Photography News

There is a moment early in every photographer's journey when they realize that simply pointing a camera at something interesting does not automatically produce an interesting photograph. The gap between what we see with our eyes and what the camera captures can feel impossibly wide. We stand in front of a stunning landscape or a compelling portrait subject, press the shutter, and somehow the resulting image falls flat. The scene that moved us in person becomes mundane in the frame. While there are countless technical explanations for this phenomenon, one of the most overlooked culprits is deceptively simple: we are shooting from the wrong height.

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A fast portrait lens can make it dangerously easy to lean on blur and call it style. The video focuses on the small portrait habits that quietly flatten your results, even when focus and exposure look “right.”

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I wasn’t planning to shoot any macro photography that day because it is something I very rarely do. But I have such a huge respect for the macro masters I see and thought, "I would give it a proper go." After all, photography is very much about experimentation and creativity, so let's dive in, shall we?

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You can get “window light” even when there isn’t a usable window, and the difference between fake and believable usually comes down to a few small decisions. If you shoot portraits in a controlled space, this approach gives you a repeatable look without waiting on weather, time of day, or room layout.

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Your landscape can look incredible in person and still turn into a flat photo once you open it in Lightroom. The video breaks down why that mismatch happens and what to do about it when a scene feels “big” to your eyes but small on the screen.

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An f/1.4 lens can make portraits look calm and intentional, but it can also punish mistakes in focus, corners, and color fringing. If you are considering a manual-focus short telephoto, the real question is what you gain in look and feel and what you quietly give up.

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At this time of year, there is a high possibility that you might get caught out by rain showers when you're out exploring. If you do experience some rain, even if you're at home nice and dry when it begins, here are some ways that you can capture rain creatively. 

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1. Macro Raindrops

Shooting the raindrops as they gather on the window can make some really pretty abstract shots. Fit a macro lens to enable you to get really up close to your subject. Take into account the background of the image as although it will be blurred by the wide aperture you use, any obvious shapes could still take away from the image. Use some card to shield any glare and reflections that may appear. You could also have a go at refraction - where a smaller version of the world outside appears in the drop.
 

2. Raindrops on flowers and plants 

After the rain shower, head outside to shoot the raindrops on the flowers and plants in the garden or at your local park. Saturated, glistening leaves on plants will be really photogenic, producing vibrant images. Shoot abstract, macro images from different angles to emphasise the water drops. 

 

 

3. Reflections

Rainfall provides an excellent opportunity for you to photograph reflections where usually there wouldn't be an opportunity. Use reflection to photograph textures of building in small puddles or symmetry images in larger ones. Puddles near flowers will allow you to capture them from a different angle, looking upwards towards the sky. Longer shutter speeds will help to create a smoother-looking puddle if it's windy.

 

4. Splashes

Using a faster shutter speed will enable you to capture the splashes from puddles as cars and bikes ride through them, or people walk through them. This might be better captured through a zoom lens to avoid splashes landing on your equipment. It might also be an idea to use a continuous shutter mode, allowing you to take several shots at once and choose the best one. 
 

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

 

Skylum, the creator behind the award-winning AI photo editor Luminar Neo, has introduced a new feature called AI Assistant that makes photo editing fast, smarter and more intuitive. Released in December 2025 as part of the Luminar Neo update, photographers can now use the AI Assistant to type simple text commands and get tailored editing suggestions to enhance their photos and speed up their workflow.

 

Edit Smarter Through Text Commands

Available in both Presets and Edit tabs, the AI Assistant works by analysing your image’s composition, colours, and objects, then recommends edits that fit the image. Photographers can type requests or prompts such as “Enhance this photo” or “Turn this photo black and white” to instantly see up to three suggested edits, each with previews and short descriptions. 

Once a suggestion is applied, you can fine-tune the results in the Edit tab. This cuts down on guesswork and gives you a clear starting point. The best part? You're never limited. You can keep asking for fresh suggestions as many times as you like, experimenting until you find the look that feels just right.

 

Explore Tools With Guided Assistance

The AI Assistant is not only about quick fixes. For guidance-type queries, the AI Assistant highlights the most effective tools and provides direct access to them. This makes it easier to explore Luminar Neo’s features while you’re actively editing, helping you learn the software step by step without interrupting your workflow.

 

 

Enhance and Create With AI Suggestions

AI Assistant can suggest general enhancements, help boost colours, adjust white balance, and apply toning styles directly to your photo. It also provides guidance for edits like brightening, adjusting contrast, dehazing, or using tools for creative effects such as sky replacement, adding a sunset, perspective fixes and background replacement. These suggestions help you choose the right tools and approach for each image, whether you want subtle improvements or bold transformations.

 

Integrated With Luminar Neo’s Features

AI Assistant works seamlessly with Luminar Neo’s existing tools such as Relight AI, Sky Replacement and Portrait Background Removal. This integration means you can combine automated suggestions with advanced manual controls, creating a complete editing workflow inside one platform.

 

Try Luminar Neo and AI Assistant Today

Luminar Neo’s AI Assistant is available now for all users with version 1.26.0 or later. Download the software to streamline your workflow and enjoy faster, smarter editing.

Special Offer: Use code EPHOTOZINE at checkout for 10% off and explore the entire range of Luminar Neo features today.

Get Luminar Neo Now

 

Wide-angle lenses usually fall into one of two categories: large, heavy, expensive monsters or budget-friendly options that often come with compromises not worth the cost. But has Viltrox hit a home run?

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There was a time, not so long ago, when medium format digital photography existed in an entirely separate universe from the rest of the camera market. It was a universe populated by wealthy commercial photographers and the occasional landscape obsessive who had saved for years to afford a system that promised marginally better image quality than what everyone else was using. Not anymore.

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85mm portrait primes get marketed as “special,” but the real story is how fast they focus, how they handle, and what you trade to save size and money. If you shoot people on Sony E-mount, this head-to-head is the kind of comparison that can keep you from buying the right focal length in the wrong package.

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The PolarPro Center Split Filter is the latest in-camera optical tool designed for photographers and filmmakers who want to push their visuals beyond the ordinary. Rather than relying on digital effects during post-production, this filter creates a dreamy aesthetic during capture.

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ePHOTOzine members can enjoy exclusive savings on PortraitPro 24 from Anthropics Technology.

Edit whole shoots in just minutes. Highly rated by leading industry publications, PortraitPro 24 is the world’s first intelligent retouching software, powered by advanced Generative AI and smart tools for fast, professional results.

 

"PortraitPro 24 takes the whole process that took hours, or was virtually impossible, and reduces it to just a few minutes, sometimes mere seconds per photo when editing greater volumes!"

SLR Lounge

 

Enhance your portrait work for pro-style portraits with powerful features:

 

Key New Features:

• New gender and age detector
• Mouth inpainting & teeth replacer
• Face recovery
• Skin and hair masks
• Glasses reflection remover

  Improved Workflow:

• Seamlessly switch between faces in group shots.
• Effortlessly share presets.
• Utilise a streamlined preset search box.
• Explore more image save options.
• (Exclusive to Studio Max) Apply multiple presets to each picture.

 

"This feature alone (Glasses Reflection Remover) would pay for the upgrade after repairing just a couple of shots spoiled by the reflections in a subject's glasses, mainly in time saving."
 

Professional Image-Maker

 

 

Download your free trial today and discover what PortraitPro can do for your portraits!

Buy PortraitPro 24 or upgrade at 50% off, plus enjoy an exclusive extra 20% off with the code EPJ26.

 

 

All PortraitPro purchases qualify for a FREE Anthropics software gift.

See Anthropics Bundles for further savings.

 

Therese Asplund winning image.

 

The Society of Photographers is thrilled to reveal the winners of the prestigious 2025 Photographer of the Year awards, proudly sponsored by Loxley Colour.

Therese Asplund has been crowned Photographer of the Year, an accolade that celebrates outstanding photographic talent and creativity.

The 2025 Monthly Image Competition attracted an impressive 5,725 submissions across 28 categories, showcasing the remarkable diversity and skill of our talented membership. Gold Award-winning images from each category were shortlisted, with the best of the best selected for this year’s top honours.

 

Judges’ Comments

“Demonstrating outstanding skill, narrative depth, and execution, this bold and distinctive image emerged as a clear standout and generated animated discussion among the judges.”

 

For full details on The Society of Photographers - Photographer of the Year Awards please check out the website: https://thesocieties.net/the-society-of-photographers-photographer-of-the-year-2025/

 

2nd Place Photographer of the Year 2025 was awarded to Cecile Stuedal Norway from Finnmark, Norway.

 

3rd Place Photographer of the Year 2025 was awarded to Terry Donnelly from England, UK.

 

Colin Jones, The Society of Photographers’ CEO and Terrie Jones The Society of Photographers’ Personal Development Manager presenting Therese the Photographer of the Year Award.

 

For more information, please visit the The Society of Photographers' website.

 

People and cultures category winner and overall winner: ‘Kartika Vrata’ by Tanveer Rohan

 

The winners of the 2025/2026 Penda Travel Photography Competition have been announced, showcasing exceptional images from photographers around the world. The winning entries feature colorful cultural portraits, dramatic wildlife encounters, and breathtaking landscapes that capture the beauty and diversity of our planet. Judges selected images that tell compelling visual stories, with the overall winner earning a place on a Botswana Photo Safari. This year's competition highlights the power of travel photography to inspire wanderlust and forge connections between people, places, and nature.

 

From Penda Photo Tours

London, UK & Cape Town, South Africa — The winners of the 2025/2026 Penda Travel Photography Competition have been announced — showcasing breathtaking imagery that captures the heart of travel, culture, wildlife and landscapes from around the world. The annual competition attracted entries from talented photographers across the globe, with judges selecting standout images that tell powerful visual stories of place, people and nature.

 

Top Honours and Standout Winners

 

Overall & People & Cultures Category Winner
‘Kartika Vrata’ by Tanveer Rohan — A dynamic and richly composed image that immerses viewers in vibrant colours and cultural expression. Tanveer’s work also secured the overall competition title, earning a coveted place on the Botswana Photo Safari.

 

2nd Place — People & Cultures
‘Circles of Life’ by Pranab Basak — Celebrated for its compelling narrative and visual harmony.

 

Wildlife category winner: ‘Lioness Eyes Behind Birds’ by Willem Kruger

 

Wildlife Category Winner
‘Lioness Eyes Behind Birds’ by Willem Kruger — A layered and evocative capture combining wildlife behavior with artistic depth.

 

2nd Place — Wildlife
‘Life Hangs by a Thread’ by Xiaoping Lin — Recognised for its remarkable moment and technical skill.

 

Landscape Category Winner
‘Money Tree’ by Xu Zhang — Praised for its unique viewpoint and visual balance.

 

Landscape category second place: ‘Bozzhira’ by Galip Cetiner

 

2nd Place — Landscape
‘Bozzhira’ by Galip Cetiner — Awarded for its dramatic light and colour composition.

 

Celebrating Visual Storytelling that Transcends Borders

The judging panel, comprising leading professional photographers and visual storytellers, chose winners based on creative strength, technical excellence, and the ability of each image to communicate a unique travel story. These powerful photographs reflect both diverse cultures and spectacular natural environments, reinforcing the role of photography in inspiring exploration and connection to places beyond our own.

The overall competition winner now joins a select group of photographers for an exclusive Botswana Photo Safari, an immersive experience in one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife landscapes.

 

About the Penda Travel Photography Competition

The Penda Travel Photography Competition celebrates visual storytelling from around the world and welcomes entries from photographers of all backgrounds. Through multiple categories:  People & Cultures, Wildlife and Landscape, Penda supports creative expression and invites photographers to share their vision of the world’s beauty and diversity.

For more information and to view the winning images, visit: https://www.pendaphototours.com/blog/meet-the-winners-of-our-travel-photography-competition/

 

About Penda Photo Tours

Penda Photo Tours creates photography-focused travel experiences designed by photographers for photographers. Their trips are built around photography excellence, guiding participants to the right place at the right time with small, expert-led groups and professional photographic instruction. From wildlife safaris to cultural explorations and landscape workshops, Penda trips blend travel expertise with artistic growth, all grounded in ethical and respectful engagement with people, wildlife and environments. Penda Photo Tours is part of the Impact Travel Group.

You can lose a morning at the coast even when the light looks promising, and the reasons are not always what you think. This video focuses on one pier shoot where timing, tide, and filters collide in ways that will feel uncomfortably familiar.

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Aperty, professional portrait retouching software, has released a new update designed to integrate more seamlessly into photographers’ existing workflows. Here are the details from Aperty.

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You can make a strong landscape photo with a basic kit, including a 16-50mm lens, if the rest of your process is solid. The video is a reality check on the habits that quietly decide whether you come home with a usable frame or just a memory card full of “almost.”

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The Leica Q3 Monochrom is the kind of camera that forces a decision: commit to black and white at capture, or keep color as an escape hatch. If you care about low-light street work, high-ISO texture, and files that hold together when you push them, this one sits right on the fault line between “tool” and “habit.”

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This step-by-step guide will give you a great basic introduction to the world of still life photography so if you're new to the subject, or are short on time, this could be the perfect place to start. 

 

1. Backgrounds

Keep it simple! Plain, crease-free backgrounds are a good place to start then you can always add a few extra bits of fabric or scarves, draping them over the background or table if necessary. White or coloured card/paper make good backgrounds or you could even use a plain wall. 
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2. Composition

Don't rush setting the scene, take your time to make sure it looks right, moving objects around until you can get the best composition you can. Think about it in terms of a triangle that are higher at one end and taper off. Use items that differ in size, colour and add different textures to your shot. Try moving your camera around too as just moving it a few inches to either side might make all the difference to the shot. Don't forget the photographic basics such as the rule of thirds, using negative space and guiding the eye.

You may find it easier to start out photographing just one object and avoid shiny items such as glass and metal to start as these can be trickier to capture. After a while, try introducing more items and as mentioned above, play around with different textures, colours and items to see what interesting set-ups you can create. Don't be afraid to experiment; just because plenty of other people photograph flowers etc. doesn't necessarily mean you have to.  
 

3. Support

A tripod is good - especially if you're using slower shutter speeds, however, it's not always an essential piece of kit. Having said that, putting a camera on a tripod does keep your hands free to adjust your set-up and to also control the light with a reflector. If you do use a tripod, don't forget to adjust its position from time-to-time. Lower it, raise it up and move it to one side just to see if you can capture a better shot. 

 

4. Lighting

If you want to keep things simple, just use one light. A studio light is fine but a high-powered standard energy-saving bulb in a lamp is great too as it produces a soft light.  Experiment with the position of your light as moving it just a little can add extra depth and interest to your shots. 

A tip that came from an ePHOTOzine member is to 'remove the lampshade, cut a hole in the side of a Pringles tube - imagine you're cutting doors in the tube – cut a T-shape and then fold back the 'doors' which help direct the light. Pop that over the top and you get nice directional light (cut a hole in the Pringles tube lid and attach that to the light fitting)'.

You can use a reflector (try making one out of foil if you don't own one) to bounce extra light into the shot if needs be.

If you don't want to use artificial light just set-up near a window and use a reflector to light the side of your subject the natural light doesn't reach. If you find the light's a little too strong you can use blinds as diffusers (so long as they're not coloured at this will create a colour cast) or simply pin a sheet up. 

  5. Focus

Stopping down the lens will increase the depth of field in your shot to get everything in focus but this may result in slower shutter speeds so have your tripod to hand. Take a few images with different focus points too. Invariably just one shot is fine but it's handy to have the others in case you want to combine the best bits from each. Ensure your images are sharp and as your subjects won't be moving or get bored, there's no real excuse for capturing blurry images. Take your time, check the set-up, check the frame and always check your shot on screen after you've captured it.    

 

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