Michael Zhang

Founder, Editor

Michael is a photography enthusiast, entrepreneur, and programmer based in Northern California near San Francisco. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with two degrees in computer science.

Articles by Michael Zhang

2D Wedding Photographs Converted into Gorgeous 3D Slow-Mo Zooms

Remember that slow-motion wildlife footage that consisted entirely of still photos animated with parallax? French photographer Sebastien Laban does the same thing, except with his wedding photographs.

In the video above, all the apparently 3D scenes you see are actually the result of using some After Effects magic on ordinary 2D photographs.

Adobe Photoshop Touch Now Available for iOS and Android Phones

In February 2012, Adobe launched a photo editing app for Android and iOS tablets called Photoshop Touch. The software price priced at $10, and offers many of Photoshop's core features in a touch-based interface.

Now, one year later, Adobe is expanding the reach of PS Touch even more: the company announced today that the app is now available for Android and iOS smartphones (and the iPod touch).

Portraits of People Posing with Their Passions and Pastimes

Jack Daly, a photographer at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, is working on a portrait project titled People with Passions. Each photograph in the series features a person posing with the objects of their passion (e.g. things associated with their interests, pursuits, and pastimes).

Long-Exposure Infrared Photos of Trees

London-based photographer Martin Stavars has a beautiful series of photographs titled, "Portraits of Trees." For each of the photographs, he set his infrared camera up in front of a large tree and opened up the shutter for anywhere between four to ten minutes.

Disturbing Photos Capture the Realities of Euthanization at Animal Shelters

Warning: This post contains strong and disturbing photos of euthanasia and animal suffering.

Every year in North Carolina, over 250,000 animals are euthanized because there is no one willing to adopt them and care for them. This averages to nearly 700 animals killed daily. NC-based photographer Mary Shannon Johnstone has been on a mission to draw public awareness to the issue of animal overpopulation. Her gut-wrenching project, titled "Breeding Ignorance," offers an brutally honest look at the conditions inside animal shelters and the tragedy of beautiful (and often healthy) animals being put down.

Black-and-White Infrared Time-Lapse of Clouds Floating Over Landscapes

Australia-based photographer Glen Ryan has been working on a long-running infrared project called Invisible Landscapes. He recently created the gorgeous time-lapse video above featuring the limestone landscapes near Wee Jasper in New South Wales for an exhibition at the Karst Country exhibition. The black-and-white infrared images make the clouds overhead pop out of the dark sky in the background.

Directed, Edited, Written, Acted, Scored, and Produced by Shane Carruth

Think it's difficult to juggle multiple aspects of your photography business? If you want to see an example of a highly motivated creative individual, check out what American filmmaker Shane Carruth has been up to in the film industry.

In 2004, Carruth released the indie sci-fi movie Primer. It had a ridiculously low budget of $7,000, and went on to gross over half a million dollars and gather a large cult following.

Nikonos RS Underwater Lenses Modded to Work with Nikon DSLRs

Launched in 1992 and discontinued in 1996, Nikon's Nikonos RS was considered one of the best underwater photography solutions back in the 90s. The cameras and the 50mm f/2.8 macro, 28mm, 13mm fisheye, and 20-35mm lenses still sell for relatively high prices these days. Unfortunately for Nikon enthusiasts, the RS mount lenses were not compatible with F mount cameras... until now.

Underwater photographer Andrej Belic spent over a decade dreaming of using an RS lens on his Nikon DSLR, and over the past year he was able to get the combo working.

Photographer Gets DKNY To Pay $25K to the YMCA After Copyright Infringement

NYC-based street photographer Brandon Stanton's work has attracted quite a few eyes since he launched his Humans of New York photo project in 2010. Among those eyes were marketing folk at the clothing company DKNY.

Stanton and DKNY had a copyright infringement scuffle yesterday that resulted in DKNY donating $25,000 to the YMCA.

Honest Couple Finds and Returns Camera Bag with Gear and $11,000 Cash

A couple were visiting a vista point near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco this past Valentine's Day when they came across a black camera bag that had apparently been misplaced. After the owner didn't turn up to recover it, they looked inside and found a wallet with Chinese currency, credit cards, an "expensive-looking" camera and lens... and $11,000 in cash.

Fashion Yourself a Custom Flash Diffuser Using 3D Printing

3D printing is becoming cheaper and more accessible, so photographers no longer need to rely on camera gear manufacturers for simple plastic gear items such diffusers and other light modifiers. Eric Chu over at MAKE recently noticed a photo intern using a piece of paper as a cheap flash bounce. Seeing that the makeshift bounce didn't ever last more than a few days, Chu wanted to offer a better solution... so he decided to produce one himself.

Ambermatic App Applies a Filter to Your Photos Using a Real Pair of Shades

Last year we shared a clever "real world Instagram filter" concept called InstaCRT, which took submitted photos and rephotographed them on a real CRT monitor to capture a CRT look. Seeing the success of that project, Ray-Ban has decided to use the same idea in a clever bit of marketing to promote its Ambermatic sunglasses.

To show people what the world looks like through sunglasses fitted with Ambermatic lenses, the company launched an iOS camera app called Ray-Ban Ambermatic. It can apply a yellow tint to your photos using a real pair of Ambermatic glasses.

Crash Video Controversy Puts NASCAR Copyright Grab in Spotlight

A serious car crash at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300 this past Saturday caused debris to go flying into the stands, sending a number of spectators to the hospital -- some with very serious injuries. A fan named Tyler Andersen was in the area where the accident happened, and had his camera recording video as the whole thing unfolded. After the incident made national headlines, Anderson posted the 1m16s video above to YouTube (warning: it doesn't show any injuries, but it's a bit disturbing).

NASCAR wasn't too pleased with the video, and sent YouTube a DMCA takedown request, claiming that it was a case of copyright infringement. YouTube complied and took down the video, sparking cries of "censorship."

A Demonstration of the Silent Shutters in the Fujifilm X20 and X100s

When Fujifilm announced its latest wave of X-Series cameras earlier this year, the company stated that the big area they're focusing on is "speed". The new X20 and X100s feature extremely speedy autofocus, burst speed, and startup time. The 's' in X100s may officially stand for "speed," but it could just as well stand for "silent" or "stealth". Both cameras feature extremely silent shutters that won't attract attention while you're snapping away.

The video above by nycphotog2006 shows how silent the X20 is even while the leaf shutter is fluttering at a staggering 12fps.

Long-Exposure Photos of Light Rising Up from Snowy Landscapes

"Lights Edge" is a series of beautiful pictures by photographer Kevin Cooley that show beams of light rising up from various winter landscapes. They're simple long-exposure photographs that aren't the result of any digital trickery. Instead, Cooley simply opened up his 4x5 camera and launched military-grade emergency flare into the night sky.

Smaller and Faster Capacitor May Bring a Xenon Flash to Your Next Smartphone

Lenses and sensors weren't the only camera components miniaturized and dumbed down when digital photography jumped over into the world of smartphones: flashes did too. In order to fit everything into a tiny package, smartphone makers have largely opted for LED flashes in their phones rather than the bigger and bulkier xenon flashtubes found in proper digital cameras (a notable exception is the Nokia PureView 808). That may soon change.

Scientists in Singapore have developed a new capacitor that may lead to more powerful xenon flash units replacing the LED flashes found in consumer smartphones.

The Idealized Landscape Paintings Found in Prison Visiting Rooms

Prison visiting rooms are often home to large-scale paintings that are enjoyed by only a few. Often created by the inmates themselves, the artworks serve as the photographic backdrops of a portrait studio as inmates pose in front of them for pictures that are given to loved ones as mementos.

Since these intricate drawings are generally only seen by inmates, visitors, and employees, photographer Alyse Emdur decided that she wanted to document them for a wider audience. She spent years creating a project titled Prison Landscapes, featuring photos of these idealized backdrops that, for a moment, transport the inmates to faraway places.

Who Owns Illegal Public Street Art Found on Private Buildings?

Who owns public art illegally placed onto private buildings? That's a question that came up recently after a famous Banksy work in London was ripped out of the side of a building, shipped across the Atlantic, and put up for auction with an estimated final price of over half a million dollars.

Nikon Issues Official Service Advisory for D600 Dust Issue, Stance is Same

In October 2012, LensRentals owner Roger Cicala reported that the Nikon D600 seems to collect more sensor dust than other DSLRs. Other owners began reporting the same thing, and different theories began emerging to explain the origins of the annoying specks.

When Imaging Resource reached out to Nikon for comment, it was told that Nikon customers are encouraged to have their cameras serviced if the dust becomes "bothersome." Nikon finally issued an official advisory this past Wednesday regarding the issue, but its message is the same.

Beautiful Nature Cinemagraphs Created from Wildlife Documentaries

If you're a fan of cinemagraphs, you should take a look at the nature cinemagraphs being created by 28-year-old Netherlands-based visual artist Marinus. He has been using frames from popular wildlife documentaries (BBC's Winterwatch, Wonders of Life, and Natural World), turning them into beautiful animated loops that offer glimpses into the great outdoors.

Samsung Unveils a Cheaper, Wi-Fi-Only Galaxy Camera

While we're on the subject of Android-powered cameras: Samsung announced a new camera model for its Galaxy lineup this past Tuesday. It's called the Samsung Galaxy Camera (Wi-Fi). As you can probably guess from the name, it's simply the original Samsung Galaxy Camera without the 3G/4G capabilities (and with a smaller price tag). In other words, you'll have to rely on Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet rather than subscribing to a data plan for your camera.

Nikon Now Paying Microsoft Royalties for Android-Powered Cameras

Microsoft announced yesterday that it has entered into a patent licensing agreement with Nikon for Nikon's Android-powered digital cameras. While the details of the agreement were not revealed, Microsoft did say that it will begin collecting royalties from Nikon for certain camera models.

The Face of Bureaucracy: Portraits of Civil Servants Around the World

Bureaucratics is a project by photographer Jan Banning that consists of 50 portraits captured in 8 countries on 5 continents around the world. The goal: to offer a comparative look at the culture, rituals, and symbols of state civil administrations. Basically, Banning wanted to document the face of bureaucracy by capturing portraits of government workers at their posts.

Luxi is a Clip-On Adapter That Transforms Your iPhone Into a Proper Light Meter

Back in March 2011, we featured an iPhone app that lets you use your iPhone as a makeshift light meter. The app apparently works pretty well, but if you've been looking for a fancier solution involving your iPhone, one has finally arrived.

It's called the Luxi, and is a small clip on accessory that turns your iPhone into a proper light meter.

Calvin and Hobbes Photoshopped Into Photographs of Real Locations

If you're a fan of photography and of Bill Watterson's popular comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, you'll probably love what Oregon-based freelance photographer Michael S. Den Beste has been working on recently. He's using his Photoshoppin' skills to blend Calvin and Hobbes characters into photographs of real world locations that match the settings seen in the comics. The results are magical, beautiful, and oh-so-very-fun.

Sample Photos: Check Out the 2/3-Inch X-Trans Sensor Quality in the X20

Fujifilm has released seven official sample photographs shot using the new X20, a slick little retro-styled compact camera with a 12MP 2/3-inch X-Trans CMOS sensor. The X-Trans sensors in Fujifilm's APS-C X-Series cameras (e.g. X-Pro1 and X-E1) are very highly regarded for their image quality and low light performance, so it's interesting to see how the same tech performs on a much smaller sensor size (APS-C sensors are about 6.5 times larger than the X20's 2/3 sensor).

A Complete Professional Photography Kit for $15.35… Back in the Year 1900

Want to buy all the camera equipment you need to start a photography business for just $15.35? All you'll need is... a time machine! Reddit user sneeden found this Sears Roebuck and Co. consumer guide for the fall of 1900. Two of the pages inside the catalog are for view camera kits that can help anyone "start in a pleasant and good paying business."

“Snow Flowers” on the Front of a Lens

Apparently if you shoot in certain environments that are cold enough, beautiful patterns of snow and ice form on the front element of your lens. This is what photographer Alessandro Della Bella's glass looked like as he was shooting at an altitude of around 10,000 feet on Mount Titlis in temperatures of around 1° F.

Near-Earth Asteroid 2012 DA14 Captured in a Gorgeous Time-lapse Video

On Friday, February 15th, 2013, near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 did a flyby of our planet -- the closest approach ever of an object of its size (30 meters in diameter). Photographer Colin Legg of Western Australia decided to capture the close pass in a time-lapse video, and set up his cameras after midnight around 220 miles east of Perth.

He ended up capturing the amazing video above, while captures a shooting star burning a trail across the sky while DA14 slowly travels through the shot. The video also shows how much random stuff in the sky you can see if you have eyes/cameras sensitive enough to see it.

Abstract Long-Exposure Photographs of Colored Paper in a Cave

Los Angeles-based photographer Brice Bischoff has a project titled Bronson Caves. Between 2009 and 2010, Bischoff visited the caves in Los Angeles' Griffith Park with his 4x5 large format camera and some very large sheets of colored paper. He then used long exposure times to paint colorful blurs into the photographs by waving the papers around.

Wet Plate Collodion Photography from a First-Person Point of View

Here's a video that may be very interesting to you if you've never tried your hand at creating a tintype with wet plate collodion photography. Oklahoma City-based photographer Mark Zimmerman recently strapped a GoPro Hero 3 to his head and went through the entire process of creating a wet-plate photo on aluminum, from flowing the collodion in the beginning, through exposing it using his large format camera, and ending with a finished tintype photo of a camera.

Amazing Animated GIFs Capture Nebulae in 3D Using Artificial Parallax

Parallax 3D images use two photos captured from slightly different vantage point to create the appearance of depth. In astrophotography, however, the distance between human cameras and distance objects are so great that real parallax generally cannot be achieved.

Finnish astrophotographer J-P Metsavainio has developed a brilliant experimental technique that overcomes this (kinda): he converts astrophotographs into 3D volumetric models, and then uses those models to create dazzling 3D animations of nebulae.

Sony NEX-3N Mirrorless Camera and A58 SLT Become Official

After having their photos and some specs leaked this past weekend, the Sony NEX-3N and A58 finally became real today through an official announcement by Sony. The new mirrorless and pellicle mirror cameras were unveiled alongside a set of new lenses, and offer some pretty standard upgrades to current models.

Cramped Apartments in Hong Kong Shot From Directly Above

In the middle of last year, The Economist released rankings for the world's most livable cities, and Hong Kong was found at the top. What many people don't know, however, is that there is a percentage of Hong Kong residents living in rather horrid conditions.

In an attempt to draw attention to the issue, human rights organization Society for Community Organization recently commissioned a series of photographs showing what a number of unacceptable living spaces look like when viewed from directly overhead. (Here's a larger version of the photo above.)

A Leaked List of Specs for an Upcoming Canon 7D Mark II

A more complete list of specs has emerged for the rumored Canon 7D Mark II. The camera may be a miniature counterpart to the EOS-1D X, likely featuring a smaller body, less features (maybe), less weathersealing, and a lower price point than the 1D X.

Snowflake Macro Photos Captured Using a Canon PowerShot Compact Camera

Moscow, Russia-based photographer Alexey Kljatov shoots incredibly beautiful photographs of snowflakes on the open balcony of his home... using a custom compact camera kit. That's right: rather than use fancy (and pricey) camera gear, Kljatov simply uses a 12.1MP Canon PowerShot A650 and some DIY macro gear that he put together.

Animated GIFs Created with Photographs of Large-Scale Street Art

Animated GIFs are often created with a sequence of photographs, but UK-based artist INSA puts an interesting twist on the concept by mixing the concept with graffiti and time-lapsing. For his GIF-iti projects, he paints large-scale street art pieces on various walls and surfaces (e.g. the side of a truck) over a number of days. Once each version of the piece is complete, it's saved as a photographed with a camera fixed in a certain location.

After the series of graffiti pieces is completed, the photographs are strung together into unique animated GIFs.