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EASY IMAGE ACCESS
Digital Foci’s Picture Porter lets you store, view and share your images wherever you roam while fitting into the palm of your hand
. Weighing just 8.6 ounces, the portable photo viewer rotates, zooms and pans your pictures on a two-inch color LCD screen. The built-in memory card slots allow you to archive and download images into the Picture Porter hard drive, which comes in 20 GB and 40 GB capacities. The Picture Porter can also connect to a television, work as an MP3 and video player, and transfer files to the computer. List Price: Up to $429. Contact: Digital Foci, (310) 763-9100, www.digitalfoci.com.
LIGHT VOLUME CONTROL
Get a handle on exposure with Will Crockett’s 74-minute Digital Exposure Control DVD. Offering up his latest tips and techniques, Crockett, founder of ShootSmarter.com and ShootSmarter University, shows photographers how to integrate their digital cameras, studio strobes, light meters and on-camera flash for reliable results. Wedding and portrait photographer Jim Tweedie joins Crockett and shares his own experiences in moving from film to digital photography. List Price: $49. Contact: ShootSmarter, (914) 347-3300, www.shootsmarter.com.
ENERGY REVIVAL
Charge eight batteries in 60 minutes with the Maha PowerEx MH-C801D Eight-Cell 1-Hour charger. With eight independent circuits, the MH-C801D can charge any combination of AA or AAA batteries. The microprocessor allows batteries to refuel to their maximum capacity without over- or undercharging. A large LCD screen displays the charging status of each battery. List Price: $84. Contact: Maha Energy, (800) 376-9992, www.mahaenergy.com.
TAKE A SEAT
After a long day shooting in the field, sit back and relax in the Crazy Legs Leisure Swivel Table Chair by Crazy Creek.The adjustable table raises and swivels around the chair, letting you download photos to your laptop or clean up your gear. You can put the table either in front of or beside you. So whether you’re reading, eating or finishing a project, the table can be used at the angle that best fits your needs. List Price: $89. Contact: Crazy Creek, (800) 331-0304, www.crazycreek.com.
A CUT ABOVE
You never know what a day in the wilderness will bring, so be prepared with Buck Knives’ Gentleman’s Series.The stainless-steel knives come in two sizes. The larger model, called the Nobleman, has a 2 5⁄8-inch folding blade and weighs 2.6 ounces. The smaller versions, named the Colleague and Scholar, have 1 7⁄8-inch folding blades and weigh 1.3 ounces. List Price: Up to $30. Contact: Buck Knives, (800) 326-2825, www.buckknives.com.
ALL-TERRAIN DRIVE
Protect your valuable images by storing them on LaCie’s Rugged All-Terrain hard drive. The drive has an aluminum shell and a shock-resistant rubber bumper, protecting it from table-height drops, dings and scrapes. Available in 80 GB, 100 GB and 120 GB capacities, the Rugged drive is powered by USB and FireWire. The USB 2.0-only version comes in 80 GB and 120 GB capacities, and the triple-interface version (USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 and 800) comes in 80 GB, 100 GB and 120 GB capacities. List Price: Up to $399. Contact: LaCie, (503) 844-4500, www.lacie.com.
STAY DRY
Don’t get caught in a spring shower without the right gear. The Marmot Genesis jacket will keep you dry while not taking up too much room in your bag. The softshell jacket is 100% waterproof and windproof, with a microfleece lining to keep you warm and dry. The attached hood is also lined and rolls up when not in use. List Price: $275. Contact: Marmot, (888) 357-3262, www.marmot.com.
COMPACT, WEATHErPROOF OPTICS
Get crystal-clear views out of light, compact, waterproof binoculars with the newest addition to Nikon’s All Terrain Binocular series. The 36mm objective Monarch ATB is similar to the 42mm, but there’s less of it. Weighing less than 20 ounces and just over five inches in length, the 8x36 model has a 367-foot field of view, and the 10x36 has a 314-foot view. The binoculars are also fogproof, with fully multicoated lenses. Phase-corrected prisms enhance the optical performance at dawn, dusk and in bad weather. List Price: $239 (8x36); $249 (10x36). Contact: Nikon, (800) NIKON-US, www.nikonsportoptics.com.
 SUN SAFEGUARD
The sun is starting to stay out longer and so are you.Shield your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays with Protech Daily Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 30+.Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, the moisturizing sunscreen absorbs quickly to also help prevent wind burn and chapping. The American Cancer Society says sunscreen should be applied 20 to 30 minutes before going outside and should be reapplied every two hours.
List Price: $32. Contact: Protech, (866) 462-6599, www.protechskincare.com.
STYLISH FUNCTION
Look good with your feet feeling good in Lowa’s Kerano GTX Mid hiking boots. A rugged performer on and off the trail, the lightweight boots are waterproof and breathable, with no break-in time required. The boots also have hydrophobic Nubuck leather uppers with a Cordura collar for cushioned comfort. The soles are designed for light hiking, with a solid grip, torsion control and self-cleaning tread. List Price: $200. Contact: Lowa, (888) 335-LOWA, www.lowaboots.com.
A STEADY ANCHOR
Designed for sports and nature photographers, Cullmann’s Monofix 5041 monopods are built to support long telephoto lenses.The monopod weighs 10 ounces and is 12 inches long when folded, 55 inches extended.
The ball-and-socket head allows you to quickly adjust the camera into shooting position. The monopod also has a nine-level telescopic leg extraction and a rubber foot. List Price: $49. Contact: RTS, (631) 242-6801, www.rtsphoto.com.
FAST MEMORY FLASH
Save time and battery life with Hoodman’s Professional Performance Only series of CompactFlash cards.The cards are fast, with speeds rated up to 150x, and come in capacities of 512 MB to 4 GB. The memory cards were developed with PC Partner USA and use up to 20% less battery life for image processing. The line is available only through the Professional Photo Dealer Channel. List Price: $59 (512 MB); $89 (1 GB); $139 (2 GB); $259 (4 GB). Contact: Hoodman, (800) 818-3946, www.hoodmanusa.com.
BOOKS 'N SUCH
National Geographic Field Guide to the Trees of North America by Keith Rushforth and Charles Hollis (National Geographic, 2006; ISBN: 0-7922-5310-8). This is an in-depth guide, with hundreds of illustrations, covering more than 350 species of trees found between the Canadian Arctic and Mexico, and from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans.
Lonely Planet Landscape Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures by Peter Eastway (Lonely Planet Publications, 2005; ISBN: 1-74059-669-2). The award-winning photographer gives his best tips and techniques for taking memorable landscape photos with digital and film cameras.
Profitable Photography in the Digital Age: Strategies for Success by Dan Heller (Allworth Press, 2005; ISBN: 1-58115-412-7). Learn what it takes to sell, deliver and compete in today’s digital photography market while also getting a crash course in the basic fundamentals of starting your own business.
Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Other Winged Wonders to Your Backyard by Kris Wetherbee (Lark Books, 2005; ISBN 1-57990-810-1). Turn a corner of your backyard into a wildlife haven using this how-to guide, which offers advice on choosing shrubs, ground covers, perennials and annuals and more.
Traces of Eden: The Last of the American Wilderness by Nishantha Gunawardena (TOE Books, 2005; ISBN 0-9769972-0-7). This book catalogs Gunawardena’s three years of traveling through America capturing photos of stunning mountain ranges, river valleys, deserts, prairies and wildlife.
Seven Summits: The High Peaks of the Pacific Northwest by Art Wolfe, text by Michael Lanza (Sasquatch Books, 2005; ISBN 1-57061-476-8). Explore the Pacific Northwest’s great mountains through Wolfe’s photographs of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Glacier Peak, Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan.
CLEARER PICTURES, SMALLER CAMERA
Shoot in low light at twilight when hiking into the backcountry with the Fujifilm FinePix V10. Offering high-quality, high-ISO images in a compact size, the digital camera comes with a three-inch LCD that automatically brightens in well-lit environments, making glare less of a problem. The 5.1-megapixel camera includes a 3.4x optical zoom lens, a Super CCD HR sensor and a 30-frame playback mode. List Price: $349. Contact: Fujifilm, (800) 800-FUJI, www.fujifilm.com.
POD LITE
When hiking through rugged terrain, don’t let your tripod slow you down. Davis & Sanford’s Carbon LiteX10 tripod weighs 5.2 pounds and has a titanium finish and three-section, adjustable, snap-lock legs. The carbon-fiber tripod’s height ranges from 21 to 62 inches. The head has a three-way fluid pan action and built-in quick-release system with auto closure. List Price: $299. Contact: Tiffen, (800) 645-2522, www.tiffen.com.
TWISTED TRIPOD
Imagine a miniature tripod with bendable, twistable legs. Built for compact cameras, the gorillapod has legs that can be contorted into various positions, letting you get a shot with your camera attached to a fence post, the side of a rock, a railing or other tricky spots. The nontraditional tripod looks slightly alien-like, measuring 6x1x1 inches and weighing 1.5 ounces. List Price: $24. Contact: Joby, (888) 569-JOBY, www.joby.com.
SMALL, SWIFT AND STEADY
With a 150x speed rating—that’s 22.5 MB/sec.—ATP’s ProMax CompactFlash cards are quick. But that’s not all. The CF cards also feature seamless multimedia streaming and have a 30 MB/sec. data transfer speed. The cards range from 256 MB to 4 GB capacities. List Price: $39 (256 MB); $69 (512 MB); $129 (1 GB); $249 (2 GB) and $489 (4 GB). Contact: ATP Electronics, (408) 732-5000, www.atpinc.com.
Enlarged and in charge
If enlarging images is part of your routine, the upgraded Genuine Fractals plug-in for Adobe Photoshop may ease your workflow. The latest version lets you scale images up to 800% and save them in a small, space-saving format for easy archiving and file transfers. Other features include batch processing for scaling multiple images and preset image sizes. List Price: Free (for registered users); $69 (upgrade); $159 (for new users). Contact: onOne Software, (888) 968-1468, www.ononesoftware.com.
STORAGE STAR
Get high memory card capacities without emptying your pocketbook using Seagate’s CompactFlash Photo hard drives.The one-inch photo drives come in 4 GB and 8 GB capacities and are designed for cameras with a CF Type II media slot. List Price: $99 (4 GB); $199 (8 GB). Contact: Seagate, (831) 438-6550, www.seagate.com.
PHOTO FILING & FUN
Face it, your photo collection isn’t getting any smaller. Get your photos in order with Photo Finale Premium Version 4. The software organizes photos chronologically and allows you to view them in calendar format, by day, date or month. It provides free Web sharing and versatile batch editing, with 16 different options. Using drag and drop, you can easily select your favorite images and, with a template, create a calendar, collage or a scrapbook page. List Price: $39 (download); $49 (boxed). Contact: Trevoli, (800) 888-3528, www.photofinale.com.
CLASSIC COLOR CONVERSION
Photographers can convert color photos to black-and-white at the click of a button with new color-correction and editing software. Instead of dumping the old information, PictoColor’s iCorrect EditLab Pro 5.0 plug-in saves
it, letting you bring back certain colors. Sepia tones can also be applied automatically. Other features include new tools for sharpening and removing noise from images while color-correcting. List Price: $99; $69 (upgrade). Contact: PictoColor, (952) 894-8890, www.pictocolor.com.
SHOW ‘N’ TELL
Build an interactive photo album, portfolio or slideshow with Pixtivity software. Choose from different layouts and designs, then load your images into the presentation style you select. Pixtivity lets you organize photos into categories and put captions and titles on the photos you want. Presentations can be viewed on the Internet, saved to disk or sent via e-mail. List Price: $79. Contact: Tivity Software, (205) 980-7656, www.tivity.com.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE
Kodak and Lexar have teamed up to produce memory cards that optimize the capture of both still images and video. The Kodak High Performance memory cards are designed with high-speed processing for still photos and high-frame-rate video capture, and fast computer transfer. The cards are compatible with a variety of electronic devices, including PDAs, and are available from Lexar in 512 MB and 1 GB SD form, with larger capacities expected later this year. List Price: $79 (512 MB); $109 (1 GB). Contact: Lexar Media, (800) 789-9418, www.lexar.com; Kodak, (800) 235-6325, www.kodak.com.
This is how we ROLL
Roll the Porter Case Rolling Multimedia 22 Backpack through the airport and throw it on your back in the outdoors when trekking over rocks and sand. The interior is 22x14x10 inches and has four separate compartments with designated sections for both camera and computer. The fully padded design protects all the contents, and the largest portion has an adjustable divider system to secure lenses and camera bodies. List Price: $199. Contact: Porter Case, (800) 356-8348, www.portercase.com.
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