Photography News

 

Stately homes are, in many cases, open to the public. Some are still lived in, with sections cordoned off from public viewing, but the rest is accessible, often with restrictions - no touching, often no flash and sometimes no photography. For those properties that do allow photography, you have the opportunity to photograph grand designs, walls with magnificent paintings, and rooms with exquisite furniture and other items.

1. What Gear Do I Need?

You will need an ultra-wide-angle lens to record interior room scenes something in the region of 10-20mm is best. For more detailed shots of the various trophies, antique collections and paintings you'll need a longer lens of around 100mm. Your standard zoom will be fine for most of the finer details. Tripods can't always be used so do check before you pack yours in the car. You're often asked to leave rucksacks and bags at reception areas so make sure you have a comfortable strap. A polarising filter will be very useful as many antique displays will be behind glass and the filter will help reduce reflections allowing the items behind the glass to be recorded clearly. 

  2. The Entrance

When you enter a stately home the first area is the reception area. This is usually a grand affair with a huge central or split staircase. There's often plenty of window light for illumination and often lots of wall decorations. If you're charged an entrance fee there's likely to be a ticket table to obstruct a full view and it's the area where you'll find the most visitors wandering around and getting in the way too. So timing is important and finding the best angle for a wide-angle shot. It's worth hanging around for a quiet moment to get the best shot.

  3. Around The Home

You're then usually ushered along in a certain direction around the house. Attendants will be in many of the rooms keeping an eye on possessions while helping visitors with facts about the house. If a 'no-camera' rule is present they will be vigilant in preventing your photography. If not feel free to fire away, but try to avoid getting helpers in shots. Watch for mirrors in back walls of rooms that will reflect the tourists and also try to avoid getting barrier ropes in shot. It can be quite challenging. Ropes can often be cloned out, but stand on tiptoes to make sure the rope is lower to the ground and not obscuring some important element that would be harder to clone out than a section of floor or carpet.

 

  4. Photographing Detail

In rooms that have glass, cabinets make sure your polarising filter is attached to reduce reflections and glare. For birds and stuffed animals try to crop tight on one creature. Focus on intricate carvings you'll find on furniture. Shoot the ceilings as patterns. If you include a chandelier watch the exposure - they are bright while the rest of the room will be dark and come out underexposed if you're not careful. If you can hold the camera steady (use a door or wall as support ) take a bracketed exposure sequence and combine in an HDR program later.

5. Indoor ISOs

If the room is dark increase the camera's ISO setting as far as you can without noise. Most cameras can safely go up to ISO800 without too much noise. Don't forget to turn it back when you go outside or into much brighter rooms.

 

 

6. Outdoor Architecture Shots

For outside shots of architecture and statues use a tripod to keep the camera steady. Look for positions where sculptures can be positioned in front of the grand architecture and shoot with a wide aperture to throw the background building out of focus - frame tightly for even more impact. Use the polarising filter if the statue or building is set against a blue sky as the filter will make the blue darker and the stone will stand out better.

Try walking around the grounds to find the best vantage points for an overall view of the house. At Chatsworth House, for example, you can get a shot from the gardens with the fountain and lake in front. While a walk onto the road into the estate provides a view from the bridge and climbing down to the edge of the riverbank gives a view with the bridge arch as a frame.

  7. Grounds & Gardens

Stately houses usually have magnificent gardens often designed by landscape gardeners and may include spectacular water features of cascades and fountains. Shoot into the light to get a backlit spray of water. Use a slow shutter speed to blur the path. Focus in close on gargoyles as the water spurts out of the mouth.

Visit the herb garden and shoot from a low viewpoint to get the sprigs of flowers against the sky. Then visit the greenhouses for more exotic plants and cacti. Depending on the time of year you will find a vibrant range of spectacular colours in the well-kept gardens of stately homes.
 

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Street photography still speaks about people, encounter, and human communication in the moment. Much of the practice already uses people differently. People become form, scale, color, silhouette, and rhythm inside the frame. Has the photographer begun to use people as compositional material? 

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Sharpness is one of the first things many photographers judge in a landscape image, but it is also one of the areas that caused me the most frustration when I was starting out. I used to come home convinced that I had captured strong images, only to load them onto a larger screen and realize the foreground was soft or the distant detail was not as sharp as I thought it would be. At the time, I blamed gear more than technique. I assumed my camera or lens was holding me back, when in reality the biggest issue was my process in the field. 

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 I used to think all fog machine liquid was the same. Never once had I considered that a new fog formula could be far better than what I've been using for decades. PMI's Vanishing Formula Kit has changed my opinion, and today I test it against three of the most popular portable fog systems on the market. 

 

Portable fog machines have become one of my favorite tools for photography and filmmaking. Whether I'm shooting portraits, product photography, miniatures, or cinematic video, adding a little smoke, mist, or haze can instantly elevate a scene.

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The Canon EOS R6 used to be a simple recommendation. You wanted a full frame hybrid that did a little of everything well without costing as much as the R5, so you bought the R6, and that was the end of the conversation. That clarity is gone. The line has split into three very different cameras that happen to share a name, and choosing between them now means knowing what kind of shooter you actually are. The good news is that once you sort that out, the right answer becomes obvious, because Canon has aimed each of these bodies at a genuinely different person. 

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Choosing a compact travel camera is harder than it looks, especially when two solid options sit at very different price points with very different sensor sizes, lenses, and feature sets. The Fujifilm X100VI and the Panasonic Lumix LX10 both pitch themselves as small, capable everyday cameras, but they take genuinely different approaches to getting there. 

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Landscape photography is one of the most crowded genres in the medium, and standing out gets harder as cameras make technically competent images easier to produce. Ben Harvey argues the answer isn't more gear or better locations; it's rethinking how you use depth of field in a genre that almost never does. 

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Music festivals are not only fun, they're great places to capture images of bands performing. Plus, you'll also be able to capture quite a few cracking candids of fellow festival-goers enjoying the music, rides, food and probably an alcoholic beverage or two! For those heading to a music festival this year, here are a few photography tips for you to have a think about before you start setting your tent up. 

 

1. Keep your things safe

You need to know where your camera and bag is at all times. If you don't want to carry your kit and other valuables all of the time, invest in a locker. Many festivals are now offering secure lock-up facilities, for a small fee of course. Even if you do have to pay they are handy things to have, particularly if it rains as you can stick all of your electrical equipment in them. 

 

2. Be ready

When you're squashed in a crowd of people who are trying to get closer to the stage trying to pull a camera out of your bag is really hard work so it's best to have it in your hands ready before the crush begins. Don't be tempted to put it on a camera strap either as even though it will stop it falling onto the floor if it gets tugged while on your neck you can injure yourself. If you want to make sure you're not going to lose it put a smaller strap on it and place it over your wrist.

Alternatively, use your smartphone to capture photos as they're just as good as many compact cameras nowadays and you'll probably have it on you anyway!
 

3. Have a plan

They'll be plenty of information online about who's playing what stage but it's worth buying a programme when you arrive and keeping it with you so you know who's playing when. That way you can circle the bands you'd like to photograph/watch or use is to make your own timetable, showing where and when each band will play. If you don't want to spend money you'll find the line-up posted around the camping areas of the festival which you can snap a photo of or make notes from.

 

 

 

4. Get to the stage well before the band is on

If you're heading for the main stage there's usually quite a big gap between the crowd and the stage so arriving early to get a spot at the front is advised. If you don't unless you have a very long lens, the bands will look a little bit small and you'll have trouble filling the frame when you're shooting individual shots of the band members (as demonstrated in the shot below). You can get closer at the smaller stages but if it's a particularly popular group you're heading to shoot, you'll still need to be there within plenty of time otherwise you'll have rows and rows of heads in front of you. If you intend to stay by the main stage, which is usually out in the open, make sure you take plenty of water with you, as dehydration can be a big problem on hot summer days. It's also a real pain to get back to the front once you leave!

Try to avoid standing where speakers will clip the side of your shots and avoid framing up with cables, monitors and other stage clutter in the background if you can. Sometimes all you have to do is wait for the artist you're photographing to move to a different spot on the stage to get the clutter-free shot you're after.

 

5. Compose your shots

As you won't be able to move very far, the ways you can compose your shots will be limited and you'll just have to rely on the band getting into poses/positions you think are worth photographing. Capturing the guitarist in a mid-air jump or the lead singer leaning over for the crowd are shots everyone's seen a million times before but that's not to say you shouldn't capture them. If you struggle to get the shots you want, head for a band you don't want to photograph but don't mind listening and just watch them on stage. You'll soon be able to pre-empt what they're going to do next so when you do lift your camera up, you'll be ready to take the shot.

 

6. When the sun goes down

As the light fades, getting decent shots of the stage becomes more of a challenge. You really need to be in the few front rows as the sun sets if you want to capture shots where you can see who's on stage. As most compacts try and use flash when it gets dark make sure you turn it off. If you don't turn your flash off you'll probably end up with a shot that shows a few rows of heads and nothing behind them. Your camera will have also picked the settings it thinks are suitable for when you're using flash so a short shutter speeds, small aperture and a low ISO will have further reduced the amount of light in your shot. You can increase the ISO manually but just keep an eye out for noise as some compact cameras struggle with this when you start to use higher ISO settings. If there's a particularly interesting light show happening on stage and you're some distance away try switching to Firework mode to capture it.

 

 

7. Try and standstill

It can be hard to do when you're in a crowd but by doing so you'll reduce the amount of shake in your shot, particularly when the sun's set and your camera's having to use longer shutter speeds when any movement can be easily picked up in your final photograph. If you have a barrier in front of you use it for support or lean on a wall that's behind you. If you're in the middle of the crowd just hug your arms as close to your side as possible and try and keep your hands still.
 

8. Remember the crowd

Try turning around and photographing the mass of people around you. It's not as easy if you're stood low down but get up higher on a slight hill/banking and it's easy to capture a sweeping shot of the festivities. Some compacts have panorama modes which can be handy when you're trying to take wider shots such as this. Do snap a few candids as you walk around as you're guaranteed to find plenty of interesting characters in the three or four days you're there. Plus, there will be plenty of stalls and tents for you to capture shots of as well. 

 

 

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A beautiful minimalist shot called 'Osea Beach Huts 01' by Pete2453 has scored the POTW accolade this week.

This shot shows off the soft Pantone colors of the wooden huts by placing them against a moody black and white backdrop. The long exposure technique smooths out the surroundings completely, creating a clean foreshore and a beautifully blended sky. This clears out all the clutter and gives the scene a peaceful, dreamy feel.

The huts add a nice splash of muted color to the landscape, lined up so you can easily take in the quiet view and clouds. It is a really relaxing capture.

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! 

To see more of our POTW winners, visit the POTW Gallery.

Fujifilm has released five generations of X-Trans sensors, and the conventional wisdom says newer is better. Jason Row challenges that assumption head-on, having personally owned cameras with every X-Trans generation from the original through X-Trans 5. 

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Midsummer is the season most landscape-focused shooters dread. From June through September, everything turns the same flat shade of green, and broad scenes start to feel repetitive and lifeless. 

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1. Where To Go

Finding statues is easy. Most churchyards, within walking distance from your home, will have one or two amongst the gravestones. Parks often house statues that iconise mythical figures or historical figures while larger tourist cities will have them scattered all over the place to celebrate famous people who have lived there and politicians. Sculpture parks provide an opportunity to find several interesting objects all in one location and often make a great day out too.

2. Angles

The first thing to do is look at the angle. In most cases, you're going to be shooting from a low viewpoint as the statues often raised on a plinth and way above eye level. To fill the frame you'll often end up shooting from a low angle and the statue will look distorted, big at the bottom and smaller at the top. A better approach is to stand a bit further back and use the longer setting of your zoom lens to crop tighter. This will produce a photo with a more natural angle. Ideally, if you can find a position where you can gain height so you are on a level will improve the shot even further. Steps of a nearby building is often a good option or, if you're agile, a nearby wall can improve your height.

3. Shooting Direction

You should also consider the shooting direction. Walk around the statue where possible and check the background and the features on the statue. Not only will you start to discover the best viewpoint to allow arms to be seen along with the face or symbolic features, but you'll also find that a background can influence the exposure and overall feel of the image. A cloudy sky may help to create mood in the photo but the bright areas can affect the meter reading.

If you have a shot where the camera captures most of the scene correctly but it results in the statue appearing as a silhouette, you can take a second shot, pointing down at the ground and locking the exposure so the statue is exposed correctly. However, this will most likely result in a sky that's washed out. However, all is not lost as if you use a tripod to ensure the camera doesn't move, you could combine both shots during post-production to produce the perfect exposure. Of course, you could also just change your viewpoint to get a better background to work with and sometimes you'll find it gives you a more suitable composition of the statue. If you're not sure, take several photos from different angles and choose the best one later.

4. Turn Your Flash Off

If you try to photograph a statue in low light with an automatic camera that has a built-in flash, it will automatically fire. As a result, you'll lose shadows which give the object its shape and your image won't have any depth. To avoid this switch the flash off and use your tripod to stop shake spoiling your shot.

5. Blur The Background

The background can be thrown out of focus if you select a suitable aperture. Further blur can be added in Photoshop but a similar result can be achieved by using a longer focal length. Just remember to use a tripod as blur caused by shake is exaggerated when you use longer lenses.

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

 

Panoramas and landscapes go together like gin and tonic and make a potent combination. There are several panoramic heads available and we will be discussing how they are used in due course. To start with, though, this is a technique that you can shoot handheld.

  Working Without A Panoramic Head

This technique works fine for subjects some way from the camera position. If you have subjects quite close to the subject you do need a proper panoramic head that can be adjusted to get the optical centre of the lens directly above the tripod's centre axis.

 

1. Gear Suggestions

Your normal DSLR and a standard zoom are fine (30-50mm on an APS-C sized sensor and 50-75mm on a full-frame camera.)

 

2. Work Manually

Go manual control for this technique. Set your DSLR's white balance to manual using a suitable preset, set manual focus and set manual exposure. Shooting manually does make life easier and streamlines workflow rather than having to tweak each image before stitching.

 

3. Check Your Exposure 

White-balance and focusing are pretty straightforward, but manual exposure needs a little thinking about. Ideally, you want an exposure that ensures good highlight detail and shadows will look after themselves. Take a meter reading and shoot three images, one at the centre of the panorama and then one at each extreme edge. If the exposure works for each area you have got it right.

 

4. Don't Adjust The Focus Once Set

It is also important that focus is not adjusted during the panorama so take care not to touch the focus barrel once you have focused.

 

5. Take Your Shots

Try shooting in an upright format and start from the left, allowing a one-third frame approximate overlap between each frame. Capturing between six to eight frames should be fine.

Shooting horizontal format is fine too but it is good to have some area spare to crop into should it be necessary. Shooting upright gives less of a letter-box effect, too.

 

6. Stitching

There are various stitching software packages available. Try Panorama Factory - it is quick and very effective or you can always use Photoshop.

 

 

    Working With A Panoramic Head

For panoramas where there are elements much closer to the camera, you need a purpose-built tripod head.

 

1. Gear Suggestions

There are various models of panoramic head available at a variety of prices and enable single row panoramas and some multi-row. The key thing is that the instructions of the head are followed to find the no-parallax point of the lens, usually called the nodal point.

 

2. The Set-Up

Find your scene, set up the tripod and camera so that it is level. Set manual white-balance, manual exposure and manual focus. Meter to get tones in the important part of the scene – and bracket exposures if it is contrasty.

 

3. Take Your Shots

Shoot from left to right once you have set up and the head has click stops to ensure that you get the correct amount of overlap. Do a ‘dry run’ before shooting for real.

 

4. Stitching

Back home, get the images corrected and cloned and put them through your usual panorama software. 

 

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

There is a reflex most photographers know well. Something happens, a light shifts, a child laughs, a stranger's face catches the sun, and before the moment has fully registered, the camera is already up. The hand moves faster than the thought.  

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There is a moment I've become very familiar with over the years. It usually happens on the drive home, just after I've packed the camera away and the light has long since faded.

It's that quiet realization that nothing from the day will make it into a final image.

No keeper. No portfolio shot. Nothing to process.

For a long time, I treated those days as failures. I would mentally replay decisions I made in the field, question timing, and sometimes even question whether I had missed something obvious. It felt like the effort should have guaranteed a result.

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