British Storm Chaser, Roger Coulam's Electifying Weather Photographic Portfolio

Roger Coulam was born in Lincolnshire in 1965, but wound his way to the North East of England after an education in Yorkshire and then in Newcastle Upon Tyne, where he studied as an Environmental Scientist. Roger was one of the first UK photographers to capture the power and beauty of the weather, marking the way for many to follow. Much of this work was taken on film in Tornado Alley in the USA.
Not one to shy away from tornadoes, violent electrical storms or coast-battering waves to get the perfect shot, this adrenaline junkie's weather images are second to none.

M434D1 - Explosive development - Kansas, USA

He has always been fascinated in the energies and the extremes of nature, and in 2000 he visited the USA to photograph lightning and to chase storms and tornadoes. This journey led to him becoming part of a Storm Chasing Team in the States for eight years, and forming a reputation as a severe weather photographer, with his pictures becoming published worldwide.

784C4 - Tornado - Nebraska, USA

Roger turned professional in 2003, after developing his practice by supplying a wide range of clients with high quality pictures for editorial and stock use, through commissions and his own picture library.

M830B2 - Genesis - Nebraska, USA

Since 2008 he has increasingly concentrated on personal projects. These include working with found objects, camera-less and alternative photographic techniques, photo-polymer printmaking, and traditional film based and darkroom work.

921E2 - Boston, USA

M430A3 - Nebraska, USA

406A4 - Hill City, Kansas, USA

Self taught, he began to make pictures in the 1990's, on numerous trips to North West Scotland.

590C1 - Outflow dominant storm - Texas, USA

M442C2 - Nebraska, USA

M432C3 - Tornadic supercell storm - Nebraska

To see more of these amazing images and more besides, visit Roger Coulam's gallery here

Canon puts nature in focus

Canon has announced a series of photography-based events at three Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) sites around the UK in November. The events run from 9.00am until 5.00pm. A full day’s booking will cost £79. For more details including purchasing tickets for the events, please see the links in the official UK press release below.

BJP's Vision returns

The world's longest running photography magazine, BJP, has announced its 12th year of Vision, a one day programme for imaging creatives. Featuring informative seminars, portfolio reviews and exhibitors, this years event is to be held on the 19th November at the Business Design Centre Islington, London. Registration prior to the event is £10 (£15 on the day), while the fee for portfolio review sessions is £25.

For more information, please follow the link.

Let's Face It 7 - The Portraiture Award Competition

This is a wonderful competition to enter, photographers are encouraged to interpret the brief in the widest sense, portraying your subjects with emphasis on their identity as individuals. You may enter a single image or a series of up to six related images. Images can be of both people and/or animals. A private view and continuing exhibition of the winners work will be held at the Assembly Rooms in April 2011, this will be supported by a catalogue of the winning work.

Current LPA Entries - Entry Number 13247

Naga Baba, Kumbh Mela, Haridwar, India

New Canon 2010 Photography Competition - Why Do You Love Football?

If you love football, American football that is, and you love photography then why not combine the two and enter this fantastic new competition sponsored by Canon. Canon U.S.A., Inc, a leader in digital imaging, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame are looking for the best youth football photos from across America. Football fans are encouraged to pick up a camera this season and show their passion for the sport through photography by entering the sixth annual “Why Do You Love Football?” photo challenge.
The nationwide amateur photo contest is divided into two divisions, Adults ages 18 and over and Teens 13-17, and consists of two categories. The category Action focuses on any image that captures football action during game play and Feature comprises any football imagery outside of game action. The winning photographer in both divisions will have the opportunity to attend Super Bowl XLV in North Texas and receive a trip to the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Celebration. The winning photos will be displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for one year.
Deadline: December 1, 2010
Entry Fee: Free

Rules

2010 "Why Do You Love Football"
"Pro Football Hall of Fame/Canon Adult and Teen Amateur Photo Challenge"
• TEEN ENTRANT – must be 13-17 years of age by 9/2/10.
• ADULT ENTRANT – must be 18 years of age and over as of 9/2/10.
• This contest is for amateur photographer only; professional photographers (see Official Rules for definition) are ineligible.
• Photos must have been taken during the 2010 football season and must depict youth football, which DOES NOT include collegiate or professional football.
• All persons reasonably identifiable in the photo must have signed a photo release form. A model release form is available from this site.
• Two categories of photo subject matter – ACTION and FEATURE. See Official Rules for full explanation.
• 28 finalists will be selected by a panel of judges as finalists (14 in each age category, 7 in each subject category). Grand Prize winners in each age group will be determined by fan voting.
• Grand Prize Winners will receive a trip for 4 to the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Celebration (8/6/11) AND a trip for 4 to the Super Bowl XLV schedule on 2/6/11 in North Texas. See Official Rules for complete prize details and restrictions.

Prizes

The grand prize winner in both the adult and teen divisions will win a trip for (4) to Super XLV in Dallas, Texas and also a trip for (4) to the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies in Canton, OH to see their winning photo unveiled at the Hall of Fame. In addition, both winners will receive a Canon EOS Rebel T2i camera with 18-55 IS lens kit, a Pixma MG8120 Photo Printer and a $500 gift certificate to the Hall of Fame Museum Store.
Secondary Prizes
First Place in each category will receive a Canon EOS Rebel T2i with 18-55 IS lens kit and Pixma MG8120 Photo Printer and a $500 gift certificate to the Hall of Fame Museum Store.
Second Place in each category will receive a Canon PowerShot SX 210 IS and Pixma MG5220 Photo Printer and a $250 gift certificate to the Hall of Fame Museum Store.
Third Place in each category will receive a Canon PowerShot Digital ELPH SD1400 IS and CP800 Photo Printer and a $100 gift certificate to the Hall of Fame Museum Store.
All honorable mentions will receive a plaque of recognition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Judge

Click here to register and submit your images

Free Photography Magazine - Online

Enjoy free online photography magazines? Who doesn't? Download PhotographyBB now - contents shown below.

PhotographyBB magazine. Issue #32 (10MB PDF, 50 pages) covers a number of topics including:

+ YouTube as a social media tool for photographers
+ protecting your gear while travelin'
+ photo-visit to the Adirondacks
+ Photoshop World coverage
+ digital noise primer
+ product photography with a single light source
+ post-processing tutorials
+ and more!

Via: 1001NoisyCameras
Download

Accidental Photographer - Francis Hills - The Tour Begins Today - September 28, 2010

Francis Hills is known as the Accidental Photographer, and for a compelling reason: seven years ago, after losing his job during the dot.com bust, he picked up a point-and-shoot and discovered his true passion. Today, Francis shoots celebrity, fashion and beauty from his New York Studio. A digital photography evangelist, he's worked closely with Hasselblad and Hewlett Packard, giving presentations about his photographic journey and demonstrating high-end digital photography, worldwide. His work is primarily shot on high resolution digital using medium format backs. Francis has appeared numerous times as photographer and judge on Scandinavia's Top Model, Norway's Top Model, Sweden's Top Model (as resident photographer) and TLC's Covershot TV shows. In 2007 Francis had the rare opportunity to fly to Africa and France to take portraits of the enigmatic French Foreign Legion, documenting first hand the Legionnaires for a book and exhibition. His work has appeared in numerous magazines world wide including: Elle, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Essence, Gotham, GQ, Las Vegas, LA Confidential, Ocean Drive, Oprah, Time and Zink.

First Stop - Seattle

Join renowned celebrity photographer Francis Hills for a 3-hour photographer's workshop where he will demonstrate the digital photo workflow he uses to create iconic images of today's most interesting and influential personalities. In addition to an intimate look at how Hills achieves his unique photographic style, you will learn image capture with SanDisk memory, how to edit, showcase and manage your images with Aperture, and create gallery-quality prints with large format photo printers.

Francis Hills' workshop will demonstrate his photo digital workflow using products from Apple, HP, and SanDisk.

Learn How To:

1. Capture with SanDisk imaging memory cards & readers
2. Refine and manage massive libraries with Aperture.
3. Print with HP DesignJet Large Format printer.

Schedule

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM (PT)

Location

REI Seattle
Casey Schwabland Conference Room
222 Yale Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109

Tickets $29.95 - order here

Next Stop - LA

Date:     September 30th, 2010
Time: 10:00-1:00pm
Location:     Samy's Camera Fairfax Classroom
Instructor:     Francis Hills
Fee:     $25 - order here

Next Stop - Gaithersburg

Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 -Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Time: 10:00 -1:00 pm
Location:    Mac Business Solutions , 9057 Gaither Rd., Gaithersburg MD 20877 (US).
Fee: Free - book place here

Next Stop - New York

Session 1

Date: Monday, October 11, 2010
Time: 10:00 - 1:00 pm
Location: B&H Super Store, 420 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Fee: Free - book place here

Session 2

Date: Monday, October 11, 2010
Time: 3:00 - 6:00 pm
Location: B&H Super Store, 420 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Fee: Free - book place here

Next Stop - New York City

Date: To be determined
Time: As above
Location: Adorama, 42 West 18th Street, New York City, NY 10011
Fee: $25

NEC adds 23-inch MultiSync PA231W to range

NEC make some of the best displays in the business, and the new PA231W seems like an ideal replacement for Apple's now no longer available 23-inch HD Cinema Display. The PA231W has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution has dual digital DVI-D interfaces and features digital DisplayPort connection. However, if you're using a Mac with a mini-display port, you'll need one of these, or this. The PA231W is available now at $635 / £535 (plus VAT).

NEC Display Solutions presents 23” model in the MultiSync® PA series


Future-proof features to increase productivity


London, 28 September 2010 – NEC Display Solutions is launching the MultiSync® PA231W, a 23-inch monitor in its award-winning PA series of professional class displays. The display, with its powerful IPS technology, delivers excellent picture quality in the new 16:9 format and includes sophisticated features such as a future-proof DisplayPort connection and ergonomic comfort through height adjustability. With a focus on improving user productivity and having an attractive price/performance ratio, this monitor is designed to meet the demands of the CAD/CAM and DTP sector, precision engineering and for detailed image reproduction in the field of medical radiology.

With a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, the PA231W offers outstanding viewing angle stability and image precision. The Digital Uniformity Control (ColorComp) automatically regulates the evenness of the brightness and colour distribution, thereby guaranteeing consistent display quality. The monitor also features a programmable 3D LUT for precise colour space emulation.

Intelligent features such as the picture-in-picture function for the parallel display of multiple video feeds enhance productivity and facilitate effective working practices. The model also comes with an integrated, programmable USB hub (DisplaySync Pro) that allows flexible connections to multiple PC platforms. The NEC MultiSync® PA231W scores brilliantly with its first-class connectivity. As well as VGA and dual digital DVI-D interfaces it also features a future-proof, high-bandwidth, digital DisplayPort connection.

The height adjustability of up to 150 mm and the optional landscape or portrait viewing mode mean that the display can be set up to suit the individual user’s specific needs. These ergonomic features were an important contribution in the PA231W’s achievement of the TCO 5.0 certification.

When developing the 23” model, NEC focused greatly on the issue of environmental responsibility. The use of recycled plastic for the monitor housing, the use of arsenic-free materials and the transparency of the carbon savings meter are all consistent with NEC’s acclaimed “Green Vision” campaign. In order to minimise environmental impact, the company employs a green product design methodology with energy-efficient technology solutions and seeks sustainability in the manufacturing process.

“Current users of conventional 19, 20 and 21-inch 4:3 format professional displays will appreciate the move to a wide screen format and all the well known advantages and qualities of NEC products,” says Christopher Parker, Product Line Manager for Professional Displays at NEC Display Solutions Europe. “The NEC MultiSync® PA231W offers the combination of a new format and future-proof features to boost productivity and ensure our customers will be well equipped to meet the growing demands of today’s working life.”

Availability, price and warranty
The NEC MultiSync® PA231W is currently available in black priced at £535.00 (excl. VAT). The package supplied includes a power cable, one digital DVI-D, one DisplayPort signal cable, one analogue VGA cable, a manual and an installation and driver CD-ROM. NEC Display Solutions Europe offers a three-year warranty including backlights.

Further information can be found here.

The Most Beautiful Insect Photos You Have Ever Seen

I'm totally serious, these images are fantastic. They represent a very distinctive style of brightly colored macro photography that Leon Baas has spent over eight years perfecting. I love them.

A ladybird is pictured at the water's edge in this picture taken by Dutch photographer Leon Baas.

Leica release background video of M9 Titan

Leica has released an interview with the italian car designer of the M9 Titan, Walter de'Silva. Unfortunately for us English-only speakers, the video is in Italian, with German subtitles.

Leica UK has kindly sent the DJP a selection of images to accompany the video.

We're having some technical difficulties embedding the code, so please visit here, instead.

Previously Unseen Photographs of Marilyn Monroe

Just when you thought you had seen every possible photograph of Marilyn Monroe, some more pop up.  In this case the images have been published in a new book, Marilyn: August 1953: The Lost LOOK Photos, and it's coming out this week.

All the photographs were taken whilst the diva was actually 'resting' with a sprained ankle and unable to continue filming with Robert Mitchum in Alberta, Canada.  They were working on 'River of No Return'.

John Vachon was the photographer who took over 100 shots for the feature, commissioned by LOOK Magazine but only three were published at that time.

All the images have been digitally restored.

CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010 Award Winners.

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) Environmental Photographer of the Year honours amateur and professional photographers who use their ability to raise awareness of environmental and social issues. The competition encourages entries that are contemporary, creative, resonant, challenging, original and beautiful. But most of all, we want your pictures to inspire people around the world to start taking care of our environment.
Take a look at this years winning entries. For more details, click here

An amazing picture of thousands of rays swimming through the ocean in a colossal school has scooped top prize in the CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010 awards. The group of Munkiana Devil Rays were spotted in Baja California Sur, Mexico, by German conservation photographer Florian Schulz. He described how he was able to capture his jaw-dropping image named Flight of the Rays: "During an aerial expedition I came across something I had never seen before. Not even my pilot, who has surveyed this area for 20 years, had seen anything like it. As we got closer we started to discover its nature: an unprecedented congregation of rays. The group was as thick as it was wide, all heading towards the same direction. I have asked around why this took place but no one has been able to explain it to me. After such a unique sighting, I realise there are so many marvels in the oceans that we are yet to understand"

Albert Watson Worthy Royal Photographic Society Centenary Medal Winner

Scotland's Albert Watson has made his mark as one of the most successful fashion, commercial and art photographers in the world – shooting over 200 covers for Vogue alone – and was this month honoured for his lifelong contribution to the art.

Mick Jagger, Los Angeles, 1992

Photograph: Albert Watson