I’m just as passionate about gaming as photography, so you can imagine my elation when my team mentioned to me Toem 2 is about to release. Toem 2 is an upcoming casual indie adventure about photographing a character’s world as they adventure through it. Something We Made, the developers behind the game, recently announced that Toem 2 will be available to play on major consoles and PC on September 29, 2026.

Here’s how Something We Made describes the game: “Step back into the shoes of a curious photographer and set off on a brand new adventure all about uncovering hidden details, helping friends along the way, and documenting the world’s little wonders in Toem 2.”

Toem 2 is meant to be a relaxing adventure through a monochrome world filled with whimsical characters. I enjoy playing these types of games because you don’t feel pressured to compete with others for space or points as some arbitrary clock ticks down to zero. The game is single-player and can be played in short increments as you have time.

Something We Made

What’s been revealed of Toem 2‘s gameplay so far reminds me of a blend between Beasts of Maravilla Island, Lush foil Photography Sim and even a sprinkling of Lake. These other games also have photography-related leanings. Toem 2 aims to offer a wide variety of fun events to explore. Its casual, cartoony style isn’t an emulation of professional photography like the tools built into some other games, but sometimes it can be nice to take off our Serious Photographer hats.

Check out the 30-second trailer below. The gameplay is truly a unique blend I personally can’t wait to explore. I especially love how they styled the voices to be language independent, fitting perfectly with their fun character themes:

As soon as Toem 2 is released on September 29, 2026, we’ll get our hands on it and show you all what it’s about. If you don’t want to wait, the original game, Toem 1: A Photo Adventure, is available now on Steam.

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VSCO is selecting one photographer from every state to have their work licensed for use on public billboards across the country. The campaign, called The Fifty, is a free open call for VSCO members with submissions running through September 10, 2026.

To enter, photographers simply post an image to VSCO using the hashtag #TheFifty with a hashtag for your state, such as #Kansas. There should also be a short caption, and you’ll need to add your state to your bio in the app. VSCO suggests submitting three to five images, especially if they are part of a series. It says it’s looking for “strong, impactful images with a story that extends beyond the frame” and wants to see photographs that prompt people to slow down and look closer. 

The brand says it will curate selections from submissions and compensate the 50 chosen photographers, though exact compensation details have not been publicly specified. Each selected image will appear on a billboard in the photographer’s home state. It also says that selected images may also be showcased through editorial features, curation and licensing opportunities, giving even more exposure to photographers and helping them grow their careers. 

The campaign fits a pattern VSCO has been building for the past several years of actively spotlighting the work of creatives who share images on its app. The company has made a point of surfacing and celebrating that work through editorial features, curated in-app showcases and now physical placements. It also acquired a freelance mentorship platform in 2025 to expand career support for photographers, and The Fifty extends that same direction into public space, fitting VSCO‘s mission of helping creators grow and be seen.

For the millions of US-based photographers already using VSCO, the barrier to entry is low: you’ll need a VSCO account (the free version works), then post a photo, add the hashtags and your state to your bio, and submit before September 10. For those outside of the US, VSCO says opportunities will be coming in the near future.

Arthur Detienne

A mockup of the hero shot Detienne and his team are going for.

\On August 12, a total solar eclipse will cross mainland Spain for the first time in over 120 years, with geometry unlike almost any eclipse that preceded it. The eclipsed sun will sit just above the horizon at totality, low enough that a person can share the same frame as the corona. Cinematographer Arthur Detienne and his crew are building an entire shoot around that fact, recording an hour-long DJ set on location during the eclipse, building up to the hero shot during totality.

Because they will only have a 36-second totality window at their chosen location, every decision, including filter mounts, exposure charts and composition, has been planned out to avoid missing a single shot. Detienne sat down with me ahead of the eclipse to walk me through how they developed their plan and the gear they’ll be using the day of.

Composition begins with terrain

Arthur Detienne

After deciding on the overall vision for the shoot, one of the first steps of the planning process was choosing where it should take place. Detienne’s team chose its location northwest of Zaragoza, Spain, by balancing the eclipse’s position, the landscape and the odds of clear skies. That’s because of the specific vision for the hero shot, which needs the sun low and large at sunset, with a performer placed between it and the camera.

Detienne told me that they calculated they would need roughly 100–150 meters (328-429′) of distance between the camera and the subject, plus a specific elevation difference to align the silhouette with the eclipsed sun. Their current location allows for about 105 meters (344′) of separation and 6 meters (19.7′) of elevation.

Cloud risk also shaped the decision. The crew used The Eclipse App to compare historical cloud-cover probabilities along the path of totality, choosing an area Detienne said had a 5–10% chance of clouds rather than 60–70% in some alternatives.

Arthur Detienne

They also considered atmospheric shimmer: because the eclipse occurs near sunset, the low sun’s light will travel through a thicker layer of atmosphere, making a long-lens image more vulnerable to distortion. The selected area includes a large body of water beyond the setup, which the team hopes will provide more stable conditions. “There is no perfect choice,” Detienne said. “It’s always dealing with constraints.”

While some creatives choose a location for aesthetic reasons, that was not the case here. “It was not a very creative choice,” Detienne said. “We need very special conditions.”

Previsualizing the hero shot

The entire video will be an hour long, but the moment at totality is the star of the show and the primary focus while deciding on composition and gear. During the planning process, Detienne’s team used set.a.light 3D to model the planned eclipse composition. The software allowed the crew to enter the date, location, camera setup and predicted sun position, then preview how the performer’s silhouette could align with the eclipsed sun.

That process helped the group refine its lens choice, camera placement and performer position before traveling to the site, helping to take as many variables out of the equation as possible. Engineers reviewed the team’s calculations, but Detienne said the simulation remains a starting point rather than a guarantee. “It’s still assumptions, we will need to verify that,” he said, which is why the crew has set aside the day prior to the eclipse to verify the composition on location.

Calculating exposure

Arthur Detienne

The crew can test its framing and filter workflow in Spain, but the exposure transition at totality remains an educated calculation. Before and after totality, solar filters will protect the cameras from direct sunlight. During totality, when the sun is roughly 100,000 times dimmer, the filters must come off to reveal the corona.

Detienne’s team used Fred Espenak’s eclipse exposure references as a starting point, then ran additional calculations for the sun’s low altitude at sunset. At that angle, sunlight travels through more atmosphere than it would higher in the sky, changing the expected exposure. Engineers also reviewed the team’s numbers, but Detienne said the final settings cannot be fully tested in advance. “The reality is, we cannot test that. So the biggest risk right now will be that one,” he said.

Speed is critical. The team built custom filter mounts intended to come off almost instantly, preserving as much as possible of the 36-second totality window. They also need to reinstall the filters as direct sunlight returns: Detienne said their calculations suggested an unfiltered long-lens camera could suffer sensor damage in roughly seven seconds.

Reach and stability for the hero camera

Fred Espenak

The hero camera will pair a Nikon Z8 with a 600mm lens and teleconverters, bringing the optical focal length to roughly 850mm. Recording in 8K will also give the crew room to crop to a 4K deliverable, producing a framing Detienne estimates as equivalent to about 1700mm. That reach is central to the composition, enlarging the eclipsed sun behind the performer.

The camera will sit on a weighted Sachtler 20 S1 tripod to limit vibration at that focal length. Detienne said the team will keep the hero camera locked off rather than track the sun: “We want it to be focused on the subject,” he said. “The sun will just go behind them.”

The crew will also test whether to disable in-body and lens stabilization, which can sometimes introduce movement when a camera is already on a highly stable support. Drones, wider-angle cameras and gimbal rigs will provide additional angles for the hour-long live session, but Detienne said, “What we want people to remember is this hero shot.”

Testing the plan against reality

Arthur Detienne

The day before the eclipse, Detienne’s crew will gather at the location for a full rehearsal with the actual equipment. They will verify their calculated camera and performer positions, check whether the planned elevation needs adjustment and test the manual workflow for focus, white balance, exposure and stabilization.

Weather remains the variable no rehearsal can resolve. Detienne said the rapid temperature change around totality can produce clouds within minutes, potentially obscuring the sun just as the shot begins. Historical cloud-cover data helped the team choose its primary area, and it has identified backup locations, but none can guarantee an unobstructed view.

“There are a lot of unknowns. We cannot avoid them,” Detienne said. “But we intend to minimize them.”

A plan put in action

By the time totality begins, the crew will have dialed in the location, the camera position, focal length, filters, exposure estimates and the sequence for removing and replacing those filters. Their preparation is meant to give them the best chance at getting the shot, but it cannot guarantee the sky will cooperate or that everything else will go according to plan.

For Detienne, that uncertainty is part of the appeal. “I think we can really bring art and nature more together,” he said. “Nature is a very cool and good way to interact with art.” We’ll be eagerly waiting for the results and look forward to seeing all of the incredible photos and videos from this eclipse, including some from you, our readers.

Christopher Nolan’s recent blockbuster hit, The Odyssey, was the first full-length narrative movie shot entirely on 15/70mm IMAX film, with each frame exposed onto a 70×48.5mm negative. There’s been a countless amount of ink spilled over the challenges of working with the massive cameras needed to shoot the format for every scene (and about how few people were actaully able to see it as the director intended*), but recently the Instagram account for Sunny16Labs shared more details on a production quirk that movie buffs noticed in behind-the-scenes footage: Nolan’s strange choice of director’s viewfinder.

Directors and their cinematographers often carry around devices that allow them to compose and block shots before having to set up the actual camera. This is especially important if you’re shooting film, as those cameras tend to be bulkier and heavier than their digital counterparts (and don’t have the same ability to give you an exact preview of your shot). These devices often have a lens mount, so you can see what the scene will look like through the actual glass you’re shooting with.

One small problem, though: IMAX cameras don’t use the same lenses as their Super35 or full-frame counterparts, and the optics need to be much larger and heavier to cover the massive film format, so there aren’t many pre-made solutions. According to Sunny16Labs, the IMAX team solved this by modifying a Pentax 67, removing the shutter assembly and modifying the mount so the camera could accept the same lenses as the IMAX film cameras.

Of course, taking out the shutter means that the camera can no longer capture images. But because it was designed to shoot stills on medium format 56mm x 70mm film, its viewfinder and mirror are capable of showing the entire image from an IMAX lens. The modified camera also includes frame-line previews for the IMAX negative, allowing Nolan and longtime collaborator and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema to choose their lens and framing before having to set up the massive camera rig.

This isn’t actually the first time Nolan and his team have used this kind of setup, as there are also shots of them using it on the set of Dunkirk. Cary Joji Fukunaga, director of the James Bond film No Time To Die, has also been photographed using a 67 with an IMAX logo on the viewfinder. (It could be that it’s the exact same camera; there’s famously only so much IMAX gear out there.) Likewise, cinematographer James Neihouse has discussed using a modified Pentax 67 as a director’s viewfinder, but he says he was able to take pictures with the version he used, suggesting it was a different design that retained the shutter.

In the photography world, the Pentax 67 is famous for being a relatively large and heavy camera, so it’s funny to see it being used as a lightweight alternative. That goes to show the difficulties of shooting with such large format, but, given that Nolan keeps pioneering what can be done with IMAX with each movie he makes, he clearly thinks it’s worth it. And the market seems to agree: according to an IMAX press release, The Odyssey is the “highest grossing IMAX release of all time,” with 70mm screenings accounting for $37.5 million of the film’s billion-dollar box office run.

* – Not to brag, but I actually did make the seven hour drive to a theater that was showing actual 15/70 IMAX projections of the movie. I absolutely appreciated the extra immersion of the giant screen and 1.43:1 aspect ratio, but did feel like I might have preferred digital IMAX GT projection. Sure, it’d likely have a bit less detail – though probably not enough for me to notice – but it also wouldn’t have had the flicker that comes with film projection, which was especially noticeable in bright scenes. Still, it’s hard to imagine that I could’ve picked a better movie for my first real IMAX viewing, and the sound alone made the premium format worth it. 

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