Top 20 Best Halloween Photography iPhone Apps

There's plenty of spooky things happening in the App store this week and not least some pretty scary halloween photography apps, take a look at these, I'm sure you'll find something to get your teeth into...

Vampire Booth

Create your own vampire poster/e-cards! Pick from 60 vampire templates and insert your picture from library (iPhone/iPod/iPad) or camera (iPhone only). It’s that simple! Handwrite your own message on the poster/e-card you created. Save and email to your friends and family!

All pictures are professional designed. Definitely for the avid vampire fans!

Price: $0.99/Download

Insert-A-Zombie

Transform an ordinary snapshot into a great halloween photo by posing with the undead! Insert-A-Zombie for iPhone & iPod Touch lets you easily insert a Zombie into any photo, or into one you are about to take. Choose from 45 zombies - move them into position, make them the size you need and save. Once they're saved, they're yours to share! See how creative you can get, then show your friends!

Insert-A-Zombie features professional models that were photographed and preprocessed to match most photos taken on the iPhone, creating a more realistic Zombie photo. Insert-A-Zombie's graphics support the Retina display and iPhone 4's superior camera. Plus, you can create photos in both portrait and landscape modes.

Price: $0.99/Download

MyXfile: Ghosts

f you want to take photos in which ghosts appear then “MyXfile:Ghosts” is the application you need !

“MyXfile:Ghosts” is an easy to use image-processing software in which you can take pictures from your photo library or with your camera and insert perfectly pictures of ghosts for an amazing realistic result.

Price: $0.99/Download

Halloween Camera Free

Add Halloween filters to your photos.

Download

Photo Effects-Halloween

Photo Effects-Halloween adds Halloween related photos and artwork to your photograph projects. Artwork categories include backgrounds, bones, borders, cemetery, creatures, hair, hats, masks, objects, pumpkins, scenery, signs, silhouettes, and more.

FEATURES:
* Over 740 images included! See samples on our website.
* Works with iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch
* Add your library photos and image art to your photo projects
* Resize, rotate, and position images anywhere on your photos
* Resize, rotate, and position your photos
* Add multiple photos and images to a single project
* Illustrated and photo realistic images included
* Fast and easy image palette
* Undo and redo
* Opacity and snap tools
* Save your photo creation to your library
* Saves multiple sessions so you can work on your project at your own pace
* Share with your network of friends

Price: $1.99/Download

Pimpy

Funniest Halloween Contest: Check out the photo contest rules!
★ NEW: $50 prize Contest for Halloween!
★ NEW: Halloween Edition - Cool stamps for great Halloween collages!
★ NEW: French language added!
★ NEW: Lock function for the background
★ Pimpy was featured by Apple as "New & Noteworthy" in Photography
★ More then 40 000 downloads and growing!

Price: $1.99/Download

ReFace Halloween

You really are too beautiful to celebrate Halloween! With Halloween Reface you can become truly scary.

With it, you can release your monstrous side and frighten all your friends.

Price: $0.99/Download

Photo Captions Premium

Use the Photo Captions Premium app to add photo effects, text captions, shapes, stickers and frames to your photos or of your facebook friends. Create customized photo collages and greeting cards instantly, post them to facebook or email them.

Price: $2.99/Download

Zombie Me

Transform your friend's pictures into Zombies!! Add scary eyes, bloody mouths, wounds and lots of scary elements!

Really easy to use, you can choose from an existing picture in your phone or take a new one.

Click on the + button in order to select a category of elements and then add the desired element to your picture.

With simple finger gestures you can scale and rotate all the objects added to the picture.

You can save the Zombie version of your picture to your phone camera roll and download to your computer to print it, or send it by email.

Price: $1.99/Download

Halloween Pumpkinizer

Pumpkinize yourself and create a high quality personal greeting card to get your friends and family into the Halloween Spirit!

Put your face on a pumpkin using a photo from your album or take one with the camera.

Price: $0.99/Download

Scary Clown Booth

Turn photos of you and your friends into TERRIFYING CLOWNS. So REALISTIC you can give you friends NIGHTMARES!

Price: $0.99/Download

Halloween Mask My Face

Add a Halloween mask to any image for free! This app allows you to place a variety of Halloween masks onto images and save them to share with family and friends!

Features:
- loads/saves directly to your device
- re-size and move masks anywhere on the photo
- new rotate bar allows you to angle mask
- 10 different masks to choose from
- FREE/Download

Halloween ~ Postage

Halloween ~ Postage is the perfect app to dress up your photos for the Halloween season. Turn your loved ones into green monsters, add a little spooky flare to your favorite photo or simply send a haunted message to your friends.

A scary cat, haunted house, Jack-o'-lantern and a witch's bubbling cauldron are just a few of the high resolution postcard designs you can customize with your own photos and messages. When you are done with your creation, share it by email, Facebook or save it for use in other applications.

Postage is ready for iPhone 4 with high resolution graphics and multitasking support. Your postcard designs will look fantastic on a Retina display.

Price: $0.99/Download

Real Halloween Masks - FREE

Check out these free Halloween masks! Just take a picture and pick from 10 different masks to add some Halloween spirit to it. Make awesome photos on the spot or spook up older family photos!

Features:
- Loads from/saves to your device
- 10 different realistic Halloween masks
- Resize, move, and rotate the masks to fit your face
- Completely free!!!

Download

Ghost Camera Pro - Prank paranormal photography

This app generates the most authentic ghost images in your photos, allowing you to set the exact position of a ghost by dragging, change its size by pinch/pull gestures, or modify its opacity to compensate for pictures of different brightness. And all these adjustments are done in real time.

To make the pictures even more realistic, you can erase unwanted parts of the ghost to create the illusion of standing behind a person or object.

Price: $0.99/Download

iMut8r

Celebrate Halloween with ghoulish, scary, eye-popping Mut8shuns! With a new character set with ghoulish features, you feel like a mad scientist as you transform family and friends into demons, zombies, werewolves and other creations by mixing and matching various elements from each character!

iMut8r is a creative application that allows you to transform photos into terrifying portraits of macabre! The combinations are endless! With the ability to switch between genres, you can cross-morph your characters into wicked hybrids of horror!

Price: $0.99/Download

Ghost Capture

With Ghost Capture, you can manipulate any photo from your iPhone photo album. After choosing an image, (or taking a new photo directly through Ghost Capture) select a ghost to superimpose onto the photo. Choose from creepy Victorian children, faceless torsos, Civil War soldiers, ghostly orbs, and more. After placing the ghost, slip the horizontal, adjust the size, rotation, and transparency to achieve the optimum effect. Don't like the way your ghost is turning out? Hit the reset button to put it back in the center of the screen for you to start over or even select a different ghost! Save and email your creation to your friends, and let them judge for themselves!

Price: $0.99/Download

HauntedFace

HauntedFace turns your face to a range of scary ghosts, moving and screaming in 3D.

Touching the screen makes ghosts transform to another shapes and masks.
Shaking toggles the face between normal picture and 3D ghosts.

 

Price: $0.99/Download

iAmZombie: Ad Free - The undead photo app for iPhone

Brraaaaaaiiiinnnss.

That's what your friends will say when they realize you've made them join the ranks of the walking dead. Use iAmZombie to zombify anyone around, your friend, your girlfriend, your dog or even yourself.

Just don't get carried away and forget that this is just for fun. THIS APP WILL NOT TURN YOU INTO A ZOMBIE! We take no responsibility for your actions should you believe that you have become undead.

Price: $0.99/Download

Horror Booth

Create your own horror posters! Great for Halloween, pranks, or simply giving your friends a surprise! Pick from 60 horror templates and insert your picture. It’s that simple! Handwrite your own bloody, horror message on the poster you created. Save and share with your friends to scare the heck out of them!

All horror themes are extremely terrifying (most of them cannot be shown here on the App Store due to Adult Rating). Definitely not for the faint of heart!

Price: $1.99/Download

Sony gives 'VAT Back' on NEX-5

Sony UK is introducing an incentive on certain products purchased before 24 December, where the customer will receive the 'VAT Back'. The products, of which the NEX-5 appears to be the only large-sensor camera included under the scheme, must be purchased before 24 December at the full price inclusive of VAT. Sony UK will then refund the VAT content (14.98%) back to the customer. The cash back must be claimed before 31 January 2011, and Sony says they aim to process the claims within 28 days of receipt.


Would be purchasers from Amazon UK can check the price of the NEX-5 with either the kit zoom or 16mm (24mm equivalent) panacke len, below.
Sony NEX5KS Alpha Compact System Camera - 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Lens - Black

Sony NEX5AB Alpha Compact System Camera - 16mm F2.8 Lens - Black

Press release:
SONY INTRODUCES ‘VAT BACK’ SCHEME
Savings across the range for Christmas shoppers and those looking to bring forward purchases ahead of January VAT increase

From 28 October, Sony UK will offer customers ‘VAT Back’ across its product range in a move to help the nation save money on Christmas presents such as compact cameras, e-Readers and Blu-ray players, as well as larger purchases ahead of the forthcoming UK VAT rise in January.

Sony developed the initiative through extensive consumer testing which revealed that the VAT rise is a major concern for consumers, especially in the run up to Christmas.

The campaign – a first for a consumer electronics company in the UK – will run until Christmas Eve and feature a wide range of high street retailers such as John Lewis, Tesco Extra, M&S Home, Jessops, PC World, Amazon, Comet, Currys and Argos, as well as independent outlets and Sony Centres.

Andy Benson, Commercial Director, Sony UK said: “Next year is likely to be a tough time for everyone, and with Christmas around the corner, getting the ‘VAT Back’ will hopefully make the difference for anyone in two minds about whether to make that extra special purchase for the family or as a Christmas gift ”

For consumers to benefit from the offer the full price of the item is payable in-store then shoppers have until 31 January 2011 to claim the VAT cash back from Sony on purchases made between 28 October and 24 December. The scheme includes all 3D televisions and Blu-ray products, full high-definition AVC Handycams and selected digital cameras, Readers, VAIO netbooks and iPod docks.

The new initiative is supported by a national advertising campaign, staring Sir Derek Jacobi as Scrooge in a modern-day version of A Christmas Carol. The ad opens with a bedraggled Scrooge alone in a gloomy London flat on Christmas Eve. He reads a newspaper headline and voices the message aloud ‘V.A.T back…..Sony….ends Christmas Eve’ which inspires him to purchase a wealth of Sony gifts for his nephew’s family.

A dedicated online hub for the initiative - www.sony.co.uk/vatback - will launch on 28 October to inform consumers which products are included in the promotion, where to find their nearest store and how to claim their VAT back. The official launch slot for the ad will be during the ad break of X Factor on 30 October, and will be an extended two minute version of the ad.

Ricoh GXR firmware update adds raft of enhanced functions

Ricoh has announced a second firmware update that brings a number of enhanced functions and are briefly listed below (further information is detailed in the press release):

1) Addition of `Screen Magnification Position Movement` when shooting

2) Addition of 3 handy magnification ratios for the focus check function

3) Addition of `spot AF, macro AF area selection`

4) Addition of `ADJ key and Fn key registration function` when changing the aspect ratio

5) Addition of `key custom setting initialization` function

6) Addition of `My Setting delete ` function

7) Addition of `Sutter half-press confirm` function in the DIRECT screen

8) Exif 2.3 support

9) Addition of `Noise Reduction AUTO`

10) Macro AF Distance Limitation

11) AF Ac

The firmware update will be available shortly (October 27th, 2010) from the support area of the Ricoh of website.

Press release

Tokyo, Japan, October 26, 2010—Ricoh Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Shiro Kondo) released the second function-enhancing firmware update on October 27th, 2010 for its GXR range of high-performance compact digital cameras which were initially released in December 2009.

With the GXR system, the lens, image sensor, and image processing engine are all mounted within the camera unit instead of the body, creating a ground-breaking interchangeable unit system that utilizes a slide mechanism for attachment and removal.

Ricoh’s function enhancing firmware updates are developed in response to opinions and requests received from a large number of customers via surveys submitted at customer registration time and other channels. This second update enables customers who already own a GXR to update their firmware to include the latest functions, thus making it possible for them to enhance the performance and usability of their cameras by adding new function and setting possibilities.

The function-enhancing firmware and instructions for using these functions can be downloaded free of charge from the Ricoh website.

<Enhanced Functions>

(1) Addition of “Screen Magnification Position Movement” when shooting
The magnification position of the shooting screen display can now be moved together with the AF/AE target movement or macro target movement. Supported in both auto focus and manual focus modes. (Macro target movement is only supported on units equipped with macro mode.)

(2) Addition of 3 handy magnification ratios for the focus check function
You can select the magnification ratio from 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1 in the shooting screen. Additionally, you can register the magnification function to the Fn1 or Fn2 key.

(3) Addition of “spot AF, macro AF area selection”
You can choose from normal or pinpoint AF area size when Spot AF is selected or when shooting in macro mode. (Only spot AF is available when GR LENS A12 50mm F2.5 MACRO or GR LENS A12 28mm F2.5 is used.)

(4) Addition of “ADJ key and Fn key registration function” when changing the aspect ratio
You can now register the aspect ratio change function to the ADJ, Fn1 and Fn2 keys.

(5) Addition of “key custom setting initialization” function
Key custom settings can be returned to their initial values.

(6) Addition of “My Setting delete” function
You can return the registered settings in the My Settings BOX and mode dial to the initial values.

(7) Addition of “Shutter half-press confirm” function in the DIRECT screen
You can confirm setting changes in the DIRECT screen by half-pressing the shutter.

(8) Exif2.3 support
Exif2.3 is now supported.

(9) Addition of “Noise Reduction AUTO”
You can now automatically adjust the noise reduction effects on the camera using the AUTO function.

(10) Macro AF Distance Limitation
When macro shooting using the GR LENS A12 50mm F2.5 MACRO, you can now select the shooting distance (distance within which the auto focus can focus) from 7-14cm or 12-30cm to provide overlapping distance ranges.

(11) AF Acceleration
The autofocus control drive system has been improved and accelerated. In association with this change, the AF mode (QK-AF and FR-AF selection mode) in the set up menu has been deleted. (When GR LENS A12 50mm F2.5 MACRO is used)

 

Further information for UK customers can be found here. I'm not sure if Ricoh cameras are represented in the US or Canada.

Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010 - Winners Announced

From deserted beaches, remote mountains and windswept trees to major cities and industrial works, the ‘Take a view - Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards’ highlight the interaction between people and places that is so important for us all.

Charlie Waite, one of Britain’s best-loved landscape photographers and founder of Take a view, set up the Awards to provide an ongoing platform for capturing images that best symbolise our land and our times, which will stand as a record for the future. The many thousands of entries that are received demonstrate both the beauty and variety of the UK landscape, its universal visual appeal and our ongoing love for exploring and photographing its many faces.

Overall Winner

Copyright, Antony Spencer – Corfe Castle, Dorset, England

The subtle colours of a frosty morning at Corfe Castle shape the image that has won top prize in the search to find the ‘Landscape Photographer of the Year’. Dorset photographer, Antony Spencer, becomes the fourth person to win this prestigious title and the £10,000 prize. His picture was chosen, by the judges, from the thousands of entries that showcased the richly diverse landscape of the UK.

To see more winning images from this competition, http://www.take-a-view.co.uk/news.htm

The Book

The Awards book, Landscape Photographer of the Year Collection 4, by AA Publishing, features over 170 winning & commended entries from this year’s competition and is published on 31st October 2010.

Exhibition details

Take a view – Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010 Exhibition In association with Network Rail and Natural England

With over 100 DigigraphieTM prints of stunning landscape images produced on the Epson Stylus Pro 9900, using the latest Epson inkjet technology.

Admission free Dates: 22nd November 2010 – 16th January 2011 (Closed 15th December)

Times: Open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 11pm, all year round (except for Bank Holidays) and on a number of Sundays from noon to 6pm (check NT website for dates).

Venue: Lyttelton Foyer, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX 020 7452 3000

PRIVATE VIEW (by invitation only): Thursday, 25th November 2010 (6.00pm)

Seeing landscape - Awards founder, Charlie Waite, will be giving talks on his approach to landscape photography & tours of the exhibition on November 24th & 26th and December 6th & 7th. (Contact box office or see NT website for times & ticket information)

ProCamera + GeoTagging iPhone App Review

The ProCamera iPhone app is extensive, it incorporates many features that will appeal to pro photographers. Not that this app is designed to replace the full functionality or speed of a DSLR but it represents an extremely good app to have on your iPhone to capture that elusive photo and with its extensive features gives you the opportunity to utilize the possibility of having a camera with you at all times. As we all know the best camera is the camera that's with you and by having this app on your iPhone you certainly get that. Take a look at our review below:

Expert Mode

One of the particular things I like about this app is within the so called, Expert Mode - here you can gain greater control of your image by focusing on specific areas within your photograph, ie selective focusing as well as exposure and it also incorporates a white balance lock. These facilities are available within the photo and video mode of ProCamera.

In order to activate this feature, with the app open you will see two boxes, a blue and a yellow box, as above. The blue box is the focusing box and the yellow box the exposure one. All you need to do is drag each box around within the image to lock the focus and exposure within different sections of the image. This is an exceptional feature within an iPhone app and one that is seriously welcomed.

Video Recording

Video recording is a very important factor within photography market at the moment and is growing day by day in popularity. To have the feature available within an iPhone photography app is very important, but it has to work well. Fortunately ProCamera does not disappoint in this respect.

The Video recording mode is simple to access, just select video camera within the menu and start recording by tapping the button within the center of the toolbar. To stop the recording just tap the stop button on the right of the toolbar. Again, you can selective focus and exposure specific areas of the recording by tapping the desired spot on the screen before and while actually recording. Despite not having a pause icon within the recording mode it is possible to start rerecording again simply enough, although the counter starts counting from the beginning. It would be a nice but not an essential feature to see a pause icon within the recording mode and one that the developer should be able to add with a future update.

GPS/Exif Data

This app has recently been updated to include GPS tagging - known as geotagging - this is a great and essential feature, no doubt about that. But, perhaps even more importantly it includes Exif data - this is something many pros want to know about time and again.

I have used the image above of my MacBook Pro keyboard for demonstration purposes.

Pro

By selecting the center icon on the row below it is possible to see information regarding this shot. Size, date, time, flash, aperture, exposure, location and direction are all recorded.

Expert

Within the expert mode of that screen it is possible to see the colormodel, DPI height and width, depth, orientation, pixel height, ISO speed rating, metering mode, shutter speed value and so on.

Map

Within the Map section you can pinpoint the place the image was taken and within the Satellite mode you can get a complete overview.

Photo Suite

Another great feature of this app is the ability to adjust the photo within the app by way of using Photo Suite. It is possible to adjust the brightness, exposure, digital flash and to change the image to either black and white or sepia modes, without leaving the app. Once you are happy with the image you can share it via email again within the app.

Conclusion

I have to say that this really is a great photo app and one that should be on your iPhone. It is priced within the app store for $2.99 and to my mind represents an absolute bargain. In the future it would be good to see an HDR and burst mode and again this could be incorporated within a future update but at present If you only want one photography app on your device, then make it ProCamera now. To download, go here

Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010 - Winners Announced

Now in its 46th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is an international showcase for the very best nature photography. The competition is owned by two UK institutions that pride themselves on revealing and championing the diversity of life on Earth - the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

Being accepted into this competition is something that wildlife photographers, worldwide, aspire to. Professionals win many of the prizes, but amateurs succeed, too.

Each year tens of thousands of entries are received and judged by a specially selected expert panel. The winners are announced at an awards ceremony that takes place each October at the Natural History Museum, London.

A marvel of ants

This is the photographer whose picture has been voted as being the most striking and memorable of all the competition’s entries. The award-winner receives a big cash prize and the coveted title Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

When Bence first tried to photograph leaf-cutter ants in action, he thought it was going to be easy. It wasn't, but relishing the challenge, he found out as much as he could about their complex society and spent hours watching and following them in the Costa Rican rainforest. 'They proved to be wonderful subjects,' says Bence, who discovered that they were most active at night. He would follow a column as it fanned out into the forest. Each line terminated at a tree, shrub or bush. 'The variation in the size of the pieces they cut was fascinating - sometimes small ants seemed to carry huge bits, bigger ones just small pieces.' Of his winning shot, he says, 'I love the contrast between the simplicity of the shot itself and the complexity of the behaviour.' Lying on the ground to take the shot, he also discovered the behaviour of chiggers (skin-digesting mite larvae), which covered him in bites.

Nikon D700 + 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f10; ISO 640; SB-800 flash

Veolia Environnement Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year -The frozen moment

This award is given to the photographer whose single image is judged to be the most striking and memorable of all the pictures entered by young photographers.

On Boxing Day 2009, it was so cold in Scotland (-17°C /1°F) that the birds were desperate for food. A rowan tree at the bottom of Fergus's garden in Perthshire became a magnet for thrushes - five of the six British species - song thrushes, mistle thrushes, blackbirds, redwings and a flock of about 15 fieldfares, all frantically picking the berries. Fergus wanted to capture the freezing feel of the day while showing the character of fieldfares in action, some of which were hovering to pluck berries. His biggest challenge (other than the cold itself) was to isolate a fieldfare against a clear background, and the only way to get the angle was to stand on his frozen pond. Risking a high ISO setting as well as the ice, he caught both the moment and the delicacy of colour he was after.

Nikon D300 + 500mm f4 lens; 1/500 sec at f4; ISO 800; Manfrotto 680B monopod + 293 tripod head

To view the NHM's gallery of winning images - http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/onlineGallery.do

Think Tank Photo unwraps Urban Disguise V2.0

Think Tank Photo has upgraded the popular range of Urban Disguise shoulder bags, now dubbed V2.0. Each bag is designed to hold a laptop and a range of camera gear, while looking fairly inconspicuous at the same time. The various models are said to be larger then their predecessors but there a few details of upgraded features in the press release (see below).

Santa Rosa, CA (PRWEB) October 22, 2010

For photographers operating in urban or dangerous environments, carrying thousands of dollars worth of photo equipment can be an invitation to have their gear stolen. Now, with Think Tank Photo’s completely upgraded and larger Urban Disguise® shoulder bags, photographers can travel in style while still protecting their valuable equipment from prying eyes.

The Urban Disguise V2.0 Series is specifically designed for professional digital SLR equipment, with some models including special laptop compartments. Each model features multiple pockets, YKK lockable zipper sliders, a comfortable, padded shoulder strap, and a seam-sealed rain cover. Specifically:

Urban Disguise 35 V2.0 – Carries a 13.3” laptop with a regular size DSLR or a 10” netbook with a pro size DSLR. Also carries a 70-200 f2.8 attached to a DSLR with two to three additional lenses.

Urban Disguise 40 V2.0 – Carries regular or pro size DSLR with a standard zoom lens attached and two to four additional lenses.

Urban Disguise 50 V2.0 – Carries up to a 15.4” laptop, a regular or pro size DSLR with a standard zoom attached, and two to four additional lenses.

Urban Disguise 60 V.20 – Carries up to a 17” laptop, a regular or pro size DSLR with a standard zoom attached, and three to five additional lenses.

Urban Disguise 70 V2.0 – Carries up to two pro size DSLRs with lenses attached in main compartment. Can fit a 70-200 f2.8 attached to a pro size DSLR.

“This design concept is the culmination of years of observation of photojournalists and other photographers who have jury-rigged their bags to decrease their public exposure,” said Think Tank Photo founder and lead designer Doug Murdoch. “Whether you are a professional who wishes to maintain a lower profile in dangerous situations or a serious amateur who wishes to lessen the risk of having your gear ripped off, the Urban Disguise’s low profile allows you to carry the right gear with less fear.”

SPECIFICATIONS

Urban Disguise 35 V2.0
Inside Dimensions: 10” W x 13.25” H x 4.25-6” D (25.5 x 33.5 x 11-15 cm)
Outside Dimensions: 10.5” W x 13.5 H x 6” D (26.5 x 34.5 x 15 cm)
Laptop Compartment: 10” L x 13.5” H x 1.5” D (25.5 x 33.5 x 4 cm)
Weight: 2.6 – 3.1 lbs. (1.2 – 1.4 kg)

Urban Disguise 40 V2.0
Inside Dimensions: 13.25” W x 10.25” H x 4.25” D (34 x 26 x 10.5 cm)
Outside Dimensions: 14” W x 11” H x 4.375” D (35.8 x 28 x 11 cm)
Weight: 2.9 – 3.3 lbs. (1.5 – 1.6 kg)

Urban Disguise 50 V2.0
Inside Dimensions: 14.375” W x 110.5” H x 4.25” D (36.5 x 27 x 10.5 cm)
Outside Dimensions: 15” W x 11 H x 6” D (38 x 28 x 15 cm)
Laptop Compartment: 14.375” L x 10.25” H x 1.5” D (36.5 x 26 x 4 cm)
Weight: 3.3 – 4.0 lbs. (1.5 – 1.8 kg)

Urban Disguise 60 V2.0
Inside Dimensions: 16” W x 11.25” H x 4.25” D (40.6 x 28.6 x 10.8 cm)
Outside Dimensions: 16.5” W x 12 H x 6” D (42 x 30.5 x 4 cm)
Laptop Compartment: 16” L x 11.25” H x 1.5” D (40.6 x 28.6 x 4 cm)
Weight: 3.7 – 4.4 lbs. (1.7 – 2.0 kg)

Urban Disguise 70 V.20
Inside Dimensions: 14.5” W x 12.25” H x 6.5” D (37 x 31 x 16.5 cm)
Outside Dimensions: 15” W x 12.5” H x 7.5” D (38 x 32 x 19 cm)
Weight: 3.3 – 4.2 lbs. (1.5 – 1.9 kg). (1.5 – 1

Think Tank Photo website.

Interview With Mary McCartney

Many moons ago I worked at a photo agency in London, known as London Features International. It was and still is an established entertainment photo agency, orginally created in 1971 and produces celebrity images from all over the globe, daily. Well, Mary McCartney was a frequent visitor to our offices, she I believe worked at the time for several magazines as a picture editor and would come in and sort through the images she liked, that was fun, we'd have tea.

I haven't touched base with her for a long time now, must do that but an article in The Telegraph this morning caught my eye. Roya Nikkhah has interviewed Mary and discussed with her her photography, fashion, her late mother and of course Paul. You can read the complete interview here - it's a good read.

Paul McCartney riding an appaloosa in Arizona Photo: Mary McCartney

Linda McCartney with daughter Stella Photo: Mary McCartney

A 'softer' Tilda Swinton Photo: Mary McCartney

‘From Where I Stand’ a new book by Mary is published by Thames & Hudson at £19.95. An exhibition of Mary McCartney’s photographs will be at The Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, from Oct 22 Nov 20. A display of 12 portraits from the book will be exhibited in the Bookshop Gallery at the National Portrait Gallery, London until April 10 2011. Mary McCartney will be signing books at Selfridges on October 22 from 6pm to 7pm.

Read the complete interview from The Telegraph here

Pantone Announces Capsure

Created for professionals in fashion, home, interior, industrial and graphic design, as well as for contractors, paint retailers and do-it-yourselfers, CAPSURE is easy to use and portable, yet its advanced image capture technology sets a new standard for accuracy and versatility in a portable device.
Capture color inspiration from any surface, material or fabric – even small, patterned, multi-colored textures and textiles – and match it quickly and accurately to a PANTONE Color.

CAPSURE's image capture technology lets professionals preview what they are measuring on its 1.75-inch color screen, in real time, to affirm image accuracy. Those images are then stored on the device for later reference. CAPSURE has the ability to record the last 100 colors measured for later reference. Users can also annotate colors with a voice recording as well as a time and date stamp. Additionally, the device provides harmonious shades and identifies related colors that are lighter, darker or similar in tone to the identified color.

CAPSURE comes pre-loaded with all PANTONE Color Libraries allowing users to match more than 8,000 colors with a single device. Users can also toggle across multiple PANTONE Libraries and cross-match any material or surface.

To find out more, or place an order, go here prepare to walk away $649 lighter but happier.

The Bouncy Castle Inflatable Photo Studio - Now You Know About It You'll Want One

Hands up, who isn't fed up with the rising prices of studio hire - no hands? Exactly, well Brian Hedenberg, a fashion, beauty and commercial photographer from New York City decided to do something about it. No, not negotiate a cheaper deal but design an inflatable photo studio - now why didn't I think of that.......

What Is It?

Well, it is made from a 6-10 mm tough thick plastic that's welded together at the seams. It folds up to a 2'x2'x4' box and weighs 40 lbs. There are several standard sizes of studio available to buy, although you can order your very own bespoke size. The larger standard size one has two entrances at either side. Its got reinforced flooring but will need to be placed on a hard surface, so forget about placing it on the lawn. Soft ground will increase backdrop wrinkles and puncture from high heels, unless of course, you put a board underneath. There's an air vent on the left side to allow for the inflow of air from the fan that can be moved to or away from the model.

How Much Will It Cost You?

The large inflatable photo studio with fan will cost you $499 and without the fan $349. The smaller studio with a fan is $399 and without $329, or you can buy both with fans for $749 or without for $449. The photo studio comes with a one year guarantee and the fans are covered by their own manufacturers warranty.

To find out more about this studio, go here

Portraits of the Unseen - Chasing Mirrors

The National Portrait Gallery is working with three community partners in West London to deliver a three-year project from 2009 - 2011, working with young people and families from Tallo Information Centre in Ealing, Afghan Association Paiwand in Barnet, and An Nisa, a Muslim women's organization, in Brent.

© National Portrait Gallery, London and the Chasing Mirrors Collective

Each year a different lead artist will collaborate with participants via a series of creative workshops to explore the Gallery's Collection, exploring issues around identity and cultural representation, to produce an exhibition of new work at the Gallery.

The first of these exhibitions, Chasing Mirrors, ran from October 2009 - January 2010. The second, Chasing Mirrors: Portraits of the Unseen, is taking place from 15 October 2010 - 9 January 2011. The third will take place at the Gallery in Autumn 2011.

The content of the creative workshops will draw on the expertise and artistic practice of the lead artist and will be shaped through the input of the participants. The medium used will vary and could include painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, mixed media or poetry in response to the Collection and the genre of portraiture. This project is funded by John Lyon's Charity

Photography: Alinah Azadeh/Chasing Mirrors, 'Portraits Of The Unseen/detail'. Courtesy: NPG/Chasing Mirrors.

In this second year of the project, the work in this installation will result from collaboration between artist Alinah Azadeh and the same groups who took part last year. The installation will move away from representation through human image: the outer, familiar manifestation of identity. Instead, participants will explore how portraits of the inner, ‘hidden' self can be created. Personal objects will be wrapped with cloth, concealing them and making them a part of the collective piece. Text will be integral as it is in traditional Islamic culture, in this case using the many languages spoken within the community groups.

Alinah Azadeh

Photograph: Alinah Azadeh

Alinah Azadeh is a British-Iranian artist with a background in painting, new media and video. Since her MA in Media Arts Practice at Westminster University (2001), she has created installations that combine textile media with texts and networked technology. Collaboration and mass participation are central to her work, either with other practitioners or the audience itself.
Recent projects include The Shape of Things : The Gifts, a textile installation for Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (Feb 6 - April18, 2010): 999 small objects were donated by members of the public which had personal meaning for the Giver. These were wrapped and bound using fabric and yarn, and suspended from the ceiling of the gallery to form a large composite piece.

Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 Get Firmware Update

Sony’s NEX-5 and -3 cameras got firmware updates with usability upgrades, Manual Focus Assist, and autofocus support for A-mount lenses. Available for free on the Sony Support website. The NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras previously received a firmware update that brought it 3D sweep panorama capabilities.

Available now for download with versions available for Windows and Mac OS, the free upgrade adds several performance enhancements. Autofocus is now supported when using the NEX-5 and NEX-3 with 14 lenses from the full range of A-mount optics by Sony and Carl Zeiss that includes telephotos, primes and zooms. Aperture settings can be maintained during HD movie recording, and system menu operation has been streamlined alongside other improvements. Registered NEX-5/NEX-3 owners will be advised of the free update via email, although if you can't wait European customers can download the firmware upgrade for the NEX-3 from here, or here for the NEX-5.

Nikon Small World Big Pictures - Winners Announced

Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. For over 30 years, Nikon has rewarded the world's best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science. Now the winners have been announced for 2010, take a look at these stunning images, we have listed the top 10. 

1st Place, 2010

Jonas King
Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Anopheles gambiae (mosquito) heart (100x)
Fluorescence

2nd Place, 2010

Dr. Hideo Otsuna
University of Utah Medical Center
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
5-day old zebrafish head (20x)
Confocal

3rd Place, 2010

Oliver Braubach
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Zebrafish olfactory bulbs (250x)
Confocal

4th Place, 2010

Riccardo Taiariol
La Spezia, SP, Italy
Wasp nest (10x)
Extended Depth of Field Stereomicrosc

5th Place, 2010

Viktor Sykora
Institute of Pathophysiology, First Medical Faculty
Charles University
Prague, Czech Republic
Strelitzia reginae (bird of paradise) seed (10x)
Darkfi

6th Place, 2010

Dr. John Huisman
Murdoch University
School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
Martensia sp. (red seaweed), living specimen (40x)
Brightfield

7th Place, 2010

Yongli Shan
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, USA
Endothelial cell attached to synthetic microfibers, stained with microtubules, F-actin and nuclei (2500x)
Fluorescence, Confocal

8th Place, 2010

Honorio Cocera-La Parra
Geology Museum, University of Valencia
Benetusser, Valencia, Spain
Cacoxenite (mineral) (18x)
Reflected light

9th Place, 2010

Dr. Duane Harland
AgResearch Ltd.
Lincoln, New Zealand
Ctenocephalides canis (flea) (20x)
Fluorescence

10th Place, 2010

Yanping Wang
Beijing Planetarium
Beijing, China
Crystallized soy sauce (16x)
Reflected and Transmitted Light


To view all the winners click here to view the Nikon Small World website.