Chris Langley, Chief Executive of Jessops, one of the UK’s largest photography retailers, has resigned “to pursue other business interests”. Langley will remain until the end of November to assist with planning for the Christmas trading period and other handover projects. No successor has yet been announced. Jessops have also confirmed that the year to 30 September 2007 will see a loss of £7.5 million. Total sales for the 51 weeks to 23 September 2007 were down by 7.5%. Commenting on today’s statement, Executive Chairman David Adams said: “Following a tough year for Jessops, I am pleased with the progress that the Group has demonstrated against a difficult market backdrop.”

Getty has confirmed that they are revising their controversial $49 Web Use stock image license, in response to pressure from more than 50,000 artists from 17 different trade associations. Announced 2 weeks ago, the $49 / £39 images are available across virtually all of Getty’s editorial and creative collections. In talks with Getty Images last week, the Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) made clear that the announcement of a term reduction to three months was a positive move, but falls short of addressing their serious concerns. SAA is now ongoing an increasingly productive dialog with Getty Images specifically around the $49 license.

Adobe has achieved record revenues of $851.7 million for its third quarter of 2007, 41% year-over-year growth. “Our record results were driven by outstanding Creative Suite 3 adoption and continued Acrobat momentum,” said Bruce Chizen, chief executive officer of Adobe. “As we near the end of fiscal 2007, we remain well positioned for continued double digit revenue growth.” For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, Adobe announced it is targeting revenue of $860 million to $890 million.

This year’s Photoshop World 2007 conference runs from September 6 to 8 and is located at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, USA. O’Reilly will be offering a 30 percent discount on all books in their current lineup. Also present at O’Reilly’s Photoshop World booth will be authors Deke McClelland, Eddie Tapp, Mikkel Aaland and Derrick Story.

X-Rite has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Pantone, Inc. for $180 million. Expected to close in the fall of 2007, the deal will see Pantone will become a new business unit within X-Rite. “We have proven expertise in integrating sizable, strategic acquisitions into our business,” Vacchiano continued. “We are confident that we can successfully blend the Pantone integration with our existing responsibilities as we evolve into a faster growing, more diverse business.” Last year X-Rite acquired GretagMacbeth in a $280 million deal.

Photography 2.0 is a series of town hall meetings which will discuss the impact of the Internet on the photography business. Held in the USA, Photography 2.0 will bring together more than 30 image buyers and photographers to discuss online marketing, image selling and distribution. “What makes ‘Photography 2.0’ so exciting is that it will bring together buyers, established photographers and undiscovered talent and hopefully expand boundaries of creativity for commercial photography overall.” said Jennifer Miller, former Director of Photography, JANE. There is no cost to register for Photography 2.0.

Canon has signed up for its fourth consecutive year as a commercial partner for this year’s Tour of Britain cycle race. Canon will supply high-end print and imaging equipment to the race as well as the official Tour of Britain photographer. “We’ve been involved in The Tour of Britain since it was resurrected in 2004 and our ongoing support is indicative of our desire as a business to showcase our technologies which enable companies and individuals to achieve their goals” commented Andy Vickers, Managing Director, Canon UK and Ireland.

The average European desires a more rural and peaceful lifestyle, according to a psychological report by Canon. The report analysed over 13,000 images taken by members of the European public to celebrate their national identity. ”The emphasis on the beauty of nature suggest that an ever increasing number of Europeans yearn for a simpler, rural lifestyle, perhaps as enjoyed by their parents or grandparents.” explained psychologist Dr David Lewis.

The World’s largest photo and camera has been certified by the Guinness Book of Records. Measuring 13.71 x 48.76 x 24.38 m (45 x 160 x 80 ft), the camera was created from an airplane hanger at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Irvine, California. The camera produced a photograph on canvas measuring 9.62 x 33.83 m (31ft 7in x 111ft).

The U.S. Library of Congress has awarded the Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) one of eight partnerships for preserving digital media. “With the Library’s support, we will be able to expand the reach and depth of our efforts to promote metadata best practices among professional photographers and across the image licensing industry,” says Betsy Reid, SAA’s Executive Director. SAA will develop online resources and professional seminars to promote the importance of metadata for the long-term usability of digital photographs.

The Library of Congress has made a major award to the American Society of Media Photographers to fund a project to promote digital photo standards, refined production workflows, archiving methods and best practices. “The Library is pleased to be able to bring together creators of such diverse content for the sake of saving our nation’s heritage, which is increasingly being created only in digital formats.” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.

Kodak is suing Panasonic over four digital camera patents covering image compression, storage, color sensors and previews. Kodak reached an out of court settlement about the same patents with Sony in January. The complaint has bee filed against Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Panasonic Corp., Victor Co., and JVC Americas Corp.

Website: Bloomberg - Kodak Sues Matsushita Over Digital Camera Patents

Nikon, a world leader in cameras, imaging and optics, was founded on July 25th, 1917. Nikon is introducing a special 90th Anniversary logo as part of the birthday celebration. “Nikon has maintained an unwavering commitment to the study of light with the corporate philosophy, ‘Trustworthiness and Creativity’,” said Michio Kariya, President of Nikon Corporation.

The Kodak Inspiration Tour gives consumers the opportunity to touch and use the latest cameras, printers, digital frames and more. “We designed the Inspiration Tour to inspire consumers to be creative and have more fun with photography,” said Michael Korizno, Vice President of Eastman Kodak Company. “Kodak gives amateur photographers the tools right at their fingertips to take amazing pictures and share them in truly innovative ways.” Kodak’s Inspiration Tour visits 12 cities throughout the United States this year.

At Intrepid Travel’s photography evening in its London store on July 4th, professional travel photographer Chris Coe will tell you how to improve your people photography. The evening is held in memory of Mike Matsushita, an Intrepid employee who was sadly killed in the London bombings in 2005. The event, which begins at 7pm, is free to attend, but you must book a space through Intrepid’s website.

The beleaguered UK photo retailer Jessops has announced plans to close 81 stores. These include 47 overlapping premises, 31 loss-making and three subject to redevelopment. Approximately 550 staff will be made redundant. The remaining 234 Jessops stores are apparently “profitable and cash generative”. As a result of this and other measures, total overheads will be reduced by over £15m, although Jessops anticipates £25m of costs during 2007. Commenting on the Strategic Review, David Adams, Executive Chairman, said: “The Board is confident that Jessops will deliver a significant turnaround in its financial performance.”

Website: Jessops Press Release

The Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair sees famous artists selling their wares for car boot prices. “This year’s art car boot fair line-up is the best yet with stacks of witty and original artwares on offer and lots of surprises in store” commented Karen Ashton and Helen Hayward, sisters and co-curators. The Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair takes place at the The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London on July 8th.

Ilford has joined forces with JP Distribution to distribute its ILFOCOLOR and ILFOCHROME products in the the UK and Ireland.  “It was essential for ILFORD to establish the right distribution partner for the UK considering the importance of the product,” explained Andrew Stewart, Sales and Marketing Director, ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GmbH. ILFORD ILFOCHROME is renowned for its colour saturation and archival properties, and is valued by curators, gallery owners and collectors alike.

A professional gang of thieves have broken into the offices and warehouse of Sigma UK. A large quantity of Sigma products were stolen on Friday 15th June, temporarily disrupting supply to customers. If you are suspicious of a Sigma product you have seen for sale, please telephone Sigma immediately on 01707 329 999.

Rob Galbraith has published an interesting report about a recent trip to Canon’s headquarters in Japan.

“Canon intends to offer a new file format in future digital cameras, says Masaya Maeda, Chief Executive of Image Communication Products Operations for Canon. The format could be in addition to or in replacement of either JPEG or CR2 RAW, but the company is still studying its options and hasn’t committed to any one format as yet.”

Website: Rob Galbraith - Notes from Canon headquarters