Photography News

A tripod isn’t just a mount for your camera—it directly affects image quality, efficiency, and workflow.

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Here are five podcasts you should be listening to right now. Hit play, grab your coffee, and get inspired. When I am walking or driving, I’ve got five that I always snare in my podcast catcher. You’ll love them no matter what kind of photography you do.

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Most of your photos will be bad. That’s not a failure; it’s the price of progress. Every missed focus, awkward composition, and flat exposure teaches something that can’t be learned from tutorials. The images that disappoint you are the ones that shape your instincts, and instincts are what separate mechanical shooters from real image makers.

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When you’re choosing between two cameras like the OM System OM-1 Mark II and the OM System OM-5 Mark II, the differences aren’t just about specs. It’s about how each body handles your rhythm, your pace, and the kind of moments you chase. These two share the same design language, but they live in slightly different worlds once you start shooting.

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In our busy modern lives, it is often complicated to find the time to shoot great autumnal images, considering the amount of research, walking and perseverance that is often involved. Big hitters like the New Forest and The Lake District are often out of reach for city dwellers, especially with a family in tow. So this coming autumn has a go at visiting an arboretum, as they make a brilliant and easy alternative, keeping the kids amused with throwing leaves at each other while you take some breathtaking opportunities to capture autumnal photography.

1. What kit is best?

When it comes to kit, fit a medium telephoto lens to your DSLR as it'll be particularly handy for capturing leaf and branch detail. Make sure you pocket your macro lens too. Don't forget your wellies when you visit an Arboretum as they do get a lot of visitors and the ground gets well-trodden.  

2. Why are arboretums so good as photographic locations?

Right, back to arboretums! As they are collections of trees from various continents, this can be just the ticket to an easy shoot. Horticultural planners include sensational visual displays to attract visitors in their thousands, to places like Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire to name one of the UK’s favourites. Yet it's not as simple as falling off a log, you need good sunshine and a well-timed visit to get the best from the colours and the day.

3. Any particularly stunning trees I should look out for?

There are two tree species to look out for - Maples and Acers. Most arboretums have these trees in their collection and they feature heavily in annual publicity shots (hence generating a huge car parking revenue each year, vital to the arboretum's upkeep). Westonbirt is not cheap to get in, but consider where this money is actually going.

4. What conditions are best?

It's best to wait for sunshine to give dimension to the trees, but if the day starts a bit flat and dull, all is not necessarily lost. Concentrate on staging some ideas, such as putting leaves on interesting textures or making arrangements of leaves themselves.

Also, try the good old zoom burst technique. Put an ND filter on the lens, set an aperture of f/16 and the ISO as low as possible. This should give a long shutter speed, maybe a few seconds. Set the camera's two-second timer, press the shutter and then zoom into the shot and create a wonderful vortex of colours. It's easy to do and is very effective.   

Fixed lens cameras have a strange pull. You might trade your bulky setup for something small and beautiful like a Fuji X100VI. You imagine freedom, simplicity, a creative rebirth. But the moment that initial rush fades, the results often don’t match what you expected. The photos look ordinary. The magic you saw in others’ work doesn’t appear in your own.

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A powerful image of a Red Deer stag appearing through the morning mist has won this week’s ‘Photo of the Week’ title. Captured by Tonyd3 and titled Golden Caller, the image shows the stag mid-call, its breath visible in the golden light.

The light that cuts through the mist adds depth and atmosphere, while the backlighting defines the shape of his horns against the glowing sky. The image presents a dramatic scene, and the precise timing and control of light demonstrate real photographic skill.

Every Photo of the Week (POTW) winner will be rewarded with a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, providing top-tier storage for all your creative needs across multiple devices. But that's not all! In January 2026, we’ll crown our 2025 Photo of the Year winner, who will take home the ultimate prize of a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield, courtesy of Samsung. It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards!

Fuji’s 40-megapixel bodies expose which portrait lenses can actually hang at high pixel density. A fast 56mm that stays sharp at f/1.2 changes what you can shoot in bad light and how cleanly you can separate a subject from chaos.

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The self-timer feature is something which is available on most camera models and it's a shutter delay that when activated, stops the shutter from firing and taking the picture when the shutter button or release is pressed for a designated amount of time. This delay is useful for a number of reasons which are listed below. 

 

1. Close-Up Work

The other advantage of having a timer is to save you having to use a cable release when the camera is mounted on a tripod or resting on a secure base. You set the timer and the delay means there's no hand contact that could potentially cause camera shake when the shutter is pressed. The 10-second delay is not really necessary for this, so that's where the shorter delays come in handy.

 

 

2. Self Portraits And Group Shots

The idea is you can take self-portraits without having to be seen stretched out as you fire the camera at arms' length. All you do is activate the timer, press the shutter release and move in front of the camera, strike a pose - all within the timer's limit - and then you'll be the focus of your photo.

It can also be used to ensure you're in a family or group shot. You can arrange a small or larger group of people and allow space for yourself, activate the timer and move into the shot. This saves you having to give the camera to the waiter or tourist to take the photo, preventing an embarrassment or even potential theft!

 

3. Low Light Photography 

As with close-up work, your camera's self-timer can be used to reduce the chances of camera shake spoiling your shots when working in low light. At this time of year, your self-timer will be useful in dark woodland where you may be photographing close-ups of fungi. Again, you won't need a really long delay, a couple of seconds will be fine. 

 

 

4. Check Your Focus

There are a few things to do to help improve your photos when using the self-timer. The first is ensuring accurate focus. If you're doing a self-portrait you won't be in the photo when you press the shutter and as a result, the picture could end up blurry as the camera could lock focus on the background. One way around this is to point the camera at something that is at the same distance that you will be when the photo is taken. Press the shutter release and recompose before running in front of the camera. In a group shot this is easy - make sure you either focus on a person to the side if you're going to be in the centre or focus on the centre person and join the group at the edge.

 

5. Check The Edges Of The Frame

The other thing to avoid is a table edge being in the frame when you are taking a group shot in a restaurant or bar and decide to use a nearby table as support. The camera, when set to wide-angle, may pick up an edge of the support. Move the camera so it's right at the edge of the table, making sure it's balanced well and cannot fall off!

Another problem you may be faced with when resting the camera on a flat surface is that the height may not be right when you look through the viewfinder and often the heads or feet of your group will be cut off. If this happens, try and angle the camera so all of your group is in the shot.

 

The beauty of this time of year is that the sun rises at a more reasonable hour so an early morning jaunt to the woods isn't as painful as it was a few weeks ago. To top this already good news off, the chances of you finding mist circling around the trees is a lot higher at this time of year and when you mix this with your rising sun, you have the chance to capture strong beams of light as they burst through the trees.

 

1. Hope The Mist Is Right

You have to have the right type of mist for this - too thick and you won't be able to see the end of your nose let alone a sunbeam but if it's too thin there won't be enough moisture in the air for the light to reflect off. Read up on fog and mist techniques to become an expert at dealing with it. 

 

2. Take A Good Look At The Trees

It can be a little hit and miss but when the right density of mist does appear, you'll be able to capture some cracking shots as long as you have the right number of trees. Too many and you'll have broken, uneven patches of light but if there's too few the light will flood the open spaces leaving you with plenty of light but no beams. Your best bet is to quickly move to several locations to judge what looks the best before setting up camp. We say move quickly as the mist can vanish and the light can change quickly.

This also means you need to work quickly so do be familiar with your camera's controls and how you can adjust apertures etc. quickly to maximise your opportunities. Some cameras have dedicated dials you can assign specific controls to or offer ways you can access a particular setting more quickly.    3. Position Yourself In The Right Place For this to work properly you need to be shooting into the sun. Of course, this means you could have problems with flare but if you position yourself so the sun's hidden by a tree or foliage the light won't be as bright.
  4. Metering Tips

Metering is another tricky subject when you're working with direct sunlight and shadowy areas you don't want to lose too much detail in. To keep as much detail as possible don't meter from the direction of the sun instead, pick an area away from the light then compose your shot.

Image Credit: Tittu Shaji Thomas/tpoty.com

 

• Deadline approaching — enter by October 13, 2025
• £10,000 cash prize package
• NEW - a 7-day cultural journey in Sri Lanka courtesy of Visit Sri Lanka and Jetwing Hotels
• NEW - 5 Rising Talent winners to experience an exclusive international mentorship in Sri Lanka, including with some of the nation’s leading wildlife photographers 
• NEW - Travel Image of the Year automatically selected from all entries
• Free 30-day trial of Radiant Photo software for all entrants — approved within competition rules

 

The Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards — widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious travel photography award — are issuing their final call for entries. Now in its 23rd year, TPOTY is a showcase for the very best in travel imagery, attracting entries from more than 158 countries and producing winners representing 57 nationalities for both established and emerging photographers.

 

What sets TPOTY apart:

• A truly global stage — with photographers from every continent represented
• Run by photographers, for photographers, with copyright fully protected
• World-class judging by leading photographers, editors, and industry experts
• A platform that has launched careers, with winning work published in leading international outlets and exhibited around the world

 

Prizes with Impact

This year’s overall Travel Photographer of the Year will receive:

• A significant cash award
• A once-in-a-lifetime 7-day trip to Sri Lanka, supported by Visit Sri Lanka and Jetwing Hotels
• An exclusive portfolio review with a top New York agent

The overall winner is chosen from the portfolio category entries.

 

Image Credit: Roie Galitz/tpoty.com

 

Calling all amateur and semi-pro photographers

In addition, five winners of the Rising Talent category will take part in a mentorship program in Sri Lanka, guided by two of the nation’s leading wildlife photographers, thanks to the generous support of Visit Sri Lanka and Jetwing Hotels.

 

Create impact with your images

To help all entrants prepare and use software which is not AI, sponsor Radiant Photo is offering every participant a 30-day free trial of its image editing software (link on TPOTY website), with all winners receiving a lifetime license. Radiant Photo uses non-generative AI and fully permitted under TPOTY’s competition rules.

 

Categories

Travel embraces many genres so TPOTY showcases the best in contemporary colour and B&W photography in wildlife, culture, landscapes, portraits, climate, adventures, video, and young talent, with awards for both portfolios and single images. Entry is open to everyone and worldwide — whether you’re a seasoned professional or a first-time explorer.

 

Chris Coe, TPOTY Founder, said: “Each year TPOTY reveals new perspectives from every corner of the world. These photographs aren’t just images — they’re invitations to step into someone else’s world.”

Past winner Athanasios Maloukos (Greece) said: “After winning TPOTY, my images were published in 111 publications worldwide. The recognition transformed my career.”

Deadline: October 13, 2025

Entries close soon. Don’t miss your chance to take your place on the world stage.

Enter now!

No photographer wants to hear that their expensive camera has a fundamental flaw. But some of the most catastrophic product failures in camera history, whether formal recalls or de facto recalls that forced official corrections, led to industry-wide improvements that benefit every photographer today. These weren't just embarrassing product failures. They were watershed moments that forced manufacturers to completely rethink quality control, accelerate innovation, and take customer complaints seriously rather than dismissing them as user error.

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Let’s discuss the essential discipline and habits required for successful wildlife photography, as highlighted by expert photographer Mark Dumbleton. These habits of highly effective wildlife photographers are advanced photographic techniques that elevate your imagery beyond basic settings and equipment.

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Today I'd like to share a story of why more isn't always more.

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Beautiful portraits don’t depend on expensive gear. The right light, color, and idea can transform a simple setup into something striking. Irene Rudnyk proves that in this lilac-inspired shoot, using gear that’s within reach for anyone who wants professional results without spending thousands. The focus here isn’t on specs but on how to use what you have to make images that stand out.

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A small shift in tone and light can completely change how a subject draws the eye. When your background competes with your main focus, the story of your photo loses strength. This tutorial shows how a few careful Lightroom moves can restore that clarity, making your subject stand out without looking artificial.

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Two cameras with very different ambitions are compared head to head: the Fujifilm GFX100RF and the Fujifilm X100VI. You’ll see whether extreme resolution and a bigger sensor change your results when you actually walk around and shoot.

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The Leica M11 carries a reputation that makes people stop and stare. It’s more than a camera: it’s a statement, both in form and price. But beyond its polished brass and minimalist design lies a question that matters deeply to anyone serious about image-making: does shooting with a rangefinder actually change how you see?

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  As photographers, when we think of mood, we think of stormy, dark and dramatic, but mood can equally relate to any lighting type that evokes a feeling. Photographically then, mood can readily be associated with weather conditions – calm and misty mornings, dramatic cloudy days with sunbeams and often, the most dramatic mood can be obtained on those days you might think offer less promise – as it only takes a break in stormy clouds to give a magnificent, moody image.

 

How To Capture Mood In Your Images

To capture dark and dramatic mood successfully, be prepared to wait for breaks in the weather, sometimes you just have to sit out the rainy spells – in the car if you're lucky; but when the weather breaks you can be rewarded with a few minutes really exciting lighting.

When the light does come, be prepared to work quickly. Good lighting doesn't wait for the photographer, and often its over just as quickly as it arrived, so think in advance whether you are going to need a graduated ND filter, or if you need to bracket the shot to put together an HDR (High Dynamic Range) picture. Don't wait for the light before considering that you need a filter or need to bracket exposures to cope with the contrast range, as when the light's gone – it's gone. Checking your histogram after the event to find that your exposure is wrong it's too late – you can't bring it back.

For misty, early morning moody images, again the weather forecast is an essential pre-planner – there is no point sleeping in to find that you've just missed a delicate, moody sunrise. Similarly, there is little point getting up early to find the weather isn't ideal.

The key to capturing mood is to pick the right day and location – as is all landscape photography, but the real secret is to be fully prepared for when the "mood" arrives.

Esquisse Camera is developing a premium, ultra-compact digital camera designed to be carried everywhere and used often. It combines a large Four Thirds sensor with a durable, all-metal body, intuitive manual controls, and compatibility with the Micro Four Thirds lens system.

This camera is small enough to fit in a coat pocket and light enough to bring along without a second thought. Built for photographers who value simplicity, quality, and portability, the Esquisse Camera offers an alternative to the bulky and complex systems that are often left behind.

Specifications are targets and may evolve during development.

 

Key Features

 

Simple Controls

The Esquisse Camera features physical dials for ISO and exposure compensation, a clickable control wheel, two customizable function buttons, and a responsive touchscreen. All essential settings are within reach, so photographers can stay focused on the image.

 

Durable Build

Each camera body is milled from a single block of aluminum for strength and longevity. The clean, modern design is accented with fine leather for comfort and grip. It is dust and splash resistant.

 

Designed for Portability

Measuring just 105 × 70 × 35 mm and weighing under 350 grams, the Esquisse Camera is smaller than a deck of cards. It is made to be carried all day, every day.

 

Excellent Image Quality

A 20MP+ Four Thirds sensor delivers strong low-light performance and wide dynamic range. The camera is designed for compatibility with Micro Four Thirds lenses, including autofocus support, giving photographers access to a large selection of high-quality, compact lenses.

Technical Specifications (Targeted)

 

Category Item Intended specifications Sensor & Image Quality

Sensor Type

ISO Range

Autofocus

Dynamic Range

20MP+ Four Thirds CMOS

200 - 25,600

Multi-point AF System

13 stops

Physical & Connectivity

Dimensions

Weight

Battery Life

Connectivity

105 × 70 × 35 mm

350g (body only)

300+ shots

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C

Display & Controls

Rear Screen

Viewfinder

Control Layout

 

Weather Sealing

3" touchscreen

3.69M-dot OLED EVF

ISO and exposure compensation dials, clickable wheel at the back, 2 function buttons

Dust and splash resistant

Storage & Mount

Storage

Lens Mount

Lens Compatibility

Body Material

256 GB Internal Storage

Micro Four Thirds

All MFT lenses with full AF support

All aluminum unibody

 

Specifications may change during development.

 

Price and Availability

 

The Esquisse Camera is expected to retail between $1,500 and $2,000 USD (or local equivalent). It is currently in development, with the first production units scheduled for delivery in late 2026.

For more information, please visit the Esquisse Camera website.