Photography News

Before the "Big Two" dominated professional photography, there was a "Big Five." Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, and Minolta all competed for market share in the film era, and among them, Minolta wasn't just a player. They were arguably the most innovative of the entire pack.

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Wedding photography looks crowded, stressful, and hard to break into, especially if you are trying to turn it into a full-time income. In this video, a seasoned pro argues that most of the pressure disappears once you treat weddings like a repeatable business and workflow instead of a one-off creative gamble.

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Canon is pushing its mid-tier hybrid line hard, and the EOS R6 Mark III is where that strategy becomes very real. If you shoot portraits, events, or weddings and want one body that can track eyes at high speed while still offering serious video options, this one sits in a very specific sweet spot.

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Tilt-shift lenses are one of the most direct ways to control perspective instead of fixing it later on a screen. If you ever point a camera at a building and hate how it seems to fall backward, this is the type of tool that changes how you work.

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When your wildlife images all start to look the same, it usually comes down to a few habits you repeat without noticing. Breaking those habits matters if you want your time in the bush to produce more than documentary shots of animals.

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As we're heading towards the time when we climb up into the loft to drag out the Christmas decorations and lights, we thought we'd show you how you can add interest to portraits with the help of a few Christmas lights. This technique can also be used outdoors at night with street lights or cafe lights etc. You just need to get the lighting right on your subject.

Bokeh Christmas light shots are popular and rightly so as this technique can help you create some really beautiful indoor portraits. It can take a little experimentation but as you don't need much kit or props, it's a technique everyone can have a go at and it's a lot of fun!

Any camera where you can control the aperture will be fine for this technique, however a camera with a bright aperture, say a f/1.4 - f/2.0 compact camera would be ideal. If you use a mirrorless or Digital SLR it should be easier to achieve the effect.

The brighter the lens you're using the more impressive the effect should be, making a lens and the larger the sensor the greater the effect will be too.

Your Christmas lights need to be placed on or against a dark background and you need to position your subject or model as far away from the background as possible, while still keeping the lights in the background.

To keep the black background as dark as possible, switch off your room lights and use a smaller, portable light to ensure your subject is correctly illuminated. We didn't use the studio flash for this, instead we just used the prop lighting, but any lighting should be suitable, and incandescent lighting will give the subject a warm feel.

 

Make sure you position the model light towards your subject at an angle, so as to not throw any light from this front light onto the background area.

Occasionally the lights in the background (if bright) can confuse the camera and cause it to under-expose the subject, so it's important to try and get the foreground lighting nicely balanced.

You may need to be careful with white balance settings, so shooting in RAW will help if you have any problems or you could use a grey card and manually set white balance based on the model's lighting. We used a white card to manually set the white balance, with the model holding the card in front of her face where the strongest lighting was.

You need to use your lens at its widest aperture to focus on the subject or model and keep the Christmas lights as far away as possible for increased blur / bokeh effect in the lights.

Keep the model or subject closer to the camera and adjust your framing depending on where you want the lights and the subject to be lined up / arranged. The closer the subject to the camera, the closer the focus distance is, and the more the camera and lens will throw the background out of focus (see the example below). â€‹

You can alter the shapes of the Christmas lights with Bokeh kits or you can use black card and a pair of scissors to change the shapes that appear. You need to decide on a shape, cut it out of the card then fasten the card around your lens like you would a lens hood.

Different lenses will give different effects as well, for example you could use an old lens with an adapter on an SLR to see what different lenses do.

   

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

 

14–17 January 2026 • Novotel London West, Hammersmith

Trade Show 15–17 January – FREE ENTRY

The UK’s most exciting photography Convention is back — bigger, bolder and packed with more inspiration, education and industry powerhouses than ever before.

 

The 2026 London Photo Convention & Trade Show brings thousands of photographers together under one roof for four days of hands-on learning, live demos, exclusive deals, and world-class speakers. If you’re serious about your photography — this is where you need to be.

FREE Trade Show: 15–17 January — Meet the Biggest Brands in Photography

Get ready for three electric days on the Trade Show floor, with leading camera and lighting brands showcasing their latest kit. Expect:

• Hands-on access to the newest cameras & lenses
• Live demonstrations from top pros
• Expert advice from manufacturers
• Show-only offers and exclusive discounts
• Retailers showcasing must-have accessories

Whether you're upgrading, testing, comparing or just curious — the Trade Show is 100% free to attend and absolutely packed.

 

 

Over 200 Hours of Training with Masterclasses & Superclasses

If you're hungry to learn, the Convention’s education programme is unmatched.

Masterclasses

Dive into a huge lineup of practical, inspiring and business-boosting sessions covering:

• Portraits • Weddings • Lighting
• Wildlife • Macro • Post-production
• Creative storytelling • Branding
• Business growth for photographers

Top photographers, award-winning educators and industry leaders share the techniques and insights that elevate your photography fast.

Superclasses

Want hands-on training with the best in the business?

The Superclasses deliver small-group, practical workshops with some of the most respected names in the industry. Limited spaces — these sell out fast every single year.

 

 

The Photography Event You Simply Can’t Afford to Miss

If you want to improve your skills, grow your business, network with other creatives and immerse yourself in the world of photography — this is your event.

 

Join thousands of photographers for the ultimate start to 2026. 14–17 January • London Trade Show FREE Masterclass Passes & Superclasses available now

 

Book your tickets now!

 

Photography isn’t being replaced by algorithms, but by its own predictability. Spend a day watching how most professionals shoot, and you’ll see the real issue: automation isn’t coming—it’s already in their hands. Even the safest niches are already changing because curiosity has been replaced by habit. Photography doesn’t need protection from the future; it needs a clear look at what it has already turned into.

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The intent of this small zoom lens seems very clear, that is, a compact form factor that is ideal for travelling light, yet with no compromise on image quality. It sits well on the new compact Fujifilm X-T30 III camera body, offering a very significant move upwards from smartphones. Versatility in a compact form. Aiming at beginners, although obviously perfectly usable as a compact alternative for more experienced photographers and videographers,  it all looks the part but will the lens deliver the quality that it aspires to? We couple it up with the 26.1MP X-T30 III to test its mettle and find out.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Handling and Features

The lens is indeed very light, weighing in at just 125g, measured without caps. No hood is provided, but the 49mm filter thread affords the means to attach one if desired. This is always a good idea, not only to protect from flare but also to add some protection against impact to the front of the lens. 

It is physically small, especially when retracted for carrying or storage,  measuring 61.9mm x 37.5mm. If we forget to extend the lens ready for use, the camera will display a message to remind us. Set at 13mm, the measurements are 61.9mm x 55.6mm. Set to 33mm, this becomes 61.9mm x 57.2mm, still extremely compact.

 

 

13-33mm is on the face of it, an unusual choice of focal lengths, but makes perfect sense when we see the “35mm-format equivalent” becomes 20-50mm. In terms of field of view, this is an ultra-wide to standard lens.

There are a few controls, just the manual focus ring followed by the wider zoom ring. Focal lengths of 13mm, 16mm, 23mm and 33mm are clearly marked and are close to the actual values. The Fuji X mount is plastic, which is fine with such a light lens and should be expected to give good service. The fit is certainly smooth and positive.

AF is fast, accurate and virtually silent. Focusing is down to 20cm, giving a maximum magnification of 0.25x (1:4) at 33mm. This is usefully close, not quite to macro distances but nonetheless very practical and versatile. It is also useful that the closest focusing is available at the longest focal length, allowing more space for lighting and also ensuring the front element is not almost touching the subject.

 

 

Optical construction is 10 elements in 9 groups, including 4 Aspherical and 3 ED (Extra Low Dispersion). The lens diagram on the Fuji website seems to indicate that in reality, this is 3 aspherical, 2 ED and one Aspherical ED. Pedantry aside, the important thing is how this relates to image quality, and we shall see the details of this below. To aid bokeh, there are 9 blades to the diaphragm, helping to create a rounded aperture opening.

One missing feature is WR (Weather Resistance), which is a pity, but this is a low cost XC lens and that is part of the trade off against cost. There is a shake reduction in the form of optical OIS, and the quoted benefit is 4 stops. This is not as spectacular as some, but still very useful. One interesting point, found out by this reviewer the hard way, is that the instruction book tells us to switch OIS off when using a tripod. Very often with newer cameras/lenses, this makes no difference whatsoever, but in this case they really mean it. Having shot all the resolution shots once, it was obvious that it all had to be done again with OIS switched off.

Having learned that reading and believing the instructions might be a Good Idea, in all other respects, the time spent with this lens was extremely enjoyable and totally hazard free. It works exactly as expected, reliably and smoothly. Now let's see how this translates into the technical performance.

 

 

Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR Performance

At 13mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/3.5 right through to f/11, very good at f/16 and just fair at f/22 as diffraction really bites. The edges are less sharp, but still very good from f/3.5 to f/5.6, good at f/8 and f/11 and fair at f/16 and f/22.

At 16mm, central sharpness is outstanding from f/3.9 to f/8, excellent at f/11, very good at f/16 and good at f/22. The edges lag behind, but are good at f/3.9, very good from f/4.5 to f/8, good at f/11 and fair at f/16 and f/22.

At 33mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/6.3 to f/11, very good at f/16 and fair at f/22. The edges are good at f/6.3, very good at f/8 and f/11, good at f/16 and fair at f/22. 

The performance is geared very much towards the centre of the field, but if middle apertures are used, then there is plenty of sharpness centre to edge and images look crisp.

Distortion is almost perfectly rectilinear, measuring just -0.84% barrel at 13mm, -0.26% barrel at 16mm and -0.12% barrel at 50mm. It is almost certain that this is achieved by using the camera and lens in combination and applying suitable correction, but what matters is the end result and the end result is very impressive.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS MTF Charts Previous Next

How to read our MTF charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.

For this review, the lens was tested on a X-T30 III body using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses?

 

CA is very well controlled, especially at the centre. There is a bit of a peak at the edges, wide open at 33mm, but otherwise it is unlikely that further correction will be needed.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Chromatic Aberration Charts Previous Next

How to read our CA charts

Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a X-T30 III body using Imatest.

 

Bokeh is pleasant, very acceptable but not exceptional. Busy backgrounds could perhaps be rendered a bit more smoothly than they are. For some subjects, this may not matter too much.

Flare is minimal, even with bright light sources in frame, despite the lack of a hood. 

Vignetting is impressively low and visually not intrusive. At 33mm, it is close to zero.

 

Aperture 13mm 16mm 33mm f/3.5 -0.9     f/3.9   -1.2   f/4 -0.9     f/4.5   -1.1   f/5.6 -0.7 -1   f/6.3     -0.3 f/8 -0.6 -1 -0.3 f/11 -0.6 -1 -0.3 f/16 -0.6 -0.9 -0.3 f/22 -0.5 -0.9 -0.3

 

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Sample Photos Previous Next

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Aperture range Previous Next

You can view additional images in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own reviews, photos and product ratings.

 

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Value For Money

The [AMUK]Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS|Fujifilm+Fujinon+XC+13-33mm+f/3.5-6.3+OIS[/AMUK] lens is priced at £329, which is excellent value. If bought as part of the X-T30 III camera kit (£999), then the effective price for the lens is just £170, an absolute bargain.

There is no direct alternative for Fuji X mount, but a number of prime lenses do exist, mostly fast optics with much higher price tags. A few stand out as a means of establishing the price point:

• [AMUK]Fujifilm XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ|Fujifilm+XC+15-45mm+f/3.5-5.6+OIS+PZ[/AMUK], £239
• [AMUK]Fujifilm XC 35mm f/2|Fujifilm+XC+35mm+f/2[/AMUK], £159
• [AMUK]Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO|Laowa+Argus+33mm+f/0.95+CF+APO[/AMUK], £439
• [AMUK]Samyang AF 12mm f/2|Samyang+AF+12mm+f/2[/AMUK], £339

The new lens is pitched at a very fair price, and becomes a no-brainer, a real bargain when included with the X-T30 III body.

 

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Verdict

If we want or need to travel light, but without compromising on quality, then the Fujifilm XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS lens could be just perfect for the job. It is light, compact, fast and reliable in operation, easy to handle, and stretches the wide end of the zoom range to a very useful 13mm (20mm equivalent). OK, it's not perfect, edge sharpness does lag behind central sharpness. Even so, this is partly because the centre is pretty much universally excellent or even outstanding, so what might be considered a very high edge performance is somewhat eclipsed. Overall, images look crisp edge to edge, so in the real world where we are not constantly pixel-peeping, it is very satisfactory.

Probably the biggest negative for me is the lack of weather resistance, but then those who are routinely shooting images in sunnier climes than the UK will probably not see that as a problem.

Considering the aim of the X-T30 III with this new lens is a beginner's kit, then  it is hard to find fault with this super little lens, which as a result is Highly Recommended.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Pros

• Excellent to outstanding central sharpness
• Very low CA
• Modest vignetting
• Close focusing
• 4 stops OIS
• Low distortion
• Keenly priced
• Compact and light

Fujifilm Fujinon XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS Cons

• No weather resistance
• No hood provided as standard

 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=4|R_handling=5|R_performance=4|R_value=4.5|R_overall=4.5|A_level=4.5|A_text=Highly Recommended – A versatile, compact ultra-wide to standard zoom that performs well at a very keen price level.|E_id=8027[/REVIEW_FOOTER]

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Anthropics Technology is giving ePHOTOzine members the chance to save on the new PortraitPro 24.

Enhance your portrait work for pro-style portraits with new features:

 

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• New gender and age detector
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Improved Workflow:

• Seamlessly switch between faces in group shots.
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• (Exclusive to Studio Max) Apply multiple presets to each picture.

 

 

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See Anthropics Bundles for further savings. Code BFEZ30 is valid on any Anthropics software including PortraitPro, PortraitPro Body, LandscapePro, and Smart Photo Editor, or Bundles.

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Not so long ago, a 40mm prime lens was an uncommon sight. When selecting a standard focal length prime lens, the choice was 35mm or 50mm. So why are we seeing so many 40mm primes now? And more importantly, why would we need one?

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As the leaves turn colour and fall off the trees they present us with another photographic opportunity to shoot autumn themed images in a very different way. The technique we're talking about is freezing colourful leaves and photographing the ice block.

By freezing whole leaves in a pan of water you'll not only have colourful photography, but interesting and unique ice patterns to photograph too.
 

 

It's best to do this technique outside if you can as the light's better, they'll be less cleaning up and there isn't electrical equipment to fry as there is in a studio!

Kit wise, you'll need a macro lens on the front of your camera so you can get in close to the cracks that spread over the colourful leaf textures in the ice. You can leave the tripod inside, but make sure you have a reflector handy as it will help direct light into the dark areas the sun can not reach.
 

How to make a leaf ice block Place your leaf, vibrant autumn colours work the best, face down in the container, add water and put it in the freezer. If you can, pick leaves with splayed tips so light can shine through them. After about 30-40 minutes check your container as the leaves may have floated to the surface and moved position. Once it's frozen take the container outside and start shooting.   Make a support for your ice block

If you have something that can support your ice block so light can shine through it – great. If not, freeze it in a clear container and place it on a light coloured surface. Shallow containers work the best as you only need a few inches of water for this to work. You may also find coloured paper/card useful to add a punch of colour to the background of the image.

 

Camera settings

 

Small apertures, around f/22, will give you great depth-of-field so you'll be able to shoot patterns right through the ice. Check your camera's meter reading and if needs be spot meter from the leaf so the camera doesn't get confused from the light shining off the ice. Look for interesting designs, areas where air bubbles have gathered and unusual shapes that cut across the colourful leaf.

As it will take a while for the ice to melt, head back inside, put the kettle on and come back out to the ice every half an hour or so to snap the frozen air bubbles and water as it melts.   

 

You've got $1,000 saved. You're on B&H, late at night, your credit card within arm's reach. Your cart has that shiny new f/1.4 prime lens sitting in it. You know the one. You've watched 10 YouTube reviews. You've pixel-peeped the sample images. You can already imagine the creamy bokeh, the low-light performance, the look it will give your photos. That characteristic rendering everyone talks about in the forums. You are one click away from that hit of dopamine, that feeling of a fresh start, the promise that this piece of glass will finally unlock your creative potential.

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If you spend hours in Lightroom Classic, every extra click adds up. Tightening your workflow means more time out shooting and less time stuck at a desk.

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Nailing a dramatic close-up in the studio and then watching it fall apart the second you zoom out to a full-length frame is frustrating. You get harsh falloff on the legs, dead backgrounds, and a look that feels accidental instead of controlled. Here's how to fix that.

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Choosing a standard zoom in the $1,300 range quietly decides how your everyday kit feels in your hand and how long you can stay fresh on a long shoot. When you put a compact 24–50mm against a heavier 24–70mm, you are really choosing how you want to move, react, and work.

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Usage fees are one of the easiest ways to undercharge on commercial jobs without realizing it. When a small local client pays the same rate for images as a national brand running a big campaign, you leave serious money on the table and take on huge responsibility for a fraction of its value.

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Flat-looking images usually are not about the camera or lens at all. They come from choices about light, contrast, and viewpoint that quietly cancel any sense of depth.

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Photo by Joshua Waller

Working with just one light, or indeed natural light at dusk, is a great way to create moody portraits that can be full of character. It's a perfect technique for shooting subjects who are a little older as low light can really exaggerate lines and wrinkles but don't let this put you off photographing low light portraits of younger members of your family. Shots of kids converted to black and white or shots of women in candlelight can be really atmospheric. Just remember to have your tripod to hand as you'll be using long exposure you won't be able to hand-held without it looking like you took your shot in the middle of an earthquake.

 

Photo by Joshua Waller

If I need to use a light, which kind should I go for?

When it comes to picking a light source a studio flash is always an option but if you're working from home try using a torch, light from a window or a table lamp to add a little light to your scene. If you find the light's a little too harsh, try moving your subject further away from it or if you're using a window, diffuse the light with material such as muslin or parchment paper. If you're using flash try fitting a softbox or use barn doors to direct the light to where you want it to be.

Having the light to one side of your subject will mean one side of their face will be really bright while the other's hidden in shadow. For something less dramatic use a reflector to bounce light into your shot, adding detail where it was originally lost. If you want to add more light move the reflector closer to your subject and experiment with different reflector shades to change the colour balance of the light. To create really strong shadows try positioning your light source under your subject. Just be warned that this won't work with everyone!

One final note: Don't take your exposure reading from the dark part of your set-up as this will cause the lighter parts of the image to appear overexposed.
 

Photo by Joshua Waller

   

The times when you had to buy a new camera to take your photography to the next level are long gone. Cameras haven't been a limiting factor for most genres of photography for many years now. Other types of equipment are much more critical.

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