For those who love natural surroundings, photographing wildlife can be both therapeutic and rewarding. It could also drive you mad if approached in a hurry. Patience and preparation are among the essentials for this kind of enterprise. Animals, especially wild ones, are unpredictable!

Follow this guide for tips on how to capture outstanding wildlife photographs.

Wildlife photography starts with research

The key to becoming a better wildlife photographer is to first know your subject. Learn about their habitat, diet, behaviour, and when they’re on the move. Is the animal dangerous, timid or aggressive? Are they found in packs or alone? Not only will this ensure you’re fully prepared when out in the field, but you’ll be better at anticipating their movements, keeping safe and taking great photographs.

It’s a good idea to seek out other wildlife photographers and check out their guides to learn from the best. Photographers like Mattias Klum, Will Burrard Lucas, Frans Lanting and Amy Gulick, to name just a few, can provide great inspiration.

There are many wonderful images among the Wildlife Photographer of the Year past and present winners, too. We have a vast library of articles on wildlife and nature photography in the wildlife photography section of this website, and if you know what type(s) of animal you want to photograph, you should be able to find a specific guide to photographing them: be they birds, nocturnal animals, or Rhinos in Africa.

What kit do I need for wildlife photography?

Start simple

If you’re reading this guide because you are new to wildlife photography, you may assume you need fancy and expensive long lenses. This really is not the case. All you need to get going is a camera and lens.

We’ve spoken to many wildlife photographers who started out with their existing kit. For example, Sam Hobson made his name using a wide-angle lens (not your typical go-to lens for wildlife). His wide-angle, award-winning Bristol city fox images are incredible and well worth checking out.

Budget options

If you do want to invest in a more traditional long-zoom wildlife lens, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM is a great budget option. One of these second-hand can be picked up for around $1,000 / £900.

There’s also a range of other lenses that are well suited to wildlife use, or for a simpler option, an ultra-zoom camera could be a good option. For more options, check out our guide to the best budget telephoto lenses for wildlife and best lenses for wildlife photography.

For those with a smaller budget, an extender is worth considering. This piece of kit fits in between your lens and camera body, so make sure you purchase one that is compatible with your camera system and existing lens.

An extender’s job is to increase the focal length of a lens. For example, a 2x extender on a 200mm lens will convert the lens to 400mm. An x1.4 extender on a 200mm lens will increase the lens to 280mm. It’s worth noting that the extender will decrease your widest aperture setting. For example, if your lens can open up to f/2.8 with an x1.4 extender aperture setting will become f/4. With a x2 extender, you will lose 2 aperture stops so your widest setting will become f/5.6.

Extenders vary in price, and we’d recommend hunting around on the second-hand market to save money.

Which camera is best for wildlife photography for beginners?

The same applies: All you need is a camera and lens. In addition to this guide, check out our picks of the best cameras for wildlife photography, which have everything from budget-friendly models for beginners to the absolute best professional cameras on the market.

Watch and observe wildlife

It’s better to resist the temptation to start snapping as soon as you spot an animal. Stand back, observe and assess the subject and environment first. Watch how the animal behaves. Are they okay with your presence? Where is the light coming from? Where is the best background? Is their behaviour predictable? Are you in the best position?

Sometimes we can achieve more by slowing down and shooting less. Be prepared to return to the same location and have perseverance to get a good shot. Don’t feel disheartened if you don’t achieve what you want right away – Rome wasn’t built in a day!

You also need to know when to stop. The welfare of the animal needs to be put above your needs to get a great shot. For example, mothers with newborns will feel very threatened if you are too close, and avoid clambering around on rocks when birds are nesting. This is why you need to research thoroughly, as there is no excuse for ignorance. Leave each environment you’ve been in with no trace.

Read this guide to being an ethical wildlife photographer.

Wildlife camera setup and settings

What settings should I use for wildlife photography?

There is no right or wrong shooting mode for photographing wildlife. Each photographer will have their own approach – ensuring that the camera is set up and ready to go is the main thing. We want to be ready to capture action as it happens.

As a good starting point, I find it easiest to shoot in Shutter priority mode. In this mode, you can fully control the shutter speed and leave the camera to work out the best aperture and ISO speed setting. Although your camera calculates these settings, you need to be aware of what your aperture and ISO speed settings are reading.

• Put your camera into Shutter priority (S or Tv)
• Check the light – increase your ISO setting if need be
• Open the aperture wider if you need more light

Using shutter priority will be of particular benefit for fast-moving subjects, and using a fast shutter speed such as 1/500s is a good starting point (more on this below). If you know your subject is slow moving, then you might want to use aperture priority so that you can more easily control the amount in focus in the shot.

If you don’t yet have a grasp on shutter speeds, apertures and ISO, we suggest you spend some time getting to know these settings on your camera and to experiment with the different effects they can achieve. For a refresher, read our guide to exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speeds and more.

Make sure it’s sharp

There are three main things to consider for achieving sharp wildlife shots: the shutter speed, aperture setting and focus.

Use a fast shutter speed

Make sure the shutter speed is reading at least 1/500sec if the animal you are photographing is moving or for very fast movements 1/1000sec. If it is stationary, then you’ll be fine with a setting of 1/200sec or above (depending on the lens you’re using).

Aperture setting

How much of the animal do you want sharp? For example, if you are close and focus on the eye at f/2.8, the eye will be sharp but the face will blur. This can look great if that’s what you desire, but for other features, like the nose to be sharp, you’ll need to close the aperture down. In this example, the Rhesus Macaque monkey in the foreground is in focus and the one behind is soft, as the image was taken at f/2.8 (on a full-frame camera).

Focus

Focus needs to be spot-on. Our preferred method is to use the single-point AF setting on our camera and set the focus to continuous AF tracking. That way, if your subject is moving (even little movements), you’ll have more chance of keeping it sharp. Trying to predict where your subject will move into the frame helps with this aspect, and again, this is where your research will help.

The latest mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Fujifilm offer subject detection AF for a variety of wildlife depending on the camera model chosen. Subjects include birds (Olympus and Fujifilm) and pets (cats and dogs), along with other animals. Plus, the system is designed to detect and focus on the subject’s eyes! This is an extremely helpful feature for this genre.

Motion and when not to be sharp

There are some circumstances in wildlife photography when a slow shutter speed is more appropriate than a fast one. For example, capturing the motion of flocks of birds flying across the sky, or panning with a moving animal to blur the background and give the feeling of motion. You can experiment with this technique to produce something different.

Push the ISO

Any photographer will tell you that they love a low ISO setting as they then don’t have to deal with noise. However, when shooting moving subjects like wildlife, we have to be prepared to push the ISO up and embrace the grain. It’s more important to have a subject sharp and a little grainy than completely unusable. If an image has too much noise, then you can always process the raw files, and reduce it further.

Technical perfection should not be the main aim of wildlife photography. Many great images of animals have been captured which are slightly blurred. The quality of a shot should be assessed on other factors, too – if it tells a story, is unusual or dramatic, then be inclined to overlook minor flaws.

The background is essential!

The background setting of your wildlife image is undoubtedly as important as the main subject, whatever your approach, as it can completely change the look of an image. To shoot a strong animal portrait, look for a plain background to frame your subject against. In some circumstances (certainly not all), you may even be able to drop in a plain background behind the subject(s).

For example, if you set up a bird feeder in the garden, you could do so in front of a studio backdrop and choose whatever colour you want behind. Although there is much we can’t control in wildlife photography, sometimes we can create better conditions for ourselves to enhance our luck.

In a wide-angle wildlife image, the setting is vital as well. You want to use the scene to tell the story. Experiment with different camera angles – often coming down low gives an alternative take on a scene – for an unusual perspective.

Keep wildlife photography local

We recommend looking to see what’s on your doorstep and keeping your wildlife photography as local as possible – even in the city there are many wild animals around, including birds, squirrels, pigeons, foxes and more. Another advantage to shooting locally is you can keep returning to the same spot daily, and eventually capture that amazing shot you set out to achieve.

Stay in one spot

It may seem tempting to run after your subject. However, you’ll probably have more success by staying in one spot, camera ready. This is especially true for shooting small and fast animals. They get spooked easily and run away, or you end up with blurry shots of them on the move.

My final tip for this guide is to use a garden or local park, both of which are great settings for wildlife photography. Ten minutes sitting still in a backyard can reveal how much wildlife we have all around us. Observing first, watching for behavioural patterns, are preparation for getting great shots.

Article: Claire Gillo and AP Staff, Lead image: James Warwick, Getty Images

• Beginners guide to different camera types.
• Beginners guide to different lens types.
• Beginners guide to using a camera to take photos.
• Beginners guide to Exposure, aperture, shutter, ISO, and metering.
• Understanding white balance settings and colour
• 10 essential cameras accessories for beginners
• Guide to the Art of photography and composition
• Beginners guide to Photoshop Elements and editing photos
• Complete guide to Portrait Photography
• Complete guide to Macro Photography
• Complete guide to Street Photography
• Guide to Landscape Photography
• How to shoot Action and Sports Photography

Further guides on wildlife photography:

• Wildlife conservation photography: Tom Svensson reveals all
• How to be an ethical wildlife photographer
• How to capture fast-moving birds (and animals)
• How to photograph butterflies
• How to photograph animals
• How to photograph pets

Follow AP on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The post Complete guide to wildlife photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

To the photographer of the 1970s, the Olympus camera brand was almost synonymous with miniaturisation. The Olympus OM1 single lens reflex, introduced in 1973, had shrunk the size of a standard 35mm SLR by about a quarter leaving other brands racing to catch up. Rangefinder cameras such as the Olympus 35RC were gaining a strong following among travel and adventure photographers for the same reason.

Despite, or perhaps because of, these developments there remained an almost untapped market for even smaller cameras. Many aspiring photographers who had started with something like a Kodak Instamatic 126 camera were looking to graduate to a more versatile and capable alternative. To satisfy this need, Olympus developed an interesting series of ultra-compact 35mm models based on a novel clamshell design, which could slide into a pocket and become truly “go anywhere” cameras.

The Olympus XA series

In 1979, the original Olympus XA was launched, and it was immediately obvious that this was something rather special. Despite its compact format – Olympus called it a “capsule camera” – it was a fully-featured 35mm rangefinder camera with aperture-priority automatic exposure and a number of other offerings which made people sit up and take notice. 

Olympus used plastic materials in the XA to a much greater extent than in previous designs, utilising the flexibility in design and manufacture which this offered. The sliding clamshell panel which protects the lens when not in use is the most obvious manifestation of this, and it gives the XA its characteristic look. In other areas, precision machined metals are still present, especially where this offers the opportunity for reducing the size or thickness of components. The camera back, pressed from thin but rigid metal, is a case in point.

The XA is powered by two SR44/LR44 button cell batteries, on which it is wholly reliant. Without them there is no manual backup, so it pays to keep a spare set handy. Having said that, the batteries supply power to the exposure meter, the shutter and not much else. So the lifetime of a set of batteries is very good, a year or more in normal use. Access to the battery compartment is via a coin-slot screw cover in the base.

Sliding the clamshell cover open reveals the protected elements of the camera – including the excellent 35mm f/2.8 Zuiko prime lens. This is an impressive “reverse retrofocus” design, where the lens-to-film distance is markedly less than the focal length. While this design is more complex than some traditional rangefinder lenses, it made it possible to keep the body of the XA surprisingly slim. In the early design stages, a simpler Tessar design was considered, but was rejected by the designers as it made the camera too bulky. 

The chosen design has 6 elements in 5 groups, and offers coupled rangefinder focusing from 0.85m to infinity. There is a focus lever below the lens and a distance scale above it. The shutter is electronically timed and will run from about 10 seconds to 1/500th – allowing for low-light long exposures of moving water and twilight landscapes. The shutter release is a recessed “sensor” type which reduces camera shake, but there is no cable release socket. 

Aperture is adjustable from f/2.8 to f/22 using a scale on the body, and the aperture itself is of the two-piece “diamond” type typical of automatic compacts of that period. Film speed is manually set, and can be between 25 and 800 ASA/ISO. As well as the rangefinder image, the viewfinder offers a bright-line frame to show the limits of the captured image. On the left hand side, a moving needle shows the shutter speed selected by the meter.

On the base of the camera is a small switch which offers backlight compensation of 1.5 stops, a self-timer function, and a battery tester which emits an electronic tone if the battery is healthy. There is no standard flash hot-shoe, but a dedicated flashgun can be attached with a captive screw to the end of the body – indeed a couple of versions are available with different guide numbers. While not as sophisticated as modern systems, this does a decent job of adding light to scene where there isn’t an alternative, and the location of the flash helps avoid “red eye” effects.

The back of the XA is opened in the traditional 35mm manner, by pulling up the film rewind knob, to reveal a fairly standard internal layout of film gate and pressure plate. Film is wound on using a ratcheted thumbwheel at the right hand corner of the body.

Over time, Olympus added some other versions of the XA to the range, but none matched the technical prowess of the original. The XA2, for example, is a much-simplified design, with zone focusing in place of the rangefinder and programmed exposure instead of aperture priority, which removes much of the creative flexibility of the XA. The XA4 launched in 1985 was interesting, featuring a wider 28mm lens and closer focusing. But again, it relied on zone focusing and programmed exposure.

The Olympus Mju series

As the 1990s approached, it was clear that the world was changing. The new technologies of autofocus and automatic film advance were rapidly becoming vital in maintaining and developing market share. Olympus answered these requirements in 1991 with the Mju series, which was called the Stylus in some territories such as the USA.

Slightly chunkier than the XA, but a good deal lighter, the Olympus Mju-1 employed a 100-step infrared autofocus system and motorised film transport in a much more sculpted body. The lens was still protected by a sliding plastic panel – one which operated rather more smoothly than the version on the XA – but a small LCD panel for frame counting and status indication had appeared on the top plate. The design employed plastics to an even greater degree, allowing the designers more freedom in the placement of various features. All the components of lens, viewfinder, autofocus and the new built-in flash were now protected by the sliding panel. Sadly, however, the 35mm f/2.8 lens of the XA had now become a less versatile f/3.5 version.

The shutter release had evolved slightly, with a good-sized button offering a more positive action than the sensor of the XA, while two smaller buttons on the top plate selected flash options and the self-timer function. With so much more automation, the Mju also acquired a power upgrade. In place of the button cells, a single CR-123 lithium or alkaline battery was required – and, once again, the camera is dead without it. The battery is housed behind a swing out panel on the right-hand end of the camera.

The Mju was very successful, with Olympus claiming sales of over 5 million worldwide. But to me it seemed like a stop-gap design, and lacked some of the unique charm of the original XA. Presumably, someone at Olympus was thinking along the same lines, because in 1997 they launched the wholly redesigned Mju-II – a dramatically improved offering.

Smaller and thinner than the original model, the Olympus Mju-II offered an upgraded multi-autofocus system, a more sophisticated flash support and restored the 35mm f/2.8 lens, which focused from 0.35m to infinity. The small LCD screen had migrated to the rear door of the camera, with buttons below to select delayed action and flash mode – which included red-eye reduction settings and a night-mode to allow “slow sync” long exposures with flash. Shutter speed and aperture were programmed, with no viewfinder information other than “flash ready” and “slow shutter speed warning” LEDs. Shutter speeds reportedly ran from 4 seconds to 1/1000sec, but I have measured exposures rather longer than that. The aperture of the 35mm lens, which was made up of 4 elements in 4 groups, was between f/2.8 and f/11.

The body of the Mju-II tapered almost to a point, making it very easy to slide into a pocket. This feature is explained when you open the back of the camera, as the 35mm film was designed to run in the “wrong” direction – from right to left – with the cassette being held on the right-hand side of the body. Loading is automatic and, in my experience, very reliable – with the film transport being rapid and very quiet. Rewind of the film into the cassette is automatic, although – as with the original Mju – there is a button to rewind a film part of the way through a roll.

The Mju-II was a sophisticated and highly developed offering, and I have a couple which I still use regularly. It is no surprise that Olympus sold over 3.8 million of them, despite it being part of a highly competitive marketplace.

Along with the Mju and Mju-II, Olympus produced a number of similar cameras with zoom lenses, to match the new market demands for versatility. Unfortunately, these models sacrificed some of the compactness of the originals and had much smaller maximum apertures, relying instead on the new, faster and sharper colour negative films to make up the difference. The Mju and Stylus brand names survived well into the digital era, but few of these offerings had the style or longevity of the film originals.

Olympus XA vs Mju – In the field

Both the XA and the Mju – especially the Mju-II – ultra-compact 35mm cameras are supremely portable and effective tools for capturing the unexpected image, or for use in situations where it does not pay to be conspicuous in your photography. 

I suppose I should confess at this point that I once bought an additional Mju-II because I was convinced I had lost the original one. A few months later, I found the one I’d lost in the phone pocket of my walking jacket – it really is that small and light! Mind you, having a spare one of these delightful compacts is never a problem, as it offers you the chance to have a camera in each pocket, one with high-speed black and white film for action, the other with slow colour transparency film for landscapes. This gives you great versatility with a lot less fuss than, say, a couple of 35mm SLR bodies, even Olympus OM1s!

Is that a fair comparison? Can these compacts really perform as well as an SLR? After using both cameras for many years I believe that – as long as you accept the restrictions of a fixed 35mm lens – yes, they can. The Zuiko optics of both the XA and Mju-II can deliver extremely good results if you treat them, and your photography, seriously. The weatherproofing of the Mju-II is especially useful in the UK climate, and I have used one in driving rain without problems – in conditions where I was happy to leave my DSLRs safely indoors.

Olympus XA vs Mju – Verdict

With the advent of digital compacts, many of these classic Olympus ultra-compact cameras were relegated to the dusty shelves of charity shops – which is where I got most of my examples from. In the past, I have seen them on sale for as little as £5, which is a bargain by any measure – even when you factor in the cost of film and a new battery. Recently, however, they seem to have gained a sort of retro-chic and quite nondescript examples have started appearing on Internet sales sites at eye-watering sums, well into three figures.

While I have always found these cameras extremely reliable, I believe you need to think hard about their likely lifespan before committing such serious sums of money. But if you are lucky enough to have one of these classics, then please don’t stick in a drawer or in a display case. Put a film in it, check the battery and stick it in your pocket – because you never know what you might come across.

John Gilbey is a writer and photographer based in West Wales.

Related reading:

• Pentax 17 vs Kodak Ektar H35N – half-frame film cameras compared
• How to check if a film camera works
• 12 Best Second-hand Classic Compact Cameras
• Small wonders: best used compact cameras for winter

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This was why I had a broad smile when I clicked on the email from The Guardian asking if I was available to shoot Sir Keir Starmer in June this year. I knew he would be Prime Minister and it would be a great opportunity. I was offered the shoot because The Guardian’s picture editor knew time would be limited and I’d had similar time constraints for my recent shoot with Jeremy Clarkson, which had gone well (see AP 23 July).

Challenges

‘I was given just five minutes and 27 seconds, but I managed to get a fair degree of variation in the pictures’

Getting to shoot someone close to the zenith of their career has its challenges. I wanted to photograph Starmer at this time because he would be at the height of his popularity, but the downside is how much time you are given. For this shoot, the picture editor’s assertion that I would get 15 minutes was instantly contradicted by Starmer’s press officer, the otherwise friendly George Mason. He says I’ll get five minutes if I’m lucky. 

It was just two weeks after Rishi Sunak stood in the rain and called the general election. As we arrived at the newly developed and otherwise unoccupied building in London SE1 that Labour had rented, the tension was palpable. Everyone was terrified of making a gaff, or something unexpected coming to put a spanner in the works.

In the street outside there were long black cars and people nervously talking. I was with my son Fred, who was assisting me and shooting behind-the-scenes video for our YouTube channel. On arrival we were turned away by the burly security guards and told to wait in the local Pret a Manger. 

We kept returning to reception and being turned away, but on the third time of asking we were finally let in. I wanted to see where I could shoot, what kind of light I’d be working with. I knew I needed to find a space away from the hullabaloo. 

I saw a deserted area in the basement and thought it could be perfect, a ready-made studio. Unfortunately, the receptionist gave me a flat ‘No’. He couldn’t have been less accommodating so I changed tack and asked George if I could take the portrait down there. He said, ‘Why not?’

But while I was setting up, the receptionist and security guard angrily confronted us. They accused me of going behind their back and not taking no for an answer. Of course they were right, so I apologised profusely and explained it would all be over in seconds and that I hoped to capture a historical moment. For some reason, they acquiesced.

After we had set up, we took the lift to the second floor where the surprisingly young Labour Party staff were ensconced. When Starmer entered the room there was a kinetic energy in the air. He gave a quick speech to boost morale. I could feel my pulse quicken; it was genuinely exciting. 

While Starmer was being interviewed, we went back to the basement and waited. Eventually, he arrived. I risked wasting time by giving him a copy of my book Survivor: A Portrait of Survivors of the Holocaust. I knew it might be of interest as his wife is Jewish, and he conveyed a sincere interest in it.

Starmer and I are a similar age and he couldn’t have been nicer during the shoot. Although from looking at the metadata of my files I can see I was given just five minutes and 27 seconds, I managed to get a fair degree of variation in the pictures despite the limited environment. 

Everything was shot on my Fuji GFX 50S with two lenses – a Fujinon 45mm f/2.8 and a Fujinon 63mm f/2.8. The images were mostly lit with available light, apart from one set-up, shot with an inexpensive LED light on a stand that I included in one of the images. I finished off with a couple of head-and-shoulders shots which I lit with a small handheld, battery-powered Quantum flash held by Fred.

As he was leaving, Starmer asked me to sign my book, apologised for the brevity of the shoot and then he was gone.

After we’d made the long drive home to Devon I started to panic, thinking I didn’t have enough images. The weakest shots were the ones I’d taken at the end, but I put those two shots together in Photoshop and they combined to make an interesting study. Often, I find that when I’m being playful and messing around, something unusual happens. To my surprise, that’s what ended up on The Guardian Saturday magazine cover, paired with text that said, ‘No Pressure Then… Up Close and Personal with the man who would be PM.’

I was slightly ambivalent about that picture being used on the cover as I didn’t want to imply that Keir was two-faced or confused in any way. However, it did have an interesting, ambiguous quality and was very unlike anything I’d ever done before. 

Looking back on my portraits of Prime Ministers, on the whole I’m happy with the ones I’ve made of Thatcher, Blair, Brown, Cameron and even Johnson. I don’t really care that I didn’t get to shoot May, Sunak or Truss. I am, however, pleased to add Starmer to my roll call of Prime Ministers. Let’s hope he doesn’t disappoint. 

As told to David Clark

Harry Borden

Harry Borden is one of the UK’s finest portrait photographers. He has won prizes at the World Press Photo Awards (1997 and 1999) and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society in 2014. The National Portrait Gallery collection holds over 100 of his images. He tells the stories behind dozens of his celebrity shoots on www.youtube.com/@fredandharryborden

Related reading:

• Photo Insight with Harry Borden: Martin Parr
• Harry Borden: Surviving history

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We regularly test and review photo editing software, covering everything from free tools and mobile apps to the market-leader programs like Photoshop. All our photographers have their own preferred editing workflow, and this guide represents the best of the best as chosen by the experts behind our photo software reviews. We cover the full gamut, from the expensive professional stuff through budget options, including some programs that are completely free.

We’ve divided this into sections for ease of navigation. First are the best subscription-based image editing services, then best subscription-free software that’s a one-time purchase and download. After that come the best free photo-editing software choices, finishing off with the best photo editing app for mobile.

Scroll to the bottom of the article for helpful tips on how to choose the right photo editing software, or read on for our full list. There are more options in our guides dedicated to the best subscription-free photo editing software and the best free photo editing software.

The best photo editing software: our quick list

Here’s a quick-reference list of the image editing programs we’ve picked for our list, along with links to get the best prices…

Best subscription-based photo editing software:

• Best image editing software overall: Adobe Photoshop – buy now
• Best photo editing software for beginners: Adobe Lightroom – buy now
• Best photo editing software for Windows: Zoner Photo Studio X – buy now
• Best editing software for studio photography: CaptureOne Pro – buy now

Best subscription-free photo editing software:

• Best Photoshop alternative: Affinity Photo 2 – buy now
• Best RAW processor: DxO PhotoLab 7 – buy now
• Best AI image editor: Skylum Luminar NEO – buy now

Best free photo editing software:

• Best free Photoshop alternative: GIMP – visit site
• Best free RAW processor: RawTherapee – visit site

Best mobile image editing software:

• Best image editing app: Snapseed – Google Play / App Store

Read on to learn more about why we rate each of these image editing programs, with links to full reviews by our team of writers and photographers…

Best subscription-based photo editing software

Opinions are divided on the subscription model for software, but as more and more companies move in this direction, it’s something we can’t ignore. Many of the top-tier, professional standard programs are subscription or nothing. There are some pretty good deals for photographers which can soften the blow of monthly payments a little. Here are our picks of the best subscription services for photo editing.

Best image editing software overall: Adobe Photoshop

At a glance:

• Photo editing and graphics program
• Windows and Mac
• $9.99/£9.98 monthly with Lightroom (20GB storage), or $19.99/£19.97 monthly (1TB storage)
• adobe.com

Adobe Photoshop has been practically synonymous with photo editing for decades now, to the point where many people casually use ‘photoshopped’ as a generic term for an edited or retouched image. Amusingly, Adobe has a page on its website that instructs us to say ‘The image was enhanced using Adobe® Photoshop® software’ instead of ‘The image was photoshopped’. This seems unlikely to catch on. That to be “photoshopped” is a part of the common language is a sign of its pre-eminence and success.

Photoshop is indeed a superb piece of photo editing software. Whether you need to clone out distractions, rescue blown-out highlights, convert an image to monochrome, process RAW files (via the Camera Raw plugin) or perform any of the other myriad tasks that might befall a photo editor, Photoshop will be well equipped. We reviewed the most recent version of Adobe Photoshop, and its ability to clean up and declutter images has been made faster than ever thanks to new AI-powered object selection tools.

These days it is impossible to talk about Adobe software without talking about AI, as the firm is going all-in on it. Newer versions of Photoshop have come loaded with powerful generative AI tools such as Generative Fill and Generative Expand, which allow you to radically transform images with generative content. Those who just want to edit photos without all that may be dismayed that Adobe has, in fact, embraced it fully.

The full version of Photoshop is subscription-only, as it has been for a long time. The popular Photography bundle, where you get it together with Lightroom for $9.99/£9.98 per month, is at least decent value – though be warned that cancellation is a more complex affair than you might think. Adobe is infamous for its sneaky ‘cancellation fees’ that hit users who have the temerity to not want to give them money anymore.

Bear in mind that if you do want Photoshop without a subscription, you can get it in the slimmed-down Photoshop Elements package, which is a one-time purchase. See our beginner’s guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements for more.

Read our full Adobe Photoshop review

Best photo editing software for beginners: Adobe Lightroom

At a glance:

• Workflow, image management and editing program
• Windows and Mac
• $9.99/£9.98 monthly with Photoshop (20GB storage), or $19.99/£19.97 monthly (1TB storage)
• adobe.com

If you’re subscribed to Photoshop, chances are good that you’ve got Lightroom too, as the most cost-efficient subscription gives access to both. While Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom programs share many features, the key appeal of Lightroom lies in its extensive cataloguing and image-management features. These allow you to use keywording and rating to organise your images and single-out the keepers. If you’re regularly sifting through large numbers of files, it is an enormous timesaver.

Lightroom is also no slouch when it comes to photo editing. While Photoshop is the more powerful program with a more comprehensive suite of options, Lightroom is still excellent, and many photographers use Lightroom exclusively. Its image-repair and enhancement tools are precise and intuitive, and the highly fine-tunable masking function can be immensely useful. You can also easily copy your changes to multiple images for speedy batch-editing.

Read our guide to Lightroom vs Photoshop: which is right for you? And for more advice, check out our guide to the pros and cons of RAW vs JPEG.

Best photo editing software for Windows: Zoner Photo Studio X

At a glance:

• Raw converter, image editor and organiser
• Windows
• $59 per year / $5.99 per month, £63 per year
• zoner.com

This Windows-only software is designed to be the complete package when it comes to photo editing – so it’s also a raw processor, an image organiser and even a photobook designer. It offers plenty of Photoshop-like tools, including Layer adjustments, and the interface is well designed. The program includes plenty of camera and lens correction profiles too, with the option to upload more if needed. This latest version also runs much better than previous iterations of the software, with plenty of bug fixes and performance enhancements having been introduced.

ZPS X doesn’t have Adobe’s ultra-advanced features like Neural Filters, and its corrections aren’t as good as those you’d find in the likes of Photoshop or DxO PhotoLab. However, as a start-to-finish photo editing program, it does a very good job indeed, and is definitely a credible option for those looking for a solid Photoshop alternative.

Read our interview with photographer Kevin Bruseby on getting more from Zoner Photo Studio X.

Best editing software for studio photography: CaptureOne Pro

At a glance:

• Windows/MAc
• Powerful AI tools
• £299 one off or £14.92/month with subscription
• www.captureone.com

Its interface combines features similar to Lightroom catalogues for image storage, management and editing, but also offers the best features of Photoshop, like adjustment layers, masks, and advanced colour grading tools. You can also create so-called ‘Sessions’: standalone projects that are streamlined to include only the current photos you are working on, making it free of distractions. However, after finishing with a session there is an option to import it into your CaptureOne catalogue and apply further editing, too.

Providing an excellent RAW processing performance and comprehensive support for USB and wireless tethering (your shots are transported to your computer in real time, where you can apply edits while you shoot) it became a must have for many professional studio photographers. Even though it’s compatible with over 450 camera models, it only supports tethered capture for Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji, Leica, Sigma and Phase One/Mamiya.

There is an option to purchase the software with a one-off payment (£299) but with this you won’t get any regular software updates, or you can pay a monthly subscription fee, starting from £14.99.

Best subscription-free photo editing software

We get it – not everyone wants to be on the hook to a digital landlord for the rest of their photo-taking life. Less than $10/£10 a month for Photoshop and Lightroom may feel like a really good deal, but if you’re planning on using the software for years on end, those monthly fees mount up. You may be better off paying full-price up front for software that’s yours to own and keep.

For a more detailed round-up, check out our full guide to the best subscription-free photo editing software. Or read on to discover some of the best photo-editing software that’s available as a one-time purchase with no subscription required.

Best Photoshop alternative: Affinity Photo 2

At a glance:

• Photo editor and illustration program
• Windows, Mac and iPad
• $69.99 / £67.99. £159.99 one-off payment for all apps.
• affinity.serif.com

Affinity Photo 2 is probably the best Photoshop alternative for those who want a one-time purchase program for photo editing and other image work. Acquiring it forever is the same price as seven months of Photoshop and Lightroom on the Photography Bundle, and for that you get a sophisticated editor with non-destructive workflow, layer editing, masking controls, and plenty more of the kinds of features photographers expect.

The program isn’t the most immediately user-friendly for beginners; those new to image editing will undergo a bit of a learning curve at first. However, once used to the way the program wants you to think, and swapping between its different ‘Personas’ depending on the task you’re performing, it does get much easier. One thing we particularly appreciated in our review was getting our heads around the adjustment presets, which let you save and re-use your favourite adjustments – a real time-saver for batch-editing.

Read our full Affinity Photo 2 review.

Best RAW processor: DxO PhotoLab 8

At a glance:

• Raw workflow software
• Mac and Windows
• 30 days free trial
• Fully-featured Elite edition: $180/£165 ($109/£99 if upgrading)
• Pared-down Essential edition: $139/£129 but doesn’t have DeepPrime, LUTs, colour calibration or HSL
• dxo.com

This powerful software from DxO is especially potent for processing raw files. DxO’s de-noising technologies, DeepPRIME and DeepPRIME XD2S provide huge benefits in terms of rescuing detail in shots that are suffering from a significant amount of digital noise due to being shot at high ISOs. The process is fast and highly effective, able to turn shots you might have written off as irredeemable into something you can make prints from.

If you’re using an older camera that gets noisy very quickly when the ISO is turned up, PhotoLab could help to extend its lease of life. When we reviewed PhotoLab 8 we were hugely impressed – the newly added hue mask, and improved lens softness compensation along with a new version of DeepPRIME XD2S niose reduction feature works better than ever. The long awaited luminosity mask and also a compare tool similar to the one seen in Lightroom has been added too.

LUTs (Colour Lookup tables) are colour filters invaluable for video editors, DxO Photolab 8 includes 17 initial choices but it also supports third-party LUTs as well. This tool is used increasingly among photographers, as it helps speed up their workflow through automatic colour correction and colour grading.

Read more about the DxO PhotoLab 8

Best AI image editor: Skylum Luminar NEO

At a glance:

• Photo editing software with AI tools
• Mac and Windows (can also be used as a Photoshop/Lightroom plugin)
• Currently £59 one year, £99 one-off perpetual
• skylum.com

While Skylum Luminar does have a subscription model, it also offers the option of a one-time-only lifetime purchase of the software. This will ultimately save you money in the long-run, and there is a 30-day trial period in which you can get a refund if the software is not to your taste.

Skylum Luminar NEO is the latest iteration of a piece of software that’s been around for some time – originally, the developer was named Macphun, and made products exclusively for Apple operating systems. These days, Skylum Luminar NEO is a program aiming to fulfil the roles of both Photoshop and Lightroom, with a full suite of photo editing and photo organising tools. It’s stuffed with AI-powered tools like background removal and noise reduction, and also offers tons of presets for those who don’t mind letting the program make a few editing decisions for them.

Read our full Skylum Luminar NEO review.

Best free photo-editing software

If the monthly subscriptions and one-time costs are beyond your budget, fear not – there’s lots of excellent free software out there for editing photos. We have an entire guide dedicated to the best free photo editing software right now – but here are two of the applications we feel are the best.

Best free Photoshop alternative: GIMP

At a glance:

• Photo editing and graphics software
• Windows, Mac and Linux
• Free and open-source
• gimp.org

The GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP as it apparently must be known, is a free and open-source image editor that you can download, install and run in barely the time it would take to read this paragraph – no credit card required. GIMP has always been free, and is maintained by a devoted team of enthusiasts. It offers a powerful photo editing suite to rival Photoshop or Affinity Photo, and there are tons of community-developed plugins that allow you to make it your own. It’s infamously tricky to get to grips with – though recent updates have made it a lot more user-friendly than it once was.

Best free RAW processor: RawTherapee

At a glance:

• Raw conversion software
• Windows, Mac and Linux
• Free
• rawtherapee.com

When you first boot up RawTherapee, you might be a little overwhelmed at the complexity of what you’re looking at. We’ve found that this free raw conversion software is not blessed with the most intuitive of interfaces, with tons of tool panels and a huge array of features. Geeks will be in heaven; normies might feel a little overwhelmed. However, if you do want to wade into the ins and outs of raw processing and don’t have cash to spend, the amount of power you get for free here is absolutely incredible. Bear in mind that updates for the software have slowed in recent years, with the last one coming in November 2022 – so if you have a newer camera, the software won’t have specific profiles for it.

Best mobile image editing software

Finally, we’re taking a quick look at the best apps for editing photos on the go. Most photographers likely snap plenty of pics on their phone as well as their camera, and there are plenty of apps out there to help you kick your smartphone photography game up a notch. We have a whole dedicated guide to the best photo apps for phones, including editing apps – but read on for our top recommendation.

Best image editing app: Snapseed

At a glance:

• Image editing app
• iOS and Android
• Free
• Google Play / App Store

We regard Snapseed as one of the top choices for photo editors on mobile – while there are plenty of competitors out there, truthfully you’re unlikely to go wrong with Snapseed. It’s great. A completely free, Google-made app, available for both iPhones and Android devices, Snapseed puts a powerful and intuitive editor in the palm of your hand.

As well as standard tools like cropping and rotating images, Snapseed also enables Curves adjustments, with a range of presets available to make things easier. It’s perfect both for those who want a streamlined, automated process, and for those who like to dive in deep and get granular with their adjustments. And – need we remind you – it’s free!

Read our guide to how to edit your photos in Snapseed.

How to choose the right photo editing software?

First of all consider your needs and make a list of what are the most essential features you want get from your editing software, this will help you narrow down your options. Obviously, the most suitable photo editing software for you depends on what kind of photography you are doing and whether you are a beginner enthusiast or a pro in editing.

Subscription or one-time purchase

Most of the providers offer either a one-time purchase or a monthly or yearly subscription. With purchasing a one-off license you own the program forever, and will pay less if you brake down your cost per month, as the longer you use them essentially the cheaper they get. Their downside however is that they usually don’t provide software updates and you can miss out on important bug fixes and new plug-ins. The subscription-based options on the other hand benefit from regular software updates but you pay a monthly or yearly fee and your access to the software stops when you stop paying the subscription.

System requirements

You will need sufficient horsepower to run the latest editing software, so if your computer is somewhat outdated this can be an issue. Check on the manufacturers website for the recommended RAM, Graphics card size and type, and operating system and monitor resolution. For example Photoshops’ system requirements state 16 GB as recommended however you can get away with the minimum 8GB, but speed and performance may be curbed.

Consider if you have enough hard disk space to run it. I am not talking about space to install the software, but having enough free hard disk space to run it.

Another important aspect is how often does the provider release software updates? These often include, shiny new features like Photoshops’ Generative AI, but can be other useful things like support for newly released cameras and lenses and lens profile corrections.

Cross Platform Licensing

If you use a Macbook or laptop on the go as well as a PC or iMac at home, you want to check if your chosen software offers what’s called cross platform licensing. This allows you to use the same software on your mac and pc without purchasing a new licence. Some subscriptions also let you download the same software to more than one device so you can pick up where you left off on another device.

Workflow and organisation

Would you like to edit as well as catalogue your images? Most software offer comprehensive cataloguing and rating features to help manage your image files. It is easy to shoot burst and fill up your hard drives so it is more and more important to be able to easily locate your files.

Features

All of the editors listed here will include the essential editing tools but depending on the style and genre you are shooting and editing your ideal editor will differ greatly. You might want built in filters or presets that can be easily applied for a quick fix, AI editing features, or generative fill.

Or maybe you want to work on different layers to composite multiple images together. If you edit your images one by one, practically any of the editors will suit you, however if your work require editing multiple images with similar changes like in event or wedding photography then you want to make sure batch editing is included in the features.

For macro or product photography a software thats capable of compiling focus stacked photos will be essential, however for someone who shoots wildlife effective noise reduction will be a life saver. It all depends on your own unique wants and needs.

Final take away

When you have one or more potential software on your list make sure to download their trial versions. It is a lot easier to make up your mind after you actually worked with them in real life. Choose three images and edit them in each program, this way you can compare the ease of use and features and get a good idea if you will be comfortable to use it on the long run.

Related reading:

• Get the vintage film look with digital photos
• How to edit photos – guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements
• Best software for black & white editing

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The post Best photo editing software in 2025 appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Portrait and Headshot Photography tips from Rory Lewis

“Described by the British Film Institute as one of the most versatile English actors of his generation, David Morrissey is noted for the meticulous preparation and research he undertakes for his roles – you may have seen him in the hit BBC drama series, Sherwood,” Rory explains.

“I captured David’s portrait for a new project entitled Selah, drawing inspiration from the Old Master painters such as Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Titian and Ribera. I have attempted to masterfully recreate the light, atmosphere and tones of classical portrait paintings.

“I like to call this position the hero shot; positioning the subject side on, looking across their shoulder. I am positioned slightly lower, thus making David look tall and prominent.”

Studio lighting can seem daunting if you have never tried it before, but as Rory explains, “It’s not nearly as scary as most people think. To my mind, it’s all about keeping things simple. Most of my portrait sittings are like this one, using just one or two lights. Here, I used two Profoto B10 heads, with two Small Octa Softboxes.

“One was behind at 220 degrees right, and the other was in front of David, again to the right at 140 degrees. I also used a Manfrotto 1×1 Skylight Rapid to the left to tone down the shadows.”

David was captured at 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100. “I never deviate from either f/5.6 or 7.1 in my portraits, using the medium format Hasselblad X1D II 50C camera,” adds Rory. “These apertures deliver great depth and detail.”

Rory Lewis’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Find compelling subjects – “You are nothing without a compelling subject. Try creating a theme or project. This could be a member of the family who has a story to tell, or someone in your community.”
2. Be inspired by fine art – “My style is influenced by Renaissance portraiture and ‘chiaroscuro’ – a technique which uses strong tonal contrasts between light and dark to model three-dimensional forms.” See our top fine art portrait photography tips
3. Keep lighting simple – “As mentioned, most of my portrait sittings utilise just one or two lights. Try this simple set-up yourself – position one flash head with a shoot-through umbrella at a 45° angle to the model, at about six feet high. This creates a strong, hard, direct light from the side and above. I guarantee this will create vivid results.”

Rory Lewis won the Portrait of Britain award for four years in a row and is a National Portrait Gallery BAME artist. He also runs courses and mentorship programmes.

See more of Rory’s work on his website and Instagram.

Fashion and Editorial Portrait Photography tips from Gigi Umbrasaite

Luke Clark

“This shot of Luke Clark was taken in Greenwich, London, on a sunny day that had intermittent, crazy downpours. We ended up in a pub for shelter until the showers passed over. While we were sitting and waiting, I noticed the light coming through the window right next to our table and just decided to snap some portraits.

“I was shooting on an 85mm lens, so I needed to be far back from Luke, but just the end of the table was enough distance to frame him for a portrait. With enough light coming in and some shadows from being indoors, I decided to turn this shot black & white to give it a little more of a cinematic feel.

“I made minor adjustments to the exposure in Lightroom followed by minimal skin retouching (dodge and burn) to lighten up shadows under Luke’s eyes, nose and lips in Photoshop.”

Kateryna Zub

“This shot of Kateryna Zub was taken in Hyde Park, London. It was a gloomy day, but in this case, it was working well for us as it added to the mood. As always, I look for interesting backgrounds that will complement my subject. I spotted reed sweet-grass that was already dry and a golden colour that beautifully matched Kateryna’s hair, giving us lovely, earthy tones.

“I framed some of the grass just in front of my lens to add interest and create more depth. This also gave the appearance of a location of fields in the countryside; not the heart of London.

“I used Lightroom to apply a small amount of colour correction and tweaked the shadows and exposure. This was followed by some minor skin retouching in Photoshop. Kateryna’s skin didn’t needed much; minimal dodge and burn was enough to lift the shadows.”

Pelle Frederiksen

“This portrait of Pelle Frederiksen was taken in the Lancaster Gate area of Hyde Park in London. It was a bright, sunny day so the light was harsh which meant we had to find some shade. I spotted a beautiful tree that was covered in white blossom that I thought would be nice to include in the portrait. I wanted to capture some of the light peeking through the tree, so we decided to do a shot lying down on a bed of grass and white blossom that had fallen off the tree.

“I also made use of the shadow from Pelle’s hand that dropped right across his face helping to block the sun and keep his eyes open. This took quite a few attempts but I think we nailed the shot. I made minimal Lightroom exposure and colour correction followed by Photoshop dodge and burn. I like to keep my natural light portraits with as minimal editing as possible, always making sure my shots are 99% spot on when I take them.”

Gigi Umbrasaite’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Cloudy mode: This is my favourite top tip to achieve warmer tones, especially shooting in England with weather being so unpredictable and often grey. By selecting the Cloudy White Balance mode on your camera, you can warm up your images and make your model look livelier and more youthful.
2. Diffuse the light: As I mainly shoot outdoors, I find shooting on sunny days to be a little tricky without getting strong shadows, burnt-out highlights and squinty eyes. Always look for some shade and light bounce. In bright situations I like to look for lighter-coloured backgrounds so images can still look nice and bright but without the harsh light. If you have a spare hand or an assistant, you can always use a portable diffuser/reflector.
3. Be precise and intentional: Treat your natural light portrait session like a film camera, where every shot counts. Take your time to compose your shot and make sure the lighting is just right before pressing the shutter. As soon as you get the shot, move from that pose, location or change the outfit for the next shot. This way you minimise your shutter count and speed up your time on set. Working in this way will also save you time later so you don’t need to go through thousands of images. Quality over quantity.

Gigi is a Lithuanian fashion and portrait photographer based in Brighton. She grew up in a family of photographers and started shooting from an early age. After finishing school in Lithuania, Gigi moved to study in England where her photography career took off. Now Gigi is working with magazines, fashion and commercial brands, and modelling agencies all over the world. She is also a member of the the UK Portraits team, part of Shooters. See www.gg-photo.com or @ggphotographyofficial

Fashion and Beauty Portrait Photography tips from Jade Keshia Gordon

WMNS

“This (below) was taken on a shoot for a fashion campaign for the spring/summer collection of clothes brand WMNS WEAR,’ recalls Jade. The theme of the campaign was ‘Euphoria’.

“The model, Lay, was placed close to a white wall in the studio. The wall was lit by two, colour-adjustable RGB LED panel lights placed at 45 degrees on either side of the model, which were set to bright purple. A white spotlight was then projected onto the model from the front and slightly to the left of the model.

“The effect of this was to create a strong, hard purple shadow in a white circle on the background. Jade took this shot using an EF 8-15mm f/4 L Fisheye on a Canon EOS R5, via the RF adapter, and used an exposure of 1/125sec at f/4 at ISO 320. Because she was shooting so close to the model, this made the placement of the spotlight quite tricky. We needed it to be as close to the front of the model as possible but without getting my shadow in the shot too.”

Jade Keshia Gordon’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Experiment with spotlights – The use of a spotlight has created a visually striking image, enhanced by the use of coloured background lights which created the coloured shadow. “Spotlights like this one are expensive but you can get a similar effect with a digital or slide projector,” Jade advises. “They won’t be as bright but you can shoot at a higher ISO to compensate.”
2. Try using a wide-angle lens – “Some people think you have to shoot portraits with short telephoto lenses but wIde-angles are very common in fashion photography. They’re great for when you want to accentuate the shape and style of a garment. I shot this using the 24-70mm lens too, but it didn’t have the same vibe as with the fisheye.”
3. Use colour creatively – “Colourful backgrounds can really make a portrait ‘pop’ but you need to take care to ensure that they complement the subject’s skin tone and clothing rather than clashing with them. Use coloured walls or dedicated colour backdrops, or colour a white or grey wall using gels over your lights, or RGB LED lights with variable colours.”

Jade Keshia Gordon is a London-based fashion and beauty photographer who has shot for the likes of Nike and Canon. Her work has appeared in magazines including Forbes and Elle.

See more of Jade’s work on her website and Instagram.

Model portrait photography tips from Darren Boyd

Athena

As I composed this portrait of Athena, I aimed to capture her strength and femininity. Using a low angle, I created a sense of height and power while still highlighting her natural beauty. To make Athena stand out even more, I utilised the power of bokeh to separate her from the background and draw the viewer’s attention to her. Using my trusty Nikon Z6 camera and 85mm f/1.2 lens, I captured every detail of Athena’s features, resulting in a stunning image that perfectly showcases her beauty and strength as a model. To enhance the shot, I used a single octagon softbox to create a soft, flattering light highlighting Athena’s left side.

Additionally, I carefully positioned her so that the sun backlit her body, adding depth and dimension to the image. This portrait is a true testament to the power of thoughtful lighting, composition, and creative photography techniques. I am incredibly proud of the result and thrilled to have captured Athena’s full range of beauty and strength in a single shot.

Stephen Manas

“In a London car park, I captured the essence of Stephen Manas, an actor from the Emmy-winning Apple TV series Ted Lasso, through a commissioned headshot that’s breathtaking. Using only natural light, I accentuated the contours of Manas’ face, creating a striking separation from the background with my Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lens and a powerful depth of field. But it was in post-processing with Affinity Photo on my trusty iPad Pro where I worked my magic.

“The eyes are the windows to the soul, and in Manas’ piercing gaze, I found a profoundly intimate and meaningful connection. I captured Manas’ unique essence in a captivating and unforgettable portrait by drawing the viewer in with his engaging stare. The final image is a testament to the power of photography to capture not just the subject’s likeness but also the very essence of their being. It’s a striking and dramatic portrait that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who beholds it.”

Massay

“As I arrived for my planned photoshoot with Courtney Massay, a talented male model, I was excited to capture his unique personality in the urban environment of Liverpool Street, London. As a photographer who loves to push the boundaries and create innovative and creative shots, I was determined to find a way to showcase Massay’s bold and confident vibe.

“We started the shoot with Massay sitting on the steps, and I immediately saw the opportunity to use the metal railings as a framing device. I wanted to create a gritty, urban feel reflecting his edgy and masculine style. As we continued the shoot, I played with different angles and perspectives to find the perfect shot to capture Massay’s unique energy and personality.

“Finally, the moment arrived, and I snapped the shot that would become the centrepiece of the shoot. The framing was perfect, with the metal railings adding an edgy and urban vibe that perfectly complemented Massay’s personality. The image captured his raw vitality and bold confidence, creating a powerful and unforgettable portrait that genuinely reflected his spirit. I was thrilled with the result and proud to have captured the essence of this dynamic and inspiring male model.”

Darren Boyd’s top portrait photography tips

1. It’s in the eyes: Capturing details of the eyes is crucial in portrait photography. Use a wide aperture for a shallow depth of field and ensure the eyes are in sharp focus.
2. Experiment: Don’t be afraid to shoot at different angles. Experimenting with angles can create a unique perspective and add variety to your portraits.
3. Natural framing: Experiment with framing. Use objects in the environment to create a natural frame around your subject. This can add depth and draw attention to the subject. Try different aspect ratios for added visual interest.

Darren is an award-winning photographer based in London and Hampshire, specialising in hyper-realistic portraits that make a connective impact. Darren works with actors and models to create stunning and impactful imagery. To see more of his work, visit www.boydvisuals.com or @boydvisuals

Commercial Portrait Photography tips from Sam Nash

Ballerina

“This shot of dancer Kate Byrne was achieved using the Rotolight AEOS 2 in an indoor abandoned shaft studio which had multiple floors and shooting locations within it. The model was framed neatly within the bricks which I lit up with an orange filter chosen from the 2,500 digital filters that were available.

“At times, the colours chosen are purely aesthetic to match the wardrobe, as well as the ambience of the shoot. I set up another AEOS 2, set to 40% power, inside the new Rotolight P90 parabolic soft dome placed six feet from Kate to give a beautiful key light on her. I used a Sony Alpha 1 camera with a 50mm F1.2 GM lens.”

Kesha

“Kesha appeared in James Bond’s last outing, No Time to Die. This shot was achieved using just one Rotolight NEO 3. It was shot outdoors in an alley.

“Using continuous LED lighting was essential, as this shot was taken in the evening. A perfectly lit shot controls the shadows in the portrait, making a shot like this more visually interesting and dynamic. The chosen location set the mood and the model’s pose was strategic – it could have been more mundane had the model looked directly into the camera. I used a Sony A1 camera with a 50mm F1.2 GM lens.”

Black dress

“This shot, of model Katia Valerievna, was achieved using one Rotolight NEO 3, positioned 45 degrees from the model, during London Fashion Week.

“The NEO 3 was set at about 36% output. Time was of the essence, so I had to move quickly between shots as there were many people on location. By placing my model on the steps, it gave a 3D sense of depth to my subject, and it allowed the contrasting colours between the model’s dress and the environment to really pop and achieve a dusky, romantic feel to the image.

I used a Sony Alpha 1 camera with a 50mm F1.2 GM lens.”

Sam’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Choosing locations – With outdoor shooting the choice of location is vital, but I rarely pre-plan as I find my creativity is heightened by exploring locations during a shoot. But do have a clear concept of the ambiance and general atmosphere that you want.
2. Use LED lighting – The source of light is key in creating a successful portrait image. It sets the tone and mood. For me, continuous LED lights make the most sense with modern cameras. My Rotolight NEO and AEOS lights are powerful and the 16.7 million colours allow me to light my subject in various unique ways.
3. Compose carefully – Perfecting your composition is the single most important skill in capturing the perfect portrait. Learn to master lines, depth, shapes, framing, and point of view; all help relay the message of the photograph. It is also what makes your image pop. Remove as many elements in a scene as you can to avoid clutter in picture. This keeps the shot simple so nothing distracts from your subject.

Sam Nash is a London-based portrait photographer who started out shooting events before progressing to commercial photography – shooting ad campaigns for magazines, retail, and lifestyle shoots. He now focuses solely on portrait and fashion photography as he found his true passion lies there.

See more of Sam’s work on his website and Instagram.

Creative portrait photography guidance from Therese Asplund

Empowered

“I wanted to create an image that portrayed the feeling of confidence and beauty you sometimes feel just by putting on a red lipstick. By using a red backdrop lit with two Elinchrom ONE strobes with red gels attached and no light on the model, I created a wonderful silhouette to play with. The mouth area was lit by an Elinchrom FIVE with an optical snoot.

“To create shape, I used a dress with a lot of volume in the skirt, and paper plates to build the headpiece. Posing the hands and the fingers were very important to create the right character and I tried a lot of variations before I got the result I was after. The image is shot with Nikon Z 9 and a Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The model is Alice Vestman and I did the styling.”

Fisheye

“I love to create images with a lot of humour and play with words when giving them a title. This is Alice and her pet fish, Mr Raj. The idea for the image came from Alice complaining about how easy it was for her friends, who had cats, dogs, and horses, to get nice images with their pets. I love a challenge and came up with this idea so she could have an unforgettable portrait with her pet.

“The blue colour theme comes from the fish and the styling is inspired by the waves of the ocean and acrobatic swimmers. The lighting is one Elinchrom ELC1000 in a clam light set-up, centred up high, with a white reflective screen under to lift the shadows. The image is shot with a Nikon Z 9 and a Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The model is Alice Vestman and I did the styling.

Safe from the Waves

“During the Covid lockdown, I set myself a challenge to create the same fine art portraits that I normally shoot in the studio, but under water, using my studio flashes to capture the same painterly light. I struggled a lot with the lighting because as soon as it hit the surface of the water it spread in all directions, which made it hard to avoid too much light on the background.

“This was pretty much the only good image I got from my first session despite shooting for three hours. What finally did the trick was using a backlight as my main light and one gentle fill light to lift the shadows just a little bit. For the main light I used an Elinchrom ELB1200 to get maximum power and to be able to shoot with a small aperture to block out the ambient light. The fill is an Elinchrom ELB500. The story is that no matter how busy, scary, and loud the world is around us, under the surface everything is calm, comforting, and quiet.”

Therese Asplund’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Be prepared: Have a plan set before the model arrives. This will get you off to a great start and saves the model waiting around. Test the light and ensure you have the right settings on your camera. If you can, use yourself or an assistant to stand in and test the lighting. That way you can tweak it without any pressure to ensure the shoot runs smoothly.
2. Focus all your attention on the model: This is especially important when shooting people that are not used to being in front of the camera. It is crucial that you make them feel safe and comfortable and for that they often need your full attention. Give direction, be encouraging and make sure to have a lot of eye contact.
3. Light, light, light!: Photography means painting with light and to get a great portrait you need to understand how different kinds of light affect the character of the face. Whether you shoot with natural or artificial light always choose it with care. Sometimes shifting your position, or the model’s, by just a few inches gives you a whole new light with a completely different feel.

Therese is an award-winning Swedish portrait photographer who loves working with people. Whether she is in the studio shooting portraits, out doing commercial work, or working on one of her own art projects, it is always with the same passion and dedication. She is also an ambassador for Nikon and Elinchrom. To see more of her work, visit www.thereseasplund.com and on Instagram @photographerthereseasplund

Tips for portraits of influential people from Peter Searle

Ncuti Gatwa

This lift at the BFI, London, was the perfect location for this portrait shoot with actor Ncuti Gatwa because the red contrasted nicely with the daylight coming in through a glass entrance lobby which was supplemented by a huge backlit panel of strip lights. Fortuitously the setting is in keeping with his forthcoming role as the new Doctor Who.

I shot Ncuti with a Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and 63mm lens. Settings were 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 160.

Runyararo Mapfumo

“Runyararo is the director of the hugely successful Netflix show, Sex Education. For this portrait I placed her in the shade under an overhang of concrete architecture. Soft light bounced off buildings behind my back

I shot Runyaro with a Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and 45mm lens. Settings were 1/500sec at f/8, ISO 160.”

Prya Kansara

“Prya’s TV credits include Bridgerton and Polite Society. I photographed her at BFI, London. With the table at just the right distance from the large windows in the BFI, she is exposed perfectly, but so are the warm illumination of the bar lights.

“I shot Prya with a Fujifilm GFX 50S camera and 45mm lens. The settings were 1/30sec (on a tripod) at f/2.8, ISO 320.”

Peter Searle’s top portrait photography tips:

1. Use indirect light – Look for directional indirect daylight. Avoid direct sunlight. The light should preferably be at your back and hitting the subject approximately horizontally, or at least not a high angle, which creates shadows under the eyes. A good example of this kind of light is sunlight bouncing off a white wall. The wall becomes a giant soft box behind your back.
2. Choose the background – Find a background that has that kind of light falling on it and which most interests you or suits the subject. I personally like geometrical shapes and the texture of concrete but I also look out for warm tungsten-lit backgrounds to contrast with cooler daylight temperatures or vice versa.
3. Balancing exposure – Balance the exposure on the subject and on the background by moving the subject towards the oncoming light or away from it. For example, imagine a subject standing just inside a garage door; the further in you go with your subject, the brighter the back of the garage will be.

Peter Searle makes portraits of some of the most influential people in British society: Prime Ministers, CEOs, opera stars and generals. He is London-based but shoots all over the world, and has work in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery. Although Peter uses flash sometimes, here are his tips for working with available light.

See more of Peter’s work on his website and Instagram.

Street Portrait tips from Robert Huggins

Couple in Hackney

“I asked this couple to move in to the light slightly, and thought this was an ideal background. You can’t move around people too much or they get bored, but I sometimes ask subjects to adjust their hands. I shot this on a Leica SL. There was minimal editing apart from a square crop, which I like for this kind of portrait.”

Couple in cafe

“Most of my photos are of interesting-looking strangers or intriguing situations. The background and setting are crucial, and I work all this out before asking the person for a shot. This couple were embracing in a cafe as I passed, which caught my eye, so I asked them to recreate this for the shot. It turned out the guy had just declared his love for the first time!

“My work is more about informal portraits of people rather than street candids, but I don’t want to have to re-arrange the shot at a later date. I like the spontaneity of the moment. I find people are generous with their time, but only for about three or four shots, and then they lose interest – so I have to work fast. This was shot on my Leica SL2 and a 35mm Summicron lens.”

Hackney market

“I explained to this burka-clad lady that I really liked her eyes. I wanted to make sure that as a Muslim woman, she was okay with being photographed, and she also phoned her husband to check (sometimes very orthodox Muslim people are fine about being photographed, sometimes not).

“Then I asked her to move against this background, as it was a busy market with lots of distractions. There is often humour in my images, and I liked the rug she was holding – an interesting juxtapositon. The light was very bright that day so I had to do more editing than usual. Again, shot on the SL2 with 35mm lens.”

Robert Huggins’ top portrait photography tips:

1. Subject first – Don’t get hung up on equipment or getting a technically perfect shot. My photography is much more about the subject, not the gear, but I like the idea of having a high- precision tool, which is why I use the Leica SL2. The Summicron 35mm lens is perfect for my work.
2. Work fast – I adjust the aperture, but otherwise am happy to shoot in automatic modes. I need to work fast and don’t have time to adjust lots of settings.
3. Editing – I keep editing to the minimum – one of the great things about the SL2 is it seems to make framing easier. As well as cropping, I might also push the colours and highlights and contrast etc in Lightroom.
4. Suck it up – You should get used to rejection if strangers refuse to be shot – don’t take it personally. It’s like asking people out when you are a teenager! I tell people about my Instagram page rather than giving them my card, as they can see what my work’s about.

Robert Huggins is a roving street portrait photographer living in north-east London. He focuses on impromptu street portraits, particularly around the East End. Robert’s images have been published widely and appear in several editions of Portrait of Britain and Portrait of Humanity. See Instagram @rafhuggins

See more of Robert’s work on his Instagram.

Check out our guide to Street Photography.

Child Portraits by Iwona Podlasińska

Adam, 2017

“I asked my son Adam, who was just three then, to look at the cakes through the glass, which he only did for three seconds – enough for me to get the shots.

“The portrait was taken entirely in the natural ambient light of the bakery, with light also coming in from the case. At the time, I was shooting with the Sony A7, using an 85mm f/1.4. Editing involved removing a distracting price tag from the bottom left of the image and then just doing the usual tweaks in Lightroom to boost contrast etc.”

Adam on the bed

“Adam was seven when I took this portrait (below). I was preparing for a photo shoot and wanted to test some new ideas. So I brought an album for him to look at, and a desk lamp. I didn’t give him any instructions other than to lie down (Adam is very relaxed in front of the camera if he is comfortable).

“The lamp was not enough to light up Adam’s face, and the only window in the room was behind him on the right, so I added a small LED video light in front of him. I used a warm setting, around 3000K. The image was shot on a Sony A7 III with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The Lightroom edits involved some exposure corrections and colour grading to emphasise the lovely colour harmony.”

Jan, Kraków Market

“This shows my older son Jan, who was four then, feeding pigeons on the square. Like most of my images of my kids, the shot wasn’t planned. As Jan fed the pigeons, it started to rain, and it was quite technically challenging because I was shooting with a manual 85mm f/1.4 lens on a Sony A7.

“Everything came through sharp, however. The light was entirely natural and I edited the image in Lightroom and Photoshop – I cropped the original image from the right and added a part of another image on the left to improve the composition (initially, the frame would end right behind the pigeon’s wings on the left). Then I also colour graded the image to get that orange-blue complementary harmony.”

Iwona Podlasińska’s top portrait photography tips:

1. The light comes first – Look for attractive light first, and then think about how to get your subject in that light.
2. Don’t force it with kids – Never force children to pose. Let them play and be themselves – you will get better, more natural-looking poses this way, and the kids won’t hate you and your camera!
3. Don’t rely on editing – Pay attention to the background. Shallow depth of field can help with background distractions but if necessary, look for another location – Photoshop is still not great when it comes to blurring-out backgrounds in a convincing way.

Based in Kielce, Poland, Iwona Podlasińska specialises in child portraits and is an expert in colour grading. She’s in high demand, despite only starting out in 2013, and travels around the world teaching, as well as creating online tutorials. Her latest book, Dreamy Childhood Portraits, was published in 2021.

See more of Iwona’s work on her website and Instagram.

Get started with portrait photography here.

Need more portrait photography advice? Check these out:

• Best cameras for portrait photography
• How to take portraits on a smartphone
• The best lenses for portrait photography
• Better portraits on a budget
• How to Shoot Portrait Photos at Home
• How to take really beautiful fashion portraits

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What is Street Photography?

Street photography can involve random, spontaneous, chance events in public places – people and how they behave – to become a document recording life in a specific moment, period and place. Or you could take an aesthetic approach to capturing the still environment of buildings and architecture itself; with its colours, lights and shapes.

Pioneered by people like Paul Martin, there are a number of other famous photographers who are known for street photography including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Garry Winogrand, and Tony Ray-Jones. Have a look through some of their photographs for inspiration, and notice how fashions have changed over the years.

Which camera should I take to the street?

The camera – it’s up to you. This will depend largely on how you feel about your public presence as a photographer. Some recommend a small camera and minimal amounts of kit, to remain discreet. Other street photographers have used larger DSLRs like the Nikon D5, and even cameras with a flashgun – hardly subtle!

Bruce Gilden is famous for using flash in his street photography. If you don’t already have a camera, and think Street Photography is going to be your primary interest, then have a look at our guide to the best cameras for street photography.

You can use whatever camera you have with you, be that a smartphone, a real camera (more fun), and use autofocus (assuming the camera has it). You may prefer to use a camera with an optical or electronic viewfinder, such as a Digital SLR or Mirrorless camera, or you may prefer to “shoot from the hip” and use a camera with a tilting screen, so you can shoot from down low or high up.

We have two great guides on how to start, one where Damien Demolder shows you how to set up your camera for street photography. And another with Amy Davies who explains how to use smartphones for street photography.

How should I prepare for Street Photography?

It should go without saying, but ensure your camera battery is charged, and your memory card has plenty of space. Your mobile phone should have enough charge, too, just in case.

The main thing is to be familiar with your camera and to use the camera you have. If you own different models, use that which brings you the most joy, or you’re most comfortable using in public spaces. Wear comfortable, practical clothes and footwear, as you’ll most likely cover some ground.

Make sure you’re familiar with the environment you’re photographing. It makes sense to walk around the area with your camera in your pocket the first time you go somewhere to spot good places to shoot, as well as assess the area for safety. As for the weather: with an appropriate camera, shooting in the rain, dawn, dusk, at night, present whole new worlds of atmosphere for image capture.

Ethical street photography

No matter your subject – people or places, before heading out to photograph on the streets, be sure that you are mindful of street photography law and understand how to be an ethical street photographer.

Four “Simple” Steps for Street Photography: Look – Wait – Snap – Edit

1 – Look

It’s no good approaching street photography by staring at your phone. Put it away! Hold onto your camera, ready to shoot when needed. Be in the moment, observe people and watch events as they unfold. Interesting sights that could combine to make an interesting photo will emerge.

You could look for juxtaposition, between the subject, such as a person and the surroundings, this could be matching, or contrasting colours. Be on the lookout for interesting people, streets, art, and buildings, or anything else that can make for a stimulating composition or framing device.

2 – Wait

Patience is key. Be ready for something to happen at any time and expect the unexpected. Often, you’ll need to wait for something to happen. More than this, the shot is in the eye of the beholder: wait in a spot and tune your attention to the optical quality of what is unfolding before you. Light, colour, shapes, contrasts, mood, energy. A unique and stunning shot could be had in the blink of an eye – don’t miss it!

At times you will move to another location, or frame the scene differently by moving your camera for something interesting to appear. Wait for a change in the light to alter the tone of the scene. You can revisit locations at different times of the day for this. Depending on your style, you can avoid or wait for the rush hours to capture the movement energy of cars and people en masse to your composition.

3 – Snap

Take the photo and use a quick enough shutter speed (1/200s), use a bright enough aperture (f/2.8 or similar), use whatever ISO speed is needed to keep your shutter speed quick enough. Noise doesn’t matter in street photography. Being ready in the moment to capture it is what you are there for. In any case, you can always convert the photo to black and white if noise is excessive.

For more inspiration read about black and white street photography here.

4 – Edit (this is optional)

You can present your images just as they are, especially if you just want a record of people and places, or carry out ‘reportage’ photography. To get the most from them though, you’ll want to edit your photos; be it for contrast, to boost colours, crop images, or convert them into black and white (monochrome). Find out how to make your street photos stand out.

What makes good street photography?

Good street photography showcases given moments of time out on the street, in its surroundings. Street photos show defined subjects and tell their story. Stay aware of the environment and evolving situations. This includes looking at colours, shapes, lights, shadows and how they change, but also observing people and how they move, the shapes they embody.

Some of the best street photography is unplanned and candid. Don’t envisage a particular shot and wait for it to appear – alas, life does not indulge such fantasies! Tune in to what is, follow it for a while and shoot reality just when it catches your own unique and splendid eye.

Practice makes perfect…

Don’t be discouraged. This takes a lot of practice. In the urban environment, a striking photo can come out of nowhere, yet at others only ordinary, or worse images emerge. This happens to everybody; don’t worry about it. Understandably, we don’t see the average and worse photos taken by professional and established photographers. Rest assured that they have hundreds, if not thousands of sub-standard photographs not for public viewing. The one viral or award winning image that sets them apart is all it takes. These could never be shot without the majority in between that are duffers.

If at first, you don’t succeed, try again later or another day. Know well the environment that you are entering. When interacting with other people, remember that a smile goes a long way.

Shoot all walks of life, all types of people, warts and all. You’re capturing reality and presenting a view of the world as you see it. Taking photos of a community and life around you is a great way to have fun with photography.

For those who have never engaged in urban photography before, it may prove to be a very novel and stimulating personal experience indeed. Watching, holding one’s attention and attuning the eye to the scene before you, without regard for time but with a camera at the ready, is like being what they call in sport “in the zone”. Call it what you will, but it is in these conditions – completely absorbed in what we’re striving for – that people surpass what they think they are capable of. Just ask an angler, a golfer, a photographer…

Street photography and the law – make sure you read our guide to street photography and the law, as well as our guide on how to be street smart when out taking street photographs.

More inspirational tips and ideas to inspire your street photography

Street photography is such a popular form of photography, that Amateur Photographer has covered it numerous times, so you’ll find lots of street photography articles on this website, but here are some of our favourites that we think you should have a look at for some more inspiration! Simply click the titles below.

Tips from three professional street photographers:

Black and white street photography tips from Brian Lloyd Duckett and Edmond Terakopian:

Alan Schaller shares how to create your own recognisable style:

10 commandments of street photography:

David Gibson on great street photography:

Heather Buckley on challenging the rules of street photography:

The 12 best cities for street photography around the world:

Analogue Street Photography Tips – Street photographers share their street-shooting secrets:

Terms to learn:

• Shooting from the hip – In photographic circles this refers to holding a camera at waist level, or the same level as your hip, and by using a tilting screen you can see what you are taking a photograph of.
• Pop – Making an image “pop” means making the photo stand out, making it more striking or dynamic. This could be by increasing contrast, saturation, and colour, but there are other ways that images can stand out.

Other guides

• Beginners guide to different camera types.
• Beginners guide to different lens types.
• Beginners guide to using a camera taking photos.
• Beginners guide to Exposure, aperture, shutter, ISO, and metering.
• How to get perfect colours – white balance explained
• 10 essential cameras accessories for beginners
• Beginners guide to the Art of photography and composition
• Beginners guide to Photoshop Elements and editing photos
• Complete guide to Portrait Photography
• Complete guide to Macro Photography
• Complete guide to Street Photography

If you’re looking for a great lens for street photography, have a look at the best lenses for street photography, or have a look at the best cameras for street photography. 

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In the latest book, “Streets of America”, Chris took on the impressive feat of visiting 23 cities in an 80 day coast-to-coast adventure. As such, there’s San Francisco, New York, New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville, Boston, Philadelphia and many more to take in.

With a tenacity that is rare to find for this kind of work, there’s hundreds of images published in the book, and I’m pleased that Chris has shared a selection with us here. 

I also asked him to share some insights into how he works – I’m exhausted just reading about his days pounding the streets in search of the perfect shot, but it does show that perseverance truly pays off.

In this year of the new Trump era beginning, and a very divided nation, there’s potentially never been more attention focused on our friends in the States, but on the whole this is a very positive book. Read on to find out more… 

AP: How did you decide which cities you wanted to include in your tour?

CP: When asked why he stole from banks, the notorious American robber Willie Sutton retorted, ‘because that’s where the money is’! So, like most street photographers I headed for the big cities and I was also influenced by popular culture as seen on TV and Hollywood. Having watched ‘Breaking Bad’ I checked out Albuquerque and Santa Fe on Route 66, but was disappointed as it was a quiet day with few characters about. A local online travel counsellor who knew America well, helped me plan with a very flexible itinerary. She would book some flights and hotels in advance of my next city, so avoiding dodgy areas and saving me from wandering the streets with a heavy rucksack late at night.  

AP: Were there any places you didn’t go to but wished you had?

CP: Inevitably in such a vast country my project was just a snapshot, but with hindsight there definitely was. Places such as El Paso on the Texas and Mexico border to try and reflect that centre of political controversy, for example. I also wanted to capture some of the election campaigning, but on my first visit in the spring of 2023, it was just warming up. However, in April 2024 I did witness pro and anti Trump protesters clashing outside the Supreme Court in Washington. I wish I had gone into the rural heartlands and swing States and also Miami but I ran out of time and money. I needed a year to do the project any sort of justice… perhaps I should have gone to Niagara Falls but reckoned I would just get soaked or, perhaps at Grand Canyon where I might see a few tourists admiring the view.

AP: What were your highlights? Will you be going back to any of them? 

CP: I wanted to see more of the old America, so Fort Worth in Texas was perfect with its cowboys but unfortunately no rodeo. However, an added bonus was capturing a crowd gazing up at a total eclipse of the sun. 

In spring 2023 I went for 50 days including Las Vegas where I just couldn’t get my mojo working in a search for some tacky Parr-esque images. I am glad I returned a year later for an extra 30 days and was rewarded by snapping a very drunk Elvis in a buggy on an escalator.

I loved Nashville – it was packed and buzzing with music filling the streets. But it was sadly marred by another mass shooting close by. Then an amazing coincidence happened while waiting for an Uber outside my hotel. A couple asked where I was from and on replying “Peterborough”, a man in the queue said he was too and that I had taken his picture 40 years ago and again in 2022 for my Reunions 2 book.

It was important that I reflected the national obsession with baseball which was not easy as some stadiums banned ‘professional-looking cameras or longer lenses, although ironically camera phones were not a problem. Fortunately, I managed to capture games in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

The poignant Washington Vietnam war memorial where I saw relatives searching amongst the 50,000 names for their loved ones. Nearby, the impressive Martin Luther King sculpture brought to mind ‘I have dream’  and the long struggle for civil rights. My image of two children in Baltimore holding hands sums it up for me. That night I was asleep in my hotel while around the corner six people were injured in a nightclub shooting. 

Walking miles around a baking hot and tourist-packed Washington, I spotted a lone police officer guarding the steps of the Capitol building, cocooned in sheets and scaffolding. As I reflected on the attempted coup of January 6th 2021 a genial man and gun owner informed me the attack was all staged by the FBI and that the Sandy Hook school shootings was the work of paid actors!

Not exactly a highlight but just as memorable was in New York and just before my night flight home, when I ran after a dog wearing a pink tutu and went flying. Cradling my ‘baby’, I landed smack on my jaw in a square of hard mud where a tree had once grown. I was lucky that I managed to avoid using the American health system and the dental damage could wait until my beloved NHS sorted me out. To add insult to injury, I missed the picture too!  

At almost 72 I will probably not return and there’s plenty in dear old Blighty to keep me busy. 

AP: Did you find that the cities had lots in common, or were they all quite different? 

CP: New York ‘the city that never sleeps’ is a street photographer’s paradise where you are spoiled for choice with great characters and backdrops. In other big cities, such as Dallas or Detroit I found the same kind of photography particularly hard as the car is king. The cities are devoted to massive multi-storey and subterranean car parks, valet parking, wide roads and pavements that are devoid of people in some dystopian concrete jungle. Noxious fumes belched from enormous tank like vehicles with their drivers concealed behind darkened glass. Most buildings were also obscured, and it is only on opening a door you realise what’s inside and where all the people were. I walked miles through litter-strewn streets unsuccessfully trying to avoid human excrement; passing by shop security guards armed with guns and tasers.

I didn’t want to overdo images of the dispossessed but I had to reflect what I was seeing in front of me. I was saddened to witness the shocking effects of the opioid crisis on fellow human beings. Like scenes from a zombie movie they staggered around, ranting and raving, lying comatose in doorways and gutters, rags hanging off them, exposing festering sores on oedematous limbs. These scenes were replicated in other cities such as Hollywood with tents on sidewalks alongside the red carpets of Oscar night. In the US, there’s simply no safety net. In Britain, we have problems but fortunately we still have a welfare state and it shows. 

AP: How do you find the streets of the US compare with the streets of the UK and Europe? 

CP: In 2023, I landed in San Francisco to an inauspicious start. On a filthy graffiti-covered airport shuttle train to downtown, a man sat behind me shouting, ‘I want to stab something.’ Then, with a large pair of red scissors, he destroyed his seat. Camera-in-hand I was tempted, but took my cue from sensible locals who had already moved to the next carriage to await the police. Our tube feels safe and pristine by comparison. 

I don’t want to make sweeping generalisations but there are stark contrasts to some of the US cities. In Europe, it’s probably why Venice is one of my favourites – simply because of the refreshing absence of cars.

AP: You say you don’t know necessarily what it is you’re looking for when you go out – but are you going out looking for “moments” or do you just see if you get lucky? 

CP: You do make your own luck and street photography is about walking many miles and letting serendipity play its role. As with my multi coloured punks from the eighties, I still look out for characters who stand out from the madding crowd and humorous juxtapositions and interactions that are often missed. A bit like fishing where I would walk all day without a bite, tired and despondent and about to go home when suddenly, out of the blue, on walks Philly Man who was made for the front cover!

AP: How long do you spend each day (roughly) walking around waiting for something to catch your eye? Do you tend to stay in one place and let action unfold in front of you or do you approach it differently?

CP: “All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances.” So I wait and wait, and if no joy I find another stage. How do you capture those iconic places that have been photographed millions of times in a different way? For me, it is about finding the right character to match.

I probably spend a minimum of twelve hours walking up to twenty miles hunting for that decisive and elusive moment. In fact, I walked over seven hundred miles, along with thousands of miles on slow infrequent Amtrak trains, Greyhound coaches and inevitably planes to save time 

AP: Did people mind you photographing? Do you think you have a different viewpoint/vantage point as an outsider, compared to say when you’re photographing in the UK?

CP: I get into lost tourist mode, and not being a street photography purist I do a mixture of candid and engagement. In fact, I often provoke eye contact as it usually produces a stronger picture. Worry about the response from strangers is the main reason given for not pursuing street photography but I have rarely had problems. Most are flattered and I find a smile and an explanation goes a long way.

AP: Can you tell us about the gear that you use? 

CP: In the eighties, I was a bit shyer, so I did some telephoto work but I now realise the social context such as the shops is crucial. I try to adopt the maxim of one of my photojournalist heroes, Robert Capa: “If your photograph is not good enough, then you are not close enough.” Tragically he got too close in Indochina! I use a Canon 5D Mark III and EF 24 – 70 mm f/2.8 L USM lens. I thought getting a compact Fuji X100 would make me a less conspicuous, a better photographer and produce better images. It didn’t!  

I must admit, when I walk around town, I rarely take the heavy gear now except for projects like my American trip. I was a bit sniffy about mobile phones and despite the limitations of no viewfinder and overriding settings, I am beginning to appreciate the advantages. The quality is so good with raw shooting available too and its always with you.  

AP: Do you tend to shoot in one particular mode? 

CP: My former career as a paramedic taught me to be always ready to respond immediately to the unexpected. To seize the moment before it has gone. So it is with street photography and why my best shot ever was in Union Square New York of a leaping collie dog. I actually shot from my chest and would have been gutted had it been blurred or out of focus.

My camera is always set on aperture priority at a fast shutter speed and small aperture. Say a minimum of about  800 -1000 sec at around f8 or more. The lens is usually at the 24 -28 end and I use my feet as a zoom. I move around the subject as great potential pictures are usually ruined by messy backgrounds that ruin your composition with sticking out limbs and polybags. 

I use manual ISO, upping it if needed as it’s better to have a bit of noise than a blurred image. It’s crucial to have a filter on to protect the lens and sometimes a lens hood, although being careful of vignetting when it slips. Always check for raindrops, as I find they will always end up in middle of the face!  Focus points I often set at max for quick grab shots of general crowds and individual points for more precision. 

Additionally, I shoot on rapid burst mode too with raw and jpegs. Shooting sometimes from crazy angles to give impact, I avoid harsh sunlight by walking on the shady side of the street. I’m constantly scanning the horizon and rechecking settings as somehow they move! I always carry spare charged batteries and memory cards, comfy shoes, rucksack with sarnies and water plus protective gear. 

It’s no good being a fair-weather photographer as the best shots are to be had where others fear to tread. Again, my old career comes into play with dangers first and watching your back. Avoiding dodgy ill lit alleys and dead ends. 

AP: Do you do any post-production to the pictures? 

CP: I am a bit of a technophobe (my age) so have to keep it basic. There’s no substitute for getting it right first time in camera, rather than roll it in glitter later. I learned more from the Sunday Times picture editor  Harold Evans seminal work ‘Pictures on a Page’ than any other photo book. Just simple cropping for instance can make such a difference to those grab shots. I see a potential picture and get a few in the can just in case and then wait for things to develop and maybe a better picture will emerge.

AP: Have you gotten any better at editing your own work? 

CP: Fortunately I had a little bit of help from my friends with constructive critique from a great mentor and former photo editor. He would look at my images and say rubbish, boring, so what, leaves me cold, delete, delete, delete! As I could not find a publisher, I was very lucky to find a great graphic designer who makes my photographs sing in the books and also distributes them for me too.

I am slowly learning that less is more and that viewers get bored with too many similar pictures which will dilute your strong ones. Sometimes just one strong picture can tell the story.

Unlike my early books, I have tried to curate more tightly and resisted the temptation to justify and include weaker images. For example, I walked around St Louis for two days without a decent picture so the city does not feature. Likewise, despite all the expense and effort to capture the iconic Golden Gate, I left empty handed. As you do with digital I took thousands of images but deleted the vast majority as they were technically poor or just boring. 

AP: What’s been the reaction to this book? 

CP: Despite the compromises I am pleased with the outcome and the print quality is great. The man featured sitting on the White House Wall holding a placard with ‘Hate will not make America Great’ is a retired Washington professor in his eighties. Frustrated with Trump, he has protested there most days for five years and upset with the result he has now returned to his vigil in winter. I asked him what he thought after receiving my book. He loved it but did not feel it reflected the very divided and angry America that he sees and feels. He has a point, but I replied that I hope it also shows a more positive and happier side of his country and what can be.  

The problem is the book at £15 is cheap enough, but it costs an extra £35 to send it to the States. So apart from to those who are actually in the book, I have sold very few there. Here in the UK, it is still quite niche although very topical. I hope this feature will appeal to AP readers who might then want to see more of my quirky take on America. It’s all for a good cause too, as part of the proceeds goes to Breast Cancer Research in memory of Lesley, the love of my life for fifty years.

AP: You’ve said that this is going to be your last book – why is that? 

CP: Along with just published Barking 2! (inspired by Elliot Erwitt) I have self-published ten books now. I do not have time for another Reunions project as I would be over a century, although cameras can be mounted to Zimmer frames! There is no substitute for the smell and feel of a photography book compared to a screen but they are very expensive to produce and time consuming to make.  

Never say never, but I feel it’s time for a different direction as I have honed my craft on the streets and now find street photography lacks purpose for me. I enjoy social documentary-type work, such as my NHS book homage ‘Just Be Kind’ which covers my forty seven year career. My then and now Reunions exhibition based on my two books proved very popular and was attended by over 11,000 in Peterborough. I have tried to garner London interest, but sadly to no avail. Hopefully one day, but not posthumously as you cannot read the reviews…. 

Commissions and projects perhaps such as the one at London Luton airport displaying my images over the past seven years, which enabled me to buy a decent camera. So any offers of expenses paid trips back to Europe or even America would be welcome while my legs and brain still work! Seize the moment!    

Streets of America is available to buy now. You can buy a copy for just £20 including postage (to the UK) by visiting chrisporsz.com. Barking 2! Is also available, priced at £13 including postage.

Related reading:

• Tips for striking street photography
• Chris Porsz: the inside story of the amazing street photography project ‘Reunions’
• How to set up your camera for street photography

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The post Streets of America – Chris Porsz Interview – You make your own luck appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

This really got me thinking about my own legacy, and our family archive going forward. What do I want my own children to inherit from me? In some ways, now we’re out of the print era, the problem is even more tricky. Will my kids have a mess of digital folders that they can’t navigate, or worse, even have access to as they’re stuck behind folders or biometric locks? It’s one thing to have masses of physical albums to deal with – but at least I have no barriers to simply looking at those precious old photos of my family, the places they went and the things that they saw. Digital files risk simply disappearing from existence if not properly stored and managed. 

A sad story earlier in the year of a widowed man unable to access the only copies of his wedding photos, stored away on his late wife’s iPhone, also makes us think about how we can make sure our smartphone data isn’t lost. Let’s face it, most of our family photography is likely to be taken with these devices, so making sure it is accessible to our nearest and dearest – if we want to be – is more important than ever, too.

So, I’ll be taking a look at how you can digitise your family print archive, how to look after your current digital files, and methods for ensuring that things like smartphone data is easily transferrable after you’ve gone.

It might seem gloomy to think about these things, but our photographic legacy is important – and I think it’s worth protecting. What’s more, there’s lots of fun, nostalgia and happiness to be had from putting it together in the first place – you can start sharing it all straightaway of course. 

This is in no way a comprehensive guide to all the ways it’s possible to create and share an archive, of course. If I’ve missed anything vital, please do feel free to let us know how you manage your archive via the usual methods – we’d love to share your tips. 

Physical Prints and Albums 

If you’re anything like my family, you will have stacks and stacks of physical albums, old prints and related bits of ephemera. 

Don’t get me wrong, they’re all great to have, but they take up a lot of space. I’ve therefore been slowly working my way through it all to convert it to digital. Creating a digital version – of at least some of such an archive – is a great idea for lots of reasons. It means you can share your precious memories and family history with extended family and friends all around the world, but it also means that if sadly, the physical copies need to be disposed of at some point, you’ll still have a record of everything. 

There are plenty of things that I won’t be saving – and I don’t feel guilty about it. Badly composed snaps of a location that I’ve never been to, don’t feature anything of social/historical importance, or have any people in them will likely be recycled – even digitally one should be mindful of keeping absolutely everything!

There are lots of ways you can digitise a physical archive, depending on what kind of media you have. Here are a few options to get you started:

Scanning photos with a flatbed scanner

Pros: 

• Easy to use 
• Reasonably priced
• Tackles lots of different types of media

Cons: 

• Slow if you have lots to scan 
• Super-high quality isn’t always accessible 

This is probably the commonest and easiest way to digitise a physical print, or an album page. Flatbed scanners come in at a variety of price points and qualities. Lots of people have them inbuilt with fairly cheap printers, but I think for an important family archive, it’s worth spending just a little bit more on a standalone unit, if you can. 

I like the Canon LiDE 400 flatbed scanner – it’s around £70 so not outrageously expensive – but does a good job, enabling scans of up to 1200dpi. What I like most about it is the software that comes with it – place several different pictures on the bed and it’ll automatically create different cropped files for each photo – even if you’ve not placed it perfectly straight on the bed. 

Epson FastFoto FF-680W 

Pros: 

• Very fast 

Cons: 

• Expensive
• Can’t handle every type of media

I’ve been lucky enough to try out one of these scanners, which as the name implies, enables super fast scanning of prints. 

This is perfect for anyone who has got a stack of 6×4 or 7×5 prints from old slip-in type albums (my family archive has dozens of such albums). It can scan up to 30 photos in just 30 seconds (it will take longer if you adjust the photo settings), and it will even scan the back of the photo too, if something is written on it for example. 

The huge downside here is the cost. However, it could be a worthy investment for the time it’ll save you – and you could always sell it on after you’ve digitised your archive to recoup some of the cost. 

Digital Camera

Pros: 

• Highest possible quality 
• Full control over every shooting aspect

Cons: 

• Takes up a lot of space
• Can be expensive to set up
• Slow if you have a lot to digitise 

If you want the best possible quality and you already have access to a high-quality, high-resolution mirrorless camera or DSLR, plus ideally a macro lens, then it’s a route to go down.

For good results, you’ll set your digital camera up on either a copy stand or a tripod which enables overhead shooting. For the best results, you’ll also ideally want to use dedicated lighting, while blocking out external light sources. This can make it a cumbersome setup, that you’ll likely need to leave in place for the duration of your archival process – great if you’ve got a spare room available, for example, but not so great if your space is limited.

• How to photograph film using your DSLR or mirrorless camera

Smartphone apps

Pros: 

• Simple to use 
• Easy to share the results

Cons: 

• Quality can be low
• Hard to control lighting 

Simply using your smartphone can be a fairly quick and easy way to create digital copies of your prints and albums. You can of course just use the inbuilt camera as normal, but there are also lots of dedicated apps which aim to make the process more streamlined.

For example, Google PhotoScan is one free app available for both iOS and Android which gives you options such as automatic cropping, perspective correction, glare removal and more. It can be tricky to get the best quality when you’re using a phone, but with some patience and experimentation with different apps available, it’s definitely an option to explore.

Managing Your Digital Archive

With most of us regularly shooting digitally now and storing our pictures on hard drives or via the cloud, it can be very easy for our archive to be lost or unnavigable to those who come after us. And that’s before you add in any digitised version of a physical archive you may have.

But it needn’t be that way. With a bit of careful digital organisation, future generations should be able to enjoy our digital pictures just as much as we now enjoy flipping through physical albums. 

If you’ve got a large collection of digital files, as many of us do, remember this is about your legacy – not creating a backup of every single frame you’ve ever shot. It might be beneficial to keep a distinct and separate “legacy friendly” version of your archive that holds only your best work and things that will be important to your friends and family in the future, and think about your general backing up practice differently.

After all, a mess of less-than-perfect, photographic experiments, random uncaptioned landscapes from a walking holiday many years in the past, or other generic snapshots might have been fun for you to create, but it’s likely to be somewhat painstaking for the family to go through when the time comes. Meanwhile, a well-organised and captioned digital archive is likely to only bring joy and happy memories.

Best Practices 

There’s no set right or wrong way to organise your photographic archive, but, think about how someone who isn’t you – and doesn’t have you around – will navigate through it. 

Many favour a chronological approach, and that’s a pretty sensible place to start. You could create folders for every year, divided by month for example. Or divided by events/holidays and so on. 

It’s even better if you can make your archive searchable, by adding tags to your photos – a person’s name for example, or a favoured holiday location, or slightly more generic such as “birthday” or “Christmas” and so on. That way, whoever gets hold of it could simply search for “Christmas” and find all the shots you’ve tagged with that word in one hit, rather than having to wade through different years or months.

You can add tags to photos using Windows or Apple computers pretty simply, plus there are lots of dedicated image tagging software packages available – for example, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Bridge both have options to do just that.

With physical albums or prints, it’s easy to handwrite in a caption explaining who or what is going on in a photo. You should aim to do the same with your digital files – future generations may simply have no idea what they’re looking at. You can embed captions in an image file’s metadata, again using software such as Adobe Lightroom or Windows File Manager. 

If you’re not sure how to do either of these things, there are lots of online tutorials and YouTube videos which will show you the process – there’s too many different options to list here. 

Remember also to think about how you name your files. Again, there’s no “right” way as such, but you should aim for a consistent approach here. A good option is to name by year, month and day, so that everything is stored neatly in order. You could also add a word or phrase towards the end of the file name to further help categorise it too, for example, “20241225_ChristmasAtHome_0001.jpg”

Storage solutions

For the best peace of mind, it’s a good idea to keep two copies of your archive, ideally in separate locations. I know of lots of people who “swap” a backup with a friend or family member so that the secondary backup shouldn’t be destroyed if something happens to the first one (i.e. fire or flood). Make sure it’s a trusted friend or relative – and in case of a family archive, make sure someone else knows where the backup of the backup is kept should they need to retrieve it. 

It can be hard to keep on top of the latest technology when it comes to data storage, but it’s particularly important to think about the future when storing an archive. It wasn’t too long ago that we were recommending folk keep their photographs on CDs – but these days so many people don’t have CD drives that it could present a challenge to someone trying to access your files. 

Luckily it’s now pretty cost-effective to get hold of external hard drives that are widely compatible with different types of computer. It’s worth setting a regular reminder (say annually, or every couple of years) on your calendar to check that the files are still working fine, and that the storage type you’re using is still current and accessible. 

What about the cloud? 

As well as two physical back-ups, it can be a good idea to think about a cloud version of your family archive too. This is great for sharing your archive in the here and now, as well as hopefully being easily accessible after you’ve gone.

However, it’s important to think about the cost of cloud storage – both in terms of to your bank balance, and to the environment. Most cloud services work on a monthly or annual subscription model, and it can get pretty costly if you need a lot of room. For a family archive, you shouldn’t need to store thousands of huge unedited raw format files. It also uses up a huge amount of energy to store data in the cloud, so we should all be mindful about how much impact we want to have on the world. Think about only storing your best and most important files and you should be able to keep the cost down – you may even be able to get by on a free package. Dropbox and Google both offer a small amount of storage for free, for example. 

If you do use the cloud, and you have a paid subscription – be mindful of what will happen after your death. Many cloud services will stop working, restrict access or even remove files altogether if/when the payments stop coming in. It’s therefore essential that whoever has access knows to download the files as quickly as possible when the time comes if they want to keep anything in it.

Don’t forget about physical versions of your digital files, too. Personally, I like to create a “yearbook” using one of the many printing services available now. A slim volume showing off the highlights of any given year doesn’t take up too much room on my bookshelf and hopefully will want to be kept by family in the future. A paper copy is also certainly not prone to problems with changing technology or file corruption (so long as it’s kept with care, of course). 

What about smartphone data? 

More of our photographs than ever are being taken with our smartphones. But, as our smartphones are also full of sensitive and confidential data, we understandably keep them locked and secure. 

Sadly, that can mean that everything on it can easily become lost or inaccessible once we’ve gone. Even if you’re backing things up using Google Photos or iCloud, if you don’t give someone else access to those things, then it can be next to impossible for them to get hold of your stuff. 

There are a couple of things you can do to make sure that doesn’t happen. You could share your phone password and any relevant login details with someone you trust, such as your partner, child or a close friend. If you don’t want them to have such details that while you’re still around, you could leave instructions to be delivered with your will – but that will require you to make sure that is updated with any changing of passwords. 

Another way is to keep a written record of your passwords in a location that is to be shared in the event of your death. For example, a notebook that is kept somewhere safe and secure in your home – again, make it a regular job to make sure your passwords are all your most recent ones. 

An even better thing you can do is to set up what’s known as a “Legacy Contact” within your phone, if you have an Apple device. This means that a trusted person will be able to access the contents of your device after your death. The Legacy Contact setting will generate a code that can be shared with Apple, along with a copy of your death certificate, in order to release your data. 

This is something which is available on both iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Macs. You can add a Legacy Contact – or more than one if you choose – via the Settings > Apple Account > Sign In & Security > Legacy Contact menu on an iPhone. The contact doesn’t need to have an Apple account or an Apple device themselves.

Although there isn’t anything currently directly comparable built into Android phones at the moment, there is another way to ensure your photos are accessible. You can set up a Legacy Contact using your Google account – so if your photos from your Android phone are being backed up to Google Photos (something we would recommend), a Legacy Contact will be able to download them should your account become inactive after a given time. Set this up via your Google profile. Click “Manage Your Google Account”, followed by Data and Privacy and “Make a plan for your digital legacy” to be walked through the options.

Related reading:

• How to digitise photos and slides
• Beginner’s guide to file and photo management (for new photos)
• How to make sure you never lose your photos again (backup, backup, backup)
• Jon Bentley: Where have all the good film scanners gone?

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The post How to build a family archive of your treasured photos and a lasting legacy appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

You can probably already sense that the fisheye lens got me hooked at an early point. The results can be so utterly bizarre. It can be used for everything – landscape, architecture, astro, interiors, advertising and even hilarious portraits if you like humiliating your subject with bulging eyes and aviation noses. Children love fisheye lenses, so let me bring out your inner child by letting go of convention and embracing the abstract. 

David’s Top Tips for Creative Fisheye Shots:

• Be playful: you need to be creative, or you will do the fisheye no justice. Head-height fisheye shots are so boring; you need to bend and distort with the camera to capture interesting angles. 

• Shoot people and pets: make yourself and your family laugh for endless hours with fisheye comedy. Huge noses, swollen eyes and tiny feet are the name of the game!

• Look for symmetry: underground stations, tunnels, walkways and escalators are all wonderful subjects when applying precision camera placement. Look for centre lines and visual clues on the floor to help.

• Look for lines: look for cables on bridges and strong leading lines to pull the viewer into the image with a vortex-like feel. Compose with an interesting centre point. 

• Look for landmarks: the Brooklyn Bridge in the USA was a wonderful example of a structure filled with lines that was greatly enhanced by a fisheye lens. 

• Be different: make your image portfolio memorable by showing an even wider angle of diversity by using a fisheye lens. Say something truly different by enhancing the environment around you.

• Use grid lines: grid lines are the most helpful way of aligning the camera. Ensure you use a 6×4 Grid mode, not a 3×3, as you get a vertical and horizontal centre line. 

• Every day is a fisheye day: make it your everyday lens. Too many photographers simply put it in the cupboard and fall out of love with it, after never fully understanding its strengths. 

• Be experimental: experiment with ludicrous amounts of depth of field. Even f/5.6 will give everything from 50cm to infinity in focus.

• Embrace circular images: if you own a zoom fisheye like an 8-15mm, you will be so surprised by how exciting the lens can be. The images appear like a glass globe.

How fisheye lenses work

A 15mm fisheye lens (15mm being a typical focal length for this type of lens) is specifically designed to capture an ultra-wide field of view, often up to 180°. This is achieved through a unique lens construction that intentionally distorts the image, creating a hemispherical or panoramic effect. The fisheye lens projects a portion of a sphere onto a flat surface (the sensor), which results in the characteristic wide angle and distorted appearance. In contrast, a 16mm lens (let’s imagine the popular 16-35mm focal length), which is typically a rectilinear lens, is designed to do the opposite, minimise distortion and maintain straight lines. This type of lens provides a narrower field of view, around 80°, because it aims to represent the scene more naturally, without the spherical distortion.

Crop circles 

Here’s where things get really wild. I own a 15-year-old Sigma 15mm fisheye lens (available in many formats) and for this article I borrowed a Canon 8-15mm f/4L lens from Canon UK. What on earth do you need a zoom fisheye for? The answer is to do with sensor size. The lens is designed to work with both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras. On full-frame cameras, it is designed to work at the 15mm end. When using a crop-sensor camera, at 8mm the picture looks almost the same as 15mm on a full-frame camera. The bonus here is the full-frame sensor shoots perfectly circular 180º images at 8mm. That’s an enormous amount of unintended fun.

Subject matters

Think of a fisheye like the tilt-shift lens. In the right circumstances, there is no better tool, but they will get less attention than a standard wide-angle lens. I have used a fisheye lens for shooting aurora, astro (it’s not that great) and landscapes (trees) but I find it most useful when I’m shooting architecture. 

A city break like Berlin benefited hugely from my little Sigma 15mm. I used it to photograph mind-bending interiors as well as shooting vertically upwards, to stretch the width of historical subjects like cathedral domes, impossible with any other lens. I shot the symmetrical underground stations and had incredible results at a stadium, where a 16-35mm was second best.

Canon EOS R3 · f/8 · 1/30s · 15mm · ISO1600

I have photographed vistas in Singapore, making the skyline look like a small planet. Recently I visited a modular synthesiser shop in Bristol and photographed racks of cables and buttons – the more frenzy the better as far as I’m concerned.   

I stand uncorrected

When it comes to processing a fisheye image, Lightroom will apply lens correction on import if you’re not paying attention. Switch it off, otherwise ponder what is the point of a fisheye? Arguably, Lightroom can also make rectilinear images from incredibly tight spaces, but I will let you know now that the corners will be truly horrible! Let this spherical world project into your imagination. You will be astounded by the results. 

Alignment and misalignment

The first thing to do is turn on your Grid Mode inside your camera. A neat architectural trick to ensure you use 6×4 mode and forget about 3×3. This will give you four by six divisions, creating a centre line. Choose a symmetrical subject, like a country church to get you going. Looking straight upwards, ensure you have the centre line of the ceiling positioned so that it runs along the grid. Remember, the smallest of movements will cause the edges to misalign, so the fisheye ceiling photographer will spend ten to fifteen seconds aligning every corner with perfection before pressing the shutter and exhaling. The corners will also move a lot more than the centre of the image, so image stabilisation in low light is essential if a tripod is not allowed. 

Trawling for Fisheye

Isn’t all this optical wackiness going to be rather expensive? The answer is yes and no. The older and now retired Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG I own is just £200+ on the second-hand market. It has a weird spray-on and somewhat rubbery coating, but it feels strangely tactile. It has dog-slow focusing motor whines, but I think this should be retrospectively loved. The spanking new Sigma 15mm f/1.4 AF DG DN will cost you £1,859 at the time of writing. With the trusty f/2.8 being comparably sharp, light, small and so affordable, I do wonder what the additional £1,650 is going to give (perhaps get in touch, Sigma). It is available in many different mounts.

For Nikon users, there’s the Nikon AF-S 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED (£1,050). The Olympus offers the 8mm Olympus f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital ED (£849) and let’s look at Sony A Mount, the Sony 16mm f/2.8 fisheye Lens (£800). Sony users could go with the Metabones route and choose the Canon options as well as the Sigma Canon fit. 

There are also manual focus options available from Samyang as well as from 7Artisans. Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS seems to be closer to 14mm on the Canon 8-15mm, but regardless has a great lower price point of a few hundred pounds second-hand.

Check Wex Photo Video, Mifsuds, Camera Centre UK and all the other usual second-hand stores for bargains.

Why it Works

On a trip to Singapore in 2012, I became obsessed with Marina Bay. This beautiful glistening city really came alive at night, so I booked tickets to go to the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This triple tower block gave me exceptional views across the city. I had to leave my tripod downstairs, but luckily, I had my Gorillapod wedged into the side pocket of my camera bag.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II · f/11 · 1/0s · 15mm · ISO200

Using the Sigma 15mm fisheye, I was able to capture a huge scene with everything from one side of the harbour to the other, vertically downwards as well. As soon as I tipped the camera downwards, the horizon began to converge outwards, as though I was seeing the curvature of the Earth. It felt like a metaphor for a congested planet.

I shot the image at f/11, 15 seconds, but now understanding the lens, I could have shot it at f/5.6 and seen barely any difference. The corners are great throughout (except f/2.8).

Closing thoughts

If you buy a second-hand, lightweight lens like the aged Sigma 15mm, just as an experiment, you could have a lot of fun and keep a lot of notes still in the bank. I will tell you now it will sit in the cupboard, but you will also connect with it, as it can produce results like no other lens. It will add creative colour to your portfolio and if used with precision, its effect can appear almost invisible. Vertical imagery like cathedral ceilings look even more spacious and you can go on a riot of symmetrical fun. 

Use your camera’s grid mode and viewfinder spirit level to make sure you’re aligned as precisely as possible. The true magic will be revealed, similar to when using a tilt-shift lens. Be careful – the smallest movements will hugely affect the corners, and those inaccuracies will be there for all to see. It will not tolerate unthought-out compositions or sloppy attention to detail. The fisheye can make you look rather foolish, so give your images the utmost scrutiny.

David Clapp

David Clapp’s sense of creative direction is like a broken compass. Now in his 50s and unable to make the photographic ship steer in a straight line, he has now realised perhaps it is best to let it steer itself. www.davidclapp.co.uk

Related reading:

• Why you need a wideangle prime lens for landscapes and travel
• Turn ultra-wide angle lenses into shift lenses with the Laowa Magic Shift Converter for Sony
• Get the most from wide-angle lenses
• How to fix wide-angle lens distortions for good

The post A Fisheye lens user’s handbook – The outer limits of sanity appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Last year her interest in floriography took a leap forward when she stumbled across a series of flower portraits by Robert Peek, a conceptual photographer based in the Netherlands. ‘His social media account was full of flowers underwater with white fluid flowing over them in a magical, ethereal way,’ she says. ‘I was unfamiliar with the technique, and I was keen to explore it for myself.’ 

Time to experiment

Having searched online, Angi could find little by way of instruction. ‘I spent weeks trying to find out how to do it and I couldn’t find anything, so I just played around and tried to make it happen,’ she reveals. Her first attempts were hit and miss, with plenty of wasted time and resources, but she continued to experiment. ‘As soon as I tried the technique, I knew I had to do something with it,’ she explains, ‘but I had to do something different and put my own stamp on it.’ Unlike Peek, Angi decided to use her love of floriography to create fascinating backstories to her flower portraits.

Her submerged snowdrops, for example, were shot with a green background to indicate new life, then white liquid (milk) was introduced to suggest hope, purity and innocence. Finally, red and white threads were tied to the stems to link the arrangement to an aspect of Romanian folklore. ‘When I started creating underwater flower images it was all about puzzling out the process, but now I choose flowers due to their links to folklore, spirituality and paganism,’ says Angi.

Gather your tools

Creating a submerged flower picture requires a fair amount of planning, and a few unusual tools. First you need a glass container: Angi uses a small, but reasonably tall, fish or insect tank, but admits that the black strips down the sides are not ideal. ‘You could use a tall vase, but any curves or distortions can cause unwanted reflections,’ she explains. ‘Plus, you need to be aware of unwanted colour casts.’

Next, you need something to anchor your flowers to the bottom of the tank (unless you’re a fan of the free-floating look). This is where DIY skills come in handy. While Angi has experimented with various objects, one of her favourite ways to anchor flowers is to tie slate coasters together and glue floristry wire to them to help position her blooms. ‘They don’t take up much room in the tank and they are so heavy they will weigh down just about any flower,’ she assures.

Become a scientist

Next, you need tools to help you apply liquid to the flowers in the tank. ‘I buy pipettes in packs of 10 or 20 so I can keep colours separate and avoid contamination,’ says Angi. She also uses syringes with fine needles – insulin syringes are best as they allow her to drop tiny amounts of liquid onto the petals. It has taken a lot of trial and error to find liquids that suit Angi’s taste, but at present she is using cow’s milk, acrylic inks, food colouring and juices (beetroot is a favourite).

‘Some mediums are heavier than others and will sink faster so it’s a good idea to test them in a glass or a vase of water before using them in a big tank,’ she says. Skimmed milk, for example, dissolves faster than full fat, which is why Angi prefers the latter. As an environmentally conscious photographer, she tries to use liquids that can be disposed of safely and is keen to find eco-friendly alternatives to paint. 

Prepare to shoot

If you’re not a clean freak, shooting submerged flowers might turn you into one. ‘You have to clean everything thoroughly before you start,’ says Angi. ‘I even wash my arms to prevent fluff from my clothes getting into the water!’ With arms washed and the tank positioned on a towel, Angi fills the pipettes and syringes and lays them in a plastic tray. ‘You’re going to be adding ink with one hand and triggering your camera’s remote release with the other, so you need to keep your tray nearby,’ she says.

Next, Angi positions a backdrop against the back of the tank (ensuring the glass is dry and free of condensation). Black card is good for starters, but Angi also uses coloured card and sometimes even prints of her own as backdrops. ‘The background colour will only show for a short while because you build up your own colours in the tank as you add the liquids,’ she explains. Having cleaned and positioned her flowers, Angi waits for everything to settle, then uses a knife or pipette to remove unwanted air bubbles.

Set to work

While the flowers are carefully arranged (and pushed against the side of the container), the end result can still be unpredictable. ‘It’s very freeing,’ says Angi. ‘A lot of my photography requires careful planning, and the order of things is quite rigid, but here I can play around – I add a bit of this and a bit of that and the magic happens!’ But magic isn’t the same thing as luck.

Angi has spent hours experimenting with liquids, colours, flowers and tools. ‘It’s all good fun,’ she smiles. ‘You never get the same result twice.’ Some flowers change shape in the water, for example, while others, if left for a few hours, slowly become transparent. ‘You need to be ready to change your plans,’ urges Angi. When it comes to adding liquid, she lowers the pipette to her chosen spot, applies pressure and then removes it slowly. ‘Some liquids settle at the bottom and then start climbing up the sides,’ she reveals. ‘You have to be patient and wait to see what happens.’ 

Get it right

Looking at the vibrancy and detail of Angi’s work, it’s hard to believe that some pictures are straight out of camera. ‘It’s not easy, there’s often plant debris in the water, but where possible I like to remove dirt and debris with a pipette,’ she explains. The secret lies in cleaning your equipment and taking the time to set everything up properly.

To reduce unwanted reflections, for example, Angi hangs black material behind her camera (she uses an Olympus OM-1 and a Sony A7 III, her lens of choice is a 90mm / 180mm macro) and tapes over reflective parts of her tripod. ‘I also try to stand to one side of the tank so that my reflection doesn’t appear, and I wear black clothes,’ she adds.

With the focal plane parallel to the tank, and the camera set to manual focus to avoid lens hunting, Angi experiments with apertures until she gets the effect she desires. ‘I shoot wide open for a mysterious look or close the aperture down to get more in focus,’ she says. ‘I’m not afraid to play with contrast, white balance or saturation in-camera.’ 

Getting the light right

While shooting in ambient light is an option, it’s not something Angi recommends. ‘I saw a video of someone attempting this technique in their backyard once and they were really struggling with reflections,’ she recalls. ‘It’s not surprising because the light is coming from every direction!’

Once again, she advises playing around with light sources and positions. ‘It can be tricky to get the light right and to avoid plants creating shadows,’ she admits. ‘You have to experiment.’ For ultimate control, Angi uses artificial sources. ‘If I’m using continuous light, I might add a modifier such as a snoot to train it on a small section of the tank,’ she explains.

Gridded flash, however, is her first choice. ‘I position it from the side and slightly in front. It helps to create shadows where I need them and gives shape to the flowers.’ Of course, as the water starts to get murky due to the coloured liquid, less light reaches the flowers, which is when Angi positions the light at 45°. As with everything here, flexibility is key.

The submerged flower series is one of many projects Angi is working on at the moment. A true polymath, she also paints, makes jewellery and creates digital textures. ‘This is just the start,’ she laughs. ‘I’ve got so many ideas. I’m going to cover all of the elements: water, air, earth and fire. It’s actually a massive project.’ 

As we say goodbye, I can’t help marvelling at her enthusiasm and her ability to generate new work. How does she do it? ‘Creativity is my middle name,’ she laughs. Somehow, I believe her.

Angi’s kit list for submerged flower photography

Liquids: Angi has tried everything from cow’s milk to acrylic paint, beetroot juice and food colouring in her submerged flowers series. Different liquids have different properties: some sink faster than others, for example. The temperature of the water also dictates how quickly or slowly a liquid will move. Generally speaking, the colder the water the slower the movement.

Flower frogs: While Angi likes to anchor flowers to the bottom of the tank using slate coasters, she also uses flower frogs and vases. ‘If you want to create still-life arrangements you can put Blu Tack in a vase and secure flowers inside it before placing it in the tank,’ she advises. ‘But creating a still life in water is tricky because everything wants to float!’

Pipettes and syringes: While you can add liquid to the water with a small jug or a bottle with a thin neck, it’s best to use pipettes or syringes with fine needles. Angi likes long pipettes because you can use them without having to reach too far into the tank, which can disturb the water. Give them a tap to remove any air bubbles before using them. 

Camping shower: Repeatedly emptying a tank of water can be labour-intensive and time-consuming, but Angi has found a brilliant hack. ‘I use a battery-operated camping shower to empty the tank,’ she laughs. ‘You stick one end of the tube in the tank and the other end in a bucket, and off you go!’ It’s a good idea to put a few towels down first. 

Angi’s top tips for submerged flower photography

Try natural juices

OM-1 · f/18 · 1/125s · 90mm · ISO200

Angi has been trying to find eco-friendly alternatives to acrylic paint, which has led her to experiment with vegetable juices. So far, beetroot is a firm favourite. ‘Nature is my religion, so I try to use food colouring or natural products where possible,’ she explains.   

Let things dry

ILCE-7M3 · f/16 · 1/200s · 180mm · ISO125

When there’s not much growing in the garden, Angi turns her attention to photographing submerged dried flowers. ‘Before you put them in the water you need to remove dust or particles that have built up,’ she warns. ‘Be prepared to let parts just float off!’   

Head to the back 

OM-1 · f/16 · 1/160s · 90mm · ISO100

To begin with, black backgrounds are best as they help the colours to stand out. Once you get used to how the liquids move it’s worth experimenting with coloured backdrops. Angi enjoys using her knowledge of colour theory when pairing background and subjects.   

Float away

ILCE-7M3 · f/16 · 1/200s · 180mm · ISO80

As a fan of still life, Angi likes to use vases and other props in her work, but she admits it’s tricky underwater! ‘Only half of my attempts have been successful,’ she laughs. ‘Everything wants to float, so you need to glue things together.’

Hold your position   

ILCE-7M3 · f/16 · 1/200s · 180mm · ISO80

Flower frogs, floristry wire and slate are all good for securing flowers. Angi occasionally pushes the wire inside stems to hold them in position. When she has finished, she might photograph the flowers floating. ‘Why waste all that coloured liquid,’ she smiles.

Related reading:

• The Best Macro Photography Tips and Techniques
• Complete guide to Macro Photography – create great macro photos
• Focus stacking: achieve pin sharp macro shots of delicate subjects

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The post Out of this World Flower Photography by Angi Wallace appeared first on Amateur Photographer.