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

NYC’s New Vessel Landmark Has a Big Photo Copyright Grab

Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate development in the United States (by square footage) just opened to the public in New York City, and the centerpiece of the Yards is a permanent art installation and giant public structure called Vessel. It's a 16-story landmark with 154 flights of stairs that visitors can climb, but beware: by reserving a ticket to Vessel, you hand over rights to photos shot within.

The Winning Photo of the $120K HIPA Prize Was Apparently Staged

The prestigious Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) has announced its 2019 winners, and Malaysian photographer Edwin Ong Wee Kee won the $120,000 Grand Prize with a photo shot in Vietnam showing a mother carrying two children. But the win is proving controversial today after a behind-the-scenes photo revealed that the shot was apparently staged.

Profoto Accuses Godox of Stealing Its A1 Design for the V1

Godox is getting ready to launch the V1, its affordable rival to the $995 Profoto A1 round head flash, but it may soon hit a major roadblock: Profoto is accusing Godox of patent infringement, saying the Chinese lighting company copied its A1 designs for the V1.

Fake Model Wearing Ridiculous Outfits Tricks Fashion Week Photographers

The world of high fashion can get weird, and YouTubers Zac and Jay wanted to see whether they could fake their way to the top of London Fashion Week 2019 by capitalizing on this weirdness. As you can see in this humorous 15-minute video, they accomplished their goal in getting photographers to buy the ruse, hook, line, and sinker.

These Car Ads Were Shot with Toy Cars

A few months ago, the Czech car brand Škoda got in touch with Hungarian photographer Benedek Lampert and asked him to shoot car photos. But instead of expensive shoots featuring real Škoda cars, the company asked that Lampert only use 1:43-scale models of the cars.

CFexpress Memory Cards Will Come in Three Different Sizes

The CompactFlash Association's new CFexpress standard is getting ready to take its place as the new dominant memory card format, and six companies have already announced CFexpress cards: Apacer, Delkin, Lexar, ProGrade Digital, SanDisk, and Sony. But here's something you might have missed: CFexpress will feature three different card sizes.

Huawei Busted for Faking Smartphone Photos Yet Again

It looks like Huawei still hasn't learned its lesson after getting caught faking smartphone photos in ads multiple times. The company's latest teaser ads for the upcoming P30 Pro smartphone imply that they show sample photos, but they don't.

This $2,200 Sony Camera Got Fried by a Tattoo Removal Laser

You probably know that the lasers in concerts and even on self-driving cars can damage your camera's sensor in a direct hit, but did you know that light reflected off skin during laser tattoo removal can also destroy your sensor? Watch this 37-second video to see for yourself.

The Power and Problems with Photo Clichés

Filmmaker and journalist Johnny Harris made this inspiring 7-minute video about the picturesque Austrian town of Hallstatt, which sits nestled between a lake and a mountain in the Alps. Harris looks at the idea of photography clichés and breaking out of them to find unique photos and experiences.

How Much a Full Pro Camera and Lens Set Costs for Each Brand

Photographer Terrance Lam's friend recently purchased Sony's entire line of pro G Master lenses. Curious about how the cost stacks up against other ecosystems, Lam decided to do some research and find out how much equivalent camera and lens kits cost for other brands.

Meyer Optik Gorlitz Admits Nocturnus was a Modified Chinese Lens

After years of launching lenses through much-hyped Kickstarter campaigns, Meyer Optik Gorlitz died in 2018 but was brought back to life after its parent company, net SE, was acquired by the German company OPC Optics. With a new owner, Meyer Optik is now confessing that yes, the Nocturnus was actually a modified Chinese lens.

How to Make a Rifle Stock for Your Camera

Want a camera stabilizer that's sure to attract (perhaps unwanted) attention? Just add a rifle-style stock to it. Alex over at I did a thing made this humorous 5-minute video showing how he built such a stabilizer for his own DSLR.

This is Yongnuo’s Micro 4/3 EF-Mount Android 4K Mirrorless Camera

Yongnuo teased and revealed a smart mirrorless camera called the YN450 late last year, and the unusual device sparked a good deal of attention. The YN450 was just on display at the CP+ 2019 show in Japan, and cinema5D spoke to a rep for this 4.5-minute video that provides us with a better idea of what this camera is.

Sony: E-mount Can Take f/0.63 Lenses

At its a6400 announcement event back in January, Sony also gathered press together for a presentation in which it aimed to debunk some of the things being said about its E mount in recent days. One of the interesting facts shared is that the E-mount supports a maximum aperture of f/0.63.

Colourise.sg Uses AI to Colorize B&W Photos

Want to turn some old black-and-white photos into color photos? There's an amazing new website called Colourise.sg that'll get the job done for you. It uses deep learning AI to create remarkably realistic results in just seconds with zero work on your part.

Flickr Unveils a New Login That Ditches Yahoo’s System

After being acquired by Yahoo in 2005, Flickr became bound to its new owner's authorization system, meaning all users needed to have a Yahoo account just to use Flickr. Flickr has just announced a new login system that finally frees the service from Yahoo.

Costco Closing (Some) In-Store Photo Depts., Cites Plummeting Printing

Costco's wholesale warehouse stores used to be an ultra-affordable place to get film developed, as it charged less than $2 a roll while competitors often charged several times as much. But film processing started disappearing from Costco locations a few years ago (to the dismay of many). Now the entire in-store photo departments may be the next to go.