A few days into my landscape photography trip in Oregon, I hit a creative low. While watching a disappointing sunset, I started journaling some thoughts that helped turn a series of failures into stepping stones.
Stock photography has always seemed to go one of two ways. Either you make a great living, or you memorize McDonald's value menu; however, no matter if stock income is your main source, or a small residual you need to know about Getty's current partnership with Google. On December 6th of 2012 Google Drive (a free service) announced on their blog that “5,000 new photos of nature, weather, animals, sports, food, education, technology, music and 8 other categories are now available for your use
With the new Iron Man movie out this week it's only natural that companies would cash in on the film trilogy. Verizon Wireless have released a new commercial for their new internet service, FiOS Quantum. VFX house, The Embassy, who created the special effects also worked on the first Iron Man film.
The FTC seems to be continuing its watchful eye on sponsored posts via social media as influencers and celebrities get paid to post about their favorite brands. So beware if you are one that is taking products or collaborating with a brand as an ambassador, or simply as a partner. As photographers, many of us bring on relationships with companies and camera brands without knowing the rules fully. Not disclosing these partnerships can result in fines from the FTC.
The raw processing world often seems restricted to Capture One, Lightroom, and Camera Raw. However, these three are far from being alone. One alternative is called Alien Skin Exposure X2, and while you may have heard of it as a Photoshop plugin, it’s also a standalone app able to edit your raw files. Despite being younger than the other options, it offers a broad palette of features, and I would almost dare say it took most of the best functionalities found on the market to bring to life a very appealing photo editing software. After a few weeks working with it, here’s my review and why you should perhaps give it a try too!
As a U.S. citizen, I have to abide by the laws of my country; As a drone operator, I have to abide by the rules of the FAA, just like anybody else. Yesterday I was at a wedding in New York when I found out President Trump was venturing to his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey for a 17 day vacation. Along the way, he brought an amazing Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) that is stopping me and many other people from flying with in a 30 NM radius of his location.
Well, the light painting bar has been raised again. Sweatshoppe, a European creative collaboration, recently created this video showing off their new technique of video light painting. While that may sound a little strange at first, it's actually a really, really neat technique that they pioneered on their own. Using custom-made software and a little ingenuity,
Mountaineering photographer Robert Böesch stood at the ready, next to several cameras as he waited for the right conditions and timing, to capture an unbelievable exposure of the Matterhorn Peak, one of the most notable mountains in the Alps, if not the world. What made the image so special was the team of mountaineers already in place, each with red lights to illuminate the first route ascended on it 150 years ago. This video shows how it was done.
There are numerous applications for soft light, from portraiture to product photography, from macro to fashion. Soft light stands as one of the cornerstones of photographic expertise.
In this series, I'm tying philosophy, post-processing and the nature of beauty together through the genre of landscape photography. We're going to take a closer look at what beauty actually is, before I propose a new definition for photography.
When you love photographing moving subjects, it may be difficult to get a perfectly sharp photo. The best way is by moving your camera with the subject to keep it in the frame. This technique is called panning. I have 10 tips for successful panning photography.
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about copying. It is true that almost everything has been invented or someone has already done it one way or another, but I am still having difficulties thinking about copying as a basis for inspiration for work.
If you're on this site, you're likely a photographer or interested in becoming a photographer. In either case, if you're new to this wonderful craft, there are some bad habits that can really hold you back, and they're worth noting. Here are five I think you ought to be wary of, but make sure to add your own in the comment section.
This week, I got a chance to connect with Blackmagic Design to discuss some best practices when approaching color grading video footage through DaVinci Resolve Studio.
A few weeks ago, I spent two days in Doha, the capital of Qatar, especially to shoot some of its amazing architecture. And due to a little serendipitous oversight, I ended up getting exactly what I wanted.
Wontancraft has announced their new Scout camera bag. Known for combining old-school craftsmanship and modern-day functionality, their World War II 50s-style bag is designed for just that. The newest bag in their line boasts an accordion-style opening, YKK waterproof zippers, and water-repellent Cordura fabric. The main compartment is compatible with Wotancraft pocket modules for organizing your gear.
Last week I picked up Intellytech's version of a flexible LED panel. It's crazy thin, light, and portable. How does it stack up against a regular panel?
Every week Benjamin Von Wong releases a new behind the scenes video for your viewing pleasure and this week is no different. I find that Ben is probably one of the most talented conceptual photographers that likes to use fire in his photographs, but this week he decided to switch it up a bit and the results are stunning, to say the least.
Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is something photographers deal with all the time: that feeling you get by purchasing something that you think might be the one tool you need to really upgrade your work. Here are some ways to manage these impulses and stop you from buying unnecessary gear.
It looks like Nikon is about to unveil its updated version of the D4 at The Photography Show in Birmingham, UK this upcoming March, but with slightly unexpected specs. According to an Adorama page just taken down, there are a few rumored improvements for the D4s that Nikon users can anticipate.
Carlsbad photographer Robert Koester has been sentenced to 25 years in jail for heinous acts carried out on teen models he was paid to photograph. There is evidence that some of the teens were drugged by Koester.
I'm normally a huge numbers geek. I want to know every specification of every device because I believe in the power of statistics. But when it comes to hard drives, well, I just want them to work. I want ample space for my data, I want to know it's backed up without a second thought, and I want to be able to access it quickly and easily, no matter what device I'm on. Enter the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror.
Photography is a very secretive industry at times, but a few years ago I decided to share everything and answer any questions via instagram.
As DSLR cameras become more capable in capturing high quality video, there is a temptation to add videography as a service to clients. But the learning curve from photography is videography is a steep one if you attempt to do this on your own, believe me, I tried! Whilst there are many free resources out there to help you grow as a videographer, I have found that by investing in the right subscription based services, your journey to professional filmmaker can be an enjoyable one.
After our post about ...an Itty-bitty Universe the question was raised as to how such images are produced. For answers I turned to the publisher of "Year in the Life of the Universe", "Capturing the Stars", "Treasures of the Southern Sky" and "Lessons from the Masters", recipient of a "Hubble Prize" for contributions to astrophotography, image producer for both a UK and German national stamp, and the guy responsible for Apple's ubiquitous desktop image of NGC 3190. Meet astrophotographer Robert Gendler.
I had the pleasure to be hired to shoot an amazing car collection last year, which included 2 ultra-rare special Bugatti Veyrons. For example, the silver Bugatti, as you will watch, is a one-of-a-kind 100th anniversary Bugatti called the Sang Bleu… literally 1 of 1. We also had a decent-sized portion of a private airport at our disposal to use for the shoot. Pretty incredible experience. Read on to learn more about the shoot itself and my lighting.
Photographers and digital artists alike have been using image editing software like Photoshop to enhance their work for years. There are several ways to add creative enhancements and filters to your work within Photoshop, but there are ways to add them without using the program or even in conjunction via other software and plugins. Auto FX Software has been around for more than 20 years with their customized creative photo software solutions which work as a stand-alone program or as a plugin for Photoshop or Lightroom. Right now you can get two of their modules for FREE along with support from Auto FX Software.
Yes, that's right! In fact, all of your gear and equipment are there for you to help show what you want to say, but before that, you need to use your best tool: your mind. I'm not going to talk about the quality or techniques and skills for taking a better picture, instead I want you to think one step before that. One of the most important things for an artist is to create a piece of work showing exactly what they are thinking in their head. The difference between your idea and your outcome defines how powerful you are as an artist, and that difference is small for a great artist.
Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to powering your video system.
