Olympus has issued new firmware updates for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, OM-D E-M5 Mark II and Olympus PEN-F compact system cameras, expanding their compatibility with Profoto AirTTL flashes. The updates Version 1.2 for the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Version 3.0 for the OM-D E-M5 Mark II and Version 2.0 for the PEN-F enable compatibility with the new Profoto Air Remote TTL-O, allowing users to seamlessly integrate Profoto AirTTL flashes with these cameras. Further new functions for the E-M5 Mark II as well as the PEN-F include the ‘Save Setting/Mysets’ feature already available on the E-M1 Mark II. Click through / scroll down for the details, including an overview of all the new functions.

Entries are now open for the 2017 international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards. Amateur, semi-pro and professional photographers of all ages and from all countries are invited to enter until the closing date on September 25th. Entries can be submitted online via tpoty.com or as prints. Entry fees are £8.00 for the One Shot single image categories, £15 for portfolio and New Talent categories and entry for Young TPOTY is free. This year’s jury features judges from the UK, USA, Italy, Germany and Malaysia, including the award-winning photographer and picture editor Eamonn McCabe – recently seen presenting the BBC TV Series ‘Britain in Focus: A Photographic History’ – Michelle Jana Chan (Travel Editor, Vanity Fair magazine), Michael Pritchard (Director-General of the Royal Photographic Society) and TPOTY’s first judge in Asia, picture editor and filmmaker Cheryl Brophy-Chan. The TPOTY sponsors Fujifilm, Genesis Imaging, Hurtigruten, Páramo Directional Clothing, Photo Iconic, Plastic Sandwich and the Royal Photographic Society - joined by new sponsor Jack Wills - have provided a prize package worth around £30,000, and the winning photographers will see their work displayed at TPOTY exhibitions in the UK and overseas in 2018, including at the University of Greenwich in London’s magnificent Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site. Click through / scroll down for more information.

Polaroid have just introduced a range of all-in-one tabletop photo studio kits aimed at perfecting product shots of food, jewelry, trinkets and more. Each kit comes complete with two output lights, a tripod stand, four backdrops, three diffuser screens, and a carrying case – making it easy for photographers to set up in the studio or on the road. When assembled, the tabletop photo studio kit lightbox tent is 16 inches high and 16 inches long with a 22-inch diagonal, accommodating most tabletop product shoots with optimal light softening. The four background colours -- red, blue, black and white -- let photographers change up backdrops to better match product and setting. The included tripod can accommodate compact cameras and most SLRs. The standard version comes with two changeable output lights (5500K), while the pro version ships with two power LED lights. Remote controls can also be ordered for dimming or controlling the LEDs. The Polaroid tabletop photo studio light kit standard version is available now for $45.99 from Amazon. The Polaroid pro tabletop LED version is available now for $89.99.

The Lomographic Society has announced the Neptune Convertible Art Lens System. Presently raising funds on Kickstarter, the Neptune Convertible Art Lens System is a prime lens kit for every photographer who has ever lamented the size and weight of high quality prime lenses. It comprises a base element which mounts to a wide range of film and digital cameras, and three front lens elements of fixed focal lengths: the Thalassa 3.5/35, the Despina 2.8/50, and the Proteus 4.0/80. What’s more, you can switch through a range of apertures and use special drop-in aperture plates to achieve countless shooting styles. Not content with offering only three focal lengths, Lomography is already designing new lens components with a range of unique effects and possible focal lengths from an ultra-wide-angle 15mm to a 400m monocular. Interested readers are encouraged to pay a visit to the system's Kickstarter page.

Phase One today released Capture One Pro 10.1. New features in this version include an enhanced Stules workflow, tokenised watermarking, a new master reset function, vectorscope orientation for colour wheels, and a number of Apple Script enhancements. This update adds support for raw files generated by the Pentax K-70 and KP, the Panasonic GH5, GX8, TZ85, TZ100 and FZ2000, the Nikon D5600 and D3400, the Fuji X-Pro2, X-T20 . X-A10 and XQ2 cameras, as well as 21 new lenses. Capture One Pro 10.1 for Mac and Windows is available now and free to current Capture One Pro 10 customers.

Alien Skin Software today announced its spring sale. All products in its store - including the Advanced Layers Update for Exposure X2, Blow Up, Snap Art and Eye Candy 7 - are 30% off through May 10th.

Datacolor have launched PhotograpHER, a campaign celebrating women in photography. Throughout May, Datacolor are inviting women in photography to share their stories to be in with a chance of winning a selection of top photography prizes, including a Canon EOS 60D camera, a Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM lens, a photograpHER tote bag, a Datacolor Spyder5CAPTURE PRO colour calibration bundle, and more. The competition runs from May 1st to May 31st. Entrants simply need to tell the story of who and/or what inspires their photography to be in with a chance of winning.

Last year, Lomography received 114,913 entries to the first 'Ten and One' Annual Lomography Photo Awards. Now, 110 winning photographs were chosen by a carefully-selected panel of artists, industry professionals and long-time Lomographers. All of the winning photographs can be viewed on the official Ten and One Annual Lomography Photo Awards microsite. The 110 winners will each be awarded a special-edition camera produced especially and exclusively for the Ten and One Annual Lomography Photo Awards. In addition, the Lomographic Society will soon be announcing which 11 of these gifted photographers will be invited to an immersive week-long residency at the Lomography Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The 11 lucky winners will be selected totally at random.

XP Distribution, the specialist distributor for X-Rite’s range of colour management products, has announced the launch its 2017 Annual Festival of Colour. Now in its fifth year, the Festival Colour returns with a series of events, special offers and free laptop calibration across the UK and Europe during the month of May. Working closely with its extensive dealer network, X-Rite will provide photographers with an array of information on how to better understand the calibration process and how to most effectively incorporate it into their own creative workflow. X-Rite’s group of Coloratti ambassadors will share information via the X-Rite Photo Blog and social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter, allowing photographers to interact with them and benefit from their professional photography expertise know-how and insight. Click through / scroll down for a list of X-Rite reseller events.

Nikon UK have launched their 2017 Travel and Macro Cashback promotion offering up to £130/€150 on selected Nikkor lenses and D-SLR cameras. Running until 4 August 2017, the promotion is valid for the Nikon D5600 + AF-P 18-55 VR bundle, the Nikon D3400 + AF-P 18-55VR kit, the D3400 + AF-P 18-55 non-VR bundle, the AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED, AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR, AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED, AF Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8D, AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED, AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR, AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II, AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5–6.3G ED VR, AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, AF-S NIKKOR 70-200 f/2.8E FL ED VR, AF-S NIKKOR 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR and AF-S NIKKOR 80–400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lenses. All claims must be received by the 4th September 2017 (inclusive) in order to qualify.

Lastolite By Manfrotto today launched the new Joe McNally Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 Plus mini softbox. Developed in partnership with acclaimed photographer Joe McNally, the new Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 Plus attaches directly onto a flashgun whether it is on or off camera. Based on the successful Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 which was launched in 2015, the Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 Plus features Joe’s preferred white interior for a softer/creamier light and a removable inner and outer diffuser. The Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 Plus also features a unique, design patented, folding mechanism that incorporates two magnets which enable quick attachment of the Lastolite By Manfrotto Strobo honeycomb and gel holders. The Joe McNally Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 Plus carries a recommended retail price of £59.95.

The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT is the World’s widest rectilinear f/2 lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The extreme 110° angle of view and ultra-fast f/2 aperture allows photographers to create impressive astro-photography shots with ease. It also gives photographers a fast and wide-angle option for landscape photography and low-light shooting. Despite the extreme specifications, Venus Optics has successfully minimised the weight of the lens to less than 200g (150g in the case of the special light-weight version), and the dimensions to just 50x55mm. The optical formula comprises 13 elements in 9 groups (including 2 aspherical elements and 3 extra-low-dispersion elements). The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT is currently available to pre-order via the official website of Venus Optics. The lens carries a recommended retail price of $499 for the standard edition and $519 for the light-weight version.

Broncolor have launched a new iteration of their top-of-the line generator, the broncolor Scoro WiFi. Thanks to its revised hardware and software, the new broncolor Scoro WiFi can offer even more convenient control via the bronControl app, which is available free-of-charge for iOS, macOS, Windows and Android. The Scoro WiFi automatically builds an independent WiFi network, but it can also be integrated into an existing one. The new Scoro WiFi is available immediately.