“Continental Drift” is an exhibition of new work - a video and a set of enlarged video stills - by Colin Snapp. Filmed entirely through the windows of tour buses, trains, taxis and rental cars in Morocco, the video “acts to highlight moments of collision between the observer and his cultural restrictions,” the organisers say. Derived from the video footage of Continental Drift, the stills, titled Latitudes, are described as “a visitor’s impressions of the landscape he himself inevitably imprints”. “Continental Drift” will be on display at The Journal Gallery (168 North 1st Street   Brooklyn NY 11211) from 6 March until 29 April.

Aurora Expeditions have announced that renowned photographer Martin Bailey will be running workshops on five of their wilderness voyages in 2012. Participants will travel to The High Arctic, Russian Arctic and Russian Far East, giving budding photographers the opportunity to hone their skills alongside one of the world’s leading experts. Russian Far East voyages include the spectacular Kuril Islands, Kamchatka Peninsula and Commander Islands, while the Russian Arctic voyage offers the rare chance to visit Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land.  Russian Coast highlights include snow-capped volcanoes, deep fjords, pack ice and prolific wildlife such as whales, brown bears, rare birds, seals and even the illusive polar bear.  The Jewels of the Arctic voyages include Spitsbergen – the realm of the polar bear, the breathtaking mountain vistas of the East Greenland coast and a taste of Iceland. The 13 and 14 days voyages depart in June, July and August 2012.  Prices start at AU$8700 and include photography programme, ship accommodation, all meals on board, all shore excursions, lectures, medical services, port charges and taxes.

Canon has posted half a dozen full-resolution sample images and a sample movie captured with the full-frame Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera. Most of the sample photos were taken at a sensitivity setting of ISO 800/30°, with one ISO 100/21° and one ISO 1600/33° shot also being available for download. The lenses used to shoot the samples include the Canon EF135mm f/2L USM, EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM and the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM. Unlike the stills, which are presented in their full 18-megapixel glory (albeit with strong JPEG compression), the sample video has been downsized for the Web and is thus not representative of the quality of a movie shot in Full HD mode.

Website: Canon EOS-1D X Sample Images & Movie

The Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN prime lens - which was announced at CES - now has an official MSRP of $280. Manufactured for Micro Four Thirds and Sony’s NEX system, the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN “Digital Neo” lens has an optical formula that comprises 7 elements in 5 groups and an iris diaphragm with 7 rounded blades. Also equipped with a newly developed linear AF motor, which moves the lens elements directly without the need for gears or the drive of other mechanical parts, the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN is currently listed at B&H for $199 along with the remark, “new item, not available yet”.

Via PR

Sundroid is a sun and moon prediction app for Android phones and tablets. Capable of predicting the position of the sun (and the moon) in the sky for any location at any date / time, Sundroid Pro ($2.99 /  £1.99 €2.39) helps photographers choose the best timing and location for a photo, predict areas of light and shadow, or capture interesting and unusual alignments of the sun and moon with the subject. The app also has a free version, which can calculate sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset times and the phases of the moon but lacks the sun-and-moon tracking functionality of the Pro version.

The Capture Camera Clip System is billed as a “new way for active outdoors photographers to carry their camera” - by attaching it to any strap or belt.  The product’s lightweight ultra-durable aluminium body clamps tightly onto a user’s backpack strap, waist belt, messenger bag, or other existing gear. Its high-strength quick release lock allows a user to grab their camera, take a shot, and re-secure it in a second. Capture Clip is available from Intro2020 and carries a suggested retail price of £59.99.

Manfrotto School of Xcellence will be present at the Focus On Imaging trade show, offering inspiring and informative talks and the chance to meet some of the UK’s top photographers. Drew Gardner, Michael Freeman, Phil Coates and Jacob James, will be among the photographers hosting one-to-one sessions to share their professional hints and tips. Budding photographers will also have the chance to bring their portfolios for more in depth tutorials with the experts. Meanwhile, Manfrotto itself will be showcasing a number of pioneering photographic products at Focus on Imaging including the Gitzo Systematic Tripod, Kata and National Geographic Bags and Lastolite products.

Samsung announced today that it is now shipping a new line of SD and microSD cards. The seven new models of SD and microSD cards are now available as part of either the High Speed Series or the Plus Extreme Speed Series, both of which deliver up to 24MB/sec read speeds on cards with a capacity of 4GB or higher. Water-, shock- and magnetproof, these models are guaranteed to survive up to 24 hours in water, withstand the force of a 1.6 ton vehicle, and resist up to 10,000 gauss (slightly less than the power of a medical imaging magnet). MSRPs range from $14.99 to 89.99.

The Rollei Movieline Live 100 WiFi is a Full HD pocket camcorder with an articulated screen and Wi-Fi connectivity. Equipped with a five-megapixel 1/3.2” sensor and a 4.3mm f/2.8 lens, the Rollei Movieline Live 100 WiFi features automated time-lapse recording, automatic shadow brightening and face recognition technologies, and weighs in at only 105 grams. Offering 125MB of internal memory as well as a microSD card slot, the Rollei Movieline Live 100 WiFi is available in black, white and red for €149.90.

Digital Film Tools have released Film Stocks, a film simulation plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Apple Aperture and Final Cut Pro. Film Stocks offers users simulations of 288 different colour and black-and-white photographic film stocks, motion picture film stocks, and historical photographic processes. Apply one of the many presets and customise the settings, or create your own interesting looks and simulations and save them as presets. The Film Stocks photo plugin is available now for $95. The Film Stocks video/film plugin sells for $195.

Innova Art has launched FibaPrint Warm Cotton Gloss, its newest premium inkjet paper targeted at fine art photographers. FibaPrint Warm Cotton Gloss consists of a 100% cotton base with Innova’s latest high-performance ink receptive coating technology.  “There are no optical brighteners, so this paper grade presents a pleasing, luxurious, warm-tone shade and ensures no worries concerning long term color shifts,” states Wayne Connelly, US President of Innova. FibaPrint Warm Cotton Gloss will be officially launched at the WPPI tradeshow and convention, 20-22 February, in Las Vegas. Innova will be featured in the Shades of Paper booth #329.

The Simply Elegant Print & Display Kit from IT Supplies consists of a cut-to-size, adhesive-faced foam board and a one-inch deep recycled plastic frame in black or silver. The print is simply applied to the foam board, trimmed, and placed into the frame for a professional, elegant finished look. The kit is available in three sizes: 8 x 10”, 11 x 14” and 16 x 20”. Retail pricing for the Simply Elegant kit ranges from $8.49 - $29.99 per unit, sold as singles or 3-packs.

Sigma has released a firmware upgrade for the Sigma SD15 dSLR. Version 1.03 incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

  * New languages have been added to the setup menu.
  * Accuracy of evaluative exposure metering is improved.
  * Corrects the rarely occurring phenomenon that it is not possible to magnify X3F files or show the histogram in review mode.
  * Various bugs have been corrected to achieve more stable operation.

Website: Sigma

The Lomographic Society has launched the Spinner 360° Motorizer, which allows you to create remote-controlled photos with the Spinner 360° film camera. Simply attach your camera to the base and press the remote control - the Motorizer works anywhere from 5-8m in an unobstructed space. The Spinner 360° Motorizer is available separately for €149 or in a bundle with the Lomography Spinner 360° camera, for €238.

Website: Lomography Online Store

Concord Keystone has announced the Keystone ECO MarineCase, a slim, IP58 certified waterproof case that encapsulates the iPhone 4S/4, keeping it safe and dry. Enclosing the iPhone in the compact MarineCase allows you to capture photos and video underwater up to 20 feet / 6 metres. The clear protective silicon cover of the MarineCase supports full touch-screen functionality. The Keystone ECO MarineCase is available in black and white for $39.99.

PhotoShelter has just released a new free educational guide, How to Grow a Wedding Photography Business. This guide coaches photographers on both basic and advanced approaches to grow a thriving wedding photography business including the secrets of building a unique brand, establishing competitive pricing tiers, improving search engine rankings, and more. How to Grow a Wedding Photography Business is the latest in PhotoShelter’s ongoing series of free business guides for photographers and marketing professionals. All can be downloaded from the website below.

Colour Confidence today announced the UK launch of a new line-up of camera bags from Booq. The range comprises 4 bags, including the Python courier, Python pack, Python sling and Python toploader. The Python courier (pictured) is a shoulder bag designed to protect a large SLR with attached lens, up to four additional lenses or similarly sized equipment, and a tablet. The Python pack is a backpack designed for 1-2 SLRs, up to 4 mid-size lenses, 1 large zoom lens, tripod, tablet, and a 15-inch notebook. The Python sling is a sling bag designed for 1-2 SLRs, up to 4 mid-size lenses, 1 large zoom lens, tripod, plus an 11 or 13-inch laptop or tablet. Finally, the Python toploader camera bag is a shoulder bag designed to protect either any size SLR with a larger lens attached, or a SLR with a smaller lens attached plus a second small lens. All four bags are available immediately from Color Confidence and photographic resellers across the country.