Watch this video below by Canada-based photographer R.J. Hidson on long exposure and stroboscopic flash using a couple Nikon SB-800s and one SB-900. R.J. Hidson is a wedding and portrait photographer from Edmonton Alberta. There are 2 numbers that you have to remember with repeating flash: the first one is the number times the flash goes off, the second one is the speed of which is goes off. Those 2 will determine how long your exposure is...

In this episode on AdoramaTV, Mark answers the question, “Why are you using a flash when shooting outside in bright sunlight?” Mark also goes over the difference in power output between built-in flash and external flash. The whole point of using a flash in the sun is to overpower the sun, thus getting rid of the nasty shadows on the model. The trick is to shoot in high-speed sync so that the lighting is balanced between the...

In this episode, Mark Wallace shows us how to use ND filters in a studio environment. Mark will demonstrate how you can shoot with wide open apertures even with powerful studio strobes. Then, Mark will show us how we can use a similar effect outside and use a studio strobe to overpower the sun. On a side note, given that I’m a Nikon shooter, I just found out that the max sync speed of the 5D Mark II is 1/160th second. That’s...

Nothing is better than catching up with your TV shows on a rainy weekend. And by TV shows I mean Photoshop post-production tutorials. I finally had the time to sit down and watch these videos by Sean Armenta from FStoppers. These videos will teach you all the basic and powerful tools that you will need when doing beauty retouching. I’m posting a bunch of videos into this one post, so if you don’t have the time to watch all the...

If you’re into shooting video and interested in making an affordable DIY dual shoulder mount for your DSLR, check out this video below. All of the pieces of material that were put into making this totaled less than $25, except for the release plate, which is optional. You could just use a screw instead as we showed on the other build (video below, $20 DIY DSLR Shoulder Rig). You also don’t need to use the one they used; you...

If you ever get stuck at work or in a meeting, one of the best ways to kill time is to start doodling. And I don’t just mean doodling random figures, but doodling spirals. And by spirals I mean Fibonacci spirals. Why Fibonacci? Because it has to do with the Golden Ratio, which is 1.61803399, which is the most irrational number, if you’re a number theorist. And why the Golden Ratio? Because it has to do with the way you compose...

Peter Hurley is one of the world’s most successful headshot photographers. In his 4 hour tutorial “The Art Behind The Headshot” DVD, Peter shares everything he knows about taking the perfect headshot. This excerpt from the download shows just one real session and a short business interview. Peter also has some tips on hair and makeup at the end. For all of the real time sessions and Peter’s entire interview, download...

In November 2011, Lee Howell of Kaptured Photography undertook an ambitious photoshoot in Auckland’s Victoria Park tunnel, armed with a limited edition Audi R8GT and a state-of-the-art car photography rig. This behind the scenes video shows in details what it takes to capture the images for high end car photography. The secret to Lee’s stylish images of the Audi is the move and shoot rig, an amazing piece of equipment, especially...

If you have a studio set up in your home, chances are you have a couple of rolls of seamless paper. Watch this video below as Mark takes you through various lighting setups for creating beautiful portraits on seamless paper backgrounds. You’ll learn that by placing where the model and the lights stand, you’ll get different types of background using just one kind of paper. Oh, there’s also a little bit of some outtakes at...

Here’s a collaboration photoshoot of Liz Hernandez, E! anchorwomen and model, and Jay P. Morgan “The Slanted Lens” going behind the scenes. In this video, Jay talks about reflectors and how to use them on location. This is simply a beginning look at reflectors, the different colors, and practical application examples on how to use them. As a beginning photographer, using a reflector is an easy way to start to modify light...