The SmokeNinja is a Slimmer and Cheaper Portable Fog Machine
PMI Gear has announced a new entry-level portable fog machine that, at $200, is a third of the price of its SmokeGenie model.
Photographer Captures ‘Back to the Future’ Photos with a LEGO DeLorean
Hungarian photographer Benedek Lampert has shot a beautiful series of photos paying homage to the iconic science fiction movie Back to the Future. What's neat is that each of the images was created with a LEGO DeLorean car and simple practical effects.
‘Mamba Mentality’ Photos and Film Feature 10 Rare Kobe Bryant Shoes
Honoring one of the greatest to ever play the game, this video and photo series features ten rare Kobe Bryant Nike shoes. Rather than rely on computer graphics, we chose to shoot the entire project practically by creating hundreds of individual colored Nike Swoosh plexiglass cutouts. Mamba Mentality is visualized as each shoe conquers the chaos of everything that comes its way.
SmokeGENIE is a Powerful, Handheld, Non-Toxic Smoke Machine
The SmokeGENIE is a battery-powered, pocketable smoke machine that its creators say is one-tenth the size of a typical smoke machine but can match the output.
This Toy Photographer Uses Practical Effects for Amazing Action Photos
Jared Middleton (AKA Sirdork) is a toy photographer who brings miniature scenes to life using practical effects. His photos are created by carefully setting up scenes with action figures and then adding in things like water, snow, dirt, and sparklers to complete the look.
These Photos of Saturn and Jupiter Look Photoshopped, But are Real
During the peak of the astronomical event that was the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in December, a photographer named Garret who goes by gm_astrphotography posted a photo that sparked some debate to its authenticity. The fact is, the image is 100% legitimate.
Apple’s New Watch Faces Were Made with Practical Effects and Real Fire
Apple unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 4 last week alongside the new iPhone XS, and the watch features four new watch faces called fire, water, metal, and vapor. Although they may look like CGI creations, they were actually shot in a studio with practical effects.
These Exploding Star Wars Ships Were Shot with Cotton and LEDs
Star Wars enthusiast @plasticstarwars shot a series of photos showing starfighters from the fictional universe at the moment of their destruction. Everything was done in-camera.
This is How You Shoot High-End Food Ads on Low-End Budgets
You know those food commercials you see on TV with foods and drinks (and sometimes fire and ice) flying around in slow motion? You don't need extremely expensive camera equipment and rigs to achieve impressive results -- all you need is some creativity.
These Surreal Photos Were All Created Without Photoshop
Photographer John Dykstra says he believes in the power of perspective. His surreal photo style is created entirely with practical effects and simple ingredients -- things like paint, chalk, and glass -- rather than digital image manipulation techniques.
This Photographer Combines Toys and Practical Effects
Mitchel Wu is a professional toy photographer. He combines toys, photography skills, practical effects, and imagination to create "alternative universes" in which toy characters come to life.
How Apple’s ‘Welcome Home’ Ad Was Made With Practical Effects, Not CGI
Apple latest "Welcome Home" advertisement for the HomePod shows a woman dancing through an apartment that endlessly stretches in various directions. It may look like a project done with CGI, but it was actually painstakingly created through practical effects.
This Music Video Was Made Entirely In-Camera on a Giant Set
This trippy music video for Bonobo's new track "No Reason" is full of what would appear to be clever CGI, but it's actually all shot in-camera using "a very small camera and a very big set."
These DeLorean Photos Were Shot with a Toy Car, Fire, and Light Painting
Photographer Felix Hernandez just shot a series of car photos featuring the time-traveling DeLorean from the Back to the Future film series. Instead of using a real car and Photoshop, he decided to get small and practical: he used a tiny toy car, a studio tabletop, fire, and light painting.
This is a Star Wars Action Scene in the Age of CGI
One of the gripes Star Wars fans have about Episodes 1, 2, 3 is that George Lucas relied heavily on CGI rather than the brilliant practical effects that were found in the original trilogy. Many of the action scenes were simply actors waving light saber sticks around on giant green screen sets.
9 Crazy Movie Scenes That Were Actually Captured In-Camera
It’s always impressive when photographers and filmmakers capture mind-blowing shots in-camera rather than resorting completely to Photoshop, CGI, and …