Rangefinder Magazine
February 2006
Click Here for printable version of this article.
Focus
Industry News
• Unique Leica and New Book Commemorate 9/11
At the prompting of Italian-born amateur
photographer, John Botte, Leica has
agreed to make a film camera that commemorates
the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The
Botte-designed camera is made from
a solid block of titanium. Botte, a New
York City detective, used his own Leica in
2001 to record the aftermath of the 9/11
tragedy. Although Botte contracted lung
disease following 9/11, he agreed with
HarperCollins to put out a book of his
best 9/11 images. That book is expected
sometime in 2006.
• In Memorium: Frederick Quellmalz
Frederick Quellmalz, 93, who founded the International Photography
Hall of Fame, died recently of pneumonia in his home.
A Princeton University graduate, Quellmalz had an abiding love
for photography, was active in founding the Photographic Society
of America, and was also instrumental in the PPA and the Photographic
Art and Science Foundation. He was also editor of the
PSA Journal and Professional Photographer magazines for several
decades.
• Chilcote Provides Katrina Relief
The Chilcote Company (Cleveland,
OH, 800/827-5679, www.chil
cotecompany.com), which manufacturers
numerous photography
industry brands, has made a contribution
of $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity in Houston, Texas. The donation is expected to build
50 permanent, single-family homes for those who have been displaced
by Hurricane Katrina and plan to remain in Houston.
The contribution was part of the company’s annual Employee-
Owner Recognition Day, which also kicked-off Chilcote’s 100-
Year Anniversary, a new logo and tagline—“Celebrating Our
First Hundred Years”—and a 15-month long series of company
recognitions, participations and events. Chilcote is parent to a
number of different photography-related companies, including
Taprell Loomis (TAP), Topflight Albums, Flora Professional Albums,
Wooden Nickel Albums, Crown Photo Products, Western
Photographic Supplies, Winthrop Products, Complements
Scrapbooks, and Culver Art & Frame.
• Software Partnership
StudioPlus Software LLC (www.
studioplussoftware.com), a leading
developer of digital workflow and
business-management solutions for
professional photographers, has entered
into a partnership with Soft-
Works Systems, Inc. and 9th Street
Codewerx, LLC (www.softworksroes.com), makers of ROES software.
The partnership and integrated software give professional
photo studios the ability to create orders and bill their customers
from StudioPlus software, and then easily send the order information
and images into the ROES software for cropping and transmitting
the order to the lab.
• Black and White Lives
The first Silver black-andwhite
photography conference
(800/225-8638, www.
calumetphoto.com) takes
place March 3–5 at the Art
Center College of Design
in Pasadena, California. The three-day conference, which includes
a print competition, commemorative book, workshops and social
events, is sponsored by Ilford Photo and Calumet Photographic
as a non-profit event benefiting Art Center's scholarship fund.
Participating speakers will include James M. Reilly, of the Rochester
Institute of Technology; fine art photographers Mona Kuhn
and Keith Carter; landscape specialists, Alan Ross and John Sexton;
people and lifestyle specialists Jeff Dunas and Michelle Dunn Marsh; and photojournalist Marisa Roth. Darkroom specialist
Les McLean, and educators George DeWolfe and Mary Virginia
Swanson will also be participating. Registration is $300. Photo
contest deadline is February 1.
• Call for Entries to 2006 Adobe Design Achievement
Awards
Adobe Systems Incorporated (San
Jose, CA, www.adobe.com), maker of
Photoshop and other industry standard
imaging applications, is calling
for entrees to the sixth annual Adobe
Design Achievement Awards. The
student design competition recognizes
the world’s most talented and
promising student graphic designers,
photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers and
computer artists from the top design, film, and broadcast institutions.
Students from 24 countries will participate this year. The
rules are simple: Using Adobe design environments (Creative
Suite 2 and Adobe Video Collection 2.5 applications), students
submit projects that are reviewed and scored by an independent
panel of judges. This year’s panel includes Leslie Allen from Cinergy
Creative, Julie Beeler from Second Story, Rodolphe Guenoden
from Dreamworks Animation, Diti Katona from Concrete Design
Communications, Masamichi Udagawa from Antenna Design
New York Inc., and Jan Wilker from karlssonwilker inc. Judges will
select winners based on originality and effectiveness in communicating
project objectives. Finalists will receive a trip to Toronto to
participate in the awards event and showcase their work. Award
winners will be announced from among the finalists at the awards
ceremony on July 20, 2006 in Toronto. Each winning entry will
receive a $5000 cash prize and a selection of Adobe software products.
All entries must be submitted by April 28. Additional details
are available at www.adobe.com/education.
• Manfrotto Local Heroes Teach
Manfrotto (www.manfrotto.
com), a leading manufacturer of
products for pro video and photography,
has developed a Local
Heroes section in its website to
recognize photographers that have
given back to the community. That includes participation in specific groups and associations or dedicating
time to photographic education by teaching or contributing
to journals and magazines. The company awards selected Heroes
with Manfrotto equipment.
• Epson Print Academy Returns
Epson (www.epson
printacademy.com)
is once again offering
one-day Print Academy
workshops; however,
this year the popular
program is divided
into two tracks. Track
1, a basic program, explains
how professional
photographers get great
prints using digital SLRs.
Participating photographers
include Vincent
Versace, John Shaw, Graham Nash, Greg Gorman, Jack Reznicki
and Jay Maisel, among others. Track 2 workshops are designed
for working professionals only and feature noted experts John
Paul Caponigro, Bruce Fraser, Greg Gorman, and video segments
by Julieanne Kost, Jeff Schewe and Mark Radogna among others.
One-day Print Academy seminars are scheduled through May 20
at selected cities throughout the United States, including Dallas,
Miami, Boston, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle,
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Minneapolis. Track 1 tuition
is $49.95; Track 2, $99.95.
• FujiFilm Donation
Fuji Photo Film
U.S.A., Inc. (Valhalla,
NY, www.fujifilm.com)
made a $50,000 donation
to Phelps Memorial
Hospital Center in
Sleepy Hollow, NY. The
donation went towards
the Hospital’s campaign
to build a new Emergency
Department that will be nearly three times larger than
at present. Stanley E. Freimuth, senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Fujifilm presented the gift to
Keith Safian, Phelps president and CEO.
• Additional Mike Colón Workshop
Noted photographer Mike Colón (Newport Beach, CA,
800/992-6650, www.mikecolon.com) has added one more fourday
intensive workshop to his 2006 schedule. The March 27–30
Newport Beach workshop will cover everything from digital
workflow and creative techniques to step-by-step sales and marketing
training, including live photo shoots and social activities.
Enrollment is limited to 20 students. Tuition is $1650.
• Michele Celentano Workshops
Leading wedding photographer Michele Celentano (Anthem,
AZ, 623/551-0042, www.michelecelentano.com)
will, for the first time, hold private photography
workshops at her Anthem, AZ, studio. The
three-day workshops will cover all aspects of
wedding photography, including booking, sales,
digital technology, post production, album and
online sales, as well as an actual mock wedding.
Lodging for three nights, welcome and farewell
dinners, and breakfasts and lunches are included in the $1500
cost. Class size is limited to 15 students. Workshop dates: Feb.
19–22, March 19–22.
• Hamilton Wins Tamron’s “Life Celebrations” Photo Contest
Tamron (Commack, NY, www.tamron.com) has selected Sherry
Hamilton of Rome, GA, as winner of the
company’s “Life Celebrations” 2005 photo
contest. Hamilton shot the winning entry (a
silhouetted father and child) with a Tamron
AF 28–300mm f/3.5–6.3 XR Aspherical LD
IF Macro lens and a film camera. Nearly 500
photographers participated in the contest.
Participants in the 2006 photo contest,
“It’s a Wild World,” are encouraged to capture
the best domestic or wild animal image.
Entries are open to U.S. residents only,
using a Tamron lens. The animal theme contest has an October
31 deadline. A complete list of rules can be found at the company’s
website. First place prize is a Tamron AF 18–200mm f/3.5–6.3
Di-II LD Aspherical IF Macro lens.
New Products:
• Photoflex Debuts Backdrop Kits
Photoflex Products Inc. (Watsonville, CA, www.photoflex.
com has entered the market for photographic and video backdrops
with a line of muslin backdrops and two backdrop kits. The
durable, washable muslin backdrop is
available in 10x12 and 10x20-foot sizes
and five solid colors (black, white, gray,
chroma-key blue, and chroma-key
green). Backdrop pricing ranges from
$134.95 to $299.95.
The First Studio BackDrop Support
Kit is geared toward the consumer market,
and features 12-foot-wide muslin,
canvas or paper backdrops, a pole that
extends to a width of 13 feet, two support stands that extend to a
height of nine feet and a carry bag. It has a list price of $249.95.
Designed for professional photographers and videographers,
the Photoflex ProDuty BackDrop Support Kit ships with 12-foot
rolls of seamless paper, muslin, or canvas backdrops, the same
rugged aluminum pole as in the First Studio kit, two support
stands that extend to a height of 12 feet, 6 inches, and a carry bag.
It lists for $274.95.
• New Top-loader Case From Pelican
Pelican Products (Torrance, CA, 800/473-5422, www.pelican.
com), a leading maker of professional cases, is marketing the new
1430 Top Loader Case. With nearly 1100 cubic inches of usable
storage space, the 1430 features a
unique top-loading design with a
rubber over-molded handle for
easy transport. It also has engineering-
grade polymer, cell-core
construction, a polymer O-ring
for dust and waterproofing, dual
action latches that have been tested
to a failure threshold of nearly
400 pounds, and a pressure-balancing,
moisture-fighting, automatic
Gore-Tex purge valve. The
case will also be available with
optional features such as a shoulder strap, lid organizer, “mobile
office” file holder kit, and padded dividers for photography and
computer equipment.
• PhotoBandito Creates Works of Art
MediaStreet Inc. (Deer Park, NY, www.mediastreet.com), a
manufacturer of matched inkjet media, recently introduced Photo
Bandito.com, an online service that
“takes” images and converts them into
works of art. PhotoBandito gives consumers
creative and artistic ways to share
their favorite photographs with friends and
family. The service supports prints up to 30x40
inches on museum-quality canvas, box-mounted to create true
works of art that are ready for hanging. All ordering is done online
using simple, easy-to-follow menus.
• Wacom Unveils New Graphics Tablets
Wacom Technology Corp. (Vancouver, WA, www.wacom.com)
is unveiling a number of new graphics tablets, including the Intuos3
12x19. This new tablet was designed specifically for photographers,
designers and graphic artists
who are using multiple large monitors or a
large widescreen display such as the 30-in.
Apple Cinema HD display. With physical
dimensions of about 17x24 inches and an
active area of 228 square inches, the 12x19
provides optimal pen control and efficient use of the entire tablet.
Using the new Intuos3 12x19 with the Cintiq 21UX lets users
navigate seamlessly across multiple monitors (including the Cintiq)
with a single pen. The new tablet also includes QuickPoint, a
unique feature for extra-fast navigation. .
• DxO Image Masters Showcase Online
DxO Labs, creator of the DxO Optics Pro software, is now
showcasing their online photographic gallery, DxO Image Masters.
The gallery presents the work of professional photographers
and rising stars from around the world who integrate DxO Optics
Pro into their workflows. This powerful
software allows photographers to automatically
enhance images and correct
color, contrast, blur, optics and more. To
view comparisons of freshly captured images
and images enhanced with DxO Optics
Pro, visit www.dxo.com.
• Tenba Introduces Cases for Profoto Lighting Gear
Tenba (Elmsford, NY, www.tenbagear.com.) has added cases for
Profoto lighting equipment to its collection of maximum-protection
transport and shipping cases. The cases are geared towards professional photographers who need
protective, lightweight transportation solutions
for moving high-end photo equipment
to and from studios and locations.
The new cases are available in sizes and
configurations to fit a variety of Profoto
Pro-7 generator and head combinations,
as well as the company’s small, medium
and large StripLights.
Tenba and Profoto USA are distributed
by the same company (MAC Group).
Profoto’s presence in the lighting business
has grown exponentially in the past few
years, and with that growth has come an
increased demand for custom-fit storage
and transport products. Suggested retail
prices for the Roadshow Profoto cases
range from $480 to $1100.
• Shutterfly’s New Offerings
Shutterfly, the popular online photo
service for organizing images and ordering
prints, has recently expanded its line of
services. Their recently relaunched online
store allows customers to browse products
and create photo gifts without registering
for a Shutterfly account. Shutterfly currently
offers PhotoShow DVDs complete
with music, transitions and other effects;
Photo Books (both hardcover and softcover)
printed on acid-free paper; custom
calendars; holiday cards; and children’s
picture books. For details visit the new
www.shutterfly.com/store.
• GretagMacbeth Eye-One iO
Scanning Table
GretagMacbeth (Regensdorf, Switzerland,
www.gretagmacbeth.com or www.
i1color.com) recently introduced the fast, automated, versatile and affordable Eye-
One iO Scanning Table. The new Eye-
One iO takes chart-reading automation
to an unrivaled level of speed and versatility,
measuring more than 400 patches per
minute and accommodating various substrates
up to 10mm thick, rendering the
award-winning Eye-One system one of the
most complete solutions available for diverse
color measurement and color management
needs. The Eye-One iO is fully
compatible with every Eye-One Pro.
• New D19W QTTL Adapter for
Hasselblad H1/H2 Series
Quantum Instruments’ (Hauppauge,
NY, www.qtm.com) new QTTL D19w
adapter links the Hasselblad H1, H1D, H2
and H2D to Quantum’s Qflash. The new
adapter interfaces with the Qflash T5d,
T4d, T2D, X2D & X4D “Digital” flashes to
provide full dedication to these pro models.
Features include wireless TTL, TTL
ratio/fill-flash, wired TTL, auto ratio/fillflash,
autofocus assist, rear-curtain sync,
pre-flash metering, shutter speed control
and viewfinder-ready indicator.
• Digital Workflow Training for
Professional Photographers
Software Cinema (San Diego, CA, www.
software-cinema.com) has announced
a training series on DVD-ROM featuring
award-winning photographer Eddie
Tapp. Created for the professional digital
photographer, this 48-part series on three
DVDs covers both fundamental and advanced
techniques for establishing project
workflow efficiency by utilizing the refined
features of Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe
Bridge and the Adobe Camera RAW plugin,
along with exceptional methods for manipulating
color schemes.
Each of the interactive learning sessions
guides professional photographers stepby-
step through proven methods that expedite
the planning and creative process,
while maintaining the highest level of image quality in the finished work. With this
series, photographers will master powerful
techniques and discover invaluable shortcuts
for streamlining the entire workflow
process, sharpening skills that can be applied
daily. The Eddie Tapp release is the latest in
Software Cinema’s CS2 Product-On-Disc
line. Other training series authors include:
Julieanne Kost, Jack Davis and Jane Connerziser.
Software Cinema’s CS2 Product-On-
Disc series featuring Eddie Tapp is available
now. DVDs are available for $99 each, with
discounts for multiple sets.
• The Ultimate Messenger Bag
Adobe and Medium Design Group
have come up with the Ultimate Messenger
Bag, designed for creative and design
professionals. The limited-edition bag is
made to carry the essential design tools,
accessories and technology necessities
that creative professionals use everyday.
The carry-all balances form and functionality
with style and elegance. Produced in
striking black leather and outlined in red
stitching, the bag can hold a 17-inch laptop,
folders, PDAs, keys, cell phones and
more. MP3 players fit perfectly into a dedicated
pocket, which includes specially designed
buttonholes and hooks to allow users
to route headphone cables outside the
bag. A roll-top closure and a unique rain
cover protect valuables from the elements
and safeguard must-have items. Available
exclusively at at Barneys New York and
adobe.mediumdesigngroup.com, the bag
has a suggested retail price of $250.
• LaserSoft’s DC Pro Studio
LaserSoft Imaging (Longboat Key, FL,
www.silverfast.com) is introducing Silver-
Fast DC Pro Studio, an imaging applications
that runs on both Macs and PCs. SilverFast
is an entirely color-managed RAW
workflow that doesn’t a require super computer
with an extraordinary configuration
to run it. The combination of DC Pro’s
Virtual Light Table and Printao offer the
ability to capture, organize, edit, print and
archive all with SilverFast’s powerful editing
features. Download a fully functional
demo version at www.silverfast.com/show/
silverfast-dcpro-studio/en.html.
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