Geared tripod heads offer precision and efficiency for various kinds of photography workflows. However, they often come with bigger price tags. Let’s see if this fairly affordable one from Benro is worth a look.
PhotoShelter regularly releases awesome guides and data they collect from the industry and today's release of The Photographer's Outlook on 2014 is no exception. This guide has insights from over 5700 photographers worldwide on the business goals and challenges they expect this year. They also highlighted the blogs that pros & enthusiasts read to keep up on industry news (of which we are honored to say Fstoppers was listed), plus the photographers they follow for inspiration.
Over the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to try out the all-new Sigma Art 85mm f/1.4. Priced lower than a majority of Sony lenses out there, this seems to be a good solution for anyone looking into new glass for their Sony body.
Photographer Greg Florent has made images that capture Budapest in a new light. The images are made by taking them at the transition of daylight into sunset and then nighttime until the lights come on and the city's evening starts. He spends around four hours at a location taking one shot, making sure he gets the whole transition and changes of light to produce the images in post.
This week's theme "bokeh" had me very excited. After loving all the dreamy photos I'd see online with a sharp foreground and a blurry background, I finally learned and mastered the art of achieving maximum bokeh. The real trick seems to be all about the point of view and distance from your subject. Our readers appeared to be well versed in the art of bokeh hunting and they managed to wrangle up another awesome list I hope you'll enjoy.
On-site at DJI's Los Angeles Zenmuse X7 media event, DJI also previewed a new software solution it's working on in order to help plan drone shoots during the pre-production stages. Currently under development, Project Vertex will allow users to build three-dimensional models of a location and to bring them back to the office for more accurate shot-planning.
Astrophotography is one of the most interesting types of photography, but it is also one of the rarest ones. Shooting galaxies, stars and planets is among the the hardest forms of photography, and in order to do it you need to get the right equipment, and also the knowledge and techniques.
With the latest Mavic Mini release, DJI now offers four drones in the Mavic line-up, ranging from entry level aircraft to professional grade quadcopter. But picking the right model might be confusing. Here is clear and comprehensive comparison based on direct, hands-on experience.
Casting is time consuming! It can suck up all your energy. It can leave you exhausted and frustrated. It is mostly the one part of photography that always demands tons of effort, and does not always reward us with the results we hope for. That’s why there are casting directors, both in the stills and film industry. It is a job! When you are working on your portfolio you rarely have the means to hire one, so better to get efficient with it on your own. If you are a landscape or a still life photographer, move along gleefully.
Every year Getty Images releases their forecast for visual trends in the coming year as chosen by "visual anthropologists" who have analyzed vast quantities of data. This forecast not only predicts trends that will influence every facet of the creative industry, but the forecast itself has immeasurable impact on design, advertising, and myriad other formats of visual media. On behalf of Fstoppers, I spoke with Pam Grossman, Director of Visual Trends at Getty Images about trends and the coming year.
This just in: the DxOMark scores have been published, the new 6K RED Epic Dragon camera beats out the old king-of-the-hill, the Nikon D800E. The first video sample for the Dragon surfaced in August, 2013 and we've been excited to see how it would perform ever since. The RED press release surprised many with the camera being advertised for both video and stills. At around 19MP this camera system might just give high-end Nikon and Canon DSLRs a run for their money.
Erik Almås is a master of color, composition, and composites. In this behind the scenes look at some of Erik's recent personal work, he provides some invaluable tips on shooting backplates. See his full explanation below.
At the end of each year there is is always the hustle mindset of pushing harder for the upcoming business actions. More bookings, solid client interactions, and in many cases the push to top the previous years' finances. So how does one start off the new year with client bookings already on the calendar? By simply not forgetting those who booked you the previous year.
Apple's new advertising campaign couldn't possibly get any simpler: One 15 second clip shot on the new iPhone 6 and then the name of the iPhone user who shot it. I personally think it's one of the most inspiring ad campaigns I've ever seen.
The DJI Spark is a fantastic tiny drone, but it comes with its limitations. To maximize the quality of your images and have more control freedom over your settings, you better be ready to invest in a couple of accessories. One of the first items I’d recommend are ND filters allowing you to adjust your shutter speed and ISO however you like instead of being forced into specific settings because of the lighting conditions. I’ve had the opportunity to try out the PolarPro Cinema Series filters for a little while now and here’s why they are an absolute must in your kit.
One of the best things about shooting film is that there are so many cameras to choose from! Of course, your wallet may disagree with me. The number of formats, combined with the different brands, form factors, lenses, and options make shooting with film almost impossible to get bored with. If you're at all familiar with my articles on Fstoppers, you know that I tend to focus on film and bringing it to a new audience. To that end, I've created a new video series profiling various film gear, some of it well known, some not so much! In my quest to learn about and use different systems, I hope you'll learn along with me. First up, a medium format rangefinder style camera from Fujifilm: the GF670.
Model Mayhem was the website that more than any other helped me find models to work with when I was just getting started with portraiture. Starting this month, Model Mayhem has updated its subscription service going far beyond offering perks as it once did. While the update is being touted as an improvement, photographers using Model Mayhem are likely going to be quickly re-evaluating if this service is one that they are interested in continuing to use.
The premise for the Cutting Edge Tour headed up by Adam Epstein, five year veteran video editor and post production guru for Saturday Night Live, was a tricky one. I know because I spent a few days bouncing ideas around with him and looking at how to structure the thing. This review will set out specifically what you will (and won’t) find in the workshop.
The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2022, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.
There's much to be said about enriching the photography industry through positive and honest collaborations between professionals, but one thing I think we don't talk about enough is the benefits of shooting weddings with a trusted second shooter and how it can benefit your business and even your wellbeing.
Photographers, are you looking for ways to increase your print sales? I have a few super simple but often overlooked concepts that are not only easy but successful. Jump in and let’s explore how you can make panoramic prints profitable.
Let’s discuss your market. Who buys your prints now and who do you want to buy them? Whether you sell through a gallery, your own website, an Etsy shop, or other art-focused platforms, you will find that buyers look for and purchase art for a reason. For landscape photographers buyers are often situational such as customers who have been...
By now, many of you have seen the news coverage surrounding the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting took place on August 9, 2014, with the demonstrations and looting beginning shortly thereafter. Unsurprisingly, nearly every major news outlet has a team in Ferguson to cover the events. I’m sure many of you know about the tear gas, rubber bullets, arrests, Molotov cocktails, military presence and pleas for peace in the streets. That said, you may have missed the coverage of incidents directly involving the media. Here’s a summary of some of the media-related incidents that have occurred in Ferguson.
The idea of commercial use permits is ubiquitous in nearly every country. If you want to perform a commercial activity in a public space, you need permission, and probably a fee, to do so.
There is a change happening in work culture. Bosses are more open to telecommuting and being a freelancer can be thought of as being the answer to a modern day working life. Here are some tools and comparisons to provide the best fit for you and the business stage you are in.
There are many reasons why a photograph can go wrong. But to be a photographic flop takes a special skill that most failures don’t even know they have. If you don’t want to be a second-rate photographer, here is how to avoid it.
I spend a couple days a week inside a rock climbing gym when I’m not traveling. So when I got the opportunity to photograph Rock Spot Climbing's Boston Boulder Brawl, one of the bigger local bouldering competitions, I got really excited. As an adventure photographer I've photographed climbing in all sorts of environments but this would be my first attempt at shooting indoor climbing. Of course indoor gyms come with a completely different set of difficulties compared to shooting outdoors.
Recently, a few photographers I know have been raving about Neewer’s gear. So, when given the opportunity to review their new Q4 Strobe Flash and its QPro wireless trigger, I jumped at the chance. Here’s why it far exceeded my expectations.
Each week, we ask the public to submit a question to have answered in our segment called "Fstoppers Answers". Last week we asked “When Did You Make the Jump to Full Time Pro?”. This week, we asked the staff of Fstoppers "How Did You Approach Your First Agency/Client?"
