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Meyer Optik Görlitz brand lives on under a new owner

14 Dec

A few months ago NetSE, the German company behind the Meyer Optik Görlitz, Emil Busch A.G. Rathenau, Oprema Jena, C.P. Goerz, Ihagee Elbaflex and A. Schacht brands filed for bankruptcy, leaving many consumers who had backed the company’s brands on Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms out of pocket and without a product.

It looked like NetSE’s iconic brands would vanish for eternity but now it appears at least the Meyer Optik Görlitz brand will survive. Another German company, OPC Optics (Precision Components Europe GmbH), announced it has acquired the trademark rights to Meyer Optik Görlitz at the insolvency procedure of NetSE in Koblenz.

OPC Optics, a manufacturer of prototypes and small series of spherical and aspherical lenses, is planning to use the brand as a vehicle to enter consumer markets. The company says it will streamline the current Meyer Optik Görlitz lens portfolio and market lenses through traditional sales channels, so no more crowdfunding or pre-ordering.

In a press release the company also says that unfortunately it can’t take on any of NetSE’s obligations which means if NetSE hasn’t delivered your crowdfunded lens, OPC won’t do so either. It’s good to see a traditional live on but given all the negative news around Meyer Optik Görlitz in recent months, OPC’s move could be a risky one.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm X-T3’s video lives up to impressive specifications

23 Oct

The Fujifilm X-T3’s 4K video more than lives up to its impressive specification, making it one of the most capable video cameras we’ve ever tested.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm X-T3’s video lives up to impressive specifications

17 Oct

The Fujifilm X-T3’s 4K video more than lives up to its impressive specification, making it one of the most capable video cameras we’ve ever tested.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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PETA monkey selfie lawsuit lives on, judge rejects attempted settlement

17 Apr

Photo: David Slater

It’s the copyright lawsuit that refuses to die. In September 2017, PETA finally settled its monkey selfie lawsuit with photographer David Slater, ending years of financially destructive litigation. However, a request to dismiss the case has since been rejected by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which points out in a newly published order that it’s not required to honor the dismissal request.

The decision to proceed with a ruling appears to be the Ninth Circuit’s way of preventing PETA from dodging a legal outcome that would interfere with potential future litigation of a similar nature. The Court’s order states, in part, that:

…denying the motion to dismiss and declining to vacate the lower court judgement prevents the parties from manipulating precedent in a way that suits their institutional preferences.

The Ninth Circuit further narrows down the thought process behind continuing the lawsuit, stating in the order:

As one of our colleagues once warned in a similar context, “courts must be particularly wary of abetting ‘strategic behavior’ on the part of institutional litigants whose continuing interest in the development in the law may transcend their immediate interest in the outcome of a particular case.”

PETA’s settlement was anticipated last year after signs surfaced indicating the courts weren’t in the organization’s favor. In July 2017, for example, PETA’s attorney faced a series of questions from judges including whether the organization’s relationship with the monkey was of the nature that it could sue on the animal’s behalf. Before that, a federal judge in San Francisco found that the monkey doesn’t have legal standing to sue.

By settling—assuming the case were dismissed and a lower court’s judgement vacated—PETA could dodge a ruling that it may not like; a ruling that could establish a precedent that would prevent it from filing similar lawsuits on the behalf of animals in the future. The Ninth Circuit’s order also states:

We note that although PETA joins Appellants in the motions to dismiss the appeal and to vacate the district court judgment, and claims to have reached a settlement agreement with Appellees, it also points out that Naruto is not a party to the settlement agreement. It appears that the settlement agreement would not bar another attempt to file a new action.

A final ruling in the case is forthcoming.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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NYC photo tour helicopter crashes in the East River, claiming five lives

13 Mar

A photo tour helicopter crashed into New York City’s East River on Sunday, claiming the lives of the five passengers who were onboard. The helicopter was owned and operated by New Jersey-based Liberty Helicopters as part of a doors-off photo tour that allows passengers to take aerial images of the city.

According to the New York Times, the tragedy was caused by engine failure. The helicopter’s pilot, Richard Vance, made an emergency call shortly after taking off, later telling investigators that the fuel shut-off switch may have been accidentally hit by a passenger or some onboard equipment.

Vance reportedly aimed toward the river as an emergency landing site to avoid crashing in Manhattan; however, after hitting the water, the helicopter’s inflatable pontoons were unable to keep the chopper upright. The helicopter quickly capsized, and though Vance was able to escape and scream for help, the passengers were unable to cut themselves loose from the heavy-duty harnesses that are used as part of these doors-off tour.

Firefighter and police divers worked as quickly as they could against 5 mph currents to try and free the passengers, but they were not able to rescue any of them in time.

The tragedy highlights concerns about marketing helicopter photo tours to tourists. These doors-off tours require strapping passengers into the helicopter using heavy-duty harnesses, equipping them with only a knife to cut themselves free in the event of a crash. And while all passengers must watch a short safety video, this is hardly adequate training to deal with an actual emergency.

According to the Times, the passengers on this helicopter tour were shown a 10-minute safety video about using the knife to escape the harnesses; however, the video didn’t include instructions on cutting through nylon ties during a water landing. Critics have long called on officials to restrict helicopter traffic over Manhattan, but the latest incident has also called into question whether the doors-off photo tourism industry should face greater regulation.

An investigation into the crash, including why the helicopter’s inflatable pontoons failed to prevent the vehicle from sinking, is still underway.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sphericam Beast studio camera lives up to its name with 6K 10-bit Raw 360-degree video

12 Nov

Sphericam has introduced ‘Beast,’ its new pro-grade 360-degree VR camera. This beastly model features four 1″ 4096 × 2160 image sensors, four 190º fisheye lenses, and four M.2 SSD drives with a 2.8 GBs bit rate. This combination of hardware enables the camera to record ‘more than’ 6K resolution footage, according to Sphericam, at 60 fps in a 10-bit Raw format (30fps for stitched content). Beast is designed for use by studios and other companies in need of pro-grade VR hardware.

Beast spent ‘several months’ in development, says Sperhicam, and was recently launched at NAB in NYC on November 9. In addition to recording ultra-high-resolution 360-degree videos, Beast can livestream content to headsets or the web, making it suitable for broadcasters as well as filmmakers. The company hasn’t yet revealed how much Beast will cost, nor when it plans to commercially launch the camera.

Via: Digital Trends

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Creative Live’s Photo Week starts tomorrow

26 Sep

Now that Photokina is over and we are impatiently waiting for the latest cameras and gear to ship, it’s a perfect time to hone up on our photography skills. Luckily, our friends at Creative Live are hosting their annual Photo Week this week, September 26 – 29.

Photo Week 2016 is four days of photo education, brought to you through 24 live classes taught by top photographers and educators. It is geared toward people who are comfortable with the basics of photography and are looking to expand their knowledge base into more advanced techniques.

Some of the classes we are really looking forward to include Brandon Stanton (the photographer behind the popular photo blog Humans of New York) discussing how his experiences have shaped his work as a storyteller, Vincent Laforet sharing ideas for how to move your business from stills to video, Jared Platt giving tips on a whole range of post-processing topics, and Chase Jarvis opening up about his experiences in the photo industry.

As with all Creative Live classes, you can watch the live classes online for free. If watching the live class won’t fit into your schedule, you can purchase on-demand access so that you can watch it on your own time. The price for the entire week (including all 24 classes) is normally US $ 499, but they are offering it for US $ 199 for a limited time.

But there’s more! DPReview readers can use the discount code ‘DPR10‘ to receive 10% off of any Creative Live class through December 31, 2016.

Check out the Photo Week schedule to see what’s available. What looks interesting to you?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Circular Reasoning: How Rounded Homes Resist Storms & Save Lives

31 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

modern round house

Combining the physical benefits of circular plans with the practicality of straight lines and corners, octagonal houses are uniquely positioned to resist hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes that threaten coastlines. Rounded habitats have a long history, from tipis and yurts through the geodesic domes of Buckminster Fuller. Indeed, round homes make sense for a lot of reasons. They have less surface area, which means they require less construction material and have greater energy efficiency, for instance.

round house avoids destruction

Critically, rounded homes are also ideal for resisting extreme weather (above: a regular home destroyed in a storm and a surviving semi-round house).

round house diagram

round house functionality

Flat sides pose a significant structural risk during hurricanes and tsunamis. It is much easier for wind and water to flow around a round house than a square or rectangular one.

round structural design

In modern rounded house designs, radial floor and roof trusses meet in a center ring like spokes on a wheel and thus lock the building in a constant state of compression, which further reinforces its structural integrity. This approach also helps them resist earthquakes.

round interior

Of course, fitting furniture along the edges of a truly round house can be frustrating. The space and materials saved are nice, but the usability of the resulting spaces is diminished.

round house

Today, many round-house makers opt for a middle ground and go with octagonal floor plans (or other variants with more than four sides). Doubling the number of walls, this represents the best of both worlds in many ways. These are easier to construct with contemporary materials and techniques, but still take advantage of wind- and water-resistance found in edge-less dwellings.

round edge house

Deltac, one manufacturer of such semi-round structures, boasts that none of their 5,000 homes built to date has been knocked down by nature. These kinds of homes also have an added benefit for those living along coasts, where storms are a great thread: their shapes provide seaside dwellers with amazing panoramic views (images via Deltac and Cayman).

round houses surviv

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Street Art Lives: 13 Installations Interact with Nature

04 May

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

nature street art just cobe

In cities where greenery can be scarce, these art installations call attention to everything from wall-climbing ivy to weeds growing out of sidewalk cracks, turning bushes into luscious manes or tree hollows into canvases for oil paintings. Moss graffiti enlivens urban surfaces without damaging them, grass carpets unfurl across stone streets and mini greenhouses protect even the most modest of plants.

Floral Sideshow Bob by OakOak

nature street art sideshow bob

When French street artist OakOak saw these flowing purple flowers in his hometown of Saint-Etienne, he instantly pictured it as the untamable hair of Simpsons character Sideshow Bob. Careful placement of a paste-up on the wall just beyond the flowers creates a 3D street art effect.

Bush Trimming by Banksy

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Ivy draped over the edge of a wall in England gets a ‘bikini wax’ from a worker in this interactive piece by famed street artist Banksy, captured by photographer Duncan Hull.

Where the Red Fern Flows by Aakash Nihalani

nature street art aakash

Aakash Nihalani is known for perspective-shifting geometric street art , typically made of cardboard and neon tape. The graphics are placed around New York “to highlight the unexpected contours and elegant geometry of the city.” This piece, entitled ‘Where the Red Fern Flows,’ enhances some wall-clinging ivy in Brooklyn.

Mini Greenhouses for Sidewalk Weeds

nature street art greenouses 1

Scraggly weeds poking out of sidewalk cracks may not be much to look at, but sometimes their very existence in a concrete urban environment can seem miraculous. A group of art students in France developed simple ‘urban greenhouses’ that highlight the plants and protect them from being stepped on.

JustCobe in Freiburg, Germany

nature street art just cobe

Hyper-realistic eyes make this illusion even more effective as German artist JustCobe puts a curving wall edged with greenery to use in the city of Freiburg.

Tree Planter Art for Toronto

nature street art planters toronto

Grass pours out of a cracked concrete planter in Toronto as part of the ‘Outside the Planter’ project, calling attention to the neglected state of these containers around the city and engaging with passersby in a playful way. Dozens of artists participated; this one is by Sean Martindale.

Grass Carpet

nature street art grass carpet 1

nature street art grass carpet 2

A green carpet weaves through the stone streets of the picturesque French city of Jaujac, traveling up and down stairs, meandering over bridges and traversing a park. Public artists Gaëlle Villedary used 3.5 tons of living turf for the 1400-foot installation, connecting the heart of the village and its inhabitants with the nearby valley.

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Urban Art Interacts With Nature

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Secret Lives of Superheroes: Realistically Posed Action Figures

26 Feb

[ By Steph in Art & Photography & Video. ]

secret lives of superheroes 1

The secret lives of superheroes are far more mundane than you might imagine, with the Black Widow helping the Hulk trim his armpit hair, Spiderman scrubbing Captain America’s shield, Thor taking selfies and Wolverine getting fresh with the ladies. Indonesian photographer Edy Hardjo uses high-quality action figures and minimal Photoshop to create funny lifelike scenes of characters from the worlds of DC Comics, Marvel and beyond.

secret lives of superheroes 2

secret lives of superheroes 3

Intrigued by how closely some of the figures resemble the actors that play the characters on film, Hardjo began to wonder whether he could use them to tell some new stories of his own.

secret lives of superheroes 7

The figures are posed in comedic little scenes that play on each character’s personality.

secret lives of superheroes 4

secret lives of superheroes 5

Hardjo relies mostly on the lifelike qualities of the figures themselves, but also uses Photoshop just enough to digitally remove stands and obvious joints.

secret lives of superheroes 8

secret lives of superheroes 9

Behind-the-scene photos showing how each scene is posed can be seen on the artist’s Facebook page.

360Photography

Posts Tagged ‘Lives’

Meyer Optik Görlitz brand lives on under a new owner

Fujifilm X-T3’s video lives up to impressive specifications

Fujifilm X-T3’s video lives up to impressive specifications

PETA monkey selfie lawsuit lives on, judge rejects attempted settlement

NYC photo tour helicopter crashes in the East River, claiming five lives

Sphericam Beast studio camera lives up to its name with 6K 10-bit Raw 360-degree video

Creative Live’s Photo Week starts tomorrow

Circular Reasoning: How Rounded Homes Resist Storms & Save Lives