September 2015

Alex Lopatnyuk recently went gator hunting and brought his GoPro and selfie stick along for the first time.

The composite photo above shows the International Space Station zipping across the face of the Sun on September 6th, 2015. Traveling at 5 miles per second and carrying 9 crew members, the Space Station appears as nearly a tiny silhouette in the transit.

A Hungarian journalist and camerawoman has been fired after photos and videos of her tripping and kicking fleeing refugees spread far and wide on the Internet.

British car manufacturer Land Rover has introduced an interesting new technology that uses multiple cameras to make trailers “disappear” from an LCD rearview mirror while you're driving. By combining video feeds from both the existing rear view and side view cameras with a digital wireless camera mounted on the back of the trailer, the system creates the impressive illusion of transparency.

Shane Reetz is a photographer whose Panasonic GH4 developed an issue recently: the lens mount began to wobble in and out. After sending the camera to Panasonic’s repair service and finding out a fix would cost $762, Reetz decided he would try performing surgery on his camera himself. The total cost for fixing the camera turned out to be only $5, and Reetz learned quite a bit along the way.

Dear friend, …

Nikon recently registered two new trademarks: “C Nikon” and “V Nikon”. According to the information provided from the official US federal trademark (USPTO) database, both items appear to be for upcoming pieces of software (sorry gear junkies!). The trademarks were filed earlier this year in July along with the proposed logos for each item.

Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing their war torn countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, bringing very few possessions with them as they make their dangerous -- and often deadly -- journeys toward what they hope is a better life.

GoPro is known for its viral marketing videos that show extreme athletes doing extreme things while wearing the company's action cameras. What you never see, however, are the botched stunts that don't qualify for a "Be a HERO" campaign.

If you've always wanted to play around with the idea of using a Leica M rangefinder but don't want to shell out the cash, Lifelike Apps has a new app for you. Called Red Dot Camera, the iOS app aims to bring the feel of a Leica camera to your iPad or iPhone; it was “inspired by the retro craftsmanship of the classic M camera series” and does “without the interference of gimmicky filters.”

Yesterday, Canon made a splash by announcing the development of a new 250-megapixel CMOS sensor -- the highest resolution for a sensor smaller than 35mm. That sensor is geared towards industrial applications (e.g. surveillance), but if you're dying to get your hands on a monster-resolution Canon DSLR, the company has some good news for you too.

Directors have always utilized different ways to conveying themes and emotions through their work. Noted filmmakers such as Hitchcock were masters of cinematography: using camera angles and particular focal lengths to convey their messages. YouTube channel ‘Now You See It’ recently released the above video that delves into how aspect ratios can also have a profound effect on the content we are viewing.

My name is Andre Oliveira. I’m 24 years old, and I began learning how to use DSLR cameras in 2008 starting with a Canon Rebel Ti that my school supplied. I worked my way to my first Nikon, the D3100, and then eventually up to a D7000. My best upgrade was buying a Nikon 50mm prime lens 4 years ago.

Back in May, Google announced "JUMP", a new technology standard aimed at creating fully immersive content for virtual reality. At the time, Google showed off a demo camera rig that utilized over 16 separate GoPros. The folks over at GoPro have finally decided to release a production version of the apparatus that'll be available for purchase. Called the Odyssey panoramic capture rig, it features 16 synchronized GoPro HERO4 Black cameras recording 8K video at 30fps.

New York City is one of the most photographed cities in the world, so you'll need to think outside the box to capture the city from a fresh perspective. That's what photographer Diego Acosta has done through his project titled Stroller. By placing a camera inside his son's stroller, he documented what the Big Apple looks like from a toddler's point of view.

We’ve seen Photoshop’s median stacking process used before to remove tourists from photographs. Now, photographer Andy Astbury takes the time to show us how the same technique can be used to reduce noise in high ISO images. The process involves snapping a couple of the same photos and is best suited for still lifes.

Europe's largest newspaper, the Bild of Germany, has published an unusual print edition that left out all photographs from its pages. The bold move is apparently a response to reader backlash after the paper published photos of Alan Kurdi, the 3-year-old Syrian refugee who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

German photography accessory company COSYSPEED has just introduced their latest creation on IndieGoGo. The CAMSLINGER Streetomatic is a sling strap and camera bag for mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and superzooms. Aimed to rest comfortably on your outer thigh, the CAMSLINGER promises one-handed operation while protecting against rain, bumps, and dust.

JK Imaging has announced the latest in their series of Kodak-brand action cameras. The new PixPro SP360 4K is a 12MP action camera with the ability to take 360-degree spherical images or 4K HD video up to 2028x2028 at 50fps. Positioned as a successor to the original SP360, the SP360 4K is promising to deliver higher resolution video and a 720p 120fps slow-motion capture mode.

Snapping a collection of photos on your iPhone and then having them disappear into your Camera Roll never to be seen again can be quite a common occurrence, but a new iOS app on the market wants to change that. ‘Recently’ is a mobile application for iPhones and iPads that allows you to automatically send your 100 most recent photographs off to be printed in a personal monthly magazine and delivered straight to your door.

In 2008, both Olympus and Panasonic teamed up to create the Micro Four Thirds sensor standard for mirrorless cameras. Seven years later, I sit with the Olympus E-M10 Mark II in front of me. It's a more affordable camera than its older siblings, the E-M5 and E-M1, and today we'll be taking a look to see what the company’s ‘budget’ OM-D has to offer. There's an OLED viewfinder, Wi-Fi control, 8.5fps burst shooting, and five-axis stabilization -- we are expecting a smooth ride.

Video editor Paul Ross was visiting the Louisville Zoo recently when he came across this young man sharing photos on his smartphone with a gorilla. The gorilla "sat down next to the kid and motioned for him to change pictures," Ross writes. The kid found photos of other gorillas online, and this unusual photo sharing scene played out for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Earlier this year, wedding photographer Lexia Frank published a series of 4 short videos that teach how to properly pose models in order to minimize possibly undesirable features. The first video focuses on removing double chins, the second on hiding the upper body, the third on cutting inches off the waist, and the last on posing your model’s feet correctly.

Canon today announced that it has created a monster of a CMOS sensor with the world's highest pixel count (for its size). The DSLR-format sensor manages to capture gigantic 250-megapixel photos with each exposure.

Whether you are shooting outside or in a studio, reflectors help you make sure that light is hitting your subject exactly how you want it. Typically, reflectors will have a silver side and a white side for varying intensities of light -- they can also cost quite a bit of money. This short video by photographer JP Morgan of The Slanted Lens shows how you can go with a cheaper DIY solution.

Photographers are often advised to carry their camera gear onto an airplane rather than check it in with luggage. If you'd like to see what goes on behind the scenes with checked-in luggage, check out this interesting video by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands, which strapped a camera to a piece of baggage and put it through the maze-like conveyor belt system.

The new DxO ONE has generated a good deal of hype thanks to its promises of turning iPhones into 20MP "DSLR-quality" cameras. The first reviews of the camera are trickling out, and there's one design issue with the camera that you should know about: to prevent having your phone fall and shatter, you should keep two hands on the camera system at all times.

If you want to get a deeper insight into street photography and take better photos, I feel it is very important to study the work of the street photographers who came before us and paved the way for the rest of us. Not only that, but reading the quotes and words by these influential street photographers is a great way to train your mind to take better photos as well.

Here's an interesting little video showing the various camera rigs that were used to shoot movie scenes back in 1993, from steadicams to RC helicopters.

Over the past several years, Chicago-based journalist Victoria Lautman has traveled through India numerous times, visiting over 120 ancient stepwells that were once used to access water during dry months. Lautman has been shooting photos to document the beautiful architecture of the sites, creating records of the structures as they're slowly being lost to decay.

Quite a few parents got a rude awakening this past week after an Alabama district attorney released a video that reveals one way kids are hiding secret photos right under their parents' noses.

Whether you've been a photographer for 10 weeks or 10 years, we've all heard the cautionary tales about yet another creative who's packed it all up, sold off all their gear, and decided to do something else in terms of a career.

Want to see how wet-plate collodion photography is done but have the attention span of a goldfish? Our buddy Sam Cornwell over at Phogotraphy has created an unusual step-by-step wet plate walkthrough -- everything is crammed into a 6-second Vine video.

Jason Kirby is a photographer and entrepreneur who is working on building Togally, a new online marketplace for connecting photographers and those who need photos shot. We had a chat with Kirby about his new venture.

So an image of mine (@lightbrekkie) appears to be doing the rounds lately on Instagram and you may have seen it.

Well, this is a bit... awkward. Getty Images recently threatened a lawsuit against German blog Get Digital, which had published the famous ‘Socially Awkward Penguin’ meme without first obtaining permission.

What's the largest print you've ever made in a darkroom? If you've never done anything larger than the most common sizes, then you may find the video above illuminating.

YouTube woodworking guru Matthias Wandel just posted this video about how he recently discovered that he can use his tripod as a simple DIY camera stabilizer for some casual filming. After doing some experiments with a DIY glidecam system, Wandel found that he actually got the smoothest shots by simply pointing the legs of his big and heavy Manfrotto tripod out and running around with his camera attached to it.

When photographer Knate Myers and his wife found out they would be having a baby, they decided to document the 9-month pregnancy with a time-lapse video. While many such videos have been made over the years, Myers tried to do something different: he had his wife pose outside to capture the passing of seasons in the time-lapse.

Here's a gorgeous 3-minute infrared short film titled "Nostalgia." The project was an attempt at creating "the world's most beautiful drone video" by experimenting with new ways to capture images with a drone.

I had kind of a hard time coming up with an appropriate title for this post... I'm still not totally sure if it conveys what I'm trying to show you today. As you may hopefully have guessed by looking at my new image, I'm going to be talking about how I made the shadow that the eagle is casting. The problem was I couldn't really call this post, "How to Create Long Shadows Cast By A Subject That Is Suspended In An Epic Beam Of Light." It's just a bit too wordy... So anyway this is how I did it!

Photographer Jonathan Diaz is using his imagination and portrait photography skills for a good cause. He's the founder of Anything Can Be, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based non-profit that's working to inspire hope in young cancer patients by bringing their dreams to life with photos.

It’s been a funny week. A couple of days ago, while I was sitting in the office reformatting my MacBook in sunny West Sussex, I was also sort of arrested in Islington, London.

You know those brilliant colors that appear when the sun is just rising or setting? While you may be lucky to see those colors for minutes in most parts of the world, in Iceland they can last for hours. Los Angeles-based photographer Henry Jun Wah Lee spent two weeks in Iceland from late June through early July, when the sun sets after midnight. He was able to capture some remarkable views of Iceland's landscapes glowing under the midnight sun.

There's a new rising star on Instagram. A clever account called Socality Barbie is attracting quite a bit of attention for posting satirical hipster Instagram photos featuring a fashion forward Barbie. If you've ever browsed through artsy, hipster Instagram photos, you'll likely recognize many of the generic shots being referenced.

Olloclip is a company that may need no introduction for many of you after their quick change lens system for the iPhone took Kickstarter by storm in 2011. Since then, the company has been kicking out a number of exciting and creative products for mobile phone shooters. The latest photographic toolset to emerge from Olloclip’s lab is the new Macro Pro Lens for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Photographers are up in arms this week over an online battle between a DJ and a wedding photographer. At the center of the controversy is the question of whether or not a DJ should be able to shoot and share wedding photos when the photographer has an exclusivity agreement with the bride and groom.

How much would you pay to celebrate 100 years of Leica photography? The Leica Store in Miami recently asked that question and found over 100 people who were willing to pay out $55,000 for a limited edition ‘Leica M Set’. Now, Leica is asking that same question yet again, but with a pre-production camera set from an even more finite collection... and a much higher price tag.

Ricoh has announced the new Theta S, the latest in the company’s lineup of 360-degree cameras. The Theta S features two 12 MP sensors that interpolate with each other to output high-resolution 14.4 MP spherical still images or full 1080p HD video at 30fps. The device is also capable of streaming live video via its built-in USB or HDMI port and is compatible with Google’s Street View technology.

Google set out in 2007 to create an ambitious effort called Street View: a project aimed at providing panoramic views of individual streets around the world. The unique feature, which has since been copied by other mapping services, has, on Android devices, lived within the Google Maps app. Now, however, Street View is breaking free into its own separate application, and it includes a few features for capturing and sharing your own photospheres.