Portraying the digital still camera as an endangered species has been a popular pastime for years in the cellphone industry, and with the high-resolution stills and high-definition video capabilities of the latest round of smartphones, the argument is more convincing than ever when applied to the casual snapshot. But this week at the World Expo in Shanghai, Canon -- a name synonymous with high-quality photography -- offered a vision of a device that not only supersedes the digital still camera, but will likely eliminate photography as we know it.

With an estimated arrival date two decades in the future, the Canon Wonder Camera concept device has an incredible focal length from macro to 500mm with a single, integrated lens. It boasts massive (unspecified) storage, ultra-high (also unspecified) resolution, multiple facial recognition capabilities beyond that available today, and the ability to keep everything viewable in focus at the same time. But perhaps the most radical thing about this camera is that it's really a camcorder. Rather than take individual stills, Wonder Camera owners would simply have their pick of perfectly crisp photos as frames grabbed from video.

Instead of waiting to fire the shutter when someone smiles, one could simply indicate a point (or range) in the video to pluck later. The camera's resolution might even enable multiple high-resolution photos from different parts of a frame. Imagine creating portraits of every member of a grade school class from just a few video frames of the group.

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Macro photography is also known as close-up photography. Macro photography means that the image on film is approximately the same size as the subject. It is a type of photography that reveals details which can’t be seen with the naked eye. While we can see a fly on the wall, our eyes are not appointed to make out the fine details of the hairs on its face. It gives us a glimpse into the world of the very small, which goes unnoticed as we hurriedly shuffle through our day. In this showcase, I’ve collected some beautiful macro photos.

Tilt-Shift Photography is another example of manipulated the photos with different sized locations. The Good effect considers in Tilt-Shift Photography is shooting subjects from high angle. These affect can be achieved with special camera lens and professionalism.

Photographer Sean Stiegemeier: "So I saw all of these mediocre pictures of that volcano in Iceland nobody can pronounce the name of, so I figured I should go and do better." Well, good job, Sean. [Vimeo via Petapixel]

In this post we have showcased some brilliant photographs That Look Like They’re Photoshopped But Are Not. These are not photoshopped in terms of that all the objects and their actions are real, but might be edited for colors and adjustments in PS or other tools. We hope that you will like this collection, feel free to share your comments.

Autochrome was the first industrial process for true colour photography. When the Lumière brothers launched it commercially in June 1907, it was a photograhic revolution - black and white came to life in colour. Autochromes consist of fine layers of microscopic grains of potato starch – dyed either red-orange, green or violet blue – combined with black carbon particles, spread over a glass plate where it is combined with a black and white photographic emulsion. All colours can be reproduced from three primary colours. To see more, click here.

We have to admit we have an affinity for finely hand-crafted gadget accessories -- be they iPad cases or PC chassis -- and we're especially impressed when they add some unique functionality to match their looks, like this wooden DSLR shoulder mount built by Jonathan Clifford Berqvist and his father Erik. In addition to being built from a single tree branch, the rig packs a nifty follow focus mechanism that lets you adjust the focus with just a twist of the handle. While there's unfortunately no step-by-step plans for building your own, it certainly seems to be straightforward enough for anyone with some basic woodworking skills, and you can get a glimpse of the build process in the video after the break.

Source: Engadget

Focus stacking is primarily used in macro photography (meaning macro lenses are the ideal for candidate for this technique this, but by no means necessary—as many have pointed out, landscape photographers use it as well). You'll take multiple shots of a subject, only shifting your point of focus. These shots are combined in post production. Here's a great tutorial by Brian Valentine, the photographer behind that lead shot. If you prefer video, then check out this clip: