epochs" and documented the location and equipment details for most scenes. Sean told me some about his background, and links to his work and shot setups are also inside.
With the help of pro breakdancer, contortionist, acrobat Karimbo, Brussels-based photographer, director David Olkarny put together this short video using the Canon 7D a Canon 50mm 1.4 and Canon 24-70mm 2.8L. Another video that proves that if you got the talent, creativity, drive and a modest kit, you can make something worth looking at.
UPDATE: Apparently video was removed from Youtube. Link to original CollegeHumor video is here. Taking a break from any serious discussion about whether or not Instagram is a good thing, let's all take a moment to appreciate the hilarity that is this video, which pokes fun at Instagram to the tune of Nickelback. I remember when I actually liked this song... a lot.
ReutersTV put together this video of interviews with their photographers as they describe what happened to them during and after the destruction left by Hurricane Sandy, and how they worked to capture compelling images. The interviews are balanced by the powerful imagery that these shooters captured of the hardships people faced, many of them left with destroyed homes.
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.
The path to success changes based on who you ask. There is no one path that gets you where you want to be. As creatives, we keep defining that path daily. Chase Jarvis recently talked at the PSFK seminar and he spoke about the new models of creativity. He argues that the traditional system is broken and most people who have 'made it' have done so through a-typical methods.
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. From location scouting, to running power for lights, and even considering bathrooms for the crew, this insightful BTS video shows us how Jay P. Morgan approached this challenge.
We've featured several creative uses of projection mapping here on Fstoppers before, used for both commercial photo shoots or just visual appeal. There is something captivating about incorporating dynamic imagery into a set. Formative is a company that adapts projection mapping set ups for any auditorium.
I recently was introduced to Making View, a Norwegian company that specializes in creating 360-degree panoramic video. Yep, you read that right. Panoramic video. Much like a 360-degree photo tour, you can zoom and move around the video as it plays. It is without a doubt one of the coolest things I've seen in recent memory, and I can see the technology being used in some pretty incredible ways.
CBS's Jeff Glor recently interviewed Pete Mortimer, known mostly for his work on this Citibank Commercial and the 60 Minutes special on free solo climber Alex Honnold. In this interview, Pete discusses the mental attitude needed for his line of work, and emphasizes how crucial safety is while dangling off of a rock. During the interview, a rock actually breaks loose in a brief moment of danger, which illustrates just how dangerous things can become. Embedded video in the full post.
If you're a fan of the immortal and time-traveling Doctor Who, then this VFX breakdown might just be for you. The Mill, who works on the visual effects of BBC's Doctor Who, have been with the show since its re-imagining in 2005. Sit back and watch as they explain how they create their episode opening sequences, seamlessly incorporate map paintings with computer graphics and creature creation in this two part video series.
A mix of hilarious and slightly educational, 'Fafa's Photoshop Tutorial' is what you would get if you mixed fuzzy puppets, Photoshop, and humor. I'm glad they don't run all the tutorials, they would be all over the place and no one would actually learn too much. For the sake of light hearted Photoshop fun, enjoy.
Architectural photography is something I can never seem to get down. I love shooting people much more than buildings, but when it is executed correctly I love it, even though it is not my favorite thing to shoot. I could look at good architectural photography all day. What's interesting is how architectural photographers use light to sculpt, add contrast, and bring out details in their work.
I was completely f*cking torn as to what to do here. Post them all at once or roll them out. Here is the thing. I attended Luminance, Photoshelter's two day conference, back in September expecting the same old song and dance of over crowed auditoriums as speakers and spokes people try to sell me their wares. (Hmmmm kind of makes you wonder why I keep going to these things.) But I was pleasantly surprised as the conference was
I've been a fan of all of the Lord of the Rings movies and am very much looking forward to the release of The Hobbit this December. I always knew that a lot of work went into the film industry beyond the actors and cameras, but after seeing this behind the scenes of the upcoming Hobbit movie, it makes me realize how extensive the work is after all the filming is said and done.
Take a 3-minute break from whatever you're doing right now, and listen to this short recorded lecture of British philosopher and writer Alan Watts (1915-1973). This is a very inspirational, thought-provoking and interesting to anyone who ever wanted to work in the industry - Doesn't matter if its as a photographer, film maker, sound-man or a retoucher. Listen, and decide: 'What do you desire?'.
I'm not going to lie. With all the time lapse videos of the sky hitting the web these days I'm kind of over it. But "Leonid and Zodiacal Light", by french photographer Stephane Vetter is very short and there is just something about capturing the entire sky with trees on the on the fringe that still holds a bit of magic.
Known best for her dazzling performances that have mixed a dubstep beat with violin playing, Lindsey Stirling has gathered quite a following with her fantastic music videos. In her latest video, "Elements", Lindsey shot footage behind the scenes that shows her picking up supplies, working with Director Devin Graham, and then talking about how she event does the editing herself as a self-proclaimed video nerd.
The people over ar Prime Focus World who are responsible for the special effects and/or 3D conversion of films like 'Total Recall', 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', 'Wrath of the Titans' and 'Tron', have made four videos in which Jon Thum, visual effect supervisor, sits and explains the filming process and post for the slow-motion sequences for the movie, 'Dredd 3D'.
A few weeks ago I posted an interesting behind the scenes video of cheetahs running at full speed while being filmed with the 1200 fps Phantom camera. The camera setup is pretty crazy if you haven't watched the BTS video already. Here is the final slow motion footage of five different cheetahs running along side the dollied camera.
In this trailer for the upcoming documentary "The Quest For Inspiration", there are a slew of amazing images from places filmmaker Mathieu Le Lay followed landscape Photographer Alexandre Deschaumes. The documentary shows Alexandre as he prepares for a new journey, this time into Patagonia, and we hear his words as thoughts through voiceover, speaking about the complexities and work he does to attain his inspiration.
Kevin Margo, a VFX/CG Supervisor at Blur Studios recently released his directoral debut with his short science fiction film titled 'Grounded'. The film, while the general audience may not fully appreciate it, will entice cinephiles with its stunning graphics and read between the lines themes. In the following video he breaks down the CGI that was used in the film. The film was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and post processed using 3DS Max and Fume FX.
We stumbled onto this video that points out the biggest issue with the Nikon D600 right now: the dust accumulation. Bloggers and reviewers across the internet are crying foul at the issue, and in case you are unfamiliar (unlikely) or just curious (most probable) about the issue, this simple video does a really good job of showing what a brand new D600 suffers from. Biggest deal to me? He never changed lenses. All the dust is internal.
There's nothing more beautiful than ... a video of the destruction of an egg? Well, if you shoot said destruction video at 3,200 fps in a plethora of angles and situations it can be gorgeous. The guys at OverKranked have done just that. They're specialty is showing the shredding, crushing, squashing, cracking, obliterating and deathing of every day items in slooow mooo.
Air New Zealand has been known for their original, themed and very well made safety videos. Just recently they released their newest safety video featuring a plane full of Tolkien fans called, 'An Unexpected Briefing'. Air New Zealand partnered up with the people over at Weta Workshop to create the amusing safety briefing. The video made in anticipation of 'The Hobbit' features a few actors from the movie, real Tolkien fans, J.R.R. Tolkien's great-grandsons, actual working Air New Zealand employees and even has a cameo from the man, Peter Jackson, himself.
Fashion Photographer Lindsay Adler has put together a new behind the scenes video that shows you how she is able to capture images of a model that look like silhouettes, but still have glare and depth as if they were wearing latex. This video shows us the lighting setup in her studio for capturing these unique images.
Earlier this year Stoli rolled out their most recent advertising campaign that revolved around three 'original' nights with their product. The first night, a lavish paint party (Dayglow anyone?). Second night, a club party in a power plant in West Berlin. The third, in an abandoned amusement park in East Berlin. They recently released three short, but interesting behind the scenes videos that accompany the commercials, showing how they set up the scenes and even showing a glimpse of the ARRI that they used to shoot with.
DesignWorks Media Group is made up of Mike Stog and Lee Barwick. The USA Olympic Boblsed/Skeleton team commissioned them to do a campaign which includes bobsledding fused with everyday activites, i.e. grocery shopping. Mike and Lee kept things pretty easy and minimal as far as lighting goes. They used a lot of the ambient, then supplemented for an extra kick where needed. Lighting diagram and final photo ad included after the jump. Enjoy!
Check out this awesome hyperlapse shot in the colorful cities of China. I really enjoy how he starts off with short clips to give you a feel of the environment in real time, then moves from day to night. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching timelapses. Go to Zweizwei's vimeo to watch more of his work.
If you're a fan of setting up bird feeders and watching the adorable little animals swoop into your back yard, you might want to look into this new piece of equipment designed by Bryson Lovett. Instead of hunting down your favorite avian wildlife at 200 mm, this little contraption allows you to view and photograph the birds up close and personal without invading their space.
Jeff Cremer recently traveled to Machu Picchu with the goal of creating the highest resolution image ever taken of one of the most incredible places on Earth. Using a Gigapan robotic head, Jeff swept a Canon 100-400mm lens back and forth over the scene, taking hundreds of photos, which resulted in one incredible image. He even had a close call with the law,
Vimeo recently rolled out a Tip Jar feature for it’s content creators, where you can tip a donation to the artist. Coming up next for Vimeo is a Pay-To-View service, where audiences will actually have to pay to watch the video. It’s controlled solely by the creators, but will Vimeo take a cut of the money, like they do with the tip jar?
Von Wong is at it again in this super slow motion (700fps) video that has adds a certain 'epic' quality to a funny story about -- you guessed it -- his hair. Featured is a quick BTSV talking about the gear he used, but we have the full slow-mo tilt-shift video.
One of the most anticipated movies this year has got to be the new James Bond flick, "Skyfall", directed by Sam Mendes. A series of behind the scenes videos have been posted online, and they really do offer a great look at just a few of the many things that go into such a vast production. Well worth a watch. 12 more videos are inside!
Anyone getting started out in DSLR video production can tell you that one of the biggest frustrations for them is changing focus during a shot. This is where FocusMaker comes in. It attaches to any lens and in just a few minutes you can have focus points marked on the big ruler, and easily jump back and forth from focus point to focus point.
The Kickstarter Project called Run Free 2013 is a fake marathon that Ridiculo.us is putting on to see if they can use user-submitted photos of an event that isn't actually happening, to make it seem like it did. While certainly a fun idea, a bigger question begs to be asked– if all it takes are photos and tweets to make something seem like it actually happened, how in the future can we account for the difference between the real and a hoax? Embedded video inside.
When retouching photos of people there are a lot of things to take into consideration, especially when it comes to working on their skin. Retouching skin can be a very tricky thing! It's very easy for it to look too blotchy or too plastic, and normally that is not what you want. My favorite method is frequency separation, and I reference this tutorial by Sara Kiesling often.
If you were asked to film the world's fastest animal running in slow motion, what would you do? Director Hans Weise and cinematographer Greg Wilson teamed up with National Geographic to produce some stunning footage of a cheetah running at full speed.
I'm sure most of you happened to see images created with the Slit Scan technique, but probably never got to see it being used in videos. Until now. Sit down and get ready to have your brain explode. This awesome video experiment was made by French filmmakers Adrien M / Claire B who filmed it with a Canon 7D at 60fps. Beautiful work.
Pascal Dangin is the founder and chief of Box Studios, a retouching house based out of NYC. They're known for retouching some of the world's best photographs, some of which grace Vogue and Vanity Fair. He also works with Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel. Unofficially, he's credited as being the world's most sought after retoucher in the industry. He is also very mysterious and so is Box. Here, we get an in depth look at what goes on behind the scenes at Box.
Good special effects are the ones you don't really realize were "special." They are the moments that give you that sense of awe without dragging you away from being caught in the moment. Fuel VFX specializes in creating special effects for a wide range of movies, some of which you've most likely seen this year.
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. Watch the inspiring interview in the full post
Figurative artist Cayce Zavaglia started as a painter, but has since discovered new techniques to sate her creative appetite. As she calls it, her "renegade embroidery" comes from a portrait that she shoots of a person, and then she recreates that portrait using threaded wool in a way that creates the allusion of depth, volume, and form.