Ron Leach

According to NASA Astronaut Jeff Williams, one of his favorite activities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is taking photographs of Planet Earth. In this fascinating video from NASA Space Station Live, Williams explains the equipment he uses—including a lens selection from wide–angle to an 800mm telephoto equipped with a 1.4 multiplier.

Researchers at the Columbia University Computer Vision Laboratory are pursuing a radically different approach to photography with the design of optics and sensors applied to a large, thin flexible sheet. Rather than the conventional approach of taking photographs from a single point in space, this camera would enable image capture from any surface—regardless of shape.

Lensbaby, known for a variety of creative effects lenses, has dropped the curtain on the new Twist 60, a 60mm portrait lens with a fast f/2.5 maximum aperture, all-metal construction and some unique swirling bokeh effects. The lens harkens back to a design created by Joseph Petzval in 1840.

The Rescued Film Project is an amazing online gallery of images that were captured on film between the 1930's and late 1990's. The fascinating and poignant video below chronicles the discovery and restoration of 31 rolls of undeveloped film shot by an American solidier during World War II. When you see the resulting photos, prepare to be stunned.