Gregory Heisler Lights a Time Magazine Cover

When I first saw Gregory Heisler, I thought he was a college professor not a professional photographer. I guess in reality he is both since this is one of the most indepth BTS videos I've seen explaining how to construct lighting that doesn't call too much attention to itself. I'm always a big fan of images like this since shooting environmental portraits forces you to not only produce a great portrait but also create something iconic and often time monumental. Gregory does a great job with this portrait of then NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Much props to Profoto for producing some really educational videos.
Repeat What You Know to Master It

You can watch as many YouTube videos as you want. The only way you will ever know how to do something well is if you’ve actually done it, and repeated it a few times to make it stick.

Fstoppers Reviews the Moto 360 Camera Mod

Motorola has really done something different with their Moto Mod offerings. They have put out an entire line of products that are compatible with multiple Moto phones via a sturdy magnetic docking system. The idea is a genius one in that it finally does not have to live within the tight space requirements of today's wafer-thin phones. Taking the Moto 360 Camera Mod for a spin did not disappoint.

We Are Lady Parts: A New Way to Tell Stories About Bands

We Are Lady Parts, the story of an all-Muslim-female punk band in London, is a groundbreaking collaboration between creator Nida Manzoor and cinematographer Diana Olifirova. Not only is the plot compelling and refreshing, but Olifirova and Manzoor also use a variety of filmmaking techniques to develop character, move the story along, and visually excite their audience. I had a chance to speak with Olifirova about putting Manzoor’s project on screen.

North Carolina Governor Declares October Photography Month

For the first announcement of its kind in the United States, Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina has declared October 2017 to be Photography Month. For those photographers who live in and are traveling to North Carolina during October, they will have even more reason to bring their cameras and take advantage of the festivals and photo-centric events while they are there.

Weekly Contests are Back! Win a Personal Website from Squarespace

We're happy to say that our weekly contests are back, thanks to our friends at Viewbug! Need a new website? Make sure you enter this week's contest to be eligible to win a new website from Squarespace (who I use for my site and love it). All you have to do is impress judge Fefo Bouvier with your best rural scenery photo.

As Photographers We Should Take Time To Be Thankful

With many of my fellow Americans preparing to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, let’s take a moment away from turkey and dodging awkward conversations about politics to give thanks to those who provide us the motivation to persevere.

Blackmagic Adds Wireless Control, Is It Any Good?

Blackmagic Design have brought new functionality to the URSA Mini Pro, their flagship camera. Keeping up with the times, users will now be able to download an app in order to control the camera. The best part? They’re letting the public create their own custom versions.

Beauty Confessional:  1950'sville

Beauty Confessional is a fashion based blog out of the UK but that doesn't mean that their tough motion photos shouldn't be appreciated world wide! I love what photographer Piers Vernon Kell has done with these images and the editing reminds me of something you'd see in a Hitchcock or Woody Allen opener. If you are looking to add a twist to your own photography or simply advertise your own creativity in a new fashion take notes from this video! <
Hasselblad Announces H4D Tether Plug-in Solution for Lightroom  4

Hasselblad has announced a new tethering solution for the H4D medium format camera, and it's a simple firmware update. So those of you who have been wanting to shoot directly into Lightroom now have a quick and easy way to do that with your Hasselblad.

Peter Lik's Photos Require Their Own Furniture

The Fstoppers team just got back from Miami and the Bahamas, and while we were there we came across Peter Lik's newest art gallery in Miami Beach. I was first introduced to Peter's amazing landscape photos at his Las Vegas gallery in the Venetian Hotel, and I'm always blown away every time I step into one of his galleries. Peter uses large format panoramic cameras (some film some digital) and then prints them LARGE with his own special printing process. When his prints are displayed under gallery lighting the images pop off the wall unlike anything I've ever seen before. You can even dim the lights to reveal different qualities in the prints. Check out this video of Peter talking about what makes a good landscape photo and click the full post to see how you can see Peter on your television soon! <
Cris Benton Films From 200 Feet UP

Cris Benton is a professor of architecture at UC Berkeley who has always had an interest in photography. His specialty niche is aerial photography but does not shoot from a helicopter or plane. He prefers to attach his DSLR to a Kite...yes a KITE! In this video Cris shows you how he has developed all of his gear and the various prototypes he used in the past. Watching this footage is really quite impressive on so many levels and the photos are unique as well. We've all seen small cameras mounted to balloons and kites but nothing has been this complex. After the video head over to Professor Benton's website to check out other images he has taken from the sky.

Kite Aerial Photography on MAKE: television from make magazine on Vimeo.

How Much Do You <STRIKE>Waste</STRIKE> Invest In Photo Gear Each Year

2010 is coming to a close and we are all starting to tally up our expenses for the year. It's always a shock to me how much I have spent on my photography business. Whether you are a pro or not, how much do you think you spend each year on photo or video equipment? This includes computers and software too as long as you have purchased them for image or video production. How Much Do You Spend On Photo/Video Gear Each YearMarket Research
Apple Vision Pro is Goofy

Monday, Apple made a groundbreaking announcement: the release of their Apple Vision Pro augmented reality (AR) headset, priced at $3,500. As an enthusiast, I can't help but feel a mix of excitement and skepticism about this new product.

Mike Folden Shoots An Album Cover

I've had some great BTS videos piling up here so I am going to post them all now. Check out the video below where Mike Folden shoots an album cover for "The Resume".
April Photo Contest:  Win A Photoflex Reflector and Riley G Strap

Every month here at Fstoppers we run a photo contest that is judged by one of our readers. We'd like to congratulate Jim Dillahey for winning the March Fstoppers Forum Photo Contest. Click the previous link to see his winning photograph and watch for his banner at the top of the site to see more of Jim's work.

As we do every month, the winner of the contest gets to pick the next theme and Jim has chosen "CONFIDENCE". Just like Jim, this month's winner will also win a custom image and website link on the Fstoppers rotating banner above and also a HUGE Photoflex White and Gold Reflector which is great for location and studio uses. The winner will also get to choose a custom camera strap from Riley G Designworks who are making some of the coolest photography straps I've ever seen. As always, our contests are judged by the winner of the previous month's contest so you have to impress Jim not anyone on the Fstoppers Staff. Have fun submitting to the April Fstoppers Forum Contest and good luck to everyone!

Tom Lowe Uses The Timelapse Crane

We have posted Tom's work before. Here is a little behind the scenes of how he actually does it.

Behind the Scenes: Timelapse Crane from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

Back In Black:  Visa Black Card

You may not be one of the 1% of Americans who owns a Visa Black card but that does not mean you cannot enjoy their marketing. This video was sent in by Grant Lankford and features Curt Morgan and his team at Brain Farm as they work on the current ad campaign for the Visa Black Card. Everything about this video is sick from the choppers, the model in black leather, the one of a kind black yacht, and of course the cinematography. This video shows just how much creativity you can have with a simple concept like "back in black". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqtAd6rG0c8<
Tom Guilmette Shows How Sports Are Done

We were first introduced to Tom Guilmette's work last week when he showed us how to shoot slow motion video at 718 fps. This next video is even better! Tom takes us behind the scenes of a Big East college basketball game. Cox Sports shows us everything that goes into producing a sports program at the event and piping it to your television at home. After watching the last 3 minutes or so of real time action, I think I would have a nervous breakdown if I had to work on something like this day in and day out. Tom has more information on his blog; hope you guys enjoy! <
A Quick Video With A Happy Ending

I just saw this and it made me smile so I thought I would share it with all of you. Keep in mind that you still have a few days left to help Noam with our Photoshop contest. If you have no idea what is going on in this video then you need to watch this.
Music on Set: Who Plays DJ?

Music has a very strong connection to studio photography. I’d wager that the vast majority of people imagine studios with music driving the shoot. Think Blow-Up or more recently, Austin Powers. Music can help to energize your set. But, what happens when you’re just not as in touch with the poppiest of pop culture anymore?

Who Is Waiting Until The Last Minute?

We are currently in the middle of a contest where we are giving away a Canon 7D or Nikon D300s to the creator of the best behind the scenes video. So far we have not had very many submissions but I keep talking to people who tell me that they are still editing their video but it will be in by the deadline (August 1). How many people are waiting until the last minute? You now have exactly 2 weeks to finish. If you are planning to submit a contest entry please leave a comment below with a little info about the type of video you are creating.