Have you always wondered how to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop but have never gotten around to learning it? f stoppers published this uber-informative video tutorial by Sean Armenta teaching how it’s used and why it’s a tool that everyone should learn. The teaching is done on a Mac, so if you have a PC, just substitute CTRL for CMD and ALT for OPT.

Sharan pinhole cameras are Japanese-made cardboard camera kits that you buy and build yourself. All the parts are pre-cut, and can be assembled using tape in about 1 to 2 hours with the help of step-by-step instructions. The STD35 is a standard 35mm pinhole camera, while the Wide-35 allows you to take panoramic photos.
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Here’s a mind-blowing demo reel by Stargate Studios that will make you doubt everything you see on television in the future.

Fashion photographer David LaChapelle is launching a lawsuit against Rihanna over the controversial music video for her song S&M. LaChapelle alleges that “the music video is directly derived from and substantially similar to the LaChapelle works” and that it copied the “composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colors, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting” of eight of his photographs.
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Photographer Martin Usborne shot a series of photographs of dogs patiently waiting in cars for their owners for his project “MUTE: the silence of dogs in cars“. He managed to capture their longing expressions quite well.
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A man in Atlanta was just awarded $40,000 in damages after having his cell phone confiscated and photos deleted while filming police activity from a public location. The man was filming for Copwatch, an organization that aims to crack down on law enforcement wrongdoing by filming their activities, and was told by the police that he had no right to record them. An interesting quote from the CNN segment above is the lesson this case should send to other police departments,

The lesson is that police departments need to know that citizens can film their activity if it is taking place in a public place.

Not a bad result for having some cell phone photos deleted, huh?

For those of you who still shoot film and are adventurous, have you tried double film photography? Flickr user Chuck Miller stuck two 35mm Fuji 200 films — one normal, one redscale — into a Holga 120N and shot the films simultaneously to get these unique sprocket hole, layered photographs.
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This award-winning music video for the song “Squeeze Me” by Kraak & Smaak features creative photo flip book animations. Rather than use special effects, actual still frames were printed as photos and assembled into the flip books that overlay the scenes.

(via Laughing Squid)

The Gizmon Half D is a digital toy camera by that mimics the look of the Olympus PEN F half frame 35mm camera. The 2 megapixel camera has a 1.5-inch LCD screen, ISO ranging from 100-400, VGA video mode, three aspect ratios (standard, half, and square), and 10 different color modes. Like the Chobi Cam One, the Half D has a number of lenses that can be used for different looks. You can buy one for $120 through the Gizmon store.

Gizmon Half D (via 43 Rumors)

Getting an infant or toddler to stare into your camera lens can be a challenge, and you’re forced to compete with all kinds of sights and sounds that easily steal their gaze and attention. Camera Creatures are hand-stitched toys that attach to the front of your camera lens to give your tiny subjects something cute to look at while you photograph them. They cost $10 in this Etsy store.

For a solution that’s less cute but possibly more effective, check out the ShutterBuddy, a checkboard pattern attachment that babies can’t resist.

Camera Creatures (via Photoxels)