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The UK's coastline has many lighthouses which are worth a visit with your camera. Some are open to the public and are definitely worth exploring, but here we discuss using lighthouses within the wider landscape.

 

1. What Kit? 

Take your camera and all your usual lenses and you will not go far wrong. You may find a camera with a smaller body more useful as they can be often fit in jacket pockets or if you prefer to carry your gear in a bag, it'll take up less room leaving space for a flask of tea and your packed lunch! 

A tripod is needed if you intend getting there early or staying in late. Other than that, it is perfectly fine to shoot handheld. Filters are also definitely worth packing, especially the polariser that can be used to cut-down glare to enrich colours and saturate blue skies.

In terms of lenses, wide-angle and telephotos are equally valid. Wides let you use more of the foreground while telephotos let you pull in detail and are also excellent at putting the lighthouse within its environmental context.

 

 

2. Do Your Research 

If you're looking for lighthouses have a look at the Trinity House website for more information and locations close to you. Have a look at where other photographers have visited too, plus a quick online search will find you visitor information as well as GPS coordinates and directions quickly.

Use your feet! Walking around your subject is always advised and is especially effective with using lighthouses. That way you can put your subject into context of the beach or town that the lighthouse is situated.

 

 

3. Time Of Day & Weather

Many lighthouses are still in use so a good time to shoot them is at dawn or at dusk when there is colour in the sky and the lighthouse's lamp is on. Do remember the lamp will be considerably brighter than the whole scene and you can end up with a light that's overexposed if you don't meter correctly. 

At this time of day, there's not much light around so you will need the tripod and a remote release. If you set a sufficiently slow enough shutter speed you will get a complete rotation of the lamp.

Low light and stormy skies shouldn't be overlooked either, particularly if you can capture the waves crashing against the lighthouse or rocks nearby. 

Lighthouses look photogenic in most lighting situations, but bright sun can be tricky because of high contrast problems – white is a popular lighthouse colour. Bland white skies are also an issue for the same reason. Other than that, get shooting.

 

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You don't have to venture far to take a great image. In fact, if you get down on your knees in your garden a simple blade of grass can look great in a photo! A blade of grass? We hear you cry. Yes, if you use a shallow enough depth-of-field a blade of grass can look pin-sharp and picture-perfect against a very blurry background. Of course, you can pick other photogenic subjects such as flowers, plus, if parts of your garden are a little untidy this technique will hide this too!   [HOOK]position_1[/HOOK]  How To Take Photos With A Shallow Depth Of Field: What You'll Need

A macro lens is needed and if you can, use one that has a slightly longer focal length like a 100mm rather than a 50mm for better compression. It does mean, though, that focus is even more critical because depth-of-field is so shallow. A groundsheet, kneeling mat or even a bin liner will keep your knees or if you're laying down body dry and if you need extra support you could use a bean bag or just shooting hand-held would okay.

 

  How To Take Photos With A Shallow Depth Of Field: Top Tips

 

1. Wide Aperture 

You need to use a wide f-stop to get the right effect. The aim is to get as much of the subject in focus as possible without losing the nice blurry feel but doesn't over blur the shot as this will distract from the subject. Try f/5.6 and use the camera's depth-of-field preview button to check the aperture's effect on the background.
 

2. Get Closer

Although the main way to control depth of field is with the aperture the positioning of yourself and your subject can also enhance the blur. You want to, ideally, close the distance between the camera and subject but have as much distance as possible between your subject and the background.
 

3. Subject Choices

It works great on blades of grass, insects and small flowers. later in the year, if you live near a rapeseed field try isolating a specific flower or part of the field out to draw attention to it. You could try blurring part of the foreground as well as the background to create a frame for the subject.

 

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The right light is an interesting concept. I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as bad weather – only different types of lighting. I get annoyed at the number of articles that say you can only take creative landscape photographs in the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. To me, that leaves a whole chunk of the day with a camera sitting unused in a bag!

 

It's Wet Out!

Certainly, though, certain subjects work better in particular lighting conditions and when the rain is hammering on my office window I'm fairly happy to be sitting in front of the computer rather than trying to capture landscape photographs! That said, I have been at the side of Buttermere in torrential rain and high winds and still managed to work with the conditions.

Mist and fog also create ideal light for pastel, almost painterly pictures, easily isolating foreground elements from the background; and while these conditions are certainly more prevalent early morning, they can happen at other times. Heavy snowfalls can also create monotoned, isolated elements, even resulting in pen-and-ink style pictures that are perfect for black and white.

 

 

The Sun's Out

When the sun does shine through, make the most of the textures, shadows and lighting angles; and even that doesn't always mean early or late in the day, I have a number of Lake District locations where the sun offers excellent graze lighting, really bringing out the textures of barn walls or dry-stone walls even in the middle of the day.

The best way to know where the sun works best in any location is to know the location well, and photograph it regularly; ideally even knowing which month offers the best elevation as well as the angle of the sun. If you're new to a location check on a map – remembering that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Even Google maps can provide some help if there is a road anywhere near your chosen location. Computer-based maps can give a good idea of the terrain and are sometimes easier to realise the contours than a traditional map.

Certainly early and late in the day offers low lighting angles which can naturally create longer shadows, but to truly reap the benefits, you need to either have side-lighting or even be shooting into the sun.

By all means, plan some of your shots before you go out, but always be ready to adapt to the conditions - don't come back without any photos because the light wasn't exactly what you had planned, but adapt to the lighting that's there. Only by doing that will you train your eyes to see opportunities that otherwise would be so easy to miss.

 

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.photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Where this article started – with a gift of two outdated rolls of film. Did I get any images from them? Read on…  

My second camera was a Kodak Instamatic. A very basic one – from the original range when they arrived on sale in Britain, an Instamatic 100: no aperture control. One shutter speed. Fixed focus. It had been preceded by a Box Brownie Six Twenty Junior, which was, in retrospect, a more sophisticated camera. But more of that later.

Kodak have always based its marketing on the idea of making it simple to take pictures. The instant attic range takes this to a new level by a pushing the film into a plastic cartridge which you drop into the back of the camera. It was incredibly simple, and I’m sure that it sold a lot of cameras and a great deal of film.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Taken on an open day at Tittesworth Reservoir near Leek, the town where I grew up during the Sixties. There’s now a visitor centre at the far end of the water, well worth a visit, and you can walk all the way round, should the desire take you. I’m impressed by the straightness of framing that I achieved something over 50 years ago.  

Simplicity always comes at a price, though. In the case of the instamatic range, the big casualty was the flatness of the film – and therefore the maximum quality of images you could shoot reliably. This was no big deal with Kodak’s original range of Internet six which had smaller aperture lenses and no focusing mechanism.  Later on, when Rollei and Kodak themselves produced sophisticated single lens reflex cameras taking 126 film, it may have become a bit more of an issue.

The problem was that instead of the carefully machine and positioned pressure plate and film gate, the film and its backing paper were simply one through the plastic cassette. Good enough at f/11, the situation changed radically at a wide aperture and with longer lenses.

The cameras were simply and cheaply made, but still have a reasonably substantial field to them. They have a structural integrity that I find Holga and Diana cameras lack, and if they have escaped sand and sea water, 60 year old cameras are probably still fit for use if you can find any film! (It’s common advice to improve the light sealing of the medium-format plastic cameras with black tape – this is unlikely to be necessary with Kodak’s Instamatic bodies.)

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Personal history: I was a keen aeromodeller for a number of years – the idea behind my first developing tank was that if I processed my own films, I would have more money to spend on balsa wood and diesel fuel. It didn’t quite work – within six months, I’d given up on the models, and was asking for more pocket money for film and developer… (I suspect the model on the left belonged to my aero mentor, Michael Lovenbury.)  

126 film is 35 millimetres wide, but instead of sprocket holes on either side of the film there is a single hole for each frame, which engages with a pin inside the camera and locks the winding mechanism until the frame has been exposed (anyone who has ever used a box camera will remember how difficult it is to avoid double exposures and blank frames). Each frame is 26mm square, and offset to one side of the film.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Above: the strip of 126 negatives, showing the prefogged frames around the images, as well as the edge markings and the single perforation next to each frame. This engaged with a pin inside the camera to lock the winding mechanism.  

This article was inspired by the kind gift of two rolls of 126 film, which a model friend had been given, and which she passed on to me: she had not noticed the promise date on the boxes. Suffice it to say that my first thing to check was whether the films predated the current C-41 process which has been around for something like 50 years. Anyway, thank you Lottii, for a present which has inspired an article!

In the course of putting this article together, I found a little box full of black and white 126 negatives, so I started scanning some of them. It was a fascinating trip back to my early teens and a world of model aeroplanes, playing in the garden, and a visit to Jodrell Bank. It reminded me of when everything was exciting, new, and inviting questions like ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’ As a result, I’m including more pictures that are of limited relevance than I usually do in these articles.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Memory fails me here: I have no idea where I took the picture – I wonder if anyone can suggest the location, during the Sixties? Note that there’s tone in the sky, which is still often a struggle to achieve.  

Scanning presented an additional problem, because the scanner’s negative holder is designed to be used with ordinary 35 millimetre film, with sprocket holes on both sides. The single offset hole per frame on 126 film means that the image is offset and one edge is hidden. The inherently inaccurate viewfinders of my instamatic cameras mean that this usually doesn’t matter, because Kodak left such a margin for error that many shots include more context than was ever visible in the viewfinder. A camera ideally designed for an over-eager and slapdash 11-year old boy! Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the trip down my personal memory lane.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } The camera-facing side of a 126 cartridge. Black backing paper fills the film gate, and you can see, bottom right of the gate, the aperture to allow the holes in the emulsion to engage with the pin in the camera.  

Handling the 126 negatives reminded me of what may have been an important part of how 126 worked. Instead of offering a version of their mainstream emulsions in the plastic cassettes, Kodak sold their box camera film, Verichrome Pan, presumably because of its extreme exposure tolerance and thicker, less flexible base material. I reckon that this contributed to the flatness of the film in the camera – but it wasn’t quite enough for those later SLRs and their wide-aperture lenses. 

A look at eBay indicates that there was a Schneider f/1.9 standard lens, likely to give unpredictable results at full aperture. I also discovered a later model, the 704, with manually-controllable shutter speeds from 1/60 to 1/250 and an f/2.8 37mm lens. Mostly, though, development was downwards, with models that make the bent metal back of the 100 and 200 seem like heavyweight engineering.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } After you’ve opened the cartridge, you’re left with a lot of sharp plastic, a strip of paper (white on the back, to allow easy reading of frame numbers through the window on the back of the camera, and black on the front, next to the film, to help reduce halation, and to prevent fogging). I wonder if the broken bits have any collectable value?  

After I’d run the two films that Lottii gave me through an Instamatic 200, I was able to inspect the pressure plate inside. It’s really not a precision mechanism! But this is probably entirely OK with simple meniscus lenses and apertures that don’t go wider than around f/8. In the process of opening the cartridges, I also came across a good reason to avoid 126 – the plastic is quite robust, and you need to actually break it to extract the film and backing paper. I didn’t injure myself, but there were some sharp edges among the bits.

I still have a clear memory of carrying my Instamatic in the pocket of my school blazer – while there are no pictures of the bulging pocket, I did find a picture of me with one of my Instamatics slung from my shoulder: the standard strap was a very short one, to allow the user to wear the camera as a bracelet. (Recollection suggests that the 200 that I owned later on had a long lanyard.)

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } For anyone in doubt about the value of their own family snaps, this is an object lesson… A look at Google Earth shows how much things have changed, including some of the buildings. I am pretty sure this was shot looking across Whitehall towards Richmond Terrace, just behind the two Minis on the left of the picture. At the time, the BMC 1100 on the right was the epitome of family car development. Note the excellent cloud detail.  

Looking at the scans, which I have done very little work on (generally, cropping a bit, and a Levels adjustment), I’m impressed by the quality that mass processing achieved back then. And although I recall owning a yellow clip-on filter, I think that the good tone in several cloudy skies may owe as much to Verichrome Pan’s abilities as anything else.

I ended up taking a lot of pictures of old cameras for this article, because images taken with them are old – the film has now been out of production for some years, with Kodak discontinuing it in 1999. The films I acquired were much older than this, and hadn’t survived well. Although there’s an image visible from my shooting, the most notable feature is the frame numbers right across the middle: I surmise that the black ink on the backing paper transferred to the emulsion it was wrapped against for 50 years, and this led to light areas in the images!

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Faint signs of a Škoda Octavia: very clear indications of frame numbers! Tudorcolor film, warranted up to 1972…  

I mentioned that an instamatic was my second camera, and I still have it – I handed it down to my sister, who used it at school, and then passed it back to me: apart from a little rust on the steel areas of the (real leather) case, it’s in remarkably good condition. In the course of writing this article, I bought a nearly-identical Kodak Six-20 Brownie to the one I was given when I was eight. The finish is different (mine was cream and brown, and was a Six-20 Junior), but the design is very close. As the view of the ‘top plate’ (actually the right side, in normal use) shows, there are several controls. All are useful: to go with the B shutter setting, there’s a tripod bush in the middle of the bottom of the camera.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } All the controls are on the right side of the camera: along with a large and effective ‘brilliant’ viewfinder (top left). To the right, there’s the shutter lever, offering Instant or Bulb exposure, the shutter lock, and the shutter release button, plus a cable release socket. Below the lever are two tabs which pull either a close-up lens or a yellow filter into position behind the lens. To the right are flash contacts, and directly below them is the winding knob.  

620 film is identical to 120, but the spools are different: 120 spools are slightly larger in diameter, with thicker end plates – a while back, I had the pleasure of handling a camera which had a wooden spool with it. I attempted to adapt a roll of FP4 to fit, but it jammed, and I shall have to spend a little while finagling it to fit properly! I have little doubt that the camera is still operational, and I may report back another day.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } Kodak didn’t call it a ‘Box Camera’ for nothing – the styling is boxy in the extreme!  

While I was writing this article I discovered that Kodak have introduced a non-disposable camera heavily modelled on the original Instamatic series, but shooting half frame images on conventional 35 millimetre film. I suspect that this is a camera which ought to be mandatory equipment for the Lomography brigade, combining the simplicity they crave with a good measure of mechanical reliability. The price is quite high, at around £50 – though I suppose that this isn’t too out of the way in relation to the price of film! A website advertising cameras for under £20 proved to want to invoice me for the same amount as everyone else charges, once I’d registered, which struck me as sharp practice. The Kodak Ektar H35 looks remarkably like an Instamatic 100.

  .photo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px; } .photo small { display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; } The camera that set off my interest in photography as a hobby – one of the original Instamatic range, the Instamatic 100, introduced in 1963. John Duder

John continues to keep hold of his old cameras, including the Contax RTS that he bought in 1976, selling two Pentax bodies and taking a year's HP agreement out to do it. These days, it’s usually loaded with very fast film to give strong grain.

Occasional lighting workshops divert him, and with a bit of luck interest other photographers enough for them to go along and pay. He particularly likes spectacular, angular low key setups, with deep shadows retaining a few secrets.

As well as still shooting a bit of film, John particularly loves using some of the more characterful film-era lenses on his digital cameras. Almost without exception, they are lenses that their manufacturers are probably rather ashamed of.

Image Credit: Neurapix/Formaphotography

 

The German photography company Neurapix has released a new feature: SmartPresets can now be created and used in black and white (B/W) for AI-assisted image editing. This provides photographers the opportunity to offer their clients complete shoots in their own distinct black and white style.

Using a B/W SmartPreset operates just like with a colored SmartPreset: After clicking "Edit photos" in the Lightroom menu, the B/W style is simply selected and used as a normal SmartPreset. If a photographer has initially processed a shoot in color, they can then easily reprocess it with a B/W SmartPreset (possibly based on virtual copies).

Creating a B/W SmartPreset is straightforward, too. In the classic creation of a color SmartPreset (at least 500 images), the B/W style is automatically additionally created, provided there are at least 20 edited B/W images included.

Those who wish to specifically create just a B/W SmartPreset can use the "Kickstart" option to create their own look in a few minutes. Only 20 images need to be exemplarily edited. As usual, photographers can create as many of their own B/W SmartPresets as they want, free of charge.

 

Image Credit: Neurapix/Formaphotography

 

No additional costs for Flat-rate customers

For Flat-rate customers, the new function is available without additional costs. For photographers who are using the Pay-per-Picture model, everything remains the same: Editing an image costs - as with any other SmartPreset - 3 cents. Optional features such as straightening or cropping incur a maximum of one cent extra.

"Photographers often provide a portion of their photos in black and white to their clients. Previously, it was often around 10-15 percent of the total. From now on, it can also be 100 percent - without additional effort for manual editing!", says Neurapix co-founder and CCO Simon Diegmann. "This provides photographers with a whole new way to enhance and sell their product."

For more information, please visit the Neurapix's website.

The coast is a popular destination for many at the weekend (even more so if it's a Bank Holiday weekend which gives us an extra day or sometimes more to play with). So for those of you who are heading off on a day trip, we've got 5 top tutorials all about beach photography which should come in handy when you're down by the sea. 

 

1. Take Better Photos At The Beach With These 6 Tips

When the sun's out us Brits pack the car up with buckets, spades, the dog and family members and head to the beach. But as well as eating ice cream and playing the odd game of cricket or rounders take some time out to take a few beach photos. It doesn't even have to be a gloriously sunny day for photography either as waves crashing against the sea wall will look just as good as a family snap on the front.

 

2. 12 Ways To Improve Your Beach Photography Today

 

From advice on what gear to pack to tips on turning around rather than just looking out to sea.... this tutorial has 12 top ways you can improve your seaside photography without too much effort on your part. 

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3. How To Capture Beachcomb Coastal Close-Ups

 

Beachcombers find all sorts of treasures that make perfect photographic subjects. So while you're at the coast, take a walk along the beach to see what interesting objects you the sea has washed up for you to photograph. To find the most interesting objects you need to follow the tide lines just after a good storm or strong winds have blown in. head out not too late after high tide to give you the best chance of uncovering some photo treasures before they get picked up or the surrounding sand's spoilt with footprints.

 

4. 5 Tips To Instantly Improve Your Beach Shots Taken With A Compact Camera

 

If your camera will be packed along with the buckets, spades and sunblock, take a look at these 5 tips so your shots of the beach look as good as the real thing. We have advice on switching away from auto mode, tough camera tips, ways you can boost sunset colours and why changing your angles is well worth a try. 

 

5. 4 Top Tips On Photographing Beach Huts

 

A popular shot to capture when you're photographing beach huts is to use a wide-angle lens to get a full line of these colourful structures in the frame. If you plan on doing this, try to get a large expanse of sky in the shot too. Be careful if you're using a particularly wide lens as you can end up with objects creeping into the frame that you didn't want to capture and keep an eye on your exposure.

 

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    Next time you're at a popular tourist spot, don't get annoyed by people in your landscape shot as when captured the right way, they can actually add interest, create a story and, more importantly, add a sense of scale to an image that will make the person viewing it go 'o, wow!'    1. Landscape With People Vs A Portrait Outdoors Bring a person or a group of people into your landscape shots and they suddenly get a different feel/look about them. But you have to be careful that it doesn't turn into an outdoor portrait where the person is the main focus of the image rather than part of the overall scene.   As you're not shooting an outdoor portrait you don't want to pose your subjects or better still, let them know you're taking their photograph at all. Make sure they're not bothered by you or your camera and are focused on whatever they're doing before you take your shot. For more tips on shooting candidly take a look at our article: Candid photography.

 

 

2. Create A Connection 

An empty shot of a forest or a mountainous landscape may be inspiring and pleasant to look at but if you add people to the shot the viewer can become more connected with the image as the person/people can help create more of a story. A sunset shot with a couple sat to one side of it will feel romantic while a rock climber scaling a cliff wall that's sat in your wide, landscape shot will create a totally different feeling.

 

 

3. Add Scale 

People can also help create a sense of scale within an image, for example, a backdrop of mountains suddenly turn into dominating structures that tower above two walkers or a lake stretches out for miles past a single man out fishing for the day.

 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Image Credit: Sony

 

Balances the supreme expression capabilities of a wide-open F2.8 with a compact and lightweight design for excellent portability

 

April 16th, Sony is pleased to announce the latest addition to its full-frame α™ (Alpha™) E-mount lens line-up. FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is a large-aperture wide-angle zoom lens that maintains an F2.8 maximum aperture over the entire zoom range from 16 mm to 25 mm, combining supreme image quality with excellent portability due to its compact and lightweight design.

This new lens offers high-resolution performance, beautiful bokeh, and high-speed, high-precision, quiet, fast-tracking AF (autofocus). Weighing an impressively light 409 g, it is highly portable so you can easily enjoy every day shooting that emphasises the sense of perspective that can only be achieved with a wide-angle lens. It benefits from the same filter diameter, operability and roughly the same size and weight as the "FE 24-50mm F2.8 G" announced in February 2024, easy to use when shooting hand-held or when combined with a gimbal. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G expands the range of photographic and video expression for creators in a variety of scenes such as astrophotography, landscapes, architecture, portraits, general snapshots, and selfies.

 

Key features of FE 16-25mm F2.8 G

• Compact and lightweight design with the latest optical and mechanical design.
• Filter diameter φ67 mm, maximum diameter 74.8 mm, length 91.4 mm, weight approximately 409 g.
• By effectively arranging three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glasses and four aspherical lenses, including one ED aspherical lens, various aberrations such as chromatic aberration are reduced, and high-resolution performance is achieved from the centre of the screen to the corner.
• The 11-blade circular aperture and optimisation of spherical aberration provide the beautiful bokeh that is the hallmark of Sony G lenses.
• High close-up shooting capability with a minimum shooting distance of 0.18 m and a maximum magnification of 0.20x [i].
• Equipped with two linear motors, it enables high-speed, high-precision, high-tracking, and quiet focusing even on fast-moving subjects. It also supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to approximately 120 frames per second for the α9 III full-frame mirrorless camera[ii]. Smooth tracking even when shooting 4K120p/FHD240p[iii] high frame rate videos that require precise focusing. 
• The adoption of linear response MF during manual focus allows for smooth and high-quality image expression. 
• Reducing the focus breathing allows high-quality movie expression. 
• Compatible with the α series camera's image stabilisation "Active Mode"[iv], achieving high image stabilisation effects. 
• High operability, including a focus hold button, aperture ring, aperture click ON/OFF switch, and focus mode switch. 
• Designed to be dust and moisture proof[v] with a fluorine coating that prevents dirt from sticking to the front surface of the lens.

 

Pricing and Availability

The new FE 16-25mm F2.8 G will be available in the UK and Ireland for approximately £1250 and €1400, respectively. It will be sold at a variety of Sony's authorised dealers throughout the UK and Europe.

A variety of exclusive stories, videos and exciting new content shot with the newest cameras and other Sony products can be found here. Sony’s European photography hub is available in 22 languages and details product news, competitions and an up-to-date list of Sony events in each country.

A product video on the new FE 16-25mm F2.8 G can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/JTvC5fth9xI

For more information about FE 16-25mm F2.8 G, please visit the Sony UK's website.

For other latest product launches and updates, take a look at our news section.

 

[i] Maximum magnification is 0.2x (AF)/0.23x (MF) with a minimum focus distance of 0.18 m (0.59ft) (AF) / 0.17 m (0.56ft) (MF) at the 16 mm end of the range and 0.24 m (AF) (0.79ft) / 0.22 m (0.73ft) (MF) at the 25 mm end of the range.

 

[ii] Sony test conditions. Maximum continuous frame rate may be lower in some shooting conditions. Continuous shooting speed may vary depending on the lens used in AF-C focus modes. Visit Sony’s support web page for lens compatibility information.

[iii] Depends on the camera used.

[iv] Compatible models only

[v] Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.

  To Photography A Rainbow, You Will Need: 

• Tripod - Stability when using longer shutter speeds
• Polarising Filter - Enhance the rainbow's vibrancy
• Wide Angle Lens - Sweeping landscape with the full arc of the rainbow
• Telephoto Lens - For distant objects that you want to frame with the rainbow
• Standard Lens - Capture foreground, background and the rainbow with not too much trouble

  How To Photography A Rainbow, Step-By-Step: 

 

Step 1. A Bit Of Luck Needs To Be On Your Side 

Unfortunately, due to the conditions that are needed for a rainbow to appear, you really do need to be in the right place at the right time (you might see a few more at this time of year though due to the rainy nature of April). Don't fancy waiting for one to appear in the sky above you? You'll also find them in bubbles and near other water sources such as fountains in town squares and around waterfalls.

 

Step 2: Get Your Positioning Right 

If you do happen to stumble across one, position yourself so the rainbow can act as a frame for a building, interesting rock formation or whatever photogenic subject you may find. If you don't, your shot will just look empty and boring. For added interest, position yourself so the rainbow intersects your subject as this is where the eye will be drawn to.

 

 

Leading lines such as deep shadows and long roads will draw the eye into the picture as well as add interest to the shot. If you do this use a small aperture so the foreground and rainbow are both in focus. You also need to work quickly as they can appear and vanish within a matter of minutes. 

 

Step 3: Don't Meter From Dark Skies

As rainbows need moisture and sunlight to appear more often than not you'll have clouds full of rain lingering in the back of your shot but this isn't a bad thing as the dark colours of storm clouds will help enhance the vibrancy of the rainbow, making the colours really stand out. Just make sure you don't meter of this part of the sky though as your rainbow will end up losing some of its punch.

 If you get the chance, do spend some time assessing which angle the rainbow looks most vibrant at to make it really stand out from the sky behind it.
 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

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    1. What Time Of Day Is Best? 

Early morning or late evening light will highlight textures and warmth to the scene but don't overlook bright days either as strong shadows will make statues and other detail stand out from the walls.

If you wait for the sun to go down have a play around with long exposures and capture the light trails created by traffic as it passes you by. Most DSLRs will happily create shutter speeds of 30 seconds but if you want something a little longer you'll need to switch to the B (bulb) setting. 

If you do use Bulb mode, keep an eye on your battery life as you don't want it to drain before you've captured your shot. Do remember you'll need your tripod and a remote release is handy if you have one.

 

 

2. Should I Use A Wide-Angle Lens? 

If you're shooting on the bridge a wide-angle lens is great for getting interesting foreground detail in the shot. Just remember to use a small aperture so everything in the scene is in focus. A wide is also handy for when you what to shoot the bridge in its surroundings and don't have the space to move back with a telephoto lens. If you can get down to the base of the bridge a wide-angle lens will exaggerate the size of the part closest to you while the distant point of it will look like it's shrinking towards the vanishing point.

If you find you have too much sky and land dominating the landscape shots of your bridges crop in and create a panorama.

 

 

3. When Will A Telephoto Lens Be Useful? 

When you want to isolate detail pick up your telephoto lens. It's also useful for when you have strong lines to work with such as bridge supports.

 

4. What Else Can I Photograph On A Bridge? 

Bridges, particularly old ones, have interesting detail that's worth a shot or two. Signs, supports, nuts, bolts and even rust can make good images.

 

 

5. How Can I Use Bridges Creatively In My Shots? 

You can use the bridges that stretch over roads, canals and rivers to frame whatever landscape sits behind it. Just watch your exposure if you do this as it'll be darker under the bridge than it is on either side so bracket if you need to.

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to bricurtis (Day 29 - Micro Landscapes).

 

Daily Theme Runners-Up

If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A. 

Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.

  Day 24

Dew Drop

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  Day 25

Fast Shutter Speed

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  Day 26

Boats

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Day 27

Flowers

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Day 28

Towns & Cities

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Day 30

Rain

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Day 31

Butterflies

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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.

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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to adrianedwa (Day 14 - Garden Landscapes).

 

Daily Theme Runners-Up

If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A. 

Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.

  Day 9

Stone Circles

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  Day 10

Woodland

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Day 11

Creative Flare

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Day 12

Full-Length Portraits

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Day 13

Stained Glass Windows

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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.

 

Today is the first day of April and as we can pretty much guarantee that April's famous showers will fall over the UK and Ireland over the next few weeks, we thought we'd give you some rain photography inspiration.

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Learn to shoot creative portraits in the rain, brush-up on your landscape skills or how about trying to capture macro shots of raindrops on plants? Whatever you photograph, do remember that your rain-themed image could win you a prize if you win our weekly Photo Month competition.

 

1. Photography Tips For Bad Weather Days

 

How many times a year do I hear those immortal words "Oh, it's a bit dull for photography today" or some variation of them? No, no, no... There is no such thing as bad weather, only different types of lighting. The biggest problem about landscape photography on days that are "unpleasant" is what goes on in your mind. If you look out and think "It's dull" then you will take dull pictures, and usually not simply dull in terms of lighting, but dull compositionally because you are starting with a negative attitude, and that's if you even bother to go out the front door!

 

2. How To Take Great Landscape Shots When It's Raining 

 

When people first get involved with photography, especially landscape photography, they tend to gravitate towards nice weather shooting. If it’s rainy or stormy then just put their cameras away and wait for another day. Perhaps this is partly to do with cameras and water not mixing too well. Perhaps it’s also because they don’t realise what great opportunities there are in poor weather Rain and bad weather can offer the photographer some of the most atmospheric shots if you know where to look and how to protect your equipment.

 

3. Capturing Creative Shots Of Raindrop Patterns

Rain may be good for the garden but it's not something most photographers are fond of. However, if you find yourself in your car, on route to a landscape location when the heavens open, all is not lost as you can use your car as a canvas for shooting water drop abstracts.

 

4. Four Quick Creative Rain Photography Tips

At this time of year, there is a high possibility that you might get caught out by rain showers when you're out exploring. If you do experience some rain, even if you're at home nice and dry when it begins, here are some ways that you can capture rain creatively. 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

 

A breathtaking monochrome spectacle titled ‘Always a Storm’ captured by RobboB has been honoured as our latest POTW winner.

This stunning monochrome image, inspired by Ansel Adams’ ‘Clearing Winter Storm’, presents the iconic Yosemite Valley in all its dramatic glory. From El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the distance, to Bridal Veil Falls on the right, the landscape is a testament to the photographer’s patience and skill.

It’s a strong, intriguing, and powerful landscape shot that has captivated our team. The excellent composition, the light in the sky, and the beautiful tunnel view all contribute to its allure.

A remarkable subject captured with exceptional skill. This dramatic monochrome image leaves a lasting impression and truly deserves ‘Photo of the Week’ recognition.

All of our POTW winners will receive a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offering memory storage across multiple devices. Plus, we will also announce our 'Photo of the Year' winner who'll win a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield in January 2025 courtesy of Samsung.

As many flower varieties are currently in bloom, now's a perfect time to explore the art of flower photography. In this article, we take a closer look at why shade's important to a flower photographer and how, with a simple bit of card, a photographer can improve his or her flower shots without too much fuss or extra cost. If you're looking for tips on what kit is good for flower photography, advice on angles to shoot from etc., have a look at ePHOTOzine's technique section where you'll find a section dedicated to 'Flowers and Plants'. 

  Direct sun   Taken in shade

 

Create Your Own Shade

When it comes to flower photography, it's best to avoid the middle of the day when taking shots of flowers but what do you do if you're in a place you can't return to easily, you see an amazing flower and you look up at the sky and see the sun's too high? Do you shake your head in disappointment and leave the flower behind? No. You get your camera out and create your own shade.

The easiest way to do this is move your body until your shadow's over the flower. But only do this if you're taking a close-up. You don't want a shot of a colourful flowerbed with your shadowy outline sticking right out at you. 

If you're a little more organised and have room in your bag or car to carry some helpful photography props there are a few you can take. Reflectors and diffusers are the obvious choices, but a cheaper option would be a piece of card, cloth or towel. Just remember you need something or someone to hold these up or you could do this yourself and put the camera on a self-timer. Make sure your shade-creator is a neutral colour too otherwise your image will have a slight colour cast.   Left: No shade. Right: With shade.     Create Your Own Backgrounds

If you like shooting blooms on location, you need to consider the background very carefully. Out of focus highlights and objects like fence posts, wheelie bins and people can easily ruin your pictures even with judicious depth-of-field control. Getting around the problem is potentially very simple. Not only that, but you can be creative too.

You can use something purpose-made like a reflector or a store-bought background or create your own from a print or a sheet of card.

Sheets of coloured card work fine but stay away from glossy finishes because there could be reflection problems. Matt, single-coloured card works fine, but you can also be more imaginative and paint or print your own using your photo printer.

To help with keeping the background blurred, produce a blurred background in the first place so you do not have to worry about aperture choice so much when you come to shooting.

Your 'background' does not have to be big either. If you are shooting macro studies, a sheet of A4-size card will do nicely.

 

 

Please do note that this approach will not be welcomed everywhere so please do not roll up to an award-winning garden and start setting up your background system. It's also worth remembering that not all botanic gardens allow the use of tripods or at least have restrictions on use so you need to check this before you head off in search of a potential subject. If you plan on sticking to public gardens, heathlands or even your own garden, you won't have to worry. 

How you work with your background is up to you. With macro work, it is possible to handhold your camera and the card background behind the subject but it is not comfortable, nor is it great technique. You'll also need faster shutter speeds and focusing can be a challenge. As a result, it's much easier to use a tripod so you can hold the background a little way behind the subject much more easily. If you have a spare tripod or a lighting stand, use that to hold the background in place.

When composing your images just make sure the background fills your viewfinder frame – or at least enough of your subject to allow cropping.
 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Image Credit: Panasonic

 

Panasonic has announced a significant firmware update for its full frame mirrorless LUMIX S5II and S5IIX cameras that improves the shooting experience and enhances sharing functionality for both images and videos. Listening to creators needs, S5II Firmware V3.0 and S5IIX Firmware V2.0 delivers efficiency in both production and post-production workflows, providing important time (and therefore cost) saving benefits. In line with LUMIX’s continuous commitment to supporting creators, the firmware will be available to download free of charge from the LUMIX Global Customer Support website on 22nd April 2024.

 

Enhancement of Production Workflows

 

New Native Camera to Cloud Integration with Adobe’s Frame.io

Compatibility with Adobe Camera to Cloud is now supported, enabling images and videos to be automatically uploaded, backed up, shared, and worked on jointly via the cloud. Recorded content is sent to the Frame.io platform through an internet connection via Wi-Fi or USB tethering, enabling seamless sharing of captured photos (JPEG/RAW) and Proxy videos. This empowers creators to receive remote real-time feedback during capture and enables collaborative editing among production teams using their preferred creative software. Frame.io Camera to Cloud streamlines the workflow from shooting to editing, enhancing overall efficiency in the creative process.

 

Proxy Video Recording

This new feature simultaneously records a low bit-rate proxy file when recording video. Recording a proxy file that is linked with the original video recording enables quicker and smoother and data transfer, editing, and other postproduction processes.

 

Improved Basic Perfomance

 

Real-time Auto-focus Recognition (Animal Eye, Car, Motorcycle Recognition)

The improved real-time auto-focus system enhances the highly accurate Phase Hybrid auto focus of the S5II and S5IIX, efficiently recognizing people amongst multiple subjects. It also features an animal eye recognition function, to focus on and follow animal eyes, as well as a car and motorcycle recognition function, which is ideally suited for shooting motorsports.

 

Enhanced E.I.S. Performance

In addition to Standard, High mode is newly added to E-Stabilization (Video) function, which electronically corrects large shakes when shooting on the move. A perspective distortion correction has also been added to correct distortion that tends to occur during video shooting when using a wide-angle lens. Combined with Active I.S. Technology, it is now possible to achieve even more stable footage when shooting on the move.

 

Expanding Creative Options

 

SH Pre-Burst Shooting

The newly introduced SH pre-burst shooting function records bursts before shooting begins. When set to the SH PRE mode, the camera begins burst shooting from the moment the user half presses the shutter button, allowing retroactive burst shooting up to the moment the shutter button is pressed down fully.

 

• Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.
• All functions may not be available depending on the situation.
• Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
• Frame.io, the Frame.io logo, and Camera to Cloud are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe in the United States and/or other countries.

 

For more information, visit the Panasonic's website.

 

It's always good to get your shots right in-camera but there are times when this isn't possible. For example, you may have a few shots from the zoo where bars spoil the shot or have a distracting object in the background of a portrait you didn't notice when you took the shot or it was impossible to avoid. In these cases, you can use Photoshop to fix your photos.

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ePHOTOzine has covered healing, cloning and repairing in various tutorials so if you need to brush up on your photo editing knowledge or just want to learn a new skill, click on the following links: 

 

1. How To Use Photoshop's Healing Tools

If there is one aspect of Photoshop that is essential but often misunderstood, it’s the healing tools. It doesn’t matter if you are a digital photographer or use a hybrid approach scanning film, you simply can't get by without the healing tools.

 

2. Repair Your Butterfly Images In Photoshop

Butterflies are fairly difficult insects to photograph because they tend not to keep still for long, are easily frightened and are so fragile they're often damaged. In this technique, we're going to look at improving a typical butterfly shot where you may have a blurred wing spoiling it.

  3. Introduction To The Clone Stamp Tool

One of the most useful tools in the digital photographer's toolbox is the Clone tool - it's also known as the Rubber Stamp or Clone Stamp. In simple terms, all that happens is the Clone Stamp tool picks up, or samples, pixels from one place and drops them somewhere else. It’s one of the most used devices to remove or add detail to a digital image.

  4. Remove Unwanted Items From Images

When you return from a day at the beach and look back at your photos to find a collection of brightly coloured brollies, windbreaks or even people spoiling your shots there's only one thing to do and that is to make them disappear. By using a simple tool in Photoshop, no it's not a magic wand, you can easily turn a cluttered beach scene into something much more pleasing to look at.

  5. Fixing Red Eye In Photoshop

Red eye's caused by the flash illuminating blood vessels in the eye and when the light bounces back, you get red eyes. Some people are more likely to get red-eye than others but if you're one of these people or you have a family member who does, here are a few methods you can try to fix it so it doesn't spoil your family holiday shots.

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

 

When you think of flower photography your first thoughts will usually be of shots of a single head taken from an overhead angle or a cropped in shot that focuses on the shapes and colours of the flower. There's nothing wrong with these shots as they do work well but for something different, take a look underneath the flower head.

 

What Gear Do I Need? 

Any camera with a close-up mode will be fine. If you're using a DSLR you'll need a good macro lens and consider using a tripod if you have a model that'll allow you to adjust the centre column and legs so you can work from low angles more easily. 
 

Which Flower?

Flowers, where the petals are translucent, will produce better results and if you have a flowerbed that's sheltered from the breeze head for it as if you're working in the open, even the tiniest of breezes can create blur in your final shot. If you don't have any beds hidden behind walls or hedges try using a piece of card to shield the flower from the wind or use a PLAMP to keep it still.
 

Exposure Tips

If you're shooting against a blue sky you'll usually need to allow for at least one stop extra exposure otherwise the flower will appear as a silhouette. If you're working against a dark background, such as a hedge, you won't need to do this as the camera shouldn't have any problems getting the exposure correct. Make sure you use the smallest aperture you can too to prevent blur creeping into the edges of your shot.
 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

 

 

Anthropics Technology is giving ePHOTOzine members the chance to save on the newly launched PortraitPro 24. 

Enhance your portrait work for pro-style portraits with new features:

 

Key New Features:

• Face painting
• New gender and age detector
• Mouth inpainting & teeth replacer
• Glasses reflection remover
• Face recovery
• Skin and hair masks

 

Improved Workflow:

• Seamlessly switch between faces in group shots.
• Effortlessly share presets.
• Utilise a streamlined preset search box.
• Explore more image save options.
• (Exclusive to Studio Max) Apply multiple presets to each picture.

 

Learn more about what’s new in PortraitPro 24 on the Anthropics website. Enjoy a free trial before downloading this smart portrait software.

Buy new PortraitPro 24 or upgrade at 50% off all downloads. Get an EXTRA 10% off when you use the code EPV24 at checkout.

Shop Now

 

Water is a brilliant photographic subject as it's so varied, you can capture a different form of it most days. From frost and mist to rain falling on cars, rivers flowing through landscapes and how about getting creative with bubbles? With so many options available, we've covered quite a few water-themed tutorials we want to share with you, all in one place, so you have a water photography reference guide to look at next time you're looking for some inspiration. 

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1. Top Tips On Photographing Water Bubbles

 

I know the first thing some people will ask: 'why?' Well, to be fair, that is a perfectly sound question and yes, why bother standing in a stream and shoot water bubbles. To me, it is because you can and with digital, there is no cost. It is also a nice break from the usual blurred water shots that many of us love. So, while you are out there doing waterfalls, spend a few minutes afterwards trying this subject.

 

2. How To Photograph Wildlife On Water

 

Feeding ducks is something everyone enjoys but next time you head off for your Sunday morning stroll around your local pond, pocket your camera as well as the treats you take for the Mallards and Swans.

 

3. Top Water Sports Photography Tips

 

Head to the coast on a sunny day or even to your local reservoir and you'll probably find someone skimming along the water, holding onto a sail fasted to a windsurf board or getting pulled along by a boat on a board. The pros make it look easy and their jumps, turns and sheer speed make water sports a great photographic subject.

 

4. Our Best Underwater Photography Tips

 

Want to know how to improve your underwater shots? Take a look at these underwater photography tips which we've grouped into common questions which those wanting to try their hand at underwater photography ask. 

 

5. 4 Quick Creative Rain Photography Tips

 

At this time of year, there is a high possibility that you might get caught out by rain showers when you're out exploring. If you do experience some rain, even if you're at home nice and dry when it begins, here are some ways that you can capture rain creatively. 

 

6. How To Photograph Water Creatively - Ice, Fire & High-Speed

 

If you thought H2O was boring, think again as our friends over on the COOPH YouTube channel have put together a really cool tutorial on photographing water creatively. With a DSLR, tripod and a little bit of experimentation, COOPH shows you how to make a real splash with your images! All of the themes are super-easy to follow and the results are really impressive.

 

7. 10 Top Tips On Adding Blur To Water For A Creative Effect

 

Love it or loathe it, blurred water can look great in the right situation so it is always worth a try. For those who are new to the technique, here are 10 tips to get you started in turning even small cascades can look like raging torrents.

 

8. Waterfall Photography Tips: 3 Ways To Photograph Waterfalls

 

When it comes to photographing waterfalls, you can either capture the power and intensity of every cascade or you can slow things down and make the movement the focus of your photo.

 

9. 10 Top Frost Photography Tips For You To Read Today

 

With a cool, clear night comes morning frost and it's a subject that works well for both close-up work and wider landscape shots. For your close-ups of the patterns frost creates, you'll need a macro lens or a 70-200mm zoom lens with extension rings will work just as well if you don't own a macro lens.

 

10. Top Tips On Photographing Water In The Landscape

 

Rivers make a wonderful subject for the outdoor photographer, yet people rarely set out with the intention to photograph them. Rivers offer an abundance of opportunities from grand sweeping vistas to detailed abstracts to wildlife as well as being fantastic places to enjoy the outdoors. Here are 6 key pointers to help you achieve better river and open water landscapes.

Water in the landscape makes a great photograph at any time of the year but in winter, after we've had heavy rainfall or fog's settled in, lakes and rivers suddenly take on a new look that's well worth braving the cold to capture.

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition