bodner069

Starting in 2008 we began the tradition of taking a pause as each New Year approached. The result was the time a space to reflect back on the best work of the year—my choices and yours: Read more »

The below are a collection of explainer posts on a variety of subjects—some specific, some general. But all, hopefully, helpful. Read more »

Do you have more time than money? Time to get your MacGuyver on with this collection of DIY projects. From the ridiculous to the sublime, it's all here. Most of these have been submitted by Strobist readers with more ingenuity than cash. That said, no matter how flush you are it is always better to save your cash for things you can't make yourself. Links are coded to open in new tabs, for easier multi-project browsing. Pictured above: $10 DIY Macro Studio Read more »

I am always looking for inspiration from other lighting photographers—or frankly, anyone who really understands light. To that end, our interviews have ranged from 17-year-old wunderkind photographers to long-dead old master painters. Whatever gets the job done. Links will open in separate tabs, for more efficient bulk browsing. Read more »

Money is hard to come by, and easy to watch slip away. So I have always tried to do my best to guide people to the best things on which to spend their hard-earned cash. Chosen well, books or gear (or whatever) can return great value. Chosen poorly, you may as well be flushing it down the drain. Most of these are solid items, and worth the investment. If it is bad, I usually do not waste your time or mine with it. But some things are bad enough for me to actually want to warn you off—and some are total junk. Herewith, the collection of Strobist Reviews. New pages open in tabs, to make bulk browsing more manageable. Read more »

I try to keep on topic to the main idea of this site, but sometimes things get a little … tangential. Sometimes it is a broader issue. Or a practical joke. And sometimes you just need to vent, you know? The below are just as likely to be deep thoughts as they are the product of the sense of humor of a 12-yr-old. The only thing that ties this thread together is that nothing really ties it together. Articles open in a new tab, for ease of multiple-post browsing. Read more »

Over the last nine years many cool videos have graced the pages of Strobist.com. Here, in the order in which they originally appeared, are the Top 100. Windows open in tabs for easier multi-video browsing: Read more »

A great photo book (whether lighting or otherwise) is an amazing value. You get to rent someone else's brain for the price of a good dinner. And depending on who's brain you're renting and what you do with the info, the return on investment can be hundreds or even thousands of time what you invested. The Strobist Recommended Book List is small, but well-considered. It includes just four books on lighting, a book on the interpersonal aspects of photography and a massive, magnum opus that for the right people will prove invaluable. Read more »

One thing I have learned about light and lighting: there's always different—and often better—way to do something. A few months ago we ran a piece on gelling various soft light modifiers, wherein I listed my go-to ways to color soft light. But someone in the comments offered a different way—a way better way—and I have been using it ever since. Here's what he suggested. Read more »

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently about the next step in my weird, one-off career. And this tweet, by a man who I truly admire, summed up my thoughts in just four words. As a photographer, you could hardly ask for better advice. I’m taking it to heart, both for myself and for Strobist. Read more »

On the face of it, music photographer Loren Wohl's backlit photos of performance artist Chokra are themselves a series of cool photos. But dig a little deeper and they are a textbook example of gaining access and building out your book. And the latter is just as important—if not more so—as the former. Read more »

If you are one of the five people on the internet who have not yet seen the new video of Pentatonix covering Daft Punk this week, you're in for a treat. And as cool as it is, dig a little deeper and it gets way better. This video is one percent budget and 99 percent pure talent and creativity — the latter of which will trump budget and scale every time. Read more »

Look, no one is born a lighting genius. We all make mistakes. And we are all gonna make mistakes in the future. And just to make you feel a little better about it, today I am gonna tell you about my stupidest moment as a lighting photographer. So far. Read more »