Editor's Notes

First off, the staff of Shutterbug wishes the very best for you and yours during the coming year. We thank you for your continued support, ideas and images, and look forward to another great year in 2012.

From what we’ve seen it’s going to be another exciting year in photography, and while there are challenging times ahead we shouldn’t forget that the images we make today will be the memories, and perhaps even the historical record, of what we are experiencing now. This is perhaps the most optimistic stance we can take, that is, in assuming that there’s a reason to keep making pictures, and that there will be future generations who will benefit from, and perhaps shake their heads at the photographs we have made. Keep that in mind as you record your family and the world around you and you might notice a change in your point of view and work.

In this issue we forego the usual Gift Guide for the season and instead concentrate on the sort of gifts that only photographers could love—a roundup of tabletop tripods, tripod heads, including gimbals, and a look at some “fashionable” camera bags. We also take a look at a range of cameras that probably will garner some consideration this season—the Canon Rebel T3, Nikon’s D5100, and the Olympus E-P3. In all, a most photographic Gift Guide, we’d say, though not in the usual packaging, we trust.

The end of the year brings back thoughts of what lies ahead, and early indications are that this year might see some big changes in camera style and capability. We’ve already seen Nikon’s jump into the small, interchangeable lens, mirrorless-type camera (which we dub Compact System Camera, or CSC), with their 1 Series bodies and lenses, and speculation abounds whether Canon, the last holdout from this arena, will follow suit. Perhaps we got some indication of their intentions when they followed the Nikon announcement with their new flagship EOS-1D X, a full-frame pro camera that seems to do it all. Meanwhile, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and Olympus keep bringing out varieties of CSC cameras, and now that Nikon’s in the game we’ll see how this group reacts.

As for Shutterbug, we continue to explore the world of photography in what we trust is a unique way, and will strive to bring you expert tests and reports, profiles of interesting photographers, tech news and breakthroughs, projects and books by a diverse field of image-makers, all with a love and respect for this art and craft that is such an important part of all our lives.

We have been concentrating on lighting tests and how-to articles, and will continue that in 2012. We feel that lighting is such an important part of the craft, and one that can help separate your work, that we are dedicated to a continuing effort in this regard. We also will continue to look for books by and for photographers that we feel add to the knowledge and inspiration of us all, and work with authors and publishers to bring you excerpts from those texts. We encourage you to read and buy those books as a way to keep the knowledge close and to support the efforts of the photographers who spend so much time creating them.

So, have a great and prosperous new year, and keep in mind that a person with a camera is a witness to his or her times, and that with so much changing these days there’s plenty to photograph.

Shutterbug On The Web
We encourage you to visit www.shutterbug.com for photo news and events that are refreshed often, as well as some exclusive web camera tests. We’d also like to point out that there are numerous articles posted that cover cameras, lighting, and processing tips you won’t find anywhere else. To get an idea of what we offer go to the homepage at www.shutterbug.com and type the following keywords into our Search box:

• Panasonic Z48
• Sigma SD1
• Clockwork Cameras
• Mamiya Press
• Graham Nash
• TIPA Awards 2011 (Best of 2010/2011)