didyouknow

Gannon Burgett

Why You Should Follow ‘Myspace Tom’ on Instagram

Almost all of us know him. In fact, he was probably our first friend at some point. His name? Tom Anderson -- more affectionately referred to as Myspace Tom. As a co-founder of one of the first giants of social networking, Myspace, Anderson has had a hefty pile of cash to play around with since 2005 when he sold Myspace to News Corp. for $580 million.

So, what does he do with his time and funds? Well, as we revealed to you back in 2012, he takes photos... and pretty incredible ones at that.

Michael Zhang

Why Photographs of Watches and Clocks Show the Time 10:10

Have you ever noticed that the watches and clocks found in product photographs and advertisements usually show the time 10:10? If you haven't, pay attention the next time you're flipping through a publication and come across a watch ad---the rule is almost always true.

If you have noticed this, do you know why 10:10 is the default time for watch photographers?

DL Cade

Camera Obscura and the Paintings of Old Masters

Did you know that some of the most famous master painters from centuries past may have actually used camera "technology" to aid them in creating their masterpieces? According to the hotly debated Hockney-Falco thesis, some well-known artists likely used rudimentary camera obscura rooms as a tool -- essentially "tracing" parts of their work.

Michael Zhang

Your Breath Contains Harmful Acids That Can Damage Camera Lenses

Do you ever clean the front element of your lens by fogging it up with your breath and then wiping it off with a cloth? If so, you might want to stop -- Nikon says the practice could be damaging to your glass. Apparently human breath contains stuff that isn't too friendly toward camera lenses.

Michael Zhang

Canon Speedlite Flashes Are Named After Their Guide Numbers

This is probably a "duh" fact for many of you, but one that some of you have perhaps never heard or realized before: Did you know that the flashes in the Canon Speedlite lineup are named after their maximum guide numbers? To figure out the power of your Speedlite, just take the model name and hack off the zero at the end to get the GN (e.g. 430EX has GN 43, 580EX has GN 58).

Michael Zhang

The Light Show on CN Tower is Actually a Subliminal Photo Slideshow

If you've visited the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada anytime during the past five years at night, you've likely enjoyed the dazzling light show that appears on the side of the tower. The 1,330 uber-bright LED lights (which cost a cool $2.5 million) were installed in the elevator shafts back in 2007, and are turned on from dusk every day until 2 the next morning. What you might not have known, however, is that the seemingly random colors that appear are really not so random after all: they're actually pieces of photographs!

DL Cade

Did You Know: Kodak Used Collectible Stuffed Animals to Sell Cameras

We've heard of camera manufacturers dipping into unrelated fields before, and we've also seen some pretty interesting marketing stunts, but in the early 90's Kodak had already done both... in a colorful, cuddly sort of way. Back then, as an either desperate or creative ploy to get kids into photography, Kodak came out with the Kolorkins: a set of colorful, collectible stuffed animals.

Michael Zhang

The Human Eye Can See in Ultraviolet When the Lens is Removed

You may have heard that digital cameras can be made sensitive to infrared light by removing the IR filter found inside, but did you now that something similar can be done with the human eye? People who have aphakia, or the absence of the lens on the eye, have reported the ability to see ultraviolet wavelengths. Claude Monet was one such person.