INSA Brings Street Art to the Web with GIF-iti

Dedicated. Stubborn. Certifiable. A sucker for punishment. All ways to describe the UK-based graffiti artist, INSA, who recently gained global recognition for his new-school approach to the old-school craft of graffiti, or as he calls it GIF-iti. His approach shows a mad dedication to the traditions of graffiti, where rather than take the shortcuts that Photoshop might allow, INSA chooses to travel the long road, sometimes taking many days to complete a single 600-pixel-wide animated GIF. He creates his labor-intensive GIF-iti by painting and re-painting the walls of buildings – each time...

Gorgeous Landscape Time-lapse Created over 1 Year and with 17,000 Photos

Director and photographer Jess Dunlap spent all of 2012 creating the 4-minute time-lapse video above, titled Monolation. It comprises over 17,000 gorgeous landscape photographs, and features beautiful camera movements that make it feel as though you’re looking around and watching the world pass in fast motion. In terms of gear, Dunlap used a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 for the vast majority of shots, with the rest being captured through a Sigma 10-20mm. Locations seen in the video include Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Convict Lake, June Lake, Mono Lake, Simi Valley, and Owens Valley. Here are some...

Astronauts on the ISS Use a ‘NightPod’ to Stabilize Their Low-Light Photos

Astronaut photographers on the International Space Station have been beaming quite a few photographs of Earth as of late, but have you ever wondered how they manage capture relatively sharp photographs of Earth’s cities at night? The speed at which the ISS hurtles around our planet is indeed a major challenge for low-light photography, and astronauts in the past have tried to overcome it by using high-speed film or by doing some manual tracking (which is very hit-and-miss). Luckily, space shooters nowadays have a new special tool up their sleeve: the NightPod. After discovering that...

Satire: How to Be a Photographer in Four Simple Lessons

Looking to jump into a particular genre of professional photography? Instead of shelling out money and time for lessons, workshops, and/or internships, check out the handbook, “How to be a Photographer in Four Lessons.” Written by Brussels-based photographer Thomas Vanden Driessche, it offers the basic gist of how you can instantly become great in contemporary photography, war photography, conceptual photography, and more! Okay, okay… the whole thing is a tongue-in-cheek project designed to give you a laugh. It’s still funny seeing various photography stereotypes...

Using Fire with Still-life or Product Photography (Video)

Mixing fire with anything highly flammable seems like a disaster waiting to happen, but it can add an interesting twist to product or still-life photography if executed correctly. The movement and energy of fire can create several different effects, from light trails to rippling flames. This is photographer Von Wong’s attempt at creating an eye-catching series of images in a beautiful location surrounded by a variety of pyrotechnics: He and his team of pyrotechnicians and assistants used custom-made structures, sparklers and fountains to create some magnificent effects. However, the art...

Interesting Photo of the Day: Performing for the President

The make-a-wish foundation, one of the word’s most praised charity organizations, takes full responsibility for today’s interesting photo of the day. For over 30 years, they have been enriching the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions by granting their most desired wishes, and thus fulfilling their souls with hope, strength and joy. That’s precisely what happened to Khari  Joyner, a 21-year-old cello player from Atlanta, GA, who on the 29th of January 2013 saw his deepest wish come true: to perform in the Oval Office for President Barack Obama...

Andrew Quilty

Maxwelton Races. Central Queensland, Australia 2007 Andrew Quilty (b. 1981, Sydney, Australia) completed studies in photography at TAFE in Sydney in 2004. He worked as a staff photographer for The Australian Financial Review from 2004 – 2006 until he was given the position of staff photographer for The AFR Magazine where he remained until 2010 when he left Fairfax to pursue a freelance career. It was his personal work that resulted in his invitation to join Australia’s photographic collective, Oculi in 2007 and accolades including a World Press Photo Award and the inaugural...

Paparazzi, Photographers’ Rights, and the Right to Live a Dignified Life

Paparazzi photography is a topic that has come up quite a bit in recent days, with most of the stories putting the camera wielders in a pretty bad light. Joerg Colberg over on Conscientious has a thought provoking piece on how photographers’ rights seem to be trumping basic human decency — with the blessing of our culture. I am not going to actually show the photograph I am going to write about. [It] shows a young woman in the center of the frame who is surrounded by six male figures [...] five are photographers. They’re photographers we call paparazzi. The young woman –...

Convert Your DSLR Battery Into a Power Supply Unit That Plugs Into Outlets

When Milan-based engineer and photographer Andrea Biffi needed a constant source of power for his Canon 40D in order to shoot time-lapse photos over many hours, he decided to save some money by going the DIY route. Biffi turned a defunct lithium DSLR battery into a power supply unit that can be used with everything from a wall outlet to a car battery. You can do the same thing at home, but you’ll need a bit of engineering know-how to accomplish the hack. The main thing you’ll need (besides some tools) is a step-down adjustable power supply module that you’ll use to...

Quick Tips on Landscape Photography

Philosophy Tell a story with landscape photography! By telling stories with your camera, you are forced you to slow down and contemplate the details. This one factor alone could greatly improve your skills as a photographer! Consider a few important questions. What is it about this scene that inspires you? What elements found in the scene have attracted your attention? Which elements (such as theme, line, or point of view) do you wish to preserve? “Whitepost, Exmoor” captured by Dave Webb. (Click image to see more from Dave Webb.) As you ponder these questions, remember that...