Here in the midwest, it’s the beginning of festival, carnival and fair season. Attending these events with your camera can be a lot of fun. Plenty of people, bands, games, rides and food to take photos of, and a lot of different things you can experiment and try. Music/bands One of the advantages of local festivals is that the stages are usually easily accessible. You can get right up front or sometimes even a few steps up the side of the stage to get shots from the wings. I would suggest checking with crew or festival staff first before just … [Read more...] about Capturing festivals, fairs and carnivals
music
Gear Review: NstaJam Bluetooth speaker
I'm always jealous of those photographers who are also musicians — and there are many of them. Me, I can't carry a tune in a camera bag and I'm practically tone deaf. But the power of music is undeniable and it's a wonderful tool for sculpting the mood while making pictures. Most studios have music going all the time, and people like Matthew Jordan Smith testify that music is an essential part of a great shoot. But what about when you're not in the studio? I've seen people using smartphones with the volume turned all the way up in order to … [Read more...] about Gear Review: NstaJam Bluetooth speaker
The Process of Shooting a Music Video with a Canon…and Just One Lens
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from photographer and cinematographer, Anders Lnnfeldt. This was the second time I worked with the Finnish artist Jannike. I made her first music video in 2013 which we shot partly in Greece and partly in Helsinki. This time the plan was to find even more fantastic locations and make the video both bigger and better. Jannike's manager contacted me in the beginning of 2014 and told me about their plans about shooting a music video in Los Angeles and he asked me to come along. This was a deal I didn't want … [Read more...] about The Process of Shooting a Music Video with a Canon…and Just One Lens
15 Seconds of Fame: Preview Videos for Instagram
Videos slideshows are a powerful way to show pictures, and I think Instagram offers a unique opportunity. The thing is, my clients love to watch a slideshow of themselves, but few other people are willing to watch a long slideshow these days. Instagram has a 15 seconds limit on slideshows, though, and that's just about perfect--I don't know about you, but I watch almost every video that comes through my feed 'cause it's only 15 seconds. https://vimeo.com/128199972 So, let's use Instagram to make a short impactful slideshow that acts as a … [Read more...] about 15 Seconds of Fame: Preview Videos for Instagram
Bad Music = Bad Video & How To Beat the Shakes
I attended a workshop tour put on by David Ziser a few days before my first DSLR arrived, and he got me hooked on hybrid slideshows. I used to use Animoto to make these, and more recently I prefer ProShow Web, but I also like to make my own productions using Photoshop (Richard Harrington has a good introduction for video in Photoshop right here). These hybrid slideshows are always a win for weddings and family and senior portrait clients, but I also make them for some non-profit clients. The thing is, nothing is more moving than powerful … [Read more...] about Bad Music = Bad Video & How To Beat the Shakes
Music Copyrights for Photographers
We live in an ultra connected world where the amount of media seemingly free for the taking is virtually unlimited. This is not a rant on stealing, fair use or copyrights for that matter. It's really some thoughts on creating and sharing work. Photographers are content creators just like musicians, writers, sculptors, painters and every other artist. Just as one kind of artist might not be skilled in another one's field, it doesn't mean they can appropriate someone else's work into their own. Done Often Doesn't Mean Done Right We all see videos … [Read more...] about Music Copyrights for Photographers
Free & Legal Music Sources for Slideshows & Videos
Whether you're building a slideshow or editing a video, music is an important factor to consider for emotional connection to the audience. The internet is tempting with many sites that allow you to download any song you desire. But we have to warn you. Just because it is free doesn't mean its legal to use in your videos. We don't want you to get sued so listen carefully. There are many sites out there that you can pay for downloads of great music to use legally for your videos so we want to make sure we cover the board of options. There's … [Read more...] about Free & Legal Music Sources for Slideshows & Videos
Adam Elmakias – Music and Concert Photographer
Adam Elmakias is known to his fan base as being very "cool." Or depending on your generational preference, you could also call him "hip," "swell," or even "bitchin'." I prefer to call him a friend who has honed in some ridiculous photographic skills. His passion for music and apparent connection he has with his audience is uncanny. Needless to say, his career is off to a great start with a packed portfolio combined with a solid knack for feeding his frenzied social media followers with exactly what they want. And what is that? Incredible … [Read more...] about Adam Elmakias – Music and Concert Photographer
