Fuji has posted a firmware update for the Fujifilm X-Pro1 compact system camera. Version 3.01 improves AF speed with most existing Fujinon XF lenses (provided that the lens firmware is also updated to the latest version), adds focus peaking, improves focus accuracy, and adds a new method to toggle between 3x and 10x magnification during manual focusing. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Fujifilm Global

Olympus has introduced three premium leather accessories designed for the new Olympus PEN E-P5 compact system camera. The CBG-9 PR Premium Leather Camera Bag (£349.99) fits an Olympus E-P5 with a Micro Four Thirds lens attached. The removable inner pocket holds the camera and accessories in place and movable spacers allow the inner pockets to be arranged to suit individual needs. Additional inner and outer pockets allow backup batteries and personal belongings to be carried. The CS-41B PR Premium Leather Body Jacket (£129.99, pictured) is made from the same high quality leather as the camera bag and protects the camera without sacrificing shooting comfort and usability - card and battery can easily be replaced with the jacket still attached to the camera. The body jacket can be complemented with the separately sold CSS-S117L PR Premium Leather Strap (£89.99).

XSories have announced the Weye Feye, a new Wifi pack for DSLR cameras. Compatible with a number of Canon and Nikon models, the Weye Feye was designed with professional photographers, birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and amateur photographers in mind. Allowing you to control your device from up to 120 metres, the Weye Feye enables you to retrieve photos, even in raw format, from the camera and transfer them to your smartphone/tablet using bespoke Android and iOS apps. And with up to 7 hours of live broadcasting thanks to its powerful, rechargeable, built-in battery, it doesn't even consume your camera power! The Weye Feye will be available for £199 at UK retailers nationwide from October.

Expedition Iceland is a beautiful short film including slow-motion and time-lapse sequences, shot by Eric Hines on a Canon EOS 5D Mark III. The footage used in this video was recorded during the photographer's 17-day, 4000-mile voyage around the country during the midnight sun in 2013. The motion control equipment needed for the shots - including a Kessler Crane CineDrive - was provided by Kessler Crane. The music is For A Minor Reflection by Flóð. Click through / scroll down to watch the video.

The latest update to Delix Software's PhotoNova app features a collection of new editing tools that promise to give users "unprecedented" control over the aesthetics of their mobile photos. These include new Black & White and Summer categories featuring over 30 effects each, new Render, Crop, Tilt-Shift and Tilt-Shift Selective tools, and more. PhotoNova 2 is available for $0.99 on iTunes.

University of Bolton Senior Lecturer, Terry Speake (pictured), has been awarded a doctorate for his work exploring the way disabled people are represented in photography. "When you think about it, how often do you see images of disabled people represented as ordinary members of society rather than the ‘other’?" asks Terry. "By focusing on their impairments, disabled people may be defined by the negative signs of their disability rather than as empowered individuals... My framework isn’t an easy solution; it involves working with disabled people to create images that are right for them." Whilst the outcomes of Terry’s research provides unique insights of interest to practitioners and the academic community, it has presented the views of a substantial number of disabled people themselves, giving a voice to those who have in the past been excluded from creating their own images.

PhotoShelter has recently launched Beam, an API-based platform delivering portfolio websites engineered to let photographers showcase their images at their best on nearly any device. Released in public beta, Beam portfolio websites integrate with PhotoShelter’s online business tools, and connect seamlessly with third-party platforms including Instagram, Vimeo, and WordPress and Tumblr blogs. The sites are created using HTML5 and CSS3, which allow images to scale according to screen size. Beam portfolio websites and connected secure cloud storage, e-commerce capabilities, SEO, image delivery and client proofing tools, are available to PhotoShelter’s existing members with Standard and Pro accounts. Those new to PhotoShelter can sign up for a free 14-day trial at the website below.

The Imaging Science Group of the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has announced the Good Picture 2013 symposium. Taking place at the University of Westminster on 14 December 2013, this year's Good Picture Sympsium provides imaging practitioners, keen amateurs and students with insights into digital imaging. The list of confirmed speakers includes Dr. Anthony Kaye, David Bishop, Dr. Graeme Awcock, Julian Pinn, Becky Smith, Robert Massey and Dr Alan Hodgson. Tickets are available for £70. Click through / read on for the detailed programme.

Growing Your Sports Photography Business is a new free guide from PhotoShelter. Available as a PDF ebook, Growing Your Sports Photography Business offers an in-depth look at the sports photography industry today, and includes insider advice from sports photography veterans like Rich Clarkson, Brad Mangin, and Brad Smith. You can claim your copy of  the guide by registering your email address at the website below.

Website: Photoshelter

Datacolor has launched an Android version of SpyderGALLERY, a free and easy-to-use calibration utility for Spyder colorimeter owners to create a custom colour profile on their mobile devices. This update adds support for smartphones and tablets running Android 3.0 or later. “Photographers, architects and creators no longer sit in their studio, but go and meet their clients using a tablet to display their work,” Thomas Kunz, Market Manager Consumer Segment at Datacolor, explains. “It is essential for them to be able to show consistently calibrated images of their work on their mobile devices.” You can download SpyderGALLERY from the Google Play Store,

Gigapan has announced Gigapan Tag, an innovative digital marketing product combining social media with high-resolution images. Users now have the ability to embed HD images on any website, including the ability to match their look and feel. Gigapan Tag - which allows people to zoom in, find themselves and friends, tag themselves on Facebook and take interesting snapshots of the image to share - supports all operating systems and mobile platforms, allowing widespread engagement and interaction on any device. A historic example of Gigapan Tag includes the Samsung 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, capturing 17,000 tags throughout the images, the highest number of tags to date.

London+Acumen, a volunteer-led group supporting Acumen, has launched its first ever Dignity Photo Contest. Open to photographers in London with a social mission, the contest provides an exciting opportunity for the creative community in to showcase their photography skills. The theme is "Dignity, not dependence" and there are two categories: Dignity in London and Global Dignity. For more information visit the websites below.

Manfrotto has just launched its new Top Lock Quick Release System. Compatible with Arca-style quick release plates and systems, Top Lock is made from light aluminium and stainless steel offering weight savings without any performance sacrifices, the company says. The innovative design of the Top Lock System means that the ball head, the quick release adapter and the quick release plate work together to allow for fast and reliable changeovers in any environment. Manfrotto’s new Top Lock Quick Release System is available as an adaptor or in complete pro ball heads for professional photographers with Arca-style QR plates and systems Prices start at £84.95.

Unified Color Technologies have just released the latest upgrades to their professional-level HDR software lineup. New state of the art merge, alignment and deghosting algorithms have been added to the standalone application HDR Expose 3, while 32 Float - also upgraded to Version 3 - provides the same full range of image editing tools in a convenient Photoshop filter plug-in. Novelties include adaptive tone mapping, upgraded alignment capabilities, reengineered deghosting algorithms, a new file browser and and an improved Color Safe Dodge and Burn Brush that allows photographers to selectively lighten and darken areas of the image without changing or shifting colours. HDR Expose 3 is available for $119, while 32 Float V3 can be yours for $89. Customers who have purchased either piece of software are eligible to a free upgrade.

From 17th August, Last Rites Gallery will be hosting Perfect Specimens, a solo exhibition by New York photographer and artist Mark Kessell. Perfect Specimens explores the fundamental processes of human becoming and unbecoming, documenting what he describes as a species portrait, a map of our existence from the first stirring of life to the final phase of post-mortem decay. These eleven works, images of the not-quite-born and the not-entirely-dead, drawn from a total of thirty-nine in the series, represent specific moments in the cycle. Initially created as daguerreotypes, these works now appear as large-scale prints that allow viewers to delve deeply into both the subject. Last Rites Gallery is located at 511 West 33rd Street, 3rd floor, between 10th and 11th avenues, New York.

With over three decades’ experience of capturing the Royal family on camera, professional photographer and Nikon user Arthur Edwards has decided to share his top tips for photography around the time of a new arrival to the family. He recommends that you first think about the light you've got, given that babies don't like flash. Then you ought to think about the time of day you take your pictures - catching the baby after a feed and a sleep increases the chances they are content, happy and giggly in the photos, rather than grumpy. His other advices include using different backgrounds, including the baby's favourite toy in some of the photos and having the camera charged before the session. "A top tip for new mums for getting a photo you’ll treasure is to make sure you’re happy with your eye make-up and keep your hair off the face," Mr Edwards says. "Also, a tight composition with just faces in the frame will make sure there’s no distracting detail in the background of the shot such as a hospital bed."

Gigapan and Promote Systems have united to help photographers simplify their workflow process when creating HDR and focus stacked gigapixel imagery. The Promote Control, an all-in-one, advanced remote control for digital SLR cameras, enhances the Gigapan EPIC Pro robotic camera mount (pictured) by increasing the flexibility in exposure bracketing needed to create high-quality images. “Combining the Promote Control with the EPIC Pro takes shooting HDR and focus stacked imagery to a higher level,” said Josh Friedman, CEO of Gigapan. “It makes it immensely easier for photographers to capture stunning and highly technical shots with more control and options when shooting high-resolution panoramic images.”

Bee Raw, an American honey company, is hosting a Flower Power Photo Contest in order to bring awareness to the many ways you can help save the bees. Focusing on the importance of planting bee-friendly gardens, this social-media-driven contest challenges photographers to take a picture of flowers that bees will flock to. Share your snapshot on Bee Raw’s Facebook page, and get friends and family to “like” the post. The entry with the most likes on July 30 will win a Manhattan Rooftop Honey Flight. The next five photos with the most likes will be awarded Bee Raw’s Good Bug Blooms seeds to start their own bee-friendly garden.