Whether you are new to photography or a seasoned professional, sometimes pre-shoot nerves can feel overwhelming. This article explores why even pro photographers still experience pre-shoot nerves and how to use that feeling in the pit of your stomach to your advantage.
Plans are good. Most of us live by plans, and we like things to go as planned. But sometimes just showing up and going with the flow can yield immense rewards for photographers. There is nothing wrong with wanting to know what to expect so you can plan appropriately, but sometimes we just need to let go. Here are a couple of examples of some amazing moments I would have missed if I had stuck to plans and took shelter in my comfort zone.
Most people are spending so much time on social media during the world-wide lockdowns and it has been such a polarizing topic if marketing efforts should cease for such non-essential products.
Happy Thanksgiving week to all of our United States based readers. This week's list is full of excitement due to the ever popular "action" theme. The submissions covered a wide range of movement and activities that we may all need to partake in after today's feast. Hope you like the list and we'd love to have you join in.
Less than a week remains to enter our SmugMug giveaway! We are teaming up with SmugMug to give away a full year of SmugMug Pro and their site customization service. That's a $450 value that is worth every cent. So, have you entered yet?
What if you had a device that could create automatic time-lapses delivered to your phone every day while also giving you weather data for your home? Meet the BloomSky.
You may want to stand as you read this. You see, there’s something about the digital photography workflow that keeps us glued to our chairs and fixated on our computer screens. We lean forward to check details and slouch in our chairs as the hands on the clock make their way around their enclosure. This practice could be described as addicting and we long to create a final image to share with the masses, however our bodies suffer the consequences of said practice without us really ever taking note of its aches and pains — our body’s subtle reminders that we’re humans and that we're meant to do much more than sit at a desk all day.
Vincent Laforet's latest AIR series blankets the City of Angels with a farewell series of shots before the project will head to Europe for the first time starting mid-May. As Laforet continues shifting cities (from the previously covered New York City, Las Vegas, and San Francisco projects), his aesthetic slowly changes in response to the varying challenges and differences between shooting each city. Fstoppers caught up with Laforet to discuss the ever-present surprises in shooting AIR and its transformation as it grows into a larger project supported by G-Technology and pre-orders for Laforet's "AIR" book.
Koda from Academy on Vimeo.
Which image in the banner is a photograph, and which is computer generated? Can you even tell anymore? With the addition of computer generated imagery (CGI) and artificial intelligence, the process of creating images has provided commercial photographers more tools than ever. I sat down with award-winning food photographer Steve Hansen to discuss this topic and to delve into the question: "Is it enough to just be a photographer these days?"
A few weeks ago we announced the release of the Nikon 70-200mm f/4, a lens that has been around for years for Canon shooters, but until now unavailable for those of us in the Nikon camp. It's been hard to find but now B&H has it in stock! In addition to this, you can save a whopping $700 dollars off a Nikon D600 bundled with the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 bringing the price BELOW $2000.
We've been partnering with Viewbug to host great contests with sweet prizes every week! One of our monthly ongoing contests is to give one entrant a chance to be featured on Fstoppers. Volume 1 of that contest is in the finalil stage, so head on over to see who is in the running to win that feature!
Snap-on lenses are a big thing in the iPhone world. They open up possibilities for whenever someone is working with a fixed focal length system with a lens that cannot be removed. Now, Lensbaby is giving its fans the option to do the same with their GoPro cameras.
While instant photography cameras like Fuji’s Instax series have gained a large following amongst a younger generation discovering the beauty of instant prints, lugging around a sub-par camera just for the hard-copy photos is a drag. That’s where portable photo printers such as Liene’s Pearl K100 Portable Photo Printer come in.
As we do every month, the winner of the contest gets to pick the next theme and Adam has chosen "Underneath". Just like Adam, this month's winner will also win a custom image and website link on the Fstoppers rotating banner above and also a large Photoflex 42" Multidisc Reflector which is great for location and studio uses. The winner will also receive a Black Rapid Sport Strap. As always, our contests are judged by the winner of the previous month's contest so you have to impress Adam not anyone on the Fstoppers Staff. Have fun submitting to the May Fstoppers Forum Contest and good luck to everyone!
Big props to photographer Kevyn Bryant and film maker Xavier Burgin for submitting a video that covers all the bases. For being one of their first BTS videos, these guys did a good job at laying it all out there for us. And gosh darn it, there is a quality to these guys that just makes us want to like them. We haven't seen awkward southern charm like this, since the likes of one (green) Lee Morris and one (wet behind the ears) Patrick Hall first took to the BTS camera, way way waaaay back in 2010. Nice work on the editing too Douglas Dillingham and good luck to you all. T minus 3 days and counting to get your contest entries in (that's Dec. 31st 2011).
Logitech International has acquired Loupedeck, a Helsinki-based creator of custom consoles and software designed to elevate the creative process for streamers, creators, and gamers.
Given the current era of physical distancing, how am I ever going to manage a group selfie with my friends?
Sony has just announced its widest full frame prime to date: the 14mm f/1.8 G Master lens. Surprisingly compact and lightweight, it seems ideal for astrophotography, landscape photography, interiors, and more.
Warren Miller Films shoots at Heavenly - January 2010 from Deep Roots Media - Dane Henry on Vimeo.
Update: Live Now! As a wedding photographer myself, I think the most important thing any photographer can do for their business is adding video to their services. I met Rob and Vanessa earlier this year and was excited to hear they are teaching this new "Fusion" video/photo hybrid to other photographers. On June 29 - July 1, creativeLIVE is airing their 3 day workshop for free! Learn how you can easily incorporate video into your photography business from two of the industry's leaders.
BTS [behind the scenes] Photo Shoot from Benjamin Schmanke on Vimeo.
The micro four thirds format has really taken off in the past two years, and now that the market has shown staying power more companies are supporting the hardware. Adding to Sigma's news announced earlier, Tamron added to the party with their 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 Di-III VC.
Fstoppers has partnered with the awesome folks at ViewBug to bring you sweet, sweet contests weekly! This week enter your best photo featuring tree trunks to win a WoodSnap Photo Collage worth $1000, with the People's Choice winner nabbing one worth $500. Woodsnap is a nifty way to showcase your images printed as custom wood wall art.
Have you ever thought of taking a trip to the sub-Arctic or Arctic to photograph polar bears and their habitat? Ever thought it might be your destiny to come nose-to-nose with the largest predator living on land? My latest article for Bradt Guides' Travel Club is all about taking photos of polar bears and their environment. I thought I'd share some of the tips and photos here.
Crime docs, true crime, crime fiction, they all hold something of a collective fascination. Watching Donald Trump's recent Fulton County mugshot become one of the most circulated photographs of all time raises the question: why are so many of us fascinated by mugshots? As photographers, is there something in these rigidly photographed images that captures our attention?
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