[Contest] And The Winner Of The Fstoppers Christmas Twitter Contest Is...

I am happy to announce that the random winner for our Christmas Twitter contest is Seagram Pearce. After randomly picking his "tweet" I headed over to his website to find that Seagram is a photographer that seems to shoot just about anything and he does it all very well . Seagram's studio is based in Cape Town, South Africa which I hope won't cause us any shipping issues because he is now the proud owner of a brand new iPad 2 and our new DVD Peter Hurley: The Are Behind The Headshot. I'm thrilled that we have had another great photographer win one of our contests. If you happen to be Seagram, send us an email at contactfstoppers@gmail.com and we will figure out how to get you your prizes. Head over to Twitter and tweet him your congratulations
The Reward of Being an Artist in Residence

I have had the opportunity of working as an Artist in Residence for the National Park Service four times. The last residency was for Buffalo National River in Arkansas. In the spring of 2020, I got a call from one of the managers for the National Forest Service in Wyoming, wanting to know if I would be interested in coming to Wyoming to do a residency there in Bighorn National Forest, which I was glad to do. So, in early September 2020, I loaded up my gear into my Bronco and headed to Wyoming!

Is the Camera Industry Recovering Post-COVID?

The last year has been pretty dire for the camera industry, as the impact of COVID forced a general shutdown of manufacturing and sales outlets. As parts of the global economy have reopened, we have seen the shoots of revival start to spring up. Will the camera industry return to its 2019 pre-COVID levels?

 Silverback Gorilla Plays With GoPro Video Camera

This video is totally relevant this week after Ken's post "If A Monkey Takes A Photo, Who Owns The Rights". It's really interested to see this Silverback play with this video camera from 2 angles. The most shocking part of the whole thing was that he actually throws it back after he's done!
Profoto Takes On Ray Allen And A Trampoline

Profoto has really done everyone a great service in having photographer Matthew Jordan Smith explain some of his personal favorite images in his portfolio. In this particular image, Matthew decided to photograph NBA superstar Ray Allen in his own backyard while jumping on a trampoline. Equipped with just a single Profoto D1 Air and a magnum reflector for hard light, Matt was able to take a rather limited lighting setup and create a highly stylized image. I think it just goes to show that thinking outside the box and not limiting your shoot to any prior conception can be more important in making a great image than simply focusing on your initial plans.
Beginning to End Look into the Creation of a Drag Queen Portrait

When taking a portrait of an artist, I find it is always a good idea to try and tell the story of the artist through the image. If someone is a musician, the aesthetic of a photograph should help you understand the type of music they play. Similarly, if someone is a drag queen – I try to photograph them in a way viewers can instantly ‘get’ their character. Join me behind the scenes in photographing Mango Sassi, a Drag Queen from Toronto, ON, and have a look into what it can take to create a collaborative image!

Where To Catch The Fstoppers Team At Photo Plus Expo

Going to the upcoming PDN Photo Plus Expo in New York City or just looking for a great photo workshop in the near future? Well here is a chance to see the Fstoppers team in action! Below is a list of classes, presentations, and general shenanigans you will find us hosting in the near future. Make sure to at least come out and say hello.

Transformers 3 Behind The Scenes

Let's get one thing straight; I hate Transformers. I actually thought Transformers 2 was so bad that I walked out on the movie and since my friend actually wanted to continue watching it (and he had the car) I walked home 3 miles in the middle of the night... That's a true story. That being said, I can always appreciate a quality production and Michael Bay never fails with that. Check out this home made BTSV of Transformers 3 in the making. Fast forward to 2:15 for the good stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MqGHJSZ3rk<
Happy Birthday!  Fstoppers Turns 2 Years Old

Welp we have done it again; we've made it another year! According to CDC.org, we should be on our way to making sentences with 2-4 words, playing simple make-believe games, pointing out cats, dogs, and birds, and of course climbing up and down furniture without anyone's help. In all seriousness, Lee and I (along with everyone else on the Fstoppers staff) are incredibly grateful to still be sharing to this community we created back in March of 2010.

Fstoppers PhotoPlus Party In NYC Tonight

We're celebrating PhotoPlus with an all inclusive Fstoppers party in NYC at Peter Hurley's studio tonight Friday, October 26 at 9PM. If you're a photographer or videographer, this is one you won't want to miss. We've hired bartenders and the drinks and food will be covered by us all night long (or until we run out). We hope to have hundreds from the industry show up over the course of the evening.

SmallRig’s RC 220B Pro LED Video Light Reviewed: Smart Features and Flexibility

SmallRig has recently unveiled the RC 220B Pro LED Video Light, marking a significant evolution in its COB lighting lineup. Promising professional-grade performance in a lightweight, compact package, the RC 220B Pro is positioned to be the go-to light for video creators of all levels. I’ve had the opportunity to put it through its paces in real-world production environments to see how it stacks up.

Ways Wireless Printing Can Improve Your Photography Business

If you think that printing is a thing of the past, think again. More and more photographers are adding printing to their service list. This is particularly popular with event and wedding photographers, but wireless printing is actually for everyone, as every photographer should print their work - or at least the work that’s worth printing.

Rhino Dolly Brings Slider Shots to Big Productions

Kyle Hart has been making photo/video products we love for over a decade now. We love our Rhino Slider, but it's never been big enough for long dolly moves. The Rhino Dolly is here to change that.

[BTS Video] The Best Way To Create Fake Snow For Your Photos

Jay P Morgan is at it again with a new Christmas themed photoshoot. Almost everytime I watch one of Jay's photoshoots I learn a clever way to artificially create something that I wouldn't have thought of before. If you've ever wanted to know how to create realistic fake snow on a set, Jay teaches you a simple and easy way to bring the elements into the studio. Granted bringing in artificial snow into the studio will create a huge mess, but it looks like a lot of fun and can allow you to create a winter atmosphere even in the summer. There are a lot of places to buy artificial snow like Amazon or Superior Studios Specialties so stock up now if you ever want to try this yourself. As always, if you enjoy Jay P Morgan's videos, check out other tips of his in the Fstoppers Archives.
InMotion: Automated Digital Slider for Your Smartphone

As our phones get better with taking videos, it makes sense why there's an explosion of filmmakers hitting the industry and more and more YouTubers starting off in their new journeys into creating film every day. Hundreds of videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and it's only getting bigger. With more people using their phones, GoPros, and mirrorless cameras, the need for gear to make smoother, more professional looking gear has increased. Enter InMotion digital slider.

Should Photographers Still Be Doing Outreach During Covid-19?

There's no denying that, as photographers, we are living through unprecedented times. No one truly knows what we should be doing or how the next few months will pan out. One big question that keeps coming up is this: should we still be reaching out to brands, magazines, and agencies we'd like to shoot for?

Amazing Green Screen CGI From John Adams

I am a huge fan of the technology behind movie special effects. Here is a quick look behind the scenes of the movie John Adams. It's amazing what is possible these days. <
Profoto Releases the Air Remote TTL for Fujifilm Cameras

Since TTL and other fancy features have been introduced to strobes, flash manufacturers have had to develop a different remote for each camera brand. Profoto and others have tried their best to offer as much choice as possible, but the Fujifilm compatibility was lagging behind. A few days ago, Broncolor announced their RFS 2.2 for Fuji would arrive before the end of the month, and today its Profoto turns to introduce its Air Remote TTL-F.

6 Tips for Photographing Sharks Safely

Shark photography is a popular and exciting part of shooting underwater. Many photographers travel the world over to get up close and personal with these mysterious creatures. If you are planning to start photographing sharks, it’s important to have a read through some of the items below to keep yourself and the very creatures you are in awe of safe.

Zeiss Announces New Otus ML Lens Line for Mirrorless Cameras

Zeiss has introduced the Otus ML series, a new line of manual focus prime lenses designed for professional photographers and high-end visual creators. The Otus ML family brings Zeiss’s signature optical quality to mirrorless mounts, launching with the 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 lenses in 2025.

Contract Cancellations During COVID-19: How Are You Handling Them?

What do you do when all of your contracts for the year are canceled in a matter of weeks? Regardless of how well-drafted your contract is, do you consider damage to your reputation when you think about holding clients to dates and payment schedules?