Christopher Walker Art has announced a major solo exhibition for new artist Nicky Taylor at The Strand Gallery, London from June 11th-17th. “The title [The Return to Beauty] is close to the Artist’s heart, as it represents a rebellion against what he sees as the monopoly of ‘fashionable,’ ‘shock photography,’’ which limits its subject matter to the grotesque and the shocking, the ugly, or the perverted,” the organisers say. “The viewer of Nicky Taylor’s work is lifted out of the urban environment to confront the awesome majesty of Nature. Explore the Salkantay trail to Savage Mountain in South America, rising to 20,000 feet above sea level, or plunge down into the depths of the ocean to experience the depths, and the almost alien like creatures that it supports.” The Strand Gallery is located at 32 John Adam Street,London WC2N 6BP. The exhibition is accompanied by the release of an 11” x 8.5” coffee table book of the same title, featuring 75 full colour photographs..

Kenko Tokina has re-announced its lightweight 300mm mirror lens for Micro Four Thirds. Now named the “Tokina Reflex 300mm f/6.3 Macro,” the lens measures only 66x66mm (length x diameter) and weighs in at a mere 300 grams - remarkable figures for a lens whose angle of view is similar to that of a 600mm optic in a 35mm system. Like the vast majority of mirror lenses, the Tokina Reflex 300mm f/6.3 Macro is a manual-focus lens with a fixed aperture. The lens takes 55mm filters, focuses down to 0.8m and offers a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2 (hence the “macro” designation), In Japan, the Tokina Reflex 300mm f/6.3 Macro is scheduled to go on sale next month for 40,000 yen excluding taxes.

Source: Kenko Tokina

In May, Think Tank Photo will release its first four-wheeled rolling camera bag, the Airport 4-Sight. Accommodating a pro dSLR camera with four to five lenses, the Airport 4-Sight meets international airline carry-on standards. “The Airport 4-Sight is in a class by itself,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s co-founder and lead designer.  “It appeals to frequent flyers or anyone who seeks ease in transporting gear. Smart design features like reduced overall weight and increased manoeuvrability, ergonomics and capacity make this rolling camera bag a breakthrough in the industry.” Available next month, the Airport 4-Sight can be yours for $299.75.

Fine Art America has announced a photo contest offering photographers around the world the opportunity to have their work featured in a 30-second Fine Art America television commercial. The submission deadline is 31st May but note that the open voting period also ends on that day so it is recommended that you enter your work as soon as possible. Photographs that have received at least 250 votes from the general public will become eligible for final selection by a jury of Fine Art America staff members and industry professionals such as Bob Riha, veteran USA TODAY photographer; and Craig T. Mathews of Mathew Imaging, among others. The panel of jurors will have until 15th June to cast their votes. Each of the five winners will have one of his or her images displayed on air for five seconds while a voiceover artist explains the Fine Art America business model and the virtues of buying artwork from living artists and photographers. Each image will fill the entire frame and will include the photographer’s headshot, name and hometown overlaid at the bottom left corner.

JP Distribution has announced the UK availability of the Tiltpod mini-stand for the Apple iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Billed as “the world’s smallest always-ready camera stand,” the Tiltpod features a quick-connect ball pivot and magnetic base, which can be easily attached to and detached from the iPhone 4/4S. Measuring 2.0"x1.5"x0.4”, the Tiltpod retails for £12.99 including VAT.

M.I.C. Gadget has announced a memory card reader for the new iPad. Available in the M.I.C. Store for $32.90, the device allows users to transfer files from Compact Flash, SD and micro SD cards, or directly from the camera via USB. The card reader is claimed to have been tested to work with 600X Compact Flash and Class 10 / UHS-I SD cards.

In June 2012, Aperture will release a newly expanded and updated reissue of Lynne Cohen’s first monograph, Occupied Territory. “In the nearly twenty years of work contained in the book, Cohen turns her view camera toward classrooms, science laboratories, testing facilities, waiting rooms, and other interior spaces where function triumphs over aesthetics,” the publisher says. “In cool, functional offices, futuristic reception areas, lifeless party rooms, escapist motel rooms, and haunting killing chambers, Cohen surveys a society of surface, contradiction, and social engineering.” The 144-page hardback includes 102 duotone images and sells for $60/£40.

McAfee All Access is a multi-platform security solution developed in response to photographers’ demands to protect their image libraries. Enabling users to secure smartphones, tablets, netbooks, PCs and Macs with the optimal level of security protection for each device; McAfee All Access protects images from theft and malicious attacks. “You can even track, lock, or remotely wipe your missing smartphone or tablet – enabling even greater security for the images that you have built up over a sustained period of time,” the company says. Pricing for McAfee All Access is based on a single user or family user license, regardless of the number of devices they need to secure.  McAfee All Access is available from £69.99 including VAT from Argos, Amazon, John Lewis and other stockists. The software bundle is available for Android, Blackberry, MacOS, Symbian and Windows (excluding Windows Mobile) operating systems.

Bron Imaging and Hasselblad USA have announced an agreement through which the two companies will merge their operations in the United States. Effective immediately, the agreement creates a combined company called Hasselblad Bron, which “will leverage the strengths of two of the professional photo industry’s leading distributors and allow the sales, marketing and customer support divisions to provide higher levels of service”. Under terms of the merger, Hasselblad Bron will be a single entity providing support for all of the brands of the combined company. The transaction will only impact the two American organisations of Bron Imaging Group U.S. and Hasselblad USA. Hasselblad AB (Sweden), Bron Elektronik AG (Switzerland) and other related suppliers will remain independent companies.

ChromaLuxe has just announced the availability of its new HD Metal Circle Photo Panels. These new circle panels add diversity to the company’s extensive line-up of vivid photo panels, which transform photographs into a focal point of any wall décor, ChromaLuxe claims. As with all ChromaLuxe HD metal photo panels, the new circle panels present an archival-quality, highly scratch-resistant surface that is waterproof and resistant to UV rays and other damaging elements that would easily destroy standard paper prints. Offered in 8”, 11”, 16” or 20” diameters, the HD Metal Circle Photo Panels are available through a range of participating professional photo labs in the United States, Australia and Europe, including the UK.

Nikon has issued an important announcement regarding the EN-EL15 battery used in the Nikon D7000, D800, D800E and Nikon 1 V1 cameras. “While Nikon takes great measures to assure high quality products, it has come to our attention that a certain number of EN-EL15 batteries manufactured by one of our suppliers did not meet Nikon’s internal quality standards,” the company said in a statement. “In extremely rare cases, this may cause the battery to overheat and the exterior casing to become deformed.” If you use one or more of these batteries, check the lot number (the alphanumeric character string located at the bottom of the name plate) - if the ninth character is an E or an F, then the battery needs to be replaced. To request a replacement battery, call or e-mail Nikon’s Customer Support Department.

Photography Blog now has its very own Facebook page. Check it out for all the latest news, reviews and some exclusive competitions that we’ll be running soon…

Photography Blog on Facebook

Phase One has released Capture One 6.4. This update adds support for the brand new Leaf Credo medium-format digital backs, the Nikon D4, Nikon D800/D800E and Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR cameras, provides tethered support for the Nikon D5100 and adds compatibility with Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera raw files. You can download the upgrade from the website below.

Website: Phase One

Canon U.S.A. has issued a product advisory to users of its EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera. According to the company, “when the LCD panel illuminates in extremely dark environments, the displayed exposure value may change”. Canon says that this change in exposure value will not noticeably affect the captured image, but if you would like them to inspect your camera, they will provide this service free of charge upon request beginning in mid-May.

Beyond Point-and-Shoot by Darrell Young is a new title from Rocky Nook. Assuming little to no knowledge of photographic terms, techniques, or technology, this book is intended to help smooth the transition from photographic newbie to “real” photographer who is experienced, in-control, and passionate about their craft. Additionally, the author takes an in-depth look at camera types, lenses, aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity, metering and shooting controls, colour spaces, interpreting histograms and more. You can pre-order the print edition for $29.95 or buy the electronic version now for $13.95.

Canon has posted a firmware update for its EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera. According to the company, Version 1.1.2 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Supports a new accessory, GPS receiver GP-E2.
2. Fixes a phenomenon where a pink cast may develop over the image when the shutter is completely pressed with the camera’s power turned off (by the auto power off setting).
3. Fixes a phenomenon where the camera operation stops after one shot when shooting in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode.
4. Fixes a phenomenon where the Shooting Date/Time in the EXIF data of the image shows a later time than the actual shooting time.
5. Fixes the time zone for the Samoa Islands.
6. Corrects errors in the Finnish menu screen. (Products for the Japanese market do not display the Finnish menu.)

Website: Canon U.S.A.

Coolirish has launched a completely redesigned LiveShare that combines photo sharing, text messaging and other communication features into a “visually exciting experience across mobile and Web”. The new version allows the user to easily reply to conversations from any device using email without even having to launch the LiveShare app. In addition, the multi-shot camera mode enables the user to capture rapid action photos and immediately upload the burst of photos into a beautifully organised collage. The full-featured Web version optimises for the desktop experience with full-screen viewing and drag-and-drop bulk uploads. The all-new LiveShare is available today for free in the iTunes App Store and on the Web at the website below.

The Lomographic Society has announced a trio of new, special-edition cameras. Comprising the Diana F+ Neptune Green (£89), the Diana Mini Coral Fusion (£99) and the Fisheye 2 Faded Denim (£79), the Monochrome Editions are aimed at devoted Lomographers as well as film photography aficionados in general. The range also includes a whole selection of matching camera cases and straps. The Lomography Monochrome Edition is available from the Lomography Online Shop.