Insta-Celebrity Portraits from Vanity Fair's 2015 Oscar Party
The 2015 Academy Awards happened this past weekend, and it was as star-studded and glamourous as ever. The annual Hollywood spectacle awarded Oscar winners in both triumph and upset, and although viewer ratings fell to a six-year low, social media was flooded with clips and snapshots of celebrities and their fashion choices. With such change in times with the impact of social media and Instagram, in particular, Vanity Fair cleverly created an instant photobooth at their Oscar Party to connect a live feed for their followers.
The rather elaborate photo booth was set up in collaboration by photographer Mark Seliger, Vanity Fair, and Instagram, and allowed party goers to pass through without missing a portrait. Going even further, they shared behind-the-scenes shots and video of the studio set up. The idea proved to be a success as each posting on Instagram reached thousands of likes and new followers. With viewer ratings switching popularity from television to social media, I would say this is just the beginning of similar ideas to come in the following years.
Take a look at some of most popular "Insta-Celebrity Portraits", and find more here.
10 Photography Movies Every Photographer Should See
It's no secret that film making and photography go hand in hand. One photo can inspire the tone of a whole scene, while composition, framing and lighting play equal roles in both. As a photographer I find myself constantly acknowledging and commending a good frame when I see one, especially in cinematography. Increasingly often, I find myself constantly searching for films where photography plays a major role, or with and about a photographer as a lead role. While photography movies can captivate and inspire photographers specifically, I think they can also inspire anyone to capture a picturesque moment when they see one.
That being said, I compiled a list of 10 Photography Movies every photographer should see, but it's pretty much what I think everyone should see. And because I know there are plenty more out there, definitely feel free to share some of your own favorite photography films with us.
(The following is listed in no particular order)
The Most Impactful Photos of 2014
2014 was an all-around turbulent year for the world. Between powerful protests, countries in conflict, the FIFA World Cup, Ebola outbreaks, drought, renewed race conflicts in America, and so much more, there still managed to be moments of enlightenment, creativity and discovery. The year was a true roller coaster ride, and with this comes a wide assortment of photos.
As social media continues to stride, photos and news stories flooded our feeds on a daily basis. Whether from live first person accounts, or from media outlets and photojournalists, a lot of people had different stories to tell, and perspectives to share.
With such a crazy year, we thought to share some of the most impactful photos of 2014; Photos that sum up the year as we enter 2015 with many issues still unresolved. They say a picture is worth a thousands words, so I'll let the following photos speak for themselves.
(Warning: Some of the following images are graphic in content.)
16th Century-Imagined Superheroes by Photographer Sacha Goldberger
Photos by Sacha Goldberger
In the last few decades, we've seen superheroes be transformed and remade continually, but until now, we've never quite seen them like this. Photographer Sacha Goldberger has created a series of 16th Century-looking superheroes at a special art exhibition in Paris titled "Super Flemish". Through a compilation of make up artistry, design, and lighting, each character is photographed to look like an Elizabethan-era painted portrait, and it's as realistic as you can get.
To name a few, the portraits include characters from DC, Marvel, and Star Wars, and it took an entire crew to portray each one. Outside of the hair and makeup artists, casting directors were even hired to book models that closely resembled the Hollywood actors that played each superhero in recent films. The detail-oriented project proved to be a success, and they are all creatively entertaining.
Take a look at the following portraits, and find more of Goldberger's full portfolio here and on his Facebook page.
[Via ComicBook.com]
[Through My Lens] Discovering Hidden Gems with Open House Chicago
Photos by AngieStar Photo
For one weekend every year, the Chicago Architecture Foundation opens 150 sites around the city that aren't typically open to the public. Everything from modern marvels to old cathedrals, to vintage mansions, libraries, and more are put on display for anyone to enter- for free. The annual event is titled Open House Chicago, and it highlights the deep history, diverse culture, and innovating aspects of architecture that makes the city the unique marvel that it is. Allowing the public to discover hidden gems around the city, while providing guided tours, proves to be a great success every year, and I could only see it growing.
Although it's hard to see every site in just one weekend, tons of information and maps are provided so that each person can find locations to their liking. As a local, I sought out locations that I thought may not be as popular, hidden inside neighborhoods that not many stray to see. I also sought out historical buildings that we all may see frequently from the outside, but can never see inside.
From Casa Bonita, the vintage luxury condominiums in Rogers Park, to Uptown rehabs and theaters, Edgewater's famed roaring 20's celebrity hangouts, the historical Newberry Library, Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Gold Coast, The 1893 Brewster Building and the Elks National Memorial in Lincoln Park, old cathedrals in Ukrainian Village, to the 40th floor Luxury Library and the Federal Reserve Building in the Financial District. All had a story to tell, with secrets that reach far beyond what the eye can see. And others were shear examples of lost eras in history, full of unique architectural beauty and innovation.
Check out some of the photos along the way, and imagine all the decades of light and people they've seen. Be sure to find more here.
[RH Photos] AAHH! FEST 2014 Recap
Photos by AngieStar Photo
Anyone who was at Common's AAHH! FEST experienced an amazing show yesterday at Union Park in Chicago, some even described it as epic. As many guessed, Kanye West performed as the Special Guest, highlighting the evening by performing smash hit after hit, and bringing the night to an energetic close. Outside of Kanye's smash performance, famous comedian Dave Chappelle graced the stage as the evenings host, providing a short stand up that was just as hilarious as expected. Of course, Common didn't miss a beat with his performance either, performing many of his old and new tracks. He even brought fellow rapper Vince Staples to stage to perform "Kingdom" from his latest album, Nobody's Smiling. I can't forget to mention he also performed hit track, "Get em High" with Kanye, exploding the energy of the crowd.
Outside of the headlining performers, the fest had a full line up of sets from varied artists including comedian Damon Williams, and musicians Jay Electronica, MC Lyte, Lil Mama, Lil Herb, De La Soul, Jennifer Hudson, Lupe Fiasco, Twista, and Crucial Conflict. Although not all the artists were from Chicago, the night was to definitely highlight the city's heavy musical influence, and included several interludes of local Dj's playing House classics that kept the crowd moving from start to end. On that note, Chicago's famously known Harold's Chicken even had a food truck on hand, which is always a plus to locals.
As the event was curated by Rhymefest, Aahh! Fest's deepest intention was to create a day of peace for Chicago, since the city is very widely known for it's crime and gang violence. With this, the event was put together with help from Donda's House, Inc., Common Ground Foundation, and Lupe Fiasco's Foundation. The vibe was indeed truly fun and peaceful in all aspects, bringing to attendance Chicago Bulls Center Joakim Noah, visual artist Hebru Brantly, members from the Farrakhan family, and many other artists including rappers GLC, Do Or Die. Amongst the crowd were even friends and family like JHud's adorable son and husband, Kim Kardashian, and much more.
Check out the following photos from the very live event, where you'll also find some behind-the-scenes photos from some of the more famously known attendees enjoying the Aahh! Fest 2014.
Photokina Highlights Brand New Canon 7D Mark II
Photo by Canon USA
Every two years Canon's Photokina, the world's leading imaging fair, brings together camera enthusiasts from around the world to showcase all the latest in photo and video goods for the industry to see. This year, they highlighted their brand new and highly anticipated EOS 7D Mark II, their newest crop-sensor digital SLR, and a big improvement from the now 5-year-old 7D.
The new Mark II is based around a ton of new features including a 20.2-megapixel sensor, films in 1080p 60p, and has a new 65-point autofocus system. It also inherits some of the more sophisticated features from its full-frame siblings like the EOS-1D X and 5D Mark III. The only feature that seems to be missing in this camera is built-in wifi. Although this isn't necessarily needed for professional shoots, most new cameras always seem to have this new aged feature, but let us know what you think.
The Canon EOS 7D Mark II will arrive in stores in November for $1,800 (body only) or bundled with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for $2,150. You can already pre-order the body only or kit at B&H Photo. You'll find some photos below, but you can also check out a more in-depth overview, and video examples of the new camera here.
[Via Digital Camera World]
[Video] 175 Years of Photography
Photo by AngieStar Photo
In 1839, the world was enlightened with the invention of Photography, and today marks its 175th anniversary. In celebration, people from around the world are sharing some of their favorite photos, old and new, to honor this very beautiful and important art form. Since its discovery, photos have told stories, marked history, celebrated special occasions, and much more. Photography has become so popular in the current world of social media that millions of photos are shared everyday. From daguerreotype, film, to digital and everything in between, photography has revolutionized the way we see the world... even the universe.
For some brief history, the coining of the word "Photography" has been attributed in 1839 to Sir John Herschel based on the Greek words "phos", (genitive: ph?tós) meaning "light", and "graphê", meaning "drawing, writing", and together meaning "drawing with light". After years of experimenting in Paris, scholars Nicéphore Niépce and Louis Daguerre led the way to the invention of photography. And finally, on January 7th, 1839, this first complete practical photographic process was announced by the French government as a gift “Free to the World”. Sequentially, the first complete instructions to the process were published on August 19th, 1839. Since then, the process has spread and evolved into new forms all over the world.
To commemorate this grand day, www.worldphotoday.org/ wants help in creating a photo book titled, World Photo Day 360, compiling a collection of photography captured by photography lovers across the globe. Get involved with World Photo Day 2014 and share a small part of your world here. Also be sure to follow them on Instagram, where they share daily photos and photo challenges for all to participate.
Check out the following non-profit video dedicated to world photography day, celebrated each year on August 19th.
[vimeo id="47773073"]
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." -Ansel Adams (American photographer, 1902-1984)