NASCAR is one sport that has certainly become engrained in the American history books. Known for its speed and pure adrenaline, it continues to drive ticket sales and audiences from all around the world in the thousands. Thanks to one mystery photojournalist, Seph Lawless, we are seeing some historically outstanding photos from the very first and very forgotten beginnings to what NASCAR once was.
It goes without saying as photographers we prefer gear to be highly attractive in both form and function. Usually taking a hit in one department or the other due in part by price or depth in features, it's never a flawless combination. These two things for many companies is difficult as they balance high-end product design with outstanding thought in function all while fitting it inside an appropriate price point. Enter the perfect blend of both with the Union Street Camera Bag by ONA. It's not just another accessory in the world of camera gear, but rather a perfect pairing of design and functionality that I can truly stand behind and wear with distinction.
It goes without saying, Photoshop is one of the most complex and difficult programs in Adobe's arsenal. I have been a designer professionally for over six years and used it for almost ten. I am far from a master and find myself constantly searching for foreign features that I can use within the software. It comes with great pleasure to bring you this hilarious video of eight legit Photoshop masters attempting to use Version 1.0 in all its glory.
We share over 1.8 billion photos per day, and thanks to the ever-growing technology in cameras paired with the expansive world of social media platforms it's become increasingly easy to add the title "photographer" to the resume. Apple has searched high and low for the world's absolute best photographers and their work that spans the planet. The "Shot on iPhone 6" World Gallery features photos from creatives spanning 70 cities in 24 countries, and brings the mobile photography community front and center proving again that the best camera is the one that's with you.
House of Cards, in my opinion, is one of the best shows available to stream on Netflix - if not anywhere. Their breakout drama series exploded on the scene just a few short years ago well before their original content became synonymous with high quality shows, movies and documentaries currently on the network. House of Cards' true appeal (outside of the hilariously twisted Frank Underwood) is the way it's artistically shot. This video demonstrates just how powerful two colors can make a show about corrupt American government that much more beautiful.
Having been on Instagram ("IG") for over four years now, it's been incredible to see the evolution from a basic photo taking, filter adding iPhone application to the world's fastest growing social network. Since its purchase by Facebook almost three years ago, IG has fought its way to the top. IG has added feature after feature, competing directly with other social networks, like Vine, to stay ahead. This weekend, Instagram is taking it's last shot to finish them off and it makes me so very happy!esw3
Leonard Nimoy passed away this week at the age of 83. His long career and legacy will always be remembered in his portrayal of the iconic character "Spock" from the 1966 TV series Star Trek. With numerous film spin-offs and a resurgence to the 2009 blockbuster Star Trek as the half-emotionless Vulcan he was just as relevant today as he was 40 years ago. Though his film career was beyond fulfilling in its own right, his photography work is what will also stay with us for years to come.
Last night's episode of "Modern Family" was both hilarious and very well filmed. Using nothing more than iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, each character used FaceTime to interact with one another in a first-person selfie view. We are all familiar with various movies and television shows using iPhones to snap quick scenes here and there, but this episode went even further by using it as the basis of the entire episode; with genius I might add.
We have all seen the comparison from one iPhone to the next as the newest tech is announced and the previous model is shot off as outdated and useless. This time we look at the evolution of mobile shooting and the tech that brings us into a new era of photography. Looking all the way back to the first iPhone and the quality of image versus the newest flagship from Apple, the iPhone 6, it's remarkable how far we have come and it excites me to see where we can go from here.
Movies are something we can all thoroughly enjoy. Whether it be a hilarious comedy or an action adventure, they take us places we don't normally see or experience. Films all have the same goal, to capture and engage us within their world and to evoke feelings of excitement or even fear. The guys over at Movie Pilot have found something so simple that it screams brilliance in films by Quentin Tarantino: the sound!
Whether you're a fan of the Jurassic Park franchise or not, it's going to continue to be pushed in hopes of reaching the status of the original blockbuster by Steven Spielberg. A tall order indeed, but with the first trailer slightly sparking my interest, it was the newest CGI-filled update during the Super Bowl that really brought me back to that first movie's excitement and unpredictability.
Featuring the one and only comedian Randall Higgins, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Havoc has released this outstanding trailer for what they call the "KillCameraman." Poking fun at the obvious first person shooter point of view and how there's always a replay and video playback in a video game war zone. This is just an all around fun and perfect promo video to entertain us before the release of the new in-game bonus packs.
As a designer I've always been fascinated with branding and the history of logo marks across many top-tier brands. From Apple to Adidas, every brand has its story, and some of which are disputed. That includes Nike and their iconic Michael Jordan "Jumpman" logo mark used on the wildly famous Air Jordan shoe line. Photographer Jacobus Rentmeester is now suing Nike in Oregon Federal Court for copyright infringement on the photo he shot in 1985 of the famed basketball star in which he says the logo was based.
If there is one questions we can undoubtedly answer, it's that the galaxy is larger than any of us can possibly comprehend. Though with help from the astonishing teams at NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) along with the Hubble Space Telescope we can get just a glimpse of how massive it really is with an image containing and astonishing 1.5 billion pixels.
Back in September, Fstoppers announced the news that Panasonic's Lumix CM1 would be coming into the world boasting a 20-megapixel camera paired with some gorgeous Leica glass. Now we have word that the phone along with its sexy glass partner will be coming to the US this summer. Will this finally be the mobile device you ditch your iPhone for?
Retirement for some legendary athletes means sitting back, relaxing, and continuing to build upon the fortunes you made as a professional ball player with more sponsorships and commercial deals. For others it's about finding a passion that moves you to get out there and really making a new name for yourself. That passion for baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. is photography, just like you and I.
With 2014 nearly behind us and the list of this year's summer blockbusters almost forgotten, we have a treat from the incredibly talented team at Industrial Light & Magic that takes us back in the form of this behind-the-scenes video of the CG that went into "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." What never gets old about these badass behind-the-scenes videos are how they blow away the background of big-budget movies, essentially revealing the digitally constructed landscapes surrounding our beloved actors in films.
During the last few weeks, Instagram has teased in your news feeds that they were removing and deactivating spam accounts. Their message mentioned it would ultimately result in a loss in the follower count on your profiles, as shown above. This had many people running for the hills, imagining their tens of thousands of followers would turn to dust, and the loss of that clout they have built over the years will be all but nothing. The results have been widespread, but here are a few accounts to check in on as I give my thoughts on the whole thing.
Yes, the instant print camera popularized by the one and only Polaroid is back and in a new form factor for 2015. The long awaited Socialmatic doesn't use film but rather snaps and shares your photos via the web and social media options along with delivering nifty adhesive prints of your photos. Wrapped in an Android based OS that shares to Facebook, Twitter and of course Instagram, I'm interested in seeing how people respond to its release come January.
Ever since the first mention of the Lytro camera system, I have been intrigued by how exactly it works and what possibilities it opens for photographers wanting to have complete control over their image, right down to the depth. With Lytro's announcement of the new Focus Spread feature built into their new software you can now pick and choose, in post-production, which sections of a photo that will be in focus.
Having an older brother, I have had the privilege of knowing comedians from both his and I's generations, so getting to see a fun series like this brings many smiles from my past and present. Seth Olenick is a photographer based out of New York City releasing a book, simply called Funny Business, featuring portraits of some of the funniest comedians still around. With legends like Zach Galifinakis, Jane Lynch and Jeff Garlin you can see a range of comedians from various eras.
It's been an absolute pleasure seeing friends and colleagues getting chosen for social media campaigns and commercial photography jobs all around the world as a result of sharing their talents via Instagram. With mobile media teams popping up around the country bidding for projects with companies like GE, NatGeo Wild and beyond, it's amazing to see their work featured across the web and in print media. My pals Scott Borrero and Ravi Vora have teamed up with Jeep to create this awesome behind-the-scenes video about a trip out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to shoot for their new Grand Cherokee. The results are just captivating.
As I start to get more campaign work via Instagram for product photography, I've found that I need to use every bit of my creative mindset to get the shot I want. All the while I must also play to some of the iPhone's limitations. Tilo Gockel, a professional photographer and lighting expert, has created quite the tutorial for some outstanding product photography with nothing more than an iPhone and a few simple lights found around the house.
Shooting for the majority of my career with nothing more than an iPhone and various mobile devices, it's a struggle to find that same look and feel of high-end flash photography without going to my DSLR and speedlights. Enter a new addition to the world of mobile photography with Lume Cube. A powerful compact flash alternative that reaches 1,500 lumen and can fire up to five at once with one touch of a mobile app.
The great team at Artifact Uprising has created a strong list of tips by some of the top mobile photographers on Instagram. Having been engulfed in the mobile photography, or iPhoneography, world for almost two years I have found that in the end the camera you use has nothing to do with the quality of your images you create. Just to clarify, by quality I mean the moment captured and the purpose behind the shot, not the pixel density. These guys truly are proof that the best camera is the one you have with you.
The guys at Photo Rumors tested the new Canon EOS 7D Mark II and the DxOMark results are a bit haunting for Canon users. In the comparison charts below they found the highly anticipated Canon EOS 7D Mark II tests similar to the five year old Nikon 300s. Has Canon hit a plateau in meaningful updates to push themselves ahead of the rest of the pack? With comparisons to five year old Nikon systems, it could be the case.
Go behind the scenes with one of the worlds top high-end retouchers, Pratik Naik, in this two part video as he walks us through his process of working with a model shot by David Geffin. Exploring the fine line between retoucher and photographer you can see his passion for what he does and the understanding it takes to capture the photographers vision perfectly.
Up next on the TogTools series featuring your very own Fstoppers writers and contributors hosts Jess and Stephen talk with award winning photographer David Bickley. If you are not familiar with the series or David's work be sure to tune in and gain some great knowledge as he talks through starting up, pricing and how some key mistakes taught him valuable lessons in the industry.
Having had a small wedding myself, one in which I invited 72 of my closest friends and family and 72 people arrived ready to celebrate the biggest day of my life together. Three years since that magnificent day but not one regret in the small nature of the day, it was the photos and memories that I hold most dear to me to this day. This is one memory though I would love to have recreated with my GoPro.
Instagram just celebrated four years since launching in the app store bringing inspiration and encouragement to many creatives in that time, especially photographers. If you were not aware, each weekend they host something called the Weekend Hashtag Project or WHP for short, choosing a specific topic for followers to shoot within that theme all for a chance to be featured that next Monday on their blog and to be seen by millions of viewers.
Going back to that moment when Easter morning comes and my mother, the "Easter Bunny" at the time, had purchased two of every single X-Men character on the market for my older brother and I. Since then I have had an extreme passion for super heroes and all that comes with it, especially when in movies!
The On Roof Top boys are at it again, this time "stealing" a digital sign high above the streets of Hong Kong in this sick behind-the-scenes video on how they did it all. Shockingly these guys are rarely caught, given the nature of the city and its crowded streets its almost impossible to catch everything that happens. We do have to thank them for risking their lives and pushing the limits of photography by doing what they do.
Next up on our Tog Tools Jess and Stephen interview our very own Clay Cook on how he got his start in photography and how he's built an incredible fashion/ editorial photography business. Having first seen Clay's work right here on Fstoppers I was astonished by his clean, sharp style using seemingly basic lighting setups.
Can you imagine having the unlimited golden hour for a photo shoot? In this incredible video project created by photographer Simon Roberts and NATO pilot Jonathan Nicol they were able to exactly that. By exact calculation and plenty of research they made the sunset last as long as possible, here is how they did it.
Having just started in photography two years ago I have a strong passion for creatives willing to share their passion and tips with the community. Fstoppers included, its one of the reasons I found all the information I needed with little to no cost starting out. Skillshare is launching an exciting series of classes highlighting how some of the best photographers in the world do what they do best, take incredible photos and share them with the world.
