Photographers have been pitched AI from every angle by now. It will edit faster, cull smarter, retouch cleaner, and somehow save us from our own workflow. Most of those promises stay inside the image itself.
I am essentially a one-man photo department for a 135-year-old newspaper. On top of that, I shoot portraits and events professionally, and have for over a decade.
Photography in 2025 looks different from what it did even five years ago, and not just because of sensors, codecs, or computational tricks. I think the biggest shift has been economic. For the first time in decades, access to truly capable photographic tools is no longer reserved for people with disposable income or institutional backing.
Photography has never been cleaner, sharper, or more technically flawless. Paradoxically, it has never felt easier to hesitate before pressing the shutter or posting the image.
For years, a favorite working lens as a community photojournalist was the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR.
Lenses at the extreme wide end tend to divide shooters. Some want distortion control and edge-to-edge perfection. Others want portability, flexibility, and a price tag that does not sting. The new Viltrox 9mm f/2.8 Air sits in the latter camp. It is one of the smallest and lightest autofocus ultrawides available for APS-C. It costs $199 (less, actually, during the holiday sale), and on Fujifilm, it delivers a very wide 13.5mm full frame equivalent field of view.
I did not plan on liking the Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air. When you hold it for the first time, it feels almost too light. The plastic shell and the small footprint make it seem like a lens that will do an okay job on a casual afternoon, then fall apart when the light gets rough. My expectations were low.
Covering tragedy isn't glamorous. It’s the part of photography that no one shows in behind-the-scenes reels, and it’s the part new photographers usually have no training for. You don’t learn how to handle grief, shock, or community devastation by watching gear reviews. You learn it the day you walk into a situation where pain fills the air, and every grieving face turns toward you as if you’re intruding on something sacred.
The 56mm lens, an 85mm full frame equivalent, has long been the crown jewel for portrait photographers using Fujifilm’s X-mount system. For years, the market has been a crowded battlefield. Fujifilm's own 56mm f/1.2 set the original standard, while the stalwart Sigma 56mm f/1.4 became a legend for its incredible sharpness-to-price ratio. Viltrox also carved out its own territory with the budget-friendly 56mm f/1.7 Air and its older, value-packed 56mm f/1.4.
I’ve spent years photographing in rural Utah, and one of the most rewarding, overlooked subjects I’ve found is the working ranch.
The smell of fry bread and livestock hits you first at the Sanpete County Fair. Kids in dusty boots weave through the crowd with ribbons in hand, 4-H leaders shout instructions over the hum of the rodeo announcer, and the late-afternoon sun cuts sharp shadows across the midway. I’ve covered this fair more times than I can count, and every year it reminds me how different small-town assignments are from the big-city work that dominates so much of the photography conversation.
Many shooters spent the last decade collecting faster lenses and bigger sensors, but a counter-movement now ripples through wedding albums, street-photo galleries, and TikTok feeds: pictures that leave the mistakes in. Motion blur, light leaks, camera shake—even a deliberate miss on focus—are suddenly welcome, propelled by a cultural hunger for images that feel honest instead of air-brushed.
As a professional photographer, I'm always on the lookout for tools that punch above their weight, especially when it comes to lighting. When I first got my hands on the Viltrox Vintage Z1, I'll admit, its retro aesthetic did scratch an itch for me, being an insufferable vintage aficionado. It's a remarkably lightweight unit, coming in at just 116 grams, and at a mere $50, my expectations were tempered.
Viltrox’s AF 25mm f/1.7 Air lens was only just released on February 28, 2025, and after using a pre-release copy for my APS-C camera, I’ve come away impressed by how much performance it delivers at a $176 / €189 / £165 price point.
As a professional photographer and newsprint journalist, I’m constantly searching for gear that enhances my work—and that includes more than just cameras and lenses. Sunglasses play a surprisingly important role in my day-to-day shooting, and I’ve found the Adidas SP0101 to be an excellent choice for active photographers. I have always loved the Adidas brand, especially the shoes, so I was very much on board with trying these out.
The Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R lens, introduced in 2012, has established itself as a classic in the realm of photography. Despite the advent of newer lenses with advanced features, this lens continues to captivate me with its unique character, exceptional image quality, and timeless design. Even today, it holds a special place in the hearts of many Fujifilm shooters who value artistic expression over technical perfection, myself included.
Photography is an art form that often demands more than creativity; it requires courage, perseverance, and sometimes a willingness to take life-altering risks. Over the years, some photographers, including even myself, have ventured into jaw-dropping locations to capture images that defy both logic and limits. These stories are a testament to the lengths artists will go to for the perfect shot.
As photographers, we often focus on capturing the perfect shot, editing it meticulously, and delivering polished galleries to our clients. But in the midst of digital workflows and online galleries, there’s one thing that consistently surprises and delights wedding clients: instant prints.
The TTArtisan 27mm f/2.8 lens has garnered attention among photographers seeking an affordable, compact prime lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Available for Fujifilm X, Sony E, and Nikon Z mounts, this lens offers a 40.5mm full frame equivalent focal length, making it versatile for various photography genres, including street, travel, and everyday shooting.
As the holiday season approaches, the towns and neighborhoods in my neck of rural Utah light up with the magical glow of Christmas lights, presenting a wonderful opportunity to capture dynamic scenes that are heavy on holiday vibes.
With modern zoom lenses for mirrorless cameras getting better and better each year, more people lean towards their utility, and this is especially common in all-purpose APS-C lenses like Sigma’s 18-50 f/2.8 and Tamron’s 17-70 f/2.8—but which of the two is better?
Nowadays, photographers who use APS-C cameras have a pretty good selection of third-party lenses on the market that are capable of professional results, and this is becoming especially true in the ultra-wide arena.
The value of participating in non-commissioned projects in a photography career is very high, and photo competitions are a good example of that.
One of the most consistent opportunities we have as photographers to earn money with our cameras is photographing real estate and hospitality properties, such as Airbnb rentals, and contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take a huge investment to offer quality images for this purpose.
I am a sucker for gadgets, but I am also a skeptic, so when I took the plunge on an inexpensive handheld digital microscope I found for macro photography, I didn’t have high expectations.
At the risk of enraging loyal Fuji fanboys and fangirls everywhere, I have decided that the best thing to happen to Fuji shooters in a long while is the release of a third-party lens.
I have long felt that perhaps too many photographers prioritize bokeh and blur more than they should, but now I am a hypocrite, because I fell in love with an f/0.95 lens.
My career as an elitist prime glass snob has come to an end after real-world professional work using an unexpected lens choice showed me the error of my ways.
One of the most exciting topics for me to cover during my time as a professional newspaper journalist was fires and firefighting, and the potential for great images is there for anyone who approaches the matter with a little preparation and knowledge.
Those who wish to practice their off-camera flash technique or simply, wish to create a successful concept shoot to boost their portfolio, should strongly consider practicing the arrangement with themselves as the subject.
Some tools are just too powerful to not have in your tool bag as a photographer, and the plate composite technique is one such method.
Coloring outside the lines is a good metaphor for when a photographer decides to take a leap outside the norm in a photographic genre.
What a time to be alive for photography! Advances in technology, combined with reduction in pricing and the “gear wars” that brands wage against each other continue to make image-making hardware of the highest quality more and more accessible to the every person. This market process continues to make it possible for us to minimize sacrifices in image quality we once made when shooting in less than optimal conditions.
