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VSCO open up a free studio in New York City

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VSCO have announced the launch of their new Open Studio. Based in VSCO’s offices in New York City’s NoMad District, it feature a permanent cyclorama wall. They also have some basic lighting equipment available for those who may need it. Best of all, it’s completely free.

Of course, there is a catch or two. You have to fill out an application. You can’t just show up and expect to use it. You’re also limited to just a two hour spot. If you need more time, you’ll need to apply for another session on another day.

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Being limited by my landlocked location, I bought 1,500 pounds of sand for a “beach” photo shoot, and got a single photo out of it

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I bought a stack of foreign Vogue magazines for inspiration, and inside of Vogue Italia I saw an amazing photo of Alessandra Ambrosio on a beach at night (the image at the bottom of this page). I tucked it away in a manila envelope labeled “Possible Shoots”.

For a year and a half, every time I would create a new mood board, I would see this gorgeous photo. Slowly over time an idea grew that I could manage to have a similar shoot, without having to leave my studio.

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How to light close-up product shots at home simply and easily

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At some point, almost all of us will need to shoot a good product photo.  We may not be shooting them for clients, or doing video reviews, but we’ll probably stick something up on eBay and want to show it off well to increase the chances of it fetching a good price.

In this video from Curtis Judd, we see a quick and easy setup for lighting products on a white stage for some great looking images.

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If you can only get one backdrop for your studio, grey is what you want and here’s why

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When setting up a studio, one of the more difficult decisions that a newer studio shooter must make is which backdrop to get.  More often than not, it’s which backdrops (plural) should they get?

Photographer Joe Edelman is going to make it a real easy decision for you with this very informative video.  You don’t need to get a whole bunch of backdrops, especially when you’re just starting out with studio work.  All you need is grey.

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I Built This Miniature Photography Studio From The 1900s In Honor Of Old Photographers

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I spent 9 months working on the studio using hundreds meters of wood and lots of other materials like plastic, copper, paper etc.  I built more than 100 miniature objects all designed and built according to that era.

All the objects were made from scratch.  There were lots of challenges especially when I was doing the research.  I could find only few pictures from old studios all in white and black.

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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…]

How to properly set up a light stand

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Light stands might seem like fairly simple tools to set up and use properly. But there are a few tips and tricks worth knowing when it comes to properly (and safely) setting up a light stand.

To explain the lesser-heard details of setting up light stands, Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens has shared a YouTube tutorial.[Read More…]

A look at photographic experimentation in the studio

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Photography has all sorts of ‘rules’ that we’re told to adhere to: thirds, inverse square, golden mean and so on.

While these rules certainly help build the foundation of any great photographer, it’s important to remember to break the rules and step out of the mould every once in a while to learn and gain new insights.

That’s precisely how Monica Stevenson approaches photography. And in a recent video from B&H she shares how she thinks outside the box to create captivating images and compositions.[Read More…]

Seriously simple portrait lighting for beauty shots

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Lighting a portrait can be as simple or intricate as you want it to be. More often than not though, the concept of ‘less is more’ rings true.

To show off just how much can be done with only a small bit of gear, photographer Wayne Johns has shared a helpful tutorial on behalf of Bowens.[Read More…]

A quick rundown on what apple boxes are and what they’re used for

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When you think about accessories used around the studio, apple boxes usually aren’t the first item that come to mind. But, they have their place and as simple as they might seem in concept, the reality is there are many ways to use them and various terms associated with each method.

To explain what the various terms and styles are, Jay P Morgan of The Slanted Lens has shared a helpful tutorial.[Read More…]

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