SanDisk Intro 32GB Extreme III CF Card

SanDisk's have added a 32GB CompactFlash card to their 30MB/s Extreme III line of flash cards. SanDisk just announced the 32GB Extreme III CompactFlash card for $299. If you're a pro photographer shooting high-speed RAW images or a film maker producing a HD masterpiece, check it out. The new card should be available in October.

The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets From One Of The World's Top Shooters

Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, July 2008 Author: Joe McNally Published by: New Riders & Peach Pit Press ISBN-10: 0321544080 ISBN-13: 978-0321544087 Requires: Amateur or pro interest in photography MSRP: US$54.99 USD, £29.99 GBP, $59.99 CAD (Ed. Note: Books like this often tell readers about more than the apparent subject. Most often, a semi-autobiographical book of this type provides examples for success which transcend the categories of life, career, technique and business into which we tend to slot ourselves, others and our efforts throughout our lives. I love reading about the details, techniques and events, told from a personal perspective, which have occured and affected skilled, successful people because the knowledge helps me organize and make sense of the details, techniques and events in my own life. I hope you feel the same way.) Joe McNally's book “The Moment It Clicks” has received a lot of press and acclaim, so when I received it for review, I already felt that it would be a book which would provide a challenge. There has been a lot of hype about it from all over the photography world. The book has become a bestseller and nothing I say will add to or take away from that. The Moment It Clicks tells a story which is essentially all about the 30 year photography career of Joe McNally, his life, and experiences both professional and personal. The book was written to provide an insight into the world of commercial photography and photojournalism. The Moment It Clicks is not a biographical tome, but more about the pictures McNally has taken, the events in his life and how they have been shaped by his career. The book doesn't really take a chapter type approach (typically, photography books are always organized into traditional chapters and sub-sections), taking instead a more subjective approach. McNally uses a picture and then tells the story behind the picture and details how it was shot. This isn’t a step-by-step approach either, focusing rather on the more important details and insights which will add to your experience of McNally's photography as well as adding to the critical appreciation of your own photography efforts and learning process. The "How It Was Shot" section accompanying each photo provides varying detail with respect to subjective items such as lighting, camera positions, supporting elements, technical and aesthetic considerations key to learning about particular subjects. McNally details the events which surrounded or led up to the moment of each photo. He frequently relates stories about how events affected his life, the adventures and often the misadventures related to the photography he's produced. Some of the stories are highly insightful and others somewhat sentimental. None of this takes away from one's experience of this book and the story it tells. Like many other great storytellers, McNally talks about his mistakes and the things he has learned which have added to his experiences and his art. The Moment It Clicks is well put together and features many excellent images, it also features quite a few images which failed to inspire me. Overall the book is clearly aimed at those of you who are looking for or already involved in photography which is of a more commercial nature. There are some other annoyances such as the frequent repetition of certain terms throughout the book and in the footnotes. As well, the photo in which McNally shows all his kit is a bit of overload. The reality is that it's quite unlikely that Joe would carry all that kit around with him all the time. In fact, he'd need a retinue of Porters to carry it all. It would have been more useful if he showed the various kit he carries on different assignments. All that aside, Joe McNally tells his story well, and leaves you with some very memorable, useful and inspiring insights. This kind of book stays with you a lot longer than most technically based, how-to books, because it humanizes the process of learning and the process of involving yourself in photography. There is a folkloric nature to it, which you can identify with much moreso that any technical manual or step-by-step type of book. Life, after all, is experiential and the best way to relate those experiences is to tell stories. Cons: Very few. Definite bias toward commercial photography. Frequent repetition in footnotes. Pros: Humanistic approach to storytelling. Storytelling that engages and educates the reader. Joe McNally tells his story in a manner which allows the reader to identify and learn from his own personal experiences in photography. As a book on commercial photography it is a book you must have. If you are looking for a book on fine art photography this may not be it. The allegorical nature of the teaching in this book is engaging and will leave the reader with much to think about. Highly recommended.

FocalPoint 1.0 Released

onOne Software, Inc., announced the release of their new software plug-in, FocalPoint 1.0 for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. FocalPoint is a selective focus and vignetting plug-in designed to help photographers easily blur and/or vignette areas of an image. It is available for immediate download at onOne.

Digital Photography & Imaging Show 2008

The DPI show is a new event dedicated to digital photography and imaging. It is being held on June 26th & 27th at the Business Design Centre in Islington in North London. The DPI show is designed to attract thousands of pro-photographers and agencies active in photojournalism, sports/action photography, portraiture, wedding and lifestyle photography, and those working in fashion and advertising, still life and macro. Industry leaders will come together to create a ‘Live Studio’, building a full-feature facility at the show with ‘celebrity’ photographers illustrating the facilities and capabilities of the studio. A busy seminar programme will present 40-minute sessions on latest products and solutions so you can receive first-hand expert advice and tips from specialists in the technologies and processes, hear of case studies and then visit the exhibition area for hands-on experience. Our conference programme will gather groups of speakers to look at improving workflow, at manipulating and storing images and at managing the demands of a modern photographic studio. The show will feature stands from Industry leaders such as Adobe, Apple Solution Experts, Epson, HP, Hasselblad, Color Confidence, Extensis, A J Purdy, The SWPP, onOne and a whole lot more ... Many publications will also be represented, including Digital Photographer, Digital Arts, The BJP, Digital Camera and Macworld. You can register for free at http://www.dpishow.com/

Manfrotto 190XPROB Tripod Review

Mario Georgiou, March 2008 Manufactured by: Gruppo Manfrotto S.r.l. (a subsidiary of Vitec Group PLC), Manfrotto USA (distributed by Bogen Imaging also owned by Vitec Group) Requires: N/A MSRP: US$170, UK£110 The Manfrotto 190XPROB is the latest take on the base model 190, a tripod that has been in the Manfrotto line for many years. This 2007/2008 incarnation seems to incorporate all of the excellent characteristics of its predecessors and adds a couple of important new features. The 190XPROB is a black anodized tubular aluminum tripod with a three-faceted adjustable center column. The tripod has three-section legs made of 16mm, 20mm and 25mm diameter high strength extruded aluminum with a round cross section. Each section is retained or locked by Manfotto's patented flip-lock pressure leg locks. At 1.8kg (a little under 3.9 lbs) the tripod is a lightweight. Load capacity is 5kg (11 pounds, plus a head) making it broadly useful for a wide range of SLR and DSLR body and lens combinations. In my recent review of the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ball Head I mentioned that I had replaced my old tripod with something more in keeping with the high standards I try to achieve and maintain. I think it's most important to follow a strategy when selecting a tripod and head: a) visit the makers' web sites to figure out what they recommend for your camera gear, b) match size, footprint and general weight of each item to create the lowest possible balance point — there are few things worse than a head that is too heavy for the tripod, c) how much weight you want to carry and what sort of tripod fits your travel, location and shooting needs, d) decide which models among the ones remaining on the list will suit your needs, and e) visit local stores in order to check out the models you've short-listed. After much consideration I decided on the new aluminium 190XPROB. For my needs, this model's center column design was very important. Swing the faceted centre column into a horizontal position by extending it fully and pressing a release button. The center column feature when combined with the fully adjustable and stable leg geometry means you have a tripod which provides excellent adaptability to most environments. After all due delibration and research I finally purchased the 190XPROB in a store in Cambridge, England during a photographic road trip in October 2007. Having got to grips with the tripod in very short order, I very quickly realized I'd made the right decision. I ended up using the tripod in marshland, on the side of cliffs, in torrential downpours, on large boulders and in a couple of streams, all without any real issues. The Manfrotto 190XPROB is beautifully designed and well constructed. The legs feature flip-lever pressure leg locks, which make opening, positioning and closing fast and easy. Lock pressure is adjustable using the supplied Allen/hex wrench. The user adjustable mechanism makes it a pleasure to use. The legs can also be adjusted to four different angles (25°, 46°, 66° and 88°), allowing for a very flexible geometry and an extremely stable platform from which to take your photos. The Manfrotto 190XPROB stands about 48in/122cm tall in its fully extended mode, center colum down. Extending the center column adds another 9.5in/24cm. You can invert the center column allowing you to shoot upside down. The patented design of the center column allows the photographer to position the camera on the head horizontally or vertically and, when used with a good ball or 3-way head, offers a platform which is perfect for macro work, product or table-based photography, low angle shooting or any work which requires the camera to be positioned off center. The adaptability of this tripod also makes it ideal for photographers who have to sit down for long periods and for those who are wheelchair bound. The only real gripes I have are that Manfrotto has chosen not to include a carrying strap and ground spikes. (Ed. Note: In early March 2008 we loaded another 190XPROB with a Markins Q20 ball head and a very heavy Nikon D3/300mm f/4 rig for a semi-frozen marshland walkabout just outside of Toronto. We also brought along a couple of shock cords to make boot loops to add some downward pressure to the rig to help combat instabilities when set up on unstable ground and when shooting in gusting wind conditions. When taking into account the downward pressure of the stabilizing shock/bungee cords, we easily exceeded the overall load rating of the tripod by at least 3x but it worked perfectly. Manufacturers' load ratings are conservative — we've obtained similarly excellent 'overloading' performance from a variety of Benbo, Benro, Gitzo, Hakuba Carmagne and other Manfrotto models.) Cons: No ground spikes or carrying strap included. Pros: The Manfrotto 190XPROB is extremely stable. Versatile leg and column adjustments don't compromise stability. Good vibration damping when matched with the right head. The Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod is ideal for use with a wide range of heads from Acratech, Arca Swiss, Gitzo, Kirk, Manfrotto and Markins. Great leg locks that never slip even when overloaded. Other than a couple of minor issues (see Cons above) I have to say the 190XPROB is worth every penny. All I want now is to get a carbon fibre version (for extended trekking) and I'll be very happy camper indeed. A great choice for amateur, semi-pro and professional photographers. Highly recommended.

It's not the Camera, It's the Photographer

Make the statement "It's not the camera, it's the photographer" during any discussion or debate on the relative merits of one piece of camera gear over another and you will surely end up in some sort of argument. Really. We don't advocate any attempt to use semi-operational used gear which only possesses the virtue of being cheap to acquire. We don't advocate throwing a top-of-the-line digital SLR (or any other top-rank SLR) at a novice photographer. We do advocate that photographers should educate themselves about the art and craft of photography at every opportunity, and regularly consider how well their gear is serving them. Buy the best you can afford, but buy only what you can afford. Professional photographer Ken Rockwell posted an article on his web site about this subject. Professional photographer Michael Reichman posted a rebuttal article on his own web site. Unfortunately, neither photographer seems to be able to engage in the debate without resorting to hyperbole. So since I've been making photographs longer than Rockwell (but not quite as long as Reichman), I feel confident enough to offer a moderating opinion. Pros, semi-pros and amateurs are working with Olympus, Pentax, Sony, Nikon, Canon, Leica, Kodak and Sigma digital SLR bodies attached to all manner of lenses. All of these photographers make great photos with all of this equipment. Occasionally, even great shots taken with compact and so-called prosumer cameras manage to sneak through. Whether or not a photo is sharp enough and large enough to be credibly reproduced at some large size in a high-end coffee table book or on an art poster is not, in my opinion, the measure of its value as a good (or bad) photo, and the lack of gear to capture such a photo is not a measure by which to judge your existing equipment. Sorry Mr. Reichman. On the other hand, moderately attractive balances of composition, color and subject in moderately good focus during the brief and only time of day in which some cheap compact has any chance of capturing a decent photo is not the measure of a truly versatile camera or satisfying photography experience or a useful choice of gear. Sorry Mr. Rockwell. I think Reichman and Rockwell both use excessive amounts of what can only be described as hyperbole which serves to inflame the debate rather than qualify it. They're both doing a good job of attracting traffic to their respective web sites. Using only the best gear you can afford has a very special effect on most people. As you engage in a photography experience which is based on an affordable start, it has the effect of bringing you closer to your gear in ways which make it easier for you to judge which exposure settings will achieve the best result. The longer you work with your chosen, affordable gear, the more you'll find out about its flaws and the more you'll find ways to make better and better photos. Use that gear for a couple of years and you may never part with it. Ever. The reason? It's mainly because you will certainly use that gear at some point to make some photos which have deep and emotional meaning and value for you. Not meaning and value worthy of posting and adoring comments on photo.net or redbubble.com (although that surely will happen too), but rather meaning and value for you personally. That's the wonderful thing about photography though — it can be shared or not shared. Our quest for public approval of so much of what we do has extended to photography no doubt. The problem is that photography in and of itself is often a very personal experience. My father-in-law has posted on his photo.net page a rather close-up photo of an elephant. The photo is nice enough, but not great. It's just a photo of an elephant. But listen for a few minutes to my father-in-law's story about how the huge wild elephant surprised them by lumbering out of dense bush just a few metres away, how his guide, photography partner & friend reached immediately for the rifle in case the obviously tense bull elephant charged them, and how the situation diffused rapidly after the bull determined they were no threat and then turned to lumber down to a herd near a watering hole, and the photo causes a different reaction altogether. You turn again to the photo and look at it with new eyes. Wonderful. The point is that the photo could have been taken with almost any vaguely decent camera, but you had to be physically in that location in Zimbabwe to actually make the shot. That last point is what really separates good photographers from snapshooters. You have to go to your subjects — they don't come to you. Fly, drive, walk, ride or scoot to wherever and bring whatever gear will do the job. You don't bring a compact point & shoot to a landscape trip; you don't bring a huge lighting setup to a kid's party. Buying and using the gear you can afford never means buying the cheapest used gear that still technically qualifies as camera equipment. Rather it means buying the best gear you can afford which is also appropriate to your photography needs. After that, it's all you.

Manfrotto 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ball Head Review

Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, March 2008 Published by: Manfrotto Group a division of Vitec Group PLc Requires: An SLR or digital SLR camera MSRP: US$299.95, CAN$399.99, UK£220, 240.00€ Despite the claims of some photography pundits, you certainly do need a stable shooting platform for your camera in many situations. OIS, IS and VR can't help you when shutter speeds drop to seconds. A few years ago I returned to the UK from Canada. Unfortunately, I left a vital piece of photographic equipment in Canada. For years I had used a Manfrotto 074 tripod with the Manfrotto 029 Deluxe Three-Way Pan Head. I gave this fave piece of kit away to an old friend for reasons which escape me at the moment. It was probably an emotional departure exchange (or, ahem, maybe I owed him some money). To my regret when it came to replacing it, I cheaped out and settled for a consumer-grade head which was poorly constructed in comparison to the old model 029. Sometime in September of 2007 I decided to reinvest in a new tripod and head system. Having spent some time researching the various options I decided to opt for the 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ball Head from Manfrotto, which incorporates their revolutionary and easy to use hydraulic ball locking system designed for the 468MG. The Manfrotto 468MGRC0 was picked up for me at Henry's in Toronto, who are exceptionally helpful. This head is packaged with the excellent Manfrotto RC0 Hexagonal Quick Release Plate system. The hex plate makes it ideal for a quick release, supports heavy loads, and provides secure locking and flexible positioning. I also opted for the Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod which I will cover in another review. All I can say now is that it is a nice combination. Technically the 468MGRC0 borrows the popular features found on Manfrotto's standard range of ball heads such as independent pan and tilt locks with a 360° pan movement and +90°/-90° tilt movement. To keep weight low, the head is made of magnesium. To provide smooth adjustment movements the 2" aluminum ball is Teflon coated. For additional control, a calibrated adjustable tension knob allows you to preset the ball friction to suit your camera weight so that you can remove your hands from the camera without risking any unwanted movement. The Manfrotto 468MGRC0 is really easy to handle and I only needed a few days of field use to adjust to its superb controls. The inclusion of integrated liquid levels on the head makes it really easy to set up for both studio and field work. The control knob is a good size, has a soft feel and the tension can be adjusted to your own preference for locking the camera. The engraved panoramic base is graduated for easy rotation of your camera for generating panoramics. I wouldn't use the head in the same way as I did the 029 Deluxe Three-Way Pan Head because the 468MGRC0 does not quite have the refined control of my old 029 head or the new Manfrotto 3D Pro Head 229, both of which are ideal for shooting virtual tours and 360 degree panoramics. The Manfrotto 468MGRC0 is an excellent piece of kit which is easy to use and faultless in both design and operation. The control surfaces and knobs are comfortable in any environment and require only the most subtle of touches even in cold and wet weather or even whilst wearing gloves or mitts. (Ed. Note: During a two week photography shoot in southern England during October 2007, Mario and I put the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 through muck, dust, high winds, rain, hail, torrential downpours and a lot of bumps, bangs and grinds. The tripod and this excellent head functioned perfectly.) Cons: Not recommended for use in work where fine adjustment accuracy is essential such as controlled panoramics. Pros: The Manfrotto 468MGRC0 with its quick release capabilities is the ideal complement for the landscape and field photographer. Large controls. Easy to use. Levels are integrated and well placed for balancing your landscapes and other photos. As of this writing I've been using it for about six months and have yet to experience any urge remove it from my tripod. Anyone working with a professional or semi-professional SLR or digital SLR camera and who wants a high quality, easy to use head for their photography, needs this excellent piece of kit. Highly recommended.

PMA Announcements Come Hard & Fast...

This week PMA 2008 begins and as expected the announcements from hardware and software manufacturers are coming hard and fast. Canon, Nikon, Fuji and just about everyone are announcing new desirables. For extensive coverage of all the PMA action you can read the coverage at Imaging Resource, Outback Photo, Photography Blog however we here at CIN will be publishing a summary of all the latest news at the end of each day...

GWG Photography White Paper on Printing

The int'l Ghent PDF Workgroup has announced the availability of the GWG Photography White Paper. This paper is designed to provide a comprehensive set of guidelines for digital photography print productions for publishers and photographers. Considering the wide variety in image and file formats, correct implementation of color management and standards is essential to ensure that quality is maintained from the original capture to the final print. The GWG recommends using the guidelines for digital photography projects for print.. It's a good read ... download it and other papers here.

RAW Product Announcements

There have been several RAW image product announcements this week. Bibble Labs have updated Bibble to include support for the Canon 40D, Pentax K100D Super and the Fujifilm FinePix E550. The support for the Canon 40D included tethered shooting and sRAW, check out Bibble Labs for more information on this release. Phase One announced the beta release of Capture One 4, this is a new application building on cutting-edge technology, a new architecture, and what users found best from previous generations of Capture One. The beta is available now at no cost until November 1. Capture One 4 is available for Windows XP (SP2) and Vista and Mac OS 10.4.8 (or higher) platforms. Visit Phase One for more information. Ichikawa Soft Laboratory have updated Silkypix Developer Studio to version 3.0.12 adding support for the Canon EOS 40D, visit the Silkypix product page for more information

NY Looking At Licensing Public Photography

An article over at the NY times is reporting that the city of New York's, Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting is considering a licensing scheme for folks using cameras in their City. "New rules being considered by the would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance. The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment. Julianne Cho, assistant commissioner of the film office, said the rules were not intended to apply to families on vacation or amateur filmmakers or photographers." Tell that to an over eager jobsworth ... the potential for abuse could be there.

DOP Update Their Fine Art Paper Directory

Digital Outback Photography have updated their Fine Art Paper Directory. This directory represents their impressions and experiences of papers they work with. It is by no means a comprehensive directory and is highly subjected but worth a look if you want real world feedback... Visit Outback Print to read further.

The Online Photographer Goes Dot Com

One of my favourite online photography blogs has graduated from Blog Status to a full dot com address. The site still bears many of the same features but will now most likely mature to offer even more in the way of useful info and other goodies. Good luck Mike, visit The Online Photographer for more...

Uwe Steinmueller Video on Digital Imaging Tech

Google invited Uwe Steinmueller to present a talk on non-destructive and selective editng of photos. The video is and excellent source of information and well worth watching or downloading. The video is about 60 minutes long and Google.

Luminous Landscape - Learning The Language Of Our Art

Yet another interesting article from Luminious Landscape on the Language of Photography. In the article a conclusion is made, that in order to produce good photography you have to look at a lot of photography and try to learn the visual language therein. Like any language it takes time to master ... pop on over and read Michaels new essay.

Andy Frazer On Night Photography

Andy Frazer is a photographer who has a passion for nocturnal shooting. His photography is centred around abandoned buildings, the urban landscape and the ocean. In his bios he indicates that he is not afraid of the dark, and doesn't like watching television at night. We've previously mentioned his blog in one of our Around the Web spots, however his blog and work are well worth taking a look at. Visit The Night Photography Blog

ILEX Announce The Photographers Eye

Michael Freeman will shortly have a new title released by ILEX Press. "The Photographers Eye" is a book which delves into the mystery of how photographers select their subject matter. The book promises to look at concepts, techniques and also to use case studies and examples to demonstrate each concept. I've enjoyed other books by Michael and I am looking forward to picking this one up too. For more info visit ILEX.

DOP Interview Roman Loranc

Digital Outback Photo conducted an interview with classic B&W photographer Roman Loranc in his studio in Modesto, CA. His photos of the California Central Valley and his amazing photos of Polish churches are something to behold. Some of his images can be viewed at, and the interview can be downloaded and listened to, at outbackphoto.com.

Digital Infrared Travel Photography Feature

Professional Photographer magazine have posted a feature on Infrared based travel photography by Joe Farace. I've always had a fascination of near visible light based photography and the effects it has on everyday objects, flora and fauna especially. The online article can be found here and contains many useful hints and tips. The images in the article are also very useful references for those who want to see what is achievable. There are also some very useful links contained in the article.

Breeze Systems

Breeze Systems have released Downloader Pro 2.0, which is a major upgrade to their powerful yet simple tool for transferring digital photos from camera to PC. New features in Downloader Pro 2.0, include automatic geo-tagging, the creation of track log files for GPS data, the ability to view thumbnails on a memory card and IPTC XMP data support. Visit Breeze Systems for more info...

Outback Print Launched

DOP (Digital Outback Photo) have launched a new site called Outback Print. In their own words... Like many photographers we do all the work to get a good print. The new site will be able to focus more and in depth on the complex subject of printing. We also invite all readers to help us with useful information to make this site a central place on Fine Art Printing for Photographers. There is a lot to learn and many techniques to share. Let's go to work! If DOP is anything to go by, it should be another must visit web site for serious photographers and artists.

Perceptual and Real Colour

I just wanted to say a big thank you to DOP who pointed out an excellent post by Howard Grill. The post, which is titled "What is Real?" talks about the way we perceive colour. Howard discusses an onsite workshop given by Alain Briot and Uwe and Bettina Steinmueller at Antelope Canyon. I won't go into any more detail, it's worth a read.

Around The Web - March 2007

It has been another quiet day in digital imaging land, However instead of trying to find news I figured I'd share some more of my favourite photo amd imaging based websites. The Online Photographer - An excellent, well written and informative blog on the art, craft and science of photography. One of the best in the world. Night Photography Blog - From Andy Frazer, it is one of the best sites specialising in nocturnal and low light photography. Some interesting and informative articles. Lightroom Killer Tips - a Blog from the NAPP and Adobe promoting education and information on the excellent RAW Image and Photography Workflow application from Adobe.

Printing Photos On Chocolate

Imaging Resources Dave Etchells reported on a technology demonstrated at PMA which facilitates the printing of photos on chocolate and candy. The idea isn't new, but chocolography have perfected the process, which uses FDA approved food dyes. As novel an idea as this is, I've personally been involved in far more interesting technologies involving chocolate and candies, namely Holography. Back in 1995, I was involved in a company in Toronto which was involved in creating holographic images on Chocolate... Yes, Hologram carrying chocolates. Cool or what?

DxO Optics Announce Standalone FilmPack

DxO announced a stand-alone version 1.1 of FilmPack at PMA 2007. This software adjusts digital images to match images shot on certain kinds of film. DxO ensured that FilmPack performs exact transformations based on specific cameras. I'm going to give it a try, I'm wondering if their using something like colormetric based remapping... Pop on over to DxO and try it out.

PMA 2007 Show Picks

The PMA 2007 show has proved to be an interesting event in that it really didn't seem to break many major milestones. However there were a few gems on show. On the Hardware front, we saw a New D-SLR from Canon - the 1D MKIII, which features exceptionally fast shooting speeds, an immense image buffer, a Live View LCD, the EOS Integrated Cleaning System, a lens magnification factor of 1.3x and other features a photojournalist would kill for. Pentax Showed a 645 based D-SLR which would make most studio photographers salivate, but provided no firm date on delivery. Sigma showed their new Foveon chip based SD14 DSLR, another technology worth further investigation, equally interesting was the DP1 point and shoot they showed, which features the same sensor as the SD14. Canon also introduced the 9500, and A3 printer with 10 pigmented inks and another 24" printer with 12 pigmented inks. On the Software front, Adobe showed the release version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, which is winning fans all over the place with its designed for photographers workflow capabilities. Adobe also announced that there will be two versions of Photoshop CS3, one for existing users and an enhanced version for scientific and advanced imaging applications. All told, it appears that there were some new products that were well worth the trip to Vegas ... maybe next year, I'll actually attend.

Better Light Introduce 416 MP Digital Back

BetterLight have demonstrated the 416-megapixel Super10K-HS model at PMA in Las Vegas. The Super10K-HS is not so much a digital camera, but more of a "scanning back" that work with large-format cameras and lenses. The Capture devices are seen as being aimed at recording paintings and other intricate and highly detailed stationary artworks. The recording of anything at the full resolution of 416-megapixel resolution takes upwards of two minutes meaning that the camera is only suited for controlled and vibration free environments. The 10,200 x 13,600 pixel result will provide a finished image size of around 794MB. At a starting price of $22,995, I'm surprised it's so low. No doubt this price doesn't include the camera body, glass and vibration free platform.

PMA 2007 Underway

The 2007 Photo Marketing Association Show is underway in Las Vegas. Coverage of PMA can be found at the following sites among others. It lookis like another interesting year ahead with news from Leica, Canon, Adobe and many others... Enjoy. Digital Outback Photo PMA 2007 Show report DP-Now Live from Las Vegas dpreview's PMA 2007 Live Report imaging-resource's PMA 2007 Coverage The LetsGoDigital PMA 2007 Show report PMA 2007 report at the Luminous Landscape PhotographyBLOG PMA 2007 Show News Steve's Digicams PMA 2007 Show report

The 123 of Digital Imaging 4.0

Vincent Bockaert announced a new version of the excellent 'The 123 of digital imaging Interactive Learning Suite'. This e-reference is a must have for all digital photographers. goes This new version features a new UI and also covers Adobe Photoshop Album 2, Photoshop Elements 2, 3, 4 & 5, Photoshop 7, CS, CS2 as well as Nikon Capture 4.4 & NX 1.1. With the download version available for US$44.87 and a CD-Rom version for US$49.99 it's well worth addding to your library. Visit 123di.com for more information.

PMA 2007 coverage

Looks like things are Hotting up for PMA 2007. Several Sites have launched their PMA show coverage pages. Check out their links, closer to the date of the show, which runs from March 8-11, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. dpreview's PMA 2007 Coverage imaging-resource's PMA 2007 Coverage The LetsGoDigital PMA 2007 Show report Steve's Digicams PMA 2007 Coverage

Fujichrome Velvia 50 Returns

Fujifilm have re-released Velvia 50, one of my favourite films for colour photography. This release has been prompted by a deluge of requests by photographers since the line was terminated in 2005. The main reason for the termination was the difficulty in finding materials to replace several components of the film itself. Since then however the researchers at Fujifilm have found alternative materials that replace the problem materials. In their own words Velvia 50 will be the film of choice for leading landscape, nature and other photographers who will appreciate its high color saturation, image depth and dramatic color reproduction." For more info visit fujifilm usa.

My Day @ Focus On Imaging 2007

Talk about tiring, I spent much of the day travelling ... I was up early today, and after getting only four hours sleep ... No, I wasn't partying. I was however, rudely awakened by two absolute cretins playing football outside my window at 2:30am. Ok, what has this got to do with my experience of Focus On Imaging 2007? Let's just call me the grey man ... That's pretty much how I felt and looked all day. Although I still did it with a smile on my face. The show itself was a real pleasure to attend, crowds of fellow Imageers, Photographers, Professionals, Amateurs, Students and fellow Writers of Light. There were many exhibitors it was a pleasure to meet. Nikon, Fuji, Apple, Adobe, Sigma, Kata, Corel, and many, many, more. Notably absent was Canon (shame on you). The show took me about 3 hours to take in ... Yeah, I did visit all stands and having an eidetic memory, means, I can replay much of what I see and in great detail. After the first three hours I had lunch and then went back for more ... I did regret one thing, not being able to go again tomorrow. I enjoyed seeing much of the work on display. There were photo exhibits and competition entries aplenty. There were a number of schools in attendance, some of which had talent which left me very impressed, and making note of their names for future reference. The plethora of paper companies and film and paper companies present left me with a smile on my face ... Yes, I did say film. Apple and Adobe were showcasing Aperture and Lightroom Respectively. The crowds at all booths were overflowing. I was told however that yesterday was even busier. For photographers looking for groups and societies to join, there were many in attendance ... I met with several fellows from the RPS (Royal Photographic Society) and was enjoying watching these venerable gentlemen huddled over their laptops discussing several technical issues. I must have looked stupid with the big smile on my face, but no apologies I was in my element and surrounded by kindred souls. From what I saw, this is going to be a good year for imaging and photography. As I said I'm very tired today, but I will write more tomorrow.

Luminous Landscape On The Art of Cropping

Luminous Landscape have published an excellent article on the subject of photographic composition and the art of cropping. The article, as usual, is well illustrated and definitely worth a read.

Digital Domain Release Qimage v2007.160

Digital Domain Inc. have announced the release of Qimage v2007.160. The full featured printing software for professional photographers is available for Windows in three editions: the Lite Edition at $34.95, Professional Edition at $49.95, and Studio Edition at $89.95. There is also a free 30 day trial available for download. For more information visit Digital Domain Inc.

Light Craft Releases LightZone 2.2 Open Beta

Light Craft releases a public Beta of LightZone 2.2. The LightZone 2.2 Beta 1 release is available for Windows and Mac, and can be downloaded from LightCraft. What's new in LightZone 2.2 Open Beta Features Enhanced configuration with other applications Star ratings for images Faster performance Enhanced color scheme New xmp functionality Fixes A new print layer allows printing without having to change default printer Cropping and rotation problems Fixed SSE2 issues in Noise Reduction tool

Focus On Imaging 2007 Show Info

Earlier this month I mentioned the Focus on Imaging 2007 show. Focus is Europe’s biggest annual imaging event and begins this Sunday at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. The show is open on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 10am to 6pm and on Wednesday, February 28th at 10am to 5pm. For the professional imageer, buyers, manufacturers, distributors or even the hobbyist, FOCUS ON IMAGING is the one event you must attend this year. There are over 200 exhibitors and plenty of product launches. Click here to see the exhibitor and latest floorplan for the show. For more information on the show visit Focus On Imaging.

Alain Briot Master Files CD

Alain Briots new Master Files CD is now available for immediate purchase. This CD features 12 Master Files of his most popular photographs. Also included is an in-depth video tutorial on how and why he created the Master File. For more information visit Beautiful Landscape.

Public Photography And The Law?

One of the topics that seems to be causing a lot of discussion in the Photography forums and at a number of online photographic communities is the concept of legislation, here in the UK, to restrict the taking of photographs in public places. This purported Law would require the photographer to carry an ID card, which is to be presented when challenged. Whilst a Law such as this would be of concern to all of us, try as I might to find out more about the proposal, I can't find the proposal anywhere. A lot of the problems photographers have been experienced have been as a result of ill considered or truly ignorant action by members of the public, security officers and others. In fact the actions of a certain group of photographers (paparazzi) has also raised some concerns about what photographers have the right to shoot in public and also about the right to privacy. Whilst I agree, that we need to protect our children, protect against potential terrorists and be on guard against the violation of our right to privacy. We also need to understand that real photographers also have the right to use their cameras in public. In fact there are no laws preventing photography in public except in a very few specific circumstances. The problem with Laws like this, is that they don’t affect the very people it is aimed against, as much as they do the rest of us ... The Laws prohibiting handgun ownership have done nothing to stop the criminal from getting and using one on the rest of us. There are many such examples of similar failures in the Law. I'm an avid photographer, and enjoy shooting urban and rural landscapes. I also enjoy shooting photos of people going about their normal lives, with the hope of capturing the essence of a moment, or of some aspect of humanity. Would a law such as this make a criminal of me and the very work I do? Quite possibly. Instead of requiring me to carry an ID card they should instead look at the criminals and how to deal with them more effectively. As a photographer, I also have to be considerate of the world around me, and not just wander around blithely pointing my lenses at everything I see. Some well considered advice is, to be a conscious photographer and not a snap happy fool. Am I aware of what I'm shooting? If there are children involved, do I have the permission of the childrens' parents or guardians amongst other factors ... this last activity requires the utmost sensitivity and dare I say, due care and consideration, as to whether or not in this current climate is actually a wise thing to do at all. I take care to ensure, that if I'm taking photos in public, I do so in full light of day, as the saying goes ... I act as though I am supposed to be there, and I avoid raising my camera around children, if I can help it. If approached, I show people what I am doing. I will even show my photos to people on camera so that they are put at ease. Full disclosure... I also make no attempt to be defensive, unless of course I have to, because of self defence reasons. Some people will try to attack you and for no other reason other than ignorance and fear. Unfortunately as a species, we've lost our innocence, and all because of factors like child abuse, terrorism, other sad and tragic circumstances and even the actions of the paparazzi and other press hounds. The reality is that there are those out there who don't act based on any other reason than they think they know the law. As a photographer learn the Law and your rights under it. Also learn to be considerate and to respect that with rights come responsibilities and that your rights and freedoms mean nothing if you trespass on those of your fellows. Our Governments are right about the idea of penalising criminal activity, but not with laws that are ill considered and nothing more than reactionary. Especially laws which would severely impact on our freedoms and which criminals would readily flout. There is a petition if you are interested at proposed restrictions regarding photography in public places on the 10 Downing Street website. Visit, and if you feel strongly, sign it ... For more information, Simon Taylor, the individual who started the petition has expanded on his reasons for doing so at http://www.phooto.co.uk/rights.shtml, where there are some very good links. For a good summary of your rights as a photographer, here in the UK, visit Sirimo, which has an excellent PDF on the subject. There is also a good take on the whole petition and the issues at hand on Spiked-online and Amateur Photographer.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Ships

Adobe are shipping Photoshop Lightroom 1.0, they have also released a 30 day trial version. Lightroom™ is Adobes workflow tool aimed at professional photographers. It is designed for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs and RAW files. It also allows the non-destructive editing and enhancement of these files. For more info or to try Lightroom out, visit product page at Adobe.

The Essential Color Manual for Photographers

Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, February 2007 Author: Chris Rutter ISBN: 2-940378-11-8 Published by: RotoVision Requires: N/A MSRP: US$29.95, UK£25.00 Author Chris Rutter has been involved in photography for over 20 years. He has a degree in Photographic Science from the University of Westminster, and his work has appeared in a number of leading magazines, including Digital Photo. Rutter is also the Technical Editor for Practical Photography magazine, the UK's top-selling photography title. He describes himself as a "quiet, unassuming insomniac with a steely determination to spend as much time as possible away from the office," and that he has a "healthy appetite for the great outdoors and a genuine fear of having his own photo taken." The Essential Color Manual for Photographers is another excellent book in the Essential series from Rotovision. The book has been created to provide photographers with an understanding of color as it relates to the digital and photographic worlds. The book features 10 chapters, dealing with key color concepts. In the first chapter issues like color theory, color spaces and systems are explained simply and effectively. Concepts like color blindness and other limitations in visual acuity are also covered, all of which I found particularly useful as inclusions. The second chapter deals with image capture technologies and how they handle and affect color. The chapter also discusses ISO equivalency, image compression artifacts and very briefly deals with film based image capture. This chapter although brief, does provide an overview of the current state of the art. However, the coverage of film capture, while useful, lacks depth. The third chapter deals with the quality of light and covers concepts such as color temperature systems and white balance, along with coverage of optical color filters. The information here, although brief, does a very good job of explaining why scenes look so different at varying times of the day and also provides a good jumping off point to explore this further in other reference books. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with Digital Considerations and Workflow — issues such as color management and calibration. These chapters do a very good job of explaining color spaces, gamut and bit depth. They also cover device constraints and the importance of device calibration and profiling. I found that the visual examples for bit depth failed to adequately convey the subtleties of this issue, although the histogram accompanying the images helped somewhat. The sixth chapter looks at what basic tools and controls can be used to tune your images colors. Here the reader is introduced to and attention is paid to tools like the Hue/Saturation dialog, Levels, Curves and Color channels. Chapter 7 is the first one delves more deeply into the subject of color and covers theories like complementary and harmonious colors. It also details situational and thematic color handling such as dealing with skin tones, mixed lighting situations, limited color palettes, using color to evoke a mood, and the issues surrounding the capture of seasonal color. All through this section (which runs about 38 pages), the subjects being discussed are supported by some very well chosen photographs which richly illustrate and help reinforce the reader's grasp of the theories being explained. The next two chapters deal with specific techniques. The subject matter is handled well and provides you with some excellent and useful ways to enhance a broad range of images. Techniques like color balancing, saturation, film type emulation, black & white conversion, and duo and tritones are clearly explained, providing valuable information and well organized explanations. Other techniques such as color popping, solarization, cross processing (where you process print film using slide processing or vice versa), and the digital emulation of infrared are given detailed coverage as well. Most importantly here, the issues are well discussed and again provide the reader with plenty of fuel for their creative work. The final chapter introduces us to the works of four distinctly different photographers and provides web links so that readers can further explore the work of these well chosen talents. I enjoyed following up the book with and exploration of their online portfolios. Cons: I would have liked to see more in-depth coverage of digital technology and workflow. A couple of the examples could have benefited from better source images. Pros: Clean design, layout and writing. Excellent coverage of the subject of color. Superb selection and use of examples. This is another excellent book from Rotovision and one which will help to clarify the issue of color for budding digital imageers and photographers. Like the previous Essentials book it uses language and examples which make it approachable for readers of all skill levels. Highly recommended for all photographers who work with digital technologies.

ACDSee 9.0

ACDSee have updated ACDSee Suite to Version 9. New features include; Faster viewing with Quick View mode, Easier photo fixes with One-click red-eye reduction, Shadow/Highlight tool, Private folders, ACDSee Showroom widget for showing your photos on your desktop, Print Layouts And some excellent organisational tools such as the Calendar Events View, Auto Categories and Group By. The powerful Table of Contents feature also makes it easier to find and view your photos. For more information visit ACDSee.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom News

Martin Evening and Jeff Schewe have launched a new site, Lightroom-News.com. The site is dedicated to educating and informing Lightroom Users. Contributing Editors are photographers Ian Lyons, Sean McCormack, Seth Resnick & Andrew Rodney. Visit Lightroom News for more info.

What Is A Picture Worth?

The online photographer has an interesting post which relates the experience Mike Johnston had with trying to get insurance for his photography gear and the questions it raised for him as a Photographer. It's well worth a read as it'll make you think seriously about taking care of your images. Pop on over to The Online Photographer.

The Practical Zone System, 4th Edition

Review by Mario Georgiou, February 2007 Author: Chris Johnson Publisher: Focal Press/Elsevier 300 pages ISBN: 0-240-51652-4 US$ 29.95 £ £18.99 EUR 28.95 One of the things that Focal press does well is create very approachable books on highly technical subjects, and Ansel Adams Zone System is certainly one of the most technical concepts a photographer will ever deal with. The Author, Chris Johnson, was a friend and student of Ansel Adams. He is also a Professor of Photography at California College of Arts and Crafts. In this book Chris provides photographers with the information, so that they can understand and effectively use the zone system in their daily shooting process. It enables the photographer to apply it in the darkroom, in the studio and also out in the real world. It also provides the reader with an understanding of how to test and calibrate their equipment, so that they can more effectively control their results using their workflow. For the visual photographer this is the book to buy, by stripping away the heavy technical covereage found in other books and visually bridging the concepts and he makes the ideas in the Zone System very approachable. One of the most important parts of this system, is to be able to pre-visualize the images and expose accordingly. The method of previsualization is explained and clues are given via illustrations and diagrams which help the reader understand how to make valid decisions in this process. If however you are a more technically savvy individual, you might want to begin with this excellent book and then move on to a more in-depth and technical title. I did find the 100 plus pages of appendices very interesting and full of useful reference and technical info relating to both film and digital image capture and processes. The practical Zone System is filled with useful tips, development and film charts for traditional photographers and useful tips for digital photographers. My only gripe is that the photographs and examples suffer from being printed using standard printing, rather than a hifi process, which would do justice to the examples provided. As a result many of the images come off lacking detail in the highlights and shadows. Cons - Some of the examples could have benefited from better examples and printing. Pros - Well written and easy to follow. Excellent use of Charts and references throughout. The Practical Zone system is a great starting point for photographers of all types to get an introduction to one of Ansel Adams key theories on photography. It is a book, which is let down, only by the quality of the printing, but, which should, nonetheless, be in the library of any photographer who wants to understand, the use and control of tonality, in black and white images. It will also enhance, the readers understanding of their work in colour. Chris Johnson very effectively deals with both film and digital processes. His coverage of workflow and digital output helps provide the groundwork for anyone with even a modicum of technical ability, to be able to produce images that meet and do justice to their creative vision. Highly Recommended.

Focus On Imaging 2007

Focus on Imaging 2007 is Europe’s biggest annual imaging event and takes place as usual at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. The show opens on Sunday, February 25th and runs throught to Wednesday, February 28th. Creative Imaging News will be there to report on any new products and info.

Around the Web, 14th January 2007

In this first posting of a regular feature, in which we hope to share some of the interesting and inspirational content we come across in our regular forays for creative and digital imaging info on the web, and which will hopefully be of interest to readers of this blog. DOP Interview John Sexton DOP have posted their first ever audio interview. Uwe and Bettina interview master B&W photographer and printer John Sexton, in what proves to be a fascinating session. Visit DOP for the podcast. To Delete, or Not: A Thread Worth Reading Josh Hawkins, Carl Weese and Dave New have all written their own takes on what they think of the habit many digital photographers have in deleting photos they have taken. The Posts can all be found over at the very popular The Online Photographer blog. Well worth the read. Marting Evening on Cloning in Photoshop CS3 Over at PhotoshopNews.com, Martin has written a piece on the new Clone Source palette in the Photoshop CS3 beta. Basically you can now clone and heal more precisely by using a translucent overlay of your source pixels. These sources can also be modified on the fly using the keyboard shortcuts I came across in the article and at the John Nack on Adobe blog: Opt/Alt + Shift temporarily shows the clone overlay, plus it lets you drag it around and 'tack' it down at the desired location. Opt/Alt + Shift + the arrow keys nudges the overlay up, down and side to side. Opt/Alt + Shift + [ or ] rotate the source Opt/Alt + Shift + <> scale the source Also, to adjust rotation, position, or scale, you can also use "scrubby sliders": hover over the label on each field (H, W, etc.), then drag left or right.