Sadly, David Harris, M.Photog.Cr., passed away on Thursday, March 11. A long-time member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and the PPA Council, David owned Harris Studio in Sacramento, Calif., with his wife Sandra. They started their business in 1963, and their love for photography and the people in and of photography only grew.

David was a very strong supporter of PPA and his affiliate associations--he truly believed in the power of connections. In addition, he was a proud recipient of his Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman degrees from PPA.

Our thoughts are with Sandra, his family and the numerous friends he made throughout his life.

If you would like to share some memories or thoughts about Dave, please add them to the comments field of this post.

onOne Software, Inc.,today announced the immediate availability of two fully-functional Photoshop plug-ins: PhotoTools 2.5 Free and the new PhotoFrame 4.5 Free.  The free plug-ins for Photoshop are based on the award winning versions of PhotoTools 2.5 Standard Edition and PhotoFrame 4.5 Standard Edition and are compatible with Photoshop CS2, CS3 and CS4.

PhotoTools 2.5 Free and PhotoFrame 4.5 Free provide photographers with select content from the Standard Editions of each product, while maintaining the full-functionality, unlike the traditional restrictions of 30 day timed trials or watermarked images. The free presets for Lightroom 2, Adobe Camera Raw and the onOne Exchange allow photographers to streamline their workflow and get the most out of the onOne products they already own. The new onOne University underscores onOne's commitment to helping customers get the most out of their software investment by providing over 100 free training videos with even more training content planned.

"We are excited to offer these free versions of PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5 as a way for new users to experience onOne's award winning products," said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. "These free products, along with the Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw Presets, onOne Exchange and onOne University are a way for onOne to give back to the photographic community and to continue to provide value to our onOne customers."

onOne Software Free Products and Resources include:  

PhotoTools 2.5 Free Edition - Based on the same feature set as PhotoTools 2.5 Standard Edition, PhotoTools 2.5 Free includes 15 of the most popular effects found in PhotoTools 2.5 Standard Edition. PhotoTools offers powerful action based effects that can improve images dramatically, making it easy to find, experiment, combine, apply and fine tune effects in an easy to use interface.  The 15 effects available in PhotoTools 2.5 Free range from reproducing classic photographic effects like Bleach Bypass and Cross Process, to reproducing film stock such as Kodachrome and Velvia, to modern effects including automatic skin smoothing.

PhotoFrame 4.5 Free Edition - Based on the same feature set as PhotoFrame 4.5 Standard Edition, PhotoFrame 4.5 Free makes it easy to add the perfect finishing touch to images, with 20 professional grade edges, backgrounds, textures and adornments.  PhotoFrame 4.5 Free offers an extremely easy way to browse, preview and add effects like frames, backgrounds and adornments to images, with the ability to stack multiple elements and control opacity, size and color.

Presets for Lightroom 2 and Adobe Camera Raw - Users get over 140 time saving Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw presets designed by Photoshop Guru Jack Davis that help quickly correct color and tone and easily add creative effects.

onOne Exchange - The onOne Exchange is a free online resource that offers regularly updated content for PhotoTools and PhotoFrame and encourages users to upload their own actions and content.  There are over 65 presets from onOne Software and customers to date.

onOne University - Features over 100 free video tutorials to help customers quickly learn and get the most out of onOne Software products. New video tutorials covering a wide range of subjects are currently in the works.

Availability
PhotoTools 2.5 Free, PhotoFrame 4.5 Free, Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw Presets are available immediately at no cost as downloads from onOne Software at http://www.ononesoftware.com/free.  The onOne Exchange is available at http://www.ononeexchange.com/ and onOne University is available at http://www.ononesoftware.com/university/.

Dear PPA Member,

We all have probably procrastinated on something at some point in our lives. But as you know, there are certain occasions when preparation is key and can make the difference between a great outcome and a disappointing one.

PPA's International Photographic Competition is one of those occasions. This event only happens once a year and is a platform for you to show off your skill as a photographer. Pulling an "all-nighter" right before the submission deadline is probably not the wisest idea. That's why we've gathered some tips in this week's Vital Signs article to help you prepare and make the most of your competition experience.

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Financing income-producing equipment is a sound business decision because that equipment generates revenue. United Funding, a PPA Affinity Partner, has created a new online payment calculator to accommodate the financing of equipment under the standard $5,000. This is a great option for all photographers--especially if you are new to the industry or have an equipment budget.

PPA members can use the Special Payment Calculator to determine their potential payment options on the equipment they need for their business. And the Online Credit Application makes the whole process even easier! PPA members can log in here to take advantage of this benefit.

Ever wonder if you're doing what you were meant to do? Follow Jessica Edwards' lead, and ask yourself one question: If you didn't have to work, what would you do?

The answer to that question was how Edwards found her way back to photography. She was told over and over that she needed to get a "real job," so she decided that photography would just be a hobby. But after studying psychology for four years, she realized that her heart just wasn't in it.

"I did some soul searching and asked myself, 'If I didn't have to work, what would I do?'" explains Edwards. "The answer was that I would travel and take pictures of the places I went and people I met. That's when I realized that my heart was still in photography...and I decided to devote the rest of my life to it."

Devotion is a good way to describe professional photographers' attitude toward their craft. After all, it takes effort and continual, consistent education to keep up with the constant changes in the industry. As Edwards notes, "If you don't evolve with [photography], you'll be left behind."

Along with attending conventions and webinars hosted by Professional Photographers of America, Edwards uses photographic competitions as a method for evolving her skills. "I believe that anyone who wants to improve their work and continue to grow as a photographer should enter photographic competition," she says. "It forces you to be more critical of the photographs you enter--and their lighting, posing and post-processing details--which will carry over into your everyday work."

The 2010 Coupon Book provides PPA members with exclusive discounts and promotions from our top Corporate Members. These unique incentives are for PPA members only. Simply click on a coupon to link directly to the vendor's website.

Starting to dread opening those credit card bills every month? Don't fear them, conquer them and put debt in its place. Here's a great place to start: join our webinar featuring Chris Hogan, director of the financial coaching division for Dave Ramsey (March 17th at 4:00pm Eastern).

Ramsey's Financial Coaching is responsible for providing practical financial coaching, counseling and guidance to artists and athletes with a top-notch program designed to help them "win with money" through personal budgeting, saving and debt elimination. Sound like it could help you? That's what Hogan believes.

"No matter what the economy is like, it's a smart idea to recession-proof your business. That way, when the hard times come, you'll be standing strong," says Hogan.

You'll learn about:

• Recession-proofing your business and standing strong in any economy
• Balancing calculated risk with the right level of operational restraint
• A plan for debt elimination
• Developing a budget and sticking to it
• Creating a cash flow plan
• The importance of a business plan and how to get started
  

Hogan will also help you put together an outline on paper that helps you set a vision and define goals for your company. "This is extremely important because it gives you motivation to leave the cave, kill something and drag it home everyday," he explains. "Owning your own business can be a challenging endeavor, but knowing what your dreams and visions are will help you stay focused."

Listen to Hogan's webinar, "Win with Money: Conquer Debt and Dream Big," on March 17th (4:00pm Eastern) to gather more tips for standing strong in any economy.

President and CEO Morio Ono of optical equipment manufacturer Tamron Co., Ltd., announced another advance in Tamron's pursuit of high resolution images in the telephoto lens category with the development of a 70-300mm F/4-5.6 telephoto zoom lens featuring image stabilization--VC (Vibration Compensation) and an ultrasonic auto-focus drive -- USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive). The SP AF70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) high-resolution DSLR telephoto zoom lens has been produced first for the Nikon mount, with the development of compatible mounts for Canon and Sony  to follow.

This new telephoto zoom lens is designed for digital SLR cameras and can be used with both full-frame sensor as well as AF 35mm film cameras with a zoom range of 70-300mm; and with APS-C sensor cameras where the angle of view will change the zoom range equal to 109-465mm.

With superior optical performance, Tamron's own USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) and VC (Vibration Compensation), the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) provides the performance of a high-end premium telephoto zoom that is appealing to a broad spectrum of photography enthusiasts.

In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron's 60th Anniversary lens - the SP AF70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - utilizes an advanced optical design that features an LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialized materials that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP AF70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class.

In addition, it is the first Tamron lens sporting a USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron's very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports, racing, and other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron's proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held shooting, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom.

This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens.

Click here to read more.

Volunteer to share your knowledge at one of PPA's unique, peer-to-peer educational initiatives. Besides the experience and new networks you'll gain from speaking, you can earn two speaking merits toward a PPA degree. In addition, Photographic Craftsman volunteers will receive $50 per student after the 7th paid attendee.

The deadline to sign up is June 1, 2009. If you would like additional information on being a Super Monday instructor, read our FAQs.

If you're ready to sign up to be a Super Monday instructor now, click here.

Proceeds from Super Monday support PPA's non-profit educational programs.

Celebrating 100 years of leadership in photography education this year, The New York Institute of Photography (www.nyi100years.com), America's oldest and largest photography school, showcases today the top 100 photos chosen as winners of the NYIP Centennial Photo Challenge.

With hundreds of entries from students, graduates, and photographers from all over the world, the NYIP Centennial Photo Challenge quickly became a popular thread with NYIP forum members at http://forum.nyip.com/. Each entrant was asked to submit to NYIP his or her favorite photo that was taken in the prior year. Entries included a wide variety of subjects including sports, portraits, wildlife, scenic, macro, black-and-white, photojournalism and more.

Winners of the NYIP Centennial Photo Challenge can be viewed in a slideshow on NYIP's Website www.nyi100years.com or here: http://www.youtube.com/newyorkinstitute#p/u/0/48LfXC17_bc and http://vimeo.com/9885123.