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Incredible work. By looking at the above photo you would think it was a vintage snapshot. Michael Paul Smith uses 1/24^th scale diecast models and sets them up to photograph with natural backgrounds. Check out his Flickr slideshow.

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Even taking simple photos for items we’re tying to sell on eBay can be tricky. Most of us want to have a certain degree of professionalism to our photos that say something out us.  You have to have a fancy, expensive setup, right? Nope: Learn make a DIY photography studio in your closet.

This compact 35mm camera was one of the most technically advanced gadgets of 1930s. It was produced by Swiss watch and clock manufacturer, also famous for its long-time partnership with luxury car makers. Jaeger LeCoultre sign can be found on the instrument panels of Bentley, Aston Martin, Lancia Astura, Delahaye, etc. Read More

Whether making your own lens hood to create custom bokeh, breathing like a sniper to get a blur-free photo, or angling your body to look the best in pictures, Lifehacker shared some great photography hacks this year.

Software and Photoshop tricks are great, but they’re a poor substitution for doing things in-camera. Learn how to take better photos, how to look better in photos, and ways to get professional results without spending your rent money on camera accessories.

Hipstamatic – For lomo lovers. Mix and match your favorite combination of lens, flash, or film when taking a lomograph on your iPhone. More

In what has to be the oddest new camera technology announcement of 2009, Ricoh unveiled its GXR system. It’s not a mirrorless interchangeable lens  system, as was rumored around the blogosphere, but what the company catchily calls an “Interchangeable Unit Camera,” where the “Unit” in question is a lens/sensor module which slides into a housing that includes the rest of a point-and-shoot’s pieces–920,000-pixel 3-inch LCD, controls, hot shoe, and flash. A tiltable EVF that fits in the hot shoe will be optional.

When it ships in the beginning of December, Ricoh plans to have the body and two camera units. Also, according to the company, it promises to deliver a new camera unit every quarter, starting with a nonspecific telephoto in the second quarter of next year. More

Check out this wonderful Flickr collection of vintage oil cans, from the personal collection of the photographer‘s dad. Lots of juicy retro design and typography

PhotoForge is a highly optimized editing and painting application designed for the iPhone and iPod touch. It can be used for image manipulation, retouching, effects, and color correction, as well as a painter’s tool. It is indispensable for creating original artwork, or editing photos on your mobile device.

PhotoForge is a superb photographer’s tool, providing digital darkroom capabilities that are second to none. It is also a tool for creating incredible works of art and illustrations. PhotoForge allows you to put together an image, combining filters, brushes, and effects. They may be hand-painted, or a composite of photographic images mixed with painting. The filters and effects can be layered to produce even more dynamic results.

A D J U S T M E N T S
• Curves: Create your own filters. Edit in RGB, CMYK and CIELab color spaces.
• Sharpen & Unsharp Mask: Sharpen images to remove the softness introduced during digital photo capture.
• Noise Reduction: Digitally reduces color noise present in the photo. (Apply multiple times for more reduction)
• Simulated HDR: Produce images with greater detail by manipulating the visible range of an image’s highlights and shadows.
• Auto White Balance
• Auto Exposure
• Manual Exposure
• Manual Vibrance
• Hue, Saturation & Lightness
• Brightness & Contrast

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Kwanghun Hyun’s webpage for his DIY cameras.  Link

Control Your Canon DSLR With Your iPhone

• Remotely fire your Canon EOS DSLR camera
  with your iPhone or iPod Touch
• Remotely control the camera settings like
  shutter-speed, aperture, white-balance and more
• View images saved on the camera from your iPhone or iPod Touch
• Look through your camera’s viewfinder remotely
• Great for remote-firing at weddings, sporting events, for kids, and for self-portraits

A Must-Have iPhone Application for Canon Digital Photographers

iPhone remotely controlling a Canon camera that’s mounted on a basketball backboard

DSLR Camera Remote is the next-generation cable release for your Canon EOS DSLR camera. Just connect your camera to a WiFi enabled computer and the DSLR Camera Remote software enables you to use your Apple iPhone or iPod touch to wirelessly adjust cameras settings, fire the shutter, review images, even get a live viewfinder preview. DSLR Camera Remote is a must-have for remote shooting applications like high or low angles, self portraits and children. With its advanced timers it makes remote monitoring a snap. No internet connection required! More