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Earthquake

Scammers using AI images of fake earthquake victims to steal donations

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Some of the images we’ve seen recently of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria have been heartbreaking. So far, more than 35,000 people have lost their lives, and those that have survived are facing a bitter, homeless winter. But some people have been taking advantage of this and, according to a BBC report, have been using AI-generated images to create fake donation pages online.

These scammers are channeling honest donations away from the people who actually need them into their own PayPal and crypto wallets. The cover image above was one such scam that was posted 8 times in just a few hours on Twitter. Neither firefighter nor child exists, they were created by Midjourney.

Viral rescue dog photo shared after Turkey and Syria earthquake a 2018 stock image

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On the night of 6 February 2023, a devastating 7.8 Richter earthquake hit south-eastern Turkey, near the border with Syria. The epicenter was near the Turkish town of Gaziantep, and both countries were severely hit: at the time of writing this, the overall death toll has risen to nearly 10,000 people and counting.

As often happens in times like this, many heartbreaking photos have appeared, and some have become more viral than the news itself. Perhaps you’ve seen a photo of a Labrador dog guarding someone’s hand under ruins? While it’s certainly a gut-wrenching shot, and it will cause your friends’ reactions when you share it – it was taken in 2018 and has nothing to do with the recent catastrophe.

Philippine photographers sell prints to raise funds after earthquake hits the islands

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On Saturday, 27 July current year, two strong earthquakes hours apart struck Batanes, an archipelagic province in the northern Philippines. About 60 people were injured, eight were killed, and there was huge material damage. Medical and rescue teams and the military are working on helping people, but Philippine photographers are giving their contribution as well. They have teamed up to sell prints in order to raise funds and help the victims of the earthquake.

Nikon call an early end to the current rebate programme due to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes

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Earlier this month Nikon announced a free battery grip offer for the Nikon D610, D750 and D810 cameras initially set to last until the end of the month.  As a result of the earthquakes in Kumamoto, this has been cut short, with the offer now expiring on May 14th.

A couple of days ago, all Nikon 1 rebates were also cancelled, and some Coolpix rebates are also expected to be removed shortly.  The only rebates expected to stay, for now at least, are the camera & lens combo deals.

How one photographer captured the mood of Japan in infrared after the 2011 earthquake & tsunami

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After returning to live in Tokyo 2012, photographer Philipp Zechner notice a shift in the behaviour and attitudes of the people there.  Gone was the optimism that had long ruled the country, replaced by fear and uncertainty for the future, and Philipp decided to document what he saw in a project titled Tokyo Radiant.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that shook Japan in 2011, which destroyed many towns in the coastal regions of the north east, eventually leading to the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Understanding and Creating ‘Realistic’ Camera Shake In After Effects

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Some short require camera shake for authenticity, but are so much easier shooting on a tripod. Think about any effect where you need to cut between two shots, or wanting to shoot something quickly while still making it seems like it was shot hand held. This gets even harder if you want a significant shake.

Now of course, some will say, just get the camera off the tripod and shake it as you shoot, but if you tried that you’d realize that shooting while shaking a camera is not that trivial. There are many things to consider, like focus, framing the way the camera moves, and having the shake look realistic.

Sam & Niko share a relatively simple method for adding the camera shake in post. The secret to making it look real? They break the shake into its individual components and add them as linked NULL objects.

POV Video of an IDF Disaster Dog Searching for Earthquake Survivors in Nepal

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The worst earthquake to have hit Nepal in 80 years occurred last week, killing over 6,000 people and thousands more are still unaccounted for.

The international community rushed to offer assistance, with Israel sending the largest aid delegation consisting 260 doctors and rescue personnel. Joining the search and rescue teams are three dogs and their handlers belonging to the IDF’s Special Forces K-9 unit.

One of these dogs, who were specifically trained to locate signs of life and survivors in disaster areas, was equipped with a GoPro Camera and offers a unique view into the ongoing efforts to find people buried under the rubble.

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