Photography Blog DigitalPixels.net

Recognising that artists and professional photographers require a variety of media to produce or archive their work, Epson today announces four new fine art papers. The new papers, Hot Press Bright, Hot Press Natural, Cold Press Bright and Cold Press Natural,  are optimised for use with Epson UltraChrome ink technology. The papers will become available in a wide range of sizes through Epson resellers in November. Cut sheets (A3+ and A2) will be available at launch, with rolls available early 2010.

Martin Johns, Senior Product Manager, Epson UK, said: “We’ve had some of the world’s most demanding photographers testing this outstanding new range in combination with Epson professional printers, and they are telling us that the results achieved are the closest thing yet to original pieces of art.”
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AKVIS Software Inc. has released Noise Buster 7.0 for Windows and Macintosh with further improvement to its noise suppression algorithm, as well as many other improvements.

Whether your digital images are from a digital camera or a scanner, you may often notice the so-called “noise”. It can be seen as grains that compromise the smoothness of a photo or random red and blue pixels which spoil the color accuracy of a snap-shot. Such images can be improved with noise removal software. The idea is to achieve a balance between removing noise and keeping fine details in a picture.

AKVIS Noise Buster reduces both luminance and color noise in digital images without blurring the edges of objects. Your photos remain sharp and crisp, while the unwanted artifacts disappear.
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Gitzo, a world-leading manufacturer of high-end, precision supports for the photographic industry, today unveiled the company’s revamped Basalt Collection which features innovations in both the construction and design of the line. The new Gitzo Basalt Collection, which comprises six tripods, three quick-release (QR) center ball heads, one monopod and boom, utilizes the fibers of basalt rock to produce high‑performance, lightweight tubes which are 20% lighter than aluminum. Additionally, thanks to a revolutionary and radical new manufacturing process developed by Gitzo engineers, the basalt tubes of the new collection are up to 22% stronger than before, offering photographers a higher-performing support solution compared to the inferior carbon fiber offerings from the competition.

Beyond innovations in construction, Gitzo’s new Basalt Collection demands attention thanks to a stylish and sleek new color scheme inspired by basalt rock. The Basalt Collection is highlighted by an all-black construction - the natural color of basalt rock - and features accents of flame orange, which symbolize the fiber’s volcanic origin. The Basalt Collection’s three new center ball heads also utilize the new black and orange color scheme, creating a unique and streamlined appearance.
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Lastolite, a leading manufacturer of lighting solutions, announces the addition of the TriGrip bracket to its highly successful TriGrip line of reflectors.  The TriGrip bracket is an innovative bracket that allows photographers to work alone and support the TriGrip reflector on a handle, lighting stand, tripod, or any other type of fixing bracket.

Following its launch in 2002, the Lastolite TriGrip has become a phenomenal success. Now, with the Lastolite TriGrip bracket, existing and new TriGrip users can take advantage of even more versatility when positioning their reflector or diffusing panel.

Photographers simply place the moulded TriGrip handle into the bracket and secure it in place with the strap.  The ball joint connector enables photographers to then position the TriGrip exactly where they want it, leaving their hands free to operate the camera.
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Jessops, the UK’s leading photographic retailer has announced its new Jessops Carbon Fibre Major Tripod. The new Carbon tripod weighs in at a lightweight 1741g in total (leg 1240g and head 501g), and with a carry case and short centre column included for macro photograph, makes the Jessops Carbon Fibre Tripod perfect for carrying around to capture those great shots.

The new Jessops Carbon Fibre Tripod consists of carbon fibre legs and central column. The rapid sliding centre allows you to quickly and easily adjust the height of the tripod. It also comes with 3 way removable alloy magnesium quick release pan/tilt head, so you can promptly adjust or remove the camera from the tripod so you do not miss any of the action!
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Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced the launch of a new CMOS image sensor that will bring 14.6 million pixels to digital still cameras and to mobile phones supporting video imaging. The sensor, the latest addition to Toshiba’s “Dynastron™” line-up, is also the company’s first to integrate the enhanced sensitivity offered by back-side illumination technology (BSI). Sampling of the new sensor will begin in December and mass production will follow from the third quarter of 2010 (July—September).

BSI brings new levels of responsiveness to CMOS imaging. Lenses are deployed on the rear of the sensor on the silicon substrate, not on the front, where wiring limits light absorption. This positioning boosts light sensitivity and absorption by 40% compared to existing Toshiba products, and allows formation of finer image pixels.
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Exhibition Dates: 12 February – 18 April 2010
Press View: Thursday 11 February 2010
Award Announcement: Wednesday 17 March 2010

The Photographers’ Gallery today named the four shortlisted artists nominated for its annual Deutsche Börse Photography Prize.

The exhibition will be on display next year from 12 February until 18 April 2010, with the winner announced at a special award ceremony on 17 March 2010.

The four shortlisted artists are Anna Fox, Zoe Leonard, Sophie Ristelhueber, and Donovan Wylie

Anna Fox (b.1961, UK) is nominated for her exhibition, Cockroach Diaries & Other Stories at Ffotogallery, Cardiff (28 July – 10 October 09), initiated by Impressions, Bradford.
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Phase One, the world’s leader in open-platform medium format camera systems and solutions, today released Capture One 5 PRO. Known for rendering superior quality images from a wide range of pro DSLR, Mamiya and Phase One medium format cameras, Capture One PRO is now enhanced with workflow accelerators to handle large volume shoots faster.

Capture One 5 PRO is the RAW converter and workflow application with the broadest tethered shooting support, not only for Phase One digital backs, but also for DSLRs from Canon and Nikon. This version adds support for additional DSLR models and RAW file support for selected Leaf digital backs.

“Today’s pro photographers are shooting with both medium format and DSLR cameras, so having a truly professional quality digital darkroom, that can manage RAW files from both systems, makes life easier,” said Carsten H. Olsen, Phase One product manager for Capture One. “Capture PRO helps photographers reduce the time and effort required to deliver stunning ready-to-use images with excellent color and detail.”
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We have confirmed that in certain camera settings and shooting conditions, the phenomenon described below may occur in images captured by the EOS 7D Digital SLR camera.

Canon is currently investigating and analyzing the cause of this phenomenon, and we are planning to release a firmware update to address this issue.
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Datacolor, a global leader in color management solutions, announced today it will begin shipping its new Spyder3Print SR™ (Strip Reader) spectrocolorimeter as a separate product skew to support photographers and graphic artists currently using the company’s Spyder3Elite™ and Spyder3Pro™ monitor calibration systems. Initially introduced as part of Datacolor’s innovative Spyder3Studio SR™ system, which offers an end-to-end calibration solution for image capture, digital desktop image manipulation, and print output. The new Spyder3Print SR is currently available at photo retail and specialty outlets and has a suggested list price of $339.00.
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SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today introduced new additions to its gaming card line designed to boost the storage capacity of handheld video game systems.

The 16 gigabyte (GB)1 SanDisk® Memory Stick Micro™ (M2)™ card is compatible with the Sony® PSP® go system; the 32GB SanDisk® Memory Stick PRO Duo™ and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™ cards are compatible with the Sony PSP® system; and the 8GB SanDisk® SDHC™ card is compatible with the Nintendo DSi™ system. The cards enable gamers to store more of their movies, music, photos and content downloaded from the Internet without worrying about running out of space or consuming their handheld video game system’s onboard storage.
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Mamiya, synonymous with professional medium format photography for 50 years, announces an entirely new medium format camera body, the Mamiya 645DF. The 645DF delivers exciting advances in core-camera technology, including an innovative new selectable dual shutter system with available flash sync speeds of up to 1/1600 of a second. Designed specifically for use with digital camera backs in the Mamiya 645AF mount, the 645DF is a true open platform camera system, compatible with digital backs from Leaf, Mamiya, Phase One, and Sinar.

The photographer can now select the best shutter for the conditions — either the integral focal plane shutter, which can be used with any of 15 existing Mamiya 645AF system lenses, or the photographer can choose to use one of three new lenses containing an in-lens leaf shutter for high-speed flash sync.
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