CB Richard Ellis today launched its third annual Urban Photographer of the Year competition across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The competition is now open to entries online and entrants have until 31 January 2011 to submit their snapshots of urban life. The full list of winners, including the overall Urban Photographer of the Year 2010, will be announced in March 2011. The first prize for the 2010 CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year Award is a photography safari for two to Turkey, and will give the winner the opportunity to photograph some of the world’s finest locations of ancient and modern history.  Past winners have drawn inspiration from a vast spectrum of city sights, from London commuters, to gondoliers enjoying a well-earned break in Venice, an urban desert storm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to a city fireworks display in Budapest, Hungary.

The new firmware update for the Sony NEX-3 and Sony NEX-5 compact system cameras, which was announced in September, is now available for download.  Autofocus is now supported when using the NEX-5 and NEX-3 with 14 A-mount SAM and SSM lenses by Sony and Carl Zeiss (so by far not all A-mount optics). Aperture settings can be maintained during HD movie recording, and system menu operation has been streamlined alongside other usability improvements. You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Sony Europe Support

The Great British Enthusiast is an exhibition of street photographs by Matt Stuart. Stuart’s observational photography captures enthusiasts in the throws of diverse obsessions. His amusing and astounding series of photographs goes on display at Derby QUAD (Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby) on 13th November, and the exhibition runs until 16th January 2011.

Canon has released a firmware update for the Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS digital SLR camera. Version 1.0.7 fixes bug that sometimes causes a “Cannot create folder” message to be displayed on the LCD screen, after which shooting is no longer possible with the SD card in the camera. You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS Firmware Update

The QuickSpot honeycomb grid from Harbor Digital Design (HDD) offers photographers an easy and inexpensive way to produce dramatic lighting effects, like a snoot. Available with Lee gel filter packs, and in both a 1/4 and 1/8 inch grid, the QuickSpot is a versatile tool for the strobist, and thanks to HDD’s custom fit adapters, requires no Velcro or straps. The QuickSpot is compatible with the entire line of Harbor Digital Design accessories, including the Ultimate LightBox and Small Dome Diffuser. The list price of the QuickSpot is $44.95 but the manufacturer’s online shop is currently offering it for $34.95.

Peartree has announced that it will be the first camera dealer in the world to demonstrate the 80-megapixel Leaf Aptus-II 12 digital back. You can join them on 19th October at their London showroom for a test drive. The PC-Tilt Shift Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 HM Aspheric Schneider Kreuznach lens, which we checked out at Photokina, will also be with Peartree. The showroom is located at Cremer Business Centre, 37 Cremer Street, London, E2 8HD.

AKVIS has released a new program entitled AKVIS NatureArt. Described by its developers as “an excellent tool for imitating the magnificence of natural phenomena”, AKVIS NatureArt lets photographers choose from six nature effects including rain, water, lightning, clouds, fire and Sun. Available as a standalone program or as a plug-in to an image editor, AKVIS NatureArt costs €55 / $72 is also available as part of the Alchemy bundle.

Canon has unveiled new concepts for the future of imaging at Canon EXPO 2010 Paris. The highlights of the new imaging innovations include their compact multi-purpose camera that supports both video and still image capture with ultra-high definition 4K resolution at 60fps (first showcased at Canon EXPO 2010 New York), a Mixed Reality concept system featuring a head-mounted display with built-in cameras and a computer which processes video to blend real and virtual realities, a range of new medical imaging innovations, and more. The multi-purpose camera features a newly developed 2/3”, 8-megapixel sensor and a compact 24-480mm equivalent 20x optical zoom lens with maximum apertures ranging from f/1.8 at the wide end to f/3.8 at full telephoto.

Manfrotto School of Xcellence has announced a free Webinar titled “Nude Photography 1/3: Conceptual”, which will take place on Friday, 15th October from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT. During this webinar, Swedish photographer Ami Elsius will cover areas from concept to practice and the post-production aspects of nude photography. To register for the webinar, visit the website below.

Website: Manfrotto School of Xcellence

Intelligence Squared has announced an upcoming debate entitled, “Photography Will Always Be a Lesser Medium than Paint”. The event will take place on Monday, 1 November, at Phillips de Pury, Howick Place, London SW1P 1BB. Speakers for the motion include Stephen Bayley, José María Cano and Michael Mack; while speakers against the motion include A. A. Gill, Chris Steele-Perkins and Rut Blees Luxemburg. Tickets are available priced at £25.

Website: Photography Will Always Be a Lesser Medium than Paint

Nik Software has just announced that its HDR Efex Pro plug-in is now available for download. The price is €159.95 including German VAT but owners of a registered NIk Software Complete Collection can get HDR Efex Pro at a special upgrade price of €79.95. Users who have purchased and registered their Complete Collection after 24 August 2010 will get HDR Efex Pro as a free update. The boxed version is scheduled to be on sale by the end of October.

Website: Nik Software

Pentax Imaging Company has confirmed the US launch date and MSRP of the Pentax 645D medium-format DSLR camera. The Pentax 645D (body only) will ship in December 2010 for the price of $9,995.95. The smc PENTAX-D FA 645 55mm F2.8 lens will ship at the same time for $1,199.95. American photographers interested in seeing the camera in the flesh can do so at PDN Photoplus Expo from October 28-30 at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City. The company also announced that the 645D has received an American Photo Magazine Editor’s Choice 2010 award.

William Albert Allard, a National Geographic institution and world-renowned photographer, is releasing a photographic memoir, William Albert Allard: Five Decades, detailing his life in the field. The book, beautifully illustrated with many of Allard’s strikingly colourful photographs of people and places around the world, is full of stories about the Basques, India’s Untouchables, the season of the hunter and many other topics.

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS camera. Version 1.0.1.0 fixes an issue with the audio being out of sync with the video at the 1280x720-pixel resolution setting. This phenomenon occurs gradually from the start of recording and becomes more noticeable as the recording time gets longer, the manufacturer remarks. If you are in the habit of shooting long video clips with the SX130 IS and have noticed this problem, you can download the firmware fix from the website below.

Website: Canon Powershot SX130 IS Firmware Update

On 26th October, Stanfords Travel Bookshop will play host to a travel photography master class. The event is timed to coincide with the launch of the Insight Guide to Travel Photography – How to Take Striking Images published by Insight Guides. Several contributors of this new travel photography guide will be there to pass on their insider tips. The travel photography master class begins at 7.30 p.m. at 12-14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2. Tickets are £2. You can reserve a place by emailing your details to [email protected]

Lowepro’s Adventura range comprises five lightweight, affordable camera bags featuring a toploading design. The series starts with the TLZ 15 and 25; protective and compact camera bags easy to carry and use. The 120, 140 and 170 bags have a streamlined design packed with practical features all specifically designed to be used on a variety of occasions including family events, out on a walk or on holiday. The biggest of the bunch, the Lowepro Adventura 170, accommodates a DSLR with attached standard lens plus 2 additional lenses or flash.

Website: Lowepro Adventura Bags

Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D is a new title in Ammonite’s Expanded Guides series. Written by experienced photographer and author Andy Stansfield, this full-colour guidebook fits neatly in a camera bag and includes a pull-out quick reference card. The step-by-step guide to the camera’s basic and advanced functions is complemented by practical tips on lighting, camera care and lens choice. The 240-page paperback will go on sale in November, at a price of 19.95 dollars.

Canon EOS System - The Expanded Guide is a new book by freelance photographer and writer Andy Stansfield. The comprehensive, jargon-free, full-colour guidebook covers every digital SLR camera in the extensive EOS system, as well as the manufacturer’s Speedlite flashes and extensive range of EF and EF-S lenses. For the less experienced, technique sections explain camera sensors, Picture Style pre-sets, perspective control lenses, and more. The 272-page book, published by Ammonite Press. will be available in November priced at $19.95.

Red Bull is looking for a writer and photographer to cover the upcoming Red Bull Culture Clash. On Thursday 14th October, at the Roundhouse in London, four of the heavyweights from various branches of UK bass music will battle it out in the “soundclash to end all soundclashes”.From 7pm-3am reigning champion Goldie and his Metalheadz crew, Soul Jazz’s Oxman, a dubstep allstar team fronted by Skream & Benga and the legendary Channel One will fight for sound supremacy. Red Bull needs a photographer and a writer to capture the head to head battle for the reigning title.

Website: Red Bull Reporter