CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa photographer said she’s combating hate with love.

A city crew painted a rainbow crosswalk in Czech Village at the end of May. That rainbow prompted homophobic comments online.

After seeing the online comments, photographer Jen Stillions came up with a project to take free pictures at the crosswalk of anyone in the Cedar Rapids LGBTQ community.

“I saw the Czech Village post about—with a picture of the rainbow, and I was really excited to see that. I used to live in Czech Village. And then I started reading the comments,” said Stillions.

“A couple of them stopped me in my tracks,” she added. “There was one with four rainbows making up a swastika. And I felt like throwing up.”

Stillions said she had two options.

“I could either go keyboard warrior and fight with every single one of them. Or I could use that hatred to fuel my own love. And so that’s why I’m doing this.”

Stillions put out a call on her own Facebook page saying she’d post up for a few hours at the intersection Wednesday afternoon and take free pictures for anyone in the Cedar Rapids LGBTQ community.

And the community showed up.

“A beautiful little rainbow that was painted is just the perfect way to celebrate,” said Sam Drish, who came to get his picture taken.

“We are here. We’re not going anywhere. We’ve been here and now more than ever, we need to stand up show up and be present,” he added.

“I just want them to know that they’re loved,” said Stillions.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

In a rare event, a white bison calf was born in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Park visitor and wildlife photographer Erin Braaten was there at just the right time to practically witness the calf’s birth in Yellowstone’s famed and wildlife-rich Lamar Valley.

“The afterbirth, the placenta was still there, and the calf was just standing up,” she told Cowboy State Daily during a telephone conversation Wednesday before she and her family headed back out of cellphone service.

Braaten is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer from Kalispell, Montana. She and her family visit Yellowstone two or three times a year, but she never dreamed she’d be lucky enough to see such a rarity as a white bison calf taking its first steps.

How Rare?

Wild white bison calves are very rare, according to the National Bison Association.

A white bison calf was born in May 2023 at Bear River State Park near Evanston.

That calf, however, was white because of genetics from Charolais cattle, whereas the wild calf born in Yellowstone is likely a pure product of nature.

Cowboy State Daily reached out to the association and the National Park Service, which manages Yellowstone’s wildlife, to confirm the rarity of the wild white bison in the park, but did not hear back before this story was posted.

‘I thought Maybe It Was A Coyote’

Braaten said that at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the day was going like a typical visit to Yellowstone, as she and her family drove in preparing for a camping trip.

Then she caught a glimpse of something that made the trip anything but typical.

“We were just driving along, and there were some bison crossing the road. I was looking back, and I saw what I thought maybe was a coyote,” she said.

But a closer look revealed a true wonder.

“We were totally surprised,” she said. “It was a white bison calf.”

A Sign Of Hope

Braaten and her family stopped to admire the little calf and its mother. And she managed to get some photos from a safe, respectful distance.

“The calf was so tiny, it was amazing,” she said, adding that there was no way to determine whether it was a male or female.

She said that they planned to go back to the area later Wednesday to see if they could catch another look, and perhaps some more photos of the white calf.

Braaten said she has Native American heritage, and from what she understands, the birth of a white Bison calf has profound meaning. It’s a symbol of hope, and that was good to see given the current state of things in America.

“It’s a great blessing. It’s a good omen,” she said. “It means there could be a good change coming.”

Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.

It’s that time of the year again, when everybody’s week is brightened up a little by finding out the winners of the Comedy Pet Photography Awards, 2024. 

Professional photographers and friends Paul Joynson Hicks and Tom Sullam launched the Comedy Pet Photo Awards in 2020, an uplifting addition to anyone’s calendar. The competition also aims to promote animal welfare by supporting grassroots animal welfare charities, and by highlighting the positive impact our pets have on us.

This year judges included author and conservationists Kate Humble, TV presenter Mel Geidroyc, and TV vet and campaigner Emma Milne. 

UK based Sarah Haskell has scooped first prize with her hilarious photo of her dog Hector, entitled “Not just for cats”. 

On being told she had won first prize Haskell said: 

“I am utterly thrilled, such great news, that I will have to share with Hector before the announcement (so if word gets out, blame him!) 

“These Comedy Pet Photo Awards have been a good natured, friendly competition with comical animal characters that you feel you can somehow relate to, that make you smile, and you want to know more about. Delighted that Hector and I have been part of it, and tremendously proud to be a winner.”

Describing Hector, who is 14 this year, as a “much loved member”of her extended family Haskell added:

“I I have carried a camera pretty much in some form since school days, but it is only recently that I have worked out that pet photography, dog photography in particular, is what I like doing. The interaction with these expressive, clever, often comical characters, when I am doing ‘pawtrait’ shoots, can only make me (and others, hopefully) smile!”

Sarah receives a cash prize of £500, a camera bag from ThinkTank and a bespoke trophy for her winning photograph. When asked what she will buy with her winnings, Haskell said, “A bigger cat flap and then some camera equipment!”

Kenichi Morinaga from Japan is the winner of the Comedy Pet Photography Awards 2024 in the category ‘Cat’s with their photo ‘Cat in a Trap Like Super Mario’.

Winners of each category will receive a certificate to confirm they are an ‘award winning photographer, and most importantly, their pets can proudly call themselves an ‘award winning pet’.

As well as category winners, eight photographs were recognized as Highly Commended: Sylvia Michel who had two entries recognised; Julie Smith, Atsuyuki Ohshima, Vera Faupel, Luiza Ribeiro, Emma Beardsmore and competition regular and former competition winner Kenichi Morinaga.

Here are the other category winners:

Check out the best wide-angle lenses for shooting your pet inside or outside. We’ve also put together our list of the best cameras for wildlife photography, which can also be used for pets. 

The Lumix GH6 hybrid photo and video mirrorless camera was launched in 2022, and we absolutely loved it, awarding it our highest 5-star Essential rating and commenting that “the new Panasonic Lumix GH6 delivers virtually everything that an aspiring one-man/woman videographer could ever want from a hybrid camera.”.

Until the launch of the new Lumix GH7 in 2024, that is, which promises to up the ante even further. But how exactly do the GH6 and GH7 differ and ultimately which one should you buy?

We’re bringing you this Panasonic Lumix GH7 vs Panasonic Lumix GH6 head-to-head comparison to help you choose between the two cameras.

You can also read our detailed Panasonic Lumix GH6 review to find out exactly what we think of that specific model in much more depth.

Sensor

Both cameras have a Micro Four Thirds rather than an APS-C or 35mm full-frame sensor.

Both utilise a 25.2 megapixel CMOS MFT sensor, which offers the highest megapixel count of any current Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds camera.

Unlike the GH6, though, the GH7 is built around a recently developed sensor that, for the second time on a Panasonic MFT camera, supports Hybrid Phase Detection Auto-Focus.

All previous Lumix cameras, including the Panasonic GH6, have used a contrast-based AF system, with the notable exceptions of the GH7 and the full-frame S5 II.

We’ll talk more about this below, but suffice to say this is a big deal that could be the sole reason to persuade many people to buy the GH7 rather than the GH6.

Processor

The new Lumix GH7 uses the very latest Venus Engine processor with L² technology incorporated, which Panasonic claim is 2x faster than the previous generation processor used in the GH6. This provides higher resolution, higher bit rates and minimises rolling shutter.

ISO Speed

Both the GH7 and the GH6 offer exactly the same ISO range, which runs from ISO 100-25,600 and can be extended down to ISO 50 if required.

High Resolution Mode

Both cameras offer the special High Resolution mode, which delivers 100 megapixel images for the ultimate quality when detail really matters.

In the High Resolution mode the camera rapidly takes 8 separate images and combines them into one JPEG or Raw file that are up to 11552×8672 pixels in size.

The new GH7 benefits from also having the same hand-held high-res mode as the GH6, so you don’t have to mount the camera on a tripod for the best results.

Video

The GH6 provides 5.7K 30p internal video recording, available in ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes 422 for the first time in the LUMIX series when the camera was released in 2022.

It also supports 4:2:2 10-bit Cinema 4K 60p internal recording as well as simultaneous output in 4:2:2 10-bit Cinema 4K 60p over HDMI.

Other stand-out features include 4:2:0 10-bit 4K 120p (equivalent to 5x slow motion) and 4:2:2 10bit FHD 240p HFR (High Frame Rate) options, plus 5.7K 4:2:0 10-bit 60p/50p and 5.8K 30p/25p/24p 4:2:0 10-bit anamorphic 4:3 modes recorded utilising the full area of the sensor.

The GH6 also contains V-Log/V-Gamut for the first time in the LUMIX G Series Micro Four Thirds camera line-up which provides 12+ stops of wide dynamic range, and there’s a Dynamic Range Boost mode which expands it to 13+ stops.

The new GH7 ups the ante by providing internal recording of 5.7K 30p ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes RAW HQ.

There’s also the World’s first 32-bit float recording for the first time ever on a mirrorless camera. Dubbed “RAW audio” by Panasonic, it eliminates the need to adjust audio recording levels during
shooting when using the new XLR microphone adapter, DMW-XLR2 (sold separately).

The GH7 allows users to load original LUT files and apply new color looks directly to videos and photos with
REAL TIME LUTs.

It enables proxy recording for workflow efficiency and supports native Camera to Cloud integration with
Adobe’s Frame.io, enabling images and videos to be automatically uploaded, backed up, shared, and
worked on jointly via the cloud.

It supports up to 5.7K 60p and 4K/C4K 120p 10-bit 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 recording, depending on the specific mode – 5.7K (17:9) 30p/25p and C4K/4K 120p/100p are 4:2:0 10-bit.

5.8K 30p/25p/24p 4:2:0 10-bit anamorphic 4:3 modes are recorded utilising the full area of the sensor and there are also 4.4K 60p/50p/48p modes.

The Lumix GH7 has V-Log/V-Gamut built-in which provides 13+ stops of wide dynamic range, and the Dynamic Range Boost mode expands it to 14+ stops.

Both models support Open Gate recording which utilises the full area of the sensor to record then downsample it in-camera, which means that your framing won’t be cropped when composing.

Importantly, both models also offer unlimited video recording time in all modes by employing a forced-cooling fan mechanism to combat over-heating, something that differentiates tham from the GH7 model.

Autofocus

The new GH7 is the second Lumix Micro Four Thirds camera to use a hybrid contrast and phase-detection auto-focus system, following on from 2023’s GH7 model.

Fast and dependable and providing 779-area metering, the PDAF system is able to detect target subjects in difficult conditions such as low light and backlighting and, once locked on, will remain tracking them even with other moving objects in the frame.

The GH6 employs a simpler 315-point contrast-based auto-focusing system which utilises Panasonic’s clever DFD (Depth from Defocus) technology. Panasonic have updated their AF algorithms to offer faster performance and less visible pulsing than before.

In practice, there were few occasions when the GH6 failed to lock onto the subject, especially when using the centre AF point, resulting in a generally responsive and importantly reliable AF system for most subjects.

Having said that, it did struggle a little more often than desired with erratic, fast-moving subjects such as sports and wildlife, and it definitely still lags behind the best phase-detect AF systems.

So if continuous auto-focusing is top of your requirements list, then it’s definitely worth choosing the newer GH7 model with its superior phase-detection AF system.

Subject recognition on the GH7 has been further improved so that it now recognises airplanes and trains, which means that it offers the most advanced AF of any Lumix camera to date.

Burst Shooting

Despite having a Venus processing engine onboard which delivers approximately twice the processing power of the previous generation, the GH6 only offers a top continuous shooting speed of 8fps in AFC mode, and the buffer is small too – up to 95 JPEGs or 65 RAW files.

The GH6 does have a headline grabbing 75fps mode at full 25 megapixel resolution, but this is limited to AFS burst shooting using the electronic shutter.

The new 2024 GH7 ups the ante considerably by offering 60fps burst shooting with continuous auto-focusing and
the same 75fps mode as the GH6 with the focus and exposure locked at the first frame.

There is also a
much larger 190 shot buffer for both JPEG and RAW files which provides around 3 seconds of shooting time.

If you prefer to use the mechanical shutter, the burst rates have also been improved slightly from 14/8fps (AFS/AFC) on the GH6 to 14/10fps on the GH7.

Body

Most of the changes that have been made to the new GH7 are internal, rather than external – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it seems to be the order of the day – so if you’ve used the GH6 for any significant period of time, you’ll feel instantly at home with the new GH7.

Both cameras are exactly the same size, measuring 138.4 x 100.3 x 99.6mm / 5.45 x 3.95 x 3.92in., but the new GH7 is 18g lighter, weighing in at 739g / 1.63lb without a battery or memory card fitted.

Both are able to withstand harsh environments with dust, splash resistance and freeze-resistance down to
10 degrees Celsius/14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Viewfinder

The Lumix GH6 has an OLED electronic viewfinder that offers 100% field of view, 10000:1 contrast ratio, 21mm eye-point and 3,680K-dot resolution.

It has a magnification ratio of approx.1.52x / 0.76x and operates at a native rate of either 30 or 60fps.

The new GH7 has a similar 3,680K-dot resolution EVF to the GH6, but the magnification is slightly higher at 1.60x / 0.80x and the maximum refresh rate is 120fps.

LCD Screen

Both cameras also use exactly the same 3.0-inch, 3:2 ratio, swivelling and tilting LCD touch-screen with 1,840,000 dot resolution, so no improvements have been made to the GH7 in terms of the LCD screen.

The free-angle design means that you can flip it out to the side, rotate it forwards for easier operation when pointing the camera at yourself, and fold it flat against the back of the camera to stop it from getting scratched.

IBIS

Both models utilise a super high-precision 5-axis gyro sensor with an updated algorithm to achieve a powerful 7.5 stops of Body I.S. and Dual I.S. when used with compatible lenses.

The stabilisation system in both cameras works for both stills and video recording.

Memory Cards

Both of these cameras have dual memory card slots and both have a dedicated memory card port that’s hidden behind a lockable door on the left-hand side of the camera.

Both have one slot that supports CFexpress Type B cards which support internal recording of high bitrate video at 800Mbps or more, plus one SD UHS II V90 slot.

Battery Life

The Panasonic Lumix GH7 uses exactly the same large capacity DMW-BLK22 battery as the Lumix GH6..

Battery life on both is actually the same at around 350 shots when using a CFexpress memory card and 380 using an SD memory card.

Both cameras can also be powered and charged via a USB connection, which is useful if you’re out and about and have a compatible powerbank to plug the camera into, with both using the newer USB-C 3.2 variant.

Price

A price-tag of £1999 / $2199 body only makes the new Panasonic Lumix GH7 the same price at launch as the Lumix GH6 when it was released in 2022.

The Lumix GH6 has had a recent price drop to £1599 / $1699, thoiugh, which currently makes it more affordable than the brand new GH7.

Conclusion

Choosing between the new Panasonic Lumix GH7 and the previous Lumix GH6 is a real challenge, as they’re both excellent hybrid cameras on paper. The GH7 offers the main benefits of PDAF auto-focusing, internal ProRes RAW, real-time LUTs and 32-bit float recording (if you also buy the DMW-XLR2 mic adapter) for the first time on a Panasonic MFT camera, but the GH6 could already be powerful enough for most users and is around 25% cheaper.

So what do you think? Would you choose the Panasonic Lumix GH7 or the Lumix GH6, and why? Leave a comment below!

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SHREVEPORT, La. – This Saturday you can take a walk down memory lane in the old Regal Movie Theater in what used to be known as South Park Mall. Of course, now it’s the home of Summer Grove Baptist Church. 

Mike and Mark Mangham from Twin Blends Photography will show a video they created depicting South Mark Mall during its heyday from 1974 until around 1990. 

Guests can order popcorn, a drink and choice of candy while they watch the video. 

The video will be shown from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is free.

The video promises to allow viewers to “walk up and down” the mall and remenience where the stores used to be. Guests are invited to bring memorabilia from the mall with them. 

A table also will be set up where those who used to work at stores in the mall can fill out a name tag and the store where they were employed. 

“This is going to be an EPIC event so please share with your friends and family,” the Manghams said in a social media post. 

SHREVEPORT, La. – This Saturday you can take a walk down memory lane in the old Regal Movie Theater in what used to be known as South Park Mall. Of course, now it’s the home of Summer Grove Baptist Church. 

Mike and Mark Mangham from Twin Blends Photography will show a video they created depicting South Mark Mall during its heyday from 1974 until around 1990. 

Guests can order popcorn, a drink and choice of candy while they watch the video. 

The video will be shown from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is free.

The video promises to allow viewers to “walk up and down” the mall and remenience where the stores used to be. Guests are invited to bring memorabilia from the mall with them. 

A table also will be set up where those who used to work at stores in the mall can fill out a name tag and the store where they were employed. 

“This is going to be an EPIC event so please share with your friends and family,” the Manghams said in a social media post. 

Image: https://www.getnews.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1717584268.jpeg

Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video offers exclusive cinematic wedding photography services, designed to capture the timeless beauty and emotion of the special day with unparalleled artistry.
Sydney, NSW – June 5, 2024 – Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video is proud to elevate wedding photography and videography in Sydney with their innovative and cinematic approach. Known for being among the best wedding photographers in Sydney, Dreamlife’s team brings together technical excellence and creative flair to create breathtaking images and films that immortalise the essence of the wedding day.

Image: https://i.postimg.cc/J0M3RHQd/wedding-photography-in-Sydney.png

“Your wedding day is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of a unique love story. Our goal is to visually narrate that story through candid and natural shots, capturing the personalities and emotions that make your day truly special,” said the spokesperson of Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video.

Dreamlife’s wedding photographers in Sydney are adept at capturing every detail, from the intricate lace of a bridal gown to the joyful tears of family and friends. Their unobtrusive style of wedding photography in Sydney [https://dreamlifewedding.com.au/sydney/] ensures that the natural beauty and spontaneity of the wedding are preserved, creating memories that will be cherished for years to come.

Dreamlife’s wedding cinematography in Sydney [https://dreamlifewedding.com.au/sydney/] transforms wedding videos into cinematic masterpieces.

“We use state-of-the-art equipment and innovative filming techniques to create wedding films that are not just recordings, but artistic narratives. Our films capture the spirit and emotion of the day, allowing couples to relive their special moments with cinematic quality.”

Understanding that every wedding is unique, Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video offers a variety of tailored wedding photography and videography packages. Each package includes a pre-wedding consultation to ensure that every aspect of the day is perfectly captured.

“Whether you choose a comprehensive package or a specialised wedding videography in Sydney [https://dreamlifewedding.com.au/sydney/], Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video is committed to providing exceptional quality and personalised attention,” concluded the spokesperson.

About Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video

Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video is a leading provider of wedding photography and videography services in Sydney, Australia. Their work combines candid photography with cinematic storytelling, ensuring that every wedding is memorialised in the most stunning way possible. Visit https://dreamlifewedding.com.au/sydney for more.
Media Contact
Company Name: Dreamlife Wedding Photography & Video
Contact Person: Eliza Dorsey
Email: Send Email [http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=dreamlife-wedding-photography-video-offers-cinematic-wedding-photography-to-freeze-special-moments]Phone: +61 2 9518 6866
Address:Unit 1 & 2/43-53 Bridge Rd
City: Stanmore, Sydney
State: NSW
Country: Australia
Website: https://dreamlifewedding.com.au/sydney

This release was published on openPR.

The Milky Way has long fascinated humanity, covering the night sky with its familiar constellations and dense streams of stars. The full beauty of our galaxy is hard to see with the naked eye, but with the help of modern cameras, photographers can capture it in vibrant detail.

The annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition showcases awe-inspiring images that bring the greatness of our celestial home into view. Here, we explore our breathtaking galaxy through the lens of this year’s winners.

“Lightning lake” — Tom Rae

The bold ribbon of the Milky Way parts the sky as it strikes the peak of Aoraki / Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. Tom Rae journeyed through a glacial valley to capture the glowing sky against the cyan-blue lake and icy terrain on a winter night. 

“Lions den” — Lorenzo Ranieri Tenti

Lorenzo Ranieri Tenti took this captivating image of the multicolored hues of the Milky Way in the night sky. This image was taken at a mountain lion reserve in the Atacama Desert in Chile — home to several astronomical telescopes, including the forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory, as well as cougars (Puma concolor).

“Atmospheric fireworks” — Julien Looten 

As if taken in the center of a bubble, this panoramic image captures the entire arc of the Milky Way alongside a stunning airglow that lights up the night sky in the southwest of France.

Julien Looten took and merged panoramic photos of 40 different exposures to capture the multicolored bands. “This natural phenomenon occurs due to a chemical reaction in the upper atmosphere, emitting faint light known as chemiluminescence,” Looten said in a statement.

Related: Some of the oldest stars in the universe found hiding near the Milky Way’s edge — and they may not be alone

“Blooming bottle tree” — Rositsa Dimitrova

This stunning photo captures the Milky Way above a blooming bottle tree (Adenium socotranum) — a tree endemic to Socotra island in Yemen.

Rositsa Dimitrova took advantage of the island’s total lack of light pollution to capture this spectacular photo. “The night sky in Socotra is categorized as Bortle 1 on the dark sky scale — the darkest you can possibly get,” Dimitrova said in the statement. 

“The vanity of life” — Mihail Minkov 

In Jordan’s Wadi Rum Desert, also known as the Valley of the Moon, Mihal Minkov captured a lone figure in an otherworldly landscape. Overhead, the shining stars of the Milky Way shimmer.

“Starry hoodoo wonderland” — Stephanie Thi 

Photographed over Kanab, Utah, the Milky Way covers the sky above a scenic landscape of balanced rock formations, known as hoodoos. These toadstool formations are shaped over millions of years by erosion.

“Starlight therapy” — Kavan Chay

In this stunning photograph, the Milky Way arches gracefully over some campers on the rugged mountain of Aoraki / Mount Cook. Kavan Chay made the ascent to camp under the ethereal glow of the night sky — a scene he described as “breathtaking” in the statement.

“Road to winter paradise” — Andrea Curzi 

Above the high mountain pass of Passo Giau in Italy, the luminous band of the Milky Way shines down on the untouched, snow-covered ground. Andrea Curzi captured this approximately 300-degree field of view of the galaxy while temperatures were at a frigid 17 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 8 degrees Celsius).

“The celestial symphony above a high desert lagoon” — Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn 

In this image, taken at about 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) above sea level, a calm lagoon glows under a tapestry of the Milky Way’s stars in the Atacama Desert. Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn noticed that during the day the sun’s beams bounced off the pool of water and replicated this by using a flashlight to capture the magical scene at night.

“Milky Way at morning glory pool” — Jerry Zhang 

In this image, dense stars reflect off of the renowned Morning Glory hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. The pool mirrors the constellations Scorpius and Antares.

The hot spring was named for its likeness to a colorful flower. But its famous crystal blue waters have changed to a bright green because of pollution, Zhang said in the statement. 

To see the full list of winners, check out the official Milky Way Photographer of the Year website.

Inspired by Robert Frank’s book “The Americans,” she traveled to China, Russia and the coal mines of Kentucky to capture intimate glimpses of everyday routines.