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Camren Photographic Resources
May 2009

SEE BELOW FOR HIGHLIGHTED 

SALE ITEMS

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While researching this May's newsletter for an idea to present, I found myself falling short of resources. I didn't want to present something technical or simply cut and pasted from another source. It is now May and Spring has finally come across Colorado. About two weeks ago I saw the first Tulips. Yesterday, the first Iris. I thought that this little article might be best be used as a reminder about the fascination of photography and the Colorado natural world that surrounds us all. There is something photogenic about the Denver area. We are surrounded by parks, both urban and within nature. The music and art scenes are well supported. Cyclists and motorcylists unite. All walks of life share the same pathways. Everyday, we can set our sights Westward and see the Front Range and hopefully this reminds each of us we are in a beautiful, unique spot. A memory from photo school surfaces, something about reading from one of Henry Horenstein's text books. His success is traced to a simple philosophy: "shoot what interests you." Remembering the abiding passion which we pursue photography through each and every photograph is a good idea from time to time because Colorado is an excellent place for photography. Simultaneous to these thoughts came timely verification. Neal Matthews, from the online pages of Popular Photography, asks the question, "which of the 30 biggest burgs are best for photographers? The results will surprise you." Read on.

Excerpt from Popular Photography:

As a photographer, does it matter whether you're in Chicago, Nashville, or Seattle? We think there"s much more to a great photo town than dazzling architecture, lively street life, and picturesque scenery. A host of other factors, from the weather to the culture, combine to make a place hospitable to photographers.

To measure the differences, we compared the 30 most populous cities in the United States across 10 categories, including annual average percentage of sunny hours, number of days with measurable precipitation, per-capita number of camera shops and museums and galleries that exhibit photos. We even counted private security firms, since we've found that the more rent-a-cops, the harder it can be to take pictures in public.

Our sources? Municipal websites and federal databases from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, General Services Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Environmental Protection Agency, as well as private sources such as online yellow pages.

Each city was ranked 1 through 30 in each category (1 being the best). We asked our editors to assess the relative importance of each category for photographers, then used their responses to weight the scores, so that high marks in, say, parks and zoos counted more heavily than photo processors.

{Winner in First Place}  DENVER!

Denver's smooth braiding of mountain trails, historic architecture, and nightlife engenders a visual confidence and boldness that's attracted photographers for 150 years. In fact, there are 12 photography clubs in town. "Our club has grown a lot," reports Larry Beneda, a long-time officer in the Denver Photographic Society (www.denverphotosociety.org). "We now have 60 members, and they're staying longer and participating more in the competitions."

Downtown Denver is a surprisingly photogenic mix of three eras: 1870s, 1920s, and turn-of-the-21st century. "There's great variety of subject and background," says local pro photographer Eric Stephenson (www.stephensonweddings.com). "LoDo (Lower Downtown) especially has some fantastic backdrops."

The 23-blocks in LoDo contain about 125 designated historic structures dating back to Denver's founding in the late 1850s, when saloons thrived. Now it thrums with nightclubs, restaurants, galleries, and lofts. But there's also a separate historic district filled with Art Deco and Gothic Revival buildings from Denver's early-20th-century boom years.

After sparkling mornings, dramatic bulbous thunderheads boil up almost every afternoon above the Front Range peaks on the western edge of the city. Capricious weather can give you 70-degree temperatures and quaking aspen trees one day, blizzards the next. Far from a comedown, "snow is usually a bonus," says Stephenson. Winter and summer sports feed into a year-round energy that keeps the denizens on their toes, with cameras cocked and loaded. And, of course, the rugged Rockies are just a short wagon-ride westward.

For the entire article and for other cities' status, click here.[]

Also, because of the environmental state of mind that is synonymous with Colorado, a youth contest is being sponsored by Nature's Best. The contest is aimed at imagery of nature, landscapes, wildlife, and close-up. To look into the Nature's Best Student Photographers initiative, visit their website at http://www.naturesbeststudents.com. Please forward this information along to those photographers under the age of 21 who show an aptitue and interest for nature and photography.

On May 7th, the IPC (International Photographic Council) will honor a few professional photographers for their effort and continued work in several areas of photography. The honor will take place as the UN and five professional photography organizations selected one member who best represents their ideals. The 2009 winners are: Will Mosgrove, Advertising Photographers of America; Richard Anderson, American Society of Media Photographers; Jack Reznicki, Professional Photographers of America; Joe Mark, Professional School Photographers Association International; and Mary Calvert, White House News Photographers Association.

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LEGION & ILFORD PAPER SOURCE

Conde Nast Shutting Portfolio The magazine aspired to publish ambitious features, but critics called it inconsistent. In hindsight, 2007 was a terrible time to launch a business magazine. Media watchers were predicting Portfolio's failure before it even launched. With the economy in a recession, advertising in a severe slump and economic conditions for print magazines heading south, the magazine joins a number of other major titles that have folded in the last year. Check out details here.

Canon Announces G10 Service Advisory Canon is offering a complementary repair for specific Canon G10 cameras that suffer from a particular phenomenon; lines of varying length are surfacing on the images. To see if your camera is effected, click here for information.

Redrock announces gear designed to assist using the DSLR as a video camera. Click here for more details.

Noritsu to acquire Lucidiom, the developer of self-service kiosks and online services. Click here for more details.

Canon and the Arbor Day Foundation are in partnership this season to elevate the importance of tree planting with the continuation of successful Canon Forest Project. Click here for more info.

Ritz Camera applies for chapter 1 protection. The 91 year old company reporting between $100 million and $500 million of assets. The will be closing a number of stores. They are pursuing court permission of $85 million in financing during restructuring.

Olympus launches 90th anniversary with Olympus Space Project. This project has been created to raise awareness to protect the Earth. The Olympus E-3 will be on the next space shuttle Discovery mission to the International Space Station. Dr. Koichi Wakata, of Japan, will gather images of the Earth throughout his three-month mission. Click here for info.

Samsung unveils 10 megapixel camera-phone, in Korea, called The Memoir. Click here for product info.

Pentax creates 24X Optical zoom camera, with 12 megapixels, called the X70. Click here for more info.

Tamron introduces the SP AF60mm f/2.0 Di II LD Macro. This smart lens is designed to give the angle of view of a 93mm lens and incorporates a maximum aperture of f/2.0, a full stop faster than most macro lenses, while reproducing at 1:1.. The lens is also designed for use in portraits. Click here for info.

Ridata designs solar chargers that are glass free so that temperature changes will not affect charging. Visit here for more information.

Polaroid sold at auction for $59.3 Million, but Judge reopens bidding... click here for the drama.

Norman 5" Grid Set

w/ 3 grids and 2 accessory frames

USED

$799.99

PRICE REDUCED

Click on the photo to enter the Love project by National Geographic photographer, Jodi Cobb.