QR codes have become an extremely popular way of linking to digital things from the physical world, and more and more businesses are displaying them in order to direct customers to their websites. Photographer David Sykes (whom we previously featured here) decided to take advantage of the craze to promote his new website and blog. Instead of an ordinary QR code, however, he decided to create an 8-foot square model of the code using things such as boots, calculators, briefcases, boomboxes, and champagne bottles. He then photographed the code on film and mailed out limited edition prints. Read the rest of this entry »
Want to go beyond using ordinary wrapping paper for your Christmas gifts? You can make some DIY wrapping paper out of photographs. Print out your favorite photos at home onto ordinary copy paper for smaller presents, and tape multiple sheets together for larger packages.
Here’s a neat idea for photographic experimentation: create a pinhole camera out of photographic paper by folding it into an origami box with the light-sensitive side on the inside. The hole that is used to blow the box into its shape is also used to expose the inside to the outside world. After exposing it, simply unfold it and process it using standard developer and fix.
In August 2005, a UK student named Alex Tew launched a creative project called The Million Dollar Homepage. It was a simple webpage containing 1 million pixels that he sold to advertisers for $1 each. The idea quickly went viral, and Tew became a millionaire less than six months after launching it. The Most Expensive Picture is a new photo website that may make its owners rich in a similar way. Anyone can upload a photograph to the website, but for a price: you’ll need to pay $1 more than the person before you. Each photo is featured for at least an hour before new submissions are accepted, and the first 300 submissions will be turned into a book (which all the submitters will receive).
Eve Johnson of Evalicious wanted to turn some old digital photographs into Instax-style prints for a travel journal, so she decided to make some fake ones. She arranged two photos on each template, saved them as 4×6 prints, had them made at a local print shop, and then cut them out in Instax dimensions. You can find the low down over on her blog.
Tired of packing a huge mess of cables every time you go on a trip? The Magic Cable Trio is a 3-in-1 cable designed to cut down on your clutter. It lets you power and sync a wide range of devices ranging from phones, iOS systems (e.g. the iPad), music players, and compact cameras. Just make sure your device uses miniUSB, microUSB, or an iPhone dock connector. The three connections are daisy-chained, making it uber-compact and easy to manage. They cost $20 over at Innergie.
Want a clever way to use your Christmas tree as a photo display? Simply print 1.5-inch photos onto acetate sheets, tape them to the outside of translucent film canisters, and then illuminate them by sticking clear Christmas lights through the caps!
Always looking to upcycle her old things, entrepreneur Heidi Lehto came up with the idea of turning VHS cassette cases into 3D picture frames that have a secret storage compartment. She drilled the case into the wall using a couple of screws, and uses it as an easy-to-access business card holder.
Back in June we shared a cool (and nauseating) video of some guys throwing around a GoPro camera attached to a stick. YouTube user Lorduss1 recently did something similar… except with his dog. He mounted a GoPro camera to a stick, gave it to his dog, and then chased the dog around the yard.
“Idea Mine” is an upcoming iOS app by Canon that helps photographers save and generate ideas. The idea is that photo ideas can always be broken down into four components: location, subject, feeling, and technique. Provide the app with these four things, and it will store your idea for you to come back to later on. If you need some inspiration, hitting the “randomize” button will fill in the fields for you — kinda like a photographic mad libs. Read the rest of this entry »
