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Carol Freeman began the Endangered Species Photography Project 15 years ago. Her aim was to photograph all the endangered species in her home state of Illinois, in the hope that awareness would foster protection for the threatened species and their habitats.

Logitech and Adobe Systems Incorporated have announced the results of a collaboration
to provide creative professionals and design enthusiasts new levels of control
when using Adobe Creative Suite 2 (CS2) and standalone CS2 applications: the NuLOOQ
Professional Series. The new Logitech product line comprises the NuLOOQ navigator,
an innovative device used in conjunction with a mouse and a keyboard to manipulate
images and documents, and the NuLOOQ tooldial, customizable on-demand interface
software that provides quick access to design tools. Both are designed for use
with the Mac versions of Adobe Creative Suite 2, Adobe Illustrator CS2, Adobe
InDesign CS2, and Adobe Photoshop CS2.



The NuLOOQ Professional Series places the frequently used tools and options in
the Adobe Creative Suite right at creative professionals' fingertips, saving
them time and giving them the ability to shift their focus to the most important
aspect of design -- imagery and layout.



Many designers today use multiple large monitors, which means the mouse cursor
has to travel farther to complete basic tasks. This takes up valuable creative
time and results in workspace inefficiency. The NuLOOQ Professional Series addresses
these challenges and provides solutions for the time-intensive elements of design
-- navigating images, adjusting option values, and accessing menus --
so that creative professionals can accomplish more.



The NuLOOQ navigator is a companion to the creative designer's existing
toolset -- a mouse and a tablet or keyboard. Approximately the size and shape
of half a tennis ball, this stationary device sits under the non-mousing hand
and has a circular touch-sensitive surface (the tooltuner dial) for adjusting
option values in supported applications. A moveable rubber-like ring (the navring
controller) at the base allows designers to easily navigate images and documents,
while embedded buttons (triggerpoint buttons) call up frequently used tools. Additional
features include:



Scroll and zoom with ease: A minor nudge of the navring controller
moves selected images, while twisting it controls the zoom feature. The navring
controller's built-in sensor is based on advanced robotics technology that
senses small movements for quick reaction.



Touch-sensitive control: Located on top of the NuLOOQ navigator, the
tooltuner dial gives creative designers the ability to adjust or tune tool-option
values, such as text leading or brush size. This feature minimizes arm movement
and saves valuable time by eliminating repeat trips to the option bar to adjust
values.



Context-sensitive and application-aware: The NuLOOQ navigator automatically
detects the current Adobe CS2 application, selected object or tool, presenting
applicable option values for that application when prompted.



Instant access to frequently used tools: Three built-in triggerpoint
buttons embedded in the tooltuner dial provide instant access to commands, modifier
keys, and tooldial menus.



NuLOOQ tooldial: Complete Interface Control

· Included with the NuLOOQ navigator or available for purchase separately,
the NuLOOQ tooldial software centralizes frequently used tools, commands and files
within an intuitive, on-demand circular menu that is divided into eight wedges.
Each of these wedges can have up to eight associated wedges appear when the cursor
lingers over the original wedge for a total of 72 available tools, commands and
files per tooldial. When launched using a keystroke, mouse click or one of the
NuLOOQ navigator triggerpoint buttons, the tooldial wheel appears centered under
the cursor and disappears when the activity is completed, giving creative designers
full control over their interface while keeping their virtual desktop clutter-free.




Pricing and Availability

The NuLOOQ Professional Series has a suggested retail price in the U.S. of $149.99.
The NuLOOQ tooldial can be purchased separately online for a suggested retail
price of $49.99 at www.logitech.com/nulooq.
A 30-day free trial is also available for download at the NuLOOQ Web site.

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Analog photography mavens Lomography have just introduced a new wide-angle camera for instant photography. The new Lomo'Instant Wide combines high quality craftsmanship with versatile features. This instant camera is designed to capture every beautiful, bizarre and bewildering moment in a creative, super wide, crisply sharp and perfectly exposed way.

As a lover of all things unsharp, I was eager to get my mitts on a Petzval 85mm portrait lens. When I saw it at Photo Plus Expo here in New York, it was under glass, gleaming like a gilded idol. The fine folks at Lomography were kind enough to loan me a sample. What follows is my report. 

Most of you are familiar with the concept of “wearable cameras”—particularly as pertains to the so-called digital “POV” models used by action sports enthusiasts to document their exploits with still images and/or video while skiing, ballooning, cycling, surfing and other such activities. These cameras can be attached to helmets, body harnesses or even the sports equipment itself. There have also been a few not-so-successful attempts to market small wearable devices designed to capture low-res images as people go about their daily lives.

Long Exposure Noise Reduction is very helpful feature available in most modern digital cameras, including interchangeable lens models and many full-featured compacts. But as you'll see in the following tutorial from the Photo Genius YouTube channel, leaving this setting turned on by default will hold you back in certain situations.