Some friends of mine told me they consider Adobe Photoshop too complicated and prefer working with a more basic photo editing software. However, Photoshop remains the most known picture editing software at a global scale. Further more, if you think that it will “eat” too many of your computer resources, here’s some good news:
An online version of popular photo editor Adobe Photoshop is currently in development, called Photoshop Express.
This comes in the advantage of the large number of Internet addicts and people who prefer more basic features. It’s not only about pictures that the Adobe staff thinks about, but also about movies and slideshows. Premiere Express (Flash-based application that can be accessed through sharing sites such as Photobucket and TestTube) is the motion version for Photoshop Express.
I’m still looking forward for an availability date of Photoshop Express.

Tags: adobe, adobe photoshop, photoshop express, premiere express

A new version of LightZone has been released this month. LightZone 3.1 is available as a free download for existing LightZone 3.0 Full and Basic users. The retail price is $249.95 for the Full version.
Let’s see what’s new, what improvements did the LightZone development team to the software.

With a single operation, users can now change the exposure of the sky in an image, sharpen only the yellow flowers in a field, or quickly modify the exposure of a face. This version further extends the selective editing capabilities of LightZone so that users can rapidly edit portions of photographs without altering surrounding details.
The enhancements in LightZone 3.1 include:
• Color and luminosity-based selections;
• More Intelligent Styles for quick experimentation
• Enhanced relight tool; and,
• Improved crop and rotate capability.

Tags: light zone, photo edit software, photo edit

Nikon Digital Learning Center on Flickr is a new interactive educational site, revolutionary for a camera possessor because of the Flickr imaging gallery system. It is aspected to grow fast to 50,000 users willing to learn and share.

As an extension of Nikon School, this online resource provides Flickr members with tutorials, practical photography tips and advice from Nikon photo professionals to assist them in taking the photos they’ve always dreamed of capturing.

Rosanne Pennella, Cliff Mautner, Nikon School instructors Reed Hoffman and Bill Durrence post images and interact with the community, so you can ask them questions about how they made those amazing photos. Learn exactly what you want from the techniques showed by Nikon experts.

Visit http://www.flickr.com/Nikon for more information.

Tags: flickr, nikon digital school, nikon flickr group, nikon flickr learning center

Nikon Updates Capture NX Tutorials
Capture NX is a software from Nikon that comes with a Nikon Digital Camera and helps improve and manage the pictures taken with the camera. The new tutorials include instructions on how to make contact sheets, soft proofs, borderless prints, auto levels contrast, and batch conversion of color profiles. Here is a link to these how-to (PDF files).

Sigma Releases SD14 Firmware 1.03
The updated software (firmware version 1.03 for its flagship SD14) fixes a bug that caused the camera to freeze during continuous shooting. The firmware also corrects issues with the battery power display on the top LCD panel. Download the update.

Casio Updates Z60 Firmware 1.01
Casio this month released firmware update version 1.01 for the EX-Z60 point-and-shoot model. The update adds support for 8GB SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) memory cards or higher, which allow users to store more images. Download Firmware.

Flickrvision Launches with Instant Photo Mapping
Following the photo sharing trend, a new real-time photo mapping website called flickrvision displays thumbnail previews (with the photographer’s name, location, and how long ago the photo was uploaded) of photos as users upload them to the photo-sharing website Flickr. This is an important release I think, since Flickr became very fast the most used photo sharing website.

Panasonic Announces New MOS Sensor
The new MOS image sensor, could potentially be used in automotive and security cameras because is resistant to weather, heat, and ultra-violet damage. This sensor changes out traditional dyed RGB color filters with photonic color filters, has a low power consumption and provides high image quality (look at this as a combination of the CMOS with CCD advantages).

Canon Launches Powershot S5 IS
Announced at the beginning of the month, this Digital Camera from Canon follows up the old S3 IS (an SLR-like design series with high zoom – 12x optical). The new S5 IS is updated from 6 megapixels to 8. The camera also upgrades from a 2-inch LCD screen to a 2.5-inch monitor. The updated screen is a Vari-Angle LCD that flips out and has brightness adjustments. It features Digic III processor (with Face Detection), new hand grip, new hot-shoe and new Auto ISO Shift.

DXG 711 Camera Announced
At the end of May, the 7-megapixel DXG-711 made an entrance to the world with a retail price of $149.99. The camera comes with audio voice memo and video capabilities, 15 scene modes and a max sensitivity of ISO 400.

New Forensic Filter Kit Available from FujiFilm
The kit contains the most common yet hard to find set of filters that most forensic specialists use during investigations. These filters are often used as barrier filters during UV fluorescing techniques. The filters are high quality glass and are sized for 67mm filter threaded lenses. More information on these filters here.

Tags: Fickr PhotoMapping, Flickrvision, Nikon Capture NX, Fujifilm Filter Kit, DXG 711, Panasonic MOS Sensor, Canon S5 IS, Sigma SD14 Firmware 1.03, Casio Z60 Firmware 1.01

If you have a camera capable of shooting in RAW format, you are probably familiar with the Adobe Camera Raw and DNG Converter. 4 days ago, Adobe announced the updates for its DNG Converter and Camera Raw applications, supporting Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 camera (one of my favorite compacts). The updated plug-in is available for the new Photoshop CS3, Elements 4.01 for Mac and Elements 5.0 for Windows systems.
Here’s the link for the update

Tags: Adobe Camera Raw, DNG, DNG Converter, RAW Converter, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8

Press Release: PALO ALTO, CA — March 19, 2007 — Light Crafts, creators of LightZone photoediting software, today announced the integration of LightZone with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture and Apple iPhoto. Beginning today, Light Crafts will offer LightZone Basic, its best-of-breed photo-editing package, for the discounted rate of $99.95 (regular price: $149.95) to Lightroom and Aperture users, enabling them to take advantage of patented visual editing technology seamlessly within these proprietary photo databases.
Following on the rapid success of Light Crafts award-winning Zone System-based LightZone software, Light Crafts is proud to offer film and digital photographers the next generation of powerful, yet easy to use photographic digital image editing tools.
Users simply select LightZone as the external photo editor from the preferences menu within Lightroom, Aperture or iPhoto to get started. From editing RAW photographs or JPEG, TIFF or DNG photos, LightZone’s intelligent editing features help adjust exposures, boost overall color, correct color shifts and white balance errors, selectively sharpen or blur images or parts of images, remove dust spots and reduce the noise often found in high-ISO digital images. LightZone is available in two versions, LightZone 2.0 and LightZone Basic. LightZone Basic is a best-of-breed photo editor. LightZone 2.0 is a complete photo editing and photo management suite, incorporating all the features of LightZone Basic, plus comprehensive workflow and photo management capabilities.

Drawing on principles behind the photographic Zone System and traditional darkroom film photography, LightZone 2 makes it simple and easy to bring out the true tone, color and contrast often hidden in digital images. Designed by photographers for photographers, LightZone 2 offers a rich set of powerful, yet easy to use digital editing tools. LightZone’s editing tools help reduce the noise often found in high-ISO digital images, correct color shifts and white balance errors, selectively sharpen or blur images or parts of images, remove dust spots and boost overall color to create beautiful, breath-taking images, letting the true talent of the photographer shine though.

“Light Crafts is fundamentally changing digital photo editing to reduce complexity and return control to photographers,” said Georges van Hoegaerden, chief executive officer, Light Crafts. “We’re introducing the power of visual photo editing to all photographers, independent of their photo management software environment.”
LightZone Basic and LightZone 2.0 are available for download at www.LightCrafts.com. A free 30 days trial also.

Tags: Light Zone, Light Crafts, LightZone, LightCrafts, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen told Forbes in a statement: “Creative Suite 3 will be introduced in the second quarter of 2007. There will be a lot of integration between Macromedia products and [Adobe] products as part of those offerings. By the time we launch CS3, the value of the two companies will be clear.” Adobe acquired Macromedia last year.
But, the suite is currently tracking for a release towards the end of March, ahead of the 2007 Photoshop World conference scheduled for April 4-6 at the John B. Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

However, this is sad news for the Mac fans who would have to wait for at least a year to get hold of the Photoshop that’s built to work on an Intel-powered Mac.
Apple is expected to move their entire range of Mac computers to the Intel platform within this year.
The key for Apple is to continue innovating, to continue receiving high marks in customer satisfaction, to continue as a platform for the creative individual / office, to continue to release cutting edge hardware, and to continue the slow but (I think) inevitable march toward greater market share. When Apple-generated apps like Keynote so vastly — and simply — trump the stuff produced by Redmond, people take note and often make the switch. The folks at Adobe know that the Mac market is big and will likely grow. As long as Apple continues to flourish, Adobe will be loathe to allow for much product differentiation.

Adobe Creative Suite (Premium or Standard edition) software is a highly efficient, unified design environment that combines the latest versions of Adobe’s professional design software with Version Cue , Adobe Bridge, and Adobe Stock Photos. It includes all-new Adobe Acrobat Professional software for the most up-to-date Adobe PDF file creation, collaboration, and automation tools. Creative Suite Premium also comes with Dreamweaver, the industry-leading web development tool.

Tags: Adobe Creative Suite 3.0, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe CS3, Adobe, Macromedia, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Apple

New Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software is the professional photographer’s essential toolbox, providing one easy application for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs so you can spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the lens, available at a prise of 200$.

Some features include:
• 150 camera raw formats support
• white balance, exposure, tone curves, lens distortion, and color casts adjustments
• organization of photos into collections
• generates sophisticated online web galleries and slide shows

Adobe ensures that adjustments you make to images in Lightroom won’t alter the original data, whether you’re working on a JPEG, TIFF, DNG, or camera raw file.

Tags: adobe, adobe photoshop, adobe photoshop lightroom, photo software