Tools to Use to Avoid Uncle Sam's Snooping

The US Government has recently been caught unlawfully monitoring the Associated Press. From what I can gather, the government was looking for the contact that leaked some information regarding a cyber-attack. Read more about that political stuff here. So what can you do to prevent this from happening to you as a photo journalist? Well don't do something stupid, but if needed here is a list of some undercover software to keep your work under wraps.

The Best Fstoppers’ Posts From August 2012

Your "Likes", "Tweets", comments and clicks all help us know which are our best posts of the month. And because we don't want anyone to miss any of Fstoppers' goodness we put "The Best of" in a monthly newsletter for you. So, if you think you may have missed anything this last month, check out the top 10 posts and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter if you haven't already.

News and Analysis: The OM-1 Mark II and Two New Lenses Are Announced

OM Digital Solutions has announced an upgrade to their popular OM-1. The Mark II version has the same sensor and processor, but the development has concentrated on a much larger memory and buffer, improved dials, and a range of new features that will appeal especially to wildlife and landscape photographers.

How to Deal With an Unhappy Photo or Video Client

It's going to happen. You're going to mess something up or you're going to get the impossible-to-please client. Knowing how to deal with the inevitable when it hits is key to preserving both your business and your sanity.

The Wednesday Rundown 3.16.11

Howdy, and welcome to the Wednesday Rundown. I know several photographers that have done some DIY projects for shoots to dodge the expense of buying the overpriced gear. There are many items that you can create for your shoots, beauty dishes, flash diffusers, and even tilt shift lenses. I ran across two DIY items for shooting DLSR video. Do you do the cheap DIY or buy the real stuff? If you have a video that you think we might like to post, please click on "submit content" above.

Judd Apatow & Matt Mahurin Join Mark Seliger on 'Capture'

The new episode of Mark Seliger's Emmy-nominated 'Capture' is out, showing once again that it's the best show on photography currently out there. In this episode, Mark sits down with director Judd Apatow and painter/photographer Matt Mahurin as they talk about the stories behind some of their most famous images.

"Planetary Panoramas" Creates Timelapses With A 360º Look At The Night Sky

The combination of two visually striking methods resulted in this surreal video by Vincent Brady. After checking the video, read on for some more information on the rig Vincent used to shoot with, and some insight on the programs he used to painstakingly stitch his images together for the final timelapse video.

How Templates Can Improve Your Video With Ease

If you are a shooter or video producer, you know that there are many things that go into creating great video. Sure, using the right gear is key. Composition and lighting are key. But after the video is shot, shot selection, pacing, and color correction have to be considered for the edit. Then there are graphics. Titles, lower thirds, transitions, and the like have to be designed and animated. There are tons of parts that go into making one complete, great-looking video. And it’s hard to master every aspect of video production – not to mention the fact that time and budget constraints make things even harder.

Thunderstruck: A Guide to Photographing Lightning Part II

I absolutely love post production as a photographer. For me, a job is 50% photography and 50% retouching. One compliments the other. I get just as excited photographing my images as I get to retouch them. And when I captured a lightning storm in Cape Town a few weeks back, it was no different.

SmugMug Source Preview: Say Goodbye to NAS Servers and Hello to the Best Cloud Storage Yet

SmugMug, a household name when it comes to online image hosting, has developed a new service called Source. Already known for their incredible functions in online display and sales of images, SmugMug is taking the next leap towards providing photographers with new, never-seen-before cloud storage and management service for next to nothing.

The Human Element in Landscape Photography

As a full time roadtripper, I am constantly in search of amazing landscapes with the hopes of adding a unique take on what is most likely an over-photographed scene already. There are several ways to do this, but I am going to suggest one which is rarely discussed but hard to overlook in today’s social media outlets: the human element.

[Video] This TED Talk is the Best Explanation of SOPA/PIPA I've Seen

Much of the internet fought against SOPA and PIPA yesterday in their own unique way. Although we are also against these bills, Fstoppers didn't participate yesterday. It wasn't until I saw this fantastic TED talk that I truly understood what these bills really meant for the internet. Even if you think you totally understand it, this video will open your eyes to copyright issues in the USA.
Look Inside a 150-Year-Old Camera

It's very easy to find information online about new cameras, news, rumors, reviews, and which camera you should be using right now. But there's far less information to be found about older cameras. Like many photographers, I find it interesting to look at the origins of photography and how far the science and technology in cameras has come in a relatively short period of time.

How to Make the Best of a Bad Location

A location can make or break a photograph, so don't get caught in a bad spot. Fortunately, you don't need to go heading out for hours on end to learn how to do this. In this article, I've put together five of the most powerful techniques you can use to make the best of a bad location.

How I Improved My Photography Sales by Learning to Think Like a Client

I worked hard when I first started in photography to become competent both behind the camera and when interfacing with clients, but a subtle error I was making worked against me for a long time until I realized how to fix it. Here is why learning how to think more like a client can improve your work.

Leica's New Medium Format DSLR

Leica's step into the medium format business was big -- it was expensive, but I think everyone appreciated a medium format, SLR-style camera not much different from your Nikon or Canon, except for the incredible quality. Today, we have news of the Leica S: the newest iteration of the DSLR line-up that follows the same simple lettering scheme as the Leica M announced earlier, replacing the S2.

Top 10 Business and Development Books for Photographers

With more photographers competing for work than ever before, you need to stay ahead of the pack in any way possible. One area many people in creative professions neglect to improve is business, and you needn't be part of that stereotype.

Adobe Releases Roadmap for Development of Photoshop for iPad

Adobe recently released the long awaited version of Photoshop for iPad, but initial reviews were quite mixed, with many disappointed by the lack of features in the app. Adobe has responded to the criticisms by releasing a roadmap for the application, and it details the features we can expect to see in the app in the coming months.

Make Your Carnival Photos More Interesting With a Neutral Density Filter

I’ve been to the New York State fair for more years than I can count. It’s a great time. There are carnival rides, animals, music, and lots to photograph. Oh, and of course, corn dogs. But in recent years, I’ve found myself carrying less and less photographic gear to the fair and just enjoying the moment. Except that I wasn’t really enjoying the moment because I wasn’t making photos. That's why this year I decided to challenge myself to make different photos of the same event.

A Recommended Way to Reduce Noise in Photoshop

In this Adobe Photoshop Playbook video, Bryan O'Neil Hughes suggests a variety of options to help you tackle noise when processing your photographs. Due to the improvement of pixel quality, noise isn't usually so much of an issue. However, it still can be a problem especially in your low light images.

Getting Your Foot in the Door With Modelling Agencies

A nice portrait is made up of four elements: composition, lighting, post-processing, and subject. The first three are easy to learn about and improve on your own, but after annoying your friends and family and getting sick of Facebook and Instagram, how do you improve?

Creativity, Robots, And A DIY Spirit Make For A Unique Music Video

This is one of the most interesting, and almost bizarre behind the scenes video I've seen. Musical artist Jack Conte came up with an idea for a video to go along with a music track he created called "Pedals", and through building his own spaceship set, using real working robots, and even getting Jeff Orlowski to shoot it, everything came together for an inventive final product.

Using Canon EF Lenses On The BlackMagic Cinema Camera To Shoot A Short Film

Den Lennie from F-Stop Academy shot this behind the scenes video that documents James Tonkin as he creates visuals for his short film "A Night at Nine Elms" with the EF-Mount version of the BlackMagic Cinema Camera. James talks about his experiences with the BMCC and discusses using Canon EF lenses. See the final short film in the full post.

Liftware Put a Gimbal in a Spoon

A gimbal is an important piece of technology that makes for some smooth video. It's the device that stabilizes the camera so you can get that cinematic look in your shot. It removes the vibration and shake. The gimbal's motors keep the camera level as the camera operator moves it. Drones use them, the DJI Ronin is basically a large gimbal, and the DJI Osmo is the latest handheld gimbal that DJI brought to market.