AK47.tv is an online art photography magazine, published once a month, which showcases images from both fine arts and documentary photographers. It looks very similar design-wise to 28mm.org, but it’s mainly flash-based and features less photographers (6 in total this month).

Website: AK47.tv - May 2004 Issue (#2)

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. It’s packed to the rafters with some great articles - here are my highlights, in no particular order:

- Digital Shortcuts
“I’m letting you know the point of this article right up front. This is for you! It’s for all you folks out there who, like me, have had some doubts about digital and the new learning curve. It’s for those of you who either don’t have the time or the interest to learn every tool that Photoshop has to offer. It’s for those of you out there who don’t mind taking a little shortcut every now and then, and yet you want the confidence in knowing that you can take these Digital Shortcuts without sacrificing quality.”

- Fine Tuning Your Photography
“I’ll show you my seven-step mental check list that I use every time I take a picture to get you thinking of different ways to look at any given potential photograph and to be able to determine what it will take to capture your own vision. While seeing the potential for a great photograph is one thing, exercising good technical skills each time will be just as important. “Fine Tuning Your Photography” is like practicing the basics without any mistakes. It’s seeing great light and knowing what to do with it, or recognizing poor light and returning another day.”

I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of this month’s issue.

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #36

dotPhoto Press Release 24/05/04

DOTPHOTO PHOTO PROCESSING SITE WINS HI-TECH PIONEER AWARD

First Site to Email Photos Directly from Any Camera Phone with Patent Pending Technology - No Software to Email Photos from Camera Phone to Internet

West Trenton, NJ, May 24, 2004 - dotPhoto announced today that it has been honored with the 2004 Hi-Tech Pioneer Award for its innovative online photography site at www.dotphoto.com.  Selected by Hale and Dorr LLP, KPMG LLP, NextStage Advisors, and Silicon Valley Bank, dotPhoto was one of only four companies chosen as the tri-state’s top emerging technology companies, based on uniqueness, market desirability, management team quality, funding, and technological/market success.

Winner of numerous awards, including the 2004 DIMA Innovation Award, dotPhoto is a pioneer in online photo-printing and sharing.  The first site to offer online photo processing and storage directly from any camera phone without special software (as well as from digital and film cameras and computers), dotPhoto has provided wireless connectivity services since February 2001.  dotPhoto has also created unique technology to allow users to add sound, text and voice to their online images; as well as edit and organize them into their own portfolio, album or sound-captioned slide show.

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston announces that he’s going monthly…

“When most publications say “NOW MONTHLY”! It’s usually a good thing. Ordinarily, it means they’re increasing their frequency from quarterly or bi-monthly, and they’ll be coming to you more often. But I know I’m going to hear some wailing and the proverbial gnashing of teeth (how exactly do you gnash your teeth, anyway?) when I make the following announcement (gulp): beginning two weeks from now, The Sunday Morning Photographer is going monthly. You’ll be able to find it right here, wherever you’re reading it now, on the first Sunday of every month.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: “Do You Have a Color Balance?”

Funtigo LLC Press Release 13/05/04

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—(MARKET WIRE) - 05/13/2004—San Francisco-based Funtigo LLC today announced a new version of its Funtigo photo sharing site, which now includes music and group email features.

“Funtigo is more than a digital replica of traditional paper-based photo albums,” according to founder Jim Conning.  “It lets you share photos in your own personal way, arrange them on Web pages, in albums or high resolution slideshows   while supplementing these photos with text, callouts, and high quality clipart. Music was a natural next step that our customers demanded.  It lets them further personalize their memories and share them they way the want to.”

The May issue of the monthly photography magazine 28MM, with 12 new galleries, is now online.

On display in the May issue of 28MM:

- Organics - Revisited, by Hannah Foerster
- The Fremont Solstice Celebration, by Ron Hammond
- 120 in Amsterdam, by Jim Green
- Botanicals & Butterflies, by Gordon McGregor
- Ourspace, by Caroline Moore
- Streets of San Francisco, by Ben Needham
- Musicians, by Walker Pickering
- Heavy Metal, by John Setzler
- 48 Hours, by Eliot Shepard
- Heavy Tread, by Steve Smart
- My New York, by Christopher Todd
- A Holga Adventure at Bent’s Fort, by Riley T??rn

Cover Photo: Gordon McGregor

Website: http://www.28mm.org

The latest round of the unique Greek Gods photo contest over at DP-Now is about to end, so you just have a few more hours to submit your entry. The theme for the April 2004 stage is Dyonysus (god of wine). This month’s winner will receive £500 towards Olympus products and go through to the grand finale in the summer for a £2,000 luxury holiday in Greece. Please note that the contest is only open to residents of the UK and Eire.

Website: DP-Now - Greek Gods Photo Contest - April Stage

Jamie Harrison, Technical Editor of the magazine What Digital Camera, has just started a new blog. Jamie explains that “the idea is to encourage our readers to set up blogs, and develop a sense of community. It will give both the editorial team and other readers the chance to see how readers are using their cameras, as well as providing an impetus to take more pictures.” Cliff Smith of the sister magazine Better Digital Photography has also posted a site. Creating your own blog is one of the ideas in my recent “Beating the Photography Blues” article. So now is as good a time as ever to start sharing your photos.

Website: Jamie Harrison’s Blog

Website: Cliff Smith’s Blog

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston looks at a picture which you are not intended to see…

“It’s not for me to tell you what to feel about this picture. You might interpret it as an anti-war photograph. You might interpret it as a paean to patriotism and noble sacrifice in the service of the republic. You might feel sadness and loss. You might feel anger. It’s up to you. I merely think it should be up to you - that government censorship is un-American, and bad for democracy.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: ‘Almost Every Night We Send Them Home’

DIWA Press Release 16/04/04

DIWA WELCOMES GERMANY’S MOST INFLUENTIAL DIGITAL CAMERA REVIEW SITE AS ITS 10TH MEMBER

Friday, 16th April 2004: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), the fast-growing association of expert Web-based publications specialising in digital imaging product reviews, has signed up its tenth member publication: digitalkamera.de, the top German language digital photography editorial site.

Digitalkamera.de, based in the historic port city of L?beck in northern Germany, joins DIWA members covering most of Europe as well as the USA. In addition to highly detailed digital camera tests, digitalkamera.de offers its impressive 1.25 million visitors per month a comprehensive camera reference database, news, advice, articles on software and also book recommendations.

Rollei Press Release 15/04/04

The Final Touch - Relaunch of the Rollei web site

Starting April 15, 2004, Rollei will present a completely redesigned Internet website in German and English.

Rollei Fototechnic GmbH have given their Internet website a new look, optimizing use of the different functions. As a result, visitors to the Brunswick photo specialist will therefore find even faster and more efficient help in their search for product information, such as test reports on some of the products.

This month still, Rollei will go online with a completely redesigned company website. The new design combines stylish, modern optics, pleasing colors and sophisticated photography with a clear and transparent page layout. Since the time-tried navigation system has been retained, all visitors will immediately feel “at home” ? be it that they are looking for information about the products or the Rollei company or that they have special questions regarding applications or sources of supply.

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. It’s packed to the rafters this month with some great articles, mostly digital in nature. Here are my highlights, in no particular order:

- Create Great Digital Prints
“I prefer a more simple down-to-earth approach to all that this digital craze has brought to us. I totally understand just how easy it is for you to want to shrink back from this and say: Wow! This is overwhelming, how will I ever learn it all? Shooting with film was so much easier, I only worried about the simple things; you know, focus, composition, exposure and stuff like that. Trust me here: if you’re looking for simple, I’m your man!”

- What is Hyperfocal Distance and Why Should I Care?
“You will get the greatest depth of field when you focus your lens at its hyperfocal distance . With a high quality lens you can produce images with your 35mm that people will swear came from a medium format camera.”

- An Eye for Composition
“No matter where in this world we live the subject matter for photographers is for all practical purposes, never ending. We are limited only by our imagination and creative vision. I’ve related in the past the story of a well-known photographer who told his audience not to look at other photographers’ work, but to develop their own style.

My comeback to that is pretty simple: how does one go about developing his or her own style, without something or someone else’s work with which to compare it to?”

I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of this month’s issue.

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #35

“Dedicated to the all-knowing cynics on the DPReview Forums”, this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column from Mike Johnston is sure to spark some heated debate.

“And that’s just the way it is, in this reviewer’s life. Yeah, I checked my ideals at the door a long time ago. Sure, I sell out every day. Whaddaya want, objectivity? Honest opinions? If I did that, what would the cynics on the DPReview Forums have to talk about? They’re wise to the fact that every positive review is the result of bribery or special treatment. No, you can’t fool those guys. But it’s a hard world. A guy’s got to get along in it, you know? It’s just not so easy, this reviewer’s life.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: The Reviewer’s Life

The website Digital Photography Blog have started a poll to find the best digital photography website, and PhotographyBLOG has been nominated as one of the 10 entries! :-) So head over there now and vote for your favourite website (which is obviously this one, right?!).

Website: Easter Digital Photography Site Awards

One of the ideas in my most recent article, Beating the Photography Blues, was to start your very own photoblog. Completely coincidentally, the website Digital Photography Blog have just published an in-depth guide to setting up a photoblog, including a list of different services and tools.

Website: Digital Photography Blog - Introduction to Photoblogs and MoBlogs

Sh1ft.org have just started a new photography project called “Q&A - the photographic interview”:

“it’s simple, take 20 questions and answer them by taking a photograph. photographic interviews have been completed by many online journalists in the past, but it’s time to get the biggest photographic interview started!”

Visit this webpage for the 20 questions:

Website: Sh1ft.org - Q&A - the photographic interview

WebFormation, Inc. Press Release 29/03/04

WebFormation, Inc., leader in web development tools and Internet hosting, proudly announces beta 1 of ExposureManager; a service that makes displaying and selling photography online quick and effortless.

ExposureManager allows photographers to upload and display their photos. They are given complete freedom in the look and feel of their galleries, and are also able to customize a variety of templates through an easy-to-use interface.

Per gallery and per photo, the photographer has the option to sell prints, posters and other merchandise. To do this, a photographer selects which type and price the prints and/or merchandise he or she wishes to sell. ExposureManager?s systems will take care of billing the customer, the fulfillment of the order and the payment of profit to the photographer. The photo processing is handled by EZPrints in Georgia. Depending on upload speed, a photographer can upload photos and have them available for sale in just a few minutes!

Photobird.com Press Release 29/03/04

Simple-to-use Comments and Ratings, and secure Password-Protected Albums top the list

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. - March 29, 2004 - Photobird.com, the easy way to share your photos around the world, today announced the immediate availability of exciting new features that make sharing digital photos even easier, more secure, and more flexible.  Some of the new features the Photobird.com website now supports include the ability to select different digital photo display sizes, the ability to password protect photo albums, and the choice to allow visitors to leave comments about your digital photos and photo albums, similar to a guest book.  A free trial and more information about the new features announced today are
available at www.photobird.com.

“Digital camera users want ease of use, control, and flexibility when they share their digital photos with friends and family.  These new features on Photobird.com give our customers the control and flexibility they have asked for, while still maintaining the ease of use and clean, professional design for which Photobird.com is known worldwide,” said Ed Krimen, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Photobird.com.  “Not only are these new features available to
subscribers at no additional cost, but they are completely optional to use, and subscribers can use them on the photo albums they choose.”

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston takes a break and hands over to Steve Rosenblum, who treats us to a review of a Complete Digital Workflow Workshop from Cone Editions Press.

“Cone developed the first quad black inksets and software for the IRIS printer which he had been using previously to produce fine art non-photographic prints. He became very involved in IRIS printing techniques, training a generation of Giclee printers as well as becoming an IRIS dealer. As the IRIS organization began to fall apart in the 90’s and desktop inkjet printers emerged he became intrigued with the possibility that a quadtone system could be adapted to the Epson Stylus 3000 printer which was widely available and cost only a few percent of the $100,000 IRIS machines. Out of this effort at software and inkset development emerged the original PiezographyBW system.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Review: Cone Editions Press Complete Digital Workflow Workshop

LetsGoDigital have just finished their comprehensive report on the CeBIT Show, held in Hannover, Germany, last week. As with most things that LetsGoDigital do, the report is very detailed and superbly presented.

Website: LetsGoDigital - CeBIT 2004 Show Report