Trending Photography News and Reviews

The Rise and Fall of GoPro Explained

There was a time when GoPro was everywhere and doing everything, from action cameras, to drones, to 360 cameras. Heck, I even learned how to make 360 videos using a cage that held 6 GoPro Heros. It all seemed so promising until it wasn't. What happened?

Nikon's New 135mm f/1.8: Worth the Premium?

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens has sparked considerable attention for its high-end optics and build quality. It's an attractive choice, particularly if you specialize in portrait photography.

Review of the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex Video Tripod

SmallRig has joined forces with YouTuber Gene ‘Potato Jet’ Nagata, resulting in the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex video tripod. This hydraulic tripod can be set up in just a few seconds, making it perfect for situations where speed is of the essence. This is my honest review of this unique tripod.

Mastering Autofocus: Key Techniques for Sharper Photos

Great autofocus performance isn’t just about pressing a button. While modern cameras are advanced, they still need your help to lock onto a subject quickly and accurately. Small tweaks in your shooting technique can dramatically improve your results, especially when tracking fast-moving subjects.

There's More to Shutter Speed Than You Might Expect

Knowing what shutter speed does is vital for controlling your images. That’s not just how it affects exposure, but changing the shutter speed has a knock-on effect that can dramatically alter the look of a photo. Here’s an explanation and some exercises for you to try.

Is the Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 the Best All-in-One Lens for the Price?

If you need a lens that can cover a lot of ground without switching gear, the Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art might be what you’re looking for. With a constant f/2.8 aperture and a flexible focal range, it aims to be a one-lens solution for many types of shooting environments.

Find Clarity and Direction in Your Photography

Feeling stuck, unsure of what to shoot, is a common issue when you pick up your camera. It’s frustrating and can sap the joy out of photography if you let it linger too long.

Leofoto’s MT-04 Mini Tripod: The Best of the Tabletop Tripods?

When even a compact tripod is too large, photographers don’t have many options for supporting their gear outside of tabletop tripods. In that narrow market, the offerings can feel gimmicky or cheap. In contrast, Leofoto’s MT-04 brings their CNC-machined aluminum build quality and feature-rich ball head to the smallest total tripod package I’ve tried.

How the Canon RF 16-28mm Compares to the 15-35mm

A compact, lightweight wide angle zoom can change the way you shoot landscapes, travel, and even video. The Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 offers a versatile range while keeping things small and manageable. But does it hold up against Canon’s more expensive L series options?

A Simplified Workflow for Fine Art Photography

Fine art photography isn't just about capturing images; it’s equally about how you shape those images afterward. This type of editing transforms your work from ordinary captures into striking, artistic visuals that truly stand out.

Five Stages of Creativity

Photography is often misunderstood as merely a way to document reality, but in truth, it is an art form as complex and expressive as painting or sculpture. For me, photography is not just a technical process—it is a creative pursuit that requires both artistic vision and craftsmanship.

Simplify Your Photo Edits With Smarter Masking

Masking is one of those skills that can dramatically change how you edit your photos. Knowing how to manipulate masks effectively can save you a lot of frustration and improve your editing results, especially when the AI selections in Lightroom or Photoshop Camera Raw aren't quite perfect.

Easily Create Custom Lightroom Presets With ChatGPT

Artificial intelligence has rapidly expanded what you can do in photography, and now it's stepping into Lightroom presets. Creating custom presets that match the editing style of images you admire can be tricky, but using AI could make this process simpler and faster.

The Art of Creative Photography

Creating powerful photographs often comes down to how deeply you can enter a creative state during a shoot. This state, known as the photography flow state, can significantly improve the quality of your images by letting you focus entirely on composition, lighting, and storytelling elements without distraction.

The Landscape Photographer's Worst Enemy and Best Friend

In photography, as in life, the things we curse as impediments can sometimes turn out to be blessings in disguise. With careful observation, good timing, and a little luck, embracing this often challenging aspect of landscape photography can really raise the impact and emotional depth of your images.

Battle of the AI Portrait Editors: Aperty vs. Evoto

While tools like Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo are great Swiss Army knives for photographers, sometimes a more specialized tool is called for. In this artificial intelligence-driven age, two new tools on the block, Aperty and Evoto, leverage this technology and aim it squarely at portrait photographers. Which one is better?

My Favorite Luxury Camera Accessory: A Hawkesmill Strap

We like to buy ourselves little luxury indulgences once in a while that make us feel good—something as small as a fancy bar of Swiss chocolate, or maybe a new piece of jewelry or a designer shirt. So my thinking is, why not do that with camera accessories? It makes sense. After all, you’re likely to use your camera more than you’ll wear a shirt, and too much chocolate is bad for you. When I treated myself to my Leica Q2 Monochrom, I did just that. I bought the perfect luxury accessory for it: a Hawkesmill strap, proudly handmade in England.

This Slow Shutter Technique Is Worth Trying

If you want to improve your photography, experimenting with new techniques to achieve more creative and interesting results is the way to go. I did just that recently while out doing street photography by playing with a slow shutter speed while shooting handheld.

Why Breaking Into Photography Is Harder Than Ever

Photography is harder to break into than ever. The cost of living is up, gear is expensive, and opportunities often go to those with connections. If you’ve struggled to get a foothold in the industry, you’re not alone. Many talented creatives find themselves stuck, not because they lack skill or dedication, but because the system favors those with financial backing.

Transform Flat Photos With Simple Lightroom Masks

Editing a flat landscape photo to look engaging often feels tricky, especially when the lighting isn't ideal. Lightroom offers powerful tools to address this challenge, making dull scenes vibrant and engaging with careful masking techniques.

An Affordable Photoshop Alternative: Affinity Photo 2.0

Adobe recently raised the monthly price for its photography subscription again. For many, this raises questions about whether subscription-based software remains the smartest choice for editing photos.

The Change That Could Transform Your Photography

There are many opinions and pieces of guidance imparted to new photographers. Many show up regularly, like how you should “make” photos rather than “take” them. Some of this advice is helpful, while other pieces might crush your creativity. Following the advice to avoid one common technique may unintentionally stunt your growth without you even realizing it.

Why the Size of Your Prints Changes Everything

Photograph size shapes how your images are experienced and understood. It's not just about dimensions; it's about how people connect emotionally and physically with your work.

Soft, Warm, and Cinematic: Formatt Hitech Bloom Gold Diffusion Filter Review

Why would you need one? I wondered that a year ago, and now I’m obsessed with mist/diffusion filters. It happened when I started taking filmmaking seriously. I use very sharp modern lenses for my filming and photography and wasn’t happy with the crisp, sterile results I was getting. I wanted a more natural, organic feel. I’ve tested many kinds of mist/diffusion filters, and now I’ve finally found one I really love.

Mastering Color: A Photographer’s Guide

Mastering color can elevate your images from average to exceptional. Color adds complexity, emotion, and visual depth to your work, making it critical to grasp if you're serious about improving your photography.

Sigma’s New 300-600mm Lens Could Replace Your Prime

Sigma recently released the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports lens, and it has quickly gained attention for good reason. Professional sports and wildlife photography often demands top-tier lenses, usually prime optics around 600mm, but these come with steep price tags. Sigma's newest lens offers substantial savings, priced significantly lower than comparable prime lenses, while providing impressive zoom flexibility and performance.

Medium Format vs. Full Frame: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

Medium format cameras offer something that’s hard to match with other systems: incredible detail. If you’ve ever wondered how different medium format is compared to full frame, you’re not alone. Many people are curious whether the larger sensor is worth the extra cost or if they really need it for their style of photography.

Why Every Photographer Should Consider Licensing Their Work

Photography is often seen as an active profession—booking clients, traveling to locations, and spending hours editing images. But what if your past work could continue making money long after the shoot? That’s where licensing comes in.

How to Use Color Theory to Improve Your Photography

Color impacts your photography more than almost any other factor. It shapes the mood, guides the viewer's attention, and can determine whether your image resonates emotionally or feels disconnected.

Which Nikon Z Camera Should I Buy?

I must admit, I’m out of the loop when it comes to the latest Nikon Z bodies. I shot with Nikon cameras almost exclusively from 2005 to 2014, but then I sold all my kit and switched to Fujifilm. Ten years later, I’m mulling a return to Nikon, but which camera should I buy?

Ditch the Algorithm: Why Substack Is Perfect for Photographers

In an era dominated by social media algorithms and fleeting engagement, photographers often struggle to reach audiences in any meaningful way. With established social media platforms at saturation point, it’s become harder to reach the people who follow you, let alone new audiences.

Simple Lightroom Techniques That Transform Your Photos

Efficient editing in Lightroom or Camera Raw can significantly elevate the quality of your landscape photos without overwhelming you with complexity. Learning focused techniques helps you produce professional-level results consistently.

Is Failure the Secret to Better Photography?

As photographers, we plan our shoots. Anyone photographing outside will check weather, sunrise or sunset times, and try to understand anything else that might impact getting a good image. But do you ever plan to fail?

Which Nikon 50mm Lens Is Right for You?

The right lens can change the way your images look and feel. This comparison between the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 S and the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S breaks down what makes each option stand out for your shooting style.

In Defense of the Square Photograph

Are squares better? Come with me as we throw a fork in the photographic microwave and investigate why you shouldn't underestimate the 1:1 image format.

Ocean Photographer on a Budget? Get the Joby Sea Pal

As a travel photographer who has spent years chasing waves across the globe, finding the right water housing has always been a challenge. I’ve lugged around massive setups like AquaTech’s housings, which offer great protection but take up a ridiculous amount of space and weight in my bag. When I discovered the Joby Sea Pal, I was skeptical—could a lightweight, budget-friendly water housing really meet the demands of professional ocean photography? After months of testing it in various conditions with my iPhone 11 Pro Max, I can confidently say: yes, it can.

Review of the Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS

A 300mm lens with an aperture of f/2.8 is a wonderful lens. But it’s often large and heavy, or so it used to be. Although the diameter of the lens is unchanged, Sony managed to keep the weight within acceptable limits. It makes the FE 300mm GM OSS a great tool to work with.

Why and How to Make the Leap From Lightroom to DxO Photolab 8

Switching from Lightroom to another digital asset management and development tool can be daunting for photographers. There are very good reasons to, and DxO PhotoLab 8 is one of the most compelling options. Here’s why and how a Sony Ambassador made the switch.

Reblum: The Secret to Natural, High-Quality Portrait Retouching

Retouching is the one thing that takes time and is generally the most extensive part of any photo shoot for any portrait photographer. If we had more time, we could focus on doing what we love: creating more photographs, but retouching can take that time away. What if I told you that there is software that produces natural results, is easy to use, and saves time? Well, there is—it's Reblum.

JPEG vs Raw: Which Format Fits Your Workflow?

The debate about shooting in JPEG versus raw format is familiar territory for most who hold a camera. Understanding their differences isn't about deciding a winner, but rather about knowing which works better for your specific needs as you shoot and edit.