Video over mirror-less; a possibility for Canon and Nikon?

Last week I was lucky enough to grab a spot at the screening of the Great Camera Shootout 2011, held at the Framestore and organised by Zacuto. It was a pretty simple concept: take 13 different video or video-enabled cameras and put them through their paces. Cameras ranged in price from those that just hit four digits to those well into six figures. Nine different tests were administered; we looked at comparisons of everything from sharpness to compression losses on a specially-made recording. And the results?

Well, not so simple. There wasn’t really an overall winner. (You didn’t find that surprising, did you?) Different cameras handled different conditions with varying degrees of aptitude or comfort. Lots of people were mightily impressed by the Phantom Flex, and for how much it costs, the Sony F3 seemed to hold its own against the big guns, such as the Arri Alexa. And whilst the Canons and the Nikon were at the bottom of the heap, what was obvious was that for what they offer, they’re damn good pieces of kit.

What it comes down to is what qualities you’re looking for specifically in your camera and the footage it produces, combined with your budget.

Nikon's D7000

Whilst the conversation afterwards raised some absolute gems, such as ‘Film is dead!’ (comparatively the Kodaks’ performances were very disappointing) I came away wondering just what the future for video is, and quite specifically, how far can Canon and Nikon develop their technology and push into the market? I suppose that my focus on those two was inevitable given my background, but anyway.

Do Canon and Nikon want to compete in the mirror-less market, where others are doing so well already?

Earlier this week over lunch, Haje and I pondered this question even further. You see, whilst there is lots of gossip over the potential Canon and Nikon mirror-less offerings, they’re not there yet and Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony seem to have done a pretty good job of sewing up that market already. Even with their names, it’s going to take a hell of lot for Canon and Nikon to break that quartet’s strangle-hold. What if the big two, and Canon in particular, have their eyes on a slightly different prize?

How about an enthusiastic amateur’s video camera? Perhaps one that does stills on the side?

Maybe something to compete with Sony's NEX VG10, instead?

I’m not for one minute suggesting that either of them are going to give up on stills cameras, far, far from it. (Hell, I think I’d cry if they did.) What I’m suggesting is that perhaps they’ve spotted a gap in the video market – sort of equivalent to that which mirror-less and bridge cameras are currently occupying in the stills market – and that’s where they’re heading. Bridge videos, if you like. A video camera that’s a step above the video-enabled dSLRs, one that’s seen more as a video camera than a stills one. Sony has already dipped its toes in the water with the NEX VG10, but a bit of competition never hurt, no?

It would be a graceful way for them to walk away from the mirror-less camera skirmish and embark on something new that continues to develop an area where they already perform well. It also offers the devoted following of Canon and Nikon film-makers some progression and new opportunities, especially if they go with interchangeable lenses.

Now, this is complete speculation. I could be utterly under-estimating just how much Canon and Nikon want that mirror-less market and are prepared to throw at it; I could be over-estimating how much the world needs a more advanced video camera made by one of the two big names in stills. I am, however, quite taken by the possibilities here. And if nothing else, it was an interesting intellectual exercise in conjecture.

News in brief: An infographic for newbie photographers

I was sent this photography infographic this morning, and whilst I don’t put much weight in the statistics because I think that the sample size was way too small to allow anything verging on meaningful analysis, some of the comments are worth bearing in mind if you’re just starting out. And probably not forgetting, either.

Shoot anything and everything: you never know with what you might fall in love. Get to know your equipment properly. And whilst we might not miss the faff involved with film, learning to use it will really teach you about cameras and photography. Click through to see the whole thing.

Click to Enlarge Image

Via:Online Printing

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

Your photos - Your rights

Photo licencing can be a minefield. (see what I did there?)

In the immediate aftermath of the TwitPic photo-selling furore it became clear that there can be a great deal of confusion regarding terms and conditions (T&C), terms of service (ToS), terms of use (ToU), or any other terms that you have to agree to when you sign up to any kind of photo-sharing oojimaflip.

When it comes to ToS, the devil is most definitely in the detail, and at one of our reader's request, I've put together a guide to what to look for. As ever, I have to state that I'm not a lawyer; all I have to go on here is my own experience of using photo-sharing sites and, heaven help me, previous experience of drafting ToS.

Copyright and licensing rights

The first thing to get straight is that there's a difference between copyright and licensing rights. If you take a photo (or compose a song, or write a story... you get the picture) you own the copyright to it. That means you have the right to have that photo attributed to you and you can say how, where, and when you want it reproduced, if at all.

On very rare occasions, you can sign away your copyright to your creation - and in fact I did this quite recently when the copyright of a project that I wrote was attributed to the company for whom I completed the contract, not to me as an individual - but it's usually in very specific circumstances.

Licensing rights, on the other hand, are what you, as the copyright holder, use to allow people to use your images (or your words or your music &c). If someone wants to publish your photo, you provide them with a licence to do so. There are a plethora of different types of licence out there, which serve different purposes, allow different things, and have different implications for you as a copyright holder. Hence the confusion.

Why you need a licence

You've been away on holiday to Mauritius and you have a selection of the most incredible photos showing the places that you visited, the food that you ate, and the sights that you saw. You want to share them with your family, your friends, and to be honest, anyone who wants to take a look because you're really proud of a few of them. So you sign up to the photo-sharing website SooperPix that'll let the world at large marvel at your artistic genius.

You have to sign a licence. You own the copyright to these pictures, which means that you have to grant SooperPix the right to display them on your behalf. If you didn't, it wouldn't be able to host them on the website and let the world look on awestruck at your awesomeness.

Read More

This post is an extract of a post by Daniela over on Small Aperture. For the full article, read Your pictures; your rights, redux. You can read more of Daniela's writings over there, too.

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© Kamps Consulting Ltd. This article is licenced for use on Pixiq only. Please do not reproduce wholly or in part without a license. More info.

250 photography tutorials

Time for some tutorials, because at some point, we all want to grow beyond the cliché holiday snaps...

A curious thing happened with the advent of the internet - and that is that people seemed to shun photography clubs, classes, books, and even learning from your mates, and turn more towards learning from online tutorials. In some ways, that's a shame - but given how many hard-working photographers there are out there who are more than happy to share their knowledge with the masses, we're probably in a better place now that we ever have.

The kids nowadays - and by 'the kids', I mean everybody who is currently taking photographs - are learning at an incredible rate, and most of all, we're learning from each other. The curious thing is that we're transferring knowledge in a completely new way: through the magical mystery world of photography tutorials

With that in mind, I figured I might have a look and see if I couldn't dig up a couple of high-quality tutorials to share with you all. When I set out to search for 'a couple', I soon found a dozen. Then a score. Then a couple more... And rapidly, my search completely spiralled out of control, ultimately resulting in the list you're looking at here.

Yes, there's 250 of 'em, and yes, there are a few tutorials covering the same topics... But I challenge anyone to have a look through this list and not find a few tutorials they like - and who knows, you may even learn a couple of things along the way.

Enjoy...

1 - Digital Basics

It happens rarely that I find an article that seems to cover all the basics of digital photography, but this article hits the spot very nicely indeed. It's a one-shot introduction to the basics - nearly as good as buying one of my books! :)

Get the full skinny at Digital Basics on Photo Pursue

2 - Learn Photography in Five Steps

Panning. I think I cried the first time that I tried it. I might've had a better experience with this clear, five-step tutorial to capturing moving subjects.

Find it all on Learn Photography in Five Steps on Step By Step Photography

3 - Working with Models for that Perfect Wide-Angle Photo

So you've tried your hand at underwater photography and you love it. Now you want to try something a bit more advanced. How about including a model? Here's how...

There's more at Working with Models for that Perfect Wide-Angle Photo on Stephen Frink

4 - Avoiding the evil of red-eye

If you're using a compact camera, red-eye can turn a portrait of your best friend into a picture of the devil incarnate. This guide explains what red eye is, how it happens, and how to avoid it.

Read more on Avoiding the evil of red-eye on Small Aperture

5 - Digital Photography Tutorial

Basic ideas in photography are covered here: composition, exposure, editing, storage, and printing. There's nothing too detailed, but it does offer an entry-level guide - a perfect tutorial to forward to your clueless mum / dad / sibling who just got their first camera

Read it all on Digital Photography Tutorial on Hub Pages

6 - Beginners Guide to Photography for computer Geeks

A beginners' guide to photography written by a beginner with a sense of humour. It has everything from metering to filters, as well as a decent explanation of focal length.

Learn more at Beginners Guide to Photography for computer Geeks on Bernie Sumption

7 - How to write and sell a photo story

You're a photographer, right, not a writer? But sometimes, you need words to accompany your images. This'll help you to find the words to sell your story.

Check out the full tutorial on How to write and sell a photo story on Pixiq

8 - Understanding your Digital SLR Camera

What happens if you change your camera's aperture? How about shutter speed? And ISO? How can you make sure your camera focuses where you want it to focus? What's a good lens to have? This tutorial has it all.

The full article is on Understanding your Digital SLR Camera on Kevin and Amanda

9 - Photographing Panoramas

Photo Guide's guide to Panorama photography is a simple guide covering all the major points for photographing panoramas, including how to get the photos, and how to stitch them all together. A great introduction guide.

More at Photographing Panoramas on Photo Guides

10 - Dave Hill Quick photography Tutorial

Ever fancied giving your photos a cartoon-like effect? This tutorial shows you just what you need to do with a little HDR and unsharp mask help.

Have a read at Dave Hill Quick photography Tutorial on Abdu zeedo

11 - How to Develop your Photography Skills

Taking good photos isn't just about understanding physics and the technicalities of your camera. It's about knowing what makes a good picture and spotting the opportunities. This tutorial tells you what to look out for.

There's more at How to Develop your Photography Skills on Bama Scenes

12 - The Digital Photography Tutorial

You've filled a memory card with images. Now what? This tutorial will walk through your workflow, from post-processing and on through organisation, printing, sharing and storing.

More at The Digital Photography Tutorial on Best Family Photography Tips

13 - Beginning Photography Tips: Top 10 Techniques for Better Picture

You might have aperture sewn up and ISO is no longer giving you a headache, but what other elements contribute to a great photo? Composition, the weather, time of day, timing. This website covers ten things you need to think about.

There's more at Beginning Photography Tips: Top 10 Techniques for Better Picture on Better Photo

14 - Learning Photography

A lot of photography is instinctive: knowing what makes a good image and how best to capture. These five pointers help you to get the most out of your pictures by experimenting and practising.

More at Learning Photography on Dan Heller

15 - Understanding Histograms

The histogram. That groovy little graph that shows you just how over- or under-exposed your picture is. This tutorial walks you through the magical art of using a histogram to make sure your images are just right. Nifty!

The full article is on Understanding Histograms on Digital Photography School

16 - Six Secret Steps for Taking Great Photos

These secrets probably aren't all that secret, but they certainly reinforce what we know about taking good pictures: get as much advice as you can, keep on practising, and enjoy yourself!

The full article is on Six Secret Steps for Taking Great Photos on Free Digital Photography Tutorials

17 - How to Take Sharp Images

Great idea for a picture; a pity that it has come out a bit fuzzy around the edges. Here are seven tips to ensuring you get pin-sharp images.

Check out the full tutorial on How to Take Sharp Images on Hypergurl

18 - How to find great Locations for Model shoots

Finding a shoot location can be a headache. But have you thought about checking the geotag locations on Flickr images? What about using places you've never considered? What do you need to take with you? How about lighting? This article has got it all.

There's more on How to find great Locations for Model shoots on Lights Talking

19 - An introduction to Digital Imaging

Film cameras and digital post-processing can live harmoniously. Honest! This article tells you what hardware you'll need and explains the benefits that a bit of software can bring to a negative or slide.

Check out An introduction to Digital Imaging on Luminous Landscape

20 - Introduction to Photography: Ten Ways to Improve your Skills

If you're setting off with your first camera, this article has some useful ideas for how to make the most out of the experience, like keeping a diary and not giving up when things seem a bit tough.

Get the full skinny at Introduction to Photography: Ten Ways to Improve your Skills on Paxton Prints

21 - Crash Course Guide to DSLR Photography

You've just bought your first dSLR! Congratulations! Now what? Well, you'll want to get it out of auto mode, and this crash-course demystifies aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to help get you started.

Have a read at Crash Course Guide to DSLR Photography on Photo Guides

22 - What is correct Exposure?

A great tutorial on how to combine aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to ensure that your pictures are correctly exposed. Banish the auto mode and take control of your photography!

There's more at What is correct Exposure? on Photoxels

23 - Photography Basics

Clear diagrams show you how light passes through your camera to create an image, and explains how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO affect your pictures.

Get more at Photography Basics on Tutorial 9

24 - Camera Skills Manual

Confused by the different settings on your camera? This tutorial explains the difference between Tv and Av, and what the benefits of shooting fully manual are.

There's more at Camera Skills Manual on Worth 1000

25 - How to take Great Photos of your Projects?

Have you ever wondered how to take photos to illustrate your own tutorial? This tutorial walks you through it, from what you need to how to do it.

Learn more at How to take Great Photos of your Projects? on Ada Fruit

26 - Photography in low light Conditions

We've all been there: you're presented with a great image, but the light is on the low side to actually capture it. These suggestions should help you to get the shot that you want when things are a little dim.

The full article is on Photography in low light Conditions on How to Photography

27 - Develop your Photography Skills

An amazing step by step tutorial to develop your photography skills. It is based on basic knowledge of photography and is a great starting point for struggling photographers who want to take their photography further.

Read more on Develop your Photography Skills on Wiki How

28 - Digital Photography Tips for Beginner

This tutorial reminds you to get to know your cameras and recommends different ways to experiment with it so that you get the most out of it, and out of your pictures.

There's more at Digital Photography Tips for Beginner on Oh Blitz

29 - The Golden Hour

When is the golden hour? What is the magic effect that it has your photographs? If you want to learn how to make your photos sizzle, read on!

Read more on The Golden Hour on Small Aperture

30 - Basic Photography Tutorial

If you want to try shooting on film, need to know how to load a spiral, or would like to have a go at processing your own black and white film, you'll find the answers here.

Learn more at Basic Photography Tutorial on Silver Light Uk

31 - Taking Photographs At Unfamiliar Places

Taking photos when you're travelling can be a daunting experience. Differences in culture and outlook and just unfamiliarity with the place can be difficult to navigate. Travel photographer Alissa Everett has some useful advice.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Taking Photographs At Unfamiliar Places on Pop Photo

32 - Travel Photography Introduction

When are you most likely to take photos? Probably when you're on holiday. This guide will help you to make the most out your holiday snaps, with a look at the technical and the practical side of things.

The whole nine yard's at Travel Photography Introduction on Dan Heller

33 - Taking Professional Photos

From using plastic boxes as light diffusers to walking you through Photoshop, this tutorial aims to help you get the most professional looking pictures you can, whatever camera you have.

There's more on Taking Professional Photos on The Switch Board

34 - How to Make Great Photographs

Photography is not just about taking photos - but taking great photos. This detailed tutorial discusses just about everything you need to start photography - and sees you on your way to become a great photographer.

Read more on How to Make Great Photographs on Ken Rockwell

Composition

Technically part of the 'basics' in everybody's book, composition still deserves its own little mini-section in this list - it's an important topic, after all - and well worth a read, of course.

35 - The Rule of Thirds

Have you heard of the Rule of Thirds? If you haven't, you've almost certainly seen it. It's a groovy trick to help you compose your images. This article explains all.

Learn more by going to The Rule of Thirds on Digital Photography Tips

36 - An Introduction to Photography Composition

From the rule of thirds, through leading lines, to different points of view, and including a whole heap more, this tutorial covers just about everything you might want to know about composition.

Get it all on An Introduction to Photography Composition on Yanki Photo School

37 - Vantage Points in Park Photography

Who hasn't taken a picture in a park before now? I bet we all have. But how can you get the most out of your local patch of green? Here're four great tips.

Learn more by going to Vantage Points in Park Photography on Photography Tutorials

DIY photography

Photographers are a curious and crafty bunch - and there's something rather lovely about building parts of your own kit. With these tutorials, you'll get the creative do-it-yourself juices flowing!

38 - How to Create a Low-Budget Reflector or Diffusor

The more you practise photography, the more things you find you need. Like reflectors. Or diffusers But, you don't have to buy them, you can make a two-in-one reflector and diffuser yourself.

Learn more at How to Create a Low-Budget Reflector or Diffusor on Pxl Eyes

39 - Making your own Macro lens for $10

If you have a can of pringles kicking about, you can turn it into a surprisingly good macro lens. It'll take an afternoon, but it'll be worth it!

Read more on Making your own Macro lens for $10 on Pixiq

40 - How to Make and Use a Pinhole Camera

Lo-fi photography can be great fun, but it also helps you to develop as a photographer. So how about trying pinhole photography? Don't have a pinhole camera? No problem - here's how to make one!

Get the full skinny at How to Make and Use a Pinhole Camera on Kodak

Equipment

Without equipment, there's no photography - but without knowledge about your own equipment, it's all too easy to mis-invest your hard-earned cash into stuff you either don't need, or aren't able to use. This set of tutorials collects some of the info I wish I had when I first started out with photography.

41 - Compact vs Digital SLR cameras

You've just starting out taking pictures. You're not really sure how a point-and-shoot compares to an SLR. Do you really need to splash out on an SLR for what you want? This'll help you figure it out.

Give it some love at Compact vs Digital SLR cameras on Cambridge in Colour

42 - Choosing a Camera

Itching to get started in photography? The first conundrum to solve is deciding on what camera to buy. This tutorial will help you choose the one that best suits your style of photography.

There's more at Choosing a Camera on Geoff Lawrence

43 - 7 ways of ruining your photo equipment

We love our cameras. They take pretty pictures. But some things don't love our cameras, like salt and dust. Here are the top seven camera ruiners, and how best to combat them.

There's more on 7 ways of ruining your photo equipment on Digital Photography School

44 - Taking good photos with an iPhone

I always say that it's not about the camera, but its operator. To prove my point, here's a tutorial proving you can can a pretty good photo with your iPhone. Honest! Here are seven ways to make sure that you do.

Have a read at Taking good photos with an iPhone on eHow

45 - Using a Point & Shoot Camera

If you don't have access to an SLR camera, for whatever reason, you can still get great photos from a point-and-shoot. This article shows you how.

There's more on Using a Point & Shoot Camera on Photo.net

46 - 10 Super cool creativity boosting Photography gadgets

If you've a little money to spare and fancy splurging on some fun and creative photography gadgets this list of ten cool things might help you burn through your cash!

The full tutorial lives at 10 Super cool creativity boosting Photography gadgets on Creative Closeup

47 - Lenses; What do all These Characters mean?

If you've ever been confused and befuddled by the strings of near-impenetrable numbers and letters on a lens, you're not alone. And now you can feel enlightened as this article sorts out EF from EF-S and reveals the mystery of IF.

Interested? Check out Lenses; What do all These Characters mean? on Car Photo Tutorials

48 - Upgrading to a Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex)

When you've reached the ceiling with your point-and-shoot or bridge camera, what should you look out for when you take the plunge and upgrade to a dSLR?

Read all about it on Upgrading to a Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) on Digi Diversity

49 - Cleaning your DSLR Sensor: Tips and Advice

If you can see spots on your images or when you look through the viewfinder, something in your camera probably needs cleaning. This article helps you diagnose where the problem is and what to do about it.

Have a read at Cleaning your DSLR Sensor: Tips and Advice on Photo.net

50 - Camera Lenses for Indoor Event Photoraphy

If you're shooting indoors, probably with limited light, you need some fast glass. This article looks at primes and zooms, wide angle and telephoto, and helps you decide what you'll need in which situation.

There's more at Camera Lenses for Indoor Event Photoraphy on Picture Correct

51 - Lens Diffraction and Photography

Diffraction. It has a nasty habit of interfering with the pictures you want to take. This article explains what it is and how to resolve it.

There's more at Lens Diffraction and Photography on Cambridge in Colour

52 - Travel Photography Equipment

You're off on your travels so naturally you're taking your camera with you. But what else do you need to pack to capture those glorious sunsets and amazing architecture? Take a look here.

Read more on Travel Photography Equipment on Dan Heller

53 - Understanding Polarizers

Doubtless you've heard of a polarising filter before now. But what does it actually do? Why do you need one? How do you use one? All your answers are here.

There's more at Understanding Polarizers on Luminous Landscape

54 - Avoid Flash Media Problems and Save your Images

Flash cards are not cheap and if you shoot digitally, you can't do it without them. This article talks you through caring for your flash media, how you can prolong its life, and how to get the best out of it.

Find it all on Avoid Flash Media Problems and Save your Images on Paxton Prints

55 - Choosing a Digital Camera

Buying a camera is a major financial investment. This website outlines what you need to look for to make sure that you get the right camera that meets your needs, at the right price.

Have a read at Choosing a Digital Camera on Photoshop Tutorials

56 - Using a tripod

After a shiny camera and a couple of lenses, a tripod is probably the next piece of kit a photographer needs. Why? What are the benefits of a tripod? What are the different types of tripod? What should you look out for? Are there alternatives? This reveals all.

Read all about it on Using a tripod on Cambridge in Colour

57 - How to Choose a DSLR Camera

Upgrading from a point-and-shoot to a dSLR can be overwhelming. This article shows you what you need to consider, how you find the right camera for you, and makes some camera suggestions.

More at How to Choose a DSLR Camera on Digital Photography School

58 - Cleaning and Maintaining Your Camera

Cameras can get dirty pretty quickly, no matter how carefully you treat them. This tutorial shows you why you need a clean sensor and how to clean it yourself.

Read more on Cleaning and Maintaining Your Camera on Paxton Prints

59 - Prime lenses (and why you need one)

Not being able to zoom might be seen as something of a disadvantage when it comes to a lens. But actually, a prime lens is rather wonderful thing that every photographer should have. This explains why.

Read more on Prime lenses (and why you need one) on Pixiq

60 - How to clean your DLSR sensor

Got a grubby sensor? (It happens to all of us.) Want to have a go at cleaning it yourself? (It's not that scary.) Here's how.

The full article is on How to clean your DLSR sensor on Better Photo

61 - Choosing your first dSLR

Your compact camera just isn't doing it for you anymore. You need more control and more options. But where's the best place to dive in for a dSLR? This article covers everything from brands to megapixels, looks at the body or glass debate, and even makes some recommendations.

Find it all on Choosing your first dSLR on Pixiq

Essays & Philosophy

As I started collecting my tutorials, I occasionally found a load of articles that weren't technically tutorials - but that were simply too good to leave off the list anyway. So, hereby, in this haphazardly named section, 'Essays & Philosophy', I offer a series of these articles

62 - Knowing your Limits as a Photographer

Sometimes we are limited in our photography, maybe we don't have a macro lens to capture that bee or the landscape is actually really flat and boring. Recognising these limits can be useful, and so can knowing what to do about them.

Read more on Knowing your Limits as a Photographer on Digital Photos Secrets

63 - Getting Started as a Second Shooter

Breaking into professional photography is not an easy feat. One way to get started is as a second shooter. This article explains what a second shooter is, how to land yourself a gig as one, what you'll need and what you need to do, and how to make the most of it.

Interested? Check out Getting Started as a Second Shooter on Pxl Eyes

64 - Understanding Films

Film. If you've grown up digitally, it's a whole new world. Here's your map that explains metering, film speed, and even how to store it.

Interested? Check out Understanding Films on Dan Heller

65 - Why is the F-stop scale so weird?

Yes, the f-stop scale is weird, but it makes perfect sense as to why f/18 is a 'small' aperture and f/1.4 is a 'large' aperture when it's explained. Read on!

Have a read at Why is the F-stop scale so weird? on Pixiq

66 - Haje's History of Photography

This 3-part epic is a complete history of photography, starting in the era before film was even invented, and taking us well into the digital age. Well worth a read if you've never thought about where it all started...

Check out the full tutorial on Haje's History of Photography on Pixiq

67 - Why fake what you make?

Here I am having a questionably erotic moment with myself and a strawberry. This never really happened. - a great article about how whilst there is a pace for fakery in photography, some times, there's absolutely no need

Read more on Why fake what you make? on Pixiq

Exposure

Easily the biggest stumbling block for new and old photographers alike, Exposure is an integral part of photography... Which seems to confuse the hell out of people rather frequently. Here's a collection of articles and tutorials to help you keep your shutter speeds apart from your apertures.

68 - Shutter Speed

Wikipedia has an in-depth discussion on shutter speed - and whilst (in true Wikipedia stylee), it's completely devoid of character, it does introduce a lot of the relevant topics in a more or less useful manner.

The full tutorial lives at Shutter Speed on Wikipedia

69 - Breathtaking Long Exposure Photography and How to Capture It

Seven great examples of photos shot with a long exposure are shown here. Then it explains how what to do, and gives you some tips for achieving something similar yourself.

Read more on Breathtaking Long Exposure Photography and How to Capture It on Designzzz

70 - Benefits of Using Manual Mode

Taking full control of your camera and setting it to manual mode can be a daunting experience, but this article explains the benefits of switching the dial to 'M'.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Benefits of Using Manual Mode on Digital Photography Tricks

71 - Understanding Aperture Priority Mode

How do you control aperture? Why do you want to control aperture? This tutorial shows which dials you need to turn and what a different depth of field resembles.

There's more at Understanding Aperture Priority Mode on Free Digital Photography Tutorials

72 - Capturing Motion with Slow Shutter Speeds

So much in photography has both a technical and a creative application. Shutter speed is one of those very things. This article shows you how shutter speed works and what you can do with it.

Find it all on Capturing Motion with Slow Shutter Speeds on Picture Correct

73 - Understanding High ISO

High ISOs don't have to be scary and full of noise, honestly! These four facts take the fear out of high ISO and low-light photography.

More tasty treats at Understanding High ISO on Dp Mag

74 - Aperture and Shutter Priority Tutorial

A dSLR gives you a wealth of creative options, but only if you take it out of auto mode and use what it has to offer. This tutorial shows you what you can do with Aperture and Shutter Priority settings.It even has suggested exercises to practise what you've learned.

Get the full skinny at Aperture and Shutter Priority Tutorial on Photo.net

75 - Understanding Shutter Speed

This tutorial begins at the very beginning with shutter speed, explaining what a camera shutter is and how shutter speed is measured, before going on to examine the impact shutter speed has on your pictures and how to control it.

There's more for you on Understanding Shutter Speed on Free Digital Photography Tutorials

76 - Understanding Exposure

So you've switched to manual mode and you're wondering just how to get your exposure right. This guide to metering will have you set on the right path.

Learn more by going to Understanding Exposure on Luminous Landscape

77 - Using Camera Shutter Speed Creatively

From capturing motion to freezing time, via 'zoom blur', this article gets creative with the effect that altering shutter speed will have on your photographs.

There's more for you on Using Camera Shutter Speed Creatively on Cambridge in Colour

78 - Understanding Long Exposures

This article uses side-by-side comparison photos to illustrate just what effect altering your exposure times can have on your pictures, including landscapes, waterfalls, fireworks, and lightning.

More tasty treats at Understanding Long Exposures on Dan Heller

80 - Understanding Aperture

Here's a quick guide to what aperture and depth of field are. There's also an explanation of the aperture limits on lenses, and how they can change depending on the focal length of your lens.

Read more on Understanding Aperture on Free Digital Photography Tutorials

81 - Understanding Camera Exposure

We know that aperture, ISO, and shutter speed combine to influence exposure, but understanding the interplay between them is not always straightforward. This article should help to explain things.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Understanding Camera Exposure on Cambridge in Colour

82 - How-To: A Primer on Long Exposures

Ever wondered how to get that cool light-streaking effect in your photos? It's all to do with long exposure, but this article will tell you how.

There's more at How-To: A Primer on Long Exposures on Digi Photo Mag

83 - How to shoot in Bright Daylight

Photographing food is tough at the best of times. In broad daylight, it's even harder. But fear not, here's how to handle it and make the most of the situation.

Read more on How to shoot in Bright Daylight on Diners Journal Blogs

Focus and Depth of Field

Remember what I said about Exposures? Yeah - well, if the exposures don't get you, the focus will. Here we go - a collection of articles to help you get a firm grasp of focus, depth of field, and everything in between.

84 - Depth Of Field For Geeks

This is a comprehensive guide to depth of field - from circles of confusion to tilt-shift miniatures - conveyed with pictures, diagrams, even mathematical equations, and a great sense of humour.

There's more at Depth Of Field For Geeks on Bernie Sumption

85 - Understanding Depth in Field

There seems to be a bit of a love affair with shallow depth of field. But deep depth of field can be wonderful, too. This article goes through its advantages, and what you need to consider when you shoot with one.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Understanding Depth in Field on Photo tutsplus

86 - Depth Of Field

This tutorial explains what depth is field is, how to control it in your images, its relationship with focal length, and even provides a handy-dandy calculator. Nifty!

Check out the full tutorial on Depth Of Field on Cambridge in Colour

87 - How to use Shallow Depth of Field

This tutorial gives you an introduction to depth of field, explains how to achieve a shallow depth of field, and suggests when to use one.

Get the full skinny at How to use Shallow Depth of Field on Emmett Lollis

88 - How to control Depth in Field

Aperture isn't the only way to control the depth of field in your photographs. This article explains the influence of proximity to the subject and lens focal length, too.

There's more at How to control Depth in Field on The Photo Argus

89 - Where to put the Focus in the Pictures

Your photo is all about your subject, and where you put it in your composition can turn an okay image into a stunning one. This tutorial gives you four key pointers on where to place your focus.

Get more at Where to put the Focus in the Pictures on Digital Photos Secrets

90 - Getting shallow DOF in your photos

What is a shallow depth of field? Why would you want one? How do you achieve one in your photos? This articles gives you your answers!

Get the full skinny at Getting shallow DOF in your photos on Digital Photography School

91 - When to disable Autofocus

Autofocus is a wonderful thing. But sometimes you need to switch it off and do it yourself. This article explains the whens, the whys, and the hows of manual focusing.

Read more on When to disable Autofocus on Digital Photos Secrets

92 - Understanding AutoFocus

Autofocus. It's an amazing tool, it makes our lives so much easier. But if you actually understand how it works, as explained here, you can make your pictures so much better.

More at Understanding AutoFocus on Cambridge in Colour

Nature and Landscapes

Moving beyond the basics, two of the most exciting photography subjects are landscapes, animals, and the environment around us. Tutorials galore - bon appetit!

93 - How to create beautiful Seascapes

This tutorial guides you through capturing your ultimate seascape, from scouting a location and timing your shoot to the techniques you'll need with your camera and in post-processing.

Find it all on How to create beautiful Seascapes on Free Hobby Solutions

94 - How to: Photographing a Stunning Sunset

A sunset photograph is incredibly evocative, but it isn't necessarily easy to get right. These six top tips should set your on your way to ride into the sunset (photos).

Get more at How to: Photographing a Stunning Sunset on One Side Photography

95 - Improving Mountain Photography

Mountains make wonderful photographic subjects, but capturing one effectively can be a bit of a challenge. This tutorial covers composition, time of day, and even the weather.

Read more on Improving Mountain Photography on Learn Digital Photography Now

96 - Photographing Birds in Flight

As if photographing birds isn't hard enough anyway, if you fancy a bigger challenge, try catching them as they are careening around, hunting for mosquitoes and other food. Sounds impossible? Maybe, but with a bit of practice and this tutorial, you'll get there.

There's more at Photographing Birds in Flight on Mike Atkinson

97 - Beach Photography

There must be millions of beach photos out there and you don't want yours the same as everyone else's. This tutorial encourages you to think differently about your beach photos.

Get it all on Beach Photography on Cameras About

98 - A Guide for Nature Photographer

Light meters are useful little gadgets, but you know, our eyes do a fairly good job of judging exposure, too. Train them, and they'll be the best exposure calculator you've ever used. Here's how.

More at A Guide for Nature Photographer on Fred Parker

99 - Zoo Photography Tutorial

If you're okay with the concept of zoos, they offer excellent opportunities to practise your photography and develop particular skills; aside from dealing with animals, you encounter glass and fences. This tutorial shows you what you can learn.

More at Zoo Photography Tutorial on Yanik Photo School

100 - Shooting in the Snow

There's a lot to think about when you take pictures in the snow. It's that vast expanse of white. This tutorial should help you get a handle on exposure, metering, and lighting in wintry weather.

There's more for you on Shooting in the Snow on The Photo Argus

101 - Taking Photos in Pine Forests

Have you ever thought about photographing a pine forest? No? Perhaps you should. They're atmospheric places with a wealth of wildlife. This tutorial shows you what you're missing out on.

More tasty treats at Taking Photos in Pine Forests on Ephoto Zine

102 - How to take Great Landscapes shots when its raining

There's no need to put your camera away when it rains. This tutorial shows you why and tells you how to protect your kit, too.

The full tutorial lives at How to take Great Landscapes shots when its raining on Ephoto Zine

103 - Flower Photography

Flowers really do make wonderful pictures. They're easy to photograph and look pretty. But you can approach them in lots of different ways and learn from the process, as this tutorial shows you.

There's more for you on Flower Photography on NYIP

104 - Basic Field Techniques in Bird Photography

Wildlife and bird photography go hand in hand - but you've got to start somewhere, so this tutorial collects the basics all in one handy place.

Read more on Basic Field Techniques in Bird Photography on Mike Atkinson

105 - Landscape Photography Techniques

Professional landscape photography tips, tutorials and techniques will help you improve your scenic photography and allow you to shoot stunning panoramic pictures, with any digital camera, that are full of realism.

There's more at Landscape Photography Techniques on Digital Photography Tricks

106 - Shooting Stunning Nighttime Landscapes

If you've never really turned your hand to landscape photography and are wondering where to start, start here. It takes you through location scouting, what to wear and pack, composition, and so much more.

Learn more at Shooting Stunning Nighttime Landscapes on Paxton Prints

107 - Landscape Photography at Twilight

Did you know that there are four phases to twilight? No, I didn't either, until I read this article. It explains their different properties when it comes to capturing them as photographs.

More tasty treats at Landscape Photography at Twilight on Picture Correct

108 - How to Shoot Amazing Landscapes

Landscape photography isn't all about kit and set-up. It's got a whole lot to do with composition. This tutorial explains what to look for and how to get it right.

Read more on How to Shoot Amazing Landscapes on The Photo argus

109 - Take Better Wildlife Photos

Nature has been one of the primary subjects of photography for more than 100 years, but it turns out that wildlife isn't the easiest of subjects. This tutorial attempts to kill some of the myths and help develop your photographic thinking in the right direction.

Learn more by going to Take Better Wildlife Photos on Tutorial 9

110 - Shooting Nighttime Landscapes

Taking pictures at night isn't as counter-intuitive, or as difficult, as you might think. This tutorial gets you started, with location ideas, composition tips, and technical know-how.

Read more on Shooting Nighttime Landscapes on The Photo argus

111 - Wildlife Photography

Never work with children or animals goes the adage, but wildlife is such a great photographic subject who wouldn't want to? This tutorial walks you through the kit you'll need, the practical side of taking photos in the wild, and how to get the most out of your pictures.

Read more on Wildlife Photography on Tutorial 9

112 - Surefire Landscape Photography

The epic landscape is a picture to behold. But how do you go about achieving one? These 11 key pointers should have you well on your way to getting there.

Read more on Surefire Landscape Photography on Digital Photography School

113 - Twelve ways To improve your Digital Landscapes

From when to shoot to a reminder that you won't always get the photo you're looking for, these 12 tips should help you to get the most out of your landscape pictures.

Read more on Twelve ways To improve your Digital Landscapes on Paxton Prints

114 - How to Catch a Humming Bird

If you want to try to capture a gorgeous, fast-moving, and tiny hummingbird, it's probably a good idea to read this guide first - it ain't easy. But when you succeed, it's like winning an award!

Read more on How to Catch a Humming Bird on Prong Horn Wildlife Photography

115 - Tips For Photographing Stunning Sunrise

Getting up early for a sunrise photo might feel like hard work, but the results can be stunning. These eight pointers should make it all worthwhile.

Interested? Check out Tips For Photographing Stunning Sunrise on One Side Photography

Lighting

Without lighting, there's no photography - but how do you get it all to work properly, and look as good as it can? There's plenty of writing about lighting on the internet - here's a smattering of the best.

116 - Strobist Lighting 101

David Hobby's website the Strobist is a great starting point for wannabe Speedlite photographers. His 101 is a great introduction to the magic of multi-strobe setups, but beware - you are liable to waste several days reading the wealth of information that's available on his site!

The whole nine yard's at Strobist Lighting 101 on Strobist

117 - Shooting & Editing a High Speed Fruity Water Splash

From the equipment that you'll need through to editing your final shot in Photoshop, this tutorial gives you the low-down on those gorgeous shots of fruit splashing into water.

Learn more by going to Shooting & Editing a High Speed Fruity Water Splash on Photo Tuts+

118 - How to Photograph Lightning

Capturing lightning can be tricky and you might not have that many chances. This tutorial, with its practical and technical insights, should help you get it right.

The full article is on How to Photograph Lightning on Weather Scapes

119 - How to take Photographs of Sunsets

Photos of sunsets are always popular. But how do you elevate yours above a holiday snapshot into something truly spectacular? This tutorial takes you through from beginning to end.

There's more at How to take Photographs of Sunsets on NYIP

120 - Don't let good light ruin a photo

When you're used to using artificial lighting, you sometimes miss the wood for the trees and forget about the awesome effect you can get with ambient light. Don't. Here's a reminder as to why ambient light can be just what you need.

Interested? Check out Don't let good light ruin a photo on Strobist

121 - Photographing Young Children with Low-Key Lighting

From the easiest lighting set-up to props that you'll need (including Mister Smiley-Face), this tutorial gives you a great overview of how to photograph young children in the studio.

There's more for you on Photographing Young Children with Low-Key Lighting on Studio on a Shoe String

122 - Why You Should Own an External Flash

If you've not yet been convinced as to why you need an external flash, this tutorial will show you just why you ought to skip off to the shops and add one of these to your shopping basket

Check out Why You Should Own an External Flash on Digi Diversity

123 - Professional Lighting in Model Photography

Interested in model photography with correct lighting? This short tutorial will help you understand various aspect and characteristics of lighting in model photography and how it works well.

Read more on Professional Lighting in Model Photography on Tutorial 9

124 - Studio Lighting Examples

Using a toy car as a model, this tutorial demonstrates the different effects that light placements will have on your studio photos. Super stuff, and makes it easy to grasp the concepts!

Learn more at Studio Lighting Examples on Worth 1000

125 - Painting with Light

Light painting is great fun and not that difficult. This article tells you what you need and how to go about capturing fun images in the dark.

Learn more by going to Painting with Light on DIY Photography

126 - Take Better Indoor Photos Using An Off Camera Flash

Flashes are great for ensuring that your pictures aren't black holes, but the light can be harsh and unflattering. This tutorial shows you how to take aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and type and direction of flash into consideration to get the best image.

Give it some love at Take Better Indoor Photos Using An Off Camera Flash on Expert Photography

127 - The 5 Lights of Nature

Photography is all about using the natural light correctly according to the situations and scenarios. This fantastic tutorial will help you underdstand the five major lights of nature which can ultimately will enable you take some stunning outdoor photos.

Interested? Check out The 5 Lights of Nature on Pixiq

128 - Shooting Photos in the Dark

Too dark to take photos? No such thing - this tutorial lays down seven basic principles to help you get the most out of pictures taken in the dark.

Interested? Check out Shooting Photos in the Dark on Photoshop Tutorials

129 - Homemade Light Box for Product Photography

If you want to give product photography a go, you'll almost certainly be needing a light box. You might not, though, want to go investing in one quite yet. So how about making one? Here's how.

Interested? Check out Homemade Light Box for Product Photography on Studio Lighting

130 - Master Photography Lighting

If you'd like to know how to capture rays of light in your photographs or how best to achieve a silhouette, take a look at this simple-to-understand article.

The full tutorial lives at Master Photography Lighting on HD Japan

132 - Glass Product Photography

Photographing anything in a glass container is fraught with peril. This tutorial begins with the kit that you'll need and takes you through the post-processing, ehm, process, to leave you with professional images.

Learn more by going to Glass Product Photography on Tim Kainu

133 - Photography Poses

Taking people photos are sometimes tricky as it is not easy to guess about the pose that might suit accordingly. In this tutorial five simple poses are discussed which can really help you in suggesting pose for variety of people.

Read more on Photography Poses on Digital Photography Tricks

134 - Photographing sunsets

Sunsets might play evil tricks with your camera, but if you follow the tips and advice in this tutorial, you'll get the better of the evening's last vestiges of light.

More at Photographing sunsets on Digital Photos Secrets

135 - Beginners Guide to Lighting Kits

Investing in lighting is a big undertaking. This guide demystifies what's available, what things do, and should help you to work out just what you need to get started.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Beginners Guide to Lighting Kits on Photo.net

136 - Understanding Basic Light Properties for Photography

Light isn't just light. It has different characteristics and comes in different temperatures from different sources. This tutorial throws some light on the subject. (Pun absolutely intended.)

Interested? Check out Understanding Basic Light Properties for Photography on Picture Correct

137 - Measuring Light

A lot of photography writing focuses on 'exposure', which is all fine and well, but what are you exposing for? In order for your camera to get the best possible photos, it needs the best possible light measurements. This article explains some of the theory - and a lot of practical aspects - of measuring light.

Find it all on Measuring Light on Dan Heller

138 - Golden Hour a Magical Time for every Photographer

The golden hour gives photos the most gorgeous warm glow. This tutorial will ensure that you can make the most of those magical two hours every day.

There's more on Golden Hour a Magical Time for every Photographer on Digital Photos Secrets

139 - 35 Photography Poses Tips/Tricks Guidelines

You might have the most attractive model in the world, but if she or he is badly posed it'll ruin your photo. These 35 pointers should help you avoid smelly armpits and two-headed bodies.

Find it all on 35 Photography Poses Tips/Tricks Guidelines on Free Digital Photography Tutorials

140 - Lightning Photography

This tutorial helps you figure out what you need practically and technically to get that perfect picture of lightning. It even has some neat post-processing ideas, too.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Lightning Photography on The Photo Argus

141 - Indoor and Studio photography

This tutorial is for those who want to excel in their abilities of indoor and studio photography. This is a step by step guide which goes over the basics to get you started.

Find it all on Indoor and Studio photography on Photo Tutsplus

142 - Using Fill Flash

You might hear the term 'fill flash' a lot but not know exactly what it is and why you might need it. Wonder no longer as this article explains what fill flash does and how it'll improve your pictures.

Learn more at Using Fill Flash on Digital Photography School

143 - Photographing Large Group in a Studio

If photographing one person can be demanding, taking pictures of a large group might feel impossible. But it isn't, and this tutorial will help you through it.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Photographing Large Group in a Studio on Studio on a Shoe String

144 - Shooting Glassware on a black background

Photographers are only successful when they are versatile in their abilities. The best photographers are able to produce mind-blowing images in all sorts of circumstances. Shooting Glassware on a black background is an cool exercise to get a firmer grip of your studio work.

Check out Shooting Glassware on a black background on Pixiq

145 - How to Paint with the Light in a Photograph

Want to have a go at light painting? It's a lot of fun! This tutorial shows you how, and gives you some ideas to get you started.

Get the full skinny at How to Paint with the Light in a Photograph on The Photo Argus

People & Portraiture

It it weren't for the fact that people can't seem to get enough of people, I doubt there was much photography at all. Unsurprisingly, there's also a load of writing about the subject online - here's a tasting menu of awesomeness.

146 - Portrait Photography

Photographers should take photography from all direction and from every aspect. Mastering photography in one specific field is never appreciated. You can take some stunning portrait photos if you know how to take them and add wow factor to your images. This tutorial helps you exactly the same way.

The full article is on Portrait Photography on Digital Photography Tricks

147 - Shooting an orchestra's portrait

One full orchestra, all of their instruments, and only 15 minutes to photograph it. How on earth do you go about that? This article explains it all.

Give it some love at Shooting an orchestra's portrait on Pixiq

148 - Wedding Photography

If you want to make a memorable wedding you surely will be looking for some amazing photographs. This tutorial will provide you with some really cool tricks and guide-lines about wedding photography.

Have a read at Wedding Photography on Media College

149 - A Beginner’s Guide to Candid People Photography

Posed portraits have their place, but there's something incredibly appealing about the candid shot. This tutorial shows you what to look out for and how best to capture that unexpected moment.

Get the full skinny at A Beginner’s Guide to Candid People Photography on Lights Talking

150 - How to turn Photos into Cinematic Portraits

If you fancy having some fun by taking an average portrait and transforming it into something overblown and cinematic, this tutorial gives you the step-by-step instructions you'll need.

Interested? Check out How to turn Photos into Cinematic Portraits on TutsPlus

151 - Try nude photography

Taking a portrait can be scary enough; but taking a nude portrait? Well, actually, it's a very challenging and interesting form of photography. These are my insights and recommendations from my experiences.

There's more for you on Try nude photography on Pixiq

152 - Wedding Photography

Wedding photographer Jeff Ascough talks about how and what he shoots, what kit he uses, his workflow, and the finished product in the demanding world of wedding photography. An insightful read if you're thinking of starting out there.

Learn more at Wedding Photography on Photo.net

153 - Wedding Photography

If you're considering embarking on wedding photography, you'll need to decide if you're heading down the more traditional or the more journalistic path. This article assesses the differences and helps you to decide which best suits you.

Read it all on Wedding Photography on Shutter Bug

154 - Tourism and Photographing People

Photographers are always on the move and those who love traveling along with photography will surely love this tutorial as it covers almost every aspect of photographing people and tourism.

Give it some love at Tourism and Photographing People on Dan Heller

155 - The Classical Portrait lighting setup

Main light? Fill light? Background light? Hair light? If you've ever wondered about the lighting set up for a portrait shoot, this tutorial explains all the terms, what they do, and why you need them.

Read it all on The Classical Portrait lighting setup on Pixiq

156 - Introduction to Portrait Lighting

This excellent tutorial uses roll-over images to show you exactly the properties of different lights and the effects of light placement on your portraits. A must-read.

Find it all on Introduction to Portrait Lighting on Cambridge in Colour

Photoshop and Editing

Very few photographers see 'photography' as a purists' artform anymore. It's a rare image that doesn't stand improving a little through a little bit of Photoshop (or, in my case, Lightroom) tickling - and here's an impressive array of tutorials to get you started.

157 - Fantasy art tutorial

This tutorial walks you through the post-processing steps that you need to transform an ordinary portrait into a water-nymph fantasy-styled picture, complete with stars. Now where did I leave those unicorn stock photos?

More tasty treats at Fantasy art tutorial on Lorelei Web Design

158 - Taking Clone Photographs

A very exciting and cool tutorial about combining clone photos to a single image. This gives your picture and interesting and fantastic look.This also adds some fun element to your snaps.

There's more at Taking Clone Photographs on Net Glos

159 - Replacing a Background with The GIMP

This tutorial shows you how to use GIMP to replace the background of an image so that quickly-snapped portrait can lose the clutter behind it and look a whole lot more professional.

Check out the full tutorial on Replacing a Background with The GIMP on Gimp Guru

160 - Grunge & Dark Art Tutorial

This tutorial shows you how to transform a perfectly normal, healthy looking subject into a clone of the legions of the undead. Perfect for Hallowe'en!

Read more on Grunge & Dark Art Tutorial on Dubtastic Blog

161 - 10 Easy Steps to Advanced Photography Skills

The title says it all: simple steps that will help you to improve your photography. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, you'll find something of value amongst the collection of tips, tricks, and advice.

Read all about it on 10 Easy Steps to Advanced Photography Skills on Smashing Magazine

162 - Gradient Mapping for Better Landscape Photos

By using the gradient mapping tool, you can transform images that are a little on the flat and dull side into something with a bit more zing. This tutorial shows you how in 12 steps.

There's more at Gradient Mapping for Better Landscape Photos on Wipeout 44

163 - Fresh Photo Manipulation Tutorial

Do you fancy applying a bit of surrealist, Dali-type effect to your photos? This tutorial gives you some ideas and shows you how to do it.

Read all about it on Fresh Photo Manipulation Tutorial on Noupe

164 - Colouring an Old Black & White Photo

You probably have a stack of old photographs lying around that you'd love to have a go at retouching and giving a bit of colour. This tutorial shows you how to do just that.

Read more on Colouring an Old Black & White Photo on Tutzor

165 - Creating a Searing Hot Effect

Using a combination of the ripple, wave, and displace filters, this handy-dandy tutorial shows you how to give your pictures a sizzling heat-haze effect. Smokin'.

Check out Creating a Searing Hot Effect on 123RF

166 - Fast and easy facial retouching

This six-step tutorial shows you how to remove blemishes and smooth out skin tones to give an okay portrait a much more professional look - and to make your models look just that little bit more model-like.

Give it some love at Fast and easy facial retouching on TutsPlus

167 - Repairing an old photograph

You can restore life to your old photographs using this fabulous tutorial. It'll guide you through the entire process to repair them, from retro-broken to current-fantastic. Your grandparents will thank you.

There's more on Repairing an old photograph on Show and Tell Graphics

168 - Sharpening Techniques Explained

You've heard the term 'sharpen' before, but what does it mean for your photos? Why and how can you apply it to them? This tutorial explains all of that, and even gives you a few different methods to sharpen your images.

There's more at Sharpening Techniques Explained on Car Photo Tutorials

169 - Fake tilt-shift photography

Creating photos that look like miniatures is done through a technique called tilt-shift photography. If you don't have the hundreds of dollars that a proper T/S lens costs kicking about, then maybe a spot of Photoshop can help you along. This tutorial shows you how.

Read more on Fake tilt-shift photography on The Unofficial Apple Weblog

170 - Five ways to speed up Lightroom

If you're a little frustrated because Lightroom seems to be running slowly, here are five top tips to help speed up your post-processing software and workflow.

There's more at Five ways to speed up Lightroom on Pixiq

171 - Creating Sleepy Village Photos

You can have a lot of fun by merging together several different images to create something entirely new. This tutorial gives you the step-by-step instructions you need to achieve the finsihed product.

Get it all on Creating Sleepy Village Photos on TutsPlus

172 - Changing a model's hair colour

Well you don't have to visit a hairdresser anymore to colour your hair, especially when you want to impress your friends. You can easily do that in your Photoshop just by using few magical tools. Visit this tutorial if you want to learn it step by step.

Get the full skinny at Changing a model's hair colour on Photoshop Tutorials

173 - How to Tweak Images

Have you heard of the puppet warp tool in Photoshop? It enables you to alter the placement of key features in images, for example leaf stems or limbs. This tutorial shows you how to amend slightly awkward arm angles or deal with lines that are suffering from lens distortion.

Get it all on How to Tweak Images on TutsPlus

174 - Optimizing the look of your HDR images

So you've heard of HDR and you've seen just what it does to photos, but how do you recreate it yourself? This tutorial takes you through the process of creating an HDR photo, step-by-step.

Get more at Optimizing the look of your HDR images on Pixiq

175 - Using Layer Masks to Create Unique and Fun Images

Once upon a time, if you wanted to create a composite image you needed to expose a single frame multiple times. Not so anymore, there's Photoshop. This tutorial teaches you what you need to know.

There's more at Using Layer Masks to Create Unique and Fun Images on Paxton Prints

176 - Creating Dreamy photos

There are two skills related to photography. First skill works when you take your photos and your second skills come into play when you start editing them. This tutorial shows you how to add a touch of 'dreaminess' into your shots.

Get more at Creating Dreamy photos on Stock XCHNG

177 - Sharpening your photos using Unsharp Mask

The term 'unsharp mask' might seem completely counter-intuitive to use to sharpen images, but it's not, really! Here, you get told the origins of the term, why you need to sharpen your images, and are shown how to do it.

Read more on Sharpening your photos using Unsharp Mask on Pixiq

Printing & Exhibiting your work

So you've taken the photos... What next? Time to make some presents, post 'em online, or create a gallery show.

178 - Exhibiting your Work

For some photographers, the pinnacle of their career will be an exhibition of their work. This tutorial tells you what to expect from exhibitions, when and when not to exhibit your work, and how to promote yourself.

Learn more at Exhibiting your Work on Photoshop Tutorials

179 - Why Prints Can look Bad

If you have recently changed cameras, there are a whole host of reasons why your prints might not look as good as they used to. Trouble-shoot your way back to perfect pictures with this tutorial.

There's more at Why Prints Can look Bad on Dan Heller

180 - How to win photography competitions

Seven invaluable tips from yours truly (who's judged enough photo competitions to write a blog post) on how to catch the judges' attention and win that coveted prize.

The whole nine yard's at How to win photography competitions on Pixiq

Topic-specific tutorials

So far, we've been covering photography from a generic point of view - but of course, that's not how we take photos. Tutorials shine especially when the time comes to learn a specific new technique. Let's have 'em...

181 - Water Waves Tutorial

If you're going to be making waves with your photography... Okay, yeah, I went there. Photographing waves is a cool exercise in studio work - it combines a fast-moving subject with advanced lighting techniques, the risks of working with a 'wet set', and a huge amount of patience - it's not that hard, though, and the results can be rather fabulous. Give it a go!

Get more at Water Waves Tutorial on Chris Nuzzaco

182 - Infra Red Photography

So you've heard about infrared photography and you'd like to give it a go. But where do you start? And where do you end? This tutorial walks you through it.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Infra Red Photography on Galits

183 - Panoramas and Photomerge

A very good tutorial about panorama photos, featuring a good collection of picture stitched together to show an extended view of landscape. The in-depth instructions in the article help you get started - and the extra little bit of inspiration included in the article comes in handy, too!

There's more at Panoramas and Photomerge on Second Picture

183 - Doll Photography Tutorial

Photographing dolls might seem quite specific, but this tutorial provides useful information on general product photography. Don't overlook it just because of the niche subject matter.

There's more for you on Doll Photography Tutorial on American Doll Outfitters

184 - Easy Water Photography

Photographing water is never the same twice; it's fun and challenging. This tutorial gives you lots of ideas and takes you through the process of capturing coloured water droplets.

Get it all on Easy Water Photography on Free Photo Sources

185 - Night Photography Step by Step

Your adventures don't stop when the sun goes down, and your photography shouldn't have to either. Night photography can record beautiful scenes that have a fairytale world feel to them when compared to their daytime counterparts. This 6-page guide shows you how.

Get it all on Night Photography Step by Step on Photography about.com

186 - Photographing Smoke

There might not be a 'right' way to photograph smoke, but there are some tips and recommendations to help you get the most out of it. These are some of the best.

The whole nine yard's at Photographing Smoke on Pixiq

187 - Smoke Photography Tutorial

This tutorial takes you through capturing awesome photographs from everyday smoke sources. There are some fabulous pictures to set alight the flame of inspiration, too. Break out those incense sticks, sing some Kumbaya, and take it from there.

There's more on Smoke Photography Tutorial on Designzzz

188 - Basics of HDR photography

Which kinds of photos work well for HDR; which don't? What do you need to create HDR images and how do you go about it? This tutorial explains it all.

The full article is on Basics of HDR photography on Emmett Lollis

189 - How To Photograph Comets

With everything from rough dates of meteor showers to required kit, this tutorial guides you through everything you need to capture gorgeous images of shooting stars, comets, and meteors.

More tasty treats at How To Photograph Comets on Free Photo Sources

190 - Macro Photography

Taking close-up photos of small and things is always an amazing experience especially when you start enjoying it. This tutorial will provide you with useful information and tips about macro photography.

More tasty treats at Macro Photography on Photo Net

191 - How to take Worlds Best concert Photos

How do you get that iconic rock photograph? Once you've got yourself into the pit and snapped the picture that freezes time in low-light, how do you make some money from it? This article reveals all!

Read more on How to take Worlds Best concert Photos on Photo Shelter

192 - The Complete Guide to Shooting Farming Agriculture

This one wins the prize for most bizarre tutorial: How to take photos at farms. I have no idea why anyone thought this was a good idea, but it's actually pretty well written, and the photos are nifty, too.

Find it all on The Complete Guide to Shooting Farming Agriculture on Photo Tuts+

193 - Night Photography

Night Photography isn't exactly easy, but it makes for great pictures. This tutorial will help you to get the best pictures out of low-light situations.

The full article is on Night Photography on Photoxels

194 - Hunting for superior mirages

Ever seen a superior mirage? It's a mirage in the sky above an object, rather than below it. They're awesome to photograph, if you get the chance. This guide helps you find them, and them capture them with superior results.

Read all about it on Hunting for superior mirages on Weather Scapes

195 - Food photography on Wikipedia

Want to know how to make drinks sparkle, keep green vegetables looking green, and glasses stay frosty? This article is full of the sneaky tricks used by food photographers.

The whole nine yard's at Food photography on Wikipedia on Wikipedia

196 - Making a time-lapse

Making a time-lapse is fun and with Small Aperture's excellent step-by-step guide, you'll be having a go in no time. Sunsets never were this awesome!

Get more at Making a time-lapse on Small Aperture

197 - Introduction to Lomography

Off-kilter, bleeding colours, slightly blurry, but definitely fun. It's lomography. Want to have a go at it yourself? This quick and easy guide shows you how.

Read all about it on Introduction to Lomography on Lights Talking

198 - Car Photography That Sells the Car

Most of us are probably taking photos for fun or 'just for the art of it', but what happens when you actually need to go the whole hog into the world of commercial photography, as the photos are going to be used for 'something'? Photographing cars is one of those instances - if you've ever browsed eBay for second-hand cars, it's easy to see how huge the variation is in the quality there's available. This tutorial helps you along.

More at Car Photography That Sells the Car on Car Photo Tutorials

199 - Camera Toss Photography Techniques

If you're confident that you won't drop your camera, camera tossing can create some beautiful photos. If you'd like to give it a go, take a look at this tutorial.

Check out Camera Toss Photography Techniques on Designzzz

200 - Photographing Buildings a Guide

Architecture is an abundant photographic resource - it completely surrounds you. So why aren't you taking more beautiful photos of buildings and bridges? Maybe because you think it's difficult? This tutorial takes the stress out of it.

Get the full skinny at Photographing Buildings a Guide on Free Photo Sources

201 - How to Take the Perfect Spring Flower Macro Photograph

Flowers are fab photo subjects, and even better in macro. Want to have a go at some floral close-ups? This guide will get you started.

Learn more by going to How to Take the Perfect Spring Flower Macro Photograph on Lights Talking

202 - Underwater Photography

I'm a complete convert to underwater photography. But it is very different from shooting on dry land. If you want to give it go, read this first!

Get the full skinny at Underwater Photography on NYIP

203 - How to Photograph The Moon

So you like macro photography, do you? How about doing the exact opposite: Photographing outer space? Even just as an experiment, you can learn a lot from attempting to get a good shot of the moon - and this article shows you how to, er, shoot for the moon.

Get it all on How to Photograph The Moon on Photo Tips

204 - 13 Steps for Shooting The Perfect Water Droplet

Photos of water droplets aren’t hard to come by. Flickr is littered with them and although some might look impressive, they all seem to have very similar composition and formation. However, the techniques used to capture a water droplet may not be second nature to all of us and the skills learned here will undoubtedly be applicable to other photographic situations. Here are 13 steps to getting the technique right!

There's more on 13 Steps for Shooting The Perfect Water Droplet on Photo Tuts+

205 - Camera Skills Night Photography

Lighting is what makes or breaks a shot, writes the author, so it's a little ironic that night is one of my favorite times to shoot. I totally know where you're coming from - and this article is a lovely guide to stumbling through the darkness with your camera.

Learn more by going to Camera Skills Night Photography on Worth 1000

206 - HDR Explained

This tutorial explains what HDR is, what you'll need to take HDR pictures, and then how to ut it all together when post-processing for that overall HDR effect.

Get it all on HDR Explained on Free Photo Sources

207 - How to Photograph Macro Water Droplets Splashes

Photographing water droplets is an easy way to drive yourself mad, but you might be able to avoid plenty of hair-pilling and head-scratching if you read this guide first.

Read more on How to Photograph Macro Water Droplets Splashes on Hypergurl

208 - Photographing Waterfalls

With some great technique tips, for example ensuring that your images aren't too dull or too busy, this tutorial helps you ensure that your waterfall photo isn't just another waterfall picture.

Read more on Photographing Waterfalls on Luminous Landscape

209 - How to Take Great Photos of Holiday Lights

Want to take great photos of the lights on your Christmas tree, or of your Chanukiyah? This tutorial is full of advice to getting it just right.

Interested? Check out How to Take Great Photos of Holiday Lights on NYIP

210 - The Ultimate Guide to HDR photography

What is HDR photography? How did it come about? What does it mean for your pictures? This guide explains the mysteries of high dynamic range.

Give it some love at The Ultimate Guide to HDR photography on Pixiq

211 - Photography Secrets from One of the World's Top Shooters

Photography secrets from Joe McNally shares a series of stories behind some of his best shots: a great behind-the-scenes insight into some lovely photographs. A great inspiration, and best of all: you may even learn a few things!

Read it all on Photography Secrets from One of the World's Top Shooters on Creative Pro

212 - Food photography for Amateurs

This food blogger takes one image of a plate of food and deconstructs it critically, explaining just how it can be made better. This makes for an excellent read in both constructive criticism and good food photography!

Read more on Food photography for Amateurs on Jenn Cuisine

213 - The Complete Guide For Photographing Live Insects

Some photographers prefer their insects for macro photography to be standing still - but that doesn't mean you have to kill 'em to get a decent photo! This guide gives you an insight into how you can capture live insects

The whole nine yard's at The Complete Guide For Photographing Live Insects on DIY Photography

214 - Auto Racing Photography

Fast cars and race tracks make for brilliant photos, but how do you get involved and how do you go about it? This tutorial gives you lots of ideas, pointers, and advice.

The whole nine yard's at Auto Racing Photography on Luminous Landscape

215 - Winter Photography Tutorial

Winter scene photographs look amazing, but what about getting the exposure right for snow, or your camera coping with the cold? This tutorial comes with advice a-plenty to ensure you get that perfect snow landscape.

The full article is on Winter Photography Tutorial on Picture Correct

216 - Beginners Guide to Sports Photography

Want to have a go at sports photography? This tutorial goes through equipment basics, composition, what to expect when you're at a game trying to capture images, and post processing.

Check out the full tutorial on Beginners Guide to Sports Photography on TutsPlus

217 - Concert Photography

Concert photography - if you're mad enough to try it, what with nothing staying still and the light being low - is monumentally rewarding. Want to give it a go? Start here!

Read more on Concert Photography on Pixiq

218 - How To Photograph Bubbles

To quote Jaques the Cleaning Shrimp from Finding Nemo: Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles! My bubbles!. Erm, yes. (can you tell I've been spending just a tiny bit too long writing descriptions about photography tutorials? Especially awesome because I have my doubts whether anyone will ever read far enough down this list to actually read this, but hey. I did set out to do 250 tutorials, and by jove, will I complete this herculean task). Anyway - this tutorial is called how to Photograph Bubbles, and you win today's top prize if you're able to guess what it covers.

Read more on How To Photograph Bubbles on Learn My Shot

219 - Abstract Photography

If you want to make some cool, dramatic images you should read this fantastic tutorial. It'll help you to approach photography from a new, abstract angle.

There's more at Abstract Photography on Ron Bigelow

220 - Rural Photography

Rural photography isn't just about landscapes. There're plenty of details to pick up on an stories to tell. This guide will get you started. Strap on your wellington boots, dig out your flatcap, and let's get started.

More tasty treats at Rural Photography on Digital Photos Secrets

221 - Night Photography

From using reflections, to light painting, to cooling down and warming up images, this is a pretty comprehensive guide to taking pictures at night. Now where did I leave those night-vision goggles?

Read it all on Night Photography on Photo.net

222 - Getting started with Time Lapse Photography

Photography, from its very infancy, has been great at the art of either freezing or 'flowing' motion. Time lapse photograpy bridges the gap between motion and stop-motion, between photography and video, and between the real and the uncanny. This is a lovely introduction to the art - and a great little article to boot.

There's more on Getting started with Time Lapse Photography on Picture Correct

223 - Shooting in Low light Situations

These four pointers will help you get the best out of your low-light shots, helping you to think about composition as well as develop some practical skills.

Get it all on Shooting in Low light Situations on The Photo Argus

224 - An introduction to Food Photography

What does it take to make a plate of food look good enough to eat? These eight top tips let you in on the secrets of successful food photography.

There's more for you on An introduction to Food Photography on Digital Photography School

225 - Spectacular Night Shooting

Getting great shots at night isn't as hard as you think it might be, despite the relative lack of light. If you follow these five steps, you'll be well on your way.

Learn more by going to Spectacular Night Shooting on Digital Photos Secrets

226 - Smoke Photography

Starting with the equipment that you'll need and taking you right the way through to post-processing to capture some delicious-looking smoke photographs, this tutorial is a lovely starting point for smoke photography!

More at Smoke Photography on Paxton Prints

227 - Shooting in the Rain

A downpour doesn't necessarily mean that you have to put away your camera. This guide to rain photography helps you to freeze raindrops, to create a background haze with rain, and to have some fun with soft focus.

Have a read at Shooting in the Rain on The Photo Argus

228 - Moon Photography

We love the moon...' except that it isn't always easy to photograph. This tutorial gives you six invaluable tips and plenty of inspiration to get it right.

Can't get enough? Read it all on Moon Photography on Dan Heller

229 - How to photograph fireworks

Want to know how to capture the gorgeousness of a fireworks display? These ten tips will guide you through tripods, framing, and exposure to help you get it right.

Give it some love at How to photograph fireworks on Digital Photography School

230 - High speed Photography Tutorial

With equipment lists, hand-drawn diagrams, and photos to aspire to, this tutorial tells you everything that you need to know to get started taking photos of things moving at high speed.

Get more at High speed Photography Tutorial on DIY Photography

231 - Photographing Star trails

If you'd like to have a go at making a time-lapse of the night sky or photographing star trails but aren't sure where to begin, try here. There's lots of useful information and plenty of inspiration.

Get it all on Photographing Star trails on Dan Heller

234 - Lomo Photography Tutorial

You know, you don't have to spend money on a Lomo-camera to create lomo-style images. Nope! With good old post-processing you can get that Lomo-look. This tutorial shows you how.

Read more on Lomo Photography Tutorial on Digital Photography School

Photography Theory

A lot of the stuff we've had so far is rather practical, but what if you want to learn some of the theory of what goes on behind the scenes? Do not despair, my fellow photography comrades, here's a load of theory for you to enjoy!

235 - How to Get Tack Sharp Photo Images

What does it take to achieve pin-sharp images, both technically and practically? This guide sets out the basics, looking at shutter speeds, focal length, and more.

The whole nine yard's at How to Get Tack Sharp Photo Images on Apogee Photo

236 - What is ISO?

If you're new to photography, ISO can seem this arbitrary scale that has some sort of effect on your pictures. This guide explains what ISO is and how it can have an impact on your images.

The whole nine yard's at What is ISO? on Small Aperture

237 - Understanding White Balance

If you come from the world of film, you may remember using filters to correct for incandescent or fluorescent lighting. Most people didn't bother and their indoors pictures invariably came out with a yellow/orange or bluish cast. In the digital world, these correction filters are no longer necessary, replaced by a feature found in most -- even the entry-level -- digital cameras called, White Balance. Here's an article explaining the whats, hows and wherefores

There's more at Understanding White Balance on PhotoXels

238 - What is shutter speed?

What sort of effect will adjusting your shutter speed have your pictures, both technically and creatively? This short tutorial has some answers - and a light dusting of inspiration, too.

Read it all on What is shutter speed? on Small Aperture

239 - Photography illustrated

A fun and unusual take on teaching photography, this site takes a couple of cartoon characters explaining photography to each other, and turns it into a somewhat-readable guide to various aspects of photography. I'm not a big fan myself, but several of my readers e-mailed the link to me, saying it helped them out - so why not!

Get it all on Photography illustrated on Worth 1000

240 - What is a small aperture?

What is a small aperture? How will altering the aperture of your lens affect your photos. This quick and easy guide should answer those questions.

Read more on What is a small aperture? on Small Aperture

241 - What is white balance?

Knowing what white balance is, how it affects your pictures, and how to control it can make a huge difference to your pictures. This introductory guide will help you out.

There's more for you on What is white balance? on Small Aperture

242 - Infra Red Basics

Infra red photography is a great challenge - and enables you to take a couple of steps into the world of the arcane and unreal-looking. With a side helping of awesome. Here's how...

Read more on Infra Red Basics on Worth 1000

243 - Understanding Lens Contrast

Many photographers — even some experienced and knowledgeable ones — seem permanently confused about contrast, especially when the word is used to describe lenses. This article thoroughly rectifies that situation, and is well worth a read if you're interested in having a deeper understanding of lenses and what you're looking for when you buy one.

There's more at Understanding Lens Contrast on luminous Landscape

244 - 8 steps to sharper pictures

I personally love this tutorial as it has helped a lot of photographers get a firm grip on how to produce sharp images without using any specific software such as Photoshop or Lightroom. 8 Simple and easy to follow steps to make difference in your images.

Check out the full tutorial on 8 steps to sharper pictures on Pixiq

245 - Your pictures; your rights, redux

This article sets out the difference between copyright and licensing rights, and highlights what you need to look for when signing licensing rights deals, even if it's only to display your pictures on a photo-sharing website.

Interested? Check out Your pictures; your rights, redux on Small Aperture

246 - Understanding Polarizing Filters

There are a lot of photographic efects you can re-create digitally easily enough... Polarisers isn't one of them, so if you're planning to take the leap into the world of landscape photography, you could do a lot worse than buying one - and learning how to use it.

Check out the full tutorial on Understanding Polarizing Filters on Cambridge in Colour

247 - Understand digital camera Sensors

For the geek among us, learning how a camera sensor actually works is very interesting indeed - this guide talks you through some of the details about how to make it tastier.

There's more at Understand digital camera Sensors on Cambridge in Colour

248 - White Balance Basics

Digital SLRs do a great job of figuring out white balance for you, but sometimes they don't get it quite right. If you understand the principles behind white balance, and how to control it yourself, your photography will come on leaps and bounds. This guide will get you started.

Can't get enough? Read it all on White Balance Basics on Paxton Prints

249 - Your pictures; your rights

What is copyright? When do you need a model release? If you want to use your images commercially, what do you need to know? This quick-and-dirty guide should help you out.

Read more on Your pictures; your rights on Small Aperture

250 - Understanding Camera Lenses

This tutorial sets out the basics in lens composition and focal length. It talks you through zooms and primes and it covers apertures. When you're starting out with glass, start here.

Get the full skinny at Understanding Camera Lenses on Cambridge in Colour

A big thank you

This epic post couldn't have happened without the help from Daniela and the rest of the Small Aperture gang. If you liked this post, head over to Small Aperture, and subscribe to the RSS feed right away. You know it makes sense.

News in brief: Do people not have anything better to do with their money?

Why on earth would you pay $1,000 for a lens that you can’t use? Even if it is Leica and has been transformed into a work of art? Actually, especially if it had been made by Leica. Yeah some students at Leica, as part of their graduation project, made art out of a discontinued Tri-Elmar-M 28-35-50mm lens and a 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lens by splitting them in two. Valued at $4,500 and $3,700 respectively when whole, the Tri-Elmar sold for $995 on eBay. There are some things in life that I just don’t understand…

(Headsup to Engadget)

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

Your pictures; your rights, redux

In the immediate aftermath of the TwitPic photo-selling furore it became clear that there can be a great deal of confusion regarding terms and conditions (T&C), terms of service (ToS), terms of use (ToU), or any other terms that you have to agree to when you sign up to any kind of photo-sharing oojimaflip.

When it comes to ToS, the devil is most definitely in the detail, and at one of our reader’s request, I’ve put together a guide to what to look for. As ever, I have to state that I’m not a lawyer; all I have to go on here is my own experience of using photo-sharing sites and, heaven help me, previous experience of drafting ToS.

Copyright and licensing rights

The first thing to get straight is that there’s a difference between copyright and licensing rights. If you take a photo (or compose a song, or write a story… you get the picture) you own the copyright to it. That means you have the right to have that photo attributed to you and you can say how, where, and when you want it reproduced, if at all.

On very rare occasions, you can sign away your copyright to your creation – and in fact I did this quite recently when the copyright of a project that I wrote was attributed to the company for whom I completed the contract, not to me as an individual – but it’s usually in very specific circumstances.

Licensing rights, on the other hand, are what you, as the copyright holder, use to allow people to use your images (or your words or your music &c). If someone wants to publish your photo, you provide them with a licence to do so. There are a plethora of different types of licence out there, which serve different purposes, allow different things, and have different implications for you as a copyright holder. Hence the confusion.

Why you need a licence, part I

You’ve been away on holiday to Mauritius and you have a selection of the most incredible photos showing the places that you visited, the food that you ate, and the sights that you saw. You want to share them with your family, your friends, and to be honest, anyone who wants to take a look because you’re really proud of a few of them. So you sign up to the photo-sharing website SooperPix that’ll let the world at large marvel at your artistic genius.

You have to sign a licence. You own the copyright to these pictures, which means that you have to grant SooperPix the right to display them on your behalf. If you didn’t, it wouldn’t be able to host them on the website and let the world look on awestruck at your awesomeness.

The issue of course is what type of licence SooperPix asks you to sign.

Licences of Awesome

If SooperPix is actually SooperDooperPix, it’ll use a licence that’s similar to Flickr’s (who recently reconfirmed their users’ rights), or Mobypicture’s, or Focussion’s, or 500px’s, or in fact a lot of other cool photo-sharing places out there. It’ll say that you grant it a licence for the purpose of displaying them on the website. The licence might even specifically state that it won’t sell your images. Here are the examples of the licences from those four websites I mentioned:

Flickr:

With respect to Content you elect to post for inclusion in publicly accessible areas of Yahoo! Groups or that consists of photos or other graphics you elect to post to any other publicly accessible area of the Services, you grant Yahoo! a world-wide, royalty free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, modify, adapt and publish such Content on the Services solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting the specific Yahoo! Group to which such Content was submitted, or, in the case of photos or graphics, solely for the purpose for which such photo or graphic was submitted to the Services. This licence exists only for as long as you elect to continue to include such Content on the Services and shall be terminated at the time you delete such Content from the Services.

Amongst all the legalese, the key phrase here is ‘solely for the purpose for which such photo or graphic was submitted to the Services.’ You submitted the photo to share it publicly. That’s all that Flickr will do with it. (When it mentions modifying or adapting, that concerns how the image is encoded, and being able to see it in different sized versions.) It’s not going to sell on your photo.

Mobypicture:

All rights of uploaded content by our users remain the property of our users and those rights can in no means be sold or used in a commercial way by Mobypicture or affiliated third party partners without consent from the user.

Focussion:

Your photographs are (and should be) your own, you keep all your rights on them. By using our site, you give Focussion a license to use your work for the functioning of this site (e.g. to display the pictures to our visitors, and to enable comments on them).

500px:

By submitting photographic or graphic works to 500px at Upload page to your profile you agree that this content fully or partially may be used on 500px web-site for promotional reasons (such as photos at home page). By doing so, 500px will comply with the Canadian Copyright Act, which means your work will be properly attributed or quoted. No photographic content, emails, and other private information will be sold for any reasons by 500px.

Those last three sets of ToS are pretty clear I think.

Licences of Evil

However, if SooperPix is just a masquerade for SooperEvilPix that really wants to be able to sell your images and not let you profit from that sale, the licence will read slightly differently. It’ll probably say that you’ve granted SooperEvilPix, and maybe its devil-spawn affiliates and its unwashed friends as well, a licence to reproduce your images. There won’t be a caveat about ‘for the functioning of the site’, ‘the purposes for which you uploaded them’, or explicitly state that it won’t sell on your pictures. TwitPic’s ToS is a great example of this:

You retain all ownership rights to Content uploaded to Twitpic. However, by submitting Content to Twitpic, you hereby grant Twitpic a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and Twitpic’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels.

Yes, you keep your copyright, but you’ve lost out on your licensing rights. It, and pretty much anyone else it chooses, can sell your image to anyone it likes and take the proceeds from it. You’ll be acknowledged as the copyright holder, but you won’t see a penny for your creativity. As far as I am concerned, this takes advantage of people and their creative pursuits. It’s most uncool.

An example of a website that we all know, but perhaps don’t all love, which has a ToS that’s open to interpretation is FaceBook:

For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (“IP content”), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (“IP License”). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.

I’m not keen on that statement, which is why I don’t have any images on my practically-never-updated and very-infrequently-visited FaceBook page. The chances of one of my images landing itself on a billboard as part of a nation-wide campaign advertising probiotic yoghurt are virtually nil, but dammit, if it does, I’d quite like to profit from it, thankyouverymuch.

Why you need a licence, part II

After reading the ToS, you signed up to SooperDooperPix and gave them the licence to show off your photos to the world. Life is great: your memories are there to relive and for your loved-ones to enjoy. Things get even better when WorldsAway Luxury Holidays spots one of your idyllic holiday sunset photos, and wants to use it to headline its campaign encouraging everyone to visit Mauritius. (Aren’t you pleased that you went before the ad campaign?) They contact you and ask if they can use the photo.

You agree to terms that lets them use your photo. What you’ve done is grant them a licence. It’s a different licence to the one you granted to SooperDooperPix. This licence can take lots of different forms (how they can use the image, for how long, those sorts of things) – and you might want to get a lawyer to take a look at it – but what you’re doing here is giving WorldsAway Luxury Holidays permission to use the photo in return for payment. If you didn’t grant them a licence they’d have to look elsewhere for a picture.

If you’d actually signed-up to SooperEvilPix, the situation would be a bit different because you’ve given SooperEvilPix a different licence. WorldsAway Luxury Holidays wouldn’t approach you for a licence to use the picture; they’d approach SooperEvilPix. You wouldn’t be involved at all. You wouldn’t agree the terms and you wouldn’t see any money out of it. Yes, you hold the copyright, but in this instance not the licensing rights.

It’s all a bit biblical, because licences beget licences, but hopefully you get the picture. (Ahem.)

Finally

The key thing here is to read ToS carefully and give away as little as possible. You want to hold on to as much authority governing your creations as you can. If you’re not sure of how the terms can be interpreted, don’t sign up to them. There are plenty of good guys out there who do want you to profit from your own creativity, so you’ll find a site that meets your needs.

Please note: all of the information and quotations here were correct when I published this. Things change, just like TwitPic’s ToS did. And I’ve not gone into Creative Commons. That’s a whole other essay and this one is epic enough.

News in brief: Flickr re-confirm user rights

After TwitPic’s recent brush with licence grabbing, a few other photo sites have gone under the loupe – and Flickr decided to post their response to the issue in their most recent blog post.

‘There has been some discussion on the web as of late about image ownership on photo sites so we wanted to take a moment to address this on Flickr,’ the blog post notes drily.

In their official statement, Flickr say that they ‘feel very strongly that sharing online shouldn’t mean giving up rights to your photos,’ and continue to confirm that their terms of service only includes a licence required by Flickr to operate its service – specifically, it ‘grants Flickr the right to (…) create the small, medium, and large sizes, display your photos on the site, etc. It doesn’t mean that we own them. When you upload your photos to Flickr, you retain the rights to your images.’

That’s the spirit, Flickr. Well done.

There’s more on the official Flickr blog.

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

When not to use your flash

It always amazes me how often people just leave their flashes turned on all the time – or, more accurately, how great people’s faith is in the camera’s ‘automatic’ setting. To wit: I recently had the pleasure of dragging myself out at bed before dawn to photograph the sunrise at the legendary Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. Now, this temple is famous for being beautiful and facing west, which makes it great for sunrises. Multiply that with the fact that Angkor Wat is a tourist trap of epic proportions at the quietest of days, and you might imagine that the place attracts a fair few people.

I got to the location by the light of my flashlight – and slowly the sky started changing colors, as the sun was climbing its slow ascent past the horizon. Unsurprisingly, lots of my fellow tourists were taking photos of the sunset. Surprisingly, a huge proportion of them were taking photos with a flash.

When is a flash useful?

All flashes have a ‘guide number’. This is a number given in feet and meters, and gives a good indication for how far away you can expect the flash to reach. Typically, for a compact camera, the flash range will be 5-7 meters (16-23 ft). The pop-up flash built into an SLR camera can have a range of 10-15 meters (32-49 ft) at the most, and EVIL cameras tend to fall in between the compact cameras.

A flash having to be fully charged and fired at full power isn’t great for your camera’s battery life, and it takes a relatively long time to cycle the power (i.e. from taking a photo, until your camera is ready to take another shot), which isn’t all that helpful when you’re standing around waiting for your camera so you can take another picture.

In general, it’s recommended to try to keep your flash at around 50-70% of its output – this tends to be a nice balance between flash charge time, and battery usage. This means that on a compact camera, you should only expect about 3 meters (10 ft) of useable flash range. That’s perfect for indoor snapshot portraits when it’s dark, and not for a lot else.

If you want a flash that charges faster and has significantly more power, start looking for an accessory flash.

When’s the flash not useful?

The built-in flash isn’t very powerful – so unless you are taking a photo of someone that’s close enough that you can throw a stuffed animal at them, turn off your flash.

Whatever you do, don’t be one of the hundreds and hundreds people at a famous landmark after sunset, taking photos with your compact camera with the built-in flash turned on: There’s no way your flash is going to reach that building 600 yards away, so you may as well save your battery…

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News in brief: It’s all about the final result

I stumbled across a lovely article by ctein on The Online Photographer, where he talks in great detail about a rather bloody fantastic image.

“Making that photograph was a significant challenge”, he writes, and explains how he managed to push the boundaries of what was physically possible in photography, in order to to capture a picture of a space shuttle back in 1975.

In all the hard work he did to get the photo, he learned a brutal lesson… the story of which is definitely worth a closer read…

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

News in brief: Street photography and approval

Just stumbled across a great article by Kirk, about approval, tacit approval, implied approval and how it all applies to street photography.

The article discusses basic law in the US, what you’re able to do (and not to do!), along with a great discussion about the what, hows, and wherefores.

One part that particularly rang true with me was the following:

Sometimes I’ll see something I like and I will try to make eye contact with the person if I am too far away to speak to them. Doesn’t happen often because I’m most likely to be using lenses shorter than 85mm and that puts me close enough to be sociable. The deal I make with myself and the rest of society is this: If I’m part of society I need to understand that there are some unspoken rules that we all (to some extent) share. One of those is to respect a person’s sense of security and safety. Another is to respect a person’s circle of comfort and finally a respect for a person’s ability to control their own public image. I may have the right to do something or take a photograph of someone but that doesn’t give me the ethical or moral strength to create unpleasant situations for the subjects.

The rest of the article is well worth a read as well – Read the full story on the Visual Science Lab.

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

No TwitPic, licensing grabs are not okay

If I had a TwitPic account, which I don’t, I’d be feeling somewhat on the angry side right about now. Following a sly amendment to its terms of service and a deal it has just done with WENN news agency, if you upload an image to TwitPic, you also grant it a licence to sell your images. Charming. Oh, TwitPic is very keen to point out that you get to keep your copyright, which is all fine and dandy. But selling your work and taking all the proceeds from it is not.

In case you want some clarification on that, here’s the relevant guff from the terms of service:

However, by submitting Content to Twitpic, you hereby grant Twitpic a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and Twitpic’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels.

No, that’s very, very not good.

There is, however, some hope.

A much more user-friendly Mobypicture

Have you heard of MobyPicture? No? Well you have now. It does pretty much the same thing as TwitPic – in fact it probably does more as it lets you upload pictures to FaceBook, Flickr, and a few more sites besides, in addition to Twitter – but it has a much more user-friendly terms of service:

All rights of uploaded content by our users remain the property of our users and those rights can in no means be sold or used in a commercial way by Mobypicture or affiliated third party partners without consent from the user.

Move over TwitPic, Mobypicture is heading your way.

Looking death in the eye

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Which photos are suitable for publication? And which aren't?

When the news broke that Osama bin Laden had been killed in a raid on a complex in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by a crack team of US Navy Seals, there seemed to be two main questions: one, how on earth had the Pakistani authorities not noticed his presence; and two, when would the White House release photographic evidence of bin Laden’s death?

I’m not going to speculate on the issue of the Pakistani intelligence service. This is a photography news site, after all. (Although it is always worth remembering that one of safest places to hide anything is in plain sight.) But I followed with interest the unfolding saga of the images, from the fakes to those of other people killed in the raid. Initially, my opinions were on the ambivalent side of ‘they probably shouldn’t release a photo of his body’. But they gradually began to solidify into a more definite, ‘no, they really shouldn’t’.

I recalled the furore, and indeed my own sense of disgust, when images of Saddam Hussein’s sons’ battered faces were splashed across newspapers in July 2003. The release of those photographs was intended to reassure those who were nervous or to prove to those who were sceptical that they really had been taken out. But those images either didn’t or didn’t need to prove anything. People who were fearful would not feel safe until they actually were safe; people who were sceptical would remain so, picture or not.

Now, as then, the rhetoric remains the same. A photograph of bin Laden’s body will not satisfy anyone who doubts that he really is gone; there is enough distrust in the motives and the modus operandi of the White House administration to render a photograph very flimsy evidence indeed. For anyone who does believe that he’s gone, a picture is hardly a necessity. But the significance of whether bin Laden is gone or not doesn’t rest in a photograph; it’s in the consequences of the operation, and how people react to it.

The more that I thought about it, the more that I could only see an image of bin Laden’s body becoming a grotesque and vaunted hunting trophy. This is not what evidence is supposed to be and the degradation of another human being to that extent seeks only to brutalise us as people; it takes us a long way from justice.

No, that image was best kept under wraps.

Then something happened yesterday that made me see things from a different, and more intense, perspective. Wouter Weylandt, a Belgian professional cyclist who rode for the Leopard-Trek team was killed on the descent of the Passo del Bocco in the Giro d’Italia. According to the reports, it was an horrific crash that shattered his skull even with the protection of a helmet. And out of respect for his loved ones, the specialist press and quite a few of the major news outlets aren’t carrying photos of the crash. Try Cycling News; try Cycling Weekly; try the BBC; try even Reuters. Yes, that very Reuters that bayed for pictures of bin Laden’s body and showed images of the other men shot in the Abbottabad compound.

From a news perspective, these are two very different scenarios. We are comparing the death of the man dubbed the world’s most wanted with that of a 26 year old sportsman. They are universes apart in terms of international impact. Yet they have their similarities, too.

Aren’t they both some mother’s son?

Dehumanising bin Laden might, somehow, enable us to rationalise his actions and his ideology, but he didn’t spring fully formed from the whirlwind of Eris. No, he was flesh, and blood, and bone, and he had a family. Regardless of how I view bin Laden and his contempt for human life and dignity, I’m struggling to justify treating his family any differently from that of Weylandt’s. He chose his career path, a high-risk one of brutality, destruction, and grief with the potential of a savage end; but his family did not. However you choose to interpret bin Laden’s death – a gross violation of political sovereignty and a political assassination, or a valiant act of redemption – his family does not deserve to suffer the indignity and humiliation of seeing their son’s, brother’s, or father’s bloodied and broken corpse spattered across every newspaper and screen on the globe.

Weylandt knew the risks of his profession; cycling, just like a lot of other sports, is a dangerous business. He met a tragic and untimely end doing what he loved and in the knowledge that it might just possibly turn out that way. Yet the press has thought better than to make his family deal with shocking and distressing images of the crash whilst they’re wading through torrents of catastrophic emotions.

The goalposts appear to be different here and I’m not sure if the choices of individuals can justify such disparate approaches when it concerns the treatment of their families. No one exists in isolation, and we, as photographers, should be aware of the bigger picture.

Very little in life, or in death, is governed by absolutes. To say that no images of death should ever be published would be a foolhardy statement; we would be setting ourselves up for a monumental fall there. But I am convinced that we should always default to a position of restraint and respect, if not for the subject of the image then at least for those with whom she or he shared a life. Humanity will thank us for it.

A zoom lens is never wide or long enough

I was taking photos at Angkor Wat in Cambodia yesterday with my Olympus E-P1, and noticed something about my pattern of taking photos: Most of the time, I'm taking pictures either fully zoomed in, or fully zoomed out. It was annoying me, because I figured that showed a weakness in the lens: Basically, it was never wide - or long - enough for the photos I really wanted to take.

Then I continued thinking, and I was wondering - isn't that true whenever I take photos with a zoom lens? So I thought up a little test - by going through my Lightroom library and doing a spot of statistical analysis.

Compact cameras: 81% fully zoomed in or out

When I analysed my images, I realised that my compact camera images, especially, were prone to shooting at full zoom. 75% of my photos are shot fully zoomed out - which makes sense, and is probably a conscious choice: All my compact cameras have variable aperture lenses, so they are brighter when it's at full wide angle. I didn't realise quite how often I shoot at fully wide, however, and a full three-quarters of my images were a surprise to me.

I guess a corollary of the above explains how only a measly 6% of my compact camera images are taken at full zoom.

SLR images: 62% fully zoomed in or out

The difference for SLR images was slightly less than that for my compact images. 44% of the photos are taken fully zoomed out, 18% are shot at full zoom, and a more reasonable 38% are taken somewhere in between.

Of course, I make no secret of my love for prime lenses - and a huge amount of the images in my library are taken with primes. I decided to exclude them from the statistical data, but if they were included, obviously the results would have been skewed significantly towards 'at the end of the zoom range'.

But what does it mean?

The idea I had is that whenever I shoot at one of the extremes of my zoom lens, it means that I brought the wrong lens. If I was shooting with a 28-135mm lens, and 'perfect' exposure was at 44mm, I would shoot at 44mm, right? Similarly, if I shoot at 30mm or 130mm, I'm still inside the zoom range, so I chose to shoot at that particular focal lengths. When I end up taking pictures at the extremes of the zoom lens, it probably means that I didn't choose the focal length: it was made for me, by the focal length limitations of the lens.

I have no idea if I'm a typical photographer or not, so I don't know if my finding is universally applicable, or if it's just a quirk in my photo style, but none the less...

It dawned on me then, that I'm often more frustrated when I use a zoom lens than when I'm shooting with a prime. Perhaps the main difference is that when I'm taking photos with a prime lens, I've grown used to the limitation - it takes the challenge of zooming out of the equation, and if the 'perfect' focal lengths is outside the very limited 'range' of my prime, I am happy with the fact that I made this choice. Whereas when I'm taking photos with a zoom lens, the limitations are my own dumb fault, for picking the wrong zoom range.

Just goes to show, I suppose, that sometimes you can feel more free with greater limitations than with greater freedom...

Methodology

In my library of more than 15,000 photos, a lot of them were taken with my Canon Powershot S95 in an underwater housing. Because the underwater housing doesn't have any zoom settings, they were per definition taken at fully zoomed out, so that discounted nearly 1,000 photos from this data. In addition, a lot of my photos are taken with prime lenses - 50mm or 100mm primes, mostly - so I took them out as well (although some might argue that a prime lens is per definition 'fully zoomed out', and could be counted). I then wrote a little script that checks whether each photo is taken within 1mm of the extremes of the zoom range of each lens. (so, for a 70-200mm lens, it checked for photos taken at wider than 71mm and narrower than 199mm).

The resulting data, I dumped into a spreadsheet for analysis. The sample size is 4,913 images, taken with 10 different zoom lenses. 71% of the images were taken with SLR cameras, and the remaining images were taken with a series of different compact cameras.

produce wholly or in part without a license. More info.

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© Kamps Consulting Ltd. This article is licenced for use on Pixiq only. Please do not reproduce wholly or in part without a license. More info.

Leica (not) in bed with Apple

So the internet has been a-twitter about the Black Design Associates concept which marries a Leica M9 with an Apple iPhone, creating the Leica I9 concept. The idea is that you’d use Leica optics and sensors, but your iPhone to control the camera.

It’s a pretty nifty idea, although chances of Leica going for anything like this are beyond slim – Leica tend to make cameras for the ages, and Apple aren’t known for their open standards: Nobody knows whether the iPhone 5 will have a shape (or connector) anything similar to the iPhone 4. Besides, it’s not like Leica to interface with anything.

Having said that, I do hope that someone, somewhere, decides to make one of these cameras – the screen on the iPhone 4 is legendary, and slotting it into a dozen-megapixel camera with some decent optics would be hellatasty indeed. Something for Panasonic, perhaps? Do it!

More info on Engadget!

Meeting mr. Ray

12 meters under the ocean, in a ton of Scuba gear. My Canon Powershot S95 is loaded into the underwater housing I reviewed a while back. We've only just come down the mooring line at Koh Bon, just off the coast of Thailand, in the Andaman sea.

Suddenly, one of the divers in my group shouts. I laugh - someone shouting under water does work, but it's not a very useful way of communicating. When I'm laughing, my mask gets water in it, and I clear it from my dive mask, whilst looking in the direction the diver is pointing.

Out of the blue, I can see an enormous animal. Three meters across, easily. It's a Manta Ray, and it is coming toward us. Slowly. Gracefully.

What can I say. Wildlife photography is one thing. Wildlife photography in the ocean, where animals either don't know or don't care what you are, is something different altogether.

One things is for sure - it's a dive I'll remember the rest of my life.

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© Kamps Consulting Ltd. This article is licenced for use on Pixiq only. Please do not reproduce wholly or in part without a license. More info.

News in brief: Cities, Time lapsed

It can be no secret that the crew here at Small Aperture are big fans of Timelapse photography… so when Dominic Boudreault created one of the finest examples we’ve seen in a long time, we decided we just had to share it with you!

Turn up those speakers, set your screen to Full HD, sit back, and gawp at this…

Timelapse – The City Limits from Dominic on Vimeo.

In his own words: ‘I shot this timelapse montage from late 2010 through early 2011, it’s one year in the making, and my goal was to show the duality between city and nature.’

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

News in brief: The super-big medical CMOS sensor

Yesterday the world’s tiniest medical camera had its five minutes of editorial fame; today it’s the turn of the world’s largest CMOS sensor that’s basking in the lime-light. It’s been called DynAMITe (Dynamic range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology) and is 12.8cm square. It’s about 200 times bigger than your average computer chip.

It’s been developed by the brainy peeps at the University of Lincoln. The idea is that it should aid detection of cancer tumours and better chart their responses to radiation. More brainy peeps at the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital are looking at how to make it even more effective. Not sure when it’ll reach hospitals quite yet.

(Headsup to Engadget)

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

April photo competition winner!

We’re sorry that it has taken us longer than usual to announce the winner of April’s photo competition. Haje was struggling for connection to the intergoogles whilst idling on a boat somewhere off of Thailand (hard life, isn’t it?) and then we had our customary email avalanche to decide on a winner. But we’ve got there! We found a picture featuring a part of the human body that made us go ‘Oooh!’ So, Ladies and Gentlemen, please raise your glasses to April’s winner…

The Rickshaw Puller, by Sakshi Kumar

Many congratulations to Sakshi Kumar for his photo The Rickshaw Puller! Drop me a note, Sakshi, and I’ll arrange for you to collect your prize from the amazing Fracture.

Also, this month, we’d like to give an honourable mention. It’s the first time that we’ve done this, but it’s our competition, so why not? Well done to Kevin Thornhill for his photo Entwined in Love:

It’s a compliment to all of you who entered that we took so long to find a winner.

May’s competition is up and running. The theme’s insects. All the details are here, though. Fracture are providing a fabulous prize again, so please do submit an entry!

Groovy USB film rolls

I might be in a permanent grump about the poor design of USB sticks, and how they take up too much room when they’ve been slotted into the side of my laptop and interfere with other things I want plugged-in, but I think that I can forgive these babies their bulk. The guys at Photojojo have taken to upcycling used film canisters into USB sticks. How cute are they?

They’ve 4GB of storage, which is up to 1,000 photos, and cost $20. You won’t know which variety of film you’ll get though. Maybe something from Fujifilm; perhaps something from Kodak. 24 or 36 exposures? Who knows!

Head over to the always-fab Photojojo for one.

(Pics are of course from Photojojo.)

News in brief: The itty-bitty medical camera

Having cameras shoved in various parts of your anatomy isn’t exactly a pleasant experience, so the smaller the things, the better. I’m thinking that a 0.99mm diameter camera, with a 0.66 x 0.66mm CMOS sensor and 45,000 pixels of resolution is a pretty good deal.

It’s been developed by the Israeli company Medigus for use in disposable instruments where they need tiny cameras. Things like cardiology or robotic surgery. Astonishing!

(Headsup to Engadget)

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.