Yup, even more highlights from WPPI 2009. In this installment we take a look at the masking tools and virtual backgrounds available from Studio Taxi (http://studiotaxi.com) then we focus on the engraved focusing screens from Crop Lines (http://croplines.com). We then headed over to talk with Kevin Kubota about his Kubota Imaging Tools (http://www.kubotaimagetools.com) and finally wrap up with a talk with our good friend Max from BorrowLenses.com (http://borrowlenses.com).

This WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) has been a great show already with tons of great speakers, two huge ballrooms of vendors, and lots of great networking with other photographers. Unfortunately you can’t be in multiple places at the same time so you have to pick and choose which speakers to go see.

Oh Canon 5D Mk II, how doest I love thee, let me count the ways. That could pretty much sum up my impressions of the newest camera from the folks at Canon but it probably doesn’t tell you what you really need to know. I certainly don’t have the testing lab that DPReview or Popular Photography has to tell you all the little specs and test results, but as someone who is shooting all the time, I figured I would get my hands on one and see if it really is all that it is hyped up to be.

MELVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 2008) – Nikon Inc. today announced the D3X, an FX-format digital SLR featuring extreme 24.5-megapixel resolution and superb low-noise capabilities, which provides professional photographers with commercial-quality image performance in a familiar and extraordinarily versatile D-SLR form factor. In conjunction with the groundbreaking Nikon FX-format D3, the D3X tops off a collection of flagship level, rugged, professional caliber digital single lens reflex cameras engineered to excel in all types of professional photographic disciplines from photojournalism and sideline sports, to commercial in-studio applications.

The 5th major iteration of the Camera Raw plug-in is now shipping as part of Photoshop CS4. Camera Raw 5 has a number of new features:

* Local adjustment brush
* Graduated Filter
* “Post Crop” Vignetting
* Opacity for the cloning/healing tool
* Improved Auto Adjustment
* Support for the new Camera Profiles that are still in beta form

Move over Nikon with your piddly 780p D-Movie, Canon attacks back with a consumer grade camera that can do 1080p! The new SX10 IS features a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, face detection, motion detection, and a plethora of outstanding features.

Advanced amateur photographers are a discerning group, and they’ve flocked to Canon’s G-Series for its ability to meet and exceed their demands. The third-generation PowerShot G10 is a stunning successor, loaded with uncompromising specs like 14.7 megapixels, a 28mm wide-angle lens, and Canon’s new DIGIC 4 Image Processor for notably improved face and motion detection.

As expected, the replacement for the EOS 40D has been announced just prior to Photokina. The new EOS 50D is the top end of the “prosumer” market and has a number on improvements over the 40D which is just about a year old. Let’s get right into it and see what this new camera is all about.

Kerry shows off the new Vignette tool in Lightroom 2.0. With the new features you have far more creative control of vignetting on your images. In Lightroom 1.x, the Vignette tool was simple for lens corrections, with Lightroom 2.0 there is advanced creative control of your vignettes making it a much more powerful creative tool. In this video you will see the difference between the old post-crop vignette and the new creative vignetting in Lightroom 2.0.