Following the success of the first Dreamscapes Fine Art Nude Photography Workshop, Rio Grande Workshops is proud to announce "Dreamscapes II." This workshop, to be held October 3-5, 2008, is shaping up to be very memorable. The Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch (3:10 to Yuma, Lonesome Dove, Silverado, and Kid Nation were filmed there) is our primary location, while a very secluded private residence near Cerrillos, NM with many shooting opportunities, will be our base of operations. Sharpen your nude photography skills, while photographing Ashley Rae (OMP model #27148-www.onemodelplace.com) and several other top-flight models. For the limit of ten photographers who sign up, the fee includes lodging, food, model fees, transportation, and snacks. Go to the official website below to find out more. There is a $250 discount if you sign up before August 1, 2008.

With the new EOS Rebel XS, Canon has made an affordable entry-level SLR that upholds the reputation of the Digital Rebel series with simple functionality and high-quality images. The camera comes packaged with an Optical Image Stabilized lens for crisp focus and hand-shake reduction. Also included is Canon's DIGIC III image processor, a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor with seven-point wide-area autofocus, an Auto Lighting Optimizer, and a 3fps continuous JPEG burst rate to help beginning photographers capture their subjects with the perfect shot. The camera also includes a 2.5 inch LCD screen, and a menu with fast and accessible controls for ISO adjustment, EV compensation, and bracketed exposures. The EOS Rebel XS also weighs less than one pound, making it the lightest SLR camera in Canon's catalogue.

Hasselblad, maker of top-range digital cameras, has unveiled the improved H3DII-50, combining the most advanced DSLR system on the market with a new Kodak 50 megapixel sensor. With a sensor double the size of most SLRs, the new addition to the H series is designed to fully utilize every extra pixel of information. Compatible lenses have unparalleled optical quality, and built-in digital lens correction and UltraFocus functionality. In keeping with the latest developments in sensor technology, a new Hasselblad 645 sensor will also be launched in 2009. Full details will be announced at Hasselblad's Strategy and Technology seminar at Photokina 2008, taking place September 23 to 28, 2008.

Daniel Conney Fine Art has announced its Photographs and Fine Art Auction, to take place online at iGavel.com. The auction combines the vintage work of legendary names with contemporary fine art and fashion photography. Helen Levitt, Peter Stackpole, George Tice, Todd Webb, Stephen Klein, Jack Pierson, Herb Ritts and Albert Watson are just a few of the names in the collection. The works will be on view at Daniel Cooney Fine Art in New York City until the auction ends July 29, 2008. Click the link below to view all lots.

The collected work of photographer and filmmaker Jamie Livingston has been posted online as a public exhibit titled "PHOTO OF THE DAY: 1979-1997, 6,697 Polaroids, dated in sequence." The photographer took a Polaroid picture virtually every day for eighteen years-using a Polaroid SX-70! A commemorative exhibit opened in 2007 at the Bertelsmann Campus Center at Bard College, where the project was initiated, and the collection can be viewed at the online tribute, "Some Photos of That Day" (link below). Note: In his final days, the photographer was married despite his failing health. The final month of images is haunting, yet achingly beautiful.

This exhibition provides opportunities for artists to be published, and present their work to an international audience of collectors, curators, art consultants and others who appreciate the fine art of photography. Fifteen photographers will be chosen to display their twelve-image portfolio in The Center for Fine Art Photography's special Online and Print Portfolio Show and be included the Center's new book publication Artists ShowCase, volume 1, issue 1. Deadline is July 25, 2008. Click below to enter online.

Enhance your skills as a photographer of the human form during this three-day workshop, The Artful Nude, to be conducted by Kim Weston August 1-3. You will work with experienced models in both indoor and outdoor settings in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies Kim Weston's personal work in nude photography is noted throughout the world. As the grandson of Edward Weston, and the son of Cole Weston, Kim's photographic skill and creativity is deeply seated in the family tradition of creating remarkable fine art photography. Act now, there are only two spaces left!

The annual Ian Parry Scholarship competition is aimed at young photographers taking a full-time photographic course or who are 24 years of age. The recipient of the £3000 first prize is Vicente Jaime "VJ" Villafranca, a former photojournalism student at the Asian Center for Journalism at Ateneo De Manila University. His portfolio of black and white images captures the lives of Chinese Mafia Crew members living in downtown Manila. Villafranca will use the award moneys to fund an upcoming project in Myanmar. Like all Ian Parry winners, Villafranca has also been automatically accepted into the final list of nominees for the Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam. For more about the Scholarship, click below.

Animoto, a web application that enables quick and easy video composition using photos and music, has announced high-resolution options to their services. Videos made with Animoto can now be purchased in DVD format, or downloaded in high resolution directly from the website. Using the software, users can combine images from their library with accompanying music, and the timing is synchronized by Animoto's Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology, which acts as Director and Editor, using sophisticated production techniques to give the completed film a fine polish. And now, the end product can run at 24fps, the same frame speed as Hollywood movies. Direct DVD-quality video downloads are $5 each, and DVDs are $20 each. Non-premium services are free at Animoto. Click below to see for yourself.

B+H has claimed an all-time low price for Hitachi's DZ-BD7HA Blu-ray Disc Hybrid Camcorder. The camera's built-in 30GB Hard Disk Drive accomodates those demanding Blu-Ray quality in their videos, capable of storing four hours of footage at 1920 x 1080 HD. Also included is a one-touch dubbing system for burning video from HDD format onto Blu-ray or DVD. The DZ-BD7HA also features 1-second quick start, photo capture from recorded video and LSI image enhancement. 8cm BD-RE, BD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW and DVD-R discs are all compatible with this camcorder. Click below to go to B+H's website.

Nikon has announced their new camera for release in late July 2008, the FX-format D700 Digital SLR, which delivers a high image quality of 12.1 megapixels, the low-light performance and speed of the Nikon D3, and a small, easy-to-handle size. Other features include Live View, automatic sensor cleaning, Active D-Lighting, weather sealing against sand, dirt and moisture; and the 51 point AF system. New releases also include the PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm and 85mm lenses, which offer perspective control and linear distortion adjustment to wide and medium telephoto photography. Finally, Nikon has unveiled its new SB-900 Speedlight, with an unparalleled zoom range of 17 to 200 feet. Price details and product specs are available below.

Carl Zeiss has announced a new addition to its bevy of photographic lenses with the Distagon T* 3.5/18 super wide angle lens. The field of view of this rectilinear lens can go to 99°, providing sharp perspectives in landscape, architectural, and close-detail photography in digitial SLRS or film-based cameras. A floating lens element in the rear lens assembly allows for any depth of field. Another feature is Zeiss' universal "color matching technology" and sturdy all-metal lens mount for "silky smooth" focus rotation. Scheduled delivery to authorized Carl Zeiss dealers begins July 2008. Suggested retail price will be $1,450.

German photographic duo Cenci Goepel and Jens Warnecke have posted a collection of images featuring strange, otherwordly effects in settings of pristine nature. In settings as diverse as Death Valley, Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina, and Tanafjorden in Norway, long exposures are used while light is introduced into a dark outdoors scene. By moving either the light source or camera, the photographers have created dazzling patterns of color that could be mistaken for photoshop effects. The result is known as light painting. A collection of these dazzling images can be viewed from the link below.

"Not Normal" is the title and theme for this contest, held by Renegade, a photographic education and marketing services website. The panel of judges includes five experts representing a range of photographic interests: technology, display and editing software, and fine art. Awards are provided by the affiliates of Renegade, such as free magazine subscriptions to Rangefinder and AfterCapture magazines, gift certificates from Picaboo, and more. Selected images will be featured on the Renegade blog, and one will be chosen for the grand prize. Only one image can be entered per week. Deadline for entries is August 6, 2008. Click below to see the current displayed entries.

When it was announced that the Leica M8 camera would take the beloved series into the digital realm, the buzz-and controversy-was hard to ignore. In the M8, Long-time Leica users expected the same standards of longevity and functionality that have made the brand so recognized and adored around the world. Now, in what may seem like a dramatic vindication of the new hybrid, the first ever Leica M8 model has sold for 24,000 Euro at the 13th Westlicht Photographica Auction. The bid was by far the highest ever made for a digital camera, made by a Russian camera collector. Leica is donating proceeds from the auction to "Reporters sans frontières - RSF (Reporters Without Borders)"-link below.

Using new sensor technology to redefine functionality in medium format camera systems, Phase One A/S announced the P 65+ camera system and digital back this week. The new system boasts advanced Sensor+ CCD technology co-developed with the DALSA semiconductor, and offers CCD functions in a chip platform, enabling photographers to get more out of their digital back investment. It is the world's first full-frame capture system based on actual 645 film format. A full press release can be accessed below.