Articles written by Lee Morris on Fstoppers

Need A Little Inspiration? Check Out Karl X Johan - Flames

by Lee Morris

January 22, 2011

Our main focus here at Fstoppers is informative BTS content but sometimes as creatives we have the technical skills and we need a little bit of inspiration to get us going. I just ran across Karl X Johan's music video for the song "flames" by director Gustav Johansson and I was so impressed I had to post it. I've never seen story telling in this way and I'm sure you guys will enjoy it as much as I did. Make sure you watch it in HD!

The Most Ridiculously Awesome Steadicam Shot Ever

by Lee Morris

January 21, 2011

My brain couldn't comprehend how this was possible I so I told myself it was some how computer generated to keep my head from exploding. I then saw the end of the video, and I still don't quite believe it. All you need is a Segway, a Steadicam system, and an Olympic sprinter to pull focus. Check the full post for the final video.

Detailed Lighting Setup For An Amazing Western Shoot

by Lee Morris

January 20, 2011

Jay P. Morgan seems to be releasing one great BTSV after another. I have enjoyed them all but I must admit that this one is by far my favorite. At his last workshop, Jay used a 5D Mark II and 4 studio strobes to professionally light his western themed set. If you don't have all of the studio gear yet, keep in mind that it is possible to light scenes like these with much smaller and cheaper speedlights as well (like the SB-900 or 580EX), just keep in mind that they will not be as powerful as a studio system.

Harry Taylor Shoots Ambrotypes On Glass

by Lee Morris

January 18, 2011

Harry Taylor donated his time and talent to HeartsApart.org, an organization created to keep families connected while our military is serving abroad. In the video below Harry shoots 3 portraits which involve creating a positive image on a sheet of glass. This type of photography was created in the 1850s and if you are as interested in it as I was, you can learn more here.

Winner Of Last Months Photoshop Contest And The Start Of The Next

by Lee Morris

January 18, 2011

A few days ago we finished up another Fstoppers Photoshop Contest and I am happy to announce that Billy Coker won with his hilarious, and extremely well executed, edit of Patrick's basketball image. We were by no means expecting to pick a "funny" edit but we honestly felt that this edit had the most creativity and raw Photoshop skill. It's time to start the next contest but I couldn't figure out what image to Photoshop so I am reaching out to all of you. If you have an image that you think has great Photoshop potential post it here on our forum. In 3 days I will pick my favorite image to begin the next contest.

Lexus Hangs Cars To Prove Silly Point, Still Cool To Watch

by Lee Morris

January 17, 2011

Never once have I gone to a dealship and asked the saleman "so how strong is the frame of this car?" But that isn't the point is it? Lexus has been doing a great job of pushing their car commercials to the limit and then creating BTSVs of the process. The concept is pretty silly in my opinion, but the finished commercial is entertaining and beautiful to watch.

Calle Hoglund: A Photographer Being Creative

by Lee Morris

January 17, 2011

The biggest problem with photographers today is that we don't actually get out and shoot enough. It's so easy to watch videos of others being creative or wait until we have that next magical piece of gear before we plan a shoot. What happened to taking pictures and being creative because that is what we love to do? Calle Hoglund did just that. He had an idea one night while his buddies were over and he shot it that night. Luckily for us, he also filmed his progress, enjoy.

Moving Images Of Yosemite National Park

by Lee Morris

January 16, 2011

We have posted our fair share of the newly popular moving time-lapse videos but this one is different. Henry Jun Wah Lee created a beautiful video of some amazing landscapes in Yosemite but unlike the others we have posted, much of this video is played back in real time. If you are a fan of landscape photography, this will be right up your alley.

What Your Camera's Flash Looks Like At 1052FPS

by Lee Morris

January 13, 2011

The New Panasonic AF100 Strapped To A RC Chopper

by Lee Morris

January 13, 2011

We have all seen some cool RC chopper videos with dangling DSLRs but AerialPan just took things up a notch. These guys strapped the new Panasonic AF100 to their heli and shot slomo in 1080p. I've always found that these small machines have a hard time keeping the camera steady enough for smooth shots but this looks pretty perfect to me.

NYC – Mindrelic Timelapse

by Lee Morris

January 10, 2011

Today is our final day in NYC and we are currently in the studio shooting the next Fstoppers Original on Sam Yocum. I have just a second as the model gets makeup ready for the second look. I just stumbled upon this fantastic NYC timelapse by Josh Owens.

The Anatomy Of A Beauty Retouch

by Lee Morris

January 7, 2011

As many of you know, Patrick and I are in NYC shooting Peter Hurley's DVD. We have spent every second awake at his studio in Manhattan or on the train coming to and from Brooklyn. We have not had a second to read all of the emails coming in and so we are very behind on keeping up with the current BTSVs. We will get to them after this weekend. Until then, enjoy this older (but unposted) post production tutorial by Sean Armenta.

NYC Photography Party This Saturday: Location Changed

by Lee Morris

January 6, 2011

As you guys have heard, we are throwing another party for photographers in NYC this Saturday and we are already expecting a great group of shooters. Due to the football game on Saturday we have decided to move the party around the block to "Las Chicas Locas" at 160 West 25th Street. The owner is reserving the bar/restaurant just for us, so let's pack it out. Everyone is welcome no matter what level you are currently at. The party begins at 8pm.

Kam Khan Shoots Clothing Fighting In "VS."

by Lee Morris

January 6, 2011

Kam Khan is most well known for his incredible self portraits but he decided to mix things up with his newest shoot. In the video below, Khan shows us how he brings clothing to life with some strobes and photoshop work. The video is by no means a big production but the concept is a pretty unique idea. Check out his full blog writeup here.

NYC Photography Meetup This Saturday January 8th: Update VENUE CHANGE

by Lee Morris

January 4, 2011

Patrick and I are both in NYC to shoot the next FS Original on Monday but until then we are working on our biggest project to date. For the next 4 days we are shooting a full length DVD with Peter Hurley. We hope this DVD will be an incredible opportunity to learn the art of headshot photography from the best. Due to the football game we have decided to change the venue to Las chicas Locas at 160 West 25th street. The party begins at 8pm. Last time we had a get-together here it was quite a memorable night (those who were there know what I'm talking about) and I have no doubt this one will compare. The photographers in NYC are some of the nicest and most welcoming bunch I have met. Don't miss out. The first few rounds are on Fstoppers!

Street Photographer’s Work Discovered A Few Days After Her Death

by Lee Morris

January 3, 2011

Vivian Maier's street photography was recently "discovered" just a few days after she died at the age of 83. The Chicago nanny took over 100,000 photographs and many say she may rank among the top street photographers of the 20th century.

New To DSLR Video? Here Are 8 Videos To Help

by Lee Morris

December 30, 2010

Usually our videos are directed towards advanced amateurs and professionals but if you are new to DSLR video, these videos will help out. Philip Bloom teamed up with Vimeo.com to create 8 great tutorials. Check the full post to see the other 7 videos.

Fstoppers Nikon Pocket Wizard FlexTT5, MiniTT1, And AC3 Review

by Lee Morris

December 27, 2010

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.

The Huck Finn Fashion Shoot

by Lee Morris

December 26, 2010

Kent Marcus was inspired by the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and wanted to do a fashion shoot with a little Swamp flair. Half way through the shoot he looses his main strobe in a water accident but continues flashing with his backup 580EXII. Check out the BTSV below and head over to his website to see the final images because they look much better there than in the video.

Did These Guys Just Rip Off The iPhone Fashion Shoot?

by Lee Morris

December 24, 2010

Now I am not going to jump to any conclusions. Maybe these guys and gals had a VERY similar idea, and not one of them had seen the iPhone Fashion Shoot (which has been seen by about a million photographers so far). And even though this video is filmed in the exact same way and has all of the exact same information, MAYBE it is just a coincidence. And MAYBE this really is the worlds first and I am actually living in the Matrix. Still a good video though :) The strangest part about this whole thing is that we actually used a super-clamp to mount the camera in my video but we changed it and went with the velcro because it was blocking the button on the phone and it was never actually shown in the video. It's like these guys were spying on me as I was doing it!