This Pentax Spotmatic has a Heartwarming Story Behind It

Vintage cameras are certainly witnesses to generations of touching and life-changing events, such as the beautiful story behind this Pentax Spotmatic.

When you’re buying and shooting with vintage cameras, you’re also taking with you decades worth of fascinating history. If you’re really lucky, you might come across cameras used by famous photographers, limited edition models, and even those used for NASA spaceflights. You’ll be even luckier if you have the money to afford them. Or, you may simply find one with a really heartwarming personal history, like this Pentax Spotmatic that Brisbane-based Daimon Wright found.

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This Photographer Only Had 20 Minutes to Photograph Greta Thunberg

All images by Shane Balkowitsch and Chad Nodland. Used with permission. 

“I saw a wet plate online and something drew me to it,” explains Shane Balkowitsch. He continues, “My first attempt at a wet plate is a photograph of my brother, taken on October 4th, 2012.” Seven years after the fact, Shane has burst into the spotlight with a very special photograph of a hugely influential young woman. On the morning of October 7th, Shane received the call he had been hoping for. He would be photographing Greta Thunberg. Since the shoot, the images taken of Greta have blown up all over the internet. But Shane’s work goes much deeper than a single shoot. He has several fascinating projects that are more than worth your time. Excited by his rise, we spoke to Shane about his work, and to discuss what could likely be his defining moment.

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Photographing the Saturn V Rocket in a Totally Different Way

Zac Henderson calls our attention to the beautiful details of the mighty Saturn V rocket, one of the landmarks of humanity’s space-faring endeavors. 

We’ve featured a great deal of thought-provoking works on alien worlds and space exploration, but today, the spotlight shines on something closer to home. Five decades after the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing, the Saturn V rocket remains a stunning reminder of humanity’s astronomical achievements in engineering and space flight. Photographer and videographer Zac Henderson captures its beauty in detail in his remarkable abstract series.

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Bruno Pisani Explores How Details Reveal the Photographer’s Vision

All photos by Bruno Pisani. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Feeling the need for some serious photography inspiration? We’re sure today’s featured series by Italian photographer and videographer Bruno Pisani fits the bill. Aside from being a showcase of moody scenes and stunning details, it’s also a great example of what we can achieve when we work on our creative vision before anything else. If you’re into landscape photography or simply have a fondness for otherworldly imagery, you’re in for a treat!

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Eszter Sarah Explores a Retro Summer Mood in “Swimmers”

All photos by Eszter Sarah. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Everything retro and nostalgic remains a popular aesthetic for various creative fields, and photography is no exception. In particular, fashion editorials do a lot of retro styling and editing, and it looks like we’ll continue to see a lot of that. We’re not really complaining, especially if we’re seeing colorful and experimental approaches. Today’s featured series, by Budapest-based Eszter Sarah, is yet another fine example of that, with a lean towards a beautifully minimalist style. Continue reading…

Daniel Řeřicha Takes Us to a Winter Wonderland in Black and White

All photos by Daniel Řeřicha. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Shooting during the winter is a challenging but also great time to shoot for landscape photographers, especially for those who hold a preference for black and white. The scenery tends to easily tip into their favor with the snow blanketing the landscapes, transforming everything into minimalist subjects that look great in monochrome. Take, for example, the gorgeous black and white photos of Czech photographer Daniel Řeřicha around the snowy scenes of the Ore Mountains in Central Europe.

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These 8 Photographers Use the Leica M6 to Take Fantastic Photos

If you like a Leica, you’ll love these Leica M6 photographers.

Historically, the Leica M6 is synonymous with style and prestige. While it certainly delivers on being a quality build, this doesn’t mean it will always produce quality photographs: that’s the job of the person using it. First manufactured in 1984, the M6 is still a popular choice amongst photographers. While some may only have the Leica brand to boast about, others have a body of work that equals the quality they hold in their hand. The good news is we’ve found the very best of them. We spent time trawling Instagram to find feeds for you to enjoy. Here are eight Leica M6 photographers to follow on Instagram.

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This Photographer Made His Own Vintage Ads for His Lenses

We love poster ads for various cameras and lenses back in the day, so we understand why this photographer decided to make his own! 

Whether you’re a vintage camera nerd, a camera collector, or a passionate film photographer, you probably enjoy vintage poster ads of gear from decades past. It’s easy to get nostalgic over them, especially since camera companies don’t make ads for cameras and lenses like them anymore. So, when we spotted the convincing, retro-inspired posters made by Texas-based photographer and seasoned director Aaron Arizpe, we couldn’t help but ask him to tell us more about them. Luckily for us, he obliged with a really detailed and interesting story!

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Erik Witsoe Captures Beauty in Daily Commute from the Window Seat

All photos by Erik Witsoe. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Commute scenes never go missing in street photography. They’re integral to city life because there’s a certain mood in them. Such feelings of longing, adventure, and transience are embodied in a recent body of work by Erik Witsoe. In his personal series titled The Window Seat, the photographer and artist chronicles the everyday moments encountered while on the road around the Polish cities of Warsaw and Poznan. This is inspiring for all of us, especially for those fond of capturing the beauty amidst the humdrum of life in the streets — even with something as ordinary as daily commuting!

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Stefano Gardel Imagines a Cyberpunk Neon Future in Japan

All photos by Stefano Gardel. Used with Creative Commons permission.

The neon trend may not garner the same interest it once did: we can’t blame those who think this trend has become overdone. But with the right idea and great execution, it can still net some really interesting work. Case in point is the cyberpunk imagery largely inspired by movies like Blade Runner. We’ve seen some really impressive ones in the past and we’re glad to add one more to the list. This time, it’s a re-imagining of Japan by Swiss fine art photographer Stefano Gardel.

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Felipe Ballin Shares the Colorful Spectacle of the Atacama Landscapes

Atacama photos by Felipe Ballin. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Bitten by the travel bug but don’t know where to go? Today’s featured travel and landscape snaps by Brazilian photographer and retoucher Felipe Ballin should provide a good idea: Chile. So, pack your bags, prepare your gear, and make sure to wear something comfy. You’ll want to take your time exploring the South American country, making sure not to miss the world-famous Atacama Desert and its surroundings.

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Philipp Apler Showcases the Beauty of Scotland in Moody Black and White

All photos by Philipp Apler. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Itching to shoot the great outdoors? Scotland is a favorite location of many landscape photographers for its rugged coastlines, mountains, stunning vistas, and other natural wonders. If it’s on your list of dream destinations, we think this monochrome series from Philipp Apler will push you to making that shoot happen!

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This Vintage Camera Paradise in Finland Is a Film Photographer’s Dream

Attention, film photographers! If you have a dream vintage camera or lens, there’s a big chance you’ll spot it in this mind-blowing spot in Finland!

Are you a film photographer still looking to tick a dream vintage camera or lens off your wishlist? Or are you a vintage photography gear collector with an insatiable curiosity for what’s still out there? Maybe you’re a photographer with a taste for weird and wonderful photography contraptions? If you answered yes t any of these, you’re in for a treat in the latest videos by Paris-based photographer and filmmaker Mathieu Stern.

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Nick Bondarev Introduces Us to the Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

All photos by Nick Bondarev. Used with Creative Commons permission.

One of the most fascinating topics to explore in documentary photography is how people have retained their traditional culture and way of life. Tribes and ethnic groups are perfect for these, as we’ve previously seen in projects that covered the Toda Tribe of the Nilgiris, the Brokpa Tribe of the Himalayas, the Ladakh locals of India, and the Tengger group of Java, Indonesia. This time, we take a peek into the life of the Kazakh eagle hunters of Mongolia, who keep this fascinating, age-old practice alive to this day.

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Kate Hook Shows Incredible Skill with Double Exposures on Film

All images by Kate Hook. Used with permission. 

“One big theme for me is ghosts because I have a lot of them, still living and not,” Photographer Kate Hooks explains. Kate is a name you have seen before on The Phoblographer. That’s with good reason as her film photography is some of the most creative and compelling we’ve had the pleasure of sharing with our readers. A lot has changed in Kate’s life since we last spoke to her in 2017, but one thing that has remained is the quality of her work. Back with a fresh batch of double exposures, Kate shares a series of work as eerie as it is pleasant. Intrigued by the theme, we dived deep into her creative world to see how life is going in 2019.

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Grab This Limited Edition Gold Leica R4 for $3,150

Fancy a limited edition gold Leica R4? Prepare $3,150 for our latest vintage find, and it’s all yours!

Another day, another rare vintage Leica spotted. We wish we can say that, but then they wouldn’t be as rare as we would like. Some may find today’s vintage find, a limited edition Leica R4 in gold finish, to be odd-looking (or tacky, if you want to be blunt about it). To others, it may be screaming luxury and interesting rarity. Either way, there’s no mistake that it makes a fine addition to any Leica collection.

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Nathan Wirth Captures the Ethereal Beauty of Streams Leading to the Sea

All photos by Nathan Wirth. Used with Creative Commons permission.

When it comes to adding a dose of drama and depth to an image, black and white will never go out of style. It even works for shooting sweeping vistas, as our growing list of impressive monochrome landscape easily shows. Novato, CA Nathan Wirth has been one of our go-to photographers for this, as our previous features of his work will prove. Today, we take a look at one of his most recent works in which he captured the simple but dreamy beauty of streams flowing back into the sea.

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Five Factory-Sealed Leica R4 Units Are Up for Grabs!

Gather your Leica and film-loving buddies, because there are enough SEALED Leica R4 bodies for five of you!

Not so long ago, we gave a heads-up on a limited edition Leica R4 in “used but not abused” condition. But if the gleaming gold and snakeskin leather are too much for you, we’re happy to report you can also snag a Leica R4 body in its classic chrome version. But there are actually five units available in our latest vintage find, so there’s enough for you and four of your Leica buddies or fellow vintage camera collectors!

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Matthew Cohen Brings Out His Inner Child in Impressive Toy Photography

All toy photography and words by Matthew Cohen. Used with permission.

Three years ago, I was sitting in my apartment having buyers remorse after receiving a pricey action figure I had purchased. After the initial cool factor wore off, I was wondering what I was going to do with this potential dust magnet I had bought. I ended up stumbling upon an entire community of toy photographers, a hobby I wasn’t aware even existed. It was inspiring. Photographers like Sgt. Bananas (Johnny Wu) and Noserain (Richee Chang) brought out my inner child and I thought to myself, “Hey, I want to do this too. I can do this.” I grabbed an old point and shoot and a plastic tripod I had laying around and began to teach myself toy photography.

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Terrible Real Estate Agent Photos are a Reminder Not Everyone’s a Pro!

These real estate photos are so terrible they make a good case of why some things are best left to the professionals.

At an age when nearly everything is researched, ordered, and booked online, professional photographs are now more important than ever. The real estate industry is, of course, no exception. How a space is photographed is crucial to it getting booked or rented out, so it’s definitely something best left to a professional photographer. A hilarious project shows us how bad it can look when we entrust the job to people who don’t have the slightest idea how it’s done.

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Here’s Your Chance to Grab a Rare Olympus Pen F Medical

This Olympus Pen F Medical is one of the most unique and rare film SLR cameras you can add to your vintage camera collection.

Feeling the need to expand your camera collection? We’re sure our latest vintage find will make a fine addition. The Olympus Pen F is already a coveted item on its own, as many film photographers can attest. But this particular model, a flawless mint Olympus Pen F Medical, is a rare and even more collectible item. This is the perfect time to grab one if you haven’t yet!

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