Has the Creative Cloud storm encouraged Adobe to rethink its prices?

Well this is intriguing. Photo Rumors is reporting that Adobe recently surveyed some of its customers about a restructure to the not-very-well-received new Creative Cloud subscription model. Instead of the proposed $49.99 a month for the complete Cloud, or $19.99 a month for a single product subscription it asked how customers felt about paying $9.99 a month for Photoshop or $29.99 for all of Creative Cloud on a three year contract. At the end of the period, you'd be entitled to a permanent copy of CS6 and a promise to keep it updated for file types and camera. Now I didn't receive one of these fabled questionnaires and I've not heard of anyone who did. Whether it did or didn't survey a selection of its users, Adobe is under no obligation whatsoever to respond to the findings. And if it thinks that it can get away with the new pricing structure then why should it change. If there is a change to the subscription model in the offing, the rumoured structure is quite a departure from the original plan. I'd suspect it would be somewhere between the two. Let's wait to see.

(Headsup to Photo Rumors)

Triggertrap launches updated Android app!

We haven't seen any updates from Triggertrap's Android division since November last year or so, but that doesn't mean to say that their boffins have been kicking back and drinking tea. Oh no, they've been hard at it, and have just launched a shiny new Android version of the universally awesome universal camera trigger to prove it. Along with a swathe of minor bug fixes, the big news is the inclusion of the Bang! sound detection mode and the Wi-Fi Master mode. Bang! will allow you to trigger your camera with a clap, whistle, click of your fingers, or squahonk of a Kazoo; the Wi-Fi Master does pretty much what it sounds as if it does: lets you trigger all of your enslaved devices from a master via Wi-Fi.

If you'd rather get the low-down straight from the Triggertrap team you can see this post on Triggertrap's website for the full details or watch their video

https://vimeo.com/67222043

And don't forget, you can update your app via the Google Play store, or download it direct from Triggertrap.

Catch up with the Datacolor & Triggertrap remote triggering webinar

If you weren't able to catch the Datacolor and Triggertrap webinar on remote controlled photography yesterday, possibly because you were sleeping (in the Antipodes and Asia), having dinner (in Europe and Africa), or at work (in the Americas), then you need feel guilty or excluded no longer. The recording is now available for your perusal. You can stop and start it and rewind* it as often as you want. The webinar placed David Saffir and C. David Tobie on hand to share their knowledge and experience when it comes to remote controlled camera operation, from the the basics of shooting tethered to a computer to stop-motion. Why not take a peek?

* Does one still 'rewind' digital video? Clearly the word is a hang-over from the days of tape recordings. Hmm.

An end to Focus on Imaging

After 24 years, the UK's annual photography extravaganza, Focus on Imaging, is to be brought to a close. Mary Walker, who has organised the show since it inception, has decided that the 2013 event was to be the last, and it won't be sold. Walker commented: 'It's been an immensely rewarding job that has brought experiences and friendships that will always remain. I am certain that the time is right for the industry to perhaps find fresh opportunities and bring new ideas to photographers - maybe we're due a new revolution of some kind?'

You can read Mary walker's full statement here.

Olympus E-P5: first impressions

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go hands-on with an Olympus E-P5 last night. The E-P5 is Olympus' new wi-fi-enabled flagship PEN, with a 1/8000 second maximum shutter speed and a 16 megapixel sensor that is reputed to offer the same image quality as the OM-D. But what did I think?

• I loved having individual control dials, one for shutter speed and another for aperture, that can be altered to adjust ISO and white balance at the flick of a lever
• The auto-focus seemed entirely capable in conditions that were less than optimal
• Tilting touch-screens are always fun
• It felt comfortable in the hand and looked stylish on the eye
• I'm looking forward to trying out that 1/8000 second shutter speed!

The Olympus E-P5 should be available towards the end of June 2013. Body-only, it will cost around £900; kits start around £1000 for the 14-42mm lens while the ultimate kit, with a 17mm f1.8 prime lens and new VF-4 high resolution viewfinder, is in the region of £1350.

Mark your calendars: remote camera triggering webinar on Thursday

If you're free on Thursday at around 2PM EDT (7PM BST, or see this handy link for the correct time zone near you), you're in for a treat: Triggertrap and Datacolor are doing a webinar on remote camera triggering! Most cameras have a range of creative remote control capabilities you may not even know exist. In this exploration of remote camera control possibilities we will cover the basics of shooting tethered to a computer, remote release devices, time and interval shooting (including interval shooting for combination into video streaming later) and remote triggering via long-run wired and wireless connections.

Applications will include, but are not limited to: commercial, stop-motion, wildlife, city and landscape photography.

It's a 1-hour seminar with David Saffir and C David Tobie, discussing the creative approaches you can use to trigger your camera remotely!

You can register for the seminar on the Datacolor webinars page today.

Enjoy!

Have you seen Flickr's new avatars?

As well as the new layout and the new business model that it rolled out this week, Flickr also introduced 12 new default avatars for anyone who chooses not to upload her or his own identifying image to attach to their homepage and comments. Designed by Charis Tsevis, they're bright, blocky, and I have to say I rather like them. The designs fall into the genre that Tsevis calls 'Neo-Futurism' or 'Neo-Cubism' and feature stylised cameras that include Canon or Nikon dSLRs; medium format, twin lens reflex, and old-fashioned polaroid cameras; mirror-less cameras that might be from Olympus, Nikon, and maybe Sony; as well as compact cameras resembling Fujis and Sonys; and of course the smartphone. He goes into more detail on the brief and his design process on his blog.

I think I might start a round of Flickr avatar bingo. Anyone up for it?

(Headsup to Design Taxi)

Flickr confirms: 'Pro' memberships can be retained

It seems as if creating a fuss can sometimes reap rewards. One of my, and just about every other 'Pro' user of Flickr's, concerns regarding the site overhaul and changes to its business model has been clarified. 'Pro' members do now have the chance to renew their membership at the existing price (about $25 for a year) and retain its benefits, with no plans to do away with it just yet. You won't have the luxury of allowing your membership to lapse, however, so if you're intent on keeping it, best sign up for recurring renewal. You can future-proof your subscription by heading to your Settings. It's right there under Personal Information. And all the details about retaining 'Pro' status are here in this FAQ.

(Headsup to Engadget)

Brand new site celebrating time-lapse photography!

It's pretty incredible what you can knock up in a day if you're suitably caffeinated–or slowly on your way to getting sozzled. In the case of the Triggertrap Company Hackathon, I decided to build a site celebrating one of my favourite hobbies: time-lapse photography.

A screen shot of a website? What's next, an interpretative dance recital of a haiku poem? Actually, come to think of it, that's not such a bad idea.

Primelapse.com is the name, and it is a collection of a load of rather fabulous timelapses from around the world, organised by location, technique, and theme.

If HDR photography is your poison, we've got you covered. Looking for time-lapses from California? Done. How about a load of timelapses taken from space? Yeah, sure, why the hell not.

It's a brand new site, so there's a load of things I still want to add to the site, but for now, we've got the first hundred or so timelapses live on there, so why not pop over and have a look?!

Masterclasses from Sony

As part of the World Photography Awards, Sony is laying on a series of photography masterclasses at London's Somerset House on Friday 26, Saturday 27, and Sunday 28 April. Michael Wayne Plant will be demystifying photography, there will be session aimed at students looking to make photography their careers led by Magdi Fernandes, and the team from What Digital Camera are looking at the past, present, and future of full-frame photography. Sessions cost £5, but that's redeemable against the cost of entry into the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition.

Full details about timings and booking are on the WPO website.

Celebrating a scandal

Scandal '63 has opened in Room 32 at the National Portrait Gallery, marking the 50th anniversary of the Profumo Affair.

If you don't know the story of the Profumo Affair, it's something straight out of a spy thriller, save that it really happened. John Profumo was the Secretary of State for War and married to actress Valerie Hobson. However, he was also having a bit of a carry-on with Christine Keeler, a nightclub hostess and model who was also enjoying the attentions of senior Russian naval attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. Being 1963, and the height of the Cold War, this was far from ideal for national security.

The NPG's exhibition tells the story of the scandal, and how the national media helped to unravel it, using portraits, press images, magazines, and ephemera. And it wouldn't be complete without at least one nude portrait of Keeler.

Scandal '63 at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, LONDON, WC2H 0HE

Stands Alone open now!

Stands Alone is a new exhibition of images by Simone Novotny on display at the Geffrye Museum. It charts the transformation of Arsenal's old Highbury stadium into new housing–Highbury Stadium Square–and features several of the residents as they try to build a community in this new development. The exhibition is open now and runs until Monday 26 August 2013. Entry costs £5 (£3 for concessions and under-16s are free).

Stands Alone at the Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, LONDON, E2 8EA.

News in brief: Super-secret iPhone panorama function

So if you’ve an iPhone, and if you’re running iOS 5, and if it’s jailbroken, (which is quite a few ifs, admittedly) there is, apparently, a panoramic camera feature secreted away in the deep, dark depths of its files. According to Conrad Kramer – the guy who stumbled upon it – if you want to take advantage, you need to find the ‘EnableFirebreak’ setting in the iOS preferences file, and flip it to ‘Yes’. And lo! You will have the ability to construct grand and sweeping panoramas with your iPhone, which is of course every iPhone owners every desire.

(Headsup to Engadget)

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

News in brief: Christmas cashback pressies from Pentax

More cunning than a cunning fox, Pentax has just announced some cashback offers to tempt you into buying its wares when you might, possibly, maybe, be thinking about presents for Chrisnukah. There’s £90 back on a K-5 – body-only or with a lens – or £100 back on a Q with a single or twin lens kit. I’m not sure that a £100 reduction is enough to win me over to the Q from the recent reviews, but if your heart is set on this itty-bitty 12 megapixel snapper, it can’t be bad at all.

The offer’s valid from 1 November to 31 December 2011. All the information that you need, including a downloadable claim form can be found here for the K-5 or here for the Q.

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.

News in brief: Two months in nick - the cost of taking a photo in court

Here in the UK artists’ chalk sketches made in court are a familiar sight; photography in court rooms is banned. Unfortunately this snippet of information, along with the signs saying something along the lines of ‘No photography’ escaped the notice of one Paul Thompson when he turned up at Luton Crown Court on Friday to lend his support to a friend who was on trial for robbing an off-duty police officer.

One photograph from his Blackberry and an hour-and-a-bit later, he was sentenced to two months in prison for contempt of court by Judge Barbara Mensah. She reckoned that a strong message needed to be sent to people who commit such a serious offence.

Judge Mensah, I think that Paul Thompson and quite a few other people might just have got that message.

Yes, it was contempt of court. Yes, it was a remarkably stupid thing to do. Yes, it was also a remarkably ignorant thing to do; using your mobile phone in court is plain rude. But I can’t help but agree with various lawyers and penal reform charities who’ve said that two months is verging on over-kill. Haven’t we got other people, you know, like convicted murderers, who should be in our already-overcrowded prisons?

(If you want to know more, take a look here, here, or here.)

What is this? - In our NewsFlash section, we share interesting tidbits of news. Think of it as our extended twitter feed: When we find something that get our little hearts racing, we'll share it with you right here! Loving it? Great, we've got lots more News Flash articles - and, of course, we're still on Twitter as well, for even shorter news tidbits.