pson Print Academy is offering four new photography, printing and imaging classes for 2011. Hosted at Epson’s headquarters in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire from April 2011, with the potential for additional classes to run at the Epson cartridge manufacturing factory in Telford, the classes will provide real-life practical advice on image capture through to print, with expert guidance from highly-knowledgeable Epson staff and acclaimed photographers, the company says. Click through / read on to learn more about the individual classes, entitled “The Perfect Black and White Print”, “Making Perfect Exhibition Prints”, “Confidence with Colour” and “Fine Art Photography”.

The Panasonic GH2 Guidebook is a new camera training course created by Apple Certified Pro instructor Noah Kadner. Available as a digital download, the Panasonic GH2 Guidebook features original content broken down into learning modules with interactive demonstrations and easy to understand, real-world examples. The course focuses on the use of this DSLR-like compact system camera as a filmmaking tool. It can be purchased directly from the publisher for $34.99 through the website below.

Adobe today announced the new Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 product line. This launch marks a major change to Adobe’s product release strategy for Creative Suite, with the company now planning to have milestone Creative Suite product introductions at 24-month intervals and – starting with Creative Suite 5.5 – significant mid-cycle releases designed to “keep the worldwide creative community ahead of the latest advances in content authoring”. From a photographer’s point of view, the most important news related to the CS 5.5 release is the introduction of a new Adobe Photoshop Touch SDK, which enables developers to build tablet applications that interact with Photoshop from Android, BlackBerry PlayBook and iOS devices. Adobe also announced three new iPad applications that demonstrate the creative possibilities of using tablets to drive common Photoshop workflows – Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop.

The Adobe Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit allows software developers worldwide to create mobile and tablet applications that interact with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended. “Our research shows that creatives are adopting tablets faster than any other group and we heard loud and clear that they want to use their devices to interact with Photoshop, the tool they depend on most of all,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media Solutions, Adobe. Using the software development kit, Adobe has developed three initial Photoshop CS5 companion apps for Apple iPad: Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop. The apps are designed to enable users to create custom colour swatches, paint and drive popular Photoshop tools from tablet devices. All three are expected to be available from early May on the iTunes App Store.

HitRolls have released Miniatures Pro, an iOS app that makes time lapse photography easy and accessible for iPad 2, iPod touch and iPhone users. A variety of settings allow users to manipulate the time between shutter clicks, making the application practical for many different types of project. Additionally, it allows users to apply a simulated tilt effect to their videos, which makes the subjects look like miniatures (hence the name, we believe). Miniatures Pro is available for $0.99 through the iTunes App Store.

AKVIS today released an update to AKVIS Enhancer, an image enhancement program that improves image detail and enhances photos through tone correction. It is available both as a standalone application and as a plug-in to a photo editor. Version 12 includes support for batch processing in the standalone edition, adds support for raw image files and includes a new “Prepress” mode, which helps adjust photos before printing or web publishing. Note that two of Enhancer’s modes, “Focus” and “HDR”, which used to be available in previous versions, have been separated from the program and, enriched with some new features, are now offered as AKVIS Refocus and AKVIS HDRFactory. All registered users of Enhancer v.1.0-11.5 can get these new programs for free.

Pentax has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, to offer a DC Super Heroes-inspired collection of personalised Pentax Optio RS1500 cameras Owners of the “DC Super Heroes RS1500” collector pack can personalise their camera with one of their favourite Super Heroes including Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Superman, or super villains, such as Catwoman and The Joker. Obviously targeted at the adolescent market, the limited-edition RS1500 camera will come in a specially designed package, including different skins depicting the well known characters, and a 4GB SD card. Timed to coincide with the release of a new Warner Brothers action-adventure film, Green Lanterns, the Pentax Optio RS1500 DC Super Heroes collector pack will be available from 1 May 2011 at the RRP of £119.99 including the camera itself, the super hero themed skins, memory card and a special Green Lantern protective camera case.

Painting with Light: Light Art Performance Photography is a new title from Rocky Nook. Light Art Performance Photography is a unique form of art that was invented and developed by the authors of Painting with Light, Joerg Miedza and JanLeonardo Woellert. Unlike other types of light painting, Light Art Performance Photography doesn’t just involve illuminating existing objects; it also requires the photographer to create and capture new subjects constructed entirely of light. Real-world surroundings are combined with transient, light-based elements to produce spectacular effects. This bookdescribes the evolution of Light Art Performance Photography as told by its originators, while the middle section goes on to present a gallery of images. The final section offers some basic steps and tips to give you a starting point for creating your own artworks. The 224-page book is available now for £27.50 / $39.95 through the website below.

Canon has announced function-enhancing firmware upgrades for its XF300 and XF305 camcorders, which will enable two units to be easily set up for 3D HD video recording. The firmware upgrades also bring about an updated Scan Reverse function, Double Slot Recording for instantaneous backup, and the option to disable Relay Recording. Canon will be demonstrating the 3D recording functionality at its booth, # C4325, at the NAB Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center, starting Monday.

Canon USA has introduced two advanced-design PL-mount lenses that address the emerging 4K production standards. Designated as the Canon FK14.5-60 wide-angle cine zoom and the Canon FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom, both of these lenses are more compact and lightweight than contemporary PL-mount lenses and both feature a totally new Canon optical design that virtually eliminates focus breathing. The wide-angle FK14.5-60 (pictured) maintains its T2.6 maximum aperture over the entire focal range, and boasts a high MTF even wide open. (T-stops are prectically f-stops corrected for light loss caused by the absorbance and reflectance of the actual lens elements employed.) As you will probably have guessed, these lenses are not meant for the amateur videographer, although some of the technology used to make them may eventually trickle down to lenses used by mere mortals.

Canon has announced the latest update for its EOS Movie Plug-in-E1 – a custom-developed application that provides quicker and easier editing of EOS Movie footage in Apple’s Final Cut Pro software suite. Version 1.2 makes the importing of EOS Movie files even easier, allowing users to transfer files from any folder, without needing to mirror the folder structure on the camera itself. In addition, the update also enables smoother importing from Canon’s EOS 7D, EOS 5D Mark II and EOS-1D Mark IV models, allowing users to import footage without requiring the THM file generated by the camera. The free update will be available for download from 25th April.

Delkin has announced a USB 3.0 Universal Memory Card Reader boasting transfer speeds over 12 times that of current USB 2.0 readers. This new unit from Delkin promises to deliver actual speeds approximated around 3.2 Gb/s, or 400 MB/s, the company claims. “Our customers are primarily photographers, videographers and early adopters of technology,” explains Marketing Manager, Anna Lopez.  “While we’re not seeing USB 3.0 in every new computer sale just yet, our unique market is hungry for the increased speeds that will enable the transferring of large HD and 3D video files and raw image files without the lag that they experience with USB 2.0 technology.”  Five memory card slots enable universal compatibility across dozens of flash card formats including UDMA enabled CompactFlash cards, SDXC enabled Secure Digital cards and brand-specific memory cards such as Memory Stick and xD. The Delkin USB 3.0 Universal Memory Card Reader will be available shortly for a retail price of $39.99.

Delkin has announced its fastest memory card built to Secure Digital format specifications, with a 633X speed rating that more than triples previous Class 10 capabilities. Boasting read speeds of up to 95MB/s and write speeds of up to 80MB/s, the new Elite 633X UHS-I SDHC memory card from Delkin utilises the Secure Digital Association’s “Ultra High Speed” (UHS-I) specification, which enables bus-interface speeds up to 104 Megabytes per second and full backwards compatibility among SDHC and SDXC host devices. The Delkin Elite 633 card will be offered in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities, with a 64GB SDXC version planned for the near future. Cards will begin shipping on 13 April 2011 to speciality photography and videography retailers worldwide at retail prices of $139.99, $249.99 & $439.99, respectively.

Technicolor has announced it has formed a strategic alliance with Canon USA. Aimed at facilitating “greater usability and integration of Canon EOS DSLR cameras into the motion picture and television production pipeline”, the cooperation was prompted by key professional cinematographers “eager to incorporate Canon EOS DSLR cameras into their creative palettes”, the two companies said in a statement. The first fruit of this cooperation is the new Technicolor CineStyle, a profile that gives post-production professionals image files with much greater latitude and versatility when colour grading EOS footage.

Zwijndrecht, Belgium-based Galarina today introduced PhotoMeta 1.0, their a new iPad app that efficiently handles a variety of photo metadata including maker notes. The app can extract metadata from any photograph stored on your Apple iPad, including photos synced via iTunes, image files imported with the Camera Connection Kit, and even photos on the Internet, courtesy of an inbuilt Web browser. “Support for maker notes and having the possibility to extract metadata from internet photos is really interesting for a lot of photographers” said Chris Cornelis, founder and CEO of Galarina. The basic version of the app is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store, but note that an in-app purchase of $2.99 is required to uncover all metadata stored in the image files.

The new Velbon Ultra Rexi L tripod is ultra compact (36cm) when folded, but gives a full-size extended height of 153cm and boasts a maximum load capacity of 4kg. Featuring a magnesium alloy collar construction, the Velbon Ultra Rexi L weighs in at only 1.3kg and sports multi-angle legs making it especially useful for macro photography and for use on uneven surfaces. Compatible with the Velbon PHD-64Q, QHD-61Q and FHD-61Q tripod heads, the Ultra Rexi L comes complete with a case and carries a suggested retail price of £149.99.

Two ongoing series of photography work by Katja Hock and Jed Hoyland are featuring in Nottingham Trent University’s new online exhibition space, Wall5. Katja Hock, a senior lecturer in photography at the university, is showing a series of woodland landscapes, based on her childhood memories of an area close to the border between Germany and Holland. Jed Hoyland, also a senior lecturer in photography, presents a collection of photographs of objects, arranged on a mantelpiece in a home. The exhibitions can be viewed online at the website below.

Noise Industries have just released their new still animation plug-in, Photo Montage, powered by FxFactory. Compatible with Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, Final Cut Express, and Adobe After Effects, the new Photo Montage plug-in “allows users to easily string together images, titles, transitions, and more for a picturesque presentation that creates an animated medley of still photos”, the company says. Features include support for all popular image formats, built-in motion blurring, easy re-ordering and re-timing, and over one hundred different presets. More information can be found at the website below.

Website: Photo Montage