Grammy Award-winning Soundgarden is launching a 17-city summer tour and is inviting aspiring photographers to submit their best photograph of an event for the chance to join the band on one date of the tour. Soundgarden will choose 17 winners from all qualified submissions with special consideration for the top voted entries. Each winner will be given a VIP Guest Photo Pass for one date of Soundgarden’s 2011 North American tour to photograph the band during their live performance. (Note that travel and accommodation is the responsibility of each winner.) The submission deadline is 5 June 2011. As with every photography competition, we recommend that you read the rules before submitting your entry.

Website: Talenthouse / Photograph Soundgarden

Photographers wanting to show off their skills are invited by Serif to enter the new PhotoPlus competition, which runs until 26 June 2011. “We are calling photography enthusiasts across the world to submit photographs that they have improved using the extensive range of features in any version of our photo editing software, PhotoPlus,” says Gary Bates, Managing Director at Serif. Individuals entering the competition – sponsored by Jessops and Digital Photo magazine – will be in with a chance of winning over £1,800 worth of prizes including an HP laptop, a Sony Alpha A55 DSLR with an 18-55mm lens, the full suite of Serif software, a canvas print of their winning image and a year’s subscription to Digital Photo magazine. To take part, simply visit the website below. As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

At this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a set of large-format printed images are incorporated into the external landscape to showcase the work of contemporary landscape photographer David Anthony Hall. Measuring up to 3m x 1.5m, the panoramic images have been produced on a Canon imagePROGRAF iPF9100 large format printer (pictured) by Canon UK’s distributor, Surrey-based Velmex Distribution. Hall comments: “By integrating my images into the concept garden, I’m hoping to challenge convention and stimulate a debate around the placement of art outdoors. I also want to show how it can brighten up difficult outdoor spaces, including courtyard gardens, by adding depth, colour and a focal point to these areas.”

Photoshelter today released Starting a Photography Business - the latest free e-book in their ongoing educational series. The new guide shares case studies based on the experiences of the last six College Photographer of the Year winners as well as guidance from leading photography business experts. Topics covered include writing a business plan, creating a business entity, the cost of doing business, pricing considerations, getting an agent etc. Starting a Photography Business is available for download at the website below.

Datacolor’s SpyderGallery is a new free app for the Apple iPad. The app provides an easy-to-use calibration utility for Spyder3 owners to create a custom colour profile on their iPad. Using the Spyder3, the app will measure and profile colour on the iPad and then apply colour correction to images displayed through the SpyderGallery. Viewing images through the colour-managed viewer will allow for more accurate colours and provide users with a closer match to desktop monitors and other colour-managed displays. SpyderGallery for iPad is available as a free download from the App Store.

Redrock Micro has announced new Universal Bundles for video DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D and 7D. Redrock is shipping seven universal bundles: one for each of the popular product lines - nano, handheld, shouldermount, and studio - and two “master” bundles that build multiple rigs across product families. The Complete Universal Bundle enables customers to build every HDSLR rig Redrock currently offers. In addition to support for DSLR cameras, the Universal Bundles can be easily adapted for use with the latest video cameras such as the Panasonic AG-AF100, Canon XF300, and Sony PMW-F3. Pricing varies based on configuration and starts at $1,276.

Canon today announced updated availability dates for five of its EF lenses. The Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM zooming fisheye lens ($1,399, pictured) will be released late July, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM ($6,599) and EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM ($10,499) telephoto primes are scheduled to be available in late August, while the Canon EF 500mm F4L IS II USM ($9,499) and EF 600mm F4L IS II USM ($11,999) superteles will likely hit the shops in December.

The Association of Photographers (AOP) has announced that photographer Pedro Alvarez will be the guest speaker at the next AOP Careers Talk. Every month the AOP offers the opportunity to listen to an experienced member talk about their journey into the photography industry. The June event will take place from 3pm-5pm on Wednesday, 29th June. The address is 81 Leonard Street EC2A 4QS, London. Entry is free.

Website: Pedro Alvarez

Photo: © Pedro Alvarez

Nikon today filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Sigma over the manufacture and sale of stabilised lenses. Reuters reports that Nikon is seeking 12.6 billion yen in damages, claiming that Sigma has infringed some of its patents related to lens-based vibration reduction (optical image stabilisation). “Although Nikon attempted to resolve Sigma’s patent infringement through negotiation, a non-adversarial resolution could not be reached,” Nikon said in a statement. “Consequently, Nikon concluded that filing a lawsuit was the only way it could protect its intellectual property.”

The Hasselblad H4D-200MS medium-format digital SLR camera, which is capable of creating 200-megapixel files thanks to its multi-shot technology, is now available. In 2008, the company announced its first integrated multi-shot camera - the H3DII-39MS - which was followed more recently by the H3DII-50MS and the H4D-50MS. As a further development of the H4D-50MS technology, the H4D-200MS utilises Hasselblad’s patented piezo frame module, which now captures 6 shots and combines them into a 200-megapixel file. Designed for studio photographers, the Hasselblad H4D-200MS is ideal for capturing images of stationary items such as cars, jewelry, artwork and other high-end products. The H4D-200MS is available now for €32,000+tax. H4D-50MS owners have the option of upgrading their systems for €7,000+tax.

Tenba has just announced the new Discovery collection of lightweight bags for photographers with an active outdoor lifestyle. This new collection includes an adventure-friendly Photo/Hydration Daypack and a camera Shoulder Bag (pictured) that provides quick access to a large camera system. The Photo/Hydration Daypack weighs only 2.4 pounds and features a hydration-ready rear compartment that fits a reservoir up to 72 ounces. This rear pocket can also be used for a slim tablet or laptop up to 11 inches. A pop-out, padded camera insert fits any size DSLR with 4-6 lenses and accessories, and the insert can be removed to convert the bag for non-photo use. Weighing less than 2 pounds, the Shoulder Bag provides quick access to 1-2 DSLR bodies and 5-7 lenses, plus flash and accessories. An overlapping top zipper closure protects against the elements, and padded side cargo pockets have cutaway openings for easy retrieval of equipment. The new Discovery bags are available now at suggested retail prices from $119.95 to $129.95 for the Shoulder Bag and Daypack, respectively.

The Photographer’s Guide to Silver Efex Pro 2 is a new e-book from Luminescence of Nature Press. This PDF guide, written by photographer Jason P. Odell, includes detailed screen shots and examples of every control in the plug-in, as well as how and why you use them. It also covers workflows for users of Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, and Nikon’s Capture NX2. In addition to the PDF manual, Dr. Odell has also produced a set of companion videos which reinforce the concepts described in the eBook. The Photographer’s Guide to Silver Efex Pro 2 is available from Luminescence of Nature Press for $24.99, or $44.99 together with the Mastering Silver Efex Pro 2 video companions via direct download from the website below.

Adobe has released version 3.4.1 of Lightroom and version 6.4.1 of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). The update comes after a revelation by Adobe that there’s a “potentially severe bug” in Lightroom 3.4 and ACR 6.4. The newly released versions contain a fix for this bug.

Website: ACR 6.4.1 for Mac | ACR 6.4.1 for Windows
Website: Lightroom 3.4.1 for Mac | Lightroom 3.4.1 for Windows

International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) is reminding interested photographers that the deadline for entries for the spring edition of its 4Seasons competition is 31st May. The theme is ‘New Mornings’ and the organisers are looking for fresh images illustrating new life, growth, and energy. To enter the competition, visit the website below. Do note that entries cost £10 for 4 images.

Lomographer Francesco Capponi has created what he calls the ‘Pinhegg’ - a pinhole camera made of an egg. “Since I started pin-holing the world, I have had the strong desire to make a special camera, with the purpose of shooting just one photograph,” he says. “The purpose was to sacrifice the camera in the process of photo creation – I wanted the camera to become the photograph.” It took him a lot of time and effort to produce the ‘Pinhegg’, but through trial and error he “finally found the right recipe” for his invention. If you want to know how he did it - and how you can make your own - visit the website below.

Website: Lomography Magazine

Dreamix Studios have updated their Album App to version 2.0.  The app lets you scale, rotate and move photos with a single touch, add pages to your album and get creative with the layout or use one of the 30+ predefined templates. With only a single tap you select a photo from your photo library and it will auto position on the spot you tapped on. Version 2.0 brings a range of new features to edit albums and share pages on Facebook or Twitter, and the ability to e-mail complete albums. Album App 2.0 is $1.99 on iTunes.

Photoshelter has announced a new free webinar entitled, “How We Hire Photographers”. Building on Photoshelter’s recent guide, What Buyers Want from Photographers, this webinar sheds light on what potential clients love and hate about photographer promotions. Attendees will learn how to create effective promotions that capture attention and turn into new business, where they go to find new talent, and how to avoid common mistakes that drive them crazy. Taking place tomorrow, 25th May, from 4pm to 5pm EDT; the “How We Hire Photographers” webinar consists of two thirty-minute interviews with Erin Fagerland, Martha Stewart Living’s Assistant Picture Researcher & Special Projects Photo Editor and Kat Dalager, Manager of Print Production at advertising agency Campbell Mithun. Interested readers can register at the website below.

Website: How We Hire Photographers Webinar Registration

Ilford has announced that ICC profiles to maximise results when using the Ilford Galerie range of print media on the latest Canon printers are available for free at the Ilford website. Thanks to the Ilford ICC profiles, professional photographers using Galerie media with the new Canon printers (to wit, the imagePROGRAF iPF6300S and iPF8300S models) can take full advantage of the colour possibilities. The wide colour gamut achieved includes superb blacks, clear whites and rich jewel tones for sharp contrast and vivid images, the company says.