Rogue Photographic Design has introduced three new accessory kits for photographers looking for a compact and flexible lighting system. The Rogue Starter Lighting Kit (£90) is an entry-level collection of versatile light modifiers designed to improve the quality and variety of lighting choices available to enthusiasts using speedlights - on or off camera. The Rogue Portrait Lighting Kit (£150) is a larger collection of light modifiers - providing greater light control for portrait and event photographers shooting with multiple flashguns. Finally, the Master Lighting Kit (£170) has been designed for more advanced speedlight photographers looking to create multiple lighting setups using combinations of the kit?s soft box, bounce flash reflectors, flags, honeycomb grids and coloured gel kits.

Epson America has come up with a list of “gift ideas” for the holiday season. Naturally, the company is using the occasion to promote some of its newest products, including the Epson Expression Premium XP-800 printer ($279.99), MegaPlex MG-850HD projector ($799.99) and Epson Connect mobile printing solutions. “Whether you’re rocking around the Christmas tree, spinning dreidels or sharing a family holiday meal, chances are the fun and warmth of the holiday spirit will be captured on someone’s smartphone or tablet. Sharing those photos and videos with other friends and family members has never been easier,” said Patrick Chen, product development, mobile printing, Epson America. “Epson’s mobile printing solutions and versatile MegaPlex projector add an entirely new dimension to the way people think about printing photos and documents, or sharing videos and slideshows.”

Nikon Europe has posted an announcement on the compatibility of its software products with Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system. The company intends to test Windows versions of ViewNX 2, Capture NX 2, Camera Control Pro 2, Short Movie Creator, Nikon Message Center 2, Wireless Transmitter Utility and Thumbnail Selector as well as its NEF and NRW codecs, PC-PJ Transfer and GP-N100 Utility, IPTC Preset Manager and Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 3.0 for compatibility with the new OS. However, there’s a number of applications for which the company does not plan to provide Windows 8 compatibility. Among these are Nikon Scan, PictureProject, myPicturetown Utility, and more - click through / read on for the complete list. Also note that the company will not provide compatibility with products utilising a serial or SCSI interface (including a number of old Nikon Coolscan models).

Lowepro’s new Rover Pro AW series of backpacks are now available in the United Kingdom. The series includes two backpacks (35L & 45L) specifically designed for adventure photographers. Constructed of 210D triple-ripstop nylon with PU coating for improved durability, these backpacks provide an optimal load transfer when trekking over varied terrain. The Rover Pro 35L AW fits a pro SLR with attached 24-70mm zoom lens, one extra lens or flash, a tripod or monopod. a sleeping pad and other personal gear. The 45L version additionally features a compartment for a laptop up to 15” size and 3-4 extra lenses.

Epson has teamed up with Manchester United and renowned photographer Walter Iooss to capture high-resolution images of the team’s star footballers. The photographer was briefed to take studio still shots of some of the biggest names in world football - including Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa, David De Gea and Javier Hernandez - using a Hasselblad H4D-60 digital medium-format camera. Beginning this autumn the images will be rolled out to Epson Group companies worldwide for use in print samples and other promotional materials.

Boarded Up Britain, a website aimed to document all of the boarded up buildings in Great Britain will be launched on 26th November and members of the public are now being encouraged to upload pictures of derelict buildings in their area to help raise awareness of them. Matthew Dyas, Boarded Up Britain coordinator said: “No matter where you look nowadays you’ll find an empty building. Homes, pubs, warehouses and mills abandoned and left to rot. You can’t even escape it on the high street, with over 1 in 10 shops now lying vacant… If you’re sick of that derelict building up at the end of your street, [photograph it and] upload it to the website and let’s try and do something about it.”

FotoWeekDC’s sponsor, Lindblad Expeditions, has launched a sweepstake for photographers and photography lovers. No donation or purchase is necessary to enter for a chance to win an idyllic 8-day / 7-night Baja California experience - a prize valued at $10,000. The sweepstake ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 21 November 2012. For more information and to enter, visit the website below. Do note that this sweepstake is open to US residents only.

The new Joby UltraFit range of camera straps for men and women are now on sale in the UK. Originally announced at Photokina 2012, the straps are designed to accommodate both CSC and DSLR cameras and are available in a quick-draw, cross-body design for men and women, in addition to a versatile 3-way wearing option. The Joby team conducted extensive user studies with more than 500 photography professionals and enthusiasts and pinpointed how camera straps should fit and move on the body. This research resulted in the patent-pending UltraFit Sling Strap (pictured), built with Joby’s exclusive UltraFit Layered-Pad Technology for lightweight support without the bulk of thick padding. The 3-Way Camera Strap offers photographers a versatile and portable solution with three wearing modes: wrist, neck and shoulder. A convenient alternative to wrapping a neck/shoulder strap around the wrist, this compact strap allows shooters to minimize muscle fatigue with multiple ways to support the weight of the camera. The UltraFit Sling Strap is available now for £41. The 3-Way Camera Strap retails for £33.

Olympus UK has announced a new OM-D event. Held from 1pm to 5pm and again from 5.30 to 9.30 on Friday, 23rd November in London, “A different approach” is hosted by fashion photographer Jay Mclaughlin. “This 4-hour workshop challenges some of the misconceptions about successful photography,” the organisers say “With in depth talk, demonstrations and a chance to try out the Olympus OM-D for yourself, this workshop is about changing the way you approach your photography, whatever your level of experience.” The cost of attendance is £25 and every participant will receive a £50 voucher against an OM-D or accessory purchase. The workshop will be held at Murder Mile Studios, Hackney. You can book your place through the website below.

Website: OM-D Event / London

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has put out a call for nominations for its annual Awards. Nominations are sought in a range of categories as photographers in different branches of imaging, photographic scientists, curators, publishers, educators, and those involved with The Society itself.  Award winners will be announced at a special event to be be held in London in September 2013. Nominations are required by 22 February 2013. Full details of each Award and a nomination form can be found on The Society’s website.

Photobucket has launched “Photobucket Stories,” providing users with an easy new way to combine photos and videos into complete, shareable narratives. Once Stories are created, they are easily embeddable on blogs, personal, and brand sites, and can be shared among friends from mobile devices or across Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. “With the addition of Stories, Photobucket continues to deliver on our promise to be the one place for all your photos and videos so you can do everything you want with them,” said Munro. “We’ve already taken the guesswork out of preserving and protecting your memories; but thanks to Stories, you can now add new context and meaning to your adventures, connecting with others in a more complete way than ever before.”

Last night saw the world’s first real time digital photography exhibition, allowing visitors to appreciate the work of three photographers - Lee Strickland, William Daniels and Paul Sullivan -  from the moment the shots were taken. Sony has partnered with three photographers, based in Berlin, London and Paris across Europe, who have been set the creative task of ‘capturing the light’ of their home cities. Each was armed with Sony’s latest NEX-5R camera, complete with built in Wi-Fi allowing them to send photos directly to the gallery in London from their separate locations across Europe. As the night developed, 14 screens on the gallery walls were filled with over 200 images sent through in real time demonstrating parallels and contrasts between each city and the people that live there.

The new Seamless Internet store offers photographers easy access to the tools that they need most, while also providing a creative hub with inspirational resources from the worlds’s finest photographers. Carrying a wide-range of products such as complete studio lighting solutions, exquisite lens filters and more, Seamless offers free shipping all over Europe. “The products that we have on offer are of the highest standard,” says Padraic Deasy, Irish Photographer of the year 2011. “The build, the design and the durability of Seamless accessories puts the necessary tools into the hands of photographers and frees them to achieve their unique vision.””

Nikon today announced that total production of Nikkor lenses for interchangeable lens cameras reached 75 million at the beginning of November 2012. As the 70 millionth Nikkor was manufactured in May, this means that Nikon produced no less than 5 million interchangeable lenses in a matter of only 6 months.

Photoshelter has published a new free ebook entitled Email Marketing for Photographers. “Email marketing is core to helping photographers reach more clients,” says Andrew Fingerman, PhotoShelter Chief Executive Officer. “Use this guide to learn how to engage an audience and stand out in an inbox.” The guide includes 8 email marketing tips direct from photo buyers, 10 questions to ask before hitting the Send button, examples of emails that work and more.

Website: PhotoShelter

On 4th December, Lytro will unveil a new light field technology capability for the Lytro camera, featuring Perspective Shift as well as new creative tools called Living Filters.  Perspective Shift lets Lytro photographers interactively change the point of view in a picture after it has been taken. When pictures are shared to the web, Facebook and Twitter, friends can experience Perspective Shift without needing any special software. Perspective Shift also works retroactively on any light field pictures previously taken with a Lytro camera. Living Filters enable Lytro photographers to apply one of nine interactive filters to their pictures and change the look of the picture based on light field depth. Unlike traditional digital photo filters, Living Filters create additional effects as viewers interact with a picture. These features will be available to customers via a free Lytro Desktop software update.