Technology Explained, Practice
Daniela Bowker
Resolution and pixels and image quality! Oh my! ...

When you hear the term 'high-res' thrown about with such abandon when it comes to images for web use, have you ever stopped to think just how big or how high quality and image meant for the web needs to be?

Resolution and pixels and image quality! Oh my! Saving images for the web
Feature Articles, Photography Theory
Haje Jan Kamps
Low-contrast photographs don't have to be boring

There's an assumption that high-contrast images are more dynamic, more compelling, more inviting. Have a go at some low-contrast photography. You might surprise yourself with the results.

Low-contrast photographs don't have to be boring
Feature Articles, Theory
Daniela Bowker
Seeking balance in your photos

Balance doesn't mean symmetry; it means an internal consistency and tension within your photos. And it's a vital element of composition. 

Seeking balance in your photos
Feature Articles, Photography Theory
Haje Jan Kamps
Training your photographic luck

Great photos might be down to a little bit of luck, but most of that 'luck' you make yourself. Don't believe us? Read on...

Training your photographic luck
Feature Articles, Practice
Daniela Bowker
The ups and downs and ins and outs of ...

Photographing buildings doesn't have to mean wide-angle lenses and fretting about correcting for the keystone effect. Any lens, and angle. Don't believe us? Let us show you!

The ups and downs and ins and outs of photographing buildings

gandhi

Fabulously fun – our June photo competition winner


Tana Gandhi's Fun!

June's competition theme was fun. We were in search of photos that evoked a sense of playfulness and enjoyment. Lots of the entries featured children–given that they are the aficionados of fun, it was hardly surprising–and water was also a prominent theme. But when it came to selecting our winner one entry leapt out a mile and raised huge grins. For us, it was the perfect representation of fun.

Many congratulations to Tana Gandhi for her composition simply called Fun! You absolutely nailed it, Tana, with those wonderful colours, the balloons rising upwards, and its overall sense of positivity. You've won a 12 inch Fracture.

I'll be putting up the theme for July's competition within hours, so look out for that. Meanwhile, thank you all for entering!

May's beautiful competition winner


There were a host of cracking entries for May's competition; choosing a winner took a great deal of back-and-forth discussion to work out just which one we thought deserved to walk away with the victory spoils. The victory spoils being an entry into the Small Aperture Hall of Fame and a wonderful 12 inch Fracture.

Eventually, we settled on Prairie_Girl76's wonderful Pulsatilla Seed Head. We thought that the composition was spot-on, that the depth-of-field gave it plenty of interest, and that it was beautifully exposed. Well done!

However, we'd also like to give a couple of honourable mentions, too. We don't do this very often, but it illustrates precisely how highly we thought of the entries.

Joakim Jalden's Seeds was a very close second:
Seeds

Previous winner Hooker771's Curly Q Refraction is just fabulous: Curly Q Refraction

We also enjoyed the concept behind Tana Gandhi's Rose Petals Organised Neatly.

You made it really hard for us: thank you!

June's competition is still rocking and rolling and we're looking for photos of fun. So get going with pictures of snowball fights, celebrating taking wickets, and playing with the dog. We want to feel the fun oozing out of them when we judge them!