Digibug Express Press Release

3 Chances to Win With Drawings on, November 1st, December 1st and January 1st

Waltham, MA October 4, 2005 Digibug Express announced today a free print giveaway on Picturebug.com where up to 6 winners will each receive 5,000 free photo prints. No purchase is required and users need only register at Picturebug.com to be entered. One lucky winner will be chosen at random from all registered users of Picturebug.com on November 1 and December 1, 2005, and January 1, 2006.

Picturebug.com is a new online photo site featuring high-quality prints, cards, gifts and photo books at a great price. Ideal for scrapbookers, soccer moms and other consumers dedicated to preserving memories through photography, Picturebug.com allows users to upload and order with or without joining. With competitively priced prepaid print plans, great gift ideas, and high-quality photo books for any occasion, Picturebug.com is a great site for holiday gift-giving.

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor the Work of Jill Enfield

MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/—Photographers have long known that a memorable photograph needs to not only capture the essence of the subject in front of the lens, but also the heart and soul of the photographer behind the lens. While Jill Enfield photographs seemingly ordinary objects, her unique style of hand-coloring images presents an art that is all her own. NikonNet’s inspiring monthly showcase, “Legends Behind the Lens” honors Jill Enfield during October with a portfolio of her most recognizable art, and a glimpse into the thought and technique behind her hand-crafted masterpieces.

“NikonNet is proud to honor the work of Jill Enfield,” said Anna Marie Bakker of Nikon Inc. “Jill’s work is unique and has inspired other photographers to experiment with alternative processes.”

Polish digital camera market expected to reach 800,000 units - Digital Camera market saw a 182% growth rate during 2004

Birmingham UK, 3rd October 2005 - Colour Confidence, the leading independent colour management specialists, have today announced the expansion of their webstore to cater for the Polish market. Colour Confidence’s online shop (www.colourconfidence.com) is the first port of call for anyone across Europe who demands colour accuracy, and the expansion into Poland comes at a time when the digital camera market is growing at a blistering pace. The entire Colour Confidence product range, featuring solutions from all the major manufacturers including ColorVision, GretagMacbeth and X-Rite will be available in Poland.

Manfrotto Press Release

Manfrotto Launches New Portal Website Focused On Data Management and Integration - Website offers better service to distribution partners and end users

Bassano del Grappa, Italia (29 September 2005) - Manfrotto, the world’s leading manufacturer of support products for pro video and photography, is proud to announce that it has launched the first phase of its new portal website. A natural evolution of the company’s previous website, the new portal features many similarities in appearance; however, content and data integration amongst various business units has been enhanced, reflecting much more accurately the way Manfrotto operates.

For the first time, R&D, customer service, sales and marketing – all coordinated by the Bogen Imaging distribution arm – will use the same data. Proper processes have been incorporated throughout the new website to ensure that information is integral and unique throughout the various applications that the group uses, and that it is properly managed by those responsible for each part of its creation and maintenance. The aim is to gradually eliminate the incongruence and inaccuracy that naturally creep into systems where data is replicated in several different places. As a result, Manfrotto will provide better service to distribution partners and end users alike.

Luminous Landscape have an interesting take on the new Canon EOS 5D, Sony Cyber-shot R1 and the state of the photography industry.

“Though I know these are fighting words, I’m afraid that I regard the 4/3rd concept is an evolutionary dead-end. A -2X sized sensor may have made some sense five years ago when 35mm sized sensors were nearly astronomical in cost. But now this differential has shrunk dramatically, and will continue to do so. The promised smaller size of camera bodies due to the use of smaller sensors is modest at best. For example, the Olympus E-1 is only 150 grams lighter than the Canon 5D. True, Olympus lenses are smaller and lighter, but this hasn’t turned out to be all that compelling a sell.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Industry Push and Pull

Avvenu Press Release

Avvenu Remote Access and Photo Sharing Service Now Live; Unique Free Service Gives Users Access to Their Photos and Files from a Mobile Phone, PDA or Computer—and Lets Them Securely Share This Content with Friends, Family and Associates

PALO ALTO, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 26, 2005—The highly anticipated Avvenu remote access and photo sharing service is now live at www.avvenu.com. Avvenu is a free service that lets consumers and business users securely access the content on their computer from any web-enabled mobile phone, PDA or computer. In addition to remotely accessing their own content, users can instantly and securely share access to their content with friends, family and associates. And since Avvenu bypasses email file size limits and eliminates the need to upload files to a centralized server, Avvenu is particularly efficient for sharing high resolution images and other large files.

Shutterfly Press Release

Shutterfly expands consumer reach with television debut

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — (September 19, 2005) — Shutterfly, the leading independent e-commerce company specializing in digital photo products and services, today announced a new partnership with TV and web retailing giant HSN.  Shutterfly products and services will be bundled with digital camera and scrapbook supply purchases made through HSN’s TV shopping programs and through the hsn.com website.

“HSN’s selling environment provides Shutterfly with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to demonstrate the many thoughtful and creative ways HSN’s audience can use their digital camera photographs to stay connected with family and friends,” said Doug Galen, SVP of Corporate & Business Development for Shutterfly.

It’s the end of an era this week as Mike Johnston publishes his final “Sunday Morning Photographer” column.

“This week marks the last installment of “The Sunday Morning Photographer.” It has endured more than three years and well over 100 separate columns, and given its modest aims I think I am justified in calling it a success. I’d like to extend my thanks to the various web hosts and translators who have done so much to help make it a success, and to the many regular and occasional readers who seem, by and large, to have enjoyed it. Although it’s impossible to please “all of the people all of the time,” I hope I have ranged widely enough to have been of some usefulness to each of you at least occasionally.”

Website: The Sunday Morning Photographer

Canon has launched a new website to promote its CMOS sensor, as used in the company’s new full-frame EOS 5D digital SLR camera. There are a number of sample images showing off the capabilities of Canon’s sensor, along with the usual marketing spin:

“Wide-angle lenses are an absolute necessity when you’re shooting in a tight spot or in a space too small to give you distance from your subject. The combination of these lenses and a 35mm full-frame sensor will give you more creative options by letting you exaggerate perspective or use larger depths of field. With a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor that delivers an uncompromised angle of view, all these benefits can be yours to enjoy.”

Website: The World of Canon CMOS Sensors

Scoopt Press Release

Scoopt (http://www.scoopt.com), the world’s first ‘citizen journalism’ picture agency, achieved a treble success in early September.

•    Bristol-based Stephen Bell captured the immediate aftermath of a dramatic car chase, and Scoopt immediately sold his pictures to the ‘Bristol Evening Post’.
•    Scoopt member James Pearson used his cameraphone to photograph and film a commuter train fire at Abbey Wood Station, London. ITV’s ‘London Today’ news programme licensed and broadcast the video
•    Another Scoopt member obtained exclusive pictures of Jodie Kidd’s wedding. Scoopt sold one picture to the Sun, where it was published on Monday 12th.

Smugmug Press Release

Smugmug Aims to Conquer the Earth… One Picture at a Time

“Travel and photos go together like peanut butter and jelly. Putting them together was a ‘No duh’ concept,” says Smugmug founder.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Smugmug Inc., the ultimate photo sharing site, has announced the launch of smugMaps – a feature that allows users to combine photos and maps with a click.

“If you’ve been there and done that, smugMaps let you prove it,” said Don McAskill, co-founder and Chief Geek, Smugmug Inc. “Bragging rights aside, it’s a great way to store your photos by location or let your friends and family experience your travels as though they were actually there.”

A new photo sharing service called Slide is set to debut on Monday. Currently stlil in Beta, Slide is brought to you by the co-founder of PayPal, Max Levchin. Slide aims to make the process of sharing your photos with people much easier than established services such as Flickr. Looks like one to watch.

“The key to taking it to the next step is getting to the point where you don’t have to know what RSS or other technical concepts are,” Gartenberg said. “You want to get to the point where you can just invite your grandpa to subscribe to your photos and all he has to do is click a few buttons.”

Website: CNET News - PayPal co-founder readies photo-sharing service

Website: Slide

Focal Press Press Release

WINNERS OF THE FOCAL PRESS KEEPING IT UNREAL COMPETITION

Earlier on this year Focal Press ran a student digital imaging competition. Students were invited to submit up to 3 seamless 2D images created using Photoshop and other software. The content had to be an everyday setting that has been digitally manipulated to offer an unexpected vision, one that only digital software could create.

From retro to contemporary to futuristic, winning images had to be grounded in the familiar but celebrate how things might change…a spectacle that can stun viewers with its contrasts and audacity.

The winners with judges comments can be viewed here.

Many thanks to our kind and generous sponsors iStockphoto, Pure360, Olympus and the British Journal of Photography who donated prizes for the winners.

Image courtesy of Sukey Parnell, Thames Valley University.

Shutterfly Press Release

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — (August 22, 2005) — Shutterfly, the leading independent e-commerce company specializing in digital photo products and services today announced a new relationship with Amazon Services, Inc. to promote and provide its products and services through the Amazon.com website. Amazon.com customers can take full advantage of Shutterfly’s award-winning service immediately through a co-branded website (www.amazon.shutterfly.com) as well as through the Amazon.com homepage and the Amazon.com Electronics store (www.amazon.com/electronics).

“Amazon is looking forward to working with Shutterfly,” said Glenn Cunningham, Vice President of Amazon’s Electronics store. “Our customers have come to expect a superior shopping experience from Amazon.com and we believe, with the addition of Shutterfly’s digital photography products and services, this will serve to enhance their shopping experience with us.”

It’s that time of year again - the dinner jackets are being dry cleaned and invitations accepted as the Awards season starts. EISA are the first organisation to announce their latest crop of winners:

CAMERA - Canon EOS 350D
PROFESSIONAL CAMERA - Nikon D2x
COMPACT CAMERA - Olympus Camedia C-7070
ZOOM CAMERA - Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5
POCKET CAMERA - Fujifilm Finepix F10
ANALOGUE CAMERA - Nikon F6
LENS - Sigma 3.5-6.3/18-200 mm DC
PRINTER - Epson Stylus Photo R2400
MINI PRINTER - Sony DPP-FP50
SCANNER - Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400 II
IMAGE TANK - Epson P2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer
MEMORY CARD - SanDisk Extreme III

Website: Eisa Awards 2005/2006

LetsGoDigital Press Release

LetsGoDigital goes Asia with Turkish edition : AMSTERDAM, August 4th 2005 : LetsGoDigital, known as the multilingual online magazine about digital imaging, is proud to announce a Turkish edition of its website. Within one year after launching the successful French edition LetsGoDigital again expands its publicity capacity by reaching out to millions of Turkish readers spread all over the world. The Turkish speaking readers and Turkish natives will now be able to get the latest digital imaging on at www.letsgodigital.com.tr. According to Dennis Hissink, LetsGoDigital’s editor: “We are opening the gateway to Asia by welcoming Turkey and will reach an important market of a large group of Turkish consumers.”

Webshots Press Release

Webshots Surpasses 250 Million Photos Mark; Size of User Generated Content Triples in One Year

SAN FRANCISCO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 12, 2005—Webshots (www.webshots.com), a leading online photo sharing Web site(1) and a property of CNET Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNET), today announced that on Sunday, August 7th, 2005, the 250 millionth digital photo was uploaded to its site, making Webshots the largest public photo library available online. With this milestone, Webshots, which attracts a vast community of people from around the world to help them express and entertain themselves as well as connect with others to share their common interests and passions, has seen its photo library triple in size over the last year.

Scoopt Press Release

Snap…send… sell… Citizen reporting made easy.

Scoopt, the world’s first ‘citizen journalism’ picture agency, officially launches on August 4th. Now anybody with a cameraphone can sell their pictures to the press on the same terms as a professional photographer. Scoopt bridges the divide between the public and picture desk.

Using MMS and mobile email technology, Scoopt members can submit photographs straight from the scene—any scene—in seconds. Scoopt then licenses these photos for publication to the mainstream media. Membership is free and without commitment.

Canon launched a website dedicated to digital SLR cameras a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s the turn of Pentax to produce their own website about this ever-expanding sector of the marketplace. As with the Canon site, Pentax have obviously skewed everything in favour of their DSLR product range, including a brief look at “Pentax’s glorious SLR camera history” but that shouldn’t stop you from paying a visit.

Website: Pentax Digital SLR Camera Website

Bonusprint Press Release

Print photo albums - not just photos - with Bonusprint

~ a personalised gift for every occasion ~

Bonusprint customers can now create their own hard cover, bound photo albums and personalised calendars.

Customers simply go to www.bonusprint.co.uk/photobooks to download the free Bonusprint Photo Book Editor software. This enables them to place up to sixteen photos – arranged and adjusted according to personal taste and preference – on the pre-set sheet. 58 different layouts and a variety of styles are available. Users also have the ability to write personalised captions on the pages. The software even tells you which images you have already used and which are not of a high enough quality in an easy to see colour code system.