Will Yahoo's New CEO, Marissa Mayer, make Flickr awesome again?

Will Yahoo's New CEO, Marissa Mayer, make Flickr awesome again? One fast-acting domain-purchaser certainly hopes so.

But seriously, we all know Flickr isn't what it used to be. We at DP still love the site, which is brimming with the work of talented shutterbugs the world over (our Flickr Group pool is where we pull all of our daily closeUP shots from, and clearly there's no shortage of amazing photography to be found there), but the user experience could be much, much improved. So with this week's news that long-time Googler Marissa Mayer will be the new head of Yahoo (which owns Flickr), there is renewed hope that the once dominant photo-sharing site will get the attention it deserves. After all, Ms. Mayer not only has major tech chops, she is also expecting a baby this fall whom she will no doubt want to photograph the daylights out of like any other 21st Century parent.

(screenshot via dearmarissamayer.com)

Finally: Attributed Sharing from Flickr to Pinterest

Flickr has just announced a new feature that will hopefully ensure that from now on Flickr photographers receive proper credit in the wild west of photo sharing that is Pinterest. Pinners will now find a "Share this via Pinterest" button on all public and safe Flickr photos, which will in turn pin the shot to the site with proper, uneditable attribution attached.

Here's a snapshot of the good news from Flickr:

"We made sure that every image shared from Flickr will be clearly attributed with the name of the photographer, the title, as well as a link to the photo page. Because the attribution cannot be edited, photographers can rest assured that pins and repins of their images will be credited and linked back as well, ensuring people can leave comments, fave the photo, or contact you directly on Flickr.

And to top it all off, if someone has embedded your Flickr photo on their website or blog and it is pinned from there, the photo will automagically be attributed on Pinterest and linked back to the Flickr photo page. Pinterest also went back and added the proper attribution to all photos that have been pinned from Flickr so far. With this new feature, having your photos on Flickr gives you much more certainty that you will be attributed when your photos are being shared on Pinterest."

Also, of course, Flickr photographers have the option to disable sharing. Check out the full announcement on the Flickr blog for the whole deal.

(Flickr)

Kodak to Stop Making Cameras, Pocket Video Cams and Digital Frames

Kodak announced today that it plans to "phase out its dedicated capture devices business---comprising digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames---in the first half of 2012." This news comes less than one month after the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, a move that Kodak said would result in a rigorous reorganization of the company. Not surprisingly, they appear to have determined that the crippled digital capture leg had to be severed.

Still, this is sad news. There's no denying that for so long the Kodak brand was synonymous with cameras and picture making. Moving forward, their focus will be on: retail-based photo kiosks and digital dry lab systems, inkjet printers, online photo galleries, camera accessories and batteries---which they are quick to point out are compatible with cameras made by other manufacturers, and in a final bittersweet twist, the "traditional film capture and photographic paper business."

(Kodak)

9to5mac Reports that Steve Jobs was Looking into Lytro Camera Technology for iPhones

9to5mac is reporting that shortly before he passed away Steve Jobs met with Lytro CEO Ren Ng to discuss cameras, product design, and the ways in which he might apply Lytro's groundbreaking light field technology into a new generation of iPhone cameras. According to "Inside Apple," the forthcoming book by Adam Lashinsky, which 9to5mac excerpts in their report, "At Jobs’s request, [Ng] agreed to send him an email outlining three things he’d like Lytro to do with Apple."

"Jobs actively pursued his goal of reinventing photography, asking the CEO of Lytro to outline three specific things that the company would want to work on with Apple," reports 9to5mac.

If you've forgotten, Lytro is the tiny rectangle camera designed by Ng---a Stanford PhD---that captures "living pictures" that are focused after the fact by capturing an image's entire light field data in one click. The "living picture" bit means that the image is forever adabtable. Now imagine if this technology were applied to the ubiquitous iPhone camera, which, as 9to5mac points out, is already "mobile photography at its finest."

Give the circumstances now it's uncertain whether the Lytro/Apple mashup will ever see the (excuse the pun) "light" of day, but it is a pretty exciting prospect to imagine.

(Gizmodo, via 9to5mac)

Digital Reluctance: Can You Acknowledge Kodak's Failure to Adapt While Still Harboring Your Own Digital Reluctance?

End of the Roll by Creativity103 - Flickr Creative Commons

The NPR/Public Radio International program "To the Point" today invited photographer Eamonn McCabe on air to reflect on the news that Kodak just filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. I listened to the segment in my car, on the way back to the office from lunch, and as I did so I was struck by the irony that by the end of the show McCabe---who is the former Picture Editor at the Guardian newspaper and an award-winning photographer himself---ended up holding fast and proud to the idea that digital photography is inferior to film photography and that it is a dubious format both in process and after an image is captured. This, in the wake of the news that the company that once dominated the world of photography---Kodak---was brought to its knees after its own reluctance to embrace digital technology.

At the top of the segment, McCabe says that he is "just staggered that [Kodak] just couldn't see this digital revolution coming and couldn't invest in it," and that "to be so arrogant and conservative not to change, I just find staggering." Later on in the conversation, when host Warren Olney urges McCabe to discuss the "quality of the product" in terms of digital versus film, McCabe talks enthusiastically about his Kodachrome days and admits his concern that nobody knows how long digital output will last. "We assume it's going to last forever," he says, "but does anyone know?" These days, McCabe is a half film, half digital photographer, though he says, "The trouble with digital is that it's very hard to fall in love with a digital camera."

Here's where things take a turn: "I have a theory," McCabe says, "Everybody's taking loads of pictures now on their iPhone...and their digital cameras, but who's looking at the stuff that's taken?...You're taking these pictures, and you might show them to somebody in a bar or somebody at work, but you don't ever print it." He calls this "the great mistake of digital."

He goes on to wax nostalgic about the family photo albums of his childhood---which is all fine and good---but he seems erroneously out of touch with the ways in which photography is viewed these days. It's as if he hasn't considered the fact that digital images are seen by millions of eyes every day around the world via the largest family photo album imaginable: the Internet. With these comments, McCabe seems to believe that all digital images taken by the average person are forgotten the moment after the scene is captured and then quickly relegated to the deep dark confines of a hard drive. Has this man never heard of Flickr, for instance? Nevermind Instagram or Facebook---which now has an image collection ten thousand times larger than the Library of Congress.

While McCabe is certainly entitled to his opinion that film cameras are preferable to digital (because right now that's not even the issue), what ultimately struck me as ironic after listening to his remarks was how he ended his talk by decrying digital photography in a strikingly similar manner to that same "arrogant and conservative" reluctance to change that he first labeled as Kodak's big failure. This made me wonder: can you really acknowledge and learn from Kodak's mistakes while you still harbor your own digital reluctance?

Kodak Files Chapter 11

In an expected move, Kodak filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy today. According to an announcement at the KodakTtransforms website, the iconic American photo company anticipates that reorganization as a result of chapter 11 will "enable Kodak to bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetize non-strategic intellectual property, fairly resolve legacy liabilities, and enable the Company to focus on its most valuable business lines." In other words, this is a far less grim turn of events that the full extinction of the brand many had predicted. The press release says that "the company has sufficient liquidity to operate its business during chapter 11" and CEO Antonio Perez relates that "Chapter 11 gives us the best opportunities to maximize the value...of our technology portfolio: our digital capture patents...and our breakthrough printing and deposition technologies."

(Kodak, via Engadget)

Food Photography: Advice & Inspiration from a Food-Shooting Pro

all images © Nicole Franzen

Thanks to photo apps like Instagram, and to our current culture of capture-and-overshare enthusiasm, I can no longer sit down to a meal without snapping a photo of the food. If you take a look at the various tags on Instagram related to the things that people consume throughout the day (#food #eats #noms) you'll see that I am not alone in the habitual photographing of my meals.

But outside of the realm of iPhonography, there is also a thriving professional food photography world. Yes, this is an actual job that many fortunate (and talented!) folks have managed to carve out for themselves. While some great cooking glossies have gone by the wayside (RIP Gourmet), there is no shortage of outlets for professional photographers to showcase (and cash in on) their work online and in print.

Culinary Composition

Professional food photographers may make their deliciously-staged shots look simple, but the craft of capturing food is no easy feat. Even someone well versed in the other genres of photography will have to relearn the rules when shooting subjects as fickle as couscous or cheeseburgers. And reflective subjects like glasses full of bubbly can offer significant challenges in improper lighting.

So with those sorts of challenges in mind, I've asked Brooklyn-based food photographer, Nicole Franzen, to share her tips for shooting food, including advice on equipment, lighting, styling and composition. Nicole runs the gorgeous food and lifestyle blog, La Buena Vida, and her photo clients include Bon Appétit, Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn Magazines, and Gramercy Tavern, among many others.

Below are Nicole's tips on the craft of photographing food. Grab a fork and dig in!

click thumbnails to enlarge

Equipment: "You can create a great at-home studio with a low budget by using materials like foam core poster board, which comes with a reversible black/white side. This versatility is great for creating shadows or for bouncing light. Also, I use clamps from a hardware store for everything, including holding up poster boards or hanging fabrics . A tripod is an important piece of equipment. While I love free shooting, a tripod is essential for low-light conditions."

Lighting: "I prefer to use all natural light. So for this, shooting near a window is the way to go. It's fun to play with light: draw your curtains, bounce light from above or the side, and move around. Think about how you want the food to look. Is the scene dark and moody? Bright and warm? Depending on the season, the light will change; go with it and embrace it. In winter months I shoot darker and in summer the scenes are more colorful. As a rule of thumb, it's best to shoot in the morning and late afternoon, when the light is softer. Don't be fooled into thinking that when it's sunny outside it's the best time to shoot. Cloudy days often end up creating the best lighting conditions---a natural diffuser for the sun, which creates a beautiful soft light. Shooting outside is fantastic also. Sunny days make for harsh contrast, so use a diffuser when needed."

Styling: "I like to keep styling pretty simple. I think the food should be the star. I regularly frequent flea markets, second hand stores and markets, and I am always on the look out for new surfaces on which to shoot because they set the tone of the photo. I use everything from old fruit crates, which can easily be disguised as a table top, to old baking sheets, galvanized metals, distressed cutting boards and wood, and an assortment of fabrics. I use simple fabrics, linen being my favorite. You can pop into your local fabric store and pick up things like muslin, cheesecloth, burlap and other natural fibers. Even dying them yourself saves money and allows you to create they exact feel you're going for. I also recommend collecting an assortment of plates and vintage flatware to style shoots. Keep it simple overall---less is more."

Composition: "The composition element of a photograph is really important, and I believe it's one of those things you learn from doing. For food, I often like to shoot from above. But even though this is my go-to, I still like to move around and try different angles for capturing the scene. You might try some up close, some further away. Always ask where the image is going. If it's going to be a small image for a website, try and get the food up close. If they are going to be larger images you can shoot the food from further away. In the end, all I can say is try to make it feel real, not forced."

Creating a Platform

Making beautiful photos is not all that it takes to become a working shutterbug, however. As I've shared before on DP, I'm inspired by stories like this one about London (and now New York)-based photographer, Brian Ferry, who as a result of demonstrating a clear talent for capturing dining experiences on his photo blog, The Blue Hour, was hired by Starbucks to shoot a big campaign for the brand. Similarly, Nicole Franzen created a platform for herself to show off her food photography and styling chops through La Buena Vida, and has in turn gone on to shoot foodie editorials for major publications and capture close-ups for highly respected restaurants. These two photographers have different aesthetic approaches but the one thing that unites them is that their images show a strong point of view. Nicole was, again, kind enough to share her somewhat unconventional journey to professional status and give advice on starting the journey of becoming a food photographer. Check out more of her tips below.

click thumbnails to enlarge

Training: "I will start by saying that I had no proper training in the photography world. I am a full-fledged hands-on learner. Whenever I would try to read books about technique, the information would rarely stick. I had to learn through doing. It took years of practice and an undying love for taking photographs. It took always pushing forward and challenging myself. I feel that, as with most arts, it comes from a deep source within. Learning the technical side of things just helps you get that feeling out. Everyday I spend a large amount of time looking at things that inspire me. Whether it be another photographer's work, a stylist I envy, or mother nature. My main source of inspiration comes from nature itself. It has given us all of these beautiful things for free: texture, light, mood. It's important to take the time to appreciate that. Some of my favorite subjects to shoot are farmer's markets and rural farms. I love the organic feel of these settings and I try to represent that in my photos. For me, it's all about getting to the root of food and all the amazing people involved."

Promotion: "The journey has been a roller coaster ride of emotions. It's not easy becoming a full time photographer, but after lots of hard work it has started to pay off. I've always had a camera in my hand and have always loved to take walks. Many of us photographers are familiar these walks and treasure them deeply. It's our time. After working my way through every genre of photography, it finally made sense that food was my true niche. I had been obsessed with food and cooking since a very young age, and so it only was a matter of time before I combined the two. The last two years I have spent all of my time devoted to learning about photographing food. I started a blog, which was my initial way of introducing my work to the world. I started by photographing my own meals. It then continued to grow and grow. I've met almost every client I have through the internet and referrals. Get to know everyone in the industry and build relationships. Be persistent and consistent. Social media has helped us photographers a lot---embrace that. You will be surprised when the emails start to come in."

Business: "Running a small photography business has its challenges. I am constantly learning as I go. I've become a jack of all trades---not only are you doing the photography, you are doing book keeping, invoicing, and all the other details that are involved in running a small business. I make mistakes, and then I learn from them. Every day I feel blessed that I am able to do what I love. I was never destined for a desk job. The best thing about photography is that it's always changing: new clients, new experiences and new shoots. My only words of advice are follow your heart, keep on working hard and always challenge yourself to get better."

Tools: Nicole primarily shoots with a Canon 5D Mark II and edits in both Aperture and Photoshop.

Visit nicolefranzen.com to view more inspiring images. Thank you, Nicole!

Kodak is a "Shutter-Click" from Extinction

image via Flickr Creative Commons

According to the LA Times today, Kodak---once the kingpin of all things photography: Instamatic cameras! The first digital cameras! Film! Do you remember film?---is losing money at a rate of "more than $70 million a month" and that "Chapter 11 must lurk just around the corner."

So how does a company that once dominated the field make such a plunging fall from grace? Well, it isn't all that perplexing: they didn't adapt in time or in the right ways to the onset of digital. As Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times points out, "Kodak...markets a process technology; and as the chemistry of film has yielded to digital electronics, consumer demand for Kodak's traditional products has evaporated."

That isn't to say that we should completely write off any kind of future for Kodak, but that they confront a different type of obstacle than other declined companies with historical American and global significance. Unlike American car-maker GM, who despite its inefficiency "still manufactures a product with a huge market demand," Kodak's former market-dominating expertise has been deemed all but obsolete by digital processing, and yes of course, by the camera phone (which ironically now plagues the digital camera market ).

(via LA Times)

Why Photographers Should Have a Strong Online Presence

image via The Blue Hour

If you are looking to make money off your photography, I suggest you read this recent success story, which was written by London-based photographer, Brian Ferry---creator of the gorgeous photo blog, The Blue Hour. After reading, you will be inspired---if you haven't already---to make a focused effort of creating an online brand and identity for yourself as a photographer.

The success starts, of course, with great images. But in order for those images to be noticed, the photographer has to come out from behind the viewfinder and show off a little. The thing about Brian's blog is that it is stacked with great captures but it is also somewhat personal---tracking the photographer's travels and daily life in London. He presents an inviting persona through his photo essays, and clearly Starbucks took notice. Congrats to Brian. Here's hoping the same kind of story is in your own future! If something similar has happened to you, let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear of your successes.

Vimeo PRO: Portfolios and Video Hosting for Small Businesses

Vimeo---the favorite online video hosting site of creative videographers and independent filmmakers---has announced a new service called Vimeo PRO. "Vimeo developed its PRO account, which will exist as a separate service outside of the Vimeo.com community, based on demand for a cost-effective video-hosting service equipped with core features that meets the growing needs of small businesses," says Vimeo. Meaning, it is not an upgrade to the Vimeo Plus account but an entirely separate entity. Features of the PRO account include: portfolios to showcase videos and services (with SEO), no bandwidth caps or time limits, brandable video player, third-party video player support (if you'd like to go in that direction), and unlimited High Definition uploading. Visit Vimeo PRO for all the details on the new service, and to see if it might be a good idea for your creative (or not!) small business.

5 Tips for the Brand Conscious Photographer-- from DigiLabs

image © Roger Schultz (creative commons)

The DigiLabs blog recently featured an essay on branding, which was filled with thoughtful tips for maximizing your "brand" as a photographer. They talked about being consistent, being visible, telling your story, minding your reputation and advertising. My favorite tips are below. Click here to see the whole story by DigiLabs.

Be Consistent: ...Since for most photographers, their website is their branding environment---take care of it. Make sure your website reflects recent work and communicates to the client that you are most likely to appeal to. While design is very important for visual appeal, make sure your copy, user interface and navigation, load times, and links convey your brand and message. Also make sure that your website and anything linked to it (shopping cart, slideshows, blog) maintain an easy and consistent user experience, this way, you will impress instead of overwhelm visitors.

What is Your Story? With 120,000 new photographers entering the market last year, you need to have a unique story. People love stories. They are interesting, engaging, and easy to remember and associate a brand with. People especially like Cinderella story.   For example, Apple started from 2 determined people in a garage and today is a leader in technology and design. This story makes us feel inspired.  Tell your client a story which is consistent with your message and represents your brand.  Are you an artist? A sucker for love? A family man? A mother of three? A commercial photographer? Are you a photojournalist? A fashion photographer? Who you are will help you set yourself apart from the others and build your brand.

Check out the New Issue of DP!

The brand new issue of Digital Photographer features profiles on top photographers, including New York based Barbara Bordnick's unique take on floral photography and an international look at fashion photographers from New York to London to Shanghai. You are sure to learn about and be inspired by the creative and business sides of shooting in that genre. The issue also features insightful reviews of new D-SLRs, including the Nikon D90, which shoots HD video and the Olympus E-30, which features creative art filters. There are also reviews of the retro looking Canon G10 "prosumer" camera and the Sony Cyber-shot G3, which is Wi-Fi enabled to share photos on sites like Picasa instantly and wirelessly. Also, don't miss the "Back to Basics" features on those nagging features that you never quite understood: resolution, image quality and zoom range, and the basics of camcorder speak.

Of course, there are always the columns you love: Digital Insider, Exposure and Inside the Image, which features the work of a DP reader. Learn how your photograph could be featured in the next issue here. We look forward to your feedback on the new issue, and as always, you can catch us on Twitter for up to the minute photo world news.