Have you ever watched a scary movie where the only part of the scene you can see is being lit by a small flash light or candle from five feet away? Well those are the conditions cave photographer Stephen Alvarez regularly works in when he climbs below the earth's surface. Together with his team of assistants, Stephen is able to light his photographs in majestic fashion by strategically placing his lights throughout large caverns. I have really never seen anything like this before, and it makes me appreciate my easy work environments in comparison. Be sure to head over to Stephen's website to check out more cave images as well as his photojournalistic work through National Geographic.
We are almost done with 2010 which means you are running out of time to participate in our monthly forum photo contest. What better way to test out those new Christmas cameras than to submit an entry and take a chance at winning a new photo toy we actually use here at Fstoppers. As we do every month, the winner of the contest gets to pick the next theme, and November contest winner Janis Amolins has chosen "Illusion". This month's winner will also win a custom image and website link on the Fstoppers rotating banner above as well as a Photoflex LightReach Kit which is perfect for lighting your location photos (no assistant needed either). As always, our contests are judged by the winner of the previous month's contest so you have to impress Janis and not anyone on the Fstoppers Staff. Have fun submitting to the December Fstoppers Forum Contest and good luck to everyone!
If you were an Fstoppers reader back when we launched then you probably saw Lee Morris's humble attempt at how to photograph a Rolex watch. It wasn't perfect but I think it was helpful in shedding some light on how meticulous product photography can be. Well now Alex Koloskov has made an extremely detailed video on how he created his latest hero shot of a men's Marine Star Bulova watch. The video is very long and it might take you a second to cut through his Ukrainian accent but this video is well worth it. The quick(er) post production video is shown below so you can see how much time and effort goes into touching up a macro shot like this but you can also find the full length lighting video in the full post. Also be sure to head over to Alex's blog post if you have further questions about his workflow. Take your time on this and enjoy!
Last time we ran a behind the scenes video on music we got a great response. So today I thought I'd share a video emailed to us in the same vein. In the commercial world, the biggest challenge is finding something unique that no one has seen before or at least something that will stick into the viewers mind. So when Kevin Fitzgerald was approached by Lexus to film the new ad for the Lexus IS, he went all crazy with dozens of drum kits and percussion instruments. I love these sort of behind the scenes videos that mix music and video to produce something that stands out. Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMcWk5w_37w<
We get a lot of emails from readers pointing us to interesting photoshoots and many times the videos themselves offer very little insight into the mind of the photographer. Unfortunately this video has no such commentary from David Hobby but the good news is he has a complete article outlining how he shot this portrait of cellist Caleb Jones. Watch David as he uses his Orbis Ring Flash and Umbrella to get his signature look. He also does a great job making Caleb feel at home in front of the camera. Props to Erik Couse for using his iPhone 3Gs to capture something creative!
Behind the Scenes - Caleb Jones Photo Shoot from Erik Couse on Vimeo.
Mark Watson is an 'extreme sports photographer' and in this video he has teamed up with Red Bull hanglider Jon Durand to produce some amazing photos as well as video. The idea was to mount a D300s camera to his hang glider to shoot both video and still shots while he sails through the Morning Glory cloud. The results are absolutely stunning! I hope Nikon includes the remote video hack described in this video in their next series of cameras. UPDATE: Mark shares more info about this shoot in the FULL POST!
Mark Watson takes on the Red Bull Glorious Days Project - Nikon D300S from My Nikon Life on Vimeo.
In this video photographer Ayaad Damouni and world renowned hair-stylist Sam McKnight work on a photoshoot for Hia Magazine. Ayaad doesn't share a lot of photography tips in this video but it is still fun to watch. Also, watch Sam as he works with the models helping them add some movement to their hair. I think he's using a big Bowens Jet Stream Wind Machine and probably just photoshops out the strays. Very clean shoot and it looks like the lighting is pretty minimal. Enjoy
The first time I clicked on Paul Ripke's website and saw the images on it, I knew I had found something special. Fstoppers reader Thomas send us this video and Tobi helped translate what is going on this video. It maybe a little long for some of you especially if you only understand English but it's still pretty awesome. Check out the full post to see the images and a simple translation of how Paul is shooting this watch ad.
Patrick Gosling was faced with a problem: how do you create an image with more cars than you have available on set? This timelapse video proves that a little creative thinking can go a long way in creating an complex image without complex lighting. Click the post to read about how he did it.
Playstation GT Academy photoshoot from Patrick Gosling on Vimeo.
When I think of pageant photography I often think of those glamor shot booths in the mall with the crazy hair, makeup, and horrendous props and backgrounds. Well times have changed and most young women competing in pageants around the world are taking much more fashion and beauty style portraits of themselves. In this video Justin Grant shows us what it's like shooting the images used by both the reigning Miss and Teen Miss Utah and Arizona. Watching this video really changed my perception of what "pageant photography" is and should look like! Be sure to check out Justin Grant's portfolio which features some really amazing advertising, fitness, and beauty images.
2011 Miss Arizona and Miss Utah from JG|ORI on Vimeo.
Miami photographer Andres Hernandez shoots natural light catalog images for Extyn Italy. He also manages to include some really cool video in his latest behind the scenes film.
Extyn Italy / Behind the scenes photoshoot from Andres Hernandez on Vimeo.
A few weeks ago Lee and I went out to Las Vegas to club it up check out WPPI which is the largest wedding convention in the US. While out there we were able to meet quite a few of our readers, check out the new gear at the Photoflex booth, and play with a lot of new photo related toys. One of the photographers we met was Michael Corsentino who teamed up with Photoflex in this behind the scenes video on outdoor bridals. Michael is using the new Photoflex Triton Flash along with an octabank and a stripbox to create some studio style portraits outside.
Behind the Scenes: Unique Bridal Portraits w/ Michael Corsentino and Photoflex from Photoflex on Vimeo.
What happens when you combine a GoPro Hero +3, a DJI Phantom II, an actor dressed as Superman, and some clever video editing? How about one awesome simulation of what it must be like to be Superman as he flies through Los Angeles. If you were upset with our recent Phantom 2 Gopro height test last week, you are definitely not going to want to watch this video. Be sure to check out Sam and Niko's behind the scenes video
Two nights ago we threw another successful Fstoppers party in NYC for the wrap up of Photo Plus. After hauling out all the remaining booze, breaking down the "Terry Richardson Photobooth," and sweeping up a million glow sticks, we saw a heavy bag full of goodies. What we found was a brand new copy of Gregory Heisler's 50 Portraits....and it was signed by the man himself!
Last week Lee and I did our first ever Critique the Community where we looked at 20 images from the Fstoppers Community and gave our honest review of them. It was such a success that we have decided to do it again. This week we review 21 new images, rate them on a scale of 1-5, and give advice about how they could be stronger portfolio photographs.
