Fstoppers Launches Today
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In the past 3 months Patrick Hall and I (Lee Morris) have been working on this idea. As professional photographers we love watching other pros work. Everyone has their own technique and style and when a new behind the scenes video pops up on a blog or forum we are the first to watch it intently. We want fstoppers.com to become the website that has interesting, and informative videos of professional still and video shoots. Searching through vimeo.com is great if you want to see talented artist's work but our goal is to show you HOW they created their work. If you are a creative professional we want you to be a part of fstoppers.com. Join our Vimeo group and submit us your behind the scenes videos and articles. We will help you promote your business by posting your work on our site and you will help all of us learn a little bit more about our field. If you would like to be a part of Fstoppers in any way please email us at contactfstoppers@gmail.com.
Meet Patrick Hall: Charleston Wedding Photographer
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Patrick Hall is one of the founders and writers for fstoppers. In the summer when he is not shooting commercially, Patrick enjoys shooting weddings in Charleston. Check out this slideshow featuring his favorite images of 2009.
Celebrated Food Photog Marcus Nilsson Dishes on Shooting On-Camera Flash, Tilt-Shift Lenses, and Why He Hates Sandwiches
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Marcus Nilsson thinks outside the box. A former chef, Nilsson stumbled into food photography and ended up being one of the photographers who shaped our contemporary approach to cuisine. Today, Nilsson is still pushing that envelope (with on-camera flash, what?!), and regularly works for some of the world’s top foodie magazines, including Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, Details, Esquire, Everyday with Rachael Ray, the Food Network, GQ, and Travel+Leisure. Check out the full FS Spotlight interview below, where Nilsson dishes on shooting on-camera flash, tilt-shift lenses, crazy Mexican market foods, and why he hates sandwiches.
Charleston Family Portraits and Photography: Charlestonfamilyphotography.com
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Charleston Family Photography is a company based here in Charleston South Carolina that specializes in beach photography, family portraits, child photography, and group photos. What is so great about them is they use the natural environment as their studio so whether they are shooting family portraits at folly beach, isle of palms (IOP), Sullivan's island, or Kiawah Island, their photography really captures both the beauty of the sand and water as well as your family in their natural happy state. Most families will still want a few more traditional portraits with the entire group lined up...

[BTSV] Contest: A 360 Degree° Action Packed How To
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Watch "The Chase", a behind the scenes look at a 360º panoramic car chase. Submitted by photographer/retoucher Eric Herrmann, producer Steven Hasegawa, BTSV Austin Kearsley with music by Zack Hemsey. The panoramic final image is pretty impressive, so, be sure to check it out here: thechasepano.com.
[Contest] Win a Lowepro Bag on Facebook
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Last week we announced a contest on our Facebook sponsored by our friends over at Lowepro. It was only supposed to last one week, but we decided that we would show a little New Year's generosity and extend it an additional week. That means you can still enter to win an awesome Lowepro Pro Messenger 160 AW simply by telling us what style of bag is your favorite over at the Fstoppers Facebook page. Just click the contest tab and submit your answer. Enter now by clicking here. All entries must be received by January 3! Good luck!
[Video] How To Shoot Fashion Quickly In Any Location
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Nick Fancher is the lifestyle photographer for the website JackThreads.com. JackThreads is constantly receiving large shipments of totally different types of apparel that need to be shot as quickly as possible. Nick takes us through a normal day of shooting that may involve multiple, totally different looking photoshoots. This is a fantastic example of how a poorly filmed video can still become a killer BTSV with some simple voice over information. The bottom line is that Nick uses the absolute smallest amount of gear to come up with fantastic images in an extremely short amount of time. I'm hoping that Nick has something big planned for our Behind The Scenes Contest.
Free Online Wedding Workshop: 
Location, Posing, Execution
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People often ask me "what is the most difficult part of shooting weddings?" One challenge I face at every wedding is having to pose the bride and groom in less than flattering sunlight or in a less than perfect location. Wedding photographer Roberto Valenzuela is tackling this very issue during his creativeLIVE workshop. Robert's free-to-watch workshop will air September 6-8th and you can ask him anything live through webchat.

Shooting the Titanic: How Do You Light the World’s Most Famous Shipwreck?
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Hey everyone! I'm Reese and I'm excited to be joining the Fstoppers team. Lee and Patrick have brought me on to do the FS Spotlight, a new weekly Q&A with professional photographers at the absolute top of their field. The interviews are going to touch on everything from from how they reached rock star status to shooting video to what cameras they shoot with and their advice to all aspiring photographers. Click the full post to read about Titanic Photographer Emory Kristof! As a writer/photographer myself, I want to hear how they got where they are and how they get these amazing shots, but more importantly I want to know what YOU want to hear from them as well. What's your interest? Surfing? Combat photography? Food? Retouching? If you could score a 5 minute Q&A with any photographer in the world, who would that be? Let me know!
[Video] ‘Park Life’ A Doc On Climbing, Life, And Filmmaking
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The filmmakers at Louder Than 11 shot this documentary in Yosemite Valley and have made it freely available for anyone. While most of this visually-rich film shows bouldering, it’s all about the stories of the climbers, including the filmmakers themselves, who talk about balancing their passions for climbing and filmmaking. This has arguably some of the best graphics and editing I’ve seen in a rock climbing video. Shot on an AF100.
[Contest Entry] How To Shoot Fashion By Nick Fancher
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A few weeks ago we posted a video by Nick Fancher that became a huge hit. Nick showed us what it was like to shoot for an online clothing store that required over 10 unique looks shot and edited every day. I was hoping that Nick would create another video for our Behind The Scenes Contest which ends on December 31st and lucky for us he did. With a camera and a few on camera flashes, Nick creates some fantastic shots.
Annie Leibovitz's Lighting, from the eyes of a Photo Assistant
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Assistants, aka "voice activated light stands", can be a wealth of knowledge and experience if you are fortunate enough to have access to one that's been around. It's not entirely unheard of, to meet an assistant that knows their lighting better than the photographer they are working for. If only one of them would create a blog about their BTS exploits... wait a minute. What do we have here?

French Magazine Publishes Princess Kate Sunbathing Topless
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It's a standard today that once you get famous, you're going to have paparazzi following you around taking pictures. Granted, it's their job to get the juiciest shots possible to show up on the racks of your local convenience store. But, every few weeks there seems to be some new complaint by celebrities of invasion of privacy, so it begs the question, how far is too far?

My Favorite Travel Bag that Doesn’t Exist Anymore
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In the world of seemingly endless options for camera bags, this has remained a favorite of mine and has been a workhorse for the past six years. It may not be the most popular bag out there—in fact, it has since been discontinued—but here’s why I wish it weren’t.

Landscapes Are the Cannabis of Photography
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Landscapes are often the gateway drug into other genres. Be careful; it can be addictive and lead you to harder photography. Here’s how to get high from what might seem a benign habit.

Canon Announces RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM Lens and SELPHY QX20 Compact Photo Printer
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Canon has unveiled two new products aimed at enhancing the creative capabilities of photographers and everyday users alike: the RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM lens and the SELPHY QX20 compact photo printer. Both are designed to offer versatility and ease of use for a range of photography and printing needs.

The EMEET SmartCam S800, Better Than Your Average Streaming Webcam
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Since the pandemic, I have had an ever-growing demand for online courses and workshops via various streaming services such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Although I can use my relatively small mirrorless cameras for streaming, they are still too big to mount on my screens. So, a good-quality streaming webcam is the answer.

Social Media Is Bad for Photography and Even Worse for You
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Isn’t it time we returned to how we used to share photos? There’s little point in creating photographic art if people are not going to see it, and although it reaches a wide audience, there are good reasons to take a step back from social media and consider other options instead.

Five Film Cameras I Can't Live Without
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This list of five film cameras I can't live without spans 35 years of photographic history—from the height of half-frame popularity in 1966 to the dawn of digital in 2001.

Mylio Adds SecureCloud to Its Offerings for Photographers
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We've covered Mylio products before; recently, they relaunched their Mylio photo manager. Think of Mylio as having some of the features of the Lightroom catalog, with some higher-end features as seen in Peakto. Now the company has just announced Mylio SecureCloud (powered by Backblaze), a cloud storage service the company says is born from a simple idea: our digital memories and important files deserve the highest level of privacy and control.

Leica Introduces M11-D: A Blend of Analog Experience with Digital Precision
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Leica has announced the release of the M11-D, a digital camera designed to offer an analog-like experience while incorporating modern digital technology. With its minimalist approach, the M11-D eliminates distractions like the rear display and Leica’s signature red logo, focusing on the pure essence of photography. The camera's ISO dial is prominently featured on the back, adding to its streamlined design.

The Problematic Concept of the 'Muse' in Portrait Photography
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Have you ever described a portrait subject as your muse? Beneath the seemingly charming facade of the word lies a complex and often problematic history surrounding the photographic muse. As we examine this age-old concept through a modern lens, it becomes clear that the term "muse" is most often reductive, sexist, and objectifying. This article explores why the concept of a muse might be best left in the past.

Neewer PS099E: The Possibly Perfect Power Supply
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As power bank batteries become ever more important for photographers, V-mount versions are essential for those shooting video. Among their arsenal of accessories, Neewer has one that hits the mark: the PS099E.

Blackmagic Design Announces URSA Cine 17K 65 Large Format Digital Film Camera Pricing
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At IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, Blackmagic Design announced the pricing and availability of the Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65, a new large format digital film camera. With a 65mm RGBW sensor and the ability to capture footage in resolutions up to 17K, the camera is aimed at high-end productions, promising exceptional image quality and workflow integration.

The ‘AI Info’ Controversy: Is This Label Undermining Classical Photography? Industry Experts Weigh In.
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“Ridiculous”, “oversimplistic”, and “immensely frustrating”: photographers worldwide are weighing in on the broad social media label "AI Info". While some industry leaders see the value of the designation, the blanket “AI Info” label is also criticized as being oversimplistic. This rollout is causing some photographers to feel punished for using basic tools in Photoshop to avoid the label. I talked with some of the biggest names in commercial photography and retouching to get a pulse from industry experts.

Sigma Announces 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Contemporary for Canon RF Mount
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Sigma has announced the pricing and availability of the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Contemporary lens for the Canon RF Mount system. Originally launched in October 2023 for L mount, Sony E mount, and Fujifilm X Mount, the lens will now be available for Canon RF Mount users in late September 2024.

Saramonic WiTalk 9 In Use: Production Level Wireless Headsets for Everyone
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While the image of a harried producer talking into a wireless headset on a film lot might be a cliche, there’s a good reason why these products exist. Saramonic’s WiTalk 9 series of headsets offer an affordable way to access professional quality wireless communication, ideal for productions, drone operations, or other content creation endeavors where hands-free communication is essential.