You might recall our report on the data breach at Canon back in August.

If you missed it, you can read up on it here.

Months on, we’re finally getting some confirmation as to what exactly happened as well as the extent of the damage.

And it’s pretty extensive. Not only were current employees part of the data theft, but also former employees.

From Canon’s press release: “We determined that there was unauthorized activity on our network between July 20, 2020, and August 6, 2020. During that time, there was an unauthorized access to files on our file servers. We completed a careful review of the file servers on November 2, 2020, and determined that there were files that contained information about current and former employees from 2005 to 2020 and their beneficiaries and dependents. The information in the files included the individuals’ names and one or more of the following data elements: Social Security number, driver’s license number or government-issued identification number, the financial account number provided to Canon for direct deposit, electronic signature, and date of birth.”

Naturally, Canon is quite apologetic about all of this though that does little to make it all better. The press release goes on to detail how employees can check to see if their personal data is compromised through services like Equifax (themselves a victim of data theft not too long ago) or by contacting an agency for a free credit report.

As things currently stand, we’ve probably not heard the last of this story by far.

Have you kept up with the ransomware attack that hit Canon? Do you know anyone impacted? How should the company help those employees (past and present) that have had their data stolen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to check out some of our other photography news on Light Stalking at this link right here.

[Canon Rumors]

Some pretty sad news hit the photography world last week and that was the announcement that the long-running photography industry convention Photokina is “discontinued indefinitely.”

Reading between the lines, many are interpreting this as the end of Photokina though that might not necessarily be the case.

Plus, it isn’t like Photokina has had the easiest past couple of years. Photokina 2020 was already plagued by major names withdrawing from the show before it was finally canceled in March of this year because of the novel coronavirus global pandemic. In other words, the writing was somewhat on the wall for one of the industry's oldest shows.

The press release reads in part:

“After 70 years, decreases in the imaging market force a hard cut

In view of the further massive decline in markets for imaging products, Koelnmesse has decided to discontinue organising photokina at its Cologne location for the time being. “Unfortunately, at present the framework conditions in the industry do not provide a viable basis for the leading international trade fair for photography, video and imaging,” according to Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. ‘This hard cut after a 70-year shared history was very difficult for us. The trend in this industry, with which we have always had a close and trusting partnership, is very painful for us to witness. But we are facing the situation with a clear, honest decision against continuing this event, a decision to which, unfortunately, we have no alternative.’”

In an email thanking participants obtained by PetaPixel, Photokina writes, “We would like to thank you very much indeed, for your longstanding loyalty to photokina and the enthusiasm that this has involved…We can hardly put into adequate words the things we have experienced together, the history we have written together, and our appreciation for your work for and participation in photokina.”

You can read the press release here.

What do you think of Photokina’s hiatus? A sign of the times or expected given the challenges presented by COVID-19 for events such as large expos? Were large industry conventions on this scale on their way out already? Do you see some kind of online format replacing these events in the future? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to check out our other photography news on this website at this link right here.

[PetaPixel]

Practice. It’s key to anything.

But meaningful practice where you actually push yourself – that is where you need to be thinking.

In photography, it requires you to know the limits of your knowledge and prod beyond them.

But with what?

It’s easy for somebody to say “practice” but it’s a lot more difficult coming up with the thing to practice when “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

Wouldn’t it be easier if you just had some photography exercises on hand to do?

That’s where Photzy’s “Action Cards” come in. 

Each card is a discreet photography exercise that will force you out of your comfort zone. Hence giving you the meaningful practice that you need to improve. There are 65 printable project sheets, with over 200 photography assignments to expand your shooting skills!

Each is designed to get you out and shooting where you will learn and retain the most!

Each Action Card contains the following:

1. Time & Skills Breakdown – Estimate of time taken to complete, plus the difficulty and key skill points.
2. Summary and Mini-Lesson – Includes a rundown of what this card is about and the key lesson takeaway.
3. Equipment Needed – Gives you a list of the exact equipment needed to complete the assignments.
4. Tips & Settings – Recommended camera settings and other useful tips to give you a perfect starting point.
5. Sample Photographs – To give you an idea of what you will be creating and to inspire you.
6. Action Assignments – These are the assignments you'll be doing to complete the card and stretch your skills.
7. Self-Check System – Here, you'll get a series of questions and points to help you assess how you went.

This is a simple and quick way to get past that “not sure what to practice” phase and get out and start improving your shooting skills today.

And of course, because it’s Cyber Monday, there is a super special on these ones – they are 88% off until the end of the day!

But that’s in about 12 hours so get on it quickly.

Click here.

Photography has the power of brightening up our lives – and what a great thing it is to start our days by checking out beautiful images in the comfort of our homes! Here is the weekly wrap-up from Light Stalking – you'll find carefully curated photos from the general chit chat and creative images from Tersha's latest photography challenge on Film Looks! And as you've already guessed by now, we'll be mentioning some worth-seeing shots from the Feedback Forum as well!

Photo Of The Week – November 30, 2020

Words by Jasenka Grujin

This time POTW goes to @tersha and her polystyrene head.

The soft features of this face combined with the strong contrast in b&w create an unusual atmosphere. There’s something sad yet elegant about it, as if the head belongs to a regal female character that died in a strange way (that would work in a film noir!). The texture of polystyrene gives an additional touch of mystery because it makes us wonder if the head is real at all – it looks a bit like digital art.

We have a runner up this week – it’s @aurikami with his brilliant minimalist portrait. It’s as cinematic as it gets.

Photo by Aurimas

What Are Our Members Up To?

Pour some coffee and enjoy our favourite shots from Challenge 514th!

Photo by Patrick

Photo by Graham Hart

Photo by Davidc

Photo by Nancyka

Photo by Andre P

Photo by John Teate 

Photo by Pat Garrett

Photo by Jasenka Grujin

What You Shouldn't be Missing from the Light Stalking Community

John shared this sweet looking scaled friend with us! The title, Godzilla Macro, feels fun too.

Peter shared a quirky looking shadow from a very simple finding on the streets.

Patrick shared this lovely dandelion.

Paul, aka Bucweet, shared an interesting self-portrait with a slightly different post-processing approach than the Film Noir post-processing from the weekend challenge.

And a groovy looking abstraction from an orange pot scrubber!

At 1/2500, Jim captured this incredible action from a bird of prey. You can watch more of them here!

And Tobie shared a pretty raw African moment.

And don't forget welcoming our freshest forum members too!

We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts

Also, our Feedback Forum received some nice photographs, and is clear that some of you have started building a solid photography style. This is the right place for all those people that want to grow fast as photographers. This is possible thanks to valuable and positive feedback, which is perhaps the best way to hack the learning curve in photography.

Here you'll get your work critiqued by plenty of well-intended people, but you'll also have a chance to critique your peers. We truly believe in the power of criticism and feedback.

Many of our members have nurtured their own photographic knowledge by giving out elaborate critiques that go way beyond simple emoji based reactions or “nice shot” comments. Here are some of the most interesting shots shared during the last week:

The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, so please read the instructions in order to get a better critique experience. Share your comments, opinions and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Don't be shy, critiques are given to photographs and not photographers. We'll be more than pleased to help you out; after all, we all are in love with photography. Also, don't forget to participate in our 515th challenge on Your Choice!

Cyber Monday 2020 is the great opportunity for photographers who are looking for unbelievable discounts on both gear and education. If you're in the mood to speed up your photography education, you're at the right place!

We decided to give you as many discounts as possible for very diverse ebooks and courses that will help you hack the learning curve when it comes to photography.

Are you ready?

Our amazing Cyber Monday Deals include:

Snap Cards Full Set

86% Off

What are Snap Cards™? They are a “Training Boot Camp” in your camera bag…

Wherever you are, these Snap Cards™ are your own personal photographic mentor – your boot camp instructor pushing you to new limits!

The Snap Cards™ are conveniently organised and color-coded into 9 common problem areas:

• Basic Camera Operation
• Advanced Camera Operation
• Camera Exposure Basics
• Advanced Camera Exposure
• Composition Basics
• Basic People Photography
• Advanced People Photography
• Basic Camera Flash
• Special Techniques

Action Cards Full Set

88% Off

Action Cards™: 65 printable project sheets, with over 200 photography assignments!

These Action Cards™ discuss a photographic topic, provide you with suggested considerations, and give you SPECIFIC photo assignments.

What's covered on each card?

• Time & Skills Breakdown
• Summary and Mini-Lesson
• Equipment Needed
• Tips & Settings
• 5 Sample Photographs
• Action Assignments
•  Self-Check System

This guide will walk you through every step with a complete description and a visual reference. This ensures that your technical knowledge will be complete.

Our authors expertly craft every word in every chapter, to help you build on a creative skillset and truly master something.

A complete step-by-step guide to photographic editing from best-selling photography teacher, Kent DuFault. This guide will not only show you HOW… But also WHY and in WHAT order! Trust me when I tell you this… It makes a huge difference. All three steps are supremely important to your success.

This is the only course you need to take control of every lighting situation, and reach your full creative potential. Trust me when I tell you this…This comprehensive course will show you how to command light as a powerful tool.

ou’re being taught by Mitchell Kanashkevich, who is truly one of the best. Having had his work featured in National Geographic Traveler, Vanity Fair, Lonely Planet Traveler, Geographical UK.

Read this guide, and you’ll instantly begin “creating” photographs – not just relying on what Mother Nature delivers to you.

You can clean up the bugs in your shots. Fix those less than perfect rose petals. Take out that pesky truck that parked right in the middle of your landscape shot.

With this guide, anything you can imagine, you can create!

It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting with a DSLR, Mirrorless, or Bridge camera… the process is the same, regardless of what you’re shooting.

1. You don’t need top of the line gear
2. Blurry photos were down to me, not my lens
3. Choosing the right settings can be easy

Macro Magic

50% Off

It shows you how to capture stunning details, with basic gear, from the comfort of your home.

“Macro Magic” is an online video course on the art of macro photography.

It shows you how to capture stunning details, with basic gear, from the comfort of your home. All you need is a $9 accessory to turn your lens into a macro lens.

And to prove that the camera doesn’t matter either, you’ll see me shooting with the cheapest DSLR camera I could find.

With “The Creative Photography Cookbook”, you’ll soon discover:

• An unlimited source of creative inspiration for your own unique scenes
• Fun ways to take photos from home, with basic gear and simple setups
• Interesting ways to add character and mood to ordinary objects
• How to use levitation to create cool and unusual images
• The best way to use steam and fire for mystical and magical shots

“Wow Factor Photography” is a 30-day photography project video course, on the art of photo creativity. It shows you how to capture world-class images without being a pro photographer and in the comfort of your home.

We don’t fuss about the gear you have or even recommend you buy more of it. The “secret” to exceptional photography is how you use it.

The Lightroom Mastery eBook

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Are you tired of spending hours in Lightroom Classic and not getting the results you should be getting?

We have designed this ebook to look great on many devices and offer a comfortable reading experience. The included PDF is perfect for reading on your desktop computer or tablet.

This ebook is broken down into 17 chapters that contain 290+ pages packed to the brim with knowledge, advice, tips & tricks, and training material to help you become a master of Lightroom Classic. Start making sense of all those sliders; learn to use Lightroom Classic like a pro!

We have designed this ebook to look great on many devices and offer a comfortable reading experience. The included PDF is perfect for reading on your desktop/laptop computer or tablet.

This ebook is broken down into 10 chapters that contain 90+ pages packed full with theory, techniques, concepts, advice, and tips & tricks to help you master composition and create stunning images that wow viewers!

The Presets Bundle

50% Off

Designed to simplify your editing workflow. You'll be back behind the lens in no time at all.

If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to get a head start with your editing in Lightroom or ACR, the 1300+ presets included in this bundle will help you do just that. We designed them with precision and ease-of-use in mind.

Whether you’re just getting started with Lightroom or ACR or you’re a veteran photographer, you know that using presets is a sure-fire way to speed up your editing and quickly find a style or look to add your own final touches to.

Further Resources: