UK photography agency Balcony Jump has launched a series of photography workshops. This two?day intensive workshop is designed for photographers of all stages in their career, who are looking to improve their photographic, marketing and business skills. The course will cover many areas of photography from fashion to still life, with something for everyone trying to improve or break into the photographic industry. The workshop will be held on 8-9 December 2012 at a premier photographic studio in London, with all equipment, lunch and refreshments included on both days. Attendance is limited to 15 people.

X-Rite has announced its schedule of free November 2012 webinars. Taking place from 10am and 1pm EST on 6th November, the first webinar is entitled “Professional Monitor Calibration for Still & Video.” This brief session will review how to access and utilize the video presets in i1Profiler software and will briefly look at use of X-Rite’s ColorCheckers in the video footage as a visual reference. The second webinar, “Simply Amazing Color. Take control of your monitor, printer and camera!” starts at 3pm and 7pm EST on 8th November, and gives users the opportunity to ask questions and understand each solution in detail so they can make the right decision on what ColorMunki family solution is for them. During the third online seminar, entitled “Landscape Editing and Enhancements with Photoshop CS6,” professional photographer Joe Brady will talk about how to enhance landscape images using Adobe Photoshop. This webinar is taking place from 11am and 1pm EST on 15th November.

Acme Made has released a brand new collection of bags for cameras, called ‘Montgomery Street’. The collection includes a range of four bags – from pouch to backpack – designed to carry an array of gadgets, cameras and accessories.  Three models within the range Montgomery Street Kit Bag, Courier and Backpack) also incorporate a brand new design feature: The FlexFold System. This unique feature gives total flexibility to change the layout of the bag from a fully protected camera bag, to a stylish work or travel bag for everyday use. Prices range from £25 for the Montgomery Street Case to £85 for the Montgomery Street Backpack. The range of products can be purchased via Harrods, Dixons Travel, John Lewis online and Acme Made themselves.

Lomography has launched a new 6x12 film camera. The Belair X 6-12 enables users to take pictures in 3 different formats: regular 6x9 photos, 6x6 squares or 6x12 panoramas. This versatile camera has an interchangeable lens system, allowing you to attach either a 90mm standard lens or a 58mm wide-angle lens; features an aperture-priority auto-exposure system; and comes complete with a flash hot-shoe. Three versions of the Belair X 6-12, including the Special Belair X 6-12 Globetrotter Edition in snakeskin effect leather are now available for preorder at 30% off launch price. Each one includes a 90mm lens and a 58mm Wide-angle Lens. Prices start at £199.

The Board of Trustees of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund announced that Brooklyn, New York photographer Peter van Agtmael is the recipient of the prestigious 2012 W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography for Disco Night September 11, an American view of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The project earned Mr. van Agtmael a $30,000 grant to continue focussing on these wars, subjects that otherwise would be difficult to finance.

America’s National Parks: An Insider’s Guide to Unforgettable Places and Experiences is a new coffee table book edited by Scott Kirkwood. “We recognize that national parks are among the most photographed places on the planet,” Kirkwood says, “so when we set out to create this book, we made a conscious effort to pick images that show off these places in a new light.  When you page through this book, you’ll know you’re looking at American icons like Arches, Glacier, and Yellowstone; but you’ll see these sites in ways that you haven’t quite seen before.  You’ll also be introduced to a lot of parks that aren’t household names — but should be.” America’s National Parks: An Insider’s Guide to Unforgettable Places and Experiences retails for $24.95.

Pentax will exhibit and demonstrate several of its new products including its new flagship K-5 II digital SLR, point-and-shoot models, and compact system cameras, as well as new lenses and accessories at PhotoPlus Expo 2012, Additionally, Pentax will have its largest booth space at the show to date, measuring 1,200 square feet. And, attendees who visit the Pentax booth can pick up a rebate form for substantial savings on a wide variety of Pentax DSLR cameras as well as register in a daily drawing for a chance to win a K-30 DSLR camera kit with DA L 18-55mm lens. PhotoPlus Expo 2012 is taking place from 24-27 October 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Samsung today announced a cash back initiative for customers purchasing a camera from the Samsung SMART range. The offers available include £100 cash back upon purchasing a Samsung NX20, the Samsung NX210 also comes with £100 cash back and the Samsung NX1000 comes with £50. The Samsung MV900F and the Samsung EX2F also come with £50 whilst the Samsung ST200 and DV300F come with £20, the Samsung QF20 camcorder comes with £30. Once a SMART camera has been purchased, a pre paid visa card loaded with cash will be sent back to the customer via post.

AsukaBook UK and Ireland has announced the launch of a number of new high-end photo-book products. The company now offers lay flat binding for every product size from 5 x5 to 12 x12. Other upgrades and improvements include matt cover options across all ranges, a new 12-side DVD presentation book option, a new matt option for deluxe presentation box on the Zen Layflat Impact range, and more.

Vanguard USA has announced mail-in rebates on three series of tripods, heads, and camera bags. Photographers who purchase any Alta Pro tripod between now and 31st December will receive up to a $50 mail-in rebate—-  $50 for carbon fibre models, $25 for aluminium. Those who buy any BBH ball head will receive $25. Finally, those who purchase any UP-Rise series backpack, sling or messenger camera bag are entitled to a $15 mail-in rebate. This excludes zoom bags (14z, 15z, 16Z) and shoulder bags (15,18, 22). Rebates can be claimed by completing the official rebate form.

Contour today announced the ContourROAM2 full HD action camera that introduces several new consumer-requested updates, fine-tuned video quality and a simple, user-friendly interface. The main features of the camera include a 270° rotating lens, locking instant on-record switch, four HD modes up to 1080p/60fps, waterproofing down to 1m without a case, interval shooting and compatiblitity with Contour’s extensive collection of camera mounts. The ContourROAM2 will be available for $199 at Best Buy stores and Bestbuy.com as well as select speciality retailers on 21st October.

Sony has posted a firmware update for the Sony NEX-7 compact system camera. The update allows users to disable the movie record button to avoid the risk of accidental operation during still shooting; and adds wider 1EV, 2EV and 3EV steps to the list of exposure bracketing options. Further enhancements include improved auto image review, improved image quality with wide-angle lenses and improved indication when setting Flexible Spot AF Area. Registered owners of the Sony NEX-7 compact system camera can download the firmware update from the website below.

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera, enabling AF with lens-teleconverter combinations as slow as f/8. Furthermore during AI Servo AF shooting in low light,  viewfinder information is now illuminated, with the AF points blinking intermittently in red, allowing them to be easily confirmed whilst shooting, without affecting the metering of the scene. Firmware update v 1.1.1 is available to download now from the website below.

The UK team for Joby Gorillapod tripods has issued a warning to beware of fake Joby products which are circulating, reminding consumers that cheap imitations will not be of the same quality and may not meet UK safety standards. Loraine Morgan, Senior Marketing Manager for Joby in the UK said: ‘The quality of these products is poor and ultimately it is the consumer who suffers when they buy a product that does not deliver the function and reliability of a genuine JOBY product.’

Zoner Software has just released a new version of its photo software Zoner Photo Studio. New features in Version 15 include Quick Search, Folder Synchronisation, an all-new Import Module, Quick Edits, automatic backups, Quick Filters and a new tool that helps users emulate one of the effects achievable with a tilt-shift lens. Zoner Photo Studio is available for $69.99 and can be extended to all computers in a household for an additional $29.99.

Epson America has introduced two new additions to its line of Epson Perfection scanners. The Epson Perfection V37 and V370 Photo scanners both come with a high-rise 180-degree lid for scanning oversized artwork, 3D objects, photo albums and more. For added flexibility, the Epson Perfection V370 Photo includes a built-in 35mm transparency unit for scanning mounted slides, negatives and film strips in 135 format. The hardware resolution of these scanners is specified at 4800x9600dpi. The Epson Perfection V37 (MSRP $89.99) and Epson Perfection V370 Photo (MSRP $119.99) are now available exclusively from Epson.com, and will be available at Staples in mid-November. Both models include Epson’s one-year limited warranty.

Land Rover North America has teamed up with 500px.com for a photo competition. Hosted by 500px, the contest encourages Land Rover fans to submit a photographic story that will fulfill a theme associated with the Land Rover brand’s “go anywhere” spirit. Entries must be tagged with “Land Rover Story Challenge.” In November, five winners will be announced on both the Land Rover USA and 500px communities, and will be invited to use a Land Rover vehicle from the 2013 lineup year for up to two weeks. They will also win a contract for $10,000 and travel expenses. For a complete list of rules, visit the website below.