Monday, April 20, 2009

Pinhole Day!

You better make sure you finish that can of Quaker Oats by April 26th, because it’s World Pinhole Photography day! Remember making your very own camera in grade school, using nothing but a can or box, some electric tape and tinfoil? It’s such a simple concept, but so quirky and unpredictable; magical even?
The beauty of pinhole cameras is that the possibilities are endless. Anything can be turned into one as long as it’s light tight, has a teeny hole, and you can stick film or photo paper inside. If you thought it was cool taking pictures with a shoebox, try using a jet hanger as a camera (http://www.alternativephotography.com/articles/art100.html). Don’t have a jet hanger laying around? Eh, ok. Do you have a mouth? You could be like this guy! (http://pinholephotography.org/gallery/gallery.html)
Maybe you’re into instant gratification, and in that case, there are multiple tutorials about turning your digital SLR into a pinhole camera by using a modified body cap in place of a lens (at the risk of leaving your image sensor susceptible to dust and dirt, so be careful, pinhole warriors!)
How ever you chose to celebrate, whether it’s a making a camera of your own, or just finding some cool pinhole pictures to look at, don’t forget to take a little time to pay homage to the principles of photography that make our lives a little bit more awesome.

A Haiku for Pinhole Day:
You think it’s oatmeal
But I’m watching you with it
And you’ve been exposed!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Something to Talk About!!!!!

The New Canon PowerShot SD 780 IS!
At Richmond Camera we see new line-ups from Canon and Nikon every years and to be honest sometimes it is hard to get excited about every camera that you see, but the Canon PowerShot SD 780IS is really cool! The SD 780 IS has an extensive feature set:
    12.1 megapixels
    3x optical zoom (33-100mm in 35mm terms)
    Smart Auto
    Blink Detection
    HD Movie
    ISO up to 3200
    Motion Detection
    and more....like a viewfinder!!!!

To me it is not the features that make me point out this camera. The size of the camera is the best part. This camera is so small that you can take it anywhere. Slim and sleek this camera is still practical. Let's face it; there comes a time where even professional photographers want to take a picture, but not have to feel like they are working. The whole point of photography is share experiences with friends and family. The Canon SD 780 IS has both the features that are required for great image quality and the sleek design that allows you to take the camera everywhere.