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

Beware the ‘Silhouette Challenge’: Creeps Are Removing the Red Filter

The Silhouette Challenge (#silhouettechallenge) is a trend that has been going viral on TikTok as of late that involves dancing provocatively as a silhouette while the details of your body are mostly obscured by a red filter. But beware: creeps are using software and editing techniques to remove that red filter, meaning your trendy video may reveal much more than you intended it to and leave you exposed.

Photographer Slices Up a Leica for Art

For his new project titled Heisenberg Objekt No. III, award-winning photographer Fabian Oefner has created an unusual scupture by slicing up quite an expensive "raw material": a pristine Leica M6 rangefinder camera, which costs around $2,500 to $3,500 used.

36 Awe-Inspiring Sun, Moon, and Milky Way Photos of 2020

The popular outdoor photo planning app PhotoPills has picked 36 of the best Sun, Moon, and Milky Way photos captured by photographers in its community over the past year. If you need some photo inspiration and enjoy night sky shots, this is the gallery for you.

Instagram Stories Have a New Look on Desktop

Instagram is rolling out a new design for Stories on desktop to make the feature more immersive and easier to navigate. Users will be able to view stories in full-screen with a carousel containing previews of already-played and upcoming Stories.

5 Signs Your Landscape Photos Are Way Too Busy

Figuring out the line between "good" and "too much" is one of the big challenges in photography, whether it's making adjustments in post-processing or figuring out what to include in a composition. In this 14-minute video, photographer Mark Denney shares 5 things to look for to figure out if your landscape photos are too busy.

Are Weddings with COVID Restrictions Worth It?

It almost sounds like a cliché at this point to say it, but 2020 wasn't easy for anyone and the wedding industry was hit particularly hard depending on where in the world you were.

Adobe Lightroom v6 is Falling Apart

Lightroom version 6.0, officially Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC 2015, was the last major release of Lightroom that was available with a perpetual license (i.e. a one-time purchase). Unfortunately, some users who don't wish to make the jump to paying a subscription through the Creative Cloud are finding that "perpetual" isn't as all-encompassing as they thought.

A Hands-On Preview of the Pentax K-3 Mark III

Tokyo-based journalist Albert Siegel has published one of the first hands-on previews of Pentax's new APS-C flagship DSLR, the K-3 Mark III. His 6-minute video above provides a closer look at a camera that's set to be officially launched sometime in early 2021.

Photographer Captures Pyro Skydivers in a Milky Way Photo

Photographer Dustin Snipes recently did a project that takes light-painting photography to a whole new level. Teaming up with the Red Bull Air Force Team, he shot long-exposure photos of wingsuit skydivers falling to Earth while wearing sparkling pyrotechnics.

Macro Timelapses of Organisms Drying Out

"Dry Out" is a new short film by Vienna, Austria-based photographer Christian Stangl. Using macro lenses and a microscope, Stangl shot timelapses showing various organic things drying out.

How to Make Your Own Photo Paper Developer from Scratch

If you're a film photographer who likes to go the do-it-yourself rather than store-bought route, here's a fun little tutorial for you. In this 3-minute Darkroom Magic episode by the George Eastman Museum, Historic Process Specialist Nick Brandreth shows how you can make your own photo paper developer at home from scratch.

Photographer Captures ISS Passing Between Jupiter and Saturn

Last night, photographers and stargazers around the world were treated to the Great Conjunction, a event in which Jupiter and Saturn appeared closer to each other in the sky than they have for hundreds of years. Countless photos were undoubtedly snapped of the rare sight, but photographer Jason De Freitas captured a particularly lucky one a few days ago showing the ISS zipping between the two planets.