LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 23, 2013) – Global development nonprofit Heifer International and renowned photographer/publisher Rankin are teaming up to spotlight world hunger and poverty with the launch of a worldwide photography competition titled, ‘Hunger’.

Photography enthusiasts, both amateur and professional, are asked to submit images conveying what the word ‘Hunger’ means to them through the lens of a camera. Rankin will select the winning photograph, which will be showcased at a high-profile gallery in Los Angeles and also published in his biannual fashion and culture publication, The Hunger.

“Heifer International is pleased to collaborate with a talented creator like Rankin to capture the relevance and urgency of hunger and poverty as problems our society must address,” said Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO of Heifer International. “We hope that vivid and unique photographs will encourage individuals to stop and contemplate the sharp inequalities that exist in our world.”

“I'm happy to support Heifer International in any way I can,” said Rankin. “I feel that it is a hugely worthwhile charity and this global competition will raise much needed awareness for the cause and unearth budding photography talent in the process.”

Creative platform Talenthouse will accept entries of hunger-themed images from its more than 2 million members from May 21 to July 2, 2013. A public vote from July 3—17 will determine finalists, and the winning photograph will be announced July 23.

Over 5,000 members of the web-based group Brits in L.A. will support the contest through voting in the finalist round of the contest. “Not only does the contest bring awareness to a much needed cause, but it also gives an opportunity to further the career and change the life of an individual, helping the photographer reach that next level. We are also thrilled that Rankin has adopted Heifer’s log line and is Passing on the Gift,” added Brits in L.A. Managing Partner Craig Young.

Submissions will be accepted at www.heifer.org/rankin, www.talenthouse.com, http://www.hungertv.com/, http://nosuchagency.wordpress.com and www.britsin.la.

About Heifer International:

Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in more than 40 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For more information, visit www.heifer.org, read our blog, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or call 1-800-696-1918.

About Talenthouse:

Talenthouse is the world's platform for creative collaboration, connecting aspiring talent, established artists and brand advertisers. Artists always retain ownership of their own work using Talenthouse as a platform to collaborate, grow their audience and monetize their work. Brands choose Talenthouse to engage in a dialogue with consumers in an entertaining, relevant and credible context.

ImagingInsider.com

#talenthouse #rankin #hungerphotocompetition #heiferinternational #imaginginsider

Photography on-the-go has never been easier with this convenient travel companion.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J., May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Manfrotto, world leader in the equipment and accessories industry for photography and imaging, is proud to announce an innovative tripod dedicated to photographers who love to travel. BeFree is a light, compact, intuitive to use, stable option for capturing stunningly precise and sharp images.

BeFree offers a stylish, functional option for traveling photographers, making it easy to capture memories without the hassle of bulky photography equipment. Its compact size and lightweight design make it an effortless tool to pack. BeFree also comes with a dedicated shoulder bag, protecting it from accidental damage, making it convenient to store in luggage. No longer will photographers have to compromise on picture quality because they weren't able to bring their heavy tripod along with them on trips.

BeFree's size and portability doesn't detract from its sturdiness. This reliable tripod keeps your camera steadily locked into place in any desired position, delivering the sharpest of images.

Key Features:

Lightweight aluminum construction makes the tripod easy to carry. It weighs only 3lbs, less than the average laptop.

Legs fold perfectly around the head and quick release plate attachment. It folds to only 15.7″.

New aluminum ball head is solid, quick and simple to operate. It has a maximum payload of 8.8lbs, guaranteeing stability and sturdiness even with longer zoom lenses.

The new patented leg angle selectors quickly allow you to select between two inclinations, offering maximum versatility for camera positioning.

Key Consumer Benefits:

Compact size and lightweight design, an easy tool to pack.

Comes with a dedicated shoulder bag to protect it while you are on-the-go.

The rubberized carrying strap makes it comfortable to carry.

Eye catching premium Italian design and finishing makes it stand out from the crowd.

Sturdy and reliable, keeping cameras steadily locked into place in any desired position, delivering the sharpest of images.

BeFree (Order Code MKBFRA4-BH) is available for purchase through select Manfrotto retailers at a street price of approximately $199.99.

For more information, visit www.manfrotto.us.

About Manfrotto Distribution

Manfrotto Distribution, Inc. is a leading distributor of key accessories brands for the photographic, video, cine and lighting production markets. Manfrotto Distribution is an international company within the Imaging Division of the Vitec Group, which owns the following leading international brands: Manfrotto, Gitzo, Kata, Avenger and Lastolite. As the U.S. distributor of National Geographic, Metz, Gossen, Elinchrom and Rotatrim, which are available nationwide through an extensive network of authorized dealers, Manfrotto Distribution offers the most complete range of exceptional camera and lighting accessories in the business. The Manfrotto Distribution international network covers the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, U.K., Hong Kong, China and Japan. www.manfrottodistribution.us.

ImagingInsider.com

#befreetripod #manfrotto #imaginginsider

New Facebook Application Showcases Full HD Movie Print Technology to Turn Videos and Stills into High-Quality, Personalized Comic Strips

MELVILLE, N.Y., May 23, 2013 – Starring in a comic strip isn’t just for superheroes anymore. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of Canon PIXMA Comix, an interactive new application found on the Canon U.S.A. Facebook page, that empowers fans to create fun, personalized photo comic strips to print and share with friends or share socially. Highlighting the Full HD Movie Print technology found in My Image Garden software, this application brings users’ adventures to life.

Whether it’s video of a friend surfing a giant wave, photos of a baby’s first steps, or photos and video from the annual summer barbeque, Canon PIXMA Comix allows users to utilize up to six images to create a personalized comic strip. The images can be uploaded from photo albums or as stills pulled from an uploaded video stored on your computer or Facebook page. With creative options including comic strip templates, photo filters including fish-eye, toy camera and poster effects, various font styles, and the ability to select comic-style speech and sound effect bubbles where text can be added, the application provides the platform to create unique, personalized comics. After creating a comic, users will have the opportunity to print the final product to display and enjoy, or post and share within their social network.

“The Canon PIXMA Comix application enables photo and video enthusiasts to easily apply comic book styling to their images, and share their story,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. “We always strive to enhance the Canon consumer experience, and with this application, it’s easy to get creative with a home printer by printing personalized comic strips to enjoy for years to come.”

Canon’s Full HD Movie Print technology allows users to select and print individual frames of a video, so every special moment – captured via camcorder or digital camera – can be enjoyed as an individual image.

For those who opt to print their comic through the application, Canon is offering a special promotion, which will be available through the Canon Direct Store.*

To create a personalized comic strip, visit Canon PIXMA Comix at www.PIXMAComix.com. To learn more about the full line of Canon PIXMA printers, please visit www.usa.canon.com/PIXMA.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $40 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2012† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2013. In 2012, Canon U.S.A. received the PCMag.com Readers’ Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the ninth consecutive year, and for camcorders for the past two years. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

# # #

†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

* For promotion details, please see Terms and Conditions at http://shop.usa.canon.com/estore/marketing/disclaimers/comixdisclaimer.html.

ImagingInsider.com

#canon #canusa #fullhdmovieprint #imaginginsider

• Photography celebrates its 175th birthday in 2014

• Logo symbolizes the medium's infinite variety in all its facets

Invitation to use the logo free-of-charge for Jubilee activities

In 2014 photography celebrates its 175th Jubilee. Numerous companies, associations, media and institutions from the photo and imaging business will with their high-profile activities use the Jubilee as an opportunity to pay tribute to the importance of photography both in their history and currently, but above all in the future. In order to bundle and communicate the Jubilee activities effectively, the Imaging Association as the representative of the photo and imaging business and joint-organizer of photokina has had created in the run-up to the Jubilee year the ”175 Years Photography – Imaging Unlimited“ logo. This will not only highlight the large range of activities centered on the 175 years of photography which are being developed and realized by Prophoto GmbH, the Association's subsidiary company. The logo will also make available free-of-charge a unifying visual element for all the actions and events being organized within the framework of the Jubilee by the companies involved.

With the new logo which has been designed by Professor Wilfried Korfmacher, Düsseldorf, the Imaging Association provides a face in the truest sense of the word for the 175th Jubilee: it is the symbol of infinity (which is not only well and truly known by photographers) here interpreted as two eyes and, together with the slogan ”175 Years Photography – Imaging Unlimited“, it characterizes the unlimited dynamics and the future of the photographic image.

Through its uniform appearance, the logo is intended to make clear that photography has for 175 years been an independent business, which has created an endless stream of technological achievements, but which also stands in the future for an endless number of innovative technologies in an increasingly interconnected world. It is also intended to emphasize that photography forms not only an important component of social networks but is the only language that is internationally understood. “The logo“ says Christoph Thomas, Chairman of the Imaging Association “particularly represents the limitless importance of photography as a key technology for a large number of other businesses and applications and also as an economic factor. It also reflects the independence and the power of the photo and imaging business. The frequent use of the logo not only bundles together numerous Jubilee activities, but also provides the photo and imaging industry with a unified presence.“

Everybody who is planning activities connected with the Jubilee of photography in 2014 and is interested in using the “175 Years Photography – Imaging Unlimited“ logo, can request free-of-charge usage rights from info@photoindustrie-verband.de and so communicate to all parts of the world considerations relating to the Jubilee. PIV

Photoindustrie-Verband e.V. represents the interests of the photo and imaging industry in Germany and worldwide. A non-profit organization, it is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Photoindustrie-Verband defines its role as a service provider, aiming to promote sales in professional and non-professional markets. For this purpose, market data are published regularly. The organisation has about 60 members who account for than 90 percent of the sales in the photo and imaging market in Germany. Photoindustrie-Verband is a co-organizer of photokina – world of imaging – in Cologne. The first photokina was held back in 1950. The 33rd photokina, the world's flagship fair for photography and imaging, will take place from 16 to 21 September 2014 at the Cologne exhibition facilities. Photoindustrie-Verband promotes photography and photokina, focusing on press, radio, television and new media.

ImagingInsider.com

#photokina #imaginginsider

Portland, OR – May 21, 2013 – onOne Software, Inc., the leading developer and provider of photo effects for everyone, has announced onOne Labs, a blog that lists new technologies and products being considered for development in the effort to gauge interest and solicit customer feedback. onOne Labs will allow visitors to learn about development projects, note their interest level, and offer constructive comments.

onOne Labs will allow visitors to directly engage with onOne Software in a collaborative development process and voice what’s important for their digital photography and image editing needs. Projects discussed will range from those early in the concept stage to those in the very beginning of development to those that are near completion. Projects will also be updated throughout their development to elicit additional feedback.

“Customer input has always been a key factor in the development of our product offerings” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “In the past, we have gained tremendous insight from our customers about their wants and needs through occasional phone calls, emails, surveys, and conversations at conferences. Going forward, we’d like to have an ongoing and direct conversation with our customers to make sure we are meeting their expectations and building the best products for their photography needs. We already have a number of exciting things in the works, which we believe will become great additions to our line up especially after getting customer feedback via these Labs.”

The onOne Labs currently includes discussions about features now in development for the next version of Perfect Photo Suite —including a Quick View Browser and a new Perfect Enhance module—and new product offerings, such as one currently referred to as Lightpad. These projects are listed with descriptions and may include visual mock-ups or videos to further describe them. Each of these are now listed in the onOne Labs awaiting feedback.

Availability

The onOne Labs blog may be found at labs.ononesoftware.com. Inquiries and suggestions related to onOne Labs development projects but not listed there may be emailed to labs@ononesoftware.com.

About onOne Software

onOne Software, Inc., is a leading developer of photo effects software and apps for anyone who enjoys making their pictures look great. onOne Software products include effects and presets that enhance and stylize images with sought-after photographic looks of yesterday and today, and powerful photo editing tools that allow users to fine tune effects to create personalized and unique looks of their own. Our apps are designed to help users create amazing images wherever and whenever they are taking pictures, on any device.

onOne Software solutions include a range of easy-to-use desktop standalone applications; plug-in software for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, and Apple Aperture; apps for the iPhone and iPad; and presets for Lightroom. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit www.ononesoftware.com.

ImagingInsider.com

#ononelabs #ononesoftware #imaginginsider

Vlad Polyanskiy today is proud to announce the release of Light Meter, a new utility for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. We have made this illuminometer for that you could save on purchasing of professional illuminometers which cost hundreds of dollars. At the same time we love beautiful design and we like to surprise, therefore, having acquired our illuminometer you also receive the graceful and extremely convenient device with intuitive interface.

Moscow, Russian Federation – Indie developer, Vlad Polyanskiy today is proud to announce the release of Light Meter – lux measurement tool, a new utility for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad which allows you to measure lux value of any area you want.

Exclusive accuracy of measurements. Calibrated with professional high-precision illuminometer.

We have made this illuminometer for that you could save on purchasing of professional illuminometers which cost hundreds of dollars. At the same time we love beautiful design and we like to surprise, therefore, having acquired our illuminometer you also receive the graceful and extremely convenient device with intuitive interface.

Features:

* Inaccuracy less than 10%

* Unique and attractive design

* Exclusive simplicity and convenience of use

* Integrated help

Supported Languages:

* US English, Russian

Device Requirements:

* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

* Requires iOS 5.0 or later (5.0 tested)

* Universal Application

* 8 MB

Pricing and Availability:

Light Meter 1.0 is only $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Utilities category. Promo codes are available for qualified reviewers. Please specify the website or blog you represent when making your request. All future updates are included with initial purchase of full version.

Light Meter 1.0: http://lightmeterpro.com

Purchase and Download: https://itunes.apple.com/app/light-meter-lux-measurement/id642285909

Screenshot: http://a1244.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/083/Purple2/v4/5f/61/96/5f619609-7f66-6af4-3029-743a2daf21ed/mzl.faxpmvbs.320×480-75.jpg

Based in Moscow, Russia, Indie developer Vlad Polyanskiy creates apps for the iOS and OS X platforms. Copyright (C) 2013 Vlad Polyanskiy. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.

ImagingInsider.com

#vladpolyansjiy #lightmeter #imaginginsider

Adobe today announced the availability of Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows 8 devices, including the Microsoft Surface. Photoshop Express is a free photo-editing app for applying fun, fast and cool looks to photos —perfect for customers who want an easy way to quickly touch-up and share photos from a mobile device.

The availability of Photoshop Express for Windows 8 brings similar functionality from the iOS and Android versions to Windows customers, including integration with Adobe Revel. Adobe Revel allows customers to access, edit and share their entire photo library across Windows 8 devices, iPhone devices, Web browsers and Mac computers.

The Photoshop Express app for Windows 8 puts photo magic at the customer’s fingertips, making it easy and fun to:

· Make basic photo enhancements such as crop, straighten, rotate, flip, or remove red-eye.

· Enjoy creative, one-touch filters that provide eye-catching effects — more than 15 to choose from!

· Let their photos shine with a one-tap correction that adjusts color, contrast, and brightness all at once.

· Use slider controls to enhance contrast, exposure, and white balance, or let the app auto-correct it for them.

· Upload their photos to Adobe Revel to sync them across their Windows 8 tablet, iPhone, and computer.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows 8 is immediately available as a free download from the Windows Store. Customers can also download Photoshop Express for iOS or Android via iTunes or Google Play, respectively.

Learn more about Photoshop Express for Windows at http://www.photoshop.com/products/mobile/express. Customers can also connect with the Photoshop Express team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/psexpress) or on the Photoshop.com blog: http://blogs.adobe.com/photoshopdotcom/.

ImagingInsider.com

#adobe #photoshop #imaginginsider

Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, majority shareholder of Leica Camera AG, has acquired a 25.1% stake in the Internet platform “I-shot-it”. For a small fee, www.i-shot-it.com enables photo-enthusiasts—from amateurs to professionals—to take part in photographic competitions. An independent jury of internationally acclaimed photographers selects the prizewinners and in the open competitions, members of the “I-shot-it” community select the prizewinners by direct online voting.

“Many amateur photographers, and professionals, too, think our platform is great, because this is where their work finds the recognition they would otherwise often never find”, explains “I-shot-it” founder Hartmut Hennige. “The majority of photo competitions are so restrictive or have such strict rules that many photo enthusiasts are barred from entering right from the start. We let everybody try their luck. The jury members, all independent, acclaimed photographers, know nothing about the entrants or the camera they used to take the pictures.” According to Hartmut Hennige, around five million pictures have been uploaded so far. Around one half of these were submitted as competition entries.

Winners of the online photography competitions receive cash prizes –financed by the charges due for uploading image material—and a Leica camera. The current thirteen categories include genres such as wildlife, landscapes, black and white, cars, transport, flowers, street photography, sports, food and more.

The majority of visitors to the “I-shot-it” Web site come from the USA with more than 132,000 visits and 1.85 million page views. Dr. Andreas Kaufmann from ACM in Salzburg, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Leica Camera AG, reckons with high growth rates in the coming months. “There has been a tremendous upswing of interest in photography over the past few years. The wish to be able to present your own photos to a virtually unlimited number of people in competitions is widespread”, says Dr. Kaufmann. “The growing numbers of fans and users shows just how enormous the demand is amongst photographers around the world. We intend to satisfy this demand.”

ImagingInsider.com

#leica #ishotit #imaginginsider

After my mom sent boxes of my family’s photo albums years ago we found a nice space on my closet shelf with hope of one day digitizing them.

ScanMyPhotos.com has commercialized a new type of super-fast scanning technology, which results in 300 or 600 DPI scans for prints. Slides are scanned into medium or high resolution files.

Ten years or so later, one of the boxes has finally seen the digital era, with no thanks to my scanning ability.

I recently tested a company called ScanMyPhotos.com and I wish I had found them sooner.

The system is pretty simple; just choose what service you want from a variety of choices including scanning for slides and prints with prices per image. I chose one prepaid photo scanning box for slides and one for prints.

I registered on the site and the next day received a prepaid and addressed United States Postal Service flat rate shipping box in the mail.

Now all it took was for me to choose and organize the photos I wanted scanned since I was limited to how many photos fit in the box.

In my case I was able to pack in 2,297 photos, all 4 x 6-inches or smaller. This option does allow sizes from 3 x 3 up to 8 x 10-inches.

My slide box was filled with 523 35mm slides, although I could have fit in a few more.

While this was the best choice for my photos, scans can be done on a per image basis or a variety of bulk scanning options so check the site for what works best for your family archives.

Other upgrades include duplicate DVD’s or having images saved to thumb drives, or even hard-cover bound photo index books.

With the index books, you can flip through pages of contact sheets to easily locate a specific image. You can also have your images rotated so they are all upright or digitally upgraded to make them look perfect.

All I can say is be prepared to spend hours staring at the images on your screen. The scans were great quality, more than enough for prints. But why do that since it will put me right where I started!

You also might want to warn your relatives your doing a project like this – you’ll be filling their inboxes with photos instantly.

The company does a good job communicating during the process, especially considering that you are sending a box whose contents are impossible to value since the contents are irreplaceable.

I got an email confirming they thy received my boxes and just a few days later an email announced my scanning was complete.

Later that week my images arrived on my doorstep along with a DVD of my newly digitized images. Orders are advertised to be completed in most cases in about 2 or 3 weeks.

ScanMyPhotos.com has commercialized a new type of super-fast scanning technology, which results in 300 or 600 DPI scans for prints. Slides are scanned into medium or high resolution files.

While this was the best choice for my photos, scans can be done on a per image basis or a variety of bulk scanning options so check the site for what works best for your family archives.

Other upgrades include duplicate DVD’s or having images saved to thumb drives, or even hard-cover bound photo index books.

With the index books, you can flip through pages of contact sheets to easily locate a specific image. You can also have your images rotated so they are all upright or digitally upgraded to make them look perfect.

All I can say is be prepared to spend hours staring at the images on your screen. The scans were great quality, more than enough for prints. But why do that since it will put me right where I started?

You also might want to warn your relatives you're doing a project like this – you’ll be filling their inboxes with photos instantly.

ScanMyPhotos.com

ImagingInsider.com

#scanmyphotos #imaginginsider