fbpx

DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

Search

 

Submit A Story

The high cost of perfection

by Leave a Comment

Walking past booth after booth at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York, I often heard camera company presenters explaining to their uncomfortably-seated, yet nonetheless-enraptured, audiences how they shot the “perfect” photo.

This was typically further explained as having achieved the perfect lighting, the perfect exposure, clear focus from edge-to-edge, etc. — typical technical rules we all know and try to follow, well, until we don’t. I wondered: Where does this obsession with perfection come from, and what is the cost to our creative output?

[Read More…]

Facebook censors images of two ancient Roman statues for nudity

by 5 Comments

Many cultural institutions use social networks nowadays to promote their events. Geneva’s Museum of Art and History is no exception, but Facebook’s photo policy ruined its campaign. The museum posted images of two ancient statues that will be exhibited in an upcoming show. However, Facebook apparently thinks they’re porn, so it banned the museum’s ad.

[Read More…]

What is parallelism and how to use it to improve your photography

by Leave a Comment

I’ve always had a fascination with geometry and man-made structures, their perfection has a strong attraction on me. It took me time to realize that what I appreciated most wasn’t necessarily their symmetry or the simple repetition of shapes but the parallelism between the various elements of a construction, of an image.

To better understand what is parallelism you first need to deconstruct photography and bring it back to its essence. A photograph is light, shapes and colors (or tones, if we speak about black and white photography). Those are the visual blocks that form a photograph. Sometimes there are similarities between those different parts, for example, a rectangular shadow on the ground in the foreground projected by a traffic sign and the rectangular shape of a window of a building in the background.

[Read More…]

Abstract art: a crown jewel of photography

by Leave a Comment

Abstract art in photography does not attempt to represent external reality. Photography artists instead find shapes, patterns, colors, and textures for their visually stimulating photographs. This body of work in essence attempts to separate or withdraw something from something else like, for example, the intricate patterns of reptilian skin or the shapes and colors of rough seas or volcanoes.

[Read More…]

Museum visitors damaged a Salvador Dalí painting while taking selfies

by 4 Comments

We have seen people destroying works of art, nature, and their own lives while taking selfies. A few days ago, a visitor of an exhibition in Russia managed to ruin two works of iconic artists: Salvador Dalí and Francisco Goya. While the Goya painting only had the glass and the frame damaged, in Dalí’s case, the painting itself suffered the damage as well.

[Read More…]

They tell you “art doesn’t pay.” This is why they’re wrong

by Leave a Comment

In their new short film series Masters, Frame.io asked the world’s master filmmakers: “Why do you do, what you do?” In the first episode of this inspiring series, award-winning director Mark Toia shares his experience that will motivate you if you ever feel you’re creating art in vain.

Toia came a long way from a steelworker to an appreciated and paid artist. A teacher once told him that art doesn’t pay… But he couldn’t have been more wrong.

[Read More…]

This Leica costs $100,000 – and it’s not even a real camera

by 11 Comments

I guess most of us expect the items with Leica’s logo to be expensive. But this “fake Leica” that doesn’t even take photos will surprise you with its price tag. It’s a stainless steel sculpture, a mash-up of several Leica models. It’s made by Chinese artist Liao Yibai and reaches whopping $99,995.

[Read More…]

The ultimate selfie machine: a 14ft interactive head displaying photos taken inside of it

by 4 Comments

Artist Matthew Mohr has created an interesting and unique piece of art. His project titled As We Are features a 14-foot 3D interactive human head. It was assembled from a skeleton covered with ribbons of LED screens. In its neck, there’s a photo booth where the visitors can capture 3D photos of themselves. Once they do it, the giant head displays their face, turning them into a statue.

Since the interactive head combines technology, interaction, and art, it’s also called “the ultimate selfie machine.” However, its purpose is more than just taking a selfie. It serves to amuse people, but also to evoke some discussions and consider how the idea of self-representation has evolved.

[Read More…]

Nothing To See – A Statement On The Current State of Politics In America

by 7 Comments

Photography at it’s core is an art form.

As photographers, we sometimes get so caught up with the aesthetic or technical challenges of creating pretty pictures that we forget that art is supposed to challenge us intellectually, to help us see things in different ways, to inspire debate.

Advertising photographer Tim Tadder’s recent project “Nothing To See” aims to do just that.

“Nothing To See” is an artistic statement on the current state of politics in America – a protest of sorts, but also an invitation to action…

[Read More…]

These artists create calligraphic graffiti with light painting

by 1 Comment

I find calligraphy wonderful, and it remains something I’d like to learn. So naturally, I was enchanted by the combination of calligraphy and photography. Mexican artists Said Dokins and Leonardo (Leo) Luna combine calligraphy and light painting.

Their project is named Heliographies of Memory, and they use calligraphic movements along with lights and long exposure photography. As a result, they create amazing “calligrafitti” at the iconic sites. They are only visible after the photographic process, and invisible to the naked eye while the process lasts.

[Read More…]

Recent Posts