Rangefinder Magazine
January 2006
Click Here for printable version of this article.
Focus
Industry News
• Almost Alone With David Williams
David A. Williams offers a unique learning opportunity with his
intimate three-day workshop entitled, “Almost Alone With David A.
Williams.” Limited to 20 attendees, the workshop will provide “three
days of practical professional photographic education for wedding and
portrait photographers.” The workshop will be held at John Bonner’s
studio in Banff, AB, Canada, Jan. 31–Feb. 2 ($675 Canadian) and at
Peggy Bair’s studio in Kansas, Feb. 6–8 ($550). For more information
contact dwhworks@bigpond.net.au.
• P.H.O.T.O. Foundation Update
Our friends at the P.H.O.T.O. Foundation (Photographic Industry
Helping Others To Overcome) report that contributions in support
of Gulf Coast photographers devastated by Hurricane Katrina surpassed
$100,000 thanks to the industry’s generous response. Dozens
of displaced photographers applied for assistance and received grants,
making the holidays a little happier and prospects for the new year a
little brighter. Donations are hard at work rebuilding lives and helping
make ends meet. The expressions of gratitude are numerous and
include these comments: “You all have made a difference in our lives,”
from a Long Beach, Mississippi, photographer; “This awful Katrina
experience has been an eye-opener in many ways… The support we
have received has been more than imaginable,” from a Slidell, Louisiana,
photographer; and “I will never forget what you have done for me
and my business,” from a Biloxi, Mississippi, photographer.
The needs of our impacted colleagues are still significant, and
the Foundation is still accepting contributions and aid applications.
Send checks to P.H.O.T.O. Foundation, P.O. Box 611, Deerfield, IL
60015, or visit www.photofoundation.net to contribute online or apply
for assistance.
• Power Marketing Super Conference Announces 2006 Dates
Reed College in Portland, Oregon, will be the site for the 2006
Power Marketing Super Conference, featuring over 30 hours of programming
and three days of tradeshow. The line-up includes Larry
Peters, Skip Cohen, Mitche Graf, Sandy Puc, Greg Stangl, Sarah Petty,
plus several others. The PMSC was created to provide professional
photographers of all concentrations the opportunity to come together
once a year and immerse themselves in quality sales and marketing
education. The event also will feature a three-day tradeshow, personalized
marketing critiques, early bird sessions and evening bonus
programs. The $299 registration includes all programming, meals and
$50 of “Trade Show Bucks.” The second person from the same studio can purchase a buddy-pass for only $199. For more information or to
register, log onto www.powermarketing101.com or call Power Marketing
101 at (888) 544-4149.
• Blossom Publishing Offers Free Shipping
Effective December 1, 2005, all orders placed through Blossom
Publishing (Winona, MN, www.blossom-publishing.com) will be
shipped freight free! “We are constantly looking for effective ways to
help support the professional photographic community. Removing
the freight costs gives photographers the additional support to allow
them to just focus on the quality of their material without worrying
about the cost of shipping,” says Dan Trainor, president of Blossom
Publishing.
• Wedshooter.com
Looking for a new way to keep your business on the cutting edge?
It’s time to check out wedshooter.com. This weblog, built by the industry’s
leading web designers, Big Folio, offers a growing collection of
articles by industry leaders Joe Buissink, Bambi Cantrell, Skip Cohen,
Mike Colón, Tony Corbell, Mitche Graf and Yervant. This stellar cast
of industry educators offers fresh content and insights into their success.
Bring your work, and your business, right to the edge of the envelope!
• HP Launches “Color Control Freak” Seminar to Provide
Designers With Creative Perspectives on Digital Color
Hewlett-Packard, in cooperation with GretagMacbeth and the
Graphic Intelligence Agency (GIA), will sponsor an upcoming digital
color seminar for graphic designers, art directors, professional photographers
and marketing professionals. Other partners include Eizo,
Quark, Adobe, Pantone and HOW magazine. The “Color Control
Freak” seminar will share creative perspectives and color knowledge
with attendees in 20 North American cities Jan. 19–Feb. 28. Through
interactive discussions and real-world examples, customers will learn
how to use the new QuarkXPress 7 and Adobe Creative Suite 2 to
specify color, accurately preview colors on screen, and ensure that designs
are reproduced correctly on high-quality printers, such as the HP
Designjet large-format printer series. They will learn how to leverage
the latest technologies, including color measurement devices, monitor
calibrators, profiling software, color standards, RIP workflows and
color sharing applications. All attendees will receive a complimentary
Designer’s Color Toolkit (equal in value to the registration fee).
Attendees can register online at www.graphintel.com/control
freak/ or call toll-free (888) 439-4403 to speak with seminar coordinators
and register by phone. The 9 a.m.–4 p.m. “Color Control
Freak” seminar costs $299 per attendee and includes lunch and the
Designer’s Color Toolkit. Attendees who register by January 19 will save $30 by using the coupon code “toucan” when registering online
or by phone. Cities/dates are as follows: Cincinnati (Jan. 19), Portland
(Jan. 24), Boston (Jan. 24), San Francisco (Jan. 26), New York
(Jan. 26), Dallas (Jan. 31), Philadelphia (Jan. 31), Denver (Feb. 2), Toronto
(Feb. 2), Kansas City (Feb. 7), Charlotte (Feb. 7), Minneapolis
(Feb. 9), Washington, D.C. (Feb. 9), Chicago (Feb. 14), Orlando (Feb.
14), Detroit (Feb. 16), Atlanta (Feb. 16), Seattle (Feb. 21), Los Angeles
(Feb. 23), and Nashville (Feb. 28).
• PhotoVision Offers WPPI Special Benefit
WPPI is pleased to announce an exciting new member benefit to
old and new members alike: PhotoVision. You will get six two-hour
PhotoVision DVDs packed full of valuable information and terrific
ideas designed for seasoned professionals and aspiring photographers
alike. Hosted by Ed Pierce, PhotoVision is a great learning tool
featuring some of the best photographers in the business. You’ll visit
the studios and locations of these leading artists as they share their
unique posing and lighting techniques and their innovative marketing
and sales strategies. You’ll see full portrait sessions and go on complete
weddings. You’ll stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest advancements
in the industry through workflow and hardware reviews. And
you’ll learn the nuances of the newest software applications with tutorials
illustrating proven tips and tricks. In its eighth successful year,
PhotoVision is like having a seminar in your studio, and now it can
be yours free with your WPPI membership (you pay just $5 per issue
for shipping and handling). To register for your subscription just visit
www.photovisionvideo.com/wppi.
• October 23 Event Supports Katrina photographers
Photographers Marleen Castellanos, Humberto Gerths, Carlos Lozano,
Joel Mendoza and Luis Ponce created Marathon Fotográfico to
raise funds for colleagues who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The association’s first event, which took place October 23, 2005,
raised $5300 for the P.H.O.T.O. (Photographic Industry Helping Others
To Overcome) Foundation’s nonprofit fund. Part of that support
came from the Professional Hispanic Photographers (PHP), the Los
Angeles Professional Photographers and Videographers Association
(LAPPVA) and the Los Angeles Professional Videographers Association
(LAPVP).
• PPSNYS Holds Annual Conference
March 18–22 the Professional Photographers’
Society of New York State will
hold their 101st Annual conference and
tradeshow at the Fallsview of the Grand
Nevele Resort and Country Club, Ellenville,
NY. Opening day kicks off with renowned
National Geographic photographer Joel
Sartore. Other featured greats are Yervant
of Australia, Darton Drake of Baraboo, WI,
and more. Also planned is the first-ever Special
Print Competition for non-PPA/nonprofessional
photographers. For full details
and up-to-the-minute conference info, visit
http://ppsnys.com/membership or send an
email to membership@ppsnys.com, subject:
Non-Pro Print Competition.
• Weingarten’s Images on Display at
Eastman House
The George Eastman House (Rochester,
NY, www.eastmanhouse.org) will present
an outdoor exhibition of Robert Weingarten’s
“6:30 A.M.” landscape photography
series January 14–February 12. Each of the
19 prints depicts the Santa Monica Bay from
Weingarten’s Malibu, CA, home. In fact, all
the 40x40-inch images were taken from the
same position at the same time of day. To
protect against the elements, the “6:30 A.M.”
series has been printed on acid-free Epson
Somerset Velvet Fine Art Enhanced Matte
Cotton Rag paper and mounted in Plexiglas
®.
• Canadian Photographers
Convention
The Professional
Photographers Association
of British Columbia
(PPABC) will
host the 2006 “Island
Paradise” provincial
convention, October
15–18 at the Laurel Point Inn, Victoria, BC.
• FOTOfusion 2006
FOTOfusion 2006, the 11th annual International
Festival of Photography and Digital
Imaging, will take place January 17–21
at Delray Beach, Florida. Produced by the
Palm Beach Photographic Centre, FOTOfusion
includes hands-on digital workshops,
photography seminars and panels, multimedia
presentations, photography exhibitions,
book signings and gallery walks. The
latest in equipment and software will also be
on display. Additional details are available at
www.workshop.org.
New Products:
• ProPAC Software by CPAC Imaging
Consisting of the Imaging Pro, Perfect Pro
and Gallery Pro programs, CPAC ProPAC
software is a three-part harmony of easyto-
learn and easy-to-use imaging software.
CPAC Imaging PRO, version 2.0 is a powerful
retouching software that enables imaging
professionals to touch up digital portraits,
enhance skin tones, correct imperfections,
and change background canvases and attire
in just minutes. CPAC Perfect Pro software
offers true push-button color-correction for
digital images, taking photo and graphic arts
workflows to the next level with fully automatic
functions. CPP’s automated functions
can improve image quality quickly and easily—
a dramatic improvement over today’s
typical labor-intensive image processing.
CPP software acquires sets of photos and
analyzes them as an expert would—looking
for with exposure, contrast, brightness,
color and details—and corrects the images
automatically. CPAC Gallery Pro is
state-of-the-art software designed to allow
photographers to create impressive digital
album pages in minutes. CPAC Gallery Pro
is standalone software, which does not require
any third-party software or plug-ins.
The software includes over 1000 unique and
ready-to-use templates of different sizes. No
special skills are required to design digital album
pages with CPAC Gallery Pro. CPAC
ProPAC software sets allow anyone with basic
computer skills to easily retouch, adjust,
edit, enhance, color balance, correct and
create professional albums from any digital
file. To learn more, go to the online demo at
www.cpacasia.com.
• Photoshop Companion by Nathan Segal
Nathan Segal has written for Rangefinder
on technical matters with clarity and a thorough
understanding of the material. His
new work, Photoshop Companion, is his best
work to date. According to Rangefinder editor,
Bill Hurter, “I have digested many indigestible
works on Adobe Photoshop—some
so obscure they could have been discussing
nuclear physics for all I could tell. This work
is different. It has Segal’s down-to-earth style
and clear understanding of the material, and
it makes Photoshop approachable and understandable.
It’s a must-read for any serious
student of Photoshop.” Photoshop Companion
is an extensive resource that covers not
only Photoshop, but also the software and
devices that work in conjunction with it.
Order at photo-shop-tutorials.com for
$29.95 (includes numerous extras and a 60-
day money-back guarantee).
• Porter Introduces Backpack
Porter Case, Inc. (South Bend, IN,
800/356-8348, www.portercase.com) is marketing the new wheeled Multimedia 22 Backpack. As part of the
company’s “total travel system,” it features a padded compartment for
a large notebook computer, a large, fully-padded adjustable divider
system, a front paperwork compartment, and a roomy top-zippered
storage area for extra cords and chargers. It measures 22x14x10 inches
and is constructed of 1400 denier Cordova style material. It has 3-inch
ball bearing wheels and a comfortable 39-inch single pull extension
handle, and it weighs only 10 pounds—an ideal solution for photographers
as a lightweight outdoor case.
• Affordable Digital SLR From Nikon
Nikon’s (Melville, NY, www.
nikonusa.com) D200 digital SLR
camera delivers professionallevel
performance, rugged construction
and a 10.2 effective
megapixel DX format CCD image
sensor that provides excellent
resolution and clarity. It features
an all-new 11-area Autofocus
system, an i-TTL Creative Lighting
System and advanced WiFi
image-transmission options.
Some of the camera’s other new features include a 1005-pixel 3D
Color Matrix Metering II system and the company’s advanced image
processing engine. Matrix Metering finds the correct exposure, even
in complex lighting conditions, by using an onboard database of detailed
exposure information from over 30,000 actual images.
The D200 has a rugged yet lightweight magnesium alloy chassis
and body cover with environmental seals that protect against moisture
and dust. It ships with a new 2.5-inch LCD screen and carries an estimated price of $1699.95.
• ACDSee Pro Photo Manager
Imagine a professional photo management
workflow without barriers. ACDSee
Pro Photo Manager delivers unparalleled
speed in every facet of your professional
photography workflow—from image capture
to final print—so you and your business
can excel. View, process, retouch,
catalog, publish, and archive photographs
quickly while maintaining the highest
professional standards for image output.
View your RAW files as fast as your JPEGs.
Streamline your workflow using visual image
tagging, batch RAW support and processing,
and full color management with
ICC profiles. Catalog your photos with
ratings, customized categories, keywords,
IPTC information and more. Use presets
for common tasks, combine multiple steps
into a single operation, and add watermarks
to many photographs at once. Customize
photo galleries for publishing to the Web,
and design slideshows with transitions and
audio to share on CD or via email. ACDSee
Pro sells for $129.99. Purchase or download
a free trial at www.acdsee.com.
• Miniature Strobe Sync System From
Tamrac
Tamrac Inc. (Chatsworth, CA, www.microsyncdigital.
com) is marketing the new
MicroSync Digital Wireless Strobe Sync
System, a miniature, lightweight transmitter
that attaches to a digital SLR camera’s
hot-shoe. The new MicroSync features an
automatic on/off power management system
and four RF channels, which reduce the
possibility of interference with other Micro-
Sync users. Unlike similar infrared units, the
MicroSync Digital uses advanced radio frequency
technology that transmits through
walls and around corners. The battery life
of the coin-cell battery is estimated at three
years.
• High-speed CF Cards From Kingston
Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
(Fountain Valley, CA, www.kingston.com)
recently introduced the new Ultimate line
of CompactFlash cards. Designed for sustained
write speeds of 100X (18MB/second
read, 15MB/second write), the new cards
are available in 1-, 2- and 4GB configurations.
Ultimate cards provide an ideal solution
for professional-level digital SLR cameras
that demand large storage capacities
and sustained high-speed throughput. The
1-, 2- and 4GB cards list for $89, $159 and
$289, respectively.
• Lyson Introduces Bulk Ink Systems
Lyson, Inc. (Elk Grove Village, IL, www.
lysonusa.com), a leading manufacturer of
inks, media and related products, is marketing
bulk ink feed systems for Hewlett-
Packard’s Designjet 5000 and 5500 largeformat
printers and Epson’s popular Stylus
Photo R1800 inkjet printer. Designjet bulk
feed systems feature specially modified
REPLEO bulk ink cartridges and REPLEO
ink sets that match original OEM inks, so
there is no need to create new color profiles.
The Epson bulk feed system features
a new version of Cave Paint pigmented
inks, which provide a wider color gamut
than Epson’s Ultrachrome Hi-Gloss,
while delivering deep rich blacks with no
gloss differential. The Epson Stylus Photo
R1800 bulk ink feed system retails for
$399; pricing for HP bulk ink feed systems
is available at sales@lysonusa.com.
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