Annual Best-of-Strobist Collections

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:

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How To...

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

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50 DIY Projects for Lighting Photographers

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.

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Interviews/Photog Features/Guest Posts

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.

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Reviews

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.

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Rants/Essays/Humor/Unclassified

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.

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Strobist Video Vault

Over the last eight 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:

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The Updated, Essential Strobist Bookshelf

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.

Now more than ever, it is a wonderful time to be a lighting photographer. I have long maintained a book list on Strobist, but it has gotten out of date. Today I am correcting that with a tight list of books that I can absolutely recommend for photographers who want to learn.

The list includes just five books on lighting, a book on the interpersonal aspects of photography and a massive, magnum opus that is not even out yet. (But I've seen it!)

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Birtday car(d)

Essentials

They are the same

The Limousine exterior

How to Gel a Beauty Dish, v.2.0

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.

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the Limousine

Flight plan

Fly away with me

Selfies

My new book is out, it can be ordered here: The Second in Line

Low Frequency, High Amplitude

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.

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Family photo

Sketchbook dump

You can get a closer look by buying my new book:

3D trance

Sketching from the imagination from 3dtotal

The Table is set, book signing in Stockholm

I will be signing books at Staffars serier Söder (Mariatorget) Stockholm, Saturday between 1-3 pm. As a special treat it seems as Staffar still holds one copy of the first in line (thought to sold out).

In Line 7

Shipping news

Just some quick news on the pre-orders of my new book "the second in Line" the response has been overwhelming, I had to make three additional trips to the publisher to sign all the copies. Half of all orders have already shipped and the rest are being processed as of now. Expect shipping to take 5-14 days. Thanks for ordering and your patience.

Random

Chokra-and-Awe: Loren Wohl Blasts Through The Fog and Noise

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.

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Book signing in Stockholm

I will be signing books at Staffars serier Söder (Mariatorget) Stockholm, this saturday between 1-3 pm

In line 8

In line 6

In Line 5

their sunday best

Pentatonix' Daft Punk Video: Low Budget Meets Awesome Creativity

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.

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Still signing

The signing is still going on (so many copies to doodle in), so if you want a signed copy order before Tuesday.

Off signing

the Second in Line (from Sanatorium publishing) is ready to order, order before the 7th of November and get a signed copy and a original art pin (hand drawn).



International customers ($44 with worldwide shipping)

Swedish customers (SEK230 med porto)

And a big thanks for all who has ordered it means a lot for me

Things you need to start a kingdom

Just two days left for special pre order offer for my book, the Second in Line

the Coffeeshop

Just a couple of days left for special pre order offer for my book, the Second in Line

A reminder

Just a couple of days left for special pre order offer: http://mattiasa.blogspot.se/2013/10/pre-order-second-in-line.html

We All Screw Up. Don't Worry About It.

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.

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Sketching from the imagination

Darth Vader with a flower

Making pins for pre ordered books

It's a cold war