The HD Photo file format from Microsoft is starting to get some attention, and according to an article over on ars technica the format is being looked at for standardization by the Jpeg committee. No we didn’t know there was a committee for jpegs either, but hey someones gotta do it.

Anyways if the format is adopted it will be called JpegXR in stead of HDPhoto. Another format that’s been around for awhile, but never been picked up in earnest is JPEG2000. It’s capable of many of the same capabilities as HD Photo, but the HD Photo requires significantly less computer resources power and decompresses significantly faster which we really like, and could get the ball rolling.

A few bottom lines here. The current Jpeg format is getting a bit long in the tooth so may be getting about time for something fresh. To really take off however it will need to become standard in the cameras we shoot with. This may happen, but it’s not likely to be here real soon.

The Jpeg committee has already started the standardization process, and the voting will last thru October of this year. For the whole scoop shoot on over to ars techinca for more details. You can also find out more about things that are going on by visiting the Jpeg committee website.

[tags]format, files, jpegxr, xr, 2000, jpeg[/tags] Gavin Seim 2007

We noticed a quick review of a book over at Imaging Insider, and decided to check it out. The book is called The Deep, and it’s by photographer Claire Nouvian. Whether your an underwater photographer or not this book will amaze.

You can check out a whole article on this over at CDNN, but the bottom lone is that this book sets the standard for underwater photography. Now we understand that this is one of those things that could inspire us to to go and buy an Ewa Marine and start shooting the deep, but don’t expect to be shooting this kind of work overnight. We found the book for a pretty good buy on Amazon if you want to check it out below.

It seems Claire spent more than two years on this project, and it looks like her work paid off. I’ve never been a big follower of underwater photogrtaphy books, but this one caught my eye enough put it on my amazon wishlist soon as I found it.

The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss

[tags]photography, underwater, deep, sea, book[/tags] Gavin Seim 2007

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