Bellamy Hunt of Japan Camera Hunter recently got his hands on this amazing handmade camera pendant by jeweller Luke Satoru. The attention to detail is amazing: it's a tiny Olympus Trip 35 camera crafted from multiple pieces of brass, and the various components actually work! You can open up the back to look at the film plane, turn the rewind knob, move the advance winder, and the whole shebang.
If you've ever felt like there's a camera shaped gap in the clothing market that needed filling, then the new clothing company Dodge & Burn may be exactly what you were looking for. Created "out of a passion for analogue photography and classic cameras" and established last year, the Dodge and Burn brand pays hommage to some of the classic cameras of old, allowing you to keep a little bit of the past with you as you dive further into the digital age of photography.
A couple of weeks ago two concepts for a "real-life" Instagram camera rolled across our computer screens -- one fake and funny, one real and kind of cool -- but we were pretty certain that neither of them would become a reality any time soon. It seems, however, that we're being proven wrong by ADR Studio's Antonio De Rosa and the crowdsourcing site Indiegogo.
The DIA Parrot by Nodesign really sort of defies explanation. Even the press release, which should ideally describe the product the best, seemed to be lost for words:
Camera hoarder Stacie Grissom of Stars for Streetlights received a massive collection of old cameras from her uncle a couple years ago. She soon discovered that she wouldn't possibly have time to use all of them, so she took a few of the neglected and worn down ones and made a one-of-a-kind lamp for her home. The cameras were turned into the lamp base using a pipe and some cold weld, and the lamp shade was made using color slide film. If you have some broken cameras lying around and want to …
Have some slide film sitting around and no slide projector to show them off with? Diapod is a tiny product designed for you. It's a simple and lightweight slide projector that uses a tabletop tripod, aluminum body, and LED light to project your slide film photos.
Yesterday we were whimsically wondering what life would be like if we could Photoshop away some of life's more unpleasant moments, and today we've stumbled onto a different approach in the form of the Retouch Mirror. The mirror, which will cost you about $85 from Atypyk, is a fun bathroom accessory for photographers who want to make their morning routine feel more like a post-processing session. If you don't want to drop $85, you can always convert your existing mirror into a Retouch Mirror …
There are a number of products out there that make child photography more child friendly by distracting the kid with colorful or disorienting objects. The newest member in this space is iCandy, a DSLR mount that turns your smartphone into a tool that makes your camera more appealing to youngins. For the low price of $99 (yup, it's kinda pricey), you can elicit smiles and other expressions by displaying photos and videos on your phone as you snap away at infant faces. The creator is currently …
If you happen to have $600+ just lying around (who doesn't?) and are looking to take photos from a whole new vantage point, then Event38's E382 Aerial Mapping Drone may be worth looking into. The $600 starter kit includes the plane, motor, speed controller, and the ArduPilot Mega 2.0 autopilot system to handle all of the pressure, GPS and flight data.
If you or someone you know really loves their Instagram photo collection, check out Printstagram's Mini Stickers: they're a great, cheap gift idea that's sure to make you/them smile. The whole point of Instagram is sharing your cool creations, so why not stick them to every surface imaginable? And at $10 per book of 252 stickers, you really can afford to stick them to everything.
Light Up Your Memories is a concept product by designers Hwang Youn Ha, Kim Min Jeong, Cha Yoon Suk & Kim Yong Ha that features push pins that light up at night, giving light to photographs that you have pinned up on your walls.
Created by Chris Bell, Liangjie Xia, and Mike Kelberman, Rotobooth is a novel new photo booth with a twist -- literally. It's powered by a hacked rotary phone and shoots a photo after the user dials their cell phone number. The image is then automatically uploaded to Flickr and a link to the photo is sent as a text message to the phone number provided. Check out this interview with Kelberman to learn more about the project and this Flickr set to see some behind-the-scenes photos.
Want to attach your smartphone to your tripod without buying a special mount? Two large binder clips can do the trick. Simply attach the clips to your tripod and then use the handles to cradle your phone. playstationfive has uploaded a step-by-step tutorial over on Imgur.
Berene Campbell of Happy Sew Lucky has a nifty cut-and-sew fabric design that lets you make a camera bag that looks like a Diana camera of the sixties: …
Here's a short video tutorial on how you can make a cozy for lens protection using some fleece and some velcro. It's a simple wrap that allows you to keep your lens safe when transporting it in something other than a camera bag. Simply measure out a piece of fleece that's the appropriate size and sew some velcro onto the ends. The project takes about 30 minutes and costs a buck or two for each cozy.
VU35 is a new brand by Lucas Desimone and Matias Resich that offers products created from wood and reused 35mm film -- a plastic material that's difficult to dispose of. Their first product is a minimalistic collapsible bookshelf called Filmantes, which uses strips of film to connect three wooden shelves.
Etsy seller Roberto Altieri creates unique iPhone/iPod charging docks out of old -- and hopefully defunct -- Pentax and Minolta SLR cameras from the 1960s and 1970s.
JumpFromPaper is a new line of unique handbags that uses thick outlines and bright colors to look like they popped right out of a cartoon. They look like they're completely flat and 2D, but they actually have room for things like cameras, laptops, and your everyday accessories. The bag seen here is called "Cheese!" and costs $99.
At CES 2012 back in January, Casio showed off a 2D to 3D conversion service that turns photos into sculptures. Now a new Portland, Oregon-based company called BumpyPhoto is bringing the technology to the masses. With prices starting at $59, BumpyPhoto will take your standard photograph, turn it into a 3D model using their special software, and then create a color 3D relief sculpture for you.
Protobooth is a creative photobooth by design firm Digital Kitchen that captures 3D photos rather than static images. Comprising 3 Canon 5D Mark II DSLRs, 4 Macbook Pros, and some fancy software mojo, the Protobooth simultaneously captures three photos at the push of a button, saves them to a networked hard drive, stitches them using Automator, applies a Photoshop filter action to the image, and then saves it as a GIF.
If you want an extra personal touch at birthday parties, you can turn portraits of the birthday boy or girl into picture perfect party hats! Simply print out a portrait using a special template, turn it into a cone, add some fringe, and you're done. Eden over at Sugar and Charm has the low down.
One year ago we featured a novel new device called Instaprint, a location-based photo booth that lets people create instant prints of Instagram photos by simply tagging them with a specific tag. It constantly scans Instagram for its tag, and when a photo is found the image is immediately printed out as a Zink print. Now Breakfast, the company behind the prototype, is trying to turn it into an actual product. They're trying to raise half a million bucks through Kickstarter and a $400 …
If you have some unwanted 35mm negatives lying around and need a simple gift idea, you can try your hand at turning them into one-of-a-kind bookmarks. Simply cut out the actual frames from the film strip and replace them with actual photographs to create film strips that you don't need to hold up to the light to enjoy.
Here's a sweet DIY project idea by Brittany Morin that's perfect for that special day that's right around the corner: scratch-off cards made from Polaroid pictures! Basically all you need is some acrylic paint and some dish soap. Mix the two together with a ratio of one part soap for every two parts paint and you'll have yourself some scratch-able paint!
Are you a photographer who needs to dress nicely but loves to dress comfortably? Now you can have both! Check out these new Dress Pant Sweatpants by Betabrand: they look just like a pair of fine charcoal wool trousers, but they're actually a super comfortable pair of sweatpants.
Say hello to the latest item in the PetaPixel Store: the Instant Photo Pendant Necklace! This beautiful pendant is designed to look exactly like a 1-inch tall Polaroid picture. Insert your favorite 0.8-inch square photos through a slot in the side, and keep it safe and snug with a clear plastic square (included). The copper and iron pendant is coated with white and comes with a silver-colored 18-inch chain. Buy one while supplies last for just $10 from our store (shipping is free for US …
Perhaps inspired by the vintage camera nightlights we shared last year, photographer Laura Merz decided to upcycle her old Kodak digital camera by turning it into a nightlight for her house. She writes, …
Etsy shop soaprepublic sells flexible silicone molds for making homemade soap that's shaped like a DSLR camera body (with a pancake lens attached?).
Now here's a bizarre fusion of photography, food, and functionality: the Photorito Lens Wrap is a new protective lens wrap that's not just inspired by the burrito -- it looks like one too! The one-size-fits-all wrap can help you safely transport lenses from 24mm to 200mm, and is made from waterproof Tyvek and neoprene. They cost $15 $20 each over at Photojojo.
Last year Levi's teamed up with Hong Kong magazine New Monday on an exclusive denim camera strap that was included for free with an issue of the magazine. The strap was produced with the same materials used to manufacture Levi's jeans and came in both red and black. You can find the straps for sale on eBay for around $20-$30.
The T-Bike is a concept bicycle by designer Reza Rachmat Sumirat that's inspired by the camera tripod. In addition to having three sliding bars that can help riders easily adjust the bike to their desired size, the bike also doubles as a tripod for active outdoor photographers. The handlebars provide a tripod mount, and the kickstand on the front wheel helps stabilize the shot.
Here's a fantastic project/gift idea for those of you who are both tech-savvy and artsy: make a custom snow globe of your house. The process involves capturing photographs of the house from all sides, turning the images into a 3D model of the home using a 3D modeling program (e.g. Google Sketchup), turning the 3D model into a physical object using a 3D printing service (e.g. Shapeways), and then sticking the object into a custom snow globe kit. Qarl has published a step-by-step tutorial on the …
The Impossible Project and Polaroid have teamed up to launch the Polaroid Classic line. Every year the two companies will be collaborating on 6-10 Polaroid Classic branded products. Guess what the first product is? A DIY paper camera kit! …
The Always-On Wrap-Up is a nifty camera case that attaches to your camera via the tripod mount. The case never gets separated from your camera, and all you need to do is unwrap it to take a picture. It costs $6 over on Amazon, and there's also a version with a built-in tripod that costs $9.
If you thought our Leica iPhone skins are geeky, check out this new case made by the Japanese brand Gizmon. It gives your iPhone a fake rangefinder-style body that isn't entirely useless: the case's shutter button actually takes pictures and the optical viewfinder can be used to compose shots. Additional features include a lens mount, a tripod socket, and camera strap holes.
Love music just as much as you love photography? Want an extra music stand? You can make a makeshift one by combining your tripod with a music stand! The IKEA BRÄDA stand is perfect for this, and only costs $2.50. Peter Janssens of grow for it make his stand connect to the tripod using a bolt and the mount on an old camera.
Slide Light is a wall light designed by SUCK UK that provides low level background room lighting that's customized using slide film. Adding different photographs to the light provides different moods.
Photographer and craftaholic Parul Arora sells beautiful Polaroid picture ceramic coasters through her Etsy shop justnoey for about $12 each. If you're feeling ambitious, you can also try buying some blank white ceramic coasters and making your own, though transferring your photos onto the tiles might be a bit difficult. One option might be to glue a print onto the tile and then paint over it with Mod Podge to seal it.
Christmas is almost upon us, and for the second straight year PetaPixel's gift guide comes incredibly late. Think of it as a general guide to nifty photo-related gifts that have emerged over the past year rather than a Christmas gift guide -- after all, gifts are great to receive year-round, right?
Want to turn your room into giant camera obscura? Photographer Justin Quinnell (whose work we featured back in June) has created a Camera Obscura Kit that makes the conversion easy. Each kit contains a projection lens, a mount template, velcro tape, a projection sheet, and a handheld screen. They cost £25 apiece over on Quinnell's website.
Singapore-based design agency One Paradox came up with this nifty idea for a promotional handbag for the Canon 500D DSLR. The camera strap handles make it the perfect bag for any photographers' trip to the grocery store.
Check out these gigantic backlit Polaroid-style photographs, called Polaboys, by Jirko Bannas and Oliver Seltmann. During the day they look like "ordinary" giant photos, but when the sun sets light brings them to life. Details on the website are sparse, but apparently they're for sale and available from a shop in Paris.
ONE is a new neoprene camera and laptop bag system that's designed for flexibility. It features multiple inserts and swappable covers that allow you to quickly change both its function and its look. The company behind the bag, UNDFIND, is currently raising funds for the project through Kickstarter, and a $79 contribution effectively preorders you one.
Talia van der Wel of New Zealand wanted a simple and beautiful way to display instant photos, and came up with the idea of an empty frame in which photos are hung on clothespins from twine. After sharing the idea with her husband, he went and created the frame out of an old wood lattice.
Add-on lenses for cell phones are pretty common nowadays, but usually they're specifically made for certain models and are incompatible with others. The Macro Cell Lens Band is different -- it's a stretchable band with a macro lens baked right in. Simply slip the band onto your phone, place the lens over your phone's camera, and voila! Instant macro shots. When you're not using it, you can also wear it around like a gel bracelet. They cost $15 each over at Photojojo.
Wanting a cheap and compact way to carry, protect, and manage his SD cards, Instructables member FrankenPaper discovered that the plastic cases that come with Sunstar GUM Soft-Picks are the perfect size for holding 2 cards. To keep the cards from jostling around and to track whether they're full or empty, he created an insert that you can print, cut, and fold yourself (download the PDF here).
Tired of packing a huge mess of cables every time you go on a trip? The Magic Cable Trio is a 3-in-1 cable designed to cut down on your clutter. It lets you power and sync a wide range of devices ranging from phones, iOS systems (e.g. the iPad), music players, and compact cameras. Just make sure your device uses miniUSB, microUSB, or an iPhone dock connector. The three connections are daisy-chained, making it uber-compact and easy to manage. They cost $20 over at Innergie.
Photographer Matthew Nicholson, the guy behind the amazing Lie-ca paper pinhole camera, is at it again. This time he's building a working paper camera that looks just like a Polaroid One Step Rainbow camera! Branded as the Fauxlaroid Land Camera, it will apparently use actual instant film that the user "processes" manually.
Tired of using generic black lens caps? There's a new company called Blink that's trying to bring some color to the world of lens protection. It's currently trying to raise $55,000 through crowdfunding to manufacture a line of 58mm lens caps in 6 designs, which are designed to make people smile when they catch a glimpse of your camera. The caps are significantly more expensive than your standard lens cap though: you'll have to donate $25 to the campaign to land one of them.
If you have an unwanted silk scarf lying around, you can combine it with some key rings to turn it into a stylish camera strap. All you need are some key rings and a sewing machine (and some leather if you want extra style points). Stacie over at Scarves.net has written a step-by-step tutorial on how you can make your own.
