July 2008

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July 1, 2008
 
Winner of the June Sunset Photography Contest

This is the winning photo of the June photo contest on our photography social network. I believe that it was taken somewhere around Hong Kong, China. It was taken by Johnson Zhang with a Canon Rebel XTi. It was a closer contest this month with many excellent entries. We are now starting the July photo contest, the category is Portrait Photography. All of the entries will be judged and narrowed down to three in the last couple days of the month for final voting which is available to any member. If you would like to participate, please join the Monthly Photo Contest Group.

July 2, 2008
 
Nikon Announces the D700 for Professionals

The Nikon D700 is a DSLR with a 12.1-effective megapixel Nikon FX-format sensor that measures 23.9 x 36mm. It is designed for advanced and professional photographers who are looking for sharp image quality, effective low light performance, and accurate color reproduction. The D700 features 51-point auto focus system with 3D focus tracking, the Expeed image processor, two Live View shooting modes, a scene recognition system, dust reduction, and a 3.0” LCD screen. It will be available late July for about $2,999.         Initial Review

July 2, 2008
 
HDR Photography Information and Tips

Jason Dick writes, "HDR is important because real world scenes contain light ranges usually exceeding 50,000:1 dynamic range. For the last thousand years, media has been limited to around 300:1 dynamic range. HDR imaging allows the photographer to replicate the tonal ranges available in real life. Photographers and artists alike from El Greco, Monet, W. Eugene Smith and Ansel Adams have been trying to reproduce the tonal ranges of images. But, with the evolution of digital HDR an even greater range is possible without nearly the effort."         Full Article

July 3, 2008
 
Shadows and Highlights in Black and White Photography

Alongside photos by John Graf and Mark M, Tedric Garrison writes: "In the Zone System developed by Ansel Adams there are 10 zones from pure white to pure black. If you take a close look at most exposure compensation settings; regardless if your camera is digital or 35mm, most of them only give you a plus or minus range of two f-stops. If the original setting that your camera uses (18% gray) is zone 5 and you can only expose at plus or minus two stops, that only gives you a visual range of five f-stops."         Full Article

July 4, 2008
 
Simple Tips for Better People Pictures

Alongside photos by Bradford Hardesty, Colin Aiken writes: "I've been a professional photographer for long enough now to start getting invited to judge some local photography contests. In doing so I have been struck by the fact that so many of the pictures, especially those of people, could have been dramatically improved by the application of just a few simple ideas. I'm not talking professional portraiture here. Few of the entrants to these contests would even consider themselves to be serious photographers."     Full Article

July 8, 2008
 
Leading Lines in Photography Composition

Tedric Garrison writes, "Horizontal lines represent rest or relaxation. Vertical lines often give a mental image of strength. Diagonal lines tend to give a feeling of movement. Curved lines are loose and flexible (usually considered sexier.) Jagged lines suggest energy or conflict. If you are trying to create a calm, peaceful scenic photograph and you have several sharp jagged lines in the image, your photo is already in conflict with itself."         Full Article

July 10, 2008
 
Samsung Announces a Budget Camcorder for YouTube

The Samsung SC-MX20 is very low-budget camcorder specifically designed for YouTube and online video sharing. It has a recording mode optimized for YouTube or multi-media devices to make uploading very simple. The SC-MX20 features a 680K pixel CCD sensor, 34x optical zoom, advanced noise reduction, image stabilization, face detection (up to five faces), a 2.7” LCD screen, and H.264 compression.         Initial Review

July 10, 2008
 
Kodak Enters the Digital Camcorder Industry

The Kodak Zi6 is the first camcorder that the Kodak camera company has released. It is a pocket-sized camcorder designed for users who like to quickly upload videos to YouTube. The Zi6 features 720p HD video, a 2.4” LCD screen, 60 fps, a video software CD, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. It records to SD/SDHC memory cards which gives users the option of up to 32 GB of memory space. The Kodak Zi6 pocket video camera will be available in September for about $179.         Initial Review

July 11, 2008
 
Sunset Photography Tips and Techniques

Andrew Goodall writes, "Sunsets and sunrises are an inspirational subject for any photographer. In fact, a good sunset photo is often the reason many people become interested in nature photography. You don't need to have a great camera or professional training; almost anyone with a camera can take great sunset photos. The great news is, good sunset photos are surprisingly easy to take. Here are my five tips for taking great sunset (and sunrise) photos."         Full Article

July 14, 2008
 
Kodak Announces the 10 Megapixel M1093 IS

The Kodak Easyshare M1093 IS is a 10-megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom. It is designed for style-savvy consumers looking convenient features and a low price. The Easyshare M1093 features optical image stabilization, a 3.0” LCD screen, and an innovative Smart Capture feature that identifies the scene and adjusts camera settings for a great picture. It will be available in September for about $199.         Initial Review

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