Orlando Sentinel Cuts Photo Staff, Shifts to "Videocentric" Approach

Conjuring memories of the now arguably-infamous decision by The Chicago Sun-Times to lay off its entire photography staff, The Orlando Sentinel has informed its staff photographers that, soon, their jobs will no longer exist. As part of a restructuring plan to attract increased readership, the paper is shifting to a more “videocentric” approach.

Red Sox Photographer Michael Ivins Talks Baseball

Now that we are in the thick of the major league baseball season, you are probably going to see a lot more images from the league's best photographers appearing on issues of Sports Illustrated and ESPN. One such photographer is Michael Ivins who is the official photographer for the Boston Red Sox. Check out this little behind the scenes video from the Boston University Today on how Michael captures athletes and creates interesting portraits quickly and on the fly.
How To Build A Cyclorama AKA Cyc Wall

Are you planning to build your own studio one day? If not, this video probably won't interested you. But, if you do dream of having a studio (like most photographers do) then this video will get you one step closer. The incredibly talented Sam Robles takes you through the step by step process of building a cyc wall from scratch.

How to build a cyclorama wall from Sam Robles on Vimeo.

Tomasz Tomaszewski Explains Shooting in Total Darkness

Tomasz Tomaszewski is a photojournalistic photographer who often shoots for National Geographic Poland. It's quite amazing to see the depth of the images he has taken inside the harsh conditions of coal mines that feature dust, moisture, and poisonous gases. Equipped with just a Nikon D3, a few SB-900s, and a small Softbox, Tomasz has some of the most compelling images of people working on site that I have ever seen. Check out the final images here at http://www.tomasztomaszewski.com/gallery.html <
[BTS Video] Fstoppers.com Inspires Another Wet Wakeboard Photoshoot

When Lee and I started this website almost two years ago, our vision was to not only share knowledge of what some of the best photographers around the world were doing but to also create a community that could inspire other creative professionals. Our Facebook Group is full of photoshoots from our readers that were inspired by some of the top talent featured on Fstoppers, and it's always fun to see photoshoots that were inspired directly from something we first did here. The latest such video comes from the Netherlands where photographer Wouter de Winter recreates my very own Indoor Wakeboard Studio Shoot using kiteboarders. Wouter isn't the first to draw inspiration from the original video but he is the first to also create a BTS video about it, and I think you will enjoy it. The next step for other photographers should be to take this idea and create something even bigger! If you have ideas or thoughts about what direction the next "indoor wakeboard shoot" should go, leave them in the comments below. I'd love to hear where others would take this concept...it might even make for a great BTS Contest Video!
Up the Production Value of Your Portraits With Topaz Labs 

Perhaps some of the biggest dealbreakers for images are sharpness, resolution, and noise. No one likes a blurry low-res ISO 25,600 file. Yet, sometimes the client picks the worst possible file that is the definition of poor image quality. Luckily, Topaz Labs have developed AI-enabled software which lets you save your portraits. Act fast and take advantage of their Cyber Monday prices.

How I Prepare for Networking Events (Plus Get 15% off PDN's Photo Plus Expo 2017)

As the summer starts to wind down I know it means one thing. It's going to get a lot colder here in Boston. It also means It's time to start getting ready for Photo Plus Expo as well as some of the other winter conferences. For some, this might be simply booking travel, but for me, it's a big weekend. One that I spend a lot of time preparing for. In part, because it's one of the bigger speaking engagements for me but also its one of the best networking opportunities to help build my brand.

The Wednesday Rundown 7.28.10

Hello everyone and welcome to the Wednesday Rundown. I hope y'all are putting the final touches on those BTS videos for the contest. The deadline is very close. We have a great wedding shoot video, done on the beach in Alabama. Some great final images through out the video. We are also starting up a photo of the day group on flickr, check out the forum for details. Send in some links to some great BTS videos. contactfstoppers@gmail.com
David Nguyen: ViViD Magazine

If you really want to feel like your photography is complete garbage, which I suggest you do every now and then, head over to LA Fashion Photographer David Nguyen's Website. Lucky for us we have a nice little BTS video from David during his recent fall fashion shoot for ViViD Magazine. Lots of natural light and scrimming for you strobe shooters :) Who knows, maybe we can see more of David working Behind the Scenes down the road!

ViViD Magazine Fall 2010 Photoshoot from Matt Rodgers on Vimeo.

[BTS Video] Monte Isom Puts His Camera Dangerously Close To Hockey Players

Some of our readers might have met up with Monte Isom at last month's Fstoppers NYC Meetup. His videos have been fan favorites on the site and this week he is sharing another one of his commercial shoots. In this behind the scenes video, Monte shows you how he photographed his latest Molson Export Ale ad campaign featuring hockey players as they slide in towards the camera. As always, Monte has a lot of fun on his shoots and hopefully you can gain some ideas for shoots of your own from this video.
Sigma Announces Prices and Availability for Four New APS-C Primes for Canon RF Mount

Sigma has officially announced the pricing and availability of four APS-C format DC DN prime lenses for Canon's RF mount system. The lenses, part of Sigma’s Contemporary line, include the 16mm f/1.4, 23mm f/1.4, 30mm f/1.4, and 56mm f/1.4, and are designed for photographers and videographers seeking compact, high-performance lenses. These additions expand Sigma’s APS-C lens offerings to six for the RF mount.

Pacific Northwest Escape Mission 3: Natural Bridges in Oregon

The pandemic has forced many of us to stay home. But that doesn’t mean we can’t experience the wonder of our own backyard. And in the Pacific Northwest, there’s so much to explore. The last year or so has provided us with an opportunity to be inspired by Mother Nature and inspire other budding photographers by showing them the magic of America through our lens.

Add Special Effect And Costumes To Your Photos

This video gives a quick look at Jay P. Morgan's latest advertising campaign for Pedia-Sure. The video isn't quite as informative as Jay's average BTSV but there is still a lot to learn from it. I was really impressed by the size of the campaign and then range of images that were taken.
Why You Should Do Things Even if They Can't Be Tracked

With the availability of complex analytics, deep statistics, and clear reward-for-effort ratios, it's all too easy to become hung up on doing only those things that we can carefully track the results of. In this article, I will explain why you should carve out a place for those things that can't be tracked.
Canvas Is Still King: Canvas Gallery Wrap Gives the Portrait Printing Classic a Modern Makeover

If you offer portrait services in any way, be it weddings or family portraits, you will have sold a fair few stretched canvases in your time. Other wall products have come and gone over the years, but in this article, we explore why canvas is still that go-to product for photographers to showcase their work to portrait clients and suggest an elevated version to help you stand out from the rest.

Vanessa Williams In Her Natural State

If you've ever been hired to photograph an environmental portrait or a lifestyle image, most of the time your client is expecting a very natural looking image. Using too much flash will kill the mood and remove any sense of a natural environment. Matthew Jordan is no stranger around here, and we love his videos because he articulates his intentions well and tells why he does the setups he does. In this short and to the point video, Matthew talks about how he photographed a natural lifestyle portrait of Vanessa Williams with her daughter. Knowing how to pull off an image like this is an important tool to have in your bag of tricks and is a big money maker in the editorial and lifestyle market.
What We Need For Authentic Couple Shots

As photographers, we are aware that, in general, people are not naturally comfortable being photographed. In this article, I want to show you a fundamental technique that I use to achieve energetic, real, and authentic couple portraits.

How to Plan a Fashion Editorial Photoshoot

So many photographers talk about testing, test shoots, and time for print (TFP), but what are these things exactly? In this article, I will explain my take on them.

The Samsung NX30 Review: Simple and Functional, but Limited

The Samsung NX30 is a very affordable, DSLR-like mirrorless camera with a lot of features and a lot of promise. It's Samsung's number two camera in terms of "levels" (much like a 5D would be second to the 1D in Canon language) and is designed to appeal to an emerging photographer as well as the everyday user (like mom or pop), but is it be a camera worth considering for anyone semi-pro and above?

Panasonic Releases Firmware 2.0 for S1H Camera: 5.9K Raw Video Over HDMI

The Panasonic S1H is already quite the powerhouse camera, with impressive specs that should satisfy the needs of lots of filmmakers and videographers. Panasonic is increasing the camera's capabilities all the more with the release of firmware 2.0, which will enable 5.9K raw video output over HDMI.

Business and Personal Habits You Might Have Ignored Until Now

Although the current situation is far from what we used to know as "normal," I believe we will still have a chance to get to our daily routines. This time, we have to be more careful about a number of habits we may have been ignoring.

[Contest] Win a Black Rapid Strap in our Facebook Group

It's time for another contest Fstoppers! Our Facebook Group has swelled to over 1500 active members. It's a great community and resource for photographers anywhere, as everyone can offer constructive criticism and praise for aspiring shooters. To support the group, we have partnered with the strap masters at Black Rapid and are giving away a Black Rapid SnapR 10 This nifty little bag is perfect for quick access to your compact camera while on the go. How do you win? Join the Facebook Group and submit your best image that you shot with either a point and shoot (compact mirrorless ok!) or your phone! Make sure you note that it is a contest entry in the caption or tag Fstoppers in the post. These days, great photos can be made with the smallest hardware and we want you to prove it. Contest ends January 3, 2012. Good luck!