Who says cameras have to be all black and boring? Ditch the everyone-has-the-same-camera-as-me feeling, and upgrade yours with a cheery strap that will definitely stand out. Here, we bring you springtime straps with a little something special that'll showcase some personality and style while you snap those amazing pics on your trusty DSLR.
Charge up the battery, because there are few better occasions to dust off your good camera than Mother's Day. Whether it's Mama's first time or she's a veteran, there are plenty of photos to be taken on Sunday. From classic pictures like Mom and kids to more modern ideas like Mom engaging in her favorite hobby, we've rounded up our must-take moments to capture! Click through, and get ready to play photographer for the day!
Tangled galaxies, crimson-colored vortices, and magnificent celestial orbs are all in a day's work for the various probes, telescopes, and observatories of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory — or JPL for short. The home of the Mars Curiosity rover and Explorer 1, America's first satellite, sends out all sorts of robotic craft beyond the Earth's atmosphere to discover what lies in the nooks and crannies of the Milky Way.
These space-faring robots are relentlessly capturing, recording, and beaming back to Earth images and sounds of their journeys through the universe. In what follows, discover the seven space phenomena that left us completely mesmerized — including a stellar nursery and a massive black hole that could engulf our entire sun!
The latest project that has the photography world abuzz is called "Around the World in Nine Days." Put on by Tiny Collective and The Impossible Project, the roaming show will feature street snaps from around the world. Here's how it works: the project will take place in nine global cities — including New York, San Francisco, Istanbul, and Paris — across nine days from June 20-28. At that time, the pictures (shot on iPhone only) from 10 different street photographers will be live printed on site and hung. It's an instant exhibit.
Until the photographs go live, you can check out the video series that profiles each of the 10 Tiny Collective photographers and click through our slides with some of their stunning street shots. You'll also want to follow them on Instagram, where they post their snaps on the daily, ASAP. Happy clicking!
Baby's here — now capture all the details of the day before you forget them! Though a delivering mama doesn't need another thing to worry about, ensuring that her lil one's arrival is photographed is often at the top on her list. I asked mom and photographer Jennifer Little, founder of Fort Collins, CO-based Sugar Photography (no relation), to provide us with her best hospital photography tips. She said:
"My husband, Ryan, was able to capture these special moments for us, but he warns of the challenge, 'Playing the role of photographer, husband, father, and in some cases, new father can present huge challenges while trying to capture lasting images of some of the most important moments of your life. Understand that while your emotions will be up and down like a roller coaster, you can still capture those precious moments. In my case, there were times I couldn't even see through the viewfinder due to the swelling of tears, but in between all of the excitement and chaos, you can click away. It is important that the photos not necessarily be perfect, but that they capture your viewpoint of seeing your baby for the first time.' If you are able to hire a professional, do so, because the two of you will be able to [better] focus on your new arrival."
Keep reading for her 10 must-take photo ops in the hospital.
All about the photo filters, but craving some new tricks? These cool vintage camera apps can help you create fun, retro snaps with an old-school vibe without always defaulting to Valencia. From unique effects to mix-and-match lens and film combinations, you'll have access to hundreds of photo possibilities. To step up your smartphone snaps, check out these eight vintage camera app options.
Light painting, the night photography technique where streaks of light and color somehow move through a still picture, results in the coolest photographs on the web, and it doesn't take years of professional experience to master. On a recent photography excursion with Sony, I light painted with the company's camera experts and learned it's nowhere near as intimidating as first thought — plus, it offers the excuse for fun nighttime Spring/Summer practice sessions! Learn to create messages, drawings, or whatever inspiration may strike with these five steps to light painting like a pro.
The following suggestions are best used when light painting with multiple people: one (or several) to control the light sources and another to work the camera. Use a shutter remote to control the camera if working as a one-woman photography unit.
Get to camera and shutter specifics after the jump.
You may have noticed a common denominator in the chic nurseries (or grown-up spaces!) you've pinned lately: chances are, they're related to animal photographer Sharon Montrose.
A darling among design bloggers, she takes a strikingly modern approach to capturing her subjects — which range from farm inhabitants to exotic species — for her wildly popular Animal Print Shop series. She's a relatively private person, so we were delighted to peel back the layers during a long chat. Aside from talking animal shop, we discovered other intriguing traits, like her self-described crass sense of humor, Angeleno drawl, and something that could be dubbed as a sixth sense. Keep reading to catch up on the conversation!
Photos are arguably the most important part of your wedding — you can't pull out the wedding cake to relive the big day, right? Getting the best snaps comes down to having a top-notch photographer. But that's not all: you have to be comfortable with the person and their shooting style to be truly happy with the end result. One way to make that happen? Sitting down with them to chat about all your preferences and concerns. Here are a few questions to get you started so you walk down the aisle with your mind at ease that you're in good hands.
Keep reading for planning for a photographer emergency and day-of extras.
You can bet your wedding will have people Instagramming photos all night long. And thanks to some genius inventions, you can turn those shots into printed keepsakes. With a few of the services we've rounded up, all attendees have to do is tag their pictures with the hashtag of choice, and voilà — they're printed on the spot. And there you have it: snaps in a snap that your guests can take home as wedding souvenirs.
Insta Party Box
With a name like Insta Party Box, you know it's a guaranteed good time. Here's how it works: when your guests tag their Instagram photos with the hashtag, the small square white box finds those photos and instantly prints them out. It costs $200 per hour, which includes full custom graphics for the event, unlimited prints, and an on-site attendant. Another bonus is the option to have a book of all of the images printed after the event.
Instaprint
The idea behind Instaprint is similar to the one behind the Party Box, but here you get four sleek Instaprint boxes to put up around the event. Each box is associated with a certain location or hashtag, so tagged photos will automatically print. The company calls it a photo booth and Polaroid camera all rolled into one, and we can see why. Prices start at $5,000 for half a day.
Instaboothless
Consider Instaboothless (an on-site feature from Photoboothless) a photo booth system powered by Instagram. Like the other services, it prints out Instagram photos taken by guests after they tag them with a specific hashtag. Prices start at $650, and the prints also come with room for personalized messages and graphics.
BYO Booth
Besides having a clever name, BYO Booth promises printed memories for those who don't want to pay more for the printer. It collects photos from a hashtag on both Instagram and Twitter; guests without either account can email in their snaps. The photos then stream into a slide show that can be displayed for all to see on a monitor, but the only way to print them is if you set up your own printer. It also features a customized logo and print template and gathers all the pictures into a shared folder for all to see. The basic version of the service costs $200, and the most advanced one comes in at $400.
