Wacom will be showcasing its new mobile Cintiq Companion 2 (pictured), its range of Cintiq creative pen displays including the new Cintiq 13HD touch and the new flagship Cintiq 27QHD touch for high-end photography as well as its Intuos Pro range at The Photography Show. Wacom ambassadors Ian Sayers and burlesque photographer/retoucher Tigz Rice will also be present on the stand, providing expertise and knowledge to visitors on how to get the best out of leading digital imaging software packages using a Wacom tablet. The Photography SHow 2015 will be taking place from 21-24 March at the Birmingham NEC.

The Art, Science, and Craft of Great Landscape Photography by Glenn Randall is a new title from Rocky Nook. In this book, there are discussions about exposure and composition — providing the best techniques to calculate exposure in even the most challenging lighting conditions. Randall also dives into compositional techniques, moving beyond the basics to discuss colour, balance, and depth. He addresses key scientific concepts that impact landscape photography, such as geography, optics, vision, and psychology. The 240-page softcover is available for $39.95.

Digital Film Tools have released version 3.0 of EZ Mask,an easy-to-use interactive image masking tool. The application iteratively estimates the transparency value for every pixel in the image, based on a small sample of foreground and background pixels marked by simple strokes on the image, and is capable of extracting almost any object even if you are dealing with fine hair detail, smoke, or reflections. Version 3.0 adds support for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Defrozo is a free, all-in-one platform that helps photographers better market their work online. Currently raising funds on Kickstarter, Defrozo combines image hosting, website management, CRM, ecommerce, and workflow organisation tools in the integrated WordPress-based platform, all for free. Premium packages will also be available for those who require more storage space and advanced customisation options. By pledging $15 or more, Defrozo’s backers receive significant discounts on the premium subscription plans, as well as private access to the highest-level package during the entire development time. Currently in beta, Defrozo will be available to the general public in autumn.

The new Zeiss Education Programme is targeted to US-based students, educators, plus accredited institutions and workshops teaching photography and film-making. Developed in response to numerous requests especially from students, the Zeiss Education Programme is a purchase incentive plan that enables pre-approved students, accredited schools and photo educators to purchase Zeiss camera lenses at a fixed, discounted price. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a certificate that entitles you for the student discount. The discount can be claimed with an authorised Zeiss dealer.

The ArtGemini Prize has issued the Call for Entries for the Third Edition of the international Art and Photography Prize. Open to all photographers and painters form anywhere in the world, the ArtGemini Prize is described as "a celebration to promote international contemporary art for emerging and established artists." A cash fund of £6000 will be awarded to the winnersin 4 categories, Photography, Painting & Sculpture, Young Artist and Public Choice. In addition to the “open” theme, there is a special bursary prize sponsored by PhotoAid Global for the best “social or environmental documentary” image submitted. Do note that entry fees apply. The deadline for entries is 7th July.

Manfrotto has just added the Off Road 30L Hiker Backpack to the Off Road Collection. Designed to meet the needs of photographers who are looking for compact and lightweight accessories ideal for action and adventure photography, the Manfrotto Off-Road 30L Hiker Backpack features a fully removable internal camera case and an innovative solution for keeping the camera secure on the chest whilst walking. The camera case can carry a pro SLR, 70-200mm lens plus an additional lens, and features the Manfrotto Protection System which is specifically designed to ensure maximum protection. Available now through selected stockists, the Manfrotto Off-Road 30L Hiker Backpack is priced at £169.95.

YouTube has added support for 360° spherical videos, including those created with the Ricoh Theta m15 camera (pictured). "With the announcement of YouTube’s 360 degree spherical video support, the world of content sharing is much more accessible worldwide," Ricoh says. Theta users simply create their 360 videos, upload MP4 video files generated with Windows and Mac software and share with family and friends

Epson today added the Epson Perfection V39 to its line of Perfection flatbed scanners. Featuring 4800 dpi hardware resolution, no warm-up time and buttons to scan directly to e-mail and PDFs, the compact Perfection V39 allows consumers to scan and share photos to Facebook, Google Drive and other cloud services. The USB powered scanner requires only one source for power and connection to the computer, with no AC adapter needed. The removable lid makes it possible to scan bulky photo albums. The Epson Perfection V39 ($99.99) is now available through major retailers across the USA.

Byron Dilkes has been named as the winner of the UK National Award, part of the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards. His image “Tantalizingly Tropical” was chosen as the single best photograph taken by a British photographer entered into any of the ten Open categories of the awards. Dilkes has won a Sony RX100 III camera and his image will be shown as part of the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London from 24 April – 10 May. Runner-up positions for the UK National Award were given to Simon Morris and Antony Crossfield.

Lowepro today unveiled the next generation of its travel-focused camera and laptop backpacks, the Fastpack II series. Improving protection levels while providing great internal carrying ‘zones,’ the Fastpack II series includes two new packs for the DSLR photographer: the Fastpack 150 AW II and the Fastpack 250 AW II. Each pack features a padded easy-access compartment for a DSLR camera with lens. New additions to this generation include an all-weather protective cover to keep gear safe, and the ability to secure the pack to rolling trolleys at airports. The Fastpack 150 AW II (£96) is designed to hold up to an 11-inch laptop in a built in padded sleeve, and one to two extra lenses or flashes in the camera section of the backpack. The larger Fastpack 250 AW II (£120, pictured) can hold a 15-inch laptop, plus up to three additional lenses or flashes. Both packs come complete with a padded, removable waistbelt for extra comfort – which can be stowed during travel.

Daminion's digital asset management software has been updated to version 3.7. This edition improves the user experience in both the Standalone and the Server versions, and integrates with the Active Directory to save time on server administration. A new Grouping feature and added functions in the Lightbox panel enable digital assets to be classified more accurately in version 3.7, and huge image files in Camera RAW, PSD, TIFF and BMP format can now be viewed much faster. Integration with the Windows Active Directory enables Daminion Server to sync with a company’s existing  user database without having to manually entering user names and passwords. There’s also added support for MXF videos and Samsung SRW images.

Novo is offering a completely new range of photographic filters including what they call the World’s first filter to use Sapphire Crystal glass. The Sapphire UV filter (pictured) boasts a 2.39mm thick brass frame with laser engraved text, and is made with Sapphire Crystal glass offering 99.9% transmittance and 99.95% UV blockage. The Endura line uses ACG and Gorilla glass and includes UV, variable neutral density and protective filters as well as circular polarisers. Novo filters will be available to view and purchase at the forthcoming Photography Show 2015, 21st-24th March, at stand F134.

PNY Technologies will showcase the latest in Flash technology and host conferences with its PNY Photo Ambassadors Luke Massey and Andy Kruczek at The Photography Show. Among the products to be presented at the trade show are a number of micro SD cards designed for use with up to 4K cameras and action cams, a new line-up of photo accessories and an all-new range of Turbo Performance SD cards with 80Mb/sec read speeds. The Photography Show will take place from21 – 24 March 2015 at the NEC in Birmingham.

On 8 April 2015, X-Rite  is hosting a free webinar with X-Rite Coloratti Master and one of the most decorated photographers in the UK, Kevin Wilson. In this free, 60-minute online seminar, Kevin will guide participants through how he gets the most out of his portraiture and wedding photography weddings in natural light. Leading viewers through his use of reflectors, lighting, posing, space creation and image refinement to achieve the kind of image he is known for, he will also demonstrate how Capture One, Adobe Photoshop, Lastolite and X-Rite colour management products combine to make the final picture. You can register for the webinar here.

In April, Think Tank Photo will release the Urban Approach 15, its first backpack designed specifically to hold a complete mirrorless kit as well as a 15” laptop, up to a 10” tablet, smartphone and more. “For quick and complete access to gear, we designed the zippers to open wide,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank’s president and lead designer. “This allows for unencumbered access to gear. Its low profile and yet high quality design and materials allow Mirrorless users to feel confident that their compact cameras and personal objects are cradled, safe and at the ready.” The Urban Approach 15 backpack accommodates up to two big compact system cameras with lens attached, 5–8 additional lenses, up to a 10” tablet and a 15” laptop. One example would be a Sony Alpha 7R with 24–70 f/4, 70–200mm f/4, 55mm f/1.8, 35mm f/2.8, plus a Sony A6000 with 16–50mm f/3.5-5.6, 55–210mm f/4.5-6.3, 2 HVL–F43M flashes, a tablet and a laptop. The Urban Approach 15 backpack will be available for $169.75.

In April, Think Tank Photo will be releasing the Urban Approach shoulder bag series. Available in two models, the Urban Approach series is specfically designed for compact system camera kits. The Urban Approach 5 holds one medium to large camera body with lens attached, one to three additional lenses, and an 8” tablet. The Urban Approach 10 (pictured) accommodates one medium to large CSC body or compact DSLR with lens attached, two to four additional lenses, and up to a 10” tablet. The smaller model will retail for $119.75 and the larger one will cost $134.75.