Sony Czech Republic have published the full manual for the new Sony NEX-C3 compact system camera (thanks to SonyAlphaRumours for spotting this). The widely rumoured Sony NEX C3 features a 16 megapixel sensor, tilting LCD screen, built-in pop-up flash, stereo sound, a new range of Picture Effects and will be smaller than the year-old NEX-3 model that it replaces. Interestingly, the manual also makes reference to a NEX-5C model, not sure if this is just a typo…

The login details for the public download site are:
Username: czmanuals
Password: pooyaiD7

Download the Sony NEX-C3 Manual (Czech)

Sony Czech Republic have published the full Polish manual for the new Sony SLT-A35 DSLR camera (again thanks to SonyAlphaRumours). The widely rumoured Sony NEX A35 seems to be essentially the same as the A33 model that it replaces, with a few minor improvements including longer battery life and video recording times.

The login details for the public download site are:
Username: czmanuals
Password: pooyaiD7

Download the Sony SLT-A35 Manual (Polish)

The winners of the April 2011 Photography Blog Competition have been announced. The theme for April was “Candid” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Jewels in the Crowd by Simon K

Prize: X-Rite ColourChecker Passport
Kindly donated by X-Rite
http://www.xritephoto.com/

Bokeh by Arqball is an interactive e-book for the Apple iPad, designed to teach beginners about zooming, focusing, depth of field and exposure. Each lesson simulates the photographic process on a real scene as you interactively adjust a camera setting. “This book will appeal to enthusiasts who want to learn more of the science behind photography and how modern digital SLR cameras function,” the publisher says. Bokeh for iPad is available on iTunes for $1.99.

Mom’s Healthy Secrets has teamed up with PeopleJar to give away an all-expense paid week-long trip for two to Rancho La Puerta, Mexico. To enter, all you have to do is upload to PeopleJar a photo of your favourite place to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. The submission deadline is 1st June. At the end of the submission period, a panel of judges will select the grand prize winner based on originality, creativity, intrigue and the number of “likes” received on the PeopleJar website. The contest is open to adult Canadian and US residents only. As with every photo competition, we recommend that you read the rules before entering any photos.

Website: PeopleJar

OK, so you’ve captured the most precious moments of Kate and William’s wedding with your digicam - now it’s time to enter your photos in Yahoo!‘s photo contest for a chance to win a £5000 ‘honeymoon’. ‘The People’s Royal Wedding Album’ aims to capture the people’s take on the event. “Whether it’s photos of celebrations down the pub, your pet in royal regalia, camped in a sleeping bag on the Mall, a fantastic knitted souvenir… Yahoo!’s ‘People’s Royal Wedding Album’ wants to capture it all, hopefully with a sense of humour,” the organisers say. You can enter the competition by uploading your photos to the The People’s Royal Wedding Album group on Flickr. Make sure to go through your snaps and select the best ones quickly though, as the deadline for entries is 6 p.m. tomorrow, UK time. Do note that while any Flickr member can upload their photos, only UK residents aged 18 and above are eligible to win. As always, we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

Adobe UK is organising a free, one-off event in London to showcase the latest features of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5. The one-day event will be held at Vue Cinema in Fulham, starting at 9:00am and finishing at 4:00pm on 11 May 2011. “The workshop will be especially valuable to those that are on early Creative Suite versions such as CS3 or CS4 and who are keen to understand the value of upgrading,” Adobe says. You can register online at the website below.

The third issue of Landscape Photography Magazine is now available online. This edition includes a great variety of new articles and tutorials on topics like creative seascapes, preparations before a photo shoot, shooting under available night light, visiting Corfu and Higger Tor, shutter speed choice, and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. You can download the latest issue from the website below, after registration.

Website: Landscape Photography Magazine

RogueSheep today announced that an important update for its TouchUp App for iPad is now available from the App Store. The TouchUp app leverages the Apple iPad’s graphics processor and OpenGL graphics “to provide high-performance image editing in a refined user experience”. Users can apply a variety of effects to their photo which can then be “brushed” on or off any portion of the image. Users can stack any number of effects and adjustments on their photos to make even more impressive results. The update includes three new pixel-image effects, two new “Lo-fi” filters, adds Flickr import with full Set, Tag, and Favorites integration, and more. TouchUp for iPad 1.2 is available on iTunes for $9.99.

TIPA editors have voted Nik Software’s Complete Collection as the Best Photo Software for 2011. The collection is a suite of all Nik Software plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, including the latest versions of Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro and Dfine. “We are particularly proud to win the prestigious 2011 TIPA Award for Best Photo Software, as this award is given internationally by the people who represent imaging and photography customers worldwide,” said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software.

Phase One has released Capture One 6.2, which adds camera support for a range of Samsung, Fuji, Ricoh, Panasonic, Canon, Sony and Nikon cameras, as well as the Phase One IQ180, IQ160 and IQ140. Further additions and improvements include local adjustment of saturation and clarity and the ability to copy a local adjustments mask from other layer, auto sync of XMP metadata, additional camera controls for Canon and Nikon, and improved OpenCL and 64 bit performance. Capture One version 6.2 is a free upgrade to current owners of Capture One Express 6 and Capture one Pro 6.

The Epson Stylus Photo R2000 is a new A3+ high-gloss photo printer that uses 50% larger ink cartridges for fewer cartridge changes. The new A3+, 8-colour R2000 printer delivers high-quality photographic prints using Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment ink and features Wi-Fi, USB and Ethernet connectivity. The Epson R2000 will be available from May 2011, priced at £419.99 / $499.99.

Epson has published two Masterclass videos featuring tips and tricks from Epson Certified Digigraphie printmaker Gary Wornell. In the first Epson Masterclass video, Professional Digital Photo Printing, Wornell tells us about the importance of accurate colour representation and how by using large format inkjet technology he is able to accurately reproduce captured images. The second video, Masterclass Tutorial for Image Production, is a sequel to the first one, featuring more printing tips and tricks. You can view both videos below.

Established in 2009 by Redeye the photography network, the third National Photography Symposium will be held in Liverpool from 13-15 May 2011. Dubbed “The most important forum in UK photography” by the Financial Times, the event is aimed at photographers at every level, and those working in other fields who are interested in photography - curators, writers, students, academics, buyers, editors and collectors.To find out more about the programme visit the website below.

Canon U.S.A. has announced the addition of two new media types for use with its imagePROGRAF large-format printers. The 280gsm Premium Glossy Paper 2 and Premium Semi-Glossy Paper 2 are designed for precise, ultra high-quality print performance, and help deliver enhanced colour range and improved durability. The new papers are expected to begin shipping in June. In addition, Canon’s PosterArtist poster creation software has been updated with the capability to support 64-bit operating systems.

The organisers of the British Beer & Pub Association’s Pub Life photography competition are reminding interested photographers that the submission deadline is 6th May. Pub Life invites Britons to capture their favourite scenes from their local pub under six categories for the chance to win a camera from Olympus and a prestigious spot in the exclusive Pub Life Photography Exhibition. Each category winner will receive an Olympus E-PL2 single-lens kit; while six runners-up will win Olympus XZ-1 cameras. The overall winner will be awarded an Olympus E-PL2 double-lens kit as well as a host of photography accessories. To enter send images to [email protected] by midnight Friday 6th May.

The AOP Open Awards are open to everyone, with no restrictions on the subject matter. The deadline for entries is 20 May 2011, and you may submit up to twenty single images at a time. Do note that there is an entry fee of £15 per photo. As always, we suggest that you read the Terms and Conditions before entering your work.

Website: The AOP Awards Online Entries

Razzi is a new photo sharing network that allows photographers to earn ad revenue on their photo views. You can sign up for free, upload your photos (or import them from your Flickr photostream), and enter your Google AdSense Publisher-ID to start earning money. Allowing for unlimited uploads and offering features like drag and drop organisation and access to the original files, Razzi focuses on the social aspects (friend activity stream, notifications, privacy settings etc.) too. The developers of the website have also created an iPhone app for mobile uploads that is currently pending approval in the App Store.

Website: Razzi

Getty Images has announced that it has acquired PicScout, a leader in identifying image use, metadata and licensing information on the web. Getty Images will invest in PicScout’s technology and continue to work across the entire image industry, to improve and expand protection of Intellectual Property, thus ensuring a stronger overall content licensing industry, the company said in a statement. Offir Gutelzon, co-founder and CEO of PicScout added, “The acquisition will make it possible for PicScout to accelerate its position as a market innovator and as one of the world’s largest indexes of owner-identified images. It will allow PicScout to continue its rapid support of content owners and content users, who seek an integrated solution for image identification and use.”