Adobe made a major update by adding new features to more than one product under their license. I’m talking about the widely used Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Camera Raw.

One of the reasons for this update is the fact that the new versions, Lightroom 1.3 and Camera Raw 4.3 include raw file support for seven additional digital cameras including the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, Canon PowerShot G9, Nikon D3, Nikon D300, Olympus E-3, Olympus SP-560 UZ, and Panasonic DMC-L10. Lightroom 1.3 provides improved support for Apple Leopard Mac OS X 10.5, fixing known compatibility issues.

Further, the Lightroom 1.3 update provides added support for Apple(r) Leopard(tm) Mac OS X 10.5 and includes a technology preview of the Lightroom Export SDK, available as a separate download on the Adobe Labs site. Lightroom Export SDK preview allows for the development of third-party plug-ins that will enable communication from the Lightroom 1.3 Export Dialog to third party tools, Web sites or devices.

NEED TO KNOW:
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.3 update is available as a free download for existing customers here. The Photoshop Lightroom Export SDK technology preview is available as a separate download on the Adobe Labs site. Photoshop Lightroom can be purchased in the United States and Canada through the Adobe Store at the Adobe Store and at major photo and software retailers for a price of US $299.

Tags: adobe, adobe lightroom, adobe camera raw, adobe lightroom 1.3, lightroom 1.3

Plugin Galaxy 2 is a plugin for creating special effects and enhancing images with the help of more than 160 basic effects. Compatible with dozens of graphics applications including Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop Elements, PhotoPlus, Photo-Paint, IrfanView and PhotoImpact, it provides filters for transparency manipulation, blurring, texture and pattern generation, noise creation, mirroring and warping. It also includes metal, chrome, neon, pop art, glass, page curl, rainbow, sunshine, sunset and star effects and lets you enhance, colorize, add edges to your photos and even encrypt them. There are also effects like feedbacks, grids or zooming. Additionally Plugin Galaxy includes presets for creating fire, rain, snow, water surface, metallic text, contrast and frame effects as well as rendering cosmic scenes.

Plugin Galaxy 2 offers four modes for adjusting the effects from the simple Novice Mode to the sophisticated Expert Mode. The Classic Mode is very similar to the previous version of Plugin Galaxy and the Manual Mode makes all essential controls available without switching between tab sheets. You can also apply the same effect to a large number of images by batch processing them in Cloak Mode and the effects are accessible from a single dialog.

The Play button generates random animations in the preview for exploring the possibilities of the 160+ main effects and the Jump button produces random filter settings.
With the Layers feature you can also apply multiple effects to the image without leaving the Plugin Galaxy dialog.
Additionally you can save filter settings as preset files and open them for later use. 400 presets are already included with Plugin Galaxy. Many Plugin Galaxy effects also affect the transparency of image layers, which offers further possibilities.

Version 2 of Plugin Galaxy is only available for Windows at the moment (also compatible with Windows Vista), while the Version 2 for MacOS X is planned. Price: $69.95 (Regular License) or $39.95 (Academic/Educational License). It can be purchased at http://www.thepluginsite.com/products/plugingalaxy/. A demo version with a few free effects is available for users to try out.

Tags: photoshop plugin, plugin galaxy, paint shop pro plugin, IrfanView plugin, photo plugin, photo effects, photo filters

The Royal Photographic Society gathered the best images in order to create it’s first book, a ‘coffee table’ book presenting the work of The Society and its members. This portfolio will be published before Christmas in a number of 3,000 copies and it is expected to receive a high demand from the buyers. Portfolio One comprises 240 pages (with dimensions 24 x 26.5cm) and is limited edition, full colour, high quality, hard bound and printed with a black cover. It is available for purchase from http://www.rps.org at a cost of £30 plus p&p.

Portfolio One features work from top contemporary practitioners, like Honorary Fellows David Bailey CBE, Art Wolf and Steven Pyke, to historical figures like Roger Fenton, first Secretary of The Society. As with the Society it represents, the range of work covered by Portfolio One is huge, from the hard-hitting and sometimes disturbing photojournalism of Honorary Fellows Dennis Thorpe, Susan Meiselas, and Tom Stoddart, to the accomplished pictorialism of the Charnock family: Phil FRPS, Gwen FRPS and Chris ARPS.

RPS Portfolio One can be considered a time capsule indicative of the styles, genres and standards inherent in The Society at this time. Founded in 1853, The Royal Photographic Society was present at the very infancy of photography. Throughout its history, it has been involved with the publication of many fine books and journals, which have chartered the changes in photographic practice over more than a century and a half.

Contents
•Portfolios by Honorary Fellows Heather Angel,
David Bailey, Darren Heath, Susan Meiselas,
Steve Pyke, Tom Stoddart, Denis Thorpe and Art
Wolfe.
•Members’ portfolios by the Charnock family, Ken Keene FRPS, Tim Rudman FRPS and Deng Wei FRPS.
•Illustrated articles by Jane Fletcher on Roger
Fenton and the Origins of the Society, Ten Processes That Changed Photography, and the recent acquisitions for the Tyng Collection of work by Mark Power and Trevor Crone.
•Photographic Anomalies of the Apollo Programme by Robin Jenkin PhD ASIS FRPS and Mark Richardson BSc.
•Selection of images from recent Society exhibitions, including the 150th International Print Exhibition.
•Contributions from Regions, Overseas Chapters and Groups.
•Images from recent Licentiateships, Associateships, and Fellowships.
•Members’ Gallery, comprising a large selection of the 2500 images submitted, including tributes to Adi (Eddy) Sethna FRPS and Barrie Thomas FRPS, past Vice Presidents who died in 2006.

Tags: Royal Photographic Society, photo album, portfolio

Microsoft Corp. launched this week the next generation of Windows Live with a new set of tools and services.
Now you can share your media data with anyone, from anywhere, who have Web access across multiple devices. This release was based on a Harris Interactive Inc. study commissioned by Microsoft, a study that came out with the fact that more than two out of three online consumers (67 percent) agree that they would use an all-in-one service with a single username and password for organizing and managing everything they do online.
Chris Jones, corporate vice president of Windows Live Experience Program Management at Microsoft, gives a quit excerpt of the impact of upgrading to the new Windows Life version: “This new generation of Windows Live brings great enhancements to popular services like Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Spaces while introducing new, fun experiences with digital photos, planning and sharing events, publishing to the Web, and keeping in touch with friends that we think our customers will really enjoy.”

The Windows Live set of services is composed of several free PC applications connected to services delivered over the Internet. Windows Live is available in one simple download experience that enables consumers to choose any or all of the Windows Live applications they want, and keep their software and services up to date as Microsoft and the rest of the industry continue to deliver new innovations over time.
http://www.windowslive.com

Communicate. Stay close and connected how you want, wherever you are.
• Windows Live Mail. This desktop mail application provides users with easy access to their Hotmail account, the ability to aggregate multiple inboxes from other accounts such as AOL and Gmail and combine multiple contact lists into one, and simple access using a mobile phone. With the new @live.com e-mail address space, consumers have an opportunity for a new, cool e-mail address.
• Windows Live Messenger. Next-generation instant messaging with sharing, video calling and voice over Internet protocol capabilities makes communication easier, more personal and more fun.**
• Windows Live Spaces. Users can make memories with family and friends by creating photo albums, blogs, lists of favorites and links to personal videos.

Safety. Enjoy a worry-free computing experience with built-in safety features.
• Windows Live OneCare Family Safety. This provides tools to help parents protect children from inappropriate online content and contacts.

Tags: windows life, share, photo share

I’ve been looking for a photography book regarding photojournalism and from all the offers around, I decided that “Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism” has the best quality/price rating. There are some books allot more expensive that don’t add much more to the basic information found in this 224 pages handbook. It’s a good book for someone who’s just getting start in the business of newspaper photography.
Others share my opinion: “It is a pleasant, informative read, not overtly technical & fairly priced.”

This second edition, written by Brian Horton, is a guide to the art and craft of making excellent news photos, teaching you how to do portraits, sports shots, battlefield scenes, and other specialized shots like war, natural disaster, politics, crime, disease (considered in different chapters and each having an interview with a photographer). Furthermore, the author gives insight into the philosophy behind photojournalism and how to capture timeless moments forever.

Brian Horton not only relies on his experience for writing this book, but also experiences of other award-winning photojournalists. I appreciate this impartiality allot because it allows the reader to see more than one point of view in a single book. With the help of more than 100 photographs from the Associated Press archives, he analyzes what constitutes successful news photos of every type (like I already said: portraits, tableaux, sports shots, battlefield scenes, and more), as well as offering tips on how to develop a style of your own.

The focus of this book is on how to create simple, clean images that tell the immediate story of the day by teaching how to think from a photojournalist perspective and assuming that you know the basics on how to actually take a photo. For example, a story telling photographer requires a skill experience, insight, anticipation, inventiveness, & passion. But technical details next to the image talking are also present: from telephoto lenses as 80-200 zoom to provide close-ups without intrusion to the 24 mm wide-angle to fill the frame by getting into the subject’s face & personal space.
One more thing left to say: the author’s opinion indicating that “the content of a photograph will never be changed or manipulated in any way” will probably force you even more to take better shots from the camera and not in the post-process.

Tags: photojournalism, photography book, associated press, associated press guide to photojournalism, guide to photojournalism, brian horton

Aperture 1.5 is a all-in-one post-production software tool for serious photographers who use Mac systems. Aperture — enthusiastically adopted by some of the world’s finest professional photographers — set the standard for professional photo management applications. It is indeed a complete software that is a pleasure working with. More than that, it’s flexibility relies upon the fact that Aperture lets you install and take advantage of third-party extensions for sharing, storing, printing, publishing, and selling your photographs in exciting new ways.

Using its comprehensive collection of tools, you can easily import, manage, edit, catalog, organize, adjust, publish, export, and archive your images easily and with quality. Non-destructive adjustment tools let you fine-tune exposure; check and adjust Levels; modify White Balance; adjust hue, saturation, and luminance on a color-by-color basis; sharpen edges; modify highlights and shadow values; crop, straighten, reduce noise, correct red-eye, and eliminate dust.

When it comes to powering through a large shoot and making critical decisions, no single application offers the collection of compare-and-select tools you’ll find in Aperture since it lets you work Full Screen or even on multiple screens.
Not only that you can improve hundreds of thousands of images, but Aperture lets you choose the best way to store them by consolidating into a single library that Aperture manages for you. Aperture also offers simple yet powerful tools for assigning metadata. In fact, you can begin the process on import, and presets let you fill metadata fields enmasse.

The latest version provides RAW support for more than 70 camera models — from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, and other leading manufacturers. Also, Aperture automatically creates “versions” of your “master” images to preview, crop, color correct, sharpen, and apply other modifications to, such that your RAW originals remain perfectly safe with no change of a single pixel in them. It’s also noticeable that when you export RAW images, Aperture also exports their associated metadata in XMP sidecar files, making it easy for applications — like Photoshop — to pick up and use that metadata.

Further, after processing and organizing images, a full complement of output options, lets you quickly and easily create contact sheets, printed portfolios, books, or customized prints. Print them yourself, or order professional prints and books without leaving Aperture. By taking advantage of a new drag-and-drop JPEG export feature, you can quickly take an image from your Aperture library and incorporate it in an iWeb photo blog, Keynote presentation, Motion animation, iDVD slideshow, or cut away in iMovie HD or Final Cut Pro.

Export API feature helps you to connect Aperture with a variety of output, storage, and publishing services via third-party plug-ins, creating custom workflows that use Aperture as your front end. Aperture can also work hand-in-hand with Automator to help you create automated workflows.

The latest update (as in October 2007) is Apple Aperture 1.5.6 which addresses issues related to performance, improves overall stability, and supports compatibility with Mac OS X Leopard v10.5. In detail:
- Resolves some minor compatibility issues with iPhoto 7.1, which organizes images by Event rather than Roll.
- Addresses issues related to metadata and sort order when sharing previews with iLife Media Browser.
- Improves reliability of queries based on Import Session.
- Addresses reliability when recovering an Aperture Library from a Vault.

Tags: apple aperture, aperture, aperture photo software, photo software, photography software, mac photo software

Scott Kelby, the award-winning author (world’s #1 best-sellling author of all computer and technology books) of more than 40 books on Photoshop, digital imaging, and technology, releases a new book: 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3. This one is ment to be a guide to the seven most important and essential Photoshop techniques. It breaks the Photoshop process down to just seven simple, yet powerful, techniques.

Scott begins each lesson with an untouched, original photo just as it came out of the camera and then takes the reader through each of the seven steps so they can see and learn The System in context. Scott’s 7-Point System gives Photoshop users a road map that they can easily apply to each and every photo they open, so they know exactly where to start, what to do next, and so on until they have a beautiful finished print.

Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 has a retail price of $49.99 US.
Berkeley-based Peachpit publishing industry is responsable for bringing this book into the shelfs. Its award-winning books feature step-by-step explanations, time-saving techniques, savvy insider tips, and expert advice for computer users of all sorts. It is the home of the internationally recognized Visual QuickStart Guide series, the design imprint New Riders and its highly popular Voices That Matter series, and is the publishing partner for Adobe Press, lynda.com, NAPP, Apple Certified, AIGA Design Press and others.

Tags: 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3, scott kelby, photoshop book, photo manipulation, photoshop

OLYMPUS Studio 2 supports professional photographers and engaged amateurs to get perfect results out of their images within a minimum of time. The software provides various functions and powerful tools to assist your workflow, such as examining and selecting the best shot from a large number of images, searching for a desired image from folders and albums, editing and processing images you have shot, printing pictures, etc.

Features:
- PC-control of the camera
- Image editing functions
- Batch processing
- Rapid processing of RAW files
- Automatic tone adjustment

Olympus Studio 2.1 (the new version of Olympus’ professional workflow software, with added support for the E-3 DSLR) includes the following improvements:

- Support for “E-3” DSLR
- Added “Add IPTC Information” function under Transfer Images, RAW Development and Batch Processing.
- Added New skin (Professional) which is the most suitable for viewing and sorting photos.
- Added the function to show Pop-up Information for a file.
- Improved the function to narrow down by Color Mark.
- Improved the operability of the function to sort images.
- Added the function to display the background processing status in the status bar.
- Added the function to select the next operation after saving files.
- Improved the display speed in Thumbnail Area (Windows).

There is a 30 days Trial, and it can be downloaded here.

Tags: OLYMPUS Studio Photo, OLYMPUS, photo editing software, OLYMPUS Studio Photo trial

Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX

Most Nikon camera users process their images with Capture NX software that provides direct control over any region in a digital image and enables selective editing or enhancements without complicated layer masking techniques. Capture NX works with TIFF and JPG files and provides superior processing of Nikon’s RAW format, which is the main reason for the wide use of this software. Image edits are fully non-destructive and can be modified at any time and in any order, even after the file has been closed and reopened. File sizes do not substantially increase no matter how many edits are added to the original image.

In order to make processing easier and more pleasant, Nik Software, Inc. (established in 1995, it has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals) announced a new powerful photo editing software bundle designed specifically for professional and advanced amateur photographers: Color Efex Pro 2.0, an award-winning package.

“Professional photographers and advanced amateurs have recognized Nik Color Efex Pro as a big part of their photographic workflow because of its simplicity and power. Bringing Color Efex Pro 2.0 and Capture NX together offers photographers an easy to use and complete photo editing solution,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software, Inc. Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX includes 75 award-winning filters that offer a tremendous range of traditional and stylistic photo enhancements.

• Capture NX and Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX are available via electronic purchase in the United States for $329.95 (purchased separately) or together for a limited time at a $30 discount.
• Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX Complete Edition (75 filters total): $179.95
• Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX Select Edition (45 filters total): $99.95
• Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX Standard Edition (19 filters total): $59.95
• Capture NX: $149.95

Capture NX and Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX run on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. To purchase and to find out more about this software package go to http://www.niksoftware.com/nxbundle.
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Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Photoshop

On the other hand, Photoshop users can now upgrade to Color Efex Pro 3.0, the latest version of Nik Software’s award-winning Color Efex Pro collection of photographic filters for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, which integrates Nik Software’s patented U Point technology for precise selective editing control (Using U Point powered Control Points, you can make selective corrections or enhancements by placing a Control Point directly on any part of an image – such as sky, skin, grass, or a building – and adjusting the level of opacity of the effect on that specific part of the image), includes new and updated filters, and features a completely redesigned user interface.
Notable features in Color Efex Pro 3.0 also include a Filter List organized by photography styles, a resizable window that easily accommodates large monitor sizes, large before/after image previews, a Navigator Loupe, and the ability to save favorite filter sets. Photographers and photo enthusiasts of all skill levels will be able to use Color Efex Pro 3.0 for such tasks as traditional filter enhancements, color correction, image retouching, creative enhancements, and more. Color Efex Pro 3.0 also supports Photoshop’s layer masks and is optimized for pressure sensitive devices such as Wacom® pen tablets.
Color Efex Pro 3.0 is available in three versions:
• Complete Edition is $299.95;
• Select Edition is $159.95;
• Standard Edition is $99.95.

Tags: Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX, Color Efex Pro 2.0, Capture NX, Color Efex Pro, color efex

A new set of Photoshop actions (called Travel & Landscape Workflow Action Pack) have been added to the shop at That’s My Monkey, a website for digital photographers. The Travel & Landscape Workflow Action Pack is available for $89.95. That’s My Monkey also offers a Wedding and Portrait Workflow Action Pack – also $89.95 – and a Master Sharpener Action Pack for $19.95. Here’s a link to their website.

The Action Pack includes tools for improving skies, mimicking the effects of traditional filters like polarizers and graduated neutral density filters, and offers several options for monochromatic and toned conversions.

There are also actions for resizing and rotating images, adjusting contrast and saturation, correcting color balance and more.

Most of the filters in the Travel & Landscape Workflow Action Pack are also customizable. By using the “undo” command after running the majority of these actions, two layers are created; the lower is your original image and the upper is the action affected version. This allows you to decrease the effect created by the action by lowering the opacity of the upper layer. In the case of the toned conversions, many interesting effects can also be achieved by changing the layer blend mode of the upper layer.