LATEST ADDITIONS

As I write this controversy is swirling over Adobe Systems abandoning Creative Suite to focus on Creative Cloud. Even if this is solved by the time you read this, there will come a time when you’ll have to face a decision about whether or not to upgrade your software. There are two different schools of thought on software upgrades: one approach suggests that if a program is working, why spend money to upgrade? The reason behind this philosophy is that sometimes upgrades create more problems than they solve. A second viewpoint is to always upgrade to the latest version—no matter what. The thinking is that since change is inevitable that you should upgrade to the newer version to minimize or eliminate future problems. How Adobe has handled Camera Raw over the past few Photoshop upgrades is a testament to that theory. Over the years I’ve changed from an upgrade-regardless person to a more cautious approach. I may prefer to have the latest version of everything being used on a daily basis but now will wait weeks (months, years?) all the while listening to the drumbeat of grumbles from early adopters. That’s why I’m waiting to see what happens with Adobe’s new policy.

Tamron USA announced that the company now offers 3-business day repair service turnaround for photographic lenses. This achievement works to alleviate customer concerns that when they send in a product for repair service, they may be left without that product for some time. Now, all lenses received in our system by noon EST are estimated the same day and moved onto the next stage. Lenses under warranty (Tamron USA offers a 6-year limited warranty on its photographic lenses) are repaired and shipped back to the customer within three business days. Out of warranty lenses are repaired and shipped back within three business days of the customer's approval of the repair estimate.

Way back in 2006, Innova Art brought out their FibaPrint White Gloss 300 gsm, and while not what I’d call a big brand name here in the US, digital printmaking aficionados who had come from the fiber-paper darkroom tradition took note. Here was an inkjet paper that emulated, and some say matched, the look and feel of traditional bromide silver printing paper. Other surfaces have since been introduced in this line, including the new FibaPrint Warm Cotton Gloss 335gsm that’s the subject of this report. Of course, this is not the only paper that claims the “fine art” pedigree, but due to its weight, its ability to reproduce a wide range of tones with clarity, and its acid- and lignin-free constitution it has all the required specs.

Handcrafted by Gura Gear in Ogden, Utah, Sabi is an innovative step up from the traditional photography beanbag. Sabi is a compact, yet stable support system designed by photographers simply trying to hold still while they shoot. The innovative double-pillow design lets you adapt to whatever the situation without the bulk of traditional beanbags. There is no 'wrong' way to use a Sabi; they are designed for versatility. Great for shooting from the car, rocks, tree stumps, or just on the ground, Sabi is perfect for those times when a tripod just doesn't make sense. With Sabi, the world is your tripod.