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Rainer Th. Schorcht elected PMA president-elect, Mark Klostermeyer elected treasurer

The PMA Board of Trustees recently approved a new slate of officers at a special meeting held March 13. The meeting was called by PMA President Allen Showalter to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of William Parker, Ambiance By Parker Inc., Nashville, Tenn., due to pressing business obligations. Parker was PMA president-elect.

The board reviewed and approved recommendations from the PMA Nominating Committee. Rainer Th. Schorcht, Foto Schorcht GmbH, Gutersloh, Germany, was moved to the position of president-elect for the 2008-2009 term. Mark Klostermeyer, Design Frames, Falls Church, Va., was elected treasurer.
Continuing to serve as elected at PMA 08 are: Showalter, King Photo/Showalter Imaging Group, Harrisonburg, Va., as the 2008-2009 president; Brian Wood, Photovision, Salem, Ore., as vice president; and Ted Fox, PMA, as executive director/secretary.

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PMA releases Camera Phone Print Guide for distribution to retail customers

PMA, Jackson, Mich., released the Camera Phone Print Guide showing consumers how to transfer camera phone images off the phone and use them just like any other digital photo. It also encourages the many different ways to print these images. The new guide is available in two formats for retailers to download free of charge and use to distribute to their customers — a high-res PDF file for printing and an HTML file for use on the Web. The print guide advises consumers about features to look for in camera phones, such as megapixel sensors, autofocus, zoom, and flash. The guide also explains how Bluetooth, PictBridge, and memory cards aid in moving camera phone images one step closer to prints.

Consumers are guided toward printing their camera phone images and encouraged to go another step further and think outside of the traditional print. Several retailers offer print options far exceeding the traditional 4-by-6-inch print, and the Camera Phone Print Guide supports unique photo gifts and customer products.

Retailers interested in receiving the Camera Phone Print Guide and promoting camera phone prints and customer photo products to their customers can download a PDF of the guide online. In addition, a cover image of the brochure is available in the PMA image library in the press area.

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AOL to pay $850 million for Bebo social network

AOL LLC, Dulles, Va., the Internet arm of Time Warner Inc., said it will pay $850 million in cash to acquire social media network Bebo, which has total global membership of more than 40 million, reports The Associated Press. Bebo is one of the largest social networks in Britain, and is ranked No. 1 in Ireland and New Zealand and No. 3 in the U.S, according to AOL. Bebo has about 100 employees operating in offices in the United Kingdom; San Francisco, Calif.; and Austin, Texas.

As social networks such as Bebo have grown in popularity, so has their value to media companies as potential goldmines for online advertising dollars, says the AP. AOL said current Bebo President Joanna Shields will continue to run the company, reporting to AOL President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Grant.

The acquisition is part of AOL’s shift from a subscription-driven business to becoming a public website that generates income from building traffic and selling advertising, says the AP, similar to rivals Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.’s MSN. AOL, which has launched 17 international websites over the last year, plans to expand to 30 countries outside the United States by the end of 2008. Bebo plans to launch in five countries this year, says the AP, and will be “featured prominently” in AOL’s international expansion efforts after the deal is closed.

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Kodak realigns operations; reporting structure

Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., realigned its operations and changed its corporate segment reporting structure effective Jan. 1, 2008, as disclosed in the company’s 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In conjunction with this change, the Film Products Group (FPG) has been renamed the Film, Photofinishing, and Entertainment Group (FPEG), and certain strategic product groups previously included in the Consumer Digital Imaging Group (CDG), Graphic Communications Group (GCG), and All Other have become part of FPEG.

The purpose of this change in structure is to align Kodak’s reporting structure to the way in which the company began managing its business on Jan. 1. The most significant changes include the transfer of photographic paper and chemicals and photofinishing services to FPEG from CDG and the transfer of the graphic arts film business from GCG to FPEG. These changes reflect the common traditional technology and infrastructure associated with manufacturing and supply chain for all FPEG products, says Kodak.

The following indicates the changes from the 2007 reporting structure to the new reporting structure:

Consumer Digital Imaging Group Segment (CDG): This segment no longer includes photographic paper and chemicals, and photofinishing services.

Film, Photofinishing, and Entertainment Group (FPEG): The Film, Photofinishing, and Entertainment Group includes photographic paper and chemicals, and photofinishing services, formerly part of CDG, and graphic arts film, formerly part of GCG. Additionally, supply and tolling agreements with Carestream Health Inc. and other third parties have moved from All Other to this segment.

Graphic Communications Group Segment (GCG): The graphic arts film business has moved from GCG to FPEG.

All Other: During 2007, Kodak sold its Light Management Films business, which was formerly part of All Other. Additionally, supply and tolling agreements with Carestream Health Inc. and other third parties have moved from All Other to FPEG.

In conjunction with the aforementioned change in reporting structure, the Kodak also changed its methodology for allocating corporate costs to its reporting segments. This change impacts cost of goods sold, selling, general, and administrative costs, and research and development costs by segment and for the total company. Segment earnings measures have been revised for these changes. The changes have no impact on Kodak’s total earnings.

In addition, the sale of Kodak’s shares in Hermes Precisa Pty. Ltd. (HPA) closed on Nov. 2, 2007. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007, Kodak reported the results of operations of HPA as a discontinued operation. HPA was formerly reported within the company’s Graphic Communications Group segment.

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In memoriam: Allain V. Blais
Allain V. Blais, 78, passed away March 13 under the loving care of his family and the staff of CareLink of Jackson, Mich., according to his obituary. Blais was born and raised in Chicago, Ill., and was a die-hard Bear and Cubs fan. He retired as vice president and general manager of Fuji Photo Films Color Paper Division. He worked for Fuji, now Fujifilm, for 25 years. Blais was also a veteran of the Korean War. Blais and his wife Jean moved to Jackson, Mich., in 1977 after retirement to be near children and grandchildren. He enjoyed living in Jackson and made many friends through the Cascades Men’s Exchange Club and dining out with friends and will be sadly missed by all.

Surviving are his wife of 32 years Jean; son James Joseph (Debra) Blais of Thornton, Colo.; daughters Susan Jean Blais of Littleton, Colo., and Marian Lucille Blais of Chicago, Ill.; grandchildren James Hendrick, Amy Blais, Philip (Anna) Blais, Megan Blais, Grace Blais, Nicholas Blais, Savannah Blais, Amber (Simon) Wilson, Melissa Blais, Susan Jean Hendrick, Matthew (Michelle) Meyers, and Jeremy Jensen; great-grandchildren Hailey Gibson, Katie Bates, Nathaniel Gibson, Treyvon Williams, James Richard Hendrick Jr., Emily Meyer, and Grace Meyer; and daughters-in-law Donna Blais and Patti Blais. He was preceded in death by his two sons Allain William Blais and Richard Harold Blais.

Blais is at the Desnoyer Funeral Home in Jackson where funeral services were held on Monday, March 17. Interment took place March 18 at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Mich.

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In memoriam: Stanley E. Merz
Stanley E. Merz, born Jan. 4, 1927, died after a lengthy illness on March 15, according to his obituary. Born and raised in Rochester, Minn., Merz served in World War II in the Pacific Theatre as a U.S. Naval photographer. He founded Camera Art in Lewiston, Minn., and Photo Control in Crystal, Minn. Merz was a pioneer in the school picture business, and built his first long-roll film cameras at Camera Art. After he started Photo Control, Merz built cameras for National School Studios, now Lifetouch. The line of Photo Control’s cameras was named for him — Camerz.

Merz is survived by his six children: Barbara Rognlie, Daniel Merz, Amelia Merz, Jason Merz, Roxana Merz, and Stuart Merz; as well as stepchildren, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held March 18 at the First Memorial Funeral Chapel, 4343 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, Minn.

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People on the move 

· PhotoChannel Networks Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, an innovator in online digital media solutions for retailers, reports at the company’s annual General Meeting of its shareholders held on March 6, shareholders fixed the number of directors of the company at four. Elected management nominees to the board are Peter Fitzgerald, Peter Scarth, Cory Kent, and Thomas Nielsen.

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 Industry notes  

· In the most recent DIMAcast, PMA Publisher Gary Pageau visits Brad Kruchten, vice president and general manager, Retail Imaging, at Eastman Kodak Co. world headquarters in Rochester, N.Y., to discuss challenges to the retail market, open systems, and Kodak’s response to changing technologies and customer preferences.

· Manfrotto, Bassano del Grappa, Italy, is sponsoring an ongoing international photography contest for 18-35 year old photographers, called “Eyes on the Planet.” The contest aims at raising awareness on the latest socio-environmental issues through photography. Candidates can enter the contest at www.eyesontheplanet.org and upload their digital photo before Sept. 30 in one of the four categories: Environment, People, Climate, and Food. Winners will be determined by a combination of voters and a panel made of professional photographers and media personalities and will be awarded grants to join a photography training course, as well as receive stage and photo equipment. The prizes will be awarded at the end of November in the Palazzo Marino, Milan, Italy. The best photos will be displayed in a photo exhibition and will be sold during a charity auction.

· Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., announced an intellectual property cross-licensing agreement with LG Display Co. Ltd., of South Korea, a flat-panel display industry leader. The license, which is royalty bearing to Kodak, enables LG Display to use Kodak technology, including yield-improving capabilities for Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) modules, in a variety of small to medium size display applications such as digital picture frames, mobile phones, portable media players, and small TVs, says Kodak. The agreement also enables LG Display to purchase Kodak’s patented OLED materials for use in manufacturing displays. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

· Multimedia software provider Corel Corp., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, will transfer its Minnesota Research and Development operations in the United States to Corel Taiwan, according to Jeremy Liang, president of Corel Taiwan, reports DigiTimes. Corel Taiwan currently has 360 employees of which 250 are engaged in R&D, Liang indicated, adding that the company will recruit more than 20 new R&D employees due to the transfer of the R&D works from Minnesota. Corel decided to transfer its Minnesota R&D operations to Taiwan because Corel Taiwan is Corel’s Asia Pacific regional operations center and the region is of increasing importance to Corel, Liang explained.

· Reuters has teamed up with Canon U.S.A. Inc. and Sprint to develop a system that captures N.A.S.A. shuttle launch images from multiple remote cameras moments after they are taken and retrieves and moves images across the Reuters wire, thus reducing the time it takes for wire transmission by 95 percent. During the past two N.A.S.A launches of Atlantis and Endeavour on Feb. 7 and March 11 the system developed by Reuters, Canon, and Sprint successfully retrieved shuttle launch images from multiple cameras around the launch pad almost instantaneously, and placed the images on the Reuters wire in record-breaking time. Historically, photographers were forced to wait for hours after lift-off before retrieving their cameras from the launch pad area.

· Tripod Ventures, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a provider of technology solutions for the retail sector, will partner with San Mateo, Calif.-based Future Image Inc. on its next generation Web platform, currently called Fusion. Future Image will help to define the competitive landscape, market requirements, and positioning of the platform. Tripod Ventures will be working primarily with Paul Worthington, Future Image’s lead analyst for consumer digital photography.

· The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, D.C., announces a 2008 photo contest focusing on images that represent the EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. Entrants can submit one photo in each of three categories: Enjoying the Environment, Protecting the Environment, and Nature and Wildlife. The contest is available to entrants 18 and older from any country, and is open for submissions until 11:59 p.m. eastern time on March 24. The contest will run on Flickr to encourage participation and provide maximum public access. Entrants must join one, or all, of the following groups and submit one photo each: EPA Earth Day 2008 Photo Contest: Enjoying the Environment; EPA Earth Day 2008 Photo Contest: Protecting the Environment; and EPA Earth Day 2008 Photo Contest: Nature and Wildlife. Submitted photos must include a description of where the image was taken, up to three sentences describing the photo, and tags for each category. Finalists will be contacted on April 1 by Flickr member “usepagov” through the site. Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22

· Vail, Colo.-based photographer Billy Doran recently received the patent for a shooting glove designed to protect cameras while shooting in cold and extreme cold weather conditions. Doran has used the new shooting glove in 25 below weather. Doran plans to do a short run of the gloves, and is trying to contact all photographers who might work in these types of cold weather conditions and would want a chance to use one before it hits the market. Anyone interested in beta testing the new product can contact Doran at billy@eclipsephoto.org.

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