O’Reilly Press Release

Sebastopol, CA—Art, technology, craft, and creativity meet and merge in Julieanne Kost’s “Window Seat: The Art of Digital Photography & Creative Thinking” (O’Reilly, US $39.99). Impossible to pigeonhole, this uniquely innovative book is part philosophical guide for creative thinking, part artist’s portfolio, and part technical tutorial. Photographer, creativity guru, and Adobe digital imaging evangelist, Julieanne Kost frequently travels on business by air. Constantly challenging herself to see the world with a fresh eye, she recognized the graphic potential of images seen from her window seat and shot thousands of photos over a five-year period. On one level, this book documents that process and presents a stunning portfolio of more than 150 evocative images of air, water, earth, light, and shadow.

O’Reilly Press Release

Mimic the Masters of Fine Art with Photoshop CS2 O’Reilly Releases “Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook”

Sebastopol, CA—For anyone who wants to shoot like Adams, print like Warhol, or paint like Van Gogh, “Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook” (Beardsworth, O’Reilly, US $29.99) explains how to use Photoshop CS2 to transform everyday images into masterpieces that echo the genius of the world’s greatest photographers, printmakers, and painters. Readers don’t have to be trained artists or Photoshop experts to take advantage of Photoshop tools, techniques, and tricks of the trade for recreating the classic styles of favorite photographers and artists.

Wiley Press Release

Just what Visual learners have been looking for – an illustrated, comprehensive, A to Z reference for their favorite applications.  The Visual Encyclopedia series, from Wiley’s bestselling Visual brand, does more than define tools and techniques used in a particular technology; it shows visual learners what the tools look like and illustrates how to use them.  This series is perfect for the visual learner who wants a color compendium of terminology, features, and concepts for a software program or technology – one that reader can refer to again and again.  The books are divided into two, alphabetically arranged sections: the first part is a comprehensive reference of tools, part two illustrates techniques.  True to the Visual brand promise of Read Less, Learn More, the Visual Encyclopedia uses the maximum number of illustrations and the minimum amount of text to help visual learners at all levels get the information they need.

Wiley Press Release

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4 SOLUTIONS: The Art of Digital Photography

As the popularity of digital cameras continues to increase, so, too, does the use of image editing software.  Photoshop Elements provides digital photographers with most of the features and functions of Photoshop - and a few features not available anywhere else - at a fraction of Photoshop’s price.  PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4 SOLUTIONS: The Art of Digital Photography (Sybex, an imprint of Wiley; January 2006; $29.99) is the ultimate full-color guide for Elements users looking to get more from the program.  Full of practical solutions enhanced with stunning full-color images, this book is devoted to the creative tasks faced by today’s photographer, from quickly sharing photos by TV to advanced selection and compositing.

O’Reilly Press Release

Working Smarter and More Creatively with CS2 O’Reilly Releases “Adobe Creative Suite 2 Workflow”

Sebastopol, CA—“The Creative Suite isn’t just a bundle of Adobe creative products; it’s a product in and of itself,” say Jennifer Alspach, Shari Nakano, and Steve Samson in their preface to the new “Adobe Creative Suite2 Workflow” (O’Reilly, US $49.95). “Once you start using it that way, you’ll become immensely more efficient and realize all sorts of capabilities you never knew were there.”

Adobe CS2 combines full versions of the acclaimed Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, InDesign, and GoLive—each an amazing standalone application. But this book, the authors promise, “is designed to get you thinking about how the Creative Suite products interact with each other.” When used in conjunction with the other CS2 applications, each tool becomes endlessly powerful. That means users can become more creative and productive.

O’Reilly Press Release

Take, Edit, and Create Perfect Digital Photos O’Reilly Introduces “Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One”

Sebastopol, CA—The quality and features in today’s digital cameras are inspiring consumers to become more creative with their photography and photo editing. Trying to achieve the envisioned result can be a frustrating experience—especially when the software and manual are not up to the task.  Photoshop Elements 4—the most popular image editing application for Windows-based PCs—will multiply your options, and using “Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One” (McClelland, O’Reilly, $34.95 US) will turn the learning curve into a speedway. Digital photographers—amateur and experienced alike—will easily and quickly learn to edit and produce shots with extraordinary results.

O’Reilly Press Release

Organizational Gold Mine for Photographers O’Reilly Introduces “The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers”

Sebastopol, CA—Every time you shoot, scan, or store a photograph, you are involved with DAM or digital asset management, which includes every part of the process that follows the taking of the picture through final output and permanent storage. However, most photographers, whether amateurs capturing a vacation, or professionals earning a living, don’t really know the best way to systematically and efficiently manage workflow for their photography.

A professional photographer for twenty years, author Peter Krogh explains the whole DAM system in ” The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers” (O’Reilly, US $34.95). He cuts the often overwhelming task of managing digital photos down to manageable size with a solid plan, practical advice, and a workable system for filing, finding, protecting, and re-using photographs.

O’Reilly Press Release

Sebastopol, CA—“Photoshop Elements 4 is an all-in-one program that can help you improve your photos, keep them organized, and make top-notch prints and truly nifty creative projects,” says Barbara Brundage, who has been teaching people how to use Elements since it first came out in 2001.

“Elements is such a cool program and so much fun to use, but figuring out how to make it do what you want is another matter.” For everyone who has been hesitant to use Elements because they’ve heard how tricky it is, Brundage’s new “Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual” (Brundage, O’Reilly, US $39.95) gets readers up to speed quickly so they can edit, print, and share their photos over the Internet.

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the Canon PowerShot A620, which features a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 2 inch LCD screen and 4x optical zoom lens equivalent to 35–140 mm focal length.

“These are some of the most well designed models I have dealt with. They are not your typical compact consumer models, yet they are small enough to be carried in a coat pocket or purse. When I first saw the A620 and A610, it seemed like they were a cross between the consumer A95 and the prosumer G6 . After working with the A620, I can now confirm that this is the case. Its high-end features speak of “only the best”, while its more affordable price says “I’m easy on the wallet”.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon PowerShot A620 Review

Website: Read my Canon Powershot A620 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Canon PowerShot A620

Write a Review of the Canon PowerShot A620

Wiley Press Release

Gone Wild is the new series of full-color how-to books for design professionals and enthusiasts.  The series is designed to give those with basic graphic design skills the tools they need to create innovative, mind-blowing visual effects.  Each book provides lively, step-by-step instructions for creating amazing art using a particular software program.  The lavish illustrations and minimal text allow designers to dive into the fun stuff without a lot of dry explanations or theory.  Tips and suggestions found throughout the books will jump-start readers’ imaginations and have them creating spectacular effects in no time.

Digital Secrets Press Release

Drawing on the twin facts that every camera model is unique and every photographer has his or her individual levels of expertise, the DSLR series of premium eBooks is growing. Professionals and advanced enthusiast photographers will appreciate the depth and sharply focused insights these eBooks bring. All of the titles are the modern outgrowth of the most highly acclaimed camera eBooks in all of digital photography.

Authors iNova and Steinmueller introduce the fourth in the DSLR eBook shelf of interactive digital photography titles, completing the series on the Canon affordable digital single lens reflex cameras. The eBook series is read on both Windows and Macintosh computers with equal ease. Although each title concentrates on the unique features of a specific model of camera, the whole eBook covers the science, technology, art and creative aspects of digital photography as applied to that particular camera. Interactive features achieve demonstration, illustration and hyperlink functions from elements embedded right in the text and images.

You can learn more about all of these eBooks while saving $6.50 on all forms of shipping (making US delivery free) here: DSLR eBooks

DPNow have just reviewed the book “Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio” from O’Reilly.

“Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio is aimed squarely at people who are at home with Adobe Photoshop. You don’t need the very latest version to make use of the book; most of its examples and tutorials will work with Photoshop 7.0 or even earlier releases. Honiball doesn’t assume you are a Photoshop or print press expert, either and carefully explains key concepts along the way. Besides covering topics that help you to make photos look better from a basic point of view, Honiball also covers areas involving the integration of subjects with different backgrounds and creating natural looking lighting effects. To achieve composite results, masking and extraction are covered in detail. There is also plenty of information concerning the use of Photoshop with CMYK images and how to optimise these for print press reproduction, including sections on newsprint and packaging materials.”

Website: DPNow - Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio Review

O’Reilly Press Release

Sebastopol, CA—Photoshop is the digital artist and photographer’s premier choice for editing and manipulating digital photos. And with the mounting interest in digital photography, the demand for practical guidance, expert techniques, tips and solutions—recipes for success if you will—continues to grow. It’s exactly all of this and more that O’Reilly delivers in its beautifully designed and visually stunning new series, the “Photoshop Digital Studio Cookbooks.”

Packed with hundreds of full color images, inspiring digital imagery, and authoritative information and advice, the books provide everything the reader needs to retouch, create effects, use blending modes, and filter effects, with professional results. With the books in this collection, the digital artist or photographer doesn’t need to be a Photoshop expert to succeed.

O’Reilly Press Release

Insider’s Tips and Techniques for Pro Photo Retouchers

Farnham, UK—The next best thing to a mentor, “Commercial Photoshop Retouching: In the Studio” (Honiball, O’Reilly) is a collection of real-world, straight-from-the-trenches advice on the practical commercial applications of retouching with Adobe Photoshop.

This one-of-a-kind guide to professional photo retouching and compositing delivers insider techniques and seasoned advice from someone who retouches photographs for a living and has been doing so for more than 20 years. “The examples in this book are the types of things I might be asked to do for a client on any given day,” says author Glenn Honiball.

“Professional artists need to create professional-looking retouched images in the most efficient and realistic way,” continues Honiball. To make that happen, he gives professionals—or those who just want their images to look professionally crafted—the tools, tricks, and know-how to save time and minimize stress while achieving the perfect balance of imagination, efficiency, and technique.

Wiley Press Release

Fully updated and revised, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES, 5TH EDITION (Wiley; Oct. 2005; $24.99) is now in full color.  This bestselling guide to digital photography is now illustrated cover-to-cover with color photos that show readers the types of results they, too, can achieve.  At the same great price as the previous, black-and-white edition, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES, 5TH EDITION is an amazing value for anyone looking to get started with digital photography.

Digital camera sales in the United States topped 18 million units in 2004, according to the Photo Marketing Association International, dwarfing sales of traditional film cameras.  Price per mega pixel declined 31% from 2003 to 2004, making digital photo technology increasingly affordable to consumers.  The improving technology and falling prices are driving millions of hobbyist and amateur photographers to go digital, creating a huge segment of first-time digital photographers, many of whom need help to get up to speed with their new equipment.

Wiley Press Release

From Little League to Olympians, Shoot Sports Like a Pro

21 Professional Sports Photographers Share Their Tips for Capturing Winning Moments

HOBOKEN, N.J., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/—Sports photography gets photographers up close and personal with the action they crave, the athletes they idolize, or the activities that make memories for their children.  It also presents unique challenges for photographers trying to capture that perfect moment.  DIGITAL SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY: Take Winning Shots Every Time (Wiley; Sept. 2005; $29.99) helps readers master this art by providing professional insights and advice on the techniques and methodology for capturing the action, drama, and personalities in everything from swimming and running to skateboarding and cross-country skiing.

O’Reilly Press Release

Master New Digital Photography Techniques

Farnham, UK—Digital cameras have become increasingly accessible—they’re now available with more features, better quality, and at lower prices. Professionals, amateur photographers, and mainstream consumers alike are buying them or upgrading older cameras in record numbers.  In fact, sales will surpass 100 million units worldwide in 2008, according to Lyra Research.  As a result, the need to alter, enhance, tweak, and manage digital photos continues to grow—sparking a growing generation of digital darkroom enthusiasts.

“Folks can do so much more with their digital photos than they think possible,” states author Deke McClelland. “Happily, the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, CS2, is the best upgrade I’ve seen in the past five years. The possibilities are endless. Well, assuming you really understand the new features.” McClelland applies his winning formula for learning new techniques in his latest book, “Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One” (O’Reilly)—visual inspiration, projects seen through to completion, real-world solutions, and entertaining and educational video.

Graphics Management Press - Press Release

Digital Secrets and Graphics Management Press have released DSLR: Canon Digital Rebel XT / EOS 350D eBook.

A deep camera deserves a deep eBook. Something that goes beyond the manual and explores how to get much more out of the camera and its features. That’s the targeted goal of the DSLR series of eBooks.

The Canon Digital Rebel XT is an amazing camera with features so deep that virtually no single photographer uses them all. There are even four different functioning cameras inside the XT and each behaves with different buttons in different ways for different kinds of photographic results.

Here’s a camera that has redefined the DSLR market and the new Rebel XT eBook digs deep beneath its surface to bring out its secrets, special techniques, tricky technologies and wide range of accessories and lenses.

O’Reilly Press Release

OReilly Releases Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Ed

Most digital cameras today come fully loaded with a variety of features designed to make the photo taking experience more rewarding. A vast majority of users don’t realize the amazing capabilities packed into their digital cameras and many of the features lie buried and unused, mostly because they are overlooked.  In the latest edition of the best-selling “Digital Photography Pocket Guide” (O’Reilly, US $14.95), author Derrick Story shows readers how to discover the hidden potential in their cameras so they can improve their ability to take and share beautiful photographs—from close-up shots, portraits, panoramas, and night shots, to printing, archiving and posting on the web.

“Digital photography is more fun than ever thanks to new features such as printing directly to portable printers and making short movies you can share right on the spot,” says Story. “I’ve designed this book to make great photography easy.  The third edition has a completely new design, new photos, and more tips than ever. I think you’re going to really like this book.”

BetterPhoto.com Press Release

BetterPhoto.com™ President Jim Miotke Authors New How-To Book on Digital Photography

BetterPhoto.com, the worldwide leader in online photography education, today announced that President Jim Miotke’s new book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography, is now available from the BetterPhoto.com website, and from amazon.com.

REDMOND, Washington – August 1, 2005 – BetterPhoto.com, the worldwide leader in online photography education, today announced that President Jim Miotke’s new book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography, is now available from the BetterPhoto.com website, and from amazon.com.