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 dark, moody close-up of a pile of blood oranges, with a few cut open to reveal the striking red and orange interior.

This ‘Rising Star’ award might change your photographic career (or at least your relationship with broccoli)

By Tom May published

If you've ever spent half an afternoon coaxing a sprig of coriander to flutter just so, there’s a new award with your name all over it.

Food Photography
An aerial shot of the Văcărești Nature Park, a wetland area with ponds, green marshland, and trees, set against the hazy skyline of Bucharest, Romania, under a bright sun.

Shot using a DJI Air 2S drone, this view of an urban wetland is a breathtaking sight – and this kind of documentary aerial work isn't easy

By Tom May published

INSPIRATION Nature's resilience shines through this aerial perspective

INSPIRATION
A composite image featuring a black and white close-up of a chimpanzee wearing a silver mask on the left, and a color image of a mossy, gnarled tree shrouded in fog on the right.

A new book about Albert Watson shows why the "photographer's photographer" has never needed to pick a lane

By Tom May published

After 50 years shooting everyone from Hitchcock to Bowie, this retrospective highlights the power of refusing to specialize.

Books
Aerial view of a snowy bog landscape with numerous pools of water reflecting the golden light of the sun.

Expertly photographed with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, this landscape of frozen peat pools looks like an ethereal, alien world

By Tom May published

WINNER Shot in Estonia, this award-winning image demonstrates the creative potential of modern drone photography

WINNER
Bird box containing cameras

The best bird box camera

By Tom May last updated

Updated Capture images and video of nesting birds you couldn't get by yourself, with the best bird box cameras

Updated
A dramatic, dark blue macro photograph of a moth's face, focusing sharply on its large, glowing yellow-and-red compound eyes in an otherwise blurred, nocturnal setting.

Shot with a Canon EOS R5 and custom lighting, this magical, otherworldly photo captures a moth's glowing eyes

By Tom May published

RUNNER-UP Ivo Niermann reveals how he built custom lighting to photograph the tapetum lucidum effect in nocturnal insects

RUNNER-UP
A black and white diptych where the left image shows a road lined on both sides by tall, bare trees, and the right image features a small, white-canopied tree on a snowy hill surrounded by dark, horizontal wooden fences.

Michael Kenna's snow photography shows how 10-hour exposures can reveal what both our eyes and sensors miss

By Tom May published

News This beautiful snow photography is a breath of fresh air in an age of instant images

3 Comments
News
Two large, golden common carp appear to "kiss" underwater near submerged debris, illuminated by a bright shaft of sunlight from the surface.

Fish face-off! How the Nikon D850 and Nikkor 8-15mm fisheye lens captured this dramatic shot in crystal-clear detail

By Tom May published

WINNER Hungarian photographer Ferenc Lorincz reveals the technical setup behind his stunning underwater image.

WINNER
The artist Susanna Kraus prepares a temporary exhibition of photographs of the "Imago" camera, that captures life-sized portraits on a special direct positive black-and-white paper, in the temporary Schaustelle of the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, 2013. In the picture, the camera during the final phase of construction. Front, the aperture in which hangs the optics. One can get into the photo booth through the door that is visible here.

This gigantic walk-in camera is the ultimate selfie machine – and it's up for sale!

By Tom May published

news The world's largest large-format camera, the 6.85m-long Imago creates life-sized portraits at a 1:1 scale

news
A silver and white Leica M camera with a matching silver lens rests on a white surface next to a round, silver lens cap engraved with a complex design and a papal coat of arms is visible beneath the camera.

Pope Francis' Leica camera sells for a thousand times its estimated value!

By Tom May published

A camera gifted to the late pontiff has sold for €6.5 million. What does this tells us about the market for collectable Leicas?

Rangefinder Cameras
An underwater photograph shows a Humpback Whale calf, with its distinct white and gray mottled coloration and prominent pectoral fins, swimming beneath the surface of the deep blue ocean.

This entrancing underwater photo of a humpback calf showcases the Sony A1's rapid autofocus and the Nauticam port's wide-angle clarity

By Tom May published

NEWS Richard Condlyffe won Peoples Choice at the British Photography Awards in the Water Life category for this magical encounter.

NEWS
A close-up, low-angle photograph captures a Dalmatian Pelican with distinctive white, ruffled head feathers and a large red-and-blue beak, floating on calm blue water against a pastel sky at sunset.

Using the fast autofocus and stabilization of the Canon EOS R5, this shot of a wind-ruffled pelican captures incredible detail

By Tom May published

Jayne Bond was shortlisted at the British Photography Awards in the Birdlife category for this precisely timed picture.

Nature and Wildlife Photography
A close-up shot of a small, white and blue rover on the simulated lunar surface in a low-light environment. The rover has six wheels, a large sensor head on top, and a compact body.

This robot camera looks like a PIXAR character and is ready to photograph the moon

By Tom May published

news Meet LRU1: the adorable lunar rover with a multispectral stereo camera head that's helping scientists hunt for ice

news
Google CEO Sundar Pichai talking on the BBC, with a BBC logo in the bottom-left corner

If the AI bubble bursts it could BE WORSE for photographers than the AI itself!

By Tom May published

Opinion If AI investments implode, the creative economy won't escape unscathed... and photographers will feel it quickly.

Opinion
A portrait of Joel Meyerowitz

Upcoming show celebrates Joel Meyerowitz, the pioneering photographer who taught us to see in color

By Tom May published

A major retrospective and special award both pay tribute to the iconic photographer.

Fine Art Photography
iPhone 15 Pro Mac charging on a Ugreen Nexode 100W GaN with 15W MagSafe on a wooden desk

The best wireless phone chargers for iPhone and Android

By Gareth Bevan last updated

Buying guide Ditch the wires with our pick of the best wireless phone chargers

Buying guide
Sony LCRE Series Rain Cover

Sony unveils new rain covers and soft cases for super-telephoto camera set-ups

By Tom May published

News Specially designed for field photographers with large telephoto lenses, these new accessories arrive in December.

News
A person is holding a black smartphone with an external camera lens attachment, labeled "SANDMARC," connected to the phone's main camera module.

Sandmarc's dedicated telephoto lens gives more power to the iPhone Pro's periscope camera

By Tom May published

The new 48mm add-on attachment provides 16x optical zoom by mounting on to the phone's tetraprism telephoto system.

iPhones
A close-up photograph shows the bright green head of a hatching snake emerging from a small slit in its speckled, off-white egg, set against a black background.

Taken with a Sony A7RV and 90mm macro lens, this extraordinary photo captures a lizard’s first breath

By Tom May published

behind the shot Jamie Peters was shortlisted at the British Photography Awards in the Macro category, for this precisely timed moment.

behind the shot
A close-up view of three people working around a camera rig on a dolly in a film studio, with the LED screen backdrop showing the Wild West town.

Why Norwich's new virtual production studio could matter more than London's mega-stages

By Tom May published

The UK's first academic Sony VERONA installation signals a crucial shift in how cinematographers will learn their craft.

Cinema Cameras
Night photograph of the Milky Way galaxy arcing above the decaying structure of the West Pier in Brighton, with the sea blurred from a long exposure and a pebble beach in the foreground.

Despite heavy light pollution, this Nikon D780 and Tamron 24-70mm photo captures the Milky Way in astonishing detail

By Tom May published

Michael Steven Harris earned People's Choice at the British Photography Awards for this stacked, long-exposure image

Astrophotography
Black & white image of a naked woman floating face down in water

Liezl Zwarts offers a masterclass in pivoting from commercial to art photography

By Tom May published

News South African photographer Liezl Zwarts draws on Japanese philosophy, personal pain and her commercial training to forge a breathtaking fine art debut.

News
Two mobile phone screens show an app interface for putting a user into a fashion photoshoot, displaying several generated images, alongside a separate square image of two models posing in a well-lit studio.

Google Photos wants to know your hobbies better than your friends do

By Tom May published

Should you allow it to analyse your entire collection?

Artificial Intelligence
Mockups of three space telescopes

Scientists are designing a new camera that could detect alien life

By Tom May published

News UK teams are helping NASA develop imaging tech for a mission that will hunt for alien planets beyond Earth.

News
A man and a woman stand next to an LG Innotek display showing "WELCOME! LG INNOTEK" in bright white text.

The next iPhone could fix the camera problem that's plagued all foldables so far

By Tom May published

The 24MP selfie camera Apple's planning for its foldable iPhone will reportedly sit under the display.

Phones
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