A camera store in California was robbed last month, with $65,000 worth of gear stolen in only three minutes. A recently released security camera footage shows what happened: robbers broke in by smashing a car into the storefront. After that, 13 people stormed in, taking all they could get and damaging the store along the way.
California police warn to ‘stay away or be arrested’ if photographing the super bloom
Amid speculation about whether 2023 could bring another spectacular super bloom event in South Western USA, Californian police have made a pre-emptive strike to try to avoid the chaos of 2019. Specifically addressing photographers and wannabe photographers (i.e. influencers), they are saying, “stay away from the poppies, or we’ll arrest you”.
2019 saw unprecedented crowds of daytrippers to the Lake Elsinore area during the super bloom. Flowers were trampled, traffic chaos cut off residents from infrastructure, and one policeman even lost his life in a road traffic accident. Clearly, the authorities are keen to avoid any of this from happening again.
Get your cameras ready, California could be headed for another super bloom in 2023
The last time California had a super bloom was in 2019, and it appeared that everyone went a little bit crazy over it. Of course, this was pre-pandemic, so it feels like a lifetime ago rather than just 4 years. These super bloom events are relatively rare and usually only happen once every ten years. However, experts are saying that spring 2023 could be another super bloom year in Southern California.
California state experienced an unusually high amount of rainfall in the summer of 2022 and also had devastating floods just this past month. High rainfall is a prerequisite for a super bloom the following spring.
Professor spends over $400K state funds on personal camera gear
Can you imagine embezzling over $400,000 of state money to buy camera gear so you can take photos for Instagram? As crazy as it sounds, this actually happened.
A University of California professor reportedly spent $404,000 of state funds to buy himself cameras and lenses. No, he didn’t need them for science or teaching – he reportedly bought them to shoot photos for his Instagram and to sell prints on his website.
Photographer rescues a puppy from California wildfire; reunites it with its owner
McKinney Fire that’s been raging in California since late July has become the largest wildfire of 2022 so far. Sadly, lives have been lost of both humans and animals, and lots of damage and destruction has been done.
But kind-hearted and empathetic people make everything more bearable. One of them is photographer Jonathan Rivas of AIO Filmz, who saved a puppy and helped reconnect it with its owner. He captured the encounter on camera and returned our faith in humanity.
This photo of “crowded” California beach is not what it seems
We have already seen that the change of perspective and focal length can drastically change the story. And after the latest controversy over a “crowded” beach in California, we can see exactly how it works in the context of reporting.
After a photo of the beach was published, people started a heated debate over it, claiming that it was “fake.” And in a way, they were right. The photo wasn’t doctored, but it was taken with a telephoto lens, making the beach look overcrowded. Filmed from a helicopter, the situation turned out to be much different.
Photographer captures the world’s worst ravaging fires
Noah Berger has captured more than 100 of the world’s worst wildfires working as a news photographer for more than 25 years. It was in 2013 during the Rim Fire near Yosemite that he discovered his talent and affection for wildfires. The disasters he photographs have caused tremendous damage to nature and properties. They also won his team a finalist slot on the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography.
NPPA sues state of California over new “gig economy” law that targets freelancers
The Assembly Bill 5 (or AB 5) was recently signed into law in California. It limits the use of classifying workers as independent contractors, and “forces” companies to classify them as employees. When it takes effect, this law will also limit many freelance photographers and photojournalists. So, The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has decided to file a lawsuit against the California state.
These guys toured around California to recreate the Apple macOS wallpapers
With the exception of the Windows XP wallpaper, the macOS wallpapers from Apple are probably some of the most recognisable photographs out there today. Often, we sit at our screens, seeing landscapes like these, wondering what it would be like to see them in person.
YouTuber Andrew Levitt certainly thought that. So, he teamed up with friends Jacob Phillips and Taylor Gray and then sit off in search of those exact locations to recreate the images for themselves. And, they documented the trip so the rest of us could tag along.
Cosplay photoshoot with giant fake rifle sparks public warning from California authorities
Last week, a cosplay photoshoot involving a large fake rifle caused quite a stir on the public Seacliff State Beach in Monterey Bay, California. The costumed model was seen carrying the huge replica gun at the beach, and judging from the photos, nothing indicated that it was fake. Some beachgoers reported the photoshoot to the police, and the whole case prompted a public warning from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office.
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