The new Manfrotto Tripod Configurator helps you select the best tripod and head from the Manfrotto range. Simply by inputting some information about your photographic kit choices, the configurator identifies suitable tripods and heads. Visit www.bogenimaging.co.uk to try-out the Manfrotto Tripod Configurator for yourself.

The fifth edition of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine includes a a new multi-issue series on HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. “We are also beginning to feature a lot of thought provoking articles for the photographer to consider. Sometimes they are edgy, sometimes they are profound, but always - they are good food for the photographer’s brain.” commented Dave Seeram, Editor and Publisher. PhotographyBB Online Magazine is available as a free download in either PDF or ZIP formats.

The web-based digital photo application RocketLife has beaten four of it’s main rivals, CVS, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Shutterfly and Snapfish, in a recent Infotrends study. In a test of independent consumers, RocketLife “outscored the other four platforms on all eight of the attributes on which InfoTrends obtained consumer evaluations.” Users felt that one of RocketLife’s greatest advantages was the speed and ease of getting started. “In our comparative sample, the majority of people placed more photos in their RocketLife book and got more accomplished within the same time period using RocketLife.” said Alan Bullock of InfoTrends.

Picaholic offers photographers a cutting edge website that marries design, web standards, and usability. The newly re-designed service offers full screen video backgrounds, streaming audio and large images, all without compromising speed. For a low monthly fee, Picaholic members gain unlimited access to their CMS (content management system) and have full control over their site. Founder Avishai Ungar said, “A good flash website requires a graphic designer, a flash action-scripter and a backend developer. We have built a modular application, which enables us to add new features and technology on a daily basis. This means our clients sites are always using the latest and best of breed technology.”

CameraTown have reviewed RocketLife.com, which allows users to create professional quality photo books in just a few minutes.

“Rocketlife.com offers free software that makes it incredibly fun, fast, and easy to create one-of-a-kind photo books or gifts. While there are plenty of photo sharing sites already on the market that allow you to upload photos and create photo gifts, there are very few, if any, that make it as simple and quick as Rocketlife.  If you have ever tried to create your own photo book, you know how labor intensive it can be.  Thanks to Rocketlife’s new software, that has all changed – no more waiting to upload, dragging and dropping each and every photo, and having to remember yet another username and password. In this video review / demonstration I will take you along as I create a complete 28 page photo book in under 5 minutes.”

Website: CameraTown - RocketLife Review

The fourth edition of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine has just been released. “This month we’re taking it to the next level by including photographic shooting techniques, a trip to Vancouver, and even more tutorials than last month, including Photoshop, Elements, and even a Dreamweaver (for the photographer) tutorial!” commented Editor Dave Seeram. PhotographyBB is available to download now in either PDF or ZIP formats.

Epson’s Focal Points aims to inform and inspire users of Epson’s wide-format printers. Focal Points features written and video stories on how creative professionals are obtaining success with Epson printers. “The first round of stories, images and videos allow viewers to experience recent exhibitions in some of the most prestigious galleries and museums in Europe and North America that they otherwise may not have had the opportunity to see. The accounts are also a testament to the overwhelming trust leading artists have in Epson Professional Products.” said Dan Steinhardt, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc.

Hasselblad launches its award winning Victor magazine online. Victor online will include the entire content of the printed magazine, plus offer tutorials, ‘behind the scenes’ videos and podcasts. “The launch of the new online version of Victor is an exciting addition to the world of Hasselblad.  There are many advantages afforded by Victor online, although the printed version will continue to be the best way for professional photographers to see the benefits of high-end photography and to view some of the world’s most stunning images.” commented Andreas Brakonier, Corporate Brand Manager for Victor by Hasselblad. Victor online will be free of charge.

Adobe Photoshop Express has just been updated, adding support for Flickr and Save As functionality. Photoshop Express creates special effects and sends them back into Flickr without leaving the community environment. In addition a new embeddable player will allow users to post their slideshows to sites such as Facebook, Myspace, blogs and more. Photoshop Express is a free website available to anyone who wants to store, sort and show off their digital photos.

The Pentax Photo Gallery has been voted as the Best Use of Photography of the year in a website in the Webby People’s Voice Awards. The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile Websites. “We went in a new direction creating the PENTAX Photo Gallery to offer 24/7/365 virtual access to the best photography captured by Pentaxians around the world. This nomination honors the PENTAX photographers.” commented Ned Bunnell, president, PENTAX Imaging Company.

FotoRetina is a new “editable interactive website” for creative professionals. FotoRetina has features that allow photographers to showcase their work online with tools to create galleries. You can add and sort images, create clients, assign galleries to clients, add and edit content pages and style the homepage with different styling options. Website users can also play slideshows with the ability to manage the slide playback time and download images.

Website: http://www.fotoretina.com

Total Image Nation is a new website which aims to bring photographers together. Total Image Nation features jobs, competitions, work experience, exhibition opportunities, member’s exhibitions, events, online portfolios and more. There are two different types of membership to Total Image Nation, Basic (free) and Full (£18 per year).

Realphotoprint.com is a new website that focuses on the conversion of digital images into photographic prints. Topics will include Internet broadband, digital file conversions, color management, pixels versus DPI, retouching, and resizing. Owners myPhotopipe.com has also launched the first in a series of video tutorials on YouTube.

Albelli is a new photo book creation tool for Photobucket’s 40 million users. Seamless integration with Photobucket allows its users to drag and drop their high-resolution images from both their Photobucket account and desktop computer to create their own personalized photo book. After choosing from the varied backgrounds, effects and text options that Albelli offers, the user completes the order and receives a printed, bound photo book in about 7 days.

Picture This is a new photography community site from the UK broadcaster Channel 4. Members can take part in weekly project challenges, get feedback on photos, share knowledge and inspire others to produce better work. Picture This works in conjunction with Flickr and currently has about 5,000 users and 9,000 pictures.

Nikon is introducing the latest version of my Picturetown, a smart and state-of-the-art photo sharing and storage service. New features include the ability to upload RAW (NEF) files viewable as JPEGs, a new rating system, and full-screen slideshows. My Picturetown’s new features will launch end of April 2008. Two gigabytes of storage will be free with the option to purchase up to 200GB through a my Picturetown Gold Account.

The Sun Online is offering 100 digital photo prints for just £2. The Sun has partnered with CeWe Color, Europe’s biggest photo company, and their full range of services is also available at The Sun Online website. Select the pictures you want to see in print from your computer and your pictures will be posted back to you in three working days. The offer end date is 22nd April 2008.

Flickr pro members can now upload personal video clips and share them with friends, family and the world. The new video uploading feature will support up to 90 seconds of personal video footage, and members can organize and share videos just like they do photos. “Video on Flickr is an extension of what Flickr is already doing with more than 2 billion photos worldwide – providing a place where people capture and share life’s daily moments,” said Kakul Srivastava, general manager of Flickr at Yahoo!. “Digital media has led to a new behavior emerging in the market and people are much more likely to shoot short video clips, essentially “long photos,” with their digital still cameras and mobile phones.”

Adobe TV is a free online video resource for expert instruction and inspiration about Adobe products. Adobe TV features four channels, each targeting a specific audience: Photographers, Designers, Video Professionals, and Developers. “Adobe TV is the online video source for anyone with wants to see how Adobe tools are being used to create stunning work,” said Bob Donlon, executive producer for Adobe TV. “It brings together experts from Adobe and the creative community to inspire and teach how to get the most from the software that is empowering the delivery of high-impact print, online, video and mobile communications.” Adobe TV is immediately available online at http://tv.adobe.com .

HP Upline a new subscription service to back up, access, share and store digital content over any Internet connection. A limited plan of HP Upline is available to anyone in the United States at no cost for one year. “With increasingly more personal and business content being housed on PCs, the easy-to-use and affordable HP Upline service protects and shares everything from memories in digital photos to critical business documents,” said Ulf Claesson, vice president and general manager, Personal Systems Group, HP.