[BTSV] Contest: Aurora Lifestyle
The Wednesday Rundown 3.23.11
Bad Touch: Why You Don’t Have Cooler Photography Clients
In today’s overly connected world, it’s relatively easy to gain access to nearly anyone, but meaningful access has become much harder than it used to be. People in general are incredibly guarded against the random DM and the unsolicited “let’s shoot” comments on Instagram to the point that it’s almost laughable to think anything would ever come of it. That’s not to say that nothing ever will, but your odds will be much greater if you follow at least some of the rules I’m laying out below.
Wacom releases Bamboo Stylus Mini for Tablets and Smartphones
With the recent push into mobile editing software like Adobe Photoshop Touch, it's no surprise that additional support in various forms will start to crop up. Today Wacom released a new Bamboo stylus designed specifically for smartphone and tablet editing, which is a plus for anyone who lacks dexterity in their fingertips (like myself).
Apple Public Betas for iOS 13 and iPadOS Released
Today, Apple released the first public betas for multiple platforms that will be refreshed this fall.
Drone to the Face: Virginia Tech Tests Human/Drone Collisions
Don't worry. They're using crash test dummies. By using biomechanics and crash test science, Virginia Tech is hoping to help develop regulations that would allow drones to be flown over people in the future.
How to Convert Negatives to Positives Using Capture One
Last week I showed you how you can use just a DSLR and a few accessories to digitize your negatives. However, that article wouldn’t have been complete without explaining how to convert the scanned analog picture to a positive image. The process is quite easy and only a few steps are required to achieve a great result. Let’s dive in!
New Mexico Night Skies Shows Us the Beauty in Our Stars
The latest time-lapse by astrophotographer Brian Spencer shows us the beauty within our galaxy by highlighting the bright stars paired with the beautiful nature found in New Mexico. Using a collection of sliders, cameras, and patience, Spencer was able to capture this beautiful time-lapse highlighting both the beautiful night sky of New Mexico, and the world we view it from.
Fstoppers Reviews Datacolor SpyderLensCal
Have you ever noticed that your camera's autofocus is consistently back or front-focused? It may not be your fault. Check out this review and how-to on calibrating lenses using the Datacolor SpyderLensCal.
Why Professionals Use These Lighting Modifiers
Lighting modifiers aren’t quite as expensive as they used to be. However, some of the quality and flexibility has gotten lost along the way.
Assassin's Creed Meets Parkour In This Real Life Film - Behind The Scenes
Devin Graham is no stranger to danger, as seen in his previous projects like Epic Rope Swing or Camera Warfare. He is back with a new project, which follows a professional freerunner around the city, dressed up as Altair, the main character in the video game Assassin's Creed. This video shows you how Devin used a Glidecam to get his footage, and a green screen for a tricky fx shot. Check out the final video inside the post!
Wet Plate Collodion and the Joys of Being a Beginner
In my research to come up with ideas for blog posts, I watch a lot of videos. A few months ago I came across a few videos about the wet plate collodion process and I was hooked! The results are so unique that I just had to participate in it myself.
[Video] Philip Bloom Reviews The 5D Mark III
Even though both Patrick and I purchased the Nikon D4 and D800 the day the preorder became available (and we are NPS members) the cameras still have not been shipped to us. Ironically B&H was kind enough to send us a 5DM3 for review and we should receive it by tomorrow. Neither of us are Canon shooters so our review may take a while but until then, check out this full review by Philip Bloom.
Hoya Introduces New Solas Infrared Neutral Density Filters
Hoya has just debuted a new series of neutral density filters called Solas IRND, bolstering there array of already stellar filters for photography and video. This new line of IRND (Infrared Neutral Density) promises to produce no color casts in your images and videos, which is a very common issue when using ND's.
How 2011 Fundamentally Changed the Camera World
It was the year that Osama Bin Laden was killed, Barack Obama was President, the Space Shuttle was retired, and "Game of Thrones" was premiered. Meanwhile 2011 turned out to be one of the most pivotal years in camera history, putting us on the path to where we are today. Here's what happened.
Sony Releases New Cameras, Including Mirrorless and DSLR
Sony has had a busy morning, with the release of five new cameras including three Cyber-shot point-and-shoots, a new mirrorless in the NEX-3N and a new 20.1 megapixel DSLR in the SLT-A58, the last of which is priced incredibly competitively at just under $600.
Build Rapport on Your Photography Shoot With the Language of Music
At the onset of a portrait shoot it is important to come packing the usual garden variety of a few safe jokes to lighten the mood, some fail-proof poses to keep things moving, and direction for the model to play off of. It is easy to forget, with all the headspace that pours into reflecting the images from inside of our heads, towards reality, that when the time comes to start working with our subject, we are not just setting a tone visually, but also emotionally. One simple way personally for me to connect and as well bring additional personality out of a model is via the universal power of music, which has long played a predominant role in my life.
Color of the Year Announced for 2024: Should Photographers Be Using It?
It's that time of year when we learn the color of the year for 2024. Which color was chosen, and why does it matter to photographers?
What Can Photographers Learn From an Illustrator? Fstoppers Interviews Tyler Jacobson
What can photographers learn from an award-winning illustrator? As it turns out, quite a lot.
The Concept of Your Favorite Photo Has Changed
Everyone has what they would tell you is their favorite photo. The measure of why has changed quite a bit over the years and I think I might like the old way better. I only say this because Social Media is the main source of validation for a number of photographers today. Applying modern day metrics of likes, shares, retweets, and views creates a score of sorts that someone can use to justify why a photo might be their favorite. This score didn't used to exist. The old equivalent might have been a photo placing well in an art show or being used in a print publication.
Experiment With Different Types of Photography to Stay Creative
At some point we will all get stuck. We will all feel like we’re not developing as creatives. These ruts can drive us down or they can be a wake-up call to do something different. How we handle them determines how we function as creatives afterwards. In this article, we’ll discuss the power of doing something different.
Gmail's New Tabs Negatively Affect Your Email Marketing Strategy
In case you missed it, Google recently rolled out a pretty big change to their Gmail system: tabs. The new layout comes standard with a few, but you can also add your own. One of the standard options is the “Promotions” tab which, as you can imagine, is quite good at catching and segmenting marketing emails. This is great for users, but scary for marketers, especially given the data MailChimp just released.
Do You Follow Trends or Strive for Originality?
More than ever, people are trying their hand at photography and with it comes a lot of photos meant to emulate the work of others. Do you strive for originality?
Clean NFTs Exist, but We Are Not Using Them
This comes almost as an unplanned part two to my article on the environmental costs of NFTs. As was pointed out in the comments, clean NFTs are a thing. This got me wondering, why are we not using them? Why aren't artists jumping to clean NFT platforms?
Portfolio Advice From A Getty Professional
[BTSV] Mission Impossible, Filming From a Half Mile High
If you're curious how Tom Cruise and a film crew got their shots on the Dubai Tower, here's a little sampling of their set up. I suppose since it's his trademark, if someone's going to run down the side of the tallest building in the world, it might as well be Tom Cruise.
BorrowLenses Acquired by Shutterfly
This was unexpected: the popular retailer and manufacture of digital and physical imagery products, Shutterfly, has aquired BorrowLenses, one of the top online gear rental outlets in the country. As part of the deal, BorrowLenses's Founders Max Shevyakov and Mark Gurevich, will join Shutterfly Inc. Aside from vesting stock information for the two founders (and even then, that information includes no explicit dollar amount), no monetary value of the exchange has been released.
Learn How to Restore Vintage Photographs
Old and damaged photographs are easy to come by. Most have been stored in boxes in the back of a closet left to dust and wither without a second thought. That is until said person goes to tidy up one day and finds an invaluable treasure trove long forgotten.
Hyperlapse Of China
Check out this awesome hyperlapse shot in the colorful cities of China. I really enjoy how he starts off with short clips to give you a feel of the environment in real time, then moves from day to night. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching timelapses. Go to Zweizwei's vimeo to watch more of his work.