Thanks to the hundreds of you who wrote in to take a stab at how the ballet image was made [note that this thumbnail here is a crop, not the final...go to the original post to see that one]. A handful of you nailed it to varying degrees. Here's my breakdown of shot: First, this was not a snapshot. Anything I'd list that would be of interest has been planned, choreographed Second, this image was... read more ›
2.1K reads
May
10
May
04
Hi friends. Kate here again. I've been reading your questions lately, I've noticed that many are about production. It's no doubt that shooting days can be stressful: you have a set of objectives that need to be accomplished, time is limited, the client is present, weather, travel, lodging and permits may be a factor, you're coordinating people and there are always little surprises that crop up. Plain and simple, there are just lots of moving parts... read more ›
7.6K reads
Apr
22
Want a better chance of getting hired? Read this: There are raging debates online all over the place about how to approach Art Directors and Creative Directors to show work. Email them, or don't. Do backflips for them, send them a carrier pigeon, only send a book, etc. Frankly, it's all over the damned map. As it turns out, some of those folks are my friends and they want to help us help them. And... read more ›
7.2K reads
Apr
19
Howdy Y'all, Dartanyon again responding to an important gear question we get asked all the time. We spend a great deal of time out on location, and as Chase's last series of blog posts clearly shows that it's not all hotel rooms and poolside locations. Sometimes we’re at 12,000 feet above sea level snowshoeing to location, and carrying "extra" stuff is not practical. Over the last 4 years I have refined my traveling gear considerably,... read more ›
1.4K reads
Apr
14
Kate stepping in here to give you a bit of info from the business side of photography & filmmaking, this time about taxes. Yes, it is that time of year again. If you're in the ol' USA and didn't already know it, the due date for 2010 US Federal taxes has been extended to April 18, 2011. That may be really great news to anyone scurrying around to finish up taxes at the last minute. ... read more ›
1K reads
Jan
08
I dunno what you've got planned for today and over the weekend, but if you've got a spare 140 seconds, head over to www.NikonFestival.com and watch the 50 best 140-second video submissions that we've whittled down from more than 1,000 entries. There are some stunning shorts in there.I'll be gathering virtually with fellow judges Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Jusine Ezarik (iJustine) to try to nail down who we're giving the grand prize of $100,000... read more ›
157 reads
Dec
31
Some off-the-top-of-my-head favorites for the year that was 2009.5 Worthwhile 'Best of 2009' Photo Edit Posts From Well-Known News SourcesBest News Photos (boston.com)Wall Street JournalTime MagazineNational Geographic TravelerReuters15 Bands I Listened To A Lot In 2009 (not necessarily from 2009)The XX(Young Turks)Grizzly Bear (Warp)Animal Collective(Domino)Visqueen(Local 638)GIVE Seattle (www.giveseattle.org)[...the rest of the music list and lots more lists after the jump. click the 'continue reading' link below for more good lists...]--(music continued...)Kings Of Leon(Sony)The Cave Singers(Matador)Cold... read more ›
187 reads
Dec
29
This is a 2009 sample reel from Stargate Studios. Hollywood all the way. Some of the shots from this video reel are certainly better than others, but that's not my point. My point is that this technology is becoming increasingly more available and affordable for still and video production, and is soon to be everywhere. Heck, we even used this technology pretty extensively in The Blakes music video we released last month (thanks to Superfad's... read more ›
271 reads
Dec
02
In case you're still more worried about your business cards and your website than your photography, Leila Courey, Art Buyer at Leo Burnett will set you straight:I don’t mind if photographers want to bling out their promos for extra attention as long as the quality of the work goes along with it. What I don’t dig, is photographers spending what looks like a ton of money on business cards, expensive promos or portfolios meanwhile they... read more ›
665 reads
Nov
24
"No one want ordinary photographers anymore. No one wants regular photographers. They want someone that can bring some kind of special lens or special expertise to the conversation.""You have convictions, you have ideas. They may not be perfect, but just get them out there. Give them a shot."Want to make a living in commercial photography? The above quotes are my adaptions from some brilliant strategic minds within advertising. While I was watching this video, it... read more ›
607 reads