Chase Jarvis has become one of the most inspiring figures for both amateur and professional photographers alike. His successful career as an advertisement photographer has only been eclipsed by his overall entrepreneurship. Recently Chase sat down for an interview with Tamara Lackey to explain his self proclaimed "10 year overnight success". I absolutely love his statement "what makes you hirable is not your technical proficiency, that is assumed...it is your vision: how you see the world." So many photographers focus entirely too much on their lighting and completely overlook creating an image that resonates with their viewer. There is a quote that says something like "a photograph that requires a caption is a failed photograph" but I think a photographer could go further and say "people don't care about what you had to do to create the photo, they just want to be wowed by the final image."
Like processing RAW files with the best of the best software? For a limited time, Phase One is offering 50% of their Capture One Express 7 and 20% off of Capture One Pro 7 until June 16, 2013. As I have blogged about before, Phase One has created class-leading RAW image processing and tethering software that I personally use all the time.
On January 28th, Nikon will launch their new and improved photo sharing and storage site called "Nikon Image Space". According to Nikon's press release the service will offer the ability for photographers to upload, view, organize and share their pictures and videos online and within a very easy to operate interface. Better still, if you're a MyPicturetown user, all of your photos and information will transfer over to the new service!
Photographer Donja Pitsch is a Paris based fashion and advertising photographer who has shot for publications such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Glamour. This time, the shoot is for Glamour Spain.
We've all seen leaks after leaks about Nikon's newest flagship DSLR. Some of us have been saving forever. Some of us are still saving. Some of us just want the price of the D3S to drop, and then some don't care much because they shoot Canon. Well, whichever we might all be (I'll have mine on order soon), the time has come. Just around 11PM EST, Nikon finally released it -- the Nikon D4. Replacing the D3s, the D4 boasts 16MP stills, full HD video, and excellent low-light capabilities. It even supports the new XQD card format! There's a bunch of awesome stuff about this new body, and all in all, it should prove a strong competitor against Canon's recently announced EOS-1D X. For all the info on what we learned tonight, including price, photos, and a comparison table, check out the Full Post and check out the hands on review below! Update (January 6): The new Nikon WT-5 wireless transmitter featuring wireless 802.11a/b/g/n for the D4 and the new Nikon 85mm f/1.8G AF-S were both released yesterday alongside the D4. Personally, I'm a huge fan of what I call Nikon's '1.8 line,' as they offer a great product at a great value. If you don't quite have the cash for three $1500+ pro lenses, you can get three of the '1.8 line' for a fraction of the price and have a great set of primes. And Nikon's 85mm 1.8G is a welcomed addition. Pre-order links for the 85mm 1.8G and links for the rest of the '1.8 line' to suit your focal length needs below. Nikon 85mm f/1.8G AF-S Nikon 35mm f/2D (Or almost f1.8) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S Update 2 (January 7): Unfortunately, the Nikon D4 does have less battery life than the D3s with its new EN-EL18 battery, lasting only 2,600 shots instead of the previous 4,200. Additionally, it's another $60 over the other battery, and the dual battery charger is another $150 over that of the D3s. The D4 is certainly a pricey upgrade, but if necessary, you may still want to get some backup batteries or chargers, now available on Adorama: EN-EL18 Battery; MH-26 Battery Charger for EN-EL18.
At some point in any photographer’s career, I am pretty sure you will at some point come across clients who will just send in inquiry with zero context asking how much you charge for a photoshoot. There is no way we could have possibly been able to provide an accurate project cost estimate without having any information on a project scope to establish the parameters. These types of clients are those that keep me awake at night, not because I am incapable of delivering but because these clients will have unrealistic expectations of what we can deliver.
While many of us are dedicated to producing great video content, we often neglect to think about how that content will be consumed by the masses. I spend so much time producing, directing, writing and editing video that by the time it's done, I neglect to give distribution as much consideration as I should. A recent study performed by Harris Interactive shows, somewhat unsurprisingly, that video is moving away from search and is more tightly tied to social sharing.
Reports suggest Canon is to release a "holy Trinity" of L-series mirrorless lenses – those being the 15-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm f/2.8. The launch is apparently scheduled before the end of July, with all three compatible with its full-frame mirrorless RF mount cameras.
DSLR guru Phillip Bloom recently worked on a short scifi film that used the new Canon C300 as it’s primary camera. While the short film isn’t finished yet, this behind-the-scenes video has been released for everyone to see. While it’s quite long, it’s a unique inside look at how the director worked with the crew and what it was like to be on set.
You feel butterflies in your stomach, adrenalin in your viens and joy in your heart. As a photographer this means you either just fell in love OR you just got, "the shot". Marc Montocchio of Occhioinc.com sent me his video of how he fell in love... no wait, of how he got the shot, shown below. Come to think of it, he does seem pretty obsessed with marlin so it's hard to tell either way. And for all you gear heads who want to know what camera Marc uses and how he got the cover shot for the Feburary 2011 of Marlin Magazine, read the full post.
There are two types of photographer: those who utilize their lens cap, and those that don’t. Canon now seems set to make this a thing of the past, as it has patented a barndoor-style lens cap design that folds open when shooting, and shuts to protect the lens when not in use.
Over the past few years, there has been a remarkable rise in M and LTM lens manufacturers, throwing in with Leica and Voigtlander in an attempt to carve out some space of their own. Many of these lenses lean towards the more affordable side of the marketplace, with TTArtisan and 7Artisan joined by revived "classics" like Meyer-Optik Görlitz or handmade, artisanal lenses like MS-Optics.
One of our favorite lenses for cropped DSLR cameras is currently on sale at BH Photo for a ridiculously low price of $289 (Next lowest price is Amazon at $349). If you've been looking at getting a nice wide angle lens for low light or super shallow depth of field, this lens is one to consider. We've shot a lot of Fstoppers Originals with this prime lens and it's a great choice for those wedding fusion videos in extremely low light situations. Comes in versions for Canon, Nikon, and Sony.
If you've played a few shooter video games in the last two decades, chances are you've seen at least one with a point of view that is looking from the top-down. The team over at Corridor Digital wanted to recreate this style in a video short (which also meant doing it all in a single take!) so they partnered with DJI to make it happen. This video takes you behind the scenes on their shoot, but check the full post for the final video and a second BTS piece.
As a long-time resident of the Bay Area, I’ve had the privilege of photographing the Golden Gate Bridge for over ten years. Whether it’s capturing the low fog rolling in or watching the golden light of sunrise and sunset cast its warm glow over the bridge, this landmark never ceases to amaze me. The Marin Headlands offer some of the best vantage points, especially when the fog is low, and the atmosphere feels almost otherworldly. It’s a scene that continues to inspire me, even after all this time.
Elia Locardi, famous for taking beautiful landscapes and cityscapes, and refusing to go skydiving, has recently teamed up with Fujifilm, Smugmug, and Flickr to create "Moments in Time", a new webseries following Elia around the world on his photographic journey.
A boatload of new unconfirmed information has been leaked through Canon Rumors regarding the new Canon T4i/650D slated for release this year. Many of you expressed concern over how you thought the touchscreen would perform, and now we are beginning to see all the pieces fall together. Select focus points, zoom and crop, and select your settings from the Q menu that, honestly, was yearning for touch since its introduction.
Building on the success of the Google Pixel 4, the new Pixel 5 is rumored to launch on September 30 likely along with the Pixel 4a 5G, and now some new specs look to have been leaked ahead of the launch,
As photographers we often see the world through our cameras — literally. If we aren't holding a camera, we're often planning or imagining a photo. The drive to compose and take photos shapes the way we interact with the world. Has this compulsion ever ruined an experience for you?
If you like gadgets as much as me then you will probably find this really interesting, and probably a little scary as well. The guys over at Mikrokopter put a "FollowMe" transmitter on a wakeboarder's head and the chopper automatically follows and films him around the lake. The chopper was at a very high (and safe) altitude but I can see these getting a lot closer as the technology improves. The concept is really remarkable but I'm not sure I want a flying machine with 6 blades following something attached to my head.
I am always on the hunt for new stock images to incorporate into my photography and find that stock enhances my photography business in several ways. Stock provides me with the ability to incorporate different locations and textures into my images that I am not able to easily shoot. As a result, I have not only seen improvements in my own work, I have also gained an eye for spotting opportunities to take extra images to sell.
Howdy and welcome to the Wednesday Rundown. This week we have a great group of videos. We have a BTS video on shooting hockey legend Trevor Linden and an amazing Vanity Fair shoot done on a whim in the middle of a NYC street. Check out the final product on both these shoots and see if you can learn something from these great photographers. If you have a video that you think we might like to post, please click on "submit content" above.
Contrast extraction is one of the most important aspects of visual processing. It plays a tremendous role in how we view images, where our eyes are drawn to first, and where they linger. In this article we'll learn a few simple tricks to create more engaging photographs — and why they work.
In celebration of Earth Day, NASA asked people, “Where are you on Earth Right Now?” and had them respond through social media outlets: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and Flickr with a photo tagged "#globalselfie". One-hundred-thirteen countries/regions and thousands of photo submissions (approximately 50,000), gave NASA all that it needed to create a “Global Selfie”. Each photo acts as a pixel in a giant, zoomable 3.2 gigapixel mosaic, depicting our planet as it was on Earth Day.
We've featured Tom Guilmette several times on our website and each time he never ceases to amazing me. Today Tom released a fun video that he shot on the Phantom Flex while he was staying in Las Vegas. We've all seen super slow motion videos before but what really grabbed my attention was Tom's editing skills and his brilliant use of audio to help bring this video to life. If you enjoy watching and learning about high speed videography, check out Tom's website or check out the other Fstoppers Tom Guilmette posts we have featured.
Locked in a Vegas Hotel Room with a Phantom Flex from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.
The Godox ML60 light gives you a whole lot of features that can really improve your lighting when you’re a run and gun type of shooter, or want constant light on location. I mean, it can run on a battery, and has a handle.
We spend years at school learning to read and write text: the meanings of words, what happens when you put them together, how to make yourself more easily understood, methods for convincing others of your point of view, etc. But for many of us, images and visual language are left for us to work out for ourselves. If a picture is worth a thousand words, why do we neglect visual language so much?
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