Chinatowns of the World

by Kelly Amabile on

Travelers create all sorts of interesting themed trips these days, but I don’t recall hearing about a tour that visits all the world’s Chinatowns just yet. Have I missed it? Well, if it hasn’t been done yet, someone will get around to planning such an adventure eventually, I’m sure. In the meantime, a new exhibit that opens in New York this week offers a nice overview that can help with itinerary planning — if you’re up to the challenge of visiting the more than 300 Chinatowns that exist around the world today!

In association with New York’s Chinatown Film Festival, the Storefront for Art and Architecture is hosting Chinatowns, a collection of over 1,000 images taken by almost as many photographers. This global tour spans over 100 cities on four continents: “It is a visual tribute to the diversities and idiosyncrasies, as much as the similarities, that unite these urban communities scattered all over the world.”

The exhibit opens on Tuesday, December 11 and will run through December 22, 2007.

Taking travel photos with a homemade lens

by Abha Malpani on

My knowledge of photography is limited. I’m one of those “who needs a photo? It’s all in the mind” kinda people, probably because I’ve been using a crap digital camera for the last 5-years.

If I could take mind-blowing photographs, I’m sure that would change. Short on time, yet somewhat eager to try doing just that, I have often gone to check out professional cameras but looked at price tags and walked right out.

So when I saw an article on homemade digital hacks for your camera I saw hope! The lens is the most important (and most expensive?) part for your camera and this piece expertly tells you how to put together a fish-eye lense for $10. It looks pretty bad, but it also looks like it might do the trick.

True, the world of DIY Photography is large, but it seems so far ahead of me I often get lost when I scout those websites. The terminology, physics of light, situational photography — that stuff still hits off a tangent for me. I might start here though (I could borrow my dad’s old Pentax SLR), and if this homemade fish-eye lens produces even half a decent photo, there may be hope at kicking off an amateur DIY photography hobby.

[Via Vagabondish]

Flickr Launches Camera Compare Page

by Neil Woodburn on

Here’s an interesting new twist to our favorite photo sharing site: Flickr.com has launched a section which compares cameras used by those who upload photos to the site.

The Camera Finder page reveals that the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is the most commonly used camera overall while the Canon PowerShot SD600 is the most popular in the point-and-click category.

So what?

Well, if you are looking to buy a camera, you can click on any model featured on the page and Flickr will showcase user photos taken by that same model. It’s a pretty cool function but there is no way to tell if some amateur has butchered a shot because he doesn’t know how to use the camera, or if some crappy camera has produced a great shot thanks to someone who know how to work PhotoShop.

So, if you’re in the market for a camera, pop on over to Flickr but be sure to take it all in with a grain of salt, as the saying goes.

What’s in Your Pack, Nick Hawkins?

by Justin Glow on

Meet Nick Hawkins: IT buff, traveler, and amateur photographer. By the looks of what’s in his pack, he’s far from amateur! So, Nick, what exactly is all this stuff?

“My camera bag started out as a smaller bag that went into my backpack and has now morphed into 20+ pounds of lenses and other stuff, requiring me to get a LowePro Computrekker Plus AW. I throw my laptop in there as well so I can watch movies on the plane and lay the photos out in Adobe Lightroom while I’m at the hotel at night. I don’t have any dream aspirations about having a photo on the cover of National Geographic or Conde Nast (but it would be awesome, though), but I’d rather hit that 1 in a 100 photo where it looks awesome and friends like it. Plus, having a digital SLR with a bag full of lenses means any person who has the same gear that you have is your new friend. They also get the looks of disdain from people with point and shoot cameras who only care about megapixels, so they know how you feel.”

1) Canon Digital Rebel XT
2) Canon EOS 40D
3) 12GB of CF cards, 8GB of SD/SDHC cards
4) Garmin eTrex Legend GPS (for geotagging photos and to make myself
look like a bigger nerd)
5) Canon Speedlite 430EX Flash
6) Camera remotes
7) Canon 17-40mm L lens
8) Canon 24-105mm L lens
9) Canon 100-400mm L lens
10) Epson P-2000 photo storage device
11) Hyperdrive Space photo storage device
12) Joby Gorillapod SLR with Manfrotto head
13) Batteries
14) Brunson Monocular (if it’s good enough for Jack Bauer, it’s good
enough for me)
15) camera filters
16) battery magazine for my XT
17) Lens hoods.
18) My crackberry so my boss doesn’t yell at me.
19) Chargers
20) Travel adapter
21) Compass to help me find my way
22) Stolen hotel pens + Space pen
23) Random cables
24) memory card readers
25) Gerber 4 in 1 LED flashlight
26) Accessory ‘beaner with CF card pouch
27) Shure headphones
28) iPod video
29) Red Meat coffee mug (“Drunk at 7 am”)
30) iPod charger (doubles as my ‘anything USB’ charger)
31) Ranger beads
32) Moleskine journal
33) Oakley polarized sunglasses
34) Giottos rocket blower
35) Canon Powershot TX1 (used to take this photo)
36) Flash diffuser so I don’t blind people.

Thanks, Nick!

Want to show Gadling readers how you pack for the road? Send me an email (justinglow at gmail dot com) with a full description and pictures — similar to what Nick has done here — and we’ll feature it on the site!

One for the Road: Hoshino’s Alaska

by Kelly Amabile on

Neil shared an awesome Alaskan journey with us this month, and a good friend of mine also just returned from a visit to the northern-most state. So with Alaska on the brain today, I bring you Hoshino’s Alaska, a collection of 150 photos that celebrate the life and work of wilderness photographer Michio Hoshino.

Japanese-born Hoshino traveled to Alaska in 1972 for what was to be only a two-week trip. He remained for three months, then returned to live there in 1978, where he lived as a naturalist and photographer driven by a deep commitment to and curiosity about the region. Killed by a bear while traveling in Russia in 1996, he is still widely regarded as the preeminent photographer of the Alaskan wilderness for his breathtakingly beautiful photographs. This recently published book serves as a fitting tribute to his legacy.