To combat the impact of the economic downturn in the ever more competitive photography industry, five Portland-based photographers have joined together to create a collaborative assemblage known as PhotoForce (photo-force.com).

The team — consisting of Steven Scardina, Lincoln Barbour, Brian Lee, Stuart Mullenberg and Daniel Root — was established to bring "five top photographers together in one collective."

The group's first major presentation, "Setting the Table," went on display at the Venue Pearl in Portland in January...

After 22 years as a prominent Seattle photo gallery, Benham Gallery closed its doors in December 2009 and will launch a virtual iteration called Benham Fine Art.

Owner Marita Holdaway, a former PhotoMedia Photography Person of the Year, said the new site (benhamfineart.com) will allow clients to browse through artists' pages and review or purchase prints. Interested users will still be able to set up personal consulting appointments.

Benham has held more than 500 exhibits and propelled the careers of local photographers, such as Phil Borges, Peggy Washburn and Bruce Barnbaum.

With enhanced security scanners being implemented in airports by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) is advising that all low- and high-speed film needs to be hand-inspected.
I3A suggests that printed circuit-board film as well as medical, consumer and motion-picture film, graphic arts materials, and storage media devices are at risk...

While photographing a wine festival in Yantai, China, last September, Oregon-based photographer Janis Miglavs discovered that his most recent book, "Oregon: The Taste of Wine," was one of four finalists in the Gourmand International Book Competition.

Miglavs' book, which highlights up-and-coming Oregon wines, took second place in the Best Book on New World Wine category. The book also won the Benjamin Franklin award for the best regional book in North America.

A new website titled Digital Photography Best Practices and Workflow (dpBestflow.org) was launched at the end of last year by the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) and the Library of Congress to definitively outline up-to-date guidelines for best digital photography practices.
On the website, users can learn how to preserve and categorize their images, read about the current best practices...

Between waiter/waitress and ad salesperson at No. 126 — that's where a career as photographer will land you in the rankings of 200 best and worst jobs of 2009, a list compiled by CareerCast.com. Even lower down the totem pole, photojournalist came in at No. 189, between firefighter and butcher. Looking for a slightly better photo job? Photo processor came in at No. 90.

The criteria for this ranking included physical demand, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook. Since the 2008 report, photographers maintained the same ranking, but photojournalist dropped 22 positions from No. 167.

Nikon has released its FX-format D3S, a pro SLR camera with a 12.1-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor. The new camera has 51 autofocus points, an extremely broad ISO range and can capture up to 9 fps in the FX-format or 11 fps in the DX crop mode.

The D3S contains a multi-CAM 3500FX focus module, with 51 AF points, 15 cross-type sensors and 36 horizontal sensors that lock onto moving subjects. AF comes in three modes — single point, dynamic area and...

In a legal battle over the definition of personal morality in a photography business, the New Mexico state court has ruled that a photographic enterprise is a service, not a form of artistic expression, and is required to follow anti-discrimination laws.
Elaine Huguenin, a New Mexico-based wedding photographer, was first taken to court in 2006 after refusing to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony between Vanessa Willock and Misty Pascottini...

Canon's EOS-1D Mark IV features a completely redesigned 45-point autofocus system, fast 10-fps continuous shooting, 16-megapixel resolution, outstanding ISO sensitivity and full HD video recording.

Out of the 45 autofocus points, 39 are high-precision cross-type sensors that can accurately track moving objects at speeds up to 10 fps in new AI Servo II mode. The Mark IV has nearly twice the number of cross-type sensors as...

Since the January release of Apple's latest must-have creation, the iPad, magazine publishers have been anxious to get a bite of this new e-reader's potential audience and market share.
Among the list of hopeful users, Time Inc. hopes to create SI Tablet, a digital version of Sports Illustrated magazine with multimedia and photo imaging capabilities. The SI Tablet would further entice e-readership with incentives such as access to twice the number of images offered in...