From the CameraArts—B+H Photo Store...

Among the latest additions to the CameraArts B+H storefront, the 80GB Passport Portable USB Hard Drive from Western Digital is a portable, laptop-sized hard drive, protected by a durable shell, ideal for the travelling photographer. The drive features an interface that allows it to be connected and powered by USB 2.0, a rotation speed of 5400rpm, a 2MB data buffer and bus transfer rates of up to 60MB/sec. Never again get caught burning your images on CD-R, only to find that your workshop trainer has a DVD drive only. USB 2.0 is one of the fastest, most secure, and best ways to easily circulate one's images among different workstations.

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Fujifilm increases prices for photographic papers and products

Fujifilm USA, to reflect international changes and price trends, have adjested the prices for their domestic market. Affected products include photographic papers, chemistry and other photosensitive products. Good news is increasingly hard to find for traditional photographers, as existing products grow ever more expensive, and most popular darkroom products have been discontinued entirely by companies like Kodak. Many digital photographers are quick to remind of the health risks, huge expenses, and general technical frustration to be encountered in the darkroom, though others have no intention of giving up this lightless sandbox anytime soon. Prices will increase by 10-20 percent, effective July 2008.

From Fujifilm's official announcement:

"Globally, Fujifilm has undertaken intensive structural reforms to reduce fixed costs and improve productivity. The company has continued to absorb increasing costs associated with raw materials used in the manufacture of films and papers in recent years. However, soaring costs of raw materials, such as, silver and crude oil have made it impossible for Fujifilm to continue to absorb these costs in its manufacturing process."

For more information on Fujifilm, go to their website.

Epson Launches Focal Points, a new addition to its website

Epson America, makers of professional imaging products for photographers worldwide, has announced the launch of "Focal Points," a supplement to the company's official website. The new addition is Epson's way of spotlighting the success stories of leading professionals in the industry of creative photography, and their experiences in pushing their work to a higher level through the use of Epson products.

One of the portfolios currently on display is "Movie Stars: Portraits by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders." When invited to display his images of famous personalities at the Museo Carlo Bilotti in Rome (following exhibitions at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum), Greenfield-Sanders utilized the Epson Stylus Pro(r) 11880 wide-format inkjet printer to produce stunning 56x72 inch prints in both color and black and white. Focal Points tells the story of how this and other exhibitions came to life.

Other featured stories include "Rock and Roll" by Lynn Goldsmith (September/October 2006), who created enormous, high-detail prints for her exhibitions at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; "Just Suppose" by Maggie Taylor and Jerry Uelsmann (CameraArtsCameraArts May/June 2007), who met a challenge to "go bigger" for their joint exhibition at the Harn Museum; and "Empowered by Color" by Pete Turner, legendary colorist and satisfied user of Epson UltraChrome K3™ ink technology for greater transparency in his prints.

From Dan Steinhardt, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc:

"Focal Points features content that is both informational and inspirational. The first round of stories, images and videos allow viewers to experience recent exhibitions in some of the most prestigious galleries and museums in Europe and North America that they otherwise may not have had the opportunity to see. The accounts are also a testament to the overwhelming trust leading artists have in Epson Professional Products."

To view the new stories, and watch video interviews with selected photographers, Click here.

Image © Lynn Goldsmith.

Contact your representatives: Orphan Works Bill

New copyright bills that are now before the House and Senate should be a great matter of concern to photographers. The subject of the bills are Orphan Works, images that appear in any context (usually online) without an attached artist's credit. An image is passed from the artist who has the wisdom to display his captions and have image security built into his website. He then gives the image to museums and charitable foundations, whose websites are updated often, yet may have more lax standards. Now an orphan, its artist having gone unidentified, the image goes on to other websites, art blogs, even other people's flickr accounts. Just by being on the world wide web, images will be made more vulnerable to copyright infringement by these bills.

At Take Action: Don't Let Congress Orphan Your Work, made possible by a long list of contributors, there are pre-written letters for those who don't have the time to get on the phone with a representative or senator's office:

"What if 10 people can find me but one can’t? Why should that one person get a free pass to use my work? Won’t that give infringers an incentive not to find me? And why should I be obligated to go into court to prove anything about the diligence of the searcher or the value of my work? What if the same work is found an orphan in one legal proceeding and not in another?

"I believe my work benefits the public by being published through the channels where I wish to publish it. The current copyright law works by giving me the incentive to keep doing this. Please protect this basic property right."

The rest can be found here, along with more information about contacting your representatives in the House and Senate. Please act as soon as possible!

WORKSHOP: The High Sierra Wilderness Photography Workshop

Photographers now have an opportunity to spend a week in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of central California, August 9-17, 2008, while learning from award-winning landscape photography expert Phil Hawkins. For 28 years, Hawkins has backpacked and photographed in the High Sierra, and will offer his expertise in photographing waterfalls and other natural wonders, as well as sunrises, sunsets, star tracks and moonlight. Participants will spend five full days of the week-long workshop at 9,500 to 11,500 foot elevation, with a full moon on the last night.

What's more, the Perseid Meteor Shower will take place August 11-12, 2008, offering a unique chance for photographers to capture a spectacular natural light show. The workshop is aimed at photographers of all skill levels and techniques. Just remember you'll be "roughing it" in the beautiful wilderness of the High Sierra for most of the week.

The cost per person is $3,370. Treks will be made regularly on horseback, and all comforts such as food, lodging, and showers will be provided. Only eleven spots are available for this workshop. Go here to make reservations!

MyPassport Studio Drives now available for Mac users

Western Digital (WD), makers of popular external memory devices such as Mybook, has introduced a Mac-formatted version of its new My Passport Studio portable drive. Equipped with both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces, the new drive is available in 250 and 320 GB versions, both weighing less than five ounces and outfitted with a shock-resistant shell in metallic silver. Functionality with Apple Time Machine backup software (a part of the Apple Leopard Operating System) is also included, as well as a built-in USB power source. The needs of Mac-based users were kept clearly in mind for the design, and many features have been in high demand since the release of the first WD Passport Drive.

The retail price for the My Passport Studio portable drive is $159.99 for the 250 GB unit, and $219.99 for the 320 GB unit. You can find out more about ordering at WD's online store.

Delkin Devices, Inc. Announces ImageRouter Card Reader

Photographers in need of one file import system for any memory cards that may be on hand will be well-served by the cutting edge, DIMA Award-winning ImageRouter from Delkin Devices. The device comprises four UDMA-enabled card slots, a USB 2.0 CompactFlash card reader, and a built-in power source that allows the simultaneous use of all four slots. Unveiled at PMA 2008, the ImageRouter has an extremely fast chipset (with 29 MB/sec read and 27 MB/sec write through USB 2.0), and thanks to the back-up power hub, photographers with more than four memory cards may "daisy-chain" multiple image routers.

From Kathleen Finlayson, Delkin's New Product Specialist:

"Photographers don't have to sit and wait for each card to download. All of the product's features--the built-in hub, the four UDMA-enabled card slots, the ability to daisy-chain, the bundled software--give photographers the freedom to walk away from their desks during the data transfer process. That is the key to the ImageRouter."

The retail price for the software-free ImageRouter is $129.00. With Backupandburn software, retail price is $229.00. Go to Delkin's website for more information.

New Release from Olympus: The E-520 DSLR

With their claim of an in-body image stabilizer for any lens, Olympus has put their best foot forward announcing the new Olympus E520 DSLR. The new camera boasts advanced Image Stabilization technology such as Supersonic Wave Drive, which provides blur-free images with any one of 30 digital camera lenses, and Autofocus Live View, which brings a sharp image to the LCD by HyperCrystal II. Another feature (to which I am particularly drawn) is Perfect Shot Preview, which enables the photographer to preview and select effects of exposure compensation and white balance adjustment.

From John Knaur, senior marketing manager, DSLR Division, Olympus Imaging America Inc.

"Beyond a successor, the Olympus E-520 features an array of new technologies that help photo hobbyists and serious digital photographers take remarkable images. Its image stabilization system now lets photographers pan while holding the portable camera vertically—perfect for capturing everything from a sprinter breaking from the pack to the bride and groom walking down the aisle."

The Olympus E-520 DSLR becomes available in July 2008, at a retail price of $599.99 USD, or as a bundle offer with the ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens for $699.99. Click here for more information.

At the CameraArts—B+H Storefront

Among the latest additions to the CameraArts B+H storefront, a special deal on the 250 GB My Book Essential Edition USB 2.0 External Hard Drive from Western Digital.The appearance of this 7200 rpm memory-storage device might look right at home on your bookshelf, thanks to its smooth black look and size on par with a hardbound novel. The drive includes power-saving features, has no environmentally contaminant parts, and ships in recyclable packaging. Additionally, this is the official external hard drive of CameraArts, and we wouldn't replace it for the world!

Note: Though it looks like a plug-and-play device, you SHOULD NOT unplug the My Book Drive while it is turned on. You will risk shorting the drive, as Tom Gibbons has learned from experience. That aside, you won't find a better deal on memory storage!

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Rosanne Olson's photographic celebration of the female form

Photographer Rosanne Olson aims for a sense of frankness in her new work of black-and-white images, titled "This Is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes in Sizes." "Our," in this case, being women of all ages, and the statement "This is who I am" announcing that this will not be a typical collection of glamour or fashion images. Flaws and wrinkles that are often airbrushed in magazine photos, and body types that one rarely associates with nude photography, are displayed here with an eye for the natural beauty of women.

The aged, scarred, overweight, and bony bodies are each accompanied by biographies of the women possessing them, and Olson, with candid telling, relates stories of life-threatening injuries, anorexia, or past sexual abuse. More superficial complaints about unfortunate bruises and sags are also included. Some women are friends, and others strangers met on the streets of Olson's City, Seattle. Many others traveled from New York, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas to be photographed.

To preview more of this book, visit Rosanne Olson's website here.

Prix De La Photographie announces competition winners

Prix De La Photographie, better known as Px3, had an immensely successful second year of its annual photography competition, having received thousands of incredible entries. Judging in categories in Advertising, Photojournalism, Photographic Books, Fine Art, Nature, and Portraiture, along with numerous sub-categories, the panel selected a First and Second place winner in each. Entries were judged on the basis of originality, creativity, the quality of execution, and overall impact on the viewer. What's more, the People's Choice Award is still open for voting.

The title of Px3 Photographer of the Year was given to Balasz Gardi of Hungary, and his single image "The Valley" was highlighted for particular recognition. The Best New Talent Award went to Ryan Schude of Los Angeles, with his image "The Saturn" also receiving distinct praise. These two photographers, along with the First and Second Place winners in each category, will be featured at the Galerie Acte 2 in Paris June 26-28, 2008, and published in the Px3 Annual Book. Click here to see a full list of winners and images, complete with subcategories.

From Px3, Lucie Awards and Focus on AIDS Founder Hossein Farmani:

"I was extremely impressed with the quality of the photographs submitted. Considering Px3 is only in its second year, the overall excellence of work submitted was really outstanding."

Vote for your favorite entries in 2008's Px3 competition by clicking here.

San Diego Natural History Museum presents Mitch Dobrowner

The landscape photography of Mitch Dobrowner will be exhibited at the Ordover Gallery of the San Diego Natural History Museum from May 17 to August 3, 2008. An opening reception on May 17 will take place from 11 am to 1 pm, and entry will be free of charge. The main feature will be Dobrowner's series "Enraptured," a 28-image collection of black and white landscape photographs from North America. These include varied scenes comprising locations such as the American Southwest and the cityscapes of Los Angeles. The exhibition also includes San Diego-born glass sculptor Dick Ditore, and photographers Richard Garrod and Robert Walter.

During the exhibition, all photography and artwork will be available for sale, with a large portion of the proceeds going to the San Diego Natural History Museum. The high archival quality of Dobrowner's prints, created using traditional methods and materials that encourage simplicity in technique, ensure that your investment will go to a long-lasting piece of art that is abstract in sensibility, yet quintessentially American.

From Mitch Dobrowner's website:

"Dobrowner's printmaking process is performed in a dry darkroom with minimal dodging and burning. Prints are produced using archival quality 100% cotton rag paper with pigment based inks. The results are black and white landscape photographs that are somewhat abstract, yet feature a detailed symmetry and depth that transforms 'everyday' objects into iconic images."

Find out more about the available selection of Mitch Dobrowner's photography here.

Mitch Dobrowner's photographs are available for purchase at galleries around the United States and the world. These have recently been joined by Wall Space gallery in Seattle, WA, and the Bond Street Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. For a full list of locations, go to Dobrowner's website here.

Pictures of the Year International honors Leaders in Photojournalism

The Pictures of the Year International (POYi) competition has conferred a special award this year, bestowing the Distinguished Leadership in PhotoJournalism Award upon Magnum Founders: In Celebration of Sixty Years, a hard-cover, limited edition book of platinum prints celebrating the work of pioneering photographers who have come to help define modern photography. The book was submitted by Verso Limited Editions, and a special award was bestowed. Eleven highly esteemed professionals reviewed more than 46,00 images for the competition, and were all amazed by the presentation and quality of Magnum Founders.

The distinction is shared among Verso Limited Editions, Magnum Photos, and Magnum founders (and photographic legends) Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Seymour. Verso specializes in hand-crafted books in the traditional style, in an attempt to emulate the rare first editions of the 1900s from artists such as Picasso, Matisse, and Salvador Dali.

From Verso Limited Editions:

"Seventy-five editions of Magnum Founders are being produced, each containing twelve bound, original 14 x 16 inch platinum prints, three by each photographer, as well as one freestanding platinum print by Robert Capa. The images selected for the book are some of the most important of these photographers' careers, and each print bears the stamp of the photographer's estate. The Cartier-Bresson prints in Magnum Founders are the only estate-stamped prints released for sale since his death in 2004.

"Commissioned by Magnum Photos, the book was published in cooperation with the estates of the four photographers and contains a foreword by Elliott Erwitt, renowned photographer and past president of Magnum Photos."

To find out more about Magnum Founders: In Celebration of Sixty Years, click here to visit the Verso Limited Editions website.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Ian Parry Scholarship

Began in remembrance of the photojournalist who died in Romania while on assignment for the Sunday Times, the Ian Parry Scholarship offers opportunity for photographers enrolled in a full-time photography course or are under the age of 24, Parry's age at the time of his death. Entrants to the competition must submit their entries via ftp to the Scholarship's website, comprising a portfolio of work and a synopsis of the project they would bring to life if chosen for the award. In addition, scholarship partners World Press Photo and the Getty Images Gallery in London will be participating.

This year, the prize amounts to £2,500, along with vouchers worth £500 to the winner, and £250 in vouchers to honorable mentions.The competition enjoys the ongoing support of the Sunday Times, and the winner will have work published in its pages. The winner will be automatically accepted into the final list of nominees for the Joop Stewart Masterclass in Amsterdam. The juried print exhibition for the Ian Parry Scholarship will begin August 3, 2008 at the Getty Images Gallery in London, and will continue for two weeks.

The competition deadline is June 15, 2008. Click here to submit via the Ian Parry Scholarship website.

WORKSHOP: Iron Based Techniques at f295

By popular request, the f295 Symposium 2008 has announced a one-day intensive workshop on cyanotype and van dyke brown techniques. Titled "Iron Based Techniques, or Poor Man's Alt-Process," the workshop will be led by photographer, educator and author Jo Babcock, who will teach the fundamentals of chemistry in photography, paper selection, and proper use of specific tools. Babcock describes "toning recipes" the photographer can use to achieve surprising variations in the color of the final image. The workshop is open to beginners in these money-saving processing techniques, and professionals as well.

The f295 Symposium 2008, running May 29 to June 1, 2008, is the only event of its kind, exploring the alternative methods in which photographs are created, and the impact of such methods on contemporary photography. Gallery receptions, lectures, and seminars set to take place during the event are made possible through collaboration with the Center for Arts in Society at Carnegie Mellon University. Workshops are presented with the cooperation of Pittsburgh Filmmakers. A full list events is available at the f295 website.

The workshop takes place May 31, 2008, and costs $200 for participation. Click here for more information.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: The New Orleans Darkroom

The New Orleans Darkroom proudly presents the Emerging Photographer 2008 show, juried by living photography legend Herman Leonard, and open to all themes and genres. Five young photographers will be chosen for the award: an exhibition at The Darkroom and promotion on the official website. Entry fee is $45 for five images. These five images are the ones to be displayed at the exhibition, and the five photographers' exhibitions run together at The Darkroom Gallery in New Orleans' Garden District, opening October 4, 2008.

There is an age cap on applicants (must be born no earlier than October 1, 1973), and the five images submitted must have a coherent theme. This competition seems aimed to the flickr generation, with its emphasis on smaller photo-sets. To see great photographers such as Leonard fostering the recognition of such young talent through connections spanning generations is truly encouraging. Expect to see more competitions of this kind in the future, where these restrictions, perhaps seen as confining to more venerable photographers, will act to shape the pool of entrants.

From the New Orleans Darkroom:

"Herman Leonard is one of America's foremost fine art and commercial photographers, with a career spanning six decades. An apprentice of Yousuf Karsh, Leonard developed an instantly recognizable style of portraiture with jazz musicians as his subjects. His icons of American photography are displayed in museums around the globe and his entire collection is housed in The Smithsonian Institution's permanent archives."

Also, starting May 17, 2008, The Darkroom will present "Abstractions in the Landscape," a juried exhibition of photographs selected by Sandra Russell Clark, at The Darkroom's Lower Garden District showroom. The exhibition features 35 prints of abstract photographs taken in the urban and the natural landscape, and selected out of over 550 entries. Click here for a preview.

The competition is open to any photographer under 35 years of age. The deadline to submit original works will be August 22, 2008. Click here for more information.

The Photographic Resource Center presents EXPOSURE

The annual juried exhibition of photography and film-based art at the Photographic Research Center (PRC) at Boston University will be returning again this year. EXPOSURE: The 13th Annual PRC Juried Exhibition, formerly known as the PRC Members' Exhibition, has been made even more prestigious in 2008 by the participation of juror Lesley A. Martin, Publisher of Aperture's Book Program. This year's exhibition, set to open May 23 and continue through July 2, 2008, will present 14 artists selected from a pool of 376 entries, a PRC record for international submissions. Established photographers and hot up-and-comers will bring their own perceptions on popular genres, in a show intended to gather the best of the best.

From the Photographic Research Center's newsletter, concerning the photographers:

"Mariliana Arvelo has been documenting her family and herself in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and the United States in her evolving series 'Generations'...In large constructed lightboxes, Clint Baclawski (Boston, MA) investigates places where people congregate...Claire Beckett (Jamaica Plain, MA) is documenting soldiers, military training, and fabricated Iraqi spaces within America in her series 'Simulating Iraq.'

"...Cree Bruins (Cambridge, MA) collects, scans, and prints discarded ends from processed 35mm film in her 'Leader Series'...Lana Z Caplan (Boston, MA) has been researching and photographing former sites of public executions in Europe and the United States...Talia Chetrit (Providence, RI) considers essential qualities of her subjects and photography itself in a series of straightforward, yet open-ended images...Martine Fougeron (New York, NY) is documenting her two sons and their circle of friends in a series of intimate portraits titled 'Tête-à-Tête.'

"Robert Knight (Newton, MA) creates subjective portraits of people via found objects in their domestic surroundings. In this subset of his 'Dwelling' series, Knight explores expectations that parents place on their children...Marta Labad (Providence, RI) photographs crumpled up images of historical artworks depicting conflict...Molly Landreth (Seattle, WA) is traveling around the country photographing and gathering statements from queer individuals and couples in her project 'Embodiment: A Portrait of Queer Life in America.'

"...Benjamin Lowy (New York, NY) is capturing everyday scenes in Iraq as seen through the lens of his camera and the inches-thick, bulletproof window of an American Army Humvee...Eric Percher (Brooklyn, NY) considers the limitations we accept in order to obtain success in his series 'Work,' a semi-autobiographical response to his seven-year experience in the financial offices of Manhattan...

"Erik Schubert (Cambridge, MA), inspired in part by his businessman father and Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People, has been collecting and documenting scenes and ephemera of corporate aspirations and failure...In her series “Soldier Portraits,” Ellen Susan (Savannah, GA) produces unique portraits using the historical wet plate process of U.S. Army soldiers based in Southeast Georgia, many of which have been deployed to Iraq two or three times."

A special Summer edition of the PRC's newsletter, in the loupe, will include a spread article of the EXPOSURE exhibition. Click here to find out more.

Image: Private Dan Floyd at Basic Training, Fort Knox, KY, © Claire Beckett, from “Simulating Iraq”