Design Art and Photography

The National Trust has been slated for exploiting photographers in a nationwide competition. Organised by the National Trust’s Welsh office, the competition rules state: ‘By submitting your photographВ… you agree to grant the National Trust, free of charge, the right to publish and the right to license others to publish the photograph online and in all media as required.’ Photographer David Dunnico, who had planned to enter, hit out at the rules, telling us: ‘Another photo competition, another rights grab by a publicly-funded body. Th
(Full post National Trust accused of photography rights grab…)

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Hollywood, Fla.—Natural-colored diamonds got an exclusive in the limelight at the 2008 Billboard Latin Music Awards, where the Natural Colored Diamond Association (NCDIA) served as the event’s official jewelry sponsor. Kat de Luna, Fanny Lu, Olga Tanon and Yuridia were just a few of the Latin-music luminaries to hit the April 10 red carpet in natural-colored diamonds. Prior to the awards show, the NCDIA hosted a celebrity jewelry suite on April 8 and 9 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
(Full post NCDIA sponsors Billboard Latin Music Awards…)

Buffalo Technology has added a new model to its line of external hard drives. The DriveStation Combo4 is equipped with automatic backup software, four hardware interfaces, and speed-boosting software for USB transfers. These features lend themselves to backing up large collections of image files that may be spread over more than one computer. The Combo4 is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems, although the included backup software is for Windows only.

The Combo4 houses a 7200 rpm SATA drive and provides eSATA, FireWire 400/800, and USB 2.0 connections.

(Full post Buffalo Introduces DriveStation Combo4…)

Nikon withdrew a firmware update for the D3 digital SLR shortly after releasing it this week. Firmware version 1.10 offered numerous operational improvements, a new Vignette Control function, and other enhancements. However, it also included bugs that cause image files to be corrupted when photos are taken with certain combinations of settings. The download is no longer available, and Nikon says it expects to post a corrected firmware upgrade on its site in late April 2008.

(Full post Nikon Releases, Withdraws D3 Firmware Update…)

By Mary Wisniewski Dublin, Ireland—Jewelry designer John Christopher Condron always wanted to be involved with jewelry and he didn’t wait long to explore his interest. After graduating from high school, Condron immediately went to work for a jewelry manufacturer, and he has been at the bench ever since. His latest enterprise is John Christopher, a Dublin-based brand featuring various jewelry collections that pay tribute to the Irish heritage—with a luxury twist.
(Full post Luxe of the Irish…)

Serious photographers tend to look down on compact cameras. But would they change that attitude for one that delivered the same image quality as a DSLR, yet allowed them to travel light? Sigma believes so — and that they’ll pay a premium for its new compact DP1 ($800, street). It’s too soon to say whether the DP1 — with its handsome good looks, single-focal-length lens, and slip-on, rangefinder-style viewfinder — will garner a cult following like the classic 35mm Contax T2 and Konica Hexar compacts, more recent high-end digital compacts such as the Ricoh Caplio GX100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 (a less-expensive version of the Leica D-LUX 3), or even Sigma’s own SD14 DSLR.
(Full post Camera Test: Sigma DP1…)

Geneva—Swiss luxury jeweler Chopard is getting prime placement on the cover of Madonna’s much-anticipated new album, Hard Candy. The reigning Queen of Pop dons the brand’s “Happy Diamonds” cross as well as a personalized diamond knuckle ring that was designed by Chopard Co-President Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele. The ring, crafted in the spirit of Hard Candy—which the singer describes as “a juxtaposition of tough and sweetness”—spells out Madonna’s hip-hop pseudonym, “M-dolla,” in 258 brilliant-cut white diamonds.
(Full post Chopard in ring with Madonna on new album…)

Police doubt they will ever trace the man wanted in connection with an attack on an amateur photographer at Waterloo station in London. The unnamed victim was taking shots on escalators when a man took exception to having his photo taken and asked the photographer to delete the picture from his camera. The photographer told him he could not delete the image as it was not a digital camera. It is alleged that the attacker then punched the photographer in the face and attempted to grab his camera.
(Full post Police: No trace of man wanted over attack on amateur photographer in London…)

By Mary Wisniewski New York—Jade Jagger might not sing “Satisfaction” like her father, Mick, but she hopes to bring that very sentiment to the stylish with Jezebel, a new jewelry and clothing line that pays tribute to her Rolling Stone dad’s famous pucker via a series of pink enamel lips.
(Full post Big bangles, neckwear on tap for spring…)

By Mary Wisniewski New York—Fashion is indicative of the times, and with the headlines portending a tough year ahead, expect a departure from the predominant baby-doll look and a return to grown-up chic next autumn. Designers tapped into their serious side, sending sleek silhouettes down the catwalks at 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. This doesn’t mean all-black looks (although it can), but rather the polished appearances that dark tones tend to imply, with purple hues infiltrating many of the collections.
(Full post Designers stick their necklaces out…)