Canon U.S.A. has announced the addition of two new media types for use with its imagePROGRAF large-format printers. The 280gsm Premium Glossy Paper 2 and Premium Semi-Glossy Paper 2 are designed for precise, ultra high-quality print performance, and help deliver enhanced colour range and improved durability. The new papers are expected to begin shipping in June. In addition, Canon’s PosterArtist poster creation software has been updated with the capability to support 64-bit operating systems.

The organisers of the British Beer & Pub Association’s Pub Life photography competition are reminding interested photographers that the submission deadline is 6th May. Pub Life invites Britons to capture their favourite scenes from their local pub under six categories for the chance to win a camera from Olympus and a prestigious spot in the exclusive Pub Life Photography Exhibition. Each category winner will receive an Olympus E-PL2 single-lens kit; while six runners-up will win Olympus XZ-1 cameras. The overall winner will be awarded an Olympus E-PL2 double-lens kit as well as a host of photography accessories. To enter send images to [email protected] by midnight Friday 6th May.

The AOP Open Awards are open to everyone, with no restrictions on the subject matter. The deadline for entries is 20 May 2011, and you may submit up to twenty single images at a time. Do note that there is an entry fee of £15 per photo. As always, we suggest that you read the Terms and Conditions before entering your work.

Website: The AOP Awards Online Entries

Razzi is a new photo sharing network that allows photographers to earn ad revenue on their photo views. You can sign up for free, upload your photos (or import them from your Flickr photostream), and enter your Google AdSense Publisher-ID to start earning money. Allowing for unlimited uploads and offering features like drag and drop organisation and access to the original files, Razzi focuses on the social aspects (friend activity stream, notifications, privacy settings etc.) too. The developers of the website have also created an iPhone app for mobile uploads that is currently pending approval in the App Store.

Website: Razzi

Getty Images has announced that it has acquired PicScout, a leader in identifying image use, metadata and licensing information on the web. Getty Images will invest in PicScout’s technology and continue to work across the entire image industry, to improve and expand protection of Intellectual Property, thus ensuring a stronger overall content licensing industry, the company said in a statement. Offir Gutelzon, co-founder and CEO of PicScout added, “The acquisition will make it possible for PicScout to accelerate its position as a market innovator and as one of the world’s largest indexes of owner-identified images. It will allow PicScout to continue its rapid support of content owners and content users, who seek an integrated solution for image identification and use.”

The 39th edition of the free PhotographyBB Online Magazine is now available for download. This month’s edition features tutorials for taking better sports photos and capturing memorable moments, tips for digital photo-art manipulations, an in-depth look at Lightroom’s adjustment brush, a “reader FAQ” on portraiture and lighting, and more. You can download the latest issue of the magazine from the website below.

Website: PhotographyBB Online Magazine

Louis Boulet from École Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière, France, has been announced as the winner of the Student Focus Competition for the Sony World Photography Awards (WPA). The students had a month prior to the awards to complete the final challenge. The theme of the brief was, ‘Actions speak louder than words’, and students were asked to produce a series of images on the subject of actions and movement using Sony’s SLT-A55 cameras.

Akvis have released Akvis Retoucher 5.0 for Windows and Mac OS. This version introduces the Spot Remover tool which can remove small imperfections on an image easily. Support for files in raw format has also been added as well as an OS File Dialog for loading and saving files.Akvis Retoucher sells for $87.  For registered users of the previous version the upgrade is free.

Blurb has just released a new mobile publishing application called Blurb Mobile. Designed to enable easy and fast story creation using rich media content, the Blurb Mobile iPhone app enables easy media editing, including rotating, cropping, scaling, and drag and drop sequencing, plus geotagging, which can link the story to a location on a map. Available on iTunes, Blurb Mobile is free to download and each customer receives a story channel on Blurb.com/mobile to share their stories. In addition, Blurb Mobile Plus provides an in-app upgrade path for customers seeking additional photo, video and audio capability.

Fantasea Line has just introduced the Nikon Coolpix P7000 Camera & Housing Set and a complete line of underwater photo accessories specially designed for the FP7000 Housing. The bundle includes the Nikon Coolpix P7000 digital camera itself and the bespoke Fantasea FP7000 housing (pictured). The Nikon Coolpix P7000 Camera & Housing Set is available now for $1,249.95. Additionally, a range of Fantasea Eyes Underwater Optics for the FP7000 housing will be available from June.

The BAPLA Academy is a new online platform created by the British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies. The academy, which launches in May 2011, enables all members to learn more about the professional side of photography. In addition to advice from picture library professionals about copyright and keeping pictures safe from image thieves, helpful hints and resources, there will also be an opportunity to showcase the best work to the professionals and to sell prints to the public. “It is a unique opportunity,” says Simon Cliffe, BAPLA’s executive director (pictured), “to link into the expertise and resources of the people that sell images on a daily basis.” Academy membership costs £49 a year with discounts for students.

The World Photography Organisation (WPO) and Sony have announced a partnership with Save the Children for the 2011/12 Focus Award. The 2011/12 award will focus on Save the Children’s emergency relief work in order to raise the profile of under-reported emergencies and the importance of the Children’s Emergency Fund in responding immediately to disasters. Jasmine Whitebread, Chief Executive of Save the Children International comments: “Save the Children is delighted to partner with the World Photography Organisation and Sony to draw attention to the millions of children caught up in disasters around the world every year… This partnership will help us raise the profile of ‘forgotten’ emergencies and help save more children’s lives.”

Website: Save the Children

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has recognised the Harman by Hahnemühle product family with its ‘Best Fine Art Inkjet Paper’ award. With the slogan “Two Legends: One Paper”, Harman and Hahnemühle have introduced a range of seven media (six papers and a canvas) for the sophisticated fine art inkjet print. The range was unveiled at PMA 2010.

Argentinean photographer Alejandro Chaskielberg has been announced as this year’s winner of the illustrious L’Iris D’Or, the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year. Beginning his career at the age of 18 as a photojournalist for a local newspaper, 34 year old Buenos Aires born Chaskielberg has spent 16 years developing a highly successful career as a photographer. His winning photographs offer a rare and insightful look into the lives of a community of islanders who live on the Parana River Delta. Devoting himself entirely to his ‘High Tide’ project, Chaskielberg lived with the islanders for two years, immersing himself in their daily life in order to document the way they live and work. Chaskielberg said of his series of striking night time portraits, “Using photography I have been able to present another version of the Parana River Delta and its community that has been photographically ignored throughout the years.”

Today Nikon officially announced the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens, which features an all-new optical formula, a weather-sealed mount and instant manual override. The design comprises seven elements in six groups, including one aspherical element. The dedicated Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures quiet auto focus as well as full-time access to manual focus. Fully compatible with Nikon’s modern film and FX-format digial SLR cameras, it offers a 75mm (equivalent) focal length when used with the manufacturer’s DX-format DSLRs. Weighing in at only 185 grams, the lens is supplied with a lens hood and a soft pouch. In the US, the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G will be available from 16th June at a suggested retail price of $219.95, and in the UK and Europe from 2nd June 2011 at £199.99 / €232.00.

Programmer Matt Burns has written a search engine that lets people find their stolen camera gear by searching EXIF data for their serial number. Users can enter their camera’s serial number or simply drop any photo taken with their stolen camera on stolencamerafinder.com to get a list of web pages that contain images taken with the same camera. The service is free and available now at the website below.

Website: Stolen Camera Finder

The US National Park Service (NPS) has announced that the twelfth National Historic Landmarks Photo Contest is open for entries. The contest invites photographers to submit up to ten entries - one per landmark - by 31 July 2011.(National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States.) As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

Dreamix Studio has released Album App 1.0 - a new digital photo album solution for the Apple iPad. The app lets you scale, rotate and move photos with a single touch, add pages to your album and get creative with the layout or use one of the 30+ predefined templates. With only a single tap you select a photo from your photo library and it will auto position on the spot you tapped on. Available on iTunes, Album App 1.0 is priced at $3.99.