Final year graduate students from the University of Kent have organised an exciting photography exhibition which will take place at Trumans Brewery in London’s East End. The venu and time are F Block T5, Brick Lane from the 12th to 16th June, 10am to 7pm. One of the students, Helen Ives, says, “The focus has been on development of individual and intuitive photography where we have been encouraged to develop our own personal practice.  Our exhibition at Free Range, Brick Lane, will bring to fruition our energy, imagination and passion for photography”. The high standard of work has attacted generous sponsorship from various sources including PhotographyBLOG, University of Kent, West Kent College, Blake Friedmann, dstl, Westfield, Francis Lincoln, Maison Mignon, Mediatek, Chirotic and Windsor Print. This is the inaugural year of this top-up degree based at West Kent College, Tonbridge. For further information please visit their website: http://www.the-exhibitionists.com

Fujifilm have released a new firmware update, version 1.0.3, for the Finepix F480 camera. The firmware (Ver.1.02 to Ver.1.03) update fixes the following issues.

- After taking pictures of the scene under bright condition, such as the picture of sun, occasionally next picture may be shot with underexposure condition.

Website: Fujifilm F480 1.03 Firmware Update

Regularly backing up your data is important for everyone, but especially so for photographers. Losing either all your memories or your means of income is a frightening prospect, yet numerous studies have revealed that relatively few of us have a daily backup routine. Enter NTI Shadow 3, an award-winning and simple-to-use backup software application which is compatible with Windows and Mac platforms. NTI Shadow can continuously monitor and backup all changed files, or be scheduled for a certain time. The latest version includes backup to any optical media, including Blu-ray, useful now that the HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray debate has finally been resolved. Best of all, NTI Shadow 3 is available for just $29.99, so there really is no excuse to start backing up your photos right now. Jon Canfield guides you through the process in our NTI Shadow 3 review.

Website: NTI Shadow 3 Review

Stop press: NTI are running a special promotion until June 8th, where NTI Shadow 3 is completely free!

Website: NTI Shadow 3 for Free

DSLR Doctor have published their top 10 tips for taking fantastic photos after dark with your DSLR camera.

“The best shooting mode to use for night photos is also the scariest for many DSLR owners – Manual exposure mode. The main reason for using this particular mode is that it’s usually the way to access the Bulb setting, which in turn allows you use shutter speeds longer than 30 seconds. Also, you’ll often find that the exposure suggested by the camera in Aperture or Shutter priority modes doesn’t give the most appealing results. Using Manual mode, you can quickly experiment with different shutter speed and apertures, finding the best combination for the subject that you’re shooting.”

Website: DSLR Doctor - Take Better Night Photos

Camera thieves have been apprehended after an Eye-Fi card uploaded pictures of them. Owner Alison DeLauzon looged onto her Eye-Fi account after her camera had disappeared while on vacation, only to find her holiday snaps uploaded along with photos of the two men who had stolen her camera kit. The wireless Eye-Fi SD card inside her Canon compact had automatically logged onto an available unsecured network and uploaded the images without the thieves even realising!

Website: Reuters - Lost cameras “phone home” to catch thieves

The new Oregon Scientific ATC5K and ATC3K are hands-free, waterproof action cameras. The ATC action cameras easily strap on to just about anything - a helmet, arm, leg, bike, canoes and more. “We’ve taken Oregon Scientific’s heritage in making award-winning electronic products for the home to the great outdoors, creating one-of-a-kind, affordable all-terrain cameras that action enthusiasts of all kinds will enjoy,” says Bill Uzell, Executive Vice President for Oregon Scientific. The ATC3K will be available in July for $149.99 and the ATC5K in August for $199.99.

World renowned social photographer Larry Herman is taking his “Waged London” exhibition on a national tour, sponsored by Ilford Photo. The tour will commence in autumn and will appear at a number of specially selected colleges and galleries across the UK. “I am genuinely excited by the chance to exhibit some of my work in progress from Waged London to students across the UK. It is always an honour to help educate and inspire a new generation of young and creative minds who, potentially, could become the great photographers of tomorrow.” commented Herman.

Douglas Kirkland: Creative Inspiration is a new video course from lynda.com featuring one of the most renowned photographers of the 20th Century. Kirkland shares his insights on photography craft and technique, gleaned from 50 years photographing the entertainment industry. “Douglas Kirkland brings a lifetime of photography experience to this video course, having created some of the most iconic celebrity images of the last half-century,” says Lynda Weinman, CEO of lynda.com. Members of the lynda.com Online Training Library receive on-demand access to this entire course, while non-members can access 10% for free.

Steves Digicams have reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S780 entry-level camera, which offers 8 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens and 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“The S780 captures nice photos outdoors. The exposures were descent, some instances looked a little bright (over exposed), and the color saturation is nice and vivid. The 3x optical zoom lens, with a 35mm equivalent of 35-105mm, is great for shooting landscape and portrait photography on the wide end, and the zoom end it good for singling out an individual or for framing your landscape shots. It is not, however, enough to bring your distant objects much closer. On the wide end of the zoom you will notice some barrel distortion and some slight chromatic aberrations (purple fringing) throughout the range.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S780 Review

DxO Optics Pro v5.1 is now available for both Windows and Mac platforms. Version 5.1 offers considerable improvements in stability and extra features, including a more flexible Pace Interlok protection that doesn’t require installation of an Interlok driver. DxO Optics 5.1 also now supports 3 new cameras and 35 new DxO Modules, including the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D and Nikon D60. In addition, to celebrate DxO Optics Pro’s 4th birthday, and the arrival of version 5.1, all customers purchasing an upgrade to DxO Optics Pro v5.1 and activating it before 1st July 2008 will receive DxO Film Pack for free.

DPNow are giving away an Olympus E-520 twin-lens kit in their latest monthly prize draw. All you need to do to enter is subscribe to their email newsletter.

Website: DPNow - Win a twin-lens kit Olympus E-520 DSLR

The Sanyo Xacti HD1010 is an ultra-compact, full 1920 x 1080 high-definition digital camcorder with a 300fps slow-motion video mode. The HD1010 features “Face Chaser” face detection technology for both video and stills and 7fps sequential shooting for superb action photography. There’s also a 10x optical zoom lens (38-380mm range), image stabilizer, 2.7 inch widescreen LCD screen, and simultaneous shooting of 4-megapixel still images and HD movie clips. The Sanyo HD1010 will be available in the USA in July 2008 for $799.99.

Flip Video Mino is a tiny camcorder that provides high-quality, portable, and easy-to-use video. The Flip Mino weighs just over three ounces and is smaller than most mobile phones. With 2GB of on-board flash memory, Flip Video Mino allows consumers to capture up to 60 minutes of high-quality video. In addition to quickly posting videos on sharing and social networking sites, you can also email videos and video greeting cards. The Flip Video Mino costs $179.99 and is available now.

The web-based digital photo application RocketLife has beaten four of it’s main rivals, CVS, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Shutterfly and Snapfish, in a recent Infotrends study. In a test of independent consumers, RocketLife “outscored the other four platforms on all eight of the attributes on which InfoTrends obtained consumer evaluations.” Users felt that one of RocketLife’s greatest advantages was the speed and ease of getting started. “In our comparative sample, the majority of people placed more photos in their RocketLife book and got more accomplished within the same time period using RocketLife.” said Alan Bullock of InfoTrends.

Novatron, best known for its professional photographic lighting equipment, has been acquired by OmegaSatter. Also in the professional photographic lighting accessory segment with its GaryFong Inc., FlashFrame, Wein, and Polaris products, OmegaSatter commented: “Novatron has perfect synergy with OmegaSatter. We are a manufacturer and we market and sell our products to the same customers as Novatron. OmegaSatter has coveted a strong, high quality brand and presence in the professional photographic lighting market and Novatron is the perfect fit.” Novatron products are available to order from OmegaSatter immediately. The company expects to be in full production in July.

PCMag have reviewed the Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One Printer, which claims to save up to 50 percent on everything you print.

“When Kodak announced its first generation of all-in-one (AIO) printers last year, including the EasyShare 5300 All-In-One, it wasn’t content with simply offering printers that held their own on speed, output quality, and features. It also claimed a low cost per page—a claim that got a lot of attention. Now Kodak’s introducing its second wave of AIOs, starting with the ESP 3 All-In-One Printer ($129.99 direct). The obvious question is, what is Kodak doing for its second act? The answer: More of the same.”

Website: PCMag - Kodak ESP 3 Review

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The smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm/F4[IF] SDM is a new standard zoom lens designed for exclusive use with Pentax DSLR cameras. The 17-70mm lens covers the focal-length range from 26mm wide angle to 107mm telephoto in the 35mm format, and features the smooth and quiet SDM autofocus system with built-in supersonic motor. Other highlights of the Pentax 17-70mm lens include a minimum focusing distance of 0.28 meters over the entire zoom range and a Quick-Shift Focus System for instant switching to manual-focus operation. The smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm/F4[IF] SDM will be available in mid-July for £449.

Fujifilm have reduced the price of the FinePix S5 Pro DSLR camera to just £499. First launched at Focus on Imaging in 2007 for £999.99, Fujifilm are now running a special summer promotion on the S5 Pro. Awarded the EISA European Advanced Camera of the Year 2007-2008, the FinePix S5 Pro is a benchmark DSLR camera, offering a wealth of features. Visit your local dealer to find out more about the Fujifilm S5 Pro promotion.

The Epson Stylus NX400 is the flagship model of a new generation of all-in-one printers. “Whether printing book reports, driving directions, presentations or party invitations, the Epson Stylus NX400 turns ordinary projects into amazing output. Its versatility, high-performance, durability, and affordable price make it the best solution for everyday home printing needs.” said Kristi Lanzit Fox, product manager, Consumer Ink Jet Printers, Epson. The Epson Stylus NX400 is now shipping and will be available for an estimated street price of $99.99.