Advanced Photographer 62

SOFTEN PORTRAIT LIGHT MASTER YOUR METERING Creative softbox techniques explained

Improve exposures in camera and Lightroom

HEAD FOR SUCCESS

Pick the right tripod head for your photo

THE MAGAZINE THAT TAKES YOUR IMAGES SERIOUSLY

ISSUE 62 £4.95 ABSOLUTEPHOTO.COM

MISTRESSES

OF LIGHT

Can a more feminine approach improve your landscapes?

AMAZING PORTRAIT PROJECTS

Discover Richard Bradbury’s record-breaking work and start shooting dramatic people pics TESTED GEAR: CANON EF 11-24MM F/4 OLYMPUS 7-14MM F/2.8 FUJI XF90MM F/2 KENKO 2X HD TELECONVERTER LEE FILTERS SW150 MARK II HÄHNEL CAPTUR

NEW

LENS SPECIAL

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.

For me, projects are very important. Projects stimulate and channel creativity, focusing the mind as well as the lens. They provide a reason to use your abilities as a photographer, and they prevent random snapping.

Projects are also challenging. They make you more resourceful, solving problems and growing your skills. You’ll find a theme of successful projects and the photographers who created them running through this month’s mag. There’s Richard Bradbury’s work, which has taken him around the world, photographing Guinness World Record holders in all their many shapes and sizes. There’s also Tim Rudman’s Icelandic forays to enjoy and inspire you to set yourself similar goals.

Tim has produced a beautiful book of his work, but there are other ways to show off your projects. Take, for example, the Mistresses of Light exhibition; a selection of evocative landscape photography created by emerging and established female artists. You can read how it came into being in our interview with two of the creators, Beata Moore and Vanda Ralevska.

Of course, there’s also a healthy dose of technique in the issue with expert advice on improving portrait lighting, as well as a refresher on metering for better exposures and fixing such issues in Adobe Lightroom. And if you’ve got the itch to invest in some new kit, there’s our Photo Kit section with a raft of new lenses tested as well as Lee Filters’ new SW150 Mark II system – if you’ve got wide lenses where fitting filters is difficult like the Canon 11-24mm f/4 or Nikon 14-24mm you’ll want to check it out. Have fun!

Will Cheung FRPS, Editor PAGE 46 COVER STORY

PAGE 26 COVER STORY

LENS TEST SPECIAL

BIG FEATURE

PAGE 18 COVER STORY

SARAH MEDWAY

RICHARD BRADBURY

MISTRESSES OF LIGHT

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ISSUE 61

CONTENTS PAGE 4

UPFRONT

Isn’t photography just the best thing since sliced bread?

We think so, which is why we’re admiring competitionwinning images, flocking to wildlife photography and shivering at the mere idea of Tim Rudman’s latest book.

PAGE 18

MISTRESSES OF LIGHT

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LIGHTING ACADEMY

KINGSLEY SINGLETON

Are female landscape photographers overlooked? Not any more, thanks to the Mistresses of Light, whose landscape exhibition put them firmly on the map.

PAGE 56

MINI TESTS

CAMERA CLASS

Ready to brush up your technique? Then enter our new learning zone: Camera class. Each issue we’ll chalk up a new topic on the blackboard so by the time the bell rings, you’re certain of top grades. This issue, it’s metering modes and exposure control in Lightroom.

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PAGE 38 PAGE 4

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GEAR NEWS

THE STORY BEHIND…

David Bailey’s probably photographed more celebs than you or I will ever photograph hot dinners, but why has he photographed Mick Jagger so many times?

BARA PRASILOVA

PAGE 42

LIGHTING ACADEMY

Take one light and one softbox, make three very different portraits. And the best bit is they’re all as easy as pie.

UPFRONT: HASSELBLAD MASTERS

UPFRONT: FLYING HIGH

If, like us, you remember the days of TV’s Record Breakers fondly, you’ll love Richard Bradbury’s photography. He’s the official Guinness World Records photographer – and he even held a record himself!

PAGE 34

BUYERS’ GUIDE

PAGE 14

THE BIG FEATURE: RECORD BREAKERS

PAGE 26

PHOTO KIT PAGE 42

GEAR NEWS

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

PAGE 46

NEW LENS SPECIAL

Our intrepid reviewers take some of the latest lenses for a spin. Find out how they fare in the first of this two-part lens special.

PAGE 56

MINI TESTS

The bits and pieces that are guaranteed to improve your shooting experience.

PAGE 64

BUYERS’ GUIDE

Get your head around the best head for your tripod.

ISSUE 62 ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHER

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© Bara Prasilova

WORDS MEGAN CROFT

HASSELBLAD MASTERS COMPETITION

THE HASSELBLAD MASTERS IS THE COMPETITION EVERY PRO PHOTOGRAPHER WANTS THEIR NAME ASSOCIATED WITH. IN THE FINAL STAGES OF JUDGING FOR THE BIENNIAL COMPETITION WE CATCH UP WITH GLOBAL MARKETING DIRECTOR MICHELE CHANNER TO FIND OUT MORE

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EXHIBITION INTERVIEW

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EXHIBITION INTERVIEW Frosty Morning on the Wey by Rachael Talibart.

WORDS MEGAN CROFT

Vanda Ralevska and Beata Moore were the driving forces behind the Mistresses of Light exhibition, which celebrated the work of women landscape photographers and was on show at the trendy OXO Tower in London.

Before the exhibition took place, we chatted to both organisers to find out more

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PROJECT RICHARD BRADBURY

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PROJECT RICHARD BRADBURY

WORDS ROGER PAYNE PICTURES RICHARD BRADBURY

If you want to shoot the best, and you want to beat the rest, Richard Bradbury’s what you need…

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PHOTO KIT LENS SPECIAL

ON TEST: NEW LENSES WORD & PICTURES WILL CHEUNG

In part one of our new lens special we test the latest wide-angle offerings from Canon and Olympus, as well as Fuji’s new telephoto prime, the 90mm f/2. Also under the microscope are brand-new teleconverters from Kenko. Fresh from their boxes, let’s see how these new optics get on…

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PHOTO KIT LENS SPECIAL

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PHOTO KIT TRIPOD HEADS

ABOVE Though tripod legs can be used for a wide range of photography, specialist heads help you adapt to specific subjects.

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TRIPOD HEADS PHOTO KIT

WORDS KINGSLEY SINGLETON

BUYERS’ GUIDE

Explore the world of specialist heads and see how investing in different models can improve your shooting...

T

he point at which you start thinking about tripod heads as separate things to tripod legs defines you as a photographer; most of us start off with a low-cost, all-in-one model where the head is stuck fast to the legs, but move on to twinning separate heads and legs and you’re really getting serious. Unlike all-in-one affairs, enthusiast pairings let you adapt to different subjects, improve your shooting, and help you pack smaller and lighter, if required; they come in shapes and sizes designed to meet every need there is, so whether you shoot wildlife, sport, landscapes, still-life or anything in between, there’ll be something to suit your needs.

Even if you already have an enthusiast tripod and head set-up, investing in alternative heads is important because although you can often use the same set of legs for different subjects, different heads allow you to specialise and get the most from your shooting. Fortunately, the commonality of tripod head connectors means

you can mix and match manufacturers, because the vast majority mount using a 3/8in thread and use a 1/4in threaded quick-release plate to attach your camera, and improve stability and the speed of access.

When buying, first consider the application; what are you shooting and what’s the best model for the job? After all, we can all agree that Ferraris are awesome, but trying to off-road up a mountainside in one is anything but. So, while a ball head allows fast and free movement, it’s not necessarily as accurate as a three-way model. Pick the right head for the job and success will come.

The weight and load capacity are also vital – you don’t want to be carrying more than you need to, but conversely if your kit is in the heavyweight bracket you need a head that will support it with ease. Also consider the load-bearing of the tripod it’s going onto, because that has to support both the head you’re using and the camera gear on top.

Now let’s get to picking your next tripod head…

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WORDS ROGER PAYNE PICTURES DAVID BAILEY

the story behind…

TELLING THE TALES OF ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE GREAT AND THE GOOD

HE’S ONE OF THE FAMOUS FACES THAT BAILEY HAS PHOTOGRAPHED MOST, BUT WHAT MAKES JAGGER SO INTERESTING TO HIM? The UK’s largest exhibition of David Bailey’s work, Stardust, is now on show in Edinburgh’s Scottish National Portrait Gallery. More than 300 images spanning right across his career are on display, from his early fashion photography up to his global portraiture and photos of his wife and muse, model Catherine Bailey.

The list of famous names that have stood in front of Bailey’s lens over the past five decades is mindboggling. Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp and Francis Bacon have all sat for him, but Mick Jagger and The

Rolling Stones have been photographed more than most. In fact, an entire room at the exhibition is dedicated to one of rock’s biggest bands, with this image, taken in 1964, among them.

Bailey first met Jagger and The Stones when the singer was in a relationship with the sister of Jean Shrimpton with whom Bailey was living at the time. Bailey ended up photographing them on tour and became good friends with them. Last year, when Vanity Fair asked Bailey what made Jagger so interesting to photograph, he replied: “He was a mate, that’s why I photographed him so many times.” A typical response from the outspoken photographer who told CNN Style earlier this year: “Most fashion photography’s pretty crap, not much better than most wedding photography.”

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EDITORIAL TEAM

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 & Catherine Brodie

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Terry Hope, Daisy Dickinson

ADVERTISING TEAM

Sales director Matt Snow ☎ 01223 499453 mattsnow@bright-publishing.com Key accounts Mike Elliott ☎ 01223 499458 mikeelliott@bright-publishing.com Sales executive Krishan Parmar ☎ 01223 499462 krishanparmar@bright-publishing.com

DESIGN TEAM Design director Andy Jennings Design manager Alan Gray Ad production Lucy Woolcomb

WEB TEAM Flash developer Ashley Norton Web developer Will Woodgate

PUBLISHING TEAM

nationalgalleries.org @NatGalleriesSco

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

CONTRIBUTING TO ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHER Advanced Photographer is always looking for photographic talent so if you feel your pictures are worthy of being featured in the magazine we would love to hear from you. In particular we want creative pictures showing the use of popular and innovative camera techniques.

BY POST: Send us a CD with 12 images or fewer, together with a contact print of images, and a brief covering letter outlining your ideas and photographic credentials. In terms of file size, please ensure that the image is at least A4 size (21x29.7cm) and 300ppi resolution. If you prefer, up to 12 unmounted A4 prints can be submitted. Please enclose a stamped SAE if you want the CD/prints returned.

Advanced Photographer, Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ.

BY EMAIL: Please email us at info@advancedphotographer.co.uk. Attach no more than six low-resolution JPEGs (1000 pixels on the longest dimension) and a brief, 100-word email outlining your ideas and key photographic credentials. We will contact you for high-resolution files if your images are chosen for publication.

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Bailey’s Stardust is at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery until 18 October 2015. Tickets cost £11 (£9 concession).

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Advanced Photographer is published on the first Thursday of every month by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. Advanced Photographer is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Advanced Photographer that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it can’t be guaranteed. Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.