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

The First Leaked Photo of the iPhone 7 Plus with Dual Cameras?

The iPhone 7 has long been rumored to be the first iPhone to feature a dual rear cameras, following in the footsteps of phones such as the new Huawei P9, which has dual cameras engineered by Leica. And like with the P9, purported photos of the dual cameras have now leaked ahead of any official announcement.

The Dutch Angle: Tilting the Camera for Dramatic Effect

The Dutch Angle (or Dutch Tilt) is a technique that involves tilting your camera to one side, resulting in a frame that isn't level. Jacob T. Swinney of Fandor created this 3-minute compilation video showing the technique being used in a large number of movies.

Photographer at Building Demolition Gets Photobombed by Bus

Photographer Garry Cornes of Glasgow, Scotland, attended the demolition of a 24-story building this past Sunday. After joining the crowd there and setting up his camera on the other side of the street, Cornes had his view ruined at the worst possible time when a bus rolled in to photobomb his shot.

NASA Captures Mercury Flying Across the Sun

Mercury just passed between the Earth and the Sun yesterday, a rare "planetary transit" that occurs about 13 times every 100 years. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft shot highly detailed photos of the astronomical event, and the beautiful time-lapse above is what resulted.

Infographic: The Difference Between CMOS and CCD Sensors

Over the past couple of decades, CMOS sensors have come to dominate the digital photography landscape thanks to their increasing quality and falling costs. If you're unfamiliar with the differences between CMOS and CCD sensors, CEI-Europe has created a helpful infographic that compares the two technologies.

Steel Wool Photographer Burns Down Historic 1920s Landmark

If you ever try your hand at light painting photography with burning steel wool, be extra careful with safety and legality. Just a few months after a photographer allegedly destroyed a historic shipwreck in California with his sparks, another steel wool photo shoot has burned down a historic 1920s building in a US national preserve.

NVIDIA Unveils ‘Ansel’ to Transform Video Game Photography

As video games become more and more realistic, some artists have made names for themselves by shooting artistic in-game photographs (AKA screenshots). Now NVIDIA wants to bring in-game photography to the masses: the graphics company just announced "Ansel," a new virtual photography tool that's ready to appear in many future games.

MonoShot is an Ultra-Portable Tripod, Monopod, and Selfie Stick

If your smartphone serves as a primary camera in your life, you may have come across a Goldilocks-style conundrum when trying to figure out how to stabilize your phone and trigger it remotely. Standard tripods may be too big and bulky, but a selfie stick is too small and not versatile enough for your needs. The MonoShot is a product that fills the gap between the two ends of the spectrum.

Zero Optik: High-End Pinhole Lenses Designed for Pros

When you think pinhole lenses, you probably think cheap, low-fi lenses created by hand for DIY photography projects. Zero Optik takes things in the opposite direction: it's a new line of high-quality pinhole lenses that are designed for professionals.

Samsung Patents a Blink-Triggered Contact Lens Camera

We're getting closer to being able to take pictures with cameras built directly into contact lenses. Samsung has been granted a patent in South Korea for a smart contact lens that projects images directly into the wearer's eyeball... and which has a built-in camera that's controlled by blinking.