935 Spy Stuff

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FROM THE TOP FLOOR

Chris dives into a legal battle as music photographer Alec Byrne sues Getty Images, explores a nifty DIY Game Boy Mini Camera, unravels how AI reconstructs 3D scenes from eye reflections, geeks out on physical camera simulations in Blender, marvels at a super-sensitive camera changing art conservation, ponders National Geographic’s layoffs, and discovers a trendy selfie technique, all in this jam packed episode.

Topics:

• [NEWS] Getty Sued : Music photographer Alec Byrne is suing Getty Images for copyright infringement, alleging they sold his photos, including a 1974 ABBA shot, without his consent. This comes as Getty Images is also suing AI image generator Stable Diffusion for copyright infringement.
• [COOL] Cool Project: Gameboy Mini Camera : The Game Boy Mini Camera is a fun DIY project. This compact device is a shrunken version of the original Game Boy Camera that uses the original ROM and an iPhone XR lens.
• [NEWS] Blade Runner Enhance: Eye 3D : An AI-powered method developed by the University of Maryland that can reconstruct 3D scenes from the reflections in a person’s eye. This technology, using neural radiation fields, could change photography and raise intriguing questions about privacy.
• [COOL] Nerd Level 10k: Blender Camera : Blender is an open-source 3D software that can do physical simulations, including light. A photographer has used it to create a virtual camera, simulating optics, lenses, and even film layers, resulting in stunning images. Awesome!
• [SCIENCE] Science: FLIM Cam : Scientists at King’s College London have developed a super-sensitive camera using macroscopic fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) technology for art conservation. This camera accurately differentiates centuries-old varnish from paint and canvas, revolutionizing the precision and preservation in art restoration.
• [NEWS] National Geographic Layoffs : National Geographic, renowned for its photojournalism and wildlife photography, has reportedly laid off its last staff writers and other employees, hinting at a potential decline. Despite these changes, the magazine insists it won’t impact their storytelling quality, marking a significant shift in the landscape of photojournalism.
• [TRENDS] TFTTF Trend Watch: Screenshotting : TikTok influencer Liliana Madrigal has popularized a new selfie technique: screenshotting the image on the front-facing camera instead of taking a photo. This method, she claims, results in better lighting and overall quality, highlighting a shared frustration with the iPhone’s AI computational features. About 4 million people seem to concur.

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