Photography News 33 by Bright Publishing

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Issue 33 6 June â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 June

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Fujifilm X-Pro2 Launched earlier this year, the X-Pro2 has been an instant hit, already picking up a coveted TIPA award: Best Mirrorless CSC Expert. It’s the first model in the X series range to offer the powerful 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor and X-Processor Pro engine, which combine to deliver superb quality images and a blistering overall performance. The camera also features a sophisticated Advanced Hybrid Multi viewfinder that provides the benefits of optical, rangefinder and electronic viewfinders in one, all of which can be accessed by the flick of a lever. Autofocusing has also been improved with an increase in the number of selectable focusing points and high sensitivity phase-detection pixels covering a larger part of the imaging area, while the new Focus Lever ensures it’s easier than ever to quickly select a focusing point.

Fujifilm X-T1 If you prefer your mirrorless camera to be more digital SLR in terms of looks and handling, the X-T1 will be right up your street. The big, bright central electronic viewfinder and contoured grip give a more familiar feel, but you still get all the Fujifilm X series benefits: compact and lightweight design, stunning looks and outstanding image quality. At the heart of the X-T1’s weather-resistant body is a 16.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS II sensor, which delivers images packed with colour and detail when combined with one of the high-quality Fujinon XF prime or zoom lenses. Working with this sensor to provide speedy autofocus is Fujifilm’s own EXR II processor. The dial-based operation means that you can quickly check the major functions on the camera without switching it on, plus it ensures that all key features can be accessed swiftly so there’s no barrier to creativity. Round the back of the camera is a threeinch tilting LCD screen, which offers extra framing ease and versatility when you’re shooting at high and low angles, or when the camera is tripod mounted. The central Real Time Viewfinder provides an almost instant display of the scene and its graphical user interface ensures quick and easy viewing of settings. Available in two colours, all-black and graphite silver, this is a camera designed for keen enthusiasts and has the feature set to prove it, including Wi-Fi connectivity, an intervalometer, ISO sensitivity up to 51,200 and Fujifilm’s unique Film Simulation modes honed and developed through more than 80 years of photographic film manufacturing.

Despite these many advancements, the look of the camera stays true to the original X-Pro1, which means it leans heavily on the classic film camera style and has key features accessed through dials, not menus. This time, however, the body is weather resistant, plus it features dual memory card slots for greater versatility when saving images. The shutter speed range has been extended to include a top speed of 1/8000sec, while the maximum flash sync jumps to 1/250sec; impressive when you consider the shutter unit itself is guaranteed for 150,000 frames. Images below From its Advanced Hybrid Multi viewfinder and X-Processor Pro engine to the weather-resistant body and dual memory card slots, the X-Pro2 is a real winner.

Fujifilm X-E2S

Images The X-T1 offers a DSLR-like experience in terms of handling and looks, but with all the joys of a Fujifilm’s X series mirrorless camera: a compact, lightweight body, impressive style and stunning image quality from the X-Trans sensor.

Without a doubt, this is a camera that punches well above its diminutive weight. Tipping the scales at just 350g for the body only including battery and memory card, the X-E2S is the perfect camera for any photographer who wants to travel light. But weight and size are really the only compromises you’ll make, in every other respect this is a top quality X series model. Like other interchangeable lens cameras in the range, the X-E2S features an APS-C sized X-Trans sensor that delivers fantastic images bursting with colour and definition. The bright electronic viewfinder uses 2.36 million dots to show images in superb detail, plus it offers a wide selection of picture-taking functions so you will always have the tools you’ll need to capture great images. As well as making changes to the design, the X-E2S offers further improvements over its predecessor, the X-E2. These include a more versatile focusing system, which now tracks moving subjects more accurately thanks to the addition of Zone

and Wide/Tracking modes, plus a Full Auto mode that ensures the camera is accessible even to photographic novices. A model that truly underlines all the benefits of X series mirrorless cameras, the X-E2S not only looks great and has a versatile set of features, it takes a great photograph too. What more could you ask for?

Above The X-E2S’s Wi-Fi enables you to print with the optional instax SP-1 printer.

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Issue 33 6 June – 30 June

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In it to win it

Enter the competition on page 60

Entering photo competitions can give your photography a boost – if you win, your bank balance can benefit too

Entering a photo contest has never been easier and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your armchair. But entering and winning are not the same and you have to think about the themes, what the judges want to see, shoot the pictures and hope yours are better than everyone else’s.

The thing is, though, someone has to win and there is absolutely no reason why it can’t be you – but first you have to enter. So, with many contests launching this month, now is the time to start think about getting some photographs ready. The Sony World Photography Awards 2017, Travel Photographer

of the Year and the RHS’s annual photo competition have all opened their doors for entry this month. The closing dates may be some time away yet, but start planning and get shooting your entry now just make reap you benefits in 2017. See page 9 for more details.

Lens special, part 1 12 new lenses from Laowa, Pentax, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and Voigtländer tried and tested this month … continue reading on page 40

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

bron go portable

Photographers love the flexibility and convenience of battery-powered flash but still want the power and performance of mains units and that’s what bron’s latest flash heads offer bron, world renowned for its top quality studio equipment has added a battery-powered monobloc unit to its range. The Siros L (L stands for lithium) is available in 400 or 800W/s output options but have an identical feature set – the physical difference is that the 800 version is slightly longer. Key selling points of Siros L units are very brief flash durations, as short as 1/19,000sec in Speed mode, constant colour temperature output in normal use and even light spread in different modifiers thanks to the design and positioning of the flash tube. Constant colour is possible with bron’s ECTC (Enhanced Colour Temperature Control) which controls voltage and flash duration to give constant colour temperature over the whole output range. In Speed mode, where very short flash durations

are needed, ECTC is cancelled but even here the variance in colour temperature is minimal. In normal use mode, the minimum output of the 400L still gives a brief flash duration of 1/9000sec. Output is manual only, controllable over a nine EV range from ten (full power, 400 or 800W/s depending on the model) to two (two or four Watts per second) in 0.1 f/stops. The rechargeable battery gives an impressive 440 full output flashes and this increases significantly if lower output settings are applied. The battery must be charged outside of the flash unit and a charger is supplied in the kit. The new heads are fully compatible with bron’s range of modifiers including the wonderful Paras. High speed sync is available on the Siros L heads but not with the existing bron

RFS 2.1 trigger, but that will change later this year when a new trigger will be launched. A free app, bronControl, is available for iPhone, iPad and Android from the Apple store and Google Play, and this makes using the Siros L even slicker. Up to six units can be controlled so that you can adjust the power output, fire test flashes, turn on the modelling lamp and much more via the Siros L’s own Wi-Fi network. Guide prices start from £1818 for the Siros L 400 with RFS2.1 trigger and bag – the same kit but with the 800 head is £2106. A two unit Outdoor Kit costs £3594 for the 400 and £4194 with 800 heads. broncolor.com

Above Chris Burfoot, broncolor’s UK sales manager, proudly shows off the battery powered Siros L.

Fujifilm gets longer Fujifilm shooters can get more from their telephotos with its new 2x teleconverter

Fujifilm’s range of lenses has grown with the arrival of the XF2X TC WR teleconverter. The 2x converter is compatible with only two current X-lenses, the 50-140mm f/2.8 and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, giving focal length ranges of 100-280mm and 200-800mm respectively when fitted. Both lenses will need firmware updates to function fully. With an optical construction of nine elements in five groups, the quality of the lens it is fitted to is maintained at a high level. Also, with its WR design, it can be used with the two compatible lenses and the X-T1/X-Pro2 bodies in adverse weather conditions. It will be available from late June and costs £349. fujifilm.co.uk

News in brief Capture One updated Capture One Pro software has been updated to v9.1.2. A key benefit is support for cameras including the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and the Nikon D5. The full versions costs €279 (£216) but it is a free upgrade for Pro 9 licence holders and subscribers. phaseone.com USB Type-C drive G-Technology has introduced a range of mobile hard drives with the USB-C interface. These new drives have a transfer rate of 136MBs. The 1TB version costs £107.40 and the 3TB £162.40 g-technology.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Win a VIP day out Join Samsung and Photography News for a great day out at Painshill landscape garden

We’re offering you the exclusive opportunity to join Samsung and Photography News for a great day out at Painshill landscape garden in Surrey. Six places are available for this special event on 13 July 2016. The chosen six will each win a Samsung 32GB SDHC Pro Plus memory card and a one-metre panorama print from photographic printing specialists LumeJet. They’ll spend the afternoon shooting Painshill and the photographer of the best picture taken during this time wins a Samsung 250GB T3 SSD, worth £98.99 with a sequential read/write speed of 450MB/s in Turbo Write operation; a family pass to Painshill; and a £250 LumeJet voucher to be spent via its website, lumejet.com. High-speed performance is just one benefit of SSDs, reliability is another. SSDs do not have any moving components, unlike conventional hard drives, so are much less likely to go wrong and accessing data is rapid too. LumeJet is passionate about printing beautiful photography and offers the next generation of quality to the discerning photographer, who simply wants the most beautiful print available. Its services include ultra-high resolution photographic prints but also offers mounted and framed prints, premium quality layflat photo books and blocks. To be in with the chance of attending, answer this question: What’s the sequential read/write speed in Turbo Write operation of the Samsung 250GB T3 SSD? Email the answer by 28 June 2016 to willcheung@bright-publishing. com with Samsung/Painshill in the subject line. We will pick six at random from the correct entries. Entry is open to UK residents, aged 16 and above. Travel to Painshill is at participants’ own cost and they must bring their own camera kit. For full terms and conditions, visit absolutephoto.com.

The plan for the day The event begins at 2pm with a briefing in the Abercorn Room from Will Cheung, editor of Photography News. You will also get a welcome and an introduction from a member of Painshill’s team. All six participants will receive a Samsung 32GB SDHC Pro Plus memory card to use (and keep). The shoot begins around 2.40pm. We will be using buggies to get us around the garden where we will be spending around 30 minutes at each stop. If you prefer you are free to wander on foot.

At 5.50pm we will reconvene in the Abercorn Room for afternoon tea and a debrief. At this point, images will be uploaded and Will Cheung will judge the images and the best picture taken wins a Samsung 250GB T3 SSD external hard drive (above), a £250 LumeJet print voucher to be spent on its website and a family entrance pass to Painshill landscape garden.

About Painshill landscape garden Painshill is a beautiful award-winning 18th century landscape garden in Surrey. What makes Painshill truly remarkable today is that it has been restored from the ground up. In 1981 Painshill Park Trust was formed to restore the historic site to its original state. Most of the follies in the Grade I Listed landscape

have been rebuilt or restored and the landscape has been replanted with thousands of new trees. The 158 acre landscape garden is open all year round. The crystal Grotto is open to visitors (weekends only) and pre-booked guided tours. painshill.co.uk

Track the action with Olympus

Canon releases Canon launched a variety of products this month, which included the PowerShot SX620 HS. This compact superzoom camera has a 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4+ processor and a 25x optical zoom. The SX620 HS will be available from June for £219.99. Also announced is the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens, the world’s first AF lens to feature a builtin Macro Lite. This dedicated lens offers a minimum

focusing distance of 13mm and 1.0x magnification or 1.2x in Super Macro mode. Available now the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM is priced at £294.99. Adding to its accessories line-up Canon has also introduced the Speedlite 600EX II-RT and the Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1.

New from Olympus is the TG-Tracker. Aimed at action adventurers the TG-Tracker is waterproof down to 30m, freeze proof to -10°C, dust proof, shockproof from 2.1 metres and crush proof to a weight of 100kg. The camera features an ultrawide angle lens with 204° field of view, 5-axis image stabilisation, a flip-out colour LCD and a detachable grip. The TG-Tracker will be available from July for £279.99. olympus.co.uk

canon.co.uk

Samsung Pro Plus memory cards Samsung’s latest generation of storage cards are very highly specified and ideally suited for use in top-end high resolution DSLRs as well as smartphones, tablets and cameras shooting 4K video. The Pro Plus range comprises 32GB and 64GB capacity cards and satisfies UHS-1 Class 3 and Speed Class 10 performance levels. In practical terms, read speed is 95MB/s and write speed is up to 90MB/s. Reliable fast read/write performance is important but there’s more with Samsung’s five-proof features. The Pro cards are waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray proof, magnetic proof and shockproof. Drop one of these latest Pro Plus cards in seawater and it can withstand 72 hours’ submersion. While we are unlikely to encounter adverse shooting conditions during our special event, you never know when the Samsung Pro Plus's fiveproof features will come in very useful. samsung.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Great 3-legged supports LandscapePro Anthropics, well known for its PortraitPro software, has launched the world’s first intelligent landscape editing software. Called Landscape Pro, two versions are on offer: LandscapePro costs £29.95 and the Studio version is £49.95. The Studio version has Raw support, can output 16-bit TIFFs, has different colour spaces and can be run as a plug-in for Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements. Both Mac and Windows versions are available. The new software has a range of powerful controls including one-click presets that make enhancing your scenic shots quicker and easier. Features include landscape re-lighting, a depth-of-field simulator and sky replacement and there is much more. A free trial is available from the website.

3leggedthing has introduced three new tripods, Albert, Winston and Leo, all part of the Equinox collection. For the tripod legs only, these are priced at £329, £379 and £249 respectively. Kits complete with a ball head are also available. Leo is a very compact carbonfibre traveller tripod but offers a full extension of 1.31m and weighs in at only 1.44kg. Albert is another carbon-fibre travel tripod, this time weighing in at 1.85kg and offeing a maximum height extension of 1.79m. Versatility

3leggedthing.com

kenro.co.uk

hahnemuhle.com

A day’s photography in one of the world’s top capital cities awaits 250 Photography News readers

absolutephoto.com

If you are in London 13-19 June, visit paper manufacturer Hahnemühle’s pop-up shop at Old Street Tube station. You will be able to buy traditional art and digital inkjet papers but it’s also the chance to get questions answered and enjoy some great images outputted into its materials. Opening hours are 10am8pm each day.

Kenro has added to its collection of Takeaway products with the R1 Mini Ranger Clampod and an expanded range of Clampod accessories. The R1 Mini Ranger costs £29.94 and can be used as camera support in otherwise inaccessible places – like the front fork of your mountain bike for example. It will clamp onto anything between 5mm and 32mm thick and features a camera quick-release plate for rapid attachment of the camera or device. The Clampod accessories include the Tablet Holder at £17.94, the Smartphone Holder for Sports at £15.54 and the G1 Mini Tripod at £17.34.

Photo 24 17 June is going to be a busy day for 250 Photography News readers. That is the day of our Photo 24 event, in association with Nikon and Nikon School, takes place in London. Now in its fourth year, this is a 24-hour long, free photo shoot in the UK capital with contests and special picture opportunities to challenge our gallant, caffeine-fuelled 250 readers, many of whom will stay up for the whole time. The full story of the event and the winning pictures will be featured in the next two issues of Photography News, so you can see what you missed out on. If you did miss out or couldn’t make it this year, we will start promoting next year’s event from around March 2017.

Canon cashback If you’re going to treat yourself to a Canon camera this summer then you could be getting £50 cashback. There is also the chance to win a three-night break to Dubai. For the full list of eligible Canon products in this cashback offer go to the website, but to give you a taste, they include the EOS 750, EOS M10 and PowerShot D30. canon.co.uk/ summercashback

Pop along

Kenro take it away

landscapepro.pics

In association with

is key to this product and it can be used in various configurations to adjust to your needs. If ultimate stability is what you want then look at Winston. Again it uses carbon-fibre legs to keep weight down to 1.75kg while its maximum extension is 1.85m. 3leggedthing has also introduced a range of footwear that is compatible with its tripods. Heelz (£40), Stillettoz (£49.99), Clawz (£49.99) and Bootz (£14.99).

News in brief

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Running alongside the Sony World Photography Awards, the Zeiss Photography Award debuted this year. We find out more from the first ever winner Interview by Will Cheung German-based Tamina-Florentine Zuch was the first-ever winner of the Zeiss Photography Award, which runs in parallel with the Sony World Photography Awards, the world’s biggest photo contest. Both contests are organised by the World Photography Organisation. For 2016 the theme was Seeing Beyond – Meaningful Places. Different interpretations of the theme and the term ‘meaningful places’ were demanded. Entry was open to professional and amateur photographers. A total of 22,000 images were submitted from 3139 photographers from 116 countries. Tamina won with her set of images, Indian train journey. You can see her complete entry and the shortlisted entrants on worldphoto. org website. Her prize included camera lenses to value of €15,000 and the chance to work with Zeiss. PN: Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself please and how you came to be a photographer? TFZ: I am in the last year of a fiveyear photojournalism course at Hannover University. I left school with no real interest in photography. I was originally studying communication design. The main course was photography, but fashion

and product photography. I thought ‘oh God, this is nothing about telling stories’. I wanted to meet people and see how they lived and learn what 's important to them. So I went to do photojournalism, knowing nothing about photography. The first year was learning about photography and how to compose and so on. I was never an equipment freak. If someone asked me what lenses I used I’d really have to think about it. I wanted to get close to the people that interested me and the camera is like a door opener. I could turn up with a camera and say I wanted to take pictures of them and spend three weeks with them – people understand that. It wasn’t photography that fascinated me but what I could do with it. Do you find it difficult going into a strange environment and start taking pictures? No, that was never the problem. It was more the equipment that was hard for me and getting to use things like apertures and ISO – I had no idea what those things were to start with. Most of my fellow students had been into photography for a long time so I had to learn the basics so I could do what I wanted. That took

Zeiss Award winner

Above Tamina-Florentine Zuch won this year's Zeiss Award with a portfolio of brilliant images of her train journeys in India.

two or three years until I found how I wanted to work and what stories I wanted to tell and then I gradually started shooting real stories.

people sitting on the ground. You have to try to give them their pride back and show that you really care. That is really important for me.

photographer I choose what pictures I want to show so no one knows how many pictures I missed. That is just my problem.

What led you to do the pictures that won you the Zeiss Award? The winning project was the biggest I have done to date. I did an exchange programme in India at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. I was there four months. India is such a complex country and I didn’t understand the culture and the more I tried to understand it, the less I understood. There is a caste system, so many religions, so many cultures, so many languages and it is so diverse. It was really frustrating to realise that if you are not born into something that you just can’t understand it. In four months I wanted to get to know as many people and see as many places as possible and just get a closer look at Indian society but I wasn't planning to do a story to publish. It wasn’t long enough to do a story about something I didn’t understand. I just wanted to do something for myself, about what I saw and how I felt so I had the idea of travelling by train.

How far do you think you travelled on the trains? I think I did over 20,000km. The longest journey was three nights, four days. It was really exhausting being on the train all that time especially travelling third class. I love travelling on the train in any country because you can sit there and relax or read something but in this situation I was always looking for something to happen and if nothing was happening, I’d just walk around the train all day. Or I’d sit by the door waiting for a nice landscape. There was pressure not to miss something. I was always on my own but I never felt unsafe. When you are in a different country it is important to behave properly. In India I saw lots of girls in short skirts and smiling at the men, but I always had my ankles covered up and a headscarf and I was very straight with the men.

If you took your Indian train pictures for yourself why did you enter them into the Zeiss Awards? I finished the story and used it for a course I was doing at university in India – by the way I got a really low mark for it. When I came back to Hannover I asked my tutor, Rolf Nobel, if I could use the pictures for part of the course, which was on travel photography, because I had no time to shoot anything else. I showed him the pictures and he was the one who thought it was a strong story. He was surprised how good the work was and encouraged me to believe in it and send it to newspapers. I thought so many people travel in the train who would want to publish such pictures. I felt really small sending my pictures to a newspaper but Stern magazine said ‘yes, we’ll take them’ and I thought ‘my work in Stern, oh my God’. I was overwhelmed and then I got an exhibition in Papillon and more and more people started to like this story – I thought it was just nice for me so why would someone else like it. I thought the pictures suited the Meaningful Places theme. I didn’t have pictures of monuments but why shouldn’t a train compartment be a Meaningful Place? It is daily life in a small place and every day so many people experience this so this is a Meaningful Place for them.

Did you get a good reaction from the passengers? Were they okay that you were taking picture of them? Did you ask permission? Almost all of them were happy. Of course a lot of people don’t speak English, but when I was there I always have the camera hanging round my neck. So when I walked into the compartment I was this girl with a camera so when I wanted to take a picture I tried to make eye contact and show them my camera and they would think ‘okay, go on then.’ You are in this compartment for hours and even days so they just can’t go away and they are stuck with you. Or when I saw a situation and thought by the time I asked permission the picture would be gone, I took the picture first and waited for them to turn to me and I’d show them the picture and say ‘look that is beautiful.’ It is difficult because there are so many tourists shooting poverty and behaving badly. It does make the job very difficult because people think you are one of those who snap

What camera kit did you use? I had a small bag because I wanted my kit with me all the time because there is so much pickpocketing on the trains. I had a 24mm and a 35mm lens with a Nikon D700. I had four charged batteries and the charger with me so I could recharge when I got to the hotel. You can charge things on the train too. I have no idea of many pictures I took. I don’t photograph too much. Some people shoot thousands but I am really slow. With a situation I hardly take three pictures. If I am waiting for something to happen or the right light, I just wait and then take the picture. I don’t take pictures while I am waiting. What were the big problems taking pictures? Was it dealing with the low light, for example? With the train it was difficult when the sun very high. Of course it was very dark in the train and almost white light outside the windows and that destroyed the atmosphere. I still took the picture but wished it was morning or evening, which would be much nicer. But you have to shoot when the situation happens and that’s it. The thing is, as the

So what next? I want to be a freelancer. I don’t have an agency and I’m not thinking about having one. For me, the nice thing with this is that I can just work on my own stories and for long as I want to until I think it is done. It is my work and I don’t want anyone to say ‘do this, do that’. I live low budget so I can work on my big stories until they get published, then I will be happy and can eat! And work on the next story. That is my dream for my future just to do on really big stories that I can work on for weeks, months or even years and then get published to finance the next story. zeiss.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Bert Hardy: Personal collection

Entry to the Travel Photographer of the Year 2016 contest is now open and you have until 1 October 2016 to get your entries in. Entries can be submitted online or as prints. Entry fees are £8 for the single image categories, £15 for portfolios. Entry for Young TPOTY is free. This year’s TPOTY features three portfolio categories, three single image categories, a smart shot category for images taken on a mobile phone or tablet, a New Talent award, Young TPOTY and an HD video category. The overall winner will be chosen from all entrants who submit at least two portfolios and will win £4000, a selection of StaaG luxury goods, £500 to spend on Páramo clothing of their choice and a personalised leather portfolio case from Plastic Sandwich. For details of prizes, the sponsors and a major exhibition at Greenwich featuring last year’s winning images, go the website.

he was the chief photographer on the famous Picture Post magazine during the 1940s and 1950s. Prints on sale are priced from £3000 (includes VAT). Admission is free and the exhibition is on until 3 July. Check the website for opening times. thephotographersgallery.org.uk

tpoty.com © J Santos, TPOTY

The Prints Sales Gallery of the Photographers’ Gallery is hosting an exhibition of Bert Hardy’s work with images drawn from his personal archive. These rare black & white prints were saved as keepsakes from his work and have been on display before. Hardy is best known for his memorable images produced when

Time to enter TPOTY

image From Bert Hardy's Personal Collection.

The RPS at the Magic Gallery The RPS first collaborative exhibition showcasing the work of students alongside Fellows of the Society features images by Jane Hilton and Rakesh Mohindra. Jane Hilton’s work made using a plate camera, features nude studies of Nevada working girls. Her intimate studies are featured in her latest book, Precious. Rakesh Mohindra is a visual artist and his exhibition is entitled Possessive and Possessed. The Magic Gallery can be found at the Charing Cross Underground Arcade, on London’s Strand. The exhibition runs until 24 June and is open Tuesday to Saturday afternoons. Above Image by Jane Hilton, Sunny Star, Love Ranch North, 2012

RHS annual competition The RHS’s annual photographic competition is now open for entry and you have until 28 February 2017 to get your pictures uploaded. Entry is free, both for RHS and non RHS members, and there are nine categories to choose from including celebrating RHS gardens, welcoming garden wildlife, pure plants, abstract and detail and greening grey Britain. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three pictures in each category from an overall prize fund of £10,000. Also, the winner of each adult category receives a year’s membership to the RHS. rhs.org.uk/photocomp Image Abstracts & Details first: Chrysanthemum by Gynelle Leon.

Above TPOTY has a great choice of creatively challenging categories.

Sony 2017

rps.org

Above Asghar Khamseh, Photographer of the Year, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards.

The world’s biggest photo contest is now in its tenth year and with the overall winner scooping $25,000 it is well worth having a go. As well as the overall winner, there are national winners too and plenty of categories to inspire. Entries are invited from professional and enthuiast photographers, plus there are sections for students and the young image-maker. worldphoto.org

Looking East The New East Photo Prize is a new initiative seeking to broaden perceptions of the New East through photography. Entry is free and open to pro and enthusiast photographers who are nationals of Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. Entrants are invited to submit a project of their work that was finalised in the past two years. Closing date is 19 August 2016. photoprize.calvertjournal.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Tell us your club’s latest news, email: clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Camera club news If your club has any news that you want to share with the rest of the world, this is the page for it. Your story might be about your club’s success in a contest, or a member’s personal achievement; it could be about a group outing you had recently or when the annual exhibition is on show. Any news is eligible for inclusion, so club publicity officers please take note of the submission guidelines and get your stories in

Clubs

How to submit

Deadline for the next issue: 23 June 2016

We need words and pictures by 23 June for the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 4 July. Write your story in a Word document (400 words maximum). Please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event – website, meeting times, opening times, whatever is relevant. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension, any colour space, and image credits should be included. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster) or one from the event. If it includes people please identify them. Attach the Word document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk.

Stratford International Stratford Photo Group’s annual exhibition is on at Stratford Arts House, from 18 to 30 July. As well as featuring images by the group, it will also show work by members of the Prince Edward Island Photo Club from Canada. The display will include 80 prints, as well as projected images, covering a range of genres in both colour and monotone.

A first for Kingston CC

Entry to the exhibition is free and it’s open Monday to Friday, 10am until 5pm, and Saturdays, 10am to 1pm. Stratford Photo Group members will be on hand to talk about the images and the group. Visitors voting for their favourite image will be entered into a draw to win the favourite image. stratfordphotographic.org.uk

Left Martin Eves’ image, Chaffinch feeding young, won the People’s Choice vote at Heswall Photographic Society’s annual exhibition – the third time he has won the award! Heswall PS is currently on its summer break, but meetings will start again in September.

Kingston Camera Club’s first-ever exhibition is on until Sunday 19 June. Displaying members’ best work, the exhibition is at All Saints Church in Kingston-on-Thames and open 10am to 4pm daily. Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite image and can also chat to club members, who’ll be on hand to talk about the club, its activities and photography.

heswallphotosoc.co.uk

News in brief At Gateway It’s been a busy spring for Gateway Camera Club, with a photo day out to Dungeness, a lecture from Richard Walton FRPS and a display at the community day at River Village Hall. Gateway CC meet on Thursdays, 8pm at River’s Crabble Corn Mill until the end of June, then recommencing in September. gatewaycameraclub.co.uk Successful year Colchester Photographic Society has enjoyed both internal, national and international success this year. Many of its members have also gained their GPAGB this season and two members, Colin Westgate and Roy Essery, were awarded their MPAGB this year. colchesterphotosoc.co.uk Exhibition time Catch Viewfinders of Romsey Camera Club’s annual exhibition from 9 to 17 July at King John’s House in Romsey. With both prints and projected images, the display is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm. Admission is free. viewfinderscameraclub.org.uk

kingstoncameraclub.co.uk

You don’t need to be able to Time Travel to see Braunton Camera Club’s annual exhibition, just visit Barnstaple Museum between 16 June and 18 July. The club continues to meet during the summer months, at various outdoor locations. For new members, the summer meetings are free as are the first three winter meetings, which are held at The Fortescue House Club in Braunton. qillstring.co.uk/bcc

Golden oldies Claiming to be the oldest club in the UK specialising in black & white and silver photography, Border Monochrome Camera Club has recently gained some new members, particularly many younger photographers who are wanting to learn more about monochrome photography and printing techniques. The club is currently hosting its annual summer exhibition at Kington’s Burton Hotel.

Time Traveller

The exhibition will run until 2 September 2016.

Learn with Chingford Chingford Photographic Society is inviting non-members to join the club and its members for six weeks of workshops over the summer. Open to everyone, the workshops cover everything from learning to use your camera (whether it’s film or digital) to creating photos to be proud of. The workshops are on Mondays, 8-10pm, starting on Monday 18 July. For all six, the cost is £50 and this fee also includes six months’ club membership. All the details are on the website.

bordermonochrome.co.uk chingfordphotographic.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Competition ÂŠ Tim Laman

World Press Photo 16 book

World Press Photo Contest

The winning selection provides an insight into the major stories of the year and the best ways to visualise them

Photojournalists across the globe submit images to the annual World Press Photo Contest. Communications manager David Campbell tells us more What is your role within the World Press Photo Contest? As communications manager I work with a team to make the results of the contest known to the media and the general audience. In previous years, before joining the staff of the World Press Photo Foundation, I was secretary to the jury, so observed the weeks of judging close up, though I did not vote on the entries.

work to international colleagues. That annual contest has since grown into one of the most prestigious awards in photojournalism and multimedia storytelling, and the exhibition it produces is seen by four million people worldwide each year. The contest rewards photographers for the best single exposure pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism.

Can you give us some background behind the contest? The contest began in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their

What do you think makes the World Press Photo Contest stand out from other competitions? It has a 60-year heritage, which means you can chart much of the

history of photojournalism through the winners, many of which are regarded as iconic images. It is judged by leading professionals in the industry, and as a result the winning selection provides an insight into the major stories of the year and the best ways to visualise them. This year 82,951 photos made by 5775 photographers from 128 different countries were entered, so the contest is large, diverse and global. What categories were included and what was needed to enter? There are were categories, seven of which have both single and story

entries: Spot News, General News, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Sports, Nature and People. Then there are Long-Term Projects, showcasing work done over the last three years. Only professional photographers can enter, and all entries are submitted digitally and online. Are certain categories more popular than others? What category was the winning image entered into? The Photo of the Year was submitted to Spot News. It is not a requirement, but the photo of the year generally comes from the news and

Above Tim Laman, USA, for National Geographic, Tough Times for Orangutans.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Competition

What was it about the winning image that made it stand out? One of the jurors, Vaughn Wallace, described this best: “We’ve seen thousands of images of migrants in every form of their journey, but this image really caught my eye. It causes you to stop and consider the man’s face, consider the child. You see the sharpness of the barbed wire and the hands reaching out from the darkness. This isn’t the end of a journey, but the completion of one stage of a very long future. And so, for me, this had to be the photograph of the year.” What do the judges look for in a winning image? As noted above, the criteria concerns the best single exposure pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism. The World Press Photo of the Year honours the photographer whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance in that year. Truthful representations are important in press photography,

how is this maintained throughout the competition? Photography gives us a creative interpretation of the world. But when we want pictures to record and inform us of the varied events, issues, people, and viewpoints in our world, we must set limits to how pictures can be made. The World Press Photo Contest rewards pictures that are visual documents, providing an accurate and fair representation of the scene that the photographer witnessed. The audience should be able to trust in the accuracy and fairness of the prize-winning pictures. This means pictures entered into the contest must follow a series of guidelines that guard against manipulation. Manipulation is about altering the content of a picture. At almost every stage in the photographic process from capture, production, to the publication and circulation of photographic images, there is the potential for manipulation. This makes it difficult for a jury to comprehensively assess if and how pictures might have been manipulated, but the photographic contest guards against manipulation in two ways. Firstly, the World Press Photo

documentary categories, which are the most popular categories.

Above World Press Photo Award Winner Warren Richardson, Australia, 2015, Hope for a New Life. A man passes a baby through the fence at the Serbia/Hungary border in Röszke, Hungary, 28 August 2015.

Left Christian Ziegler, Germany, for National Geographic, Chameleon Under Pressure. Below left Kazuma Obara, Japan Exposure. Below right Sergey Ponomarev, Russia, for The New York Times, Reporting Europe’s Refugee Crisis, 2015. Bottom left Abd Doumany, Syria, Agence France-Presse, Douma’s Children, Syria, 2015. Bottom right Christian Bobst, Switzerland, The Gris-gris Wrestlers of Senegal.

contest code of ethics sets out best practices for entrants to the contest, and it is backed by the requirement to provide detailed captions that are reviewed by the fact-checking of the winners. Secondly, the entry rules make clear that digital manipulation which adds, rearranges, reverses, distorts or removes people or objects from within the frame is not permitted, and the rules are backed by the forensic comparison of original camera files with the contest image in the second last round.

Are there any specific types of images or styles that you see regularly or are you seeing fresh work? It is always a mix of the two. The chair of the general jury, Francis Kohn, director of photography at Agence France-Presse, described the debates this year: “At every step, we were looking in depth at every photo, considering both their aesthetic qualities and editorial content, listening regularly to captions in order to understand the intentions of the photographer, and evaluating the merit of their account. There were also many discussions on new approaches to telling a story. Could news photography be more daring, subtler, than what is the often classical, straightforward, mode of reporting? The jury was open to new approaches, but originality for the sake of originality did not win favour with the majority.” How does the judging process work and who was involved in this year’s panel? The judging process for the World Press Photo contest is intensive and rigorous. It involves five specialised juries and one general jury, and takes two weeks to complete. All the rules and procedures are published on our website. This year there were

19 professionals – 11 men and eight women – from 16 countries who did the judging, and you can see their biographical details on our website. What prizes were involved? There are first, second and third prizes in each category for both singles and stories. All winners receive a paid trip to Amsterdam for the Awards Ceremony and the annual Awards Days. In addition, the photo of the year winner receives a cash prize of €10,000 and equipment from our worldwide partner, Canon. Where can we see the winning images? All of the winning images are available on our website and large selections are available in our yearbook and the travelling exhibition. The exhibition begins in Amsterdam, but will be seen in more than 100 locations in 45 countries by years end, having reached a global audience of four million people. worldpressphoto.org

Get the book

World Press Photo 16 is published by Thames & Hudson and is available to purchase now priced at £18.95. store.worldpressphoto.org

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Interview Profile

Walter Benzie Biography Years in the photo industry? None! Current location? Chichester, West Sussex Last picture taken Last week of my brand-new first grandchild! When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? To be a pilot, but was rejected because of colour blindness… Dogs or cats? It used to be dogs for their affection, but now cats for their cleanliness. Toast or cereal? Both, if time permits Email or phone call? Email

Our annual membership fee may be only the price of a filter, but we feel we could do so much more to help people improve their photography

Newly elected as president of the Royal Photographic Society, Walter Benzie gives us an insight into his photographic life, as well as discussing the workings and future of the Society Can you give our readers some background about yourself? In spite of doing physics and chemistry at A level, I chose to train to become a chartered accountant. I took up photography at school where I spent many happy hours messing about with noxious chemicals. The magic moment came when I saw my print, completely bleached out, being restored again in a sulphide toner bath. After school, I just used my camera to record special occasions and only really got back into serious photography when I became a member of Guildford Photographic Society in the 1980s and subsequently a PAGB judge. I obtained my LRPS in 2008 and attempted my ARPS in 2010; my initial submission was rejected on the grounds of ‘lack of attention to detail’. After feedback, I amended the panel extensively for resubmission. Happily the revised panel passed. I have always felt our distinctions process is a way of monitoring our photographic progress but not an end in itself. I wrote an article in our Journal showing both my failed panel and the improved version. I am now a proud member of our Licentiate panel and this helps keep me in touch with our distinctions process. How long have you been involved in the RPS and what encouraged you to become president? I was treasurer for five years, and I was approached to run as vice president. At the time, I was astonished, but later came to realise that I had an opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution to The Society. You’ve had a few months in the hot seat, how’s it going at the RPS? Since becoming president, I have set up various review committees to ensure we are working efficiently,

fairly and keeping up with best practice. As membership continues to grow, the areas we are looking at are distinctions, governance and website improvements. This is not, necessarily, a sign of any concern, but more a reflection of their importance. Perhaps, as a result of my business background, I do not feel ‘presidential’ – more a part of a team. To emphasise this, I have asked my colleagues on Council to alternate with me in writing the ‘president’s piece’ in our Journal to let our readers know more about the individual members of Council. In addition, we need to be clear that we are not just a membership organisation, but a registered charity with a wider mission to promote excellence in photography and support the rights of photographers in general. We must be there to embrace the whole world of photography. It is certainly true that some see us as a large camera club, but we do so many different things that you can still belong to a camera club and gain a great deal by being a member - these are not mutually exclusive activities. What is your vision for the RPS? • To be recognised as one of the leading voices in photography whose mandate is to promote excellence in the art and the science of photography • To be a society for anyone with a passion for photography - to help them find inspiration, improvement and get involved with like-minded people with interests in common • To increase our educational role; apart from workshops and the Open University programme, we need to get more web-based activities to help our members wherever they are. Our overseas membership is growing at a fast rate and we need to see how we can better support them We’ve been updating our strategic objectives in the light of the above. The RPS has 300 active volunteers worldwide and is supported by a headquarters in Bath with 15 staff to help us realise these objectives. We are very fortunate to have Michael Pritchard as director general and he has done much to raise our profile. Our headquarters are now becoming too cramped and we will soon have to find a larger venue without breaking the bank. We saw the announcement from the National Media Museum at Bradford about the RPS collection. How does that impact on the RPS? We were completely taken aback by the announcement that the National Media Museum in Bradford is changing its remit to become more

involved in its scientific activities. We have maintained a very good working relationship with Bradford, with our members assisting in the documenting of the items, but if their plans are fulfilled, the collection will transfer to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. We do expect to be consulted on this move and will try our best to ensure that our original agreement is adopted in full by the new custodians. The collection is of world significance and should be seen as a treasure and resource for all. One of the ways this can happen is for the collection to be digitised – a long and time consuming process – and which had not yet been started at Bradford. We also want the collection to be maintained as a whole and to continue as a live collection. Do you think RPS membership is good value? You probably hear the same criticisms as we do in that all you get is a magazine (the RPS Journal, now published 12 times a year), but nothing much else? Is this a concern and, if so, what strategies have you in place? Certainly research shows those members that participate in our activities are the most satisfied with their membership. Some stay with us because they have or are trying for a distinction, but we also have many members who participate in various events that are scheduled around the country. We are divided into regions and members should be regularly invited to attend local activities. Our Special Interest Groups are a must for like-minded souls. The range of subjects runs from Analogue, Archaeology & Heritage, Audio visual, Contemporary, Creative, Digital imaging, Documentary, Historical, Imaging science, Landscape, Medical, Nature, Travel, to Visual art. Just take a look at our website to more fully understand what they cover. Most run events and workshops and print their own journals. All members can go to any event – whether or not they actually belong to the group – but they might have to pay a small entrance fee. The sad thing is we see members of the public showing off their newly acquired equipment at exhibitions but have little appreciation of what the art of photography is all about. Our annual membership fee may be only the price of a filter, but we feel we could do so much more to help people improve their results. Some say the RPS out of touch with modern photographers who take

imaging seriously but in a nontraditional way, ie. using phone cameras but also instant film. Their interests might also be different – for example, street photography. What would you say to this? We are an organisation that welcomes members of any age and skill set. There are no criteria restricting the kind of equipment people use. Recently, we have had distinctions successes with mobile phones so we do not want to give the impression that we are only for those with top of the range gear. We also run workshops on street photography and have walkabouts where those skills can be put into practice. This has been very successful in the London region. Certainly, we would like to involve more younger members; one of the problems is that taking photography seriously can be time-consuming and some of us have had to wait until we have that time. I appreciate that we have more to do to appeal to the young; but we also should try to attract more professionals. As a profession, photography has undergone a revolution with anyone touting an expensive camera being able to claim they are a ‘professional’. Professionals are now more likely to be self-employed, as newspapers have cut staff. We run courses to assist pros to help them understand what it takes to run a successful business. Having appropriate letters after your name should also give some reassurance to the public as to quality and I feel we could do more to underline that aspect. What do you find the most/least enjoyable activities as president? It is wonderful meeting members at events and getting involved in photography in a wider sense. Recently, the RPS supported the government STEM project to make Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths more interesting as career choices to students. I’ve also had the privilege of seeing some work done by photographers who have been homeless; it was a very humbling experience having the pictures explained by the actual photographers involved. Photography has a very broad reach. Least enjoyable? Paperwork. What would success look like at the end of your presidency? Growing membership, more aiming for distinctions and more younger members. rps.org

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Profile Biography

Before the Judge

Roger Parry ARPS Each month, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences. This month we speak to multi-award winner and judge Roger Parry Words by Roger Parry ARPS

Roger Parry ARPS With numerous awards to his name and over 50 years in photography, Roger Parry has judged competitions in both the UK and abroad. Years in photography Over 50 years in photography. Home club Smethwick Photographic Society. RPS member. (Has served on the L distinctions panel) Favourite camera Canon EOS 6D Favourite lens Canon 18-135mm Favourite photo accessories Studio flash Favourite subject Portraiture and fine art nude Awards ARPS, MPAGB, EFIAP, ESFIAP, HonPAGB

Right Love and Chaos. Model Fredau shot on a Canon EOS 7D.

I have won many medals over the years but my success in gaining the MPAGB Award pleased me most as it is a tough call and not many have achieved it since its introduction. I joined Smethwick Photographic Society as a schoolboy, around 50 years ago and I have been a member ever since. I became president for the first time at 21 and still continue to be the general secretary, a post I have held for most of my time in the club. I am an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and served on the Licentiate distinctions panel for many years. I am an EFIAP and have recently been awarded an ESFIAP for my services to FIAP. I am an MPAGB, for my photography, and an HonPAGB for my services to club photography. Photography has always played a big part in my life and becoming a judge and a lecturer was for me the way of giving something back to the camera club world. I started to judge on the local camera club circuit, progressing to inter clubs and local exhibitions, from this I moved on to federation, national and international exhibitions. With internationals, I have been fortunate enough to judge

Above The Old Dance Studio. Model Tilly, shot with available light at f/4.5 and 1/30sec, ISO 400.

in the UK and abroad in Portugal, Malta and Holland. Bearing in mind that Scotland, Ireland and South Wales are considered as separate countries by international photographic organisations, I have done those too. I am a member of the PAGB executive and chair its judges subcommittee, where we select the judges for PAGB competitions and distinctions. The committee also considers nominations for inclusion of federation level judges, in the PAGB list. When I am judging at club level, I try to be as constructive as possible, because I think it is important to try to give information that helps the photographer improve their work. Never be dismissive, it is important to always find something, however small, that is good about the picture. Give praise where it is due, not a constant stream of criticism. I often hear comments that the last judge just described the picture, without saying how it could be improved. It is not fair to have pet likes and dislikes, as a judge you should give consideration to all genres. Although often asked to, I see very little value in giving marks to pictures, the exception being inter club competitions. Whilst there is no problem in awarding the high marks to the best pictures in the section, giving low marks to the less successful pictures is often off putting to the entrant and discourages them entering future competitions. The other problem is that all of the other pictures that lie in the middle ground then get similar marks to each other, this problem is made worse the larger the entry. Add to this the competition secretary who tells you that marks are out of 20, but please don’t give

anything under 14. Clubs will say that they want marks so that members can see if they are improving, but because photography is subjective and not all judges think the same way this can be misleading. I know from personal experience that the same piece of work can have very different scores depending on a) the judge’s tastes and b) the quality of the rest of the work when judged in another competition. I am usually very pleased with the work at the top end of club competitions, but I do see a great variation between clubs and this not always related to club size. Sometimes clubs have very restrictive rules, which can stifle creativity. I think more encouragement should be given get photographers to think outside the box, thereby breathing new life into club photography. When judging pictures, I often wish photographers would spend a little more time in considering the finishing touches to their work. You can make a picture look so much better if you clone out eye catching highlights and other unwanted intrusions, however, If the picture is being entered in a nature competition held under PAGB or RPS rules please be aware that you should not do this. Don’t be constrained by rules. Does the image look good to you, being critical of your work and honest with yourself? I produce many of my portrait images in landscape format,

giving negative space around the model. Whilst this is a break from traditional portrait photography, it can be very effective. You don’t always have to follow the accepted practice. Also please don’t follow the latest trend slavishly. Ask yourself if it will REALLY enhance your picture. A good example of this, that I have seen in judging exhibitions over the last few months, is the over use of near black vignettes, particularly on monochrome images, in some cases so intense that it is like viewing the image through a tube. Another popular irritant is the over use of HDR and grunge – your 19year old model might not appreciate looking older than her granny. One trend that I have seen in recent exhibitions that I have judged is the gradual demise of the over constructed ‘creative image’. I do remember one of my fellow judges commenting last year that all that a certain picture needed was the kitchen sink. Creativity is fine, but, it does need to say something or tell a story, a collection of random articles doesn’t really do this. One last piece of advice is this, visit as many exhibitions as you can or enter exhibitions. You will then get a catalogue or CD so you will be able to see successful images to inspire you. Good luck with all your pictures. picturesbyparry.co.uk

What do you think? Have you seen a photographic judge at work who you’d like to see profiled in Photography News? If so please drop us a line to opinion@photographynews.co.uk with the judge’s name and, if possible, their contact details.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique

Back in black Lighting academy

Create perfect black backgrounds from nothing but thin air – it’s all down to how you set your ambient exposure... Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton

Shooting on black can create very moody results with any subject, whether you’re working on a portrait or a still life. But who, apart from goths, has black walls at home? Sure, you can get a dark grey or black effect with any blank wall by stopping any light falling onto it, but it’s not ideal, and if you’re shooting at home, you’ll probably face further problems like having to move furniture out of the way, and running into a lack space in which to work. But what if there was a black background you can take pretty much anywhere? That’d interesting, right? How to get a black background... anywhere! All you need to get an instant black backdrop for your subjects is to sufficiently underexpose the scene while modifying the flash power to correctly expose the subject. If you’re new to flash photography, that might sound complicated, but it’s really very simple once you give it a try, and in fact the central principles at work make this technique a great way to learn what goes into a flash exposure. If you’re already comfortable with flash, have a go anyway – it’s a good technique to have in your arsenal as it’s all about working with the conditions to suit your needs. There are lots of variables in flash photography; the exposure settings of the camera (shutter speed, aperture and ISO), the flash power and its distance, and any

modification and changes in angle; they all combine to govern how a flash-lit photo looks. Shutter speed actually has the least effect on the flash (none in fact, unless the shutter speed is too high and causes syncing problems). But shutter speed is very important in deciding how the ‘ambient’ or ‘available’ light looks. The only exception to this is when using high-speed flash, which behaves more like ambient light, but that’s not something we’ll be straying into in this technique. ISO and aperture settings will control the look of the ambient light and the flash at the same time, and so it’s the way shutter speed behaves alone that’s helpful. What this means is that, if you use a sufficiently fast shutter speed, the ambient light will not be recorded but the flash will. Now, you can’t do this by raising the shutter speed alone; you’ll also need to drop the ISO sensitivity and close the aperture – just enough to black out the available light, but not too much. Why not too much? Well, because the ISO and aperture setting also govern how bright the flash will be recorded, you can’t push them too far before you run out of flash power, and end up with an underexposed subject. As mentioned above, the distance, direction and any modifiers used on the flash are also important. For example, if the flash isn’t lighting the subject sufficiently, it can be

moved closer to increase its brightness there. Similarly, diffusing modifiers like softboxes lower the intensity of the light hitting the subject. Both of these things should be kept in mind if you have problems throwing enough light on the subject. Putting it all altogether In the example set up here, I wanted a black background to create a more simple image than the regular garden scene allowed, and so that Mabel’s bright coat stood out vibrantly against the darkness. Setting up, the first thing to decide was where to position Mabel (within reason as she was deaf and like all spaniels ruled by her nose). Although you can block the available light with a fast shutter, if the flash bounces onto the background, that will be lit as well as the subject, so to stop this, I made sure there was at least six feet behind the point where I wanted her to sit, in order for the light to fall away. It’s also worth noting that it’s easier to underexpose the light if you’re shooting towards a shaded area and one with no light sources, like man-made lamps, or the sky. Setting the ambient exposure Next I took a test shot to check the ambient exposure and make sure I could get it dark enough. To do this, I first switched to manual exposure mode, then dialled in the maximum

Above Comparing the main image with the regular exposure (top right), you can see the effect of the black background technique. All background detail is lost and with the subject lit only by the flash, she stands out in a crisp and clear style, just like a studio portrait. The angle of the lights is important though, as if they spill onto the background it will remain lit and visible, so they should be angled away from it as much as possible.

Below This technique adds real versatility to your shooting, meaning you can get clean and simple studio style backgrounds almost anywhere – even on location.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique Regular exposure

Black backdrop

Black backgrounds vs full-length framing There’s nothing to stop you from shooting your subject full length using this technique, and pics can still look striking, thanks to the inherent contrast and the simplicity of the black backdrop. However, you will find that it’s impossible to create a fully black background that way, the reason being that there will inevitably be some spill of the light from the flash which shows up the environment around their standing position, or anywhere that they make contact with the ground. By angling the light further away from the subject, the effect can be feathered, as shown on the left, so the illumination will drop away in intensity towards their feet. But the only way to ensure a completely black backdrop using this technique is to crop in and frame the subject so that it’s a classic portrait head and shoulders or halflength composition. In the examples on the left, a single light was used, fitted with a large softbox and angled down on the subject from above.

sync speed the camera allowed – 1/250sec on the Nikon D800 I was using. ISO was set to its lowest (100). This is the same for most cameras, but some go to 50 or lower; you can use the expanded settings if necessary (called Lo or (L)), but be aware that this can affect the dynamic range and image quality, so the ‘native’ range should be stuck to if possible. Finally, I closed the aperture; trying first f/11, then working down before finally getting to f/16. You don’t want to close the aperture more than you have to, to f/22 or f/32 for example, as smaller apertures will affect the sharpness of the image. Here, f/16 was fine. When I shot, it was a cloudy day, but still reasonably bright at noon, and a check of the histogram showed the exposure was dark enough, with the graph firmly clumped to

the left. It’s best to check the histogram, as pics can look dark, but will actually still have plenty of background on show. If you reach the limits of ISO, aperture and shutter speed and the exposure still isn’t dark enough, as it may be on very sunny days, consider shooting in a shadier area, or fitting an ND filter which will block some of the light; unfortunately an ND will also block the flash, so it’s a last resort and waiting for dimmer conditions is preferable. Flash placement and power Next comes the flash power. Using a flash meter, or alternatively by checking your exposures on screen, increase the flash power until the exposure on the subject is good. I used a Gossen DigiPro F2 meter, setting it to

Settings The key is to set an exposure that won’t record the available light, just the flash. This means setting the camera’s maximum sync speed, a low ISO and closing the aperture. To asses the darkness of the background, shoot and check the histogram.

If you use a sufficiently fast shutter speed, the ambient light will not be recorded, but the flash will ISO 100 and test-firing the flash at various powers until it gave me an f/16 reading (the same as the camera) at just under full power. From this point on you can shoot away and the effect will work fine, but there are some things to watch out for. Flash position and angle is one of them, as mentioned above. I first placed one light (an Interfit S1 head) fitted with a softbox, directly above Mabel’s position, pointing downwards, but the light was a bit flat and I decided to use two flashes instead, one from either side. This meant repositioning the first light and checking its power again. Once satisfied I put in the second light, fitting it with a simple spill-kill reflector and pointing it in from behind, then set the power as before. The cross-lighting worked well, giving a little halo to Mabel’s coat, but the first light with the softbox was now spilling onto the background. To fix this, I turned its position, rotating it away from the backdrop, so it wouldn’t spread there. Due to the way the light spreads from it, a softbox makes this more difficult, so if you’re having similar trouble, consider fitting your softbox with a grid to narrow the light. Side lighting generally looks effective with a black background anyway. Alternatively, try switching to a beauty dish, or using a spill-kill with a diffuser panel. Of course, whatever modifier you use, if you shoot the subject full length you’ll light the background around their feet, so for a cleaner look, try cropping to head and shoulders or a half-length competition. With these minor issues sorted I was free to shoot at will, the only other concern being changes in the ambient light. It’s not an issue if it gets darker, as the flash will remain constant, but if conditions get lighter, you’ll need to reassess the exposure for the ambient light, making sure the background is still dark.

How flash works with shutter speed One of the fundamental principles of flash photography is that the brightness of the flash is not affected by the shutter speed you use. You can see this clearly in the examples here; the flash power remains the same, as do the aperture (f/16) and ISO (100) settings, but the shutter speed is varied between 1/4sec and 1/125sec. Notice how the background darkens and the shadows on the opposite side of the flash’s direction deepen as the shutter speed shortens. As the shutter quickens less ambient light is recorded, so eventually it’s mostly the flash that lights the subject. The effect is cumulative though, so if too much ambient light is recorded along with the flash, areas struck by the flash will overexpose, like the toe of the boot. The only times that shutter speed directly affects flash is when the shutter speed is too high and sync errors are encountered, or if you’re using high-speed flash which behaves differently from regular flash lighting. 1/4sec

1/8sec

1/15sec

1/30sec

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Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Interview © Jazzmine Beaulieu

Pro focus

Make more money Looking for some extra cash and want to reach big clients with your work? ImageBrief could be just the service you’re looking for…

100% of the sale fee of their images, and the fees vary depending on the photographers’ subscription. All fees are stated clearly throughout the process, no surprises! Even at 50% we are way above the industry standard,” Simon tells us. Just one example of a success story is photographer Jazzmine Beaulieu who submitted an image to an easyJet brief via their agency, who were looking for ‘Candid Party Shots – 20 somethings on a European holiday’. “Jazzmine shoots at events and outings with her friends and gets model-releases. EasyJet selected her image for a European-wide major, out-of-home print campaign. Shortly after, Jazzmine received a photograph from her friend who was featured in the image, and had just seen herself on the side of a bus in London. It’s a great story and this was a really nice sale, both financially and for exposure. Jazzmine received 70% of the sale price,” Simon recalls.

So what is it clients are looking for and how is the industry changing? ImageBrief has brands and agencies coming to them from all over the world and Simon has a good idea of what they’re after. “Creatives are moving away from the all-you-caneat stock model of cheesy, overused images and are looking for candid, real-life content that relates to their customers. Brands are identifying themselves with imagery and it’s more important than ever for them to be authentic,” Simon tells us. “In addition to authenticity, local content is equally important. German

Above An example of the benefits of using ImageBrief, Jazzmine Beaulieu’s shot of friends on a European break was snapped up by easyJet for use in a major advertising campaign.

Whether you’re shooting images for stock or setting up a shoot in hope of submitting it to a magazine for publication, it can be hard to know exactly what clients are after, and even harder getting noticed and paid. Bringing buyers and photographers together is ImageBrief, an online platform for advertising agencies, brands and publishers to find great images from photographers like you. You might think it sounds like just another stock site, but ImageBrief is different. It says it all in the name really; big brands such as easyJet, Land Rover and Reebok submit their briefs and budgets to ImageBrief, inviting photographers to submit their images. “We’re one of the few platforms where art buyers and producers are coming to discover freshly curated content and hire photographers,”

says Simon Moss, CEO of ImageBrief, “Many other platforms are hubs for photographers to view each other’s work, ‘like’ each other and share tips, but the art buyers are not there.” “Any photographer with a portfolio can register with us. The level of participation is earned, and quality and relevance is rewarded here. Every image and every photographer who is on our platform is reviewed and curated. This curation is one of the fundamental features separating ImageBrief from other stock libraries.” Signing up to ImageBrief for free allows you to receive and participate in briefs from clients all around the world. Additional paid plans are also available, with prices ranging from $19 to $59 (£12.93 to £40.14) per month, which includes a range of extra benefits such as promotion of your work direct to clients and higher commissions on image sales and assignments. “ImageBrief Photographers keep between 50 and

Interview by Jemma Dodd

brands are sourcing content that looks local to their clients as are our Australian, English and Asian clients. Generic stock imagery no longer cuts the mustard.” If you’re interested in earning from your photography, you can find plenty more pro insight in the latest Professional Photo.

You’ll find more insight in the latest Professional Photo – the UK’s best magazine for full-time and aspiring pro photographers

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique

Time to burn Sunrise and sunset shooting

There are few things that top the fiery glow of sunset or a blood-red sunrise – but one of them is the pleasure of capturing it with your camera. This month, find out how with insights from the Landscape Photographer of the Year’s contest sun-worshippers… Words by Kingsley Singleton

To the Landscape Photographer of the Year (LPotY) winners we spoke to about shooting at sunrise and sunset, the attraction is clear; the mix of captivating colour and raking light cooks up scenes that are hard to resist. But how do you go about getting shots as good as theirs? Fortunately the likes of Ross Hoddinott, Frank Leavesley, Andy Tibbetts, Jeremy Barrett and Paul Bullen were kind enough to share some of their thoughts, extolling the virtues of getting up early, staying out late and, as Jeremy also points out, “the chance to be alone with the elements”. Hunting for sunsets Only certain conditions produce good sunrises and sunsets, and even fewer generate superb ones, so there’s always an element of luck

involved. Are clouds really vital? It depends on what kind of look you’re after; an empty sky can give a good range of tones on its own, but with layers of cloud reflecting the light you’ll get a much ‘bigger’ sunrise or sunset. Not too much cloud though – a coverage of between 25% and 75% is best as you’ll get a more pleasing mix of cool blue sky and warmer clouds that way. The clouds also need to be fairly high, or they’re more likely to block the light. Can you predict when these conditions will happen? Well, obviously Internet weather maps are a good place to start, especially if the cloud looks broken towards the position of the setting or rising sun. Calm conditions can also make it easier to predict; changeable, stormy weather can look amazing, it’s just harder to manage.

Keep monitoring the situation, especially if there’s been localised rain in your own area but nearby places have been sunny – if the clouds are starting to break up as you approach the sunset or sunrise time, you should be on high alert. Frank Leavesley (easystockimages. com) whose image of Corfe Castle was featured among LPotY’s published entries in 2015, says he always checks the weather conditions before heading out for a shoot. “I find light cloud will usually give a nice start and end to a day,” he says “and sun and rain showers can give something even more dramatic. Plain blue skies without clouds rarely give the best results. Still conditions, with no wind and a high humidity can mean there’s a good chance of a misty sunrise, and on the morning I shot Corfe the

An empty sky can give a good range of tones, but with layers of cloud you’ll get a ‘bigger’ sunrise or sunset Above Sun and Tide at Nash Point by John Soliven, who relied on months of planning and a good long drive to get to this image of the setting sun and high tide.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique

Above Due South by Jeremy Barrett. Shooting in Hove, East Sussex, the sunset light reflects from the English Channel, churned up by Jeremy’s 1sec exposure. Below Fog Burner by Keith Britton, showing Castleton from Mam Tor, Derbyshire. Keith was at the summit well before sunrise in zero visibility and was about to give up when sun broke through. Bottom An Teallach by Guy Richardson, showing a sunrise with spindrift.

Where the sunset meets the scene So, when there are sunrise and sunset conditions in the offing, where should you be lugging your tripod to? It’s important to remember that, even if you have favourite locations, they may not work as well as you’d like in conjunction with the rising or setting sun, mainly due to its changing position through the year. For example, a winter sunrise occurs in a different point of the compass to a summer one, shifting from north to south. Living on the south coast, Frank Leavesley takes advantage of the southerly winter sunrise and sunsets, and notes that “by summer, to get the sunrise, you need an east-facing bay for a sunrise and west-facing for sunset. The famous Durdle Door is a perfect example; it’s possible to catch the sun rising through the arch in winter. In contrast, Old Harry’s Rocks on the South coast is better in the early summer when the sun rises in line with the rocks.” Ross Hoddinott mentions one of his Commended images in LPotY last year as another example “taken at Trebarwith Strand – one of my favourite locations – I intentionally visited at a time when the sun set just next to Gull Rock out to sea – a key compositional element. At other times of the year, the sun sets further round, disappearing altogether from view.” Most winning landscape photographers use technology to help them in planning when and where will respond best to dawn and dusk conditions. For instance Paul Bullen (paulbullenphotography.com), whose debut entry to last year’s competition was commended by the judges, keeps a Google map of his favourite locations, updating it with notes on the best times of year and day for them: “Southport pier is on my hit list to take when the sun sets directly at the end of it, hopefully creating dark silhouettes of the curved ironwork, against the

setting sun. There is also a copse of trees on Crummock Water that would work well with the sun setting behind them.” All the LPotY photographers we spoke to namechecked apps like The Photographer’s Ephemeris, PhotoPills and LightTrac, which give detailed information about the position of the sun throughout the year; they help enormously in planning where to shoot, as you can visualise the scene before arriving. “Similarly,” add Jeremy, “tide tables can be vital for the right conditions in the rest of the scene; when planning sunset coastal shots it’s great if you can coincide the high tide being an hour or so before sunset so that the rocks in the scene are wet and reflecting the light and colour.” For Andy Tibbetts, the jagged horizons of the mountains means nearly all his favourite locations are season specific; “for some places in the hills and glens, this means the best angles of the sun are limited to just a few days a year. An example would be my image where the rising sun sits behind the top of Sgurr na Ciche taken from Luinne Bheinn – it happens for only a few mornings in the year. Winter sunsets only shine into glens that face south-west and throw all others into deep shadow. In mid summer it’s the ones that face north-west.” That’s not to forget the power that a sunset or sunrise can have over a location that doesn’t otherwise inspire, and you may find the colour

pre-dawn light was blue, then purple and red. The mixed tones on my chosen entry were just before the light turned golden.” Of course the look of the sunset that’s best for you, depends on your own style of photography, as Jeremy Barrett (vuzephotography.co.uk), who has had several pictures included in the annual LPotY book and last year won the classic view category, points out: “I tend to concentrate on moody, atmospheric images, so I only head out when the Met Office has predicted dark sky, rain and sun in equal measures – a sturdy brolly is always part of my kit!” Andy Tibbetts (andydounephotography. co.uk), who started his photography 40 years ago upon moving to West Scotland, echoes this when he spots good sunset conditions, “ideally I want an occluded or cold front clearing to the east (a gap in the cloud on the western horizon to allow the sun through and some cloud to reflect the light). However any cloud cover with breaks in it can produce the goods, and in winter even heavy stratocumulus with just a tiny gap to let the setting sunlight through can produce the most wonderful soft light on the landscape.” Ultimately though, while you can usually tell if there’s going to be a decent event, you can’t fully predict the full intensity of it, in the same way weather forecasters struggle to be totally accurate in their own predictions. With all his landscaping experience, Cornwall’s Ross Hoddinott (rosshoddinott.co.uk), who has had a number Highly Commended and Commended images in LPotY over the past couple of years, knows “you can never be sure quite what to expect. However, there is one main thing you can do to maximise the chances of success – be there.” What that means is getting out there in the elements and chancing your arm; if you don’t go to the party you won’t get to dance. If the weather is turning rainy, don’t turn back, as you might get a break at the last minute. “The more trips out you make, the better your chances are of getting that great light and your winning LPOTY capture,” Frank concludes.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique © Paul Bullen

Having picked your location, when a good sky is in the brewing, how should you time your arrival?

Above Derwent Isle Mist by Paul Bullen, shot at Derwentwater, Cumbria, at sunrise. The glowing mist makes for an eerie scene. Left Cloud Glacier by Andy Tibbetts, shot on Beinn an Aodainn, Knoydart, featuring a sunrise and cloud inversion. Below Winter on Grindslow Knoll by Paul Newcombe, whose cold wait in the snowstrewn peaks was rewarded by a sunset. © Paul Newcombe

is enough to lift a scene without worrying about a more complicated composition. “My local beach at Formby is a good example of that,” says Paul Bullen, “it’s pretty featureless, but throw in a good sunset and use one of the beach markers as foreground interest and it works really well for a minimalist shot. Similar to the iron men statues on Crosby beach, a good sunset just makes the image stand out.”

The sky is not enough One of the main mistakes that people make when composing sunrises and sunsets is letting the light show dominate the rest of the scene. Ultimately, the landscape has to stand up on its own, despite the beautiful light. Ross concurs: “it’s easy to get overwhelmed by a big, colourful sky and composition often suffers as a result – beginners can wrongly believe that lots of colour in the sky will automatically guarantee them a great shot. It doesn’t.” At these moments, he says, just take a deep breath, think, and go about constructing your shot carefully and creatively. “Really,” agrees Jeremy, “framing for sunsets and rises is the same as for any other time of day, although if it’s all about the colour then a body of reflecting water helps with the composition

to double the intensity of the colours of the sky.” Andy Tibbetts feels the trick is to balance what you’re experiencing with the task of making an effective image, and while the conditions often lead people into including the sun in the frame, says “in my opinion even when this is positioned artfully the effect is rarely satisfactory. For me, in an image if the sun is going to be in the frame, it has to be hidden or modified by something.” This could mean tucking it behind a physical part of the scene, like a mountain or trees, or partially obscuring it in cloud or mist, which also makes exposure easier. “The most powerful shots,” he says, “are where you can appreciate the effect that the sunset has on clouds, on water and on the landscape around you.” “I try to take my sunrise or sunset images with little clutter, using a focal point within the scene to anchor the eye and then allow the sunrise colours to do their thing,” says Paul Bullen, “but it always depends on the subject I’m working with.” If the scene includes water reflecting the glowing sky, as his shot in this year’s LPotY did, “then a central horizon is preferable, giving a pleasing symmetry.” If you do place the sun in your shot, it can be used on the thirds of the frame, balancing a strong foreground or, if you can find them, leadin lines, that draw the eye up to the subject, but as Ross says, “there is rarely a definitive formula in photography. Much depends on the situation, but normally I would shoot towards the colour and glow in the sky. Colour radiates all around, so keep glancing around you even though you will often want to shoot towards the most interesting, beautiful sky.” Shooting into the light can cause exposure problems as well as image artefacts like lens flare but if the composition works best shooting that way, Jeremy Barrett offers some great advice.

One of the trickiest aspects of shooting both sunrise and sunset is exposure. The sheer range of tones on display is likely to cause problems; you need to avoid burning out the highlights details in the clouds close to the sun; and you can’t afford to sacrifice detail in the shadows. Then there’s all the fiery colour to make the most of… Such subjects are covered in David Taylor’s book, Mastering Exposure (Ammonite Press, £19.99). David Taylor is an award-winning landscape and travel photographer, born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne. His new 178-page book is aimed at enthusiasts wanting to expand their knowledge of photographic technique as well as getting more experimental with their photography. David’s tips explains the fundamentals of exposure through creative and practical examples and covers portraits, landscapes, low-light photography and more. We caught up with David to ask him for some sunset-specific exposure tips. When it comes to exposure settings, David says a camera’s exposure meter is typically very good at exposing a sunset sky alone, so little if any exposure adjustment is required. However, “what’s less easy is exposing for a sunset and a landscape foreground. This usually requires the use of neutral density graduated (ND grad) filters to balance the exposure, and the greater the brightness difference, the stronger the grads will need to be.” Would he recommend sunset filters, or other kinds of filtration? While traditional landscape filters like ND grads are very useful, he says, the trusty polariser must be used wisely. “If you’re shooting towards the sun a polariser won’t have much effect and I’d also keep the number of filters to a minimum; when you’re shooting into the light, the fewer filters there are, the less chance of flare, especially if the sun is just poking up above the horizon. I also avoid the use of filters that add colour. When nature is providing so much colour of her own it seems slightly rude to want artificially add your own.” David’s book also goes into detail on the Zone System of exposure, famously associated with Ansel Adams; so can this help with sunset and sunrise scenes, too? “The Zone System certainly can be used to help with sunset exposures, mainly because it forces you to think about the scene as a range of tones, and therefore which parts of the range the camera can record successfully.” © David Taylor

Time to burn Having picked your location and accepted that being there – and often – is one of the key components of shooting sunrises and sunsets, when a good sky is in the brewing how should you time your arrival? How long do the best conditions last and how can you make sure your composition makes the most of them? “The secret for me,” says Frank Leavesley, “is to arrive at a location well before the event and start planning the exact composition as soon as possible. Knowing where the sun will rise and set really helps in this regard.” Andy Tibbetts agrees, “the more time you can allocate to this, the better, as when the landscape is lit the last thing you need to find out is that you’re in the wrong place! You need sufficient time to find a pleasing composition, anticipating which parts of your scene the sunlight will illuminate and which leave in shadow.” Ultimately, he says, this means, the time actually taking images can be brief; it’s the time invested beforehand that will pay off. “In the mountains, this is further extended by the need to reach your location and either prepare a camp or allow time to retreat off the hills. In this case the photographic part of the operation may be as little as 30 minutes compared with several hours of preparation.” Paul echoes this, and with a plan in mind arrives with plenty of time to go until the prime

conditions; “I start by scouting my location about an hour either side of the sunrise or set, and I stick around for a good half an hour after the sun has disappeared below the horizon as that’s quite often when you get the best colours.” This afterglow is often overlooked, with many inexperienced snappers exiting the scene shortly after the sun and missing the real photographic gold. The colours in the gloaming can often be deeper and more beautiful than what most consider the sunset ‘proper’. Getting there early and making the most of the light also throws up safety concerns. Like many subjects it’s easy to get swept along with the good light, staying out longer than intended – not a problem at dawn, but post sunset you’ll be left to find your way home in the dark. Predawn shoots will see you arriving in the dark, so take a torch just in case, and the same applies for sunsets, with the added proviso that a change into warm clothing can be very welcome after the sun stops warming your bones.

Get over exposure

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique

Sun settings So now you’re at the location, the shot is composed and things are really kicking off. The final stage is to nail that exposure. As noted, this can be tricky, with lots of highlight and shadow detail to contend with, as the sky is much brighter than the rest of the scene. Not only that, in the relative gloom of dawn and dusk, shots will look a lot brighter when reviewing them on screen than they actually are. While exposure blending (taking two lockedoff shots and merging them digitally) is a perfectly acceptable way of dealing with this, all the LPotY photographers we spoke to took the trouble to use graduated ND filters to balance the contrast between sky and land. “Occasionally,”

says Ross, “I will blend, but I prefer to get things right in camera using a single frame whenever possible. The dynamic range of digital SLRs is now so good, that capturing high-contrast scenes is getting easier.” Frank Leavesley echoes this, feeling that the Raw files from his D810, like many fullframe cameras can capture enough information without needing to resort to bracketing exposures; “because it’s possible to pick up lots of detail from the shadows without increasing noise, I tend to underexpose a little to make sure I do not blow out the highlights, where recovery is less easy.” Underexposing slightly is most easily done using your camera’s exposure compensation feature, and dialling in a little negative setting like -0.3 or -0.7, but you can do it in manual mode too, using the exposure metering bar to judge when it’s slightly under what the camera suggests. Try not to go too far though, unless you want silhouettes. The main time that bracketing and exposure blending (or subtle HDR processing) is required is when landscape features like mountains, trees or buildings cut through the horizon as the grad will darken them unrealistically. If you’re unsure, it’s better to shoot more frames and cover yourself against problems, but do it fast as the light and colour will be fleeting. Andy Tibbetts pinpoints the use of Raw processing for greater control of exposure and colour balance, both of which can be extreme with sunsets; “I do make use of ND grads but with mountain locations, these can often cause more problems than they solve because of the uneven skyline. Software such as Lightroom can

“Although I usually prefer side lighting, I’ll often keep the aperture at f/16 to create a nice starburst effect then take one shot as normal, which will include some flare; I then take a second with my hand covering the sun to eliminate the flare and the images can then be blended in Photoshop. To exaggerate the starburst effect, I try and place the sun peeping round the side of a tree or rock.” It’s worth noting the effect that wide-angle lenses can have on sunrises and sunsets, too. At a wide angle, foreground elements are exaggerated and distant details seem smaller, so you can find scenes look less impressive than to your eye, and skies less ‘big’. Assess the scene and if this is the case, try a slightly longer focal length; pushing in from 14mm to 24mm can make all the difference to the impact of a shot. But if you go all the way to a telephoto setting, remember the dangers of viewing the sun in this way.

often be far better and more subtle at balancing exposure a physical filter.” When it comes to the colours themselves you need to ensure you set the right white-balance or, according to Frank, “you may find the colour you saw is not there.” If you’re shooting in Raw, the white-balance can be set in processing, but to keep you away from the computer and put the emphasis on shooting, they can be warmed and intensified by setting the white-balance to Cloudy or Shade.

The dynamic range of DSLRs is now so good, capturing high-contrast scenes is getting easier

Above Trebarwith Strand by Ross Hoddinott who timed his shot of Gull Island at just the right point in the year, so that the setting sun was in the best possible position. Left Misty Past by Frank Leavesley showing Corfe Castle in Dorset, taken at dawn. The ruin is a magnet for photographers, so shooting it at sunset, or sunrise can give your shot a point of difference.

Now enter Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016! The UK’s biggest and best landscape photography competition is now open for entries (and not just for sunsets!). With the contest now in its tenth year, we asked founder and judge, Charlie Waite, for his tips on entering and getting your pictures noticed. So, if you want to be the next winner, take note… • Get emotional “Why do you enjoy landscape photography? What emotions do you feel when creating an image? It is worth taking a few moments to consider these questions and then looking at your work to see if your answers are reflected within. If an image feels emotionally cold to you then it will do to the viewer.” • Be your own biggest critic “It can be very hard to be honest with yourself. If an image has been hard to achieve; if you have driven miles to a location, or waited

weeks for the right conditions, then it can bias how you see the finished result. Getting opinions is very helpful; not too many though, just a respected few.” • Find your balance “A successful image must have balance. A deep black ‘nothingness’ can dominate a photograph as much as unwanted highlights.” • Look for simplicity “Images with clear messages stand out from the crowd. If there’s too much going on and the viewer’s eye does not know how an image should be read, then it isn’t working. Devices, such as lead-in lines, can help to make a cohesive whole, so making your image easier to appreciate. There are occasional exceptions, but simplicity should not be underestimated.” • Go local “LPotY has four categories, so you can enter urban and conceptual views, as well as the more classic landscapes. Around 80% of us live in urban areas so you may even find a winning image on your way

to work. What’s more, local knowledge can be invaluable and a small piece of local woodland can provide as much inspiration as a wellknown beauty spot.” Could you be the 10th winner? With a prize fund of £20,000, a book of best entries and a popular exhibition in Central London, LPotY celebrates all that’s great about the British landscape and showcases the work of many talented photographers, inspiring visitors to experience the joys of British landscapes. The competition is held in association with Visit Britain and the Great Britain #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign. Enter online at take-a-view.co.uk. The closing date is 10 July 2016.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature Competition

French clickers We sent two lucky winners off for a week’s photo tuition, all thanks to the expert expats at French Photographic Holidays. Here’s how they got on…

A couple of months back, we gave PN readers the chance to win a glorious week of shooting in France’s beautiful Dordogne region, thanks to French Photographic Holidays (FPH). Steve Jones was the lucky winner, so we caught up with him after his trip to find out what went on. Steve and Jane took the Eurostar to Paris, then the TGV to Angoulême where they were picked up and driven to FPH’s base in the hamlet of Les Ages by owner Paul Edmunds. Paul had already sent a questionnaire to Steve and he’d detailed the equipment they he and Jane would be taking and their level of experience. “I’ve been a photographer since boyhood, but started taking it more seriously some two years ago when we went on a photographic holiday in England. I try to post images everyday on the Blipfoto website and in January this year I joined our local photographic society,” explains Steve. “I’ve recently upgraded to a Fujifilm X-T1 and XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, which I find a very versatile combination. We both also bought Velbon tripods along.” Paul also likes to find out how active his guest are, so trips can be tailored to their energy levels, and Steve and Jane walk most weekends. Arriving at the FPH’s base, Steve and Jane were warmly welcomed by Paul’s wife Pam and shown around the converted barn which would

be their home for the next week. “The accommodation is in a perfect setting and was spotless,” says Steve. The modified barn provides two en-suite bedrooms for guests, a lounge with a wood-burner and a photographic studio with four Apple Mac computers for use by guests. Steve was big fan of the cuisine, too: “We had a superb three-course dinner cooked by Pam every night with local produce, as well as lunches and all our food and drink was included, as it would be for a regular booking. I can honestly say that the meals were wonderful. I am a registered coeliac, but Pam took that in her stride and never failed to provide tasty gluten-free food.” On their first evening, Steve and Jane were given an introductory talk by Paul, followed the next day by a trip to Brantôme, the nearby town. “Nicknamed the Venice of the Dordogne, Brantôme was beautiful” says Steve. “It has an Abbey and many marvellous buildings, and Paul was on hand to point out the best locations for us to shoot.” After lunch back at Les Ages, Steve was keen to get out for an afternoon walk around in the local area shooting wildlife and the atmospheric village itself, which was an instant hit; “dereliction and rust are two of my favourite things to shoot, so I thought I had died and gone to heaven in Les Ages!”

Snapping France Steve and Jane Jones had an excellent week shooting with French Photographic Holidays in Dordogne and gave the hospitality of Paul and Pam Edmunds a glowing review. You can find more of Steve’s shots from the trip on his Blipfoto page at blipfoto.com/ CatchitwhenIcan As part of his photographic packages, Paul also offers processing advice, as Steve describes; “At 5pm each evening we had Paul’s undivided attention whilst we began processing our photographs. Paul asked that we shoot all in Raw and provided a crib sheet for processing. Normally I find Lightroom is all I need for processing, but I did find using Photoshop interesting. Jane doesn’t usually do any processing and found the crib sheet invaluable.” Each evening, Paul also got Steve and Jane to chose their best images and keep the processed versions in a folder. At the end of the week it’s customary for each guest to show off their best work with Paul providing advice. Of this, Steve said, “with his background in the printing industry and as a pro photographer of 20

years experience, before setting up FPH, the tuition was excellent. Paul gave tips on how to improve, even though we were at different levels and he certainly had us outside our comfort zones on several occasions. By the end of the week, we were able to look at our photography in a different way; I definitely now appreciate the benefits of Raw.” For the rest of the week, Steve and Jane enjoyed four days out with Paul where they had the opportunity to do a dawn shoot, night photography, portraits, horse photography at a Police horse sanctuary, street photography in markets in Brantôme and Perigueux, and more shooting of the derelict buildings in Les Ages. “We also had two ‘free’ days,” says Steve, “and decided to take in the preparations for the flower festival

in St Jean-de-Côle. There are so many other quaint local towns, and Paul and Pam are always happy to drop guests off and collect them later.” On their final night guests can choose images from the week and Paul will print them as a memento; “He even provided some very sturdy packing for us to transport them home safely.” That care and attention, says Steve, really summed up French Photographic Holidays’ outlook. “Our hosts were charming, informative and friendly – even the weather cooperated, and the food was wonderful. This is the first time I’ve ever won anything and I couldn’t have asked for a better prize. We’re already planning a return trip to FPH next year, probably in the autumn, when the colours will be different to those this spring.”

Fact file French Photographic Holidays offers tailor-made seven-day residential workshops in the Dordogne region of France. Arrivals and departures are on Saturdays. Prices start at £950, and include full-board five-star accommodation. Nonphotographers are welcome at a reduced rate. Nearest airports and stations are Bergerac Airport (37 miles), Limoges Airport (42 miles), Bordeaux Airport (123 miles) and Angoulême Station (32 miles), and collection from these can be arranged. A week includes at least six ‘half day’ shooting trips with a maximum of four photographers per workshop, and all skill levels are welcome. Tripods and other accessories are available to use. frenchphotographicholidays.com

0033 (0) 5535 47485

frenchphotographic@gmail.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test Specs Price £1599 body only Sensor 36.4 megapixels, 7360x4912pixels, CMOS no anti-aliasing filter but AA Filter Simulate available. Sensor cleaning with ultrasonic system Sensor format 35.9x24mm, 14-bit Raws (PEF or DNG) ISO range 100-204,800 Shutter range 30secs to 1/8000sec, Bulb, flash sync 1/200sec Drive modes Max up to 4.4fps, up to 17 frames in Raw. Single, continuous H, M, L, self-timer (2s, 12s, continuous, mirror-up, multi exposure, interval shooting, interval composite, star stream

Pentax K-1 It has been a long time coming but the Pentax K-1 full-frame DSLR has arrived and at £1599 body only, it’s temptingly priced but how does it perform? We try it out Review by Will Cheung

Metering system TTL using 86k pixel RGB sensor, multi-segment, centre-weighted and spot Exposure modes PASM, 5 user modes, scene analyze mode auto, sensitivity priority, shutter & aperture-priority Exposure compensation –/+5 EV, in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV Monitor 1037k dots, 3.2in, flexible tilt Focusing TTL phase detect, SAFOX sensor, working range EV-3-18 (ISO 100), AF-S and AF-C. AF assist lamp Video Full HD at 60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p Connectivity Wi-Fi, GPS, USB 2.0, HDMI (type D), microphone input, headphone Storage media 2x SD Dimensions (wxhxd) 136.5x110x85.5mm Weight 1010g with battery body only Contact ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Below A grab shot taken using the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens on the K-1. The exposure was 1/125sec at f/2.8, ISO 1000. Aperture-priority mode and multi-zone metering were used.

If you want a 35mm full-frame camera, Canon, Nikon and Sony all offer great products and have done for some time. Pentax has focused on different areas of the camera market notably, medium-format. The K-1 is the first full-frame DSLR from the brand even though a prototype was shown back in 2000 at Photokina, but it never made it to market. In the fast-churn of digital cameras, 16 years is an eternity but a Pentax full-frame camera is finally here. The first question that springs to mind is are there enough dedicated (incredibly patient!) Pentax system users to buy the K-1? Then is it good enough to tempt non-Pentax users to switch systems or will aspiring full-framers go for the K-1 amid the other options? Is there even an opportunity for a full-frame SLR when the buzz is all about CSCs? So many questions, but meanwhile let’s see what the K-1 offers. Pick it up and there is no doubting the product’s robust build quality. Look at its specifications and you can’t but helped be impressed.

The body has 87 seals to protect its innards from dust and water, so when used with an AW (All Weather) or WR (Weather Resistant) lens you have a pairing that will cope with extreme conditions. I got the K-1 drenched twice and the camera did not malfunction at all. I was using the flexible monitor out from its resting position so water got into the monitor’s support rail mechanism with no ill effects. Speaking of this feature, my longterm concern would be grit and sand getting into the tracks in which the monitor supports run and ruining their smooth travel. It is possible to get at the tracks with the nozzle of a can of compressed air so maybe it’ll be okay, but I didn’t feel inclined to test it with a handful of sand. The monitor image itself is good, there is lots of key camera setting info available. Push the INFO button and you scroll through three options – the camera status screen, a mode selection screen and a third screen that provides options that include Electronic Compass, Electronic Level and Display Off. There is no eye-activated monitor on/off facility although a half-press of the shutter release does turn the monitor off. Built into the body is Pentax’s SR II shake reduction mechanism that claims a 5EV benefit for handheld shooting at slow shutter speeds. Of course what a 5EV benefit means depends on where you start counting from. With the 24-70mm f/2.8 I’d say 1/125sec is the minimum for hand-holding – 5EV from that is 1/4sec so I started there. Out of five shots at that speed with the lens at 50mm, I got three out of five pinsharp which I’d consider a decent return so it works well enough and it does so without the ‘floaty’ effect that you can get with lens-based IS.

One control knob I really liked was the Smart Function dial that lets you access some key features quickly The sensor is an anti-alias filterfree CMOS unit that can capture 14-bit images at a 36.4-megapixels resolution with data handling by Pentax’s new PRIME IV engine. With the camera having to deal with so much data, you won’t be surprised to learn the K-1 is no speed machine with a maximum shooting rate of 4fps. Having fast SD cards loaded – there are two slots – is a good idea especially if you are doing lots of Raw exposure bracketing or using Pixel Shift Resolution mode. The K-1 is easy to get used to and key controls have been sensibly positioned. The on/off switch around the shutter release with the ISO and exposure compensation controls nearby is excellent.

One control knob I really liked was the Smart Function dial that lets you access some key features quickly – drive mode and bracketing for example. Other are less useful – Crop, Grid and Shake Reduction can be left buried in a menu somewhere as far as I’m concerned. That is a personal thing, so perhaps having a couple of custom options would have been nice. Generally, though, the K-1’s design is sound, with some nice touches not seen on rivals. The monitor on four supports we have already discussed, but there is also the option to have the camera’s lens mount, card slots and the rear of the monitor light up at touch of a button, which is handy when working in the dark.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test Performance: ISO The K-1 joins that growing band of cameras offering six figure ISO settings, topping out at ISO 204,800. Our test images were shot using the Pentax 15-30mm f/2.8 lens on a tripod mounted K-1 – the base ISO 100 exposure was 1sec at f/8. The images originated as DNG Raws, processed using Lightroom with default sharpening and noise reduction. I also put the same Raws through Phase One’s Capture 1. At the low and medium end of the ISO range, images quality are very clean and even at ISO 800 there’s barely any discernible noise. At ISO 1600, noise starts to appear but this is still fine and smooth, and colour reproduction is identical to that seen at lower ISO settings. ISO 3200 is good enough for critical use and there’s no problem getting big prints from files at this speed, even without any software noise reduction. This is impressive stuff and certainly comparable to rival full-frame models. Noise and impact on fine detail starts to become more apparent from ISO 5000 onwards but

Full-frame image

even here the files are perfectly useable for critical purposes. From here on in, though, the mottling of noise is readily apparent, colours get muddy and smudgy, and poorer resolution of fine detail are key characteristics. ISO 12,800 is still useable for subjects like stage performances and low-light street work where noise can add to the mood of the results. It’s probably the last fast ISO suitable for quality use, because the quality at ISO 25,600 and beyond is nothing to write home about. From ISO 51,200 onwards images have a reticulated patterning and straight lines are no longer straight but rather ragged and colours are desaturated bearing no relation to reality. Artefacting and noise is very heavy from this point onwards so the six figure ISOs are not for critical use. In summary, the K-1’s noise performance is very good and easily comparable to its fullframe rivals – the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Nikon D5 are better but they’re not direct rivals.

Above Shot with a K-1 and a 15-30mm f/2.8, mounted on a Benro Mach3 TMA48CL carbon-fibre tripod.

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

ISO 102,400

ISO 204,800

Performance: Noise reduction We shot pictures from ISO 3200 right up to 25,600 at the K-1 High ISO NR settings – auto, low, medium and high. The shots here are all JPEGS, straight out of the camera. If you want in-camera noise reduction, then Low is the best setting to use in most situations. The Auto setting is pretty good too but slightly on the aggressive side and there is detail loss compared with the Low setting. The high NR setting has a seriously strong impact on detail and it’s best avoided on the evidence of this test.

Images The K-1’s integral High ISO Noise Reduction feature works well in Auto or Low but seems aggressive at higher settings and detail is severely impacted.

ISO 12,800 No NR

ISO 12,800 Auto NR

ISO 12,800 Low NR

ISO 12,800 Medium NR

ISO 12,800 High NR

ISO 12,800 Custom NR

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test Performance: image quality

No filter

AA Filter, type 1

AA Filter, type 2

Original image

Images These shots were taken with the 24-70mm f/2.8 using exposure settings of 1/400sec at f/11 and ISO 200. Images were processed through Lightroom with default sharpening applied.

Image The K-1 proved very consistent in the exposure department. This scene is inside Tower Bridge with a 24-70mm.

Performance: Pixel Shift Resolution mode Pentax’s Pixel Shift Resolution mode is an option if optimum image quality is needed, provided the scene suits and you have a solid tripod. Take a shot in this mode and you see the monitor fills with four small thumbnails, one after the other, as each exposure is made. Then you get a ‘Data being processed’ message for a few seconds, followed by the writing to card LED flickering for another 10secs or so – during this time, the camera is locked. The mode works by capturing four images with the sensor moved by one pixel up, down, left and right between each one so that each individual pixel site collects red, green and blue light – the Bayer sensor pattern has twice as many green pixels as blue and red so this system records two lots of green data. With three times as much data, there’s the opportunity for less noise and superior colour reproduction. Of course, this has an impact on file sizes. JPEGs captured using Pixel Shift Resolution are similar in size to normal JPEGs, but Raw files are around 200-210MB compared with 50-60MB for a normal Raw. From the shooting aspect, you need the camera on a very stable tripod because if the camera moves by a tiny amount during the sequence of four exposures, which takes a couple of seconds, even at high shutter speeds, you have a problem. I tried using Pixel Shift

handheld without success. I also tried hand-holding the camera but supporting it on a fence post, cast iron bollard and on a tripod but again with no success. From the subject’s perspective, any movement is a problem. There is a Motion Correction feature available and this is definitely worth trying because it does work. I shot the same scene in standard Raw, with Motion Correction Off and On. The Motion Correction On DNGs I put through Lightroom and Photoshop did not work and the blurring of tree branches swaying in the breeze was clearly evident. The same files through SilkyPix, the software that came with the K-1, were much better and the same branches were sharp but the image was still not perfect and there was double imaging. I put the same Raws through Capture 1 v9 and the images were perfect with no double imaging, blur or artefacting at all. I did try Pixel Shift Resolution with high ISOs too, shooting with and without the mode. The Raws were processed through Capture 1 (there was a bug with Lightroom at the time) and the results compared with the standard Raws. Yes, there is a benefit in terms of noise of around 1EV, ie. the ISO 6400 with Pixel Shift shot was better saturated and the noise was the same level but more sharply defined when compared with the ISO 3200 shot without the mode.

Using an anti-aliasing (or optical low-pass) filter helps avoid colour artefacts and interference issues like moiré on scenes with very, very fine detail that are difficult or even impossible to resolve post-capture, but it also impacts on ultimate image quality. This puts the camera makers in a dilemma and explains why we have cameras either with or without AA filters (Fujifilm X-T1, Nikon D810) and some with AA filters with a cancelling option (Canon EOS 5DS/R, Nikon D800E). Pentax has taken another route and the K-1 sensor is free of an antialiasing filter but has the option of simulating the effect at the time of capture. There are two strengths available and what happens is that the camera’s shake reduction

system actually vibrates the sensor at a microscopic level to blur the image and give an effect as if the sensor had an AA filter. It works best with shutter speeds at 1/1000sec or slower and there is an AA filter bracketing option to cover your options if you’re not sure if you need it or not. With the high resolution and very tiny pixels of modern cameras moiré pattern is not that common so going AA filter-free is certainly a sensible tactic. You’re also not going to see the effect anyway on a camera monitor so if in any doubt use the AA filter bracket – be warned though, it does gobble up memory. I shot a good number of AA filter brackets of finely detailed outdoor scenes and then spent ages poring

over images on screen at 100% and 200% to see, one, if there were any artefact problems on the K-1 with its anti-alias filter-free sensor and, two, if the AA filter cured any such problems. To be honest, this is needle in the haystack stuff and serious pixelpeeping territory. The good news is that I couldn’t find any moiré or colour artefact issues in the first place, but yes, the differences between no AA filter, type 1 and type 2 can be observed at high magnification. So the upshot is, you are going to have be very unlucky to experience any artefacting issues and should you think that you are likely to have problems, then the K-1 has the weaponry to resolve them.

Original image

Normal Raw

SilkyPix Motion Correction 0n

Capture 1, v9, Motion Correction 0n

LIghtroom Motion Correction 0n

Images With a solid support and a suitable scene, the Pixel Shift Resolution does deliver better JPEGs and Raws with less noise and slightly superior colour reproduction so when the best quality is needed, the mode is worth using. If there is any movement in the scene, the Motion Correction On setting must be used. In this test, we found only Phase One’s Capture 1, v9 processed the file correctly. Even with the supplied SilkyPix software, there were obvious problems. These images were shot on a sunny day using the K-1 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. There was a gentle breeze. The same DNG file was put through the three softwares.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test Original image

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

+4EV

Correct

Performance: exposure latitude A +/-4EV stop bracket was shot on the K-1. The correct exposure, obtained with a manual meter reading, was 1/60sec at f/11, ISO 100. The Raws were processed through Lightroom with the exposure corrected in software and the images exported as TIFs. Overexposure to +2EV is perfectly recoverable to a level of a correctly exposed Raw with accurate highlights without any greyness, but that is about the limit – even here the sky colouring went awry and needed correcting in processing. Tolerance to underexposure was more impressive. The -1EV and -2EV shots can be recovered with no obvious quality loss at all, while the -3EV exposure is not far off and there is noise in the shadows that can be tackled in processing. Pushing the -4EV shot to correct exposure gives more noise, but again, with sympathetic processing, it’s more than acceptable even for critical use.

Images For this latitude test the K-1 was fixed to a tripod and set to manual exposure mode. A meter reading was taken and then a test exposure made. A look at the histogram confirmed the exposure was correct – the settings used were 1/60sec at f/11, ISO 100. Then an exposure bracket was done to +/-4EV in one EV steps.

NO HDR

HDR AUTO

Performance: HDR mode This set of pictures was taken in aperture-priority AE mode, using centre-weighted average metering. The exposure was 1/250sec at f/11, ISO 200. They’re straight out of the camera JPEGs. The HDR Auto setting is a great option if you want to achieve what HDR is perfect for, ie. to get a good balance of highlight and shadows. In the HDR Auto shot you get that balance and while the non-HDR shot isn’t that much different, the benefit of better shadows is clear. Use a stronger setting and the HDR effect is more pronounced, as you would expect. The HDR 1 setting is probably the point where most people would stop and while the shadows are good, the highlights look slightly flat. By the time you get to the HDR Advanced setting you get the sort of result that you either love or hate. If this is the look you want at least the K-1 can do it for you without recourse to the computer.

HDR 1

HDR 3

HDR 2

HDR ADVANCED

Verdict There is much to like about the Pentax K-1 and I enjoyed spending time with it. It’s quiet, effective and good to use. I really liked the Smart Function dial, which gave quick access to key features, but I’d question the choice of features. Why have Crop mode or Grid where perhaps white-balance would be more useful, as the latter goes when using select AF and the four-way control takes over moving the AF point around. Having one or two custom options, or the ability to reassign the default options, would be handy. In the grand scheme of things, this is small beer, but it would make this excellent control even more useful. In terms of what the K-1 produced, I thought it did really well in a wide variety of situations and continued working away despite getting thoroughly soaked in two heavy downpours. Exposure consistency was impressive, AF reliably accurate and white-balance was spot on. For current Pentax users and aspiring fullframers, the Pentax K-1 is certainly an option to consider and it’s nicely priced too.

Features 23/25 There is plenty on offer and lots to enjoy too 24/25 Performance Exposure, AF and white-balance systems work well and the K-1 turns in fine quality images capable of big enlargements 25/25 Handling Generally good, couple of handling niggles, the flexible monitor is very good Value for money 25/25 £1599 for a high-spec full-frame body is excellent 97/100 Overall Certainly a credible option in the full-frame stakes and a powerful option Pros Price, flexible monitor, feature set, screen Cons More customising options would be good, long-term durability of the flexible monitor mechanism questionable, eye-activated LCD monitor would be nice

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Specs Price £1729 body only, £2479 with 1680mm f/2.8-4 VR Sensor 20.9 megapixels effective, 21.51 megapixels in total Sensor format DX, CMOS, 23.5x15.7 mm ISO range 100-51,200 expansion to 50-1,640,000 Shutter range 30secs-1/8000sec, flash sync at 125sec Drive modes Single, continuous low, continuous high, quiet shutter release, selftimer, mirror up, quiet continuous shutter release

Nikon D500 Nikon’s newest DX-format DSLR boasts an impressive pro-spec features list in a more compact body than the D5 Review by Jemma Dodd

Metering system TL exposure metering using RGB sensor with 180K pixels. Matrix, Centre-weighted, Spot and Highlight-weighted Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation –/+5 EV, in 1/3, 1/2, or 1EV steps Monitor 3.2in, 2359k-dot, tilting TFT touchsensitive Focusing 153 focus points of which 55 or 15 are selectable. Single-point 25, 72 or 153-point dynamic AF, 3D-tracking, group-area AF, autoarea AF Video 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) 30p, 25p, 24p. 1280 x 720 Connectivity USB 3.0 Micro-B connector, HDMI type C, audio in and out, Ethernet Storage media 1xXQD and 1xSD Dimensions (wxhxd) 147x115x81mm Weight 860g with battery and XQD, 760g body only Contact nikon.co.uk

The D500 has all the functions you need at the tip of your fingers with image quality, white-balance, mode and metering mode on the left hand and ISO and exposure comp on the top right. There are also two function buttons on the back for customisation.

With a new DX-format 20.9-megapixel sensor combined with an Expeed 5 processor, Nikon’s D500 boasts pro specs and features in a smaller body than the D5. It’s not just high-quality still images that you can create, the D500 has 4K video capability with the option to record full HD time-lapse movies as well. The D500 is Nikon’s DX top dog so you get more than the D7200 as the ISO range is 100-51,200, which can be expanded to 1,640,000. The D500 also features 3D Colour Matrix Metering with a 180K-pixel RGB sensor another improvement on the 2016-pixel RGB sensor that the D7200 has. While the D500 offers the same 3D-Tracking and Auto Area AF as the D7200 and the D300s, the D500 boasts the most advanced AF system in Nikon DSLR history with 153 AF points – it’s the same system as in the full-frame D5 model. A choice of 55 or 15 points are available for selection and it boasts the ability to focus in light as low as -4EV with the central focus point or -3EV with other points. For fast action the D500’s continuous high shooting offers up to 10fps with a 14-bit buffer capacity of 200 Raws, or 79 Raws uncompressed. To test the claim I used an online stopwatch and captured exactly ten frames within a second. This high frame rate will attract anyone looking to shoot fast action and it’s ideal for me as a music photographer. Also new on this professional DX DSLR is a tilting 3.2-inch, 2359K-dot, touch LCD. The touchscreen allows you to review images easily by swiping across the screen to browse through shots, and you can also pinch to zoom in and check your shots are sharp. The touchscreen

also has its advantages when shooting in live view – simply tap a point on the screen where you want to focus and the camera will focus and automatically take a shot. I found the flip-out screen particularly useful when I was shooting architecture. For instance, during this test I found it really useful when shooting details in the ceiling of Peterborough Cathedral. Its only downside is that the movement of the LCD is quite stiff and it can’t be angled to suit shooting in a portrait composition. Design wise it follows a similar style to the D300, but instead has a mode button on the top left and two functions buttons, one on the back and one on the front. It also takes style from Nikon’s pro DSLRs with a circular eyepiece around the viewfinder and a sub selector. The inclusion of two Fn buttons, one on the back and one on the front, gives you the option to customise your shooting preferences, and the ISO button is now on the top of the camera next to the exposure compensation button. As I often bump up the ISO when shooting concerts this placement is perfect to quickly adjust it while shooting. One feature you won’t find on this camera is a built-in pop-up flash, I tend to use speedlights when shooting on location so the lack of a pop-up flash isn’t something that I miss and I’m sure most won’t either. The D500 has a dual slot memory, with one slot for an XQD and another for an SD card. For my test I used a Lexar Professional 32GB XQD card with read and write speeds of 440Mbps and also a SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB with 95Mbps speeds. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are built-in to the D500, allowing

For fast action the D500’s continuous high shooting offers up to 10fps with a 14bit buffer capacity of 200 Raws...

you to connect your camera to Nikon’s SnapBridge app and import your images at full size or 2MB files to your device. You can also use your smartphone as a remote shutter release. Throughout my testing I took just under 800 images (shot in Raw and JPEG) with the Lexar XQD card, which amounted to over 25GB. The battery managed to last a good day with me shooting a lot of shots in continuous high mode at the motorcross track and also at the concert. I did also review my images a number of times on the LCD. One thing I would advise you to avoid is to not leave the Bluetooth turned on when it’s not in use. I left the camera to download around 725 images and about 45 minutes later the camera’s

battery had drained by about 60%, which isn’t great. I used the Nikon 16-80mm f/2.84E ED VR lens, which is the kit lens option for the D500. The key features for me were the new design, high continuous shooting speed and the improved ISO. It took me a while to get used to the new layout of buttons, but the placement of buttons such as ISO was convenient, so it’s just a matter of getting used to the new location. For me the body is bigger and heavier than what I am used to shooting with on my D7000, but that’s to be expected. I found the exposure to be accurate and it performed well in low light with little recovery to be done in post-processing.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Performance: ISO The D500’s ISO ranges from 100-51,200 with an expanded capability of 50-1,640,000 – this is one stop less than the D5’s H5.0 which gives 3,276,800. While I can’t imagine ever using an ISO so high it was, of course, worth seeing what the noise was like. To test out the ISO I took some shots of the interior of Peterborough Cathedral, and shot in aperture-priority A-E mode with an aperture of f/8. Starting with ISO 1,640,000 the results as you can see show an extremely noisy image, one that we wouldn’t even attempt to import and apply any noise reduction to. Working our way down the ISO range the noise seemed to dramatically decrease at ISO 512,000, with a fairly usable image at about 16,000. Moving further down to about 6400 was where the decrease in noise showed a lot more, and while retaining a lot of the detail, a fair bit of noise reduction would still need to be done in post-processing to recover this particular image. In my opinion ISO 3200 is where I’d be happy to shoot at, knowing that I could reduce the noise in post-processing without losing too much detail. Further down the line shooting with an ISO of between 100-800 is very clear with little noise as you would expect.

Full-frame image

Being a keen live music photographer means I often shoot in low-light conditions and have to ramp up my ISO, especially if there’s tricky lighting. When shooting on my D7000 I tend to stick to ISOs of between 8001600, depending on the lighting at the venue I am shooting at. I dislike having to apply a large amount of noise reduction in post-processing, and even then sometimes at 1600 I have to apply more than I’d like to. I took the D500 along to a couple of gigs at different venues and pushed the ISO further than I usually do to see how it performed. For some gigs the stage lighting was very minimal, I always choose the widest aperture available when shooting. Normally I shoot with a 50mm f/1.8, but I decided to give the kit lens a test in this situation so kept at the wider focal lengths to keep the aperture wide. In most cases the lighting wasn’t particularly great so I started off at ISO 1600, what I normally shoot with, and then pushed it to 2000 to 3200. I’m quite conscious about noise so decided not to push it any further. That’s not to say shooting at a higher ISO would have been an issue, but a lot more noise reduction would have been required and this can often make images look too soft.

ISO 1600

ISO 2000

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 16,000

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

ISO 204,800

ISO 409,600

ISO 1,638,400

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Performance: autofocus With the same autofocus system as the D5, the D500 can focus down to -4EV with the central focus point and -3EV with its other points. For those who favour shooting moving subjects such as wildlife or action the D500 has a continuous 3D tracking mode. I tested this out at a motorcross training track and photographed a motorbike. When keeping the camera in one position I found that if the biker moved too far from the starting focus point, the 3D tracking would jump focus to the trees or bushes in the foreground or background, leaving the biker out of focus. Shooting somewhere with less clutter and a cleaner background would probably have been a better suited scene for the 3D tracking to really show its potential. On the other hand shooting in Single Servo AF worked amazingly, I tested this on the same biker in a different position keeping the camera held in one position and also shot a concert where I would focus on the singerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face and then recompose the image. The shots below were taken with the kit lens at 70mm and shot at 10fps with 55 focus points selected. In manual I shot an exposure with ISO set to 250, an aperture of f/6.3 and a shutter speed of 1/1000sec.

ISO 51,200 No NR applied

ISO 51,200 Low High ISO NR

ISO 51,200 Normal High ISO NR

ISO 51,200 High High ISO NR

Performance: noise reduction The D500 has a selection of options for noise reduction when shooting JPEGs at high ISOs. The options available are no, high, normal or low noise reduction. I shot a scene at dusk using the 16-80mm f/2.8-4 ED lens and took shots at 6400, 12,800, 25,600 and 51,200 with no noise reduction and also with the high, normal and low settings. Looking above at each shot taken at 51,200 the high noise reduction barely retains any detail in the image and the edges of the objects in the frame are extremely soft. Using the normal setting shows more noise, but retains much more detail. If we compare the low noise reduction shot with the image that has had no noise reduction there is quite a difference between the two. On this occasion I would say that the low noise reduction would be my preference, as the normal and high settings lose too much detail and result in a soft-looking image.

A close-up of the last shot

Left The D500 is great for low-light shooting, this image of Andy Black was taken at f/3.3, 1/160sec and ISO 2000. Above The interior of Peterborough Cathedral taken at f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 800.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Camera test

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Original image

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

+4EV

Correct

Performance: exposure latitude Like many photographers I always shoot in Raw format, as it’s handy to have the extra flexibility when post-processing your images. To test out the D500’s Raw files I shot nine frames with exposures from -4EV to +4EV as well as a correctly exposed image. Shooting in manual mode the camera metered a correct exposure at ISO 250 with an of aperture f/8 and 1/160sec shutter speed. I then took shots at +/-4EV in 1EV stops and imported the photos into Lightroom. Recovering the images was just a case of adjusting the exposure. Starting at -4EV, recovering the image was absolutely fine; it was only when zoomed in that the appearance of noise was present. -3EV was similar with an improvement in noise and the noise only got better as the stops increased. By -1EV there was only a slight difference in noise between the correctly exposed image. At +1EV and +2EV the images looked very much identical to the correct image, while at +3EV the details in the sky started to disappear. At +4 the sky lost all of it’s detail and even dropping down the highlights adjustment in Lightroom made only a minor change to this. The images were taken at exposures from -4EV to +4EV in 1EV steps. They were then imported into Lightroom where I corrected the exposure according to how much they were overexposed or underexposed. Comparing them to the correctly exposed image above we can see how well the Raw files can be recovered at different exposures.

Verdict The D500 really packs a punch for a DXformat DSLR and with the same AF system as the D5 you can see why it’s got a high price tag. The 10fps shooting speed is definitely an attractive feature for those shooting wildlife, action or other high-speed subjects. Combined with the kit lens the results are extremely sharp and noise at high ISOs does extremely well, with little recovery work needed. While it does offer powerful shooting, its price tag of £1729 is only £80 more than the full-frame D750, so you have to ask yourself if you need a full-frame camera or not and what you subjects you plan to shoot. 25/25 Features Great features for action and sports shooting Performance Very good on all aspects

24/25

Handling 24/25 Fast and intuitive, just slightly big and heavy 21/25 Value for money Quite pricey considering it’s not a full-frame SLR, but it does have the D5 AF’s system. Features and image quality are great.

I shot a variety of subjects in different shooting situations to test out the D500. Above Music photography requires accurate AF and often high ISOs due to shooting in low light. This shot was taken at ISO 1250. Top right The dark conditions in Peterborough Cathedral required me to shoot with an ISO of 800, this shot was taken handheld at 1/50sec. Right The D500 and 16-80mm f/2.8-4 kit lens produced extremely sharp results and great bokeh. This shot of model Becca Rose Avill was taken at ISO 500, f/4 with a shutter speed of 1/320sec. I also used a prism to add some creative blur to the bottom left.

94/100 Overall For a DX-format camera it’s an extremely powerful option Pros High ISO performance, image quality, shooting rate, fast autofocus, tilting touchscreen Cons Slightly bulky, bigger in size and weight than the D750 for example, high price tag.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests

First tests Focus your thoughts on this bumper crop of lenses – should one be on your wish list? And don’t miss part 2 of this lens special next issue Reviews by Will Cheung and Kingsley Singleton

LENS SPECIAL

Specs Format Full frame and APS-C Mount Canon, Nikon (tested), Sony A, Pentax K (Fuji, Sony NEX and Micro Four Thirds with adapter) Construction 12 elements in 9 groups Filter size 77mm Aperture range f/4-32 Diaphragm 14 bladed Minimum focus 12cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Dimensions (lxd) 83.8x64.7mm Weight 410g Contact venuslens.net

Original image

Laowa 15mm f/4 £400 The first question that raises itself with the Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro is ‘why would you need such a wide-angle lens for macro work?’ Well, mount this optic on your camera and the answer will become clear pretty quickly; it gives a fantastically ‘different’ look to your close-up shots, allowing a broad field of view, while still filling the frame with tiny details. Away from its macro specification, it’s a very handy option for landscape and architecture. Adding to this it has a ‘shift’ option, like that found on a tilt-shift (TS) lens, meaning the optic can be slid up to 6mm parallel to the sensor. This helps correct converging vertical lines, but it’s also a pretty handy feature if you need to reframe your macro image slightly and don’t want to change the position of the camera body or the tripod. The shift function is activated via a small lever by the mount, but as it doesn’t have a dial, it’s not as accurate as the sort you’d find on a proper TS lens, and it only locks at the extremes of the shift, so it’s not all that versatile either. It’s rather fiddly, in fact. Away from that, the lens’s design and construction is mostly good. There’s lot of metal used, which adds to the sense of durability, and it’s pretty dinky in size, feeling like a stubby prime from the 1980s. Unlike the other Laowa lenses reviewed, it wouldn’t fit onto my D800 without depressing the lens lock button, but after that it handled pretty well. The focus ring sits towards the rear and the aperture

setting is just behind the front element, which feels a bit odd to start with, but you soon get used to it. The deeply grooved aperture ring is stepless and turns very smoothly, and while this darkens the viewfinder, it does give a good indication of depth-offield and adds greater precision, letting fractions of an f/stop to be used. It also benefits videographers in changing these settings mid-shot. The manual focus ring is similarly smooth and very nicely weighted; a real joy to use. For a macro lens it has a shortish 90º turn from near to far lens, but performed very well on test. The lens is entirely manual in design – manual focus and manual aperture setting – so again it takes some adjustment if you’re moving from lenses with AF and AE. There’s no image stabilisation, but on such a wide (and macro) lens, that’s arguably not an issue. The closest focusing distance is 12cm, meaning that the practical working distance is even shorter, at around 4.5cm from the lens front. This is great from a visual point of view, but it does mean you’re getting very close to the subject, which risks physical impact on the front element. What’s more, with such a wide angle of view it’s easy to cast a shadow on parts of the scene, especially when the included lens hood is fitted. Exposures weren’t perfectly consistent, but they weren’t all that far off either; perhaps +/-0.7EV at the maximum.

f/4 centre

f/4 edge

f/5.6 centre

f/5.6 edge

f/11 centre

f/11 edge

f/22 centre

f/22 edge

Twinning such a short focal length with macro focusing puts a lot of pressure on the optical performance of the lens, but the Laowa 15mm does pretty well considering. As you’d expect, sharpness is best in the centre and while it’s a bit soft wide open at the f/4 setting, it’s much better by the time you stop down to f/5.6, improving to f/11 and is well held until f/22. Edge sharpness is best at f/16. There is quite obvious vignetting at the extremes of the aperture range and noticeable barrel distortion, which along with the vignetting, increases a lot when using the shift function. KS

Verdict Given its corner softness, this lens is a lot more appealing on APS-C DSLRs, where those problems will be cropped out. For full-frame it’s a unique offering, with good centre sharpness and great handling. Pros Handling, centre sharpness, build, unique view, circular bokeh Cons Close working distance, poor shift control, edge sharpness

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests Specs Format APS-C Mount Canon, Nikon (tested), Sony A, Pentax K (Fuji, Sony NEX and Micro Four Third with adapter) Construction 9 elements in 7 groups Filter size 62mm Aperture range f/2.8-22 Diaphragm 14 bladed Minimum focus 18.5cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Dimensions (lxd) 95x77mm Weight 502g Contact venuslens.net

Original image

Specs Format Full frame and APS-C Mount Canon EF, Nikon F (tested), Sony FE and Alpha, Pentax K Construction 11 elements in 8 groups Filter size 67mm Aperture range f/2-22 (T3.2-8 on STF ring) Diaphragm 8 blades (f/stop ring), 14 on STF ring Minimum focus 90cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Dimensions (lxd) 76×98.9mm Weight 745g Contact venuslens.net

Original image

Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra-Macro £300 With Venus Optics formed by a group of macro enthusiasts, it’s not surprising they’d want to do something special for close-up fans; this lens is certainly that, offering a greater than life-size reproduction ratio of 2:1. At closest focus, the subject is reproduced on the sensor at twice life-size, obviating the need for accessories like extension tubes, so a 1cm petal would be focused on the sensor at 2cm across, and therefore contain lots of extra detail. The lens is designed for DSLRs with APS-C size sensors, and comes in Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony A fits, giving an effective 90mm view (an adapter can be bought with the lens for Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX mounts). For perspective, the only other readily available lens with greater-than-life-size reproduction is Canon’s MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, (£750) and of course that’s Canon fit only. The Canon lens shoots up to 5x life-size, and the Laowa 60mm only extends to 2x, but it’s still impressive. The lens has a smooth metal construction, and a metal lens mount, and it feels very well put together, weighing in at a chunky 502g. It comes with a soft pouch and a 62mm Laowa screw-in UV filter, the latter needed to protect the front element as it moves forward and back within the housing, stopping you from mistakenly bumping it into the subject and also

limiting the ingress of dust. There’s an aperture ring nearest the mount, which runs from f/2.8 to f/22, and although this is essentially stepless, letting you pick whatever setting you like, each main stop has a click. There’s a little bit of ‘give’ at either end, meaning it can go darker than f/22, and this detracts from the well-engineered feel a little. The focus ring is well grooved and has a positive feel, but our sample was a little less than smooth with a ‘scraping’ feel at close focus. A full throw of the focus is about 150º, which allows a good level of precision and the point of sharpness was easy to set. Markings on the barrel show the level of reproduction, which is helpful. Like Laowa’s other lenses, the 60mm is fully manual in aperture setting as well, so operation is fairly slow. What’s more, there’s no automatic stopping down of the aperture, so just like the old days, if you’re shooting at smaller apertures it can be a bit difficult to judge through the viewfinder. However, with macro focusing often achieved using live view, this isn’t a problem. Fitted to a Nikon D800 for testing, the lens supported metering in aperturepriority and manual, and exposures were consistent (this isn’t guaranteed on other bodies). The 2:1 ratio is great to use, but be aware that it does magnify the usual macro issues, such as limited depth-of-field and subject movement,

Laowa 105mm f/2 £650 Bucking Venus Optic’s prevailing macro trend is the Laowa 105mm f/2 STF. The latter stands for Smooth Trans Focus, and it relates to the inclusion of an apodisation element (APD) in the light path. The benefit of this is to change the look of out-offocus areas, giving them a smoother finish than when using just a regular aperture. The APD works by reducing the amount of light near the edges of the frame – it’s basically a circular ND grad, with the reduction in light at the edges (as the ND becomes stronger) making the bokeh less distinct in shape and therefore smoother. The APD element is linked to a 14-bladed aperture and is controlled by a stepless ring on the barrel, operating from f/3.2 to f/8. Behind this is a second, regular aperture ring, that controls a separate diaphragm, and which runs from f/2 to f/22. The STF ring is also useful for videographers, letting them control the light levels without altering depth-of-field too much. The lens has a metal barrel and, lacking AF and any image stabilisation, it’s free from switches, so has an uncluttered feel. The only controls are the focus and the two aperture rings. At 745g, it’s pretty heavy; the lens mount is metal too and there’s no rattling in the components. I only used it for a week, so this could change with some serious hammer, but it certainly gave the impression of durability. The barrel also has distance and depth-offield markings.

In handling the 105mm f/2 STF was mostly a good performer. Placement of the controls is sensible with the finely grooved metal focus ring sitting easily under the forefinger and thumb when cradling the camera and lens. Behind this is the stepless STF ring and then the regular aperture, neither of which was a problem to find ‘blind’. The manual focusing ring has a very nice, smooth turn to it. It feels a world away from a budget lens, and the grooves give it plenty of grip. On the downside it has a very long throw which requires a turn of almost 270º, so going from closest focus to infinity takes a good few turns. This is fine for video work but while it’s not ideal for stills, you’re unlikely to be shooting moving subjects with this lens, so speed is quite far down the pecking order. On the Nikon-fit version tested, exposure is also completely manual in operation, so unlike Laowa’s other lenses I couldn’t shoot in aperturepriority and get autoexposure, except at the widest setting. The only way I could get automatic metering was to shoot in live view. To get around this, I shot in manual using the wide-open metering as a starting point and working out the exposure from there. Shooting and checking the histogram also helped. Like the manual focusing, this isn’t difficult when you get the hang of it, but it does slow down shooting. Where the 105mm f/2 STF really excels is in image quality. The lens has a really good level of sharpness, and

f/2.8 centre

f/2.8 edge

f/5.6 centre

f/5.6 edge

f/8 centre

f/8 edge

f/22 centre

f/22 edge

while the 18.5cm closest focus can cause you to shade the subject. I used the D800’s DX crop mode and there was only minor vignetting and distortion noted. Using the full (FX) sensor size, the corners do get quite dark, and more solid as you stop down, and there’s pincushion distortion at the edges but I still preferred to shoot in this mode and crop manually. Overall, sharpness was good; a little soft wide open, but great in the centre at around f/5.6, peaking at f/11; it then softens at f/16 and beyond. The 14 bladed aperture meanwhile produces some very smooth and attractive bokeh. KS

Verdict A fun, versatile lens that gives you super-macro images without the need for accessories. It’s not brimming with features like AF and IS, but for most macro work, which is slow and exacting in nature, they’re not required and image quality is good. Pros Price, image quality, build Cons Focus distance, APS-C only

f/2 centre

f/2 edge

f/5.6 centre

f/5.6 edge

f/11 centre

f/11 edge

f/16 centre

f/16 edge

unlike many, is very usable at its widest f/2 setting. Sharpness peaks around f/8, catching up at the edges by the time it was stopped down to f/11. Vignetting was kept to a minimum, and again had dropped off by f/5.6. Vignetting was also associated with the STF ring’s range, being more prominent at either end of the range. Talking of the STF function, it definitely gives a smoother look to out-of-focus areas, though personally I’d not been thinking the bokeh was too rough in the first place. The lens seemed to control aberrations well, and no serious distortion was seen either. KS

Verdict With its manual characteristics, long focus throw and unusual STF ring, this lens is more suited to videography than stills. The focal length suggests portrait uses, but MF makes this unwise. That said sharpness is excellent, so it could do a good turn for landscapes. Pros Image quality, build, handing Cons Price, manual everything

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests

HD-Pentax-D 15-30mm f/2.8 FA ED SDM WR £1499 There is no escaping the fact that this is a serious ultra-wide lens, in stature, price and ability, but then it is rich in specification too including a constant fast f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout its focal length range. Fit it onto an APS-C format Pentax and this lens is definitely the boss. Fit it onto the full-frame K-1 however, and the pair make for a well-balanced, if weighty, combination – this is the camera I used for this test. The lens range is covered in less than onequarter of a turn of the smooth zoom barrel and should you want to manual focus, the distance of travel is not much greater. Pentax’s SDM (Supersonic Direct-drive Motor) enables fast, almost silent AF and should you need to manually fine-tune or override the camera, you can do so just by twisting the manual focus barrel without the need to flip any switch first. There’s no image stabilisation mechanism needed because Pentax has its Shake Reduction system built into its camera bodies. The inevitable consequence of the wide angle of view and constant fast aperture is the sizeable and bulbous front element and fixed cut-out lens hood. This makes life a challenge for keen filter users and you need the Lee Filters SW150 Mark II system to enable this. Physically, this Pentax lens is not far off from the Tamron 15-30mm so the adapter for that lens might be suitable.

15mm

20mm

Optically, the Pentax 15-30mm proved itself to be a quality optic capable of impressive photographs when used at its best apertures. The widest setting of an extreme wide-angle is often the most challenging, but on this Pentax it is just about the strongest, in a relative sense, of the three focal lengths tested here. At the wider apertures sharpness at the edges lags slightly behind the centre but by the time we reach f/5.6 and especially f/8, sharpness across the frame is very good and fine detail is crisply rendered. Sharpness then falls away at f/16 and f/22. At the 20mm setting quality at the widest and smallest

Specs apertures is okay but not outstanding. However, the settings in between are much more impressive with f/5.6 and f/8 very crisp before gradually dropping off by f/16. A similar pattern was shown at the 30mm setting where performance was respectable wide open and quality across the frame got better with stopping down; f/5.6 just about showing as the optimum aperture ahead of f/8. Given the design of the lens and the bulbous front element, flare is a potential hazard shooting into the light so you need to watch for that when shooting in strong light. WC

Format Full-frame and APS-C (equivalent to 23-46mm) Mount Pentax KAF3 Construction 18 elements in 13 groups Special lens elements EX (Extra-low dispersion) and aspherical elements – three of each type Coatings SP (Super Protect) on front element to repel water and grease, HD Filter size Not applicable Aperture range f/2.8-22 Diaphragm 9 blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes, quick shift – changes from AF to manual just by rotating the focusing barrel Minimum focus 28cm Focus limiter No Maximum magnification 0.20x Distance scale Yes, feet and metres

30mm

Depth-of-field scale No

f/2.8

f/5.6

f/2.8

f/5.6

f/2.8

f/5.6

The Pentax 15-30mm proved itself to be a quality optic capable of high-quality photographs

Image stabiliser No

We tested this lens in a variety of situations and it proved a fine performer. It’s bulky though and filter use isn’t straightforward.

Contact ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Tripod collar No Lens hood Integrated cut-off hood Weather-sealed Yes Dimensions (lxd) 143.5x98.5mm Weight 1040g

Verdict f/11

f/11

High spec, fast aperture wide-angle zooms are rarely cheap but they are such essential optics that for many photographers they are worth serious consideration. Pentax users can go for this ultra-wide zoom with confidence because it is a very able lens. True, it’s big, expensive and using filters is a hassle, but those points are outweighed by its optical class. Features Fast aperture, great zoom range suitable for diverse subject matter

f/16

24/25

Performance 24/25 Capable of contrasty, high resolution images so no real complaints here 23/25 Handling It’s a big chunky lens but handles well enough. Filter use possible but awkward

f/22

Value for money Fast ultra-wide zooms from a camera brand are rarely cheap Overall Fujifilm reputation for high optical quality upheld Pros Optical performance Cons Bulk, filter use an issue

21/25

92/100

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests Specs Price Lens: £1199 Lens with 1.4x teleconverter: £1299 Teleconverter: £229 Format Full-frame, APS-C Mount Canon, Nikon and Sigma Construction Lens: 24 elements in 16 groups Converter: 7 elements in 5 groups Special lens elements 3x SLD, 2x FLD Coatings Super Multi-layer Coating. Front and rear elements have water and oil-repellant coatings Filter size 105mm Aperture range f/5-22 Diaphragm 9 blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes, standard manual and MO which is manual override in fulltime AF operation Minimum focus 2.6m Focus limiter Yes, two options, infinity-10m, 10m to 2.5m Maximum magnification 1:5 Distance scale Yes, feet and metres Depth-of-field scale No

Sigma 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3 Sport DG OS HSM From £1199 Sigma offers a less highly spec’ed, lighter, cheaper version of the 150600mm under its Contemporary lens range banner. Here, though, we have the Sports version currently being bundled with the TC-1401 1.4x teleconverter at a price of £1328. You expect long telephoto zooms to be heavy, bulky optics especially those with fast apertures. This Sigma lens weighs in at 2.86kg, so lighter than the Canikon 200-400mm f/4 lenses but 900g heavier the Contemporary. It’s a serious lump of glass and not a lens to tote around on the off-chance of getting a picture. Fit it on a body (I used a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and the Sony A6300 with Sigma MC-11 converter) and the lens is the dominant partner but the combination doesn’t feel too front heavy. Obviously it depends on the individual but for me the lens certainly proved a physical challenge to use handheld and support is essential for use over a period. One feature I really enjoyed was having lens lock at all key focal lengths, ie. 200mm, 300mm, etc. To unlock the lens at 150mm you physically have to operate the lock, but at the other settings, just rotating

150mm

the zoom barrel releases the lock, which is handy. The lens has an anti-shake system, Sigma’s version is called Optical Stabilisation (OS), and of course it is essential on this lens. There are two modes: 1 for general use and 2 for horizontal panning. Its effectiveness is reasonable rather than outstanding, especially at the longer focal lengths. With some image stabilisation systems the image seems to ‘float’ when it’s on but on the Sigma the effect is much more jumpy and not very smooth. I did tests outdoors on a calm day, standing on solid ground at 150mm, 300mm and 600mm shooting pictures down to 1/30sec. At 150mm, I got decently sharp shots at 1/40sec, at 300mm 1/50sec was acceptable and at 600mm I had some success at 1/60sec and at 1/80sec and out of five shots two were okay. At 600mm, the jumping around effect in the viewfinder was very evident so this hit rate was still good. However, it is worth putting this into context because a 600mm lens needs 1/600sec minimum for handheld shooting so to get any degree of sharpness at 1/60sec is quite an

300mm

achievement so the OS works despite its jumpiness. Optical performance at 150mm is impressive from open aperture onwards with our test shots showing plenty of contrast and detail. Matters improve with stopping down, though, with f/11 giving the best balance between central and edge sharpness. 150mm was actually the least impressive of the three focal lengths tried. At 300mm, image quality at f/5.6 and f/8 was excellent with bags of detail, great contrast and as good at the edges as the centre. That high level of performance was maintained at the 600mm setting too and you get impressive sharp, contrasty images. Even better news is that the best quality, centrally and at the edges, comes at the wider apertures with f/8 being only slightly

600mm

Image stabiliser Yes, Sigma OS, two modes – 1 for normal use, 2 to minimise blur when panning Zoom lock Yes, at full focal length settings Tripod collar Yes Lens hood Metal hood supplied

f/5.6

f/8

f/11

Weather-sealed Yes, dust- and splash-proof Dimensions (lxd) Lens: 290x121mm Teleconverter: 69.9x25mm Weight Lens: 2860g Teleconverter: 190g Contact sigma-imaging-uk.com f/16

f/16

better than f/6.3 and both good enough for critical use. I then fitted the 1.4x teleconverter and repeated the test at the same 150mm, 300mm and 600mm giving equivalent focal lengths of 210mm 420mm and 840mm – of course, it’s the latter that’s of most interest. Fitting an optical accessory between lens and camera inevitably impacts on image quality but the good news is that the drop-off in image quality in terms of sharpness and contrast is minimal. At 840mm the effective maximum aperture is f/9 and you have to say that the result is good enough even for critical use. There is a benefit in stopping down to f/11, which does improve matters, especially in the corners and edges. Any further stopping down has a negative impact. WC

Verdict High-spec telezooms don’t come cheap, but I’d have to say this Sigma is a bit of a bargain – and even more so if you go for the lens/converter bundle. It’s capable of excellent quality images assuming you get everything right – it is demanding on your technique. Nevertheless, if you need a lens for your wildlife or action work then you have got to take a look at this lens and while it is still a significant outlay, it’s nothing like the sort of cash you have to pay for a camera brand lens of similar spec so it is very good value for money. 24/25 Features WR, OIS, zoom lock and fast AF 23/25 Performance Very useable wide open and even better one or two stops down

f/22

Images These test shots were done on a calm, sunny day using a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Raw files processed through Lightroom with default sharpening. The lens was mounted on a Benro Mach3 TMA48CL carbon-fibre tripod fitted with an Arca-Swiss ball head and the self-timer used to make the exposures.

f/22

22/25 Handling Needs support ideally – or strong forearms! 25/25 Value for money A fine long zoom at a great price

600mm with 1.4x teleconverter

f/9

f/11

Overall 94/100 If you want a top quality long zoom and your budget is limited, have a look at this Sigma. Pros Impressive image quality, swift AF, zoom range, converter Cons Heavy, OS system, big filters

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests Specs Format Full-frame and APS-C Mount Canon, Nikon (tested), Sony (coming soon) Construction 13 elements in 9 groups Special lens elements 1x LD, 1x XLD Coatings eBAND, BBAR and fluorine Filter size 67mm Aperture range f/1.8-/16 Diaphragm 9 blade rounded design Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 80cm Focus limiter No Maximum magnification 1:7.2 Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser Yes Tripod collar No Lens hood Yes, (HF016 bayonet hood included) Weather-sealed Yes, moisture

Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD £499 Tamron has been building an exciting range of fast, image-stabilised prime lenses, and the latest two to arrive are the SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD and SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro (reviewed on the facing page). The 85mm is claimed to be the world’s first ‘85mm fast-aperture lens with image stabilisation’, and this it is, in mounts other than Sony Alpha (the Zeiss Batis f/1.8 precedes it, although that lens’s stabilisation is used in conjunction with Sony’s in-body version). For portraiture, which 85mm optics are primarily purchased for, the incorporation of Tamron’s Vibration Compensation (VC) system makes a lot of sense, as you’ll normally be shooting handheld. On first fitting the lens to a Nikon D800, it’s the build and feel that struck me; Tamron is sometimes thought of by photographers as a budget alternative to ‘big brand’ names, but this feels very high-grade. The lens even has levels of weather-sealing that Tamron describes as ‘moisture resistant’, so while not splash proof, it should stand up to dusty and damp conditions, putting it ahead of some rivals. The build is complemented by a fluorine coating on the front element, which repels water and makes cleaning smudges easier, and this was borne out in testing, with the lens easily cleaned with just a couple of sweeps of a lens cloth. All this quality means the lens is weighty and fairly broad, tipping the scales at 700g; it’s just about as wide as it is long, but it felt well balanced on the D800. It was the same impression on the new Nikon D500 (also reviewed

this issue), where the lens gives an equivalent focal length of around 130mm, but on smaller, lighter bodies it will feel a bit front-heavy. Completing the A-grade build, the Tamron f/1.8 VC’s barrel has a metal outer, which gives the lens a very solid finish, and the construction is tight, but there was a little rattling when shaken, presumably from the VC mechanism. Compare this lens with Nikon’s 85mm f/1.8G and the latter is half the weight, being made mostly from high-grade plastic. It also lacks the stabilisation, has fewer aperture blades, fewer elements and no special glass elements (though it’s also cheaper). Handling wise, the Tamron 85mm f/1.8 VC lens performed excellently throughout. With the zoom ring replaced by your feet, there’s plenty of space for a broad, rubberised focus ring, which takes you from near to far in about a quarter of a turn. The ring turns smoothly and has a good level of resistance, so manual focusing is precise, and this is important, as while you won’t generally be using it for portraits, the lens makes very pleasing still lifes and floral portraits, too. Manual focus will also override the AF if it need tweaking. The two switches on the barrel (AF/MF and VC On/Off) fall easily under the thumb, and are stiff enough to avoid accidental use; the only minor issue being there’s no way to tell them apart through touch, other than getting to know their position. AF was fast and very quiet, locking on quickly and accurately. Alternating the AF between very distant subjects

(for these purposes infinity) and the closest 80mm, took around 0.25sec and, to me, seemed quicker than the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G. Just. The performance of the VC mode was also excellent, and in hand-holding I managed to get most shots acceptably sharp at around 1/10 or 1/15sec; a smaller proportion came in at 1/5sec, but it’s still very impressive. Of course this depends on the steadiness of your technique. Optically, the lens uses LD (Low Dispersion) and XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) glass elements to minimise aberrations like fringing and ghosting, and improve image sharpness. To test it, the lens was aimed at a flat surface and focused near its minimum focusing distance using live view mode to ensure accuracy; at 1m, it was the kind of range where you might shoot a typical

Dimensions (lxd) 84.8x91.3mm

head and shoulders portrait. Pics were then taken throughout the aperture range. There was obvious, though not unpleasant vignetting wide open, which decreases as it’s stopped down until it was virtually undetectable at f/5.6. Sharpness followed a similar pattern and the lens put in a very good showing throughout. Centre and edge detail was best between f/5.6 and f/8, but there was still lots of clarity through the wider apertures; only wide open did it drop off. Throughout the test, I found myself shooting at around f/2.2 which seemed the best balance between sharpness and shallow depth-of-field. No serious distortion was observed and the lens handled flare and fringing well, though the latter was visible in some high-contrast areas, mainly in the wider apertures. KS

Verdict

Weight 700g

The Tamron 85mm f/1.8 VC’s spec is reflected in its price, but it’s a lens that doesn’t disappoint and you won’t feel short-changed. Images are crisp and clean with great detail and very few defects. The build is magnificent, and inclusion of Tamron’s Vibration Compensation is very welcome, adding to the crispness of results and offsetting shaky shooting not only at slow shutter speeds.

Contact tamron.eu/uk

Right The Tamron 85mm f/1.8 VC has a very sturdy feel, a streamlined design and the inclusion of Vibration Compensation is most welcome. Test images Shot in Raw with no sharpening applied, results still show very good sharpness, reaching peak between f/5.6 and f/8 apertures.

Features Not much missing here

f/1.8

f/2

f/2.8

24/25

Performance 23/25 Very good image quality and speedy, accurate focusing Handling 23/25 Only very minor complaints 21/25 Value for money It’s not cheap, but you do get plenty for your money

f/5.6

f/8

f/11

f/16

94/100 Overall A great lens, and there’s not much to choose between it and Nikon’s own optically. Whether you shell out the extra depends on how much you want the VC and high-quality build. Pros Build, AF, image quality, image stabilisation Cons One of the more expensive 85mm f/1.8 options

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests

SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro £579 Still hot from the lens oven (a technical term) when it arrived in the PN office, the SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro is an update of its identically named predecessor. Confused? There’s no need to be. While the top line spec is very similar, the new lens is categorised as ‘Model F017’ and looks very different, so it’s easy to pick it out in a line. The 90mm focal length and 1:1 maximum reproduction ratio makes this macro lens suitable for all sorts of tiny subjects and with its fast aperture and updated 5-axis Vibration Compensation (VC) it’s also useful in low light and for portraits. The old 90mm was an excellent performer though, so great things are expected of its heir. Starting with its construction, the lens follows Tamron’s ‘new SP design concept’ which applies to its other recent fast-aperture prime lenses. Alongside re-engineered optics, of which more later, this means it’s treated to a tough, sleek metal barrel and has a distinctive concave silver ring at the base, which falls rather nicely under your little

finger when cradling the lens, giving a more comfortable grip. The front half is dominated by large focus ring, and with an internal focusing design, the front element doesn’t rotate or extend, this being important for close focusing work where extending optics are in danger of striking parts of the subject or alarming whatever critter you’re shooting. The barrel features three low-profile switches to control AF/MF, the VC function and a three-stage focus limiter (Full, 0.5m to infinity and 0.3-0.5m). The lens is also moisture proofed and dust resistant; seals extend to the front element, buttons and focus ring, and there’s a thick rubber gasket at the mount; this will be of huge benefit when shooting macro specimens out in the open. The front element also features a fluorine coating to repel water, oil and dust. Overall, the construction feels very high-end and reliable. While there was little wrong with the previous model, the new lens is certainly a step up, and to outline this, the lens weighs 50g more than its predecessor, at 600g.

Above The new 90mm f/2.8 VC handled very well, and its manual focusing ring is large, grippy and smooth – perfect for macro.

f/5.6

Specs Format Full-frame and APS-C Mount Nikon and Canon (Sony coming soon) Construction 14 elements in 11 groups Special lens elements 1x Low Dispersion (LD), 2x eXtra Low Dispersion (XLD) Coatings eBAND, BBAR and fluorine Filter size 62mm

Manual focus performance is very important for a macro lens as that’s how most enthusiasts shoot their close-ups. Thankfully then, the 90mm Macro’s ring is excellent; it’s deep and therefore easy to find, and it operates smoothly with just the right level of resistance, allowing precise changes. There is quite a bit of travel to get from near to far, but the space in the turn allows even further precision and it’s not like speed is much of a concern. The lens’s switches have a solid feel with no slipping or rattling, and they fall well under the thumb with no strain required to move from first to last. The only issue I found (as with the 85mm f/1.8 VC) was each switch is the same size and shape; differentiation in texture would have helped. On test, I mostly shot in manual focus for macro subjects, but for portraits, the lens’s retuned AF, with its allied and near-silent Ultra Silent Drive (USD), is very brisk. It was very accurate, too, although like most it did occasionally hunt when faced with low-contrast subjects. This was improved, but not eliminated, when the focus limiter was engaged as there’s less range for the lens to cover. Naturally for AF macro work it was best kept on the 0.3-0.5m setting. The system also supports a manual override, so you can lock-on in AF and then fine-tune the focus manually. The performance of the updated VC system is excellent and the steadying f/8

action is clearly visible through the viewfinder when it kicks in, feeling like there’s a helping hand steadying the end of the lens. However, our test lens did make a bit of a clunk when the VC fired up, which isn’t ideal for wildlife. The 5-axis system compensates for movement both horizontally and vertically, and it’s so steady I found it needed to be deactivated (a simple matter of releasing the shutter or AFon button) to recompose, otherwise you feel glued to the subject. Optically the lens’s performance was mostly first class. The construction includes one LD (low dispersion) and two XLD (extra low dispersion) elements, plus Tamron’s eBAND (Extended Bandwidth and AngularDependency) and BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) coatings, and these add up to pictures with great clarity, even wide open. At its closest focusing distance of 30cm, where the effective aperture falls to f/5.6-f/64, the widest aperture gave very good results, peaking in the centre between f/11 and f/16. Beyond f/22, the sharpness fell off and results were bit mushy. Edge sharpness was consistently good throughout. When focused further off results were very similar, and the lens can be relied upon to resolve a great level of detail, below f/22. Vignetting and fringing were well controlled throughout. KS

Aperture range f/2.8-32 (f/5.6-64 at closest focus) Diaphragm 9 blade rounded design Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 30cm Focus limiter Yes Maximum magnification 1:1 Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser Yes Tripod collar No Lens hood Yes Weather-sealed Yes, moisture and dust Dimensions (lxd) 117.1x79mm Weight 600g Contact tamron.eu/uk

Verdict The new Tamron 90mm VC builds on the solid foundations of the older lens and while it’s better in most regards, the level of improvement is slight in most cases; therefore if you have the old lens it’s not a vital upgrade. On the other hand, the lens’s excellent features, build and performance make it a compelling choice for anyone new to macro shooting or looking to upgrade on older optics, or to add modern features like image stabilisation.

f/16

Test images We shot in Raw with no sharpening applied, and with the lens set to its closest focusing point (where 1:1 reproduction is achieved). Here the effective aperture falls to f/5.6-f/64, and our results showed a great level of sharpness. Peak results here were at f/11-f/16.

f/22

f/45

f/32

f/64

Features All you could want from a macro lens (and plenty for portraits, too)

25/25

Performance Very good image quality and no complaints about the AF

23/25

Handling Aside from the similarity of the buttons, the lens is great to use

24/25

Value for money You get great performance and build, but there are cheaper options

22/25

94/100 Overall If you’re in the market for a new macro lens, this redesigned Tamron 90mm VC is well worth your consideration (and your money). It’s a classy performer and doesn’t disappoint on any level. Pros Build, image quality, AF speed and VC Cons Larger, heavier and more expensive than its predecessor

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests Specs Format APS-C/DX Mount Canon, Nikon Construction 14 elements in 12 groups Special lens elements 3x SD (super-low dispersion), 3x aspherical Coatings Advanced multilayer Filter size 82mm Aperture range F/2.8-22 Diaphragm 9 blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes, using Tokina One-touch Clutch mechanism – pull the focus barrel back for manual focusing Minimum focus 28cm Focus limiter No Maximum magnification 1:8.62 Distance scale Feet and metres Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser No

Tokina AT-X Pro SD 11-20mm f/2.8 IF DX £499 Tokina’s latest lens is a fast aperture, APS-C ultra-wide zoom with a fullframe equivalent focal length of 16.530mm, and available for Canon EF-S and Nikon DX DSLRs. Its range makes it ideal for landscapes, interiors, environmental shots and much more and the fast constant f/2.8 aperture is a big selling point too. The lens has a great balance and feels solidly put together too as you’d expect from a Tokina product. I tried it on a Canon EOS 70D and the pair made for a great handling package. A quarter of a turn takes you from infinity to the lens’s 28cm minimum focusing distance which speeds up AF and manual focusing. There’s a nice, firm resistance to the zoom control too and it stay put once you take your hand off. Using Tokina’s proprietary Onetouch Focus Clutch Mechanism you can instantly switch from AF to manual focusing and back again by pulling the focusing barrel towards you or pushing it forward. This has a smooth action, but firm enough so the barrel only moves when you want it to. AF is swift and quiet so no complaints there, while the manual focus barrel is delightfully smooth too.

11mm

That is more or less it on the physical attributes front, apart from to say that a bayonet lens hood is supplied and the filter thread is 82mm, a possible minor detraction for keen filter users. Optically, the Tokina proved a very solid performer. Sharpness at 11mm is very good, particularly at the wide apertures from f/2.8 to f/5.6 where detail at the centre and edges is crisp and gradually falls away from f/8. F/11 is fine for critical use, but diffraction softens the image after that. It is a similar pattern at 14mm, with f/8 giving the best balance between central and edge sharpness but you still get a very decent performance at the faster apertures too. Again, sharpness starts to decline from f/11. Central quality at the 20mm setting is acceptable at f/2.8 but markedly improves from f/4 onwards peaking at f/8. The edges, on the other hand, need the benefit of stopping down and you see the best sharpness at f/11 and f/16, although it is good at f/8 too. All round, the Tokina showed itself capable of delivering very sharp images throughout but especially at the wider focal lengths where sharpness is impressive with minimal stopping down. WC

14mm

20mm

Tripod collar No Lens hood BH-821 supplied Weather-sealed No Dimensions (lxd) 92x89mm Weight 560g

f/2.8

f/5.6

f/11

Contact hahnel.ie

With its f/2.8 throughout this Tokina does have an advantage

Verdict There are several alternatives from the camera brands as well as from independent makers if you want an ultra-wide zoom including some at prices lower than that of this Tokina. For instance, the Canon EF-S 1022mm at £377 and the Tamron 10-24mm at £349, but while both are cheaper they also have less impressive maximum apertures. The Sigma 10-20mm at £329 has a constant f/3.5 aperture. Thus, with its f/2.8 throughout this Tokina does have an advantage, it’s just a question of whether this aspect is important to you and that you are willing to pay for it. All round, it certainly proved itself a capable, high-quality lens and well worth a look. 22/25 Features Good range, fast f/2.8 throughout 23/25 Performance Showed itself to be a capable lens

f/16

23/25 Handling Smooth handling and fast AF – big filter size though Value for money 22/25 You pay for the f/2.8 aperture

f/22

Above Tokina’s latest zoom is available for Canon and Nikon APS-C format DSLRs.

f/22

Overall 90/100 A more than capable ultrawide zoom with a handy fast aperture, even if it does come at a price Pros Good price, solid performance, handling, constant f/2.8, close focusing Cons 82mm filter thread

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests

Voigtländer MFT lenses from £743

The Micro Four Thirds system has many things going for it, including very good third-party lens support so you get options like these exciting primes from Voigtländer boasting super-fast maximum apertures. The MFT Voigtländer lenses share the same physical characteristics so we will discuss them here before going into each lens’s optical performance in detail separately. MFT lenses are usually small and compact and that applies to these lenses too, even though you might expect bigger front elements for maximum light-gathering power. That only really applies to the 10.5mm. One thing that is a surprise is how solid and heavy they are for their size. Their build quality is impressive while the weight is a potential downside given that many people love the MFT system for its portability. Focusing is manual only and the knurled focus ring is lovely and smooth. In all four, there’s quite a long travel from minimum focus to infinity – about three quarters of a full rotation for all except the 17.5mm, which is about half a

Specs Format Micro Four Thirds Construction 13 elements in 10 groups Filter size 72mm Aperture range f/0.95-16 Diaphragm 10 blades Minimum focus 17cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Lens hood Supplied Dimensions (lxd) 82.4x77mm Weight 585g Contact flaghead.co.uk

rotation. An unusual sight nowadays is a depth-of-field scale but we have them here. The aperture ring is click-stopped in 0.5EV steps and there is the option of making the aperture ring stepless for silent operation during video use. The aperture itself features ten diaphragm blades so bokeh should be smooth and circular, and operation is manual. There is no communication or linkage between the lens and the camera body so no stopping down the lens at the very instant of exposure and no aperture control from the body or display in the viewfinder. Set the aperture value on the lens and that is the value in use so the occasional visual check is advised. With an optical viewfinder, setting a small aperture means a dimmer viewing image and vice versa. With the EVF and live view, the camera (I used an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II) compensates so the viewing image stays bright. Well, in the case of the EVF it stayed bright-ish as the camera only compensated to a degree. When using the EVF, just focus at

Voigtländer 10.5mm f/0.95 £799 Wide open, central performance is surprisingly good in terms of sharpness but there is some purple fringing that can be resolved in software. The edges are quite soft at this setting and improve with stopping down. By f/2.8 central sharpness is very good and the extreme edges useable too. For critical use there is not much to choose between f/4, f/5.6 and f/8 so it’s more to do with how much depth-of-field do you want. Quality dips a little at f/11 and even more so at f/16, so if you want maximum depth-of-field with high quality you might be better off stopping at f/11.

f/0.95

a wide aperture and then stop down to the required value to shoot – just like the olden days of preset lenses. Focusing, of course, needs care. Shoot close-up headshots at f/0.95 and depth-of-field is limited, literally millimetres with the 42.5mm lens at one metre from the subject. You need to make sure the dioptre correction is correctly set for your eye – use an AF lens to do this – and use any manual focus assist aids on offer, although they may not work. Although there is no camera to lens linkage, the lenses can be used in aperture-priority or with manual metering and the various light measuring patterns worked too. I shot with no problems using aperture-priority AE and multi-zone Olympus ESP light measurement. The key feature of these Noktons is the f/0.95 maximum aperture. It sounds brilliant in principle but there is usually a price to be paid, either financially or in terms of performance. On price these Voigtländers offer great value and on performance, well, let’s see… WC

T Verdict A decent performer and its ultra-wide view will be much appreciated by landscapers and urban shooters.

f/2

f/2.8 f/5.6

f/11

f/16

Overall I love ultra-wides for foreground drama and strong impact and this Voigtländer optic is certainly well suited to many subjects . Pros Fast aperture, wide view Cons Large front which means large filters in the context of Micro Four Thirds

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

First tests Specs Format Micro Four Thirds Construction 13 elements in 9 groups Filter size 58mm Aperture range f/0.95-16 Diaphragm 10 blades Minimum focus 15cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Lens hood Supplied Dimensions (lxd) 80x63.4mm Weight 540g

Voigtländer 17.5mm f/0.95 Nokton £891 Equivalent to a 35mm lens in the 35mm format, this fast aperture optic has the potential as a good all-rounder. Sharpness at f/0.95 is acceptable in the centre without being outstanding and some extra, sympathetic attention in processing is needed. The centre perks up considerably at f/1.4 but the edges still lag behind. In fact the edges are quite weak until you get to f/5.6 and f/8. Meanwhile the central region is good and detailed from f/2, peaking at f/4 and f/5.6. Shoot at f/5.6 and f/8 and you will enjoy this lens at its best. Diffraction takes its toll at f/11 and particularly at f/16.

f/0.95

f/2

f/2.8

Optically, this lens is sound when used at its best apertures but wide open and fully stopped down overall quality is merely okay, notably away from the centre. That might suit your style or choice of subject so it’s certainly not a lens to be ruled out if a moderate super-fast wide-angle is what you want.

f/16

Overall This is a decent, moderate wideangle and performs well once it is a stopped down a little. Pros Fast aperture, useful focal length Cons Sharpness at f/0.95 is nothing special, edge quality is good with stopping down

f/0.95

Verdict

f/5.6

f/11

Verdict

Contact flaghead.co.uk

Specs Format Micro Four Thirds Construction 13 elements in 8 groups Filter size 58mm Aperture range F/0.95-16 Diaphragm Ten blades Minimum focus 23cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Lens hood Supplied Dimensions 74.6x64.3mm Weight 571g Contact flaghead.co.uk

Specs Format Micro Four Thirds Construction 11 elements in 8 groups Filter size 52mm Aperture range f/0.95-16 Diaphragm 10 blades Minimum focus 17cm Depth-of-field scale Yes Lens hood Supplied Dimensions (lxd) 70x60.6mm Weight 435g Contact flaghead.co.uk

Voigtländer 42.5mm f/0.95 Nokton £779 The wider apertures give slightly soft images across the frame that need some sympathetic processing and some unsharp mask to make the most of them. But picture quality takes a turn for the better from f/2, and f/2.8 is the first aperture good enough for very critical use. That is still wide enough for nice bokeh. By f/4 and especially f/5.6 images look excellent across the frame, and with plenty of fine detail on show images will withstand a good level of enlargement. That high level of performance is maintained to f/11 and even at f/16 diffraction doesn’t have too much of an impact and the images are still decently sharp for good enlargements.

f/2

f/2.8 f/5.6

f/11

Voigtländer 25mm f/0.95 Nokton II £743 This focal length makes this lens another contender as a take everywhere standard lens. Optically, it proved a very decent performer including at f/0.95 where it was good in the centre but soft at the extreme edges and corner. The central area of the image improved quickly with further stopping down and is impressive from f/2. Edge quality is decent by f/5.6 but the extreme corners need even more stopping down and are good at f/8. However, unless your intention is to use uncropped images this isn’t an issue. Again, diffraction plays its part by f/11 and f/16 and by the latter, overall resolution isn’t great but stick with the mid-apertures and this lens is very capable

A super-fast medium telephoto is just the ticket for portraits with nice background bokeh and this lens is worth considering in this regard. Its modest optical performance at the wider apertures is a slight issue, but from f/2.8 sharpness does improve markedly and from that point this lens is very useable.

f/16

f/0.95

f/2

Overall It is not pin-sharp at maximum aperture but improves rapidly with stopping down, and very useable from f/2 onwards Pros Lovely focal length for portraits Cons Sharpness at wider apertures could be better, but it is good once stopped down a little

Verdict The 25mm f/0.95 Nokton makes for a fine standard lens. Maximum aperture image quality is good and very useable and by the time you get to f/2.8 the lens is impressive with crisp, sharp images particularly at the centre. It’s also the cheapest of the quartet so it is very good value too.

f/2.8 f/5.6

f/11

f/16

Overall A contender for a super-fast standard lens. Sharpness is good, at wider values and very good at smaller apertures and lovely to use Pros Fast aperture, overall optical performance Cons Not much – maybe the soft extreme corners but they can be cropped out

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Accessories test Buyers’ guide

Inkjet papers

From

PERMAJET FB Gold Silk 315gsm

£12

HAHNEMÜHLE William Turner 310gsm 2

From

£19

When was the last time you took the trouble to print an image, rather than just looking at it on screen? If it’s longer than a few weeks, you’re missing one of photography’s central thrills, so check out these superb inkjet paper options and get printing today… 1

Permajet FB Gold Silk 315gsm from £12

Permajet’s FB Gold Silk 315gsm has long been one of our favourite papers, and in this year’s Photography News Awards it proved to be very popular with PN readers, too, scooping the Inkjet Media: Photographic Finish prize. FB Gold Silk 315 is a baryta paper with a smooth and classy satin-style finish and its 315gsm weight gives it a proper fine-art feel. In fact, despite being inkjet media, it very closely matches the look and feel of traditional silver halide papers. You can expect deep, velvety blacks and smooth highlights, while the paper also has a natural, warm base tone making it great for monochrome work. Away from first-class photographic prints, the 315gsm weight means you can use the paper for a variety of presentation purposes, including invitation cards. It’s fully compatible with both dye and pigment ink systems and has been designed, manufactured and tested on Epson, HP, Canon and Lexmark printers. The paper’s acid-free, waterresistant characteristics mean your prints will stand the test of time, and it’s available in sizes from A4 to A2, as well as 24in and 44in rolls (both of which are 15m long). A typical 25 sheet A3 pack will set you back £52.95, but if you just want to try it out, consider the A4 Launch pack, with ten sheets for just £12. permajet.com

Hahnemühle William Turner 310gsm from £19

Picking the right paper for the style of image you’re printing is important, and so when you have a special shot to print, you need to use a paper worthy of your efforts. Offering a first-class finish is Hahnemühle’s William Turner fine-art matt watercolour texture paper, available in two weights, 190 and 310gsm. The paper won this year’s Inkjet Media: Fine Art Finish category as voted for by PN readers. It comes in a broad range of sizes, so even the largest prints can be

accommodated. Standard sizes are A4 to A2 and there are rolls up to 44in in width. William Turner stock is a genuine mould-made 100% cotton paper that wonderfully suits most arty images, limited-edition prints, and even greeting cards. The paper is compatible with pigmented and dye inkjet systems, and its premium matt inkjet coating guarantees the highest archival standards. What really catches the eye though is its expressive, textured surface which guarantees images with great density, and perfect colour gamut, graduation and sharpness. Expect to pay around £30 for 25 A4 sheets and £59 for 25 A3 sheets of the 190gsm paper; for the 310gsm paper, it’s £40 for 25 A4 sheets and £79 for 25 A3 sheets. If you want to find out more, make some prints and see Hahnemühle’s range of papers first hand, the company is having a pop-up shop event in Old Street Station, London. The event runs 13-19 June and the shop is open 10am to 8pm. hahnemuehle.com

Epson Traditional Photo Paper 330gsm from £31

Alongside its range of high-quality inkjet printers, Epson has a fleet of first-class papers to match. There are loads to choose from, but one of our favourites is Traditional Photo Paper, an archival media aimed at photographers requiring the very best darkroom-style finish. Nominated in the Inkjet Media: Photographic Finish section of this year’s PN Awards, the paper is available in sizes of A4, A3+, A2 and 24-36in sheets (25 per pack, starting at £31.12), and 15m rolls from 17in to a whopping 64in in width. The acid and lignin free, microporous smooth gloss surface has a bright white finish offering excellent tonal reproduction, high definition and wide gamut of colours. It has the look and feel of traditional silver halide papers, but provides greater creative control thanks to its excellent tonal

EPSON Traditional Photo Paper 330gsm

From

£28

DA VINCI Crystal Satin 330gsm 4

From

£31 range. If you’re working in black & white, you’ll be impressed by its high dynamic range with crisp highlights and deep shadows. The paper is optimised for Epson’s superb UltraChrome inks, as used in its latest generation of printers, including the brilliant P800 (see panel far right), and its coating also supports instant drying, so there’s no waiting around. epson.co.uk

Da Vinci Crystal Satin 330gsm from £28

Da Vinci produces a wonderful range of matte and semi gloss inkjet papers for photographic and fine art inkjet purposes, and we’re particularly fond of the Da Vinci Crystal Satin version, which has a stunning natural white finish. The paper’s base is 100% cotton rag and this gives it a beautifully subtle texture that sits perfectly between the more exaggerated feel of watercolour papers and the smoother, darkroom-style surface of traditional photo papers. This means it lends itself especially well to black & white prints, with its coating adding a subtle semigloss look, and a glorious crystal ‘shimmer’, hence the name. The

paper’s crystal layer also helps to enhance fine detail and improve the tonal range of images printed on it, with excellent response in the highlight and the shadow areas. The paper is available in sheet sizes from A4 to A2 (£28.20 and £111.60 per 25 sheet pack, respectively) and also in 15m rolls from 17in to 60in, starting at £96.60 and it’s been very well received by working photographers, including the likes of Giles Revell, Mark Newton, Joakim Blockstorm and Kuba Wieczorek. chaudigital.com

Fujifilm Crystal Archive Professional Velvet

Developed for use with all mini labs and medium to large-scale printer systems, Fujifilm Crystal Archive Professional Velvet is a new archival C-Type paper with a smooth matt velour finish, giving the look of a fine art reproduction with the longevity and robust handling of a real silver photographic material. Although resembling matt laminate, Professional Velvet has a rich photographic d-Max and matches the dynamic range of conventional finishes when used with the recommended printer profiles. With

a strong resistance to fingermarks, its base weight and creasing ability make it ideal for layflat book production and album covers as well as for boxed, mounted and framed work and display prints. Portrait and wedding photographers will love its controlled dynamic range and the subtle palette achieved. This is a paper which merges the feel of the best velvet matt papers of the past, the unique colour gamut of C-Type and the depth of fine-art giclée in a modern material capable of high volume rapid output. fujifilm.eu/uk

Fotospeed Panoramic test pack £29.95

If you want to try a range of printing looks without the cost of multiple packs of paper, check out Fotospeed’s Panoramic Test pack. The pack contains four sheets of six different Fotospeed papers, so you get 24 sheets in total and it now includes the company’s latest Signature Range papers, with Platinum Baryta 300, Platinum Etching 285 and Smooth Cotton 300 sheets. The Signature range was tested last issue where we found it performed excellently, giving very punchy results for matt finish products and

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Accessories test FOTOSPEED Panoramic test pack 6 5

29.95

£ ards, printed hot Up North) Aw (S 7’ N2 ‘SU , es vi Image by Glyn Da CC Imaging Ltd. sional Velvet by on Fujifilm Profes

FUJIFILM Crystal Archive Professional Velvet

ONLINE PAPER

CANSON Infinity Photo Lustre 310gsm

From

£20 £950

with a great feel, too. Prints of up to 210x594mm can be made, making the pack a creative, inexpensive way to print one-off panoramic images with a near 3:1 ratio on your normal A4 size printer – there’s no need to buy whole rolls of paper, which can be a serious outlay. There’s even extra sheets included for free Fotospeed profiling plus a full template guide and technical advice. The paper has been welcomed by Fotospeed ambassadors, including well-known photographers like Joe Cornish, Trevor and Faye Yerbury, and Charlie Waite. Fotospeed demonstrations are available to most camera clubs and you can email the team on sales@ fotospeed.com or call 01249 714555 for more friendly advice. fotospeed.com

Canson Infinity Photo Lustre 310gsm from £20

Canson has an impressive pedigree in the photo paper business; in fact, in 1865 it was granted an international patent for the improvement of albumen paper, the first commercially exploitable method of producing a photographic print on a paper base from a negative. Why the history lesson? Well, it just

shows the level of experience that goes into Canson’s range right up to the present day. Take its TIPA Award winning Infinity Photo Lustre Premium Resin Coated 310gsm, for example. The paper is an alpha cellulose, acid-free stock that provides a magnificently lustrous finish. It also has museum-standard archival properties, being designed to satisfy the highest lifespan requirements and its reproduction of tones and hues make it a perfect choice for black & white or full colour prints. As you’d expect from a pro-level paper, it’s also very strong and the 310gsm weight tops off the high-quality feel, making it easier to mount and withstand damage when handling. The paper is available in 25 sheet packs at standard sizes like A4, A3, A3+ and A2, as well as rolls, with an A4 pack costing around £20, and A3, £40. If you’d like to give it, or Canson’s other recent TIPA Award winning Infinity Baryta Photographique 310gsm paper, a try, you can – at a discount. Yes, PN readers can get free UK P&P or an extra 5% off any mixed order over £50 during June through onlinepaper.co.uk. Just use the code PNCA at the checkout. onlinepaper.co.uk

Online Paper

Looking to make inkjet prints? Want great service and prices to match? Then Online Paper is an excellent place to get start shopping. Online Paper was the pioneering e-commerce paper company, and the first to sell Hahnemühle digital inkjet papers in a webshop in 1999. Since then its range of services has grown massively with its online catalogue now covering arguably the largest range of digital inkjet paper in one place, including the complete Hahnemühle range, the TIPA Award winning Canson Photo Lustre and Baryta, plus the top sellers from Permajet, Ilford, Fujifilm, and Fotospeed. But it’s not just the big names you’ll find at Online Paper, there’s also exquisite specialist papers such as Somerset Enhanced and the legendary 300gsm 100% cotton Museo Silver Rag which emulates a traditional darkroom look and feel. Matching the incredibly wide range of papers are Online Paper’s prices, with savings of up to 60% and if you want to save even more, just quote the code PN33 at the checkout – you’ll receive free P&P in the UK until 10 July. onlinepaper.co.uk

Epson SureColor SC-P800 £950

If all this lovely inkjet paper has encouraged you to make more prints, it might also be time to think about your choice of printer. After all, there’s no point running your new high-quality stock through wornout or clogged-up print heads as you won’t be getting the best from it. A good clean can often take care of that, but with print technology coming on in leaps and bound in the last few years, and improved features and quality the order of the day, if you’re using an older generation printer, it’s also worth considering an upgrade. A great example of the state of the art is Epson’s SureColor SC-P800, which PN readers recently declared the Best Inkjet Printer of 2015 in the Photography News Awards. At nearly £1000, it’s Epson’s top-of-therange A2 desktop photo printer, and while that might sound like a lot to shell out, a good quality printer is just as important as good quality lenses, where most would find that sort of money less of an issue. And the P800 certainly offers plenty for its price tag. Starting with its superb print quality, the printer uses a nine-colour ink set, and Epson’s new UltraChrome HD ink, offering photographers true-to-life, vivid colour, precise detail and deep blacks. The supported 80ml ink cartridges are large enough to mean you’ll spend less time changing inks and the P800 also offers real freedom in the range of media you can use; as the smallest A2 model supporting a roll paper, you can enjoy sumptuous panoramic prints. There’s also a front-loading fine-art paper path (one of three paths), so you can easily switch formats. Away from the excellent print quality, the P800 also packs in a range of options to make printing easier, such a Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can print direct from your tablet, laptop or smartphone. The printer is controlled by a 2.7in touchscreen display, featuring an easy-to-follow user guide, and while typically A2 printers are pretty monstrous in size, this one has a sleek design making it the smallest on the market and more likely to fit where desk space is limited. epson.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature Buyers’ guide

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Paul’s Events, owned and operated by Paul McLachlan and based in Reading, offers a complete package when it comes to studio photography, of which training is a huge part. Paul certainly has the experience to do it, having been teaching photographers the finer aspects of lighting with flash, exposure and model craft for over 20 years. Among Paul’s Events upcoming courses is the Wales Weekend Shoot and Workshop. Based at the 18th century Glynhir mansion at the foothills of the Black Mountains in Carmarthenshire, the course runs 1-3 July. It’s a fabulous opportunity to shoot models in glamorous interiors and outdoors in this beautiful setting.

World Photo Adventures (WPA) offers a range of courses and holidays from one-day learning how to use your camera to a one- or two-week luxury African photo safari. The company’s Asia tours offer the opportunity to photograph the hill tribes of northern Thailand or float in a hot-air balloon photographing the ancient temples in Myanmar. Because of the diversity of the courses, holidays and tours range in price from £145 to £4995. And because of the range of our courses there’s something to offer all skill levels. Participating in a WPA course or holiday gives photographers the opportunity to interact with others and their tutor, taking away two really important things: the ability to see anew and camaraderie.

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worldphotoadventure.com 01306 230004 hello@worldphotoadventure.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Technique Photo school

Camera class Everyone has to start somewhere, even pros, so every issue we’re looking at the core skills every beginner needs. This month, how to shoot multiple exposures in camera and create them in Photoshop Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton A multiple exposure is simply an image created by exposing the camera’s sensor (or a frame of film) more than once. The most common kind, double exposures, used to happen more often by accident than design, thanks to film getting stuck in the camera and failing to wind on between shots, or when a halfexposed roll of film was reused, and most of us who shot on film probably experienced it at least once. With digital cameras these mistakes don’t happen, but people still choose to create such effects, because in the right circumstances, they can look amazing. You can make some incredibly ethereal and surreal images and the style is very free-form, so benefits from experimentation. Below we’ve listed three effects to try, but use your imagination and you can make something very special.

Finding the mode Most modern DSLRs feature a multiple exposure mode, and you’ll find it either in the shooting menu alongside settings like the interval timer, or sometimes with the Drive modes. On the Nikon D800, for example, the mode is found in the Shooting Menu; there you can also choose whether the effect is for one image only, or to be used until deactivated. Next you pick how many shots you want to make up the exposure. It’s best to start with a low number like two or three, especially while you’re practising. Multiple exposures of more than a few frames must be very carefully planned or they can look quite incoherent. Dealing with exposure There will also be an option governing how the separate exposures are combined, and it’s this which can prevent you from ending up with an overexposed mess; the fact that the same ‘frame’ is exposed to light more than once means it’s easy to allow too much in and make it too bright. Again, different cameras have different names for this, but primarily it is split into ‘average’ and ‘lighten’ modes. The former of these stores the shots in sequence and then processes

them so that the finished image isn’t too light (or dark). The lighten mode just uses an uncontrolled cumulative route. On Nikon DSLRs, this is referred to as Auto Gain, with On being ‘average’ and Off taking the ‘lighten’ route. Doing it the manual way If you want to control the exposure manually, all it takes is a little mental arithmetic. Say you want to combine a landscapes with a shot of a cloudy sky. With the multi-exposure mode set to its uncontrolled, ‘lighten’ mode, just put the camera in manual mode. Set the f/number to control the depthof-field as required, then, using the exposure bar as a guide, frame up on both subjects to gauge their relative brightness. Now imagine the landscape meters at 1/30sec and the sky is 1/250sec, just increase the shutter speed by a stop for each and you should have a fairly balanced exposure, so you’d be shooting at 1/60sec for the former and 1/500sec for the latter. When shooting with the ‘average’ or Auto Gain mode switched off, you’ll also need to be mindful of whitebalance, as no correction will be made in camera for this and the colour in all the exposures will usually be judged from the first shot. The manual route is complicated, but part of the fun is doing it this way, and chancing upon interesting looks through experimentation.

Three ideas for in-camera multiple exposures effects

Shooting your multiple exposure Finally, frame up, focus and trigger the shutter for the first then second shots (or however many frames you chose) and both scenes will be recorded. Some other things to bear in mind: the main one is to predict how light and dark areas in the frame will react; you’ll find dark parts will allow light areas on subsequent frames to show up. There’s also composition to consider, and though the technique is expressionist in style, some planning will help different elements gel more easily, rather than crashing into one another. To help, some cameras let you use live view mode in conjunction with multiple exposures, so you take the first image and then recompose the second on screen. Vary your exposures and have fun! Once you’ve got used to the basics, you can bring other techniques into the mix, for example using fast and slow shutter speeds or intentional camera movement. Just make sure you shoot in Raw and you can tweak the exposure and colours with more freedom in processing. Most modern DSLRs will also allow you to make multiple exposures with in-camera processing; the option will be found with the other editing effects like cropping within the playback mode – on Nikon camera it’s called Image Overlay mode and is found in the Retouch menu. Next month: Noise reduction 1. Use texture For the first image, focus closely on a simple texture, like woven fabric or a rocky surface. For the second, shoot a regular scene, like a landscape, portrait, or architectural shot. 2. Enhance a silhouette

For this look, first shoot a silhouetted figure or profile; you’ll need them to be against a bright background like a white wall or the sky, and you might need to use some negative exposure compensation (the +/- button). Next, shoot a regular image, and it should only show up through the dark silhouette. 3. Create ghosts Using a tripod or similar to keep the camera position identical between shots, take the first picture with a figure or figures in the scene. Wait for these to move, then take the second and the background will show through them.

In association with

Software skills: Make a multiple exposure in Photoshop Creating multiple exposures in Photoshop is very simple and it gives you total freedom in how the final image looks. Essentially, all you need to do is add one image to another as a layer and alter the layer blending mode or layer opacity (or both). Photoshop and Elements have well over 20 blending modes, but you’ll find the most useful in the Darken, Lighten and Contrast groups at the top of the list. One of the main advantages of making multiple exposures this way is that you can use pictures taken a long time apart, unlike most cameras, where the effect needs to be created with consecutive shots (unless you’re using in-camera processing). And you can resize and reposition the separate pics so they work perfectly together. It all adds up to an expressive and free-form technique that rewards experimentation and while you can use as many layers are you like for this technique, here we’ll keep things simple with just two. Next month: How to remove digital noise

Start image 1

Start image 2

Finished image 1. Open and stack the pics In Photoshop or Elements, hit Ctrl+O, highlight the two pics you want to use and click OK. Now, on one of them, go to Select>All then Edit>Copy. You can now close that image down, and back on the other one, go to Edit>Paste. Take a look in the Layers palette (Window>Layers) and you’ll now see the image you copied in as Layer 1.

2. Experiment with Blending Modes and Opacity In the Layers palette click on Opacity and lower this to around 50% – lower or higher can work, too, depending on the image. Changing the Blending modes will give a different look to lowering the Opacity, so return the latter to 100%, and click Normal to open the list. Try the Screen, Lighten, Multiply, Darken, Overlay and Soft Light modes for the most natural looks. Adjust the Opacity again if the effect is too strong.

3. Experiment with composition Now, in the Layers palette, double-click the Background layer and hit OK to unlock it. Using the Move tool (V) and with the Show Transform Control box ticked at the top, reposition and resize both layers to fit nicely with each other by dragging inside the box or using the corner handles to resize. When you’re happy with the look, go to Layer>Flatten Image to finish, and save the picture with a new name (File>Save As…).

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Competition

Editor’s letter

Shoot to win

WIN!

A Samsung memory card!

Capture life’s special moments across all devices with the ultra-reliable Samsung SD memory cards. Samsung’s latest SD cards can write data at an impressive 50MB/s and read data at an even higher 90MB/s. The cards are also amazingly reliable being water, temperature-, X-ray-, magnet- and shockproof, so shooting in the most challenging conditions isn’t an issue. We have one massive 64GB Samsung PRO SD card to award to an eagle-eyed winner. Just complete the wordsearch below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photography-news.co.uk with that word in the subject box by 5 June 2016. The correct answer to PN31’s Wordsearch was Underwater and the Samsung 64GB card was won by E Boulder, Yorkshire

samsung.com and search for memorycards Do you ever enter photographic competitions? It's fair to say that most photographers don't bother, despite the lure of fame and fortune. How much fame and how much fortune obviously varies hugely and there is certainly no guarantee of either beyond the short term. The pictures above are winning shots from last year's Travel Photographer of the Year. I have been organising, running and judging photo contests for a good many years and the whole scene is very different now compared with how it was when I first started. The biggest change, of course, is the way we shoot pictures. For keen photographers being able to shoot digital images that can be replicated infinitely with absolutely no quality loss is very different from shooting slide film where you had one precious, easily damaged (or lost!) original that you could copy at a cost, literally and technically. And, of course, today's images can be edited and uploaded to a contest site minutes after their capture. In film days, entries had to get sent in using that quaint service we call the post. That cost money, even more if you wanted the picture back, items could delayed or, worse still, lost. These were all potential barriers to entry which meant only the truly keen bothered. Entry level varied. When the magazine I was editing sold over 100k copies a month (a figure, by the way, publishers would sell their mothers for now!), I’d expect to get around 1000 entries but that depended on the prize as well as the mechanic and the theme – yes, that’s right a mere 1% of the copies sold. On one occasion the lure of winning a new car (even if it was only a Ford!) attracted 10,000 pictures. In another contest we got six (yes, as in half a dozen) pictures for an expenses paid trip to Monte Carlo. We withheld the prize.

As an enthusiast I loved entering contests – I won a few too. Naturally, as an impoverished geek – nothing’s changed there – the prize of cash or kit was a massive draw but so was the creative challenge. I liked to shoot for the contest rather than take pictures from my files. I used to buy every photo magazine on the premise of trying to win something. My success rate was moderate but I did get images in print and won some nice prizes too. The thing was often you didn’t know the result until you bought the next issue of the magazine. There was many a time when I was in Smith’s flicking through magazines, and suddenly I’d spot my picture and read I’d won or got placed. It was a most exhilarating feeling – it’s a shame you can’t bottle it. Current photography contests are mostly run online and the scenario is obviously very different. Often a fee is payable, entry might be open worldwide and of course you can enter without any more effort than picking up the tablet or turning on the computer. What is not new is that the winners are often simply stunning images. Occasionally, you still get the ‘what on earth is going on’ feeling but generally great shots win. I was lucky enough to be invited by Zeiss to the Sony World Photography Awards evening, a swish black tie affair. The winning and shortlisted pictures were simply amazing. I need little encouragement to get out with the camera but seeing all that great work gave me even more project ideas to consider. Hope to see you again next month.

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