DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

 

Architecture photography is something that's accessible to all and with so many ways to capture structures that line our streets, it's a project that you probably won't get bored of anytime soon. You can shoot skylines at night, look for interesting patterns in small detail, use the height of skyscrapers to add drama to your shots or how about simply making a project about your own home? Don't just think this is a town or city project either as you'll find interesting structures at the coast as well as statues and monuments that are well worth capturing images of. Whatever you decide to do, here are 36 tutorials crammed full of tips to help you improve your architectural photography skills. 

 

1. 6 Top Architectural Night Photography Tips

When buildings are illuminated at night their shapes and features are enhanced in a very different way than by daylight and it's a great time to take photographs. The most challenging thing is getting the exposure and colour balance right, which we'll help with, otherwise, the standard rules of composition apply which we'll cover briefly first.

 

2. Tips On Taking Photos From Heights In Cities

The beauty with photography is you're not restricted with how you can take a photograph. You can play with as many lights as you can afford, add filters, gels and play with numerous other gadgets to alter the look of your photograph. But even though there are all these toys waiting to be played with, one of the simplest ways to change the way your image looks is to get up high.
 

3. Why Stairs & Steps Draw People To Photograph Them

Stairs and steps may sound boring, however, when you start thinking about the materials they're made from and the shapes and styles that exist, you'll soon realise there's plenty of steps to keep you and your camera occupied. Be it a graphical shot of an industrial set of steps leading up the side of a metal structure or a spiral staircase in a grand house, if you keep your eyes open, you'll soon realise there are many interesting sets of steps and stairs around you that will make an interesting image.

 

4. Guide To Capturing Better City Skyline Shots

City life's not for everyone but as the sun begins to set find yourself a vantage point where you can see most of the city skyline and you'll soon have a photograph that may make you rethink your dislike for cities. One of the best times for photographing city skylines is when the sun's begun to set so there's still a touch of blue in the sky but the light's not too harsh so make sure you're on your chosen vantage point well before sunset.

 

Photo by Joshua Waller

 

5. Nine Top Tips For Better Bridge Photography

Most of us use bridges every single day and while it is true that many - big and small, old and new - of them aren’t worth photographing, there are a great many that are extremely photogenic. These are impressive structures that often dominate the area in which they are situated.

 

6. Capturing The Best Of Britain's Architecture 

Britain's bursting with structures and buildings that photographers are naturally drawn to thanks to their postcard-perfect looks and history. It also helps that many of the buildings are in locations that are perfect for a day out, making them subjects photographers can shoot and their families can enjoy too.

 

7. Master Urban Abstracts With These 8 Tips

Capture something you may not have normally noticed by shooting abstracts in the city. To help you out, here are a few tips to get you thinking more creatively about buildings and how you can focus on patterns, textures and shape rather than the structure as a whole. 

 

8. Four Top Tips On Exploring The Urban Jungle

For many of us, when we decide to get out and about with our cameras we automatically turn to the countryside. But with the majority of the population living within easy reach of a major Town or City, is that really the right decision? It’s great fun just walking around a city taking shots of literally everything but if you want to capture great images you need to go with a plan and a bag of kit including a couple of lenses and a tripod.

 

 

9. Give Your City Shots A Creative Twist With These 6 Tips

Thanks to modern architecture that favours glass and steel over bricks and mortar cities are full of reflections which give us an alternative way to photograph the places we live in. 

 

10. Five Tips On Shooting Beach Huts Shots With A Twist

Who said the buildings and structures you capture only have to be inland? Beach huts are a popular feature of the British coastline and provide photographers with colourful detail that's often overlooked. While many of us shoot with a wide-angle and get the huts dramatically stacked in a row under a broody sky there's an alternative option of moving in close for a more abstract shot.

 

11. Seven Easy Ways To Improve Your Stately Home Shots

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.

 

12. How To Approach Statue Photography In 5 Steps

From the earliest known relic, some 8000 years old, to the latest metallic monstrosities, statues are waiting to be photographed. You could visit a museum or sculpture park but as statues decorate our city streets, local parks and even churchyards, you don't have to venture too far if you don't want to. 

 

 

13. Learn How To Capture Cracking Castle Shots

Want to bring a bit of history and heritage to life? Well, capturing images of one of our many castles is a good way to start. Here are a few tips to help you perfect your castle photography technique. 

 

14. How To Capture Top Shots Of Historical Buildings

When we think of historical buildings we often think of castles and churches, but there's much more to explore. Our towns and villages are brimming with architectural delights from banks to factories to inns and market halls, all waiting to be photographed outside and sometimes (if you're lucky) inside. All you need is a little local knowledge

 

15. Photographing Lighthouse Details

Zooming in with a telephoto and picking on detail is fun to do, plus it's a great way to capture lighthouse shots with an original twist. 

 

16. Five Top Tips On Photographing Bridges

Here are 5 more essential tips on photographing the bridges that dominate our towns, cities and countryside. We look at what time of day is best, what lenses to use, how to give your shots a creative edge and more. 

 

 

17. Tips On Photographing Stained Glass Windows

Stained glass windows are a photogenic subject but they can be a nightmare to photograph. Here are a few tips to help you perfect your technique.

 

18. Photographing Church Interiors

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. 

 

19. Even More Tips On Creative Capturing Castle Shots 

From ruined hill forts to beautifully preserved country houses, castles provide majestic architectural delight that we look in more detail here. 

 

20. Photographing Textures On Buildings

Towns and cities are great places for hunting down textures and once you start looking at detail rather than buildings as a whole, you'll soon find a variety of textures to fill your memory card with. Walls, steps, doors, sheds, modern metal structures, roof tiles and windows are just some of the locations you'll find interesting textures at. 

 

 

21. Church Photography In Low Light

Turn your attention to the local church – or at least one that is lit up. Not every church is so you may have to drive around to find one if you do not already know of a suitable location.

 

22. Tips On Creating HDR Exposures In Churches

Church interiors are difficult to photograph because they usually have huge bright windows and dark nooks and crannies with the rest being a mix of tones illuminated by tungsten light or candles. Fortunately, with digital photography and modern software, there is a solution, it's called HDR (high dynamic range) photography.

 

23. How To Shoot Wide Angle Shots In Cities And Towns

Take a short walk through your town and you'll find a thousand and one things to photograph but instead of walking around for hours photographing trees, postboxes and buildings one at a time try getting your wide-angle lens out to capture and emphasise a wider area of the town.

 

24. Photographing Night-Time Urban Scenes

The nights are drawing in again which means most of us are now driving home from work in the dark. It's a stark reminder that winter's on its way but all's not that bad as it does mean you can shoot some nighttime shots in and around your town before you head home for your evening meal.

 

 

25. Twilight City Photography Tips

Head to a city as the sun sets and get ready to capture twilight themed imagery that will give your architectural shots an interesting, creative twist. 

 

26. How To Shoot Patterns In Architecture

The key to this type of photography is to stop looking at buildings as whole structures and focus on the small pockets of interesting patterns and shapes they're made up of. Don't overlook the ugly looking buildings either as most of the time, once you're zoomed in and focused on one part, you'll find they're perfect subjects when you're on the hunt for architectural patterns.

 

27. Tips On Photographing Interesting Shops With Character

For a while now people have voiced how they're bored of seeing the same line of shops in every town that have repetitive signs, the same window displays and products on offer. But even though these giants are all over the country you can still find the quirky shops with interesting frames and signs to photograph.

 

28. Tips On Photographing Your Town At Night

Here's a quick tutorial that will show you how to photograph urban nightscapes. You'll find kit suggestions as well as tips on how and what to take photos of. 

  29. Infrared Architectural Photography Tips

Infrared photography isn't everyone's cup of tea, however, this technique can add a distinct and interesting twist to your city shots that others may not have thought of. 

 

30. Capture Shots Of Cathedrals And Churches With Ease

Here are a few things to remember when you're heading out on your church photography day trip. Just remember to respect your surroundings when capturing these magnificent structures.  

 

31. Quick Twilight Town Photography Tips 

Everyone likes a sunset but instead of packing your gear up once the sun's set wait around for when the sun has vanished below the horizon and you'll have the chance to capture some really creative images.

 

32. New York Times Square Photography Tips

As Times Square is a popular location for tourists, it can be hard to shoot architectural photos that aren't dominated by people. However, there are a few things you can do to capture shots that aren't so focused on the people visiting this city. 

  33. Quick Tips On Photographing The Brooklyn Bridge

Skyline shots and photos of iconic structures are something all photographers strive to shoot when in Manhattan, New York and David Clapp has headed to one of the most iconic structures in the city - Brooklyn Bridge.

 

34. Practical Photography Tips For Cities And Towns

To help you capture the magic of cities, here are a few tips on photography in general and more specific tips on photographing Krakow in particular.

 

35. Photographing Lighthouses In The Landscape

The UK's coastline has many lighthouses which are worth a visit with your camera. Some are open to the public and are definitely worth exploring, but here we discuss using lighthouses within the wider landscape.

 

36. Pier Photography Tips 

You can't visit a seaside town that has a pier without photographing this interesting and often historic architectural structure that heads out to sea. 

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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 AndyPedant (Day 6 - 'Orange' Colour).

 

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

Autumn Landscapes

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Day 2

Autumn Abstracts

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Day 3

Spider's Web

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  Day 4

Gardens In Autumn

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Day 5

Rainy Days

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Day 7

Autumn Reflections

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Day 8

Creative Indoor Shot

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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.

© Fujifilm

 

FUJIFILM Corporation has announced the global launch of the FUJIFILM X-T30 III, available from November 2025.  Available in three colour options, the X-T30 III will be the latest model in the X Series, offering outstanding image quality within a stylish, lightweight and compact body.

The X-T30 III is a mirrorless digital camera that continues the popular design of a classic center viewfinder style camera.  It boasts a compact and lightweight body weighing just 378g, features a back-illuminated 26.1 megapixel X-Trans™ CMOS 4 sensor and the high-speed processing engine, X-Processor 5. Compared to the previous model, it processes images about twice as fast and uses the latest subject detection autofocus, allowing photographers to enjoy high-quality and comfortable shooting.

Additionally, the camera includes the popular Film Simulation dial.  This dial lets users easily switch between various Film Simulation modes—like changing photo films—to enhance creative expression with intuitive dial control. 

The camera offers 20 different Film Simulations, including REALA ACE, known for faithful colour reproduction and clear tonal gradation, and NOSTALGIC Neg., which provides colourful yet soft tones. The dial has three customisable positions, which allows users to register their original “Recipes” with preferred Film Simulations and settings for versatile photo styles. 

The X-T30 III keeps popular features from the previous model such as a popup flash and an AUTO shooting mode switch lever for easy shooting and ideal for beginners. It also expands creative options with new support for 6.2K/30P video recording. 

Designed to meet the needs of first-time digital camera users as well as those looking for serious photography, the X-T30 III offers comfortable operation, intuitive shooting experiences, and refined design that bring more enjoyment to photography.

 

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Product Features

 

(1) Advanced image processing devices delivers reliable autofocus and versatile visual expression 

The camera features a back-illuminated 26.1-megapixel X-Trans™ CMOS 4 sensor and the latest high-speed image processor X-Processor 5. Thanks to improved power efficiency, battery life has achieved 425 frames per charge.

It uses the latest subject detection autofocus powered by deep learning technology. In addition to face and eye detection, it automatically recognises and tracks a wide range of subjects including animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, trains, insects, and drones. This allows photographers to focus on composition and timing for a more comfortable shooting experience.

The camera supports 6.2K/30P internal recording in 4:2:2 10-bit quality. It also features high speed video shooting at 4K/60P and 1080/240P. Powerful digital image stabilisation reduces not only small shakes but also strong movements like when recording video while walking.

 

(2) Compact and lightweight design with a Film Simulation dial to expand creative shooting 

The X-T30 III keeps the same size (W118.4mm × H82.8mm × D46.8mm) and weight (378g) as the previous model.  Its classic center viewfinder style follows the heritage of the X-T series, offering a compact and lightweight body that’s suitable to carry every day.

It includes 20 Film Simulations, including REALA ACE and NOSTALGIC Neg. A Film Simulation dial on the top-plate allows intuitive selection to match the subject or scene. This unique digital colour reproduction technology faithfully recreates the look of traditional photo films, making it easy and fun even for first-time digital camera users.

The dial has three customisable positions (FS1 to FS3), where users can register their favourite Film Simulation and quality settings as original “FS Recipes.” These can be quickly accessed by turning the dial, for versatile shooting styles suited to different scenes and subjects.

 

© Fujifilm

 

(3) Compact and lightweight design with a Film Simulation dial to expand creative shooting 

An Auto Mode Selector Lever on the top of the camera lets users instantly switch to AUTO mode. In this mode, the camera automatically detects the scene and selects optimal shooting settings, so the user can shoot easily without worrying about complicated controls. 

The camera has a built-in flash integrated with the viewfinder. It automatically adjusts flash output, making it effective for portraits in low light or backlit situations. 

The center viewfinder style places the finder directly above the lens axis, allowing users to aim directly at subjects through the viewfinder. This enables better focus on the subject and background, enjoying the classic shooting experience of looking through the viewfinder before taking the shot. 

It features a rear LCD monitor with a 1.62-million-dot tilt structure, which makes composing shots easy from high or low angles—perfect for travel and landscape photography. 

Ergonomically designed grip fits comfortably in the hand, offering excellent hold despite the camera’s compact and lightweight body.

The X-T30 III can connect wirelessly to Fujifilm’s smartphone printers in the Link series, enabling direct printing without using an app. Newly added support for the instax™ mini, instax™ SQUARE, and instax™ WIDE formats helps users enjoy a smooth experience from shooting to printing

 

(4) Available with the new XC13-33mmF3.5-6.3 kit lens 

The X-T30 III is available as a kit with a brand new lens, the FUJINON XC13-33mmF3.5-6.3 OIS. 

Weighing only 147g and offering an excellent selection of commonly used focal lengths, the two form a potent pairing for everyday and travel photography. 

With a fixed minimum focusing distance of 20cm, it can deliver great close-up photos, while a 4.0-stop Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) system greatly improves low-light performance.

 

© Fujifilm

 

Availability and Pricing

The FUJIFILM X-T30 III will be available globally from November 2025 in three colour options: Black, Silver, and Charcoal Silver. Customers can choose between a body-only option or a kit that includes the new FUJINON XC13-33mmF3.5-6.3 OIS lens.

Suggested retail prices:

• X-T30 III kit with XC13-33mmF3.5-6.3 OIS lens: £999
• X-T30 III body only: £829
• XC13-33mmF3.5-6.3 OIS lens (sold separately): £329

For more information, please visit the Fujifilm website.

 

There are several places in the UK, and the rest of the world, where you may find your tripod easily fits into three small holes already made by fellow photographers with their kit. Joking aside, there are several locations that are considered to be honeypots for photographers, and often tourists, which means it can be difficult to shoot something that's different to every other shot produced in that particular location. 

You can, of course, head off in search of your own locations but this can take time and these popular, honeypot locations are popular for a reason: they're very photogenic so why should you ignore them? Instead, we've thought of a few simple things you could try to make your shot slightly different to everyone else’s. 

 

1. Change Focal Length Or Orientation

The majority of landscapes are shot with wide-angle lenses, however, if you switch your wideout and replace it with a telephoto lens you will start to shoot photos of a popular location in a slightly different way. 

Telephoto lenses allow you to be much more selective with what you include in-frame. You'll be able to focus on detail that would be lost in a wider shot, plus telephoto lenses make it easier to crop out a blank, boring sky. 

By standing back and zooming in with a telephoto lens you'll be able to compress perspective so objects in the background will appear to be closer to your foreground subjects than they do with the eye. This means mountains can look like they are towering over foreground detail, almost as if they are stacked on top of one another. 

Do take your tripod with you when using telephoto lenses as they do make camera shake more prominent. 

If you're not using a DSLR with interchangeable lenses you can switch from a landscape orientation to portrait to give your shot a different perspective and feel. 

2. Move Your Feet

It's worth scouting out your chosen location for viewpoints that show the popular spot in a different way. This could mean climbing a near-by hill, moving further down a beach or changing the side of a lake you take your photos from. 

 

 

3. Weather

In a previous article, photographer John Gravett said: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only different types of lighting.” With this in mind, try heading to a popular photographic location on days when the weather's not playing ball. Stormy days with heavy skies, rain and mist work well at the coast while foggy mornings can add an extra level of interest to an over photographed scene, particularly if you can get up high so you can shoot down over it. Landscapes can often look moody when photographed in bad weather and you can enhance the mood further by converting your shots to black & white.

Do remember to protect your equipment correctly when heading out in the rain with a waterproof cover and keep a microfibre cloth handy for drying surfaces. It's also worth packing a few lens cloths, as rain on the lens can spoil photos taken on rainy-days. 

 

4. Season

If you do a quick search online for the location you want to take your photos in you'll soon see what season most people visit it in. Do take the time to shoot at the same time of year as everyone else as some subjects, such as woods in autumn, do look particularly great during certain times of the year. However, don't be afraid to approach the same location during other months to get a shot others may not have. 

 

5. Time Of Day

If you don't want to wait for a whole season to pass, you could just try visiting your chosen location at a different time during the day. Instead of shooting a sunset, get out of bed early and use the cooler morning light in your shots. Another bonus of early mornings is there will be less people around so you won't be fighting for space and you shouldn't get people walking through your shot. In towns and cities, venture out in the evening as the sun sets to capture the outline of buildings that have shape thanks to their lights rather than shooting in the day. 

 

Cities are well known for having a 'buzz' that's created by the people and traffic that move through their streets. But how do you capture this busyness? Well here are four ways to do just that.

 

1. Find Popular Spots

Sounds obvious, we know, but finding a spot full of people, such as Times Square in New York, will make your job easier. Do be warned though, sometimes places can get too busy and you'll spend more time fighting crowds than you will be taking photos. You can try visiting at various times during the day to check for less busy times but don't expect to be able to turn up early in the morning and the same buzz intensity be there as chances are, most tourists/residents will still be in bed.

 

2. Movement

Long lines of traffic, underground trains or even crowds of people moving home after a day at work can all be captured to emphasise the busyness of a town or city.

Try panning with your subject, keeping your feet slightly apart, creating a sturdy base for you to shoot from. Lock your focus and use continuous focusing if your lens struggles to focus on your subject and switch to burst mode to increase your chances of capturing the shot you're after.

To really add a sense of pace to your shots, use a little bit of blur. Blurring the background while your subject stays sharp is often the approach most go for but it can be tricky to get right... How good you are at panning, what shutter speed you use, how fast your subject's moving and how much light's around will make this harder/easier each time you try it, however, it's worth persisting with as you can create some cracking shots with this technique. Just remember to pick the right shutter speed as if you go too high your subject will look static, too slow and there could be too much blur.

Don't overlook adding a little blur to your subject as this will emphasise motion and add more drama to your shots. We say 'a little' as if you add too much, it can look like you just took a bad photo.

Try experimenting with zoom burst to deliberately add blur to your shot by twisting your zoom lens. 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. It's a fun but tricky technique that can take quite a few attempts to get right. For more tips on creating zoom blur, take a look at our Zoom Burst Photography Article.

 

 

3. Light Trails / Traffic

Towns and cities are full of traffic and by using long exposures to turn headlights into long streams of colour's another way to create a sense of pace. To do this successfully you need to find a spot at night where vehicles will pass under/by you with their lights on. You then need to put your camera on a tripod, set a long exposure and wait for the lines of traffic to turn into streaks of colourful lights. For more tips, have a look at our previous article on Photographing Light Trails.

 

4. Alternative Vantage Points

Try getting in a lift and shooting from the top of a building (if possible) or, if you're on a city break and are staying in a hotel, shoot from your own window or make use of your balcony (if you have one). Look out for observation decks, bridges and even the big wheels that are popping up in cities. These usually take an hour to complete a full circle giving you ample time to get a few shots of the city below. By doing so you'll be able to capture patterns you can't see at street level such as the lines street lights form as they turn on or the shapes created as traffic moves through the streets.

© MPB

 

MPB, the global platform transforming how creators buy, sell and trade used camera gear, has published its Impact Report for the year ending 31st March 2025.

The business - which serves photographers and videographers around the world from its circular commerce centres in the UK, US and Germany - reports strong sustainability progress through the period, increasing the recirculation of photo and video equipment by 9%, reaching 100% renewable electricity usage and sending zero waste to landfill.

The extensive Impact Report covers areas including environmental performance, social impact and community reach and responsible AI.  It also includes the company's first independent Value2Society assessment, quantifying the wider societal impact of its business model.   

 

Environmental performance 

MPB is now recirculating 615,000 cameras, lenses and accessories on an annualised basis, up 9% (from 564,000 the previous year).

The business has recorded a 7% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions year-on-year, largely from lower Scope 3 digital media emissions. Furthermore, MPB matched 100% of its global electricity usage with 100% renewable electricity certificates (REGOs) via Schneider Electric, thereby indirectly purchasing zero carbon electricity.

MPB has again committed zero waste to landfill, achieving a 69% average recycling rate across sites, with Brighton achieving 92%. The remaining 'mixed waste' is processed into energy via incineration.

 

Social impact and community reach 

Nearly half (47%) of management roles are held by women, with the company recording a negative gender pay gap globally (-11.2% mean, in favour of women).  While this remains positive, MPB's goal is to achieve a 0% pay gap, reflecting complete parity across roles and levels.

MPB has supported 99 visual storytelling initiatives that focus on access, inclusion and the environment globally, reaching 176 million people and providing £805,000 in financial support.  

 

Responsible AI

MPB has trained over 50% of its people in generative AI, guided by its dedicated AI Futures Board. These sessions built confidence, reinforced the business' AI policy, and encouraged experimentation.

MPB also tracks and will offset / remove carbon emissions from ChatGPT Enterprise usage, integrating AI within its wider sustainability framework. 

As part of its commitment to authenticity, MPB does not use AI-generated imagery in any of its content. The company also advocates for creator rights, transparent data use, and ethical tooling - meaning the design and deployment of technologies within clear ethical risk frameworks that protect fairness, privacy, and trust. 

 

MPB delivers net societal profit

MPB commissioned Route2 to conduct an independent Value2Society assessment, a sustainability accounting framework that measures the broader economic, social, and environmental value created by a business. 

The assessment, which is designed to help orientate businesses to a sustainable development trajectory - found that MPB generated a total Value2Society of £68.6 million across its operations and upstream supply chain in FY25. This was driven by factors such as employment, training, tax contributions, and community investment. 

In addition, Route2's downstream case study - which analysed a representative sample of 15,540 used cameras and lenses (around 3.5% of MPB's traded volume) - found a further £13.5 million in societal profit. These stemmed primarily from affordability, income benefits of used gear compared to new, and doing so on MPB's highly trustworthy recommerce platform. There is also a small but significant environmental benefit, with an estimated 3,600 tonnes of CO₂e avoided by buying or selling used cameras or lenses with MPB in FY25. 

Matt Barker, Founder and CEO, MPB, said: "Delivering a positive impact sustainably isn't a strand of our strategy – it is the strategy. MPB was founded on the belief that the right way to buy, sell and trade kit is also the better way for people and the planet. This year's report demonstrates that principle further scaling in action. From recirculating more than 600,000 items of kit to achieving 100% renewable electricity and zero waste to landfill, we're proving that circular business models can drive both commercial growth and positive impact.  

"I'm proud of the progress we've made on inclusion, responsible technology adoption and transparent reporting, all of which strengthen the trust our community places in us. The opportunity ahead is to go further: to make recommerce the default choice for creators everywhere, and to keep pushing what sustainable innovation within the industry can achieve." 

For more information, please visit the MPB website.

- Partner Content - 

The Fujifilm GFX 50R has a rangefinder-style body with the viewfinder eyepiece at the far left side of the body. Here, it is partnered with the GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR standard zoom.

 

Pentax started the more affordable medium-format ball rolling in 2010 with its 645D and a few years later the 645Z. However, it was Hasselblad with the X1D, the first mirrorless medium-format camera and, more significantly, Fujifilm that really gave the ball a serious shove and made going large much more accessible. Of course, accessible is one thing but affordable is quite another, and when the Fujifilm GFX 50S reached the shops in 2017, its body price was £6199 with another £2199 needed for the GF 32-64mm R LM WR standard zoom. In other words, you still had to be pretty keen with reasonably deep pockets to go medium-format but it was undoubtedly more affordable than rivals at the time. 

Since then, Fujifilm has continued to put its considerable weight behind its GFX system, which is based on a 33x44mm sensor, with a regular flow of new models and lenses. To date, we have seen seven interchangeable lens cameras while the eighth, introduced earlier this year, was the fixed lens GFX 100RF.

So, for the keen photographer looking for outstanding image quality, there are seven models with 51 or 102 megapixel resolution to choose from. For this guide, we’ve assumed a budget of £5000 for a Fujifilm medium-format camera with lenses that would appeal to keen scenic photographers.

The first decision is the camera body with the option being 51 or 102 megapixels. However, our budget makes this straightforward. MPB has excellent condition samples of the GFX 100S at £2849, but if you are happy to accept a good condition sample, the price drops to £2389. 

Taking this 102-megapixel option means about half of the budget would be swallowed up on the camera body alone, and that would consequently limit lens options. However, the GFX 100S is an impressive beast with an in-body stabiliser with a claimed 6-stop benefit, decent AF skills, 5fps continuous shooting and excellent imaging performance. Pair a good condition GFX 100S body (£2389) with the GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR (£1159-1179 used at MPB) and the GF 32-64mm R LM WR (£1149-1309 used at MPB), and that’s around £4800 spent, enough left for a couple of extra NP-W235S batteries at £26 each. 

The GF 23mm is equivalent to 18mm in full-frame terms while the GF32-64mm is equal to a 25-51mm zoom, so these two lenses are well endowed in the wide-angle to standard lens department but totally lacking in the telephoto region.

Of course, having 102 megapixels does mean there’s great potential when it comes to cropping to give a faux-telephoto effect but this isn’t ideal. 

So, another permutation would be the GF 32-64mm R LM WR (£1149-1309) partnered by the GF 100-200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR, which is available used from MPB in the range of £879-944. This telezoom is the full-frame equivalent of a 79-158mm, so while its pulling power and maximum aperture are modest, it is good value in the context of our medium-format system.

 

The GF100-200mm f/5.6R LM OIS WR telezoom might not have the greatest range and its maximum aperture is modest, but it’s portable and not too expensive, £879-944 used from MPB.

 

However, for maximum lens versatility, we could forego 102 megapixels and opt for the 51-megapixel GFX 50R. This was the second model launched in the GFX system, and its rangefinder body design makes it a great handling and compact outdoor medium-format camera.

Having 51 megapixels under the bonnet might sound a serious come-down to many photographers but it shouldn’t because the Raws from this camera are excellent, with plenty of editing headroom when it comes to shadow and highlight control. Furthermore, the files still open up to 8256x6192 pixels so print out to 27.5x20.6in at 300ppi, and that’s without any software interpolation, so we are still talking serious resolution.

 

This extremely high contrast scene was captured on a GFX 50R shooting Raw format. Editing in Lightroom Classic, no masks were used and the shadows were lifted and the highlights brought down using the tonal adjustment sliders only. It gives you an idea of the contrast control potential of the camera’s Raw files. 1/250sec f/14 ISO 200. Image by Will Cheung.

 

The camera itself is well furnished when it comes to core photography features that include Fujifilm’s Film Simulation settings, a comprehensive exposure system with PASM modes, four metering methods, autoexposure bracketing and a 100-12,800 native ISO range. The focal plane shutter is mechanical with an electronic front shutter and electronic, although you must take care with this option because it does suffer from rolling shutter distortion.

Downsides to take note of include the lack of an in-body image stabiliser, and the contrast-detect AF system is less sure-footed than more recent models. Also, the battery, the NP-T125, is not used in current models so you may have to search around for extras or buy third-party. 

 

If you want ultimate detail rendition, medium-format could be for you. The GFX 50R body does not have in-body stabilisation but it’s still fine for critical sharpness shooting handheld. Optical IS is available on several GF lenses. ISO 200 1/400sec f/11. Image by Will Cheung.

 

To sum up, MPB has a used GFX 50R at £1579 so that is the centrepiece of our outfit. For lenses, we have gone for a GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR at £1159, the GF 32-64mm R LM WR at £1149 and the GF 100-200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR at £879. That three-lens outfit comes in at £4766, which leaves enough change out of our £5000 for protection filters and a couple of batteries.

As far as lens coverage is concerned, our three lenses cover from 18mm to 158mm in full-frame terms which is a more than useful range for scenic photography and the whole kit is reasonably portable. The GFX 50R is compact and comparable to a DSLR body in sizes but the medium-format lenses are solid, rotund optics and the outfit is quite weighty and that’s before adding a tripod. However, using the GFX 50R is a pleasure and the editing flexibility of the Raw files is a pure joy.

 

The generally more sedate pace of scenic photography suits the more considered approach of medium-format and the GFX 50R is at home for shooting handheld or mounted on a tripod. 1/8sec f/13 ISO 100. Image by Will Cheung.

 

MPB Explained

You need kit to take photographs and produce videos, and taking the used route is a cost-effective way of making the most of your budget and keeping up with the latest developments in imaging technology.

MPB is one of the biggest used retailers with bases in the UK, Germany and the USA.

Trading with MPB the process is fair, safe, painless and incredibly easy.

Whether you have kit to sell, want to make a purchase or part exchange, start by going to the MPB website which is intuitive and straightforward to use.

If you have kit to trade, just start typing the name in and a list of suggestions from MPB’s huge database will appear. If a name on that list matches your product click on it and add its condition; if not, continue typing in the whole name and condition.

It’s worth bearing in mind that MPB’s database covers much more than cameras and lenses so if you have, for example, a photo backpack, tripod or filters to sell these can be shown as you type in their name too.

With all your kit listed, add contact details and a quote will appear in your inbox soon afterwards, although manually entered items will take one working day.

If you are happy with the quote, accept it and follow the instructions to get the kit ready for courier collection on a day to suit you. For higher-value deals, an MPB account manager will also be in touch, so you have a personal point of contact if you have any queries.

Once received by MPB, you will get a notification and after checking by its product specialists you will receive a final quote. This can vary from the original quote if there is a missing item —like a battery not being supplied—or your assessed condition differs from the actual condition.

A quote can go down, but it can also increase if the kit’s condition is better than your assessment.

The whole process doesn’t take long and MPB are in touch by e-mail at every step so you’re never in the dark, and only when you are totally happy with the deal, pass on your payment details or pay the balance in the case of part-exchange. Either way, the money or your new kit will be with you soon after.

Get A Quote From MPB Today

 

About MPB

• MPB is the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video kit.
• MPB is the simple, safe and circular way to trade, upgrade and get paid.
• MPB is not a marketplace, instead buying directly from visual storytellers and evaluating all items before reselling MPB-approved kit.
• MPB's dynamic pricing engine provides the right price upfront for all items.
• Circularity is at the centre of MPB, promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion in everything they do.
• MPB prioritises inclusive recruitment and supports employees with extensive training and development. They promote inclusive visual storytelling and an inclusive circular economy.
• MPB's business model is 100% circular. All packaging is 100% plastic-free. Their cloud-based platform uses 100% renewable electricity.
• MPB recirculates more than 570,000 products annually
• MPB provides first-class customer service. Customers can receive support through their Help Centre or by speaking directly with a kit expert.
• MPB's product specialists are trusted by thousands of visual storytellers in the UK.
• MPB is rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot with over 37,000 reviews.

Visit The MPB Website

 

Here are 7 things you can still photograph when you're stuck at home sheltering from the bad weather.
 

1. Photograph Cutlery

The kitchen holds a world of photo opportunities and all you need is some imagination to exploit it. Forks, colanders, wooden spoons etc. can make interesting photographs when shot right. For more tips, have a look at these articles:

• Tips On Shooting Cutlery
• How To Photograph Kitchen Utensils And Cutlery

 

2. Explore The House With A Macro Lens

Take a different look at your home through a macro lens. You'll find patterns, textures and shapes you didn't know existed until you looked down a macro lens. Cushions, glasses and salt & pepper pots can all make interesting subjects. 

If you do not own a macro lens, just try using the lens's minimum focusing distance. Or consider investing in a close-up lens.

It's important when shooting close-up and macro photographs to use a tripod and a remote release - so as to maximise depth-of-field, avoid camera-shake, and ensure accurate focusing. Anchor your camera firmly, though, and your shutter speeds can be as long as you like.

Maximising depth-of-field, by setting an aperture of f/16 or smaller, is important because the closer you get to your subject the more limited depth-of-field becomes. At a larger aperture, such as f/5.6, parts of the subject will almost certainly be out-of-focus.

Using a tripod also makes it easier to ensure accurate focusing. Even at a small aperture you may only have a few millimetres of depth-of-field in front of and behind the point on which you focus - and the natural sway of the body when hand-holding can easily take you outside that, and leave you with an unsharp image. You'll also find it easier, if you have an autofocus camera, to switch to manual focusing.

 

 

3. Coloured Liquid In Glasses

Get a selection of glasses, add water and your choice of food colouring to them. Place them on a clear, reflective surface (glass on white paper works well) and place a large piece of white card behind them. If you want to light the background use your flash off-camera to do this. You want an even light that will bounce off the background back onto the scene you're photographing without causing flare. 

 

4. Water Droplets On A Window

There are plenty of opportunities to get great pictures of rain on patio doors or windows and you don't even have to get wet! When rain hits the pane it leaves tiny water droplets and when these droplets are combined they create fascinating patterns. With a close-up lens you can fill the frame with interesting shapes or use a macro lens to give your piece even more impact. 

If a white sky is behind the droplets they will all appear white with just a thin black outline. If you move around so a wall or greenery is in the background instead, the droplets will take on those colours and patterns making more interesting shapes.

 

5. Frozen Items

This technique is brilliant with a macro lens but will work with the lens at minimum focus. 

Freeze water in a suitable clear container. Once frozen place the container or either a white or even coloured surface so it shows through the container. If you have a lightbox, place the container onto it so light shines through from the bottom. If you don't have a lightbox, just be creative your whatever furniture you have. Ideally, being able to get a lamp or flash under the ice container is what you want.

A 50mm macro lens with the camera on the tripod will let you get closer to capture the patterns that form in the water and cracking ice as it melts. Use a kettle of hot water and gently pour it onto the ice to cause cracks and to start the melting process. Look through the viewfinder for interesting patterns and snap away. 

A twist on this is freezing objects - leaves, flowerheads, shells, pebbles - in the container and then shooting them.

Obviously, this idea needs a little bit of planning, so get the container in the freezer early on and try shooting some of our other ideas while you wait for the thing to freeze. 

 

 

6. Cross Polarisation

Cross polarising effect is where you use a pair of polarising filters - one on the camera and one on the light source (behind the subject) to show stress in plastic which appears as wonderful multicoloured pattern. 

You can use an LCD computer monitor as a light source, plus they have a polariser built-in. You'll need to use a camera with a polarising filter either attached or positioned in front of the lens. Of course, you'll need a monitor and a steady support will also be useful.

Some clear hard plastic items will also be needed as well as something to hold the plastic item steady in front of the computer monitor.

For step-by-step tips on how this technique works, have a read of this: Easy Cross Polarisation

 

7. Capturing Oil On Water

With a few items you'll find around your house you can create interesting abstract shots of oil on water. You'll need a camera with a close focus facility, tripod, a light source, a clear dish, water, oil and something to add colour to your shot (card, paper, t-shirt....etc.). You'll find a guide on what to do next in our article full of tips on how to photograph oil on water with just a basic set up.

 

You've probably never considered your kitchen as a location for photography or as a place you can find tools that will actually help you better your photography skills but after reading this article, you'll soon realise it is. Things like pots and pans, colanders and even a trivet can be pressed into service as subjects.

Here's a list of items found in your kitchen that can help you better your photography or can make interesting subjects for your indoor shots. 

 

1. Aluminium Foil

Aluminium foil isn't very expensive and it can help you create interesting backgrounds as well as bounce extra light into your shots. Add creases and lines to the foil to create textured backgrounds or get a little creative and make your own reflector by sticking silver foil to something that'll give it a bit more rigidity such as a piece of card. You could make a variety of sizes so you have reflectors that are suitable for a variety of subjects including portraits and Autumn macro work. 

  2. Metal Colander

You can bounce light from your flashgun into this kitchen utensil that'll widen the light, making it less harsh than direct flash alone. The humble colander can also be used as a photographic subject, cropping in close to focus on its shape. For the shot above, the camera was switched to incandescent white balance to create the blue cast and the lens was pulled back to include the sink which makes an interesting background. Foil was used to fill in shadows. 

 

3. Cutlery 

Spoons and forks can be used in still life images as well as in arty kitchen-themed images on their own. 

Before you start, you need to make sure your cutlery is clean and pick your backgrounds carefully. When it comes to placement, experimentation is key as there are various ways to arrange your props for a successful shot. For more tips, have a read of these articles:

• Tips On Photographing A Simple Still Life Shot
• Tips On Shooting Utensils And Cutlery In The Kitchen
   

4. Backgrounds

Worktops, wooden chopping boards and even the kitchen sink can be used as backgrounds for your shots. In fact, objects can be simply arranged on the worktop in various compositions, with the camera and lens simply aimed downwards.

 

5. Greaseproof Paper

Used by bakers normally, greaseproof paper can be used to diffuse light either from windows or flashguns. 

 

6. Food Photography 

Raid the fridge and you'll soon have plenty of items worth photographing. For tips on how you can improve your food photography shots, have a read of this: 10 Top Tips For Taking Better Photos Of Food.   

 

London Camera Exchange is calling for entries to the 2026 LCE Photographer of the Year competition – now in its third year. The contest is open to photographers of all levels of expertise and entrants can submit images for up to 14 different categories.

Following the successful introduction last year of the ‘Emerging Talent’ category, designed for photography students, the competition will offer a £500 prize for both the student and their university or course, supporting the development of up-and-coming photographers and showcasing their talent. The popular ‘People’s Choice’ category, voted by the public, will also feature.

Entries can be submitted online at https://poty.lcegroup.co.uk/ or in person at any London Camera Exchange store. Locations for the 26 stores can be found at https://www.lcegroup.co.uk/our-stores/. The entry deadline is midnight on 21 January 2026, with early submissions having a better chance of gaining extra support in the publicly-voted category.

The competition is generously backed by major photo industry brands including headline sponsors Canon, Fujifilm and OM System, as well as partners Lexar, Nikon and Sony, and affiliates Cewe and Sigma.

All shortlisted entrants will be invited to an awards ceremony at The Photography & Video Show at the NEC in Birmingham (March 2026) where they will receive a share of the £10,000 prize fund and a unique trophy to take home. The overall winner will be presented with £2,500 in LCE vouchers to spend on equipment of their choice. All shortlisted images will be displayed at a high-profile exhibition space in the entrance hall at the NEC and their work will be included in a special edition commemorative book.

This year, judges include renowned photographers and publishers including SheClicks founder and journalist Angela Nicholson, Chris George, content director at Future Publishing, and professional portrait and travel documentary photographer Jimmy Cheng.

Lee Harasyn, managing director of LCE, commented, “The competition has exceeded all expectations over the last two years, and we are excited to host it again for our 70th anniversary year in 2026. We hope to discover more extraordinary talent and showcase outstanding photography to a wider audience. We are looking forward to seeing the diversity and creativity of submissions this year across a wide range of genres.”

LCE POTY is open to photographers aged 18 and over. Entries will be accepted from photographers worldwide, however, prizes will only be awarded to UK residents.

 

Categories:

• Action
• After Dark
• Birds
• Creative
• Emerging Talent
• Events
• Landscape
• Macro
• People’s Choice
• Pets
• Portrait
• Street
• Travel
• Wildlife

 

Below: 2025 Overall Winner: ‘Sunkissed Boy’ by Capri McPherson-Noel

 

Image Credit: Capri McPherson-Noel

 

LCE is the UK’s largest chain of independent photographic stores and celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026. A trusted brand, the retailer offers a wide selection of products and services for beginner, enthusiast and professional photographers, as well as filmmakers and creators, and has been recognised for its outstanding customer service and support across the photographic media for many years.

For more information, please visit the LCE Photographer of the Year competition website.

 

Reflections are something you can shoot all year round but as bright colours and bold shapes make the most interesting reflections, autumn's the perfect season to try this technique.

 

1. Where should I go?

You can head to a picturesque area of landscape where you have reservoirs and lakes by the dozen to pick from. You can also stay a little closer to home and take a walk through your local park after it's rained and use the puddles that have formed as your reflective surface. If you have a pond in your garden and a tree or two that's decorated with autumn colours, you don't even have to walk to the park as you can set your gear up in your own back garden to shoot these abstract style shots.

 

2. Photograph The Wide Landscape

If you head to a national park area you can capture a few wide shots where you include the body of water in the photo with the tree line and rolling hills sitting alongside it. For this, you want an almost mirror-like reflection and this means shooting on a very still day. Better still, do your research and find a lake or reservoir that's sheltered by hills or find one where at least part of it's out of the way of the wind. It helps if you're an early riser too as the air tends to be stiller first thing in the morning than later on in the day. Ripples still a problem? Try using a slightly slower shutter speed to blur them.

You'll need a tripod to stop shake creeping in and a remote / cable release can be handy but it's not essential. You could even start your exposures via a Smart Phone if the camera you're using has wireless capabilities. 

When working with slower shutter speeds by lakes, have a look at the distant trees and other objects that can move in the breeze to see if they've blurred slightly. If you do have a problem with blurry trees, try taking two exposures then combined them when you're back in front of your computer. The first exposure needs to be shot with a slower shutter speed and the second with a quicker shutter speed that won't allow movement to be introduced into your background. 

It's also a good idea to pack an ND Grad Filter as you'll find that the reflection will look darker than the 'real' scene that's creating it. If you line up the darker part of the filter so it sits over the sky and finishes at the shoreline, you'll produce a shot that balances the exposure of the bright sky/surroundings with the reflection.

  3. More Abstract?

Shooting reflections on their own, particularly if the water's slightly choppy, will result in interesting abstract images. You just need strong colours and / or shapes to create shots with real impact and Autumn's oranges and reds are just the shades you need to produce abstract shots that really pack some punch. You can shoot a wider shot of the landscape, as above, then crop in when you're back in front of your computer but it's much easier to just frame up so the water's surface is your main point of focus. Some lenses struggle to focus on moving water so you may need to switch to manual focus so you get a sharp shot.

Just remember to shoot plenty of photos at quite quick intervals as the patterns created by the moving ripples will change quickly.

If you prefer to shoot water flowing and falling over rocks, use a slower shutter speed to blur its motion. As a result, you'll have smooth waves of water that have the autumn shades/colours of the trees dotted along the banking flowing through it.

 

When it's cloudy, dull and looking like rain, the last thing most of you will want to do is head outside with your camera. But when you add Autumn into the mix, things do start to get a little better.  Dark skies full of rain clouds can work as a brilliant backdrop for trees covered in the warm shades of the season, colours contrast extremely well and a sky filled with rain clouds, plus the reds and yellows of Autumn, give you the chance to capture some great moody shots.

 

1. Find Some Colour

When shooting on dull days, colour will 'pop' from the grey, stormy sky and add much-needed interest to your shot. It could be a block of colour such as a wide shot of a forest decorated with Autumnal shades or a smaller colourful focus point such as a single tree or even a leaf snapped in your own back garden. If you want to enhance the sky, try fitting an ND Grad Filter to the front of your lens.
 

2. Be In The Right Place At The Right Time

If you're heading out, it's worth noting down a few locations you know will look great in this sort of weather so when the low winter sun does breakthrough and adds a stream of light to your scene, you're there and ready to take the shot. This could mean you end up setting up when the rain's still falling which means you need to protect yourself and more importantly your gear from the elements. Pack a waterproof cover, keep your gear in your camera bag for as long as possible and have a lens cloth to hand to wipe any drops that fall on your lens. If your camera is waterproof or splashproof the wet weather shouldn't bother it too much but once you're home, remember to unpack your gear and leave it out to dry fully. Another bonus of working just after it's rained is everything looks naturally more saturated because it's wet.

 

 

3. Get Rid Of The Sky

If the sky is really too boring, you can always remove it from the shot by either cropping it out during post-production (if you can without spoiling the shot) or by using a telephoto to pull your subject to you, excluding the sky as you do.

 

4. White Balance

Instead of shooting with auto white balance, which can remove some of the punch the autumn shades have, try setting it manually so the colours are as vibrant as you can make them. Then, if you want to give the shot more punch, you can always adjust the image during post-production.

  5. Work Under The Forest Canopy

A good covering of cloud will make the light under the forest's canopy more even so it's a good time to shoot some close-up shots of mushrooms, bark and autumn leaves that have fallen to the floor.

 

A beautiful image of a rosemary beetle in a garden by simmo73 has been chosen as this week’s featured photo.

The colours are terrific, with the beetle’s iridescence standing out sharply against the soft background. Every detail on its shell and legs is crisp and well defined, showing excellent focus and control.

The close-up view gives a fascinating look at this small garden visitor. The composition works well, keeping the beetle centred while allowing just enough space around it to balance the frame. It’s a simple, beautiful shot that captures the beauty of nature up close and shows macro photography at its best.

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 2026, we’ll crown our 2025 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!

 

Titled ‘Coastal Chalets’, our latest ‘Photo of the Week’ (POTW) winning image is bright, colourful, and well balanced. Captured by NDODS during a weekend visit to Scarborough, it shows a neat row of coastal chalets along the South Shore.

A row of coastal chalets sits along Scarborough’s South Shore, their bold colours standing out beneath a deep blue sky. The composition works well, with the cabins forming a clean line through the frame. The colours are fantastic, and the sky is filled with beautiful cloud patterns, with soft light and clear detail that give the scene a fresh, open look.

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 2026, we’ll crown our 2025 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!

Thanks to its warm, golden colours and varying weather, Autumn is a very photogenic season. However, the different locations you can shoot in coupled with weather and light changes can occasionally make setting the correct exposure tricky. With this in mind, here's a quick check list of ways you can ensure your exposure's correct every time. 

Photo by David Clapp

 

1. Use An ND Filter

Placing an ND Filter over your lens will balance the brightness levels of the ground and sky so that sky detail can still be seen without the ground appearing underexposed.

 

2. Check Your Histogram

Even though digital cameras do have good built-in meters you still need to keep an eye out for burnt-out highlights as you'll lose detail in these areas. A good way to check if your image is correctly exposed is with the histogram.

A 'good' histogram that shows an even exposure will peak more towards the middle and get lower to either end. If the graph is occupying mostly the left-hand side it means your image has more dark tones than light (underexposed) and if it’s shifted to the right, there are more lighter tones (overexposed) which means you could have really bright areas that look blown out.

Also, as a side note, when you playback your images there’s an option you can set that makes the highlighted areas 'blink' so you can pinpoint their exact location. Check your camera's manual for the instructions on how to do this. 

 

Photo by David Pritchard. 

 

3. Work On Overcast Days

Overcast days give you the perfect conditions for capturing autumn shots in woods and forests. Why? Well, on sunny days it can be hard to keep contrast to a minimum and you can end up with large areas of dark shadow and patches of bright, dappled sunlight that's broken through the forest's canopy.

 

4. Meter From The Right Spot

Positioning yourself so the yellow and orange coloured leaves can be backlit will add extra punch to your shots, but again, your camera can get confused by the variety of light sources around. As a starting point, you can meter for the mid-tones but it's best to take a meter reading from the leaves to ensure they are correctly exposed. Also, by doing so the background, which you'll want to be thrown nicely out of focus, should appear darker, allowing your subject to 'pop' from the frame.

 

5. Use Exposure Compensation

Mist and fog are common conditions to be shooting in at this time of year but you may find you have exposure problems once out in the field. This is because camera meters are often fooled into underexposing misty scenes so they come out looking very grey, rather than light and airy. You can fix this by using the + compensation option. How many stops you need to move up by will depend on the scene and how many EV steps you can go up by will depend on the camera you are using. 
 

   

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

 

 

Views over valleys - pretty straightforward isn't it - get high, find a valley, point the camera and take the picture. If only it was that straightforward – let's look at some of the other things you should consider when photographing vistas: 

  1. Check the weather

Firstly, and most significantly, the weather. Check weather forecasts (Check them on-line twice a day - as they change regularly) and don't assume that a sunny day is best. It depends upon the area and time of day - low, raking sun across a misty early-morning landscape can be fabulous, as can afternoon sun, casting tree shadows and picking out dry-stone walls across rolling fields. However, a landscape topped with a stormy sky can similarly look really impressive. The only type of skies to avoid might be a plain grey overcast, which gives both no detail in the sky and no texture across the land; or a clear blue sky in the middle of the day, which offers little modelling to the landscape. Blue sky with clouds allows cloud shadows to break up the otherwise flat lighting.

  2. Check the direction of the light 

The direction of light is also important, shooting distant views can look very flat and uninspiring with the light behind you. Far better to have cross-light coming from the side or contra-jour lighting. Even with stormy skies, better cloud shapes can occur when the light is shining through them. So either get to know the area – and the best times of day, or take a map and compass. 

Clear conditions can allow impressive detailed views over many miles, which with good lighting and texture can be effective, on the other hand, misty or hazy lighting conditions can provide an ethereal, delicate landscape and emphasise the depth within the scene.

 

 

3. Consider an ND Grad Filter 

If your landscape shot includes the sky, you might find that an ND graduated filter will help you control the contrast between land and sky. A polarising filter can darken blue skies and often can cut through slight haze – giving better clarity and even reduce the hazy blue cast, warming up the image at the same time. A good way of excluding excessive sky and foreground is to stitch a series of pictures to create a panorama.

 

4. Think about foreground and midground interest as well as the background

One of the biggest problems with distant landscapes is maintaining enough interest through the photo, whilst the distant landscape might be interesting in itself, if there is nothing in the foreground, or no way for the viewer to be visually led into the photograph, it will lack impact. Always be on the lookout for foreground detail, which might be a tuft of long grass, a rock, gate or barn. Good mid-ground interest, perhaps a set of overlapping dry-stone walls, a spotlit copse of trees, or even – at a larger scale, a set of overlapping hills.

Even the getting high bit need not be all climbing. Again take a look at your maps, many good landscape views are accessible by road, or by level paths from high roads. Even one of the most famous of all landscapes, inspiration point in Yosemite National Park, is best taken from the car park! However, there is still a certain sense of achievement of having carried kit and tripod up a fell to be rewarded with a stunning view.
   

 

As winter approaches we're going to see many more days of rain but this shouldn't stop you taking photographs. Instead, use the weather to your advantage to capture great raindrop patterns on windows from the comfort of your home.

 

1. The Beauty Of Variety

You may not have noticed, but raindrops are not always the same on windows. If it's heavy rain the drops tend to be large and blobby after a short shower the droplets are much neater and the best sort to photograph. They look the type you'd see on a spiders web, all almost perfectly round. Droplets can also act like miniature lenses and present an upside-down image of the background in each concave shape. If you adjust focus you can make these images appear sharper to become part of the creative picture.  But that's another technique!

 

2. Gear Choices

All you need for this technique is a camera with close focus capabilities which covers most types of cameras including compacts. Ideally, the camera should have some form of creative exposure mode that will allow you to shoot at different apertures. It would also help if you had a tripod to steady the camera but this isn't a must as if you find your shutter speed is creeping towards the slow side, just use a slightly higher ISO.

 

3. The Set-Up

1. Choose a window that has interesting raindrop patterns and that is facing a plain background. The background should be a long way off so a window into a garden with trees, grass or a fence at a good distance is ideal. The choice of background can really make a difference; a light background such as a sky will often result in the droplets having a darker more defined outline while a dark background will make the centres of the droplets more prominent.

2. Make sure the window is clean! Any fingerprints or smears will show up. Double glazed windows should be in good condition free of condensation.

3. Set your camera up on a tripod and point it at the window. Make sure the camera back is parallel to the window for the best results.

4. Focus on the drops. You may have to use manual mode if your camera has it because the drops can sometimes confuse the focusing sensor so it misses them. On double glazing, some cameras may be fooled by the closer inner layer so manual focus is a really useful option.

5. Move the camera position to get the best range of drops in the frame and watch the background for change in tone. If there's an area where the tips of shrubs meet the lighter sky and that's in the photo it will spoil the result. Move either up so you just have sky or down so you just have shrubs as a backdrop.

6. Set an aperture to its widest setting so the background is thrown totally out of focus.  If you have a compact with no manual control but with scene modes, try taking pictures at different scene modes and compare the results to see if one throws the background out of focus. This will usually be something like portrait, food or close up mode, not landscape or infinity modes.

 

Check out more Close-up photography tutorials.

 

Cross polarising effect is where you use a pair of polarising filters - one on the camera and one on the light source (behind the subject) to show stress in plastic which appears as wonderful multicoloured pattern. It used to be quite difficult as the filter needed for the backlight needed to be large and polarising gels are not only hard to find but also quite expensive. But there is a modern-day solution and it's staring right at you! Your LCD computer monitor. Yes, this can be used as the light source and even though you didn't realise - it has the polariser built-in.

You'll need to use a camera with a polarising filter either attached or positioned in front of the lens. Of course, you'll need a monitor and a steady support will also be useful. A tripod is ideal but it could be something as simple as a pile of books just so long as the camera is set to the correct height.

Some clear hard plastic items - filter cases, plastic cutlery, plastic glasses, cassette and cd cases or geometry sets are a few options - will also be needed as well as something to hold the plastic item steady in front of the computer monitor. Where possible ensure your items are scratch-free as these can spoil the effect. 

 

Step-by-step cross polarisation photography instructions:

1. Turn the monitor on and remove any desktop clutter and change the screen saver to a neutral colour. The other option is to create a plain mid-grey image about 800x600 pixels and call it grey.jpb. Drag this to the web browser to display it and then hit the f11 key to display the browser full-frame without menus. And then hold down the ctrl key and tap the + key until the grey image fills the monitor window.

2. Position the plastic item in front and in the centre of the monitor. A clamp is a useful tool for this but really, whatever you use just has to get the area you want to photograph in the centre of the monitor.

3. Attach the polarising filter to your camera and position the camera in front of the plastic so all you see is an area of the plastic with the grey image totally filling the background. If you can't get close with your camera use the lens at its telephoto setting to fill the frame and avoid edges of the monitor showing. If you still can't get close enough you will have to crop off areas you don't want later.

4. Rotate the polarising filter and watch the colours of the plastic become stronger and the grey goes darker. If you have it set up correctly the grey monitor will go totally black, and the colours in the plastic will be brilliant.

You can use any exposure mode and shooting at the metered setting should be fine. Underexpose a little if you want even more dramatic colours.

For an extra level of abstractness bring a second item even closer to the lens to make the whole image have a multicoloured filter. By experimenting you can often find undiscovered gems.

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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 dke (Day 15 - Fungi).

 

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 9

Landmarks

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  Day 10

British Wildlife

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Day 11

Movement

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Day 12

Mood

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  Day 13

Self Portraits

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Day 14

Coast Out Of Season

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Day 16

Fallen Leaves

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Day 17

Autumn Macros

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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.

Under the Foam by Henrique Casinhas

 

The World Sports Photography Awards returns for its seventh year and is now accepting entries. Canon joins as the official imaging partner, marking a new chapter for the competition.

The Awards acknowledge sports photographers who know how to capture the emotion, strength, and precision of athletic moments. Each year, a panel of judges from sport, media, photography, and branding selects the strongest images.

Canon’s partnership reflects its long-standing connection to sports photography. With decades of experience and technical leadership, Canon shares a commitment to supporting photographers who document the power and intensity of sport.

A new category has been introduced for 2026: the Canon Emerging Talent award. This section is dedicated to photographers under the age of 30 who show strong skill and creativity in documenting sport. It aims to recognise the next generation of talent and give them a platform to be seen.

Richard Shepherd, Product Marketing Senior Manager, Imaging at Canon Europe, adds:

"Canon has a rich heritage of capturing sport’s most iconic moments, and as the camera of choice for the majority of photographers entering these awards, this sponsorship reaffirms our commitment to delivering the robust, reliable, high-speed equipment that empowers them to tell those powerful stories. We are especially excited to introduce the ‘Canon Emerging Talent’ award, which will shine a spotlight on the remarkable skill and passion of the next generation.”

 

The Great Water Ditch by Magdalena Strakova

 

Photographers are welcome to submit up to 10 sports images taken between December 2024 and November 2025. This year's competition includes 24 categories and is free to enter. The deadline is 24 November 2025. Photos that were entered in last year's contest can't be submitted again.

 

Entry Details for 2026 Awards:

• Entries Open: Now
• Deadline: 24 November 2025
  • 13:00 New York City
  • 18:00 London
  • 19:00 Amsterdam
  • 03:00 Tokyo (25 November)
  • 05:00 Sydney (25 November)
• Eligibility: Up to 10 sports images taken between December 2024 and November 2025
• Categories: 24 sports categories
• Entry Fee: None

 

The World Sports Photography Awards has a zero tolerance policy for image manipulation or editing. All entries must be original and capture the moment as it happened. This rule is in place to respect the time, effort, and skill photographers put into their work. For full details about the competition, please visit the official website of the World Sports Photography Awards.