How Cities Are Transforming Street Photography

Nick Turpin has been around the block, quite literally. He's been a practicing street photographer for nearly 30 years. But times have changed—so much so that Turpin now prefers the term "candid public photography" to differentiate his art from the increasingly ambiguous genre of street photography.

Turpin estimates that there are at least a thousand photographers roaming the city's streets today, compared to the four or five photographers capturing London's urban life when he started—all of whom he knew. Today, many use smartphone cameras they can fit in their pockets; some young people may never own an old school point-and-shoot. Turpin remembers what street photography was like in the 1990s and early 2000s, before the iPhone and Instagram and Flickr made photo-sharing ubiquitous and gave rise to the everyman photographer. But changing technology isn't the only striking difference: Over the past 30 years, cities themselves have become more hostile to street photography due to terrorism threats and private development...

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ThaWilsonBlock Magazine Issue45

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ThaWilsonBlock Magazine Issue45 covers Seattle rapper Scribes One is an exclusive interview about his hometown and music career. PLUS: Khriz-Z + windchILL + #BringingItTogether October 2016 Photo Shoot results + Beginner's Guide to Buying Camera Equipment + National Geographic's 2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year announced + Phife Dawg + John Leguizamo + Archie Green + Prince Ea + DMX + Papoose + DJ Quik + Eminem + Murs + so much much more...

Beginner's Guide to Buying Camera Equipment

Buying photography equipment for the first time is a daunting task. Useful guides exist to help beginners choose a good camera, but few newcomers realize that the camera itself is only the first of many pieces of equipment necessary to create a full setup for photography. This guide suggests a complete kit — everything from lens cloths to computer monitors — that will provide a beginner with high quality images (and room to grow) for a price of around 2000 US dollars.

Note that this guide is not a comprehensive list of equipment that will work for every type of photographer. As your photography becomes more specialized — portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, or anything else — you will gravitate towards more specialized equipment as well. These recommendations can be considered an all-purpose starter kit rather than a list tuned to one specific type of photographer.

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Kodak Announces New Smartphone designed for Photography

Eastman Kodak Company announced its new Kodak Ektra smartphone Thursday. The phone is

designed "for those with a passion for photography, from enthusiasts to experts," according to a news release sent out Thursday. The name of the smartphone is a nod to the original Kodak Ektra Camera, launched in 1941.

The Android-based phone will be launching "soon" across Europe. Other international markets, including the U.S., will see the Ektra released throughout 2017 - pending successful sales in Europe.

The main selling point on the Ektra seems to be the 21-megapixel fast focus camera sensor with f2.0 aperture. A second front-facing 13-megapixel front-facing camera is also on the phone. The camera app on the phone has a variety of settings similar to an SLR-style dial, which can be switched from auto to manual.

Editing software from Snapseed comes with... 

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