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Ordinarily, when we stick a photo in a frame, we get tired of it in about a week. In a month, it’s pretty much invisible. Since The Mailable Photo Frames are inexpensive ($2 or less), shiny and chic, and fit a standard 4×6, they’re great for putting photos all around the house. But that’s not all… Here’s where the magic comes in: the instant you get tired of a photo, stick on a regular letter-rate stamp (39 cents in the States), write a brief note on the back, and slip it in the mail. Your pal gets a beautiful gift (with a frame and stand to boot!) and you get to put up a new photo. Everyone wins. It’s picture frame heaven. The Mailable Photo Frame at the Photojojo Store |
The minute we saw these Mailable Photo Frames, we knew we had to have ‘em.|
So when Ed Sinofsky sent us a frame to check out, we were a bit skeptical. Until we plugged it in. Ed earned his Ph.D. from the Optical Science Center at the University of Arizona, and his PhotoGlow frame quite literally makes your photos glow. Just like the backlit ads in movie theaters and malls, light from the PhotoGlow’s back panel passes through your image to make it more vibrant and saturated. Unlike commercial displays, the PhotoGlow is only 1″ thick, uses a super-thin power cord, and draws an average of only 15 watts while in use. Friends who’ve come over and seen ours invariably ask about it, and after a few weeks we were reluctant to send it back. Print your own photos or have PhotoGlow do it for you. Prices vary by size and start at $99 for a frame with a pre-printed image. PhotoGlow – Backlit photo frame p.s. Here’s the original image we used for our PhotoGlow. The backlight makes it sparkle! |
Most photo frames don’t excite us. There are |
Enter the Phlash. While camera phone designers have been busy equipping most phones with a cheap sensor that performs poorly in low light and a flash that’s put to shame by a firefly, the Phlash was created solely to light your camera phone pics well. Simply hold down the Phlash button, compose your subject in its cool, white LED glow, and snap your pic. All camera phones work, and the batteries are replaceable. Designed to cast an even spread of light a meter away — up to 12x the power of your camera phone flash — you can stick the Phlash to the back of your phone (adhesive backing included) or use the tiny loop of thread to dangle it instead. Sticking the Phlash to your phone does add a bit of bulk, but if you use your camera phone frequently, it’s worth it to be able to shoot in the dark. The Camera Phone Phlash
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Every photographer knows that the key to the art is lighting. Great lighting can make a photograph unforgettable. Bad lighting can make it unsalvageable.|
But whereas you can print a photo, stick it onto a cupcake, get it made into a sketch for $1, or turn it into a calendar, what’s a body to do with all those 30 second video snippets? Why, turn them into flipbooks, of course! FlipClips takes your short video clips and prints them into little flipbooks. Just go to their site, upload a clip, choose a title and cover design, and $9 and 10 days later, you’ve got yourself a custom-made, full-color flipbook. Sweet! FlipClips.com p.s. For a closer look, check out our jackrabbit-fast 40-second demo video. |
If you bought your digital camera in the past few years, it’s got a mode that lets you take short video clips instead of photos.|
You see, we spend most of our time here at Photojojo World Headquarters (a.k.a. Amit’s bedroom) looking for awesome ways for you to show off your photos. As you can imagine, we run into a lot of photo frames. And most photo frames are really, really dull. So when we discovered this sleek and simple photo rope, this non-rectangular, non-photo frame, we were pretty stoked. When we found it was cheap, and used tiny, super-strong magnets to boot (we’re suckers for tiny magnets), we were sold. In fact, we liked it so much, we bought a bunch and put them up for sale. Magnets: miracle cure for backaches, headaches, and achingly boring photo frames. Photojojo’s Magnetic Photo Rope |
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Behold, the Blender Pen. It won’t exactly let you cram a backpack into your inkjet, but it’s close enough. Thanks to the miracle of modern science, and powerful-yet-safe-if-used-correctly solvents, all you need for quick-and-dirty photo transfers is a photocopy of your image and a $4 blender pen. A blender pen transfer works great on all kinds of fabrics, tile, paper, wood, copper, linoleum, and a variety of other materials. And it won’t leave that plastic texture that old inkjet transfers sometimes did. Check out the moleskin notebooks, fabric pouches, and quilts people have personalized with this purty pen. Cheap, fun, and easy–our favorite words. How to Make Photo Transfers with Blender Pens p.s. Get your (clear) blender pen at a local art supply store or order it online. (If they sell out, try these guys.) |
We love putting photos on stuff. Now if only dining room tables, tiles, backpacks, and notebooks would fit in our inkjet…|
Craig Strong invented the Lensbaby to give his snazzy digital SLR shots an aesthetic similar to a Holga’s. The tiny lens fits most popular camera bodies, and it’s decidedly old-fashioned: no auto-focus, no light-metering on many modern cameras, no zoom, no camera-selectable aperture. Instead, your $150 buys unadulterated photographic fun–a cool effect reminiscent of a Holga or a tilt-shift lens, but totally unique. |
If you’ve admired the lo-fi beauty of your bud’s Holga shots but dread returning to the pre-digital dark ages, we’ve got the answer.|
Since photos and fun are what Photojojo is all about, we figured it was time we found you some toys. From photo rubik’s cubes, to puzzle frames, to photo tic-tac-toe boards, we’ve found photo toys every parent will love. Don’t have kids? Well, maybe you know one. Or maybe you are one. In any case, these photo-flaunting toys are fun for the young and old alike! Photojojo’s Photo Toys Guide |
Hurly proved an important point in Episode 9 when he built the first golf course on |
You can see where we’re going with this. Those who make their living taking photos will throw that strap in the trash. Replacement straps are usually wider (more comfortable when carrying a hefty SLR and lens) and they’re often more secure. We recently tried out “Hippie Style” straps by Vic Cherubini and loved ‘em. At $9, they’re a perfect gift for yourself or an SLR-toting friend. Vic’s “Hippie Style” Camera Straps See also… Thanks to subscriber Dave Morin for the tip. Got an idea for us? Send it here! |
If you have an SLR camera, it’s probably got a standard-issue narrow black fabric strap attached to it, emblazoned with “Nikon” or “Canon” in somewhat cheap-looking white or yellow felt type.|
And now, armed with your photos, you can make it truly yours. If you already know about Jones Soda, you probably know that they’re a tiny soda company that’s made unique flavors (like Bubble Gum, Green Apple, and Strawberry) since 1995; and you probably know that their bottles feature beautiful photography. What most people don’t know is that you can upload a photo of your choice to the Jones website and they’ll ship you a custom 12-pack with your pic on the bottle. Customization doesn’t come cheap; a dozen bottles will set you back $35 + shipping. But it is easy: Upload a photo, choose your soda flavor, tap in your credit card, then sit back and wait for bubbly refreshment to arrive at your doorstep. myJones, Custom Photo Soda Bottles |
Whether you call it