Final versions of Photoshop Camera Raw 5.5, Photoshop Lightroom 2.5 and DNG Converter 5.5 are available for download at www.adobe.com/downloads/updates. The updates add Raw file support for five new camera models: the Nikon D300s, Nikon D3000, Olympus E-P1, Panasonic DMC-FZ35, and Panasonic DMC-GF1.

The updates are also available using the Adobe Updater that's under the Help menu in Bridge or Photoshop. Camera Raw 5.5 update is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. Lightroom users only have to launch Lightroom 2.4, and it will let you know that 2.5 is available with a link to the Adobe Downloads page where you can grab it for free.

Other Articles on Photoshop CS4

30 Days of Free Photoshop CS4 - Here's What to Explore

"Top 10 Photoshop CS4 Features" - Digital Photography Podcast 144

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Learn what photographers need to know to organize and edit their images with Photoshop CS4. Take a look at The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers. It fits in your laptop bag and is very easy on your wallet.

Technorati Tags: Adobe Photoshop, Derrick Story, digital photography, Photoshop CS4, Technology, The Digital Story

"On our way to the Chicago Diner for dinner," writes Rick Brandt, "we happened to get off at the Wrigley Field stop on Chicago's CTA line. Being a baseball fan and this being the first time I ever saw Wrigley in-person, I was compelled to walk the perimeter of the ballpark and take a few shots. This was several hours after a Saturday afternoon game had ended and there wasn't a whole lot going on. The shots I was getting reflected such--very tourist-like."

"Then I saw this group of sailors heading for the corner. I backed up a bit to frame up the famous sign and leave room for the sailors to walk through the frame, and made the photograph. I recorded the shot with a Canon G9. Post-processed it with Aperture and Nik Software's Viveza and Color Efex Pro."

Photo by Rick Brandt. Click on image to zoom to larger size.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. We'll try to get it published for you on The Digital Story.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

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Technorati Tags: candid, digital photography, grab shot, The Digital Story

On Feb. 12, 2008, Apple released Aperture 2. Now, more than a year and a half later, it's time for Aperture 3. Here's why I think we'll see the next generation by the end of 2009.

• iLife 09, which was a massive undertaking by Apple, is now signed, sealed, and delivered. There are shared resources within Apple for iPhoto and Aperture, so it's difficult for them to release both products within a short time span.
• Snow Leopard is already at 10.6.1. You can bet that Aperture 3 is going to leverage technologies within the latest operating system. So, Snow Leopard had to hit the streets before Aperture 3. Now that it's on the prowl, the cage door is swinging open.
• Lightroom 3 is around the corner. Chances are good that we'll see Lightroom 3 in the not-too-distant future. You just know that Apple wants to have Aperture 3 out first.
• The grumble effect. Once we get deep into the product cycle, users start grumbling about an update. Whether it's coincidence or not, when the complaining reaches a certain pitch, we usually see a release. Not sure if this is chicken or egg, but the grumble effect is in force right now.

So, assuming that I'm right and we'll see Aperture 3 by the end of the year, what's it going to have? I wish I knew. My guess is that we'll see some of the technologies introduced in iPhoto '09, plus some new things that we aren't even imagining right now. I'm assuming we'll have more localized edits, better speed, and continued integration with other Apple technologies. I'm confident that it will be a solid release.

And I can't wait to try it.

More Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture 3, check out my Aperture 3 Essential Training on Lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Focus Section. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

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When I first saw the 17" x 22" prints that emerged from the original Epson 3800, I was impressed. I wanted to cover my walls with big pictures. Seriously, it made my current 13" x 19" enlargements look like snapshots.

Now Epson has announced that it will ship the new Stylus Pro 3880 in October. Estimated price will be between $1,300 and $1,500, depending on configuration. Aside from its impressive output, the footprint for the 3880 isn't much bigger than many 13" printers. That means you could probably swap out your existing unit and put the 3880 in its place.

Other highlights include: exceptional B&W output, no swapping ink cartridges for matt and glossy surfaces, handles cut paper sizes from 4 x 6 up to 17 x 22, includes USB 2.0 and 10/100 BaseT Ethernet connectivity, and it automatically maintains print heads and nozzles.

If you're looking to move up from a 13" printer, the Epson Pro 3880 has to be a serious contender.

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It's official. Yahoo! just released Flickr 1.0 for the iPhone. And after a few hours of testing, I have to say it was worth the wait.

When you first launch the software on the iPhone, you're greeted with a Ken Burns styled slideshow. If you're not logged in, the images are pulled from the Flickr pool. If you are logged in, the pictures are from your contacts. They look great and it's an innovative splash screen.

Once you've logged in to your account, click on the "You" button to access your photostream, sets, and favorites. I particularly like the way the sets are handled. They are well-displayed with easy-to-read labels. Go back to the main screen, and you can check out recent activity on your site and uploads from your contacts. If you want to share one of your photos, that's easy too. Either take a picture with your iPhone or upload one from your existing camera roll.

You can also search for images, comment on shots by others, and tag photos. Performance was good on both the 3G network and WiFi. Just be careful, you can easily lose track of time while browsing the immense Flickr collection of images.

For the best viewing experience of your search results, tap on a photo once to see detail about it, then tap on it again to enter presentation mode. Here you can swipe from image to image or rotate to landscape orientation for a better look at horizontal pictures.

Flickr 1.0 is a free download in the iTunes App Store. It requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

More Articles About Flickr

Flickroom Brings Lightroom "Look and Feel" to Your Flickr Photostream

Flickr and iPhone 3GS are Great Companions

iPhone App Reviews and Camera Phone Tips

A Look Inside Shutterfly for iPhone

Flickr Tip: Manage Permissions During Mobile Workflow

Cropulater Brings Picture Cropping to the iPhone

Panorama 2.1 for the iPhone

FotoTimer Provides Self-Timer for the iPhone

HP iPrint App Makes Printing Easy from iPhone or iPod touch

True Photo App for iPhone: CameraBag

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