As a macro photographer, I commonly get asked questions about shooting fast-moving live subjects, as well as how I create my compositions. Many elements come into play when creating these images, and so, I would like to discuss a few macro photography tips, including some that often get overlooked.
When I was new to portrait lighting, I used to blast everything with light with reckless abandon. Although, as I grew as a photographer, I learned that the ability to control the spread of light on a multi-strobe shoot allowed you to not only create something with a more sophisticated appearance, but tell a better story. One of the most affordable ways to accomplish this is with the use of grids. The Slanted Lens put together a great video tutorial on understanding grids. Read below to learn more.
I love Nikon, but for its professional line of cameras (anyone can make the little guys). But I've never been a fan of the Coolpix name. Maybe it reminds me of an era during which plastic boxes that could barely make a file for a 4x6 print were actually cool. So when I first saw the Coolpix A, I didn't think anything of it. But when I really read about it, I realized it's time for me to drop the silly baggage I have with the Coolpix name. This isn't just cool. It's red hot -- for a number of reasons.
Now that the dust has settled on Nikon's big Z 9 announcement and pundits have chewed the cud over the raft of firsts that the announcement heralded, let's pause for a moment and consider some of the reality that will undoubtedly follow this.
It is advised to shoot raw, always. Although many think that is a wise thing to do, a lot of photographers still shoot JPEG only. For those group of photographers I have 10 tips for better photos, and it has nothing to do with raw.
Quite a number of years ago I had a friend that suggested I use Photomechanic to review my photos and pick the ones I want to edit (also known as "culling.") I downloaded the free trial and was immediately turned off by the archaic and confusing menus. Had someone showed me then what I was missing I would have immediately adopted it into my workflow and saved myself lots of time over the years. Hopefully this video will do it justice and show you just how incredible and valuable a tool Photomechanic is for your workflow.
As photographers, we’re constantly re-crafting our portfolios, building new work, and (hopefully) growing as artists. Along the way, many of us will face challenges, get burnt out on locations, and ultimately feel in a rut. Through time and education, we invest so much into our portfolios, however the best advice I can give is to invest financially too.
Whether you’re a film photographer who also shoots digital or a film photographer exclusively, a life after film is on my mind and should be on yours as well.
In this second article about image sharpness, we will look at some more reasons why your photos may not be as sharp as you would wish.
Wedding photographers make the worst wedding guests. I know that when I’m at a friend’s wedding, I have a hard time turning it off. And no one should make me - least of all the hired guns photographing the bride and groom for the day. If that sounds blasphemous, let me explain.
When I watched this video this morning from London-based film production company Make Productions my mind was blown, my jaw dropped and I just kept thinking about all the detailed work that went into creating such an amazing parallax sequence - all of which was executed perfectly. Take 90-seconds today and be sure to check this out then read on below to find out more details about how it was created.
Fujifilm users have had their options rather limited when it came to wide angle fast-aperture zooms. Well, the only option has been the fan-favorite but bulky XF 8-16mm f2/.8 R LM WR, but now, there’s a new kid on the block. How does it compete? Is it worth considering?
Let me tell you: there’s nothing quite like a new camera and a change of scenery to recharge the old creative batteries, especially after a long British winter. I just came back last Sunday from a fantastic three-week trip to Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand and therefore, had plenty of time to intensively test the new Pen-F by Olympus, which I've had since mid-February.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a successful photographer? To determine what creates success, we first have to define success. While success can take many forms, in this case we are referring to it as a healthy coexistence between business life and personal life, while following a profitable career that you love. For each individual the criteria changes, but for the past several months, after lots of reading, listening to podcasts, and through personal experiences, I have compiled a list of five words that describe a successful photographer.
Photographers often have a hard enough time getting the proper credit and payment they deserve for the images they create. And now, Instagram is enabling brands to make money off your images without you ever even knowing it.
As a writer for Fstoppers I have seen a lot of behind the scenes (BTS) videos, but some of my favorites are those produced by Simeon Quarrie of Vivida. His videos are always top notch and offer the viewers a wonderful opportunity to see real shoots with actual clients while picking up lots of great tips on how he produces such great photographs.
Everyone who has ever picked up a camera has felt the unforgettable feeling of regret when you miss the perfect shot because of a focus problem. It's a gut wrenching feeling because you know you can't do anything about it.
Right?
Sony's newly announced a7S is shaping up to be a video behemoth. Yes, this video really impressed me. With its light weight and quality sensor, if they hit the right price point Sony could have the camera I would be tempted to leave Canon for. "Features newly developed, wide dynamic range sensor with awe-inspiring sensitivity.
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.
Joe McNally takes us through his lighting setup for a recent Cowboy portrait he shot. Joe's vision was to have the photo look like it was being lit by daylight coming through a window. He accomplishes this with a set of speed-lights and a 6x6 diffuser. He also adds additional lights to add fill for the shadows that the cowboy hat creates. Joe breaks down the gear...
Trying to capture a perfectly balanced shot during blue hour has its challenges. These three tips will have you capturing more successful images for your portfolio.
I’ve always been enthralled with first person movie scenes, games and music videos. Clocking countless hours with Duke Nukem 3D in my parent’s basement on an old Packard Bell PC planted a seed that forever changed me. To this day I think The Prodigy's breakbeat electronic hit “Smack My Bitch Up” is one of the greatest first person videos of all time.
Most of the problems I get asked to fix in my role as technical support for photographers has to do with Lightroom. This article will show you the way I use Lightroom to be able to find any photograph I've shot in the last 10 years in under a minute. This is how best to organize and categorize your files to best serve you as a photographer and the tips and tricks that you might have otherwise missed.
GuruShots is the host of "The World’s Greatest Photo Game” and has released yet another fantastic challenge. Participants submited their best macro photos. The challenge received thousands of entries and millions of votes. Check out the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.
Take a look at your eyes (shhh, just do it). They are among the most incredible visual systems on the planet. Your eyes can manage light in an immense variety of situations, and can focus on objects from infinity to near macro levels (when you were younger). Mechanical lens systems have tried to replicate what nature does so easily only to fall short thus far.
As Director of Photography for Sports Illustrated, Brad Smith is witness to a lot of freelance photographers trying to get their foot in the door. Albert Ayzenberg of A.A. Productions sits down with Brad to talk about what freelancers should be doing to get noticed, and ultimately be hired, by photo editors. Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned professional, it’s worth taking a look at this interview to get a better sense of what employers such as Sports Illustrated are looking for and how best to show it to them.
Tomer Jacobson and Maxim Golovanov, conceptual photographers based in Israel, recently started a very interesting project together: they take songs they like, and transform them into visual photographs. They analyze each song, and try to understand who are the characters and what is the story behind them. Their most recent song-photoshoot was "Lost In The Flood" by Bruce Springsteen and the E street band. This was a complicated shoot and it involved shooting out in the water with a lot of equipment and many people. Check out the behind the scenes video and the awesome final result inside!
Keeping up with the latest consumer demand, Wacom has just announced three new exciting products. The first two are portable Cintiq products. Thirdly, they've also come out with a stylus for the iPad that is pressure sensitive.
Geared towards the outdoor photographer who needs a day bag for their camera gear and accessories, the Tenba Solstice caught my eye as a promising choice. Read on to find out how it performed.
Less than a month after the Nikon Z and Canon R announcement, Panasonic, Leica, and Sigma are joining forces to propose a new full-frame mirrorless system based on the Leica L-mount. Unlike Canon and Nikon, the specifications seem superlative.
