Phase One has released Capture One Express 7, the raw processing and image-editing software that gives photographers a head start to ultimate image quality. Built on the world’s most advanced image processing engine, Capture One Express 7 delivers stunning out-of-the-box image quality with excellent color and fine detail from a camera’s raw files.

Hoodman’s new Custom Finder Kit for 3.2” viewfinders includes the new H32 HoodLoupe with German glass optics, a +3 diopter adjustment and a ¼ 20 mounting solution.

Never was there a time when it was so easy or inexpensive to create a great-looking website than right now. I created my own site (www.joefarace.com) using a WordPress template from Obox (www.obox-design.com) that’s hosted on GoDaddy.com and the whole magilla cost a little over $100—along with lots of my own time. What about your site? If you read Web Profiles regularly you know that from time to time I like to feature Shutterbug readers and if you would like to see your website or blog featured here, click my site’s Contact button and tell me about it.

The Dinkum Systems COMPACT lens shade ($34.95) is said to be the first shade of its kind for cameras with hot-shoe mounts. Boasting a professional-style aluminum shade and a sturdy flexible arm, the COMPACT lens shade is fast becoming an essential part of a photographer’s kit. Professional shooters love this accessory just as much as the serious amateur. DP Jim Surette replaced the bulky matte box in his pack with a super-light COMPACT lens shade on a recent shoot in the Himalayas, dealing with lens flare quickly and easily in a challenging environment.

I live near the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and have been photographing the canal and the neighborhood for over two decades, but it was only in the fall of 2009 that my photographs had the prospect of becoming a historical record, due to the imminent prospect of development and a long-term cleanup. Either way, the area was going to change dramatically. The photographs I produced have won awards, been featured in exhibitions, and 17 of the images have been acquired by the Brooklyn Historical Society for their permanent collection.

The Panasonic G5 is a very compact mirrorless system camera that looks like a small SLR, yet has an electronic viewfinder. The EVF has a very high resolution of 1.4 million RGB dots and shows a very crisp and clear image.

The camera is designed for use with the new X lenses made by Panasonic. These lenses have an integrated motorized zoom and servo-controlled focusing system. To accommodate use of the lenses the G5 offers a zoom switch to change focal length rather than a lens ring, just like when using a compact camera.

Philippe Halsman, in his book Halsman on the Creation of Photographic Ideas, talked about an ad he’d shot, where he had to show a car making a splash as it was driving through a water-filled trough. But rather than give it the traditional treatment of the day, he sought to make a real splash with the picture, so he lit it differently. Shooting at dusk, he positioned flashbulbs so they hit the “wings,” as he called them, from each side. Like Halsman, photographers specializing in automotive are finding ways of introducing unusual and unique twists to make the shot stand out. Peter Dawson is one such automotive photographer who takes a particularly keen interest in dealing with challenges outdoors, on location.

“Not your father’s camera bag” was how Tenba described the prototypes of their new Vector line at photokina 2010. Now, in 2012, the new line is in production, and they were absolutely right. What are the differences? Color, style, and function. A report like this is no place for detail: that’s what manufacturers’ websites are for, and besides, a full, detailed list of new camera bags could more than fill the whole magazine. What I want to do is to give you some idea of the way that bags are heading.

Nikon Inc. has introduced both the COOLPIX AW110. Waterproof, shockproof and freeze proof, the AW110 is built to handle the elements, whether hiking up a mountain, hitting the slopes or riding the surf. Nikon’s newest tough camera also offers built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for sharing, Full HD 1080p video capabilities and a slew of advanced features that adventurers covet, including GPS and underwater shooting modes.

Since my first explorations of the stock photography industry, there have been many changes and upheavals in the business. In this column, I hope to sort out some of the most important changes that have occurred. One is the relationship of the photographer and the stock agency and the changing nature of the agency business itself. Indeed, many stock agencies are now called stock distributors since they no longer work as agents to “represent” photographers. For photographers, there is an even higher degree of specialized subject knowledge and/or access to a subject required for a reasonable sales return on the work.