Tom May

Tom May

Tom May is a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design and travel. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company and Bella.

Latest articles by Tom May

A wood-panelled station wagon is parked outside a small white cottage with green trim and a Cosmos sign, the sea stretching out behind under a pale blue sky.
This book changed color photography forever by turning Cape Cod’s quiet light into high art – 50 years later, it's back and better

By Tom May Published

News This stunning Joel Meyerowitz project was shot half a century ago but, in this Aperture reissue, the light still looks glorious

News
Two men stand in a rowing boat inside a sea cave, with daylight streaming through a rocky opening ahead of them.
Forget the gear list: Here's what a self-taught Shetland joiner, with a boat strapped to his car, can teach today's photographers about getting the shot that counts

By Tom May Published

NEWS An exhibition marking 150 years of J.D. Rattar proves the best piece of kit a photographer ever owned wasn't a camera at all

NEWS
A close-up, wide-angle shot of a giraffe's head leaning dramatically toward the camera, contrasting its patterned neck and body against a grassy landscape under a dramatic, cloudy sky
This nose-to-lens giraffe photograph earned a major award for its dramatic camera phone perspective

By Tom May Published

NEWS How an ultra-wide lens on an iPhone 13 turned a curious giraffe into an award-winning close-up portrait

NEWS
Doogee S200 rugged phone being held in hand with ski resort in background
Best rugged phone in 2026: smartphones that can take a beating and more

By Tom May Last updated

buying guide Need a phone that's near-indestructible? We reveal the best rugged phone for your needs

buying guide
Kopfus light bulb camera shining in a dark room
Best light bulb security cameras: discrete and easy to install

By Adam Juniper Last updated

buying guide Simple to set up and difficult for bad actors to spot, these are the best light bulb security cameras on sale today

buying guide
A night scene of a dramatic performance with molten iron or fire being thrown into the air, creating glowing orange explosions of sparks and flames shaped like wings against a black background
Old-world fire and new-world tech: how an iPhone's extreme telephoto reach photographed China's ancient art of molten sparks

By Tom May Published

NEWS This striking image of a traditional fire performance earned an Honorable Mention at the 2026 iPhone Photography Awards.

NEWS
Cover and spread from Little People, Big Dreams book on Annie Leibowitz
A fun new picture book traces Annie Leibovitz's journey in photography, and offers kids an early lesson in creative reinvention

By Tom May Published

News The Little People, BIG DREAMS series turns its attention to the iconic portrait photographer

News
A close-up of a cat's face lit in warm red and green tones, its yellow eyes staring directly at the camera.
Nan Goldin has spent 50 years photographing people. But her new film work turns away from them entirely, to focus on nature and animals

By Tom May Published

News Fresh details have been revealed about her first UK show since 2002, and they're sure to raise some eyebrows

News
Apple student discount: Three students sitting on grass and using laptops
Apple student discount: what is it, and how do you get it?

By Tom May Last updated

buying guide Students can get a discount with Apple, and some non-students can get it too! Here's how...

buying guide
Man in beanie hat using an Apple MacBook Pro outside in a grassy area
Adobe student discount: save 71% or more on your Creative Cloud apps if you are in education!

By Tom May Last updated

buying guide If you're a student, teacher or work in education, you can save hundreds in a single year

buying guide
An individual wearing a blue jacket and white pants climbs horizontally across a large, weathered red sculpture with peeling paint against a clear blue sky.
From Japanese parks to German playgrounds, Kerstin Weiser uses harsh flash lighting and color-matched costumes to fuse humans with concrete structures

By Tom May Published

NEWS Kerstin Weiser's award-winning series turns willing volunteers into living extensions of concrete scales and painted slides

NEWS
Femal eteach presenting bargraph data on a digital whiteboard in a classroom
The best digital whiteboard in 2026: interactive presentations and classroom displays

By Adam Juniper Last updated

buying guide Present to colleagues, collaborate with clients or get students involved in classes, with the best interactive whiteboards

buying guide
Black and white portrait of two elderly women in headscarves and heavy coats standing on stone steps before a tall wooden church spire, framed by bare tree branches
When Oliver Klink photographed rural Europe's disappearing communities, many of them looked straight down the lens. Some might see that as a problem for documentary work, but I'd argue it's actually a sign of success

By Tom May Published

NEWS The award-winning Swiss photographer's online exhibition has a lot of eye contact, and that's the thing I love most

NEWS
An overhead, high-angle shot captures a fisherman in a conical hat standing on a small wooden boat, surrounded by a massive, glowing golden fishing net stretched across the water, which features two distinct, circular clearing
I've honestly never seen a photo like this: How one aerial photographer turned a fishing scene into a work of fine art

By Tom May Published

NEWS A split-second shot from overhead transforms an everyday fishing net into something close to a gallery painting

NEWS
A minimalist, wide-angle seascape showing two dark rocks sitting in the middle of a perfectly still, turquoise ocean under an overcast sky.
Darren Almond photographed the world's most famous landscapes at night for 25 years – but they look like they were shot in broad daylight, thanks to this simple exposure trick

By Tom May Published

NEWS A new, expanded TASCHEN edition of Fullmoon highlights a clever technique you can use in your own night photography.

NEWS
Two of Sayuri Ichida's monochrome photographs of her sister
Sayuri Ichida spent years photographing her sister after their mother died. Then she refused to let a computer anywhere near the results, hand-printing every image using a 150-year-old etching process instead

By Tom May Published

The Japanese artist's new show highlights how the slowest, most stubborn part of photography sometimes says more than the camera ever could.

Galleries and Exhibitions
Woman using her laptop webcam for video conferencing
The best laptop webcam in 2026: built-in cameras that show you at your best

By Ian Evenden Last updated

buying guide Sharpen up your video calls, with the best laptop webcams built in to computers today

buying guide
A man wearing a bright orange sweater and cap walks down a cobblestone sidewalk carrying a red box past a row of vibrant, colorful storefronts.
The world is turning beige, but this street photographer fought back, spending 15 years hunting down Britain's brightest, boldest spots for his new photobook – and the results are sublime!

By Tom May Published

News A new book of street photography doubles as a masterclass in finding, framing and trusting saturated color

News
A shirtless man and a woman in a dark robe sit back to back on a bed in warm, low light, both looking downward and lost in thought.
She was Kodak's "Turn Around" girl before she ever picked up a camera. Now Judy Glickman Lauder's collection of Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Diane Arbus & Nan Goldin photos is going on tour, and there's a lot photographers can learn from it

By Tom May Published

NEWS Long before she became one of photography's great collectors, Judy Glickman Lauder was the subject of her father's lens. That history now shapes an exhibition worth paying attention to.

NEWS
Google Pixel 9 Pro android phone held in a hand
The best Android phone for photography in 2026: smartphones that give Apple a run for its money

By Gareth Bevan Last updated

BUYING GUIDE They rival even the latest iPhones, so check out the best Android phones for photography

BUYING GUIDE
Martin Parr leans over a village hall table laden with prize vegetables and flowers, ring flash mounted on his camera, with his walking frame parked beside him.
Walking frame, ring flash & braces: the last photos of Martin Parr at work

By Tom May Published

News New behind-the-scenes images show how the much-loved streeet photographer kept shooting almost to the very end

News
A stark black-and-white studio portrait of Schwarzenegger performing a front double bicep pose, his symmetrical physique filling the wide frame against a plain black background.
Arnold Schwarzenegger on low-angle photography: "They always shoot up, so the camera is right there in front of you… you will always look like a stud"

By Tom May Last updated

NEWS A new Taschen book collects seven decades of Schwarzenegger photography, shot by some of the greatest names in the business.

NEWS
Woman in pool with swimming cap and woman reading magazine with painted nails
These unseen color photos by master photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue make the past look like it happened yesterday

By Tom May Published

News A new exhibition reveals decades of hidden color work by the French master that borders on intoxicating.

News
A curly-haired woman in a white shirt frames her own face with her fingers in a mock viewfinder gesture.
Shot by winner of "worst photographer" contest, these travel pictures actually prove is that good photography isn't the same as technical skill

By Tom May Published

Opinion Blanche Mortemard's blurry, lens-flared shots of Iceland reveal a fundamental truth about photography.

Opinion
The Samsung Galaxy XR lets you move in 3D inside your 2D images: what could this mean for photography, long term?

By Tom May Published

The mixed-reality headset can take a flat photograph and turn it into an immersive 3D space

Extended Reality
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