Blurb, the creative publishing and marketing platform that enables anyone to design, publish, share and sell bookstore-quality books, today announced the release of PDF to Book, available immediately. The new PDF to Book workflow allows photographers to design books using the application of their choice, save the file as a PDF, and upload it directly to Blurb. You can design books entirely in CMYK, while utilising native file formats such as TIFF, EPS, and PNG in the book’s contents. PDF to Book workflow is available for all book sizes and cover types (Hardcover ImageWrap, Hardcover Dust Jacket, and Softcover). Blurb will be showcasing books created with the PDF to Book workflow at the HOW Design Conference in Austin, TX, June 24-27.

Kenro has announced the UK release of a new range of background systems. New background panels available in a wide range of colours – grey marl, red marl, rose grey marl, black and white. The dimensions of the panels are 62x76”/157.5x193cm. Each panel folds down to just 26”/66cm diameter and comes complete with a zipped carry bag for easy transport. The backgrounds are available now with an RRP of £66.75 (plus VAT). Stands to support the Backdrop Panels are separately available for just £34.95 (plus VAT).

Food2 has announced a food photography contest entitled The Great Food Shoot Out. Food2’s first Challenge is seeking the hottest, rising food photographers - but actually, if you like food and have a camera or phone, that will work too. The Shoot Out is simple - you take a food or cocktails related photograph, and submit it until 30 June to the website below. The voting phase lasts from 1 to 13 July. The competition is open to US residents aged 18 or older only. Make sure to read the rules before you enter.

Website: The Great Food Shoot Out

Táve (tave.com) has released a major update to their photography studio management web application with over 50 new features and improvements. Táve - originally named Táve Studio Manager - gives studio photographers’ clients the freedom to book them online. The update streamlines many common tasks and adds extensive new customisation capabilities throughout the application, contact forms, and client access booking engine. Some of the enhancements and additions include new client and job profiles and editors, a filter control to the Clients home page, a number of custom fields, Client Access Preview, job printouts and calendar improvements. Táve offers a free 30-day trial, after which the service costs $24.95 per month + $5 for each additional employee.

Adobe today released the final Photoshop Lightroom 2.4 and Camera Raw 5.4 updates. Both updates bring additional raw file support to 31camera and camera back models including the Canon EOS 500D, Nikon D5000. In addition, Adobe released an update to its Digital Negative specification. DNG 1.3 now includes opcodes, a defined list of operations and their parameters for performing complex activities in the raw file conversion process. By utilising opcodes, photographers can maintain the advantages of raw mosaic data, giving them increased opportunity to improve their photographs with the maximum amount of image data preserved. The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.4 update is available as a free download for existing Lightroom 2 customers and Camera Raw 5.4 is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. Click through / read on for the full list of newly supported cameras and backs.

Website: Lightroom 2.4 & ACR 5.4 Updates
Website: DNG Specification

Kenro has announced a new range of Easy Grip Reflectors that have big, easy-to-hold grips. They also come with spring loaded frames which make for easy folding. The panels measure 24” x 36” and they come complete with a compact storage bag. The Easy Grip Reflectors are available now with an RRP of £37.95 for sunlight or silver or £34.75 for the translucent finish.

If you’ve ever dreamt of having a favourite photograph featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine, now’s your chance to fulfil it. This month, National Geographic is publishing a special collector’s edition, National Geographic Your Shot, featuring 101 of the best readers’ photographs submitted to National Geographic magazine over the past three years. The fun twist is that they have a custom cover option, where you can order a special version of the magazine with your favourite photo on the cover! This option is available to order, online only, for $19.99 plus shipping. The issue goes on newsstands with a standard cover on Tuesday, June 30, for $10.99.

Website: Order the special edition with the custom cover option

Canon has announced a cashback offer on the Canon Powershot SX200 IS digital compact camera. The £40 / €45 offer will be launched on Thursday, 25 June and runs through Monday. 31 August. The Canon Powershot SX200 IS is a 12-megapixel camera with a 12x zoom lens and HD movie recording, available in black, blue and red colours at a recommended retail price of £359.00 / €429.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Canon Powershot SX200 IS

Hewlett-Packard has announced the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, billed as the world’s first web-connected home printer. The new device has a 4.33” touchscreen that lets you browse Web pages and print maps, coupons, movie tickets, recipes, news etc. without the need for a PC. Moreover, the printer will connect directly to a user’s Snapfish account to view, print and upload photos. The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web is expected to be available this fall at a price of $399 in the U.S.A.

Sigma has issued a firmware update to the Sigma DP2 digital compact camera, which uses a large Foveon X3 sensor. Version 1.02 of the camera firmware brings about the following improvements:

  *  The accuracy of the Auto Focus has been improved.
  * The magnification display function can be selected by just pressing the OK button when in Manual Focus mode.

With respect to the latter enhancement, Sigma has also issued a Notice of Function Change

Website:.Sigma DP2 Firmware Download Page

Sony announced today its plans to stage a world first event, called Twilight Football, designed to highlight Sony’s digital imaging technology. As the hour of twilight moves across the world, a series of seven matches will begin. All seven games will take place on 22nd September 2009, the Autumnal Equinox (northern hemisphere) and Vernal Equinox (southern hemisphere). The matches will be taking place at stunning, specially chosen locations in: Italy, France, the UK, Spain, Argentina and Australia, with the Twilight Football grand final happening at Soccer City, Johannesburg, the venue for the final of 2010 FIFA World Cup. A specially selected pool of photographers and video makers are attending each event to record these momentous games. Photographers will be able to try out Sony’s new range of products featuring its Exmor CMOS sensor.

AKVIS Software Inc has just announced the update of AKVIS ArtSuite to version v.5.0. The program can be used as an independent application (standalone) and as a plug-in to a photo editor. The standalone version offers new Hand Painted Photo Frames. These frames have been designed by artists specially for ArtSuite. Also new to version 5.0: new interface design; improved compatibility of the plugin with Photoshop CS3, CS4 on Macintosh computers; improved texture generation options in the Texture effect; new interface language added - Italian. The AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin sells for $49 USD; AKVIS ArtSuite Standalone for $69. Upgrade to version v5.0 is free for registered users of older versions.

Daniel Beltrá, this year’s winner of The Prince’s Rainforests Project Award at the Sony World Photography Awards has released some initial photographs taken on the first leg of his prize. The Spanish photographer, now based in Seattle, beat off stiff competition from some of the world’s finest environmental photographers to win the assignment on behalf of The Prince’s Rainforests Project and Sony Europe. The Prince’s Rainforests Project (PRP), founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, recognises that every year, destruction of the Earth’s rainforests releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than all the world’s cars, planes and ships put together and aims to achieve consensus about how the rate of deforestation might be slowed. Sony and the PRP are delivering an interactive exhibition that will combine Daniel’s new photographs with Sony technology to allow people to experience the glory of the rainforests and understand their plight. The exhibition will open at Kew Gardens, London on October 3rd 2009.

Website: Daniel Beltrá

Kenro has announced the UK release of the Tokina AT-X 124 PRO DX II, the new version of the AT-X 124 PRO DX. This is a 12-24mm ultrawide-to-wide zoom lens designed for DSLRs with an APS-C sized sensor and has a fixed f/4 maximum aperture throughout its zoom range. The Nikon mount AT-X 124 PRO DX II features a built-in AF motor drive that operates smoothly and quietly due to a DC motor that uses a new AF control gear assembly. With the built-in motor, the lens can be used in AF mode with the Nikon D40, D40x, D60 and D5000 bodies, which lack a body-integral focus motor.

Stock photography agency Blend Images has announced the launch of Flex Packs, a new way of licensing rights-managed imagery on their Web site. The Flex Packs are billed as a simple and flexible way to license rights-managed imagery for broad commercial use. There are 7 Flex Pack options to choose from: All Marketing Pack, Collateral Pack, Advertising Print/Product Pack, Advertising Indoor Display Pack, Advertising Outdoor Display Pack, Digital Pack (Mobile, Interactive, Web), and All Internal Use Pack. Each option provides unlimited usage within the specified territory, industry, and time period selected.

Kodak has announced the European launch of the Kodak EasyShare S730, a new, battery-operated digital picture frame. The Kodak EasyShare S730 has a built-in rechargeable battery and boasts a new Picture Finder feature, enabling users to “easily and quickly bring to life images and videos from special moments in time”, Kodak says. Other highlights include 1 Gigabyte of internal memory, a mercury-free LCD panel, an updated Quick Touch Border, with touch-sensitive controls that enable easy access to controls on the front of the frame, and featuring a motion sensor that illuminates controls as your hand approaches the frame. The Kodak EasyShare S730 will be available in the UK for £139.99 from July, 2009.

Eastman Kodak Company announced today that it will retire its Kodachrome colour film this year, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon. While Kodachrome, which was born in 1935, was not the world’s first colour film using a subtractive method - brands like Gasparcolor had been around for a couple of years by then -, it was unquestionably the first commercially viable one, which put an end to the rule of additive processes like Autochrome or Dufaycolor that had dominated the colour film/plate market for the first couple of decades of the twentieth century. Kodachrome went on to become an iconic film used by many great photographers working for National Geographic and other publications. However, sales have declined dramatically in recent years, as people went digital or turned to newer films. Kodak claims that today it represents “just a fraction of one percent” of their total sales of still-picture films. Steve McCurry, the photojournalist who captured the legendary portrait of the Afghan girl on Kodachrome a quarter of a century ago, will have the privilege of shooting one of the last rolls.

Website: Kodachrome Tribute Gallery

Panasonic has announced firmware updates to its Lumix DMC-G1 and GH1 cameras and Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. lens. Firmware version 1.1 for the Panasonic GH1 camera allows faster burst shooting and improves control of shutter speed and the stability of AF in movie recording. Version 1.3 for the Panasonic G1 improves its compatibility with Micro Four Thirds lenses, whereas firmware version 1.1 for the Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. lens improves optical image stabilisation in movie recording mode.and compatibility with Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Website: Panasonic firmware downloads