DxO Labs have just released DxO Optics Pro v6.5.2 for Mac and Windows that adds raw file support in both its Standard and Elite editions for the Pentax K-5 (pictured), plus the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3. Further, 50 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering numerous Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras. DxO Optics Pro v6.5.2 for Windows and Mac, Standard and Elite editions are available from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at a 30% holiday season discount until 25th December.

Today at 8pm ET, Aperture 3 expert Ron Brinkmann will showcase stunning photographs from a recent trip to Venezuela in a free webcast presented by Peachpit Photo Club. Demonstrating essential techniques for editing and organising photos in Apple Aperture, Ron will provide you with insight and inspiration, and answer your questions. You may sign up for the webcast at the website below.

Website: Peachpit

The updated and newly revised edition of Bruce Barnbaum’s The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression, published a month ago in the US, is now available in bookshops across the UK. With well over a hundred photographic illustrations in both black-and-white and colour, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables, this book presents the world of photography to beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers seeking to make a personal statement through the medium of photography. The 364-page volume is available at a price of £34.50.

Daemgen has released ProCamera 3.0 for iOS, a major update to their best-selling camera app. Improvements over the previous version include advanced picture optimisation, anti-shake image stabilisation, still/video compatibility, iOS 4 multi-tasking, auto-timer, virtual horizon, multiple compositional grid lines, photo compass, and an Expert Mode that enables the user to set and lock focus, exposure, and white balance to different areas on the display. A complete redesign, the update adds Pro FX Studio to turn photos into art, a new Pro Lab to improve picture quality, and Pro Cut Studio for leveling and cropping. The update is free to existing users.

The results of the TPOTY (Travel Photographer of the Year) 2010 competition have been announced. Canadian humanitarian documentary photographer and optometrist Dr. Larry Louie has been named the overall winner for his black and white images of Mali and China. TPOTY founder Chris Coe said, “So often images fail to make an impact or leave a lasting impression on the viewer. Aside from being beautiful, sumptuous images in their own right, Larry’s photographs linger, inviting you in to explore their intricate detail and fascinating textures. It is great to see the B&W medium used so well to capture scenes which are so obviously rich in colour, leaving the viewer to paint in as much or as little as they wish.”

Sony has expanded its family of premium-quality memory cards. There’s now a choice of three SDHC card ranges by Sony: the affordable ESSENTIAL Series and value-added EXPERIENCE Series are joined by the flagship EXPERT Series that boast “class-leading” capacity and transfer speeds. Available in capacities of 8GB, 16GB and 32GB, the EXPERT Series SDHC memory cards by Sony conform to the Class 10 specifications, achieving transfer speeds of up to 20 megabytes per second. The “value-added” EXPERIENCE Series cards are available in capacities from 2GB to 32GB and support data transer speeds of up to 15 megabytes per second, while the ESSENTIAL range has “entry-level” offerings of 2GB, 4GB and 8GB storage capacity. Customers who purchase an EXPERT or EXPERIENCE card are entitled to download Sony’s File Rescue HD application and x-Pict Story software package at no extra cost.

Fujfilm have released more details about the exciting new X100 camera. Further info has been released about the X100’s focusing capabilities, RAW mode, fixed lens design, and sensor. You can also check out our X100 Hands-On Photos.

Before Color, a new book published by Steidl, contains 152 black-and-white photographs by William Eggleston, all taken before he embraced colour film. These photos, found in the archives of the William Eggleston Artistic Trust, depict suburban Memphis as it was in the 1950s and 1960s. Captured on high-speed 35mm film, the images were printed by Eggleston himself, and recently scanned for this publication. “This book reunites these photos in their entirety, and shows the artistic beginnings of a pioneer of contemporary photography,” the publisher says. The 200-page hardback is available now for £40/$65/€48.

In Rocky Nook’s newest title, Why Photographs Work, author and photographer George Barr analyses 52 striking images by some of the world’s top photographers. Accompanying Barr’s analysis of each image is an explanation by the photographer describing the circumstances of making the image, including not only the how, but also the why. Also included is each photographer’s biography, a reference to his or her websites and publications, and brief technical descriptions of the equipment used in making each image. The 288-page volume is available from O’Reilly for $39.95 /  £30.99 .

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has announced the winners of its Young Photographer Awards. A dramatic photo of a gull on a stunning ridge of ice, captured by 17-year-old Catriona Parfitt, has been revealed as the overall winner, with TV presenter Ben Fogle presenting Catriona with her prize at a ceremony held at the Tower of London this afternoon. Award-winning photographer and contest judge Danny Green said: ““She could have taken the easy option by zooming in and just taking this gull’s portrait, but Catriona made the right choice and incorporated the inhospitable and dramatic landscape, placing the bird in context of its environment.”

Pro photographer Scott Audette, who shoots NASA shuttle launches for Reuters, has assembled an innovative long-distance remote-control system for his Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera that includes Canon’s WFT-E4 II A Wireless File Transmitter and an Apple iPad. “I was in the lobby of a hotel in Titusville, Florida with my colleagues from the other wire services and a friend from Apple,” Audette recalled. “I asked if I could borrow his iPad and see if I could control my Canon 5D Mark II, which was attached to a Canon WFT-E4 II A Wireless File Transmitter and the other gear 26 miles away in the front window of our trailer at the Kennedy Space Center. We instantly dialed into the camera and were able to control it and take pictures with it. Everybody’s faces went blank as they realized what a game-changer this was for remotely capturing and transmitting images, and we knew it would be perfect for the next shuttle launch.”

Snapsort has launched its newest website, LensHero, designed to help photographers find lenses for various digital cameras. “For many people purchasing their first or second lens the process can be frustrating, especially for beginners who don’t know where to start,” says Snapsort co-founder.Christopher Reid. “LensHero simplifies the process, allowing photographers to find lenses compatible with their camera, and easily explore lenses based on style of photography and budget.” The site even lets visitors enter their current lenses and get instant suggestions on lenses that could expand their photography style. current lenses and get instant suggestions on lenses that could expand your photography style.

Website: LensHero

The new Flexipod 100 from Rollei is a flexible camera tripod featuring rubber legs. The slender mini-tripod can be positioned securely anywhere thanks to its rubber limbs that can be bent and rotated through 360°. Its compact size of 200 x 40 x 40 mm and a weight of just 102 grams also make it easy to transport and stow. Compact cameras and mini camcorders with a weight of up to 800g can be attached to the quick release plate with a 1/4-inch tripod socket. The Flexipod 100 will be available as of the end of January 2011 in pink, blue, red, green and grey for €14.95.

Professional photographer Tamara Lackey has just released a 100-page book and 90-minute DVD tutorial entitled Capturing Life Through Better Photography. Complete with before-and-after images that highlight Tamara’s tips, and simple sketches and lists to illustrate her points, the book aims to improve the skills of everyday photographers. Topics covered include lighting, composition, depth of field, and more; presented within a framework of typical shooting scenarios like Action, Group Settings, Babies & Children, Landscapes and Pets. The complete bundle sells for $59.99, but the DVD and the book can also be purchased as standalone products for $27.99 and $34.99, respectively.

The Sekonic DigiCineMate L-308DC is a versatile, easy-to-use digital exposure meter that can be used by photographers, videaographers and cinematographers alike. Users can pick the mode that displays only the specific information they need (e.g videographers ususally work with a fixed frame rate and shutter speed so they only need to know what f-stop to set on the lens, which the Sekonic DigiCineMate L-308DC displays with one-tenth of a stop accuracy). Lux and cande readout enables quick set up of lights for cinematographers. Photographers get all important information including EV. The meter can be used to measure ambient and flash light, and is capable of both reflected and incident light metering. The scheduled release is January 2011, with an suggested retail price of £239.99.

The Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is the world’s lightest and smallest 15x travel zoom for DSLR cameras with an APS-C sized sensor. Sporting an ultrasonic Piezo AF motor and vibration compensation (Nikon and Canon versions only), the Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD weighs in at 450 grams, and spans a focal range equivalent to that of an imaginary 27-405mm (Nikon/Sony versions) or 29-432mm (Canon version) zoom lens. The Piezo AF motor built into this lens functions according to the standing wave principle, and is supposed to be faster and quieter than travelling-wave ultrasonic motors. The recommended retail price for the Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is £649.99 and the product will be available in the UK in limited quantity from the end of December 2010.

Mike Browne and Jayne Whitelock have produced a simple-to-follow photography video tutorial on photographing snowy winter landscapes. Topics covered include keeping the snow bright and white in your photos, the importance of always taking a camera bag with you, ideas on what to photograph, and making sure your batteries do not die in the field. The “snow photography” video can be found in the features menu on the new photography videos section of the PhotographyCourses.Biz website.

New research from Samsung reveals over a third of Brits are under-using their cameras, more so than other technologies such as mobiles or laptops. A quarter admit to feeling worried when they press a button which produces a display they don’t recognise and just over one in ten say they are so confused by their cameras that they hand it to someone else to take the shots. In addition, many Brits are unaware of key functions on their cameras: 27% aren’t aware of the built-in flash function; 35% claim to be unaware of the delete function and 48% aren’t aware of the Red Eye reduction options available on many cameras. Note that this research has been carried out by Samsung to mark the launch of their iFunction lens and the Samsung NX100 camera (and presumably to promote them at the same time).