The Joint Photographic Experts Group - namesake of the JPEG file - announced today that they would consider adopting Microsoft’s HD Photo Technology into a new format, tentatively titled JPEG XR.

The new JPEG format promises to offer improvements in the way digital cameras record date, according to Microsoft representatives. These benefits would have the most effect in the low-end camera market, with budget digital cameras and picture phones able to take better photos without requiring heavier or more expensive hardware.

“Higher compression efficiency offers faster wireless uploads for longer battery life and an enhanced dynamic range that will help improve photographs taken in low-light conditions with a mobile phone or digital camera that does not offer sufficient flash assistance,” said Lance Howarth, general manager of the Media Processing Division at ARM Holdings PLC, a group which designs many of the processing components inside camera phones and lower-end digital cameras.

It doesn’t seem like the effects will be felt as much in the digital-SLR market, although better dynamic range would be a plus. But it would be nice to get better results from budget digital cameras. JPEG will vote on the new standard by October 2007, with implementation coming at least a year later.

Click here for the full press release and be prepared for some Microsoft hype. Think the new JPEG standard will make any difference or is this all just smoke and mirrors?

Sometimes bargain photography involves thinking that’s just plain wrong.

As any cheap photographer knows, eBay is a great place to pick up secondhand photography gear. But while bargains can be had in digital camera accessories, it’s often more difficult to find a deal on lenses, cameras and flashes. Unlike other types of photography equipment, these pieces of kit hold their value a lot better. What’s a bargain photographer to do?

Fortunately, most people don’t have the most acute sense of spelling in the world, especially when they are typing quickly. It’s easy for the eager eBay seller to errantly mistake “Canon” for “Cannon” or “Nikon” for “Nikkon” in their hurry to unload their photography equipment. The result? A lot of photography auctions that never make it in to the results most eBay shoppers ever see. And that’s where you, the bargain photographer, step in.

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Ever wonder how photographers are able to get objects on a perfectly white background? A light box has a lot to do with. Light boxes are designed to take bright sources of lights and diffuse it over a broad area to eliminate shadows. When you stick a small object inside - coins, shoes, jewelry, for example - and set the proper exposure settings, the background will be a pure white and your object will be isolated against it.

There are professional examples galore, but a light box is one of the easiest things to replicate yourself. I’m going to guide you through an easy method of making your own light box, which perfect for product shots, auctions or any other type of macro photography you can imagine. If you want it on white, a light box can do the trick.

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Cheapshooter helps get your images from gray to pure white in our first Photoshop video tutorial. This is a great way of taking your photos from the Do-It-Yourself Lightbox one step further. See how after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

The coolest thing about the Internet is stumbling upon something you had no idea was even possible. That was my reaction when I came across the Do-it-Yourself Bokeh tutorial on diyphotography.net. The technique basically involves creating a lens hood with a custom shape cut into it. There’s no problem shooting like this as long as the lens’ aperture is set fairly wide and the hole is cut large enough - about 15mm in the example. Read the rest of this entry »