Photography News

Sony's 24-50mm f/2.8 G is a compact fast standard zoom for full frame Sony bodies, and the Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8 goes straight after it with autofocus, an internal zoom, and a much lower price. If you build a compact kit for stills and video, a cheaper lens that keeps pace with Sony's own glass changes how you split your budget between body and lens.

 

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The TTArtisan AF 24mm f/3.8 is a $99 autofocus pancake that covers a full frame sensor and weighs under 60 g. If you've ever left your camera at home because it felt like too much to carry, a lens this thin shifts that math in a real way.

 

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Tamron has announced the 16-50mm f/2.8 A, a constant f/2.8 standard zoom for APS-C mirrorless cameras that starts at 16mm and goes on sale October 29 for Sony E at $529 and Canon RF at $549, with Nikon Z and Fujifilm X versions following later in the year.

 

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After summer ends and the chips, candy floss and plastic buckets have long left the seafront, the British seaside resort morphs into a place that's desolated and full of photographic potential. 

 

1. Gear Suggestions

A zoom lens will give you the flexibility of both wide and telephoto options in one lens which is good news for the photographer who doesn't want to be carrying too much kit on their seaside walk. Plus, you don't really want to be changing lenses when there's a strong breeze blowing sand and salt which could damage your equipment. A tripod will help you steady your camera while the strong coastal breeze blows around you.

  2. Be Prepared

A bonus with this time of year is that parking's a doddle and accommodation should be cheaper if you're planning a full weekend of photography. 

Don't forget to check the all-important weather forecast and make sure you note down what time the tide will be on its way back in. If you don't,  you could find yourself paddling through saltwater with your camera gear if you do head for the beach. 

 

3. Light And Feel

Low-angled light will give colourful beach huts more punch while a bright blue sky dotted with white clouds will add a bit of life to what can be drab looking shops and piers. 

If you find that Mother Nature has realised you're at the coast and as a result predictably turns the sky grey don't be too down-hearted as a storm brewing over the sea will always look good. To give the sky more detail fit an ND filter to your lens but if it's still too dull and flat, shoot the scene anyway and try converting it to mono when you're back in front of your computer. If all else fails, there's always the option to shoot some macro detail of nets, ropes and wet pebbles on the beach. Just remember to fill the frame to give your shots more impact. 

 

  4. Photograph People

The ice-cream seller may be long gone but you will get the odd resident, brave surfer and fishermen still walking around the empty seaside towns. Even though it's always polite to ask before you take your shot, sometimes candids, where you snap a couple of shots without them knowing you're doing so, do work better. Many people won't mind you taking their photograph if you ask politely enough though so don't be afraid to approach someone with your camera and a pleasant smile. Try getting in close if they have a strong face that will make a good character portrait then stand back to give the shot more context. This can work well with a lonely surfer stood on a damp, deserted beach or with a café owner clearing tables in an empty shop. 

5. Life's A Beach

The pier is a photographic opportunity not to be missed at this time of year as you won't have tourists walking into your shot and morning fog can be found circling the supports, making them an eerie photographic opportunity. Go wide, shooting from the beach if possible or shoot from the top, using the pier as a leading line into your image.

 

Godox has introduced the A2, a compact xenon flash designed to give smartphone photographers greater control over lighting. It combines a dedicated flash, bi-color LED, magnetic accessories, and Bluetooth wireless control through the Godox Camera app.

 

Xenon Flash and Exposure Control

The A2 delivers a guide number of approximately 15 (GN15, ISO 100, meters) and supports TTL automatic and manual flash modes. High-speed sync reaches up to 1/8000 second, allowing users to balance flash with ambient light in bright conditions.

Godox specifies approximately 400 full-power flashes per charge, with a recycle time of around two seconds at full power. For best results, the company recommends keeping the flash within 2 meters of the subject.

 

 

Bi-Color LED and App Control

The bi-color LED provides continuous lighting for video and photography, with color temperatures adjustable from 2800K to 6000K through the app and brightness from 1% to 100%. Godox lists CRI and TLCI ratings of 96 or higher.

The Godox Camera app offers Natural, Even, and Contrast flash effects in Auto mode, along with manual adjustments. Bluetooth supports wireless control up to 15 meters, while NFC-assisted setup simplifies pairing.

 

 

Magnetic Mounting and Accessories

The A2 features a dual-sided magnetic design for flexible mounting. Optional accessories include a honeycomb grid, barndoors, a snoot, and a full CTO filter for warming the light. Godox recommends using the flash off-camera when working with light-shaping accessories.

A separate smartphone wireless flash trigger for compatible Godox speedlights and outdoor flashes is listed as upcoming and will be sold separately.

 

 

Godox A2 Specifications

• Product type: Smartphone xenon flash
• Guide number: Approx. GN15 at ISO 100, meters
• Flash modes: TTL and manual
• Flash output: 1/128 to full power, in 1/3-stop increments
• High-speed sync: Up to 1/8000 second
• Full-power flashes: Approx. 400
• Recycle time: Approx. 2 seconds at full power
• LED color temperature: 2800K to 6000K
• LED brightness: 1% to 100%
• CRI/TLCI: 96 or higher
• LED power: Approx. 3W continuous, 18W burst
• Wireless range: Up to 15 meters
• Battery: 7.7V, 500mAh
• Charging: USB-C, 5V/2A; approx. one hour
• Dimensions: 63.8 mm diameter × 25.8 mm
• Weight: Approx. 93g
• Colors: Four options

 

For more information, please visit the official Godox A2 product page.

Walk into a department store in Tokyo and you can buy an anti-aging skin cream made by a camera company. It is called Astalift, and the collagen and antioxidant science inside the bottle came straight out of the labs that once kept your photographic prints from yellowing. That cream is one of the reasons Fujifilm is still here and Kodak, the company that arguably invented the whole modern imaging world, spent 2012 in bankruptcy court.

 

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Today is the last day you can get access to some of the best educational content in photography this year. Yes, it comes with a price tag but the value is pretty insane. 

 

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Woodland photography is something I have always found difficult. I am primarily a seascape photographer, and while I photograph other types of landscapes, the coast is where I feel most comfortable. When I arrive at a coastal location, I can usually start looking for the elements that might make up the photograph. A rock, a headland, a section of coastline, a wave, or perhaps the way the light is falling across the scene. There is normally something that immediately starts to draw my attention.

Woodland is different. 

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A 17-inch pigment printer with a dozen inks looks like a sure path to better prints, and a modest ink tank model can feel like settling. Choosing between them affects your running costs, how often you print, and which papers you can use.

 

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One softbox can produce a dozen very different portraits, yet most people set it up at the textbook angle and leave it there. The distance between a correctly lit face and an interesting one usually comes down to small moves with a light you already own.

 

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Panasonic's Lumix S 20mm f/2.5 is a small, light, $498 ultra-wide prime for L-mount full frame bodies, and it sits at a focal length plenty of people treat as their everyday wide. At that price and size, the open question is how much optical quality Panasonic had to give up to keep the lens this compact.

 

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California's AB 723 put real estate photo editing under state law, and similar restrictions are now showing up in other states and in MLS guidelines across the country. If you shoot listings, the difference between a harmless cleanup and an edit that needs a disclosure, or one that isn't allowed at all, now has real consequences for you and your clients.

 

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The self-timer feature is something which is available on most camera models and it's a shutter delay that when activated, stops the shutter from firing and taking the picture when the shutter button or release is pressed for a designated amount of time. This delay is useful for a number of reasons which are listed below. 

 

1. Close-Up Work

The other advantage of having a timer is to save you having to use a cable release when the camera is mounted on a tripod or resting on a secure base. You set the timer and the delay means there's no hand contact that could potentially cause camera shake when the shutter is pressed. The 10-second delay is not really necessary for this, so that's where the shorter delays come in handy.

 

 

2. Self Portraits And Group Shots

The idea is you can take self-portraits without having to be seen stretched out as you fire the camera at arms' length. All you do is activate the timer, press the shutter release and move in front of the camera, strike a pose - all within the timer's limit - and then you'll be the focus of your photo.

It can also be used to ensure you're in a family or group shot. You can arrange a small or larger group of people and allow space for yourself, activate the timer and move into the shot. This saves you having to give the camera to the waiter or tourist to take the photo, preventing an embarrassment or even potential theft!

 

3. Low Light Photography 

As with close-up work, your camera's self-timer can be used to reduce the chances of camera shake spoiling your shots when working in low light. At this time of year, your self-timer will be useful in dark woodland where you may be photographing close-ups of fungi. Again, you won't need a really long delay, a couple of seconds will be fine. 

 

 

4. Check Your Focus

There are a few things to do to help improve your photos when using the self-timer. The first is ensuring accurate focus. If you're doing a self-portrait you won't be in the photo when you press the shutter and as a result, the picture could end up blurry as the camera could lock focus on the background. One way around this is to point the camera at something that is at the same distance that you will be when the photo is taken. Press the shutter release and recompose before running in front of the camera. In a group shot this is easy - make sure you either focus on a person to the side if you're going to be in the centre or focus on the centre person and join the group at the edge.

 

5. Check The Edges Of The Frame

The other thing to avoid is a table edge being in the frame when you are taking a group shot in a restaurant or bar and decide to use a nearby table as support. The camera, when set to wide-angle, may pick up an edge of the support. Move the camera so it's right at the edge of the table, making sure it's balanced well and cannot fall off!

Another problem you may be faced with when resting the camera on a flat surface is that the height may not be right when you look through the viewfinder and often the heads or feet of your group will be cut off. If this happens, try and angle the camera so all of your group is in the shot.

You have felt it a hundred times. A friend snaps a candid, hands you the phone, and the person on the screen is a stranger who happens to be wearing your clothes. The nose is wrong. The smile is crooked. You look tired, or lopsided, or somehow older than the face you saw in the bathroom mirror twenty minutes ago. Everyone else in the frame looks fine. Only you look off. 

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Have you felt burned out? Stuck? Lacked motivation? Had a fear of failure or felt silly? I will discuss several approaches for creating opportunities for creativity to flourish. You never know, but for some, this might be one of the most influential photography articles they ever read.

 

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You stand at the baggage carousel for an hour, the belt stops, and your suitcase is nowhere in sight. When your camera, laptop, and a week of unbacked files are part of that trip, the small things you pack around your gear decide whether a bad travel day turns into a lost shoot.

 

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Polished golf clubs reflect everything around them, so a light that flatters one club can leave the one beside it flat and glaring. Shiny, curved metal is one of the hardest subjects to light, and the decisions that solve it carry over to watches, jewelry, cutlery, and anything else with a chrome finish.

 

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A black and white street photograph titled 'Back Alley Blues', shot by PeterDavidson, has won our 'Photo of the Week' (POTW) award.

The low angle works well, with a crushed can and other litter close to the camera and a man walking at the far end of the narrow alley. The brick walls add depth, and the black and white treatment brings out the textures of the brickwork and ground. The timing and composition are excellent, making this a very good example of street photography.

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. See the terms & conditions and prize procedure for more information.

It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards! Want to be our next POTW winner? Just upload an image to our gallery where you'll also find all of our past POTW winners.

Panasonic's new Lumix S 20mm f/2.5 is a tiny full frame prime for L-mount bodies, and it shares its focal length with the kit zoom that ships with a lot of Lumix cameras. That overlap, plus a $498 price, puts real pressure on what a dedicated 20mm prime has to deliver.

 

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Every new camera announcement still promises a reason to upgrade, yet plenty of people are shooting the same bodies they bought years ago and feel no pull to move on. If you shoot landscapes or buildings on a hobby budget, whether new gear still earns its price decides how you spend the next few thousand dollars.

 

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