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Digital SLR issue 83

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Take great images

he Digital SLR staff love photography too and, when we’re not putting the magazine together, we’re out with our cameras. Here’s what the team got up to this month...

“I was lucky enough to tag along on our Reader Rescue day at Chatham Historic Dockyard. A fantastic location dripping with picture potential, I was drawn to the tall rigging of the old ships. By using a small aperture (f/16), I added a starburst effect to the sun that was burning brightly. The rigging works perfectly as lead-in lines, guiding the viewer’s eye to the middle of the frame. If you get a chance, drop in on this amazing location, it’s a great day out for the family.” – Matty, Editor

Welcome

After last year’s succession of wet weekends, I’d almost forgotten what summer felt like. But this year we’ve been blessed with beautiful weather – the sun shining brightly in the sky makes us all want to grab our cameras and head outdoors. We’ve dedicated this issue to summer, so get energised and fill the next four weeks with some fantastic photography. If you’re heading off on your annual holiday, remember to pack your camera in the suitcase – along with this issue. We’ve got a great feature sharing the 11 secrets of great holiday photos. With its help and advice, you’re guaranteed to come back with creative images, rather than the old clichéd beach snaps. Also this month, why not try one of our technique features in the summer sun? From capturing perfect portraits of your pets, to getting your aviation photography off the ground – we’ve got plenty to keep you busy outdoors. Just remember to pack some suncream! Lastly, I had the opportunity to meet up with over 150 readers at our Photo 24 event recently. A full report of the challenge can be found on page 24 and if you missed it, look out for more events soon.

Matty Graham, Editor mattygraham@bright-publishing.com

Digital SLR Plus

“This month I got to visit South Korea, but it wasn’t all work. I was lucky enough to get a tour of Seoul, including a visit to Gyeongbok Palace, where this photo was taken. The stone railings lead your eye to the roof at the top.” – Ian, Technical writer

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“On the longest day of the year, I was in London, busy staying awake and taking pictures for 24 hours on the Samsung Photo 24 event. This was one of my earlier, non-caffeine fuelled images. Read more about it all on page 24.” – Roger, Editorial director

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Contents Digital SLR

Your new-look issue comes packed to the staples with great photo advice. This month you will find…

Issue 83 72 Reader

rescued!

your passport to a summer of great images

Photo Technique

7 11 holiday photo secrets COVER

Along with the suncream and Euros, remember to pack a camera in your suitcase. We’ll show you how to bag great images whatever your destination.

16 Back to Basics: Pets COVER

Our cats and dogs are part of the family, so it’s time to line them up in front of our cameras for some purrfect portraits.

39 Photo Ideas COVER

Fill your month with inspiration and photo challenges.

58 10-Minute Masterclass COVER

In less time than it takes to brew up, we’ll explain everything you need to know about white-balance.

62 Reach for the skies

Aviation photography is fun and offers the potential for some great shots. So let’s get ready for take-off.

READERS’ SHOTS 32 Feedback

Improve your picture-taking skills by following the feedback from our panel of photo experts.

48 Reader Hero

Digital SLR reader Richard Fox has produced an amazing portfolio of images from his local area of Devon. Read his story and be inspired.

54 Photoblogs

Been on a photo day out or shot a set of themed images? Send them in – these readers did just that.

EQUIPMENT 68 Ask Ian

Put technical writer Ian’s PhD brain to the test with your gear and technique queries, just like these readers did.

72 Reader Rescue COVER

Reader Sue Lupton needs help picking a wide-angle lens – Digital SLR comes to her rescue!

78 Samsung Galaxy NX

Portraits worth barking about!

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We give this smart camera a thorough test drive. How will it fair?

80 Sub-£100 shoulder bags COVER

Like shooting in the city? We test eight urban bags to find the best for your cash.

competitions & regulars 24 Photo 24 COVER

Over 150 readers took part in our London Photo 24 group shoot. Read the full report and see the winning photos.

36 Your photo, our cover

Fancy seeing your handiwork on the front cover of Digital SLR magazine? Then enter this comp and you could be joining us for a special front cover shoot.

98 Wordsearch

Digital edition ✓ Access the digital edition on your iPad or iPhone ✓ Head to the App Store, search for Digital SLR magazine and choose your subscription deal ✓ Buy the new issue, a back issue, or sign up for a subscription – it’s up to you!

anytime anywhere

Find words, win software. Easy. issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 5

Digital SLR Plus This feature has extended content in our free digital magazine. Download it at www.dslruser.co.uk/ dslrplus

The kids are out of school, the bags are packed, it’s time for a holiday. But this summer, take your camera and put Steve Davey’s photo secrets into practice to capture more than just great memories… hether you’re packing for a weekend in Skegness or a fortnight on the French Riviera, along with the passports and toothbrushes, the other essential bit of luggage should always be your camera. As well as the opportunity to see some amazing new locations, your break will also give you the chance to record some precious family moments – after all, our Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DSLRMag

holidays are the reason we work so hard all year long. One thing to avoid, however, (along with the insect bites and air traffic control strikes) is boring, clichéd images. They won’t be personal and you won’t look back on them with inspiration. So, to help you fill the memory cards with great holiday images, I’ve put together 11 top tips that will have

a dramatic effect on the quality and variety of your snaps. Give them all a go and I guarantee you’ll return home with photos that will be prompting brilliant memories long after the tan has faded.

fingers on shutterS? turn over… issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 7

your passport to a summer of great images

top tip

matty graham

Let the kids do their thing and they’ll soon forget about you, so you’ll get natural shots

Photograph your family Families are the reason we save up our cash all year for a holiday. We want to enjoy the holiday with our loved ones, so it’s only right we want to take photos of the vacation to stick on our desks and look at on a bad day at the office. Take pictures of your family enjoying themselves – but remember to join in too! Don’t get everyone to pose, instead photograph them as they are busy playing. Just sit quietly and snap away as they get on with what they are doing. They will soon forget about you and you can shoot some natural and fun images. If, in the future, you try to make some money from your photography, then model released lifestyle shots of a family enjoying their holiday can be perfect – they may even pay for your next holiday!

top 3 family destinations

Jurassic coast, england Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DSLRMag

normandy, france

Yorkshire dales, England issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 13

London

24 DIGITAL SLR issue 83

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London

Photo 24

in association with

We challenged Digital SLR readers to join us on 21 June – the longest day of the year – to shoot London for 24 hours straight. Hundreds of you attended, and here’s a showcase of the best images from the challenge…

ver wanted to challenge your photography, and yourself, to the absolute limits? That’s exactly what over 150 readers did. Digital SLR teamed up with Samsung to organise a one-off event to pit tech and inspiration against tiredness and sore feet. The concept was simple – show up at 6pm in a top London hotel to register for the event and then spend the next 24 hours (or however long you could last) shooting the wonderful sights of our nation’s capital. Readers could go it alone and do their own thing or meet up with Digital SLR staff – we even had some Samsung experts on hand so readers could test-drive the NX300 and the brand new Samsung Galaxy NX the day after it was launched to the world! Although the event was very much just for fun, there were a few great prizes on offer too. Sit back and relax, and take in the sights of London shot through the eyes of some tired, but certainly inspired, readers.

issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 25

shoot the cover

Could you shoot our cover? Fancy seeing your image on our cover? Digital SLR and Nikon are teaming up to offer you this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Ready to give it a go? f you love shooting portraits, this competition is for you. We’re giving three readers the chance to attend a very special photoshoot. Our three lucky finalists will use a selection of excellent cameras from the Nikon 1 range and compete against each other to produce a jaw-dropping portrait with the help of a professional model and award-winning photographer, Mark Ashworth. The prize for the best image is something money just can’t buy – the cover shot of Issue 86. Yes, that’s right, your image could be gracing the front cover of your favourite photo mag.

Our finalists will be shooting their portraits at a special outdoor location, so they will need a versatile, flexible and lightweight camera to work with. Step forward the Nikon 1 range – consisting of the S1, J3 and V2 – all ultra-fast compact system cameras, light in weight but big on quality and boasting the powerful EXPEED 3 processor. Photos for our front cover have to be sharp as a pin; luckily, the Nikon 1 range has lightning-quick autofocus and can shoot in Raw format for big image quality. These opportunities don’t come around often, so don’t miss this chance to see your very own image on a front cover!

Here’s how it will work

If you're interested in outdoor portraits, this is the challenge for you!

Choose your IMAGEs The first step is to send us your three best portrait images. You’ve got until Friday 6 September, so take your time and only email us the very best of your portfolio.

three readers shortlisted The Digital SLR magazine judging panel will select the three most promising readers. They will be asked to attend our special ‘Shoot Our Cover’ day at an amazing outdoor location on Tuesday 17 September.

Join us on location Come the big day, our three finalists will get plenty of time with a professional model and an expert instructor to bag some amazing portraits with the Nikon 1 cameras. We’ll even treat you to a posh lunch!

Final judging The Digital SLR panel will gather round a table and judge the images, with the best portrait taking pride of place on the front cover of Issue 86.

“come the big day, our finalists will get to bag amazing portraits with the nikon 1 cameras”

But wait, there’s more... Portraits win prizes! If you make it through to the Shoot Our Cover location shoot, as well as an amazing day with the Nikon 1, you’ll also bag a fantastic prize. • The best image will adorn the front cover of our Issue 86 magazine – on sale Thursday 24 October. Plus the winner will also take home the fantastic Nikon 1 V2, and a Nikon SB-N7 Speedlight (a total package worth £949). • If you don’t come out on top, you’ll still win a prize. Our runners-up will bag a Nikon 1 S1 each. Good times!

36 DIGITAL SLR issue 83

Interested in taking part? Here’s what you need to do… • Resize three of your best portrait images so they are under 1MB in size each. • Attach and email your resized images to shootourcover@bright-publishing.co.uk – remember to include the subject header ‘Nikon Competition’. • You must be available to travel to and attend our outdoor location photoshoot on Tuesday 17 September 2013, which will be in sunny Cambridgeshire and will start around mid-morning.

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shoot the cover

Cover time

In just a few months, this could be your photo on our front cover. give it a go!

Want to learn more about Nikon's fantastic range of products? Head over to www.nikon.co.uk now! Terms and Conditions The winners will be notified by email/phone by 10/09/13 and the results may be published in the magazine and/or website. This competition is open to UK residents only. All entrants must be at least 18 years old. Employees of Bright Publishing and the prize provider and their immediate families and agents may not enter. Entries must be received by 09/09/13. Entries not in accordance with these rules will be disqualified: by entering the competition, competitors will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these rules. The prize must be taken as offered with no alternative. In the event that the prize cannot be supplied no liability will attach to Bright Publishing. For full terms and conditions, please visit www.bright-publishing.com. Copyright of all images submitted for this competition remains with the respective entrants. Where an image is used, the photographer will be credited. Images will only be used by Digital SLR or Nikon UK, in connection with the promotion of the competition, for a period of no more than five years. Digital SLR may choose to showcase the images in an exhibition, on the web site or magazines as a means of promoting the competition. All images will be credited. All photographs submitted must be the work of the individual who submits them. Entrants must ensure that photographs have been taken with the permission of the subject (where necessary) and do not infringe the copyright of any third party.

issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 37

INFO

 nikon d700  50mm lens

a selection of fantastic portfolios around the world

 1/6400sec at f/1.4  ISO 100

Mother of photography

Mother of three and Digital SLR reader Charlotte Kitchenside bought a camera to capture her daughters’ childhoods. Since then, her photography has matured along with them

or many, having children means less time for photography, but for Digital SLR reader Charlotte Kitchenside, it couldn’t have been more different. In fact, her background in photography had faded until she was inspired by her daughters to get her camera out again. “I learnt the basics of photography at college, but I didn’t take it anywhere until I had my first daughter. Then I picked it up again – I bought a DSLR, started practising and it went from there.” Like any parent, Charlotte wanted pictures of her children, but unlike most she decided that she was the best person to take them. “Being a mum, I wanted to capture everything, but I didn’t want to take my kids to a studio and get them photographed on a white backdrop – I didn’t think it represented the way my children were. So I liked to photograph them while we were out and about, when they were doing whatever they wanted to do and not necessarily looking at me and grinning like idiots.” In doing this, Charlotte has captured her children in a way that no-one else could have, but the danger in photographing your children so much is that they grow to dislike it. So has that happened with Charlotte’s daughters? 54 DIGITAL SLR issue 83

“My oldest two really enjoy it, but I have a two-year-old who doesn’t like it so much and isn’t particularly willing. Then again, I don’t need them to be willing because I don’t need them to be looking at me and smiling, I just like them to do whatever they want to do.” But the way Charlotte captures natural moments is only half of what makes them so

top “Taken during an evening walk. We are lucky to live in such a rural location and I wanted to capture the warm, mellow light as my youngest picked daisies.” above “In the grounds of a manor house, I’d taken the girls (and the husband!) with me to a shoot. We spied this scene through a hole in the hedge, the sun streaming though a gap in the trees, and I had to climb through to capture it!”

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biography

 N ame Charlotte Kitchenside  Age 35  J ob Full-time mum  Camera kit Nikon D700, 50mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.4  Best bit of camera advice you’ve ever been given “Don’t be afraid to get out there and give it your best, or to approach people”

captivating; the other half is the light and the atmosphere it creates. “It’s all natural lighting. I’ve got a flash, but I don’t like using it. I tend not to go out in the middle of the day and we tend to do it in the evening in the golden hour before the sun goes down. I have been known to drag them out of bed at six o’ clock in the morning to get the light. They weren’t particularly happy – I haven’t repeated that.” And does she do any work to the photos on the computer to enhance the atmosphere? “I try not to touch the lighting too much, but I like to make them feel soft. Sometimes I’ll blur out the background a bit more than it is already. I tend to shoot with the aperture wide open, so a lot of the skies are overexposed – occasionally, I’ll put a sky overlay in to make them more interesting.” Since getting her camera out to capture her children, Charlotte’s photography has

clearly blossomed, and what started as a mother capturing treasured moments of her daughters’ childhoods has turned into something more. “Once they started school, other mums wanted me to photograph their children, so I did that for about a year, just to get more experience. I didn’t intend to do it as a job, but I don’t like saying no to people and it’s got to the point now where I’m working 40 or 50 hours a week.” Having had so much success, Charlotte is now looking to branch out and take her photography further. “I’m dabbling in weddings, but only small affairs, otherwise it would take a lot of time and commitment that I haven’t got to give at the moment. But I’ve been in touch with a couple of wedding photographers that I admire and I’m hoping to assist them next year. That’s where I’d really like to take it.”

“i’m dabbling in weddings, but only small affairs” top LEFT “Mid-morning in a churchyard. I edited with a heavier matte effect to enhance the hazy light that day.” TOP RIGHT “In the gardens of the country house. I knew the deep purple would make a beautiful contrast to my daughter in open shade.” above MIDDLE “In open shade in a park in Spain. I felt like I could see in her face that she was wishing she was bigger and wanted to capture that.” middle “Taken in the midday sun on a beach in Spain, edited to enhance the beautiful muted blues in the image.” above “My elder daughters during the golden hour, taken as a set of images.”

issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 55

EQUIPMENT

Samsung Galaxy NX

The Photographer’s Guide to the Galaxy Samsung’s cameras just got a whole lot smarter with the Android-based Galaxy NX. Ian Fyfe takes it for a spin to see if it’s still on the launch pad or out of this world Samsung Galaxy NX Web: www.samsung.co.uk Price: £1,299 (with kit lens)

t’s a camera, Jim, but not as we know it. At least, that’s what I imagine might be said on the Enterprise. Samsung is leading a revolution in cameras that started with the Galaxy camera last year, the first device running Android that was more camera than phone. Now, the Galaxy NX is a compact system camera (CSC) with an Android operating system, bringing the technology of smartphones into a camera with a big sensor and interchangeable lenses. Shortly after the announcement of the Galaxy NX, I went to Korea to meet the makers of the new camera and put it to the test with some shooting in the demilitarised zone – so to speak. It was a pre-production model, but the first chance to see what an Android-powered CSC is really like to use. 78 DIGITAL SLR Issue 83

Different is probably the word that sums it up. Picking up the NX for the first time caused a bit of a brain freeze because the screen on the back is huge and engulfs the space where you’d expect to find buttons. This touch screen is almost all you have to control the camera, and this takes some getting used to. Early on, there were regular episodes of absent-minded button hunting before my conscious brain kicked in to remind me that the screen was where I should be looking. Once I’d processed the concept of approaching a camera in the same way as a smartphone though, it became easy – if you want to change a setting, just touch it. Anyone who uses a smartphone daily will pick it up in no time. What’s more, the enormous screen is wonderful for framing shots and viewing images in playback.

If you want the user-friendly interface of the Galaxy camera, then you can have it with the Standard user interface – this streamlines control so that you’re not faced with the confusion of all the settings in front of you at once, and offers more on-screen help if you choose to take full control. If you know what you’re doing, then the Expert user interface Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DSLRMag

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy NX at www.jessops.com or call 0844 800 4444

leaves you to it and has all settings available with one touch of the screen. Being a Smart camera, the Galaxy NX has more Smart modes than ever. These include the equivalents of creative filters such as Miniature, Sunset, Fireworks and Panorama, as well as modes for particular scenes such as Landscape, Snow and Night. Others offer something different though. For example, Drama merges several action shots into a single frame, while Eraser combines five shots to remove moving subjects. If you’re not sure which to use, then there’s also Smart Mode Suggest, which analyses the scene and suggest which mode is best. What Samsung really means by ‘Smart’, though, is ‘connected’, and the Android operating system means this is the most connected camera ever. Wi-Fi connection to the Internet means you can instantly upload high-quality pictures to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other sharing network. You can also sync shots to Dropbox or other cloud storage for a virtually invincible backup. And that’s not to mention connectivity to other devices such as your phone or tablet, which makes transfers easy. You have access to all apps available through Google Play as well – this not only means you can use any of the endless photo editing and sharing apps for your photos, but you can get other apps that help your photography on your camera. For example, Samsung’s Photo Suggest app comes loaded

Samsung Galaxy NX

on the camera – this integrates with Google Maps to recommend nearby photo hotspots and shows you pictures that others have taken for inspiration. Because anyone can make an app for Android, more photography apps are a virtual certainty and the long-term potential for customising the camera is huge. Despite all this extra functionality, the Galaxy NX still feels like a camera to a photographer. It comes on in camera mode, has a viewfinder so you can shoot with it up to your eye, and the handgrip makes it feel like a DSLR. It’s got plenty of camera technology too – Samsung’s latest 20.3-megapixel sensor is the same size as those in most DSLRs, and it’s been newly developed to collect more light and improve focusing. There’s also Samsung’s latest image processor on top of a smartphone chip so it can process your pictures quickly. Images are as good as you’d expect from an entry-level DSLR and, although there was some graininess in pictures from the preproduction model even at low ISOs, they contained plenty of detail. You can also shoot Raw, and the camera will come with Adobe Lightroom 5, which will let you get the best out of the images straight from the box. The combination of technology makes the Galaxy NX something completely new, and it’s difficult to imagine that it’s not a glimpse of the future for most cameras. It’s set the benchmark, and from what I saw of the preproduction model, it’s set it high. Beam me up, Samsung.

“what samsung means by 'smart' is 'connected' and the Galaxy nx is the most connected camera ever” Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DSLRMag

EQUIPMENT

Specifications Street price: £1299 with 18-55mm kit lens Resolution: 20.3 megapixels Storage: Micro SD up to 64GB, internal memory 16GB ISO range: 100-12800 (100-25,600 expanded) Metering patterns: Multi, spot, centreweighted Autofocus: Contrast detection with 105 pixels, on-sensor phase detection Shutter: 30secs-1/6000sec Shooting speeds: Single, continuous 8.6fps, self-timer 2-30secs size: 136.5x101.4x56mm weight: 495g with battery

Digital SLR verdict PROS: Android operating system, big screen, large sensor CONS: Position of On/Off button

Issue 83 DIGITAL SLR 79

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