huh… by JoJo Marion

Check out the newest eco-chic line of camera bags, designed for the digital age and made with more than 95% recycled materials.

Lowepro Launches its Greenest Series of Eco-Friendly, Fashionable Bags Sebastopol, CA (August 1, 2008) - Lowepro, creator of innovative carrying solutions for the imaging world, announces the launch of Terraclime multi-purpose digital bags. More than 95% of Terraclime’s materials are recycled, making it Lowepro’s greenest series to date.

Addressing the concerns of eco-conscious, fashion-savvy consumers, Terraclime provides durable, soft-sided protection for a variety of cameras and digital gear—from pouches that hold ultra-compact point-and-shoot models, lenses, GPS units, iPods® and smartphones, to the largest shoulder bag model that carries a DSLR with attached lens.

All bags in the series are constructed of 100% post-consumer, recycled Cyclepet® exterior fabric, using the equivalent of 2½ bottles in the smallest model to 22 bottles in the largest while conserving landfill, energy and crude and refined oil. The spacer mesh, providing a lean yet sturdy layer of protection, is 60% recycled PET. Terraclime’s hardware (including hook closures and zippers) is comprised of plastic regrind, recycled and repurposed industrial trimmings saved from the factory floor.

Adding to the eco-friendly construction is a targeted cause: a portion of the proceeds of each Terraclime will go directly to Polar Bears International (PBI) to support their efforts to save polar bear habitats from the impact of climate change.

“The Terraclime is a continuation of our efforts to preserve the environment...

Designed for a full day of comfortable shooting—rain or shine—and sized to carry a pro DSLR, several lenses and accessories.

The Flipside 400 AW Backpack, Designed for a Full Day of Shooting—Rain or Shine

Sebastopol, CA (August 1, 2008) - Lowepro, creator of innovative carrying solutions for the imaging world, announces the launch of Flipside 400 AW, a high-performance camera backpack designed with a large capacity, premium security, all-day comfort, plus protection from the elements.

Flipside 400 AW features a unique back-entry compartment that provides easy access to gear when setting up—keeping the harness off the ground and clean—plus extra security when on the move. With access to gear placed in the rear of the backpack, roving hands are discouraged from reaching into the bag. With the padded waistbelt secured, gear is quickly reached by rotating the entire bag to the front, offering hands-free use and providing a stable work platform while changing batteries, memory cards or setting up for the next shot. To protect expensive gear from the elements, the Flipside 400 AW includes Lowepro’s patented, built-in All Weather Cover™.

“As consumers continue to add to their imaging portfolio, we understand their desire for protective and comfortable carrying solutions for a larger camera plus multiple accessories,” said Nicole Mummenhoff, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Lowepro. “Flipside 400 AW gives them an ideal option for all the gear they may need on an assignment, for travel or during an all-day hike.”

Flipside...

The newest model in our popular SlingShot AW series features larger capacity and protective space for a widescreen notebook.

Lowepro Adds Notebook-Compatibility to Largest Model in SlingShot AW Series

Sebastopol, CA (August 1, 2008) - Lowepro, creator of innovative carrying solutions for the imaging world, announces the launch of SlingShot 350 AW, featuring larger carrying capacity plus a protective space for a widescreen notebook.

The latest addition to the popular sling-style camera backpack series, SlingShot 350 AW is poised to follow the success of its smaller-sized companion models (SlingShot 100 AW, 200 AW and 300 AW) with its unique “carry mode” to “ready mode” design. The ergonomic sling strap evenly adjusts weight and rotates from back to front—making it easy for enthusiasts or professionals to work out of the bag and quickly capture the shot.

The SlingShot 350 AW features a main compartment that comfortably fits a professional DSLR with a 70-200 f/2.8 lens attached plus 5-6 extra lenses or accessories—fully customizable with the adjustable padded dividers.

“We’ve heard from our customers that they appreciate having a camera bag that accommodates their pro-sized gear as well as their notebooks,” said Nicole Mummenhoff, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Lowepro. “The SlingShot 350 AW delivers this multi-use function with a comfortable, fluid design appealing to the photographer on the go.”

A full set of premium features includes a padded notebook compartment sized to fit up to a 15.4” widescreen notebook; a fully adjustable,...

I feel like all I've got is questions right now about this whole microstock thing. Let me list some out along with whatever answers I have.

This is more of an organizational exercise than anything else...

• How much can I make at microstock? Probably not much according to this post. If I can make $1 per hour of effort, I'll be happy.
  
• Where should I submit images to? I'm leaning toward Istock, maybe Shutterstock, and Dreamstime -- thanks Lorraine for the comment -- I'm finding your site useful!
• What images should I submit? This is a toughy, since I suspect most of my images have too much noise since I shot them at high ISO. I'm not afraid to get rejected though.
• Do I need to take the images off my blog if they go up on a stock site? Probably.
• What model releases are needed? This will rule out many of my images.

The Olympus E-520 is a refreshed version of Olympus's upper-entry-level camera, the E-510. As such it's a slightly bulked-up E-420 with image stabilization, which makes it one of the most feature-packed and customizable cameras available for under £500/$800. It loses some of its sibling's compact chic but offers a bigger, longer-lasting battery and a more familiar grip shape to those people familiar with contemporary DSLRs.

Its Four-Thirds sensor (2.43cm2) offers 10 million pixel output and a Live view system that has become commonplace since Olympus pioneered the idea a few years back. It's clearly a camera that comes from a company with a strong heritage of making products for photographers, with useful features such as highlight and shadow spot metering modes sitting alongside a plethora of beginner-friendly point-and-shoot modes.

The whole market has become a much more competitive place since the E-510 first hit the market in March 2007, so has the the newest version done enough to stand out against the increasingly slick APS-C offerings?

Richard Butler

more : dpreview

When I got started in photography, a little over a year ago, I got the impression that microstock hurts photographers. The basic argument is that all these customers who'd normally buy an image from a normal stock agency for $100+ can now get images for maybe $1 an image. Not only would the classic stock agencies lose out on sales, but photographers in general lose out on a lot of income.

To put it another way, some soccer-mom in Kansas makes an extra $1 while a pro photographer in New York loses $100.

Now, though, I've somewhat revised my feelings on this. Yes, I understand that pro photographers are threatened by the microstock movement, and I'm sure they do lose some sales. For example, John Harrington over at Photo Business News & Forum doesn't exactly condemn microstock, but he's not a fan either.

In my mind, there's a spectrum of photo needs ranging from super-expensive shoots (top) to a cheap picture to use on your blog (bottom):

1. Unique subject, high-profile, high-circulation shots for advertising or branding. Call John H.!
2. General subject, high-profile, high-circulation shots with a need for managed rights. Like a national ad for a computer company that doesn't want to use the same college girl as a bunch of other ads. Companies are willing to pay more for the guarantee that their imagery will be unique.
   
3. Unique subject, small use shots. Like family portraits. Call

...

I am back from holidays but busy with some urgent things. More meaningful posts due to come soon ;)