Apple Creator Studio Brings Video, Music, and Image Tools Under One Subscription
Apple has announced Apple Creator Studio, a new subscription bundle that combines several of the company’s professional creative applications into a single plan. The subscription is designed to cover video editing, music production, image editing, motion graphics, and general visual productivity across macOS, iPadOS, and iOS.
[ Read More ]
5 Top Tips For Perfecting Your Indoor Flower Photography Skills
Spring may be a long way off but this doesn't mean you have to wait until flowers start raising their heads out of the ground to start photographing them. Your local florist or supermarket will have a selection of flowers you can take home and turn into a photographic subject all year round and the best bit is that you get to stay warm and dry as you can shoot your images from the comfort of your home.
1. Gear Choices
When it comes to gear, a compact with macro capabilities can work just as well as a more advanced camera that uses interchangeable lenses so don't be put off if you don't have a macro lens and DSLR in your camera bag. A tripod's always handy but as you're working indoors you don't have to worry about using anything too robust and you can use a variety of light sources (something we discuss further into the piece).
A sheet of white Colormatt makes a good background but you can also use a white sheet of paper, material or anything else you think will work well! A white nylon shower curtain or even unbleached baking paper can work well when using natural light as they can easily be taped to windows. A Wimberley Plamp is useful for holding backgrounds in place as long as you have somewhere sturdy for the other end to clip on to. A Spare tripod or even a light stand will work well as your support for the clamp but if you don't have a clamp, taping your background to the stand can work just as well. Clothes rails also make good stands as backgrounds can be clipped to the horizontal bar you'd usually hang clothes from or you could use a still-life table if you have one.
Having a selection of vases and other containers to choose from will be useful as you'll not be stuck with just one option if you find it to be particularly difficult to work with and clothes pegs, masking tape and florist wire are all useful items to add to your collection of tools so you can persuade stems to go in a particular direction or move an unsightly leaf out of view. To add more height, try using plant stands or any other sturdy object that'll give you the boost in height.
Working with natural light is often the easiest and cheapest option but if you do have studio lights to hand, do consider using them. If you want to get a little more creative why not try using a desk lamp or similar which has a bendy neck to make the positioning easier? Do check your white balance, though, as depending on the bulb you have in the light it may need adjusting. Reflectors will always be useful and as DIY versions are easy to make, it means you can create a tool that's great for bouncing a bit of light back into your shot rather inexpensively. All you need is a piece of card covered in foil or you could simply try using a white piece of card.
Once set up, it's important that you spend some time turning the flower(s) and adjust the positioning while looking through the viewfinder or at your camera's screen. Look from above, from underneath, the front, the back, the edge – there’s usually one angle that suddenly stands out and is 'the one' that you should shoot.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Photo Month Forum Competition
11 Predictions for the Photography Industry in 2026
The photography industry has entered 2026 at a fascinating inflection point. What follows are 11 predictions for where the industry is headed, covering hardware, software, legal frameworks, and market dynamics. Some of these trends are already visible if you know where to look; others represent logical conclusions from forces already in motion.
[ Read More ]
Nikon Unveils the Nikkor Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 Zoom Lens
Nikon has introduced the NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 zoom lens to its full-frame Z series, a lightweight and versatile option for photographers and creators in everyday use. With a wide focal range that covers landscapes, portraits, and close-up shots, this lens is designed to be easy to carry while still delivering sharp detail and smooth autofocus. Its compact build makes it a practical travel companion, and its budget-friendly price point opens up full-frame creativity to more users.
Sales start on 22 January 2026 with a recommended retail price of £529 in the UK and €619 in ROI.
From Nikon:
Nikon adds the highly versatile NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 zoom lens to its range of Nikon Z full-frame lenses. With its lightweight build, flexible wide-angle to mid-telephoto reach, and superb close-up performance, this travel-friendly full-frame zoom lens inspires discovery. Easy to carry and to handle, it's perfect for photographers and content creators who want to explore their creative potential.
The NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 makes a brilliant travel companion and a great everyday muse. Photos or video, the 24-105mm focal-length range allows plenty of space for experimenting with framing and composition, while the smooth, fast autofocus helps to get the best out of every shot. Sharp close-up performance encourages new subjects and perspectives: users can capture beautifully balanced detail shots thanks to a short minimum focus distance at both ends of the zoom range and a 0.5x reproduction ratio.
Lightweight and sealed for comfortable portability, the NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 is a great walkaround lens: perfect whether capturing the vibe of a destination on a trip away or getting in valuable daily practice. It balances beautifully with smaller full-frame Z cameras like the Z5II, creating a compact kit that's ready to go whenever the creative urge calls.
Dirk Jasper, Product Manager at Nikon Europe, comments: "With the NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 we're taking another step towards making dynamic full-frame photography attainable for even more people. If you're just starting out on your full-frame journey, this versatile, budget-friendly zoom lens delivers the flexibility and the image quality you need to try new ideas and expand your creativity with confidence."
[HOOK]position_1[/HOOK]
Summary of key features
Versatile 24-105mm focal-length range: the broad wide-angle to medium-telephoto focal-length range is great for everything from landscapes and cityscapes to interiors, portraits, detail shots, and video.
Lightweight and easy to carry: this full-frame zoom lens weighs just 350 g (approx.). When paired with the Z5II full-frame camera, the complete kit totals only 1050 g (approx.).
Superb close-up performance: a 0.5x reproduction ratio enables close-up shots with nicely balanced background elements. The minimum focus distance is just 0.2 m at 24mm, and 0.28 m at 105mm.
Fast, quiet autofocus: a high-speed stepping motor (STM) powers smooth, whisper-quiet AF. It performs brilliantly with a Z camera's subject detection, and focusing sounds won't ruin video footage.
Customisable control ring: for the smooth, silent adjustment of key settings. Easily switch to manual focus, adjust ISO, or make precise aperture adjustments to create a natural shift in brightness when shooting video.
Travel partner: sealing helps keep out dust and drips, for worry-free portability.
New HB-93B bayonet lens hood: Available as an optional accessory. Minimises stray light and reduces flare.
Budget-friendly: the NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 zoom lens will be available solo and in kits with selected camera bodies (details to be found with your local Nikon authorised dealer or on local Nikon pages).
For more information, please visit the Nikon website.
5 Top Tips On Taking Black & White Shots Of Snow Scenes
When you first think of a snowy day captured in an image, black & whites tones are probably not what first spring to mind. However, in the right conditions and with the right subjects, working in monochrome on snowy days can work well and give you a collection of winter images that are rather eye-catching. To get you thinking more about mono, here's 5 tips to get you started on your journey into black & white snow photography.
Photo by David Clapp
1. The Weather Matters
When skies aren't a brilliant blue, turn your attention to the black & white medium as when your shot has a heavy snow-filled sky in it, your image will have much more punch to it if captured in black & white. Mist can help to separate foreground detail from background too. Make sure you wrap up in severe cold weather.
2. Strong Shapes Are A Must
As with most forms of black & white photography, you need strong, recognisable shapes in your shot for it to work. The skeletal trees of winter create interesting shapes which are perfect for snow-themed black & white landscapes. Livestock, rock formations and stone walls all work well as foreground interest, too.
3. Foreground Interest Is Important
If you just have a blanket of white snow, generally your image won't really work as there won't be any depth to it. The reason we say 'generally', however is because a blanket of snow can work in abstract images where you just have one main focus point that's starkly different to the pale snow (as shown in David's shot above). Find something that will lead the eye through the image or if there's nothing to guide the eye, just ensure there's at least one part of the foreground that adds texture and interest to your shot.
4. Converting To Black & White
There's always the option to take your shots in colour then convert them when back home in front of your computer. When converting images to black & white it's important to pay attention to the colour channels, as John Gravett explained in a previous article where he said: "Look at each of the red, green and blue colour channels to see which gives the best effect. Often, if you have a broad landscape with a blue sky, the red channel will darken the sky and give the picture real impact, it will also have the benefit of cutting any distant haze in the picture."
5. Stay Warm And Safe
This one isn't really about your photos but your safety. It will be bitterly cold when snowing so don't spend too long outside and always dress appropriately. Tell people where you are going and don't put yourself in danger for the sake of the perfect image.
A Budget 360 Camera That Actually Delivers? Testing the Insta360 X4 Air
It seems that there are new iterations of cameras released almost every second week—some new, and some with slight tweaks—but what happens when a camera system itself is unique? How can this be updated and improved from what is already quite niche? Let’s take a look.
[ Read More ]
We Review the WANDRD ROGUE 6L Sling V2: Big Function in a Compact Sling
As a professional photographer, I am one of those people who carry at least one camera with me all the time. Because of this, I always bring a two-bag combo—a sling bag and a backpack—when shooting on location or traveling around. Having an additional sling bag with me offers immediate accessibility to things I need easily, while storing all the backups on my back, and that translates to higher efficiency when working. While I understand there is no such thing as a perfect bag, I do invest a lot of time in searching for a bag that is capable of serving multiple purposes when I need them in a certain way.
[ Read More ]
Radial Masking In Lightroom Classic: How to Make Your Edits More Natural
A radial mask in Lightroom can fix the kind of “almost” photo that keeps bothering you, where the light is close but not landing where the eye should go. If you rely on Lightroom to shape mood, depth, and attention, this tool changes what you can do without making the edit look like an edit.
[ Read More ]
Five Tiny Primes, One Small Bag: The Micro Four Thirds Setup That Moves Faster Than Full Frame
Micro Four Thirds gets dismissed fast, especially when you’re staring at a dark stage and thinking about switching to full frame. This video puts real pressure on that assumption by showing how a smaller system holds up when the lights drop without warning and the job still needs to get done.
[ Read More ]
Every Photographer Needs This TV (Samsung The Frame)
[ Read More ]
The Right Lighting Modifiers for Real Estate Photography
Ceilings decide how clean your flash looks in real estate work, and you do not always get a friendly white one. When the ceiling is dark, wood, or simply too high to bounce, a modifier stops being optional and starts being the difference between usable frames and a long edit.
[ Read More ]
What to Do When Clients Ask for Raw Files
When a client asks for raw files, the request can put your deliverables, your editing time, and your reputation on the line. Handle it casually and you risk handing over work that is unfinished, easy to misuse, and hard to control once it leaves your drive.
[ Read More ]
10 Quick Tips On Photographing Garden Birds
Tip 1: Reach For A Long Lens You'll need a telephoto zoom (300-400mm) for capturing frame-filling shots and a tripod is essential. If you have one, fasten on your ball-head but it's not essential.
Tip 2: Know Where All Your Buttons & Functions Are
Know your equipment well before heading outside as you don't want to be searching for buttons and messing around with settings when you only have seconds to take a shot.
You will need to be quite close to the birds even if you are using a lens with plenty of reach as they are really tiny things and can be easily lost in your background.
Make sure you hide out of sight in either a purpose-built hide or try shooting from your house or from an outbuilding such as a shed.
Make sure you have feeders out, particularly at this time of year when food's a little scarce. This will encourage birds to regularly visit your garden for food.
Tip 6: Think About Feeder Position
Place feeders in areas where branches or even ready-made perches you want them to land on are positioned. That way they'll, hopefully, land on the branch in front of your chosen background before going for the food.
Tip 7: Change Your PropsChange the style of perch you're using to bring a bit of variety to your shots after a while.
Hedges make great natural looking backgrounds but don't let the scenery overshadow your subject. For those with fences and walls rather than hedgerows try collecting a few sheets of material that can help disguise it.
Pay attention to the tips of tail feathers as these can become out of focus.
Don't be too eager to hit the shutter button the second a bird lands as they're nervous creatures and it may take them a while to become comfortable with their surroundings.
You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Photo Month Forum Competition
Dramatic Interior Light Captures 'Photo of the Week'
“Target Practice” by ZenTony has been chosen as our Photo of the Week (POTW) this week on ePHOTOzine.
With its use of focus and framing, this image turns a straightforward subject into something impactful. The central target stands out clearly, while surrounding tones and textures add atmosphere.
The details are clear, and the strong light and shadow create a bold, defined setting. Great composition and timing elevate this ordinary interior into an eye-catching photo. Well done ZenTony – excellent capture.
Every Photo of the Week (POTW) winner will be rewarded with a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, providing top-tier storage for all your creative needs across multiple devices. But that's not all! In January 2026, we’ll crown our 2025 Photo of the Year winner, who will take home the ultimate prize of a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield, courtesy of Samsung. It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards!
5 Signs You Are 'Chimping' Too Much (And Why It's Ruining Your Photos)
There's a term in photography that sounds like it belongs in a nature documentary, and in a way, it does. "Chimping" describes the behavior of looking at your camera's LCD screen immediately after taking a photo, and the name supposedly comes from the excited noises photographers used to make when digital cameras first became mainstream. It's also a potentially detrimental habit that can cause you to miss shots.
[ Read More ]
Photography Lessons I’m Carrying From 2025 Into 2026
There are things I lived through in 2025 that became larger lessons for my career. Some of them were uncomfortable. Some of them paid off immediately. Some of them took patience. I’m sharing a handful to give you a head start on 2026.
[ Read More ]
Canon EOS R6 Mark III vs EOS R5 vs EOS R5 Mark II: The Real-World Choice
Choosing between the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, the EOS R5, and the EOS R5 Mark II is not a spec-sheet game anymore, because all three are fast enough. The real question is which one matches the way you shoot when things get chaotic: action, low light, long video takes, or heavy cropping.
[ Read More ]
Open Calls Didn’t Democratize Photography—They Monetized It
Open calls didn’t make photography more open. They simply replaced one gatekeeping system with another, built on paid submissions, administrative rules, and predictable results. And their influence reaches far beyond the photographers who actually apply.
[ Read More ]
The Five Mistakes That Make Your Footage Look Amateur
DaVinci Resolve is where a lot of “almost there” footage either gets rescued or exposed. This video argues that the difference between amateur and paid work often shows up in a handful of choices you keep repeating, especially once you start shooting log and stop trusting whatever look the camera bakes in.
[ Read More ]
Using a Wide Angle Lens: The Foreground Mistake That’s Wrecking Your Seascapes
A 12-24mm wide angle lens can make a calm shoreline look chaotic if you do not control the foreground. It can also hand you leading lines, texture, and scale in a single frame, if you work it with intention.
[ Read More ]
