Home/Photography/Digital Photographer/No. 167/In This Issue
Digital Photographer|No. 167WELCOMEIconic though his photography may be, Ansel Adams was by no means the first to depict the drama of an atmospheric landscape – and he certainly wasn’t the last. From the Romantics and Realists to modern-day photographers, we’re obsessed with re-creating what the eye sees in all its breathtaking splendour. With this in mind, on p26 we have an in-depth guide to capturing mood in your landscapes. The golden hour may seem like the best time to shoot vistas, but embrace mist and cloud for an atmospheric twist. For a more modern take on moodscapes, turn to p44 to learn how to shoot the city at night. From dusk to dawn, discover the creative potential that urban environments have to offer, from capturing the blue hour to slowing down exposures…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167STORY BEHIND THE STILLPhotographer: Julien Martin Website: www.500px.com/futoigokiburi Location: South of France Type of commission: Personal work Shot details: Canon EOS 60D with EF 100mm macro f2.8 About the shot: While some photographers travel across continents to find the perfect shot, some can just as easily create magic in their own garden. Photographer Julien Martin, who lives in the south of France, went for the latter option when he captured this stunningly sharp photo of a praying mantis that roams on his land. “She lives in freedom in my garden, but I can find her easily when I want to make a picture.” The setup itself was simple, with Martin placing her on the flower, then putting her back just as quickly afterwards. He knew exactly what he was after when he started…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Two new prime lens offerings from SamyangKorean lens manufacturer Samyang is becoming increasingly popular and is very well-known for producing quality manual-focus lenses at affordable prices. The company has recently released two new prime lenses, in the form of a 21mm f1.4 and 50mm f1.2, both of which have been designed for mirrorless cameras with APS-C sensors. The first of these two new releases, the 21mm f1.4 ED AS UMC CS (£269 / approx $411) is a moderate wide-angle lens, with an optical formula comprising of eight lens elements in seven groups, including one extra-low dispersion lens (ED). It also features an Ultra Multi Coating, which should go some way to minimising flare and ghosting. With a minimum focusing distance of only 0.28m, the 21mm could be a strong companion for a range of genres, from…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167PHOTOGRAPHY WITH PRINCIPLESPRO BIO Since launching her career, Ruth Rose has had considerable success, working for magazines such as Cosmopolitan, shooting fashion campaigns for clients like Accessorize and Tresemmé, and has been televised as a guest photographer on Made in Chelsea, and Austria’s Next Top Model. I am a professional, fashion photographer who is also a vegetarian, passionate about the treatment of animals, and because of this, I’ve tried to use my photography to say something positive about animal welfare. I’ve always loved incorporating well-cared-for animals in my photographs – as on my Pastel shoot, where I used the stylist’s dog and my pet rabbit as props. For me, as well as enhancing the desirability of the clothing, the beauty of the animals enriches the images. But what happens when animals appear…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167ATMOS PHERIC LAND SCAPESTake a quick look at any online photographic community and you’ll quickly see that atmospheric landscapes are one of the most popular and well-received styles. Artistic and painterly vistas aren’t a new way of shooting, but with the advancements of editing software and digital cameras in recent years, it’s now possible to render scenes with all the visual splendour, detail and tone previously reserved for the naked eye. The best results come from shooting during inclement weather, when it’s stormy, misty, changeable and unpredictable, and you should be ready to welcome early starts and damp shooting conditions for the best results. If you’ve got a penchant for scenes that are full of mood, tone and feeling, follow our tips, tricks and advice over the next few pages and become a…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Emphasise shape1 Compose the shot Consider the lighting and background carefully, then position your setup and compose the frame. A low Sun works best for backlit shots. Use Live View mode to protect your eyes. 2 Meter with precision Switch to Spot metering – it’s best to meter on the darker areas to maintain information in the shadowed areas, but try to avoid blowing out highlights completely. 3 Shield from flare Use a lens hood or shadow the lens with your hand if your aim is to avoid lens flare. If the Sun is directly in your frame, reposition yourself differently to obscure the Sun partially behind an object.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Shoot for depth1 Find a spot Get into position and set up a sturdy tripod. Attach a telephoto lens, ideally with a focal length greater than 200mm; if the lens has its own collar, mount the lens onto the tripod head. 2 Compose the shot Tighten all the controls on the tripod head. If you’re shooting with a zoom lens, try out different focal lengths to see what works for the scene at hand. Eliminate distracting elements in the frame. 3 Keep it sharp Focus manually to avoid the lens focus hunting. Camera shake is exaggerated at long focal lengths, so turn on mirror lock-up and fire the shutter either with a remote release or self-timer delay.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Enhance the misty vapours1 Adjust the levels Use a Levels adjustment layer in Photoshop, and set your white and black points. This is a subtle process, so edit gradually. 2 Use curves Adjust the mid-tones using a Curves adjustment layer. Anchor points near the centre of the curve to create separation in just the mid-tones. 3 Sharpen and blur Enhance any obvious differences between a sharp subject and the softness of the mist using the Sharpening tool and Blurring filters.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Edit cool landscapes1 Temperature changes Cool the image further with a Color Balance adjustment layer. Tick Preserve Luminosity and drag the sliders until you’re happy. 2 Avoid saturation Add another adjustment layer, this time for the Vibrance. Drag the Vibrance slider to the left so the blue tones are more subtle. 3 Perfect exposure Once the hues are spot on, adjust the Levels and Exposure in your image, paying particular attention to the mid-tones.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Keep poses naturalNo matter how used to being photographed your subject is or isn’t, ensuring that they are at ease with you as the photographer is vital. Communication is key, but don’t assume that it’s all about directing them on what poses to pull. Often, it’s better to start a shoot with a question rather than an instruction. Ask your subject what they’d like to do during the shoot – they might surprise you and spark an idea that you can run with and develop. Start a dialogue with your subject and see if you can illicit anything from them that reveals their character. If they are reticent, it’s possible that they’d prefer to avoid eye contact with the lens, so try asking them to look off into the distance. If you…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Top ten natural portrait tipsBring in some context Shoot in an environment that the model will feel comfortable in, which will ultimately make the portraits appear more relaxed and tell more of a story about the subject. Relax naturally Asking your subject to sit down, lean or even lie down will naturally make their posture and expression less awkward and tense. Asking your subject to simply stand in front of the camera won’t generally work. Give gentle direction Don’t be too pushy when directing your subject, as they may feel pressured to pose exactly the way you want, instead of being natural in their own poses. Light direction and demonstration will give them a chance to adapt in their own way. Let the models interact If working with more than one model, get them…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167SHOOT THE CITY BY NIGHTNothing compares to the buzz and energy of a city, but between the hours of dusk and dawn it becomes an even more dynamic shooting environment, as the hustle and bustle of daily activity is vanquished by the comparative quiet of the night hours. In this feature we’ll guide you through the urban shooting experience during the night, starting the journey in late evening, when the Sun fades past the horizon and street lamps illuminate the way until the serene blue hours before the Sun rises again. Learn what kit is essential as well as how to balance natural and artificial lighting when the sky’s still glowing. As darkness falls, long exposures are key, and capturing the light from traffic in long trails is a fun technique to get started…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Balanced exposures1 From the sky First, turn the dial to Manual. Then, select spot metering from the shooting menu and point the camera towards the sky to take a reading. It’s easier to take the camera off the tripod to do this. 2 Artificial light Take a spot meter reading from an area that’s lit by artificial light, such as directly under a lamppost. Selected the single-area AF mode, and position it over the part of the scene you want in focus. 3 Be patient Wait until the sky is around one EV stop brighter than the ambient light, then start shooting using your spot metered artificial light reading.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167GET CREATIVEUsing flash and gels 1 Start with composition Mount your DSLR onto a sturdy tripod, and the flashgun onto your camera. Frame up the shot and focus the lens manually. Illuminate particularly dark areas with a torch to aid focusing. 2 Attach the gel Consider the lighting effect you want and choose the colour of gel accordingly. Attach the flash gel so it covers the whole bulb. Some gels have holders, but more simple products are held using bands. 3 Tweak the exposure Angle the flash and start shooting, varying the settings and flash power for the scene using a manual shooting mode. Gels can reduce the flash output, so factor this into your settings. Light painting 1 Compose the frame Switch to Live View and set the camera to…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Meet the proWhat is it about the dawn light that makes it so magical to photograph? When I’m out walking the streets before the Sun rises there is a great sense of anticipation. There’s usually no one around, the streets are dark and empty and I’m excited about what this dawn will bring. Nature has a great way of surprising and exciting us. My favourite dawns are when there are lots of clouds, as that will bring a lot of interesting textures and colours. What should photographers look out for when shooting in the blue hour? A sturdy tripod is essential – that way you can use a very low ISO to capture the intense colours and contrast. Even though what I do is scenic city scenes, I approach it as a…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Perfect exposures with light metersOccasionally you may find that your camera produces images that are either too bright or too dark. This is usually down to your camera’s internal light meter taking an incorrect reading of the scene, which in turn causes it to use incorrect settings that will over or underexpose the shot. In most cases your camera’s meter will do a good job and produce a reasonably accurate reading, but in some more difficult lighting situations, where there are very bright areas contrasted with very dark areas, it can be really tricky for it to obtain a correct exposure. This is where using a dedicated light meter will make all the difference to your imagery. Having the advantage of being able to take the light meter away from the camera enables you…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Career adviceConsistent shooting I’ve recently been asked to shoot some product images for a fashion company’s online catalogue. While I’m comfortable in a photography studio, I usually shoot creative portraits rather than still life, and feel as if I might need to be more precise with my workflow than usual. How can I make sure that the colour balance and style of the images is consistent with the company? Cara Warne Before you start shooting anything, it’s first worth asking the company if they have any style guidelines to stick to. If not, try to work as methodically as you can, and make sure the colour temperature you choose in-camera matches the lighting that you’re using by metering from a piece of white or neutral card. Of course, shooting in RAW…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 16710 steps to build a successful lifestyle brand01 Position your business Often at the beginning of setting up a photography business people just want to be booked – and they don’t mind who by – but it is critical to identify who you want your target audience to be and understand how to meet their needs. It is much easier to market your business when you know who you are talking to, their lifestyle and what they would be prepared to pay for a professional photographer. It might be easier to ask yourself what supermarket you are equivalent to – when I started out I positioned myself as a Waitrose photographer although, luckily, my brand has allowed me to move up into the Harvey Nichols Food Hall space! 02 Tie down brand strategy Branding is the most…8 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Shoot serious videoVideo shooting has seen a huge surge in popularity ever since DSLRs began to include a dedicated movie mode. There are now plenty of photographers interested in developing their skills beyond stills – indeed, in response to client demand, many professional photographers are incorporating video into their workflow. But just what kit do you need to get started? DSLRs can produce incredible results, but they are, first and foremost, designed for stills photography rather than video. If your goal is to shoot a movie rather than a sequence of stills, this can mean that there are interface, ergonomic and usability obstacles to overcome with a DSLR, for example the duration of footage that can be captured in a single clip. There are also limitations to the quality of the footage…3 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Kit for speedCanon EOS 5D Mark III “The best bet when it comes to shooting stills and filming in HD, I use it together with my Canon EF 50mm f1.2L USM.” Canon EOS-1D Mark IV “It’s one of the fastest DSLRs still on the market, and if you’re prone to shooting sequences, it’s definitely the [go-to camera]… It’s super lightweight and easy to handle.” Phase One XF system “Perfectly built for the highest-quality portrait shots under treacherous conditions, it provides [ultimate] picture quality and it’s easy to handle.”…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167BenQ SW2700PT MonitorThe search for a monitor that offers that perfect balance of functionality, size and price can be a tireless one, especially in a market that is quickly becoming saturated with monitors that offer very similar specs. BenQ has entered this race with some very strong competitors, including the SW2700PT, which is being marketed primarily towards photographers. The 27-inch BenQ SW2700PT is impressive right out of the box. It’s easy to assemble with minimal fuss, and though its matte black casing may seem rather plain, users will find the neck’s flexibility far more intriguing. The monitor can be tilted, pivoted and rotated 90 degrees, which will switch the display into portrait mode. Its height can be adjusted up to 13 centimetres above its base profile, but if you want to position…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G7Panasonic recently released the LUMIX G7 as a replacement to the G6 and offers a few new features, most notably 4K video. There haven’t been any major changes however, so it’s unlikely G6 users will be swayed to upgrade just yet. In fact the G7 offers the same 16-megapixel resolution as it’s predecessor, although it does so with a slightly newer sensor. Wi-Fi is also available, but NFC, which was a key feature in the G6, is not. This decision has no doubt kept the costs down given that 4K video capture is included. In terms of design, the G7 isn’t too dissimilar to the G6. It’s reminiscent of a DSLR and although it’s not particularly eye-catching, it is functional and handles well. We found the convenient position of controls…5 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Perspective-control lensesPerspective-control lenses, also referred to as tilt-shift lenses, enable photographers to correct the issue of converging verticals in-camera, while offering a range of additional benefits, for landscape as well as architecture photographers. Software that can correct perspective problems and resolves issues with lens distortion has become more prevalent, but the in-camera optical solution is the preferred method if you’re looking for the optimum quality. “Although you can correct perspective in post-processing, this isn’t ideal as it does result in a loss of image quality,” explains pro photographer Mark Bauer (www.markbauerphotography.com). “As far as landscape photographers are concerned, tilt-shift lenses are probably best known for their ability to generate extensive depth of field without having to stop the lens down and thus suffer the effects of diffraction… Being able to get…4 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Acronis True ImageOf all the things a photographer has to consider, backing up files is not the most exciting task. If backing up your files fills you with dread, Acronis True Image 2016 is a subscription service and piece of software that aims to take the time and effort out of this tedious task. It’s a professional answer to backing up your files and offers many more organisational tools too – more than you ever thought you needed. The program is simple to navigate through. It’s not slick or stylish, but it’s not designed to be: instead, it looks like it was built to fit in with default Windows interfaces, with everything you need down the left-hand side of the window. The Backup icon at the top is perhaps the place you’ll…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Our contributorsMATT BENNETT Website: dphotographer.co.uk After a five-year stint as a professional photographer in Australia, Features Editor Matt Bennett knows a thing or two about cameras. This issue, he’s spoken to Kate Hopewell-Smith about building a successful brand on p68, and over on p106 he dissects tilt-shift lenses and when’s appropriate to use them. TOM CALTON Website: tomcalton.co.uk Regular contributor Tom is a master of all things portrait. On p58 of this issue he’s explained how to use a handheld light meter to get perfect exposures every time. If you’ve got a shooting technique you want to learn about, let us know on our Facebook or Twitter pages, or email us at team@dphotographer.co.uk! LAUREN SCOTT Website: laurenscott.info Freelance journalist and photographer Lauren has returned to us again this…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Sony launches upgraded a7S IISony has announced the latest model in its line of compact, full-frame cameras in the form of the a7S II. As a direct update to the Alpha 7S, this latest iteration is a model that’s been designed with low-light shooting in mind and should appeal to videographers in particular thanks to its ability to record in 4K with no pixel binning. The a7S II retains its 12.2 megapixel sensor and like the original, a maximum ISO sensitivity of 409,600. Although the processor remains the same, an upgraded algorithm “maximises the sensor’s capabilities and improves depiction throughout the full sensitivity range with particular emphasis on the mid-to-high range,” according to the official release. In theory, this means the resulting stills and movies should be rendered in extra fine-detail. Autofocus improvements are…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Bird photo competition now open for entriesDigital Photographer has teamed up with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and specialist photo library Nature Photographers Ltd in the first Bird Photographer of the Year competition, which has been launched for 2015. Aiming to support conservation, celebrate the diversity of birds and the artistry of avian photography, this exciting new contest is now open for entries, with a top prize of £5,000. There’s no doubt that the advent of digital photography has revolutionised bird photography, but the competition is open to all ages and skill levels, with the option to submit just one image or a whole portfolio. Alongside the overall winner, there are further prizes for each category winner, including a year’s subscription to Digital Photographer, as well as the latest kit and clothing. President of the…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167ANIMAL MAGICWith a burgeoning online reputation for stunning, atmospheric wildlife images, Pedro Jarque Krebs is crafting his own identity in a competitive field. In this interview, he discusses his inspirations and techniques. You’re principally known for your wildlife images. What was it that first attracted you to working in this genre? Animals are endless models. They are so different and unique from each other that they offer unlimited possibilities to work with many shapes, types of light, shadows and expressions. What’s really fascinating about working with animals is that they are so spontaneous. What kit are you currently working with? Is there anything you plan to buy in the future? Right now I am working with Canon equipment, obviously digital, and the one I currently use is a Canon EOS 5D…6 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167DELIBERATE DARKNESSThe most successful atmospheric landscapes rely on heavy use of contrast, as well as deliberate yet subtle underexposure. Landscape photography is a natural progression from traditional fine-art painting, so it helps to understand some basic lighting theory used by artists like Leonardo Da Vinci. The term Chiaroscuro has been around since the days of Renaissance painting, is Italian in origin, and literally means light-dark. In paintings, it describes the tonal contrasts, which are used to model and portray the volumes of the subjects depicted. The term has recently made its way into the world of photography and describes the interplay of light across a landscape to draw attention to the three-dimensional nature of the subjects. Ansel Adams made use of the Chiaroscuro technique in active weather and some of his…3 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Perfect your post-processing1 Boost the contrast Open the image in Lightroom, go to the Develop panel and increase the Contrast to +80. Next, drag Shadows to +100 and Highlights to -50. 2 Make it sharp Once you are happy with the overall brightness of the shot. Add a subtle level of sharpening with the Clarity slider, but don’t overdo the effect. 3 Final tweaks For more precise sharpening, use the Detail tab. Add a subtle vignette from the Lens Correction tab to darken the photo edges.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167WOODLAND WONDERWell-lit woodland scenes are a wonder to behold and when captured with the right atmosphere they become a magical place. By their nature however, they’re fairly chaotic, with dark canopy layers contrasting against bright sunlight through the trees, causing some challenges as far as exposure is concerned. Avoid strong sunlight by shooting in the early morning, when the low-angled Sun will illuminate the trunks and produce long, dramatic shadows. Backlighting works particularly well for forest scenes, and enables you to focus on the shape of the trees only, capturing the woodland as a silhouette. If the Sun does cause lens flare, reposition yourself so that it’s hidden behind a trunk. Though they might look bleak, overcast conditions are a blessing for dense woodland, yielding light that’s more evenly spread along…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167MIRRORED IMAGESSerene lakes towered by lofty mountain ranges are the epitome of shooting locations when your aim is to capture reflections in the landscape. For this technique, you’ll find again that natural light is most favourable in the early morning, when warm sunrise tones look fantastic when mirrored in cooler shades of the water. If you’re visiting an unfamiliar spot, use a phone app such as the Photographer’s Ephemeris to calculate where the Sun will rise, ideally positioning your subject in front of you and the Sun behind. Of course, it’s not always possible to get out early, and while direct light on the surface will cause glare, a polarising filter reduces this effect. As a general rule, the most tranquil spots will be smaller and more sheltered, but it’s also…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167PRO INSIGHTWhy do stormy conditions lend themselves so well to atmospheric landscapes? Storms bring a lot of clouds, and the precipitation that they cause can result in fog and mist forming as the moisture interacts with temperatures near the ground. Because storms tend to bring clouds at different altitudes, the potential is greater during stormy periods to have interesting layers of atmosphere. As a storm comes in or begins to clear, those conditions are likely to be scattered enough to allow some light through in dramatic episodes that are very photogenic. Crepuscular rays, rainbows, backlit mist, and beautifully sculptural clouds can all result from stormy conditions. Do you have a favourite technique that you use to add impact to your shots? Most of the impact in my photos comes from my…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Lighting and locationIf you want to produce portrait images that have a truly spontaneous and natural feel, your choice of location is all-important. If you photograph your subject in a setting that looks too contrived – which generally prohibits studio spaces – you will have even more work to do with your pose to make the results look natural. A location that has a connection to your subject is often ideal, enabling them to feel more at ease while also endowing the image with context. You must, of course, also consider lighting when choosing your environment. When shooting indoors, a window is a perfect light source for portraits, as the soft quality of the light looks less controlled, while also producing a flattering effect. This is particularly true if shooting with the…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Expose for perfectionCapturing one-off candid moments could be wasted unless you pay close attention to your exposure. There are a number of metering options to complement challenging lighting conditions and digital cameras come armed with metering modes that will suit your requirements accurately. While evaluative or multi-matrix metering can be effective in many situations, spot metering is often a better bet for portraits using just natural light. This enables you to evaluate the light falling on the most important point of the image – which in this case is the subject’s face – and give this priority over the rest of the scene. If, for example, your subject is photographed outdoors and back lit by the Sun, spot metering from the model’s face enables you to ensure that his or her skin…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Key kitCOMPACT TRIPOD Befree Carbon Fiber Tripod SRP: £280 / $350 A sturdy, but lightweight tripod is essential for getting sharp results in low light. Opt for models that are easy to fold away and carry when the Sun comes up, such as the travel-friendly Manfrotto Befree series. WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM SRP: £1,350 / $1,599 A fast, ultra-wide-angle zoom lens will offer you flexible shooting for a range of urban landscapes. Canon’s EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM lens is a weighty, but high-quality choice, that’s well suited to low-light shooting. SMALL TORCH Ansmann Torch Agent 5 SRP: £45 / $69 Generally cities are well lit at night, but a powerful LED torch will help you set up and focus your camera. This durable Ansmann Torch Agent…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167THE COVER OF DARKNESSIt’s a common saying that the city never sleeps, and during the full hours of darkness, your camera shouldn’t either. The absence of sunlight makes long exposures a must, and one of the most interesting effects to convey at night is movement, whether this is from the lights of cars and buses driving past, or your own self-generated light painting. To capture pin-sharp images at night a sturdy tripod and cable release are a must, but it’s also important to know your kit inside out, so that you can operate it quickly with minimum effort. Ensure you can fit both your remote shutter cable onto your camera, as well as your camera onto your tripod, in the dark. If your DSLR has custom modes, make use of them so that…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167MEET THE DAWNIt’s a well-known notion that natural landscapes are at their most picturesque and popular when photographed at dawn, and arguably there’s even more on offer in a city during the early hours. The absence of people should give you the perfect opportunity for capturing organic city landscapes, however the light of dawn is quick-changing, meaning you’ll need to work and adapt efficiently to get the best shots in the bag. Although sunrise may be the obvious starting point for an early morning shoot, don’t forget the unique quality of the blue hour, the very short period of time between night and sunrise, when the sky changes from dark to light. This magical twilight time requires you to get up that bit earlier, but the ethereal quality of light will perfectly…3 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Studio still lifeFor many photographers starting out, studio lighting can often be a stumbling block, with the regular work-around being a flashgun on a hotshoe, or a flashgun triggered remotely from an IR or radio trigger. These are all great solutions, but with advances in handheld screen resolution and brightness, as well as ISO sensitivities and noise reduction in most DSLRs, combining two devices can yield some very interesting results and is actually remarkably straightforward. As a project to get you working with slow shutter speeds and unconventional light sources, this is a great opportunity to bring a sense of creativity and experimentation to your shots. Most of all, it’s something you can achieve without only minimal kit. In this tutorial we’ll show you that all you will need in order to…4 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Enhance images with LevelsThere are plenty of tools in Photoshop that can help correct problematic lighting and dozens of methods to turn dull, flat shots into bright, exciting photos. Perhaps because it’s so ubiquitous, Levels is one of the most underrated tools in Photoshop’s vast toolbox. It’s incredibly powerful and many of Photoshop’s millions of users possibly do not realise just how much it can do or how best to employ it. For a lot of people using Levels, their approach is to simply hit Cmd/Ctrl+L and edit the image layer destructively. However, Levels is also available as an adjustment layer, enabling you to make more desirable nondestructive edits. You can tweak lighting and colour in a nuanced and subtle way by layering up your Levels adjustments and using each of them for…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167All in the metadataWhen sending finished files to clients, there have times when I’ve wanted to add information to the image, or conversely, even remove the shot details associated with it completely. I’ve been told by a friend that I should be editing the metadata, but have no idea what this means. Can you help? Harvey Drake Metadata might sound like a complicated term, but it really just refers to the information that’s associated with a picture and embedded into the file, for example the camera settings, time and date of the shot, as well as the camera model that was used. There are many occasions you might want to tweak the metadata, even for something as simple as correcting the timestamp, but it can also be beneficial to add in more personal…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Meet the proKate Hopewell-Smith (www.katehopewell smith.com) has a fine art background and studied the history of art at degree level. Following graduation she worked in creative industries – TV marketing, fine art publishing and brand consultancy. Following a move out of central London to raise her children she began to study photography as a hobby with the intent of being able to successfully capture her children as they grew. The hobby quickly grew into a successful business and she has never been in any doubt about her photographic passion – and that is capturing characterful portraits of people. She believes you can only do this successfully if you enjoy making connections and building relationships. Over the last five years she has chosen to specialise in portraits, weddings and boudoir, and is also…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167A look at file formatsGet set up for filming CODEC CHOICE Pro videographers often favour ProRes rather than RAW because it produces much smaller and manageable file sizes USE THE RIGHT SUPPORT Depending on the camera you are using, you may need to use a substantial tripod, but at other times a monopod will be sufficient INTUITIVE DISPLAY The Blackmagic cameras feature large, easy-to-use displays with straightforward, intuitive menus RAW A format that’s very much the same as the RAW formats you are used to working with when shooting stills. Files are 12-bit uncompressed, capture a large amount of data and need to be processed. The file sizes are large, though. COMPRESSED ProRes is a compressed codec but – like RAW – it’s intended as a project format, rather than as a final output…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167WIN PRO LASTOLITE KITThis issue, we’re giving one reader the opportunity to win over £500 of Lastolite kit to ensure you get perfect studio-lit shots wherever you shoot. The Lumen8 Single Head Kit F400 (worth £293.95) is perfect for photographers on the move. Including a flash head, an 18.5cm reflector, light stand, softbox and sync cable, it all fits in one easy-to-carry case. If you want to re-create an outdoor environment, the Out Of Focus 1.2m x 1.5m Summer Foliage/City Lights background, worth £118.95, is ideal. Collapsible for portability and with different effects on each side, this background enables shoots to take on a totally different vibe. Designed to work with the Out Of Focus backgrounds, this giveaway wouldn’t be complete without the Magnetic Background Support Kit (£107.95). With magnetic attachments to hold…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Canon EOS 750DCanon already had plenty of cameras in its beginners’ range, but the 700D has been joined by two brand new siblings: the Canon EOS 750D, which is put to the test here, and the EOS 760D. They may look pretty similar to the 700D, despite being released two years later, but there are some big changes inside. The sensor has been upgraded to 24.2 megapixels – the first time that Canon has gone beyond the 18-megapixel mark in this range of budget-friendly DSLRs – to equal that of its main competitor, the Nikon D5500. The autofocus system has also been increased, from 9 to 19 points, but this still falls shy of the 39 points offered by the Nikon model. Both the EOS 750D and the EOS 760D share these…6 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Panasonic LUMIX G MACRO 30mm f2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.SShort focal length macro lenses like this were originally designed for photographing or duplicating documents of cultural significance, only back then magnification was limited to half life size without the use of extension tubes. Smaller f-numbers and high resolving power was critical to discern subtleties in handwriting, with lenses of German and Japanese origin intended to resolve diacritic letters and Kanji characters. Nevertheless this lens works well, at least when stopped down to f4 and f5.6 where it has excellent resolution corner to corner. Wide open at f2.8 it’s sharp, but only in a central core, and troublesome lateral chromatic aberration and disturbing purple fringing is practically nonexistent anyway. Even if that wasn’t the case, this lens has none of the limitations of those earlier models, focusing to just 10.5cm…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167PaintShop Pro X8PaintShop Pro has made its name from being a low-cost all-rounder in the photo-editing world. It aims to be a powerful tool for all kinds of creations, a standalone download in a world of ever-increasing subscriptions, and a piece of software that feels simultaneously old-fashioned in its tools and features, yet slick and modern in its approach and design. X8 is the latest upgrade of the program and it’s one that’s once again been conceived with photographers at the very forefront of the software’s priorities. This edition features more scope than ever before for working in RAW, but one of the best things about PaintShop Pro has remained with this new version: it’s a program that can be useful to beginners, intermediates and photo-editing experts alike. The good news is…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167AppsCan these popular apps improve your mobile snaps? Change Hair Color Price: Free OS: Android 2.3 Based on a simple effect that might be a bigger job to manage with photo-editing software, Change Hair Colour does exactly what it says on the tin: it changes your hair colour. It offers dozens of colour choices, and it’s easy to use: it’s a bit of fun to brighten up your photos. YouCam Perfect Price: Free OS: Android 4.0 or later, iOS 7 or later Selfies are more popular than ever, meaning apps such as YouCam Perfect are more popular than ever. YouCam is an excellent portrait-fixer; it can add filters, erase blemishes and adjust skin tone, to improve any selfie in a matter of minutes. Instasize Price: Free OS: Android 4.0 or…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Accessories1 Retrospective 30 Leather bag Website: www.snapperstuff.com Price: £203 / $260 With room inside for an 11-inch Macbook Air, this bag from Think Tank Photo is attractive and very practical. It’s designed to be discreet and to avoid highlighting the fact it’s packed with expensive kit. It feels beautifully made and is comfortable to carry, thanks to a generously padded shoulder strap. Aimed primarily at travel photographers and photojournalists, this bag would really suit a wide range of photographers. The interior is well designed and will comfortably fit a couple of DSLRs. 2 The British Wildlife Photography Awards Collection 6 Website: www.theAA.com/shop Price: £25 / approx $38 Every now and then it’s good to remind yourself of why you fell in love with photography and the British Wildlife…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167YOUR FREE RESOURCESTEST SHOTS FROM THIS ISSUE’S REVIEWS OVER 65 MINUTES OF VIDEO GUIDES 30 PRESETS FOR ACR AND LIGHTROOM YOUR BONUS RESOURCES On FileSilo this issue, free and exclusive for our readers, you’ll find plenty of fantastic resources, including… • Over 65 minutes of in-depth editing video tutorials • 30 free Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Presets, courtesy of Wim van Heugten • A thorough guide to mastering the Automate Processes function in Photoshop • Convert to black and white • Master the Lighting Effects in Photoshop • Our test shots from the reviews section • Image files so you can follow our tutorials FILESILO – THE HOME OF GREAT RESOURCES DISCOVER YOUR FREE ONLINE ASSETS A rapidly growing libraryUpdated continually with cool resourcesLets you keep your downloads organisedBrowse and access…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167EXPRESSIVE PORTRAITUREMartin Castein Website address: www.martincastein.com Day job: Full-time portrait photographer What’s your long-term ambition? My goal is to be up there with the best in the industry. When did you start shooting digitally? Since 2010. Have you been interested in portrait photography for long? I started taking portraits in 2010, but for a long time I worked as a wedding photographer. I kept my portrait photography going as a side-line and picked up quite a few awards for it. It wasn’t until last year that I got back into portrait photography more seriously. What’s in your kitbag? Canon EOS 6D camera body. My lenses are 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 50mm f1.2 and 85mm f1.8 and a small reflector. What’s the most important thing to consider when shooting portraits? I think this depends…3 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Other new releasesBENDY SUPPORT XSories has launches a new Bendy tripod range, designed for cameras and smartphones alike. Featuring an adjustable ball-head and non-slip feet, a quarter-inch screw thread enables the attachment of different devices. Find out more at www.xsories.eu. THREE CANON LAUNCHES Canon has launched three new cameras, in the shape of two new PowerShot G compacts – the G5X and the G9X – and a new compact system camera, the EOS M10. All are additions to existing ranges and do not replace any cameras. NEW ELEMENTS Adobe has released Photoshop Elements 14, with new features including a Camera Shake Compensation Function, Haze Removal tool and Quick Edit mode. Premiere Elements has also been released, adding 4K video editing.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167In other news…LEICA EXPANDS LONDON PRESENCE Leica has opened a second London-based store at The Royal Exchange in the very heart of the city. It will offer photography exhibitions and events, as well as high-end products and “the ultimate customer experience,” according to managing director Jason Heward. WIN BIG WITH GARDEN IMAGERY It’s the last call for entries for the International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 9, which closes on 30 October 2015. There are nine categories and a cash prize of £7,500 for the overall winner. Find out more at www.igpoty.com. SHOWCASING NATIONAL WILDLIFE The British Wildlife Photography Awards has announced the 2015 winners, across 16 different categories. The overall winner was Barrie Williams for his image of Gannets On A Cliff. The winning and commended images are now touring…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Creative wildlife commandmentsBefore you know thyself, know thy camera Your camera should become an extension of your body. Sacrifice sensitivity It’s easier to fix the noise produced by a high ISO, than to fix an out of focus shot. If your subject… Moves a lot, you will have to increase your shutter speed; and if you don’t have a lot of light you’ll have to sacrifice the sensitivity to the aperture. Be patient Working with animals requires a little bit of luck, but above everything a lot of patience and time. The best pictures are usually the last you took on a shoot. Shoot at will Unlike analog, the great difference with digital is you can take as many shots as you want… Don’t feel embarrassed to shoot too many shots. Get…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Ideal atmospheric shooting conditionsIt’s fundamentally understood that early mornings can equal magical light, but for atmospheric landscapes, this rule only applies so far. Atmosphere also means capturing mood, drama and tone, and though the genre can encompass the golden hours, it excels perhaps even further when the weather is inclement. Shoot during stormy weather when the winds are high and the conditions changeable, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities for depicting dark and ominous cloudscapes. Nothing shouts atmosphere quite like a heavy sky with rays of sunlight bursting through. Each season will offer something different; for example, during autumn, the colder nights mean a greater chance of fog, which in turn creates ethereal views of shadows and light rays. When the air is misty, atmospheric perspective, in other words, objects fading off into…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167MASTER THE MISTShooting in foggy and misty conditions is a surefire way to add intrigue to imagery when exposed effectively, but getting your timing right is easier said than done. Although these conditions appear throughout the year, the density of droplets depends on the air currents and temperature being just right. Aim to head out when the temperature differences between night and day are more extreme, during the late evening or early the following morning. Try to head to a body of water such as local river or pond, or better still the coast, where cool sea air will meet warmer air on land. When you do set up, find a high vantage point to shoot from, for example a cliff top. Your choice of kit will depend entirely on the scene…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Subtle water featuresThe subdued light often found under the canopy of woodland is perfect for capturing rivers, streams and waterfalls at their most atmospheric. Be prepared to get your feet wet and compose images in the stream itself, facing the upcoming water. For the best results use a polariser to bring out the most important detail in the colours of the water, as well as cut out any unwanted glare in forest foliage.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167DARK AND STORMYMost typical landscape shots are bathed in the warm, golden glow of sunlight found during the golden hours, but there’s a wealth of opportunities to be had in cloudy conditions too. Heading out on a gloomy day not only makes the most of your shooting time, but also challenges you to work with the elements to your advantage. Cloud cover acts as a huge natural softbox for the Sun and means that while the light hitting your landscape is evenly dispersed, the contrast will also be lowered. If you feel there’s no life in your scenes captured in colour, change to Monochrome mode. If you pay attention to the natural colours you’re including in the composition, you’ll be able to enhance these to add tonal contrast when you get to…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167NATURAL PORTRAITSCandid portraiture is often thought of as being mostly related to street photography, in which there is truly no interaction between the subject and the photographer. However, many of the very best planned portraits are made to appear as if they are entirely spontaneous through the skill and patience of the photographer. It may appear easy, but it demands considerable skill to stand in front of your subject and capture a portrait that appears spontaneous. Natural portrait photography is about capturing those fleeting moments of reality that make a refreshing change from the posed positions and forced smiles associated with standard portrait sessions. It’s about capturing those in-between moments where you reach into your subject’s personality and create an image that truly reflects who they are. Some portrait photographers become…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Get an angleAn important element of spontaneous portrait photography is composition. Knowing where to place your camera to capture those uncontrived moments at the right time can be the difference between a mediocre shot and a flattering shot full of character and emotion. If you spend the entire shoot photographing the model looking straight at the camera then it’s likely that your images will look unnatural and more like a formal portrait session. In some cases you want to go unnoticed and stand away in the distance so that the model can feel relaxed, but at the same time be ready with the camera to shoot when you see an opportunity. Even if the angle isn’t straight it creates the illusion of a candid portrait, shot off-the-cuff. Don’t be afraid to move…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Candid capture1 Consider the light Taking candid imagery still requires the photographer to consider the lighting and make a decision about additional lighting. Outdoor summer events can be very tricky and bright sunshine needs on camera fill flash to balance ambient light. 2 Use the best focal length If you want to focus on human expression and interaction then a telephoto lens will help. I shoot a lot of candid [portraits] around the 200mm end of my 70–200mm f2.8… [A wide aperture] will help isolate the subject. 3 Continuous capture Henri Cartier-Bresson said: “There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture.” Often taking a burst of images will deliver one fantastic shot – moving from Single Shot to Continuous [Burst mode] will enable this.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167SHOOT AT DUSKWhen the Sun starts to set and artificial lights from offices and streets take its place, urban areas suddenly take on a whole new feel and become full of new shooting possibilities. Aim to be in your chosen spot at least half an hour before the time of official sunset to make the most of the changing conditions, set up and get ready to start shooting at the perfect moment of illumination. For stunning evening cityscapes, it’s hard to beat shooting at nautical twilight, which is the period just after the Sun has set, but before true darkness falls. Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than you might think to discover the optimum arrival time for your shoot, as sites like www.timeanddate.com provide detailed twilight durations for any given location…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Shoot long exposures1 Locate yourself Find and position yourself in a spot near traffic lights, or where the volume of traffic is predictable. Set up the camera on a tripod, and compose the shot using Live View. A low and wide composition can work well. 2 Choose settings Use Manual mode, select the lowest ISO possible and a shutter speed of around 10 seconds to begin with. Your aperture will vary on the scene at hand, so it’s easiest to begin shooting mid-range at around f8. 3 Shoot and review Fire the shutter just before the cars move off for the most dynamic effect. View your histogram, and check that the majority of tonal information is in the shadow to midtone section, even if the highlights are slightly clipped.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Add motion blur1 Get into position Mount your camera onto a sturdy tripod, facing it towards a steady stream of people passing by. Manually focus the frame, then attach your ND filter of choice – we used a 10-stop Lee Big Stopper filter. 2 Slow it down Switch to Manual, dial in an aperture of f8 and ISO of 200, then select a slow shutter speed accordingly. Your exposure time will vary depending on the available light and your filter strength. 3 Test and tweak Start shooting, checking that your background is sharp and passers-by look blurred, but distinguishable. Tweak the shutter speed until you reach the optimum exposure time, varying the angle.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Strictly no flashingWe have recommended using a studio head or a hand-held torch. Why not a regular flashgun? There are a few reasons for this, and the main one is that you don’t have a modelling lamp with a flashgun. This means that to execute the shot, you will have to experiment a lot in order to achieve something that could be as simply re-created with light painting, or a more directional light head fitted with a snoot. Again, with both the flashgun and the studio light you have the added disadvantage of flare, and with a highly reflective background like a tablet device, you do run the risk of reflecting that flare back into the camera.…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Use Gradients in PhotoshopThere are a number of things that make the difference between successful edits that have a convincing or professional look about them and those that don’t work so well, but the application of localised rather than global adjustments is definitely one of the decisive factors. The Gradient tool in Photoshop – which is also available as an adjustment layer – is one of the most effective, quick and easy means of creating local adjustments. Used without care, however, it can lead to slightly jarring or inelegant effects that don’t look particularly impressive, so you need to understand how it works and how to use it subtly. Gradients can be used for pretty much any type of image; they’re very flexible and can be easily customised, so the sky’s the limit.…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Professional insightHow do you make your workflow simple? Anyone can simplify their image-processing workflow, but the caveat is that you need to visualise the end result… It’s very instinctual for me to mentally see the final image before I’ve pressed the shutter. How do you transfer your images? Armed with an SD card reader I forage for my images in Finder and copy them manually to my computer. I may be the last person to move over to Lightroom; my image-processing style and file management stubbornly impedes that. What steps do you take to ensure that colours remain consistent at each stage of the workflow? The principal tool I use is a Spyder screen calibration gadget. I’m using a Dell Ultrasharp monitor, which holds calibration very well, however I do still…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167The photo helpdeskMeter with precision I was recently lucky enough to get a press pass to photograph one of my favourite singers, but my camera really struggled to deal with the contrast between them and the stage lights. Are there any settings I could change to help with this problem? Kris Heap First, it’s great that you were able to get so close to your subject, as this is half the battle in low-light environments. When shooting concerts, more often than not you’ll find yourself in a situation where the artist is lit by a bright spotlight, but the rest of the stage is almost black. It’s likely that your camera’s internal light meter is set to evaluative by default, which means it’s metering for bright background lighting and rendering your subject…4 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Surf’s upThe immediacy of capturing a split-second during sports is something that polarises photographers – you either love it, or you hate it. For professional sports photographer Andy Fox (www.andy-fox.com), there’s nothing better than freezing the action – and there’s simply no better place than in the roaring seas. What was your introduction to photography? Have you always taken photographs? When I was 10 years old, I frequently visited the Mediterranean with my grandparents in the summer vacations. I was passionate about jumping into the waves, diving under and bodysurfing until the break of night, and my nostrils would be stuffed with sand. My grandpa trustingly handed me over his Rolleicord medium format camera. I was proudly bouncing at the beach playing in the sand when I got suddenly pounded by…5 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Camera bags for landscape photographersAs a landscape photographer, a sturdy camera bag is one of the most important items to own as it will help ensure that your kit is within easy reach when the perfect photo opportunity arises and that it’s suitably protected when the weather is against you. When travelling to find breathtaking vistas, you need to be able to carry your camera, tripod, lenses and other accessories in comfort, and so a backpack is often the best option. The straps will help spread the weight of your kit across both shoulders and you can rest assured that it will be securely protected when navigating difficult terrain. You first need to consider the size you will need, making sure that it is big enough to hold all of your essentials, but small…8 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167TALKING POINT…Improved connectivity One of the main enhancements in the EOS 750D compared to its older sibling, the EOS 700D, is the built-in wi-fi with NFC pairing. Unusually, the camera lacks a dedicated Wi-Fi button, so this feature must be accessed via the main menu where you can choose to connect to a smart device, print from a Wi-Fi printer or upload to the web. While the Wi-Fi process takes a little time to connect to the camera’s wireless hotspot and then launch the Canon Camera Connect app, the process is much simpler for NFC users. Simply tap the camera against the NFCenabled smart device or even another camera by touching the NFC logos together to transfer images. You can also shoot remotely and adjust settings using the app, which has…1 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167Laowa 60mm f2.8 MacroMacro lenses like this with shorter focal lengths are more suited to normal everyday shooting, but this model is rather unusual for a number of reasons. First, it’s capable of focusing from infinity down to 2:1 with a minimum focusing distance of 18.5cm or around 5cm from the front of the lens, which of course is remarkable. While that makes it difficult to light at times, it’s no different to other short macro lenses. It’s also rather sharp, even at that extreme magnification, though to be fair there’s some noticeable spherical aberration present at close distances. In practice it’s not unpleasant, lending itself to smooth out of focus areas and, unlike some models, the so-called milky look is not tinged with colour from chromatic aberration that’s impossible to clear up…2 min
Digital Photographer|No. 167HOW TO USE FileSiloTo access FileSilo, please visit www.filesilo.co.uk/digitalphotographer 01 Follow the instructions on-screen to create an account with our secure FileSilo system, log in and unlock the issue by answering a simple question about the magazine. You can access the content for free with your issue. 02 If you’re a print subscriber, unlock all the content by entering your unique Web ID. Your Web ID is the eight-digit alphanumeric code that is printed above your address details on the mailing label of your subscription copies. It can also be found on any renewal letters you receive. 03 You can access FileSilo on any desktop, tablet or smartphone device using any popular browser (such as Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome). However, we recommend that you use a desktop to download content,…1 min
