HindSight has announced the arrival of a new software product called METAmachine. The simplified browsing utility program streamlines the process of adding keywords, licenses and other metadata to individual or packaged images. The program reads and writes XMP-formatted metadata in TIFF, JPEG, PSD and DNG images.

METAmachine can be used to write a complete set of the IPTC standard metadata into images or to add copyright and contact information or licensing terms, leaving unaltered all other metadata already present in the images. The software is compatible with XPM-compliant DAM software. To write metadata, users can drag images from the Desktop or from a compatible program...

After many months and several public betas, Adobe finally released Photoshop Lightroom 1.0, its professional photographer’s “toolbox” for importing, processing and managing digital images.

Designed from the ground up, Lightroom incorporates the latest digital imaging concepts and technologies, such as automated workflow processing, nondestructive editing and support for multiple file formats, including JPG, TIFF, DMG, PSD and more than 150 raw file formats..

It should come as no surprise to digital photographers that, within 48 hours of Apple’s October 2005 Aperture debut, iView Multimedia and Extensis both announced new versions of their own products. Adobe also released new photo software in January.

iView Media Pro Version 3 has some great new features, including a lightbox, better workflow tools and an improved user interface. The Pro Lightbox lets you compare up to four images side by side in a full-screen view, including the histograms, labels and rating for each image...

Software Cinema recently launched Workshop on Demand, an online service that provides access to training courses covering a variety of Adobe Photoshop topics. Each session is based on the company's CS2 Product-on-Disc lines, featuring expert instructors.

The programs guide digital photographers step-by-step through the advanced features found in Photoshop CS2, including Bridge, Camera Raw, 32-bit HDR and Smart Objects. Professional photographers share their expertise, such as...

Software Cinema, a software training company supporting the imaging industry, has released a training series on DVD-ROM that features photographer Eddie Tapp. Created for the professional digital photographer, the 48-part series covers both fundamental and advanced techniques for establishing project workflow efficiency with Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Bridge and the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in.

In addition to workflow management, Tapp covers digital color...

The Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) held its 12th annual meeting April 29 through May 1 in Seattle. Attendance was the highest in five years, with more than 140 attendees, including representatives from seven new stock libraries. At the event, member emeritus Jane Kinne was presented with PACA's first Lifetime Achievement Award for her more than 50 years of service to the industry.

Among the topics were the ever-changing stock photography landscape, discussed by James Alexander of Adobe; the pros and cons of digital picture editing, presented by a panel of stock agency experts; and searching for stock pictures in the digital era, discussed by a panel moderated by Debbie Campbell of Seattle-based Tip Top Creative. Breakout sessions covered subjects such as...

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), the Advertising Photographers of America (APA) and Adobe Systems have formed an alliance to simplify the hiring of assignment photographers. The Adobe Photographers Directory will provide a searchable list of professional photographers, accessible directly from Adobe's products for creative professionals. ASMP's general members will be charter members of the directory, as will members of the APA.

Users of the directory will be able to search the listings by geographic location and photographic specialty, and view portfolio images. The photographers' experience and competence will be evidenced by their membership in the partnering organizations.

Further details about how ASMP general members can participate in the directory are posted at asmp.org/adobe.

Adobe Systems Inc. recently announced several new digital camera software upgrades, including the release of its Creative Suite software and a new version of Adobe Photoshop CS.

The new release, dubbed CS2, is a major upgrade to the entire suite and includes new versions of InDesign, Illustrator, and GoLive, as well as two new products: Version Cue and Adobe Bridge. The Creative Suite Premium Edition includes Photoshop CS2, InDesign CS2, Illustrator CS2, GoLive CS2, Version Cue CS2 and Acrobat 7.0.

Adobe also recently announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Macromedia in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion. Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen will continue as CEO, and Stephen Elop, Macromedia's president and CEO, will become president of worldwide field operations for Adobe. According to Adobe, the purchase of Macromedia will provide customers...

Seattle photographer Doug Landreth was one of six winners in the Photo District News PIX Digital Imaging Contest's Personal category for his series of three floral portraits. A few months previously, Landreth's work placed sixth in the Adobe Digital Imaging Competition, exploring the theme Presentation of Entertainment.

Digital capture is becoming a reality for the professional photographer. Montizambert Photography Inc. built its dream studio and went fully digital last July, a move made possible by Foveon's next-generation digital capture workstation.

With workflow much more streamlined than with traditional film photography, we are finding that clients are embracing the technology with us. My partner/brother Mark and I are also reclaiming previously outsourced revenue streams since going digital. These include fees for digital manipulation, color correcting, retouching and CMYK conversions, plus immediate sales on people shots.

Since we began advertising our digital capture capabilities, numerous projects we've secured have been directly attributable to the quick turnaround and impressive session capabilities of our new Foveon digital...