#spotlight
This is What a Standalone Apple Camera Might Look Like
Concept designer Antonio De Rosa of ADR Studio has created what he believes is a route Apple might take if it were to design a standalone camera.
The fictional camera is called the "Apple ProCam," and De Rosa tells PetaPixel that his design isn't based on leaks or rumors because those don't interest him. Instead, he says he likes to explore how Apple's Technology Language could be applied to different objects.
"Apple has demonstrated with Apple Silicon that they gained the 'Midas Touch' lately and they are potentially able to outcome the problems in any market and I think that photography (also with AR/VR) and mobility, it’s something they will innovate on really soon," he says.
What an Apple Camera Might Feature
His design features 8K video capture capability, what he calls an "innovative" lens design thanks to what would be Apple's own proprietary mount, Siri on-board, a touch and tiltable rear display, a "Magic Wheel" touchable command dial, and inkless-printing built-in, all powered by its M1 chip.
The built-in printing system would bridge digital and analog and allow for immediate enjoyment of photos taken with the ProCam.
"I had an experience designing the Polaroid Socialmatic a few years ago and I always thought the printed photography is not only a nostalgic operation," he says. "Pictures resonate when you print them and to have a device that merges high-level optics and tech with a fast printing system could be something cool."
The shutter button is located on the front of the camera while the main command dial actually features a tiny circular touchable display. In use, it would show different camera modes but would also function as a way to activate Siri.
The idea that the camera would use a proprietary mount for its lenses, as well as printer packs for the photos, actually does sound like something Apple would do in order to support what would very likely be a closed system (which is typical for Apple products). The camera would also serve as the core of many accessories that both Apple and third parties could support, just as is the case with the iPhone.
A Unique Lens and Sensor System
De Rosa shows two possible designs for the lens and sensor system. One is a much larger take on Apple's current triple-camera rear system currently found on its smartphones, while the other is more akin to what is found on all other interchangeable lens cameras currently on the market. His design seems to indicate that these two front plates would be interchangeable, but it doesn't seem particularly practical given the need for a different sensor arrangement for each.
Based in History, but Probably Never to Be
Apple has dabbled in standalone photography equipment in the past. As noted by Cult of Mac, Apple actually worked with Fujifilm to produce the QuickTake 100 back in 1994. The 0.3-megapixel camera was a commercial flop and Apple hasn't revisited the standalone camera market since making it very unlikely that Apple would go down this route since it already makes a camera it considers a professional shooter (it's called the iPhone).
More from De Rosa can be found on the ADR Studio website and Instagram.
Image credits: All renders by Antonio De Rosa of ADR Studio.
#equipment #inspiration #news #spotlight #antonioderosa #apple #applecamera #appleprocam #concept #conceptdesign #design #iphone
Photographing the Vibrant, Verdant Landscape of the Faroe Islands
Denver-based photographer Lazar Gintchin always dreamed of visiting the Faroe Islands. In 2021, he bit the bullet and booked his trip to photograph the remote but deeply-alluring archipelago that is tucked far away in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Originally from Bulgaria, Gintchin is now based in Denver, Colorado. Growing up, Gintchin was a stone's throw away from the Pirin Mountains, a picturesque mountain range with its own national park, hiking trails, and glacial lakes. From an early age, Gintchin "developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature," he tells PetaPixel.
Years later, he picked up photography and developed a creative eye to capture the wonders of the natural world around him, a passion that followed him after he moved to the United States.
A while ago, Gintchin came across a documentary about two Canadians traveling the world. As part of their journey, they went to the Faroe Islands and at the time, Gintchin hadn't heard about this place but was instantly fascinated by it's unusual beauty.
"I dreamed about photographing there one day, but it seemed like one of those far away dreams that never materialize," he says. "In 2021, I decided to pull the trigger and travel to the Faroes. I was attracted by several things: their unique natural beauty, the unusual landscapes, the remoteness, and the fact that still, very few people have traveled there. The trip was truly fantastic."
Although he had picked particular locations to visit, Gintchin gave himself the freedom to explore and photograph any scenes that he came across.
"This gave me a great combination of having both structure and freedom at the same time," Gintchin explains. "I believe this approach allowed me to create a very diverse collection of images from the Faroes."
For his photography trip, he used a Nikon D800 with a Nikon 24-120mm f/4 lens, attached to a Manfrotto tripod. Gintchin says he wanted to keep it simple and only chose one lens to bring along on the journey.
The shooting conditions outdoors can change in a matter of minutes. For that reason, Gintchin prefers a quick setup that doesn't "get in the way" and makes it easy to operate.
He recalls the first evening as "absolutely magic." Just a few hours after landing and seeing the beautiful landscape all around, he was mind-blown. That day he also shot his favorite image from the whole trip, titled Timeless. Gintchin also came across remote villages, seemingly situated on the edge of the earth.
"Timeless"
"The quiet, the peace, and the lush green mountains were incredible," he says. " I parked the car outside of the village and decided to enter and explore on foot, very slowly."
"I took my time to explore, enjoy, marvel, and photograph. The experience was amazing. The feeling was that of being far removed from civilization and immersed in the peace of a remote island village."
More of Gintchin's landscape work and prints can be found on his website and Instagram page.
Image credits: Photos by Lazar Gintchin.
#inspiration #spotlight #travel #faroeislands #landscape #landscapephotographer #landscapephotos #lazargintchin #nature #nikon #nikond800 #remote
ESA Publishes Stunning Photo of a 2.5-Mile Wide Icy Martian Crater
The European Space Agency (ESA) released a breathtaking new photo of a two-and-a-half-mile wide ice-covered crater on Mars affectionately nicknamed "Red Velvet."
Spotted by Digitaltrends , the image was captured by the Trace Gas Orbiter that snaps images of the surface of the red planet, examines the gases in the atmosphere, and acts as a communications link between landers and other devices on the surface and planet Earth. The orbiter is officially a collaboration between the ESA and Russian space agency Roscosmos and the photo, originally captured on July 5, 2021, shows a nearly four-kilometer-wide perspective of the surface and the ice dusted crater near the north polar region of Vastitas Borealis on Mars.
ESA/Roscosmos/CaSSIS
"Like a sprinkle of powdered sugar on a rich red velvet cake, this scene from the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captures the contrasting colors of bright white water-ice against the rusty red martian soil," the ESA describes.
The ESA says the crater is partially filled with water ice more prevalent on the north-facing slopes since that region receives fewer hours of sunlight throughout the year with the dark sections on the crater edges likely containing volcanic materials like basalt, giving it a sort of scorched looking appearance.
The full resolution photo file of the crater, seen below, can be downloaded from the ESA website.
Raw output image
The presence of water on the planet is a big deal for space exploration, since bringing the precious liquid would be too heavy to carry all the way to the planet on a potential future manned mission. The presence of the ice means the liquid could be melted down and used for drinking water or fuel. The problem, according to the ESA, is that most of these deposits that have been found exist near the polar regions of the planet, and most missions want to land near the equatorial regions. Naturally, the next step is to seek out ice below the surface of the planet with missions like the upcoming Mars Ice Mapper, or the last option is to take the hydrated minerals from the soil and bake them to release any water they might contain.
More stunning photos taken by Trace Gas Orbiter that it has captured since the beginning of its scientific mission in 2016, can be found by visiting the ESA's website.
Image credits: ESA/Roscosmos/CaSSIS
#news #spotlight #astrophotography #crater #digitaltrends #esa #mars #photograph #roscosmos #space #tracegasorbiter
Fog Allows for ‘Impossible’ Photo of Milky Way Over Golden Gate Bridge
Photographer Michael Shainblum captured what was previously thought to be impossible due to heavy light pollution: a photo of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Milky Way together.
It takes great determination to head out in the night and patiently wait hours to photograph a landscape scene that may or may not work out in the end. Shainblum wanted to combine some iconic elements together into a photo, but getting everything to fall into place perfectly was a gamble and the idea of seeing stars and the bridge together was, to this point, a pipe dream.
But he got extremely lucky thanks to perfect conditions.
Although he has captured fog numerous times before, such as in a forest and high up in mountains, he was able to join the brightly lit Golden Gate Bridge with the normally invisible Milky Way galaxy in one photo.
Normally, the San Francisco Bay is a terrible spot to try and photograph any stars and being able to capture the Milky Way at all in this location is incredibly uncommon. Shainblum tells PetaPixel that he has visited the site countless times but always had little to no stars visible due to heavy light pollution in the area.
"I think this was the perfect balance of a few different things," he explains. "The fog was thick and low enough to really block out most of the light pollution from the city, but the fog had also traveled so far inland that it covered most of the eastern bay as well. The clouds above just the eastern side around the cities may have also helped. The last thing is the time of evening and time of the season. I was photographing the Milky Way late at night as it started to glide across the western sky, away from the city."
To make the photo, Shainblum took two rows of horizontal shots that he later stitched together in post-processing. Although at the time of capture he had no idea if it would result in a successful shot, he was pleased with what he made, especially considering the rarity of the circumstances. With the warmly lit bridge tower slightly pointing out of the thick fog on the left, the blue Milky Way delivers a contrast on the other side of the image.
The one photo wasn't the only image he captured that night. Shainblum also took a "classic view" of the iconic bridge that many enjoy photographing. In the composition, he included both bridge towers, poking out of the soft fog that completely covered the scene, and the light trails of cars driving on the road.
To get different patterns of fog and variations of car light trails, Shainblum took multiple exposures and created a photo with colorful contrasts between the warm and cool tones.
The Milky Way overlooking the hill deserved an image of its own, too. Unprepared to encounter a photo opportunity like this, Shainblum notes that photographers should take the chances when they present themselves, even if it means steering off the initial plan.
Just before calling it a day, Shainblum took the few last long exposures of the bridge tower and the fog flowing past and through the gate for a simple, minimalist scene.
For photographers who are considering capturing the Milky Way, Shainblum recommends checking the weather first, such as on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website, noting the phase of the moon, which can be tracked using the PhotoPills app, and checking the light pollution.
When it comes to equipment, Shainblum recommends bringing a tripod and a wide lens, such as a 14mm-24mm full-frame lens, with an aperture f/2.8 or lower. In addition, a headlamp comes in handy, especially if the phone runs out of battery.
More of Shainblum’s educational and inspirational videos can be viewed on his YouTube and his photographic and video work can be found on his website and Instagram.
Image credits: Photos by Michael Shainblum.
#inspiration #spotlight #travel #fog #landscape #landscapehotography #landscapephotographer #michaelshainblum #milkyway #milkywayphotography #sanfrancisco
Before-and-After Photos Reveal the Destruction of Ancient Forests
Canadian conservation photographer TJ Watt has been using his camera to protect endangered old-growth trees from logging. His powerful before-and-after photos aim to show the devastation of ancient forests that is left in the wake of clearcut logging.
Watt, who is based in Victoria, British Columbia, works as a photographer and campaigner for the Ancient Forest Alliance, a non-profit organization he co-founded back in 2010.
"We work to protect endangered old-growth forests from logging in BC and as an alternative, push for the transition to a more sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry," Watt tells PetaPixel. "I have combined my passion for preserving forests with my photography profession and spend much of my time studying satellite maps, driving backroads, and bushwhacking through remote forests in search of big trees and stumps to photograph and share with the world at large."
The Practice of Clearcut Logging
Clearcut logging, also known as clearcutting and clearfelling, is when most or all of the trees in a whole section of a forest are cut down. Advocates argue that the practice is beneficial for forest ecosystems, safer for humans, and economical for forestry and logging. Critics like Watt, however, decry the loss of beautiful landscapes, natural habitats, and forests that help prevent climate change.
"Clearcutting, or ‘clearing’, is the most popular and economically profitable method of logging," writes the Global Environmental Governance Project. "The loss of forest cover that accompanies clearcutting leads to habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, species extinction, soil erosion, flooding, nutrient loss, elimination of indigenous tribes, disruption of weather patterns, and increased climate change."
Before-and-After Photos of Old-Growth Tree Logging
Watt began his photo project that documents the loss of old trees after personally seeing the loss of ancient forests for over a decade.
"Over the past 10-15 years, I’ve sadly witnessed the destruction of many incredible and irreplaceable old-growth forests, forests that rival almost any other on Earth in terms of sheer beauty and grandeur, often with trees upwards of 500-1000 years old," the photographer says. "It’s nearly impossible to translate into words what the loss of an ancient ecosystem looks like after clearcut logging. It’s total annihilation."
To show the world what is lost when these forests get taken down, Watt decided to shoot before-and-after photos to show the contrast side-by-side.
Once the idea for the project had been born, Watt needed to decide where to shoot the photos.
"One day while I was out visiting a spectacular forest I was familiar with in the Caycuse Valley on southwestern Vancouver Island in Ditidaht territory, sadly I discovered logging had already begun," Watt says. "On the edge of the cutblock stood a giant cedar that I knew would fall the next morning, and unless I captured photographs of it, I would be the last person to see this tree standing, other than the fallers.
"That became the first photo in the series."
After shooting his first photo, Watt hiked through the forest, capturing more portraits of many of the giant trees before they fell.
Shooting the Before-and-After Photos
One of the keys to shooting this project was carefully recording each of the "before" locations so that Watt could revisit the stumps "after" logging had occurred.
"I began by recording my route on a GPS and tagging the photo locations as I went along, to later retrace my steps," the photographer says. "With my Canon 5D Mark IV on a tripod, I would walk into the scene and use the Canon app on my phone to view and shoot the image remotely with a two-second delay. Then I would measure the distance from the camera to the tree, record the lens and focal length used, and take a few reference photos of how the tripod was set up.
"To recreate the images, I found my way back to each spot as best I could, (hard to do with all the logging debris), and referred to the ‘before’ photos saved on my phone to reframe the ‘after’ shots. It was a haunting experience that sits with me to this day."
Photography as a Tool for Forest Conservation
Watt says his aim with his photo series is to turn the world's eyes on what is happening to old-growth forests, especially since most people will never stand among the trees to witness their beauty firsthand.
"My goal is to make people stop and feel something; to expose the continued destruction of highly endangered ancient forests in BC to as wide of an audience as possible, and to ultimately bring about change that will protect them," Watt says. "Old-growth logging often takes place in very remote and difficult to access regions, making conservation photography a powerful tool to help build broad-based awareness of the threats they still face."
"Right now we are at a critical point in history in the campaign to save ancient forests in [British Columbia]," Watt says. "The government has now accepted -- in principle -- recommendations from an independent science panel to temporarily defer logging of millions of hectares of the best old-growth across the province, pending approval from First Nations. This is in response to years of public pressure, fueled in large part by viral images we have shared of giant trees and giant stumps.
"Permanent protection is ultimately necessary because, under BC’s current system of forestry where trees are re-logged on average every 50-60 years, old-growth forests are a non-renewable resource. Tree plantations do not adequately replicate the complex and diverse ecosystems that they’re replacing, so we have just one chance to keep ancient forests standing for the benefit of the climate, tourism, wild salmon, endangered species, and many First Nations cultures."
"Though it’s too late to save the trees in these photos, I hope these images motivate people to get involved and advocate for the protection of the forests that are still standing," Watt says.
You can find more of Watt's work on his website and Instagram. You can also find out more about the Ancient Forest Alliance through the organization's website and Instagram.
Image credits: All photographs by TJ Watt.
#culture #educational #spotlight #beforeandafter #conservation #environmental #forests #logging #oldgrowth #sidebyside #tjwatt #trees
Role-Reversal Photo Series Challenges Traditional Gender Stereotypes
Photographer Eli Rezkallah challenges gender stereotypes in his ongoing series, "In a Parallel Universe." The first subject of the series was gender reversal recreated through vintage advertising to show the disparity between traditional roles assigned to men and women.
Rezkallah is a fine art photographer and the founder of Plastik Studios and Plastik Magazine, based in Beirut, Lebanon. Rezkallah founded the studio at the age of 19 and saw his magazine become the first visual arts magazine in the Arab world, born out of a clear vision that Rezkallah wanted to convey and share with the rest of the globe.
Although dedicated to his studio work, Rezkallah also pursues personal photography, such as in his "In a Parallel Universe" series. After overhearing a family member mention that "women belong in the kitchen," Rezkallah felt ignited to respond to this outdated perspective through photography.
"Not only was I enraged, but I was also hurt and confused as to how the people that we love can say things that are so dangerous out of sheer habit," he says. "It made me want to tell those people: 'what if this was you? What if society functioned in a way that put you at a disadvantage or in a compromising position?'
The idea materialized through a series of role-reversal advertising-themed images, using traditional marketing materials from decades ago but in stark reversal. Rezkallah imagined women as a powerful force in the image, while men are assigned supportive roles that traditionally have been given to women.
Rezkallah tells PetaPixel that "people reacted positively to the project because it was like getting revenge -- a lot of people from all genders felt empowered by the subversion in these photographs."
Both for his personal and professional work, it takes a sketched idea to start with which is followed by the production phase and use of intricate sets. Rezkallah says that when it comes to styling he is "very hands-on" with it. The difference now is that Rezkallah has relocated to the United States and has to communicate with his team in Beirut via video calls and meetings.
Rezkallah's personal work currently entails working on his first book and his first solo art show in New York this spring. "It will cover my journey into art, growing up in Lebanon during the war, and how my mental state informed my work," he says. "It's already been therapeutic going through the process, and I look forward to sharing it."
More of Rezkallah's work can be found on his personal Instagram, Plastik's website, and the studio's Instagram page.
Image credits: Photos by Eli Rezkallah.
#inspiration #spotlight #ad #advert #editorial #elirezkallah #gender #lebanon #project #series #stereotype #vintage
Photographer Captures Fox Adorably Covered in Snow
Photographer Roeselien Raimond is particularly fond of foxes, and during a winter day when the weather was uncharacteristically rough, she came across and photographed a fox adorably covered in snow.
Raimond is a wildlife photographer whose favorite subject is a fox. She has been dutifully building a collection of fox portraits over the last 10 years and regularly goes out of her way to find and photograph them in the wild. Raimond says that where she lives, snow is rare and blizzards are even rarer. When she learned that an unusually strong storm was to hit her area, rather than hunker down she instead went straight into it in order to enjoy the unusual event.
"I knew this would be a risky venture. I had no idea if I would ever arrive and I'd rather not think about ever coming home," she writes on Bored Panda.
After hours of traveling to a chosen area, Raimond came across her favorite subject: a fox.
"I held my breath and dared not move. But instead of running away, like I was used to foxes back then, she sat quietly as the snow fell on her," Raimond says. "Strangely enough, it didn't seem to bother her at all. She just took the snowstorm completely calmly. In fact, she even seemed to enjoy that new white world, as I did!"
Raimond tells PetaPixel that foxes are incredibly intelligent animals.
"Because they were (heavily) hunted almost everywhere in the world, they have (rightly) become afraid of humans and were forced to be nocturnal, just to avoid us people.
"In the area where I went, they are not hunted. There are no dogs or cars and even bicycles are not allowed. So the foxes literally have nothing to fear, except occasionally their own kind, so they are not so afraid of humans. And if you take the time and rest you can study these foxes and if you are lucky they will give you the chance to take some nice pictures of them as well," she explains
"These photos were taken with a 5D Mark III. A great camera, but not very suitable for working unprotected in the snow. It was so cold and it snowed so hard that all my buttons quit functioning, except the shutter button," she says. "Fortunately, that's basically the only button that really matters. Nowadays I have a rain cover, which is advisable with this kind of weather. As well as very good clothes!"
"Very occasionally, I find myself in the right place at the right time and I end up in a beautiful winter fairy tale with one happy fox that, even today, is still able to make me -- and hopefully others -- smile," she says. "And it is nice to know that magic can happen. Also, or just at the moment you no longer expect it."
For more from Roeselien Raimond, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or visit her website.
Image credits: Photos by Roeselien Raimond.
#spotlight #animal #foxes #roeselienraimond #snow #wildlife #wildlifephotography
