The October 2004 issue of National Geographic features Frans Lanting’s coverage of Hawaii’s volcanoes. Lanting also has included his image collection on his website, lanting.com. The images, which cover landscapes, wildlife, people and environmental issues from around the world, can be browsed and licensed online for editorial and commercial use.

Building on its RZ67 film back, Mamiya has introduced the new RZ67 Pro IID. The Pro IID offers advanced microprocessor technology for traditional film capture, while enabling direct communication of many camera functions to digital capture backs through its Mamiya Serial Communication system.

A wide selection of interchangeable lenses, prisms and focusing screens provides convenience. Interchangeable backs for roll or Polaroid film, or for digital capture backs, increase the...

In late December, Canadian news outlets, including CFCN TV, the Calgary Herald, and Global News, ran photographs that were purportedly of the recent tsunami disaster in south Asia. The photos had been supplied by the World Job and Food Bank, based in Calgary. On Dec. 31, 2004, the Herald ran a front-page apology for its error in printing one of these photographs.

The media had been told incorrectly that the photo, along with others provided by the food bank, was from the recent tsunami, the apology explained. The image in the photograph actually was a huge wave resulting from a September 2002 tidal surge...

Larry Levin (lllevin.com) has been named the Picture Professional of the Year by the American Society of Picture Professionals. The second annual award was presented to Levin at Picturehouse in New York City on Oct. 20, 2004. The award recognizes significant contributions to photography, a single outstanding achievement and longtime service to the association or its members.

A former national president of ASPP, Levin has been involved in the photographic profession his entire life. In the 1990s, he was a major force in organizing the National Press Photographers Association’s Flying Short course around the country.

John Valls (johnvalls.com) recently completed a series of fashion images for designer Magali Corzo, based in Portland, Ore. The photographer and designer collaborated on the thematic series, shot mostly in industrial locations, for the 2005 spring/summer catalog.

Michael Grecco (michaelgrecco.com), based in Santa Monica, Calif., recently finished a campaign for the ACLU that featured Lawrence Bender, Quentin Tarantino’s producer. The Grecco team also has been busy shooting for ESPN (The Magazine), Dr. Pepper, Campbell’s and Accenture.

Mamiya has introduced an integrated medium-format digital SLR camera, the Mamiya ZD. The built-in 22-megapixel, 36-by-48mm Dalsa CCD imaging sensor is nearly three times as large as a full-size 35mm D-SLR sensor. The 14-bit analog-to-digital converter records information as 12-bit-per-color channel for color accuracy. Data transfer from the sensor is processed with...

Associate editor Chris Johns has been appointed editor in chief of National Geographic magazine, succeeding William L. Allen, who retired at the end of the year. Johns, whose photographs began appearing in the magazine in 1985, is the ninth full-time editor in the society's 116-year history.

Johns began making changes almost immediately, combining the photography and illustration departments. Dennis Dimick, illustration editor, will head the new department and has been named associate editor for illustrations. The director of photography position was eliminated; Kent Kobersteen, who had held that title since 1998, left the magazine...

Office: Littleton, Colo.

(agpix.com/bharrington.com)

Gear: Nikon F100 and F4 bodies, Nikkor 20-35, 35-70 and 80-200mm zooms; Nikon flash and Lumedynes; Bogen carbon fiber tripods.

Film: Primarily Fuji slide films, including Velvia, Velvia 100...

Craig Aurness, known for his work in National Geographic, died Dec. 14, 2004, in Panorama City, Calif. Aurness had been undergoing treatment for lung and anemia complications. He was 58.

The adopted son of James Arness, Aurness grew up on a ranch in Southern California. In the 1970s, he apprenticed with Look magazine photographer Earl Tyson. His first assignment for National Geographic was published in 1978, and he...