Photography is more accessible than ever before, with a plethora of cameras and lenses available and affordable. So, I decided to figure out what the best setup I could build with a maximum budget of $500 was.

The holiday season, and the rash of sales that goes with it, always inspires a simple question: “what purchases would make an improvement to my photography business?” But, the more pertinent question, far less often asked, is: “do I really need to make any purchases at all?”

No doubt, healthcare workers are the frontline heroes who deserve recognition for their sacrifices. To honor their dedication, Hasselblad created an extensive piece depicting the struggles experienced.

Having reviewed more than 35 50mm lenses over the last decade, Christopher Frost can make a strong claim in being able to judge which lens is the sharpest. Here’s his run down of the seven best 50mm lenses, with a few APS-C honorable mentions along the way.

After we've bought all the important pieces of kit we need for landscape photography — a camera and tripod — there are other not so obvious things we pick up along the way when we realize we almost can't do without in certain situations. This video takes a look at some of the cheap and useful things that one of the world's best landscape photographers packs in his bag.

Sigma's Art series of lenses has matured into a very comprehensive and capable line, allowing the company to also add some more unique offerings, such as the 40mm f/1.4 Art. Today only, you can take $500 off that lens.

If you are like most of us, you are probably spending the vast majority of your time at home right now, and there is no better time than now to start exploring printing your own images. This excellent video tutorial will take you through the process of shooting, editing, and printing your own fine art photo.

Composition is a tricky and nuanced art when it comes to landscape photography, and it helps to have a variety of tips and general guidelines in your toolbox. This excellent video tutorial will give you some helpful advice to create better landscape image compositions.

Drones and 360 cameras are some of the most unique photographic devices out there, and so, it is only natural to want to combine them. Unfortunately, there are not any 360-capable drones out there, but that did not stop this photographer from coming up with a DIY solution of his own to put his 360 camera on top of his drone. Check out this fun video that shows the sort of things you can do with the combination.

As a reviewer, companies regularly get in touch offering some interesting products. This one piqued my curiosity as the technology was intriguing: a gadget that holds your phone or camera and tracks your face in order to pan while vlogging or live streaming.

CullAI is a new Mac app recently on the scene. It's designed to let you point to a folder of images and let the software create a catalog that lets a photographer quickly decide which photos are worthy of further use.

Three months ago, I decided to take the leap to turn my long-time hobby into something more and see what happened. There are a few philosophies in monetizing your work, and here, I go over my thoughts, progress, and revenue streams so far.

Magnum’s reputation may be beyond repair following a damning two-year investigation by a journalist into the conduct of David Alan Harvey that has revealed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. The accusations from 11 women date back 13 years, and Magnum may have been aware of them as early as 2009.

Fujifilm's X-S10 mirrorless camera sits as a more affordable alternative to some of the company's more expensive X Series options, but it still brings with it a variety of useful features for professionals and amateurs alike. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance you can expect, as well as how it compares to the more expensive X-T4 and X-T30.

A strong grasp of composition is one of the cornerstones of successful landscape photography and one of the most powerful ways to create stronger images. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to leverage leading lines to create compelling landscape compositions.

If you are new to photography, it can seem a bit counterintuitive that you would use a flash when shooting in direct sunlight, but it can vastly improve your portraits. This excellent video tutorial will show you why you should use a flash in such a situation and how it will improve your photos.

Nikon is reported to have closed its factory in Japan, bringing an end to more than 70 years of domestic camera production. Instead, manufacturing will continue only at its facility in Thailand.

The beauty of a seascape is that because of the moving water, no two shots are ever the same, and changing conditions can yield entirely different shots of the same scene. If you want to improve your seascape photos, check out this fantastic video guide that will show you everything you need to know, from gear to techniques.

The second generation of Nikon's full frame mirrorless cameras is here, and the Nikon Z 6II takes the foundation laid in the original version and brings a number of improvements and new features. If you have been interested in the camera, check out this great video review.

There is literally no piece of photographic equipment more important than the lens, and it behooves any photographer to become well acquainted with the properties, types, and characteristics of them. This ultra-comprehensive video discusses everything you will ever need to know about lenses, ranging from their properties to how to choose the right kind for your work.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, home to the most dangerous object that man has ever created, is more than an abandoned city and a crumbling nuclear reactor. A new book by historian Darmon Richter reveals the closest you can get to an authentic depiction of a huge swathe of land and its history, giving readers a view of Chernobyl that has never been seen before and may never be seen again.

Enter the world of high magnification bug photography without breaking the bank. Learn how to turn kit you probably already have into a close-up winner and take macro masterpieces at home in no time.

Editing software gets more efficient every day. While competitors like Luminar continue challenging the supremacy of Adobe, there are also free options available. I was surprised that Darktable was ahead of LIghtroom in some features.

2020 has seen a lot of speculation that Nikon is in serious trouble, both due to its own internal issues and the ongoing pandemic's consequences. However, in a recent interview, the company has said that things are looking up.

Targeting specific colors to change in Photoshop can be difficult, especially when you only want to affect particular areas or elements of the frame. Learn how to do it here with this really great method.

Speedlights and similar flashes can be a wonderful way to bring high-quality lighting on location. However, adapting a small flash to take softboxes, gels, diffusers, and other modifiers can be a bit of a slog. By the time you bring everything you need you're back up to a sizable kit. For that reason, I don't usually bother with small flashes, preferring to go with my larger setup. That may be changing.

There are a lot of guides telling beginner photographers that they’ll need this lens or that filter to make good photos.

It is the holiday season, and with many of us stuck at home, you might be looking for a creative project to keep the juices flowing. So, why not combine the season with your creativity and shoot some fantastic holiday photos? This excellent video tutorial will give you 11 ideas for fun and creative shots.

No matter how good your video work is, if you do not have solid audio to accompany it, it will not be a successful final product. One of the most important steps for capturing good audio is knowing which type of microphone to use. This excellent video will show you three different types of microphones for use in video work.

The beauty dish and the octabox are two of the most fundamental lighting modifiers out there, but they have properties and ways of rendering your subjects that are appropriate for different circumstances. If you are new to lighting, this fantastic video will show you the differences between the two with a lot of example photos.

Minimalism is a fascinating genre of photography and one, which can deliver some incredible and powerful photos. This is the genre where “less is more” really shines. Here I share five steps you can take to create incredible minimalist photos.

If you've got the latest Photoshop CC update you've got to check out how hilarious the new neural filters are, with strange, face-bending results.

Backing up is easy, right? You import your photos from a memory card, then everything is safe and sound on your hard drive. Wrong. Norwegian startup — Piql — believes the answer is to back up your files to film.

For film photographers looking to getting into medium format, often the first considerations made are 645 cameras. The Mamiya 645 and the Pentax 645 are two of the most popular models.

Without doubt, there is a sub-culture of photographers who adore Lego. Count Benjamin Bezine among them. Bezine has used Lego, a Raspberry Pi personal computer, and an integrated LED to create an automated film to digital, erm... contraption, scanner.

Leica’s SL2-S was announced last week, bringing a 24-megapixel sensor and improved video capabilities to a truly rugged body. At just shy of five grand, is it the better option over its 47-megapixel sibling?

Last year Westcott released the FJ400, a battery/AC powered strobe. If 400watts is overkill for you, Westcott has now released the FJ200 and FJ80 and all three lights work with the same remote system.

There are lots of film cameras you can try, but if you're feeling adventurous, why not make your own pinhole camera? It's not as hard as you may think, and you may have what you need lying around.

The look of natural sunlight streaming through a window is a classic and a great way to create both mood and visual interest in a shot. However, a window with sunlight streaming through it is not always available to us. This great video tutorial will show you how to recreate the look using cheap mirrors.

The majority of the time, we will normally reach for a wide angle lens for landscape photography work, but that does not mean there is not a place for telephoto lenses too, though they definitely require a different approach. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create better compositions using a telephoto lens for your landscape photos.

Photographing the night sky can be very frustrating if there is a lot of light pollution. That is when a light pollution filter may come in handy. I reviewed the Haida Clear Night filter for the Haida M10 filter system.

Tired of endlessly cloning out every little image sensor spot on your catalog of photos? Use this automated process to remove spots from hundreds of photos at once, and go put your feet up.

Learn how to make your own realistic tilt-shift toy town effect in Photoshop CC with this simple edit of an aerial city view.

Nighttime portraits can be a fantastic way to capture a different look and mood than a normal photo, but they present more challenging lighting scenarios simply because you cannot rely on natural light. If you would like to learn how to shoot compelling and well-lit nighttime portraits, check out this fantastic video tutorial that goes behind the scenes of a three-light shot that includes gels.

The Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lenses both offer extreme reach in portable packages and at very affordable prices, but with so many similarities, you are unlikely to buy both. So, how do you choose between them? This helpful video answers that question.

Who doesn't love instant film? Who doesn't love shooting medium format? Using a high quality medium format camera to shoot polaroids is getting the best of both worlds.

Elf is undoubtedly a Christmas classic, but the 2003 film was low budget, and the idea of creating a lot of the visual effects in-camera had many senior people worried it couldn't work.

Canon's RF 28-70mm f/2L lens is absolutely spectacular, but it is likely overkill both in terms of size and price for a lot of photographers and videographers, who would rather opt for a more standard 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Luckily, the company makes that exact lens, the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM, and this great video review takes a look at the kind of performance you can expect from it in practice.

Canon's EOS R5 and R6 cameras have been very popular and well received, while the EOS RP and EOS R help to round out the lower ens of the company's mirrorless lineup. However, besides the upcoming flagship model, one notable absence is an APS-C model, but it now seems likely we will see such a camera next year.

I have seen a lot of uses of artificial intelligence in the editing of photos, particularly in the last couple of years. This app, however, might be the most impressive yet, albeit walking a questionable line of "editing gone too far."