DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

  Wondering what the point of using a tripod is when your arms do a great job of holding your camera? Here are our eight reasons why you should consider popping a tripod on your 'must-have' photography kit list. 

 

1. A Tripod Frees Your Hands

 

Using a tripod leaves you to have your hands free, making it easier to tweak and adjust your lens, camera settings and composition. You can also set the camera up and move away from its position which means you can capture shy animals or position your tripod where you may not want to stand such as in a pool of water that sits in front of a waterfall. 

 

2. Helpful For Panning

 

If you want to create a sense of speed when capturing action shots such as cars racing around a track or bikes speeding around a course you'll want your sharp subject to be sat against a blurred background. To do this you need to pan your camera, following the subject as they move through your frame and although you can do this hand-held, some photographers find it easier to use a tripod or monopod to help them capture the perfect pan. Monopods can move with the turn of your body while if you choose to use a tripod, a pan or ball head will make the task easier.

 

3. Create Different Angles

 

By using a tripod, you can get to new higher or lower angles that you wouldn't be able to reach as easily or comfortably if working hand-held. For example, macro and flower photography is easier if you have a tripod where the centre column can be moved from zero to 180-degree angles. You can then use your camera facing the ground or at 90-degrees if you're shooting into a flowerbed. Some tripods also have special low lever legs and macro arms that mean you can position the camera at almost ground level. 

 

4. You Can Do Time Lapse Photography

 

Time-lapse photography is all about capturing a sequence of shots a few seconds, minutes, hours or even days apart. These shots are then combined to form a series of images that can be played back as a short video. As any movement of the camera will cause your final piece to appear jaunty you'll need a support for your camera. Take a look at this tutorial for more tips: Time Lapse Photography

 

5. Play Around With Longer Exposures     

If you're planning on taking photos at sunset or in the evening you'll need to use slower shutter speeds so enough light can reach the sensor for the image to expose correctly. But working with slower speeds hand-held can mean shake will blur your shot. A tripod will help reduce this and keep your hands free to hold a cup of tea when you're using really long exposures to capture evening shots such as light trails!

Don't think you just need your tripod in the evening though as to turn the movement of waterfalls, rivers and waves into smooth, dry ice-like textures, you'll need slower shutter speeds. 

  6. Get Your Horizons Straight

 

Most tripods feature spirit levels which will show you if your tripod's straight and you can also buy spirit levels which can be clipped to your camera's hot shoe. Tripods also make it easier to adjust the position of your camera which in turn will move where the horizon sits in your shot. For more tips on why this is important, take a look at this article: Photographing Horizons

 

7. Capture Panoramas

 

Panoramas are created by stitching a series of shots together (either in-camera or during post-production) that you've captured by moving your camera from one side of the frame to the other, allowing for a little overlap between each frame. A tripod will keep your shots steady and level which means they'll be easier to stitch together if you're doing it manually. 

 

8. Shoot Self Portraits

 

Working with your arm outstretched so you can be in frame isn't practical and won't produce award-winning shots anytime soon. For this reason, it's important to have a support so you can frame up, ensuring your horizon is straight if out on location before you take your shot. The same goes for group shots at parties, weddings and other gatherings you attend where you want to be in the frame. It also means you can shoot self-portraits in the studio, leaving the camera framed-up on the spot you want to position yourself in once you've set the camera up. 

 

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Editing is as crucial as capturing a great shot. Removing distractions, adjusting elements, or enhancing visuals can be time-consuming. AI tools now assist photographers in handling repetitive post-processing tasks efficiently, while keeping creative control intact.

Platforms like Piclumen provide intelligent features for real-world editing needs. These tools do not replace artistic judgment but help streamline tedious processes, letting photographers focus on refining their vision.

 

 

AI Replace: Targeted Editing for Photographers

 

The AI replace function allows selective content replacement in images. Users can mark areas to modify — such as unwanted objects or backgrounds — and describe the desired replacement. The system blends new content naturally into the image. This reduces manual editing time while maintaining creative flexibility. Instead of painstaking pixel-level adjustments, photographers can quickly implement changes while keeping control over the final image.

 

Using AI Replace in Your Workflow

 

A simple workflow makes AI replace accessible:

1. Mark the area: Use the brush to select parts to edit.
2. Describe the change: Input a brief description of the replacement.
3. Generate and review: Evaluate the AI-generated result and fine-tune if necessary.

This process is ideal for photographers looking to save time on repetitive tasks, especially in client work or batch editing.

 

 

Solving Common Editing Pain Points

 

Unwanted subjects or distracting background elements are common in photography. AI replace can quickly remove these issues — for example, stray pedestrians in street photography or clutter in product shots — by replacing them with cleaner backgrounds or natural textures. This helps photographers focus on composition, lighting, and storytelling rather than repetitive pixel work.

 

Keeping Creative Control

 

AI replace is an assistive tool, not a replacement for the photographer’s skill. Creative decisions about composition, lighting, and visual narrative remain fully under the user’s control. By treating AI outputs as drafts or variations, photographers retain full creative freedom. 

 

Conclusion

 

AI replace offers a practical way to speed up post-processing while preserving creative control. Tools like Piclumen support photographers in reducing repetitive editing tasks, allowing more time to focus on the artistic aspects of photography, without ever replacing the human judgment at the core of image creation.

 

 

 

Photos are an important part of family history. We look back on them to remember our childhood. We think of times that we can't go back to. Regrettably, time inflicts its damage. Photos crack, stains appear, and colors go from bright and vivid to faded and dull. Restoring old photos is a way to bring back a part of family history, but without the right methods, you could damage them beyond repair. Many people want to know how to restore old photos, but some people are apprehensive about how the restoration process may affect the photograph.

In the past, old photo restoration was time-consuming and expensive because it required professional editing and the use of expensive tools. With the advancement of AI, everything is digitized, and new-age software can perform repairs to old photos automatically. In this article, we will discuss the reasons why old photos become damaged, the difficulties of restoring damaged photos, some tips to prepare, and the process to restore old photos using HitPaw FotorPea.

 

Why Old Photos Get Damaged Over Time

The first step to restore old photos is understanding the damage. Most old photos are printed on paper. Light, heat, and moisture damage that paper. Sunlight can fade photos and cause yellow tones. Heat and humidity can cause stains, mold, and even curling edges. If photos are stored in poor conditions, there can be scratches, cracks, and torn corners.

Careless handling can damage photos. Finger oils can leave permanent marks. Dust can settle on the photo and will make it look less clear. Some people try to edit old photos and don't know what they are doing. As a result, they remove important parts of the photo.

Digital restoration is therefore superior to physical restoration. You can keep the original photo safe by creating a digital version of it.

 

Common Problems People Face in Old Photo Restoration

People think restoring old photos is pretty easy, but that's not the case for many people. They lack skills and time and are afraid of damaging their memories, which makes the entire process stressful, especially with the use of manual editing tools.

 

Manual Editing Takes Too Much Time

Fixing scratches, stains, cracks, and faded areas requires patience and a level of expertise that beginners usually don’t have, and they often end up spending hours on a single image and still don’t get it to look right or like a complete photo.

 

Faces Are Difficult to Restore Naturally

Old photos can have blurry facial features, faded tones, or details that are simply missing. Changes made manually can change expressions, remove key facial features, or make the subject's face look overly smooth and unrealistic.

 

Over-Editing Reduces Photo Quality

When a lot of filters are applied to a photo, it may seem clearer, but many details and textures are lost. This can result in many of the emotions and the essence in the photo being ruined.

 

Large Photo Collections Become Overwhelming

Restoration of just a single photo may seem easy, but it gets really tiring when it comes to large family albums. Because of the required time, someone may just entirely give up restoring old photos.

 

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How to Restore Old Photos with HitPaw FotorPea (Step by Step)

Old photos can be challenging to restore when they are scratched, faded, or blurry. Manual editing can be time-consuming and ruin crucial parts of the image. HitPaw FotorPea is designed to restore old photos using AI. It automatically fixes damage, improves the clarity, restores color, and brings back facial features. This makes HitPaw FotorPea user-friendly for photo editing novices.

 

Key Features and AI Models for Restoring Old Photos

HitPaw FotorPea uses advanced and powerful AI models that have been designed and developed for old photo restoration. Each feature is designed to address one of the most common issues that we find in photos that have been damaged or aged over time.

 

Key Features

• Removes scratches, cracks, and visible damage from old photos
• Enhances clarity in faded or low-quality images
• Restores natural tones in dull or washed-out photos
• Colorizes black-and-white photos with realistic colors
• Recovers facial details like skin texture, eyes, and expressions

 

AI Restoration Models

• AI Portrait Restoration: Repairs old or damaged portraits
• Scratch and Damage Repair: Fixes worn and scratched areas
• Blur Removal and Clarity Enhancement: Sharpens blurry photos
• Black-and-White Photo Colorization: Adds natural color
• Natural Color Enhancement: Improves tone and balance

 

These AI models work in unison to edit and restore old photos, while maintaining the integrity of the original image and not over-editing it.

 

How to Restore Old Photos 

Step 1: Download and install HitPaw FotorPea on your computer.

 

 

Step 2: Open the software and click on “Image Restoration”.

 

 

Step 3: Upload the old photo by clicking the “+” button, or simply drag and drop the image.

 

 

Step 4: Select the right AI restoration model according to your image.

 

 

Step 5: Click “Export“ to save the restored photo, or click “Enhance” if you want to further improve the image quality.

 

 

Tips to Get the Best Results When Restoring Old Photos

Keep edits light and keep it looking as natural as possible to get the best results. Small changes and careful previews can improve clarity, detail, and balance without ruining the original look.

• Start simple: Let AI do touch-ups first. Fix scratches, blur, and fading first.
• Preview often: Before and after views can help achieve more natural results.
• Face balance: Face enhancement can distort natural and real expressions so use with caution.
• Avoid over-editing: Too many effects can make editing photos look fake.
• Save versions: Saving different versions of the photo helps you see the difference between all the edits.
• Protect originals: Make sure you do not lose the original image file.
• Natural finish: Make sure you aim for a natural soft look where the original image can still be appreciated.
• Final review: Make sure to check the details before saving the image, while zoomed in.

 

Conclusion

Restoring old photos isn't as hard or time-consuming as it once was. With AI tools, anyone can repair damages, improve clarity, and revitalise faded photos. For example, HitPaw FotorPea allows users to restore old photos quickly and easily. Its automatic features let users fix scratches, details in faces, and photo blurriness. If you're looking for an inexpensive and straightforward way to restore old photos, using HitPaw FotorPea is the best option.

 

With some schools closed for the half-term break this week we thought we'd give you some suggestions on where you can go with the kids that'll keep them entertained and still give you the opportunity to get your camera out of its bag.

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1. The Coast

 

With arcades, beaches, ice cream and fish and chips, the coast is a great place for a family day-trip. Plus, with lighthouses, piers, promenades and plenty of other photographic opportunities available your camera won't be spending too long in its bag. 

Here are 10 techniques for you to take a look at before you head for the seaside: 

1. Coast Close-Up Photography With Compacts
2. 5 Tips To Improve Your Coastal Landscapes
3. Photographing Lighthouses In The Landscape
4. Long Exposures At The Coast
5. Coast Photography Tips For The 'Golden' Hours
6. How To Photograph What The Sea Washes Up
7. Photographing Piers
8. Photographing Under The BoardWalk
9. Lighthouse Photography Tips
10. Out Of Season Coast Photos

 

2. Castles

From sweeping majestic castles with interactive features to ruins of castle walls that once protected its occupiers, these great structures offer ample opportunity for photographers and their gear. Attractions such as Warwick Castle are both photogenic and entertaining thanks to tours and other activities taking place during opening hours. The summer months tend to be the times when more entertainment is put in place, however, a quick search online will soon show you what locations are hosting what events/activities during the half-term break. 

For tips on equipment choices and shooting angles, have a read of these castle photography techniques:

• A Guide To Photographing Castles
• Quick Stately Home And Castle Photography Tips
• Castle Photography Advice

 

3. The Zoo

 

A day out at the zoo is something loved by children and families, but they're also a great place for photographers, too. They're brimming with photographic subjects but the screens and fences that protect them, and us can be a bit of a nightmare for photographers. They put distance between you and the animal and as you can't generally photograph over them you have to shoot through them. However, there are a few ways you can make your day out at the zoo more of a photography success as we explain in these articles:

• 15 Top Zoo Photography Tips
• Photography At Zoos

  4. Your Local Park

 

Among the concrete jungle, there are pockets of green that break the greys of the city skyline up and whether you're snapping the blankets of alternating colour from a distance or are among the trees yourself, city parks have plenty of photographic opportunities to keep you busy. Plus, with plenty of grass for kicking a ball around and swings for entertainment, your children won't be bored either!

Have a read of these tutorials for park photography tips: 

• What To Photograph In Parks
• Photography In Parks

 

5. Set-Up A Portrait Shoot

One way to keep the kids entertained at home that'll still give you the opportunity to get your camera out is a portrait shoot. This could be indoors or out, posed and with guidance or have a more candid style to it. Whichever you decide, here are a few tutorials to help you out. Plus, you'll find even more portrait-related articles in ePHOTOzine's technique section. 

• Indoor Portraits With Window Light
• How To Capture Smiling Close Ups Of Children
• Photographing Family Or Groups Of Friends
• Shooting A Set Of Fun Portraits
• Tips For A Child Portrait Shoot
• Creative Children Portraits On A Budget

 

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Why Do We Need To Do This?

When you're working with tall structures such as a mountain range, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp how tall they really are but if you add an object the viewer recognises the scale of, it's much easier for them to understand how big the other object is. As a result, your shot will have various points of interest that can lead the eye through the frame, depth and scale. Another reason for doing this is to give your shot impact. For example, when you see an image of the desert with a person mid-frame you are suddenly reminded of the sheer size of the landscape which often results in a 'Wow' moment.

 

What To Use?

People work well as they are an easily recognisable shape that's easy to grasp the size of. In turn, this makes it easier for the viewer of the image to understand how vast the area is that's surrounding the person. Of course, you can use other objects that are easily recognisable or even part of a subject. This works well with very large man-made objects such as cruise liners as it suggests they are so big, they can't be fitted into the frame. Add holidaymakers walking next to it and suddenly you're realising that it's a huge piece of engineering.

 

 

Where To Position Your Person / Object?

Positioning your secondary subject roughly anywhere from the middle to the back of the shot will make it easier for the viewer of your image to grasp the size of the mountains, dunes trees or whatever else sits in the surrounding shot.

If it's difficult for your subject to reach this area of the shot move further back if you can or if you have to, position them in the foreground without pulling focus from the landscape. If you position your secondary subject too close it can distort the perspective as your foreground subject will appear larger in the frame but this still shouldn't be a problem if you're using a person.

 

 

Change Perspective With Your Lens

The lens you choose to use and its focal length can change the perspective of your shot too.

By moving the position you're shooting from, altering the zoom or by using a different type of lens altogether will change how the final image looks and in some cases the distance that appears to be between objects in the frame. For example, you may be shooting a landscape that has a single house or tree in it and by using a wide-angle lens you can include more of the scene around the object, creating a sense of isolation and demonstrating how small it is compared to what else is in the frame. Go the opposite way and zoom in or use a telephoto lens to pull the object to you and it will fill the frame, becoming more of a focus rather than a way to express the size of its surroundings.
 

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Daylight is free and it is wonderful for portrait work as not only is it flattering and photogenic but it's really easy to work with so it's a good place for beginners to start. You don't need a fancy studio, either, as you can pick a location outdoors or simply set-up next to a window in your own home.  

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1. Light & Time Of Day

To take good portraits with light from a window you don't need a lot of space but do try and avoid an area/time of day where direct sunlight is flowing through the window to avoid contrast problems. If you can, work on an overcast day because the light will be naturally diffused and won't be too harsh. 

As we are working with window light, you don't want other light sources spoiling your shot so turn your house lights off for neutral results.

 

2. Use A Reflector 

You'll probably need to bounce some light onto your subject's face and the best way to do this is with a reflector. You can either use a purpose-made one, some white card or some silver foil stuck onto a sheet of MDF will do.

In case you don't have someone to hand, a tripod makes a good reflector holder or you can hold the reflector yourself and set the camera on a self-timer. Or, you could use a reflector designed to be held by a photographer. If you are shooting tightly cropped images, the model can hold the reflector for you, too.

 

 

3. Metering Tips 

If you use manual metering, take a reading from the model's face and not the window. If you meter from the window it will think the scene is brighter than what it is and as a result, your subject will be underexposed.
 

4. Get The White Balance Right 

It is worth trying different white-balance settings. Auto white-balance can work well, but try shade or cloudy for warmer looking images.  
 

5. Framing & Capturing Your Portrait 

Get in as close as you can to capture/use as much daylight as possible. A tripod is useful, hand-held can work just as well but make sure you are shooting at a reasonably fast shutter speed and remember to focus on the eyes. Crop in tight on the face and if you wish, you can use the window to help frame the shot.

Most people are not natural posers so communication and guidance are important. For posing ideas, check out the fashion magazines and images in our gallery, too.
 

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© Skylum

 

Skylum is celebrating four years of Luminar Neo, reflecting the impressive evolution of its AI-powered photo editing software since its 2022 launch. A standout achievement came in late 2025 when Luminar Mobile received Google Play’s Best Multi-Device App Award, recognizing its smooth and consistent experience across phones, tablets, and desktops. To thank its growing community, Skylum is offering new customers discounts of up to 74%, creative anniversary gifts, and a special video message from the team.

 

From Skylum:

The software company Skylum is celebrating four years of Luminar Neo. The AI-powered photo editing software enables access to professional photo editing for both experienced photographers and beginners with just a few clicks. To mark the anniversary, Skylum’s development team has released a dedicated video. It particularly honors the creativity of Luminar Neo users and serves as a thank-you for the shared journey so far.

The video is available here:

 

From Desktop App to Ecosystem

Since its launch, Luminar Neo has evolved from a standalone desktop application into a fully developed cross-platform ecosystem seamlessly connecting PC, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS. The software synchronizes photo editing across all devices, allowing users to edit photos on the go using a smartphone or tablet and finalize them later on a desktop if desired. Advanced AI technologies can be used to automatically analyze image content as well as add or remove elements. This makes editing significantly faster, more precise, and more intuitive.

 

Google Awards 2025: Best Multi-Device App

A major highlight of the past year: Luminar Mobile was named Best Multi-Device App at the Google Play Best of 2025 Awards. The award particularly recognizes the seamless cross-platform use of the Android app, including Chromebook support, as well as its integration into desktop workflows. This category honors apps that provide an especially consistent and high-quality user experience across multiple devices.

“Four years of Luminar would not have been possible without our loyal community. We thank all our users for their trust, creativity, and valuable feedback, which plays a key role in the ongoing development of our software. Our goal is to continuously improve Luminar so that professional photo editing remains as simple, intuitive, and accessible as possible for everyone in the future,” says Yevhenii Tymoshenko, CMO at Skylum.

 

Benefits for New Customers

Skylum is currently offering various licenses with discounts of up to 74% as well as an anniversary gift:

• Perpetual Desktop License: Luminar Neo for Desktop (macOS, Windows) – €64.99 instead of €357.00
• Perpetual Multi-Device License: Luminar Neo for Desktop + Mobile App for iOS, Android, ChromeOS – €84.99 instead of €405.00
• Perpetual Max License: Luminar Neo for Desktop, Mobile App for iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and access to the Creative Library – €99.99 instead of €464.00

For more information about the deals, please visit Skylum's website. 

 

About Luminar Neo

Luminar Neo (skylum.com/luminar) is a powerful, AI-driven photo editing software developed by Skylum, a global company specializing in imaging technology. The software combines an intuitive user interface with advanced AI technologies to make professional-level photo editing accessible to everyone—whether beginners or experienced photographers. Thanks to Generative AI, users can effortlessly remove elements, extend backgrounds, or replace objects in just a few clicks. Enhance AI brings together more than 20 adjustments in a single tool, automatically optimizing color, detail, and exposure, while tools such as Relight AI and Atmosphere AI enable precise control over lighting moods and depth effects. Luminar Neo also offers non-destructive editing, RAW support, layers and masking features, as well as seamless integration into existing workflows. From portrait retouching and landscape enhancement to creative photo compositions, Luminar Neo revolutionizes photo editing with cutting-edge AI and unlocks entirely new creative possibilities for photographers.

As a comprehensive ecosystem, Luminar Neo also enables cross-device editing between desktop and mobile devices, allowing projects to be continued anytime, seamlessly. With integrated web galleries via “Spaces,” AI-powered photo restoration for old or damaged images, and an intelligent AI Assistant that provides personalized editing suggestions, the software supports creatives throughout the entire workflow—from the initial idea to the final presentation.

You can wait for hours, days or months for the right sky and still be disappointed. But don't get too downhearted as a little bit of digital processing will give your image the sky it needs.
 

Photograph The Sky Whenever & Wherever 

Before we get to this stage we need a sky to import and having a library of stormy, bright blue and sunset-coloured skies is a time-saving idea that's practical and easy to create. In other words, just shoot interesting skies whenever you see one and do so with wide-angle, standard and telephoto lenses. Also, consider the many varieties of lighting - back, frontal, side, for example - so you build a library of sky images to cover all creative options.

  Quick Gear Checklist 

For most skies in the open, all you need is a wide-angle or standard zoom lens but a long telephoto lens can be useful too. If you're planning on taking several images of the sun LiveView is crucial as you don't want to be looking down the lens with it burning back into your eyes. A strong neutral density filter will help reduce the sun's glare and a polariser is perfect for creating saturated blue skies.

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Fill The Frame With Sky 

Usually, you're told to remove some of the sky but this time it's our focus so you want to shoot from a position that allows you to get plenty of it in the frame and be in a location where there are no distracting objects such as trees, buildings and long grasses.

Pay attention to which direction the light is coming from and note it down as you don't want to use a sky with light coming from the left when shadows on your original image lay in the opposite direction.

Don't ignore the clouds either as they can alter the light and make certain areas of the shot darker than others. For sunsets, which work well dropped into shots of people or buildings silhouetted, you need to fill the shot with the sun but don't stare at it through the lens as this will damage your eyes. Use LiveView, point and press.

Stormy skies are perfect for atmospheric shots where castles or any other old building are your centrepieces. Watch for breaks in the clouds where long streaks of sunlight burst through for more interesting images.

For more tips on replacing skies or shooting images where the sky is your main focus, have a look at these tutorials: 

• Shooting Landscapes With Interesting Skies
• Create A Dramatic Sky In Photoshop
• Enhancing Sky In Photoshop
• How To Replace A Sky In Elements
• Adding A Sky Behind A Lighthouse
• Photographing Beach Huts With A Big Sky

 

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Vignettes aren't a new editing trick, in fact, when darkrooms were still widely in use photographers would apply dodging and burning masks to images during the processing or use filters on their camera lenses when taking the shots. Now the effect is usually re-created digitally with software but the reason for applying them hasn't changed. They are still a simple yet, subtle way to guide/draw the eye to your main subject and frame shots.

The effect has also grown in popularity thanks to cameras such as Holgas becoming popular again. This 'hipster' look is now rather desirable so using techniques that re-create this, what was an unintentional vignette, on digital images is now something even apps are doing. In fact, creating vignettes on photos taken with mobile phones is one of the effects that's listed in our Ten Photoshop Techniques To Do On An iOS App article.

 

How And Why

When it comes to applying vignettes, less is usually better than more as if you make the effect too strong and obvious, it can end up spoiling your shot rather than enhancing it. Of course, there are times when a stronger vignette will work, such as with moody black & white landscapes, but most of the time subtle will be the way to go.

You should apply a vignette once all your other edits are complete as adjustments such as cropping may change the overall look of the image and the vignette could end up sitting in the wrong place or highlighting part of the shot you didn't want it to. This isn't true in Lightroom, though, as we'll explain further into the tutorial.

You can create vignettes in several applications including Photoshop, GIMP and Lightroom. For those wanting to learn more about the vignette options available in Lightroom, carry on reading this tutorial. For those looking for tips on how to create vignettes in Photoshop or GIMP, click on the following links:

 

• Four Ways To Create A Vignette In Photoshop
• How To Create A High-Key Vignette Using GIMP

 

Vignettes In Lightroom

When you open the develop module in Lightroom you'll see there are two Vignetting options. The first can be found under Lens Corrections and this is designed to decrease or even fully remove the vignetting caused by the lens when the image was taken. The changes are applied to the corners of the full-frame image and two sliders allow you to alter the strength and positioning of the effect.

 

Move the Amount slider to the right and the figure will increase, lightening the corners as the slider moves. Pull it to the right and the figure will decrease, darkening the corners. The Midpoint slider alters the area the vignette is applied to. Move the slider to the left and the vignette amount adjustment is applied to a larger area away from the corners, pull the slider in the opposite direction and this will restrict the adjustment area nearer to the corners of the image.

 

The Post-Crop Vignetting tool is one that's designed for more creative purposes and once applied, will stay on your image even if you decide to crop the shot again. There are also more editing controls available under the Post-Crop Vignetting tool, giving you more control over how the final vignette will look.

Three types of vignettes are available and these are accessed from the Style menu. These three options will alter how the vignette you apply blends with the photo you're editing. Highlight Priority is set as the default option and will create a vignetting effect that you're most familiar with.

Once you've picked your Style (we are using Highlight Priority) you can use the various sliders to adjust the vignette.
 

Amount

Pull this slider to the right and the vignette will lighten, pull it to the left and it will appear darker.

Midpoint

This will change how much of the image away from the edges the vignette is applied to. Pull the slider left and the vignette's size will be increased, pull it to the right and it will retreat back into the corners of the shot.

 

Roundness

This changes the shape of the vignette to give it rounder or straighter edges. If you pull the slider to the left the shape is more rectangular/square while pulling it the opposite way will make the vignette more circular.

 

Feather

This adjusts how hard or soft the edges of the vignette are. A harder vignette (which you get by pulling the slider to the left) generally doesn't look as good as feathered vignettes as it creates a shape that's too defined. The second image, which shows a vignette with a higher feathered value, is much softer.

 

Highlights

When in Highlight or Colour Priority the Highlights slider becomes active if you've used a negative value when adjusting the amount (so the vignette is dark). Pulling the Highlights slider to the right will, according to Adobe, 'control the degree of highlight contrast preserved'. In other words, it allows you to control how little or much highlight contrast there is in your vignette.

See the difference in these two images when the slider is set at 0 then 45:

 

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Before heading out for a shoot or even while on one, make sure you don't overlook some of the most important but basic things. To stop you doing this, we've put together a quick checklist which may seem obvious but the things on it can often be overlooked and can cause a day out shooting to descend into chaos!
 

1. Charge Your Camera's Batteries

 

The most important thing to remember is to make sure that your batteries are charged. If not, your day out will be rendered useless when you discover that your battery has died. If your battery is low the night before but you don't want to charge it before it's fully dead, consider wearing the battery down on purpose so it can be fully charged overnight. You could also consider taking a spare battery if you have one, or a spare camera if you don't, so at least you can still shoot if your primary equipment fails.
 

2. Memory Card Check

You should ensure your memory card is not full or going to be quickly filled when you're out shooting. Always carry a spare card or two just in case one goes missing or shows a fault.

 
3. What Am I Trying To Say?

 

How you frame, light and compose your shot will provoke a different feeling, thought or emotion so think about what message you're trying to convey before hitting the shutter button.

4. Watch The Horizon

 

One of the main things to remember is to keep your horizon straight. If not, the shot will look wonky. If you're on flat ground, an easy way to ensure this is to use a tripod which has a spirit level built-in. However, do remember that if you're working with a hot shoe spirit level on terrain that's uneven the spirit level on your tripod may tell you the shot's wonky when actually it's not. 

 

5. Don't Make It Too Busy

 

Although you will want to portray a lot through your photos, try not to overcrowd the image. If you do, the eye will not know where to settle on the photo and ruin the feel of the image. Do a quick check of the foreground and background before you take your shot to check there's not unsightly elements and take the time to consider if your shot will work better with the background out of focus.

 

6. Fill The Frame Or Leave Some Space?

 

 

You should also consider how close you are to your subject/how much space you want in your shot. If it is too far away, the image can lose impact, however, if you're trying to create a sense of scale in your shot, moving a person further away, for example, moving a person further into an area of sand dunes, will make the landscape appear as if it stretches on for miles. If you do want to fill the frame, use the zoom on your camera or move your feet.

 

7. Have A Focal Point

 

Identify your main focal point so you can then decide if you're going to use secondary points of focus or just place your subject in the frame so all attention falls on them.

 

8. Look At The Lighting

 

The light's angle and how strong it is will, of course, change the look of your photograph but so will the type of light source you're using. For example, if the light is tungsten or fluorescent, your camera may have a specific white balance setting to make the scene look natural. If you're shooting in darker conditions and don't want to use flash, consider using a higher ISO instead.

9. Consider Creating A Path

 

Having a path within the photo for the eye to follow can help guide your viewer through your shot. The picture above is a good example as the metal railing guides the eye down the beach to the person in the distance. 

 

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

 

Comfy integrates the HitPaw FotorPea API that allows for image enhancement for Comfy users. Users can now benefit from the technology that will help automate and enhance the quality of images. These tools will help restore, enhance, and denoise images, all operating directly inside Comfy.

This integration shows how photography is changing with the help of AI tools to add detail to older, lower-quality, and compressed images. Rather than replacing creative editing, these tools are focusing more on streamlining multiple edits and ensuring overall consistency and clarity. 

For photographers, content creators, and platforms that manage lots of visuals, processing large amounts of visuals with less post-production work can be really helpful.

 

What HitPaw FotorPea Brings to the Comfy Platform

 

HitPaw FotorPea focuses on enhancing photos without changing their overall natural look. Instead of using filters that change the photo more aggressively, the system leans on AI models that have been trained to understand the structures, textures, and minutiae of photos.

Due to Comfy integration, photo enhancement features can now be used within a single workflow. This also means no more exporting images or using other tools to improve the quality of images because improving images has been included in the workflow.

While this functionality aids individual creators, it is particularly useful for teams and services dealing with high volumes of images, especially when the prospect of manual editing is impractical.

 

AI Image Enhancement Integrated into the Core Workflow

 

 

With the integration of AI image enhancer, Comfy now has the ability to auto-enhance different types of images. It uses AI to analyze the images and adjust clarity, noise, and resolution while keeping the textures and features of the people in the images faces as natural as possible.

Most traditional upscaling tools enhance the whole image and result in a generalized view, often causing the person in the portrait to look artificial. HitPaw FotorPea, on the other hand, uses AI realism-based portrait enhancements, meaning they look natural.

 

Key image enhancement capabilities include:

• One-click enhancement for portraits and scenes
• Separate AI processing for faces and backgrounds
• 2x and 4x super-resolution options
• Noise reduction without heavy softening
• Batch processing for large image sets
• API access for automated workflows

The system's features are ideal for mobile phone photography, low-res web images, scanned images, older digital photos, and also for slight improvements to already high-quality images.

 

Model-Based Enhancement for Different Photographic Scenarios

 

The integration does not consist of simply applying a singular enhancement method across all images. Instead, it uses various AI models tailored for particular subjects as well as certain quality levels. This gives the end user more options to choose from when dealing with more challenging photographic materials.

 

Available image enhancement models include:

• Face Clear Model (2x / 4x): Upscales portraits and softens the skin to give a clearer picture and accentuates the surrounding details.
• Face Natural Model (2x / 4x): Maintains the skin texture and facial features to make them look more natural.
• General Enhance Model (2x / 4x): This model is used to enhance general and everyday images, like landscapes, architecture, animals, and many more.
• High Fidelity Model (2x / 4x): This tool is specifically designed for subtle enhancement of DSLR photos, posters, and AI images.
• Sharp Denoise & Detail Denoise Models (1x): Reduce noise in photos taken on mobile devices and cameras, while retaining the original flexible image size.
• Generative Portrait & Generative Enhance Models (1x–4x): Diffusion models that focus on rebuilding some of the details that may be missing because of heavy compression or destruction of the image.

This model selection structure enables photographers and content teams to select the specialized image enhancer AI technique that fits the source material the best instead of using a one-size-fits-all solution.

 

Built for Automation and Platform-Level Workflows

 

A key element in this integration is the API-based design. Rather than putting the tools just as creative editors, Comfy enables automated enhancement as part of broader content pipelines. This gives the value not just to individual photographers but to any platforms, publishers, and services that handle extensive image libraries. With the goal of quality improvement while maintaining smooth, automated workflows, Comfy integrates AI enhancement directly into the platforms.

 

Who Benefits Most from This Integration

 

The Comfy and HitPaw FotorPea integration streamlines work for various users, but some users enjoy better integration benefits, such as:

• Photographers wanting to recover detail of challenging light or old files
• Content creators seeking cleaned-up images without tedious edits
• Media platforms dealing with large quantities of user-generated or old images
• Creative teams desire consistent image quality across all their projects

In all these cases, the advantage lies in achieving improved image quality with minimal effort.

 

A Tool Designed for Modern Image Workflows

 

Today’s image workflows are speedy, multi-source, and often automated. Images come from phones, cameras, scans, and archives and have varying quality levels. Users do not need another complex editor; they need a reliable way to enhance the baseline quality.

HitPaw FotorPea seamlessly integrates with this environment because its AI models focus on realism, detail retention, and efficiency. The Comfy integration removes friction and allows image enhancement in the place where the work already exists.

 

Conclusion

 

The integration of HitPaw FotorPea's API with Comfy exemplifies the increased importance of automation in the contemporary photography world. Focusing on natural results, adaptable models, and the ability to handle larger projects shows how AI tools are becoming more flexible and are now more about improving technical quality than being used for creative purposes. HitPaw FotorPea is at the center of this integration. Its image enhancement models now work with Comfy to provide consistent and workflow-friendly visual improvement.

 

A humpback whale rising from the cold ocean is our latest 'Photo of the Week' (POTW) winner.

Captured by ColinEJ and titled ‘Humpback Whale Breaching,’ we love the excellent timing and energy shown in this action shot. The snowy mountains and clear sky in the background frame the scene, showing the whale’s size against the landscape. This wide view makes the photo clear and well-timed. What a brilliant photo!

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!

 

Most of the time, particularly in architectural photography, we are told that converging verticals and lines are something which should be avoided. But there are occasions when they don't have to be avoided by architectural or any other type of photographer.

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1. Use Converging Verticles To Exaggerate Height

When shooting close to a building with a wide-angle lens, you can exaggerate the height of the structure with the help of converging verticals however, it can look like the building is about to fall over backwards so it isn't a style everyone appreciates. To exaggerate the sloping walls further, get lower to the ground with your wide-angle lens.
 

2. Use Converging Verticles To Focus Attention 

We've talked previously on how vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines can be used to add interest to shots and act as guides. If you take this further so you have multiple lines stretching towards the horizon, they can appear to be moving closer together, which, in turn, will help the viewer to focus on one specific area of the shot.
 

3. Use Converging Verticles To Guide The Eye

Where you set your camera up and how the lines move through your frame will change the feel of the shot. The most common way to use converging lines is to position your camera in the centre of the frame so you have symmetry as well as the converging guides working for you. But as the eye often looks at the bottom left of an image first before working across the shot to the top right corner, you can also position the lines so they flow from corner to corner. By having a line which follows this path, you will unknowingly guide the viewer through your shot. Try using multiple diagonals to guide the eye to one spot in the image by intersecting them where you want the attention to fall.

Do watch where the lines are going as if they lead out of the frame it can create a sense of wonder but equally, it could lead to frustration as your viewer doesn't know what's beyond the frame and as they've followed the direction of the line, they'll end up not looking at your shot. However, if you take the time to position yourself so the lines give the impression they meet/end where you want your main point of focus to be, you shouldn't have a problem.
 

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

 

A field of Bog Cotton caught in a strong wind, with its white fluffy heads swept to one side against a dark, overcast sky, is a wonderful nature shot.

Shot from ground level through the stems and grasses, the movement captured in each head brings real energy and life to the image. The heavy clouds above add wonderful depth to the composition, and the bright white cotton heads stand out beautifully against the moody sky. Getting down low to capture this shot clearly came at a price, but the soggy knees were well worth it. Congratulations on winning POTW, YorkshireSam.

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!

 

Spring officially begins this month so we want to fuel you with spring ideas and suggestions so when it does arrive, you'll be ready to head out with your camera. So, here's a list of all the best photographic opportunities this spring you won't want to miss.

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1. Lambs

 

One of the most notable and iconic features of spring is the abundance of baby animals. The easiest of these to go out and photograph freely are lambs. They are spritely creatures, and so to capture them sharply, use a higher shutter speed as they are liable to move just as you have set up your shot. There is more information on lamb photography in our lamb photography tutorial.

  2. Flowers

 

At the beginning of spring, snowdrops and daffodils will begin to shoot and bloom, providing ample opportunity for some macro and flower cluster shots. Head out to your nearest wooded area to find some wild spring flowers as well as waiting for the flowers in your garden to show.

More tips on photographing spring flowers can be found here: Spring Flower Photography Tips

 

3. The Last Frosts

 

At this time of year, the weather is getting milder, but you'll still be able to capture some frost if you're up and about early enough. Frost looks great when it forms on newly sprouting plants, as the vibrant colour contrasts nicely with the white of the frost.  You can find out more in our frost photography tutorial.

  4. Fresh Vegetation

 

Spring is not just about close-up shots. Take advantage of the blooming colours and fresh greens to create wider landscape shots, or even panoramas, that look more vibrant and alive. ePHOTOzine has plenty of landscape tutorials over in our technique section. 

  5. Sunrise / Sunset

 

You can still capture the sunrise at a reasonable time now and the sun is still going down just after most finish work giving you the chance to capture a cracking sunset too. 

  6. Showers/ Shooting In The Rain

 

Showers are a key part of spring, and they shouldn't put you off getting out with your camera. Some great shots can be achieved in the rain, and more information on how to capture them can be found in our tutorial on shooting daffodils in the rain and in our tutorial on coping with bad weather. 

 

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

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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to CarltonR (Day 8 - Shots With Movement).

 

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

Abstract Photography

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Day 10

Action Photography

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Day 11

Minimalist Photography

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  Day 12

Fruit & Veg Shots

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Day 13

Creative Blur

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Day 14

Flash Photography

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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.

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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 CathTay (Day 24 - 'Balance').

 

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 22

Twilight Photography

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Day 23

Grey Weather Days

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Day 25

Creative Lighting

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  Day 26

Family Photos

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Day 27

Building Detail

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Day 28

Snowdrops

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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.

 

 

1. Something New

If you're usually someone who only shoots one style of photography, having a go at a new genre can not only be fun but educational. It can also fuel you with inspiration, giving you new ideas to have a go at. As you're photographing yourself there's no pressure to get it right first time either as there's no one else to please but yourself.

2. Something For A Rainy Day

Walking around in the rain, shooting landscapes isn't fun so instead of getting wet, set up your gear at home and have a go at shooting self-portraits. You never know, you may find you enjoy it enough to take your gear outside, once the rain has stopped, to shoot some self-portraiture outdoors.
 

3. In Your Own Time

As you're not working with anyone else, you can shoot your photos when and where you want. It also means you can play around with the set-up as much as you like without having to worry about your model getting bored. You don't have to worry about time ticking away either which is something you have to consider when working with a model as they could have another shoot to get to.

 

 

4. Experiment

As you don't have a model to direct you can experiment with different poses and expressions much more easily as you won't have to spend time trying to explain the idea you have in your head to someone else. Don't' forget you can experiment with props, too.

 

5. The Challenge

Working behind as well as in front of the camera comes with its own set of challenges, however learning how to overcome problems and perfecting set-ups to help improve your technique can be fun, plus you're learning and expanding your knowledge in the process. 

Some of the questions you may ask include the following: do you want to use a tripod? How are you going to fire the shutter if using a DSLR? Will you need a remote release or do you can have a camera which can be controlled remotely via a smartphone or tablet (although, if you're capturing your images with a smartphone, this won't be so much of an issue)? Are you going to shoot one shot at a time or make the most of a continuous shooting mode? 

Take a look at our technique section for answers to these questions and more. 
 

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

 

The national flower of Wales is the Daffodil and as it's St David's day today, where the flower is traditionally worn, we thought it was quite appropriate to kick-off March with a few tips on photographing this Welsh emblem. 

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1. Focus On One Flower 

Have a look at a clump of daffodils and single out the most interesting heads that can be photographed without too much clutter.

 

2. Plain Backgrounds 

In situations where there are no options to shoot the daffodil without a distracting background, place a piece of card behind the head to remove all the clutter. If you do have a clutter-free dark background in your garden, such as a conifer, you may need to underexpose by one stop using the camera's exposure compensation feature to ensure detail is picked up in the flower's petals. You could also use manual mode if your camera has that option.

 

3. Side-On Shots 

The most obvious way to shoot a single head is from overhead but if you position your camera so you can still see the front of the flower but you're positioned slightly to the side, almost as if you were shooting a portrait, you'll produce a more interesting result.

 

4. Blue Sky Backgrounds 

Try shooting upwards so you can position the head with blue sky behind it for dramatic contrast. Using a polariser will deepen the blue. Alternatively, as a member has previously suggested, use a mirror and photograph the reflection so you can include the sky without having to get low to the ground. 

 

 

5. Get Close-Up

Don't just shoot the whole head, go really close and offset the stamen, placing it in on the left or right third intersection of the photo for a more pleasing balance. Your camera's macro function will help you get closer to the flowerhead or fit a macro lens if your camera uses interchangeable lenses.

 

6. All The Flowers 

If you have a large patch in your garden that's a blanket of yellow get out your wide-angle lens which will still let you get in close but with the added bonus of excellent depth-of-field. The flowers will appear smaller but the convergence will make them look like they're reaching out towards the edge of the frame.

 

7. Remove Shadows 

If it's sunny, consider shading the flower with your hand to reduce the contrast. The overall tone will be more even and longer shadows which can appear on the flower's head will be removed.

 

 

8. Small Apertures 

Focus can be a little tricky so use the smallest aperture you can to stop blur creeping into your image.

 

9. Arty Blur 

Alternatively, use a wider aperture so the back petals fall gradually out of focus, focusing on the tip of the petal nearest to your lens. 

 

10. Giant Softbox

Don't see cloud cover as a bad thing as a light covering of cloud will act as a giant softbox. 

 

 

 

11. Wind Is Not Your Friend

As well as creating backgrounds, a card can be used to shield your subject from the wind. If you have one, you can use a plamp to steady a flower. 

 

12. Water Droplets 

Spray the petals with water so that droplets appear making the petals look fresh and glowing. It'll also add another level of interest to your shot. 

 

13. Use A Reflector

Take a reflector out with you, particularly on dull days, so you can bounce extra light into your shot without having to use your flash. You can make your own reflector from silver foil if you don't own one.

 

14. Cuttings Inside

Take a cutting and place it on a different background for a more graphic result. 

 

 

15. Shoot From Under The Flower Head

Capture your shots from under the flower head, turning it into a strong silhouetted shape against a bright sky.  If you don't want it to appear as a silhouette use exposure compensation and expose one stopover what your camera considers to be correct to give your shots a creative twist without removing detail. 

 

16. Backlit Fun With Old Flowers

Don't throw out old flowers once they wilt. Wait until the head has gone crisp and photograph that against the sun to create backlit effects.

 

17. Creative Effects 

Play around with your shots to achieve various creative effects. This can be done in-camera via Art Filters or during post-production. 

 

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

- Partner Content - 

Lighten your load and go for a smaller format camera for travel. The Fujifilm X-T4 and OM System OM-5 Mark II are two very capable cameras and are available used for under £1000 from MPB.

 

Travel manifests itself in so many different forms, from a city break a few hours drive from home to safaris, adventure holidays and photo tours of exotic far flung lands. Such destination diversity means there’s no such thing as the perfect travel camera outfit because every trip and the photo opportunities they offer will be different. 

You have a good camera phone, but a decent camera gives a better, all-round user experience. So, our first stop is to consider compacts. If you want a truly pocketable, high-class machine, you could do worse than check out the APS-C format Ricoh GR series. The very latest model is the 25.7-megapixel GR IV which has an equivalent 28mm f/2.8 lens, five-axis image stabilisation and 5GB of internal storage. MPB has a stock of used models in excellent condition at £1039.

Skip back a generation to the Ricoh GR III and MPB has like new samples at £979. Its specs might be marginally less impressive than the GR IV, but it’s still a fine camera.

Slightly bigger and one for the shortlist is the Fujifilm X100V, another APS-C format camera. A like new model from MPB costs £1399 and for that you get 26 megapixels, 20fps burst rate shooting and a tilting monitor.

Travel light and invest in a quality compact camera such as the Ricoh GR IV (left) and Sony RX100 VII. These pocket-sized marvels are easy to use and capable of excellent images.

 

While fixed lens cameras are worth considering, you might prefer the flexibility of a zoom compact so check out models from Canon and Sony. MPB has the Canon PowerShot G9X II at £569. With 20.1 megapixels and a 3x optical 28-84mm equivalent zoom, this is a capable and pocket-sized camera. Add to your shortlist the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII, priced at £934 from MPB in like new condition and features include impressive AF skills and an equivalent 24-200mm zoom in full-frame.

Speaking of full frame, if you have the budget and want to make a statement, check out the classy Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX1R Mark II, available in excellent condition from MPB at £1709 but you can save money by opting for a good condition sample at £1439. With a fixed 35mm f/2. lens and 42.4 megapixels, this is a seriously good premier compact.

There’s no doubting the appeal of a good compact but for ultimate flexibility it doesn’t get any better than an interchangeable lens camera. 

DSLR type models remain popular and with the domination of mirrorless cameras, there’s great value to be had in this sector. That said, we’ll follow the market and look at mirrorless options allowing £1000 for the camera body and the same for a lens or two. 

 

A superzoom is ideal for walkaround photography and having less kit makes life easier on busy public transport too. Exposure was 1/125s at f/8 and ISO 400. Image Credit: Will Cheung.

 

For travel, looking at portable options makes sense and there are three formats to consider, Micro Four Thirds, APS-C and full-frame, so let’s explore the possibilities of picking a model to represent each format.

In Micro Four Thirds, we’ve gone for the OM-5 Mark II which sells for £979 body only from MPB in like new condition. It’s a very likeable camera rich in features including 30fps ProCapture, 7.5 stops of image stabilisation and 20 megapixels. Plus, there’s focus stacking, a Live ND filter and high-res shot mode, and all this in a petite weather-sealed body.

Next, we have the APS-C format and we have gone for the Fujifilm X-T4 at £969 from MPB in like new condition. This model boasts the 4th generation CMOS 4 X-Trans sensor with 26.1 megapixels, very good high ISO performance and the brand’s popular Film Simulation settings. 

 

If shooting nature is part of your travel trip, a macro lens or close focusing zoom needs to be part of your outfit but that means extra weight and space. Shot with a 100-500mm lens with an exposure of 1/500s at f/9 and ISO 400. Image Credit: Will Cheung.

 

For our sub-£1000 full-frame body, we chose the Canon EOS R6 which is priced at £999 from MPB. It’s a 20.1-megapixel camera with 8 stops of image stabilisation and Canon’s renowned Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system that delivers fast, pinpoint autofocusing.

Lens choice will be influenced by your travel plans. If nature is on the agenda, a long telephoto and possibly a macro lens will be on the shopping list. However, if you have a more general itinerary, keeping your lens outfit to manageable proportions makes perfect sense.

So, on one hand, you could go for three zooms, covering from ultra wide-angle to telephoto. In full-frame, this could mean a 14-35mm, 24-120mm and a 70-200mm, but the downsides are cost, a heavier bag and the need to switch lenses.

Squeezing in loads of focal lengths into a single lens is a great idea and in practice you get a decent level of optical performance. Shown here are the 24-240mm full-frame superzooms from Canon (left) and Sony.

 

Opting for a superzoom removes the jeopardy of lens swapping, saves time and is a more portable option. In the past, superzooms haven’t always had the best reputation and that’s simply because cramming so many focal lengths into a single entity means optical performance can be compromised. However, while superzooms still can’t match less wide-ranging zooms, the latest models are decent performers.

All three of our chosen bodies have the option of a superzoom. For the OM5 Mark II, the M.Zuiko Digital 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II is £303 from MPB so it comes well within our budget. In 35mm terms, this lens equates to 28-300mm so there’s plenty of range available. With some unused budget the option of a fast wide-angle prime appeals and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 at £274 from MPB is worth considering.

 

Superzooms give plenty of shooting flexibility without the inconvenience of swapping lenses. This was taken at the long end of a 24-240mm lens. Exposure was 1/60s at f/6.3 and ISO 400. Image Credit: Will Cheung.

 

In Fujifilm’s extensive range of X-lenses, the superzoom offering is the XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR which is 27-206mm equivalent in full-frame and is £444 from MPB. If you want more pull, the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS gives a full-frame equivalent of 24-450mm. MPB did not have stock at the time of writing, but what you can do is create an alert on the MPB website and you will be notified as soon as stock is available.

Finally, let’s look at a superzoom for the Canon EOS R6. Full-frame AF lenses for the EOS RF are not available from independent brands so we have to stick with Canon but there is a good option here, the RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM at £784 from MPB. It’s a sizable lens but is still more portable then two or three zooms making up the same range.

 

  News from MPB

Recent MPB news includes its announcement of its results for the financial year ending 31 March 2025. The headlines are positive with a 19% increase in Group Net Revenue with international markets up by 29%. 

To put some numbers on MPB’s 2025 performance, the business recirculated more than 564,000 items in used kit and hit one million unique customers globally which is double that of three years ago. Learn more about MPB’s results by clicking here.

MPB also brought news of the state of the camera market. Basically, the imaging kit market is growing, with camera shipments including DSLRs and mirrorless up by 6.6% year-on-year and lens volume up by about 3%. 

There’s really positive news in the compact camera market in 2025. About 26% of all new cameras shipped were compacts which represents a 49% year-on-year growth in terms of market value. Read more about this story here.

  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