Panasonic LUMIX to Launch Digital Photo Academy

March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic LUMIX will launch the Digital Photo Academy, a series of workshops for all digital camera owners who want to maximize their cameras' features and create more rewarding and enjoyable photo experiences. The academy, offering courses at three different levels, will roll out in 20 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, in May 2007. Courses in each city will be taught by a local professional photographer, giving students ongoing access to photo experts and resources in their own community.

"Panasonic is focused on creating cutting-edge cameras and photographic technology that makes picture-taking easy and delivers consistently crisp and clear results," said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "We have found that many digital camera owners -- both beginners and experienced photographers - are not taking full advantage of all the features their cameras have to offer that would allow them to take their digital imaging experience to the next level. Creating the Digital Photo Academy is a logical next step in our drive to make digital photography simple and enjoyable for everyone."

The Digital Photo Academy, which features local photographers as the instructors, will offer three levels of courses, meeting the specific needs of any type of digital camera owner. Levels include: "Beginner" (a three-hour course) which discusses red-eye reduction, creating scrapbooks and other basic point-and-shoot digital camera skills; "Intermediate" (a four-hour course) which teaches the versatility and precision of digital SLRs; and "Advanced" (a two-day course) which addresses professional-level skills for photo enthusiasts looking to take the next step. Students are encouraged to develop their skills through the academy's different levels and also take advantage of the instructor's local presence as an added resource.

To create the nationwide Digital Photo Academy, Panasonic joins forces with R2Rainmaker Marketing, whose president, Richard Rabinowitz is a photo expert with more than 25 years in the photography industry. As former publisher of publications like American Photo and Popular Photography, Rabinowitz has helped assemble top-rated professionals and even award-winning photographers as instructors in each city.

"By creating this program, Panasonic is taking the lead in delivering a truly complete resource to all digital camera owners so that they can maximize the potential of their camera," said Brian Smith, Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer and an instructor at the Digital Photo Academy in Miami. "I'm excited to be a part of this program and teach my own local community what a powerful and enjoyable tool a digital camera can be," added Smith. "This program is unique in that students are welcome regardless of the digital camera brand they own, so they can learn practical skills with the camera they'll use once the course ends."

To coincide with the Digital Photo Academy workshops, Panasonic LUMIX will also launchwww.DigitalPhotoAcademy.com in late-April, which will allow online visitors to view the academy schedule, read instructor profiles and access instructional materials.

Beginning in May, the Panasonic-sponsored Digital Photo Academy will offer the three-level courses once a month in the following markets: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C. For more information and to check specific city locations and dates, visit www.DigitalPhotoAcademy.com beginning in April.

SOURCE Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company