The International Photography Award rewards the best photography worldwide, in any genre or subject. Now in its sixth year, it boasts two categories – a body of work prize and the single image prize. Both winners see their work printed by Spectrum Photographic pro lab and exhibited for a week in London. In addition, the body of work prize-winner will also pick up a Nikon D700 plus a 50mm 1.4G lens, while the single image prize winner claims a Sigma DP2s. www.bjp-online.com/ipa

Last year’s body of work winner, Edmund Clark, submitted a project exploring everyday life for the detainees and ex-detainees of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Clark’s previous project, Still Life Killing Time was published by Dewi Lewis and a finalist at the inaugural New York Photo Awards.

Shoot the Street picks out the best in street photography, shot anywhere in the world. The best photographer will see his or her work printed by MX Display and exhibited in a solo show at Format, the UK’s leading international contemporary photography biennale. The closing date for this prize is 30 June so enter now! www.bjp-online.com/street

Unveiled is a brand new competition for wedding photographers. Open to UK wedding photographers, Unveiled offers one photographer the chance to publish his or her work in Wedding magazine – one of the UK’s leading bridal titles, read by thousands of prospective customers. The winner will also get the chance to try out their dream piece of kit, courtesy of Hasselblad and the Pro Centre. www.bjp-online.com/unveiled .

Adobe encourages photographers to try out the newly added raw file support in this update and provide the product team with feedback on the Adobe User to User forum (http://forums.adobe.com).

In addition, photographers can also participate in the Lightroom 3 beta program and try out the new features in Lightroom 3 beta 2 for free. To learn more and download Lightroom 3 beta 2 visit: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/.

The Skillset Courses Database also helps users to find the best, industry endorsed media training available by indicating which courses and institutions have been awarded the Skillset Tick kite mark. The Skillset Tick indicates to students and employers that a course or institution has undergone a rigorous, industry-approved assessment and has been designated a centre of excellence in creative media disciplines. The database contains information on a total of more than 8,000 creative media courses at all levels – from undergraduate degrees to CPD short courses.

The database, which builds on work undertaken jointly with the BFI, allows users to perform customised searches and to create their own profiles so that they can save their preferences and searches for future use. It also contains dedicated sections on the Skillset Tick and Skillset-funded courses. These sections allow you to quickly find the courses and institutions that have been assessed by industry as offering the most practical and up-to-date training, as well as providing a comprehensive guide to courses that are being funded by Skillset.

Skillset’s chief executive, Dinah Caine, said: “Skillset’s new courses database is an invaluable tool for anybody who wishes to access creative media training in the UK. With more than 8,000 courses listed, this database allows media professionals and those wishing to enter the media industry to navigate the crowded, and often confusing, education and professional training landscape with ease.”

The database can be found at www.skillset.org/courses.

The tour will also take in the MPA’s Induction Day and Cherubs Partners Day, April 12/13th 2010, at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry, where a full working studio and a team of Hasselblad staff will be on hand for demonstrations.

Hasselblad is also holding evening sessions after each student day event – and these are open to all professional photographers. More details on www.handsonahasselblad.com.

In a two month-long, twelve venue tour stretching from Portsmouth to Edinburgh, a team of Hasselblad imaging experts will demonstrate the new H4D cameras and the company’s world-acclaimed Phocus software.

UCA Farnham – 2nd March 2010
Wiltshire College – 4th March 2010
University of Portsmouth – 9th March 2010
UCA Rochester – 11th March 2010
University of Westminster – 16th March 2010
Thames Valley University – 18th March 2010
Northampton University – 22nd March 2010
De Montford University – 24th March 2010
University of Wales – 14th April 2010
University of Gloucestershire – 16th April 2010
Edinburgh College of Art – 20th April 2010

Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad UK MD explained: “Students are the future of the imaging business so we decided to plan  a completely free of charge, nationwide educational roadshow to enable them to get some real hands-on experience with the  40 megapixel medium format H4D-40, which offers ultimate image quality and is as easy to use as any 35mm camera.

“We are using the roadshows to increase awareness and dispel any previous misconceptions about Hasselblad pricing and service. This is about winning hearts and minds – and there’s nowhere better to start than with students – tomorrow’s professional photographers.

“We want young photographers to engage with Hasselblad quality solutions from the very earliest opportunity.”

He added: “It’s the first event of its kind where students and tutors at leading educational institutions can work with all our latest H4D equipment within their own environment.”

David Summerfield, Hasselblad’s Roadshow manager said: “Reaction has been outstanding. We’re not hard-selling anything.  We are just giving students and tutors the chance to play with and test-drive this amazing camera in real time on real shoots. The later courses are really filling up too after students use Twitter to tell friends and colleagues to register for one of these events”.

It is free for all to read.

Free of charge at YUDU

The SecureSave DVD’s 256-bit AES software encryption prevents unauthorised access of saved data through the use of a mandatory security password. Each DVD-R is capable of holding 4.5GB and the software loaded on the DVD starts automatically, making the process of encrypting the data on the DVD very easy. SecureSave DVDs also support multi-session recording, allowing up to 4.5GB of data to be written over several sessions.

It features Gill Shaw’s best selling book project, ‘The Hero Inside’; Ian Cartwright’s 2010 charity calendar giving a new level of professionalism to the ‘naked locals’ theme; the 2009 Mario Acerboni Awards regional winners; the complete Kodak MPA Wedding and Portrait Awards; and more.

This edition is free to all readers.

Click to launch the full edition in a new window.

- DK

We English, the latest work of one previous winner, Simon Roberts, will be exhibited at the Museum in March 2010. We English was produced with the help of a £7,000 award from the scheme.

Applicants must provide a brief written synopsis of their proposal together with their CV, an example of their work, and application form. Applications are invited from all nationalities providing they are resident in the UK at the time of the award and forms can be downloaded from:

http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/Photography/Photo_Bursary.asp

Projects must be completed within one year of awards being made and successful applicants are expected to work independently, but will receive support and guidance from Museum staff if required. At the completion of the project successful applicants must donate one work from an edition, or a series of works, to the National Media Museum.

The closing date for applications is 25 September 2009.

The sponsors working in partnership with the Museum are
Michael G Wilson (Chairman of the Trustees of the National Media Museum),
Zelda Cheatle (WMG Photography Advisor and Curator),
Simon Crocker (Chairman of The John Kobal Foundation),
Pierre Brahm (Chairman of the BRAHM and Henry & James Property Group),
James Hyman (James Hyman Gallery)