PicTreat.com makes it fast and easy to instantly retouch any photograph. With a single click, PicTreat.com magically removes unsightly skin flaws, like blotchiness and blemishes, removes red-eye and auto-corrects the image color to produce the best photo. PicTreat.com is completely free and no registration is required.

A free software update is now available for the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport. Version 1.0.2 is fully compatible with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, improves color extraction for better profile accuracy, and improves patch detection. X-Rite’s ColorChecker Passport device is a powerful “capture to edit” color solution for any photographer looking for more accurate, consistent color and creative flexibility in their digital photography Raw workflow.

Samsung has partnered with leading aerial photographer Jason Hawkes to capture the artistic brilliance of London and its famous landmarks from above after dark, using Samsung’s new EX1 camera. Hawkes travelled across the city by helicopter taking images with the new EX1, using its impressive capabilities for taking shots in low light conditions. Hawkes commented “The EX1 is a very impressive and intuitive compact camera, with a great build. It has a remarkable set of features, such as the bright f/1.8 Schneider lens, which would be valuable for any photography enthusiast, and I was pleased to be able to test the extent of its capabilities during the low-light conditions on the shoot. The swivelling AMOLED screen on the back of the camera is a great feature, and proved useful in the helicopter during the shoot. And finally, the ability to work with RAW files was also a real bonus for a camera within this category – until now this has often remained within the domain of the pro models.”

Read our Samsung EX1 Review

The inaugural Democracy Photo Challenge asks people around the world to complete the phrase “Democracy is…” through digital photos. Entries will be accepted online from July 7 through July 28. An independent jury will announce 36 finalists August 19, and the public will select 12 winners during a global online vote beginning August 19 - August 26.  The winners will be announced on the United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Democracy, September 15, with the winning photographs exhibited at the UN in New York.

The Ricoh GXR S10 Kit is a new camera kit that includes the GXR body and S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC camera unit. The GXR+S10 KIT is the second GXR and camera unit kit product, following the popular GXR+P10 KIT.

The HP Large Format Photo Negative application allows professional photographers to produce fine-art quality prints or hardcopy image archives. “HP’s breakthrough innovation gives fine art photography printmakers an easier way to transform their digital files into high-quality, physical originals of their work, addressing one of the key needs we heard from this community,” said Santiago Morera from HP. The Large Format Photo Negative application, developed by HP Color Scientist and photographer Angel Albarran, offers one of the simplest, least expensive and highest-quality options available on the market today.

HDR Expose is a new software application for the creation and editing of HDR images. Replacing HDR PhotoStudio, HDR Expose offers new features that include the addition of interactive HDR histogram, digital color readout, multiple ghost reduction options, plug-ins for Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture, and a sleek, intuitive user interface. All current HDR PhotoStudio customers are eligible for a free upgrade to HDR Expose. Starting July 12, 2010, HDR Expose will be available for purchase at a list price of $149. A special introductory launch price for HDR Expose of $99 is available through July 31, 2010 and a free 30-day trial version is also available.

Firmware version 1.0.8 for the EOS Rebel T2i / 550D DSLR camera has been released, incorporating the following fixes.

- Fixes a phenomenon in which the set aperture moves unexpectedly when shooting movies in manual exposure mode using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).

The Version 1.0.8 firmware is for cameras with firmware up to Version 1.0.7. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.0.8, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D Firmware 1.0.8

Firmware version 1.0.8 for the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV has been released, incorporating the following fixes.

- Fixes a phenomenon in which the set aperture moves unexpectedly when shooting movies in manual exposure mode using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).
- Corrects misspellings in the French and Spanish menus for applicable products.

The Version 1.0.8 firmware is for cameras with firmware up to Version 1.0.6. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.0.8, it is not necessary to update the firmware. Note that cameras with the Version 1.0.8 firmware cannot be downgraded to a previous firmware version (such as Version 1.0.6).

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Firmware 1.0.8

Have you ever wanted to know what one of the world’s biggest camera manufacturers thinks the future looks like? Wonder no more, as Canon have been showing off their Wonder Camera Concept at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. This hairdryer-like fixed lens camera will zoom all the way up to 5000mm, have a touch-sensitive interface and only shoot video. Don’t sell your DSLR kit just yet, as Canon’s Wonder Camera might be yours sometime around 2030. Click through to take a look at a video demo courtesy of Gizmag.

The Tokina SD 16-28mm f2.8 (IF) FX lens that was first shown at PMA 2010 will be available for Nikon and Canon full-frame DSLRs at the end of this summer. Costing ¥123, 900 in Japan (around US$1400), the 16-28mm lens will be launched on August 6th for Nikon and from mid-September for Canon.

Tokina Japan Press Release

Jalbum.net has just launched an app for the iPhone which lets you browse, share and create web photo albums. All customized photo albums whether they are flash, HTML or java-script based are equally displayed in a beautiful viewing experience on the iPhone. Since its launch in 2002, Jalbum has enabled amateur and professional photographers alike to publish more than 30 million photo albums

Nikon has launched the 33rd edition of the Nikon Photo Contest International. This global competition provides an opportunity for photographers to showcase their work and to contribute to photographic culture. In 2008-2009 more than 18,000 photographers from 153 countries submitted over 51,000 photos. Entries will be accepted between September 1 and November 30, 2010 and the winners announced in June 2011.

Scarab Labs has released the Mac version of its Star Filter plug-in for Photoshop. Requiring an Intel based Mac and Photoshop CS3, CS4 or CS5, Star Filter for Mac simulates star filters (also known as cross screen filters) in an opically realistic way, and shows the results in real-time..Compatible with 64-bit versions of Photoshop, Star Filter for Mac is available now, priced at $49.95. Version 2.0 of the Windows variant is also out, also selling for $49.95. Existing owners of Star Filter for Windows can upgrade to version 2.0 for $10.

Website: Scarab Labs

Canon has just added a third service support center to be located at the company’s Canon Virginia Incorporated facility in Newport News, VA supporting the Canon Professional Services (CPS) programme. Along with enhancing service, Canon USA will extend its CPS hotline service to provide 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week technical support to all CPS members. A separate international customer support number will also be made available to US-based professionals travelling and working abroad.

Bibble Labs have just posted an update to Bibble 5.1 Pro and Bibble 5.1 Lite.Version 5.1e resolves a licensing issue with Bibble 5 Lite, and fixes a number of other issues as well. See Bibble’s note below for details.

X-Rite has announced its upcoming schedule of free webinars that have been developed to address specific color management topics. On July 7th at 11am EDT, you can learn more about the ColorChecker Passport, a powerful “capture to edit” colour solution for any photographer looking for more accurate, consistent color and creative flexibility. On the 12th, you can participate at a webinar on ColorMunki Photo, a completely integrated colour control solution to calibrate displays, projectors and printers. Finally, on the 13th your can learn about “raw colour power” with Adobe Lightroom and the ColorChecker Passport.

Website: X-Rite

AKVIS has released updates for five photo editing programs. These include Enhancer 11.5, Noise Buster 7.5, Coloriage 7.5, ArtSuite 6.5, and Magnifier 3.5. AKVIS Enhancer is image enhancing software which improves image detail, corrects the tone of areas, and sharpens borders. AKVIS Noise Buster suppresses noise in digital photos and scanned images. AKVIS Coloriage adds color to black and photos and replaces colors in color images. AKVIS ArtSuite is a program that adds artistic effects to photos, while AKVIS Magnifier allows you to resize an image without losing quality. The updates, which are free for registered users, fix bugs and add 64-bit support to the plug-in versions.