The Black Friday camera deals have been coming hard and fast this year, and here’s one more for you — the Sony A7III is now $500 off in this Black Friday deal at Amazon. This is still a popular camera even 5 years after it was released and it’s held its value well, so this is a great deal to take advantage of.

For $1498, you can pick up this fantastic 24MP camera that can practically see in the dark — we loved it for astro and low light photography when we reviewed the Sony A7 III, and we picked it as the best value mirrorless camera in our best cameras guide.

When paired with one of the best lenses for astrophotography, this camera truly excels. It might not have the latest tech of the best mirrorless cameras, but it’s still a favorite and a great deal.

This Sony A7III Black Friday deal is just for the camera body and all the usual extras (strap, battery etc) — but you can always put that $500 saving towards one of the best zoom lenses.

It has 5 stops of image stabilization, 10FPS maximum shooting and can shoot 4K video, which is more than enough for most uses. As it’s getting older the tech is showing its age, so we’d now recommend this as more of an entry-level full-frame camera, but it still produces fantastic results and we were really happy with it when we reviewed the Sony A7 III.

It has an extended ISO range of 50 to 204800 and can autofocus down to EV-3, which is good enough for most casual astrophotography uses. Although it’s not without its faults, we think it’s great value for money and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for this price of $1498.

If you’re on a budget, some of the best beginner cameras might be more in your price range, while the best cameras for astrophotography will suit dedicated astro shooters.

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Key Specs: The 24.2MP sensor strikes a good balance between detail and low image noise, perfect for low-light shooting. It’s accurate autofocus and 10FPS burst rate make this camera great for portraits, and the extended ISO of 50 to 204800 means it’s great in low light. It’s lightweight at 1.43 lbs / 650g and has two 2x MS/SD (1x UHS-II compliant) card slots.

Consensus: While it doesn’t boast the latest tech, the Sony A7 III is an impressive entry-level full-frame camera that offers photographers and videographers amazingly high performance for the price point.

Buy if: You’re looking for a compact camera for astro shooting or to take traveling with you, but don’t want to spend too much.

Don’t buy if: You want the latest model. This camera is over 5 years old and starting to show its age, so if you want the latest tech you’ll need a newer model.

Alternative models: If you’re a pro and have a big budget, we cannot recommend the Sony A7R V enough — it’s incredible. If you want newer tech but don’t have a big budget, consider the new APS-C Sony A6700 — it has AI-powered autofocus a fully articulating screen. 

Check out our Black Friday 2023 deals page for a roundup of the best discounts and deals on telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.

How one photographer captures Berlin’s disappearing history – CBS News

“All I want is for people to live in peace and dignity,” says photographer Rania Matar in an emotional plea to the world. Having grown up in a war-torn country and living through multiple wars and conflicts during her lifetime, she knows firsthand the infrastructural and emotional devastation that they result in. And witnessing what’s ongoing between Palestine and Israel for the last 6 weeks now, she hopes dearly for the bombardments to stop and for a much-needed ceasefire.

We featured Rania’s work on our site last year when she was one of the three winners of the Leica Women Foto Project Award in 2022. A talented portrait photographer, many of Rania’s past experiences and learnings find their way into her photos as she seeks to break stereotypes with her photography. I remember her work and words having an impact on me during that interview last year:

“Reading about Rania’s experiences makes me want to go back and look at my portfolio again: to see what part of me has found its way to my photos, and to chase my newer projects with the kind of passion she embraces in her work.”

Rania’s Story

Rania’s familial roots trace back to Palestinian heritage, a fact that holds significant meaning for her. Despite the ongoing personal sorrow in her life, she willingly engaged in a conversation with me to discuss the subject at hand. It’s been three months since her beloved father passed away and Rania was very attached to him, as I could tell during our call. “My whole Palestinian identity is really tied to my father,” Rania said about her cultural roots. “My father is Palestinian, and he came to Lebanon after the 1948 Nakba. As a Palestinian Christian, he was able to eventually get the Lebanese nationality.” When she was growing up during the Civil War, he did not want Rania to get involved because of the war.

A Father’s Protection

Rania’s father was caring enough to often emotionally shield her from the effects of the wars he had lived through and the hardships of his past. The strong emotional connection she shared with her late father was palpable throughout our conversation. “He always told me – you’re not Palestinian, you’re Lebanese,” Rania recalls in an impassioned way. “The burden of the Palestinian problem is my problem. It’s my burden to carry, not yours.” This meant that Rania grew up identifying more as a Lebanese until later in life when, after moving to the USA in 1984, she began looking closely at her Palestinian roots.

“The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war”

The United Nations

Her father’s recent passing makes the ongoing conflict too personal and difficult for Rania. She identifies with the issues there on a very personal level due to her Palestinian background. When I queried her if there were any family members currently locked in there, she also recalled a photograph from her past.

The Power Of a Photograph

“I don’t have family back there now, but I’m reminded of a photograph my father had,” Rania says. “I found in my father’s suitcase, one that he carried around with him for over 70 years, a photograph he had.” She described it as a photograph of people running from Jaffa, where her father was originally from. An image of people fleeing into the water, escaping the clashes there. The fact that he had this photo his whole life and held on to it until the end was quite a poignant sentiment for Rania.

“Seeing the pictures of the happenings in Gaza is making me extremely upset,” Rania continued. “I don’t know where the picture came from; I found it with his things. It’s pretty powerful for me to realize that he carried this photograph his whole life, even though it was so hard for him to do so.” She knew her father tried to protect me all along.

Rania is contemplating the idea of a photo project to showcase her father’s belongings from the past. But as the ongoing war affects her on a personal level, she feels like she’s being thrown back into the conflicts she grew up in. Her father so carefully did his best to protect her from the conflicts his whole life. And I understand pretty well the difficulties in moving forward from this, especially with the constant bombardment of one-sided narratives on the news. As Rania rightly pointed out, it’s seemingly impossible for a ceasefire to be agreed upon as an, at least temporary, solution to the horrendous happenings. She recalls her youth as she mentions how she grew up in the 1982 civil war in Lebanon and also in the 2006 war with Hezbollah. All these memories repeatedly come back to her nowadays with what she’s seeing happening in Palestine. But at the end of it all, Rania truly wants everyone to live in peace with one another. Without war, without hatred.

Give Peace a Chance

Is it even possible to see the images coming out of Palestine and not be moved? Scenes capturing children frantically searching for their parents amidst the aftermath of bombings, or the haunting sight of lifeless limbs amidst debris, portray a stark reality. Many images now show entire cities reduced to nothing but graveyards.

What is most heartbreaking is not knowing what’s next for those who are alive today; will they be around to see a tomorrow. Being on social media these days is an endless doomscroll, but we must stand up and ask ourselves how we let humanity reach this level. Why is it that some lives are perceived to have more value than others? As much as I try to stay stoical while viewing photos from Palestinian photographers, I often find myself losing hope. And I feel painfully cushioned when I realize that those enduring that hell there have nothing but hope left.

Keep your eyes trained on the ground for reports from Palestinian photographers who are risking their lives each day to bring the reality of the situation to the world. Look at what people like Wissam Nasser, Belal Khaled, Hind Khoudary, Motat Azaiza, and Plestia Alaqad are photographing. You’ll truly understand the value of a dedicated photojournalist then. And you’ll truly appreciate what photography brings to the world, especially as a medium of documenting history. May peace come to the region soon. May common sense prevail where it’s needed. Let’s also say a prayer for those brave photojournalists who died (more than 50 now) in the line of coverage.

All images used in this article, unless otherwise specified, have been provided for usage by Rania Matar.

In Ahmad Abad, a suburb of the Iranian city of Tabriz, a gaggle of children were playing on a gas pipe. Akbar Mehrinezhad often took photographs here, on the edge of the city, drawn to the subjects he found. When he saw these children some way off in the distance, he had to move quickly. “I ran to capture it. Even without seeing their faces, it’s storytelling,” he says of his choice to focus on their shadows, and one pair of dangling feet.

When he shared the photograph online, it “drew the attention of city officials” to the lack of safe spaces for play. “I try to display these inappropriate conditions in a beautiful way, to show the potential of the children and people in this area.”

Mehrinezhad grew up in Tabriz and did his BA at the city’s university. He is now taking a PhD at the University of Tehran. “I was lucky to have an intelligent and knowledgable mother who encouraged us to study, but most of the children on the outskirts of the city don’t continue in education. Even so, I see myself as a child in them. My friends and I played like this, too; this photo is like a snapshot of my own childhood,” he says.

He showed the photograph to the children afterwards, which made them smile. “I think it gave them a sense of identity.”

Award-winning Arts University Plymouth graduate Katy Johnson has received special recognition for her photographic work. 

Johnson secured second place in the Wex Student Photography Competition and was also named in the ‘Official Selection’ in the International Photography Awards (IPA) after winning an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Awards. Her photography series State of Mind, was submitted to both of the competitions and is the project that was made during her time at University. 

• See our guide on the best camera for beginners

The Wex Student Photography Competition is a competition open to all UK-based students where they can submit work. This year’s theme was ‘landscapes’, and Johnson won second place with her work titled State of Mind (the same as the larger project). For coming in second place Johnson was awarded £1,500 worth of Wex vouchers. 

“I found out via email that I’d won and it was a big shock, to be honest! The work I submitted was my ‘State of Mind’ series that I’d created for my final major project. As this was such a large body of work, I was really proud of what I’d achieved. Throughout the creation of my work, I’ve always had a feeling of imposter syndrome, so when I received second place, it was a pleasant surprise. It made me feel that maybe I should explore the editorial side of photography further”, Johnson said. 

In 2021, Katy won an IPA 2021 Honourable Mention in the International Photography Awards in the category of ‘Editorial/Press – Environment’ for her image The Farmer, the Tractor and his Land which was selected out of over 13,000 entries from 120 different countries worldwide. She said, “I was pleasantly surprised to get the shortlisting at the IPA. I found out about this shortly after I won second place in the Wex Student Awards, so this was another big push and gave me a huge boost to my confidence.”

A big congratulations to Katy Johnson, for her achievements, but also for gaining confidence in her work. Imposter syndrome is something all creatives suffer from at some point in the journey, and the best way to combat it is by gaining confidence in your ability. Entering competitions can help with this as they can provide a needed confidence and career boost!

For more articles on competitions and tips for budding photographers see, Make money with your camera – Part 1: Magazines and competitions, 5 tips to start a career in photography after college or university, and GuruShots: Winning images from the latest Still Life photo competition

Yagazie Eguare, Founder of Gazmadu Studios has said that photography as a profession has offered her the chance to connect with a variety of people and stories; raising and impacting people.

“Photography has given me the privilege to raise and impact people. It has helped me connect with several people across different works of life beyond my wildest imagination. It’s been all about consistently building the ‘Gazmadu’ brand, showing up with an open heart to learn, embracing the challenges, and exploring the magic that exists in the present,” she said.

With a line that has spanned almost a decade, GazMadu Studios has continued to create images for premium clients from different spheres, notably featuring in high-profile publications such as Forbes, ThisDay and the Guardian Nigeria amongst many others. They have served the top one percent of clients and worked with companies such as Unilever, Julius Berger Nig, Veuve Cliquot, Mixta Africa, Wimbiz Nigeria, Product Dive, Gaia Africa etc.

Eguare believes that the brand will continue to elevate and empower creatives across Africa and beyond, through education, mentorship, and training programs.

Read also: In ‘6 Hours’, Alonge, Ottograph express passion for street art, photography

She said Gazmadu Studios will be making meaningful partnerships and collaborations with more organizations that align with the brand and will launch several documentary projects that will impact Nigeria and Africa at large.

Gazmadu Studios which recently announced the official launch of a second office in Ikoyi, Lagos, believes that the opening of their latest office in Ikoyi, Lagos is a huge commitment towards their goal of providing quality timeless & and documentary stories for their target audience, and is certain to have a largely positive impact on the growth of the brand.

“The impact is enormous! Our new Ikoyi location is a giant leap forward, enabling us to create an even more exceptional and timeless experience for all our clients. Our move will also open up new possibilities for us as a business and make it easier to diversify our service offerings beyond photography. It is a birthplace for innovation, new expressions and endless possibilities.” she stated.

Eguare revealed that providing maximum satisfaction for clients was a major drive behind acquiring a new location for the brand.

Read also: How techpreneur is redefining photography business

She reaffirmed Gazmadu Studios’ commitment to fostering innovation and excellent service delivery to all their clients: “Our clients are at the heart of everything we do at Gazmadu. They are why we are here and we wouldn’t exist without them. The call to open a new location was inspired by our desire to serve our clients better and make it easier for them to connect with us.

“We are super excited about the location because of the access and convenience it offers our clients. Aside from the location, the ambience and serene environment would help us give our clients an excellent and personalised service that truly transforms, inspires, and empowers them to be more” she added.

Eguare added that Gazmadu Studios would be looking to broaden their horizons and apply new verve to leave a huge positive impact on society through the transformative influence of photography and visual storytelling:

“The vision is big and this is just the beginning for us. In coming years, Gazmadu Studios will be expanding further and opening new locations outside Lagos and amplifying the true essence of more women, men, families and corporate organizations through the power of Photography and documentary storytelling.”