Photographing a couple from up close can drastically change the way your image feels. Getting up close with a wide angle lens creates a sense of action and aliveness that draws the viewer in.
In this simple lighting tutorial, I discuss three different ways to fashion and portrait images with a single beauty dish.
If you have ever wanted to start a YouTube channel, here is my experience of setting up a new channel and giving it a real go for 30 days.
Transitioning from hobbyist to professional is daunting, but what are good and bad signs for someone looking to make the leap? And what "signs" aren't really signs at all?
Are you on Instagram? Yes? Do you want to learn more about good lighting and technology used to create beautiful images? Of course you do. Go follow the ASC.
When you're successful you get tons of requests, but sometimes there's that one that captures your interest and intrigues you. That's what happened recently to Benjamin Von Wong. A woman by the name of Nicole emailed Benjamin's agent asking what she thought was an impossible favor, to be featured in one of Ben's magical and dream-like sessions, on very short notice.
Based on what we've published in the past, I think it's safe to say you guys really appreciate detailed tutorials showing how to make impressive composite scenes. My buddy at TutsPlus just showed me this amazing composition and I just had to share it. The artist combined 23 stock images to make one fantastic underwater scene.
We see patterns everywhere. Related to rhythm and texture, they are powerful tools in photography for a host of reasons.
Gabriel Isak’s evocative fine art photography is simple and clean in its style, yet it draws the viewer inward, precipitating a contemplative mood with bold surrealist imagery and cool color tones. Fstoppers had the opportunity to interview the artist recently. Delve deeper into his work here.
There are many factors to success in the creative industry. Of course a big chunk of it has to do with the quality of the work, but we know quality isn’t the only factor to being successful as a photographer, otherwise, there would be a lot more of us. Yet most photographers put all their efforts into developing their technical or artistic abilities and leave the entire business chunk untouched.
I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you have never heard of Nations Photo Lab. They certainly aren’t as big as some of the other print house powerhouses in the industry, but in a way I’m glad they aren’t that huge. I can appreciate them, and while working with them I got the feeling I was appreciated. What really matters, though, is price and quality of the product. Nations didn’t let me down.
Lightroom is a great piece of software, when it works. In my case, it's an essential piece of my workflow for photography. Unfortunately, it's got some major quirks. Some can be particularly frustrating to solve — here's 3 weird tricks that helped when I ran into an issue.
Our next episode of Critique the Community will offer a slightly different take on landscape photography as we will be focusing only on shots taken over 50mm. Submit your best telephoto landscape or cityscape shot below and receive a chance to win a free Fstoppers original tutorial.
With the United States' presidential election decided with Barack Obama as the winner, I thought the timing would be perfect to share this video created by Reuters' White House photographer Jason Reed. Jason follows the president on his campaign trail, and offers some interesting behind the scenes views of a job that most of us dream of having. While not an earth-shattering video, it gives us a better idea of how many hats a modern photojournalist must wear, and how incredibly hectic it gets when photographing the world's largest election. I know I'd probably sprout a few grey hairs after...
Those of you who work with video will have heard the name Edelkrone passed around in regards to video and photography equipment, particularly in the compact market that's small in size, easily transportable, and reliable. Recently though they announced the release of their newest piece of gear they call, The Edelkrone Wing, marketed to achieve "perfect camera slides with no rails."
Shooting for the majority of my career with nothing more than an iPhone and various mobile devices, it's a struggle to find that same look and feel of high-end flash photography without going to my DSLR and speedlights. Enter a new addition to the world of mobile photography with Lume Cube. A powerful compact flash alternative that reaches 1,500 lumen and can fire up to five at once with one touch of a mobile app.
Anthony Duron and Mark Rainwater were one of the first same-sex couples married in Indiana on June 27th, 2014 after a federal judge overturned the state's ban on gay marriage. Unfortunately, a federal appeals court put a hold on the ruling and they have been waiting in a sort of limbo ever since. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to hear the issue of gay marriage from several states, so many couples like Anthony and Mark have been waiting anxiously for vindication over the last three months. I was honored with the opportunity to take portraits of these two gentlemen and I learned a lot about love and life along the way.
Doing photography professionally will change the way you shoot and operate. If you are planning to go professional or have recently done so, these might be of help.
You've finally made it - You booked your flight, double checked your gear and... You're in the Arctic. It's your first night, and the northern lights begin to form up in the sky. The adrenaline starts to flow as you're gearing up and rushing outside to find the perfect location for your perfect shot. It's only when you're settled in your spot that you begin to realize - It's not exactly a walk in the park to operate the camera with your warm and cozy gloves, and just as you get the hang of it - Your camera warns about low battery level. As you probably have guessed by now - photographing in the Arctic weather during the winter can be somewhat challenging and different, especially if you're coming from temperate climates.
It can be a real creative challenge to try and concept, as well as execute, something that has never been done before, especially in photography. Adventure photographer Craig Kolesky accepted that challenge and ended up in the desert of Namibia, with two unlikely athletes for such a location. I asked Craig a few questions about this project that he shot for Red Bull Photography.
In this making of video, outdoor brand Mammut is shown working with Dani Arnold and Stephan Siegrist, two alpinists, to plan a climb up the north face of the Eiger. What makes this ascent unique though, is the inclusion of a 360-degree GoPro setup which is used to capture panoramic shots from the mountainside. The result of their efforts is a unique look into the views, terrain, and conditions that the climbers faced. Mammut recently unveiled an interactive web portal to give anyone who wants to ascend the Eiger, the chance to do so from the comfort of their office chair.
I recently got myself the Fujifilm X-T20 for traveling. The next trip was to Vietnam with my family and I knew it was going to be a showcase of people, culture, and life that I am unfamiliar with, and therefore something I wanted to document. The reason I chose the X-T20 was that it’s small, light, packs a punch with colors, and its ease of use, very reminiscent of the film cameras back in the days. What I didn’t get was a Fuji X-mount lens to go with it, but I got a Fotasy adapter to fit my old Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, my Vivitar 28mm f/2.5, and Tamron 80mm-210mm f/3.8-4 to the X-T20.
I worry about becoming stagnant. I'm quite sure lots of us share that worry and conversely, most of us will know people who don't have that worry at all. I envy them in many ways; they want an easy life and concentrate on enjoying things. As far as I can tell, that sentiment isn't compatible with self-employment, or if it is, it's so far away on the horizon I can't make it out yet. In my efforts to always grow and always be moving forwards, I invented a minor way to achieve this and I'd like to see if it works for other people.
How big is your sensor? While bigger is more expensive, bigger is also better -- always. Thankfully, camera manufacturers are now able to fit larger sensors in smaller bodies, and for less money. And we like that. Check out these new announcements to stay on top of your large-sensor cameras.
In the fall of 2010, I decided to shoot my dream assignment. I knew that no one was going to pay me to go out and tackle this subject matter, and I had not seen any photographer do what I wanted to do, so I did it. At the time, I had no idea what the assignment would turn in to or how it would change me as a photographer and a person. Here is what I learned from photographing 35 College Football Tailgates.
You may recognize the singer for Exitmusic, Aleksa Palladino, from her role as Angela Darmody in Boardwalk Empire. Well, she formed a band with husband Devon Church, and together released one of the higher rated albums of 2012. I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with them before their show in Columbus, Ohio last July. Here is what we came up with.
Last week I was mailed a device that claims to turn a standard paper airplane into a drone. Could this possibly be true?
A couple of years ago my friend Rob was droning on at me about “if its worth doing, its worth doing badly”. I ignored him, and this is why I was wrong.
During World War I, French astronomer Henri Chrétien developed a wide-angle viewer for tank operators, enabling the crew members to see a 180-degree view of the battleground. His invention wasn't used in the cinema until after the war in 1927 when director Claude Autant-Lara decided to use it for his film, "To Build a Fire." Sadly, this invention was only picked up again over twenty years later when Twentieth Century-Fox purchased the rights to the Cinemascope Widescreen Aspect Ratio technique.
![[Video] Powerful Slow-Mo Video Shot On $500 DSLR](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/med-16-9/s3/default_images/default-image.jpg)
