We welcome your comments on articles, photo and digital events, feedback on how we're doing, constructive criticism, and friendly advice. We reserve the right to edit for brevity and to paraphrase longer comments if necessary. You can send us letters by US mail at Editor, News & Notes, Shutterbug Magazine, 1419 Chaffee Dr., Suite #1, Titusville, FL 32780, or by e-mail...
In the fall of 2001, I went to Florence, Italy, to study Fine Arts. With my first camera, the Nikon N60, in hand I went out to explore the city that would be my home for the next six months. I soon noticed that the city of Florence had a million stories just waiting to be told. Listening to the sounds of the motor scooters buzzing around the streets and the infectious giggles from...
Our Picture This! assignment this month was Abstracts in Nature, and readers responded with a beautiful assortment of images from every type of environment and in every season. Each framed the world in a very special way, recognizing the divine in life as something the inspired eye can capture through the informed lens of a camera. In fact, this assignment probably brought in...
Kingston Technology Company, Inc.features images on its `Icons of Photography'
Web site created by photographer Gerd Ludwig while on assignment in Chernobyl
for National Geographic Magazine. On his first trek in 1993, seven years after
the nuclear reactor meltdown in Russia, Ludwig carried close to 800 rolls of
film to document the tragedy. On his most recent visit, he used Kingston CompactFlash
Ultimate cards paired with a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II digital SLR camera.
Kingston recognizes the importance of educating and informing photographers
of all levels and is proud to offer its Icons of Photography, an online forum
showcasing the talents and advice from several of the world's most respected
photographers. Each month the program spotlights an icon and his/her suggestions
for managing a shoot, capturing better images and improving workflow. Kingston's
Icons present these tips in a `try it yourself' manner suitable
for enthusiasts and pros.
Underlining its commitment to the world of black-and-white photography, Ilford
Photo is in the process of reintroducing various specialist films. Leading this
movement, and available from March 2007, is ILFORD SFX 200 film.
Ilford SFX 200 is a special film with extended red sensitivity perfect for landscapes
and similar subjects due to its ability to add high definition to green foliage,
cloud formations and open skies, especially when combined with the ILFORD SFX
200 Cokin 'P' series mounted red filter. It is also popular with architectural
photographers due to its characteristic for emphasizing contrasting textures.
A medium speed panchromatic film, Ilford SFX 200 is available in 35mm and 120
roll film. It has long been a favorite with specialist photographers, but ceased
production when the company went through a corporate reorganization in 2005. Because
of its sensitivity, the film will be produced in small quantities on a 'made on
demand' basis to ensure that it is always fresh and fully active.
Ilford SFX 200 is available in special value promotional packs which contain three
rolls of 36x135 film plus an Ilford Cokin P red filter.
An Ilford SFX 200 print competition is planned to encourage photographers to experience
the versatility of this film, and to put their artistic talents to the test. Full
details will be announced shortly.
A full technical data sheet on the Ilford SFX 200 film can be downloaded from www.ilfordphoto.com...
General Electric Co. (GE) and corporate newcomer General Imaging Co. announced
the two companies have reached an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement by
which General Imaging will design, manufacture and distribute an all-new line
of GE-branded digital cameras.
Headquartered
in Torrance, Calif., General Imaging brings together a variety of photo industry
veterans. Komiya is a former president of Olympus Imaging Corp. Leading sales
efforts in North America will be Rene Buhay, a former vice president of Global
Sales for ArcSoft who had also headed North American sales for both Samsung
and Ricoh. Noted industrial designer Takeyoshi Kawano will be the company's
chief designer. Kawano's design credits include the Sony Walkman, the Sony VAIO
computer, and the Olympus Stylus camera series.
"Style will play an important part in our product development," Kawano
noted. "Consumers are demanding not just advanced features but stylish
designs. We're responding to that demand with cameras that are a statement of
style and at the same time have all the latest technology."
According to Kawano, advanced features such as image stabilization, high ISO
sensitivity, and panoramic stitching will be standard on all models. Entry-level
GE digital cameras will start with 7 megapixels of resolution and 2.5-inch LCD
screens. Higher-end GE cameras will offer up to 12 megapixels of resolution
and 3-inch LCD screens. A photo printer will also be included in the line.
Available for both Windows and Mac platforms, Photoshop Lightroom enables professional
photographers to import, manage and present large volumes of digital photographs.
Photoshop Lightroom now includes a wealth of innovative features that streamline
digital photography workflows and help photographers spend more time behind
the lens and less time at the computer.
The 5 Minute Photo Loader/Viewer software now comes in two flavors. A Standard
Version is based upon the previous versions released and a new Pro Version was
designed and developed based upon feedback from users of previous versions, who
wanted more power, flexibility and marketing options in the product.
The Standard Version is primarily designed for first time onsite event photographers
that are new to onsite event photography and computer networking. The Standard
Version has less configurable options and is designed to be able to get up and
running in the least amount of time.
The Pro Version is designed for those that are more familiar with onsite event
photography, onsite printing and more familiar with computer networking. The Pro
Version has many new optional configuration options designed to give the onsite
event photographers options not previously available to them.
Lexar has expanded its professional product line with the introduction of a
133x speed-rated Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) flash memory card designed
for professional and high-end amateur photographers who demand the freedom and
flexibility to quickly capture a large number of high-resolution images with
SDHC-enabled digital cameras. Delivering a minimum sustained write speed capability
of 20MB per second, Lexar Professional SDHC cards allow photographers to capture
more images while spending less time changing memory cards.