DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

  What Is It?

Looking at the Histogram on your camera can help you improve the overall exposure of your images and it’s a tool that’s available on most models. It’s a graph that represents the range of tones that are in the image you’ve taken so you can analyse the shot to make sure the exposure is correct before you move on to take a photo of something else. The left side of the graph shows the darker tones and the right the lightest.

You can set your camera to show a histogram at the same time you preview your shots, see your camera’s manual for more information on how to do this.

  Why Should I Use It?

Even though the histogram looks at the tonal range of your shot, it’s a quick way for you to see if your shot is really over or underexposed. If your shot’s underexposed it will look too dark while an overexposed will look a lot brighter than it needs to be and really light areas can look blown out as they lack detail.

  What Does It Mean?

If the graph is occupying mostly the left-hand side it means your image has more dark tones than light (underexposed) and if it’s shifted to the right, there are more lighter tones (overexposed) which means you could have really bright areas that look blown out.

A 'good' histogram that shows an even exposure will peak more towards the middle and get lower to either end.

Also, as a side note, when you playback your images there’s an option you can set that makes the highlighted areas ‘blink’ so you can pinpoint their exact location. Check your camera’s manual for the instructions on how to do this.

 

  When To Use It?

How often you check your histogram is up to you but generally, cameras are quite good at setting the exposure for most scenes. However, there are a few scenarios that can confuse your camera and these are the times it’s worth checking the histogram. For example, if you have a scene that varies drastically in tones so you have really bright areas as well as dark shadows.

The same goes for times when you’re using the same settings for a series of shots that you want the exposure to be the same for each. This could be taking a series of portraits that you’re going to combine into a multi-portrait that shows one person in several different locations in your shot. If the exposure isn’t the same in all the shots they won’t blend together seamlessly and it either won’t work or it’ll mean you have more post-production work to do.

There are times when the readings on the histogram would be right, your shot isn’t correctly exposed, however you may have done this on purpose so it can be ignored. When is this true? Well shooting a silhouette would give you a histogram that isn’t considered ‘correct’ likewise for a shot where the ground and sky are of a similar tonal range such as one a beach or when it snows.

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

 

Leading bag manufacturer Billingham launched a brand-new leisure range marking a deliberate shift from its traditional photographic bag collections.

The new range introduces three non-photographic bag designs, created with everyday versatility in mind while retaining the brand’s signature build quality and attention to detail. The collection is designed to appeal to customers looking for practical, stylish bags suitable for daily use, travel, and leisure.

The range comprises of two handbags and one tote bag, whose names have been inspired by the unsung heroes of the film set.

The three new styles are:

• Dolly Grip – Refined, functional and beautiful. This small handbag is designed for effortless everyday style.
• Key Grip – A perfectly balanced medium-sized handbag designed for everyday use.
• Best Boy Tote – A spacious statement-making tote, perfect for work, travel or everyday use.

Both the Dolly Grip and Key Grip will be available in four colour combinations:

• Khaki Canvas/Chocolate Leather
• Sage FibreNyte/Black Leather
• Black FibreNyte/Black Leather
• Burgundy Canvas/Black Leather

The Best Boy Tote will be offered in two colourways:

• Sage FibreNyte/Black Leather
• Black FibreNyte/Black Leather

Across all three designs, the range shares a consistent set of practical features, including a removable shoulder sling, multiple handy zip pockets, and an internal brass key loop, making each bag both functional and adaptable to different lifestyles.

The launch represents a notable evolution for the manufacturer, expanding its product offering beyond photographic use and into a broader leisure market, while continuing to design and manufacture from its factory in the West Midlands.

The new leisure range is now available online at www.billingham.co.uk and through a few selected retailers, with UK SRP (including VAT) as follows: Dolly Grip at £289.00, Key Grip at £359.00, and Best Boy Tote at £426.00.

Photo by cattyal

 

The most popular approach to flower photography is to include the whole flower but by getting in very close or by choosing a less conventional crop you can create a rather exciting image. Plus, it's a technique you can try all year round as you can just buy your flowers from the supermarket when there's none showing their heads in your garden.

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1. Work Near A Window 

A greenhouse is a great location for shooting close-ups of flowers as there's plenty of light, you're sheltered from the wind and if the windows are slightly dirty the light will be nicely diffused. If you don't have a greenhouse work indoors next to a set of patio doors or a large window and use a net curtain or muslin to diffuse the light.

 

2. Direction, Apertures & Focus 

Position your vase/flower pot so you can work directly above it then begin experimenting with different apertures and shooting distances to change the overall effect. Start with a nice wide aperture to minimise your depth of field and switch to manual focusing as you can get in closer than your camera thinks. Although, it’s not even really necessary to have any part of the image in focus as the flower colour and shape can produce attractive abstract swirls of soft colour.

If you don’t have the ability to get in close then try some creative cropping. The sweep of a single Lily petal or the shape of an Iris lend themselves to close crops.

  3. Multiple Exposures  If your camera has it, try experimenting with the Multiple Exposure Mode. This mode allows you to take several shots on the same 'frame' which the camera then combines to create one shot. Having the lens sharply focused then defocusing as you move from exposure to exposure will give you a soft, dreamy look to your photograph.

 

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

 

A breathtaking black and white landscape shrouded in fog and mist has been awarded our Photo of the Week accolade.

Captured by mlseawell at Arches National Park in southern Utah, this atmospheric image titled "A Hidden Land" is the result of an early morning well spent. Rolling hills and distant mountain ridges peek through thick layers of mist, with the fog sitting heavy across the valley and giving just enough away to keep you looking. The further you look, the more the landscape seems to hold back, and that tension is what makes this image so compelling.

Shot in black and white, the image strips the scene back to its raw essentials, letting tone, texture and light do all the talking. It is the kind of photograph that reminds you why some early mornings are worth every effort.

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 2027, we’ll crown our 2026 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!

 

When the sun's not coming out to play you have two choices: you can go home and twiddle your thumbs or you can stay out and make the most of what's on offer. If you choose the latter, here are a few photography projects you could have a go at.

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1. Beach / Coast

The coast has a completely different feel when not drenched in sunshine. The sea can merge with the horizon making it seem like it stretches on for miles and the dark shades and moody feel really suit a seaside resort that's out of season. Even more so if you have boarded up beach huts and empty amusement parks to sit against a dark, moody sky.
 

2. Buildings

Dull days give factories and old buildings more character as there are generally fewer shadows, you'll be able to pick detail out in chimneys that reach out into the sky and the gloomy day will further enhance the feel of the industry and in the case of a boarded-up building, abandonment.

   
3. Close-Ups

Bright days when the sun is high in the sky can be awkward as colours will be too harsh and you'll have deep, dark shadows. Whereas grey days, when there's plenty of clouds, is nature's way of giving you a giant softbox to work with. This weather's particularly good for photographing flowers and shrubs so get outside with a macro lens compact camera which features a Macro mode. You'll have to use a slightly slower shutter speed, though, so make sure you pack your tripod.
 

4. Reflections

Flat light can leave buildings looking a little boring but if you turn your eyes to water, their reflections in the ripples can produce a great abstract shot. The reflection on its own can make interesting, slightly surreal images and all you need to do is make sure there are some interesting shapes reflected in the water.
 

5. Go Mono

A shot that looks dull and boring in colour can be transformed into a great moody mono with a little help from Photoshop. Just make sure you have some strong shapes for your black and white conversion. Go a little further and add a bit of grain and a ragged border and your mono will be moodier than a teenager!

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily 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 Archie2022 (Day 20 - Waterfall Photography).

 

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 15

Self Portraits

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Day 16

Vertical Lines

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Day 17

Photos With Vignettes

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  Day 18

People Shots

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Day 19

Park Photography

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Day 21

HDR Photography

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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.

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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 dke (Day 4 - Flower Photography).

 

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 1

Frost Photography

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Day 2

Commute Photography

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Day 3

Glass Photography

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  Day 5

Car Photography

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Day 6

Football Photography

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Day 7

Food Photography

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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.

   

The idea of movement isn't usually a thought that first springs to mind when you try to describe what a landscape shot is. However, when you start to think of popular landscape topics such as waterfalls, rivers, trees, clouds and the sea, you suddenly realise movement, which makes shots more dynamic, crops up more often than you think.

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Slowing your shutter speeds can create a sense of movement in your landscape shots. Just remember you'll need to use a smaller aperture to limit the amount of light that reaches your camera's sensor. If you don't, you'll end up with a shot that's overexposed. If you find your shots are still a little on the light side, fit an ND filter to further reduce the amount of light going through your lens. For shots where you want to exaggerate the power/strength of your subject or for shots that have people/vehicles moving or birds in-flight, you'll need quicker shutter speeds, a steady hand and good panning technique all of which we'll look at later on.

  1. Waves

For shots of waves crashing against cliffs and sea walls you'll need a quick-ish shutter speed, around 1/125 should help you capture the power on display. Just remember, unless you want a soaking, to keep yourself and your kit out of the wave's reach. Have a lens cloth handy and remember to wipe your kit down thoroughly once you're back home.

For shots where the waves turn into a mass of soft, blue and white blur use exposures which are 5 seconds or more. If it's a particularly bright day make sure you have an ND filter to-hand and use the smallest aperture and ISO possible. If you want the waves to have a little more shape to them use a slightly shorter exposure. How short you go will depend on the amount of shape you want and how choppy the sea is on the day so you may end up experimenting with a few different exposures before you land on the one that gives you the shot you're after.

 

 

2. Waterfalls

We've covered waterfalls in a previous article so here are just a few quick tips to get you started. For a more in-depth look, take a look at our previous technique: Shooting waterfalls.

• What shutter speed you use will be determined by how much blur you want, the focal length you're using and the amount of light available.
• Pick an overcast day when you're going to be using longer exposures. Your shot is less likely to have contrast problems too when there's a touch of cloud cover.
• An ND filter can help you extend your exposure times while a Polarising filter will reduce the amount of glare/reflection coming off the water.
• Turn the waterfall's movement into a mass of blur - 1/8 sec longer
• Faster shutter speeds will enhance the power/force of the waterfall, freezing the movement of the water as it cascades and splashes on rocks.
• Have a go at photographing water bubbles.

 

  3. Clouds

Cloud formations can appear and vanish again even before you've thought about taking a shot so if you do spot an interesting one make sure you snap it straight away. Keep an eye on your histogram to make sure your shot doesn't have areas which are overexposed and if the formation is really spectacular cut some of the foreground out, moving the horizon down so the sky fills more of your shot. Use slower shutter speeds to blur the movement of the clouds and look out for trails left by planes too as the crisscrossing lines can make an interesting abstract shot.

 

4. Birds and People

If you want to capture birds in-flight you'll need a quick shutter speed, continuous autofocus and a good panning technique. As soon as you see a bird come into shot lock your focus on it straight away and follow it through the frame, panning even after you've taken your shot. To freeze the movement you'll need to use a shutter speed around 1/500sec but if you want to blur the movement of their wings try something slower around 1/30sec.

When it comes to people, how fast your shutter speed is will depend on what they're doing. For example, someone who's water skiing will be moving a lot quicker than someone rowing across a lake.

For more tips on panning and capturing people moving take a look at our articles:

• Panning tips
• Capture motion
• Shutter speeds explained

      5. Trees

Leaves blowing in the wind are an obvious way to capture movement in a forest but for something artier, try creating a drag landscape. For tips on how to do this take a look at our articles:

• Drag landscapes
• Drag landscapes in the woods

 

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

 

As the sunset is still at a reasonably early hour at this time of year, make the most of it and have a go at twilight photography as you can capture some lovely pastel shades that contrast well against strong sunset shots. 

 

1. Timings Are Crucial 

To capture your twilight imagery you need to be set up and ready for when the sun starts setting, that way you'll be able to start taking your shots just as the sun falls below the horizon and continue until it goes dark. You'll notice that the colours in the sky will change from bright, sunset shades, through to a deep blue before turning black and it's that middle part where the sky takes on the dark blue shade that you want to try and shoot. Annoyingly, it can be the hardest part of twilight to capture images of but when you do, it does produce cracking shots. 

 

2. Gear Choices 

A camera that performs well in low light will help but really, any DSLR will be fine. You'll also need a tripod as exposure lengths will be long and working tripod-free will just result in shake spoiling your shots. You may also find a remote/cable release handy, plus pack a Grad ND filter if you're planning on capturing a few shots at the start when they can appear to be brighter than the land/subject in front of your lens.

Pack a zoom lens to give you plenty of shooting options and a torch/head torch should have a place in your bag to help your return journey when it'll be dark.

Remember to wrap up warm as temperatures can drop dramatically after the sun has set and you'll probably find a head torch useful, too. 

 

3. Plan Your Shot 

By arriving before the sun's actually set will give you the opportunity to take a good look around and actually think about the scene you are photographing. Play around with focal lengths, apertures etc. and try different compositions to see what will work best. Having previous knowledge of a fitting location where there's good foreground interest can help so make a note of locations you think are suitable for twilight photography when you see them.

 

4. Check Your Framing & Camera Set-Up

Once your camera's on a tripod, re-check the framing to make sure you're happy with it and remember to hook up your remote / cable release if using one. Try to stick to lower ISOs, although many cameras have a phenomenally high ISO range nowadays and can perform well at the higher end. However, when you're using lengthened shutter speeds, you shouldn't need to use higher ISOs.

When it comes to apertures, as you'll most likely be shooting a land or cityscape try f/8 and work from there to ensure you have good depth-of-field. Due to low light levels, autofocus may struggle so set it manually and lock focus once you're happy with the result.

Take a test shot but don't worry if it doesn't look too great yet; you're just making sure the framing etc. is OK. Once the sun has set, exposure times will run from a few seconds to start and up to or even over 30 seconds after 20-30 minutes or so. 

 

5. Work Fast 

As the light in the scene will change quickly, the key to this type of photography is to keep taking photos; adjusting the exposure length as you do to capture as many different results as possible. You'll probably have to work faster than you expected but if you hit the right moment, it's well worth it. 

 

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

Be it a Sunday lunch you've cooked at home, a selection of groceries found on a stall or a collection of spices you've taken out of your kitchen pantry, food is something that's easily accessible which makes it a great subject for photographers. You can create still life pieces, get creative with props or just really focus in on the food item itself. Don't be afraid to experiment and remember to upload your fab food shots to the ePHOTOzine gallery or the competition forum to win top prizes.

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To get you thinking about food as a photographic subject, we've brought our food photography related pieces together so you can brush-up on your technique before raiding the fridge for interesting food items worth photographing.

  1. Food Photography: Top Tips For Instagram Food Photography Likes

 

Helge Kirchberger and 2-star Michelin-chef Jörg Bruch, with the help of the COOPH team, take you back to basics to show you how subtle changes can make all the difference in your food photos.

 

2. Seven Top Creative Ways To Use Coffee In Your Photos

 

You can eat coffee beans so we're rolling with this one! Coffee might be a lovely drink that powers you through the day but when the weather's a bit grey outside, it can also keep you warm indoors as you can focus your lens on beans and grains rather than fighting the chill outdoors. 

 

3. How To Take Awesome Travel Food Photography Shots

 

Instead of just capturing shots of family members in pools and on the beach, why not turn your attention to food photography and capture some mouth-watering images of the plates you're served and stalls you pass on trips. 

 

4. Serve Up Beautiful Food Photography With The Help Of Hugh Johnson

© Hugh Johnson

If you're one of the many astronomic photography fans who enjoy sharing the culinary delights online, you'll probably be interested in perusing this article with tips from renowned food photographer Hugh Johnson.  

 

5. Man Vs Food: The Difference Between Photographing People & Plates

 

Although my university training prepared me for portraits, still lifes, landscapes and anything else you can imagine, I’ve definitely noticed an increasing emphasis on food photography and have adapted and expanded my skills to capture Cuban sandwiches, crab Benedicts and vibrant vegetable platters. While many of the skills necessary for attractive human portraiture applies to food, there are also some key differences we’ll explore here. 

 

6. Food Photography Basics For Smartphone Photographers

 

Taking good food photos isn't as hard as you may think. In fact, with the right light and a few homemade accessories, even your smartphone can help you capture images that look good enough to eat.

 

7. Ten Top Tips For Taking Better Photos Of Food

 

Here we share 10 basic but essential tips to help you capture better photos of the food on your plate. If you're at a restaurant, generally, you'll find food is well presented so you don't have to worry about playing the role of a food technician, however at home, it's a different story. 

 

8. Food Photography Lighting Tips From Taylor Mathis

 

You don't need expensive lighting gear to take beautiful pictures of your food. Using the powers of the sun, you can create captivating and mouthwatering images.

 

9. Jamie Oliver And David Loftus' Food Photography Tips

 

Photographing food is a trend that has swept across social media sites over the past year, and the topic is a firm favourite with bloggers all over Europe, so how can you get the most out of your DSLR to make your food photos look good enough to eat, and impress your food-loving friends?

 

10. Creative Fruit Photography Tips & Tricks

 

Photographer Markus Pettersson has captured a series of vibrant still life images with his Hasselblad H5D-40 and he's put a pretty awesome tutorial together on how you can capture similar shots

 

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