Advanced Photographer 56

CAN YOU SHOOT FOR 24 HOURS? IT’S ONLY NATURAL

If so, we want to hear from you! See page 19 Balancing flash & ambient for portraits

LANDSCAPE MASTERCLASS

Add some class to your coastal creations

THE MAGAZINE THAT TAKES YOUR IMAGES SERIOUSLY

ISSUE 56 £4.95 ABSOLUTEPHOTO.COM

FALL-ING FOR THE NX 1 On location at Aysgarth with Samsung’s flagship CSC

Full test on the lightweight CSC with a heavyweight punch

17 PAGES OF TIPS, TUTORIALS AND TOPIARY

Top tree techniques to shoot now in your neck of the woods FEATURED INSIDE: NIKON D5500 EIGHT-PAGE FULL TEST NIKON D80O FUJIFILM X-T1 AND 50-140mm CANON EOS 6D ap56-001 coverv2.indd 1

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ISSUE 56

Welcome WILL CHEUNG FRPS, EDITOR Will has worked in photo mags for 30 years and has been taking pictures for even longer. His photographic interests are very broad, from landscape and nature to portraits, indoors and out.

COVER IMAGE: Aysgarth Falls by Colin Lusby, shot on a Samsung NX1

ENIPAHDACONNCTEENDT AVAILABLE

The clocks have gone forward and it’s time to look ahead to the great photo opportunities of the coming year – something we’re doing in this issue.

Our technique focus is on trees and the wonderful pictures they can make. We in the UK are blessed with a tremendous variety of native and non‑native trees and none of us are that far away from possible subjects.

We’ve advice on how you can tap into this rich seam of potential, whether you prefer to photograph trees on their own or as a collective subject.

What do you think to the front cover? As shot by one of our readers. See how six readers took on one of the country’s most photogenic waterfalls in their quest for a picture good enough to grace our front cover. Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales is not as spectacular as some falls, but it’s very picturesque and that’s why we chose it as the location for our cover challenge. Armed with Samsung NX1 cameras, our readers had just six hours to take their shots. That sounds a long time, but the reality is very different. You can read how Colin Lusby took the cover shot on page 24.

In Photo Kit we take a look at two new cameras, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the Nikon D5500, which I have enjoyed using over the past few weeks. Both are highly featured, despite their compact dimensions, and definitely worth a close look if you are thinking of downsizing.

See you again next issue.

Will Cheung FRPS, Editor

PAGE 78 COVER STORY

NIKON D5500

PAGE 24 COVER STORY

FRONT COVER FAME

JAN PAUL KRAAIJ

PAGE 34 COVER STORY

FRUITS OF THE FOREST Advanced Photographer is also available as a fully interactive magazine – go to iTunes now!

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ISSUE 56

CONTENTS PAGE 8

LANDSCAPE MASTERCLASS

Imparting his scenic know-how, editor Cheung shows us how it’s done. This issue he journeys to Aldeburgh.

PAGE 12

UPFRONT

Isn’t photography just the best thing since sliced?

We think so, which is why we’re excited about the RPS, free-lensing, awards and Photoshop’s 25th birthday.

PAGE 19

PHOTO 24

PAGE 58 COVER STORY

LIGHTING ACADEMY

KINGSLEY SINGLETON

It’s nearly time to register for the best photographic 24 hours of the year. Ready, steady…

LANDSCAPE MASTERCLASS

PAGE 24

PAGE 34

FRONT COVER FAME

THE BIG FEATURE: TREES

Ready to branch out? Been barking up the wrong tree?

Leaf through these 17 pages and you’ll be back on track, able to see the wood for the trees.

WILL CHEUNG

ROBERT SCHNECK

PAGE 67

CAMERA CLUB OF THE YEAR

Read the story behind the shot, as we reveal how one of five lucky readers took the image gracing our cover.

PAGE 8 COVER STORY

PROJECTS

PAGE 20

The final countdown! The fifth and final round is open for entry, and we’re counting down to the close on 4 May.

PAGE 58

PAGE 67

PAGE 110

INSPIRED: ARCHITECTURE

LIGHTING ACADEMY

It’s all about balance. Find out how to use flash and ambient light together for a natural result.

PROJECTS

Give your photography a boost with a project; it’ll bolster your skills and populate your portfolio.

PAGE 110

INSPIRED

Fire up your imagination with shots from fellow readers.

This month, buildings and architecture are in the frame.

PAGE 114

AND FINALLY…

On his way oop North, editor Cheung goes all angelic.

PHOTO KIT HANY MAHMOUD

PAGE 75

PAGE 78

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 MARK II

PAGE 88

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OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 MARK II

So it tickled his fancy on their first encounter, but is editor Cheung smitten after a longer liaison with the E-M5 Mark II?

PAGE 99 COVER STORY

LONG-TERMERS

WILL CHEUNG

PAGE 99

Advanced Photographer is also available as a fully interactive magazine – go to iTunes now!

NIKON D5500

The low-down on the latest consumer-oriented Nikon DX-format camera: the compact and lightweight 24-megapixel D5500.

PAGE 88 COVER STORY

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE SEE PAGE 32

GEAR NEWS

Every snippet and story you need to know about the latest photographic kit.

LONG-TERMERS

Only long-term, day-to-day use can tell you what a camera is really like. So what do the AP team and its readers think of their kit?

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WORDS & PICTURES WILL CHEUNG

Some landscape photographers have itchy feet and like constantly changing views and opportunities, planning their shoots according to the direction of the sun. Others like to linger and really enjoy a location, soaking up the atmosphere.

Linger is what Will Cheung did on this shoot, spending the whole day in the picturesque coastal town of Aldeburgh on England’s east coast 8

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@advancedphotog

info@advancedphotographer.co.uk

absolutephoto.com

27/03/2015 09:29

Most of us spend the whole of winter yearning for the time when the clocks go forward and we have nice long evenings once again. But there are advantages to shorter days and I, for one, like sunrises sensibly timed so that I don’t have to get up at some god-forsaken hour to catch them.

One of the last landscape shoots I did before the clocks changed was at the picturesque coastal town of Aldeburgh in Suffolk. The town faces east, so in theory it’s best for photographing in the morning. Accordingly, I decided to stay overnight close by, so that I didn’t arrive at the location already exhausted from a long drive.

It had been a cold, clear night when I went to bed, so I had my fingers crossed for a nice sunrise, perhaps with a few small low clouds on the horizon to take the sting out of an intense sun. What you wish for and what you get are two different things, however, and I was presented Advanced Photographer is also available as a fully interactive magazine – go to iTunes now!

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with intense sun from the word go, with not a single cloud in the sky. Don’t get me wrong: it was a gorgeous time to be out and about, and obviously infinitely better than a cloudy grey start to the day. We photographers are rarely happy with our lot.

In fact, I saw few clouds all day long, aside from a spell around lunchtime when a few fluffy cumulus clouds bubbled up to give me some relief from the sun. These had thinned by late afternoon, though, and it was back to blue skies, but of course the sun had moved around by now, so the scene looked very different.

For this shoot, I used a Fujifilm X-T1 with a selection of XF lenses. Actually, I preferred the pictures I took in the afternoon to those I captured in the morning, and that was due to the sun being too intense in the morning. I love contrast, but there is a limit!

I loved the shadows created by the boats and fishing huts and spent a very pleasant 15 minutes shooting loads of variations on the theme. There were so many angles and combinations to explore while the light was great that it seemed churlish not to gorge on the opportunities.

This image was shot on the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 at 12mm (equivalent to 18mm in the 35mm format). The exposure here was 1/220sec at f/11, ISO 400.

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27/03/2015 09:30

WORDS WILL CHEUNG PICTURES VARIOUS

Given a beautiful setting and one of the world’s most advanced cameras – the Samsung NX1 – which of our five readers would capture the image that would grace the cover of this month’s Advanced Photographer? Let the challenge begin!

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I

t was the day of the recent solar eclipse and even as we parked up, the moon had started its journey across the sun’s disc. There was some cloud cover around the sun but much of the sky was blue, so we were expecting good conditions following the century’s biggest celestial event so far.

We started with a technical briefing on the Samsung NX1 at the on-site Coppice Café (thanks to the staff there who looked after us). It’s a topend, highly specified camera aimed at experienced photographers, so it deserved a good run through to help our five readers get the most from it.

Editor Will Cheung went through the NX1’s menus pointing out features relevant to landscape shooting. This included how to get the most from the fully featured exposure system and its three metering patterns, and the camera’s ability to meter from one area and autofocus on another, using the touchscreen interface.

While the Samsung is well endowed with a long list of menu items there are many physical controls too, if you prefer that way of working. Furthermore, pressing the Fn button and using the touchscreen gives even more options for changing settings.

The NX1, with 28 megapixels, has the highest resolution yet seen on an APS-C interchangeable lens camera, and its ability to resolve fine detail was one of the features that would come to the fore during the course of the shoot.

After the briefing it was time to start shooting. The sun was shining bright as we strolled down to the Lower Falls. The contrasty light was challenging and tested the camera’s exposure system, but it coped well. Only a mixture of strong side lighting and dark rock formations meant that help was needed for a properly exposed image.

The ability to shoot at a high frame rate is less relevant to scenic shooting, but the Samsung can race through full resolution frames at 15fps. To test this capability we organised an exclusive photo opportunity with some fast-moving birds of prey from Talon Falconry.

After a few minutes to ensure correct camera setup, we got shooting. The sun was more intermittent now, but using manual exposure mode ensured good exposures against the constantly changing sky.

Many frames later, it was time to go back to the landscape to squeeze in a few final shots, before cream teas and a post-shoot analysis back at the café.

It had been a truly excellent day with a great location, brilliant kit and superb conditions. In fact, as we turned to leave our location, it started to rain.

Talk about perfect timing!

Our participants for our landscape cover shoot, from left to right: Advanced Photographer editor Will Cheung, Colin Lusby, Chas Bedford, Mike Flannery, Garry Kennedy and Shelley Craven.

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27/03/2015 17:44

WOODLAND SHOOTING

WORDS KINGSLEY SINGLETON PICTURES VARIOUS

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@advancedphotog

info@advancedphotographer.co.uk

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27/03/2015 09:49

KINGSLEY SINGLETON

IGNORANCE AND FEAR HAVE TURNED FOREST LOCATIONS INTO THE LAST GREAT WILDERNESS OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT WHILE THESE SPACES ARE SHOT FAR LESS THAN OTHER SCENES IN THE UK, THERE ARE RICH POSSIBILITIES TO BE FOUND BENEATH THE BRANCHES.

L

THIS MONTH WE LAY A TRAIL OF BREADCRUMBS THROUGH THE DARK, TWISTED WORRIES OF WOODLAND SHOOTING, AVOIDING GRIM RESULTS AND LEADING YOU TO THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS.

ike many people in the UK, I grew up with woodland; the house I lived in as a child was pretty much surrounded by it, and if you struck out towards any particular point of the compass you’d quickly be enveloped by the thickening canopy. The only escape route for hylophobics* was a thousand metres of road, snaking thinly through patches where the trees would hunch, overgrowing the route and apparently seeking to cut it off at any moment.

Or that’s what it felt like, anyway. I moved away a long time ago and although I developed a fascination with landscape photography, something failed to sink in until recently. Photography and woodland are brought together far less often than photography and other subjects. By me, by others, by anyone… Pick up a book on landscaping and you’ll usually find only a page, or at best a chapter, on shooting in woodland, no more. And that’s weird because the UK is pretty well stocked with woodland; about 13% of our land areas is covered by it. Unlucky for some? Not really, because woodland offers incredible opportunities for landscape photography.

To clarify, we’re not talking about the classic lone-tree image here. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lone tree as much as the next man, and the iconic look they can give to a landscape is beyond dispute, but pictures of them are quite common. No, it's woodland interiors that are at issue here. The dense thickets, the quiet, misted avenues, and the sudden, bright, encircled glades.

* Those with a fear of forests. (If you’re still reading this, dendrophobia is the fear of trees themselves, while nyctohylophobia is the fear of dark wooded areas or forests at night. Or so we're told.)

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ALAN HOWE

WOODLAND SHOOTING

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@advancedphotog

info@advancedphotographer.co.uk

absolutephoto.com

27/03/2015 09:50

SHOOTING WOODLAND

JAN PAUL KRAAIJ

On one hand it’s understandable why photographers would stay out of the woods, preferring the wide open spaces and more expansive views of coast, country or mountainside. Woods can be fearful places, and not just because of some subconscious fairytale dread of wolves, witches and clawing, tangling branches. In many ways woods are the natural enemy of your camera: they’re often scrubby and starved of light, so they make picture-taking a serious business, well away from what the causal snapper would contemplate. But for serious photographers there are opportunities out there to grasp, and with the right eye it’s easy enough to take your chances.

To help, this month we’ve enlisted expert aid from woodland expert Phil Formby, resident photographer at the Woodland Trust, as well as gathering shooting ideas from the AP team and

readers like you. Employed by the Woodland Trust as a filmmaker, as well as shooting stills, why does Phil think trees can make such inspiring landscapes? “It's because they can be used in so many ways,” he says. “They provide striking silhouettes, intricate shapes and textures, and can even be used to create dappled light on other elements of a scene – I think trees should be a feature of any British landscape!”

Barking up the right tree So where do you start? Well, with trees, obviously, but the best bet is to find a local wood and simply immerse yourself in those surroundings for a few hours (see the panel on woodland locations for suggestions on places to go). In fact, it can be a good idea not to take your camera at all and, instead, just look at what’s possible and what you might try shooting there. If that sounds

WOODS ARE A NATURAL ENEMY OF YOUR CAMERA. OFTEN SCRUBBY AND STARVED OF LIGHT, THEY MAKE PICTURE-TAKING A SERIOUS BUSINESS... BUT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE LEFT Woods can be complex spaces in which to shoot but, like any landscape, simple compositional devices will bring order to the chaos. Here, the lead-in line of the path draws you to the light. BELOW LEFT Being dimmer by nature, woodland scenes often demand longer exposures.

Get woods

You’re never far from a great woodland in the UK. The Woodland Trust owns and manages over 1000 sites across the country – all of which are open and free to explore for photographers like you. As well as offering landscape inspiration in the trees, they’re great spots for wildlife shooting, too. Below you’ll find some of the charity’s top spots for photography, but with so many through the Isles there’s bound to be a site near you, too. To find a wood on your doorstep, go to woodlandtrust.org.uk/visitingwoods, where you can enter your postcode to start the search. If you’re hoping to photograph the woods for commercial uses, or will be using the woods as a set location for a larger shoot, be sure to obtain permission from the Trust by contacting media@woodlandtrust.org.uk.

n HEARTWOOD FOREST, ST ALBANS, HERTFORDSHIRE Heartwood is a great place to capture new, native woodland as it develops. Since 2009, nearly half a million saplings have been planted at this 858-acre site. Vibrant wildflower meadows also provide brilliant splashes of colour during the summer.

n CARNMONEY HILL, NEWTOWNABBEY, NORTHERN IRELAND Carnmoney Hill rises 232m above the town of Newtownabbey and provides stunning, panoramic views of Belfast, making it a great spot to shoot the hubbub of city life through the calm, tree-filled spaces.

n HACKFALL, GREWELTHORPE, NORTH YORKSHIRE Set in a steep gorge, Hackfall is dominated by oak, beech, sycamore and ash trees, plus limes originating from the 18th century. However, hidden amongst the trees are rustic temples, grottos, and waterfalls – providing the opportunity for varied pictures.

n WENTWOOD, NEAR NEWPORT, WALES Wentwood is an ancient woodland that suffered extensive deforestation during the First World War, followed by the planting of non-native conifer plantations. This provides a great contrast between native woodland and stark, tall conifers to use in your compositions.

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PHIL FORMBY

n GLEN FINGLAS, TROSSACHS NATIONAL PARK, SCOTLAND Sitting at the heart of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Glen Finglas is the largest Woodland Trust property to date. It’s made up of a great expanse of ancient woodland, lochs and open heathland. It's also home to some iconic Scottish wildlife.

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PHOTO KIT NIKON D5500

SPECS PRICE £600 body only, £679 with 18-55mm kit lens CONTACT nikon.co.uk SENSOR DX CMOS sensor, 24.2 megapixels IMAGE SIZE 6000x4000 pixels ISO RANGE 100-25,600 AUTOFOCUS MODES AF-S, AF-C, AF-A, 39 or 11 AF zones EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-5EV in 0.3 or 0.5EV steps. Bracketing: 3 frames in 1/3 or 1/2EV steps SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec, flash sync 1/200sec METERING 2016 pixel RGB sensor, 3D Color Matrix II with G, E and D lenses, centreweighted and spot, 2.5% of the frame EXPOSURE MODES PASM, scene, effects SHOOTING SPEEDS Up to 5fps, self-timer (four options) and quiet mode LCD MONITOR 3.2in vari-angle touchscreen, 1037k dots and eye sensor STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS1/II compatible BATTERY EN-EL14 rechargeable li-ion DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 124x97x70mm WEIGHT 420g body only, 669g with battery and 18-55mm lens

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FULL TEST: NIKON D5500 WORD & PICTURES WILL CHEUNG

While Nikon’s reputation has been built on that of its top-end cameras, it’s more than fair to say that the company is also pretty good when it comes to consumer-level DSLRs – like the D5500 Almost inevitably it’s Nikon’s FXformat full-frame cameras that grab the most attention, and with a range including models such as the D4, D810, D750 and Df, it’s no surprise.

But Nikon’s cropped-sensor DX APS-C DSLRs merit a great deal of attention too, with models such as the D7100 offering a great range of features in a compact body.

The latest introduction to the DX range, the D5500 is a compact, lightweight DSLR featuring an 23.5x15.6mm APS-C sensor and it provides a sensible option for those keen to lighten their load and stick with Nikon. The brand does have its 1 series CSC, but its small format does not appeal to everyone, making the D5500 a great alternative.

The D5500 is a highly specified camera and is in the shops for £600 body only or £679 with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II kit lens.

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For the money, the camera has an impressive features list. Top for many will be resolution: the D5500’s CMOS sensor packs 24.2 megapixels and lacks an optical low-pass filter (OLPF), enabling it to deliver a very high standard of image sharpness and fine detail. Nikon’s EXPEED 4 processor makes shooting at 5fps possible – we managed a burst of 25 full-size JPEGs, or six Raw files, before experiencing buffering. Granted, there are plenty of cameras with faster shooting capability, but such capacity isn’t needed by the majority of photographers.

ISO sensitivity is typical for a modern DSLR, starting from 100 and topping out at 25,600, and the full range is available in Raw and JPEG modes. High ISO noise reduction at three levels is available too.

Connectivity is big these days, so the D5500 has Wi-Fi for those wanting to post images on social networking sites. @advancedphotog

As someone who regularly switches from full-frame DSLRs to small CSCs, it’s clear that the D5500 is more like the latter in terms of size, and I did enjoy the camera’s compact form. That feeling is enhanced further by the kit lens that is small when in locked position and extends by about an inch when ready to use.

Where the D5500 is less CSC-like is in its handgrip, which is excellent and provides a really secure grip. I felt comfortable walking around with the camera in the hand without worrying that I was going to drop it at any time.

Overall, I found handling to be smooth and pretty intuitive. Control layout is straightforward and the only minor issue is to do with the five buttons on the back panel – their small dimensions means you have to be careful what you are pushing.

I really liked the monitor. Firstly it’s great for shots at low angles, but in info@advancedphotographer.co.uk

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27/03/2015 11:26

NIKON D5500 PHOTO KIT

NIKON D5500 ANATOMY FRONT THE FRONT In poor light, when the AF system needs a helping hand, the AF auxiliary light 1 will come on automatically. If you prefer discretion, it can be turned off via the menus – item a3. The D5500 takes a wide range of high-class Nikon optics – old and new. Nikon’s F-mount has been going since 1959 and many older Nikon bayonet optics will fit and work on the D5500 (with some limitations depending on the lens). Button 2 is the lens release control. Unusually the camera’s drive button 3 is tucked away to the side of the lens plinth. Drive options include high-speed continuous shooting (5fps maximum), four time options for the self-timer and quiet shutter release.

Also on the side are flash on/flash compensation 4 and Fn 5 buttons.

The Fn button gives one-touch access to eight frequently used features, including AE bracketing, image quality and ISO.

4 5 1

1

2

2 3

3

1 4

FROM THE BACK The back is dominated by a 3.2in vari-angle LCD monitor 1 that offers touch-sensitive operation and can be aimed forwards for selfie shooting as well as used for ground-level shooting.

The monitor can also be folded in if you want to protect the screen or if you prefer to shoot without a preview. Such a large monitor on a small camera means that space for controls is at a premium – buttons are adequately sized but not overgenerous. The ‘i’ button 2 calls up an info menu that lets you change key functions very rapidly. AF features, meter options and ISO are just a few of the many options available. The SD card slot 3 accepts one card and the cover clicks into place reassuringly.

2 5

FROM ABOVE There’s nothing on the left side of the top-plate to discuss but plenty on the right side, although the clean design means the controls have plenty of room to breathe. The on/off switch 1 is around the shutter release collar, so just about perfect for a fast draw – the camera is ready to shoot by the time it reaches the eye. The exposure mode dial 2 is simplicity itself and firmly click-stopped so no chance of unintentional operation. The EFFECTS and SCENE settings bring Nikon’s dedicated exposure modes into play for those users less familiar with editing software. The LV lever 3 activates live view and using it again reverts the camera to normal operation. The record button 4 , next to the shutter release, is well placed and you are very unlikely to confuse the two when the camera is up to the eye. The command dial 5 is firmly click-stopped and reassuringly positive in use. Changes are shown on the full information LCD panel as well as in the viewfinder.

The camera’s hub is on the right of the top-plate, and its controls are positive and great to use. Nikon’s placing of the on/off switch around the collar was a masterstroke from the beginning and it’s good to see that it’s still there. It does make it dead easy to turn the camera on single-handedly so it’s ready to shoot by the time it is raised to the eye.

Nikon usually combines AE-L and AF-L on a single button and gives the user menu options to separate them out, so you can use the AE-L/AF-L button for just AE-L or AF-L. A popular arrangement sees AF-L on the thumb button and AE-L on the shutter release, so both can be used independently. On the D5500 there is also an AF-ON button.

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3

The multiway thumb pad gives direct access to focus point selection. In the menu you can set whether you want 11 or 39 AF points active and navigate to the required one quickly using the thumb control, without having to press and hold any other button. A graphic on the monitor shows which AF point is chosen, and this is also shown in the viewfinder.

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And finally…

www.advancedphotographer.co.uk www.twitter.com/AdvancedPhotog

EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor Will Cheung on his photographic month

I’VE JUST RETURNED FROM A MINI LECTURE TOUR OF FOUR SCOTTISH CAMERA CLUBS, WHERE I HAD A GREAT TIME AND ENJOYED MUCH WARM HOSPITALITY. I MANAGED TO SQUEEZE IN A FEW PHOTOGRAPHS TOO, EVEN THOUGH THE WEATHER WASN’T THAT GOOD. In Long-Termers this issue you can see how I got on with the Fujifilm X-T1 at the Kelpies in Falkirk, but on the long drive north I took in another more established art installation, Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North at Gateshead.

I have stopped and photographed the Angel on perhaps ten different occasions. I love the spot, and as it’s just off the A1 it’s a great place to stretch your legs and break up the tedium of a long drive. I always try to grab a few pictures, even though the figure has been photographed to death.

On this occasion I got there as the sun was setting and, despite a bitter, gusting wind, the place was very busy with visitors. I sat in the car for a while contemplating the situation, and one thing the cold wind helped was to ensure that no one hung round for too long, so the ‘churn’ of visitors was quite high. One van-load of very noisy shouty lads parked next to me and were gone in ten minutes, having run up to the base of the Angel and posed for a couple of group shots.

It was so busy that I bided my time and waited for the sun to drop further, hoping it would quieten down a little. I like human interest in my pictures, but I want the odd person, not crowds. I know I can remove them in Photoshop, but I prefer my captures to be as clean as possible.

The good news was that with the dropping sun and falling temperatures

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Editor Will Cheung FRPS ☎ 01223 499469 willcheung@bright-publishing.com Features writer Megan Croft ☎ 01223 499466 megancroft@bright-publishing.com Contributing editor Kingsley Singleton kingsleysingleton@bright-publishing.com Sub editors Lisa Clatworthy, Debbie Poyser & Ian Farrell

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Ian Fyfe, Phil Formby, Alan Howe, Jan Paul Kraaij, David Morton, Robert Schenck, George Robertson

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Shot on an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with a 12-40mm f/2.8 lens at 12mm.

The exposure was 1/400sec at f/7.1, ISO 400.

visitors thinned out pretty quickly.

I had several cameras packed for the trip but grabbed the one I was testing, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, with the 12-40mm f/2.8, and sallied forth.

I shot a bunch of pictures for the camera test in this issue and then looked around for some more images for myself.

I was hoping for enough cloud cover for an extreme long exposure or two and although the conditions weren’t ideal, I took the short walk back to the car to collect the tripod just in case.

As I was heading back to the Angel, a chap on his mountain bike rode past me and up to the base of the sculpture and that, very handily, coincided with everyone else walking back to their cars.

It was perfect timing and I got a few silhouette shots of him riding about the base. Then the scene was spoilt by another cyclist turning up.

It was frustrating because cyclist number two just stood there and enjoyed the view, but he didn’t stand in the right place to make for a decent picture. From my viewpoint, his shape was merged with the Angel’s base.

Such frustrations are part and parcel of a photographer’s lot but I continued walking round the Angel, looking for a different angle to make the most of the situation, when cyclist number two departed, leaving cyclist number one still riding around. I could see he was about to head down the slope and that’s when I got the shot I wanted. A bit of luck and a good slice of patience resulted in a picture of the Angel that I was happy with. @advancedphotog

Publishing director Andy Brogden Publishing director Matt Pluck Editorial director Roger Payne Head of circulation Chris Haslum

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absolutephoto.com

27/03/2015 15:43