The Family Photographer

“Dear Sigma” Contest to Fulfill Photographer’s Holiday Wishes for Photo Gear

The Family Photographer — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:09:01 GMT

Ronkonkoma, NY—Sigma Corporation of America wants to check some photography gear off the wish list of photographers this holiday season. The company tapped into its online fan base on Cyber Monday, November 28, to kick off the “Dear Sigma” contest.

Photographers of all levels are invited to visit the Sigma Corporation of America Facebook page and click on the “Contest” tab to enter the contest through December 16 at 12 p.m. ET. Participants are required to fill out an entry form and draft a “Dear Sigma” letter describing what Sigma products they’re dreaming of this holiday season.

“Our Facebook fans are constantly telling us what Sigma gear they love and want, so we decided to give them an opportunity to win it this year,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh , president of Sigma Corporation of America. “We’ll be judging the finalists based on their humor, creativity and overall appreciation of our products. Luckily, whether or not you’ve been naughty or nice won’t even come into play...

See how you can enter the Dear Sigma Contest to Win Photo Gear >>>

Photo Printing On the Go with Portable and Cloud-Ready Printers

The Family Photographer — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:36:48 GMT

If there is any photo accessory that can win friends, it’s the portable photo printer. These cute, compact critters are the ideal answer to that age-old admonition, “I never see all of those pictures you’re always taking.”

Rather than asking tech-challenged grandma to log onto her computer to see the latest pictures of Jack ’s soccer goal or Sara’s baby, your customers can simply take their printers with them and hand out prints—instantly. Think of it as a 21st century version of the classic Polaroid print, or a great gift that is, in effect, a more permanent form of social interaction.

With recent developments in wireless connectivity—Google Cloud Print (GCP), Apple AirPrint and GCP-ready printers like Kodak’s Hero All in Ones and HP’s e-AiO units—users don’t even need to take the printer with them; they can print remotely using various apps and Wi-Fi enabled devices without the need for drivers or a PC connection.

In other words, consumers can now send prints directly to a full-size printer located at grandma’s house or practically anyplace, almost instantly, and they’re not limited by the capacity or print sizes offered by compact portable units...

Read more about Cloud Ready Printers >>>

Fun Fall Photography Tips: Capture the cool, crisp fun of fall with these photo tips

The Family Photographer — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:37:11 GMT

When the Fall leaves are piled up high and the kids are ready to take that first dive in, get your camera ready because great photos are just a snap away.

Fall into a lot of photos

When the leaves are piled up high and the kids are ready to take that first dive, set your camera to sports mode, or manually set your shutter speed to a 250th of a second or faster to be sure you capture the moment.

On sports mode the camera will also let you shoot more than one photo with the press of your shutter button. Take advantage of that to capture just the right moment.

In the photos below you will see the first two just miss the moment, while the third photo captures it right on. Shoot a lot and edit later when your subjects are moving quickly.

Read all of the fall photo tips here >>>

PhotoPlus Expo and WPPI NYC Announce Sweepstakes Giveaway on Facebook

The Family Photographer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:49:54 GMT

New York, NY—PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo announced its sweepstakes giveaway extravaganza on Facebook, giving fans a chance to win prize packages ranging in value from $200 to $500 two times each week through October 28, 2011, including PhotoPlus Gold Expo passes and all-access passes to show seminars.

Prize packages will include products and services from exhibitors, including Lensbaby, Think Tank, B&H Photo, Athentech, Artsy Couture , Creative Edge, 500px, Kubota Image Tools, Lumiquest, Nations Photo Labs, PDN, Photobacks, Red Boot Design and Shades of Paper.

Fans of PhotoPlus Expo’s Facebook page are not obligated to participate in the sweepstakes and will continue to have access to up-to-the minute, and sometimes exclusive, information, about PhotoPlus Expo events through announcements made only on Facebook.

See how you can have a chance at winning the PhotoPlus Expo and WPPI Sweepstakes >>

Fujifilm X10 with Retro Looks, Large Sensor, Wide Optical Viewfinder

The Family Photographer — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:32:54 GMT

Fujifilm North America announced its premium X10 compact camera, featuring a new, larger 2/3-inch 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor and a bright Fujinon f/2.0 wide-angle to f/2.8 telephoto, 4x manual zoom lens (28-112mm) with a Super EBC (Electron Beam Coating) designed for edge-to-edge image quality.

The X10, which follows in the footsteps of the Fujifilm X100, combines a trim blackout design, an easy-to-use manual barrel zoom lens and a traditional glass optical viewfinder with a 20° field of view for better composition. Its lightweight body is built from die-cast magnesium alloy and has an upper control deck with mode dials and an aluminum milled, textured lens ring. Its zoom lens ring doubles as an on/off power switch...

Read More about the Fujifilm X10 here>>>

Tamron 60th Anniversary Project: Eternity at the Moment – The Vision of 60 Photographers

The Family Photographer — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:46:37 GMT

Saitama, Japan ― Tamron Co., Ltd. celebrated its 60th anniversary on November 1, 2010. To commemorate this anniversary and express sincere appreciation for the many major awards bestowed on the 60th anniversary model 18-270mm Di II VC PZD lens, including the EISA European Zoom Lens of the Year 2011 - 2012 and the Camera GP Japan 2011 Lens of the Year, Tamron is pleased to announce the project "Eternity at a Moment －The Vision of 60 Photographers."

Concept of the Project "Eternity at a Moment—The Vision of 60 Photographers"
Sixty photographers, spotlighting and giving form to that fleeting ‘essence’ that would otherwise escape our attention... The captured ‘moment’ is a glimpse of the ‘eternity’ it evokes... The photographer’s eye that is focused on the ephemeral—what does it tell us?

Over the past 60 years, Tamron, with its ‘New Eyes for Industry,’ has been distinguished by its highly creative products, continuously setting those ‘eyes’ on illuminating the future. This milestone anniversary is an occasion to not only reflect on Tamron’s history, but to mark the start of the next phase of Tamron’s evolution. In this project, 60 photographers used Tamron's 18-270mm Di II VC PZD (Model B008) to capture how they perceive "Eternity at a Moment." Their creations will be displayed on Tamron's special website and at a photographic exhibition. For a photographer, time itself is an eternal theme. The interpretations of "Eternity at a Moment" by these 60 photographers are certain to be diverse and thought-provoking expressions, and Tamron is pleased to showcase each of their compelling viewpoints.

Participating Photographers
The sixty photographers selected to participate come from different generations and will present works from a wide range of genres and a variety of perspectives.

Site Details
Sixty photographers will display unique work based on the project concept on this site, along with a dedicated, individual message. The creations will be gradually released on August 30, September 12 and September 20. A blog will also be set up with the latest information and updates.

Charity Activities
Because the photography exhibit is taking place in the same year of Japan’s unprecedented natural disaster, charity activities in support of disaster relief will be held throughout the exhibition period.

Best Buy Supports 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

The Family Photographer — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:53:50 GMT

 Minneapolis, MN—In commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of September 11, Best Buy announced a $500,000 contribution to MyGoodDeed. The company will observe the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance by sponsoring citywide service projects in the retailer’s hometown of Minneapolis/St. Paul and in Chicago, as well as volunteering in cities nationwide.
Best Buy will deploy employee volunteers who will support projects organized by local nonprofits and are aimed at improving the quality of life in local communities. The consumer electronics retailer will also participate in key tribute events scheduled throughout the 9/11 weekend.

“It is with great pride and deep respect that Best Buy serves as national sponsor of the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance,” said Brian J. Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. “The spirit of service runs deep within Best Buy’s core values so it is a natural extension for us to honor the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 by volunteering our time and resources to observe the day by serving local communities across the country.”   “We are extremely grateful for Best Buy’s generous contribution in honor of the 10-year anniversary of September 11,” said David Paine, president and cofounder, MyGoodDeed. “Best Buy is an ideal partner for us considering the company’s long-standing commitment to giving back to the communities where their employees live and work, and the strong emphasis that we are placing on technological innovation as a key driver of many of our digital charitable engagement programs.”

MyGoodDeed, the 9/11 nonprofit that successfully advocated for making 9/11 a federally recognized Day of Service and Remembrance, and HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation division of Points of Light Institute, are leading a coalition of prominent organizations that are working together to plan and implement the 9/11 Day Observance (http://911day.org; Facebook.com/911day; +http://Twitter.com/911day). The coalition’s goal for the upcoming 10-year anniversary is to organize the single largest day of charitable service in U.S. history.   Best Buy is working closely with MyGoodDeed and the HandsOn Network to identify specific service projects as well as additional ways to support and extend the spirit of the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. More information will follow.

Panasonic and Campus MovieFest Name Winners of First Ever Student 3D Film Festival

The Family Photographer — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:16:54 GMT

Hollywood, CA—Campus MovieFest (CMF), the world’s largest student film festival, in partnership with Panasonic and the International 3D Society (I3DS), completed the first CMF 3D Film Festival during the Campus MovieFest International Grand Finale events in Hollywood from June 23-26.

The winners of CMF 3D were honored at a red carpet grand finale in the Steven J. Ross Theater on the Warner Bros Studios lot on June 25.

In partnership with Panasonic and the I3DS, the competition debuted in January 2011, offering CMF’s top filmmakers (its Distinguished Filmmakers Network) the opportunity to submit treatments for short 3D films. CMF selected approximately 50 student filmmaking teams, providing them with the latest Panasonic 3D consumer camcorders, the HDC-SDT750, and Panasonic Viera Full HD 3D GT-series TVs, as well as training to shoot and edit their five-minute 3D films.

“Panasonic is thrilled to work with Campus MovieFest and have our 3D camcorders in the hands of talented student filmmakers whose 3D films presented during the festival looked professionally-produced,” said Christopher Rice, senior product manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “As the adoption of 3D televisions continues, we expect that not just filmmakers, but also consumers, will want to create their own 3D content and the results of the 3D CMF film festival exemplify the power of Panasonic’s 3D total solution.”

To further student enthusiasm and creativity for making 3D films, Panasonic and Campus MovieFest are offering Campus MovieFest community special access to Panasonic consumer electronics products, including 3D products, such as the camcorders used to shoot the winning 3D films. Starting on June 27, visitors to campusmoviefest.com can take advantage of exclusive savings by clicking on the PanasonicDirect logo to start shopping.

A panel of I3DS professionals judged all submissions, and the winner of a $5,000 scholarship was “Picture of the Storm: Tuscaloosa, AL,” by Xavier Burgin, University of Alabama. “At first, I was going to do an actual narrative for CMF 3D,” said Burgin. “Unfortunately, the tornado (in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) hit, derailing my chances to begin the film I planned. Afterwards, I spoke with Aaron Azpiazu (CMF, Special Projects manager) about the storm and everything that happened. I knew the event was something that needed to be documented so this spurred me to let this be the subject of my 3D film.”

The runner-up was “Trust No One” by Matthew Lincoln, New York University.

As part of the International Grand Finale weekend, student 3D filmmakers attended 3D University sessions presented by industry leaders such as Buzz Hays, chairman of the Society and Executive Stereoscopic 3D Producer, 3D Sony Technology Center, Sony Corporation of America; Christopher Rice, senior product manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics; John Nicolard, head of Digital Production, Fotokem Digital; Keith Melton, CEO, Infinity Filmworks; and Phil “Captain 3D” McNally, stereoscopic supervisor, DreamWorks Animation.

All films, including winning films, can be viewed at campusmoviefest.com.

How to Photograph Graduation

The Family Photographer — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:20:06 GMT

TakeGreatPictures.com recently posted an article on photographing graduation that includes everything from what to think about with your equipment to great tips to help you photograph graduations so you will make amazing pictures.

Don't let this monumental event in your life pass by without the memories it deserves. Get all of their tips in their Photographing Graduation: How to Make Memorable Graduation Photos article.

PhotoShelter Garner’s About.com Reader’s Choice Award for Best Photo-Sharing Site

The Family Photographer — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:49:45 GMT

New York, NY—PhotoShelter came out on top in this year’s About.com Readers’ Choice Awards, being named the Best Photo-Sharing Website. The photography portfolio, photo archiving and marketing tools website for photographers beat out competition that included Flickr, Zenfolio and jAlbum on the strength of votes from passionate users.

“PhotoShelter’s advanced features make us so much more than a basic photo-sharing site, from our website templates to our e-commerce and file delivery capabilities,” said Allen Murabayashi, CEO of PhotoShelter. “These unique features have produced a highly loyal member base, and we’re grateful to have their support to win recognition in forums like this.”

Here’s what users had to say about PhotoShelter: “Whether I’m creating a new portfolio, or uploading a series of new images, PhotoShelter has made it much easier to manage and grow my website.”—Adam Schallau, New Mexico. And “Client specific galleries sent by invitation are an enormous time saver. No more CD burning, downsizing images and sending through e-mail.”—Bram Belloni, Amsterdam.

The About.com Readers’ Choice Awards were initiated to showcase the best products, features and services in multiple categories each year. about.com