Digital SLR camera guides on DVD
Posted on June 17, 2008 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment
Digital SLR DVD camera guides : When it comes to professional photographers, or simply those with a serious passion for photo taking, there’s perhaps no greater thrill than buying a Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera. Known for being the most expensive digital cameras on the market, SLR cameras are also notorious for their highly detailed, extremely dull user manuals. Thanks to such lifeless manuals, people don’t learn their camera’s intricacies or, sometimes, even the basics. They fail to discover the magic they’re holding in their hands. Helping to navigate the complexities of these cameras is QuickPro, LLC, a company that started creating exciting color SLR camera DVD tutorials three years ago.
DVD Camera Guide
QuickPro is announcing that this niche venture has been so successful that it’s now producing new DVD Camera Guide titles every month, the latest being tutorials for the popular Nikon D60 and Canon Xsi, featuring interactive camera tours. These DVD tutorials are the simplest way to learn about SLR cameras and are designed to get users excited about their new hobby.
DVD Camera tutorials
“People don’t want to spend the hours required to read and apply a user manual,” says Landon Bradfield, QuickPro, LLC’s sales manager. “Consequently, they buy these amazing SLR cameras and then never realize their full potential and the power of this mind-blowing technology. There’s a great disconnect there, so we’re changing that with our DVD tutorials. We’re also keeping up with the fast and furious pace of the SLR camera industry, producing high-quality DVDs that infuse camera users with in-depth knowledge about the product they’ve purchased.”
Digital Photography tutorials
QuickPro Camera Guides produce the most intuitive, easy-to-use and comprehensible camera guides available. Each guide is camera-specific to ensure a clear understanding of its fundamentals. In addition, QuickPro’s DVDs cover a broad range of topics, which are easily accessible through the DVD menu system. QuickPro offers DVD guides for the following cameras: Canon, Olympus, Pentax and Nikon. In addition, instructional DVDs on digital photography for beginners and advanced users, as well as photography with Photoshop(R) tutorials, are also available.
Quick Pro Camera Guides
“With QuickPro’s DVD Camera Guides, at no point should a photographer feel held back from gaining a true understanding of an SLR camera’s abilities,” Bradfield says. “We’re thrilled to offer this to consumers everywhere, no matter their skill level. It’s all about learning at your own pace and getting excited about your camera.” QuickPro Camera Guides and instructional tutorials are available through most independent camera shops nationwide and trough out a few select chains and Amazon.
Photography awards astound judges
Posted on June 16, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
Judges were taken aback by the high standard of entries in this year’s AOP Assistants Awards, which has been won by Arthur Woodcroft.
Organised by the Association of Photographers (AoP), the competition is designed to allow photographic assistants to showcase their talents.
Woodcroft beat more than other 1,000 entries – also scooping honours in the Still Life and Fashion categories.
‘If this is the work of so-called ‘assistants’ then I urge their photographer employers to watch their backs,’ said the Observer picture desk’s Tony Bell, one of the judges.
‘The high level of quality and creativity of the work in the book and exhibition is both surprising and inspiring,’ he added.
This year, for the first time in five years, the contest was held independently of the main AoP Photographers Awards.
To view more of the winning entries visit www.the-awards.com/2008_Assistants_Awards
Picture credits: Arthur Woodcroft
Club Med Head
Posted on June 16, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“Spotted from the vantage point of a fine wine bar one evening amidst the heady buzz of Piazza Navona, Rome“. Taken by Rich
Just Posted: Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 review
Posted on June 14, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Just Posted: Our review of the Sony Alpha 350. The A350 shows a much greater Sony influence than its Konica-Minolta-based predecessor, the A100. Its radical live view system uses a secondary sensor to provide a real-time preview image without slowing down the shooting process, promising the speed and quality of a DSLR with the familiar behavior of a compact. So what’s the biggest of the baby Alphas like to use and can it live up to that promise?
Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009
Posted on June 13, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
The theme for the 32nd Nikon Photo Contest International is “At the heart of the image”. Last year’s contest attracted a total of over 47,000 images from more than 16,000 entrants in 135 different countries. All works will be judged by professional photographers working internationally and a combined total of 54 prizes will be awarded. Entries will be accepted from September 1 to November 30, 2008.
Nikon Press Release
Now’s your chance to move the world.
June 5, 2008 – One of the world’s most renowned photo contests, entries to the 32nd Nikon Photo Contest International will be accepted from September 1 to November 30, 2008.
A contest with an impressive history
The Nikon Photo Contest International has been held by Nikon Corporation since 1969 to provide an opportunity for photographers around the world to communicate and to enrich photographic culture for professionals and amateurs alike. Renowned among photo enthusiasts worldwide, the contest has so far attracted more than 1,270,000 images from a total of 306,000 photographers. In fact, so popular has the contest become among photographers that a total of over 47,000 images were received from more than 16,000 entrants in 135 different countries for the 31st contest alone.
This year’s theme: “At the heart of the image”
“At the heart of the image” is not only the brand statement of Nikon Imaging Company, but it is also the theme of the 32nd contest. We have carefully selected categories as stated below and we look forward to receiving images expressing the emotions that are true to your heart.
This year’s categories
A Free subject:
Express yourself freely, as it moves you.
B My Planet:
Express your world, whether that involves the environment, scenes from your daily life, or the people and things that stir your passions.
With these categories, Nikon welcomes and embraces photographic creativity and encourages images of human happiness from all over the world.
54 prizes awarded by a panel of international photographers
All works will be judged by professional photographers working internationally and a combined total of 54 prizes will be awarded. The Grand Prize will be awarded for the most outstanding photograph out of all the entries, regardless of category. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be awarded to 16 winners in each category. The Emerging Talent award will recognize 4 winners and 16 runners-up from both categories to commend those aged under 30 for work that possess outstanding expressive power and conveys the energy of youth. Additionally, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the NIKKOR brand of lenses. To properly commemorate this event, a special prize will be awarded to the outstanding work that places second after the Grand Prize winner.
Prize winners are planned to be announced in July 2009.
An open opportunity
A competition that truly traverses borders, the Nikon Photo Contest International embodies an unrivalled opportunity – providing photographers everywhere with a chance to showcase their talents and giving us all a valuable insight into the lives of those around us. An exhibition of the winning photographs is also planned, so please take advantage of this opportunity to submit your work.*
*Details concerning the specific date and location will be announced in the future.
Nikon Photo Contest International: Entry Information
Entrant criteria
The Nikon Photo Contest International is open to all photographers, professional or amateur, from any part of the world.
Theme and categories
Theme “At the heart of the image”
Categories
A Free subject:
Express yourself freely, as it moves you.
B My Planet:
Express your world, whether that involves the environment, scenes from your daily life, or the people and things that stir your passions.
Please note that the same photograph may not be submitted to both categories.
Entry period
Entries are accepted from September 1st to November 30th, 2008. Entries sent by conventional mail should be received either on or before November 30th, 2008. Entries sent via the Internet will be accepted until 24:00, November 30th, 2008, Japan time. See below for further details regarding entry via conventional mail and the Internet.
How to apply
Entries submitted in print by conventional mail
Entries accepted in print are color or black-and-white photographs taken with 35mm film cameras, Advanced Photo System (APS) film cameras and digital still cameras, not including medium or large format digital cameras. Images that have been digitally edited with software are also accepted. Each entrant can submit up to 2 entries for each category (a total of 4 prints), with print dimensions of 19 x 24cm (8 x 10 inches) to 28 x 36cm (11 x 14 inches).
Please download and print out an official Entry Form, available from July 10th, from the Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009 Web site (http://www.nikon-npci.com), make a photocopy of the official form or contact your nearest Nikon dealer for details on how to obtain an official Entry Form. The official Entry Form is available in 10 languages (Japanese / English / German / French / Spanish / Italian / Portuguese / Korean / Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese) and the rules and process of entry via conventional mail are explained fully within.
Entries submitted as JPEG images via the Internet
Accepted JPEG images are color or black-and-white graphic files taken with digital still cameras (not including medium or large format digital cameras) and scanned data of photographs taken with 35mm film cameras or Advanced Photo System (APS) film cameras. Images that have been digitally edited with software are also accepted. Each entrant can submit two JPEG images for each category (a total of 4 images), with a maximum size for each JPEG image of 10MB. JPEG images exceeding this size must be compressed to a maximum of 10MB prior to submission.
Full details regarding entry via the Internet can be found on the online entry form, on the Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009 Web site (http://www.nikon-npci.com/). Please follow the rules and guidelines stated therein to submit your JPEG images.
Judging and announcement of winners
Photographers working internationally will be appointed by Nikon Corporation as judges to undertake selection of the winning photographs. The winners will be announced on the Nikon Photo Contest International Web site (http://www.nikon-npci.com/) and in an official press release by the end of July 2009.
The Prizes
A total of 54 winners will receive Nikon imaging products as shown in the table below. Winners of the Grand Prize, Emerging Talent Award and runners up will be given an opportunity to submit works in addition to their winning works for exhibition on the Nikon Photo Contest International Web site.
Prize Name Number of Winners Prize
Grand Prize 1 (selected from both categories) Nikon Digital SLR Camera D3
AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm F2.8G ED
AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm F2.8G ED
Exhibition of photograph on the contest Web site*1
NIKKOR 75th Anniversary Award 1 (selected from both categories) Nikon Digital SLR Camera D300
AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR
AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor ED 10.5mm F2.8G
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor ED 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G (IF)
1st Prize 2 (1 from each category) Nikon Digital SLR Camera D300
Speedlight SB-800
AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor ED 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G (IF)
AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor ED 105mm F2.8G (IF)
2nd Prize 10 (5 from each category) Nikon Digital SLR Camera D80
AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR
3rd Prize 20 (10 from each category) Nikon Digital SLR Camera D60
AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G VR
Emerging Talent Award*2 4 (selected from both categories) Nikon Compact Digital Camera COOLPIX P5100
Exhibition of photograph on the contest Web site*1
Runners-up: Emerging Talent Award*2 16 (selected from both categories) Nikon Compact Digital Camera COOLPIX S52c
Exhibition of photograph on the contest Web site*1
Note: Nikon will notify the winners and select all prizes. Winners will not be able to select their prizes. Prizes are subject to change without notification and cash alternatives are not available.
*1 An exhibition of the work of the Grand Prize winner, Emerging Talent Award winners and runners-up will be held on the Nikon Photo Contest International Web site. Winners will have the chance to show photographs other than their winning photographs for which they possess the copyrights. Winners will therefore be invited to submit photographs in addition to their winning works. The winner agrees to allow the organizer to use the winner’s works and any other works sent by the winner to the organizer at no charge to the organizer. All costs, fees and charges will be the sole responsibility of the winner. Winners may be required to provide Nikon with relevant tax information and to prepare relevant tax documentation prior to receiving the prize. Winning status will not be revoked if a winner does not, for any reason, submit work for the exhibition.
*2 Winners of the Emerging Talent Award will be requested to submit official confirmation of their date of birth. In the event that such documentation is not provided, winning status will be revoked.
For further details, please access the official Nikon Photo Contest International Web site at: http://www.nikon-npci.com/
Book Review: The Photograph: Composition And Color Design By Harald Mante
Posted on June 12, 2008 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
After you deal with the technical aspects, the crucial elements that determine the quality and strength of an image are the organization of the elements and their content. It is these elements that make up the art of the photograph. Creative photography is built upon the mastery of these elements.
In The Photograph: Composition and Color Design, Harald Mante, a distinguished teacher of the photographic arts in Germany, explores the principles of line, shape, color, contrast, and design. His goal is to explore composition and design at a much greater depth than is available in most books to date. The Photograph is an oversized book with 280 full color pages and is divided into six chapters.
“The Point” refers to a means of organization in which the relation to the image plane is small or relatively small. A point is static and maintains its location. In this chapter you will explore various arrangements involving the point within an image. These points may be defined by an object, a color, a shape, or even multiple points, but they all draw you in. You will explore the point’s simplicity, arrangement, repetition, texture, pattern, and more.
“The Line” is a method organizing an image in an active arrangement. By using lines, you actively draw the viewer’s eye through the image, clearly creating movement. Here you will study how forces acting on a line force the eye to something in the image. You will study the properties of a line – how horizontal and vertical lines work differently in an image, and how diagonal, irregular, oblique, and groups of lines affect images.
“The Shape” is the design element by which areas of tone and color are bounded within or are allowed to cover the entire image. Described here are rectangles and squares, circles, ovals, triangles, as well as variants of irregular shapes. Also included are the contrasts of shapes.
“Universal Contrasts” are almost always present in a picture. These are the differentiations of light and dark, or of monochrome and colors. They give rise to the special effects within a picture. They are the differences between the figure and the ground, and the variations of space, and can be caused by the natural environment or the use of focal lengths.
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Canon Introduces CP760 and CP770 Compact Printers
Posted on June 12, 2008 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment
The Canon Selphy CP770 is available now with a MSRP of $149.99.
Canon has added the Selphy CP760 and CP770 to its line of compact dye-sub printers. Both output 4×6, 4×8, and smaller prints, and feature a 2.5-inch LCD, memory card slots, and a USB port for connecting to a computer. The printers can receive images from USB-connected Pictbridge-compatible cameras, and from camera phones via an optional Bluetooth adapter. The CP770 also has a built-in IrSimple infrared port for receiving images from compatible camera phones and other devices.
Both printers offer built-in photo-editing features, including automatic red-eye removal, print layout templates, and Canon’s Portrait Image Optimizer mode for automatic enhancement of photos of people.
dpreview.com is hiring: Camera reviewer
Posted on June 8, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Think you’ve got what it takes to be a dpreview reviewer? Are you passionate about the techniques and technology surrounding digital photography? Do you want the dubious pleasure of working alongside the rest of the dpreview team on what is arguably the most exciting photography website in the world? We’re looking for someone who knows cameras inside out and wants to put them to the ultimate test – then write about it. We expect you to have a solid photographic knowledge as well as experience using our chosen authoring tools (see inside). This position will be at our office in London (UK).
Phil: Note this position is at our office in London (UK), please do not apply unless you live in the UK and are willing to commute to the office or are willing to relocate to London (at your own expense).
dpreview.com Camera Reviewer / Writer –
job reference 11117
Dpreview is the world’s leading photography website, with well over 20 million visitor sessions per month and a large, active community of users. We’re looking to recruit another camera reviewer to join our growing team of writers and developers based in our new studio and office in central London.
The role will involve producing both in-depth and concise reviews of the latest compact and SLR digital cameras to dpreview.com’s exacting standards. You’ll be doing everything from product and gallery photography to image analysis, as well as writing and assembling the reviews and helping us to develop new content areas and broaden our news coverage.
You’ll need to be able to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of current digital camera systems and an understanding of the underlying technologies and how they impact on performance and image quality. You’ll love photography and be able to take a decent picture, but you’ll also love getting under the skin of a camera to really find out what makes it tick. You’ll have exceptional attention to detail and be prepared to go the ‘extra mile’ needed to bring our readers the definitive review of the camera you’re working on.
Although training in our authoring tools will be given, you’ll need a good working knowledge of Photoshop (ideally including RAW workflow) and have a good level of general computer literacy.
Finally you’ll need to be able to turn all the raw data and observations into a written review in a clear, concise and engaging manner.
In return for all this you’ll get the opportunity to join one of the most influential editorial teams in the world of photography, to put the latest and greatest cameras to the ultimate test and to get paid to do what you love – taking pictures and playing with cameras. As part of Amazon we can offer a competitive compensation package with a generous benefits package.
Key Requirements of the Role:
- Excellent working knowledge of digital compact and SLR cameras and systems,
along with digital photography workflow/processes - Experience of writing for publication or demonstrable writing skills.
- Authoring tools / experience: Dreamweaver (preferable), Photoshop (essential).
- Understanding of and interest in the technical aspects of digital imaging systems.
- Ability to demonstrate an eye for a good photograph • Exceptional attention to detail.
- A good knowledge of web standards such as HTML will be a bonus.
- As this role is based full-time in central London (SE1) applicants must be willing to relocate or commute to the office on a daily basis.
Qualifications and Experience
Ideally Bachelors degree or higher in journalism or photography or equivalent work experience
Personal Qualities
- Innovative and inquisitive.
- Flexible and independent in approach.
- Strong communicator at all levels.
Benefits
Because we are part of Amazon being part of dpreview.com means you will receive a competitive salary, stock package, pension scheme and life cover. Paid holiday of 25 days per annum and a range of other excellent benefits including healthcare.
To apply for this role please email your CV in Word format quoting vacancy reference 11117 to jobs@dpreview.com.
note: previous applicants are welcome to re-apply for this position.
About dpreview.com
dpreview.com is the world’s leading digital photography website, with detailed product reviews, daily breaking news and an active forums community. Started in 1998 by Phil Askey, dpreview.com has now grown to attract over eight million unique visitors each month reading over 140 million pages. In May 2007 dpreview.com was acquired by Amazon.com and with their help we are now striving to expand our content and site functionality to offer our visitors the world’s most comprehensive ‘one stop’ digital camera resource.
Olympus Unveils E-520 Digital SLR
Posted on June 8, 2008 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Click photo for more views of the Olympus E-520.
Olympus has announced a new compact 10-megapixel digital SLR, the E-520. Adopting its design from the E-510, this consumer SLR also picks up numerous pieces of technology from Olympus’s flagship SLR, the E-3. These include an improved IS system that offers both vertical and horizontal panning modes, fast autofocus when the LCD is being used as a viewfinder in live-view mode, and built-in wireless control of up to three groups of flash units. The image stabilization improvement is one of the main differences between this camera and the smaller but otherwise very similar E-420. Like that camera, the E-520 features a 230,000-dot, 2.7-inch LCD with a 176-degree viewing angle. In Live View mode it supplements a rather small pentamirror optical viewfinder with approximately 0.92x magnification and a short 14mm eyepoint that some glasses wearers may find less than ideal. The camera has dual CompactFlash and xD-Picture Card slots.
The E-520 runs on Olympus’s TruPic III processing engine, which the company says improves color rendition, reduces noise, and enables the camera’s 3.5fps drive mode to capture an unlimited series of JPEGs or up to eight RAW files in a burst. Like all Olympus digital SLRs, the E-520 takes Four Thirds standard lenses and incorporates a dust-reduction system.
Grand Canyon photo hoax exposed; Newspapers admit story is not all it seems
Posted on June 7, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
Newspapers appear to have fallen for a story which claimed a photographer narrowly escaped a 1km drop after leaping over two rocky ledges in the Grand Canyon.
Earlier today we reported newspaper claims that the man had jumped the 8ft gap, carrying his camera and tripod under his arm.
magazine then revealed that the story smacked of a hoax.
It had been revealed that what the pictures apparently don’t show is a connecting ledge just beneath the two rock formations. This means the man would only have risked falling a short distance.
The Guardian and Metro newspapers now admit they may have been the victims of an elaborate fake.
While some papers mentioned the connecting ledge, others didn’t. And this is not the first time the images have emerged, having appeared on the internet some time ago.
news blog goes further this afternoon by suggesting that the pictures themselves may have been faked in the first place.
Neither is this the first time elements of the press have apparently been duped. Last year we exposed a story about meerkats taking photographs as a fake. It had been widely reported as fact by most of the British media.
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Original story
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Flashback to meerkat hoax
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