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A M U S T - R E A D F O R E V E R Y F U L L-T I M E A N D A S P I R I N G P R O P H O T O G R A P H E R

B A B Y BOOM Essential skills to photograph newborn babies ISSUE 124 £4.75

CANON EOS 5D M k IV

Hands on with the latest model in the 5D dynasty

W EB S I T E H A C K S ! W EDDING DI S A S T ER S ! R EDUND A NC Y !

Our survival guide will help you deal with photographic adversity

SHOOT ON SITE

Get more on location with this feature-packed special issue

13-PAGE LOCATION LIGHTING TEST Broncolor, Elinchrom, Interfit, PixaPro and Profoto lighting kits reviewed in detail – which one excels away from the studio?

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EDITO R ’ S LETTER

WELCOME

BELOW: Sarah M should

Initially, I was disappointed. I started to type an email back explaining that it was rude to suggest I’d work for nothing with no obvious benefit - would they?

But I didn’t hit Send, because then I started thinking about the opportunities I might be turning down. What if, for example, the company loved what I did and asked me to shoot some more, or recommended me to someone else?

Could I be walking away from something amazing? At this point, I switched to paranoia. If I didn’t do the job for free, she would inevitably find someone who would and then they might end up eating my lunch. Hmmm.

As I write, I’m yet to reply. Which option would you choose? While you ponder that, enjoy the issue.

Editorial director Roger Payne

R O G E R P AY N E @ B R I G H T- P U B L I S H I N G . C O M @ R O G P AY N E © SARAH M

serve as an inspiration to all. This month’s Rising Star has built a business against the odds. See page 68

I got an email two weeks ago. That, in itself, is not unusual - I spend far too much of my working week wading through electronic missives - but this was an email from someone I hadn’t heard from for about 15 years. It went through the usual ‘how are you, it’s been ages, blah blah’ and then the correspondent got down to brass tacks.

They wanted a photographer to get some images of a new building the company she worked for had moved into. She’d remembered that I took pictures and was hoping I’d be happy to help. I was. But then came the tricky bit.

15 years is a long time not to contact someone, but even so I thought the person would be expecting some kind of mates’ rates. I’ve done that in the past and lived to regret it - you end up working very hard and then begrudging the small amount you do get paid, so I decided to offer my normal day rate and explained what they would get for the price. I sent the email and it went silent.

Yesterday, I got a reply and I’m sure you know what’s coming next; she wasn’t expecting me to charge for my services, or the subsequent images.

And as, no doubt, every one of you will appreciate, this started a complicated chain reaction of thoughts.

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© DAVE KAI PIPER

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EDITORIAL Editorial director Roger Payne 01223 492244 rogerpayne@bright-publishing.com Deputy editor Lisa Clatworthy Contributing editor Terry Hope Features writer Jemma Dodd Sub editors Catherine Brodie & Siobhan Godwood Contributors Derek Clarke, Steve Davey, Ian Farrell, Tom Oldham, Paul Tibbs, John Woodward

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

DESIGN Design director Andy Jennings Senior designer Mark George Ad production Lucy Woolcomb

WEB Digital development manager Ashley Norton Interactive designer Will Woodgate

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PUBLISHING Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck Head of circulation Chris Haslum

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

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C O NTENTS

IN S IDE # 1 24

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UPF RONT

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ROSS HAL F I N

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T RAVEL GUI DE

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COVER CHI L D STA R S

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PROJECT

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COVER RECOVERY

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L I GHT I NG SECRETS

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RI SI NG STAR: SAR A H M

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COVER CANON EOS 5 D M K I V

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COVER LOCAT I ON LI G H TI NG

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T HE STORY BEHI ND

From outfoxing the competition and dancing in the dark to exhibiting alongside glitterati Headlining shots and breaking rules with the music legend Essential advice for packing, shooting and backing up on location from our expert How to avoid teething troubles when starting out in newborn photography What drove Michael Kenna to revisit a 20-year-old project Website hacks, hungover subjects and wet weddings; whatever the challenge, you can overcome it Shooting for retouching with Vince Starr How snapping her own children grew into a full-blown career 11 years after the first EOS 5D broke cover, Roger Payne gets hands-on with the Mark IV One model, one photographer and five kits in one big test: here are the results Business cards, 1935 style

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UPF R ON T.1

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

The finalists in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 have been announced. They include Sam Hobson’s intimate portrait of a fox cub which took patience, dedication and skill to capture SAM HOBSON

JEMMA DODD

This year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition received almost 50,000 entries from across 95 countries. Sam Hobson from Bristol was named as a finalist in the urban category with his nocturnal image of a curious fox, Nosey Neighbour.

“The location was just the beginning as I had to build the trust of the whole family of foxes and get them used to me and my camera before I could capture these intimate portraits. The cubs were particularly inquisitive and would investigate anything new in their environment, meaning if I put my camera down on a wall or floor, they would quickly come over to sniff around - especially if I wasn’t there. I used Pocket Wizard Plus IIIs to fire the

shutter remotely and used Nikon SB-700 and SB-800 flashguns,” Sam tells us.

“The competition definitely offers the best rewards in terms of exposure and prestige, even as a finalist. Two years ago, one of my images was a finalist in the 50th anniversary awards and being part of the touring exhibition and book led to more work opportunities and print sales than my other competition successes combined,” he recalls.

A collection of 100 images will be featured in the exhibition at the Natural History Museum, which opens on 21 October and runs until summer 2017.

Adult tickets are priced at £15. The exhibition will also embark on an six-month international tour.

NHM.AC.UK /WPY

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© SAM HOBSON

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PROFOLIO ROSS HALFIN

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PROFOLIO ROSS HALFIN

THE MUSI C MAN Ross Halfin has been a music photographer since the 1970s.

In this no-holds-barred interview he tells us how the industry has changed in that time – and how he fears for its future ROS S HALFIN s an art college dropout you could say Ross Halfin has done pretty damn well. Who says that you have to have a degree to be a successful photographer? A simple belief that he could take better photographs of one of his favourite bands, The Who, than those that he had seen sparked what would be a long photographic career in the music industry.

Since those early days Ross has now toured the world and photographed the likes of AC/DC, The Who, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Def Leppard, Kiss and Mötley Crüe, just to name a few. The rest is pretty much history, but it’s not been an easy trip and don’t be fooled, the music industry isn’t a glamorous one.

A

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JEMMA DODD Spending hours on flights and waiting around to only get a small amount of time with an artist is something that Ross is all too used to. Years of dedication and hard work is what has made him into one of the biggest music photography names in the world. “One thing I really fucking hate is when people go, ‘oh, it’s all right for you’, I mean, all right for me doing what? They think I just got out of bed one morning and everybody sort of went ‘oh, let’s do photoshoots with you, let’s make it happen’. I really resent that from people because I work fucking hard at what I do,” Ross declares.

One thing you might be surprised to hear is that it’s not all about the music photography for Ross, he’s a big

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[ B U S I N ESS MAT T ERS ] forced to pay to check your camera bag.

I have a particular soft spot for BA, who don’t weigh hand luggage at all. Many airlines will restrict you to 7kg and will weigh bags at check-in; some will also have a second crack at the gate too.

Easyjet will allow you to take a larger bag; and a second bag if you pay a small amount extra for Speedy Boarding Plus, and Ryanair give you a smaller than usual bag and religiously cap it at 10kg.

Usually the crunch point is at checkin, but I find the check-in desks more officious than bag drops, so checking in online can help. I usually resort to a Domke photographer’s vest covered up with a light jacket. This allows me to secrete enough gear to get away with check-in, and depending on the airline I will reload my jacket at boarding too!

Every photographer I know has spent a fortune on the quest for the perfect camera bag. What I have realised is that there is no such thing! If I am flying long haul I carry a lot of gear and a laptop in a Lowepro Pro Trekker 400 AW backpack. It is the perfect size for standard airline carry-on, although the rumoured change in specifications for some airlines might change this. This bag even fits into the overhead bins of most turboprops – especially if I take the laptop out of the front pocket first.

Backpack style bags are great for transporting gear, but I find them hopeless for shooting. I will always tuck a Domke F2 shoulder bag into my hold luggage to use when I’m shooting. I have fitted this with a Ciesta padded insert, which fits perfectly and protects gear better than the Domke inserts. I’ve even eked out a bit of storage using Think Tank lens pouches on a belt.

If I’m travelling with carry-on only, or need to have a laptop with me, then I will use a Think Tank Retrospective 40 bag. This is more stylish for shorter trips and looks less like a camera bag.

It will fit a laptop, camera, lenses and accessories, and is perfect when I am not going away overnight, and need a bag that fits a laptop. It’s good for airline carry-on too!

IMAGES: From India and Pakistan to Spain and Norway, Steve Davey has taken his gear the world over, keeping it safe from tomato slurry, freezing temperatures and waterfights, to dust and dirt

Dealing with officialdom It is always tricky to know whether to enter a country officially or not. Some countries demand any professional photographer should travel on a media visa, but these are often much harder to obtain. Most photographers will enter a country under the radar, on a tourist visa, but this makes it tricky to bring in large amounts of professional gear. It will also make it all but impossible to have your gear on a customs carnet. This is an official document guaranteeing that you’ll re-export any professional equipment; and so saving on import duties.

If you have a tourist visa make sure that you could pass as a tourist; albeit a rich one! Trying to bring in hard cases full of professional lighting on a tourist visa is asking for trouble.

Spend a bit of time on Google, or ask around on professional photographers’ forums to see what the local restrictions are, and whether customs will X-ray all incoming baggage.

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T RAVELLI NG TEC H

Preparation and research are vital, and not just to work out what to shoot.

If you travel on a media visa, then this can come back to haunt you when you subsequently travel. It is possible to obtain a second UK passport under these circumstances: one for media visas and another when you are travelling to countries where media visas would make life difficult.

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Keeping it all safe Theft is always a potential problem. The best way to avoid losing gear is to stop someone getting hold of it in the first place. I am too old to chase anyone down the street, so if I am sitting down with a camera, I will put it in a bag, and put the chair leg through the bag strap. Be aware of people hovering near your gear, and also for passing mopeds – especially

those with a pillion passenger. Keep your gear on the shoulder facing away from the road to make moped thefts more difficult, and never put your gear down and wander away. Be especially carefully if photographing night shots or anything with a tripod. I always carry extra kit and leave some back at a hotel. This means that if I were to get mugged, or if something were to get lost or damaged, then I can keep shooting.

You should also back up your images frequently, so if your camera disappears then you won’t lose your pictures too!

If you are walking around somewhere dodgy, then you can minimise your risk by hiring a local guide. As well as helping you to find more hidden photo opportunities and negotiate with locals, a guide can help to deter shady types.

It goes without saying that you should have good quality professional camera insurance. Read the conditions and stick to them. If you are not covered for leaving your gear in a car, then don’t take the risk. Make sure to have replacement insurance too, otherwise your insurance company will only give what it deems your camera to be worth at the time it was stolen, and not what it will cost you to replace it – which can be quite different.

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PRO J E C T

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TH E R O U G E

THE ROUGE MICHAEL KENNA

I A N FA R R E L L

A second edition of Michael Kenna’s landmark book Rouge features original and unseen images of the eponymous Ford motor works. Ian Farrell asks him about the project’s conception and how it felt to revisit it over 20 years later

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t was 1992 when, while visiting Detroit for the opening of an exhibition of his landscape photography, Michael Kenna had the opportunity to photograph the Ford River Rouge automotive plant – known to many simply as ‘the Rouge’.

“It began as an homage to Charles Sheeler,” Michael recalls. “I often make pilgrimages to sites where other photographers have worked… it’s helped greatly to develop my own vision. When I had an exhibition scheduled at the nearby Halstead Gallery I knew that I wanted to explore where Sheeler had photographed, and the gallery arranged for me to have a tour of the Rouge site with a former Ford employee.”

Kenna is well known for his love of the urban landscape. He explores its shapes and textures in minimalist black & white, more often than not using the square frame of 120 medium-format film. He speculates that this affinity for industry and urban environments dates back to his choice of holiday job employment as a teenager, which included working in a local Widnes chemical factory at the age of 15.

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LIGHTING SECRETS

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Brought to you by

SHOOT 1: NIKE BOOM – MICHAEL ESSIEN

Large black cloth backdrop Polyboards Profoto 30x120cm strip lights

Profoto Giant Reflector – no diffuser

subject

IMAGE INFORMATION: 1/125sec at f/8, ISO 100 POWER USED: 3x Pro 8a 2400W 1x Pro 8a 1200W

Pro 8a

Canon EOS1DS MkIII & 50mm f/1.2L

WHAT WAS THIS IMAGE TAKEN FOR? It’s part of the Nike Boom campaign and the brief was to capture Michael Essien in a dynamic flying kick through the air, making sure the new boots and new football looked striking and well lit. The images were for general Nike advertising and press use.

WAS A BIG TEAM INVOLVED? The team included art director Paul Smith from Freud Communications, global communications director Claire Parnell from Nike, the player, his agent, my assistant Tom Donald and myself. Both Paul and Claire were close by suggesting any changes they might like me to make, such as where the player was looking. The player’s agent was keeping a check on the time and if they were happy with the images. Sometimes the job isn’t just getting the images right, but also talking to clients and checking that they are happy as we’re shooting.

HOW DID YOU LIGHT THIS IMAGE? I used a pretty standard set-up. Two Profoto 2400W back lights (30x120cm strip lights) with Pro 8a 2400W packs to rim or clip light the athlete, the Profoto Giant Reflector as a main light with Pro 8a 2400W pack off to the side, to create contrast and some shadow on the other side, and a small floor light to add a bit of detail to the football or boot.

IS THIS SET-UP TYPICAL OF YOUR WORK? Yes I’ve used this before and I quite like it, especially when shooting on a black backdrop.

I’d prefer to have a light above the player too if there was space.

WHAT SORT OF CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE? The size of the room was limiting and we had a short amount of time, but this is usually the normal run of play on these shoots. The shoot probably took about 20-25 minutes and we captured around 30 action shots and 30 portraits. Then when the player had left

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Tethered to laptop

we captured the ball shots, moving the ball around to get different angles so the client could choose the best one to drop into the final image. The lighting was kept exactly the same for each shot. Maybe the player was rotated one way or the other, or I moved a little bit to one side to capture a slightly better angle, but the lights were always fixed.

The kicking shot took a couple of attempts to get the player in the right position and then we changed him from looking where the ball would be going, to straight at the camera.

He was kicking a bit of tape stuck on to the end of some fishing line. Throwing a ball up for him to kick can be too hit and miss and create funny body shapes with his timing being off or the ball not thrown in the right place. You also get more shots and quicker repetition with the fishing line method and the player gets in a good rhythm too.

WHAT POST-PROCESSING WAS INVOLVED? The image is made up of three shots: the player on a plain black background, exploding glass (that was already provided) and the football. The images were sent to Paperhat FTP and we worked together on getting the maximum impact with the colour tones, contrast and skin tone.

We shot the football with my assistant Tom crouching down and holding the ball from underneath, with thumb and two fingers very closely together, covering as little of the under surface of the football as possible. So Tom was positioned right were Michael Essien had been kicking the tape on the fishing line so we would get exactly the same lighting on the ball as if it’d been there.

We then rotated the ball getting a good few different angles. We also got Tom to put a sock and boot over his hand and position the boot in similar positions to Michael’s kicking foot.

Just in case there had been any movement in his kicking foot on the shot we wanted. Ideally the flash duration is so short that the kicking motion is frozen.

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GEAR

The chances are, there are plenty of those MkI versions still in circulation.

The original model was a very welcome panacea to the lumpen, heavyweight full-frame DSLRs that stomped around the planet way back in the digital dark ages of the mid-noughties. Its combination of full-frame sensor in a compact, lightweight body made it more velociraptor than brontosaurus and it was lapped up by pros and keen enthusiasts alike. The same has been the case with subsequent versions. In 2008, the MkII delivered both a brilliant low-light performance and created a whole new type of image maker who could shoot stills or Full HD video, while the 2012 MkIII became a true allrounder by virtue of a vastly improved AF system. The MkIV certainly has some tyrannosaurus-sized footprints to fill.

Run your finger down the spec sheet and it certainly starts as it means to go on. The resolution has seen a big jump, now weighing in at 30.4 megapixels with a supporting DIGIC 6+ processor taking care of data handling. In reality, there’s also a DIGIC 6 processor, which takes care of metering, leaving the 6+ to concentrate on image capture. The same applies to the EOS-1D X Mark II, which has Dual DIGIC 6+ processors on image duty and a single DIGIC 6 on metering.

New algorithms mean enhanced lowlight performance, plus there’s also a jump in native ISO, which now extends from 100 to 32,000 and onward to 50 and 102,400 with expansion. Frame rates top out at seven frames-per-second with full AF and autoexposure tracking between frames for unlimited JPEGs and

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ABOVE: With live view switched on, the EOS 5D Mark IV can capture 4.3fps, but turn it off and the MkIV ups the stakes to 7fps with full autofocus and autoexposure tracking between frames for unlimited JPEGs and up to 21 Raws

up to 21 Raws, while live view images can be recorded at up to 4.3fps.

Design and handling are reassuringly familiar for existing 5D owners and very accessible for those who are new to the party (PS. You’re late!). The hardcore 5D spotters among you will notice that the handgrip and rear thumb rest are both a tad deeper for a more solid hold, plus there’s a new thumb-controlled button on the rear that can be customised. By default, this button provides access to the new AF Area Selection feature for quick AF point selection. The rear LCD is now touch sensitive, plus there is a modest increase in the size of the pentaprism to house the necessary gubbins for GPS and Wi-Fi. The GPS system, which is claimed

to be accurate to within 30m, records longitude, latitude, elevation and time in one of two modes. In mode 1 the camera continues to receive GPS data at regular intervals, even when the camera is switched off. In mode 2, when the camera is off, GPS is off. Given that GPS can adversely affect battery performance and the 5D MkIV uses the same cell as previous incarnations, mode 2 would seem advisable. As well as built-in Wi-Fi, there’s now NFC (Near Field Communication) support for compatible devices to help you transmit files. While we’re on file transmission, the 5D MkIV also offers IPTC metadata for the first time in a 5 series. This enables details of a shoot to be automatically embedded in files; handy for sports and news.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CANON EO S 5 D MK I V

Weatherproofing has also been improved and there are dual card slots: one for CF, the other for SD. Despite these additions, the body is actually 50g lighter than the MkIII, thanks largely to a redesigned mirror box and more aluminium in place of heavier stainless steel internally.

The autofocusing system is plucked pretty much straight from the EOS1D X MkII. There are 61 points, 41 of which are cross-type. AF sensitivity goes down to -3EV if you’re viewfinder shooting or -4EV with live view. Attach a teleconverter and you still keep all 61 points, plus you retain 21 cross-types, too. Like the EOS-1D X MkII, the 5D MkIV uses Dual Pixel AF technology to deliver a more accurate focusing performance, but now Canon has added extra functionality off the back of this tech in the form of Dual Pixel Raw. Activated through the menu, this new feature works in the same way as Dual Pixel AF with each of the camera’s 30 million pixels having two photodiodes, which can be used separately or together. With Dual Pixel Raw switched on, file size virtually doubles (going from 35 to 60MB), but the captured file records the image from very slightly different points of view. When the image is subsequently processed in Canon’s own Digital Photo Professional software, micro adjustments can be made to maximise sharpness, enhance bokeh and reduce ghosting and flare. Canon stopped short of suggesting this was a cure for inaccurate focusing, but product specialist David Parry (see panel) confirmed that his tests photographing a tape measure at around 2m from the camera allowed up to 2cm of sharpness adjustment. Well worth further testing when we get full test samples.

Video has also been given a leg up, after significant enhancements were largely overlooked on the MkIII. 4K footage is now possible up to 30p, Full HD at 60p and HD at 120p, plus there are the requisite connections for links to external monitors, microphones and

ABOVE: Although the MkIV body now boasts dual card

D AV I D P A R R Y P R O D U C T S P E C I A L I S T, P R O F E S S I O N A L PROFESSIONAL PHOTO: 11 years on, do you feel the essence of the original EOS 5D has been retained in the Mark IV? DAVID PARRY: Without a doubt, but it has been moved on leaps and bounds.

It’s still the workhorse, the tool, the thing that gets the job done.

Who is the typical EOS 5D user?

The people who need to make the money out of photography, those are the guys who will be really excited by this new generation of 5 series, but there are a lot of enthusiasts out there who will enjoy using this product as well. There’s so much you can learn about this camera and it opens up so many different opportunities.

What’s great about the last two generations – the MkIII and now the MkIV – is that one day you can be shooting wedding photography and the following day you can be shooting motor sport with the same camera.

PP

DP

PP What do you think are the key attributes of the new camera?

DP It’s the fundamentals. This camera is all about image quality, giving the best images possible with the technology we have available to use at the moment.

The 5D MkIV has the latest generation sensor and I think it represents a big step forward for a full-frame sensor. You will notice straightaway the difference in the detail, high ISO capability and dynamic range.

PP Tell us more about the new reflex mirror mechanism.

DP We’ve been trying to get rid of the springs in the mirror box, because once you release the energy in a spring there’s no controlling it. So we’ve tried different cams, gears and motors that you can control a lot better and eliminate mirror bounce. The new design slows the mirror down when it comes to the end of its travel and then speeds it up incredibly quickly.

creative, but in a different way – it’s a new skill to learn. It’s like when AF was invented, initially people weren’t interested, but look where we are now.

PP Given that the 5D MkIV uses many features from the EOS-1D X MkII do you think it’s harder for pros to choose?

DP I think there’s a clear definition.

If you want a 1 series you know why you want it. If you’re not sure if the 1 series is for you, you will probably be better off with a 5 series. The 1 series is the pinnacle in toughness and the way you can customise it is better than any other camera we’ve got. I have to say, I love the 5 series because it is so much lighter, but that’s just personal preference, of course!

PP Some may be surprised to see this launch pre-Photokina, why launch now?

DP We wanted to get the EOS 5D MkIV out there as soon as possible as the camera will be available very soon. Photokina is going to be very exciting, we’re going to be showing a lot of technologies and we’ll be talking about the future of Canon as well as the present.

PP Finally, Canon is dominant in all markets except mirrorless. Will we ever see a mirrorless model with an EF mount?

DP To use EF and EF-S lenses on our mirrorless offerings without an adapter would mean the camera would have to get larger, because of the distance from the back of the flange to the sensor. We are 100% behind mirrorless with two bodies and five lenses, but we don’t want to go off on a tangent and sacrifice other parts of our business.

RIGHT: Canon’s

David Parry with the EOS 5D Mark IV

PP From a video perspective, what sort of pro users will choose the 5D MkIV? DP This is a great camera for photojournalists as they’ll have the ability to shoot HD at 120p and 4K and it will be good for smaller production houses shooting video where you don’t have big teams.

I wish more photographers would take video on board. You can be so

slots and weatherproofing, it’s lighter than the MkIII

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