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Posts Tagged ‘Year’

Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner disqualified for using stuffed animal

28 Apr

The winner of the Environment category of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has been disqualified after the competition’s organizers discovered the anteater starring in his dramatic nighttime image is stuffed. According to the competition, photographer Marcio Cabral—who had won £1,250 and a place in the awards exhibition in London’s Natural History Museum with his image ‘Night Raider’—was found to have included a ‘taxidermy specimen’ taken from the entrance to the park in which his picture was created.

Organizers’ suspicions were raised after an anonymous tip off that came supported by a picture of the anteater in question occupying its usual role as a greeter at the Portão do Bandeira gate of the Emas National Park in Brazil. Five independent science experts were called in to conduct a ‘thorough investigation’, and they concluded that the pose, markings, shape and fur patterns of the stuffed creature and the subject of Cabral’s picture were simply too similar—they had to be one and the same animal.

Cabral continues to plead his innocence, despite not being able to show a raw file that includes the anteater other than the shot he entered in the competition. Cabral provided a witness who testified that they saw the live animal, but the organizers were not convinced. Cabral had his award removed and is banned from entering ever again.

This isn’t the first time the competition has been struck by such circumstances. In 2009, the overall winning image was found to include a zoo wolf called Ossian being passed off as a wild animal. The photographer on that occasion, Jose Luis Rodriguez, also claimed he hadn’t cheated, but the judges concluded it was likely the wolf had been hired for the shot and the photographer was disqualified, leaving the competition with no winner for that year.

For more information on the disqualification, read the press statement below. And if you want to see the other, legitimate winners of this year’s WPotY, visit the competition’s website.

Press Statement

Press statement: Wildlife Photographer of the Year image disqualified

After a careful and thorough investigation into the image ‘The night raider’, taken by Marcio Cabral, the Natural History Museum, owner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, has disqualified the photograph, which was selected as winner of the 2017 Animals in Their Environment category.

Evidence was presented to the Museum by third parties that it is highly likely the animal in the awarded photograph is a taxidermy specimen. After a thorough investigation taking just over three weeks, the Museum has concluded that the available evidence points to this allegation being true. As a result, the Museum believes that the image breaches the competition rules. The rules clearly state that ‘entries must not deceive the viewer or attempt to misrepresent the reality of nature.’

The Natural History Museum is a world-leading scientific research institution. The team of scientists involved in the investigation comprised of two mammals experts and a taxidermy specialist at the Museum, plus two external experts; a South American mammals expert and an expert anteater researcher.

Evidence examined included high resolution photographs of a taxidermy anteater that is kept on open display in the educational collection at a visitor centre located at the Portão do Bandeira gate, one of the entrances of the Emas National Park – the large park where ‘The night raider’ was taken.

The anteater in the awarded image was compared to the taxidermy anteater depicted in the photographs received by the Museum. The five scientists, working independently of each other, all reached the same conclusion that there are elements in overall posture, morphology, the position of raised tufts of fur and in the patterning on the neck and the top of the head that are too similar for the images to depict two different animals. The experts would have expected some variation between two individuals of the same species.

The Museum also considered the responses to specific questions put to the photographer Marcio Cabral, who cooperated fully in the investigation, and who supplied RAW image files he claims were taken of ‘before’ and ‘after’ the winning shot was taken – none of which included the anteater. Mr Cabral did provide an explanation as to why he had no other images of the anteater. He also provided a witness who claims he saw the live anteater.

Mr Cabral strongly denies that the anteater in the image is a taxidermy specimen.

The competition rules clearly state that photographs achieved through unethical practices will be disqualified. The competition rules are available to all entrants including versions translated into several languages, including Brazilian Portuguese.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the world’s most prestigious photography competition of its kind and any transgression of the competition rules is taken very seriously. The image will be removed from the exhibition and tour.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Harrowing image from Venezuela named 2018 World Press Photo of the Year (NSFW)

13 Apr

Finalists for 2018 World Press Photo of the Year were announced in February; now, a winning photo has been selected. Ronaldo Schemidt’s image titled ‘Venezuela Crisis’ takes the top prize, chosen from six semi-finalists and 73,044 total contest entries.

The image, displayed below, is disturbing and may not be suitable for children or viewing in the workplace. It depicts José Victor Salazar Balza on fire during a violent clash between police and protestors. He survived with first- and second-degree burns.

Title: Venezuela Crisis
© Ronaldo Schemidt, Agence France-Presse

José Víctor Salazar Balza (28) catches fire amid violent clashes with riot police during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela.

Schemidt’s image won first prize in the Spot News, Singles category. All winning images can be seen at the World Press Photo website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Elinchrom will skip Photokina this year, other brands may follow suit

10 Apr
High-end lighting brand Profoto is also rumored to be dropping out of Photokina 2018, but Elinchrom is the first to officially announce it will be sitting this one out. Credit: Photokina

Swiss lighting company Elinchrom has officially decided to “take a breather” from Photokina 2018. The flash maker cited two reasons: the fact that the photo industry is “going through major changes”, and Photokina’s decision to reposition itself as an annual trade show in order to better reflect the “fast-paced and briefer innovation cycles” of digital technology.

“After close to 30 successive participations we feel this is a transitional year for photokina,” writes CEO Simon Whittle in a statement on the Elinchrom website. “This break will help Elinchrom to analyze and refocus on what is really important for our customers in the coming years.”

The decision makes sense—this year’s show will only be four days long instead of six, there’s less exhibition space, and Photokina 2019 will take place just eight months after Photokina 2018—but it still comes as a surprise that a major lighting brand would sit out one of the largest photo industry trade shows in the world. Even more surprising, rumors have been circulating that Elinchrom will not be the only brand to skip this year’s exhibition.

According to DIY Photography, rumors that major brands like Profoto and maybe even Canon could drop out of Photokina 2018 first surfaced during The Photography Show in the UK last month.

The Profoto rumor we might believe, but the idea that Canon would skip even a pared-down Photokina seems far-fetched. With all rumors and teasers and coy interview answers pointing towards the release of full-frame mirrorless cameras from both Canon and Nikon sometime this year, we’d be very surprised indeed if one or both of the big two dropped out. Still, we might be in for a much quieter Photokina this September.

You can read Elinchrom’s full statement below:

Elinchrom Take a Breather From Photokina.

It goes without saying that the photo industry is going through major changes; photographer’s habits and expectations are evolving so rapidly.

In order to respond to this new environment, the photokina international exhibition has repositioned itself as an annual event to be held over 4 days in September this year, and then annually each May from 2019.

“After close to 30 successive participations we feel this is a transitional year for photokina and this break will help Elinchrom to analyse and refocus on what is really important for our customers in the coming years.” said Simon Whittle, CEO of Elinchrom.

The launch of the ground-breaking ELB 1200 location stills and video light and the ELB 500 TTL is proof of Elinchrom’s commitment to their customers.

Full information on the complete Elinchrom range remains accessible on-line and locally from Elinchrom’s Distributor and Retail network, throughout the year.

Elinchrom

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony executive predicts Nikon and Canon will go full-frame mirrorless within a year

13 Mar
Kenji Tanaka, Sony Senior General Manager of the Digital Imaging Business Group | Photo by Carey Rose

Earlier this month at CP+, we sat down with several camera company executives for in-depth interviews about the photo industry, trying to tease out what the future holds for the cameras and lenses of tomorrow. One of the people we spoke with was Sony’s Senior General Manager of the Digital Imaging Business Group, Kenji Tanaka, and he had an interesting prediction. He told us to look for Nikon and Canon full-frame mirrorless “by next year’s CP+.”

We’re still working on finalizing the full interview for you, but we wanted to share this tidbit right away:

One of the reasons that companies like Sigma and Tamron are creating native Sony FE lenses is that they’re looking forward to a future where full-frame mirrorless is the norm. How long will that be?

This is just my personal opinion, but I think that maybe by next year’s CP+ you’ll see full-frame mirrorless cameras from Canon and Nikon. I think [by then] they will be participating in this market.

Just look at our technologies, like eye focus. All of that data comes from the imaging sensor. In DSLRs, the data comes from separate sensors. The main imaging sensor is blanked out, 90% of the time by the mirror. The sensor is turned off. But the imaging sensor is very important. So if cameras are going to develop, and be more able to capture the moment, manufacturers have to develop mirrorless technologies. So within one year, I think.

Rumors of Nikon and Canon full-frame mirrorless cameras have been swirling for years, but no official confirmation has ever come down the pike. The best we’ve managed to get so far is this somewhat vague statement from Nikon, and confirmation that Canon is now willing to cannibalize its DSLR sales to invest in mirrorless cameras.

Obviously Kenji Tanaka does not speak for Canon or Nikon—he even made sure to mention this was his “personal opinion”—but he has a much better high-level understanding of the camera industry’s ins and outs that most of us. In other words: we take his ‘personal opinions’ quite seriously.

The latest whispers on the rumor mill claim there’s a Canon full-frame mirrorless prototype in the wild, and up until CP+ came and went, many were hoping to see a full-frame mirrorless from Nikon at the show. As we move further into 2018 and look ahead to Photokina, Photo Plus Expo, and next year’s CP+ show, maybe all of those rumors will finally start paying off.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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International Wedding Photographer of the Year 2017 winners announced

06 Mar

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The International Wedding Photographer of the Year (IWPotY) competition has announced it’s 2017 winners, and there is plenty of wedding photography inspiration to go around. Entries were submitted into one of nine categories, and submitted photos had to be taken on the day of the wedding to quality.

© Erika Mann

This year’s Wedding Photographer of the Year grand prize went to Two Mann Studios’ Erika Mann for her portrait of a bride with a double rainbow in the background. The image was taken near Cougar Creek in Canmore, Alberta, Canada, according to the photographer, who explained that an “unpredictable storm” had provided them with the spectacular backdrop.

Talking about the shot, Mann said:

Paige and Daniel had a super low key wedding, with the reception taking place in their parent’s backyard, with about 25 guests. Thankfully their parents have one of the most beautiful backyards in the planet, along the banks of Cougar Creek in Canmore, Alberta. After a short, and unpredictable storm, we were treated to the most amazing double rainbow. Lanny and I got low into the creek bed so we could remove the houses, and simplify the frame to the rainbow, mountain and Paige, with her dress billowing in the wind.

As the grand prize winner, Mann will receive $ 3,000 USD, as well as a Nikon D850 and other items totaling $ 9,125 in value.

© Paul Woo

The contest’s Runner Up is Paul Woo of Wandering Woo, who claimed the spot with a touching image of a bride’s son becoming emotional during the wedding ceremony. The Runner Up prize includes $ 1,000 USD, a Think Tank Signature 13, Photo Mechanic user license, and Hold Fast Skinny Money Maker camera strap.

Top scoring images have also been selected across various categories, including Black & White, Bridal Party, Couple Portrait, Dance Floor, Epic Location, and more. Scroll through the gallery at the top to see all of the category winners, and if you’d like to see the top 10 from all of the categories, you can find the full albums here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slow start to year as camera production and shipping plunge

03 Mar
Photo by Arno Body

According to the latest data released by CIPA, the number of cameras made and shipped in the first month of 2018 barely reached 70% of the volume for the same period last year and the year before that. Not a great start to the year…

As usual, cameras with lenses built in—compacts and bridge cameras—continue to show the worst decline, with only half as many of these models shipped to the USA and Asia in January 2018 as there were in January 2017. But while production and shipments were quite dramatically down by volume, measurements by value are not quite so bad, indicating that a more high priced cameras are selling… or that camera prices are rising.

The value of interchangeable lens system mirrorless cameras produced actually rose by 8% even though the volume produced was only 80% of production last January—just fractionally ahead of DSLRs. Interestingly, DSLR shipments to Japan in that period were up on the previous year by volume and by value, but it was the only region that didn’t see a decline in this category.

Further figures released by CIPA demonstrate the market’s decline since 2016, and show that while January 2017 was almost level with January 2016, this year has started very differently. The decline of cameras with built-in lenses has dropped to only 60% of the number shipped in 2016, and more worryingly, graphs show that January 2018 shipment figures are well below almost every other month in the last two years.

Hopefully this is just a blip, and we’ll see the numbers jump back into the black (or closer to it) in February. For more information, visit the CIPA website, or check out the full report here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Wacom releases 24-inch 4K Cintiq Pro pen display, 32-inch coming ‘later this year’

28 Feb

Wacom has officially released the Cintiq Pro 24—a 4K 24-inch version of its popular Cintiq Pro Creative Pen Display for use with both Windows and Mac computers. The 32-inch version remains in-development, with an official release “slated for later this year.”

Wacom first announced its Cintiq Pro 24- and 32-inch tablets back in July of last year, but that announcement was more of a teaser than anything else. At the time, Wacom only shared that the pen displays would have “4K edge-to-edge displays” and “maximum color accuracy.” Now, with the official release of the Cintiq Pro 24, we have a lot more details to share.

The Cintiq Pro 24—which will be available in both Pen and Pen & Touch models—boasts an IPS UHD display with 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution, 98% Adobe RGB color accuracy (the store page claims 99%), and “a billion colors” (translation: 10-bit color). The tablet also features an etched glass surface to reduce glare and provide a “natural, pen on paper feel,” parallax reduction through “optical bonding,” close to zero latency, and support for the Pro Pen 2, which features 8,192 levels of sensitivity.

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Finally, for those who want to take their Cintiq Pro 24 to the next level, Wacom also introduced the Cintiq Pro Engine. This plug-and-play PC module—which we covered in detail here—turns the Cintiq Pro 24 into a full-blown Windows 10 workstation with Intel processor, up to 32GB of RAM, NVIDIA graphics, and an SSD.

The Cintiq Pro Engine costs at least as much as the Cintiq Pro 24 itself, but the SSD and RAM inside are both upgradable, and its plug-and-play nature means you can swap your entire workstation from display to display as needed. If you’re looking for a single, portable solution… it’s an intriguing option to be sure

The Cintiq Pro 24 will be available in two variations: the $ 2,000 Pen Display version will start shipping in March, but if you want the $ 2,500 Pen & Touch version, you’ll have to wait until May. The Cintiq Pro Engine PC module also ships in May.

For more information about the Cintiq Pro 24 or if you want to order one right away, visit the Wacom website or head over to the Wacom Store.

Press Release

Wacom introduces the Cintiq Pro 24-inch pen display

Wacom extends the Cintiq Pro line-up with a new high performance mid-sized display built for cutting-edge creative and design applications including augmented and virtual reality. The Cintiq Pro family now features a range of sizes to meet the unique workflow and configuration needs of creative professionals.

Tokyo, Japan – February 27, 2018 – Today Wacom announced the availability of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 pen display, expanding the Cintiq Pro high-definition range, which is designed for creative professionals seeking a larger digital canvas and the power to tackle an increasing onslaught of creative applications and programs. The new 24-inch Cintiq Pro pen display joins the previously introduced 13 and 16-inch models to form a comprehensive range of sizes for every need and workspace. The pen and touch display version will be available in May, the earlier announced 32-inch model is slated for later this year.

Performance you can see and feel

The brilliant 4k display, 98% Adobe RGB color accuracy and a billion colors deliver a true-to-life visual experience. The pen on screen experience was also improved. The combination of the new Pro Pen 2 technology (improved pressure sensitivity featuring 8,192 levels), the etched glass surface, the reduction in parallax through optical bonding and the close to zero latency, provide artists with precise control and a more natural feeling pen on screen experience.

“We know that professional artists and designers are facing an increasingly vast array of computing and display demands as they embrace emerging technologies like augmented and virtual reality, and 3D, where one size doesn’t fit all,” says Faik Karaoglu, Executive Vice President for the Creative Business Unit at Wacom. “Everyone has their own way of working, and we are excited to offer larger sized digital canvases with flexibility that provides more pen space for those who need it to create.”

Transforming the workflow

With the Wacom Cintiq Engine Pro – also announced today – a Windows 10 computing module, featuring the new NVIDIA ® Quadro ® P3200 high performance graphic card, slides into the back of the Cintiq Pro 24 display. Thus creative professionals can easily transform their Cintiq Pro 24 into a high performance creative work station fully supporting state of the art applications and workflows, including 3D, animation and augmented and virtual reality.

Availability

The Cintiq Pro 24 pen display models are available in the U.S., Japan and selected European countries as of March; for further details visit our e-store at Wacom.com. Prices ranging from $ 1,999 to $ 2,499. The Pen & Touch version of Cintiq Pro 24 will be available in May 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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These are the six finalists for 2018 World Press Photo of the Year (NSFW)

16 Feb

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

Warning: This slideshow contains graphic and disturbing imagery that is not suitable for children, and may not be suitable for viewing in the workplace. Proceed with caution.

World Press Photo has changed its announcement process for the coveted World Press Photo of the Year award in 2018. Rather than announcing the overall and category winners at once, they have revealed the six finalists for 2018 World Press Photo of the Year today, almost two months before the official awards ceremony in Amsterdam on April 12th.

The finalists are… harrowing. Six heartbreaking and at times graphic images that were selected from 73,044 entries by 4,548 photographers from 125 countries. Judging was done by “a group of internationally recognized professionals in the fields of photojournalism and documentary photography,” who convened in Amsterdam, where they were presented with all of the entries anonymously.

Behind the scenes photograph of the judging process.

Every single nominated photograph, including all singles and stories in seven of the eight contest categories, is eligible for the World Press Photo of the Year grand prize. And yet, New York Times photographer Ivor Prickett managed to get two of his photos into the top six, both captured as part of his Battle for Mosul series.

You can see all 312 nominated photographs across eight categories on the World Press Photo website, and learn more about the entire contest in the press release below. To view the six finalists for World Press Photo of the year, scroll through the slideshow above.

The World Press Photo of the Year winner will be announced in April, where he will receive a 10,000 Euro cash prize and a selection of camera equipment from Canon.

Press Release

World Press Photo announces 2018 awards nominees

The World Press Photo Foundation announces the results of its renowned contests, the 61st annual World Press Photo Contest and the 8th annual World Press Photo Digital Storytelling Contest.

Amsterdam, 14 February 2018

This year the announcement process is new

The foundation is today announcing the nominees in each category of the Photo Contest and the Digital Storytelling Contest, with the winners to be revealed at the Awards Show in Amsterdam on 12 April.

The highlight of today’s announcement is that, for the first time, the six nominees for the World Press Photo of the Year are revealed. The winner of the World Press Photo of the Year will be announced at the Awards Show in Amsterdam on 12 April.

Lars Boering, managing director of the World Press Photo Foundation:

“The best visual journalism is not of something; it is about something. It should matter to the people to whom it speaks. Today the World Press Photo Foundation continues to play the role it began with in 1955 because the juries in our contests nominate the best photographers and producers. The great work in this 2018 edition of our contests helps us fulfill our purpose: connecting the world to the stories that matter.”

The 2018 World Press Photo Contest

The jury selected nominees in eight categories, including the new environment category. They are 42 photographers from 22 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK, USA and Venezuela. Of these nominees, 15 have won previous World Press Photo awards, while 27 are being recognized for the first time. In total, there are 312 nominated photographs across the eight categories.

  • Gallery of all 2018 Photo Contest nominees.

The World Press Photo of the Year honors the photographer whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance in the last year. Each nominated photograph, including all singles and stories in seven of the eight contest categories (excluding Long-Term Projects) is eligible for the World Press Photo of the Year.

The six nominees for the World Press Photo of the Year are, in alphabetical order:

  • Rohingya Crisis | Patrick Brown, Australia, Panos Pictures, for Unicef
  • Boko Haram Strapped Suicide Bombs to Them. Somehow These Teenage Girls Survived. – Aisha, age 14. | Adam Ferguson, Australia, for The New York Times
  • Witnessing the Immediate Aftermath of an Attack in the Heart of London – Toby Melville, UK, Reuters
  • The Battle for Mosul – Lined Up for an Aid Distribution | Ivor Prickett, Ireland, for The New York Times
  • The Battle for Mosul – Young Boy Is Cared for by Iraqi Special Forces Soldiers | Ivor Prickett, Ireland, for The New York Times
  • Venezuela Crisis | Ronaldo Schemidt, Venezuela, Agence France-Presse

See the video of the jury discussing why they chose these six photographs.

The 2018 Photo Contest details

The contest is free to enter and drew entries from around the world: 4,548 photographers from 125 countries submitted 73,044 images.

A group of internationally recognized professionals in the fields of photojournalism and documentary photography—chaired by Magdalena Herrera—convened in Amsterdam to judge all entries. The jury is independent, and all entries were presented anonymously. A secretary without voting rights safeguards the fairness of the process, which is explained in full here.

For the full list of jury members and secretaries, please see here.

The World Press Photo Foundation will release a technical report reviewing the contest, including the code of ethics, entry rules, and verification process on Monday, 5 March.

Prizes

The premier award, the World Press Photo of the Year, carries a cash prize of 10,000 euros. In addition, Canon will present the winning photographer with a selection of camera equipment. For more information about Canon, visit here.

Nominees have their travel and lodging paid for by the World Press Photo Foundation to Amsterdam so they can attend the World Press Photo Festival, an event taking place 13-14 April featuring photographer presentations, screenings, and talks. They also receive a diploma and a Golden Eye Award at the Awards Show.

2018 Exhibition

The prize-winning photographs are assembled into an exhibition that travels to 100 locations in 45 countries and is seen by more than 4 million people each year. The winning pictures are also published in the annual yearbook, which is available in multiple languages. The first World Press Photo exhibition opens in De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, on 14 April 2018. For more information about the exhibition in Amsterdam, please follow this link.

This year’s exhibition displays will be printed on Canon large-format and Arizona flatbed printers. Please see the Canon website for further information: http://www.canon-europe.com/

The 2018 World Press Photo Digital Storytelling Contest

The Digital Storytelling Contest (previously known as the Multimedia Contest) rewards those producing the best forms of visual journalism enabled by digital technologies and the spread of the Internet. The contest is open to digital storytellers, visual journalists and producers, with submissions that include the work of a professional visual journalist.

  • Gallery of all 2018 Digital Storytelling Contest nominees.

The 2018 Digital Storytelling Contest in numbers

This year, 308 productions were submitted to the contest: 149 Short Form, 63 Long Form, 68 Immersive Storytelling and 28 Innovative Storytelling.

Prizes

Nominees in each category are invited to the World Press Photo Festival in Amsterdam. A representative from each of the nominated productions will have their travel and lodging paid for by the World Press Photo Foundation. The winners in each category will receive a diploma and a Golden Eye Award, presented during the Awards Show. The prize-winning projects are assembled into an exhibition that travels to select locations.

The FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo

The FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo recognizes a documentary photographer whose project demonstrates courage and commitment in the pursuit of human rights. The 2018 winner is Standing Strong by Josué Rivas.

FotoEvidence was founded in 2011 by photojournalist Svetlana Bachevanova as part of the humanistic tradition of photography. In 2017 FotoEvidence partnered with World Press Photo and the book award became the FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo.

FotoEvidence publishes the winning project in a high quality, hardbound book, which will be launched at the World Press Photo Exhibition 2018 in Amsterdam on 14 April 2018, and then shown in several cities around the globe.

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

Rohingya Crisis | © Patrick Brown, Panos Pictures, for Unicef

28 September 2017

The bodies of Rohingya refugees are laid out after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized about eight kilometers off Inani Beach, near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Around 100 people were on the boat before it capsized. There were 17 survivors.

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

Boko Haram Strapped Suicide Bombs to Them. Somehow These Teenage Girls Survived. – Aisha, age 14. | © Adam Ferguson, for The New York Times

21 September 2017

Aisha (14) stands for a portrait in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. After being kidnapped by Boko Haram, Aisha was assigned a suicide bombing mission, but managed to escape and find help instead of detonating the bombs.

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

Witnessing the Immediate Aftermath of an Attack in the Heart of London | © Toby Melville, Reuters

22 March 2017

A passerby comforts an injured woman after Khalid Masood drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London, UK, killing five and injuring multiple others.

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

The Battle for Mosul – Lined Up for an Aid Distribution | © Ivor Prickett, for The New York Times

15 March 2017

Civilians who had remained in west Mosul after the battle to take the city line up for aid in the Mamun neighbourhood.

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

The Battle for Mosul – Young Boy Is Cared for by Iraqi Special Forces Soldiers | © Ivor Prickett, for The New York Times

12 July 2017

An unidentified young boy, who was carried out of the last ISIS-controlled area in the Old City by a man suspected of being a militant, is cared for by Iraqi Special Forces soldiers.

The Finalists for World Press Photo of the Year 2018

Venezuela Crisis | © Ronaldo Schemidt, Agence France-Presse

3 May 2017

José Víctor Salazar Balza (28) catches fire amid violent clashes with riot police during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall ‘firefall’ event will require a vehicle permit this year

06 Feb
Photo by Ambitious Wench (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

For two weeks every February, Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall appears to be composed of flowing lava rather than water when illuminated by the setting sun. This beautiful illusion is referred to as a “firefall,” and it draws a large number of visitors who want to witness it in person. Due to the expanding size of these crowds, officials have announced that visitors (including photographers) will need to get a vehicle permit.

The permit requirement is an effort to deal with traffic issues and visitor safety, according to ABC7, which reports that officials are working with Yosemite Hospitality, Yosemite Conservancy, and the Ansel Adams Gallery on the matter. Details for the upcoming event are available on Event Brite where free reservations can be made.

According to the event page, Yosemite visitors planning to arrive via vehicle will need a permit to access Northside Drive between Yosemite Valley Lodge and El Capitan Crossover. Northside Drive will be closed to those without a permit from February 12th to February 26th.

A total of 250 parking permits are being offered for reservation on the Event Brite site.

The reservation requires visitors to provide vehicular information, including license plate, car make and model, and car color. Those who successfully reserve a spot will then need to pick up their permit from The Ansel Adams Gallery on the day of the reservation. Additionally, 50 or more first-come, first-serve permits will be offered at the gallery until 3PM each day.

According to the event page, in addition to getting a vehicle permit for the designation part of Northside Drive, visitors who want to see the firefall can either take a Yosemite Hospitality guided tour or hike to the viewpoints.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro’s updated Plus subscription will now replace two broken cameras per year

01 Feb

GoPro has announced an expansion to its Plus subscription service, now offering subscribers “no questions asked” camera replacements in the event their own camera breaks. The new benefit started on January 31st, and is available to both existing and new Plus customers. The camera replacement offer is in addition to Plus’s other various perks, including mobile backups and priority customer support.

For now, GoPro’s $ 5/month “enhanced” Plus plan is only available to US customers, though expansions into other markets are expected to start later on in 2018. The camera replacement perk is available for customers who have a Hero5 or newer, though it is not a free replacement. GoPro charges the following “exchange fees” for the four replaceable GoPro camera products:

  • HERO5 Session: $ 39
  • HERO5 Black: $ 59
  • HERO6 Black: $ 79
  • Fusion: $ 139

Per GoPro’s FAQ, Plus customers must return their old camera to get the replacement—which is done using a return shipping label the company provides—so the replacement program doesn’t cover cameras that are lost. Additionally, subscribers are limited to two camera replacements per 12 billing cycles, though the exchanges can happen any time during those 12 months.

In addition to device replacement, Plus subscribers will soon also have access to mobile cloud backups for photos and videos—unlimited image backup and up to 35 hours of video backup. Apple customers get the backup feature first via its February 20th iOS availability, while Android users will get the same backup benefit on an unspecified date this Spring.

Finally, GoPro Plus includes front-of-the-line customer support priority status and a 20% discount on accessories on the GoPro.com website.

A free 30-day trial is available now for new customers. To learn more, visit the GoPro website.

Press Release

GoPro Rolls Out Enhanced Subscription Service: Plus

New Benefits. No Additional Cost. Damage Replacement, Mobile Cloud Backup and Unlimited Photo Storage Added to $ 4.99 Monthly Service

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ – GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) is building on the success of its Plus subscription service with the introduction of new benefits that deliver significant value to GoPro customers at no additional cost.

Today, the company announced details of the expanded Plus monthly service:

  • Camera replacement – If you break your GoPro we’ll replace it, no questions asked
  • Mobile cloud backup – The GoPro App now automatically backs up your photos and videos, eliminating the need to connect to a computer or buy new SD cards
  • Unlimited photo storage
  • 35 hours of video storage
  • 20% off accessories at gopro.com
  • Front-of-the-line priority phone and chat support

Mobile cloud backup will be available on iOS February 20 and on Android in the spring.

“Plus streamlines the GoPro experience and delivers outsized value for our customers,” said GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. “Our subscription business, Plus, has proven popular with consumers and the roll out of our enhanced service marks the first of several subscription initiatives we will introduce this year.”

The new GoPro Plus is now available in the US for $ 4.99 a month with a 30-day free trial and will expand to global markets later this year. Visit The Inside Line for more details on all the benefits of becoming a subscriber and the GoPro Plus page to sign up.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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