April 1st saw the usual spate of hoax-stories, including a couple of photography ones that caught my eye. Over at DP-Now, news broke that Zenit had announced a new budget digital SLR:

“Reliable sources in the Russian Federation have provided dpnow with exclusive details of an exciting new affordable digital camera that could rock the industry. It’s a 2 megapixel digital single lens reflex camera that offers interchabgeable lenses and it’s priced below $300, including a lens.”

Whilst Graphics Software at About.com were reporting the demise of Photoshop:

“n a move that no one expected, Adobe announced today that it has discontinued its flagship product, Photoshop. Despite the success of the Creative Suite which brought record-breaking profits and revenue in the fourth quarter of 2003, Adobe has decided it’s time to halt development on Photoshop.”

Got any more April Fools stories to share? :-)

Website: DP-Now - $299 DSLR on the way from Russia

Website: Graphics Software at About.com - Adobe Discontinues Photoshop

Mark Hobson’s latest article over at the Nature Photographers Online Magazine takes a look at colour in the digital age:

“One of Photoshop’s strengths since the beginning has been its ability with each successive version to mimic ever more traditional darkroom techniques - burning, dodging, contrast control, color control, masking techniques for a wide range of applications (blending, sharpening, etc.), spotting/retouching, to name just a few. Traditionalists in the darkroom, who have made the transition to the digital darkroom, have a tendency to feel right at home once they get the smell of chemicals out of their nose and brain.”

Website: Nature Photographers Online Magazine - It Ain’t What You Eat, It’s The Way You Chew It

Does this sound like you?!

“I have a problem - I am a gear junkie. I have bought and sold and traded so much gear that I could have opened my own camera store! Whenever some new piece of equipment came out, I fantasized over owning it and dreamt of how it would change my photographic life for the better. I was pitiful! At one time, my camera bag weighed over 70lbs and contained four separate camera systems (35, 645, 617, and 4x5). I figured I needed it all just in case the unexpected happened. I was like a troupe of boy scouts - always prepared.”

If the answer is yes, then you should read the full article :-)

Website: Nature Photographers Online Magazine - Confessions of a Gear Junkie

We’ve probably all day-dreamed about earning a living from something that we currently enjoy as a hobby, such as photography, before going back to our day jobs. If you want to take the next step and turn those dreams into reality, then About.com’s basic overview of how to become a photographer may be of interest to you.

“If you want to be a photographer you can usually just go out there and do it, though it is often very difficult to find clients for your work. However, for many areas of photography no formal educational qualifications are needed - if your work is good enough and you can promote it you will succeed…

However I would recommend everyone to take an appropriate course, preferably to college graduate level. You don’t have to give up the idea of being a photographer until after you finish your course though - get out and start taking pictures now. Some students even find they can earn enough from photography to support them through their course.”

Website: About.com - Becoming a Photographer

Steves Digicams have reviewed the 4-megapixel, 10x zoom Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2.

“The DiMAGE Z2 is Minolta’s second compact “super zoom” digicam, it follows the popular 3-megapixel DiMAGE Z1 of last year and raises the resolution up to 4.0 megapixels. The Z2 offers a full range of exposure modes from automatic to manual plus five pre-programmed scene modes. The Z2 can operate as a simple point-n-shoot for the beginner or “casual tourist” yet has the advanced features that will satisfy the creative urges of the advanced user.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Review

Roger Cavanagh has just reviewed a new Photoshop plugin called Curvemeister (PC only), which adds some missing functionality to Photoshop’s Curves feature:

“The only thing that stops me giving an unconditional recommendation to Curvemeister is the fact that it isn’t a tool for the curve-challenged Photoshop user. The multi-curve display, the movable constraint pins and preview do add to the usability and functionality of the curves command, but you still have to know what you are doing. If you are already a power user of curves, or have aspirations in that direction then Curvemeister is a tool worth looking at. If you are still editing with the brightness and contrast sliders, then this may not be the plug-in for you.”

Website: Roger Cavanagh - Curvemeister Review

Photoxels have just reviewed the new flagship model of the Canon Digital IXUS fleet, the 5.0 megapixel Powershot S500 (known as the Digital IXUS 500 outside North America), which was announced at the start of February.

“The Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph is an ultra compact digital camera that gives consistently excellent quality images. It continues Canon’s successful line of Digital Elphs with a stylish, well-designed and solidly constructed take anywhere camera.

If you are a looking for a strictly point-and-shoot ultra compact digital camera with excellent image quality, then you should look seriously at the Canon PowerShot S500 Digital Elph.”

Website: Photoxels - Canon Powershot S500 Review

The Computer Darkroom website have recently published a guide to using the Lens Blur feature in Photoshop CS:

“One of the most useful features introduced with Photoshop CS is the Lens Blur filter. Unfortunately Adobe failed to provide much in the way of guidance as to how it is to be used. This short tutorial shows one example whereby I have used the filter to replicate a widely used photographic technique called differential focus.

Website: Computer Darkroom - Lens Blur Tutorial

Photo-i have a great report on a recent seminar by Henry Wilhelm’s in London. The Wilhelm Research Institute tests media by most of the major printer manufacturers for longevity; will your inkjet print last as long as the manufacturer claims?

“Mr Wilhelm regards today’s photographic quality printers as being “a better enlarger, a better darkroom”, Mr Wilhelm continued “the quality that today’s printers are offering the consumer is astonishing. Using a conventional enlarger for colour printing the user had little or no control on contrast of colour saturation, unless complex masking techniques are employed ” Of course today, even with entry level imaging applications, we have full control over every aspect of the imaging process.”

Website: Photo-i - Henry Wilhelm on a flying visit to London

Having just taken delivery of a new PC with an LCD monitor, I was particularly interested in this article by the Sydney Morning Herald, which compares LCD and CRT monitors from a photography point of view (found via digicamera.net). My new LCD monitor definitely looks a lot brighter and sharper alongside the CRT screen, but which one is giving the truest picture?

“One of Melbourne’s top commercial photographers, John Gollings, known for his architectural studies, says in the past six months he has been forced to replace half his company’s CRT monitors with 23-inch Apple LCD screens because “we think we will soon have no choice in the matter”.

Gollings says serious colour management on LCD monitors is “a nightmare” because they do not provide control over individual RGB (red-green-blue) colours. Gollings’s photo retoucher, who is also his daughter, will not use an LCD, but he says the designers in his studio love them because they are bright and have no curvature or distortion, making them ideal for desktop publishing.”

Website: Sydney Morning Herald - Going down the tubes

CNET have posted their review of the Nikon Coolpix 3700 digital camera. The Coolpix 3700 has a very different design from previous Coolpix models, with a brushed aluminium body that’s both slim and lightweight. The 3.2 megapixel 3700 features a 3x optical zoom that is equivalent to 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera.

“For this 3.2-megapixel snapshot camera, Nikon switched its media from CompactFlash to Secure Digital, and the smaller card paid off in pocketable dimensions. You also get good photos; a 3X optical zoom; great macro capabilities; and clever features, such as the voice-activated self-timer. All this is exactly what you’d expect from a reasonably priced Nikon point-and-shoot, but it could offer more, and its shortcomings limit its appeal.”

Website: CNET - Nikon Coolpix 3700 Review

Canon UK Press Release 31/03/04

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce a new line of designer cases for its Digital IXUS cameras. In conjunction with fashionable sports and accessory company Body Glove, Canon has developed an exclusive sporty, stylish range of cases for the Digital IXUS series. In keeping with the fashionable nature of digital photography, the new cases are intended not only to protect, but also to complement the digital cameras for which they are designed.

The Santa Cruz coastline is dominated by the docks, with huge passenger ferrys, freight ships and tall cranes piercing the skyline. Unusually for a busy port, you can pretty much wander freely around, and it also conveniently allows fine views of the rest of the city.

The April 2004 Competition is now open for entries. This is a monthly photography competition with a specific theme and prizes for the top 3 photos. The winning entries will be decided by a panel of judges. You just have to submit one photograph to the Competition Gallery that best interprets April’s theme, which is “Happiness”.

Please make sure that you read the Monthly Competition Rules before submitting your entry. Note that you are only allowed to enter 1 photograph. The competition is worldwide and open to everyone.

You can now start submitting entries to the April Competition here:
April 2004 Competition

The March 2004 PhotographyBLOG Competition has now closed. The theme for March was “Springtime” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery.

The 1st / 2nd / 3rd place winners will be announced on Thursday 8th April, and the prizes will be sent out shortly after :-)

Last month Kodak sued Sony, alleging that the consumer electronics company infringed 10 of Kodak’s patents related to digital photography. This month it’s the turn of Sony to sue Kodak, for breach of 10 patent rights relating to digital cameras. Sounds familiar? A quote from the BBC article doesn’t sound very convining to me: “However, Sony has denied that its lawsuit is a tit-for-tat move, saying it relates to different patents.”

I’m not sure what the two companies stand to gain from such legal action - surely they should be concentrating on releasing new products and gaining market-share? The likes of Canon and Nikon must be rubbing their hands with glee…

Website: BBC News - Digital camera patent war hots up

Glenn Reynolds has published a review of the Nikon D70 DSLR on the website Gizmodo.

“I’ve taken it out several times and in all cases have felt that I got a much greater number of really good pictures than I would have gotten with a 35mm film camera. The camera doesn’t get in your way, really, and does an excellent job of capturing what you see through the viewfinder.”

Website: Glenn Reynolds - Nikon D70 Review

About.com’s article “Is Photography Art?” is an interesting historical look at a question that many photographers ask themselves, whether it be about their own work or that of other photographers. I’ve already done this, questioning whether or not Wolfgang Tillmans is an artist or a photographer

“Photography is not art any more than oil paint is art. Some photographers used it to create art. That it was often second-rate and derivative art hardly surprises, so is most painting. The best photography—such as the work of Strand and Weston—can stand beside that of other major figures in art.”

Website: About.com - Is Photography Art?

Michael Reichmann’s latest digital photography article is tellingly subtitled “The Digital Middle-Ages are Now Over”. He argues that image quality is virtually the same between similarly-specced cameras, and that things like user interface and ergonomics are much more important considerations when buying a new camera.

“I believe that debates over image quality are becoming largely irrelevant. In each category, 5MP digicams, 8MP digicams, 6MP DSLRs, etc, while there are modest differences between cameras, these are actually now quite minor when real-world prints are viewed. Usually what people obsess about at 100% on-screen disappears when seen in a print, especially when every other aspect of image processing and production is less than exceptionally well done.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Let’s Play Another Game

LetsGoDigital have recently interviewed Ulrich Gotze, European Marketing Manager Digital SLR-systems Olympus Europe, and published the questions and answers:

“So far Olympus is the only company offering an SLR system based on the FourThirds standard. In the future will other companies also develop systems according this standard?

Yes, very recently three large companies, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (better known as Panasonic), Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. and Sigma Corporation, announced that they will join the FourThirds consortium and that they will develop products conform the FourThirds standard.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Olympus E-System Interview