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January 28 2012
January 26 2012
#From Where I Stand, Skyscraper Edition
You’ve taken #From Where I Stand shots in a snowy field, in line at the market, on 8 mile hikes and down alleyways in far-off countries.
The last frontier? The ledge of your town’s highest skyscraper.
Sounds scary, but once you scale your way up and point your camera down, you’ll fall in love with what you see.
Dennis Maitland can attest to it. He’s been documenting his rooftop adventures in Detroit by photographing his feet over ledges.
The result is an awesome collection of aerial views with a touch of self-portrait.
#Fromwhereistand → #Fromwheremyfeetdangle.
Dennis Maitland’s Skyscraper Self-Portraits
via Fubiz
p.s. Looking for unique ways to print your photos? Our pals at Nations Photo Lab have great new prices on their solid wood Gallery Blocks!
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January 23 2012
The Cam Caddie Makes Your DSLR Vids Smooth as the Pros’
If those hapless videographers from “The Blair Witch Project” knew about The Cam Caddie, they’d still be doomed, but we’d all be less queasy.
This light-as-air handheld stabilizer uses the weight of your camera to cleanse your DSLR vids of jerks and jolts.
The design’s awesomely simple: a curved handle mounts your camera via the tripod thread. Nothing’s left but smooth HD video, just like the pros shoot.
Better yet, it won’t break the bank. Take that, witches.
The Cam Caddie DSLR Video Stabilizer 
Tweet It!
$39 at the Photojojo Shop
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January 19 2012
How to Make Tiny Planets in Google Street View
Hackers do more than type fast and indiscriminately hax0r the interwebs.
The best kind of hacker? They’re the ones that take neat stuff apart to make even neater stuff.
…Like Stereographic Street View!
It’s an adapted version of Google’s Street View that turns any place on Earth* into a fish-eyed globe a.k.a. a tiny planet!
Explore Earth by entering in an address or dragging the pin around the map. It’s wondrous to see what your home looks like as a its own little world!
You can spend hours wandering the planet wearing tiny-planet goggles. Don’t mind the funny looks.
*as long as it’s on Google Street View!
Stereographic Street View
[via NotCot; Architizer]
p.s. If you’ve had trouble finding the time to hone your photo skillz, check out our friends at the New York Institute of Photography! They have top notch classes that you can take anywhere on your own time.
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January 17 2012
The Photorito Lens Wrap
That sweet lens of yours looks good enough to eat. That boring lens wrap on it? Not so much.
Say hola to the Photorito, a protective lens wrap that looks like a burrito!
This super-tough cover will protect even the meatiest of lenses from 24mm to 200mm.
Toss it in your camera bag, backpack, or purse to protect it from bumps, drops, & dings.
It won’t, however, protect you from the sudden urge to hit the nearest taquería.
The Photorito Lens Wrap Tweet It!
$20 at the Photojojo Shop
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January 12 2012
CES Mania — Our Roundup of the Raddest New Camera Releases!
We’re at CES this week!
That stands for Consumer Electronics Show, a convention of the latest in gadgets of all kinds, but best of all: cameras.
You’ll find booths for everything from Hello Kitty to Nikon, Fuji, and Polaroid.
Because all the sensor sizes, f-stops and long-winded terminology* start to melt into a foggy photo haze, we rounded up and broke down the most noteworthy camera stories from CES!
*mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, anyone?
A Guide to the Latest in Digital Cameras
p.s. Our pals at the New York Institute of Photography want to help you become the best photographer ever. You can take their classes on your own time from just about anywhere!
Polaroid
What’s new? The Polaroid Z340 and the SC1630 Smart Camera.
Like many Polaroid fans, we weren’t sure how to feel about the shift from analog to digital.
Polaroid must’ve read our minds because they’ve kicked the look of their Z340 back a couple of decades, and we like it.
You may have seen Chase Jarvis demolish a Polaroid Land Camera and a point-and-shoot in a blender.
Figuratively, that’s what this camera is — a delectable digital analog smoothie. It’s got an old school Polaroid look, but shoots digital photos and spits them out via a built-in Zink printer.
See our snap of it at the booth!
- The SC1360 Smart Camera
We don’t think Eddie Land could ever have predicted this one, but it’s here! Polaroid’s made a smart camera that looks and works an awful lot like a phone yet isn’t one.
It’s a 16MP camera that runs Android, meaning you’ll be able to edit your photos in-camera, connect to Wi-Fi and play with your fave photo apps.
Tamaggo’s 360 Camera
What’s Tamaggo with you? We didn’t know what a Tamaggo was either, but we found out it’s something cool!
If you’re obsessed with 360-degree photo apps and the iPhone Panorama Lens, you might develop a thing for this guy.
It’s a 14MP camera dedicated to shooting 360 panoramic views. Bluetooth, interactive photos, a touch-screen and USB charging make it extra neat.
Canon
What’s new? Updated point-and-shoots with fancy software: two new ELPHs and the Powershot G1 X.
- The ELPH 520 and 110 HS
- Sleeping Face Recognition lets you take sneaky photos of sleeping people. It recognizes sleeping faces and automatically turns off the flash and beeping sounds!
- Face ID lets you save 12 faces and will prioritize your favorite mugs when focusing & exposing.
- High-sensitivity sensors that can shoot at ISO 3200 — shooting in low-light will look a lot better than with past models.
- The Powershot G1 X
Fanciest point-and-shoot ever? Yes.
At $800, it’ll cost you a pretty penny, but at least you’ll have a ginormous 14.3MP sensor to photograph that penny. That’s about as big as a DSLR’s sensor!
The other rad thing about this camera is that its lens is f/2.8 to f/16 which means you can get some nice depth of field.
Here’s what’s new about these guys:
NOTE: The puppy was not shot with an ELPH, yet provides adorable illustration for the sleep detection feature. Thanks to Desmorider.
GoPro Gone Wireless
What’s new? The Wi-Fi BacPac and the Remote Control Kit (for the HD Hero2).
We just think the idea of a camera wearing a mini back pack is the cutest thing ever.
Besides that, this little camera add-on lets you wirelessly live-stream your GoPro photo antics via your phone!
This wrist remote is straight out of Miami Vice. Or Knight Rider.
Besides cuffing your wrist with gadgety badassery, it lets you control your GoPro when it’s mounted to not so easy to reach places. Say, on top of your head or in a shark cage, for example.
Oh and BTW, you can control 50 GoPros at once with a single remote.
A maniacal laugh would go really well with all that photo power.
The photo doesn’t do them justice. See some nice shots of the two on the floor.
Fuji’s Interchangeable Lens Camera
What’s new? Lots! Fuji’s updated a few of their camera lines with TEN Finepix cameras we-kid-you-not, all kinds of superzoom cameras, and the X-S1.
We’re most excited about the new X-Pro1.
You might call him the X100‘s just-as-dapper younger brother.
It’s Fuji’s new mirrorless! What makes this one shine is its large 16MP sensor and the fact that it has an interchangeable lens mount (with 3 lens options) — something the X100 and X10 were missing.
Fuji claims its sensor rivals Canon’s 5D Mark II with essentially no noise at ISO 6400. They’re also planning on releasing a Leica M-mount adapter, so you can pair it with ultra-sharp Leica lenses.
And then die happy.
Let’s not forget that retro rangefinder body. Hawt.
UPDATE: Fuji’s released sample photos shot with the X-Pro 1.
Nikon
What’s new? THE D4!!!
Perhaps an audible YEEE projected from behind your monitor upon reading the news of Nikon’s latest DSLR…and no one’s judging you for it because they did it, too.
The D4 is indeed Nikon’s newest, and it’s an awesome beast of camera.
A full-frame 16.2MP sensor and 204,800 ISO means you can capture photos in incredibly dim light. Plus, it’s equipped with a 3D Matrix Meter III, a really long name for its ability to measure light and color very precisely.
It’s going for $6,000, but it’s as good as it gets when it comes to Nikon DSLRs.
BONUS THING TO LOOK AT: Corey Rich traveled to Mexico, California and Utah to shoot this gorgeous film with the D4. We’re green with jelly.
Even more photo gizmos:
- Casio’s 3D photo service will turn your regular ‘ol photos into 3D sculptures! See kitten sample inside.
- Minority Report becomes more of a reality with this 23″ touch screen that links up to your phone.
- Lexar’s made a 256GB CF card, and that’s that.
- Olympus’ updated point-and-shoots come with a “cosmetic toolbox” for in-camera editing.
- Coat your phone in Liquipel, and you can dunk it in water without any damage!
- In case you didn’t catch it earlier, Hello Kitty CES booth.
- Oh, and Myspace co-owner, Justin Timberlake, announced Myspace TV.
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January 09 2012
Turn Your Photos into Beautiful Glass Etchings!
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3
Before printers spewed out photos on paper, photos were printed on glass!
Sure, that sounds like the kind of thing your Uncle Buck would make up, but we’re telling you, it’s totally true.
Just to prove it, here’s a tutorial on how to put your own photos on glass with etching!
It’s a different technique than 19th century photographers used and is as easy as old school iron-on transfers.
The results? They’ll put you on par with the most bad ass of our photo fore-fathers.
Why it’s clearly cool:
Using this technique, you can personalize every glass surface you can think of.
Flat pieces of glass are easy to find and cheap to buy–think craft stores or old frames, but you can get fancy and etch on glass jars and the like.
All you need is your favorite photographs and just a little bit of elbow grease (or etching cream!).
What You’ll Need:
- Resist paper (we used PNP Blue, available in hobby shops and online)
- Glass etching cream
- Rubber gloves
- Safety goggles
- Scissors
- A strip of cardboard or a popsicle stick
- Masking tape
- Clear nailpolish
- A scouring pad
- Glass
- A laser printer or photocopier (inkjet won’t work on resist paper!)
Step 1 – Ditch The Colour
Once you have your photo picked out, desaturate it to black & white. This will make it easier to work with and give you a better idea of how the final etch will turn out.
Step 2 – Stamp it Out!
The stamp filter in Photoshop does an amazing job of preparing a photo for etching. Since small details won’t show up in the final etching, it’s best to remove them now to make it easier to etch.
You can find it under Filter > Sketch > Stamp. Play with the sliders until you get a high contrast between the whites and the blacks. We used a Light/Dark Balance setting of 4 with a Smoothness setting of 5.
Step 3 – Invert!
When you go to etch your glass, the white parts of the image are the parts that will etch, while the black parts will stay clear. In most cases, you’ll want to invert the image to make a negative for the etching process.
You can find the invert function under Image >Adjustments > Invert.
Step 4 – Print it & Cut it Out
Print the image on resist paper like PNP Blue using a laser printer or a photocopy machine. The resist paper will only work with toner. Inkjet printers won’t work.
PNP Blue is a type of resist paper normally used for homebrew circuitboard printing. It makes it easy to transfer toner to other materials like metal or glass to protect those areas from chemical etching creams. You’ll be able to find it in hobby stores and online.
Cut out the image and get ready. Things are about to get hot.
Step 5 – Strike While the Iron is Hot
Your iron needs to be pretty hot, so turn it up over Acrylic – make sure you leave the steam off, though!
While the iron is heating up, position the resist paper on clean glass – any dust or gunk will make a messy looking etch.
Using steady pressure, iron on the paper. It will adhere to the glass while it’s hot. Work out all the bubbles, moving from the centre to the edge and then let the iron sit on the paper for a minute or two. This will transfer the toner from the paper to the glass.
Step 6 – Peel
Once your glass has cooled – and it might take awhile, glass is really good at conducting heat! – carefully peel back the paper.
Step 7 – Touch it Up
Everywhere the toner transferred is going to be protected from the etching cream. If there were any bubbles or areas that didn’t turn black, protect it by taping it up with masking tape.
For smaller, more detailed areas, clear nailpolish works just wonderfully to protect the glass.
Step 8 – Lay it on Thick
Pop on your rubber gloves and safety goggles! Then, in a well-ventilated area (ah, the great outdoors!), apply a thick later of etching cream over the glass.
Follow the directions on the package, but most creams will take between 6 to 7 minutes to work.
Step 9 – Rinse!
Once the cream has been on for a good amount of time, slip the ice under the tap and rinse it squeaky clean!
Step 10 – Scrub!
Once all the cream has been rinsed off, remove the masking tape and clean the toner off the glass with a fabric scouring pad. Stay away from the steel wool type of scouring pad as it will scratch the glass.
Step 11 – Admire It!
Your finished piece is a work of art! To really make it shine, try to find a nice, brightly lit spot for your new artwork.
Think windows and in front of lightfixtures!
Mix it Up With More Ideas:
- Etch your photograph in layers: foreground, mid-ground and background. Etch each part on a separate piece of glass and stack them together for a cool 3D effect.
- Make a window ornament with your fave photo. The sunlight will make it easy to see!
- Make a sweet party chalice by etching a photo onto a mason jar.
- Use the resist paper on what it was really meant for – metal! Just be sure to use etching cream made for metal. The steps are the same otherwise, but you might need a little more elbow grease for Step 10 (and maybe some steel wool).
- Give your framed photos a ghostly halo by etching the print onto the glass and framing it. See our example above!
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January 06 2012
How to Make an Epic Facebook Timeline Cover Photo
It’s a torturous choice–having to pick *just one* photo for your Facebook Timeline cover.
You’ve narrowed it down to 10. It’d be a shame to hurt any of your photos feelings by leaving them out.
We offer up this thought: use all of them.
Pic Scatter turns an album of your photos into a photo collage. It’s just the right size and shape to fit your Timeline cover and will directly upload it for you, too!
Instead of hiding in an album, all of your favorite photos will be front and center right where they belong.
Turn Your Timeline Photo into a Collage with Pic Scatter
More profile inspiration: F-Yeah Facebook Profiles, all about Timeline
p.s. Speaking of Facebook, check out our page and like us!
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January 03 2012
10 Tips to Make Your Phone Photos Amazing;Plus, Our New Phoneography Blog!
Phoneography is the best. No matter where you go, you’ve got a camera.
Not just any camera, but a camera that lets you share your photos in that same instant with all your friends.
We love sharing tips, project ideas, apps & inspiration so much, we decided to start a whole new blog about how much We Love Phoneography!
To celebrate, we gathered our all-time fave phone photo tricks for phoneography amazingness that’ll wow your friends and your Instagram art critics.
10 Tips to Improve Your Phoneography
p.s. We’re throwing a contest today for a chance to win Cell Lenses! Follow our new phoneography Tumblr to see how to enter.
#1: Control Your Exposure
You can do some major change to the mood of a photo by forcing your phone to over or under-expose the scene you’re shooting.
One easy-peasy way to do this with your built-in camera app is to tap the screen in the lightest or darkest area and watch the changes that occur.
Try making three photos: One normally, one by tapping a dark area of your scene, and one by tapping the brightest area. Compare the differences!
(Our friend Joey showed us this tip on his Instagram stream! Thanks Joey!)
#2: Have Fun With Your Phone’s Flash
Your phone’s flash is made to fire right when you snap a photo, which can make the results hard to predict.
Apps like Camera+ (iPhone, 99¢) allow you to leave your flash on continuously while you set up your shot, so the results are perfect every time.
If you’re a fan of the classic toy camera look, you can easily splash some color into your phone’s flash too! Grab some Color Flash Filters and hold them in front of your camera’s flash for a filmy look that’s unpredictable & fun.
#3: Practice Symmetry
Imagine yourself as a designer for the day!
Well composed photographs often follow basic design rules, and patterns sure are pretty!
When you go out photo-shooting, be on the lookout for repeating lines, patterns, and other shapes you can use to turn your photos into art.
If you’re feeling stuck, start by collecting one specific shape; like a triangle!
#4: Pair your photos together in split-frames
Sometimes 2 (or 3, or 4…) is better than one.
Apps like Diptic (iPhone, 99¢), PicFrame (iPhone, 99¢), and WoW Camera (iPhone, free & paid version available) can help you join many photos together just like you would in a real frame!
Combine multiple photos to show action sequences, zoom in on details, and make interesting comparisons!
*For more awesome tips on how you can combine your phone photos, check out the Instagram blog.
#5: Tilt/Shift Like A Pro
Tilt/Shift is a blur effect you can apply to your phone photos that mimics the way 4×5″ film cameras focus selectively. (It has the power to make giant things look miniature, too!)
We like to think of tilt/shift as the seasoning in a recipe for a good photo: (it won’t make a bad photo good, but can ruin a good photo if you use too much.)
With TiltShift Generator, you can control the size and intensity of the blur you add, so you don’t add too much “spice” to the photo recipe at once.
A few other apps with tilt/shift features we like using: Pictureshow (iPhone, $1.99), Camera360 (Android, free & paid versions), and Snapseed (iPhone, $4.99)
#6: Cell Phone Lenses
Cell Phone Lenses are your phone’s best friend!
They’ll help you magically get closer than your eye can see (macro) and fit an entire room into one snap (fisheye.)
Incidentally, to see some of the most awesome photography on the internet, check out the #photojojomacro and #photojojofisheye tags on Instagram.
#7: The Double-Filter Trick
One of our personal favorite secret photo-editing weapons!
Filtering a photo twice can give you unexpected results – kind of like cross-processing film!
In this example, our first filter converted the original downtown photo to black & white.
Next, we ran the photo through several Instagram filters to get these different colors!
(Also try: mixing filters from different apps, adding the same filter twice, collecting light leaks from all your apps, or using ALL the Instagram filters in a row!)
*Hint: If you want to double-filter a photo with Instagram, switch your phone to airplane mode (+ wifi off) before you publish, and your phone will save the photo without adding it to your stream!
#8: HDR Camera Shake
When your phone takes a photo in HDR mode, it’s really taking several photos at once and averaging them all together to make one “perfect” picture.
Since we’re mad photo scientists, naturally we got to work playing with this feature seeing what kinds of art we could make by breaking it.
We found that if we shake the phone while making a photo in HDR mode, the results can end up looking a lot like old-school double exposures!
The same neat effect can also be seen if you use HDR mode to take photos of things moving past you quickly like cars, planes, or even cows (if you have a tripod!)
More things to try: Use HDR to photograph other cars on the road from the passenger seat, make your own phone-friendly version of camera tossing, or make eerie double-exposed ghost images of your friends!
#9: Double (or Triple!) Your Exposures In-App
Another sure-fire way to get pro results that’ll blow your viewers away is to combine multiple photos in one!
Apps like DXP (iPhone, free & paid versions available) and PhotoForge2 (iPhone, $1.99) can help you get the job done quickly & beautifully.
There are many apps that combine images, and you’ll find that they usually have many “blending modes” to choose from (overlay, multiply, soft light, etc…) We think it’s best to experiment while you work!
Keep playing with options until you find something that looks exciting to you, there are no rules in double/triple exposure photography!*whew!*
#10: Anything Can Be A Lens Filter!
One of our fav parts about Phoneography is that you don’t need tons of professional equipment to get amazing results.
While traditional cameras sport large lenses that require specific filters for experimentation, the iPhone’s camera is super tiny, and only requires a filter the size of a pinky!
What does that mean?
It means anything can be your filter!
Press your iPhone lens up against a piece of a plastic soda bottle for a free substitute to a pricey colored gel, try shooting through fabric or lace, tracing paper, 35mm slides, the possibilities are endless!
Want a set of rad lens filters that’ll always be by your side? Check out our Holga iPhone Lens dial!
Even More Tips to Try:
- Are you on Instagram? So are we! Follow our stream for weekly tips on free apps, inspiring quotes, phoneography tips, DIY projects, and more!
- Want a list of the best tried-and-true apps for iPhone? Here’s our guide.
- Android, we love you too! Here’s our guide to the best Android photo apps!
- In love with your new photos? You should be! Use our guide to printing your own Phone photos to make them into magnets, stickers, and more!
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December 29 2011
Sweet Photo Project Ideas for the New Year!
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3
The Holidays are over: all the eggnog has been drunk and the presents opened.
Some of you have already had coffee, grabbed your new camera and are ready for a photo challenge for the coming year.
Or maybe some of you are still in your jammies whilst Instagramming your new Angry Bird slippers.
Well, we’ve got some amazing photo projects to inspire and motivate you all!
From daily year-long endeavors to self-portraits and solargraphs, there’s a project that’ll suit your photo personality.
Photo Projects for a Snappy New Year
1. Photo Ideas for the Self-Portraitist
Are your self-portrait photos a daily habit, scheduled between having coffee & combing your hair? Or are you looking to start the habit? Well, here are some awesome examples of folks who’ve experimented with photographic self-portraiture.
If you’re wondering, “How the heck does he line himself up consistently for every picture?!” it’s cuz he uses a camera that has a flip screen to help him!
For part of his grad project, Tiemen Rapati took clickflashwhirr’s portraits and did some Photoshop layering magic that put all 500 portraits in one!
2. A Photo Project For the Family Guy or Gal
Got a fantastic family who’s pictures you just can’t snap enough?
Take photos of each family member once a year as a unique way to capture your family’s “growth” like photographer Diego Goldberg did in “The Arrow of Time.”
Mr. Goldberg has been taking a picture of his whole family once every June 17th since 1976!
See the full photographic family timeline here.
3. Daily Photo Ideas for the Camera-Shy
Perhaps you’re a photographer whose personality is like that of an eager yet timid woodland squirrel—you’re nuts about photography, but you quickly scurry away to hide whenever anybody tries to snap a pic of you.
Well, here are projects within your natural comfort zone!
- Take Daily Photos of Where You’re Standing: The hashtag for this photo group says it all— #fromwhereistand!
Take a cue from Holly—aka the soupatraveler—and her own set of #fromwhereistand pictures, titled “Good Morning”!
She made the photo-taking work with her daily morning habit, in which she enjoys a cup of coffee in her garden—a consistency that you’ll see in her set!
- Take Daily Photos of Your Favorite Lunch or Hang-out Spot: Have a place you like to lunch at or hang out on a daily or frequent basis?
Take photos of the place or setting over a period of time & seasons, like Paul Octavius did in his “Same Hill, Different Day” series!
This delightful project captures a hill in Chicago in different seasons, hosting a variety of activities, from kite festivals to Ghana soccer players at practice!
4. 365 for the iPhoneographer
Do you tote around an iPhone, or did you just get one for Christmas?
Get Photo365—this app makes it super easy to keep track of your first (or third!) photo 365 project!
The Photo365 app lets you take photos directly from your camera or your camera roll, and you get the option of seeing all your daily pics in a handy monthly view!
5. A DIY Project for the Patient, Film Enthusiast
Are the above photo project ideas just not hands-enough for ya?
Well then, we challenge you with capturing your own solargraph this year!
A solar-whaaaa?
A solargraph is basically the photo that results from a pinhole camera that’s designed for a six-month-long exposure!
Get the deets on how to make one yourself with Ilya’s handy tutorial here!
Solargraph featured was taken in Germany, a collaboration between Robert Fosbury & Tarja Trygg.
Take Your Year Further
- Starting your first 365 photo project and feeling a little iffy on commitment? Get some encouragement & helpful tips from Taylor Knight’s Project 365 post.
- The beautiful & touching photo collage featured above is from Karin Stack’s “Hair Stories,” in which she documents her hair growth following chemo.
- Hey parents! Keep a photographic track of your cute kid’s growth & make a great video from all the photos like JAMagicFilms did with Natalie!
- Check out “A History of the Sky”, a calming year-long time lapse video on the sky!
- Videos not your thing? Make a coffee table book from all of your photos using Blurb or Shutterfly. The Creative Mama has World Photography Day — Ideas & Inspiration to Celebrate All Things Photo Do you remember the first time you held a camera?...
December 26 2011
How to Take Care of Your New Camera (And Play with It, Too!)
You’ve been good all year, and Santa recognized your dedication with a brand new camera!
We thought we’d help with some practical tips about taking care of your new baby.
Everything from how to clean your lens, what filters are what and what to do with the photos after you’ve played with your camera plenty.
It’s okay if Santa forgot to include a care guide. We got you covered.
Get Started With Your New Camera!
Protect Your Lens and Enhance Photos with Filters:
Your camera’s lens is fragile, vulnerable to scratches, dings, or cracks. You can give it a fighting chance with a plain UV filter.
If you happen to drop your lens, the filter will break first in most cases, saving you an expensive repair bill. The filters don’t have to be boring old glass though – there are lots of different types out there to play with! Here’s a short guide to filters:
Polarizing filter: If you do a lot of outdoor photography, a polarizing filter will help reduce glare and increase colour saturation. This means deep blue skies and lush trees!
Neutral density filter: If you’ve ever wanted to take a photo where water looks misty and smooth, a neutral density filter might be for you. This nifty filter lets you decrease your shutter speed much lower than the ambient light levels will normally allow.
Colour filters: There are a whole host of colour filters available on the market – every single colour of the rainbow. These can be use to warm up or cool down your images. You might want to try our handy keychain filters.
Make the Most of Your Shutter With a Tripod
Your new camera probably has a wide range of shutter speeds. While handshake on a quick shutter speed isn’t a problem, those low-light situations won’t let you get away with a single twitch. Blurry photos just won’t do!
Save yourself from this frustration by investing in a good tripod. When looking for a tripod, keep in mind the weight of the camera with the heaviest lens you own on it. A flimsy tripod won’t do you or your camera any good.
If a tripod isn’t in the budget at the moment, you can get away with some MacGyver-style tricks. Use tables or flat rocks to hold your camera and prop up the lens with a pair of socks, gloves, or anything else that fits well. Then, set your camera to open the delayed shutter release. This will prevent camera shake and keep the photo crisp.
Things to try with your new tripod:
Keep the Ins and Outs Clean and Spot-Free
You’re pretty adventurous with your photography, so your camera is bound to get dirty from time to time. Keep it clean with some simple tools and a little knowhow.
Keeping the lens clean is easy:
- Spray some lens cleaner onto a microfiber cloth. (It’s not a good idea to spray the camera directly!)
- Rub the cloth on the lens lightly to pick up the dirt.
- Turn the cloth over and buff the lens dry.
If you’re noticing little spots showing up on your photos (you’ll see them best on bright, solid colour backgrounds), then you might have dust on your sensor.
Cleaning a camera sensor can be tricky work, but luckily for you, we have a handy guide on how to do it efficiently and without damaging the sensor. Check it out here!
Turn Your Favourite Bag Into a Camera Bag
Your camera isn’t going to spend all its time inside your house, so protect it when you take it out for an adventure.
Depending on where you travel to, sometimes it’s not always the best idea to advertise that you’re carrying a camera. Brand-name camera bags can do just that.
If you have an old camera bag around, the liners usually lift out pretty easily. Then its simply a matter of sewing up the sides and sliding the insert into your favourite bag.
If you’re not into making your own bag or don’t have the materials to do so, check out our Any Bag Camera Insert. It’s inexpensive and makes it easy to repurpose any bag into a fashionable and discrete camera bag.
Turn Digital to Analogue by Printing Your Photos
It’s the digital age and most photographers are busily snapping away hundreds (or thousands!) of photos and posting them online or e-mailing them.
Your new camera will probably have you doing something similar! It’s important not to forget to print out your photos once in awhile.
Here are some ideas of what to do with your prints:
- Make a Wall of Achievement: You have photographs from trips, epic weekends, and that time you met your favourite celebrity. Dedicate a wall in your home with a framed display of all the cool things you’ve done so far in life. Mix and match frame styles for visual interest!
- Make a Journal: With the new year approaching, you might need a new journal to keep track of your ideas and memories. Try our tutorial!
- Make an Album: Instead of filling your coffee table with magazines and remote controls, put together a flip book of your photos for friends and family to look through.
- Stay Organized with a Photo Calendar: Last year, we showed you how to make a handy and beautiful photo calendar to keep your life organized. If your didn’t try it out last year, give it a shot for 2012!
Taking Your Photography to the Next Level
The world is full of moments for you to capture with your new camera. If you’re strapped for ideas though, Photojojo is always here for you! Be sure to check out our DIY and Tumblr is always full of inspiration from amazing photographers, too!
- Read your manual! Every camera has its own special talents. Find out what yours can do!
- Spend some time on photo sharing sites like Flickr and 500px. Communities there are pretty helpful and there are plenty of inspiring images!
- Make sure you bond with your camera – take it with you when you leave the house! You can’t take the photo if you don’t have your camera!
- Organize photo adventures with your fellow photo-loving friends! Day trip to national parks, the next town over, anywhere!
Related posts:
- Play Nicely With Others: Games to Play With Your Camera A recent major university double-blind study has concluded...
- Photo Toys: Don’t Play with Your Food, Play with Your Photos Hurly proved an important point in Episode 9 when he...
December 22 2011
How to Make Gingerbread Cameras
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3
Ansel Adams once said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it”. Well this year, we’re making the cameras.
Forget about gingerbread men, women, and houses. Our pals Doug and Jenny got into the holiday spirit by making gingerbread cameras!
They showed us just how they did it, so you can make one at home, too.
Make a TLR, rangefinder or a Hasselblad. You can have any camera on your wish list!
Why it’s cool:
There’s no question that we love our cameras. But a camera that tastes as good as it looks? What could be better?
Gingerbread cameras are not only delicious and super fun to construct, but they also make the perfect, mouth-watering centerpiece for your holiday meal.
These cameras will make your guests f/stop in their tracks.
What you’ll need:
- Gingerbread Dough and Icing (see below)
- Cookie Sheets
- Oven
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment/ Wax Paper
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Electric Mixer (optional)
- Toothpicks
- 2 large eggs
- 3¾ cups flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 large egg whites
Dough:
Icing:
Step 1 – Make the Gingerbread Dough:
Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the sugar and butter until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and molasses and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine with a spoon or spatula.
Separate the dough into two even pieces and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
(Great gingerbread recipe found here)
Step 2 – Roll out the dough:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the cookie sheets with wax paper.
On a floured surface, roll out half the dough to about ¼” thick. This part will be used for the sides and body of the camera. Roll the other half of the dough a bit thinner for the detail pieces, about 1/8 of an inch.
TIP: Roll your dough in between sheets of wax paper to keep it from sticking to your surface and rolling pin.
Step 3 – Cut out the shapes:
Use a knife, or circle and rectangle cookie cutters, to cut out the shapes you need. Use a spatula to transfer your shapes to the prepared cookie sheets. You can re-roll the scraps.
Use the printable template (above) for a twin lens reflex camera.
TIP: Before buying cookie cutters, see what shapes you have laying around your kitchen. We pressed the tops of drinking glasses into the dough for a nice circle outline.
Step 4 – Bake and cool:
Pop your shapes into the oven at 350 degrees for around 10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown.
Let them cool completely before building your camera.
Step 5 – Make the icing:
While the gingerbread is baking and cooling, make some hard-core icing that is sure to glue your gingerbread pieces together. You don’t want that camera collapsing after all your hard work! Here’s how:
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until very foamy, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat until well blended. Add remaining cups sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until well blended after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat icing at high speed until very thick and stiff, about 5 minutes.
Step 6 – Trim the edges:
While your pieces are still a bit warm, trim the sides with a sharp knife for nice straight edges that are easy to line up.
Step 7 – Assemble:
Start with the body of the camera. Construct the sides together using plenty of that thick icing. Once you have the body, go ahead and add the top shapes.
Step 8 – Details:
Glue on the lenses and film advance wheels.
TIP: Plenty of icing on the back of the piece holds it on tight. It also creates a nice white circle of icing when pressed onto the main body.
Step 9 – Fine Print:
Decorate your gingerbread camera with all the little details that make it awesome. Give it a brand name and a border, or polka dots if you want!
TIP: Spoon the icing into a re-sealable sandwich baggie. Cut a tiny corner off and squeeze the icing through for a more refined look. Use toothpicks to fine-tune the smallest areas.
Step 10 – Enjoy!
You did it! Now put that bad boy on display for everyone to see!
Take it further:
- Want more cameras you can eat? Check out these cookie cutters (above) and make ice-cream sandwich cameras!
- Make a collection of rad gingerbread cameras. Study your favorite camera and break it down to its most essential geometric shapes. Make a template for the shapes you need to cut out and bake. Photograph your camera and its sweeter counterpart together.
- Feeling extra festive? Make a gingerbread polaroid camera and prints. Draw your favorite photos with colored icing.
Related posts:
- Photo Cupcakes: Have your face and eat it too! Just when you thought cakes and cupcakes couldn’t get any...
- Make Yourself a Camera Out of Paper, Mint Tins, or Spam — Pinhole Cameras A couple weeks ago, all the camera makers gathered in...
- Make Time-Lapses & Tilt-Shift Photos with These 2 New Cameras Time-lapses and tilt-shifts are like the Iron Man of photography....
December 21 2011
December 20 2011
DIY Photo Wrapping Paper — Wrap Gifts in Your Very Own Photos!
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3
Free shipping on orders over $100!
Super Cool Cameras That Ship Free:
- Time-Lapse Camera
- Classic Mini Digital Camera
- Tilt Shift Digital Camera
- Fuji Instax Instant Camera
- Double Exposure Digi Cam
Reindeer and Santa Claus wrapping paper = snoozefest!
Switch things up this year with your very own DIY photographic wrapping paper.
It’s a gift in and of itself — especially if it’s got your beautiful mug on it.
Your friends and family will def want to save your crafty wrapping. Maybe they’ll even regift it!
p.s. The Photojojo Store is still shipping for Christmas! Orders placed today over $100 get free UPS 2-day delivery just in time for Santa. So come on over!
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© Margo for Photojojo, 2011. |
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December 15 2011
DIY: Make E-Z Photo Ornament Greeting Cards
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3*NEW Phoneography Goodies!*
- Holga iPhone lens (new) 9 super fun efx filters & prisms on a hand dial.
- iPhone Carabiner Clip (new) Keep your phone always ready w/ this clip.
- Dot iPhone Panorama Lens (new) Get 360 panoramic video (schmancy!).
- The Glif (back in stock) Stand & tripod mount for your iPhone 4.
- Jelly Lens Filters (back in stock) Fun affordable sticky lenses for any phone.
Store-bought holiday cards will be shaking in their envelopes.
We’ve got a DIY recipe for turning your photos into holiday cards that double as ornaments.
That’s right. Your photos won’t just deliver your written warm wishes and witticisms, but they’ll decorate trees (and doorknobs and rear view mirrors), too!
Bust out your camera ’cause this is the year your photos pull double holiday duty!
Make Photo Ornament Greeting Cards
p.s. The last day for FREE Priority Shipping in the Photojojo Shop is tomorrow. Hop to it!
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December 12 2011
Photojojo’s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide — Part 3!
Soon you’ll be launched into a food-nomming, photo-snapping, gift-searching frenzy.
Here to help: our roundup of delectable photo goodies. Wipe that drool off your mouth and dig into Photojojo’s Very Last Gift Guide!
Don’t forget, free priority shipping on orders over $50.
p.s. Not sure what to get the photog fanatic in your family? Check out our first ever Photojojo Present Picker!
For Christmas delivery, order by Fri Dec 16 by Priority Mail (FREE) or UPS Ground, Wed Dec 21 by UPS 2-Day*, and Thurs Dec 22 by UPS Next Day*. *Order by 1pm CST.
SX-70 Polaroid Camera
FREE SHIPPING! Fully functional, lovingly restored Polaroid cameras will have you shooting instant photos just like the good old days.
These refurbished originals are a limited edition (only 100!), so don’t let them slip away into photo history without you!
SX-70 Polaroid Camera
$350-$400 at the Photojojo Store
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FREE SHIPPING! It looks like Super 8, it feels like Super 8, but it’s 35mm film made into movies!
Load your finished movie in the included movie viewer, and hand crank it to watch your masterpiece old-school style.
The Lomokino
$99 at the Photojojo Store
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iPhone Carabiner ClipNo more phone fishing!
This Carabiner lets you securely attach your iPhone (aka your favorite camera) to your belt loop or camera bag so it’s always ready to shoot.
iPhone Carabiner Clip
$30 at the Photojojo Store
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Click Click Camera Print
Each of these camera-loving posters is printed by hand on a vintage letterpress.
Hang one in your office, studio or bedroom. You’ll be inspired to go outside and “click!”
Click Click Camera Print
$35 at the Photojojo Store
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The Folding Tripod
Here’s a tripod that folds up small enough to fit in your bag!
When you’re ready to use it, just shake it, and the jointed legs spring into shape in seconds.
The Folding Tripod
$49 at the Photojojo Store
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FREE SHIPPING! A refined take on photo love.
This aperture ring bracelet will grace your wrist with sterling silver precisely engraved with f-stops from f/2.8 to f/22.
Sterling Lens Wrist Cuff
$190 at the Photojojo Store
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Cloak Camera Bag
FREE SHIPPING! After using this shoot-through camera bag, you’ll never go back.
Why? Because you don’t have to take your camera out to use it!
It protects your camera from bumps, rain and potential thieves while keeping your lens always ready to shoot.
Cloak Camera Bag
$69 at the Photojojo Store
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FREE SHIPPING! This iPhone lens shoots 360 degrees of footage using the magic of mirrors!
The result is an interactive video that lets you capture more in one frame than you’ve ever been able to before.
Dot iPhone Panorama Lens
$79 at the Photojojo Store
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Related posts:
- Photojojo’s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2!
- Photojojo’s Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Part 1!
- Photojojo’s Extra-Jolly Holiday Gift Guide — What to Buy and Why in 2007
© Jenny Newman for Photojojo, 2011. |
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December 08 2011
How to Make Film Canister Holiday Lights!
Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3
Free shipping on orders over $50!
New in the Photojojo Shop:
- Camera Mobile Detailed handmade mobile w/ 5 vintage camera designs.
- Camera Tote & Pouch
Colorfully illustrated and made from recycled material. - Lens Pillow *Super* Ltd. Edition Canon & Nikon lens replicas.
- Shot Glass Lens Set Mini ceramic glasses that look just like your lens.
Ever wonder what to do with all those plastic 35mm film canisters after the rolls of film have been developed?
We’ve always thought these plastic containers were bound to be re-used for something wondrous.
Well, the crafty Sarah MacFarlane had the bright idea of reusing clear film canisters to dress up some colorful Holiday lights!
Hang your lights in a window, on a banister or on a wreath. It’s like a photo-love shout out to all the other photo kids on your block!
Bonus: They’d make a delightful gift for yourself or a lucky photographer friend!
Turn Film Canisters into Lights
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© Elizabeth for Photojojo, 2011. |
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December 05 2011
Photojojo’s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2!
Remember that sleep deprived, sugar high, OMG-it’s-almost-the-Holidays excitement that you felt as a kid?
Well, get ready to feel it again! Presenting: The Photojojo Gifty Guide #2!
Chock full of your Holiday dreams come true including free shipping on orders over $50!
For Christmas delivery, order by Fri Dec 9 by First Class, Fri Dec 16 by Priority Mail or UPS Ground, Wed Dec 21 by Express Mail or UPS 2-Day*, and Thurs Dec 22 by UPS Next Day*. *Order by 1pm CST.
Telephoto Lens Adapter
FREE SHIPPING! Thread this sharp-shooting glass onto your existing SLR lens for crisp photos with a 2X closer view!
All at 1/5 the cost of buying a new 300mm Canon L-lens!
Telephoto Lens Adapter
$50-$55 at the Photojojo Store
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Here to revamp the Holiday cookie party: The Camera Cookie Cutter Set!
3 cookie cutters (SLR, rangefinder, and twin reflex) will have you ready for some sweet camera style culinary art.
Camera Cookie Cutter Set
$18 at the Photojojo Store
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The Pocket PodFor those times when carrying a tripod is too much of a hassle (or not allowed), the Pocket Pod is here for you.
It steadies your shots using a simple tension system, and you can keep it in your pocket! (Ever tried to do that with your tripod?)
The Pocket Pod
$24 at the Photojojo Store
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Shot Glass Lens Set
These shot glasses in “Canon” or “Nikon” (new!!) bring camera love to your kitchen, bar or anywhere else you need a swig!
All the details of your favorite lens, just smaller.
Shot Glass Lens Set
$18 at the Photojojo Store
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The Lens Pillow
FREE SHIPPING! A camera lens that you can actually hug!
This awesomely detailed Lens Pillow is hand made to give you some real photo geek pride.
Make sure to nab yours today since this is a limited edition of 100!
The Lens Pillow
$59 at the Photojojo Store
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Get awe-inspiring cell phone pics from a macro lens that works with any cell phone!
The lens is built into a band that slides quickly over your phone for on-the-go shooting.
The Macro Cell Lens Band
$15 at the Photojojo Store
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Camera Table Dolly
FREE SHIPPING! Mount your camera to this dolly for smooth pro-level movie panning at any angle.
With an adjustable arm, it opens up about a zillion new ways to experiment with your shooting!
Camera Table Dolly
$90 at the Photojojo Store
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Related posts:
- Photojojo’s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide — Part 3!
- Photojojo’s Holiday Gift Guide 2011, Part 1!
- Photojojo’s Gift Guide 2010, Part 1!
© Jenny Newman for Photojojo, 2011. |
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