Photography News

Fisheye lenses for medium format have been close to nonexistent, so if you shoot a Fujifilm GFX or Hasselblad body and want that look, you've usually had to adapt glass that doesn't cover the sensor properly. AstrHori's new 8mm fisheye goes after that gap with a circular image and a field of view wider than a full hemisphere.

 

[Read More]

For decades, a photography career seemed to hinge on one or two pictures, the frames that appeared in every magazine profile and forum thread until they became shorthand for the person who made them. If you've ever wondered whether your own work needs that kind of breakout image, your answer affects how you shoot, how you edit, and how you share everything else.

 

[Read More]

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|245542|245542_1791616541.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to TonyMat1 (Day 10 - British Wildlife).

 

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 11

Movement

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|339957|339957_1791700337.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 12

Mood

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|349646|3964186[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 13

Self Portraits

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|51734|3862047[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 14

Coast Out Of Season

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|63105|3047608[/COMMENT_IMG]

  Day 15

Fungi

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|32898|1931258[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 16

Fallen Leaves

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|18094|18094_1792171270.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 17

Autumn Macros

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|320788|320788_1792222263.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

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.

A Canon patent application published in Japan on October 16 includes a complete optical design for a 70-200mm f/2 zoom covering a full-frame sensor, a combination Canon has never sold in any mount. The design, Example 9 in the filing, holds f/2.06 from 71.65mm to 194mm.

 

The filing, JP 2026-168807, was first reported by Canon Rumors. Canon filed it on April 4, 2025, and it contains 11 numbered examples. Eight are f/1.46 zooms: two cover roughly 51-83mm, one 44-83mm, two 36-83mm, and three 36-48mm. Examples 9, 10, and 11 cover about 72-194mm at f/2.06, f/2.5, and f/2.3.

[Read More]

    The colours of Autumn are really what make our images sing and one way to exaggerate the golds, yellows and reds is with backlight. Plus, it'll really make the intricate pattern of veins stand out and focus the viewer's attention.   Backlighting, where the light comes from behind your subject towards your camera, can make semi-translucent subjects such as Autumn leaves really 'pop' from the frame. Colours tend to glow more and the detail found in leaves, such as the veins, really stand out. Plus, if you can position your subject against a darker background you'll enhance the effect. Just make sure your lens is shielded to prevent flare with a lens hood, your hand or use your surroundings to create a cover for your lens. While we're talking about light, it's worth mentioning that you can actually create this effect with the sun to the left or right of your frame, so long as it's at a low angle.    1. Think about lens choice

Working close with wide-angle lenses can give creative results, however, flare will be more of a problem. A macro or telezoom lens is ideal but still fit a lens hood to prevent flare. Do check the frame to make sure the lens hood hasn't crept into the frame though. 

If you find the leaf is silhouetting against the sky just add a little fill-in flash. You can also position the flash behind the leaf to create your backlight if the sun's not playing ball or when at home, use a window or even a lamp as your light source. You just need to place a piece of tape over the leaf's stalk and stick it flat against a window. You won't have to worry about wind blowing your subject around at home either.

  2. Leave space between the subject and the background for good bokeh

Having space between your leaf and its background will help create the distraction-free blurry background we're after. Using an aperture to throw other leaves out of focus can help too.

When it comes to metering it's best to take a reading from the leaves to ensure they are correctly exposed and switching to spot metering will help. If the background's dark you may need to reduce the exposure by about half to one stop to ensure it stays dark. If it's light, open up half to one-stop and bracket if you are unsure. Check your histogram too to make sure your shot is correctly exposed. To make the light around the edge of your subject 'sparkle' you may need to overexpose the shot slightly.

After Autumn gives way to Winter you can use this backlighting technique to enhance the sparkly appearance of frost and ice which works particularly well when working with plants. 

At 11:21 on the morning of November 24, 1963, Jack Beers was standing on a railing in the basement of Dallas police headquarters with a Mamiyaflex twin-lens reflex, and he tripped his shutter as Jack Ruby stepped into the open. Several feet lower and to his left, Bob Jackson released the shutter on a Nikon S3 six-tenths of a second later. Beers got Ruby walking; Jackson got the bullet.

 

[Read More]

When BenQ asked me if I would like to take a look at the new PD2732U monitor, I was interested because a monitor is something I spend a lot of time looking at, particularly when I am editing photographs. Color accuracy is obviously important to me, but so is how the monitor fits into my existing workflow.

 

[Read More]

Most street photography outings involve long stretches where nothing worth photographing happens, and how you handle those stretches shapes what you bring home. If you've ever walked for two hours, felt the pressure build, and started shooting anything that moved, you already know the problem.

 

[Read More]

Fujifilm's XF 400mm f/4.5 gives X-mount shooters the field of view of a 600mm lens on full frame, with an aperture about two-thirds of a stop brighter than the company's 500mm f/5.6. If you shoot birds or wildlife on Fujifilm, that extra light can be the difference between a usable shutter speed at dawn and a frame lost to motion blur.

 

[Read More]

The Panasonic Lumix S9, Fujifilm X-M5, and OM System PEN sell at similar prices in 2026, yet each uses a different sensor format: full frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds. If you're moving up from a phone to a camera you'll carry every day, that price overlap makes the decision harder than any spec sheet suggests.

 

[Read More]

Most side-by-side tests of APS-C and full frame end the same way, with differences that barely show up in the photos people actually print or post. Far fewer people act on that result, because selling a full frame kit means walking away from money already spent and from a long-held idea of what a serious camera is supposed to be.

 

[Read More]

 

Autumn is the perfect time for capturing close-up/macro shots and this is something you can do even if you're a compact user who doesn't have an arsenal of lenses at their disposal. Be on the lookout for subjects that have interesting textures or are full of colour, plus look on the ground as well as up at the trees as you'll find conkers and other interesting items that make the perfect subject for an Autumn macro shot. 

 

Use the close focus mode

To get started, you're going to need a compact camera that has a close focus. Around 10cm is fine, however many modern compacts focus much closer now. The macro mode is usually indicated by a flower icon and you need to ensure this is selected otherwise your camera won't know you want to shoot macro shots. Plus, this mode will also usually mean your camera picks a larger aperture (small f-number) so you get backgrounds that are nicely thrown out of focus. 

A tripod will help prevent camera shake and if you plan on shooting fungi and other subjects that are close to the ground, one that has a reversing centre column will help but it's not essential. A beanbag or even your camera bag can be used as a support for a quick snap if you don't own a tripod.

 

1. Working with low light conditions

For locations where there's not much light, such as in woods, you may need a small reflector to bounce more light on to your subject. If you don't own one try making your own from a piece of card and silver foil. You can use your camera's built-in flash but it tends to be a little harsh which can result in fungi looking a little too shiny and can take away from the overall atmosphere of the shot. Do try taking a few shots with it, though and see what you think. You never know, you may prefer the shots with flash rather than without. 

So you don't cause camera shake by pressing the shutter button you can use your camera's self-timer on its shortest setting. By doing so, you'll not be pressing the shutter button as the exposure begins, reducing the chances of shake spoiling your shot. 

 

2. What Can I Photograph? 

Autumn means lots of gorgeous coloured leaves falling off trees and they can make interesting macro shots on their own or you can use your macro leaf shots as textures in other photos. Look for different patterns and shapes but this doesn't mean they have to be perfect as little imperfections can add interest to your shot. Make the most of backlight to really make your images 'pop'. 

As the leaves fall off the trees, they become bare, and this gives you the chance to capture shots of bare branches and bark which again, make great textures for background montages. Also, consider textures that can be printed as triptychs - three photos framed in panels side by side.

 

3. Look for the first frost

In the Autumn, the first frost of the year usually appears and can make interesting photos when it covers leaves or grass. Head for open spaces (lawns and fields) rather than places that are sheltered, which can stop frost from forming. Side and direct light will help emphasis the way the frost glistens and it will last longer in shaded areas but you'll need to use a reflector to bounce extra light into the shot. For shots that capture the patterns and textures frost creates, get in close and avoid using flash.

Conkers are becoming ripe and falling so be on the lookout for them. Don't just go for brown ones either as they look just as good when popping out of their bright green shells. They are perfect subjects for an Autumn still life when used alongside leaves and even berries. If you do use berries you may need to adjust your shooting position as reflections can be a problem due to them having an almost shiny surface.

 

4. Focus on the small details

To give your close-up work a more abstract feel remove your subject from its surroundings by focusing on a small part of it. Look for interesting shapes and textures that you can focus a tight crop on. Overcast days are good for this sort of technique as the diffused light will help bring out detail in the shapes, lines and form you're capturing.     

In the whole plate daguerreotype the Getty Museum catalogs as "Early Operation Using Ether for Anesthesia," a young man lies on a table in a Boston amphitheater with both legs bare below the knee and his socks still on. Nine men crowd around him, and several of their faces are smeared by the length of the exposure. That plate has been in print since 1903, and for decades it has carried captions placing it on October 16, 1846, the morning ether was first demonstrated in public.

[Read More]

The Protector 1510 Studio Case reimagines the toughness you’ve come to expect from Pelican. Is it worthy of its name? More importantly, is it worthy of the price? 

“It’s no secret Pelican is the best. It’s also no secret they’re expensive.”

One of my greatly appreciated YouTube viewers summed up the core of this review before I could even get it written. There’s not a prize for that or anything, and I never judge for typos, nor is there a need to dance around the other giant elephant in the room.

[Read More]

Roughly 5 billion photos are taken every day, and anyone with a Midjourney account can now produce an image that looks interesting in seconds. With volume that high and a barrier that low, it becomes a practical question whether your own pictures carry anything that someone else's don't.

 

[Read More]

Viltrox's EVO series offers three matched prime lenses for just over $1,000, about what a single first-party prime can cost. If you shoot video on a gimbal or pack light for travel, a set that shares size, weight, and filter thread can save more time than an extra stop of light.

 

[Read More]

Layering sounds like a checklist: put something in the foreground, something in the midground, something in the background, and press the shutter. Anyone who has tried it on a crowded sidewalk knows the elements rarely cooperate, and a frame with three layers can still read as a pile of clutter.

 

[Read More]

Shooting portraits at an event means working in whatever corner the venue hands you, with a line of people who all expect to look good and very little time to fuss over each one. A single strobe can give you soft, directional light that looks like it's coming through a big window in that space, but only if you shape it with more than a bare umbrella or softbox.

 

[Read More]

 

When you had out in autumn, the first thing that you're likely to be greeted with is fallen leaves on the floor. Take advantage of these and create some great photos!

It's worth packing a polarising filter as one of these will enhance autumn shades and help reduce glare. Then basically, all you need to do is find some autumn leaves, arrange them if you wish then photograph them. Try and get a mix of varieties if you can and if you can wait until the next morning to photograph them, they'll be covered in droplets of morning dew or if you wait until the temperature drops a little more they'll have a dusting of frost, giving you the chance to shoot some abstract Autumnal shots.

 

1. Look for interesting patterns Don't have any trees at home? Well, you can collect some fallen leaves from the park or venture out early and do your photography there. Look out for scenes where fallen leaves have created interesting patterns without you having to move them or where they’re decorating a particularly picturesque scene. A blanket of leaves around the trunks of trees will always make a great shot that really sums up autumn. Look for objects in your garden or around the park that you can use in shots with the leaves you've collected to make a more interesting composition.    2. Go close-up and abstract You can position yourself a little further off the ground and photograph the whole pile of leaves but by getting in close to one or two of them, playing with several compositions you can end up with some surprisingly interesting shots. Try just focusing on the tip or stalk of one leaf or focus on the centre of one so blur creeps in at the edges. Try using a wider aperture so you get a shallow depth of field that allows detail to be to focus of the shot. Do watch out for shake creeping into your shots as it does become more noticeable when working with close focusing. Always use a tripod and make use of your camera's self-timer so you aren't touching the camera as the exposure begins. Better still, use a cable / remote release or even your SmartPhone as the trigger if your camera allows it.   
  3. Backlight the leaves Back home, if you have a lightbox you can use it to backlight your leaf so all the detail stands out. If you're using a camera that has Live View it's worth using it to check the overall sharpness of your close up shots. It also comes in handy when you're taking shots where putting your eye to the viewfinder is a little tricky. 

If you're working by water where leaves are decorating the land surrounding it or are floating along the surface of the water as it flows downstream, experiment with longer exposure times to blur the water's movement. We say experiment as several factors will affect what length of shutter speeds you'll need to achieve your desired result.

 

4. Experiment with settings

Experiment with your camera's white balance settings to find the best colour balance for your shot and if you feel the autumn tones need more depth, use your camera's exposure compensation control and dial a - stop in. You don't need to go too low, a half or one-stop should be fine. Having said that, if you shoot in RAW you can always give the colour in your shots a boost when you're back on your computer. 

If you edit a lot of video, the most tedious part of the job isn't the creative color grade. It's getting the footage adjusted so that you can add the color grade. One shot is too bright, the next too dark, one camera leans green while another leans warm, and you end up crawling through the timeline clip by clip trying to make everything look like it belongs to the same production. On a real project, that takes hours, and nobody bills for it.

[Read More]