Getty Images have launched its inaugural Contour by Getty Images Portrait Prize, which aims to recognise excellence in portrait photography by an emerging photographer with fewer than five years industry experience. Entries will be accepted from June 13 through to August 5, 2013 (at 11:59 p.m. GMT/6:59 p.m. EST.) and can be submitted through Getty Images’ grants website. The winning photographer will receive a $10,000 grant and have their work exhibited at the prestigious Polka Galerie in Paris throughout the month of October. 

ArcSoft has just released Photo+, a new photo viewer that promises "an unparalleled viewing and manipulating experience." Unlike other programs that require users to import photos directly into the software, Photo+ pulls directly from any folder or drive. By just dragging or selecting a single image, Photo+ automatically displays every image from the same folder without the constant closing and clicking that accompanies so many standard photo-viewing programs. ArcSoft Photo+ for Mac is compatible with 35 image file formats including a number of raw formats. The program will sell for $9.99 but is currently available from the Mac App Store for just $1.99.

Adorama has begun selling the new Flashpoint 180 Monolight Kit. Compact and ideal for on-location shooting, the Flashpoint 180 Monolight includes a Flashpoint 180 Monolight with reflector, Bowens-compatible mount and handle, two NP-F960 batteries with a charger, a small umbrella, sync cords and a carrying bag. The Flashpoint 180 Monolight Kit is available now for $199.95 (regularly $249.95).

The sixth issue of VIEW Magazine is now available for free on Apple's Newsstand for iPad/iPhone. VIEW is an art photography magazine developed exclusively for the visual possibilities of the iPad. In the latest issue, Nate Larson and Marni Shindelman use publicly available embedded GPS information in Twitter updates to track the locations of user posts and take photographs to mark the location in the real world. Another interactive project in this issue is Chris Dorley Brown's project "Spot the Difference". Chris took a photo at the same location (and sometime of the same people) over the span of nine to thirteen years.

Kingston Digital Europe has released MobileLite Wireless for Android and iOS devices. Combining a wireless memory card reader capable of streaming music, photos and documents from USB Flash drives, microSD (with included adapter) and SD/SDHC/SDXC cards with an emergency mobile charger, MobileLite Wireless allows simultaneous connections to both device and router via Wi-Fi. The Kingston MobileLite Wireless reader/charger has a suggested price of £49.99.

Yahoo! has announced a major update to Flickr. "We’re releasing a Flickr that’s more spectacular, much bigger, and one you can take anywhere," the company said in a statement. Not only does Flickr sport a brand new look and redesigned user interface - it now offers up to 1TB of free storage to every user, allowing you to "share your photos in full resolution."  There’s also a new slideshow mode with elegant transitions, an Activity Feed that combines users' recent uploads with those of their contacts, and an option to choose a customisable cover photo and a high-resolution profile picture. These features are granted to every user but if you are bothered by advertisements, you can opt for an AdFree account at $49.99 per year. And if 1TB just isn't enough for your needs, a Doublr account will provide you with 2TB for an annual fee of $499.99.

The free Flickr smartphone app has also been updated, and is now available from the Google Play Store (requires Android 2.3.3 or higher).

Website: Flickr

The Federationof European Professional Photographers (FEP) has announced the winners of its European Professional Photographer of the Year 2012 competition. The overall winner is Peter Gordon from Ireland, who also won the Golden Camera 2012 award in the Reportage category, whilst the Young European Professional Photographer of the Year 2012 title has been awarded to Antonio Pérez Rojo of Spain.

Kuuvik Capture is a feature-laden Canon EOS tethering application for Mac OS X. In addition to offering a typical set of remote shooting tools, Kuuvik Capture provides real-time parametric sharpening coupled with an adjustable focus peaking overlay as well as various compositional aids such as preset and adjustable guidelines and grids. Other highlights include the capability to display a histogram based on raw image data and, with select cameras, a split-view display of the camera’s live view image, allowing simultaneous evaluation of focus and superior control over depth of field. Kuuvik Capture also supports exposure bracketing, which can be combined with an intervalometer function to shoot user-defined image sequences for HDR images or time-lapse videos. The application is licensed on a per camera basis, with prices starting at $79.99. A fully functional 30-day trial version is available from the website below.

Kenro, the official UK and Ireland distributor for the Benro range of tripods and bags, has introduced a new line of Video Tripod Kits with matching S2, S4, and S6 video fluid heads. Manufactured from high quality machined aluminium alloy with magnesium alloy castings there are three new models available, the A1573FS2, the A2573FS4 and the A3573FS6. Each tripod in the line comes with matching heads to complement its model The S2 head for the A1573 model is rated for a 2.5 kg camera / 5.5 lb, the S4 for the A2573 model will support a 4 kg / 8.8 lb camera, and the S6 head for the A3573 model can carry a 6 kg / 13.2 lb load, each designed for compactness and lightweight performance. These tripod kits are available now with SRP's ranging from £167.40 - £311.40.

The Reflecta USB Video Grabber allows users to easily capture and edit video from any home A/V devices, such as DV, V8, Hi8, VHS, DVD Player, HD video game console or set-top box promising to give old analogue videos a new lease of life. Distributed by Kenro in the United Kingdom, the USB Video Grabber from Reflecta is available now, at a suggested retail price of £29.04.

Bowens is offering photographers the chance to save over £900 when they buy a new Creo 2400Ws generator pack. At participating dealers, photographers can trade in their old generator and purchase a Creo 2400Ws at over 20% discount from the typical UK retail price of £3,999.95. The Creo offers ultra-fast recycling (0.9 seconds at full power!), supports flas durations as short as 1/7700th of a second, a 9-F-stop range with 1/10th-stop control, and much more.

Think Tank Photo has released its newest rolling camera bag, the Logisitcs Manager 30. A new version of the company's popular large-capacity roller bag, the Logisitics Manager 30 holds multiple combinations of cameras and lenses, lighting gear such as strobes and reflectors, and accessories of all kinds. The internal dimensions are 35x70 x21–25.5cm, and the bag also has both internal and side pockets - as well as a large front organiser pocket - for various items. The Think Tank Photo Logistics Manager 30 is available for $499.75 via the website below.

A new book by award-winning photojournalist Donna De Cesare depicts the devastating effects of decades of war and gang violence on the lives of youths in Central America. In this bilingual book Unsettled/Desasosiego, De Cesare’s evocative images put a face to those youths making a choice, or being caught up in gang violence through circumstance. More than a photographic treatise, Unsettled/Desasosiego is a memoir of De Cesare’s decades as a war photojournalist traveling and living in Central America. The 184-page hardback is available for $65.

Fotodiox has launched the LED100WA high-intensity LED lights, a constant light source modelled after a familiar strobe form. Available in 5600K (Daylight, pictured) or 3200K (Tungsten) colour temperatures, these new lights are equipped with a standard Bowens (S) bayonet mount allowing the use of standard strobe accessories like soft boxes, snoots, grids, and more. “While not a traditional strobe in definition, the LED100WA lights are styled after strobe lighting, giving photographers a familiar format for a constant light source with high light output,” said Drew Strickland, vice president of Fotodiox. “Photographers looking for powerful yet cost-effective lights have been turning toward efficient LED lighting. By offering more options in LED lights we aim to provide photographers with top-of-the-line technology that can meet their needs while also keeping down both equipment and energy costs.” The LED100WA lights are priced at $324.95 and are available now at the website below.

Rollei has introduced three new add-on conversion lenses for the Apple iPhone 5. The Rollei 1.5x Macro Converter (€24.95) conains an aspherical glass lens and enables iPhone 5 users to focus as close as 22mm. The Rollei 0.28x Fisheye (€34.95) comprises three elements in two groups and has a minimum focus distance of 40mm. Finally, the Rollei 9x Tele Converter (€39.95) has an angle-of-view of 12°, comes with a mini tripod and attaches to the iPhone via a hard case (also supplied).

The new Giotto’s Silk Road range of tripods, has scooped a TIPA award for Best Design. The Giotto’s Silk Road YTL Series features a new, totally unique Y-shaped centre column, meaning legs can be stowed in a much more compact way, allowing a space saving of 30%. Mark Hoskins, the Category Manager responsible for Giotto’s said: "The TIPA Design Award for the new Silk Road series is a real coup - not only recognising the expertise of the design team, but confirming Giotto's tripods as one of the leading brands in the photographic market."

A new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society, Children With AIDS: Spirit and Memory, will feature 20 black-and-white photographs by noted photographer and social realist Claire Yaffa from her collection “The Changing Face of Children with AIDS. " Yaffa, whose photographs have been featured in The New York Times and other major publications, has worked for years to document medical institutions and their youngest patients. Among the institutions that Yaffa worked with during her long artistic career is the Incarnation Children’s Center in the Bronx, one of the first organizations to care for orphaned infants born with HIV. Installed in the Civil Rights Gallery from 7 June through 15 September 2013, the mid- to large-format photographs, taken from 1990-2000, reveal heartbreaking tales of children afflicted with HIV and AIDS.