Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art programme has announced a new installation to inaugurate the spring 2013 season:  Topsy-Turvy: A Camera Obscura Installation by New York-based artists Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder. “On view daily from March 1 – April 5, 2013, 10am-5pm, Topsy-Turvy will reimagine one of the world’s oldest moving image devices into a life-sized 10-foot by 10-foot structure,” the organisers say. “Park visitors will be able to enter the interactive, large-scale installation, which will utilize the physical properties of light to capture images of the surrounding Flatiron District in real time.  This centuries-old artistic medium will alter how visitors experience the park and engage with the various elements of New York City’s urban landscape through a new and exciting lens.”

On 31st January the Manfrotto School of Xcellence will host a free webinar presented by award-winning photographer Steve Gosling. Beginning at 4pm GMT, the online seminar entitled Floral Art – Creative Flower & Plant Photography will centre on the theme of how to move beyond a botanical record shot of plants and flowers to produce an image that concentrates primarily on shape, form, colour, texture and pattern. In this webinar, Steve will cover the aesthetics of photography (composition and design) as well as describe a variety of creative techniques. He will also provide some practical hints and tips on the technical challenges faced by the flower & plant photographer. The event is free to attend but advance registration is required.

Website: Manfrotto School of Xcellence Webinar Registration

Next Tuesday, 22 January, at 7pm the World Photography Organisation (WPO) is hosting the next in its series of PhotoTALKs at the Frontline Club, London. The topic will be ‘How to gain commercial success’ and the panel will include four members of the Honorary Jury for the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards - Magnum photographer Chien-Chi Chang, Panos Profile director Francesca Sears, photographic consultant Monica Suder and Balcony Jump director Tim Paton.  The talk will be led by Stuart Smith of SMITH Design. Tickets can be purchased online through the website below, priced at £12.50.

Website: Frontline Club | Photo: Chien-Chi Chang

Internationally renowned photographer Steve Bloom is set to visit seven regional venues across England and Wales between January and March as part of the Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers)’s regional theatres programme. In his talk, ‘Living Africa’, Steve will set out the challenges faced by Africa’s people and environment in the 21st century and in the bi-centenary year of explorer David Livingstone’s birth. The tour will call at theatres and art venues in Brecon, Darlington, Keswick, King’s Lynn, Southampton, Stamford and Taunton. Click through / scroll down for the detailed programme schedule.

Positive View Foundation has unveiled details of its next major exhibition to be held at London’s Somerset House, entitled “Landmark: the Fields of Photography.” A sweeping overview of the rich genre of 21st century landscape photography, the novel exhibition is the first of its kind anywhere to show both the harsh, even brutal realities of the changing environment, as well as its enduring and stunning beauty. Focusing on our rapidly changing planet, ‘Landmark: the Fields of Photography’ features more than 170 original works of art taken by enterprising photographers employing technology ranging from 19th Century plate-camera techniques to the use of planes, drones, robots and even satellites to capture vivid images of earth’s varied terrain – and even distant planets. Sponsored by Barclays, the “Landmark” exhibition will take place from 14 March - 28 April 2013.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Canon will unveil the vision behind its 2013 lineup of connected digital cameras, camcorders and printers. Visitors to Canon’s booth (#13304) will be invited to explore “Image Incredible” with product demonstrations and on-site experiences designed to unlock creative potential and inspire users to express their individuality using the company’s imaging technology products. Upon entering the Canon booth, attendees will experience “Image Incredible” through inspiring visual displays, celebrity photographer guest speakers, staged performance showcases, interactive product demonstrations and social media activities. End-user inspired images submitted to the Project Imaginat10n programme will decorate the company’s booth as well as adorn on-site advertising and signage. Attendees can touch-and-try a range of Canon high-performance optics and cameras by entering an in-booth tower that features 15 different EF lenses and DSLR cameras.

The British Journal of Photography (BJP) has announced its support for the Photo Art Fair, a new five-day event at the Sorting Office, just off Oxford Street in central London. Taking place from 2-6 May 2013, the Photo Art Fair will showcase the work of 200 photographers, most of which will be on sale to the public. The appeal of the fair is the creation of a whole new platform for photography, spanning a range of genres, from Fashion to war.  It is designed to provide visitors with the unique opportunity to purchase affordable and collectable photographs from both undiscovered and also well-known artists. The BJP is the official sponsor of the event, alongside the Positive View Foundation, a charitable organisation that funds projects working with disadvantaged young people.

Phase One has announced a number of free seminars on Capture One Pro 7. These skill-building 3-hour seminars will be held twice on Tuesday in London and twice on Thursday in Manchester this week. Phase One’s popular Image Quality Professor, Niels V. Knudsen, will be there
to offer insights and answer questions about the new processing engine in Capture One Pro 7. David Grover will present information on organizing images with Capture One Pro’s new digital asset management features. Seminars are appropriate for all photographers seeking better after-capture image processing results. To register, participants need only to send an email to ejo@phaseone.com requesting the city and time they would like to attend. Click through / scroll down for the seminar schedule.

Professional photographer Karoki Lewis will be hosting a travel photography workshop at the luxury Riad El Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco. Taking place from 13-18 January 2013, the course will mix creative tuition, challenging assignments, delicious food and a luxurious setting, and is suitable for all levels. Each day will consist of a tutorial, followed by a related assignment, and Karoki will accompany and guide aspiring photographers throughout. In the evenings, over drinks, the group will examine and discuss each day’s shoot. Prices start at £1,000 per person based on two sharing, including five nights’ full board accommodation at Riad El Fenn, house wine, transfers, tuition, supplies and all scheduled excursions but excluding airfare to and from Marrakech.

Ilford has announced a webinar for tomorrow, 6th December on choosing the best paper surface for fine art photography.  Hosted by Joe Brady, the presentation will focus on the properties and considerations, such as weight, brightness and surface texture, that go into selecting the best paper for your inkjet print. The webinar, Choosing a Paper Surface for Your Inkjet Prints, is scheduled to start at 1:PM EST (12 PM CST). You can sign up for the event via the website below.

Website: Ilford Blog

This Wednesday and Friday, Unified Color will be hosting a free webinar introducing their latest product, HDR Express 2. Taking place from 5pm PST tomorrow (register) and from 10am on Friday (register), this hour-long webinar will highlight the new Adaptive Tone Mapping technology that matches the tone mapping process to your particular image, as well as new workflow enhancements such as Visual File Browser and Merge Assist.

Datacolor will be hosting its next free webinar, “Holiday Stocking Stuffers from Datacolor,” on 28th November from 3-4 p.m. Eastern Time. The webinar will focus on ideal gifts for photography lovers featuring products that have unique and interesting qualities. Led by Datacolor experts C. David Tobie and David Saffir, the webinar will help people choose the best products from a wide variety of items including Spyder products, lenses, tripods, lens filters, camera bags, memory cards and more. An interactive Q&A will take place throughout the webinar to answer any questions the audience might have. Participants who register in advance will be entered to win a Spyder4PRO (pictured). On a related note, the company has announced a Cyber Monday offer on the product, which will be available for $139.99/€99.00 on 26th November from 12:00am until 11:59pm through the Datacolor website.

Website: Datacolor

Last week Sony hosted the world’s first real time digital photography exhibition, allowing visitors to appreciate the work of three photographers - Lee Strickland, William Daniels and Paul Sullivan - from the moment the shots were taken. Each photographer was armed with Sony’s latest NEX-5R camera, complete with built in Wi-Fi allowing them to send photos directly to the gallery in London from their separate locations across Europe. As the night developed, 14 screens on the gallery walls were filled with over 200 images sent through in real time demonstrating parallels and contrasts between each city and the people that live there. Now Sony has released a two-and-a-half-minute video capturing the spirit of the event.

FotoWeekDC’s sponsor, Lindblad Expeditions, has launched a sweepstake for photographers and photography lovers. No donation or purchase is necessary to enter for a chance to win an idyllic 8-day / 7-night Baja California experience - a prize valued at $10,000. The sweepstake ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 21 November 2012. For more information and to enter, visit the website below. Do note that this sweepstake is open to US residents only.

Olympus UK has announced a new OM-D event. Held from 1pm to 5pm and again from 5.30 to 9.30 on Friday, 23rd November in London, “A different approach” is hosted by fashion photographer Jay Mclaughlin. “This 4-hour workshop challenges some of the misconceptions about successful photography,” the organisers say “With in depth talk, demonstrations and a chance to try out the Olympus OM-D for yourself, this workshop is about changing the way you approach your photography, whatever your level of experience.” The cost of attendance is £25 and every participant will receive a £50 voucher against an OM-D or accessory purchase. The workshop will be held at Murder Mile Studios, Hackney. You can book your place through the website below.

Website: OM-D Event / London

Last night saw the world’s first real time digital photography exhibition, allowing visitors to appreciate the work of three photographers - Lee Strickland, William Daniels and Paul Sullivan -  from the moment the shots were taken. Sony has partnered with three photographers, based in Berlin, London and Paris across Europe, who have been set the creative task of ‘capturing the light’ of their home cities. Each was armed with Sony’s latest NEX-5R camera, complete with built in Wi-Fi allowing them to send photos directly to the gallery in London from their separate locations across Europe. As the night developed, 14 screens on the gallery walls were filled with over 200 images sent through in real time demonstrating parallels and contrasts between each city and the people that live there.

Manchester digital artist Andrew Brooks has created a stunning composite image showing the Pakistani Locomotive, a collection item at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester), running on the former train line on the Monsal Trail - now a popular walking and cycling spot. The artist will hold a workshop at MOSI on 20th November for photographers who would like to develop their skills. Participants will learn about the techniques of digital composite imaging using Photoshop, and get a chance to try out their own photography in the surroundings of the Museum’s atmospheric railway warehouse at night. The current MOSI exhibition, The Wasted Works by Gina Czarnecki, and the Connecting Manchester gallery will be open for private view and photography during the event. The workshop begins at 6.30pm and the cost of attendance is £35. To book, call 0161 606 0177 or email j.earith@mosi.org.uk Note that you will have to take your own camera to the workshop. Tripods are recommended.

Sony has announced the creation of the world’s first real time digital photography exhibition, allowing visitors to appreciate the work of three photographers - Lee Strickland, William Daniels and Paul Sullivan - from the moment the shots are taken. Sony has partnered with three photographers, based in Berlin, London and Paris across Europe, who have been set the creative task of ‘capturing the light’ of their home cities.  They have each been armed with a Sony NEX-5R compact system camera, complete with built in Wi-Fi allowing them to send photos directly to the Sony ‘Real Time Gallery’ located in central London (91 Brick Lane). Open for one night only (15th November), the innovative exhibition promises to transport visitors to the three iconic European cities, where they can experience the atmospheres that make each city unique.

The first UK show of photographer Philippe Shang, ‘Saint-Tropez To London’ is now on display at the ImiTate Modern gallery in London. “Aimed to provoke unexpected emotion in it’s audience, ‘Saint-Tropez To London’ offers a fascinating visual cocktail of drugs, sex and death, immersed in provocative colour,” the organisers say. “It’s first the shock of the photos, then the surprise of the controversial themes that captivates the eye. After the surprise, various details unveil themselves…his pieces are like watching a movie in seductive technicolour!” The Imitate Modern gallery is located at 27a Devonshire Street, London W1G 6PN.

Out There People have announced a new Mountain Landscape Photography course set in Eden, Cumbria. An Out There People mountain leader escorts photography enthusiasts into the mountains around Ullswater. Here, they spend two full days exploring and discovering vantage points and locations that would be inaccessible to most people. Priced at £229 per person including the course fee, course notes and a 12-month period in which to have e-mail questions answered by the tutor after the course has ended (but no accommodation), the course is described in detail at the website below.