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Lauren Jonas
Charleston, SC

Articles written by Lauren Jonas

And The Winner Of The Facebook Contest Is...

This month we teamed up with SLR Lounge and Kelly Moore for an awesome Facebook Fan giveaway. With an overwheleming number of entries, I'd say this contest was even more successful than last month's. Without further adieu the winner of this month's Facebook Fan contest is....

Behind The Scenes of Snow White And Huntsman

If you haven't seen the movie Snow White and the Huntsman, then you'll want to go see it after watching this video. Filmed with the Red Epic camera, the amount of detail that went into creating the Mirror Man is amazing. The guys over at The Mill Visual Effects Studio did many tests with liquid before deciding to use cloth instead. Cloth provided more control over making the sculpture appear seamlessly out of the mirror.

Deandre Jordan for Under Armour: Behind the Scenes

Here's a behind the scenes look at sports photographer Kelly Kline's recent shoot for Under Armour. She photographed Deandre Jordan of the LA Clippers for UA's Summer/Fall campaign. Now, it's not exactly instructional, but you'll see a little bit of the setup. Her task was to capture action images based on the sketched out ideas for the campaign. What do you think? Would you rather have a specific direction

[Stop Motion] Fascinating 'Underwater' Stop Motion Video by Hayley Morris

I'm so captivated by this stop motion video by Hayley Morris. She has gone above and beyond, creating a magical world of sea creatures. You will love the vibrant colors and interesting use of textures. It's a brilliantly executed project and definitely worth watching. It was made as a music video for the song ”Bounce Bounce” by Hilary Hahn and Hauschka.

[BTS Video] How to Use an Afghan Box Camera

Here's a fascinating video of 44-year old photographer Qalam Nabi. He is one of two street photographers left in the capital city of Kabul. The son of a street photographer himself, he started shooting at the age of eleven. Watch as he demonstrates how to use his instant camera. He does all of the developing inside the box, and repeats the process to turn the negative into a positive image. If you'd like to know how to build your own Afghan box camera

Fstoppers Photographers Party In San Fran Tonight

Lee Morris, Jaron Schneider, and I want to meet up with local photographers and friends tonight Sunday May 13th. Come join us for drinks and conversation at Vinyl Wine bar from 7pm-10pm. We don't expect a huge group so it should be a great low key get-together.

Vinyl Wine Bar
359 Divisadero St.
SF, CA 94117
(415) 621-4132

[Editorial] If You Don't Own It, Why Not Rent It?

As a photographer just starting my own wedding photography business, I quickly realized how much pro gear really costs. I don't shoot often enough to afford all of the gear that I need but when I do have a shoot, I like to use professional gear and I like to have backups in case something breaks (especially for weddings). For those of you who are just getting started like me, or those of you who need specialty equipment, you may want to consider renting gear.

[BTSV] A Wedding Deconstructed

You may remember R.J. Kern and Amanda Tipton from a shoot we featured on here before - well they're at it again and this one is pretty awesome too. Using the PhaseOne 645Df camera and the Capture Pilot w/Camera Control photo app they got some really cool images. They had the models lay flat on a white seamless background while they shot a typical wedding day in a 2D approach. To see more images click here.

[BTS Video] Abandoned State Mental Hospital Shoot

Photographer, Michael J Moore was granted access to a creepy and abandoned state mental hospital for this fashion shoot. He used a combination of lighting setups but mainly, the Phase One 645DF camera with a Profoto 8A 2400W and various Profoto strobes. With all three different lighting set ups, Michael did a great job at capturing that Vanity Fair-esque look that we all know so well.

[BTSV] Photoshoot With Hockey Legend Trevor Linden

Photographer Dave Hamilton takes us behind the scenes on his latest shoot with hockey legend, Trevor Linden. This video is very informative and well produced - including a lighting diagram for each of the different setups. Aiming to get that perfect cover shot for Vancouver View Magazine's April 2012 issue, Dave was able to get some nice shots using his Canon 5D Mark II.

[BTS Video] Take A Walk Down Memory Lane

If you grew up during the late 1980s through early 1990s, then you can remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Using a combination of action figures, about 60 hand-drawn backdrops, and over 4,000 individual images, director Kyle Roberts pays tribute to this classic cartoon with a stop motion animation. This is one you won't want to miss.

[DIY Video] Fix Your Lens Hood With Peanut Butter

In this oh so clever DIY video by Casey Neistat, he shows us how he fashioned a replacement lens hood on his Sigma lens by re-using the cap from a peanut butter jar. I'm sure that this method wouldn't work with every lens but if you ever get into a situation like this and need a quick fix, this video just might come in handy.

[BTS Video] This Short Film Will Blow Your Mind

Shot with the Red MX Camera, director Andrew Huang created this incredible short film about the gaps between people and the way those gaps are filled. Solipsist is the antithesis of human connection. This video had me glued as the models swayed back and forth in a Yin & Yang fashion, often times co-creating each other.

[BTS Video] Tips On Using Natural Light And Strobes

In this behind the scenes video, Jay P Morgan shows us how he combined natural light and strobes to get that perfect shot while on location. First, he starts by determining where the sun is going to set on the horizon by using the very handy iPhone app, Sunseeker. For this project, he was shooting stills as well as video, which can get a bit tricky. Using a Kessler Crane he was able to get the video shots just before sunset. After the sun started setting he pulled out the strobe lighting; two Hensel Porty L 1200 kits. If you enjoy this video be sure to check out some of his other...

[Deal] Double Canon Rebates Are Back!

BH Photo's double instant rebates are back from now until March 31st. You can save up to $400.00 on cameras, lenses and speedlights. They are currently offering the double rebates on the Canon 60D, Canon 7D, and the 5D Mark II.

[Video] Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, Stunning Commercial

It goes without saying that besides the Superbowl commercials, we can pretty much expect the same run of the mill advertisements. Whether it's cartoon bears with toilet paper stuck to their butts, or of babies talking like grown adults, this commercial really blew them all out of the water. Advertising film director, Bruno Aveillan, (along with a crew of about 50 people) spent two years putting together this epic 3.5 minute journey celebrating the 160 year history of luxury jeweler, Cartier.

[Video] 90-Minute Richard Avedon Series

This is a series of videos that make up a fascinating 90-minute documentary about the great Richard Avedon. It's called "Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light," and first aired back in 1995 as part of the American Masters Series. If you're like me, you could spend hours watching things like this.

[Contest] Enter To Win A Nikon D3x Camera

Hey guys! Creative Motion Design is in their final month of the Nikon D3x Camera giveaway which means you've still got a chance to enter and win big! All you have to do is log onto Creative Motion Design's Facebook page and enter an image that correlates with this month's theme, "water". If you win March's theme, you'll automatically be entered into the final contest to win a Nikon D3x.

[Gear] Pre-order The Canon 5D Mark III NOW!

Hey Guys! Hopefully you've been saving up because the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is now available for pre-order at BH Photo, Adorama and Amazon! If you're still on the fence, read all about the specs in our previous post here.

[BH Photo] [Amazon] [Adorama]

[BTS Video] On Location In SC With Tim Macpherson

It's crazy to compare todays advertising campaign's to those of 30 years ago. They are becoming more involved, creative and technically advanced than we could have ever imagined. In this video, Photographer Tim Macpherson takes us behind the scenes on the new campaign for the fabric company 'Sunbrella' which was shot and filmed in South Carolina! While this video lacks technical information, it is still really awesome to see how much planning and time it took just to film and shoot one simple scene.