In the second part of this 6 part Review of Photo Sharing/Critique websites, I’ve reviewed WebAperture, “a forum-like website for photographers to showcase their photos on the Internet and gather comments and criticisms on it”.

As a reminder, I’m taking a look at some Photo Sharing/Critique websites and letting you know what I think about each one and the overall concept of posting your photos for review.

Photo Sharing/Critique Websites Review - Part 2

The shortlist for the Picture Editors’ Awards 2003 were announced on Monday 10 March.  To view the shortlist, visit http://www.pictureawards.net/home.htm

Nikon announced their merger of the Nikon Press Awards with the Picture Editors’ Awards, in November last year and are associated to several categories within the Awards.

This year, for the first time, there is a Popular Vote where visitors to the Picture Awards website can vote for their favourite image.  Ten names will be drawn at random from the voters and these ten will be invited to the Awards ceremony on May 12 at the Guildhall, London.  One of them will also win a Nikon Coopix 5700.

If you’re at all interested in medium-format photography, then the New York Institute of Photography’s review of the Pentax 645NII camera will be well worth reading.

“This month our own tough and intrepid writer, Medium Format Marie, gives readers her impressions of the Pentax 645NII medium format SLR.  Marie took the camera to the Jersey shore on one of the coldest days of the year.  “We’ve been spoiled here for years now,” Marie says, “winters have been mild and we haven’t had much snow, but this year we’re having a real winter.  And with that come those great days with clear blue bright skies.  Cold weather aside; I had a terrific time with this camera!”

Marie writes, “Let’s not forget why we’re all considering moving up to medium format in the first place - those big beautiful negatives and the ability to make bigger and better enlargements!  The 645NII blends the convenience of a 35mm camera with medium format benefits.  My impression is that this camera, combined with a few great Pentax lenses and accessories, would be a great choice even for pros.”

Chuck DeLaney, Dean of the New York Institute of Photography (NYI), the world’s largest photography school, says, “Sadly, many photographers never even dabble in the medium format.  This is a shame, and one that we’re out to fix.  That’s where Marie comes in.  She’s tough, she’s a gear head, and she’s taking her camera to the streets.  We don’t have advertisers to please, so Marie can write whatever she wants about each model she gets her hands on.  Every few issues, Marie will be back with a review of a medium format model, some of which are decidedly inexpensive.  In fact, there’s a plastic medium format camera, the Holga, that sells for around $20!  Our intrepid staffer, June Lang, started the ball rolling by writing “Capturing Mermaids with a Holga.”

Website: Pentax 645NII Review

“Reprinted with permission from the New York Institute of Photography web site at http://www.nyip.com”

photo-i have reviewed ACDSee 5, digital camera software which makes it easy to get, view, organize, print, enhance and share your digital photos.

Website: photo-i - ACDSee Review

Website: ACDSee Website

Joe has let me know about a new photo review site that he’s just set up; very topical! It’s completely free to join with no upload limits.

Website: PictureReview.net

In this new 6 part Review, I’m going to take a look at some Photo Sharing/Critique websites and let you know what I think about each one and the overall concept of posting your photos for review.

Part 1 introduces the websites that I have chosen and provides a comparison of their features:

Photo Sharing/Critique Websites Review - Part 1

On Saturday I sent off a submission for the Hotshots pages of Practical Photography, which feature pictures sent in by the magazine’s readers. 3 days later, and this morning I received the dreaded rejection slip…

Now, I’m not too disheartend, as the Hotshots pages of this UK-based photography magazine feature less than 5 stunning images per month. With the power of hindsight, I was almost certainly aiming too high, but it was worth having a go. And I got more feedback than simply being rejected. The reason given was number 3 from the following list:

1. Poor camera technique. i.e. poorly exposed or out of focus
2. Technically good, but the pictorial content could be better
3. Good pictures but needs more impact
4. Great shot but sadly we can’t publish them all

So at least my 16 images of street entertainers were judged to be pretty good, and by my reckoning, number 3 is only two steps from actually being published!

I’m going to try again and submit the same photos to another UK magazine, Amateur Photography, which features the portfolios of several readers every week. I’ll let you know how I got on…

Hot on the heels of the announcment of the Olympus E System DSLR at PMA 2003, the Four Thirds website has been opened. The website gives a brief insight into the the thinking behind the system which “establishes a new common standard for digital cameras”.

“In addition, the 4/3-type image sensor has 4 to 5 times the area of a 2/3 or 1/1.8-type image sensor, giving the Four Thirds System the potential to equal or even far surpass the resolution of 35 mm film cameras.”

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if this potential is realised…

Website: Four Thirds System

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed two of the new digital cameras that Canon unveiled at PMA last week - the Powershot S400 (?449 RRP) and Powershot A70 (?299 RRP).

Website: Steve’s Digicams - S400 Review

Website: Steve’s Digicams - A70 Review

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column, Mike Johnston looks at an issue that seems to plague digital camera users; which camera to buy and when to buy it? Immediately after the announcement of Canon’s EOS 10D, people on discussion forums were asking what the next Canon release would be, just in case there was something better around the corner! Will these people buy the 10D, or will they end up waiting for a camera that hasn’t been announced yet? I tend to agree with Mike when he says:

“The fact is, you can make yourself just as crazy going the other way, too…waiting and waiting for the Next Big Thing. The fact is, cameras are for taking pictures with. If you’re eternally waiting for the next step instead of buying a decent camera, you’re not going to be taking a whole lot of pictures.”

Website: Photo.net

Since September 2002, I’ve been studying for a City and Guilds Photography qualification (Level 2). Most of my time has been spent on the Black and White module “People in the Environment”, where I chose to focus on Street Entertainers. I’ve gone from never having set foot in a darkroom, to being able to create a reasonable print, from hating all the time that it takes, to becoming more tolerant of the whole process and maybe even enjoying it a little…

Last week I finally completed the A4 black and white prints and contact prints that are required, and sat down with the course tutor to choose 10 images from the 13 that I had printed. The tutor and another student both picked what they thought was my best image. It turned out to be the one shown below, the one that I thought was “OK, but nothing special”.

So how many photographs have you got in your collection that you initially thought were just OK, nothing special? It might be worth looking back and re-evaluating them every now and again, just to be on the safe side. You never know, that stunning image could be lurking in your files somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered.

Covent Garden #4

Could Maurice Joubert from France be the very first EOS 10D owner?! There are no sample pictures taken with the 10D, but there some photos of the actual camera. I think Maurice is going to have a pretty busy weekend, fielding questions and testing out the 10D…

“This happend today. My local dealer knew that I was interested by a 10d. He called me today he had got one. He told me that he phoned to Canon.France and asked like anybody for avaibility, he was answered there was one available, he ordered it, et voila ! The kit is complete, except for the manual and soft, who are expected later.”

Website: DPReview - Canon SLR Forum

UPDATE: 10/03/03
Maurice has been out and about in Paris during the weekend and has now posted some sample images taken with the 10D.

Website: DPReview - Canon SLR Forum - Sample Images

Just stumbled across what promises to be a thought-provoking article entitled “Making Photographs” (as opposed to Taking Photographs) by Philip Greenspun at Photo.net. The article is split into 5 sections: Light - Lens - Film - Exposure - Camera.

Here’s how the Camera section begins:

“We’ve arrived at the last and, to my mind, least important chapter in the text. As noted on the cover page, this is where most photography textbooks start. Generally your choice of camera will not have much effect on the final image. Certainly the brand of camera that you choose will have virtually no effect. However, if you’re a nerd like me, there is a certain satisfaction in knowing what tools are available to the photographer and how they work.”

Website: Photo.net - Making Photographs

This is definitely one of the strangest photo weblogs that I’ve ever visited…2am Photography (found via 28mm.org) has 50 black and white photos, all taken at 2am. The thumbnails may be a little too small, but click through them and you will definitely get an eerie feeling. No reassurring crowds of people, just harsh street lights and long, dark shadows…

Website: 2am Photography

ePhotoZine have quietly reviewed Minolta’s top-of-the-range digital camera, the SLR-like Minolta Dimage 7Hi. This is the grown-up, studio friendly descendant of the Dimage 7 series and Dimage 5 cameras, “aimed at the professional and serious amateur market.”

“The lower end Minolta Dimage 7i is already a well regarded camera in terms of image quality so the 7Hi has a solid foundation. Aimed partly at the Pro market, potential buyers of this camera may have very high expectations. Whilst many of the improvements Minolta include do offer a tangible benefit to Pro photographers, this camera still isn’t a complete alternative to a Digital SLR.”

Website: ePhotoZine

DCResource have reviewed one of the new digital cameras that Canon announced at PMA, the PowerShot A70.

“In my opinion, one of the most exciting cameras introduced at PMA wasn’t a digital SLR or loaded with pixels. Rather, it’s a camera for the rest of the world, the folks who are really moving the digital camera market forward.

The camera I’m describing is Canon’s PowerShot A70 ($349), a 3.2 Megapixel camera loaded with features normally found on more expensive cameras. Lower end cameras don’t usually excite me, but this was an exception.”

Website: DCResource

CNET have reviewed the beta version of Jasc’s Paint Shop Pro Photo Album 4, awarding it their Editor’s Choice award.

“While Adobe may have a bigger marketing budget, Jasc has enjoyed a loyal following for years, and for good reason: The company continues to churn out innovative, highly customizable graphics programs. With Photo Album 4.0, which replaces Jasc’s multipurpose photo utility After Shot Premium Edition, the company has done it again—and to great effect. Of all the photo organizers and managers that we’ve tested to date, Photo Album 4.0 is the top dog.”

Website: CNET

Now that PMA 2003 has finished, we’re starting to see reports detailing what was on offer at the Show. A Digital Eye, for example, have a new article entitled “PMA 2003 TOP 20 NEW PRODUCTS LIST (03/05/03)”, which helpfully sorts out the wheat from the chaff.

Website: A Digital Eye

CNET has a similar kind of report called “Most notable cameras”, which focuses on the “cameras that stood out from the crowd” at PMA.

Website: CNET

UPDATE 11/03/03
Rob Galbraith has posted an 8-page report on the products that caught his eye at PMA. Top of the list is, yes, you’ve guessed it, the Canon EOS 10D…

Website: Rob Galbraith - PMA Roundup

Photo.net have posted a Preview of the Canon EOS 10D DSLR. “Photo.net has not yet got it’s hand on a 10D, so this is a preview, not a review, however I think it may still be useful to many readers. I think there’s very little doubt that it will be an improvement over the D60 and it seems to address some of the most often heard requests and complaints of current 60 owners”. The Reader’s Comments section at the end of the article is a particularly interesting read.

Website: Photo.net - Canon EOS 10D Preview

On yet another bitterly cold London day, I decided to go back to Covent Garden and take some colour shots of the street entertainers. All of the usual suspects were out in force; the Golden Man with the Bike, the Silver Fairy Woman and several others. They all basically stand still until the crowd gives them money, and then they perform a certain action. For example, the bike man rings his bell and changes position, while the Fairy Woman waves her wand and blows a kiss.

Unusually a couple of them broke off their routine and waved away my attempts at photographing them, so I was left with the Golden Man as the most willing subject. Here are the best 3 shots from the 36 Kodak EBX 100 frames that I took, all using my Tamron 75-300mm lens at a wide-open aperture…

Covent Garden Colour #1	Covent Garden Colour #2	Covent Garden Colour #3