Photographer Annabel Williams and Contemporary Photographic Training have announced a new range of photography workshops for 2009. Held in the Lake District, UK, the workshops cater for every level of photographer, run throughout the year, and last between one and four days. ‘Photography does not need to be complicated, neither does the way we train people! No slogans, unrealistic business theories or jargon here - we implement tried and tested, sensible approaches to business - enabling development for all.’ said Catherine Connor, who runs CPT alongside Annabel Williams and Jane Breakell.

Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom 2 is a new DVD tutorial from professional photographer Kevin Kubota. Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom 2 takes digital photographers step-by-step through proper organization, efficient editing and enhancing, and final image presentation. More than just another Lightroom “Manual”, this interactive instructional DVD is based on a proven workflow system used daily by busy digital studios. The Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom 2 tutorial is available now for $99.

A Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting is a new instructional DVD about Nikon’s Creative Lighting System. National Geographic Traveler photographer Bob Krist and photojournalist and lighting expert Joe McNally guide viewers on advanced creative lighting techniques. Krist and McNally teach viewers how to get the most from their Nikon Speedlights. “A Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting” presented by Nikon School will be available from November 1st 2008 for $39.95.

Epson has launched three new photography, imaging and printing training courses. The new courses cover art and macro photography, scanning, and live portrait photography. The original Print Academy, Art and Macro Photography and Scan courses cost £65, with the Live Portrait Photography workshop priced at £99.

O’Reilly author Harold Davis is running a free webinar about night photography. Davis will demystify exposure techniques at night, and explain how he post-processes night photos. The night photography webinar will take place on October 17 at 10am PDT. Attendance is limited, so register now.

Bogen Imaging is holding a free webinar about taking successful product shots. Lastolite product managers will share tips on how to use the Cubelite, a quick portable lighting system, in order to get the most out of a product photo shoot. You will learn the importance of positioning and lighting and how to effortlessly produce high-quality, professional-looking product images. The course will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m EDT, on Friday, October 3rd.

At a press conference hosted by Microsoft yesterday at 12:15 CET at Photokina, the Metadata Working Group (MWD) – an organisation which comprises industry giants Adobe, Apple, Canon, Microsoft, Nokia and Sony –  published a set of guidelines for handling image metadata. This new set of guidelines is intended to be a specification “designed to increase interoperability and preservation of metadata in digital photographs”.

DSLR photography, printing and imaging is the focus of an eight-day workshop cruise in the Southern Caribbean. Taking place from March 29 -April 6, 2009, this eight-day workshop cruise is limited to 20 attendees who will participate in lectures, hands-on demonstrations and critiquing sessions by four photo professionals. Each enrollee will also receive up to $1,000 in hardware and software. All-inclusive costs begin at $2,332, with non-attendee companions paying less than half.

The eighth edition of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine has just been released. Issue 8 includes tips and techniques for using camera flash, conclusion of the four-part series on HDR photography, workflow techniques for Lightroom 2, and a tour of St. Petersburg. PhotographyBB Online Magazine is available for free download in either PDF or ZIP formats.

Colour Confidence is taking the ColorMunki on the road, with a tour of major photographic resellers across the UK. ‘Visit the MunkiHouse’ is a free event featuring live demonstrations of the ColorMunki Photo, the first spectrophotometer-based solution in its price bracket.Events in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham , Stevenage, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Burgess Hill have been confirmed so far. Attendance is free.

Fine Art Printing: From Digital Camera to Print is a new DVD series from Luminous Landscape’s Michael Reichmann and Jeff Schewe. The Calumet DVD provides a detailed, conversational review of every step, from importing images onto your computer to a framed print. “We’re pleased to be a part of the Calumet Imagemaker DVD Series,” said Michael Reichmann, publisher and primary author of the Luminous Landscape website. “Calumet Photographic and Luminous Landscape are all about empowering the world of image makers.”

Photo Iconic have unveiled their new photography courses for autumn 2008, which includes a course on shooting fireworks. Tuition is by award-winning photographers Chris Coe and Nick Meers, with digital imaging expertise provided by Photoshop guru Terry Steeley. Photo Iconic’s one, two and three-day photography courses start from £145.

WildPhotos is the UK’s largest two-day photography symposium dedicated to exploring the power of wildlife photography. The event brings together photographers, both professional and amateur, editors, publishers and conservationists. Participants take part in discussion and debate, giving them the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the best in the business. WildPhotos takes place on 31 October – 1 November at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Tickets cost £165 (standard rate) / £125 (conc. rate) for the two-day event, or £95 (standard rate) / £75 (conc. rate) for Friday or Saturday only.

The RPS has added 6 new photography workshops to its 2008 line-up. Open to non-members and members of The Society, courses range from camera and darkroom skills through to digital and wedding photography. New workshops include Introduction to Wedding Photography and Digital Printing Workshop. The Royal Photographic Society’s workshops are held at The Society headquarters in Bath, as well as other venues across the UK.

See a demonstration of the HP MediaSmart Server and find out from Windows Home Server experts how it’s the perfect solution for digital photography enthusiasts. HP and Microsoft are holding two free live webinars on July 17th and July 22nd 2008. The HP MediaSmart Server webinars cover the following topics:

- Conveniently centralize files and access them from any Internet-connected computer
- Share photos and video clips with HP Photo Webshare
- Automatically backup and protect the digital memories on home PCs running Windows XP and later operating systems
- 500GB and 1TB capacities available with room for massive expansion
- Powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server
- AMD Live! 64-bit Sempron Processor for fast file access and timely backups

Meet some of the UK’s finest outdoor photographers, including Charlie Waite, Joe Cornish and David Ward, at Light & Land’s 5th Discovery Day. This event also previews the extensive range of photographic tours which Light & Land has planned for 2009 and beyond. Guests will also have the opportunity to gain constructive critique on their own work. The Light & Land Discovery Day is to be held on 7th September, at Wokefield Park Executive Centre near Reading, priced at £90.

Colour Confidence has updated its free Guidance to Digital Photography. This 60-page PDF document has been downloaded by over 15,000 users since its introduction. New areas covered include Colour management in a camera RAW workflow, Adobe RGB vs. sRGB, LCD monitors and Viewing conditions. The Guidance to Digital Photography addendum and the original download are both available free of charge from www.colourconfidence.com

UK-based Experience Seminars are offering Canon digital SLR training packages for £99. The program, promoted by Canon, covers the Canon digital EOS system in depth along with how to get the very best out of your camera for specific photographic subjects. Experience Seminars have just moved into a new enlarged training centre at Wennington near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. The company has over 600 events covering 32 different seminars and training courses scheduled for 2008.

World-renowned photographer Rick Sammon is giving a free webcast called “10 Key Ingredients for Cookin’ Digital Pictures” on June 26th. Rick will share his top digital photography tips and favourite photo philosophies. Attendance is limited, so register now at http://oreilly.com/go/pictures

Bogen Imaging are holding their second free webinar, which focuses on selecting the right tripod and head. This course will provide photographers with useful tips and tricks when it comes to identifying which support products fit their needs. Participants will also have a chance to win one of two prizes which total over $800, including a Manfrotto tripod and head and a Gitzo tripod and head. The Selecting the Right Tripod and Head webinar will be held on June 27th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT).