October 2011

Michael Zhang

Japanese Flying Ball Could Be the Future of Aerial Camera Systems

Japan's Ministry of Defense has unveiled an amazing "Spherical Flying Machine": a 42-inch remote controlled ball that can zip around in any direction at ~37mph. Built using off-the-shelf parts for about $1,400, in Internet is abuzz over the potential applications, which include military reconnaissance and search-and-rescue operations. What we're most interested in, however, is the device's potential as an aerial camera for things like sports photography and combat photojournalism.

Michael Zhang

Everybody Street: A Documentary Film About NYC Street Photographers

Everybody Street is an upcoming documentary film about New York City street photographers (e.g. Bruce Gilden and Joel Meyerowitz) who have taken some of the most iconic images of the past century. Created by photographer Cheryl Dunn, the film was originally a 36-minute short film, but is being expanded into a feature length movie.

Michael Zhang

Portrait Photos ‘Printed’ Onto Abandoned Buildings by Scratching Off Paint

Artist Alexandre Farto has an interesting method of 'printing' large scale portrait photographs onto walls. Instead of using paint, he scratches paint away. Starting with a guide painted onto the wall using a stencil, Farto carefully scratches and chips paint and plaster away from walls using a jackhammer, pick, hammer, and his hands. His giant photos can be seen on abandoned buildings in cities around the world, including Moscow, London, and NYC.

Michael Zhang

Adobe Image Deblurring Done on Capa’s Famous D-Day Photo

Update: We've removed this image to avoid fringing on the copyright held by Magnum Photos. Click the image below to see the original side-by-side comparison.

Still think Adobe's Image Deblurring technology is fake? Check out this before-and-after comparison showing what the feature does to one of the most famous camera-shake photos in history: Robert Capa's D-Day photograph of an American soldier landing on Omaha Beach.

Michael Zhang

Fully Functional Nikon DSLR Costume

For Halloween this year, photographer Tyler Card decided to made a giant Nikon DSLR costume. Not just any DSLR costume, mind you, but a fully functional one. The camera actually takes pictures when the shutter release button is pressed, and the photograph is displayed on the giant LCD screen on the back. The built-in flash also works, and the camera is even capable of triggering Alienbees strobes.

Michael Zhang

Retiree Raises Nearly $200,000 for Charity by Repairing Old Cameras

Photography enthusiast and retired physicist Milo Shott of Oxford, England has found a way use his love for cameras to raise boatloads of money for the poverty-fighting charity Oxfam: camera repair. 11 years ago, Shott noticed some workers at an Oxfam store throwing out an old piece of camera equipment. After saving it from the trash, he fixed it up and helped the store sell it for £270.

Michael Zhang

Giant Stainless Steel Leica Weighs 770lb

Step into the Foto Henny Hoogeveen Leica store in Lisse, the Netherlands, and you'll be greeted by a giant stainless steel Leica camera that weighs a whopping 350kg (~772lb). The sculpture was crafted by Chinese artist Liao Yibai, and there are only three of them in existence. Besides the one found in the shop, the other two are owned by Leica itself and a distributor. The camera isn't based on any one model, but is instead a hodgepodge of features found on the M6, M7, and M9.