In partnership with

7Artisans’ New Ultra-Wide Lens - A Closer Look

7Artisans has added a new ultra-wide-angle lens to its growing lineup of affordable, all-manual optics: the 10mm f/3.5 for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Designed for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Micro Four Thirds mounts, the lens delivers a 108° angle of view without falling into fisheye territory.

At around $99, the lens skips autofocus and electronic features entirely in favour of a compact, tactile and more affordable design. What makes this lens stand out, though, is that 7Artisans has built this lens as a rectilinear wide-angle, meaning you get those deep, immersive frames without the curvy lines that plague many lenses this wide. For anyone shooting architecture, interiors, or even just wide city scenes, that correction means cleaner verticals and fewer hours spent straightening things in editing.

The optical design uses nine elements in seven groups, and though it’s simple, it’s been optimized to keep distortion under control. There’s also a minimum focus distance of just under 8 inches, which lets you get tight on a subject while keeping the background wide open.

The build is all metal, with a vintage-inspired look and a clicked aperture ring that goes from f/3.5 to f/22. It's small and lightweight, just 125 grams and barely over an inch long, making it ideal for compact kits. While it’s not weather-sealed or packed with coatings, it does offer some visual charm, like 10-point sun stars from its five-blade aperture when shooting into the light.

In short, the 7Artisans 10mm f/3.5 isn’t trying to compete with high-end wide-angle zooms or autofocus primes. Instead, it’s more of a niche lens aimed at photographers who want to explore/get into/experiment with bold compositions & dramatic geometry without breaking the bank.

A few sample shots:

Image credits: 7Artisans

Get your Photos featured in this Magazine for Free

I am currently testing a new feature, where everyone can get a completely free chance to be featured in my magazine and get seen by thousands of fellow photography enthusiasts.

Advertisement (you MUST check it out) ⬇️

Receive Honest News Today

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Sign up today!

Interview with Dominik Frings

This week’s Interview with Dominik, a street/architectural photographer from Germany. I am truly honoured to have had the opportunity to interview him!

You can find him on Instagram as: @dmnk.visuals

Enjoy the amazing Interview ;)

Can you tell us about yourself?

Hi, I'm Dominik, I'm from Hamburg and I mainly shoot urban and street photography. I've been photographing since 2018 and I love travelling and capturing the atmosphere of cities or quiet landscapes in my own unique way.

What drew you to photography in the first place?

Photography was always a part in my family, but the passion became more and more extreme after my studies as a balance to my actual job. The more spectacular sunrises and sunsets I photographed, the more I became fascinated by photography. Post-processing also plays a big role for me and sometimes it takes me days to find exactly the style I want for the photo. But that's also what photography is all about for me, constantly developing both photographically and in editing and standing out from other photos with your own style.

What is the best spot to take photos in Hamburg?

For me, Hamburg is closely associated with water and trade, so I would say the warehouse district and everything along the Elbe. You can start at one of Hamburg's most famous motifs, the Wasserschloss, and walk through the warehouse district to the fish market. Along the way, you pass both the Elbphilharmonie concert hall and the Landungsbrücken, which are probably some of the most famous sights in Hamburg. Especially in autumn and winter, the sunrises and sunsets here are truly spectacular.

What’s your favourite time of day to shoot—sunrise, sunset, or something else?

My favourite time is the golden hour, so both sunrise and sunset. When I shoot street photography, I love to shoot in the fog or at blue hour when it has been raining.

How do you scout locations for your shoots? Do you plan ahead or go with the flow?

Both. Especially when I'm travelling, I think about which motifs I'd like to see beforehand, but then try to interpret them in my own way. But it's even more fun to let yourself drift creatively. I was recently in New York and walked around Times Square after a rain shower and it was incredibly fun not to be focussed on a motif that I had already seen somewhere on Instagram, but to take photos in my own way and find exciting motifs.

Is there a dream location you haven’t photographed yet but really want to?

I don't know if my list of dream locations has an end. But Japan, Hong Kong and the landscapes of Senja and the Lofoten Islands in Norway and Torres del Paine in Chile are definitely at the top of my list.

Do you consider yourself more of a street photographer or an architectural/landscape photographer? And why?

I would describe myself as a photographer who tries to combine urban subjects of the city with elements of street photography. Through the influence of street photography elements, I can give my pictures a mood that you wouldn't otherwise feel. Nevertheless, I also really enjoy photographing landscapes and escaping the hustle and bustle of the city to be by myself.

Do you prefer shooting in dramatic weather or when it’s calm and clear?

Definitely in dramatic weather. Especially at the golden hour, there's nothing better than dramatic clouds, which give the picture a very special atmosphere. For me, golden clouds or red cloudy skies are among the most beautiful moods that I try to photograph.

You also shoot with a drone right? What is that like? What drone do you use? Any challenges when shooting with a drone?

I'm currently using a DJI Mini 4 Pro and I love taking photos with the drone because it gives you completely new perspectives in terms of creativity that you don't have from the ground. The challenges here are definitely the regulations on flying, which have been increasingly restricted in recent years, and rightly so in some cases. This is probably a critical perspective, but for me, access to drones is too easy and there is a minority of people who don't pay any attention to the rules, fly around wildly and sometimes endanger others as a result which result in harder regulations.

What is your favourite subject to shoot?

Difficult to answer. Even though New York, for example, stands out with all its buildings and I love photographing there, there are always different subjects that are very special to me in the right light. So for me, there is a favourite mood rather than a favourite subject. The facades of a city, motifs in nature or even moments in street photography can all become favourite moments for me in the right light. I always realise this when I'm happy inside like a little child because the conditions are exactly as I dreamed they would be.

What’s the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?

Beeing creative all the time, maintaining and developing your own style and not being too influenced by social media. Especially before travelling, I spend a lot of time thinking about my destinations and looking for motifs that I would like to photograph. Nevertheless, I want to photograph and present the motifs in my own way and not in a way that has perhaps been seen umpteen times before and copied from another photographer's style.

How do you approach editing your shots? Do you aim for realism or go for a more artistic vibe?

I would say both in its own way. I like to give my pictures a dreamy, sometimes cinematic look. I often use a mist filter when I'm taking the photos. When it comes to colours, I definitely strive for realism. When I look back at my early days of post-processing, I usually turned the saturation slider all the way up. Today, I much prefer to take out some of the saturation to make the images look much more realistic and natural.

What role does patience play in your process? Do you ever wait hours for the perfect shot?

Definitely. Especially when I'm trying to incorporate elements of street photography, I like to wait half an hour or longer for a person to walk into the picture the way I'd hoped. If I want to photograph a subject during the golden hour, it's more the dependence on the weather that makes me visit a subject several times if the weather hasn't played ball and I'm not happy with my photo.

Do you have a favorite lens or piece of gear that you can’t shoot without?

For sure a fast 24-70mm 2.8 lens. With its open aperture, it's perfect for taking photos without a tripod, even during the blue hour/at night. During the day, it is a mix of wide-angle, classic street perspective (35mm) and detail shots at 70mm. For me, it's the perfect all-rounder.

How do you manage to make a familiar spot look fresh and unique in your photos?

Very good question. I try to make the motifs appear unique through compositions on location (e.g. framing or leading lines), long exposures or my own style of editing. I also try to use influences from street photography to give my pictures a mood that the subject would not have without the element. Long shutter and people in the picture are a good way of portraying the hustle and bustle of a city, for example.

What’s your approach to capturing the scale of a building?

I have thought about this question for a long time but can’t find an answer - sorry

Are there any photographers or artists who inspire your work?

There are tons of photographers whose content I love to see, but it would be unfair to single them out. And it always depends a little on what mood I want to photograph at the time and I love to search for it specifically in social media and be inspired by completely new content that is different from the creators that have inspired me so far. However, it’s always important to me that inspiration remains inspiration and that I stay true to my own style.

What role does composition play in your photography?

Composition definitely plays a big role. In most cases, I try to stick to simple compositions such as the golden ratio or leading lines. However, if I want to give the picture a certain mood, I also like to use the possibility of including people in my pictures, e.g. to convey the hustle and bustle of a city through a longer exposure time.

How important is light to your shots, and how do you work with it?

For me, the right light is one of the most crucial things in photography. Without light and shadow, every picture looks flat and only the light makes the subject appear alive. I love incorporating people into my pictures in golden backlighting, when the light casts long shadows. I am also fascinated by capturing moments during the blue hour with cinematic lighting aspects.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to get started with photography?

The rest, 5 more questions, of this Interview are for Premium subscribers only.

Subscribe to the Premium Version here

Nikon’s Big 3.0 Firmware Update For The Z8 Is Here

This week Nikon rolled out firmware version 3.0 for the Z8, and it’s a big one, especially if you're into high-res studio work or macro photography. The headline feature is a new Pixel Shift mode that pushes image resolution up to 180 megapixels. And it’s not just a simple high-res mode either, Nikon's added some extra tricks that make it genuinely useful.

Here’s the gist: using in-body image stabilization, the Z8 can slightly shift the sensor to grab multiple frames with microscopic differences in position. When you combine those, you get a file with more color accuracy, reduced moiré, and supposedly a lot more detail than the standard 45.7MP RAWs. That by itself isn’t new (other brands do it) but Nikon now lets you combine Pixel Shift with both focus stacking and AE bracketing, which is a first in the full-frame mirrorless world. So now you can shoot big files and get better depth of field and smoother exposure blending, all in one.

This is good for things like product shoots, detailed still life, and macro work, so basically anything that’s not moving. If your subject is moving, though, forget it. This isn’t a feature for action or street photographers. But if you work in (sort of) controlled environments, it’s a solid tool that could save you time in post processing.

Focus shift is the other big part of the update. Instead of manually racking focus and stacking in software, the Z8 can now do it all automatically while it's grabbing those pixel-shifted frames. That’s a big deal for macro shooters trying to get edge-to-edge sharpness without constantly nudging a focusing rail.

The update also adds some more ‘‘under-the-hood’’ improvements, like Flexible Color Picture Control for more customisable looks straight out of camera, and a new in-camera focus limiter so the AF doesn’t hunt through the whole range when you only need it to cover a specific slice.

For photographers who really want to go into detail, Nikon has a full list of the changes and instructions on their site. All in all, if you are in the market for high-end detail and control, it’s a smart (and free) upgrade for the Z8.

Image credits: Nikon

Photo Analysis

Welcome to the new part of the Magazine Issue where we take a closer look at a photo and analyse it so that you can learn and better your own photography from it ;)

Photo by: @hugopaisribeiro

Let’s Analyse this Image: 

Light & Atmosphere

What works well:

• The fog is the true star here. It erases the world and creates a clean, infinite void that makes the bridge feel powerful and endless. In fact, because the fog is so clean and tick (that it swallows everything around the bridge) this photo almost becomes abstract.

• The diffused light is soft and even, there are no harsh shadows, just a muted and gentle glow.

• That misty atmosphere flattens the background beautifully, making the layers of metal arches fade into the distance, which gives the image depth without needing any tonal contrast.

What could be better:

• The fog is strong enough to flatten most distant details, but the foreground could maybe benefit from a touch more texture or contrast to make the walkway feel more tactile.

• The top left quadrant feels slightly empty and (very slightly) out of balance (the first two, thick metal arches/poles on the right overpower the arches/poles on the left, since 1. you actually only get to see the distant ones on the left and 2. they also fade away into the fog —> all this creates a slight imbalance to the right).

Architecture & Repetition

What works well:

• The repeating metal arches are beautiful in both form and structure, the circular cutouts give a sense of playfulness and rhythm that elevates the otherwise too ‘‘industrial feel’’.

• The overhead wires and poles help frame the perspective, they give the bridge structure without dominating the scene or cluttering it.

• The single bird perched on the first arch is a very nice touch. It breaks the geometric repetition just enough and adds life without disturbing the stillness.

What could be better:

• Again, the closest arch (and also the one behind), being darker and bolder, dominates the frame a little too heavily. If it were slightly more balanced in tone, the perspective might flow more gently into the background.

• The far end of the bridge fades beautifully, but the center-right edge of the fog (inside the bridge) eats up a bit too much of the final arch’s shape (on the right) ‘‘too quickly’’. A touch more visibility there could strengthen the sense of scale and balance.

Framing & Perspective

What works well:

• The composition is perfectly centered, which works here. The symmetry brings a sense of calm and control that matches the quiet mood.

• The path, flanked by guard posts and rails, creates a tunnel effect, a clear, leading line that draws your eye to our subject and even beyond.

• The person is placed exactly where they need to be (not too close, not too far). Their position gives scale to the structure and becomes the emotional focus of the frame.

What could be better:

• The bottom of the frame cuts off the nearest bollards a little awkwardly. A slight adjustment downwards would complete that rhythm and could even increase the sense of scale and the effectiveness of the leading lines (you might loose the bird though).

• Again, the image leans a bit right-heavy because of the thicker vertical support on the right side. A tiny shift in position could help in rebalancing the visual weight.

Colour & Tone

What works well:

• The entire palette leans cold, and it works. The desaturated blues and greys echo the mood of the scene: misty, quiet, distant.

• There’s a steel-blue wash over the frame that gives it a cinematic tone.

• Our subject walking is dressed in dark clothing, which sets them apart just enough from the fog and pathway.

• That seagull and especially the dark orange colour between the poles on the ground, add the only real "highlights" in the frame. Just a little with of colour in an otherwise cool scene.

What could be better:

• The fog mutes most warm tones, which is appropriate here, but maybe a small point of subtle warmth (reflected light, a soft glow from the metal) could introduce more contrast without disturbing the mood.

• If the walkway had a more reflective sheen or a deeper blue gradient, it might offer more visual interest in the foreground and even make for a stronger leading line.

Emotion & Storytelling

What works well:

• This is a photo about solitude, in the best sense. The single person walking into the unknown, wrapped in fog, evokes a quiet courage and inner reflection (well technically (if you look closely) there is a couple walking towards us on the left in the fog)).

• The bird adds an unexpected layer. It brings contrast: it suggests presence, observation, and possibly even companionship from afar.

• There's no obvious story being told, but it feels like something is happening—like the beginning of a journey, a moment of introspection, or the tail end of a farewell.

• The can feel the silence of the scene, it’s that kind of air where sound doesn’t travel far.

What could be better:

• It’s clean, controlled and minimalist, almost to the point of perfection, but maybe one small ‘‘imperfection’’ an umbrella, a puddle with a reflection etc. could introduce just enough friction to make it even more special.

Photography Tip of the Week

The weekly photography tip is only accessible to Premium Subscribers of The Magazine For Photographers.

Subscribe to the Premium Version here

Photographer of the Week

Photographer of the week goes to: Ron

You can find him on Instagram as: @stiemer.photos

A few of his photos:

Don’t forget to check out the advertisement up top (it is a MUST) ⬆️

The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers

The Premium Version of this Magazine is now on a ‘‘Pay What you Want’’ model. Meaning you get to decide the price.