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David Strauss
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Articles written by David Strauss

Tadao Cern Gets a Portrait of Famous Artist Vincent Van Gogh

Of course, if you ever learned anything about art history, you know Vincent van Gogh has long been dead. That didn't stop the creative mind that brought you the Blow Job series from posting the backwards claim on his blog that someone had turned his old portrait photograph into a painting. Aside from Tadao Cern putting some good humor into his work, it's stunning to see the photo-shopped transition from painting to photograph.

Why Being a Wedding Photographer is the Best Job in the World

Over the last few days, I've taken some time to reflect on 2012 and my work as a wedding photographer. Yes, it's getting close to mid January, New Years has long past, and you may think it's a little late to be retrospective, right?

How Do All the Faces of "Grimm" Come to Life?

If you've watched the TV series "Grimm," you may be curious how the mythological creatures from Grimm's fairy tales make it onto screen. Bent Image Lab, the production company behind the cg creations of the show, explains their process of transforming characters into creatures and adding a fantastical element to each episode.

The Future of the Combination of Video and Stills

In the last several years camera development has taken huge strides in giving photographic capabilities of stills to video. Non film makers now have the capability of taking cinematic quality video without needing to upgrade from their dslr. In this video, Untitled Film Works unpacks the continual merging of stills and video.

How Peter Jackson Shrunk the Hobbit

To shrink the hobbits in "Lord of the Rings" was not a simple feat for Peter Jackson, it took a lot of set crafting and perspective tricks. Instead of going through those extra hoops for the recently released "The Hobbit," Peter and his team took a different composite approach to the process of resizing the actors. Our friends at Popular Mechanics detailed how the results were achieved.

A Tribute to the Films of 2012

For one of the most epic trailer sequences of the year, youtuber Genrocks compiled over 100 films into one sequence. Although the movies range into every genre, the sequence flows amazingly well from one scene to the next. For a list of all the movies and music used in the compilation, click here.

This Projection Mapping Would Liven Up Any Conference

We've featured several creative uses of projection mapping here on Fstoppers before, used for both commercial photo shoots or just visual appeal. There is something captivating about incorporating dynamic imagery into a set. Formative is a company that adapts projection mapping set ups for any auditorium. Regardless of who the speaker is, this would make any conference or event quite engaging.

Comprehensive Behind the Scenes of The Hobbit Post Production

I've been a fan of all of the Lord of the Rings movies and am very much looking forward to the release of The Hobbit this December. I always knew that a lot of work went into the film industry beyond the actors and cameras, but after seeing this behind the scenes of the upcoming Hobbit movie, it makes me realize how extensive the work is after all the filming is said and done.

Save a Little on Your Next Audio Purchase

If you've been looking to upgrade your video set up and get some higher quality audio, take a peek at the holiday savings for the TASCAM DR-40 4-Track Portable Digital Recorder. B&H is offering the fantastic price of $139 plus a $15 rebate. Although online ordering is unavailable till tomorrow afternoon, you can still stick it your cart for later. Amazon is also offering a deal, though not nearly as enticing.

A Little Humor for Your Day - Fauxtographers and their DSLR's

Everyone knows "that" guy or girl who should have stuck with a point and shoot when picking out their camera. From the gear head to the overly enthusiastic "artist," Youtubers DSLRnoidea have a little fun with the type of people who really weren't meant to own a dslr.

For Bird Watchers-The Newest Accessory for the Iphone and GoPro

If you're a fan of setting up bird feeders and watching the adorable little animals swoop into your back yard, you might want to look into this new piece of equipment designed by Bryson Lovett. Instead of hunting down your favorite avian wildlife at 200 mm, this little contraption allows you to view and photograph the birds up close and personal without invading their space.

Existence- A Time-Lapse by Michael Shainblum

It takes a lot of patience to put together an extended time-lapse work; I have great admiration for anyone who actually finishes one. "Existence" is a time-lapse project which Michael Shainblum worked hard on for four months. The scenes he picks are meant to contrast the two sides of life, the busy metropolis that many of us live in and the beauty in nature that can be seen when we step outside our city boundaries.

How to Create a Giant Croc Munching on Your Friends

Good special effects are the ones you don't really realize were "special." They are the moments that give you that sense of awe without dragging you away from being caught in the moment. Fuel VFX specializes in creating special effects for a wide range of movies, some of which you've most likely seen this year.

Parkour and a Flexible POV With a Multicopter

I'm always a fan of watching talented humans. Parkour is one of those activities which I'll never be good at, but am amazed to watch. HeliPOV had the same idea and decided that parkour group 3RUN should be shown off to the rest of us. The HeliPOV team was kind enough to film the groups jumps and dives using their multicopter. Not only does this clip show off some fun acrobatics, but it also gives a sense of what kind of shots a multicopter can pull off.

Some Fun and Well Done Canon 550D Rebel t2i Test Footage

Short films are regular projects for Andres Overgaard. Instead of doing his normal work, for one of his most recent projects, Andres decided to take out the Canon 550D/Rebel t2i and test out his Tamron 18-270 mm shooting some video. All shots were hand held with some work done later in post. While the cinematography does show some of the quality shots you can get with the body and lens combo, make sure you stick around for the ending, it's worth it.

Freddie Wong Puts on an Epic Car Chase

A good car chase has heroes, villians, jumps, crashes, helicopters and more. Youtube master Freddie Wong manages to capture the best elements of an epic car chase but does it on a small scale. By using RC cars, Freddie and his crew are able to set up the scene and retake as many times as they want. Check out the final video below.

Manchul Kim Gets up Close and Personal with a Motocross Photo Shoot

There are a few ways to photograph motocross in action, but one of the best is to use a high powered strobe. For his latest shoot in NamJi, South Korea, Manchul Kim takes a couple of strobes to the track and sees how close he can get to the action. Since motorcycles can be dangerous and all flying by you, it's a good idea to strap on a remote trigger to your camera and step out of the way.

Springing Popsicle Sticks Filmed at High Speed

In a creative and fun spec commercial, Ross Ching uses a really cool Popsicle stick trick and creatively applies it to a fun story. As he describes, Popsicle sticks can fit together in a certain way so that when triggered, a chain reaction occurs down the line at 35 mph. To capture this process, he used the Phantom Miro shooting at 1000 fps.

Nissan Shoots Their Cars Miniature Style

To put a little twist on filming one of Nissan's most recent car commercials, the crew involved shot everything on a miniature scale by using a few different RC vehicles. Check out how the team tried to preserve some of the standard elements that you might see in a car commercial. The group gets quite creative in building customized camera mounts to keep the best angles.

Iranian Photographer Seeks Asylum in the USA

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to the US last week but it appears that his entire delegation didn't return to Iran. Ahmadinejad's photographer is reported to have filed the paperwork to seek asylum and remain in the United States. According to U.S law, once you've filed for asylum, you can legally remain within the country until a decision is made.