The Century Camera

See what develops over the next 100 years.The Century Camera appears in GOOD Issue 18, which is on newsstands now. While you can try printing your pinhole camera at home on a color inkjet or laser printer—make sure you print it double-sided, as you need both sides to make it work—the thicker ink of a printing press will probably give you better results over the next century or so. We recommend you go pick up a copy of GOOD Issue 18: The Slow Issue.

But, if you want to give it a go, here's a PDF version of the page from the magazine.As you flip to the next page, rip it out. Cut, prick, fold, glue. You’ve just constructed a pinhole camera that will take a single picture with a 100-year-long exposure. Since you’ll need to fix the camera in the same position until 2110, find a place that matters to you enough to document the next century of change (it will still work if you move it, the image will just be more abstract). It doesn’t have to be an endangered rainforest. It could be your own neighborhood.

This camera is a simple instrument. The pinhole lets in a little light each day, focusing it on the black ink at the back of the box. The ink will gradually fade as light streams into the camera, preserving a unique positive print of the illuminated landscape. Nothing fast-paced will be captured—neither people nor machines—but transformations over decades will register as shades of ghostly gray, and whatever remains constant will look as sharp as it would in an instantaneous snapshot.You may not be around to see the results of your work.

But if your children watch over it and protect it from the elements, and if your camera weathers the next hundred years, then your grandchildren will receive a revealing inheritance. What’s more, the following generation of GOOD readers will have the opportunity to view the image you’ve made in a special folio that the editors have committed to printing in 2110.In the meantime, you may come across cameras set up by other readers. They might be encountered anywhere, or rest unobserved for the whole hundred years, thousands of black-box time capsules collectively witnessing our world in transition.

Via Good Blog

Why the Market Can't Give Us Quality News

Because we don't want it. Miller-McCune reports on a new study by some media researchers at USC that looked at the "viewing habits, cultural, political and cognitive dispositions" of people in six different countries.
Their findings:

(1) viewers worldwide turn to particular broadcasters to affirm rather than inform their opinions, meaning the global news media are likely to reinforce existing attitudes and stereotypes of cultural ‘others’; and

(2) the longer viewers have been watching Al-Jazeera English, the less dogmatic they are in their thinking and thus more open to considering alternative and clashing opinions.There are endless studies showing how slanted, infotainment news in the style of Fox doesn't do much to really inform people.

But with The New York Times moving to a "metered model," it merits mentioning the further point that if we just let the market decide which media outlets survive we will likely end up with less informed, more dogmatic voters because people don't choose informing news.

Via Good Blog

Rape Victims Vs. Prison Rape Victims

I recently headed over to the Web site for Just Detention International (formerly Stop Prison Rape) in order to learn more about this sad study reporting high rates of sexual assaults against juvenile detainees in the U.S. (Short version: one-in-eight detained youth report being sexually assaulted within their facility within the past year; 80 percent of these victims were abused by a member of the facility’s staff).
The numbers make JDI’s current ad campaign, which attempts to raise awareness about sexual abuse within our prison system, even more striking.
Consider the rape victim above. Then, consider her after a change of clothes:

JDI’s campaign comes in three flavors. The first is aimed at addressing rape in detention facilities. The second is aimed at promoting the sexual health of detainees:

And the third is simply aimed at preventing jokes about prison rape:

I love this public-awareness campaign. I think the before-and-after effect is really on point in revealing how our society completely dehumanizes detainees by condoning their sexual assaults. However, I’m afraid that I’m a bit jaded about the expectations of the “before” part of the campaign. Unfortunately, I know that there are people out there who would look on as a woman is brutally raped. There are people out there who would refuse to allow their tax dollars to go toward basic HIV prevention. And there are people who would joke about a man being raped. (That last attitude is particularly widespread). If anything, this campaign shows that it’s time to address our attitudes that minimize the sexual assaults of detainees—and those which minimize the experiences of all other victims, too.

via Washington City Paper

James Dean

suicideblonde:
“The unforgettable image of James Dean, hunched in his black overcoat, bearing the weight of a generation on his shoulders.”- Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker
This iconic photograph of James Dean was taken by Dennis Stock, who died this week at age 81.

via That Obscure Object

The FBI Sucks at Photoshop

This week, the FBI released a “digitally-altered” image showing what Osama Bin Laden possibly looks like now that he’s older.While the FBI claims to have used “cutting-edge” technology to create the image, a Spanish politician has noticed that the poster is a modified version of his campaign photo — he now finds his face in America’s most wanted list.
While on the surface it’s an amusing misstep by intelligence agencies, Gaspar Llamazares, the former leader of Spain’s United Left coalition, calls the move “shameless.” His safety is at risk, he told the BBC, and he no longer feels able to travel to America now that his likeness is on a wanted poster: “Bin Laden’s safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is,” Llamazares said.

Left, Bin Laden in 1998; middle, the FBI image; right, Gaspar Llamazares

The FBI is quoted admitting to the error, saying that the artist found the photo on the web and didn’t know it was of a Spanish politician:
“When producing age-progressed photographs, forensic artists typically select features from a database of stock reference photographs to create the new image…it appears that in this instance the forensic artist was unable to find suitable features among the reference photographs and obtained those features, in part, from a photograph he found on the Internet.
The forensic artist was not aware of the identity of the individual depicted in the photograph. The similarities between the photos were unintentional and inadvertent.”
We don’t think it matters that the man in question was a notable politician: Using photos from an image search to create a most wanted poster is surely putting the subject at risk, is it not?

via Mashable

Stunning images of space taken from a shed

Amateur astronomer Peter Shah who has taken astonishing shots of the universe from his garden shed Photo: WALES NEWS SERVICE

Here's a great story in the Telegraph about an amateur stargazer who tricked out his garden shed in the U.K. and surprised professional astronomers around the world with his top-notch images.

Peter Shah, 38, cut a hole in the roof of his wooden shed and set up his modest eight-inch telescope inside. After months of patiently waiting for the right moment he emerged with a series of striking images of the Milky Way.
His photographs of a vivid variety of star clusters light years from Earth have been compared to the images taken from the £2.5 billion Hubble space telescope.

But it cost Mr Shah just £20,000 to equip his garden shed with a telescope linked to his home computer. He said: "Most men like to potter about in their garden shed - but mine is a bit more high tech than most."
You can read the full story here.

Posted by Shawn Connally Jan 23, 2010 01:40 PM


Peter Shah, 38, cut a hole in the roof of his wooden shed and set up his modest eight-inch telescope inside. After months of patiently waiting for the right moment he emerged with a series of striking images of the Milky Way.

His photographs of a vivid variety of star clusters light years from Earth have been compared to the images taken from the £2.5 billion Hubble space telescope.

But it cost Mr Shah just £20,000 to equip his garden shed with a telescope linked to his home computer. He said: "Most men like to potter about in their garden shed – but mine is a bit more high tech than most.

"I have fitted it with a sliding roof so I can sit in comfort and look at the heavens. I have a very modest set up but it just goes to show that a window to the universe is there for all of us – even with the smallest budgets.

"I had to be patient and take the images over a period of several months because the skies in Britain are often clouded over and you need clear conditions."

Office worker Mr Shah, who lives in a hillside bungalow at Meifod, near Welshpool, Powys, has been an avid astronomer since his mother bought him a £5 telescope when he was seven.

Images in his collection include the Monkey's head nebula, M33 Pinwheel Galaxy, Andromeda Galaxy and the Flaming Star Nebula.

The superb photos, each made up of about 30 frames, are being published in a new book entitled Mirror Image. Mr Shah’s wife Lisa has supported him through his long nights of stargazing – supplying endless cups of coffee.

His images have been brought together for the first time in a book called Mirror Image. Images from the book and other photographs can be viewed at http://www.astropix.co.uk



Via Make Magazine and Telegraph

8 Cool & Creative Cameras, Lenses & Accessories

Photography enthusiasts are known for their piles and piles of gear. Some camera-related gadgets and gizmos are weirder than others. Whether it’s a lens that can see behind itself or a three-eyed camera that you can toss like a football, these are a few of the oddest and most innovative cameras, lenses and photography accessories out there.

If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, the super-secret spy lens is perfect for you. The bulky and conspicuous lenses required for portraiture usually make it difficult to catch people being truly candid. This lens lets you shoot people next to you while aiming straight ahead, making it easier to catch subjects unaware and avoid that awkward moment of recognition.

This tiny digital camera from designer Hye-Jeong Yang may be just a concept, but it’s a good one. The idea is that you set it on a level surface and it spins around in a circle like a top, taking a perfect panoramic picture in the process. It’ll even take video, though a panoramic video taken by a spinning camera may be a little nausea-inducing.

The above doodad is the Flipbac, which gives you the flip-out LCD screen experience without the actual flip-out screen. The small mirror attaches to your camera’s LCD screen and shows you a reflection of what you’re aiming your camera at so that you can shoot at different angles without contorting your body.

This Nikkor Fisheye 6mm f/2.8 lens is so wide that it can actually see behind itself. It’s the widest lens available; it boasts an angle of 220 degrees – a full 40 degrees wider than standard fisheye lenses. The lens will create a strange, circular image which can be corrected digitally to produce a non-distorted picture. The lens was originally produced for scientific use but has found its way into mainstream use. Don’t get any ideas about hauling it to the park for take pictures of the kids, though: at almost 11.5 pounds, it’s a little too hefty for everyday use.

Action shots of people doing extreme things are always awesome, but imagine taking that shot from inside the action. The Rush Action Camera can be worn on a bike, a surfboard, a skateboard, or on a helmet to catch your face or your point of view while you’re sporting your little heart out. The shutter release trigger is worn on a ring on the user’s finger so you can trigger the device to take a photo at just the right moment, with nothing more than a small thumb movement.

Triops, a cute but tough digital camera from German designer Franziska Faoro, may well change the way action photos are taken. The camera is designed to be thrown, spun, and dangled from its tether to catch photographs that would be impossible with any other camera. It responds to motion, sound or manual triggers and is robust enough to take the bumps and falls it might encounter being used in such unconventional ways. The three fisheye lenses make capturing panoramas simple, and taking sequential photos is no problem. Just imagine the series you could capture after dropping this little guy from a moderate height, or throwing it back and forth in a circle of people.

The Stabilizer Strap may keep your camera stable while you’re jogging or biking, but it’ll also make you look like a big nerd. The product site says that you just stretch the strap over the lens to secure it to your midsection, then stretch it away from you to remove the camera. Used in conjunction with your camera’s neck strap, we have to admit that it does look like a pretty good way to keep your camera from swinging around and knocking into things. Just don’t think you’ll find a date while you’re taking all of those active photographs.

While it’s not an actual camera lens, the camera lens calender is still one of the coolest photography-related accessories we’ve seen. Instead of using the rings to change the lens’ settings, you use them to determine the month, day and year. The designer’s website doesn’t indicate whether the rings are powered by electricity or people, but either way it seems like a perfect accessory for any photographer.

Via Gajitz

A Boeing 777 As Superman Would See It

Nick Veasey is not superman, but he has one of his superpowers: X-Ray vision. Veasey spends his time taking stunning X-ray photographs, including this Boeing 777 and its twin GE90-115B turbofan engines, which took three months and 500 separate x-rays.
TED just posted this talk by Veasey, in which he explains how he does his stunning images:



Basically, a lot of patience, talent, and too much radiation in his own bones. [Nick Veasy via TED]
Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com.

Via Gizmodo

World's First 3D Photocopier Goes On Sale For $17,000

Ortery's Photosimile 5000 3D photocopier has taken two years to go on sale since it first surfaced in 2008, providing digital 3D replicas of whatever object you place inside it. Think of the possibilities!
Once the object is placed on the Ortery turntable inside the box, a Canon DSLR takes 360 degree photos, with the four daylight bulbs giving 6500K of illumination—the perfect lighting conditions for the 72 photos taken.
Connected to a PC by USB, the images are saved as GIF or Flash files, and then transferred to the Photosimile software. If all of this is getting you hot under the collar at the thought of such a machine, better schedule a meeting in with your bank manager—it's $17,000 and has just started shipping. [Ortery via Gizmag via TechRadar]

via Gizmodo

Explore Haiti in Fully Interactive 360 Degree Video

We've covered how technology has shaped relief efforts in Haiti and shown how it has affected our perception of the nation's continuing tragedy. CNN is now offering new perspectives of the devastated nation with three interactive, immersive videos.
The videos were shot over the last week in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital and largest city, the third of which captures the destruction most strikingly. The technology comes courtesy of Immersive Media, a company that specializes in interactive 360 degree video and helped provide much of the data that powers Google Street View. Their website already had demos of their unique videos, in which the viewer has full control to pan and zoom even as the video plays, but it's good to see the technology being applied to a very current event and displayed on as visible a platform as CNN.com.
The situation in Haiti remains in many ways unfathomable, no matter how many reports or photos or statistics one consumes. But this type of project shows how technology is constantly providing new ways to experience and understand the world. [CNN via Boing Boing]

Send an email to Kyle VanHemert, the author of this post, at kvanhemert@gizmodo.com.

via Gizmodo

Little Miracle: U.S. Photographer's iPhone Shines Light On Birth In Port-au-Prince

A Colorado man, as we've said, consulted an app on his iPhone for medical advice while he was trapped for nearly three days in the rubble of a Port-au-Prince hotel.

Now, USA TODAY photographer Jack Gruber writes with wonder on his Facebook page that he "can't believe the light from his iPhone helped deliver a baby in the totally dark outside triage area of Port-au-Prince General Hospital last night."

(Full disclosure: I used to work at USA TODAY and Jack is a friend of mine. A lot of his work from over the years is online here.)

Jack's not the only journalist to have helped out in Haiti, of course. The AP's Alfred de Montesquiou brought water to residents of a Port-au-Prince nursing home. And as The Washington Post wrote this week, "some of the most visible American television correspondents in Haiti aren't just reporting the story. They're actively participating in it in an unusual way -- performing surgeries, providing medical treatment and even delivering babies on camera."

'Novice' Photographer in Golf Tournament Storm

Monday 6th July 2009

Chris Cheesman

A British golfer has blamed the sound of a camera's shutter for destroying his chances of winning the French Open. 

Angry golfer Ian Poulter said the three clicks of a camera 25 yards away caused him to hit his ball into the water on the 15th hole. 

Poulter, who yesterday finished in third place, told reporters afterwards: 'It's frustrating when you get a novice cameraman out here this week. 

'It spoils the day, spoils the tournament. It's one I want to win and some stupid cameraman makes it difficult for you.' 

Poulter vowed to pull out of next year's event over the incident. 

The identity of the photographer has not been revealed. 

Via Amateur Photographer

The Mutant Camcorder Rigs That Stormed CES

The Camcorder has been hard pressed by flash cams and DSLRs for awhile, but now we're seeing the ever-improving HD cheapies and DSLRs taking over the semi-pro space with external microphones, lights and grips. Here are some awesome rigs...

...as seen at CES, in the field, by those covering the show. Camcorder companies should be further worried. But Flash camcorder companies should be worried by cameraphones— check out the iPhone 3GS case with mounts for accessories and lenses. And remember, these things can instantly upload. It's only a matter of time before video shooting DSLRs with 3G/4G hit with instant upload features.

Via Gizmodo

570-Megapixel Digital Camera Is the Mother and the Father of All Cameras

Dark energy Peeping Toms rejoice, because Fermilab has created the gadget to catch it: A $35 million, car-sized digital camera, with 74 CCD sensors in it. It will take 570-megapixel photos of the Universe.

The resulting sensor is one meter in diameter, covering a 2.2-degree field of view. The images are so big that, even with an ultra-fast data recording system, each photo will take 17 seconds to acquire.

The camera won't photograph the dark energy itself, however. It will just provide with ultra-detailed shots of the cosmos—tracking 300 million galaxies over the course of five years—which may bring evidence about the existence of this veiled intergalactic power. Which is too bad, because I bet she looks sexy in her undies. [Dark Energy Survey via Wired]

Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com.

WIRED

You’re looking at the heart of one of the biggest digital cameras ever conceived — 74 CCD sensors that will go into an enclosure the size of a Mini Cooper. The 570-megapixel shooter is being built at Fermilab by an international team of particle physicists and astronomers, who think it will help solve one of the great mysteries of the cosmos: What is dark energy?

Of course, we don’t really know whether dark energy even exists. What we do know is that the universe has been expanding since the big bang. But rather than slowing down like everything else fighting gravity’s pull, this expansion seems to be speeding up. Something must be causing this, and astronomers call that something dark energy. The hope is that scientists can use detailed photos to chart the light from galaxies and supernovas, which will show the growth of the cosmos and at least give them more evidence for the existence and effect of dark energy.
Once the $35 million rig is complete, astronomers will mount it to a telescope in Chile and, over the course of five years, use it to map some 300 million galaxies. It gives a whole new meaning to shooting stars.


via Gizmodo and Wired

Life Beneath the Epitome of Sin

Las Vegas. A city with enough temptations to make even one week in it tiring for mind, body, and soul. Despite that exhausting nature though, some crave to be there—even if forced to live underneath it all. Literally.

Books have been written about the storm drains below the city of Las Vegas, yet we still don't seem to hear much about the 200 miles of twisting and turning tunnels which have become the home to hundreds and hundreds of people. Photographer Austin Hargrave took a trip through those tunnels and brought back these images of life beneath a city which breathes glamour and power:

The biggest comforts in these tunnels are "makeshift shower fabricated out of an office drinking water dispenser," DIY sinks, the warmth of candles, and the brightness of industrial-sized flashlights. There isn't electricity—running wires through the damp environment would probably be dangerous to begin with—so portable gadgets such as CD players suffice for entertainment.

Such a contrast to the swanky surface life, isn't it? Think of the buildings above those places—casinos, hotels, restaurants—and the millions and millions of dollars switching hands every given moment. Now look at those pictures again.

Viva Las Vegas. [Environmental Graffiti via Dornob]

Photos by Austin Hargrave

Via Gizmodo

30 Photographers Make a High Speed Getaway

Some people really hate being photographed, so much, in fact, that they'll run, jump, tight rope walk or even teleport away. Seriously! Here are 30 such getaway shots from this week's Shooting Challenge, including the winners:

Second Runner Up: 'Don't Fall!'

Technique: Pre-Step 1: Walk to beach. Step 1: Set camera on railing Step 2: Set 2 second timer to take 2 pictures Step 3: Press shutter Step 4: DON'T FALL! Equipment: Nikon D5000 with a 35mm f1.8 lens. Picture Details: 1/250 sec. at f/8. Nerd Details: Camera set to program auto (lazymode), ISO 200, custom picture style, auto white balance, no flash. Confession 1: Picture was actually taken 4 seconds after the shutter was pressed because the timer was set to take 2 pictures, each after 2 seconds. 2 seconds was nowhere near enough time to get into the frame, so the second picture was chosen. I'm not a tightrope walker, I can't move THAT fast on that rail! Picture was taken in Emerald Isle NC. And yeah, it really was foggy. Like could not see more than 100 yards foggy. Like everything was moist foggy. Oh and sorry if you don't like the word moist.-Cory Efland

Runner Up - 'Tight Rope Walker'


I shot this image tonight on a roof top in Chicago. I setup a single strobe (Calumet 7B) synced to my 5D Mark II on a tripod, set the timer and leaped from one roof top to the other! 5D Mark II with a Canon 17-40 f/4; Exposed for 8 seconds at f/5.6; Strobe at half-power; ISO 200; Mirror locked up. It was a fun shoot, little did I know, the rooftop that I was jumping onto was someone's apartment. After about 5 test jumps I heard some screaming and ignored it, after getting this final image the neighbors were throwing eggs up on to the roof at me.-Josh Billions

Winner - 'Teleport'

For this shot, I used my Canon XSi on the 2sec timer with a Canon 50mm at f/1.4, ISO 100, and 15sec. I set the camera to shutter speed priority at 15s. I then ran from my camera holding a flashlight for about 10 seconds, then light painted my body for the rest of the exposure.-Kinta Maeda

I absolutely love that we started with such a simple idea—running from your camera—and ended up with so many entries I could have never anticipated. Even more worthwhile shots in the full gallery:

http://gizmodo.com/5450910/shooting-challenge-running/gallery/

via Gizmodo

Shooting Challenge: The Beauty of Blur

Blur is usually something we try to avoid in photography—in lowlight especially, memories can be destroyed by this muddling of shapes and colors. But for this week's Shooting Challenge, we want you to harness motion blur's artistic power.

The ChallengeCapture motion blur, in any way you'd like.

The TipsIf you feel a bit in over your head, there's a great tutorial on capturing motion blur here. (Basically, you'll want to slow down your shutter speed and lock down your camera—but feel free to use more advanced techniques, obviously.)>
The Rules
1. Submissions need to be your own.
2. Photos need to be taken the week of the contest. (No portfolio linking or it spoils the "challenge" part.)
3. Explain, briefly, the equipment, settings and technique used to snag the shot.
4. Email submissions to contests@gizmodo.com.
5. Include 800px wide image AND 2560x1600 sized in email. More details on these below.

Send your best entries by Sunday, January 24th at 6PM Eastern to contests@gizmodo.com with "Motion Blur" in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs or GIFs, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg (800px) and FirstnameLasnameWALLPAPER.jpg (2560px) naming convention. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email. [Image by iPhotograph]

via Gizmodo

Judges Decide "Wolf Jumping Over Fence" Photo Is Fake...Sort of

Storybook Wolf, which won the £10,000 prize. Photograph: José Luis Rodriguez

This beautiful photo of a wolf jumping over a fence elicited the usual rabble of "fake!" claims when it won a prestigious wildlife photography competition. The photographer denies the claims, but he's just been stripped of the award.

Unusually, nobody doubts that it's a real wolf (as opposed to some sort of photo manipulation)—the controversy is that the wolf pictured may in fact be a tame wolf by the name of Ossian. The evidence: It's an exceedingly rare species, hardly ever seen in the wild; a wild wolf would be more likely to squeeze through the fence than leap over it; and, um, it looks like Ossian (I guess there are people out there who can tell wolves apart; I can barely tell that it's not my neighbor's dog). Jesus termed it "the ultimate FAKE internet whining."

The judges for the Natural History Museum have decided after awarding this photo the top prize that the wolf pictured is in fact a tame specimen, which breaks the rules of the competition.

Jim Brandenburg, a judge and a wildlife photographer with 45 years experience of taking pictures of wolves, marvelled at the image of the animal, captured so clearly and apparently hunting a farmer's livestock. He declared it "a masterfully executed moment", but having studied pictures of Ossian and Rodriguez's image, he is now "99.9%" sure it is a tame wolf, according to Carwardine.

So, internet, you win this round. Sort of. [The Guardian, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

The Guardian

The Natural History Museum's wildlife photographer of the year has been stripped of his £10,000 prize, after judges found he was likely to have hired a tame Iberian wolf to stage the image of a species seen rarely in the wild.
The judges of the award, which attracted more than 43,000 entries from 94 countries, said they were convinced José Luis Rodriguez hired the wolf called Ossian from a Madrid wildlife park, contradicting his claim the image was taken in the wild after months of patient tracking of the dwindling species.

Competition rules prohibit the use of animal models and this morning organisers took down Rodriguez's image from the exhibition at the museum in London, banned him from entering the contest again and announced they were "saddened" by the disqualification. Apparently without irony, he had titled his image The Storybook Wolf, but headline writers have since dubbed it the "loan wolf".
;">
Rodriguez could not be contacted, but the competition organisers said he continued to strongly deny the wolf was tame.

"I remember thinking, my God, this really is a wild wolf, what an achievement," said Mark Carwardine, chairman of the judging panel. "I don't understand the mentality at all. People feel very disappointed with the photographer."
The organisers said they were planning to erect a notice at the Natural History Museum explaining to visitors their belief that the photo was staged, although it is too late to remove the image from the thousands of books that have been published by BBC Worldwide.

The controversy is thought to be the first time the competition's expert judging panel have allowed an animal model to win a prize and there was concern the revelation could damage a contest which has a reputation as the most prestigious of its kind in the world.

"The wildlife photographer of the year is the one institution that has pushed us [animal photographers] to be more creative, so it is very sad it has happened to this competition," said Chris Gomersall, a wildlife photographer who was involved in judging.

"In wildlife photography there are ethical guidelines and there has always been an explicit understanding that if you take pictures of a captive subject, you declare it on your caption."

Rodriguez had told the judges he had sketched the shot he wanted to get on paper, but "couldn't quite believe it when he got the shot of his dreams". He said his main fear had been that the wolves "would be too wary".

Jim Brandenburg, a judge and a wildlife photographer with 45 years experience of taking pictures of wolves, marvelled at the image of the animal, captured so clearly and apparently hunting a farmer's livestock. He declared it "a masterfully executed moment", but having studied pictures of Ossian and Rodriguez's image, he is now "99.9%" sure it is a tame wolf, according to Carwardine.

The organisers were alerted to suspicions about the image by Spanish photographers who recognised the wolf and the location as the Cañada Real wildlife park. Wolf experts also questioned why the wolf would jump the gate when a wild animal was more likely to squeeze between the bars.

The judges said they asked Rodriguez for corroboration of his story and if there was anyone who could act as a witness to back him up, but his answers were inadequate.

via Gizmodo and Guardian

Flashback: Geared up with a gunbelt and leg holster

Back in MAKE Volume 05, Chicago Sun-Times technology columnist Andy Ihnatko offered two fun gear-related DIYs: one on how to get VIP treatment by dressing the part of a pro photographer and the other on using a gunbelt and leg holster to hold your gear. The caption that ran in the magazine under the images of Andy below was: "How flexible is a gunbelt system for carrying your stuff? Flexible enough that you'll no longer bristle at a concert event's 'No Bags or Backpacks' policy. I keep a pouch containing iPod speakers, a canister of Pringles, and a thermos of frozen dacquiris ... or as I like to call it, the 'Date-In-A-Bag.'" Andy makes me smile, and I do love repurposing. Check it out. You can also still pick up a back issue of Volume 05, the Outdoor Issue, in the Maker Shed.
Geared UpBy Andy Ihnatko

We geeks have a crackhead-like dependence on personal electronics, gizmos, tools, and other modern fetish objects. Things like pocket computers, smartphones, LED flashlights, USB thumbdrives, multitools, ZipLinq cables, notepads, digital cameras, spare batteries, and GPS units enhance our lives in obvious and inexplicable ways, but we can't deny that living in the Push-Button World of Tomorrow greatly complicates the otherwise straightforward task of changing one's pants.
Every night, you have to empty all of your pockets. Every morning, you have to fill 'em up again. And portable pockets (in the form of belt pouches) are a mere Band-Aid solution. Unless your electronics are machine-washable, you still need to unthread them from your belt and reinstall them over and over again, morning after morning. Decent men and women change their pants every day, so what else can you do?
Well, you can head off to your nearest police supply store and buy yourself a genuine, professional duty belt. With your pouches suspended off of that wide band of stiff, thick nylon or leather (structurally speaking, it acts more like a supporting frame than a belt), a simple click of the buckle leaves 6 pounds and $1,200 worth of personal electronics hanging off your bedpost until you get dressed again in the morning. And no, whistling the Clint Eastwood theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as you put it on isn't at all inappropriate.
My day-to-day gunbelt configuration consists of a medium-size pouch for my cellphone, iPod, and PDA, plus a holder for my Leatherman tool. But with a drawer full of pouches purchased over the years at various camping and photo stores, I can easily add capacity to suit the situation.

For the ultimate in added capacity and conven-ience, buy yourself a leg holster, which allows you to quick-draw your smartphone, even when you're sitting down or wearing a jacket. Tactical Tailor (tacticaltailor.com) manufactures equipment for urban SWAT units and Army Rangers. They make a "Modular Leg Rig" that can be custom-configured to your specific needs, along with a wide array of pouches that can easily be perverted to nonlethal, geeky needs and will hold everything but your PowerBook.
When I attend trade shows and conferences, my usual gunbelt is supplemented by TT's small leg rig. I've configured it with their adjustable Small Radio Pouch (which is perfect for a PDA or a chunky smartphone), a Small Utility Pouch for my camera, plus the real superstar of their line: the compact, compartmented Multi-Purpose Pouch, flexible enough to hold anything from a folding PDA keyboard to a palmcorder. You can even mount most third-party belt pouches to the leg rig, using Tactical Tailor's "Malice Clip" system.
Gunbelts are a perfect answer to the blight of personal electronics. I've been wearing one for years, and its value has only increased with recent tightening of airport and building security. Yes, indeed: I routinely walk through airport security while wearing a police gunbelt and a SWAT tactical leg holster, and I haven't been held in a windowless room without charge even once. To the contrary, screeners and passengers are relieved to encounter a geek who can get all of his personal gear on the conveyor and walk through the archway after just two seconds of fiddling with a buckle, instead of holding up the line for five minutes while he desperately curses and pats himself down.
Just, um, be sure to refer to your gunbelt as a "utility belt" while you're in the facility.

via Make Magazine

Ikea camera dolly hack

I love this DIY camera dolly track, built from a $15 "Ivar" Ikea shelving "side unit."
A few days ago, I found out that the Ivar "wooden ladder" was perfect to use it as rails for my cinema dolly! I can now make some nice sequence shots with this 18€ (USD$15) accessory from Ikea.
[Thanks, Tim Tate!]
Ivar loves Dolly

Lights, camera, Ikea hack! Romain turns the Ivar side unit into rails for the cam. "A few days ago, I found out that the Ivar "wooden ladder" was perfect to use it as rails for my cinema dolly! I can now make some nice sequence shots with this 18€ accessory from Ikea."

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/83756609

EOS 7D + DIY dolly / 1st (snowy!) outdoor test from Aalto on Vimeo.

via Make Magazine and ikeahacker

Photographing snowflakes

A few years ago I picked up Ken Libbrecht's Field Guide to Snowflakes, thinking any self-proclaimed snow junkie like myself should own it. A renowned snow scientist and physicist, Libbrecht's great little book taught me about snowflake fundamentals and helped me identify different types of flakes and learn what each shape tells us about the weather. Then my friend Katie got me Libbrecht's The Art of the Snowflake: A Photographic Album, a stunning coffee table book filled with snowflake photographs (like the one above) Libbrecht has taken using his snow photography rig. Recently I stumbled across his site, which details each component of his photo-microscope rig, including cost (although this part is a bit dated), perfect for trying to come up with the setup for cheaper. Check it out if you have any interest in snowflakes or micro-photography.

Via Make Magazine

Pack a Gun to Protect Valuables from Airline Theft or Loss

Photo by Vince Alongi.
If you don't like your bags being out of your sight and it makes you uncomfortable to think that airline workers are rifling through your stuff, you can take advantage of the TSA's own security rules by—eek—packing a gun.

Most of the time, travelers are on the short-end of TSA regulations. In this instance, however, you can use travel rules to your advantage. If you're traveling with equipment you would prefer locked up and watched more closely than your run of the mill luggage, you can pack a firearm with the equipment or luggage. Whether or not you own an actual firearm isn't important—the TSA considers a starter pistol a firearm, and it must be checked in and secured properly. Bruce Shneier, on his security and privacy centered blog, highlights how some creative professional photographers have been using this rule to their advantage. One of the photographers writes:

A "weapons" is defined as a rifle, shotgun, pistol, airgun, and STARTER PISTOL. Yes, starter pistols - those little guns that fire blanks at track and swim meets - are considered weapons...and do NOT have to be registered in any state in the United States.

I have a starter pistol for all my cases. All I have to do upon check-in is tell the airline ticket agent that I have a weapon to declare...I'm given a little card to sign, the card is put in the case, the case is given to a TSA official who takes my key and locks the case, and gives my key back to me.

That's the procedure. The case is extra-tracked...TSA does not want to lose a weapons case. This reduces the chance of the case being lost to virtually zero.

It's a great way to travel with camera gear...I've been doing this since Dec 2001 and have had no problems whatsoever.

You can pick up a super basic starter pistol for around $16-20—really nice starter pistols can easily cost $100-200, but you're not concerned about the quality—a rather small sum to ensure that your case of photography equipment or personal effects will be watched more carefully and only opened in your presence.

Have your own off-beat way of keeping your stuff safe while traveling? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Expensive Cameras in Checked Luggage [via Boing Boing]

Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.

via lifehacker