Photography News

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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 Kev8990 (Day 13- 'Birds Of Prey').

 

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 9

Rust Close-Ups

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Day 10

Sunny Days

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Day 11

Silhouettes

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Day 12

Diagonal Lines

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  Day 14

Fountains

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Day 15

Desserts

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Day 16

Sunsets

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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.

Before you dig up the humble dandelion, have you ever thought about photographing it? If you haven't, here's a straightforward guide on how you can capture a rather fun and creative image of one without too much effort on your part. You can also create your own backdrops and swap them in and out for an extra level of creativity, too. 

All the photos show above are of the same dandelion taken from the same standing position with the stalk held at arm's length. The starting point was facing down with a green grass background and I then raised my arm towards the sky and took pictures at several positions on its journey.

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The Set-Up 

1. Pick a dandelion that has a full seed head.
2. Hold it at arm's length in your non-camera hand with it positioned in front of grass (you can use a tripod as this will free both hands, making adjustments easier).
3. With your camera manually set to close focus and held to your eye,  move the dandelion closer to the camera until it fills the frame and is in focus, then take a photo.
4. Adjust the exposure if the dandelion is too bright or too dark. If your camera is automatic take the photo when it's focused.

 

Experiment With Backgrounds

You can repeat the process but positioning the dandelion against different backgrounds. Each shot will look different and no doubt one will be preferred.

Here are just a few of the backgrounds you could use:

• Trees
• Blue sky
• Cloudy sky
• Coloured paper
• Textured walls
• Carpets
• Silhouetted against the sun

 

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

While overhyping new filmmaking and photography products is something of a spectator sport and phrases like "game changer" seem to be bandied about on a daily basis, it can sometimes come as a surprise which products actually move the needle. 

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Choosing the right starter kit in photography isn't just about budget. It's about whether the gear you buy actually helps you learn. The wrong setup early on can slow your development in ways that take years to undo. 

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Expired film is one of the more unpredictable variables in film photography, and knowing how to handle it can mean the difference between a roll worth keeping and one that goes straight in the bin. The rules aren't complicated, but they're easy to get wrong, especially when you're buying film with an unknown history. 

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The Fujinon GF 500mm f/5.6 is one of the more unusual lenses you can buy right now. Pairing a 500mm telephoto with a medium format sensor is a rare combination, and the results raise real questions about where medium format ends and wildlife work begins. 

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Ilford's Pan F Plus has been a staple black-and-white film for decades, but it was never available in sheet formats until now. The new 4x5 and 8x10 releases open up a genuinely different shooting experience, and it's well worth a look. 

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Recently, I had the chance to go hands-on with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 zoom lens to see exactly who this lens is for and if it is something that would fit into my existing workflow and maybe make it better.  

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I know the first thing some people will ask: 'why?' Well, to be fair, that is a perfectly sound question and yes, why bother standing in a stream and shoot water bubbles. To me, it is because you can and with digital there is no cost. It is also a nice break from the usual blurred water shots that many of us love. So, while you are out there doing waterfalls, spend a few minutes afterwards trying this subject.
 

"It is fun, challenging and you may even like the results. In fact, if you want some abstracts to hang up, this technique is worth trying", ePHOTOzine.

Of course, you can shoot water bubbles in the bath, should you feel that way inclined. However, this idea is water bubbles in a babbling brook or at the foot of a waterfall. Health and safety point here: Please take care on slippery rocks and obviously take care of your kit.

  1. Take A Support

You could, of course, use a tripod and position the camera so it is pointing down. Tripods that have a centre column that can be swung round to horizontal make it easier to shoot down onto the water's surface as well as offering more support than working hand-held will. Do make sure your tripod is secure and balanced so it won't fall over, camera first into the stream or river you're photographing.
 

2. Pick The Right Lenses

Lens-wise, try your lens's macro feature or use a macro lens. A macro lens used close up is perfect, but there won't be a great deal of depth-of-field at such fast shutter speeds. Setting a high ISO is an option, but that depends on the noise performance of your camera.

3. Dress Appropriately

Wear sturdy boots, making sure they are waterproof if you're planning on standing in a stream. Wellies or waders mean that you have more freedom regarding camera position but you can just find a suitable spot by keeping your feet dry and standing on a rock or something. You'll also need a warm, waterproof jacket, particularly at this time of year when a rain shower is a common thing. Various jackets and photographer's vests are available on the market.
 

4. Choose The Right Shutter Speeds

Find yourself a good spot in the stream. This can be in a sunbeam or it can be in the shade. However, very fast shutter speeds are the order of the day, so check the lighting and if you are getting 1/1000sec or more, great. It is an opportunity to explore those speeds of 1/2000sec and 1/4000sec. As with blurring flowing water, try different shutter speeds. Flash is worth a try too.

  

5. Let's Talk About Focus And Exposure

Exposure and focusing are technical challenges. Your camera is not going to manage to autofocus – water bubbles do not hang around waiting for your AF to kick in. The best thing is to focus manually and then change the camera position to get sharp focus. The reject rate will be high.

Exposure can be tricky because you have a bright, sunlit bubble against a dark background, and the scene is constantly changing. Like focusing, taking the manual option is worth serious thought. Meter manually, shoot some frames and make adjustments. Once you have metered for a particular lighting situation, it is time to start shooting.
 

6. Don't Stop Shooting

Shoot lots. You are not going to get the perfect picture in a couple of frames. You will find that the micro landscape in front of you is never the same twice – miss a shot and you are not going to get another identical shot. Put in a positive way, every shot you take will be unique – no question. You can also play around with your images in Photoshop, flipping images to create interesting patterns etc. 

 

 

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

 

When it comes to picking a bag to carry your camera and other bits of kit around in, it can take a while to come to a final decision as there's plenty of top brands and styles to choose from. Some photographers will have a go-to bag for all occasions while others will choose to have a few different designs that have different uses.

To help you decide what camera bag is perfect for you, we've put together a few tips on what to look out for and we'll also be asking questions you'll probably be thinking about next time you're shopping for a camera bag.
 

1. What Type Of Photography Do You Enjoy?

By thinking about the above question, you should be able to narrow down your choices. For example, a landscape photographer will find a backpack style more appropriate than a shoulder bag but someone who travels on planes a lot may want a roller case they can use as hand luggage but will pack a smaller bag inside it which they can use when they arrive at their destination. 

  2. What Will You Be Carrying?

For the majority of shooters, it's important to keep the weight of your bag to a minimum, even more so if you're heading off on a long walk in a National Park. A Body and two or three good all-around lenses should be fine for most but if you do need to carry more, make sure there's plenty of dividers in your bag to keep your gear snug and safe. Look for pockets that are easy to access so you can quickly grab memory cards, spare batteries etc. and a tablet/laptop pocket is a feature more and more of us are needing in our camera bags, too. 

 

 

 

3. How Quickly Will You Need To Access Gear? 

A good camera bag will allow you to access your camera gear quickly and easily. If you're shooting in busy locations where you don't want to have your camera out around your neck constantly, such as in popular tourist locations or in towns and cities, a sling design may be better than a rucksack as they're easier to swing around to your front so you can access equipment without removing your bag. Shoulder bags can also be accessed easily while on the move but do take care not to overload this style of bag if carrying it on one shoulder.

 

 

 

4. What Features Should You Look Out For?

 

1. Comfort

No matter what your planned shoot for the day is, be it a long photo walk or a short trip to the local park, your camera bag needs to be comfortable as you don't want to injure yourself and if something's annoying you, it can distract you from your photography as well as irritate you. If possible, try your bag out before you buy it to test where straps sit etc. 

 

2. Material 

You want your bag to last so look for models made from hard-wearing fabrics and pay attention to how the bag is sealed. Waterproof covers can be very useful and many bags now come with them built-in. It's also important to pay attention to small details such as zippers as plastic ones can be less durable than those made from metal.

 

 

3. Internal Dividers 

Having a bag that allows you to customise the interior will give you more flexibility when it comes to the gear you carry and how you carry it. Some bags feature inserts that can be removed when not needed, giving the user a bag that reverts to everyday use which is useful when travelling on planes when weight is limited so taking two bags may not be an option. 

 

4. Protection

Your bag doesn't want too much padding so it's bulky but you do want to make sure there's enough to provide protection for your gear in the right places. Make sure you pay attention to the bottom of the bag to see if feet or a protective layer are provided. 

For more information on camera bags, take a look at ePHOTOzine's guide to camera bag types. 

For roughly twenty years, the working photographer's purchase logic was simple. The flagship body was the right answer for demanding work, and the mid-range body was the right answer for everything else. Working pros bought flagships because their work demanded it. Wedding photographers shooting in dim churches, photojournalists in unpredictable conditions, sports photographers tracking fast subjects, wildlife photographers waiting for a single decisive moment, commercial photographers needing absolute reliability across long shoot days.

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In the age of being able to take care of a lot of production needs with AI, are professional models becoming irrelevant? And even beyond AI, why is using a professional model such a necessity for professional photo shoots, especially in the fashion space? 

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Spending $15,000 on a single lens is not a decision you make lightly, and getting it wrong is an expensive mistake. Tom Mason owns the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S and has put it to work as a professional wildlife shooter for years, but he's the first to admit it might not be the right call for everyone. 

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Choosing a single focal length and following rigid systems might feel like the opposite of creativity, but Brian Eno built a career proving otherwise. His framework for making music turns out to map almost perfectly onto how the best street photography work gets made. 

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Choosing a 35mm lens for wedding and portrait work is genuinely difficult when the options range from compact primes to heavier, more ambitious glass. The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 Lab II lands squarely in that debate, and it's making a strong case for itself. 

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Picking the right cinema camera for run-and-gun work is rarely straightforward, and the Nikon ZR raises real questions about whether its feature set justifies its size and complexity for everyday shooting. This video puts that to the test not on a studio set or controlled shoot, but on a full movie-location road trip through Flagstaff, Arizona. 

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A day out at the coast gives you a good excuse to get your camera out of its bag. It doesn't matter if you're going on a family day-trip or with a group of fellow photographers as you'll be able to capture a decent amount of imagery with whoever you go with, although your family probably won't want to see you looking down your view-finder all of the time!

In this article, we list 10 popular photography tutorials which are all about taking photos at the coast as well as offer some advice on what gear you might want to consider packing next time you head for the beach.

 

1. Beach Photography Tips - 5 Top Ways To Shoot Beach-Themed Images

 

2. Photography Tips For Shooting At The Coast  As And After The Sun Has Set 

 

  3. Tips And Kit Suggestions For Photographing Piers At The Coast 

 

4. Edwin Brosens Shares His Top Tips On Capturing Seascapes

 

 

5. Coastal Compact Camera Close-Up Photography Tips

 

6. Step Down Onto The Sand And Under The Pier For A Spot Of Pier Photography

 

7. How To Capture Lighthouse Landscape Shots On Your Coast Visit

    8. Top Flotsam Photography Tips For You To Read

  9. Five Tips To Improve Your Coastal Landscape Shots

 

10. Ten Top Tips To Help You Improve Your Seaside Photography

 

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

  A city or town offers a photographer a plethora of potential photographic subjects, making them a great location for an afternoon, morning or even a whole weekend of photography.

To give you some inspiration next time you're out in a city with your camera, we've put together a list of 16 top photographic subjects you can find in a city / town, plus links to top tutorials that'll help you perfect your shots of them. But first, let's take a look at some of the kit you may want to consider taking next time you're off for a photography walk around a city's streets.      What Gear Will I Need?

Of course, you're going to need a camera and this can be anything from a DSLR to a smaller compact. If you're planning on taking some shots after the sun has set you may want to consider carrying a support, particularly if you're going to be capturing light streaks. Do remember that some locations, such as cathedrals and stations, won't allow you to use a support so do take this into consideration when planning your day.

ND and polarising filters don't take up too much room and could come in useful as too would a variety of lenses if you're not planning on using a compact camera. Consider taking a wide, tele-zoom and macro lens along if you have room in your camera bag for them. When it comes to bag choices, everyone is different so the best advice we can give you is take a bag that's comfortable, will hold all the kit you'll need easily and that's easy to access. Sling style bags are popular in city locations due to how easy it is to access kit without having to remove the bag but an everyday backpack will be just as fine. 

What Should I Photograph? 

 

1. You Can't Ignore Architecture

Buildings, old and new, surround our streets so you can't really visit a city and not shoot some building-themed images. Click the link above for more tips on photographing architecture or visit the technique section to see the full list of architecture photography techniques we have on site. 

  2. Have A Go At Street Photography

A busy city can be the perfect location to experiment with street portraits, particularly as you can blend into the crowds and shoot from the hip to capture some interesting candids.

 

3. Photograph A Landmark 

Famous landmarks have just one problem – they're famous which means finding a shot of them which isn't already on a thousand other cameras can be difficult but that doesn't mean it's impossible. 

 

4. Get Up High 

One of the simplest ways to change the way your city image looks is to get up high. So climb a mountain, stand on some steps or use a lift to get to the top of a tower to give your images a different perspective. 

 

 

5. Capture Shots Of Traffic & Transport 

City streets are busy places with buses, cars, cyclists and more getting from A-to-B giving you ample opportunity to get creative with your transport shots. 

 

6. Get Creative And Add Some Light Trails To Your City Shots 

Did you wonder how people get car lights to streak through their images? Well click the above link to find the answers. 

 

7. Photograph A Church, Cathedral Or Other Place of Worship

These structures make great subjects for architectural shots but if the weather turns or you want a break from walking along the streets with your camera gear, the inside of these buildings is well worth capturing, too. 

 

8. Visit A Museum

Museums are not only educational and interesting, but they offer plenty of photographic opportunities. Plus, many are free to enter which is always a bonus! Have a look around the outside of the museums too for interesting architectural shots worth capturing. 

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9. Search For Interesting Architectural Patterns

Stop looking at buildings as whole structures and focus on the small pockets of interesting patterns and shapes they're made up of.

 

10. Capture Reflections In Buildings 

Thanks to modern architecture that favours glass and steel over bricks and mortar cities are full of reflections which give us an alternative way to photograph the places we live in.

 

11. Photograph A Station

There are few towns and cities that do not have a station and they are fantastic places to take pictures. Interesting architecture, people to capture candids of and close-ups of interesting detail are just some of the shots you can capture around these locations.

 

12. Look For Stairs And Steps 

Stairs may sound a little boring but if you start thinking about the materials they're made from and the shapes and styles that exist, you'll soon realise there's plenty of steps to keep you and your camera occupied.

 

13. Photograph A Bridge

Bridges come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, plus you can capture them from all angles making them a subject you can spend quite a while on. 

 

 

14. Spend Some Time By A Canal

Canals were once used to transport goods to towns and cities right across the UK and as a result, there are still plenty of waterways running through our city streets. The long canals, bridges and lock gates that once supplied goods now supply ample photography opportunities and as they all have public walkways, you're not going to upset anyone if you spend an hour two with your camera at the side of one.

 

15. Go For A Walk In A Town / City Park 

The green spaces found in towns and cities are a haven for many and are a great place to take your camera when you want a break from the busy streets. 

 

16. Capture Shots Of Shop Windows & Signs

Spend some time in your town and capture some interesting images of displays and signs. They'll be plenty of interesting signs, plus head back out at night and the shop fronts will have a completely different look to them. 
 

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

The 24-70mm f/2.8 has been the default first professional lens purchase for at least 25 years. Almost every working photographer has owned one. Every photography forum recommends one to every newcomer asking what to buy after the kit lens. Every wedding educator names it as the foundation of a working kit. Every camera store stocks it at eye level. The lens has been so culturally dominant within working photography that the question of whether it should still be the default has rarely been asked seriously. It should be asked now.  

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If you dream of owning a Hasselblad XPan, you might want to consider this much more affordable alternative. Or, given how stupid it is, maybe not. 

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