cinematography

Wedding Photography vs. Videography: Pros and Cons

So you’re about to shoot someone’s wedding. That’s amazing -- it’s an incredible opportunity to be part of one of the most intimate and beautiful experiences in human love. But between photography and videography, which medium gets the job done?

Low Contrast Lens Filters: What They are and Why You Should Use Them

As the name of the filter alludes to, these lens filters do indeed lower the overall contrast of a shot. To clarify what that means in relation to photography: these filters will reduce the darkness of the shadows by allowing light to bleed into them from surrounding highlights.

Every Best Cinematography Oscar Winner from 1929 to 2019

The 2019 Oscars are just a day away now. If you'd like a dose of visual inspiration, check out this 10-minute video by Burger Fiction. It steps through every single film that won the "Best Cinematography" Oscar over the past 90 years, from 1929 to 2018 (and 2019 nominees as well).

Shooting 4K Log on the iPhone with Filmic Pro

Sometimes people ask me why I started shooting videos on a phone and the answer is not that easy. I believe the best camera is the one we always have with us, in our pocket. Maybe it's not the most powerful of course, but at least we can bring it with us all the time.

Ignoring the Rule of Thirds: When and Why ‘Bad’ Composition Works

For many advanced photographers, the rule of thirds is seen as something of a beginner's trope or amateur construct, but learning how, why, and when to break it can be a challenge. This short episode of Brain Flick helps deconstruct that question and explain why and when "bad" compositions work.

The Wing is a Tiny, Ingenious Camera Slider with No Rails

Edelkrone's motto, lately, seems to be: "Why not? Let's give it a shot!" It's the spirit behind products like their StandPLUS, the "reinvented tripod", and the strange-but-probably-useful Povie smartphone necklace mount. And it's the same spirit that, today, brings us the Edelkrone Wing.

The Digital Bolex Camera is No More, Company Closing Up Shop

Digital Bolex burst onto the scene four years ago through a highly successful Kickstarter campaign for its first cinema camera. But despite the admiration they've earned from cinematographers since March of 2012, the company has announced that it will soon close up shop.

A Montage of the Best Drone Footage of 2016

Start your day off with a bit of high-flying inspiration, courtesy of some of the most talented aerial filmmakers out there. From extreme athletes to roiling volcanoes, this footage ought to get your heart pumping at least as well as that half-finished cup of coffee on your desk.

This Dizzying Drone Video is the First to Use the ‘Vertigo Effect’

You might want to take some anti-nausea meds before you watch this one. Balance, a film by Tim Sessler and Brandon Bray, is a dizzying, disorienting display of drone cinematography that may just leave you slack jawed. It's also the first drone film we know of to use the famous "vertigo effect," AKA dolly zoom.

To Get Better at Lighting, See Light Through the Eyes of a Cinematographer

Almost everything I do as a photographer comes back to this challenge: seeing light as a cinematographer would on set. I was recently reminded of this in conversation with a friend and fellow photographer as I was trying to think of the best advice I could give to someone wanting to step up their lighting game. So I’m sharing one of my lighting journals from film school, it was my sort of “ah ha” moment after several semesters of confusion and frustration when it came to lighting.

‘The Revenant’ Was Shot Almost Entirely with Natural Light

The Revenant is an upcoming western thriller film that's inspired by the crazy life of explorer and fur trapper Hugh Glass. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass, the rugged and violent movie has one quality that may be of interest to photographers: it was shot nearly 100% with natural light.

SteadXP on Kickstarter: An External Motion Recorder for Video Stabilization

SteadXP, which we first wrote about in September 2014, is a small box that is promising to stabilize some of your most problematic videos. By using an external system that tracks where in space the camera is currently positioned at any given time, stabilization software can do a more efficient job at making your video nice and smooth. No bulky steadycam or gimbal is needed for this lightweight solution.

Tangerine is a Magnolia Pictures Film Shot Entirely on the iPhone 5

Director Sean Baker’s latest film, Tangerine, features two transgender prostitutes in Los Angeles on a hunt to find a cheating boyfriend. If that premise isn’t interesting enough to attract your interest, then consider how it was filmed: the movie had a budget of $100,000 and was filmed entirely using the iPhone 5.

A Look at The Striking Low-Key Black-and-White Style of Film Noir Cinema

Cinema and photography are two close-knit relatives that help us to tell stories through the use of a camera and mindful composition. This week, we are taking a look at the visual style heavily relied upon by the film noir genre that was most prevalent in the mid 20th century. Through the exploration of Hollywood's film noir visuals, we can learn a bit more about the history of cinema while finding inspiration for our own work.

Sphericam 2: 4K 60FPS 360-Degree Video Optimized for Oculus VR

With every report of virtual reality news, we seem to step closer and closer to a world such as the one depicted in Ernest Cline’s Science Fiction novel, Ready Player One. Today is no exception as we report on the new Sphericam 2: a 4K 360-degree video camera for transporting minds through the power of audio and video. The product, launched by Jeffery Martin, is on Kickstarter looking to meet its $150,000 goal, and it is almost there thanks to 130 generous backers thus far.

Edelkrone PocketSkater2 is a Mini Camera Dolly You Can Fit In Your Pocket

Camera dollies can add beautiful and fluid movement to your videos, but they tend to be both bulky and difficult to travel with for extended periods. Edelkrone is here to try and fix that problem with the PocketSkater2, a product they are calling “the world’s most flexible fully featured camera skater that can fit in your pocket.” With an extensive collection of mini-dollies already available, what does the PocketSkater2 bring to the party?