BTS: Beats by Dr. Dre World Cup Ad, "The Game Before the Game"
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If you've been following the world's favorite sports championship as closely as they do everywhere except in the U.S., you've undoubtedly noticed snippets of Beats' beautifully filmed World Cup commercial, "The Game Before the Game." Featuring Serena Williams, Lil Wayne, and numerous soccer stars, the cinematic ad shows the world's greatest talents' pre-game/pre-show preparations from patriotic nail polish to prayers and phone calls to home.

Best Holiday Gift Ideas for the Photographer in Your Life
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When that special person on your Christmas list spends their day thinking about flash sync speed, focal length, and the latest “glass,” you may find yourself at a bit of an impasse on what to get them. When you Googled “new Canon lens,” you quickly determined that you didn’t like them that much, but you still want to get them something that makes them feel special. While there is one gift you should never give a photographer, there are countless other choices, from budget-friendly gear to office décor, that will make them feel special. Ready to boost your gift-giving cred? Here are some of my favorite gifts to get that special photographer in your life this holiday season.

And The Winner Is.....
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Thank you so much to the 60+ people that submitted a video over the past few days to our contest. It's been awesome seeing photographers from around the world share their stories. As a special thanks to everyone that made a video, Lensrentals would like to hook you guys up with something for your effort. Just e-mail contests@lensrentals.com for your prize. On top of all of this, everyone that made a Facebook and/or Instagram video will be receiving the Bahamas Rob Grimm Product Photography workshop video for free this July. Please e-mail Gary@rggphoto.com and I will get you on this list.

[Video] Etnies' Aimless - Behind the Scenes
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"Public Domaine" was the name of a skateboarding themed art exhibition that took place at The Gaîté Art Museum in Paris last summer. To celebrate their 25th Anniversary, shoemaker Etnies commissioned award-winning skateboard filmmaker Mike Manzoori to create a unique piece of video art for the exhibit. And unique is exactly what he provided with a bizarrely super wide angle aspect ratio film that was projected on the walls of the exhibit. He also used some very interesting tools to achieve this look, including the RED One, Custom rigs for holding 3x DSLRs, and a spinning 360 GoPro Rig. To see the full post click here.
Could the Next Fujifilm GFX Camera Have a 127-Megapixel Global Shutter Sensor?
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Sony has announced a new 127-megapixel medium format sensor that has a global shutter. Sony has described it as having "the industry's highest effective pixel count of 127.68 megapixels." This does, however, come with a number of caveats, although it is effectively the highest-resolution sensor with a global shutter.

How Useful Are Wireless Connections Between a Camera and a Smartphone?
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Almost every modern camera comes equipped with some form of wireless connectivity. Manufacturers are even making them a prominent selling point. But just how valuable is this feature in reality? In this article, I want to dive into the possibilities and their value.

DJI Announces More Powerful Mini 2 Drone With 4K and OcuSync 2.0
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DJI announced an update to its smallest drone, and it’s a big one. Removing the Mavic name from “Mavic Mini,” the new DJI Mini 2 brings upgrades like 4K video at 100 Mbps, a properly sized remote with the famed OcuSync 2.0 for more reliable connections up to 10 km away, upgraded motors, and more — all still at a size and weight that keeps it free from FAA registration requirements.

Three Takeaway Points From PhotoPlus Expo 2017
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From Grand Central Station heading out of New York City following another great year at PhotoPlus Expo, my mind is buzzing with excitement. After three photography packed days, a lot of learning, and twelve miles of walking, here are my three of my biggest takeaway points from this years event.

[Contest Entry] Behind The Scenes Of A Mitsubishi 311RS Commercial
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We just received a very interesting contest entry from Viet Q. Mac, a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His buddy from Film Matters contacted him about an upcoming video production involving the 311RS and a couple Red Epics. Viet decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to create something for our BTS Contest. Although this video leaves many questions unanswered it is a beautiful look at a production of this size. To check out all of the contest entries as they come in you can keep an eye on our forum.
Finding Inspiration in Landscape Photography
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In landscape photography, inspiration can come from many sources. Over the years, I’ve found that studying the work of other photographers—whether through social media, books, or in-person interactions—has been invaluable in refining my own style. But rather than passively consuming images, I approach them critically, dissecting what makes an image stand out and how I can apply similar principles in my own way.

How to Find Inspiration and Success as a Photographer
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At the beginning of 2018, I set a goal to read one book a week to broaden my mind and seek inspiration from new places. So far, I've stuck with it. Lee Morris, Mike Kelley, and I decided to sit down on camera and discuss the experience.

[Gear] The Mirrorless Camera: Pro Quality in Your Pocket
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Mirrorless cameras are everywhere, now. By removing the standard mirror arrangement, manufacturers have been able to cram huge sensors similar to those in DSLRs into the same, tiny bodies as their point-and-shoot cousins. And if you Google "DSLR in your pocket," half of the images that come up are mirrorless cameras. But does this hold true? And is the mirrorless right for you?
Snowboarding With Frickin Laser Beams: The X-Games Meets TRON in "Black Snow"
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Using a unique blend of black lights, LEDs, and course sharks with frickin lasers, the crew from Burn put together a fantastic short video that shows snowboarders sliding on some rails and even doing flips in the dark. The rails light up as they slide across them! Check out the video and tell us what you think of this style.

Promise J4 Thunderbolt SSD and Hard Drive Enclosure Finally Available!
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It's Cyber Monday, of course. And all those deals are pretty tempting. But Promise has their own treat for us today: the J4 4-bay enclosure that holds 2.5" SSD or normal hard drives for extreme speed over a Thunderbolt interface. Pre-order this enclosure now with or without four 500GB hard drives for $387 or $775 respectively. There's another bonus, too, though...

How to Overcome the Challenges of Natural Light
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Natural light is one of the most important elements in landscape photography. It shapes the landscape, creates mood, and brings depth to a scene. However, natural light is also highly unpredictable and can either enhance or ruin your shot. For landscape photographers, understanding and ultimately mastering light is crucial, but it comes with several challenges. In this article, I want to explore the complexities of working with natural light and how you can overcome these challenges to improve your landscape photography.

Gucci's Instagram Went Meme Over the Weekend
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If you follow the super-brand Gucci on their social networks, especially Instagram, you would've noticed them posting memes. Instagram is a photography and video platform, but there is quite a considerable amount of humor profiles with followings that most of us dream of achieving.

Tips for Shooting Black Light Video
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It so happens that ultraviolet light bulbs (or black lights) weren't discontinued in the 90s. In fact there are plenty of photographers out there who are shooting some incredible stuff under black lights. But shooting video in this guise brings its own set of unique challenges. Here are some tips to create video in this hedonistic and fluorescent style.

Documentary On Fighting For Your Art In The Commercial World
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Earlier this week, I stumbled upon Eskimo’s latest passion project “Wonderland”. At first, I expected a step-by-step guide to finding success with commercial work. But in fact, what I watched felt more reminiscent of a support group.

Stefan Kohler's DIY Pan / Tilt Panorama Head Supports 13.2 Pounds
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Today, Stefan Kohler shared a look at his mammoth pan / tilt head for large lenses on DIY Photography. The rig pictured below shows Stefan's D800 and the Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 lens — at a combined weight of 11.7 pounds. Here's a look at how he built it.

Canon Announces the PowerShot V1: A Compact but Powerful Camera for Vloggers and Creators
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Canon has announced the PowerShot V1, a compact digital camera designed for vloggers and content creators, set to launch in late April 2025. The PowerShot V1 is the second entry in Canon’s V series, following the PowerShot V10 released in June 2023. It features a large 1.4-inch CMOS sensor, which is approximately twice the size of the common 1.0-inch sensors found in compact cameras, aiming to provide improved image quality and low-light performance.

Yes, You Absolutely Can Fix It in Post: Topaz Labs Video AI
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Getting it right in camera is definitely the best thing to do. If you can correctly light, compose, and white balance your footage and images, then you're probably going to have an easier time. However, there are situations when the lighting just isn't working or you need to capture footage in less-than-ideal situations. In those situations, use Topaz Labs. Right now, they're having a Holiday sale.

[Video] Nikon D4 Video Features Demonstration (Updated)
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The new Nikon D4 has some amazing capabilities on paper, and by now most people have seen the amazing video by Corey Rich. The video below demonstrates many of the D4's new video features, including using an iPhone or iPad to control the camera, clean HDMI out onto an external recorder, and selecting the crop modes. Nikon really did this one right, but it looks to me as though that the focus tracking makes the aperture breathe, which would make it unusable during recording. See if you can spot where he knocks the camera over by mistake!

Update: Also, check out the full post for a demo of the D4 working with the new WT-5 wireless transmitter and the iPad.
An All-Too-Important Primer on Insuring Your Drone Activities
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AIG's recent move to begin insuring unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) marked the beginning of the first large, national insurance company to get ahead of (or catch up with) the "drone movement." Like this season's migration of Canadian geese, everyone seems to be flocking in droves, clearly intent on getting to the online shopping outlets and local electronics stores that sell the latest drones. But few actually know about how to use their newly affordable crafts safely and without risking their entire life's savings. A quick phone call with the Hill & Usher insurance agency led us to a few clues about where to start.

New from Edelkrone: SliderPlus X and Motion Kit
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Edelkrone has reinvented it again. This time, it's a motion control system that includes some of its existing products as well as new additions bundled into a kit they say is the "world’s smartest and most portable 4-axis motion control system."