Digital Photography

Application Gap Announces Electronic Model Release Forms For iPhone – Never Leave Home Without One

John Omvik — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:24:55 +0000

Forget all the novelty apps, here is something Photographers can really use.

Application Gap has released an electronic model release app for the iPhone. Now whenever you are away from the office or studio you can instantly produce a model release right on your iPhone. The app displays a legally binding model release, allows you to snap a reference photo of the model with the iPhone camera and for the model to actually sign the release on the phone which can then be sent as a legally binding PDF file back to your email account.

The release forms are available in 11 different languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Chinese (simplified), Chinese(Taiwan) and Portuguese (European and Brazilian)) which makes it perfect when traveling abroad and you meet someone with just the “right look”.

The app is available now from the iTunes store for $9.99 for more information visit their website by clicking here

Press Release:

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ApplicationGap Announces: Easy Release Model and Property Release iPhone App – Now in the App Store

Create Unlimited Photo Releases on Your iPhone, in 12 Languages and Get Them Signed Right on the Touch Screen!

WASHINGTON, DC — March 9, 2010 — Easy Release, isn’t a recent idea for ApplicationGap founder Robert Giroux: he thought about it for over 4 years during his work for Getty Images. A commercial and editorial photographer, Giroux knew there had to be a way to bring the model- and property-release process into the digital age. “Back then there wasn’t a suitable mobile platform for it. I thought of using bio-metric signatures on an HP device or other PDA, but the bio-metric readers were expensive and uncommon. When it arrived, I knew the iPhone was the exactly right platform”, says Giroux. Teaming up with friend and veteran developer Morgan Belford, Giroux was determined to change the archaic, tedious and completely paper-based release process. The result of that effort is Easy Release, an application for photographers which makes the release process easy, fast, and maybe even fun.

Any photographer who’s carted around a stack of paper releases knows what a hassle it is. Easy Release solves most of the biggest problems with paper releases: it digitally collects all the data and signatures needed, right on the iPhone; it emails a PDF (and optional JPEG) of the completed release right to the photographer, into the safety of his (or her) email system (in the cloud) ; and it supports 12 languages, so the photographer always has the version he needs at his fingertips, no matter where, or who he is shooting.

“A professional photographer wants to take great pictures, not hassle models with confusing and time- consuming paperwork”, says Giroux. Easy Release uses a “wizard-style” interface to speedily guide the user through the release creation process. The application uses advanced data-validation to make the process fool- proof, and to make sure all the required data is collected. Among its other notable features: it embeds a photo of the model or property in the release; it saves commonly used photographer information to pre-populate new releases; and it allows re-use of model, property, shoot and witness information, which can really speed things up during an elaborate shoot.

Easy Release also enforces release integrity. Once a signature is captured a release can’t be edited without “dropping” that signature. Any change requires new signatures from the model, parent, property owner and/or witness.

The legal language used in the releases is the same proven language used by Getty Images and iStockphoto, widely seen as reliable industry standards.

Master Canon Flash With New Book from Rocky Nook

David Schloss — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:23:28 +0000

Santa Barbara, CA—Digital cameras and flash technology have revolutionized photography. Originally seen simply as a way of illuminating dark scenes with portable light, flash today is used for a host of creative functions, including supplementing daylight and designing complex scenes lit by multiple light sources. Digital cameras with their preview screens make it easy to get instant feedback.

But flash photography can still be a difficult artistic and technical challenge. It’s simple to get that harsh deer-in-the-headlights look from built-in automatic flash, yet creating natural-looking images is not as straightforward. Manuals are terse and the terminology is confusing. This is where Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography ($44.95 USD) comes in.

This is the authoritative book on the subject, guiding you through Canon’s Speedlite system, from off-camera portable flash to professional studio lighting. It covers the fundamentals of flash metering technology, discusses key lighting concepts, and documents a wide range of Canon and third-party equipment. Universal flash accessories, studio gear, and radio triggers are all thoroughly covered.

The book is lavishly illustrated with diagrams that demonstrate important functions and lighting arrangements, and inspiring photos that show sophisticated flash techniques. Though tailored for users of Canon EOS cameras, owners of other camera systems will find much valuable information as well.

So, whether you’;re just getting started with flash, whether you’ve picked up the bug for off-camera lighting from such popular websites as Strobist.com, or whether you’re making the leap into advanced studio work, Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography will be your in-depth resource.

Includes a foreword by David Hobby, noted photojournalist and founder of Strobist.com.

For a review copy or more information please email rockynookpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

NK Guy is a Canadian writer and photographer living in Britain. He specializes in travel photography and event portraiture, is the author of the Photographer’s Dictionary and is the creator of PhotoNotes.org, a popular online resource for photographic education. He no longer lives aboard a barge on the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal in London, but wishes he still did because it makes for great book bio copy.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9781933952444

Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography
Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography
Publisher: Rocky Nook
NK Guy
ISBN: 9781933952444, 250 pages,
Book Price: $44.95 USD
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

Canon releases Studio Solution software

David Schloss — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:49:42 +0000

Here’s what Canon says: Canon Studio Solution is powerful software that combines the functions of many of the separate software applications typically used in a professional photo studio. Moreover, it integrates all of your Canon hardware, image files, customer and business data, and studio management tools into a single, easy-to-use workflow application. Canon Studio Solution dramatically streamlines your business and maximizes your profitability, helping you make the most of the time and expense you invest in your studio.

Here’s the link: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=20203

Official Press Release

Mamiya Announces New 40MP Medium Fomat Camera

John Omvik — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:53:00 +0000

Mamiya has announced the DM40 a new medium format digital camera system based on a large 44×33mm 40MP sensor with a 0.8s/frame capture rate enabling upto a 60 frame/min capture rate. The camera also features a dual shutter design allowing photographers to choose between the traditional focal plane shutter or an in-lens central leaf shutter enabling the camera to support high speed flash sync modes. High speed sync is especially important for balancing flash exposures when working in mixed lighting conditions.

The Mamiya DM40 DSLR kit will be available in the U.S. at $21,990, including Mamiya 80mm f.2.8 D lens. The Mamiya DM40 Digital Back, also available in the U.S. at $19,990. Both are expected to be shipping in March, and include Capture One and Leaf Capture software.

Press Release

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Mamiya Introdces New DM40 Large-Sensor DSLR

Elmsford, NY – March 1, 2010 – Mamiya today announced the addition of the new Mamiya DM40 to its lineup of professional large-sensor DSLRs. Featuring a resolution of 40 megapixels with a peak capture rate of .8 seconds per frame and a sustained capture rate of 60 frames per minute, the Mamiya DM40 is the industry’s fastest large-sensor DSLR.

The heart of the DM40 system is the new “DF” camera-core technology, developed by Mamiya, featuring two user-selectable shutter systems: leaf or focal plane. In demanding daylight situations, photographers can use predictable high speed flash synchronization to fill-in or overpower even the brightest ambient light on one of three new leaf-shuttered lenses designed by Schneider-Kreuznach and manufactured by Mamiya. The lenses – available in focal lengths of 55mm, 80mm, and 110mm – deliver an effective maximum flash sync speed of up to 1/1600th of a second. For more conventional situations, photographers can choose any one of 15 other world-class Mamiya optics, from 28mm to 300mm APO, designed for use with the cameras’ focal plane shutter system.

Also newly announced, the Mamiya DM40 Digital Back will be available for those customers who wish to obtain the latest in high-speed and resolution digital capture for their existing Mamiya or large format camera. Supported cameras include: Mamiya 645AFD series, 645DF, Mamiya RZ series (via optional adapter), Mamiya RB series
(via optional adapter), and 4×5 view cameras
(via optional adapter).

Specifications Highlights
CCD: 44 x 33mm, 40 Megapixel
Largest file size: 240 MB 16 bit TIFF

ISO: 80-800
Capture rate: 0.8 sec/frame
Digital imaging user interface: 6×7cm LCD touchscreen

Pricing and Availability

From Doooh! to oh – Suspicous Email Threat Resolved With Sound Backup Strategy

John Omvik — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:29:03 +0000

Okay I know it was my fault, and I hadn’t had coffee yet, but I felt likw a sucker anyway.

I received this email message this morning and clicked on the attachment before thinking.

I have a UPS account, and although I thought it was kind of strange to get this type of message more than 2 months after the fact I wasn’t sure if I had sent something out in December. I thought I’d check out the attached invoice to be sure. I could see that it briefly launched an application but nothing happened and no file was opened. I went back to take a closer look at the email and felt sure that I had been punk’d .

Even though I am working on a Mac and have never had a virus since I switched to OSX I had a bad feeling and immediately powered off my MacBook Pro. Luckily I had just done a Time Machine backup 2 days ago so I knew the safest thing to do would be to erase my whole hard drive and restore from my last back up.

I restarted the MacBook Pro from the Snow Leopard install CD, selected the disk utility option, erased and formatted my internal hard drive, then connected it to my Time Machine back up drive and chose the restore from backup option. It looks like it will be running for the better part of the day to complete the restore, but at least I can roll the clock back before this incident today, and pretend it never happened.

As a bonus, I also got first hand material for a useful blog post this morning. So the moral of the story is back up often. Time Machine is one of the best features of the Mac OS. USE IT!

Also, read and think before opening any attachments. Not every malicious email is a Nigerian banker scam. Sometimes they also come dressed in brown shorts.

Picture Code Releases 64-bit Version Of Noise Ninja Plug-in For Aperture 3

John Omvik — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:16:56 +0000

Picture Code has just released a 64-bit version of its award winning Noise Ninja Plug-in For Aperture 3.0. This is a free update for any Pro Bundle license issued on or after August 5, 2008. Version 2.0.7 supports Aperture 3 in native 64-bit mode and can be used without having to relaunch the app in 32-bit compatibility mode as the previous version did.

It is recommended that all Aperture 3 users take advantage of the upgrade that can be downloaded here

New users can purchase the Pro Bundle License for $79.95 here

We are will be posting a full review of the Noise Ninja for Aperture 3 shortly

Olympus Updates E-P1 Firmware

David Schloss — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:23:25 +0000

Olympus has released a firmware update for their E-P1 Micro Four-Thirds camera system. Information on this update is available on Olympus’ Japanese site.

Do It Yourself Strobe Bounce Cards

David Schloss — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:08:39 +0000

This great blog post on Makezine link back to an Los Angeles Digital Imaging Group template for do-it-yourself bounce cards for strobes. Take the template, take a few minutes and make yourself a great strobe bounce that’s just about as good as anything you’d buy in a store.

Canon 1D Mark IV Focus Tests – A Pissing Contest in Cyberspace

David Schloss — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:24:36 +0000

Rob Galbraith is one of the first people who publicly cried foul about the Canon 1D Mark III’s (later) acknowledged autofocus issues. He nailed Canon to the wall for their focus tracking problems in the company’s flagship sports camera and Canon ended up with a huge dent in their reputation as a result.

The Canon 1d Mark IV is out and Galbraith has again tested it. He resolves that the original issues are not only improved but the best-in-class. So why does he sound so unhappy? It’s because of the results of shooting the Canon 1D Mark IV against the Nikon D3S.

Wait, says Pro Photo Home editor Drew Strickland in his response to Galbraith, now we’re comparing apples to oranges. While the Canon 1D Mark III articles compared the camera to the Mark IIn, now it’s comparing it to a wholly different system, under different conditions. Now, he reasons, we’re not testing whether the Mark IV is improved over the Mark III or the Mark IIn, but whether it’s better than a Nikon. And that, he says, isn’t a fair test.

Who is right? Well probably both of them. They agree that the Mark IV has fixed the issues with the Mark III’s straight-on focusing, but Strickland says that complaining about non-scientific tests done side-by-side with another shooter aren’t fair and don’t mean anything. Galbraith says the D3 is better at some sports but not others, based on observation.

In any case, Strickland is right that the best way to test the focusing system of the Mark IV is against a Mark III, not against the D3S, because it’s inevitable that two different AF systems will behave differently in two different camera systems, just like two manual focusing photographers would be able to capture some types of events better than others. Until you develop a scientific way to test this, it’s merely speculation.

Both articles are a good read and they point out the fact that photographers on either platform have some great gear in their hands, literally and figuratively.

Nikon Offers Up to $400 Rebates on Camera + Lens Combos

David Schloss — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:41:56 +0000

Nikon’s just announced instant rebates of up to $400 on lens and camera body combos. There are four lenses available in combination with six bodies. You can pick from the Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8G AF-S ED VR II, Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 G ED AF-S, Nikkor 24-120 f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR or Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm VR II.

To get the rebate the lenses must be purchased in combination with the Nikon D3x, D3s, D700, D300s, D90 or D5000.

B&H has simplified purchase of these combos by putting them together as “kits”. Purchases must be made by 3/27/10. And since we’re an affiliate, buying a combo from B&H helps out MacCreate as well. Win/Win!