Being a photographer for more than a decade, this is probably the shortest love story I have with camera gear, pushing the definition of a love-hate relationship to the next level.

Previously, I went through all the hassle of resurrecting the Ricoh GR, as I fell in love with its capability to shoot great black and white images and its superbly compact size. While it felt like reuniting with an old flame, all I had was a mere 2 weeks before it was broken again after approximately 1,000 frames. The lens refused to budge, the shutter remained stubbornly shut, and my once-beloved Ricoh GR seemed to mock me with its inactivity once again.

Motivated by my curiosity, I began to research the root cause of this recurring incident and discovered this is actually quite common among the Ricoh GR community, and most of them claim it to be caused by the weak flex cable. A known issue bound to happen with most Ricoh GRs.

From experience, the symptoms began subtly with a randomly stuck lens and shutter. Yet if you force the shutter and power button enough times, the camera will persist, allowing intermittent functionality. Gradually, these quirks intensified until the camera ceased to function altogether, leaving me with a frustrating puzzle to solve.

Determined to revive my cherished companion, I went ahead and ordered a replacement cable from AliExpress, an e-commerce site known for selling odd components. Fueled by my naivety and knowledge from YouTube, I eagerly set out to replace the damaged flex cable. However, reality hit hard when I discovered that the delicate flex cable, originally soldered onto the micro stepper motor with plastic pins, was prone to melting upon contact with heat. To further escalate the issue, finding a replacement stepper motor is close to impossible as there are none available in the market.

Out of desperation, I turned to online forums for help. Some advocated for soldering extra copper wire to the tiny motor wires and connecting these makeshift leads to the flex cable. It sounded plausible yet daunting, requiring precision and expertise beyond my amateur capabilities. And there are no technicians willing to take risks doing it. I also tried contacting the official Ricoh Camera Service Center here in Malaysia but was told that parts were no longer available as the camera has long been discontinued.

As I weigh my options and spiral deeper down the rabbit hole, I consider seeking generic parts from online stores and most probably enlisting professional help to weld and match the specifications of the stepper motor’s bracket. Here I would like to share a PSA warning to all Ricoh GR users who are facing the same issue as I had. Do not attempt to replace the flex cable yourself as the risk of irreparable damage looms large. The best course of action remains consulting professionals who may have better odds of restoring this beloved but troubled camera.

Going through all this, I can’t help but wonder if this is the price we pay for our passion, or simply another chapter in the ever-evolving relationship between photographers and their tools. Since this is a long-known issue that was not solved in the final production models, are Ricoh GRs meant to be disposable and built to break? The mystery remains unsolved.

So, you’re ready and raring to go on a photowalk or outdoor photo session when suddenly the skies turn gray and rain starts pouring. So, what is a photographer to do? Why, the show must go on. Here’s what you can take photos of instead when bad weather sets in.

Bad weather has ruined the plans of many photographers, especially landscape photographers. But as Thomas Heaton reminds us, there are still things and places you can point your camera at. So, in the video above, he suggests five things to photograph when the weather gets gray, wet and miserable. Whether you resign to shooting indoors or face the less than ideal conditions outdoors, it’s still possible to get creative with what you can photograph out there.

For example, minimalism and black and white still holds even when the light is flat and there aren’t a lot of variations in color when you’re outdoors. So, try to keep your compositions simple and stick to a single subject. Or, you can draw attention to interesting patterns and textures that stand out even with the drab colors from the gloomy weather.

Have you found any other interesting subjects or techniques to do when photographing in bad weather? Share it with us in the comments below!

Elopement locations are often chosen for their photographic potential. The mountains, with their range of different landscapes and dramatic peaks, are often a favorite location. Yet, mountains present challenges for photographers, from the quickly changing weather to working at higher altitudes. This week, find inspiration and tips for mountain elopement photography with our Photos of the Week from Daria Endresen, Charleton Churchill, Gabe McClintock, Diana Lustig, and Flora Gibson.

Daria Endresen, Ást og Hraun

When photographer Daria Endresen of Ást og Hraun first saw this location in the Icelandic Westfjords, she knew she had to take a couple there one day. She finally got the opportunity for mountain elopement photography in this location on a moody day in June. While her initial idea was to have the couple holding hands and looking towards the fjord, they took this stance and embraced unprompted, creating one of Endresen’s favorite shots. She captured the image using the Canon R5 and RF 24-70mm f2.8 lens.

“If the mountains are far away, I prefer using tele lenses, anything from 85 to 400 mm. It gives great compression, making the background much more prominent and grand than what it would feel with a wide angle,” she explains. “If the mountain is closer, I love shooting at the angle from below. Again, it helps to convey the feeling of how high and sometimes overwhelming the background is.”

Charleton Churchill, Charleton Churchill Photography

Having hiked and photographed many of the trails at Yosemite, Charleton Churchill of Charleton Churchill Photography knew that the half dome would have this glowing light that only lasts for a short season. When the couple’s plans changed, Churchill knew this light and location would be perfect for the elopement. He captured a series of shots at this location with the Nikon Z6 ii and Z7 ii and the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 lens to compress the mountain in the background.

“I don’t know if I have any magical advice,” Churchill says, “I just shoot what I see, adjusting the color/lighting as close as possible to what it looks like in real life — pretty much a timeless look. Filters are fine if that’s your style, and I have tried many, but tend to gravitate towards a stronger look, increasing the darks/lights a little more for a pop. I used to use the contrast a lot when I first started but have backed off quite a bit and refined my look. Be bold, but know when to go softer, allowing light and scenery to direct your image processing.”

Gabe McClintock

While mountainous backgrounds typically take up a large part of this image, keeping the couple and mountain small in this image by Gabe McClintock of Gabe McClintock Photography creates an otherworldly feel. McClintock took the image with a Leica Q during an Iceland elopement.

“Be prepared for anything,” he advises. “Weather, light and conditions can change very quickly in the mountains.”

Diana Lustig, Love and Latitudes

While Diana Lustig of Love and Latitudes has photographed this location in the Sierra Nevada many times, she’s always inspired by capturing the same location in a new season, with new light and a new couple. For this shot, Lustig wanted to capture the couple’s awe and adoration over the area. She took this image with the Canon R6 and a 35mm lens.

“Always check the weather,” Lustig advises photographers for mountain elopements. “This wedding saw snow, chilly temperatures, and high winds—despite it being late spring. Don’t forget to drink water and remind guests to do so as well—the elevation can be rough!”

Flora Gibson, Flora Gibson Photography

While Flora Gibson of Flora Gibson Photography uses this location in Big Sur for mountain elopement photography often, the fog inspired her to use the cliffs differently and take advantage of the light being less harsh than it typically is. The softer light allowed her to shoot from more angles than the location typically allows. She captured the shot with the Nikon Z6 ii and a 50mm f1.2 lens.

“My biggest advice for shooting in the mountains is to take five steps farther away than you initially think to stand. Sometimes this allows me to see the landscape in a different way,” she says.

Dig into our Photos of the Day Archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching wedding photos and portraits. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery (up to five images at a time) to: hillary.grigonis@emeraldx.com.

Capturing wildlife in the Arctic is both challenging and rewarding. The extreme conditions and stunning scenery offer unique opportunities for photography. An insane 1200mm lens can help, though.

Coming to you from Pangolin Wildlife Photography, this fun video tests Canon’s RF 1200mm lens in Svalbard. This lens, with its impressive focal length, allows for close-up shots of distant subjects, a critical feature for photographing subjects like polar bears. The video highlights the challenges of using such a powerful lens, including the need for higher shutter speeds to avoid vibration and the effects of atmospheric haze even in the cold Arctic environment.

In this video, you see how the 1200mm lens captures polar bears at distances others might miss. It explains that the lens’ weather-sealing is a crucial feature in such harsh conditions, also demonstrating the benefit of using a 1.6x crop on the Canon EOS R5, extending the focal length to nearly 2000mm, perfect for those far-off shots. However, this comes with its own set of challenges, such as the amplified effect of even the slightest movement, requiring shutter speeds over 1/2,500th of a second to get sharp images.

Even though it’s highly specialized, it can be used to capture detailed close-ups when bears come too close, something most lenses can’t achieve due to their minimum focus distances. The lens’ ability to produce sharp images, even in difficult lighting conditions, is impressive. However, it does struggle with heat haze and low light, making timing critical for the best shots.

Using such a long lens in the field requires careful planning. The video discusses the practicalities of carrying and using the lens, noting its size and weight. Despite its bulk, the lens is relatively light for its size, but it still doesn’t fit in most camera bags, making it a niche tool for specific situations. This lens isn’t for every trip, but when distance is a factor, it can capture images that would otherwise be impossible. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

‘Are you sure?” a man ascending the stairs asks before I venture down into Arles’ ancient cryptoporticus. At the bottom awaits Sophie Calle’s exhibition Neither Give or Throw Away. It’s one of the headline shows of this year’s Rencontres d’Arles photography festival, but I understand what the concerned passerby means. It’s spooky down here in the subterranean chambers, where the semi-dark is permeated only by the stagnant scent of underground damp, and pools of sepia water collect on the dirt floor.

View image in fullscreen

I’ve walked into a funeral for photographs – a final farewell for Calle’s ill-fated series The Blind, when the French artist interviewed people attending an institute for the blind in Paris in 1986. She interviewed 23 individuals of all ages, and the series is composed of Calle’s haunting closeup photo portraits of them, with collections of photographs of the things they describe in text extracts as beautiful – the sea, leopard fur, the colour white, hair, their homes, their mothers. It’s a poetic and, at times, harrowing rumination on vision, and how images are constructed in the mind. But in 2023, the works were damaged after a storm hit Calle’s storeroom, and they became infested with mould spores. So this – at least according to Calle – is to be their final resting place, along with some other works she wasn’t sure what to do with. But in case you’re thinking of taking anything – as the title implies – don’t bother. As Calle warns in an introductory statement: they’re toxic.

It’s a bracing beginning for this year’s edition of the world-famed photo festival, opening just as France enters a new political chapter. What we are has a huge impact on what we see – and this is explored in existential ecstasy across Arles. A giant floating cucumber and colossal cauliflowers turn out to be an AI-generated historical fiction about the Green revolution by Bruce Eesly, that eventually becomes too absurd to believe , yet leaves you considering the veracity of any visual account taken as fact. In the ecclesiastical setting of the Saint Trophime cloisters, a pair of prismatic panelled panoramas, with gorgeous gradients that change as you move past them, are in fact recordings of sunrise and sunset on high seas in the Arctic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. They were taken by sailors and navigators according to strict instructions laid out by artist Mustapha Azeroual and curator Marjolaine Lévy. These benevolent abstract images belie a dark political undertow: a chromatic call to arms about the degradation of the seas and skies, the colours the result of human activity on Earth.

View image in fullscreen

Elsewhere, a wounded civilian sits on the ground in tattered clothing; the remains of the flesh of his left leg poke out of torn trousers, apparently blown off. Nearby a soldier poses with a grisly facial wound. It turns out it is all part of an elaborate simulation of warfare, documented by Harvard-trained human rights lawyer Debi Cornwall at army bases across the US. The relief when you discover they are not real is short-lived. This realistic role-play walks a razor-thin line. Many of these bases employ real refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan to reenact versions of themselves in these mock Middle Eastern landscapes to help American soldiers train for combat.

There’s a lot of very niche stuff here, some good, some less so. I couldn’t get enough of Rajesh Vora’s glorious documents of the doozy sculptures that sit atop homes in villages across the Punjab, each creation more wild and entertaining than the next. A photographic paean to the short-lived history of the railway dining carriage, and another devoted to the Provençal pastime of petanque, are whimsical and nostalgic, but I find both too on-the-nose to feel there’s much more to them than seductive gimmick. A show about vampires in a church sounds promising: but the exploration of “tropical goth”, the visual culture of El Grupo de Cali, a Colombian gang active in the 1970s and 1980s, feels disjointed, from a strange video of a 13-year-old’s birthday party, to flashmobs dancing to Thriller, to portraits of disfranchised prostitutes. It is disappointing, too, that this is the only major representation of Latin American artists at Arles this year.

View image in fullscreen

As with most festivals, it’s the unknown acts that unexpectedly steal the show: pass the fruit and veg aisle and duck between the women’s underwear at retail chain Monoprix to find the Louis Roederer Foundation 2024 Discovery award shortlist exhibition, On the Lookout. Loosely themed around “disquiet”, each artist expresses disillusionment and anxiety about what comes next in the world in evocative ways.

View image in fullscreen

Nanténé Traoré’s works are physically and conceptually porous, printed on plexiglass and transparent fabric, ambient, indistinct murmurs that are hard to read. An entirely different atmosphere is created by Tshepiso Mazibuko – the only African woman included in this year’s official programme, which is a travesty. Mazibuko’s series borrows from a Sesotho proverb – To Believe in Something That Will Never Happen – and focuses on young people and children in the first established Black township of Thokoza, near Johannesburg, where the artist lives. These young Black people, like the artist, belong to the born-free generation – but as Mazibuko’s empathetic documents show, their circumstances are still difficult and full of dashed hopes. Using motifs of homes, streets and clothes that are insalubrious, stained and wounded, Mazibuko’s body of work is an indictment of the romanticised view of post-apartheid freedom and a testament to the bittersweet perseverance of youth in unequal times.

The winner of the Discovery award 2024 is François Bellabas’s project An Electronic Legacy, which began in 2016 when the artist found himself in the middle of a wildfire in California. He captured the burning landscape and charred skies on camera, and later fed 5,000 of his images to GAN, a first-generation AI. In 2023, he used the images from that database to create a tracking shot with ChatGPT, Dall-E and Mid-Journey. Images from all three periods of the work are arranged in a riveting installation that dovetails the hot-button topics of climate change, AI and the failure of the American dream.

View image in fullscreen

Elsewhere across the city, highlights include an ambitious, groundbreaking group show of 26 Japanese women photographers working between the 1950s and today, born between 1899 and 1987, a period in which Japan has experienced immense change but in which the gender gap has hardly narrowed. I’m So Happy You’re Here is possibly too crammed with artists and themes to give enough space to each, but it’s nonetheless a vital reminder of how women have shaped the medium in Japan through the postwar period and beyond.

Many of the artists deal with the socio-political concerns of women in a society that last year dropped in ranking to its worst-ever position in the Global Gender Gap report. Nagashima Yurie – one of Japan’s leading activist artists – literally sticks a middle finger up at the patriarchy in her punchy, provocative nude and semi-nude portraits of herself pregnant, and later with her family, in the 1980s and 1990s. As she puts it: “When you have a camera on a tripod, you have the space in front of the camera and also the space behind the camera. It’s very symbolic. It’s a way of taking action against the historical roles of the male and the female in photography.”

These are juxtaposed with quieter subversions, such as Ushioda Tokuko’s fastidious documents of her everyday life at home – from the old fridge her husband surprised her with that once belonged to American soldiers, to the little feet of her daughter, sticking up delightedly from a pile of sheets, these images tease out a sense of oppression in a subtle way. Photographing domestic things that have meaning and importance to the artist is her way of aggrandising them, of giving them a life that’s bigger than the space they are permitted.

A final unmissable moment at Arles is Mo Yi’s Me in My Landscape, the first survey of the remarkable yet little known Chinese artist’s work. It features 150 contemplative and captivating photographs that showcase the brazen inventiveness of an outsider. Mo Yi was a professional footballer for a decade, who worked for a time as a photographer at a children’s hospital in Tianjin and later trained in meditation. Much of his work is influenced by the rupture he experienced when his family relocated from a rural Tibetan diasporic community in Shaanxi Province to the city of Tianjin after the Cultural Revolution.

View image in fullscreen

Against the backdrop of an expanding, bustling, rapidly developing cityscape, Mo Yi comes in and out of the frame, scruffily dressed, his presence interrupting the slick and sleek pace of modern life. Struggling to situate himself against the McDonald’s, box fresh sneakers and heaving intersections, the world around Mo Yi becomes shinier and newer as he becomes older, and a stranger in his home.

In the series I am a Street Dog, (1995), Mo Yi attached his camera to the end of a stick and walked around the city, shooting via a remote shutter button to give a dog’s eye view. Another time he attached his Minolta to the back of his neck, his chest or his arm to take pictures on the streets or on the bus – getting closer to the experience of looking and being than constructing and composing frames. Consistently experimental and with an anarchic character, Mo Yi turns the camera from a vehicle of modernism into a complicit companion. In one image, a meditating Mo simply stands in the middle of the frame, serene, eyes closed, as the traffic rushes by behind him. It reminds me of Kafka’s suggestion, that perhaps we photograph things to drive them out of our minds. Then I take out my phone, and take a picture of it.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.

To most of the world, North Korea remains a mystery. And much of what we do know about the country is tied up in politics. That is why the few glimpses we get of life in North Korea are so important. They help humanize an often misunderstood culture, even if what we see is tightly regulated.

When photographer Tariq Zaidi took his first trip to North Korea in 2017, he was one of just 5,000 non-Chinese tourists allowed to enter the country that year. Led along a carefully choreographed itinerary in the company of two North Korean handlers, Zaidi was given a carefully curated glimpse of the country. While this didn’t allow for spontaneous moments, it certainly gave Zaidi the opportunity to see many different aspects of North Korea.

In his new book, North Korea: The People’s Paradise, he’s sharing his images with the world and, in doing so, helping us gain rare insight into a world most of us will never see for ourselves. We had the opportunity to speak with Zaidi about his time in North Korea and get his thoughts on his unique experience. Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview and keep up with Zaidi’s work on Instagram, Facebook, and his website.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

What first inspired you to travel to North Korea?

On my first trip in 2017, my original plan was to dive into the vibrant atmosphere of the annual beer festival, an event where foreigners and locals mingle “freely” and capture moments through the lens of a camera without hesitation. But fate had other plans that year—the beer festival was indefinitely postponed, leaving me with a tightly guided tour of the country. While it wasn’t what I had initially envisioned, the guided tour offered its own insights and surprises. With each step, I discovered hidden gems and cultural treasures that I might have overlooked in the bustling excitement of the festival. Though I missed the spontaneous interactions of the beer fest, I embraced the structured journey, immersing myself in the rich tapestry of the country’s history and traditions.

In my book, I use candid photography to explore the ordinary in this extraordinary state—everyday lives explored through a lens, illuminating the complex dynamics of people navigating their own paths within their country while the country does the same globally.

Inviting readers to delve beyond the headlines, North Korea: The People’s Paradise sheds light on people’s experiences and reveals the diverse tapestry of the country’s people and culture, challenging our preconceived notions about North Korea. Throughout this book, photography illustrates the hidden stories and realities that lie within its borders and the curtain of secrecy that dominates the narrative surrounding the country.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

What surprised you the most about what you saw in the country?

North Korea reminded me of the DDR (East Germany with the Berlin Wall intact), Cuba, Vietnam, and China about 20 years ago. I’d say it’s a mix between these and some Central Asian countries I have visited in recent years, but more orderly and cleaner. It’s all relative, though—there were considerable differences in the rural versus urban contexts in North Korea in terms of aesthetics, people, and lifestyles.

From your perspective, how isolated is life in North Korea?

The only real links are to Mainland China and Russia. Visiting North Korea is a rare privilege afforded to only a few individuals globally. The country attracts around 5,000 non-Chinese tourists annually; those fortunate enough to visit are met with strict rules and regulations, including the control of photography.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

Given the notorious restrictions placed on photographers who visit, were you worried about what you would be able to photograph?

For the past four years, since January 2020, North Korea has been inaccessible to all visitors, including North Koreans residing outside the country. Before this closure, access (for most nationalities) was possible through various agencies in China or Russia, involving a process of applying for permission/visas. During my visits, I was always accompanied by two North Korean minders. This applies whether traveling alone or in a group. They regularly scrutinized my photographs and occasionally requested deletions. The places, routes, and destinations were all predetermined and could not be altered once set.

What was it like to work there?

North Korea had several logistical and physical restrictions, but I never felt unsafe, nor was I met with hostility. I’m pretty used to working in challenging or inflexible environments. Some projects I’ve worked on in the past have had significant safety restrictions because the subject has been dangerous, politically volatile, or violent; others have had transport and mobility limitations where getting around the country and visiting points of interest has been impossible simply because of lack of infrastructure. Rules are there regardless of where I work; it’s just the kind of restrictions that differ.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

How did people in North Korea react to you photographing them?

Children were generally OK with me taking pictures, and adults allowed me to take photos after a few minutes of politely asking, although it did depend on where we were. In the metro, for instance, when I pointed my camera at people, they all shyly put their heads down to avoid being photographed. I’m unsure if that was due to cultural differences, shyness, or the lack of camera culture.

Like anywhere else in the world, I photographed those willing to be photographed and respected those who were not.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

Is there any particular photo you took and were made to delete that you regret having to get rid of?

I had taken many pictures at an amusement park in Pyongyang at night, which were deleted. It was a very surreal environment to photograph, given the political situation in 2017, and I wish I had been allowed to keep those. The guides didn’t mind me taking photos of groups of people going about their daily lives, but individual portraits I had taken were deleted. It’s hard to say what else I could have photographed because of how curated my first trip was—I didn’t have the chance to explore on my own and find stories.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

What was the most memorable part of your time in North Korea?

During my photography sessions, the North Korean guides played a crucial role in shaping the subjects I could capture through my camera lens. They primarily guided me on what issues were allowed and what was prohibited. At the end of each day, they evaluated the photos taken and advised which ones should be discarded, emphasizing the importance of retaining high-quality images. Their insistence on achieving “good photos” amused me, prompting me to pledge improvement in my photography.

The guides frequently requested to view my images, leading to the immediate deletion of those they deemed unacceptable, regardless of their relation to the military. In response to my query about why non-military images were discarded, they explained their focus was on capturing exceptional visuals, encouraging a pursuit of photographic excellence.

The NK guides significantly influenced the scope of my photography, prohibiting images related to the military, consistent with global norms. They also discouraged photographing individuals alone but allowed group shots. Photography involved rapid shifts between locations, allowing little time for shooting.

Many images were taken in motion, capturing street scenes from moving vehicles. Conversely, authorized locations like the Science Center and official monuments were photographed with guide accompaniment.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

How did the book project come about, and how was the selection process for the images in the book?

As with most of my previous books, such as Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo and Sin Salida (No Way Out), my process begins with a developing interest in a subject. This curiosity prompts me to explore it further through research and reading, often followed by multiple trips to the location over several years. After each trip, I present my findings to various editors to identify areas that need further investigation or development.

Once I feel the work is complete, I collaborate with a designer to create a book dummy. This involves selecting and sequencing images, crafting a narrative, and ensuring the format is suitable for a book. The dummy is then presented to potential publishers.

The final stages involve working closely with both the designer and the publisher to finalize the selection and arrangement of images. This process includes numerous iterations and discussions about the final images for the book, the format they will be presented in, and their sequence in the book. For my North Korea book, I collaborated with designer Stuart Smith and publisher Kehrer Verlag, who also published my first book on the Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo.

Between photographing, editing, researching, and writing, the entire project took over three years to complete.

Photo: ©️ Tariq Zaidi

What do you hope that people take away from these photos?

Many of my photographic projects deal with underreported communities and places. North Korea has intrigued me for years because of how little we know about it—except from mainstream media. I wanted to use photography to offer a glimpse at everyday lives in North Korea, documenting people, and culture as far as possible, given the limitations and restrictions of photography within North Korea. Beyond the militarism, authoritarianism, and control that have become associated with the country, people are going about their lives. This book seeks to present their realities (culture as far as possible, given the limitations and restrictions of photography within North Korea) to the rest of the world.

Through my practice, I endeavored to document what I witnessed, was shown, heard, and felt to the best of my abilities throughout my time in North Korea. Given the limitations of operating in North Korea, my goal is to provide readers with a comprehensive and immersive experience. Forming one’s perspectives now falls upon those who engage with my work.

Tariq Zaidi: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Tariq Zaidi.

Related Articles:

Fascinating Photos Show Current Life Inside North Korea

Documenting the Chinese Border Between Russia and North Korea

Watch Revealing GoPro Footage Shot by Cyclist on Streets of Pyongyang, North Korea

Tourist Illegally Documents Trip to North Korea and Shares Insightful Photos He Smuggled Home

Setting the cosmos ablaze with explosions of color, the James Webb Telescope’s MIRI (Mid–Infrared Instrument) has captured this fiery scene of a very young cosmic object becoming a star. 

In the neck of the hourglass shape, a central protostar, about 100,000 years old, can be seen growing, still surrounded by its parent molecular cloud of gas and dust. 

The James Webb Space Telescope is “the world’s premier space science observatory,” according to NASA. 

“Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it.”

The image shows the effects of outflows emitted in opposite directions along the protostar’s rotation axis, as the object sucks in gas and dust from the surroundings. 

NASA explains:

“These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud, which appear as filamentary structures throughout. They are also responsible for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or excite, the surrounding matter and cause the regions above and below it to glow.”

The effect is reminiscent of a high-end New Year’s Eve fireworks display. 

A protostar forms from a nebula, a massive cloud of dust and gas in space, mostly composed of hydrogen. As gravity pulls the elements together and it gets hot, the hydrogen nuclei fuse together to make helium, and a protostar is formed.

As the protostar continues to age and releases energetic jets, it will consume and destroy its molecular cloud surroundings, and many of the pretty structures we see in this image will fade.

“Eventually, once it finishes gathering mass, this impressive display will end, and the star itself will become more apparent, even to our visible-light telescopes,” explain NASA.

By analyzing two images, both from the Webb MIRI and the Webb Near–Infrared Camera (NIRCam) reveals the overall make–up and behavior of this system, including the effect the developing protostar is having on its environment.

NASA said:

“Other stars in Taurus, the star-forming region where L1527 resides, are forming just like this, which could lead to other molecular clouds being disrupted and either preventing new stars from forming or catalyzing their development.”

Take a look at our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography, the best lenses for astrophotography, and the best star tracker camera mounts for astrophotography. 

“I think about the work as anti-nostalgic,” explains Hudson. “Nostalgia, for me, is about being homesick for a distant past. I’m not homesick for the past because I exist in the material world of the 70s now through my relationship with objects. Being a young artist, there can be a pressure to simplify your work to make it more palatable for certain audiences,” Hudson tells me when I ask her about navigating personal responsibility. “I’m very respectful of the materials from the 70s that I’m working with, so when they start to become reduced to what they look like, or their meaning is taken out of context, it can be challenging.” 

Over the last few years, we’ve seen Gen Z collectively revel in nostalgia, revisiting the safety of the past to escape the fragility of their present. While on the surface it’s easy to see how Hudson’s work has become emblematic of her generation, her idiosyncratic practice is more interested in confronting the present through our material past.

This year, Apple is expected to release its iPhone 16 series. Likely to launch in early September, the iPhone 16 series is already generating hype for possible upgrades, especially for the Pro models. Many rumours and speculations are dropping hints about what Apple might offer. The latest of these speculations are reports suggesting that the new iPhone 16 Pro model will get significant design and camera upgrades, which were previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max model.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most significant changes in the iPhone 16 will be the introduction of the tetraprism lens, previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, across both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. In his report to Medium, he reveals that this lens will offer a 5x zoom capability, a significant upgrade from the 3x zoom on the current iPhone 15 Pro. Kuo noted that Largan, Apple’s largest lens supplier, is set to continue providing these tetraprism lenses. “Apple is Largan’s largest customer, and Largan is also Apple’s largest lens supplier. Therefore, the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have a tetraprism camera in 2H24,” Kuo explained on Medium.

This move is expected to bring photographic uniformity to the Pro lineup, addressing the previous disparity where the smaller Pro model lacked the advanced zoom features of its larger counterpart.

In addition to Apple joining hands with Largan, Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) is expected to be a new supplier for these advanced lenses. According to a report by DigiTimes, Apple has placed substantial orders with both Largan Precision and GSEO to ensure a robust supply of periscope lenses for the new iPhone models. This strategic move is likely aimed at increasing production volumes and securing more competitive pricing.

Design changes to fit the lens

The iPhone 16 Pro models are also rumoured to feature a slight increase in size, potentially providing the necessary space to incorporate the tetraprism lens. This change will address the physical limitation that prevented the inclusion of the larger zoom lens in the smaller iPhone 15 Pro. Additionally, other design tweaks, such as a potential switch to touch-sensitive buttons with haptic feedback and a vertical camera layout, are speculated to be part of the new models.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 series is expected to be powered by the same-generation Apple A18 chip across all four models, providing a consistent performance boost. The new devices will also run on iOS 18, promising users an array of new features and improvements. Furthermore, rumours suggest that the Pro models may see a refresh rate bump and better battery life, enhancing the overall user experience.