Top Landscape Photographer Shares Secrets

John Sexton and Popphoto.com offer tips for capturing better landscapes and scenics in a recent online article. Below is an excerpt.

…You can find a beautiful scene like Yosemite Valley, with granite cliffs and a spectacular waterfall, but if the lighting isn't right, you won't successfully convey that beauty in a photograph.

For every scene, the appropriate light can be different. It may be the delicate directional light of dawn or dusk, or the soft, open light of a cloudy afternoon. For me, it's often the quiet light before sunrise or after sunset that is magical. To get this "perfect" light, however, I rise long before dawn, and I'm not on my way back to my van until well after dark…

Read the entire article "How to Create a Classic" on popphoto.com.

Image provided by popphoto.com

Microsoft Offers Photo Students Chance To Join The Pros

There is only about a month left to submit entries to the Microsoft Future Pro Photographers Photography Contest. Microsoft is providing an opportunity for college and university student photographers from around the world to showcase their artistic talent and photographic style. The contest is open to students who are currently attending a two year, four year, or technical school.

The prize packages include a Grand Prize of $20,000 cash (US) and a digital workflow prize package including a Canon EOS 30D digital SLR and Adobe Creative Suite 2. There will also be three First Place winners in the following categories: Nature & Landscape; People & Portraits; and Fine Art who will each win $2000 cash (US) and a digital workflow prize package as well. Kickstart your professional career with help from Microsoft. Online submissions only.

The submission period ends May 31st, 2007.

TIPA Announces Awards For 36 Best Imaging Products

The European Technical Image Press Association has announced the winners of its annual award for the best products in 36 categories. TIPA includes 31 publications from 12 countries. Editors from 28 of the member publications voted to select the best imaging products in Europe for this 17th edition of the association's award.

Here are just a few winners:
DSLR professional: Canon EOS-1D Mark III
DSLR entry level: Nikon D40x
Digital rangefinder: Leica M8
Photo software: Apple Aperture 1.5

Popphoto.com lists these 36 awarded Best Imaging Products.

Sigma Releases 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC Macro For Sony/Maxxum

Sigma has announced the 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC MACRO for Sony Alpha 100 DSLR.

This lens has a large aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, a minimum focusing distance of 20cm (7.9") and a maximum magnification of 1:3, making it ideal for close-up photography. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the petal-type lens hood (supplied) plus circular polarizing filters.

Lens will retail for around $450-$500.

Image provided by Sigma.

Kingston Releases Auto Transfer SD Card

Kingston Technology Company, Inc., announced a new SD card that automatically transfers photos from a digital camera to a computer and then to Shutterfly, an online photo sharing website. The 1GB Kingston Photo Loader Card comes pre-loaded with software developed by mobile tech company MacroPort that automatically uploads the photos.

The Kingston Loader Card works by placing the SD card in a PC-enabled card reader. The MacroPort PhotoPlay software then downloads the photos, automatically transferring them from the memory card to the PC, and then uploads the photos to the user's Shutterfly account.

The Kingston Photo Loader Card is compatible with Windows XP and Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher. The 1GB Photo Loader Card retails for $12.99 and is currently available only at Amazon.com. Customers will also receive 25 free prints from Shutterfly with purchase.

Apple Profiles Sports Photographer Brad Mangin

As a photographer of local youth sports, the accomplishments of freelance sports photographer Brad Mangin are something for me to aspire to. Posted on the Apple website, Joe Cellini has taken a look at Mangin’s impressive work during the recent spring training season here in Arizona. Included in the article is Mangin’s background, philosophy, workflow, equipment and most importantly a photo gallery. Here’s an except.

…Mangin “kicked around,” stringing for the Associated Press and eventually taking a job with a small newspaper, but he was unhappy. “I had a taste of just doing sports full time,” he says. “So I quit my newspaper job, and since 1993 I have been a full-time sports photographer — working completely without a net.”…

… “We shoot RAW+JPEG at Sports Illustrated,” he explains. “They edit from the JPEGs and process the RAWs — they want the beautiful files. And the stuff in the magazine looks incredible. They’ve really got it dialed in now.”…

Mangin is usually armed with a Canon EOS-1D Mark IIN, a 17-inch MacBook Pro and Apple’s Aperture image editing application. View the entire online article on the Apple website.

Photography Competitions With May 2007 Deadlines

Below is a brief list of upcoming photography competitions with submission deadlines ending in May, 2007.

The Photo Review 23rd Annual International Photography Competition
Accepted work will be reproduced in the 2007 competition issue of The Photo Review. Prize winners will be exhibited at the photography gallery at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Deadline: May 1 to May 15, 2007

Hey, Hot Shot! Spring Competition @ Jen Bekman
Winners will be featured as one of 10 photographers in the Hey, Hot Shot 2007 Spring Showcase, represented by Jen Bekman Gallery, and will be eligible to be one of four finalists included in the Hey, Hot Shot Annual show.
Deadline: May 8, 2007

Photographic Center Northwest 12th Annual Photographic Competition
Winners will be included in the Up & Now exhibit July 13 to August 30 and juror's awards are $1000, $500, and $250.
Deadline: May 25, 2007

Sigma Lens Compatibility List For Nikon D40 And D40x DSLRs

Sigma Corp., the Japanese optics manufacturer has recently issued a new updated list of supported lenses for the Nikon D40 and D40x digital SLR.

The recently introduced D40 and D40x DSLR from Nikon are unlike previous Nikon DSLR models as they do not include a focus motor in the camera body. What this saves in cost, size and weight it loses in compatibility with some lenses that also don’t have integrated focus motors.

Current Sigma lenses compatible with the Nikon D40 and D40x DLSR cameras are listed below.

10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC
12-24mm F4.5-5.6
17-35mm F2.8-4 DG
50-500mm F4-6.3 DG
APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM
70-200mm F2.8 DG MACRO
80-400mm F4.5-5.6
100-300mm F4 DG
120-300mm F2.8 DG
300-800mm F5.6 DG
14mm F2.8 EX
30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM
150mm F2.8 EX DG
180mm F3.5 EX DG
300mm EX DG
500mm EX DG
800mm f5.6 EX DG

New Fujifilm S5 Pro DSLR v1.06 Firmware Update

A second firmware update has been released by Fujifilm for the company’s latest S5 Pro Digital SLR. This update improves issues with the camera’s menu system, providing modification locks for four additional settings, as well as an upgrade of the Barcode-reading function in relation to EXIF data.

Download the S5 Pro DSLR v1.06 firmware upgrade directly from the Fujifilm website.

New CyberShot DSC-S800 From Sony

Sony Europe has introduced an addition to its S-series digital camera line with the new 8MP CyberShot DSC-S800. The camera features a 6x optical zoom lens, Super HAD CCD sensor, 2.5-inch LCD, 54MB of internal memory, a special high sensitivity mode of ISO 1250 and will be available around the end of May.

The DSC-S800 is equipped with a one-touch Direct Playback button that switches straight to Playback mode while shooting for quick, confident checking of your images. The supplied NiMH AA battery pack allows for 390 shots between charges, which should be adequate for most shooters. The Sony CyberShot DSC-S800 will support Sony’s Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo removable media. No price has been released at this time.
Image provided by Sony

New Sony Memory Stick Pro HG Duo Media Announced

Sony has provided price and availability information regarding its new Memory Stick Pro HG Duo Media. These new flash memory cards, which will be available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB storage capacities, promise faster recording and shorter data transfer time. The retail price will range from $60 to $150 when the cards become available in August.

According to a company press release Sony created the media cards in response to the advent of high megapixel digital cameras and camcorders arriving on store shelves. These updated MS Pro HG Duo cards have an 8-bit parallel interface, adding four more connector pins than previous Sony Memory Stick media. Sony also states that these additional pins allow for a faster 30 MB per second data transfer rate.

The big question is can these new Memory Stick Pro HG Duo media cards be used with devices that support the current 4-bit parallel interface? The answer is yes according to Sony. I would assume this will include the current Alpha 100 DSLR and the upcoming models planned for release this year. MagicGate software that provides copyright protection to commercial content will be packaged with each media card.

When these new cards become available in late summer, the 1GB MS-EX1G Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo is will retail for $60, the 2GB MS-EX2G for $90, and the higher capacity 4GB MS-EX4G (4GB) for $150. No indication of an 8GB model has been given at this time.
Image provided by Sony

Pentax Releases Application Updates

In addition to the recent firmware update for the K10D, Pentax has also released updates to other company applications. The update to the Pentax RAW codec for Windows Vista also for viewing and developing RAW .pef files directly within the Vista operating system. Photo Browser and Photo Laboratory software updates include additional lens aberration correction features and noise reduction. The Pentax Remote Assistant 3 application now supports more than two connected cameras as well as interval, bulb and timer modes. The new K10D firmware allows the camera to function with Remote Assistant 3. Links to download these updates are provided below.

PENTAX RAW codec software (for Windows Vista 32 bit)

PENTAX PHOTO Browser 3 and PENTAX PHOTO Laboratory 3 Update (for Windows / Macintosh)

PENTAX REMOTE Assistant Software for Windows 2000 / XP / Vista

Pentax Releases v1.20 Firmware For K10D DSLR

Pentax has released a v1.20 firmware update to the popular K10D Digital SLR camera. The main improvement is added functionality with the Pentax Remote Assistant 3 application. This provides the ability to tether the camera to a computer for computer controlled shooting. The update also includes all of the features in previous firmware versions 1.10 and 1.11.

Download and install the firmware upgrade directly from the Pentax website. Be sure to read all directions prior to running the update on the camera to avoid any possible problems.

Adobe Photoshop Tips From Popphoto.com

Debbie Grossman of Popphoto.com provides Adobe Photoshop tips for turning a humdrum image into a dreamy, romantic photo. Here’s an excerpt.

Ever shoot a subject that's sweet, simple, or beautiful, only to find that the lighting was anything but? Or take a picture that should be romantic, but ends up kind of dull? Getting the look of your picture to match its content is one of the things that Adobe Photoshop is most accomplished at doing.

Read the entire article including steps and image gallery.

Man Who Made Mapplethorpe Documentary

Below is an excerpt from a New York Times article by Philip Gefter.

Tall, handsome and rich would be one way to describe Sam Wagstaff, a legendary figure in the international art world of the 1970s and ’80s. Urbane is another. Iconoclastic, certainly. And glamorous, without a doubt. But the word that keeps cropping up in “Black White + Gray,” a new documentary about Mr. Wagstaff by a first-time director, James Crump, that will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival next week, is “visionary.”

Read the entire “The Man Who Made Mapplethorpe” article on the New York Times website.

Canon Europe EOS 20th Anniversary Cash Back Promotion

Canon Europe Cashback Offer

The legendary EOS System from CANON has been at the cutting edge of imaging technology for 20 continuous years.

To Celebrate this Milestone year, and thank you for your support, we have decided to make an historic offer to all our customers.

You can receive an astonishing total €1,995 Cashback on our widest range of EOS Photo and lens kits ever.

An amazing 19 photo kits, 8 lens kits and 22 individual EOS lens & accessories are covered in this unprecedented Cashback Offer.

This comprehensive range means we can add even more outstanding value to your EOS choice, whatever your digital imaging preference may be.

The EOS system has spent 20 years evolving and innovating. That’s why the EOS system continues to expand today. Through continued exploration of the possibilities offered by digital technology, the EOS system guarantees to continue innovating and growing in the years to come.

This incredible cash back offer is only available between 01.04.07 and 30.06.07. You will find further details in the terms and conditions below.

We know that as digital imaging enthusiasts you want to experience the best possible choice of the best possible digital imaging quality at the best price available.

(Full Terms and Conditions here)

Hawaiian Railway Album Photobook Series

Below is an excerpt from an online article by Burl Burlingame of the Hawaiian Star Bulletin.

Here's the third volume of the "Hawaiian Railway Album" photobook series, a collection that exists purely by serendipity. The first and second volumes largely grew out of the personal archives of Victor Norton, a sailor stationed at Pearl Harbor during World War II. A railroad buff, Norton photographed many of Hawaii's trains during a period when they were not only busiest, but when photography was discouraged by military authorities.

Read the entire article from the Star Bulletin website.

Image Courtesy of the HAWAIIAN RAILWAY ALBUM

Photographer Awarded NPPA's Highest Honor

This article originally appeared in the Hartford Courant.

Recently retired Courant photographer John Long has been awarded the National Press Photographers Association's highest honor.

Long and Kenny Irby of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies have received the 2007 Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award. Long recently retired from a 35-year career as a photojournalist and picture editor and is an NPPA past president.

"For almost as many years he's been NPPA's voice on matters of ethics and standards, and he led NPPA through a complete rewrite of the Code of Ethics as photojournalism entered the digital era," the group said.

The Sprague Award is given to a photojournalist "who advances, elevates, or attains unusual recognition for the profession of photojournalism by conduct, initiative, leadership, skill, and devotion to duty," the group said.

Long and Irby will be presented with their awards at a June 2 event in Portland, Ore.

"I am deeply honored and humbled by this award," Long said in a statement released by the group. "I like the fact that it gives recognition to the important place ethics has within NPPA."

Courant Director of Photography John Scanlan said Long "was a tireless voice for truth in photojournalism long before the era of digital photography made photo manipulation a relatively simple process. He understood early on that the credibility of news photographers rested on a foundation of proper ethical behavior, and that any alteration or manipulation of a photograph by even one photographer could damage the credibility of the entire profession."

"He used his affiliation with the National Press Photographers Association and his standing within the community of photojournalists as a forum to disseminate the ethical gospel according to John," Scanlan said. "I couldn't be happier for him. The NPPA Sprague Award is a well-deserved crowning achievement in his long and successful career."

Sony Releases Cybershot DSC-T100 Firmware Update

A firmware update for the Cybershot DSC-T100 digital point-and-shoot camera has been released by Sony. According to the Sony website this update resolves an issue where the message "No images" may be displayed on the LCD screen when using "slide show with music" function with transferred music more than 170 seconds in length. This update also supports the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.

To view a list of affected models by serial number or to download the firmware update, visit the Sony website.

Image provided by Sony.

24 Hour Student Photo Contest Hosted By Apple

Apple will open the Insomnia Photo Festival student photography contest on April 27. At 5 p.m. EDT, the company will post a photography assignment on its education Web site, and entrants will have 24 hours to complete the assignment and submit an image. Entries will be posted online and rated by the public until May 16. The 25 highest rated photos will then be judged by a panel. The three entrants with the highest public ratings and three winners chosen by the panel of judges will receive prizes that include a 15-inch MacBook Pro, an 80GB iPod and Aperture software.

Entrants must register for the contest by 5 p.m. EST on April 26. They also must attend school in the U.S. and prepare the image they submit on a Mac. Complete contest rules are available on the Apple Education Web site.

Macworld Reviews New Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended

Greg Miller of Macworld takes a closer look at the new Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended. Below is a brief excerpt.

Photoshop CS3 Extended includes all of the same features as Photoshop CS3 but adds a brand-new set of tools and capabilities for the integration of 3-D models, video and animation, and image measurement and analysis…

…Photoshop CS3 Extended can now import and manipulate 3-D objects, such as OBJ, 3DS, U3D (Acrobat 3D), KMZ (Google Earth), and COLLADA (XML files used most often for gaming) file formats. While these formats are all common and useful, the omission of DWG—the most popular format for exchanging CAD (computer-aided design) models—is glaring.

Read the entire online review on the Macworld website.

DiVision Releases BatchPhoto Image Editor

A new photo editing software has been released by DiVision Software titled BatchPhoto that adds dates, annotates, resizes, renames and watermarks photos. Other features include 39 graphical filters, such as blur, sepia, or black and white to name a few. Users of BatchPhoto import image files into the application and follow the provided steps to apply these options to multiple files simultaneously. BatchPhoto supports more than 100 image formats and allows users to access saved profiles by right clicking the mouse, a function of Windows Explorer.

The application is Windows compatible and three versions are available: BatchPhoto Lite for $19.95, BatchPhoto Home for $29.95, and BatchPhoto Pro for $49.95. A free 30-day trial version can be downloaded from the DiVision website.

Myartspace.com Announces New York Photo Contest

Myartspace.com, an online visual arts community site, has announced their "New York, New York 2007" competition. Winning entries will be exhibited at a Chelsea district gallery in New York for three weeks this Fall, and the artists will receive a two-day trip to the city to attend the gallery opening.

To enter, create an online gallery containing a maximum of five images on myartspace.com by September 15. Contestants are required to pay a $25 submission fee before June 30th. 50 finalists and four winners will be selected by a three-person jury on the basis of the work's artistic merit, originality and innovation, and relevance to the contemporary art world.

Further contest information is available on the Myartspace site.

New Web Photo Posting v1.0 From StepOK

Web Photo Posting v1.0 has been released by StepOK to easily optimize photos for the internet. The application will retail for 19 bucks and has been developed for photo sharing web users and bloggers. Its drag-and-drop interface allows users to easily import photos into the application, resize the images, and upload them to a website. Global file settings can be created, and users can preview images at those settings. There is even a batch processing mode to greatly improve workflow and reduce processing time.

A 30-day free trial of Web Photo Posting v1.0 is available on the StepOK website, or purchase for $19.

Macworld Reviews New Adobe Bridge CS3

Jim Heid of Macworld takes a closer look at the new Adobe Bridge CS3. Below is a brief excerpt.

Bridge isn’t intended to be a complete photo workflow and data-base-style library-management program. But because it does provide some similar features, some comparisons are appropriate. And although Bridge brings benefits to each member of the CS3 family, it’s most useful to Photoshop users. Bridge’s improvements begin with a new look: the Bridge window is dark and muted, like that of Aperture or Lightroom, to provide better contrast from your images.

Read the entire online review on the Macworld website.

Macworld Reviews New Adobe Photoshop CS3

Jim Heid of Macworld takes a closer look at the new Adobe Photoshop CS3. Below is a brief excerpt.

Although the program is a must-have, it isn’t perfect. While some of Photoshop CS3’s new features shine, others need polish. What’s more, Photoshop now comes in two flavors, so you’ll need to decide between the standard version and the pricier, more fully featured Photoshop CS3 Extended. Fortunately, Adobe didn’t change the vast majority of keyboard shortcuts that many Photoshop users perform in their sleep—so Photoshop veterans will feel at home even as they enjoy exploring their new surroundings.

Read the entire online review on the Macworld website.

New Photography Book Reveals Victims Of Arab-Israeli Conflict

Adam Goldman of CanadaEastOnline looks at a new book from photographer Gillian Laub titled “Testimony.” After 18 trips to Israel, she felt compelled to document something about this troubled little country at the center of a violent conflict that swallows lives like an angry, swollen river. The book, published by Aperture will be available May 1st, and will contain 50 portraits of people living in Israel, including the combustible West Bank.

Read the entire article on the CanadaEastOnline website.
Image provided by amazon.com

Particulars of Place: Photo Portfolios from the Collection

The Carroll County Times reports on a new photography exhibit opening tomorrow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Called "Particulars of Place: Photo Portfolios from the Collection” the featured photographers include American Paul Strand, an early believer in the power of sequenced pictures. Strand's first portfolio, created in 1940, is a cinematically arranged series of photographs portraying village life in Mexico. He then went on to chronicle locations such as the Hebrides, Italy and Egypt.

Most of the images come from portfolios, or series of prints contained in special boxes. Among the examinations: a 19th-century Philadelphia penitentiary, the mythical Stonehenge and the Southern California coast.

Read the entire online article from the Carroll County Times.

Image provided by Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Apple Releases v1.5.3 Update For Aperture

Apple has released version 1.5.3 of Aperture, its image editing software for Mac OS X. According to Apple, this new version resolves issues related to overall reliability and performance, including:

• Restoring from a vault

• Generation of thumbnails for adjusted images

• Working with large sets of keywords in the Keywords HUD

• Entering and exiting Full Screen mode

The company recommends also installing the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update to add support for Raw files captured by new digitals cameras such as the Leica Digilux 3; the most recent DSLRs from Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax and Samsung; and the complete lineup of medium-format digital backs from Leaf Photography.

The 129-MB download is available within the application using the Software Update menu or from the Aperture download page.

American Photo Q&A With Photographer Taryn Simon

David Schonauer of American Photo speaks with photographer Taryn Simon about her latest book An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar and upcoming exhibition in this latest online article.

Excerpt:
Simon's breakthrough 2003 book The Innocents was a collection of portraits of former prison convicts who had been exonerated through DNA testing. The elaborately lit and staged portraits (in some cases, the former prisoners posed with the very people they had been accused of victimizing) were filled with blank and bitter gazes. In accompanying interviews, the former prisoners often questioned notions of justice and the merits of freedom.

The entire article and photo gallery can be viewed on popphoto.com.
Image provided by popphoto.com

New 10MP DC 1022 Digital Camera From Minox

Below is the official company press release.

The new MINOX DC 1022 has a terrific specification: 10.1 megapixel resolution, 6x optical zoom and up to 62x digital zoom, 2.8 inch TFT display all in a compact body that measures just 93 x 57 x 25.5 mm and weighing in at only 150 grams. The new MINOX DC 1022 is the follow-up model to the award-winning MINOX DC 8122, and one of the smallest and lightest cameras in the 10 megapixel market today. With its extensive features the camera offers tremendous versatility at a very affordable price.

Together with the fast autofocus MINOCTAR lens the CCD image sensor with a resolution of 10.1 million pixels delivers outstanding images, rich in detail that will ensure enlargements or poster prints of excellent quality. Lens optics, image sensor and software are all perfectly coordinated to ensure pin-sharp, brilliant and true color images - even in difficult light conditions. Whether macro, telephoto or portrait shots, the innovative camera optics with a close distance focusing of just 70 millimeters coupled with the 6x optical zoom allow anything from everyday 'snap-shots' to more creative photography to be performed with ease.

Aperture and shutter speed can be selected individually and in addition to this, different exposure programs reliably support the user in special situations. For example a portrait, sports, fireworks, animal photography or night-time mode can be selected, otherwise the automatic mode takes over which automatically controls all settings from the sharpness of the image to correct exposure, ensuring a perfect result.

Motif selection and subsequent image assessment are extremely easy with the large 2.8 inch TFT color monitor on the rear of the MINOX DC 1022. With its anti-reflection coating it is also very easy to read and see from different angles, even in bright sunlight. A software-based image stabilization prevents blurred images, especially when using the longer zoom range.

The MINOX DC 1022 has an SD card slot for cards of up to 2 GB as well as an internal memory of 32 MB. For video clips or voice recordings the camera has its own microphone and built-in speaker.

The power supply is from a changeable Lithium-Ion battery. The battery is included with the camera together with a case, wrist strap, USB and video cable as well as a CD-ROM with software and a user manual.
Image provide by Minox.

Scott Kelby Lightroom Tour Begins April 25th in LA

Following the release of his new book “The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers” Scott Kelby, Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine, will be going on the road with an Adobe Lightroom Tour starting next week in Los Angeles, CA. This one-day seminar is based on his own photography workflow using Lightroom and Photoshop.

On Wednesday, April 25th, 2007 the first of many seminars will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center starting with “Setting Up Lightroom The Right Way From The Start,” when Scott covers Lightroom’s preferences, library functions, built-in automation and more. Other sections include “Pro Method for Processing Raw, Tiff and Jpeg Images”, “Using Lightroom with Adobe Photoshop”, and “It’s All About The Print” to name a few.

The next planned date and location for the Kelby Lightroom Tour is Boston, MA on Monday May 21, 2007. For more information regarding the April 25th date and the tour in general visit the Adobe Photoshop Seminars website.
Image provided by adobe.com

Photoshop Sharpening Tips

James Dempsey from Macworld writes an informative article regarding tips for Photoshop sharpening. Here is an excerpt from the Macworld.

Virtually every image you bring into Adobe Photoshop—whether it be a stock image or from a scanner or digital camera—will need at least a little bit of sharpening. This is just something we, as designers, have to deal with in the digital age. Many photographers will balk at such a statement: if they’re good and take pride in their work, the photo is close to perfect in their eyes to begin with. However, once the photo is brought in to your Mac and your image manipulation is complete, a loss in sharpness is almost always present, no matter how perfect the original photo, negative or slide was.

Read the entire Macworld article.

The Canary Project: Documenting Climate Change Through Photography

Below is the Mission Statement taken from The Canary Project website.

The Canary Project is compiling persuasive visual evidence of climate change and its potential for devastation. By photographing landscapes throughout the world that are currently undergoing dramatic transformation or are vulnerable to predicted changes, we convey the urgent reality of global warming. Our team of scientists, writers and artists work to present these images in ways that speak to diverse audiences and foster positive action.

In 2006 and 2007, project co-founder Susannah Sayler will be photographing 16 landscapes around the world. Sayler's locations, selected in consultation with leading climate-change scientists and journalists, show that global warming is: (1) already affecting the world in a variety of ways; (2) affecting every place on earth.

The Canary Project incorporates these images into an extensive outreach program that combines established scientific research, interpretive graphics and other media to reach a wide variety of people. These initiatives will continue beyond 2007.

Exhibitions + Outreach

In the second phase of the project, we will photograph solutions to the problem of global warming, such as sources of alternative energy, preparations for already predicted changes and various green products.
Image provided by The Canary Project

Adobe Releases v4.0 Camera RAW Plug-In

Adobe has released version 4.0 of its Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop Elements 4.01 only. It’s available for download now, along with Adobe DNG Converter.

This release adds support for the Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-FZ8, which features a 12x optical zoom, 7.2MP sensor and optical image stabilization.

The Adobe DNG Converter application converts raw digital files from supported cameras to the Adobe DNG (Digital Negative) format, a universal file format created by Adobe to address the lack of an open standard in the raw camera file space.

Be aware that Adobe has indicated this new Camera Raw 4.0 plug-in is not compatible with versions of Photoshop prior to the new CS3 release, or Photoshop Elements prior to 4.01 for Mac and 5.0 for Windows. Older versions are still available.

2007 Pulitzer Prize Winners For Photography

Jay DeFoore of American Photo takes a closer look at the recent 2007 Pulitzer Prize winners for Photography. Renée C. Byer of The Sacramento Bee, Oded Balilty, a staff photographer for the Associated Press, and Los Angeles Times staff photographer Rick Loomis were among the winners of the 2007 Pulitzer Prizes, the 91st year of the competition that awards the top journalism, letters, drama and music produced in America over the past year.

Read the entire article on popphoto.com

Image provided by © Oded Balilty / The Associated Press

Canon Digital Rebel XTi Firmware Update

Available today from Canon is updated firmware for the EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS 400D digital SLR cameras. This version 1.0.5 corrects problems with the PictBridge direct printing system, such as correcting the printing of lens names when using PictBridge. [Redeye 1] can now be selected when connecting with specific printers. The firmware also improves the reliability of communication with the 380EX Speedlite. This firmware update applies to cameras with firmware versions up to 1.0.4 installed. If your camera's firmware is already at version 1.0.5, it is not necessary to download and install this update.

Download version 1.0.5 firmware directly from the Canon download website.

New Online Option for Copyright Registration

Beginning this summer (2007), the U.S. Copyright Office will offer an option to file online copyright registrations. They will provide a website that allows for faster processing time, earlier effective registration dates, status tracking, online payment and a lower filing fee of $35.

The current ‘snail-mail’ process will be retained, although current online forms will be replaced with new versions on or after July 1, 2007. The current paper application fee will also remain at $45. Read more about these upcoming improvements and services from http://www.copyright.gov/eco/.

Pulitzer Photography Finalist Altered Published Images

Last week much was made of a photographer who digitally altered his photo submission to a Toledo, Ohio newspaper, The Toledo Blade. The photographer, Allan Detrich resigned following the allegations. More information has been released by the newspaper in a recent article detailing additional submitted images that had been altered and published. Of the 947 submitted photographs for publication, it was discovered that 79 had been digitally altered by Detrich. Obviously this was not an isolated incident. Read the entire Toledo Blade article.

New Portable External Hard Drives From Toshiba

Looking for a portable solution to backup, transfer or store digital images and other data, Toshiba has announced today the availability of a 200GB version of its USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive. The drive will ship with Mac and PC-compatible backup software already installed. The 200GB model costs $229.99.

It measures 0.94 x 3.5 x 5.6 inches and weighs only one pound one ounce. A blue indicator light shows when the power is on. The drive, which uses a single 2.5-inch mechanism, comes bundled with NTI Shadow backup software. It includes a four-foot cable, and is built with a ‘scratch-resistant’ black aluminum housing.

Toshiba also offers the drive in capacities from 100GB to 160GB, in prices from $129.99 to $179.99 depending on capacity.

Wacom Releases New Tablet Driver Update For Mac OS X

Today Wacom Technology Corp. posted a new driver (for use with all Macs running Mac OS X vs.10.3.9 and 10.4. It works in both the native and classic environment of OS X.

This driver supports the USB versions of all Intuos3, Intuos2, Intuos, CintiqPartner, Graphire2 (ET-0405A) and Graphire pen tablets and the Cintiq 21UX, 18SX, 15x and PL-500 pen displays.

The driver can be downloaded from WTC's Web site at http://www.wacom.com/productsupport/select.cfm.

Intel-based Macs require driver version 4.96 or later. Wacom implemented the following changes and improvements for this driver release:

• A new Pan/Scroll option was added for the pen buttons. Press a pen button set to this function and then drag the pen tip across the tablet to pan or scroll the current document in any direction. (In some graphics applications, this will enable the grabber hand.)

• This driver supports only the professional tablets listed above. For concurrent use of a consumer Wacom tablet, you need to install a separate Pen Tablet driver, version 5.03 or later. These two drivers can now be added or removed independently of each other.

• A number of smaller issues were resolved as well.

Adobe Now Shipping New Creative Suite 3 Products

Adobe announces today they will begin shipping Creative Suite 3, their new suite of applications designed for creative professionals including Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium and Standard editions; as well as Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium and Standard editions.

Stand-alone versions of Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe InDesign CS3, Adobe Illustrator CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Adobe Fireworks CS3, and Adobe Contribute CS3 will also be shipping today.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium edition costs $1799 and $1199 for Creative Suite 3 Design Standard edition. Creative Suite 3 Web Premium costs $1599 and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Standard costs $999.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium, and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2007.

New Paul C. Buff Forums For AlienBees, White Lightning And Zeus Owners

As a very satisfied owner of AlienBees studio lights I was pleased to see the creation of the Paul C. Buff forum for users of AlienBees, White Lightning and Zeus professional photographic flash units and accessories. The forum includes areas for each product line, news, tips, tricks, discussions, customer service contacts, FAQ, Usergroups, and a featured image gallery.

If interested you can register at http://www.paulcbuff.com/forums/.
Image provided by www.alienbees.com

War Photographer James Nachtwey Speaks At University Of Tennessee

Melody Gordon, staff writer for The Daily Beacon, a student newspaper at the University of Tennessee speaks with war photographer James Nachtwey, who recently lectured at the university. “I am a witness and my testimony may not be acceptable. My pictures are to be displayed while the events are still going on so it will become a part of society’s daily dialogue,” Nachtwey said.

From funerals with bodies wrapped and buried in sheets in Somalia to bloody handprints on white walls in Kosovo, university audience members said the images made them want to cry. Read the entire article on The Daily Beacon website.

Image provided by www.jamesnachtwey.com

SD14 DSLR Firmware ver.1.01 Released By Sigma

A firmware update to the recently released SD14 Digital SLR from Sigma is already available. It didn’t take long for Sigma to find a need to implement improvements to the flash system, playback quality and the ability to enter sensor cleaning mode without the use of an AC adapter. Other issues corrected are the phenomenon of the intermittent camera freeze under certain conditions (of course Sigma doesn’t mention what those conditions are), and corrects a phenomenon that the camera did not save the AdobeRGB setting when changed from sRGB. This was the bug in the menu display.

Visit the Sigma SD14 Firmware ver.1.01 download page to download and install this new update.

Image provided by Sigma.

AP Photographer Still Held By Military After One Year

Here is an excerpt from today’s PDN Online article from Daryl Lang:

On April 12, 2006 Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein was arrested in Ramadi, Iraq, by the U.S. military. He has now been their prisoner for one year. While the AP continues to work for his release, Hussein is caught in a system that labels him a security risk and gives him no access to a fair trial.

Read the entire PDN Online article.

Ricoh Releases Caplio R5 Firmware Update

A firmware update to the Ricoh Caplio R5 has been released today. The 7MP, wide zoom (28–200mm 35mm equivalent) digital point-and-shoot camera was released in August of last year. According to the company website, the update adds support for Windows Vista. It also fixes an issue with the sound on movie files played on Windows Vista. Firmware update can be downloaded from the Ricoh website.

Image provided by Ricoh.

Adobe Lightroom Book From Scott Kelby Delayed

I posted a brief article last week about the upcoming "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers" ‘how-to’ book from Scott Kelby, stating it was due to be released on Tuesday April 10th. It seems the publisher has pushed back the release date again and the book is now due to be available Monday April 16th. Scott Kelby has written many excellent instructional books and this new one should be no different. His previous volume "The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers" is highly recommended for any digital photographer who uses Adobe Photoshop CS2, and I'm looking forward to picking up this new Lightroom book. Online pre-orders are now available.

Kingston Overhauls Icons Of Photography Site

I posted an article regarding the Icons of Photography site from Kingston a couple of months ago, and I recently discovered that Kingston Technology has recently overhauled its impressive Icons of Photography website. The site features interviews with prominent photographers, and the new updated format will allow readers to pose questions to the photographers and to submit images for them to critique. The Icons of Photography site also includes galleries of the featured photographers’ work and calendars that list live events and workshops. Photographers featured on the site include Peter Read Miller, Harry Benson, Colin Finlay and Gerd Ludwig.

New RealPIX Digital Camera Aimed At Real Estate Agents

Camera manufacturer RealPIX recently announced a new point-and-shoot digital camera targeted to real estate agents. The camera features a wide-angle, fixed-focus lens. “Pictures of houses, inside and out [are] a huge, huge part of the lives of these real estate professionals,” states the RealPIX website. With nearly 1 million licensed real estate agents in the U.S., traditional camera manufacturers have neglected to create a real estate-dedicated point-and-shoot, according to the RealPIX website.

Limited to only a few buttons and functions, the RealPix camera is ideal for photography novices. The camera has a fixed-focus 22mm f/2.0 lens ideal for wide shooting both indoors and outdoors. The camera is also equipped with a flash for illumination of up to 20 feet. “Don’t buy it expecting to take family Christmas photos with it,” states the company website. “It does only one thing, and does it better and easier than any other camera. It takes remarkable interior room and exterior house shots.”

The RealPIX camera takes JPEG photos at 640x480 pixel resolution, lower than most standard point-and-shoots but suited for viewing on the Web. The camera's built-in memory holds 400 images. A user can charge their camera using a USB cable, wall charger, or a portable car charger. “Until RealPIX, no manufacturer has taken the requirements of the trade seriously enough to engineer a camera optimized only for this usage,” states the site.

The RealPix camera comes with a 1-year warranty and will retail for $299 when it becomes available in July. Pre-order at realpixcamera.com.
Images provided by RealPIX.

FujiFilm Plans To Enter The Ink Jet Printer Market

Japan's Fujifilm Holdings said last week it would enter the market for industrial ink jet printers from this month to spur sales of ink cartridges. The company said it would aim for annual sales of 20 billion yen ($169 million) of the new printers and ink by the business year 2009/10.

Fujifilm will buy the printers on an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) basis from a unit of Mutoh Holdings and Dutch maker Oce NV and market them together with ink from the U.K.-based ink maker Sericol Group Ltd. that it acquired in 2005.

Fujifilm has been investing in new areas such as liquid crystal display-use film, healthcare and office equipment to offset shrinking demand for photographic film. The company said it would launch the new business in the United States this month and later expand into Europe and Japan.

Photographer Resigns Over Digitally Altered Photograph

Another media photographer has lost his job over the controversy surrounding a digitally altered photograph. According to a recent National Press Photographers Association article veteran staff photographer Allan Detrich of The Toleto Blade resigned from the newspaper. An investigation at the newspaper continues over Detrich’s alleged digital manipulation of a page one photograph and whether photos submitted and printed by the newspaper may also have been altered.

The issue pertains to a photograph Detrich took recently of a Bluffton University’s baseball team kneeling in front of outfield banners. In similar photographs printed in other papers , legs could be seen behind one of the banners. Within Detrich’s photo printed in The Toeto Blade the legs are missing. Detrich claims he removed the legs for his own copy of the image and sent the wrong file to the paper.

Personally, I think the ‘powers that be’ are taking this way too seriously. In my opinion, removing the legs does not change or manipulate the meaning or depiction of this specific moment. I believe some latitude should be taken when a photo is altered in such a minor way for obvious aesthetic reasons. Upon viewing the four versions of the photo that accompany this online article I didn’t even catch the alteration until I read the text. The overall scene just isn’t affected by the omission of these legs, in my opinion.

The line to be drawn in regard to digital manipulation should be a moving line and not set completely in stone. Are you telling me news photographers don’t add additional sharpening, or other visual correction processes to their digital photos using Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture or other editing tools? How does that differ from removing an insignificant element from within a photograph? These are all rhetorical questions, no emails are necessary, that’s what online forums are for, such as photo.net. To read the entire article, visit the National Press Photographers Association website.

No Camera Needed To Win Photography Contest

Andrew Shafer of American Photo takes a look at this year’s winner of the Santa Fe Prize for Photography contest, Leigh Anne Langwell. The Santa Fe Prize for Photography recognizes and rewards a gifted and committed photographer who has completed, or is near completion of, a meaningful body of work.

Langwell's "photographs" are actually photograms, images created without a camera by placing objects on photo-sensitive material and exposing them to light. The lack of a camera is apparently not important to the people at Center (formerly the Santa Fe Center for Photography), who this week awarded Langwell the Santa Fe Prize for Photography. But even making the photograph-photogram distinction, her images still cannot be accurately portrayed. They often don't even look like a typical photogram, because she uses a unique process to create them.

Read the entire online article, which includes an image gallery, at popphoto.com.
Image provided by popphoto.com

RSMAS Amateur Underwater Photography Contest

The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) is inviting entries to its 2007 underwater photography contest.

This Amateurs Photographers Only contest, "Amateur" defined as those who make less than 20 percent of their income through photography, has a deadline for submission of entries on May 7, 2007. There is no entry fee and contestants can submit up to three entries in each of the categories: Wide Angle, Macro and Portrait.

Best Overall submission will win a trip on Blackbeard Cruises, departing from Freeport, Bahamas, and $300. First prize winners in the three categories will get $200 each.

Contest winners will be announced at the Rosenstiel School's Sea Secrets Lecture Series presentation on Wednesday, May 23, 2007. For an official entry form and more information visit the RSMAS contest website.

Image of 2006 Best Overall Winner, David Kearnes, provided by RSMAS.

New Shozam! Web Gallery Generator From Komotion

Online digital media provider Komotion, Inc. yesterday launched a beta version of Shozam! Web gallery generator. Offered in four editions at various price points, Shozam! offers Flash image hosting, video and audio support, geo-tagging, and e-commerce options, enabling photographers to sell their images online.

According to the company, Shozam! is the “next generation Web gallery generator," allowing users to post images in as fast as a few minutes. Users can customize their own site, allowing more control than currently offered by online photo sharing sites, according to the company website. Users can also choose from theme templates or write their own HTML code. The Shozam! portfolio site includes adjustments for image compression or watermarks.

In addition to multimedia features, users can add geo tags to their photos to easily plot them on Google Maps and QuickSEO metadata tags to make their site visible to search engines.

For those looking to turn a profit from their photos, Shozam! includes a shopping cart so that visitors can purchase images using PayPal. Shozam! also allows users to include Google AdSense to increase revenue from their site.

Shozam! is Windows compatible and is offered in four editions, which range in price from free to $299.95. Free trial versions are available at http://www.shozam.com/. The Business version is offered at a discounted rate of $199.95 for for the month of April.

Minolta Maxxum 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 Lens Gallery

I wanted to gain some focal distance at a recent youth soccer game I was shooting recently, and brought out my old Minolta Maxxum 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 AF lens. On the Sony Alpha 100 DSLR the focal length of this lens becomes 150-450mm. Although this helped gain some focal length over my usual lens choice, the Minolta Maxxum 70-210mm f4 AF (Beercan), I soon discovered the 150mm made it difficult for closer shots.

I like to be near the goal in a youth soccer game for shots that include the net, but with the 150mm length produced from the 100-300mm on the A100, I found myself backing up quite a bit as the players approached the goal. In order to capture the scoring goal, I was suddenly half a mile away.

The other issue is that since this is not the APO version of the 100-300mm Maxxum lens, it’s a bit softer and the color is not quite as vibrant. The 70-210mm f4 lens is noticeably sharper than the 100-300mm even wide open. I like the results of the 100-300mm lens at f8 or f11, but this lens will be put back on the shelf during future youth soccer games. View the 100-300mm gallery for more images.

Summer And Fall Photo Workshops

Below is a short list of upcoming Summer and Fall Photography Workshops.

Sony DigitalDays
Whether you're a novice or a pro or even if you don't own a digital camera, there's plenty to learn from Sony's trained experts, who provide in-depth and hands-on demonstrations featuring the latest in digital imaging technology and software. The next cities to host this event are Minneapolis, Miami, Dallas, and Atlanta.

Santa Fe Workshops
A top workshop that brings in top photographers, such as this year's Chris Rainier, Sean Kernan, and Jay Maisel. The Summer/Fall schedule includes 48 workshops, many with an emphasis on digital imaging, in beautiful locales around the world, including Santa Fe, Italy, Japan, Ireland, Thailand, and Mexico.

Toscana Photographic Workshop
Workshops set not only in Italy's most beautiful regions, but also in gorgeous buildings, like the Benedictine monastary from The English Patient. Heavy hitting teachers include Stanley Greene, Amy Arbus, David Alan Harvey, and Antonin Kratochvil.

International Expeditions
"Photo journeys" emphasize better photography through understanding of the flora, fauna, and cultures being captured. Respected nature photographers such as Wolfgang Kaehler, Rosanne Pennella, and Kevin Schafer will help students uncover the native beauty of Tanzania, Brazil, Greenland, and the Amazon.

Vision Quest
Photographer Doug Beasley's worshops to places like Hawaii, Ireland, and the American West focus on creativity over technical skill and bill themselves as "photographic journeys for personal and spiritual growth."

Mentor Series
Photo Treks are traveling to Mexico next as well as Provence, Norway, and Antarctica...just to name a few.

Modern Postcard Spotlight Awards 2007

Taken from the Modern Postcard website:

Calling all photographers, artists, graphic designers & Illustrators!

The Lowdown:
· WIN A $1000 PORTFOLIO PACKAGE!
· GAIN FREE NATIONAL EXPOSURE!
· NO ENTRY FEES & 20% PRINT DISCOUNT!
· SUBMIT YOUR WORK BY APRIL 30, 2007!

How Does It All Work?
1. Choose ONE entry category: Fine Art, Photography or Graphic Design & Illustration.
2. Fill out a quick entry form and upload 3 samples of your work in JPEG or PDF format only.
3. Modern Postcard will select the TOP 5 in each category and post their work on our website.
4. The rest is up to you! Start voting for yourself or your favorites from May 14-31, 2007.
5. Our three Grand Prize Winners will be announced on the website on June 11, 2007!

More information can be found at the Modern Postcard website.

ApertureToFTP Pro Plug-In For Aperture

Users of the Mac photo management system Aperture can directly upload photos to an FTP server with ApertureToFTP Pro, a plug-in released by technology services firm Übermind. The free ApertureToFTP Pro plug-in is currently available online for download.

The ApertureToFTP plug-in is compliant with the Mac OS X 10.4 operating system and Aperture version 1.5. Promising seamless integration between the photo manager and a remote FTP server, the plug-in allows users to organize images on the server using folders. When uploading photos with the same name, users may choose to either skip the save function or replace an existing file.

A product tour of ApertureToFTP Pro is available for online viewing at http://www.ubermind.com/assets/video/ftp_screencast.mov.

BenQ Announces New DC-E605 Digital Camera

BenQ last week announced the DC-E605, part of their Elegant and Stylish point-and-shoot product line. The new 6-megapixel camera comes with a “3D-rotating lens” that promises faster focusing.

“You no longer have to focus in advance in order to have crisp and clear images, providing users a more convenient, time-saving camera,” states the company website. The BenQ E605 has an extending 3x optical zoom lens with a focal length equivalent to 35-105mm (35mm format) and a 2.4-inch, 115,000 pixel resolution LCD monitor.

Among the camera’s features is the Panoramic Focus Mode, which promises sharp photos without the lag time. The mode automates the focus process, so the shutter button doesn't have to be pressed down half way to auto focus. The E605 also has a Shake-Free Sports Mode for blur reduction. The BenQ E605 has Motion JPEG video capability at 640x480 resolution at 30fps. The camera has 32 MB of internal memory and accepts SD memory cards and Li-ion batteries.

American Photo Speaks With Roger Ballen

Jörg Colberg of American Photo speaks with Roger Ballen as he explains his career progression from documentary photographer in South Africa to fine artist whose goal is to "expand human consciousness hopefully in a positive way." Read the full on-line article that also includes a photo gallery of some quite interesting and abstract 'portraiture'.
Image provided by American Photo and Roger Ballen.