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

Manfrotto E-702 PL Elements rain cover covering a camera in the rain

The best camera rain covers in 2025: keep your camera and lens dry when it's wet

By Kulsoom Middleton last updated

Updated Don't let inclement conditions stop you! With the best rain covers, you can keep your kit safe and dry whatever the weather

Updated
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
Legendary film director Martin Scorsese is seated behind a large wooden desk in a richly decorated, wood-paneled office with a classic movie poster visible on the wall behind him.

Riccardo Ghilardi's photo portraits of cinema royalty show what's possible when you collaborate with your subject

By Tom May published

news Getting great portraits of famous people is about more than just pointing a camera at them.

news
Hand putting SD card into a card reader attached to a laptop on a desk

The best memory card readers: copy images and video to your computer

By Ben Andrews last updated

Buying Guide These are the best memory card readers to supercharge your SD, CFexpress & CompactFlash memory card image transfers

Buying Guide
A screenshot of a post on X featuring a close-up, straight-on portrait photo of a man with dark, slightly messy hair and intense eyes, wearing a white t-shirt. The text above the photo reads: "the best portrait photographer in ny is the chinese passport photo lady on elizabeth lol".

This viral trend for passport photos says something profound about Gen Z

By Tom May published

Opinion As Instagram-perfection wanes, young people are rediscovering what makes a portrait actually good.

Opinion
A complex piece of space hardware, featuring a large, shiny metal sphere, is surrounded by a dense tangle of cables, wires, and electronic components in a laboratory.

Mark Power's new book proves that commissioned photography needn't mean creative compromise

By Tom May published

The documentary photographer's 27-year archive shows what's possible when clients give you freedom to shoot your way.

Photography
Two squirrels sit on a snowy ledge overlooking a town square at night, where two illuminated Coca-Cola Christmas trucks drive through a crowd of people near a decorated Christmas tree.

The AI backlash is loud, but it’s also tiny… and it turns out most clients simply don’t care

By Tom May published

There's a lot of online shouting about AI ruining creativity. But most of us are quietly using it already.

Tech
Cameron Adams talking to a camera

'There's no catch': Canva founder tells photographers they shouldn't worry about Affinity going free

By Tom May published

News Cameron Adams says they won't sell your data or let AI scrape your photos.

News
A close-up portrait of a child with dark skin, striking bright blue eyes, and patches of light skin caused by vitiligo, wearing a blue shirt against a blue background.

These brilliant World Sight Day images remind us how much more the story matters than the sensor

By Tom May published

news Both the pro and amateur winners really hit home this year.

news
A flat lay photo displays three vintage Leica cameras, two with lenses attached and one bottom-up, surrounded by small accessories and resting on a partially visible poster with the word "Leica."

Rare Leica collection goes under the hammer, with items starting at just $50

By Tom May published

Century-old cameras and wartime relics feature in Tamarkin's fall auction, which also includes some surprisingly affordable items.

Film Cameras
Affinity Studio screengrab of photo editor in action

This full-feature Photoshop alternative going free is the best news for photographers in years!

By Tom May published

Opinion Finally, a professional, fast, and full-featured Photoshop alternative that won’t cost you a penny or force you into AI nonsense.

Opinion
A close-up, color portrait of Prince looking intensely at the camera, with a finger pointing slightly out of focus in the foreground and a blue body of water visible behind him.

Andy Earl: The photographer who taught us how to look at music differently

By Tom May published

news A landmark exhibition reveals how Andy Earl reshaped how we feel about our musical icons.

news
A visual demonstration shows Content Credentials cards overlaying various images and videos, detailing information such as the file type, date, producer, app or device used, and the signing entity.

New LinkedIn feature helps you prove authorship of your photographs

By Tom May published

A new partnership between Adobe and LinkedIn introduces secure, traceable image attribution.

Social Media
Pentax Papilio III binoculars splattered with water on a white background

Pentax brings waterproofing to its close-focus Papilio binoculars

By Tom May published

Good news for outdoor shooters: the new Papilio III models come with rain protection built-in.

Binoculars
A sequence of four images showing different items—a tablet, a small container, a camera, and a laptop—being placed onto and then covered by two-toned, square, padded cloths (orange and black) designed to wrap and protect the objects.

3 Legged Thing launches Magic Wraps to silently protect your camera kit

By Tom May published

News This elegantly designed yet affordable fabric wrap offers silent protection for lenses, bodies and more.

News
A photographer wearing a helmet leans out of the front trunk of a matte black, modified Porsche convertible, taking a photo while the car speeds down a tree-lined road with motion blur.

Porsche built a track-ready camera car from a Boxster that looks like it's straight out of Wacky Races, and it’s cooler than I expected

By Tom May published

This modified car has been quietly capturing track thrills from angles ordinary photographers can only dream of.

Sports Photography
A RØDE Wireless GO II dual-channel microphone system, including two clip-on transmitters, the receiver unit with an LCD screen, and a charging case, is displayed on a black background.

RØDE fixes the Wireless Micro microphone’s biggest weakness

By Tom May published

News The Australian audio giant has added a proper camera receiver to its smartphone favourite

News
Vivo X300 Pro camera phone held in a hand

This is the man you need to thank for your phone camera being so good

By Tom May published

How Columbia professor Shree Nayar revolutionized photography with the invention of single-shot HDR

Phones
A close-up shot focuses on a person's hands holding a black Nikon D7100 digital SLR camera with a large lens, while the person's face and background are blurred.

Should you buy used camera gear? This new report makes a compelling case for it being the right thing to do!

By Tom May published

news MPB's sustainability data shows that buying used isn't just cheaper; it's better for the planet too.

news
A close-up, black-and-white photograph shows three coal miners with dark, coal-dust covered faces and head wraps, with the man in the foreground looking directly at the camera while holding a shovel over his shoulder.

Final reckoning: Sebastião Salgado's posthumous photographic retrospective opens in Germany

By Tom May published

The late Brazilian photographer's lifelong documentation of our planet receives a major European showcase

Galleries and Exhibitions
A person's hand holds the large, black Tank 4 Pro rugged smartphone at an angle, showing the blue and black "TANK" wallpaper on the display.

8849 Tank 4 Pro review: the best rugged phone for most people?

By Tom May published

This rugged phone delivers flagship-level specs, an OLED display and a 720p laser projector, all at a mid-range price. But is it actually worth buying?

Android Phones
A composite image features two distinct scenes side-by-side: On the left, a small child, wearing a red dress and grey socks and shoes, stands against a dark wall covered in white chalk graffiti (including the word "TOAD" and "FRED"). The child is looking to the left with their mouth open and tongue slightly out, holding a small white object. On the right, the interior of a large hall, decorated with warm white string lights draped across the high, exposed wooden ceiling and large white stone arches, hosts a clothing bazaar with vendors and people browsing racks of clothes.

Still Glasgow: new exhibition shows a city that photographs itself differently

By Tom May published

news Glasgow has always had a knack for reinvention... and that extends to how it sees itself through the lens

news
A person holds a vintage-style Widelux panoramic camera with a black body and brass-colored accents.

SilverBridges unveils first WideluxX camera prototype at US convention

By Tom May published

News The revival of the iconic panoramic camera hits a new milestone, with the reveal of a handcrafted prototype

News
A composite image on a blue background shows a stack of photographs, including a central instant photo of four smiling adults at a party, flanked by a photo collage of New York City landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan Bridge, and a photo of a mountain landscape, along with Facebook and other social media icons.

New Facebook feature lets AI loose on your camera roll – should you opt in?

By Tom May published

News Facebook’s latest AI feature offers to surface your best photos. But for photographers, it raises deeper questions about trust

News
A pregnant Rihanna sits on a turquoise velvet chaise lounge, draped in a black fur coat with a silver chain draped across her bare stomach.

Why Annie Leibovitz is still asking what women look like

By Tom May published

news The legendary portrait photographer revisits a landmark 90s series, with a new book and a London talk.

news
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