A Year After Eye Surgery: Was it Worth it as a Photographer?

One year ago, I was in an incredibly odd place. For the first time, I had two eye surgeries for my kerataconus -- which ultimately ended up causing extreme thinning of my corneas. And a year later, I'd say that for my health, the surgery was worth it only because otherwise, I wo…

The Camp Snap CS-8 is the Most Fun I’ve had with Video, Ever

One night while dealing with a slight bout of insomnia, I came across an ad from Camp Snap. They were launching their first-ever video camera, one that borrowed heavily from the design of the Super 8 film cameras of the past. I nearly immediately added it to my cart and purchase…

Smart is as Smart Does

Never mind that Artificial Intelligence is neither. As most of us know and understand it, AI is an answer machine. Or a know-it-all librarian who looks stuff up and gives you answers. While it uses the first person voice and speaks in a friendly style, its humanity is pure emula…

The Best Nikon Gear of the Past Two Years Worth Buying

It's obvious, Nikon has been working really hard behind the scenes in different ways. Right now, the future of the company is questionable for photography and for photographers as they're leaning so much more into video. However, I'm pretty confident that they'll come back as mo…

Earthquake Prediction Flowchart

Providers

If you’re building software, it’s generally a good idea to avoid the Not-Invented-Here syndrome. This is when you insist on writing absolutely everything from scratch even if it would make more sense to use a third-party provider. Need your app to take payments? Don’t try…

What Mamdani Learned from His Mother’s Films. “How the ethics of the...

What Mamdani Learned from His Mother’s Films. “How the ethics of the acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair echo in her son’s politics.”

A Hypnotic Display of Robots Making Tiny Springs

A beautifully shot HD video of machines manufacturing springs and other wire gizmos. I love how all the tools take turns and work together to make the widgets. Imagine the chatter amongst the tools: “Ok, thanks, my turn.” “Here, hold this while I turn it. Alright, we��…

This Week in the IndieWeb

October 31 through November 7, 2025 Recent EventsFrom events.indieweb.org/archive: Homebrew Website Club - Eastern Wednesday, November 5 at 6:00pm Online! Zoom! Homebrew Website Club Europe/London (Bonfire Night edition 🎆) Wednesday, November 5 at 7:00pm Homebrew Websit…

“A trio of photographers in New Zealand have captured images of ‘red...

“A trio of photographers in New Zealand have captured images of ‘red sprites’, or red lightning, one of the rarest light phenomena in the world, in which luminous crimson flashes appear in the sky.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

“Members of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra playing Tango Jalousie while eating...

“Members of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra playing Tango Jalousie while eating the worlds hottest chili peppers” (ghost peppers, Carolina Reapers). This is what elite professionalism looks like. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

I Visited Every Country in the World Without Flying. Here Are Eight...

I Visited Every Country in the World Without Flying. Here Are Eight Things I Learned. “What you want and what you need are not the same thing.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

Mushrooms Playing Music

Bionic and the Wires connects sensors to plants and fungi to help them play music. The attached sensors measure bio-electrical fluctuations in the mushroom. The fluctuations are converted into signals that control the robotic arms. The keyboard is playing a synth in Ableton L…

Oedipus is about the act of figuring out what Oedipus is about

Ok spoilers ahead. But Oedipus Rex a.k.a. Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles is almost 2,500 years old at this point so it’s fair game imo. The Oedipus story in a nutshell: Oedipus, who was secretly adopted, receives a prophecy that he will kill his dad. So to thwart fate he le…

Godox iT30 Pro: A Lighthearted Little Flash

Tiny flashes seem to be getting cuter and cuter these days. But what's refreshing about this is seeing the exceptional build quality trickling down from their more premium models into the smaller ones. The Godox iT30 Pro is one of these flashes designed to provide a fun experien…

New exhibition at the British Library in London: Secret Maps. “Some of...

New exhibition at the British Library in London: Secret Maps. “Some of the maps on display reveal hidden landscapes, offering insight into places long forgotten or erased from official histories. Others are purposefully deceptive…” 💬 Join the discussion o…

Royal Family is a daily game where you have to position six...

Royal Family is a daily game where you have to position six chess pieces on a board so that none of the pieces attack each other and there’s only a single piece in each marked zone. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

PolarPro’s Arctic CP Filter Benjamin Hardman Series is a Sleek Lens Filter with Some Cool Features

Circular polarizers are rarely very newsworthy, but they are a very versatile tool for many photographers. PolarPro’s Arctic CP Filter Benjamin Hardman Series takes everything that we know about polarizer filters and aims to shake things up with a bold look and innovative desi…

TIL: “Key man risk refers to the potential threat a company faces...

TIL: “Key man risk refers to the potential threat a company faces when a crucial employee, often a key executive or expert, is no longer available.” I think KDO has key person risk, although maybe I overestimate my VORP. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org…

I’m a Sony Camera Fan

Many photographers use Sony cameras, spanning professionals, hobbyists, and content creators. These cameras have garnered a ton of positive press thanks to the company leaning into technology and pushing the envelope in terms of specs, MFT charts, and, of course, courting influe…

The Most Important Thing to Know if You Want to Turn Your Photos Into Art

In several conversations that I've had with various friends and professional photographers, we all agree: printing your photographs turns them into actual art and gives it a whole lot of freedom to become something beyond what it is digitally. And we know that only the most arti…

Why Buying an APS-C Camera in 2025 is a Terrible Idea

Last year, I stated that we're in a full-frame revolution. We also stated that small-sensor cameras are terrible -- which spurred a lot of reactions from other publications. And it seems like it's taken a while, but it seems like the internet has gotten over its anger at these s…

Canon’s EOS R6 Mark III is Here, and I’ve Never Wanted an R6 Mark II More

The long-rumored and anticipated Canon EOS R6 Mark III has finally been revealed, and it appears to be everything we expected it to be. That said, with the R6 Mark III, Canon is clearly targeting the Enthusiast and content creator market with a camera that places a strong emphas…

Cole Escola (Oh, Mary!) is writing the screenplay for a Miss Piggy...

Cole Escola (Oh, Mary!) is writing the screenplay for a Miss Piggy movie. Jennifer Lawrence & Emma Stone are producing. (Crossing my fingers for a Pigs in Space scene…) 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

Who’s your agent?

M.G. Siegler says AI is Breaking the Browser's Back. His problem starts with OpenAI's GPT Atlas, which some publishers won't let view their contents on the Web. For example, if you are reading this blog post with an Atlas browser, this link to the NYTimes will get you this mes…