Photography News

A New Year has begun and with it comes new opportunities to better your photography. So, with a whole year ahead of you, what will you be doing differently this year? Do you want to try a new genre of photography, do you want to shoot with your smartphone? Or, quite simply, do you just want to enjoy the hobby of photography more? Whatever your plans, we've got a few New Year's Resolutions for photographers to get you thinking about your year of photography that's to come.

1. I Will Know My Gear Well

If you've got a new camera for Christmas or have fallen into the trap of switching to Auto as it's just easy to use, make this year the year you get to grips with your camera. Take the time to learn why shutter speeds are important, how apertures can change the look of your photo and why setting your white balance manually can improve your shots. Of course there are more modes, techniques and settings than listed here and you can find plenty of advice on various aspects of photography over in ePHOTOzine's techniques section. Don't overlook sitting down and reading your camera's manual too as they are usually full of good advice.
 

2. I Will Try Something New

Learn how to use a new piece of editing software or how about trying a different photography technique? There's plenty of subjects out there and you won't know if you enjoy photographing them if you don't try. If you're looking for tips, head over to ePHOTOzine's techniques section, ask your question in our forums or take a look at some of the photography books that are on offer.
 

3. I Will Take My Camera With Me More Often

Many of us are guilty of leaving the camera at home a little too often when really if we had it in the car or even in our bag, we'd take more photos. In fact, with a large amount of smartphones on the market, why not make more use of the camera that's on your phone and most likely with you all of the time? Yes, there is a chance many won't be great but you can use the shots to learn from and improve the shots you take at a later date.
 

I Will Make The Most Of The Gear I Have

Just because you don't own an expensive DSLR and a long lens doesn't mean you can't take good photos. You just have to think more about what the gear you have is capable of capturing and focus your energy into taking good shots of that with it. Plus, if you do want to photograph a particular subject but don't think you have the right gear, there are often ways to get around it. For example, for wildlife photography, you'll need longer lenses, a tripod etc. when taking your shots out in the wild which means it's not an ideal subject for compact users. However, you can capture wildlife shots at a zoo or wildlife park where you can get closer to the wildlife, making it easier for you to capture frame-filling shots.

What photographic themed resolutions have you made? Share them in the comments below. 

You are paying a $2,000 premium for buttons you will never press. Modern flagships are genuine marvels of engineering. These cameras represent the absolute pinnacle of what decades of imaging technology can achieve, packed into weather-sealed magnesium alloy bodies that can survive conditions most of us will never encounter. They are fast, precise, and loaded with capabilities that would have seemed like science fiction just ten years ago. They are also, for the vast majority of photographers, spectacular overkill.

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You keep hearing about getting “better composition” or “dialing in settings,” but this video is focused on something that comes earlier than both: the decisions that decide what the photo is actually saying. If you shoot people and your results sometimes feel technically fine but emotionally thin, this is the kind of checklist that can expose why.

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A budget 85mm can look perfect on paper, then punish you in the exact situations that make 85mm worth owning: wide-open portraits, backlit scenes, and close-up framing. The Meike 85mm f/1.8 SE Mark II lens is interesting because it isn’t just “another cheap prime,” it’s a native Canon EF option that also invites adapting to newer Canon RF bodies.

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Midday beach light can look brutal through an ultra-wide. If most of your landscape time is squeezed into sunrise and sunset, this approach pushes you to build usable skills when the sun is doing you no favors.

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Two nearly identical landscape images can hit your Facebook feed and get wildly different reactions, even when the platform is doing the distributing. This video puts Midjourney and ChatGPT in the middle of a bigger problem: how “real” work gets judged when the algorithm and AI aesthetics keep blurring the line.

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When the photo editing software Evoto created software so good that it made photographers obsolete, their user base began to revolt and rumors started to fly. I went directly to Evoto to get the truth.

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Thirty years ago, photo editing meant painting and airbrushing prints by hand. Then Photoshop arrived and wiped out most of those jobs.

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With black & white camera modes, apps that can turn your phone shots mono and various black & white editing techniques available, black & white photography is more accessible than ever but if you've never produced a black & white shot, why should you? Well, we've put together a quick list of reasons that may just persuade you to give black & white photography a go, plus we've linked to various black & white tutorials as well as mentioned a few tips further down in the article.

 

1. It Makes You Think About Composition More

 

As Robin Whalley said in a previous article: "To achieve a good black and white image you need to have separation between the elements in the frame. If you can’t distinguish or find it difficult to distinguish between the elements the image will lack impact and the viewer will struggle to understand it."

With this in mind, it makes you search harder for an interesting composition that includes strong foreground interest. Strong shapes and lead-in lines work well as do other strong, distinctive shapes further back in the composition that the eye can easily identify even when everything has a similar tone.
 

2. Interesting Take On Snow Photography

 

As most of us have seen snowfall over the last week, now's a good time to talk about photographing snow in a black & white format. Black & white snow-filled landscapes will not only give you something a little different to what the majority of people photograph but it can also stop shots with pale, snow-laden skies from looking boring and lacking in contrast. As mentioned above, contrast is important so look for strong recognisable shapes that can be easily isolated from the white background. For more tips on black & white snow photography, take a look at John Gravett's article.

 

3. Not As Distracting

 

As colour's stripped away and shots become reliant on tones, texture and contrast, everything seems simpler and there are not as many distractions to contend with. Focus falls on your main subject more easily and when shot right, can have a lot of impact.

 

4. Helps Create Mood

 

Mood essentially relates to the lighting in a shot and when you shoot on a cloudy, unsettled day, working in black & white will give you a shot that's far more foreboding than a shot in colour. It's far easier to create a sense of a dark and brooding landscape with black & white than it is colour.
 

5. Soft Or Strong? 

 

During post-production you can Darken certain areas of your shot while lightening other areas, creating contrast as you do. You can create a soft black & white effect or go all out and apply one that's strong. There are various methods for doing this including applying an S-Curve or using the dodge and burn tools. Take a look at these tutorials for more tips:

• How To Turn A Coloured Landscape Mono
• Make A Moody Black & White In Photoshop Elements
• Turning A Coloured Image Black & White
• Create Black And White Images In Paint Shop Pro
• Convert Your Images To Mono With Gradient Maps

   

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

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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 Leedslass1 (Day 29 - Night Winter Shots)

 

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 24

Urban Portraits

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Day 25

Christmas

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Day 26

Fill-In Flash Portraits

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  Day 27

'Technology' Theme

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Day 28

Mountains In Winter

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Day 30

Black & White Winter Theme

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Day 31

Paths & Lines In Cities

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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.

In an era of AI perfection, your biggest asset is reality. Here is how to make your portfolio more authentic.

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There has been a lot of hype around the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III. With phone cameras getting better than ever, it’s a fair question to ask who would even want a pocket-sized camera that takes up extra space. The answer, it seems, is a lot of people. The G7 X Mark III has become one of the hottest compact cameras again, and its popularity doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

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hotography generates endless critique, but usefulness is far less common. Some feedback clarifies decisions, while other forms quietly replace them with rules, authority, and caution. Learning to tell the difference has become a necessary skill for anyone who wants to keep their own criteria intact.

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A wide angle lens can make a scene look huge, but it can also turn your frame into a pile of “everything” that says nothing. If your landscapes feel sharp yet forgettable, this video focuses on five small habits that quietly wreck otherwise good work.

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So, you've waved goodbye to your photo journeys of last year are raring to get the new photographic year off the starting line with a bang but you're not sure where to start... Well, how about getting stuck into a photo project that can take you right through from 1 January to New Year's Eve? A 365-project is an obvious choice but there are other options for those who don't want to commit as much time to a project or if you'd like more of a challenge, there's an even more time-intense task you can take on. Have a read of our suggestions below and see which creative project appeals the most. You could even use ePz's blog system to share your project with other members on site. 

 

1. 365 Day Project

Photo Joshua Waller 

 

Even though this is something many will have done, it's still worth a mention but be warned; it's not as easy as it sounds! Basically, you need to take a photo every day for a year. Sounds straightforward but when you've done a few, inspiration could start to wear thin. The key is to not think too grand all of the time. Yes, it would be great to have 365 cracking landscape shots but it's just not feasible most of the time. Look at small details, get creative with apps, get out of your comfort zone and try something new...these are all ways you can keep your 365 project both creative and interesting. Another point to remember is to always carry a camera with you. This doesn't have to be a DSLR but do make sure you have your Smartphone, compact or even a film camera (if that's your thing) with you so you never miss an opportunity. If you do miss a day, don't beat yourself up too badly, just take two shots the following day (we won't tell anyone you bent the rules slightly). 

  2. 52 Week Project

Photo Joshua Waller 

 

If taking a photo every day seems a little daunting how about one a week? This could be of anything and everything or how about giving it a theme? Take a portrait shot every week for a year or how about taking a photo of a dinner at least once a week? There's plenty of things to try, you just need to get those grey cells working and think of something that really gets you excited about the project so you see it through to completion. 

 

3. 12 Hour Photo Project 

 

 

Pick a day and take a photo every hour for 12 hours. A workday may prove to be difficult but a day out at the coast, a day while you're on your annual vacation or a weekend in the city should provide you plenty of opportunities to take a photo every hour. It'll give you the opportunity to expand your photographic skills, taking photos in various lighting situations, locations and from a variety of angles. 

 

4. Photograph 1 Item / Object

 

If you don't want to set yourself time limits you could focus your attention on one object/item for a year. This, for example, could be a particular tree in your garden or landscape that you take a shot of from the same spot for an X amount of times. You could also pick an item and take it to various locations throughout the year to photograph. Timelapse could also be an option, especially in spring when you can capture flowers blooming in your garden. For broader themes, think of items you'll be able to capture images of in one place such as shop signs in towns. 

 

5. Take On An A-Z Challenge

 

This is one that can be completed in an afternoon while you take a walk around your local town so won't be too time-consuming but it will still challenge you to look at the world through a more creative eye. This project is something we've actually discussed before so won't go into much detail but basically, you capture shots of items around you that are shaped like letters of the alphabet. For more tips, have a read of this: Kickstart Your Creativity With An A - Z Photo Project

 

6. Think In Colour

 

This is project that you can shoot over several days, weeks or even months and the key is to focus just on one colour which means you can capture photos of various subjects so long as the colour theme matches. It's also a great project to keep running alongside your other photography pursuits. 

 

7. Self Portrait Project

 

'Selfies' are all the rage and can be captured with any camera and anywhere (they've even been captured in the International Space Station!). Take on the 'daily self-portrait' project for a week, month or even a year and you'll have an interesting collection of images that document your face, clothing choices etc. for a small pocket in time. 

 

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

Medium format keeps pulling you back when prints start getting big and your files need to hold together under picky edits, and that is the exact lane where the Hasselblad X2D 100C starts to look less like a luxury and more like a tool with a point. If you have ever looked at a finished print and felt the color and shadow transitions were just slightly brittle, this video is aimed straight at that frustration.

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CYME has just announced Peakto 2.6, the latest version of its AI-powered media manager for Mac, introducing what is now the most comprehensive AI-driven culling and deduplication tool available for photographers and visual creators.

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The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome targets a specific kind of photographer: someone who wants black-and-white files that hold up when the light is bad and the pace is fast. If you rely on a pocket camera and you care about tones more than color, this is the sort of release that can change what you bring out the door.

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Complex masking has long been a bottleneck in photography workflows. Intricate details in portraits, products, or wedding shoots can turn simple edits into hours of painstaking work. Aiarty Image Matting helps photographers remove image background with AI quickly and accurately, preserving fine details and transparency. 

 

 

Aiarty Image Matting is an AI-powered image background remover. It handles tricky subjects like hair, sheer fabrics, glass, and fine textures, preserves fine details and transparency, and allows seamless background blending. With intuitive controls and batch processing, it streamlines post-production while keeping full precision and offline processing for photographers who demand professional-quality results.

 

43% Off Aiarty Image Matting - ePHOTOzine Exclusive

Aiarty Image Matting is available at special discounted prices for photographers: the lifetime license is now $65 (was $109), and the 1-year license is now $39 (was $69).

What’s better, as an ePHOTOzine reader, you can enjoy an extra $5 off by applying the coupon code NYSPECIAL at checkout before Jan. 31, 2026. Don’t miss these limited-time deals!

 

Benefits of getting Aiarty Image Matting:

• Use on up to 3 Windows or Mac computers
• One-time payment, no subscriptions, no recurring fees, and no hidden costs
• Lifetime license offers free upgrades permanently
• 30-day money-back guarantee

 

AI Background Removal Built for the Most Challenging Details

Aiarty Image Matting uses four dedicated AI matting models, each optimized for different image types and shooting scenarios:

• AlphaStandard V2: Blends edges naturally for transparent and semi-transparent subjects.
• AlphaEdge V2: Produces clean, well-defined outlines for subjects that require sharper edges.
• EdgeClear V2: Handles fine textures and small details without losing edge structure.
• SolidMat V2: Provides stable, artifact-free extraction for solid objects.

 

Powered by SOTA AI engine, Aiarty delivers stable, artifact-free cutouts across challenging subjects:

Hair & Fur: The AI easily remove image background while preserving delicate hair strands and fine animal fur. Edges remain smooth and natural, perfect for portraits, pets, and wildlife photography.

 

 

Transparent Objects: It effectively processes glass, smoke, sheer fabrics, and other semi-transparent elements. The AI respects light behavior and material translucency, allowing subjects to merge convincingly with any new background.

 

 

Low Contrast Subjects: Aiarty can effectively separate subjects that blend into the background. Subtle tonal differences are detected accurately, producing precise cutouts without losing essential details.

 

 

Complicated Backgrounds: Aiarty isolates the subject from busy and cluttered product setups cleanly while preserving fine details and removing distractions efficiently.

 

 

Seamless AI Background Replacement for Any Project

Aiarty allows photographers to quickly apply new backgrounds, solid colors, gradients, or custom scenes. With a single click, photos are ready for passport photos, e-commerce listings, graphic design, social media content, and a variety of other creative projects.

 

 

Advanced Controls for Precise Mask Refinement

Aiarty goes beyond one-click background removal with advanced editing controls that allow fine adjustment of transparency, edges, and mask boundaries. Tools like Brush, Erase, Dodge, and Burn selectively recover or soften details for smoother transitions in challenging areas. The Alpha Mask Inversion option makes it easy to swap masked regions, while edge and tone refinement tools help smooth contours, balance brightness, and correct minor artifacts.

 

 

Enhanced Source Quality for Cleaner, More Accurate Cutouts

The built-in AI Image Enhancer in the Edit panel allows photographers to optimize source images before masking. It can enhance resolution by x1 or x2, sharpen details, reduce noise, and repair soft or low-quality images, helping the AI produce cleaner edges and more precise background removal results.

Lightweight editing controls such as crop and rotate make it easy to refine composition and framing, smooth the workflow and ensure a polished final output for both digital delivery and print.

 

 

High-Volume, Secure Offline Workflows

Aiarty Image Matting is designed for high-volume production environments where speed, consistency, and privacy matter. Using automatic AI detection, it identifies subjects and background regions across an entire batch of images, allowing photographers to remove image background with AI in a single click, supporting up to 3,000 images in one batch.

All processing is performed locally on the device, no cloud uploads, no privacy concerns, and fast, responsive performance even without an internet connection.

 

Time-Limited Holiday Offer for 2026 Celebration

Aiarty Image Matting is now available at up to 43% off in the time-limited New Year Sale. Apply the code NYSPECIAL at checkout to save an extra $5. The deal is valid till January 31, 2026. Lifetime license works on up to 3 devices, supports unlimited image processing, and includes lifetime upgrades. With a one-time payment and no subscriptions, it’s the perfect investment for photographers seeking professional-grade background removal. 

 

Aiarty Image Matting: The Best Image Background Removal for Photographers

Even without a high-end graphics card or powerful computer, Aiarty Image Matting can accurately remove complex backgrounds. Whether you’re editing product photos or portrait shots, Aiarty Image Matting offers a fast, precise, and reliable solution, making it the ideal choice for photographers.

Lightroom Classic landscape masking can save you from tedious brush work, but it can also make confident mistakes that you have to catch fast. If you edit outdoor scenes, it changes how quickly you can isolate problem areas like sky bleed, muddy snow, or uneven water tones.

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