You Can’t Turn the Lights Off Now
May 16th
Here’s a fun little video directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the topic of photographer’s rights. Sure, it’s a cartoon featuring the ghost of Ben Franklin calling an ignorant cop an anus… but considering the crazy stories you see about people getting arrested for something monotonous, it’s definitely something to be aware of. Spread the Word!
Kodak Had a Secret Nuclear Reactor Loaded With Enriched Uranium Hidden In a Basement
May 15th
We recently stumbled upon an interesting article by Jesus Diaz on Gizmodo regarding Eastman Kodak Co.
“Kodak may be going under, but apparently they could have started their own nuclear war if they wanted, just six years ago.” writes Diaz. The information was recently leaked by a former Kodak employee that down in the basement of the company’s Rochester, NY headquarters, there was a nuclear reactor loaded with 3.5 pounds of enriched uranium which is found in atomic warheads.
The main question is: Why? A last secret weapon for Kodak to use against Fuji? No, Diaz writes, “Kodak’s purpose for the reactor wasn’t sinister: they used it to check materials for impurities as well as neutron radiography testing. The reactor, a Californium Neutron Flux multiplier (CFX) was acquired in 1974 and loaded with three and a half pounds of enriched uranium plates placed around a californium-252 core.”
Another perhaps more important question is: How? ”How did they get permission to own it, let alone install it in a basement in the middle of a densely populated city?” asks Diaz. ”Kodak officials now admit that they never made any public announcement about it. In fact, nobody in the city—officials, police or firemen—or in the state of New York or anywhere else knew about it until it was recently leaked.”
“Its existence and whereabouts were purposely kept vague and only a few engineers and Federal employees really knew about the project” writes Diaz. ”The reactor was installed in a closely guarded, two-foot-thick concrete walled underground bunker.”
“While 3.5 pounds of weapons-grade uranium is not enough to create a nuclear bomb, illegal arm merchants are seeking small amounts like this to put them for sale in the black market—which is why the United States has such a tight control on this material. The government doesn’t want Iran or al-Qaeda getting their hands all over the atomic candy for obvious reasons.” adds Diaz.
NAB 2012: NEW Carl Zeiss 70-200 T2.9 CP2 Lens
May 15th
Richard Schleuning talks to Unique Photo’s Mike Zawadzki about the new 70-200 T2.9 CP2 lens, the first Cine zoom lens to cover full frame.
Film Camera Sets Auction Record
May 14th
By Gary Krakow of thestreet.com
Prices On The Rise For Pre-WW2 Leica, Photos
If you have any really old film cameras in your home or, if you know of one – and it’s a model that looks just like this one – then it’s time to dust it off – and think about selling it..
The photo above shows an o-Series Leica prototype, built in 1925. One of 25 “betas” made and one of only 12 known to still exist today. This model turns out to be a real “oldie-but-goodie”.
Over the weekend, this nearly 90-old, o-Series camera was sold for 2.16 million Euros (or $2.79-million U.S.) at auction in Vienna.
According to AFP, another o-Series was sold last year for only 1.32 million Euros while yet another sample sold for only 800 thousand Euros just five years ago.
These prices don’t explain why Leica’s re-branded Panasonic-made point-and-shoot camera are marketed in the U.S. at double the price – for the same device.
And, it’s not just the cameras that are worth a fortune. A mid-19th century daguerreotype just sold for 228 thousand Euros and a 1954 print featuring Pablo Picasso for 24 thousand Euros.
Never Seeing Nothing Photographs by Dan Wagner
May 14th
Dan Wagner, New York, 2012
About the Book:
It’s been said that we’re surrounded by images, and we are. When it comes to photography, the trick is to see the image and then capture it with a camera. I like to describe the process inside my head when I hunt down photos as “switching on.”
When I’m out and about without a camera, I avoid the anguish of not being able to record the perfect, serendipitous shot in front of me by “switching off,” and willfully trying not to see. However, once the shutterbug has bitten, “switching off” is futile. Photographer Walter De Mulder summed it up best: “Always seeing something, never seeing nothing, being photographer.”
As photographers we’re doomed to being forever on the prowl for that magic shot. We’re always seeing something. Because we’re also never seeing nothing, we can’t ignore what we see — or our desperate need to record it.
Our cameras hang by straps from our necks like nooses. Our salvation rests in never seeing nothing. That’s what it means to be a photographer. That’s why I had to shoot the photographs in this book.
To View Dan Wagner’s book please click here
Testimonial:
Every photographer wants their photos to be unique, and I’m no exception. So when I’m in search of something unique, where do I go to stock up on Kodak Tmax and chemicals? You guessed it, Unique Photo! Sheesh that was almost too easy. Seriously, buying everything I need, whether film or digital from Unique Photo has always been so easy. The prices are less than the competition, the items are packed perfectly, and the UPS driver delivers to my doorstep. That’s almost as good as a NY Giants win. My fridge is currently stocked with a few hundred rolls of film and a case of beer, and my TV remote has fresh batteries, so I’m all set. f/8 and don’t be late — you can quote me on that.
Nigel Barker: Baby Photography Tutorial – Baby Photography Ideas
May 11th
Professional photographer Nigel Barker shares a few simple tips to help you capture special moments of your baby.
Fujifilm Makes Sharing Images Easy With the All New Rugged and Waterproof Finepix XP170 Digital Camera
May 11th
Fujifilm FinePix XP170 in Blue
Leica Camera AG is Proud to Announce the new Leica X2
May 10th
Leica Camera is pleased to introduce the Leica X2, featuring the latest sensor technology in combination with the fast 35mm Leica Elmarit lens. Available in black and silver, the X2 which is made in Germany will be available in North America at the end of May 2012.
Leica X2
The Leica X2 offers the following:
- Newly developed APS-C CMOS Sensor with an effective resolution of 16.1 MP
- Leica Elmarit 1;2.8/24 mm ASPH (35 mm equivalent: 35 mm)
- Simple operation and manual adjustment possibilities
- High quality materials
- Connection for high resolution electronic viewfinder for new photographic perspectives
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the comprehensive solution for modern digital
- photography
- Made in Germany More >
Leica Camera AG is Proud to Announce the new LEICA APO-Summicron-M 50mm/f2 ASPH
May 10th
Leica Camera is pleased to introduce the LEICA APO-Summicron-M 50mm/f2 ASPH lens to our M-System. With this new lens, Leica engineers have pushed the boundaries of what is technically feasible to set a new benchmark in imaging. The new lens will be available from August 2012.
- LEICA APO-Summicron-M 50mm/f2 ASPH
The LEICA APO-Summicron-M 50mm/f2 ASPH will offer photographers the following advantages:
- High speed standard lens delivering outstanding imaging performance
- Supremely soft rendering of blurred image areas (Bokeh)
- Integrated lens hood, extendable by rotating
- Product package includes milled brass lens front cap
- Exclusive presentation packaging box
The LEICA APO-Summicron-M 50 mm/f2 ASPH was designed like all Leica lenses with the aim of maximizing both contrast and detail even at full aperture. That aim is met in an incomparable manner. The latest milestone in the history of the M-system delivers previously unattained
performance levels in terms of all technical parameters. The MTF curves, which describe the sharpness of the image, remain all the way to the edges, even with the aperture open, over 50% contrast. This level of performance has never been achieved previously and
demonstrates the exceptional quality of the lens. This allows extremely sharp imaging in all scenarios, with optimal definition right into the corners, even for close-ups. This lens has an apochromatic correction feature which is a highly complex and sophisticated
method of color error correction. It minimizes color fringing at sharp edges, so ensuring that all details are naturally depicted. This is achieved, among other means, by skilfully integrating glasses with anomalous partial dispersion into the lens design. All these qualities allow
photographers to get the best possible image quality, especially for large prints. The Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm/f2 ASPH particularly in combination with high-resolution cameras such as the new Leica M Monochrom will offer photographers the opportunity to produce fine-art photography of a quality never before attained.
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