Finally, Sony told us some about the future of the Alpha line of D-SLR cameras. Unfortunately, it does not mean that we will see new cameras soon. The discontinued Alpha 700 will receive a replacement (who is surprised, really?) and it will come with a wide-angle lens Zeiss Distagon T* 24 mm f/2 ZA SSM and a big 500 mm f/4 G. And notice the prominent HD marking on the top of the mock-ups: HD video is coming now.

There also will be a new ultra-compact camera with interchangeable lenses. The presented mock-ups are quite small indeed:

The nice little story of this couple seeking advice from a counselor: Mr. Pixel and Mrs. Grain. In three parts.

A nice story ending for those who love digital photography…

Via F/1.0.

GIMP is an excellent image edition software which could (should?) attract all those who do not want to pay the full price of Photoshop, while they work with Apple, Windows or Linux. the differences are real, but the most obvious one is certainly the interface (and Adobe clearly did a nice work on it). So, why not try to prep up your GIMP to make it look like a near-clone of Photoshop?

photo credit: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

Blair Mathis decided to reduce the distance between them by the installation of several plugins on GIMP. And the result is astonishingly interesting. All the more because the process is fully documented step-by-step, which makes it little more than a longer software installation.

1. PSPI
2. Layers
3. Separate+ from Yellowmagic
4. Liquid Rescale from Wikidot (for an image rescale without deformation as in CS4)
5. Additional brushes from Blendfu
6. GIMP Animation Package
7. Enable GEGL

But if this is not enough, there are also a few hacked versions of GIMP that have been already prepared for the Photoshop lovers. The most renowned are:

• GimpShop whose interface is specially good
• GimPhoto is slightly less convincing but is based on a more recent (and more powerful) GIMP version

Once again, here is how you can (nearly) download Photoshop for free, while being well on the right side of law.

In the recent days, I saw a bit of information reproduced on many different photo-related web sites. Initially, I did not intend to write about it, but I am finally changing my mind to comment not the news, but the way it is reported.

The news: OmniVision announced a 1/4″ digital photo sensor with 5 mega-pixel resolution. Its reason for fame: It will allow to shoot RAW files even in mobile phones. But, why, oh! why is it such a news?

The reality: No cheap photo camera, like found in the mobile phones, produces anything else than a JPEG file (no RAW).

As a matter of fact, we should notice something: This reality does not come from the limits of the sensor but from the explicit will of the camera manufacturer to integrate the direct production of a very usable file format for users who are not very well technologically endowed. So, one the one hand, marketing does not need RAW files, one the other hand the sensor providers must sell a full-fledged solution including a sensor and chips for automatic JPEG production. Some people, like DxO-Labs, well known for their image management software (clearly aiming at the high-end of photo imaging), are also (more discreet) suppliers of electronic solutions to produce easily JPEG pictures, well cleaned of their noise, a bit improved, and ready to use.

So, where does OmniVision stand? They do not have a full solution and they publish a press release that will turn their weakness of not having the right tools for their market into its exact opposite; But, for that, they had to ignore the reality that RAW is not needed in the mobile phone market. So, the Marketing Department of OmniVision managed a good PR communication: Have many people speak/write about their slightly limited product on “high-end” blogs and web sites, giving it a visibility which goes much farther than the intrinsic qualities of the product.

Kudos to OmniVision, but not to all those who wrote about it without questioning the PR first. They should have asked: “Why a 10-bit RAW in a 5 MP sensor?”

One of the most moderated articles: Photography Blog.

The video has just been updated (it was removed by the user for some short time).

Who said that panoramas can only come from landscape photography? Who said that a panoramic format should be limited to a continuous picture?

Rémi Garcia is seeing things differently and his gallery of panorama photos is definitely worth visiting because it is eye-opening to the possibilities available to the photographer merely wishing to fill such a frame with an image that it not exactly the same as so many others.

Equus Burchelli, Copyright (C) Rémi Garcia

In composition, it is often considered that putting objects of interest on the key attention points helps build more powerful images. Daniel Cohen-Or and Lior Wolf at Tel-Aviv University, Israel, with colleagues at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, created a software program that automatically re-organizes photos to make them more powerful, more pleasing.

Is this to announce one of the following:

1. The picture police?
2. A new powerful feature in Photoshop CS5 and other picture edit tools?

Aviary, one of the best online graphics edition software, just changed its pricing model. Instead of the subscriptions previously used, they went for a new price structure: 100% free. Supported by new financial partners, they offer their tools for free. Impressive free tool suite.

The announcement on the Aviary blog.

It’s been a long time since the first complaint of some photographers using the iPhone about the lack of external memory storage on the Apple top-of-the-line phone. There certainly are good reasons from Apple (Ed.: which ones?) but the need is still there. And, in our economy, when there is a need, there is somebody to provide an answer in the form of a product.

Here comes Zoomit, which brings an extension card reader to your iPhone and iPod, with SD Flash card compatibility.

Source: Engadget.

We are waiting impatiently for the launch of new SLR photo cameras from Sony, but here is the weirdest rumour seen in China about this.

Improbable : Sony Alpha 707 & Sony Alpha 900SH

A Sony Alpha 707 with HD video capture and ISO 12.800 sensitivity and a Sony Alpha 900SH with HD video.

Seriously! I can’t believe it for a moment… It’s so strange that I will not even create the Sony Alpha 7007 and Sony Alpha 900SH categories for the YLovePhoto menus.

Thanks to Mash for the link to PR. These guys are ready for any kind of rumour…

Underwater photography is a technique specifically difficult to master. As in all other photography genres, there are some parameters to take into account in order to create a nice picture (even if a good technician is not enough to produce great photos).

Dive Photo Guide

More than in any other photography types, you have to adapt to a very harsh environment: Limited light or no light, density of the medium, incompatibility between water, pressure and mechanical or electrical hardware, optical characteristics of water.

This is why it is often necessary to acquire a number of core competencies before becoming able to produce nice images. I admire all the more those divers who invest a large part of their hobby time (or their professional time) into underwater photography.

For those willing to try or develop this technique, I would recommend heartily a web site which I found in Photography Blog: Dive Photo Guide. Hardware informations, techniques, tips and tricks, tutorials, ideas; All you may need for underwater photography for photo-divers.

Initially, I wanted to show a wave photo from Brian Bielmann. He is spending a lot of time in the water shooting big waves, surfers, underwater wonders, etc. I still recommend you visit his web site for these, but I stopped at a very small wave:

Copyright (C) Brian Bielmann

Canon just announced its new SLR EOS camera, the Canon EOS 550D (aka Canon T2i, in the US).

18MP with Full HD movies, this is the camera for most people.

Canon EOS 550D

Main features:

• 18 Mega-pixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 4 processor
• Sensitivity: ISO 100-6400 (Ext. to ISO 12800)
• Select maximum value for Auto ISO
• Continuous shooting at 3.7 fps
• iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
• Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
• Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
• Movie crop function
• Exposure compensation +/-5 IL
• LCD: 7.7 cm (3.0”) 3:2 ClearView (with 1,040k dots)
• External Microphone socket
• Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility

Canon EOS 550D

(Click here to read more…)

According to NR, the announcements of new Nikon for the PMA will be very limited: “several large aperture prime lenses and light compact zoom lens this year”.

The official PMA press conferences will happen in the coming hours, but this probably means “no SLR“.

Updated on 9-Feb: As a matter of fact, the Nikon press conference only presents the new AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED & AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR (source: DPReview).

Sunshine is a Danny Boyle movie from 2007 which scenrizes the crew of a space ship sent to save a dying sun. The American Cinematographer offers us a long interview with Alwin Küchler who designed the shooting and the light of this film. Even (or preferably) for a studio photographer, it will be quite interesting to understnad the way light, color and their relative organization were used to sustain the psychological intensity of the movie.

Read it.

Via Strobist.

The Seneca Army Depot (in Seneca County, New York State) has been held by the US Army from the Second World War to the Gulf War. One of the great impacts of a US Army closed location is that wild animals are mostly out of reach and live quietly with minimal interaction with humans. In this case, the phenomenon was completed with the fact that some of the deers in the Conservation Area have an albino gene which makes their hair completely white.

While this is not unheard of, this is a clear disadvantage in terms of protection against most predators (starting with Man). But the situation led to the development of what is thought to be the world’s largest herd of white deers.

Pictures by Kevin Colton

It would be fun to have a photo trip there. But I understand that this is not possible for now.

The PMA in Las Vegas is now arriving fast. After a long time of little rumors, here comes the moment for big rumors, but not the actual revelations yet.

• Nikon has been telling the world that they intended to have a great year 2010. It seems that they will bring a new DSLR (it could be the Nikon D700x, Nikon D700s, or Nikon D800 according to the rumor mill). It would be confirmed according to the banner visible on LetsGoDigital. But this is apparently a fake built from press material from the older Nikon D3 (via NR).
• Yesterday’s press conference did not bring a single SLR though (Coolpix S8000, Coolpix S6000, Coolpix S4000, Coolpix S3000, Coolpix P100, Coolpix L110, Coolpix L22, Coolpix L21, nothing less!)
• Plenty of people expect to see the Canon EOS 60D arriving now, but it’s still uncertain. NL/DPR predicts a set of features: CMOS 18MPs, 6.3fps, HD 24 and 36fps, Digic IV.
• According to CR, Canon is preparing a new Rebel/EOS camera whose name should be Rebel T2i (the European name could be 550D or EOS 600D), with video, fixed LCD of improved resolution.
• At last, Canon would present the very pro Canon EOS 1Ds Mk IV
• Samsung should extend its new NX line, possibly with some lenses (waiting a little more for a new NX camera body).
• Olympus and Fuji should bring only P&S cameras.
• The Sony rumour line is totally silent, which could be indicator that either they are efficient at keeping a lid on the new Alpha 750 or there is nothing in preparation.

So, let’s wait a little more.