What's
New And Notable In Photography
And Computers
Brave
New Biometric
Protect important
data with the power
of biometric security.
The Kanguru
BioSTOR portable
hard drive features a built-in
fingerprint scanner
to verify identity,
preventing access
to unauthorized users.
Security software
and data is stored
on the drive itself,
allowing you to use
the drive with any
PC—no additional
software installations
are necessary. The
compact BioSTOR weighs
just two pounds and
is available with
storage capacities
ranging from 40 GB
to 500 GB. List Price:
From $279. Contact: Kanguru Solutions,
(888) KANGURU, www.kanguru.com.
Get
In The Zone
The intuitive interface
of Light
Crafts’ LightZone
editing software will help you process
and edit your digital
images quicker
and easier. Created
with
the classic Zone
System in mind,
many photographers
will
find working with
LightZone to be
natural and intuitive.
A
powerful search
function helps
you locate
your images in
an instant, while
StudioZone,
the built-in image
and file browser,
makes it easy to
view and manage
your photographs.
RegionMapper
allows you to select
specific areas
in your image using
shapes to adjust
light and tonal
values
to that area. Macintosh
only. List Price:
$249. Contact: Light Crafts, (650)
331-1989,
www.lightcrafts.com.
Macro, Baby!
Compose creative
close-ups with
the Lensbaby
Macro Kit. The
two macro lenses
attach to the
Lensbaby lens
and enable you
to focus from
two to 13 inches
away from your
subject. Capture
eye-popping details
with unique Lensbaby
selective-focus
effects. The
Lensbaby Macro
Kit contains
one +4 and one
+10 macro lens
and will fit
both the original
Lensbaby and
the Lensbaby
2.0. Use the
attachments separately
or stack them
on top of one
another. List
Price: $29. Contact: Lensbabies, (877)
536-7222, www.lensbabies.com.
I’ll
Take That Data
To Go
Safely transport
pics, MP3 files,
even hours of digital
video in your shirt
pocket using the
Pexagon
Store-It. Store-It is a Hitachi
Travelstar hard
drive equipped
with Retrospect
backup software.
Available in four
different sizes,
the drive is slender
with sturdy aluminum
casing; the actual
dimensions vary
by the amount of
storage space.
List Price: $180
(20 GB and 60 GB);
$200 (80 GB); $270
(100 GB). Contact: Pexagon Technology,
(203) 453-7300,
www.pexagontech.com.
Make Them Bigger
Increase your digital
image’s size
with Genuine
Fractals 4.1 interpolation
software. This
plug-in uses special
algorithms that
generate new pixels
to create a larger
image while maintaining
sharpness. The
updated version
now has improved
zoom and crop tools
and preset image
sizes, and also
shows the original
image size and
the newly scaled
image in the interface
display. List Price:
$159 (full); $69
(upgrade). Contact: onOne Software,
(888) 968-1468,
www.ononesoftware.com.
Scan
For Less
Get all of your scanning
needs met using one
low-price unit. The
Microtek
ScanMaker i800 can handle multiple
film sizes, including
24 frames of 35mm
filmstrips, 12 mounted
35mm slides, two
4x5-inch transparencies
or medium-format
sizes up to 6x17
cm. The scanner features
a 4800 x 9600 dpi
resolution so you
can create poster-size
images from photos
and film. The generous
8.5x14-inch scan
area allows you to
capture large originals
or batch-scan film.
List Price: $399.
Contact: Microtek,
(310) 687-5940, www.microtekusa.com.
Hard
Copy
Digital
Sports Photography: Take
Winning Shots Every Time by Serge Timacheff and
David Karlins (Wiley
Publishing, 2005; ISBN:
0-7645-9607-1). Catch
the action! This guide
contains tips from the
pros to help you capture
great sports shots.
How
to Start and Operate
a Digital Portrait Photography
Studio by Lou Jacobs
Jr. (Amherst Media Inc.,
2006; ISBN: 1-58428-171-5).
This how-to guide will
help you build an effective
portrait photography
business from the ground
up.
Photoshop
Blending Modes Cookbook
for Digital
Photographers by John
Beardsworth (O’Reilly
Media, Inc., 2005; ISBN:
0-596-10020-5). Create
amazing effects using
layer-blending modes
in Photoshop. This book
offers clear step-by-step
instructions with full-color
examples to help you
enhance your digital
photos.
Sams Teach Yourself
Adobe Creative Suite
2 All in One by Mordy
Golding (Sams Publishing,
2005; ISBN: 0-672-32752-X).
Get creative! This guide
offers a straightforward
approach to help you
get started enhancing
your digital photographs
with Adobe’s powerful
Photoshop CS2.
Complete
Package
Organize, enhance,
preserve and share
all of your digital
photos and video
clips with Microsoft’s
Digital Image Suite
Plus. The software
set combines Digital
Image Suite 2006
photo software
with Pinnacle Studio
v.10
video-editing software.
Digital Image Suite
includes the Microsoft
Digital Image Library
application with
Keyword, Flags
and Star Rating
features
so you can easily
locate your images.
A variety of editing
effects help you
create a polished
look to your pictures,
and Project Templates
let you easily
create personalized
calendars
and greeting cards.
Pinnacle Studio
intuitively guides
you through
a three-step movie-making
process complete
with pans, zooms,
music and titles.
List Price: $129.
Contact: Microsoft,
(800) 642-7676,
www.microsoft.com.
Always
A Classic
The Novoflex
ClassicBall features three
vertical 90-degree
openings for the
ball neck to make
for easy horizontal
to vertical positioning.
Its advanced friction-control
system allows the
photographer to
set the amount
of resistance when
altering the ball,
and your camera
easily can move
180 degrees or
do a 360-degree
pan. With a matte
titanium finish,
this 1.9-pound
head is built to
last. List Price:
$537. Contact: HP Marketing Corp.,
(800) 735-4373,
www.hpmarketingcorp.com.
Premium
Paper
Print high-quality
inkjet prints with
Bergger’s New
Generation papers. The new papers are
acid-free and produce
true color images
with rich tonalities,
depth and detail.
Two New Generation
paper types are available:
the PN62 paper has
a smooth, bright-white
matte surface with
a natural paper feel,
while the PN61 has
a subtle natural-white
hue and matte-surface
coating with an etching
paper feel. Both
are compatible with
dye- and pigment-based
inkjet printing systems.
List Price: $14 for
10 8.5x11-inch sheets.
Contact: Bergger
Products, (815) 282-9876,
www.bergger.com.
Futuristic
Frame
Display and share
your photos in
a large digital
picture
frame—Digital
Foci’s Image
Moments Digital
Picture Frame. Just insert
any digital camera
card into the Image
Moments memory slot
to instantly view
your photos on its
eight-inch color
LCD screen. A Photo
Slideshow mode scrolls
through your photo
collection, and the
device also supports
MP3 and video formats
so you can play music
or watch movies.
List Price: $299.
Contact: Digital
Foci, (310) 763-9100,
www.digitalfoci.com.
Get Your Swivel
On
Transport your
most important
images and files
with the Imation
Swivel Pro Flash
Drive. Capable
of quickly reading
files at 12 MB
per second, the
USB 2.0 drive comes
in capacities from
128 MB to 2 GB.
The Swivel is about
the size of an
AA battery and
weighs less than
a half ounce, making
it extremely portable.
List Price: $24
to $199 (depending
on capacity). Contact: Imation, (888)
466-3456, www.imation.com.
Perfect Panoramas
Create beautiful
panorama shots
and lessen your
time stitching
the images together
in your digital
darkroom with
the Novoflex
Panorama-VR System. The easy-to-use
adjuster system
rotates your
camera in the
vertical or horizontal
position around
your camera’s
nodal point to
achieve a perfectly
aligned 360-degree
panoramic shot.
The VR system
weighs only about
two pounds, making
it a light addition
to your tripod
setup. Estimated
Street Price:
$587. Contact: Novoflex (HP
Marketing Corp.),
(800) 735-4373,
www.hpmarketingcorp.com.
Affordable
Color
You know firsthand
the color of your
child’s eyes,
but your computer
monitor doesn’t.
The color experts
at Pantone
and GretagMacbeth, have created huey, a marker-size calibration
device and accompanying
software that’s
simple, accurate
and affordable. The
calibration device
works with LCD, laptop
and CRT monitors,
and continues to
adjust the monitor
as lighting in the
room changes. List
Price: $89. Contact: Pantone, (866) PANTONE,
www.pantone.com.
You
And Your Data
Save your images
from the dark depths
of accidental deletion
with NTI’s
Shadow 2. The software
can be set to automatically
back up data, photos,
and audio and video
files from any
internal, external
or network
hard drive every
time a change or
edit occurs. The
application ensures
that the backup
is always in sync
with
the original file,
and restoring information
is as easy as dragging
and dropping. List
Price: $29. Contact: NTI, (949) 421-0720,
www.ntius.com.
Hot Shots, Cool
Lighting
Take high-quality
studio portraits
or tabletop shots
easily with the
Opus
Pro OPL-CL275 fluorescent
light. The light offers
bright directional
illumination with
the advantage of
not getting hot,
making it easy
to maneuver and
safe to use. The
light has a silver
reflector designed
to eliminate harsh
highlights. It
requires a standard
120-volt household
outlet, so all
you have to do
is plug it in and
start shooting.
List Price: $139;
$169 (with 7-foot
light stand). Contact: Nadel Enterprises,
(800) 263-8188,
www.opusprophoto.com.
Fast And Flexible
Manage and edit
your library
of digital images
with iView
MediaPro 3. The software
enables you to
create a customized,
searchable library
where your files
can be quickly
and easily imported,
organized and
archived. The
Pro Lightbox
function allows
you to view multiple
images side by
side, and an
easy-to-use marking
system lets you
select your favorite
images with colored
labels and ratings.
Output your pictures
via slideshow,
PDF composite,
contact sheets
and printouts
of any size and
layout. List
Price: $199 (full
version); $129
(upgrade). CContact: iView Multimedia,
(714) 566-1000,
www.iview-multimedia.com.
Per-Print Perfection
Take the guesswork
out of getting
the best color
in your prints
with ColorVision
PrintFIX PRO. Together,
the package’s
hardware and software
help you create
precise color profiles
for multiple inks,
papers and printers.
The handheld spectrocolorimeter
calculates the
exact colors rendered
on specific papers,
so all of your
prints will render
true color. The
PrintFIX PRO software
wizard guides you
through a beginning
or advanced process
of setting up your
profiles. List
Price: $549. Contact: ColorVision, (800)
554-8688, www.colorvision.com.
