Photography

Links related to the history and craft of photography.

The oldest surviving photograph made with a camera resides at the Harry Ransom Center at University of Texas at Austin. It was taken in 1826 or 1827 in France by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

This is a very concise yet thorough introduction to the basics of digital imaging from the University of Texas at Austin

Have a question about digital photography? The answer is here. Lectures on Digital Photography is a complete college level course by Mark Levoy and a true gift to the internet. Be sure to check out the applets.

Be ready to snap that perfect sunset or moon-rise or anything in between with The Photographer’s Ephemeris. This app will tell you exactly when and where these events will occur so that you can have your camera ready at the perfect moment. Very interesting even if you’re not a photographer.

Here’s a link to B&H Photo’s YouTube channel where you’ll find a wealth of photo product information as well as presentations by professionals from many parts of the photo, video, and audio world.  Be sure to check them out on the B&H Event Space playlist.

This is not a very fancy website but it presents the fundamental guidelines and examples of good photo composition in a clear and uncluttered way.  Every photographer should be aware of these principles before violating them.

Chelsea and Tony Northrup are so laid-back it’s hard to believe that they can regularly gather and present such huge volumes of information. This is a link to their YouTube channel where they provide photo tips, equipment reviews, a podcast, and way much more. A great resource for photographers like us.

Don’t be afraid of the Modulation Transfer Function! MTF is a measured, graphical presentation of an optical system’s performance and an objective way to compare the quality of different systems. How to Read MTF Charts is only one jewel in this treasure of a site, and you will be rewarded by exploring all that Photography Life has to offer.

The focal plane shutter in a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera is an engineering marvel. In this video the Slo Mo Guys let you see clearly how it works and also briefly explain how the sensor captures video one line at a time.

DxOMark is an outfit that performs extensive image quality testing on lenses and cameras. You might want to check them out before making your next purchase.

How to digitize film with a camera rather than a scanner.

Ever wonder how they crammed that camera into your phone? Find out with this enlightening guide to phone camera hardware from Techspot.com.