This has to do with filmmaking rather than photography, but check out this jaw-dropping shot from the 1997 movie Contact. Can you figure out how it was created? Here’s the answer.

Livestreaming events on YouTube is becoming commonplace, but besides the experience of being there, the one thing that livestreams don’t provide is a way to take pictures and remember the event. When you’re there you’re taking video or snapping a shot, when you’re on your couch you’re watching video and, at best, grabbing a few screenshots — not the most effective method. Read more…

Wanting to shed its image of being “old media” and “old fashioned”, Getty Images has unveiled a new watermark that does away with the annoying logo in favor of short links. Rather than plaster the words “Getty Images” across the front of photos, the new watermark is actually useful: it provides a short link that directs viewers to the webpage for that particular image and also gives credit to the creator of the work. Inspired by the plaques found at exhibitions, the new watermark is offset to the side rather than smack dab in the middle.
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Last Thursday, 13-year-old Addison Logan of Wichita, Kansas found something really cool at a garage sale: an old Polaroid camera for only $1 (score!). But when Addison got it home and started looking up how to use it on the internet, what he found in the cartridge was even cooler, or maybe creepier. Inside the Polaroid camera, bought from a family they don’t even know, was a picture of his uncle Scott who died some 23 years ago in a car accident: Read more…

Ken Burns is a documentary legend, and even though he comes from a filmmaking perspective, his ideas on what makes a story worth telling (or, in our case, a moment worth capturing) are universal and universally inspiring. In this short interview he did with Redglass Pictures he talks about finding subjects where one plus one equals three — where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. He also talks about sincere emotional manipulation, and how he believes it is at the heart of his greatest documentaries. “Emotional truth,” maintains Burns, must be pieced together and created.

And it’s these abilities: the ability to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts, and the ability to “manipulate” the story to piece together an emotional truth that may not be obvious to the casual onlooker; its these abilities that should be at the center of every artist’s tool chest, be they photographer or documentary filmmaker.

Ken Burns On Story (via Fstoppers)

As behind-the-scenes videos go, this one is pretty short, but it still offers an interesting look at how photographer Thomas David put together his popular Dust and Dance photo shoot. Obviously there was some post processing involved to go from initial image to final product, but it’s always great to see a talented photographer put a novel idea into action.

If you’ve been using smartphones for any length of time you’ve probably heard of Bump, the app that allows you to transfer photos and contact information between two phones with a simple… well… bump. And now they’ve expanded their functionality to include a website/webapp that makes transferring photos from your phone to your computer a breeze.

All you have to do if you already have the app is log on to bu.mp, select the photos you would like to transfer from your phone, and bump the phone against the space bar (although we’re pretty sure you could just hit the spacebar with any apendage…). After that you can download them straight to your computer to get them off Bump’s servers or share them with your friends via permalink. There’s not much “professional” application here, but it’s a great way to quickly transfer photos from your phone to your desktop when you’re in a bind.

Bump (via Lifehacker)

For those of you who use your Sony NEX-5N to shoot video, you may have noticed that longer clips have a tendency to lock up your camera. It’s not a problem for shorter videos, but clips over 20 minutes, especially in hot weather, often brings the camera up to a temperature it would rather avoid. To solve this problem, Aron Anderson of trinityfxmg had the idea of modding the camera by adding a battery powered fan to keep it cool even in blistering weather.

So if you have an NEX-5N and want to rid yourself of overheating woes, this video tutorial will show you how to do the mod from start to finish, and even demonstrates the fan in action in brutal 107-degree weather.

(via DIYPhotography)

In Episode 1 of the Framed Network series Film, hosts and photographers Tanja Lippert, Ryan Muirhead and Tia Reagan take an in depth look at the history of photography. If you love the analog way of life then you’re going to want to stick around and watch the entire thing, because when Tanja, Ryan and Tia aren’t being a bit crazy, they’re sharing some really interesting information about the roots of film photography and, therefore, photography in general. People without a sense of humor beware, they can get pretty silly, but the end product is as much educational as it is fun to watch.

The ability to connect your camera to your smartphone wirelessly is starting to really gather some steam. Unfortunately, up until now, that technology usually required a WiFi connection and an adapter that often cost some serious dinero. But if all you’re looking to do is share the photos you take instantly sans WiFi network, you don’t have many options. Enter CloudPic Mobile. Read more…