Old cameras are becoming a stylish accessory, and in Japan the youth eagerly show off their retro cameras to the Tokyo Camera Style blog.

In the past month, a debate about photographic techniques has developed over the best method of capturing an image effectively.  A recent essay on the New York Times Lens Blog argues that so-called “slow photography” allows the photographer to find the right moment and frame everything precisely.  Fred R. Conrad discusses more in his essay, Slow Photography in an Instantaneous Age:
One advantage of using larger formats is that the process is slower. It takes time to set up the camera. It takes time to visualize what you want.
When doing portraits, it enables the photographer to talk and listen to subjects, [...]

The Character Project is a collection of portraits hoping to capture the diversity of subjects across the US.  The USA Network (who’s tagline is “Characters Welcome”) and the Aperture Foundation commissioned a group of eleven photographers to create “a celebration of the characters that make our country unique.”  Each photographer was encouraged to bring their unique style to each portrait and infuse their own professional eye with the character of their subjects.  The subjects range from a young football player and a homecoming queen to organic farmers in the Northwest and patrons of a quiet barbershop.  Photographers include legends like [...]