Fstoppers Original Articles

Exclusive articles and expert opinions written by Fstoppers’ talented team of creative professionals. Here we cover everything from the latest photographic techniques to advice on running a successful photography business, to first hand accounts of working in the photography industry.

Use An iPhone To Record High Quality Audio For Your Videos

As a photographer with a new DSLR, you might be trying your hand at video production. Most people completely overlook audio and they shouldn't. If a video sounds cheap then in most people's minds, it is cheap. If you don't have enough money to afford fancy lav mics, don't worry, you can record clean audio with a number of devices that you may already own. In the video below I will show you how we did it for the first year we filmed videos for Fstoppers with a simple (and free) iPhone app. If you don't have a smart phone then you can buy one of these for $16.
Fstoppers Is Giving Away An Apple Macbook Air Through Twitter!

Well the title pretty much says it all and you only have 3 day left to enter! Fstoppers is excited to announce a new twitter contest where you can win one of the brand new Apple Macbook Air 11.6" Notebooks. Click Here for details on how you can enter the Fstoppers twitter contest and win this macbook. Also make sure you enter before the end of October 12th since we are announcing the winner the following day.
How To Tether Your Camera To An Ipad Without Jailbreaking

Last year I released a video explaining how to wirelessly tether your camera to an iPad by jailbreaking the iPad. Since then Eye-Fi has released a firmware update that makes wireless tethering possible without the need for jailbreaking. Now, not only is the whole process much easier to set up, it is also much cheaper because you no longer have to pay for the more expensive Pro Eye-Fi card, you can make this work with the cheaper Connect X2 card.
Shoot, Print, And Frame A Massive Peter Lik Style Photograph On A Budget

If you have seen Peter Lik's work in person then you understand that it's impossible to put into words the look and quality of his prints. Peter's photography (and his post production) is fantastic, but what really makes his work stand out is his printing and presentation. If his images were printed on standard photo paper at a standard size, his work would not have the same "wow" factor.

FS Original: How To Shoot And Retouch Beauty Photography

Patrick and I were invited to shoot a behind the scenes video with beauty photography Sam Yocum in NYC a few months ago. I've always been struck by the lighting and flawless models, makeup, and retouching that can be seen in high end Beauty work and so I couldn't wait to see a real professional work...Check out the video below to see a little on how Sam works as well as a very detailed tutorial on how he approaches his post production. Click the full post to see a bunch of Sam's beauty images.
Fstoppers Original: The Stolen Scream

What if you took a set of images that became so popular that it was used hundreds of times all around the world by hundreds of artists, businesses, websites, and publications? As photographers, it's what we all dream about but what if you were never paid for your work? What if you weren't even given credit? What if your images were stolen for years and you never had any idea? If there was ever a video to share, this is it. This is Noam Galai's story.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/20718237

https://www.youtube.com/embed/A5lEMIf7_FM

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Using the Healing Brush and Patch Tool: An Fstoppers Post Production Tutorial by Sean Armenta

Hello Fstoppers! My name is Sean Armenta, and this is my little spot on Fstoppers called The Post Production Tutorial. If you enjoy these videos, feel free to subscribe to my new Fstoppers PPT Youtube Channel for the latest updates. This time around, we will talk about how I use the healing brush and patch tool in Photoshop. They are definitely staples of any retouching job and while they are pretty straightforward to use, I would like to share a couple of tweaks I discovered to make them work even better.
Pen Tool Basics: An Fstoppers Post Production Tutorial by Sean Armenta

Hello Fstoppers! My name is Sean Armenta, and this is my little spot on Fstoppers called The Post Production Tutorial. If you enjoy these videos, feel free to subscribe to my new Fstoppers PPT Youtube Channel for the latest updates. This time around, we will talk about how to use the Photoshop Pen Tool. Granted, it's not as flashy and exciting as other aspects of retouching, but the Pen Tool is definitely something everyone should learn. To be honest, the Pen Tool is something I use quite often, especially when a client requests a color change on an object or background, or even when retouching hair. Stay tuned for more videos coming up soon and feel free to leave me any comments below with questions on this video or about suggestions for future videos.
Fstoppers Original:  The Wakeboard Studio Shoot

One of my favorite things about Charleston, SC is being close to the ocean. I love being in and around the water, and although I'm not very good at it, I do enjoy wakeboarding. Charleston has become a pretty big hub for sports like kiteboarding and wakeboarding over the last few years, and this city is not short on talented athletes. I took an interest in wakeboard photography a couple years ago, and I always enjoyed shooting images from extreme angles. Although I've gotten some cool images, I never felt like I really had much control over my images with just daylight. I've tried to bring strobes outside to create something "different" but even those shots have been done a million times. I decided I wanted a way to shoot a rider flying through the air with interesting, studio quality lighting and this is what I came up with....click the full post for the full story. https://vimeo.com/19633416

Fstoppers Original: The Studio Wakeboard Shoot from FStoppers on Vimeo.

Enhancing The Eyes: An Fstoppers Post Production Tutorial By Sean Armenta

My name is Sean Armenta and I am a professional fashion photographer based in Southern California. You may have seen a few of my videos posted on Fstoppers in the past but this will be the first video in a series called Fstoppers PPT (post production tutorials) that I will be producing exclusively for Fstoppers. If you have a Youtube account you may want to subscribe to the new FstoppersPPT channel. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and I believe the eyes are one of the most important parts of a portrait. In this tutorial, I will share with you the techniques I use to retouch eyes and eyelashes.
Fstoppers Nikon Pocket Wizard FlexTT5, MiniTT1, And AC3 Review

Patrick and I have been in contact with LPA Design (the company that makes Pocket Wizards) for a few months now and we were excited to hear that they would be sending us a few beta units of the unreleased Nikon FlexTT5, MiniTT1, and AC3 units. Our website is not about reviewing gear but we did want to push these units. I called up Sigma and asked for a loaner 800mm 5.6 lens and Patrick planned a shoot that involved every SB-800 and SB-80DX that we own. Check out the video below, and then view the full post to read detailed info about the shoots and check out the high res images. If you enjoy this content, follow us on Twitter to stay updated when our next video is released.
How To Directly Tether Your Camera To An iPad By Lee Morris

Are you a photographer and an iPad owner? If so, you are really going to love this. Are you a photographer who swore you would never buy an iPad because it's just an over-sized iPod Touch? Well you are about to change your mind. We have recently figured out that with nothing more than a jailbroken iPad and an Eye-Fi Pro X2 card, you can wirelessly tether the two without the need for a separate network. This "hack" is so useful that we have decided to give away a free iPad randomly to one of our twitter followers. Please read the full post to learn more.

How To Directly Tether Your Camera To An iPad By Lee Morris from FStoppers on Vimeo.

Fstoppers Original:  David Bergman Photographs Bon Jovi

After two months of editing and waiting for David Bergman to get off tour, I am proud to unveil a behind the scenes video on Tour Photography featuring rock icons Bon Jovi at the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey. Many of you may know David Bergman from his Sports Illustrated photos or his gigapan image of Obama's inauguration, but David's primary focus these days is shooting live events through his company TourPhotographer.com . David discusses his previous work, reviews his equipment, and takes you on an all access preview of what it is like shooting for one of the biggest rock and roll bands in the world! Click the full post to read more about our unbelievable experience filming this as well as a full list of all of David's recommended gear.

Fstoppers Original: David Bergman Photographs Bon Jovi from FStoppers on Vimeo.

Fstoppers Original: Lee Morris Shoots Oak Steakhouse

When we launched Fstoppers back in February we were working hard to create our own original video content to help kick off our website. After shooting this video it got buried in my computer before I had time to edit it because we were also working to complete multiple other videos at the same time. I finally had enough free time to finish up this quick food shoot. View the full post to read the full story.

Fstoppers Original: Lee Morris Shoots Oak Steakhouse from FStoppers on Vimeo.

The iPhone Fashion Shoot By Lee Morris

A few weeks ago I did a full fashion photo shoot with my iPhone 3gs. I posted a few of the images and asked people to critique them (never exposing that they were shot on my cell phone). I couldn't help but laugh when a few of our readers claimed that these were "the best images I had ever taken." Nobody ever claimed that they were too grainy, too soft, or lacked detail. View this full post to read the full story and see the high res shots from this photoshoot. ><
Fstoppers Original: Eric Bradshaw Revisited

Back when Lee and I started the idea of Fstoppers, we contacted a few friend photographers of ours to see if they would allow us to film some of their shoots for our Behind the Scenes website idea. We first featured Eric Bradshaw's beach shoot at launch but I figured I'd post the second video as well. This video was the 2nd BTS video I ever edited and I hope you can draw some inspiration for your own behind the scenes videos. Watching Eric work is also pretty inspiring too! Enjoy this video from the FS vaults. ><
Fstoppers Quicky: David Oppenheimer Shoots Jay Z At Bonnaroo

For the last 4 days I have been at Bonnaroo listening to music and living like a caveman. The biggest show of the event was Jay Z Saturday night and to get a decent view we camped out 4 hours before the show. The guy next to me happenend to be David Oppenheimer, a professional photographer, and we ended up chatting. He decided to camp out and shoot from the crowd with a monopod and a remote.
Fstoppers Original:  Peter Hurley exposes the perfect headshot

Peter Hurley is a true inspiration. Not only is he an amazing headshot photographer but he is also one of the most fun, energetic, and encouraging photographers I have ever met. Click the post to read more about how we got in touch with him and what we couldn't show you in this video. <
Fstoppers Original: King Street Studios Shoots Charleston Fashion Week

Last month Patrick and I had the unique opportunity to follow Todd and Reese of King Street Studios around as they shot Charleston Fashion Week. Not only did they get the standard runway shots, they also setup a small studio backstage and shot amazing portraits of the models right before they were rushed onto the runway. You are about to be blown away by what is possible with a single light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_DeoemgsqU<
Fstoppers Original:  Dave Lehl, Snowboard Photographer

Dave Lehl is one of the best snowboard photographers in North America. Luckily we are good friends and were allowed to tag along during one of his photoshoots in the back country of Vail, Colorado. In Dave's own words, what you are about to watch is "pretty typical"...Click the post for another video of Dave talking about his career. <
UK Photographer James Karinejad Makes A Pretty Mess

James Karinejad is a commercial product photographer out of Edgware, North London and his work is probably best described as clean yet imaginative. Some of the clients he has worked with have included Dolce & Gabbana, Pizza Hut, Clarins, and Addison Lee. It's also interesting to note that James made the transition to stills by first working in video.

I have always enjoyed watching these product shoots because the lighting required to make a product look desirable is often very different than the lighting needed to make a face or figure look good. In this video James...

Brownie Harris Talks Shooting Film

After speaking with professional photographer Brownie Harris, I realized that he didn't need to be shot behind the scenes working, he needed to be interviewed. Watch this quick 10 minute segment in which Brownie talks about his 40 years in the photography profession... you will be surprised by how many of his world famous images you have seen before.
How To Shoot Better Videos With Your DSLR 3 of 3

At this point we have discussed camera settings and audio gear. Now it is time for editing. If you shoot Canon or have a Mac this post really isn't for you. In this video I am talking directly to Nikon D300s users who will be editing with Adobe Premiere CS4. If you would like to learn quickly how to use Adobe Premiere CS4 then view the full post to see a list of helpful videos that we used to teach ourselves the software. UPDATE: EDIT NIKON VIDEOS IN FINAL CUT ADDED TO FULL POST.
How To Shoot Better Videos With Your DSLR 2 of 3

So yesterday we talked about setting your camera to shoot video. Today we get a little more complicated. Let's chat about audio. Tomorrow we will take it one step further and discuss the most dreaded part of video... editing! If you have a Canon camera that shoots video, view the full post to check out a video on audio made just for you. We are slowly turning all of you photographers into videographers; you'll thank us later... or you could thank us now in the comment box below. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XpjkBheeOQ<
How To Shoot Better Videos With Your DSLR 1 of 3

3 months ago Patrick and I didn't have the slightest idea how to shoot or edit video but in seeing the importance and the power of this movement we decided to teach ourselves how. It was challenging and frustrating (especially with Nikon gear) but we finally learned enough to produce decent videos quickly. If you own a DSLR that shoots video we are going to make this simple for you. In the next 3 days we are going to release 3 videos that discuss: camera settings, audio, and editing. Today let's start with the camera settings on the D300s. View the full post to see a similar video for Canon cameras. <
Eric Bradshaw Goes All Out With His Island Fashion Shoot

Our good friend Eric Bradshaw told us about a shoot he had in the works and we knew that we had to document it. An island, a team of 15, and 5 beautiful models... What more could you ask for. More info and a youtube version after the jump. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0NPSATuS4<
Patrick And I go to Las Vegas/Shoot In A $15,000 Per Night Penthouse

I am not a rich man, and even if I was I never see myself dropping $15,000 to stay in a hotel room for one night. However, if I happened to meet someone that wanted to give it to me for free you better believe I would stay there, and set up a photoshoot. And that is exactly what happened. Click on this post to see a second video of us talking about the shoot afterwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu1R6w1Mh90
I Learn To Scuba/Fail At Underwater Photography

I spend most of my time in Charleston, SC and NYC. It was February and Charleston was uncomfortably cold and NYC was unbearably cold. I had some free time so I decided to fly down to Placencia Belize and learn to scuba dive. As a photographer I wanted to get some cool photography as well. The trip ended up being the most memorable trip of my life but I broke 2 of my 3 underwater cameras on the first day and I didn't get a single quality image under the water... Read more after the jump and watch the youtube version is you happen to be on your cell phone. ><
Make your SB-800 better in under 10 minutes

I actually made a video about this over a year ago when I had no clue how to use Premiere. I also didn't have and wireless mics so I edited the whole video in movie maker and everyone who saw it said they couldn't hear me over the music. So we decided to reshoot it with our fancy D300s cameras, Sennheiser Mics, and Adobe Premiere. Hopefully you can understand me now because I am not going to do this again. Youtube version after the jump. ><
Camera Preset Buttons:  Quickly Returning to your Previous Settings

Have you ever had to move between 3-5 different environments and maintain consistent exposure and color among each scene? Many photographers move between several locations every half hour (studio setup, indoor bounce flash, outside natural light, low light video) and have to quickly reset their camera's settings over and over again. Imagine only having to hit one button to revisit your camera's settings for an environment you were just in 20 mins ago! There could be a faster way to make those transitions.
Meet Patrick Hall:  Charleston Wedding Photographer

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.