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Lots of discussion on the why of shooting with an iPhone, but I'm wondering about how. As in how do you create lighting that will let you get a good meaty picture and lots of subject separation using an iPhone. Expressiveness is a topic for another day. Specifically where would you start with light levels, ratios, color temps, and the rest? I presume you would set light levels so the camera could be shot at its native ISO value, but beyond that: Would you go very hard source light? Ultra diffused? Religiously keep your ratios at 2:1 or eliminate the fill and let the shadows fall where they may? How about colors? With the limitations of the iPhone sensor would it be best to define shapes with contrasting colors (solid-colored costumes against relatively plain cool backgrounds) or would it be better to keep everything homogeneous (beige on beige on beige).

Dear Colleagues, I'm wondering what objects, surfaces or props can be used to achieve interesting light reflection patterns? See this example of the Feist music video: It doesn't have to be that one per say, but any other technique that you guys could recommend from experience? Sincerely, Jovan Todorovic jovan.tv

Hello, I have a question that applies both to still photography as it does to cinematography, I hope I will not get banned for that! As a cinematographer, I find hard to differentiate the two, as I use my photographic work a lot, as an inspiration and experimental playground in my cinematography work. Currently, I am wondering what are the best ways to find a fisheye accessory or get a fisheye lens for a very low price. The goal is to fit in a lot of landscape, and get distortion effects on faces or other subjects. I realize that usually these lenses or add-ons are expensive because they are made with a lot of polished glass that costs money to manufacture. However, I am wondering if over the years some older lenses or accessories become cheaper in second-hand stores. I am trying to attach the lens: -either to "old-school" manual lenses (for still cameras such as Pentax MX, Minolta X-300, Olympus Pen F, Pentacon SIX TL, Canon) for photo work/research; -or to Super-8 cameras (Canon 310 XL, Bauer C105 or C107) for film work; -or to more recent digital bodies (Canon EOS rebel, Sony NEX 3) for digital film work. The lens has to be as fisheye as possible and full-frame if possible! The closest I've been (and cheapest) was a TV Zoom Lens someone sold me for 5 euros at a rummage sale that used to be from a Canon video camcorder from the 70s, with macro functions, zoom functions, and quite wide angle. I can easily adapt it on the Sony NEX because it has a C-mount, but it requires cropping and is very bulky.

It seems that a DOP needs to learn to light for every situation and then tweak those according to script and specific locations. Though not exhuastive I have listed the situations in which one should practice lighting. Can you think of others that are good to practice? DAY Interiors room dramatic. Hard sunlight through windows with possibly a little fill. Interiors room soft. Huge softbox outside window with a little fill inside room if necessary. Interiors car and transports dramatic. Hard sunlight through windows with possibly a little fill. Interiors car and transports soft. Huge softbox outside window with a little fill if necessary. Exterior dramatic. Hard sunlight with some bounce fill for close ups - or recreate use mega HMI Exterior soft. Cloudy day - or recreate use mega HMI and huge diffussion screen Exterior Contre-jour.* Exterior underwater.* Exterior to Interior or vice versa** - Doorways mixing 2 of the above SUNSET/SUNRISE Pretty much the same as above but with lower sun and lower kelvin temperature. NIGHT Interior Dramatic* - such as a prison door opening. Interior Cosy - Practical lamps Interior Clinical - Strips Lights Interior Watching TVs Interior Candle scenes Interior Torches* (i.e. caves, breaking into a house etc.) Interior Moonlight coming in from outside Interior Streetlight coming in from outside Interior Car Headlights coming in from outside Interior Fires Interior Oil Lamps Interior Storm Outside* Interior Car Interior Party - disco lights. Exterior Moonlight Exterior Streetlights Exterior Car Headlights Exterior Fires Exterior Candles Exterior Torches* Exterior Storms* Exterior Underwater* Exterior to Interior or vice versa** - Doorways mixing 2 of the above SPECIAL SITUATIONS Greenscreen* Rear projection* Front projection* Smoke* Snow* Rain* I've starred some of them which I think are in particular the most difficult and need more practice on. Personally I find doorways extremely difficult especially when the exposures are different either side of the door and lighting is different e.g. walking from moonlight outside into cosy warm lit interior. Perhaps one should avoid opening doors in movies - have the character walk up to a house in the moonlight and cut as one puts the hand on the door handle to inside and hanging up a coat? Are there any movies or behind the scenes that you recommend watching for door and lighting transitions? Close-ups are not too bad it is the masters that are hard to shoot. I find torch scenes at night quite difficult because if you over crank the moonlight the torches light seems a little dim. Perhaps I need to use some 320 lumen flashlights and a bit of smoke. Though trying to get an even coverage of smoke is very tricky - amost need black garden sprinklers or tubing everywhere in a scene without it showing.

this video is rather trippy. some of the techniques i recognize like the overlay, and the overhead green screen shots. tehre still really good. the quality is low, but for some reason i think they may have done this on purpose. there look to be a lot of purpose in this video. I cant seem to figure out how they did it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NcI6XAVnnw <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9NcI6XAVnnw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>