Earthquake Halts Sony's Kumamoto Sensor Plant as Fujifilm and TSMC Evacuate
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan on July 28, forcing evacuations at three of the biggest names in image sensor production. Sony has since confirmed that production remains stopped at its largest sensor plant while it checks the site for damage.
13 Second-Shooter Mistakes That Get You Blacklisted
Second shooting is the most common on-ramp into professional wedding and event photography, and it runs almost entirely on trust. A lead photographer is handing you part of the most important day of a client's life, on their reputation, under their contract, for money the client paid them. Do it well and you get referrals, mentorship, repeat bookings, and a network that quietly vouches for you. Do it badly in the wrong way and something else happens: the lead does not just decline to rehire you, they warn every other photographer they know.
Four Lights, One Pocket: The Olight ArkPro EDC Flashlight Reviewed
The Olight ArkPro Ultra is a flat, pocketable everyday-carry flashlight that tries to do something most lights do not: put four different light sources in one slim body. Alongside the usual white flood and a longer-throwing white spot, it adds an ultraviolet output and a green laser. I have been carrying it as a daily light, and this review is about what that is actually like, not just what the box promises.
24 Hours in Paris with the Ricoh GR IIIx
Every corner of Paris feels familiar before you've even arrived, due to being photographed from every angle by countless travellers, tourists and photographers over the years. But in 24 hours wandering through the 7th arrondissement area with the Ricoh GR IIIx in my pocket, I realised that this camera is one that lets you disappear into the city. Small enough to carry all day, yet capable enough to handle whatever was in front of me, the GR IIIx changed not just how I photographed Paris, but how I experienced it.
Efrem Raimondi Taught Me That a Portrait Is Never About the Person In Front of the Camera
A few years ago, I got a friend request I didn't expect. It came from Efrem Raimondi. If you're not familiar with the name, you've almost certainly seen his work without knowing it. Raimondi was one of Italy's most respected portrait photographers, the man behind decades of images of Vasco Rossi, Italy's biggest rock star, as well as portraits of Monica Bellucci, Joe Strummer, Formula 1 driver-turned-handcyclist Alex Zanardi, Riccardo Muti, footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović, and even seven-time Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti.
Films Every Photographer Should See
The visual is cultivated through visions. It may seem like an oxymoron, but we often tend to overlook the importance of nurturing our ability to see. The perception of experience also stems from our cultural background. And if it's missing, we often fail to understand how to photograph.
About Stupid Attacks and Street Photography
A comment on an old post accused me of photographing only women, and rather than let it sit, I want to take it apart, because the accusation says far more about how people look at images than about how I make them. What follows is less a defense than an explanation of what I am actually doing when I raise the camera, and why the subject is rarely the point.
To provide context and for the sake of truth, I'm sharing the link to the article in question: 5 Reasons Why 35mm...
Why This Zoom Lens Replaced an Entire Prime Kit
One professional replaced nearly every prime lens in his kit with a single zoom, and after a couple of years, he'd buy it again the moment it broke. That kind of commitment to one piece of glass is rare, especially when the glass costs around $3,300.
Turn a Technically Fine Portrait Into a Standout With Masking Alone
A technically fine portrait sits on your screen. Nothing wrong with it, nothing exciting about it either, and that flat middle ground is exactly where most people stop editing.
A German Court Says an AI Comic Made From a Dog Photo Doesn't Infringe Copyright
A German appeals court has ruled that turning a copyrighted photograph into an AI-generated comic-style image does not automatically infringe the photographer's rights. The decision came out of a dispute over an underwater shot of a dog reaching for a red toy.
Apple Now Lets You Lease a Mac or iPad Instead of Buying It
Apple has launched a leasing program that lets you pay monthly for a Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Apple Watch and return or swap the device when the term ends. The program is backed by Klarna, runs only in the United States for now, and replaces the decade-old iPhone Upgrade Program.
Myth: Full Frame Is a Goal Every Photographer Should Be Working Toward
The way most photographers talk about sensor size gives the game away. There is a ladder in their heads. Phone at the bottom, then the little compacts, then Micro Four Thirds, then APS-C, then the promised land of full frame, and you climb it as you get more serious, upgrading rung by rung until you arrive. Buying a full frame body is treated as a graduation. You were an enthusiast on a crop sensor; now you are a real photographer.
How AI Is Repricing a Photographer’s Skills
AI is not replacing photographers equally. It is changing the market value of every skill the profession is built on, separating those that were tied to the camera from those that will matter even more.
Ordinary photographs were always replaceable. Labor just hid it. A competent landscape took skill, time, and equipment, and that effort was treated as value even when the image itself was interchangeable. The market paid for the labor, not the photograph.
Which Canon Zoom Wins for Wildlife: 100-500mm or 200-800mm?
Picking between two Canon telephoto zooms for wildlife comes down to a question that sounds simple and isn't: do you want more reach or better glass? One gives you 800mm in a package that's hard to match anywhere else, and the other gives you L-series quality with a wider low end.
A 12-20mm f/2.8 That Bends the Rules of Ultra Wide
A 12 to 20mm zoom range on a full frame camera pulls in a field of view most lenses can only dream of, and pairing that with a constant f/2.8 aperture opens doors for astrophotography and low-light work. Tamron built its new 12-20mm f/2.8 around exactly that combination, and it arrives with a shorter name and a longer feature list than the brand's older lenses.
The 85mm Portrait Lens Face-Off You Didn't Expect
A $275 lens outscoring an $850 one on nearly every practical count is the kind of result that changes how you shop for an 85mm portrait prime. The Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 S built its reputation on being a premium f/1.8 option, and now Viltrox is aiming straight at it with a smaller, cheaper alternative.
The Lighting Mistakes Hiding in Your Portraits
A photographer critiquing a stranger's early work is common enough, but here the images being torn apart turn out to be his own from 15 years ago. The fixes are the same ones any photographer can apply to their own portraits right now.
Myth: You Need f/2.8 Zoom Lenses to Turn Pro
Somewhere in the path from enthusiast to professional, most photographers absorb a belief they were never quite taught directly: that going pro means owning the holy trinity. A fast wide zoom, a 24-70mm f/2.8, and a 70-200mm f/2.8, all at that magic constant aperture, bought as a set, treated as the cost of admission. The gear becomes a credential. You are not a real professional until the trinity is in the bag.
Photography Marketing: What If Everything You Know Is Wrong?
A few weeks ago, I was preparing a talk about marketing for photographers when I found myself doing some math on my Instagram account. Like most photographers, I have made social media part of my weekly routine. I create content, respond to comments and messages, post recent work, and generally try to keep the account active. When I sat down and estimated how much time I spend on Instagram, I came up with roughly six hours a week. At first, that didn't feel particularly significant.