Wednesday, September 30, 2009

PhotoBin.com Announces Tech-easy Photo Sharing and Archiving Site with 3-D Photo Wall

PhotoBin.com helps busy families and consumers of all technical comfort levels confidently manage and share entire photo collections. Consumers archive, organize, photo share and create gifts from their photographs. The site's visually engaging and interactive 3-D Photo Wall feature allows users to view their photo collection in an interactive, fast-paced moving cinematic perspective. PhotoBin.com provides free photo sharing along with subscription-based services for more advanced users.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 30, 2009 -- PhotoBin.com today announces the launch of its photo sharing, archiving and sorting subscription products, including PhotoBin Basic, PhotoBin Plus and photo-customized merchandise. PhotoBin Basic provides free accounts for consumers new to photo sharing, while PhotoBin Plus provides subscription-based accounts for advanced photo enthusiasts and professionals. In addition to its core products, Photobin.com also features the ability to turn favorite photos into affordable gifts, including canvases, prints, mugs and puzzles.

PhotoBin.com offers free basic accounts for photo sharing, archiving, and holiday gifts, as well as a 3-D Photo Wall that does not require a download.

PhotoBin.com offers free basic accounts for photo sharing, archiving, and holiday gifts, as well as a 3-D Photo Wall that does not require a download.

PhotoBin.com's welcome page is the home base for new and returning users. Within the welcome page, the My PhotoBin menu provides a fast and easy path to access all photo organizing tools and help menu items. Public and private options offer users the ability to invite, accept or reject contacts. And consumers can tag and share their photos in personalized Web sites directly from any computer with an Internet connection.

"It's all about making uploading your kid's birthday party pictures fast, easy and fun, and not a tedious chore," says CEO Steve Weber. "It's about sharing moments with your family and friends days later -- even hours later -- rather than months later. And it's about giving photo enthusiasts an amazing look for their own portfolio galleries."

Among its key features, users can toggle between two views: 3-D and 2-D. The visually engaging and interactive 3-D Photo Wall feature allows users to view photo collections in an interactive, cinematic perspective, and without the clutter of advertising. (The 3-D Photo Wall is not a plug-in and does not require a download.) For those who prefer a slower, more traditional view, the 2-D panel is also available.

With its simplified user interface and tech-forward style, PhotoBin.com offers busy consumers a comfortable, fun environment to get organized fast. PhotoBin.com's intuitive drag-and-drop interface and flexible features work for busy moms and dads as well as photography hobbyists and professionals -- from a soccer mom with hundreds of game shots to a photo enthusiast who specializes in nature shots to a wedding photographer with high-volume clients.

PhotoBin.com values its customers' images, using SSL, firewall-protected servers and redundant storage methods, backing up files at co-location centers across the United States.

For more information, visit http://www.PhotoBin.com
About PhotoBin.com
Launched in April 2008, San Diego-based PhotoBin.com is committed to redefining photo archiving, presentation and photo sharing. PhotoBin.com is a friendly, tech-forward provider of accessible visual sharing innovations, including the PhotoBin.com 3-D Photo Wall. PhotoBin.com is a division of Z58, Inc., a photography-focused resource for photography business training, online photo portfolios and products. For more information, visit http://www.PhotoBin.com.

 

It's all about making uploading your kid's birthday party pictures fast, easy and fun, and not a tedious chore

 

Technorati Tags: ,,

PhotoReflect Reinvents Online Selling for the Professional Photographer

Website and Online Storefront Solution Expands Functions with Eyes Set on Helping Pro Photo Businesses Grow, Profit and Thrive

 

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building upon its industry-leading business model, PhotoReflect announces new tools, functionality and services resulting in the easiest and most feature-rich way for photographers to publish and sell photography to their customers online. With this announcement, PhotoReflect continues to be the only full-suite solution that allows photographers to choose lab partners and/or print themselves for order fulfillment while now also completely automating personalized photo gifts, greeting cards, multi-pose and item packages, bordered and digital products, and more with zero upfront cost.

“Providing money-making opportunities for pro photographers in today’s highly competitive marketplace is what PhotoReflect is all about,” explains Graham McFarland, CEO of ExpressDigital, PhotoReflect’s parent company. He continues: “Presenting and selling photos online has become an expectation of photography customers and we take it upon ourselves to empower photographers to meet these and future expectations. Today we commemorate a new revolution in free and accessible technologies designed to help photographers sell and communicate with their customers. Tomorrow you can expect even more.”

Celebrating a decade online, PhotoReflect is the industry pioneer that has made its mark with a business model that dictates to never charge for service if it does not succeed in helping the photographer become more profitable. This mission and total independence (from labs, major manufacturers and other third-party interests) is the brainchild of extensive new features that include interactive photo gift and card creators, an online dashboard that is also accessible via iPhone, Palm Pre, Netbooks and other internet-enabled devices, totally unique and customer-driven products, and marketing tools. In addition, PhotoReflect unveils a new logo and website, has updated over 120 site and storefront style options and offers a streamlined set-up process to all users.

About ExpressDigital© -- Express Digital Graphics, Inc.’s “photography inspired solutions” empower any-sized photography business to incorporate a profitable workflow. ExpressDigital’s DARKROOM™ software, PhotoReflect© internet storefronts, and Labtricity© lab connectivity solutions are the leaders within the digital photography market. The company operates on the core value that service, innovation and connectivity is the future of professional photography. For more information, visit www.PhotoReflect.com.

 

Technorati Tags: ,

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Adobe and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Expand Alliance

Turner to Leverage Adobe Video Solutions to Increase Speed and Efficiency of Newsroom Editing Workflows

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that it has expanded its strategic media technology alliance with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), initially announced in March 2009. This expansion of the alliance is focused on efforts to take advantage of the extensibility of Adobe’s video production toolset to create a cross-location editing environment that is faster and more efficient and format capable than today’s broadcast industry workflows. The initial goal of the extended alliance is to leverage Adobe’s video editing solutions, including Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4 software, to advance the speed and efficiency of video editing workflows at Turner, including Turner’s news production environments.

“Turner had earlier formed a strategic technical alliance with Adobe because of our shared interest in creating and maintaining metadata to enhance and accompany our digital media distribution. This has led us to a further shared interest in digital media workflows within our production environments, including our news environments,” said Scott Teissler, chief technology officer at TBS, Inc. “We are finding that Adobe’s product infrastructure and our workflow experience and other integration partners are combining to produce an ingest-to-edit-to-air architecture up to our fairly demanding performance requirements.”

A Streamlined Video Production Workflow

The expanded alliance with Turner is consistent with Adobe’s strategy of working with customers to develop solutions that enhance and extend content creation and delivery across multiple media. Adobe and Turner are collaborating to improve the speed and turnaround of video production in the fast-paced newsroom environment, making workflows more streamlined and integrated and reducing the time journalists and video editors spend on redundant tasks.

“The expansion of our alliance with Turner, a prominent broadcaster with a worldwide reach and reputation, demonstrates the importance of providing integrated newsroom video editing solutions that are fast and efficient,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president, Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “Our vision is to help broadcasters, media companies and video professionals make the most of their content, and this alliance exemplifies that.”

Adobe Creative Suite® 4 Production Premium software offers exceptional support for tapeless workflows. It also provides the foundation for next-generation broadcasting workflows as well as helping broadcasters build more profitable online business models. With native support of RED R3D, Panasonic P2, Sony XDCAM EX and AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 software, editors now have one of the fastest possible workflows to view what the camera captured without loss of fidelity – all without transcoding or rewrapping. XMP metadata support across components of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium simplifies the production workflow, resulting in online content that gives viewers new ways to interact with and search for video, while giving media owners new opportunities to track and monetize content. In addition to smooth integration with After Effects® CS4 and Photoshop® CS4 Extended software, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 software includes the ability to import Final Cut projects and exchange content with Avid systems. Editors can complete rough cuts in the field and bring them back to the newsroom for further fine-tuning using Adobe Premiere Pro on Mac or PC systems. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/production.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

About Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs

 

image

A great photograph has the potential to transcend verbal and written language. But how do you create these photographs? It’s not the how that’s important, but the who and the what. Who you are as a person has a direct impact on what you capture as a photographer.
Whether you are an amateur or professional, architect or acupuncturist, physician or photographer, this guide provides inspiration, simple techniques, and assignments to boost your creative process and improve your digital images using natural light without additional gear.
Chris Orwig’s insights—to reduce and simplify, participate rather than critique, and capture a story—have made him an immensely popular workshop speaker and faculty member at the prestigious Brooks Institute. His engaging stories presented as lessons follow his classroom approach and highlight what students say is his contagious passion for life.

Read More…

You can read my review on Blogcritics.org or take in some Sample Chapters.

Chapter 2: Creativity and Photography

Chapter 4 – Camera Creativity and Technique

Technorati Tags: ,,

Wacom Adds Multi-Touch To Bamboo

Next generation Bamboo™ combines Multi-Touch and pen input, ushering in a natural, intuitive and simple way to work with computers

Vancouver, WA - Sept. 24, 2009 - Wacom® today announced an exciting new computer input solution with the introduction of Multi-Touch in its new family of Bamboo tablets.   Bamboo tablets are USB peripherals that deliver natural and intuitive input to desktop or laptop computer users.   With the ultimate goal of creating harmony between humans and technology, Wacom combines Multi-Touch (finger-based input) with pen input to deliver an entirely new standard in human-computer interaction.  "Multi-Touch provides a very natural and intuitive way for users to navigate and interact with applications," said Dennis Hoff, senior consumer product manager for Wacom.  "By combining Multi-Touch with our renowned pen technology, Bamboo provides users with a new computer input approach that is not only extremely flexible, but friendly, fresh and fun."
Bamboo includes a family of five distinct tablets: touch-only, pen-only and three versions of the pen and Multi-Touch combination.  Bamboo offers choices to give end-users the freedom to work with their computer the way they want.  Bamboo also goes beyond current mouse and other input solutions by adding the power of Multi-Touch gestures such as zoom, scroll, pan and rotate.  Compatible with Windows® or Mac® operating systems, Bamboo is easy to use and introduces a way of computing that is about as natural as one can get. 
Bamboo's timely introduction reflects modern design and functionality by offering new ways to interact with computer-based content.  "Multi-Touch and pen input are highly complementary input methodologies, each providing distinct benefits to the overall creative experience.  We live in a world where people demand immediate and direct interaction during computer sessions," continues Hoff.  "Making that interaction as natural and easy as possible is Bamboo's raison d'ĂȘtre."

Getting In Touch with Bamboo
The next generation Bamboo family is as diverse as the user it intends to serve.  While Multi-Touch input might be foreign to some, there is a whole generation of touch-centric users who have emerged thanks to the introduction of mobile devices, such as the Apple® iPhone™ and even larger surface displays like those found in Automated Teller Machines (ATM).  Touch is here to stay and Bamboo addresses this growing affinity for touch by providing a line of inspirational products that meet this phenomenon head on.  "We are quite literally putting input control and expression into the hands of the user by making Multi-Touch available for everyone," explains Hoff.  "It truly represents a positive move within the user community by introducing a natural, human element to the computing experience."

"Pentastic" Bamboo
Wacom's patented, pressure-sensitive, battery-free and cordless pen is still central to the Bamboo experience.  While Multi-Touch gives users a fresh new way to interact and navigate with their computer, pen input delivers the precise input control and a true pen-on-paper feel.  Whether annotating, drawing or editing, the pen is the ideal tool to use when working with software applications, especially those creative applications that support pressure sensitivity.  One can even erase mistakes with the pen's digital eraser.  When combined with Multi-Touch, the Bamboo pen becomes a natural extension to the whole input process, providing users an enjoyable computer input solution for work and play.

Bamboo Family
The new Bamboo family is comprised of three core products: Bamboo Touch; Bamboo Pen; and Bamboo Pen and Touch.  Two additional tablets, Bamboo Craft and Bamboo Fun form the rest of the lineup, each having its own features and benefits to satisfy different consumer tastes and needs.
For computer users looking to replace a mouse or augment integrated laptop input, Bamboo Touch ($69 USD) provides an exciting way to work with the computer, opening the door to a brand new world of enjoyment with Multi-Touch.  Like all Bamboo tablets, Bamboo Touch simply plugs into a computer with the attached USB cable.  A complete tutorial on all touch gestures is included in the box. 
Bamboo Pen ($69 USD), like the name implies, is a pen-only tablet and well suited to end-users who would like to employ the pen for digital ink and creativity.  The pen delivers accuracy and pressure-sensitive control and allows the user to customize two side buttons within the Wacom Tablet driver software.  Bamboo Pen comes with Corel® Painter™ Essentials, a creative software application with realistic tools for sketching and painting.
Bamboo Pen and Touch ($99 USD) provides amazing flexibility by offering pen and Multi-Touch input in a single device.  This tablet is geared to users seeking an input device for the office or home that allows them to navigate with their fingers or use Bamboo's patented battery-free and cordless pen technology for pen-specific work.  Users can alternate between the two input methods easily and quickly.  Simply, if the finger is in contact with the tablet surface, touch becomes the primary input.  If the pen tip is brought into proximity to the tablet surface, touch is automatically turned off and pen input controls the cursor.  For example, one could easily use Multi-Touch to select icons and scroll through a document and conveniently switch to the pen when an annotation or quick sketch is needed.  Bamboo Pen and Touch comes with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements for photo editing and retouching as well as Nik® software's filters for photo enhancement.
Bamboo Craft, offering pen and touch input and included software, is ideally suited for today's scrapbooker and crafter.  Bamboo Craft users will enjoy using the pen to retouch and edit photos as well as create and embellish designs.   Users can conveniently employ Multi-Touch input to zoom-in on or rotate an image.  When ready to add a handwritten note or signature, simply pick up the pen and let it flow.  Bamboo Craft ($129 USD) ships with an amazing array of software and valuable items, including Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials, Nik filters, 26 digital scrapbooking lessons from renowned designer Jane Conner-ziser, a free scrapbooking album from Shutterfly®, digital craft embellishments, a coupon from Digital Scrapbook University for a free online class, a free one-year subscription to the popular magazine, Scrapbooking and Beyond® and a gift certificate from the e-store at CafePress®.
Bamboo Fun ($199 USD), in stylish silver, combines pen and Multi-Touch in a larger-sized tablet than Bamboo Craft or the other Bamboo solutions.  It is ideal for home creatives or photo enthusiasts looking for more control and freedom of movement when their fingers or pen are positioned on the tablet surface.  Bamboo Fun ships with Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials and Nik photographic filters.

Bamboo OS Support
Bamboo will work with current and next generation operating systems such as Microsoft® Windows® 7.  In fact, Bamboo supports Windows 7 out-of-the-box along with Windows XP, Vista™ and Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5.  Additionally, Bamboo supports Multi-Touch gestures such as pan, scroll, zoom, rotate and forwards/backwards.
"By combining touch and pen input, Wacom continues its tradition of providing human interface solutions that embrace and support the creativity and personality of the user," said Masahiko Yamada, president and CEO of Wacom.  "As our relationship with computers evolve, so does Wacom's quest to make certain that the very characteristics that make us human find their way into our technology and that users discover a whole new world of digital exploration and freedom."


About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom's vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world's leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom's intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashions and designs around the world
and provide business and home users with the ability to explore digital content creation in a comfortable, natural way.

 
Technorati Tags: ,

onOne Software Announces Photo Essentials 3 for Adobe Photoshop Elements 8

Portland, OR September 24, 2009
New version brings improved color correction, additional image framing content and the new Make It Cool! module that gives digital photos a professional look.

onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of time-saving solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers, today announced a new version of Photo Essentials 3 for Adobe Photoshop Elements. onOne Photo Essentials 3 is a collection of five tools that painlessly correct color, remove unwanted backgrounds, add photographic effects and enlarge photos. These easy-to-use tools help photography enthusiasts get the job done quickly and easily in Adobe® Photoshop® Elements.

Supporting the new Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0, onOne's Photo Essentials 3.0 offers these capabilities:

- New Photo Essentials Palette - The Palette provides quick access to all five modules from a single location right inside Photoshop Elements.
- Make It Cool - New in Essentials 3, this offers a library with dozens of professional effects that can be added to images in one click.
- Make It Better - Turn your snapshots into professional images. Automatically fix brightness, contrast, color and sharpness with no need to understand cryptic sliders.
- Cut It Out - Easily remove an unwanted background while maintaining fine detail such as hair, clouds and glass.
- Frame It - Choose from hundreds of easy to add edge and border effects to give pictures the perfect finishing touch.
- Enlarge It - Get sharp, poster sized prints out of your photos, even from camera phones.

"Our mission is to provide tools that help make digital photography easier, faster and better. onOne Photo Essentials 3 delivers on this by helping amateur photographers spend less time in front of their computer correcting their digital images and more time behind the camera taking pictures," said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. "And with this new version of Photo Essentials 3 comes a completely new module, Make It Cool, based on our award-winning PhotoTools 2 plug-in, a new dynamic range optimization algorithm in Make It Better and a new version of the Photo Essentials Palette."

Availability

onOne Software's Photo Essentials 3 will be available in October 2009 for $69.99. Customers who purchase Essentials 2 on or after September 24, 2009 will receive a complimentary upgrade to Photo Essentials 3 as an electronic download for free. For more information on Photo Essentials, please visit www.ononesoftware.com/essentials.

About onOne Software

onOne Software, Inc. a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, develops time-saving software solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers. onOne Software solutions have been created to help photographers spend more of their time behind the camera taking pictures instead of the computer workstation. Such solutions include a wide range of easy-to-use plug-in enhancements for Adobe® Photoshop®, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture and Apple iPhoto. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit www.ononesoftware.com or call 1-888-968-1468.

 

Friday, September 25, 2009

Press Release - Shutterfly

Shutterfly Announces Shutterfly for iPhone 2.0

New Version Enables Users to Share via Email, Post to Share Sites and Download Photos

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sep 24, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY), the leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, today announced a new version of its popular Shutterfly iPhone Application, a free photo-sharing app for the iPhone that gives customers the power to upload, view and share their Shutterfly photos wherever they are. The update is available as a free download beginning today from Apple's App Store.

The Shutterfly iPhone App enhancements give customers increased interaction with their Shutterfly accounts and greater sharing capabilities on their iPhones and iPod Touches. Beginning today, customers can share pictures from their Shutterfly accounts with anyone in their iPhone contacts, post photos from their Shutterfly accounts to Shutterfly Share sites and save pictures in their Shutterfly accounts back to their iPhone camera rolls or to iPhone contacts. Shutterfly has also enabled users to delete unwanted photos from their Shutterfly accounts and seamlessly upload photos from their iPhones into any of their Shutterfly albums.

"We were overwhelmed by the positive response to our launch of Shutterfly for iPhone earlier this year," said Peter Elarde, chief marketing officer of Shutterfly. "Customers are delighted to have mobile access to their Shutterfly accounts and expand their photo-sharing experience. They also want to do more with the photos they take with their iPhones. Our enhanced version of Shutterfly for iPhone is just the latest way in which we are working to extend the popular Shutterfly service to mobile platforms."

Shutterfly has also added usability and performance improvements to enhance mobile photo viewing, improve album navigation and increase upload speed. As with all accounts, Shutterfly offers iPhone users free, unlimited storage. Shutterfly stores images at full resolution and does not delete images. To learn more about the Shutterfly iPhone App, visit: www.shutterfly.com/free-photo-sharing-iPhone-app.

In related news, Shutterfly also announced the launch of its Simple Path Photo Book creation process, which automatically creates a Photo Book in one click. Smart features instantly organize and arrange photos into a Photo Book that looks professionally designed. Consumers can order as is, or further personalize their book in just minutes using 21 exclusive style templates and easy-to-use editing tools. To learn more, visit www.shutterfly.com/simplepath.

About Shutterfly

Founded in 1999, Shutterfly, Inc. is the leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service. Shutterfly provides high quality products and world class services that make it easy, convenient and fun for consumers to preserve their digital photos in a creative and thoughtful manner. Shutterfly's flagship product is its award-winning Photo Book line, which helps consumers celebrate memories and tell their stories in professionally bound coffee table books. More information about Shutterfly (NASDAQ:SFLY) is available at www.shutterfly.com. Shutterfly and Shutterfly.com are trademarks of Shutterfly, Inc.

 

SOURCE: Shutterfly, Inc.

For Shutterfly
Gretchen Sloan, 650-610-5276
gsloan@shutterfly.com




 



Technorati Tags: ,

News of Note – September 25, 2009

 

  • An interesting idea by John Paul Caponigro about Color Psychology - I’m making a series of blog posts that briefly describes many of the classic responses to colors. This material will be repurposed in my ebooks, DVD, seminars, and workshops. Your responses here may be featured there – anonymously. I invite you to participate. All you have to do is comment. Write the first words or phrases that come to mind when you look at each color. Then see how similar or different they are from other readers’ responses. For more on color psychology … Read More…

 

  •  PhotographyBB announced today, the release of the 20th edition of the PhotographyBB Magazine Online. The PhotographyBB Magazine Online is a leading resource in the future of free information distribution, offering readers: Digital Photography tips and techniques, DSLR camera function training, and image post processing tutorials in Adobe® Photoshop™, and RAW processing in Photoshop Lightroom™. Read More…

 

  • From the contests at PixelAddiction: Like a salt and pepper, the world is full of...well this and that...those two things that just seem to be a belong together. Creatively compose and then photograph two things that "belong together". Read More…

Thursday, September 24, 2009

News of Note – September 24, 2009

 

  • PENTAX Imaging Company redefines the entry-level digital SLR category with the introduction of the K-x digital SLR. This latest PENTAX camera offers high-end features including Live View and HD video. And, since there’s no rule that SLR cameras must come in black only, the K-x will be available in a choice of white or black, as well as special, limited edition red and navy.
  • Priced at $649.95 USD (for body with DA L 18-55mm lens), the extremely compact and lightweight PENTAX K-x forges ahead on the trail initiated by the popular PENTAX K2000. With a one-handed shooting design and simple, easy-to-use operation, the K-x is perfect for users stepping up from a point and shoot digital camera to their first digital SLR.  Read More…

     

  • Chase Jarvis shares a trifecta of projects that he has been working on. It consists of  an iPhone App, a book, and a community of iPhone Photographers. The book title? “The Best Camera is the One That’s With You.” Read More…

 

  • New York, NY (PRWEB) September 23, 2009 -- Shutterstock, the world's largest subscription-based stock photo agency, announced that it has acquired BigStockPhoto, a leading credit-based stock photo agency, headquartered in Davis, California. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
  • "BigStockPhoto is a leader in the stock photo industry, and an excellent fit for Shutterstock as we expand into the credit-based market," said Jon Oringer, founder and CEO of Shutterstock. "This addition will enable Shutterstock to better satisfy the diverse payment preferences of stock photo buyers worldwide."  Read More…

 

  • “Welcome  Back to 1999:” Here is an interesting take by Syl Arena about the still camera’s move to digital capture. He says that those few puffs of clouds you see on the horizon are the beginning of a storm that we cannot quite see yet. But like 1999 and film photography, this storm will do to still motion what digital did to film. Here comes Harry Potter’s Daily Prophet. Read More…

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Horseman Announces Unique Conversion Lenses for DSLRs

 

CONCORD, CA, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009—Direct Source Marketing (DSM), the sole U.S. distributor of Horseman photo products for professionals and high-end consumers, today announced unique multi-coated conversion lenses for DSLR cameras.

 

Horseman

“What makes the Horseman lenses unique is that they provide wide-angle and macro photography easily and comfortably, without changing lenses,” said Richard Dischler, DSM President. “They are easily and quickly attached in front of the taking lens, much like attaching a filter. The lenses are also very portable and offer an affordable solution for the end user who is looking to extend the use-function of their DSLR.”

Street pricing is expected to range from $60-$120, depending on the model, of which there are seven.

Among the numerous models is the Horseman 0.7 Wide, which is designed exclusively for 18-55mm zoom lenses. The 0.7x wide conversion lens is thin, lightweight and can be attached in front of the taking lens of your camera, quickly and easily.

Another is the Horseman 0.6 Wide/Macro, a 0.6x wide conversion lens that also serves as a macro lens. The lens delivers crisp images without chromatic aberration in the periphery of images, enabling you to enjoy wide-angle photography over the entire focal length range of your DSLR zoom lens.

The Wide Macro lens is particularly effective in shooting wide angles from confined spaces or when you’re in a tight spot and can’t step back. Other examples would be shooting scenic vistas or towering buildings. The lens gives you perspective and allows you to capture near-by objects larger and distant subjects smaller.

The Horseman 0.25x Superwide/Macro is a 0.25x super-wide conversion lens that enables you to enjoy super-wide-angle photography just like a fish-eye lens. In addition, the lens incorporates a macro lens so you can get real close to your subjects for frame-filling impressive macro shots.

Both the Horseman 0.6x Wide and the 0.25x Superwide conversion lens turn into a macro lens when its front part is removed. Macro photography lets you take close-up shots and bring out the minutest details of the smallest subjects.

The Horseman 0.45x WIDE conversion lens serves as a wide lens when it’s used as is, but it turns into a macro lens when you remove the front portion. It’s a uniquely versatile conversion lens that enables you to enjoy wide-angle and macro photography with just one lens.

Other models include the Horseman 08x SUPERWIDE conversion lens, which lets you make the most of a fish-eye lens’ barrel distortion; the Horseman 4.0x Macro, which is designed primarily for medical applications, and the MiniDigi AF5.0, which allows you to have super-wide and macro photography on the Rollei MiniDigi AF5.0.

Horseman products are manufactured in Japan by Komamura Corporation.

The Horseman conversion lenses will be available at professional photo dealers. MSRP is expected to be in the $60-$120 range.

 

 

Technorati Tags: ,

News of Note – September 23, 2009

 

Lightroom and Camera Raw News

There is a new Lightroom 2.5 and Camera Raw 5.5 update available from Adobe.com. Just go to the Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2 update mechanisms (Help->Update) to update your products. This update includes camera support for these cameras.

  • Nikon D300s
  • Nikon D3000
  • Olympus E-P1
  • Panasonic DMC-FZ35*
  • Panasonic DMC-GF1

**Note that in Europe and Japan this model is marketed as the DMC-FZ38. Unfortunately, due to a metadata difference between these cameras, files from the DMC-FZ38 will *not* be supported until the next Camera Raw and Lightroom updates.

Other release notes:

  • Camera Raw 5.5 and Lightroom 2.5 include a correction to the demosaic algorithms for Bayer sensor cameras with unequal green response. Olympus, Panasonic and Sony are among the more popular camera manufacturers affected by this change. But the demosaic correction provides only a subtle visual improvement to the processing of those raw files.
  • Lightroom 2.5 corrects for the following problem in Lightroom 2.4. Lightroom 2.4 on Windows continued to display the import dialog when a memory card was detected regardless of the preference setting "Show import dialog when a memory card is detected."

Download Here..

Elements News

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sept. 23, 2009 Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe®Photoshop®Elements 8 software available for Windows® and Mac, providing automated and intelligent photo-editing technology across both platforms. With the newest version of the No. 1 selling consumer photo-editing software,* Adobe continues to make cutting-edge innovation accessible to users who want powerful yet easy-to-use tools to tell compelling stories with their photos.  Read More…

And

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sept. 23, 2009 Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Premiere® Elements 8 software for Windows®, the newest version of the No. 1 selling consumer video-editing software.* This major release enables users to easily create incredible movies, offering automated "smart" options that take the work out of video editing, easy-to-apply professional-quality effects and a new Organizer to manage all media in one convenient location. Read More…