Press Release—Software Cinema Training announces the release of Compositing Exposures to Light Architecture & Landscapes by author Bob Coates. In this CS3 Photoshop tutorial DVD, Coates highlights some of the new features that make extending the dynamic range of images through capture and blending multiple images of the same scene.

“It’s definitely made it easier for me to do my real estate photography,” says Coates. “With the new Align tool in Photoshop, it’s not the disaster it once was if the tripod gets bumped a little while capturing multiple exposures. Used to be if there was even a tiny movement of the pod, that meant extra time allotted to aligning the images in Photoshop in post-production. Now, it’s a breeze. I capture exposures from outside the window, in the shadows, tungsten lamps, flash and more, then blend them all together for a look the eye can see but the camera could never capture in just one exposure without a LOT of extra work on the site. It’s cool!”

New York Historical Society to premiere powerful, original exhibition commemorating the 6th anniversary of September 11. More than 1,300 remarkable photographs, oral histories and artifacts create a new remembrance of the World Trade Center Attacks.

Press Release—Here is New York: Remembering 9/11/01, a haunting new exhibition commemorating the sixth anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, featuring more than a thousand stirring photographs, together with a bold display of artifacts pulled from the rubble and hundreds of oral histories, opens Friday, August 31 and runs through January 1, 2008 at The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West (at 77th Street).

Photograph taken by Christopher Hubble, Franconia, NH

By Karen Linsley 

If you are in the market for a new camera bag, and you happen to be of female persuasion, you might want to look into Jill-e Designs.

Co-owner Jill Dorn and her partner traveled to Imaging USA last year and scoured the trade show looking for camera bags. They returned home determined to design, market and sell a line of camera bags and accessories specifically designed for women. Dorn has a background in sales and marketing, specifically for photo retail; her partner has a background in product management. They also enlisted the aid of their husbands. One is a professional wedding/portrait photographer whose feedback was instrumental in the design of the bags. The other helps with logistics. Together they formed Jill-e (rhymes with Billy) Designs, designed the bags, found a manufacturer to make them, and have hit the road. The Web site (www.jill-e.com) went live in June, and they sponsored PPA's Chicks Who Click retreat for women in photography, also in June, to great success.

Mikkel Aaland turned his experiences from a once-in-a-lifetime photography expedition to Iceland into a striking guided tour of Lightroom in "Photoshop Lightroom Adventure" (O'Reilly, $39.99). Along the way he shows readers how they, too, can use Lightroom to create exciting new images. More importantly, Aaland, an award-winning photographer and bestselling author, inspires readers by providing a far deeper experience than most instructional manuals. Part Icelandic road trip, part photo essay, "Lightroom's" photo-rich pages come packed with beautiful, exciting photographs from a dozen talented working photographers.

"Yes, it's a technical book. Yet it's not only a complete guide to the latest version of the application, but a pleasure to look at, too," explains Aaland. For this is not an update of previous Lightroom versions, but the first book written specifically for Lightroom 1.1. "And my new book honors photography through the beautiful images that fill every chapter," adds Aaland.

Professional Photographer magazine's Web Exclusives gives has a special excerpt from Chapter 3 of Mikkel Aaland's "Photoshop Lightroom Adventure," Editing a Day's Shoot in Iceland. In this valuable excerpt, Aaland takes you through editing a day's shoot in Lightroom, illustrating Library Module features and variations, from setting thumbnail size and customizing the Loupe view to magnifying in tandem and creating a collection.

Download a PDF excerpt from Chapter 3 of "Photoshop Lightroom Adventure" (8.4MB)

Photoshop Lightroom Adventure
Mastering Adobe's next-generation tool for digital photographers
By Mikkel Aaland
First Edition: July 2007 (est.)
ISBN 10: 0-596-10099-X
ISBN 13: 9780596100995
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596100995/
Copyright © 2007 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission. 

With only minor drawbacks, the new Olympus ultra-zoom camera delivers unbelievable coverage in a compact package.

By Ron Eggers

The Olympus 7.1-megapixel SP-550 UZ is one of the dual-LCD cameras that are the proving ground for some innovative capabilites. In place of an optical viewfinder, these cameras have a second LCD that displays exactly what the lens sees, just like DSLRs. Optical viewfinders are generally better suited for precision framing and focusing, but LCD viewfinders work well enough, and certainly better than the coupled viewfinders on most consumer cameras. And the dual-LCD design has some advantages over DSLRs: they’re more compact, less expensive, and sometimes have features that aren’t feasible with DSLRs.

Caption: Not only do you get great zoom with the Olympus SP-550 UZ, you get extreme macro capability as well. Photo ©Ron Eggers 

Printing in-house means more control over your images, but what does it do to the cost of production? Find out before you make a big investment.

By David Saffir

Dozens of variables come into play when you decide whether to use a print service provider or make your own prints in-house—workflow, time, cost, quality control, labor and convenience among them. We compared the cost of in-house inkjet printing and outsourced printing based on U.S. statistics. Variables like regional differences in costs, pricing and accounting will affect bottom-line results, but our figures are in the ballpark. It’s a good starting place for research of your own.

The comparison reveals several notable findings. In-house inkjet printing in many cases is less costly than high-quality lab printing, excluding direct labor costs. Despite the competitive pricing in media and ink, the cost per square foot of output can vary significantly among wide-format inkjet printers, due in large part to wasted consumables. With the technology in inkjet printing, photographers could save significant time printing in-house. The additional labor costs may or may not be significant, depending on the photographer’s knowledge and experience in digital editing and printing.

By Eric Olesh

Have you had images printed that appear nothing like the original? Or something that looked great off your inkjet printer looked all wrong when you had your promotional material printed? You are not alone. Many press reproduction problems stem not from technology, but a lack of understanding about color and printing technologies. Trying to achieve output that resembles the original can be extremely frustrating, even for graphic art professionals.

In the darkroom or on a computer, photographers tweak an image until it is visually appealing. Unfortunately, tweaking and retouching may do little to fix the real problem when it's time to go to press. In order to achieve visually pleasing reproduction, photographers must understand the process from input through print run.

Press Release—Image Trends has released SensorKleen Pro, a software application that allows the user to automatically erase the dust and debris in a set of Digital SLR camera images. The SensorKleen SmartBrush product (included with SensorKleen Pro) allows you to correct defects on individual images.  

PearlyWhites: The Digital Teeth Whitener and ShineOff: The Digital Face Powder plug-ins are now available for the Mac OSX platforms. As with the previously announced PC versions of the cosmetic plug-ins, they whiten teeth and remove unwanted shine from the face and can be run in batch mode using Photoshop actions.

Initially, SensorKleen Pro, a stand alone application, will be available for Windows based machines. Similar to the other Image Trends products, the Mac versions will follow as market demand dictates. The new SensorKleen Pro application will be priced at $99.95 (US). SensorKleen Pro replaces SensorKleen with SmartBrush, and owners of the SmartBrush version will be contacted and provided with a no-charge upgrade; a $50 customer loyalty benefit. The Mac versions of the ShineOff and PearlyWhites Plug-In’s are priced at $49.95 (US). All ITI products are available now for a free “try before you buy” download at www.ImageTrendsInc.com.

By Joan T. Sherwood

Now that the Mac-supported versions of Image Trends plug-ins ShineOff and PearlyWhites are available, I can test them. Both plug-ins are of the simplest variety to use; just select the filter from your menu and the rest of the operation is automatic, with no sliders or adjustments to fiddle with. In Photoshop, you can control the amount of filter you want to apply to your image, by simply copying your background image onto another layer, then running the filter on the copied layer. (You could use the filter on your background layer, but at the risk of accidentally saving over your original.) Now go to Edit > Fade … in the options menu or adjust the opacity of the layer.

Image Trends plug-ins work with any application that's Photoshop-filter compatible, including Photoshop 7 and later (including CS3), Adobe Image Ready, Photoshop Elements 2 and above, Corel Paint Shop Pro 7 and later.

To test PearlyWhites, I used a portrait that includes white clothing.

The PearlyWhites plug-in whitens teeth in a natural way. The whites of the eyes also brighten slightly, which is a nice bonus. However, the skin tone on the left cheek (the subject's right cheek) changed from peach to pink, not such a welcome change. I could detect only a tiny difference in the brightness of the shirt on the right shoulder, but only when I turned the layer view on and off. I can't detect it when I look at the images side by side. [Click the image for a larger view. Images ©Joan T. Sherwood]

You could protect your image from unwanted changes by using a layer mask, but that takes away a little of the convenience of using the plug-in. Still, it's an easy mask to make; there's no need for any refined selection. Hold down the alt/option key and click on the layer mask icon in the Layers palette to get a black layer mask, then paint with a white, slightly soft-edged brush across the eyes and mouth. Your skin tones will remain untouched.

Press Release—On August 20, Canon U.S.A., Inc. announced the upcoming release of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III and the EOS 40D for the professional photography market, as well as two new Canon lenses, the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens and the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS.

The new 21.1-megapixel, full-frame Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera is housed in a compact, lighter-weight magnesium alloy body. According to Canon, the camera will be able to achieve a five-frame-per-second (fps) shooting rate for bursts of up to 56 Large/Fine (21-megapixel) JPEGS or 12 RAW images.

The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III is scheduled to begin shipping in November and will have an estimated selling price of $7,999.

The Canon EOS 40D debuts numerous design improvements over its predecessor, the 30D, which it replaces. Scheduled to be available in stores in September, the 40D features a 10.1-megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor, a redesigned autofocus sensor, and a motor drive that can achieve 6.5 frames per second.

The EOS 40D has live view capability, including autofocus with the press of the AF-ON button. Live view delivers 100 percent field view on the LCD screen, allowing for more accurate composition. 

While the EOS 40D SLR maintains the nine-point wide area AF coverage first introduced on the EOS 20D camera, Canon states it has made significant improvements to its speed, precision and functionality, minimizing subject recognition problems in the process. The EOS 40D camera’s redesigned nine-point AF sensor provides cross-type AF measurement at all nine focusing points for maximum apertures up to f/5.6, and for the first time in any EOS camera, the central AF point offers enhanced precision for both vertical and horizontal subject contrast when using EF or EF-S lenses featuring maximum apertures of f/2.8 or faster. AF calculation speed with the EOS 40D camera is 30 percent faster than the EOS 30D model. 

The new EOS 40D also features the Digic III processing engine, the EOS Integrated Cleaning System, a new sRAW recording format that records smaller file sizes than the standard RAW capture, which is still available, and the Highlight Tone Priority function introduced in the EOS-1D Mark III.

The Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated selling price of $1,299. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated selling price of $1,499.  

Press Release—Nikon has introduced 12.1-megapixel D3 digital SLR with a new FX-format CMOS sensor, measuring 23.9 x 36mm, which is "nearly identical to the size of 35mm film." Nikon boasts the D3 has the fastest startup time, shortest viewfinder blackout time and shortest shutter lag of any DSLR and can achive a 9 frames per second capture rate at full FX-format resolution.

Designed with sports photographers and photojournalists in mind, the Nikon D3 introduces new features and technologies that include Nikon’s new EXPEED Image Processing System that is central to the speed and processing power needed for many of the D3’s new features.

The D3's normal ISO range spans 200 to 6400. By setting the camera to its built-in options of Lo-1 or Hi-2, the ISO range of the camera can be expanded to the equivalent of ISO 100 or ISO 25,600.

The D3 also features an entirely new 51-point auto focus system with Nikon’s 3D Focus Tracking feature and two new LiveView shooting modes that allow photographers to frame a photograph using the camera’s high-resolution LCD monitor. The D3 uses the world’s first Scene Recognition System to enhance the accuracy of auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance detection in the camera by recognizing the subject or scene being photographed and applying this information to the calculations for the three functions.

The DX-format the D300 is a 12.3 effective megapixel digital SLR camera that combines brand new technologies with advanced features inherited from Nikon’s new D3.

Similar to the D3, the D300 features Nikon’s EXPEED Image Processing System that is central to driving the speed and processing power. The D300 features a new 51-point auto focus system with Nikon’s 3D Focus Tracking feature and two new LiveView shooting modes that allow users to frame a photograph using the camera’s high-resolution LCD monitor. The D300 shares a similar Scene Recognition System as found in the D3 that promises to greatly enhance the accuracy of auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance by recognizing the subject or scene being photographed and applying this information to the calculations for the three functions.

The D300 is capable of shooting at a rapid six frames per second and can go as fast as 8 fps when using the optional MB-D10 Multi-Power Battery Pack. In continuous bursts, the D300 can shoot up to 100 shots at full 12.3 megapixel resolution.


 

See how easy and beneficial it can be to use a wide-format inkjet printer in your photography studio. Learn how to reduce annual lab expenditures while gaining the flexibility to create new products and promote your work.

Brought to you by primary sponsors LexJet and Epson, the Great Output Seminar is designed to make in-studio printing easier, more efficient, and more profitable.

Instructor Tom Hauenstein will demonstrate his One and Done method of streamlining the production of professional-quality prints for your portrait, wedding, event, fine art, or commercial photography business.

Registration is only $49, and includes lunch, presentation and educational materials, giveaways, media samples, special sponsor discounts, and more. Great Output’s Printing for Profitability one-day seminars will be presented in 16 cities starting in September and running through February.

Miami, FL – Sept. 10
Charleston, SC – Sept. 17
Austin, TX – Sept. 24
Atlanta, GA – Sept. 26
Seattle, WA – Oct. 8
Denver, CO – Oct. 10
Phoenix, AZ – Oct. 22
Minneapolis, MN – Oct. 24
San Francisco, CA – Nov. 12
San Diego, CA – Nov. 14
Chicago, IL – Jan. 21, 2008
Kansas City, MO – Jan. 23
Richmond, VA – Feb. 11
Philadelphia, PA – Feb. 13
Boston, MA – Feb. 25
New York City, NY – Feb. 27

Visit the Great Output Seminar Tour for information on venues and the seminar schedule and to register online.

Stores Big and Small Now Offer Photo Accessories ‘Designed by Women for Women’

Press Release—jill-e designs, maker of camera bags and other photo accessories for the professional and advanced amateur female photographer, has introduced a national network of photo retailers, Web sites and catalog houses now carrying its high-quality, high-style products that appeal to the heightened sense of fashion women enjoy while delivering the rugged functionality serious female photographers require.

The company’s wide array of sturdy, sassy camera bags and versatile lens cleaning cloths can now be found at the following retail locations: 

Adorama, New York City
Apertures, Tulsa, Okla.
Baker Photo & Video, Yukon, Okla.
Cal’s Camera, Newport Beach, Calif.
Calumet Photographic, 10 locations across the U.S. 
The Camera Werks, Providence, R.I.
Crick Camera Shop, Kansas City, Mo.
Dan’s Camera, Allentown, Pa. 
Dodd Camera, 5 stores in metro Cleveland, Ohio
Heather Fritz Photography, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.
Jack’s Camera, Muncie, Ind.
Keeble & Shuchat Photography, Palo Alto, Calif.
Paul’s Photo, Torrance, Calif.
Pro Photo Supply, Portland Ore.
Ritz Camera, selected locations across the U.S.
Ritz Interactive, www.ritzcamera.com
Showcase, Atlanta, Ga.
 

Press Release—Phase One today announced the beta release of Capture One 4, the next generation of Capture One 3 LE raw workflow software that helps professional photographers achieve superior image quality.

Capture One 4 is a new application building on cutting-edge technology, a new architecture, and what users found best from previous generations of Capture One.

The first look at the newly architected software is available now at no cost until November 1. All existing customers can benefit from Capture One 4, both the beta version and the final version will be available to LE and PRO customers free of charge.

Capture One 4 is available for Windows XP (SP2) and Vista and Mac OS 10.4.8 (or higher) platforms. Please consult the beta release notes for information on known limitations and how to provide beta feedback.

For download instructions, beta release notes, list of cameras supported and to learn more about Capture One 4, please visit the company web site at http://www.phaseone.com/4.