The software giant gets serious about catering to professional photographers with a new web site and a host of advanced image processing tools for Windows.

Although many creative types consider the Apple Macintosh to be the platform of choice for serious graphics work, most working photographers out there still are wedded to their Microsoft Windows-based systems for image processing and management, as well as for running their businesses. However, market dominance has not stopped Microsoft from continuously working to optimize Windows (both the current XP version and the forthcoming Vista) in order to meet the needs of today's digitally focused pro shooters.

For Microsoft, digital photography really came of age in 2003, when sales of digital cameras began to outpace those of film cameras. The company decided it needed to do more to meet the growing...

Lost Luggage, the Seattle-based company that creates handcrafted portfolios and cases, recently previewed its 2006 line. The screwpost binding systems in the portfolios have been reengineered to incorporate the hinge inside the cover materials.

This year's offerings include Looking Glass, portfolios with expandable...

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...

Made famous by his work in National Geographic, Psihoyos also is known for his elaborate photo shoots and for creating images that stand the test of time.

"Iconic" is one of Louie Psihoyos' favorite watchwords. Not to be confused with "ironic," even though he might find that slip of the tongue agreeably appropriate when it comes to some of his more memorable portraits or pictorial vignettes. Pretty much every Psihoyos image, however, is memorable in some way, and many of them have, indeed, become photographic icons since he began his career more than three decades ago.

Psihoyos (drop the "P" and think "sequoias") is among that lucky breed of professionals who have found truth in the maxim, "Do what you love and the money will follow." The 47-year-old photographer lives in Boulder, Colo., and enjoys a thriving income from stock images accumulated through a huge backlog of assignments and visual...

Frans Lanting has received the 2005 Lennart Nilsson Award, which recognizes pioneers in medical and scientific photography. Lanting, who is based in Santa Cruz, Calif., was honored for his nature photography, examples of which have appeared in books, magazines and exhibitions around the world. He is a frequent contributor to National Geographic, where he served as photographer-in-residence, and has received numerous awards for his work as a photographer and conservationist.

Earlier this year, Graham Nash and his business partner, printmaker Mac Holbert, were the recipients of the PhotoImaging Manufacturers & Distributors Association Visionary Award. Co-founded in 1989 by Holbert and Nash, Nash Editions is widely regarded as having started a photographic revolution with its invention of digital fine-art printing.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History recently acquired the original Nash Editions Iris 3047 printer, on which the pair began experimenting with...

At PhotoPlus Expo in New York City last October, Apple Computer introduced Aperture, an application that had been dubbed “iPhoto Pro” by many Apple rumor web sites prior to the official announcement. Early impressions (largely based on demonstrations by Apple) were glowing in their praise for what appeared to be a revolutionary product. The innovative interface and smartly targeted feature set promised to greatly streamline workflow for professional photographers.

For years, pro shooters have been seeking a way to manage the critical “sweet spot” of digital photo workflow, and Apple is targeting that space. The company claims that Aperture...

The Society of American Travel Writers has named Blaine Harrington, of Littleton, Colo., Travel Photographer of the Year for the second year in a row. Harrington's images can be seen at blaineharrington.photoshelter.com.

On the cover: Yes, that’s really Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, dangling from a tree to demonstrate the memory capacity of a CD, circa 1995. Not only does photographer Louie Psihoyos have the imagination to dream up such arresting imagery, he has the guts to pull it off.  

Cover photo: © Louie Psihoyos

Lyson, a provider of digital inks for photography and related industries, has introduced a bulk ink feed system and bulk ink for Epson's Stylus Photo R2400, R1800 and Pro 4000 printers. The new system uses components specifically designed for use in continuous ink-supply systems. The modular ink reservoirs can be topped up while printing and sealed when not in use. The cartridges feature pressure dampers to regulate ink flow as well as filters to protect print heads.

The bulk feed systems for...