Finds

Opinion: The Problem with Many of the ‘Photographers’ on YouTube

Professional event photographer and photography teacher Mik Milman recently published a video that's bound to receive some mixed reactions. In it, Milman laments the dearth of experience of many photographers who pass themselves off as "experts" on YouTube, earning thousands of followers and possibly misleading beginners by offering bad advice and unqualified critiques.

Using 72 High-Speed Cameras to Capture Bullet-Time Slow Motion

The Hydraulic Press YouTube channel is already an entertaining (if occasionally painful) watch. Who doesn't want to see things get crushed and/or explode... in slow motion? But the channel recently took it up another notch by setting up a ring of 72 high-speed cameras to capture some awesome bullet-time slow-motion footage.

This Guy Created a ‘Tazer Camera’ that Electrocutes His Subjects

The Internet is a strange place... and YouTuber Michael Reeves is doing nothing to dissuade us of the fact. The developer, who likes to tinker with and alter electronics on his channel, recently decided to create a "tazer camera" that will electrocute willing subjects the moment he presses the shutter.

This Rugged Aluminum Film Canister Looks Really Cool, Costs $95

If you've got some money to burn and you insist on keeping your film safe and stylish at the same time, design firm RAMA WORKS has something for you. It's called, simply enough, the RAMA WORKS film canister, and it's probably the coolest, most expensive way to carry around your rolls of film.

People Who Post Selfies are Seen as Insecure & Less Likeable, Study Shows

File this under "well... obviously" news. A new study conducted by Washington State University psychologists and published in the Journal of Research in Personality shows that people who post a lot of selfies are perceived as less likeable, less successful, more insecure and less open to new experiences. Yikes.

This Rare 75mm f/1.9 Cinema Projector Lens is the King of Swirly Bokeh

YouTuber Mathieu Stern is a weird lens expert, but even he didn't realize the gem he'd uncovered when someone sold him an old cinema projector lens for 2 Euros at a flea market. It turns out this rare 75mm f/1.9 lens produces some of the most intense swirly bokeh Stern has ever seen.

Wedding Photographer Loses Photos in a Fire, Only Offers 90% Refund

If you lost all of your client's wedding photos in a house fire, would you give them a full refund? This question has been spreading across the Internet the past few days after a couple complained that their wedding photog only offered them a 90% refund after his house burned down, because of the time he already invested.

Model Horror Stories: The 10 Worst ‘Types’ of Models to Work With

Photographer Jordan Matter of Dancers Among Us fame has worked with hundreds of models over the course of his career. Recently, he teamed up with fashion model Natalia Taylor to "spill the tea on some of the craziest fashion models I've photographed" in a fun, tongue-in-cheek video.

This Guy Turned a Sony a7R III Into a Leica Q2

We've seen some unusual camera modding projects before, but this one is next level. Someone over in China took a $2,500 Sony a7R III, took it apart, and, through an insane amount of work, turned it into a $5,000 Leica Q2.

Watch a Shark Breach an Underwater Photographer’s Cage

A crazy video from 2016 is making the rounds again today after photographers started sharing it on social media. The video, which was captured three years ago off the coast of Mexico, shows the crazy moment when a Great White shark accidentally breached a diving cage... while the diver/photographer was still inside.

These Useful Charts Help You Avoid the Crowds at US National Parks

Designer and engineer Jordan Vincent has created a set of data visualizations (read: creative infographics) that landscape photographers might find invaluable. Using visitor data from all of the most popular US National Parks, he was able to plot attendance by type of lodging, time of year, and average temperature.

Do NOT Use this ‘Hack’ to Change Lenses on Your Nikon Z6 and Z7

A video has been making the rounds this week that shows a "hack" for locking down the shutter mechanism while changing lenses on Nikon's full-frame mirrorless Z6 and Z7 cameras. Basically, you remove the battery while the camera is on, causing an error, and change lenses after that. Do NOT do this.

I Found an Abandoned ‘Palace’ in the Desert, It’s Actually a Gameshow Set

While exploring the southern, lesser-known part of the Jordanian desert Wadi Rum, I notice a remarkable, palace-like structure sitting on a high, rocky cliff. The view reminded me of a scene from the classic Oscar-winning film Lawrence of Arabia. It just lacked camel caravans and people.

Pro Food Photographer Debunks Viral ‘Food Styling Hacks’

Those "food styling hacks" videos that go viral online every few months might not be entirely truthful—in fact, they're often entirely misleading. Which is why professional food photographer Scott Choucino put together this video reacting to/debunking some of the most common hacks he's seen online.

Is Noise in Photos Always Bad?

Is noise in photos always bad? It might seem like a rhetorical question with an obvious and universal answer: yes. But landscape photographer and YouTuber James Popsys begs to differ in an opinion video that will no doubt spark some debate.

Photography Newbies Try Using the $52,000 150MP Phase One XF IQ4

What happens when you put a $52,000, 150MP medium format monster of a camera into the hands of complete newbies? The folks at Gear Patrol wanted to find out. So they got some of the non-photographers on their staff to come in and try out the Phase One XF IQ4 before telling them just how expensive the camera really is.

Watch a Photoshop Pro Teach His Mom to Edit Photos

Photoshop expert and photo editing teacher Aaron Nace just took on his most inexperienced pupil yet: his mom. In a special episode of Phlearn, Aaron sat down with his mom to teach her how to edit some of his childhood photos in Photoshop. The result is both entertaining and, if you're a rote beginner like Mrs. Nace, a great intro to photo editing.

Photographer Uses Backyard Shed to Shoot Gorgeous Natural Light Portraits

Calgary-based portrait photographer and YouTuber Irene Rudnyk recently put together a photo shoot that's getting some well-deserved attention. Using just the shed in her backyard and the natural light pouring in, she was able to capture some gorgeous fashion portraits that imitate a popular in-studio lighting setup.

Will It Blend? Torture Testing Sony’s TOUGH SD Cards

Sony's TOUGH SD cards are extremely popular among photographers. But just how tough are they? Photographer and writer Steve Huff decided to put the latest iteration of these TOUGH cards through the ultimate battery of tests: freezer, washer, dryer, pool, and... just for fun... blender.

Lightroom Shootout: $6,700 iMac Pro vs $5,700 PC

Pye Jirsa over at SLR Lounge recently published a Mac vs PC comparison that answers an important question for photographers: which is better for Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, a powerful iMac Pro or an equivalent custom-built PC?

Scientist Captures Incredible 1,000fps Close-Up of Ants Injecting Venom

An ant's stinger is thinner than the width of a human hair, and made up of a main stinger and two "lancets" that actively drill into you as they release venom. We know this because of the incredible footage of this process that was recently captured for the very first time in super-slow motion.

Photographer Speaks Out About ‘The Dark Side of Modeling’

After the recent allegations of harassment and assault against celebrity photographer Marcus Hyde, fashion photographer Jessica Kobeissi decided to use her platform on YouTube to speak out against what she's calling "the dark side of modeling" and share some of the horrifying stories she's heard from models she works with.

Vintage 50mm Lens Shootout: Trying 10 Lenses Under $100

Andrew of husband and wife photography team Denae and Andrew recently partnered up with KEH to test out 10 of the best-selling vintage 50mm lenses on the used market. From old Nikon and Canon glass, to Minolta, Pentax and even a Contax lens, all of these can be had for under $100, and Andrew wanted to find out which of the 10 performed best.

This is How Scientists Colorize Hubble Photos of Deep Space

Every mind-blowing deep space photograph captured by the Hubble space telescope that you've ever seen started out black-and-white. So how do we get those amazing technicolor images of the Pillars of Creation or the Bubble Nebula? This short video explains how scientists manage this feat.

Camera Makers, Please Bring Back the Custom Focus Limiter

Back in the Sony SLT days, the company included an incredibly useful feature into the a99 Mark II called the Custom Focus Limiter. It allowed you to limit your autofocus to any distance range you wanted, and by golly, we wish it were still a thing.

5 of the Most Overused Landscape Photography Techniques

Landscape photographer and LUMIX Ambassador James Popsys has put together a video breaking down five of the most overused photography techniques in landscape photography. From long exposures of water, to sky replacement, he explains why he feels that each of these are either used badly, too often, or both.

Photo History: How Edward Weston Processed His Photos

Legendary photographer Edward Weston was one of the most influential photographers in American history, and in this short video, we get to go back in time, visit his home, and watch him process one of his negatives from start to finish.

How the Amazing Photos in the ‘I Spy’ Books Were Captured

Did you ever dive into an I Spy book as a kid? These photo books were filled with incredibly detailed images that showed tens, sometimes hundreds of objects in a single shot, and challenged children to find specific items within those pictures. And each illustration was captured using real objects by photographer Walter Wick.