Shutter Box Philippines :: Digital Photography and A Whole Lot More

Next month, The Filipinas Heritage Library and Ayala Malls will feature a workshop and an exhibit on the art of Ikebana. Select faculty members of the Sogetsu Ikebana School of the Philippines will facilitate the workshop.
Workshops will be held in Artspace, 3F Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati on the following dates:

July 7, 2007  3:00-5:00 p.m

July 21, 2007  3:00-5:00 p.m

Sogetsu Ikebana can be enjoyed by all, as it is an art that is not too selective of time, venue, or medium. It is also a very practical hobby; it can be used to beautify big or small spaces, at home or at work. 
For registration details and inquiries, please call 892-1801, text 0917-5594417, or email cruz.ct@ayalafoundation.org.

“One part Google Maps, one part eavesdropping, 100% fun; flickrvision lets you watch users uploading photos live. The map view shows where the user is uploading from and a small snapshot of the photo is displayed over the location.”

Got time to waste? Indulge your voyeuristic side: www.flickrvision.com

Thanks to Vic Icasas of Philmug.PH

HP launches nine new feature-rich digital cameras highlighting a digital camera with the largest touchscreen LCD display of any compact digital camera in the industry.

The HP Photosmart R937 Digital Camera has a 3.6-inch Auto-bright touchscreen display for editing and organizing photos directly on the camera. Included within the touchscreen is a Microsoft Windows Vista™-compatible tagging feature and a virtual keyboard, making photo organization and management quick and easy once the camera is connected to a PC.

The 8-megapixel R937 also features the latest generation of HP Design Gallery, which includes the popular slimming feature that can take up to 10 pounds off photographed subjects, HP pet-eye fix to correct glowing pet eyes and HP touch-up technology for removal of blemishes.

The HP Photosmart Mz67 Digital Camera, which produces 8-megapixel photos, is HP’s first compact midrange zoom digital camera. The Mz67 features a big 6x optical zoom and a bright 2.5-inch display for easy viewing indoors or out.

Adding a splash of color to HP’s lineup, the HP Photosmart R742 Digital Camera comes in a wide variety of colors, including silver black and dark blue. Six other new HP digital cameras – starting as low as $79(2) – feature industry-leading in-camera red-eye removal,(3) HP steady photo anti-shake mode,(4) HP Design Gallery,(5) HP Photosmart software and Vista compatibility, making it easy to edit, share and manage photos.

The thin and lightweight, 5-megapixel HP Photosmart E337 Digital Camera is expected to be available for purchase in July. The remaining eight digital cameras, including the HP Photosmart R937 Digital Camera and HP Photosmart Mz67 Digital Camera, are expected to be available for purchase in August.

Hallmark Institute of Photography will hold its thirty-second commencement ceremony for the Class of 2007 on June 22, 2007 at the grounds of the Institute’s Administrative Office Building located at 241 Millers Falls Road in Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

One hundred and ninety-one (191) talented professionals (122 females and 70 males) are expected to grace the stage and receive Certificates of Completion. Graduates represent forty-one (41) of the United States from Massachusetts to Alaska plus Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. Graduates also represent Russia, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines. The graduates range in ages from 18-53 and hold educational backgrounds from high school diplomas and GED equivalencies to Masters degrees.

Lois Greenfield, world-renowned photographer and keynote speaker, plans to inspire and motivate the graduates as she officially welcomes them into the photographic industry as professionals. Her unique approach to photographing the human form in motion has radically redefined the genre, and influenced a generation of young photographers.

Other special guests speaking at the ceremony for the Class of 2007 will be Scott Hersh, Director of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and Jan Lederman, President of MAC Group. Kirsten Snow (Class of 1985) will speak as the Alumni Representative, while Kate Drew Miller (Class of 2007), of Williamstown, MA, has been selected to deliver the Prelude and Todd Cooper Barnes (Class of 2007) of San Juan Capistrano, CA, will speak as Class Representative.

Hallmark Institute of Photography was established in 1975 with the sole mission to provide an accelerated academic path to a career in professional photography. Their unique ten-month residence program was designed to equip the motivated student with all of the tools that he or she will need to successfully launch a career in the highly competitive imaging marketplace.

The ten-month resident program approaches learning with a hands-on technique, quickly building from beginning to advanced photographic skills. Committed staff and faculty prepare an individual to handle photographic assignments of great diversity in a professional manner, including portraiture, catalog and advertising illustration, aerial and location, studio and environmental product, group and candid, industrial, photojournalism and digital capture, manipulation and restoration. With a well-rounded curriculum emphasizing the technical, artistic and business aspects of photography and imaging, Hallmark graduates are ready to secure meaningful employment with established photographers or to begin plans for successful photographic businesses of their own.

For more information, visit hallmark.edu.

TIWA (Taiwan International Workers’ Association) recently published Voyage 15840, a photo book made by 19 Filipino migrant workers to voice out what they saw while working in Taiwan.

The photo book is aptly titled Voyage 15840 since it depicts their journey and 15840 is a migrant’s monthly income in Taiwan.

“The images featured in the photo book are the best photos taken by migrants who signed up for TIWA’s photography workshop”

The 19 Filipino migrants whose photos are featured in the photo book are Alicia Dimzon, Blesilda Landingin, Cyd Charisse Sannoy, Edcel Benosa, Elizabeth dela Cruz, Ellen Panaligan, Emy Derder, Evangeline Agustin, Glorette Platon, Gracelyn Mosquera, Jun Sanchez, Lucile Alfaro, Maria Christina Antipala, Maria Belen Batabat, Maria Josefina Vafloe, Maricel Santiago, Mechille Dacuno, Nida Quintay and Ronel Gonzales.

If you want to purchase a copy of TIWA’s Voyage 15840 photo book, e-mail them at tiwa@tiwa.org.tw. The book costs NT$500. Migrants however could get the book for NT$300.

Due to popular demand, Jerry Tieng made a new D40X package as well but the offer is only available for a limited time only.

Jerry’s Nikon D40X Navigator Special now comes with a Tamrac Velocity 6x Sling Pack and a PhP 1,000 voucher for the same price of 30,998. This is a gray market unit with 3-month warranty.

For more info check out http://www.jerry.ph/nikon

Jennie Castillo of Everything Lomo has these lomo cameras in stock:

• Holga 120N
• Holga 120CFN
• Holga Starter Kit
• Lomo Colorsplash Camera
• Fisheye 1
• Fisheye 2
• Colorsplash Flash
• One rare Zenit LC-A (like new condition)

For prizes and more info, check out Everything Lomo or just contact Jennie Castillo at 0918 5182923.

PENTAX U.K.announces the release of 5,000 limited-edition PENTAX K10D Camera Packages, to commemorate K10D winning the Camera Grand Prix 2007 Award in Japan. With only 150 PENTAX K10D Grand Prix Packages available in the UK,  the extremely collectable cameras with an exclusive new colour scheme, will be sought after by photography enthusiasts across the country.

This one-off PENTAX K10D Grand Prix Package features gold finished PENTAX branding, the K10D logo and mode dial, complimented by a new dark brown rubber coating on the body and battery grip. In addition, the Package includes a specially designed leather camera strap with the award logo and Camera Grand Prix lettering, also in gold. The PENTAX K10D cameras in the Grand Prix Package also include the latest Firmware (ver.1.30) and each camera is identified with a serial number, which is specific to the Package.

The PENTAX K10D is a 10.2 effective megapixels digital SLR camera, that offers high-precision, high-resolution images. It incorporates an array of advanced, user-friendly features including the PENTAX-original SR (Shake Reduction) technology. It was awarded the Camera Grand Prix 2007, in recognition of its technological sophistication, outstanding specifications, and reasonable price, ensuring it is affordable to photographers around the world.

Product name:

• PENTAX K10D Grand Prix Package

Package contents:

• PENTAX K10D GP camera
• D-BG2 GP Battery Grip,
• O-ST55 Camera Strap with a Grand Prix logo

Quantity:
Limited production of 5,000 sets in worldwide

Main Features of the PENTAX K10D Grand Prix Package

1. For this limited-edition package the camera body and the battery grip have been specially applied with a dark-brown rubber that compliments the gold lettering and branding on the camera and leather strap.
2. On the K10D the the PENTAX logo, the K10D logo and the mode dial are in a standard gold color, signifying the limited-edition status. The “CAMERA GRAND PRIX 2007” lettering and award logo mark are also displayed on the lower part of the LCD monitor on the camera’s back panel.
3. The specially designed leather camera strap features the “CAMERA GRAND PRIX 2007” lettering, award logo and the K10D logo, in the same gold color.
4. Each camera body is identified with a serial number, which is exclusive to the PENTAX K10D Grand Prix Package.
5. The latest firmware (Ver.1.30), that corresponds with the SDM system, has been installed onto the cameras. PENTAX K10D Grand Prix camera body is also compatible with PENTAX’s supersonic motor-driven lenses. With the SDM system mounted onto the next-generation of supersonic motor-driven lens, it assures smoother, quieter autofocusing operation.

Note: The specifications of the K10D camera body and the battery grip included in this package are same as their standard models except for the firmware.

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Basics Workshop at PCCI

Learn the essentials of Adobe Photoshop, the standard for image enhancement and compositing for print, multimedia and the Web. Photoshop Basics, which is the first part of a two-part workshop on Adobe Photoshop, deals with the basic techniques to get you going with photocompositing and simple retouching.

What will be covered

• Photoshop’s work area, tools and palettes
• Working with selections
• Layer basics
• History palette
• Painting and editing
• Masks and channels
• Photo retouching
• Tips and shortcuts

What to bring

For the final project, participants may bring photographs or magazine images for scanning.
Who will benefit from this workshop

If you are a photographer, a painter, or a designer, who has no background in computer imaging, and now would want to expand your business or your craft, this workshop is for you!

Prerequisite

Participants should have completed PCCI’s Digital Imaging and Color Management Fundamentals seminar or have equivalent experience.

DATES: July 3–5, 2007 (Tuesday to Thursday) or July 20–22, 2007 (Friday to Sunday)

TIME: 9 AM to 5 PM

INSTRUCTORS:

• Mario Ramirez
• Jun Miranda

FEE: PhP 8,250 (USD 176)

Includes materials, lunch and snacks. Plus A4 photo paper for project.

To register please call 63.2.759.308 or email registration@pcci.com.ph

Project Shutter’s

LIVE IN MY CITY
PHOTO CONTEST

A photo is more than just a second captured in frame. It speaks more than a thousand words. It tells of a thousand stories.

Now, you have the chance to tell your stories and share them with the world. Capture the unique moments that best depict the verve of your home city and submit original works to the three (3) categories below:

1. Food - A universe of spices, a feast for the senses
2. Culture - From high brow to street trends, it’s what defines you
3. Architecture - In every brick is a story of the times

Originality counts! Demonstrate your mastery of the lense and score the chance to see your works featured on Project Shutter! And that’s not all! Impress your fellow shutterbugs with your artistic flair and you might just win some awesome prizes from HP and Windows Vista Ultimate from Microsoft!

How to play

It’s easy! Arm yourself with a camera-enabled mobile device or digital camera and start thinking about the unique stories that can only be found along your city streets.

Submission Guidelines
Each entry should meet the following guidelines:

• Provide a caption for each entry
• Maximum longest dimension: 1024 pixels (landscape or portrait)
• Maximum file size (per entry): 2MB
• File format: JPEG
• Colour: RGB

PRIZES!

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

When is the deadline for submitting entries?

June 29th, 2007 at 11:59 PM Singapore time (GMT +8). There will be no extensions and late entries will not be accepted.

Do I have to pay to enter the contest?

No. The contest is absolutely free of charge. All you need is a Windows Live Hotmail or MSN Hotmail e-mail address. Click here to sign up if you don’t have it.

Can I submit more than one entry in a category?

Each contestant must submit three entries to be eligible for contest. You can enter one in each category, or two in Food and one in Culture, or all three in Architecture. The only limitation is three TOTAL entries in the contest.

All submissions must include name of contestant, country of origin and title of entry to be eligible for contest.

Does Microsoft own the rights to images submitted to the contest?

As an entrant, you retain the copyright ownership of the images you submit. Submitting an entry does not assign or transfer any ownership or copyrights to Microsoft; those rights remain with the creator of the original work. However as a condition of accepting a prize, you agree to grant Microsoft the right to reproduce and display the image, credited with your first and last name, in print and on the web, for the purposes of promoting this contest.

Can I mail in my entries?

No. It’s the new millennium and we are enthusiastically embracing the digital age. All entries are to be submitted online through the contest website www.projectshutter.com.

I still shoot with a film, can I still enter the contest?

Yes. However, we only accept submissions on-line which means you need to be scan and reduce your entries to the proper size before entering.

What size file should I submit?

To keep the system running smoothly we ask that the longest dimension of your entry, vertical or horizontal, not exceed 1024 pixels and be in JPEG format.

Can I submit a 16 bit Tiff?

No. Only 8 bit JPEGs please.

I changed my mind; can I replace a previously submitted entry?
All entries, once submitted, are final.

When will I receive my prize (if I win)?

Please allow up to 60 days once results are announced.

How much enhancement and manipulation can I apply to the image?
Sure. Although manipulated entries will not be summarily disqualified, we recommend that you rely on your natural talents.

Will you accept nude entries?

No way. We’re a family-friendly portal.

So, who are the judges?

We will shortlist the entries selected for competition. However, for the final round of judging, your fellow peers will determine who wins.

Works that display originality and artistic appeal stands a better chance!

Where can I get tips and tricks on taking that winning photo?

Check out the official Project Shutter Community or visit one of our local photography community partners:

ClubSNAP (Singapore)

Lensa Malaysia (Malaysia)

PixPROs (Thailand)

Check out the Project Shutter - Live in My City Photo Contest Terms and Conditions

Hurry! Contest ends June 29, 2007. Good luck everyone!