Photo by Ana Luísa Ferreira

Today’s Photo of the Day is “Winter Ether” by Ana Luísa Ferreira. Location: Picos de Europa National Park, Spain.

“A mountaineer walks up a hill covered in snow with sharp mountain peaks showing up in the horizon on a sunny winter day,” describes Ferreira.

Want to get your images in the running for a Photo of the Day feature? Photo of the Day is chosen from various galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

The post Photo Of The Day By Ana Luísa Ferreira appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.

You use your mobile phone for everything, take videos of your family, take photos of financial data, videochat with friends. But what if someone could get access to your phone camera and fully control it?

In this article, I will discuss signs that someone is spying on you, tips to unhack your smartphone, some simple steps you can take to protect your device from being hacked, and more. Let’s get started.

Hackers and cybercriminals can hack your phone’s camera without your knowledge. They can gain access to your camera to keep an eye on you or steal sensitive data. The majority of phone applications have access to your camera, which intruders can use to their advantage.

Anyone with the appropriate knowledge and software might utilize your phone’s camera to monitor you. There are tons of spyware out there that could damage your phone. In order to access your phone, a stalker would often need to install spyware on it. They can use emojis, media files, and apps to access your phone.

Hackers can access your camera for nefarious purposes using a number of sophisticated techniques.

The use of a malicious program(malware) is one of the most successful strategies. In order to gain access to your camera, cybercriminals try to install intrusive software on your phone. You won’t even be aware that your device’s camera is being utilized remotely.

One of the dangerous programs used by attackers is the Remote Access Trojan tool (RAT), which allows access to your phone’s camera and all protected information like messages, banking information, and pictures.

The most popular way for cybercriminals to transmit malware to people is through phishing. In order to trick people into clicking on these malicious links, these fraudsters employ social engineering techniques. The hacker can access your smartphone remotely once you install the payload.

A payload is a collection of malicious programs that carries important data and can be used to hack any system to unimaginable limits.

How to detect if your camera is hacked?

You can use your phone’s camera to detect whether it has been hacked. It can be as simple as zooming the picture in and out. If your camera responds too slowly, this could be a sign that it has been hacked.

What can a hacked camera do?

Capture videos

Some spy programs have the ability to remotely activate your camera and secretly record videos. This function of the programs enables them to capture videos and submit them to the hacker’s database.

Take pictures

The hacker can remotely activate your rear camera or front camera. The camera can take pictures that are directly uploaded to an online database that the attacker can also see.

Remote observation

The remote monitoring function that certain spy applications have is far more worrisome than taking pictures or videos. Attackers might be able to activate the phone’s camera, record an individual live, and even transmit the live video to the dark web or streaming services, exposing their location, family members, etc.

How can you know if someone is watching you through your smartphone’s camera?

You have suspicious programs or applications running in the background

Using a spyware app is one possible option if someone wants to view you through your phone’s camera without your consent. If your stalker isn’t a skilled hacker, the software they use may show up as an open application running in the background.

Your indicator light acts strangely

Another way to tell if someone is monitoring you through your phone’s camera is by checking the indicator light on your camera. Every time the camera is in use on modern devices, an indicator light is displayed. You may have a problem if this light suddenly appears even though you are aware that none of your authentic apps are using your phone’s camera.

Your camera acts improperly

If the camera on your phone is acting strangely, someone might be watching you. A camera that sets out frequent alerts, claims to be in use when it isn’t, or activates automatically may be vulnerable.

Your phone’s battery is draining quickly

Video recording consumes a lot of resources, and continuous video recording quickly depletes your battery. Someone might be watching you if your phone is depleting its battery faster than usual.

You notice strange videos and photos appearing on your smartphone

Are you noticing that photos you don’t recall taking are showing up on your device or some videos or photos you took are going missing? These are all indications that someone has gained access to your device’s camera against your wishes.

Your data usage has increased drastically

Increased data usage may be caused by a variety of factors, including watching high-definition videos on Netflix, uploading high-quality photos, and automated app updates. Your device may have been hacked if nothing else has changed but your data usage has increased significantly. It’s also worth knowing that your data usage can increase if your device is sending data to someone else.

How to know if someone hacked your phone?

Below are some indicators that your phone may be hacked.

You’re receiving strange texts lately

The majority of spyware is unintentionally downloaded by the phone’s owner. An SMS message with a link is sent by hackers. Users mistakenly click the link, and the malware then records everything on their device and sends it to the intruder. If you received such a message in the past it could be too late.

You’re getting unusual pop-ups

Pop-ups aren’t always the result of malware, but constant pop-ups may indicate that your mobile phone has been infected. There’s a chance that your device has spyware on it. Even pop-ups that aren’t brought on by malware can be harmful since they may contain phishing links that compromise your phone.

You’re being directed to strange websites

A compromised device can be infected with malware that sends you to sites you didn’t search for. If websites appear strange to you, they may have recently undergone a redesign, or it may indicate that your mobile phone has been hacked and you are being directed to risky websites.

Your phone is performing poorly

When a smartphone performs poorly, it could be because you’re using an old phone model, an outdated operating system, or you’ve slowed it down by running a lot of unneeded files and programs.

If none of that is the case and your phone is overheating, losing battery life, or taking excessive time to launch apps, it could be a sign that someone has hacked your device.

Your smartphone is acting strangely

Do programs close, freeze, or open by themselves at random? These are all indications that someone has gained access to your device against your wishes.

You’re receiving calls from unknown numbers

Getting calls from unknown callers may be an indication that your data has been compromised. You should not answer calls from unidentified numbers unless you can confirm their authenticity or you’re expecting them. Check your call history for any odd behavior, and if you come across a number you don’t know, you might want to block the contact and report it as spam.

Your phone gets hot when not in use

Does your smartphone get hot and stay hot even when not in use? Phones, like all devices, get heated with prolonged usage, particularly if you play games or stream for extended periods of time.

But if that’s not the case and your device still feels unusually warm, another issue could be to blame.

How to get rid of a hacker from your mobile phone?

Luckily, you have many options for getting a hacker off your smartphone.

Reset your phone

The option to restore a smartphone to its initial factory settings is available on all models. In other words, you can completely delete your phone’s memory and applications installed after purchasing your phone with a single click. In order to restore your device after the reset and avoid losing any critical information, make sure you have a backup of your phone stored in cloud storage. 

Modify your passwords

Change the passwords for all accounts that you previously could access from your device.

Also, make sure to thoroughly review each account to search for any transactions you didn’t carry out personally so you can make the required corrections.

Uninstall questionable apps

Check all the newly installed apps on your device in the period before you realize your phone has been compromised. Remove any apps you come across that you didn’t install yourself right away. Delete all of your installed apps from your phone if they are unimportant or come from dubious sources.

Update the operating system on your mobile phone

Updating the operating system on your phone will get rid of some hacks, like spyware. This is due to the fact that a lot of this malware is made to only function with a particular version, so if you upgrade to the latest version, the hack will no longer function. 

Get rid of malware

By downloading a trustworthy anti-malware app, you may effortlessly remove any malware that may be on your device. There are many high-quality anti-malware apps available for that purpose, such as Norton Mobile, McAfee, AVG, and Malwarebytes.

Should you cover the phone camera with tape? 

Yes, you can cover your phone camera with tape to keep it safe from being compromised. You can block the view of you from your phone’s camera with black electrical tape, duct tape, or a sticker. 

Of course you will not be able photos, but you can do it only on the camera facing you if you are worried more about someone observing you live during phone use.

How to protect your mobile phone from hackers?

It is best to take all necessary precautions to protect your device against unauthorized access than to attempt to repair the damage intruders have already done.

Manage camera settings

Control camera settings for the web browser you use and the applications you download. Remove the permission for the ones not needed.

Lock specific apps

An ideal way to safeguard your phone from hackers is to lock certain apps that hold private information. Facebook, the image gallery, and WhatsApp can all have personal information that you may want to keep under wraps. But don’t worry – you can protect private data from cybercriminals with a feature called app lock. As part of their custom Android skin (user interface), a number of mobile phone manufacturers offer the app lock feature.

Watch out for phishing and spam emails

Cybercriminals can also get into your device and access your data through your email inbox. Phishing scams primarily seek to steal personal data, including email addresses, usernames, passwords, and bank account numbers. You should not run program updates, open questionable attachments, or click links in promotional emails prompted through email. Avoid accessing financial accounts via random emails; rather, head straight to the website of the financial institution and sign in using the correct password and username.

One tip is if you are unsure if the email is legit, always look at the email address it came from. If its a hacker, it will be a strange email address with an unknown domain at the end, not something like @bankofamerica.com.

Switch off your Bluetooth when you are not using it

It is also advisable to keep your Bluetooth turned off if you’re not connected to any other Bluetooth devices. Keeping Bluetooth on all the time makes it simple for hackers to access your phone. If you keep Bluetooth turned on, hackers can discover which networks you’ve previously connected to, fake them, and get your phone to connect to Bluetooth devices they have. Once they are connected to your device, intruders can infect it with malware, steal information, or eavesdrop on you. So, turn on Bluetooth only when necessary.

Avoid using free WiFi

Avoid connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Use your mobile data if you need to use the internet while you are outside. If this isn’t an option, download a trustworthy VPN and then connect to public WiFi. By doing so, you’ll conceal your identity online and make it challenging for local hackers to find you. VPNs make using public Wi-Fi networks secure. They protect your personally identifiable information by encrypting your location and the information you receive and send.

Set up two-factor authentication

Numerous online services employ 2FA to safeguard you against any illegal attempts to log into your accounts. A verification SMS is sent to the phone number associated with your account before you can access your account to verify your identity. 

Control app permissions

Your apps can still be gathering a lot of your personal information even when they appear to be safe. They have access to your camera or microphone, and they can locate you. Additionally, occasionally new updates can make them more obtrusive. As a general rule, only permit new apps to access the data they actually need. Spend some time checking all the settings of the apps that are downloaded to your phone.

Use strong passwords

Use only strong passwords that are difficult for cybercriminals to guess. They should be between 16 and 20 characters with a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols, and numbers. You can also use password generators to create a safe and unique password that is only known to you. 

Different password generators create passwords in various ways. They function differently, much like software. Some produce complex passwords at random by combining letters, special characters, and numbers. However, some password generators generate pronounceable passwords that are readable and easy to remember.

I hope this article helps you keep your phone safe from hackers. Click the following link to learn if images can have viruses.

If you are a model who is looking to get hired for a paid job, the Model Mayhem platform will be the first thing that comes to mind. Almost all models, both new and experienced are there on this platform. If you are a photographer looking for work or models, the site is also for you.

Because of this, the competition will be really fierce on such a popular platform, especially if you are a newbie. It is always a good idea to look for Model Mayhem alternatives to increase your chances of finding what you are looking for.

I have done extensive research and found several other websites that offer comparable service to the Model Mayhem platform. Out of these sites, some are really good. I will share the 10 best alternatives to Model Mayhem that you can consider to showcase your portfolio.

1. Swipecast

Ranking: 5/5

The Swipecast platform is one of the best Model Mayhem alternatives. This platform is useful for models (male and female), hair stylists, rental studios, photographers, videographers, makeup artists, and influencers. If you are into any of these professions, I recommend you register in Swipecast.

You can check the job listing section for different job requirements posted by various clients. You can apply for the jobs that you find interesting. I really liked their easy-to-use interface.

One thing that I liked about the Swipecast platform is its pricing. Most platforms take 30 to 40 percent of the amount as commission. Thus, the model is left with only 60-70 percent of the payment. Here, they charge only 10 percent as the commission. It is an attractive and helpful feature for the models.

Swipecast is also known for its fast processing of payments. Many agencies take 1 week to 1 month for processing the payment. But, Swipecast does the processing within a couple of days. You will get the payment fast.

The rating system is really a useful feature. It helps agencies and brands to pick the best models. If you are interested to get more paid work from this platform, you must try to get the best ratings from your clients.

The thing that I did not like much is their in-depth verification process, but that is a small price to pay.

2. One Model Place

Ranking: 4.5/5

The One Model Place site is another great platform for models and photographers. You can sign up on this platform for free. The free plan comes with certain restrictions. The maximum number of photos allowed in the free plan is 21 and only 3 conversations are allowed in the platform for a year in the free plan.

They offer 3 premium plans- Silver, Gold, and Platinum. If you are interested in using more features of this platform, you need to purchase one of these plans. In my opinion, you will need to purchase the Silver plan at least if you are really serious about getting hired through this platform.

You can check their “Jobs and Casting Calls” section to find the current opportunities. You don’t need to sign up to see this listing. The rates offered by the clients are also displayed along with the listing. Apart from models and photographers, actors, artists, hair stylists, makeup artists, influencers, agencies, and fashion designers can also use this platform to get paid work. They have provided multiple filter options in their search panel. It really helps to narrow down the results.

One thing I liked about this platform is that it is available as an app for your smartphone. It is available on both Android and iOS platforms. Many other platforms do not provide an app to browse model and photographer portfolios.

The one thing that the One Model Place platform could have improved is its customer support. It is pretty slow.

3. Portbox

Ranking: 4.5/5

Portbox is another popular platform like Model Mayhem. I really liked their easy-to-use interface. You can see portfolios of both beginners as well as professional models on this platform. It is quite easy to navigate the model profiles on this platform. One feature of this platform that has really impressed me is the availability status. You can see this status against each model profile. Thus, you don’t have to interact with all the models to know their availability.

You can always check the entire work history of the model through this site. Models from different parts of the world use this platform. If you are interested to hire a model of any particular region or ethnicity for the photo shoot, you can easily pick one through Portbox.

I also liked their precision search feature. It really helps to narrow down your search preference for selecting a model. It helps to save a good amount of search time. The booking system of the Portbox platform is also an easy-to-use section.

The only thing that I did not like about this platform is that you can sign up only through an invite system. So, you need to have the invitation to join this platform. If you don’t have anyone in your social circle who can invite you, you won’t be able to join this site. If you are a beginner, you may find it difficult to join Portbox. I wish they had removed this invite only option.

4. MuseCube

Ranking: 4.5/5

MuseCube is another popular Model Mayhem alternative. It is a social networking platform for photographers and models. If you are a model looking for a job, you can share your portfolio over here. It will help to increase your chances of getting hired. You can create your account for free there.

This platform is not only for models and photographers, it is also for stylists and makeup artists. One thing I liked about MuseCube is that their team reviews and rates all the portfolios. So, as a model or photographer, you need to ensure you upload your best works here. Otherwise, your rating will go down. This reviewing process by their team also helps to eliminate fake profiles in the system. Thus, clients can approach the models listed on this platform with full confidence. Also, Musecube is a completely free service. You don’t have to pay them anything. Your chances of getting hired will be low if you are inactive on the MuseCube platform for a long time.

The whole verification process takes a lot of time. It can be irritating at times. I hope they can make it a bit faster.

5. Model Management

Ranking: 4.5/5

If you are a model, photographer, or agency, the Model Management platform will be a good choice. You can easily find models or photographers from different parts of the world through this site. There are around 2,000,000 plus models, 330,000 plus industry professionals, and 2000 plus agencies on this platform.

Models and photographers can list their pricing and location on this platform. It makes life easy for the agency or the brand to choose one according to their budget. The pro directory is also a useful feature. It allows you to select the best premium models and photographers. The casting section will be really useful for models who are looking for a paid job. You can find different casting posts here. Model Management also provides an easy-to-use online booking tool. Once you book a model or a photographer through this tool, a smart contract is sent to the model.

The signup process is simple and easy. You can sign up on this platform with your email, Facebook, Apple, or Google account. Once the photoshoot is over, the client can give a review for the model and the photographer on this platform. Positive reviews will help you to gain more work.

They also offer an app for Android and iOS platforms. So, you can easily check for paid work opportunities on the go.

6. The Fashion Model Directory (FMD)

Ranking: 4/5

The Fashion Model Directory, popularly known as FMD is another great platform for models, photographers, and agencies. They have been operating this platform for more than 20 years now. In my opinion, it will be a good alternative to Model Mayhem.

They have many members. So, as a model or photographer, you will find this platform very useful in my opinion. The registration process is quite simple in FMD. During the online registration process, they give you the option to select your type of account. It includes normal users, agencies, models, magazines, designers, brands, and photographers. Thus, they have got a proper grouping of members according to type. So if you are a photographer or a brand looking for a model for a photo shoot, you can find them easily from the models section. Also, they have the biggest database of members. So, you don’t have to look anywhere else for hiring a model.

They also follow a strict verification process for the users. I like this part of the platform. It will ensure that there are no fake accounts or profiles. If you are a model looking for a paid job, you can be pretty sure that you are dealing with an actual person and not a bot.

One feature of FMD that has really impressed me is the option to give comments for the models. If you have worked with any of the models on this platform, you can share your feedback here. It will help the models to get more work. I also liked the fact they give the option to the user to rank the models for their professionalism. It will make the hiring process much easy for the agency, brand, magazine, or photographer.

7. Models.com

Ranking: 4/5

The Models.com platform is not only for photographers and models. A magazine, casting director, production company, hair stylist, makeup stylist, or ad agency can also use this platform. The signup process is quite simple. You can sign up using your email, Facebook account, or Twitter account.

You can find some of the best models around the world from this platform. It is one of the popular websites for models. If you are a beginner looking to build a career in modeling, this platform is for you. After signing up, make sure to upload very high-quality pictures.

Also, all models who sign up on this platform will not get a dedicated page for themselves. Only a few get this golden opportunity. In most cases, models who get an invitation from this platform will be showcased on a separate page. They have a better chance of getting hired through this platform.

I liked the Pro search feature of this platform. If you are an agency or brand looking for a model, photographer, or other associated professional, this Pro search will be very useful. The filter options in it are designed in such a way that you can pick the best according to your requirements. There are many agencies that like to recruit models who are popular on social media platforms like Instagram. On Models.com, you can see the number of Instagram fan followers of each model. It will easily show you the popularity of the model.

I wish they have provided an app for this platform. It will be really useful in this digital age where agencies, clients and professionals prefer such apps.

8. Purpleport

Ranking: 4/5

Purpleport is one of the best places for freelance models. Apart from models and photographers, many other professionals can also use this platform. It includes makeup artists, photo retouchers, hair stylists, shoot stylists, artists, cloth designers, photography tutors, and studio owners.

The signup process is pretty easy on the Purpleport platform. You just need your email to do the signup process. They don’t provide any other options for sign-up. Around 300,000 plus casting calls were listed on this platform.

Purpleport offers different types of tools too. It includes online booking tools, away and travel notices, a full-featured calendar, studio events, casting calls, and many others to help both the models and the hiring agencies. This platform allows you to work directly with the models. Thus, you don’t have to spend extra money on the middleman. Also, the client can give a review of the model and the photographer. Positive reviews from the client really help to get more paid assignments. It is also useful for other clients while choosing their model/ photographer.

Another feature of this website that I found useful is the availability of plenty of useful resources for both models and photographers. These guides and articles will help you kick-start your career as a model/ photographer. Such resources are not available in many other similar modeling sites.

But I still feel that they can bring some more improvement in the user interface to make it more appealing to the users.

9. Go Models

Ranking: 4/5

Go Models is another good Model Mayhem alternative that you can consider to take your modeling career to the next level.

An interesting feature that I liked about this platform is its variety of models. They have got male, female, baby, child, 50 plus, plus size, fitness, and tattooed models. Many other modeling websites just offer male and female models. If you are looking for a baby, aged, or plus size model, you can definitely find them here. Also, if you are a model in this category, it will be easy to get paid work from here, provided you have a good portfolio.

You just need to enter your name and email details to sign up on this platform. You can sign up as a model or client. If you are a client looking for models, you can use the Go Models platform free of charge. You don’t have to pay any commission.

10. Instagram

Ranking: 4/5

Instagram is a social media platform where you can post pictures and videos. But it is also one of the platforms where you can find models and photographers. Almost all models will have an Instagram profile. If you are a person who is interested in entering the modeling industry, you must start an Instagram profile. Make sure to upload high-quality images and videos to your Instagram account.

If you are a person who is interested in taking up a career as a fashion photographer, you must also consider setting up a good portfolio on Instagram. Nowadays clients and brands look for models and photographers on Instagram too. Just uploading your images and videos won’t be sufficient.

You need to do appropriate marketing of your portfolio of images. Only then will your photos be seen by agencies and brands. It will increase your chances of getting hired. Also, make sure not to mix your professional profile with your personal one. Keep both separate.

One thing about Instagram is it takes some time to get established on this platform. If you are a beginner, you may find it difficult. If you have already worked with popular agencies and brands, it will be a little easier for you. An Instagram profile will be beneficial for models in the long run. Make sure to post pictures and videos on a regular basis. Also, make sure to use the right hashtags. If you are very interested to work with any particular brand, tag them in your posts.

I hope this article gave you many possible options to Model Mayhem to choose from. Consider reading this article if you are interested to learn about shooting fashion models.