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 mobile search results page showing image results and a summary about crowds, with a visible prompt at the bottom that reads "Ask AI Mode..."

I'm worried a big Google change this year could kill my favorite websites

By Tom May published

opinion If the search engine switches to AI mode, it'll starve websites of traffic and destroy the diverse, free web we've come to rely on.

opinion
Three men in flat caps and heavy coats stand behind a low stone wall, appearing to examine or converse over a row of fluffy white sheep.

His color photos made him famous – but these early black-and-white images prove that Martin Parr was always a master

By Tom May published

News A new exhibition shows an early glimpse of the genius that built the master photographer's reputation

News
A closeup on the Canon logo on a camera

The hidden truth behind Canon's 70-year-old logo – and what it tells you about the brand's philosophy

By Tom May published

CAMERA HISTORY The famed Canon logo started life as a Buddhist Bodhisattva with a thousand arms. Here's what happened next.

CAMERA HISTORY
MAY 24 , 2024: Photographer Sally Mann relaxes with her dog "Honey" in a meadow of tall grass on her farm near Lexington, Virginia, USA. (Photo by Michael Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Sally Mann explains why, aged 74, she has finally switched from 10x8in sheet film to using a digital camera

By Tom May published

After decades of working with 8x10 film, the large-format photographer recently experienced a 'Wizard of Oz' moment.

5 Comments
Photography
A close-up shot shows a small, fluffy squirrel with messy, wet-looking fur peering out from a circular hole in the vibrant orange and reddish-brown bark of a tree.

This is how this squirrel's soggy fur became one of the best wildlife photos of the year

By Tom May published

Christy Grinton's split-second capture of a bedraggled mother earned finalist honors in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

Nature and Wildlife Photography
A split image showing artist Kaotii wearing pink goggles and striking a pose for a photo pop-up, next to Jordan Rakei wearing headphones and singing into a professional microphone in Studio 3.

Abbey Road's resident photographer on 12 years of persistence, silent shutters and the contest he never wanted to enter

By Tom May published

Sam Rockman's 12-year journey in photography proves timing matters less than tenacity.

Portrait Photography
A black and white, close-up photograph captures an intimate moment between two foxes, where a smaller kit affectionately nuzzles and nibbles the snout of a larger fox that has its eyes closed in a serene expression

Love bites: This powerful wildlife photo, taken with a Sony A1, captures the beautiful chaos of motherhood

By Tom May published

WINNER Photographer Janet Gustin froze a split-second moment of tender chaos in this award-winning image

WINNER
Annie Leibovitz attends the press Preview of "WOMEN: New Portraits" The Wapping Project on January 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage)

"No, The Queen didn't walk out": Annie Leibovitz reveals the truth behind her infamous royal photo shoot

By Tom May published

News The portrait photographer recalls what really happened during her historic session at Buckingham Palace in 2007.

News
dry cabinet full of camera equipment and lenses

Best dry cabinet for cameras in 2026: keep your kit safe in a climate-controlled cupboard

By Tom May last updated

buying guide Protect your valuable equipment from humidity, with the best dry cabinet for cameras and lenses

buying guide
A child with blue skin sits calmly as an adult applies paint to their face in a dimly lit room

Shot with a Fujifilm X-T4 camera, this entrancing image beautifully captures an ancient Hindu ritual

By Tom May published

NEWS Indranil Sengupta's award-winning shot captures the intimate moment a young performer is transformed into a Hindu deity

NEWS
Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra phone on desk next to normal sized phone

Rugged phones completely changed my life in 2025 – here's why these big beasts have become my most trusted travelling companions

By Tom May published

Opinion These travel companions solved problems that I didn't know I had

Opinion
LCE POTY 2026

You have less than 2 weeks to enter the £10,000 LCE Photographer of the Year

By Tom May published

NEWS The free-to-enter photography contest closes on January 21

NEWS
A close-up, joyful portrait of a person with a shaved head laughing broadly, with red liquid resembling blood smeared across their nose, lips, and teeth.

Meet the youthful, often shocking future of fine art photography at Circulation(s) 2026

By Tom May published

News 26 photographers from 15 countries showcase work in Paris exploring identity, memory and social issues

News
Two women stand side-by-side against a pebbled wall, each leaning on a shopping cart overflowing with white and blue plastic grocery bags.

How Martin Parr spent five decades photographing the climate crisis – without even realizing

By Tom May published

NEWS A new Paris retrospective reinterprets the late photographer's work as environmental unravelling

3 Comments
NEWS
Sophia Loren is seen in a profile view sitting in the back of a car, wearing a voluminous fur-trimmed coat and a pussy-bow blouse.

200 unpublished Sophia Loren portraits teach us the importance of trust between photographers and their subjects

By Tom May published

News A Life magazine photographer's decades-long access to the Hollywood icons offers lessons for today's image-saturated world

News
A man in a black leather jacket and a woman in a tan jacket stand back-to-back while wearing stylish Rokid smart glasses.

These new AI smart glasses could actually make sense for photographers (and they're cheaper than RayBans)

By Tom May published

CES 2026 You get 10 minutes of video recording, triple-format capture for social platforms, and prescription lenses as standard

CES 2026
Product shot of the Amazfit's V1TAL Food Camera

This flip-open food camera uses AI to track everything you eat (but it is not meant for foodporn)

By Tom May published

CES 2026 Amazfit's V1TAL Food Camera raises questions about where cameras belong in daily life

CES 2026
A hand holds a smartphone featuring a unique, motorized gimbal camera module on top that is pointed toward a woman displayed on the screen.

Honor just reinvented the camera phone! But will this tempt you away from Apple?

By Tom May published

CES The Robot Phone packs in a three-axis gimbal, potentially replacing thousands of dollars worth of stabilization gear.

CES
A close-up view of a white Motorola Razr folding phone featuring a prominent silver camera island with four lenses and a large, partially unfolded internal display.

This new foldable phone could be a game changer for photographers

By Tom May published

CES 2026 Stylus support on a foldable sounds super-useful, right?

CES 2026
A woman with voluminous dark hair and red lipstick gazes into a bathroom mirror while holding a towel around her body.

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency: why Nan Goldin's flash-lit photo essay on intimacy still resonates in 2026

By Tom May published

news The genre-defining photobook gets its first complete UK showing, 40 years after it changed photography forever

news
The world's first photograph by Joseph Niepce. Taken from a window of his Le Gras estate at Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, France.

France set to stage a year-long celebration to mark 200 years of photography in 2026

By Tom May published

News Major exhibitions and commissions will honor Nicéphore Niépce's invention and explore photography's evolution from 1826 to today.

News
A water strider skims across the bright blue, icy surface of a pond, with frozen plant leaves visible beneath the water.

Yes, this IS a photograph! How a double exposure turned a water strider into an award-worthy work of art

By Tom May published

NEWS Anirudh Kamakeri's creative use of this sophisticated technique earned him Special Mention from the Nature in Focus awards

NEWS
Two high-contrast portraits shown side-by-side: one of a man coated in dark grime and another of a shirtless man drenched in sweat, both set against a bright white background.

Richard Avedon's American West: what today's portrait photographers can still learn from this classic series

By Tom May published

This 1979 documentary project remains a masterclass in environmental portraiture and authentic storytelling.

3 Comments
Portrait Photography
A powerful silhouette of an elephant is illuminated by bright torchlight in a dark, misty night setting, with the reflection visible on a body of water in the foreground.

When Torchlight Meets Tusks: this hauntingly beautiful photo casts new light on the relationship between man and beast

By Tom May published

NEWS Ramprasad Dutta's incredible photograph earned Special Mention at this year's Nature in Focus awards

NEWS
A highly stylized, steampunk-themed promotional image for the 2026 MUSE Photography Awards featuring a woman in a purple corset and top hat standing behind a counter of antique cameras and glassware, with text reading "Call For Entries."

These are the best photography awards to enter in 2026, ranked by submission deadline

By Tom May published

You can't get recognition if you don't submit, right?

Awards and Competitions
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