Light in a Dark World

In the dear old days of my colour darkroom the most magic moment was opening the processing drum to discover whether I had got it right – whether the colours of the original scene had survived capture on film, development, filtration via the CMY subtraction method, and final temperature-sensitive processing. We’re talking about a workflow that encompassed HOURS....

Nowadays it is minutes – shoot, download, crop, and correct in the computer, and then fire it to the Epson 3800 printer. No fumes, no corrosive chemistry, no groping around in the dark swearing at the negative.

But the magic is still there when the print slides out of the printer. The magic and the doubt....is the colour I see in the print really right? Is it too warm, too cool, too dark, too light? How do I know if it will look good in daylight or room light? Help!

Help is at hand. I can do one of two things:

1.  Inspect the print outside between the hours of 10:00AM and 2:00PM on a day with clear sun but a high scrim of white cloud – about 20,000 feet for preference - and no bushfires for about a week. Sun behind my right shoulder and a light wind.
   
2.  Look at it right beside the printer using a Grafilite standardized light source.

      My efforts to organise the weather and cloud cover have so far proved a little difficult, but as soon as the new Grafilites arrive at Camera Electronic I am going to take one home. They are small, light, and have a neutral backdrop upon which to place the print for judgement. They run cool and cheap and are configured to prevent glare from hitting the print and bouncing back. I can assess prints at night – provided it is between cocktail hour and 10:00PM.

After that ALL the colours run together....

You can come in store and ask for a demonstration.

You can come in store and ask for a demonstration.

Portable Power - Glanz LP-750 Battery Pack

Users of mains-powered equipment have often been jealous of their counterparts who use smaller portable systems; the photographer who would dearly love to use their studio monoblock in the field but cannot come to a power point – the operator of a computer who wants to use a separate monitor for colour control on the beach. Now they need be jealous no longer.

 

Glanz have introduced the LP 750 Leadpower battery/inverter for just these people. It is contained in a sturdy case with carry handle that provides three universal 240V AC sockets on top under weatherproof covers. There is a removable Ni Mh battery in the side and an on-board cooling fan to clear the case. Of course it has a rack of fuses to prevent inadvertencies.

The battery will charge up in 6 hours from dead flat and can then provide the full 750 watts and 3 amps – we tested it in our workshop and were able to fire 250 shots one after another through a Bowens 500w/s head – that’s a lot of flash power. And it has a fast recycle time.

If it is steady power you need rather than flash peaks there is a switch on the side for this. The discharge rate will be slower but there is a standby option that will prevent any charge leak over a long period.

If you need more power in this pack, just buy a spare battery - it can be changed instantly by sliding up a sealed panel and pulling out the exhausted one – but remember that 250 full shots is a lot of flash power.

Expensive? No - $ 799. Now your studio lights can follow you out into the wide world. Another burden to load onto the photo assistant....

Uncle Dick's Workshop - Friday 8

Every Friday at 10:00AM - we will be bringing you the sort of cutting-edge expertise that leaves ragged bits and sore fingers - Uncle Dick's Workshop. The advice is free - free from good sense in most instances....It really cranks up around the first of April.

Q:      This camera is only a week old and the lens won’t come out!

A:      It is probably afraid that you will drop it into the sand at the beach yet again. You don’t want a camera – you want a hermit crab.

Q:      I don’t think much of your advice!

A:      A wise attitude. I think very little as I proffer it. Don’t be discouraged – thinking and photography are very much like oil and water. Which reminds me – make sure you check the oil and water in your camera before you take it on holiday.

Q:      What is the ugliest digital camera available?

A:      The iSore.

Q:      How do they define a classic camera?

A:      A classic camera is anything with leather wrapped around it. If the leather has dried out and peeled off it is a classic collector’s opportunity. If it still opens it is a treasure. If it smells like a bag of Balkan socks it is an artistic instrument. Don’t get me started on the glass.

Q:      I want a digital camera that I can slip into my purse.

A:      And that, Madam, is precisely why we lock them away in a display cabinet. 

Meet Nikon Ambassador

Shoppers Urged To Put Jobs First

An interesting article in today's West paper from the Australian National Retailers Association about buying products online. Murray Gibbs from Cannington Camera House had an interesting insight to this.

  
"The retail sector has launched a national campaign to remind Christmas shoppers how important it is to the jobs market, as shops battle a patchy economy and stiff online competition.

In its $5 million national radio campaign, the Australian National Retailers Association highlights the sector's 1.2 million jobs through 140,000 outlets.

It comes ahead of expectations of a relatively lacklustre Christmas sales period.

Chief executive Margy Osmond called on the Federal Government to help local retailers by taxing online items priced at more than $100, in a bid to even out the competition with the imports, which do not attract a GST.

Ms Osmond said most other Western countries already had an online tax and usually on values well below $100.

Murray Gibbs, who runs the family-owned Gerry Gibbs Camera House in Cannington, refuses to serve customers who use him to help them buy online.

"If people are prepared to give me the time of day as a retailer, and not stand there in the shop surfing their iPhone for the same product I've just discussed with them, then I'm prepared to give them all the customer service they require," he said.

"If they're going to ask me questions so they know what to buy through some grey market online provider, then I'm not interested."

Mr Gibbs said most Australian retailers could not compete with some foreign retailers on price because of higher wages, rents and advertising costs.

But they could provide secure warranties, after-care service and a guarantee it met Australian safety and power standards.

"I have 11 people and their families who rely on me to make a living," he said.
"I have cut prices as much as I can, but I can't sell cheaper than some online providers or we will all be out of a job.""

Article taken from The West website which you can visit at the following link: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/11930685/shoppers-urged-to-put-jobs-first/

November Specials 2011

Check out these November specials - Leica, Sigma, Owle, Pentax, Ilford, Lastolite, DIF and Voigtlander from Camera Electronic:

Owle

What do Camera Electronic and this magnificent bird have in common – I mean besides swooping on prey and attacking it? Bubo, that’s what. Bubo the owl – our new add-on carriage for iPhones that converts them into great camera systems. Come on down and have a look – Wednesday is beer and mice night.

 

FLIGHT OF AN EAGLE OWL: A large adult eagle owl in flight. Lingfield, Surrey, UK. (Photo and caption by Mark Bridger/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Old Photographer

Do you recognise this man? Do you know what he is holding? Can you think what it might be used for? We are getting so forgetful around here that we need some help. Please write to us and make suggestions. Lord knows we need suggestions around here. We’ll print the best of them.

PAPA: This a portrait that I took of my Grandfather. He was a photographer and I wanted to show all his wonderful old cameras and his life in an editorial styled portrait. He just turned 95 years old and still remembers how all his old camera's work. I really love this picture and hope you like it as well. Hillside, IL. (Photo and caption by Christopher Bellezza/People/National Geographic Photo Contest)

River's A Pretty Picture

The superzoom lens helps to make Freshwater Bay look even more beautiful. 
Picture: Steve Scourfield

"In many ways, the day fits the camera and the Swan River itself. 

For it begins in the crisp, early-morning light and high-contrast sunshine coming in flat angles at Peppermint Grove. The river is wide and estuarine here and the Leica V-Lux 2 with the camera’s superzoom lens gives it the equivalent to  25mm and catches the wide expanse of it.

Late in the afternoon, I am further up in the narrower reaches of the Swan River, feeling like I am right in the barrel of the other end of the camera’s built-in 24x zoom — the equivalent to 600mm. 

The same spot with the lens zoomed at 600mm.

The lens is, of course, the most-talked-about feature of the Leica V-Lux 2 and the reason it is particularly good for travellers. It can do pretty much anything —  and do it well. 

With 14.1 megapixels and a CMOS sensor, it is a camera that most people will take on their trips, and come back with good photographs. It’s light, easy to use. It has automatic, program, aperture and shutter speed priority settings and scene modes that include the rather self-explanatory  soft skin, panorama assist, beach and snow — and, unusually, food, party, baby, pet and others. 

Following the Swan River for the day gives it a good workout and, while it could use a better sensor,  the camera proves a versatile do-anything friend. 

I particularly like the tilting screen — it folds out  and in many directions, and I find this useful in markets and other places where a photographer wants  to be less obvious. 

For the more technically serious, it shoots both RAW and JPEG and full 1080p  AVCHD video recording. It shoots 11 frames a second continuous at full resolution with a maximum shutter speed 1/2000 second.

And that brings me to the subject of price. 

I borrowed the Leica from Camera Electronic, in Stirling Street, Perth. It sells it for $899 — a price that can’t be matched on the  internet and considerably less than Leica’s RRP of $1049. 

Saul Frank, who with brother Howard runs  the shop their father Ronald started 40 years ago, says: “There’s old-fashioned service, of course, and people want to  see and touch certain items.” 

But shop retailers have to compete on price, too, and the brothers go to great efforts in working with suppliers to match internet pricing. Or, in this case, to beat it. 

The Leica, of  course, bears more than a passing resemblance to the Panasonic DMC-FZ100 but comes with a two-year warranty, Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements 8. And, of course, the Leica badge. 

Details: Camera Electronic is at 230 Stirling Street, Perth. Visit cameraelectronic.com.au or call 9328 4405."

Camera Electronic would like to thank Steve for his travel section write up. You can see more informative articles from Steve at The West via their website http://www.thewest.com.au/travel

Can you find ME

If I were a new Fuji X 10 compact camera, and I knew that I was about to be mobbed by a crowd of photographic enthusiasts – where would I hide?

I’d hide at Camera Electronic, 230 Stirling Street, Perth – in the yellow cabinet in the center of the shop, down on the lower right side, where nobody would ever find me.

Mind you, if they did find me they would buy me in an instant – it’s my cool retro look, my metal-body build quality, my 28-112mm equivalent lens, and my big LCD screen. They’d take me everywhere as I am small enough to fit in a pocket. They’d show me off to all their mates who are still using compact cameras that do not have optical finders – bit of jealousy there as I can take pictures in bright sunlight without whiting out in the glare.

Don’t get me wrong – I love taking pictures on my SD card and I’m not afraid of rough treatment – I have a decent–sized hand grip and a real lens ring that they could turn to zoom. My focusing is fast and precise on auto or manual and I could peer down as close as 1cm on super macro if they were curious about the tiny world.

I suppose I must resign myself to being sold for $ 699 and going off to all the holidays and family parties and trips overseas. Oh, dear, the numbers of pictures of grinning relatives that are going to go through my processor....but they’ll have to look smart about it. Christmas is coming and all my brothers and I will fly out the door – but for the time being I’m just going to lurk in the yellow cabinet and hide behind my cool black metal lens cap.

You can order online from: http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/4547410193046.html or come in-store for a hands on demonstration.

2011 Abercrombie & Kent and The Weekend Australian (Travel & Indulgence) Photography Competition Finalists

From colourful community life in Bali to the breathtaking ranges of Mt Kilimanjaro, be inspired by our gallery of the some of the world’s most stunning travel photos from the 2011 finalists in the annual Abercrombie & Kent and The Weekend Australian (Travel & Indulgence) photography competition. For more information: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel. To vote for your favourite go to http://www.abercrombiekent.com.au/photocompetition.

Photography by Bella Zanesco
'Nairobi, Kenya'

Photography by Ben Steiger
'Point Samson, Pilbara, Western Australia'

Photography by Brett Almond
'Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania'

Photography by David Lazar
'Myanmar'

Photography by Diana Snape
'Mt Kilimanjaro'

Photography by Jon Atheron
'Antarctica'

Photography by Prue Dyson
'Kerala, India'

Photography by Ray Langmaid
'Kanchanabura, Thailand'

Photography by Sarah Jenkins
'Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery, Burma (Myanmar)'

Photography by Wai Chun Turnbull
'Bwindi Impenetrable Forest'

Invitation to submit entries for the 2012 Leica Oskar Barnack Award

Solms, Germany (November 16, 2011) – Leica Camera AG invites professional photographers to submit entries to the Leica Oskar Barnack Award, an international photography competition. Photographers wishing to take part may submit their projects online between January 16 and March 1, 2012. The terms and conditions of entry can be downloaded from www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com shortly before the start of the competition.

The winner of the 2012 Leica Oskar Barnack Award will receive a Leica M9-P camera with lens worth approximately €10,000 (approximately US $14,000) in addition to a cash prize of €5,000. A second honor will be awarded in the category ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award’, for (aspiring) professional photographers aged 25 and under. The winner of the first prize in this section will also be awarded a Leica M9-P complete with lens.

Competition entry conditions: An international jury awards the Leica Oskar Barnack Award/Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award to photographers whose unerring powers of observation capture and express the relationship between man and their environment in graphic form in a portfolio of up to 12 images. Submissions must be a self-contained series of images in which the photographer perceives and documents the interaction between man and his environment with acute vision and contemporary visual style – creative, unobtrusive and groundbreaking.

With this competition, Leica Camera AG remembers Oskar Barnack (1879–1936), the inventor of the Leica. From 1914 on, he increasingly used the prototype camera he developed, the so-called Ur-Leica, for photography. The history of photojournalism is closely tied to his invention, as, beginning in 1925, the compact and easily carried Leica cameras were instrumental in enabling entirely new and expressive forms of photography.

Read more on LeicaRumors.com: http://leicarumors.com/2011/11/16/invitation-to-submit-entries-for-the-2012-leica-oskar-barnack-award.aspx/#ixzz1eKC4Eu8c

National Geographic Photo Contest 2011

The deadline for entries for this year's National Geographic Photo Contest is November 30. Photographers of all skill levels (last year more than 16,000 images submitted by photographers from 130 countries) enter photographs in three categories: Nature, People and Places. The photographs are judged on creativity and photographic quality by a panel of experts. There is one first place winner in each category and a grand prize winner as well. The following is a selection of images that we like, if you want to view all the images you can view them at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/ 

IS HE STILL THERE?!: One morning while on the Big Island of Hawaii, i exploring my surroundings to see if i could find something to photograph. I almost went back inside when something on this huge palm tree leaf caught my eye. I stayed around and it was this little gecko, startled by my presence he was hidden between the ridges of the leaf. He would pop his head up periodically to check his surroundings, as soon as he saw i was still there he would hide again. We played this game for a while until i got the shot. Holualoa big Island, Hawaii. (Photo and caption by Lorenzo Menendez/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

CONFRONTING: Cage divers confront a great white shark on the Isla de Guadalupe. (Photo and caption by David Litchfield/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

THE CLOUD: At safari not only animals can attract attention. South Africa, Western Cape, Aquila Safari park. (Photo and caption by Dmitry Gorilovskiy/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

FLESH AND BONES: In a world where no one understands the importance of nature, all that is left of our nature is just these flesh & bones. Toronto, Canada. (Photo and caption by Amirhassan Farokhpour/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

STINGRAY: This image was captured to Sandbar, Grand Cayman during my last trip.This beautiful creature turn around you very close and you can touch it.This is a really amazing experience, you are surrounded by dozen of this friendly animal. Sandbar-Grand Cayman-Caribean (Photo and caption by Gazzaroli Claudio/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

LOVE OF PARENTS: The emperor penguins fight for survival and to protect their only baby in the frozen Antarctic ice desert. Antarctica: Atka Bay, Weddell Sea. (Photo and caption by Claus Possberg/National Geographic Photo Contest)

WINTER LOLLIPOPS: Winter is extremely beautiful in Lithuania. It was an early morning and minus 25 degrees Celsius outside. This landscape feels out of this world, but in fact it's in the outskirts of my home city, Kaunas—just a mile away from my house. Oftentimes beauty lies just a step away from our door. Kaunas, Lithuania (Photo and caption by Matas Juras/Nature/National Geographic Photo Contest)

SUNBATHING UNDERWATER: The sun gives us energy even underwater. This image was captured during freediving (diving on a single breath without scuba gear) in the Red Sea. Eel Garden, Dahab, Sinai, Egypt. (Photo and caption by Vaclav Krpelik/People/National Geographic Photo Contest)

NEW ORLEANS STREETCAR: This is a streetcar in New Orleans traveling back towards The Quarter on St. Charles Ave. I held the camera against the window sill, making sure to divide the image equally between the inside and the outside. New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo and caption by Don Chamblee/Places/National Geographic Photo Contest)

FLAT OCEAN: Just before a huge monsoon downpour, the ocean became flat as I have never seen before. It was drizzling a bit, people were on their way to their house, when I walked up this pier. The light rain made the pier mirror-like, and the ocean was so calm. On the horizon are the islands just in front of Makassar, part of that special islands of Sulawesi. Makassar, Indonesia. (Photo and caption by Erik Kievit/Places/National Geographic Photo Contest)

AIPP The Event - The Nikon AIPP Event

Those who do not know The Nikon AIPP Event was held in Adelaide this year from October 23 - 26. Two of our staff members attended this incredible event. Over the next few weeks both members will be blogging their daily activities and bring to you what went on and what was talked about.

This first installment is from Gavin Carvahlo from the Sunday Session.

Whilst the official start to the AIPP Event was to be on Monday, we were treated to a couple of nice talks on the Sunday.

Starting off we had the choice of Urs Buhlman’s Advertising, Stephen Jones’ E-Newsletters and Tony Hewitt’s Communication with Clients. I attended Tony’s lecture.

I didn’t quite know what to expect but I was in for a treat! Originally I thought it would be a talk just about how a professional photographer interacts with his potential customers (for those of you who don’t know Tony is a Perth based photographer and is one of a handful of Photography Grandmasters). What it turned out to be was a talk about how we as humans communicate and its relevance extended to everyone in every situation! During the talk he got everyone to stand up, pair off and play rock, paper, scissors to demonstrate a very cool point about how we unconsciously communicate our energies. The important point I learned was that we are always communicating through means we are not always aware of, such as body language, the tone of voice we use and that this constant communication reflects who we are as people and thus the relationships we then create.

Tony Hewitt is an excellent speaker, and in fact he was the MC for the entire AIPP Event.

In between talks there was an exhibition by Hilary Wardhaugh titled “Die like a Dog” about one of her closest friends’ last hours as he succumbed to the ravages of cancer. Moving many to tears, her amazing tribute shows us how powerful photography can be.

In the second talks we got to choose from Philip Andrews’ Photoshop 101, Juliet Taylor’s Advertising/Marketing, Rosh Sillars’ Social Media and Sue Bryce’s Portraiture. I went to Sue’s lecture.

Sue is a very successful glamour photographer and in her talk she discussed with us how she approaches her photography. Even though the title of her seminar was Portraiture she was talking more about her interaction with her customers and her life philosophies rather than getting into the gear or technical aspects of her photography. This was a refreshing revelation as I personally find these aspects far more rewarding and significant to photography than the equipment.

Do check out these artists whenever you can!

Uncle Dick's Workshop - Friday 7

Every Friday at 10:00AM - we will be bringing you the sort of cutting-edge expertise that leaves ragged bits and sore fingers - Uncle Dick's Workshop. The advice is free - free from good sense in most instances....It really cranks up around the first of April.

Q:      My brother-in-law said he got the same camera as I did but he got it for 50% less. Why is that?

A:      Because he lied. He wanted to make you feel anxious and inadequate. As you have no access to his credit card account you cannot check up on him. Repay the complement – get a cocktail napkin from the local lap-dance club and tell your sister that he left it at your place....

Q:      I want to make a small fortune in stock photography. How do I do it?

A:      Quit your day job, Buy $ 6000 worth of cameras, and wander around taking pictures of sunsets and graffiti. Soon you will have converted your big fortune to a small fortune.

Q:      I feel I need a mentor. Can you suggest one?

A:      Mentor? That was a brand of German cigarette between the wars....are you sure you want to take up smoking? Why not find someone to teach you photography?

Q:      My photography club wants to organize a field trip this summer – any suggestions?

A:      I should look out for a paddock with a ghost gum. Or an abandoned power station. Or a set of rocks with an ocean attached. Use ND 100X filters and short exposures – your viewers will thank you.

Q:      This camera you sold me is no good – I can’t get the card out!

A:      When they designed it, the Japanese manufacturers probably thought that no-one would actually be able to put a memory card in back to front and upside down. Foolish people.... Would you like to borrow my pocketknife to prise it out?

Note: in the 1960’s I saw a woman insert a 126 cartridge into an Instamatic camera upside down and manage to close the back. The image has remained with me to this day, as has her language.

SanDisk Memory Vault

There are basically two types of photographers – those that lose their stored analog images and those that lose their stored digital images. The former experience mould, damp, dust, and fugitive dyes. The latter have hard drive crashes and fading CD’s. The result is the same in both cases; heartbreak and loss of income.

SanDisk can’t clean your negatives for you but they can archive your digital images for the next 100 years in their new Vault storage devices.

These come in 8 Gb and 16 Gb size – they are a small flat pack that is powered and receives data from your USB port. They are cheap enough to put all your really precious files on – and can spread the archive load over several physical locations.

Some wedding photographers have suggested that they might include them in the package of images delivered – an enormous burden of responsibility shifted from the studio to the client and a welcome relief for the busy professional.

In commercial practice the amount of capacity required for complex digital work that may need to be preserved in every stage of construction might be greater than the Vault can do – but the final images could certainly be committed to it.

Final note – losing images can sometimes be a blessing. I have reviewed some of the stuff I took in the 1960’s and am horrified by the poor processing. I do not have the heart to bin the negatives but I am hoping that if I store them under the water heater Mother Nature will intervene. C’mon fungus....

How to Take Travel Photos - Gavin Carvahlo

One of our staff Gavin Carvahlo has been asked to write about travel photography for The West Newspaper. Below is his first article that was published on 14 November 2011. The article was taken from The West website which you can visit at http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/travel/a/-/travel/11658383/how-to-take-travel-photos/

Photography is intrinsic to travel, and I'll explore the world of photography with you - through a respectable mix of gadget guides, tips and tricks, lessons and, hopefully, interesting perspectives.

Travel writing and photography advice:
MORE PHOTO TIPS AND TRICKS
HOW TO BE A TRAVEL WRITER
BE HEARD IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

First, a little bit about myself.
I work full-time in a camera store in Perth that has a 40-year history. Outside that, you might find me out and about using cameras and possibly achieving some measure of pseudo-decent photography.

I like discovering the technical side of cameras but still have passion and a deep respect for the art embodied in photography.

Photography means a lot to me. On the surface, it is sometimes seen as a simple hobby or just taking basic snaps. Go deeper and there is the technical side - camera equipment, technology, lenses, megapixels, sensors.

Our world is saturated with photography. Practically every facet of life is touched by it. From print media and advertising to fashion and glamour, from sports and wildlife photography to photojournalism and travel, from experimental art to simply capturing memories, photography appeals to all.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
It is similar to music in that you can enjoy your own style but it is a universal language that can cross the borders of culture and time.
And photography is more than ever an accessible way of producing our own "cave paintings", our own way of storytelling. It's these stories, memories and emotions locked away in pictures that make them so valuable to us. People will try to save photos from a burning building because at its truest level, it is an extension of ourselves. Think about that the next time you go out to take a picture.

And this column is based on us going out into the world to take pictures.

QUICK TIPS
Most people take more shots when they are travelling than at any other time. Holidaying and photography very much go hand in hand, especially now that cameras are a lot easier to use. Here are a few quick tips when going on your next journey:

• Try to minimise the size and weight of your equipment whenever possible. You might be better off not taking your 1200mm lens unless you specifically need to use it.
You'll be able to move around more freely and you'll be able to pack more souvenirs. Consider taking a smaller set-up such as a compact camera or using an all-in-one zoom lens. You might not get the absolute best image quality but you'll probably end up getting more photo opportunities and you'll enjoy your holiday more.

• If you accidentally erase photos from your memory card, you might be able to recover them. Don't take any more photos on that card - instead, take it out and use a different card, and take your erased card to a service store for data recovery.

• Always take spare batteries and spare memory cards (or film). You will regret it if you get caught short. Also make sure your battery chargers can work with overseas voltages. Most modern ones are fine.

• Shoot in RAW if your camera has the ability to. You'll be better able to fix mistakes and squeeze out a better image when you get it back to your computer.
Keep in mind that RAW files take up more memory space than JPEGs and will require processing before you can print them or publish them online.

• Be careful when travelling with expensive camera equipment. By all means take your Leica M9-P, just don't make yourself a target for thieves and camera nerds (hint: get the black version). Showing off a big camera around your neck in some places advertises you as a tourist and potential target.

• Be aware and respectful of places where photography is not allowed and always be respectful of your subject, whatever or whoever it may be.

Photographing places:
MOSCOW CAN BE CAMERA SHY
PICTURE PERFECT PARIS

There are plenty more things to consider when going shooting and travelling but we'll save that for another time.

That's all for now, keep an eye out next time when I reveal what the best camera in the world is. Place your bets...

Gavin Carvalho can be contacted at Camera Electronic, 230 Stirling Street, Perth. Call 9328 4405 or email gavin@cameraelectronic.com.au

Congratulations to Gavin on his first published article. We look forward to more articles in The West Travel section.

Hoodman Releases RAW USB 3.0 Reader

Hoodman builds RAW STEEL ruggedness and “Pin Guardtm” into a new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 UDMA Card Reader

  

Enjoy time saving 5 Gbps data transfers of CompactFlash or SD cards with the new ruggedized RAW STEEL SuperSpeed USB 3.0 UDMA card reader from Hoodman. Downloads are up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0 specs.

Hoodman built the new reader into a ruggedized metal housing and added a new concept to readers called “Pin Guard”. Pin Guard is an innovative drop down door that keeps reader pins protected until a CompactFlash card is inserted into the reader. The well thought out detachable 36-inch USB 3.0 cable is plenty long enough to reach behind towers and still find a home on a desktop. Reinforced cable inputs, metal housing and “Pin Guard” all work together to yield the most durable card reader made.

* 5Gbps transfer rates require a USB 3.0 enabled computer.

* RAW STEEL reader is backward compatible with USB 2.0 systems.

* Supports CompactFlash, SD, SDHC, SDXC & UHS-1 memory cards.

Pre-Order your Hoodman USB 3 RAW Steel Card Reader
http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/RAWUSB3.html

SanDisk Speed Freaks

The SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I memory card features technologies that were previously only available in our professional line of CompactFlash® memory cards.

Managed by the Power Core™ Controller, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I memory card raises the bar for speed and performance within the SanDisk SD™ memory card product line. The advanced Error Correction Code engine improves overall data integrity and reliability of the card during read and write. Experience RAW + JPEG continuous burst mode shooting and capture fast-action Full HD† video like never before. For capturing Full HD video or that professional shot-trust SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I memory cards for your DSLR or HD camcorder

• Extreme speed means you'll get the shot you want with more continuous burst mode shooting and rapid transfers to your computer.
• Extreme Full HD video recording speed enabled by UHS Speed Class 1†† and Class 10 lets you capture fast-action video in Full HD, even in 3-D†.
• Engineered with the Power Core™ Controller, the SanDisk Extreme® Pro™ SDHC™ [SDXC™ for 64GB] UHS-I memory card delivers blazing fast performance distributing image data across the card more rapidly and efficiently.
• Extreme reliability and endurance, the Power Core™ Controller's firmware increases endurance through wear leveling. The Power Core Controller's advanced Error Correction Code (ECC) engine improves overall data integrity and reliability of the card during read and write.
• Extreme durability- built for and tested in harsh conditions-these cards are temperature proof, water proof, shock proof, and x-ray proof***. [only 8-32 GB packs]
• Extreme trust: From the flash memory card brand trusted by professional photographers.

Not all devices support SDHC™ or SDXC™ memory cards. Contact your device manufacturer for details.

* Up to 95 MB/sec (633X) read speed. Write speed up to 90 MB/s (600X). Based on SanDisk internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes. X = 150KB/sec.
** 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.
*** SD, SDHC, microSD and microSDHC card formats up to 32 GB only; See www.sandisk.com/proof for additional information.

†Full HD video (1920x1080x30fps) HD and 3D video support may vary based upon host device, file size, resolution, compression, bit rate, content, and other factors. See:www.sandisk.com/HD
††UHS Speed Class 1 designates a performance option designed to support real-time video recording with UHS-I enabled host devices.

Stock will be arriving soon.

The Discreet Photographer

I was toying with the name “Lowepro” and decided that in the case of their new bags that it stood for “Low Profile”. Let me explain.

The days of hauling a hard leather shoulder case embossed with the name of a camera are finished – ended when people discovered that they act as a walking advertisement for theft - not smart overseas. Likewise people weighed up the case itself and realised it was a considerable part of the burden.

Lowepro to the rescue – the new Pro Messenger bags in 160,180, and 200- size are dark gray cotton-look (but nylon-strong) with Velcro and zip fasteners and a number of compartments designed for pro-sized DSLRs and extra lenses and flashes. There is a sturdy padded shoulder strap firmly sewn into the sides and a large weather flap/rain cover. They are about the size of an artillery transfer case but much lighter.

If you need to be discreet – opening the bag in a church or courtroom – there is a silent closure option for the Velcro. Then you can let fly with your 100-frames-per-second motor drive and your strobing speed light and no-one will suspect a thing...

 Finally, these look like plain old student or day bags – nothing to see, nothing to steal. Priced reasonably too.

Some of these bags are now in stock. You can view them on our website via the following links.

Lowepro Pro Messenger 160AW

http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/680700.html

Lowepro Pro Messenger 180AW

http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/56035364075.html

Lowepro Pro Messenger 200AW

http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/56035364082.html

 

If you need to carry more – and some of today’s photographers remind me of Timothy Sullivan and his mule-train excursions to the frontier – then Lowepro have the new Pro Roller Lite for you. It is a two body – 5 lens – flash – charger – and pack of sandwiches size with wheels and airport handle and room for a small laptop in the top. It is light – hence the “Lite” but with a stiff sidewall to protect the gear.

 The illustration of the 150 Lite shows a pretty girl putting it into an overhead locker on an airliner. You are at liberty to speculate about the picture: whether it is stuffed with the normal photographer’s l

oad of 8 metric tonnes, and whether it is really a Bulgarian weight lifter in a wig, but let’s accept the premise that if you can bully it past the flight attendant you can carry it with you. It would make an elegant strobist’s studio in a bag. 

Some of these bags are now in stock. You can view them on our website via the following links.

Lowepro Pro Roller Lite 150

http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/56035363986.html

Lowepro Pro Roller Lite 250

http://shop.cameraelectronic.com.au/Products/680688.html

Epson Redefines Quality and Cost of Computer-to-Plate Printing

Epson redefines quality and cost of computer-to-plate printing with Epson DirectPlate Aluminium

 

Epson has changed forever the quality, speed and cost of computer-to-plate technology for small to medium commercial printers with the launch of Epson DirectPlate Aluminium, an all-new high-resolution aluminium press plate prepared using standard Epson UltraChrome^® HDR Ink. 

Epson DirectPlate Aluminium has many advantages over polyester plates including producing sharper and better quality prints, being faster and more efficient from image separations to press, is more affordable and more cost-effective to operate, better energy efficiency, virtually no maintenance costs, and reduces health and environmental impacts.

This unique water-based plate-making system enables true aluminium lithographic printing press plates to be created in a few minutes on an Epson printer with plate resolutions up to 175 lines per inch (lpi), producing extremely sharp text and line art over press runs up to 20,000 impressions.
It is perfect for one and two colour print jobs, delivering better solids and cleaner halftones than typical polyester plates. 

As Epson DirectPlate Aluminium is a completely water-based plate-making system with no chemical processing required, the process is safer for plate makers and has less impact on the local environment than polyester plates.

Epson is launching Epson DirectPlate Aluminium with a new Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP system, the first printer to incorporate DirectPlate Aluminum technology. 

This complete system combines an Epson Stylus Pro 7900 printer (24-inch wide format) with a unique heat-based plate curing unit (PCU), a small-plate guide attachment and 10 aluminium plates. 

The Epson Stylus^® Pro 7900CTP system significantly reduces the total cost of making aluminium plates with significantly reduced capital investment, dramatically reduced electrical, maintenance, and service expenses, and virtually zero downtime because of Epson’s renowned, highly reliable and extremely robust printing technology.

And as well as producing Epson DirectPlate Aluminium plates, the Epson Stylus^® Pro 7900CTP system can also produce contract-quality colour proofs, and colour posters up to 24-inches wide, offering a superior return on initial capital investment and more opportunities for income-generating output.

In Australia the Epson Stylus Pro 7900CTP system will be sold through selected Epson dealers, providing world class technical support backed by Epson’s global reputation for printing quality.

The Epson Stylus^® Pro 7900CTP system has a RRP of $11,995 ex gst.

You can check out the full specs from the following link: 
https://www.epson.com.au/Prographics/products/largeformat/DisplayMain.asp?id=StylusPro7900CTP

Millenniata - M-DISC, Write Once and Read Forever

After visiting one of our clients on the weekend he showed me about this new DVD technology which I was quite impressed to read about. I for one have suffered lose of DVD recording after only 5 years even though the manufactures mentioned the DVD is archival for 100 years. The question I have is how can a manufacturer put such a statement on their product when it has not been around for this length of time.

So here is a little information on the M-Disc, and after this information you may want to think about upgrading to this new technology especially since we work in an industry that requires archival material.

From the Millenniata website:

"You might feel like you’re making a “permanent” backup of your files when you copy them onto a DVD or backup to a computer hard-drive, but the truth is these devices suffer from natural decay and degradation.

Current DVD technology uses organic dyes and low laser power to make marks on the data layer of a standard recordable DVD. Over time, these marks become unreadable because organic dyes degrade when exposed to minimal levels of light, heat, and humidity. This means all the data you thought was safely stored could be lost because the discs you used have an average lifespan of only about 3 to 5 years! Why would you risk your data based on an average; hundreds of discs taken into account in that average were corrupt and unreadable after only a few months. With Millenniata, we don’t subject you to the possibility of losing your data. When we say write once and read forever, we mean it.

How does the M-DISC compare to other DVDs and optical drives?

Millenniata utilizes chemically stable and heat-resistant materials that are not used in any other DVD or optical disc! These materials cannot be overwritten, erased, or corrupted by natural processes. The normal laser energy employed to write DVDs or CDs cannot successfully write to the patented inorganic and synthetic materials used in the M-DISC

Data is stored on the M-DISC by physically altering the recording layer and creating permanent voids or holes. DVDs and other optical discs use organic dyes that break down over time, resulting in corrupt and unreadable data. These organic dyes are highly susceptible to temperature, humidity and even sunlight, starting to fade and decay the moment you record data.

Millenniata’s recording process utilizes higher temperatures and as much as 5 times more energy than any ordinary optical disc. This allows for permanent engraving on the M-DISC, what we refer to as pits. These pits are not affected by temperature, humidity and sunlight the same way dyes are, because the pits are permanent. This means when you burn data onto the M-DISC, it will last as long as you need it to."

For more information you can visit the Millenniata website here

Churchill Color Labs “21 Eyes” Graduating Student Exhibition

From the end of November, the Advanced Diploma of Photography class at Perth’s Central Institute of Technology will showcase the Churchill Color Labs “21 Eyes” graduating student exhibition.

This free exhibition will feature the best works of each student in the class. A variety of photographic styles will be on display including still life, portraiture, landscape, sport and abstract photography. Some of the prints will be for sale.

Students in the class have been fund-raising all year round to bring you this great exhibition. Don’t miss your chance to view some exceptional photography!

Located at 12 Aberdeen St Northbridge, Gallery Central will feature the exhibition from Wednesday 30th Nov to Friday 2nd Dec (10am – 4:45pm) and Saturday 3rd Dec (10am - 4pm)

 Invite image taken by Rebecca Carter.