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  • Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E-mount lens review

    The Sigma 30mm F1.4 DN DC Contemporary was announced in February 2016, and sits atop Sigma’s line of DN mirrorless lenses, with a two-stop advantage over their previous 30mm F2.8 offering. It’s currently the only APS-C F1.4 autofocus lens currently available for the Sony E-mount and has an MSRP of $ 339.00.

    With F1.4 and a 45mm equivalent field of view, this lens on paper appears to be a good choice for a ‘walkaround’ normal prime lens. The bright aperture will satisfy low light shooters and bokeh fanatics, and the near 50mm field of view puts it right inside the versatile ‘normal’ lens range. While it won’t replace a dedicated macro lens with its magnification ratio of 1:7, it still is able to focus down to a working distance of 30cm (less than a foot).

    The relatively low price, especially for an E-mount lens, means it’s also accessible to beginners and enthusiasts alike, making it sound like an ideal prime lens that may never leave the front of the camera once it’s mounted.

    Within the E-mount system this lens has one natural competitor: the Sony 35mm F1.8 OSS. Let’s look at how the two stack up on paper:

      Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN | C
    MSRP $ 448 $ 339
    Image Stabilization Yes No
    Max Aperture F1.8 F1.4
    Minimum Aperture F22 F16
    Aperture Ring No No
    Diaphragm Blades 7 9
    Number of elements 8 9
    Number of groups 6 7
    Special elements/coatings 2 aspherical elements 1 aspherical and 1 double-sided aspherical
    Minimum Focus 0.30 m (11.81?) 0.30 m (11.81?)
    Maximum Magnification 0.15x 0.14x
    Motor Type Stepper motor Stepper motor
    Full Time Manual No No
    Weight 155 g (0.34 lb) 265 g (0.58 lb)
    Dimensions (DxL) 63 x 45 mm (2.5 x 1.8 in.) 65 x 73mm (2.6 x 2.9 in.)
    Sealing None None
    Filter Thread 49mm 52mm

    In terms of just spec we see a couple of major differences. First, while the Sony is 2/3 of a stop slower than the Sigma, it does include optical image stabilization. That alone gives it a better chance at being the preferred lens for video, although when shooting 4K the slightly wider FOV of the Sigma might fare better on any body that gives an additional crop.

    In stills terms, though, there’s little real-world difference between the Sigma’s 45mm equivalent view and the 52.5mm equivalent of the Sony. The difference between them doesn’t suddenly open one up to a type of photography that couldn’t be achieved with the other.

    Build quality between the Sigma and the Sony is fairly similar. They both use a machined metal chassis with plastic internals. Compared to older Sigma DN lenses, the 30mm F1.4 doesn’t let its focus elements rattle about when unmounted, which is a very welcome change. The focus ring is also an improvement, and a step above the Sony. The rubber grip turns smoothly and easily with minimal effort, making the Sony feel a bit stiff. The only downfall in terms of build is the Sigma’s lens hood, which doesn’t seem to confidently click in to place, and is made of rather fragile feeling plastic.

    The long barrel of the Sigma, and even longer overall dimensions do make it quite large in comparison to APS-C Sony Alpha cameras, but the weight isn’t entirely off-balance. While heavier and much bigger, it is less expensive and brighter than the Sony 35 F1.8. The question is, does the extra weight and lack of OSS keep it from topping the Sony as the ideal ‘normal’ for APS-C E-mount shooters?

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • ESPN publishes iPhone 7 Plus photos from US Open

     Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN

    Last week Apple announced its new iPhone 7 models, including the dual-cam equipped iPhone 7 Plus that combines a 28mm wide angle lens with a 56mm ‘tele’ variant. In the camera app this setup allows you to zoom optically and create a simulated shallow depth-of-field.

    At the launch event Apple showed off some sample images but now it has, as it usually does, given the device to a couple of sports photographers to demonstrate what the camera can do in the capable hands of professionals. ESPN photographer Landon Nordeman used the iPhone 7 Plus to shoot at the US Open in New York City.

    As you can see below, some of the samples look pretty impressive, although none of them appear to make specific use of the shallow depth-of-field simulation feature. More samples from the Open are available on ESPN.com, and you can see more from Sports Illustrated photographer David E. Klutho’s coverage of an NFL game.

    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN
    Photo by Landon Nordeman for ESPN

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • ‘Dark Magic’: Recording video of the Perseid Meteor Shower with the Canon ME20F-SH

    Ben Canales of Oregon-based Uncage the Soul video production company has a few nice things to say about the Canon ME20F-SH. ‘It’s pretty much borderline dark magic,’ he tells DPR over email. I’ve gotten in touch with him to ask about the video you see above, a short film following 20 high schoolers studying the Perseids Meteor Shower as part of a summer astronomy camp. He used the camera and a Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG Art to record the kids as they joined the annual Oregon Star Party, a camp of more than 600 astronomers.

    Canales has been on a quest for several years to find the ultimate low-light tool: something that would allow him to capture video of the night sky without using stop motion or time-lapse. ‘A couple years ago I got fixated on the question of “When will we be able to record video of the stars?” I saw the continual progress of sensor quality in my long exposures, and figured it wasonly a matter of time before ISO performance gets so good the shutter speed can be taken down to video frame rates.’

    Naturally, he took interest in Sony’s a7S and a7S II, using them for a few low light projects. He calls the A7S series a game changer, ‘but its usable ISO ceiling was somewhere between 50k and 100k… We were close, but not yet close enough to shooting video of the stars. We were past the stop motion look, but the video just looked… kinda crappy.’

    ‘Hands down – nothing can currently touch this camera’s ability to shoot in low light. Trust me. I’ve obsessively tried them all.’

    Then came the Canon ME20F-SH in late July 2015. It boasts pixels measuring 19?m – 5.5X larger than what’s found on high-end DSLRs and is capable of recording video at 75 Db – equivalent to more than ISO 4 million. Canales got ahold of one and found headed away from the city lights to test it out. His review? ‘Hands down – nothing can currently touch this camera’s ability to shoot in low light. Trust me. I’ve obsessively tried them all.’

    In recording the video above, Canales found he could work with up to what equates to a 350-400k equivalent ISO. He hopes that with more experimentation he can push it even further. 

    So what are some of the challenges of filming in almost total darkness? For one… well, the darkness. ‘Focus is tough,’ Canales says. ‘You need the lens completely wide open to get enough light, so operating in the dark with night vision continually being destroyed by the monitor, and then trying not to fall on the things around me while moving around… it gets comical.’

    You’ve also got to work against your natural sleep rhythms. ‘The sleep deprivation and working in time of day we’re normally asleep is the biggest challenge. I made many stupid mistakes simply from exhaustion. But… that’s also the part of this pursuit I enjoy.’

    ‘We’ve seen this image before, but only in green night vision. To see these scenes resolved in color boggles the mind.’

    And then there’s an all-too-familiar problem: curious and excited fellow photographers who want to know just what the heck you’re working with. ‘This thing begs for attention around people,’ Canales learned quickly.

    ‘Anyone who looks over my shoulder and sees the screen has no choice but to be stunned. We’ve seen this image before, but only in green night vision. To see these scenes resolved in color boggles the mind. We don’t have a baselines for this being possible. I actually had a hard time keeping the Q&A informal interviews with the video subjects not be interrupted by “Dude! How are you doing that!?” ‘

    What do you think? Does this technology open up new possibilities for astro-videography? Tell us in the comments below. You can also see more of Uncage the Soul’s work on Vimeo.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • This film camera is 100% 3D-printed, including the lens

    3D modeler Amos Dudley has created a 35mm film camera using only 3D-printed parts, including a hand-and-machine polished resin lens. Called SLO, the finished camera is functional and can take photographs, albeit somewhat low in quality, demonstrating the successful construction of a fairly complex device using only 3D-printing technologies.

    Dudley has detailed the creation process on his blog, explaining that SLO is made with some basic elements like a shutter, film cartridge, spool gears and an aperture plane among other pieces. In order to support future designs, Dudley made the lens and shutter as removable modules that can be swapped out for different ones. The camera supports 35mm film and uses a two-button shutter system that provides manual speed control based on how faster the user presses the button.

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    Once completed, the camera was used with Fujicolor Superia 400 film to take the photos above (click for the full set).

    As expected, the lens was one of the harder elements to create, at first involving between 5 and 6 hours of hand polishing followed by polishing with a DIY motorized machine. Neither proved entirely sufficient, so Dudley dipped the resin lens in epoxy instead and cured it using UV lights.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • iPhone 7 Plus dual-cam only offers stabilization in wide-anlge lens, report says

    According to a report by Ming-Chi Kuo of analyst firm KGI that was obtained by MacRumors, the iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera is equipped with optical image stabilization in the 28mm equiv. wide-angle lens, but not in its longer 56mm equiv. lens. In the report, KGI claims that optical image stabilization will likely make it into the tele lens with the next upgrade of the device in 2017 via a ‘voice coil motor’ upgrade:

    “Note that for the dual-camera of iPhone 7 Plus, wide-angle CCM is equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS) VCM, while telephoto CCM only comes with general VCM. We believe the focus of the dual-camera upgrade will be equipping telephoto CCM with OIS CCM, so as to significantly enhance optical and digital zoom quality.”

    In the same report KGI predicts that for the foreseeable future the dual-camera feature will remain exclusive to the larger iPhone Plus model which is expected to represent 30-40% of all iPhone sales. 

    Apple limiting certain camera features to the larger model is not without precedent. In the iPhone 6 and 6s generations only the Plus devices were equipped with optical image stabilization. With the 7th generation this has now trickled down to the standard model and we would expect the same thing to happen with the dual-camera at some point in the future. 

    During the launch presentation Apple did not mention a lack of OIS in the tele lens. In practical terms this would mean that, when shooting with the tele module,  the camera has to use higher ISO values in lower light to avoid camera shake. That said, we’ll have to wait for a review model to find what this means for image quality.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Spectacular editors’ picks from early 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year entries

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016 

    Photo by Nancy Elwood/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
    The Eye Of A Gator 

    National Geographic’s 2016 Nature Photographer of the Year competition is underway, and like many of the subjects depicted in entries, the competition is looking mighty fierce. National Geographic’s editors have highlighted some standout early entries, but there’s still time to enter – the competition closes November 4.

    You can see a few of the incredible entries here – head to the competition website for more.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and caption by Nancy Elwood/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    The Eye Of A Gator

    As I was sitting on the bank of the wetlands, watching a pair of anhingas prepare their nest, when one flew right down in front of me to fish. I quickly focused on her and out of the water came a wonderful fish brunch.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Christopher Markisz/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Moonlightning

    Lightning strikes lower Manhattan as a summer storm approaches a moonlit New York City skyline.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Kym Illman/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Curious Lions

    Using a wide-angle lens (16mm) on our remote-controlled camera buggy results in the background being smaller in shot and appearing further away. We fire the camera shutter using the same remote-control transmitter that we use to drive the buggy, allowing us a range of a couple of hundred meters although we rarely sit more than fifty metres away from camera.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Takashi/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    UFO formation

    A baby cloud had born at dawn. The baby cloud had grown bigger and bigger than before. When it came the time of the morning glow, It had grown to many huge lenticular clouds. It looked like UFO formation.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Flamine Alary/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Mist and Wind

    Early this morning we were on our way for hiking at the Bruce Peninsula National Park. The sun was rising, it was misty, eerie and we did not see very far away when suddenly these wind turbines appeared out of the mist. It was quite spectacular.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Lidija Kamansky/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Daybreak at Monument Valley

    A storm was rolling in from the west and the few of us gathered for sunrise were watching and hoping that day would break before the rains came. The moment the sun peeked above the horizon, we were hit with incredible winds and sideways driving rain. My husband jumped behind me to block the blowing sand and to try to shelter me from the wind. I kept shooting as the skies lit up, while gripping the tripod to keep it steady. This image is the result of those efforts from this memorable sunrise!

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Jassen T. /2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Fossil Fuel Galore

    “A quarter century ago, scientists warned that if we kept burning fossil fuel at current rates weíd melt the Arctic. The fossil fuel industry (and most everyone else in power) ignored those warnings, and what do you know: The Arctic is melting, to the extent that people now are planning to race yachts through the Northwest Passage, which until very recently required an icebreaker to navigate.” New York Times, May 12, 2015. Midway-Sunset is currently the largest oil field in California. Aerial.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Li Liu/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Beauty Beyond Disaster

    The Soberanes Fire, located south of Carmel and Point Lobos, started Friday morning 07/22/2016. By Saturday night, the fire covered the entire mountain. The sky was illuminated by the golden glow of the forest fire. I hiked down towards a cliff by the beach. Because the wind was blowing south and slightly east, the sky to the southwest was clear. I witnessed the most spectacular sight I have ever seen, the Milky Way glowed above the raging wildfire. Beauty rose beyond disaster.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Kyon. J/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Through

    It was amazing to capture China’s beautiful mountains in such magnificent morning rays coming through.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Kim Aikawa/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Swamp Raccoon

    While looking for alligators at a swamp in Louisiana, this beautiful little creature wanders out of the murky waters right into the morning light, pausing just long enough to capture.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by T. King/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Jellyfish

    Jellyfish

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Hugh McCrystal/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Wildebeest Migration

    This is a photo of Wildebeest during migration in the Serengeti.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by QIAN WANG/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Let’s picnic

    Yellowstone National Park, west thumb geyser basin, a perfect spot for picnic, and I mean not for human.

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Aaron Baggenstos/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Bear Hug

    Brown Bears, Katmai National Park, Alaska

    Editors’ picks: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016

    Photo and Caption by Yh Lee/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

    Bull Race

    Pacu Jawi, or bull race, is held in Indonesia where bulls are coupled, with the jockey standing on the plow harnesses attached to each bull, running a short distance of about 100 feet. Whichever pair runs the fastest in a straight fashion fetches the highest price (as they are deemed the best workhorse in plowing the paddy fields for harvesting).

    Which images are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • One week left to enter the USA Landscape Photographer of the Year Competition!

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    There’s just a week left to enter the 2016 USA Landscape Photographer of the Year Competition! 

    The USA Landscape Photographer of the Year Competition was founded in 2013 by Charlie Waite, one of the world’s most respected landscape photographers, and this year, the competition is bigger than ever. With a top prize of $ 15,000, the contest spans five main categories, ‘Environmental Value’, ‘My USA’, ‘Black & White’, ‘Classic View’, and ‘Urban’.

    In addition to these five categories, DPReview is partnering with the competition to create a new award – ‘Life in the Landscape’, which will be judged by DPReview’s editors and writers. An additional special award, ‘Wild Landscape’ is sponsored by Future Publishing.

    The competition is divided into two main classes – the USA Landscape Photographer of the Year Award and the Young USA Landscape Photographer of the Year Award. To enter Young USA Landscape Photographer of the Year, you must be 18 or under on the closing date of September 15, 2016. There are 7 categories within each of the two classes and up to 20 images may be entered across some or all of these categories, and photographers can enter the same image in more than one category and / or special award.

    To enter a single image costs $ 10, while $ 30 allows you to enter up to 5 images, and $ 45 allows you to enter up to 20 images. Entrants for the Young USA Photographer of the Year Award pay a flat fee of $ 10 for up to 20 images.

    The deadline for entry is September 15th. 

    Enter the competition

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Zeiss adds super-wide and tele- options to Milvus line

    Zeiss has announced it’s adding 15mm F2.8, 18mm F2.8 and 135mm F2 options to its manual focus Milvus line. Counting these three, there are now nine lenses in the Milvus range. Zeiss puts an emphasis on robust construction with their full metal barrels, video-friendly features and optical designs that minimize chromatic aberration and distortion. 

    The new lenses will be available in October. The 15mm F2.8 will cost $ 2699/€2699, the 18mm F2.8 will cost $ 2299/€2299 and the 135mm F2 will cost $ 2199/€2199.

    Press release

    Three new lenses for the ZEISS Milvus family

    The lens family with manual focusing for DSLR cameras is now also available with focal lengths of 15, 18 and 135 millimeters

    Oberkochen, September 8, 2016

    Two super-wide angle lenses, the ZEISS Milvus 2.8/15 and ZEISS Milvus 2.8/18, and the telephoto lens ZEISS Milvus 2/135 have expanded this family of manual focus lenses for DSLR cameras, bringing the total number of ZEISS Milvus focal lengths to nine. “The ZEISS Milvus family of lenses is an invaluable investment for the future due to its excellent imaging quality and its large range, which now covers 15 to 135 millimeters,” says Christophe Casenave, product manager at ZEISS Camera Lenses. Delivery of the new ZEISS Milvus lenses begins at the end of October 2016.

    For high-end DSLR cameras

    “The ZEISS Milvus lenses have been designed in particular to fulfill the requirements of today’s powerful digital cameras and those of the future thanks to their high imaging performance, even in difficult lighting situations,” says Casenave. The new lenses are characterized by a harmonious bokeh and very high degree of flare control due to the T*® anti-reflective coating from ZEISS. Further optimization of the lens coating has also ensured less likelihood than ever of ghosting, flare or shading effects, even in critical lighting situations. And all ZEISS Milvus lenses come with a floating elements design, which compensates imaging errors at different distance settings.

    ZEISS Milvus for video

    The new ZEISS Milvus lenses also allow the user to create high-quality film shoots with a pleasing cinematic bokeh. “Due to their extremely high contrast rendition, the lenses fulfill the most modern video standards of 6K and higher, and have uniform color characteristics,” said Casenave. All ZEISS Milvus lenses have a focus ring with a very large rotation angle to enable precise focusing, and are made of comfortable rubber to ensure a good grip while focusing. The De-Click function on lenses with a ZF.2 mount lets cinematographers set the aperture in a soft and infinitely variable way so they can work professionally in changing lighting conditions. The ZEISS Milvus lenses’ robust full-metal barrel ensures long and reliable usage. In addition, the lenses are protected against dust and spray water. The robust metal lens shade is an integral part of the overall product design and included with all ZEISS Milvus lenses.

    The new focal lengths of the ZEISS Milvus family are also compatible with the ZEISS Lens Gears, providing filmmakers with additional value-add. The ZEISS Lens Gears, which are made of high-quality aluminum with a hardened surface coating, slide into the respective lens and are attached to the focus ring by turning two counter-rotating rings through a simple mounting procedure.

    The new ZEISS Milvus lenses in summary:

    ZEISS Milvus 2.8/15:

    This super wide-angle lens with a field of view of 110 degrees allows every photographer to consciously compose using extreme perspectives. The lens has excellent imaging performance – even with an open aperture – thanks to the correction of color errors. Color fringing and distortion are minimal. This is all thanks to a ZEISS Distagon® lens design with 15 lens elements in 12 groups, including two aspheric lenses, special glass with anomalous partial dispersion, and the floating elements design. A removable lens shade and the 95-millimeter filter thread also make this lens the ideal companion for special applications with additional slide-in filter holders.

    ZEISS Milvus 2.8/18:

    This compact super-wide angle lens with a newly calculated ZEISS Distagon optical design has 14 lens elements in 12 groups, including two aspheric elements. The ZEISS Milvus 2.8/18 has a short close-up distance of 0.25 meters and internal focusing. With an angular field of 99.9 degrees, this lens is the ideal companion for landscape and architectural photography, as it allows creative shots to be taken using unusual perspectives. The filter thread has a diameter of 77 millimeters. The ZEISS Milvus 2.8/18 delivers outstanding imaging performance and very good distortion correction.

    ZEISS Milvus 2/135:

    This fast telephoto lens delivers excellent correction of all color errors. Thanks to a large aperture and pleasing bokeh, it is the perfect lens for portrait photography from a medium distance. The angular field is 18.7 degrees. The short minimum object distance of 0.80 meters makes this lens even more versatile. It has an optical design with 11 lens elements in eight groups and, like the ZEISS Milvus 2.8/18, a filter diameter of 77 millimeters.

    Price and availability

    The delivery worldwide of the three new lenses will begin at the end of October 2016. The lens shade is included with the corresponding lens. Sales prices are EUR 2,699 (including 19% German VAT) or 2.699US$ for the ZEISS Milvus 2.8/15; EUR 2,299 (including 19% VAT ) or 2.299US$ for the ZEISS Milvus 2.8/18; and EUR 2,199 Euro (including 19% German VAT) or 2.199US$ for the ZEISS Milvus 2/135. For ambitious cinematographers and photographers, a set solution is also available for up to six ZEISS Milvus lenses. A discount of 8% is available with the purchase of three to four lenses. Purchasing more than five lenses gives the user a 10% discount.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Instagram is working on iPhone 7-specific features

    Yesterday Apple announced its iPhone 7 models and app developers are already working hard at making use of the devices’ new features, especially the dual-camera in the iPhone 7 Plus. Instagram actually had a slot during the Apple presentation and Ian Spalter, head of design at Instagram, had the opportunity to explain how the app would make use of the camera’s new features and capabilities. 

    In one of the next versions of the app, the zoom of the iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera will be controllable from the Instagram camera. In addition, the new taptic engine will indicate how much the photographer has zoomed into the scene in both video and stills mode. Instagram says it is also looking at adapting its image filters to the iPhone 7 display’s wider color gamut, which lets viewers see a wider range of color.

    Other, not strictly iPhone 7-related improvements, include the addition of a 3D Touch action for the Instagram app icon, which will let you add an image to an Instagram story in a quick and easy fashion. There will also be a function to convert Live Photos into Instagram Boomerang GIFs, which repeatedly play back and forth. This function will be based on the new Live Photo API in iOS 10.  The new Instagram version is expected to launch sometime after shipping of the new iPhone models has started on September 16. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • GivePhotos gifts instant portraits to impoverished families

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    For many of us, the phrase ‘family photo’ can stir up memories of long, uncomfortable sessions, being made to wear clothes we didn’t like, sitting with siblings we liked even less. But despite the reputation they’ve gotten for being awkward and sometimes weird, we still kind of love them. And when you think about the fact that a lot of people fleeing a house fire will likely grab their family photos on the way out, it’s fair to say that we count them among our most prized possessions. 

    So you can imagine the impact it might have if you’d gone your whole life never having a family photo or portait taken, and suddenly a stranger hands you one. That’s what GivePhotos is all about. Born in Kolkata, Hollywood film editor Bipasha Shom grew up in New Jersey but made many trips back to India to visit family. On these trips she encountered many people living in poverty, and discovered that they often didn’t have photos of themselves or their families. It was a seemingly small thing, but something she had the power to change, and she vowed to do so.

    Three Fujifilm Instax wide cameras and 1,000 prints later, she’s met countless strangers, learned their stories and given them a priceless gift. The reaction? Well, a photo’s worth a thousand words, and the smiles in the images above say it all.

    Shom’s mission continues and you can help keep it going – check out her page on Generosity.

    Learn more at Resource Travel 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)