Go Behind The Scenes With Erik Almås And Sports Illustrated Models
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You want to know what's better than Erik Almås shooting Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models for Dodge Ram trucks? Me too cause I can't seem to find or think of anything that could possibly be better than this. The 2014 SI swimsuit edition is on news stands now and should be at the top of your reading list for the month. Erik has shot the inside cover for this magazine the last 2 years in a row. Check out the BTS of how he did it.

Captivating Video "Beauty" Brings Motion to Still Paintings
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"Beauty" is a short video by Rino Stefano Tagliafeirro, and it's a captivating 10 minutes that brings to life still paintings with a somewhat eerie soundtrack that almost forces rapt attention. The manifesto is described as delving into the "enigma of beauty." I would say more, but this is just one of those things that needs to be experienced. Warning, this does contain painted nudes.

New Spider Monkey Accessory Holster System - Review
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As a wedding photographer, I run around a lot and need to be ready for any moment. Because the day of a shoot can always bring surprises, I have a motto of always being prepared with extras of everything. Usually this means my assistant or I lug around a bag or two with extra flashes, batteries, and other accessories. I'm always looking for things to help me smooth out my work flow and make any wedding day easier to handle. So, when Spider Camera Holster released their new Spider Monkey for camera accessories at WPPI 2013, I was eager to try them out.

Priolite Ultra Strobe Promises to Sync at Any Speed, Any Power Setting
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This is one of the more interesting strobes we've come across. Priolite has begun a Kickstarter campaign for their MBX500HS Ultra, a battery-powered monolight that promises to be able to shoot at any shutter speed available to your camera and at any power setting.

Improving Your Eye for Photography and Going out to Shoot
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These past few days I have caught myself shooting a lot more than usual. When I am not working, I still get the urge to go out and shoot, whether I take out the drone, my Nikon, or the little Micro 4/3 camera. Recently, I have been shooting tons of aerial photography and I finally decided to ease off a bit and shoot with my Nikon some more; I’ve realized how much fun it is to just create awesome images with any camera. I think that getting out there and shooting whatever it is you want to shoot is something that drives you as a photographer and can really help improve your eye for photography in general.

Tamron Teases Four New Lenses for Sony Full-Frame Cameras
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Following the success of its 28-75mm f/2.8 and the hype surrounding the recently released 17-28mm f/2.8, Tamron has just given the world a glimpse of four new lenses for Sony full-frame cameras that it has in the pipeline.

We Review the CalDigit Element Hub
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The number of devices we need to connect to our computers on a daily basis seems to be never-ending. From SSDs to monitors and graphics tablets, it seems like we never have enough ports. The CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub attempts to address this by simply giving us a large number of our most commonly used ports, USB and Thunderbolt, and making sure they all operate at full speed.

Want to Win $3,700? Just Take an Image of a Pet, Any Pet.
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That's right, $3,700 is up for grabs in the newly announced Comedy Pet Photo Awards. Just take a humorous photo of a pet and you're in the running. And the best part is that it doesn't even need to be your pet. It can be anyone's. Read on for more information.

The Toughest Shoot of My Career? How I Shot this Series of Action Images
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I relish a challenge and I knew this job was going to be hard, but I had no idea how much improvisation would be required to complete this shoot and come away with images that worked for the client. Huge venue, one light, complex action, no reccy visit, and just six hours to get it all done.

Shoot What You Love and Sales Will Follow
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Stock photography websites can be a great way to get your photos out there and gain some passive income. Choosing what to shoot or submit can be simplified by sticking with what you enjoy and letting your passion shine through your work.

Fstoppers Reviews the MGCOOL Explorer 1s 4K $70 Action Sport Camera
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Electronics company MGCOOL has recently put out several new sports action cameras in the style of GoPro targeting the 4K and affordable market. The Explorer 1s both feature rich and capable of 4k at 24FPS packs a lot in for the low price of $70.

GoPro's New WiFi BacPac Commercial Will Make You Smile
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GoPro has become one of those companies like Redbull where everything they put out there is pretty cool. It has been fun seeing such a small startup become the industry leaders in tiny HD video cameras. With their new Wifi BacPac, GoPro gives users the ability to control their cameras through tablets like the iPad and smart phones. Unlike previous versions of the Hero, you can now control the shutter, camera modes, and other options with a simple remote. It's pretty amazing to see what this camera has become in just a few years. Rock on GoPro!

Behind the Scenes of Ontario Power Generation's Miniature Commercials
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It seems utility companies are looking for more creative ways of bringing their message across to television viewers in their commercials. Ontario Power Generation has recently come out with two commercials using miniature sets in their commercial production. Watch this very detailed behind the scenes video on how they created the sets, and how they filmed the fresh new take on water safety.

Celebrating Your Achievements in Photography
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We are our own worst enemies. As photographers and artists, we can be unfairly hard on ourselves and on our work. While it is healthy to be critical of one’s creations, it can be very difficult to stay motivated if you do not receive the right kind of encouragement from others, as well as from yourself. Slumps and dry spells of inspiration are par for the course in art, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. By initiating a few simple practices, you can give back to yourself, and recognize the many accomplishments you've made in your journey as a photographer.

How Much Free Kit a Small YouTube Channel Receives and the Ethics of It
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I am sure you have noticed that a lot of YouTubers receive large amounts of free gear. I myself have a very small YouTube channel, and my doorbell rings most days with deliveries of free kit. Let's talk about what we get, the expectations, and the ethics of that.

How We Shoot Video at Night With the Tamron 35mm f/1.8
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It's rare that I use prime lenses and I also don't shoot video with Nikon gear very often anymore. But, if I'm in an extremely dark environment, the Nikon D850 and Tamron 35mm f/1.8 is a killer combination.

jeremy-cowart-i'm-possible
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Jeremy Cowart is a household name in the photography industry. Recently Jeremy was classified as one of the 30 most influential photographers on the web by the Huffington Post. After studying graphic design, he continued on to become a well-known celebrity photographer. We all know him from famous photos of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and even the Kardashians. But who is Jeremy Cowart? And what motivates him to be a photographer, an artist, and a humanitarian?

On Photoshopping Bread and Paying Bills
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There's something that isn't really talked about among the freelance photographers that I know, or at least not something that I hear about often. It's a small truth that nags at us all the time until we really, really get to where we want to be in our career, and sometimes even after that. And sometimes it involves bread.

[Editorial] The Hottest Point of Photographer Contention: iPhones
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Photographers foam at the mouth, flail their arms, and shout expletives when it comes to the subject of iPhone photography. With the introduction of a global leader in lens manufacture entering the iPhone market, are they seeing something many outspoken photographers refuse to believe? Read More.
Using VFX to Create Macro Shots and Speed Ramps with Drone Video
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Last week I shared a video that used a couple of alternative techniques for aerial video, and coincidentally I was contacted shortly after to check out another video that had some unique drone video shots. In this kite surfing video, you'll see some interesting macro-style clips, speed ramps, zooms, and more. The fact is, all of this was done in post.

Rugged, Versatile Storage: Fstoppers Reviews the Gnarbox 2.0 SSD
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Photographers and videographers are working on the go and traveling more and more, and their needs for advanced data storage devices are growing. The Gnarbox 2.0 SSD seeks to fill those needs while housing those capabilities in a rugged device made to stand up to the elements. Check out our review of this powerful device.

David Stephenson's Long Exposure Star Paths
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David Stephenson used multiple techniques to photograph the night sky in his series Star Drawings. The lines and shapes created by the earth's rotation make for interesting views of the stars and dark sky above.

His technique is a blend of interval exposures and multiple long exposures giving each of the photographs in his series a unique look. Stephenson says he is drawn to the awesome vastness of time and space, referring to his practice as a search for a photographic sublime.

Touching Strangers: A Series of Group Portraits with Strangers
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Imagine a portrait photographer asking people to pose for a quick picture on the streets of a large city, nothing too out of the ordinary, right? Now imagine if he asked you to pose with a compete and utter stranger. That's what New York photographer, Richard Renaldi has set out to do. The series entitled, 'Touching Strangers' is an intimate look at how humanity could be.

New Autofocus Lenses From Samyang Optics
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Anybody that has purchased a lens at anytime knows that it can definitely be a costly endeavor, and most people would argue that frequently, you get what you pay for. For years Samyang, has produced affordable alternative options that maybe are not as refined as other lenses, but deliver a good bit of optical quality for the price. Up until now, they haven't offered autofocus-equipped lenses, but with this announcement, they have launched two autofocus lenses.

Jared Platt's Free Lightroom 4 Workflow On CreativeLIVE
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This Thursday, June 14, Jared Platt is doing a 3 day workshop on how to speed up your Lightroom 4 workflow. As always with creativeLIVE events, the online workshop is free to watch live (so sign up for that now) and then the video recordings of that workshop cost $150 to download after the event ends. Click the full post for more details on how you can watch this intensive tutorial for free this coming weekend.

A Photographer's Guide To Pricing Your Work And Services
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For many shutterbugs, the dream of making money with photography doesn't extend past being able to pay for new equipment. Photography might just be a hobby if you already have a fulfilling career. But if you are looking to make a business out of being creative the first question that will cross your mind is "how much should I charge?" Knowing how to price your product (and from a tax perspective everything you do IS a product, not a service) does not come without consequence. Pricing yourself too low might gain you a ton of business but will also rob you of any free time. Pricing yourself too high, especially early on, will decrease your workload but might also send you filing an application at Starbucks...again! Mark Wallace has tackled the issue of how much to charge in his latest video, and he gives a lot of great pointers. Lee and I are currently working on a detailed video series on wedding photography where we will outline our ideas on pricing so stay tuned for that as well. Leave any questions or experiences you have in the comments below.