Picfari is a new website for travel photographers that allows them to plan ahead and simplify the preparation for their photo shoots. “Picfari is an exciting new way to pre-plan your trip, or to dream about your next destination, all from a photographic perspective,” says Picfari Co-Founder Jackie Herr. “With Picfari, you can view a collection of photo possibilities online, and then decide on the photo ops you want to take advantage of on your trip.” In addition to providing an appealing way to armchair travel, browse destinations, plan photographic tours, and enjoy beautiful photos, each Picfari shot is geotagged so that users can easily locate and find the “just right” photo locations featured. And when travellers return home, they can upload their photos to create new Picfaris or tag on to existing Picfaris to share with friends and the Picfari community.

Canon has updated its next-generation photo management solution, Project 1709 beta, introducing version 1.1 with Flickr integration. This update makes it possible to publish images and comments directly to Flickr from within the Project 1709 interface, as well as to pull in images already stored on Flickr, and additionally offers new management and organisation features. Consumers interested in participating in the beta programme can register at the website below.

BeFunky has unveiled an upgraded, interactive online photo gallery. The new Channels feature takes into consideration the kinds of photos people love looking at, and not only helps them find those pictures, but gives them the tools to see the content in a variety of ways. Filtering options are incorporated throughout the gallery, giving people an “unparalleled” amount of control, the company says. BeFunky has also created a sophisticated algorithm that takes into account numerous factors to help photos get noticed.The latest version offers a new screen for saving and sharing photos across multiple social networks at once. Finally, BeFunky has added new features that let users customise their user profiles.

Amazon has recently added a new tool helping users find the ‘right’ lens for their cameras. After selecting their camera brand, series and model, customers are presented with a matrix showing all available lenses for the chosen camera. They can then filter the results by lens brand (if more than one is applicable) and lens type (such as fisheye, telephoto, macro etc.). It seems that the project is currently going through a “soft launch” phase as the ‘Find Lenses for This Camera’ link is not yet available with every interchangeable-lens camera carried by Amazon - only select models, with presumably more coming soon.

Via 1001 Noisy Cameras

The Photographic Museum of Humanity , the first Internet museum dedicated to high-quality photography, has officially inaugurated its second exhibition. Based around the theme “Where the Instinct Roams,” this exhibition is accessible online until the end of this month.

Stock photography agency Dreamstime has launched a “Camera” section that collects together and enables detailed searching of all of the company’s images where the camera/equipment details were available in the exchangeable image file format (EXIF) metadata. More than eighty percent of Dreamstime’s collected images retain EXIF information, with more than 2,000 different camera models catalogued. This new camera section offers value to photographers who can now see the different camera models that are most frequently used in stock photography and spot trends between certain cameras and types of subject matter. They can also review and compare the images produced by cameras that are at certain price point levels or possess particular technological features, aiding them with purchasing decisions, the company says.

Facebook has announced a major redesign that sees the launch of several new features including a separate ‘Photos’ feed. In this new feed, you will be able to see photos shared by your friends - and the pages you’ve “liked” - displayed more prominently than in the current all-encompassing News Feed. Facebook says it will be rolling out the new design slowly over the coming weeks, but if you want to be among the first to experience it, you can add yourself to the waiting list at the website below.

Photography instructor Kirsten Harvey has combined her love of photography, teaching and writing for children to create an innovative website for 6-16-year-olds. The main attraction of the site is the gallery section where children can showcase their best photographs. They can also offer and receive constructive comments and star ratings, encouraging an appreciation of photography as an art form. Additionally, Diddipix is billed as “excellent preparation for any child who may wish to study photography for GCSE.”

Intro 2020 has launched a new Tamron UK Facebook page. Offering plenty of news and editorial content as well as regular competitions, reviews of Tamron products, galleries of inspirational images and exclusive offers for fans; the page went live on Monday, 25th February 2013. To celebrate the launch month there will be a different themed photo-competition each week for the next four weeks – with a total of four Tamron 18-270mm PZD lenses up for grabs.

The Jessops.com website, which went down after the UK’s biggest high-street camera retailer had gone into administration last month, now displays a note saying, “The new Jessops website will be launching soon!!” According to administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers International (PwC), the Jessops brand has been sold to “a number of buyers including entrepreneur Peter Jones” of Dragons’ Den fame. The Jessops Photo website is already up and running again, selling photo books, prints, calendars and other personalised gifts made by Cewe Color. Meanwhile the main site, Jessops.com, is now prompting visitors to sign up for relaunch updates.

Sigma Corporation of America has introduced its redesigned website. New features include an expanded Sigma Lounge, an all-new product finder, redesigned photo galleries and a comparison tool allowing users to directly compare the specifications of up to five photography products to help them identify the best solution for their needs. You can visit the new website through the link below.

Nikon has relaunched its image sharing/storage service under the name Nikon Image Space. Previously known as myPicturetown, this free service has gone through a complete overhaul. Available online from 28 January 2013, Nikon Image Space is open to everyone, regardless of what camera they own. Users of Nikon digital cameras have the additional option of upgrading to a Special account, however, which gives them access to 20GB of online storage (versus the 2GB offered by a Basic account) free of charge. “Greater collaboration with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter expands the possibilities for sharing photos of your own special moments, and posting images from Nikon Image Space is easier than ever,” the company claims. Further information on the service will be available at the Nikon Imaging Japan booth at the CP+ 2013 camera and photo imaging show.

The Photographic Museum of Humanity is the first Internet museum dedicated to high-quality photography. The museum’s galleries are curated by a team of editors guided by Giuseppe Oliverio, the project founder, and World Press Photo Award-winning photojournalist Alejandro Kirchuk. On show until 28 February 2013, the inaugural exhibition presents four galleries centered around the theme, “The way we live.” The Photographic Museum of Humanity can be accessed at the website below.

Wilkinson Cameras have launched a new website called WeBuyAnyCamera.com where you can upload details of any camera kit and lenses which you no longer require and turn them in to cash. After uploading details of the kit you’d like to sell, one of the team at Wilkinson Cameras will get back to you with an offer for your old gear. There are two sale options available – a straight cash sales price, or cash price plus 10% extra if you request payment in Wilkinson Camera online vouchers. David Parkinson, MD at Wilkinson Cameras said: “We’ve seen a huge increase in the demand for quality second hand equipment – and we’ve also seen an increase in people who want a fast, simple process – instead of the risks associated with online auction sites and classified ads.” For any equipment purchased worth £500 or more, Wilkinson will even arrange collection, completely free of charge.

The UK’s biggest high-street camera retailer, Jessops, has today gone into administration, putting around 2,000 jobs at risk. The Jessops.com website now states “Please note that the Jessops website will not currently process any new orders however you are able to read product descriptions and articles, customer reviews and watch videos.” According to a BBC report, administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have commented “Trading in the stores is hoped to continue today but is critically dependent on these ongoing discussions. However, in the current economic climate it is inevitable that there will be store closures.” The sad news follows hot on the heels of last years closure of Jacobs Digital, which was the UK’s largest independent camera retailer before it collapsed at the start of October.

Website: BBC News

BeFunky has launched a new campaign called “My Photos Are Mine,” promising a free premium BeFunky account to all Instagram users who do not agree with the latter’s new terms-of-service update. “BeFunky believes that photo-editing and sharing should be fun, which is why their users have full control over their photos,” the company said in a statement. “People are not required to register when using the service, and where they share the photos is completely up to them and easy to do… Now BeFunky is offering free access to even more features by giving away the premium account to anyone who has cancelled their Instagram account.”

DxO Labs have launched a new measure of lens sharpness, dubbed “Perceptual Megapixel,” on their DxOMark website. Designed by DxOMark experts, Perceptual Megapixel attempts to quantify the sharpness “perceived” by the photographer while taking into account all the characteristics and defects of the lens and the camera. “This new unit of measure replaces the MTF scores that we have been publishing up until now. Perceptual Mpix weights MTF measurements with the sensitivity to detail of the human visual system, thus providing a score for the sharpness perceived by our eyes. We think this new measurement will be more understandable and practical for photographers who use our website,” explained Frédéric Guichard, Chief Scientific Officer for DxO Labs. The company also points out that the perceived resolution for a camera can be significantly different from the native resolution depending on the lenses with which it is coupled.

In the wake of a far-reaching outcry against proposed changes to its Terms of Use - including a notice issued by National Geographic saying that it’s “suspending new posts” and “may close” its account -, Instagram has announced an upcoming revision to the most controversial section of the text. “Legal documents are easy to misinterpret,” said Instagram’s co-founder Kevin Systrom in a post published on the company’s official blog. “We need to be clear about changes we make — this is our responsibility to you. One of the main reasons these documents don’t take effect immediately, but instead 30 days from now, is that we wanted to make sure you had an opportunity to raise any concerns. You’ve done that and are doing that, and that will help us provide the clarity you deserve. “

Eight months after buying Instagram, Facebook has issued a modification to the service’s Terms of Use, allowing it to sell users’ photos to advertisers. According to the updated terms, you “agree that a business or other entity may pay [Instagram] to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.” Commenting on the news, The Guardian’s Charles Arthur speculates that the move “may give a boost” to Flickr, adding that “[a]lthough Flickr has resale deals in place with a number of companies, it shares revenue from those with users and only uses photos with users’ explicit permission.” Instagram users who do not agree with the new terms may opt out until 16 January 2013 by deleting their uploaded photos and terminating their accounts.

Website: Instagram / Updated Terms

Update: Instagram Backtracks on Terms of Use Update

WedPics is a new free service providing a rich media platform for capturing, sharing and interacting with all the photos taken throughout your wedding. Comprising a website and a smartphone app, WedPics allows everyone to upload, view, share, and download pictures.  “No more need for disposable cameras at the table, guests can use the app at the wedding itself or afterwards via Smartphone or the website,” the company says. “In one click, the bride (or anyone with admin rights) can download all the pictures or send them to Facebook creating an instant photo book.” In addition, WedPics also provides an opportunity for professional wedding photographers to market their services to future brides.