PCMagazine have published an interesting article that takes a broad look at the immedaite future of digital photography (found via digicamera.net).

“What we haven’t yet seen in still cameras, and what I expect to see emerge in both the pro and semipro environments, is the 3-CCD still camera. This would immediately triple the resolution of the camera (depending on how you calculate resolution). With today’s CCDs a 6MP camera is really only delivering about 2MP to 3MP resolution, because the CCD itself has color filters for RGB with one red pixel next to one blue pixel, surrounded by two green pixels. It takes four pixels to make one point of color. Only Foveon goes about this differently. A 3-CCD camera would deliver a much more defined and colorful image.”

Website: PCMagazine - What’s Next for Digital Photography?

International Imaging Industry Association Press Release 08/06/04

Harrison, N.Y. June 8, 2004 - The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading global association for the imaging industry, today announced open enrollment for the Initiative to create Version 2.0 of its cutting-edge suite of specifications, CPXe.

All interested companies are invited to join I3A and sign up to participate in the new Initiative, which just received approval from I3A’s Management Committee. The enrollment form is available for download from the I3A Members-Only Web site, at members.i3a.org (member password needed). All companies may learn more about CPXe and how to join I3A at www.i3a.org.

Based on an open-standard Web Services framework, CPXe enables the global transmission of digital pictures, order and commerce information between any and all digital cameras, PCs, desktop software, Internet services, photo kiosks, digital minilabs and photofinishers. By incorporating CPXe, imaging device and software vendors give their customers a seamless connection to a range of digital imaging services. Released in February 2003, Version 1.0 of the CPXe specification is available for free download from the I3A Web site, www.i3a.org.

ByteSector have posted a less than favourable review of the Panasonic DMC-FZ10 Lumix ultrazoom digital camera.

“Getting right into it! It’s horrible; the image quality is not what I expected it to be at all. I have not seen such overexposed pictures ever in my life. After taking a look at this camera, I don?t think Panasonic should make another digital camera at all. They should leave that up to the camera experts such as Canon and Konica Minolta.”

Website: ByteSector - Panasonic DMC-FZ10 Lumix Review

Ahead Software Press Release 08/06/04

Ahead Software Announces Launch Of Nero PhotoShow Elite, The Easy And Complete Photo Experience

Glendale, CA, USA (June 8th, 2004)—Ahead Software, leaders in digital media technology, are pleased to announce the latest addition to their Nero product family, Nero PhotoShow Elite. This exciting photo management application provides digital camera users with a comprehensive set of photo editing and creation tools combined with unprecedented ease of use.

Worldwide digital cameras sales are widely expected to exceed 60 million units in 2004. There is an increasing demand for an application that allows these users to easily manage, make and share their digital photos. Ahead Software fulfills this demand with Nero PhotoShow Elite.

Ahead Software Press Release 08/06/04

Over 14 Individual Applications Now Included In The Most Complete Award-Winning Digital Media Suite Available

Glendale, CA, USA (June 8th, 2004)—Ahead Software, leaders in digital media technology, today announced several new exciting updates to the Ultimate All-In-One Digital Media Solution, Nero 6 Ultra Edition, including a newly designed package. This reloaded version of Nero 6 Ultra Edition offers all of its award-winning applications along with unlimited MP3, unlimited MPEG-4, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and Dolby 2 channel encoding, Double Layer recording, and the all new Nero PhotoShow Express, the easy photo management application. With Nero StartSmart as your command center for all your digital media projects, accessing all 14 applications and launching a desired project is a breeze for users of all skill levels.

Outdoor Eyes is a photography website aimed at the wildlife, landscape and travel photographers. Their June Newsletter has several interesting articles on photography, digital editing, outdoor adventure, and other topics.

Website: Outdoor Eyes - June Newsletter

Website: Outdoor Eyes

Ever wondered what the inside of one of the world’s slimmest digital cameras looks like? Well, now you need wonder no more, as Planet Analog have opened one up and peeked inside.

“Sporting an extraordinarily thin body style for a 3X optical zoom digital camera, the Minolta Dimage X uses a vertically-oriented lens train and a right-angle mirror to bury the size of thickness-killing optics inside the case. Light entering at top of the camera is directed by a prism downward through the lens system to the CCD sensor at the bottom, allowing the camera profile to remain at a slim 21mm even when the camera is on and optics are in motion.”

Thanks to Eric for emailing the link to me :-)

Website: Planet Analog - Minolta Dimage X: a different view on optics

The Aperture Foundation Press Release 08/06/04

The Aperture Foundation is pleased to announce that we have launched a student/educator discount page on the Aperture website.  This page offers students and educators a one year subscription for $25 as opposed to the normal rate of $40.  The URL is http://www.aperture.org/student.html, please spread the word to anyone you think would be interested.

InsideOut Travel Magazine Press Release 08/06/04

We are hosting a travelers happy hour on June 23 in San Francisco to celebrate our upcoming fifth issue and we wanted to invite you to join us.

InsideOut Travel Magazine is a bimonthly online publication for independent travelers, from first-time backpackers to those who have made traveling a lifestyle.

As part of the event, we will be hosting a travel photo contest. A slide show will be presented by Alex Robinson, our Photo Editor.

If you’d like to participate in the photo contest, please see the information below:

Send in your travel photos and you may be winning one of our prizes from Webshots and Travelers’ Tales.

Express Digital Press Release 08/06/04

EXPRESS DIGITAL PRESENTS EXPRESS DIGITAL DAYS 2004—40 Event Summer Tour Demonstrates The Importance Of Software In A Digital Workflow
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Englewood, CO - June 8, 2004 - Express Digital, the leading provider of digital imaging software, e-commerce and lab solutions to professional photography businesses, announced today that it is kicking off the Summer of 2004 with an educational and promotional event demonstrating the power of a complete digital workflow using Express Digital software.? Participation in Express Digital Days -  Summer Tour is free and includes live demonstrations of complete digital workflows powered by Express Digital software.? In addition, Express Digital customers will be on hand to describe how they are using the software to successfully grow their photography businesses.
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Express Digital Days will take place at authorized dealer locations all across North America on June 23rd, July 21st and August 25th.  Express Digital representatives will be on hand at each event to demonstrate the power of software as an integral part of the digital workflow, in addition to handing out free t-shirts and registering participants to win one of three digital backpacks from Lightware.

The Plugin Site Press Release 04/06/04

June 4, 2004 - The Plugin Site (www.thepluginsite.com) released Version 2.0 of ColorWasher, a Photoshop-compatible plugin for correcting the colors, contrast, exposure and saturation of 8bit and 16bit photos. ColorWasher takes photo correction to a new level of accuracy and speed. With its help even beginners are capable of doing photo corrections within seconds that only experts were able to produce in the past.

New in Version 2.0
ColorWasher 2.0 offers a greatly improved color and exposure correction and a vast amount of other new features and improvements. Color casts are better removed from the shadows, red and orange casts are treated more effectively and the automatic exposure fixing works much more reliable and effective.

Peeled Eye Printbox Press Release 09/06/04

PRESS RELEASE FOR WWW.PEELEDEYEPRINTBOX.CO.UK
LAUNCHING JUNE 2004

Product details
Peeled Eye PrintBox is a brand new online service offered to photographers who want to exhibit and sell their work as fine art prints. It is a fully e-commerce enabled solution specifically designed for serious photographers who want to quickly and easily set up a stylish and affordable dedicated online print sales gallery, and provide an elegant showcase for their work.

The key to the PrintBox concept is autonomy. Each PrintBox gallery is set up and administrated by the user and the attached e-commerce functionality is unique to each user.  You set your own selling preferences and customer payment options. Administration tools are sophisticated yet simple to use. You can customise your PrintBox with your own branding and text, use it as a standalone gallery website, or integrate it seamlessly with an existing website. You can upload up to 80 images and display up to eight at a time on a series of up to 10 gallery walls. You can then arrange the images on the walls to appear in the order you want them to, just as you would on a real wall.

I’ve now returned from my 3-day, 300km cycle challenge from London to Amsterdam to raise money for Mind, the UK mental health charity. Despite having a rather sore posterior and tired legs, I really enjoyed it - the other 30 people on the trip, the weather and Holland were all great. I will be posting some photos during the next few days.

Website: MIND

The 28th Photo of the Week contest is now open. This is a weekly photography contest with no set theme and you can enter as many photos as you like.

The 27th Photo of the Week contest is now closed.

I will choose what I think are the best photographs in my opinion. I will not choose a specific number of images - it could be 5 one week, 13 the next and so on. Please note that my decision is final and I will ignore any attempts to question it!

The overall winner of the contest will then be voted for by you. A Public Poll will be setup on the PhotographyBLOG Forums and you will have 7 days during which you can vote for your favourite photo from the ones that I have chosen. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 31st May - 6th June 2004 contest

The voting for the 26th Photo of the Week contest is now complete.

The overall winner of the contest is “Demolition in San Francisco” by DOYOULIKEIT.

You can view all of the entries in this gallery.

Nikon USA Press Release 07/06/04

Nikon Coolpix 101 Site Wins Prestigious Best on Long Island Award in ‘Educational Internet Website’ Category

MELVILLE, N.Y., June 7 /PRNewswire/—Nikon Inc. and its innovative Coolpix(R) 101 site (http://www.coolpix101.com), designed to inform users about the many facets of digital photography, was recently recognized by the Long Island Advertising Club as the “Best Educational Internet Website” at the annual Best on Long Island (BOLI) 31 Awards.  Using the latest in Multimedia Flash technology, Coolpix 101 has been praised for its creative ability to instruct any digital photographer in a wide variety of topics, from understanding pixels to emailing pictures.

“We are thrilled to have been selected as a winner in this year’s competitive and prestigious BOLI awards,” said Tracy Mack-Jackson, senior manager of Internet development and programs at Nikon Inc.  “Coolpix 101 remains an excellent example of Nikon’s continued focus on providing interactive and educational websites and services to help consumers better
understand and enjoy our products.”

Canon Europe Press Release 05/06/04

Barcelona/Nairobi 4 June, 2004 - Professionals and amateurs alike are today being urged to unclip their dust caps and load up their cameras for the world?s biggest environmental photo competition. 

As part of the annual World Environment Day celebrations in Barcelona, Spain, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is launching its fourth International Photographic Competition on the Environment, sponsored once again by Canon Inc.

Nineteen parallel launches in addition to Barcelona are planned in key cities and centres around the globe including Beirut, Buenos Aires, Dakar, Berlin, New York and Tokyo. (See notes to editors)

The competition, called “Focus on Your World” and centred on the theme “Celebrating Diversity,” will run until 24 October, 2004 and is open to all nationalities and ages.

A-Digital-Eye have just published a review of Studioline Photo 2, a photo management system developed to organize, optimize, edit and share your photos.

“It?s a sophisticated program that has a lot to offer. It?s fairly easy to use with hints popping up everywhere to guide you thru your steps and it has enough advanced features like RAW file and .psd file support, and EXIF file support that professionals will use it too. Online tutorials get you up and running quickly. With an online price of only $44. or a free 30 day trial, you should give it a try.”

Website: A-Digital-Eye - Studioline Photo 2 Review

Photo.net have just published a very detailed review of the 5 megapixel Leica Digilux 2.

“The ergonomics of the Digilux are superb. With its centered lens, it is easier to hold, and much easier to hold steady, than the ?L? shape used for most other top-end digicams, because the left palm has a corner to provide mutual support, instead of thin air.Since people vary, there is no perfect size and weight for a camera. The Digilux is heavier than a Leica rangefinder wearing a tiny 35mm Summicron, and lighter than the same Leica with a 35 Summilux ASPH. My shoulder loves it - my hands might wish for an ounce or two more heft at slow shutter speeds. The bulk is just inside the large end of my comfort zone - about the same as a small motor-incorporated film SLR (Nikon N/F80, Contax Aria).”

Website: Photo.net - Leica Digilux 2 Review