Photosphere

The memory card market is absolutely crawling with fakes. Even trusted sites and retailers have succumbed. So how do these dodgy memory cards get into the market in the first place? The Great Capacity Con Trick It all starts with the rejects of the tech world. Tiny, low-capacity memory chips that cost less than a Photo Club Kit Kat. Instead of being thrown away, they’re scooped up by scammers who reprogram the card's controller so they appear to be something much bigger. Whe

So, you want to see and photograph a stunning selection of seabirds. You want to have an expert birding guide with you. It would be helpful to have someone to make all the arrangements for you, and to speak the local language as well! I was fortunate to make such a trip in the company of one of the club’s tame Yorkshire men, our esteemed chairman David. We travelled up to Bridlington and stayed at a very homely B&B. A trip on the Yorkshire Belle pleasure boat took us around t

Who really enjoys an early morning start on a cold, dark day? The roads had been gritted, that was a plus. It still took some determination to step out into the chilly predawn air. Sometimes, as photographers, we have to overlook the 'suffering' of getting up early, putting on too many layers of clothing and still getting cold over time. We do it anyway for the reward of being out with friends, especially a certain Jon, and the hope of achieving a couple of images that we are

The morning drifted in through a veil of grey subdued light penetrating the bedroom curtains, and the sound of a metallic growl, which I soon identified as a coffee bean grinder somewhere in the distance. I was lying in bed, figuring out what to do with my day, when I started thinking back on all the photography I'd done this year. I was mostly happy, but visiting the grey seals at Winterton in late January was a mistake. The season really starts in November through to late D

Felix Mendelssohn wrote an oratorio with the line “Lift thine eyes”. It has been adapted more recently by private plastic surgeons to drum up trade in eyelid lifting operations! It is a very useful bit of advice to photographers who enjoy recording the interior of churches. The roof details of churches big and small in the UK make interesting images. I was fortunate to have spent a few days in southern Italy recently and visited some very ornate buildings. The Roman Catholic

I had arranged for a group of colleagues to photograph the Lowestoft Smack Race from the sea with a trip on a motor cruiser. A few days before the event in 2022 it was not going the happen but a lucky telephone call to a rib owner and we were all set to go. On the day there was a brisk wind and a very lumpy sea. As soon as we were off Lowestoft ready for the race to start, we were getting covered in heavy spray. It was difficult to keep cameras dry and no chance of changing a

The day started with fog patches here and there. The weather didn't hinder us, and David and I set off sharp at 7.30am (an unearthly hour in my book!) The journey showed us the beautiful countryside with the autumn trees all changing colour, dropping their leaves, creating golden carpets below their canopies. Arriving by 8am, we made our way through to the Island Mere Hide. The sightings were minimal, but hoping for some bearded tits or a bittern or two would have made our da

As autumn drapes its golden cloak around our woodlands here in the east of England, I, like so many other photographers, will be out and about trying to capture all that splendour. The crunch of leaves underfoot, the crisp air, and the soft, shifting light, it’s a great time of year to brush off the dust of summer and walk in nature, especially if you are part of a small group of like-minded photographers. I’ve been attending Lucy Kayne’s wonderful and inspiring photo walks

Visit Dunwich Beach to photograph the fishermen's boats and equipment. What else? On arrival at Dunwich, I was nearly blown off my feet. The big disappointment was that the beach was clear, with only two small rowboats on the shore. The sea was relatively calm as well. A sense of disappointment set in, though I was sure I would enjoy some photography today. Telling myself to either go home or visit RSPB Minsmere just down the road, I chose the latter. I knew I could at least

Thurlton Primary School recently welcomed our chairman, David Field, who took the time to introduce pupils to the art of photography. The children were captivated by David’s photographs and the stories behind them. They enjoyed hearing how each picture was taken and where it was captured. David’s passion and expertise have hopefully inspired the children to investigate photography for themselves as they grow up. Who knows, he may just have inspired the next generation of wild

NanoBanana is Google’s latest generative AI model, designed to produce hyper-realistic imagery with remarkable fidelity to texture, lighting, and spatial coherence. Unlike earlier models that often struggled with fine detail or contextual consistency, NanoBanana excels at preserving the integrity of subjects while transforming their surroundings with artistic flair. It’s particularly adept at understanding nuanced prompts, making it a powerful tool for both imaginative creati

On Friday, 19th September, while most were still tucked beneath warm duvets, a few intrepid souls from our photography group were already en route to Southwold, Suffolk, drawn by the promise of golden light, crashing waves, and the expert guidance of renowned landscape photographer Justin Minns. The meeting time? A bold 5:45 am. The reward? A morning of seascape photography that was nothing short of magical. Southwold, with its iconic pier, pastel beach huts, and sweeping vie