Kodak is stepping into the world of cryptocurrency and the market likes what it sees. The company recently announced that it’s joining forces with Wenn Digital to launch its own bespoke cryptocurrency called KODAKCoin. Using blockchain technology, KODAKCoin will not only help photographers get paid more efficiently, but aid in blocking copyright infringement.

Aimed both at individual photographers as well as agencies, KODAKOne is now a distribution platform that will “make it significantly cheaper and faster to register, move and sell digital images.” KODAKCoin will be used as the virtual currency on the platform, allowing photographers to be paid instantly for their work using the secure system. And what’s more, photographers can register old and new images, track usage of their photographs, and take advantage of post-licensing image enforcement.

KODAKOne will be constantly searching the web to seek out possible infringement and then assist photographers in recouping expenses in these instances. It’s an innovative way to take advantage of the security that blockchain technology offers—which is highly secure and difficult to alter—and marry that with the growing problem photographers have of keeping control over their work in the digital era.

“For many in the tech industry, ‘blockchain’ and ‘cryptocurrency’ are hot buzzwords, but for photographers who’ve long struggled to assert control over their work and how it’s used, these buzzwords are the keys to solving what felt like an unsolvable problem,” Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke states. “Kodak has always sought to democratize photography and make licensing fair to artists. These technologies give the photography community an innovative and easy way to do just that.”

If the stock market is any indication, the public is already reacting positively to the new currency. According to Bloomberg, shares surged 119% to $6.80  at the New York Stock Exchange the afternoon of the announcement, which are huge gains for the company, which has seen their stock fall 70% over the last year.

KODAKCoin will launch their initial coin offering on January 31, 2018.

KODAKCoin: Website | Twitter | Instagram
h/t: [Peta Pixel, Bloomberg]

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When it comes to weddings, there are many ways for a couple to personalize their special day. One approach is to feature their beloved four-legged friends in the pictures. While dogs are common, there are plenty of cat lovers who wish that they could have their favorite feline in their wedding photos. Photographer Marianna Zampieri is making this happen for lucky couples in Italy; she snaps portraits of newlyweds with their cats, incorporating formal attire with fur and whiskers.

“The idea of creating post-wedding photoshoots with cats came to me when, in April of last year, I got married,” Zampieri tells My Modern Met. She and her partner had a “very intimate ceremony,” sans photographer. They arranged a series of self-portraits instead. “I would not have endured the idea that in the pictures of the most important day of my life there was not Arthur, my beloved cat,” she recalls. “So I took a series of photos with him to capture that moment as self-portraits.”

Zampieri’s wedding photoshoot ideas have caught on with her friends. One couple wanted to incorporate their three cats in their big day, but they knew it would be too difficult for the creatures; Zampieri explains, “too much emotion, too much confusion and too many people present for animals so habitual.” So a week post-wedding, she traveled to her friends’ home and photographed them—dressed in their same attire—with their three kitties. A feline’s temperament can be unpredictable, but during Zampieri’s session, each cat was on its best behavior. “In particular, Perla, the beautiful white cat, had a lot of fun with the various layers of tulle of the wedding dress, so that we found it always lying on the long train!”

If you’re looking for cat-themed wedding photo ideas, look no further than photographer Marianna Zampieri.

She snaps sweet photos of newlyweds (post-wedding) with their favorite felines.

The results are sweet and quirky family portraits.

Marianna Zampieri: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Marianna Zampieri.

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He’s photographed weddings in locations as diverse as Bali and Brooklyn, but nothing was quite as memorable as the recent destination wedding captured in Tanzania. And perhaps that is because it was no ordinary wedding for photographer B.A. Van Sise. In fact, his amorous clients—Meylia and Neal—decided to completely forgo tradition and the typical chaos of a large wedding to do something that would make a difference.

Rather than spend their money on flowers and a caterer, the California-based couple decided to fly friends and family to Tanzania, where Meylia’s parents are highly involved in several charitable organizations. They would get married, but this was almost secondary to the spirit of the journey. Along with half a dozen guests, they visited orphanages, Masai schools, and a center for the deaf and differently abled, all with an aim to put their wedding money toward a higher cause. And with an average American wedding costing $35,329 in 2016, according to The Knot, there is a lot of good the couple was able to do both before and after the trip for the local community.

And to capture their unique 10-day journey, Van Sise found himself thrust into a unique circumstance, having met the couple for the first time in Tanzania after flying in from New York. Luckily, the situation was a perfect fit for the photographer, who also works for The Village Voice and Buzzfeed and is a Nikon/AFAR travel photography ambassador. “I’m a social creature and we all got to be friends, which was pretty lovely,” Van Sise tells My Modern Met. “It was sort of like bonding boot camp.”

Jumping in with the group as they moved between activities and the brief wedding ceremony, Van Sise had the challenge of sussing out the situation and determining just what sort of story he wanted to tell. For him, it was an assignment that called upon his work as both a professional travel and wedding photographer.

“It wasn’t really a destination wedding—there was so little ‘wedding’—and it wasn’t exactly a travel story (nobody really went to see the sights, per se, and there wasn’t really a tourism-facing component to the story). So I ended up shooting it as two different stories; first, the story of this really interesting, unique thing these folks were doing: the humanitarian aspect of it, going and meeting and helping people and sort of the positive human story of it, of which there was a lot. But there was also the idea that, at the end, there’s a love story going on—this couple blew their wedding money to go do this crazy kindness but hey, at the end of the day I want to make something beautiful too and there’s zebras running around and I’ve got a gorgeous bride, so let’s have some fun with that, too. So it becomes a mix.”

Indeed, Van Sise’s reportage is a mix of candid imagery that details the spirit of the humanitarian work going on around him, while at the same time immortalizing the joy and glow of a young couple in love. Not overly posed, Van Sise managed to use the short time he had with the couple to also valorize the grand scale of their love. One of his favorite images, with the couple in an embrace as zebras casually stand scattered in the background, a dust storm kicking up around them, perfectly encapsulates the coming together of these two worlds. Dramatic and elegant, it points to the emotional core of the trip.

For Van Sise, it was certainly a wedding he’ll not soon forget. “I shoot a lot of weddings, meet a lot of wonderful people, and I adore the pageantry of it and the joy of it, but there’s something kinda neat about the idea of using it as an excuse to better people’s lives. We spend so much money on weddings, often with the primary motivation of showing off wealth; there’s something great about the idea of saying well, maybe this could be better utilized elsewhere.”

Photographer B.A. Van Sise recently traveled to Tanzania for a couple who decided to forgo a wedding and instead, use that money to help charitable organizations in East Africa.

Couple Meylia and Neal only had a brief ceremony in Africa, instead, they spent their time visiting orphanages and local schools, where they and their guests volunteered and made donations.

Though he only met the couple once arriving in Africa, Van Sise able to capture the spirit of the newlyweds’ love story.

“We spend so much money on weddings, often with the primary motivation of showing off wealth; there’s something great about the idea of saying well, maybe this could be better utilized elsewhere.”

B.A. Van Sise: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by B.A. Van Sise.

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The world we live in is filled with exotic wildlife, and that means more than just lions and giraffes. There are a multitude of species that are lesser known to the general public and fascinating to learn more about. Redditor preggit decided to introduce a whole batch of these real animals that look like they’ve been Photoshopped. They come in all shapes and sizes and we couldn’t help but share them.

One animal that preggit features is the maned wolf, which looks like it’s a red fox that mated with a deer. But, that’s not the case at all—it’s actually its own type of mammal that just so happens to have a furry, lovable face with long, slender legs. Similarly, many of the animals below look like hybrid creatures from fantasy or folklore, making it hard to believe that they’re out there in different parts of the world right now. Their appearances range from the adorable (see Raccoon Dog, below) to the absolutely terrifying (see Lamprey, below).

Whether you’re familiar with most of these creatures or not, one thing is clear: there’s great diversity in the animal kingdom that should be celebrated and preserved.

These weird animals are all real. How many of them did you already know?

Maned Wolf

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The maned wolf is the largest canid in South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur. This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees throughout South America. The maned wolf is the tallest of the wild canids and it’s long legs are most likely an adaptation to the tall grasslands of its native habitat.

 

Fossa

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The fossa is cat-like, carnivorous mammal that is endemic to Madagascar. The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar. It has semi-retractable claws and flexible ankles that allow it to climb up and down trees head-first, and also support jumping from tree to tree.

 

Babirusa

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Babirusa, meaning “Hog-deer,” are members of the pig family found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. If a babirusa does not grind its tusks (achievable through regular activity), they will eventually keep growing so as to penetrate the animal’s own skull.

 

Zebra Duiker

The zebra duiker is a small antelope found in the Ivory Coast and other parts of Africa. They have gold or red-brown coats with distinctive zebra-like stripes (hence the name) Their prong-like horns are about 4.5 cm long in males, and half that in females. They live in lowland rainforests and mostly eat leaves and fruit.

 

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The pink fairy armadillo is approximately 3.5-4.5 inches long, excluding the tail, and is pale rose or pink in color. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if frightened. It is a nocturnal animal and it burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry soil, and feeds mainly on ants and ant larvae near its burrow. It uses large front claws to agitate the sand, allowing it to almost swim through the ground like it is water. It is torpedo-shaped, and has a shielded head and back.

 

Amazonian Royal Flycatcher

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The Amazonian Royal Flycatcher is found in forests and woodlands throughout most of the Amazon basin. They are about 6 1/2 inches in length and like to dart out from branches to catch flying insects or pluck them from leaves. They build very large nests (sometimes up to 6 feet long) on branches near water. The nest hangs over the water which makes it hard for predators to reach.

 

Gerenuk

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The gerenuk, also known as the Waller’s gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry thorn bush scrub and desert in Eastern Africa. The word gerenuk comes from the Somali language, meaning “giraffe-necked”. Gerenuks have a relatively small head for their body, but their eyes and ears are proportionately large. Gerenuks seldom graze but browse on prickly bushes and trees, such as acacias. They can reach higher branches and twigs than other gazelles and antelope by standing erect on their rear legs and stretching their elongated necks.

 

Patagonian Mara

The Patagonian Mara is a relatively large rodent found in parts of Argentina. This herbivorous, somewhat rabbit-like animal has distinctive long ears and long limbs and its hind limbs are longer and more muscular than its forelimbs.

 

Snub-Nosed Monkey

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Snub-nosed monkeys live in various parts of Asia and get their name from the short stump of a nose on their round face. Snub-nosed monkeys inhabit mountain forests, in the winter moving into deeply secluded regions. They spend the majority of their life in the trees and live together in very large groups of up to 600 members. They have a large vocal repertoire, calling sometimes solo while at other times together in choir-like fashion.

 

Tufted Deer

The Tufted Deer is a small species of deer characterized by the prominent tuft of black hair on its forehead. It is a close relative of the muntjac, living somewhat further north over a wide area of central China. It is a timid animal, mainly solitary or found in pairs and prefers places with good cover, where it is well camouflaged.

The post 20+ Strange Animals You Didn’t Know Existed appeared first on My Modern Met.

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Self-taught photographer Harimao Lee‘s stunning cityscape and urban photography takes the viewer on a dizzying look at his hometown of Hong Kong and other Asian cities. Reading as commentaries on life, loneliness, and love within the urban jungle, Lee’s work varies from dizzying rooftop captures to moody street shots.

Lee was first attracted to photography through rooftopping, a risky practice where access is gained into tall buildings in order to shoot stunning imagery that often features the photographer in precarious positions. When friends invited him up on a roof to see the Hong Kong skyline, he suddenly saw that his own city was even more beautiful than he’d realized. Since then, Lee has branched out to shoot cities from all types of angles. “I started shooting more photos related to cities from different angles including street, architecture, skylines, and drones,” Lee tells My Modern Met via email. “Sometimes, I still go hiking, but the purpose is different than before. As Hong Kong is surrounded by mountains, it is easy to capture the skyline from the top of the hill. That is my passion for urban photography.”

Lee’s style shines through his aerial and urban photography, with an emotional core to his work evident in each image. Strategically placing human elements against the cityscape, he captures the grand scale of each metropolis. And as a group, his images tell the story of a young man caught up in the city, trying to find his place among the dominating architecture and the crowds. This focus on feelings and sentiment is something Lee continues to hone.

“I think everyone can take a good photo, but it is different if people truly love your photo. I just keep trying to add more elements, like love and culture, so that my photos can arouse the viewer’s sympathy. It’s more important to transfer a message or story to the audience than the beauty of the photo itself.”

Self-taught photographer Harimao Lee explores Hong Kong and other Asian cities from unexcepted angles.

From drone photography to sweeping cityscapes, Lee injects human emotion into his wide array of work.

Lee’s interest in photography began with rooftopping, where he saw Hong Kong in an unexpected light and then branched into other areas.

“It’s more important to transfer a message or story to an audience than the beauty of the photo itself.”

Harimao Lee: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Harimao Lee.

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The post Moody Cityscapes Reveal Urban Loneliness and Love in Hong Kong and Beyond appeared first on My Modern Met.

Moody Cityscapes Reveal Urban Loneliness and Love in Hong Kong and Beyond

Most cat enthusiasts would agree that our feline friends deserve the best of the best. Thanks to several designers over the last few years, house-proud cat owners no longer have to settle for ugly cat furniture. The latest design to catch our eye is the minimalist NEKO cat tree, designed by Yoh Komiyama for Japanese manufacturer Rinn.

Made from wood sourced from the Hida region of Japan, the main cylindrical structure is composed of natural wooden slates, that allow playful patterns of light to flow through the gaps, as well as the option for cat owners to see and play with their pet. The multi-story cat tree also features an elegant marble base, providing a place for the cat to stay cool, and a hemp cord-covered central pillar for a scratching post.

According to Rinn, this mixture of marble and natural wood expresses a “cultural fusion between the wooden materials of the East, and the stone materials of the West.” Inside, the wooden structure houses three levels, upholstered in super-soft Kvadrat fabric. This gives playful kitties room to climb and explore, while providing older cats a place to snooze.

Find more of Rinn’s cat friendly designs on their website.

Designed by Yoh Komiyama for Japanese manufacturer Rinn, the NEKO cat tree provides a chic solution for house-proud cat enthusiasts.

The “see through” structure is made from natural wood sourced from the Hida region of Japan.

The three tiers within provide space for both play time and nap time.

The elegant marble base provides a space for cats to cool down, while the hemp cord wrapped around the central post caters to all their scratching needs.

Rinn: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Dezeen, Design Milk]

All images via Rinn.

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For centuries, audiences have been captivated by the mysterious Mona Lisa. A key piece of Italian master Leonardo da Vinci‘s ouevre and a prime example of High Renaissance painting, the piece has become known as one of the most recognizable and skillfully rendered works of art.

The Mona Lisa is renowned for both its curious iconography and its unique history. Here, we explore these aspects of the painting in order to answer the question: why is the Mona Lisa famous today?

What is the Mona Lisa?

The Mona Lisa is an oil painting by Italian artist, inventor, and writer Leonardo da Vinci. Likely completed in 1506, the piece features a portrait of a seated woman set against an imaginary landscape.

In addition to being one of the most famous works of art, it is also the most valuable. Permanently located in the Louvre Museum, it is estimated to be worth an impressive $800 million today.

Content

Rendered similarly to Renaissance portrayals of the Virgin Mary, the piece features a female figure—believed by most to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of cloth and silk merchant Francesco Giocondo—from the waist up. She is shown seated in a loggia, or a room with at least one open side.

Behind her is a hazy and seemingly isolated landscape imagined by the artist and painted using sfumato, a technique resulting in forms “without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke or beyond the focus plane.”

The figure sits with her arms folded as she gazes at the viewer and appears to softly smile—an aesthetic attribute that has proven particularly eye-catching over centuries. The halfhearted or even ambiguous nature of this smile makes the iconic painting all the more enigmatic, prompting viewers to try to understand both the mood of its muse and the intention of its artist.

In addition to its mysterious appearance, her expression has resonated most strongly with art historians for its possible symbolism, as many believe it to be a clever “visual representation of the idea of happiness suggested by the word ‘gioconda’ in Italian.”

The post The History and Legacy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mysterious “Mona Lisa” appeared first on My Modern Met.

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Within the circus community there’s an unwritten rule that no clown shall copy another clown’s makeup. The rule seems as silly as clowns themselves, but it’s actually a pretty big deal. So much so, that Clowns International—the world’s oldest clown society, headquartered in London—cleverly crafts an unusual visual record of each of their members’ looks by painting them on ceramic eggs. Each trademarked look also includes hand-made costumes and hats, made from swatches of the real-life clown’s attire. Now displayed at the Wookey Hole Clowns’ Museum, the society’s Clown Egg Registry was recently photographed by British photographer Luke Stephenson, who has a reputation for documenting “the eccentricity of Britain.”

The clown egg tradition began in 1946 when Stan Bult, one of the members of Clowns International, started painting the faces of his fellow clowns on chicken eggs as a hobby. Sadly, most of his collection of approximately 200 eggs were destroyed during transport to an exhibition in the ‘60s. Around two decades later the clown egg tradition sprung up again, but this time, using sturdier ceramic eggs. While the eggs act as a visual record of each look, the clowns also had written records, complete with their name and serial number. Chris Stone, another member of Clowns International explains that the eggs are simply “the public face of the registration process.”

Stephenson’s 169 clown egg portraits were compiled into a book, and paired with the biographies of each clown, often “revealing the bizarre, surprising and often painful story of their private and public lives.” The photographs, set against a peach background capture the makeup and costumes in delightful detail. “PEE WEE” the clown is seen to have sported a top hat, blue nose, and a matching blue harlequin-patterned outfit, while “LULUBELLE” is shown to have worn an outfit made from a pink and purple silk-like fabric.

If you’re intrigued by the Clown Egg Registry you can see more in Stephenson’s photo book, where you’ll find “a glimpse into a dying art form that continues to delight and terrify children and adults everywhere.”

Luke Stephenson’s photos of the Clowns International Clown Egg Registry showcase the bizarre tradition of painting each member’s clown makeup on an egg.

The tradition began in 1946, and has since gone from decorating chicken eggs to ceramic ones.

The collection also showcases each clown’s outfit, made from cut-offs of their real costumes.

Luke Stephenson: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr

Clowns International: Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Luke Stephenson.

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The post Britain’s Oldest Clown Society Keeps Record of Every Unique Face Makeup on Eggs appeared first on My Modern Met.

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Helsinki-based photographer and explorer Joachim Munter takes fairytale photos of forest animals in his native Finland. The picturesque landscapes of Finnish forests provide a home for many wild animals and birds, including foxes, red squirrels, reindeers, and even bears. Munter manages to capture up-close and intimate portraits of these forest creatures in their natural habitat, even though most of them are known to be incredibly timid when it comes to interacting with humans.

All of his subjects, be they curious foxes or scurrying squirrels, appear to look perfectly comfortable in front of his camera. In order to earn the animals’ trust, Munter explains, “The most important thing—in my opinion—is not to chase the animals. You just need time and patience; let the animal become comfortable around you.” With one particular fox, it took Munter two months to gain his trust, and reveals that he then “started giving him some nuts when taking pictures.”

Foxes stare curiously into the lens, squirrels happily munch on foraged nuts, and occasionally, woodland birds perch on Munter’s hand (with the promise of delicious seeds). In one case, the talented photographer even managed to capture an intimate moment between a mother and baby fox, framed by a red berry bush. Throughout Munter’s growing collection, the use of striking depth of field invites the viewer to focus on the beauty and charm of each animal. All of the images have their own enchanting quality, not only highlighting the personalities of these amazing animals, but they also showcase Finland’s fairytale landscape, in all its gorgeous forest hues.

Follow Munter on Instagram to see more of his charming wildlife photography. You can also purchase prints from his portfolio on Printler.

Helsinki-based photographer Joachim captures intimate photos of Finland’s fairytale forest animals in the wild.

His subjects include curious foxes, foraging squirrels and mice, woodland birds, and even forest cattle.

The post Photographer Captures Enchanting Photos of Finland’s Forest Animals in the Wild appeared first on My Modern Met.

Photographer Captures Enchanting Photos of Finland’s Forest Animals in the Wild

Street photography, it’s a classic genre that’s taken on renewed interest over the past decade, as mobile photography has made it easier than ever to shoot and share the world around us. Taking cues from the great masters of street photography—Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klein, Walker Evans—a new generation of contemporary street photographers are visually documenting daily life. And now, there’s a new street photography collective to help share their work with a wider audience.

Run by seasoned photographers—Walter Rothwell, Craig Reilly, Emily Garthwaite, and Alan Schaller—Street Photography International (SPi) is a platform to highlight emerging talent. With 420,000 followers and 11 million monthly views on Instagram, their carefully curated stream of images are from both member and non-member photographers.

“SPi was made for photographers, by photographers, which is why I think it is proving so popular. We wanted to build a platform for unrepresented photographers with talent,” Schaller, who we recently interviewed, shared with My Modern Met. “The majority of the photographers we have featured do not have a large following, but have at least one stellar image. We prefer to involve photographers alongside our members as we know there are so many great photographs out there that deserve to be seen.”

In just two years, SPi’s following has grown quickly, with more than 60,000 photo submissions a month from around the world. This has encouraged SPi to expand their project into events like the SPi Street Awards. This new photography contest was open to international street photographers, with winner Merel Schoneveld and 20 finalists getting the chance to exhibit their work at a London gallery.

For Schaller and the other founding members, SPi is a way to share the genre they love with an increasingly enthusiastic public. “People are documenting their daily lives more and more, and I think that has led to people noticing the genre and having a go themselves,” says Schaller. “Most of all it is fun and can prove quite absorbing. It can be done anywhere without the need of fancy camera gear, models or lighting.”

Indeed, a look at SPi’s Instagram account shows the incredible variety of techniques from photographers around the world. Whether in color or black and white, there’s a huge array of styles on view. From lighting to compositional choices, each of the photographers put their unique imprint on their candid photographs.

And just who are the photographers that are featured on SPi? Some non-members are professional photographers, like Aristide Economopoulo, a staff photographer for a New Jersey newspaper, while others, like Alireza Aali are still students. The common thread: a keen eye and love for documenting the world.

Street Photography International was founded as a platform to help promote emerging street photographers from around the globe.

Its four members—Craig Reilly, Emily Garthwaite, Alan Schaller, and Walter Rothwell—curate SPi’s highly followed Instagram feed.

More than 60,000 photographs a month from international street photographers are submitted for consideration.

Street Photography International: Instagram | Website 

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by SPi.

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