Photoforms is a new software program that creates true stereoscopic 3D images from a 2D picture. Photoforms works in conjunction with free stereoscopic 3D driver software that supports windowed 3D viewing. “Photoforms lets you transform any 2D picture into a true, stereoscopic image.  The process requires the artful eye of the user. Using simple built-in tools, you manipulate the image in a real-time 3D environment with the help of 2D image depth cues and easy mouse control.  The end result is a stereoscopic image that is as breathtaking as you want it to be” explained Hill Thompson, Photoforms’ author.

The Fantasea Line FS-710 is a new underwater housing for the Nikon Coolpix S710 compact camera. The FS710 has a depth rating to 60 meters/200 feet, double O-ring seal on all controls, anti-glare hood over LCD screen, and built-in diffuser. It also features a 46mm port ring thread for easy attachment of accessory lenses and filters. As with all other Fantasea Camera Housings, in the event of accidental water leakage, the Coolpix camera inside is insured and will be replaced. The Fantasea Line FS-710 will cost $198.95.

Better Photography - Portraits in Natural Light is a new DVD from former Sunday Times photographer Philip Dunn. This 60 minute DVD is aimed at photographers of all levels wanting to improve their portraits using natural light. Dunn explains “I demonstrate that with a little understanding of light, lenses and poses, you can create really powerful and interesting portraits without the expense and trouble of using photography studio lights.” The Better Photography - Portraits in Natural Light DVD costs £14.95 including postage in the UK.

The new StreetWalker series of backpacks from Think Tank Photo is designed specifically for urban and other crowded environments. The StreetWalker backpacks’ slim vertical profile allows you to get the shot in spaces that allow little room for navigating, with shoulder straps that fit a wider range of sizes for both males and females. There are three models - StreetWalker, StreetWalker Pro and StreetWalker HardDrive (pictured). In addition Think Tank Photo founder Doug Murdoch has published a new free white paper called “Active Shooting vs. Transportation/Storage”, which looks at what type of camera bags the pros for different shooting challenges.

Photoshop author Derrick Story is giving a webcast focusing on the important features in Photoshop CS4 for photographers. Taking place on Tuesday, December 16 at 10:30 a.m. PST, Story will demonstrate how to use Adobe Photoshop effectively for post production and also host an online Q&A forum. Those who attend the Webcast will receive 45 days complimentary access to The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers on Safari Books Online and the first 10 registrants to attend will receive an autographed copy of the printed book.

Leica have released a new firmware update, 2.002, for the M8 and M8.2 cameras. It adds detection of 6-bit coding for new M lenses and fixes a number of bugs.

Website: Leica M8 Firmware Update 2.002

The latest version of SilverFast adds improved support for Canon scanners. Version 6.6.0r4 offers a significant quality boost while delivering much faster scans. SilverFast Multi-Exposure increases dynamic range of Canon scanners significantly, and this new release dramatically reduces the effective time for scans with dust and scratch removal function.

Today we bring you our in-depth review of the brand new Canon 5D Mark II DSLR. This full-frame, 21 megapixel update of the popular 5D Mark I is the world’s first DSLR to feature full HD 1080p video recording. The 5D Mark II also offers an extensive ISO range of 50-25600, 3 inch LCD screen with 920k dots, 3.9 fps continuous mode, Live View and built-in dust removal. Retailing for £2299 / $2699 / €3299, we find out if the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is the ultimate prosumer DSLR.

Website: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Review

Adobe has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 600 full-time positions worldwide. The shortfall in fourth quarter revenue was mainly caused by weaker-than-expected sales of Creative Suite 4. “The global economic crisis significantly impacted our revenue during the fourth quarter,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer. “We have taken action to reduce our operating costs and fine-tune the focus of our resources on key strategic priorities.”

Get your photo published in a glossy photo coffee table book by entering Datacolor’s “The Real Colors of my Life” competition. 30 winners will have their work featured, with the overall winner receiving a one week workshop with Tuscany Photographic Workshop. Entries to The Real Colors of my Life will be accepted from now until the 31st of January 2009 and can be in colour or black and white.

Jalbum Widgets are a free and simple way to display images on any web site. You can now incorporate face detection and tagging, build conversations around images, monitor popularity and enable any viewer to spread the word. “Our users trust Jalbum to continuously leap-frog static photo sharing tools,” said David Ekholm, Jalbum Founder and CTO. “The widgets we release today are a reflection of the Jalbum community’s desire to challenge the frontiers of digital image display.” Over four million downloads of Jalbum software have been recorded.

The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography by Jim Miotke is a book that puts you fully in control of your digital camera. Jim de-mystifies technical topics in several clear, simple lessons and photo assignments. Illustrated with inspiring photos. When you buy a copy of The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography from Amazon.com, you’ll get a wide array of fantastic special bonus extras - but only for today. The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography costs $16.47.

Update: This special promotion is now being repeated today (4th December).

Fujifilm have released a new firmware update for the FinePix S5 Pro DSLR camera. Version 1.12 incorporates the following issue.

An issue that, in some rare case, the camera may be frozen when PC controlling software (included in “Hyper Utility?HS-V3”) is used, has been resolved.

Website: Fujifilm S5 Pro Firmware Updates

Wacom are offering 50% off Photoshop CS4 to Intuos3 or Cintiq users. When you buy any Intuos3 tablet or Cintiq interactive pen display, you can now get Adobe Photoshop CS4 for only $299, at least 50% off retail. This special upgrade offer is available to customers who received a bundled version of Photoshop Elements with their Wacom Pen Tablet, is limited to one order per person, and only applies in the United States.

Website: Wacom Photoshop CS4 Offer

CorrectPhoto 3.2 is the latest version of PictoColor’s easy to use digital photo editor. Version 3.2 now features PictoColor’s proprietary AutoRez Crop to Fit technology, which retains the resolution of the original image after cropping. CorrectPhoto costs $39.95 as a software download. A free trial version of CorrectPhoto 3.2 is also available.

Douglas Photographic’s latest Grey Card provides better, more consistent colour balance in your images. The Douglas Photographic Grey Card Mark II works across the widest range of illumination, including tungsten, daylight, flash and warm fluorescent tubes and is more compact than the previous version.
“Neither the grey or white sides contain artificial brighteners – the sort of thing used in household detergents”, explains Douglas Green, proprietor. “They are found in many other grey cards and they do affect exposure readings. The Douglas offers a truly stable, reliable reference point for the photographer to calculate correct exposure.” The Douglas Grey Card is available now from Douglas Photographic and costs £14.75.

Paradise Lost by Georg Gerster is a new book featuring 102 colour photographs of Persia taken by the pioneer of aerial photography. Gerster’s collection captures archaeological sites, ziggurats and ancient citadels, as well as seldom seen images of modern life in Iran, in ski resorts and densely-packed cities, between 1976 and 1978. Paradise Lost by Georg Gerster is available now for £35 / € 49.95, published by Phaidon Press.

3songs.net is a new website dedicated to live concert photography. It will focus on the techniques, equipment, tricks, and hacks that will take you to the top of your game. Every day, 3Songs will feature an article by a working professional concert photographer. 3songs are currently inviting you to participate iby submitting technical concert-photography articles, called Show Debriefings, and targeted at other concert photographers.

Website: 3songs.net

The Pentax K200D entry-level digital DSLR camera has been officially discontinued. In what could be the shortest ever life-span for a DSLR camera, the K200D has been included on the list of Pentax DSLRs discontinued in the Japanese market. The 10 megapixel, weather-sealed K200D was first announced in January 2008. RiceHigh’s Pentax Blog has some interesting observations on the fate of the K200D.

Website: Pentax - Digital SLR Camera Lineup (Models discontinued in the Japanese market)

Website: RiceHigh’s Pentax Blog - K200D Discontinued

The winners of the November 2008 PhotographyBLOG Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for November was “Innocence” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Sarah by Igor

Prize: CanvasRus 40 x 30” Canvas Print
Kindly donated by CanvasRus
http://www.canvasrus.co.uk