Hi,
Welcome to the February 2011 issue
of
DPTips Central newsletter!
This month’s issue is packed with lots of interesting stories, industry news and tips that caught our attention in the past two months. So let’s get started…
Photography Industry News
Pentax confirms K-5 sensor issue

Following complain reports from new Pentax K-5 owners, the company
has confirmed in a statement that the first shipment of its K-5 cameras
"included some products with a stained image sensor". Pentax believes
that the problem was caused during manufacturing - "causing [the
cameras] to occasionally produce images with spots which look something
like water drops, and which users cannot remove with ordinary cleaning
methods."
Pentax has advised affected users to contact their local service
centre to benefit from a free repair.
For more details, visit
Pentax Japan.
Sony A850 and A900 firmware updates available

The new firmware improves the following areas:
- Improvement in autofocus
- Extends exposure value (EV) compensation settings from ±3 EV to
±5 EV
- Exposure bracketing range has also been increased from a maximum
of 4.0EV to 6.0EV
- A new menu option will allow the shuter release to be enabled,
even when the camera doesn't tetect a lens
To download the update, visit
http://support.sony-europe.com/.
Adobe unveils Lightroom 3.3 and Camera Raw Update

These updates provide Raw file support for fifteen new camera models
including the Nikon D7000 and Canon Powershot S95. The Lightroom 3.3
update is also available as a free download for current Lightroom 3
customers.
To download these updates visit
www.adobe.com/downloads/updates
While new customers can use a special discount :
30% off Lightroom 3 with
Coupon Code: BF2010
Apple's Aperture software update
Version 3.1.1 promises to improve the stability of the imaging suite
and also improve compatibility with iLife 11. It is available for free
download from
Apple's website now. (
Photography Competitions and Exhibitions
Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year opens for
entries
Bence Máté (Hungary) - Fire on the Pantanal
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year
is
one
of the most prestigious competitions of its kind, attracting entries
from professional, amateur and young photographers worldwide. With
overall winners getting £10,000 and their images viewed around the
world by over 2.5 million people, this competition is always won by the
photographers to beat.
Bence Máté (Hungary) - Leg-work
Thomas P Peschak (South Africa/UK) - Giant beachcomber
Maurizio Biancarelli (Italy) - A wild wonder of Europe
The 2011 competition opened for entries on Jan 12th and closes on
March 18th, 2011. You can view the online gallery of last year winners
and enter new images for this year compeition at http://www.nhm.ac.uk .
Jodi Bieber wins 2011 World Press Photo of the Year
South African Jodi Bieber has won this year's World Press Photo,
world's most prestigious photojournalism prize, for her controversial
image of an injured Afghan woman.
The winning image was chosen from among 108,059 images sent by
5691
photographers. For her image, Bieber will receive a cash prize of
€10,000 and a Canon EOS body and lens kit.
Image © Jodi Bieber /
Institute for Artist Management for TIME.
The image made the cover of TIME magazine on 09 August 2010.
Before
publishing it, Time wrote: "Our cover image this week is powerful,
shocking and disturbing. It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old
Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose
and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws. Aisha posed for the
picture and says she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban
resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan, many of whom have
flourished in the past few years."
The image quickly found itself at the centre of a debate about it
legitimacy and the way it had been used by the magazine.
Bieber's winning image, as well as other winning entries, will go
on
show around the world for the next year.
Man carries a shark
through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, 23 September. Image © Omar
Feisal, Somalia, shooting for Reuters. Feisal won the Daily Life
Singles prize for this shot.
Inge Morath Award calling for entries
The Inge Morath Foundation ,in association with the
Magnum
Foundation, is now calling for entries for its prestigious annual
award, which rewards the achievements of a female photographer under
the age of 30.
The award carries a $5000 cash prize to assist a female
photographer
in the completion of a longterm documentary project. It is now in its
eight year, and features, among its winners, photographers such as
Claire Martin, Olivia Arthur, Jessica Dimmock and Mimi Chakarova.
The submission deadline is 30 April. Applicants must submit
between
40 and 60 images, with a printed project description and Curriculum
Vitae.
For more information, visit ingemorath.org .
Photography
Suppliers - Latest News
If you are looking into buying some new equipment, check out Jessops online shop :
Here are the current
special offers at Adobe's store:
Save 30%
on
Lightroom
Save
£13 on Photoshop Elements
Free shipping on
offers over £350
Save up to 80%
on Adobe Student Editions


ACDSee
current special
offers:
Save 10% on
ACDsee Pro 3 - order today!
Save 30% ACDSee
Photo Manager - the all in one scrapbook software!
Save 30% on
Canvas 11- Your integrated solution for technical illustrations and
graphics.
Calumet Photographic is offering a free shipping on order over $300.
has a fantastic range of EXCLUSIVE offers including:
Free laser
engraving, Signature Gift wrap, exclusive iPod (PRODUCT) RED, Mac
customization, Free Shipping on all orders over £76 and cross
border gifting!
Buy a printer with a new Mac and save £60
The has a fantastic range of EXCLUSIVE offers running right now. Check them out !
Thanks
for your support and it just remains for us to wish you the happiest of Christmases and a prosperous New Year!