"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" - Photographers Who Make A Difference

I just recently learned of this amazing and wonderful group of photographers. If you are looking for a way to make use of your photographic skills to help others you should visit their website.The following is excerpted from the nilmdts.org website.

Maddux Achilles Haggard was born on Feb. 4, 2005, with a condition called myotubular myopathy that prevented him from breathing, swallowing or moving on his own. On the sixth day of his young life, his parents had to make the excruciating decision to take him off life support. But before they did, they called Littleton, Colorado photographer Sandy Puc' to take black and white portraits of them cradling their son. Puc' photographed the couple with Maddux at the hospital before he was removed from life support and after — when he was free from the tubes and the wires that had sustained him.

“That night was the worst night of my life. But when I look at the images, that’s not what I’m reminded of. I’m reminded of the beauty and blessings he brought,” Cheryl Haggard (Maddux's mom) said.Those tender photographs documenting Maddux’s eternal connection with his parents inspired Cheryl Haggard and Sandy Puc' to found a nonprofit organization that has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby. Sandy and Cheryl founded the organization in April 2005 and called it Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep after the children’s bedtime prayer. To date, The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation has nearly 3,000 affiliated photographers worldwide.

Check Out Parker Pfister!

Saw Parker Pfister's work at a recent Ed Pierce Seminar... wow, I love the images! To see more work click here.

Check Out The Seattle Flickr Roundup!

People showing up, setting up equipment and making photographs just because they love photography! How cool is that!

PNY Kicks It Up A Notch!

PNY Technologies has announced several new 16GB and 32GB flash cards for cameras and video camcorders.

The 32GB SDHC card can keep up with high-definition video captured at 9 megabits per second, and the Optima Pro CompactFlash card, has a 266X transfer speed, or 40 megabits per second, using a UDMA interface.

Both cards will be available in the second quarter of 2008. The SDHC card should street price around $250 and the CompactFlash card about $400. For more info click here.

Eizo Kicks It Up A Notch!

Eizo's ColorEdge CG301W lets you see the BIG picture with the first 30" monitor for grapic arts and printing to support hardware calibration. Native resolution is 2560 X 1600 with a contrast ration of 850:1, and a color gamut that reproduces 97% of the Adobe 1998 color space! No word yet on the street price but look for something in the $3000.00 neighborhood! For more info click here.

Check Out "Another Country" by Scott Strazzante

Scott Strazzante is my newest hero! "Another Country" is such a wonderful example of what Photojournalism can be. Click here and check it out... it just doesn't get any better than this!

Richard Avedon - My Heroes Revisited

Richard Avedon: Photographer of Influence

Phoenix Art Museum Norton Photography Gallery
January 12, 2008 – April 13, 2008

If you live in the Phoenix area and have any interest in photography then you must make time to view the work of Richard Avedon. This exhibition includes his early fashion work for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar as well as later portrait work of actors, politicians, artists, writers and intellectuals. Avedon’s career as a fashion and portrait photographer spanned nearly seven decades in the 20th century and just into the 21st, leaving an indelible impression on American culture. For more Exhibition information click here.

To see my previous Richard Avedon post click here.

Check Out PFNPHOTO.com!

One of my favorite photo blogs! Very cool images... Click here to see more.

Your Invitation To West Coast School! June 15-20

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this truly wonderful annual event let me quote from the website. "West Coast School, founded in 1956, is operated by the Professional Photographers of California, Inc. and is part of the PPA Continuing Education System." That's the official version, here's mine... West Coast School is a week long time of learning, sharing and breathing new life into my life long passion, photography. It's held on University of San Diego campus, the most beautiful college campus I've seen, and operated by some of the best people in our industry.

Check out the instructors list. There is something for everyone and with some of the best in our business. Go to the website and sign up early as classes fill quickly. Oh, and plan to have an amazing time!

B&W Zeppelin - Too Cool For School!

My Review: Wow! Check it out at Bowers-Wilkins.com

Olympus E-3 Begins Shipping!

The E-3 announced in October of last year has now begun shipping according to Olympus. The 10 mega pixel Prosumer SLR boasts, a water proof body, "the world's fastest autofocus" , advanced image stabilization and sonic dust cleaning and all for only $1700.00

To learn more check out DPReview.

Straight No Chaser Kicks Up The Twelve Days!

Everyone at Visualville wishes you and yours a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

65th Annual POYI Call For Entries!

Photo: copyright Yannis Kontos Polaris
Pictures of the Year International invites you to take an early look at the categories and guidelines for the 65th annual photojournalism competition — the world's oldest and one of the most prestigious. To view past winners click here.

Toshiba Kicks It Up A Notch!

As Toshiba’s first Tablet PC with a touch screen supporting both fingertip input capabilities and traditional pen-based input, Toshiba’s Portégé M700 empowers users with a more flexible and convenient Tablet PC computing experience. The Portégé M700 detects the presence of a digital pen or a user’s fingertip, automatically switching between the different input methods, with the digital pen given priority when both inputs are simultaneously detected.

The Portégé M700 series incorporates an LED backlit display with anti-glare coating, which allows Toshiba’s new Tablet PC to be viewed in a wide range of environments both indoors and outdoors. The LED backlit display produces superb image quality and rich color saturation indoors. While outdoors the anti-glare display delivers a clear, easy-to-view image. The resolution offered by the widescreen 12.1-inch WXGA display of Toshiba’s Portégé M700 yields 30 percent more detail than a standard 12.1-inch XGA display. This affords users enhanced clarity for viewing multimedia files and multiple page documents side by side. The Portégé M700 Tablet PC display mirrors the layout of a standard sheet of paper when in portrait mode to give users a familiar writing workspace.

The Portégé M700 series uses high-performance Intel® Centrino Pro processor1 technology,including Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processors2, Intel® 965 Express chipset, Intel® Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN supporting draft 802.11n3, and Intel® Active Management Technology (AMT 2.6)

Another Chase Jarvis Video !

Chase gives us a peek at how he packs for location work. Some good info.

Check Out Lightinfusion's Photo Blog!

http://www.lightinfusion.de/2007/11/seagram_building_02_nyc.html

Check Out Chase Jarvis!

I really like this guys work and he always seems to be having fun!

A Giant Passes - Jane Kinne Dies At 82

I first met Jane more than 30 years ago, that meeting, and others that followed, had a profound influence on me as a photographer and a stock agency owner. It is not hyperbole to say that Jane was a giant in our industry nor is it an exaggeration to say that she literally influenced the life of every professional photographer working today.

The following comments by Niki Barrie, editor of The Picture Professioanl, remember Jane Kinne; Niki, worked closely with Jane through the ASPP and NANPA. A force in the photography world for more than 50 years, Jane Kinne passed away on Saturday, November 3, 2007, of cardiopulmonary failure as a result of complications from surgery. Services will be private, but Jane's husband, Russ Kinne, has suggested that NANPA members (and others) who want to remember Jane can do so through a donation to the NANPA Foundation.

Best known for her expertise on copyright and other legal issues, Jane served as agent and advisor and mentor for thousands of photographers and other picture professionals. She was an ultimate advocate of photographers' rights. Jane served as director of Photo and Film at the National Audubon Society early in her career. She was president of Photo Researchers , Inc. and Vice President of Comstock.

She received Lifetime Achievement awards from the American Society of Picture Professionals, the North American Nature Photography Association and the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA). At the time of her death, Jane was legal chairperson for both ASPP and PACA and the director of Development for NANPA’s Infinity Foundation.

Michel Tcherevkoff Kicks It Up A Notch!

I love his work! To see more click here.

Check Out Daniel Coburn!