This Thursday, celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland will hold a free presentation at the Crest Theatre in Los Angeles, showing images from his career that started in the 1950s. He will speak about the techniques he employs, about the approach to his work and the importance of the relationship he creates with his subjects as well as his continuing involvement with the latest evolving technology. In addition, he will do a short demonstration introducing the Canon EOS 5DS and 5DSR cameras to the audience. The event is free to attend but you need to sign up in advance.

Lumenati have launched their Kickstarter campaign for the CS1 "cinematic smartcase" which combines the technological features of a digital device (film-free shooting, instant sharing and an editing app) with the cool design, ergonomic ease and "natural narrative" of a classic Super 8 motion picture camera. The lightweight, portable unit allows anyone to frame and film a steady, stable shot with the pull of an intuitive trigger. A cold shoe allows filmmakers to attach lights, microphones and extra handles for sport shooting. The low-light, real-time viewfinder allows WYSIWYG capabilities even in bright light, a feature that is elusive to modern mobile devices. Conversion lenses can be swapped to shoot in wide angle, fisheye and telephoto. The fundraising campaign is now live on the website below.

SanDisk has launched te iNAND 7232 embedded flash drive for connected mobile devices. Available in capacities up to 128GB, the SanDisk iNAND 7232 solution enables manufacturers to introduce smartphones, tablets and other connected devices that feature ample storage to meet the needs of increasing consumer content while providing next-generation digital photography capabilities, the company says. The SanDisk iNAND 7232 boasts sequential write speeds of up to 150MB/s, a 25 percent increase from the previous generation product. This helps with 4K Ultra HD video capture, quick downloading via 802.11ac/802.11ad and raw image capture, and also enhances the performance of multi-camera and depth-sensors. Samples of the SanDisk iNAND 7232 are currently available to original equipment manufacturers in capacities of 32GB to 128GB.

Canon Europe will be demonstrating its professional 4K workflow at IBC2015 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Canon stand will include dedicated areas for live capture, providing visitors with the opportunity to get hands on with Canon’s 4K and Full HD product range through a series of shooting scenarios, review and editing processes. A variety of live demonstrations including cinema shooting and documentary shooting will also be available to visitors. Canon’s IBC stand can be found at Hall 11, stand E50.

Fujifilm are retiring some of their 220, 120 and 135 format films and plan on raising the prices of a number of their remaining film products. SKUs destined for discontinuation include five-packs of Velvia 50, Velvia 100, Provia 100F and Fujicolor PRO 160NS in 220 format; Provia 400X in 135 and 120 formats; and Velvia 100F in 4"x5" and 8"x10" sheets. Some of these products will be withdrawn from the market in December 2015, while others will be retired during 2016-2017 (see website below for details). Meanwhile, several remaining film stocks and disposable film cameras will see a price hike of ~20% on average.

Website: Fujifilm Japan

Sony Action Cam will be partnering with Tony Hawk and his Birdhouse Skateboard team for their ‘European Vacation 2015’ tour. The Tour offers Europe-based fans the opportunity to see the legendary Tony Hawk in action alongside some of the world’s best skateboarders including David Loy, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, Kevin Staab, Clive Dixon, Ben Raybourn, Shawn Hale and Clint Walker. The team will be using the latest action cams from Sony to capture first-person POV footage including 4K video from the new X1000VR. They will be visiting some of the top skateparks in Europe and will be sharing their videos through both the Birdhouse and Sony social media channels. Click through / scroll down for the complete list of dates and locations.

The inaugural Calumet Photographic Student Photographer of the Year competition has received more than a thousand entries, attracting some of Britain’s best young photographers. Now, the winning and shortlisted images are going on a UK tour, exhibiting in Calumet Photographic shops across the United Kingdom. Edinburgh College student Oliver Henderson’s winning photo will take pride of place in the exhibition. His image of a woman in a red dress under a spotlight on a rooftop, set against an industrial background (above), scooped the title and the £11,000 prize bundle of photographic equipment. His photo will be accompanied by the nine finalist entries from Maria Karpova, University of the Arts London; Sioned Evans, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David; Joe Till, Walsall College; Monty Cholmeley, Oundle School, Katarzyna Janicka-Wojtowicz, Ieva Vaitkuviene, Jolanta Ziarnik, Thomas Craner-Buckley and Jack Visser. The tour has now started at the Bristol store; the exhibition will be in place until Friday 24th July, when it will move to other Calumet stores. Click through / read on for the exact dates and locations.

Pearson and Talenthouse are offering photographers around the world a rare opportunity to have their photography judged by British celebrity photographer Rankin. Photographers are being invited to capture the magic of learning and education through striking and memorable imagery. Selected entrants will be awarded a cash bursary for each photograph chosen for Pearson’s official photo library, and have their work credited and showcased across Pearson’s official channels. Additionally, a select number of photographers will be offered career opportunities with the potential to continue to work on paid projects for upcoming Pearson projects. Entrants have until 18 August at 6pm GMT to submit their ideas through the website below.

Phottix has joined the MAC Group, a sales and marketing company representing an array of imaging brands in the US. "Phottix is the new standard for cutting-edge innovation and excellence in photographic TTL lighting triggering accessories," said Jan Lederman, MAC Group President. "Together, we are committed to changing the industry and making TTL flash solutions easy and accessible to everyone."

Nikon today revealed the winners of the Nikon Photo Contest 2014-2015. "Fukushima Flowers" by Katsuhiro Noguchi of Japan has won the Grand Prize in the photograph category and "One" by Chris Rudz of Poland has received the Grand Prize in the video category. “The winning images might have been overlooked as they speak so quietly about one of the colossal events of the last decade,” judge Stephen Mayes commented. “But their intricate beauty pulls the viewer closer, demanding deeper study. Using the descriptive detail of the photographic process, the images describe nothing, but instead offer a meditation, first visually and then intellectually and finally emotionally as their significance emerges. And the lasting emotion is of hope plucked from the very earth that betrayed its inhabitants in 2011.” A further 107 winners will be announced on the Nikon Photo Contest website and all award-winning works will be exhibited in Japan.

Photocrati have named Ed Kashi as the 2014-2015 Photocrati Fund Fellow for his work documenting the epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease among sugar cane workers in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. Called a silent killer, the disease is often not identified until kidney failure is imminent. Research presently indicates harsh working conditions combined with severe heat, dehydration and environmental toxins likely contribute to the rising death toll. With this grant, Kashi plans to further his documentary work in partnership with local NGOs such as La Isla Foundation to raise awareness, and to improve available support for families of suffering sugar cane workers. Second Place goes to documentary and travel photographer, Jacob Maentz for his ongoing work on The Forgotten Ten (Katutubong Filipino Project). Third Place goes to renowned photographer Paula Bronstein for her ongoing work The Forgotten Frontline: Women in Afghanistan. Fourth Place goest to humanitarian photographer Anna Boyaizis for her project, Second Wave, which covers the Jane Goodall Institute’s innovative peer education programme in Uganda. This important programme focuses on improving girls’ lives through education and support for HIV prevention, feminine hygiene and reproductive health issues.

Lytro have released their newest updates for the ILLUM light-field camera. Lytro ILLUM 2.0 includes a new design and user interface with full screen views and improved focus aids, full living picture playback interaction in-camera, as well as an improved auto focus that is up to three times faster. Lytro Desktop 4.3 provides faster processing and more outputs including 3D lenticular prints and stereoscopic side-by-side 3D animations, which can be used with virtual reality headsets like Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR.

Schneider Kreuznach have released two new leaf shutter lenses for medium-format cameras. The Schneider Kreuznach 35mm LS f3.5 ultra-wide lens has an angle of view of 89° when mounted to a 645 format camera body, making it equivalent to a 22mm lens in a 35mm system. The optical formula comprises 11 elements in 8 groups. The Schneider Kreuznach 120mm LS Macro offers a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1, allowing users to capture a subject as small as 56x42mm on a standard 645 format camera. This lens is constructed of 9 elements in 8 groups, and offers a minimum focus distance of 37cm / 1.3ft. Both lenses allow photographers to use flash sync speeds up to 1/1600s.

Serif's professional image editing app for the Mac, Affinity Photo, is now available on the Mac App Store at a special introductory price of $39.99 / €39.99 / £29.99. Originally launched as a public beta in February, Affinity Photo (read review) offers raw image processing, PSD import and export, 16-bit-per-channel editing, colour management,camera lens and exposure corrections, accurate adjustments, live filter layers, high-end controls for channels and masks, advanced layer handling, and built-in frequency separation editing. “The performance of the product is what we are most proud of,” said Tony Brightman, head of Affinity development. “We take full advantage of all the latest... technologies like OpenGL, Grand Central Dispatch and Core Graphics. What this means to the user is whether it’s a 100 megapixel image or a complex composition with 1000s of layers, you can still pan and zoom at 60fps and see live views of all adjustments, brushes, blend modes and filters with no compromise." Do note that after 23 July 2015, the price will be raised to $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99.

Canon today announced the achievement of a new lens-manufacturing milestone with the production of the company’s 110-millionth EF-series interchangeable lens. Over the past 28 years, since the launch of the company’s proprietary EF lenses and EOS SLR cameras in March 1987, Canon has developed a wide range of innovative technologies and world’s firsts, such as the lens-based Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabiliser (IS) technology, and a multi-layered diffractive optical (DO) element. Recent innovations have seen the EF range extend into new fields, with the launch of the company’s EF Cinema lenses for digital cinematography in January 2012, and EF-M lenses for its compact system camera, the EOS M, in September 2012. More recently, Canon’s EF 11-24mm f/4L USM (pictured) became the world’s widest rectilinear zoom lens for 35mm full-frame cameras.

Responding to customer demand to provide more lenses for mobile phones, Lensbaby have announced a new Creative Mobile Kit featuring the LM-20 and LM-30 lenses, a new magnetic kickstand, an iPhone Mount and an improved iOS app for iPhone 5 and up. The new LM-20 lens is designed for LM-10 shooters that desire a larger sweet spot of focus, surrounded by subtle, gradually increasing blur. Lensbaby's new LM-30 creates images with a sharp centre image surrounded by reflections. Shooters can use the lens to transform interesting details into intriguing, abstract patterns, create a surreal mood or make a unique visual frame within a photo. The included kickstand is great for options such as taking a timed selfie, hands free viewing of photos or videos and propping up the phone on a desktop or airplane. The improved iOS app makes it easy to move the sweet spot of focus in both still and video mode. Photographers can also lock exposure and white balance, adjust sharpness, and more. The Creative Mobile Kit is available for $89.95, while the original LM-10 costs $59.95

The Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT is a new system flash featuring a built-in radio receiver for wireless TTL operation. Other improvements - compared to earlier models of the 430EX range - include shorter recycling times and quicker firing, as well as a marked reduction in size and weight. The Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT also includes an SCF-E2 Colour Filter which helps balance colour temperature when shooting in incandescent lighting, an SBA-E2 Bounce Adapter that helps soften light while helping suppress shadows, a built-in Catchlight panel, illuminated dot-matrix LCD, new control dial, light distribution options, multi-camera sync shooting, and remote shutter release. The guide number is 43/141 at ISO 100 (in metres/feet, respectively). Auto zooming from 24-105mm, Hi-Speed Sync and Second-curtain Sync round off the features list. The Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT is available for an estimated retail price of £249.99/€349.99/$299.99..

The theme of the 7th Edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award is Libya, a North African country that is experiencing an unprecedented political, military and humanitarian crisis. The Carmignac Photojournalism Award has resolved to support a photojournalist in the implementation, production and dissemination of an in-depth project on this country from which we now receive little to no images. The Jury of the 7th Edition of the Award, chaired by Brett Rogers, Director of The Photographers' Gallery (London), will meet on 13th November 2015 in Paris. The Panel comprises Reza, Patrick Baz, Janine di Giovanni, Thierry Grillet, Mikko Takkunen, plus the winner of the 6th Carmignac Photojournalism Award whose name will be revealed in September. Photographers must submit their applications before Sunday 11th October 2015 at 12am (GMT) via the online application process.