2015

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Hillary Clinton Uses Rope to Keep Photographers in Check at Parade

A new idea by Hillary Clinton is going viral on the Web, and this one has nothing to do with government policies. While walking through the streets during the Independence Day parade in Gorham, New Hampshire, yesterday, Clinton's aides used ropes to contain and control photographers and others members of the press corps. Photos of the unusual "wrangling" quickly went viral online after being shared by reporters.

Standing Up for the Concert Photographer… By Standing on Their Neck

Last week, the Washington City Paper made a stand against what it considered an unfair concert photography contract presented by the Foo Fighters with an article entitled "Why We’re Not Photographing The Foo Fighters." Concert photographers everywhere stood up and slow clapped for the headline, the main idea of the article, and the stand it took on photographers rights.

A Mirrorless Affair Gone Wrong: A Cautionary Love Story

My Canon and I. We were like two peas in a pod. We met when I was just a young man, knowing nothing about love or how to use a camera. My Canon taught me so much so quickly. We would go out everywhere together and my Canon would teach me how to see things in a new light, see things that I’ve never seen before. My Canon was everything I could ever have wanted.

A Look at The Striking Low-Key Black-and-White Style of Film Noir Cinema

Cinema and photography are two close-knit relatives that help us to tell stories through the use of a camera and mindful composition. This week, we are taking a look at the visual style heavily relied upon by the film noir genre that was most prevalent in the mid 20th century. Through the exploration of Hollywood's film noir visuals, we can learn a bit more about the history of cinema while finding inspiration for our own work.

Sphericam 2: 4K 60FPS 360-Degree Video Optimized for Oculus VR

With every report of virtual reality news, we seem to step closer and closer to a world such as the one depicted in Ernest Cline’s Science Fiction novel, Ready Player One. Today is no exception as we report on the new Sphericam 2: a 4K 360-degree video camera for transporting minds through the power of audio and video. The product, launched by Jeffery Martin, is on Kickstarter looking to meet its $150,000 goal, and it is almost there thanks to 130 generous backers thus far.

An Epic Star Wars-Themed Pre-Wedding Photo Shoot

Singapore-based photographer Mezame Shashin-ka is a big fan of incorporating science fiction themes into his photography. Recently an engaged couple approached him with a special request: they wanted a Star Wars-themed pre-wedding photo shoot that would be "out of this world." Shashin-ka delivered.

How to Light-Paint a Skeleton in a Long Exposure

Light-painting photographer Darren Pearson released this 3.5-minute video tutorial on how to paint a skeleton of light into a long-exposure photograph. Pearson is known in the light-painting community for his photos of animals and figures, and for creating beautiful stop-motion animations using thousands of light-painted photos.

Camera Drones Are Getting in the Way of Firefighters Battling Wildfires

Flying an aerial drone over a raging fire can be quite problematic, so much so that it can endanger the rescue and recovery abilities of fire officials. Recently, two incidents created difficulties for fire officials trying to battle a 24,000-acre wildfire in Southern California. The drones were flown into airspace over the blaze that then prevented the department from using aircrafts in subduing the fire.

ANKR: Peace of Mind About Your Camera Bag for $25

I just installed an ANKR in my camera bag. Over the past 10 years I’ve had this reoccurring dream about my camera gear and my backpack being stolen. I’ve actually had two cameras stolen over the years, unfortunately.

Custom SLR Unveils a New Dual Camera Strap Setup

Custom SLR recently released their new Dual Camera Strap, which combines two of their previous camera straps for easily carrying multiple cameras at once. Similar in functionality to Hold Fast’s $215 MoneyMaker, the Dual Camera Strap comes in at a fraction of the cost and ensures that you can always access your cameras on hand.

5 Lessons from My First Year as a Full-Time Wedding Photographer

This first year of officially shooting full-time has flown by. I didn’t realize how scary it was to graduate college, leave school forever, and be on my own. For years that’s all I wanted. I hated school. I hated anything that held me down. It wasn’t until I didn’t have anything to hold me down that I realized just what it takes to run a full time wedding photography business. Here are the top five tough lessons I (and probably any creative entrepreneur) face the most.

Newspaper Rejects Foo Fighters Photo Contract, Will Buy Fan Photos Instead

There's a revolution brewing in the world of concert photography. After photographer Jason Sheldon penned a viral open letter to speak out against Taylor Swift's concert photo contract, a major Irish newspaper decided to boycott photos at Swift's recent concert. Now a Washington newspaper has followed suit with another major player in the music industry: the Foo Fighters.

How a Nikon F3 Still SLR Was Modified to Film Indiana Jones in 1983

Did you know that a Nikon F3 still photography film SLR was used to shoot the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? The mine cart chase scene in the film would have been too expensive if the track were built to scale, so George Lucas and Steve Spielberg turned to the special effects team at Industrial Light and Magic. They modified a Nikon F3 to shoot the chase scene in miniature using stop motion.

Video: How Phase Detection Autofocus Works

Traditional SLR cameras do phase detection autofocus by directing light onto AF sensors in the camera's mirror box. Some newer sensor technologies do away with the need for separate sensors by building the phase detection technology directly into the image sensor.

How Much Does a Scratch Affect the Quality of a Lens?

I’m sure we’ve all heard the horror stories. “ONOZ! My lens got a scratch, it’s ruined!!” someone screams, then goes to quietly cry in a corner. “Welp, shoulda used a UV filter, if those get scratched you can just replace them, now you have to sell that lens for half what it's worth on eBay.”

5 Insurance Options for Protecting Your Business and Gear as a Photographer

Whether you are a working professional or a passionate enthusiast, keeping your gear up to date can cost a pretty penny. For this reason, you want to ensure that all of your equipment is well protected against possible damage or theft. With many different organizations offering customized insurance plans for your gear, we are going to take a look at five options to see which may be best suited to your needs.

How NOT to Photograph a Getaway Car as a Wedding Photographer

Here's something you can file under "What NOT to do as a photographer": Singapore Reckless Drivers, an online community that promotes road safety, just published this short video of a wedding photographer that was seen shooting pictures of a bride and groom's getaway car on a freeway in Singapore.

Google Apologizes After Photos App Autotags Black People as ‘Gorillas’

Flickr sparked some controversy back in May after it was discovered that the service's new autotagging feature was prone to mislabeling black people as "apes." It looks like Google Photos developers didn't learn from Flickr's embarrassing misstep: a Google developer is apologizing after it was found that Google's Photos app misidentifies photos of black people as "gorillas."

Jaunt Unveils the Neo 360° Virtual Reality Camera Rig

Jaunt is a virtual reality company with enough confidence to proudly claim the tagline of ‘the future of cinematic VR’. Aimed at creating high-profile cinematic virtual reality experiences through their camera technology, the company has announced their latest product. The Jaunt Neo is aimed at professionals looking to capture fully immersive 360-degree experiences.

Sony to Raise $4B to Ramp up Production of Sensors

Sony announced a few years ago that digital imaging would be one of its three main pillars (with the other two being games and mobile). It looks like the decision is paying off, and Sony is doubling down on its plans. After making 40% of all image sensors sold in 2014, Sony is now announcing that it will raise $4 billion in funding in order to increase how many sensors it can produce.

Moment Announces a New Macro Lens for Mobile Photographers

Last year, the mobile photography company Moment announced the release of two mobile lenses for smartphone devices: the 18mm wide angle and the 70mm telephoto. The company then followed up earlier this year by producing the ‘Moment Case’ for iPhone 6, which features a shutter button, lens mount, and camera strap. Now the company is back again by announcing a brand new macro lens.

olloclip Studio: A Case System That Takes Your Phone Camera to the Next Level

Four years ago we were introduced to the olloclip on Kickstarter, and now the company’s series of lenses are some of the most popular lenses available for Apple’s iPhone. And olloclip isn’t just stopping there. Recently, the company announced another Kickstarter campaign for their new studio mobile photography system and they want the help of the community to bring the product to life.

A Primer on Reading and Using Histograms

Image histograms are useful tools that can be used to help properly gauge the exposure and contrast within a scene during shooting or to balance the tonality of a photograph in post-production. These days, histogram graphs can be found almost everywhere, with more modern digital cameras including live displays during composition. Today’s primer focuses on how to correctly read histograms and use them to your advantage.

My Journey as a Legally Blind Pro Photographer

My photography journey started a little differently from most because I was going into it with a handicap right off the bat. It was always a thought that I may not be able to make this work, and that I'd fail miserably, and nobody wants that. From birth, I’ve had a disability that you’d think would make me the last person to get into photography: I’m legally blind.

Review: Fujifilm X-T10 is Like a Smaller and Friendlier X-T1

It's hard to look at the Fujifilm X-T10 without thinking of the company's success with the X-T1. Essentially, the X-T10 is a baby X-T1 with its identical 16.3 X-Trans CMOS II sensor, DSLR body style, and real-time 2.360K-dot OLED EVF. Of course, for nearly $400 less than the X-T1, we're expecting there to be a few compromises with the X-T10. Join us as we take a closer look at Fujifilm’s newest camera to see whether it is worth the price tag.

Humor: The Fine Art of Chinese Food Photography

Chinese restaurants are known to have painfully bad food photos adorning the walls to show the different dishes offered, but what if the style were intentional and an artistic decision by the photographers? The comedy sketch group Faster Human recently decided to explore this idea and poke fun at Chinese restaurant photos.

It Lives: Photoflex Acquired by PromarkBRANDS

Back in April, the lighting company Photoflex unexpectedly announced that it would be closing shop after 30 years in the business, to the disappointment of many. Later that month, the struggling company revealed that it was working on a deal to allow the brand to live on. They succeeded.

A Photographer’s Girlfriend Leads Him One Last Time

Since 2011, photographer Murad Osmann has been shooting a hugely popular series of photos titled "Follow Me" showing his significant other leading him through scenic locations around the world, from his point of view. We featured the project back in 2013, but recently Osmann's girlfriend led him by the hand one last time in the photo above... down the aisle at their wedding.

The Passion of Two Kiwi Landscape Photographers

Cinematographer Abraham Joffe of Untitled Film Works made this 3-minute short film for Canon about the passion of two award-winning photographers based in New Zealand: Mike Langford and Jackie Ranken. It's an inspirational look into the world's and minds of two photographers who have made photography one of the primary joys of their life -- when they're not shooting for work, they're out making pictures for themselves.

5 Myths Photographers Will Tell You About Film, or: Why Film Isn’t Afraid of the Dark

You will be hard pressed to find a reasonable working photographer today, who won't admit that film still has a place in photography and really offers some unique characteristics, even if they choose to not use it. But often photographers who love shooting digital and don't want to deal with film attempt to write off and make excuses for why they can't shoot film. I'd like to offer a rebuttal to such excuses, inspired by a recent thoughtful PetaPixel post.

Here’s What Adobe Dehaze Can Do for Photos Taken in a Blizzard

I took a trip to Iceland this past March, but weather wasn't the greatest while I was there. We encountered a few blizzards, and I took some photos to see what I could recover from them. Adobe recently announced a Dehaze tool for Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC, and I wanted to know how well it could recover image data from a blizzard -- which could be considered be an extreme version of haze. After trying the slider on my images, I'm very impressed!

Major Irish Newspaper Boycotts Taylor Swift Concert Photos Over ‘Restrictive’ Contract

At least one major newspaper is taking a stand against Taylor Swift's concert photography contract, which has generated quite a bit of discussion in recent days over its 'restrictive' and 'unfair' terms. The Irish Times, Ireland's second most popular newspaper, explained today that it chose to leave out photos entirely rather than sign Swift's contract.

Video: Stray Kitten Befriends Wildlife Photographer

Here's a daily dose of cuteness: Renowned Japanese wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwagō recently traveled the world for a TV show series on cats met on streets around the world. The 1.5-minute above shows one memorable stop he made on the island of Okinawa, where a tiny stray kitten decided to befriend the photographer and use him as a bed, chair, and lookout tower.

Magnum Adds a Record Six New Photographers

Magnum Photos is a prestigious international photographic cooperative that focuses on photojournalism. The organization is made up and owned by its members around the world. Every year, the company typically nominates one or two new photographers. This year, however, Magnum has nominated six new members: a record-breaking number.