We usually try to keep the good camera deals that we find only on Twitter, but I think everyone deserves to hear about this one.
Amazon is currently giving $100-$400 off when you buy any Nikon SLR and a lens. You can see all of these deals here. This is a pretty good deal in itself, especially if you were about to buy the new D7000 anyway but it gets better.
Photography is all about lighting and it's important to learn what flattering light is. Once you do, you will find that the color temperature of that light makes a huge difference in the over all mood of that image. I can't tell you how many potentially great images that I see that were taken outside on a sunny day and the auto white balance makes everything blue, wrecking the image.
I enjoy playing some video games but I actually enjoy the technology that goes into creating them even more. Check out the video below where Rockstar Games takes us behind the scenes of their new technology called "MotionScan". I am so excited to see this implemented in all of the games that are produced in the future.
When Canon first started producing lenses they used the FD mount. In 1987 they switched to the current EF lens mount. This change made the FD lenses plummet in price but not in value. Check out Caleb Pike from DSLRVideoShooter.com shooting incredible video with his 5DM2 and 7D with these $20 Lenses. How do you do it?
We have all seen it before, you may have just not known what it was called. I think the first time I saw this was years ago in a Gatorade commercial and it really stood out to me. Today, 2.5D animations or "animated photos" are starting to pop up all over the place.
On Wednesday we are giving away an iPad to a random Twitter follower but this contest is all about skill. Patrick Hall did an incredible photoshoot for the next Fstoppers Original BTSV (which should be released soon) and he has a ton of great wakeboarding pictures with tremendous potential.
What if you could shoot 1080p video for just $300 with a camera that was waterproof, basically indestructible, and so small and light it could be mounted anywhere? What if that camera could also shoot 60fps for amazing slow motion? This camera is the GoPro HD and we own 2 of them. Watch this video and then check out the previous post.
In February, Patrick and I flew to Colorado to film Dave Lehl shooting snowboarders. It was an eye opening experience but it was still relatively easy for us because we were simply documenting the event. Warren Miller has a different task; he is in charge of shooting full length ski videos on film and they have to look perfect.
Does anyone remember the Domino's Pizza "cheese puller" video that we posted a few months back? Well I remember commenting about that lady because she seemed a little crazy. Well she did seem crazy until I saw this interview with Ellen Sirot. We all take our job seriously... but com'on...
Here at Fstoppers we are all about INFORMATIVE BTS videos. Although this video does lack a few of the technical details I usually look for, there are a ton of great bits of inspiration to take away from it. Ty Michael's lighting schematics, clothing design, and especially his location and sets stand out to me.
Even if you have never shot pictures underwater before, I bet it has crossed your mind. I know I've tried it a few times and failed miserably. Luckily there are talented guys out there like Cal Mero who are masters at shooting below the surface. Check out his latest BTSV which is packed full of priceless underwater shooting tips. Do you want more info on shooting underwater?
Remember Sean Armenta? He created this BTSV for our contest a few months ago. His previous video did a great job of showing us how he actually lit the shot but not much on retouching. Learn the other half of the story below in this top notch tutorial.
Sean Armenta | Dodge & Burn Technique from Sean Armenta on Vimeo.
Pirelli is constantly pushing the envelope with their sexy Calendars. This year, mega fashion designer/photographer Karl Lagerfeld was in charge of shooting this Greek Goddess themed photoshoot. Karl seems to shoot most of the shots with 1 single bare bulb flash and his images are stunning. Once again this video is NSFW and does have lots of nudity. View with caution.
Our cameras sync at a maximum of 200-250th of a second but in this video Chris OConnell strobes at 1/500th of a second with his Broncolors. How does he do it? Well the new Pocket Wizard TT1 and TT5s are the secret. Instead of trying to explain it all here, watch the second video with more details.
Want more info about high speed sync? Check this video out.
Many of you have probably seen this beautiful portrait of Tyra Banks before. In this video Matthew Jordan Smith takes us through the details of his lighting and gives us a reality check on the nature of fashion and beauty photography.
Most people know Vincent Laforet as the guy that got his hands on the 5DM2 before it was released to shoot that amazing promo video. Well he is a full time photographer but in the video below he got to be the DP for a Famous Footwear commercial. The final product is stunning.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Famous Footwear "Neighborhood" from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.
Have you ever wanted to shoot aerial photos or video but thought that the cost would be too high? Well Tom Guilmette just did something that Patrick and I were considering doing in one of our upcoming Fstoppers originals. I'm glad he did it first though because now I realize our plan wouldn't work. For some reason I thought a single helium balloon would be enough to lift a GoPro...
Yes, this is an ad for Cinevate's Pegasus Carbon but this is worth watching. If you are into video, this ad gives some fantastic information about getting moving shots. The Pegasus isn't cheap at $900 but it is one of the best sliders money can buy for a DSLR.
Cinevate's Pegasus Carbon, DSLR Camera Slider from Cinevate on Vimeo.
2010 is coming to a close and we are all starting to tally up our expenses for the year. It's always a shock to me how much I have spent on my photography business. Whether you are a pro or not, how much do you think you spend each year on photo or video equipment? This includes computers and software too as long as you have purchased them for image or video production.
Here is an interesting photoshoot where Marie-Louise Cadosch lights her model inside an old bus. Instead of trying to fit the lights inside, they decide to light through the glass and the results speak for themselves. Check out the final images and more info from this Fashion Breakdown shoot here and more on the toning of these images here.
<
Melissa Rodwell is back with Fashion Photography Blog shooting a Harper's Bazaar Cover. I'll let the video and pictures speak for themselves but I do have to say that I am huge fan of this simple single hard light. Easy setup, great results!
Update: Woops, I just realized that Strobist posted yesterday. Just wanted to give David credit as well.
I've taken small strobes out into the ocean to shoot kiteboarders in the past and it wasn't a huge success. My assistants were getting bashed by waves and the small strobes just aren't powerful enough to really show up in the day.
Are you planning to build your own studio one day? If not, this video probably won't interested you. But, if you do dream of having a studio (like most photographers do) then this video will get you one step closer. The incredibly talented Sam Robles takes you through the step by step process of building a cyc wall from scratch.
Have you ever seen "How To" photography videos from the 80's and 90's? Most of these videos are so cheesy that it's hard to take anything of value away from them. In the video below Dean Collins teaches a workshop on the properties of light and instead of focusing on current trends, he sticks to the fundamentals. This video was shot in 91 but it is still completely relevant today.
I just ran across this quick BTS of a Land Rover photoshoot. The video itself isn't that impressive but the photography sure is. It's really interesting to see how Tim Wallace determined his lighting. First he focused on the ambient light for the background and then after he had that locked in he added 3 strobes to fill in the car but keep the sky dark.
This video was just sent over to us by a reader and I am so glad it was because I am now a huge fan of Alexia Sinclair. In this video Sinclair was hired to shoot the campaign imagery for the New Zealand Opera's performance of "Macbeth". The production value of the shoot alone is amazing and her retouching is amazing to watch as well.
When I see videos like the one below on TV I usually pay no attention. My initial thought is that some guy on a computer made it. It isn't until I see the BTS that I really appreciate what goes into these creative works of art.
Zon "Criatividade" from Nuno Rocha on Vimeo.
Making-of ZON criatividade from Nuno Rocha on Vimeo.
If you like detail in your images then this video is for you. Check out this quick video of 2.3 gigapixel image being played with in photoshop. You can view the full file here and you can easily create images of this size yourself with a Giga Pan EPIC Pro.
It's really interesting working on a site like FS because you never really know who your readers are. If you just looked at our comments you might guess that we only have a couple hundred readers a day. If you check our analytics however, you will find that there are about 60,000 unique visitors to FS every month. So that got me wondering...
I wish I had more info on this but all I know is that a guy named "Ben" made this electric dolly. With an automated dolly, you can create moving time lapse footage. You can view more pictures of his creation here.
DIY Dolly from Ben on Vimeo.
Douglas Sonders just sent over this really quick BTS of a photoshoot he just did in a field of sunflowers. I think he does a great job of lighting his model and balancing the harsh sunlight with the strobes. Check out more about this shoot here.
Sunflowers & The Model Photoshoot from Douglas Sonders on Vimeo.
Jesse Rosten got his hands on $4500 worth of iPads and decided to do a photoshoot with them. You may be thinking that this is totally pointless and for stills I might have to agree that this is overkill but a single iPad could be used to add softlight to extremely low lit scenes; something a small strobe could never do.
It's to easy to do things in post these days. If you can think it, someone can do it on a computer. To stand out, we are beginning to see a trend in TV commercials where directors do it "the old fashion way". So far on Fstoppers we have posted BTSVs for Old Spice, Lexus, Nissan, and Levi's commercials.
My good friend Diana Deaver just sent this video over that she recently helped created and I really love it. 8 of the top photographers in the area got together to shoot portraits of US veterans in Charleston and listen to their incredible stories. I believe Diana shot this video and her stills using the 5D Mark II. This photography exhibit will be open to the public on November 5th.
Well not exactly but we can still get kinda close. The Phantom camera costs a staggering $118,000 for the body alone which puts it out of the average Joe's reach. The Canon T2i costs just $699 and it currently has a $400 rebate when you buy it with a Pro9000 printer (I love these "free printer" rebates they are doing). The T2i shoots 60fps but has great manual control.
