Photography

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Got Photos? Slides? Negatives?

ScanCafe Will Scan and Retouch Them for Less than the Price of a Stamp!


stacks of slidesWhen digital photography came on the scene, I gave up on traditional film. I kept thousands of old 35mm negatives, however, and with the best of intentions, I bought a scanner and set about reproducing some of my favorites. I soon discovered that this is a very time-consuming process. After five or six years, I’ve little to show for my time and effort.

I investigated the cost of having my collection scanned commercially, but charges ranged from $1-$2 per negative. With 2000+ negatives lying around the house, I gave up on that idea. Local photo shops or drug stores could do the job for around $.75 each, but I’d have to sacrifice quality – they offer a totally mechanized operation. And, cost and quality issues aside, the thought of sorting through all those boxes to choose which pictures to scan was overwhelming. I wanted someone to organize my huge collection, scan my photos professionally, touch them up by hand if necessary – all at an affordable price. 

Believe it or not, such a place exists, and it’s called ScanCafe. A well-respected Wharton MBA named Sam Allen, along with several partners, has set up a high-tech, sophisticated method of scanning 35mm negatives – for 24 cents a pop! They use top-of-the-line Nikon and Kodak technology in the process. In an innovative take on outsourcing, ScanCafe has its own 175-person staff and facilities in India, where an Indian-born fellow Wharton graduate manages the operations on a day-to-day basis. Read more

Five Easy Tips to Take Holiday Photos Worth Sharing


 taking a picture It's the time of the year when meals are shared and holiday memories are made, but are you taking the best photos to share with friends and family? If you do not feel confident behind the lens and your pictures stay trapped on your camera, these tips will help you take photos you'll be proud to share with others.

Here are five tips to best capture and share your favorite holiday moments:

Tip 1: Use the flash indoors and out
For the best outcome, use the flash when taking photos outdoors. This applies to photos taken outside -- no matter what the season. The flash will lighten the shadows on the subject's face caused by the sun. If subjects are under a tree, or have a shadow cast on them, this trick is especially helpful to lighten them. A flash can help neutralize the lighting source even during the high noon period of the day when the sun casts deep shadows. Read more

Special Edition Leica D-LUX 4 Titanium


 Leica D-LUX 4 Titanium Leica is adding another camera to their line of titanium special edition cameras. Leica is limiting the D-LUX 4 Titanium to 10,000 worldwide.

This collector's item is functionally identical to the regular D-LUX 4. The compact system camera's high aperture lens allows for use without a flash under more conditions than most compacts.

The Leica D-LUX has a 10.1 megapixel sensor, 24-60 mm lens and can store photos in fine, standard, raw or combinations.

It comes with a matching titanium colored leather case. Available accessories include a handgrip, auxiliary finder and flash.

Available at authorized dealers in January 2009.

A New Photoshop: CS4

Usability and Performance Enhancements in New Photoshop CS4 Edition

 Adobe Photoshop CS4 Web PremiumIt's time for another improved version of Photoshop, and this new version's full name is "Adobe Photoshop CS4".

Photoshop CS4 is part of Adobe's new Creative Suite 4 product line. This line includes various Adobe creative programs that spread across print, web, mobile, film, and video production. It is also Adobe's biggest software release to date which encompasses 13 products, 14 integrated technologies, and eight services! Wow, that's a lot of creativity, but let's get back to the new Photoshop CS4.

My first thoughts upon hearing about a new Photoshop edition were “What could they possibly do to make it better? It already has everything.” While it seems that way to me, Adobe was able to subtly, but noticeably, improve on their flagship product with several convenience and performance enhancing features. Read more

Creative Announces Availability of the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam

December 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative today announced availability of the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam, the ideal holiday gift. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit easily in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and it captures video in 720p high-definition quality with just the touch of a button.

The Vado HD is the only Pocket Video Cam to feature HDMI connectivity and an included HDMI cable that provides 1080i output to an HDTV. It also features a precision glass lens for stunning video quality, and 8GB of built-in memory to carry up to two hours of HD video. The Vado HD has an estimated street price of US $229.99 and is available today in carbon black at Amazon.com and Creative.com.

"We designed the Vado HD so you can easily shoot all of life's spontaneous and fun moments, and then come home and watch your videos on an HDTV - all with true high-definition quality," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM for audio and video at Creative. "You can upload the videos to your PC, or what's really cool is to watch them on your HDTV in full HD quality. Some cameras such as the Flip Mino HD record HD video but don't let you output it in high definition to your HDTV. Even the New York Times laments, 'the Mino HD is a hi-def camcorder that can't play your movies in high def on a high-def TV.' The Vado HD delivers 1080i high-definition video to an HDTV, plus it offers the convenience of an HDMI connection." Read more

Have You Fiddled Your Photos?


 PhotoFiddle examples You are about to start … Check out the gallery to understand what you are capable of creating. PhotoFiddle.com can even deliver your final product (fiddled photo) on a stretched canvas frame. The ease, and quick turn around on a PhotoFiddle project will amaze you. Why buy something useless for your family this Holiday Season? Give them a digital photograph that you shot, and upload the photo to PhotoFiddle and create a piece of art. You will be remembered as the family artist for the rest of time.

What impressed me the most about PhotoFiddle was how EASY it was to create an account, upload a photo, have the photo additionally altered (by the pros at PhotoFiddle), and then shipped home for my enjoyment. The packaging is well done with the care of a prized art dealer with little white gloves to hold the Fiddled Photo. Prices range from $34 - $3,400. It all depends on how large and creative you want to be with your photo. Give them a shot, tell them we sent you and go fiddle.

Rugged, Familiar, and Versatile D-SLR with 24.5 Megapixels from Nikon


 Nikon D3X If I had to assume something, I would assume that Sony has their sensor inside the Nikon D3X 24.5 megapixel D-SLR camera for the professional. The D3X can shoot up to five frames-per-second (fps), and 14-bit files that are 138MB when processed. The exclusive Scene Recognition System from Nikon is a feature in the D3X. This feature further refines the auto exposure, auto white balance and autofocus calculations. The D3X also features the exclusive Multi-CAM 3500FX focus module. This module has 51 auto focus (AF) points. Nikon ensures their "over-delivery" on what this camera is capable of producing, and I would encourage Canon to pay attention, Nikon is on your heels.

Here is a great review of Nikon’s D2X . Keep an eye out for Imaging Resource’s D3X review soon.

Read the press release for more information.

Scrapbooking in the New Millennium Made Easier with Pandigital's Portable Scanner


 Pandigital PhotoLink Photo Scanner For as long as the camera has been a household item, matriarchs and custodians of family memories have sought to preserve their precious family pictures for posterity, often through the scrapbook. Many homes throughout America likely have entire shelves dedicated to these photo albums, and, as fun as they may be to examine on a rainy day, are probably not an efficient use of space. Furthermore, a picture can only survive so much air exposure and so many handlings before it begins to deteriorate.

This is where Pandigital’s PhotoLink Photo Scanner becomes invaluable. Handheld and portable, this small scanner can take regular size (4”x6”) pictures and scan them directly onto a convenient flash media card. This card is compatible with digital photo frames, which allows a simple two step process for getting old family pictures out of scrapbooks and onto digital frames. If you want to be able to view and arrange your pictures in a more familiar way, the scanner also allows you to get those pictures onto a PC at a very high 1800x1200 resolution. This, of course, allows for online uploading and sharing of pictures without regards to geographic limitations through the wonders of the Internet.

At $100, the Pandigital Portable Scanner won’t break the bank, and is sure to make a good gift for the scrapbooker in your family.


Kodak was Lost, and now it is Found with the Zi6


 Kodak Zi6The pocket video camera is all the rage with those regularly posting to YouTube. Now HD (high definition) video is more important than just "plain-old-video". Where 720p at 60 frames per second produces quality content for your 16:9 LCD or Plasma televisions in smaller cameras. The Kodak Zi6 has a USB arm that “pops” out of the side of the camera when prompted. The camera powers itself from two AA batteries, and Kodak makes sure you have rechargeable batteries with the charger with this purchase. The expandable memory card slot is a great option, as there are 32 GB SD memory cards in the market. There are also cables that come with this camera for easy viewing on any HDTV.

For $179 MSRP this camera is worth the money for the easiest solution to capturing video today. As Yoda would say, "A Great Holiday Gift this would make." Who knows … the person you buy this for might be the next George Lucas.

Flip an HD Camera in Your Pocket


 Flip MinoHDBy now you have a high definition (HD) panel in your home, either LCD or Plasma. You most likely enjoy watching HD content more than grainy non-high definition. Those home movies are still in non-HD, and you may be waiting for prices to drop for an HD camcorder to shoot home movies with, right? Well, wait no more …

Pure Digital Introduces Flip MinoHD as The World’s Smallest HD Camcorder. This camcorder is 3.3-ounces and fits right in your pocket. It is the size of most PDA cell phones, if not smaller. The resolution is 720p, which will display perfectly in 16:9 ratio television panels. The 4GB of internal memory will record up to 60-minutes (1 hour) of HD video. The little camera also has a 2x digital zoom, and a lithium ion battery that recharges when the USB arm is connected to a computer. The touch-sensitive buttons are intuitive, and you hold the camera just like a cell phone taking photos. Visit Pure Digital’s Web site for this product to learn more.

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