For those of you who have never heard of Magic Lantern (or know it only as a 17th century image projector) as far as Canon HDSLRs are concerned, Magic Lantern is a firmware add-on that first appeared in 2009 for the 5D Mark II. Since then it has been ported to most Canon HDSLRS and, for years, it has been known as a hack that brave and/or curious Canon owners have added to their cameras in order to squeeze out more functionality — in some cases a lot more. The risk, of course, was always stability. Read more…

Sebastian Guerrero, an independent researcher in Barcelona says he’s discovered a way to force friendship with any Instagram user — private or public — by exploiting an Instagram server-side vulnerability. In one case, Guerrerro forced Mark Zuckerberg to follow his test account. Then Guerrerro sent him a message through a photo post, which would show up in Zuckerberg’s photo feed of people he follows. Guerrero also used a test account to follow a private user without the required approval from the private user.
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Mike Warren has written up an in-depth tutorial on how you can build a 360° camera hat using 6-8 disposable cameras. The cameras are worn around the head like a crown, and are simultaneously trigger using a single shutter release with the help of servo motors that depress the shutter when triggered. Warren writes,

With the camera array sitting on your head, you’re able to capture a 360° panorama view of your surroundings. This project requires no special electronics knowledge and can be assembled in about an hour.

I designed this camera array off something I saw on the “Radar Detector” music video by Darwin Deez. But, after making the camera hat, everyone kept asking if it was a low-fi version of Google Street View. It’s more the former than the latter, but people can draw their own interpretations.

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If you’re planning to hang a bunch of picture frames on a wall, Marissa Waddell of Roost suggests laying them out on the ground to figure out frame placement. Once you’re happy with how the frames look, simply take a large sheet of wax paper and outline the frames. The paper can then be used as a guide for where to hammer in nails on the wall, giving you the exact layout you came up with.

Another Take on the Gallery Wall (via Lifehacker)

Michele over at The Scrap Shoppe offers this handy trick for hanging picture frames: hammer a nail through a clothespin and use it to determine nail placement. Simply hang the picture on the clothespin nail, figure out where you want to place the frame, and then push the clothespin into the wall to make a small indent. Voila! Target acquired.

Picture Frame Hanging Tip (via Lifehacker)

P.S. Last month we shared a similar trick that uses toothpaste.

Image credits: Photographs by Michele/The Scrap Shoppe

Created by Chris Bell, Liangjie Xia, and Mike Kelberman, Rotobooth is a novel new photo booth with a twist — literally. It’s powered by a hacked rotary phone and shoots a photo after the user dials their cell phone number. The image is then automatically uploaded to Flickr and a link to the photo is sent as a text message to the phone number provided. Check out this interview with Kelberman to learn more about the project and this Flickr set to see some behind-the-scenes photos.

Rotobooth (via Make via Laughing Squid)

Image credit: Photograph by Mike Kelberman

When working with rim lights, or shooting into a significant backlight, glare becomes a serious issue. The typical solution to this problem is setting up flags on either side of your subject, but who needs flags when you have a spare piece of Coroplast sitting around your studio?
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Want to attach your smartphone to your tripod without buying a special mount? Two large binder clips can do the trick. Simply attach the clips to your tripod and then use the handles to cradle your phone. playstationfive has uploaded a step-by-step tutorial over on Imgur.

iPhone Tripod Mount using Binder Clips (via Lifehacker via Make)

Have trouble figuring out exactly where you need to hammer in a nail when hanging up a picture frame? The Industrial Cottage suggests using toothpaste. Simply dab a small amount onto the end of the picture hook, and gently tap the hook into the wall when you find the desire location for your frame. The mark left by the toothpaste is where you’ll need to put in a nail. Just remember to wipe off the toothpaste from the wall and from the frame when you’re done!

(via The Industrial Cottage via Lifehacker)

Flickr user Nick Cool was shooting in Machu Picchu, Perú on a sunny day when he made a helpful discovery: his coffee cup’s sleeve doubled nicely as a makeshift lens hood. While it’s probably not the best thing to use on a regular basis, it’s a clever MacGyver-ish idea that got the job done. For less-ghetto sun shielding that’s just as portable, you can look into printing/making your own lens hood or a nifty new product called the Flex Lens Shade.

(via DYIP)

Image credit: Weatherized Nikon in Peru by Nick Cool and used with permission