Sony UK celebrated a hard-fought victory over Sony Italy in the 6th of 7 twilight football games by graciously signing the match ball for a local fan (see picture). At a picturesque setting in the Pinnacle Desert, Western Australia, the final score was 17-14 to the UK, as more than 100 spectators looked on and used Sony’s latest low-light cameras to record the action. The UK team, who battled their way through a London-based football competition to earn their ticket to Oz, outbattled and outpassed the skillful Italians to edge a tightly-fought encounter.

We’ve already published sample images from both the WX1 and TX1 compact cameras earlier this week, with both coping well at ISO speeds that are beyond most pocket cameras thanks to the new Sony Exmor R sensor technology. The new Alpha A550 was also in evidence at this showcase Sony event, with its 7fps continuous shooting speed and maximum ISO of 12800 proving useful for the ever darkening conditions - Mark Goldstein took the main picture at the fastest ISO speed in virtual darkness.

We’ll be bringing you full reviews of the TX1, WX1 and Alpha A550 in the next few weeks…

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo has announced that the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation will provide details of a new prize established to identify and reward individuals who exhibit “new directions in photographic portraiture,” during the annual PDN PhotoPlus Expo trade show. In addition to announcing the details of the award, Gregory Heisler, world-renowned photographer—and Artist in Residence at Hallmark Institute of Photography—will present a lecture of his own work, reflect on Newman’s influence and legacy, and talk about his formative experiences as Newman’s assistant.  Heisler’s presentation and details of the annual award will be held on Thursday, 22 October at 6:00 p.m. inside the Jacob Javits Convention Center The “Arnold Newman Prize” for new directions in portraiture will be available as a separate category entry in PDN’s Photo Annual competition and will recognise an individual for their innovative approach to photographic portraiture.

Kubota Image Tools has announced the Fall schedule of its free Webinar Wednesdays. Webinar attendees will have a chance to learn tips and tricks for using the Kubota DASHBOARD, Kubota AutoAlbum, Kubota Workflow and much more. Each seminar begins at 10:00 am PST, 1:00 pm EST. Upcoming webinars will take place 23rd and 30th September, 7th, 14th and 28th October and 2nd, 9th and 16th December. For more information about the complete Kubota Image Tools 2009 Webinar schedule and to register,  visit the website below.

Website: Kubota Image Tools Webinar Schedule

Peter Crouch has been asked to train the UK Sony ‘Twilight Football’ team ahead of their big game today. The outcome was some simply stunning imagery. Sony says, “The upcoming sporting event from Sony called “Twilight Football” has been set up to do just that, capture some beautiful imagery of the beautiful game, whilst demonstrating the low-light shooting capabilities of Sony’s new range of cameras and Handycams including the Cyber-shot TX1 and WX1 models, the Handycam TG7 and the DSLR A550.” Amateur footballers have competed to take part in matches around the world and the team of successful UK applicants were awarded the extra honour of being trained by England football legend Peter Crouch. He commented:  “It was a fantastic experience working with the UK winners of the Sony Twilight football competition. They are a dedicated, tight knit team and it was my pleasure to coach them ahead of their upcoming match in Australia.”

Kubota Image Tools has announced its 18th Digital Photography Bootcamp workshop. Bootcamp, taught by renowned photographer Kevin Kubota (pictured), is a 5-day workshop for professional photographers designed to supply all of the technical know-how to run a successful digital portrait/wedding studio; at the same time, it encourages continued development of a photographer’s unique style and creativity. The Fall 2009 workshop will take place from Sunday, 8 November through to Friday, 13 November in the FivePine Lodge, Oregon. The cost is $2,895 including lodging and gourmet meals.

Fitch Ratings has revised Eastman Kodak Company’s rating outlook to Stable from Negative. The Stable Outlook reflects Kodak’s improved near-term liquidity and financial flexibility. However, Fitch still expects “significant top-line and operating profit deterioration in all of Kodak’s businesses through at least 2009 due primarily to the global economic downturn”, and believes that “growth and margin expansion in Kodak’s digital businesses necessary to offset the rapid secular decline in the high margin traditional film business will remain challenging”.

Adobe Systems, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Nikon, Nik Software, Wacom and X-Rite have joined forces for a unique, nine-city Creative Alliance Tour. The tour has been set up to provide creative professionals with a comprehensive insight into a complete digital workflow. A full-day seminar will take place at each city stop, hosted by renowned photo professionals and evangelists - Robin Preston, Boudewijn Krijger and Guy Gowan, among others. The seminars will consist of inspirational presentations and in-depth technical workshops, with the opportunity to share questions and experiences with the experts. The Creative Alliance Tour will begin in autumn 2009, with stops in the Netherlands, UK, Spain, France, Germany and Italy. The next stops will be in Manchester on September 15 and in London on September 17.

Between 10.30am GMT on 14 September 2009 and 10.30am GMT on 16 September 2009, PhotographyBLOG readers can sign up for FREE for the London event by going to www.thecreativealliancetour.com and visiting their special London page.

For the ninth consecutive year, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops hosts 12 week-long workshops in San Miguel de Allende, a charming colonial town set in the northern highlands of central Mexico. Veteran photographers such Sam Abell, Joyce Tenneson, Greg Gorman, Ralph Lee Hopkins, and Eddie Soloway, inspire all levels of photographers in pursuit of personal vision, portraiture, documentary storytelling, and travel photography. Participants explore the soul of San Miguel amid the vibrant culture, rich heritage, private gardens, and Day of the Dead festivities. The three-week programme, occurring October 25 through November 15, is hosted on a private campus within walking distance of the main plaza of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. San Miguel remains a safe refuge for participants to grow creatively while capturing fireworks illuminating the gothic spires of the Parroquia, listening to strolling musicians in El Jardin, and making personal connections with local families. For more information on workshops in San Miguel de Allende, or other workshops offered by Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, visit the website below.

Website: Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust has announced an in-depth interior and exterior tour of Wright’s Robie House, a photogenic building in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighbourhood. The tour, which will take place at 9 a.m. on Sunday, 18 October, presents wonderful opportunities for professional and amateur photographers to explore one of the most famous architectural landmarks in the United States. Wright’s Robie House is located at 5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago. Tickets are $80 for Preservation Trust members and $90 for non-members. Advance ticket purchases are required, and possible via the website below.

Website: Go Wright

Photoscala has posted an interesting Gain & Loss analysis of the worldwide DSLR market, for the period 2006-2008. According to their findings Canon, who were the undisputed worldwide leaders in 2006, have lost 9 percentage points and barely managed to keep their number one position against Nikon, who have gained 4 percentage points in the meantime. The biggest winner is Sony, who managed to more than double their market share, and took the third position from Olympus with ease. The rest of the market is devoid of any major changes, although Panasonic has managed to double its share, partially owing to its introduction of the DMC-G1 (which is, technically speaking, not a DSLR, but is nevertheless included in the figures). Nota bene: Photoscala warns that these numbers, which were derived from multiple sources, are to be taken with a grain of salt, but allegedly “the tendencies have been captured quite accurately”.

Source: Photoscala

Leica has joined many other premium brands and launched its own store in the UK. Selling the full Leica range of products including the newly announced Leica M9 digital rangefinder camera, the store is located in 34 Bruton Place, Mayfair situated between Old Bond Street and Berkeley Square, London W1. The Mayfair store is the latest development for the company following the opening of Leica stores in Tokyo, Berlin, Paris and Moscow. The Leica Store Mayfair facility is set to complement other Leica Dealers and grow the brand in the UK. Opening hours of the store will be 10.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday, and 10.00 to 15.00 on Saturdays. If you can’t make it to the physical store, Leica have also just opened their virtual doors at www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk

Getty Images today completed its fifth annual photojournalism grants programme by announcing the names of those who have been selected to receive the grants. The winners include photojournalists Krisanne Johnson, Brenda Kenneally and Zalmai (with each receiving $20,000 grants), plus two students, Ed Ou and Carl Kiilsgaard, who will receive $5,000 each, and editorial support to pursue their projects. Krisanne Johnson’s project, “I Love You Real Fast,” examines the lives of young women in Swaziland, where women have a life expectancy of close to 31. Brenda Kenneally’s project, “Upstate Girls: What Became of Collar City,” studies the issues of class and poverty in Troy, New York. Zalmai’s project, “Promises and Lies,” reveals the human cost of the war on terror in Afghanistan. Carl Kiilsgaard’s project, “The White Family,” follows a family that has lived in rural Kentucky – where, in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty that has not yet been won – for generations. Ed Ou’s project, “Perilous Journey,” documents the full journey that Somali refugees take as each year thousands flee from the violence in Mogadishu to the port city of Bosasso and the perilous boat journey to Yemen begins, as they seek work as laborers in the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

Whether you’re looking for creative inspiration, the tranquillity of the Welsh coast, or an epic adventure further afield, Light & Land has just a few last minute places up for grabs on three of their Autumn workshops. The ‘Finding Your Vision’ Leading Lights workshop is designed to enhance and develop your vision through the creation, editing and discussion around a series of your own images. The workshop gives participants the chance to work with accomplished photographers Eddie Ephraums and David Ward, who are also two of the UK’s best-known photographic ‘thinkers’. Alternatively, you can join Nik Jenkins for an escape to Wales, where photographic opportunities abound. Or, if its castles and coastline you fancy, then head up to the stunning area of Argyll with David Ward and Richard Childs. Click through / read on for the exact dates and other details.

Speculatio in Vis, a photographic exhibition by Jason Pietra, is an investigation into the beauty, diversity and fragility of the natural world. “Pietra changes what would normally be seen as a grotesque subject matter of organs and insects, transforming them into beautiful objects. The viewer becomes lost in the beauty of the final image and begins to become blind to the subject. The juxtaposition of such beautiful depiction versus ugly object, encourages comparisons and parallels, creating and endlessly and transforming dialogue about our value system of nature, history and man,” says Nadia Vellam, photo editor of W Magazine. The exhibition runs from 18 September until 5 October 2009 in theprintspace gallery, London.

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has announced its Super Monday photo event, featuring educational classes around the U.S.A., hosted by professional photographers for photographers. These classes are designed to be hands-on and deliver practical knowledge that students can put to work immediately. Getting photographers face-to-face in a small group, lab-like setting allows them to better learn techniques and practice with professional photographers who have successfully used the skills being taught. PPA members who teach classes earn merits toward photographic craftsman degrees. The Super Monday classes will be held on 26 October 2009.

Kubota Image Tools have announced Kevin Kubota’s 5th ‘Secret Italy’ professional photography workshop. The 2010 Secret Italy professional photography workshop attendees will tour Tuscany, Italy. The trip will begin with everyone meeting at the airport in Florence, Italy where attendees will then head west to Lucca. Highlights include excursions through Tuscany and then North along the Mediterranean Sea to visit Liguria and five coastal villages known as Cinque Terre, then Portofino and Genoa. There will be brief daily classroom time (1-2 hours) to discuss photo projects that will be assigned, talks about creativity followed by creative exercises, and the opportunity for participants to apply fine art Photoshop skills on their images. The cost of the 7-day trip is $2,995 for class attendees and $2,550 for non-class participants. The workshop will take place from 2-8 May 2010.

In the coming weeks, US photographers will have a number of opportunities to get hands-on experience with Phase One equipment. These include a Capture One for DSLR Users Seminar held in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco during the period 9 September - 2 October; an intensive two-day Capture One PRO workshop for intermediate to advanced users, held in New York; and a Phase One Master Class, an intensive location shooting road trip using Phase One digital cameras and Elinchrom lighting gear on a variety of locations in the Paso Robles area in California. Click through / read on for the details.

World-class photographers will gather in Merida, Mexico, during the 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) to present and discuss their work and its contribution to conservation efforts. They will join writers, filmmakers and conservation experts at the inaugural WiLD SPEAK, a Conservation Communications Symposium Nov. 9-12 organised by the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). WiLD SPEAK provides a forum for media professionals to discuss environmental issues and themes, share strategies and technologies, and explore how their work can raise awareness and realize conservation objectives. WiLD SPEAK will include plenary sessions and discussions on strategies and issues relevant to conservation communications including trends in photojournalism, building partnerships with non-governmental organizations and leveraging new social media platforms. You can register at the website below.

Website: WiLD SPEAK

Rupert Nightingale’s Icelandic landscapes are featured in an upcoming exhibition, held from 8-28 October in London’s ‘theprintspace’ gallery. Whilst these images are stylistically a meditation on both texture and form, they also attempt to address the idea of the mythic and perceived permanence of the landscape. Rupert Nightingale believes the slower, more contemplative approach to shooting, combined with the detail and tonal richness of the large format negative, gives rise to a more satisfying and painterly final image. The gallery’s address is: theprintspace, 74 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DL.

Sean Arbabi, a 20-year commercial photographer out of the San Francisco Bay Area, has announced a mix of workshops around the world. This Saturday, 29 August 2009, he’ll be at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California (just north of San Francisco) teaching a half day course on exposure, immediately followed by a book signing of his 225-page paperback The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure. Sean workshops range from one-day classes through the Point Reyes Field Seminars (Pt Reyes, California), to four-day seminars at Art Wolfe’s Digital Photography Center (Seattle, Washington), week-long sessions at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops (Santa Fe, New Mexico), to month-long online courses with BetterPhoto.com (worldwide). With a BA in commercial photography from Brooks Institute, Arbabi specializes in adventure, conceptual, lifestyle, and travel photography for advertising, corporate and editorial clients. You may recall his piece on PhotographyBLOG called How to Survive the Credit Crunch.

Website: Sean Arbabi