نویسنده: AliBina

  • Diminishing Returns? I Don’t Think So.

    Diminishing Returns? I Don’t Think So.


    I came home from Zambia with a small handful of images I love. Maybe eight. The jury is still out. But a couple of them I really love. The rest are just meh, a collection of sketch images that don’t make me lean in or quicken my heart. Far from failures, they’re what it takes to get me to the good stuff. Between game drives last week, I found myself telling one of my guests that I was experiencing something like “diminishing returns.”

    But that’s not it. Sure, the returns are fewer, but they’re also much better. I’m using a different metric than I once did, measuring my best work in single or low double digits instead of the bigger numbers, hoping I’d come home from a trip with many more workable photographs.

    These days, I don’t want workable. I want WOW. I want wonder.

    These latest images might not be your wow, but they are mine. That’s what I’m aiming for, and if I hit that target, then the returns aren’t diminished at all.

    But there’s something else I’ve noticed. The longer I do this, the more I get a sense of what works and does not work for me, the more I know what gives me that “Hell, yes!” response to the photographs I best love, the more I am willing to leave the camera in my lap and give myself over to the wonder. Or to pick up the camera—photographs be damned—and let it pull me closer to that same awe but relax into the watching, into absorbing the light, the moment, and the wild thing that has allowed me to share its space.

    There is nothing diminishing about wonder. Or being in the moment and letting it pull you above the fray of your daily life and the din of the endlessly chattering monkey brain.

    I’ve noticed something else. This freedom to simply watch, with no expectation that what I’m looking at might become a photograph, often becomes exactly that: a photograph. More times than I can count, the camera has revealed something that I didn’t know about myself. It has proven me wrong so many times. And from that comes curiosity and exploration, and often, the kind of new perspective that leads to new work.

    “I don’t like baboons,” I’ve said so many times. Nasty little buggers. And yet this time, my camera showed me backlit baboons, and I let my gaze linger a little longer, finding myself first questioning my prejudices, then succumbing to the wonder.

    I said the same thing about hyenas (evil critters!) until I saw a mother tending her cub so tenderly that I fell in love. Watch a white-backed vulture for long and you’ll find all kinds of things to fully draw your interest, if not your emotions. And don’t even get me started on hippos, but somehow I found myself eye-level at a hippo pool, having the time of my life—and from the looks of it, so was the hippo!

    It’s not just wildlife, either. The camera has this amazing way of showing us everyday things in new ways, if we let it. I woke on one of the eternal flights home, somewhere between my connections in Nairobi and Frankfurt to the light of dawn painting red squares on the cabin wall, pairing as best it could with the blue of unlit clouds, and it took my breath away.

    What’s that quote? Life is not in how many breaths we take but how many moments take our breath away? Perhaps the same could be said of photographs: it’s not how many moments we capture, but how many moments captivate us.

    I may make fewer photographs than I once did, but there’s nothing at all diminishing in the evolution of my craft. With or without it in my hand, the camera has amplified my life, extending the briefest of moments into years of enjoyment. I’m guessing it has done the same for you. More than trophies, the best of them are a collection of silent whispers: “Remember when? Wasn’t that…incredible?” They allow us to drop an anchor, of sorts, into the fast-flowing current of time, to hold ourselves within it for much longer than our forward-looking minds seem to do on their own.

    We learn young to look ever-forward, but as time pulls us along and so much of our life is converted to memories, the ability to hold still within that tidal pull of time becomes more important. Not to always be looking back, but to have a present imbued with the flavour of all that we’ve lived. These things don’t pass us by; they accumulate. More so when we have a net to catch them with. The camera has helped me widen that net and tighten the spaces between the holes. Maybe it’s the net itself. I wonder at smaller things now than I once did, and where there is wonder, there’s a chance at not only a photograph, but a life.

    For the Love of the Photograph,
    David

    Do you photograph wildlife? My publisher has had a lapse in judgment and is letting me write another book, this time about photographing wild things. Before I get too deep into it, if you photograph wildlife, would you be willing to answer a couple of questions? Take the time and I’ll draw three names for a signed copy of the book when it comes out. Click here to take the quick survey.





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  • Ikelite Releases Canon EOS R10 Kits

    Ikelite Releases Canon EOS R10 Kits


    200DLM/D Underwater Housing for Canon EOS R10 with 18-45mm Lens Deluxe Version Complete Kit

     

    Canon’s first mirrorless cameras with APS-C sensors, announced in 2022, were the EOS R7 and R10. Bundled with the RF-S 18–45mm f/4.5–6.3 IS STM lens for $1,100, the R10 is an excellent all-around package offering great value for money. You get 24 megapixels, Dual Pixel AF, 15fps burst shooting with the mechanical shutter, and 4K/30p oversampled uncropped video.

    Now Ikelite has made it even easier to jump in the water with this camera/lens combo and start shooting. Their new housing kit includes everything you need: 200DLM/D housing; dome port, zoom gear, and anti-reflection ring for the RF-S 18–45mm f/4.5–6.3; Dual Tray with Dual Handles; Trigger Extensions; Vacuum System; and a set of spare O-rings. The only thing you need to add is the camera and lens themselves. (Incidentally, Ikelite also sells a full version of the kit that actually includes the camera and lens.)

    The housing kit set up for the Canon EOS R10 with RF-S 18–45mm lens is priced at $1,795, while the housing kit including the Canon EOS R10 and RF-S 18–45mm lens costs $2,895.

    200DLM/D Underwater Housing and Canon EOS R10 Camera Deluxe Version Complete Kit





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  • 20 WordPress Video Plugins and Players to Add Engagement

    20 WordPress Video Plugins and Players to Add Engagement


    Do you want to increase engagement and the amount of time visitors spend on your website? That’s where a WordPress video player can help. You can increase engagement by adding a video player plugin to your WordPress website. Not only does this reflect well on your brand, but it also helps your SEO ranking.  

    WordPress lets you add embedded video out of the box, but you can make the process easier and create a better user experience with a plugin.

    Adding a stylish WordPress video player plugin lets visitors engage with the content on your website. Video plugins are full-featured, customizable, and easy to integrate into your website. 

    Elite Video PlayerElite Video PlayerElite Video Player

    The Best WordPress Video Plugins and Players on CodeCanyon

    Discover CodeCanyon’s extensive library of the best video WordPress plugins ever created. With a cheap one-time payment, you can purchase one of these high-quality WordPress plugins and give your website viewers a more interactive experience.

    Take a look at these trending WordPress video players from CodeCanyon.  

    Bestselling WordPress Video Plugins and Players

    WordPress Video Gallery Plugins

    Here are the top-rated WordPress video gallery plugins that are available for you to download on CodeCanyon.

    1. Essential Grid Gallery WordPress Plugin

    Essential Grid Gallery WordPress Plugin

    With the Essential Grid Gallery WordPress Plugin, you can add both photo galleries and video galleries. Include galleries built with other popular plugins, link to video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, and create gorgeous grid-based galleries.

    Additional features:

    • layout options
    • skins
    • skin editor
    • import/export
    • video tutorials

    2. The Grid: Responsive WordPress Grid Plugin

    The Grid - Responsive WordPress Grid Plugin

    With The Grid, you can create endless layouts and grids for your videos. The plugin also includes a touch slider (also known as a carousel) for mobile, and WooCommerce support so you can use powerful, responsive video to help sell your products.

    Additional features:

    • premium support
    • skin builder
    • custom post type support
    • social stream support
    • touch slider

    3. Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin

    slider revolutionslider revolutionslider revolution

    This plugin has over 400,000 sales! This is one of the most complete video gallery plugins on CodeCanyon. The main hero section is where this plugin shines. You can see in the image above just how visually appealing you can make your hero section. You are given full customization with this plugin. 

    Here are a few notable features for this video gallery plugin:

    • 2,000+ elements object library
    • 20+ powerful add-ons included
    • special fx templates included
    • premade layer groups

    4. RoyalSlider: Touch-Enabled jQuery Image Gallery

    royalsliderroyalsliderroyalslider

    RoyalSlider will make your videos look great on your website. The plugin is mobile-friendly and will allow you to add custom slideshows and CSS3 banner rotators with images, videos, or HTML content. What sets this plugin apart from the rest are the 12 visually appealing transition effects. This plugin has over 30,000 sales!

    Here are a few notable features for RoyalSlider:

    • touch swipe navigation support for iOS and Android
    • smart lazy-loading
    • SEO-optimized
    • YouTube and Vimeo videos in slide
    • HTML blocks with custom effects

    5. Media Grid: WordPress Responsive Portfolio

    Media Grid WordPress Responsive Portfolio

    The Media Grid: WordPress Responsive Portfolio plugin lets you build bespoke, fully customisable grids of images, video, and other media using a simple drag-and-drop interface. It also has a dynamic grid mode, letting you create video grids in moments.

    Features:

    • visual grid builder
    • dynamic grids
    • fill grids with existing posts
    • lightbox
    • item attributes

    6. Go Portfolio

    Go Portfolio - WordPress Responsive PortfolioGo Portfolio - WordPress Responsive PortfolioGo Portfolio - WordPress Responsive Portfolio

    If you are going to be creating a portfolio, showcase, or teaser, then this is the plugin for you. You can create portfolios by creating new custom post types with images, audio, or video thumbnails. This plugin will give you numerous customization options for creating your portfolio. 

    Here are the key features of Go Portfolio:

    • Visual Composer compatible
    • two filtering types
    • four default styles
    • unlimited portfolios
    • responsive grid layout

    7. Ultimate Layouts for WPBakery Page Builder

    Ultimate Layouts for WP Bakery Page Builder

    The Ultimate Layouts plugin will help you create a layout for video and other media if you’re using the WPBakery page builder plugin.

    It’s responsive, integrates with YouTube, and lets you build unlimited layouts using the WPBakery page builder, so you don’t have to switch to an unfamiliar interface. Display grids, lists, and carousels with ease.

    Features:

    • 70+ layouts and design builder
    • WooCommerce compatible
    • supports custom post types and custom taxonomies
    • integrates with AdSense for video advertising

    WordPress Video Enhancement and Effects Plugins

    1. Elite Video Player

    Elite Video Player

    The Elite Video Player plugin is a fully customisable advertising video player that supports advertising on the most popular video channels such as YouTube and Vimeo. 

    Import videos, channels, or playlists and play using the default YouTube player or add custom controls. As well as YouTube and Vimeo, you can play self-hosted video or video hosted on Dropbox or Amazon S3.

    Features:

    • advertising pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll
    • Google Analytics: see which of your videos are most popular
    • sticky mode to keep videos visible
    • lightbox, responsive, and full-screen modes

    2. Ultimate Video Player 

    Ultimate Video Player

    If you want to enhance your videos with features such as subtitles in multiple languages, downloads, and adjustable playback speed, the Ultimate Video Player plugin is for you.

    It boasts a wide range of features including advertising, cue points, live streaming, and more.

    Features:

    • advertising pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, or via popups
    • links to YouTube and Vimeo
    • stream local video
    • private or password-protected video
    • information windows and subtitle options

    3. Diamond Flipbook

    Diamond Flipbook

    Ever thought about including videos in a flipbook? The Diamond Flipbook plugin lets you do that. Create a dynamic flipbook from your content and media, and include video too. Videos will be overlaid on the flipbook in the background.

    Features:

    • PDF support
    • multiple file upload
    • JavaScript-based and iOS-compatible
    • reverse flipbooks for right-to-left languages
    • insert flipbook via shortcode, template, or lightbox.

    4. HTML5 Video Player

    HTML5 Video Player plugin

    If you’re not happy with the default YouTube player, the HTML5 Video Player plugin will provide you with a customisable player that’s designed to display your video in high quality. It supports YouTube, Vimeo, and self-hosted video, and it’s fully responsive.

    Additional features:

    • Google Analytics
    • customisable colour scheme
    • categories
    • two skins
    • downloading and sharing

    5. Video Player and Fullscreen Video Background 

    Video Player  Fullscreen Video Background

    This HTML5 Video Player is ideal if you want a video player which will support YouTube, Vimeo, and self-hosted videos. The plugin can be used as a full-screen video background for your website. The video will cover the entire screen without any black stripes.

    Other features of this player include: 

    • lightweight JSON file of about 256KB
    • use the plugin as a fixed-width or full-width video player
    • use the parameters to set the border width and colour

    6. iPanorama 360°: Virtual Tour Builder for WordPress

    iPanorama 360° - Virtual Tour Builder for WordPressiPanorama 360° - Virtual Tour Builder for WordPressiPanorama 360° - Virtual Tour Builder for WordPress

    With the iPanorama 360° plugin, you can create video walkthroughs with labels and signs. This one is great for holiday lets or property sales.

    Here are a few notable features for iPanorama 360°:

    • three scene types: cube, sphere, and cylinder
    • hotspots: allow you to mark different areas that you want to point out
    • virtual tour: travel from one scene to another by clicking on special hotspots
    • tooltip system: the plugin has a built-in powerful tooltip system
    • thumbnails: let people see a quick snapshot of your scene

    WordPress Video Lightbox Plugins

    1. ModuloBox Lightbox Plugin

    ModuloBox Lightbox Plugin

    ModuloBox is a beautiful, easy-to-use lightbox plugin that makes it simple to create a fully functional slideshow in a popup. Built with plain JavaScript, it offers the best performance and advanced features to show off your media.

    Some features include: 

    • create responsive galleries of HTML5 videos or embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, or Wistia
    • display external websites from a simple URL—for example a Google Map
    • supports gestures: drag and swipe to navigate through items, pinch to zoom, etc.

    2. Revolution Lightbox

    Revolution Lightbox plugin

    Revolution Lightbox is another plugin that lets you add video to a lightbox. It also supports images, Google Maps, and HTML content, giving you maximum flexibility. The lightbox is customizable, so you can adapt it to suit your theme.

    Features:

    • runs on all major browsers and mobile devices
    • coded for high performance
    • add playlists
    • add links for each lightbox item
    • optional thumbnails and description window

    Interactive Video Plugins for WordPress

    1. Image Map Pro

    image map proimage map proimage map pro

    Image Map Pro comes with many of the standard map features such as adding text and images to maps. However, this plugin offers so much more. The plugin has its own rich web app! This allows you to easily create a wide selection of custom image maps, pins, and shapes to use on your website.

    Here are a few key features for this interactive video WordPress plugin:

    • 50+ maps of countries and continents 
    • custom polygon shapes
    • over 600 high-quality FontAwesome icons
    • advanced back-end editor

    Video Automation Plugins for WordPress

    1. WordPress Video Robot

    WordPress Video Robot plugin

    Manually embedding videos into your site takes time. The WordPress Video Robot plugin automates this process for you. It’ll take the search terms you give it and automatically add relevant videos to your site. The videos don’t even need to be from your own channel.

    Additional features:

    • migration tools
    • fully automated
    • no duplicate videos
    • content restriction

    2. Smart Product Viewer 

    Smart Product Viewer

    If you have an online store and you want to display your products with full 360º animation, this plugin is ideal. Your customers will be able to see your products from all angles, with smooth animation all the way around.

    The plugin’s features include: 

    • easy shortcode and widget integration
    • fullscreen lightbox
    • spin and animate on page scroll
    • drag-and-drop images manager
    • simple mouse interaction
    • support for touch devices

    3. WooCommerce Product Video: Featured Video

    woocommerce product video - featured videowoocommerce product video - featured videowoocommerce product video - featured video

    This plugin will easily let you add YouTube videos, Vimeo videos, Dailymotion videos, and self-hosted videos on your WooCommerce site. The videos come with a full range of customization options. Included are even several embedding options such as playback volume, full-screen button, and video controls display.

    Here are a few notable features for this plugin:

    • support for YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, self-hosted, and MP4 videos
    • videos on single product and category pages
    • enable and disable video option in the shop or on a single product page
    • shop video auto-play functionality

    4. Video Gallery WordPress Plugin

    video gallery wordpress pluginvideo gallery wordpress pluginvideo gallery wordpress plugin

    This video gallery plugin is feature-rich. You will be able to create professional-looking galleries within minutes with this plugin. It’s easy to install and even comes with a shortcode generator. If you are looking for a quick solution for your next video automation plugin, this is the right choice for you. 

    Here is what you can expect from the Video Gallery WordPress Plugin:

    • five skins + skin generator
    • iPhone/iPad compatible
    • extensive admin panel 
    • subtitle support
    • shortcode generator

    Discover Even More High-Quality WordPress Video Plugins

    The plugins listed above all do something slightly different, or give a variation on a different functionality such as lightboxes or galleries. The best one for your site will depend on your needs: do you want to pull in videos automatically, for example? Are you hosting videos locally? Do you want enhanced video playback controls?

    In this article, we covered many of the best video WordPress video plugins available on CodeCanyon. However, you may have very specific requirements for your video plugins, and the ones mentioned in this article may not be what you are looking for. To help you further with your search, we have even more top video WordPress plugins that you can check out in the articles below:

    Install a WordPress Video Plugin and Player Now! 

    On CodeCanyon, you will find stylish and interactive WordPress video plugins that will help you show great content on your website! 

    The various features and styling options allow you to integrate an eye-catching and fully functional player for your media that can fit your website’s theme. 

    Also feel free to check out the thousands of premium WordPress plugins available, as well as the best-selling, trending WordPress plugins of the year.

    Bestselling WordPress Video Plugins and Players

    The following articles and tutorials should help in your quest to find the most suitable plugins for your needs.



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  • Grab Some Free Design Resources From Envato Elements


    Envato Elements is coming soon, and to celebrate, we’re offering some fantastic freebies. You can grab some handcrafted fonts, a professional brochure template, a coffee branding mockup, a set of elegant logos, and a massive set of watercolor brushes and textures. All you have to do is visit Envato Elements, enter your email address, and download your free files.



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  • Extremophiles Discovered at Depths Beyond 30,000 Feet for the First Time

    Extremophiles Discovered at Depths Beyond 30,000 Feet for the First Time


    By Ian Bongso-Seldrup, July 31, 2025 @ 10:30 PM (EST)
    Source: BBC

    Macellicephaloides grandicirra, a species of polychaete worm known for its white, spiky appearance

     

    A Chinese-led research team has captured images of life at depths of more than 30,000 feet—over 9.5 kilometers—for the first time. During an expedition to the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench and the western Aleutian Trench in the bathyscaphe Fendouzhe, the scientists discovered fields of tube worms, beds of mollusks, and mats of bacteria. Previously, the deepest marine vertebrate life captured on film was a snailfish swimming in a trench at 27,350 feet (8,336 meters) off the Japanese coast in 2023.

    “It’s exciting—especially for a deep-sea scientist—to go to a place that human beings have not explored,” one of the lead researchers, Dr Xiaotong Peng, told BBC News. “It’s a great opportunity to discover new things. And what we saw was quite amazing.” The expedition explored trenches at depths of between 19,000 feet (5,800 meters) and 31,276 feet (9,533 meters), covering a distance of around 1,500 miles. Their work has just been published in the journal Nature.

    In the absence of sunlight, the “chemosynthetic” organisms surviving at such depths get their energy from hydrogen sulfide and methane seeping out of cracks in the Earth’s crust. The researchers are aiming to understand how these animals convert these chemicals into energy—and also how they adapt to life under such extreme pressure.

     

    Beds of mollusks feeding off the chemicals seeping from the seabed

     

    Dense colonies of tube worms up to a foot long

     

    Composite image of the Fendouzhe submersible in a deep ocean trench created by the scientific team

     

    The bathyscaphe Fendouzhe, or Striver, pictured being transported (upside down) aboard its mother ship. The deep-submergence vehicle is designed to reach depths of more than 10,000 meters





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  • Luke Copping – A Photo Editor


    The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own.  I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before.  In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find.  Please DO NOT send me your work.  I do not take submissions.

    Today’s featured artist:  Luke Copping

    Chef Redbeard is a personal project that came out of the recent creative connection between me and Jeremy VanAntwerp (AKA Chef Red Beard), a chef with a background in both fine dining and deeply rooted comfort food. Jeremy runs a private dining experience where small groups of guests are served directly in his kitchen studio. It’s an intimate setting—no separation between the cooking and the people he’s feeding. The meals are multi-course, seasonal, and often tailored especially for his guests’ unique tastes and needs. It’s less about spectacle, more about connection.

    What drew me to document Jeremy’s process wasn’t just the food—it was the atmosphere around it. The space is calm, focused, and quiet. There’s no rush, no chaos. Just the steady rhythm of someone who’s deeply at home in their work. This project captures that mindset. It’s about the collaboration between Jeremy and his customers, the repetition of the kitchen, and the intensity that builds as the event night approaches.

    The series uses both still photography and motion to show the experience from different angles. I wasn’t interested in stylized food shots or polished plating. I wanted to photograph what happens: crisp edges as they come out of the pan, the way honey drips from a biscuit and ingredients being handled with purpose.

    This project isn’t about trends or restaurants. It’s about one chef, his space, and how he has decided to step away from the traditional restaurant model and explore something more intentional and personal.

    To see more of this project, click here

    Instagram

    Suzanne Sease is a creative consultant and former ad-agency senior art buyer. She works with both emerging and established photographers and illustrators to create cohesive, persuasive presentations that clients can’t resist.

    Suzanne offers something rare: an insider’s perspective on how client’s source creative talent. Her deep understanding of the industry is underscored by her impressive resume: 11 years as senior art buyer at The Martin Agency, seven years as an art producer for Capital One, and stints with the art-buying department at Kaplan-Thaler and the creative department at Best Buy, where she applied her expertise to reviewing bids to see which were most likely to come in on budget. Over the years, Suzanne has worked with a wildly diverse range of clients, including Seiko, Wrangler, Bank One, AFLAC, and Clairol Herbal Essence. Now, as a consultant, she is equipped to problem-solve for her clients from an unusually dynamic point of view.

    As a longtime member of the photo community, Suzanne is also dedicated to giving back. Through her Art of the Personal Project column on the popular website aphotoeditor.com, she highlights notable personal projects by well-known and up-and-coming photographers. The column offers these artists excellent exposure while reflecting Suzanne’s passion for powerful imagery.

    Instagram





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  • 15 Best HTML5 and JavaScript Video Players (+5 Best Free Players)

    15 Best HTML5 and JavaScript Video Players (+5 Best Free Players)


    Are you in need of a high-quality HTML5 video player plugin for your website? Are you having trouble finding a video player that delivers an exceptional user experience?

    CodeCanyon offers a wide range of HTML5 and JavaScript video players that can easily be installed on your website. 

    Modern Video Gallery PlayerModern Video Gallery PlayerModern Video Gallery Player
    Modern Video Player is one of the many high-quality HTML5 and JavaScript plugins available on CodeCanyon.

    Much of today’s online content is consumed through video and images. This makes it incredibly important for you to offer your website content in video format through a high-quality video player. By purchasing one of the many affordable plugins available on CodeCanyon, you will get a modern-looking web player that works with many video formats and can even display your images in a slideshow. 

    The Best HTML5 and JavaScript Video Players on CodeCanyon

    Discover the best HTML5 and JavaScript video plugins ever created on CodeCanyon. With a cheap one-time payment, you can purchase any of these high-quality video players. 

    Here are a few of the best HTML5 and JavaScript video players available on CodeCanyon for 2021:

    best selling HTML5 and JavaScript video players best selling HTML5 and JavaScript video players best selling HTML5 and JavaScript video players
    Don’t miss out on some of the best-selling HTML5 and JavaScript video players on CodeCanyon.

    These feature-rich HTML5 and JavaScript video players will give your website visitors the best viewing experience possible. With the premium video players offered on CodeCanyon, you can take advantage of:

    • advanced video player controls
    • fully responsive players
    • song and video statistics
    • social sharing

    Head on over to CodeCanyon and find the right video player plugin for your website!

    Top 15 HTML5 and JavaScript Video Players (From CodeCanyon for 2021)

    1. Elite Video Player

    Elite Video Player is a stellar HTML5 video player that can handle just about anything you throw its way:

    • self-hosted MP4
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo
    • Dropbox
    • Amazon S3
    • Google Drive

    Show your videos with style—across all browsers and devices—with this fully customizable HTML5 video player.

    Elite VideoElite VideoElite Video

    Features also include:

    • lightbox, responsive, and fullscreen modes
    • YouTube channel and playlist support
    • select player and scrollbar effects
    • resizable height and width
    • and many more options

    One of the more unique and appealing features the Elite Video Player brings to the screen is the ability to add pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll video and popup ads. A WordPress version is also available.

    2. Modern Video Gallery Player

    Modern Video Gallery PlayerModern Video Gallery PlayerModern Video Gallery Player

    This video player supports a wide variety of embeddable media: from HTML5 video to YouTube playlists, Vimeo videos, and much more. This highly customizable video player has many features that make this a must-have if you need to display videos on your site. 

    Here are a few of the plugin’s notable features:

    • desktop, mobile, and tablet support 
    • responsive layouts
    • highly customizable with HTML and CSS
    • SVG icons

    3. HTML5 Video & Youtube Background

     HTML5 Video HTML5 Video HTML5 Video

    Need a clean and simple JavaScript video background player that you can customize for your website? You can play a single video in a loop, loop multiple videos, or have a mixed playlist of videos and images. 

    Here are a few features of this plugin:

    • responsive or fixed size layouts
    • basic video player controls
    • optional built-in skip intro feature 
    • optional keyboard navigation

    4. Revolution Multimedia Gallery

    Revolution GalleryRevolution GalleryRevolution Gallery

    Revolution Multimedia Gallery is a responsive gallery that runs on all major browsers and mobile devices. It uses object-oriented code and the latest CSS3 techniques, making this a very well-built JavaScript video player and gallery. 

    Here’s what you can expect from Revolution Multimedia Gallery:

    • responsive layout
    • responsive, fixed, fluid width, and fullscreen modes
    • includes two skins
    • optional deep linking

    5. Ultimate Video Player

    This HTML5 video player includes all the basics you’ll need for a cutting-edge player—without losing those users that are using outdated browsers.

    The Ultimate Video Player can play videos on the latest mobile browser or an old desktop computer using IE8 with its Flash fallback feature.

    Ultimate Video playerUltimate Video playerUltimate Video player

    It’s also:

    “Packed with a huge amount of features like responsive layout, multiple playlists, external API, optional deeplinking, flexible skin, embed & share, Facebook share etc…”—Ultimate Video Player

    Set up playlists, provide a video download button, and much, much more with the Ultimate Video Player (also comes as a WordPress plugin).

    6. Ultimate Video Player With YouTube and Vimeo

    Ultimate video playerUltimate video playerUltimate video player

    Ultimate Video Player is a powerful responsive video player with the right side or bottom gallery that supports most popular video platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and more. This player is compatible with all modern browsers. 

    Ultimate Video Player is the perfect player to build a platform with an intuitive user experience and mobile compatibility.

    Fantastic and fast assistance. Problems solved in a short time. Absolutely recommended! — step54 

    7. Video Player Lite

    Video Player Lite is a responsive and mobile-friendly player that supports all kinds of media and playback options. You have the ability to show panoramas, virtual reality, YouTube, and Vimeo videos. It also comes with lots of customization options. 

    Video player liteVideo player liteVideo player lite

    Notable features include:

    • video aspect ratio control
    • live preview
    • theater mode 
    • password-protected content 
    • and many more

    8. Universal Video Player

    Universal Video playerUniversal Video playerUniversal Video player

    Universal Video Player is another HTML5 video player that’s worth your attention.

    Not only does it come with many features included in other video players, but it also includes a few extras that set it apart.

    Stand-out features include:

    • Google Analytics tracking
    • playlist search
    • categories
    • shuffle mode

    Like some other HTML5 video players, it includes YouTube, Vimeo, and self-hosted video support, a customizable color scheme, and an option to download videos.

    The Universal Video Player is a nice solution, and can even automatically retrieve video thumbnails, titles, and descriptions from YouTube servers. A WordPress plugin version is available.

    9. HTML5 Video Player With Playlist & Multiple Skins

    The HTML5 Video Player With Playlist & Multiple Skins (also available as a WordPress plugin) offers side and bottom playlists and six different skins to match your website.

    Unlike many other HTML5 video players, this gem also supports .webm video files in addition to the standard .mp4 video format.

    HTML5 Video Player with PlaylistHTML5 Video Player with PlaylistHTML5 Video Player with Playlist

    You’ll also find:

    • optional video descriptions with HTML and CSS support
    • support for both single and multiple instances
    • auto-hide for playback controls
    • click listener
    • and more

    HTML5 Video Player with Playlist & Multiple Skins is a good HTML5 video player for playlists, complete with definable preview images for both videos and playlists.

    10. HTML5 Video Player & FullScreen Video Background

    The HTML5 Video Player not only makes a great HTML5 video player, but also includes the ability to set full-screen video backgrounds.

    Do you need a video player in your web dev toolbelt? This is what you’re looking for.

    HTML5 Video PlayerHTML5 Video PlayerHTML5 Video Player

    This has many helpful features, including:

    • fallback image for mobile devices that don’t support full-screen video backgrounds
    • 30+ JavaScript-controllable options: player controls, playback, design, etc.
    • supports YouTube, Vimeo, and self-hosted videos
    • navigation positioning
    • texture over video
    • and more!

    HTML5 Video Player is a welcome addition to any web developer’s toolbox—it also comes in a WordPress plugin version!

    11. HTML5 Blue Video Player

    HTML5 Blue Video PlayerHTML5 Blue Video PlayerHTML5 Blue Video Player

    This HTML5 video player has a simple and sleek design. You can place the playlist menu anywhere around the video player, giving you the flexibility to choose how it will look on your website. 

    Here are a few notable features for this video player:

    • embed and social share buttons
    • logo overlay on videos
    • touch-enabled
    • Flash fallback for older browsers

    Download the HTML5 Blue Video Player now!

    12. Stellar Video Player

    Stellar Video PlayerStellar Video PlayerStellar Video Player

    Stellar Video Player is a premium, multi-purpose video player that supports YouTube videos, Vimeo videos, self-hosted MP4 videos, Google Drive videos, and much more!

    Here is what you can expect from this video player:

    • fully customizable and responsive
    • lightbox mode
    • sticky mode
    • social sharing

    Here is what users are saying about the Stellar Video Player

    “Great product! Easy to setup and use!”—Tomcat253

    13. HTML5 Video Player With Multiple Skins

    HTML5 Video Player with Multiple SkinsHTML5 Video Player with Multiple SkinsHTML5 Video Player with Multiple Skins

    Html5 Video Player With Multiple Skins is a lightweight and responsive player that will only take a small amount of space on the server. This player allows you to embed .mp4 video files and .webm for browsers which don’t have MP4 support.

    Other features include:

    • mobile compatible
    • multiple skins
    • full-screen mode

    14. Revolution Video Player With Bottom Playlist

    Revolution playerRevolution playerRevolution player

    Revolution Video Player with Bottom Playlist is a powerful and responsive player which you can use to play YouTube, Vimeo, and Self-Hosted video files. You only need the video ID for YouTube and Vimeo. You can also share your video player on Facebook and Twitter.

    It is also a highly customizable player that allows users to change appearance as per their own choice.

    • wide range of parameters for customizing the player
    • highly responsive with full-screen function

    15. 360 Video Player Premium

    360 video player360 video player360 video player

    360 Video Player is perfect for responsive web designs, and it also looks good on retina displays. The player allows full-screen view and is compatible with all major browsers, including IE EDGE.

    Other notable features include:

    • iPhone / iPad compatible 
    • CSS powered skins 
    • ads support
    • video gallery API

    5 Free HTML5 & JavaScript Video Player Plugins for Download in 2021

    The premium HTML5 and JavaScript video players available on CodeCanyon will certainly give you the most up-to-date and advanced features available, which will greatly improve the user experience. 

    However, you may be on a budget and still need to add a high-quality video player to your website. To help you with your video player needs, I’ve collected five of the best HTML5 and JavaScript video players you can download for free.

    1. Video.js

    Video.jsVideo.jsVideo.js

    Video.js supports HTML5 video and modern streaming formats such as YouTube and Vimeo. The player can be styled with CSS to fit your website’s theme.

    2. Plyr

    This JavaScript video player is a simple, accessible, and customizable player for video and audio. The player comes with a minimal and responsive design and can work for all types of websites. 

    3. jPlayer

    jPlayer is an open-source media library written in JavaScript. The plugin is completely customizable and skinnable using HTML and CSS and is very lightweight.

    J playerJ playerJ player

    4. MediaElement.js

    MediaElement.js is a simple and easy-to-install plugin that can display today’s standard video formats. All the basic video player controls come with this JavaScript video player.

    5. Kaltura HTML5

    This HTML5 video player supports both HTML5 and Flash with the same configuration. The player is fully responsive and can be viewed on tablets and mobile devices. 

    Discover More Great HTML5 & JavaScript Video Players for 2021

    The HTML5 & JavaScript video players mentioned above are some of the best options that you can implement on your website in 2021.

    However, these video players may not have the exact functions or design that you are looking for. If none of the premium HTML5 and JavaScript video players mentioned in this article seem to work for your website, then be sure to check out our other articles, which contain many more high-quality HTML5 and JavaScript video players for you to download:

    Add a Premium HTML5 and JavaScript Video Player to Your Website Now!

    If you are in need of a video player that has a sleek design and is fully functional, then head on over to CodeCanyon.

    The video players available will give you complete control over the design and features offered in your web players on your website. Ultimately, this will lead to a better user experience for your particular audience.

    In addition to all the high-quality HTML5 and JavaScript video players on CodeCanyon, you can browse through thousands of other high-quality plugins and scripts for your website. You’ll find everything from social media to marketing plugins and scripts in CodeCanyon’s massive premium library. 

    Find the right HTML5 and JavaScript plugin or script for your website today!

    This post has been updated with contributions from Esther Vaati. Esther is a software developer and writer for Envato Tuts+.



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  • Check Out These Tutorials To Capture Unique Urban Photos

    Check Out These Tutorials To Capture Unique Urban Photos


    Many photographers consider urban spaces as boring locations to photograph, due to the fact that they may be too busy and/or cluttered. Moreover, these places can be quite crowded most of the time and noisy too, but if you are willing to slow down, and take time to observe and photograph some unique and interesting shots, then urban spaces provide a lot of photographic opportunities.

    Urban spaces or cities provide opportunities for several genre of photography like architecture, street, urban wildlife, etc. It is always recommended to scout locations beforehand, get to know the area and study how light falls in a particular area during certain times of the day, etc., so you can come back with very compelling photos.

    Here are some tutorials that we have put together, so you can get some ideas and be inspired to photograph in urban spaces.

    Here is a tutorial or a walkthrough for an interesting start on how urban spaces can be photographed. This article includes a lot of sample images with details along the way to give you an understanding of how light, perspective, angles, etc., can be used to capture interesting urban photographs.

    Photo by Hongmei Zhao

    When we hear the word landscapes, we immediately think about natural landscapes in the wilderness like the ones that have meadows, grasslands, hills and mountains, beaches etc. Landscapes can be also extended to urban areas where urban landscapes can be captured as they are quite interesting if you follow some tips.

    Photo by Adam Borkowski 

    While many photographers choose to stay indoors on rainy days in order to protect their gear and themselves, these days provide great atmosphere for photography and many creative opportunities. Urban landscapes transform into magical spaces during or after a rain and with some precautions and safety measures, one can capture stunning urban photos on a rainy day. Here are some tips for rainy urban photos.

    Photo by Gil Ribeiro

    Cities are places where something keeps happening all the time – there are a lot of stories, events, cultural activities and so on, that can be photographed. Besides, cities provide great opportunities to capture architecture during various times of the day and seasons, street photography, environmental photos, etc. Here are some ideas to capture stunning city photos.

    Photo by Jason Row

    Street photography in a city can offer unique perspectives on what is happening in a city and the light falling through tall buildings and alleyways can offer interesting compositions and stories. Right from train stations to city centres, each space provides different stories and elements that can be used to capture the life in the city. A keen eye for details and a story telling mind is all that you need for capturing great street photos in a city. Here are some tips and ideas.

    Photo by Marc Kleen

    A lot of people choose to live in cities because of the vibe and the other interesting things they can experience there. Cities are also spaces that are filled with architecture and other structures, both new and old. It is not just about capturing the buildings in a city, but also the life there, that makes for epic cityscape photographs. Here are some ideas on how to capture cities in unimaginable ways.

    Photo by Abigail Keenan

    Do you live in a city? If so, are you bored of photographing the place that you live in? We all have this habit of not photographing the places we live in, because we see it all the time and don’t feel that it has anything new or interesting to contribute. If that is the case, you are wrong. Your city has a load of photographic opportunities and you need to look at it with the eyes of a tourist. Read to find out how!

    Photo by Michael Discenza

    Have you seen wildlife in urban spaces? Unlike capturing wildlife photographs in the wild by staying very far away from the animals and birds, urban wildlife that are used to humans around them can be captured up close as they mostly stay close to human residents, parks, etc. The wildlife in urban spaces can be interestingly photographed against daily happenings in the cities and towns. This article gives you tips on how to photograph urban wildlife.

    Photo by Luna Wang

    Besides all the stunning subjects and cityscapes in urban spaces, if you are a photographer interested in capturing portraits, cities offer amazing opportunities to capture interesting portraits. Some very interesting geometrical compositions can be used to capture portraits in urban areas, Here are some tips to start with.

    Also, if you are interested in learning about geometrical compositions, check out this article – How To Use Geometry For Creative Composition In Photography

    Photo by greekfood-tamystika

    We have all heard of the golden hour as the best time to photograph anything because of the glorious, soft but dramatic light the sun casts during that time. Do not pack your camera bags after sunset, because the blue hour is one of the best times to capture very emotive and soft photos especially in the city when the lights are just turned on. Here is how to shoot cityscapes during the blue hour.

    Photo by Mick Haupt

    If you are someone interested in urban decay, or wish to shoot something different in urban spaces,, then urban decay is a genre that will be of interest to you. Moreover these spaces will not be crowded, so you can take time to explore and capture them from unique perspectives and angles. Make sure you have permission to enter and photograph these spaces as some areas and buildings may have restrictions or may be private. Here are some tips for you to get started.

    Photo by Patrick Tomasso

    Finally if you are interested in black and white photography, urban spaces are great because of the light, textures and drama they can lend to great black and white photographs. Make sure that you have a good tonal range in the scene so the resulting black and white image is powerful. You need to learn to see in black and white in order to capture images to convert to black and white.

    Photo by Jason Row

    If you want to check out some creative urban photos, check out these “Urban Etchings” by Grant Legassick, which is a definitive study of an urban environment comprising multiple images layered over one another, giving the impression of a fine, delicate pencil drawing or metal etching. These images are mind-blowing and the photographer shares how these were made.

    Photo by by Grant Legassick

    Further Reading





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  • Alex Turner resists literal interpretation – A Photo Editor


    We caught up with photographic artist Alex Turner, whose work lives where vision meets sensation and ecology meets memory. In his acclaimed Blind Forest series now showing at Marshall Gallery, Turner uses thermal imaging to reveal the hidden life of trees—turning them into living witnesses, storytellers, and  ethereal portraits of our changing world.

    Your images often make the invisible visible. What drew you to thermal imaging as your primary tool in Blind Forest?
    Alex: What drew me to thermal imaging was its ability to reveal what’s normally invisible not just heat, but a different way of seeing vitality, presence, and change. In Blind Forest, I wanted to portray trees not as passive background elements, but as active, responsive organisms—beings that store energy, regulate their environments, and bear witness to time in a way few other living things can. Thermal imaging allowed me to visualize those hidden dynamics: the conservation, transmission, and loss of heat within and around each tree. But it wasn’t just about ecology—it was also about cultural memory. Many of the trees I photographed hold long histories, both ecological and human. Some were cultivated by Indigenous communities for food and medicine; others stand on sites of forced labor, displacement, or violence. Trees have absorbed these layered histories, and the thermal camera offered a way to suggest that embeddedness. Heat becomes a kind of residue, a trace of what a tree has lived through or is currently enduring. In that sense, thermal imaging became a way to look at trees not only as biological subjects, but as cultural witnesses.
    I was also interested in repurposing a technology typically used for surveillance, hunting, or fire detection—tools often associated with control or extractive thinking—and turning it toward something more reverent and speculative. The resulting images resist literal interpretation; they ask the viewer to slow down, to sit with ambiguity, and to consider the forest as a place where both natural systems and human histories are in constant flux.

    What are the ethical considerations behind obscuring or withholding your image locations?
    Withholding specific locations is both an ethical and conceptual choice. On one level, it’s about protection. Many of the trees I photograph are old, vulnerable, or located in ecologically sensitive areas. Publicizing exact coordinates can unintentionally invite harm—through increased foot traffic, extraction, or even vandalism. In an age of geotagging and digital overexposure, some places need anonymity to survive. But there’s also a deeper philosophical and cultural reason. Many of these trees hold significance not just ecologically, but culturally—especially to Indigenous communities who have long-standing relationships with these species as sources of medicine, food, and spiritual meaning.

    Withholding location becomes a gesture of respect, recognizing that these trees are not simply photographic subjects or aesthetic objects, but beings embedded in cultural systems of value and care that precede and exceed my presence as an artist.

    More broadly, I’m less interested in offering a precise where than I am in encouraging a deeper look at the land, how we relate to nonhuman life, how we carry stories of place. By withholding coordinates, I invite the viewer to encounter the tree not as a destination or trophy, but as a living presence. This choice also pushes back against the extractive tendencies of both landscape photography and colonial mapping practices. Naming a place, claiming it, and presenting it as “known” can flatten its complexity. In Blind Forest, I want to keep some things partially obscured—not to mystify, but to honor the idea that not everything is ours to name, frame, or expose.

    What role does fieldwork play in your practice—how do you locate and build relationships with your subjects?
    I spend a lot of time hiking, researching, asking questions, and building relationships. With Blind Forest, that meant working closely with arborists, forest ecologists, historians, and Indigenous knowledge-keepers to locate trees that carry not just ecological significance, but cultural and historical weight as well.
    Sometimes a tree is introduced to me through a historian or ecologist; other times I come across one by accident, and then spend weeks or months trying to understand its context—how it fits into a broader ecosystem, who has cared for it, what it has witnessed. I try to return to sites multiple times, sometimes across seasons, to watch how the tree responds to heat, drought, wind, or fire. That temporal intimacy feels crucial.

    It’s not just about finding “beautiful” trees—it’s about seeking out complexity, endurance, and entanglement. And it requires a certain kind of humility. These aren’t blank canvases or passive subjects; they’re living beings embedded in systems that far exceed my own timeline. Fieldwork, for me, is about cultivating a practice of attention—being present, doing the research, and recognizing when to step back.

    How does your work address climate and ecological loss without relying on traditional documentary tropes?
    I’m interested in climate and ecological issues, but I try to approach them through a slower, more reflective lens—one that resists the spectacle and elegiac tendencies often found in traditional environmental documentary work. Rather than show devastation directly—burned forests, parched landscapes, suffering wildlife—I focus on subtler forms of presence and absence. The thermal images in Blind Forest don’t depict disaster as bluntly; they reveal systems under stress, energy in transition, and histories held quietly in living organisms. It’s a way of inviting viewers to feel their way into these questions, rather than confront them with fixed narratives. I think traditional documentary often relies on visibility to create impact—showing what’s been lost, what’s on fire, what’s at risk. And while that has real value, I’m drawn to a more speculative, even poetic approach. One that makes room for ambiguity, wonder, and grief to coexist. Thermal imaging helps with that—it doesn’t render the landscape in familiar terms, but through a register of energy that is less about appearances and more about relationships: between organism and environment, between past and present, between perception and reality.

    If you could pass on one technical or philosophical principle to photographers working with landscape today, what would it be?
    If I could pass on one principle, it would be to slow down—both technically and conceptually. Landscape photography has long been associated with grandeur, clarity, and conquest—the wide view, the decisive moment, the untouched wilderness. But in reality, landscapes are layered, politicized, lived-in, and constantly changing. They deserve more than just aesthetic appreciation; they deserve attention, patience, and humility. Slowing down might mean spending more time with a place before photographing it. It might mean learning its ecological and cultural histories, or questioning your own presence within it. Technically, it could mean working with processes that stretch time—like stitching, long exposures, or analog materials—not for nostalgia’s sake, but to make space for complexity. Philosophically, it’s about resisting the impulse to extract a single, striking image and instead engaging with the landscape as a collaborator, not a subject. There’s so much urgency in the world right now, especially around climate and ecological loss— but I think slowness can be a form of resistance. It lets us listen more carefully, look more closely, and imagine more responsibly.


    Can you walk us through that moment in the clonal Aspen grove—when you realized the coyote was there? What were you feeling, and how did that experience shape the resulting image?
    I was camping alone in the middle of the aspen grove when, late at night, I heard something rustling nearby. It was pitch black—I couldn’t see a thing. I reached for my thermal scope and spotted a coyote, no more than twenty feet away, perfectly still, staring directly at me. It sent a chill through me. There was something unsettling in that moment of mutual recognition, but also a profound sense of asymmetry. The coyote, with its excellent night vision, could see me plainly. I could only return its gaze through the mediation of a camera.

    That moment shifted something in me. I became acutely aware of how dependent I was on technology to perceive what was otherwise invisible to me. The thermal scope didn’t just reveal the coyote—it revealed the limits of my own perception. And in that same instant, the forest around us—specifically, the clonal aspen colony I was there to photograph—took on a different kind of presence. The coyote wasn’t a singular visitor; it was part of a continuous ecosystem, one in which I was the outsider, looking in.

    What made you decide to keep the coyote out of focus, and instead focus on the tree behind it? Was that choice aesthetic, conceptual, or instinctive in the moment?
    In my previous project Blind River, I used remote sensing technologies triggered by movement to capture subjects as they passed through the landscapes of the U.S.–Mexico border. That process—especially the AI recognition software attempting to isolate figures from their surroundings—raised compelling questions about how we determine what is distinct from a landscape, and why. Who or what is considered a visitor? A trespasser? A part of the scene or apart from it? With Blind Forest, I wanted to invert that logic and shift the focus entirely toward the landscape —specifically, the trees—as enigmatic, sentient, and sometimes charismatic subjects. It was a move toward a more ecocentric perspective. Everything else—humans, wildlife—would become secondary. Deliberately placing the coyote out of focus was shaped directly by my experience with the animal. It became a way of acknowledging that this place wasn’t about the drama of my human- wildlife encounter. It was about the quiet, persistent presence of the forest itself—an ancient, interconnected organism. The coyote became part of the story, but not the center of it.

    There’s a lot of talk in photography about capturing the ‘decisive moment.’ But your process seems to stretch that moment across time and space. How do you think stitching affects the way we experience time and presence in an image like this one?
    I think it’s important to explain the stitching process, because it speaks directly to some of the deeper conceptual undercurrents of the work. At first glance, it may seem like you’re looking at a singular moment in time. But each image is actually composed of over a hundred smaller frames, stitched together over the course of up to an hour. That temporal stretch is embedded in the final image, even if it’s not immediately visible.

    I’ve always struggled with the idea that photography is primarily a medium for capturing a single, decisive moment. That notion implies a kind of narrative closure—that the moment photographed contains the essence or climax of a situation. But in reality, most events and environments are far more layered and unfolding. Freezing a single frame can flatten that complexity, and at worst, it can project the illusion of objectivity—a supposedly ‘truthful’ instant that’s actually shaped by countless subjective decisions: where you stand, when you click the shutter, what you include or exclude. In Blind River and again in Blind Forest, I’m interested in challenging that sense of fixed truth and instead suggesting that narrative—and presence—is continuous. With Blind Forest, the subject matter itself encourages this shift. Trees appear still, even static, to the human eye. But they are constantly exchanging energy with their surroundings.

    Thermodynamics upends our assumptions about their stillness. Heat moves, radiates, dissipates—those rates of change make time visible in subtle, surprising ways. The thermal camera doesn’t just record temperature—it reveals time embedded in matter: a burned scar, a cooling trunk, a stressed limb. The forest becomes not a frozen scene, but a living system in flux. And through the stitching process, I’m trying to honor that slowness and complexity—to hold space for presence that isn’t defined by the instant, but by duration, accumulation, and transformation.





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