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How To Use the Invisible Split Screen Effect To Add Drama To Your Films

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Timing is a huge component of successful filmmaking.  So is framing.  And director David Fincher has a good handle on both.

There are a variety of reasons to use invisible split-screen composites in filmmaking, from honing the timing of shots to multiplying your actors on small-budget projects.  When properly applied, this technique can be used as a tool to craft a dynamically powerful scene and is a trick that Fincher admits to implementing countless times throughout each of his films.

In this tutorial, Ben Gill gives us a breakdown of the technique, how masters like Fincher apply it, and how you can create it yourself.

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Make Your Own Fake Ice Cubes For Photography Staging

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I’m an impatient person.  I’m also very singularly-minded, so when I get an idea in my head, everything else gets put on hold while I’m pursuing it (and, often making a mess in the process).

I needed some artificial ice cubes for a few personal photo projects, but I didn’t want to have to buy any or be arsed to wait for them to arrive in the mail.  So, I decided to make my own, adapting a great tutorial by Kyle May.

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DIY: How To Build A Portable V-Flat With Customized Catchlights

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DIY is where we started, and we love to return to it whenever possible…especially for tutorials like this.

Columbus, Ohio-based photographer Nick Fancher believes that you can “studio” anywhere, turning the most ordinary locations into quality pseudo-studios.  In this video (after the jump), Nick shows us how he constructed a simple and portable v-flat lighting configuration using (what appears to be) foam board and tape.

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See How a Photographer Created These Stunning Photos of Iceland

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So often, we see videos of photographers sharing about the creation of their images after the fact.  While this is great for presenting the information in a more detailed and refined fashion, it’s easy to lose some of the uniqueness that went into the whole process.

Photographer Thomas Heaton, on a recent trip to Iceland, filmed his process in real time.  In the video, he gives us a true glimpse behind the lens, discussing the use of polarizers, neutral density filters, and delayed exposure to create a series of stunning images from the beautiful landscape.

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How To: Create Dynamic Water Splash Images

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If you’re looking for a fun photography project this weekend, great times can always be had with lights, camera, and a little water splashing around your studio.

Photographer Mark Richardson gives us a fairly simple tutorial for creating water splash images, particularly those involving a wine glass. Using AlienBees monolights with fast flash duration (not to be confused with high speed sync) and a wireless trigger for his camera, Mark was able to almost effortlessly freeze the liquid in mid air and then composite it with a frame of the empty glass for a final image.
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Turn On the High Beams: Add head lights to a vehicle in Photoshop


If there’s one thing that all of us have encountered at one point or another it is going through the frames from a shoot and realizing that we forgot something important or could have done things a little differently.

When I first read the title of this video my mind automatically went in a completely different direction (my mind has a mind of its own, don’t judge me). In this tutorial, Photoshop guru and rocker of the man bun Aaron Nace gives us step-by-step instructions for bringing on the “high beams” of a vehicle after the image has already been taken.

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How To Add Steam To Food Photography (Using Photoshop)

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Last week I did an article on how to capture steam in food photography right in camera. You can’t always have hot boiling water in every shoot or have really hot food (or frankly, sometimes it is just easier to do in post), yet there are times when you need to have steam. This is when you’ll add the steam in post production. Here is a step by step tutorial on how to add steam in photoshop.

Below, you will find two photoshop techniques for adding steam in photoshop.

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How To Photograph Three Indoor Window Light Portrait Styles

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Since it’s the winter that won’t end, I though I’d share a few tips for how to photography three indoor window light portrait styles in the comfort of your own home using any camera.

I’m always amazed by how great window light can look and how easy it is to get completely different looks from such a simple light source – and the best part is that you can stay warm indoors too!

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How To Take A Professional LinkedIn Profile Photo In Your Living Room

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Over the holiday’s my sister was visiting from out of town.  Over the course of our visit, she casually mentions “Oh, by the way – I need a professional LinkedIn profile photo – can you take one?”

Continue reading to find out how to take a professional LinkedIn profile photo in your living room in less than five minutes with minimal gear.

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Can DIY Modifiers Compete Against Pro Grade Modifiers?

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Last week I wrote about why you would want to do a DIY photography project, but can it match up to pro gear? Challenge… Accepted!

This week I did a whole photoshoot using only DIY modifiers for main lights. With the help of my girlfriend and her friends to model for me, the challenge was on.

The idea behind challenge was to prove that making your own modifiers and equipment is not all that bad compared to branded expensive material. (And before the first comment starts coming in, let me say that I do own a couple of Westcott softboxes and umbrellas, and I use them when needed or when working with high end clients, I just really like my DIY’s).

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