Manfrotto Launches ‘Local Heroes’ Photography Program - Program to support and showcase international photographers who make a difference.

Bassano del Grappa, Italia (PRWEB) November 30, 2005—Manfrotto, the world’s leading manufacturer of support products for pro video and photography, is proud to announce the launch of the “Local Heroes” project, designed to acknowledge photographers who bring a different perspective to the world of photography.

Photographers selected as “Local Heroes” are not necessarily famous photographers, however, are those that give back to his or her community through membership in groups and associations or dedicate time to the world of photographic education, whether by teaching in schools or by contributing to journals and magazines.

The BBC are reporting that UK retailer photography Jessops have announced a small drop in sales between September and November, blaming declining digital camera sales. Jessop’s share price still rose slightly on the back of pre-tax profits of £5.9m in the year to the end of September.

Website: BBC News -  Jessops reports digital sales dip

Canon UK Press Release

Sail up up and away; all the way to Napa Valley, California with Canon’s ‘I SPY with my Digital Eye’ Nationwide digital photography competition

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is delighted to introduce its ‘I SPY with my Digital Eye’ digital photography competition and series of in-store offers and events. The competition will be held in Canon Digital Centre stores around the UK and Ireland and will award winners with a ride in a Virgin hot air balloon. An overall store winner will then be entered into a National competition and the best photograph will be awarded with a trip to Napa Valley, California, USA for a balloon ride over its spectacular vineyards. The competition is live now and deadline for entries is 14th January 2006. Winners will be announced at the end of January 2006.

Ever heard the one about the 100 megapixel photograph that’s alive?! Well, now you have, as scientists at UC San Francisco have successfully projected light onto billions of bacteria. Fascinating.

“Our living photographs are a somewhat playful example of how devices quite useful to technology and medicine can be created in the new field of synthetic biology,” Voigt said. “Essentially, we engineer the bug to give it new capabilities by combining different gene-based skills that it or other organisms already have.”

Website: Brain Blog - Scientists engineer bacteria to create living photographs

Focus on Imaging Press Release

Focus on Imaging atmosphere is “fan bloody marvellous tastic”!

WITH well over 200 exhibitors, 40 more than the previous year, more stand space sold than ever before and a record 28,318 visitors, Focus on Imaging 2005 underlined the show’s status as Europe’s biggest and most important annual photographic and imaging industry exhibition.

Now show organiser Mary Walker is looking forward to Focus 2006, which takes place at the NEC between February 26th and March 1st. The floor plan is close to full, enquiries for stand space are still streaming in and there are confirmed bookings from American and New Zealand companies as well as from companies closer to home.

EITO Press Release

- EITO: Strong growth of 9.2% resulting in a market value of €54.2 billion
- Plasma TV, LCD TV and MP3 player sales increase by triple digits

Frankfurt/Main, 17 November 2005 – Innovative devices with digital technologies are leading to a rapid growth of film, music and image-based CE market segments in Western Europe. According to the European Information Technology Observatory (EITO) the market value is growing by 9.2% in 2005 to an overall value of 54.2 billion Euro.

“Digital devices are offering a substantial increase in value for the user“, says EITO Chair Bruno Lamborghini. „More storage, higher capacity and better quality in image and sound are convincing arguments for purchase.“ Accordingly, digital products like flat screen TVs, MP3 players or game consoles show double digit growth rates. In contrast, the market for analogue products is experiencing a real decline. Cathode ray tube TVs, video recorders or traditional Hi-Fi elements cannot even account for a quarter of the total market.

Shutterfly Press Release

Shutterfly Introduces New Contest Platform to Foster Community & Add a New Dimension to Photo-Sharing

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 16, 2005 — Shutterfly, the leading independent online photo service, in partnership with Crest, today announced the Crest Whitestrips® Holiday Smiles Photo Contest that encourages consumers to submit a photo of their favorite holiday smile—whether sweet, silly or surprising – for the opportunity to win a Grand Prize package including a family vacation for four, a digital camera with Shutterfly Gift Card and a box of Crest Whitestrips Premium. The contest begins immediately and ends on January 12, 2006.  To view entries and official contest rules, visit www.shutterfly.com/photocontests

“With Crest Whitestrips it is easier than ever to make your smile camera-ready this holiday season,” said Amit Mackar, assistant brand manager of P&G’s Crest Whitestrips.  “Since we know bright smiles equal brighter photos, we created the Crest Whitestrips Holiday Smiles Photo Contest with Shutterfly to give our customers a fun, friendly and trusted experience for sharing those holiday memories.”

Nikon have posted record profits and record profits for the first 6 months of the financial year. A 58% increase in SLR sales was the main cause of success, along with a 13.6% increase for compact digicams. So Nikon joins Canon as one of the few digital camera makers that are actually making money - the new Nikon D200 (pictured) should only help even more.

“While we managed to maintain our competitive edge in the high-end SLR camera segment, we were also able to escape from fierce price competition thanks to the launch of new models which met the needs of consumers,” Ichiro Terato, the group’s chief financial officer, told a news conference. “But as competitors in the high-end SLR digital camera market are increasing owing to the entry of consumer electronics makers, we view the prospects for the business climate conservatively,” Terato said.”

Website: Nikon posts record interim profits on camera sales

Despite their troubles Kodak continues to out-perform its digital camera rivals in its home country, the USA. Canon and Sony tied for second place, with Fuji in 4th spot.

“Canon and Sony were tied for second place, each with 1 million shipments and a 17.7 percent slice of the U.S. market. But longtime front-runner Sony, which clung to the No. 1 spot with a 20 percent share a year ago, backpedaled while Canon made up ground on its year-ago share of 16 percent.”

Website: SanLuisObispo.com - Japan’s Kodak retains lead in U.S. digital-camera market

Research and Markets Press Release

‘Image Sensors 2005 Report’ Provides a Complete Review of the 2004 Market for Image Sensors, as Well as Annual Forecast Numbers Through 2009

DUBLIN, Ireland—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Nov. 11, 2005—Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27583) has announced the addition of Image Sensors 2005: Camera Phones Drive CMOS Past CCDs in 2004 to their offering.

The image sensor market has continued to show sharp growth over the past year. CMOS sensors have ridden the camera phone wave to surpass CCDs in 2004. Camera phones shipped well over three times the volume of the next most successful image sensor application, digital still cameras. CMOS sensors have also been successful in low-end digital still cameras and web cameras.

Leica Press Release

The Leica Camera Group, Solms, has closed the first half year of fiscal 2005/2006(FY end March 31) with sales growing by 6.7 % on the previous year period, to € 48.0 million.

The largest sales growth was recorded by the binoculars, scopes and rangefinders of the Leica sports optics division, which increased by 34.4 % to € 17.7 million. The main driving force behind this positive development were the LEICA GEOVID BRF high performance binoculars with their integrated laser rangefinder. The integration of digital technology into the existing product range was also decisive for the 30.5 % growth experienced in the Leica system cameras division, which posted sales of € 16.6 million. The delivery of the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R had a favourable effect on the sales of this division. The module is a globally unique digital complement to existing 35mm SLR cameras, as well as an example of the combination of classic Leica values and useful system complements. The demand for LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R will continue to exceed the Company’s manufacturing capacities. In addition, the analogue reportage cameras and lenses of the Leica rangefinder system experienced a slightly positive development.

Following Konica Minolta’s decision yesterday to sack over 10% of its worldwide work-force, Olympus have announced a strategic shift from compact digital cameras to digital SLR models, such as the new E-500 (pictured), which typically have higher profit margins. This comes hard on the heels of the Japanese manufacturer’s latest profits, or rather lack of them - net profit dropped to 2.17 billion yen in the first half of the financial year, down from 6.71 billion yen a year earlier. Olympus’ plans are pretty aggressive. Current SLR sales account for 3% of their camera sales, and Olympus aims to increase this to 30% within 5 years.

Website: Reuters - Japan’s Olympus to shrink compact camera business

Konica Minolta has announced plans to sack over 10% of it worldwide work-force, which currently numbers 33,000. Responding to a net loss of 10.8 billion yen in the three months ended September 30th, restructuring is apparently the only way out of the financial hole cuased by struggling digital camera and laser printer sales.

Website: Bloomberg - Konica Minolta Expects Annual Loss, Will Cut 10% of Workforce

Website: Japan Today - Konica Minolta to drastically cut digital camera business

HP UK Press Release

NCH, the Children’s charity to receive £1 per message donated

LONDON, November 4th, 2005 – Forget sending gimmicky, arty or humorous Christmas cards this year. A national poll today shows that 84% of Brits are more likely to cherish a home made or a personalised card this Christmas. 

When shown a variety of home made, traditional, humorous, nativity, comic and winter scenes cards, 76% of the population said that they feel more “special” the more personalised the card.  51% of people admitted that receiving a card with no personal message inside actually made then feel snubbed. 

In response to the nation’s appetite to create and make, Hewlett Packard has teamed up with the NCH, the Children’s Charity to create a huge national Festive Card that will be delivered to Her Majesty, the Queen on December 15th. HP is calling on the general public to submit the digital photos that best represent their vision of the family’s festive spirit.

Samsung UK Press Release

Samsung Embarks on a Nationwide Imaging Roadshow

Shoppers will have a world of technology at their fingertips with Samsung’s nationwide Imaging Roadshow, running through to 5 December 2005. Designed to showcase stylish and high-spec digital cameras, mobile phones and photo-printers, the roadshow will be offering promotions across the Samsung product ranges including free memory cards to purchasers of specific digital cameras.

Ahead of Christmas, the Samsung Imaging Roadshow is visiting shopping centres across the country including Bluewater in Kent, Meadowhall in Sheffield, Centre MK in Milton Keynes and London’s Brent Cross.

CNN are reporting that Canon have just announced a 9.3% drop in profits for the last quarter - yes, that’s right, a drop as opposed to the usual rise.

“Canon attributed the fall in profit—its first in seven quarters—to the absence of a big pension gain booked in the same period last year. “If it hadn’t been for this, we would have maintained our profit growth momentum. Our business hasn’t worsened,” Toshizo Tanaka, Canon Senior Managing Director, told a press conference.”

Canon digital cameras continue to sell well (tell us something we didn’t already know!)...

Website: CNN - Canon ‘shutters’ at 9% profit drop

Lexar Media Press Release

FREMONT, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Oct. 14, 2005—Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq:LEXR), a world leader in advanced digital media technologies, today announced that the trial court has entered final judgment in Lexar Media, Inc. v. Toshiba Corporation et al. In entering the judgment, the Superior Court for the State of California affirmed the jury verdict delivered in March in the case against Toshiba Corporation (JP:6502) and Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (PNK:TOSBF.PK) in which the jury awarded Lexar over $465 million in damages based on Toshiba Corporation and Toshiba America Electronics Components’ breach of fiduciary duty and theft of trade secrets from Lexar.

“We are very pleased that, after six months of Toshiba’s efforts to challenge the jury verdict, the Court has rejected those challenges and entered judgment confirming that verdict in every respect,” said Eric Whitaker, executive vice president and general counsel, Lexar. “The jury’s verdict was based on a mountain of evidence, mostly from Toshiba’s own files, establishing that Toshiba deliberately violated its duties to Lexar and that a large number of the products currently manufactured and sold by Toshiba contain Lexar’s trade secrets. We are confident that Toshiba’s remaining efforts to challenge the verdict, including its inevitable appeal, will fare no better than Toshiba’s earlier attempts.”

BBC Press Release

BBC Collective, the BBC’s interactive culture magazine, in collaboration with The Photographers’ Gallery are pleased to announce the “Create Your Own Exhibition” competition is now live on bbc.co.uk. 

Offering an entertaining and creative opportunity for photography and arts enthusiasts to use the BBC’s stills archives, the competition offers a unique opportunity for users to dream up a theme and illustrate it with your own online exhibition.  An image bank of over 450 stills taken from the BBC’s image archive is available for people to pick from.

Color Confidence Press Release

Totally Colour Managed - The most comprehensive colour management road show ever in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Fantastic news - Due to high levels of interest and registrations, the early bird discount for the colour management event of the year has been extended for one more week. Book before the 21st October to take advantage of the special ‘early bird’ rate of £79.00 ex. VAT. Book Now!

The full rate of £99.00 ex VAT, will apply to all bookings made after the 21st October.

Remember - this event is for everyone, from amateurs to professionals and anyone interested in getting colour “right”: photographers, designers, pre-press and reprographics, new media professionals - to name a few.

ASMP Foundation Press Release

October 17, 2005 - The ASMP Foundation is reminding potential applicants that the deadline for the fall grant cycle is rapidly approaching, but there is still time to apply. The foundation, which is the charitable arm of the American Society of Media Photographers, awards grants for educational programs in photography twice a year. The deadlines are November 15 and May 15. ASMP is the
nation’s premier trade association of professional photographers.

The grants are awarded in support of a wide range of programs to benefit ASMP members and the creative community they are a part of. The goal of the foundation is to encourage the professional and artistic growth of photographers. Grant amounts vary depending upon need, but typically do not exceed $1,500. The foundation does not offer assistance grants to individual artists.