The Nokia Lumia 1020 is a new camera phone with a second-generation 41-megapixel sensor, six-element f/2.2 Zeiss lens, optical image stabilisation, mechanical shutter, Windows Phone 8 operating system and PureView technology on board. Using a new feature called dual capture, the Nokia Lumia 1020 simultaneously takes a high resolution 38 megapixel image and creates a 5-megapixel picture that is easier to share to social networks. Other highlights include a 4.5" PureMotion HD+ OLED screen with a resolution of 334ppi, Gorilla Glass 3, 2GB RAM, 32GB/64GB internal storage and a 2-megapixel secondary camera module. The Nokia Lumia 1020 will launch first in the US exclusively with AT&T, with sales expected to start on July 26 at a price of $299.99 on a two-year contract. An optional Nokia Camera Grip adds a shutter release and tripod mount, and is expected to be available this month for an estimated retail price of $79.

The Northwestern University’s Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art has announced its schedule of fall exhibitions. “Steichen|Warhol: Picturing Fame” is the first exhibition to pair the photographic works of Edward Steichen and Andy Warhol to explore their roles in shaping how we see fame and glamour. “The Polaroid Years: Instant Photography and Experimentation” brings together work by more than 40 artists who embraced the Polaroid format as they upended the established parameters of photography. “Steichen|Warhol” and “The Polaroid Years” are on view at the Block from 20 September to 1 December 2013.

The fourth installment of the contemporary art in editions fair, Multiplied, returns to Christie’s South Kensington this October. The fair will be open to the public with free admission from 18-21 October 2013. Murray Macaulay, Director, Multiplied, commented: “Multiplied’s eclectic mix of established galleries exhibiting eminent artists, and young galleries with new talent, represents the whole gamut of contemporary art in editions, from traditional printmaking and photography, to the experimental edge of 3-D printing and digital art... Prices range from £10 to £30,000.”

‘Exposed’ is a new exhibition of works by students on the Kensington and Chelsea College's BTEC National Diploma in Photography. Describing the show Bruce Tanner, Head of Photography at Kensington and Chelsea College said: “Finding an individual voice in a world so packed with images is one of the hardest things to do and this year’s students have really managed to achieve this. Presenting something different, they have needed to trawl back and forth through the history of photographic processes and combined this with modern digital techniques to produce a show that is stunning and inspiring.” The exhibition is free to attend and runs from Friday July 19 until Friday July 26 in the Carlyle Building, on Hortensia Road, SW10 0QS.

Intro 2020, official UK importers and distributors of Hoya filters, have just launched the new Hoya REVO series of filters in the UK. This filter series consists of a UV and Circular Polarising filters that are all sold separately. All Hoya REVO filters have very low-profile aluminium filter frames to house the glass and keep it perfectly parallel to the sensor plane. The low-profile frame also makes the filters compatible with a wide array of super and ultra wide-angle lenses. Hoya REVO series filters are available in sizes from 37mm to 82mm. Suggested retail prices start from £35.00 for the 37mm UV filter.

The Society of Nature and Wildlife Photographers have announced the winners of the Treasures of Nature photo competition. Michelle Valberg from Ontario, Canada with the image entitled 'On the Move' (above) was chosen as the winner from over 350 pictures entered in the competition. Michelle has won 12 months membership in The Society. The runners up Debbie Picknell and Anne Algar have both been awarded 6 months membership.

Children with Cancer, a UK-based children’s charity, has announced its 2013 photo competition. Now in its second year, the competition is aimed at raising awareness and helping fight childhood cancer. There is a special category for children aged 16 years or under and a second category for adults aged 17 or over. The organisers are looking for the best photographs which represent ‘childhood’ - it could be a special moment in a child’s life, something that represents youth or a snapshot that illustrates the innocence of childhood. There is no entry fee for the Young Photographer category. For adults, the entry fee is £5 per image. The competition runs until 5pm on Monday 2nd September. The best photographers will be in with a chance of winning an opportunity to attend a photoshoot with celebrity photographer Nicky Johnston, a family photoshoot with Little Bunny Photography and Amazon vouchers. As always, we suggest that you read the terms and conditions before entering your work.

Website: Children with Cancer

Windows users can now download a free version of JPEGmini, the flagship photo optimisation tool from technology innovator Beamr. "Photo storage used to refer to stashing a shoebox full of snapshots. Today, the proliferation of digital photography has freed up our closet space while creating its own set of storage challenges, including hard drives that are bursting at the seams, and slow online transmission times," said Sharon Carmel, CEO of Beamr. "JPEGmini for Windows offers a simple solution to the storage crunch and sharing dilemma, without compromising the quality of precious photographs." Available at the website below, this free desktop version of JPEGmini for Windows optimises up to 20 JPEG photos a day. (The full version of JPEGmini for Windows retails for $19.99, and accommodates an unlimited number of photos.)

YouFrame has launched a new product called "Aqua Canvas," which allows photographers to sell images to customers for showers, bathrooms and outdoor locations. “100% waterproof. You can display your canvas anywhere. Inside or outside. Even under water! You can't do that with a wooden frame,” said Andrew Ainge, Managing Director of YouFrame International. Pricing for the new "Aqua Canvas" starts at £44.

DxO Labs have just released DxO ViewPoint 1.2.1, the newest version of its software dedicated to correcting keystoning and volume anamorphosis. This update adds full compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5. With just one licence, DxO ViewPoint v1.2.1 can be used as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and as a standalone application. DxO ViewPoint v1.2.1 is now available in the DxO Labs online store and at photo resellers at a special discount price throughout July. Click through / scroll down for the details.

Creativity Backgrounds have launched two new backdrops for photographers. PhotoDrapes are available in 11 colours across three dye processes (wash, crush and tie dyes) which add elegance, gothic flavour or classic beauty to portraits depending on the colour. Priced at £144, each PhotoDrape comes in a size of 10'x12'. PolySilk backdrops (pictured) are available in three colours and are easily transportable, ideal for photographers on the move. They are washable, it does not matter if they get wet or damp so they be used outdoors. The price of the Creativity Backgrounds PolySilk backdrop is £95.

NEC has announced the 24-inch MultiSync PA242W colour accurate display and colour critical PA242W-BK-SV display solution. Suitable for applications where accurate colour is necessary such as photography, retouching, video editing and pre-press, the MultiSync PA242W monitor is built on a GB-R LED backlight, which provides a wider colour gamut and more colour control than a conventional white LED backlight. It also features a 1920 x 1200 resolution, internal 14-bit programmable 3D lookup table and 10-bit wide colour gamut LCD panel. The PA242W-BK-SV is the same monitor complemented by a SpectraViewII Colour Calibration Solution, which includes software and colorimeter to provide automated monitor matching and calibration. The MultiSync PA242W and PA242W-BK-SV are now available at an estimated street price of $1,049 and $1,299, respectively.

Alien Skin Software has released an update to its Eye Candy 7 plug-in, which adds the capability to store presets in a cloud storage folder. It also adds compatibility with the new Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud. “Graphic designers who rely on Eye Candy 7 will appreciate the ability to store special effect presets in the cloud,” said Terence Tay, the designer of Eye Candy. “It’s convenient to develop a customized effect on one computer and have access to it anywhere.” Current owners of Eye Candy 7 can download the update free of charge.

Photography education and entertainment site PhoozL announces a special cash-prize photo contest: ‘Pets in B&W’. This is a judged contest where the top three winners share a progressive (growing) cash prize pool from the paid-entry proceeds. The judge is pro pet photographer and author Andrew Darlow, and the contest is open to all logged-in members of Phoozl.com, amateur to pro, 18+ worldwide. To see more details and to submit, visit the website below.

Xara has announced a new release of their flagship editing suite, Xara Designer Pro X9. The software bundle includes Photo & Graphics Designer 9 for photo editing and vector illustration; Page & Layout Designer for printable documents, PDFs and Xara's unique 'DTP for the web' document publishing; Web Designer 9 Premium for website creation, and more. The program supports automatic image optimisation for Retina displays, and comes with an advanced photo healing brush. Xara Designer Pro X9 costs £249 with upgrades available from £79.

SanDisk today announced the SanDisk Extreme microSDHC and microSDXC UHS-I memory cards. The microSDXC card is equipped with the fastest speeds available on the market (for a 64GB microSDXC memory card), with up to 80MB/sec read and up to 50MB/sec write speeds, allowing faster shot-to-shot performance, rapid data transfer, fast action photography, continuous burst mode and quick file transfers. SanDisk Extreme microSDHC and microSDXC cards are available worldwide now in 16GB to 64GB capacities, with pricing starting from £25 for the 16GB microSDHC card.