DIY: The classic string tripod

Every photographer I know has a bone to pick with poor light and shaky frames. Here's a much honed technique from instructables.com that puts together a very impressive tripod from pretty much nothing more than a string. Handy, unbelievably easy to make and fits into your jacket pocket.

Put the butts into photography

image credit: wwarby

"Call it what you like, caboose, bum or bottom - its inclusion on film can make a photograph. Have a look at this collection - no ifs or ands, but quite a few butts."

Where is Waldo?

Every artist was first an amateur.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist, philosopher, poet, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement.

Story Of The Day - Nov 25, 2008

Brucia
Party queen left in a corner.

by Elisa Romagnoli, 32, Modena

More stories in the race for $40,000 and bragging rights at the Make History site

Chalo! India

The Mori Art Museum presents its 5th anniversary exhibition, "Chalo! India: A New Era of Indian Art," bringing together 27 artists / artist groups from cities throughout India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Vadodara. Contemporary art in India has been the focus of much international attention, and this exhibition examines all of its latest movements, including in painting, sculpture, photography, and installations.

Chalo! India: A New Era in Indian Art
November 22nd 2008 – March 15th 2009

Link

Kids With Cameras

"Zana Auntie teaches us so well that everything goes into our brain. We like doing photography so much that we forget to do our work!"

Shanti, 11

Kids with Cameras was founded in 2002 by photographer Zana Briski out of her work teaching photography to children in Calcutta's red-light district. Kids with Cameras features photographs by these children. Go over. Have a look. The kind hearted can buy a print too.

sweet baby jesus!

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!
Starting today, over 10 million photographs from the LIFE photo archive stretching from the 1750s to today and mostly never published before are now available on Google. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am in a state of pleasant shock. Go over and have a look. Or simply add "source:life" to any Google image search and search only the LIFE photo archive. Watch that jawline drop! Did I mention in high-res?
Link

Story Of The Day - November 19, 2008

Shout...
"It eases the pain."

by borj, 36, angeles city

More stories at the Make History site

The Big Solemn Truth

Of course it's all luck.

- Henri Cartier-Bresson, the undisputed master of candid photography.

Ghada's Notes From India

Award-winning Bahraini photographer Ghada Khunji debuts her India photography series at Capital D Studio in Dubai later this month. Ghada's credentials are for all to see - a female photographer from the Middle East, much awarded, much traveled.

If you happen to be in Dubai between 28 and 30 November do stop over at Capial D Studios for an exhibition of her insightful and sensitive collection on India.

Shantabai, the Shutterbug

Chances are you wouldn't have ever heard of Palda. This non-descript town in Madhya Pradesh, is home to Shantabai, a poor farmer's wife. Shantabai shrugged away opposition from family elders, took a small loan of Rs. 5,000, managed to purchase a second-hand camera and embarked on her remarkable journey as a professional photographer.

She started on a small scale, making pictures of friends and neighbours. Initially people ridiculed her choice of profession but she ignored the jibes and focused on honing her newly acquired skills with single minded determination to become a successful photographer.

Gradually, as she built up a reputation, her clientele grew. Often now she is hired to take photographs at weddings, family functions and festivities in the village. The fact that she is a woman also gives her specific advantages with other women, who would not unveil their faces in front of male photographers.

Read Shantabai's incredible story here.

Rational Exploration Of The Undersea

French artist Philippe Ramette does a Dali with his camera. His fantastic series, Rational Exploration Of The Undersea is a reaffirmation of everything surreal – incongruous, beautiful and somewhat disturbing. galerie xippas features more of his work.

Story Of The Day - November 11, 2008

Overcome your...
"How many times have you let your fear stop you from saying the things that you wanted to say? Words are powerful, and nothing, not even your fears, should stop you from stating who and what you are."

by j-mi, 18, Lee Make History Contributor

More stories at the Make History site

Rick Sammon’s 5-minute quickie

Rick is a much awarded and traveled photographer. In this video, he attains the unattainable – a crash course to digital photography in five minutes flat. Though I don’t recommend clicking with your sunglasses on, Rick sure knows how to drive the point home without eating up your precious bandwidth.

Hit play or go to YouTube

More of Rick Sammon’s tried and tested courses here.

Your Turn To Make History

This blog is dedicated to the art of photography in India. Our promise is this – we’ll tell you everything you need to know. From deconstructing seemingly complex cameras to techniques to interviews with the best shutterbugs out there, you’ll find it all right here. And while at it, we’ll let you in on a big secret – How to make $40,000. That’s a lot of monies, if you do the math.
It’s simple. You have a picture? You have a story?

Follow the link to the Lee Make History site, and get rich or die tryin’

Photography is for you. Dive in and enjoy a hearty swim!

Slightly Out Of Focus

For the first rites, a quote from one of my favourite photographers...

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough.

- Robert Capa, before he got too close to a mine that killed him in Indochina.