Photography News

Photo by Daniel Bell.      Why this style of photography works is because, generally, people feel more relaxed out of a studio environment which will produce better photos. Throw a bit of fun into the mix and you'll soon have a collection of images that are unique and interesting.  [HOOK]position_1[/HOOK]  1. Gear Advice 

For environmental portraits, a 14-24mm lens can work well but a go-to lens popular with many photographers is a 70-200mm, which can produce great perspective at the right focal length. When working with families, particularly when shooting a little more candidly, natural light works well but do pack essential lighting accessories such as a reflector. If you find you're out during the middle part of the day, particularly on a sunny day, find shade you can shoot in to produce a more even exposure. 
 

2. Conversation Is Key 

Even if you know the people you are photographing it's still important to talk to them during the shoot as direction and encouragement will always be welcomed. Suggest poses and always get your 'money shots' in the bag early so you can have more fun and also shoot more candidly later on. Good shots to ensure you capture are images of the group as well as shots with tighter framing of individuals or one or two family members together.

Direction doesn't have to come via your voice either. You could kick a ball into a particularly good patch of light or ask children to play with toys in a certain part of the landscape you're working in. Remember that children do have a short attention span so make the posing part of the shoot as quick as possible then leave them to play, capturing candids with your camera as they do. 
 

3. Colours, Backgrounds & Clothing 

Backgrounds that contrast with what your subject is wearing can create vibrant images and don't get too hung up on having everyone in matching shades as a mix of colours adds interest and if they pick their own outfits, they'll be more comfortable. 

 

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Real estate photography has long been one of the most consistent forms of paid work for photographers. Add video, floor plans, and immersive drone-style marketing content, and you quickly become that one trusted professional who can handle everything with reliable, high-quality results. 

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What do you do when you're planning a shoot in the woodlands during winter, but you live in a region that doesn't see much snow or fog? You walk for hours in this unforgiving environment, trying to find a decent composition, and you end up feeling frustrated that nothing is working. 

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Photography has been around long enough to accumulate a thick layer of conventional wisdom, and much of it is wrong. These myths get passed from forum to forum, YouTube comment to YouTube comment, and camera-store counter to camera-store counter with the confidence of established fact. The problem isn't that they're entirely baseless; most contain a grain of truth buried under decades of misapplication. The problem is that they cost photographers money, waste their time, and actively prevent them from improving. Here are ten of the most persistent offenders. 

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The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Mark II updates one of the most popular focal lengths you can mount on a full frame camera. A 35mm lens at f/1.4 earns its place fast, whether you shoot events, portraits, street, or video. 

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The difference between a snapshot and a portfolio image often comes down to one thing: whether you meant to make it. Understanding how instinct and intention work together changes how you approach every shoot. 

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© Sigma

 

Sigma has officially launched the AF Cine 28-105mm T3 FF, the second lens in its autofocus cinema line. The new model is designed to merge the optical performance of Sigma’s Art series with professional-grade cinema mechanics, offering filmmakers a versatile tool for modern production.

 

Features

• Advanced optical design: Built on the foundation of Sigma’s 28–105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art, the lens delivers high resolution, smooth bokeh, and minimal flare or ghosting across its focal range.
• Cinema-ready mechanics: Includes industry-standard 0.8M pitch gears, a clickless aperture ring, and a limited-rotation focus ring for precise control during filming.
• High-performance autofocus: Powered by Sigma’s High-response Linear Actuator (HLA), the lens ensures near-silent operation and dependable tracking, making it suitable for fast-paced action, gimbal work, and documentary shooting.

 

© Sigma

 

Price and Availability

The Sigma AF Cine 28–105mm T3 FF will retail at £2799. It will be available in Sony E-mount and L-Mount versions starting April 16, 2026. Product specifications may be subject to change prior to release.
 

For more information, visit Sigma’s official website.

The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary takes over from the long-running 16mm f/1.4 and tightens the formula in ways that affect how you shoot. If you use an APS-C body and want a bright wide angle that balances well and handles video, this one shifts the conversation. 

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ZEISS has announced the ZEISS Otus ML 35mm f/1.4, the third lens in the company's Otus ML series designed for modern mirrorless camera systems. The new 35mm joins the existing ZEISS Otus ML 50mm f/1.4 and ZEISS Otus ML 85mm f/1.4, completing a three-lens set of manual focus f/1.4 primes available in Sony E, Canon RF, and Nikon Z mounts.  

This is also the first time ZEISS has ever produced a 35mm focal length in the Otus family; the original DSLR-era Otus lineup consisted of 28mm, 55mm, 85mm, and 100mm options.

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The well known saying: 'Keep it simple stupid' is well known for a reason – it works. Yes, there are times when lots of compositional elements do work but by creating an almost 'empty' space, you can actually create a stronger image.

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1. Why Does It Work?

By cutting out clutter, other people etc. you remove potential distractions and it'll be easier for the viewer of your image to understand what / who your main focus is in the shot and what you're trying to say.
 

2. Subject Choice

 

Just because you're keeping things simple it doesn't mean it has to be boring. Actually, with this technique, you have to work hard to do the opposite and find a strong subject that can stand up on its own. This becomes even more relevant when you're using a large amount of space so your subject only takes up a small amount of the frame.

Also, rather than thinking about what to include in your frame, think the opposite and look for items you can remove.
 

Here are a few ways you can achieve a minimalist look to your shots:

  3. Blurry Backgrounds

 

An obvious way to make your subject stand out is to adjust your aperture so everything in the background is thrown out of focus. You can find more tips on how to do this here: Creative Aperture / Depth Of Field

  4. Plain Backgrounds

Studio backgrounds and other material can be used to hide distracting objects inside and while you're out, use plain walls, fences or if you're shooting small subjects such as flowers, try taking your own backgrounds with you. On the subject of flowers, you can lower your angle so you're shooting up at the flower with the sky as your background which can give you a minimalist-style shot. White backgrounds are an obvious choice but don't think you can't use some bold, strong colour too (as we'll explain further down the page).

 

5. Play With Colour

 

If your subject and background contrast your subject will stand out from the shot. You can do this with colour (bright, strong colours work well) or light, using a brighter subject against a darker background and vice versa. Just make sure there are no 'hot spots' which will pull the viewer's eye away.

Also, having a strong colour filling your background that's the same as your subject can work in some situations or try producing black & white shots which rely on strong subjects and textures to make them interesting. You could even use shapes and colour as your subject, creating a strong composition that fills your frame in the process. 

6. Space To Breath

When used right, adding space to a shot can work just as well as cropping in close. To find out why sometimes it's what you leave out of your images that makes them great, read our tutorial: How To Use Negative Space In Your Photos

 

7. Crop Out Objects

An easy way to remove objects that are at the edge of your frame is to use your zoom to crop them out. You can also use editing software such as Photoshop to crop your images and we have a detailed tutorial on how to use this tool here: Introduction To Photoshop's Crop Tool

If you find the distracting objects are too close to your subject to crop out, you could use the Clone Stamp Tool to remove them. You can also remove distracting backgrounds and replace them with plain ones in Photoshop, too.

 

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© Sigma

 

Sigma has released the 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art, a large-aperture wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras. This new evolution of the popular 35mm focal length focuses on delivering superior resolution while significantly reducing physical size and weight.

The lens uses a new optical construction consisting of 15 elements in 12 groups. This includes four high precision aspherical elements and two SLD glass elements to fix color fringing and distortions. To improve clarity in difficult lighting, Sigma introduced an Advanced Amorphous Coating (AAC) that minimizes ghosting and flare.

 

Key Features

• Enhanced Optics: 15 elements in 12 groups for edge to edge sharpness.
• Compact Design: 20% lighter and 14% shorter than the previous model.
• Advanced Coating: New AAC technology reduces reflections and flare.
• Fast Autofocus: Dual HLA motors provide quick and quiet focusing.
• Video Ready: Minimized focus breathing and a de-clickable aperture ring.
• Durability: Dust and splash resistant body with a water repellent front coating.

 

© Sigma

 

Price and Availability

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art has a Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of £849. It will be available for purchase starting April 16, 2026. The lens is compatible with the following camera mounts:

• L-Mount
• Sony E-mount

For more information, please visit the Sigma website.

© Sigma

 

Sigma officially unveiled the 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary, a large-aperture wide-angle prime designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Set for a March 12, 2026 release, the lens achieved a rare balance of professional F1.4 brightness in a body approximately 50% lighter than its predecessor.

By utilizing a sophisticated optical path with FLD and SLD glass elements, Sigma refined the lens to a mere 220g and 64.8mm in length. This palm-sized footprint made it an ideal companion for gimbal work, travel photography, and high-quality video production.

 

Features

• Compact and lightweight: Measures just 64.8mm in length and weighs 220g (Sony E-mount version), making it approximately 30% shorter and 50% lighter than the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary.
• Large F1.4 aperture: Delivers professional brightness and smooth circular bokeh, ideal for low-light shooting and creative depth of field.
• High optical performance: Incorporates FLD, SLD, and aspherical elements to ensure edge-to-edge sharpness and suppress sagittal coma flare, perfect for astrophotography and landscapes.
• Video-friendly design: Equipped with a quiet stepping motor for fast, precise autofocus and minimal focus breathing, enabling natural focus pulls.
• Durability: A dust and splash resistant build combined with a water and oil repellent front coating makes it reliable for outdoor use.
• Expanded lineup: Strengthens Sigma’s APS-C F1.4 DC series, now covering ultra-wide to mid-telephoto focal lengths for unrestricted creative expression.

 

© Sigma

 

Price and Availability

The 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary represented a high-value entry into Sigma’s expanding F1.4 lineup, which now spans from ultra-wide to mid-telephoto.

• Suggested Retail Price (SRP): £449
• Available Mounts: Sony E-mount, Canon RF Mount, and FUJIFILM X Mount
• Release Date: March 12, 2026

With this launch, Sigma reinforced the idea that APS-C users could achieve unrestricted creative expression without the typical bulk of large-aperture glass.

For more details, please visit the Sigma website. Read our full review of this lens here.

 

Flash can give images that extra bit of 'pop' they need and many cameras feature several flash modes for you to pick from so we're going to talk through the various modes available and how they work. 

 

Automatic

This is where the camera will use the flash when it detects low light levels. You don't have to tell the camera you want to use the flash, it will fire on its own.

  Flash On

This is when you tell the camera to fire the flash, regardless of the available light. It can be handy when shooting outdoors when there may be darker shadowed areas but generally the lighting is good.

  Flash Off

This turns the flash off completely. It's used when available light levels are sufficient or when shooting in areas where flash photography isn't allowed.

  Red-Eye Reduction

Red-eye is usually caused when shooting with a camera that has a built-in flash and it makes the eyes look like they have a demonic red glow. By using red-eye reduction, the flash fires several times just before the actual photo is taken. By doing this, the pupils contract and it is less likely you'll have red-eye appearing in the photograph. Do warn your subject before you fire the flash though as it can make them look like a startled deer in headlights if not.

 

Fill-In/Forced Flash

Fill-in Flash is weaker than regular flash but is strong enough to add light to darker areas of the image such as shadows. It's useful for situations when the subject needs illuminating but the background doesn't, such as the images here:

 

Slow Sync

Slow sync flash tells your camera to use a slow shutter speed and to fire the flash. This means your subject will be sharp but you'll still have some light in the background of your shot. In other words, it records the background and then illuminates the subject with flash to balance the exposure between the two areas. It's a good mode to use when shooting portraits at night although a tripod or steady support may be necessary to keep the background sharp.
 

Front Curtain Sync

This mode tells your camera to fire the flash at the start of the exposure then the shutter will remain open, continuing to record the ambient light.
 

Rear Curtain Sync

Rear-curtain sync tells your camera to fire the flash just before the photograph is finished exposing. This creates a long trail but a nice, crisp shot of your subject. Rear-curtain sync is great for adding impact to an action shot as when your subject moves through the scene they'll blur but the pop of flash at the end will leave them crisp and sharp.
 

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Most night photographers use ultra-wide angle lenses when night falls. And for good reason. If they are photographing the Milky Way, it arcs over a wide expanse of sky. But night photographers shouldn’t sleep on these three lens categories, which can crank up your creativity. 

The following lenses offer amazing creative opportunities and can help separate your photography from the pack. Even better, they're often great to pull out of your camera backpack when you're feeling stuck or need a creative jolt.

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I was an early mirrorless adopter. Not in the “influencer early” sense, but back when using mirrorless for professional work still meant explaining yourself. Other photographers said I was crazy, that I was just betting on a passing technology. 

Around 2010, I switched to mirrorless because it made sense to me: smaller cameras, lighter kits, fewer mechanical parts, and a clear direction toward the future. For years, mirrorless systems were my primary working tools. Over a decade, I have worked with cameras made by Panasonic, Olympus, Canon, Ricoh, Leica, and Fujifilm.

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There's a quiet rebellion happening in photography right now. After a decade of manufacturers racing to produce the sharpest, most clinically corrected glass ever made, a growing number of photographers are deliberately reaching for something else. They want glow. They want swirl. They want the kind of optical rendering that looks like it was pulled from a dream sequence in a 1970s art film. They want character. 

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Leaving a corporate healthcare salary to run a full-time photo and video business sounds bold until you look at the math. Matching an average U.S. salary took more than 200 clients and nearly 300,000 images in a single year. 

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Matt Day says 2025 was not his best year, and that should get your attention. When someone who built a career on steady creative output admits he felt stuck, it forces you to look at your own patterns. 

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Contradictory to what you're told when you first pick up a camera, it is OK to have blur, and quite a lot of it, in your shots when you're photographing the right subject and want to emphasise speed or create a sense of motion. When we say it's OK we don't just mean a shot you accidentally took out of focus will pass off as something creative, you have to deliberately adjust your camera's settings or know how a quick twist of your lens will give you the blur that's needed to add a sense of action to your shot.

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1. How To Add Blur

The two ways we are going to look at are slowing down your shutter speed and using zoom blur (movement of your lens). The second can be a little harder to get a grasp of but after a few tries, it should become easier.

 

 

2. Shutter Speeds

If you've never shot action-style images before you may first think that a subject that's moving through your frame quick will need a quicker shutter speed to ensure you capture them as they move through your frame. You can do this but most of the time you'll just end up with a shot that freezes them in place and all sense of motion will be lost. However, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule such as a rally car or cyclist hurtling through a muddy puddle. As they move through the water, they'll more than likely cause spray to fly everywhere and a quick shutter speed will freeze the spray as it jumps up towards the sky, surrounding your subject. It's the spray here that helps emphasis the action and their pace so using a slower shutter speed will mean this excitement would be lost.
 

3. Slow Things Down

For times when there's no mud and water flying everywhere try slowing your shutter speed down to add some much-needed motion to the shot. How slow you have to go will depend on how fast your subject is moving, how much light is around etc. and the whole process can be a little unpredictable, however, it's worth sticking with and experimenting as you can get great results, some of which are surprising sometimes.
 

4. Balance

The hard bit can be trying to get the balance of blur and in-focus parts of the shot right. Most of the time a blurred background that has streaks running through it in the direction your subject is moving with a sharp subject sat against it is what you'll be looking for, however, if your subject is a little blurred it can emphasise motion and add further drama to your shot. Don't go too over the top with the blur though as they can just end up merging together which makes it hard for the eye to focus, meaning it's hard for the viewer to settle on one point of the image and it can make it look like you just took a bad shot.

 

 

5. Focus

For shots where you want your subject to be sharp, make sure you're focused on them as you follow them through the frame. A quick autofocus system will help ensure your shot is focused quickly and accurately. Trying to focus manually with fast-moving objects can be tricky, however, it can be done if you plan on pre-focusing on a spot, say on a particular bend on a track, you know your subject will have to pass through. Just remember to lock your focus after you've set it up and be ready to hit the shutter button at the right time.

Switching to continuous shooting mode which most cameras now feature will increase your chances of capturing the action when panning or pre-focusing on one spot. You'll need to start shooting just before your subject comes into frame though to ensure you don't miss a shot due to shutter lag. If you're panning make sure you keep the pan going even after your subject has left the frame and you've got your shot.
 

6. Flash

To brighten your subject so they pop from your frame and to freeze them in place while the background is blurred switch to slow sync flash which combines a slow shutter speed with a burst of flash. The slow shutter speed means the camera will blur the background and further subject movement. Depending on if you're using front or rear curtain will change when the flash is introduced, freezing your subject's movement at different points of the shot.

 

 

7. Zoom Blur

To really emphasise your sport and action shots, giving them a dynamic edge, try using zoom burst to create blur that you deliberately create by twisting the zoom on your lens as you take a shot.

As well as emphasising movement it can help make your subject, who's not blurred, 'pop' from the frame. A burst of light from a flashgun will help freeze your subject and add sharpness to the image.

On paper, it's a simple technique but it can take some time to actually master. You need a lens that will zoom and experimenting with different lens lengths will change the overall effect. Changing the starting point of the zoom and the length of time you zoom for and how quickly you move the lens will also change the final look of the shot. For action shots, it's best to use shorter exposures which you start while you're moving the lens. Starting zoomed out and pulling the zoom in during the exposure makes it easier to capture a sharp shot of your subject with the zoom blur surrounding them.

Adding a little bit of camera movement will adjust the pattern the zoom blur creates and can be used to direct the eye on a particular path through your shot.
 

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Sigma has announced a new fast prime for APS-C shooters, the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC | Contemporary. The lens joins the company’s growing set of bright-aperture Contemporary primes and continues Sigma’s recent push toward compact, lightweight designs aimed at hybrid creators and will be offered for Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X Mount, and Canon RF Mount at a retail price of $579. 

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