Weekly Assignment
Post from: Digital Photography School
Monday, January 24, 2011
This Week in the Digital Photography School (16-22 Jan ?11)
Windows: Weekly Photography Challenge
Image by kk+
This week your challenge is to take and share an image or two on the theme of ‘windows’.
There is loads of scope for creativity on this one including:
- practice your ‘framing’ shots
- take a shot of whatever is outside (or inside) a widow where you live
- find a cool widow frame that becomes the feature of the image
- experiment with reflections in a window
- do something more abstract and show us a window to your soul
Really anything goes – I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Once you’ve taken your ‘Windows’ photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.
If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSWINDOWS to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.
Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Extreme challenge – there were some great shots submitted.
Lastly – a few Window shots to get your creative juices flowing….
Image by pieter musterd
Image by Gabriela Camerotti
Image by Luca Rosatto
Image by Helga Weber
Post from: Digital Photography School
IFES 2011 Photography Contest
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an election-assistance and democracy-promotion NGO, is accepting submissions for its annual photo competition.
This Week in the Digital Photography School (16-22 Jan ‘11)
We finished up our Brand New to start off the new year. There are a lot of things that can be brand new. Like new gear. Our winner this week was devel’s photo of a new Nifty Fifty (as shot through the lens). This one had gorgeous, bright colours, the composition was very strong, and the box in the background was a great way to demonstrate that it is brand new. Our first runner up was CountryKim’s New Snowfall. Wow. I mean, what can we say? Fresh, brand new snow lasts for such a short time, and the ability to capture that single flake so clearly is definitely impressive. And last, but not least was yogijenn’s new knitting project. It’s pretty clear to see that this is a piece that has just been started. And this has the benefit of being both a brand new project, and eventually a brand new finished product too once it’s finished. Well done everyone!
We also started a new assignment this week, Spot of Colour. This one is tricky, so make sure you pay attention to what we are and aren’t looking for. What we are looking for in this assignment is a photo where there is an area of colour that your eye is naturally drawn to. A colour that is brighter than the rest of the photo. What this assignment is not, is selective colour. We are not looking for photos that are black and white with one section left in colour due to post-processing or a camera setting. It should be essentially natural to the photo that your eye is drawn to the spot of colour. As always, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 12-26 January 2011. Second, your post must include the words “Assignment: Spot of Color” and the date that the photo was taken. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can include some of the main points such as camera, lens, aperture, ISO, etc. Next week’s assignment will be Still Life: Food. Check out the assignment thread for some suggestions and helpful tips.
Nicole is a DPS Forum moderator and keen photographer from New Zealand. See her blog and Flickr account.
JVC GS-TD1 Full HD 3D Camcorder
IFES 2011 Photography Contest
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an election-assistance and democracy-promotion NGO, is accepting submissions for its annual photo competition. The contest seeks photographs of individuals taking part in elections or other activities that embody the values of democratic governance and civic engagement. One winner and up to 10 finalists will be chosen, with the winner being awarded $600 for his or her entry. Full contest rules and entry information are available online at the website below.
Website: IFES Photography Contest
IFES Press Release
IFES 2011 Photography Contest now accepting entries
WASHINGTON – Jan. 20 - The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is accepting submissions for its 2011 Photography Contest. Entries will be accepted until March 11 at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Since 2009, IFES, the world’s premiere election-assistance and democracy-promotion NGO, has sponsored this annual democracy-themed contest to highlight the many ways people around the world demonstrate a sense of civic responsibility and call to action. The contest seeks photographs of individuals taking part in elections or other activities that embody the values of democratic governance and civic engagement.
The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers and will be divided into two categories:
· The Public Category is open to all photographers who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.
· The IFES’ Choice Category is open only to current IFES employees.
One winner and up to 10 finalists will be chosen in each category. The winner of each category will receive $600 (USD).
Previous contests have drawn hundreds of entries from talented photographers from around the world. Outstanding entries are exhibited at IFES’ headquarters in Washington, displayed online at http://www.ifes.org, and frequently featured in IFES publications and outreach materials, including the annual IFES wall calendar.
Full contest rules and entry information are available online at http://photocontest.ifes.org. Previous contest entries can be viewed on IFES’ Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/international_foundation_for_electoral_systems/sets/
For more information, please contact Jeff Brady, senior outreach manager, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .
Photodex Releases New Version of ProShow Plug-in
Photodex has released a new version of its ProShow plug-in for Adobe Lightroom. The plug-in now supports ProShow Web, Photodex’s new online slideshow service for professional photographers. The service instantly creates video slideshows from any Mac or PC, and the plug-in makes it quick and simple to upload photos to a new or existing show. The ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom is free and can be downloaded directly from the Adobe Lightroom Exchange website.
Photodex Press Release
Photodex® Releases New ProShow® Web Plug-in for Adobe® Lightroom®
New plug-in streamlines the workflow of creating slideshows in ProShow from Adobe Lightroom.
Austin, TX, January 17, 2011 - Photodex has released a new version of its ProShow Plug-in for Adobe Lightroom. The plug-in helps photographers quickly create video slideshows by removing all the busy-work involved with preparing photos and importing them into a show. The plug-in completely free and supports both Mac and PC.
The ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom now supports ProShow Web, Photodex’s new online slideshow service for professional photographers. ProShow Web instantly creates video slideshows from any Mac or PC. The plug-in makes it quick and simple to upload photos to a new or existing show. Photos are automatically resized and formatted, providing users with the best quality video and faster upload speeds. The plug-in makes it easy to go from Lightroom to ProShow Web in just a few seconds. Great for busy photographers needing a quick and easy way to show off a catalog of images online.
While ProShow Web is free, Premium accounts offer photographers unlimited show creation and sharing in HD for just $150/ year. A built-in royalty-free music library and hundreds of drag and drop effects allow photographers to quickly create unique slideshows for their clients on a Mac or PC. Shows can be shared online or downloaded to a computer in HD, up to 1080p.
When exporting to ProShow Producer, the ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom offers additional built-in features that jumpstart show creation and make creating a slideshow easier than ever. The plug-in automatically prepares and exports photos to a folder, creates a basic show containing the photos, and opens the show in Producer. Users can set a number of parameters in the plug-in to help set up the basics of their slideshow. Options for selecting transitions, motions effects, photo borders and adding captions from metadata are all supported in the plug-in. Users can also select from presets that automatically create shows that can be fine-tuned in Producer.
Pricing and Availability
The ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom is free and can be downloaded directly from the Adobe Lightroom Exchange website. The plug-in is Mac and PC compatible and works with Lightroom 2.0 or newer. Export support for ProShow Producer is PC only.
About Photodex Corporation
Photodex Corporation is an industry leader in HD video slideshow creation. For over 20 years, Photodex has created innovative products that enable users to create compelling slideshows with their photos, video and music. Photodex’s user-friendly, affordable software offers power, speed, and simplicity for millions of computer users worldwide.
AsukaBook Maker 2 & AsukaBook InDesign Tool
AsukaBook USA has announced the free AsukaBook Maker 2 and the AsukaBook InDesign Tool. AsukaBook Maker 2 has a simple and easy to use interface, with many image enhancement tools and the ability to use existing free templates or to save your own design layouts for future use. The AsukaBook InDesign Tool has been created to offer an additional alternative AsukaBook design option and a more efficient workflow for AsukaBook customers who prefer to work in Adobe InDesign. Both applications are free andavailable now as digital downloads from the AsukaBook USA website.
Website: AsukaBook USA
Asukabook Press Release
ASUKABOOK USA LAUNCHES TWO NEW ALBUM DESIGN OPTIONS AT IMAgING USA 2011 EXPO
AsukaBook Maker 2 and the AsukaBook InDesign Tool give professional photographers new ways to quickly create beautiful photo books
San Antonio, Texas – Imaging USA Booth #1427 – January 18, 2011 – AsukaBook USA, a producer of quality photo books solely for professional photographers and designers, today announced AsukaBook Maker 2 and the AsukaBook InDesign Tool at the Imaging USA Expo (San Antonio, Texas January 16 - 18, 2011) in the company’s booth # 1427. Both layout applications give photography professionals intuitive access to powerful tools, resulting in top-quality AsukaBook albums that will impress clients and prospects. Both free programs are available now as digital downloads from the AsukaBook USA website.
AsukaBook Maker 2 has a simple and easy to use interface, with many image enhancement tools and the ability to use existing free templates or to save your own design layouts for future use. The interface has been designed specifically to help busy professional photographers to quickly and easily achieve the look they want. Similar functions are conveniently grouped together and in categories such as layout templates, Sloppy Borders, masks, drop shadows, and keylines, and are accessible with the click of a single button. Inserting images and layouts, as well as applying masks and Sloppy Borders, can be done quickly by dragging and dropping into the design area. AsukaBook Maker 2 also provides rulers and guides to ensure a balanced design.
The AsukaBook InDesign Tool has been created to offer an additional alternative AsukaBook design option and a more efficient workflow for AsukaBook customers who prefer to work in Adobe® InDesign®. The free script tool works with InDesign CS4 or CS5 and provides seamless integration between InDesign and the AsukaBook File Checker, which manages the proofing and PDF creation for final book orders. As with AsukaBook Maker 2, photographers can use one of the preset templates or create and save their own custom layouts. More information about downloading and using the AsukaBook InDesign Tool can be found on the “get started” page.
“For most photographers, creating stunning albums is the critical final step in many projects. To meet constant client demands and increasing volumes these busy business owners require layout applications that provide intuitive access to the tools they need, satisfy their preferred workflow environment and give their images the delivery they deserve,” said Sarah Calahan, Business Development Director of AsukaBook USA. “These two new free tools make it even easier to create layouts that show off a photographer’s work and live up to the standard of AsukaBook’s unrivaled print and album quality.”
AsukaBook has developed its services, pricing models, etc. to help its customers meet the demanding needs of their client bases while delivering high-quality products that can drive resale and studio profit margins. To register as a professional user and join the AsukaBook family, please visit the AsukaBook website at: http://asukabook.com/
About AsukaBook USA
AsukaBook USA, an international company located in Bend, Oregon, was one of the first companies to offer professional quality coffee table style printed books specifically for professional photographers. By providing its services direct to professional creatives, AsukaBook USA is widely endorsed by the creative professional because of the exceptional quality of its products that are very popular with their clients. All AsukaBook USA pricing models are designed to help the creatives leverage this value offering to deliver profit through resale. AsukaBook USA is the US based, international representative of Asukanet Co., Ltd. which started manufacturing coffee table books in Japan in 1995, and continues to print and bind books for clients worldwide.
Windows: Weekly Photography Challenge
Image by kk+This week your challenge is to take and share an image or two on the theme of ‘windows’.
There is loads of scope for creativity on this one including:
practice your ‘framing’ shotstake a shot of whatever is outside (or inside) a widow where you livefind a cool widow frame that becomes the feature of the imageexperiment with reflections in a windowdo something more abstract and show us a window to your soulReally anything goes – I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Once you’ve taken your ‘Windows’ photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.
If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSWINDOWS to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.
Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Extreme challenge – there were some great shots submitted.
Lastly – a few Window shots to get your creative juices flowing….
Image by pieter musterd
Image by Gabriela Camerotti
Image by Luca Rosatto
Image by Helga WeberSamsung ST30 10.1 Megapixel camera
The Samsung ST30 is the size of an average cell phone, and it has a 10.1 Megapixel sensor. It also has a 28mm lens and 3x power optical zoom.
It also has red-eye fix, and technology that can detect facial blinking. Then there is also good for Photoshop fixes like evening out skin tones, erasing blemishes, and even removing dark circles.
You should be able to get it in March for about $99.99.
Tags: Samsung, Samsung ST30, ST30
Related posts
AsukaBook Maker 2 & AsukaBook InDesign Tool
AsukaBook USA has announced the free AsukaBook Maker 2 and the AsukaBook InDesign Tool.
Creative Optical & Digital Filter Techniques [REVIEW]
All it did was open up even more possibilities by way of post-shoot digital filtration/manipulation.
There are two ways to go: you may need filtration to correct the quality and characteristics of the ambient light; or you may desire to adjust the rendering of a scene to accord with your own personal vision.
Author of Creative Optical & Digital Filter Techniques Meehan points out that the earliest filters were used ?to correct disparities between light and film.? When B&W was king the resourceful portraitist called upon the effects given by soft focus or diffusing filters to remove skin blemishes or even to diffuse the natural world.
This useful book begins with a discussion on the intensity and contrast of light: how to minimise the former and adjust the latter. It also makes the point that using studio lighting gives you enormous control of the quality of light, by way of reflectors, softboxes, scrims etc.
A useful chapter touches on colour temperature and how to deal with colour casts and mixed lighting, an area that often confuses the beginner. Meehan uses a shot of NY?s Grand Central station to illustrate his point; the scene is mostly lit with tungsten light but with masses of daylight streaming through enormous windows; he chose to white balance for daylight ? the right decision.
He then gives a list of the most useful optical filters: the polariser, naturally, is first; neutral density filters come next; coloured grad filters follow, then soft focus, diffusion etc. These chapters are most useful for those utterly confounded by an excess of choice!
The latter half of the book covers digital software, stand-alone apps and plug-ins. Some of the products described are Pixel Genius? PhotoKit Color, Color Mechanic Pro, the iCorrect programs, Tiffen Dfx.
This book fills a pressing need. I hope all photographers get to see it, use it and benefit from it. Recommended.
- Author: J Meehan
- Publisher: Lark Books.
- Distributor: Capricorn Link. Length: 160 pages.
- ISBN 978 1 60059 580 6.
- Price: get a price on Creative Optical & Digital Filter Techniques at Amazon.
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Post from: Digital Photography School
