• Meanwhile, the Gigapan continued to take photos. They’d ruined the panorama, of course; the first guard got in front of the camera at one point and obstructed the view. They reiterated that we were going to be arrested, so I finally tried to shut off the camera. But the damn thing wouldn’t stop taking pictures. It never occurred to me that I’d have to learn how to abort a panorama under pain of arrest, so I fumbled for about a minute as it kept shooting pictures. (I think I heard Wright laughing at this point.)

    I managed to shut the camera, and started to disassemble the Gigapan from the tripod as a fourth security person arrived. He was dressed differently than the other three people, and had a former-marine-turned-middle-management air about him.

    Check it out here.


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    The included RF remote-control is ideal for easy, stealth-style photo shooting.

    Check it out here.


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  • Here are the GOLD winners from last weekends SPD awards in Photography.

    Check it out here.


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  • The idea behind Nik Software’s Viveza is quite simple. It implements what they call the U Point technology that allows for really easy and fast as well as precise and smooth color refinement, light adjustment and image enhancement that was previously possible only through a somewhat difficult and tedious editing process that involves a lot of layer masking or complicated selections. The U Point technology in Viveza now makes it painless to absolutely control certain portions of an image.

    Check it out here.


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  • It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. At the risk of sounding terribly cliche, I have to say that my understanding of war, the pain of war, the humanity that is able to rise above war, the valiant spirit of mothers and children caught in the midst of war….were ever so slight until I stumbled upon the miraculous work of the award-winning war photographer called Zoriah.

    Check it out here.


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  • These days, authors, artists, and photographers are likely to find one or more of their creative works used without permission. One defense to the purported infringement is often that it is a “fair use.” The challenge then is determining whether the unauthorized use is an infringement or fair use. While only a court of law can make that decision, understanding what makes a use “fair” will help you protect your work.

    Check it out here.


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  • Sometimes you only have a split second to take a famous photograph. One of my favorite stories that Michael shared with me about his father was when Ansel made perhaps his most famous photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, NM. This photograph is the highest sold at auction to date having sold at at Sotheby’s for $609,600 in 2006.

    According to Michael, Ansel saw this wonderful scene and pulled the car over to take the photograph (Michael was with him). Ansel then put his glass plate into his camera to make his exposure. Before Ansel even had time to pull the plate out and shoot a second exposure on the reverse side, the moment was lost. A one shot opportunity.

    Check it out here.


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    “How do I become a working photographer, and where do I get started?” I get asked that a lot. Turns out, there are as many answers as there are professional photographers. Here’s how John did it. Not John Doe, but John W. McDonough, one of the premier staff photographers at Sports Illustrated.

    If you’re not familiar with his name, you know his work. For more than 25 years, “Johnny Mac’s” photography has graced the pages of SI (including 70-some covers), each one depicting his vision, dedication and talent. From Super Bowls and Final Fours to the Olympics and the World Series, he’s lived a sports shooter’s dream. And it all began here in Arizona. Sort of.

    Check it out here.


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  • Software updates for almost all of its digital SLR software has been posted by Canon. Among the programs updated are Digital Photo Professional (DPP), EOS Utility and Picture Style Editor.

    Check it out here.


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  • Not every moment can be a Kodak moment, photojournalist Vincent Laforet said, which is why sometimes a photographer’s job is to make “something out of nothing.”

    Check it out here.


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  • HIMANSHU Vyas has won the IFRA Gold Award for News Photography for this picture of an Indian woman from a village near Jodphur breastfeeding a fawn and her daughter at the same time.

    Check it out here.


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  • The Story Behind the Photographs

    Each image awarded by World Press Photo tells its own story. But there is much more to tell. About what it was like to work in a war zone, or what restrictions were placed on a photographer at a major sports event. Or about what happened before and after a winning image was made. In our interviews with prize-winners you can hear the full story, first-hand.

    Check it out here. Thanks to Chris for the tip.


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  • Photography books seem to be finally having their heyday. With access to the distribution, promotion and production of books through online sources, it seems weekly I’m dazzled by another self published photographer and at the same time overwhelmed that I’m being so finicky about putting out my own. One could trace the enthusiasm to the gang at Photoeye, or the Dashwood Books, maybe even more likely is Martin Parr and Gerry Badgers excellent History of Photobooks books or perhaps simply the big publishers Aperture, Steidl, Schaden, Chronicle, Nazreali or the newer ones Loosestrife, Radius, etc., add to the mix fantastic Photobook blog 5b4 and it’s easy to see a small part of ‘why the boom’.

    Check it out here.


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  • So in checking on where they are photographers can look to find themselves in one of two existing modes or conditions. One condition might be what we call the Expansion Mode.

    Check it out here.


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  • Adobe today released an update to the Adobe Digital Negative specification (DNG), a publicly available archival format for the RAW files generated by digital cameras.

    This update provides new and expanded specifications that provide the digital imaging industry with increased flexibility and improved workflow for their RAW images. A DNG Codec for Windows Vista has also been released on Adobe Labs, allowing photographers utilizing the Windows Vista platform to work with raw files in a more seamless manner.

    Check it out here.


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    PDN welcomes you to another year in pictures. This year, the judges for PDN’s Photo Annual had the opportunity to choose from a vast array of entries from all over the world. The following pages showcase work from a diverse range of photographic talent, both new and seasoned.

    Check it out here.


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    Check it out here. Via BoingBoing.


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  • In light of the current uproar over the Pentagon’s “propaganda” program involving retired military officers deployed on the media, it is worth recalling that famed military reporter Joe Galloway took issue with the official line long before he retired nearly two years ago.

    In fact, two years ago this month he went out with a bang in a lengthy re-mail exchange with Pentagon spokesman (and a key cog in the “propaganda” program), Larry DiRita.

    Check it out here.


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  • Initially Larry Towell wished to document the birth of a nation, following the Oslo-Agreement. Instead he ended up documenting what he would later refer to as “the World’s largest open-air prison”. In 2001 he was given a small video camera and began to maintain a video diary while working in Israel and Palastine. In his 40 minute documentary “Indecisive Moments” – which won the “Achievement in Filmmaking for a Documentary” award at the 2007 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, also known as “the voice of indie film” – Larry Towell documents events and perspectives of those caught up in violence. The result is a highly personal documentary from the perspective of one of the world’s most acclaimed photojournalists. “Indecisive Moments” bridges the gap between artist and reporter bringing the viewer inside Towell’s highly stylized world.

    Check it out here.


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  • Two weeks ago, The Observer revealed how 17-year-old student Rand Abdel-Qader was beaten to death by her father after becoming infatuated with a British soldier in Basra. In this remarkable interview, Abdel-Qader Ali explains why he is unrepentant – and how police backed his actions. Afif Sarhan in Basra and Caroline Davies report

    Check it out here.


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