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May 31, 2010

How to keyword tag specific areas of an image

With our tool Annotate Expert, which comes in a free edition, you can place keywords on parts of an image. This can be very helpful when you e.g. tag people in images.

Annotate Expert further allows you to easily upload images to the Nikonians galleries and much more. The program contains the "Expert features" for a trial period of 30 days, though the basic features are available for free without time limit.

You can download the Windows version for free (Mac OS X version planned for later in 2010).

You find more information about how to use Annotate, the Annotate FAQ's and an online user's guide of Annotate Expert in our wiki.

Posted by bgs at 3:10 PM

Answer six questions and you may earn $50

You can earn a voucher worth $50 amongst all participants of our little questionnaire. To answer six easy questions will not take you longer than 1 minute, and all entries will be entered into a random drawing.

The winner will be drawn at the end of June when the questionnaire ends, and will receive a voucher worth $50 for the Epson Webshop.

 

Posted by joef at 1:33 PM

Maintenance of forums done

We are done with the first forum maintenance that was done yesterday, Sunday. We expect further some shorter forum downtime June 1st and June 2nd during the time 04:00 AM ESTD to 08:00 AM ESTD. We are also taking down the galleries for maintenance today, Monday May 31st between 02:30 AM ESTD and 08:30 AM ESTD

Posted by bgs at 8:07 AM

May 30, 2010

Nikonians News Flash #154

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news relating to Nikon and Nikonians:
Nikon's instant rebates continue
Nikon's new 200-400 may be shipping soon
Nikon's My Picturetown
Round Two Nikonians photo contest winners
Tenth ANPAT months away
Brandy Fortune wins latest Welcoming Photo Contest
David Metta wins April's segment of Best of the Year Photo Contest


Download Nikonians News Flash #154 (NPC-NF-2010-05-30.mp3;
3:02; 2.77MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes for 5/30/2010
Nikon Instant Rebates continue
200-400 Nikon to ship soon
Nikon's My Picturetown
Rick Paul, Richard Hulbert and Noel Holland winners
Tenth Nikonians ANPAT
Brandy Fortune -winner
David Metta wins


For information on local Nikonians Chapters email here

Contact Nikonians News Flash: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thank you for joining me.

Your Nikonians podcaster Ray Valdovinos

Posted by rayvaldovinos at 11:25 PM

May 28, 2010

Maintenance work notice

The Nikonians IT team will be working this coming Sunday May 30, 2010 to disrupt your community activity the least possible. They will do their thing when the majority of our membership is sleep, shooting a sunrise, having breakfast or at church.

Between 3:30AM and 9:30AM ESTD (Eastern Standard Time in North America), which is between 9:30AM and 3:30PM CETD (Central Standard Time in Europe), the forums will be down for maintenance. The image galleries will follow and will be down from 9:30AM ESTD until Monday noon.

Posted by jrp at 8:19 PM

Photoshop CS4 update tackles vulnerabilities

Logo_Adobe-kl.jpgThe update (version 11.0.2) addresses a number of critical issues and vulnerabilities discovered after Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended (11.0 and 11.0.1) software were released.

Critical vulnerabilities have been identified in Photoshop CS4 11.0.1 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh that could allow an attacker who successfully exploit these vulnerabilities to take control of the affected system. A malicious .ASL, .ABR, or .GRD file must be opened in Photoshop CS4 by the user for an attacker to be able to exploit these vulnerabilities.

Adobe recommends Photoshop CS4 customers update to Photoshop CS4 11.0.2, which resolves these issues.

The Photoshop 11.0.2 update also addresses a number of problems with brushes, styles and gradient preset files discovered after Photoshop CS4 was released.

All details and the downloads for both Win and Mac can be found at Adobe's support
pages
.

Posted by joef at 2:45 PM

May 27, 2010

Data Safe for photographers

Logo_LaCie-kl.pngSafety is what the developers of LaCie had in mind when they designed their new Rugged Safe all–terrain hard disk. It comes in two versions: 500 Megabyte ($189.99) and one Terabyte ($299.99).

Both disks are safe in three ways:
- shock–proof enclosure
- AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 128–bit hardware encryption
- biometric authentication (up to ten users)

They can be connected via USB 2.0 or Firewire 800 and are compatible with Windows® XP,
Windows Vista®, Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6.

Dimensions: 90 x 28 x 145 mm / 3.5 x 1 x 5.7 in.
Weight: 298 g / 10.5 oz.

All information can be found at LaCie's homepage.

LaCie-RuggedSafe.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 11:50 AM

ID#118: The Image Doctors

This week, we're happy to interview the team that brings us Photo Mechanic, a great workflow tool from Camerabits software. Jason's new eBook, The Photographer's Guide to Digital Landscapes is now out, and our prescription is taken from its pages!

Download The Image Doctors #118 (MP4 format)

Show Notes: May 27, 2010

Interview with Dennis Walker & Kirk Baker from Camerabits.com
Product Review: Stub Plug
Photo Prescription: Composition Checklist from Jason's eBook, The Photographer's Guide to Digital Landscapes

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here.

Learn more about the Image Doctors photography podcast at www.theimagedoctors.com
Get your Image Doctors gear at our online shop.

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the Image Doctors feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically to you.
[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Posted by drjay32 at 6:00 AM

May 21, 2010

Size and perspective bird photo earns spot in our Best of the Year Contest

Size_perspective_75.jpgCongratulations to Nikonians Gold member David Metta (Merlin50), of Illinois, USA. He's the winner for the April segment of our Best of Nikonians - 2010 Images Photo Contest.

He won the segment theme "Birds" with an image he calls: Size, largely a matter of perspective.

David made his photograph with his Nikon D700 and AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens at an f/22 aperture.

Size_perspective_300.jpgHis shutter speed was 1/320 sec and ISO was set to 200. It shows a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) in flight, with a tiny insect nearby. The image was captured in Panama at the Soberania National Park, roughly 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Panama City.

As his prize, he will receive from Think Tank Photo an Airport Ultralight™ V2.5 backpack valued at $169.00 USD.

At the end of the year, the Nikonians Masters Society, composed of outstanding professional and distinguished advanced amateur photographers around the world, will include Dave's April winner as they select the First Place winner of the Best of Nikonians - 2010 Images Contest.

For our Silver, Gold and Platinum members, check our complete details and a guide on how to prepare your entries for our Photo Contest and enter your shots now.

Our May segment is currently under way. Please remember that the main subject for this month is a mode of transportation. The longest size of the photograph must be between 900 and 1024 pixels.

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:15 AM

Natural lighting and happy model help win contest

Thumbnail image for Contests_75px.jpgCongratulations to Nikonians Silver member Brandy Fortune (pixiepurls) from Georgia USA, winner of the 3rd Week of our Welcoming Photo Contest Phase VI. She had been a member previously and qualified for the contest by re-activating as a Silver member in May.

Brandy shot the image of her daughter wearing a knit cap with a Nikon D80, using an aperture of f/8 on her AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D lens. She used Auto White Balance for an indoor shot that depended on natural lighting from a window as her "main." The shutter speed was 1/250 sec.

Knit-Hat_window_photo_300.jpgShe tells us:
"I had designed the knitted hat she is wearing and needed to take a good photo of it. In this photo she is standing on top of her bed, we are to the left of a very large window with a bunch of natural light. I always get great light standing to the left or right of this particular window; it also has a sheer curtain that helps filter the light. She was standing on her bed, running back and forth (as fast as a toddler can "run" on a bed I guess) and was bouncing and giggling. I was totally shocked I got the shot as clear as it is. I love her expression, and I love how the background of the wall looks in the photo. It reminded me of a Gap clothing ad."
Brandy will receive a license for the Award winning Topaz Photoshop Plug-in Bundle courtesy of Topaz Labs (currently valued at $180 USD).

Details on this contest can be found in our Phase VI announcement posted in the Photo Contest Forum.

Posted by flashdeadline at 8:09 AM

Nikonians Image Doctor Jason Odell launches new eBook

Guide_Digital_Landscapes_75.jpgJason Odell (DrJay32), well-known partner of Rick Walker (walkerr) in the popular Nikonians Image Doctors podcast series, has released his newest eBook: The Photographer's Guide to Digital Landscapes.

According to the press release announcing the new publication:
The Photographer's Guide to Digital Landscapes is divided into three sections, which discuss equipment, field techniques, and digital post-processing. "I wanted to create a reference guide to incorporate the skills I've learned in digital photography," said Dr. Odell. "Too many of the classic photography books claim to be updated for digital only to be completely devoid of any discussion of modern digital methods.

Guide_Digital_Landscapes_250.jpg

The book will help you learn:
• What you need to put together a landscape photography kit for any budget, including cameras, lenses and accessories
• How to choose and scout your locations
• Fundamentals of exposure, composition, and lighting
• Which filters are required in digital photography, and how to use them
• How to set up your camera to take the best shots, including HDR and Panoramas
• Digital post-processing techniques, including HDR, panorama stitching, and digital black & white conversion
• Example images with descriptions of the techniques used to produce them, including composition, camera settings, and post-processing effects

The Photographer's Guide to Digital Landscapes is available immediately from Luminescence of Nature Press.

Posted by flashdeadline at 8:00 AM

May 20, 2010

TTP launches new shoulder bag series

Logo_TTP-Thumb.jpgThinkTankPhoto's new bag series is called "Retrospective."  It honors the great photographers of the past who made history while having their gear slung over their shoulders in beaten canvas bags.

While the outside of the bags look intentionally innocuous, the inside was specifically created to help field photographers carry their gear safely and access it quickly.

The Retrospectives come in two basic models, the shoulder bag and the lens changer. Each comes in different sizes. And, in what is a first for TTP, they also are available in a color other than black (pinestone).

In addition, TTP are donating a percentage of every domestic direct sale to Fifty Crows Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to documentary photography and public dialogue on issues raised through photography.

You can take a closer look at the bags here at Think Tank Photo's homepage. Remember that all Nikonians members receive a special gift for orders over $50 - if you order through the Nikonians page at TTP.

TTP-Retrospective.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 12:26 PM

May 16, 2010

Nikonians News Flash #153

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news relating to Nikon and Nikonians: Nikonians Academy Sets us apart
Adobe offers Release candidate of Camera Raw 6.1
Adobe TV offers 24 free tutorials on Photoshop CS5
DxO Labs announces Optics Pro 6.2
Nikonian Darrell Young

Download Nikonians News Flash #153 (NPC-NF-2010-05-15.mp3;
5:06; 4.67MB; MP3 format)

SHOW NOTES 5/15/2010
Nikonians Academy

Adobe Camera Raw 6.1

Adobe TV tutorials for CS5

DxO Labs Optics Pro 6.2

Darrell Young's Mastering the D3000

Posted by rayvaldovinos at 11:25 PM

10th ANPAT bookings now available

ANPAT10THU_80.jpgThe Nikonians field event of the year, the 10th Annual Nikonians Adventure Trip (ANPAT) is now open for bookings. The ANPAT will take you to Olympic National Park in Washington State, USA.


ANPAT10Waterfall_225.jpg
Your photographic talents will be challenged by wildlife, stunning vistas, quiet streams, dense forests and soaring peaks all within the same week, from September 11 to the 18th, 2010.

The park consists of four counties, spanning nearly one million-acres and includes a photo-rich environment combining beaches, rainforests, charter boat Killer Whale photo excursions and a large assortment of scenic opportunities.

Your hosts, Nikonians co-founders J. Ramón Palacios (jrp) and Bo Stahlbrandt (bgs) will be joining professional photographer Mike Hagen (Nikonians Academy Director) to make your ANPAT experience a memorable trip filled with photography, shop talk and camaraderie.

Embarking on the tenth ANPAT, your hosts have already used their past experiences to compile an extensive set of Frequently Asked Questions.

Posted by flashdeadline at 11:08 PM

Nikonians 10th Anniversary Photo Contest 2nd Round Winners

Thumbnail image for Contests_75px.jpgCongratulations to Rick Paul (rickpaul), Richard Hulbert (rhulbert) and Noel Holland (Noel Holland), our winners in the second round of the Nikonians 10th Anniversary Photo Contest.
The theme was "Fellow Nikonians at Work."

Rick_H_Death_Valley_175.jpgFirst Place honors go to "Rick H Death Valley" by Rick Paul (rickpaul), from Arizona, USA.

Rick is a Charter Member -which means he has been a Nikonians member since at least 2005.
His winning entry was subtitled: "Nikonian Rick Hulbert shooting the Dunes in Death Valley"
The image was made with a Nikon D3, his lens @ 35mm, f/11, 1/60 sec, ISO 200.

Rick will be receiving as prizes:
- A ColorMunki Photo Color Management Solution by X-Rite
- A Composer and Optic Kit by Lensbaby
- A Platinum membership extension for six months
- A Nikonians Academy voucher for $179, applicable to any workshop within the next 12 months
- A Photo Pro Shop USA voucher for 10% discount on any purchase above $50 within the next 12 months
- A Nikonians Annotate Expert software license


Honorary Mentions
Nikonians_at_Work_175.jpg "ANPAT6 Nikonians at work" (at left) by Richard Hulbert (rhulbert) from Vancouver, Canada.

He subtitled it: "From Left to Right: Peter Curatolo, Rick Matheny, Ronnie Wright, and Jon Bloom. Can you help me make these guys famous? "

Richard is also a Charter Member -with Nikonians at least from 2005.

He made this image with a Nikon D2Hs and 105mm f/2.8G ED IF AF-S VR Micro Nikkor at f/2.8, 1/30 sec, ISO 200.


Stephen_Dohrmann_Grand_Tetons_400.jpg "Stephen Dohrmann photographs the Grand Tetons ANPAT7" (above) by Noel Holland (Noel Holland) from London, England.

Noel has been a Nikonians Member since 2006.
His image was subtitled: "Image of Stephen Dohrmann (Steve D) taken as he photographs morning light on the Grand Tetons with the Snake River Valley in front."
He made it with a Fuji S5 Pro, 18-70mm Nikkor set to 18mm @ f/8, 1/125, ISO 100 with polariser and Lee Grad ND filters. Processed in Lightroom 2 and Nik Silver Effects.

Honorary Mention winners Richard and Noel will each receive as prizes:

- A Nikonians Membership extension for one year (Gold for Richard, Platinum for Noel).
- A Nikonians Academy voucher for $179, applicable to any workshop within the next 12 months
- A Photo Pro Shop USA voucher for 10% discount on any purchase above $50 within the next 12 months.
- A Nikonians Annotate Expert software license

Don't forget you can follow the 10th Anniversary Contest Galleries to see how the contest is shaping up. We will provide future winners names and details in our Nikonians Photo Contest Forum, News Blog and General Newsletter.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:53 PM

May 13, 2010

ID#117: The Image Doctors

Ever wondered what exactly the big deal is with video being added to DSLRs? We catch up with our friend, Michael Mariant, who enlightens us on the use of a DSLR for professional cinematography.

Download The Image Doctors #117 (MP4 format)

 

Show Notes: May 13, 2010

03:01 DSLR Cinematography: Michael Mariant Interview

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here.

Learn more about the Image Doctors photography podcast at www.theimagedoctors.com
Get your Image Doctors gear at our online shop.

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the Image Doctors feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically to you.
[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Posted by drjay32 at 7:00 AM

May 11, 2010

Optics Pro 6.2 now available

Logo_DxO-kl.jpgDxO Labs has announced the immediate availability of Optics Pro 6.2 for Windows and Mac.

The new version now supports the Nikon D3s (Elite edition), it also features 85 new optical modules which brings the number of camera / lens combinations to 2,000.

Along with a more intuitive interface, there comes a new default preset that offers a better sharpening of the smallest details, a new automatic denoising setting that restores even more RAW image details, XMP data conservation to allow better integration with Adobe Lightroom, new and improved shortcuts and improved stability.

DxO Optics Pro v6.2 for Windows and Mac, both Standard and Elite editions, are immediately available from the DxO Labs' e-store and selected resellers at an exceptional discount until June 15, 2010:

Standard edition: €99 instead of €149 (for a savings of €50), Elite edition: €199 instead of €299 (for a savings of €100). USA Dollars discount prices are $99 for the Standard Edition, $199 for the Elite.

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro 5 or 6 after June 1, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.2.

All other users benefit from additional discounts until June 15, 2010 on the following: 

DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Standard

DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Elite.  

You can find more information on the new software (e. g. a list of the US resellers) at DxO Labs' homepage.


DxO Optics Pro 6-neu.jpg












Posted by joef at 6:44 PM

May 10, 2010

Learning Photoshop CS5

Logo_Adobe-kl.jpgAdobe TV provides free videos that show you how to work with the new Photoshop CS5. And in case you want to have a look at the new software before buying it, you now can do with 24 tutorials available today.

They feature videos named "Photoshop CS5 Overview", "What's new for photographers in Photoshop CS5", "Complex Selections made easy in Photoshop CS5" and much more.

You will find the tutorials and more details about their exact content at Adobe TV. Enjoy!

PS5-Tutorial-EN.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 2:31 PM

Nikonians Academy staff coming to a city near you

Nikonians-Academy-News-Bog.jpgOur group of intrepid Nikonians Academy explorers are gearing up to leave for a 14 day cruise to nine different countries beginning May 27.

We have closed registration for this trip and have a very large group coming from all around the planet! Our trip is called the Ultimate Travel Workshop and will take us from Nassau to Puerto Rico to Grenada to Curacao and back to the USA. It is truly going to be an incredible journey. Look for photo updates in our Nikonians.org galleries.

Posted by flashdeadline at 12:51 AM

May 7, 2010

Get your free trial version of Adobe CS5

CS5-kl.jpgIf you want to test the new Creative Suite 5 Design Premium before buying it, Adobe now offers the complete suite as a 30 days free trial downloadable version.

The full suite (6.2 GB / 7.2 GB for Mac) contains Photoshop® CS5 Extended, Illustrator® CS5, InDesign® CS5, Flash® Catalyst™ CS5, Flash Professional CS5, Dreamweaver® CS5, Fireworks® CS5 and Acrobat® 9 Pro* and can be downloaded for free here at Adobe.

To download not Photoshop CS5 but the full suite, please click at the link "Try Photoshop CS5 Extended as part of Adobe Creative Suite® 5 Design Premium software" given at the very bottom of the page. Then please select your language and if you use a Windows or a Mac computer.

If that's too much for your internet connection, you may as well order a DVD for $9.99 (free standard shipping).

The trial version can always be transferred to a full version, even when the 30 days are over.

* Acrobat® 9 Pro not available for Mac OS X

Posted by joef at 6:25 PM

May 6, 2010

New Photo Scanners from Epson

Logo_Epson.gifEpson has launched two new affordable photo scanners with impressive parameters. Both Perfection V33 and Perfection V330 deliver perfect image quality and exclusive scanning tools for $89 and $119 (USD).

They feature 4800 x 9600 dpi optical resolution and include a 180-degree lid for scanning oversized objects.

The V330 adds a built-in transparency unit that enables it to scan slides, negatives and film.

Epson's ReadyScan LED Technology enables fast scan speeds, eliminates warm-up time and decreases power consumption and it is also mercury-free.

And the Easy Photo Fix™ Technology allows users to restore color from old / faded prints, remove dust from scanned film or slides, and reduce grain.

The ArcSoft Scan-n-Stitch Deluxe software comes bundled with the scanners. This program enables users to scan multiple images such as panoramas, oversized artwork, documents, and scrapbook pages, among other things, which it stitches together automati-cally.

Both models include a one-year limited warranty and will be available in mid-June.

Epson_V33+V330.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 11:53 AM

May 5, 2010

More gallery space - unlimited for Platinum

Celebrating our 10th anniversary, we have increased the gallery space available for our Silver, Gold and Platinum members. Silver has now 500MB, Gold 1GB and Platinum unlimited gallery space.

Posted by bgs at 3:01 PM

Sambesi Group sponsors Photo Contest

Logo_Nikonians-Contests-kl.jpgThe Sambesi Group, manufacturer of flash equipment, sponsors the May segment of your "Best of Nikonians - 2010 Images" photo contest.

The lucky winner will not only get the regular prize - an attractive product from Nikonians long-time partner ThinkTankPhoto - but additionally he will recieve a flash2softbox from the Sambesi Group worth $375.

The photography theme in May is "Transportation". Contribute your image on that subject and you may win both prizes!

All details on the contest can be found on our webpage, more information on the flash2softbox (including a video clip) on the Sambesi Group's website.

flash2softbox_Set_XL-EN.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 12:21 PM

May 4, 2010

Nikonians Enjoy Discounts at Joby

Joby, makers of the rough and tough, stick-'em-anywhere Gorillapods, is offering significant discounts to Nikonians.

Joby-Gorillapod_175.jpgContributing members receive twenty (20) percent savings on all purchases, including the Gorillapods tripods holders, Gorillamobile PDA/MP3 player cases and Gorillatorch hands-free flashlights. Go to your Rewards page now to start saving!

Posted by covey22 at 2:33 PM

May 2, 2010

Nikonians News Flash #152

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news relating to Nikon and Nikonians:
-The "New" Nikon 200-400 has been announced
-Adobe Creative Suite 5 final versions released
-ACD Systems releases ACDSee 12
-Samsung announces new 20 nanometer cards
-Lexar announces their professional 300x and 600x cards
-Datacolor offers Spyder3Elite software update
-Richard Kain of Minneapolis. MN is week one New Member photo contest winner
-Dennis Owens starts Nikonians "Geilenkirchen Tri-Border Chapter".
-Atlanta Area Nikonians go to Arabia Mountain State Park
-Nikonian Darrell Young has new book out


Download Nikonians News Flash #152 (NPC-NF-2010-05-03.mp3;
4:26; 4.06MB; MP3 format)

SHOW NOTES FOR MAY THIRD
The "New 200-400" from Nikon
Adobe Creative Suite 5
ACDSee 12
Samsung 20 nanometer cards
Lexar 300x and 600x cards
Spyder3Elite software update
Richard Kain wins new member photo contest
New Chapter in Geilenkirchen
Mastering the D3000 by Darrell Young
Equipment review
For information on local Nikonians Chapters email here

Contact Nikonians News Flash: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thank you for joining me.

Your Nikonians podcaster Ray Valdovinos

Posted by rayvaldovinos at 8:16 PM