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Humor: The Exchange Rate of Pictures and Words

You've heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Well, perhaps not always. Redditor doowi1 created this humorous illustration showing the Google result for the exchange rate between pictures and words over the past half decade. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," they write.

The Future of Photography

After reading Stephen Mayes’ TIME essay on the end of photography I couldn’t help but respond. To begin with, his main proposition is that “in the future there will be no such thing as a ‘straight photograph’” to which I’d add that I’m not sure there ever really has been much of a ‘straight photograph’ although in recent decades the public has become increasingly aware of this.

Usain Bolt Floored by Segway-Riding Cameraman

World champion sprinter Usain Bolt had a scary encounter with a clumsy cameraman at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing today. After winning the 200m race, Bolt was upended after the cameraman lost control of the Segway he was riding.

A Model Held Her Breath For 5 Minutes for this Single Take Music Video

Typically, tying a model up and throwing her to the bottom of a pool isn’t a recommended practice for both legal and moral reasons. However, this new music video for the song "Lydia" by Highly Suspect dares to do just that. You begin to realize something is a bit odd as the video rolls on and on -- there are no cuts, meaning Marina Kazankova actually had to hold her breath during the entire 4-minute-plus video.

The Palette Cube is Like a Portable Eyedropper Tool for the Real World

Cube is a small new device from the Australian company Palette. Easily sample colors around you using the portable color digitizer and sample them later on your PC or Mac. While the Cube’s central abilities focus on identifying the beautiful colors that surround us every day, it can also be used for color matching and achieving picture-perfect white balance in photos.

Edelkrone QuickReleaseONE Claims to be the World’s First Universal Quick Release

If you constantly move your camera from one device to another in the course of your work, you may have experienced the annoyance and inconvenience of different manufacturers offering different plate designs. What they generally have in common, however, is the same standard tripod screw. The folks at Edelkrone used this fact to create the QuickReleaseONE, which the company claims is the world's first universal quick release for switching between plates.

Rumor: Leica Has a Full Frame Mirrorless Camera Up Its Sleeve

Here's an interesting rumor that has emerged in the camera world: Leica may soon offer a camera that competes directly with the likes of the Sony FE system. The company is reportedly planning to announce an interchangeable lens followup to the new Leica Q. It would be a full-frame, non-rangefinder mirrorless camera with autofocus lenses.

The Magic of a Student Astronomy Camp, Captured with the Sony a7S

The team at Uncage the Soul Productions followed 23 high school students around as they spent a week at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s Astronomy Camp. The event was held during the 2015 Perseids Meteor shower and videographers were able to capture the reactions of students as they witnessed the beauty of space through their own eyes and, of course, a couple of DSLRs.

Portraits of People Looking Like Their Dogs

People often say that dogs and their owners look more and more alike as the years go by. For her ongoing project "The Dog People," German photographer Ines Opifanti is shooting portraits of dog owners trying to mimic the expressions on their dogs' faces.

Review: Peak Design’s Upcoming Slide Lite and Slide Summit Camera Straps

Finding the perfect camera strap can seem like an overwhelming endeavor due to the sheer number of available options. Today, we are going to be taking a look at two different straps that are coming soon from Peak Design and may just help you in your search. The first strap is the Slide Summit Edition: a design variation of the company’s standard Slide strap. The second is the Slide Lite strap designed for smaller mirrorless camera systems.

A Portrait Shoot at 13,500 Feet Above Ground

“What single moment defines a skydiver?” This is the question I kept asking myself as I prepared to photograph Sarah. At the time of this shoot, I only had a few tandem jumps (attached to an instructor.) But still, that "moment" -- for me at least -- had always been getting in the door before a jump. You can put the gear on, you can ride the plane up, but getting to the door is where you really have to face yourself. And so it was this moment that I chose for our shoot: at the door, arms …

Facebook’s Moments App Can Now Turn Your Photos Into Movies

Earlier this year, Facebook launched the Moments app for both iOS and Android. Similar to many other applications out there, Moments is aimed at combining your photographs and your friends’ photographers from a single event into an easy to navigate album (and then uploading them to Facebook, of course). Today, the app has received an update that can automatically create movies from your experiences.

Fringer is the World’s First Contax N- to Sony E-Mount Electronic Adapter

If you happen to have a plethora of Contax lenses stored away and are now busy playing with a Sony A7 or NEX camera then we have some exciting news for you. Thanks to eBay shop Kens_Camera, it is now possible to purchase a Contax N-mount to Sony E-mount adapter. The seller explains he designed the adapter himself and that it is an entirely automatic adapter with only slight autofocus limitations.

Hands On with the Elinchrom Quadra ELB 400 Portable Lighting System

As photographers, we capture the light around us to preserve moments in time. Sometimes, however, we not only want to contain the light, but also control it. So, when Elinchrom asked us if we wanted to test their powerful ELB 400 portable battery pack and Quadra Pro flash heads, we, of course, said yes. Now, let’s see what we can do with 424 watts of portable power.

Grizzly Bear Rolls Down a Hill in Denali National Park

David Pangborn was recently visiting Denali National Park in Alaska when his guide-led group spotted a playful grizzly bear on a nearby hill. As Pangborn pointed his Canon T2i and Tamron 18-270mm lens at it, he captured this unusual video of the bear going down the hill... by rolling.

Canon 35mm f/1.4L II Photo and Specs Leaked

A Canon 35mm f/1.4L II lens has been rumored to be nigh since back in 2012, but it appears that the lens may finally be on the cusp of being announced. A leaked photo and list of specs have been published online, giving us a first glimpse into what we can expect from Canon.

Testing the Sony a7R II on a Huge Canon 600mm Lens

Last week, we shared a video showing how the Sony a7R II has greatly improved autofocusing with Canon EF lenses using a Metabones adapter. Photographer Yannick Ciancanelli did some similar tests using a Fotodiox adapter and a wide range of Canon lenses, including the massive $11,499 Canon 600mm f/4.

This Freerunning Video Uses Perspective and Optical Illusions to Mess With Your Head

Professional free runner Jason Paul recently teamed up with Red Bull to create this wild optical illusion video that you have to see to believe -- or not. The video’s description says that “Life as a free runner means the world is your playground… or is it just one big illusion?” It's a mind-bending visual experience that will have your brain questioning reality.

8 Pieces of Photo Gear I Wish I Hadn’t Purchased

Since my first DSLR purchase in 2001, I’ve exhibited symptoms of Gear Acquisition Syndrome that have left a sizable dent in my wallet. Here is a list of my most regrettable acquisitions. What are yours?

The Red List Lets You Study the Work of the Greatest Photographers

Photography is an art; by looking upon past examples, we can not only learn to improve our own technique, but also to study and appreciate times before ours. However, with the first photograph taken almost two-hundred years ago, it can be difficult to find a place to start. Enter, The Red List: a website with over 100,000 images that continues to cull the world of photography to find the very best images.

Rick Guidotti on Photographing Genetic Conditions to Reframe Beauty

CBS Evening News just aired this short segment on the work of photographer Rick Guidotti, who has spent years shooting portraits of people with genetic conditions for his non-profit, Positive Exposure. As we first shared back in 2013, Guidotti is using his background as a major fashion photographer to change the way people see and think about beauty.

Capture the Magical Golden Hour With Rizon For iOS

A magical moment of soft and warm light, the golden hour is a period slightly before sunset or slightly after sunrise when the sun is low in the sky. Many photographers aim to shoot during these time periods in order to take advantage of the unique natural lighting. Rizon is an elegant new app for iOS that will not only find you the best time but remind you to head outside when the time approaches.

Nope, Jeb Bush’s Head Wasn’t Photoshopped Onto a Black Man’s Body

Here's a humorous example of why you should pay attention to lighting when combining photos into a composite image. A few days ago, Jeb Bush's super PAC Right to Rise USA tweeted a picture that showed Bush with a stock photo of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the background. People immediately noticed that something was strange with Bush's left hand.

Facebook Takes Down ‘Project Harpoon’ Page, Which ‘Fat Shamed’ with Photoshop

Facebook has deleted a controversial page called "Project Harpoon," which posted photos of plus-size models and celebrities next to Photoshopped versions showing what they would look like if they were thinner. The page gained thousands of fans during its short existence, but it also attracted a loud outcry from the public and from the women seen in the photos.

Apple: Free Repairs for Blurry iPhone 6 Plus Cameras

If you purchased an iPhone 6 Plus around the end of 2014 and have noticed that your photos are coming out all blurry, don't worry: it's not just you. Apple has announced that some of the phones sold between September 2014 and January 2015 have a flaw with the rear camera. If that's you, Apple is promising a free camera replacement to help make your photos sharp again.

How Much Do YOU Need to Earn to Do Photography Full Time?

How much would you need to earn to make photography a full-time job? On a recent visit to India, I was strolling through Mumbai's colonial-era neighborhoods when I was approached by a young man with a Nikon DSLR and a backpack. He offered to take my photo against the backdrop of two of the city's landmarks, the Taj Hotel and the Gateway of India.

The Story of How My ISS Photo Went TOTALLY Viral

Here's my story on what it's like to have a photo go totally viral around the world. After accidentally capturing a portrait with the ISS in the background, I sent it to a lot of local news outlets in the Netherlands, along with a lot of big international photo blogs (PetaPixel was one of them).

Review: Peak Design’s Everyday Messenger Bag is Both Sexy and Smart

The Everyday Messenger bag is Peak Design’s latest product to make a debut on Kickstarter, and it has blown past its $100,000 goal and raised over $2.2 million so far. Designed with the help of photographer Trey Ratcliff, the bag aims to fulfill the “workflows of photographers, creative, travelers, and commuters." We got our hands on the world's first pre-production sample bag, and today we'll be taking a closer look at it.

Puppy Portraits in the Style of Baby Photos

Photographer Elisha Minnette recently accompanied her friends Matt and Abby on a trip to pick up their new puppy from Groodle breeder. On the way home, they came up with a strange idea: why not announce their new puppy to the world with a newborn baby-style photo shoot?