Ikea goes green with a cardboard digital camera

BBC reports Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has revealed an eco-friendly digital camera made almost entirely from cardboard.

Having snapped 40 photos, users can dispose of it along with any other recyclable materials.

The device is a part of a campaign around Ikea's PS at Home project, aimed at getting buyers to share images of their furniture on the chain's website.

Called Knappa, the camera will not be sold but rather given away to consumers in selected stores around the world.

It was created by a Swedish designer Jesper Kouthoofd, runs on two AA batteries, and connects to a computer with help of a swing-out USB connector.

continues

Never mind 20 mega pixels how about 3.2 billion-pixels

The US Department of Energy has given the go-ahead to a 3.2 billion-pixel digital camera that could one day survey the entire visible sky every week, and publicly release six million gigabytes of data per year.

The enormous camera is called the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope camera (LSST), and when it's perched atop the Chilean mountain of Cerro Pachón it will gaze into deep space, snapping wide cosmic vistas

full story

MCC News 20 April

Last night saw the second round of the print competition on the set subject of Life on the streets Judge: Tim Morland ARPS.

Winner of the 2012 Brugfina Trophy

Tim Moorland did an excellent job judging the entries commenting on the technical quality, composition and adherence to the set subject. He made particular references to the quality of printing pointing out where improvements could be made.  


I was surprised at the lack of entries in the standard class.  The photographs scoring 10 from both classes were judged and the Brugfina Trophy awarded to the best of these.




Members evening 26 April


In Hughes absence the meeting will be lead by Richard Weston. There will be a series on mini presentations :-

• Enrico - Lenses used in novel ways.
• Fred - Black & white
• John H - Photo Inspirations
• John R - Elementary Elements
• Chris - Macro and Fungi
• Roland - Elements again

My presentation on Black and White will explain the work flow I use produce black and white images using Photoshop and feature  practical demonstrations


Following week 3rd of May


Photojournalism in Afghanistan Alison Baskerville.  Alison has recently been working with a Combat Camera Team in Afghanistan. She shares her images, experiences and thoughts on working as a photographer in challenging situations.




Annual Exhibition


Entry forms are available and have been emailed to members. 


The closing date for entries is 10th of May


These are the Club rules specific to the annual Exhibition taken from the Club website


“Annual Exhibition for prints, slides and digital images

• Competition date(s): first week of July
• Closing date: early May
• Classes: open prints, enprints, open slides and open digital images
• Categories: landscape, nature, pictorial, portrait (prints only) and record

Rules relating to images:

1. image may not be submitted both as print and slide and to be entered in single category only (pictorial if in doubt)
2. nature and record images to be true record, without manipulation and excluding cultivated plant, still life, domestic animal or mounted specimen
3. duplication from previous Annual Exhibition not allowed
4. age of image: maximum 5 years prior to closing date for entries

• Number of images per member: maximum 6 per open class or 2 enprint panels of 3 images on a theme
• Presentation: as for Internal League Competition
• Labelling: as for Internal League Competition except (i) slides to show category on front (ii) class not required
• Judging: entirely in advance by club's selected Exhibition Judge
• Awards: various trophies (6 for open prints, 5 for open slides and 1 for enprints) plus Highly Commended Certificates at judge's discretion”

Strange But True

German garbage men turn dumpster into a pinhole camera

Photographers Rights: 

the ultimate guide

German Garbage Men Turn Dumpsters Into Giant Pinhole Cameras

A group of garbage men in Hamburg have figured out a way to combine their love of photography with their work of hauling trash, turning large dumpsters into giant pinhole cameras to photograph their city. The dumpsters are converted by drilling tiny holes into the fronts and then hanging large sheets of photo paper inside. Although framing a shot with the giant rolling cameras takes only a minute, exposing it can take up to an hour of waiting. They’ve dubbed the experiment the “Trashcam Project”.


Here are their pictures

News 17 April

Print competition on the set subject of street photography “Life on the streets”

Tomorrow is the 2nd round of the print competition on the set subject of street photography “Life on the streets” Judge: Tim Morland ARPS.  I am looking forward to seeing how people have interpreted the subject and how far they have gone in capturing street life in all in its wonderful aspects. How many people will focus on the seedier side of street life and how this reflects the recession we are all going through. How many people will focus on street performers and tourists etc?  


It will be interesting to see how the images are judged; will they be judged as examples of photojournalism or more on the ascetic qualities of the image.


Next week 
there will be Members' Evening: Show and Tell with Mini talks and demos on a variety of subjects by club members.


Olympic Photography
A report in the Guardian reports on a worrying trend to try and stop photography of Olympic venues from public areas.


Olympic Photography 


A useful guide to your  rights to take photographs 


BBC Interview - Has high tech killed pro photography?


I highly recommend a look at photographs by Maurice Broomfield. 


Maurice Broomfield left school at 15 to work in a factory and spent his evenings as a student in the Derby College of Art. Inspired by the drama of industry, he endeavoured to convey this atmosphere with photographs and sketches, bringing an insight to those who would never experience such things. In relation to his work, Maurice Broomfield comments: "I enjoy photographing people at work, and the many experiences whilst doing this have enriched my life. To be living on this planet, is to me, the greatest gift possible."

A Fellow of the British Institute of Professional Photographers and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, Maurice Broomfield has had many exhibitions in Europe. His work was exhibited in Paul Smith's Floral Street Gallery in June 2000. The designer, Sir Paul Smith, comments: "Maurice Broomfield's photography captures the real heart of what was a booming but harsh time for the UK. Finding inspiration and creativity in gritty surroundings of every day work is inspiring in itself."


Web site and Gallery

From Digital Camera

Photographers Rights: the ultimate guide

Worth a look