The Hasselblad Masters Awards 2014 competition is now open to photographers shooting with cameras of sixteen megapixels and above, regardless of the camera’s brand or format. The internal Hasselblad jury has already begun the process of shortlisting 120 finalists - ten photographers in each category (including the new categories of Project/21 and Underwater). The finalists will be announced in January 2013 and the public has the chance to vote for their favourite image. Winners of the 2014 awards will have use of Hasselblad equipment for a period of approximately four months to create a new set of images for the fourth special Masters Commemorative Book and will receive a trophy at photokina 2014.

Samsung and Time Out have announced the ‘Share your Now’ contest, which encourages Londoners and New Yorkers to take pictures of their respective hometowns and challenge locals to prove they love their city the most. Created to celebrate the recent launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Camera (pictured), the competition enables entrants to upload images they have captured of New York or London to a dedicated portal on the Time Out website. Each week five participants from each city will win their own Galaxy Camera. Once the competition closes, three winners from each city, drawn from the total pool of winners from the nine week competition will be commissioned to work with Time Out magazine to share their take on their own city with their Samsung Galaxy Camera. These final images will be featured on the front cover of Time Out in their respective cities. To participate in the ‘Share your Now’ competition visit the website below.

British photographer Craig Easton has been announced as the overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) 2012 competition. Craig beat entrants from over 90 countries to win the world’s leading travel photography competition with four evocative, moody images of the ‘dreich’ - an old Scottish word to describe wet, miserable, dank weather - and an elegant series of four striking silhouettes of people in Paris. The New Talent award went to Alessandra Meniconzi (Switzerland), while 15-year-old Samuel Fisch (USA) has been named Young Travel Photographer of the Year.

Jessops has announced the 12.12.12 Share the Moment competition. All you have to do to enter is simply take a photograph of exactly what you are doing at 12pm on the 12th December 2012 and upload it to the Jessops Facebook page. Your image, along with many others will be displayed in the Jessops Facebook Share the Moment gallery. Sean Emmett, Marketing and E-commerce Director commented “This competition isn’t about capturing your best shot, but the most telling image about you and your life at a selected moment in time; we look forward to seeing as many images as we can captured at 12pm on 12.12.12 and we are sure the results are going to be spectacular!” The competition entries will be judged by the team at Jessops.

Note that the competition is open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland aged 18 years or over only.

Leica has announced that the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2013 contest will open for entries on 15 January 2013. Photographers wishing to take part may submit their photographic projects online until 1 March. The winner of the 2013 Leica Oskar Barnack Award will receive a Leica M camera with lens worth approximately €10,000 in addition to a cash prize of €5,000. A second honour in the course of the competition will be awarded in the category ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award’, for (prospective) professional photographers aged 25 and under. The winner of the first prize in this section will also be awarded a Leica rangefinder camera complete with lens. The awards will be presented in the course of the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie photography festival to be held in Arles, France from 1 to 7 July 2013.

The winners of the EyeTime 2012 competition have been announced. EyeTime 2012 was assembled as a means to publicly promote the research, exploration and investigation currently happening amongst today’s emerging talent. In the Future Voices category, the jury has selected the works of Gerald Haselwanter, Laurent Evrard and Simon Chang; while winners in the Emerging Talent category include MArk Harless, Nicholai Go and Zulinadi Abdul Azli.

The winners and runners-up of the EEF Photography Awards 2012 have been unveiled at an exclusive ceremony at the House of Commons in London. The theme for this year’s competition was Made in Britain and entrants were challenged to submit photos that championed the spirit of manufacturing in Britain. The winner of the professional category was Mike Smith’s ‘Precision’ (above). ‘Manufacturing a Filter’ by Robert Watkins, from Warrington, was the winner of the amateur category: a black-and-white image of a welder applying the finishing touches to a filter at Crofts Engineering Services.

Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) has announced that submissions are now being accepted for its annual Awards of Excellence 16x20 Print and Album Competitions. Photographers are encouraged to submit their 16x20-inch Print entries for consideration into the following categories: Wedding, Portrait, Commercial, Composite and Photojournalism. In addition, they can submit a series of digital images presented as a story for consideration in the WPPI Award of Excellence Album Competition. The categories are as follows: Event/Informal, Engagement, Wedding and Videography. For more information, visit the websites below.

PhotographyBLOG has teamed up with ViewBug to launch a new photography contest entitled, “Below the Knees.” Judged by London based music, fashion and portrait photographer Tom Barnes, this competition challenges you to submit your best photos (up to two) taken below knee height. The deadline for entries is 24 April 2013. The winner will receive a chic Epiphanie Plum Stella camera bag that accommodates a camera body with attached lens, a flash, battery charger and more. Five exterior pockets give you easy access to small items like memory cards, your cell phone, keys and business cards. Plus, the top People’s Choice will win a one-year PRO Membership on ViewBug.

Website: ViewBug | PhotographyBLOG Presents Below the Knees Photo Contest

The World Photography Organisation (WPO) has announced the countdown to the close of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards. There is just one month remaining for professional and amateur photographers from around the world to select and enter their best images of the year.  Professional photographers will compete for the coveted title of L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Professional Photographer of the Year 2013, plus a $25,000 cash prize.  Amateur photographers will contend the Open Photographer of the Year 2013 title, plus $5,000.

LeicaImages have just announced their annual photography contest for 2012. The theme is “A story with available light” so the challenge is to create “a dramatic image which is enhanced by the use of available natural or artificial light,” as the organisers put it. There are no fees or exchange of services required to participate but do note that the competition is open to members of the LeicaImages community only. Thanks to Tony Rose, the owner of PopFlash.com , a USA Authorised Leica dealer, the winner will receive a new Leica X2 camera (pic.

We’re giving away a Tamrac Evolution Speed Roller Backpack worth $499.95!

The lucky winner is Malcolm Veale. Congratulations!

For over 35 years, Tamrac has been manufacturing innovative products based on photographers’ needs and requests, maintaining the strictest quality standards. Tamrac’s extensive line of protective carrying systems includes backpacks, shoulder bags, point & shoot bags, rolling cases, and laptop compatible bags.  Tamrac’s numerous design inventions and innovations make them the best on the market.

With a unique combination of wheels and a backpack harness, Tamrac’s versatile Evolution Speed Roller Backpack (Model 5797) is ideal for getting around town or traveling around the world.  This rolling backpack has two compartments to hold camera gear and a foam-padded pocket for a laptop.  Whenever possible, you can roll your heavy photo gear on smooth ball-bearing wheels. The telescoping handle opens and closes with the push of a button. The bottom compartment holds a DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached (up to 8”), several extra lenses and a flash. A Windowpane-Mesh™ pocket inside the front panel keeps accessories like memory cards and batteries organized and visible.

Nikon is reminding interested photographers that the 2012-2013 Nikon Photo Contest will open for entries tomorrow, 1st December. Held since 1969, the Nikon Photo Contest (NPC), formally known as the Nikon Photo Contest International (NPCI), was created with the goal of “contributing to the development of photographic culture by providing a venue of communication among photographers from around the world, be they professionals or amateurs.” For this year’s contest, Nikon is seeking entries in four categories including single photo, composite photo, video and Motion Snapshot. The entry period begins on 1 December 2012 and runs until 28 February 2013. To submit your work, visit the Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013 website and complete the entry form.

Website: Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013

PicStop has launched a new photography competition. The theme of the contest is “Animals” and each entrant may submit up to three photos, complete with titles and descriptions. Images must be in JPEG format and must not exceed 300 kilobytes in size. The deadline for entries is 23rd March. The first prize is a Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod with GH100 Grip Head valued at £289.99. As always we suggest that you read the terms and conditions before entering your work.

Website: PicStop

Communities in Focus is a new photography competition designed to showcase inspiring images of people and communities from across the UK. There are two categories, one for inspiring images of community life, and the other for photos of projects funded by the Big Lottery Fund making a positive difference to people and communities. To enter the competition you must register for free via the Cam360 website and then follow the instructions on the Communities in Focus application form to submit your photo. All entries must be supplied with a caption explaining when the photo was taken and why it illustrates what’s brilliant about their community, or Big Lottery Fund project. The submission deadline is Wednesday 19th December. Full details on how to enter are available at the website below.

We’ve teamed up with PENTAX RICOH IMAGING UK LTD to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a fantastic PENTAX K-30 worth £649.99!

The lucky winner is Paula Hepburn. Congratulations!

The K-30 has been developed to help SLR beginners capture high-quality images with ease. Packed in a compact, weather-resistant, dustproof and lightweight body, the PENTAX K-30 offers a range of advanced features, including a 16 megapixel sensor, optical viewfinder offering almost 100% field of view, high-speed shooting and a full-HD movie function.

The K-30 is available in a choice of three colours: Crystal White and Crystal Blue, with brilliant, glossy finishes; and Classic Black, for a more traditional SLR look.

Photography education and entertainment site PhoozL has announced its latest “super-judged” photo contest: ‘The Portrait’. ‘The Portrait’. The judge is world-renowned commercial and fine-art photographer Albert Watson, who will pick the top three winners and Honourable Mentions. Now open for submissions, the contest runs until 16 December 2012. Entry is free and open to all logged-in members of Phoozl.com. For more details and to enter your work, head to the website below.

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has put out a call for nominations for its annual Awards. Nominations are sought in a range of categories as photographers in different branches of imaging, photographic scientists, curators, publishers, educators, and those involved with The Society itself.  Award winners will be announced at a special event to be be held in London in September 2013. Nominations are required by 22 February 2013. Full details of each Award and a nomination form can be found on The Society’s website.

Tamron USA has announced the winner of the Tamron USA My Travel Exhibit User Photo Contest. Professional photographer Ian Plant selected “New Mexico” by Terry Mann as the winning exhibit, which featured images taken with the Tamron AF 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens. The winning exhibit can be viewed at the website below.

Action Cameras has teamed up with Tiffen in a competition to find the best film-making talent in action sports. There will be two rounds of judging – for Round One, a committee of experienced film makers will select five finalists from all the entries and they will receive a GoPro HERO3 Black Edition action camera and a Steadicam Smoothee, a prize worth £528. The finalists will then be judged against each other in Round Two to find the overall winner who will win a prize worth over £3000, comprising a digital SLR camera with kit lens,a Lowel Blender LED light, a Tiffen ND filter kit, a Domke 416 Roller Case and a copy of the Tiffen Dfx 3.0 video plug-in.