NZ Photographer Issue 33

Issue 33 : June 2014

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Beautiful work!

ooped up inside on this rainy day, it has been my pleasure once again to see all the wonderful nature-inspired images sent in for last month’s competition. Aren’t we lucky to live in such a photogenic country! Congratulations to Edward Fraser for his winning image South Island Robin.

ABOUT Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free!

EDITOR Hollie Wightman, hollie@nzphotographer.co.nz GROUP EDITOR Jennifer Liew ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson

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NZ Photographer is an Espire Media publication

The focus on the Robin and branch is spot on, and complemented by great composition. Using an aperture of f5.6 has allowed just enough detail to remain in the background, but keeps the bird the star of this image. A great job also from Juliet Hopkins with Early Golf. I love the light through the mist and silhouettes of the players.

To Kevin Marshall with his macro shot Toadstool - an awesome example of nature at work!

In this month’s issue Allan Cox explains aperture. Scott Fowler encourages us to try Black and White photography, and gives us a few tips on the subject. So if it’s raining where you are, make yourself a quick cuppa and enjoy those articles and the top competition entries.

Keep warm!

Hollie Wightman Hollie Wightman Resident Judge NZ Photographer

PCL’S NEW IPHONE AND IPAD APP FREE WEEKLY TUTORIALS!

•Photographic Printing New Zealand’s premium photo lab, PCL IMAGING, has made its latest evolution •Custom Framing into the palm of your hand. They have launched this month the iphone and ipad app 30 Karaka Street, Eden Terrace, •Mounting which allows users to edit, enhance and order photographs directly from their phones.

Auckland (09) 309 8090 •Scanning PCL has been a photographic industry leader for over 40 years and once again is enabling photographers with the latest technological contact@pcl.net.nz development.

The app itself isPrinting a direct result of another technology PCL has been using for several years called ROES or remote order www.pcl.co.nz •Inkjet entry software. This software was made available for MAC or PC and has been used to by thousands of happy customers.

•Canvas Prints PCL will be holding weekly tutorials for the new app for their customers and if you mention this article you can join them for a free cupcake, espresso photographic print. The relaxed tutorials will take place at PCL every Thursday at 11am.

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APP YOU FACE WEB 0800 ASK PCL STORE SITE BOOK TUBE



 Next Month's

Competition:

Winter Wonderland

B

aby it’s cold outside! Perfect conditions for a Winter Wonderland photo competition. What comes to mind when you think of winter? Snow, rain, a cosy fire, hot soup? Show us!

Entries close 17th of June.

Rules: Images submitted must be no older than 12 months from the date of publication of this issue. Entry to the competition is $5 and you can enter up to five images.

Images must be no more than 100 dpi and no more than 1600px wide. Save them as jpgs in the prefered colour space of Adobe RGB (1998).

If you don't know what this means, don't worry, but do Google it...●

GET SHOOTING AND WIN! Photographers - This is a great opportunity to improve your photography skills and get some feedback from professional photography judges in a safe and friendly environment.

Here's what's up for grabs!

•

The winning image on the cover of the next issue

• A high quality print of your image and cover to immortalise your achievement for your grandchildren, courtesy of PCL Imaging •

$50 cash

• And of course, bragging rights and the envy of your fellow NZ Photographer fans!

Check out next month’s theme and enter at www.nzphotographer.co.nz!

WIN!

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Understanding Aperture I

By Allan Cox www.nzphotoworkshops.com If you’ve ever tried to get your head around apertures and found them confusing, you’re not alone. Although there are aspects of apertures that are technical, I believe part of the problem is that the subject is often not taught as well as it could be. The following is a little bit of information that may help to clarify one aspect of apertures: namely, that a small aperture is represented by a large number.

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f you look into a lens you will see that there are a series of thin metal blades that open or close to make a variable sized hole. This hole is the aperture. As the size of this hole gets bigger it lets more light through the lens. As this hole gets smaller it lets less light through.

That’s the easy bit. It gets confusing when you notice, or are told, that the number that represents the size of the hole gets larger as the hole itself gets smaller, ie: f16 = small hole, f4 = large hole. Why is this? What the number actually represents is not the size of the aperture, but the number of times the diameter of the aperture could fit into the distance between the sensor and the aperture. (If I’m feeling particularly pedantic, I would say the distance between the sensor and the optical centre of the lens, a.k.a. ‘the focal length of the lens’.

However, since the aperture is most often placed at the optical centre of the lens, it’s easier just to talk about sensor to aperture distance.

In the first diagram, the distance across the aperture (a) will fit into the distance between the sensor and the aperture four times, so our aperture is f4.

In the second diagram, the distance across the aperture (b) will fit into the distance between the sensor and the aperture 16 times, so we call it f16. Therefore what it really represents is a fraction: f16 is really f1/16, and f4 is really f1/4. â—?

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Black & White Photography or Chromatic Greyscale

By Scott Fowler EFAIP PPSA APSNZ www.scoiwi.com

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T

he digital world has given us the power to produce Chromatic Greyscale images which will compete with anything that was produced in the traditional darkroom. We can take the image as a raw image, change them into a large TIFF, and then take them into the digital darkroom of your choice.

Remember that before you change your image into a good B&W, it has to be the best it can be as a colour image. If it is a bad colour image then de-saturating it will not make it a good B&W. Sorry to let you know this, but your image has to be great in colour to be a great B&W.So how do we create compelling B&W imagery? It is not a simple thing.

First, if you remove the distraction of colour, will the image still stand on its own as a good image? Second, B&W is more about the story. Not all images will work in B&W. I have many that need the colour for the image to work.

You have to remain in the RGB colour space, not just

de-saturate. De-saturation removes the red and blue channels and leaves the green channel. The Green channel is Luminosity - light & dark. Your image will look muddy or flat. You want to keep the contrast in your image: it gives it depth. You need to use all the colours.

There is a lot of different software out there that will help you do this, and most you can trial free for a time. Try them - find the one that works for you. I use NIK software: I like the power it gives you, especially to create B&W images.

B&W is difficult to do well. It takes time to develop a look you like. I have done a lot of research over the years and found a look I like, and generally stick to that. All my images are individually worked on - no recipes.

For me, the B&W image has always been the core, the essence and the soul of photography. It has a simplicity, elegance and beauty that can defy description. If you haven’t tried it, do. What do you have to lose? It may take your creativity to a whole new level. � www.nzphotographer.co.nz 7

TIPS & TRICKS

Good for More than Butter Chicken!

THE INFINITELY MOULDABLE SEED-BASED CAMERA SUPPORT SYSTEM

By Allan Cox www.nzphotoworkshops.com

Y

ou are driving down the road when you see a scene that you think will make a great photograph. You pull the car over, grab your camera and jump out.

Standing beside the car, you take the photograph.

You know that if you took this photograph from a tripod, it would be sharper: however, you didn't pack your tripod this morning. Or maybe you did, but your tripod’s buried under a whole lot of luggage, or the light conditions are changing so fast that you don't have time to get it out.

At times like this, what you need is a nifty little photographic accessory called ‘the infinitely mouldable seed based camera support system’. It’s a great little device that you can buy from your local supermarket, 8 www.nzphotographer.co.nz

where you will find it under its more common name, ‘a bag of rice’. Personally, I use Basmati, but I've heard that Jasmine and the ‘no-name brand’ rice are just as good.

Placed on top of the car, it will do a pretty good job supporting your camera, yet takes no time to set up, and can be stored under the driver’s seat. Like all camera supports, it should be used with a remote release, or the self-timer on your camera.

One final thing; turn the engine of your car off before using it, as leaving the car running will cause fine vibrations that will blur your photograph.

Like all camera supports, it should be used with a remote release, or the self-timer on your camera. ●

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Edward Fraser This photo is of a South Island Robin and was taken on a deer hunting trip in the Lewis Pass. On our way out we had a quick break and in that time I was able to capture this shot. Settings: focal length 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 3200, 1/200

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Kevin Marshall A recent trip to Lake Tekapo in Autumn. I just love the interplay of the sky and water with the low evening sun.

Settings: Canon 7D, f/13, 1/60 sec, ISO 200, focal length 10mm.

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Edward Fraser The Doubtful River in the South Island, taken at dusk on a hunting trip.

Settings: focal length 55mm, f/9, ISO 100, 2.5.

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Juliet Hopkins Early Golf - Titirangi Course. Wanted to catch the mist and sun working together. Love the tracks of those that have gone before. Landscape - Aim to enjoy a lovely morning capturing the light and having fun with my camera.

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Kevin Marshall Photo of a fresh Toadstool that sprouted forth in my back yard in Rolleston. I was enjoying the burst of colour and the fact that the day before there was nothing there. Settings: Taken with my Canon 7D, f/13, 1/125 sec, ISO 100, focal length 100 (Macro).

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Dave Murray This is a photo of the endangered Black Stilt/Kaki with its hybrid chick on wet pasture in the Mackenzie Basin. The photo was taken from a hide. I like that I was able to get this shot without disturbance to the family group. The nice image with the relaxed composure of the birds is what I hoped to achieve and what I like most.

Settings: Nikon D300S; 1/320sec; f/9; ISO250; focal length 400mm.

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CORRECTION Peter Melville Spence First attempts using Sony SLT A37. Ducks at Hamilton's lake Rotoroa - either waiting for take-off or have just left the ground. Settings: focal length 85, f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/3200s

Last month this image was selected as a finalist in the ‘Frozen Motion’ photo competition. Unfortunately it was published using a different name and not that of the actual Photographer, Peter Melville Spence. We sincerely apologise to Peter and want to give credit where credit is due! Congratulations on the great image Peter, and for having your image selected as a competition finalist.

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“Taking pictures is savouring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”

- Marc Riboud

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