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Watch: How film and developing actually work – It’s both magic and science

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This is one of the deepest dives into film photography and the developing process I’ve seen. Not surprisingly, it’s from Destin at Smarter Every Day. He says that he went looking to find a definitive video that explained it all and he couldn’t find one. So, he made one.

Destin begins by talking of the “magic” of film and the unique look and character it has that’s impossible to reproduce digitally. He also mentions film’s resurgence of late (I guess it’s mainstream now – the hipsters will be disappointed). But it’s not magic. There’s actual science behind it and Destin takes us to visit Indie Film Lab to see how the process works.

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A rare 1943 “top secret” Russian FS-3 FotoSniper prototype has sold for $170,000

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One declared a “top secret” project during the Second World War siege of Leningrad, a one-of-a-kind (as far as we know) Russian GOI FS-3 FotoSniper prototype has been sold at the Leitz Photographica Auction (LPA). With a starting price of €30,000 and an estimated value of €60-70,000, the hammer ended at an eye-watering €144,000 (a hair over $170,000).

According to LPA, the lens was reportedly produced at the GOI factory, which continued production and research throughout the war. In 1943, the lens was developed for the Soviet Baltic Fleet Navy with a 600mm lens and a max aperture of f/4.5. It was all very hush-hush, and the only documented evidence that it existed back then is a single photo.

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Photographing wildlife with 4×5 large format camera and expired film

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These days, for sports and wildlife shooters, it seems the smaller sensor cameras are often favoured for the “extra reach” with long lenses. Most wildlife shooters I know, at least up until the days of mirrorless, were shooting fast APS-C DSLRs like the Nikon D500 and Canon 7D Mark II. Some have switched to Fuji and even Micro Four Thirds mirrorless.

But for some photographers, bigger is always better. And that certainly seems to be the case for Markus Hofstätter. We’ve featured Markus a bunch of times here on DIYP for his wet plate photography, but attempting to shoot wildlife on a 4×5 large format camera, especially with expired film is definitely a little… extra.

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No, Sony is not making the Canon EOS R3 Sensor – Canon is

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Well, it turns out that Canon is making their own sensor for the Canon EOS R3 after all. After a wording change on various Canon websites last month suggested that it was designed by them but manufactured by somebody else – possibly Sony – Canon has done something they almost never do. They’ve publicly addressed a rumour.

As well as the wording change, an interview with Canon Russia’s Head of Product and Consumer Expertise, Andrey Tischenko by Russian photography website PhotoWebExpo points out that the first Canon camera to contain a stacked sensor was the G7X Mark III – which contains a Sony sensor. But now Canon has confirmed that no, Sony isn’t making the EOS R3 sensor. They are.

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How to create realistic perspective motion blur in Photoshop

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Creating motion blur isn’t as easy or always as possible as we might like when we’re just rushing to get the shot. Sometimes we’re not rushing, but thing aren’t moving in quite the way we’d hope. Or maybe we’re just not very good at shooting panning shots with a moving subject. Whatever the reason, it is possible to achieve a similar look in Photoshop.

In this video, Photoshop guru Unmesh Dinda at PiXimperfect walks us through why we need perspective motion blur and how it differs from regular directional motion blur, as well as how to recreate the look on the computer within photoshop.

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Have you tried this unusual way of using a beauty dish?

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One of my favorite things to do is using gear, props, or arts & crafts materials in unconventional ways. It often gives unexpectedly good results and you come up with some great new techniques. This is what Miguel Quiles does in his latest video. He uses a beauty dish in a way most of us probably wouldn’t, and he ends up with fantastic results.

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Follow these tips to nail handheld shots with telephoto lenses

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Using telephoto lenses handheld can be quite challenging and it may not be easy to get a sharp photo without a tripod. They’re also bulky and heavy, so it can be difficult to even hold them for extended periods of time. But there are ways to make your life easier and your photos sharper even if you don’t want to use a tripod. And in this video, Leigh TheSnapChick will share them with you.

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The good and bad of EOS R5 overheating after 8 months use in the real world

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The Canon EOS R5 has been plagued with overheating criticism since its initial release. Canon eventually released a firmware update that resolved some of the issues users were experiencing – although that still wasn’t enough for some people. Next month, it’ll have been a year since the Canon EOS R5 was launched, and it’s received a few more updates since then. But how does it handle today?

Well, after using one for the past eight months, Bryan Redding of Deaf Director presents his findings in the above video. And, well, it’s great for photographers. Not so much for filmmakers. It does, of course, depend on exactly what your video needs are, but if you were hoping to shoot 8K, 4K120p or even 4K HQ, you’re out of luck.

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Photobook Collective is a perfect place if you love photography books

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Reading photography books is a great way to learn new things and to get inspired. If you enjoy a good book, Photobook Collective is a perfect place for you. It’s a website that’s all about photography books and you can buy them, sell them, or trade them with other members.

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Want to work for Canon? You better smile or they won’t let you in the building

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Canon China has introduced a creepy technology for “brightening up workspace.” The company’s offices are equipped with AI-powered cameras with face and smile recognition. But they don’t only recognize the person behind a lovely smile – they reportedly only let them access the offices if they’re smiling.

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