Welcome to the December 09 issue of   DPTips Central   newsletter!

Can you believe it, it is the beginning of December already ! The temperatures have dropped and the Christmas lights in town are on. It all makes for a magical atmosphere despite the shopping crowds.

We love this time of the year and to celebrate it, we have just announced our Photo Contest - Holidays Spirit 2009 .

The idea of the photo contest is simple - submit a photo entry that captures the holidays spirit and what it means to you... What's more, the overall winner will get a $50 voucher to spend at Calumet Photographic. We cannot wait to see your entries ! For more details and how to enter click here ...

Latest Additions to DPTips-Central.com

Talking about magic, we have always been fascinated with the world of Infrared Photography and the unique quality of the images it produces. This inspired us to create a brand new section dedicated to Infrared Photography .

Image courtesy of  Lifepixel.com

We discuss what is infrared light and its properties that make this type photography so special. As well as explore the fascinating history of film colour sensitivity  and the discoveries that made the production of infrared film possible.

The infrared photography has numerous and varied applications - the special effects it offers photographers as well as the possibilities it opens to other fields .

Creating stunning infrared images though can be a challenge. Therefore, knowing which subjects photograph best and picking the right conditions  is essential for achieving the best infrared effect.

We also look at the unique challenges presented to both film and digital camera users when creating infrared images and discuss how to deal with them to achieve the best results possible...

Photography Competitions and Exhibitions

AOP Student Photographer of The Year, 2010, is calling for entries and students can enter as many times as they like.

The winner receives a double page spread in the AOP Photographers' Award book, a day's work experience with a high-profile AOP member and extensive press coverage. The closing date is January 24th, 2010. For more details click here ...

Getty Images has renewed its programme of grants for 2010, offering 11 photographers the chance to receive up to $20,000 each. Dedicated to professional and student photographers, as well as non-profit organisations, the grants allow significant photographic projects to be undertaken with increased creative freedom, says Getty.

The Grants for Editorial Photography consists of five professional photojournalism grants of $20,000 each and four student grants of $5000. The application deadline for this award is 01 May 2010.

The younger Grants for Good program, which initially involved the guidance of a creative agency as an optional supplement, has now made this guidance compulsory. The two grants are worth $15,000, and the deadline for applications is 01 March 2010.

For more information, visit www.gettyimages.com .

The Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor documentary award, which comes with a $20,000 cash prize, is now calling for entries. Organised by the Center for Documentary studies at Duke University, the competition, now in its 20th year, was created to encourage collaboration between documentary writers and photographers in the tradition of photographer Dorothea Lange and writer and social scientist Paul Taylor.

The prize aims to fund a collaboration project in its early stages to support 'the documentary process in which writers and photographers work together to record the human story'.



Winners of the Lange-Taylor award will also have their work featured in Document, a periodical published by the Center for Documentary Studies, as well as in a gallery on the Center's website.





Entries to the competition must be collaborations between a writer and a photographer, submitted under one cover during the month of January 2010 only. The deadline is 31 January.

For more information and to view past winners, visit www-cds.aas.duke.edu .

Photography Industry News

The UK government has announced that it plans a change in the UK's copyright system via its Digital Economy Bill which will amend the Copyright Act of 1988. The news has sparked a series of reactions from the photographic industry ranging from praises to dire warnings.

To get familiar with some of the main aims of the bill based on recommendations made by the IPO affecting photographic works, click here .

iPhone Apps That Caught Our Eye This Month

The iPhone is starting to be used as a self-promotion tool by photographers and one of the best apps we found to showcase your work is called iFolio. This free app lets you create an attractive portfolio of your work on your iPhone which you can share with photo editors, art directors, and clients.

Changes to a portfolio in iFolio are made in real time, which means that photographers can update their work at a moment's notice.

And that's not all, the app also acts as a database of photographers' portfolios which potential buyers can browse and search via their own iPhone or iPod Touch. If someone becomes interested in a specific image, they can directly contact the photographer about it with one click using the Send button.

The Second Shootr app acts as a wedding photographer's best friend, containing useful information, shot ideas, checklists, maps, phone-numbers and more in one location on your phone.

The Second Shootr website contains instructional videos and advice on how to get the best from your new app.

Photography Suppliers - Latest News

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Thanks for your support and it just remains for us to wish you the happiest of Christmases and a prosperous New Year!

Irina & Gianfranco
-- DPTips-Central.com