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Making it work on real life budgets and why Content is King

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“Content is king” is what people say. Well, recently I delivered a video clip that was part of a series of clips I produced for a client. I wasn’t 100% proud of it on a technical level.  So why did I still deliver it to the client? This was, after all, only one part of a series of clips. I could have delivered all the rest and explained to the client that this one wasn’t quite perfect and so would rather not release it.

I still sent it to the client because I knew that the content in the clip, the story if you would, was very engaging. And if you have a great story and decent audio, I believe you can get away with it if some of the shots aren’t perfect.

First, let me explain why the shots weren’t perfect. This was a corporate shoot and, very often in corporate shoots, you don’t have full control of what and how you’re going to shoot.

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PIXEO uses crowdsourcing to show you the best photo spots around the world

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PIXEO is a new crowdsourcing app designed to help you find the perfect locations. Whether on vacation or planning a trip specifically for photography, PIXEO wants to be your one-stop shop for finding where to take your camera.

At the moment, it’s limited to iPhone users, and it has quite a small community. At the moment, the website says it has 480+ users. But those users have uploaded more than 13,000 photos of over 10,780 locations around the world. And it’s only been live for a couple of weeks. So, there’s plenty of time for it to grow.

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DIY Options for Charging Drone Batteries Off-Grid

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If you have a drone, sooner or later you’re going to want to charge your drone battery off-grid.

The problem is that drones use big batteries, so to charge a big battery you need an even bigger battery – a simple solar panel USB charger might be good enough to charge your phone, but it isn’t going to provide enough current to charge a drone battery.

There are a few commercial options available that can charge your drone batteries without an AC outlet, but I decided to build my own…(spoiler – don’t bother!)

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How to approach challenging locations and get the best out of them

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A challenging location is not just one you’d call “ugly,” It may just not suitable for the project you’re working on. Your client will have their expectations from you, and the location can make it difficult to meet them. Marcin Lewandowski from Adorama discusses this problem and gives you some great tips for overcoming the challenges and getting the best out of your location.

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3 tips to take great photos even in bad locations

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As photographers, you’ll often have to deal with the unknown. You won’t always be able to scout locations before the shoot, and sometimes you’ll just have to work with what you have. Photographer Manny Ortiz shares three tips that will help you shoot even in really bad locations. You need to take the most of what you have, and these tips will show you how to do it.

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How to make a studio shoot look like a location shoot

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I just finished up a handful of promotional shots with actor Levi Fiehler and it went well. One of our shots was an odd editorial photo with a him sitting next to a head in a box.. because hey, why not?! I used a hand painted backdrop and a faux wood floor and I lit it dark and moody. I was happy with the way it turned out except for one factor. I wish it didn’t look like it was shot with a studio backdrop. If it looked like it was on location, the shot might work better. The only “giveaway” that it was done in a studio was the roll at the bottom of the backdrop. So I realized if I put a piece of wood molding along the bottom of the backdrop, it would look like a wall and a floor instead of a backdrop and a floor.

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BTS look at the creation of an on-location ice sculpture for a Vogue photoshoot

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As important as the shoot itself is, as well as post-production, an oft-overlooked aspect of shooting an image is the pre-production. Specifically, the process of creating the set upon which the model will be posing for the entirety of the shoot.

Today though, we get a behind-the-scenes look at what exactly it takes to set up a scene for one of the best in the business, Vogue.[Read More…]

Tips To Make Your Next On Location Shoot Go Smoother And Yield You Better Photos

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I know, I know, the title of the video says it’s about industrial portraits. It is about that, indeed; however, a lot of the tips and advice J. P. Morgan shares in the seven minute long clip can be applied to a lot of different kinds of photoshoots–especially those where you’re shooting on location.

Outside of discussing his lighting setup and other solid advice to make sure you’re capturing interesting, well-lit portraits, Morgan spends a good amount of time talking about the actual process of the photoshoot, too. For example, he stresses how important it is to be mindful of your client’s time, then Morgan shares with you a few tips on how to go about doing just that.[Read More…]

Tips To Protect Your Gear From Killer Storms And Striking Hail

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It rarely rains where I live, sadly (or happily) this is not the case for many. And if you are shooting outdoors in extreme weather there are quite a few things that you can do to help your gear survive.

And it is not just uber extreme conditions that would freeze your camera, even lesser elements can cause your batteries to stop functioning or the LCD significantly drop its refresh rate.

B&H shares quite a useful video on how to improve your chances of getting a good shot. Of course there is a vast array of rain covers, tip-les gloves and silica gels, but there are some more clever tips on that video. Those three tips from the video are priceless:

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Sweet Tips on Setting An On-Location Run-‘n-Gun Ronin Gimbal Rig

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If you are using a motorized gimbal (like the DJI Ronin or the more expensive MoVI) you’ve probably noticed that setting them up on location can be a drag. In Getting all the cables set up, attaching the camera to the plate and balancing take up precious time and are pretty much simply inconvenient. In the studio, or van you probably have a rack where you can place the Gimbal and set it up, but on location…. usually not.

Videographer Eric Stemen came up with a few clever tips on getting the gimbal up and running pretty quickly while going on location.

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