Ideas

What a ‘Normal’ Person Sees vs. What a Photographer Sees

Photographer Manny Ortiz loves finding perfect portrait situations in everyday places -- locations most people probably wouldn't think of using for a photo shoot. Here's a short video in which Ortiz compares how "normal" people see the world vs how photographers see it.

How to Get a Large Format Film Look with a Smartphone Camera

I recently shared about how I turned my Afghan Box Camera into a 4×5 slide projector. In this article, I'll share another idea based on the Afghan Box Camera: to make use of my humble mobile phone camera to create a large format look with the box camera and its lens.

Making a DIY Film Wigglegram Lens from 3 Disposable Cameras

I've got to admit that half of the reason I bought a film camera was to post cool-looking pictures on Instagram, so when I saw these things called "wigglegrams" on Instagram, I immediately wanted to make my own.

How I Converted My Afghan Box Camera Into a 4×5 Slide Projector

I have been shooting 4x5 color transparencies or commonly known as color slide film for many years but the best that I could enjoy them was to put them on the light table and viewing them through a loupe. Unlike my 35mm and 120 slides, I have never seen them projected big simply it is not easy to locate a 4×5 slide projector.

This Landscape Art Uses AR Projection to Show Beams of Light

Photographer Reuben Wu has released the final chapter of his groundbreaking Lux Noctis project, which involves lighting large-scale landscapes with drone-mounted lights. Titled "An Electric Storm," the digital artwork has an incredible physical installation that combines a print with AR light projection.

This Wrist Camera Feeds 35mm Film Through the Strap

Iranian photographer and camera tinkerer Alireza Rostami has created a new homemade wrist camera that operates in a neat way: two 35mm film cassettes are attached to the strap under the wrist, and 35mm film travels through the camera inside the straps.

Using an Infrared Flash for Stealthy Street Photography

Street photography is one of the most appreciated genres in photography. By showing daily life in a new way, it can speak to everyone. That explains why some of the most famous photographers are street photographers: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier, Martin Parr, Diane Arbus, or Joel Meyerowitz. They created iconic pictures by finding the right moment to catch the interesting details that no one else could have seen.

15 Unignorable Ways to Show Your Photographs

We live in a world of visual bombardment. According to the research company Internet Live Stats, there are over 1,000 photographs uploaded to Instagram alone every second. When you factor in our universal personal attention deficit, one must wonder how one gets their precious photographs seen. Here are 15 unignorable ways to show your photographs to help get past the digital clutter.

This Guy Bends Time and Space in Slow Motion

"Playing With Time" is a new mind-blowing 1.5-minute video by Macro Room in which a man bends time and space in slow motion. It was created entirely with a high-speed camera with clever planning and editing.

This Music Video Was Made with 3,700 Photos Shot on 35mm Film

Better Man is a music video and visual experiment shot using a 35mm analog camera meant for still photography. Every video clip in Better Man is actually a shutter burst of 8 frames per second and so in essence it fools the human eye to simulate motion similar to the effect that the very first motion picture cameras were able to produce.

How I Shot This Lunar Eclipse Sequence In Camera, On Film

G’day from Australia, my name is Jason De Freitas (@jase.film on Instagram), and I’m a photographer mostly known for my analog astrophotography. In this article, I’ll describe the process and decisions I went through to take this lunar eclipse multi-exposure sequence on medium format film.

Layer Elements with Longer Lenses in Street Photography

One of the most effective ways to fill a frame with information, particularly in street photography, is to layer elements of your composition, either in two dimensions along the X and Y axis or in three with the Z axis.

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!

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.

Morsiple Messages: A Daguerreotype Multiple Exposure Method

In early spring 1839, Paris was abuzz with excitement in connection with a recently published letter, in which the invention of photography was confirmed by reliable sources. The world was now waiting for the French government to work out a deal with its inventor Louis J.M. Daguerre for details of the daguerreotype process to become public. 

Playing with Macro Photography at the Kitchen Sink

Here's a quick, easy idea for something you can try in your kitchen with a macro lens. Yesterday as I was doing the dishes, the water stream hit an egg cup and bounced up in a concentrated jet, splashing water up all over me.

I Shoot Snow Portraits by Sticking My Face Into Snow

My Snow Portrait series consists of photos taken using a technique I "invented" 8 years ago that utilizes the "hollow mask" 3D optical illusion. All the shots in this article are imprints of my face in fairly deep snow lit from underneath, almost like a lithophane. No Photoshop. No filters.

Shooting Portraits with a Giant IMAX Lens on a Canon EOS R

In an endeavor that seems to be driven only by curiosity, Photographer Jay P. Morgan modded an old IMAX lens to allow it to work with his Canon EOS R. But just getting the lens to work wasn't enough, as Morgan decided to take the lens way out of its element: street portraiture.

Using Infrared to Reinvent Local Scenes

This year, as photographers, we've been challenged to look at more ordinary subjects closer to home in pursuit of continuing our photography. 2020 has pushed us to find creative potential in the more everyday and mundane, perhaps duping us in the process that these subjects are in fact worthy of our attention.

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.

Matter Deconstructed: The Observer Effect and Photography

Photographs are omnipresent in our daily lives. From social media and advertising to family photos hanging on your wall. Images are used for identification and as evidence, as well as informing us at a cultural level about who we are.

Make a DIY Selective Focus Lens with a CV Boot

Iranian photographer and camera tinkerer Alireza Rostami wanted to shoot tilt-shift photos but found the specialized lenses too expensive, so instead he decided to make himself a selective focus lens using a cheap CV boot.

Capturing Emotion Through Light

I saw a post from a fellow light painter that grabbed my attention and implanted itself into my brain -- something that I haven’t been able to let go of. He asked: “We know by looking at painters' brushstrokes how they were feeling at a certain time. In light painting, we "paint" with light. I would be curious to see if emotion could be shown in the brush strokes of light painting too.”

10 Easy Macro Photography Ideas You Can Try at Home

JT from the YouTube channel Run N Gun has put together a quick video that takes you through 10 easy macro photography ideas you can try from the comfort of your own home. If you're looking for some weekend inspiration that won't take you out of the house or wake you up at 4am, this ought to do it.

How to Shoot Otherworldly Macro Photos of Soap Bubbles

There are certain subjects in the macro world, which are so fascinating and absorbing that almost every macro photographer will point a camera at them at some point. No matter how many photos you take or see of these subjects, their charm does not seem to wear off.