Can you take a good picture? If so, then why not enter the Digital Photographer of the Year Awards? Digital Photographer, our sister publication, is our favourite semi-professional photography title on the market today and the Awards promise to be even bigger and better than last year. In conjunction with Fujifilm, entrants can submit images into a number of different categories to be in with a chance of winning a Fufifilm S5 Pro among other models. See the website from 17 July for more information (www.dphotographer.co.uk).
Press release:

In the extremely competitive market, up-and-coming photographers can find it hard to get their work noticed; the Digital Photographer of the Year Awards 2008 aim to give a helping hand to talented individuals and showcase their talents. “Working in conjunction with some of the leading names in the photographic industry, our objective for these awards is to find hidden talent and expose it to the world,” explains editor, Debbi Allen. “Encompassing multiple genres of photography, the awards will showcase the high standards achieved by many enthusiasts and semi-professional photographers.”

This year’s categories will include Portrait, Landscape, Documentary, Travel, Black and White, Macro, Wildlife and Wedding, with one winner scooping the title of Digital Photographer of the Year and eight separate category winners.

All categories are open for entries from the 17 July 2008 and all categories will close to entries on 14 November. Winners will be announced in issue 78 of the magazine, on sale January 2009.

Theo Georghiades, Fujifilm’s Senior Product Manager says: “Fujifilm UK Ltd are very pleased to be sponsoring the Digital Photographer of the Year 2008.  Both Fujifilm UK Ltd and Digital Photographer share the same values in terms of quality, creativity and professionalism, and this makes the magazine an ideal partner for us to work with.”

The judging panel boasts Digital Photographer editor Debbi Allen, Imagine Publishing’s Creative Director and keen photographer Mark Kendrick, professional photographer and magazine contributor Mark Cargill and Fujifilm’s Theo Georghiades.

The overall winner will receive a Fujifilm S5 Pro with the eight category winners scooping other Fujifilm cameras, models TBC.

In issue 45 of Advanced Photoshop we had a great tutorial by Doug Sirois on fantasy painting. Now he has released his first book, showcasing his favourite paintings and sketches. It is definitely worth a look and you can see it at http://stores.lulu.com/dasillustration for the incredibly generous price of £11.02.

I love Blurb.com for creating professional-looking books, and I am sure that if you haven't already taken a look, you'll be just as enthusiastic as me when you do. Now you can enter your self-published photography titles into a competition to win $25,000 to start (or finish) a project of your choosing. Of course, the prestigious award also comes with worldwide recognition, so it's perfect for anyone who wants to get their photography seen. Entires are being judged by a pretty impressive panel of editors, publishers, curators and photographers. If you have published your photography book through Blurb, then it's all pretty easy, as you don't need to send anyone a copy of your book - Blurb will make sure that the jurors get their hands on one. And if you've published a book using a different service, you can still enter. Find out more, as well as access entry forms and terms and conditions, at www.photographybooknow.com.

The Coningsby Gallery is hosting an exhibition showing off the works of two fantastic illustrators. Jim Smith (www.waldopancake.com) is an ‘illustrator, designer and copywriter specialising in humorous, comic approaches’ and Alice Daisy Smith (www.alicepictures.co.uk) has had success with her children's book I'm SO over fairies, published by Orion, and also has her own range of greeting cards with The Artgroup. You can find out more about the exhibition at www.coningsbygallery.com.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is currently featuring the work of two international artists: Sophie Ryder and Helen Escobedo. Both are open air, and Ryder’s work will be on view also in the Longside Gallery, with Escobedo’s work also in the YSP Centre Upper Space. The former artist’s work is wire wall drawings and freestanding wire and bronze works, while the latter’s work comprises 25 cylindrical sculptures. Find out more about the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, one of Europe’s leading open-air galleries, at www.ysp.co.uk.

In order to keep the magazine relevant, I want to know which tutorials you enjoy in the magazine and which you don't. Head over to http://www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1394 to enter our poll and leave your comments. I will take on board your votes and comments to make sure that there's more of what you want and less of what you don't in the mag.

The New Art Gallery, Walsall, is hosting a contemporary art exhibition exploring Contemporary Art and the Cult of Celebrity.Website information: ‘We live in a culture obsessed by celebrities. David Beckham's latest hairstyle, the fluctuating weight of celebrities such as Nicole Ritchie or Victoria Beckham, celebrities with addictions and the seemingly frequent necessity for 're-hab', are all capable of selling newspapers and magazines as much as, if not more, than pressing current affairs. This exhibition will bring together artists whose work engages with the cult of celebrity in a variety of ways. Artists include Candice Breitz, Peter Davies, Alison Jackson, Yasumasa Morimura, Mario Testino, Gavin Turk, Francesco Vezzoli and Jessica Voorsanger.’The exhibition is on until 15 June; visit www.artatwalsall.org.uk for more information.

I love upgrading my camera, and anyone who has ever been out and about with me will testify that I am never without a camera in my bag snapping everything and anything. The new Olympus E-520 has therefore piqued my interest. The latest DSLR from the E-series has a built-in image stabiliser, dust protection and Live View, which is pretty impressive for the £480 (body only) asking price and even better if you go for one of the lens kit options. Considering my first three-megapixel digital compact didn’t cost much under this, I definitely have to add one of these to my wish list! Find out more at www.olympus.com.

Until 28 May, Carter Presents is working with theprintspace in London on a commission of limited edition prints from a selection of 17 artists. Each edition will be signed by the artist in a very limited run of ten prints. Theprintspace is a ‘DIY’ professional printing lab offering digital archival printing, but it also hosts regular exhibitions. <br />Of the 10 event, the press release says: ‘'10' seeks to radicalise the general concept of an artist's print by redefining its form, working with new processes and offering limited edition prints ambitiously conceived and executed by each artist. Featuring 17 of the most exciting contemporary artists, and spanning a broad range of visual and mixed media including photography, ‘10′ is an exercise in experimenting with the form of the limited-edition print as much as it is a showcase of established and emerging artists in Britain.’ Find out more at www.theprintspace.com or www.carterpresents.com and see for yourself.

Check out this great service from ePHOTOzine, including promotional videos, equipment reviews, tutorials and showcases. There are plenty of Photoshop tip and tricks to be found here, so take a trip to www.ephotozine.tv and see for yourself.