Articles from Lee Morris

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we have all of the tools we need to create the projects that we envision.

Timelapse videos have become extremely popular over the last couple years and it seems like everyone is doing them.

It's that time of the year again when all of our favorite photo gear goes on sale. We plan to post sales all day long on our Facebook and Twitter page but for the best deals like the one below, we will post them on Fstoppers. Online sales sometimes only last a few minutes so we will be pulling posts down once the deal is no longer available. Currently the Nikon P7000 is 50% off at Amazon.

So as you have now seen, Nikon Rumors just received the first images of the soon to be released Nikon D800. As I studied the pictures I noticed that the command dial on the top was sitting a bit more sideways than it does on the D700. As I looked closer I noticed that Nikon seemed to have shaved down the left side of the camera a bit.

Our friends over at Nikon Rumors just got their hands on images and specs of the new D800. This camera was supposed to come out weeks ago but was put on hold due to the flooding in Thailand. Once again they are saying this thing is going to be 36mp and shoot 1080p video. I am most excited to hear that it is going to have 60FPS video, even if it is only at 720.

I've always wondered what who actually took the amazing images that come with our operating systems to be used as desktop wallpaper. I've never seen a name or heard a story about how they got the shot. Sadly I still don't have the story but we do have a face. Someone just sent me this image of the guy that took the shot that came with every Windows XP machine back in the day.

The Fstoppers 2011 Behind The Scenes Contest has been picking up momentum as we near the submission deadline (December 31st). We are giving away over $20,000 in prizes which is pretty exciting on it's own but I'm happy to say that things are about to get even better. We have finalized all of the judges for this competition and these four are some of the best in the industry.

A few months back I posted a video created by the team at The Underwater Realm showing how they created waterproof hotlights to be used on their feature film that is currently under production. Their entire movie is planned to take place underwater and the shots will be a combination of real underwater footage and studio work.

I am shocked that I've never seen this amazing commercial before. I actually overlooked it a few times because I thought it was fake. It wasn't until I saw this BTSV that I found out that this really did happen. The camera had to endure temperatures down to 90 degrees below 0 and a massive fall once the balloon finally popped.

We just received a very interesting contest entry from Viet Q. Mac, a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His buddy from Film Matters contacted him about an upcoming video production involving the 311RS and a couple Red Epics. Viet decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to create something for our BTS Contest.

I had a hunch but it has now been confirmed that Canon and Vincent Laforet have teamed up to trick the worlds consumers into buying new camera equipment. Apparently to use a camera properly you need to have talent and original ideas but Canon has failed to put either in the box with any of their cameras.

"I was looking for new things to photograph and I just thought the bubbles looked beautiful and with a bit of luck I managed to get one mid burst," said Richard Heeks.

In this Slanted Lens lesson Jay shows you how to create background motion by moving the camera and subject together on something with wheels. This image was shot at a warehouse for one of Jay's clients. Jay was trying to think of something a little different when putting the camera on the fork lift idea came out.

10 years ago shooting on a 4x5 camera was pretty common among professional photographers. Today, many young photographers not only haven't seen a 4x5 camera but they have probably have never even heard of one. In this video Simon Roberts takes us through the steps of using the camera, editing the images, and the printing the final file.

My mother always told me that I was a talented painter and I at one point I believed her. After seeing this video of a guy using Photoshop to digitally paint a photograph of a girl I know she was just trying to be nice. Can anyone tell me if this is fake? It went from looking really bad to really good quite quickly. Whatever you do, make sure you mute this video before you start watching it.

As photographers, we have the coolest job in the world don't we? There is one thing that is the opposite of cool though. It is the fanny pack wearing photographer. Yes, I know you it might be convenient, but please, just use a normal bag. If you like wearing your gear then I would highly suggest a shoulder bag or a backpack. Anything but a fanny pack.

I Just ran across and funny picture on 9gag.com. I didn't go to school for photography so it's easy for me to pick on the system. What do you guys think? Is paying to go to school for 4 years to learn photography worth it?

Von Wong has been featured on our site many times because he is constantly coming up with unique ideas. In this video Von Wong sets out on an unplanned photoshoot with a couple of dancers. Sometimes too much planning can actually limit your creativity. While many of us would have worked on a single shot, Von Wong came away with a group of excellent and completely different images.

I think this video has now been submitted to us about 5 times and we have simply been slow to post it. Rip Curl and TimeSlice, partners in the overall development, used 30 GoPro HD video cameras to freeze an infinite number of moments that could be viewed.

Our 2011 Behind The Scenes Contest ends on December 31st which gives you a little less than 2 months to submit your video. I want to make it very clear that you SHOULD NOT wait until the 31st to submit your video because something will go wrong; it always does.

Here is your heart thumping GoPro video of the week. During a routine paragliding expedition in the Indian Himalayans an eagle collides and is caught in the chute lines of the glider. Acting quickly he deploys the reserve chute and lands safely and frees the bird from the lines.

I'm not sure I believe that 3D is the way of the future but the current technology behind it does fascinate me. Check out the video below in which Peter Jackson takes us behind the scenes of his much anticipated film The Hobbit. In this video Peter and his team explain how they use 2 Red Epics to produce the most realistic type of 3D footage available today.

Things have been pretty quiet in terms of video submissions for our big 2011 BTS Contest and I know that everyone is planning to have theirs done last minute. Let me give you a little advice, DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. As submissions are posted on the forum we will be posting our favorites on Fstoppers.

Out of the blue Canon just jumped into the movie business. Hours ago Canon just announced the new C300 video camera and minutes ago Vincent Laforet released "Movius" his newest short, shot on this unreleased camera. Patrick and I have been trying to get in contact with Vincent over the last few weeks (for a reason you will soon know) and I now understand why he was so "busy".

Well this is quite a surprise. Canon has just announced the new C300 video camera. This camera will shoot in 4K (still unsure of frame rates) and will use NEW "Top-End EF" Zoom Lenses made by Canon. $20,000 which should compete nicely with the Red Scarlet and it plans to actually be available in January.

As we have said many times before, we are huge fans of the crew at StillMotion for their wedding work. In this video, the team steps outside of their standard job to shoot for Shedd Aquarium. They decided to film most of the project on the new Red Epic so that they could shoot at variable frame rates up to 300fps.

A few months back we posted about the cheapest crane on the market and it was a huge hit with our readers. If you happen to have a little extra money (about $300) you may want to invest in the newest and smallest crane on the market. Check out the video review below. If this looks like something you can't live without, head over to eBay to buy one of these new jibs.

Patrick and I are in London England. Tonight, Wednesday October 26 we are going to throw another get-together at Opal Bar. The Address is Hungerford House,Victoria Embankment,London, WC2N 6PA and the party begins at 8pm. Help spread the news and if you plan to come please let us know in the comments below so we can get a basic head count.

I was just sent a fantastic video by architectural photographer Scott Hargis. In the video Scott talks about framing a shot, something that I struggle with at every interior shoot I've ever had. It's very temping to shoot ultra wide so that you can see more of the room but as Scott points out, when you do you also loose the feeling of that room.

As many of you know I (Lee Morris) am a professional wedding photographer. I was never a big fan of wedding videos until I saw the work that StillMotion was putting out. Even if you hate weddings you can appreciate what they do simply from an artistic standpoint.

Well the rumors were right. Canon just announced the 1DX, a rapid fireing sports shooter to compete with Nikon's D3s. Check below to read the full press release and read about all the new features that Nikon will trump with the D800 in a few weeks. I'm kidding, I'm just a jealous Nikon shooter.

Just ran across and really interesting video that explains how to create a "wooden print". Basically you want to use a standard laser print on standard paper. Glue the paper face down onto the wood and then wash/wipe the paper away. The toner will then stick to the wood and give a really unique look.

It seems like every week someone uploads a new GoPro video which gives me shivers. Well this video has topped them all. 3 guys with helmet cams climb on to the OUTSIDE of a elevator and ride it to the top of the building before jumping off. The first person view makes you really feel like you are there.

The random winner of the Fstoppers Twitter Macbook Air giveaway is... Travis Lawton! You can congratulate him on Twitter at "@TheLawtographer". I scoped out his website (and stole his bio pic for this post) and he has really great work. Travis is a Seattle based shooter specializing in weddings, portraits, and music photography.