Photomuse.org is an exciting online collaboration between the George Eastman House and International Center of Photography Alliance. Its aim is to create a freely accessible database of photographs from some of the world’s greatest photographers. The website will include around 200,000 photographs when it is completed in late-2006. At the moment only about 250 photographs from each museum are actually available, although the like of Robert Capa and Gary Winogrand are represented.

Thanks to Terence Chay for letting me know!

Website: Photomuse.org

Website: New York Times - Amassing a Treasury of Photography

Shutterfly Press Release

Shutterfly Makes Award-Winning Picture Management Easier; Launches One-of-Kind Search Technology to Bring Customers Lightning-Fast Results

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—July 18, 2005—Shutterfly, PC Magazine’s “Editors’ Choice(1) for best photo-printing service,” today announced multiple enhancements to its already “extremely easy navigation,” including a customized viewing experience, a new picture “film strip,” ability to mark “favorite” pictures and powerful new search functionality. Designed to help customers keep their fast-growing collections of digital images organized, these new ways to view and find pictures make the Shutterfly service even more intuitive and faster to use.

Amazon.com are offering a free memory card worth $18.99 when you purchase one of the 60+ digital cameras that are part of this special promotion, which includes the new Canon PowerShot S2 IS (pictured). The offer is valid until July 31, 2005.

Website: Amazon.com - Memory Card Offer

We’re Not Afraid is a defiant response to the London bombings. “Show the world that We’re not afraid of what happened in London, and that the world is a better place without fear. Email your images to [email protected]”

Website: We’re Not Afraid

Snaps Magazine showcases the work of more than 20 photographers, who have submitted images based on a particular theme. Now in its 4th issue, the latest edition has some great interpretations of the theme Fairs, Festivals and Fireworks. If you feel suitably inspired, you can submit up to 5 of your own photographs. Well worth checking out - thanks to Clay Jackson for letting me know.

Website: Snaps Magazine

In his latest “Sunday Morning Photographer” columns Mike Johnston explains why he has recently purchased the Konica-Minolta 7D digital SLR camera.

“I’ve also been impressed by the deep, rich, meaty colors of the Olympus E-1’s sensor. What finally removed that as a major shopping consideration for me is that…well, I like black & white better. Not “best” and not “only,” but better. So I figured that while a color photographer might be more swayed by the E-1, it wasn’t a primary consideration for me. In light of this, I was wholly unprepared for the KM 7D’s superb color rendition. Set on “Natural” sRGB, the colors are beautifully accurate. Flesh tones are outstanding, reds are well controlled and detailed, and all colors are in balance, with nothing over- or under-emphasized. And the camera renders complex hues really well, maintaining color delicacy and accuracy into the deep shadows and bright highlights. This is a real strength of this camera.”

Website: The Sunday Morning Photographer: Catch the Rave!

Website: The Sunday Morning Photographer: The Tale Told by Two Pictures

Website: The Sunday Morning Photographer: Ring Out the Old, Ring In the New

Canon have launched a simple and easy to use website that teaches you about the finer points of the digital SLR camera. Despite using Canon cameras as examples (obviously), it’s still a good guide for anyone that is considering the upgrade to a digital SLR, as they become ever more affordable.

Website: Canon - Enjoy! Digital SLR Camera

The excellent website 28mm.org may have closed its doors last year, but that hasn’t stopped owner Rachel James from creating a printed final issue of the online photography magazine, showcasing 51 different photographers over 204 pages for $39.99.

Website: 28mm.org

Macworld have published a comprehensive comparative review of nine different online photo services:

“There are a lot of online photo services out there, but there can be a huge difference in results from one online photo finisher to the next. To find the best option, I took a look at nine online photo ser-vices: Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Mpix, PhotoCheap, PhotoWorks, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Wal-Mart, Webshots, and the Order Prints option built into Apple’s iPhoto 5. I sent five different images to all of the services and then asked a jury of Macworld editors to evaluate the prints’ image quality. I incorporated their opinions into my overall evaluation of the services.”

Website: Macworld - Turn pixels into prints

Thanks to Terry Chay for letting me know about the article.

Nikon Press Release

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor the Work of Internationally Acclaimed Sports Photographer George Tiedemann

MELVILLE, N.Y., July 1 /PRNewswire/—For some photographers, inspiration comes from the most unlikely places. For distinguished sports photographer George Tiedemann, his life was shaped by sports before he ever thought about photographing them. His inspiration came from his four years in the Marine Corps.

This July, NikonNet’s inspiring monthly, “Legends Behind the Lens,” honors the work of esteemed sports photographer George Tiedemann, a man who has not only contributed so much to the sports world, but served our country as well.

The latest issue of Nikon’s Pro Views online magazine has just been published. Highlights this month include a look at digital workflow by Rob Van Petten, and an in-depth article about Wi-Fi and Nikon DSLRs.

“With an ever-increasing number of digital tools and controls, there’s always something you can go back and try on an image you once thought complete. With all the possibilities of various programs—from Capture to Photoshop—and their sharpening techniques, color balances and retouching tools, an image is hardly ever complete—it’s just waiting in a dormant state until the moment you come to play with the process.”

Website: Nikon - Pro Views

Luminous Landscape editor Michael Reichmann recently went behind the scenes at the Phase One head office and factory in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“From a visual point of view the most interesting aspect of the visit was the manufacturing facility. The first thing that one is aware of (because otherwise they won’t let you in) is the strict attention to anti-static measures. Special smocks and ground straps for ones shoes are de-rigeur. Approximately a dozen people are involved in the final assembly of the camera backs. The actual boards are manufactured elsewhere under contract, based on Phase’s original designs. Once the completed boards and sensor chips are in house, assembly and testing of each back takes four people about 10 hours, spread out over roughly a 10 day period.”

This is meticulous hand assembly. No automated assembly line…simply skilled hands and eyes carefully putting each component into place, and testing and retesting each step of the way.

Website: Luminous Landscape - A Visit With Phase One

Faces.com Press Release

Faces.com Photo Service Launches With Unlimited Prints for Low Monthly Fee

Competitive Pricing, Photo Blogs and Social Networking for $7.99 a Month

NEW YORK, June 22 /PRNewswire/—Faces.com (http://www.faces.com), a new online photo service, launched today offering unlimited digital photo printing for consumers.  Faces.com also offers unlimited photo prints for $7.99 per month.  The service is free or with significant extras for a monthly subscription price starting at $3.99.  Faces.com is the only photo service on the Web to offer unlimited prints for one monthly fee, an opportunity which is available to users for the lifetime of their membership.

Bonusprint Press Release

~ results that will last at a price that’s right ~

Digital photographers can now choose to print their images on Kodak professional quality photographic paper just by going online. By logging onto www.bonusprint.co.uk, you can order your prints directly, making considerable savings over traditional professional lab prices.

In addition to Bonusprint’s standard consumer service on Kodak Edge gloss paper, customers can now opt to print on KODAK PROFESSIONAL SUPRA ENDURA lustre paper from only 25p per print. This high-quality professional paper is thicker than standard paper and gives a particularly good result with skin tones.

Mike Johnston’s “Sunday Morning Photographer” provides one viewpoint on the cost of digital SLR cameras - are they value for money or not?

“I’m sure nothing like “The CD Effect” has happened yet in the digital camera market. Now, today, the D50 and the Maxxum 7D are assuredly worth what they cost, given manufacturing realities, R&D costs, and competition. But consider that the film equivalent of the $900 Canon Digital Rebel XT costs $200, and the film equivalent of the $5k Nikon D2X costs $2k, yet both digitals are seen as providing great value. Maybe it’s not the same scenario…yet. But the exact same conditions exist: exciting new technology; strong consumer demand; high initial prices, many times what the market previously bore; and rapidly falling prices creating a perception of strong value (that “ultra-budget” comment).”

Website: The “Compact Disc Effect” and the Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D

Lexar Press Release

Fremont, CA, June 16, 2005 – Is Fido ready for his close-up? Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leader in advanced digital media and accessories, today announced the start of its online Picture Perfect Pets amateur digital photography contest, in conjunction with its sponsorship of the upcoming publication of “DOGS 24/7” and “CATS 24/7,” by Rick Smolan and David Elliot Cohen, follow-on books to the hugely popular “America 24/7” book series. Entry details for contestants are at www.lexar.com/pets.

Mike Johnston’s “Sunday Morning Photographer” tries to keep up in several different ways this week:

“It’s interesting watching the same thing happen with digital, except it’s happening communally. How to unclog print heads, add curves to Elements, which serial numbers of the 84-3drzl digicam are afflicted with the dreaded ________ bug. (Had to disguise that last one.) Information is shooting back and forth all across the world, as photographers collectively, and happily, amass vital tidbits of information that will, with time, settle down into a permanent state of U —> 0, where U = uselessness.”

Website: The Sunday Morning Photographer: “Keeping Up”

StockPhotoFinder.com Press Release

New York, NY (June 9, 2005) – As ‘War of the Worlds’ cruises into theaters, the War of the Widgets has also begun for the multi-billion dollar stock content licensing industry. In the battle for desktop search, StockPhotoFinder.com has entered the fray by offering photo buyers a free Widget to facilitate searching the databases of stock photography agencies and commercial photographers.

This free tool roars from the Mac Tiger Dashboard (OS 10.4), empowering users with simplified search directly from their computer desktop of millions of stock photos from all kinds of websites. Similar in functionality to a web browser, the Widget is faster, more direct and easier than other options for searching commercial imagery. It leverages the dynamic, new Dashboard technology from Apple Computer. 59% of StockPhotoFinder.com users search for stock imagery on Macintosh computers.

PhotoFiddle Press Release

PHOTOFIDDLE.COM EASILY TURNS DIGITAL PHOTOS INTO CANVAS MASTERPIECES ONLINE, WITH DOZENS OF EASY DESIGNS

Upload, Crop, Design, and Order Online For a Fraction Of the Cost to Customize and Frame Photo-Artwork

MELVILLE, NY, June 9, 2005 – Photographers, from pros to point and shoot alike, can now artistically enhance their pics and paper glossies into stylized photo-artwork masterpieces on professionally stretched canvas using dozens of easy-to-create artistic designs, finishes and collage templates, online at www.PhotoFiddle.com.

From wallet size to wall size, PhotoFiddle.com can transform a simple digital photo in seconds into a dazzling array of art styles, from watercolor and pop- art to a black and white line drawing or mosaic.  PhotoFiddle.com is a fun way to become an instant artiste and add a creative flair to individual photos or collages.  And, it’s a compelling alternative to custom designers and professional framers who are far more costly and take weeks to deliver.

Progressive Color Media and Prepress Training Solution Press Release

Online Color Management Training Now Available

Initial Courses: “Color Management Theory” and “ICC Profiling”

Ann Arbor, MI & Bloomington, IN – June 6, 2005 – Progressive Color Media LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flint Ink Corporation, providing a full range of workflow color management solutions integrating hardware, software and services; and Prepress Training Solution, the premier online training provider for the graphic arts marketplace; announce the immediate availability of two online color management training courses:  Color Management Theory and ICC Profiling, available at www.prepresstraining.com/prepresslist.html.