2012

There's nothing new about creating 3D spacial diagrams using 2D photos, but what a group of Japanese researchers is currently working on may speed up and streamline the process so much so that anybody can use it. Their system uses no special camera equipment, all you need is a point-and-shoot and a wireless SD card so that you can upload form anywhere.

Scientists at Duke University have created a digital camera that boasts a whopping 50 gigapixels. The camera, dubbed AWARE-2, uses 98 separate 14-megapixel microcameras and a special spherical lens. Each microcamera captures a tiny portion of the scene and a specially designed processor stitches the images together. Processing the data is so hardware intensive that 97% of the camera is made up of electronics and computer components (the other 3% is the optical elements).

People either love or hate Instagram, but if you happen to fall into the former category then you now have a wearable option. That's right, you can wear your favorite Instagram shots. The company that makes this happen is called Instapparel, and it's easy enough to use: just authorize the website to access your Instagram account and you're off to the races. You can customize the size of the shirt, choose between color and cream, pick the size and placement of your photos, and then buy the whole …

We've seen 'Blue Marble' photos of Earth before, but this latest NASA photo is different: it's the first photo of its kind shot from above our planet's North Pole. The photo is a composite of images captured by a satellite as it passed over the North Pole 15 times at an altitude of 512 miles.

The camera obscura has been around for a long time (Middle Ages long) and typically consisted of a box or room with a hole in one side through which an image of its surroundings could be formed. As you can see from the example above, any room -- in this case a bathroom -- can be turned into a camera obscura given a small enough "aperture." Unfortunately, most rooms have big, blaring windows that let in too much light, and the only image formed on the opposite wall is a shadowy blob.

Do professional photographers belong in delivery rooms? More and more of them are showing up there. The New York Times has an interesting piece on the rise of birth photography as a up-and-coming niche:

Earlier this month was iconic photo Napalm Girl's 40 year anniversary, and while most of the world was looking back on one of the most striking images ever taken, one photographer was reminiscing over a lost opportunity.

Here's a creative series of photographs by photographer Nithin Rao Kumblekar. He shot models from above as they sprawled out on the ground over intricate chalk drawings, using perspective to blend them into the scenes. The work reminds us of Jan von Holleben's 'Dreams of Flying' project, except chalk is used instead of props.

Ever notice how food at McDonald's never looks like the ones pictured in advertisements? Here's a behind-the-scenes video that offers a look at how McDonald's burgers are photographed.

It seems like every month another company is acquired by Facebook; be it Instagram, Lightbox or now Face.com, it's clear that Facebook is looking to make some serious improvements on the photo side of things, and we certainly won't complain about that. Face.com's facial recognition IP has been very well-received so it's no surprise the people over at Zuckerberg Corp Facebook have decided to snatch up the Israeli-based startup before anybody else does.

If you've ever deleted a photo by accident you probably already know about applications like DiskDigger that can go in and recover the image from the electronic beyond. This can come in really handy when an overzealous clicking finger accidentally erases several worthwhile pictures from your hard drive. Up until now, however, there was no way to perform the same search and rescue on your mobile device. Fortunately, DiskDigger for Android changes that.

Portrait photographer Peter Hurley gave this talk at the recent Google+ Photography Conference in SF. His training on headshots have made quite a splash in the photo world in the past year, and this free hour-long lecture is a great way to glean some tips for your work.

Artist Rodrigo Torres creates amazing 3D topographic sculptures of landscapes using a stack of 2D prints. This idea would be amazing for cityscape sculptures.

After releasing firmware update 1.01 last month and fixing the D4/D800 lock up issues, Nikon Rumors is reporting that the Japanese camera company has another firmware update up its sleeve -- this one dealing with some different issues that have come up with the same two cameras.

A couple of years ago, FujiFilm sent a Real 3D W1 up to the International Space Station for the astronauts to play with in what we can only assume is their abundant free time. That camera yielded the pictures you see above and below -- which you can experience in their full glory with a pair of 3D glasses -- and now FujiFilm has sent up the updated W3 to hopefully continue this tradition of documenting life on the ISS in 3D.

Think you're good with Photoshop? Graphic designer Alexander Koshelkov created this amazing time-lapse video showing how he created an epic plane crash image in Photoshop using elements found in other photographs (e.g. freeways, an airplane, destroyed engines and cars). The project took Koshelkov nearly 4.5 hours and required 244 separate layers.

If you've ever played the video game Portal you'll know how addicting it can be. Sort of like a first person puzzle, the game and its sequel require you to use a portal gun to create linked "portals" through space in order to get out of sticky situations. Well, photographer Jeremy Jackson had an interesting idea: why not recreate the world of Portal with a well-planned light painting exposure? …

Paris-based photographer Marina Gadonneix documents the artificial spaces that are television studios while they are off the air and completely devoid of humans. The project is titled "Remote Control".

Over the last few days the NokiaUS Facebook page has been dropping hints left and right of an 808 PureView announcement coming on 6.18.12. For most people it wasn't immediately obvious, but as the astute folks over at AllThingsD pointed out, every one of the pictures released with the aforementioned date on it had something to do with the number 808.

Software engineer Vijay Pandurangan had a theory, that turned into an experiment, that ultimately turned into some pretty interesting results. His theory was that over the years our color bias, specifically where movie posters are concerned, has gone more dark and blue. To test this he analyzed 35,000 posters from 1914 to present day and came up with the visual representation pictured above.

There are so many things to do and never enough time to do them. You talk about starting that new personal photography project, about updating your website, or wanting to call those prospective new clients. You know that these things need to be done if you are to succeed and you really want to do them. Yet, more often than not, you decide they can wait until tomorrow.

A new Panasonic patent uncovered earlier by Egami shows some exciting new sensor technology that may be heading our way soon. The new tech allows for the exposure values to be adjusted for each individual row of pixels. Essentially, the sensor could automatically apply a graduated ND filter to your images without the need for an actual filter.

Dutch photographers Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm shot a series of photographs for a Dove ad campaign that uses the Thatcher effect for some stealthy creepiness. The effect is created by flipping a portrait upside down while keeping the eyes and/or mouth right side up. The human brain has a difficult time detecting these subtle "local" changes, and the portraits may look normal until you see them flipped. Try turning your monitor or head to look at these images upside down.

Here's a quick tip from photographer Jeffrey Guyer that'll help to keep you from warping a stuck filter when trying to take it off your lens. Instead of grabbing it with your fingers or using a jar opener, you can just use rubbery drawer liner. Simply place the liner on a flat surface, press your lens (filter down of course) onto it, and turn. This allows you to get the filter unstuck while applying even pressure -- no broken/warped filters, no sad photographers.

There's been a lot of talk about new full frames making their debut in the next year, Nikon and Canon monopolizing most of the news with their rumored entry-level offerings, but one company that might slip in under the radar is Pentax. Rumors of Pentax's K-3 full frame have been circulating for some time, but Photo Rumors recently reported on a few updates including possible announcement and release dates.

Portland-based photographer Jimmy Hickey made this helpful video in which he shares how he goes about shooting portraits of complete strangers he meets during his travels both overseas and on his local streets. He has some great tips that you can easily apply to your own street/documentary photography.

For his project titled Peep, Japanese photographer Koji Takiguchi aimed to share glimpses into the lives of his fellow countrymen by capturing triptychs showing them at work, home, and play. He photographed people ranging from office workers to security guards, photographing them on the job, resting at home, and engaging in their favorite pastime.

Admittedly, people didn't react all that well when Lomography announced that they were bringing 110 film back from the grave, but you have to give them credit for pressing on. Despite criticism that the old toy camera film was never any good to begin with, Lomography have now announced their new Fisheye Baby 110, a pocket-sized camera to go with the pocket sized film.

Some might think that taking photos in exotic locations like Hawaii is "too easy." But anybody who has tried and failed to capture that perfect sunset or gorgeous beach photo knows that seeing beauty, or even being surrounded by it, doesn't mean you'll be able to snap great pictures of it. In this video we follow award-winning photographer Aaron Feinberg as he hikes to several of his favorite locations and composes some beautiful shots.

Ever since the release of Nikon's well-loved 14-24mm f/2.8G lens (pictured above), Canon users have been pining for one of their own. So far that pining has led only to speculation, but now, according to Canon Rumors, it looks like we might be seeing an official announcement sometime in the next 12 months.

Often, getting the perfect shot requires months of planning, the right gear, and the know-how to properly capture that perfect moment when it comes along. But just as often, there's an element of luck involved. When Florian Schulz took the incredible picture that wound up on the cover of One World One Ocean's To The Arctic 3D companion book, it initially seemed like nothing had turned out.

Backing up your photos is always a good idea, but if your storage device failed and the photos you lost consisted of some very precious family memories, would you hold the hard drive company responsible? Lawyer Perminder Tung would, which is why he is currently suing Apple over the photos of his first child's birth that were lost when his Apple Time Capsule failed.

About a month ago we featured a teaser for Departure Date, a Virgin Produced romantic comedy that holds the title of first ever film to be shot at 35,000 feet. And now, Virgin have released a full trailer, plus a great behind the scenes look at this ground-breaking (or maybe air-breaking?) film.

You may or may not know this, but Getty Images is actually the official photo agency of the 2012 London Olympics, and they plan on making this one of the most innovatively captured events in the history of photography. To do this they've enlisted as many new technologies as they can get their hands on: be it 3D, time lapse, 360-degree, or even helicam aerial photography/video, Getty intends on giving the people at home as immersive an experience of the Summer Olympic Games as possible.

Made by directing duo The Theory as a personal project, this video is one of the cooler, more creative uses of video and pocket projector technology we've seen. Titled "Speed of Light / aka / The World's Tiniest Police Chase," the entire thing was filmed on a Canon 5d MkII and an HD MiniCam, and then projected onto the various surfaces you see using the world's tiniest projectors from MicroVision. But the coolest part? The video was 100% projected and filmed with no CGI to speak of.

When photographer Mannie Garcia -- known best, perhaps, for his iconic photograph of President Obama -- was arrested for disorderly conduct while recording Maryland police officers performing an arrest, he didn't realize that it would mean the loss of his White House credentials. And although he was eventually acquitted and given back his camera (with the memory card missing), the damage had already been done and Garcia is looking to hold someone accountable.

In this short video, courtesy of Red Bull, Swiss photographer Romina Amato is asked to elaborate on what makes a great sports/news photographer. She offers some great insights, ranging from what gear/settings she uses to the makings of a phenomenal news shot and how important it is to get your photos out there quickly. Plus, even if you're not interested in becoming a news or sports photographer, some of her shots are pretty amazing.

Our goal in photojournalism is reality. The foundation of ethics in photojournalism is that our photographs of any situation should look the way our eyes saw it. Let’s use the human eye as our benchmark standard of reality. How the eye sees is our goal, and thus our reality. We forget that the human eye is not film or glass.

This time-lapse video by Benjamin Ducroz, titled Points in Space and shot in Melbourne, Australia, features a stop-motion animation within a city that's bustling in time-lapse. Ducroz used 1,050 black and white abstract images to create the effect.

Martha Payne, a 9-year-old girl in Scotland, started her photoblog NeverSeconds as a writing exercise. With her school's permission, she photographed her school meals and offered some commentary to go along with the pictures. The blog soon went viral, amassing millions of views and attracting the attention of Jamie Oliver. As children around the world began sending in photos of their school meals, the blog abruptly ended yesterday with a post titled "Goodbye".

If you're a crop sensor Canon shooter, you may have learned in the past that the 'S' in EF-S stands for "Short-Back Focus". Well, that's not true anymore. The lens mount was originally for lenses with rear elements closer to the sensor plane than in EF lenses, but there are recent EF-S lenses that eschew the short back design. The moniker now stands for "Small Image Circle", as evidenced by this technical report.

Want to shoot photographs of rainbow-colored smoke? Just strap some color gels to your flash(es). Photographer Sean Wyatt used three snooted flashes with two colored gels on each flash to create a rainbow blend of color. He then used the setup to photograph smoke from burning incense sticks.

File hosting powerhouse Dropbox has added automatic camera uploads to its iOS app -- a feature that Android users have enjoyed for some time now. In addition to backing up your photos in the cloud, the company is offering a new gallery view for browsing photos and 3GB of additional free space if you upload 3GB in photos (or videos).

Chemistry and physics teacher MattAttackPro shot the above photo showing what happens when a roll of unused 35mm camera film is dropped into a beaker of hydrochloric acid. What you're seeing is the emulsion (light sensitive chemicals suspended in gelatin) separating from the clear plastic backing.

Last month a series of humorous photographs by Tadao Cern showing faces being blasted by air went viral on the web. Now, Cern is back again with slow motion footage captured during the photo shoots, and the clips are every bit as wacky as the still photos.

Published earlier today and already discovered by AppleInsider, a new patent from Apple seems to show that the Cupertino company would like to put swappable lenses in future iPhones. The camera in the iPhone 4S is already great -- it was even used all by itself for an editorial fashion shoot -- but there is always room to improve in creative ways and swappable lenses are certainly uncharted territory for a camera phone.

Alongside a big photo leak of the Nikon D600 comes the official announcement of a new lens from Nikon, the NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.6-5.6G ED VR superzoom lens. Nikon are calling it an all-in-one lens and you can see why: the ability to shoot f/5.6 at 300mm could get you some pretty impressive closeups; and with a focal length that goes all the way back down to 18mm, you probably won't find too many reasons to swap it out.

I am not anti-Instgram, nor am I anti-cellphone photography. But there is a tendency to believe that the art filters that are readily available with many cellphone photo apps somehow “improve” reality. Many of the frequently used filters either significantly boost color saturation, or try to give the appearance of an antiqued, polaroid-esque photo.

Raymond Depardon is one of the greatest living French photographers in the world, so when the new French President François Hollande was elected into office, Depardon was chosen to take his presidential portrait (seen above). The idea was to frame him as a "normal" guy, in stark contrast to his predecessor who had, quote, an "American-style presidency." Unfortunately, regardless of the intent and photographical skill involved, the photo has been both widely criticized and mocked since it was …

Scalado is a big name in imaging, having come up with some pretty phenomenal ideas like the Rewind and Remove apps -- the first of which made a big splash when it was demoed as part of RIM's BlackBerry 10. And now it seems someone is finally trying to move in and steal Scalado all for themselves: Nokia.