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  • NPPA to raise dues for the first time in 11 years, because defending truth ain’t cheap

    The National Press Photographers Association, the professional organization that regularly advocates for and defends the rights of visual journalists in and outside its ranks, has announced that it will be raising its membership dues for the first time in 11 years starting this coming January. Because, as they explain, “defending the rights and freedoms of visual journalists isn’t free.”

    The news was announced in a blog post published earlier this week by photojournalist and NPPA President Melissa Lyttle. As more and more photojournalists are forced to work freelance, without the backing of a major media organization, the NPPA has had to adapt, writes Lyttle.

    “This has made our legal advocacy work more critical than ever, as our members experience a rise in interference, harassment, and arrests along with an increase in assaults of journalists,” she writes. “We also see a public increase in the distrust of the media, challenges to the First Amendment by the current administration, state, and local government, an ever-increasing number of copyright infringements, and a rash of ill-conceived anti-drone laws.”

    But all of this advocacy and legal work comes at a price, and so the NPPA board has voted to increase membership dues for the first time in 11 years, starting January 1st, 2018.

    If you’re interested in joining the NPPA or re-upping your membership, you can do so at the old rates by the end of 2017. Once January 1st rolls around those annual rates will go up to $ 75 for student and retired member memberships ($ 10 increase), $ 145 for a professional membership ($ 35 increase), $ 240 for a family membership (households with more than one working photojournalist), $ 170 for international membership with surface mail, and $ 245 for international membership with air mail.

    NPPA membership comes with several perks, including: discounted insurance, services and products; being listed in a searchable database of photojournalists; the ability to participate in the NPPA’s mentorship program; and more.

    To find out more about the price increase, perks, NPPA’s mission or anything else about membership, head over to the official announcement or visit the NPPA homepage.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: First hands-on with the modular RED Hydrogen One holographic smartphone

    The $ 1,200 RED Hydrogen One smartphone with its holographic display and modular design wowed the world when it was announced last month. And that wow-factor only increased when people stumbled across RED’s patents for this intense little camera phone. Unfortunately, the initial render, press release, and those patents was all we had to go off of … until now.

    Well-known YouTuber Marques Brownlee was given an exclusive first-look at RED’s prototypes of the Hydrogen One, and he’s sharing that first look with the world in the video above.

    The RED Hydrogen One prototype next to an iPhone 7 Plus and an OnePlus 5. As you can see, it’s anything but small.

    Brownlee got to look at three prototypes: a non-functional ‘fit-and-finish’ prototype that looks exactly as RED intends the final version to look (above), a prototype of the holographic display that he was not allowed to show on camera, and a prototype of the phone with a ‘Triplet’ lens mount module attached.

    The first prototype was really all about the looks, and Brownlee had an interesting take on that. “It looks kind of like a Moto Z had a baby with a tractor,” he says. “It’s this part rugged, part modern look.” A look Brownlee actually quite liked.

    The second prototype he wasn’t allowed to share on camera, but it’s the third prototype we’re most interested in, anyway. This is where things get really interesting for photo and video enthusiasts curious about how capable and modular this phone will really be. The third prototype features an attachment that adds a ‘sensor and lens mount’ to the smartphone.

    Adding a sensor and lens mount to the phone makes it much thicker, but also has the potential to supercharge the Hydrogen One’s camera capabilities.

    According to Brownlee, RED believes, “this can and will be the future of small form-factor cinema [cameras].” In fact, the company says the smartphone’s image quality “should only be surpassed by RED’s bigger cameras,” beating out mirrorless cameras and DSLRs if RED has their way with this phone.

    At $ 1,200 for the phone by itself, and who knows how much for all of the modules and attachments required to get the RED Hydrogen One up to that caliber of image quality, it’s likely you’ll spend about the same amount of money on a cinema-capable Hydrogen One as you would on a cinema-capable DSLR setup… if not more. But if the quality is on par or better, why not get a really intense modular smartphone in the bargain?

    I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this phone evolves from prototype to full-fledged product. Speaking of which: RED expects to have their next prototype—a fit-and-finish version with the holographic display built in—ready in the next 30-45 days. They’re not dragging their feet.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Yongnuo unveils its first Li-ion powered speedlight for the Canon RT system

    Hong Kong camera company Yongnuo, known for its affordable lighting gear and knockoff Canon lenses, has launched its first Li-ion powered speedlite: the YN686EX-RT flash for the Canon RT system.

    The Speedlite—which was quietly released a couple of months ago—is available through eBay and Amazon and features an integrated 2.4GHz transceiver and a 2,000mAh Li-ion battery able to power 750 full-power flashes. This model can be used as either a master or a slave, and it offers optical slave triggering, according to the Speedlite’s product page.

    In addition, the Speedlite YN686EX-RT features a dot-matrix LCD display that shows the battery charge level, a USB port for firmware updates, and an electric zoom lamp head with a 20 – 200mm range. Other features include high-speed sync with shutter speeds up to 1/8000s, a stroboscopic mode, and support for both Custom Functions Setting and Auto-Save Setting.

    Yongnuo’s Speedlite YN686EX-RT is available online starting at $ 150 USD.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • VSCO releases its first video editing tool to VSCO X subscribers on iOS

    VSCO has launched a video editing tool for its VSCO X subscribers who use the iOS app, enabling them to directly edit videos and utilize presets on footage up to 4K/60fps resolution. The video tool is compatible with all video lengths and any video format supported by iOS, according to TechCrunch, and it utilizes the company’s own SENS technology.

    Though the feature is arriving first for VSCO X on iOS, the company also plans to release the video editing tool for Android in the future. An in-app banner that takes users to the new feature can be found within the ‘Studio’ section of the app. Once opened, users will see videos from their device’s Camera Roll populated into the Studio. VSCO X presets can be applied to these images, and manual adjustments can be made for things like saturation and contrast.

    “VSCO’s mission is to help people become better creators, and video is a creative frontier we’re increasingly passionate about and focused on,” VSCO co-founder and CEO Joel Flory told TechCrunch. “Video editing for VSCO X members is a first step into what we see as limitless possibilities for video editing tools on VSCO.”

    VSCO for iOS is available now on iTunes. A VSCO X membership costs $ 20/year.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • This is the first photo of a total solar eclipse ever taken, shot in 1851

    The first successfully captured photograph of a total solar eclipse, this daguerreotype was shot on July 28, 1851, by Prussian photographer Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski.

    Here’s a little history lesson to help you pass the time between now and the next total solar eclipse on August 21st. The photograph above, a daguerreotype captured almost exactly 166 years ago, is the first successfully-captured photograph of a total solar eclipse.

    The photo was captured by master daguerreotypist Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski, a Prussian photographer who was commissioned by the Royal Prussian Observatory at Königsberg to do what nobody else had managed up until that point: capture an appropriately-exposed photograph of a total solar eclipse.

    Up until that point, every photograph taken had been over or under-exposed, and/or didn’t capture sufficient contrast between the bright corona and the obscuring disk of the moon.

    According to a paper in the journal Acta Historica Astronomiae, the photograph was captured using a small refracting telescope attached to the hour drive of the 15.8-cm Fraunhofer heliometer. Berkowski began exposing the image shortly after totality, and the final daguerreotype took 84-seconds to capture.

    To learn more about this photograph, click here. And if you want to learn how to capture the August 21st eclipse for yourself (and why you should maybe put the camera down for this one…) check out our own eclipse how-to.

    How to photograph the August eclipse, and why you probably shouldn’t try.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • This is the first ever permanent photography exhibition in space

    Duggal Visual Solutions has teamed with its client, Dubai-based photographer Dr. Hersh Chadha, to create what they say is the first-ever permanent photography exhibition in space.

    The exhibition consists of five photographs of flowers that Dr. Chadha donated to three astronauts aboard the International Space Station, where the photos are currently zooming around the Earth at 4.76 miles per second.

    You can see two of them below:

    Col. Valery Korzun of Star City, Moscow made the arrangements to have Dr. Chadha’s photographs on-board the ISS Expedition 49-50, which took place last year. In addition to donating these photos, Dr. Chadha donated a hard drive containing 500 of his photos, as well as his ‘Visions of Nature’ book, to the Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City.

    Talking about his donation, Dr. Chadha explained, “Photography is a great medium of expression, and my purpose of doing this was to let the human beings who live on the Space Station for so many months still be connected to Mother Earth.”

    You can hear more from Dr. Chadha and watch the photographs’ journey into space in the video below:

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: First look at the Canon EOS 6D Mark II

    Quite a lot has changed since Canon first debuted its budget-oriented full frame option, the EOS 6D, back in 2012. Five years later its successor, the 6D Mark II is here, and with a lot to offer including an updated AF system, vari-angle touchscreen and 1080/60p video capture. But is the update worth the wait? Watch our video to find out.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Hasselblad to open first own branded retail store

    Camera manufacturer Hasselblad will be opening its first own retail store on 30th June. The store will be located at the Fotografiska center for contemporary photography in Stockhom, Sweden and carry the full range of Hasselblad cameras, lenses and accessories, encouraging visitors to explore the Hasselblad brand. Hasselblad and Fotografiska will also partner to host photography workshops for both amateur and professional photographers.

    Johan Åhlén, Chief Marketing Officer of Hasselblad, said: “Our cameras were born from a love of photography and we are excited to partner with Fotografiska to spread our passion and inspire a more conscious world through the power of photography. Our new store and workshops represent our commitment to Hasselblad users and our desire to enhance the future of photography.”

    Per Broman, founder of Fotografiska, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with an iconic Swedish camera brand like Hasselblad on the opening of its first store. We share the same values and devotion for photography and together with Hasselblad’s renowned technical excellence and creative vision, we aim to welcome photography enthusiasts around the world. It is a perfect match for our 535 000 guests who visit us every year for inspiration via the very inclusive art form of photography.”

    The shop’s location at the entrance of Fotografiska looks like a perfect choice for Hasselblad. The center has an exhibition space of 2,500 square meters and features four major and between 15 and 20 minor exhibitions per year. Past highlights include exhibitions of the works of such renowned photo artists as Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Anton Corbijn as well as Hasselblad ambassador’s Erik Johansson, Hans Strand and Cooper & Gorfer.

    Press Release:

    2017-06-27

    Hasselblad partners with Fotografiska in Stockholm to open its first Hasselblad branded store

    On 30th June Hasselblad will be opening its first own retail store. The store will be located at Fotografiska in Stockholm, a centre for contemporary photography. The Hasselblad store will be home to a full range of Hasselblad cameras, lenses and products, while encouraging visitors to explore the Hasselblad brand.

    Hasselblad and Fotografiska represent and showcase the world’s best photography. The collaboration will enable Hasselblad and Fotografiska to provide access to a full range of Hasselblad cameras, while also sharing their joint knowledge on the expertise and art of photography. The two companies will also partner to host inspirational photography workshops to help develop both amateur and professional photographers’ skills.

    Johan Åhlén, Chief Marketing Officer of Hasselblad, said: “Our cameras were born from a love of photography and we are excited to partner with Fotografiska to spread our passion and inspire a more conscious world through the power of photography. Our new store and workshops represent our commitment to Hasselblad users and our desire to enhance the future of photography.”

    Per Broman, founder of Fotografiska, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with an iconic Swedish camera brand like Hasselblad on the opening of its first store. We share the same values and devotion for photography and together with Hasselblad’s renowned technical excellence and creative vision, we aim to welcome photography enthusiasts around the world. It is a perfect match for our 535 000 guests who visit us every year for inspiration via the very inclusive art form of photography.”

    The shop will be located at the entrance of Fotografiska, an international meeting place where everything revolves around photography. The museum has an exhibition space of 2,500 square meters, and features four major exhibitions per year and approximately 15-20 minor exhibitions. Past exhibitions have showcased the work of Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Anton Corbijn as well as Hasselblad ambassador’s Erik Johansson, Hans Strand and Cooper & Gorfer.

    To discover more about the collaboration, visit fotografiska.eu/Hasselblad.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Cyberpunk City: World’s First Self-Driving Grocery Store Hits Streets of Shanghai

    [ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

    It’s a tale as old as time, or at least: science fiction films — an autonomous grocery store on wheels (staffed by a holographic assistant) that can deliver late-night snacks as well as everyday essentials.

    The Wheelys “Moby Mart” looks the part as well, sporting a trapezoidal shape, illuminated display in front, vintage neon sign on top, and mysteriously uniform boxes on the shelves inside.

    But that retrofuturistic look is just part of the package: fueled by solar panels on the roof, this driverless shopping center operates staff-free 24/7.

    When it runs low on stock it returns itself to a warehouse automatically for reloading — eventually, its makers hope to task a fleet of rooftop drones to do those pickups (maybe they could be extended to make deliveries, too).

    Like other new grocery store prototypes, there will be no need to check out — items taken are automatically tallied and added to a shopper’s bill. If you need any help, the aptly named Hol (a holographic store assistant) is on hand to assist.

    To top it all off, the Moby Mart has the potential to be carbon-negative, at least in terms of its urban travels — soaking up the sun for fuel, it also captures and cleans smog on its grocery runs.

    A project of Himalayafy, Hefei University and Wheelys the first prototype is currently being tested out in Shanghai, a sweet spot for cyberpunk fans but a bit far for some of us to travel. But don’t worry: if all goes well your city may get one soon, too.

    Unverpackt: Zero-Waste Grocery Store Packages No Products

    The first of its kind in the country, this German supermarket strips away wasteful packaging and sells its goods in bulk to customers who bring or borrow recycled and reusable …

    Rolling Landscape: Driverless Geodesic Garden Hits the Streets of London

    As robotic cars take to the streets, designers are beginning to see possibilities for urban mobility that go beyond human and cargo transport. What if plants, for instance, could be moved around …

    Retail Micro-Farming: MIT & Target to Launch In-Store Vertical Farms

    At the convergence of the localvore and vertical farming movements, Target’s new in-store micro-farms are positioned to offer the freshest possible produce to consumers. On offer: leafy greens …

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    [ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

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  • Undercooked: Canon’s first CMOS-based compact, PowerShot SX1 IS

    Canon was producing some impressive superzoom cameras back in 2008. Its PowerShot S5 IS had solid image quality, a capable autofocus system, pleasing color and respectable image quality.

    In September of that year, the company split its superzoom line in two. Both the PowerShot SX1 and cheaper SX10 IS had 20X, 28-560mm lenses, 10MP sensors, fully articulating LCDs and decent electronic viewfinders. What differentiated the two – in a major way – was the type of sensor used. The S10 IS went with a traditional 1/2.3″ CCD, Canon made the SX1 its first compact with a CMOS sensor, which was both a blessing and a curse.

    Canon had been marketing the PowerShot S-series as ‘hybrid’ cameras since their inception, and the SX1 continued that tradition. Canon used a USM (ultrasonic motor) in that 20X lens, which allowed for quiet focusing that is required when capturing video. The zoom was also capable of zooming slowly, like a camcorder. The SX1 had a prominent movie record button, flip-out widescreen LCD and HDMI output. Heck, even the EVF had a 16:9 aspect ratio, though its resolution was considerably lower than that of its cheaper sibling.

    The use of a CMOS sensor rather than a CCD brought an immediate benefit to video-shooters. Unlike previous Canon superzooms, which topped out at VGA resolution, the SX1 could capture 1080/30p video. In 2008 this was a very big deal.

    Another benefit of the switch to CMOS was that SX1 could shoot bursts at 4 fps, compared to 0.7 fps on the SX10. While we can’t draw firm conclusions about this, the addition of Raw capture could be due to the faster readout speed of the CMOS sensor, though it could also be a marketing decision.

    The PowerShot SX1 was considerably noisier than the lower-end, CCD-based PowerShot SX10 that shared the same design. Old studio scene taken at ISO 400.

    So what was the downside? Images were quite noisy as soon as the SX1 left its base ISO of 80, and by the time you got to around ISO 200-400, the CCD-based PowerShot SX10 produced images with less noise and more detail. Compared to its peers from Sony and Panasonic, the PowerShot SX1 was the noisiest.

    It’s telling that Canon didn’t release another CMOS-based superzoom for three years. The SX20 and SX30 were both CCD-based, until the arrival of the SX40 HS in 2001, which used a BSI-CMOS sensor.

    Were you a PowerShot SX1 owner? Share your memories in the comments below. That’s also the place for leaving suggestions for future TBTs!

    Read our PowerShot SX1 IS review

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    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)