TweetPhoto and Eastman Kodak Company have announced that the two companies have entered into a collaborative agreement on initiatives focussed around real-time photo sharing. The companies have signed an agreement with the intention to work freely together to develop, test and release products and services that leverage the viral nature of the real-time web and social eco-systems. “Real-time photography is currently used across social networking sites to start a conversation or give context to a tweet,” says Sean Callahan, Co-Founder of TweetPhoto. “Photo sharing on the real time web is only going to continue to grow, and we are pleased with the opportunity to collaborate with Kodak, the world’s leading imaging innovator.”

Imation has announced availability of its next-generation Solid State Drive (SSD) Upgrade Kit, simplifying migration from a hard disk drive to SSD in just three easy steps. Simply transfer existing files from an HDD to the new SSD, then install the SSD and finally, repurpose the existing hard drive into an external USB drive for additional backup and storage using a specially designed case. The M-Class SSD Upgrade Kit is available in a 2.5-inch form factor in capacities of 64GB and 128GB. Products are available for a starting MSRP of $110.99 for the M-class drive and $194.99 for the M-Class Upgrade Kit through authorized Imation distributors, wholesalers, resellers and e-tailers in the US and Europe.

Website: Imation

GoPro has announced HD Hero Naked, a wearable 1080p HD camera for sports enthusiasts. The HD Hero Naked is the newest addition to the company’s line of wearable cameras, which already include vertical market specific HD Motorsports Hero,HD Helmet Hero (outdoor sports), and HD Surf Hero. These units come bundled with a variety of mounts ranging from suction cups to vented helmet straps, head straps and adhesive mounts for attaching the camera to cars, motorcycles, bikes and surfboards. The HD Hero Naked, which captures “professional quality” 1080p / 960p / 720p true HD video at 30 and 60 frames per second, differs from the aforementioned HERO cameras in that the HD Hero Naked comes with one mount for attaching the camera to a helmet or other curved surfaces, the camera, and the housing which protects the camera from bumps and keeps it waterproof to 180’/60m. Included are a removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery and cables for attaching the camera to an HDTV or computer, but aside from this the camera comes “naked,” sans the mounts included in the other models. In addition to shooting HD videos, the HD Hero Naked and related cameras also shoot 5MP photos and feature an optional auto-photo mode that captures photos every 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60 for the duration of a consumer’s sport or activity. The HD Hero Naked is available for $259.99.

Website: GoPro

Hoodman and Trek-Tech have introduced a new toolkit for macro photographers that makes positioning and stabilising cameras for close up, macro photography quick and easy. The toolkit combines the Hoodman Right Angle Viewer and a Trek-Tech T-Pod table top tripod. The right angle viewer with 360° rotation gives photographers the flexibility to position a camera to get down and up close to the subject matter. The table-top tripod supports cameras with “rock solid stability” for sharp focus. The Hoodman Right Angle viewer fits all Canon, Nikon, and Fuji Digital SLR cameras and comes with a compact, protective storage case included. The Trek-Tech T-Pod is very versatile and high quality table top tripod which comes complete with ball head, quick release system and travel pouch. The T-Pod with the upper tube attached adjusts from 10” to 13.5” in height. The ball head may also be connected directly to the legs creating a very stable platform which is 4” high. The Macro Photography Toolkit costs $129.99.

Website: Trek-Tech

SeenBy.com have announced the launch of their fine art photography website. SeenBy.com boasts a collection of more than 60,000 pieces in the online gallery, which is allegedly hand-picked by an editorial team with years of experience as journalists and photo editors. In addition to featuring artwork with an unusual and modern feel, SeenBy.com offers gallery-grade prints on a variety of materials that can hang frameless, emphasising the natural impression of the photos. Additionally, SeenBy’s photo lab allows customers to produce their personal images with the same technology and quality used by museums and galleries.

Website: SeenBy.com

Imation today announced the US availability of its Pro WX Wireless USB hard drive, billed as the “world’s first wireless USB external hard drive. With a fast Wireless USB data transfer rate of up to 15MBs/second, the product can back up a typical CD in under 50 seconds, and store up to 300,000 photos or 750 hours of video. Available in 1.5TB capacity, the Imation Pro WX will be demoed at the Pepcom Wine, Dine & Demo media event at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center Studios tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $449.99.

Website: Imacon

Akvis Software has released version 10 of AKVIS Sketch for Windows and Macintosh. The software converts photos to colour and black-and-white pencil drawings and watercolor paintings. Version 10.0 has a new tool – Stroke Direction, which makes the effect of a hand-drawn sketch yet more realistic thanks to the ultimate control over the hatch direction. New presets have been added, the Preview Window improved and other features made available. The program is now compatible with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6). The plug-in version also works with Photoshop CS 4 64 bit and PhotoShop Elements 8. AKVIS Sketch Home Licence (plugin or standalone) sells for $72 or €55, downloadable from http://akvis.com. The upgrade for the users of version 9 is free

HP today announced at Paris Photo 2009, the European launch of ARTtrust, a system that allows photographers and artists to provide individual identity to any Digital Fine Art Collection Pigment Print, produced on HP Designjet Z series printers using HP Vivera pigment inks with any compatible media. ARTtrust is specifically designed to meet the needs of the art market including creators (photographers, designers, digital or traditional artists), printmakers (artists who print themselves, photolabs, specialized fine art printers, print service providers), retailers (galleries, auction houses) and private or public art collectors. The solution is comprised of BubbleTags, a translucent polymer containing random and self-generated air bubbles affixed to the artwork itself that references the certificate of authenticity filed by the artist. ARTtrust is available for existing and new prints and any Digital Fine Art Collection Pigment Print can be retrofitted on demand. Following its worldwide launch at PhotoPlus Expo 2009, ARTtrust has already received positive feedback from individual photographers, such as Joel Meyerowitz and international photo agencies including Magnum. Commercial availability is slated for January 2010.

Website: ARTtrust Online

Hasselblad have announced a Multi-Shot (MS) version of their H3DII-50 medium-format digital SLR camera, which completely eliminates the need for Bayer interpolation. In multi-shot mode, the Hasselblad H3DII-50MS captures a sequence of four shots, each offset by a one-pixel increment (pixel shifting), so that each sensor photosite records full colour information. Therefore no demosaicing is required, leading to higher resolution (especially of low-contrast fine detail), better colour rendition and a complete lack of colour moiré. Due to the nature of the process, multi-shot mode is suited to perfectly still subjects only - buildings, still life subjects, works of art etc. -, which is why the Hasselblad H3DII-50MS also retains the H3DII-50’s single-shot mode too. Users of other medium-format systems can trade in their gear (body + 16-39-megapixel digital back) and get the Hasselblad H3DII-50MS for €16.000. Current Hasselblad owners can trade up for €14.000, provided they trade in a Hasselblad digital system, or a Hasselblad body with a 16-39-megapixel digital back of another manufacturer, or another manufacturer’s camera body outfitted with a Hasselblad digital back. The list price is €22.995.

Website: Introducing the Hasselblad H3D-50 Multi-Shot (in German)

Via photoscala

Panasonic has announced that it is providing X Factor contestants with Lumix DMC-ZX1 cameras to use throughout the competition. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX1 (also known as the DMC-ZR1) is a new ultra-compact digital camera with an astounding trick up its sleeve - the 8x optically-stabilised zoom lens that provides a focal range of 25-200mm in a body measuring just 2.6cms thick.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX1

Leica has today announced a limited edition Ever Ready Case for the Leica D-LUX 4. Made of premium calfskin leather in a rich, deep ‘mocha’ shade, the new case is designed to hold the D-LUX 4 with its accessories (hand grip and viewfinder). The camera can be securely mounted into the Ever Ready Case with a small screw, allowing the photographer to take spontaneous pictures by simply flipping the front cover – without the need to remove it from the case. The Leica D-LUX 4 Ever Ready Case in mocha will be available in the UK from the end of November 2009 for a limited period only, from authorised Leica dealers, at a suggested retail price of £160.

Solis Energy has announced the Power HotSpot, a portable solar power source that “provides remote power anywhere it’s needed”. The new solar-powered product can run small 12 volt “non-critical” electronics in remote locations or anywhere grid power isn’t available. All that’s required is an electronic device with a car power adaptor (cigarette lighter interface) and the sun. “There are literally hundreds of products that can be powered with this product,” said Solis Energy Founder and CEO Robert Reynolds, adding, “Solis Energy has provided our corporate clients with rugged and reliable solar power solutions since 2005, and that gave us the expertise to develop a product for consumer use”. The Power HotSpot retails for $375.

A group of British photographers have submitted an e-petition to Downing Street 10, calling on the Government to abandon plans, announced on 29 October 2009, to allow free and unhindered reproduction of photographs without payment or credit on non-commercial websites. The e-petition reads, “We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Abandon plans to amend copyright protection for photographers which effectively amount to nationalisation of photography.” The petition creator, Darren Hector, argues that the new plan is “completely at odds with the Government’s stance on file sharing of other forms of intellectual property… and raises the prospect of crippling thousands of small businesses while protecting large corporate interests.” Interested readers can read the petition - and sign it if they wish, provided they are legal residents or citizens of the United Kingdom - at the website below.

Website: Petition

Adobe has announced the availability of new Release Candidates (RCs) of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), DNG Converter and Lightroom. Release Candidates are software versions that have been thoroughly tested, but could still benefit from user feedback. Version 2.6 of Lightroom and version 5.6 of ACR / DNG Converter add support for a range of new cameras and digital backs, including the Canon EOS 7D, Canon Powershot G11, Canon Powershot S90, Mamiya DM22 / DM28 / DM33 / DM 56, Nikon D3s, Olympus E-P2, Pentax K-x, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38, Sigma DP1s, Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 / A550 and A850 cameras and the Leaf Aptus II 5, Mamiya M18 / M22 & M31 medium format backs.

Website: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.6 Release Candidate for Mac & Windows
Website: Adobe Camera Raw & DNG Converter Release Candidates for Mac & Windows

Photovisi is a free new service that lets you create photo collages easily. At photovisi.com you first select one of the many collage templates, add your photos and then customise the collage by dragging photos around. After the collage is finished, it’s available for download or print on merchandise such as posters and mugs. If you’ve always wanted to create photo collages but did not know how to get started, pay a visit to the website below.

Website: Photovisi

The new Casio EX-G1 is the World’s slimmest shock-resistant, waterproof, dustproof digital camera. The 12 megapixel EXG1 measures just 0.78-inch thick and can be used at depths at 10 feet / 3 meters for 60 continuous minutes, survive falls from seven feet / 2.13 meters and withstand temperatures as low as 14°F / -10 °C. Other key features of the Casio EX G1 include interval shooting and multi-image capture, useful for active sports such as snowboarding or cycling, 3x zoom lens (38-114mm), and 2.5 inch LCD screen. The Casio EX-G1 will be available in December 2009 priced at $299.99 in black and red. In the UK the Casio EX-G1 will cost £279, available from January 2010.

Professor Shree Nayar at the Computer Vision Laboratory at Columbia University and his team have come up with a prototype for a DIY digital camera. Though the BigShot camera is primarily intended to be an educational aid targeted at schoolchildren, we think it could be a potential hit with a large group of adults, too. The main parts of the camera include a gearbox, a lens wheel, a flash, a circuit board, a battery and… a dynamo! Since the Bigshot does not have an LCD of any sorts, it does not need too much power to take a photo - which means the battery is only needed if you want to use the flash. Otherwise you can use a hand crank, connected to the dynamo via the gearbox, to generate the necessary power to capture a shot. The Bigshot’s 2-megapixel sensor is mounted onto the circuit board. The lens is probably the most interesting part of the camera - while the primary lens is also fixed to the circuit board, the BigShot comes with three optical modules, which are built into a polyoptic lens wheel. “Switching lenses” is done by way of turning the wheel. Each optical module has a matching viewfinder module on the opposite side of the polyoptic wheel, so the photographer looking through the optical viewfinder can see (almost) the same view as the taking lens. Given that the BigShot does not have an LCD, using it is a lot like using a film camera, as you cannot review your photos until you download them to your computer via USB. Currently, there are only prototypes floating around and being used in workshops worldwide - there is no information as to when the BigShot will be available commercially.

Website: Bigshot: A Camera for Education

VSO Software has released version 3.0.0.140 of VSO Resizer, a program targeted primarily at digital photo frame owners. New features include a smart digital frame transfer assistant, new filters, new algorithms and a new resize method called seam carving. This embedded seam carving technology is a smart “content aware” resizing method to keep the full content of an existing picture without distorting the image. The program runs on Windows 7, Vista and XP. VSO Image Resizer is currently available at $14.99.

Website: VSO Shop

The prestigious Lange-Taylor documentary photography award is now calling for entries. Named after photographer Dorothea Lange and writer Paul Taylor, whose 1941 book, American Exodus, was a milestone in documentary studies, the Lange-Taylor award “was created to encourage collaboration between documentary writers and photographers”. In that spirit, the award is offered to a writer and a photographer in the early stages of a documentary project. Now in its twenthieth year, the Lange-Taylor award comes with a $20,000 cash prize. The 2009 winners, Christian Parenti and Teru Kuwayama won the prize for their project exploring the “human landscape” of Pakistan. Entries for the 2010 award are to be submitted between 1 and 31 January 2010.

Website: The Lange-Taylor Prize

Via The British Journal of Photography
Photo by Teru Kuwayama