In Guns, Germs, and Steel, author Jared Diamond describes two systems of invention transmission: 1) idea diffusion: imitation of an idea, and 2) blueprint copying: literal copying of an idea. Diamond uses the development of writing systems as the medium to discuss the concepts, noting that written writing systems probably only rose independently in Sumeria (3000 B.C.E.) and in ancient Mesoamerica (600 B.C.E.) with all other writing systems being influenced by the transmissions via trade and war.
How to use V-flats to create three different beauty lighting setups
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When shooting in a studio, you can use V-flats in a variety of ways. In this video, Lindsay Adler shows you three simple setups you can create for beauty photography using V-flats. Each of them requires subtle changes in the setup, yet they’ll all give you drastically different results.
These haunting photos of abandoned places across Europe show the beauty of decay
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Abandoned buildings are an ever-popular subject for photographers, they hold such promise, especially when they’ve truly been left untouched for years. Finding beautiful abandoned places has become more difficult as more of them are demolished or discovered, but they’re definitely still out there.
German Photographer Michael Schwan has spent more than a decade exploring Europe, specialising in the field of abandoned places. He’s been gathering locations, shooting photos and has created some hauntingly beautiful images for his project The Beauty of Decay.
Apple fixes the BeautyGate issue in the latest iOS 12.1 update
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After Apple admitted that BeautyGate is the real thing, the company announced that the bug will be fixed with the next software update. The iOS 12.1 for iPhone and iPad now out, and just as promised – the iPhone XS and XR don’t beautify your face automatically any longer.
Apple admits “BeautyGate” is real and it’s a camera bug
by Leave a CommentAfter iPhone XS was announced, some users noticed that its front camera beautifies selfies by default. The coin “BeautyGate” for this was soon coined to refer to this bug, but former Apple designer Sebastiaan de With explained that it’s a consequence of noise reduction. However, Apple has now admitted: the so-called “BeautyGate” is real, and it’s indeed a camera bug.
The iPhone XS & XS Max cameras don’t beautify you, noise reduction does, says Halide camera app designer
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So, it turns out the camera in the iPhone XS and XS Max doesn’t suck. Nor is the software “Beautifying” you. It’s just overly aggressive noise reduction. At least, that’s according to the man behind the Halide camera app and former Apple designer, Sebastiaan de With.
He’s taken a closer look at the new iPhone XS camera and argues that the camera itself is actually better than the old one. But the way it processes images, the computational photography side of things, reduces detail by its very nature. And it doesn’t just do this to faces, either, but everything that you photograph with it.
iPhone XS camera forces “beauty mode” by default; and you can’t turn it off
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Last month, Apple announced its latest iPhone models. There’s the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. There aren’t many changes in comparison to the iPhone X’s camera, to be honest. But Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy noticed something strange about the latest models. It looks like the “beauty mode” is always activated, and you can’t turn it off.
CVS Pharmacy bans digital manipulations in its beauty photos
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CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, has announced changes in its standards for beauty photos. The company is requiring transparency in all beauty photos created for stores, online promotion and all types of marketing material. By 2020, the company will implement its new standards and clearly mark all photos that haven’t been digitally altered.
2017 Pirelli calendar changes direction and shows beauty without retouching and makeup
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There is hardly anyone who hasn’t heard of Pirelli. Even us who can’t drive have heard of this tire brand – thanks to their famous calendar.
The company dates back to 1872, but the calendar was created in 1962. The sales had dropped, and they needed something to boost it. At that time, sexy girlie calendars were very popular among car manufacturers and mechanics. So Pirelli decided to create a calendar with semi-undressed women, but to raise it on a higher level. They hired fashion models and famous photographers – and the rest is history. For years, the calendar has been almost synonymous with soft porn. But they chose a different approach for 2016 and 2017 calendars. Instead of objectifying women, they empowered them.
How I Shot These Etherial Portraits With A Lensbaby
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So this is happening more and more… I’m talking with a client who wants me to shoot a creative portrait of them, and they say, “I like your blurry photos, I want that look.” My blurry photos? Most of the time that’s not something a photographer wants to hear, but I know they’re referring to the shots I’ve done over the years with the Lensbaby creative effects lenses.
I’ve been shooting studio portraits with them for a long time now and there’s nothing quite like them. It takes practice, some trial and error to learn the idiosyncrasies. And with lots of lens kits, focal options, etc., their product line now has a very comprehensive set of tools and it continues to grow (yay, more toys! err…I mean tools).
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