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Hello, fellow photographers! I've been thinking a lot about play and photography lately. It's easy (for me, at least) to get stuck in a professional mindset and stick to images I'm confident will turn out. But I also firmly believe photography is meant to be fun sometimes, and I try to make room for that. |
That's why I get excited when companies release cameras built around the experience rather than being technically the best. The Fujifilm X half and upcoming Yashica Y16 come to mind, and it's also why I sometimes reach for something bare-bones like a Holga or a fully mechanical film camera. |
But play doesn't have to depend on your gear. When I shoot my conceptual work, I often say I'm "playing in my studio." I rarely go in with a set image in mind; I just shoot around and see where things go. |
So this week, a challenge for you all: get out and play with your camera. Use your camera purely to have fun, then send in a photo that reflects that (or send a process or behind-the-scenes shot). Put your own spin on it, as fun may mean something different to you. |
Now, onto the week's news. It's been quieter than the past few weeks, but there were still some announcements worth checking out. Let's dive in. |
— Abby Ferguson, Features Editor |
P.S. If you're interested in partnering with us on this newsletter, just reply to this email. We'd love to hear from you. |
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Posts That Stopped the Scroll |
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This video was part of the inspiration for this issue's theme. It's a condensed version of a lecture by Alec Soth, and it shows a few of the ways he's been playing with photography. |
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That wasn’t the only post related to playful uses of photography in my feed recently, either. One artist created a fun little stop motion video using mixed media, including photographs. It’s simple, but I really enjoyed the playfulness. |
I've also been enjoying Katie P's (@pretty_little_lens) recent video series, where she places colorful, transparent discs on a light table, raises a sheet of clear plexi above them, then shoots through it after adding materials like water, aloe, soap suds, hot glue and crackle nail polish. Each one gives a different look, and I love the play behind the series. |
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Photo by Mitchell Clark |
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Mitchell Clark has been hard at work shooting with the tiny Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 Evo. He even recently took it to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was attending an event for DJI, but made time to get out with the lens. He’ll have a sample gallery to share soon, so stay tuned! |
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It’s been a bit quiet on firmware updates, but there was one notable release in the past week. |
Insta360's firmware 1.1.8 for the Luna Ultra gimbal camera includes several significant updates. It raises the maximum zoom from 12x to 15x (300mm equivalent) and adds support for the new 1.5x Ultra Telephoto Lens, which extends reach to 450mm equivalent. The update also adds a Stage Mode for concerts, with exposure, white balance, focus, and performer tracking tuned for stage lighting, plus a Stage Audio option that prioritizes sound from the stage. There’s plenty more, too, so head to the Insta360 downloads page to learn more. |
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Photo by G Radford |
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Our community is a great place to see photographic play in action. Community member G Radford made this image with a full-spectrum Sigma DP2s, experimenting with light beyond the visible spectrum. It certainly provides a different approach than normal, which is really neat to see. |
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Photo by Abby Ferguson |
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For the most recent edition of our Question of the Week series, we want you to take us back to the beginning: What sparked your interest in photography? For me, I can’t recall a specific thing, but I remember always wanting to use my family’s Pentax K1000, seen above, as a child. Head on over to the full article to share where your love for the medium began. |
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"It’s marvelous, marvelous! Nothing will ever be as much fun. I’m going to photograph everything, everything." |
JACQUES-HENRI LARTIGUE, FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER AND PAINTER, AFTER TAKING HIS FIRST PHOTOGRAPH |
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