News and events from snapfactory

I know, it’s been a while since we last updated the blog. We’ve been busy creating lots and lots of content for AdoramaTV. We’ve created 44 new videos. Ten of those have been new Digital Photography One on One episodes. We’ve been getting a lot of feedback and we’re working hard to keep the videos fresh and useful.

Last week we released Episode 20: On Location Flash and have seen more activity on this episode than most, so I thought I’d post it here as well as a few of the photos we shot for the video.

Model Katherine Lee. In this shot I overexposed the background and used a medium softbox to add some fill light on Katherine.

This image was shot using strong backlight. I used the softbox to balance the light. I adjusted colors in Lightroom before exporting.

This is an example of a balanced fill flash. Katherine was standing in the shade and without the fill flash she would have been almost completely underexposed. By matching the flash exposure to the ambient light I was able to create an image that looks like 100% natural light event though I used a flash.

Well today we officially launched a new video series called How’d They Do That? It’s a show where we explore the world of professional photographers and share their techniques with you. Our first episode features photographer Matt Hill. We talk about his recent short film Available Night.

You can see more of Matt’s work on his website: www.MattHillPhoto.com

And here’s the video Available Night by Matt Hill:

Equipment used in this video:

• Nikon D700 Digital SLR Camera
• Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S Auto Focus Nikkor Lens
• Nikon 14mm – 24mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S Wide-Angle Zoom-Nikkor Lens
• Apple Final Cut Pro Studio
• iStopMotion 2 Pro

We’ve been working hard and now the AdoramaTV videos are starting to roll out. Here’s a first look at a few videos that we published yesterday. New videos will be showing up at least three times a week for 50 weeks! Hang on to your hats, it’s going to be a fun ride.

Some photographers get it. They know that what’s in their head is much more important than what’s in their hand. I’m impressed with photographers like Andre of Striped Shirt or Michael Seneschal who take iPhone photos two an entirely new level.

These guys, and many like them, are a constant source of inspiration to me. Unfortunately you may have never seen their work before. Well, Adorama is trying to change that by giving everyone a place to post their best iPhone shots. For the next two weeks you can post your best work on their iPhone Photo Contest site. They have a panel of judges ready to look at your work and then hand out some very groovy prizes.

The thing I love about iPhone photography is that it lets you concentrate on the story that you’re telling without worrying about the technical aspects of the shot. It also allows you to build your skills at making images instead of simply taking images. If you’ve been a reader of our blog for a while you know that I’m a big fan of the iPhone and it’s abilities. Here are a few of my favorite iPhone lessons:

Inspiration in the Rocks

A couple of years ago I challenged a friend of mine to a photo duel. He was having a tough time finding things to shoot with his new super fancy camera. So we took his camera and my iPhone out to a pile of rocks (literally) and started shooting. Before long he was able to forget about all the technical barriers and free his mind to simply shoot. You can read all about it by clicking here.

Capturing the Moment

My trusty iPhone was also the camera I used to capture some of the images that are most memorable to me. I recently had the privilege of meeting James Nachtwey. His work has had a huge impact on my photography and how I approach life. Without my iPhone I would have no documentation of our meeting. Read more about my experience of creating a “disgusting” photo.

Getting Closer

Last year I took a very close look at what photography meant to me on a personal level. I discovered that my iPhone helped me document and process events that were very close to my heart, like my dog Luka undergoing treatment for an unknown illness. Later we discovered he had Cancer. The thousands of iPhone photos we took during his lifetime helped us remember him after his death.

“Photography is an extension of who I am. Photography is a way for me to document, remember, share, and quantify my experiences. It’s the way I tell my version of the story.” – Mark Wallace

With my iPhone I am able to get closer, physically as well as emotionally, to my subjects. Read more about getting closer and how it may impact the way you see life.

What about you?

So what about your iPhone shots? Do you have a story to tell? Are you looking for inspiration? If you do then visit the Adorama iPhone Contest site and get involved. Sure you can win a bunch of great prizes, but more importantly you can inspire someone to try something new.

What are you waiting for?

We mentioned earlier that we are working on 150 new videos, here’s a quick update on our progress.