May 2011

Photographer and blogger Thomas Hawk has an ongoing project called $2 Portraits in which he gives $2 to people on the street in exchange for a portrait: …

Panasonic has announced its latest Micro Four Thirds camera, the Lumix DMC-G3, the world's smallest and lightest system camera with a viewfinder. It's a slim 16-megapixel camera (up from 12) that does 1080p HD view recording and does 4fps continuous still shooting (or a whopping 20fps when you drop down to 4MP). On the back you'll find a large 3-inch touchscreen LCD that features touch focusing, allowing you to press any area on the screen to focus on particular locations. It'll hit shelves in …

Update: This giveaway is now over. The winners were randomly selected and announced below.

Hong Kong-based camera enthusiast TM Wong has 1000+ instant cameras in his collection -- possibly the world's largest collection. That's enough cameras to use a different one each day for nearly three years!

Back in February 2011, Leica Camera and Magnum Photos announced a partnership that will spawn a series of multimedia essays created by Magnum photojournalists with Leica equipment. They also created this inspirational video telling the story of how many of history's iconic photographs were captured by Magnum photographers using Leica gear.

In mid-2010, Time Magazine showed off a demonstration of a slick tablet app they were making in collaboration with The Wonderfactory. As it became widely shared across the web, HDR photographer Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs started receiving messages from fans who spotted his work in the video demo. Problem was, he had never given the magazine or the agency permission to use his work.

Dutch consumer product website Beste Product ("best product") decided to set up a royal rumble between the two heavyweights of the camera industry: Canon and Nikon. They created an infographic comparing the two companies in things such as expert and user opinions, popularity, and sales. Even if you're sick and tired of the endless comparisons and debates (as you should be), the infographic provides some interesting facts about how the two companies are doing.

Ever wonder what the fees involved in doing photography for an ad campaign look like? Jess Dudley, a producer over at Wonderful Machine, has an insightful post on A Photo Editor breaking down an estimate he recently did for a client: …

Redscale is a technique where film is exposed on the wrong side -- rather than having the light hit the emulsion directly, you expose the film through the non-sensitive side.

Videographer Michael Justin Porco walked around Central Park in NYC a few days ago snapping photographs, after starting to shoot photos for a time-lapse of Bethesda Fountain, it began drizzling and he only shot ten frames (one every 5 seconds using an intervalometer). When he reviewed the frames, he was amazed to discover that he had accidentally captured a sequence of photographs showing a man proposing to his girlfriend.

The Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 is a tiny 5-megapixel digital camera designed to look just like the Rolleiflex 2.8F 6x6cm twin lens reflex camera. The camera even operates like an old school TLR: you look into the camera from above via a square 1.1-inch LCD screen, the camera needs to be readied for each shot by turning the handcrank on the side, and the photos taken are square format. It's available on Amazon in black or red versions for about $270.

Since launching in 2008, TwitPic has been at the center of quite a few copyright controversies and legal battles, especially when disasters strike and Twitter users are able to publish photos of things that are happening well before major news outlets. Back in early 2010 photographer Daniel Morel had an iconic photograph taken during the Haiti earthquake widely republished in newspapers across the world without his permission after he uploaded the photos to TwitPic, then later that year …

Check out this wacky-looking custom lens cap designed by Japanese corp UN for the Olympus XZ-1. Many compact cameras don't offer too much protection for the lens glass when the camera is off and the lens retracted (usually it's a small plastic cover/curtain), so there are quite a few camera users that might benefit from a cap like this one. It's secured to the front of the XZ-1 using an Allen key, and is pushed open when the lens extends from the body. When the camera is turned off, the cap …

Deal of the day website Groupon is the fastest growing companies in web history and a popular way for local businesses to generate some buzz in their areas, but some independent photographers are finding out the hard way that offering special deals through Groupon might be the worst marketing decision they ever made.

Learning how to control depth of field with your camera isn't too difficult, but do you know the science behind how it works? This uber-educational 20-minute video lesson gives a thorough explanation of depth of field and the different factors that affect it. It was made by artist Justin Snodgrass, and is also available for download (and in parts) over on his website.

What you see in this photograph is the most flashes ever used to light a single photograph. Photographer Jason Groupp synced and fired a whopping 300 flashes at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center this past weekend to set the record, which was confirmed and made official by Guinness World Records. Unlike other world records, this one doesn't seem very difficult to break -- all you need is some technical know-how, a lot of time, and extremely deep pockets.

Urban Outfitters is selling these Embarrassing Photo Protective Sunglasses that make you look like you're walking around with your face censored -- perfect for those who are paranoid of having their photographs taken without their permission. A pair of "face-blocking shades" costs $12.

Cars can have pretty creative paint jobs, but it seems like the best anyone can do with a DSLR is do a messy DIY repainting or buy a Pentax with ridiculous or nasty-looking designs. Sherwin Sibala came up with these unique design concepts showing what a DSLR (specifically a Nikon D7000) might look like if people chose to personalize the body.

Ever wonder what happens when you drop your camera off at a repair shop? This time-lapse video shows a Nikon D300s going "under the knife" to have a bent Compact Flash card pin fixed. The camera sensor is removed to get access to the CF pin housing, and the faulty pin is replaced thanks to an "organ donor" (a Canon 40D).

Pete Souza's iconic photo of Obama and his national security team in the Situation Room has become extremely well known in the span of a week, so it's unlikely that any reputable media outlet would dare alter the photo in any way -- but that's exactly what one newspaper did. Orthodox Hasidic newspaper Der Tzitung has a policy of never publishing photographs of women, and decided to publish Obama's situation room photograph with Hillary Clinton and counterterrorism director Audrey Tomason …

Online SLR Camera Simulator is a neat flash app that helps teach the fundamentals of using an SLR camera by letting you tweak different variables and settings, then showing you what the resulting photograph would look like. It's a great way for any beginner to become more familiar with a camera's controls, though nothing beats going out and practicing by taking real photos -- though this app would have been a lifesaver before the digital era.

Here's a beautiful tone mapped HDR time-lapse video of Las Vegas shot by Philip Bloom using a few Canon DSLRs and a Panasonic GH2. He spent 5 days shooting, and many more processing the bracketed photographs using Photomatix Pro. It's pretty amazing seeing Las Vegas go from day to night and then back again -- all in HDR. To find out how Bloom did this, check out the behind-the-scenes writeup and video over on his blog.

President Obama announced last week that photographs of Osama bin Laden's body would not be released to the public due to concerns that it would incite violence and hatred, but a number of news agencies and advocacy groups are attempting to have them released using a Freedom of Information Act request. The Associated Press is one of the agencies that filed a FOIA request (they're also requesting that video of the raid be released), and the US government has 20 days to respond.

Back in 2008, photographer Hailey Bartholomew was feeling down even though everything seemed to be going for her in life. After getting some counseling, she began an exercise in reflection and gratitude by purchasing enough Polaroid film for an entire year, and taking a single photo every day of something she is grateful for. Before long, she began noticing things that she otherwise would have overlooked, and her life was transformed by simply looking for the small things in life that are easy …

A little over a year ago, US-based startup company Noktor announced a manual focus HyperPrime 50mm f/0.95 lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras that generated some buzz, and there was even murmurings of the lens being released for Canon and Nikon DSLRs. The company never really took advantage of the excitement they caused and not much was heard about the project since then. At the end of last week, the company took down the Noktor website and announced that the effort had come to an end.

Ovation TV made this interesting video showing acclaimed photographers Albert Maysles, Sylvia Plachy, Andrew Moore, Timothy Greenfield Sanders and Gregory Crewdson answering various questions about photography and sharing words of advice regarding things they've learned over the years.

Mother's Day is in just a couple of days, and if you're planning on writing a letter for your mom, you can add an extra personalized touch by delivering it in an envelope made from your photographs (magazine pages work too). Tricia over at {every}nothing wonderful has a detailed tutorial teaching how to make them.

design mind has an interesting post titled "Aged to Perfection" that explores the issue of whether or not consumer gadgets age gracefully as time and use wear them down. They specifically compare a 3-year-old iPhone with a 7-year-old Canon compact film camera: …

These bizarre looking images are what you get when you "modify" chromogenic prints with chlorine bleach. Flickr user Sarah Palmer has done a number of experiments with these technique, and the results are pretty abstract.

New Jersey is considering a new law that would make it a third-degree crime to photograph children without parental consent. More specifically, bill A3297 would prevent people from shooting photos or videos of children when "a reasonable parent or guardian would not expect his child to be the subject of such reproduction".

We suggested a couple weeks ago that you start collecting things via photos if your idea tank is running dry and you're in need of a project. A neat photography-related item you can try collecting is 35mm film canisters -- it's kind of like collecting wine corks, though getting the film processed usually results in having the canisters tossed. The photo above shows Flickr user Wee Sen Goh's colorful collection.

The pro-level mirrorless camera Nikon is rumored to be working on (the "Coolpix Pro") may unfortunately boast a not-so-pro-sized sensor. The latest news to be sweeping across the Interwebs is that the camera will pack a 2.6x crop factor sensor, smaller than the Micro Four Thirds format sensor or the APS-C sensor found in the FujiFilm FinePix X100. It's also likely that the mirrorless camera would have been announced already had production not been stalled by the devastating earthquake and …

Google Street View photos won't be limited to the exterior of buildings for much longer -- the company has just announced Google Business Photos, a service that will allow Google websites to show the interiors of local businesses. If you thought having vehicles equipped with Street View cameras driven up and down every street in every city was a tedious project, for Business Photos Google is planning to have photographers sent to businesses that apply for the service. Crowd-sourcing the imagery …

You might not know this, but virtually all of the still photographs you've seen in the press showing President Obama announcing the death of Osama bin Laden are staged photographs. Reuters photographer Jason Reed wrote an interesting behind-the-scenes blog post on Monday, explaining: …

Photographer Alan Sailer works out of his garage shooting things with a high-speed pellet rifle and photographing the results using a homemade flash unit. An interesting series of photographs he has, titled "The War Against Christmas", involves filling Christmas tree ornaments with various things and shooting them for unique explosions of texture and color. The photograph above shows an exploding ornament that was filled with washable kids tempera paint.

One of the main stumbling points for new photographers is the seemingly random series of numbers that we have come to know as the f-stop scale or aperture scale. Things start out innocently enough f/1, f/1.4 (just add 0.4 every time, right?), but things get ugly quickly -- f/2, f/2.8, f/4. Why would anyone invent such an arbitrary scale?

Between late 2010 and early 2011, photographer Dominic Boudreault visited Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Manhattan, and Chicago, shooting gorgeous images of the cityscapes at night using a Canon 5D Mark II. The images were then combined into this beautiful time-lapse video showing the hustle and bustle of highways, sidewalks, streets, and rivers.

If you're the proud owner of a Polaroid 600 camera (and have deep pockets), this news will be music to your ears: Impossible has launched its new PX 680 Color Shade First Flush line of color instant film to replace the popular Polaroid 600 color film that was discontinued back in 2008. In addition to Polaroid 600 cameras, the film is also compatible with SX-70 models as long as you use a neutral density filter. It seems like Impossible is getting better and better at resurrecting Polaroid films …

While we're on the subject of Fujifilm's sizzlin' hot FinePix X100, here's what the camera looks and sounds like when shooting at its maximum rate of 5 frames per second. Silent but deadly.

If Fujifilm has been waiting to see whether the retro-tastic FinePix X100 would sell well before working on an interchangeable lens followup, they'd better start calling the engineers into the office. The camera is finally starting to become available in the US, but every time a handful of the cameras appear on Amazon, photography blogs alert their readers and the inventory is sold out within minutes. Reviewers are also heaping their praises on the camera -- here's what Steve Huff has to say …

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and if you haven't gotten anything for your mom yet we think these tiny Polaroid magnets would make an awesome gift. Simply download the template, add your photos, print them out, glue them to chipboard, and attach a magnet to the back. Graphic designer Jennifer Kirk has a writeup and tutorial over on her blog Ambrosia Girl.

This photo might not seem very special, but it's actually the most viewed photograph on Flickr. Since it was uploaded back in 2006, "Nohkalikai Falls, Cherrapunjee" by Pankaj Kaushal has amassed over 3 million views, though Kaushal himself admits that he has no idea why the photograph -- taken with a Nikon D70 and 18-70 kit lens -- became so popular.

Here's a neat behind-the-scenes video by Samsung featuring short interviews with the developers and engineers behind its NX lenses. One of the things I found interesting was how the engineers are constantly working to overcome the prejudice that Korean-made lenses are inferior to those crafted in Japan or Germany. The video also briefly shows a Samsung 300mm f2.8 XF ED lens -- a lens that doesn't officially exist.

What you see above is the largest true-color photograph of the night sky ever created, shot by 28-year-old amateur astrophotographer Nick Risinger using six astronomical cameras. It's not just the view of the sky from one location, but is instead a 360-panoramic view of the sky taken by trekking 60,000 miles across the western United States and South Africa starting in March 2010. The final image is composed of 37,000 separate photographs. Check out the massive zoomable high-definition version …

Illinois industrial design student Ned Mulka created this Nikon D5R concept camera for his senior thesis design project. While the design itself may be pretty iffy for a camera, the main idea behind it is pretty interesting -- instead of having to rotate the camera itself for portrait orientation photos, why not only rotate the sensor, mirror, and viewfinder? An even crazier design would involve only rotating the sensor, allowing the camera to shoot any orientation without having to change how …

The big story around the world this week was the death of Osama bin Laden after a raid of his compound by US Navy SEALs. As a terrific example of how the Internet is transforming the way we view these world events, behind the scenes photos taken at the White House as these events transpired were almost immediately shared on the White House Flickr photostream. One particular photograph (shown above) showing President Obama and his national security team in the Situation Room has been widely …

Engineer Peter Dering wanted a better solution for carrying his DSLR around so, after tinkering around with ideas and prototypes for a couple years, he quit his job and designed the Capture Camera Clip System, a small device that lets you securely attach your DSLR to belts and backpack straps. There's also plans for an attachment that will allow you to attach cameras to the frame of your bike or the roof of your car. The camera attachment uses the standard tripod mount, and the base piece has a …

Here's something cute and creative way to share your photographs: turn them into tiny, confetti-sized postcards. All you need to do is add your photo to the pre-made template and print it out. It's designed by The World's Smallest Post Service, and you can find a step-by-step tutorial over on Photojojo.

If you thought the Polaroid beeswax candle we shared yesterday was cool, check out this candle designed to look like the FED 3 Soviet rangefinder camera (on right, with actual camera on left). Each one is handmade and costs $39 + $18 shipping on eBay -- pretty expensive for a candle, but who would buy one of these just to use as a candle? …

You can pick up a mini tripod for your compact camera over at Meritline today for just $0.74 with shipping included. Just add the tripod to your shopping cart and enter the coupon code MLCKXFHUER0503NL1 at the checkout screen.