Here’s Why the Original Fujifilm X100 Is Still Worth Getting Today

If you’re still learning the ropes of digital photography and mirrorless cameras, the Fujifilm X100 would still be the perfect camera to start with today.

Today’s generation of photographers are certainly spoiled for choice when it comes to gear, and there’s always something new to try or buy almost every year. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we should always go for the latest releases. In his latest video, photographer and cinematographer Casey Cavanaugh tells us why some of the older cameras, especially the original Fujifilm X100, still make perfect shooting companions today.

Continue reading…

Leica Instant M Concept Describes an Instant Camera With Leica M Lens

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to have an instant camera with the revered Leica M lens, the short answer is yes.

Leica may already have its own instant camera in the form of the Sofort, introduced in 2016. But, let’s face it: it feels more like a glorified Fuji Instax Mini than a truly premium instax camera with the Leica brand. Shanghai-based product designer Daniel Huang took up the noble challenge to make the first instant camera designed for the Leica M lens. The result is a minimalist masterpiece that will delight the Leica fans, and intrigue instant photography lovers.

Continue reading…

This 1973 BBC Science Session Teaches You How to Make Your Own Giant Camera

Got the talent for prop making? You can probably DIY your own giant camera, with some help from this BBC Science Session episode. 

If you’ve been dreaming of building your own film camera, we’ve got just the stuff to help you get inspired. One thing to note, however — you’d be building a giant version of it! You’d be learning from none other than Michael Rodd, then presenter for BBC programs like the Science Session.

Freshly shared from the Facebook page of the BBC Archive is the nostalgic and fascinating Science Session clip from 1973 which shows how a camera works. Instead of taking apart a tiny point and shoot camera to poke around its parts, TV presenter Michael Rodd gave viewers something more interesting: building and assembling a jumbo-sized version to demonstrate the vital components of a simple film camera.

Continue reading…

Gabriella Marks Crafts a Clever Approach on Food Photography

All images by Gabriella Marks. Used with permission.

When we speak of food photography, we immediately think about how each shot should make the viewers salivate at the food or feast they’re looking at. But as with any genre, being experimental and looking for unique ways to work with it pays off. Case in point is a clever project by Santa Fe-based editorial and commercial photographer Gabriella Marks, who put the spotlight on the produce rather than the final product for a project called Form • Function • Food.

Continue reading…

Feel Good Read: Using Photography to Communicate What You Love About a Place

All images and text by John Reid. Used with permission.

I am a travel and architectural photographer based in London, UK. Over the past six years, I’ve traveled to 55 different countries around the world for Expedia. My purpose is to photograph and film places in a way that will stir interest in that location. My approach to photography is simple: be intensely curious, fall in love with a place, and then use the medium of photography to communicate why I love the place. It is based on the advice of Ralph Valesco who said something like, “Photograph what you love and with 6 billion people around the world, someone is bound to love it too.” Technique is secondary to this approach. It is the language that enables me to communicate, but it does not answer the question, “What do you love about this place?”

Continue reading…

Rebeca Camino Brings the Colors and Textures of Nature to Her Outdoor Portraits

All images by Rebeca Camino. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Many of the outdoor portrait photography we see make use of urban settings to create a youthful feel or cosmopolitan look to their snaps. However, there’s more to outdoor portraits than these locations. As you’ll find in this beautiful set by Spanish photographer Rebeca Camino, shooting somewhere with lots of greens and natural textures is also a good idea.

Continue reading…

David Stumpp on Hitting the Streets for “Lunchtime Portraits”

All images by David Stumpp. Used with permission.

Any form of art requires practice, even if it’s something as subjective and loosely defined as street photography. You give it time, make the conscious effort to improve your craft, and track your progress. How much time exactly do you need to devote to it? Well, it’s all up to you. It can even be as short as sneaking it in your lunchtime, as UK-based street and documentary photographer David Stumpp has done. Continue reading…

East Africa Inspires Šuns Akis to Tell the Story of A Fisherman’s Secret

All images by Šuns Akis. Use with Creative Commons permission.

Some places make such a big impression on us that they drive us to not only capture them in photographs, but also inspire us to immortalize them through other creative stuff. This is exactly what happened to Lithuanian photographer Šuns Akis while roaming East Africa. In his set, titled Fisherman’s Secret, he treats us to a beautiful selection of photos from his sea-bound adventures, which is also accompanied by a short story.

Continue reading…

Bjørg-Elise Tuppen’s “Visual Strangeness” Series Plays with Your Imagination

All images by Bjørg-Elise Tuppen. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Looking at her body of work, one could easily see that Bjørg-Elise Tuppen is inspired most by the Norwegian wilderness as well as her culture’s myths and legends. Aside from shooting dreamlike landscape photos, the Harstad, Norway-based photographer and graphic designer also creates images that combine contradicting elements. The results are nothing short of stunning and whimsical.

Continue reading…

Malte Grüner’s “Viva La Cuba” Captures Cuba’s Old World Charm

All images by Malte Grüner. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Stepping into the streets of Cuba is like stepping into a place suspended in a bygone era, or into a movie set at the very least. We can’t help but think that way, seeing that the scenes many of us are familiar with are the charming, worn out buildings with a shiny vintage car or two zooming past in the foreground.

Continue reading…

Emil Rashkovski Captures the Misty Autumn Mornings of Bulgaria’s Shiroka Polyana

All images by Emil Rashkovski. Used with Creative Commons permission.

For many landscape photographers, it’s not enough to simply scout the perfect location to photograph. It’s also worth knowing which is the best time to be out there to capture the scenes exactly how it is envisioned. After several visits to the Shiroka Polyana dam, Bulgaria-based Emil Rashkovski was able to narrow down one of the perfect times of the day and the year to shoot in one of his favorite locations; mornings in autumn.

Continue reading…

Kris Provoost Showcases Shanghai’s Architecture in Stunning Minimalism

All images by Kris Provoost. Used with Creative Commons permission.

If you’re an architecture fan or architectural photographer looking for your next Asian destination to shoot, we’ve got you covered. Previously, we’ve seen the urban geometry and color studies of Seoul and Hong Kong. Today, we’re adding to the list the stunning modern architecture of Shanghai, photographed by Belgian-born architect and photographer Kris Provoost.

Continue reading…

See the Quirky, Neon-Lit Promotional Posters for MTV India’s “Dating in the Dark”

All images by Saif R. and Megha Singha. Used with Creative Commons permission.

MTV India’s Dating in the Dark is exactly what it says on the tin. Nothing says “love is blind” more than actually meeting the potential love of your life (or at least, your next romantic pursuit) in the, well, dark, doesn’t it?

Dating in the Dark is a reality dating show that places a small group of three guys and three girls inside one house to have group and one-on-one dates under the cover of darkness, all with the goal of getting to know each other better.

Continue reading…

What Happened to This Badly Burned Leica Camera?

We reached out to the individual behind this post to get the story.

For the sky-high prices they often come at, their durability, and the quality of the images they produce, Leica cameras are among the most coveted gear among photographers. They’re usually treated with care that’s borderline reverence and devotion – which is why we, and we assume many of you guys now too, were shocked when we stumbled upon the picture of this Leica camera that’s burned so badly it’s barely recognizable now.

Continue reading…

Courtney Coles: Photographing Musicians the Way Their Music Sounds

All images by Courtney Coles. Used with permission.

If we were to list the top photography “dream” jobs, music and concert photography will definitely be on the list. It sure looks fun to have the prime spot not only for watching the biggest bands and acts up close, but also for getting some snaps of the awesome performances. But, as Los Angeles-based Courtney Coles tells us in this interview, it’s not as easy as it seems. It may start with wanting to take home photos to remember the performance with, but the road to doing it professionally can start in many different ways. From there, it’s all about documenting what goes down in gigs in your own style and perspective.

Continue reading…

Loreal Prystaj Uses Mirrors to Explore Man’s Relationship with Nature

All images by Loreal Prystaj. Used with permission.

There may already be a multitude of projects exploring man’s relationship with nature, but among the best I’ve seen that embody this is the aptly titled Reflecting on Nature by New York City and London-based visual artist Loreal Prystaj. This visually stunning and clever body of work was evidently inspired by nature, but probably not in the way we mostly see. Instead of looking for a location based on an idea, Prystaj immersed herself in what she could find in her surroundings and let them work their magic on her project.

Continue reading…