In order to help those interested in traditional wet darkroom practices, Peter Heaton - former head of photography at York Art College - has created Vale of York Darkrooms; a darkroom and teaching solution at Stillington, 10 miles north of York, North Yorkshire. Vale of York Darkrooms offer a range of Black and White photographic courses throughout the year. They are suitable for absolute beginners through to the more experienced photographer, and cover traditional and experimental photographic techniques. The fully equipped darkroom is also available for hire to groups or individuals, though a low-cost annual membership is required prior to any hire usage.

Joby has launched the Gorillapod Video, a compact and highly adaptable video support system. Videographers can bend, wrap, stand or hang the tripod – even attach the powerful magnetic feet to metal surfaces for stability. The omni-directional video head enables you to follow the action with smooth 360° pan and 135° tilt. The design includes a durable aluminum handle that can be adjusted for right- and left-handers, and locks down for compact storage. The Gorillapod Video supports up to 325 grams and weighs 79.5 grams. The recommended retail price is £29.99 and the product will be available in the UK from mid November 2010.

Insight Guides will mark its 40th anniversary later this month with the publication of its very own Insight Guide to Travel Photography. Created by experts in this field and giving plenty of examples, the book covers everything from digital processing to the selling of images. Unique to the Insight Guide to Travel Photography is a section on how to photograph people respectfully in their own environment, focusing on the importance of establishing rapport with the subject. Authoritative essays focus upon Capturing the Soul, The Family of Man and Flash Photography.  Illustrated sections explore all aspects of technique, from lighting and composition to camera settings, exposure and lenses. The book is available now at a price of £14.99.

PictoColor Software has released iCorrect OneClick 2.0 Photoshop Plug-in for Windows. The newest version of this point-and-click colour correction software offers full compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CS5 in both 32 and 64-bit Windows environments. iCorrect OneClick 2.0 may be purchased at PictoColor’s secure on-line store for $59.95 as a software download, and may be installed on two computers.

The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) is calling for volunteer studio photographers throughout the US to participate in its annual Portraits of Love Project. Offering families of deployed military free portraits for the holiday season, Portraits of Love has been launched through a joint effort between the PMDA and Soldiers’ Angels, a grassroots volunteer organisation serving military families. “Last year we had more than 400 photographers host portrait sessions for military families on bases and in studios throughout the country,” said Joellyn Gray, President of the PMDA and Director of Marketing at Fujifilm. “This year we hope to expand the effort and help deliver a small taste of home to those deployed overseas during the holiday season.”

Nik Software has released free 64-bit updates for Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro. The updates are available to registered users of Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Silver Efex Pro, respectively. Both can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Nik Software Downloads

Beta testing of ACD Systems International’s ACDSee Pro Photo Manager for Mac is heading into its final phase with the introduction of non-destructive editing. Other notable additions to the beta 1.4 version include faster operation, an improved graphical user interface for Process mode, the ability to easily copy and paste processing settings from one image to another, support for XMP sidecar files and more. The program is now available for download at the website below.

Fujifilm USA has launched the first in a series of Twitter sweepstakes for a free Finepix REAL 3D W3 camera. To participate, all you have to do is follow the FujifilmUS twitter handle, @ message FujifilmUS and answer the question “Which movie should be remade in 3D?” while including the #sweepstakes and #3D hash tags. One lucky US winner will be selected at random at the end of the month and will be adding Fujifilm’s 3D W3 camera to their gadget repertoire.

In a bid to demonstrate the resilience of its SD card range, Samsung UK is launching a worldwide search for 100 messages that will be loaded onto SD cards and launched in paper planes from space. There are 100 planes to personalise and members of the public are encouraged to submit details that can be uploaded onto each card like pictures of themselves, family and friends, greetings for the person that finds it and something which expresses themselves. Once all the SD cards have been filled, they will be slotted into specially designed, bright paper planes which will include greetings in several different languages. The SD cards will then be launched as a flotilla of 100 paper planes into the atmosphere from space. Interested readers should check out the website below.

Rizzoli’s new monograph of photographer Mika Ninagawa’s work, which we wrote about a few months ago, will go on sale in November in the UK. Lauded as an art and fashion photographer, Mika Ninagawa has become a cultural superstar in Japan since her debut only a decade ago. Her portraits of international personalities including Cameron Diaz, the late Isabella Blow, Dita von Teese, Chiaki Kuriyama and Beyoncé, plus her elaborate, fantasy-infused landscapes and still-lifes illustrate how and why her vibrant aesthetic has been influential in the fashion world. The 352-page hardcover includes 300 of her photographs and sells for ?45.

Kingston today announced it is shipping its first 32GB microSDHC Class 4 card. Bundled with a small USB reader for convenient data transfers, the card is backed by a lifetime warranty; and is available for £97.50. Kingston says the card has been tested on the latest crop of smartphones, and can store more than 19,000 five-megapixel digital photos in JPEG format.

The Levi’s Photo Workshop, located in Manhattan’s SoHo district, will officially open its doors on 8 October. For ten weeks, the Levi’s Photo Workshop will host an array of arts and culture programming, including exhibition openings, parties, public lectures and educational workshops. The exact location is 18 Wooster Street (between Canal & Grand), New York. You can watch a 50-second trailer after the break.

From October 8-11, Nikon will sponsor 100 of the world’s most promising young photojournalists in upstate New York for the 23rd Eddie Adams Workshop, also known as “Barnstorm.” During the workshop, the Barnstorm students are divided into 10 teams, with each team paired with a photographer, an editor and a researcher. Each day consists of hands-on activities such as shooting and editing, as well as speeches and panel discussions from industry veterans. At the workshop, students will have the opportunity to use Nikon’s professional digital SLR camera system, including the Nikon D3S, D3X and D300s cameras and a full complement of Nikkor lenses.

Colour Confidence has launched a photography competition in association with X-Rite. Their new ‘Search For Great Photography Competition’ offers entrants a chance to win either a ColorMunki (pictured) or a stylish Boa Flow backpack. You can enter by submitting your photography in one of the following four categories: Colour, Black & White, Portraiture and Landscapes. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on 30th November 2010 and the judging panel will comprise design, colour management and business experts who will be looking for originality, creativity and innovation.

The Federation of European Photographers (FEP) has announced that the 2010 European Fine Art Photograph of the Year Award is open for entries. The competition will be judged by a panel of international judges with Fine Art Photographer Pascal Baetens, Master Qualified European Photographer, as chairman. There is just one main category in the compeition, each entrant may submit up to 3 pictures. The entry fee is €10 for each picture submitted by a photographer who is a member of a national association which is a member of the FEP or €20 for each picture submitted by all others. The submission deadline is 31 December 2010. The competition is open to all photographers.

David Noton has released advance signed copies of his new book Full Frame – several weeks in advance of the book being available through general retailers. Full Frame, David’s second book, takes readers on an epic journey around the world and includes insights into David’s work, with informative, witty commentary. From ten locations worldwide - the Canadian Rockies, Bolivia, Morocco, Bali, South Africa, Laos, Provence, Umbria, Snowdonia and Dorset - David explores the key themes in his work, from his use of colour and how he achieves a new perspective on familiar scenes, to the spirit of adventure that drives him to seek out new ones. A limited number of signed hardback copies of the book are available for £25 plus p&p only through David’s website.

An iPad/iPhone app named LightTrac 2.0, which helps photographers track the elevation and angle of Sun for any given date for any location on the planet, has been just released. Allowing photographers to plan their outdoor photo shoot ahead of time, the app is also useful as a location scout tool. The latest version of LightTrac also supports tracking the angle and elevation of Moon just like the Sun. Visimoon is yet another app that fully complements LightTrac by presenting you with a list of nights when Moon is visible at your location. LightTrac ver 2.0 is currently available for $4.99 as a limited time offer and Visimoon is available for $2.99.

The Olympus PEN E-PL1 compact system camera has won a DIWA Gold Award. The E-PL1 managed to convince the DIWA jury with the way it combines “system cameras’ flexibility and professional image quality with a super-compact camera body”.  DIWA Awards are based on test results carried out in the DIWA Labs, and evaluations on more than 200 different criteria carried out by DIWA members.

Go Goa Holidays is introducing a tour for both budding and experienced photographers to capture the real Goa rarely seen by tourists. Over five days, participants will be led by experienced professional photographer, Mark Oakley. The tour will offer opportunities to experience and practice wildlife, landscape, architectural, travel, documentary and macro photography. Locations will include the churches, convents and shrines of Old Goa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a 200-year-old colonial mansion full of original furniture and art, and wildlife sanctuaries with a rich variety of vistas, flora and fauna. The tour will run on the second week of the month from October 2010 to April 2011, with prices starting from £495 per person.