TenFarms have released Photopoll for iPhone, billed the first mobile app that allows users to group and share multiple photos in a feed for instant polling.. Available now for free on the App Store, Photopoll for iPhone and iPod touch uses patent-pending technology that enables users to select two to five photos from their device, Amazon.com and Instagram, and post in a central feed for friends and others to vote on their favourites. Compared to other apps that allow users to share just one or two photos, Photopoll allows greater expression through multiple photos, accessing public opinion and telling stories around any given topic, the company claims.

Photo Video West has just announced the World Cup of Photography photo contest. The competition, which runs from until 31 March 2013, is open to professional and amateur photographers from any country worldwide. Participants have the option to compete in the Professional or Amateur division for the Grand Prize, a cash award of $1,000, Tamron 18-270 PZD lens and Adobe Master Collections.  Category winners will also be selected for each category including children, portrait, wedding, wildlife, landscape, still life, artistic, silhouette, and underwater.  First place winners for each category win a copy of Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop. Early Bird (ends 1 March 2013) entry fees are $25 (Professional) or $20 (Amateur) per single photograph. After that date, entry fees will be $35 and $30 per image, respectively.

International stock photography agency Alamy says it will now accept photographs for its Live News service from camera phones and digital compact cameras. Alamy’s head of news, James Hall, said: “When you think that the most popular smartphone cameras are now 8 megapixels it is obvious that good photographers using these devices will be able to capture and record breaking news and events with a quality that is acceptable to both on- and offline news agencies… We want to allow our contributors to upload stunning News, Sport and Entertainment images to us using the camera they have ready at hand – whether it is a DSLR, a compact camera or a smartphone.” News photographers can upload images to Alamy direct from their smartphone via FTP using existing apps. Note that all images uploaded to the news feed will still have to meet Alamy’s News Picture Guidelines.

ArcSoft has released its Whip Social Photo Album app for mobile devices running Android 2.3 and newer. The free app allows users to quickly create and share photo albums, using customised templates. Whip allows users to choose up to 24 photos for each album. Once the photos are selected, the album is automatically generated with just one tap.  After that, users can select one of nine available templates that include background music from “indie” bands, and offer the opportunity to caption and edit each photo. Downloadable from the Google Play Store, Whip allows users to share their albums via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

PhotoShelter has released a new free guide entitled The 2013 Photo Business Plan Workbook. This PDF e-book offers practical tips, to-do lists, and online resources to help you make smart decisions for your photo business in 2013. You’ll also learn from seasoned photographers like Ben Lowy and Jim Goldstein who offer tips on how to market your photo business with Facebook, attract readers to your blog, improve website traffic through search engine optimisation, get more work from old clients, manage your finances and create a lasting photo brand. You can claim your free e-book by supplying your e-mail address through the website below.

Website: Photoshelter

Transcend has announced that it now offers a comprehensive line-up of memory cards featuring the next-generation Ultra-High Speed Class 1 specification (UHS-I, U1). The company’s ‘Premium’ series microSDHC UHS-I memory cards are mainly aimed at smartphone and tablet users, while Transcend’s ‘Ultimate’ series SDHC/SDXC UHS-I cards are designed for professional photographers, reporters and enthusiasts. When paired with UHS-I enabled devices, these cards offer transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s (600X) and feature storage capacities ranging from 8GB to 64GB. Each Transcend UHS-I memory card includes a free download of Transcend’s own RecoveRx software. For more information, visit the website below.

Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art programme has announced a new installation to inaugurate the spring 2013 season:  Topsy-Turvy: A Camera Obscura Installation by New York-based artists Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder. “On view daily from March 1 – April 5, 2013, 10am-5pm, Topsy-Turvy will reimagine one of the world’s oldest moving image devices into a life-sized 10-foot by 10-foot structure,” the organisers say. “Park visitors will be able to enter the interactive, large-scale installation, which will utilize the physical properties of light to capture images of the surrounding Flatiron District in real time.  This centuries-old artistic medium will alter how visitors experience the park and engage with the various elements of New York City’s urban landscape through a new and exciting lens.”

The winners of the 5th Annual International Loupe Awards have just been unveiled. The 2012 International Loupe Awards Open Image of the Year is by Andreas Smetana of New South Wales, Australia, who has won a cash prize of $15,000 and a place on the upcoming Creative Asia Vietnam & China Photography Tour. The 2012 International Loupe Awards Amateur Image of the Year is by Suellen Cook (see picture above).

Plustek UK has announced the immediate availability of the Plustek OpticFilm 120 scanner, which is capable of scanning both 35mm and 120 format negatives and slides. Boasting a high-quality metal case, the Plustek OpticFilm 120 uses a custom-designed 8-element glass lens and a high-resolution CCD sensor. Capable of achieving a dynamic range of 4.01 - in tandem with SilverFast’s Multi-Exposure technology -, the OpticFilm 120 from Plustek comes with adjustable-pitch film holders that feature unique sliding inter-frame dividers to ensure film flatness. The sliding dividers also enable users to scan various frame sizes from 6x4.5cm to 6x12cm, while the 35mm film holders allow for the scanning of twelve 35mm film frames or five mounted slides in a batch. The scanner’s hardware resolution - based on the specification of its stepper motor and the number of pixels on its CCD - is 10600dpi, with the optical resolution (which also takes into account the resolving power of the optical system) specified at 5300dpi. Other highlights include automated IT8 calibration and a motorised film transport for batch scanning. Bundled with SilverFast Ai Studio 8, the Plustek OpticFilm 120 is available for £1950-£1999.

The Book of GIMP: A Complete Guide to Nearly Everything is a new title from No Starch Press. Written by Olivier Lecarme and Karine Delvare, this 676-page, full-colour guidebook begins with step-by-step tutorials that cover the most useful features of GIMP 2.8, like retouching photographs, creating illustrations, and website design. The second part of the book offers a comprehensive reference to nearly every aspect of the software, so that users can find what they need without hours of trial and error. This two-pronged approach makes the book suitable for readers of any skill level—the tutorials will help new users get started with GIMP, and the extensive reference portion will answer the questions that pop up for even the most seasoned GIMP users. Distributed worldwide by O’Reilly Media, The Book of GIMP: A Complete Guide to Nearly Everything is available for $49.95.

DxO Labs have released DxO Film Pack 3.2.3, which now integrates automatically with Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. The software now also officially supports Windows 8. This update is free for all owners of DxO FilmPack 3.

Epson has begun volume production of its latest, XGA-resolution Ultimicron panel designed for use in electronic viewfinders. Measuring just 0.48 of an inch diagonally, the latest in the Ultimicron series boasts increased surface luminance of 520cd/m². Previous generations of Epson Ultimicron panels have been used in the viewfinders of top-of-the-line digital cameras including the critically acclaimed Olympus OM-D E-M5, which has recently won the coveted PhotographyBLOG Camera of the Year 2012 award. The new panel will be exhibited at Epson’s booth at CP+ 2013 in Yokohama, Japan, from 31 January to 3 February 2013.

Reallusion has released FaceFilter3, the latest version of its acclaimed photo retouching and beautification toolkit. The template-based system allows users to quickly and easily apply “extremely detailed and natural-looking” makeup styles for each specific facial feature, then customise and save them for future use. The ability to selectively morph and adjust individual facial features allows for precise facial enhancement and subtle changes in expression. FaceFilter3 PRO version is available at the Reallusion Store for £69.99. The add-on bundle package with FaceFilter3 PRO, Makeup PRO, and bonus content is available for £99.99.

The 2013 Fotoura International Street Photography Awards competition is now open for entries. Open to photographers all over the world, the awardsl include Open and Student categories and are centred around the theme, “Hometown.” Entrants may upload between 5 and 8 images to the competition’s website, and the deadline for entries is 12 February 2013. The entry fee is £30 (£15 for students), with all entrants receiving a £30 voucher to print their own Blurb book. The winners and a selection of the best entries to this competition will be shown in an exhibition in central London in Spring 2013. The first prize winner will receive £2000 cash, an exhibition of their work in London, a camera and £100 book publishing voucher. As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

On 31st January the Manfrotto School of Xcellence will host a free webinar presented by award-winning photographer Steve Gosling. Beginning at 4pm GMT, the online seminar entitled Floral Art – Creative Flower & Plant Photography will centre on the theme of how to move beyond a botanical record shot of plants and flowers to produce an image that concentrates primarily on shape, form, colour, texture and pattern. In this webinar, Steve will cover the aesthetics of photography (composition and design) as well as describe a variety of creative techniques. He will also provide some practical hints and tips on the technical challenges faced by the flower & plant photographer. The event is free to attend but advance registration is required.

Website: Manfrotto School of Xcellence Webinar Registration

Sony has expanded its E-mount lens range with a pancake lens, the 30mm equivalent Sony E 20mm f/2.8. Featuring an optical formula comprising six elements in six groups and a seven-bladed iris diaphragm that stops down to f/16, the lens weighs in at a mere 69 grams.  Claimed to produce “excellent contrast, resolution and clarity across the frame for both still image and full HD video shooting,” the Sony E 20mm f/2.8 SEL20F28 wide-angle prime lens will be available this April for about $350.

Furthermore, Sony has announced that the 18-200mm OSS power zoom, originally offered only as a kit lens for the NEX-VG30 camcorder, will now be available for purchase as a stand-alone product, starting this March for about $1200.