Photography instructor Kirsten Harvey has combined her love of photography, teaching and writing for children to create an innovative website for 6-16-year-olds. The main attraction of the site is the gallery section where children can showcase their best photographs. They can also offer and receive constructive comments and star ratings, encouraging an appreciation of photography as an art form. Additionally, Diddipix is billed as “excellent preparation for any child who may wish to study photography for GCSE.”

Multiblitz has added a 40” / 100cm parabolic octabox to its portfolio of light modifiers. The PROFOC 100P is an octagonal softbox with silver reflective lining and includes an inner and outer diffusor as well as a soft honeycomb grid. This easy-to-fold parabolic octabox closes the gap between the 27” Beauty Dish XL (PROBEAU XL) and the 3 ft. Octagonal Glambox (PROGLAM) in the Multiblitz light modifier line up. The Multiblitz PROFOC 100P will be exclusively sold in the US through the Multiblitz USA online store at www.multiblitzusa.com starting on March 15, 2013 and is priced at: $299.

Issue 25 of landscape photography magazine is now available for purchase. This month’s edition includes a guide to stacking star trails, a review of the book “Mastering the Art of Composition,” a test of hiking boots, an interview with Paul Sanders, former picture editor of The Times, and much more. Do note that the full contents of Landscape Photography Magazine are available to subscribers only.

Ilford today announced that it is expanding its popular Galerie Prestige range with the introduction of the new 340gsm Canvas Natural cotton/polyester blend canvas. Featuring a matt surface and natural tint, Ilford Galerie Prestige Canvas Natural is free of added optical brightening agents within the coating layer, making it ideal for gallery wraps, exhibition and museum displays or other large format prints.  A sturdy platform with a hefty feel, the 340gsm canvas offers reduced ink bleed and ensures optimal print accuracy. The new canvas is available in 17”, 24” and 44” rolls.

Wacom will be showcasing its Intuos5 and Cintiq 24HD touch at Focus on Imaging 2013. Additionally, visitors can take advantage of exclusive offers, including £100 off the Cintiq interactive pen display and ‘Save the VAT’ on the Intuos5 range of pen tablets. Regular presentations throughout the day cover topics such as Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Datacolour colour tools and the benefits of using a Wacom tablet. In these open seminar sessions the experts will be giving a selection of tips and tricks on how to perfect your photographic workflow, from editing your shots with the latest retouching tools, organising and rating your images, and finally getting colour accurate files ready for print or output in a range of different environments.

Nikon UK today announced its plan to open the Nikon School in London. A new training course programme will be launched to coincide with the opening of the Nikon School and will include a range of courses from “Introduction to Photography”, to more advanced product specific courses. Customers are encouraged to visit the dedicated training website to book courses, which run from April.

LPA Design has launched its newest product, the budget-friendly PocketWizard PlusX transceiver. Priced at $99 in the US and £89.99 in the UK - with a twin set available for £169.99 -, the PocketWizard PlusX is billed as the perfect entry into the PocketWizard Wireless System with the same range and reliability as the manufacturer’s PocketWizard Plus line of radios. The 10 Channel PlusX uses PocketWizard’s patented “Auto-Sensing Transceiver Technology” which means it will automatically switch between transmit and receive as needed. Users just turn it on, connect it to the flash or camera and set the channel using its simple, rotary-dial.  The PlusX automatically figures out what it needs to do to trigger remote flashes or cameras. The PlusX is compatible with all PocketWizard transmitters and receivers including PocketWizard-enabled photo gear from Profoto, Dynalite, Norman, Photogenic and Sekonic light meters. Availability is slated for mid-March.

Aptina has signed a patent cross-licence agreement with Sony, which provides each company with access to the other’s patent portfolio. “Patents and innovation are a critical component of Aptina’s strategy, and Aptina’s patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the image sensor industry,” said Bob Gove, President and CTO of Aptina. “We believe that this powerful blend will advance technology to realise our goal of enabling consumers to capture beautiful images and visual information.”

Sigma has announced pricing and availability for the Sigma DP3 Merrill in the US. As the final camera in the Sigma DP Merrill lineup, the DP3 Merrill features a high-performance 50mm f/2.8 lens, whose angle of view is equivalent to that of a 75mm telephoto optic on a 35mm camera. Like the previously released DP1 (19mm f/2.8) and DP2 (30mm f/2.8) Merrill cameras, it is equipped with a 15.4[x3]-megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor measuring 23.5×15.7mm. The Sigma DP3 Merrill will be available in early March for an estimated street price of $999.

Pentax Ricoh have released firmware updates for the Pentax K-01 system camera and the Pentax K-30 dSLR (pictured). Version 1.03 fixes a bug related to contrast-detect auto focus, which was introduced by firmware version 1.02. You can download the updates from the websites below.

Website: Pentax K-01 Firmware Update 1.03
Website Pentax K-30 Firmware Update 1.03

HP is holding an exclusive Ellie Goulding gig as part of its collaboration with Universal Music Group, and they have teamed up with Talenthouse to find the official gig photographer for the night. Interested photographers have until 7th March to submit an artistic and energetic shot taken at a festival, party or any environment where people and friends are connecting with music. The judging panel are looking for artistic and powerful shots that show them you have what it takes to capture the energy of the show. The winning photographer will be chosen by Ellie and HP and will also receive £1,000, an HP Envy notebook and promotion of their photography across Ellie’s and HP’s official online channels. For further details on how to enter, visit the website below.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Schneider Kreuznach is holding a photo art exhibition under the heading “Photo Art V – Andreas Gursky.” The exhibition is being held on the premises of Jos. Schneider Optische Werke, Ringstrasse 132, in Bad Kreuznach. “We have converted a historic building on our premises especially for this exhibition and are delighted to be able to present work by world-famous photo artist Andreas Gursky,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group. On show until 31st March, the exhibition is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free.

Nikon UK has announced its seminar schedule for this year’s Focus on Imaging trade show. Speakers include Olympic Photographer of the Year Mark Pain; representatives from Timeslice, the leaders in frozen-time photography and celebrity and fashion photographer, John Wright. Further seminars will be led by Nikon experts covering topics such as Nikon technology, the FX system and expert talks on software. For more information, visit the website below.

Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) has announced its schedule of educational seminars to be held at its annual conference and expo. “During the week-long WPPI Conference and Expo, attendees will not only get to meet the world’s finest photographic instructors, they’ll learn superior technical skills and new shooting styles and discover competitive and affordable ways to grow their photography business,” said Jason Groupp, Director of WPPI. All WPPI 2013 classes, events and the expo will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, from 7-14 March 2013.

HP has rolled out its HP Live Photo service and iOS app. “Experienced directly through an iPhone, the HP Live Photo app allows users to create, view and share images using augmented reality powered by Aurasma, an HP Company,” HP said in a statement. HP Live Photos can be shared by email, Facebook or by printing to any AirPrint-enabled printer. The app is currently available in the US for iOS 5.1 devices. It is expected to be available later this year for other mobile operating systems.

Gitzo has announced two new promotions in the UK. Photographers who purchase a Gitzo 2 Series Systematic tripod will receive a free Gitzo Series 2 Aluminium Monopod, while those buying a Gitzo Explorer tripod will get a Series 2 Mag Off Centre Head free of charge. The promotions will be running in Gitzo’s Five Star Dealers until 31 March 2013.