This month starts with an entire on-line photography course that Mark Wendman reveals in his blog:

This series of engineering grade lectures covers in depth many aspects of digital imaging, image processing/ editing and photography.The YouTube PhotoTechEDU videos are linked below:

PhotoTechEDU Day 1: Photo Technology Overview
PhotoTechEDU Day 2: Photo Technology Overview Continued
PhotoTechEDU Day 3: Ray Tracing, Lenses, and Mirrors
PhotoTechEDU Day 4: Contrast, MTF, Flare, and Noise
PhotoTechEDU Day 5: Silicon Image Sensors
PhotoTechEDU Day 6: Digital Camera Image Processing…
PhotoTechEDU Day 7: Lossy Image Compression
PhotoTechEDU Day 8: Diffraction and Interference in Imaging
PhotoTechEDU Day 9: Amateur Astrophotography
PhotoTechEDU Day 10: Image Compression Part 2
PhotoTechEDU Day 11: Document Image Analysis with Leptonica
PhotoTechEDU Day 12: High Dynamic Range Image Capture
PhotoTechEDU Day 14: Exposing Digital Forgeries from…
PhotoTechEDU Day 16: Multi-viewpoint Mosaics
PhotoTechEDU Day 18: Non-destructive, Selective, Editing…
PhotoTechEDU Day 19: Inkjet printing…
PhotoTechEDU Day 22: Measuring, Interpreting and…
PhotoTechEDU Day23: Raw Files and Formats
PhotoTechEDU Day 25: Open-source-based high-resolution…
PhotoTechEDU Day 26: Image quality testing and…
PhotoTechEDU Day27: Focus on Resolution
PhotoTechEDU Day 28: “Capturing more Light”: Pragmatic…
PhotoTechEDU Day 29: Photographing VR Panoramas
PhotoTechEDU Day 30: Imaging optics for the next decade
PhotoTechEDU Day 31 – Color Balance: Babies, Rugs & Sunsets

Next to a camera, I also have a telescope at home. I became interested into combining my two hobbies. Although astrophotography is a very easy hobby in which to get started on a simple level, it can be difficult to master at its highest level. You must be prepared to spend the time learning the craft. But spectacular results are not only possible; they are easy to learn with the step-by-step approach of Digital Astrophotography: A Guide to Capturing the Cosmos. This book from O’Reilly is new on the market and has the following topics covered:
Learn how to:
Set up your camera for optimal results
Focus your camera for razor-sharp images
Take beautiful night shots with a simple compact digital camera, a tripod, and a telescope
Use a DSLR camera to shoot the Sun, Moon, stars, and more
Get brilliant images of planets with a webcam
Capture remote galaxies with a CCD camera just like a pro

Also learn to:
Shoot RAW format images and improve them with calibration frames
Take short exposures of faint deep-sky objects and combine them into a longer exposure
Perform brightness, contrast, and color correction
Make corrections for vignetting & uneven field illumination
Process your images for stunning results

As the author says, “The rewards of this fascinating hobby grant you unforgettable hours under the night sky… It is exciting!”
In his foreword, nationally renowned astronomer and artist, Robert Gendler tells us, “I can’t think of anyone better [than Stefan Seip] to bring the new technologies of digital astrophotography to those who are eager to learn them.”

The month is not yet over, but, since Christmas is near and I have to bake cookies, he’s a short list of the most important software updates and releases that might be of interest for digital photographers.

LightZone for Linux

With LightZone First Professional Photo Editor for Linux Users, you have all the powerful LightZone tools for editing, enhancing and improving digital photos that Windows and Mac users have, including the innovative ZoneMapper and Re-Light tools. LightZone is the first and only application of its kind spanning all three major platforms. The 3.3B beta version of LightZone for Linux is free and available for download at http://www.lightcrafts.com/linux .
Linux users will now enjoy access to LightZone’s ZoneMapper and Zone Tools, which enable digital photographers to easily apply the powerful Zone System™, developed by Ansel Adams in 1941, to produce photos with exceptional exposure and tonal ranges.
Linux users will especially enjoy access to the new LightZone Relight Tool which recaptures the High Dynamic Range (HDR) images they visualized when originally taking the photograph.

onOne Software Now Leopard Compatible

The following onOne Software products are now compatible with Apple’s latest version – Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Genuine Fractals 5.0.4, Mask Pro 4.1.2, PhotoFrame 3.1.1, PhotoFrame Professional Edition 3.1.2, PhotoTune 2.2, Intellihance Pro 4.2.1, Essentials for Photoshop® Elements 2.0, PhotoTools 1.0, PhotoTools Professional Edition 1.0, Plug-In Suite 3, PhotoFrame Frame Collections, PhotoPresets for Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom®, and PhotoPresets for Adobe Camera Raw.

PhotoPerfect 2.85

Arcadia Software introduces the english version of its Photo Editing Software PhotoPerfect 2.85 with a rich functionality and range of features – like exposure correction, selective color saturation, RAW and 16-bit TIFF editing, support of lab- and RGB color mode, color-profiles / soft proofing as well as HDR/DRI images and framing –, combined with a moderate introductory sales price of only $59.99, PhotoPerfect is geared towards both the enthusiast and the professional photographer. With one-click optimizations the enthusiast achieves results that are so good that most pictures need no further enhancement. The professional finds advanced image enhancement functions that are usually included only in much more expensive software. Product fact-sheet: http://www.arcadiasoftware.com/download/pp-factsheet.pdf

Bibble 4.9.9

Bibble Pro Version 4.9.9 adds support for Nikon D300, D3, Canon 1Ds Mark 3, Canon G9, Olympus E-3, Sony A700, and adds Tethering Support for Intel Mac’s with Nikon dSLR’s. This latest update is free for all current Bibble 4 customers, and new customers will also receive a free upgrade to Bibble 5, when available. Bibble Pro is the most comprehensive cross-platform RAW Workflow application available today, including robust support for the latest cameras and offering Best-in-Class image quality with features such as tethered shooting, Noise Ninja technology, Perfectly Clear automated image optimization and the industry’s only RAW-Level plug-in interface. The Bibble Pro plug-in for Adobe Photoshop supports CS2, CS, and version 7 – providing native access to the latest camera formats otherwise inaccessible in these older versions of Photoshop. Bibble Pro also remains the fastest RAW converter in existence. Bibble 4 is available in both “Pro” ($129.95) and “Lite” ($69.95) versions for Windows, Macintosh (PPC/Intel as a Universal Binary) and Linux. Visit http://www.bibblelabs.com for further details and to download.

AKVIS Frame Suite 2.6

AKVIS Frame Suite is an impressing collection of edge effects. Thanks to its 12 effects and a rich Pattern Library, the software can generate an endless number of photo frame versions (from classic to most fancy ones).
For the upcoming holidays, new Christmas decorations have been added to the Pattern Library. Screenshots of the program’s features are available at http://akvis.com/en/frame-suite/screenshots-photo-framing.php. Whether you plan to upload holiday photos on a web-site to share with your friends or you wish to decorate a personalized Christmas greeting card, you can rely on AKVIS Frame Suite – it will add elegance and style to any photo.
The program is available in two versions  as an independent program (standalone) and as a plug-in to a photo editor.
AKVIS Frame Suite Plugin is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and Ulead PhotoImpact.

Microsoft HD Photo Plug-In for Adobe Photoshop

The Microsoft HD Photo Plug-In allows you to open and save any HD Photo file (.wdp or possibly .hdp) in Adobe Photoshop. The HD Photo plug-in supports a wide range of pixel formats (including high dynamic range, wide gamut formats) and numerous advanced HD Photo features. HD Photo is also known as Windows Media Photo. This plug-in is designed for use with the CS2 or CS3 versions of Adobe Photoshop software running under Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista or Mac OS X.
Download for Windows
Download for Mac

Sigma Photo Pro 2.3

Sigma Photo Pro 2.3 includes new image processing code, which provides better auto white balance performance. Sigma Photo Pro is an exclusive software package for displaying and manipulating your Sigma digital camera images on your computer. Available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, Sigma Photo Pro 2.3 can be downloaded now.

Adobe Camera Raw 4.3.1

Camera Raw 4.3.1 for both Windows and Mac platforms Version 4.3.1 includes the following changes:
- Compressed raw files from the Nikon D100 were read incorrectly in Camera Raw 4.3
- A possible artifact in Camera Raw 4.3 raw file support for the Olympus E-3 has been corrected
Adobe Camera Raw 4.3.1 (Windows)
Adobe Camera Raw 4.3.1 and DNG Converter (Windows)
Adobe Camera Raw 4.3.1 (MAC)
Adobe Camera Raw 4.3.1 and DNG Converter (MAC)

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom1.3.1

The update will provide corrections for the following issues:

-The Lightroom 1.3 Print Module could previously cause the application to crash on either OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1 during template usage.
-On Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1, the import process from a card reader or other device into Lightroom could fail to import all or a portion of the selected images.
-A decrease in Develop slider responsiveness introduced in Lightroom 1.3 has been corrected.
-The Lightroom 1.3 Develop module could cause the application to crash if adjustments were made in quick succession.
-Compressed raw files from the Nikon D100 were read incorrectly in Lightroom 1.3.
-A possible artifact in raw file support for the Olympus E-3 has been corrected.
-The Lightroom FTP Plug-in provided as sample code with the Export SDK did not function properly if the password was not saved with the selected FTP preset.
-Editing or creating a new FTP preset immediately prior to using the FTP plug-in provided as sample code with the Export SDK would cause the FTP process to fail.
-Using the Export as Previous option did not work with the FTP plug-in provided as sample code with the Export SDK.

JAlbum 7.4

Jalbum.net has been lacking visual ways of sharing published albums, but, the new browse album page is the first step in enabling the users to share their albums on our site. See the page by clicking on a featured album thumbnail on: http://jalbum.net. Other new features include password protecting albums hosted on myjalbum.net, support for Windows Vista and a sharing function. JAlbum is a free service.
- User interface redesigned to be more workflow-logical. These changes have been performed after analyzing user behaviour on a test group. We strongly believe this change will help a lot of new users to get a long with the UI resulting in a lot more published albums.
- Password protecting albums hosted on myjalbum.net. This has been one of the most requested features.
- Windows Vista support.
- New sharing function: JAlbum can now help users telling about their new albums after publishing them via email and web.

StudioLine Photo Classic 3 Plus

H&M System Software is now offering StudioLine Photo Classic 3 Plus, a feature-rich update to its multiple award winning image editing and archiving software StudioLine Photo Classic. The update is available immediately at http://www.StudioLine.biz and is free for registered users of StudioLine Photo Classic 3. StudioLine Photo Classic 3 Plus costs £42 for a download version or £49 for a CD version. The “Christmas Special” of £21 or £28 will apply until December 31, 2007.
StudioLine Photo Classic 3 Plus features:
Clear User Interface and Optimized Workflow
Rapid Keywording and Description
Efficient Search Functions
RAW Support
Professional Tools for Image Editing
High Quality, Flexible Printing
Film Strips for Rapid Export Preview
Add-on Module DigitalXpress for Exchanging Large Numbers of Pictures

Image Doctor 2

With Image Doctor, you can restore old shots and retouch new shots. This Photoshop plug-in from Alien Skin Software is capable of:
Removing unwanted objects. Image Doctor’s powerful Smart Fill feature removes large, unwanted objects from photos, such as trash items from foregrounds and undesirable guests from party photos. Smart Fill can automatically replace these areas with an intelligent sampling of the nearby background pattern or the user can specify the location of the background samples.
Repairing low-quality JPEG images. Use Image Doctor’s JPEG Repair to fix blocky areas and ragged edges in over-compressed JPEG images. Select an area for repair or use it on your entire photo.
For examples, illustrations of the powerful photo repairs you can make with Image Doctor 2:
http://www.alienskin.com/imagedoctor/idoc_filters.html
Upgrade: Registered users of Image Doctor 1 can buy Image Doctor 2 at a discounted price (Image Doctor 2 is available now for $199, or $99 to upgrade from a previous version).
https://www.alienskin.com/ecomm/s2_deliv_type.asp?prod=57&buy_now=212

Soon after Nikon D40x was launched and brought to Romania, I received this camera with a lot of joy. However, there was no printed manual in the package and the informations on the CD were not enough to fully understand the hidden features of this SLR and it’s compatibility.
Now, I’m glad to announce that website photo-i has launched a Nikon D40x DVD user guide in association with Nikon.
Written and presented by Vincent Oliver, photographer and editor of http://www.photo-i.co.uk, this DVD user guide is visual, practical and presented in a user-friendly way. It shows how to get the best from the Nikon D40x without having to wade through hefty manuals. The subjects covered include: setting up, features and controls, the menus, custom settings, white balance, flash photography, using lenses, exposure and more.
The DVD runs for 1 hour and 25 minutes
The Nikon D40x user guide is now available to buy online at: http://www.photo-i.co.uk.
Running time: 1 hr, 25 mins.
Price: £12.00
Language: English
Format: 16:9 PC and Mac and PAL TV all regions
Publisher: photo-i in association with Nikon

This is about firmware but not the usual one.

Whappo sent me an email to let me know about an open-source program called CHDK, which can be used to update the software for your Digital Camera. – Chris Pirillo

Still, this is only available for Canon Cameras…

A RAW file allows far more flexibility than a JPEG will, and enthusiastic amateur photographers everywhere are discovering their vast potential. RAW files open up a whole new world of image processing where photos can go from ordinary to perfect simply and quickly. In Understanding RAW Photography, renowned photographer Andy Rouse follows the entire procedure from start to finish: the volume takes the form of an easy-to-follow workflow overview, covering all the essentials right from the beginning of a shoot. Rouse explains how to make software choices; work in the field; edit, correct, and process the picture; and ultimately display it in print or on screen. A wide range of images and screen grabs illustrate techniques both basic and advanced, as well as creative possibilities.

This hardcover 144 pages photography book was been recently published (on April 1, 2008, under the Photographers’ Institute Press) by Andy Rouse. He has written 14 books incuding the recent Penguin Life (signed books are available from the online store); 2008 will see the publication of a major coffee table book entitled Concepts of Nature which will look at the first 10 years of his professional career. Andy writes regular monthly columns for photographic and internet magazines worldwide, plus a monthly equipment review column.
About the Author:
World renowned wildlife photographer Andy Rouse has long since had a passion for wild things. He has built his reputation on getting close, in fact very close to some of the world’s largest and most dangerous animals; in doing so, capturing some of the most exciting and evocative photographic images of wildlife found today. With a style all of his own, Andy is equally passionate about the message that his images convey and sees his work as contributing to the general appreciation of our precious wildlife, hopefully stimulating us all to act on their behalf.

DxO Optics Pro 5

Headlining the new features in DxO Optics Pro v5 is a brand new RAW conversion engine including a breakthrough demosaicing algorithm which produces images with much more detail and fewer unwanted artifacts. In a second major breakthrough, DxO Optics Pro v5 now applies its noise reduction techniques prior to demosaicing—before noise has a chance to be amplified by the RAW conversion process and become obtrusive.
DxO Optics Pro v5 also includes a “click once, clean many” dust/blemish removal tool as well a completely reorganized user interface to improve workflow and ease of use.
Previously unannounced, a handful of additional new features make DxO Optics Pro v5 even more of a time saver.
• Compatibility between DxO Optics Pro v5 and Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® has been deepened. DxO Optics Pro v5 can now read from and interact with image libraries from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, providing a more fluid workflow between these two popular applications.
• Using the new ‘Snapshot” feature; users can create several ‘virtual versions’ of an image to which they can apply different DxO Optics Pro corrections for processing.
With DxO Optics Pro v5, the library of camera bodies and lens correction modules expands to include the recently released Canon EOS 40D and selected lenses. In the coming months, the Canon 1Ds MKIII, Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 DSLR camera bodies will also be added to the more than 600 correction modules currently available.

Essentials 2 for Adobe Photoshop Elements

This updated version of onOne Software’s popular software suite includes technology from onOne Software’s newly acquired PhotoTune color correction software, and onOne Software’s Mask Pro, PhotoFrame, and Genuine Fractals software products fine-tuned specifically for Adobe Photoshop Elements.Essentials 2 for Adobe Photoshop Elements supports Adobe Photoshop Elements versions 4, 5 and 6 for Windows and Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 and 4 for Macintosh. onOne Software’s Essentials 2 is available as a free upgrade for all current users of Essentials for Adobe Photoshop Elements. Upgrade is available through the user’s automatic update upon launch of the program. It is also available for $59.95 for new users from onOne Software authorized distributors and resellers, or direct from onOne Software at http://www.onOnesoftware.com. In addition, for current users of Essentials, this free upgrade will not replace the previous Make it Better! tool featuring onOne Software’s Intellihance Pro, rather it will add a Make it Better 2! module using the technology found in PhotoTune to the user’s available plug-ins.

Serif PhotoPlus X2 Studio Pack

PhotoPlus X2 Studio Pack is the new Microsoft Windows Vista™ certified version of Serif’s award winning digital imaging powerhouse. This release brings even greater breadth to the photo fixing, image editing and creative power of PhotoPlus X2 while making the task of improving photos even easier thanks to impressive new automated helpers. Managing and sharing burgeoning image collections takes a step forward, too, with AlbumPlus SE Pro’s improved organising and search capabilities, attractive new printed projects, superb slideshows for sharing with friends and family, plus the option to purchase photo prints and gifts.
Top new PhotoPlus X2 Studio Pack features include:
• Automated Makeover Studio – Let PhotoPlus X2 help remove imperfections from portraits
• New Image Fixing Power – Improve photos with enhanced QuickFix Studio and new tools
• New Artistic Effects – Image effects such as Comic Book, Textures, and Vignette
• Slideshows and Photo Discs – Share photos and artwork with friends, family, and colleagues
• Photo Prints and Gifts – Order photo prints, canvases, or personalised photo gifts

The latest version of this professional photo slide show maker (version 3.2) brings exciting improvements.

With Version 3.2 photographers can share their slide shows in virtually any format and on any device making it easy to connect with clients or co-workers at home or on-the-go. There are no complicated format conversions, the fully-integrated system has dozens of device sharing options including playback on the latest iPod®, Blackberry® and ZuneTM devices. These options are in addition to the popular DVD, PC and Web format options already available in ProShow.

Outputting slide shows to a device is a simple streamlined process. Once a device is chosen for output, Producer generates a version of the slide show that is designed exactly for the type of device chosen; eliminating any complicated formatting and file conversions.

Devices Include:
* Media Players: iPod®, ZuneTM, Creative® Zen and more.
* Mobile Phones: Blackberry®, Apple iPhoneTM, Palm® TreoTM and more.
* Game Consoles: Xbox®, Nintendo® WiiTM and more.
* Set-Top-Boxes: Apple TVTMand Tivo®.

Also new to ProShow Producer 3.2 is the ability to use any PowerPoint remote to navigate through a live ProShow presentation. Using the new Keyboard Control feature, ProShow Producer lets users set custom keystrokes to specify the keyboard shortcuts used in PC Playback. Keyboard shortcuts can be synced with any PowerPoint remote to control a live presentation.
ProShow Producer 3.2 is available immediately from http://www.photodex.com for $249.95. Upgrades to the new version 3.2 are available for $89.95 and include an additional year of free upgrades. A free 15-day trial version of the software is available for download.

Douglas Software understood that there are allot of geeks out there who would like to calculate the exact value of some photographic parameters (useful for camera comparison and understanding the photo technology). Therefore, they released Camera Module for Windows. This software calculates various optical equations such as depth of field or hyperfocal distance to let photographers make more effective use of photographic equipment.

This software provides a photographer with instant assistance in solving many day-to-day optical equations such as angle of view for selected lens and film format combination, depth of field, including near focus, far focus, total depth of field and hyperfocal distance as well as image width and height. The Camera module covers 37 digital formats including 9 digital backs and 12 conventional film formats. With Camera module for Windows, both amateur photographers and professionals will be able to make a more effective use of their photographic equipment while leaving the complexity of optical calculations and formula in the background.

Example:
Let us say, for example, you want to know what the depth of the field is with a 35mm camera with a 100mm lens at a distance of 2 metres and a resolution of 5 lines per mm at an aperture of f8. Using the module, you specify the 35mm film format, select the resolution of 5 lines per mm. Then you should specify a focal length of 100mm, an aperture of f8 and the Manual option for Distance and enter 2. The programme will immediately respond with a calculated figure. The best thing in this software is that all your efforts are restricted to a few simple clicks when selecting the calculation options.

http://www.photo-software.com/downloads.htm

Because on-line video tutorials are the best way of learning something fast and effective, here’s some valuable informations:
xTrain is a growing on-line video training library that utilizes industry-leading instructors, authors, and experts. To get started for free, you can visit http://training.xtrain.com/free-classes. If you are ready to enroll in an Online Course or Class, you may choose $79 to access a specific course for 1 year or $29 a month to access all of xTrain.com’s creative training.

xTrain Courses include:
• Digital Photography: Digital Photography Hot Shots course by Rick Sammon
• Digital Photography: High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mastery course by Ben Willmore
• Digital Photography: Streamlining your Photograph Handling and Processing with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom course by Rob Sheppard
• Digital Photography: Photoshop for Photographers: Outdoor & Nature Photography course by Rob Sheppard
• Digital Photography: Digital Photography & Photoshop for Baby Boomers course by photography author and editor Rob Sheppard
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• Web Design: Photoshop for Web Designers course by Jason Cranford Teague
• Web Design: Web Design Process course by author, designer and art director Wendy Willard
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• Tivoli: ITM 6 Best Practices – a free class by consultant John Willis
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• Online Marketing: Social Media course and Social Media: Secrets of Podcasting course by social media consultant Giovanni Gallucci
• Online Marketing: Search Engine Optimization course by Tony Wright
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• Digital Arts: Traditional Drawing in a Digital Realm, RPG Concept Illustration in Painter X class by illustrator Ron Lemen
• Digital Arts: Drawing Fundamentals course with Ron Lemen
• Digital Arts: Painter X course with Ron Lemen
• Digtal Arts: Digital Drawing in Photoshop course with Ron Lemen
• Digital Arts: Traditional Drawing in a Digital Realm, Art of Skateboard Deck Design class by Ron Lemen
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• Adobe CS3 Software: Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory, Free Classes by Russell Brown
• Adobe CS3 Software: Photoshop CS3: Simplified & Easy course by Ben Willmore
• Adobe CS3 Software: Illustrator CS3: Unleash the Magic of Illustrator course by Chris Botello

Tags: on-line tutorials, video tutorials, photography tutorials, photography video tutorials