Landscape photography generally embraces extremes of focal length, but somewhere in between is a middle zone that can be tremendously challenging. 

Coming to you from Gavin Hardcastle fototripper, this compelling video not only shares his personal struggles with a 55mm prime lens but also encourages viewers to embrace the difficulties associated with this “Hell Zone.” The discussion centers around the idea that although this focal length can be infuriatingly challenging, leading to a high rate of perceived failure, it also offers the opportunity for exceptional growth and unique composition when mastered. Hardcastle’s candid admission of his own challenges and failures makes a strong case for pushing through discomfort to achieve artistic growth. This perspective is particularly important for photographers looking to move beyond the relative comfort and ease of wide angle or telephoto lenses, which tend to offer more straightforward compositional opportunities.

Moreover, the video illustrates how conquering the “Hell Zone” can lead to a more natural perspective in photographs, avoiding the distortion of wide angle lenses and the unnatural viewpoints of telephotos. This middle ground, though fraught with frustration and failure, can yield images that closely mirror human vision, creating a more relatable and immersive experience for the viewer. Hardcastle’s journey from frustration to occasional success with the 55mm lens serves as a metaphor for the broader process of artistic development, emphasizing that growth often comes from confronting and overcoming challenges. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, “Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!” 

Apple’s most inexpensive iPhone has been out for over two years now and still commands a place on our best cheap phones list, so that’s why there’s been a lot of interest around an iPhone SE 4. The latest leak makes the purported fourth generation iPhone SE more compelling with key upgrades, despite it being tipped for release in 2025.

On Twitter, a new leak surfaced purporting to be the specs of the iPhone SE 4. Leaker Nguyen Phi Hung reveals how the specs will be quite the upgrade over the current iPhone SE (2022). Considering how the mid-range space has been defined by newer phones like the Nothing Phone 2a, OnePlus 12R, and Pixel 7A, Apple can’t afford to fall behind the curve against key rivals.

Supposedly, the new iPhone SE 4 will feature an OLED screen that will vastly improve the look of the display. It’s mentioned to be a 6.1-inch LTPS OLED display with 60Hz refresh rate. While this bumps the size of the iPhone up slightly based on current specs, the 60Hz refresh rate is somewhat disappointing. Other phones in this budget price range have better refresh rates, like the Galaxy A35 and its 120Hz refresh rate.

The device is expected to have front and rear glass, eschewing the Ceramic Shield that Apple uses on other iPhones. For comparison, Hung says the front looks more like the iPhone 13 that has been previously rumored. Although, the rear of the iPhone SE 4 would look more like an iPhone XR because of the single camera. 

Speaking of the camera, it would support 1080p cinematic mode, which is rather interesting because of its single camera. The current iPhone SE (2022) can’t do this, but other iPhones do this by using the main and ultrawide cameras to discern people from backgrounds — resulting in the background becoming out of focus. We suspect it’ll lean into new techniques and AI-assistance for this, which is expected to be a huge part of iOS 18. Hung goes on to reveal that the iPhone SE 4 will feature smart HDR, AI photography and portrait mode, but it won’t support night mode for some reason.

Internally, the new SE 4 will use an upgraded A16 Bionic chipset with a Snapdragon X70 modem. The processing power should be a big boost for the phone, but it also helps that the RAM is getting a big upgrade as well. In fact, the leaked specs reveals it getting 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which is up over the current SE’s 4GB of RAM.

As for storage options, you’ll have your choice between 128GB and 512GB. The base option is a much-needed jump over the pitiful 64GB of storage offered by the current iPhone SE (2022) — while the 512GB will serve storage hungry users well. For some reason, a 256GB version is omitted, so we’re curious to find out the price disparity between the two storage options.

Look, if all of this is true, then the SE will be quite the upgrade on the current third generation iPhone SE. Hung has previously leaked benchmark scores purportedly for Apple’s A18 Pro chip. The OLED screen and extra RAM alone makes it a nice budget phone. We would expect a new model to be priced similarly to the current edition, which start at $429 and go up to $579. Although, there’s still always a chance for a price hike.

More from Tom’s Guide

Pope Mountain Arts Centre is showcasing the talents of local artists Taylor Hansen and the husband-wife duo Colleen and Jim Fitzpatrick as April’s featured Artists of the Month.

The Fitzpatricks specialise in pottery, crafting stunning, innovative, and functional pieces. Their passion for ceramics and global inspiration shines through in their vibrant colours, textures, and designs as they continually seek to innovate and learn from artists worldwide.

Hansen, known for her landscape photography, reflects on her artistic journey, stating, “Photography gave me instant results that didn’t need to dry or be clear coated.” Now, in her mid-30s, Hansen explores new artistic avenues such as woodworking, vinyl art, watercolour, and creative writing.

“Having photography and pottery as a new art form for feature artists, we are excited to have Taylor Hansen and Colleen and Jim Fitzpatrick here during April,” said Jo Anne Alexander, program manager at Pope Mountain Arts Centre.

The Artist of the Month program, which started in Fall 2022, aims to support and promote artists of all genres, averaging eight to nine featured artists annually, Alexander said.

“In February, we showcased kindergarten classes from Nakal’bun & David Hoy School, greatly appreciated by the community,” Alexander said. Pope Mountain plans to feature an artist from Prince George in May.

The month-long exhibition, held in the building gallery, is widely promoted on Pope Mountain’s social media platforms and website, offering artists the opportunity to sell their work.

“It has become quite popular, with requests from artists outside of Fort St. James,” Alexander mentioned, emphasising its openness to artists from any community within the area.

Interested artists can reach out to Pope Mountain Arts via email or the website, with no strict selection process in place yet.

“I am always looking for new and interesting art forms,” said Alexander, adding that community members are also welcome to nominate an artist or encourage them to contact her for a show opportunity.

The exhibition is open to the public during designated hours on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Thursdays, with workshops and classes held monthly at the centre. Artists are encouraged to interact with visitors during their show, and some arrange evening receptions featuring refreshments and artist talks.

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