Keith James

Keith is a photographer and writer with a background in science and technology, living in Coronado, California with his life-partner, Marianne. Originally from Wales, he retired recently after a long career in drug discovery at both major pharma and start-up biotech companies. He is a graduate of Imperial College, London, holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Cambridge University, and spent two years as a NATO postdoctoral fellow and Fulbright-Hays travel scholar at Stanford University in California and Columbia University in New York. Keith’s most recent role was as Senior Vice-President of Drug Discovery at a San Francisco Bay Area-based biotech company, insitro, applying machine learning to the challenges of discovering new medicines. He enjoys photography in both colour and black and white, and is particularly interested in architecture, travel, music and abstract photography. He shoots primarily with Leica cameras and lenses, as well as third party gear within the L-Mount ecosystem. Keith has recently begun to try his hand at rangefinder photography.

Panoramic street photography at dusk: The Sirui Saturn 35mm full-frame anamorphic lens

A 35mm Sirui Saturn full-frame anamorphic lens turned out to be the perfect means of documenting the urban landscape of the Southern California city in which the author lives, via a series of panoramic images shot at dusk.

Ten top tips for photographing fireworks

Firework displays are dramatic, nighttime spectacles. But photographing fireworks can be tricky; it's easy to end up with blurry, overexposed images. These ten tips will help you to achieve spectacular, sharp, well-exposed images every time.

The Art of Panoramic Photography: Tips and tools

Panoramic photographs can deliver novel perspectives and considerable visual impact. But what's the best way to take them? Keith discusses the pros and cons of using specialized cameras, lenses, and software to create those ultra-wide images.

Hasselblad and Capture One partner to bring native Hasselblad RAW support

As a result of a new partnership between Hasselblad and Capture One, Hasselblad shooters can now import and process their RAW files directly in the Capture One processing system. Capture One will support three of Hasselblad's 100 megapixel cameras, and a direct tethering feature will be added in due course.

Nick Carver: Master of large-format panoramic photography

Using a 6x17 format view camera, Nick Carver documents both the spectacular and quirky scenes to be found in California's cities and deserts, creating breathtaking, wide-angle photographs of his subjects.

Hasselblad Masters 2026 photography competition announces winners

The winners of the Hasselblad Masters 2026 photography competition have been announced. An overall winner was selected for each of the seven categories, which included street, portrait, landscape and wildlife genres.
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What photos would you submit to an exhibition on Rhythm and Form?

Masking in Photoshop is a useful technique for creating composite images, where multiple subjects, isolated from an original image, can be arrayed on a blank canvas, for example, to convey an overall sense of rhythm.

Viltrox launches the Chip 28mm f/4.5 fixed-aperture, autofocus lens for L-Mount

The Viltrox Chip 28mm f/4.5 is a fixed aperture, autofocus pancake lens for L-Mount. It is remarkably small and light weight, and now holds the record for the tiniest full-frame, autofocus L-Mount lens on the market.

Leica APS-C photography still has a pulse, thanks to the L-Mount

Leica APS-C photography remains relevant, because of Leica's decision to use an L-Mount for this system, opening up a large ecosystem of lenses that can still be used with these cameras.

Panasonic announces the new Lumix L10 fixed-lens camera

Panasonic introduces the Lumix L10, a fixed lens camera featuring a 20.4MP sensor and Leica zoom lens. It includes advanced features like AI-based recognition, custom LUTs, and a Titanium Gold Special Edition.

This is Outrageous: The TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 lens for L-Mount

How good can a lens be that costs about the same price as a quality filter you might screw on the front of it? Keith puts this cheap and cheerful lens through its paces, and likes what he sees.

Hasselblad Masters 2026 Competition: Finalists announced

The Hasselblad Masters 2026 competition has now reached the finalist stage. Winners will be chosen by the judging panel, but Hasselblad also invite the public to cast their vote for the favorite images.