PhotographyBLOG visitor John P. Yuda has let me know about a new group photography project that he has started which is designed to combat the effects of Winter:

“Winter can be a difficult time for photographers. It’s cold, the days are shorter and often overcast;conditions just make it difficult to get out there and shoot. Almost every photographer - of all skill levels from beginner to pro -  shoots considerably less in the time between the holidays and spring.

To help alleviate this, I’ve started this project. The idea is simple: there are 29 days in February this year. Every day, participants will get out and shoot at least 29 photographs. That’s the only requirement. They can be digital or film, colour or black & white. Feel free to switch cameras, or use different film emulsions every day. At the end of the month, we’ll all collect our work into photo essays.”

Website: 29 Frames for 29 Days

These photos are my 3 entries in the first round of the 2004 Practical Photography Competition. I nearly didn’t bother entering, as the closing date is 2nd February, I was tired last night and I would have preferred to play a round of Tiger Woods 2004 golf on the PS2 (not that I’m addicted to it or anything).

Fortunately I made myself dig out some photos to fit the theme of “Patterns in the Landscape”. These images were all originally shot in colour, the first 2 on the Canon EOS 10D and the last one on negative film. I thought I would try converting them to black and white to help concentrate on the pattern, and I think all 3 shots have definitely benefited from the conversion. The first two in particular have printed out well on the Epson Stylus Photo 2100 printer on Ilford Smooth Pearl paper - the 3rd one looks a little soft and I probably shouldn’t have entered it.

I don’t think there’s a winner here, but entering the compeititon has had the happy side-effect of showing all 3 photos in a better, black and white light. I’ll definitely be trying out this conversion on some more shots to see if they are improved too.

For all those who are interested, I used a Photoshop action called “Johny’s B&W Package V2.0” to do the conversion from colour to black and white, available as a free download here:
http://www.jakerlund.net/index.php

Pixory Press Release 30/01/04

Pixory is the easiest and most powerful way to share photos online - it is freeware that will turn your own PC and broadband internet connection into a personal photo album server.

Pixory allows you to store your photos on your own PC but to access, compose into albums, and share them anywhere on the internet. It’s your personal online photo sharing service, running on your computer using your broadband internet connection. Pixory is a client and a server, a lightweight web application for browsing photo collections on your hardrive; an album server to your friends and family or anyone on the internet. It simplifies accessing and organizing photo collections on your home network.

This release introduces a new, more powerful, sharing model.

The application can be found here:
http://www.pixory.org

ZDNet are reporting that a new memory card format, smaller even than the postage sized SD memory cards, is due to be unveiled on February 5th. The Universal Transportable Memory Association (UTMA) are a consortium of electronics makers behind the as yet unnamed memory card format. Apparently “It will put two flash memory chips in a a single package, like existing high-density cards from makers such as SanDisk; but it will place the processors side by side instead of stacking them”. The first available cards will be 1Gb in size.

Website: ZDNet - Portable memory format gets set for launch

Website: Universal Transportable Memory Association

It was only announced by Nikon a couple of days ago, but Steves Digicams have already published their first look at the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

“The Nikon Coolpix 8700 is for serious photographers who demand the highest level of quality and control from their compact digital camera. It features an 8.0 effective megapixel CCD (3,264 x 2,448-pixels) and an 8x Optical (35-280 mm) Zoom-Nikkor lens, with Nikon’s Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements. It has a high resolution (238,000 pixel) electronic viewfinder (EVF) for through-the-lens viewing and a 1.8” vari-angle color LCD monitor. The Coolpix 8700 is constructed with a compact, lightweight magnesium alloy body that has been designed for durability and portability.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix 8700 First Look

Luminous Landscape editor Michael Reichmann has recently returned from a safari in Tanzania, Africa (lucky *insert expletive here*). He has shared his experiences of both the location and the equipment that he used in a new article:

“Without sounding too romantic about it, there is something about the look, the smell and the sounds of the Serengeti that almost seems to be part of ones racial memory. Hard to describe, but shared by almost everyone that visits there. There is a ?rightness? about it that infuses ones spirit. Being immersed in it, along with the astonishing assortment of animals, all in their natural environment ? which they have called home for millennia ? is an experience that I wish more people could share.”

Website: Luminous Landscape: Tanzanian Photo Safari

Kodak Press Release 29/01/04

KODAK Ultima Picture Paper With New COLORLAST Technology Delivers Inkjet Prints That Last More Than 100 Years

ROCHESTER, N.Y., January 29 - Eastman Kodak Company today introduced the world’s longest lasting inkjet photo paper - new KODAK Ultima Picture Paper with COLORLAST technology. The vast majority of prints made on this paper using photo-quality home inkjet printers will enjoy brilliant color and resist degradation longer than prints made on any other inkjet paper. When used with the latest inks from various manufacturers, photos printed on the paper will last for more than 100 years in typical home display without protection from gas and humidity.

Unlike some competitive longevity claims that only consider the long-term effect of light on prints, Kodak also factors in three other variables that play a significant role in picture degradation: heat, humidity and ozone. Based on that science, Kodak formulated its new Ultima Picture Paper with COLORLAST technology for everyday home display conditions - left unprotected on a table, placed under glass in a frame, or tucked away in a photo album - not just for highly-controlled, dark storage environments.

“People are printing their pictures at home in record numbers, and they assume those pictures will survive for generations to come. It’s taken innovation from Kodak, the world’s most trusted picture company, to meet those expectations,” said Laurie Spring, vice president and general manager of inkjet media, Digital & Film Imaging Systems, Eastman Kodak Company. “A picture is only as good as the paper on which it’s printed. Choosing the right paper is as important as selecting the right camera, the right scene, and the right printer.”

Nikon Press Release 29/01/04

[Dow Jones and Company, Inc.] Dow Jones News Service via NewsEdge Corporation : “The digital SLR market is where we have a competitive advantage over our rivals,” said Yoshida. “The market will help us expand our digital camera sales, and it will become a big pillar of our overall imaging business.”

With the worldwide release of the D70 March 19, Nikon hopes to match the success of its archrival Canon Inc. (7751.TO), whose “EOS Kiss digital” SLR proved extremely popular.

For the fiscal year through March, Nikon’s global market share in digital SLR cameras is expected to have fallen to around 30%, behind Canon.

Nikon expects the global SLR market to grow to 5 million units a year in the next three years from about 1 million now.

For the year through March, Nikon’s in-house imaging company is expecting to book Y315.0 billion in sales, up from Y271.9 billion last fiscal year.

In the digital camera market, including SLR models and compact models, Nikon reckons its global shipments will reach 5.5 million units for the year through March, up about 64%. That would mean it maintained a 12% global market share during the year in shipment terms, while its share in value terms remained flat at 15%.

For the business year starting in April, Makoto Kimura, Nikon’s imaging company president, said the company would target worldwide digital camera shipments of 8.6 million units, giving it a 14% global share in unit terms. In value terms, that would translate to about a 19% global market share, Kimura added.

TOKYO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Japan’s Canon Inc said on Thursday that its net profit rose 45 percent in 2003 thanks to healthy demand for office copiers and booming sales of digital cameras and it forecast a fifth straight record profit this year.

Canon posted a consolidated net profit of 275.7 billion yen ($2.60 billion) for calendar year 2003, beating analysts’ consensus estimate of 264.5 billion yen, on revenue of 3.2 trillion yen, up 8.8 percent from the previous year.

Profits at Canon are being powered by healthy demand for multi-function network copiers and hot-selling digital cameras, where it commands about 20 percent of the global market, running neck and neck with Sony Corp for top spot.

Japan’s largest office equipment maker said it expected the good times to keep on rolling, projecting that group net profit would rise another 3.7 percent in 2004 to 286 billion yen. Revenue is seen up 4.1 percent at 3.3 trillion yen.

The German website digitalkamera.de has posted its review of the Olympus CAMEDIA C-5060 Wide Zoom camera, an updated version of the popular Olympus CAMEDIA C-5050 model, with a wider-angle lens that is equivalent to a 27-110mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Website: digitalkamera.de - Olympus C-5060 Wide Zoom Review

I managed to sneak down to Parliament Hill for 20 minutes or so earlier today, just before the sun started to set. There’s a great view over the city of London, spoilt only by the permanent haze that sits above the skyline. By this time the snow was starting to melt, but there were still plenty of kids with their parents in tow, sledging and generally having the time of their lives.

This is a reminder that the January competition will end on Saturday 31st January. There are currently over 50 entries so far. The theme for the January 2004 Competition is simply “Reflections” - submit one photograph that you think best interprets the theme.

This is a monthly photography competition with a specific theme and prizes for the top 3 photos. The winning entries will be decided by a panel of judges. You just have to submit one photograph to the Competition Gallery that best interprets January’s theme, which is “Reflections”.

Please make sure that you read the Monthly Competition Rules before submitting your entry. The competition is worldwide and open to everyone.

You can now start submitting entries to the January Compeitition here:
January 2004 Competition

After 4 weeks and over 300 votes, Digital Camera narrowly pipped “Some fruit and nuts!” as the number one present for Christmas 2003 :-)

The new PhotographyBLOG Poll asks the topical question: “Which camera are you most excited about - Nikon D70, Nikon Coolpix 8700 or the Canon EOS 1D MKII?”.

Courtesy of ColorVision, I have published a new article today. “Ensuring Color Accuracy For Your Digital Photos” is an overview of colour accuracy, its role within digital photography and why you should do something about it now rather than later. If you’ve always wondered what all the fuss is about colour management, take a look at this article to find out more.

Website: PhotographyBLOG Article: “Ensuring Color Accuracy For Your Digital Photos”

About.com have published their review of Picasa, a software program from Picasa Inc. that allows you to manage and organize your digital photos.

“Since my original review, I took another look at Picasa version 1.6. Picasa is now integrated with Hello, Picasa’s own peer-to-peer photo-sharing and instant messaging program. Hello is a separate download that both you and anyone you want to share with will need to install. This version of Picasa shows improvements to the clarity of the timeline and slide show display, but Picasa 1.6 still lacks several essential features. There are no CD archive options, no 5x7 print option, no zoom control, no manual enhance, no annotation features, and sharing options are limited.”

Website: About.com - Picasa Review

Dabs.com are now listing the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer and the various cartridges. The R800 has an RRP of ?299 - Dabs are listing it for ?269.07 inc VAT. The UltraChrome pigment inks are priced at ?11.75 inc VAT for the 7 colour cartridges and ?7.05 inc VAT for the Gloss Optimizer cartridge.

Website: Dabs.com

Nikon Europe have released firmware version 1.3 for the Coolpix 4500 digicam today.

About this firmware:
A problem with flash photography using the Remote Cord MC-EU1 which sometimes produced images that were underexposed,  has been corrected.
 
Compatible OS:
Windows 98 SE
Windows 2000
Windows ME
Windows XP

Website: Nikon Coolpix 4500 Firmware Update 1.3 - Windows

Website: Nikon Coolpix 4500 Firmware Update 1.3 - Macintosh

Practical Photography Press Release

Everything you need to know about ?Still Life? photography.

Still life is all about turning everyday objects such as bottles, vases, and candles and turning them into interesting subjects for still life photographs. In other words, household objects into art. The latest issue of Practical Photography will teach you:

- To learn how to use a rooms ambience to your advantage
- To use natural window light to get the best out of still life photography
- How the most unusual objects can create fantastic photographs
- The best Digital and Film techniques

Plus…

Improve your portrait photography.
Read about top pro photographer Herbie Knott, who has snapped people such as Margaret Thatcher when she was Prime Minister, as he reveals the strategy behind his portrait sessions and suggests the ways that anyone can take great portrait shots at home.

The February issue of Practical Photography is on sale NOW, is just ?3.10 and is available at all good newsagents.

DON’T FORGET! If you signup to the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter, you could win a 3-month subscription to Practical Photography magazine!

Subscribe to the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter

As usual with the release of a major new camera, several websites have already got their sticky little fingers on pre-production units and have provided First Look reports for you. Even more impressively, the Slovenian website e-Fotografija have published a number of sample images from the new EOS 1D MKII. And the camera was only announced this morning!

So without further ado, here are some handy links for you to follow…

UPDATE 11:43 - Canon have asked e-Fotografija/DP-Now to remove the sample images… :-)

Website: Canon Japan - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Product Page

Website: e-Fotografija - Canon EOS 1D Mark II First Impressions (in English)

Website: DPReview - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Preview

Website: Dphoto.us - Stephen Eastwood’s Hands On Impressions

Website: Rob Galbraith - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Preview Report

Canon Press Release 29/01/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 29th January, 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, sets new standards in professional photography with the announcement of the EOS 1D Mark II. Combining formidable speed and exceptional resolution, the EOS 1D Mark II delivers approx. 8.5 frames per second at 8.2 Megapixels, taking over from Canon’s EOS-1D as the most powerful D-SLR camera in the world.

Canon has integrated three new technologies to deliver the EOS 1D Mark II’s high-speed / high-resolution combination: Canon’s next generation DIGIC II processor, a new CMOS sensor, and a new extra large buffer system. These technologies work in concert to deliver 40 frame bursts at 8.5 fps in JPEG, or 20 frame bursts in RAW mode. This high level of performance can be achieved in either Single Shot AF or AI Servo AF mode.

“With commanding speed and phenomenal image quality, the EOS 1D Mark II sets a new performance benchmark for sports and news photographers,” says Mr. Komatsuzaki, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “With nearly double the resolution of the EOS-1D, the EOS 1D Mark II also opens the digital SLR realm to the areas of fashion, nature and event photography”.