I think this is shocking news that no one expected. Here’s a brief snip it from Nik’s blog:

We are pleased to announce that Google has acquired Nik Software. For nearly 17 years, we’ve been guided by our motto, “photography first”, as we worked to build world class digital image editing tools. We’ve always aspired to share our passion for photography with everyone, and with Google’s support we hope to be able to help many millions more people create awesome pictures.

We’re incredibly grateful for all of your support and hope you’ll join us on the next phase of our journey as part of Google.

All our best!

The Nik Software Team

Google also just recently  acquired SnapSeed. Wow! What do you guys think? Would this be Google’s response to Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram?

If you ever travel to New York and are like me, who love to take photos of almost everything, maybe it’s best if you make a copy of this memo and save it in your camera bag. It might come in handy someday.

If you need the larger version, click here. (via Petapixel)

Traveling elsewhere in the United States? Then maybe you should read up on what your rights are. Here’s the article from a while ago.

<Exactly two minutes after I posted this article, the dreaded Promote Tab has now reared it’s ugly face on my Page>

The Facebook world is abuzz again after people started seeing the “Promote” on their Facebook Pages. A lot of  Facebook page owners have noticed a decrease in the amount of interaction from their followers over the past few months. I have to admit that my interaction on my page has greatly decreased as well. While I haven’t seen it on my page yet, some people have reported seeing the Promote tab that “apparently” requires you to pay to reach more followers. It started showing up in small to medium sized Pages.

Why is Mark Zuckerberg charging me for all of my hard work?

Facebook launched the new feature sometime February/March of 2012.

The price range is reported from $5 to $300 options. The Social Fresh page (~13k fans) sees the below options from $5 to $75. The number of fans you can reach at each level varies according to your page and fan count.

While I haven’t really seen the changes on my page, I’m a bit peeved by this. I see this as a betrayal by Facebook. I’ve worked hard to promote my page to where it is today just like any other page owner. Now I feel Facebook is nickel and diming me for the work that I’ve put in.

So how do we ensure that our followers see our posts? We should all advise them to create Lists. Much like you create lists to see people you want to hear status updates from on a daily basis, Lists for Pages also works the same way.

• Create a list: Starting from a business page, if you’ve already clicked “Like” make sure it says “Show in News Feed“

• Click the arrow by Message>Add to Interest Lists

• + New List

• This will open a new window that shows the Page you would like added to the List, click Next.

• Create a List Name and click Finish.

• And you’re done! Head on over to your News Feed and you’ll see the newly added List under Interests.

Have you ever come across incredible tips that you’ve found while browsing the internet? I bet what you did was create a bookmark of it on your favorite browser… you might have even created folders to “classify” them so they’re in somewhat of an order. Have you ever been frustrated when you had to wipe or reformat your computer and you forgot to save those links? Fear no more. BO.LT now allows you to share your collections as I have with mine. They’re now “LIVE” on my website under Tips>BO.LT Collections.

Come and check it out. The collection is growing everyday and I’m hoping there’s a way where I could classify each one.  If you didn’t know, I’ve been beta testing for BO.LT for the last 4 months or so. The possibilities are incredible. If you want an invitation, simply leave a comment and I’ll be sure to send one your way.

Hello everyone! We’ve reached another great milestone on our site – this time it’s 1300+ Likes on Facebook. To celebrate, I’ve put together a quick giveaway. The current promotion will last from April 14th until April 28th.

All it takes is for you to follow the simple contest rules from the linked image below. If you would like to garner additional entries (once per day), here’s how:

1. SHARE this post and mention Photos By Rikki on your tags
2. TWEET this message as shown “Wanna win a cool KATA camera bag via @PhotosbyRikki ? Check us out here and join in: http://on.fb.me/HL2VES”
3. Leave a comment on this post.

Adobe Lightroom 4 was officially released today and after downloading my upgrade, I’ve quickly grown accustomed once again with the interface. In case you didn’t know, here are some of the new features of Lightroom 4:

• Adjustment controls that maximize dynamic range from cameras, recover exceptional shadow details and highlights.
• Improved auto adjustments to dynamically set values for exposure and contrast
• Additional local adjustment controls including Noise Reduction, Moire and White Balance
• Presets that take advantage of new processing technology for speedy results
• Soft proofing that helps photographers tune images in a destination color space to ensure content looks its best.
• Ability to email images directly from Lightroom using an email account of your choice
• Geo-tagging
• Ability to create albums and portfolios

So we’ve all heard about it right? On March 30th, whether you like it or not, the good folks at Menlo Park will be rolling out the new Timeline for Pages. So are you ready? How do you like Timeline for Profiles? I think like most people, it’s a “love/hate” relationship. So what do you need to know? Here are a few:

1. Drop Dead Date: In case you missed it, it’s March 30th. In the meantime, if you’re like me, you would probably want to play around with the features as much as you can in preparation for the rollover. When you’re sure your layout is good and would like to commit, simply hit “Publish Now”.

2. Like Profiles for Pages: As with your current Facebook Profile, Pages will now have the ability to have a “cover photo”. Try your best to make sure you create a cover photo that would attract your first time visitors to stick around. Wanna know why? If you’re like me who painfully created the perfect “Welcome” page, you’ll be bummed to know that Facebook took out that feature now. But more on that later.

3. Pin and Highlight: These are both new to Facebook pages. Pin allows you to “pin” (duh) a post for up to a week. When you pin a post/image, it’ll create an orange flag so you know it’s been pinned. Highlight allows you to span the post the entire width of the Page. It’ll basically make it hard to miss the post. But beware. Choose carefully the posts that you want to highlight. Don’t go too crazy :)

Hover over the right hand side of a post and it’ll reveal a “Star” and a “Pencil”. The Star allows you to highlight. The Pencil allows you to Pin and edit.

If you’re not satisfied with the thumbnail image that Facebook defaults to when you post an image, no worries there either. Click on the Pencil and it’ll allow you to change the thumbnail’s position by clicking on “Reposition Photo”.

4. Messaging… Finally! Unlike the old Pages, you can now send a message to the administrator of a Page just like how you would send messages to friends from your profile. The administrator can turn this feature on or off. My recommendation? Keep it on.

5. No Welcome Mat? This is a big “UNLIKE”! Remember landing pages? Well, this new version of Pages doesn’t allow you to select a landing tab anymore. This is why I pointed out earlier that you need to select and use an image that will make your first time visitors stay a while and “Like” your page.

6. Accessible Admin Panel: Unlike before, you can actually have your Admin panel open all the time so you can see the trends happening on your Page. To access the panel, simply click the Admin Panel immediately above the Timeline bar on the right hand side.

Do you want a little bit of inspiration? Try this collection of beautiful and inspiring page covers. Here’s a post from Mashable on how to prepare for the Timeline rollover.

So what do you think? As with most changes, people won’t like it at first but eventually, we’ll all get used to it just in time for Facebook to change it AGAIN!

It’s been a while since my last design for ProPhotoBlogs. If my memory serves me right, the last time I designed a template was back in August of 2011 called Chase. There have been a lot of things that has happened since then – our trip to Spain and the news that we are expecting our first child. Needless to say, we’ve been quite busy preparing for the coming of our little one. From the nursery to the maternity sessions, it’s been a fun time for both Miss M and myself.

One night while “talking” to our little one, I had a spark of inspiration that allowed me to focus all of my efforts to designing a new template. What sparked the inspiration? A little “kick” from the little one… almost as if she was saying “c’mon Dad… just hunker down and start designing”! It was such an amazing experience. So here’s to you Sofia (yes that is her name)…

Say hello to Sofia — our latest design. As with most of our designs, we’re offering yet another minimalistic approach to the ProPhoto package. Clean and simple. Minimalist. Sofia comes with a sidebar for her most optimal look. All of Sofia’s menu buttons and ribbons are all custom and can be changed to match the color of your brand. The simplest of designs tend to offer the best of user experiences. The design uses custom fonts to enhance the look and feel of the layout. 3-layered PSD mastheads, widget flags, backgrounds, and even a custom grid fallback image are included in the package. A full and comprehensive instruction PDF is included in your package.

You can purchase and try it out here. This design is compatible with ProPhoto 4.

Say hello to Madison — our latest ProPhotoBlog design. Madison is a minimalist design with a touch of flair and sophistication. Madison comes with a fixed sidebar. All of Madison’s menu buttons and flags are all custom and can be changed to match the color of your brand. The simplest and cleanest of designs tend to offer the best of user experiences. The design uses custom fonts to enhance the look and feel of the layout. 3-layered PSD mastheads, customizable call to action icons, customizable menu icons, and even a custom grid fallback image are included in the package. A full and comprehensive instruction PDF is included in your package.

You can purchase and try it out here. This design is compatible with ProPhoto 4.

I’ve always wanted to put together a giveaway to show my appreciation to all of my friends and colleagues for helping Photos By Rikki get to where it is today. A few weeks ago, the site passed a great milestone that I would like to celebrate — 1000+ “Likes” on my Facebook page! With the help and generosity of my friends, I have put together a cool giveaway that I’m sure you’ll Like.

• Photos By Rikki
• Shelby Jo Photography
• Perfectly Precious Boutique
• My New Love
• H2Blogs

I’m so excited and thrilled to share this giveaway with all of you so enter now and I hope you win! Winners will be chosen at random.

So now you’re into photography, what’s next? I will be giving away dPS’s new eBook – Photo Nuts and Post which is the third installation in the Photo Nuts series by professional photographer Neil Creek.

Inside this 110 page eBook you’ll discover topics such as:

• Why even process your photos?
• How do image files work?
• How to manage workflow and thousands of photos
• The cull and select of a photo shoot
• How different processing tools work
• Common problems and how to deal with them
• Creative processing
• The output process

Shelby Jo Photography is giving away a custom design package! Her package includes custom watermarks, a logo, and a welcome page which I’m sure would be a great add for those who are new or looking to rebrand their business.

Perfectly Precious Boutique is giving away a flower headband shown in the image below.  These are perfect for your newborn sessions and will be a great compliment to your prop box.

My New Love – Photography Props for Newborns is offering these two beautiful halos from their store. These halos are perfect for your newborn sessions and will be a great compliment to your prop box.

Matt from H2Blogs is giving away a ProPhoto template for WordPress. The template is currently one of the hottest designs for sale at the ProPhoto Store. If you’re already a ProPhotoBlogs user then you’re in luck. If you haven’t made the jump to a blog style website, I suggest to take a peek at what ProPhoto can offer you. You can see a full demo of the template here.

HOW DO I ENTER TO WIN?

1. Give our friends some love and please “Like” their Facebook pages. Leave a witty comment. This giveaway wouldn’t be possible without their help and generosity.
2. Click “Like” on my page and join in the fun!
3. Come back here and leave me a witty comment as well. Please include your name and email address. I will pick a random winner from the comments below.
4. Enter, Share, and Comment as many times as you want and increase your chance of winning. Only one set of entries per day.

Bonus Entries:

1. SHARE this giveaway on your Profile or Facebook Page and come back here and leave a link to your page so we can see it!
2. TWEET this message exactly as shown: @Photosbyrikki invites you to come and enter the 1000+ “Likes” Giveaway!: http://www.photosbyrikki.com/1000-likes-giveaway/
3. LAUGH. The comment that is deemed the wittiest of all will receive a BONUS prize.

Deadline for entries will be on February 8, 2012 at 6pm PST.

We will choose the winner of the giveaway next week on February 8, 2012 at 9pm PST. Winners will be notified via email.

And now for some legal mumbo jumbo that I (unfortunately) have to post:

Disclosures:

This giveaway is NOT in any way affiliated with Facebook.

There are five (5) available prizes. To give other people a chance to win a prize, each person who enters can only win once.

Failure to meet the requirements will render entry null and void.

PhotosByRikki.com has not been compensated monetarily for contest(s)/giveaway(s) unless otherwise specified. As such PhotosByRikki.com thanks all 3rd parties for providing a complimentary sample product or service for the review and for sponsoring said giveaway(s).

Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. Each winner must acknowledge proof of eligibility as stated in the rules in order to claim the prize/giveaway. The Company/PhotosByRikki.com may substitute prizes, amend the rules or discontinue the Contest at any time as announced on PhotosByRikki.com.

February 8, 2012 9:06PM

Winners of our Giveaway:

After tallying up the entries on Excel and determining the winning entries via Random.org, here are the results!

Congratulations Arnaud Adans II for winning the Photo Nuts and Post ebook!

Congratulations Robin Radzik for winning the Custom Design Package from Shelby Jo.

Congratulations LaToya Thorn for winning the flower headband from Perfectly Precious Boutique!

Congratulations Ronnie Mogensen for winning the halos courtesy of My New Love!

Congratulations Andrea Townsley for winning a ProPhoto template courtesy of H2 Designs!

For those who won a gift courtesy of our fantastic friends, I will email you the details once I confirm with the sponsors that you have met and satisfied the rules of the giveaway. Thanks again to everyone who participated. Stay tuned. We’ll do one again in the near future or on our next milestone!

There had been a lot of rumors surrounding Kodak’s potential Chapter 11 filing. On January 19th, those rumors became a reality. Kodak filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection today in the hope that they could realign their business strategies. I truly hope that Kodak recovers from this and can emerge a stronger company.

Via Reuters

Yahoo Images

A few weeks ago, the industry just made a move in the right direction –  no Photoshop in ANY cosmetic advertising. The reason for the ban results from a Cover Girl ad that “photoshopped”a model’s eyelashes to enhance the effect of mascara. Of course, the fine print in the ad did say that the ad was manipulated, but the National Advertising Division (NAD) is saying that is not enough.

This commercial isn’t real and so are industry standards. (Jesse Rosten)

After much anticipation, the release date of P4 has finally been announced – September 27th. As with any product launch, much is expected from this recent upgrade. “Is it different from P3? How much different will it be? Is it compatible with my existing P3 designs? Will P3 still be supported?”

In response to so many questions about the upcoming features, I’ve decided (with ProPhoto’s permission of course) to put together a brief synopsis of some of the features for the upcoming upgrade.

Let’s look over some of the cool new features shall we?

Easy to navigate Dashboard:

The upgrades in P4 is apparent from the WP Dashboard itself. ProPhoto 4 now has it’s own column just underneath the Comments section of the Dashboard.

Completely revamped UI:

Expanding on the P4 Customize area brings you to a new user interface that is far more appealing and easier to use than P3.

New drop down menus:

One of the coolest features being introduced are the new drop down menus. Choosing and moving from one area of the Customize area has never been easier.

Custom fonts are here!

I think one of the biggest request that has come through the forums has been that of custom fonts. Guess what? ProPhoto listened. You can now upload custom fonts! Fonts must be uploaded individually as a zipped Font Squirrel font kit. This is going to be one of the coolest features of P4!

Enhanced Menu Navigation Links:

Remember the plugin “My Link Order”? It’s the plugin that allows you to format and arrange your links? There’s no need for that anymore. To create navigation links is a breeze. To arrange them is even easier. Simply drag them to the position you want them to be in and you’re all set. There are even options for a secondary and vertical menu navigation links!

Grid Layouts are here!

This has been a long awaited feature for the ProPhotoBlog template and now, it’s here! You can now create magazine-styled layouts, client access areas (I’ll create a post that details how to create this), and many more. The text comes in either a rollover style or a text below the image. See a sample here.

Enhanced Mobile version of your blog:

Remember the days when you created a beautiful masthead slideshow only to be shown a static image when you view your site on an iOS device? Gone are those days! Say hello to the newly revamped mobile version of your site that is now compatible with an iPad and iPhone devices. Browsing your site on an iPad reveals your beautiful masthead slide shows just as if you were viewing them on your desktop. It’s truly a cool new feature!

Call to Action links are now built-in!

These call to action links are perfect for those who are trigger shy on HTML coding. Unlike P3, call to action links are now easier to add on your blog. Simply create and upload an image, select which call to action function you want and you’re all set. It couldn’t be any easier than that!

Automatic updates:

Now you can enable ProPhoto to automatically and silently update itself in the background whenever a new free update is available.

FAQs:

1. “When is the official release”? September 27th is the official release date of P4.

2. “Will my current designs be compatible with P4″? Yes they will transfer over.

• Update from ProPhotoBlogs:  You will only be able to import designs from ProPhoto 3. Designs from ProPhoto 2 will not be pulled in at this time, and must be loaded into ProPhoto before migrating to ProPhoto 4. Sorry! Also, ProPhoto 1 does not use the design system, so your customizations in ProPhoto 1 must be re-created.

3. “How much for the upgrade form P3″? An official announcement for the price will be forthcoming.

4. “Can I still buy the designs at the Design Store”? Yes. The designs are still available for purchase.

5. “I was about to buy P3. How much will P4 be”? An official announcement for the price will be forthcoming.

This is just a teaser of what to expect from the new P4 upgrade. There will be an official launch from the ProPhoto team coming soon. If you had purchased ProPhoto recently, no worries. Those who purchased ProPhoto 3 after August 14th will get to upgrade at a reduced rate (TBD). If you were thinking of buying or upgrading to ProPhoto 4, NOW is a great time!

I’ve been asked this many, many times and my answer has always been “do you prefer a Volkswagen, an Audi, or a Bentley”?

Color space is a tricky little area that we might not really pay too much attention to until we mix them up and we get the dreaded “my photos look horrible”! The way I look at it, getting color spaces right at the start is the secret to beautiful proofs and prints. It seems to me that this is one area that we often overlook. So what is color space? Why are there so many of them? And most importantly, which one should I use?

First of all, let’s try to figure out what color space really means. Color space is essentially the amount of color contained in the files we save. Think of it as a type of vehicle, hence my first question at the start. There are three common color spaces available to us right now:  sRGB, Adobe RGB, and ProPhoto RGB. The placement of each one is no coincidence either. Think of sRGB as the Volkswagen, the Adobe RGB as an Audi, and the ProPhoto RGB as the Bentley.

• sRGB is the standard RGB color space developed by HP and Microsoft. It provides the standard color working space available for all types of displays. sRGB is arguably the best working space for digital images and photographs to be viewed on computer screens but it is not the best for print and reproduction.
• Adobe RGB carries most of the colors our printers can print but it does not carry every color that the printer can print. Developed by Adobe Systems, Adobe RGB has a wider color gamut compared to sRGB. Adobe RGB was designed specifically for photographers.  
• ProPhoto carries a lot of colors – more than a typical printer can print but make no mistake that each color in it’s range can be printed. Developed by Kodak, ProPhoto RGB provides a wider spectrum of colors, a bigger playground for photographers to get true, rich colors.

Are you confused even further? It took me a while to understand the concept but as long as you know the basics, you’ll be fine. So at the end of the day, which color space should I use? Once again, I defer back to my original question. What car do you want to drive? Undoubtedly, working in either Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB allows us to reproduce the image as we see them, which true, rich, and vivid colors. Different people will answer you differently, if you care to ask for their advice. The best way to figure it out is to know the basics. once the basics are solid, then you can go either one of the two. Want to be on the safe side? Shoot in RAW and make the conversion during post.

One word of caution though if you decide to use ProPhoto RGB. If you don’t soft proof*, then it’s not worth using this color space. “Soft proofing” is simply a method that allows the photographer to view on your monitor or display  what your print will look like when it is on a specific type of paper. Oh and you need to use 16 bits all the time or risk pixelization.

In the end, it’s your decision on which path to take. Be aware of the differences and make your choice based on this. All I recommend is consistency.

*Soft proofing is available on Aperture. When I beta tested Lightroom 3, I was disappointed to find that soft proofing was not available at the time, and even after the launch. If you process in Lightroom 3, you’ll need to bring the photo into Photoshop to be able to soft proof. However, there are plugins available to use in LR3 should you choose to soft proof.

Do I soft proof? Not anymore. I used to but the technology is so good these days that soft proofing has almost come to it’s own demise.

I personally use Adobe RGB. How about you? Feel free to chime in and let’s see where most people land on this issue.

Meet Aubrey.

Whimsical and colorful, Aubrey is our latest blog design. You can choose between the three included background options and you change the feel of the design. The warm palette combination gives it that young, hip look. Included in the package are the layered PSD masthead, image and call to action links, and the different color backgrounds. The design is being issued as a limited edition. There will only be 10 of these editions available – ever, 5 will be sold here at The Shoppe and the other 5 will be sold at the ProPhoto Design Store (SOLD OUT).

You can purchase and try it out here. This design is compatible with ProPhoto 4.

1/10 copies left!

(release date: 08/19/11)

You might remember not too long ago when news broke that Iron Man II used Canon 5D Mark IIs to capture action shots for director John Favreau. Following in his footsteps, director of photography Jonathan Taylor also used these Canon cameras to film action shots for the recent flick “Captain America: The First Avenger”. With the quality of still cameras rivaling hose of digital movie cameras, it’s hard not to imagine a director adding these cameras to their arsenal. I just want to remind you that the Canon 5D Mark II’s technology is almost 4 years old. Truly remarkable.

Action scenes in “Captain America: The First Avenger” in which Taylor used 5D Mark II cameras for POV shots include a car chase and crash, and a high-speed motorcycle pursuit. The small size of the camera enabled Taylor to mount it on the interiors and exteriors of moving vehicles to capture dramatic action shots. The camera’s size also ensured that it was “invisible” to the film cameras shooting the same scene from a distance.

Here is Canon’s official press release:

PRESS RELEASE: “Captain America: The First Avenger” Action Shots Captured With Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Cameras

Full 1080P HD Capture, 24p Frame Rate and Canon EF Lenses Provide Compatibility and Creative Options for Movie Production

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 1, 2011 — Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging, announced today that the highly anticipated feature film, “Captain America: The First Avenger”, used Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR cameras to capture many of the movie’s action shots. Throughout the super hero action picture, the 5D Mark II was used to shoot motion sequences that were seamlessly integrated with the production’s 35mm film footage.

More compact and lightweight than traditional motion-picture cameras, the 5D Mark II offers creative advantages such as compatibility with Canon’s wide range of high-performance EF lenses, user-selectable frame rates, including 24p (23.976 fps), the standard for motion-picture cinematography, and full 1920 x 1080 HD imagery captured by the camera’s high-resolution 21.1-megapixel (36mm by 24mm) Canon CMOS sensor. According to Jonathan Taylor, second unit director/director of photography on “Captain America: The First Avenger”, these features made the 5D Mark II an excellent choice for the capture of dramatic POV (point-of-view) action shots.

“The challenge with a lot of action photography is getting the camera in the right position,” Taylor noted. “I’m always looking to get the camera into impossible to reach places because those kinds of shots make action sequences much more exciting. Most 35mm motion-picture cameras and even the leading digital cinematography cameras are just too big to get into interesting positions.”

Action scenes in “Captain America: The First Avenger” in which Taylor used 5D Mark II cameras for POV shots include a car chase and crash, and a high-speed motorcycle pursuit. The small size of the camera enabled Taylor to mount it on the interiors and exteriors of moving vehicles to capture dramatic action shots. The camera’s size also ensured that it was “invisible” to the film cameras shooting the same scene from a distance.

“The thing with action is that the more angles you can shoot, the faster the cuts you can use, and the more energy you get into a sequence,” Taylor added.

Previously, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras and EF lenses were used for action shots in the blockbuster hit “Iron Man 2”.

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. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2010†, with global revenues of more than US $45 billion and is listed as number five in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2011 list. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei — “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future” — Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. 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.

Sometimes, some people are just too damn perfect! Take for instance this latest ad from Lancome that showcases Julia Roberts as it’s spokesperson. This ad is currently being banned in the UK for being “overly photoshopped”.

This ruling demonstrates that the advertising regulator is acknowledging the dishonest and misleading nature of excessive retouching. Pictures of flawless skin and super-slim bodies are all around, but they don’t reflect reality.

The spread, shot by Mario Testino, shows 43-year-old Roberts glowing and fresh-faced, the result of having used Lancome’s Teint Miracle foundation. The ad claims the foundation “recreates the aura of perfect skin.”

What do you think?

(Courtesy of the NYDailyNews)

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the launch of the improved site. Visually, nothing much has changed. We’re still keeping the minimalist look that we’ve had ever since we launched the site in 2010. So what’s different? We’ve added some cool features that will make your visting experience even more awesome!

• An integrated search bar is now located where you can find it the easiest – the upper right hand corner of the site.
• Whether you would “Like” our Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or  add me to your “Circle”, it’s now even easier.
• Ever since we added the e-store, it’s been a great success. With the launch of the revamped site, we changed the e-store and we’re now calling it “The Shoppe”. Wherever you are on the site, you can always access your shopping cart at any time. Click on the shopping cart on the upper right hand corner to review your items in your cart.
• There’s no need to visit our Facebook page just to “Like” us. If you like what you see, simply click on the “Like” button on the upper left hand side, and you’re in.
• The Darkroom is now fully integrated in the site. Now search requests results in cross-over between the two distinct sites.
• We’ve added an integrated “Popular Image” gallery. Each image will have a link that you can click if you like the image. The popular images are immediately posted as feature images by the main site masthead for everyone to see. Invite your friends to see the articles and ask them to rate their favorite images. Rating images and articles gives us a better understanding of what type of materials we’ll be posting on the site in addition to the sessions and sneak peeks we provide.
• Check the new menu bar. It now contains great links to articles and posts that might be of interest to you.

This is definitely great news for all camera pros and enthusiasts worldwide. With the recent turn of events in this island country, it’s great to know that some plants are resuming operations.  Canon Japan indicates the company’s lens plant in Utsunomiya will resume production mid-April. Slowly but surely, the country is rebuilding. More on this in the press release attached below.

Press Release

Recovery Status Report for Canon Inc. and Canon Group Following Great East Japan Earthquake

TOKYO, April 4, 2011—The Great East Japan Earthquake, which struck off the northeast coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu on March 11, caused massive damage and loss of life in the area. We at Canon extend our heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this disaster, along with their families and loved ones. We pray for the safety of everyone in affected areas and hope that the region will soon be able to begin the rebuilding and healing process.

As for the Canon Group, immediately following the earthquake, Canon Inc. established the Earthquake Disaster Recovery Task Force (Task Force Chief: Chairman & CEO Fujio Mitarai), launching recovery activities spanning development, production and sales operations through a collective effort across the Canon Group.

Although the Canon Group sustained damage to buildings and production equipment, a concerted Company-wide effort has already made possible the resumption of production activities at multiple Canon Inc. operation sites and Canon Group companies. In addition, through ongoing recovery measures being carried out in conjunction with related divisions, all Canon Inc. operation sites and Canon Group companies are expected to achieve a full recovery as of the end of April.

With regard to the multiple operation sites and Canon Group companies in Japan that sustained no direct damage due to the earthquake and its aftermath, the Company is left with no alternative but to continue adjusting some production activities due to rolling blackouts and procurement conditions for raw materials, parts and other supplies.

The status of major Canon Group operating sites as of Monday, April 4, is outlined below.

Operating Status of Operation Sites and Canon Group Companies
Canon Group Operation Sites

• Optics R&D Center, Utsunomiya Office (Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 22 (Tue.)
  Currently fully operational
• Utsunomiya Plant, Utsunomiya Office (Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture)
  Production to sequentially resume from mid April
• Utsunomiya Optical Products Plant, Utsunomiya Office (Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture)
  Operations to resume in mid April, with production to sequentially resume from same time
• Toride Plant (Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 18 (Fri.)
  Currently carrying out intermittent production
• Ami Plant (Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 17 (Thur.)
  Currently fully operational

Canon Group Companies

• Canon Precision Inc. (Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 23 (Wed.)
  Currently carrying out intermittent production
• Canon Chemicals Inc.: Headquarters & Tsukuba Plant (Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture) / Iwama Plant (Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture)
  Operations resumed at headquarters and Tsukuba Plant on March 22 (Tue.)
  Currently fully operationalOperations resumed at Iwama Plant on March 28 (Mon.)
  Currently almost fully operational
• Fukushima Canon Inc. (Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 22 (Tue.)
  Currently fully operational
• Canon Mold Co., Ltd. (Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 22 (Tue.)
  Currently almost fully operational
• Oita Canon Inc. (Kunisaki, Oita Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on April 1 (Fri.)
  Currently carrying out intermittent production
• Nagasaki Canon Inc. (Hasami-cho, Higashisonogi-gun, Nagasaki Prefecture)
  Operations resumed on March 30 (Wed.)
  Currently carrying out intermittent production
• Canon Optron, Inc. (Yuki, Ibaraki Prefecture)
  Production to sequentially resume from early April

Other Factors

1)    Depending on the procurement conditions for raw materials, parts and other supplies, production at Canon Inc. operation sites and Canon Group companies, including those mentioned above, may become intermittent.
2)    In regions subject to scheduled rolling blackouts, ensuring stable operations may prove difficult due to electrical outages.

Disclaimer:
The information contained in this news release is current as of the release date. Please be aware that information regarding circumstances from April 5 onward is subject to change.

Image courtesy of Inter-bee.com

It was back in 2008 when Canon published this wonderful ad for their 40D in Digital Photographer magazine. Genius!

I was reading a blog entry the other day and it got me thinking…. so you want to be a photographer? What does it take? Here are a few insights you might want to consider.

Buy an email address:

Did you notice I said buy and not get? As with any business, an initial investment is always required and I’m not just talking about making that dSLR purchase. First of all, if you are thinking of advertising your services, first impressions are always very critical. There’s nothing worse than having a potential client ask you how they could reach you and you tell them, “I could be reached at myname@gmail.com”. Using a free email service lets your potential clients know that you’re not fully committed to your services. There should be no reason why you don’t have your own domain even if it means you’re simply using it for an email address. Domains are relatively inexpensive, go out and get one.

Get a website:

Much like a free email address, if you show your clients your website that uses a free service, you’re not giving them the confidence that you are serious with your services. Your website is the face of your business online. Do yourself a favor and purchase a hosting account. Once again, hosting accounts aren’t that expensive. For $60/year, there shouldn’t be any reason why you shouldn’t have one for your business. Along the same lines, you should also expect to either spend or learn how to create your own site content.

For my business, I have two domains. One handles the everyday traffic and the other handles the client proof galleries and the prints (SmugMug). My Pro account for SmugMug, which allows me to customize the features of the layout runs about $149/year.

Get the gear:

Just because you’ve purchased your dSLR doesn’t mean you’re ready to take on the challenges of a photo shoot. What about lenses? Do you have the necessary lenses for a given photo shoot? Make your investment on the lenses because that’s what your investment will depend on. I always advise enthusiasts who are thinking of promoting photography as a business that dSLR camera bodies are considered disposable items as technology changes every day. Your lenses will never fade with technology.

It might come as a shock when you shop for that first good lens. There is a reason why you pay $1400 for a Canon 35mm f1.4L compared to a Canon 70-300 f4-5.6 selling for $400. The more expensive lenses have better glass and build quality and most of them are weather sealed which are best suited for pros.

Get an external flash. No one uses a camera’s built-in flash. The light is extremely harsh and unflattering most specially in portraits. And while you’re at it, grab a diffuser as well. The idea here is to create a soft light by spreading the light from the flash.

These are simply the basic things you should have in your bag. When you’ve had enough money saved, you can start thinking about strobes, lighting, tripods, etc. Don’t worry, it’s simply a matter of time before you start acquiring these things.

Build your portfolio:

No one likes to commission someone’s services without samples of your work. Bear in mind that your client will be spending money in the hopes that they get the photos they want. If you don’t have a portfolio, I suggest you start building one. During the early part of my photography, I learned to give almost everything for free. I would offer my friends free prints if they came out and “modeled” for me. If they had kids, I would offer to photograph their kids for free. While it might defeat the purpose of building your profit, it actually helps you build your portfolio.

I’m sure we all have friends. Friends who would gladly serve as “models”. Start with a couple, then go focus on kids, then maybe go head shots. Trade modeling time for prints. You would be surprised to find out how quickly you can build a portfolio.

Apply for a business license:

This is fairly self-explanatory. We all have to pay taxes. Are you a Sole Proprietorship or a Limited Liability Company (LLC)?

Hand it to me straight:

Just because you have the camera and take photos doesn’t classify you as a good photographer. There are more things to photography than just your equipment. You can have two photographers take a shot of the same subject yet one will be better than the other. It’s what I refer to as having an eye for composition. Your images need to tell a story. It’s one thing to take a shot. It’s another to compose the shot.

So why did I preface this as “hand it to me straight” you might ask? It’s easy for our family and close friends to tell us we are great photographers. For one thing, they are biased in their opinions. If you would really like to see how others perceive your work, join a photography club. There are many of them online. Of all the photo sites out there, Digital Photography Challenge is the best one. They have members who are always willing to give you an honest critique of your work. Remember that you should always ask for honest and brutal critiques. You will only learn from your mistakes and sometimes, the people closest to you can’t really tell it to you straight to your face. Be prepared for whatever the reviews may be – good or bad.

So there you go. Hopefully this helped you even just a little bit. Think about it and let me know your thoughts – good or bad. Thanks all!

Ciao!

P.S. Here’s a last tip – treat all of this as an enjoyable endeavor. Don’t treat it like it would be your last hurrah! With patience and persistence comes results. Work on the basics and it’ll pay off in the end.

P.P.S. I love pearl drinks with the tapioca balls. Yum!

See the badges? It’s iStockphoto. Yeah. I’ve been accepted at iStockphoto! Woohoo! So now what? Well, it’ll be capturing photos with potential stock acceptance in mind. So how does one shoot for stock photography? For starters, I dug through my archived images looking for photos to upload for review. I submitted 22 images. The review process takes about a week as you can just imagine the amount of uploads iStock receives every single hour. Of the 22 images, 8 have been accepted and 2 are still in the queue. If my math is correct, that’s a hit rate of 40%. I suppose that isn’t bad given the fact that these submissions are simply photos I’ve already previously taken prior to being accepted as a stock photographer.

So what images sell? In short, EVERYTHING… well to an extent. The best images tend to be the professionals at work specially at a business setting. When taking photos, think of lifestyle images, specially ones that showcase different races and/or cultures. The only thing to remember here is that whenever there is a person that has a distinguishable face or feature, the stock agencies will most often ask for a model release.

I submitted an image showing a couple exchanging rings at a wedding. The crop was just showing the hands and the ring. The reviewers rejected my photo because I didn’t give them a model release as they thought the hands were still recognizable. Strict enough for you? So you’re probably wondering which images made the cut. Well, here are a few samples.

I probably have a few more images that I can upload direct from my old portfolio. However at this point, I’m already thinking of shooting for stock. Whenever I have sessions, I still think about the value of stock and what it can bring. I know it’ll be slow-going the first few months. However, all I need is one good image that has a high selling value for business and I’ll be on a roll. The hard part though is making that first sale. It’s been a few weeks now since I’ve had my first image approved and so far zero sales. But then again, my portfolio is still in its infancy.

Time to pick up the camera and start shooting again. Click on the badge below to see my growing portfolio.