On set photography for movies and TV (aka Unit Still Photographer)

Armed with a degree in Scandinavian Philology (Yes, that’s a real thing) from the University of Wisconsin, Hopper Stone started his career as a photojournalist in 1988. He lived in Helsinki, Rome and Mexico City while being a photographer for the Black Star photographic agency. After covering world events on 5 continents, he transitioned to shooting on film sets as a unit still photographer in 1997.

“I got tired of getting shot at” is the one sentence answer as to why he made the switch. “I’m more of a storyteller than an artist. My job is to lay low, be quiet and just be amongst all of the chaos going on in front of me. Through all of that, I need to filter out what isn’t necessary and include what is necessary to tell the story of what’s going on. It’s like diet photojournalism. I shoot the story, as I see it, of the film being made in front of me. I just see through the noise”.

When he isn’t shooting on set, Hopper can be found in his home recording booth narrating audiobooks.

Do You Have a Good Photo Tip for Us?

Know your stuff. Like have a solid understanding of how photography works. This way, when you are actually shooting, you can concentrate on what’s happening in front of you and not be thinking about how photography works. Also, wear good shoes.

“Do your job, Motherf@*r”!”

I did a project with Samuel L. Jackson. I had only been on for a couple of days when we were coming into a very emotional scene. It was in a very tight space and I didn’t really know yet how Sam felt about stills and what his acting process was like. So I went up to him early in the day and asked if it would be OK for me to be in the room during that scene. Sam is about 6’2” and he leaned over me, poked me in the chest and said, “I got a job. You got a job. All these Motherf@*rs got a job. Just do your job Motherf@*r!”.

It was then that I realized that I had checked an item off of my bucket list which I didn’t know I had: Samuel L. Jackson called me Motherf@*r.

What’s in your bag?

• 2 Sony A9mk2 bodies
• 2 Sony A7smk3 bodies
• A7rmk5 body
• 24-70mm f/2.8 v2
• 70-200mm f/2.8 v2
• 12-24mm f/2.8
• 35mm f/1.4
• 50mm f/1.2
• 85mm f/1.4
• 135mm f/1.8
• 200-600mm f/4.5-6.3
• 9 Sony Touch CF cards
• 1 BLACKRAPID Hybrid strap for 2 cameras
• 1 BLACKRAPID Classic strap for single camera

Follow Hopper Stone

• Instagram – hopper_stone
• Website – stonefoto.com
• Voice Acting Site – hopperstone.com

The post BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Hopper Stone appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Still photographer for the motion picture industry and President of the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers (SMPSP)

I fell into photojournalism in 1988 (seriously…fell in). By late 1996, I was living in Mexico City working as a photojournalist and began to see the writing on the wall. I had just gotten attacked by an angry mob and was otherwise getting really tired of getting shot at.

So I went the movies. I saw the credit that said “Still Photographer,” and I pointed to the screen and said out loud, “I want THAT job”. So I moved to LA and started all over again.

I always refer to shooting on set as diet photojournalism. The skills are the same: Be quite, lay low, don’t affect the action that’s going on front of you and capture the story.

I came up through low budget world (Leprechaun in tha ‘hood, Blood Surf, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha ‘hood) and television (My Name is Earl, Modern Family).

From there I got movies like Hidden Figures, The Boss, Ghostbusters, Game Night, and Captain Phillips (alongside BlackRapid Ambassador Jasin Boland)

Do You Have a Photography Tip?

It takes just as much effort to build a business shooting the kind of photos you want to do and are interested in than it does to build a business doing what you don’t want to do. So, if you’re going to put the effort into being a professional photographer, shoot what interests you; not just what you think will make you money.

Also, I wish someone had told me when I was younger to pay more attention to ergonomics. I ran around with 35 lbs of camera gear on one shoulder, thinking I was invincible. Let’s just get this out of the way: Photography is a rather unhealthy endeavor.

30 years ago, a sore back, bad shoulders and a ratty camera bag were badges of honor. I tell a lot of the younger folk out there that it’s super important to invest in proper bags, pouches and, yes, camera straps. Take it from an Advil Warrior!

Balancing Requests On Movie Sets

I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but every day on set is really different (which is I guess why it doesn’t get boring). One of the greatest challenges is finding the right shot while taking everyone’s likes, needs, and preferences into account.

I had one movie in which I had contradictory requests from each actor: One insisted on being shot from above. Another insisted on being shot from below. Another didn’t want to be photographed from the waist down. Another didn’t want to be photographed straight on because of a lazy eye and the last one was 6 foot 5.

And I had to fit all of them into one frame which they would all approve during filming where I couldn’t direct anything (and stay out of the light, the camera view, the direct eye line of the actors and reflections). Or as I like to call days like this –”Wednesday.”

What’s In Your Bag?

• 2 Sony A9’s. Sony lenses: 12-24mm, 24-70, 70-200, 90 macro, 200-600
• Leica Q. Leica M10. Leica Monochrom. M lenses: 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm
• Leica SL2. 24-90mm and 90-280mm lenses.

(Yes, I have a camera problem)

I Carry a Variety of BlackRapid Straps

Back in the day when I had to keep an SLR in a sound proof box called a sound blimp, I used the DR-1. This strap literally saved me from needing neck surgery (or so my doctor told me).

Now that we are mirrorless, I use the Hybrid breathe when I’m slinging 2 bodies.

I still have a few Classic and Sport straps which I keep around as backups or which I’ll loan out to crew members who I see struggling sometimes (Visual Effects data wranglers are taking pictures all day. I’ve also loaned straps to countless focus pullers who are holding a remote focus unit around their necks).

My Leica SL2 is on a Black Rapid Groovy strap, which is a great throwback to the kind of strap I used when I was a young photojournalist.

What I also love is keeping my Sony 200-600 on its own strap. So if I need it, I can just pull a body off the 70-200 which is on my Hybrid Breathe, throw a lens cap on it, put the A9 on that longer lens. When I’m done with it, I just swap the body back.

The BlackRapid strap is a great way of carrying long glass around.

And yes, when I took a trip to Italy and only brought my phone, I had a WandeR Bundle attached to it.

Social media links/website

Instagram – @hopper_stone
Website – stonefoto.com
Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers – smpsp.org

The post BLACKRAPID SPOTLIGHT: Hopper Stone appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

Links to Follow Hopper Stone

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/hopper_stone/

SMPSP – https://smpsp.org

IMDB – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0832098/

Stone Foto – https://stonefoto.com

The post Jasin Boland’s Podcast with Hopper Stone Unit Still Photographer (2 of 2) appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

And as President of the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers, Hopper talks about the SMPSP, it’s mission and requirements for Photographers to join the Society.

Links to Follow Hopper Stone

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/hopper_stone/

SMPSP – https://smpsp.org

IMDB – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0832098/

Stone Foto – https://stonefoto.com

The post Jasin Boland’s Podcast with Hopper Stone Unit Still Photographer (1 of 2) appeared first on BLACKRAPID.