By Raffy Peredes Ilford, the UK company best known for its black-and-white film, paper, and chemicals has uploaded an eight-minute primer on the basics of developing your own black-and-white film at home. The video, titled “Processing black & white film” is available on YouTube. The step-by-step tutorial is divided into five parts that cover the different steps of the process—materials you will need, preparing the chemicals to use, loading your film, processing your film, and hanging and drying your film. For those who want to get into black-and-white film photography, processing your own film can be very exciting (PetaPixel). Microsoft has launched a new app to facilitate easy photo transfer from mobile devices to a Windows 10 PC, without using the cloud. Photos Companion is available for iOS and Android and deposits your mobile images in the Windows Photos app on the desktop or laptop PC using just a WiFi network. To get started, you have to scan a QR code in the Windows Photos desktop app to pair smartphone and computer. Both devices have to be connected to the same WiFi network, which in turn allows you to send individual images or entire batches across very quickly. It is, in essence, the exact same system as Apple’s AirDrop, but limited to photos and videos. Pairing isn’t permanent, and will have to be reestablished for each sharing operation. Still, that’s easily done and the app looks like an interesting solution for collecting media files from multiple mobile devices on a single PC for working on collaborative projects. Once on the PC, images and videos can be shared and edited in the Windows Photo app as usual. If Photos Companion sounds like an app that could potentially improve your workflow, you can find more information and app store links on the Microsoft website (dpreview.com). Peter Buczkowski has developed an attachment and grip for a camera which sends an electric shock to the photographer when its AI-trained brain determines that a scene out front is sufficiently beautiful. Buczkowski’s Prosthetic Photographer creation is one of three projects for his master thesis—“Experiments in Human Computer Interaction through electrical body part stimulation.” The modular attachment is reported compatible with any mirrorless or DSLR camera, and could mean that a photographer need not worry about being a skilled scene snapper. The shutterbug can just wander around pointing the camera in any direction and only the best scenes will be captured. At least that’s the theory. The device judges pictures based on a 17,000 dataset of high or low quality images compiled by Google’s Inception Model. In this case, beauty most definitely is in the eye of the AI beholder (newatlas.com). And now to our featured readers. From hobbyist street photographer and visual storyteller Danica Bataller of Taytay, Rizal is an untitled black-and-white silhouette photo of a young boy jumping between ledges. “One of my genre in photography is street/documentary,” shares Danica. “I challenged myself to improve in photography to join photography clubs, groups, and organizations to learn the things that I need to know more. Thanks to the photographers who help and inspire me to keep shooting!” She describes herself as “a woman with a heart of a teacher and an eye of a photographer.” Delio Tolosa of Commonwealth, Q.C. shares an untitled photo of a leg and an arm of a sleeping person extending out of the window of a PUJ. What makes for a curious photo is the position of the sleeper vis-à-vis the painted design of a reclining semi-nude woman on the jeep’s body. Delio says he is a “self-taught hobbyist photographer who learns mostly from photography magazines, online tutorials, and Facebook photography groups.” He shares: “I’m self- employed who runs a small business and a father of two. Most of my photos are street photography which are all from around my area and I often do nature when we’re out of town. I first got interested in photography when I began reading National Geographic Magazines which I collected—more than hundreds of it. I started on photography in 2015 when I got my first cam.” Enzo Villanueva, a student from Ilocos Norte sent in the black-and-white photo titled “A Practical Life.” He says the photo of dried salty fish preferred by the common people “is an image of hard work, perseverance, and family-centeredness to define a real Filipino. “I’m using mobile phone and I have developed my passion in photography by joining Facebook photography groups and becoming an admin of one, which was recently awarded as the ‘most active mobile photography’ on Facebook by an international photography page,” he shares. The photo, “Taong Putik” comes from Janine Diaz, a member of Camera Club of Angono. Lyan Nasal submitted the untitled black-and-white of a young boy watching the world below from a balcony. Lyan writes that he is “a street photographer from the Art Capital of the Philippines who loves to shoot portraiture, priceless and candid moments.” “I also do a bit of event photography with my coverage group which is The A-Team,” he shares. “I started photography when I was in high school and joined the club which is Ang nuno. And now I’m a third year college student from ICCT Colleges Angono Campus.” Rayn Ramos (Ross Ran) contributed the untitled black-and-white portrait of a young boy with his shadow cast on a wall. “I’m a new photography enthusiast but my desire is as good as veteran photographers,” he writes. “I’m a member of Camera club of Angono that helps me to develop my skills as well.” He adds that his dream is for his photo to be selected for Picture Perfect. From Karlo Hombrebueno is the photo titled “Go Not Gently into the Night.” “I think everyone loves the sunset,” he writes. “The sun would always put on a bright, fiery display just before it gives way to the impending dark. This shot was taken in Patar, Bolinao. I love how the light and the darkness seemed to grapple for space in the sky.” “Can’t keep this photo I took last week when we trekked at Biak-na-Bato National Park particularly Mt. Manalmon in San Miguel, Bulacan,” writes Vicky Mongcal. “For the love of nature, we had fun shooting in this field of wild flowers. Using a 50mm 1.8 lens, my friends are happy to see the output. Just sharing my weekend fun adventure.” Her photo on today’s page is titled “Wildflower.” Marcelo Frias III sent in the untitled silhouette photo of passenger bancas at bay in Binangonan. And the photo, “Chilhood” comes from Mike Samonte. Readers may now view issues of Picture Perfect including this column at www.mb.com.ph. For comments, suggestions or just to share an image or idea, email [email protected] or [email protected].