It has been nearly a year since Lytro announced the world’s first consumer light-field camera that lets users focus photographs after they’re shot. Throughout this time, the camera has only been available direct from the company when ordered through the website. That’ll soon change, as the company announced today that it will be partnering with major retailers around the world to have the camera appear on a store shelf (and website) near you.
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The New York Times’ Lens blog is attempting a project similar to the worldwide 4am project we covered recently.

A Moment in Time is an attempt to capture a slice in the history of the world by allowing readers to submit photographs taken at Sunday, May 2, at 15:00 hours (U.T.C.).

While the photographs don’t have to be taken exactly at the specified time, they ask that you try to stay within minutes of the target. Once you’ve taken a photo, submit it through submit.nytimes.com/moment.

The submitted photographs will then appear on both the Lens blog and on NYTimes.com, and notable photographs will selected and featured more prominently on the blog.

If you’re interested in participating, mark your calendar and be ready with your camera on May 2!

(via 1854)

4am Project is an ambitious project with a simple concept: have everyone take photographs at a particular time on a particular date, and pool them together on the Internet to share our unique perspectives on the world.

Here’s the description on the website:

The aim of the 4amproject is to gather a collection of photos from around the world at the magical time of 4am. Everyone can take part and join in! All you need is a camera.

The time was chosen because 4 to 5 in the morning is a time of the day when streets are usually deserted, and photographers can have the city to themselves.

The project started in 2008 as a personal project of Karen Strunks, a resident of Birmingham in the UK. Though small at first, it has slowly gained a following, and the tag “4amproject” now has over 2,000 photographs on Flickr.

On April 4th, 2010 (tomorrow), photographers around the world will be organizing photo walks and various gatherings at 4am to photograph together. One lucky participant in the project will be receiving a Nikon D90 DSLR with a 18-105mm lens, and there are additional prizes as well.

If you’d like to participate, shoot something between 4 and 5 in the morning tomorrow, and upload it to Flickr with the tag “4amproject”. Happy shooting!

Thanks for the tip, @me_vareen!