The Italian coffee brand Lavazza has recently started a worldwide initiative aimed at discovering up-and-coming photographic talent. Themes such as Travel and Seduction have been proposed by Lavazza with the creative direction of Italian designer Fabio Novembre in order to inspire participants to unleash their creativity. Photographers may upload a maximum of 20 photos in JPEG format through the website below, or using the “Lavazza 20Calendars” app, available as a free download from the iTunes App Store. The deadline for entries is Sunday, 25 September 2011. The resolution of the photos submitted must be 1200x1200 pixels. As always, we suggest that you read the Terms and Conditions before entering your work.

Bowens has launched a new website dedicated to American photographers. The site contains latest information on over two hundred Bowens products complete with brochures, operating instructions and exclusive ‘how to’ videos developed by some of the world’s top photo-lighting experts. Also, American customers can buy directly from the website and have their goods shipped rapidly by UPS delivery from the company’s dedicated Chicago warehouse.

Nikon were showcasing prototypes of future lenses and accessories for their brand new Nikon 1 compact camera system.

In addition to the V1, J1, four lenses and various accessories, there were seven more lenses on display, including macro, super telephoto, portrait, high-power travel zoom and standard prime lenses.

Also being shown were no less than 16 different colour variants of the J1 camera, a macro light, a system light, a movie unit including an external LCD finder, microphone and battery pack, and a range of silicon camera covers.

Want to see what the new Nikon 1 V1 looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on images showing off the new Nikon 1 V1 compact system camera from every angle.

We’ve also included a side-by-side comparison with the Olympus PEN Mini and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 to give you an idea of how big the Nikon V1 actually is.

Want to see what the new Nikon 1 J1 looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on images showing off the new Nikon 1 J1 compact system camera from every angle.

We’ve also included a side-by-side comparison with the Olympus PEN Mini and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 to give you an idea of how big the Nikon J1 actually is.

Want to see what the new Nikon 1 lenses and accessories look like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on images showing off the four new Nikon 1 lenses and various accessories from every angle.

Want to see what the new Nikon 1 J1 and Nikon 1 V1 look like in the flesh? Here’s a gallery of hands-on images showing off the new Nikon 1 V1 and J1 compact system cameras - as well as some of the new Nikon lenses - from every angle.

The Nikon 1 V1 is a new compact system camera with a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor and a high-resolution integrated electronic viewfinder. Featuring a 13,2x8,8mm imager with a “crop factor” of approximately 2.7, the Nikon 1 V1 weighs in at 383 grams including battery and memory card. The new Nikon 1 V1 also boasts an ultra-fast AF system as well as pre- and post-capture modes that help you avoid missed moments. The Nikon 1 V1 will be available in a kit with the new 10-30mm zoom for $899.95 / £829.99 / €962.00, starting mid-October.

The Nikon 1 J1 is an even smaller camera with a built-in flash, but no electronic viewfinder or Multi-Accessory Port. Both the Nikon 1 J1 and its lenses come in a variety of matching stylish colors, including white, pink, red, silver and black. The Nikon J1 offers the same core features as the more expensive V1 at a more affordable $649.95 / £549.99 / €638.00 with the 10-30mm zoom lens.

Along with the new cameras comes a new range of lenses and accessories, designed specifically for the Nikon 1 system. The lenses include a 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 30-110mm f/3.8 -5.6, 10mm f/2.8 and 10-100mm f4.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM, with future 1 NIKKOR lenses already in development. The Nikon 1 range of optional system accessories includes a SB-N5 Speedlight flash, GP-N100 GPS unit, and FT-1 mount adapter for attaching any NIKKOR DSLR lens (all AF-S and AF-I NIKKOR lenses are compatible with the Nikon 1 autofocus system).

The Federation of European Professional Photographers (FEP) has announced that the FEP European Fine Art Photograph of the Year Award is now open for entries. The competition is completely Web based, and each entrant may submit up to 3 pictures. The entry fee is €20 per photo (€10 for FEP members). The submission deadline is 8 January 2012. As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

Jean-baptiste Faudeux is the lucky winner of a new Sony DSC W570 digital camera, courtesy of Photography Blog and Idealo.

With its 5x optical zoom, Carl Zeiss lens, 2.7 inch screen and 16.1 mega-pixel camera, the Sony camera offers a simple to use interface and hassle-free portability, all encased in stylish brushed aluminium. For those who want to read our full review, it can be found here. If you aren’t lucky enough to win the camera, a quick price check shows it can be had in the UK for around £125; in the US as if often the case, the price is a little lower.

Idealo offers a wide selection of products to compare on everything related to photography, be it digital cameras, SLRs, tripods or bags. The price comparison search engine collates the latest prices from the largest e-commerce sites in the United Kingdom, allowing an easy overview of where the best photography deals can be found. Furthermore, as the results automatically include any available voucher codes to further reduce the overall cost, it saves the extra hassle of having to search for a discount after getting to the payment page of a chosen shop.

The Lights of Istanbul is a new book featuring over black-and-white photographs by Jean-Michel Berts. Using methods created by Ansel Adams, Berts makes photographs with 10-minute exposures, a technique combining overexposure of the film and underdeveloping of the negative, creating very rich textures. The Light of Istanbul is available for pre-order at Assouline Boutiques worldwide, for $60/£45/€38.

Speedlightprokit.co.uk has released a new collapsible beauty dish.Designed for portraiture, the dish consists of an inverted silvered cone mounted within a large white collar. The modifier is strapped to the flash so that its light is bounced back off the silvered surface onto the white material giving an even and flattering lift to the subject while eliminating hotspots and harsh shadows. The kit includes a diffuser dome and a second diffuser that stretches across the front of the unit to further soften the lighting where required. The Beauty Dish is available for £75 plus shipping.

The IRIS Nights lecture series, offered by The Annenberg Space for Photography, is now marking its 100th evening on September 29 with curator/gallery owner David Fahey and Mark McKenna of the Herb Ritts Foundation. Over the past two years, the series has served over 16,000 photography enthusiasts. Among the presenters have been celebrity portraitist Douglas Kirkland, who gave the very first lecture; fine art photographer Catherine Opie; photojournalist Steve McCurry, known for his photo of an Afghan refugee girl with strikingly vibrant eyes; Los Angeles’ own Gil Garcetti; environmental photographer Clyde Butcher; celebrity and beauty photographer Matthew Rolston; Director of Photography of National Geographic Magazine David Griffin; blind, underwater photographer Bruce Hall; photographer and rock musician Nikki Sixx; legendary sports photographers Neil Leifer and Walter Iooss, as well as Arctic photographer Paul Nicklen. The Annenberg Space for Photography is located at 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, California, and is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Alien Skin Software today announced Blow Up 3, a new version of its photo enlargement plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop Lightroom. “Blow Up 3 keeps edges sharp and smooth, even more so than in version 2,” the company claims. In addition to improvements to the upsampling algorithm, the new version also introduces a simpler, easier-to-use interface and benefits from faster batch processing.  Blow Up 3 will be available in November 2011 for $199.

Select new models of the Canon Pixma All-In-One inkjet printer line-up will now support AirPrint, wireless printing for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. “AirPrint allows users to wirelessly print photos, emails, web pages, and other documents without the need to install device drivers, saving time and making for a seamless user experience,” the company said in a statement. “AirPrint will initially be supported in three recently launched models from the Canon Pixma line-up, the Pixma MG8250, MG6250 and MG5350. Moving forward, AirPrint will be supported in the majority of Canon PIXMA inkjet printers launched from this date onwards.”

This October, prestigious East London gallery theprintspace is celebrating the winning entries from the Black+White Photographer of the Year 2011 competition. This year’s contest attracted thousands of images from around the world. The title “Black+White Photographer of the Year 2011” has been awarded to Binh Trinh for his set of three nudes. The winning images will be exhibited from 7th to 26th October at theprintspace gallery, 74 Kingsland Road, London. Admission is free.

Nikon are running an online teaser campaign dubbed “I Am Coming” with a countdown of less than 34 hours. Recent Nikon rumours include the launch of new professional DSLRs and the company’s venture into compact system cameras. It seems that only time will tell (33 hours, 11 minutes and 8 seconds, to be exact)...

Website: I Am Coming

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 is the newest version of the best-selling consumer photo-editing software. Photoshop Elements 10 features enhanced content-intelligent tools powered by the same engine that fuels Photoshop, including Guided Edits like Depth of Field and Picture Stack. Photoshop Elements 10 Windows and Mac is available for a suggested retail price of $99.99 / £79.99. Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Adobe Premiere Elements 10 are available as a bundle, priced at $149.99 / £119.99.

Adobe Premiere Elements 10 provides amazing tools that help make the most out of every video. Enhancing visual clarity is even easier with Adobe Photoshop’s color correction technology for video, including new one-click tools and pro-style corrections for perfect color throughout each movie. New InstantMovie themes automatically create compelling videos in seconds. Adobe Premiere Elements 10 for Windows and Mac is available for a suggested retail price of $99.99 / £79.99. Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Adobe Premiere Elements 10 are available as a bundle, priced at $149.99 / £119.99.