1st Polaroid-branded photo store opens in Fla.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The first in a chain of Polaroid-branded photo shops opened here Friday, with its backers hoping to reinvigorate the digital world's interest in printed images by capitalizing on an iconic name.

Polaroid Fotobar aims to tap into unprecedented interest in photography with its inaugural 2,000-square-foot store. The trick will be to coax consumers who snap pictures on cellphones and other devices to give their memories new life on paper.

"Maybe it's on a smartphone, maybe it's on Instagram, maybe it's on Facebook," said Warren Struhl, the founder and CEO of Fotobar. "But digital is not permanent. Physical is permanent."

In the glistening new store, customers can pay a visit to the bar where "fototenders" will assist in wireless uploads of photos. From there, a visitor can purchase prints made on-site, or order products sporting their images on canvas, metal, bamboo and other materials.

The cheapest item is a $1 print replicating a traditional Polaroid, though the purchase requires a minimum of six. The priciest product is a 7-foot-by-4-foot, 150-pound slab of acrylic with a customer's image on it, running $2,500. All of the prints made on-site take the form of the original Polaroid, in varying sizes, with its familiar white border. It is thicker, at 1.2 millimeters, and sturdier, but is instantly recognizable.

Struhl says he has heard time and again that photography's transition to digital has brought "a pain point" for people, who feel a sense of guilt that their images may reside on a hard drive but not in a frame.

"It makes them sad," he contends. "Most people are afraid they're going to lose that favorite picture on top of the fact that they wish it was up on a shelf."

Whether that is true, and whether it drives people into Struhl's stores will determine the fate of the Fotobar. But even some with deep nostalgia for the Polaroid brand wonder how the business will fare in a digital world.

Phillip Block of the International Center of Photography said he grew up with Polaroids and is "thrilled that anyone is interested in picturemaking and the physical print." But he said digital cameras have replicated the immediate gratification and emotional impact people experienced when their Polaroid camera spit out a floppy print.

Polaroid cameras were the ultimate in convenience, he said, and "anything other than that is a step backwards."

But as customers began to file in, there was no sign of discontent. Among the first to take a seat at the Fotobar was Jami Bloch, 12, who was uploading photos from her Facebook and Instagram accounts. She frequently takes photos on her iPhone but never has them printed.

"You can actually like see them," she said of the prints, "it's actually like real."

Besides offering a sleek, sparkling white atmosphere, the store also has a studio that will offer free classes, host parties and allow customers to come in for portraits with local photographers. Struhl says he's negotiating at least 10 leases for other Fotobar sites and expects new locations may open elsewhere in Florida, in New York, Boston and Las Vegas, in the next year.

Customers can also find refurbished Polaroid cameras selling for $159.95 and eight-packs of film for $29.95.

Polaroid itself, which pioneered instant photography, ultimately went bankrupt and doesn't produce its iconic cameras or film anymore. Film compatible with old Polaroid cameras is now manufactured by The Impossible Project. Polaroid is paid for the use of its name on the stores through a licensing agreement. Fotobar is owned by Struhl and other investors.

Fotobar faces competition from chain drugstores and other retail sites that allow customers to print their digital pictures, not to mention an array of websites that will deliver prints without someone ever having to leave their computer.

Struhl insists Fotobar is different, though.

"Four-by-six prints are available lots of places," he said. "We're the only place that makes Polaroids."

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Online:

Polaroid Fotobar: http://www.polaroidfotobar.com/

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Museum’s photography contest spurs creativity from different angles

Swinging into first place: First-prize winner Glenn Guan receives a 12-day Mediterranean cruise and flight tickets for his winning entry.

THE i-City ?It?s Real, It?s Trick Art Real? photography competition organised in conjunction with the opening of the Trick Art Museum@i-City received overwhelming response from amateur and professional photography enthusiasts nationwide.

The museum, the first of its kind in Malaysia, spans 8,000 sq ft featuring six different themes ? Famous Masterpieces, Egyptian Lost Tomb adventure, Animal Kingdom, Marine Life, Modern Classics and Superheroes.

The exhibits look different when seen from different angles and the effects are magnified when seen through camera lenses.

A scream: Second-prize winner Sheiron Akmal?s composition.

Trick art is a new tourism product in Malaysia and since opening in mid-November, the Trick Art Museum has received an average of 5,000 visitors daily.

?The photo challenge was organised to spur creativity and an interest for photography by allowing visitors to explore various poses and angles to capture the most ?real? photo poses,? I-Berhad director Monica Ong said.

?We also noticed that this was an interesting way for families and friends to communicate and bond. For example, a group of two or three can participate in creating one trick art masterpiece,? she said.

Gotcha: Third-prize winner Rohayu Abdullah?s shot.

There were more than RM80,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, with first prize winner Glenn Guan picking up a 12-day Mediterranean cruise and flight tickets.

The second and third-prize winners were Sheiron Akmal Ismail and Rohayu Abdullah, respectively.

They also picked up travel packages for their efforts.

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The Star pixman wins trick art photo contest

I-CITY?S ?It?s Real, It?s Trick Art Real? photography challenge, organised in conjunction with the opening of Trick Art Museum@i-City, received overwhelming submissions from photography amateurs and professional enthusiasts nationwide.

I-Berhad director Monica Ong said the photo challenge was organised to ignite creativity and an inte- rest for photography by allowing one to explore various poses and angles to capture the most ?real? photo pose.

?We noticed that this is another interesting way for families and friends to communicate and bond.

?For example, two or three people can participate together in one trick art piece where everyone explores their own creativity but at the same time work together to achieve a ?real? trick art,? she said.

The Trick Art Museum at i-City, the first of its kind in the country, spans over 8,000sq ft. It features six themes from famous masterpieces such as the Egyptian Lost Tomb adventure, animal kingdom, marine life, selected modern classics and superheroes.

Trick art is a new tourism product for Malaysia. Since its opening in mid-November last year, the museum has received an average of 5,000 visitors daily.

The first prize for the challenge went to The Star photographer Glenn Guan.

His prize was a 12-day Mediterranean cruise on the Queen Elizabeth, inclusive of return flight tickets for two.

Guan said he submitted three to four photographs, adding that his winning picture was ?unusual? and among the best of his submissions.

?It took me more than five times to get the model to jump in order to snap the right shot,? said the overwhelmed Guan after receiving his prize from I-Berhad executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong.

The second and third prize winners received all-expenses-paid trips to Alaska and South Korea respectively.

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Snake photo likely trick photography

Print Create a hardcopy of this page Font Size: Default font size Larger font size Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 10:49 pm | Updated: 9:15 am, Wed Feb 27, 2013.

Snake photo likely trick photography By Catherine Dominguez Houston Community Newspapers

After researching a photo of what appears to be an unusually large rattlesnake, local game wardens say they are unable to find the origin of the photo that appeared on a local resident’s Facebook page.

While Brannon Mein-kowsky, a game warden with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, did not call the photo a hoax, he said there was likely a little trick photography involved.

“The picture is misleading,” he said. “It looks like a giant snake, and it might be a big snake, but it’s not out of range for that type of snake. You put something on a stick and hold it close to a camera it will look a lot bigger than it is.”

Meinkowsky said officials originally thought they might have known who the man was in the photo, but he said they were unable to actually identify him.

“We followed it from Facebook page to Facebook page and from person to person and we haven’t come up with anything,” he said.

Meinkowsky added if the man in the photo was a local resident, it is likely that someone would have come forward to identify him and as of press time, no one has.

The Courier, which received several inquiries on the authenticity of the photo, learned the photo has appeared on several different sites with different descriptions and locations. Meinkowsky said he was told the photo was taken on the north side of Lake Conroe.

“It is my opinion that it wasn’t killed on the north end of Conroe,” he said. “Just based on the story and the photo, it just didn’t add up. In the background of the picture, there is a tree with a lot of Spanish Moss and I haven’t seen any tree covered in Spanish Moss like that around here.”

Another indication the photo might not be local was that the snake in the photo appears to be an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which aren’t native to this area of Texas, Meinkowsky said.

“They are definitely not common around Conroe,” he said.

However, the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in North America, with some reaching up to 8 feet long and weighing up to 10 pounds. The Eastern diamondback is commonly found in southern North Carolina to Florida and west to Louisiana. They typically are not found in Texas.

The timber rattlesnake, which is listed as “threatened” in Texas according to Texas Parks and Wildlife, is typically only about 3-4 feet long and can be found in the eastern United States as well as some eastern parts of Texas.

The Western diamondback rattlesnake averages about 4-6 feet and is found in the southwest region of the United States, including parts of Texas, according to National Geographic’s website.

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The Star pixman wins trick art photo competition

Interesting shot: Guan with his winning photograph.

I-CITY’S “It’s Real, It’s Trick Art Real” photography challenge, organised in conjunction with the opening of Trick Art Museum@i-City, received overwhelming submissions from photography amateurs and professional enthusiasts nationwide.

I-Berhad director Monica Ong said the photo challenge was organised to ignite creativity and an interest for photography by allowing one to explore various poses and angles to capture the most “real” photo pose.

“We noticed that this is another interesting way for families and friends to communicate and bond.

“For example, two or three people can participate together in one trick art piece where everyone explores their own creativity but at the same time work together to achieve a ‘real’ trick art,” she said.

The Trick Art Museum at i-City, the first of its kind in the country, spans over 8,000 sq ft. It features six themes from famous masterpieces such as the Egyptian Lost Tomb adventure, animal kingdom, marine life, selected modern classics and superheroes.

Trick art is a new tourism product for Malaysia. Since its opening in mid-November last year, the museum has received an average of 5,000 visitors daily.

The first prize for the challenge went to The Star photographer Glenn Guan.

His prize was a 12-day Mediterranean cruise on the Queen Elizabeth, inclusive of return flight tickets for two.

Guan said he submitted about three to four photographs, adding that his winning picture was “unusual” and among the best of his submissions.

“It took me more than five times to get the model to jump in order to snap the right shot,” said the overwhelmed Guan after receiving his prize from I-Berhad executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong.

The second and third prize winners received an all-expenses-paid trips to Alaska and South Korea respectively.

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Fotodiox brings 140-megapixel images to your NEX, medium format lens not included

RhinoCam from Fotodiox Puts the Power of a Full Size 645 Medium Format Back into the Hands of Any Photographer

RhinoCam connects a low cost camera sensor with a Medium Format lens for astonishing medium format photography at a fraction of the normal price.

Waukegan, IL (PRWEB) March 06, 2013 - Fotodiox (http://www.fotodioxpro.com), a leading lens adapter and accessories manufacturer and distributor, today introduces the RhinoCam, a camera system that, for the first time in the digital age, puts the power of a full-size 645 medium format back into the hands of virtually any photographer. Utilizing the Sony NEX camera sensor, RhinoCam enables photographers at any level to capture the dramatic detail and sharpness only available with a sensor three times larger than even a high-end full-frame 35mm sensor. The first release from Fotodiox's new Vizelex line of premium high-end camera systems and adapters, the RhinoCam delivers stunning 140+ megapixel images while offering photographers their choice of low-cost sensor options and classic lenses.
Capable of creating the dramatic panoramic and full 645 medium format images previously reserved for photographers working with expensive medium format back cameras, RhinoCam is ideal for landscape, commercial and architectural photographers seeking remarkably high resolution at a fraction of the cost. Via an interchangeable lens mount, RhinoCam couples either a Pentax 645, Mamiya 645, or Hasselblad V medium format lens with a Sony NEX series camera. The built-in Composition Screen enables photographers to preview the composed shot. The lens remains firmly in place while the RhinoCam's moving platform positions the NEX sensor for multiple precisely-positioned exposures. RhinoCam also mounts directly onto a 4x5 board to open up additional possibilities with wider angle lenses, tilt shifts, bellows systems and more.

"RhinoCam offers a cost-effective alternative to full size medium format back options which cost 20 to 30 times more than the Sony NEX," said Drew Strickland, vice president of marketing for Fotodiox. "This innovative system makes it possible for photographers to achieve the high quality resolution, detail and sharpness found in images taken with medium format cameras, but for under $1,000."

After the capture process, it takes seconds to merge the multiple exposures into one larger images using automated stitching functionality built into recent versions of Adobe® Photoshop® and other software offerings. RhinoCam images are finalized using the more accurate flat stitching method, avoiding the perspective errors and curvilinear distortion present in images joined via spherical stitching often found with motorized systems that move both camera body and lens. The result is a panorama or 645 medium format photograph that is well over four times the normal resolution of a high-end full-frame 35mm camera sensor. The finished result using a Sony NEX-7 is a 140+ megapixel image with incredible detail and sharpness.
RhinoCam features include:

- Compact and lightweight construction ideal for backpack photographers who would otherwise need to transport much heavier gear to photograph large vistas
- Connects a low cost camera sensor with a medium format lens for astonishing medium format photography at a fraction of the normal price
- Preview the composed image before taking the first shot with the built in Composition Screen
- Mount a modern camera sensor onto 4x5 equipment using the RhinoCam system
- Multiple exposures are in a linear array, perfect for flat-stitching to reduce distortion errors inherent in spherical stitching
- When the user upgrades their camera, the RhinoCam delivers even higher quality pictures
RhinoCam is currently compatible with all Sony NEX mount cameras and the following interchangeable lens mounts: Pentax 645, Mamiya 645, and Hasselblad V. The RhinoCam precision system is priced at $500 and available for order today from http://www.fotodioxpro.com.

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Trick -art photo contest winners get to travel

First prize winner Glenn Guan Mun Hoe will get the chance to travel on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise on the Queen Elizabeth.

Second prize winner Sheiron Akmal Ismail will enjoy a seven-day Alaska cruise while third prize winner Rohayu Abdullah will be travelling to Korea on a seven-day trip.

I-Berhad director Monica Ong said the contest was organised to ignite creativity and allowed participants to explore various poses and angles to capture the most realistic photo poses.

"We noticed that this is another interesting way for families and friends to communicate and bond, where two to three can participate together in one trick art piece, where everybody explores their own creativity and works together to achieve a real trick art pose."

Ong added that, since its opening in November last year, the museum has received an average of 5,000 visitors daily.

The museum, the first of its kind in the country, occupies an area of 743sq m.

It features six themes -- famous masterpieces, Egyptian Lost Tomb adventure, animal kingdom, marine life, selected modern classics and superheroes.

Ong said i-City would continue to make efforts to introduce new and exciting attractions.

"In the past, i-City organised a photo challenge for its digital lights and Snow Walk.

"Maybe the next photo challenge will be for our newly opened WaterWorld," she said.

I-Berhad executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong (second from right) with the winners, Glenn Guan Mun Hoe (second from left), Sheiron Akmal Ismail (right) and Rohayu Abdullah. Pic by Roslin Mat Tahir

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