Round Two of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 (APOY) is now open for entries! The theme is Animal Kingdom, so we want to see your best wildlife and animal photos – all things great and small. Three of last year’s entrants share their tips for entering this round The Animal Kingdom category reflects photographers’ appreciation of and love for the animal world. Images of domestic animals are as welcome as wildlife, so whether it’s wildebeest in the Serengeti or your dog having a romp in the local woods, we want to see shots celebrating mammals, birds, insects, everything. Try telling the vi ..read more

Amateur Photographer verdictIf you’re looking for a high-end smartphone that is well-suited to photography, but, crucially, your budget is somewhat restricted, it’s a fantastic option to go for.  Pros 3x high-resolution sensors  Great value  Excellent screen Cons Not available in every market  100x digital zoom a gimmick One storage size option only Once the “value” arm of the well-regarded Huawei brand, Honor is now a separate entity which has been producing some of the best camera phones for photography for quite some time now. However, it has kept its “value ..read more

The great thing about photographing bottles and glass objects is the ability to control the lighting, backgrounds, props and explore fresh ideas. There are so many bottles around us in everyday life from food, beer, wine and spirits to toiletries and perfumes.  Whether you decide to photograph bottles for fun or business it can be challenging as there are so many variables including labels with shiny varnish or metallic foil. Understanding bottle photography forms a foundation for other product photography. What kit do I need to photograph bottles and glass objects? Camera – a mirrorles ..read more

Your guide: Jeremy Walker – Jeremy is regarded as one of the finest photographers in the UK and has been producing eye-catching images for use by clients around the globe for over 25 years. He is in regular demand as a guest speaker, writer and workshop leader and wrote the book, Landscape. See his website for more. https://amateurphotographer.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=148826&action=edit#edit_timestamp Shooting for sheer fun and pleasure is essential and returning to a favourite location can always have its rewards. Portland Bill Lighthouse, Nikon D810, 21mm, 30secs at f/16, ISO 64, LEE ..read more

The winners of the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards competition have been announced by The World Photography Organisation. The prestigious Photographer of the Year title was awarded to Juliette Pavy for her documentary project exploring the severe and lasting impacts of the involuntary birth control and the Open Photographer of the Year prize was won by Liam Man for his drone-lit image of the Old Man of Storr rock formation. The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition is now on display at Somerset House until 6th May 2024. It features over 200 photographs from shortlisted and winning p ..read more

In this guide to check if a film camera works, we aim to make things straightforward. Film cameras are often superbly well-built, and with the right maintenance can keep shooting for decades. But like any device, they can develop faults. Here we help you to find the most common of those faults before you waste any film. Whether you’ve bought a film camera online, or found one in a box in the garage, there are some basic steps you can take to ensure it’s in working order and ready to be loaded up with film. There are loads of different types of film cameras out there. For simplicity, I’ve ..read more

Claire Gillo and the AP team pick the best instant cameras and printers on the market, from Polaroid, Fujifilm Instax, Kodak and more. With the best instant cameras and printers, you can capture a little analogue magic with your photography. There’s a reason that Polaroid instant film cameras have been popular for decades – they’re terrific knockabout fun, with a lo-fi charm that just can’t be replicated with pixels and screens. Making instant prints is a fantastic way to give your image-making a little physical presence – all the rarer in the digital age. We love instant photography at AP, an ..read more

A recent opportunity to use the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra has convinced deputy editor Geoff Harris that it’s set a new benchmark for high-quality smartphone photography. Apple, Samsung and Google take note. Xiaomi has been in the news a lot recently, using the recent Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona to officially launch its two latest phones, the 14 and 14 Ultra. The company is well known in its home market of China, producing much more than phones, but less so in western markets. Xiaomi is now undertaking a big push to become a better known name in US and European markets dominated by A ..read more

Kingsley Singleton speaks to three pro photographers about how they handle aperture, shutter speed and ISO to achieve the best results when taking photos. Professional photographers, Terry Donnelly, Brian Lloyd Duckett and Alan Howe share their insights into using aperture, shutter speed and ISO below. Aperture Pro sports and portrait photographer Terry Donnelly opens up about aperture, exposure and depth of field Terry Donnelly With a wealth of experience, Terry Donnelly shoots professionally in top-flight sports, editorial, PR and portraiture, and regularly features in national and internat ..read more

The Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition 2024 is now open for entries. The Royal Meteorological Society is inviting all photographers, amateur and professional, to submit their photographs for free by 18 June 2024. There are three categories: Main prize, Smartphone and Young for photographers aged under 18. Plus, a new Climate Award introduced for 2024, which will go to a photograph that best tells a compelling story about the impact of climate change.    From the Royal Meteorological Society, London, 15 April 2024 – The Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the ..read more