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This update addresses several industry requirements in the DNG format, including formalization of the concept of a "camera profile" and allowance for multiple camera profiles to be embedded in a single DNG file, producing the desired image results in a streamlined and efficient workflow. Additional metadata tags have been defined for the DNG format, including a field to indicate the integrity of the raw data within the file, providing a valuable tool to validate the safety of photographers' image data. The DNG SDK has also been updated to reflect the changes to the specification.

Adobe DNG Converter is available as a free download at www.adobe.com/dng. The DNG Codec for Windows Vista is only compatible with Windows Vista 32-bit editions and is available as a free download at www.labs.adobe.com.

We're working on a new batch of reviews and once they're done, they'll be posted to the review section.

Just a quick update - Photoshop Fundamentals 2 has an expected ship date of March 1.

Today are the Primary elections- don't forget to go out and exercise your right to vote!

We know it's been quiet around here lately, Bob's been out of town all winter and I've been gone quite a bit but now that I'm back, we'll be working to get updates in more frequently again. And don't forget to watch for the upcoming user forum photo contests.

At the 2008 Photo Marketing Association Show, (PMA 2008), Samsung introduced its highly-anticipated, next‑generation DSLR, the 14.6 megapixel GX-20.

October 10, 2007 - OnOne Software has announced they are accepting pre-orders for their new "PhotoTools Professional". More information can be found here OnOne PhotoTools Professional

October 10, 2007 - For those not aware, the best just got better. Alienskin Software has released a new version of their software, "Exposure" - now at version 2. For more info visit Alienskin Software Exposure 2

September 10, 2007 - Elizabeth is taking on a new role here at My Digital Photo. She is now the Director of Training & Development Tools. In this capacity, she will be developing new interactive tools to help train photographers - old and new alike. The first release under this new area of interactive training is the My Digital Photo Game. Play along and see how much you really know about photography with this computer based game that is reminiscent of the TV game show Jeopardy! Up to 9 people can play at a time so you can not only test your own knowledge - but you can have an entertaining evening of competition for the whole camera club together as well and see who comes out on top! The game covers such topics as photography history, equipment, famous photographers, photo technique and more. You'll find it on the "Shop"page. Other games on many photography topics (digital and analog) are also in development for use in our live seminars and workshops!

September 9, 2007 - Back from Photoshop World - Las Vegas - New Nikon Cameras and more

Nikon publicly unveiled two new Nikon bodies at Photoshop World last week, the D3 and the D300. The cameras looked amazing, not only from a performance perspective - but also from a usability perspective right down to the SUPER large screen on the back of the body. For more information visit Nikon USA. OnOne also previewed their upcoming software release "Photo Tools Pro" which looks to be a great addition to your digital toolbox as sort of a plugin manager including most plugins by the well known Kevin Kubota. For more info visit OnOne Software.

July 23, 2007 - Interested in seeing some beautiful fine art photography? David's online gallery, The Artist Shack ( www.theartistshack.com ) will be opening soon. It's one of the locations where his short-run limited edition, signed and numbered museum quality fine art prints are sold. We'll let you know when the site launches in case you'd like to take a look at some fine art photography for sale - for all of you NECCC affiliated club members, you may particularly like some of the creative and colorful images of Cape Cod, MA.

July 20, 2007 - New downloads added to the downloads thread in the user forum. Remember - this thread is ONLY visible AFTER you log in to your user forum account. Enjoy!

July 20, 2007 - Mark your calendars! On August 18 & 19 David and Bob are back at the Cape Cod Art Association on Cape Cod with their very well received workshop "Making the Transition from Film to Digital: The Grass Really is Greener on the Other Side". This two day workshop will get you up to speed with everything you need to know about digital photography. Workshop covers the gamut from hardware and software to technique. Bring you camera!.

Digital Anarchy has released version 3.0 of Primatte, their Photoshop compatible plug-in for making extractions. This new version includes new features such as "AutoMask" and updated user interface and more. You can learn more at Digital Anarchy Primatte 3

April 28, 2007 - Mark your calendars for this years NECCC conference at UMASS Amherst - July 13, 14 and 15. NECCC

April 27, 2007 - OnOne ships Genuine Fractals 5 & Genuine Fractals Print Pro 5

onOne Software, Inc., announces today the immediate availability of its Photoshop® CS3 compatible Genuine Fractals 5 and Genuine Fractals Print Pro 5 Photoshop plug-ins. Featuring improved scaling technology, faster performance, several new features, a new user interface and greater ease of use, Genuine Fractals 5 now enables users to enlarge their digital images over 1000% (10,000% area equivalent) with no loss in image quality. OnOne Software

Also available for purchase today are new versions of the following stand alone Adobe creative applications: Adobe Photoshop® CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe InDesign® CS3, Adobe Illustrator® CS3, Adobe Flash® CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver® CS3, Adobe Fireworks® CS3, and Adobe Contribute® CS3. These new Adobe CS3 applications and Adobe Creative Suite 3 editions are available as Universal applications for both PowerPC® and Intel-based Macs and support both Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista™. Customers will experience increased levels of performance and speed running Creative Suite 3 natively on Intel-based Macintosh systems and the latest Windows hardware.

The expanded Creative Suite 3 family also includes Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium, a complete integrated post-production solution for video and rich media professionals, and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection, which combines all of Adobe's new CS3 design and development applications in a single box—the most comprehensive creative environment ever delivered. Both of these Creative Suite editions are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2007. For more information visit Adobe

At PMA today, Adobe has announced that it will release two versions of Photoshop CS3. Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended. The extended version appears to expand Photoshop specifically for engineering, CAD and video uses. More information will follow when the products are formally announced at a later date.

ExpressDigital, the leading provider of digital workflow software, Internet storefronts and lab solutions, announced today an enhanced version of its flagship product ExpressDigital Darkroom. The new version, Darkroom 8.8, includes connected pro services, enhanced template making elements, and new retouch tools. For more information visit Express Digital

At PMA in Las Vegas, nik Software announced the upcoming release of their noise reductions software, Define 2.0. More information is expected to be released in the near future.

March 7, 2007 - My Digital Photo now accepts credit cards for Photoshop training DVD's

My Digital Photo can now accept credit and debit cards for Photoshop training DVD's. See our Shop page.

Nikon has announced the D40x - a new 10 megapixel dSLR. For more information visit Nikon at Nikon

The 3D VuCAM integrates two 3.1 megapixel digital cameras and supports advanced features such as automatic image focus and exposure adjustments. Captured photos can be previewed on the pop-up transflective LCD display and transferred to the PC for 3D viewing, printing, or integration into existing 3D software and visualization applications.

In addition, 3D images can be viewed on standard PC monitors using anaglyph glasses or on auto stereoscopic (glasses-free) displays, 3D polarized displays, and on 3D projection systems. For more information visit Stereovision Inc

The Nikon Capture NX update to version 1.1 can be found here Nikon USA Capture NX

Imagenomic has released updates for its plugins which include support for Windows Vista. For more information visit Imagenomic

February 28, 2007 - Photoshop Environmental Effects and Photoshop Art released

We've released our Photoshop: Environmental Effects and Photoshop Art training DVD's. For more info visit Photoshop training DVD's

SmartSound Software, Inc. today announced that its Quicktracks for Adobe Premiere software is now available as a free download for all users of Adobe Premiere Pro and Premiere Elements. This Windows-only software package is the most powerful tool available today for creating music scores directly within an Adobe workflow, custom-fitting music into scores that match any length needed. The free software includes ten royalty-free music scores, including two previously unavailable to Quicktracks users.

In addition, SmartSound has also placed its entire collection of more than 90 stereo music and sound effects libraries on sale for $49.95 – a 50 percent savings off of the regular price. This sale pricing helps SmartSound technology users (including those using the cross-platform Sonicfire Pro 4 with Mood Mapping) build an impressive collection of music and sound effects from SmartSound’s deep, high-quality library.

With today’s dual announcements, SmartSound has given Adobe users immediate access to the industry’s leading music scoring technology, and has made it easier than ever for anyone to expand their library of SmartSound music. This is significant news in the industry, as it makes SmartSound an even more attractive option for all video editors and creators.

Corel has announced the next version of Painter, Painter X. For more information visit Painter X

Photoshop Fundamentals, MDPV's first training DVD has begun shipping. The first of a series of Photoshop training DVD's, Photoshop Fundamentals walks you step-by-step, using video tutorials, through the use of some of the core tools and techniques in Photoshop including dodge and burn, the healing tool, extracting objects from backgrounds, tweaking your Photoshop installation for maximum performance and more. For more information on MDPV Photoshop training videos, or to order visit http://www.mydigitalphoto.info/Shop.htm

(Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that Adobe Photoshop(r) Lightroom(tm) 1.0 software is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship in mid-February 2007. Photoshop Lightroom enables professional photographers to import, manage and present large volumes of digital photographs, helping photographers spend more time behind the lens and less time at the computer. With more than 500,000 photographers participating in the public beta program over the last 12 months, Photoshop Lightroom now includes a wealth of innovative features that streamline digital photography workflows. Recognizing the photography community for their efforts, Adobe is offering Photoshop Lightroom at a special introductory price of US $199 through April 30, 2007 at the Adobe Store. Photoshop Lightroom will later sell for an estimated street price of US $299.

Microsoft Photo Info is a new software add-in for Microsoft Windows that allows photographers to add, change and delete common "metadata" properties for digital photographs from inside Windows Explorer. For more information visit Microsoft Photo Info

The MDPV Photoshop Training DVD series will kick-off this year with the following training DVD's planned:

The MDPV download section is now open where you'll be able to find freeware tools, brushes, actions and textures to help you in your digital darkroom.

Mask Pro 4 includes a collection of masking tools that makes it easy to create masks, selections and clipping paths on difficult subjects like hair, glass and fog.

December 18, 2006 - onOne Software Announces Spring 2007 Availability of Genuine Fractals 5

Free upgrade available to purchasers of Genuine Fractals 4.1 or Genuine Fractals Print Pro 4.1 on or after December 18, 2006

Portland, OR - December 18, 2006 - onOne Software, Inc., announces today the spring 2007 availability of Genuine Fractals 5. In addition, anyone who purchases Genuine Fractals 4.1 or Genuine Fractals Print Pro 4.1 on or after December 18, 2006 will receive a free upgrade to Genuine Fractals 5 once it becomes available.

December 18, 2006 - Photoshop CS3 Comes to Town--Just in Time for the Holidays

Photoshop CS3 Comes to Town--Just in Time for the Holidays O'Reilly Photoshop Trainer Deke McClelland Explains What You Need to Know. The bestselling author of "Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One"

(O'Reilly, $39.95) and Photoshop trainer extraordinaire, Deke McClelland, stands ready with a training video that covers CS3's terrific new features. Called "Photoshop CS3 Beta One-on-One Preview," this large-format 90-minute video series is available for free from Deke’s online media partner, lynda.com (http://www.lynda.com).

According to Deke, "Photoshop CS3 Beta is something very new, a free upgrade that'll work until the fully developed program ships next year. The day Adobe's download link went live, lynda.com posted my 'Photoshop CS3 Beta One-on-One Preview' video series. These aren't demonstrational videos--they're the very first full training package on all the new features, big and small, complete with a live-action introduction and step-by-step exercise files. And it's totally free, to lynda.com members and non-members alike. Combined with my "Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One" book from O'Reilly, you have everything you need to know about Photoshop CS3."

- The reconfigured yet more highly efficient workspace with a brand new docking system

- A Loupe feature that allows you to magnify an image from the Bridge without opening it, so you can evaluate focus and detail

- The Auto-Align and Auto-Blend features, which merge scenes and scans seamlessly

- The ability to "swing" perpendicular planes to different angles in Vanishing Point 2.0

A trusted Photoshop trainer and author of more than 80 books over his 20-year career, Deke brings his enthusiasm, wit, and practical advice to this latest video. He'll cover all the tips and tricks along with old and new features alike, in his next book, "Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-One," coming from Deke Press/O'Reilly in a few months.

(Nasdaq:ADBE) will introduce a beta version of Adobe Photoshop CS3 software, the next release of the world standard in digital imaging, on Friday, December 15th. Adobe is delivering a widely available Photoshop

CS3 beta to enable customers to more easily transition to the latest hardware platforms, particularly Apple's new Intel-based systems. The beta is available as a Universal Binary for the Macintosh platform, as well as for Microsoft(r) Windows(r) XP and Windows Vista computers. The final shipping release of Adobe Photoshop CS3 is planned for Spring 2007. The software can be downloaded at: http://labs.adobe.com, in the early hours Pacific Standard Time on December 15.

Packed with new features, Photoshop CS3 beta also includes a pre-release version of a major upgrade to Adobe Bridge, as well as a preview release of the all-new Adobe Device Central. Photoshop customers can use Adobe Device Central to design, preview, and test compelling mobile content, created specifically for smaller screens. This new tool, integrated in the Photoshop CS3 beta, simplifies and accelerates the creation of mobile content through a preview environment and built-in device profiles.

"This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,"

said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. "We didn't want to leave Windows customers out of the party, so the beta is available to everyone in the creative industry's most passionate user community -- no matter what their platform choice.

We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimized and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems."

To utilize Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, customers require a serial number from either Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Creative Suite(r) 2, Adobe Creative Suite Production Studio, Adobe Design Bundle, Adobe Web Bundle or Adobe Video Bundle. Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta is available in English only. Customers who have a valid serial number for all other language versions of qualifying Adobe products can download the software. Without a serial number, users can still download Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, with the product expiring after two days. Customers must register online with Adobe or have an existing Adobe.com membership account to access the software.

In related previews of future technologies, Adobe has also released two new web tools as beta releases. Adobe CSS Advisor is a new web-based community site to easily identify and resolve browser compatibility issues. Web designers and developers can contribute their own issues, comment on existing issues, or become an editor to participate in driving the site's future. The site is accessible at:

www.adobe.com/go/cssadvisor. Also introduced is a beta release of Adobe Spry framework for Ajax, a designer-focused solution for adding the interactive power of Ajax when developing rich, dynamic web-sites. Adobe Spry framework for Ajax is available at: www.adobe.com/go/cssadvisor.

For Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, recommended system requirements are as follows. For Macintosh: Mac OSX 10.4.8 or 10.5, 1 GHz PowerPC(r) G4 or

G5 processor, Intel based Macintosh. For Windows: Intel(r) Xeon(r) , Xeon Dual, Centrino(r) or Pentium(r) 4 processor, Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, Microsoft Windows Vista. Both platforms require 512 MB RAM and a 1024x769 resolution screen. Photoshop CS3 beta will expire soon after the launch of Photoshop CS3 in Spring 2007.

Details on final pricing, system requirements and availability have yet to be determined.

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

Alien Skin Software today released Snap Art™, an all new plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and other image editors. Snap Art quickly creates convincing, one-click natural media with no laborious hand editing. Artists, photographers, and designers can now give a hand-crafted look to any digital image. Snap Art introduces several effects never seen before in a plug-in. Convincing line drawings, both pen and pencil, are now possible in moments. These can be combined with shading and crosshatching for a more realistic image. Snap Art can also recreate an image with a comics look, complete with shading and half-toning.

Snap Art perfects a wide variety of traditional effects. Popular painting techniques are quick and easy in Snap Art. Digital artists can render a still life with pointillism as a Neo-impressionist might. Craft a rough and rocky landscape in dry brushed watercolor or thickly textured impasto. In addition, Snap Art emulates a number of traditional drawing effects such as colored pencils, charcoal for softer shading, and hard, soft and oil pastels.

Snap Art includes hundreds of presets that make artwork with a single click. An intelligent stroke engine, based on edge detection, renders brush, pen and pencil strokes that follow features of the original image. This unique approach balances realistic reproduction of detail with convincing artistry. Snap Art also features a variety of brushes, pencils, pastels, and pens, as well as an assortment of canvas and paper types. Snap Art works with 16-bit images and is scriptable with Photoshop actions. Context-sensitive help and an online manual keep things easy to understand. For more information visit Alienskin Software

We've updated the listing of MDPV and workshops and classes. Visit the Workshops or Schedule pages of the website for more info.

August 1, 2006 - Alienskin Software releases Blow Up image up-scaling plugin

Alien Skin Software today released Blow Up, an all-new plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements. Designed for both photographers and graphic artists, Blow Up offers the highest quality image enlargement available. Blow Up simplifies and improves image enlargement, making it easy to convert web graphics to print and create large format and gallery prints from digital snapshots.

Better than Photoshop bicubic and other third party solutions, Blow Up preserves the crisp lines and smooth colors in a source image. Blow Up scales image up to 3600% -- 6 times in each dimension -- with no stairstep, halo, or fringe artifacts. For more information visit Alienskin Software

July 28, 2006 - User forum photo contest deadline fast approaching - midnight, July 31.

The My Digital Photo and video user forum member contest ends in just three days - midnight, July 31. Make sure you get your entry in! The winner will receive a copy of the full version of the new Alienskin Photoshop compatible plugin - Exposure. A $200 value.

Extensis today released a free update to Portfolio 8. This update is a Universal Application, adding native support for Intel-based Macintosh systems. The free update supports Portfolio single-user, Portfolio Client, Portfolio Server, Portfolio NetPublish, Portfolio NetPublish for Server, Portfolio SQL-Connect and Portfolio Browser. This is a Macintosh only update.

Registered owners of Portfolio 8 are eligible to receive the free upgrade immediately through the Extensis website at Extensis.

Today Adobe has released the Lightroom beta for Windows users. A long time coming, now Windows users get to play too! For more information and to download the beta visit Adobe

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the public beta of Adobe® Lightroom™ software for the Windows platform, a digital imaging workflow solution for professional photographers. Now available for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms, Adobe Lightroom beta is the efficient new way for professional photographers to import, select, develop and showcase large volumes of digital images. Windows-based photographers now have the opportunity to assist with the development of Lightroom by testing this new beta download and submitting feedback to the Adobe Labs forums at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom.

July 13, 2006 - Tomorrow is the first day of the NECCC conference at UMASS Amherst.

If you have looked into it yet, there may still be time to take advantage of one of the great photographic learning opportunities of the year. Check out NECCC

Over 100 new border and edge effects that recreate the look of film are immediately available to all PhotoFrame Pro and PhotoFrame Elements users at no charge. For more information visit OnOne Software

Today marks an exciting new chapter for iView and its relationship with our customers. We’re announcing that iView has been acquired and is now part of the Microsoft Corporation. With Microsoft’s purchase of iView, we are in a position to enhance our industry-leading product, whilst strengthening our customer service and support.

SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 4.11/4.12 is now available for download! This is a free update for Sonicfire Pro 4 owners.

Corrects Migration bug, Improves video/audio synchronization, Adds sorting by single-layer and multi-layer in the Maestro, Other minor bug fixes

Improves video/audio synchronization, Corrects a conflict with certain sound cards, Adds sorting by single-layer and multi-layer in the Maestro, Other minor bug fixes. Download the updater at:

Adobe releases new beta 3.0 of it Lightroom software - still for Mac only. This version includes features suggested by beta testers that allow greater control over export size and resolution, refined metadata selection with print output and RGB value readouts for greater editing precision. For more information, or to download, go to: Lightroom

June 1, 2006 - Nikon makes dual announcements - new camera and new software

Nikon UK is pleased to announce its new Camera Control Pro remote control software which allows users to control many digital SLR functions remotely from a PC.

The new software succeeds Nikon’s Capture 4 Camera Control, released in 2003, and includes advanced features such as “Viewer”, providing substantial operational improvement.

Camera Control Pro is compatible with Nikon’s latest software, including Capture NX (to be released in summer 2006), allowing for smoother image processing from shooting to transfer and storage.

Nikon UK is pleased to announce the introduction of the D2xs professional digital SLR camera, following the success of the award-winning Nikon D2x.

While the D2xs shares many features with its predecessor, the new model boasts an array of refinements that enhance performance and improve the user experience. Such features include, refined viewfinder performance; a new LCD with a 170-degree wide viewing angle; significantly increased battery life; and a wide range of firmware enhancements.

The D2xs maximizes the potential of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System, delivering high-precision flash performance including i-TTL flash control which support for Nikon’s Advanced Wireless Lighting system. The latest high energy EN-EL4a rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides enough power to support shooting of up to 3,800 images on a single charge. It can be recharged at any time and features a handy ‘fuel gauge’ which displays remaining charge by percentage, the number of shots since last charge and overall battery status.

Compatibility with Nikon’s Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A provides fast image transmission, improved security and compatibility with the latest protocols. Wireless LAN remote D2xs control can be achieved using a computer that has (optional) Camera Control Pro software installed.

With an exterior based on a design by famed industrial designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro*, the D2xs is instantly recognisable as a new-generation Nikon camera.

SmartSound Software, Inc. capped a successful NAB 2006 by winning four major awards from attendees and media, including the coveted 2006 NAB Award for Innovation in Media (AIM). These awards showcase the hard work that SmartSound has put into introducing groundbreaking new concepts to the market, such as the new Mood Mapping feature in SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 4, and reinforce SmartSound's position as the leading name in music scoring technology.

Sonicfire Pro 4 marks the biggest step forward for music scoring technology since the launch of SmartSound's technology more than a decade ago. The new Mood Mapping feature offers unprecedented depth of control over the mix and feel of a musical piece by allowing the user to control the mix of individual instrument layers through a single Mood Track. This, combined with SmartSound's patented method of delivering multiple arrangements of any track from our music library at any length, makes Sonicfire Pro 4 the most complete solution available for film and video professionals. More information on Sonicfire Pro 4 can be found here: SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 4

Digital Anarchy, a leading provider of cost-effective special effects software for AdobeÂ® and AppleÂ® products, today announced the immediate availability of ReSizer 2.0 for Final Cut Pro. ReSizer is a plug-in for intelligently scaling footage or up-converting Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD), which gives designers and filmmakers the power to produce high quality SD to HD up-conversions while staying on time and within budget. The plugin works in Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and now Apple's Final Cut Pro.

Portfolio 8 now offers search and preview support for Microsoft Office and over 80 Raw file formats from digital cameras.

MS Office Filter 1.0 (for Portfolio 8 Windows)
Allows Portfolio to extract thumbnail, preview and metadata information, as well as index text, from Microsoft Word and Excel documents.

Raw Photo Filter 3.0 (for Portfolio 8 Macintosh & Windows)
The new Raw Photo Filter 3.0 allows you to catalog, view and convert the Raw file formats of more than 20 additional digital cameras.

Both filters are free to registered Portfolio 8 users. More information and download instructions

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced an update to the Camera Raw plug-in for

Adobe(r) Photoshop(r) CS2, extending raw file support to eight additional digital camera models. Available as a free download from the Adobe Web site, the Camera Raw 3.4 plug-in builds on Photoshop CS2 raw file support for digital cameras from leading manufacturers such as Canon, Epson, Leaf, Olympus, Pentax and Samsung.

The Adobe Camera Raw 3.4 plug-in requires Photoshop CS2, Photoshop Elements 3.0 or Photoshop Elements 4.0 (Macintosh or Windows) and can be downloaded for free by going to the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html.

The Plugin Site released the MacOS X version of LightMachine, a plugin for performing all kinds of light adjustments in photos.

LightMachine combines shadow/highlight, virtual lighting and color-based correction tools for performing sophisticated corrections without the need for time-consuming selections and layer stacks. It lets you selectively correct photos taken under bad light conditions or with inadequate camera settings and achieve results that rival photos taken under the best circumstances. Additionally LightMachine can achieve special effects like glows, sunsets, high key and selective b/w effects, replace one color with another and simulate polarizing filters. LightMachine works in several graphics applications including Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Illustrator, Painter, Canvas and Fireworks. LightMachine can be applied to 8bit and 16bit RGB images. For more information visit The Plugin Site

Serious Magic, Inc. announced today that DV Rack, the company's powerful direct-to-disk video recording and monitoring software, will support the Panasonic AG-HVX200, the world's first hand-held high definition solid-state memory camcorder. For more information visit Serious Magic

The new updates for Portfolio 8 include support for 20 additional digital cameras (including the D200) and new file format support for Microsoft Office - including Microsoft Word and Excel. Portfolio 8 now has enhanced support for showing preview thumbnails and data on word and excel files. For more information, visit Extensis

Nikon has released more information of the successor to Nikon's Capture editing software. Details can be found here Nikon

SmartSound Software, Inc., the leading provider of music scoring technology for film and video professionals, today launched SmartSound Sonicfire Pro 4, the groundbreaking new version of its flagship software. Version 4 introduces a new capability called Mood Mapping, representing the biggest advancement in music scoring technology since the launch of SmartSound’s first software more than a decade ago.

Through a single Mood Map track and a collection of preset mood mixes, users can instantly and precisely match the feel of their music to the changing mood of their productions, without having to perform any advanced audio or music editing or mixing.

“Sonicfire Pro 4 with Mood Mapping marks a major breakthrough in how film and video professionals score their productions,” said Kevin Klingler, president and CEO of SmartSound Software, Inc. “It allows users to completely change the feel of their music scores without getting bogged down in a complicated process. This is the first time that this level of control over individual instrument layers has been available in a way that any film and video professional can quickly grasp and use.”

In Sonicfire Pro 4, each music selection has a Mood Map track, where users can identify points in their production where changes in mood occur. They can change the mix of the score to fit each mood by selecting from one of a wide range of preset mixes. Each mix has the individual instrument layers set to different levels, depending on the feel desired. Examples of preset mixes include “Heavy,” “Sparse,” “Dialog” and “Acoustic.”

The latest updates to each version of ProShow (Gold, Producer, etc) can be found here Photodex

Canon has provide a firmware update for the EOS 30D, EOS 5D and the EOS-1D mark II. The update for the 30D fixes a display problem, while the 5D and 1D Mark II update fixes a monocrome image bug issue. Additionally the 30D firmware update fixes functionality with the EF 85mm lens and Speedlight 580EX.

30D Firmware Update
5D Firmware Update
1D Mark II Firmware Update PRESS RELEASE

MediaDex today announced the release of their MediaDex 1.0 digital asset management software to catalog, organize, find and share digital media files. Based on the Canto Cumulus Digital Asset Management technology, MediaDex 1.0 is a cataloging solution for creative individual professionals and home users. It offers benefits including powerful search capabilities and a rich set of conversion and presentation features. Supporting all standard multimedia including image, layout, video, audio and text files, MediaDex helps the users to keep track of digital files and to efficiently retrieve and utilize them when needed. For more information visit MediaDex

Serious Magic, Inc. today announced 12 new virtual sets designed for those productions in need of recreational and professional environments. Master Sets Library 4, designed exclusively for its award-winning ULTRA keying software, takes advantage of Serious Magic's VirtualTrak technology, which creates virtual camera moves from stationary camera shots and inserts video reflections into virtual scenes for increased realism.

Videographers can place their talent before the bench of a regal courtroom; announce a new product on the main floor of a conference hall; or broadcast their opinions from the control room overlooking a football stadium. All sets include multiple angles, virtual flying camera shots, and places to insert additional video sources or graphics. For more information visit Serious Magic

Included in the new update are SENSOR SHIFT: Stitcher 5.1 now incorporates additional parameters to
automatically correct the misalignment of the sensor with the center of the
lens, for greater accuracy when aligning images, leading to sharper rendered
panoramas. Also in this update are external blending, movie export, batch render and more. For more information visit Realviz

New enhancements in Corel Painter IX.5 include:

Photo Painting Palettes – The new Photo Painting Palettes, including the Underpainting, Auto-Painting, and Restoration palettes, work together to help users kick-start the process of creating a beautiful hand-painted work of art from a photograph.
Support for Rosetta running on Intel-based Macs – Customers running the latest hardware from Apple can enjoy working with Corel Painter and their Wacom pen tablet, including support for the Wacom Intuos 3 and the 6D Art Pen.
Eraser Tool – Conveniently located in the toolbox, the new Eraser tool erases any medium on the canvas.
Rubber Stamp Tool – The Rubber Stamp tool makes it easy for users to set up point-to-point cloning. Located in the toolbox, this tool lets users set a source and destination reference point, enabling them to clone within an image file or between different areas of separate image files.
Cloner Tool – Conveniently located in the toolbox, the Cloner tool provides immediate access to the last-used Cloner brush and brush variant.
Corel Paint Shop Pro Support for Windows Users – Users can now open Corel Paint Shop Pro files (versions 9 and X).
Send to Corel Photo Album for Windows Users – New integration makes it easy to send files to Corel Photo Album, helping customers manage their images and paintings. More information can be found at Corel Painter IX

Bibble Labs releases 4.6 update with Noise Ninja Technology and Intel Macintosh Support
Other improvements include revised user interface and more speed. For more information visit Bibble Labs

The new Coolpix point and shoots from Nikon range from 4 megapixel to 8 megapixel, some with built-in wi-fi and some with LCD's as big as 3 inches. For more information visit Nikon Digital

Samsung has partnered with Pentax to create and bring you Samsung's first dSLR, the 6.1 megapixel GX-1S. For more information see the official press release from Samsung Samsung

Nikon has announced a new version of NikonView and a new software application called Capture NX. This new software from Nikon incorporates functionality available now to Nikon after the agreement reached between Nikon and nik Software (formerly nik Multimedia). For more information visit Nikon (You'll need to translate the page - right click on the page and choose translate to English.)

Canon introduced two new wide format inkjet photo printers - one using 10 inks, the other using 12 inks. For more information visit Canon USA

Canon announced the new Canon 30D, an 8.2 megapixel dSLR with 2.5" LCD and 3/5 FPS adjustable. The Canon 30D is expected to be available in April 2006. For more information visit Canon

PENTAX unveiled its latest digital offerings in advance of the Photo Marketing Association annual trade show opening Sunday, February 26, 2006, in Orlando. The 6.0 megapixel, 3X zoom, waterproof (JIS Class 8 Waterproof and JIS Class 5 dustproof ratings) PENTAX Optio T10 offers an impressive reflection-free 3.0 inch LCD touch-display Featuring 6.0 megapixels and a 3X zoom will be available for $349.95 in March 2006.

February 14, 2006 - Crane & Co. to officially launch Museo Silver Rag fine art paper

Crane & Co., the worldwide leader in 100% cotton papers, announces the official launch of Museo^® Silver Rag^™ paper at the Photo Marketing Association International (PMA) trade show February 26 – March 1 in Orlando , FL.

Museo^® Silver Rag^™ digital fine art paper was designed with fiber based photo paper and a fine art photographer in mind. It has the semi-gloss look of a traditional air dried fiber print with the feel of a fine cotton paper and the image quality rivaling market leading photo quality inkjet papers. Manufactured to archival standards, Museo^® Silver Rag^™ is for use with pigmented inkjet inks. It gives exceptional print performance for both B&W and color imaging.

Skillfully crafted using innovative technology, Silver Rag^™ achieves print density levels and a tonal range previously unheard of with rag papers. Combined with its tough surface, quick dry-time, and outstanding water resistance, this paper gives users several more reasons to sell off the darkroom equipment.

Independent beta testers provided extensive feedback including comments such as “Wow”, “superb Dmax”, “very beautiful paper”, “awesome feel”, “totally blown away by the color”, and “it’s the best paper I’ve used”. One photographer lamented that this product would mean the death of the darkroom.

Silver Rag^™ has a weight of 300 gsm and will be available in both sheets and rolls for desktop and wide format printers. Sheet sizes include 8.5 x 11, A4, 13 x 19/A3+, 17 x 22, 24 x 36 and 35 x 47. Rolls will be available in widths of 17”, 24”, 44”, and 50”. Printer profiles are available at www.crane.com/museo.

Extensis, a division of Celartem Inc., today announced sales for its digital asset management (DAM) solution - Portfolio, have surpassed Extensis' existing record for quarterly net revenue. Extensis finished the 2005 calendar year with a 39 percent growth over the preceding year for Portfolio sales while increasing the product's total corporate workgroup revenue 204 percent over the same period. More information can be found here: Extensis

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced an update to the public beta of Adobe® Lightroom™, an all-new digital imaging solution for professional photographers. Just one month after its introduction at the Macworld Show in San Francisco , Lightroom Public Beta 2.0 is now available as a Universal Binary for compatibility with PowerPC and Intel based Apple hardware and includes new features to streamline digital photography workflows. A Windows version is expected to follow the final Macintosh release in late 2006.

Lightroom Beta 2.0 includes new Crop and Straighten tools in the Develop module, ability to add music to slideshows and create hierarchical keyword lists to give photographers the ability to group and manage image keywords more efficiently. Improved Edit functionality provides photographers with more options for choosing how an image is delivered to Adobe Photoshop® CS2 based on its native file format. Lightroom also is able to read many IPTC fields, as well as import and export XMP metadata.

“We’ve been thrilled with the activity in our online Lightroom beta forums and the positive response we’ve received from the photography community,” said Dave Story, vice president of product development for Digital Imaging at Adobe. “We’re also excited about Apple’s move to the Intel platform and with Lightroom Beta, Adobe is one of the first companies to deliver software for the new Intel based Macs, just weeks after Apple’s announcement.” For more information visit Adobe

Changes are coming to My Digital Photo and video. Over the coming months our site will be going through some changes as we transition to a new look and feel. These changes will take place, hopefully, without incurring any downtime to the site. So, expect changes - starting with a new trial logo at the top of the page. Since changes will be happening in "sections" some parts of the site may take on new looks before others. In the end, though, the site will be easier to navigate, prettier and perhaps a bit "flashier".

The latest update, now 3.0.2, addresses the following: Added support for Panasonic/Leica Digilux RAW (via DCRAW), support for Sinar/Mamiya (preview only), Fixed issue with File Name view options problem, Fixed issue where search text supplied by Spotlight could cause crash (MAC), Fixed issue with search box, Fixed issue with path resolver of catalogs created on the Mac (WIN), Fixed issue with import using QuickTime 7.0.4 (Win), Major optimizations on catalog with 40K+ records, Fixed rare issue when synchronizing JPEG/Photoshop files that contain corrupt IPTC resource blocks, Fixed issue sync-out issue with old PSD files that do not contain XMP structure, Fixed file type issue when importing certain file formats, 'XML Data file' exports now only visible items & fixed bug related to export of catalog sets, Fixed issue with word-wrapping in slide show description/captions, Optimization of organize panel, and Japanese localization.

nik Multimedia Inc. is no nik Software Inc. Their logo has also changed. For more information visit: nik Software

Targeting the millions of people who blog around the world today, Serious Magic, Inc. announces the immediate availability of Vlog It to help users quickly and easily add video to their blog, or create a "vlog," in minute.

With Vlog It, users combine media-video clips, digital photos and music with narration to achieve a video. When visitors to the blog click on the thumbnail, their video will automatically play.

Vlog It introduces consumers to the vlog-creation process with a three-step Wizard so novices can access a variety of newscast-style themes. Each theme includes coordinated graphics, titles, lower-third graphics, backgrounds and music so videos look as if they were created inside a television newsroom.

Vlog It also offers the ability to replace a background with an image or video. This is perfect for the blogger wishing to appear "on location", such as in front of the White House discussing political views or in an actual newsroom commenting on the day's events. To utilize this feature, users place any green or blue fabric behind them. For more information visit Serious Magic

Stay tuned to My Digital Photo for information on our upcoming forum community photo contest. It will be fun and there will be prizes! The contest will be announced here and in the My Digital Photo User Forums. Entry will be restricted to registered members of the My Digital Photo User Forum.

January 26, 2006 - Creative Corner - Coming soon to My Digital Photo and video

The Creative Corner will deliver tips, techniques and new products providing you with more creative outlets. This new section will cover digital scrapbooking, custom greeting cards, newsletters and other creative ideas to showcase your digital photography.

Alien Skin Software today released Exposure, an all-new plug-in for Adobe^® Photoshop^® and other compatible host programs. Exposure brings the look and feel of film to digital photography. Digital photographers can now simulate current and discontinued film stocks, as well as recreate their signature look as a one-click effect. Exposure also simulates darkroom and studio effects such as push and cross processing. Moreover, saturation, light temperature, dynamic range, softness, sharpness, and the addition of realistic grain can be managed in one place.

Foremost a film simulator, Exposure is based on the detailed analysis of real world film stocks. A photographer can now quickly and easily evoke the vivid colors of Velvia^®, the rich blacks of Kodachrome^®, or the sensitivity of Ektachrome^®. Exposure includes presets that emulate the warmth, softness, and realistic grain of dozens of real world film stocks, both color and black and white. Plus, any preset can be the starting point for a signature look, adjusted to suit a particular subject, or applied to a batch of images using Photoshop Actions.

Exposure adds realistic grain separately to the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights of an image. Unlike other digital products, Exposure does not add simple, harsh noise to an image. Instead, Exposure models the size, shape, and color of real world grain. Exposure can even mimic the pronounced grain of films such as Ilford^® 3200 Delta, as well as the discontinued Ektachrome EES and GAF^® 500.

Collecting color, dynamic range, softness, and grain controls in one plug-in, Exposure simplifies workflow. Photographers can now master one easy-to-use tool. Streamlined color and saturation controls warm/cool with a single slider while preserving skin tones or preventing oversaturated reds. Exposure makes gamma correction and contrast changes less intimidating by adding high level contrast, highlight and shadow controls to curves editing.

Exposure includes several, additional features that address the needs of photographers. Exposure reproduces key studio and darkroom effects such as cross processing, push processing, and glamour portrait softening. Exposure encourages non-destructive editing, allowing users to render an adjusted image as a new layer in Photoshop. Exposure’s advanced preview system includes an optional, split screen preview in addition to a before/after button. Exposure pairs unlimited undo/redo with fast rendering and lets photographers zoom and pan using Photoshop style keyboard shortcuts. For more information visit Alien Skin Software

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced an update to Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop(r) CS2, extending raw file support to 17 additional digital camera models. Available as a free download from Adobe's Web site, the plug-in builds on the raw file support integrated in Photoshop CS2 for digital cameras from leading manufacturers such as Canon, Fujifilm, Kodak, Mamiya, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony.

With the addition of the new plug-in, Camera Raw functionality in Photoshop CS2 now supports more than 113 different camera models and allows professional photographers to easily manipulate raw files without sacrificing any image quality. Now professional photographers can more quickly and easily import and manipulate raw data, saving time while increasing artistic control.

New cameras supported by Adobe Camera Raw 3.3 plug-in and DNG Converter include Canon EOS 5D, Canon EOS 1D Mark II N, Canon EOS 20Da, Fujifilm Finepix E900, Fujifilm Finepix S5200/5600, Fujifilm Finepix S9000/9500, Kodak EasyShare P850, Kodak EasyShare P880, Mamiya ZD, Nikon D200, Olympus E-500, Olympus SP-310, Olympus SP-350, Olympus SP-500UZ, Pentax *ist DL, Pentax *ist DS2, and Sony DSC-R1.

Availability: The Adobe Camera Raw 3.3 plug-in also requires Photoshop CS2, Photoshop Elements 3.0 or Photoshop Elements 4.0 and can be downloaded for free by going to the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html .

Here's an opportunity to learn printing techniques from the Pro's. For more information on the schedule and what's covered go here: Epson Print Academy

Adobe Systems Incorporated today unveiled Adobe® Production Studio, an extension of the Adobe Creative Suite family of products. The most complete post-production software solution available today, Adobe Production Studio combines full new versions of Adobe's world class video and graphics applications—Adobe After Effects® 7.0, Adobe Premiere Pro® 2.0, Adobe Audition® 2.0, Adobe Encore® 2.0 (also announced today, see separate releases) and the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop® CS2 and Adobe Illustrator® CS2—with time-saving innovations such as Adobe Dynamic Link that deliver a highly efficient workflow experience. Adobe Production Studio also integrates Flash Video (FLV) export capabilities to provide video professionals with a new, fluid method of delivering content to the Web using this ubiquitous Web video standard.

Adobe Production Studio delivers ground-breaking workflow improvements that allow users to maximize their productivity. Adobe Dynamic Link allows users to move After Effects compositions directly into Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore DVD, without having to render them first. Changes are automatically updated, so users can instantly see refinements in context. Other productivity-enhancing workflow features include: a new unified interface; the ability to capture footage using Adobe Premiere Pro from within After Effects; and Adobe Bridge, a full-featured file browser that can be launched independently or accessed from any Production Studio component. With Adobe Production Studio, users can maintain creative momentum within an integrated post-production environment.

Adobe Production Studio combines Adobe's world-class video and audio applications with the indispensable graphics capabilities of Photoshop CS2 and Illustrator CS2. Benefiting from the global reach of the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), client reviews can be expedited with Adobe Clip Notes, a powerful new way to get feedback on Adobe Premiere Pro projects. High-fidelity support for OpenGL 2.0 in After Effects speeds production time, while new animation presets make it easy to quickly create great-looking animations. The new low-latency mixing engine in Adobe Audition delivers instant results, and Adobe Encore DVD includes the ability to easily create slideshows. Plus, more than eight gigabytes of royalty-free design assets give users a head start on any creative project.

For more information about the new features available in this release go here: Adobe

Following the success of our digital line-up over the last seven years, which has resulted in more than 95% of Nikon’s UK business being within the digital area, Nikon Corporation has made the decision to focus management resources on digital cameras in place of film cameras. This decision will allow Nikon to continue to develop products that match the demands of an increasingly competitive market place.

Despite this growing competition Nikon Corporation has continued to outperform the market, and has recently reported positive financial results which saw group net profit climb by 20% in the fiscal first half which ended in September. Group sales also increased by 9.8% to 342.85 billion yen in the same period. Sales of high end digital SLR cameras and the success of products like the D70s and D50 have helped contribute to these positive figures.

As the film camera market shrinks and the popularity of compact digital cameras increases, demand for products that offer advanced features and extra value is continuing to grow. High performance digital SLR cameras are performing well as users shift from film-based SLR cameras or upgrade from compact digital cameras to digital SLR cameras.

As a result of the new strategy Nikon will discontinue production of all lenses for large format cameras and enlarging lenses with sales of these products ceasing as soon as they run out of stock. This also applies to most of our film camera bodies, interchangeable manual focus lenses and related accessories. Although Nikon anticipates that the products will still be in retail distribution up to Summer 2006.

In recognition of Nikon’s commitment to professional photographers we will continue to manufacturer and sell the F6, our flagship film model, as well as a number of manual interchangeable lenses. Sales of the manual FM10 will also continue outside Europe.

• As well as the F6 film body and the manual FM10 Nikon will continue to manufacturer and sell the following Interchangeable manual lenses:
Nikkor 20mm f/2.8
Nikkor 24mm f/2.8
Nikkor 28mm f/2.8
Nikkor 35mm f/1.4
Nikkor 50mm f/1.2
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8
Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D
• After-sales service will continue to be provided as before, according to the policy for each product.

ACDSee Pro Photo Manager includes the following features: full color management support for ICC and ICM color profiles, DNG (Digital Negative Specification) RAW format support, batch processing, HTML album templates and more. For more information visit ACD Systems

January 10, 2006 - The Panorama Factory Announces the Release of Version 4.2.

V4.2 of The Panorama Factory introduces two new editions of The Panorama Factory V4: the x64 Edition and the m32 Edition. The previous edition of The Panorama Factory has been renamed the Legacy Edition. You may run any edition using the Registration Key you have already purchased. The Panorama Factory m32 Edition runs on single- and multi-processor computers, delivering improved stitching speed on multi-processor systems (including multi-core systems) by performing image computations in parallel. The m32 Edition requires Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista.

The Panorama Factory x64 Edition runs on the x64 Edition of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista. 64-bit processing enables The Panorama Factory to create images that are nearly 1000 times larger than the maximum under Windows XP on a 32-bit processor. This version runs on single- and multi-processor computers, delivering improved stitching speed on multi-processor systems (including multi-core systems) by performing image computations in parallel. The x64 Edition requires a 64-bit processor with the x64 architecture such as AMD Athlon 64, AMD Turion 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with EM64T or Intel Pentium with EM64T. The Legacy Edition runs on all 32-bit Windows platforms starting with Windows 95. It runs on single- and multi-processor computers, but does not take advantage of multiple processors.

V4.2 of The Panorama Factory corrects a small number of minor issues that have been reported by users. These issues only affect some users of the software. For a list of changes in this release, please visit http://www.panoramafactory.com/whatsnew.html Registered owners of V4.x may download and install V4.2 without additional fees. Free updates within the same major version (the number before the decimal point), e.g. V4.0, V4.1, etc., are a way of expressing our appreciation for registered users.

Adobe Systems Incorporated today introduced the public beta of Adobe(r) Lightroom(tm), an all-new digital imaging solution for professional photographers. With its modular, task-based and streamlined environment, Lightroom's goal is to deliver a complete photography workflow. As Adobe collects more feedback from photographers, modules and feature sets will likely change, as customers decide on their popularity and priority within digital photography workflows. Initially available as a beta for Macintosh, Lightroom will later support both the Windows(r) and Macintosh platforms.

"We first showed an early version of Lightroom at the Adobe Ideas Conference in April 2005 to demonstrate a new streamlined digital photography experience, from capture to print," said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief operating officer of Adobe. "Today's Lightroom Beta leverages Adobe's renowned digital imaging innovation, in areas such as raw image processing, so that even in beta form photographers will find world class technology that complements Photoshop. We look forward to the feedback from the photography community as we refine the product over the next few months."

New Open Architecture Focuses on the Image: Lightroom Beta has been designed with a radical new user interface that puts the focus on what photographers really care about: the image. With just one click, the control panels and tools fade into the background in Lights-Out mode, allowing the image to take center stage. The innovative Identity Plate feature allows photographers to apply their own branding to the application and its output, so that it becomes their own personal gallery for showcasing work. Photographers also can rapidly scroll through hundreds of images and Quick One-to-One Zoom allows instant magnification of the finer points within the image.

"Lightroom defines the future workflow for the professional digital photographer," said Seth Resnick, a premier corporate, editorial and stock photographer. "It delivers exactly the functions photographers need to speed up their workflow in a way that was never before possible."

High-Quality Raw Processing: Leveraging industry-leading Adobe Camera Raw technology, Lightroom supports over 100 cameras and incorporates raw conversion into a single workflow experience. Adobe continues to advance the state of the art in raw processing, as evidenced by the new split-toning controls which create richer black and white images. This extends photographers' creative control, providing new parameters for making adjustments and more freedom to address precise areas of the photograph on the histogram. Upon import, files can be converted to Digital Negative format (DNG) or renamed and segmented by folder or date.

Images can also be showcased via slideshows with drop shadows, borders, Identity Plates and different colored backgrounds. The size and position of the images can be manipulated and delivered in Macromedia Flash(r), Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML formats. A variety of templates are offered for contact sheets with the ability to add identity plates or produce a fine art print.

The public debut of Lightroom Beta for Macintosh OSX 10.4.3 will occur at Macworld 2006 on January 10, 2006 in San Francisco at Booth #1307 and is available for free download from the Adobe Labs Web site at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom . Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4.3, 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 768 MB RAM and a 1024x768 resolution screen. Regular updates to the software will be posted on the site, feedback will be collected and the final product is expected to be introduced in late 2006. Further details around pricing, system requirements and availability have yet to be determined.

January 5, 2006 - Number of Digital Pictures Snapped Will Boost Global Photo Printing

IDC Predicts Increased Number of Digital Pictures Snapped by Affluent PC Users Will Boost Global Photo Printing

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 4, 2006 Affluent PC users with the disposable income and interest in digital photography will continue to capture more and more images, resulting in an increase in the average number of images printed, IDC reveals in two new Image Bible studies. The number of images captured, shared, and received will grow at a sustained average of 24% from 2004 to 2009, boosting the worldwide growth of total prints volume to an average of 14% over the same forecast period.Inexpensive flash memory cards will be the key driver for both the digital image creation and image printing forecasts, as well as a prevalence of imaging technologies in mobile phones, combined with a decline in print pricing.

"Images captured from camera phones and other devices will not contribute as much as those captured with digital cameras, and camera phones will eventually become more video-centric devices," said Christopher Chute, senior analyst with IDC's Digital Imaging Solutions and Services program. "The promise of digital photography lies with customized personal printing solutions, as digital camera users will move away from commodity printing toward creative printing solutions."

Bibble Labs announced version 4.5 of its Raw Workflow software. Now supporting close to 70 DSLR and prosumer cameras, this update includes support for the Nikon D200, as well as the Olympus EVolt E-500, SP310, SP350, Sp500UZ, Pentax *ist DS2 and Sony DSC-R1.

Based upon feedback from Canon shooters, they have reworked some of the internal processing and reprofiled the Canon .CR2 based cameras. Bibble 4.5 also includes several minor enhancements and fixes, and is a free update. It can be found here Bibble

Canon update for the 5D dSLR available. It updates the following:

1) Fixes the phenomenon of large image files (1.7GB) being created.
2) Improves the brightness of the LCD monitor.
3) Fixes an operational abnormality in the AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) shooting.
4) Fixes the mistakes in the Swedish-language MENU displays

Digital continues to take its toll on film. AGFA closes its last door in the US - parent company bankrupt. Fujicolor closes Hackensack, NJ operation. Bronica brand dies - Tamron discontinued the RF645 along with all related lenses and accessories. On the digital side - Olympus and Konica-Minolta both announce they are refocusing their product lines.

A problem with the firmware in Sigma HSM equipped lenses has caused an incompatibility issue between them and the new Nikon D200. The problem lies with the Sigma firmware and Sigma has announced a free firmware upgrade.

"To our valued customers,

Sigma HSM equipped lenses do not operate when the "AF operation button" on the back of the body of Nikon "D200" digital SLR camera (recently introduced to the market by Nikon) is used. We have determined that this problem is caused by a firmware "bug" in our HSM equipped lenses.

We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause our customers who own D200 cameras and we are committed to correcting this situation. We will start updating the firmware of these lenses free of charge in the near future.

December 16, 2005 - Microsoft Releases RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer for Windows XP

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer provides the ability to view, organize, and print photos captured in RAW image formats from supported Canon and Nikon digital cameras. It can be found here Microsoft

The new Nikon D200 DSLR is now available (limited). For more information visit: Nikon USA D200

Nikon released version 4.4 of its Capture Software adding support for the new Nikon D200 DSLR. For more information visit: Nikon USA

Digital Juice released Editor's Toolkit 9 - Christmas Tools. 12 DVD set with more than 350 Christmas and winter animations. More information can be found here Digital Juice

Version 2.6 has many new features including: audio and video trimmers, an enhanced menuing system, transparency support and more. You can view a full list of new features to ProShow Gold 2.6 here: ProShow Gold

The new version of Nikon View (6.2.7) adds RAW support for the new Nikon D200 camera along with a few fixes. More info can be found here Nikon USA Tech Support

Foremost a film simulator, Exposure is based on the detailed analysis of real world film stocks. A photographer can now quickly and easily evoke the vivid colors of Velvia®, the rich blacks of Kodachrome®, or the sensitivity of Ektachrome®. Exposure includes presets that emulate the warmth, softness, and realistic grain of dozens of real world film stocks, both color and black and white. Plus, any preset can be the starting point for a signature look, adjusted it to suit a particular subject, or applied to a batch of images using Photoshop Actions.

Exposure adds realistic grain separately to the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights of an image. Unlike other digital products, Exposure does not add harsh, unrealistic noise to an image. Instead, Exposure models the size, shape, and color of real world grain. Exposure can even mimic the pronounced grain of films such as Ilford® 3200 Delta, as well as the discontinued Ektachrome EES and GAF® 500.

Collecting color, dynamic range, softness, and grain controls in one place, Exposure simplifies workflow. Photographers can now master one easy-to-use tool. Streamlined color and saturation controls warm/cool with a single. Exposure makes gamma correction and contrast changes less intimidating by adding high level contrast, highlight and shadow controls to curves editing.

Exposure includes several, additional features that address the needs of photographers. Exposure reproduces key studio and darkroom effects such as cross processing, push processing, and glamour portrait softening. 32-bit image support makes it possible to work with high dynamic range (HDR) images. Exposure encourages non-destructive editing, allowing users to render an adjusted image as a new layer in Photoshop. Exposure’s advanced preview system includes an optional, split preview in addition to a before/after button. Exposure pairs unlimited undo/redo with fast rendering and lets photographers zoom and pan using Photoshop style keyboard shortcuts.

Pricing and Availability: Exposure will be available early in 2006. For more information visit Alienskin

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced three new product bundles that combine the design and publishing prowess of Adobe® Creative Suite 2 and Adobe video tools with the interactive strength of just-released Macromedia® Flash® Professional 8 and Macromedia Studio 8 software. Adobe acquired the Macromedia product line when the company purchased Macromedia, a transaction that formally closed on December 3, 2005. More information can be found here Adobe

The latest version of this ebook software releases today with all new features. See Desktop Author

Muvee released version 5 of it's "auto movie making" software today and offers a holiday discount. For more information go here Muvee

For the entire month of December, you save 50% when you buy any full version of one of our Photoshop Plug-Ins or Quark XTensions. Offer applies to full versions only. Upgrades and select products excluded. More information can be found here onOne Software

ExpressDigital today announced availability of an expanded Darkroom Professional Edition that adds new features such as retro color tool, professional red eye removal and new hardware support for the Nikon D2X, D2Hs, D70s, D50, Canon Rebel XT and Fuji S3 digital cameras. New direct printer support for the Mitsubishi CP-3020DU, CP-9550DW, Kodak 9810, Shinko S9045, S1245 and the Fujimoto SHP5080 digital mini-lab are also included in this version 8.5 update release. For more information see Express Digital

November 30, 2005 - Delkin Devices Announces Pop-Up Shade for Digital Point & Shoot Cameras

Delkin Devices, Inc. is now shipping the Universal version of their Pop-Up Shades. All Pop-Up Shades allow you to see your camera’s LCD screen in the sun and protect it from damage. The sturdy, lightweight covers are easily installed and protect a digital camera’s expensive LCD screen. Universal Pop-Up Shades are designed to work on most digital point and shoot cameras and feature a new two-part design that allows the shade portion to be removed, leaving the LCD guard in place. They are available in four digital camera LCD sizes: 1.6”, 1.8”, 2.0”, and 2.5”. The 1.6” also fits digital cameras with a 1.5” LCD. These four sizes fit over 90% of digital point and shoot cameras available. For more information visit Delkin Devices

Only one more day to go. Starting tomorrow afternoon we'll be uploading new reviews to help you find the right holiday gift for you or that special photographer you know. More new holiday round-up reviews will follow and be posted continuously throughout the month of December!

Extensis, a division of Celartem, Inc., today announced the availability of Portfolio 8, a major advance in its digital asset management (DAM) solution. The new version of Portfolio provides industrial-strength workflow features to organize and share digital files with visual catalogs and embedded metadata, making it easy to quickly find, route and distribute valuable branding collateral like images, brochures, layouts and logos within asset creation workgroups and externally with global partners. The Portfolio 8 product family includes a standalone version, Client/Server solution, as well as NetPublish and SQL Connect Modules. For more information visit Extensis

November 22, 2005 - Konica Minolta has announced firmware updates for the five megapixel Dimage A1 and the eight megapixel A2.

Improved performance including faster write speeds. For more info visit Konica Minolta

Adobe has released version 1.0.3 of Adobe Bridge. This new update delivers improved product reliability and is a recommended download. More info can be found here Adobe

November 15, 2005 - onOne Software Releases Free Genuine Fractals Plug-In Reader for Adobe Photoshop

New plugin lets Photoshop CS and CS2 users open and view Genuine Fractals files saved using the .STN file format. More information can be found here onOne Software

The My Digital Photo user forum is now live. Grab a cup of coffee, or your favorite beverage, pull up a chair and stay a while. The user forum is your place to help, and learn, from others. It's your community, enjoy it!

November 14, 2005 - My Digital Photo workshop series comes to Cape Cod in 2006

My Digital Photo Workshop Series at Cape Cod Art Association - Four dates to be announced!

Adobe released Camera Raw 3.3 (beta) adding support for several digital cameras. More information can be found here Adobe

Digital Anarchy released updates for our two Photoshop products, Primatte Chromakey and Backdrop Designer. These updates are free to current owners. Get them at Digital Anarchy

November 2, 2005 - Alienware mobile systems now feature Nvidia GeForce Go 7800 GTX and Seagate Momentus 7200.1 hard drives

Alienware^® -- the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook, media center, server, and professional systems -- is now featuring the new NVIDIA^® GeForce^® Go 7800 GTX graphics processor on the Area-51m 7700 mobile system and MJ-12m 7700 mobile workstation. The two award-winning mobile systems are also now available with powerful Momentus 100GB, 7200-RPM hard drives by Seagate Technology for added performance and convenience. For more information go to Alienware

iView releases latest version of it's digital asset management software, MediaPro 3. For more information go to iView Multimedia

November 1, 2005 - Nikon launches D200, SB-R200 Remote Speedlight, SU-800 Commander Unit and new 18-200 VR lens.

Nikon launches its powerful, feature-packed D200 digital SLR camera, delivering a high-precision, high-performance package and creating a new class of camera between entry-level and professional digital SLRs.

The Nikon D200 combines the solid look and feel and advanced camera operation of Nikon’s D2 professional series with the approved user-friendliness and stunning image quality that are the hallmarks of all Nikon digital SLRs.

The D200 has been crafted to connect a range of newly developed Nikon technologies with advanced features inherited from the Nikon D2x, ensuring an ultimate shooting experience with exceptional and versatile imaging performance, high speed and an instant response. The result is a blend of superb features, high quality components and fantastic results.

This combination makes the D200 perfect for passionate, dedicated amateur photographers, business users in fields such as the police, dentistry and museums and professionals or semi-professionals looking for a second camera to complement their Nikon D2x or D2Hs.

October 18, 2005 - DIGITAL FOCI INTRODUCES “IMAGE MOMENTS” DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME

Digital Foci, Inc. introduced today the powerful Image Moments digital photo album frame, which lets you display and share photos directly from digital camera memory cards at home or at the office on beautiful maple or walnut picture frames. Just insert any digital camera card into Image Moments and memories will instantly come to life in sharp, vibrant color on its big 8-inch high-resolution LCD screen. Digital Foci

REALVIZ Stitcher version 5 panorama software, a professional-level application used by thousands of professional photographers and 3D artists to create superb wide-angle panoramas for the Web, film, print and 3D, will start shipping this month in English & French for Macintosh and Windows. Suggested retail price in the US is $580; existing owners of Stitcher 4 can up-grade to version 5 for $250. Interoperable with Adobe Photoshop, Stitcher offers a range of features including the ability to create high resolution spherical, cubic, cylindrical & planar panoramas and manage high distortion for perfect stitching regardless of lens type. Stitcher 5 represents a considerable advance on the current version of the software with a range of new features including the introduction of a full automatic stitching engine and a completely new user interface with a full-screen 3D window to maximize the working area. REALVIZ

The 2005 PhotoPlus Expo Photography & Design Conference offers over 100 photography and design seminars and hands-on workshops taught by world-renowned experts with a focus on cutting-edge innovations in digital imaging products and techniques. You'll find information-packed, idea-generating sessions at the only conference in the country that's 100% focused on photography, design & imaging. PhotoPlus Expo

October 11, 2005 - Camera Manufacturers Issue Warnings For Sensor Failures In Some Models

Canon, Konica, Minolta, Sony and Fujifilm have all released "service advisories" regarding defective sensors in some of their cameras. The defective CCD sensors have poor image quality, and demonstrate a visible "smearing" on the sensor itself. The defective chips are used in consumer and some prosumer cameras, but if you're experiencing a degradation of image quality, contact your camera manufacturer.

Konica Minolta Announcement
Canon Announcement
Fujifilm Announcement
Sony Announcement

Support for the following cameras has been added from Camera Raw 3.1 to 3.2. Read more... Adobe

The Windows Vista operating system provides a new development platform for advanced color applications and devices called the Microsoft Windows Color System (WCS). Windows Color System offers a strong foundation for ongoing innovation in color into the future. Other platform enhancements, such as the display and print infrastructure, will be delivered simultaneously. Read more... Windows Image Color Management

Enhance your photos with powerful new tools that help you adjust specific areas of a photo in less time and even remove red eye automatically as you download. Create fun composites with new features that let you make more precise selections and smooth out rough edges. Show off your creativity in more entertaining ways, including enhanced slide shows with superior pan and zoom effects, voice narration, and multiple music tracks. To edit, organize, and show your photos in new, creative ways, upgrade today to Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 4.0 software. Adobe

September 26, 2005 - Olympus EVOLT E-500 sub-$1000 Digital SLR Combines Dust Reduction System, 8-Megapixel Imaging Sensor, 2.5-Inch LCD

Olympus’ new EVOLT E-500 sub-$1000 SLR camera combines the company’s dust reduction system, an 8 million pixel sensor, a 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD, two color space settings (sRGB and Adobe RGB), five metering modes, and slots for CompactFlash/Microdrive and xD-Picture Cards with a 64MB image buffer for up to 4 TIFF or RAW images at 2.5 frames-per-second and a claimed unlimited burst mode with HQ JPEG images. The camera can capture RAW and JPEG images simultaneously in its RAW+JPEG format. The Olympus EVOLT E-500 Digital SLR will be available in October 2005. Olympus

Picture Porter Digital Photo Album Securely Saves Photos on the Road on 20GB & 40GB Portable Hard Drives. Picture Porter works with all media card formats, including CF I/II, MD, SM, MMC, SD Card, miniSD, Memory Stick, MS PRO, MS Duo, and MS PRO Duo. Digital Foci

The new $99-and-up (depending upon size) Graphire4 pen tablet, which offers new features like two ExpressKeys and a scroll wheel right on the tablet for easy navigation, gives users the control needed to quickly and easily edit digital photos, draw, paint, and create artwork for scrapbooks, craft projects, and slide shows. It now also includes software that works with the pen to easily jot notes, annotate documents, sign your name, sketch quick diagrams, and communicate more personally. Wacom

You probably have hundreds of pictures from your digital camera stored for good on your hard drive. Why not watch them with your friends & family on TV, complete with astounding effects, music & menus? Or are your looking for the perfect solution to burn your analog & digital movies from camcorders, the Internet or TV without ads and in perfect quality onto disc?

New! Breathtaking 3D power effects, double-layer DVD support, Automatic image quality warning, fast optimization, Interactive DVD player menus with 3D titles and animated buttons

Includes; MAGIX Photo Clinic 4.0, MAGIX Story Maker, online photo services and so much more...

September 7, 2005 - Summer brings "library" of books from Wiley on Adobe Photoshop CS2

For getting up to speed, Wiley released this summer a virtual “library” of books about Photoshop CS2, available at your local bookstore or by calling 1-800-225-5945:

PHOTOSHOP CS2 FOR DUMMIES (0-7645-9571-7; June 2005; $24.99) - The first full-color For Dummies book, this fun and easy guide offers cross-platform Mac-PC coverage of everything from program basics to streamlining workflow.

PHOTOSHOP CS2 WORKFLOW: THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE (0-7821-4396-2; June 2005: $39.99) - Digital imaging expert Tim Grey demonstrates how to perform techniques that make images as striking as they can be while reducing cost in time and effort and reveals how a proper workflow can free photographers from the monotonous aspects of work and let them exercise their imagination.

TEACH YOURSELF VISUALLY PHOTOSHOP CS2 (0-7645-8840-0; July 2005; $24.99) - This tutorial reference in the Visual brand uses clear, step-by-step screen shots and task-based spreads to explain the basics of Photoshop CS2.

PHOTOSHOP CS2 ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE FOR DUMMIES (0-7645-8916-4; July 2005; $39.99) - This one-stop Photoshop reference includes ten self-contained minibooks: Photoshop Fundamentals; Image Essentials; Selections; Painting, Drawing, and Typing; Working with Layers; Channels and Masks; Filters and Distortions; Retouching and Restoration; Photoshop and the Web; and Photoshop and Print.

PHOTOSHOP CS2 BIBLE (0-7645-8972-5; August 2005; $39.99) - Offers comprehensive, beginning-to-advanced coverage of all things Photoshop, including retouching, color correction, image manipulation, special effects, and optimization for print or the Web.

PHOTOSHOP CS2 BIBLE, PROFESSIONAL EDITION (0-7645-9595-4; August 2005; $59.99) - This full-color guide for experienced Photoshop users includes coverage of high-end topics such as the Camera Raw plug-in, creating and optimizing Web graphics, filters, convolution kernels and displacement maps, actions and batch processing, color adjustment, and ImageReady.

PHOTOSHOP CS2 AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES (0-7645-9580-6; August 2005; $29.99) - Walks readers through the entire digital photography workflow, from shooting an image to editing it in Photoshop to creating a top-quality print.

PHOTOSHOP CS2 SAVVY (0-7821-4426-8; August 2005; $44.99) - Concentrates on helping users master the specific, practical tools and techniques that are essential to success. Hands-on tutorials give readers the opportunity to apply their knowledge to complex, real-world projects, and the full-color section showcases numerous color-related examples.

Serious Magic, Inc. today announced Master Sets Library Suite, a collection of virtual sets designed exclusively for ULTRA, Serious Magic's keying software. The collection combines Master Sets Libraries 1, 2 and 3 into one convenient package at a cost-effective price point. Each set takes advantage of Serious Magic's VirtualTrak technology and includes multiple angles, virtual flying camera shots, and places to insert additional video sources or graphics.

What is new/Content Description

An issue which prevented Nikon Capture 4.3 from correctly displaying highlight areas of D2X images taken in Color mode I or II has been corrected.

D1X RAW images taken with the Nikkor 10.5mm DX Fisheye lens opened as 10MP (4016 × 2616), were always printed as if "Include areas where there is no image data" in the Fisheye Lens palette was turned on. This problem has now been corrected.

An issue which effected image sharpness, when images were straightened using the "Straighten" option has been corrected.

When editing multiple images simultaneously in the Multi-Image window, an error occurred when the Auto Contrast button was pressed after editing curve in the Curves palette. This problem has been corrected.

A problem which caused Nikon Capture to quit unexpectedly when another application was launched while D-Lighting processing was being performed, has been corrected.

The license validation method has changed between Nikon Capture 4.x and 4.2. License codes from earlier versions of Nikon Capture cannot be used with Nikon Capture 4.3. If you own a Nikon Capture 4.x license, please install and activate that copy before updating to this version. Nikon

Whether you classify your digital photography experience as Professional or Enthusiast, Genuine Fractals will provide you with extraordinary enlargements of your digital image. You can resize or crop your digital photos to re-frame or eliminate unwanted areas and then scale up your image to 700% or higher. OnOne Software

The all new EOS-5D which is an 12.8 Mega pixel full frame camera (Est. $ 3,300.00)

The new EOS 1D Mark 2 II which is an updated 1D-Mark II with a new LCD screen and image profiling (Est. $ 4,000.00)

Two new EF lenses; the 24 - 105 mm F4.0L IS USM and the 70 - 300 mm F4.0 - F5.6 IS USM.

August 21, 2005 - Colorvision Announces SpyderTV and Spyder 2 Pro Studio 2.0

ColorVision Spyder2PRO™ Studio 2.0, an advanced version of the award winning ColorVision Spyder2PRO Studio, will be unveiled at this year’s IFA. It provides digital professionals with the ultimate tool for color consistency for virtually all display and presentation methods. Among a variety of new features, the unique and most significant difference is that with CRT, LCD and notebook calibration capabilities, the Spyder2PRO 2.0 Studio has the abi