Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Update: Oldest & most expensive camera of all time...

Original Daguerreotype
SOLD
$792,000

VIENNA (AFP) - An 1839 daguerreotype camera, ancestor of modern photography, was sold at auction in Vienna Saturday for nearly 600,000 euros making it the world's oldest and most expensive commercial photographic apparatus.

An anonymous buyer paid 588,613 euros (792,000 dollars), bidding by Internet, said the Westlicht auction house.

Yahoo News Storry...

Original Post:
Oldest & most expensive camera of all time


Look out Barbie...


Super Airbrush Post-Processing Tutorial

Dan Chips aka: Munzo at POTN Forums has put together a fine tutorial on airbrushing portraits in Photoshop. It is easy to follow and reproduce and has become one of the most popular tutorials to come out of the POTN website.

"Hello everyone! I thought I would put this tutorial together, as it seems every time I post an image that I have processed in this way, everyone wants to know how I did it. Rather than explain every time, I thought I would give something back to the community and submit my own tutorial. I hope some of you out there find it useful." Dan Chips.

You can find the original posting here, along with 30+ pages of ongoing discussion about refinements and modifications to the original technique Dan offered. Well worth the read.
Mizuno's Super Airbrush PP Tutorial!

Also fellow POTN member David Pastern has compiled a PDF for easy reference or printing.
http://david.dia.net.au/potn/mizuno.pdf

Comics for Photographers



What The Duck

by Aaron Johnson

What the Duck is an online comic strip. Viewers are welcome to link, post, copy/paste, or save the strips to their own sites, blogs, forums, newsletters, etc.

Begun as a simple blog "What The Duck" has grown into a regular comic strip. Writer Aaron Johnson mainly tells the tales of a photographer duck as he experiences many of the same trials and frustrations as real photographers.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Photoshop Tube Part Deux


Nice work if you can get it

We forgot to mention that in addition to the vast post processing videos available on YouTube there is also something for the Photographer.

The most popular seem to involve swimsuit models, go figure. Sure you could learn something, but why risk it!

Enjoy



Add Video to QuickList
Petra Nemcova

Add Video to QuickList
小泉麻耶 Maya Koizumi Young Gangan Magazine

Add Video to QuickList
Part 2 of Swimsuit Secrets ADRIANA LIMA shooting victorias

These are behind the scenes stock footage of various videos end-runs of this sexy swimsuit girl model's various photo shoots.

Monday, May 14, 2007

PhotoShop Tube


Photoshop on YouTube, Fun and Educational too!

YouTube is a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view, and share video clips. The wide variety of site content includes movie and TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging and short original videos.

Although YouTube is most often associated with entertainment it has a vast collection of educational content as well. Photoshop is well represented with a wide variety of educational and entertaining videos available.

You can visit the YouTube homepage to search by key-word, or view some favorites I have listed below.

Don't miss these gems...

Dove Soap's "Evolution Makeup & Photoshop"
Watch a team of studio photographers and photoshop artists transform an ordinary girl into a supermodel!

Makeover of a big lady. Just to show the power of Photoshop.

A photographer and designer shows the photo retouching process in detail.

Some of my works, before and after. Shows the effect after Tone Mapping.

HDR in Adobe photoshop

Curves :: Photoshop Tutorial Learn the Basics of Curves!
Learn the basics of curves in no time!

Original Daguerreotype for Sale


The first camera ever sold
1839 "Daguerreotype" by the Paris manufacturer Susse Frères


Oldest & most expensive camera of all time.
Up for auction on May 26th 2007, in Vienna, Austria. Certainly the most spectacular lot of the coming auction is a "Daguerreotype" by the Paris manufacturer Susse Frères. This very recently discovered camera throws new light on the history of photography: the attic find that is up for auction proved to be an example of a camera from September of 1839. up till now it had been thought to be a myth. In the meantime numerous experts attest it very likely might be the oldest commercially-produced camera in the world.

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (18 November 1787 – 10 July 1851) was the French artist and chemist who is recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of photography.

The Daguerreotype was the first successful photographic process, the discovery being announced on 7 January 1839. The process consisted of:
- Exposing copper plates to iodine, the fumes forming light-sensitive silver iodide. The plate would have to be used within an hour.
- Exposing to light - between 10 and 20 minutes, depending upon the light available.
- Developing the plate over mercury heated to 75 degrees Centigrade. This caused the mercury to amalgamate with the silver.
- Fixing the image in a warm solution of common salt (later sodium sulphite was used.
- Rinsing the plate in hot distilled water.

A site dedicated exclusively to Daguerre is http://www.daguerre.org
Interestingly enough, there are enthusiasts who still produce dagerreotypes. See here.

The origins of commercial photography, previously no camera by this manufacturer was known to even exist!

Up till the present "The Daguerreotype" produced (also in 1839) by Daguerre’ s brother-in-law, Giroux had been regarded as the origins of commercial photography. There are around ten of these in existence in various large museums. But even earlier, on the 5th September 1839, a small Susse Frères advertisement appeared in the French newspaper “La Quotidienne” though except for a few instructions (e.g. in the George Eastman House in Rochester) no camera by this manufacturer was known to exist. This world sensation is now being exhibited in WestLicht and bids will be invited at the commencement of the 11th Photographica Auction on May 26, 2007 at the symbolic starting price of 100,000 Euros. Experts assume that during the course of the auction it will become not only the oldest but the most expensive camera of all time. The camera with the original lens by Chevallier is in wonderful original condition and has never been restored or modified.


UPDATE:

Original Daguerreotype
SOLD
$792,000

Friday, May 11, 2007

Free Lens Hoods...





Printable PDF documents to make your own lens hoods, Calculate your own hood in the field! & Plastic Bottle hoods too!

Lets face it many of us go without lens hoods when in fact they are one of the most important ways we can go about improving our photographs. The purpose of a lens hood is to prevent flare, which can seriously degrade the image quality of photographic lenses. This being said it is often the case that we do not get a lens hood when we purchase the lens, or often in my particular case, the size of the lens hood means it often gets left at home rather than on the camera.

Cut along the dotted line...

The folks at www.lenshoods.co.uk have completly and utterly obliterated any more lame excuses why the rest of us don't use a lens hood. First off they offer them for free! You hear that Canon & Nikon, and anyone else who charges upwards of $100 for a piece of round plastic. Second they are made from paper so size is no longer an issue, they will simply fold right up. These guys provide hoods in Adobe PDF files for most major manufactures (Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax) and third party lens companies (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina) too. They also provide a service that lets you design your own. These guys even go farther than your manafactur often does, and offer conventional round hoods as well as tulip petal-shaped lens hoods with curved cutout notches. This tulip petal design maximizes the amount of hood coverage for the minimum amount of weight and hood area. Tulip-shaped hoods cannot be used on lenses with rotating ends though, because perfect hoods must be aligned to the sensor frame dimensions.

RegularJen blogged about how she was able to use the PDF lenshoods as templates to cut ones from black art foam: lens hoods on the cheap with bonus conversation.

Don't forget to Recycle...

Another great source for lens hoods is found in every day items around the house, namely plastic bottles.

About all it takes is some time and care and careful, slow going to cut the material appropriately and such that it fits properly. In this instance, the 40.5mm diameter of a typical Russky normal lens did not translate out perfectly to the diameter of the plastic bottle, and thus it was necessary to make the cut such that its slightly concave (as seen in the accompanying photo).


When fitted onto the lens, the plastic flexes slightly and exerts a bit more holding pressure than would naturally occur in a straightforward ‘press on’ fitting.


The now finished hood is painted a flat or matte black, and the job is complete. I consider this the “perfect” lens hood for one main reason: it didn’t cost anything but the few minutes work it took to make it.


To really finish it off you could use your PDF printout of a tulip petal-shaped hood to trim the front of the plastic bottle hood.

You do the math...

Finally thanks to The Great Pyramids, Igor Yefremov, and a little mat
h, we can now easily make our own lens hoods from scratch, on the go and in the field. Read his article How to make a simple lens hood, Recalling ancient pyramids.

One of the most important ways we can go about improving our photographs...

So still not convinced a lens hood is the thing for you? Then you must read Lens Hoods, over at vanwalree.com. It is an expert text on lens flare and the effects of different style hoods to combat it. It is simple to read and has lots of good visuals, don't miss it.

If you are still in the mood for some photographic arts and crafts try these:

The Domokon Cardboard SLR
&
The Dirkon Paper Camera

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Prototype Polaroid pack film camera



Polaroid Land Experimental model 002

I was wondering if any Photography Resource Weblog readers could provide the history behind one of my Polaroid cameras. It appears very similar to a model 104 but has a dark grey face and is labeled "Polaroid Land Experimental model 002"

It belonged to my late uncle Kennith Halliday, who was the long time head chemist for Bendix Corp. in New York. It would not be at all surprising if he had known or worked with Edwin Land.

I wrote to Polaroid Corp. and they could find no information on the camera. Sue Gagnon at Polaroid wrote me back. "Wow!!! What a picture. It does look like an early pack film camera. It appears to be a prototype. I have no details about anything with that name. You have a one of a kind. Call me if you need to know how to find out if it works. We could figure that out."

The Land List: An Ongoing Project in Cataloging Polaroid Cameras, www.landlist.org has been helpful and posted my information here: Polaroid pack film camera model 104

With any luck someday soon I will discover the history behind this unique camera.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

A 50 year old Digital Camera

Legendary - Leica M


For those of us fortunate enough to own or use a Leica M camera there is very little doubt as to why these cameras carry a legendary status or command such a premium price.

For those who haven't yet used a Leica M, it can be hard to understand the passion and devotion that these cameras evoke within their owners. The 3-digit price tag of the bodies and lenses has also added to cloak the Leica M in mystery and awe, keeping the cameras in the hands of only the most dedicated photographers.

The Best lenses...

Ultimately, it is the lenses that are chiefly responsible for establishing the legend and high ideals of the Leica brand. They are all precision crafted masterpieces - practical, compact, ergonomic, cutting-edge lenses for ultimate in analog and digital photography. Their outstanding optical performance makes observing and capturing meaningful moments easy. Pictures taken with Leica lenses not only highlight the quality of their major aspects such as contrast, resolution and beautiful pictorial rendition but also demonstrate the capabilities of Leica products with regard to design, performance, and the ability to capture natural expression.

Few things last a lifetime, A Leica M lasts longer...

Heat or cold, rain or dust - The Leica M is not put off by adverse conditions when in search of the perfect picture. The M needs to be hard-wearing, reliable and robust enough to survive the toughest situations. The designers of an M camera always give durability top priority. That's why only the best materials are used for the camera housing: brass for the cap and base and a highly stable metal alloy for the body. The digital components are carefully selected, too, to make sure they stand the test of practical wear and tear. Meticulous manufacture and careful assembly guarantee decades of reliable functioning to give the photographer as many years of enjoyment with his Leica M as possible. And that means a lifetime. And often longer.

As a result of this SuperEngineering older Leica M cameras are still widely available. The Leica M3 was released over 50 years ago yet is still widely found in use today.

For most of us the Leica M will remain out of reach, especially with the digital Leica M8 commanding a $4000 price tag. For those lucky enough to obtain a Leica M of any vintage, will come a greater appreciation of our craft, and a firm understanding of why the Leica M has earned its legendary status.

Even if you don't get the chance to pick up a Leica M, do pick up these :

Leica M - System Brochure
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_1243.pdf

Leica M Lenses - Their Soul and Secrets
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_119.pdf

Leica M System - Screen saver
-PC
-MAC

Chimpin' Ain't Easy...


Oooh, oooh, Ahh, ahhh
Gotta love digital!

Chimping: when a photographer’s sounds and actions of reviewing frames on-scene appear similar to the actions of an excited monkey. (Oooh! Oooh! Aaah!)

Check out the SportsShooter.com quicktime video
Chimping EXPOSED!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Another shot in the ever raging Canon Vs. Nikon battle...



Canon vs. Nikon

A humorous perspective from thatsmymonkey.com

Part of the That's My Monkey conversation series. Your opportunity to sit in on a casual conversation between two photographers (and brothers) as they share thoughts from their sometimes very different perspectives. Bruce Snell is a wedding and portrait photographer — his brother, Michael, is a travel and landscape photographer.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

WallpaperGrage - Automotive Photography


Master Automotive Photographer
Easton Chang

has built WallpaperGarage.com to distribute his work free in the form of wallpapers and calendars to the fans who have been asking

At WallpaperGarage.com you will find free and exclusive car wallpapers by Easton Chang and other car photographers. The site is aimed at being updated monthly, and a calendar is provided for each new month.

According to Easton Chang,"WallpaperGarage.com was created to offer wallpapers to the internet community. One of the most common questions we are asked is whether we have our images available in wallpaper format. And here they are! We are updating the website roughly once a month, and considering the prospect of creating a new section with 1920x1200 resolution versions of the wallpapers. The Chrome D1 Drift Car is amazing. A much bigger update is coming next month with new photographers on board."

Photos: Top: Ford Mustang Bottom: Nissan Silvia S15 D1 Drift Car

Friday, May 4, 2007

EF Lenswork III The Eyes of EOS

Canon makes a stunning hardcover book showcasing their full line of lenses called "Lenswork"

If you have a Canon EOS system and want to master your camera & lenses you need a copy of this! It has MTF charts for all the current EF lenses, examples of shoots, element diagrams and detailed sections on all of Canon's lens technology.

It also looks back at the history of Canon cameras & lenses, as well as looking into the future of digital with insight into lens and sensor design and theory.

This is THE book for Canon lenses and their performance.

The latest version is available in a beautiful Hardcover, coffee table book, as well as on line in PDF format:

THE EF LENS CONCEPT

CANON'S CHALLENGES

THE EF LENS WORLD (SINGLE FOCAL-LENGTH LENSES)

THE EF LENS WORLD (ZOOM LENSES)

THE EF LENS WORLD (EF-S LENSES)

EF LENS ACCESSORIES & VARIETY IN THE CANON LENS WORLD

THE BASICS OF LENSES & CORRESPONDENCE TO DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO TECHNIQUES

EF LENS TECHNOLOGY

OPTICAL TERMINOLOGY & MTF CHARACTERISTICS

DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS & LENS MAPS


An older version covering Canon's FD camera system -Canon Lenswork 1986- is also available on Christian Rollinger's fine website, The Canon FD documentation project