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Video: Mathieu Stern of Weird Lens Museum visits The Camera Rescue Project

28 Sep

Mathieu Stern of the Weird Lens Museum recently traveled to Tampere, Finland, where he was invited to tour The Camera Rescue Project, a large collection of vintage cameras being rescued from disrepair and potential loss. Stern introduces his viewers to Juho Leppänen, the man running the project, as well as the small team’s huge collection of around 6,000 vintage camera items at the Camera Rescue Center.

The Camera Rescue Project’s team has tasked themselves with finding, inspecting, and repairing 100,000 vintage film cameras, a process that has thus far resulted in more than 57,000 camera ‘rescues.’ Stern is introduced to the sales side of the Camera Rescue Center, as well as the processes used to inspect the cameras. Malfunctioning cameras and lenses are sorted into the ‘repair queue,’ which is currently home to more than 2,000 units in need of work.

Stern is known for, among other things, his videos showcasing unusual lenses and projects, including a lens created from ice and, more recently, a rare projector lens given a new life. In his most recent video, Leppänen tells Stern that he will be given some unusual lenses to test around the city, something Stern plans to show to his viewers in a future video. The Camera Rescue Project was likewise detailed in a video from Cameraville earlier this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Unreal Engine’s Project Spotlight uses LED walls for real-time in-camera visual effects

24 Aug

Epic Games has showcased Project Spotlight, an Unreal Engine-powered way to capture real-time visual effects in-camera. The company has detailed the work in a new video showing off the system, including its ability to track the camera’s position in space in real-time for a realistic and customizable background.

Rather than filming in front of a blue or green screen for post-production later on, the Project Spotlight system enables filmmakers to shoot in front of LED walls showing the virtual environment in real-time. Creators can digitally manipulate this 3D virtual scene when necessary and the LED walls adjust the on-set lighting for realistic ambient light.

‘No matter what the project is,’ Lux Machina chief technology officer Philip Galler said, ‘creatives always want to see the closest representation to the final product as early on in the creative process [as possible].’

Experts featured in the video explain that because the virtual environment can be adjusted in real-time, the project saves critical time that may otherwise be wasted waiting for changes. As well, people from different departments can work together to determine how the virtual world is portrayed.

The technology was demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2019 by Epic Games in partnership with Magnopus, Lux Machina, Quixel, Profile Studios, DP Matt Workman and ARRI. Future plans for the system are unclear at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Samsung project uses Galaxy S10+ to capture 943km panorama of Portugal’s coast

14 Jun

Samsung Portugal has detailed a unique project that involved its Galaxy S10+ smartphone, a boat trip and the creation of a panorama featuring 943 kilometers (585 miles) captured from the cities Moledo to Monte Gordo. The panorama, which is available to view on Samsung’s website, was created from images of the coastline captured from the water over an eight-day trip.

The Galaxy S10+ photography project boat trip involved José Gomes as skipper, Carlos Bernardo as ‘chronicler’ and André Carvalho as photographer. Entries from the trip’s logbook detailing each of the 8 days can be found—written in Portuguese—here. The final result is intended to highlight the flagship smartphone’s triple-lens camera, which Samsung refers to as ‘pro-grade.’

This is one of many massive panoramas, past examples including a 600,000 pixel panorama of Tokyo and NASA’s 360-degree panorama of Mars published earlier this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

13 Jun

The post How to Create a Documentary Photography Project appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

We all love a good story. A tale that captures your attention and draws you in to discover more. Creating a documentary photography project can be a great way to develop your photography. It can also help hold the attention of your audience for longer.

Monk in a Saamlor tricycle taxi in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Random collections of unrelated images tend to be glanced over. This is especially so when most of your photography is viewed on social media platforms. Making your photography stick in people’s minds is a constant challenge.

Developing a photography project and working on it over a period of time, be it weeks, months or even years, can help you stand out from the crowd. Your personal skills and style will evolve in a more meaningful direction. The deeper commitment you have to a documentary photography project the more you will benefit.

Have a plan and a purpose for your photography project

Charging into a project on a whim will sometimes work, but not often. Without purpose and a plan, you are more likely to lose interest. You’ll struggle to keep momentum and find it too challenging to come up with fresh ideas to keep your project alive.

Start a list. Write down ideas as they come to you. What would most like to photograph? As you start, don’t restrict yourself. Jot down whatever comes to mind, giving no thought to whether or not it’s practical. Let your list grow over a week and then review it.

Market Tricycle Taxi Ride How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Give yourself some space alone with your list. Edit it down to what’s practical. What can you photograph every day, or every week? If anything on your list is not accessible to you, remove it. Add it to a list for future projects.

Concentrate on what excites you. What’s on your list that you’d most like to commit to photographing regularly? Having a passion for your theme or concept will keep you motivated. Don’t choose ideas you think will be easy. Being challenged is good for you.

Narrow your list down to two or three ideas. Mull these over before deciding on one of them. Even make a start on more than one. You can begin work on more than one project, then, if it’s too much of a commitment, pick the one you’re enjoying the most.

Now write another list of what you will do with the photos you’ll create for your documentary project. Stories are for sharing. Who will be interested in the tale you are telling? What’s the best medium or platform for you to display your images?

You might want to make a physical scrapbook with prints of your favorite photos. Instagram or Pinterest may be an ideal outlet for you, or your own website. Photo sharing sites like 500px or Flickr are also options. You could email a small selection of your project photos to one or two photographer friends each week for their feedback. Consider what you most want to achieve by sharing your photos.

Tricycle Detail How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Know your subject better than anyone

Research. Dig into your chosen project idea like it’s brand new. Even if you already know a lot about it, find out more. Telling a story built on thin information will not hold people’s attention for very long.

The more of an expert you become on your subject, the better the story you will tell. You might even want to plan a narrative. What will be the beginning, middle, and end? The greater your knowledge about it, the more interesting detail you’ll be able to include. You want other experts on your topic to be surprised at what you are showing them in your photos.

Look into the history of the project idea. Talk to people who know about your topic. Don’t only rely on the internet. To touch the heart of the thing will require experience – yours and other people’s.

Tricycle Taxi Rest How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Take lots of photographs

While it’s important to plan, don’t be held back by it. Make a start as soon as you have decided on what your documentary photography project will be. You might start slowly and change direction a few times, but that’s okay.

Procrastinating will not help you achieve your goals. Once you begin, you will see your story develop, and you can steer it in any direction you feel is right.

The topic for your project may dictate how frequently you can take photos. Hopefully, this will be regular, especially if you are embarking on your first documentary photo project.

Vary the images you are making. You may decide to use one prime lens. If so, push yourself to create a diverse selection of compositions with it. Or use your widest and your longest lens with the same subject on the same day for variety.

Waiting for a Ride How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Use a mixture of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings to also help build an interesting series of photos. If there’s movement, let it blur out using a slow shutter speed. If you would normally photography a subject with a wide aperture, close it down and get as much in focus as possible. Stretch your technique beyond what you would typically use.

Photograph in a mixture of lighting situations. Take some photos in the morning and others in the afternoon or at night. Aiming for variety will give you a more interesting body of work to edit down from for the images you will share.

As you build up a body of work, you will begin to see your strengths and weaknesses. You will see the photos you like the most. Organize these into a separate folder, or series of folders so that you can compare them often.

Taxi Rider in Chiang Mai, Thailand How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Cultivate a relationship with your project

Photographing a project will involve some amount of repetition. You’ll visit the same locations. Photograph the same things. Meet the same people. Experience weather and seasonal changes.

Be aware of your feelings each time you are working on your project. Make photographs that are in tune with your mood and how you are experiencing what you are doing. This will make your story more personal and interesting.

Your view of the world is unique, and your photographs should portray this. The concept may seem a little abstract, but as you are mindful of it and practice over time, you will find your photos become more expressive of who you are.

Waiting for Customers How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Interacting with people who are part of your project, if there are any, will help develop the character in your photo story. You might prefer to only take candid photos of people, but the way you do this will also reflect in your pictures. Using a long lens, or a wide one, will result in very different candid images.

Engaging with people throughout your project is very interesting. At the start, people may be uncertain of what you’re doing or why. As you revisit and photograph them, your relationship with them will change. People will become accustomed to you and will be more relaxed in your presence. Others may become irritated or bored. The nature of the photos you make of them will change.

Observe the differences. What’s changed since the last time you worked on your project? Look for subtitles you may not have picked up on if you’d only photographed in that place once. Over time you will start to see things you did not pick up on before. These details can add a depth of interest to your documentary project.

Poise of the Rider How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Review your photos and seek feedback

What do you think of your photos? Are others enjoying your visual storytelling?

Working on a project allows you to see your own photography developing. Because you’re photographing the same theme or concept over a period of time, you will reproduce similar types of photos. Compare them. Can you see growth in your skills and style?

Separate the top 10 or 20 percent of your photos after each session you have working on your project. This will give you a clearer idea of your progress. From time to time, review these photos and look for gaps in your story. What’s missing? What are you photographing too much?

Having a photographer friend or mentor look over your photos and share their critique on them will help you see things from another perspective. They may point out things or ask questions you have not thought of. Healthy feedback can lead to a deeper, richer story being told.

Cycle Taxi Shadow How to Create a Documentary Photography Project

Let your documentary photography project grow organically

Go with the flow. Don’t stick to your plan too closely if you feel a more exciting story is emerging from your project. Let it develop organically. This will help you keep interested in what you are doing. You may stretch your project out for longer than you had planned.

Start today. Begin writing your list of ideas. Don’t rush it, but don’t let the idea stagnate. Once you begin, keep thinking about your project and adding to it. Right from when you start your list, through to the taking of photos and sharing them.

Have you ever given yourself the challenge of a documentary photography project? You may find you love the more in-depth storytelling aspect of working on a body of work.

Do you already have a project which has stalled a little and needs a kickstart? Design a story for it and plan to share it. This can help you get back on track.

The post How to Create a Documentary Photography Project appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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LIT wireless xenon flash Kickstarter campaign cancelled after project reevaluation

31 May

The Kickstarter funding campaign for the LIT wireless xenon flash has been canceled. The team behind the device detailed their decision to end the funding in a post published on the Kickstarter update page, where they state, ‘After doing some additional calculations during the campaign, we realized we won’t be able to make it a reality with just our initially set funding goal and newly uncovered product ambitions.’

As DPReview reported last month, the LIT wireless xenon 40W flash was intended for use with a smartphone, and would have—if everything had gone according to plan—included a built-in rechargeable battery capable of powering 200 full-power flashes. The device was also expected to feature HSS and support for smartphone shutter speeds as fast as 1/10,000s.

Though the Kickstarter campaign exceeded the $ 40,000 funding goal, the LIT team explains in the update post, ‘Based on the current funding rate, we might be able to push the product development and production through, but it would take considerably more funds to make it in a way that would meet our high standards.’

The LIT xenon flash Kickstarter project was canceled at just over $ 65,000 in pledged funding from 367 backers. The LIT team said in its post:

We don’t compromise and that’s why we’ve decided to cancel our campaign and maybe revisit Kickstarter at some later time with a new campaign. It feels so wrong doing the right thing.

Saying goodbye is the hardest solution to any problem. But sometimes it’s the only choice we have. It’s not forever, is not the end. It simply means we’ll miss you until we meet again.

We still believe that the future of image making is in your pocket. It is in our nature to work hard. To listen. To think. To question everything. To fail, stand up and change.

LIT will not collect the Kickstarter funds.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DOTMOT Paper Camera project precisely replicates DSLR camera, lens and flash

17 Apr

DOTMOT, a motion and design studio based in South Korea, has published a project called Paper Camera. This is one of a number of paper art projects from DOTMOT, which has previously published work that includes paper shoes and buildings.

The Paper Camera project features a colorful DSLR camera body, two interchangeable lenses, lens cap, and a flash. The lenses and flash can be attached and detached from the paper camera body, which includes careful attention to a number of small components. Of course, the device is non-functional.

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The Paper Camera kit’s creation is featured in the video above, giving viewers a glimpse of the cutting, glueing, and assembly process. However, the project is ultimately a one-of-a-kind work of art; DOTMOT isn’t offering the kit for sale.

Photo credit: Photos provided by DOTMOT, used with permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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NVIDIA Research project uses AI to instantly turn drawings into photorealistic images

21 Mar

NVIDIA Research has demonstrated GauGAN, a deep learning model that converts simple doodles into photorealistic images. The tool crafts images nearly instantaneously, and can intelligently adjust elements within images, such as adding reflections to a body of water when trees or mountains are placed near it.

The new tool is made possible using generative adversarial networks called GANs. With GauGAN, users select image elements like ‘snow’ and ‘sky,’ then draw lines to segment an image into different elements. The AI automatically generates the appropriate image for that element, such as a cloudy sky, grass, and trees.

As NVIDIA reveals in its demonstration video, GauGAN maintains a realistic image by dynamically adjusting parts of the render to match new elements. For example, transforming a grassy field to a snow-covered landscape will result in an automatic sky change, ensuring the two elements are compatible and realistic.

GauGAN was trained using millions of images of real environments. In addition to generating photorealistic landscapes, the tool allows users to apply style filters, including ones that give the appearance of sunset or a particular painting style. According to NVIDIA, the technology could be used to generate images of other environments, including buildings and people.

Talking about GauGAN is NVIDIA VP of applied deep learning research Bryan Catanzaro, who explained:

This technology is not just stitching together pieces of other images, or cutting and pasting textures. It’s actually synthesizing new images, very similar to how an artist would draw something.

NVIDIA envisions a tool based on GauGAN could one day be used by architects and other professionals who need to quickly fill a scene or visualize an environment. Similar technology may one day be offered as a tool in image editing applications, enabling users to add or adjust elements in photos.

The company offers online demos of other AI-based tools on its AI Playground.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

09 Feb

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

A new photography project called ‘Selfie Harm‘ from British photographer Rankin tasked 15 teenagers with editing portraits of themselves until they believed the images were ‘social media ready,’ highlighting their internal ideas of ‘perfection.’ The image editing and filtering was performed with a readily available photo app, one of thousands of similar products offered through popular app stores.

‘Today, more so than ever, people are mimicking their idols, making their eyes bigger, their nose smaller and their skin brighter,’Rankin explained, ‘and all for social media likes.’

Rankin points toward the media and advertising industries’ heavy use of image editing tools, something Rankin has both been involved with as part of his job and has criticized with projects like ‘Flawless Girls’ and ‘Ageless Beauty.’

Though these industries have shifted their editing practices in light of public discussions and backlash, the average person has more access than ever to tools for transforming their own digital appearance. The technology is, among other things, ‘encouraging a disturbing culture of homogeneity,’ the photographer notes.

Speaking about these apps, Rankin said:

They are free, accessible, easy to use, game-like and (I think) much more dangerous. When doing research for this project, I played with these apps a lot to understand the appeal. They’re addictive, very impressive and you can have a lot of fun warping, changing and reimagining your appearance. But it’s when people are making an alternative or ‘better’ social media identity that this becomes a mental health problem.

Rankin has called for public discussion over the growing trend of using the apps to alter one’s appearance for social media:

Instead of simply telling people to stop, we need to accept that this is a complex issue; the technology is here and it’s here to stay. But we need to challenge the way image manipulation is being used and abused in the wider world. Selfie Harm is my attempt to get people to talk about the issues threatening mental health today.

Photographs by Rankin used with permission. You can find more of Rankin’s work on the social media platforms below:

Twitter: @rankinphoto
Facebook: @RankinPhotographyLtd
Instagram: @rankinarchive
Vero: @rankin

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Photography project ‘Selfie Harm’ tasked teens with editing their portraits for social media

Photographs by Rankin used with permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Adobe gives Behance a facelift with improved profile and project pages

17 Jan

To kick off the new year on the right foot, Adobe has announced an update to its Behance social creative platform. The update includes a redesigned profile page, customizable banners and an updated project page.

The updated profile now includes a larger cover image to highlight prominent work, a cleaner layout and an improved sidebar that better features various statistics, links to other social networks and an accompanying bio. When a visitor hovers over the individual projects important information is displayed on top of the thumbnail.

The new banner image takes a design element seen on other social networks including Facebook and Twitter. The process is as simple as selecting an image as the banner and positioning it so it’s framed as it’s intended to be seen. Behance has a full guide on banner images, but the TL;DR is the optimal size is 3200 x 410 pixels — not exactly a common ratio.

The updated project pages now show images fullscreen and provide a Lightbox-style effect that keeps the media front and center. Project and creator information is displayed at the top of the page while sharing, following and the ‘Appreciate’ button are displayed to the right of the image.

Adobe acquired Behance in December 2012 and has since integrated it into its various Creative Cloud applications.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Blog Project: Your Best Photos From 2018

17 Dec

It’s that time of year again, it is time to kick off the 12th annual best photos of the year blog project. I’m proud to say over the years that hundreds of photographers have taken part (see Best Photos of 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007). It’s great to see the community of photographers that have developed around this blog project. As always I hope the exercise of picking your best photos helps improve your photography (10 Ways to Top Your Best 20xx Photographs).

So without any further delay here is how you take part to submit your best photos of 2018.

How to Participate (Read Carefully)

Review & select your best photos from 2018.
Note: Photo edit carefully narrowing down your results to your best 10 or 5 photos. Reference Pro Tips: Photo Editing with Gary Crabbe for pointers.
Create a blog post on your website or a Flickr set containing your best photos from 2018.
Complete the form below by Tuesday JANUARY 4th at 11:59PM PST to take part. The following Tuesday, or thereabout, I’ll post a link to all submitted sites and photos on my blog. Throughout the week I’ll also share the results across all my social media accounts.

Spread the Word!
Feel free to spread the word of this project on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Google+ (even if it is about to die), photo forums you frequent and/or your blogs. All who are interested in taking part are invited.

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The post Blog Project: Your Best Photos From 2018 appeared first on JMG-Galleries – Landscape, Nature & Travel Photography.