Want to Edit Video? Check out Avid's New Free Software

Avid’s Media Composer is, despite all odds, the industry standard for video editing. So if it’s good enough for Star Wars, it’s good enough for you. Luckily, users will now be able to get a dumbed down version for free this year.

My Top 8 Pieces Of Gear For Shooting Run And Gun Video On A DSLR

Whether I’m going out for a short hike, a weekend camping trip, shooting the zombie apocalypse, or assisting someone for their personal project, there are many times when I’ve needed to be light and fast in my video rig setup. Besides going with a single camera and lens, the accessories I choose enable me to be versatile and get better clips in the end. Here’s my top 8 list of items that keep me on the move while I’m shooting video.

Woman Fatally Stabbed While Photographing Transients

On Tuesday, June 18, just after 8pm Christine Calderon, 23, was attacked and fatally stabbed by three transient men that were holding signs begging for money. After Christine snapped a photo of them because of the offensive language on their cardboard signs the men demanded money. When Christine and her friend refused the men attacked and later that night she passed away from the stab wound to her torso at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The attack happened on the popular intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. where tens of thousands of tourists visit each year.

Five Film Cameras I Can't Live Without

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.

The Full Frame Canon Mirrorless Camera Is on Its Way

Buzz has been slowly building that Canon is finally pushing seriously into the professional mirrorless camera market, with the company confirming that themselves recently. Now, it seems that the camera is in the hands of a few test photographers.

Four Birth Photographers Who Capture the Glory of Motherhood

Birth photography has become a popular sub-genre of documentary photography that shows the raw, real, and beautiful journey of bringing new life to the planet. It seems fitting to spend a few minutes on this Mother's Day remembering how your mom earned the right to exclaim: "Hey, I brought you into this world, so [insert personalized threat]!"

Stanford Researchers Take a World-First 3,200 Megapixel Photo

You'll need 378 4K ultra-high definition screens to display this photo in full size. Imagine being able to see a golf ball from 15 miles away. Its low-light capabilities can also spot objects 100 million times dimmer than what we can see with the human eye.

Creating a Portable And Electric Free Fog Machine

The use of smoke machines in photo shoots can be amazing. With the flip of a switch, you can provide a moody environment to your backgrounds. However, many times, when shooting on location, power just simply isnt accessible. So how do you get the same benefits from a smoke machine, without having any electricity at all?

If Canon Is Releasing Four Full-Frame Cameras This Year, What Should They Be?

There’s been a lot of speculation about what camera Canon would add next to its new range of full-frame mirrorless bodies, and we might be a step closer to seeing what will emerge over the next twelve months. According to rumors, one is pretty certain, but the other two are a little more unexpected.

Gabe McClintock and the Beauty of Natural Light Boudoir Photography

Gabe McClintock is an internationally known award-winning wedding and boudoir photographer based out of Alberta, Canada. His work carries an incredible amount of intimate nuances with a tonality that shifts towards dark and atmospheric. With so much emphasis out there about his wedding work, I took a bit of time to talk with McClintock in regards to his absolutely beautiful boudoir photography in hopes to better understand his approach and workflow.

Pentax 645z Specs Leaked

According to PhotoRumors, the Pentax 645z medium format digital camera is coming April 14th and will be absolutely loaded. The replacement to the 645d will feature a 52.99Mp CMOS sensor like the new offerings from PhaseOne and Hasselblad, shoot ISO 100-204,800, and shoot full HD video and 4K in "interval mode". In addition, the 645z is rumored to not have an AA filter (like the D800E, D7100) for better sharpness, live view with contrast AF and focus peaking, and a new 27-point (25 cross type) AF system.

The Unsung Heroes of Portrait Lenses

There are many staple lenses in portrait photography that are recommended to beginners and professionals alike. However, there is something of an unsung hero lurking in a different genre entirely that could complement your gear arsenal perfectly.

Canon Will Beat Nikon to the Punch With the EOS R3

Now that the Sony a1 is out, a lot of the market's attention has been turned toward Canon and Nikon, who are readying the EOS R3 and Z 9, respectively, for announcement. It looks like Canon's EOS R3 will arrive first, in just a few months.

Five Things You Should Learn to Improve Your Retouching

If photography is an art, so is retouching. While there are school teaching photography classes, fewer offer retouching programs. Many photographers starting out seem to be looking at the same tutorials over and over again, without ever actually getting anything out of it. Frequency separation, dodging and burning, or curves will only get you so far before you hit a wall. In past the two years, I’ve been looking at other crafts to step up my retouching work. Here are five things I have spent time on that you should look into and why.

Five Ways to Improve Your Photographic Compositions

Composition is one of the hardest things we deal with as photographers. It is complex and can seem like a neverending pursuit. Today, we’ll look at five simple ways we can approach a scene and come away with an effective composition.

A Response on the Nikon Df Distaste, and Thoughts to Consider

What ever happened to loving a camera for the camera? Why does everything we buy have to fill a utilitarian hole? What happened to a love for the craft and as much as for the tool? There has been a lot of chatter around the Nikon Df and if we as photographers need it. It's gone so far as to suggest that it represents all that is wrong with photography these days. I want to argue the opposite. I want to argue it represents what many of us have lost as photographers: joy in the craft.

Balancing Flash and Ambient Light In A Restaurant

Restaurant's interiors can be just as beautiful and recognizable as the dishes that they create. When shooting a dish, you may want to include some of a restaurant's interior elements in the shot. These can be chairs, walls, light fixtures, or anything else that shows off the restaurant's character. To do this, you will need to be able to balance the light you are creating with a flash and the ambient light in the restaurant. Here is a look at how I did this on a recent assignment involving a burger and beer.

Flash Vs. HDR For Interiors And Real Estate Photography, Part II: Mood And Color Case Study

About six months ago, I wrote a piece comparing flash techniques to HDR and ambient-only techniques when shooting for architecture and interiors clients. There was some great discussion involved and many valid points raised, and I'd like to take a few minutes to bring up another scenario that really shows the benefits of using flash whenever possible when dealing with interior or architectural situations.

The New MacBook Pro, a Photographer's Perspective

Blair Bunting is a good friend of mine, and by far one of the best commercial portrait photographers out there today. He just published a blog post regarding the highly lauded (while simultaneously seriously attacked) new MacBook pro with retina display. While the display is absolutely breathtaking, it has a serious disadvantage. Is the display too good?

How to Interpret Light and Why It Is Paramount to a Photographer's Success

Regardless of what genre of photography you shoot, understanding light and its characteristics is key to creating better photos. For those of us working with off-camera flash, there is another layer to the complexity: balancing ambient and artificial light. On top of that there are various modifiers that can be used for artificial lighting to replicate or create certain effects. A great way to become proficient in understanding and seeing light is to examine photographs by other photographers in your genre.

If You Don't Own a 50mm Prime Lens, Go and Spend $50 Right Now

Why would anyone spend $50 on a lens that's almost certain to be soft, noisy, and slow to focus? Let me tell you: because it's awesome. If you're new to photography, have a tiny budget, or have never owned a prime lens and want to see what the fuss is about, this is where to start.

Think Twice Before Taking Your DSLR To A "Color Run" Race

I was just talking with a designer friend of mine who was planning to take some photos at an upcoming Color Run event. Early morning sunlight, vibrant colors, and smiling faces seems like a winning combination for some interesting images like these. However, in a recent article by Roger Cicala over at LensRentals.com, he warns that you might want to consider the dangers of getting your gear covered in colored powder.

Rethinking Photography Gear After an Injury

The pain came on like a sharp knife digging into my back. In a moment, years of lifting heavy lenses and avoiding exercise caught up with me and I couldn’t move.