January 2012

Michael Zhang

Beautiful Photos of IKEA Kitchen Items Neatly Arranged

IKEA scored a viral advertising hit in 2010 when it released a cookbook with photographs by Carl Kleiner showing the ingredients of each recipe neatly arranged on a table. Now, the Swedish furniture company has teamed up with the photographer and stylist Evelina Kleiner again for a series of photographs showing kitchen items in beautiful arrangements.

Michael Zhang

A Photographer Who Throws Herself at Men, Literally

Photographer Lilly McElroy has a unique series of photos titled I Throw Myself At Men that consists of self-portraits showing her launching herself into the arms of strangers.

For this project I went to a lot of bars and I literally threw myself at men who I didn't know. I used my body as a projectile, hurling myself toward strong, vulnerable men who were waiting to catch me. Poised in a perpetual state of social awkwardness and in full possession of the ability to subvert stereotypical gender roles, the photographs pose questions concerning relationships, social connection, sex, gender, and the desire to form relationships quickly that are both intense and long lasting.

The project got started after McElroy placed ads on Craigslist asking for men who'd be willing to meet blind date-style in bars and have McElroy throw herself at them.

Michael Zhang

Double: A Blue Sky and White Vapor Trail

Upon first glance, the photograph Double by photographer Katsuhiro Saiki might look like some sort of abstract modern painting of a blue canvas divided by a thin white line. Look a little closer, and you'll find that it's actually a photograph of the sky divided neatly in half by an airplane vapor trail.

Michael Zhang

Kodak Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Well, the rumors were true: today the iconic photography company Kodak announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. What this means is that the company is given permission to continue its normal operations as it struggles to restructure and transform into a sustainable business.

Michael Zhang

A 35-Foot-Long Camera That Exposes 6-Foot-Tall Negatives

For his project Vanishing Cultures, photographer Dennis Manarchy is traveling around the country documenting various cultures with a one-of-a-kind, 35-foot-long camera called "Eye of America". Styled like an old fashioned large format camera, it's so large that a person can work comfortably inside it. The negatives measure 6x4.5 feet, and are so large that windows must be used as lightboxes to examine them. The detail in a portrait subjects' eyeball alone is a thousand times greater than what you get with the average negative. Resulting portraits will be featured on prints 2 stories tall.

Michael Zhang

City Silhouettes: Skylines Seen Through Portraits of City Dwellers

City Silhouettes is a beautiful project by Beijing-based photographer Jasper James that consists of portraits of city dwellers blended with the cityscapes in the background. There's no Photoshop trickery involved -- James uses reflections seen in glass and the images are composed entirely in-camera.

Michael Zhang

Mind-Bending Portraits That Defy Gravity

French artist Philippe Ramette captures surreal self-portraits in which he appears to be defying gravity. Rather than use digital trickery, Ramette -- who started his career as a sculptor -- builds metal support structures that allow him to stand or sit at impossible angles.

Michael Zhang

Levi’s Jeans Denim Camera Strap

Last year Levi's teamed up with Hong Kong magazine New Monday on an exclusive denim camera strap that was included for free with an issue of the magazine. The strap was produced with the same materials used to manufacture Levi's jeans and came in both red and black. You can find the straps for sale on eBay for around $20-$30.