CameraTown have published a review of the Exposure plug-in from Alien Skin.

“Alien Skin’s Exposure, announced in January 2006, is a Photoshop compatible plug-in which allows you to give your digital photographs the look and feel of film. In the world of digital photography more and more of our photographs are looking almost too “perfect,” with good exposures, accurate colors, and low noise - at least at lower ISO sensitivities. It is for this reason that many film photographers hesitate on making the switch to digital, and even when they do they still use their film cameras when they want the look, grain, and dynamic range of film. You see, not everyone likes the high contrast, sharp, and clean look of digital still photographs. Many wedding and landscape photographers still shoot with film due to it’s grain, wider dynamic range, and broader range of color. Is a plug-in that retails for $199 worth the price? Read our review to find out.”

Website: CameraTown - Alien Skin Exposure Review

Presenting a new monthly roundup of all the must-see photography events and exhibitions around the world. Escape the World Cup football, tennis, cycling and multitude of other sporting events during July by visiting some of these fantastic shows.

Website: Photography Events and Exhibitions July 2006

Here are the sample photos from our upcoming review of the Nikon Coolpix S6, a few days before the full review is online. The Nikon S6 is a 6 megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom lens, 3 inch LCD and WiFi functionality.

Website: Nikon Coolpix S6 Photos

Bibble Labs have reacted quickly to the recent news that Adobe have bought Pixmantec, by offering a discount to RawShooter Premium users.

Bibble Labs Press Release

Pixmantec RawShooter Premium Customers Gain Bibble Power at a Discount - for a Limited Time

AUSTIN TX, (June 27, 2006) - Yesterday, Adobe announced the purchase of Pixmantec ApS technology assets, and noted that RawShooter Premium will be discontinued. As a result, Bibble Labs is announcing a discounted competitive upgrade path for current RawShooter Premium customers. “Adobe’s announcement validates the need for competition amongst RAW Workflow applications like Bibble Pro for photo professionals and enthusiasts alike” says Eric Hyman, president and CEO of Bibble Labs, Inc. “Since our inception in 2000, we’ve been committed to developing the best cross platform RAW Workflow application, and to bringing value to our customers - both current and new - through powerful tools and frequent upgrades and are happy to provide an upgrade path for Pixmantec’s existing customers.”

Photodoto takes a look at 6 portable ways to store your photos.

“When you’re on the road and you run out of film, you can pop into almost any nearby store and just buy some more. But what do you do when you run out of space on a digital memory card? They’re also sold just about everywhere, but they’re not nearly as cheap. You could lug a laptop around and transfer files to the hard drive but what do you do if you don’t have a laptop or are loathe to bring something so bulky and expensive on a day trip or vacation? The solution is the portable media storage device. In this article I’ll discuss things to look for when purchasing one of these devices followed by a quick roundup of several popular units.”

Website: Photodoto - Portable photo storage buyer’s guide

tow.com has a vey useful article for all MAC users who own a Dual-Core G5 PowerMac with the Nvidia 6600 graphics card and who want to run Apple Aperture more quickly.

“Just purchased a reflashed Nvidia 7800GTX 512MB video card for my Quad. As you might know, the stock 6600 video card that many Dual- Core, Quad-Core PowerMac owners purchased last year is dog slow when running CoreImage intensive applications like Aperture. The 7800GTX makes the program sing compared to the 6600. I’ve posted some videos demonstrating the differences between the two cards on my website.”

Website: tow.com - Aperture and GeForce 7800GTX

Imaging Resource have just reviewed the new Fujifilm FinePix V10 Zoom, a 5 megapixel camera with 3 inch LCD screen that can also play games!

“The Fujifilm V10 appears to be an entirely new direction for Fujifilm, not really a replacement for any previous model but an attempt to create a new category that mixes a cool design and fun features—the four video games—that might appeal to younger users; with new technology, including Real Photo and high ISOs, with the potential to attract a broad spectrum of users. And, for the most part, Fujifilm seems to hit its marks with this model. Loading it with games is one thing, but Fuji has created an elegant picture-taking machine that’s as fun to hold and look at as it is to shoot with. Image quality, which I’ll address later in this review, is another story. The camera doesn’t always live up to some of its “low-noise” claims.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Fujifilm FinePix V10 Zoom Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

Here are the sample photos from our upcoming review of the Casio Exilim EX-Z1000, a few days before the full review is online. The Casio Z1000 offers 10 megapixels, a 2.8 inch LCD screen and a top IS0 speed of 3200.

Website: Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 Photos

Open letter from Yan Calotychos, founder of iView Multimedia

Tuesday June 27, 2006 - Today marks an exciting new chapter for iView and its relationship with our customers. We’re announcing that iView has been acquired and is now part of the Microsoft Corporation. With Microsoft’s purchase of iView, we are in a position to enhance our industry-leading product, whilst strengthening our customer service and support.As digital asset management has become an essential requirement for all creative professionals, many of you have told us that iView MediaPro is a critical component of your business. We take that responsibility very seriously. In my view, this Microsoft acquisition affords us an unprecedented opportunity to be even more responsive to a thriving market and ensure that iView MediaPro continues to perform to its full potential. Our engineering and marketing team here at iView are energized and excited to be joining the Microsoft team, and I personally will continue to be involved in the evolution of the product for years to come.

epic software group Press Release

Universal Tripod Tray Keeps Your Photo Gear Handy and Safe

The Woodlands, Texas, June 28, 2006 – Photographers are always looking for gadgets that will make their work easier. The epic Tripod Butler is one of those photo accessories you never realized you needed, but just use it once and you’ll never want to be without it.  Perfect for holding lenses, strobes, batteries, or anything else you need to keep handy, the epic Tripod Butler is designed to stand up to the rigors of both studio and field use.

World-Renowned Photographer Kevin Ames Set to Teach Nationwide Pro Digital Workflow Seminar Series Presented by Blue Pixel - Attendees Will Benefit Greatly from Hearing Valuable Secrets of Professional Digital Imaging Workflow First-Hand

Annapolis, MD – June 27, 2006 – Still trying to strike the balance of efficient digital photography workflow and ending up with high-quality results? Learn how as Blue Pixel presents the Pro Digital Workflow Tour with Kevin Ames. Beginning Sunday, September 17 in Washington, D.C., talented digital photographer and author Kevin Ames will teach professional and advanced amateur photographers how to get the most out of their digital photography using the fewest steps for the least amount of work, by improving their digital workflow.

Digital Railroad/APA Press Release

Alliance will provide new programs and services to increase market opportunities for advertising and commercial photographers

New York, NY and White Plains, NY -  June 27, 2006 - Digital Railroad, Inc., and the Advertising Photographers of America (APA) today announced they have partnered to provide new programs and services that will increase market opportunities for APA membership. The APA is the leading national organization run by and for professional photographers, focused on providing support and tools essential to creative achievement and business success. Digital Railroad is the recognized technology leader in enabling professional photographers to successfully manage, market, and sell their photography online.

Colour Confidence Press Release

Birmingham UK, 27th June, 2006 - Colour Confidence, the leading independent colour management specialists, have today announced a new development in their product offering. Customers visiting www.colourconfidence.com will now have the chance to purchase a range of high-quality Pantone and PermaJet consumables which will be valuable additions to the digital workflow of many users. “At Colour Confidence we feel this is an obvious development; our customers have been asking us to provide recommendations on consumable products and by selecting PermaJet and Pantone as key partners we are recognising the quality of their solutions.” Commented Geoffrey Clements, Managing Director, Colour Confidence. “We aim to be a one-stop-shop when it comes to accurate colour and will continue to respond to our customers in order to achieve this.”

Ricoh UK Press Release

Introducing the new Ricoh Caplio RR660. Ricoh’s unique ease of use and portability now shoots at 6.16 megapixels. A masterpiece maker – in your pocket! Available in July with an RRP of £129.99.

Ricoh is thrilled to announce the release of the new Ricoh Caplio RR660 – a sleek new entry-level digital camera that adds more exciting, new user-friendly features to its extremely popular RR630 predecessor. The new 6.16-megapixel Ricoh RR660 digital camera is even lighter and more compact than its predecessor, and yet is equipped with a crystal-clear 2.4” colour TFT-LCD monitor for even easier viewing. The Ricoh RR660 is the newest addition to Ricoh’s popular, award-winning range of digital cameras, whose outstanding performance, value for money and stylish designs have won favour with both professional and amateur photographers around the world. The RR660 consistently produces striking, crystal-clear images that simply stand out above pictures from other cameras in its class. Equipped with a 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, for a combined 12x zoom, the RR660 can effortlessly handle any photographic situation.

Casio Europe Press Release

Norderstedt, June 26, 2006 - CASIO EUROPE GmbH and its parent company, CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD., have announced the release of the EXILIM CARD EX-S600D, an ultra-slim, card-sized, high-resolution digital camera. This latest 6.0 megapixel addition to the stylish EXILIM digital camera series can also take high-quality movies in DivX® format, a video compression technology developed by DivX, Inc. of the United States. Fitting easily into a pocket, EXILIM CARD digital cameras are ready to go wherever their users go, so no one has to miss a once-in-a-lifetime photographic moment again. CASIO has previously released the EX-S600, which shoots 6.0 megapixel photos and takes high-quality movies in MPEG-4 format. The EX-S600 has been a hit among people who want a digital camera that makes it a snap to shoot both still pictures and movies. The new EX-S600D has all the features of the EX-S600, but it can take movies in the DivX® format. The new model will be sold primarily online in Europe.

Adobe UK Press Release

Adobe Further Extends Leadership in Digital Photography Raw File Workflows - Adobe Acquires Technology Assets of Pixmantec ApS

LONDON — June 26, 2006 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced it has acquired the technology assets of Pixmantec ApS, makers of digital imaging software that provides advanced workflow management and processing capabilities for digital camera raw files. The acquisition strengthens Adobe’s leadership position in raw processing.Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “With high quality digital cameras now within reach of every photographer, customers are gravitating to raw file formats that allow them to get more control over final results,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe®. “By combining Pixmantec’s raw processing technology and expertise with our own, we’re continuing to deliver on the promise that even your existing raw files can be processed with increasing quality as our software technology evolves.”

Fujifilm UK Press Release

Fujifilm today announces that it has appointed Hayley Buery as its new UK Public Relations Manager.  She will have responsibility for the implementation and management of consumer, trade and corporate PR for Fujifilm UK. Hayley joins Fujifilm from Canon (UK) where she held the position of Senior Public Relations Executive for Canon Consumer Imaging, responsible for the company’s range of consumer products, including cameras, camcorders and desktop printers.  During this time, she also took a brief secondment at Canon’s European Head Office in Amsterdam.  Prior to joining Canon, Hayley worked in the Internet industry.

Epson UK Press Release

26th June 2006 - By the 1st July 2006, the RoHS Directive (Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances) will have contributed to the removal of six hazardous substances from electrical and electronic equipment.  As a part of its environmental programme, Epson has already been working towards achieving the goals outlined in the RoHS Directive.  Eelco Smit, Environmental Specialist, Epson Europe says, “Chemical management has always been a priority for Epson and since 1999, four years before the RoHS Directive was approved in 2003, our engineering departments and factories have been researching and developing lead-free products.  It is our aim to develop premium quality products with minimum impact on the environment.  We welcome the regulations and are pleased to announce our global compliance with the Directive.”

HP UK Press Release

HP offers more value to customers by introducing and refreshing 2-pack inkjet print cartridges and HP Photo Packs

LONDON, 27 June, 2006 – HP today introduced two new 2-packs to its portfolio of inkjet print cartridges, and refreshed four existing 2-packs. These products – two inkjet print cartridges in one pack – will offer customers an increased saving of up to 20 percent(1), as well as the opportunity to employ industry-leading HP Vivera Inks, designed to work seamlessly with HP printers and media to provide crisp, sharp lines and vibrant colours. At the same time, HP is further reaffirming its commitment to offering its customers choice, value and cost transparency by extending and updating the highly popular HP Photo Packs range.

Luminous Landscape have a useful guide to soft-proofing; what it is, how to use it, and why it will make your prints look better.

“But, even with a proper profile for your particular screen, as well as printer / paper / ink combinations, many photographers are often disappointed with the results. What appears on screen simply doesn’t match what is seen on the print, especially with regard to colour intensity and saturation. There is a solution, and it’s known as soft proofing.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Understanding Soft Proofing