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."

___

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.

View the original article here

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.

View the original article here

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.

View the original article here

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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20. 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.

View the original article here

Unbelievable Close-Ups Of The Sun, Taken From This Guy's Backyard - Co.Design

You’ve never seen photos of the sun like this, but can you believe that they were shot between telephone wires?

Alan Friedman’s backyard is full of cable wires, power lines, and trees. By night, many stars are occluded behind the haze of Buffalo’s lights. And yet he’s taken what may be the most unbelievable photographs of the sun that you’ve ever seen.

Friedman’s trick is to stack the odds in his favor using a technique called “lucky imaging.” With a webcam normally used to photograph passing license plates, he captures stellar black-and-white objects at 120 frames per second (or about five times faster than your average movie camera), picking the one needle in the haystack that’s perfectly sharp, unaffected by the slew of confounding variables in our atmosphere.

When I ask Friedman why his photography is so unique, he argues first that it isn’t, referencing all of the amateur photographers pointing their cameras into space. But he does admit some people see his work as different. “Perhaps the difference stems from my background as a designer and fine artist,” he concedes. “My interest is both scientific and expressive, and the work is a marriage of both."

He continues: “When I began shooting the sun, everyone presented a yellow/orange disk against the black background of space. I began to experiment with different colorizations and reversing the tonality of the image,” Friedman explains. “The first time I inverted the disk of the sun to a negative, I was stunned by how it altered the perspective--how much more visible certain subtle structures became.”

He’s also not afraid to call his work photojournalism, citing that each time he inverts a value or tweaks a color he’s just exploring a new way to tell the sun’s story through a photograph--and as it’s a form of journalism, he also grapples with the debate of how far is too far, and when editing a photo begins to cloud its own truth. But in this regard, Friedman’s internal debates are no different than NASA’s hand-coloring of the mostly black-and-white images they suck in from space, depicting the majesty that our best physicists, armed with the most advanced photographic technologies, can still only see in their mind’s eye.

No doubt, his sun, be it inverted in black and white or painted with a fluorescent purple, feels like a more intimate portrait of our star than any I’ve ever seen. It’s a startling reminder: Even though we owe this glowing orb every morsel of our life, we sure don’t know it very well, do we?

Mark Wilson is a writer who started Philanthroper.com, a simple way to give back every day. His work has also appeared at Gizmodo, Kotaku, PopMech, PopSci, ... Continued

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Oz: 100+ years of movie magic - U-T San Diego

"Oz, the Great and Powerful" is just the latest and costliest interpretation on film of the land over the rainbow.

L. Frank Baum, the author of the 1900 book that started it all, discovered trick photography on a trip abroad in 1908 and developed a show of slides and stop-action animation covering scenes from the first four of his 14 Oz books. He took "The Fairlogue and Radio-Plays" on the road, complete with orchestra, and played the Midwest and East before closing just before Christmas in New York City.

The effort was a financial failure and as a result, Baum turned over his film rights to film pioneer William Nicholas Selig, who produced four silent one-reelers in 1910.

By then, Baum had moved his family to Hollywood, and while writing more Oz books, he founded the Oz Film Manufacturing Co. with friends from the Los Angeles Athletic Club. They underwrote "His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz" in 1914 and several live-action movies.

"These were big lavish productions, far above the usual 'flickers' of the period, each with an original score composed by (Louis F.) Gottschalk," says Michael Patrick Hearn in "The Annotated Wizard of Oz." But they were flops, as well, and the Oz studio was sold to Universal. Baum died in 1919.

Read the UT's review of the new movie and about San Diego's Oz connections.

In 1925 one of Baum's sons tried his hand at Oz-movie making in a silent picture treatment of "The Wizard" starring Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodman.

"It was a dreary hodgepodge of chases and slapstick, totally lacking the magic of Baum's book," Hearn said.

After a few minor cartoons (and a run at the franchise by Walt Disney) came the 1939 MGM classic, the treatment that set in many people's minds the look, feel and story arc of Oz.

At $2 million, it was MGM's most expensive film to date. It had sound, color, "Over the Rainbow" and memorable lines that land on "Jeopardy." It didn't make a profit on its first release but in subsequent showings, annual TV screenings and on videotape, DVD and Blu-ray, it's become a cinematic classic, the most watched movie of all time, according to the Library of Congress.

Still, other producers saw pay dirt down the Yellow Brick Road and followed up with cartoons, spinoffs, TV pilots and mini-series and big Hollywood productions.

"The Wiz" in 1978 was an adaptation of the Broadway all-black urban musical of 1975. Diana Ross was Dorothy, Michael Jackson, the Scarecrow. "Return to Oz" in 1985 was a Disney sequel, based on Baum's second and third books, "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "Ozma of Oz." Neither movie hit pay dirt.

Since the MGM version is still under copyright, Disney and other movie makers have to steer clear of such iconic inventions as the ruby slippers (they were silver in Baum's book) and Glinda in her pink traveling bubble (the new Disney take is a transparent bubble).

You won't hear reprises of "Over the Rainbow," Judy Garland's signature song. Mariah Carey brings us "Almost Home" and composer Danny Elfman offers, "The Munchkin Welcome Song."

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Trick Photography and Special Effects Honest Review - Is It Scam - SBWire (press release)

Denver, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2013 -- ''Trick Photography And Special Effects'' is a program that will serve users that have been working for a long time on figuring out how to create “light painting” images. This way regular photography days are over, as photo quality will be improved ten folds, without having to use any expensive piece of equipment. The skills that people achieve after 1 year or even 2 years photography courses, are possible to have during the amateur level with this program.

Interested customers should visit the official website at http://www.trickphotographybook.com

Evan Sharboneau, the author of this program has made photography so much easier, and each time users take a picture, they become better at creating great images. The internet is full of products that promise amazing deals, unbelievable results and in the end, they never come true. It is easy to say it, but it is harder to actually deliver. Same in this case, the art of photography is not always easy to master, one needs skills and techniques, and some of them can even become complicated.

''Trick Photography And Special Effects'' has managed to identify and create easy to use techniques, a smarter way to take good quality photos. By doing so, it transforms the way users look at their cameras and how they think of themselves as photographers. What seems a weekend hobby might turn into a real passion for some, with the right piece of equipment and information.

The book contains step by step instructions, and users will find the guide to be extremely useful on the long run. As soon as they will begin reading, they will start to realize that they have come across a amazing resource for making their life so much easier. Memories will be safer now, as their owner has the opportunity to capture them in an easier and professional manner.

The book has 295 pages and also 9 hours of other training material like videos, tutorials and many examples of photography all over the world. The book is also focused the special effects aspect of photography, one that no photographer can do without. The use of laser pens, flashlights and any other objects you can easily find in your household can be used in order to achieve great results, just by following the training and all the steps form this book.

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Ministry of Fear - slantmagazine

by Joseph Jon Lanthier on March 9, 2013
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Fritz Lang was reportedly dissatisfied with how his final German production, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, slumped into overt supernaturalism in order to "explain" the phenomenon of a seemingly immortal, invincible terrorist; while the scaly-faced, bug-eyed specter of the ur-Mabuse slaps a grotesque enough face on the essential facelessness of anarchy, it also more or less lets the humans inhabited by the grubby ghost-parasite off the hook. To his cynical credit, Lang would never again allow his characters such grace by way of plot twist or double-exposed image, and a wartime Graham Greene adaptation the director made a decade later in the U.S. even provides a cogent, if unintentional, rejoinder to Mabuse's facile magic.

Indeed, fantastical moments abound in Ministry of Fear, but there's no superhuman mechanism lurking behind them. (Even a shadowy ringleader turns out to be a decoy figurehead.) Murders are committed for the sake of a cake; a mentalist transforms from a withered hag to a svelte femme fatale; a dusty leather satchel full of books explodes, reducing a hotel room to rubble; and perhaps best of all, Dan Duryea dies twice, with ample time to sneeringly dial a rotary telephone with a pair of gargantuan scissors in between his deathly appointments. Yet all this would-be sorcery?which is furthermore offered the visual texture of black magic through Lang's gothic photography?turns out to have a logical explanation, albeit a sinisterly logical one. Avoiding The Testament of Dr. Mabuse's ultimately apologetic metaphor for mankind's twisted nature, Ministry of Fear's larger-than-life elements instead form a damning playbook of coded perversity, single-served; Lang's signature mob, here a Nazi spy ring that's turned London into a minefield of deadly tricks, is gradually atomized into individual agents who are each held responsible for their specific wickedness.

And what is film noir but a sensational trail of events leading from the gothic and ghostly to the cunningly criminal? Moody mysteries such as Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes and Robert Siodmak's similarly titled Phantom Lady, both of which predate Ministry of Fear (the latter just barely), deftly appropriate Auguste Dupin's "disappearing body" device and lighthearted investigative theatrics. Lang's film, the third in his string of gut-torkingly vindictive anti-Nazi tirades, is in comparison a veritable traveler's dictionary of dark strangeness. In the prologue, a London-bound, just-recovered bedlamite named Stephen Neale (Ray Milland) wins a cake at a rural village f?te after a fortune teller furtively tips him off to the confection's exact weight; as he exits, nearly the entire carnival accosts him with cold, purposeful eyes, insisting that a mistake has been made. (Converting a throng with evidently individual concerns into a mob with a singular, morbid objective was for Lang an activity akin to snapping the fingers.) A suspiciously nosy blind man traveling in Stephen's train car then wrestles control of the cake, but he's converted into a sandy crater among the cragged trees in the nearby hills by an air-raid missile, almost as though the dessert were a target for the planes above.

All this seemingly eerie happenstance, of course, has an order and a purpose: Both are simply coded in such a way that neither Stephen nor we can properly decipher. The remainder of the movie consists of the protagonist's efforts at cracking through this endangering web of espionage riddles, and diabolically intermittent suggestions of the web's pervasiveness (just how far into England have the Nazis infiltrated?) offer the conflict a nearly percussive tension. Bits of innocuous conversation, such as a phone call received by a crotchety bookseller in whose attic Stephen hides out, prove homicidally conspiratorial; Stephen receives assistance and asylum from a pair of charity-running siblings, Willi (Carl Esmond) and Carla (Marjorie Reynolds), who have conspicuous Austrian accents. The fact that everyone in this dark, foul city is a potential Nazi gets drummed into us without relief. Even Stephen turns out to be marginally culpable by way of a sympathy-curdling, matricidal backstory more typical of Greene than Lang. (Think of how differently both Fury and You Only Live Once depict sweetness turned not just sour but septic by society.)

But the director readily trumps whatever characteristically un-Lang-ish elements remain from the source material with a series of chillingly designed image-clusters, in many of which even the shadows exhibit a hellish rhythm. In one scene, a man rocking in a chair turned away from us emerges from a heavy blur, his movements bending finger-like lines of black across the wall beside him. In another, an escaping Nazi is brought down after three short, sharp shocks that constitute a kind of cinematic magic trick: a light switch clicks downward, a door slams shut, and then a firearm's blast cuts confidently through the wood and the darkness the spy left behind him.

It's hard to tell whether this high-definition transfer of Ministry of Fear, while spotless, falls short of transformative due to Criterion's efforts or the film itself; despite a shadow-bathed shoot-out at the movie's close, there's nothing here that rivals, say, the cultivated ominousness of Manhunt's pitch-black subway-tube confrontation. Still, what of Fritz Lang's fearful symmetries Ministry of Fear has to offer are especially lucid on this disc. Every pixel seems imbued with paranoia here?even walls appear to have been gouache'd over with ambiguous, rippling grey that intends to hide something. The sound mix is also terrifically clear, even by Criterion's unusually high standards, and in particular the textures of the various Aryan accents in and out of which characters slip adds to the atmosphere of clandestine oppressiveness.

The only supplements to speak of are a brief interview with Lang scholar Joe McElhaney, and a perspicacious booklet essay by critic Glenn Kenny. Both analyses expertly contextualize the film within Lang's oeuvre, and within the traditions of both Hollywood and German cinema; it's helpful that both scholars also approach Ministry of Fear as a minor work in need of some delicate defense. (Lang was allegedly less than thrilled with the final product.) Hopefully this quite fairly priced Blu-ray will, however, improve the movie's reputation.

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How to Perfectly Photograph a Snow Day - GeekSugar.com

For much of the country, Spring isn't quite here yet, but that extreme weather has an upside: more time to practice the art of photography in the snow. Cameras aren't great at capturing the bright whites of a day spent on the slopes or making snowmen in the backyard, but as I learned during a Sony-sponsored photography event in Park City, UT (a city that knows its snow as the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics), taking a colorful picture in freshly fallen snow doesn't require years of professional experience.

Make the most of the season's final flurries with simple tips on taking a great snow shot. And, in freezing weather, don't forget to treat cameras and gadgets with extra care.

Exposure Compensation — The monotone white of snow actually underexposes, typically as gray or blue. This can be fixed by increasing the exposure, which on most cameras is denoted by a dial with a + / - symbol. From a neutral 0, boost the number to between +1 to +2 stops. You'll now see a change from a grayish scene to a crisper white wonderland.White balance —While the exposure trick will go far in bringing up the whites in your picture, you may also want to adjust the white balance. Switching to your camera's cloudy or snowy shooting scene can help to decrease the blues. Flash — We tend to think of flash as a nighttime-only tool. But with the sun's and clouds' reflections off the snow, a human subject can appear shrouded in shadow. Turn the flash on to make subjects as bright as their surroundings.

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Canadian Amateur Photographer Finds Simple Solution to Trick Photography ... - SBWire (press release)

Christian Island, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2013 -- "I had thousands of digital photographs in my computer that I have taken over the years, but they were too dull and boring to use in my video and web site productions" explains G Monague, the part-time video and website producer from Ontario.

"I even had photo-shop on one my computers, I just didn't have the time to spend to learn how to do the fancy tricks that I see in magazines, web-sites and fancy sales letters that capture your attention" he adds. "I was searching for a simple method that I can learn in a few days, of course with practice, then I found Evan Sharboneau's easy to follow course online" says Monague.

"Evan Sharboneau's course gives you an easy, step-by-step printed guide to show you the basics of starting with simple camera settings and simple tricks to make your boring photos into exciting masterpieces that everyone will love" concludes Mr.Monague.

"Why would you want to become great at special effects and trick photography? If it's just to amaze your family and friends with great photos that you want to share with them and post on Facebook, you can easily do that today" proclaims the part-time photographer. He goes even further to explain:

For more serious photographers, you want to have your photos for sale at various sites, or contributions to these same sites to become recognized as a photographer, you can easily do this in the next few months.

Who would want your pictures? The list is endless; Web site developers, magazines,e-zines, article writers and any kind of publisher who is looking for interesting stock photos to add in their articles at any season.

There are many video producers who like to add photos along with their videos anytime they develop a production. Have your photos available on your own site, on stock photo-sites, your fan-pages on Facebook, develop your own articles and send to anyone you know.

You've heard the term "Raise and eye-brow" that is exactly what your photos will be doing to anyone who sees them. Offer to do a project for a song-writer or music composer or a local band that you know for their album cover, do some special Christmas themes, produce some special effects poses for children from your local school.

"Once you start to realize how much fun your hobby has become, you will want to do more and naturally start your own small business over time" says Monague.

What equipment do you need? You just need your basic digital camera and a cheaper version of Photo-shop or an older version, doesn't really matter that much. You will eventually add equipment to your arsenal such as lighting, green screen etc., once you become more advanced at this stuff.

Head on over to our review and site and then on to Evan's Home Page and buy this product today, if you ever wanted to advance in your photography and start developing the photos that you imagine,you need this simple e-book. That is the only secret once you have the skills; your imagination. You can start developing those photos that you have always admired on magazine covers and glam photos of stars and singers.

About Guitar Zone Online
Trick Photography & Special Effects is being featured today by GMonague from Christian Island, Ontario who owns and operates Guitar Zone Online. Mr Monague offers SEO services for your websites and Youtube videos for small and medium sized business who wish to establish their online presence.

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Trick Photography Book Teaches the Top Secret Photography Techniques to ... - SBWire (press release)

Photo enthusiasts can now further furnish their photography skills and creativity with Evan Sharboneau’s newly launched effective and reliable electronic book, Trick Photography and Special Effects, that has proven to be an ultimate guide of tricks, techniques and ideas towards creating mind-twisting images. The author confidently assures the readers of credible photographic lessons, including a comprehensive guide to beginners photography, guiding them onto taking breathtaking and highly creative special effects shots with just their regular cameras and the marketing of stock and art photographs to sell them for profit.

Trick Photography and Special Effects has already been used by thousands of people around the world who have, experienced worth appreciating results and discovered a handful of simple and easy techniques that have successfully transformed the ways they use and view their cameras. This amazing guide will further enable a person to break through the ranks of “ordinary” photographers by professionally being able to take amazing and artistic images without buying or having a highly expensive camera or a visual arts degree respectively. The author also reveals his hardcore, best kept secrets for taking magnificent photos that according to him have to be seen to be believed. The book comprehensively teaches the use of laser pens, flashlights and other household items to get spectacular visual effects, the shooting and editing of amazing 360 degrees panoramic shots, the secret behind stitching multiple light paintings together to create pseudo digital art, the use of Adobe Photoshop and a whole range of other reliable techniques that will turn an individual’s dream to become a good photographer into reality.

The course is organized into three parts, Light Painting and Long Exposures, Trick Photography and Special Effects, and Photoshop Projects. Out of the three courses, the part three exclusively deals with lessons and techniques on using Adobe Photoshop while the other two parts focus on essential tips relating to trick photography.

A customer, Refugee P from Brisbane Australia shares his experience as,

“Amazingly helpful, every detail from beginning to end was a wonderful insight into this art. Its laid out in a way where its eases you into light photography without bombarding you with complicated terms and processes, having said that you can always look at the techniques in detail if you wish. Thanks for shedding some light into my lens!”

Trick Photography and Special Effects contains 295 pages of instruction, 9 hours online video tutorials on various photographic lessons, and over 300 creative photographs created by some of the most talented photographic artists around the world. This will allow people to become an accomplished photographer in less than a month, taking pictures that blow everybody away. The customers are also backed up with Evan’s 100% money back guarantee. If for any reason they are not satisfied with the results they can email him for a refund.

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Snake photo likely trick photography - Your Houston News

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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