What's New

Tim Wolcott is a very fine American landscape photographer, and pioneer of inkjet printing technology. He recently asked me to write an essay introducing  his new book, Along The Water's Edge. That essay is now republished on these pages. Tim will be writing an article for us soon on the process of designing and publishing his book.

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This is a holiday weekend, with Canada Day on July 1, and Independance Day on July 4. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

But – do come back here early on Monday – because I will be announcing an extreemly exciting new workshop coming up this November that will be of particular interest to anyone currently shooting with or planning on moving to high-end medium format digital. There are only 20 spots available. First come, first served.

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I just finished going through again your recent seminar series on Where the #%*! Are my Pictures? with you and Seth Resnick, and I must compliment you and Seth on producing a great seminar.  I never learned so much in so little time and I have started implementing some of the strategies presented already.  

Your interviewing style seems to bring out the best in your seminar partners presenting the content as a story with a logical end.  DAM is an intimidating subject, but after watching the seminars, I walked away with a total understanding and how (with Seth’s experience) to increase my workflow process.

Everybody loves a contest. Our latest one, which starts today and runs throught the end of September, allows you to win the DSLR of your choice along with a lens or lenses totaling up to a value of US $2,000.

Someone's going to win it. It could be you.

WIN A DSLR

Digital tools continue to expand photographer's horizons. Using stacked images to extend depth of field isn't all that new, but the latest version of Helicon Focus now carries that capability to a whole new level.

Contributor Mark Dubovoy provides us with his in-depth review. Goodnight Dr. Scheimflug, wherever you are.

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All Early Edition Video Journals Now Available as Downloads

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Our newest contributor, American landscape photographer Willam Neill provides us with food for thought this weekend in his latest essay – Meditations in Monochrome.

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"I found Where the #%*! are My Pictures to be well worth purchasing.

Even after purchasing your Lightroom 2.0 video that you put out last year I found this one very helpful. In fact I have now set up presets for importing like the way Seth has done. I am also going back and redoing those images (nearly 15,000) I have already imported and changing the file names. 

Even though I have a fairly good handle with Lightroom I seem to always be learning something new."

Below is a verbatim press release issued this morning by Phase One. The company is planning to acquire certain Leaf assets from Kodak. It had been rumoured in the industry for quite a long time that Kodak wanted to divest itself of Leaf.

It appears that Leaf and its products will continue under the Leaf brand, which is good news for current and prospective Leaf owners.

Broader implications of this marriage will need to be digested over the weeks and months ahead, but my view is that the continuation of Leaf and its product line is a very good thing for the medium format industry.

COPENHAGEN and TEL AVIV, June 25, 2009  -- Phase One A/S, in conjunction with senior management employees of Leaf, today announced that they have created a new entity, Leaf Imaging Ltd., to purchase certain assets of the Leaf camera business.  The assets include the “Leaf” brand product names, engineering design and production tools. The new entity will also enter into an intellectual property license with Eastman Kodak Company that is royalty bearing to Kodak. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In collaboration with Phase One, high end Leaf digital camera equipment will continue to be developed in Israel and marketed under the “Leaf” brand through a global network of specialized and dedicated value added resellers.

Leaf high quality digital camera backs with up to 56 Mega pixels and superior resolution and image quality can interface to all leading medium and large format cameras.

“We are committed to exciting future developments for the Leaf brand of products through innovative engineering, worldwide marketing and customer service,” said Henrik O. Håkonsson, President and CEO, Phase One.  “Leaf customers will benefit from the many synergies with Phase One.”

“Since introducing the world’s first digital camera back in 1992, Leaf has been recognized as a worldwide leader in the professional photography market. Our extensive digital imaging and color management knowledge, combined with Phase One’s software and hardware capabilities creates a unique opportunity for the world’s leading photographers,” said Dov Kalinski, General Manager, Leaf.

UPDATE – New Lightroom & Camera Raw Camera Support

Adobe has just made available updated versions of Lightroom and Camera Raw with raw file support for  a wide range of new cameras, including the Nikon D5000, Canon T1i (D500), Panasonic GH1, Pentax K7 and just about every other new camera released in the past several months.

Of long-term importance for all of us, Adobe has also released an update to its Digital Negative specification (DNG). To quote from the press release...

DNG 1.3 now includes opcodes, a defined list of operations and their parameters for performing complex activities in the raw file conversion process. These activities include corrections and enhancements that are beneficial when performed prior to the demosaic process but are difficult due to a camera's limited processing power. They also include corrections and enhancements that can only be performed after the demosaic process such as lens correction. By utilizing opcodes, photographers can maintain the advantages of raw mosaic data, giving them increased opportunity to improve their photographs with the maximum amount of image data preserved. The DNG SDK has also been updated to reflect the changes to the specification.

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Video DSLRs vs Camcorders

It seems like every new DSLR that hits the market has video capability. The Canon 5D MKII particularly has taken the video industry by storm, expecially now that its crippling auto everyhting feature has been disabled with the latest firmware update.

The first half of 2009 has now seen the Canon Rebel T1i (500D), Nikon D5000, Panasonic GH1, and Pentax K7 introduced, with many more to come in the months ahead.

But, is a video DSLR a real alternative to a video camcorder? Things are not always the way they seem, and in my newest report – Video DSLRs vs Camcorders – I explore the dirty little secrets of both technologies.

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Kodachrome R.I.P.

Unfortunately this time Mama really is going to take our Kodachrome away.

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Magic Lantern

In keeping with today's publication of Video DSLRs vs Camcorders comes a report that there is now a beta release of a new unofficial firmware update for the Canon 5D MKII that adds a range of new video recording features and which also opens the door to developers producing even more nifty enhancements.

This is very cool, as long as Canon doesn't act the spoil-sport and release official firmware updates down the road that break it the way Apple does on hacked iPhones.

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"I found Where the #%*! are My Pictures to be well worth purchasing.

Even after purchasing your Lightroom 2.0 video that you put out last year I found this one very helpful. In fact I have now set up presets for importing like the way Seth has done. I am also going back and redoing those images (nearly 15,000) I have already imported and changing the file names. 

Even though I have a fairly good handle with Lightroom I seem to always be learning something new."

"This new video course has really hit the spot for me! I knew I'd got a problem and now I know what it is! Brilliant!"

Where The #%*!
Are My Pictures?

"You and Seth have come up with a great topic and real world experiences, as I (like many others) don't have the time or money to experiment. Your experiences are highly regarded by serious amateurs like me". – GH

Today we're in for a real treat. Our newest article is the first of a two part essay by Charles S. Johnson, Jr. It is titled How the Brain Perceives Images and is excerpted from his forthcoming book, Science for the Curious Photographer.

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Sean Reid has just published Part One of a review of the new Sigma DP2 on his subscription site, Reid Reviews. If you appreciate camera and lens reviews by a real photographer, rather by a technologist, you'll find Sean's site very worthwhile.

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Not quite as small as the DP2, but destined to appeal to a similar user looking for a small form factor but large sensor camera is the Olympus E-P1, which was officially introduced today. This is Olympus' first Micro 4/3 format camera and I expect it to garner quite a following. I'll be testing one and reporting on it here as soon as a review sample becomes available.

HDR and other digital techniques have replaced the use of graduated neutral density filters for many photographers. But, their use is still valid and they are still used by many landscape shooters.

In a new tutorial by Peter Cox we look at Understanding Graduated Neutral Density Filters.

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"I wanted to congratulate you on your LL guide to Lightroom 2 which I've just watched in a marathon single sitting while trying out the techniques demonstrated on a second monitor. Despite managing a database  of 40,000 images in Lightroom this is the first time I've really deeply understood this software. The tutorial was extremely thorough, clear and enlightening. I cant wait to incorporate this new knowledge into my daily work".

One of the great photographic artists of our time is John Paul Caponigro. He is also a wonderful educator.

Notice that I call JP a photographic artist, and not just a photographer. This is because what he does in photography is bring a new and unabashed vitality to the use of digital tools in pursuit of his creative vision.

With On Photographic Composition, published today for the first time, I am pleased to welcome JP to the site as our newest Columnist. We can look forward to new essays from him in this series on an on-going basis.

Michael, I just finished From Camera to Print, and I want to thank
you and Jeff for a seminar in which I feel like I learned to fly!
I learned so much that now I need to go back and watch again,
and take some serious notes.
I've made some nice prints in the past,
but with all this new knowledge,
I can only imagine what those old prints will
look like when I apply all this new knowledge.
So, a heartfelt "Thank You" to you both!

For those of you who think haven't bought it, what are you waiting
for? If you're anything like me, you'll be blown away by it. It may be
over six hours, but the conversational manner in which it is taught is
entertaining AND educational.

I'm starting on the Lightroom tutorial as I write this.
Great stuff, Michael.

Platinum / Paladium printing is one of the most beautiful photographic processes ever invented. Sadly, it is both expensive and difficult to do.

But, there are still some devoted practitioners, and even some newcomers. One of these is Tim Gray, and today, in a tutorial written specially for this site, Tim provides us with An Introduction to Platinum Printing using digital negatives.

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The winner of our just concluded Private Workshop Contest is Shawn Lingo of Eugene, Oregon. Shawn will be coming to Ontario for his workshop in October. Congratulations Shawn.

Remember – any and every purchase made from our online store is an entry in our next contest. What's the prize? It's a surpise at the moment, but like all our contest prizes in the past it'll be an exciting one.

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All Early Edition Video Journals Now Available as Downloads

Click on an Icon to Find Out More About That Issue

For the past ten years on this site, and a couple of additional decades prior to that in photo magazine, I have been writing about the photographic products that I have field tested.

Today I am launching a new feature called Tested and Recommended, which lists all of the products reviewed on this site over the past few years  – the ones that are still commencially available, and which I can personally recommend, because, these are the ones that I myself use.

The page also contains links to the B&H Photo pages where these products are available, or in the case of products which B&H doesn't sell, their respective maufacturers or vendors.

Why B&H Photo? Because they are this site's only commercial sponsor; they are product agnostic, and they provide excellent service and pricing. And, it should be mentioned, when you buy anything from B&H after clicking on a link from this site we get a small commission – which helps keep us on the air. Thanks for your support.

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The winner of our most recent contest will be announced with the next 24 hours.

When one is living through a revolution, be it political, social, or technical, it is usually impossible to have an immediate perspective on trends and developments. For this we usually need pundits and academics.

Christian Sandström is a PhD student living in Sweden whose research concerns disruptive innovation and the challenges this presents for established firms.

In an exclusive essay for this site titled The Rise of Digital imaging and the Fall of the Old Camera industry Christian helps us understand the forces at work in the transition that the photographic industry has been going through for the past decade.

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If you live in or near Toronto and are interested in learning more about medium format photography there are seminars available next Wedneaday and Thursday, June 3 and 4, at the Studio 1 Group facilities. These are being given by Walter Borchenko.

Find Out More
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If you have a Canon 5D MKII and are using it for video you'll be more than pleased to learn that Canon has a firmware update coming next Tuesday, June 2nd, which will allow manual control of aperture, shutter speed and ISO during filming. This update may be downloaded from any of the national Canon web sites. Here are the links for the US and Canada.

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There are now just 3 days left to enter our win a private photographic workshop for two with Michael Reichmann contest. And remember, our 50% Off Clearance Sale of LLVJ DVDs 1-17 also ends May 31.

Today, our newest columnist Art Wolfe provides us with his latest essay, entitled Night Fisherman.

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There are now just 6 days left to enter our win a private photographic workshop for two with Michael Reichmann contest. And remember, our 50% Off Clearance Sale of LLVJ DVDs 1-17 also ends May 31.

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All Early Edition Video Journals Now Available as Downloads

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There's now just one week left in our current contest, an opportunity to win a private photographic workshop for two with Michael Reichmann at his country home in Muskoka, Ontario, including airfare from anywhere in the world. This is worth up to $10,000!

A purchase of any product from our secure online store is all that's needed to enter, and each purchase counts as a seperate entry, increasing your chances of winning.

And remember our 50% Off Clearance Sale of LLVJ DVDs 1-17 ends May 31!

What are you waiting for?
Someone's got to win it.
Why not you!

The above graphic says it all.
Enter our latest and greatest contest yet
through your purchase of any of the download videos
and tutorials available on this site. Thank you!

Unless one is doing an art-directed location shoot, few medium format photographers bother shooting tethered in the field. Regardless of the advantages of doing so using a regular laptop without the aid of an assistant is simply too much of a hassle.

But, there's at least one solution in the form of a unique 7" Japanese UMPC  / Netbook. My newest review – Field Tethering Medium Format Backs looks at this solution.

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If you're interested in photojournalism you just visit LENS, a new site published by The New York Times. It features some of the best contemporary documentary photography in a beautifully presented format.

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"I wanted to congratulate you on your LL guide to Lightroom 2 which I've just watched in a marathon single sitting while trying out the techniques demonstrated on a second monitor. Despite managing a database  of 40,000 images in Lightroom this is the first time I've really deeply understood this software. The tutorial was extremely thorough, clear and enlightening. I cant wait to incorporate this new knowledge into my daily work".

We have some excellent choices available to us in raw processing software. Among the best are Capture One and Lightroom. I am very partial to Lightroom for its overall image processing, printing, and digital asset management capabilities, and find that Capture One is among the best when it comes to the image quality produced by its basic raw processing. (I also use C1 because it's the only software that currently supports my Phase One P65+ back).

Consequently I have developed a streamlined workflow for integrating Capture One and Lightroom, which is the subject of my newest tutorial.

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All Early Edition Video Journals Now Available as Downloads

Click on an Icon to Find Out More About That Issue

I was on the road shooting in the Niagara region all day Thursday (a very lovely but blustery spring day) and so am a bit late in reporting two items of interest. The first is that DxO Labs has published DxOMark ratings for two new medium format backs, the Phase One P65+ and the Hasselblad H3DII 50. Of note is that the P65+ receives DxO Labs' highest rating of any camera or back to date. You can read more about it here.

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On a much sadder note, essayist and photographer Bill Jay passed away yesterday. Bill was well know for his Endnotes column in Lenswork magazine and his highly insightful book Occam's Razor: An Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography, which if it isn't in your library, should be.

Bill and his writings will be greatly missed.

Our regular contributor, Alain Briot, today provides us with his 51st essay for this site, titled  Landscape Blurs – Part 2.

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You have just over two weeks remaining in which to enter our exclusive contest which entitles you and a spouse or friend to a private workshop with Michael Reichmann in Northern Ontario this summer or fall.

Remember – our remaining inventory of DVD back issues of the Luminous Landscape Video Journal on DVD and DVD sets are available at 50% off from now until June 1st. And, all Video Journals are now also available as downloads.

What are you waiting for?
Someone's got to win it.
Why not you!

The above graphic says it all.
Enter our latest and greatest contest yet
through your purchase of any of the download videos
and tutorials available on this site. Thank you!

Are the new Epson 7900 / 9900 printers the best printers in the world? Quite possibly. Find out what I really think in my just published review.

This review includes a free streaming video showing the 7900 in action in my studio.

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Around The Net

It's the weekend, and if you're in the northern hemisphere it's mid-spring, the birds are chirping and the trees are budding, and the flowers blooming – so get out and enjoy, and of course do some shooting.

But, if it's raining today where you are, here are a few new items on the Net that you might be interested in... (or read them at work on Monday morning).

– Lloyd Chambers at Digilloyd has published a couple of interesting articles on Optimizing Lightroom and Optimizing Photoshop.

– Sean Reid at Reid Reviews has published reviews of the new Leica 21/1.4 Summilux Aspherical and 24/1.4 Summilux Aspherical lenses.

– Michael Tapes at Rawworkflow.com has introduced a Long Ruler Kit for his terrific LensAlign product. Highly recommended.

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"I wanted to congratulate you on your LL guide to Lightroom 2 which I've just watched in a marathon single sitting while trying out the techniques demonstrated on a second monitor. Despite managing a database  of 40,000 images in Lightroom this is the first time I've really deeply understood this software. The tutorial was extremely thorough, clear and enlightening. I cant wait to incorporate this new knowledge into my daily work".

Issue #18 of The Luminous Landscape Video Journal is now available on DVD. It joins our already available HD download edition.

Please note that this DVD will only be available for another 30 days. On June 1st we are discontinuing all of our DVD products, and our tutorials and Video Journals will then only be available as downloads.

Our remaining inventory of DVD back issues of the Luminous Landscape Video Journal on DVD and all DVDs and DVD sets are available at 50% off from now until June 1st.

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All Early Edition Video Journals Now Available as Downloads

Click on an Icon to Find Out More About That Issue

Northern Lights (aurora) are best seen in far northern latitudes. Along with Iceland, Alaska is one of the best places on earth to view aurora. In a new exclusive article for this site photographer Ben Hattenbach and astonomer Henry Throop share their experience and knowledge about Hunting The Great Alaskan Aurora.

Aurora are most common during peaks in solar activity. The next solar maximum is due in 2010 / 2011. These take place in 11 year cycles, and this next one is anticipated to be the strongest since 1958. This means aurora could be visible and therefore photographable from dark sky sites in mid-latitudes. Time to start honing your shooting techniques.

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The above graphic says it all.
Enter our latest and greatest contest yet
through your purchase of any of the download videos
and tutorials available on this site. Thank you!