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

NFTs Explained on SNL with an Eminem Rap Parody

Non-fungible tokens in cryptocurrency have made a splash in the art world in recent days. If you're out of the loop and don't have time to read an in-depth explainer on what NFTs are, check out this humorous 3.5-minute Eminem rap parody by Saturday Night Live that will bring you up to speed (maybe).

Jared Polin is Giving Away $92,000 in Camera Gear

Photographer and YouTuber Jared Polin (AKA FroKnowsPhoto) has announced one of the biggest camera gear giveaways the Internet has ever seen. He's giving away 50 camera kits worth a total of $92,000 to young people who could use the help.

How a Fresnel Lens Works, Explained with a Simple Blackboard Model

If you've heard of Fresnel lenses in photography before but have no idea what they are or how they work, here's a fantastic short primer. In this 3.5-minute video, physicist David G. Willey (AKA the Mad Scientist) explains the science behind the lens style using a simple and easy-to-understand model on a blackboard.

How to Pronounce German Camera and Lens Brands ‘Correctly’

Germany has a long history of producing some of the best cameras and lenses ever to appear in the history of photography, but German brand names can be a bit tricky to pronounce. In this 8.5-minute video, photographer Maximilian Heinrich of Analog Insights shares the native German speaker's pronunciation of some well-known brands.

How to Fake a Drone Shot in a ‘No Drone Zone’

There are many places where drones are banned and many laws restricting how, when, and where you can fly, but what if you absolutely must capture some drone shots in one of these off-limits locations? Well, you can just fake it!

How a Wildlife Photographer Rescued Four Baby Red Squirrels

Wildlife photographer Dani Connor was photographing red squirrels in Sweden last year when she discovered four baby orphaned squirrels. In this beautiful 30-minute short film she made, titled The Squirrels & Me, Connor shares how she rescued the baby squirrels and then befriended a family of them.

Photographer Combines Light Painting with an HDR Moon Photo

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy is known for getting creative with his craft, capturing awe-inspiring photos of celestial bodies from in and around his backyard in Sacramento. For his latest idea, he decided to combine light painting and astrophotography into this unusual, dazzling photo of the Moon.

This Geography Genius Can Figure Out Exactly Where a Photo Was Shot

Many cameras these days can use GPS modules to geotag digital photos with the exact location they were captured from. If you have an outdoor photo with no geolocation data, however, all you need to do is bring it before Tom Davies, a geography wiz who can study the features in a photo to deduce where it was shot, sometimes with an accuracy down to several feet.

Photos Document Remote Learning at a Chicago Elementary School

As COVID-19 began spreading through the United States in 2020, Chicago Public Schools, like many school systems around the country, decided to have all of its 350,000 students attend class remotely from home. Chicago-based photographer Ludvig Perés picked up his camera and began documenting this radical change to the lives of students, teachers, and their families.

Gang Members React to Photos of Themselves with Tattoos Removed

For his project Skin Deep, photographer Steven Burton shot portraits of current and former gang members and then used the power of Photoshop to reveal what they would look like without their face and body tattoos. This 4-minute video shows the reactions of the subjects seeing their 'shopped portraits for the first time.

The History of the Camera… According to North Korea

If you've always wanted to learn about the history of the photographic camera as taught by the North Korean government, today's your lucky day! Here's a 15-minute educational video on camera history that was broadcast for children in the "hermit kingdom" (you can turn on English auto-translation in the video's settings).

Watch Photography Professors Do a Shootout with Kids’ Toy Cameras

Northern Arizona University recently decided to conduct a photography shootout that pitted two of its photography professors against each other. The challenge: to shoot the best graduation portraits they could with toy digital cameras designed for children. You can see how it went down in the 8.5-minute video above.

These Photos of Fireflies in Japan are Magical

In the summer, around June and July, firefly season kicks into full swing in Japan and watching (and photographing) the natural light show is a popular pastime. Photographer Daniel Kordan shot a beautiful set of photos that captures the magic of hotaru season.

Android 12 Will Support AVIF Photos

The first preview of Android 12 has landed, and it brings news that the mobile operating system will have platform support for the AV1 Image File Format (AVIF), which has dramatically better image quality for the same file size when compared with image formats such as JPEG.

Hands-On with the Weird Fotosnaiper Soviet Sniper Camera

Photographer Mathieu Stern was browsing a flea market when he came across a Zenit Fotosnaiper, a Soviet-era camera rig that looks and feels more like a rifle. Stern jumped at the opportunity to have a copy of his own and to go hands-on with the camera.

Lofoten, Norway: A Landscape Photographer’s Dream

Due to the pioneering adventures of a few, the Lofoten Islands have become a winter magnet for landscape photographers. Light has begotten this new pilgrimage. And February is the high season.

Selfie-Takers May Be Spreading COVID-19 to Gorillas

The next time you find yourself wanting to take a selfie with a gorilla, you may want to think twice: a new research study has found that tourists who try to take pictures with wild mountain gorillas could be putting the animals in danger of getting COVID-19 and other diseases.

Largest US Art Museum May Sell Off Art to Pay Bills

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the economy, and one niche hit particularly hard has been the world of museums, which has seen ticket sales plummet due to lockdowns and people staying away from indoor spaces. Now the largest art museum in the US is facing a massive budget shortfall, and it's looking into selling art to pay bills.

Alec Soth Rambles Through Photo Books by William Eggleston

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns around have pushed artists to find new ways to work, publish, and teach. Renowned photographer Alec Soth is posting "rambling talks" to his YouTube channel, and in this 42-minute talk, Soth slowly flips through photo books by photographer William Eggleston and discusses the work.