Vivian Maier- Street Photographer From The 1950s to 1970s

Vivian Maier lived in relative obscurity as a 'street' photographer for her whole life, but some recently discovered photos and undeveloped film inspired Chicagoan John Maloof to create a blog dedicated to her work.  He is now trying to get financing to shoot a documentary film about Maier's life, which sounds fascinating.

Born in New York to a French mother, she worked as nanny/caretaker, but apparently loved photography, taking a ton of rolls of film, many of which were undeveloped when Maloof purchased a box of her things at an auction house for about $400.00. Little did he know what he would unearth. He claims there are anywhere from 30 to 40,000 negatives.

Many of her B&W photos are posted on Maloof's blog, and a Flickr discussion explains the beginnings. Well worth checking out. And if you feel you want to donate to the documentary film, you can click here.

Time Lapse Photography Of A Blizzard

This is a very cool time-lapse video of a blizzard, taken over a 20 hour period.

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Wait Until After Christmas To Buy That New Camera

It's hard for many of us to wait to purchase things that we really want. We often think that all the amazing  pre-Christmas sales are the best time to buy those items we've been yearning for all year long. But apparently there are better times of the year to buy certain things, and according to walletpop.com the optimum time to buy cameras is after Christmas, not before. Their theory is that since all the electronic trade shows showcasing all the fabulous new products usually take place in January and February, all the old models usually get slashed up to 30%.

I think I'll wait until March to check on some lenses and other things I've had my eye on for a little while.

So, if you didn't break down and buy that camera, wait it out until February or March and maybe you'll snag some wonderful deal.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is actually a photo of fall colors that I created to look like a kaleidoscope or mandala.

 May you have a blessed and bountiful Thanksgiving.

Be grateful and thankful for all we have!



Giving Back- Going Green With GE's Ecomagination Photo Project

It's not often that we as artists have the opportunity to give back, so when there's a chance to do that we should jump on it. For those photographers with a Flickr account, General Electric (GE) has an ongoing 'ecomagination photo project' that is dedicated to bringing water, solar power and wind energy to those countries in most need.

There are three different categories:

1. Wind
2. Water
3. Light

All you have to do is upload  to Flickr through GE's Ecomagination Photo Project website photos for one or all categories.  Give the photos a title, a short description, and then tag with either "wind", "water" or "light". Then simply share the links with your friends on Twitter or Facebook.
I'm not quite sure of the actual mechanics, but GE in conjunction with three different charities will then donate the following:

4.5kW hours of wind energy for every wind photo
175 hours of solar power for every light photo
480 gallons of drinking water for every water photo

In other words, your photos will build a wind turbine to power health clinics in rural parts of Peru, build clean water wells, and provide families in  East Timor with solar-powered lanterns.

For more information check out their website and give upload a few yourself.

Fixing A Stuck Canon Compact Camera Lens Cover

I had a minor little panic attack today when I grabbed my Canon Powershot A710IS  (my compact) to take a photo. and noticed the lens cover had not fully retracted.  I was able to get it to open up but then it wouldn't fully cover the lens, no matter what I tried. This was my first digital camera before I purchased my DSLR and I love it.  I don't always like to drag all my DSLR camera gear so I was quite upset.  The camera wasn't cheap and the thought of replacing it wasn't a pleasant one, so as soon as I got home I decided to google for some information and came across an article on EHOW, by Tracy S. Morris which addressed stuck Canon lens covers. 

According to Morris, it's more than likely some kind of particle preventing it from opening and closing, and the idea is to gently remove the particles from the lens barrel. I have a feeling it was because I carelessly had been lugging it around in my purse and tote bag, which is not a good thing and won't happen again.

She has a list of four things to try to dislodge whatever might be preventing it from opening or closing, or both.

•1 Blow canned air around the perimeter of the lens to dislodge the particles.

•2 Turn a hair dryer on to its no-heat setting, and direct the air current over the barrel and lens of the camera. If canned air does not work, the stronger current of air from the hair dryer may.

•3 Force a thin strip of paper under the crack between the closed lens sections. Force the lens open using gentle pressure. Work the piece of paper around the edges of the lens for 360 degrees.

•4 Extend the barrel of the lens. Point the lens downward and gently tap the barrel with the eraser of a pencil.

•5 Repeat all steps at least three times. If this does not free the lens, you may have to send it to the manufacturer for repair.

I tried the hair dryer and nothing. I tried tapping and nothing. I finally grabbed a piece of thick paper (like the thickness of a stiff business card) gently inserted it into the section of the lens cover that was not working and out it popped.

Thank you Tracy for your advice. It saved me from either having to dish out a chunk of change for a new replacement camera or sending it off to the Canon repair facilities.

You have to love google!

Up Close And Personal : John Beatty Capturing The Volcanic Eruption In Iceland In Photos

Sometimes the best photographs are a matter of being at the right place at the right time. That's why so many photographers take their cameras wherever they go. I grab my bag with my DSLR, a bunch of lenses, and my digital 'point and shoot' whenever I leave the house. There have been far too many times when I have not had my camera and missed some incredible photo ops. So now, they go with me wherever I go, even if it's to the local Whole Foods. You never know what could be around the bend.

John Beatty, a British freelance photographer just so happened to be in Iceland for a shoot for an outdoor clothing company when he witnessed the volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajoekull (Island-Mountain-Glacier). Camped right on the glacier, he was up-close-and-personal enough to capture some amazing photos of the spectacular eruption. I think a little too close for my tastes, considering the danger, but he is obviously fine and the better for having taken these incredible photos.