Opinion

A week into the war, many start to ask about the long-term impacts of the war. As a Ukrainian-born writer with family and friends in Ukraine, I am keeping a very close eye on the news surrounding the war. A war on such a grand scale will have a profound impact on most industries, photography included. Here is my analysis of how this war will echo in photography.

In an age where content is king, it can feel overwhelming to constantly churn out post after post ad nauseam. Is there an alternative?

Business is tricky at the best of times, but what should you do when it becomes entwined with family and friends? There can be a number of awkward conversations and it can lead to more than that. So, should you give discounts or not?

I aggressively tested an OM System OM-1 Camera in the field. As I had pre-ordered one, I was hoping that I would be pleased with the results. Was I? Here are my thoughts on the camera and what it means to the future of the OM System.

Forget technology updates, larger sensor capacity, and more dynamic range. If you could only choose one camera to shoot with for the rest of your photographic life, what would it be?

The overall layout and the placement of subjects within the frame can make or break your photographs. You may know the rule of thirds and the golden section, but composition goes way beyond that, and most of it is about simple geometry.

Is getting criticism necessarily a bad thing? How does it affect who you are as an artist?

The new Nikon Z 9 is nearly a perfect camera for my needs. So how could it get even more perfect?

We are constantly pressured into buying the latest cameras. As the bottom has fallen out of the camera market, maybe it’s time that camera manufacturers had a rethink about what they offer us. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for and against both upgrading and changing your system.

I am as big a fan of Canon's lenses as anyone; I resisted the temptation to switch brands for years simply because they offer certain lenses that I can't imagine not having. When it comes to the new RF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM and RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM lenses, however, you should really think twice before you buy them.

Most of us have made hasty purchases at one point or another, but have you ever bought something you genuinely regretted? In this video, Mattias Burling discusses five cameras he regrets buying and why.

Camera technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, and manufacturers are getting a lot right these days. But of course, no company is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. This great video features a photographer discussing seven things he wishes all camera companies would improve on.

Photography sits at the intersection of technology and art, and as such, it is susceptible to twice as many trends than otherwise, many of which are annoying or even damaging. Here are five trends one photographer is sick of seeing.

Separation is a powerful tool we can use in compositions, and there is much more to it than preventing subjects from touching.

Are you a creative photographer? If so, there are pitfalls that we can avoid. Some are of our own making, while more are set by others to deliberately ensnare us.

I’ve been in the game for a little while, and along the way, there have been a few "new" things. New flashes, diffusers, scrims, softboxes, continuous light panels, LED wands, animated photos, cinemagraphs, mirrorless cameras, the list goes on and on, not to mention Photoshop and Lightroom, which update more often than I wash my sheets. But the one "new" I was not expecting to face was a new photography usage that has made me have to think anew about composition: Instagram.

Remember how great Flickr was at its peak? It was an active photography community to share and discuss images with other photographers all over the world. While the site still functions, it's nowhere near as popular and active as it once was, and it hasn't had a decent refresh in years. Oh, how the mighty fall. Where else can we share images with other photographers?

Kodak has a history of being a leader in the market of film and then seeing to its demise. I would argue this graph tells us Kodak is back on the path of self-destruction and (some) other film manufacturers are following them.

Many of us spend hours of our lives reading gear reviews, checking rumor sites, getting excited about a new camera or computer releases, and generally keeping up to date with the technology behind modern photography. Some believe that by staying up to date with new technology we can make better-informed buying decisions and potentially get better at our craft. Some are simply interested in new technology. But how important is it for photographers to stay up to date with the bleeding edge of new technology?

Is it possible that gear that costs you more can end up costing you less? Let’s explore.

If you are first starting in photography, this quote by the famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson might seem outrageous or overly harsh. But as someone who has taken at least 10,000 photos, I can tell you that there is a lot of truth to this, and more importantly, this idea can be freeing.

Amid a busy week, I figured I’d share a few brief thoughts on why it’s important to keep moving forward and why it’s just as important to sometimes remain still long enough to see where you stand.

My first camera was a Minolta SRT-101. I loved that camera. It was an excellent tool for learning about photography and manual exposure. As it was completely manual in operation, the internal meter was my only guide for achieving correct exposure, outside of using an external source or just guessing. Fast forward 20-plus years and the way I use an internal light meter has remained largely unchanged. That all changed recently.

Creatives love and hate Instagram. While everyone is on it, very few enjoy being there. The platform is constantly changing the way it prioritizes work, as well as banning creatives without any reason. I was one of the unlucky many to experience such a ban.

Logic and emotion don’t always mix. In this article, I’ll tell you about one such moment for me.

If you look around right now, chances are, you will come across something that's branded. Brand recognition is a big thing, especially in the commercial world of products. When it comes to your photography, should you still watermark your images?

Vision and talent are often valued in creative circles as the means to a career in photography. Work on your craft and the jobs will come. This is true to some extent, but it is also a fair bit of rubbish.

Leica has a rich history in photography and while their cameras are polarizing based purely on price, their pedigree isn't up for dispute. In this video, Mattias Burling discusses why the original Leica M Monochrom is a great purchase in 2022.

Photography as a hobby can be rather expensive, especially when you want a high-quality camera and lenses. You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars without blinking. But you can also rent equipment, and there might be a few good reasons to do so.

Today, we’ll look at three simple questions you should ask when deciding which images make the cut for your professional portfolio.

They can change the ordinary to the extraordinary. However, there is a lot more to creating low- and high-key photographs than just under- and over-exposing. Discovering how they work can dramatically improve our photography. It's also the reason why cameras should have one specific feature.

There are a lot of sayings bandied around in photography that sound impressive but are meaningless. However, an image being greater than the sum of its parts is something we should heed as it is the basis of how our minds perceive images. Here are seven ways to achieve this.

The excitement around NFTs is hard to ignore, having established a cult-like following that is gaining an ever-growing foothold in mainstream technology. What if an entire financial system was built around little more than hype backed by a handful of tech millionaires?

We ought to always be looking forward to our photography, but it's also important to add some ceremony to our achievements and use the past as a learning tool for the future. So, what is your favorite photograph from 2021, why, and what can you learn from it?

Have you ever wondered what makes a successful photographer? History can teach us a direction we should consider taking, and it may mean upsetting some along the way. But perhaps they deserve it.

Landscape photography is definitely one of the most loved genres of photography around the world but it’s undeniable that it can also be intimidating to many.

It's the start of 2022, and once again the world has retreated into pandemic bubbles. If ever there was a use-case for 360 images and videos, it's now, when it's safer to experience things virtually than in-person. That's where 360 cameras come in, and here's a pretty comprehensive list of the best horse for both photo and video courses.

When a new camera is released, many photographers will upgrade almost at once. A new camera often promises more resolution, a larger dynamic range, less noise, and perhaps new functions. But it won’t promise a better photo. Or does it? Let’s take a look at a reason to upgrade or the lack of reason.

The L-bracket is a pretty simple idea: have a way of mounting your camera vertically or horizontally to the tripod. Between that simple idea and the actual product, however, is a big difference in execution. I recently tried out Smallrig’s L-bracket for the Nikon Z6 and Z7 series, and I was really impressed by how it elevates that fundamental concept to accessory perfection.

As photographers, our perception of the world around us is our most important tool, and our only interface to the visible world. There's much to be said about reducing screen-time, but it may not be practical for everyone. Instead, here's another way to relieve your eyes; with a simple daily routine.

I recently parted ways with my Nikon Z 24-200mm f4-6.3, not because it's a bad lens and not up to the job, but simply because it didn't fit in with my portfolio. Or should I say didn't feature heavily in my portfolio, if at all.

The U.K. government has announced that it will soon be a crime to photograph mothers breastfeeding their children in public. Limiting the right to photograph in public places could be seen as an attack on freedom of expression, so is this law justified?

A new year, a new approach. Another entry from Captain Obvious that is somehow ever so easy to ignore.

Medium format sensors are usually housed in expensive cameras, but with film bodies, you have far more options without having to remortgage. In this video, one film photographer discusses what the best medium format film camera for portraits is.

When it comes to sensor size, the majority of the time, we talk about if it is worth moving from a smaller sensor to a bigger sensor, such as going from full frame to medium format. However, in the last few years, we have seen significant advances in the capabilities of APS-C cameras, both in terms of performance and sensor quality. So, is it worth trading in your gear for a smaller, lighter, and likely more affordable kit? This interesting video features a longtime photographer discussing his thoughts six years after switching.

There are good arguments for photographers walking away from full frame/FX and APS-C/DX, instead going for medium format and Micro Four Thirds (MFT). This may be where cameras are heading in the future anyway.

There are fads that come into fashion that then become passé and others that become overused clichés. Some things we do are just unethical. Here's what should be abandoned this year, and drone owners won’t be pleased.

As the old year rolls into the new, it’s that time again to make a few photographic resolutions.

As we near the end of another difficult year, we look forward to new beginnings. What will you be doing to ensure that you grow and improve as a photographer in 2022? Here are five ways you can guarantee you are moving in the right direction.

The Sony a7S series of cameras is strange. They're described as stills cameras; however, most customers seem to use them for their video features. At best, they're an odd compromise that doesn't fit anywhere properly. For this reason, I'd like to discuss why Sony should get rid of this line completely or at the least, revamp the series.