In this very non-scientific exercise by Seattle based portrait photographer Ben Lucas, we see if subjects can tell the difference between photograph created by a full time working pro vs a paid actor. The camera, lighting and setup is identical for each “photographer”, to try and illustrate that creating a portrait is about more than just the technical. You need to be able to connect with your subjects to bring out their personality and real emotion....

The technological advancements that can be made in just four short years are amazing. 11 time Olympic photographer Al Bello is taking advantage of that fact this year. He’s covering the swimming events using underwater robot cameras. Robotic underwater cameras at the Olympics aren’t a new idea. Reuters used similar robots during London 2012. But this is the first time Getty will be giving them a try. With an extra four years of research and development, though, these cameras should get some fantastic and unique shots....

Godox first teased the X2T trigger back in February at WPPI. A refresh to the X1T, with a few extra buttons, easier adjustments and the new style locking foot. It also now incorporates the functionality of the Godox A1, their Bluetooth trigger for controlling your lights with a smartphone app. In February, the model shown off was a pre-production prototype. Now, the design is final is complete and the new Godox X2T has been officially announced....

Google haven’t so much announced as “slipped in” that they’ve ceased development of the Nik Collection via a banner. Google acquired Nik Software, the company behind the Collection, in 2012. It was only just over a year ago that Google announced it was making the Nik Collection a completely free download for all users. Now, it seems, that the new price tag doesn’t justify continued development. The Nik Collection contains seven applications....

It almost feels like GoPro have gone into some kind of self-destructive downward spiral. Since hitting their peak near the end of 2014, GoPro’s share prices have taken plunge after plunge. They received a little bump with the announcement of the Karma, which immediately dropped back down after the recall was announced. Now, it seems, that if GoPro have to suffer, then so do everybody else. In this passionate video from YouTuber Devin Graham (aka Devinsupertramp), he explains that GoPro are threatening to sue accessory make GoScope....

Is it April Fool’s day yet? Because GQ just won next year’s contest (if there was one). In jest of all the botched jobs on other magazine covers, they decided to release this cover for the Comedy Issue with the best/worst issues! How many can you spot? I swear, I am now tempted to make one just for fun! Perhaps just as great is the statement they released with the cover:...

Shooting portraits in direct sunlight can be pretty challenging, and those harsh shadows on the face are likely not something you’ll want to see on your model’s face. Well, if you’re not up for old-school solutions, artificial intelligence comes to the rescue. A group of scientists has created an algorithm that removes all those unwanted shadows in a matter of seconds. The shadow removal AI is a joint project by researchers from Berkeley, MIT, and Google Research....

Once you get hooked to them, photography and filmmaking can become pretty expensive hobbies. But it’s good to know that there are many items that offer a fantastic price-quality ratio. In fact, there’s a bunch of gear you can buy for under $100, whether you’re a photographer or a filmmaker. In this video, Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter gives you 15 affordable items that will kickstart your filmmaking career or just be a great, yet cheap addition to the gear you own....

My philosophy when it comes to photography is not to avoid making mistakes, but to welcome every mistake as it happens. Our children learn the hard way. We as parents moralize and issue warnings but to no avail. They have to learn for themselves. Parents try so hard to shield their kids from the very pains they had suffered as kids, but the lessons of life just aren’t learned that way....

Filters were once common to all but compact and disposable cameras for shooting a vast array of topics. I’ve got about 20 here that I can pick from when I’m shooting black and white film, for example. But aren’t filters all just irrelevant now with digital photography where we can change the colour and contrast in post? Well, no, not all of them. In this video, the team at DPReview TV takes a look at four filters that they say you still need for digital photography....

In photography, light is everything. After all, that’s the key part of its very name. When taking photos indoors, there are many setups you can make with just one light. And did you know that, in theory, almost every room will be lit no matter where you place the light? However, here’s something I’m sure you’ll find interesting. When there are mirrors on the walls, any room shape will be fully lit but one....

What’s the most expensive camera you’ve ever had the chance to have in your hands? The Art of Photography’s Ted Forbes has tested the camera I think most of us will never have the chance to hold: a $63,000 Phase One XF medium format with the IQ3 monochrome back. $63,000 is certainly quite a lot, but according to Ted, this camera setup is a game changer. With the 101 MP sensor and design to capture light past the visual spectrum, you’d expect a miracle from this setup....

A few weeks ago, my camera was stolen out of my studio locker at school. I am an architecture student in college, so I keep my a lot of my stuff at my studio. Anyway, I put my camera in my locker for about 2 days without having to use it. When I finally decided to pull it out 2 days later, I noticed that it was missing. I called the campus police and someone came over to take a police report....

With the heat of August, I thought that nothing will beat making a small beach set photo in the chill studio. In this product shot, I am going to use three lights to simulate outdoor sunlight for a small scale product octopus attack shot. I am going to use a Miggo Splat , a small stand which kinda looks like a 5 armed octopus. Given this similarity I decided to make a light hearted photo using an action figure I own....

I believe that all of us would connect circus with a giant tent. However, with some imagination and DIY magic you can turn even the smallest home studio into a circus. In this video from Adorama, Gavin Hoey will show you how to bring circus into your studio space, no matter how small it may be. Gavin starts with the background, which, you’ll agree, should definitely be striped. You can find fabric with red and white stripes, or invest some time into painting red stripes onto a sheet of white fabric....

Photographer Jason D. Page recently shared with us some of amazing light painting portraits he created along with his team. Photographing people this way can be quite a challenge, especially if you want to create the shots in one take. As you can imagine, keeping the subject sharp is pretty difficult when you’re shooting in the pitch-black environment. In this video, Jason shares his techniques which will help you to keep the subject sharp and nail focus every time when shooting light painting portraits....

If you are into food photography, here is a creative and affordable project you might want to try. Food photographer Joanie Simon shares an idea for making your own backgrounds for food shots. They’re affordable, lightweight, but also versatile: you can use them either as surfaces or backgrounds. Also, making these requires only a few components, yet you can be as creative as you like with colors and textures....

Originally made to help Joe McNally solve problems that would occasionally pop up on shoots, the Justin Clamp has become a popular addition to many photographer kit bags. It was created by Bogen/Manfrotto employee Justin Stailey from some standard off the shelf components. It served its function perfectly, so it became known as the Justin Clamp we still have today. While excellent, they’re not exactly cheap. A handful of these in your bag can set you back a couple of hundred bucks....

If you enjoy photo manipulation as much as you enjoy taking photos, you can have some fun with replacing the sky and giving your photos a whole different look and mood. Photographer Serge Ramelli shares a quick tutorial that will let you replace the ky in your photos in a matter of minutes. The main “ingredient” of his technique is the Multiply blend mode, and it really makes the process quick and simple....

Product photography can be a lot of fun. For many photographers right now, it’s the only type of photography they can really try. They often don’t need a lot of space, and you don’t really need a lot of gear to shoot them, either. For small things, you can usually get away with just a camera and lens and one light – and a bit of work in Photoshop compositing things together....