Fstoppers Reviews the Elinchrom ELC 125 and 500

Elinchrom has always been known for its superb light modifiers. But the strobes designed by the Swiss flash manufacturer are just as good. Now marks a new direction for the brand with the introduction of the ELC 125 and ELC 500.

10,000 Headshots: One Day.

Renowned photographers Peter Hurley and Tony Taafe are organizing an initiative to photograph 10,000 people in a single day across all 50 states. For free.

Photographing Infants and Toddlers: Working With Short Attention Spans

Some time earlier this year, I had this idea to try and find my own approach to portraiture solely for children. It was a multi-faceted idea which came to me pretty much at random. I was reviewing some of my recent portrait work when I realized that I had only ever worked with a couple of children as my subjects throughout my entire running career as a photographer. I figured out a long time ago that family portraits really just weren't something I was interested in, but that didn't really have anything to do with my actual choice of subjects. Just because I didn't want to shoot family portraits didn't necessarily mean that I couldn't work with kids.

Helena Christensen & Mary Ellen Mark Join Mark Seliger on Capture

In this episode of the (always) fantastic "Capture," supermodel Helena Christensen and photographic legend Mary Ellen Mark sit down with Mark Seliger and discuss their unique approaches to making their images. Mary Ellen Mark talks about what it was like to photograph Mother Theresa and how every circus in India was more imaginative than the last. Helena Christensen's love of photography began when she hitchhiked around the world as a teenager,

Canon Releases Service Advisory for New 6D

Canon USA has published a service advisory regarding issues users are reporting when trying to watch uploaded videos on YouTube. It's a relatively minor issue, and I'm glad it's not as big a deal as the D600 dust concerns. However, I just wish Canon and Nikon would put out cameras that were truly complete, and had no widespread issues to speak of in their first few weeks on the market.

Amazon Pushes Forward In Their Quest To Bring Amazon Prime Air To Life

In December of 2013, Amazon teased the world with the thought of delivering (small) packages to your doorstep using drones, as first reported here. It got a lot of people talking. But since that initial announcement from Amazon, there hasn't been any indication that it was real. Was it purely a publicity stunt? If it was, it was a good one. But what if it was real?

Working As A Steadicam Operator Might Be The Toughest Job On Television

Working and operating a Steadicam is tough work. The most ridiculously awesome steadicam shot ever probably proved that without a shadow of a doubt, but we have even more proof! The following video follows steadicam superhero Niclas Närwall as he captures shot after shot on the set of Let's Dance. If you've ever been on a set with one of these guys you know how much stress goes into their whole bodies over the course of a full day (buying them beers afterwards is a given). At least Karsten Jacobsen had a Segway to help give his legs a break! Some of these shots are pretty remarkable and some might go a bit overboard with the floating camera effect. What do you guys think; what is your favorite shot?
Underpromise and Overdeliver: The Best Way to Grow Your Photography Business

Creating imagery that’s “brandable” is part of many working photographer's bag of skills but still takes some know how with lighting, posing, and while creating a human connection to excel at a high level with consistent results. Let’s dive into how we can make our commercial and branding imagery simply while also growing our network and earning new clients in the process.

Use Photoshop to Make Fake Contact Lenses More Realistic

Fake contact lenses (also known as circle lenses) are becoming wildly popular. They seem to have first started to gain momentum in the cosplay world but have begun growing well beyond that. I've started to encounter models regularly wearing them, especially ones focusing on Asian fashion trends. Circle contacts look great at a glance, they make the pupil larger and often change its color to be more exciting. When walking around in real life or when in video the eye is constantly moving so the weakness of being obviously fake is much less apparent. However, when photographed the eye is frozen in perfect sharpness which instantly reveals how fake circle lenses can look, especially the cheaper ones.

Instagram Update Adds All-New Search and Explore Features

The brain-trust that is Instagram over at Facebook HQ in California recently released two major updates to their photo-sharing social media app that will help users connect with more photos and photographers. The two new updates include a redesigned Explore page with trending Tags and Places and a more powerful search tool that makes it easier to find people, places and tags relevant to you.

Polar Bears Have Developed A Taste For Photography

Last time I was writing about polar bears, some poor photographers at a public zoo had dropped some Canon gear into a tank. Word must have gotten around that lenses and camera bodies are a tasty treat, as this video shows wildlife shooter Gordon Buchanan from the BBC getting tossed about inside of his plexiglass enclosure by a large female polar bear!

DroneGuard Kit by Lowepro

Just a few weeks ago, Lowepro launched it’s first grab-and-go protective and customizable quadcopter drone storage system, the DroneGuard Kit. Lowepro’s solution is an interesting one in that you can adapt it for different devices combining organization, portability, and protection using it as a stand-alone kit, or as an insert with some of their other bags. Over the last two weeks I’ve been putting this bag through its paces on the streets of Chicago, as well as the in desert and dunes of Michigan. In my full review I’ll cover the features, price, build, aesthetics, and function of the DroneGuard to let you know just how they fit the current market.

Breaking: Leica Officially Stop Using 'Master' and 'Slave' Terms

In the past month, I've been reporting on the various camera brands that have been dropping the "master" and "slave" terms since the huge Black Lives Matter movement that surged after George Floyd's death. I can now confirm Leica is also dropping the terms.

[BTSV] Behind the Scenes with The Agonist (Promo '12)

There are only a few days left before Von Wong does Europe. But instead of spending that time ironing, folding and categorizing his underwear for the trip, Ben is doing what any proper photographer would, he shoots. Check out the behind the scenes video and Ben's full commentary as he knocks out a rough and tumble band scene with the sexy hardcore stylings of The Agonist.

Powerful Photos Of Devastation And Destruction Around The World

It could be the aftermath of a war, or the result of a strong Tsunami. It could be the destruction of a Hurricane, or the Devastation of a terror attack. The moment after something horrible happens, is also the moment people capture powerful images of (bad) historic events. We all remember few iconic shots of such events, photos we've seen for hundreds of times on TV, in newspapers or just online. This is why I chose to feature very powerful images you probably never saw before.

[Video] The Art of Film and TV Title Design

Chances are, if you are viewing this on our website, you are a still photographer and not a professional title designer. Although there are many genres of art, in a way they are all the same thing. The goal of any artist is to make an impact and create an emotion with their work. If you have ever admired the title sequence before a movie, this video is for you.

[BTS] Voices Of Haiti: Behind The Scenes

This is how you photograph a disaster torn area. The (possibly) staged pictures children's toys in rubble do wonders to sell magazines, but when it comes to getting a sense of the actual people who are affected by the disaster, this is how it should be done.

Adobe Releases 2019 Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements

Adobe recently released their latest versions of both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, which are entry-level versions of Photoshop and Premiere Pro. As expected, the 2019 photo and video editing versions have received a few upgrades.

[News] New Nikon SB910 Speedlight Announced

One of the biggest announcements I was really excited about this year was the release of Nikon's Flagship SB910 Speedlight. Many people were speculating that the revamped portable strobe would be smaller like the classic SB800, finally offer wireless syncing via radio, incorporate a small constant LED light for video, or add another half stop or two of power. Unfortunately none of those changes have become reality yet but the new speedlight does offer enough updates that anyone in the market for a powerful speedlight will want to check out the Nikon SB910. Click the full post to read the official Nikon Press Release. You can already preorder the Nikon SB910 as it should be shipping mid December 2011. Out of curiosity, if you could design the perfect speedlight, what features would you want that this new flash does not already offer?
Impressionism Versus Traditional Art: Thoughts of a Commercial Photographer

Whether you think about conceptual art, impressionism, or high fashion, they are all deviations from the traditional art expressions. Is the emperor naked, or do these forms of art have nothing to do with that well-known story? Is it possible to make more profit from impressionism than from traditional photography?

Lawsuit Filed Against Videography Company For Swindling Newlyweds

Earlier this week Mass. Attorney General, Martha Coakley, filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against a Millbury, Massachusetts videography studio for allegedly scamming several newlyweds out nearly $75,000 worth of wedding videography services and precious memories. The company, Sure Shot Videography is accused of taking newlyweds' deposits and either not showing up to the wedding or for never delivering the final product videos.

Watch the Largest Iceberg Breakup Ever Caught on Camera

Photographer James Balog has put together a documentary called "Chasing Ice," which we featured last October, designed to look at the controversial issue of climate change. The video here is the trailer if you haven't yet seen it, but I stumbled upon another video of the largest iceberg breakup ever caught on camera over at The Guardian.

Behind the Scenes: Fix It In Post

Last week we posted about the new Autodesk's and filmmaker, Jeremy Hunt's, new short film, 'Fix It In Post' demonstarting Autodesk's Smoke for the Mac. In this behind the scenes video Jeremy explains on how he came about joining Autodesk and creating the short film and how much he enjoys the new editing software. He also remarks on using the RED Epic and his reasoning behind that certain camera choice.