We have teamed up with The Photography Show to offer our readers a substantial discount on tickets to the Show, which will take place from 1-4 March 2014 at the Birmingham NEC. Those that book their tickets by 28th February using the coupon code PHBLG142014 will be able to purchase them at a discounted price of £10 instead of the regular adult price of £13 (advance) or £15 (on the door). Please note that a booking fee of £0.95 applies to all advance tickets (regular and discounted).

Comodo, a manufacturer of advanced camera stabilisation systems, has appointed MAC Group as its exclusive distributor in the US. Designed in the UK, Comodo cinema rigs - such as the Orbit - are noted for their originality and innovativeness. "Our strategy is to continue to bring new and exciting products to the camera stabilisation arena by focusing on innovative and revolutionary products," says Emerson Roberts, Managing Director, Comodo. "Our dynamic new distribution arrangement with MAC Group will enable us to do that. MAC Group will provide the kind of marketing and distribution expertise we need to build a strong presence in the USA and reach filmmakers of all kinds."

This Saturday marks the one year anniversary of A Day Without News?, a campaign launched by Getty Images’ Aidan Sullivan and agroup within the media and photojournalism communities to raise awareness of the risks faced by journalists and photojournalists in war zones. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has estimated that in the last year alone 70 journalists and media professionals were killed doing their job, with Syria being the most dangerous country to operate from, accounting for 28 deaths. "“In just one year, we have played an important part in raising awareness, and having the UN pass a resolution will further strengthen the security of our colleagues," Sullivan said in a statement. "Currently, we are working towards a collaboration with a leading US University to initiate a ‘clinic’, designed to uncover evidence of targeted attacks against journalists in conflict zones.  We hope this information will build a case that can be taken to the international and national tribunals or courts to prosecute those responsible for targeting journalists.”

Magnum Photos is extending a five-year relationship with its educational partners IdeasTap, through the delivery of free ‘Professional Practice’ training courses for photographers. Professional Practice is a two-day masterclass aimed at early practitioners, providing photographers with impartial industry knowledge and a unique opportunity to begin establishing a professional network. The first London event will be held from 15th – 16th March, hosted at The Magnum Print Room, 63 Gee Street,

VeryFirstTo.com is offering the chance to capture 10 of the most sensational views across the globe with the latest  cameras from Fujifilm. From the iconic and breathtaking Grand Canyon in the USA to the snow capped Himalayas, including Mount Everest in Nepal, each location is known for being both photogenic and awe inspiring. Theo Georghiades, Senior Business Manager at Fujifilm says of the trip, “In a world where selfies are the norm and are cluttering the photographic world, it is time to turn the camera back around and capture the most spectacular places in the world.  These are truly breathtaking subjects with stunning cameras selected to deliver the best possible memories.” The luxury vacation costs £72,000.

Fujifilm has posted firmware updates for three Fujinon lenses. Version 1.11 for the Fujinon XF55-200mm f3.5-48 R LM OIS, version 1.12 for the Fujinon XC16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OIS (pictured) and version 3.11 for the Fujinon XF18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS improve the effectiveness of the optical image stabiliser when shooting stills or movies. Additionally, the upgrades for the 18-55mm and 55-200mm improve auto focus response when the lenses are used in combination with the Fujifilm X-T1 and X-E2 compact system cameras.

Website: Fujinon XF55-200mm f3.5-4.8 Firmware Version 1.11
Website: Fujinon XC16-50mm f3.5-5.6 Firmware Version 1.12
Website: Fujinon XF18-55mm f2.8-4 Firmware Version 3.11

Fuji has issued firmware updates for a number of its compact system cameras. Available for the Fujifilm X-A1, X-E1, X-E2, X-M1 and X-Pro1 models, the latest upgrade improves auto exposure (and, with the X-E2, auto focus) accuracy with the XF56mm f1.2 R lens.

Website: Fujifilm X-A1 Firmware Version 1.10
Website: Fujifilm X-E1 Firmware Version 2.20
Website: Fujifilm X-E2 Firmware Version 1.20
Website: Fujilfilm X-Pro1 Firmware Version 3.20
Website: Fujifilm X-M1 Firmware Version 1.10

Samsung Electronics America has officially announced availability and pricing details for the new Samsung Galaxy Camera 2. Unveiled in the run-up to this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the Galaxy Camera 2's upgrades include a faster 1.6GHz Quad Core processor, 2.0 GB of RAM, enhanced battery life, Android 4.3 and NFC connectivity. The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 will be available from mid-March at a retail price of $449.99.

Flowers Gallery (21 Cork Street,London W1S 3lZ) will host the first European exhibition of South Korean photographer Boomoon. Comprising selected works from his series Sansu, Naksan, Northscape and On the Clouds, Boomoon’s debut UK exhibition will be accompanied by a new catalogue published by Flowers with text by Charlotte Cotton. A monograph published by Nazraeli press (£32) illustrating 33 works from the Naksan series will also be available. The exhibition opens on 26th February and runs until 5th April.

BeatTheBrochure has announced its very first photo competition, A Colourful World. Offering a range of prizes from a digital camera, discounts on BeatTheBrochure holidays, as well as vouchers for Ticketmaster and Love2Shop, the photo contest allows entrants to share their favourite, and most colourful, holiday photos.  All entries will be showcased across the BeatTheBrochure site and its platforms, Google+, Facebook and Twitter. The deadline for submissions is 15 March 2014.

Following a similar announcement made by its UK sister company, Samsung Electronics America today revealed availability and pricing details for the Samsung NX30 compact system camera.  The traditionally-styled NX30 features a 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, tiltable electronic viewfinder, 3.0-inch Super AMOLED swivel and touch display, 1/8000 sec maximum shutter speed, 9fps continuous shooting, and NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities. In the United States, the NX30 will be available from mid-March, at an MSRP of $999.99.

Toshiba has launced a 13-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor that allows smartphones and tablets to record full HD video at 240 equivalent frames per second. The Toshiba "T4K82" imager incorporates “Bright Mode” technology that boosts imaged brightness up to four times, and adopts a newly developed low power circuit design that reduces power consumption to 82% that of “T4K37”, a 13-megapixel sensor in mass production. Sampling is scheduled to start in March.

The 2014 UK National Photography Awards are now open for submissions. Entries are welcome in any genre, giving those in both wide and more niche sectors of the industry an opportunity to gain exposure and recognition for their work. Entries are judged each month and those achieving top marks will receive national award winning status, at bronze, silver, gold or diamond level. This year's categories include: Wedding, Portrait, Wildlife, Landscape, Sports, Newborn, Travel, Boudoir & Glamour, Fashion, Advertising, Equestrian and Astronomy. There is also a 'Young Photographer of the Year' category, for entrants aged between 12-17 and a 'Judges' Choice Award' for images that do not fall into any of the other categories. For more information, and to enter the competition, visit the website below.

World Press Photo (WPP) has issued a statement regarding the possible conflict of interest in awarding the World Press Photo of the Year 2013 to John Stanmeyer. Both Stanmeyer and general jury chair Gary Knight are founding members of VII Photo Agency - a fact that has sparked a debate in the global professional photographic community.."World Press Photo affirms that the two-week judging process culminating in the selection of Stanmeyer’s photo was conducted according to procedures established over a 57-year history that are specifically designed to ensure the integrity of the awards," WPP says. "World Press Photo has total confidence in its judging process and how it was applied this year. We trust absolutely in the integrity of our chairs and jurors and we honor the selections they have made."

Milk Tailor Made Books have released MILK Photo Books for iPad, an application combining "a smart book-making experience with uncompromising production values that result in a beautifully crafted book, made the old-fashioned way." The MILK Books app is free to download and enables users to create and print their own customised photobooks simply and easily directly from their iPad. It is available now at the iTunes store.

Founded by Thomas Max, Captoria is an iOS-based social media platform that allows you to capture iconic moments of every-day life and shares them on a global scale; allowing multiple users to capture and share their perspective of it. " Whether it’s a national headline event, a restaurant visit or the BAFTA’s you can freeze the moment in one simple space that is globally accessible by everyone, on a live platform," Thomas says. "Offering a whole new dimension to photo sharing, Captoria allows you to visit or revisit the moment and enjoy it all over again from someone else’s perspective." The Captoria application is available as a free download on the iTunes App Store.

Alamy today launched Stockimo, an iPhone app that "turns smartphone photos into cash." By signing up to Stockimo, users will be able to upload and tag their iPhone photos. Uploads are reviewed by photo experts before going on sale on Alamy and through its established global sales and distribution network. Until 30th April, any user that registers with Stockimo will earn a commission of 40% on all sales (in the future the standard deal will pay 20%). The app is designed for the iPhone 4S and above and is available worldwide as a free download on the iTunes App Store.

Canon U.S.A. have issued a product advisory to PowerShot ELPH 330HS owners. According to the company there is a possibility that the following operation errors may occur due to insufficient contact between the camera’s battery terminal and the battery, even when the battery has sufficient power remaining: 1) the camera does not turn on, 2) the warning 'Charge the battery' appears immediately after turning on the camera, 3) the camera turns off during use.  If you own an affected unit, contact Canon's Customer Support Center to have your camera and battery inspected free of charge.