Leica Press Release

Chilean photographer Toman Munita has won the Leica Oskar-Barnack-Award 2006 for his recent photo report ‘Kabul – Leaving the Shadows’ a title that reflects both the twilight mood of the pictures as well as their content – the situation of the Afghan population. The photographs show happy, ordinary moments of a gradually emerging normality rather than the violence and poverty you might expect. The ruins and war damage seem almost to be of minor importance. Failing daylight or the semi-darkness of interiors, light and shade fight for dominance and give the colours in the photos a special intensity. Both contrasts of the interplay of light and shade – metaphorical and actual – make the photos a particularly accurate description of the competition’s theme, ‘Man and his Environment’.

British Surfing Association Press Release

BSA Calls for Iconic Surf Photography to Document Its 40 Year History

The British Surfing Association (BSA), founded in 1966 to promote the sport of surfing and represent the interests of all surfers in Great Britain and the Channel Islands, marks its 40th anniversary this year. To celebrate this fantastic achievement, the BSA is translating the power and magic of the ocean to canvas in an exhibition, which captures the soul of British surfing over the past 40 years through 40 iconic photographs. Beginning today, the BSA is pleased to invite submissions for inclusion in their first ever surf photography exhibition, to be held in London on Thursday 21st September. The BSA’s intention is to involve and include images from any photographers who have unique and inspiring images that have captured the imagination and record an iconic moment in the rich and diverse British surf culture over the past 40 years.

Kingston Press Release

Brazilian Photographer Claudio Edinger Reveals Art of the Picture Essay at Kingston.com - ‘Master of the Photo Essay’ Emphasizes Research of Subjects and Reviewing Works of Accomplished Photographers as Keys to Success

Fountain Valley, CA – August 17, 2006 – Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, will feature renowned Brazilian photographer Claudio Edinger on its Icons of Photography Web site beginning today.  Frequently referred to as the “Master of the Essays” for his natural ability to tell a complete and detailed story through photographs, Edinger will share some of the techniques he feels have made him successful and believes can be applied to anyone.  Edinger will also share his thoughts on digital imaging and how it has changed his professional career—becoming an essential and exclusive part of his equipment lineup.

Getty Images have selected 35 photographers as the star advertising photographers of 2007 - take a look and see if you agree…

“With input from art directors and industry peers around the globe, Getty Images selected photographers from a variety of backgrounds. It’s a hypothetical, hopeful and perhaps even controversial list. As broadly as the photographers’ styles vary, a common thread linking their work is the marriage of authenticity and surrealism. Some are local stars meriting a larger stage; some have achieved success on the editorial side but employ techniques that could also enliven advertising; and others are just plain provocative. Put simply, it’s a look at what’s next. Now.”

Website: Getty - New Photographers 2007

Brooklyn Museum Press Release

Major Traveling Exhibition of Annie Leibovitz Photographs on View at Brooklyn Museum October 20, 2006–January 21, 2007

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005, an exhibition of more than 200 photographs, will debut at the Brooklyn Museum, where it will be on view from October 20, 2006 through January 21, 2007, prior to an international tour. The exhibition, sponsored by American Express, is being organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Among the other venues it will travel to are the San Diego Museum of Art, the High Museum of Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the de Young Museum, Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, and London’s National Portrait Gallery, with additional venues to be announced.

Canon UK Press Release

Véronique de Viguerie wins the Canon Female Photojournalist Award 2006

French photographer Véronique de Viguerie has become the sixth woman to win the Canon Female Photojournalist Award for her project on Communist Militiawomen in Nepal. The award, which includes a Canon grant of €8000, will be given by the French Association of Women Journalists (AFJ) at the 18th International Festival of Photojournalism Visa pour l’Image in Perpignan, France, on 9th September 2006.

O’Reilly Press Release

Adobe Lightroom Adventure 2006: The Ultimate Photographer’s Road Test

Sebastopol, CA—Renowned photographer and author Mikkel Aaland is the quintessential early adopter, always one of the first to master new digital photography software—and to wring every bit of functionality out of it in the process. Shortly after the public beta release of Adobe (R) Lightroom (TM) software,  a digital imaging workflow solution for professional photographers, he devised the ultimate road test to put Lightroom through its paces in the field: Adobe Lightroom Adventure 2006.

Aaland invited eleven acclaimed photographers to join him in Iceland, where the long midsummer days are suffused in some of the most spectacular light on the planet. From July 28 to August 5, 2006, this intrepid crew—joined by three top Icelandic photographers—is shooting by day and using Adobe Lightroom beta to import, select, develop, and showcase their large volume of digital images each night. Adobe is represented by four imaging specialists who will both shoot and assist other photographers as they work with both the Lightroom and Photoshop applications. The journey and a sampling of the resulting photographs are chronicled in the Lightroom Adventure blog at http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/adventure . And Aaland is capturing the lessons learned in the field for his book on Adobe Lightroom, to be published by O’Reilly Media in early 2007.

Nikon UK Press Release

Nikon is pleased to support: RAINFOREST A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY 6th October – 5th November

Wednesday July 5, 2006 - “It is so exciting walking into the forest never knowing what I am going to see or discover to photograph next.” Thomas Marent

Nikon has teamed up with Proud Galleries and Dorling Kindersley to present an unprecedented exhibition of wildlife photography. Exhibiting the most astonishing personal photographic study of tropical flora and fauna ever undertaken, Rainforest A Photographic Journey at Proud Camden is the result of one man’s sixteen year love affair with the jungles of the Earth. Overcoming everything from poor light to predatory animals, biting insects, invisible diseases and intense humidity, Thomas Marent has spent his adult life seeking out and photographing the spectacular beauty of the rarest rainforest plants and creatures. From the jungles of Costa Rica, Borneo, and Peru, to Sulawesi and Australia, Proud exclusively showcases an unseen world of epic landscapes and tiny microcosms, great apes and fearsome invertebrates.

Microsoft Press Release

REDMOND, Wash., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Today at the first Microsoft(R) Pro Photo Summit, Microsoft Corp. announced the launch of the Icons of Imaging program, designed to celebrate and showcase professional photographers who are recognized around the world as leaders in photography and digital imaging. By displaying a sample of their incredible imagery on the dedicated Icons of Imaging Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/icons/de fault.mspx), initial program members Bambi Cantrell, Reed Hoffmann, Denis Reggie, John Shaw, Matthew Jordan Smith and Art Wolfe provide inspiration to other digital imaging photographers to create the best photographic images possible.

Kingston Technology Press Release

Sports Illustrated Photographer Peter Read Miller Gives Advice on Capturing the Personality of an Athlete at Kingston’s Icons of Photography Web site - Award-Winning Sports Photographer Explains How to Take the Perfect Sports Portrait

Fountain Valley, CA – June 15, 2006 – Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, announced that award-winning sports photographer Peter Read Miller will be the featured photographer on Kingston’s Icons of Photography Web site beginning today. Each month, Kingston® spotlights a world-class photographer who provides helpful tips and interesting anecdotes for taking better pictures. Whether they’re providing a unique process or special trick that gives them a competitive edge, or an explanation of how to make digital imaging a natural part of their workflow, these accomplished icons deliver useful suggestions that photo enthusiasts at all levels can apply to their photography.

Kingston Technology Press Release

Legendary Photographer Harry Benson Offers Six Tips That Helped Shape His Amazing Career At Kingston’s Icons Of Photography Website - Web Site Designed to Inspire/ Educate Photographers at All Levels with Tips and Techniques from World-Class Pros

Fountain Valley, CA – April 15, 2006 – - Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, announced that legendary photojournalist Harry Benson will be the featured photographer on Kingston’s Icons of Photography Web site beginning today. Icons of Photography is quickly becoming one of the most popular online forums for photo enthusiasts and professional photographers to learn tips and techniques from some of the world’s most respected photographers. Each month Kingston spotlights a new “Icon of Photography” who provides interesting advice and anecdotes for taking better pictures and shares their unique approach to digital imaging, storage, and workflow. Digital photography has changed the way we take photos and process them and Kingston is helping to educate and inform photographers at all levels about the importance of memory, whether it’s for the computer, the camera or as a convenient means of transporting images through secure and high capacity USB Flash drives.

Ilford Press Release

The words written by Owen Meredith 140-years ago: ‘Genius does what it must, and Talent does what it can’ seem to encapsulate the life and work of the passionate, some say obsessed, photographer and print maker Bob Carlos Clarke who sadly died on 25 March this year. The dark genius of Bob Carlos Clarke never left his work, whether it was photographing fetish-themed beautiful women in latex and rubber, advertising work for the likes of Levi, Smirnoff, Volkswagen and, paradoxically, Alliance & Leicester Building Society, or candid night-time shots of the nation’s youth at play. Carlos Clarke’s evocative use of black-and-white photographic artistry naturally brought him into contact with ILFORD whose film and paper he used for much of his work from the late 1980s. He undertook touring lectures for ILFORD and played to sell-out audiences wherever he went.

DxO Labs Press Release

DxO Labs’ photo gallery gains strength as seven new pros come on board, including Alain Briot, Katrin Eismann, and Gerry Kopelow.

Paris, France, April 6, 2006– DxO Labs welcomes seven new professional photographers to the DxO Image Masters showcase. The electronic photo gallery, which can be viewed at http://www.dxo.com/en/photo/image_masters/default.php, features photographs by professionals and rising stars from around the world. “The DxO Image Masters are demanding professionals. They’re constantly pushing to get the most from their equipment. Through examples of their work we get to see not only the art of photography but how they get even greater results from their cameras and lenses,” says Luc Marin, vice president of DxO Labs Photography business. “We are very happy with the success of the DxO Image Masters and are pleased to welcome these talented professionals to the showcase.” The new Image Masters—Alain Briot, Keith Cooper, Katrin Eismann , Lynne Glazer, Heinz Kleim, Gerry Kopelow* and Richard McDowell—reinforce the gallery’s international aspect, representing a varied spectrum of photographic approaches from the US, the UK, Germany and Canada.

Lexar Press Release

Top Wedding and Portrait Photographers to Share Techniques in Lexar’s Booth at the WPPI Show in Las Vegas

Fremont, Ca., April 4, 2006 – Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a world leader in advanced digital media technologies, today announced that professional wedding photographers Paul Gero, Denis Reggie and Matt Mendelsohn will be demonstrating their award-winning digital photography techniques in conjunction with the company’s professional-level flash memory cards and accessories at the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Show (WPPI), taking place April 7-11 in Las Vegas. These distinguished photographers will be giving presentations and sharing content about their favorite shooting, workflow and printing techniques and will include tips and answer questions on how Lexar’s professional products help them succeed in their wedding assignments. According to Rangefinder, the leading and fastest-growing magazine in professional photography and the official media outlet of the upcoming WPPI show, a recent reader survey found that more than 80 percent of all professional photographers now prefer digital imaging as their method of image capture.

OnAsia Press Release

TOKYO, Japan – April 1st, 2006 – OnAsia photographer Thierry Falise has won the prestigious Special Jury Prize at the ‘Days Japan International Photojournalism Awards.’ The award was given for Thierry’s photo essay entitled ‘Humanitarian Commandos Burma. An internationally renowned photographer, Thierry Falise has been covering border conflicts and rebel movements in the Asian region for the past two decades.  His work often focuses on the plight of minority groups that are the victims of state repression, but who live in remote or difficult to access areas. His winning photo essay is part of an in-depth photographic project involving several long and perilous trips into the jungles of northern Burma. The report, compiled over several years, describes the work of a group of volunteers who risk their lives to bring medical aid to thousands of civilians living in the shadow of the Burmese junta’s ongoing war against its ethnic minorities.

Kingston Technology Press Release

Web Site Continues to Inspire and Educate Photographers at All Levels with Helpful Tips and Techniques from World-Class Pros

Fountain Valley, CA – March 20, 2006 – Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, announced that world-class portrait and fashion photographer Barbara Bordnick is the new featured photographer on Kingston’s Icons of Photography beginning today.  “Icons of Photography” is an online forum consisting of several of the world’s most respected photographers who share some of their unique tips and techniques with photo enthusiasts and professionals worldwide.  Each month Kingston spotlights a new Icon who provides interesting advice and anecdotes for taking better pictures and shares how they successfully navigate through the exciting world of digital imaging, storage, and workflow.

The New York Times has reported that the photographer Gordon Parks has died at the age of 93.

“Perhaps his best-known photograph, which he titled “American Gothic,” was taken during his brief time with the agency; it shows a black cleaning woman named Ella Watson standing stiffly in front of an American flag, a mop in one hand and a broom in the other. Mr. Parks wanted the picture to speak to the existence of racial bigotry and inequality in the nation’s capital. He was in an angry mood when he asked the woman to pose, having earlier been refused service at a clothing store, a movie theater and a restaurant.”

Website: New York Times - Gordon Parks, a Master of the Camera, Dies at 93

NikonNet Press Release

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor Tony Sweet This March

MELVILLE, N.Y., March 8 /PRNewswire/—Talk to Tony Sweet about photography and before long, the conversation will turn to the subject of jazz.  A jazz drummer for 20 years, Tony’s music experience informs everything he does as a photographer. This March, NikonNet will pay tribute to Tony Sweet and his work in its inspiring monthly showcase, “Legends Behind the Lens.” Tony’s experience in photography is extensive and ranges from shooting for stock, calendars, greeting cards, posters and catalogue sales to authoring fine-art photography books such as Fine Art Nature Photography and Fine Art Flower Photography.  Tony is well recognized as an educator and conducts numerous outdoor and nature photography workshops. He’s also a contributor to Shutterbug magazine.

AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER COLIN FINLAY SHARES TIPS AND TECHNIQUES AT KINGSTON “ICONS OF PHOTOGRAPHY” WEB SITE

New Program Designed to Inspire and Educate Photo Enthusiasts and Pros with Personal Tips, Techniques, and Experiences from World-Class Image Makers

Internationally-acclaimed and award-winning photographer Colin Finlay shares some of the secrets, tips, and techniques that have made him one of the busiest photojournalists and advertising photographers in the world. Other Kingston Icons of Photography include:  Harry Benson, Barbara Bordnick, Douglas Kirkland, Gerd Ludwig, Peter Read Miller, and Chris Rainier.

Sigma UK Press Release

Professional photographer and Sigma lens user gains a Royal Warrant of Appointment from HRH The Prince of Wales

Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that dedicated Sigma lens user and professional photographer George Bodnar, has just been awarded a prestigious Royal Warrant of Appointment by HRH The Prince of Wales. George’s area of photography is based mainly within the Music and Entertainment sector, producing editorial spreads, sleeves and covers worldwide. His work has developed into theatre and dance photography, taking him all over the world.