So often someone will take the time to light the talent to look great but forget to light the background and give the image some depth: One method is to use a Cucoloris. Some will refer to it as a cookie cutter: As you can see in the above image
James Anthony is a Los Angeles, California-based celebrity photographer who has photographed the likes of Usher, Angelica Ross, and Estelle. I had the privilege of chatting with him about his career and processes. In addition to his year-round work shooting celebrities for album covers and magazines, James steps in for Oscar,
Most people refer to it as a clothes pin; in Hollywood it’s referred to as a C-47. They were named that way because back in the day there were 47 pins in a pack. The C stands for clamp, hence C-47. We’ll take them and reverse the way they clamp
Did you miss Matthew Jordan Smith revealing the secrets to running a successful photography business? Then watch below and Matthew will show you the techniques he’s learned as one of the most prolific celebrity shooters in the world. Rich Harrington hosts this free webinar, and he and Matthew will help
When shooting a portrait or head shot outdoors or inside a studio, I always use a reflector or bounce card to add some sparkle to the subject. This is Emily, I first shot her without any reflected light indoors in my studio. Now, I will add some reflected light directly
Few television shows ever achieve the 300th episode milestone. On February 9, 2016 NCIS not only accomplished it, they did so while being the most viewed television show in the world 2 years in a row! I am humbly honored to have been the photographer for 301 of those episodes.
One of the most used tools on a Hollywood set, oh heck on any set, is the C-Stand. C in Roman numerals representing the numeral 100 is how the C-Stand got its name, 100’s of uses. When closed it’s 53″ high, it can be extended to 10’6″, it usually is
Some of the most used tools on a Hollywood set are C-Stands and Apple Boxes. Then there are these little babies, Baby Plates. What is a Baby Plate you ask? It’s a 5/8 stud, about 3″ tall, welded onto a 3.5″ x 6″ metal plate. It has many uses. Allow
Its a beautiful sunny day, you’re shooting indoors looking out to a sliding glass door or window and its brighter outside than on your set. Your talent is moving so HDR is not an option. You really don’t want a silhouette, if you expose for the talent then your sliding
A great way to challenge yourself and enhance your skills is to shoot some personal projects. Here is an opportunity to stretch your imagination. Building sets, buying props, coordinating wardrobe, scouting locations and casting talent are all part of the process of shooting your personal projects. When you apply all
Here is a great economical way to soften your light. They’re China Balls: These were used on the set of Grey’s Anatomy. You can buy these light diffusers from World Market or Pier 1 Imports. Here’s a link to Filmtools. Filmtools is a great resource; however, on some items they
There’s a rule about having numbers or letters in a shot, “Your eyes will always go to the letters and numbers first to see what they say.” I was planning on a personal project to have Wonder Woman breaking some binding chains on a set with some graffiti behind her.
