A camera that makes you be original

Philipp Schmidt, a photographer and designer, has recently released prototype designs of a camera that forces the photographer to take original photos.

This is only a prototype, currently 3D printed with a controller inside, but the concept remains the same. The camera searches the web for photos taken within a 35 meter radius, and displays the number found with a counter on the back of the camera. If the counter displays a number too high the camera will prevent you from taking a photo. When too many photos have been taken the viewfinder will display a red "X" indicating that it will not allow you to take a picture.

The camera was designed primarily to "help the photographer avoid contributing to the ever-growing mountain of duplicate images available online." This would pose problems for tourists who often seek popular places to take photographs while on vacation. 

Schmidt has failed to mention the benefits of choosing this camera over a more standard DSLR design, currently there only appear to be restricting negatives. It is possible that more information will be available closer to release when more designs have been prototyped but currently I am struggling to see the benefits of shooting with this camera over another. 

Network Styles

     It is a well known fact that networks play shows that are similar, specifically original series.  In todays world, with thousands of channels, they must work hard to get an audience, to do this they focus on niche markets that are interested in only a few story lines.  What I find most interesting however, is that it is not only the type of show, such as crime or comedy but the entire look and feel of the programming.  The color pallets are the same as is the over arching concepts and editing styles.  USA for example has  many original shows.  They all have the same concept of a main character who is good at what they do even though they are not accepted in the professional world.  A detective who must pretend to be Psychic, a lawyer without a degree, a doctor without a hospital. On top of that these shows all have the same colors, witting, and quick edits around witty comments.





Somewhat new to the mix of original series AMC has "The Walking Dead" "Hell on Wheels" and "Breaking Bad" all of which share the down and dirty feel with people on the brink of disaster just trying to hold on, again the same colors and cinematography.





FX does the same with shows like "Wilfred" and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." I find it interesting that they don't necessarily stick to a topic, but a feel.  USA is witty whether it is a medical show or a cop show. AMC is dark and cinematic with a dying father or a world overrun by zombies.  This tells us that we don't really care what kind of show we watch, as long as it plays the same emotional tune.