Rangefinder Magazine
July 2006

Focus  
 

Industry News

• Rangefinder Supports Picture Perfect Color Seminars

Rangefinder magazine has joined GretagMacbeth and PhotoWorkshop.com to support Picture Perfect Color Seminars (888/439-4403, www.graphintel.com/ppc). The one-day intensive seminars include a Balancing Art & Technology section by GretagMacbeth color expert Phil Nelson, followed by internationally known fashion, beauty and fine art photographer Robert Farber, who will demonstrate his unique approach to lighting and creative control. Seminars are scheduled for Los Angeles, June 29; Toronto, September 12; Minneapolis, September 14, Philadelphia, September 19; Detroit, September 21; Chicago, October 5; Miami, October 10; Charlotte, October 12; Houston, October 17; Denver, October 19; San Francisco, October 24; and Vancouver, October 26. The $399 registration fee includes a full day of seminar instruction, live demos, lunch and a Photo Color Toolkit. Additional seminar sponsors include Canon, Adobe, Nik Software, B&H Photo-Video, Apple Computer and SanDisk, among others.

• Digital Railroad Expands PLUS Coalition Support

Digital Railroad, Inc. (www.digitalrailroad. net), a provider of online technology and services for the global community of buyers and sellers of professional photography, has increased its participation in the PLUS Coalition (www. useplus.org). As a charter Sustaining Member, it joins Adobe Systems, Corbis, Getty Images, Jupiter Images and Pentagram Design, among others, in supporting PLUS Coalition’s goal of creating an integrated system of universal licensing standards.

• BallStars News

BallStars (New Century, KS, 800/237-0653, www.ballstars.com), a leading manufacturer of systems that transfer photos or graphics onto authentic sports balls, is now represented by OzBallstars (ozballstars.com.au) in New Zealand and Australia. Owned by Queensland-based John Gyngell, Oz- BallStars will sell products to end users as well as set up additional licensees in Australia and New Zealand. BallStars has also set up financial services for potential customers that are interested in buying or leasing the BallStars system. Financing is provided by Paramount Financial Services (Scottsdale, AZ) and Strada Capital Corp. (Irvine, CA).

• Chilcote Increases Staff

The Ohio-based Chilcote Company has appointed three new members to work with its Western Photographic Supplies company (Garden Grove, CA, 877/636-3636, www.WPSI.us). They are Operations Manager Ed Barlow and Sales Representatives Daniel Sprague and Derrik Ollar. Barlow, who will oversee the daily operations of the Garden Grove and Portland facilities, brings more than 30 years of experience at the Ventura County Fairgrounds and Knott’s Theme Park. Sprague, who has represented Art Leather for more than 25 years, will cover Southern California, while Ollar, a studio and photo lab owner, will cover the state of Oregon.

• Platinum Print Maker Tom Millea Retires

Noted photographer and platinum print maker, Tom Millea (www.tom millea.com), featured in Jan. 2005 Rangefinder, has retired because of health concerns and the limited availability of the photographic materials that are used to create his unique prints. Limited quantities of Millea’s platinum-palladium prints are still available in sizes ranging from 4x6 to 16x20 inches. He can be reached at tmillea@aol.com.

 

• Houston Center Exhibition

Peikwen Cheng, The Oracle, 2000. Digital C-Print, 20x30 inches. Recipient of HCP's 24th Annual Juried Membership Show Curators' Choice Distinction.	Robert Knight, Stephen, Boston (South End), MA (from the series Dwelling), 2005. Archival Inkjet Print, 41x53 inches. Recipient of HCP's 24th Annual Juried Membership Show Curators' Choice Distinction.

The Houston Center for Photography (Houston, TX, 713/529- 4755, www.hcponline.org) is currently hosting its 24th Annual Juried Membership Exhibition. Featuring one to three images from 31 photographers, the exhibition reflects a broad range of themes that illustrate a depth of ideas, manifestations of process, and subject matter from the organization’s members. It will be on view through July 16. Viewing hours: Wednesday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekends from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.

 

 

 

• The New Mamiya Digital Imaging Company

Mamiya-OP, Japan, has transferred its camera division to Mamiya Digital Imaging, a division of Cosmos Scientific Systems, Inc. The new company will develop digital imaging products for professional photographers and include Mamiya America Corporation (The MAC Group) (Elmsford, NY, www.mamiya.com) as a team member, but it will not change the MAC Group’s business activities in the United States, including marketing, sales and service.

• Photography Benefits Doctors Without Borders

Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography (Turners Falls, MA, 413/863- 0009, www.hmcp.org) is hosting an exhibition and print sale, June 22 through July 2, that will benefit the international humanitarian medical organization Doctors Without Borders. The exhibition will showcase more than 150 professionallevel photographs that have been donated by students from the Hallmark Institute of Photography. Admission is free. Museum hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

• Photographer Arnold Newman Dies at Age 88

Renowned portrait photographer Arnold Newman passed away on June 6 at a New York hospital. Newman, who shot the likes of Pablo Picasso, Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe and Igor Stravinsky, was famous for his “environmental portraits.”

His portraits place subjects in settings that reveal and reflect their lives. Throughout his long career, Newman often shot for Life and other magazines, and his images have been featured in a number of books and exhibits. He also lectured nationwide and received numerous awards for his work.

• Evidence Photography School

The Evidence Photographers International Council (EPIC) (Honesdale, PA, 800/356- 3742, www.epic-photo. org) will hold its 2006 School of Evidence Photography and Imaging, November 16–19 in Long Beach, California.

The four-day school will feature several new classes, including “Preparation for and Documentation of Terrorist Activities and the Aftermath of Disasters and/or Weapons of Mass Destruction” by certified instructor Leonard Reed, and “Marine and Underwater Crime and Accident Scene Identification and Documentation” by Aric Dutelle, MFS, and Nancy Olds of the United States Secret Service. The 21- instructor faculty also includes world-re-nowned forensic pathologist and evidence photographer, Patrick Besant-Matthews, M.D., and Dr. Besant-Matthews, former Chief Medical Examiner of Seattle-King County, WA., among others.

• ExpressDigital User Conference

ExpressDigital (Englewood, CO, 888/584-0089, www. expressdigital.com) a leading developer of digital workflow software, Internet storefronts and lab solutions, will host the 2006 ExpressDigital User Conference in Denver, July 17–19.

The three-day conference, which features classes, parties and a tradeshow, is designed to give participants the opportunity to sharpen their skills and generate greater profits. Registration is $195, which includes most meals.

• Nikon Introduces Small World Competition Judges

2005 Nikon Small World Competition, Second Place: Thomas J. Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy & Imaging Research, University of California—San Diego, La Jolla, California. Quantum dot fluorescence image of mouse kidney section (240X) Fluorescence (2-photon)

Nikon Instruments (Melville, NY, 800/526-4566, www.nikon smallworld.com) has named the panel of distinguished scientists and photographers that will judge the 32nd International Small World Photomicrography Competition. They include Sir Harold W. Kroto, 1996 Nobel laureate in chemistry; Cristina Scalet, science photo editor for Time magazine; Vladimir Gelfand, professor of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University; JD Talasek, National Academy of Sciences; and judges consultant, Michael Davidson, senior research engineer, Florida State University.

Designed to showcase the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the microscope, the Small World competition accepts entries from both professional and amateur photographers. Small World winners will be recognized September 21 at the Helen Mills Theater in New York City.

 

 

 

• Brooks Forms New Alumni Association

The Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara, CA, www.brooks.edu) has revived its Alumni Association and named 13 prominent photographers to head up the Alumni Board of Directors. They include Ashlyn Jones, Charles Kay Jr., Mark Mosrie, Doug Brooks, Deborah Van Kirk, Dan Callahan, Dirk Fletcher, Elissa Mraz, Elizabeth Price, Grant Johnson, John Lewis, Steven Arnold and Kevin Schochat. Board members will have the task of enhancing student life on campus, establishing alumni connections, and arranging seminars and guest speakers. They will also set up scholarships and provide free career counseling for both students and alumni.

New Products:

• Anti-Shake Digital SLR From Pentax

Pentax Imaging company (Golden, CO, www.pentaximaging.com) recently introduced the K100D, a 6.1-megapixel digital SLR camera with anti-shake technology. The camera’s Shake Reduction (SR) system gives photographers an additional two f-stops by minimizing the effects of camera shake. SR technology reduces blurring by oscillating the CCD image sensor in proportion to the amount of shaking detected by a built-in sensor. The K100D includes an smc 18-55mm lens, 11-point wide-frame AF system and auto sensitivity up to an ISO equivalent 3200. It also features a 2.5-inch LCD monitor and a top shutter speed of 1/4000 second. The K100D is expected to begin shipping in July for a MSRP of $699.95; the Pentax K110D, which doesn’t have SR technology, will ship in August for $599.95.

• New Camera Straps From Lowepro

Lowepro (Sebastopol, CA, 707/827- 4000, www.lowepro.com), a leading manufacturer of protective cases and backpacks for imaging equipment, is marketing four new camera straps. Using the same durable construction that’s found in other Lowepro products, the new straps include the Speedster, Transporter, Voyager S and Voyager C. Active photographers such as photojournalists will appreciate the lightweight, simple design of the Speedster. The Transporter is better suited for multiple cameras by allowing the non-slip padding to stay in place while the strap can be adjusted to a variety of lengths or swung out of the way while using another device. Voyager C and Voyager S straps are designed to meet the unique needs of adventure photographers. The Speedster lists for $19.99; Transporter, $24.99 and Voyager S and C, $29.99.

• Pelican Debuts Rolling Warehouse

Pelican Products (Torrance, CA, 310/ 326-4700, www.pelican.com), a leading manufacturer of all-purpose, rugged, watertight cases, is marketing the spacious 1640 Case. With almost 8000 cubic inches of possible storage space, the 1640 is ideally suited for safely transporting gear that would not fit into most cases. It includes two double-hand side-grips for easy team lifting, two heavy-duty sets of ball bearing, polyurethane wheels and an extension handle for easy transport. The 1640 has stainless steel reinforced padlock protectors for added defense against cutting and theft, and it can be customized to transport sensitive electronic or camera equipment inside trade show booth containers. With an MSRP of $349.95, the Pelican 1640 Case is backed by the company’s Lifetime Guarantee: “You break it, we replace it… forever.”

• GMG First to Use GretagMacbeth Eye-One iSis

GretagMacbeth (New Windsor, NY, 845/565-7660, www.gretagmacbeth.com), a leading manufacturer of color management solutions, recently announced that German-based GMG software has chosen the Eye-One iSis spectrophotometer as the preferred color-measurement device for its ProofControl o4 software. Eye-one iSis spectrophotometers are available in a standard A4+ version, which measures up to 1100 patches per page, and an A3+ version, which supports up to 2500 patches. Both versions eliminate the time-consuming task of cutting charts and feeding multiple pages.

• Adobe Extends Camera Raw Support

Adobe Systems (San Jose, CA, www.adobe. com) is offering a free update to its Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop CS2 and Photoshop Elements 3.0 and 4.0. The new Camera Raw 3.4 plug-in, available for download at www.adobe.com/prod ucts/photoshop/cameraraw. html, includes RAW file support for eight additional camera models, including the Canon EOS 30D, Epson R-D1s, Leaf Aptus 65 and Aptus 75, Olympus EVOLT E-330 and SP-320, Pentax *ist DL2 and Samsung GX-1S. Windows and Macintosh systems are supported.

• Taprell Loomis Introduces Child-Friendly Colors

Taprell Loomis (Cleveland, OH, 800/ 827-5679, www.tapusa. com), a Chilcote Company, offers Children’s and family portrait photographers a line of albums that features the colors pink or blue with cream-colored page inserts. Ideally suited for children’s portraiture, Brighton Albums measure 8x8 inches, have 12 bound pages and accept photo mats in seven sizes. They can be used without mats to create scrapbook-style presentations. Brighton Wallet Albums hold 10 prints, while Brighton Accordion Albums display 10 photos in an attached, foldout insert. Accordion Albums are available in 4x5 and 4x6-inch sizes.

• Lexar LockTight Professional CompactFlash Wins TIPA Award

Lexar Media (Fremont, CA, www.lexar. com), a leading manufactures of advanced digital media technologies, announced that its LockTight Professional CompactFlash memory cards have been recognized by the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) as the “Best Imaging Storage Media” introduced in Europe during the past 12 months. Designed for security-conscious photographers, LockTight-enabled cards and digital cameras are an ideal solution for forensic photography, scientific research, military and law enforcement imaging, and the mass media. LockTight Professional CompactFlash cards support a minimum sustained write speed of 80X, where X equals 150 kilobytes of data per second.

• Noritsu Introduces New Versatile Inkjet Printer

Noritsu (Buena Park, CA, 800/521-3686 x224, www.noritsu.com) has expanded its line of dDP inkjet printers to include the Noritsu DP-100 Digital Dry Printer. Specifically designed for wedding and portrait photographers who are looking for ways to supplement their income, the PD-100 generates output in sizes from 4x6 inches all the way up to 12x12-inch scrapbook-size and jumbo 12x36-inch panorama prints. The DP-100 also uses second-generation pigment inkjet technology, which guarantees that output will last longer than prints made with dye-based inks.

• Sloppy Borders From Kubota

Kubota Image Tools (Bend, OR, 877/ 330-4330, www.kubotaimagetools.com) is offering a set of Photoshop CS2-compatible actions that mimic the borders effects that at one time could only be made in a conventional darkroom. Developed with the help of Craig Strong of Lensbabies, the new Sloppy Borders actions CD includes 100 ready-to-use border variations that can instantly be applied to any image, no matter the size or orientation. The Sloppy Borders Volume One CD has a retail price of $99.

 

• iView MediaPro 3.1 for Windows Systems and Intel-based Macs

iView Multimedia Ltd. (London, U.K., www. iview-multimed ia.com) recently introduced iView MediaPro 3.1, an upgrade of its award-winning, cross-platform Digital Asset Management (DAM) application. The new version supports Intel-based Macs and has a new Notepad tool that makes it easy for professional photographers to communicate with their clients. It also has an improved Catalog Reader, which is a free utility that allows MediaPro users to distribute and share iView catalogs with anyone using a Windows or Macintosh computer. Version 3.1 has enhanced slide show support for more than 32,000 items and the ability to import/export color label medadata in XML files. iView MediaPro 3.1 lists for $199 and is available as a free upgrade for iView MediaPro 3.0 users.

• Licensing Photography Book

Licensing Photography, a book by Richard Weisgrau, former executive director of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), and Victor S. Perlman, an intellectual property attorney, is now available from Allworth Press (www.allworth. com) for $19.95. A handy reference for any professional photographer, the new book is filled with information about pricing and licensing agreements, copyright issues, privacy rights and effective negotiating techniques in the digital age.

 

 

• Coffee Table Book Benefits Katrina Victims

AsukaBook USA (Bend, OR, 866/330- 1530, www.asukabook.com), Kubota Photo Design, Inc. and Victor Sizemore have teamed up with other professional photographers to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina by selling an attractive coffee table book filled with beautiful and rare images of New Orleans. The 40-page, hardcover book has been printed in a limited edition run of 500 and can be purchased for a donation of $60 on the www. Kubotaworkshops.com website. Look for it in the Products, Charitable Items section.

• Improved All-In-One Photoshop Actions From Andrew Lee

Andrew Lee Photography (206/755- 5325, www.andrewleephotography.com) has updated its All-in-One (AIO) Photoshop Actions, now in version 2.0, to include integrated layer-based effects, which are non-destructive and fully adjustable. Version 2.0 has an optimizer, a color pop and a vignette black. It also includes glamour enhancements, a black-and-white conversion action, a color cast action, additional contrast enhancements and a warming filter. AIO Actions are available for $49 at www.andrewleephotography. com/AIO.