Don’t you ever wonder why we are in a certain mood sometimes, even if there is not a determining event preceding it? Getty Image’s new toy, Moodstream, is a nice way to capture that mood in song and photography.

Choose from moods like Refresh, Excite, Inspire, Stabilize, Simplify and Intensify, and it’ll compile a playlist of songs and snapshots (including video) to allow you to hone in on the memories that amplify this mood. Ok, granted Getty Images is just trying to sell more stock images with this toy, but you can enjoy a perfect Sunday cup of coffee with this in the background.

On that note, time for a coffee. It is Sunday…

Barbara Probst is an artist from Munich, Germany and her photographic work is recently featured in Time magazine. Described as “a little sleight of hand” and “subtle”, her work is also considered an innovative use of technology for the sake of art. In many instances, multiple cameras are set up to fire instantaneously,  capturing the same scene from multiple perspectives, resulting in a confouding story of tom-foolery and wit. Notice the way she titles her work too. Very ‘24′.

You can see more of her work here http://www.gfineartdc.com/probst.htm

Aren’t these just the coolest?! They’re called “bobble heads” and they are based on real facial features. They are the hottest thing to hit Aussie shores soon. Best of all, you don’t have to go through some futuristic laser scan or dip your head in white gooey stuff to make it. All that is required is…wait for it…a photo!

Watch this space. Soon you can see yourself in a whole new warped way at Picophoto!

If you’re heading Sydney’s way, make sure you check out the Biennale held in various venues in the City. The round of events and exhibitions is Sydney’s tribute to Art in various forms and you can get some serious inspiration from the participating artists and their works. And of course, you’re going to catch some real fine photography.

Running from 18 June to 7 September, I highly recommend the 2008 Artwalk from the Rocks to the Domain Park. Find the map of the walk on the website www.bos.2008. Catch you there!

Just the other day, I stumbled across one of these little gems and thought what a wonderful idea for a gift! It’s a little black book of photos you can use to accessorize your mobile phone or a set of keys. It binds any 10 photos you like with a fabulous suede-feel cover. And there’s a choice of colours for the suede cover too.

Just the other day, I stumbled across one of these little gems and thought what a wonderful idea for a gift! It’s a little black book of photos you can use to accessorize your mobile phone or a set of keys. It binds any 10 photos you like with a fabulous suede-feel cover. And there’s a choice of colours for the suede cover too.

It was showcased at the PMA Expo 2008 in Brisbane, and boy, I’m sure it had a very warm and welcoming reception.

I’m so excited about this little book! It should be available in the Picophoto shop very soon, so make sure you keep your eyes out for it!

The Hijacked series is the next amazing exhibition showing at the Australian Centre for Photography in Paddington, Sydney. This body of work ‘exhibits a fascination with international subcultures, fragmented trends, alternate life styles and urban landscapes. The exploration of suburban pleasures is placed on par with ‘high’ artistic experimentation.’

Curated by Mark McPherson, the exhibition is running from Friday 13 June to Saturday 19 July 2008. Check out www.acp.org.au for more information.

If you have a fantastic pic you love, why not share it with the rest of the world? We publish the best pictures from our visitors and customers on our blog regularly.

Send an email to blog@picophoto.com.au with your picture as an attachment (one pic per email please). In your email, please tell us your name and location (suburb or city) and a little bit about the photo.

Looking forward to seeing your pics!

Over the next six months, The Sydney Morning Herald is celebrating 100 years of photography in journalism and media.

If you’re lucky you might catch a snap of yourself or someone you know. And it’s captured in good light too!

Visit 100 years of Herald Photography at the Sydney Morning Herald website. Enjoy!

A great way to introduce yourself to great photography is to actually go out there and take-a-somethin. And a great way to do that is to go on a photography tour, available through a professional photographer near you. In beautiful Sydney, for example, we have some of the world’s most interesting scenes like the spectacular Sydney harbour, with its endless bays and bridges, to eclectic mixes of Gothic, Victorian and Modern architecture. Take a leisurely stroll through the Rocks, Darlinghurst, and Surry Hills and you can capture some real gems.

Sydney offers a choice of photography tours for tourists and locals alike. If you have a time to spare, why not try Focus10 photogrpahy tours (www.focus10.com.au). They run a Sydney tour for the entire weekend (yes, that’s a LOT of photos). That includes at least 9 popular locations and many tips and tricks you don’t learn from a book.

If you prefer a one-day tour, Alfonso (www.sydneyphotographytours.com) will do a 7 hour tour covering the Rocks and the Chinese Gardens in Darling Harbour. Beautiful!

There are plenty more spectacular sights to see in Australia! If you’re a photographer in Australia who runs tours in your local area, why not send me an email to let me know what beauty lies in your corner of the world!

(Fernando @ Picasa)

If you were whetting yourself from all the excitement at the PMA Expo 2008, you’d be forgiven. Held from 29 May to 1 June 2008 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the expo showcases the best and latest in digital photography, electronics and accessories.

I was particularly impressed with the picturesque stages Sony, Samsung, and Nikon created for people to test their cameras (we had belly dancing, models, beach babes and more!). There was a surprising number of SLRs fighting for market share, and really says something about people who are not afraid to be good at taking photos anymore. I’ve always been a Nikon fam myself, eversince I had a D40 35mm (yes I did it the hard way too). And I still like the D40 for its small size and relatively great features.

Nikon D40: looks and feels like the good old days

If you’re going to be taking digital, make it worthwhile. I strongly suggest you trade up and get an SLR for 3 good simple reasons: ONE image capture is instant, so no more annoying lag; TWO you have much more control over the composition with aperture, shutter and exposure control; THREE you can add flash modules and other fabulous accessories to your camera so you can take even better photos! Oh just for a bonus, it looks and feels like the old D40 but that’s just for my own nostalgic pleasure.

And back to the Expo, next door, they held the launch to the Weekend Australian Arts Fair, which was fabulous too although much more prim and proper. All in all, a fantastic weekend in Brisbane.