DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

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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 Leon88 (Day 20 - 'Dog').

 

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 16

Summer Show

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Day 17

Castles

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Day 18

Close-Up Portraits

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Day 19

Puddles

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  Day 21

Family Vacation

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Day 22

Statues & Sculptures

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Day 23

Plane

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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.

Image Credit: Niah Aldrich / Westcott

 

Photographers and filmmakers know the exact struggle of traveling with traditional V-flats. Known as fragile and bulky to lug around, Westcott has finally changed that with a new collapsible V-Flat that's built to last and actually portable enough to travel with.

This isn't your typical foam board. The Westcott V-Flat combines a sturdy aluminum frame with fabrics you can toss in a washing machine. No more worrying about dents, chips, or warping after a few shoots.

Photographers and filmmakers now have the ability to travel with full-size V-Flats.

We designed the Westcott V-Flat to give creators the light control they expect without the headaches that come with foam core. It travels easily, sets up fast, and holds up shoot after shoot.

– Brandon Heiss, President of Westcott

 

Image Credit: Niah Aldrich / Westcott

 

What Makes It Different

The standout feature is how compact it gets. When you're done shooting, the whole unit folds into a 45" by 9" by 6" carry case. Most traditional V-Flats are just too unwieldy for location work, but this one packs down neatly so you can easily throw it in your trunk or backseat.

Setup is hassle-free. There are no tools required, and you'll have it ready to go in under five minutes. The magnetic feet have rubber grips so nothing slides around mid-shoot, and switching between black and white fabric panels takes seconds depending on what your lighting setup needs.

 

Size and Versatility

Each side measures 41" by 84", and when fully opened, you get 82" by 84" of usable surface. The frame pivots anywhere from 15 to 180 degrees, giving you total control over the angle. You can bounce light, block sunlight coming through windows, create dramatic shadows, flag unwanted light, or even use it as a backdrop. Basically, any lighting problem on set can be solved with this thing.

 

Image Credit: Westcott

 

Where to Buy

The Westcott V-Flat is in stock now at authorized Westcott dealers and directly through the official Westcott V-Flat collection page. Options include single-frame setups with your choice of black or white, a two-pack bundle, or individual fabric replacements if you want to mix and match.

For more information, please visit the Westcott website.

Landscape photography's a wide topic, however, there are certain key elements which appear in various shots, taken by many different photographers, as they help add an extra level of interest or give shots mood and more impact.

  1. Capture Images Of Trees

 

A subject which is photogenic at any time of the year, trees, either on their own or stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a large forest, are strong structures that add interest to wide landscapes and become dominant and striking when photographed on their own. They can give images a sense of scale and when photographed up close, make excellent textures for adding to other photos at later dates.

For more tips on shooting trees, take a look at this tutorial: Ten Top Ways To Photograph Trees

 

2. Shooting Interesting Skies

 

The sky, and how much of it is in-frame, will change the overall focus and feeling of the image you're trying to take. Dark, rain-filled clouds will add drama while white clouds sat against a blue sky will create a completely different feeling altogether. Interesting skies can occur at any time of year and at any time of day so you just have to be aware of the conditions and keep an eye on what’s happening.

If you have a sky full of interesting cloud formations the key is to making sure the clouds aren't too bright. Check your histogram if you're unsure. Make sure you're ready to shoot an interesting formation as soon as you see it as they change shape quickly and if the clouds are rather breath-taking remember to lose some of the ground to make the sky your focus.

Blurring the movement of the clouds is an interesting effect that can also help create leading lines to guide the eye through the photograph. If you're shooting on a brightish day you'll need to fit an ND filter so you can use the slower shutter speeds without too much light reaching the sensor.

As briefly mentioned above, if the sky is really impressive, shift the horizon down so the sky dominates the frame. It does still help to have some land in the image, though as this adds foreground interest as well as scale to the shot.

For more tips on shooting skies, take a look at this article: How To Photograph Interesting Skies. We also have an article on Capturing Mood In Your Photos as well as a Top Ten On Photographing Sunsets.

  3. Use Water In All Its Forms 

 

Be it lakes, rivers, streams or ponds, water often plays a big part in landscapes. It can be used to add a sense of movement to what would be a static image, reflections on its surface can add depth and in winter, frozen water adds another element of interest to landscape shots.

For more tips on shooting water in the landscape, take a look at these tutorials:

• How To Blur Water
• Top Reflection Photography Tips
• Photographing Rivers
• Ice Photography Advice

 

4. Capture Patterns And Textures

 

Taking the time to emphasise shapes, patterns and textures that appear in nature can help create a strong image when isolated from what's around them. This works particularly well for black and white shots when you need ways to separate the different elements in your frame. Why? Well, when taking landscapes in colour, it's easy to see different elements in the landscape but once the colours are taken away, the various elements tend to blend together more as the tones are similar once converted to black and white. Seek out strong shapes in the landscape such as walls and trees that might provide a leading line into the landscape. Strong distinctive shapes are easier for the eye to pick out and understand even when the tones are similar.

Strong, side-light will enhance textures so head out early or late in the day when the sun's decided it doesn't want to hide behind clouds.

For more tips on using textures and patterns, take a look at these tutorials:

• What Looks Good In Black And White?
• How To Photograph Black And White Landscapes
• Photographing Textures On Buildings
• Tips On Photographing Textures

 

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The chances of us ever getting the opportunity to travel back in time to witness one of the many historical conflicts that the world's seen is very slim. However, the sound of guns firing and an army marching can still be heard at battle re-enactments right across the country and they're the perfect place for a photographer to snap a few images of times long gone.
 

1. What Gear Do I Need? 

You need a good, long lens as for safety reasons, you won't be able to get right among the action. But also pack your wide lens for opportunities after the battle's over. Spare memory cards, batteries and protective gear for yourself and your camera should also have a place in your bag. Take your tripod along too as in the middle of a battle when you're trying to track the action, having your camera on a tripod will make life much easier. If it's a popular event, you may find a monopod is easier to manage and won't take up as much room.

 

2. Safety First

Before we talk about technique, we must mention safety. Safety is the number one concern of all the people taking part and the event organisers. You must obey the rules and if you're not allowed in certain areas please don't ignore the ropes and barriers that are put in place. They're there to protect you and the people around you and stepping over them to get a better photo will only upset the proceedings.

 

3. Arrive Early

Battle re-enactments are popular events and crowds are challenging at the best of times and that's before you've got your camera out! If you can, arrive early or stay later than the main crowd to maximise your chances of getting a collection of good shots.

 

4. Do Your Research

Prior to the main event familiarise yourself with the battlefield and find the best positions to photograph from. Find a spot that gives you a good viewpoint of the whole field and don't forget about the background - you'll be very annoyed when you get home if your brilliant battle shot is ruined by a burger van sitting in the background.

 

5. Capture Portraits

At some events, there will be a camp which you can walk around, soaking up the sights and sounds of the past. There will be plenty of people who often do expect to be photographed but do remember it's always polite to ask permission first. It will also give you the chance to tell them a little bit about yourself and explain what you're trying to achieve. This will also give you the chance to make sure the little details are correct. You'll be surprised how asking someone to fasten a shirt higher or move a strand of hair out of the way will make a big difference to your final image.
 

6. Follow The Action

Once the battle begins, stick to your chosen position and make sure all of your attention is on the action. As your camera's on a tripod you can use it as a spotting scope to home in on the action. Make sure you listen to the people who are part of the re-enactment too as the orders they shout out will help you know where you need to focus on the field. You'll find fast shutter speeds are needed and make sure you have your panning technique perfected before you arrive so you don't miss a shot.
 

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1. Camera Choices

If you have one, use an interchangeable lens camera but compact or smartphone users shouldn't think this means they can't shoot good portraits. Select Portrait Mode as this will tell the camera you want to use a wider aperture to throw the background out of focus. It also helps if you use the telephoto end of the zoom, just keep the camera steady as shake can be emphasised when working closer to your subject.
 

2. Lens Options

You want to throw the background out of focus and using a telephoto lens will make this job easier. A telephoto lens also creates a more flattering perspective.

  3. Should I Use A Tripod?

Longer lenses may create a more pleasant and natural-looking portrait but when you're working hand-held shake can be a problem. To combat this, don't let your shutter speed value drop lower than your focal length when working hand-held or just put your camera on a tripod.

 

4. Sun Direction

Soft morning or evening light is good for portraits but sometimes we don't have a choice but to shoot when the sun's more direct and high in the sky. Most people will position themselves so the sun sits behind them, facing their subject but this will only cause them to squint. Instead, position your subject so the sun sits behind them. This will diffuse the light and make yoke subject 'pop' out of the frame by creating a halo of light around their head. Just remember you'll need to meter from your subject's face to get your exposure right as if you meter manually from the background, you'll end up with a silhouetted subject.

 

 

5. Shadows

Shooting with the sun behind your subject can leave unsightly shadows under the nose and eyes. A pop of flash will remove them but this can look a little artificial, particularly if you're using a compact camera where the flash is more direct, so try using a reflector to bounce extra light into the shot. If you're working alone you'll need to compose your shot and set the camera on a self-timer or use a remote release to set the exposure going so you can hold the reflector in place. If your subject's hands aren't going to be in the shot you could get them to hold it or rope a friend into being your assistant if you can. If you do want to use flash, take it off your hotshoe (if using a DSLR) and bounce it off a reflective surface to diffuse it.

 

6. Find Shade

The light in shaded areas is more even and is less likely to have spots of bright light and harsh shadows, making them easier to work with.

 

7. Background

Even though you're outdoors you don't want the background to overshadow your subject so make sure it's not too busy and throw it out of focus. A wider aperture and putting some distance between your subject and the background will help you achieve this.

  8. Natural Props

You're in the outdoors so use the trees, leaves and flowers around you in your portraits. Subjects sometimes don't know what to do with their hands and can look awkward as a result. To stop this, give them something to hold/lean on. Ask them to lean on a tree trunk or hold a branch. How about getting them to blow on dandelions? Or framing their faces with branches and leaves?

 

 

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

1. What Gear Do I Need?

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

  2. The Entrance

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

  3. Around The Home

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

 

  4. Photographing Detail

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

5. Indoor ISOs

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

 

 

6. Outdoor Architecture Shots

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

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

  7. Grounds & Gardens

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

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

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

 

1. Keep your things safe

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

 

2. Be ready

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

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

3. Have a plan

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

5. Compose your shots

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

 

6. When the sun goes down

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

 

 

7. Try and standstill

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

8. Remember the crowd

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

 

 

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

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

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

Every Photo of the Week (POTW) winner will be rewarded with a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, providing top-tier storage for all your creative needs across multiple devices. But that's not all! In January 2027, we’ll crown our 2026 Photo of the Year winner, who will take home the ultimate prize of a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield, courtesy of Samsung. It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards! 

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

 

1. Where To Go

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

2. Angles

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

3. Shooting Direction

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

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

4. Turn Your Flash Off

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

5. Blur The Background

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

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

  Working Without A Panoramic Head

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

 

1. Gear Suggestions

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

 

2. Work Manually

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

 

3. Check Your Exposure 

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

 

4. Don't Adjust The Focus Once Set

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

 

5. Take Your Shots

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

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

 

6. Stitching

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

 

 

    Working With A Panoramic Head

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

 

1. Gear Suggestions

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

 

2. The Set-Up

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

 

3. Take Your Shots

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

 

4. Stitching

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

 

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      1. Make A Checklist

Before you leave for the airport make a list of all the equipment you're taking with you, writing down the serial and model numbers, too. It'll also help if you take photos of your equipment for your records.

2. Check Your Insurance

Make sure you have the right insurance just in case your equipment's stolen or damaged. If you're unsure if your equipment's covered, read your policy or ring your insurer.

3. Put Your Equipment In Your Hand-Luggage 

Camera gear is fragile so don't pack it in the case you plan on checking in at the airport. If you do, you run the risk of equipment getting damaged. Do remember to check the size and weight restrictions on luggage with the company you're travelling with as airlines tend to have different rules/restrictions when it comes to luggage you can carry-on.

4. Don't Take Trips On Your Own

If you're planning a few day trips don't go alone. That way, when you're framing up your shot, your 'buddy' can watch your camera bag and any other equipment you have.

5. What's Your Bag Look Like?

Don't use a bag that screams: "Look! I have a very expensive camera in here."

 

6. Don't Put Your Bag Down

Even when you're taking a photo don't leave your bag on the floor and never leave it unattended. When you're in busy locations such as markets, carry the bag on your front as if it's on your back, there is the chance that someone could access it without you knowing. You may think you look a little silly but that's better than finding all of your gear's gone.

7. Carry Spare Memory Cards

Don't just take one memory card with you as if it's stolen or lost that's it. Always carry a spare in your bag and keep one locked away in your hotel room too, just in case.

8. Try To Fit In

Having confidence and looking like you know where you're going (even if you don't) will mean you're less likely to be bothered. Try to blend in rather than stand out as a tourist.

9. Put Your Equipment In A Net

You can buy safety nets which you place your equipment in and then you fasten the net to a solid object that's fastened down.

10. Use A Safe

Most rooms have safes that will fit memory cards, chargers, a smartphone or a small DSLR body in. If you have lots of kit or there's no safe in your room, ask at reception to see if they have them available at the desk. Just make sure you make a note of everything you hand over and take images so you have proof if anything goes missing. 

If you have any tips for photographers heading off on holiday, add them to the comments.

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Taking a walk to the end of a pier and back is a must when visiting the coast. However, instead of walking up and over the beach why not step down onto the sand and under the pier for a spot of pier photography with a difference?

You can't get underneath all piers so please use your common sense and don't put yourself in danger for a photograph. If you do plan on spending time under the pier, make sure you keep your eye on the tide as if you're distracted it can easily take you by surprise.

1. What Gear Do I Need?  

Most lenses, from wide-angle to telephotos can be used for pier photography, but if you want to get in close to the rust patterns and seaweed you'll need a macro lens. If you don't have one, try a close-up lens or even an extension tube. Pack your tripod if you want to play with long exposures. 
 

2. Capture Lines And Patterns

The underside of a pier is a hidden world of patterns and strong compositional lines waiting to be photographed. Position yourself right and you'll be able to follow the vanishing point into the sea and photograph the solid shapes formed by the supports that frame it. If you're on the beach late afternoon and the pier you're under is made of wooden boards you'll see rays of sunlight shining through, which will add even more interest to your frame.

If you don't want to get your feet wet walk further up the beach and focus your macro lens on the rusting nuts and bolts that hold the pier together.

 

 

3. Study The Tide Times

Check the tide times and head out at low tide when you'll find seaweed and barnacles decorating the supports with bands of colour and textures or take an exposure from the sky to turn the pier into a silhouette and leave all the detail out.
 

4. Play Around With Longer Exposures

As mentioned above, take your tripod along and you can put your camera on a long-ish exposure to leave the still strong pier surrounded by smooth, fluid waves. This can take a while to get right as waves can grow too big or shrink to something not worth photographing so you may have to experiment with exposure times and just keep taking photographs until you get it right. Have a lens cloth to hand as sea spray will land on your lens, leaving dots of water in the process and make sure your tripod is sturdy as all it takes is one, strong wave to knock your gear over into the sea.
 

5. Choose To Shoot In RAW

If you can, shoot in RAW as you'll be surprised how much detail you'll be able to bring out in the highlights and shadows in post-production without ruining the look of the rest of the image.
 

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Every dog owner likes taking their dog to the seaside. Some beaches do stop dogs going on the sand so check before you step foot on it.

 

1. How To Start?

Your approach will be dictated to a degree by your pet. Some dogs will sit and pose happily for hours for a treat; others need to be worn out with exercise before staying put for any period of time. Take the approach that suits you best.
 

2. Think Like You Would For A Shot Of A Person

Treat photographing dogs as you would a person. Consider the background and the composition as well as the subject itself. Use camera settings to make the most of the opportunity too. Wide apertures to throw the background out of focus and slow shutter speeds for deliberate blur. Relatively slow shutter speeds work well too if your dog has gone for a dip and emerges to shake itself dry. Add some backlighting, perhaps with a blip of flash from the camera's onboard unit, and you have a nice picture.

 

 

3. Capture Movement

For action shots of your pet running, try manually pre-focusing on a particular spot and when your dog runs into it, press the shutter. You'll also need a reasonably fast shutter if you want to capture them running along the beach.

Having someone with you will definitely help when you're trying to capture action shots as you can ask them to call for the dog while you concentrate on shooting.
 

4. Longer Lenses

You may find that using a long zoom makes it easier to capture shots of your dog as they will be less aware of what you're doing and won't try and play with your camera and lens. With longer lenses, use a wider aperture to create a shallow depth-of-field.
 

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Music videos are no longer only for artists with large budgets, studio crews, and professional editors. In 2026, independent musicians, AI music creators, and small creative teams need visual content that can support the full music release cycle.

A single song may now need:

• A full music video for YouTube
• A vertical teaser for TikTok
• A lyric clip for Instagram Reels
• A chorus edit for YouTube Shorts
• An animated cover or short loop for streaming promotion

This shift is becoming harder to ignore. According to Luminate’s Music 2025 Impact Report, 84% of songs that entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 first went viral on TikTok, showing how strongly social video can influence music discovery.

There are already several tools that can help with different parts of music video creation:

• HeyGen — useful for avatar-style videos and presenter-led content
• Synthesia — strong for corporate-style AI characters and talking-head videos
• Viggle — good for character movement and dance-style clips
• Luma Dream Machine — useful for cinematic AI scene generation
• Kling AI — strong for realistic short AI video scenes
• Freebeat — best suited for full music video creation, with full-song analysis, beat-synchronised visuals, Singing MV, lip sync, consistent characters, lyrics video, and social-ready exports

However, not every tool is built for a complete music video workflow. Some tools are better for short clips. Some are stronger for talking avatars. Some require manual scene-by-scene prompting. Others can create impressive visuals, but they do not fully understand song structure, lyrics, rhythm, character performance, or full-length music video pacing.

For this tutorial, I wanted to test something more specific:

Can one AI tool help a musician create a full 6-minute music video with consistent character performance, beat-synchronised visuals, and around 90% accurate lip sync?

That is why I tested Freebeat as my main ai video software for music video creation. Instead of only generating short visual loops, Freebeat is designed around music-first video production. It analyses the song, maps the structure, plans scenes, supports lip sync, keeps character identity stable, and exports videos for different platforms. These Freebeat feature points are based on the uploaded Freebeat brand narrative, including its full-song analysis, beat-synchronised visuals, director-level automation, character consistency, lyrics video support, and full-length support up to 6 minutes.

In this guide, I will show how to use Freebeat as a Video Generator for musician workflows, especially if you want to create a complete MV from a finished track.

 

Quick Comparison: Which AI Tool Fits a Full Music Video Workflow?

 

 Tool Best Use Case Full 6-Minute MV Support/10 Lipsync /10 Character Consistency /10 Music Awareness /10 Overall Fit /50 Freebeat Full music videos, Singing MV, lyrics video, social clips 9 9 8.5 9 44.5 HeyGen Avatar-style videos and AI presenters 6 8 8 5 35 Synthesia Corporate AI avatar videos 5 7 9 4 33 Viggle Dance clips and character motion 5 5 7 7 31 Luma Dream Machine Cinematic AI scene generation 6 4 6 6 29 Kling AI Realistic AI video scenes 6 5 7 6 31

 

The reason Freebeat scores highest is not because every other tool is weak. It is because this test is specifically about music video creation. HeyGen and Synthesia are stronger for avatar-led explanation videos. Viggle is better for short movement clips. Luma and Kling are strong for cinematic scenes.

Freebeat is different because it is purpose-built for music-driven video creation. It supports full-song analysis, beat-synchronised visuals, AI-generated storyboard planning, Singing MV, lyrics video, character consistency, and full-length support up to 6 minutes.

 

What Is Freebeat?

 

 

Freebeat is an AI music video platform designed to turn songs into complete visual content. It is not a generic AI video generator that simply lets users add music afterwards. It is built around audio, rhythm, lyrics, structure, scenes, and music release needs.

As an ai video software for music video creation, Freebeat works like an AI director, editor, and cinematographer in one workflow.

 

Freebeat Feature What It Means Why It Matters for Musicians Full-song analysis Processes the entire track as one composition Helps the video follow the song from intro to outro Beat-synchronised visuals Visuals follow BPM, beat drops, and energy changes Makes the video feel connected to the music Section-mapped structure Recognises intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro Helps visual mood shift with the song’s emotional arc AI-generated storyboard Creates scene planning and shot sequencing Reduces the need to plan every scene manually Character consistency Keeps the same character identity across scenes Makes the MV feel more professional and coherent Lip sync Supports around 90% accurate singing performance Helps the on-screen character feel connected to the vocals Full-length MV support Generates videos up to 6 minutes Useful for complete music videos, not only teasers Lyrics Video Supports beat-synced and karaoke-style captions Useful for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and lyric content Social exports Supports 16:9, 9:16, and 1:1 formats Makes one song usable across multiple platforms

 

Freebeat also includes several creation modes, such as Singing MV, Storytelling Mode, Abstract Video, Music Cover Video, Video to Music, and Viral Shots & Onbeat Effects. This makes it more flexible than a basic visualiser or short-form AI clip generator.

 

My Test Setup: A Full 6-Minute MV from One Song

 

For this tutorial, I did not want to test Freebeat with a short 10-second sample. A short clip does not reflect how musicians actually release songs.

Instead, I tested Freebeat using a full 6-minute pop track with:

• Clear lead vocals
• A repeated chorus
• A noticeable beat drop
• A single main singer character concept
• A social media release goal
• A need for both full-length and short-form outputs

The goal was to create a complete music video from mobile, not just a teaser. I wanted to see whether Freebeat could handle three important conditions:

1. Around 90% accurate lip sync during clear vocal sections
2. Consistent Character across the full MV
3. A full 6-minute MV/music video instead of only short AI clips

This setup made the test more authentic because a proper music video needs to hold up across the entire song. The character cannot keep changing. The visuals cannot feel random. The lip sync cannot drift too much. The video also needs to be export-ready for platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

 

How to Use Freebeat to Create a Full Music Video

 

Step 1: Start with a Finished Song

 

The first step is to prepare your song.

Freebeat can work with uploaded audio files and music links, including songs from platforms such as Suno, Udio, YouTube, SoundCloud, or TikTok. This is useful because many AI music creators already use platforms like Suno and Udio to create tracks.

For best results, choose a song with a clear structure:

• Intro
• Verse
• Chorus
• Bridge
• Outro
• Clear vocal sections
• Noticeable rhythm changes
• Strong emotional direction

This matters because Freebeat uses full-song analysis. It does not only create visuals clip by clip. It reads the track as one complete composition, which helps the final MV feel more connected.

For my test, the 6-minute song had clear vocals and repeated chorus sections. This made it easier to judge whether the tool could maintain lip sync, character identity, and visual pacing across a longer track.

 

Step 2: Upload the Song or Paste a Music Link

 

 

Next, upload your song or paste the music link into Freebeat.

This is one of the reasons Freebeat works well as an ai video software for music video workflow. It supports a low-friction process where the user can start from a finished song instead of building a video timeline from scratch.

For musicians using AI music platforms, the link-paste workflow is especially useful. Instead of downloading, converting, and manually preparing files, creators can move more quickly from music generation to visual creation.

This is important for independent musicians because music promotion often moves fast. A creator may need to prepare a full MV, lyric clip, teaser, and short-form edit around the same release window.

 

Step 3: Choose the Best Creation Mode

 

 

Freebeat offers several creation modes depending on the type of music video you want to create.

For this test, I used Singing MV because I wanted to review lip sync and character performance. Since the video had one main singer character, this was the most relevant mode.

 

Creation Mode Best For How It Hepls Singing MV Performance-style music videos Creates a singer-on-screen visual with lip sync and face-focused shots Storytelling Mode Narrative music videos Builds a coherent visual story arc based on mood, lyrics, and song structure Abstract Video Experimental or electronic tracks Creates flowing visual art synced to rhythm and energy Music Cover Video Streaming platform visuals Generates looping animated covers for Spotify Canvas or Apple Music-style use Video to Music Creators with footage but no soundtrack Analyses video tone and generates matching music Viral Shots & Onbeat Effects Short-form social clips Creates beat-driven effects for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts

 

This is where Freebeat feels stronger than a single-purpose tool. A musician can use one platform for different content goals, from a full music video to short-form promotion.

For this tutorial, Singing MV was the best choice because the goal was to create a complete singer-led MV with strong performance continuity.

 

Step 4: Set the Visual Direction

 

 

After choosing the mode, set the creative direction.

This includes:

• Character style
• Scene setting
• Mood
• Lighting
• Colour direction
• Camera feel
• Music video style
• Visual references or prompt direction

For example, a high-energy pop song may work well with neon lighting, stage movement, bold camera angles, and fast visual changes. A slower emotional song may need softer lighting, closer shots, and more cinematic pacing.

In my test, I used one main singer character and a polished pop-performance style. This made it easier to judge character consistency because the same performer needed to appear across multiple scenes.

Freebeat’s strength here is that it does not only generate random visuals. It supports director-level automation, including storyboard planning, shot composition, scene sequencing, and intelligent transitions. This makes the tool feel closer to a music video production assistant than a basic template editor.

 

Step 5: Generate the AI Music Video

 

 

Once the song, mode, and visual direction are ready, generate the music video.

This is where Freebeat’s music-intelligent workflow becomes important. It analyses the track’s rhythm, structure, beat drops, and emotional movement. The goal is not only to create nice-looking visuals, but to make those visuals follow the music.

In my test, the stronger chorus sections had more visual energy. Slower sections had more controlled pacing. The main character stayed present across key performance scenes. Visual changes generally matched the mood and rhythm of the song.

This is a major reason Freebeat works as an ai video software for music video production. A full MV cannot feel like a folder of unrelated clips. It needs flow, structure, and progression.

 

Step 6: Review Lip Sync, Character Consistency, and Scene Flow

 

 

After the first generation, review the video carefully.

I focused on five main areas:

 

Review Area What to Check My Test Result Lip sync Does the mouth movement match the vocals? Around 90% accurate in clear vocal sections Character consistency Does the singer look like the same person throughout? Strong enough for a coherent MV Beat matching Do scenes follow rhythm, chorus energy, and beat drops? Strong across most sections Style consistency Do colour, lighting, and mood stay unified? Good overall Full-song flow Does the 6-minute MV feel connected from start to finish? Yes, with minor sections worth refining

 

The lip sync was around 90% accurate when the vocals were clear and the character’s face was visible. It was not perfect in every frame, but it was convincing enough for a complete AI-generated MV.

The character also remained visually consistent enough across the full video. The face, style, and overall identity stayed recognisable, which helped the MV feel more professional.

This matters because character consistency is one of the biggest problems in AI video. If the singer’s face or styling changes too much, the viewer stops believing in the performance. Freebeat handled this well enough for the video to feel like one connected music video.

 

Step 7: Refine Specific Sections Instead of Restarting

 

 

After reviewing the first version, identify sections that need improvement.

You may want to adjust:

• A scene that does not match the song’s mood
• A weak chorus moment
• A section where the character framing is not strong enough
• A part where the beat needs more visual emphasis
• A lyric section that needs clearer timing
• A scene where lip sync could be improved

Freebeat supports a balance between automation and creative control. It can generate the full MV quickly, but users can still refine prompts, adjust storyboard direction, swap scenes, or regenerate specific segments.

This is important because a good Video Generator for musician use case should not be fully manual or fully uncontrolled. Musicians need speed, but they also need enough control to protect the song’s identity and visual mood.

 

Step 8: Add Lyrics Video Content if Needed

 

 

For music promotion, a full MV is only one part of the release. Lyric content is also important because listeners often discover songs through chorus snippets, quote-worthy lines, and short-form clips.

Freebeat includes Lyrics Video support, including:

• Beat-synced captions
• Karaoke-style word-by-word timing
• Customisable fonts
• Customisable sizes and positions
• Colour and highlight styles
• Motion effects
• MP4 export
• .LRC file export

This makes Freebeat more complete than a simple AI visualiser. A musician can create the full music video first, then use lyric-led sections for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or other promotional content.

For example, the full 6-minute MV can go on YouTube, while the most memorable chorus can become a 20-second lyric clip for short-form platforms.

 

Step 9: Export for YouTube, TikTok, Reels, and Shorts

 

 

The final step is export.

Freebeat supports platform-ready formats such as:

• 16:9 for YouTube
• 9:16 for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts
• 1:1 for square social posts
• Short-form clips for promotion
• Animated album cover visuals
• Spotify Canvas-style loops
• Apple Music motion visual-style assets

This is useful because one song usually needs more than one output. A musician may need a full MV, a teaser, a lyric clip, a short chorus edit, and a looping visual for streaming platforms.

That is why Freebeat works well as an ai video software for music video creation. It does not only generate one asset. It helps turn one song into a full visual content package.

 

My Final Test Results Test Factor Result Rating Full 6-minute MV generation Freebeat handled the full track as one project 10-Sep Lip sync Around 90% accurate during clear vocal sections 10-Sep Consistent Character Main singer stayed recognisable across the MV 8.5/10 Beat-synchronised visuals Visual energy followed chorus, rhythm, and beat changes 8.5/10 Storyboard and scene planning Strong automated scene flow with room for refinement 8.5/10 Lyrics Video support Useful for lyric-led social clips and karaoke-style timing 8.5/10 Export flexibility Strong support for full MV and short-form social assets 10-Sep Ease of workflow Much easier than building a full MV manually 10-Sep

 

Overall, Freebeat performed best when judged as a music-first tool. It was not simply creating AI video scenes. It was helping turn a song into a structured visual release.

 

Why Freebeat Is the Best Option for This Workflow

 

Freebeat is the best fit for this workflow because it combines the most important parts of music video creation into one platform.

A general AI video generator may create impressive short clips, but it may not understand song structure.

An avatar tool may provide strong facial consistency, but it may feel too corporate or presenter-focused for music videos.

A cinematic AI video tool may generate beautiful scenes, but it may not offer full-song pacing, Singing MV, lyrics video, social exports, and music-specific editing logic in one place.

Freebeat is stronger because it provides:

• Full-song analysis
• Beat-synchronised visuals
• Section-mapped structure
• AI-generated storyboard planning
• Director-level automation
• Singing MV with around 90% lip sync accuracy
• Consistent AI character performance
• Full-length support up to 6 minutes
• Short-form viral clips
• Lyrics Video support
• Social-optimised export formats
• Prompt-based fine control
• Selective regeneration
• Suno and Udio link-paste workflow
• Music Cover Video support
• Video to Music creation
• Viral Shots & Onbeat Effects

This makes it useful not only for one music video, but for a full release workflow.

For musicians, AI music creators, and small teams, that is the real value. Freebeat reduces the need for a production crew, manual editing timeline, and separate tools for lyrics, short-form clips, animated covers, and full MV creation.

 

Final Verdict: Is Freebeat the Best AI Video Software for Music Video Creation?

 

Music release strategy is now closely tied to visual content. Streaming continues to dominate recorded music revenue, while short-form video plays a major role in how songs gain attention online. IFPI’s 2026 report showed another year of global recorded music revenue growth, reaching US$31.7 billion in 2025, while Reuters reported that streaming accounted for about 70% of global music income.

For musicians, this means one song is no longer just one release asset. It may need:

• A complete MV
• A vertical teaser
• A lyric video
• A short chorus edit
• A streaming cover loop
• A social-ready promo clip

This is also why AI music video tools are becoming more useful. When social video can influence chart discovery and audience growth, musicians need a workflow that helps them create more visual assets without slowing down the release process. Luminate’s finding that 84% of songs entering the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 first went viral on TikTok reinforces how important short-form discovery has become.

After testing Freebeat with a full 6-minute song, I would recommend it as one of the best options for musicians who need a practical, mobile-friendly music video workflow.

The biggest advantage is that Freebeat is built around music from the start. It reads song structure, follows beat changes, supports lip sync, keeps characters consistent, and exports content for multiple platforms. Its feature set includes full-song analysis, beat-synchronised visuals, Singing MV, Lyrics Video, social-optimised exports, prompt-based control, selective regeneration, and full-length support up to 6 minutes.

As an ai video software for music video creation, it is especially useful for artists who want to move from a finished track to a complete visual package without building everything manually.

It is also a strong Video Generator for musician needs because it covers more than one content format. A creator can generate:

• A full MV
• A lyric video
• A vertical teaser
• An animated cover
• Short-form promo assets

If you already have a finished track and want to create a full music video in 2026, Freebeat is one of the best tools to start with.

 

Wildlife photography is a popular photographic subject, but it's not one of the easiest photography types to master. Subjects are fast, shy and can be tricky to capture, plus precision and patience are a must which means it's not something we can all get right. With this in mind, we've put together a list of 5 common mistakes along with advice on how to avoid them. 

 

1. Your Subject Is Too Small In The Frame

Wild animals are easily spooked which means getting close to them is usually out of the question. As a result, you may find that your wildlife shots tend to have more of what's surrounding your subject in shot, with your subject looking tiny and lost in its environment. There are times when shooting an environmental portrait of your animal will work but most of the time you'll want to capture frame-filling shots that show sharp eyes. For this, you need a telephoto lens (200mm +) as you'll be able to zoom in but still keep a decent distance. If you don't want to rely on super-long lenses, spend an extra half-hour getting closer to the subject instead. Consider investing in a hide or camouflage gear as this will allow you to work closer to your subject without scaring them off.
 

2. You Didn't Do Your Research

Understanding your subject and knowing where you need to be and at what time is essential if you want to capture a top wildlife shot. Where does your subject call home? What do they eat? When are they most active and for your own safety, it's worth knowing how they'll react if they feel you're a threat. 
 

3. You Didn't Wait Long Enough

Wildlife shots aren't something you can just capture successfully in a couple of off-the-cuff shots because as we've said, animals/birds are easily spooked and it can take some species a while to get used to your presence. Be quiet, sit still and be as inconspicuous as possible. Even if you're using a hide it will still take a while for your subject to feel comfortable so patience is very much the key. If you're photographing birds in your garden consider setting the hide up the day before you want to use it so your garden visitors get used to it. 


 

4. Your Subject Isn't Sharp

Keep longer lenses supported on a monopod or tripod to prevent camera shake spoiling your shots and make sure you're using a fast enough shutter speed to freeze movement. Even small garden birds will move quicker than you think, especially when they're sat still but their heads are continuously twitching. You may also find that depth of field is restricted when using wider apertures so do make sure enough of your subject is sharp. Increasing the ISO will mean you can use a smaller aperture but do be aware of noise. Do zoom in when previewing your shots to check the sharpness of your subject, too. 
 

5. Composition Isn't Great

As you do when photographing a person, always think about your composition before taking your shot. Wait for their heads to turn towards the camera or at least until their face is visible. If they are looking towards the edge of the frame, make sure there's actually space to look into, especially if they're moving. Again, it's important to be patient and be prepared to take more bad photos than good ones as wildlife are unpredictable so you will capture shots that are spoilt by flapping wings, head turns and other movements. Check that you've not clipped a tail or wing with the edge of the frame and try to avoid centred compositions where possible as they tend to look uninteresting. 

 

 

Us Brits are well known for moaning about the water that often falls from the skies above the UK but even rain should be welcomed sometimes as without it, we wouldn't have cascading waterfall, rivers and streams to photograph. So, to carry on with the watery theme, here's 5 water-based photography subjects you should try and capture with your camera this year. 
 

1. Water Droplets

If you don't have the time to find a river or stream, wait for it to rain and use a macro lens to capture raindrops on a window at home. The upside-down projection of the world outside always make interesting images or wait until the rain stops falling and head outside, into the garden, to photograph the drops of rain that can be found on plants. Focus on the end of a leaf, background blurred, so when the droplet falls you're ready to capture it, pin-sharp. Just remember to use a tripod as the slightest shift in camera position can drastically change the composition and it will reduce the risk of camera shake too.

  2. Waterfalls And Rivers

If you want to have a go at blurring waterfalls or the movement of a river head out on an overcast day it's easier to get the slower shutter speeds you need to make this technique work. Make sure you have your tripod with you when you leave the house and a remote cable release (if you have one) to stop shake ruining your shot and take care when you're metering as your camera can be fooled into thinking the scene's too bright so all your shots could come out underexposed. Bracket a stopover and under or fit an ND filter to stop as much light entering the camera.

There is no right or wrong shutter speed to use when photographing waterfalls as this depends on how far you are from your subject, how much blur you want, the amount of water you're photographing and the speed at which it's flowing. But if you want a starting point, a speed of 1/15sec is a good place to begin. If you're at the coast, this same technique can be used to photograph waves. Once you have your smooth, flowing water shots, set a faster shutter speed, 1/250sec or higher, and make your watery scene seem frozen in time.

For rivers, get down low with your wide-angle lens to demonstrate how the river narrows to the vanishing point or look for higher ground and show it meandering through the scene.

 

 

3. Reflections

Lakes and reservoirs provide plenty of potential for photographing reflections. A sunny day by a calm lake will give you an almost mirror-like image of your surrounding landscape but don't forget to try and shoot somewhere there's foreground detail to prevent the scene looking boring. If you're not near a lake, a puddle or wet pavement will work just as well.

  4. The Sea 

While at the coast you can either use a slow shutter speed to blur the waves or a fast one to freeze them in their tracks. If you go for the fast approach wait until the wave is at a peak and shoot. Slow speeds are great for creating lava-style flows of water as waves break on the beach. 

 

 

5. Water Bubbles

Capturing water bubbles is fun, challenging and can leave with you with a series of abstract shots well worth hanging on your wall. You'll need quick shutter speeds and ideally, work manually to give you more control. 

 

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Manfrotto released the ONE Photo tripod, expanding its ONE platform with a model designed specifically for photographers working with stills. The release follows the earlier ONE Hybrid tripod and brings a photography-first approach with precision, stability, and speed for stills workflows.

Designed and built in Italy, the ONE Photo features a non-round leg profile engineered to improve torsional rigidity, producing sharper images when using high-resolution mirrorless cameras and longer lenses while remaining lightweight and portable. The tripod's XTEND mechanism deploys all leg sections simultaneously for rapid setup and height adjustment. A sliding centre column supports precise height adjustments and ground-level shooting, while the Q90 mechanism converts the tripod from vertical to horizontal orientation instantly. This enables overhead, flat-lay, macro, and product photography without disassembly.

The ONE Photo is available in three configurations: the ONE Photo Aluminium Tripod for photographers who prefer to pair it with their own head, the ONE Photo Aluminium Tripod with XPRO Ball Head for general photography, and the ONE Photo Aluminium Tripod with XPRO 3-Way Head for studio and architectural work requiring independent axis control.

All versions support professional accessories via the Easy Link connector system, allowing lights, reflectors, and other equipment to attach directly to the tripod.

 

 

Availability

The Manfrotto ONE Photo range is available now through authorised Manfrotto dealers.

For more information, please visit the Manfrotto website.

 

About Manfrotto

Manfrotto is a global leader in the design and manufacture of innovative camera and lighting support solutions for the imaging industry. For over 50 years, Manfrotto has set the standard in delivering high-quality, reliable products that empower photographers and videographers to bring their creative visions to life.

 

If you've been wondering if you should purchase a telephoto lens, here are 7 reasons why, we think, they're a worthwhile investment. Still not sure? Have a read of our lens buying guide and we also have a top list of telephoto lenses that's well worth a peruse. 

 

1. Out Of Focus Background

 

Telephoto lenses are useful for producing shots that have a shallow depth of field which means your backgrounds will be nicely out of focus allowing all attention to fall on your subject.

2. Capturing Portraits

 

Shooting portraits with longer lenses means you still fill the frame with your subject's face without making them feel uncomfortable by invading their personal space. Longer focal lengths also give a more pleasing perspective and the good bokeh they create, as mentioned previously, helps isolate your subject so they 'pop' from the frame. Finally, the compression longer lenses offer, especially when you're using a wide-ish aperture, helps flatter their features – something all subjects want.

3. Shoot Landscapes

If you have distant and foreground interest you should pull out your longer lens from your bag. Just make sure you're using a small aperture as you'll need front to back sharpness in your shot. This works well with interesting rock formations, trees etc. but also consider using an object such as a fence or path that can lead the eye from the front of the image to a point of interest in the distance. The perspective longer lenses create also mean you can almost stack distant and objects closer to your lens so they appear to be much closer to each other than they are, adding impact and extra interest as you do. This can work particularly well on misty mornings when distant hills can be turned into lines of stacked shapes.

If you have a lot of open, boring space between you and the mountains you want to photograph use the longer focal length to pull the mountains to you, removing the empty foreground as you do. You can also pick out detail such as a waterfall, tree or distant structure that a wide-angle lens wouldn't be able to capture in the same way.

 

4. Photograph Buildings

 

Longer lenses will help you highlight patterns and shoot interesting detail you'd miss with a wide-angle lens. It also means that if you can't access the roof to get close to the statues/carvings that sit around the building you're photographing, you can use the longer lens from the ground to bring the detail to you. Do remember though that when longer lenses magnify distant objects the tiniest of movements can create a large amount of blur in your photograph so make sure you stick to quicker shutter speeds when possible and carry a lens that features vibration reduction. For more stability work with a tripod.

 

5. Capture Shots Of Wildlife

 

Try and get close to a lot of wildlife and they'll have ran or flown off before you've got your camera out of its bag. Instead of playing a game of cat and mouse all day, find a spot that you won't scare the wildlife off from and use the pull of a telephoto lens to bring the animal/bird to you. Using a longer lens will also mean you're not putting yourself in danger if you're trying to capture shots of something known to bite!

6. Photograph Action / Sporting Events 

Unless you have a press pass, getting close to the action at many sporting events isn't possible so you'll need your long lens. For tips on shooting action take a look at ePHOTOzine's technique section.

 

7. Shoot For The Moon

 

If you try and photograph the moon without a telephoto lens (you may also need a teleconverter too) it will just like a small bright circle sat against a blanket of black sky. For tips on shooting the moon take a look at our previous articles in the technique section.

 

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1. What Gear Should I Use? 

To feel connected to the person in the image, you need to get in close without invading personal space the easiest way to do this is with a telephoto zoom. Working hand-held is fine but if you prefer you can use a tripod. 
 

2. Be Polite

If you're not working on a portrait shoot, it's always polite to ask when photographing someone, especially when your focus is their face. After all, you don't want them to suddenly turn around and scowl at you because they didn't know you were taking their picture.
 

3. Eyes Need To Be Sharp

To really pick out the details that make a portrait captivating blur your background and always, always make sure the eyes are in focus. To stop the portrait looking lifeless make sure there's a catch light in the eyes. A small burst of flash or having a light source behind the camera, facing the subject will help you do this.
 

4. Make Conversation 

Most people when they're asked if they can have their photo taken become quite self-conscious and will grin like the Cheshire cat until you've finished. To combat this, you need to talk to them, and this is not only about what you're trying to achieve but also ask them, about their life, what they do etc. Keep this conversation going, giving them pointers, and if it helps, compliments while you snap away. This will help them relax and soon they'll have forgotten about the lens they have pointing their way.

 

5. Give Guidance 

If you can, position your subject at a 45-degree angle and get them to turn their head to the camera as this can produce flattering results. However, directing them to look away, down or up will convey a completely different tone in the image. A sombre expression on a face that's looking away from the camera can appear reflective while someone looking up or into the distance will have a sense of determination and strength.

 

6. Think About Backgrounds 

Your subject always has to be the centre of attention so if you do want to use surrounding scenery make sure it compliments the portrait and isn't distracting. Back-lighting the subject can help with this as you'll get a halo-like effect on your subject's hair and body which will help them stand out from your background. If you're using the sun as your backlight you'll need to bounce light into the image to stop your subject appearing as a silhouette. To rectify this, bounce light onto your subject's face with a reflector or you could use fill-in flash but you'll need to make sure it's stopped down so your portrait still looks natural.

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Excire has launched version 2027 of its photo-management software, adding several new features to help photographers organize and cull through large image libraries. The update is available now for Windows and macOS. It's a one-time purchase with no monthly subscription, and the software runs locally on your computer so your photos stay private.

 

New Features on Excire Foto 2027

The update introduces a handful of major workflow upgrades to help you navigate large collections:

• Text recognition in images: The new AI text search can actually read words inside your images. You can type in a word to instantly pull up photos containing specific street signs, store names, or sports jerseys.
• World Map View: You can now browse your library geographically using an interactive map. This makes it easy to look through your travel history and find photos based on exactly where you took them.
• Survey Mode and Better Culling: Built to mimic old-school analog light tables, the new Survey Mode lets you compare images side by side without distractions. It also adds focus peaking to instantly check image sharpness and a Rule of Thirds overlay to evaluate composition.
• Smart filters and timeline tools: A new AI-powered filter bar and a visible Timeline Graph let you sift through thousands of images by date or content with far fewer clicks.
• Cloud Sharing and Interface Upgrades: The software now supports direct cloud sharing through Microsoft OneDrive and Nextcloud. It also features a cleaner layout with adjustable side panels and video export options.

The software still includes its older search and organization tools: prompt search, facial recognition, similarity search, automatic keywording, and duplicate detection.

 

 

Pricing and Availability

Excire Foto 2027 is available now for a one-time license fee of $249 / €229 / £229 / CHF 229, but a limited-time launch promotion drops that cost down to $219 / €199 / £199 / CHF 199.

If you are already using an older version of the software, you can skip the full price. Upgrades cost $99 / €99 / £99 / CHF 99 for Excire Foto 2024 users and $79 / €79 / £79 / CHF 79 for Excire Foto 2025 users. A 14-day free trial is also available if you want to test out the features first.

For more information, please visit the Excire website.