May 2014

MTF Charts: The English Translation

This post contains absolutely no mathematics. Explaining MTF without math is sort of like doing a high-wire act without a net. It’s dangerous, but for any number of reasons is more likely to keep the audience interested.

Tutorial: How to Edit Underwater Photos

Photographer JP Danko recently put together the above video that takes a 20-minute behind-the-scenes look at the editing of an underwater photo. Detailing from beginning to end, Danko shares his personal technique for turning a straight-out-of-camera shot to something ready for publication.

New #AmazonCart Hashtag Brings Gear Shopping to Twitter

For those of you who already have an Amazon camera gear purchasing infatuation, leading to a slim wallet and empty bank account, this may be NSFL (so turn your head away): Amazon has teamed up with social media giant Twitter for a new feature that allows you to now add items to your Amazon cart directly through the social network.

Geotagged Wildlife Photos Help Poachers Kill Endangered Animals

If you care about endangered animals that are hunted for their parts, here's something important you should keep in mind: make sure you scrub the GPS data on the images prior to sharing them online. Poachers have reportedly been turning to geotagged photos on social networks in order to find out where they can make their next kill.

Dancelapse: One Dance Performed Over One Hundred Days

Timelapse projects involving one photo or video per day have seen a surge in popularity in recent years ever since videos such as Noah Kalina's everyday went viral. Matt Bray wanted to do something similar to Kalina's project... but different. He set up a camera and captured himself doing the exact same dance in his room for 100 days, and then turned it into one impressive time-lapse dance.

Vhoto: An App That Automatically Pulls the Best Photos from Video Clips

There are times when actually creating and composing a photo are key. But, there are also times – especially to the general population – when just capturing an ‘alright’ photo is hard enough. Here to help solve this problem is a new iOS app called Vhoto, which blurs the line between capturing videos and photos.

Chasing 5 Pointz

I first heard about 5 Pointz in a Wall Street Journal article in the summer of 2011. The article detailed the recent attempts by the owner to knock what had become an internationally-reknown street art mecca down, and build high-rise condominiums.

Canon Report Finds 18% of People Bought Counterfeit Gear Unwittingly in 2013

It’s no surprise that a market as vast and broad as photography is going to have problems with counterfeit gear, but the problem might be more prevalent than you think. According to a recent study commission by Canon, it's estimated that some 18% of consumers have purchased counterfeit goods without knowing it, despite the fact that companies like Canon often try to educate customers about this sort of thing.

Nick Fancher Informs and Inspires in Andy Newman’s ‘Why We Create’ Series

Cinematographer Andy Newman has put together a series called Why We Create in an effort to gain a glimpse behind why we, as artist, make what we do.

One of his latest installments in the series features photographer Nick Fancher -- known for his work for ESPN, The Ohio State University, and Jackthreads -- going about his day as he explains via voiceover what it is that draws him to create the images he does.

No Drone for You! National Park Service Bans Camera Drone Usage in Yosemite

Would you like to photograph the Upper Yosemite Falls by drone? Attach a GoPro to your newly-acquired DJI Phantom 2 and just have at it, capturing views that Ansel Adams would envy? Well, you can't, because it turns out "use of unmanned aircraft systems (drones)" is prohibited in Yosemite National Park.

Stunning ‘Awakening’ 4K Time-Lapse Will Awaken Your Desire to Visit New Zealand

Okay, to be fair, if you're of the photographic persuasion (and chances are good seeing as you're reading this) then your desire to visit places like New Zealand and Iceland doesn't need any more 'awakening.' It's like a wanderlust itch that just won't go away until you book that flight, pack the gear you do own, rent the gear you don't, and get you a** out there.

Still, this gorgeous time-lapse by photographer Martin Heck won't help things one bit.

Why You Should Think About Hiring a Photojournalist to Document Your Wedding

"Documentary wedding photography" is a style of photography which a small, but growing, number of couples are turning to for their wedding day. Of course, there have been photographers documenting life ever since there has been photography. In the last 10 years or so, more and more couples have decided against the traditional style of endless posed group photographs and portraits, and are commissioning photographers who do not direct or pose people during the day.

This style of wedding photography has attracted a fair number of news photographers and photojournalists, who have been doing exactly that in other areas of life. I've spent 16 years working as a photojournalist for The Times newspaper in London, and thought I'd post some pictures to illustrate how that experience has shaped how I now approach photographing a wedding.

FAA ‘Looking Into’ $10,000 Fine for Using Drone to Document Tornado Damage

In an effort to document the intense and widespread damage of the tornados that ripped through Arkansas this past week, storm chaser and videographer Brian Emfinger made use of a drone, flying it above the damage and rescue efforts to bring to light just how bad the damage was. Unfortunately for Emfinger, the Federal Aviation Administration may have an issue with his drone use.

A Portrait Journey Through Eastern Europe

This story is not going to be a technical how to. It's not about lighting gear, cameras or lenses. It's not about technique in camera or post production. It's about the unexpected things that can happen, the people you can meet and the work you can make when you travel.

Not-A-Camera: A Wooden Necklace Turned Into a Full-Fledged Camera

Just look at this necklace. It’s a beautiful wood cutout necklace made to look like a DSLR – a piece of jewelry Rick Ross would be proud of if he were into photography (and if it were adorned with a few diamonds, maybe). But, if you think this little fashion accessory is only that, you’d be greatly mistaken. What you see above is a digital camera fitted into a 1/2” thick sheet of walnut.

Epic Photos of the 2010 Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland

Back in 2010, a series of volcanic eruptions in Iceland captured the world's attention. Although they were relatively small in scale, the ash that was spewed into the air disrupted air travel across Europe for a number of days. Photographer Sigurdur Stefnisson witnessed the eruptions first hand, and was able to capture a series of jaw-dropping photographs showing the power and scale of the ash clouds, lightning, and lava.

C&A Marketing Buys Out Calumet Brand, Bringing Back a Few Entities

It came as quite a surprise to everyone – including their own employees – when Calumet camera stores went out of business quite literally overnight. As is to be expected in such a downfall, much of their capital has been sold off in hopes to gain back as much as possible. But, as much as anything else, the fall of Calumet has left people wondering what will happen to the brand that many photographers came to know and trust.

Centr Cam Offers 4K 360º Footage Out of a Hockey Puck-Shaped Device

In the never-ending chase to create the most unique camera around, San Francisco-based Centr Camera Inc. has launched a Kickstarter for a new style of camera. Called Centr, this 360º, 60fps, 4K-resolution panoramic camera will allow you to capture incredible footage all around you, in a device roughly the size of a hockey puck.

Big Lights Under the Big-Top: BTS Video of Complex Trapeze Shoot

This behind the scenes video takes a look at a unique advertisement shoot by photographer Tim Tadder. The shoot takes place in a circus big-top and in the video Tadder demonstrates how to handle an incredibly complex shoot that involves a handful of trapeze artists and 15 various lights mounted 42 feet in the air.

Stunning Aurora Borealis Photo Looks Like a Dog Jumping Through the Air

Time-lapse photographer Ole Salomonsen once referred to the aurora borealis as the 'polar spirits,' and characterized their movements as dancing. Well, after seeing the image above by photographer John Chumack we're tempted to conclude that the polar spirits have pets that do some jumping while their parents dance.

Dude, Who Took My Photograph? Curating Automated Photography

A slew of new technologies are making it possible (even easy) to document everything around you without much effort or input. Wearable, automated cameras represent the most extreme end of this spectrum - devices like Autographer and the Narrative Clip record your daily life with a mind of their own.

Beautiful Large Format Images Captured at the Sochi Olympics with a 4×5 Camera

Two months after being in Sochi to cover the 2014 Winter Olympics, photographer Guy Rhodes is sharing some of the images he captured there. But they’re not just any images. They’re analog images. 4x5 images, to be exact.

Using 34 sheets of Tri-X and a Crown Graphic 4x5 camera, Rhodes describes capturing the games with such a beast (while also shooting digital) as, "among the top experiences [in his] life."

Sony’s a77 II Has Arrived, and It’s Packing an AF Sensor Worth Drooling Over

Since the last A-Mount Sony came out with, we've seen the a7, the a7R, the a7S, the a3000, the a5000, the a6000 and the a3500. But don't let the names fool you, not a single one of those was actually an A-Mount. This has led many to wonder if Sony had given up on the A-Mount.

Well, today those people have their answer in the form of the a77 II -- in other words, a resounding "No."