The clock is ticking for local shutterbugs aiming to showcase their vision of Maple Grove community life. The 2024 Maple Grove Moments photography contest is nearing its deadline, with submissions accepted until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow. Aspiring participants are encouraged to contribute their photographic interpretations, sharing imagery that encapsulates what living in Maple Grove means to them.

Details on the contest and how to enter have been laid out on the city’s Facebook page, reminding residents that there’s still a chance to be part of this visual celebration of the local municipality. “Don’t worry — you still have time to enter your pictures and share what our community means to you!” the Maple Grove official page posted. Interested individuals can find more information and submit their entries by visiting the contest’s dedicated website.

Participants in the contest will undoubtedly seek to capture the essence of the suburb through their lenses, providing unique perspectives that range from idyllic landscapes to candid urban scenes. Entrants are tasked with not only wielding their cameras but also with conveying a narrative, one that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Maple Grove.

Contests like this are integral in fostering community engagement, allowing residents, both professional and amateur photographers, to connect through artistry and shared affection for their hometown. As the deadline draws near, Maple Grove will soon witness which of its moments are immortalized through the lenses of its own inhabitants, curated by those moved to document the narrative interwoven in the city’s fabric.

With the sudden announcement of the closing of the Ontario Science Centre, I’m left with mixed feelings. It’s been such a world-class centre that I’ve visited a number of times with both family as well as school groups over the years.

It was disturbing to learn the province is citing an engineering report that says the roof is unsafe for the closure, even though another firm has offered to repair it free of charge.

Some time ago, (early 1990s) I was asked to provide the centre with some photographs depicting life on a Coral Reef. They were to be incorporated into a new exhibit being set up at that time, called The Living Earth. I had just completed some diving in Cozumel, Mexico and had a nice selection of photographs taken while on that trip.

The photos were taken with a 35 mm Nikonis V camera, which was a great compact underwater camera to use. It had a selection of lenses for underwater use and, at that time,  was a mainstay for underwater photography.

In those days, I had found that one of the best ways to produce prints form 35 mm slides was the Cibachrome process. These prints had astounding colour qualities and could withstand long periods of time under lighting, which made them a good fit for long periods of display.

There was a gentleman in Niagara Falls who did a wonderful job producing a selection of the photos taken in Cozumel. These were suitably matted and framed and after delivery to the Ontario Science Centre were displayed on a wall opposite a large aquarium that displayed life on a coral reef.

Later, the prints were incorporated into a wall panel which actually looked better than in the frames, and the panel was displayed next to the aquarium. I was quite pleased when someone would say, over the years, “I saw your photos at the Science Centre.”

Since that first trip to Cozumel, I’ve returned a few  times and am always thrilled to be diving there again. With the constant movement of water past the one side of the island, the reefs are spectacular in colour and variety of marine life.

The Palancar Reef system is regarded as one of the best in the Caribbean. Jacques Cousteau, many years ago, claimed it as one of the best in the world! On most dives a gentle current can move you slowly along and there is an amazing abundance of associated marine life. The area offers a never-ending variety of subjects for an underwater photographer.

The reefs stand several storeys high in some areas, with amazing growths of colourful sponges and corals. The coral system also provides a number of caves and swim-throughs in several areas, which are interesting to explore.

It’s the critters that hold interest for me, and there is no shortage of fish species, single and in schools. Lots of invertebrate species from anemones, crabs and varieties of coral add much flavour to the dive.

It will remain a favourite diving spot for me!

(WPBN/WGTU) — Northern Michigan has a lot of beautiful places and if you’ve lived here a while, you’ve probably seen a lot of it.

But maybe not quite in the same way that Tyler Leipprandt has.

But soon you will be able to without even leaving your home.

Most coffee table book release announcements don’t happen from the back of a military aircraft.

But, most photographers aren’t quite like Tyler Leipprandt.

“Ever since the very beginning, it’s kind of like I wanted to capture photos that people haven’t even thought about before,” Leipprandt said.

He has an eye for beauty, the ability to capture it, and the creative drive to do so in a way that no one else has.

“You know, just being very creative, thinking outside the box and just showcasing something that they haven’t seen from that perspective,” Leipprandt said.

And often for Tyler, the former school teacher turned photographer, that perspective involves him dangling out of aircrafts to capture moments of history and iconic spots here in Michigan.

“I got invited to go to the top of the Mackinac Bridge. I got to dangle my feet off. And after I did that I call my wife and said, ‘You know, I just dangled off the Mackinac Bridge, most iconic thing in Michigan, what if I dangled over other iconic spots and do a series called Where Would You Dangle?'” Leipprandt said.

“She thought I was crazy,” Leipprandt said.

She may be right, but Tyler’s most famous dangle is arguably his perfectly-timed photo capturing the Rose Bowl fly-over.

“I’m hanging out the helicopter, and at one point I just start hitting the shutter button. Just holding down like ‘I don’t know where it’s at, I don’t want to miss it, So I’m just going to take some pictures of the field.’ And finally, last second, we saw it,” Leipprandt said.

And based on web hits and usage, he estimates about 50 million people saw it, thanks to his months of planning, permission, and passion.

“It’s a huge sense of relief. You know, the pressure involved on that is just incredible on me,” Leipprandt said.

He is the king of capturing the pregame fly-over.

“Last year, the Baltimore Ravens called me for the AFC Championship game,” Leipprandt said.

But Tyler isn’t limited to stadiums and crowds; he captures perspectives around here pretty well too.

“I guess it’s just a creation process. Just every step from thinking and visualizing about what can I shoot next? To actually doing it?” Leipprandt said.

Photos so good that it turns believers into doubters.

“For them to think that it’s photoshopped, I guess I would consider a compliment. Because they haven’t seen something like that before,” Leipprandt said.

Tyler has the proof in his pictures and the stories of the great lengths and heights he goes to get them.

He’s putting the finishing touches on his first real coffee table book; a collection of some of his best work.

While he realizes we have all seen the beauty around us, he knows few of us have seen it quite the way he does.

“I got my hands on a camera and just fell in love with, just creating,” Leipprandt said.

Leipprandt’s book MIconic is available for pre-order right now and is set to be published in August or September.

In 2018, photographer Tyler Mitchell was just 23 years old when he made history as the first Black man ever to shoot a Vogue cover—with Beyoncé as the star, no less. His work has since been featured in art and photography exhibitions worldwide: Gagosian in London, International Center of Photography in New York City, and Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, to name a few. His first solo show in Germany, “I Wish This Was Real,” is currently on view at C/O Berlin and runs through September. He’s also shot editorials for nearly every prominent fashion and art mag around (including W). But according to the now 29-year-old Atlanta native, a show at his hometown’s High Museum of Art has always been a “goal of mine, since I started taking art and photography seriously,” Mitchell said via e-mail. Now, that dream has come true, with the exhibition Idyllic Space. On view at the museum through December 1, “Idyllic” is “our attempt to offer a cohesive vision to the community of Atlanta,” Mitchell said. “We tried to show how my overall artistic project, whether fashion, conceptual, or personal work, is rooted in the ethos and aesthetics of the American (and global) south, which raised me.” The photographer came up with the idea for the show almost three years ago, when he was introduced to the museum’s curator of modern and contemporary art, Michael Rooks. After years of conversations, proposals, and ideas, “Idyllic” was born. Mitchell worked closely with Rooks and curator Maria L. Kelly to choose the works of his that evoke the South most effectively. “In essence, it’s an exhibition about the place and the community in which it is staged,” he added.

Mitchell’s works often examine the way Black lives interact with nature and the spaces around them. For “Idyllic Space” that meant “visualizing what a Black utopia looks like or could look like,” Mitchell explained. “I use the word ‘utopia’ as a provocation and a question to audiences. An ‘unreachable perfect’ is inherent in the definition of utopia. I’m more interested in representing temporary moments of bliss, transcendence, and repose. I invite viewers to visualize their own versions of utopia. It becomes a concept shaped in one’s mind’s eye.” Here, a look inside the show.

Untitled (Paper Planes), 2022

Ancestors, 2021.

A Glorious Wedding (And Blessings to Come), 2021.

Albany, Georgia, 2021.

Untitled (Brothers of Suburbia), 2021.

Vastness, 2022.

The portrait of the first lady, which was likely taken in 1846, will be part of an exhibition for the nation’s semiquincentennial.

Previously, we looked the Sony NEX-5 as a budget-friendly camera for anyone looking to jumpstart their photography journey. This time, let’s explore this compact camera from a street photography perspective, through a comparison with Sony’s latest mirrorless camera, the Sony a6700.

Released 13 years apart and with a huge price gap, the better choice may seem obvious. But if you’re looking for a good first (or alternate) street photography camera that won’t break the bank, don’t dismiss the NEX-5 just yet.

As UK-based street photographer George Holden mentions in the video above, both cameras aren’t popular choices for “pure street photography.” But given their capabilities and compact size, it just makes sense to use either when shooting street scenes. Holden proceeds to discuss their similarities and other features that may make or break them for street photography.

Obviously, the Sony a6700 beats the Sony NEX-5 in the autofocus speed department. However, Holden also notes that many street scenes don’t require heavy subject tracking the way a sporting event would. With the selection of E-mount lenses available for both cameras, starting out your street photography journey with the NEX-5, then working your way up to newer models like the a6700 later on isn’t such a bad idea.

Would you use the Sony NEX-5 as a dedicated street photography camera today? Or would you rather jump straight at the newer, pricier Sony a6700? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The woman who goes by @alexandrajaye5 on TikTok shared her frustrations with wedding photographer Hannah Elise in a series of videos

A woman has been dubbed “Sepia Bride” after her wedding day ordeal went viral on TikTok. Alexandra Jaye Conder got married in a lavish destination wedding in Anguilla last November. As wedding photographs are any bride’s prized possessions, Alexandra took to social media to vent about her situation. What initially appeared to be the perfect wedding photos soon turned into a sepia-toned tragedy.

What is the viral ‘Sepia Bride’ drama all about?

The woman who goes by @alexandrajaye5 on TikTok shared her frustrations with wedding photographer Hannah Elise in a series of videos. “Imagine paying almost $8,000 for a wedding photographer. And when you raised your concerns, they threatened to sue you for slander if you spoke your truth,” she said in the first video of her 14-part series.

Alexandra explained that she hired Elise after going through her photography page on Instagram. “Her feed looks so bright, airy, but also had this golden-ness to it and I loved that the golden-ness still captured the beauty of like colours, blue, your skin tone, etc,” she said.

However, when it came to her own photos, the case was not the same anymore. “Our wedding day was overcast, nothing you can really do about that. However, photographers should know how to shoot in an overcast situation,” Alexandra revealed. She did admit that her rehearsal dinner pictures turned out to be “gorgeous.”

“So she delivered the photos and of course right away I’m like ‘Oh my God, I love them. I love every single one of them.’ I am like beaming with excitement,” the TikToker said. “And, then for about 30 days, I’m staring at the photos and I am like ‘Why is there something bothering me?’” “I couldn’t put my finger on it, until I realised.”

“I’m a makeup artist, okay? I was a makeup artist in the wedding industry for years. And I do my own makeup for my wedding. And I’m staring at the solo pictures of me and I’m like, hmm, I kind of look really pale and my makeup isn’t showing at all,” Alexandra said.

She explained that after noticing that her face seemed different, she raised the issue with Elise, who offered to re-edit her photos for free. However, the issue only escalated from there. Alexandra then proceeded to compare the edited photo with a picture of herself shot on an iPhone.

“What did she put on my lipstick? What blush am I wearing? Like what is all my eyes, my skin, everything?” the TikToker said. “I then came to the conclusion that I need to reach out to her and tell her that some of the edits felt like there were a preset that was copy-pasted, and I wasn’t happy whatsoever,” she added.

She revealed in the rest of her series that the photographer charged her $4,000 for the RAW shots. Despite the hefty amount, Alexandra agreed to pay and settled on editing them by herself. The “Sepia Bride” drama quickly gained traction on social media, drawing mixed responses from netizens. While many sympathised with her, others blasted her for being too nit-picky.

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