Could Yahoo! be engineering Flickr's demise from the inside out?

Yahoo! undertook a mass cull of staff late in 2010, of which a significant percentage were Flickr staff. A little over a year on and it would seem as if that were insufficient; another bundle of Flickr staff have just lost their jobs. This time it's the entire senior tier of customer support that's been asked to pack up their desks.

This is a group of gifted and committed people, according to previous Flickr-employee Nolan Caudill. They had fairly thankless jobs, but always had Flickr's and its users' best interests at heart. Consequently, he's convinced that laying them off was a huge mistake on Yahoo!'s part. If that's the case, what sort of justification can the management at Yahoo! be offering?

It's easy to think that they reached tipping point with the number of gut-wrenching screw-ups that some of the customer support team at Flickr accomplished, for example deleting entire accounts of long-standing users, and claiming that there were no back-ups and couldn't be re-instated, or not double-checking DMCA take-down notices before removing legitimate content. But if this group of people is as talented and dedicated as Caudill says that they are, then they're the guys who are trying to make Flickr better for its users, help prevent these sorts of screw-ups, and rectify them when they do happen. Had it been these guys who were responsible for these sorts of epic blunders, then really, action should have been taken against them well before now.

From Caudill's perspective, the people who were laid off were Flickr users' biggest advocates. They helped to fix the bugs inadvertently whipped up by developers and presented the user-eye-view of Flickr at product and development meetings. They knew more about the site, its operation, and its foibles than anyone else. So with them, an encyclopaedia of Flickr-knowledge has just walked out the door and Flickr won't be getting it back. That's a huge loss.

Now this could just be a case of naivety, if I'm being kind - mis-management, if I'm blunt - on Yahoo!'s part. But I've a feeling in my gut that it's possibly a bit more sinister than that. What if Yahoo! were attempting to precipitate Flickr's own demise? There have already been concerns raised for Flickr's future - its failure to capitalise on the social media revolution and a general sense of Flickr feeling old and tired; the loss of other valuable staff members; and the sense that Yahoo! doesn't have its best interests at heart. By showing the door to a group of people who understood the site and understood its users, management has lost one its most valuable assets. Without their knowledge and support, the erosion of everything that made Flickr great for its users will be all too easy. If that were to happen, and users were to lose confidence in Flickr, then it's an easy step to close it.

If Yahoo! really doesn't have the enthusiasm to support Flickr or the guts to compete with 500px, Google+, and Facebook, then this is a gloriously Machiavellian and distinctly long-term plan to bring about its end. But it's probably a whole lot easier to steadily vex the owners of five billion photos to the point where they have no confidence or interest in Flickr any longer, than to infuriate all of them in one go by pulling the plug without any obvious catalyst. A steady stream of disappointed emails, or better yet the constant drift of apathetic users, is far easier to deal with than a vehement deluge of complaints, especially when you don't have an experienced customer support team to handle it.

I'd love for this speculation to be the product of my over-active imagination, but I've seen something similar happen to other organisations and institutions, so I'll sit and watch, and make sure that I've a Flickr alternative lined up. Just in case.

25 time-lapse videos reeking of awesomeness

I've recently done a lot of work on the Kickstarter-funded gadget I invented; the Triggertrap. Among other things, it does timelapses. I'll be honest; before I started work on the Triggertrap, I never really saw the appeal of them, but in order to create a good project, I spent a lot of time on the Interwebs, scouring for good Timelapse projects.

Let's just say that I've found out what the appeal of timelapse photography is. It's hard to put into words without using superlatives, so I'm not going to try - instead, I'm going to introduce you to twenty-five of the most incredible Timelapse videos I've found...

Enjoy!

1. Landscapes: Volume Two

Dustin Farrell's "Landscapes: Volume Two" is one of the most breathtaking timelapse videos you will ever watch. Shot in Arizona and Utah with his Canon DSLR, it is a magical masterpiece which captures every detail and holds your attention.

Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

2. Hero

Miguel Endara's "Hero" is an enchanting timelapse of the photographer drawing a portrait of his father. Over 3.2 million ink dots were used and the video records each one as he draws.

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

3. The Mountain

Filmed on Spain's highest mountain, "El Teide", this is a stunning look at the Milky Way. Rich colours, boiling clouds and a vibrant soundtrack help make this one you should watch.

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

4. The Aurora

This is a timelapse video of the Aurora Borealis shot in Russia. This is incredible viewing and the shimmering colours are beautifully realised. The brooding soundtrack taken from the film "Gladiator" compliments it perfectly.

The Aurora from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

5. Earth from Space

This is a stunning video of the Earth made from photos taken from the International Space Station. Watch the Aurora Borealis pass over the United States at night, views of California, the Phillipines and Middle East. Amazing stuff.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

6. San Francisco to Paris in Two Minutes

This is an incredible timelapse of a plane flight from San Francisco to Paris. The changing landscape is amazing to watch and it has to be seen to be believed.

On Vimeo

7. Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - - May 1st and 2nd, 2010

This is a cinematic timelapse of the Icelandic volcano which erupted in May 2010. The swift transformation from placid to eruption looks like something out of a Hollywood movie and makes for must-see viewing.

On Vimeo

8. Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

This is a timelapse of the lunar eclipse in December 2010, taken in Florida. The blood-red moon is a sight to behold and the event was captured brilliantly.

On Vimeo

9. El Cielo de Canarias / Canary sky - Tenerife

This timelapse is a fascinating look at the Tenerife sky from Daniel López. There are some beautiful scenes of clouds crossing the mountains and of the night sky. Enchanting.

On Vimeo

10. The Longest Way

This is a funny and original timelapse video from Christoph Rehage, a man who spent a year on foot. Watch how he goes from clean-shaven to a shaggy beard.

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

11. Bathtub IV

This timelapse is one for anyone who has fond memories of Thunderbirds. Watch a dramatic oil rig rescue and be amazed at how similar it is to the show. Was Gerry Anderson around?

On Vimeo

12. Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam

This is a mind-boggling look at traffic in Vietnam. If you thought your morning commute was bad, look at this. Brilliant stuff.

On Vimeo

13. Compressed 02

Kim Pimmel's "Compressed 02" is an enchanting, eerie timelapse of soap bubbles combined with ferroliquid. The haunting soundtrack will give you the shivers.

On Vimeo

14. A Day in California

This is a fascinating look at a day in California. Made from over 10,000 photos, this is a wondrous timelapse for you to enjoy.

On Vimeo

15. Light Writing Proposal

This is a sweet, touching timelapse of an engagement proposal created in lights. It just makes you want to go awww.

Light Writing Proposal from Derick Childress on Vimeo.

16. The Water

Filmed during August 2011 in Norway, this is a great capture of a Norwegian fjord. You'll love the contrasting textures and colours. The photographer has done a fantastic job here.

On Vimeo

17. A Day at A Walmart Store

This is a fascinating look at a day in a Walmart store. Watch the store erupt into a hive of activity and then die down again. Brilliant stuff, and a timelapse which makes you think.

On Vimeo

18. "Freedom Gundam" - 4 foot papercraft

This is an interesting look at the creation of a 4 foot gundam, a character from Japanese anime. Made with paper, this is something no one taught you in school.

On Vimeo

19. December 2010 Blizzard

If you thought snowstorms were just a minor nuisance, you haven't seen anything like this. This is an amazing look at a blizzard seen from one man's garden.

On Vimeo

20. The Arctic Light

This is a magnificent capture of a light show seen in the Arctic. The powerful soundtrack is a great accompaniment to the bold colours that emerge onto the scene. Wonderful stuff.

The Arctic Light from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

21. Manhattan in Motion

This is an exciting and fast-pace timelapse of busy New York, taken from all over the city. Fans of the urban should watch this.

On Vimeo

22. New Meadowlands Stadium

This is a great look at a changeover from the Jets to the Giants (two American Football teams). Watching the stadium slowly fill up and then empty just as quickly as it began is a sight to behold.

On Vimeo

23. MÖBIUS

A collaborative sculpture in Melbourne, Australia, this is a quirky and cartoon-like timelapse for you to enjoy.

MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

24. Virgin Atlantic Livery

This is a fun look at one of Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747's being repainted. Thirteen days of work are compressed into a three-and- a half minute timelapse video. Amazing to watch.

On Vimeo

25. Bryant Park

This is an amazing timelapse video of an American park. Watch how quickly the park fills up before disappearing back again. Lovely to look at.

On Vimeo

Your turn... Got any other gems that I've missed? That's what the comments are for!

When freedom of expression trumps copyright

Imagine the situation: you're the editor of a newspaper or news website covering the conviction of a mother for the murder of her child through neglect. The story is grim and gruesome, but you think that including some compare-and-contrast photos, showing the child in years gone by, happy and healthy, as well as in the hideous conditions in which he was left to die miserably, is in the public interest. But, the only images of him happy and healthy are the copyright of the mother. And the child's grandmother is protesting that seeing these images will cause her distress. What to do?

Well, according to Lord Woolman, sitting at the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland, publishing the images is entirely legitimate. In this instance, freedom of expression, and with it the public interest, trumps both copyright and the right to privacy.

Lord Woolman was ruling on whether or not the BBC was justified in publishing six images of Declan Hainey, who was murdered by his mother Kimberley, that had been referred to by witnesses in court and showed Declan in happier times. Now, Section 45 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (CDPA) allows for the media to reproduce copyrighted works if reporting on parliamentary or judicial proceedings, but whilst the images of the child had been used as evidence in court, they weren't placed on the court's document imager and neither were they displayed to the public in court. So it wasn't necessarily that clear-cut. In Lord Woolman's opinion, however, because the images had been used as evidence, they had effectively been published in open court. Furthermore:

The BBC only intends to use the photographs for the purpose of reporting the trial. In my view, were it necessary to do so, the public interest in the proper and full reporting of this case is sufficient to 'trump' any right of the copyright owner.

Round 1, then, goes to the public interest. So what about privacy? Lord Woolman's opinion was that privacy also took a backseat to the public interest, but only in so far as images of the boy alone were concerned. When it came to images of Declan with his grandmother, they weren't deemed in the public interest and the BBC had no justification in reproducing them. That would have been a step too far.

I wonder what Leveson would have to say about all of this?

(Headsup to The Register, and if you want to read the full ruling, it's here.)

25 Flickr accounts worth following

Flickr is a wonderful resource for up and coming photographers and also has a solid group of advanced photographers on their site. It's easy to use, a great way to show off your photos, yadda-yadda-yadda. To me, the most exciting thing is that there's so many fabulous and unusual photographers on there to keep your creativity challenged. So, every year, I spend a bit of time exploring photographers I've missed so far... So, to follow up from my 50 amazing Flickr streams from 2009, my 100 awesome Flickr streams from 2011, here's my 25 of my new-found treasure-troves on Flickr, to do 2011 proud...

Photo: That Sinking Feeling by Rosie Hardy

1. Rosie Hardy: Rosie is a London-based photographer that has been a constant on Flickr for a few years now. She is a professional photographer that has mastered the art of photo manipulations. Her stream is always awe-inspiring. Check out their Flickr stream

2. Kelly Webster: Kelly is a self-portrait photographer that got her start with a 365 Day Project. She quickly went from beginner photographer to advanced in a matter of months. Her photos have strong concepts, and are technically gorgeous. Check out their Flickr stream

3. Meagan Jaskela: Meagan is an up and coming photographer that has used her photographs to tell the story of her teenage years. Her photos are incredibly honest. Check out their Flickr stream

4. James Fitzgerald: James is one of two brothers that appear on this list. He is a portrait photographer that has the ability to capture the true essence of his subjects. Check out their Flickr stream

Photo: L Nyman by Parker Fitzgerald

5. Parker Fitzgerald: Parker is James's brother, and he produces beautiful work as well. He works with both digital and film and all of his photos have a vintage feel to them that is simply magnificent. Check out their Flickr stream

6. Alexis Mire: Alexis coined the term 'self portrait therapy' and it is an event that she takes part in often. Her self portraits are full of emotion and make her audience feel just what she is feeling. Check out their Flickr stream

7. Brooke Shaden: Brooke Shaden is a force to be reckoned with. Her photos have appeared in major publications and recently were even a part of Project Imagination. She is a photo manipulation artist and has some of the most original concepts on Flickr today. Check out their Flickr stream

8. Allison Scarpulla: Allison's photographs come straight from a dream. Her photos are so fantastical and dreamy that often times her audience wonders how she creates such beauty. Check out their Flickr stream

9. Tessa Mayer: Tessa has made it her job to photograph her sister Ava. The little girl appears in the majority of Tessa's photos and together the sister pair create gorgeous memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. Check out their Flickr stream

Photo: Untitled by Taya I

10. Taya I: Taya has only been on Flickr for a small amount of time, and doesn't have many uploads yet, but so far, her stream is full of incredible self portraits. Check out their Flickr stream

11. Alex Stoddard: Alex is a wonderful photographer that is not afraid to take risks. His photos take him all over his state just so that he can find the perfect setting for his perfect, dreamy photographs. Check out their Flickr stream

12. Brian Oldham: Brian is Alex's boyfriend, and he too, takes photos with breathtaking settings. His concepts are strong and well thought out, and he executes his photos perfectly. Check out their Flickr stream

13. Masha Sardari: Masha doesn't upload to Flickr that often, but when she does, people flock to her photos extraordinarily quickly. Her photos tip toe on the edge of the surreal, but still manage to have a real factor about them that draws people into her photographs. Check out their Flickr stream

14. Rockie Nolan: Rockie Nolan is an up and coming fashion photographer. Set to graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design within a year, she has a promising career ahead of her that all started on Flickr. Check out their Flickr stream

Photo: Untitled by Jessie Roth

15. Jessie Roth: Jessie is a 365 Day Project finisher and she still uploads photos to Flickr on a regular basis. Her photos are mostly self portraits, and they are all incredibly raw and beautifully honest. Check out their Flickr stream

16. Sandy Honig: Sandy Honig is studying photography in NYC and has a future career in photography. Her photos range from self portraits to powerful street photography. Check out their Flickr stream

17. Karrah Kobus: Karrah is a portrait photographer that will blow your mind. Her photos have such a professional feel to them, that it is hard to believe she is a young photographer. Check out their Flickr stream

18. Sarah Ann Loreth: Sarah is also a photo manipulator. Her photos are set in dream-like settings with highly original concepts. Check out their Flickr stream

19. Anna Szczekutowicz: Anna is a Polish photographer that lives in America, but travels often. Her photos are mostly self portraits, but they are so intriguing to look at due to her frequent travels and her pure honesty in front of her camera. Check out their Flickr stream

Photo: A Technicolor Ghost II by Lauren Withrow.

20. Lauren Withrow: Lauren started her career on Flickr a few years ago, and since, has began shooting signed models and gaining exposure in the fashion photography world. Check out their Flickr stream

21. Theo Gosselin: Theo is a true artist that can work with light. All of his photos have the most amazing lighting. He has definitely mastered the art of capturing the sun. Check out their Flickr stream

22. Elizabeth Brooke: Elizabeth is another photographer that uses her sister as her main model. Together, the pair create beautiful masterpieces that will leave you breathless. Check out their Flickr stream

23. Maryclaire Roman: Maryclaire has learned how to make simple portraits amazing by combining good lighting with beautiful models. Check out their Flickr stream

24. Elizabeth Gadd: Elizabeth might live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. She takes gorgeous self portraits with colorful mountains and streams in the background that make every photographer envious of her homeland. Check out their Flickr stream

25. Lissy Elle: Lissy is also one of the younger photographers on this list, and she has such a bright future ahead of her. Her photos are the true incarnations of colorful dreams and nightmares. Check out their Flickr stream

Flickr is home to some pretty fantastic photographers. It is a wonderful place to begin learning about photography and gaining exposure. These twenty-five photographers are a great example of Flickr's thriving community that can help photographers gain a large following.

Oh, and if you want to take a look at my Flickr stream, you're more than welcome to!

A note on copyright: The photos-of-photos in this post are used under the 'criticism and review' provision of UK copyright laws.

Lytro + Apple = next thing in camera phones?

Late last summer I was sipping a beer with a friend when we began to muse over the question 'Where next for Apple?' Apple isn't exactly a company that's easy to second-guess, if it were, it wouldn't be where it is now. But hey, a touch of speculation is a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon. My friend laid his friendly pound on deeper app development, whilst I wagered, really quite unoriginally, that it was likely to be something photographic. If Apple were to hook up its tech know-how with the photographic know-how of another company, it could well be onto something. I think that the necessity to fetch more beer interfered with the discussion of the 'something' and which company it might be happy to get into bed with, but now it seems as if it weren't all that an outlandish conjecture.

Yesterday, Ars Technica reported how a new book by Adam Lashinsky, Inside Apple, reveals that Steve Jobs saw that Lytro's light field technology could be just the thing to push photography, and the iPhone, in the direction that he'd envisaged. In June last year, Ren Ng, Lytro's CEO, met with Jobs and discussed what collaboration could mean for them both.

Think about it: a fixed focus lens with a sensor that can manipulate focus and depth of field after the fact, which would allow for snapping photos even more on the move than the iPhone already manages.

But that little insight isn't all. In an interview with PC World, Lytro's Executive Chariman, Charles Chi, was candid about Lytro's capability to get involved with camera phone manufacture. It's something that holds a lot of possibilities for them, but isn't somewhere Lytro could go alone. It would have to be in partnership with a company that knew its camera phone onions. No, Chi didn't name any names.

If any of the big camera names are going to want to develop light field technology, my immediate response is that they'd much prefer to do it under their own steam rather than in conjunction with another company. But what better way would there be for Lytro to really make an impact than by combining with Apple? And somehow it just feels right that light field technology should make its way into camera phones. There's something about the spontaneity of iPhoneography that means it would benefit enormously from the ability to make light-field-type adjustments after the event.

And it would seem that there's the desire on both sides for this, too.

(Headsup to both Ars Technica and Engadget)

Sony's sniffing around a stake in Olympus

It's all rumour and speculation right now, but the word on the Intergoogles is that Sony is negotiating a captial-and-business alliance with Olympus, which should help Olympus out of its current cash-flow crisis brought on by a financial scandal of epic proportions.

The deal has been reported by Japanese business journal Diamond Weekly and suggests that Sony, which already has a 0.03% stake in Olympus, could lay out for upto 30% more, with particular interest in its medical imaging division.

Some kind of alliance had been mooted by the senior execs at Olympus last year, when its cash-flow problems and financial mis-management almost saw it de-listed from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. There's now no immediate threat of that happening, as the Tokyo Stock Exchange placed Olympus on probabtion for three years, but it still needs to find some cash from somewhere. It seems as if Sony might've made the Olympus board the best offer.

If the deal were to go ahead, we'd likely hear about it from a press conference some time next week. But I suppose that there's always time for Fujifilm get in on the act.

(Headsup to TechCrunch)

Picnik's been rained-off by Google

When people asked me to recommend a free and easy editing suite to them, I'd answer 'Picnik' just about every time. It's helped me out of the occasional pinch before now, too. But from 19 April this year, no more. The sandwiches are gone, the hamper needs to be rescued, and the blanket folded away: Picnik, which was bought out by Google in 2010, is being washed away in an April shower. (If you use Google Message Continuity, Sky Map, Needlebase, Social Graph API, or Urchin, they're all on their way out, too.)

According to the Picnik team, they are going to be working on things that are 'even awesomer' at Google. Quite a few of Picnik's capabilities are already available in the Creative Kit attached to Google+, so I'm thinking that this is going to ramped up even more. If that's the case, it's another indication of Google's attempt to corral us into using its social media platforms and not to play away anywhere else.

As for the millions (at least that's what I'm estimating) of photos that are stored in Picnik, their creators can zip them into a file and deposit them on their desktop using Picnik Takeout. It'll work right up to 19 April, and can used as many times as they want. Or of course, they can move them straight to Google+. (Knock me down with a feather, I never saw that one coming.)

For anyone who'd shelled out the $24.95 premium fee, which added a slew of filters, textures, and the ability to touch up photos, as well as a few other toys to the standard editing package, a full refund awaits. It doesn't matter when your renewal is due, you get back every cent.

And between now and D-Day, the premium features are free for everyone to use.

The Picnik blog will keep people updated on what's happening, but I've until 19 April to run for cover and find new free-to-use and won't-drive-you-entirely-crazy online photo editing software that I'm happy to recommend to people.

Team Picnik - good luck, and I hope that your next ventures are indeed even awesomer.

Writing good press releases - a quick and dirty guide

Stirrups... leg up... helping each other out... okay I'll get back in my box

Every week a stream of emails tumbles into my inbox attempting to convince me to cover numerous products, services, or projects that are somehow going to revolutionise the photographic industry, alter my life beyond my wildest expectations, or maybe even bring world peace.

As a general rule, most of the literature that I get to wade through is well written and well pitched, so it executes its intended purpose with aplomb. But sometimes, PR people just get it wrong. At best it can be sigh- or groan-inducing; at worst, you might hear an anguished scream released into my Twitter stream. Of course, it is far better to actually do something about the phenomenon of poor PR, instead of just moan. So in the interests of the betterment of society, here's my idiot's guide to producing reasonable PR that shouldn't leave journalists and writers everywhere banging their heads on their desks.

1. Provide a concise, accurate précis.

In the first paragraph of your release I want to know exactly what your product, project, or service is; why it is going to change my life in heretofore unimaginable ways; and just how it is a revolutionary upgrade on its predecessor, if it has a predecessor. If it's filling a hole in the market, tell me that, instead.

2. Include images.

I write about photography. I'm immersed in an image-based community. I, and dare I say it the people who read what I have to write, want to see what a product looks like and just what it can do. Reading about it is not enough. Don't make me go on a wild goose chase for useable images. Either attach some to the email or provide a link to downloadable examples. Even if you're just announcing something as mundane as corporate appointments, include a decent-sized version of the company logo.

3. Think about your language.

The tone of the language that you use in your PR acts as a key reflection of your company, how it operates, and what it stands for. Some companies are fluffiness incorporated and I expect their PR to reflect that by being informal and relaxed. On the other hand, some companies are going to use far more formal language. Both are entirely acceptable, and so are the infinite points in between. All you have to be is appropriate.

However, your text must not, under any circumstances, be dry or dull. You do not want me to fall asleep when I'm reading it. That's no way to sell a product, even if it can control the International Space Station in its spare time. Do not, whatever the temptation, use a smiley. I don't care how fluffy you are, you still need to be professional. If you want to use humour, I won't complain, but ensure that I laugh with you and not at you. Finally, do not talk down to me. I'm not stupid.

4. Provide your PR in good time.

Breaking an embargo is more than our professional reputations are worth, but in order to provide timely, accurate coverage that does justice to whatever radical product you're launching, we really do need to receive the relevant information ahead of the scheduled release. Put the embargo across the top of the literature in big red letters, and send it out a day or two in advance. We'll honour the embargo and thank you for the advance notice.

5. Provide background information.

Who, what, where, why, and when. If you're a small or new company, provide me with some background information that tells me about you, your history, and your philosophy. It makes you far more approachable and will help to bring to life whatever I write. You don't have to include the information in the PR itself - a link to a website is sufficient - but make sure that it's accessible.

6. Check your facts.

And that doesn't relate just to your product. If you're addressing an email to me personally, please ensure that you have my name and gender correct.

7. Include the basic details.

Chasing you up to find out how much something will cost or when it will become available is a frustrating waste of my time. If you don't have exact dates or prices, that's fine, but please acknowledge it.

8. Give a named individual as a point of contact.

It's entirely possible that I'll need to contact someone for more information or some kind of clarification. If you give the direct details of the individual responsible for handling these sorts of enquiries, it will inspire far more confidence in me than a generic email that I can't be certain will be answered or even reach the appropriate person.

9. Be friendly, polite, and personable.

You know, when I do call you up to find out something more, to request a review model, or to check a fact, please do not sound as if you would rather be anywhere else than on the phone to me. I won't mind if you say that you don't have the answer immediately and need to check, but I will mind if you don't get back to me. Similarly, I will also mind a great deal if you don't respond to an email or return a message left on your voicemail. That's plain good manners, let alone good business practice.

10. You'll win some; you'll lose some.

For various reasons, I might not want or be able to cover your pioneering gadget or ground-breaking service. If that's the case, please don't harass me or try to second-guess my motives. It won't win you any favours. Ask me politely, and I'll likely provide you with feedback. Be rude to me, and I'll not forget in a hurry.

That's especially important because just because I cannot or will not feature your gizmo this time around, it doesn't mean to say that I won't be interested in upgrades or releases next time around. Unless of course you were rude to me.

Remember: I need good PR to do your product justice. The more that you can help me, the more that I can help you. It's that simple.

25 Wedding Photos That Break the Mould

Some wedding photos are not like the others...

Whether it's just you and your significant other in front of a judge at a courtroom or a rowdy crowd of family and friends filling a large reception hall, weddings are festive and exciting events. While many of us prefer to stay simple, elegant, classy, or tasteful, it can't be denied - a lot of wedding photography is so acid-reflux-inducingly boring that the prospect of looking at twenty-five wedding albums might want you to dig your eyeballs out with a cake spoon.

To counteract that instinct, I've collected 25 wedding photos that are worth an extra peek - because they're awesome and inspirational in similar doses!

25. Undead Wedding

Okay, so themed weddings have risen in popularity in the last couple of years as couples seek ways to host unique and creative wedding events. That said, this undead wedding album should be rated PG-13 so we don't scare the kids!

24. Video Game Wedding

Hopefully, this bride knows that there is no restart button or cheat codes to her marriage…

23. In Sickness and In Face-Paint

We aren't sure if this guy is getting married or going on a tribal hunt, but either way, this has to rank as one of the weirdest wedding photos we've found.

22. One Super Wedding

Best man? Superman. Maid of Honor? Superwoman. Yikes.

21. Poor Child

We're all for themed weddings and fun, but this is taking it a little too far. Someone get this kid out of there! Oh, and please someone bring the groom a robe!

20. Hold On, Brother!

Every groom understands exactly what this groom is feeling. Sure, this picture is probably staged, but we're rooting for him to hold on tight…to the rail!

19. Hold On To Your Balloon!

We're wondering if this balloon dress was filled with helium, could the bride fly away? Either way, one wrong move is certain to deflate her wedding day (HA deflate, get it?).

18. That's HUGE

Classic, but still disturbing. Hopefully this picture (nsfw) found it's way out of the wedding album, but we're still glad that it found its way onto to the internet!

17. Is That The Groom?

In sticking with the trend found in #18, this picture has some more adult humor. Another picture that mommy might want to edit before it makes the family album.

16. Camouflage is the Perfect Accessory

We're guessing the wedding registry for this couple can be found at Smith & Wesson. Rumor has it the pastor had to stop the wedding for a brief intermission when the groom spotted a buck. Unfortunately for him, his bride beat him to the shot…

15. Track Star

It is going to be tough to get the men and the women to agree on whether or not this is a good idea, but when a groom actually convinces his bride-to-be to let him wear an Adidas track suit to his wedding…that's just downright amazing.

14. Ghetto Wedding

Where do you get a wedding dress like this? Do you have to get it made or are these actually available? All we know is, she MUST be in love. On the bright side, the groom's graffiti jeans match the bride's graffiti wedding dress very nicely.

13. NC-17 Wedding Album

Certainly we've had some photos that likely will be left out of the family wedding album, but we have no idea what this couple will do…

12. The Old Will Be Made New

Or at least we hope so. Yikes. We're not judging where people find love, but she could be his grandma!

11. When Ya Gotta Go...

Alright, so there are a number of photos to this effect on the internet, but this was the most classy. You get the idea.

10. Supersize Me

Remember the celebrity jeopardy SNL skit when "Burt Reynolds" wore an oversized cowboy hat and then explained why it was funny? This lady should have watched it because this photo is hilarious.

9. Cute Ride

Okay, we'll admit it, this picture is actually kind of cute. Not the way we'd spend the money, but this is definitely clever and unusual.

8. That Cake Looks Gross

Sorry bride and groom, there's nothing you could say to get me to eat that cake.

7. Tell Me How You Really Feel

Wow. To think that one day they will reflect on this photo and remember it as one of the best days of their lives…

6. What A Catch

Hey guys, you missed out on this one, and we're not talking about the turkey!

5. Need A Ride?

Guess this couple was running late to their wedding reception. Good thing this driver was nice enough to give them a ride!

4. Speaking Of Rides, Maybe We Should Get A Different One

Notice the conspicuous license plate number. I think maybe I'll take the train.

3. No Honey, Let Me Cut The Cake

Somehow this picture just seems frightening. We're sure they are madly in love and will be married for years…just don't let him have the knife.

2. Plank Wedding

No unusual photo compilation would be complete with a reference to the unusual fad of "planking." Good luck explaining this one to the kids. And to think, these two probably think their parents are weird!

1. Pillow Bride

Believe it or not, this is not a joke. This guy actually married his 'dakimakura' pillow. This is simply the most unusual wedding photo we could find.

0. Git yer Gun!

After I completed this list, I came across this absolutely astonishing shot... What can I say - it doesn't look like the kind of wedding I'd particularly enjoy attending, but unique, for damn sure...

Okay, so I did say that these photos would be inspirational. I may have lied a little - but at least it illustrates that you don't have to go with the tried-and-tested... Marriage is a beautiful thing, usually, and hey, if you want to be creative, go all out! Just remember, it's a fine line between edgy and creative, and ending up on this list!

What's your most memorable wedding shot? Mine is at the top of this post - show me yours in the comments!

Bankruptcy protection for Kodak.

You can't escape it; it's on the BBC, the New York Times, on Reuters, on CNN; the tech websites are awash with it; and its headline news on just about every photography site imaginable, now including this one: Eastman Kodak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States. (Its subsidiaries in other countries aren't affected.)

The idea is that the company - which has reportedly $6.8 billion in debt but only $5.1 billion in assets - has time to restructure itself, hopefully sell off some of its patents (which it has already been trying to do, without much success), without having to face its creditors. Creditors that include Sony, Nokia, and Disney, amongst many others.

Citigroup has provided it with $950 million in credit that should see it through the bankruptcy process, which should complete sometime in 2013.

We all know the story of its downfall: it failed to capitalise on the development of digital photography - a technology that it pretty much invented - in ways that Canon and Fujifilm did. I suppose that you could say it was hoist by its own petard. At least, it was unwilling to let go of the film business that had made it so great and join the digital march.

For the past few years, under Chief Exec. Antonio Perez, Kodak has shifted its focus towards consumer and commercial printing. What the restructure will mean for that, and for its film production, we can only wait to see as the bankruptcy process unfolds. Whatever the new look Kodak, the plan is to operate as normal and 'to emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company.' Let's hope that you make it, Kodak.

Oh, and take a look at the BBC's slideshow, showing Kodak's history in pictures.

CanvasDropr: probably not just another photo-sharing website

When I get an email asking me to take a look at yet another photo-sharing website, it usually elicits a small groan, a roll of the eyes, and I wonder just how SuperPixShare is going to do a better job than ShareSuperPix, which I looked at last week. If I end up writing about ShareSuperPix, then it has to be either fantastically unusual or breathtakingly terrible; which means that CanvasDropr, a collaborative content-sharing website out of Denmark, has to be one or the other.

The idea behind it is that groups of people can collaborate around images or videos, creating giant digital collages in real-time that they can comment on, resize, and rotate at will. There's a video introducing it, if you fancy.

But you know, I really like CanvasDropr.

It's well laid-out and easy to use. You can drag and drop images and videos onto your canvas from your computer, or import them from other sites such as Flickr and YouTube. I love that this enables you to create an album of photos and videos from a trip or event that's all in one place and is easy to share with family and friends.

Even better, of course, is that other people can collaborate with you to create a giant canvas of shared images and videos from a holiday, party, festival, or celebration. You can see all the media simultaneously, and everyone contributing to the canvas can add, resize, rotate, and comment on content in real-time.

You can even integrate your canvas into your own site. 

The team behind CanvasDropr don't just see it as a way of sharing media amongst friends, but as a useful tool for designers, media types, and photographers. As they put it, it's like Google Docs for images and videos.

I'm intrigued to see how CanvasDropr develops. It is certainly something that my family could make use of to consolidate the thirteen million images that we manage to take at one party. I might even be tempted to use it to create a collage or two from my current trip.

CanvasDropr: you should check it out.

Finally a useful way to make money off events photography

Event photography is many things, but 'easy to make money off' isn't one of them, and it strikes me time and time again that the way most photographers do it, doesn't make much sense.

I recently went on a motocross day, for example; there was a pro photographer there, who sold his pictures on disc or as prints (he had a little colour laser printer set up in a trailer); it works, of course, and with the prices he was charging, I'm sure he was making a decent living, but it doesn't seem like a very efficient way of doing things.

The same thing goes for stuff like high-school sports events, junior-league sports, dance competitions, and more traditional event photography, like parties and weddings etc... The whole mechanic behind having to actually produce the photos and get them to your potential customers is, if you'll forgive my French, and absolute ball-ache.

Doubly incredible, there isn't much in the way of websites out there that make things any easier for you. There are a few companies that embrace event photography, but they make it really work-intensive to actually sell anything, which is yet another challenge.

I've long since given up finding a useful solution, and then someone pointed me to the startup Frozen Event - they just launched their service in beta, but holy dogs, is it head and shoulders above anything else I've seen in the field.

As a photographer, you can simply upload your photos to an event, and then users can browse through them, and buy the images they like.

It's bloody clever, and I reckon if you do events every now and again, it's well worth keeping an eye on 'em! There's a pretty decent blog as well, which seems to focus on events photography specifically.

MoPho - your own mobile photo factory

You've just snapped the most adorably perfect photo of your three year old niece curled up asleep against your dog, using your iPhone. The lighting is just right, the dog is actually still for once, and your niece is looking uncharacteristically angelic. Now what?

Well you could email it to your sister, your Mum, your best friend, and your girlfriend's mother's cousin (who was the woman who gave you the dog), but it's far too good to leave it languishing in a digital format in someone's inbox. If only there were some easy way to turn it into something tangible, like a print, or a postcard, or a t-shirt, so that everyone can go 'Ooh!' and 'Ahh!' and a few others can ask what camera you used because of course, it's all about the camera. Guess what? There's an app for that.

It's called MoPho. (How much did the developers, Penguin Digital, enjoy coming up with that name?) It allows you to take a photo or select one straight from your camera roll and then see what it looks like on a bag, as a re-stick-able poster, or as a mousemat, keyring, or iPhone case - amongst many other things - and adjust it as necessary. Then you decide which you like best, enter your billing and shipping details, and leave them to deliver it.

To give you an idea of prices: mugs come in at $13.99, t-shirts are $22, and aluminium art starts at $12.99. So it seems pretty reasonable as well as convenient.

It doesn't end quite there, however. MoPho is based on Penguin Digital's Penguin SDK, which is something that they're opening up to other developers. If you've your own photo-based app, you can integrate Penguin SDK, and allow your users to turn their photos into products direct from your app. Interested? Sign-up is here.

Right now, MoPho only ships to the US and Canada. So there are no re-stick-able posters to be made on the fly for us Brits quite yet, but they are working on it. Just as they're working on an Android app too. And if the SDK takes off, who knows where it might go.

Potential law suits left, right, and centre at Olympus

Olympus has announced that it's considering embarking on legal proceedings against current and former executives for landing it in one of the juiciest accounting scandals in the history of Japanese business.

An external investigation has pointed fingers at ten individuals, one of whom is Shuichi Takayama, the current President of Olympus, who should bear responsibility for the ¥100 billion cover-up. If it were to sue them on the advice of the investigating panel - details of which will be released tomorrow - it could be for damages amounting to ¥90 billion.

As if law suits against directors past and present weren't sufficient, and not forgetting the on-going legal investigations, there's also talk that Michael Woodford will sue the company for unfair dismissal. Well, woudn't you, when you were sacked under the pretence of your manangement style not meshing with the company where you'd worked for 30 years, but most likely it was for uncovering a multi-million yen scandal? Thought so.

(Headsup to the BBC and Financial Times)

Ten cool photography projects for 2012

There is nothing better than looking back on the photos that you've taken over the years to bring back memories and feelings that have since been stored in the back of your mind. The start of the New Year is the perfect opportunity to embark on a unique photography project to make sure 2012 is a year that you'll never forget and always be able to remember by looking back on photos.

Are you stuck for ideas for how you can make the most of a new beginning? Here's ten clever plans to get you started...

1. 365 photos: Take a photo a day and compile them in an online album, noting where you took each photo and at what time. At the end of the year, you'll have beautiful montage of your memories. The pictures will highlight where you were on each particular day and will give you some insight into how you were feeling on that day.

Photo (cc) by Daniel Zedda

2. Monthly page challenge: Make sure you bring your camera with you throughout the month to special events and various outings. At the end of the month, pick the best pictures and arrange them on a scrapbook page. Headline the page with the month name and include a brief summary of what the highlights were.

3. Improve your technique: Techniques are what can help make anyone a great photographer. Challenge yourself each month to learn a new photography technique to improve your photography skills. Whether you focus on black and white, macro, high key or experiment in motionblur, there is a lot to learn. Spend the rest of the month trying to polish these skills.

4. Camera experimentation: Digital cameras have taken over the market, but there are many great cameras from the past that are great fun to experiment with. Spend some time finding an old camera and playing with it, to find out what it's like in use. Who knows, perhaps some of these techniques and the lessons learned can be used in your everyday photoraphy!

5. Go on a photographic journey: Plan a weekend vacation, or even a day trip, around where you can go take great photographs. A pasture filled with cows? Excellent. A hiking trip up a mountain, with beautiful city views? Even better. An old-school diner with handmade milkshakes? Spectacular.

Photo (cc) by Thomas Leuthard

6. Pick a color of the month: Pick a color to focus on for the month and have that be what you focus your photography efforts on. For instance, if you choose blue, then focus on photographing blue items. Use blue as the accent color in all of your photographs.

7. Volunteer with an organization: Most nonprofit organizations are looking for photographers to help out at their events or with internal projects. Work with an organization to fine-tune your skills. For instance, animal shelters are often seeking photographers to help take pictures of animals that are up for adoption. It is a great opportunity to improve your skill at shooting animals and moving objects.

8. Hold a photo shoot: What better way to test your skills than with a photo shoot! Find a friend or family member interested in getting their photo taken and offer to do it for them. This is a great project to show off your skill or talent, and help someone out. Even if you are a photographer just starting out, it is helpful to hold a photo shoot to see what you need to work on. Plus, once you get more experience, it's fun to look back on and see how you've grown.

9. Get online: The web is the best place to learn and grow as a photographer. Start a Flickr account to share your photos with the world. A great photography project for the year is to create a profile on Flickr, and maintain it throughout the year.

10. Keep a photography journal: You don't need to write in your journal every day and it doesn't have to be filled with long prose entries about how much you love photography. Keep a journal of your photography adventures and include details such as time of day, what you shot, what technique you focused on and what you plan to do with the pictures. It will be a good record to see how much you've accomplished over the year. You get bonus points if you combine #9 and #10, by the way: Keeping your journal online means it's easy to search, and perhaps your friends learn something too!

Two exciting opportunities for young photographers from IdeasTap

The lovely people over at IdeasTap, a not-for-profit organisation that's in the business of giving young creative people a leg-up in their chosen field, has just announced two new projects that might be right up some young photographers' streets.

First up is a Bauhaus-inspired project. The Barbican in London will be hosting the Bauhaus: Art as Life exhibition from May this year, and they're looking for Bauhaus-inspired images to be turned into paper-based products, such as greetings cards and posters, for sale in the gift shop.

If you're UK-based and aged between 16 and 30 you can submit six images - all Bauhaus-inspired - to be considered for production by the panel of judges. The deadline is 17:00 on 16 February. More details are available on the IdeasTap website.

Next up is the opportunity to curate your very own anthology - a collection of whatever words and pictures that you feel deserve to see the light of day in a creative and inspiring way. Of course, they judges will be looking for something that's original and unusual. So this is a chance to let yourselves shine.

The deadline for this is much tighter - it's Wednesday 11 January - and you need to put together a brief for your idea with an editorial team of three people by then. If you're successful, you'll be given three months, professional mentoring, and £2,000 to make your idea into a pdf production.

Does this float your boat? Super! You and your editorial team need to be aged between 16 and 25. All the information is available here.

A photo competition for January!

Seeing as it's a new year, which is traditionally a time for optimism, hope, and positivity (despite the current economic climate), we thought that we'd go for a theme that reflects this. So how about some light, bright, and airy high-key photographs for the month of January?

The lovely people at Fracture are continuing to provide the prize, entitling the winner to have a photograph of her or his choice made into a gorgeous 12" Fracture.

Entries can be submitted from today (Thursday 5 January) until Thursday 26 January. They need to go in the Small Aperture Flickr pool, and please remember - it's one entry per person.

So that's about that. The Rules are below for your reference, but otherwise, good luck!

The Rules

• If you decide to enter, you agree to The Rules.
• You can’t be related to either me or Haje to enter.
• One entry per person – so choose your best!
• Entries need to be submitted to the right place, which is the Small Aperture Flickr group.
• There’s a closing date for entries, so make sure you’ve submitted before then.
• You have to own the copyright to your entry and be at liberty to submit it to a competition. Using other people’s photos is most uncool.
• It probably goes without saying, but entries do need to be photographs. It’d be a bit of strange photo competition otherwise.
• Don’t do anything icky – you know, be obscene or defame someone or sell your granny to get the photo.
• We (that being me and Haje) get to choose the winner and we’ll do our best to do so within a week of the competition closing.
• You get to keep all the rights to your images. We just want to be able to show off the winners (and maybe some honourable mentions) here on Pixiq.
• Entry is at your own risk. I can’t see us eating you or anything, but we can’t be responsible for anything that happens to you because you submit a photo to our competition.
• We are allowed to change The Rules, or even suspend or end the competition, if we want or need to. Obviously we’ll try not to, but just so that you know.

If you've any questions, please just ask!

A death knell for Kodak?

The prospects for Kodak have not been looking good for some time, but today things became decidedly grim. If the rumours are to be believed, the company is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. That is, unless it can sell off its valuable cache of 1,100 patents within the next few days.

Given that it was Kodak that practically developed digital photography, there must be plenty of juicy morsels lurking amongst its archives that any other camera manufacturers would be willing to gobble up. But the question is, would these companies be willing to pay enough upfront to help keep Kodak afloat? If the patents are auctioned off under court supervision, according to Chapter 11 rules, they could be picked up at knock-down prices. Or two (or more) rival companies might engage in a bidding war and the prices could rocket. That would be good for Kodak, but to what end? It'd be solvent, yes, but that'd be just about it. How much would this be just deferring the inevitable?

Kodak's shares have closed at under $1 for thirty consecutive days, and it's possible that it'll be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange as a consequence. This afternoon, its shares were trading at 54 cents.

This would seem to be a rattling death throe in a protracted, painful, and very public demise. I can't help but think that it would be kinder all round if someone would issue a swift coup de grace.

(Headsup to both Engadget and the Wall Street Journal)

Our foodie-fantastic competition has a winner!

Congratulations tvsshenoy!

We asked for foodie photos throughout December and wow did you give us some treats. There were lots of photos of fruit, quite a few of fish, and fair bit of cake, too. Some even had Haje and me salivating. But the winner stood out from the crowd, with its colourful sparkle and lovely composition.

Congratulations to tvsshenoy for a beautiful bowl of pomegranates. You've just won yourself a 12" Fracture.

Details of our January competition will be going up later today.

100 cameras, 100 people, 100 ages: The 100

Picture from Camera 308 of the Disposable Memory Project

The creators of one my favourite collaborative photo projects, the Disposable Memory Project, have dreamed up and launched a new idea for 2012, and this one seems just as awesome. It's called The 100. 

The aim? To capture the a week in the lives of 100 people, aged between one and 100. By the end of the year, these snapshots of so many lives, from people of all different ages, scattered across the globe, will form a giant collage of life.

It's a little bit of social history documentation mixed with a smidge of creativity, which means that I love it. A lot.

Matthew Knight, the creator of the Disposable Memory Project, and his team are at the 'search' stage right now: they're looking for people who're interested in participating in the project. Unsurprisngly, the slots for people in their 30s are over-subscribed, whilst under-five and over-80 are a bit sparse. If you'd like to add your name to the list, or think that you know someone who might, head over to the website and sign up. You can be from anywhere, and definitely of any age!

The team isn't waiting for a full complement of 100 people to sign up before they send out their first cameras; they'll be doing that when they think that they have a fair enough spread to get started.

When participants have documented their lives with their disposable cameras, they'll return the camera to 100 HQ, where the film will be processed and the stories of their weeks, the snapshots of their lives, will be added to the project blog.

If you'd still like to get involved, but not necessarily by sharing a slice of your life with the project, you could always help out by donating a disposable camera to the cause, or by paying for some film processing. You can always spread the word, too, to complete the jigsaw of ages. 

Head over to The 100 to join in the fun and help create a canvas of life of all ages.