Wiley (www.wiley.com/compbooks) recently published Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook; 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers, ISBN: 978-1-118-03510-8, $34.99. The photographer will also be releasing an accompanying iPhone/iPad App. for a more immersive educational experience.

The book features over a hundred lighting setups, complete with lighting diagrams and explanations. In addition, the author notes how costly each lighting set-up is in comparison to the others, how many assistants are needed, and depending upon whether Speedlights or studio strobes were used, how many lights in total are needed to reproduce the image.

Lighting diagrams are essential in a book that teaches lighting—because unless you’re learning hands-on, the easiest way to understand how the lighting set-ups actually work in the real world is to compare the diagram and photograph. Wide views of the entire scene, with the photographer in the shot are also included for the images; as are lists of exact tools used and exposure information.

The book features the obligatory section explaining the differences in various lighting equipment, from Speedlights to Monolights, packs and heads, scrims, reflectors and diffusers. And, Kubota includes a section on lighting basics, ratios and rules, which is beneficial to a digital photographer beginning to learn how to light their subjects artificially. Lastly, the author includes an extensive list of manufacturers of every kind of lighting equipment and modifier as a resource.

There’s a great variety of images included in the book, from studio to location, single subjects to families and kids, seniors and maternity imagery—with formal and candid, free flowing poses. Many of the images feature posing and lighting styles that are presently trendy, which is an added benefit to the photographer reading this book, as you’re handed specific directions how to recreate these great shots on your own. I also like the diversity—too many books feature images that are so similar, that Kubota’s large collection of lighting techniques is refreshing to see.

One of the added features of the book, is that because Kubota also has a line of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom actions, he also finished practically every image using his actions, while explaining what steps were taken, complete with screenshots.

On one hand, I like the finished look that Kubota’s actions offer images—I use them on many of my own images—but as a caveat, I’m sure the hundred plus examples will increase the interest in Kubota’s line of actions as well.

Every Photograph Needs Light

Kubota starts out by explaining why lighting is so important in photography, and why knowing how to control light in your photographs is so crucial. This is a sentiment that seems to be lost among many photographers who have only shot with digital cameras and can check exposures on the LCD, (making corrections as needed)—as opposed to photographers who shot film and had only one chance to get the lighting of an image right. [read: during the shoot!]

“Good lighting is not a trend in photography, it is the backbone,” the author says in the first chapter. Understanding how to light your subject well, in a flattering manner or to achieve a certain mood is crucial to any photographer’s repertoire or style.

If you’re looking for a great field guide, one that you can flip through for inspiration and that includes step-by-step guidance on a wide range of lighting set-ups, Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook will definitely provide plenty of fodder for your photography.

— Diane Berkenfeld

PhotoPlus Expo Bash and Benefit to take place Friday, October 28, 2011; 8pm to midnight at Highline Stages in New York City.

When the earthquake and tsunami happened in Japan this past spring, so many people around the globe rushed to donate money and supplies to assist the victims. Help is still needed, and once again the photo industry is coming together for a fundraiser that will benefit the International Red Cross, to help the survivors of the natural disasters, who are still in need.
The benefit is happening during the PhotoPlus Expo tradeshow at the end of October in NYC. The annual Bash at PhotoPlus Expo will be the site of this fundraiser. Tickets for the PhotoPlus Bash and Benefit for Japan can be purchased for $35 online, on the PhotoPlus Expo website, or after October 26, for $50 onsite. The venue for the Bash and Benefit is Highline Stages, which is located at 440 West 15th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) in New York City, from 8pm till midnight on Friday October 28, 2011.
To help in fundraising, 50 of the world’s most respected photographers will be donating an original print as part of a silent auction that will take place during the Bash and Benefit. Attendees will be able to bid on original signed images from such renowned photographers as Harry Benson, Susan Meiselas, Douglas Kirkland, John Isaac and others.
“The disaster in Japan last March has had an incredible impact on the photo industry and we wanted to create an event that would allow us to help—as an entire photo community—those most affected by the disaster,” explains Jeff McQuilkin, Director—PDN PhotoPlus International Conference & Expo. “The response we received from photographers invited to donate prints for auction has been overwhelming and in most cases their initial response was, ‘what else can I do?’ The benefit will not only help raise needed funds, but will continue the tradition of PhotoPlus Expo social events as being celebrations of community and photography,” McQuilkin added.
Highline Stages is a 45,000 square foot studio space that offers cycloramas and studio shooting spaces for fashion shoots, commercials and other productions.
For more information about PhotoPlus Expo, check out the website at www.photoplusexpo.com or visit the tradeshow’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/photoplusexpo) or follow the show on Twitter (www.twitter.com/photoplusexpo.com).

Let’s say that you’re going to be attending a wedding, and are passionate about photography, and you want to know more about the types of images you can capture—then you’ll be happy with The Wedding Photography Field Guide. You can definitely learn a lot about the types of photos that wedding photographers like Turner are shooting for their clients. The price is very affordable, and the field guide small enough for you to slip into your gear bag to refer to in a pinch.

As someone who has shot weddings and assisted other photographers with them for over a dozen years, the idea of a field guide type of book being written to teach someone how to shoot a wedding is fine if its designed for someone who isn’t planning on beginning a wedding photography business.

A book that talks about the various techniques for creative imagery doesn’t also need to explain that wedding photographers need to own and bring backup equipment to a job; or explain what a D-SLR is, what memory cards, flash units, or other basics that any pro is familiar with and are needed to shoot a wedding. If you’re going to be shooting a wedding (as a hired photographer) you had better know all about the equipment that you should own, and know that equipment thoroughly.

That said, I do think the author has a lot of advice to share on shooting creatively.

If you’re a photographer—a pro—and have shot weddings, say in more formal traditional ways, and want to read a book on how to shoot in a more contemporary style, then you will find this book to be helpful. The author includes a lot, and I mean A LOT of examples of images, showing not just one-offs, but a series of images from each bridal couple that she’s using, as examples, to illustrate the various situations she talks about.

If however, you’re buying this field guide to keep in your camera bag when you’re working a wedding… then personally I don’t think you’re experienced enough to be shooting that wedding, not for hire anyway. Wedding photography is not for the faint at heart. there is no do-over if you don’t get the shots.

On the other hand, if you are a pro wedding photographer and pick up Turner’s book to expand your knowledge of current trends or are looking for new ideas to use in photographing the affairs you’re booking, then you will find this book to be helpful. For that The Wedding Photographer’s Field Guide is well worth the $15.95 price.

— D.B.

I’ve now read a few of the books in the series.

In this review we’re going to tackle The Bird Photography Field Guide, written by David Tipling, ISBN 9780240817767. The book not only includes a wealth of information that any experienced bird watcher or photographer would know, but also includes some basic photography info. While personally I felt that most of the basic photo education could have been left out, I do understand that there might be some folks brand new to photography who might be picking up one of these books—and in that case, you’ll not only learn all you want to about photographing birds, but also be able to better understand how your camera works. The book also covers some info on post-processing to enhance the photos you’ve just taken, and again while it is just the tip of the iceberg on post production education, its a good starting point for the novice digital photographer.

As someone who has photographed birds that can easily be found (meaning that I haven’t really searched out particular birds to photograph on any particular day) the author did a great job explaining the varied tips for capturing certain types of birds, and included tricks to getting better photos using blinds and how best to approach birds, among other tips.

The author’s experience photographing birds comes through, as the book is written in an easy to understand manner, ideal for the beginner photographer as well as the more advanced shooter who is looking to specifically learn about photographing birds.

And, because the Field Guide series of books are designed to be pocketable, you can easily take them with you into the field. Pricetag: $15.95, well worth the amount of tips you’ll get in The Bird Photography Field Guide.

— Diane Berkenfeld

PMA and CES Announce Colocation at 2012 International CES

PMA announced on May 4, 2011 a partnership agreement with the CEA, owner and producer of the International CES, to move the September 2011 PMA International Convention and Trade Show (a.k.a. CliQ 2011) to colocate at the 2012 International CES, which scheduled for January 10-13 in Las Vegas.

According to a press release distributed by PMA, PMA@CES will offer industry-specific content and display products representing all aspects of digital imaging, including the educational programs that PMA is known for.

“PMA colocation with CES creates a great opportunity for our combined audiences to learn from each other, grow, and take full advantage of the integration and connectivity of personal content (in the form of digital photography) and home entertainment,” said Ted Fox, executive director, PMA. “This convergence will expand with continued enhancements to camera phones and tablets.”

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO for CEA said: “This collaboration will significantly enhance the 2012 International CES digital imaging product offerings for our retail and other audiences,” adding, “Technology is speeding the rapid convergence of digital photography and home entertainment systems. The breadth and scope of digital imaging product offerings that PMA will now bring to CES will complement and further expand the extensive growth of CES in this product category.”

According to Fox, “Our agreement [with CES] is an excellent example of two trade associations coming together to constructively and proactively address challenges and provide new opportunities.”

— D.B.

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PMA Launches CliQ and the CliQworld.com website

It seems there’s a new photography tradeshow in town. Well, its actually a rebranded show. The Photo Marketing Association’s annual show, which had previously been for the trade only, has now been rebranded from PMA 2011 to CliQ 2011.

The CliQ show, which runs from September 8-10, 2011 in Las Vegas will feature presentations from well known photographers, workshops by industry experts, photo walks, seminars and the world’s largest annual photo trade show. The CliQ 2011 tradeshow will feature interactive zones, spotlighting technology, tips and techniques in these major areas: the Shooting Zone, Mobile Zone, Software tutorial Zone, Innovation Zone, 3D Zone, and Video Zone.

According to Ted Fox, executive director and CEO of PMA, the show organizers, “The PMA convention will continue to offer the same leading-edge programming for the retailers, custom framers, studios and chain stores.” He adds, “PMA members will recognize classic convention features, like the DIMA Printer Shootout, the DIMA Photo Book Showcase, Retailer Hot Picks, Photographer Hot Picks, DIMA Innovative Product Awards, and the Official Business Session.”

The GoingPro Bootcamp photography business seminar will also be featured at CliQ 2011, designed to assist the aspiring pro gain the knowledge and business know-how needed to be successful. In addition to graduates of photography programs, a growing number of soccer moms, or what PMA calls Jennifer, the Gen X mom, are becoming more educated about photography and becoming part time shooters. With the recent addition of the somewhat recently formed Professional Wedding and Studio Photographers Association International (PWSPI) to the PMA family, the association has expanded its reach to the pro photographer and videographer. PWSPI was founded by industry veterans Skip Cohen and Scott Bourne.

The mainstay of the Photo Marketing Association is the retailer and lab owner segments that make up a large part of their membership. The association plans on providing a lot of content on the cliqworld.com website that ties site visitors back to their local dealers, for both educational opportunities as well as a marketing tool.

The first three days of the CliQ tradeshow, September 8-10, will be open to the trade only, which includes professional photographers, imaging retailers, lab owners and custom framers. DIMA and other regular pre-PMA show programming will be offered as usual. A day-long educational program for photographers will be held on September 9, and the GoingPro Bootcamp will be held September 10-11. The show floor will be open to enthusiasts only on September 10.

CliQ’s more than just a show

According to the press release, CliQ is a community, united by passion for still and motion images. It’s the source for all things photography and all levels of photographers; featuring industry news, product reviews and more. CliQ creates direct dialogue between manufacturers, retailers and photographers to help them learn, discover and share. The website cliqworld.com will present all that’s happening in imaging. “CliQ is a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week commitment on the part of the association to provide content and tools for everyone involved in photography, from consumers to aspiring pros, to retailers and professional labs,” says Fox. The CliQworld.com website offers how-to articles, news, an event calendar, contests, information about CliQ 2011—with more to be added in the future.

Jim Tierney, the CEO of software maker, Digital Anarchy, happens to also be an adventure photographer who loves photographing whales. Tierney also lives in Hawaii, which, conveniently enough is where the Pacific Humpback whales migrate, to mate and give birth. He launched the website http://whalewatcher.net/, to provide whale enthusiasts with information about the 12,000 Humpbacks that make the trip from Alaska to Hawaii each year. According to Tierney, about 13 million people go on whale watching tours annually. And it’s not just the Humpbacks that are fun to watch, but other types of whales too. One of the first products available from the website is the 2 DVD set, “The Art of Whale Photography.”

According to Tierney, who launched the website last month, “We’ll be adding additional training content, but also we plan on adding a lot more information and resources for folks interested in whales, whether they’re watching them or photographing them.” He added: “We also really want to promote what it’s like to see them on a small boat. I think many people think of whale watching as being on a large boat with the whales way off in the distance. In many places, like Maui, HI and Baja, CA, you can go out in small boats on calm water and see the whales up close. Close as in a few feet away close! It’s really an amazing experience.”

Tierney also noted that content related to issues involving whales will also be put on the website in the future.

“The Art of Whale Photography,” was created to provide aspiring and experienced photographers with tips and tricks on taking action photos of Humpback Whales, together with ways to get the most out of their DSLR cameras. Tierney moderates the video, interviewing Michael Sweet, considered to be Maui’s most experienced whale photographer, and marine naturalist and whale expert, Melissa Meeker. “Anyone who has ever tried photographing the fast moving Humpbacks or other whales likely has ended up with many shots of razor sharp water and blurry gray whale shapes,” says Tierney. The videos and website were created to help folks limit the number of bad shots they get, while increasing the chances of getting great photographs.

Pictured in this photo, is one of the 12,000 majestic Humpback Whales that migrate from Alaska to warmer waters every winter. This year nearly six million Americans will venture out on whale watching tours. Photo © Michael Sweet.

I checked out “The Art of Whale Photography” and have to say it has a lot of great information. I’ve been a photographer for over 20 years now, photographing on the water and land, but when it comes to Humpback Whales—which I have photographed in the past—there was definitely plenty to learn. Along with information specific to photographing the Humpbacks in their natural environment, Tierney and Sweet touch upon a number of general photographic tips that can make the difference between getting great photographs or being left with little in the way of a photographic record of your trip. Since so many people are now venturing out on these smaller whale-watching tour boats, such things as what gear to bring, the way you hold your camera, and which metering and focusing settings you choose can make a big difference.

While Sweet talks about capturing images of the Humpbacks from a photographer’s point of view, Meeker adds to the video by explaining an awful lot about the habits and actions of the whales that you might see when on the water. Knowing what you’re watching—she points out—will make it easier for you to anticipate where to point your camera. Understanding some of the graceful behaviors you might see will also make your excursion more enjoyable. And as Tierney points out, while he loves spending as much time as possible photographing the Humpbacks, every once in a while you ought to put the camera down and just enjoy the sights and sounds of being so close to these wondrous creatures. Using a toy model of a Humpback and easy to understand language, Meeker does a great job of explaining the Humpback’s anatomy, some of the activities that occur among the whales when they’re looking for a mate, as well as how the moms care for their young. This really is important to know, since the Humpbacks migrate from food-rich waters off Alaska, down to Maui, to mate and have their calves.

Overall, I felt the video was a great educational tool, both for the photographic tips as well as the great info. on the whales themselves. I think it was a little longer than it needed to be, but that’s mainly because after each section, the information was recapped—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you’re going on a whale watching excursion, one using small boats—especially if its to view Humpbacks, “The Art of Whale Photography” is a great tool to use in preparing for your trip.

Along with the DVD set, the website also offers an iPhone app. and “The Humpback Whale Guide.” Other products are expected to follow. For more information, and to see Jim Tierney’s whale photography, go to http://whalewatcher.net/. To see more of Michael Sweet’s photography, go to his website at www.gallerysweet.com.

Behind the Scenes on the Production of the Video

With DSLRs now capable of shooting video, we bet you’re wondering what camera/camcorder/video camera was used to shoot the video. Well, they used Canon EOS 5D Mark II and 7D DSLRs. I asked Tierney how the cameras worked out. Due to limitations of the camera’s autofocus, the on-water footage didn’t come out as well as expected. He explained that the DSLRs “worked beautifully for shooting the [human] talent. When you can lock the camera down, set the focus and depth-of-field, and let the camera roll… it produces exceptional video.” He added that the limitation of 12 minutes/4 Gigs of video shooting was frustrating to have to deal with, when the interviews were going great, but overall he recommends using the DSLRs for video.

For shooting video footage of the Humpbacks though, Tierney said professional video equipment or even dedicated consumer camcorders would have worked out better, because of their autofocus capabilities, image stabilization designed for a moving image, and aliasing/rolling shutter issues that the current crop of DSLRs have with fast moving subjects. “True video cameras have filters and components to minimize or eliminate these problems,” Tierney explained. He stressed that more controlled situations wouldn’t cause such issues, and DSLRs would be ideal for capturing such video.

That’s the main reason that there was little video footage of the Humpbacks in the DVD. I personally would have loved to see more video footage, even some more still photography—and will look forward to future Whalewatcher.net instructional videos.

In addition to being chock full of helpful tips and tricks that you can implement right away, the author has a writing style that’s just plain fun to read. The book jacket was designed to look like Kraft paper; the bar code on the back of the book jacket looks like it was taped into place. UNMarketing is well-written, the chapters are short, easy to read, and understand, and one of the best parts of the book… is the footnotes. Yes, the footnotes. They’re funny, nonsensical, and most are there only to break up the monotony of the pages—only UNMarketing is an enjoyable read, it isn’t stuffy or long-winded. And, its pages are filled with proven [un]marketing techniques—ideas sure to make a difference in your business, no matter what profession you’re in.

Things are different in today’s digital world. Consumers are using new avenues to get their information, and it’s important to engage your customers where they are. Stratten offers clear-cut tips for utilizing social media, viral marketing and plain-old good conversation to build relationships that translate into results. They just work! So stop going about marketing your business like you’ve been doing before and expecting a new outcome.

This book review is relatively short and sweet, an homage to UNMarketing. Why use a dozen words to describe something that only needs a few.UNMarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging is a good book. Pick up a copy today. It’s only $24.95, and is well worth it.

For more information about the author, go to www.un-marketing.com.

— Diane Berkenfeld

Plenty of images are sprinkled throughout the book, from Hilz, a select group of Lensbaby gurus and photographers from the global Lensbaby community who submitted photos for possible inclusion in the book. Lensbaby incorporates both an instructional area and portfolios of work shot with various Lensbabies. And, one of the great things that Hilz has done, is mention which Lensbaby model and optic was used for each photograph, a great help for readers who might want to replicate an image they see in the book. Also nice to see is that the photographers included all work in different genres, so there’s a good variety of images, from weddings, portrait, fine-art, nature and commercial to view within the pages of the book.

For a photographer who has never used a Lensbaby, I think this book is an absolute must. It will give you the tips and tricks that are normally learned through trial and error—allowing you to quickly ramp up to mastering the nuances that come with working with Lensbaby lenses.

For someone like myself, who has used almost every Lensbaby that’s been introduced, the book offers inspiration. I also picked up a few new tricks from the pages of Lensbaby, Bending Your Perpective.

From subtle to strong effects, Hilz has included a little bit of everything there is to know about Lensbabies. Lensbaby, Bending Your Perspective is a great reference, one that I know I’ll turn to again and again. It’s definitely worth the $29.95 price tag.

For more information about the book, go to www.focalpress.com.

For more information about the author, go to www.coreyhilz.com.

For more information about Lensbabies, go to www.lensbaby.com.

— Diane Berkenfeld

If you want to create or manage your own Web site, for personal or professional reasons, Dreamweaver has always been a good choice. The CS5 version has some new tweaks and abilities that continue to improve on what was already a powerful program.

I should note that I manage my own site, tonimcquilken.com, and I have used Dreamweaver to build and maintain it since the CS3 version. I’ve played with this program for many years, and while I won’t pretend to be a code junkie expert, I know just enough to make me dangerous, which is why the constant simplifying of complex processes in Dreamweaver has been, for me, a huge plus.

One of the biggest additions in the “making it easier” category with this release has been the ability to see what you’re designing in a PHP-based content management system. For the rest of you non-code junkies out there, that is basically taking content beyond a static HTML page, and giving it more dynamic design. In other words, the page is generated when a user calls it up, instead of ahead of time and stored on a server. It pulls content based on rules you set up, allowing for more interesting and interactive elements.

This was possible before in Dreamweaver, but the addition of Live View actually allows you to see the end result now, and see what changes to the code will impact the design, without having to switch back and forth to a browser. This is a huge time-saver, and for those people who want to use things like dynamic photo or video galleries, this is a serious upgrade.

Another upgrade in this version of Dreamweaver is a further simplification of CSS coding. Adobe had offered tools for de-bugging CSS code in CS4, but they’ve made that support far more comprehensive in CS5. To the point where this completely CSS-ignorant journalist is actually considering a total site overhaul. CSS has many advantages over basic HTML, but migrating and using that platform was like learning a whole new language. I won’t say it’s easy now, but the new tools, such as pop-up windows to show you exactly what code applies to what sections, certainly makes it more user-friendly.

Viewing the source code (image above) and the live code (image below)…

The final major new feature I’d like to point out is the integration with Adobe’s new CS Live function called BrowserLab. Adobe’s documentation explains why this is useful far better than I can: “While working within Dreamweaver CS5, you have the ability to interact with your page in Live View, including the ability to freeze JavaScript-triggered interactions, and then send this “snapshot” of the page directly to BrowserLab for an accurate preview in the specific browsers and operating systems you’ve chosen. Onionskin view in BrowserLab allows you to overlay the same page in two different browsers or browser versions, which is extremely helpful in determining exactly what are the differences in the way code is displayed by different browsers.”

This is another great time-saving tool for ensuring the look and feel you’re trying to convey are achieved no matter what browser your clients choose to use. There is nothing more frustrating than creating a beautiful design that displays perfectly in Firefox, only to discover it looks completely wrong in Internet Explorer. Now you can quickly see where the differences are, and made adjustments without having to track down multiple computers or systems to test against.

If you already have a site, migrating to Dreamweaver is as simple as running through a few dialog boxes to point it toward your servers and local files. If you’re creating a new site, Dreamweaver also offers a host of templates, which have also been expanded and improved in this release. And if you’re running a previous version of Dreamweaver and plan to do any CSS or PHP coding in the near future, this is definitely a release you want to check out. All-in-all, Dreamweaver is another solid product from Adobe with some great new features and upgrades in the CS5 release package.

Photodex has just released a new version of its ProShow Plug-in for Adobe Lightroom. The plug-in helps photographers quickly create video slideshows by removing all the busy-work involved with preparing photos and importing them into a show. The plug-in is completely free and supports both Mac and PC. It also supports ProShow Web, the company’s web based slideshow creation service.

Users can export images from Lightroom to ProShow Producer, Photodex’s professional slideshow creation software. Export support for ProShow Producer is PC only.

When exporting to ProShow Producer, the ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom offers additional built-in features that jumpstart show creation and make creating a slideshow easier than ever. The plug-in automatically prepares and exports photos to a folder, creates a basic show containing the photos, and opens the show in Producer. Users can set a number of parameters in the plug-in to help set up the basics of their slideshow. Options for selecting transitions, motions effects, photo borders and adding captions from metadata are all supported in the plug-in. Users can also select from presets that automatically create shows that can be fine-tuned in Producer.

The ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom is free and can be downloaded directly from the Adobe Lightroom Exchange website. The plug-in is Mac and PC compatible and works with Lightroom 2.0 or newer versions.

What is ProShow Web?

ProShow Web, is Photodex’s all-new service for creating instant video slideshows online. The service works by intelligently mixing photos, videos and music together into a unique video slideshow. Users can create free, 15-photo slideshows or opt for a Plus or Premium account. Once created, shows can be customized with over 600 built-in, drag and drop effects and easily shared online or downloaded to a computer.

ProShow Web expands Photodex’s ProShow product line to the web, providing a new platform for slideshow creation. Its quick, and easy since the service does most of the hard work. Mac (that’s right, I said Mac) users or PC users simply pick a theme, upload their content, choose a song from the royalty-free music library and ProShow Web instantly creates a polished video slideshow, ready to share or fine-tune further.

ProShow Web provides a robust collection of themes as well as over 600 drag and drop effects that can be mixed and matched to create a truly unique video. In addition, you can add even more effects through StylePacks and Transitions Packs, bringing the number of available effects up to over 1,000.

Finished shows stream as Flash video directly from ProShow Web and can be shared in a number of formats. Built-in social networking tools post videos to Facebook and upload directly to Youtube. Videos can be embedded or linked to directly from ProShowWeb.com and played back on the latest smart phones and devices as HTML5 video. Downloads let users save videos to their computer as an HD video file (up to 1080p for Premium accounts) or grab ready-to-burn disc images for DVD and Blu-ray.

A unique element exclusive to ProShow Web is the ability to download and edit any video created online into Photodex’s ProShow Producer. In Producer, users can trim video clips, crop and retouch photos, trim and fade audio tracks, set text formatting and fonts, create their own custom effects, layouts and much more.

ProShow Web is available in Free, Plus and Premium accounts. For more information and pricing, go to www.photodex.com.