Photography News

Use a tripod when shooting macro work to reduce the chances of shake creeping into the shot.

Camera shake, which can occur when you're not holding/supporting the camera correctly, can really spoil your shots but it's a problem that can be easily fixed. Most cameras now have features that help them prevent camera shake, however, there are still a few things the photographer can do to limit or even remove the shake that blurs your shots completely.

 

1. Use A Tripod

This may seem like an obvious response, but sometimes it may not be your first thought to use a tripod. A tripod will make a big difference to images if camera shake is a recurring issue. If you're travelling light, even a small tripod/stand that you can keep attached to the bottom of the camera will be handy for placing the camera down without worrying about scratching the bottom.

 

2. Shutter Speeds 

If you're working handheld, try and use the fastest shutter speed possible to minimise the risk of blur. If you're working in low light, try upping the ISO a little to enable you to shoot with faster shutter speeds, too. If your camera doesn't tend to produce good-quality shots when higher ISOs are used, take your tripod with you so you can use longer shutter speeds without having to worry about shake spoiling your shots. 

 

 

3. Remote Release

A remote release will enable you to trigger the shutter without physically pressing the shutter button and causing minute vibrations which can cause shake. Some cameras also allow you to trigger the camera using a connected smartphone or tablet device, which will work just the same as the remote release to stop vibrations. You can also use your camera's self-timer if you don't have one as even though you're still touching the camera, the timer should mean the camera's stopped moving by the time the exposure begins. 

 

4. Stance and Breathing

The way you hold your camera can have a big effect on the amount of blur caused by your own movement. Hold the camera with two hands close to your body and make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart. If composing with the screen, keep your elbows tucked in as you'll stand a better chance of capturing a steady image. Being conscious of your breathing can further minimise shake. Some suggest taking a deep breath, holding it, taking your shot and exhaling while others prefer to do it the other way around. It's not something that's recommended for very long exposures, though! 

 

5. Use Objects For Support

You may find leaning against a tree or a wall useful to steady your images. Do use the built-in level if you do this, however, to make sure that your horizon stays straight, as leaning can cause wonky images. You could also take a beanbag out with you or if you're really struggling to find a support, see if your camera bag will help. 

 

 

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  If you're looking for a project that you can shoot over several weeks or even months have a go at creating a collection of images that all share the same colour.

As this is something that can take quite some time to do, it's something you can shoot alongside your other types of photography or you could try working on several different 'colour themes' all at once.

Your subjects don't have to be the same but it's important that the colour is, that way once you have a few images in your collection, you can begin to group them together to create panels and triptychs to hang on walls or post in online galleries.  

 

As you don't know what you'll be photographing until you see it, it's best to take a zoom lens out with you. By doing so you'll have various focal lengths to play with plus if you plan on walking for a while, you won't have lots of kit weighing you down.

You can sit and create a list of items organised into colour groups you can photograph or try visiting a location and wandering around to see which colour would be best to shoot in that particular place.

Do remember that the lack of other colours does mean you'll have to work harder to ensure your composition is interesting. That means you need to pay particular attention to textures, lines, shapes and framing.

     

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Photographers have a myth, and like most good myths it gets told with real feeling, usually in a comment section, usually in all caps somewhere near the end. Cameras used to be affordable. Real cameras, made by people who cared, sold at honest prices to working photographers who did not have to remortgage anything. Then the industry got greedy, and now a professional body costs as much as a used Corolla. 

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If you had a camera that only shoots in black and white, would you be satisfied with it? Let’s talk about what such a camera can actually bring to the table.

 

We all know that, from the invention of the process of photography until some decades ago, black and white was the only choice until further innovations made color film possible. That is why, for most people, seeing photographs in black and white, regardless of how they were made to be so, gives a feeling of nostalgia and sentimentality.

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Most photographers plan every trip down to the parking spot, the light, and the exact viewpoint. There is another way to work, one that starts with knowing nothing about what you'll shoot when you leave the house.

 

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Presets that carry AI masks are the trick most landscape shooters overlook, and they can shave real minutes off every edit. Fall gives you a short window of color, cool air, and quieter parks, so the less time you spend clicking through the same steps in Lightroom Classic, the more frames you bring home.

 

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A $700 smart telescope and a $4,000 traditional rig pointed at the same patch of sky on the same night in northern New Mexico, and the gap between them was smaller than the price tags suggest. If you've been weighing whether a point-and-shoot device can stand in for a full Milky Way setup, this is the comparison that answers it.

 

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A landscape image either pulls the viewer into the scene or leaves them looking at a flat surface, and the difference usually comes down to how you handle depth. Master a few composition habits and your photos start to feel like a place someone could walk into rather than a picture on a screen.

 

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We know it's not a feature all cameras have but as many of the cameras we review do now have a flip-out screen, it got us thinking about why they're useful and actually, we came up with 8 reasons why more cameras should have a flip-out screen. 

 

1. Bright light 

If you've found the perfect position to shoot, but can't see the image on your screen because of bright sunlight, for example, it can be difficult to compose your shot effectively. If you didn't have a tilting screen, this would mean having to tilt the camera to see what you're shooting, which can end in you losing the ideal shot. With a tilting screen, you can simply partially tilt it to get rid of the glare, without having to move your camera set up at all. 

 

2. Selfies 

The selfie is a word and trend that won't be going away anytime soon so why not embrace it? You can turn your camera's lens to face you and simply click the shutter button but chances are, the framing won't be right and due to the awkward angle you'll be holding the camera at, shake could spoil your shot. Some like to use mirrors, but these don't tend to produce pleasing results either, especially with the camera in-frame. However, if you have a camera with a flip-screen, you can just turn it around so you can see yourself perfectly when setting the shot up. For those without a flip-screen who have a little more time, use a tripod and a remote release to take your self-portrait. For more tips on taking self-portraits, have a read of this: 5 reasons to shoot a self-portrait

 

 

3. Shooting in confined spaces

Taking a photo but can't get behind the camera to take the shot? With a flip-screen, you can leave the camera in its position and still see how the scene looks through your camera's lens.

 

Photo by Joshua Waller

 

4. Shooting from higher angles

When taking photos in a crowd it can be difficult to capture shots of the stage, parade or whatever else you've gone to see when you have rows of people in front of you. If you can, get to the front which will involve a bit of planning and most likely arriving early but at least you'll have a prime spot for your photography. For those who have cameras with screens that tilt and flip, you can simply hold the camera up above your head and check your composition via the flip-screen.

 

5. Shooting at low angles using a tripod

If you are shooting low-level work using a tripod, it can be rather painful if you have to kneel with the camera for a long time to see what you're shooting. It can also lead to wet knees and ruined muddy clothes in bad weather. So, if you enjoy capturing images of fungi in Autumn or spend a lot of time in flowerbeds during the summer, you may want to consider purchasing a camera with a flip-screen so you can still compose your images without having to kneel or lay on the ground. 

 

 

6. Shoot around corners

A camera with a flip-screen allows you to shoot around corners at angles that usually wouldn't be possible with a non-tiltable screen camera. 

 

7. Street photography

By holding your camera at a lower angle and adjusting the screen so you can see what the camera sees without having to move it will mean candid shots in towns and cities will be easier to capture as it won't be so obvious that you're actually taking a photo. In fact, some may think you're just adjusting your camera settings. 

 

Photo by Joshua Waller

 

8. Use Live View

By having the ability to change the angle of your camera's screen you can tweak lights, move reflectors, direct models, adjust still life set-ups etc. and see the effect when using Live View without having to walk round the back of the camera. 

 

Photo by Joshua Waller

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition   

GoPro has agreed to merge with a privately held optics company called Starman Optical in a deal worth $285 million. The company will stay listed on the Nasdaq, keep selling cameras, and push into AI data center hardware and defense.

 

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Dyson has built a toothbrush with a working camera inside the head, and it streams a live view of your mouth to a phone app. It went on sale September 1, 2026, at $499.

 

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© Calibrite

 

Since 1976, the ColorChecker has been the industry's reference tool for accurate colour reproduction. This simple 24-colour card is now marking its 50th anniversary as Calibrite honors a legacy spanning professional photography, filmmaking, and visual content creation. While the creative world has transformed from studio spaces to home offices and from professionals to independent creators, the ColorChecker's role has remained unchanged. It continues to be the standard that keeps color consistent for everyone, across all settings.

 

From Calibrite:

 

Launching September 1, Calibrite kicks off a year-long celebration marking 50 years of the ColorChecker, the small card of 24 colour patches that has quietly kept colour honest since 1976.

What began as a scientific tool for evaluating colour film has become one of the most recognised reference targets in imaging, used on film sets, in photo studios, in museums, and in camera bags around the world. For half a century, the creative world has transformed beyond recognition. Film became digital. Studios became home offices. Professional productions now share the stage with millions of independent creators making work every day. Through every technological shift, one thing has stayed constant:
the need for accurate, trustworthy colour.

The original chart was introduced in 1976 by three scientists at the Macbeth company, led by Dr Calvin McCamy, in a paper titled "A Color-Rendition Chart". Its premise was deceptively simple: place a set of known, carefully engineered colours in the frame, and every camera, screen, and printer finally has a shared truth to measure against. Fifty years later, that premise has not changed, and neither has the chart’s job.

 

© Calibrite

 

Every ColorChecker made since, including every Calibrite ColorChecker on the market today, descends directly from that original 1976 chart. Gretag and Macbeth merged in 1997, the line passed through X-Rite in 2006, and in 2021, the ColorChecker brand came to Calibrite, while the Munsell Color Company, whose colour heritage reaches back to 1918, still manufactures the targets. The lineage is unbroken.

A key factor behind the ColorChecker’s exceptional precision lies in the way its colour patches are manufactured. The reference colours are based on specially formulated pigments that are carefully produced and applied with the highest levels of accuracy and consistency. Each patch is not simply printed but created through a controlled manufacturing process that ensures reliable colour reproduction and long-term reference stability. This level of precision is what has made the ColorChecker an essential tool for photographers, filmmakers, and colourists around the world for 50 years.

 

"Very few products earn 50 years. The ColorChecker did it by being right, every single time, for every person who trusted it. Today, more people create visual content than at any point in history. Professional photographers and filmmakers continue to rely on the ColorChecker, but so do product reviewers, educators, designers, livestreamers, content creators, and emerging storytellers around the world. Our job is not only to protect this legacy. It is to ensure trusted colour continues to empower the next generation of creativity."  

Stefan Zrenner,

General Manager of Calibrite

 

To mark the anniversary, Calibrite has opened a virtual museum exhibit tracing the chart from a 1976 lab to the cameras in creators’ hands today.

The celebration also includes an interactive ColorChecker Challenge that teaches what each of the 24 patches actually does, and a Colour Perfectionist Quiz that matches creators to the right tools. Because while technology has evolved dramatically over the past 50 years, one thing has never changed: every great creative project begins with confidence in what you're seeing.

 

"Twenty years ago, when I first learned about this little set of colourful squares, I had no idea how meaningful it would become to my workflow," said Alan Shapiro, photographer and Calibrite Ambassador. "I keep one in every camera bag and in my studio, sometimes a few different sizes depending on what I’m shooting that day. This target ensures I’m starting from the most optimised place and never guessing, so I have that much more time for the creative edits. Happy 50th, ColorChecker. Colour Perfectionists Unite."

Alan Shapiro,

photographer and Calibrite Ambassador

 

© Calibrite / Alan Shapiro

 

To mark the milestone, Calibrite is also releasing a limited collection of 50th Anniversary merchandise.

This includes a t-shirt, cap, and tote bag featuring the iconic 24-patch design. These items will be gifted throughout the anniversary year as a thank-you to the Colour Perfectionist community that has helped shape the ColorChecker's remarkable journey.

The ColorChecker family today spans the pocket-sized ColorChecker Passport, the studio-standard ColorChecker Classic in sizes from Nano to Mega, and the 140-patch ColorChecker Digital SG, all carrying the same original DNA forward. Fifty years on, the question the chart was built to answer remains exactly the same: what colour is this, really?

 

For 50 years, the ColorChecker has helped creators capture the world as it truly is.

The next 50 are about empowering an even broader generation to tell their stories with confidence, creativity, and colour they can trust. The tools will keep evolving. The need for colour you can trust never goes out of style.

For more information, please visit the Calibrite website.

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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to RobTurner (Day 29 - 'Circle' Theme).

 

Daily Theme Runners-Up

If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A. 

Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.

  Day 23

Markets

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Day 24

Environmental Portrait

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Day 25

Swimming

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Day 26

Butterflies

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  Day 27

Canals

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Day 28

Storms

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Day 30

City Close-Ups

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Day 31

Villages

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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.

 

1. Focal Lengths

Choosing the right focal length is critical to balancing the key elements in the frame of a landscape. Before hitting the shutter button, take the time to think about where you're placing the camera and the focal length you're using. For example, try a longer focal length and step back. This will pull distant objects into the image and create harmony with what's in the foreground. 
 

2. Foreground Interest 

Another way to balance your landscape shots is with foreground interest. An object placed in the foreground can help guide the eye in the right direction as well as filling in what could be a vast empty space when your attention is on mountains and other background detail. Foreground detail helps give landscapes a sense of depth too. For more information, take a look at this article: Why You Should Look For Interesting Foregrounds For Your Landscapes.

 

3. Add A Frame

An alternative way to add foreground interest is with a frame. We don't mean for you to go out with a large photo frame in-hand but do be on the lookout for items and objects out in the landscape that can be used to create a frame for your shot. Overhanging branches, doorways and arches are just a few examples of frames you can find when out-and-about. 
 

4. Basic Rules 

Don't overlook the basic rules of photography which includes the rule of thirds, lines, shapes and various other elements as these can help you balance your shot. You'll need to use your lens to complement the rule which could mean changing its position or adjusting the zoom. Take a look at these beginner's tips for more information: Beginner's Guide To Composition
 

5. Shoot Panoramics

As wide-angle lenses sometimes create distortion, an alternative way to shoot photos that have more of the landscape in them is with a panorama. You can shoot panoramas with a short telephoto focal lens and using a tripod helps but it's not essential. The important thing is the choice of scene. Scenes with close to the camera elements will not stitch properly with this method. However, you can buy dedicated panorama heads for scenes that have foreground as well as background interest. More panorama photography tips can be found here: How To Shoot Panoramas and Panoramas Without A Panoramic Head.

More information on lens choices for landscapes can be found in this article: Make The Most Of Your Lenses For Scenics 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Check the active imaging area specified for the sensor inside a Sony RX100 and you get 13.2 x 8.8 mm, with a diagonal of about 15.86 mm. That is close to 16 mm, not the 25.4 mm that an inch is supposed to be. The "1 inch" printed on the spec sheet does not describe any dimension of the imaging area, and the reason runs all the way back to a glass vacuum tube that stopped being manufactured decades ago.

 

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I find people fascinating, and when I see someone interesting when I’m out and about, I often want to photograph them. And I do. Many photographers have commented about this and would love to do the same but don’t feel comfortable or confident doing so.

 

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Most of the strongest documentary and street photographs come from moments the photographer almost missed. The difference between catching them and losing them often comes down to whether you were paying attention at all.

 

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Washington Irving’s classic story of the Headless Horseman saw Sleepy Hollow, New York, as its setting. The village was officially known as North Tarrytown until it adopted the name Sleepy Hollow in 1996. Nearby Tarrytown, a historic village on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, was where photographer John Free was born. Life would take him to Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and then to Los Angeles, where he would establish himself as a photographer. It was during his time in LA that his philosophy on photography would emerge.

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A highway fire less than an hour outside Los Angeles is the kind of thing that stops most trips before they start. Here it became the first frame of a 3,000-mile drive across the country, and the moment sets the tone for everything that follows.

 

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DxO is making PhotoLab 10 available today, with some solid new features and improvements to the existing ones. PhotoLab has become increasingly popular among raw editors because of its power and the inclusion of the DxO technology that adjusts for specific lens and camera combinations. These corrections are applied automatically upon opening a file if you use the default DxO Style – Natural preset, providing a sharp, geometrically accurate starting point before manual editing.

 

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