Category: News

Welsh National Trust photo contest

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Picturesque pastel coloured seaside cottages; cows lazing in summer haze; soaring mountains; a red kite gliding elegantly; weathered stone walls… just some striking images of the Welsh countryside that would be enough to inspire anyone to reach for the camera!

A new photographic competition is being launched by The National Trust in Wales on the theme “The Welsh Countryside” – on one of the following subjects: wildlife / landscape / farming / buildings. The photograph doesn’t have to be of a National Trust building or on Trust land (which is just as well as the NT does not allow photography for commercial reasons, including stock or editorial, on its property – Editor).

Entrants will compete in one of three categories – Open; Under 18; or National Trust Tenants – and will have the chance to win £1,000 worth of prizes, supplied by the UK’s leading photographic retailer, Jessops.
Entrants will also be able to take advantage of 30 free photo reprints at Jessops stores.

The photographs will be judged by Chris Lacey, Manager of the National Trust’s impressive photo library. He offers some hints on what makes a great photo: “By thinking creatively and looking at things in a different way, you can really bring things to life in a photo. I’ll be looking out for the correct exposure (so images which show details in the darkest and lightest areas); that the subject is of interest, which is eye-catching; that the focal point of the image is sharp; colour balance, and that the image provokes an emotion or feeling.”

The winners will be announced at the National Trust’s stand during the Royal Welsh Show (21 – 24 July), where a selection of the best photographs will be displayed.

Digital pictures need to be 7” x 5” at 300dpi

The closing date of the competition will be 9 July 2008, and entries can be sent digitally to: [email protected] or posted to: The National Trust, Trinity Square, Llandudno, LL30 2DE.

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Epson 40th anniversary photo contest

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Epson, the inventor of the first ever electronic micro-printer in 1968, has today launched a pan-European competition to celebrate its 40th birthday. Designed to spark the imagination of Europe’s image makers and mark four decades of innovation and inspiration, the competition is open to all, setting a challenge to design an image to be used on Epson’s birthday card. The overall winner will receive ‘the trip of a lifetime’ worth €5,000 (circa £4,000) whilst all entrants will have their work displayed within an impressive online gallery.

Barbara Kuhr, Head of Strategic Marketing at Epson Europe commented: “Over the past 40 years, we have witnessed a quantum leap in the quality and capabilities of digital printing. To mark the occasion, we’re asking imaging enthusiasts of all capabilities to exceed their vision and provide a lasting image that will help us to celebrate Epson’s 40th birthday in style.

“Entrants need to capture the essence of 40 years of innovation in a single image; it’s not an easy task but we are confident that the competition will provide some exceptional and powerful pictures. There are some great prizes on offer, and we will display 40 entries in a prominent position at the Photokina exhibition in Cologne this September – providing exciting and valuable exposure.”

Entrants to the competition must submit an original image, which can be a photograph, illustration, montage or any other image that encompasses the theme: ‘celebrating 40 years of innovation’. A gallery of entries will be displayed at www.epson-europe.com/40, which also contains an online entry form and an interactive timeline chronicling the significant technological advances pioneered by Epson over the past four decades.

All age groups and levels of ability can participate, giving everyone the chance to have their work displayed within an online exhibition and to gain inspiration from one another, unbound by geographical or social boundaries. Images will be judged on relevance to the theme, composition, technical quality and creativity. Winners will be chosen by an independent group of judges selected from Europe’s community of elite photographers.

Isabel Muñoz, a leading photographer and one of Epson’s bespoke judging panel commented: “Epson has set a tough challenge with this competition, and it will be fantastic to see how innovation and progression is translated artistically by image makers throughout Europe. It is a fantastic concept and I am looking forward to the exciting and eclectic entries.”

Aside from their image being used on Epson’s birthday card, the overall winner will receive a ‘trip of a lifetime’[2], whilst second place will receive €1,000 (circa £800) worth of Epson products. €500 (circa £400) worth of Epson products is on offer for third place. All three finalists will also receive a certified Digigraphie® print of their work – a large format, professional, authenticated quality print using Epson UltraChrome™ K3 inks with Vivid Magenta and printed on certified paper.

Entries must be submitted to Epson before 24.00 on July 31st 2008. Digital entries need to have a resolution of 360dpi and can be submitted via the dedicated website. Hard copy entries can be posted to Epson at: Epson, PO Box 49793, London WC2A 1WA, England. All entries must fit within 150mm x 215mm in either landscape or portrait format.

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Sightsavers International photo contest

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From waves crashing on a beach to freshly cut grass, or someone dancing to a tune on their ipod, students across the UK are being invited to take a photo that best evokes the senses. The i:click awards are a brand new national photography competition, aimed at students aged 11-18, being launched by leading blindness charity Sightsavers International.

By focusing on the theme of the senses, Sightsavers hopes that students will be encouraged to think about what it might mean to live without a sense such as sight. Sightsavers works in over 30 developing countries to treat and prevent avoidable blindness and to also improve life for those who are irreversibly blind. 45 million people in the world are blind, yet a staggering 75% of all blindness can be prevented or cured.

Well-known photographer Mary McCartney is supporting the i:click awards and explains why sight is so precious to a photographer: “It’s a way of communicating ideas with other people. We all see things from different perspectives. If ten people took photos of the same vase of flowers, the chances are that the resulting images wouldn’t look anything like each other.”

Mary had this advice for students wishing to enter: “It helps to choose a subject you’re really interested in that you can explore and learn more about. Take some time to think through the end result so that you don’t waste time and have to reshoot.”

Three national winners, one from each category (11-14 years, 14-16 years and 16-18 years), will be selected from a list of regional winners. The three lucky winners will each receive an SLR camera and enjoy a day out at an awards ceremony in London in the autumn, where their winning image will be the focus of an exhibition showcasing the best photos. In addition, the winners’ schools will receive a visit from a professional photographer who will give a teaching session for aspiring snappers.

The judging panel is headed up by Graeme Le Saux, former England and Chelsea footballer and himself a keen photographer. According to Graeme: “I wouldn’t say I’m any good at photography, but I’ve always been interested in the story a picture can tell. I love the fact that you can be creative when taking pictures. From my point of view it’s the composition that’s important as well as the subject – it’s all about balance.”

Schools and colleges interested in participating in the awards can find more information at www.sightsavers.org/schools or by contacting the i:click awards helpline on 01444 446727 for a free entry pack. Entries can be sent in on disc, as prints or via email and must be submitted by 12th September 2008. Winning photos will be exhibited at the.gallery@oxo on London’s South Bank from 22-26 October 2008.

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Gary Friedman photo trip to Latvia

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We are announcing a very unique trip for budding travel and reportage photographers out there. This is a “Photo Expedition” – different from a traditional tour package – put together by professional photographer and camera system e-Book manual author Gary Friedman (who runs the stock photo website www.FriedmanArchives.com ).

Latvian Church

Says Gary: “Photo Expeditions are guided travel programs which cater to the unique needs (some people might say “eccentric needs”) of photographers. Getting up at 4:00am in order to catch the sunrise is not out of the ordinary. Taking you to landmarks only when the light is right makes perfect sense to us. Taking you to places off the beaten path and leave you free to roam and photograph a fishing village is exactly our itinerary. And you’ll be with fellow photographers who love to travel, make new friends, and tell the story via pictures. The whole tour is based on the premise that nobody ever took a National Geographic quality photo from the window of a moving bus.

“The event will be taking place in the beautiful Republic of Latvia on July 13-20, 2008. UK readers can book low-cost flights from Ryanair, typical costs for the return journey from Stansted and various other airports to Riga are around £130-£200 on the dates involved, including taxes.

“Where…? Not many people have heard of Latvia, but it was one of the most beautiful of the Soviet Republics. You can see pictures and read a detailed itinerary at
http://friedmanarchives.com/expeditions/latvia/ .
“The trip is all-inclusive – once you get your self to Riga, we take full care of you from start to finish. We have room for only 14 people, so if you’re thinking of going, signing up sooner is better than later!

“I feel especially proud that we were able to secure as our “home base” one of the best retreat properties in Latvia. From the website:

This property was once an exclusive retreat for KGB VIP’s where satisfaction was guaranteed for the Soviet elite: Deer were tied to a tree so old Generals could shoot it, and divers would secretly hang fish onto submerged fishing hooks to please their high-ranking vacationers.

“The new facility built to European standards and situated on Valguma lake where you can sit at breakfast and enjoy the view of the hills and woods.

“If you’re even thinking you might want to join us, please send me an email at [email protected] to let me know your intent and I can let you know when spaces are about to run out. This is going to be a fun trip!

“Check out the details at www.FriedmanArchives.com/expeditions/latvia and let’s hear from you!”

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Win €3000 in South Tyrol photo contest

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Following on from the success of last year, the second South Tyrol Young Photographers’ Award is back and is calling all up-and-coming photographers from all over Europe to show-off their work. Sponsored by the South Tyrol Marketing Corporation (SMG), the award offering a prize worth over £2000 together with a chance to shoot and travel in the area.

Interested? Here’s the lowdown on all you need to know….

Who’s eligible: Photo journalists from the print and on-line media, photographers (travel and photo journalism), photography students, trainee photographers and design students from the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Italy, the Benelux countries Poland and the Czech Republic. Entrants should be aged 30 or under.

What to do: Get clicking… a maximum of 8 photographs on ANY theme to be submitted by 30th April 2008

Entry: Log on to: www.suedtirol.info/press where you can find further information on the competition, register your details on the online entry form and email your photos (low resolution JPG format). In addition to your online entry and in order to be considered you MUST send postal prints to the following address (ensuring all your contact details are included).

Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft (SMG)
South Tyrol Photography Competition 2008
FAO Ruth Torggler
Pfarrplatz 11
I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen
Italy

Format: A panel of international judges will make a preliminary selection from the pictures submitted. Six finalists will be chosen to travel to Italy’s beautiful and most northerly province, South Tyrol, from the 24th- 28th July 2008, to carry out research based on an overarching theme. The finalists will then have until the 16th August 2008 to submit their photo reports for assessment.

Prize: The six finalists will all be invited to South Tyrol in September 2008 where the overall winner will be announced and awarded a prize of 3000 Euros.

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Adobe Lightroom 2.0 Beta available now

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London— April 2, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today announced Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta, a public preview of new and improved functionality to be delivered in the next major release. Lightroom is the professional photographer’s essential toolbox, providing one application for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. Lightroom 2.0 beta will feature enhancements such as dual-monitor support, localised dodge and burn correction and will be the first Adobe application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Microsoft Vista 64-bit operating systems.

“Photoshop Light room 2.0 beta provides early access to requested improvements over version 1.3 and continues our ongoing dialogue and open communication with the photography community,” said Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Photoshop Lightroom and Camera Raw. “We’re excited not only for our existing customers, but also for the general public who will have an opportunity to take Lightroom 2.0 beta on a test run.”

New in Lightroom 2.0 beta

An improved layout in the Library module allows for a more intuitive approach to image organisation by simplifying the location of the features needed to find and filter photographs. A new feature called Smart Collections automatically updates collections with images that match desired criteria such as star-rating, keyword or other metadata. “The Suggested Keywords feature eases the task of keywording by making recommendations based upon keyword associations across a catalog as well as the use of keywords in neighboring images.”

Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta includes improved memory handling through 64-bit support for OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Vista 64-bit operating systems. Additional enhancements in Lightroom 2.0 beta include support for a dual monitor configuration that maximizes a photographer’s workspace and can be easily adjusted to meet a particular workflow. Additionally, the Develop module has been updated to provide the ability to correct specific parts of an image without affecting other areas. Now, fundamental photographic techniques such as dodge and burn can be performed using the same non-destructive approach, allowing unprecedented control within the Lightroom program.

Beta Availability

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta is available as a 30-day trial for free download on Macintosh and Windows platforms at http://www.labs.adobe.com/downloads. Existing Lightroom 1.0 customers will be able to test the beta for an extended period until Aug. 31, 2008 and can invite friends to take part in this trial period. Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4, 10.5 1 GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel-based processor, or Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise, Intel Pentium 4 processor, 1 GBRAM and a 1024×768 resolution screen.

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Adobe Lightroom 2.0 beta available

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London— April 2, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today announced Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta, a public preview of new and improved functionality to be delivered in the next major release. Lightroom is the professional photographer’s essential toolbox, providing one application for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. Lightroom 2.0 beta will feature enhancements such as dual-monitor support, localised dodge and burn correction and will be the first Adobe application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Intel Macs and Microsoft Vista 64-bit operating systems. Continue reading »

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Adobe Photoshop Express free web app

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London, — March 27, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® Express public beta, a free Rich Internet Application (RIA) available to anyone who wants to store, sort and show off digital photos with eye-catching effects. During the public beta period, Adobe will solicit Photoshop Express user feedback on product features and functionality, which will continue to evolve over time. As the newest addition to the Photoshop family line, Photoshop Express has taken much of Adobe’s best image editing technology and made it simple and accessible to a new online audience. Photoshop Express allows users to store up to 2 gigabytes of images online for free, make edits to their photos, and share them online in creative ways, including downloading and uploading photos from popular social networking sites like Facebook.

“Photoshop is trusted technology that has changed the visual landscape of our world. Now, Photoshop Express allows anyone who snaps a digital photo to easily achieve the high-impact results for which Adobe is known,” said Doug Mack, vice president of Consumer and Hosted Solutions at Adobe. “Photoshop Express is a convenient, single destination where you can store, edit and share photos whether you’re at home, school or on the road.”

Simple, Fun and Accessible

With Photoshop Express, digital photos can be uploaded and sorted anytime, edited non-destructively to always preserve the original image, and shared from anywhere, on any Web browser. In a few easy clicks, Photoshop Express empowers anyone to make standard edits, such as removing blemishes and red-eye, converting to black and white, cropping and resized, and much more.

No experience is required to add special effects that will impress friends and family. In keeping with its one-click approach, Photoshop Express offers tricks like Pop Colour which selects an object in an image, mutes the background colour of the photo and allows the user to swap the object’s colour so it jumps off the page. Sketch effects help photos look like drawings and the Distort feature allows you to distort facial features or objects within the images for a comical or artistic effect. Even users with limited photo editing knowledge can simply select what looks best from a line-up of sample photos with visual hints showing different variations of the added effect.

Photoshop Express offers a variety of creative sharing options, including uploading and showing off photos and slideshows in your own online “Gallery” hosted by Adobe, or conveniently embedding or linking photos to social networking sites and personal blogs without having to leave the application. Slideshows never looked better with animation that makes photos float and fly across the screen, allowing for viewer interactivity and unique presentation styles.

Adobe Photoshop Family

Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended are at the heart of the Photoshop family, joined by solutions for users at every level who want to bring out the best in their digital images. Photoshop Lightroom™ addresses the workflow needs of professional and serious amateur photographers. Photoshop Elements provides exciting tools and sharing options for photo hobbyists.

Photoshop Express is the latest step Adobe is taking to leverage the advanced technology that underpins its award-winning creative products and deliver it to new online communities. In early 2007, Adobe also announced the availability of Adobe® Premiere® Express, an online video editing and mash-up tool on partner sites such as MTV and Photobucket. Adobe Premiere Express leverages the functionality found in Premiere Elements, a fully-featured desktop video editing program.

Free and Available Now

Adobe Photoshop Express beta is available now for free via any Web browser at http://www.photoshop.com/express. Photoshop Express was created with Flex, Adobe’s free, open source framework for building RIAs. Flex applications provide a consistent, rich user experience across operating systems and all major browsers, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and others. An Internet connection and an up-to-date Flash® Player 9 are all that are required to experience Adobe Photoshop Express. In its early phases, Photoshop Express is available to US residents-only in English. Users may experience slow performance if accessed outside of the US. Future plans include availability in other languages and countries.

Warning to users!

Until corrected by Adobe, who have promised to do so, the terms and conditions include the following: ‘With respect to Your Content that you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Services, you grant Adobe a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other Materials or works in any format or medium now known or later developed’.

This outright rights-grab is not, they say, what was intended and the terms will be amended. 

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