Canon has announced for the second consecutive year it is to sponsor the search for The Times Young Photographer of the Year. Now in its 9th year, the competition seeks to find the country’s best young photographer.

The competition was launched in The Times newspaper on 16th July and will run until 31st August 2010. Read more »

We are pleased to launch a new service on this website today where we will be offering specialist, quality digital and film equipment for sale. Not only will you be able to make an offer on any item but it will also provide an information archive about the photographic equipment that is displayed.

We start with a very special item, a Voigtlander Bessa II Medium Format Rangefinder camera – just click the <Camera Gear> menu option on the menu bar at the top of the page or use the link in the left-hand column. We hope you find the items of interest.

Adobe Creative Suite 5 will be launched Monday 12th April 2010. The Countdown has begun so register now to join Adobe online for the first look.

Counter-terrorism minister David Hanson has issued a statement following a meeting with Amateur Photographer magazine and other representatives of the photographic community.

The meeting was set up by Austin Mitchell MP, a keen photographer and rights campaigner, following growing concerns that photographers are targeted by police officers using their anti-terrorism powers.

• ‘No intention’ to stop ordinary people taking photos.’
• ‘I have committed to follow-up on the representations made to me’

David Hanson, Minister for Policing and Crime, said in the statement:

 ’I recently met with Austin Mitchell [chairman of the Parliamentary All Party Photography Group] and representatives of the photographic press to discuss the issue of counter terrorism powers and offences in relation to photography.

‘I welcomed the opportunity to reassure all those concerned with this issue that we have no intention of Section 44 or Section 58a [of the Terrorism Act] being used to stop ordinary people taking photos or to curtail legitimate journalistic activity.’

‘Guidance has been provided to all police forces advising that these powers and offences should not be used to stop innocent members of the public, tourists or responsible journalists from taking photographs.

During the meeting Austin Mitchell called for a ‘strengthening’ of the ACPO and Home Office guidelines on photography that were issued last year.

Source: Amateur Photographer Magazine has all the details online: to read click here:

Following up on our previous micro 4/3 Olympus Pen article we thought that you might enjoy this promotional video from Japan for the new Olympus Pen PL1. Although the EP1 is a cut down version of the flagship EP2 aimed at new photographers it has most of the features of it’s bigger brother, image quality is as good if not better and includes a built in flash.

Search the web for PL1 reviews they make interesting reading. We hope you enjoy the video preview…

Calling all photographers on the Isle of Wight the Digital Economy Bill affects you!

As Isle of Wight Digital Imaging Group photographers were recently made aware, the Digital Economy Bill (DEB) is currently grinding its way through Parliament. It will reach report stage early next month, and the Government are determined to see the DEB passed without further amendment before the May 6th election.

The UK’s photographic community from the professional, to the amateur, are to be impacted by the new Digital Economy Bill. Various groups are coming together in an attempt to rouse the British public from its slumbers on this hugely-important issue.

We have urged our members to write or email our Island MP Andrew Turner  here: mail@IslandMP.com about the orphan licensing provisions of the Digital Economy Bill.

Britain’s Digital Economy Bill is based largely on a report by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) entitled “© the way ahead“. The report and its recommendations are a bid to reduce the complexity of the system, and should remove the need to seek permission and make payment for personal use of individual copyright works’. Read more »

As this week marks Adobe Photoshop’s 20th Anniversary photographers on the Isle of Wight are having a Lightroom celebration of their own and members of the IWDIG would like to hear your questions on the popular photo software too!

Photoshop has come a long way and is one of the most incredible stories in the history of personal computing. 20 years ago today it debuted as a basic – but still pretty amazing – image editor. It’s now pretty much impossible to find an image that hasn’t benefited from its magic touch. With events around the world fans are celebrating the impact one of their favourite software packages has had across photography, art, design, publishing and commerce.

On the Isle of Wight we are having a small Adobe Photoshop Lightroom celebration of our own! as this coming weekend we see the launch of the first of many Lightroom Courses on the Island.

The courses are courtesy of Wight Photo Breaks professionally run in association with IWDIG and Dimbola. If you’re not booked up for this special photographic event don’t worry more courses, tutorials and workshops are coming soon.

In addition to mark Adobe Photoshop’s 20th Birthday, if you have any burning questions on any section of Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom as a one off this weekend, feel free to send in your questions via email and our experts will be on hand to answer them for you. Read more »