Michael Kelley (mpkelley.com) is a Los Angeles-based architectural and fine art photographer with a background in digital art and sculpture. Using his backgrounds in the arts, he creates images that are surreal and otherworldly, yet lifelike and believable. A frequent traveler, Michael's personal work focuses on the built environment of unique
National Geographic recently released this video of the creation of one of their cover shots. While there is no exact date on it, I'd bet that it was shot sometime in the early 2000s or late 1990s guessing from technology being used. Some real ingenuity was at work here, as evidenced by the custom-built pneumatic jaw, the hand-cast Tyrannosaurus skull, and not to mention what appears to be at least ten cameras all triggered at the same time via laser in an effort to capture the decisive moment.
After many years of speculation and countless false rumors, Canon has released a replacement for the venerable 24-70mm 2.8 L, along with a few new wide-angle primes: the 24mm f2.8 IS and the 24mm f2.8 IS. Get all the specs and my thoughts in the full post.
I love aviation and I love photography. So the other day, inspiration struck and I ran to LAX to capture a photo that compresses eight hours of airport traffic at one of the biggest airports in the world into a single frame. Here's how I did it.
Disclaimer: This post isn't riddled with eye candy, nor will it be the next viral hit of the month. What it does contain, however, may be far more valuable to any working or aspiring commercial photographer than any viral video or cutesy photo series. Norman Maslov is a well-known artist's and photographer's agent who recently performed a great interview with PhotoPolitic, a website specializing in promoting photographers
As most of you know, we have a POTD feature which uses a single image for a 24 hour span and then archives them for later viewing in a month/day/year format. While it's pretty neat, to be sure, I know that we could improve on it quite a bit to make it both more interesting for viewers and more beneficial for the photographers we feature.
Vinny Picardi is a successful fine art and advertising photographer based in Los Angeles, CA, who has exhibited work all over the country and around the world. I recently came across Vinny's work and I have to say that I'm a pretty big fan, so I thought it would be interesting to share not only just a photo series with our readers, but also to take some time to ask a few questions to get inside the head of a successful fine art photographer.
B&H just announced this incredible deal: $2199.00 after mail-in-rebate for a Canon 5d Mark II, 24-105mm f:4 L lens, and Pixma Pro9000 Mark II Printer Kit. On top of all this, they're also throwing in a LowePro AW 170 Shoulder Bag, a wireless IR shutter release, and a bundle of glossy photo paper. For those who have been waiting for prices to fall on the 5d Mark II, you simply can't beat this. Need I remind you that the original MSRP of the 5d Mark II kit was $3,499?
Check out this way-cool timelapse video by Mayeul Akpovi. Set in Paris, Mayeul used a number of interesting techniques to add an incredible range of motion to a timelapse video. Add in a variety of twilight and dusk scenes, and the city comes to life in a way that I haven't seen before. This video reminds me of one of our most popular posts of all time, "Can Anyone Figure Out How This Timelapse Was Filmed?" Let us know how you think Mayeul did it!
What have you done to get the shot today? Parked your car, walked into a studio? Plunked down a tripod on a sandy, tropical beach? Fiddled with some macro rails? South African aviation photographer Justin de Reuck unstrapped a good deal of his harness, slid open the canopy, and took photos at what I'm guessing is 100 knots, mere feet from the ground. I'm not sure how that plane actually took off with Justin's balls of steel on board, because man, they must be huge.
For the photographer who likes to travel light, it has always been a challenge to find flash modifiers that are both effective and easy to use on the go. ExpoImaging has long been making accessories, but their recently released Rogue diffusion panels for their popular FlashBenders will be a welcome addition to any strobist’s kit.
In this behind the scenes video from Vimeo (say that five times fast!), we get a look at the wide variety of gear that is used to capture the action at Winter X. From freelance photographers and videographers to full-scale production efforts, this video has a little bit of everything. See the video, which displays a staggering amount of gear, in the full post.
NYC Photographer Richard Renaldi recently embarked upon one of the most original photo projects I've ever seen. In the series Touching Strangers, Renaldi finds two strangers, whether on the street, in a restaurant, at work - and tells them to get together and pose as if they have known each other for years.
When it comes to interior and architectural photography, there is often much more involved than what meets the eye at first glance. In order to create a photograph that is realistic and enticing, careful planning, staging, lighting and a healthy dose of patience is imperative. In this Fstoppers Original, we dive into a luxury interior shot and see what it takes to construct a mouth-watering interior photo from the ground up.
DC Shoes collaborated with FMXer Robbie Maddison to create this beautiful short of Maddison at an aircraft graveyard which has been converted into a playground for the moderately insane. The film is chock-full of amazing cinematography, created with a number of big-budget cameras, and the color grading is just sublime. DC has confirmed a BTS
Just a quick heads up to the many of us who have been waiting for this camera: It's finally in stock and ready to ship! Just in time for a nice holiday gift to...yourself. Because let's be honest, if you're as excited about this camera as I am, you're not going to let anyone else in your family get their paws on it before you. For more information and to place an order, head on over to B&H Photo's 6D page.
![[BTSV] Blast from the Past: Creating a Nat Geo Cover in the Studio](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/med-16-9/s3/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/trex.jpg)
![[Gear] Canon Releases 24-70mm f2.8 L II, New Wide Angle Primes](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/med-16-9/s3/default_images/default-image.jpg)
![[Review] FlashBender Diffusion Panel, FlashBender, and Rogue Universal Lighting Filter Kit](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/med-16-9/s3/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rogue-008.jpg)
![[BTS] The Anatomy of a Luxury Interior Shot](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/med-16-9/s3/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Featured-Image-Mike-Kelley-Anatomy.jpg)
