Photography News

Churches are something the majority of us will have in our towns and villages and they're a great location for a spot of photography as they're just as interesting on the inside as they are on the outside. Plus, you might have a graveyard to explore as well. Whatever your style of photography, a church will probably have something to grab your attention. 

 

1. Getting Access 

 

To make the most of what our churches have to offer we have to get inside them which can be trickier than you think. Larger churches and cathedrals may have photographic restrictions (a fee payable to use a tripod, no flash etc.) and certain opening hours but generally smaller, local churches are more willing to give you access any time of the day. Just phone in advance to let the vicar or whoever holds the key know that you'd like to take some photographs inside the church. In many smaller towns churches are left unlocked during the day. 

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In buildings of this size, you might as well keep your flash in your bag as it will only add light to objects a few feet in front of you. Instead, you need to get your sturdy tripod out, fasten your camera to it and use a long exposure.

As exposures can be several seconds long, the smallest of nudges can cause the camera to shake so try using a remote / cable release or the camera's self-timer option to reduce it. You could even use your Smartphone to trigger the shutter if you have a camera which can be controlled remotely via smart devices. When it comes to lenses, anything goes. Telephoto lenses can be used to capture the details found on the roof, wide-angle lenses for the wider architectural scenes and macro lenses for close up details of pews, columns and altars.

 

2. Respect Your Surroundings & Fellow Visitors 

 

Before we discuss shooting suggestions do please remember churches, particularly smaller ones, are quiet places so try to make as little noise as possible as you move around. Be respectful of others around you who are there to pray etc. too.

If you're visiting a church that's popular with tourists do remember that others will want to take photos too so work quickly or plan your visit for first thing in the morning or nearer closing time when less visitors will be around. 

 

3. Shooting Suggestions 

 

Try shooting down the aisle to capture the lines of pews, altar and everything else people think of when you ask them to describe a church. Find a comfy pew or a part of the floor you can lie on (don't worry about the funny looks) and focus your lens on the roof which often has interesting patterns and features. Don't be afraid to get in close to objects either.

Reflections off windows, cases and even abstract shots of blurred lines of pews up close can create interesting images. Although if you're trying to capture images of objects protected by cases you won't want reflections or glare spoiling your shot. Try using an ND, polarising filter or cupping your hand around your lens to cut down on reflections and have a cloth handy to remove any fingerprints that have been left on the case.

The large stained glass windows found in most churches look great when lit up by sunlight and they also work well as zoom burst subjects, something we've covered previously on the site. 
 

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 saxon_image (Day 2 - Spring).

 

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

Daffodils

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Day 3

Creative Horizons

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Day 4

Sky

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  Day 5

Sense Of Scale

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Day 6

Movement

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Day 7

Outdoor Portraits

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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.

Somewhere in your camera's menu system, buried three levels deep in a file settings submenu you've probably never explored, there's an option to change your default image format from JPEG to HEIF. It's been there for a while now. Canon, Sony, and Nikon have all added it to their mirrorless bodies over the past few years. And almost nobody uses it. 

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If you feel that your street photos are uninteresting or just aren't working anymore, it could be because your scenes are too cluttered. Learn five useful techniques that can help you minimize distracting elements from your compositions.

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Most photographs never leave a screen. We printed the same image three different ways and discovered how much presentation changes not just the photo, but the way you shoot. 

Usually, photos get edited, posted, maybe shared, and then they live their entire life as a glowing rectangle in someone’s hand. That workflow has become so normal that many photographers never stop to question it. But while screens are convenient, they are not the full experience of a photograph.

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Choosing between a 16-35mm and a 24-70mm isn’t about wide versus standard zoom in the way most people think. The real difference is narrower, and once you see it, the decision gets simpler and more personal. 

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The push to fix what’s wrong in your photos can drain the joy out of making them. This discussion centers on five images that show what’s working and why those choices matter when you’re out shooting. 

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Camera brands collaborating with mobile phone companies is nothing that is particularly new. We saw this with Zeiss, with Leica, and even Hasselblad. But even this collaboration took me by surprise. That is, between Honor and none other than ARRI, with the Honor Robot Phone. 

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Winter fog on a near-empty pier forces hard choices about lens, framing, and intent. A single word, “bleak,” can push you out the door and shape what you shoot when the weather feels like an excuse to stay home. 

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Tourist photography looks casual on the surface, but most so-called candid moments are carefully directed. If you travel and pull out a camera, you’re part of a performance whether you realize it or not. 

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In what is a hot take only if you're an Adobe shareholder, the MacBook Neo is the biggest sign yet that Adobe's subscription model needs some major rethinking. 

It's 2026, and tariffs, war and inflation, amongst other things, have been hitting American wallet pretty hard. Apple was able to read the room and responded with the $599 MacBook Neo ($499 if you're a student or educator). There are other reasons the thing exists, of course. Apple wanted to lure people using cheap Windows computers with their iPhones. They wanted to corner the education market.

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Some people put their pets before family and have images of their favourite dog sat alongside their wedding, holiday and children's pictures. This might be you too! Of course, you are stuck if you do not have a dog, but the odds are you know someone with one so if you are really keen, finding a subject is not an issue.
 

1. Kit Suggestions 

 

In terms of kit, all you need is a camera with a lens or two. Or you could try something like using a Lens Baby for a different effect. If you're heading to a dog show consider taking a smaller camera bag as space can be a premium and leave the tripod at home. 
 

2. Do They Like The Camera?

 

Having a trained dog that's used to being in front of a camera will make things easier. You don't want to get your camera out to find they either want to eat it or won't come near you because they're unsure about it. Some dog could not give two hoots; others will just scamper away.

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3. Get Them Running Around 

 

Pet photography is a popular subject, but most people tend to snap their dog when sitting, rather than capturing the active moments dogs are well known for.

Shots of your pet running and chasing around are far more interesting than a static shot of them sat on a rug in front of the fire. But to capture them it takes some planning and dogs running around are fast and they can be unpredictable. Having someone with you (your partner? Kids?) definitely will be a help because you can ask them to call for the dog while you concentrate on shooting.

Try autofocus with continuous shooting and see if it can track the subject. It might cope well but as dogs move quickly and their coats are low contrast, autofocus can be tricky so try manually pre-focusing on a particular spot and when your dog runs to it, press the shutter.

You'll need a reasonably fast shutter but not so fast that the dog is frozen in the image. Having a mix of sharpness and blur can work well, or just use an even slower shutter speed for more blur to exaggerate its movement. 
 

4. Get Down Low 

 

We're used to standing and looking down on dogs so a shot from this height is nothing special. So instead, try getting down to your dog's eye level or even lower. Kneel, lie (but there's no need to roll over!) to produce a much more dynamic and interesting shot. With features like LiveView, getting a composition from ground-level is easy enough. Of course, there are times when shooting from a higher angle works well such as in the shot at the top of the article.

  5. Exposure Tips 

 

Expose for the dog and not the surroundings. If you have a particularly dark or light dog you may find exposure compensation helps the camera meter correctly. As with human portraiture, it's also important for the eyes to be sharp but again, due to the speed they move, this can be difficult to perfect.
 

6. Natural Light Is Your Friend

 

Natural light is good but as with humans, dogs look less good in contrasty light. For maximum detail in the coat, a bright sky when the sun is gently diffused by high cloud can work well. If the day is quite dull, try fitting the flashgun to lighten the shadows or try underexposing the daylight so your lit subject stands out proudly from a darker sky - it can be a great look.
 

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

                                                                                                                           

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Here is a number that should end a decade's worth of arguments: in 2025, CIPA member companies (which include Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, and OM Digital Solutions) shipped over 4.45 million interchangeable-lens bodies with sensors smaller than 35mm. Full frame and larger? Roughly 2.54 million. The format category that photography forums have spent years dismissing as the "starter sensor you graduate from" outsold full frame by a ratio of roughly 1.75 to one. 

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Much of the time, we take photographs because of how something looks. We’re drawn to pretty views with nice light or color; views that look visually appealing. Let’s be clear: there’s nothing wrong with this approach to photography.  

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The Fujifilm X-T30 III sits in a strange spot. It looks modest on paper, yet it offers features that push beyond what many expect at this price. 

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You talk about focal lengths all the time, but what do you actually use when you’re on a real trip with limited space in your bag? This breakdown of 28mm, 24-70mm, 16-35mm, and 85mm choices shows what happens when theory meets crowds, wind, and shifting light. 

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Anamorphic lenses have moved from niche cinema tools to real options you can mount on a mirrorless camera right now. If you shoot video and want a wider frame, stronger background blur, and a different kind of character, this is a choice that changes how your footage feels. 

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Lightroom feels slow or messy when small habits stack up. Tuning a few core settings changes how fast and clean your edits move, especially across large shoots and multiple years. 

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Outdoor portraits add levels of interest to a shot you can't always get from an indoor shoot and as this time of year particularly, it's the perfect excuse to wrap up in layers and pose in front of snow-filled scenes. No snow? Well, your highstreet at night can be an equally cool location as can be your local woods or even your backyard should you not want to walk as far. 

To kick-start your outdoor photoshoot, we've put a few easy to understand but rather essential outdoor portrait tips together for you to peruse. Plus don't forget to share your examples of outdoor portraits in our Gallery or Daily competition forum. 

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1. Get Your Lighting Right 

Once you've found a model brave enough to go out, possibly in the cold, you need to sort out your lighting. It is a good idea to have a friend or fellow photographer on hand. This applies to both male and female photographers and an extra pair of hands can be really handy to hold flashguns and look after things during the shoot.

If working a night, a powerful torch will help you focus. Just shine the light at the subject – not directly into the model's face and focus. It is worth considering shooting using manual focus for this subject because autofocus might continually adjust and throw the subject out of focus once the torch is switched off. Flash modifiers, coloured filters and lighting stands will find a use too. 

One of the big problems of using flash at night – apart from the attention (sometimes unwanted) that it attracts – is that a flashgun can pump out too much light and burn out the subject. You need to watch this and use flash exposure compensation to cut down the amount of light if that is the case. 

Another important thing to remember is the inverse square law – double the distance between the flash and the subject and the power output falls by a factor of four, not two as you might expect.

As well as on-camera type flashguns, there are several studio-quality flash units that run off portable batteries. These are more powerful than a typical flashgun and worth trying.
 

 

2. Tripod Or No Tripod? 

Your tripod is handy here too, especially if you want to mix flash and ambient lighting. That said, blurring the ambient light can be an effective technique. Any tripod will be fine, although if you have to walk some distance to your chosen shoot location you may want to consider packing a light-weight model. Carbon fibre models are lighter than those made of aluminium, although they can be cold to the touch but many tripods feature thick foam on the legs that enable a secure grip and stop you having to touch the cold surface.

 

 

3. Poses & Direction 

Make sure you've primed the model regarding poses, clothing and the location that you will be shooting in. You need to think of their comfort, dealing with the weather, keeping warm in between shots and so on. Conversation can help with the flow of the shoot but if you're not very good at banter, just be concise with your posing instructions and don't try to be something you're not. 

You can find plenty of ideas about posing in lighting in fashion magazines and in ePHOTOzine's gallery but just don't simply copy someone else's work, always put your own 'stamp' on it. You need to shoot quickly and have fresh batteries in the flashgun. Minimal messing around is a good idea too and show the model the effects you are getting as you go along. 

 

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