Smartphone News

Google has unveiled their next-generation smartphone, the Google “Pixel,” and early test results indicate the camera on this sophisticated new wonder may be the best smartphone camera ever. According to a comprehensive review by DxOMark Mobile, the Pixel earned a score of 89—three points higher than highly acclaimed Apple iPhone 7 Plus, and the highest DXO rating ever given to a smartphone.

Google’s powerful Snapseed app is popular among mobile photographers looking for robust image-editing tools for their iOS or Android mobile devices. Last month the app was updated to include image-resizing tools and an advanced text filter on both platforms, and now iOS version 2.9 just received Raw support and a new Face tool.

Hasselblad has joined forces with Motorola to try bring some of the Swedish company’s legendary imaging knowledge to smartphone cameras. Called the Hasselblad True Zoom, the Hassy-branded Moto Mod device snaps onto Motorola Z smartphones using magnets and adds a 10x optical zoom and Raw image capability.

We've alll seen them: people who want to ruin a perfectly good meal by taking a lame photo of it to post on Instagram.

About four years ago, Alvanas, a photographer, filmmaker, educator, digital artist, and postproduction retoucher, was attending a week-long advanced printing workshop at John Paul Caponigro’s studio. “The first day of portfolio review featured lots of prints of grand vistas from big film cameras—4x5s and 8x10s,” Alvanas says. “I showed on the second day, but I digitally projected my images.”

The first thing I do in a new country is get a prepaid SIM card for my phone. Sure, this means that I’m still connected, but the ability to address Google Maps, TripAdvisor, or Foursquare at any point far outweighs the negatives of being sucked back into the infinite void that is Facebook. Pre-paid SIM cards are available everywhere, and let you use your phone to research photo opportunities and share your next masterpiece in every corner of the globe. 

Photographers tend to be a resourceful, gadget-loving lot, and this do-it-yourself video is one of the more interesting we’ve seen lately. The folks at ProductTank, a showcase for DIY product design, provide this easy-to-follow video tutorial showing you how to make an inexpensive, functioning camera stabilizer using Legos.