Freakend

Down and out While finals week at countless schools has been disrupted by a ransomware cyberattack on Canvas, more than 21,000 students are graduating from Indiana University this weekend. About half of those will do that here in Bloomington.

Crystal Gazing

Wowsabout!

PBS Kids and The Jim Henson Company have collaborated on a kids special called Wowsabout! that focuses on the experience of wonder. Wowsabout is rooted in a rich curriculum developed by Dr. Dacher Keltner, one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists and author of “AW…

An analysis of 18 years of Guardian blind dates ....

An analysis of 18 years of Guardian blind dates. “A surprising number of successful dates include something embarrassing: the bill, a late arrival, a misread moment. Awkward doesn’t mean doomed.”

The Nikon Compact Full-Frame Camera Must Come This Year

‘Striking when the iron is hot’, is an idiom I heard often while growing up. While I’m guilty of not always taking heed of this myself in my corporate life, I did adhere to this as much as possible as a photographer. Often times though I feel many of the brands I grew up w…

Pioneering abstract artist Hilma af Klint’s...

Pioneering abstract artist Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Temple (1906‑1915) will be on display at the Grand Palais in Paris from May 6 - Aug 30, 2026.

The Design Evolution of Screwdriver Handles

Screwdriver handles are sneakily well-designed for a variety of different uses. I mean, who thinks about a screwdriver? But if you look at the handles, well, that’s a complicated shape. And it lets you do a lot. It’s comfortable to hold, but it won’t roll off your ben…

What Can We Do About Partisan Gerrymandering? Jamelle...

What Can We Do About Partisan Gerrymandering? Jamelle Bouie has been on a tear with his analysis and historical contextualizing of the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act.

The Godox Softbox That Sets Up in One Second Flat

Godox has emerged as the uncontested photography accessory manufacturer that delivers performance with a budget offering. The company is revered amongst many serious enthusiasts, who are looking to purchase a strobe or softbox for their needs. Photographers who are dependent on…

Nolen Royalty : “My latest project is Marc...

Nolen Royalty: “My latest project is Marc Andreessen Egg Game - a game about drawing on eggs to make them look like venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.”

The 2025 Alaskan Tsunami That Measured 1578 Feet Tall

Last year in an Alaskan fjord, a surprise landslide triggered a tsunami 1578 feet tall. That’s not a typo…the wave was taller than all but 13 of the world’s tallest buildings. In the early hours of August 10, 2025, an enormous landslide triggered a massive tsunami dow…

Prophecy At 1420 MHz is the first single from Boards of...

Prophecy At 1420 MHz is the first single from Boards of Canada’s upcoming album. (It’s paired with a short intro track, so we’re basically getting the first five and a half minutes of the album here.)

It’s David Attenborough’s 100th birthday...

It’s David Attenborough’s 100th birthday today! One of my few genuine heroes.

The Single Best DSLR Camera for Street Photography

Street photographers have pretty great DSLRs that they can work with. However, a mirrorless camera offers something that others don't: the ability to get impressive autofocus performance and compact design. If you are someone who is looking to purchase a new camera, then this Pa…

This Canon DSLR Just Sold for $19,000. But Why?

Canon cameras have been pretty popular amongst photographers of all ages and backgrounds. From the launch AE-1 to the recently introduced R5 II, Canon's cameras are revered by many. While they have a versatile range, this model from the company seems to be selling for much more…

Pixel 90s Retro Filter Cam Turns Your iPhone Into the Gameboy Camera You Wish You Had as a Kid

Pixel art or dithering filters are a dime-a-dozen, but Pixel 90s Retro Filter Cam does things differently. Here’s how.

I want my MTV

You know when I’m home on my own I don’t watch much TV like actual TV, but I do watch music videos on YouTube on the TV. Sometimes new music but often ones I know really well. Music videos are such a vibe. And it’s social too? I’ve spent many evenings with friends tha…

The Three APS-C Sony Cameras on Every Photographer’s Wishlist

Sony has built some wonderful cameras over the years. The NEX series, for instance, was loved by millions, and so were the a99 cameras. While Sony's focus has entirely been on full frame and cinema cameras, reports suggest that the resurgence of APS-C is something many brands ar…

“In nine experiments involving 1,800 participants,...

“In nine experiments involving 1,800 participants, researchers found that people consistently underestimated how interesting and enjoyable conversations about boring topics would be.”

Why Your Camera Warranty Won’t Save You (And What Actually Will)

Hey pros! Listen up! Our photography insurance program is designed to be there when photographers really need it! We're giving you more than the competition can in different ways! Here's a little-known fact: the warranty of your camera or lens doesn't necessarily cover what happ…

Rogue One: The Andor Cut

David Kaylor is re-editing Rogue One into what he calls “The Andor Cut”; the trailer seems pretty compelling and well-done. He says this is Rogue One if it was produced after Andor: The original version is the events of Rogue One as seen through Jyn’s perspective, and…

A brief history: lessons from the rise and fall of...

A brief history: lessons from the rise and fall of Reconstruction. “Must America be forever defined by strict hierarchies of race, gender, religion, and wealth – or can the nation finally realize its promise of egalitarian pluralism?”

The Abolitionist Map of NYC

The website for the Abolitionist Guide to NYC is just getting started, but the site does house an Abolitionist Map of NYC. The Abolitionist Map of NYC offers a geographic survey of incarceration and anti-carceral resistance in Manahatta from the Dutch colonization of Lenape…

Chess Peace is an iOS puzzle game where you have to...

Chess Peace is an iOS puzzle game where you have to place chess pieces on a board so that none of them attack each other. Simple + clever!

The Single Best APS-C Camera for Landscape Photography

Landscape photographers have often looked for a camera that is sturdy but also offers a lot of details. For the most part, the device for such a genre is a large format or a full frame camera. But to most people's surprise, an APS-C camera can just do well. Here is a look at the…

One of the coolest things about honey is its...

One of the coolest things about honey is its theoretically infinite shelf-life. 3000-year-old jars of still-edible honey have been found in Egyptian tombs — they used it medicinally for all sorts of things.

The 3 Best 24-70mm Lenses for Everyday Photographers

When it comes to choosing a zoom lens that can do it all, then you have to look no further than the 24-70mm. The lens offers a pretty great range, is ideal for everyday shoots, and can handle a variety of subjects throughout. If you are a serious enthusiast who works with differ…

Animated Artemis II Photos Reveal Satellites Buzzing Around Earth

Ok, this is incredible: this person on Reddit discovered that if you take a bunch of the sequential photos of the Earth captured by the Artemis II crew and animate them, you can see that some of what appear to be stars are actually satellites, buzzing around the Earth like fl…

“Podcast sloplords” are flooding the zone...

“Podcast sloplords” are flooding the zone with AI-generated podcasts. By one count, almost 40% of new podcasts are written by AI chatbots and presented by “AI voice synthesizers [that] can sound eerily humanlike”.

Lines, Ranked . “2. Assembly. It’s not glamorous,...

Lines, Ranked. “2. Assembly. It’s not glamorous, but hot damn is it effective.”

Thrumsday

Preach! Kevin Kelly has a catechism for robots. A sample: Are robots slaves to humans, or their masters? Neither. Human beings were created with the spark of autonomy and the dilemma of free will. Humans manage their free will with long moral training. The humans have used their…

Ilford Pan F Plus Now Comes in 4×5 and 8×10

It's nice to know that brands are introducing new formats of film emulsions they currently have. And in today's case, Harman Technology is introducing the new Ilford Pan F Plus in both 4x5 and 8x10 large formats. Most of us might find this a bit too inconvenient for us to photog…

Fujifilm GFX Photographers Just Got a New Budget Fast 30mm

Third-party lens manufacturers have been pretty open about introducing newer models for full frame cameras. However, they are now also looking at medium format systems, which are limited in number. An example is Chinese optical manufacturer Nakaichi Optical, who is now introduci…

Nikon Is Finally Building the Z-Mount Zoom Lenses We’ve All Been Waiting For

Nikon has some exceptional lenses in its portfolio. The company has introduced models from 70-200mm to 100-400mm, each of which is great for portrait, wildlife, sports and bird photographers. However, there has been demand for lenses with teleconverters, but the only option Niko…

5 Cameras That Have Shot Award Winning Photographs

This guide is a guest blog post from photographer Marcin Wajda on choosing a medium format film camera based on just a few of the best offerings out there. Enjoy!

The Single Best Canon Camera for Street Photographers

Street photographers have to be vigilant. A split second of delay can make them lose the perfect moment. Being too eager, too, will result in frightening the crowd. Just like time is of essence in street photography, the kind of camera you rely on is also of the utmost importanc…