The UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has announced a number of photo walks giving photographers unique ‘behind the scenes’ access to a number of British science laboratories. The science Photo Walks will be held at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire (11 September), Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire (13 September), Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire (19 September) and United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) in Edinburgh (21 September). Photographers will be able to enter their images to a regional, national and international competition for public and expert judging. The best British images will qualify for an international competition against images from laboratories in the United States, Germany, Italy and Canada. Places on the Photo Walks are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Photographers interested in taking part in this free event can register online from 2pm today at the website below.

Boinx Software has released a beta version of FotoMagico 4. The latest upgrade to Boinx Software’s slideshow software adds support for multiple layers, a new timeline for fine-tuned control over slides, improved audio syncing, and many additional updates. To participate in the beta program, simply sign up at the website below to receive download instructions and a temporary licence key via email.

Epson UK has launched its Expression Home range – a series of compact models that deliver both high-quality, glossy photos and crisp, clear text. The Small-in-One line-up features the Expression Home XP-400 Series, XP-300 Series, XP-205, XP-202 and XP-102, allowing users to print, copy and scan. The Expression Home range also includes the Expression Home XP-30, which is Epson’s smallest ever single-function A4 printer. These printers use Epson’s new four-colour Claria Home Ink set, a new entry-level ink formulation that combines the durability of black pigment ink with the glossy colour photo output of dye-based cyan, magenta and yellow inks. The XP-30, XP-102, XP-202, XP-305, (with extra Claria home ink set) and the XP- 405 are available from September, priced at £39.99, £49.99, £59.99, £79.99 and £89.99.

The ninth issue of Adore Noir Magazine is now available for purchase. Now in its second year, Adore Noir is a fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. Featuring beautiful female nudes by Dennis Mecham, surreal street- and landscapes by Emmanuel Coupe-Kalomiris, dreamlike images taken on a home-made camera by Susan Burnstine. compelling portraits by Olivier Borson, pinhole photography by Jürgen Lechner and lith prints from the Mirage series by Susan de Witt; this issue reinforces the magazine’s commitment to high-quality black-and-white imagery. The latest issue of Adore Noir is available for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR300, which was announced in Japan back in May, is now being launched across Europe. The compact travelzoom features a 24-300mm equivalent lens, 16-megapixel sensor, fast AF and support for Toshiba’s new FlashAir range of Wi-Fi enabled memory cards. Available from the end of August, the Casio Exilim EX-ZR300 carries an SRP of €279.

Source: Casio Europe

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is reminding interested photographers that the deadline for entries for its 2012 photo competition is 31st August. The organisers are looking for the most inspirational and creative garden photography and are offering a top prize of £1000 for the overall winner. There is a selection of adult categories from wildlife and people in the garden to plant portraits. Children and young photographers are also invited to compete for the coveted title RHS Young Photographer of the Year, and to win prizes including a digital camera and photographic vouchers. Entries can be submitted online through the website below. As always, we suggest that you read the Terms and Conditions before entering your work.

In Her Eyes: Women Behind and in Front of the Camera is an upcoming exhibition opening at the Newark Museum on 12 September 2012. Culled from the museum’s own photography collection, the works in this exhibition portray girls and women through the lenses of female photographers and range from the mid-twentieth century to contemporary by such well-known artists as Cindy Sherman, Sally Mann, Dorothea Lange, Lalla Essaydi and Ana Mendieta. The photographs exhibited are primarily black and white gelatin silver prints, but some color Chromogenic prints are also included. The exhibition is curated by Shlomit Dror, American Art Research Associate, at the Newark Museum and will run through April 2013. For more information, visit the museum’s website.

Elevate the Everyday: A Photographic Guide to Picturing Motherhood by Tracey Clark is a new title from Focal Press. “Clark draws from her professional experience as a photographer and blogger, as well as her time as a mother, to offer emotional, first-hand accounts as a parent and invaluable photography tips for how to collect casual memories that can often be more meaningful than the oft-photographed momentous occasions in families’ lives,” the publisher says. The 160-page paperback retails for $24.95.

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) opens a ‘pop up’ window exhibition in Bath city centre on 5th August. The dramatic window-display showcases winners from the first part of The Society’s online Summer of Sport photography competition titled ‘Sport for All’. The competition, which ran from April to June, was part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The second part of the competition themed ‘Spirit of the Games’ remains open until 30 September at the website below.

Design, manufacturers of PocketWizard Photo Products, has just announced the new G-Wiz Squared bag. Accommodating up to four PocketWizard Plus III Transceivers and connector cables and featuring movable hook-n-loop padded dividers, the G-Wiz Squared opens from the top allowing photographers to ensure at a glance that all their radios are safely packed away. The G-Wiz Squared bags are available now in Black, Orange and Blue for around $25.

Eizo has unveiled a new lineup of ColorEdge monitors. The new range consists of three series (CG, CX and CS) and five models. The three series contain different feature sets, options, and price points for their intended audiences, but retain the hallmarks common to all ColorEdge monitors such as hardware calibration, brightness uniformity, and adjusting the gamma curve of each model on the Eizo factory line before shipping. Click through / read on for more information.

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS II USM, EF400mm F2.8L IS II USM, EF500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF600mm f/4L IS II USM lenses. Version 1.1.1 changes the control algorithm of the focus drive, and enhances the drive’s responsiveness for more precise focus and adjustments. In particular, the new firmware enhances the AI servo AF capability of the lenses to track objects that move irregularly in sports events, such as football or rugby. This firmware update will be performed by Canon Service Centres.

The Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC is an ultra-wide-angle prime lens for full-frame and APS-C DSLRs. The Samyang 24mm f/1.4 is a more affordable alternative to the Nikon and Canon equivalents thanks largely to being manual-focus only. Read our in-depth Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC review complete with full-size sample images.

The Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM is a new wide-angle prime lens. Boasting built-in image stabilisation and fast and quite auto-focusing, the EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM is a more affordable but still very capable alternative to Canon's professional wide-angle primes. Read our in-depth Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM review complete with full-size sample images.

The winners of the July 2012 Photography Blog Competition have been announced. The theme for July was “Olympics” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Olympic rings by giraffe
Prize: X-Rite ColourChecker Passport
Kindly donated by X-Rite
http://www.xritephoto.com/

The travelling exhibition of the world’s best press photographs of 2011, selected at the 2012 World Press Photo’s contest for professional photographers, will be on display in the Main Gallery of the Visitors Lobby at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 16 August – 9 September 2012. Now in its 55th year, the annual World Press Photo Contest is universally recognised as the world’s leading international contest for photojournalists, setting the standard for the profession. The contest draws entries by professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers from across the world, with 5,247 photographers from 124 countries participating this year with 101,254 pictures submitted. The UN Headquarters are located on Fifth Avenue at East 46th Street. Admission is free.

The Rosco LitePad Loop is a new LED ring light that provides constant, soft, diffused on-axis lighting to diminish shadows, blemishes and wrinkles. Manufactured using a lightweight (2.4 pounds), shatter resistant plastic, the Rosco LitePad Loop is just over 9 inches in diameter with a 4.4 inch centre hole. The LitePad inside the Loop has LEDs on both the inside and outside perimeters of the “O” shape, allowing for maximum brightness. The mounting assembly threads onto the bottom of the camera using ¼-20 bolt and has a 15mm rod support system that allows the Loop to travel backwards and forwards, as well as vertically, in order to position the lens in the centre of the ring light.  The Loop attaches to the mounting assembly using high-powered magnets located on the back. Rosco’s LitePad Loop is distributed by OmegaBrandess and is available at most photo & video supply stores priced at around $700.

First shown at Focus on Imaging, the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra RX lithium-ion battery is now available in the UK. 60% lighter and 28% smaller than the existing lead gel battery, the Ranger Quadra RX reduces the total weight of the Ranger Quadra to 2kg. Additionally, the new battery will power more than double the number of flashes achieved by the old one, while recharging 25% faster. The Elinchrom Ranger Quadra RX lithium-ion battery sells for £234. A charger for the new battery is available separately for £102 but you can also buy the battery and charger in a single bundle for £300.

Nik Software today released an update to the Mac and Windows versions of Snapseed. Version 1.2 includes new features, bug fixes, and a free demo version option. The update is free to registered owners of Snapseed Desktop. Snapseed Desktop normally retails for € 15,95, but until August 16, 2012 customers can purchase the electronic download for € 7,99 direct from the website below.

Journey Four is the latest collection of winning images from the international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards. “From intriguing views of the mud mosques and painted villages of West Africa and the colour, passion and mystery of festivals across the continents to the majestic mountain landscapes of Europe and the frozen wilds of the Arctic, ‘Journey Four’ has page after page of stunning photographs that capture everything from broad vistas to quirky details,” the publisher says. Containing more than 220 black-and-white and colour photographs, this elegant hardback sells for £25.