Hannah Millard a freelance wedding photographer has been crowned Best New Wedding Photographer in the first-ever Hitched.co.uk Breakthrough Awards (HBAs). The HBAs is an award scheme which recognises the creativity and talent of newcomers to the wedding market using expert judges and a transparent voting system to identify the best new work of 2011. After receiving her certificate Hannah said “Entering the hitched.co.uk Breakthrough Awards was a great opportunity for me to review my work to date. As with many businesses the focus has to be forward-facing but by looking back at my portfolio I could see how my business has developed. This was the first award scheme I have entered and to win through a process of both expert selection and public voting is especially rewarding.”

The Silver Eye Center for Photography in Pittsburgh has issued a call for entries for its international photography competition Fellowship 12. Each entrant has to submit eight images from a cohesive, exhibition-ready body of work created within the past three years, accompanied by a CV in PDF format. The deadline for entries is 15 January 2012, at 11:59:59 pm EST. Toe enter, visit the website below. Do note that entry fees apply.

Topaz Labs have released a major update to their Topaz Adjust Photoshop plug-in. Version 5 includes an intuitive selective adjustment brush, over 100 new presets for a faster workflow, effect stacking, transparency control, a new finishing touches tab and a number of other user-requested features.“For Adjust 5, our challenge was to make it better without taking anything away from the success of the previous version. We were able to take our recent technological advances in user interface customization and program architecture, introduced in our recent B&W Effects and Lens Effects programs, and blend them with the existing Adjust infrastructure,” said Jawad Malik, developer for Topaz Labs. The plug-in retails for $49.99 and is also available as part of the $299.99 Topaz Photoshop Bundle.

Nikon’s iP-PJ Transfer App enables users of the Nikon Coolpix S1200pj digital compact camera to project content stored on an iPhone or iPod touch using the camera’s built-in projector. Until now, content that could be projected using an iOS device and the Coolpix S1200pj was limited to slideshows and the streaming of YouTube videos but the iP-PJ also enables projection of individual photos and thumbnails. Available now, the app is a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Olympus has released firmware updates for the Olympus PEN Lite and PEN Mini, also known as the Olympus E-PL3 and E-PM1. Version 1.1 for both models improves reliability while using an Eye-Fi card. You can update the camera firmware from within the Digital Camera Updater software, while the camera connected to the computer.

Nikon has updated its ‘my Picturetown Pad’ App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to include iOS 5 support. The app gives users of the company’s my Picturetown image sharing and storage service a convenient way to access their photos and movies from any supported iOS device. Moreover, the ‘my Picturetown Pad’ app also allows Motion Snapshots generated with the Nikon 1 V1 and J1 cameras to be played back on the user’s iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. The app is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II full-frame digital SLR camera. According to the manufacturer, version 2.1.1 incorporates the following fixes and improvements:

1. Fixes a phenomenon where shooting stops after capturing one image when in continuous shooting or the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) continuous shooting setting.
2. Corrects wording in the Dutch language menu screen.

The firmware update can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Canon

The Lomographic Society has announced that three of their most popular Lomography plastic cameras are now available in a Special Gold Edition. The new versions of the Fisheye 2, the Diana F+ and the Diana Mini are available for £89, £99 and £109, respectively.

The newest collection of Etre Touchy gloves has just gone on sale in the UK. Etre Touchy gloves are a stylish, fun and practical way to keep your hands warm while fiddling with your gear outdoors. Originally targeted at users of mobile phones, music players and portable games systems, these gloves - which have missing thumb and index fingertips - have also proven popular with photographers. Available from leading fashion stores, including Selfridges, Park & Bond and YMC, Etre Touchy Gloves retail at £35.

Behind Photographs – Archiving Photographic Legends is a new book by world-renowned photographer Tim Mantoani. Successfully funded through a Kickstarter project, the book is Mantoani’s personal mission to introduce the world to the photographers behind some of the world’s most quintessential images. Using the rare and mammoth format of 20X24 Polaroid, Mantoani documented these photographers holding one of their favorite or most iconic photographs.Featured photographers include legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall holding a photograph of the late Johnny Cash during his legendary concert at San Quentin Prison, Neil Leifer posing with his famous shot of Muhammad Ali standing and gesturing over a knocked out Sonny Liston, Harry Benson with his epic photo of The Beatles having a pillow fight and Steve McCurry’s famed portrait of the Afghan Girl from the cover of National Geographic. At the bottom of each Polaroid, the photographer has been asked to comment about their image in their own penmanship. Published by ChannelPhotographics, the book is available for $60. There is also a limited-edition version, which includes a set of nine 8"x12” individual prints ($295).

Zoner Software has released a new version of its flagship software Zoner Photo Studio. Among the most important new features are new editing functions - such as Tone Mapping and ‘Fill with Surroundings’, CUDA/OpenCL support, and direct integration with the Zonerama web photo sharing service. Zoner Photo Studio 14 PRO is offered at a price of $69.99, while the HOME edition is available for $34.99. A free, 30-day trial version can be downloaded from the developer’s website.

The new “Quick Shoot Strap” accessory from Hama gives you quick access to your camera while working in the field. “The strap is easily attached to a threaded plate on the tripod socket of the camera and can go from carrying position to the desired shooting position in a flash without having to move the entire camera strap,” the company says. The Hama Quick Shoot Strap also features 18 air cushions in the shoulder pad for added comfort. The product is available for a recommended retail price of €49.99.

Ricoh has issued a firmware update for the Ricoh PX dust-, shock- and waterproof digital compact camera. Version 1.10 improves zooming speed and enhances the quality of the images displayed on the rear screen. The firmware upgrade can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Ricoh

DxO Labs has released DxO Film Pack 3.1, the latest version of its film simulation software. Compatible with Mac and Windows, DxO FilmPack 3.1 comes in 2 editions — Essential and Expert —, which differ in terms of number of film renditions and features. The two editions of DxO FilmPack 3.1 are available as standalone applications and as plugins for DxO Optics Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture. Both the Essential and Expert editions are now available for purchase in the DxO Labs online store and at photo resellers at a special €30 discount from now through 24th December.

Richmond-based photographer Cameron Texter has invented a new selective-focus lens for Canon and Nikon SLR cameras, called the Lynny. “The way it works is you push and pull the lens to and from the camera, and tilt the lens around to control where the blur is in the photo,” Texter says. “The Lynny is made from just an extension tube, macro filters, and gaffers tape, or electrical tape, and also 2 pipe clamps for having something to grip when pushing and pulling the lens to and from the camera.” The inventor has set up an IndieGoGo page to raise funds for the commercialisation of the Lynny. Interested readers are encouraged to check out the project’s website via the link below.

Website: Lynny on IndieGogo

Olympus has announced a new, silver version of the Olympus XZ-1 premium compact camera, Apart from the new body colour, the silver XZ-1 is identical to its matt black and white lacquered siblings. The silver-coloured Olympus XZ-1 is available for £399.99 from mid-December 2011. In addition, the company has also announced a new lens cap that features a sleek design, with a front cover that opens and closes automatically. Available from January, the black LC-63A lens cap costs £24.99.

X-Rite has announced a number of free webinars for the month of November. The first online seminar, starting tomorrow at 2pm EST and hosted by Winifred Whitfield, is entitled “Take your images to WOW!”. In this webinar, Winifred will demonstrate how precise colour management and Nik Software give her the competitive edge to produce her stylized images. Other topics for November include “Stop Guessing - Start Knowing! Accurate Monitor Colour with X-Rite”, “Beyond Monitor Calibration - Get Prints That Match Your Display!” and “Improve your Colour Management Skills”. Click through / read on for the exact webinar dates and times.