The 2012 AOP Student Photographer of the Year has been announced at the Awards presentation and launch of this year’s AOP Students Awards. Jordi Ruiz Cirera, from London College of Communication, was voted as Student Photographer of the Year, by the panel of five judges, comprising of Julia Fullerton-Batten, Harry Hardie, Perry Curties, Nick Meek and Michael Regnier. “Winning Student Photographer of the Year is an amazing accolade, because the AOP is the most prestigious UK organisation for professional photographers,” Cirera says.  “This is going to be a really useful foot in the door to the industry.”

Nikon has issued a firmware update for the Nikon D700 full-frame digital SLR camera. Version 1.03 fixes a bug which, on rare occasions has caused pictures to be severely underexposed. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Nikon Europe

ION Worldwide, a global consumer electronics company, today announced immediate worldwide availability of a new waterproof, Wi-Fi enabled wearable sports-action camera called the ION Air Pro. In addition to allowing users to shoot and share their videos instantly via Wi-Fi using the free ION Camera app for iOS, the ION Air Pro comes with 8GB of free cloud-based storage powered by MiMedia. Furthermore, the ION Air Pro also features Dual File recording, capturing both an HD and a lower-resolution WQVGA file simultaneously to allow for easier sharing to social networking sites and faster upload times. The ION Air Pro is available in a number of configurations starting at $299.99 through the website below.

Now in its sixth year, the Take a View - Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards is open for entries. Photographers across the world have until 15th July to enter the contest by submitting their photographs of the British landscape for a chance to win £10,000. An exhibition of the winning and commended entries will premiere at the National Theatre in London in late November 2012. To enter, visit the website below.

FX Photo Studio for Mac celebrates its first birthday by launching a month-long giveaway of tech gear and iPhone accessories. Running until 16 June, the promotion requires customers to “like” FX Photo Studio on Facebook. Prizes include: iPik.cases, Olloclip lenses, Casetagrams, DiffCases, styluses, camera extenders, gift vouchers, magnets, iHelicopters, photo books, photo apps, and iPhone cases, and more.

Akvis has released updates to 5 of its Photoshop plug-ins to ensure compatibility with Photoshop CS6. The affected products include Akvis Retoucher, Coloriage, HDRFactory, MakeUp and NatureArt. All of these plug-ins will also be compatible with the upcoming Photoshop Elements 11.

The Pentax K-30 is a new weatherproof mid-range DSLR camera. The 16 megapixel K-30 features a weather-resistant, dustproof and cold-proof body, a glass prism finder with nearly 100% field of view, high-speed shooting of six images per second, a 1/6000 second high shutter speed, and a full HD movie function. The Pentax K-30 will available in June in three colours, white, blue and black, priced at $849.95 / £599.99 for the body only, and $899.95 / £649.99 for the kit including the DA L 18-55mm zoom lens.

The Pentax Optio LS465 is a new entry-level compact digital camera. The LS465 weights just 104g with dimensions of 10.2 x 4.6 x 1.8cm. The LS465’s appearance can be changed by simply attaching one of the 10 stylish acrylic inserts included with the camera. The Pentax Optio LS465 will be available in Sapphire black, Ruby pink and Amethyst purple from mid-June priced at £89.99.

The PENTAX-DA 50mm f/1.8 is a new medium-telephoto autofocus lens. Designed exclusively for use with the company’s K-mount bodies, the Pentax 50mm lens delivers a focal length 76.5mm in the 35mm format. The PENTAX-DA 50mm f/1.8 lens will be available July 2012 with a retail price of $249.95 / £249.99.

Olympus UK’s marketing department have obviously got a lot of spare time on their hands, as a mysterious scroll hints at a forthcoming portrait related product. Following last month’s nuts-inspired clue, we’ve received a sealed document declaring “A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound. Charles Baudelaire, 1859. Olympus. Coming Soon”. Post your ideas about what the scroll is hinting at in our comments box…

Blue Crane Digital has released its newest training DVD, “Introduction to the Canon 5D Mark III”. This 103-minute training video walks users through topics like choosing a focus point,picking the right focus area mode, Live View shooting, video recording, and more. “The Canon 5D Mark III is a powerful camera,”said Bryan Poffenberger, President of Blue Crane Digital.  “Once you learn how its components work together, you will have the tools you need to capture the best images under all conditions.” Available today, with a street price of $29.99. “Introduction to the Canon 5D MarkIII” DVDs and all other Blue Crane Digital DVDs are distributed by OmegaBrandess.

National Historic Ships UK (NHS-UK) has launched its 2012 Photography Competition. Entries will be judged by a team of experts who will be looking for imagination, creativity and unusual perspectives. This year’s judging panel includes Jock Wishart, one of the UK’s leading maritime and polar adventurers; author Philip Hoare; Yachting Journalists Association Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year, Geoff Holt; Peter Mumford, professional photographer from Beken of Cowes; David Newberry, ex-Captain of HMS Warrior 1860; and editor of Classic Boat magazine, Dan Houston. The competition is made up of five categories and all entries must be received by midnight on 31 August 2011. Photographers can enter their maritime inspired photos, up to two per category, at the website below.

A Moment: Master Photographers - Portraits by Michael Somoroff is a new title from Damiani. From 1977 to 1983, Michael Somoroff, then a gifted young New York photographer in his twenties, had the privilege of photographing some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, including Brassaï, Elliot Erwitt, Andreas Feininger, Ralph Gibson, André Kertész, Duane Michals, Arnold Newman, Helmut Newton, and Jacques Henri Lartigue, among others. The prints and negatives remained in storage for decades until just recently several colleagues saw them, felt they were important, and convinced Michael to share them with the world. A Moment: Master Photographers will go on sale in September 2012.

The Photocopy Club, a photographic exhibition of photocopied work from global submissions will take place in 71a Gallery (The Church of London, 71A Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4QS) on June 21st, 7pm - 11.00pm and 22nd June, 10.30 - 5pm. You have until 18th June to submit your own photos for consideration Tickets to the exhibition are free but must be booked in advance, via the website below.

Epson has released three useful tips for those who want to preserve their summer memories on the form of photographic prints. “National Photo Month is a great time to remember what a true photo is all about – the printed image,” said Richard Day, product manager, Epson America. The three tips are: 1) print on real canvas (this is to promote Epson’s Signature Worthy Exhibition Canvas Matte media), 2) check the paper type you choose in the printer’s driver matches the paper you are printing on and 3) let the prints dry 24 hours before framing or displaying them.

Metro Imaging has teamed up with Instagram to offer a printing service to Instagram users. Metro have developed four print processes and three different framing options to display your favourite Instagram shots. You can choose from CType, Resin, Matt seal and Giclee photographic printing process and then select MDF, a Tray Frame or Perspex block framing. Each print is 6"x6” in size.

The Lomographic Society has announced the LomoKino Mubi Edition, the first special edition of the LomoKino Movie Maker, which allows users to capture experimental “Lomographic” movies on 35mm film. Every LomoKino MUBI Edition package comes with a scene of “Ashes”, a LomoMovie made by one of the world’s greatest filmmaking talents Apichatpong Weerasethakul whose film “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” won the Palme D’Or in 2010. You will find a part of his LomoMovie spooled into the LomoKino Scope viewer.