We update this article every year to help you choose the correct gear for your needs. The opinions in this article are based on extensive research in the Swiss and German markets and our experience with thousands of students during our classes.

Current trends for 2026

• Full Frame Popularity: Full frame sensors are more affordable than ever.
• Autofocus Revolution: Subject tracking (Eyes, Animals, Vehicles) is now standard even in budget models.
• Video First: Almost all new cameras are now excellent hybrids for video and vlogging.

Overall recommendations:

Buying advice:

• Consider buying secondhand: A camera with under 50,000 actuations has plenty of life left.
• Consider renting before you buy to figure out which brand you will actually use. Remember that you cannot use lenses from different manufacturers, so once you select a brand, you will have to start investing in lenses made for that brand.
• Skip the “Kit Lens”: Usually 18-55mm, these lenses struggle in low light. Buy the body only and pair it with a higher-quality prime or zoom lens.
• Invest in learning: Better gear doesn’t make you a better photographer. Save on gear in the beginning and invest in classes & education. Learning photography will get you better photos with any camera, including your phone. Cameras are like paintbrushes; buying the best won’t guarantee a masterpiece.

Gear advice:

• Go Mirrorless: DSLRs are legacy tech. Mirrorless cameras are lighter, faster, and show you the final image before you shoot.
• Sensor Size: We generally recommend APS-C (Cropped Sensor) for beginners to save weight and money. Consider Full Frame only if you shoot mostly in low light.
• Get a Custom Strap: The strap in the box is usually uncomfortable. Upgrade immediately to a good strap to save your neck.
• Pair a fancy lens with a cheaper camera. Cameras simply capture what the lens sees. Better lenses will always make better images.
• Buy a camera with an interchangeable lens: Fixed-lens cameras limit your learning flexibility. As a beginner, you need to experiment with wide and telephoto focal lengths, which requires interchangeable lenses.

General purpose beginner kit

Quick Summary: Top Picks for 2026

• Best budget camera: Nikon Z50 II
• Best Mid-Range Camera: Canon R6 Mark II / Nikon Z6 III
• Best High-End Camera: Nikon Z8
• Essential lenses: An all purpose zoom lens (e.g. 24-120mm) plus a specialist 35mm or 50mm.

For beginners with a budget, we recommend a mirrorless camera with a cropped sensor (also called aps-c), with a good lens or two. For those with higher budgets, nowadays there are great full frame sensor camera offers, however remember that full frame camera will need bigger and more expensive full frame lenses.

More expensive cameras have better build quality, better high ISO performance, better autofocus, extra features and maybe specific features like weather sealing or two card slots that a pro would need but would not benefit a hobbyist.

Also consider user gear as mentioned above, to get more features for the same budget.

We don’t recommend the kit lenses that come with the camera. Buy the camera body and choose your lens(es) yourself instead of relying on the lowest quality lenses that the camera manufacturers attach to the camera to keep the price as low as possible. Remember, the lens creates the image and the camera simply captures it. With a cheap lens, you will create a low quality image for your camera to capture.

Choosing the brand

As of 2026, all three leading brands (Canon, Nikon, Sony) offer similar performances for each price point, so you cannot go wrong by choosing any of them. Canon and Nikon are usually more user friendly with their buttons and menus and ergonomics. Sony usually leads with the latest technologies in their sensors; however, we find their menus and the buttons sometimes too complicated for a beginner.

Retro design cameras : Special note

Retro-design cameras such as FujiFilm, Nikon Z Fc, OM-D Pen, etc have become very popular with their beautiful designs that include dedicated dials for exposure.

However, in our experience, these dedicated aperture & shutter speed dials make it more difficult for beginners to start. If you’re an absolute beginner, we do not recommend those cameras to start your photography journey. However they can be an excellent second camera for your travels.

Most important accessory: A custom Strap

Whatever your level in photography, we strongly recommend a good strap to make carrying your camera much easier. The original straps that come with your camera are not comfortable; they are too short and not ergonomic. A good strap will make it very comfortable to carry your camera and you can use it with any camera that you have. The brand that we recommend is BlackRapid (Sports model).

This strap has soft padding that always stays on your shoulder, distributes the weight equally to both sides of your body, and when you need to take a photograph, the camera is easily pulled up into position because the camera glides along the sling while the shoulder pad stays put.

You can order it from our online store at special prices for our followers.

Post-processing:

Read our in-depth guide on the Best photography software for photographers.

Software: Adobe photography plan: Lightroom & Photoshop. CHF 11.85 / month.

Hardware: Apple MacBook M3 or MacBook M3 Pro

Related classes:

We offer several photography classes for beginners to get you up to speed quickly.

Our recommendation is the 5-week evening class for beginners if you are free in the evenings. We also offer a full day beginners course if you prefer a weekend. For a complete education, check our SPC Academy Programs which starts from 4 weeks up to 1 year.

Landscape Photography

Camera & Lens

• Sony A7R V + 24-105 G + Sony 16-35 GM
• Canon R5 II + 24-70mm f/2.8 + 14-35mm f/4
• Nikon Z8 + Z 24-120 f/4 + Z 14-30 f/4

Accessories

• Strap: Blackrapid Curve Breathe or Sport (CHF 80)
• Tripod: Look for one made of carbon fiber with a minimum height of 1.5m, especially in a travel series. Cheap tripods are a false economy: if your tripod is heavy or annoying to use, you won’t use it! We recommend the wonderful MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Classic Carbon (CHF 250)
• Filter: We prefer universal filters, which slide into a bracket you can attach to any lens. Our choice is the Nisi line-up, specifically the Starter Kit Filter set (CHF 590). You can also buy single filters that only work with one diameter of lens–but then you won’t be able to use the same filter for all of your lenses and may have to buy several.

Post-processing:

Check our software for photographers article for an in depth look at our software recommendations

• Adobe photography plan: Lightroom & Photoshop.
• Aurora HDR : Free trial, CHF 99.- one time payment
• Nik Color Efex (from Nik Collection)
• Apple M4 MacBook Pro

Related Classes:

• Landscape Photography Day Trips
• Photography Trips in Europe and beyond

Portrait Photography

Learning skills like understanding light, posing, communication are really much more important than photography gear in portraiture. If you don’t master those, no combination of cameras and lenses will produce anything nice. After you master these principles, we recommend to invest in high quality lenses that can deliver creamy backgrounds and good sharpness.

Camera & Lens:

Our camera recommendation for portrait photography is the same as for general purpose. Eye tracking in mirrorless cameras helps a lot, especially with prime lenses (see below).

• Budget: 85mm f/1.8
• Best 85mm f/1.4 or 105mm / 135mm f/1.4 + 70-200 f/2.8

Accessories

• Camera Strap: Blackrapid Straps (Sport or Curve)
• Portable Flash: Profoto A10 or Profoto A2 plus a transmitter and a clic softbox octa 60cm
• Reflector: Godox RFT-05 5in1 Kit (CHF 35)

Post-processing:

Check our software for photographers article for an in depth look at our software recommendations

• Software: Adobe photography plan: Lightroom & Photoshop.
• Portrait Pro (Anthropics)
• Evoto for culling & AI edits
• Hardware: Apple MacBook M4 Pro

Related Classes:

• Portrait Course Full Day (7h)
• Studio Lighting Course Full Day (7h)
• Lightroom Course Full Day (7h)
• Photoshop Course Evening Class (5x3h)

Sports Photography

Camera & Lens

The important considerations when comparing cameras for sports photography include shots per second (that will eliminate very high resolution bodies), reliable & fast focusing, and good performance in high ISO especially when shooting indoors. Combine with a fast 70-200 f/2.8 lens.

• Nikon Z8 + Nikon Z 70-200 f/2.8 lens
• Canon R5 II + Canon 70-200 f/2.8
• Sony A1 (30fps RAW!) + Sony Gmaster 70-200 f/2.8 ($9300 new)

Accessories

Strap: Blackrapid Straps

Post-processing:

• Software: Adobe photography plan: Lightroom & Photoshop.
• Hardware: Apple MacBook M4 Pro

Related Classes

• Lightroom Course Full Day (7h)
• Photoshop Course Evening Class (5x3h)

Wildlife Photography

Camera & Lens

Wildlife photography usually requires a significant investment in lenses to get close to your subjects without disturbing them. Our recommendations:

• Budget: Canon powershot zoom $250 (binocular)
• Canon R7 + RF 100mm-500mm lens $4000
• Canon R5 + Canon 800mm f11 (lighter) $4800 new
• Sony A1 + 600mm f/4 (total $19500) or Sony 400 mm f2.8 combined with a teleconverter x2 to get a 800mm at f5.6
• Nikon Z8 has eye-tracking for bird photography that is off the charts, if you have the budget. Add the new Nikon 400 f/2.8 Z if you have the budget.
• Also check Tamron’s 150-600mm (~$1200). It works with all major brands, is quite cheap compared to similar lenses, and is great for beginners.

Accessories

• Harness: JAMA – BAVETTE PORTE-TÉLÉOBJECTIF or cotton carrier
• To hide and shoot: A tripod is obligatory (Travel series of any major brand, prefer carbon fiber, twist mechanism and ball head) and even better if it has a gimbal.We recommend the wonderful MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Classic Carbon (CHF 250)
• For walking, a monopod is useful too and can also be used as a stick for long walks:

Post-processing:

• Software: Adobe photography plan: Lightroom & Photoshop. CHF 11.85 / month.
• Hardware: Apple MacBook M4 Pro

Related Classes:

• Lightroom Course Full Day (7h)
• Photoshop Course Evening Class (5x3h)

Filmmaking / Videography / Vlogging

Camera & Lens

Basic Video:

• Smartphone (plus a gimbal)
• Sony ZV-E1 or ZV-E10 II
• Nikon Z30

Professional Video

• Panasonic S II
• Canon R5 Mark II + RF 24-105 f2.8L
• Panasonic GH 7
• Nikon Z8 + NIKKOR Z 28‑135mm f/4 PZ

Accessories

• DJI OM 5 Smartphone Gimbal
• DJI Ronin RS3 or RS3 Pro Gimbal for mid size to bigger cameras
• Sennheiser MKE 400 Camera Mount Shotgun microphone (for indoors)
• Shure MV88 + Video Kit (Microphone for outdoor vlogging on smartphone)
• Wireless Microphone : RØDE Wireless GO II

Software:

• Adobe Premiere Pro for filmmaking
• Adobe Premiere Rush for Vlogging
• Computer: Apple MacBook M3 Pro Max or Mac Studio

Related Classes:

• Filmmaking / Videography Course (5 x 3h)
• Adobe Premiere Course (10 x 3h)

The post Best camera & photography gear in 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Here are 3 practical tips to help you take stunning indoor photos:

Tip #1: Use your windows as your main light source

During the day, large windows are the best light source with soft, diffused light. Position your subject near a window, but out of direct sunlight (if there is any!). Switch off other lights to avoid color casts. Observe how the light falls in different rooms throughout the day to find your best window. 

Tip #2: Open Up Your Aperture

To make your subject truly pop against a softly blurred background (known as “bokeh”), use a wider aperture (smaller f-number like f/1.8 or f/2.8). This will not only isolate your subjects from a distracting background, it will also let in plenty of light so that you don’t have to use very high ISO’s and get clean shots. This is why we recommend a prime lens (e.g. 50mm f/1.8) much more than a kit lens like 18-55. These lenses are very affordable and will get  you game-changing results. 

Tip #3: Create soft light with a lamp or flash by bouncing from your walls

During the evenings, the ceiling lights are not your friend They will create shadows in the eyes and highlights at the top of the head. The built-in “pop-up” flash is also not flattering, it will create harsh, unflattering shadows. The secret is to “bounce” the light. Get a simple external speedlight (flash) that fits your camera hot shoe. Instead of pointing it at your subject, rotate the head to point at a white ceiling or a wall behind you. The light will bounce off the surface and come down as soft, diffused light that looks professional and natural.

Bonus tip:  Use auto ISO & Aperture Priority mode

Many photographers are afraid to raise their ISO because they fear “grainy” photos. However, in low-light indoor situations, a low ISO often forces your camera to use a slow shutter speed, resulting in motion blur. Remember: A sharp, grainy photo is always better than a smooth, blurry one. Use the combination of Aperture Priority Mode and Auto ISO. Select the lowest Aperture your lens allows. This will reduce speed and increase ISO as needed, so that you can concentrate on the light and composition, which is the most important element in your photo. 

Learn more photography tips

If you’re ready to master your camera, we’re here to help. Join one of our photography courses for all levels and see how fun it is to explore your creative side.

The post Capture Cozy Moments: Your Guide to Better Indoor Photos at Home appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Here are the photography software that we personally use and strongly recommend:

Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop:

Unquestionably, the most popular and powerful photography software that we recommend is Adobe’s Lightroom (includes Lightroom Classic and Lightroom) and Photoshop, which can be purchased individually or as a package.

Lightroom Classic is the most used photography software that manages the full photography process: Firstly, it imports your photos from your memory card and saves them into correct locations. Secondly, it helps select your favorites, organize them and add tags. Thirdly, its powerful and simple to use develop module allows you to edit your photos with easy controls. Finally, with the export module, it creates a final image in the correct formats for social media, web upload or print.

Lightroom is the cloud companion to Lightroom Classic: You can synchronize your collections from Lightroom Classic to the cloud and then view & edit these photos in Lightroom from any device (smartphone, tablet, Apple TV, etc.) Lightroom can also be used to edit your photos that you take with your phone.

Photoshop doesn’t need much introduction as it’s the most powerful photography editing software around. It works perfectly hand in hand with Lightroom, as LR can send photos to Photoshop for advanced edits and Photoshop sends the photo back to Lightroom once you’re done.

For all photography enthusiasts and pro’s, we recommend at least Lightroom Classic & Lightroom. Photoshop is for those who need more features such as removing objects, working with layers and more advanced editing.

At the time of writing this article, the prices and package options for Switzerland are as below:

You can register to our Lightroom course or to our Photoshop course to learn how to use these super useful software.

Try / Download Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop

---

Jpeg Mini (Mac / Windows)

This tiny software saves us hours of time by resizing multiple images and videos via drag-drop, while keeping the image quality high. It also has plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Capture one – so when you export from these programs, they use Jpeg mini’s algorithm to create the minimum file size possible for the resolution you need.

Absolutely recommended time saver!

Jpeg Mini Website

Luminar Neo:

Luminar Neo offers a vast scope for editing in a stylish and attractive package that’s designed specifically for photographers. It’s pretty swift for the most part, and includes many AI-based tools that aim to make complex tasks much easier.

It can both function as a standalone application for both Windows and macOS that aims to replace Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop in your workflow, but also can work alongside these rival applications as a plugin. As well as extensive editing tools – often powered by AI algorithms – and a very generous selection of easy-to-use preset looks, Luminar Neo also includes some limited organizational capabilities.

Key features:

• Either replace Lightroom & Photoshop or use it as a plugin (Photo browsing, photo selection, layers, masking, image manipulation, etc)
• Dozens of built-in presets to get your editing started, with many more available for purchase
• Many AI-powered tools like noise reduction, upscaling and background removal
• Supports multi-shot techniques like HDR, focus stacking and panoramas (our preferred app for HDR)
• Available for both Windows and macOS
• You don’t have to subscribe, you can purchase with a one time payment for perpetual licensing

You can use the code spcluminar to get 10% off.

Nik Collection by Dxo

Nik Collection by Dxo offers an extensive suite of powerful plugins that seamlessly integrate with popular editing software like Lightroom and Photoshop.

The eight Nik apps each serve a specific purpose, providing editing tools that aren’t available in Raw workflow suites. Our favorites:

• Analog Efex Pro: Film and motion effects that emulate vintage photo equipment
• Color Efex Pro: Provides a vast array of filters and effects for color photos (our favorite: Pro Contrast filter is included here)
• Silver Efex Pro: Black & White conversion app where you can simulate filters or imitate the look of a specific film like Agfa, Fujifilm, Ilford, Kodak, etc.
• Others: Dfine, HDR Efex Pro, Perspective Efex, Sharpener Pro, Viveza

The recent updates in Nik Collection 7 have introduced significant improvements, notably in the U-Point technology, allowing for more precise and intuitive local adjustments . These enhancements facilitate a more streamlined and effective editing workflow, which is invaluable for both novice and experienced photographers.

Furthermore, the collection’s user-friendly interface and non-destructive editing capabilities encourage experimentation without compromising the original image quality.

By incorporating Nik Collection into their post-processing toolkit, you can achieve professional-grade results and develop a distinctive photographic style without a steep learning curve.

Click here to try / download, use our code PAR_SPC25 to get 10% off.

Capture One:

If you are an advanced photographer who prefers accurate controls of colors and use tethering quite often, you might prefer Capture One to Lightroom.

PhotoDeck for Portfolio Websites:

This is our recommended service to host your photos, share online galleries with clients and sell them online. Some advantages that we love:

• Sync your photos directly from Lightroom, easiest way to keep your website updated
• Share galleries, let your customers select favorite photos
• Your clients can order digital downloads and prints (on paper or mounted) directly from the website
• Multi-language option – your clients can see the website in the language that they prefer: perfect for Switzerland.
• Made in France (not in the US!) so European laws, VAT rules and suppliers are taken into account.

Use the code YG@UPTVNL to get 50% off your first month.

Also make sure to check our article about how to create a photography website.

The post Best photography software for photographers appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

As we wrap up 2024, it’s becoming a tradition to take time to reflect on the highlights of the year and share what lies ahead for 2025. Your enthusiasm and support have driven us to new heights, and for that, we’re deeply grateful.

This year, we reached some record milestones:

• Participants in SPC Classes: 1238
• SPC Academy graduated students: 26
• Photos Exhibited in SPC Awards: 3717 in Switzerland, 4166 in Germany & Austria
• Countries Hosting SPC Events: 3 (Switzerland, Germany, Austria)
• Students average rating: Increased to 4.95 out of 5.0

This year, our theme has been community. To an outsider, photography might look like a lonely hobby. What we discovered is that appreciation for visual arts connects people in a deeper way, improving their lives and their art. This is why our membership program is becoming more and more popular, people meet each other and hang out for a long time during the awards exhibitions and more and more students register to our classes to learn in person effectively instead of watching YouTube videos.

We do our best to follow our mission: Spreading the passion for photography far and wide. Here’s how we’ve grown together in 2024:

SPC Academy

Since its launch in 2020, SPC Academy has grown exponentially. We celebrated 14 students in 2023, and in 2024 we had 26!

This is partly thanks to the new option of “Your Private Academy”, in which the students can finish the program by taking classes in private, at 50% of the time, according to their own availability and learning preferences, for the same price as group classes.

SPC Academy takes a deeper dive into teaching photography, providing comprehensive training in the artistic, technical, and business aspects. We’ve witnessed our students show incredible improvement during career breaks, after retirement, or during evenings attending our Academy classes.

It’s been amazing to see alumni using what they’ve learned to build successful careers—and even networking independently of us! For instance, we recently highlighted two alumni who met through SPC: one exhibited at the other’s gallery in Basel, in an inspiring example of how this community supports and uplifts each other. Read the story here.

Membership

Our SPC membership program has continued to flourish, with long-term friendships forming among those who attend practice workshops regularly. In every city, a core group of members regularly attend our practice workshops, exploring new techniques while bonding over their shared passion. These connections go beyond photography—they’re about shared understanding and mutual encouragement. Seeing this network of photographers thrive reminds us why we do what we do.

Renate Stutz – Dance 3

Awards

This year’s SPC Awards showcased the incredible diversity and talent within our community. Zurich’s exhibition was a standout, becoming the second largest in our history since launching Awards in 2016. We also expanded into Dresden and Vienna, continuing our mission to spotlight talent across Central Europe. These events are more than competitions; they’re celebrations of creativity, community, and inspiration. They’re also fantastic networking opportunities, offering photographers a chance to connect with peers who challenge and inspire them.

What’s Next for 2025

Online Awards

In 2025, we’re exploring the idea of launching SPC Online Awards. This initiative would allow photographers from all over the world to participate and all participants reach a global audience. Imagine the possibilities: connecting with photographers in distant countries, sharing diverse perspectives, and creating a digital exhibition space where creativity knows no bounds.

We still love to see photos in print, so the winners will still be printed and exhibited in the upcoming awards.

Awards Artists’ night:

Photography is about more than just aesthetics. Every photo tells a story. And in 2025, we will make it easier to communicate that story by providing a platform for interested participants to talk about their photos, open-mic style, to an audience of other participating photographers. Communicate your unique artistic vision to a group of people who can get it. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Continuing to deliver the best classes in the industry

We continue to use and improve our “secret sauce” to provide the best photography education in the industry:

• Work with the best photographers
• Work with those who are also highly motivated teachers
• Provide them with high quality teaching materials that we improve every year, so that they can focus on delivery rather than creating slides.
• Keep the class sizes small to allow for individualized attention

Every year we gather the feedback from our teachers and update our teaching slides accordingly. We prioritize practical results over theory, while making sure that the theory we do need to teach is easy to understand and relevant.

Continuing Our International Expansion

Following our successful launches in Dresden and Vienna, we’re excited to bring SPC events to even more cities. Expanding internationally allows us to connect photographers from different cultures and backgrounds, fostering creativity and collaboration on a global scale. So much photographic talent is hidden behind the scenes. We have the skills and experience to help people bring it to life–and we love to create these opportunities for every photographer to enjoy their moment in the spotlight.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Your passion and creativity inspire us every day. As we look ahead, we remain committed to spreading the love of photography, helping you grow your skills, and creating meaningful connections within this vibrant community.

Here’s to another year of creativity and connection in 2025!

Warm regards,
Oguzhan Altun
Founder, Swiss Photo Club

The post Letter from the founder 2025 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Generative Remove:

After a long wait, Adobe has finally announced the first-ever generative AI in Lightroom with Generative Remove.

With this tool, you are now able to remove anything in your photo with one touch, using AI technology. Previously, this was only possible in Photoshop, so we are now very happy to see it in Lightroom.

Here is how it works:

1. In the Develop module, select Remove (Eraser icon) > Generative AI:

2. Brush over the object you want to remove. Adjust the brush Size and the overlay Opacity to select with precision. Use Add or subtract after making the selection to refine. In the photo below, there is someone in front of my camera that blocks the full view of the dancers:

3. Final result is quite impressive:

Lens Blur:

AI-powered Lens Blur is now available in Lightroom Classic. Quickly add aesthetic blur and bokeh effects to your photos and achieve a professional look by using adaptive presets. You can also batch copy-paste Lens Blur settings to achieve a consistent look.

• You no longer need a special lens, a specific phone, or the right setting to achieve the popular blurred look​
• Blur any part of the photo by controlling the depth of field
• 7 new Lens Blur presets automatically apply blur on portraits, cityscapes, and street/urban photography​
• Create a preset of a Lens blur effect you like and apply it to more photos in the future

Let’s work on the photo above where I could not isolate the spectators close to the dancers as there were almost the same distance vs the couple.

Lens blur > Apply. It takes a few seconds to detect the subjects in the photo. Unfortunately, it didn’t work very well on the first try:

In these cases, I recommend using the Visualize depth and then focus range to select only what you want in focus, then make sure the remaining is “blue”:

This looks much better but the male dancer’s suit is being blurred and the lady on the left is still too much in focus.

So here, I used the “focus” brush to paint his suit and the “blur” brush to paint the lady on the left:

Final Result:

I hope you find these new changes useful! We have already updated our Lightroom course materials with these newest features. Check out the upcoming classes in your region at our course page:

The post Lightroom: New Generative AI and Lens Blur features appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

While this year was marked by many accomplishments, it was not without its hardships and challenges, especially on the technical side — we would like to thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm, which give us the energy to keep pushing to deliver bigger and better things for you.

As we celebrate this holiday season, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for each of you. Since 2016, Swiss Photo Club has been all about spreading the passion for visual arts to everyone. We are very inspired by your feedback and we can’t wait to have you at our classes and events in 2024.

Some quick numbers from 2023 that you might find interesting:

• 926 students learned photography or videography from 65 instructors in 5 cities
• Students gave our classes an average rating of 4.76 / 5
• 1.5K people exhibited their photos at an SPC Photo Awards event
• 128 active members joined 149 practice workshops

With this letter, I wanted to share with you some big changes that we made in 2023 and our plans for 2024. Any questions, comments or ideas? Feel free to send me a message here.

What changed in 2023

New Website

We switched to a fully custom-coded website this year in order to serve you better. Not only it is much faster, it also allows uploading Awards submissions directly, immediate creation of gift vouchers and early bird discounts for courses. Unfortunately, we did have many bugs at launch–but our developers worked hard to smash them as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience. We look forward to adding new features in 2024!

Private Academy Courses : 

While group learning is fun and engaging, we realized that some of our SPC Academy students needed a more customized approach to fit their photography education around their busy schedules. That’s why we introduced a private option for all our SPC Academy classes, where students can cover the same material at the same cost but in half the time. It was a big hit! 50% of all our students chose this option in 2023 and we expect even more in 2024. If you are interested in learning more about SPC Academy (group or private options), let us know.

Lindsay Adler & Peter Coulson:

We welcomed back two celebrity photographers in 2023 to teach masterclasses to our students. These were another big hit, and students loved learning studio and portrait techniques from both masters. The 6-student format for the Lindsay Adler classes was especially well received, because the smaller classes allowed ample time for each student to interact with Lindsay in studio for their personal questions. We heard you! For all future celebrity masterclasses–and we are planning more in 2024–we will continue this format. 

Artist’s corner

We featured 6 artists during our Awards events, providing great visibility and exposure. It was also an immense pleasure to meet them personally  

What you can expect from SPC in 2024

Here are a few major projects we are working on. Do you have a favorite? Or do you think we should be working on something else? Let us know!

New Celebrity Photographers

In addition to having Lindsay & Peter back, we have been in talks with some of the world’s best photographers. Here is a list of a few confirmed. Do you have a favorite photographer you would like us to invite? Let us know!

Nath Sakura

Incredibly talented french-spanish photographer Nath Sakura will come to Geneva to provide workshops during 2-3 March. Click here for full info.

Chris Knight

The master of Dramatic Portraits and Rembrandt Lighting Chris Knight comes to Zurich & Geneva to provide workshops in June.

Pep Bonet

Pep Bonet (Spain) is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer who has travelled extensively capturing profound moments that represent the unbalanced world in which we live.

Marco Benedetti

Swiss photographer with Italian roots, Marco Benedetti was nominated more than 50 times at international awards (photography and art) and received several times Merit of Excellence and Outstanding Achievement Awards.

New Destinations:

Another very popular demand: we asked our instructors to come up with new destinations and they delivered way above our expectations. Join us in 2024 in some of the world’s most photogenic locations, including Lofoten (Feb), Nepal (Mar), Namibia (Jul), Oman and Thailand (Nov), in addition to our usual destinations such as Zermatt, Morocco, Cappadocia, Istanbul, and Iceland. And we’re not done adding trips.

Let us know where we should go next–and then come with us

Find a photographer marketplace:

Choose a photographer for your projects and select a package

New Website Features

• Find your course by search
• See classes by instructor

Expanded Offers for Businesses

Building on the successful partnerships we’ve built with corporations so far, we are clarifying and expanding our B2B offerings in 2024.

• Team building events
• Corporate portraits
• Courses on site for employees
• Image database management

If it’s about photography, we can help your business meet its needs! Could your company benefit from our services? Tell us about it!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end! We appreciate your support and hope to see you in 2024.

The post Letter From The Founder: 2023 Changes & what you can expect in 2024 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Prize Winners

Jury Prize

Canon EOS R8 + RF 24-50mm Objektiv

Lara Baeriswyl
Dancing in the dust

Public Vote: Most Voted

SPC Photo Trip Voucher worth CHF 1500

Josef Grech
Vertical

Public Vote: 2nd most voted

Shimoda Backpack & Joby Ring Light

Simone Staffoli
inbound

Public Vote: 3rd most voted

Lume Cube Panel Pro RGB & Lowepro Trekker Lite Backpack

Emer Flynn
Swiss Photo Club 2023 Part 4

Public Vote: Most voted small print

MeFOTO RoadTrip PRO Tripod Carbon

Olivia Lepri
Tanz

Sponsors

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Zurich Nov 2023 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Prize Winners

Jury Prize

GraphicArt gift voucher CHF 1500

Xavier Peillon : Fourmi des jardins

Public Vote: Most Voted

SPC Photo Trip Voucher worth CHF 1500

Lionel Egger : Netelas

Public Vote: 2nd most voted

Shimoda backpack + joby tripod

Jonas Hangartner : B3Y0ND

Public Vote: 3rd most voted

Mefoto Tripod + Lowepro backpack

Romain LANEYRIE : Fjord Mirror

Public Vote: Most voted small print

Haida Filter & Limecube LED Light

Jimmy Vernaz : Élégant équilibre

Sponsors

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Geneva Oct 2023 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

It is simply not enough to present yourself to prospective clients or employers with just an Instagram link or a pdf document. To be taken seriously as a professional photographer, you simply must have a good website.

Creating a photography portfolio website can seem like a daunting task, but with the correct tools, it’s really not that difficult.

In this blog post, I will explain the key steps that we teach in our business of photography module, to create a photography portfolio website that highlights your unique style and brings you potential clients.

Importance of photography website

In this digital age, especially for photographers, having a well-designed website is not an option—it’s a necessity. Your design will determine your future client’s first impression as well as the quality of your photos.

1. Establishing Professionalism: The first impression matters; a sleek, professional website portrays you as a serious photographer. Your website acts as your digital storefront, demonstrating your commitment to your craft.
2. Showcasing Your Work: A well-curated portfolio on your website can speak volumes about your style, expertise, and vision. It enables visitors to appreciate your talent and approach to photography, enticing them to engage with you further.
3. Attracting New Clients: A website is your online business card that helps clients find you, learn about your services, and reach out. It gives potential clients an easy way to explore your work, and if they like what they see, it’s a straightforward process to contact you.

Essential Elements of a Photography Website

Creating an engaging photography website goes well beyond displaying a few images. Here are key elements to consider.

1. Home Page: Think of your home page as the ‘front window display’ of your digital store—it needs to captivate visitors at first glance. It is the most critical component of your site. It should be captivating and provide a snapshot of what you offer. A well-designed home page will hook visitors and encourage them to explore more of your work. Feature some of your best photographs here to entice your audience, and make sure it’s easy for visitors to navigate to other parts of your website from here.
2. Portfolio: Your portfolio is the heart of your website—it should showcase your best work that aligns with your photographic style. Group your galleries based on your clientele (e.g. wedding portfolio, make-up portfolio, product photography, etc) and make sure to add image descriptions. Keep your galleries updated with your latest and greatest work, ensuring it truly represents your current skills and vision.
3. About Me/ Bio: Your bio is a chance to share your story, credentials, and personal touch—making you relatable and trustworthy. It should be authentic, engaging, and reflect your personality as it’s often the second page a visitor goes to after viewing your portfolio.
4. Contact Information and booking system: Providing clear contact information and a user-friendly booking system on your photography website makes it easy for potential clients to get in touch and book your services. Ensure that your contact form is straightforward and includes fields for essential information, such as the client’s name, email address, and project details.
5. Blog Section: Having a blog and regularly updating it will significantly help your google ranking (SEO). Regularly publish informative and entertaining content, such as behind-the-scenes stories, photography tips, and industry news, to keep your audience engaged and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
6. Client Testimonials: Client testimonials help build credibility and reassure prospective clients of your professional abilities. Positive feedback from past clients shows new visitors that you deliver excellent results and service. As an example, you can check how we display this on our website with a dedicated page and in all course pages (for example at our free course).

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Photography Website

With several website builders available, it’s essential to select the right platform for your needs, considering factors such as ease of use, customization options, and pricing. You can choose from three different platforms, then select the correct provider within that platform.

A. Specialist Photography Website Platforms (Photodeck, SmugMug, PhotoShelter)

Specialized photography website platforms cater specifically to photographers’ needs, providing built-in features such as Lightroom integration to albums, e-commerce to allow your clients order photos directly from your website and client proofing galleries where your clients can make selections and make orders for editing. The biggest disadvantage is usually the blogging capabilities and the higher price from all the additional features. The target client is a working professional photographer.

Our recommendation in this category is Photodeck: This French company has all the features compared to the other US based competitors plus offer European tax compliance, multi-language as a basic option and Lightroom integration.

B. Generalist Website Platforms (Wix, Squarespace, etc)

These generalist platforms are known for their intuitive, user-friendly interfaces, catering mostly to the hobbyist photographers. They both offer a variety of drag-and-drop features, making it easy for even beginners to build a beautiful website. They also come with some eye-catching, designer-made templates.

However watch-out for a few disadvantages:

1. These beautiful templates usually are designed around the colors and themes of the provided images: They might not work as well with your own photos.
2. Limited Customization: While both platforms offer customization options, they might not be as extensive as what a specialized photography website builder or a platform like WordPress could provide.
3. Fewer Photography-Specific Features: Generalist platforms might not offer some of the specialized features that dedicated photography website builders provide. For example, client proofing tools, integrated print selling, or high-resolution image delivery might be less robust or absent altogether.

Our recommendation in this category is Wix: Squarespace and Wix are very similar, however we recommend Wix purely because of multi-language capability, which is very important in today’s age where you will want to be present in both English and local language searches.

C. WordPress (wordpress.org, not .com)

WordPress is a popular content management system, powering more than 40% of all the websites on the web. If you want full control over your website’s design and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, WordPress might be the perfect choice for you. With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can tailor your website to your specific requirements, creating a unique and dynamic online presence.

Advantages of WordPress

1. High Degree of Customization: When it comes to customization, WordPress stands unparalleled—offering complete control over every aspect of your website’s design and functionality. You can adjust every detail of your website and choose from thousands of themes and plugins to add specific functionality.
2. Rich Plugin Ecosystem: WordPress’s extensive plugin ecosystem allows you to add virtually any functionality to your website, such as:
   • Page builders like Elementor,
   • Image optimization plugins
   • Full fledged e-commerce solutions like WooCommerce.
   • Multi-language solutions like WPML
3. Strong SEO Capabilities: With WordPress’s robust SEO features, your website stands a better chance of ranking high on search engine results, driving more traffic to your site. WordPress offers excellent SEO capabilities, which are further enhanced by plugins like Rank-Math SEO. This can help your website rank higher on search engine results, making it easier for potential clients to find you.
4. Price: You can create your WordPress website for free, however you will still need to purchase your domain and hosting : We recommend Infomaniak for this in Switzerland. However, in total, this will still be much cheaper than the above two options.

Disadvantages of WordPress

1. Steep Learning Curve: Though powerful, WordPress can be overwhelming for beginners due to its more complex interface and the vast array of customization options. It might take time to learn how to use WordPress effectively, especially if you’re new to website building.
2. Photographer specialized features: Even if extremely powerful, it will be difficult to get the same features that the specialist platforms like PhotoDeck offer, such as Lightroom integration, portfolio customisability and client proof galleries.

How to use WordPress

To use WordPress, we recommend Informaniak in Switzerland. Here are the steps:

1. Order WordPress hosting from Infomaniak
2. Select and add your domain (we recommend to add both .com plus .ch or .de)
3. Select web hosting
4. Add your free email address to the order
5. Install wordpress automatically from the Infomaniak admin

In conclusion, WordPress offers powerful and flexible tools that can create a highly customized, feature-rich photography website. However, this platform might be more challenging for beginners and requires ongoing maintenance. As always, consider your technical comfort level, specific needs, and resources when choosing a platform for your photography website.

Designing and Customizing Your Photography Website

A. Selecting a Theme and Layout

Choosing the right theme and layout for your photography website sets the foundation for your site’s appearance and user experience, ensuring that it aligns with your brand and style. When selecting a theme, consider factors such as aesthetics, functionality, and ease of customization to find the perfect fit for your needs.

B. Integrating Your Branding Elements

Incorporating your branding elements, such as your logo, color scheme, and typography, helps create a consistent and recognizable visual identity across your photography website. Ensure that your branding is cohesive and reflects your artistic vision, contributing to a memorable user experience.

C. Optimizing Image Display and Load Times

Ensuring that your images are displayed at optimal quality and load quickly is essential for providing an enjoyable user experience on your photography website. Compress your images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality, and consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve load times for users around the world.

D. Creating a Responsive and Mobile-Friendly Design

A responsive and mobile-friendly design ensures that your photography website looks great and functions smoothly on all devices, accommodating the growing number of mobile users. Test your website on various devices and browsers to identify and resolve any usability issues, ensuring a seamless experience for all visitors.

Marketing and Promoting Your Photography Website

A beautiful website is completely useless if no one can find it. Use the below recommendations to increase your site’s visibility.

A. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Implementing SEO best practices on your photography website helps increase your visibility in search engine results, driving more organic traffic to your site. Optimize your website by using relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and building a robust backlink profile to improve your search engine rankings.

You can also register your website to an SEO tracking service. These are usually very expensive, but use SE Ranking which is much more reasonably priced and have all necessary features (e.g. site audit) that you can immediately use.

B. Social Media Integration

Integrating social media platforms into your photography website enables you to expand your reach, engage with your audience, and drive more traffic to your site. Share your latest work, blog posts, and promotions on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to connect with potential clients and grow your online presence.

C. Email Marketing and Newsletter

Incorporating email marketing and a newsletter subscription option on your photography website allows you to nurture relationships with your audience and keep them informed about your latest work, promotions, and events. We do not recommend MailChimp as they are now very expensive and many other services have the same or even better features. As Swiss Photo Club, we use MailerLite since late 2022.

D. Networking and Collaboration

Actively networking and collaborating with other photographers, industry professionals, and influencers can help increase your exposure and attract more visitors to your photography website. Attend photography events, join online forums, and participate in social media communities to connect with like-minded individuals and grow your network.

Monetizing Your Photography Website

A. Selling Prints and Products

Adding an e-commerce component to your photography website enables you to sell prints and photography-related products, generating additional income streams. Use platforms like Photodeck or WooCommerce to integrate a secure and user-friendly online store into your website.

B. Licensing and Stock Photography

Offering licensing options or participating in stock photography platforms can provide you with an additional source of revenue from your photography website. Research and join reputable stock photography websites like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images to sell your work to a broader audience.

C. Offering Online Courses and Workshops

If you possess a wealth of photography knowledge and experience, creating and selling online courses or workshops through your website can be a lucrative way to monetize your expertise. Develop engaging and informative courses, and promote them through your website, social media, and email marketing to attract interested learners.

Maintaining and Updating Your Photography Website

A. Regularly Adding New Content

Regularly updating your portfolio and blog with fresh content keeps your photography website relevant and encourages visitors to return. Set a schedule for adding new photos and blog posts, ensuring that your website remains up-to-date and showcases your latest work. Photodeck’s Lightroom integration is perfect for this.

B. Monitoring Website Performance and Analytics

Keeping an eye on your photography website’s performance and analytics helps you identify areas for improvement and measure the success of your marketing efforts. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track user behavior, traffic sources, and search engine rankings, enabling you to make informed decisions about your website’s development.

C. Staying Informed on Industry Trends and Best Practices

Staying current on industry trends and best practices ensures that your photography website remains up-to-date and competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Subscribe to photography blogs, podcasts, and newsletters to keep your finger on the pulse of the photography world and incorporate new ideas and techniques into your website.

Final Thoughts: The Journey to a Thriving Photography Website

Building a successful photography website takes time, effort, and creativity, but the rewards of showcasing your work, building your brand, and growing your business make it well worth the investment. With dedication and persistence, your photography website can become a powerful tool in your journey to success as a professional photographer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The post How to create a photography website appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Here’s a step by step guide:

How to remove noise from images using AI-powered Denoise by Lightroom Classic v12.3

Open the RAW version of your photo. From the menu, select Photo > Enhance or select Denoise in the Develop / Detail panel.

Select Denoise in the Detail panel to reduce noise.

Select Denoise to enhance your image.

Holding Alt or Option while selecting Denoise from the Detail panel will set the intensity of the slider to the last set Amount value.
You can press and hold on to the preview area to view the changes made to the image.

Click Enhance to process the image as a new DNG file.

The enhanced image is saved as a new DNG file with the filename in this format: <Original filename-Enhance-NR.DNG> and is placed next to the source image. 

If you would like to learn about all the important features of Lightroom in person, checkout our Lightroom full day course or book a private course with us. We will cover all you need to know plus our recommended workflow and file handling strategies.

The post Remove noise from your photos with Lightoom’s AI-Denoise appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.