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THE UK’S ONLY MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR WORKING & ASPIRING PROS ONLY £3.99 +EXTRA CONTENT

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ISSUE 184 £3.99

LANDSCAPE

FIRST TEST

PENTAX K-3 MARK III A declaration of intent for the DSLR

TREASURE ISLANDS Hengki Koentjoro on exploring his native Indonesia POST-PRODUCTION

IN PRAISE OF THE PRESET Building the look that’s all your own

STABILISATION

STAMP OUT THE SHAKE

Striking

Beauty Competition winning tips from Damian McGillicuddy

Adding a touch of pro quality to your shots SHOOTING TRAVEL

TIME TO PACK YOUR BAG! What’s life really like on the road?

RUN ‘N GUN OUR EXPERT GUIDE TO WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

EDITOR’S CHOICE | ISSUE 184

Welcome

carried on when lockdown threatened to bring everything to a halt. It’s a great story, so go and check it out.

WE’VE GOT YET another digital issue with exclusive extra content waiting for you this month, and I’m excited by the features we’ve pulled together for you.

Elsewhere you’ll be able to read about how Paul Wilkinson shot a series for a theatre company that relied on him being able to place actors where they were needed in the frame, we’re looking at the value of presets, Richard Bradbury is musing on the best ways to keep your images crisp and sharp and we’re also catching up with a travel photographer to find out about their typical day.

Finally our reviews this month include a look at the new K-3 Mark III DSLR from Pentax and a futuristic new laptop from Asus. Packed full as I said, so come on in!

Meanwhile I loved the theme of our Project feature, where Jenny Lewis took the brave decision to source and photograph people aged from 0-100 years old in her local area of Hackney in London. Not only that, but she interviewed each and every one and

Our Second Spot Prize Winner!

Landscape and fine art specialist Hengki Koentjoro has the good fortune to be located in Indonesia, which gives him no less than 17,500 islands from which to take his inspiration.

WORDS TERRY HOPE IMAGES HENGKI KOENTJORO

T

HERE ARE TWO major things in life that serve as inspiration for landscape photographer Hengki Koentjoro, one of them being the exquisitely beautiful surroundings of the Indonesian archipelago where he’s lucky enough to be based, and the other the potential of a black and white approach to interpret the subtle nuances of the scene that he’s looking to put across.

Master practitioners such as Ansel Adams and Michael Kenna have blazed a monochrome trail that Hengki is keen to follow and he finds himself in the enviable position of a glorious realm to explore that few, if any, might have ever focused on before.

“It’s very exciting for me because many of the 17,500 islands in this region have never been explored before,” Hengki explains. “Half of them don’t even have a name yet, and there are so many that it would take more than a single lifetime to savour them all.

“Add to that the richness of the marine biodiversity in this region, the vast number of active volcanoes that have led to Indonesia being dubbed the Ring of Fire and the fact that the land is also the location for the Borobudur Temple, the biggest Buddhist temple on earth, and you can see why I feel so blessed to be living here. There are so many locations around me that I just love to visit over and over again.”

Born in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, Hengki studied photography in Santa Barbara, California, where he majored in video production and minored LEFT: Ultra slow shutter speeds, achieved through using powerful ND filters, allow Hengki to set slow shutter speeds and to blur motion.

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EDITORIAL Publisher and Editor: Terry Hope terry@professionalphoto.online Contributing Editor: Matty Graham matty@professionalphoto.online Contributing Editor: Richard Bradbury richard@professionalphoto.online

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

ABOVE: Hengki is capable of finding beauty beneath the water, as well as using it on a regular basis in his landscape shots.

Will You be a Winner in PPOTY?

Our mega competition is hotting up as we present our second spot prize winner and ask our fashion and beauty judge and prize provider Damian McGillicuddy what he’ll be looking for.

I

F YOU HEAD FOR the Professional Photo website and take a look at the PPOTY entry portal you’ll be able to take a look through the entries for our mega competition stacking up, and there are some amazing images there, with more arriving every day.

With the competition free to enter

and an invitation to upload an image in each of the twelve categories every single month, it’s time to take part if you haven’t got involved already, and we’ll be awarding monthly spot prizes from now until the closing date at the end of August. By entering you’ll also be putting yourself in contention for one of

our amazing category prizes – details of which you can find outlined here – and you could ultimately go on to be crowned Professional Photographer of the Year, an accolade that would win you the amazing Panasonic Lumix S1R camera with 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS, worth a cool £3000. What are you waiting for?

A declaration of intent for the DSLR

VIDEO LINKS

ISSUE 184 £3.99

LANDSCAPE

TREASURE ISLANDS

Hengki Koentjoro on exploring his native Indonesia POST-PRODUCTION

IN PRAISE OF THE PRESET Building the look that’s all your own

STABILISATION

STAMP OUT THE SHAKE

Striking

Beauty Competition winning tips from Damian McGillicuddy

Adding a touch of pro quality to your shots SHOOTING TRAVEL

TIME TO PACK YOUR BAG!

What’s life really like on the road?

RUN ‘N GUN OUR EXPERT GUIDE TO WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

ON THE COVER Our cover this month comes from Damian McGillicuddy, one of our judges for PPOTY. On page 10 he’s giving advice about setting up a shoot and explaining what will catch his eye.

Pentax K-3 Mark III

HOW PPOTY WORKS

Film Noir with Ren

The competition is open until August 31, 2021, there’s no fee to enter and everyone is welcome to take part. We’ve teamed up with our friends at The Societies to tieIN inrecent each ofyears our ten HE MOVE from categories to one of the Societies that operates under their DSLRs over to funky new umbrella. Along the way we’ll award exciting and valuable models has spot prizes to highlight somemirrorless of the best of the entries. appeared unstoppable In September we’ll be choosing a winner for each of the ten categories, whoand, will receive just thethat’s sectionwhere prize withoutnot a doubt, but also a twelve-month Professional the lion’s share ofLevel R&D Membership money is of the SWPP and a copy of Affinity Photo and the Affinity Photo going these days.

However, despite Workbook, courtesy of Serif.

Each of our ten winners will then seemingly unstoppable trend, be in with a chance this of being judged our first-ever Professional Photographer of the year, and professional they’ll then beispicking that not every happyup with fabulous Panasonicthat S1R state kit. It could be you! of affairs, and a sizeable

This image was one from my first photo shoot in 18 months and Ren the model is a friend who is really into the 40s’ and 50s’ look. This image was actually shot outside and not in a studio. The sun was setting behind Ren as she sat under a tree, so I placed a 2x3 softbox with a strobe at ¼ power about two feet from her, and the shade of the tree allowed me to throw sufficient light back to highlight her face while using the setting sun to act as fill light on her hair. I removed small blemishes and then darkened the shadows and deepened the blacks in post-processing, whilst trying not to lose detail in the hair. A black and white layer was added and the red and yellow levels were tweaked to lighten the skin a little. I cropped to create a square format, mainly because it seemed to suit the image best.

T

minority are preferring to stick with HOW TO ENTER

a DSLR of through working, attracted no All entries need to be madeway online the Professional doubtbe byable keener pricing, sturdy build Photo website and you’ll to enter as many categories as you like but we’requality askingand for single images only, and you’ll far longer battery life. only be able to upload one image to one category It’s perhaps thisparticular crowd that will each month, so a total of ten images a month across all the be most by the arrival of the categories. Enter each monthheartened to give yourself the best chance!

Pentax K-3 Mark III, the £1899 new flagship Overall closing date August 31, 2021.

Full details all therange. model for the brand’s APS-Cofsensor prizes plus terms and conditions can be found online.

Its arrival signals not just the end of the line for the K-3 Mark II, but it also drags the APS-C line closer to the out-and-out pro-spec levels that are being delivered by Pentax’s popular full-frame K-1 Mark II.

Canon 5DS and 24-105mm lens, lit with a single strobe with the setting sun providing the hair highlights.

Page 10

DAMIAN’S HOT TIPS!

WE ASKED DAMIAN to reveal some of his fashion and beauty tips

The new K-3 Mark and to tellIII us about the type of work that resonates with him. from Pentax is “To theme great photography should be timeless,” he says, “which is why I particularly like images that have depth to them. One of manufacturer’s highestmy most prized possessions is a signed ‘Dark Summer’ book by Bob Carlos Clarke, and every picture in there has a narrative and spec DSLR yet, and it’s tells a story, and it just makes the work so much more interesting.” a clear declaration of Acknowledging that it can be a little intimidating for a intent and a strong signal photographer working with a model in the studio for the first Damian advises that you really need to do your homework of continuingtime, belief in beforehand and have to turn up with some ideas in mind. mirrored technology.

WORDS & IMAGES MATTY GRAHAM “The best fashion and beauty images will have a theme,” he says.

Adrian Stillwell

10 | PROFESSIONAL PHOTO ISSUE 184

PENTAX K-3 MARK III | TESTED

TESTED

THERE’S A VERY SPECIAL spot prize being offered this month, £250 to spend on training that’s been generously provided by acclaimed fashion and beauty photographer Damian McGillicuddy. Damian is widely considered to be one of the best and most giving trainers around, and there’s a wealth of choices available on his dedicated website.

For example, you could take a look at picking up some core beauty photography skills, dip into Damian’s ‘Lego Block’ lighting system, take on board tips about how to get the most out of on-camera flash and discover how to achieve five different looks from a single light. All of those courses are available for a bargain £29 each and you can simply enrol online.

Damian also offers virtual mentoring, which is designed to take photographers on to the next level.

Available from just £10 a month for the Bronze level, with Silver and Gold at £45 and £99 respectively, it’s a chance to learn first-hand from a photographer who, during his 35-year career, has been there and pretty much done it all. Head to the website to discover full details and to sample a ‘sneak peek’ free video that explores a fusion of pin up and boudoir photography and gives you the chance to sample how Damian lights his images.

Use this QR Code to check out the courses on Damian’s website.

Portrait Category

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 13

FIRST TEST

PPOTY SECOND SPOT PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED | COMPETITION

THIS MONTH’S PRIZE

SPOT PRIZE WINNER

in the fine art of photography. On graduating he made the move back to Indonesia, where he became a freelance videographer/editor, specialising in nature documentaries and corporate profiles, and he’s now based in Jakarta. While he’s earning his regular income through videography, most of his spare time is spent in the relentless search for landscapes and he’s built a huge reputation over the years for the quality of his work and has acquired a strong fine art following from collectors around the world.

Ask him why he’s so inspired by his surroundings and the answer is simple: despite his familiarity with this exquisite part of the world he’s never become immune to its charms, nor oblivious to the potential that literally lies around every corner here. He’s ›

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

TERRY HOPE EDITOR

PORTFOLIO | HENGKI KOENTJORO

Treasure Islands

ONLY £3.99 +EXTRA CONTENT

PENTAX K-3 MARK III

Our Portfolio this month showcases the exquisite landscape work of Indonesianbased photographer Hengki Koentjoro, who is taking full advantage of the wonderful location he calls home. There are no less than 17,500 islands in the region, many of them never explored, and it’s an amazing opportunity for those, like Hengki, who love landscape to produce something truly original.

PORTFOLIO

THE UK’S ONLY MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR WORKING & ASPIRING PROS

The Pentax K-3 Mark III is fully featured and packed full of high-end specs and well up to professional use.

“I’ll often sketch out my lighting beforehand and will talk to my model and ask her to visualise a particular scenario. For example, on a recent shoot I went for a kind of Marilyn Monroe look, where the girl was sitting on a bed wearing an oversize man’s shirt and with ‘bed head’ hair. I asked her to visualise a peaceful Sunday morning, with the sun shining through the slits in the blinds and she’d just had the perfect night with the perfect man. It was a starting point and it gave her somewhere to go and a role to play.”

Pentax owners know what to expect Damian also advises that you need to pick your model carefully. from their chosen brand, and the K-3 “A lot of models these days will feel they know themselves the Mark III hasn’t strayed too far from look they want to portray and they will be looking to stick to that. that tried-and-tested DNA, while at It can be difficult to get models to leave their comfort zone and to the same time taking a significant try something that’s new. However, that’s invariably what I’ll be step up in terms of features provided looking to do and I need to find someone who is willing to do that.” and onboard technology. From a pro’s ❚ damianmcgillicuddy.photography perspective it’s also worth noting the build quality the new camera offers. In this respect it’s taking a leaf out of the PPOTY CATEGORIES AND PRIZES: book of its full-frame sibling, which LANDSCAPE Olympus LS-P4 value £149 is virtually bulletproof. The K-3 Mark WILDLIFE Olympus 8x42 Pro binoculars value £449.99 III is packed with weather sealing that WEDDINGS Voucher for £150 for use at One Vision Imaging feels hugely robust to the touch, and PORTRAITS Spyder X Pro worth £159 it’s TRAVEL AND TOURISM Fotospeed Voucher for £200 worth ofone paperof the reasons why the camera will tick allvalue the £649 boxes for professional wildlife FASHION Sigma I-Series 65mm f/2 DG DN prime in E or L Mount, MEDIA AND PRESS Sennheiser MKE 200 On-Camera Mic,and valuelandscape £87 photographers.

SCHOOL AND EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY Nikon School Voucher,Pros valueare £120also likely to be attracted by SPORT Rotolight NEO 2, value £319.99 features such as the newly-developed COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL 12-month Pro Package with theimagefile, value £432 25.7MP sensor, which is paired with a From the Pentax perspective the PRIME V imaging engine to deliver some smaller-sensored DSLR approach is impressive speed specs. Being APS-C still very much alive and kicking. there’s a 1.5x crop, which will get wildlife

Work with a crop sensor camera such as the new Pentax K-3 Mark III and your long lenses will get you even closer to the wildlife action.

professionals even closer to their subjects, turning a 70-200mm lens into a 105300mm optic. While some will think a fullframe sensor is a necessity for a camera to be considered fully pro-spec these days, the truth is that crop sensor cameras can deliver huge benefits and many brands are now blurring the lines between their semipro and fully-pro line-ups of cameras.

Along with the weather sealing, other pro credentials for the K-3 Mark III include the camera’s ability to operate in temperatures as low as -10°C and the inclusion of the DRII (Dust Removal) mechanism which, as the name suggests, aims to rid the sensor of any troublesome dust particles. The shutter mechanism is rated to withstand 300,000 actuations ›

Competition Portal: professionalphoto.online/ppoty

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE 62 | PROFESSIONAL PHOTO ISSUE 184

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 11 PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

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Professional Photo is published 12 times a year by So Smart Media, West Cottage, Brasted Place, Brasted, Kent TN16 1JE. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of So Smart Media Ltd. Professional Photo is a registered trademark of So Smart Media Ltd. The advertisements published in Professional Photo that have been written, designed or produced by employees of So Smart Media Ltd 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 So Smart Media makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it can’t be guaranteed. Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 3

Contents

Issue 184

6 ProNews

12

Canon is teasing us with details of its latest camera and new lens launches.

10 PPOTY Latest Spot Prize!

Competition judge Damian McGillicuddy tells us what’s likely to catch his eye.

12 Portfolio: Hengki Koentjoro Indonesia provides the backdrop for Hengki’s amazing landscape work.

18 Project: A Century of Portraits Jenny Lewis has been shooting portraits of people from birth through to 100.

24 Serving Up Success!

We’ve got a selection of the outstanding winning images from the 2021 Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Awards.

24

46 The Move Towards Motion – Run ‘n Gun Filmmaking CVP experts tell us about the kit you’ll need to be a one-person-operator.

PRO TALK 30 The World According to Dench This month Peter is telling us about two rather high flying visits to shoot in India.

66 Melissa Love – Website Marketing Forget social media, email marketing is what it’s all about according to Melissa, and she explains how to make this work.

52 Creativity Accelerated YouTube filmmaker Keenan Lam tells us about his lifestyle and how Nvidia GPUs have massively improved his workflow.

69 Time to Turn Pro We’re looking at how Instagram can get you work and our latest Day in the Life catches up with a travel photographer.

54 The Power of Presets 32 Matty’s Graham’s Pro File Matty’s sharing stories about the automotive shoots he’s taken on.

If you’re looking to create a style that defines your work then presets can help you, as Amy-Leigh Atkins explains.

34 Making a Splash

58 Tested: Zoner Photo Studio X

How sports specialist Paul Sanwell is shooting images for his local sailing club.

Designed as a well-priced alternative to Lightroom and Photoshop, Zoner’s Photo Studio X has a great deal to offer.

TECHNIQUE 38 Anatomy of a Shoot – Mix and Match Paul is talking about shooting composite group set-ups that are infinitely flexible.

60 Stable Mates Richard Bradbury tells us the best ways to ensure total stability in your shots.

BUSINESS

42 Affinity Workshop

64 Lisa Devlin – Quick SEO Wins

This month’s walk through covers the production of spot colour in your shots.

Lisa takes a look at the best ways to get yourself top of the vital Google rankings.

4 | PROFESSIONAL PHOTO ISSUE 184

64 PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

NETWORKING | TALKING HEAD

See your colleagues as competitors, not enemies

W

HEN TIMES ARE tough it’s all to easy easy to get fiercely protective of what you have and to consider anyone else who dares to tread on your turf as an interloper, to be feared.

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I do get that, and when you’re worried about your own livelihood it’s way less likely that you’re going to be overly concerned about whether your competitors are struggling as well. However, those who are capable of looking at the bigger picture will inevitably discover there are positive benefits to taking a more outward looking view.

74 GEAR 74 Tested: Pentax K-3 Mark III Pentax is very much putting its faith in the DSLR with its latest launch, and we’ve taken it out on a wildlife shoot.

80 Tested: Asus ZenBook Pro Duo We’re getting hands-on with the cutting-edge new dual-screen Asus laptop designed for post-production.

83 Mini Test: Kingston Hub

The simple fact “ is no-one will understand better than your rivals exactly what you’re going through. ”

This is where a little judicious networking can really pay dividends. Over the past year I’ve reached out myself to others in the publishing and professional environments to make connections and it’s been a positive response every time. You need to choose your partners well, but there’s real value in extending your reach and having others to work with who might have fresh ways of looking at things.

I strongly advise you to also look at joining one or more of the associations. The cameradie I see when photographers get together is uplifting and you can really benefit from a shared approach.

Terry Hope – Editor

❚ Join a body such as the SWPP and you’ll have the chance to network extensively. © IMAGE: SWPP

If you’ve got a bundle of memory cards needing to be downloaded fast, then the Kingston Workflow Station is for you.

The simple fact is that no-one will understand better than your rivals exactly what you might be going through and what your challenges

are, which potentially could make them perfect sounding boards for ideas and initiatives. It’s also true to say that running a small one or two person business can be an incredibly lonely way to earn a living, and if you’re keeping all your stresses and strains to yourself then that can’t be good.

84 Mini Test: Zhiyun Smooth-Q3 This neat and affordable smartphone gimbal could have real pro credentials.

85 Mini Test: NiSi 15mm f/4 Filter specialist NiSi has now unveiled a super wide angle lens that’s perfect for landscape and architecture.

PRO TALK 86 Things I Wish I’d Known Matthew Rycraft rounds off this month’s issue by telling us about the value of building things up slowly.

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 5

PRONEWS NEWS | VIEWS | EVENTS | EXHIBITIONS | NEW GEAR | COMPETITIONS PREVIEW AND LAUNCHES

NEW CANON RF LENSES AND A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE FOLLOWING ON FROM its successful launch policy with the EOS R5, Canon is drip-feeding through details regarding the launch of its next blockbuster model, the EOS R3, the latest camera in its mirrorless line-up. Aimed squarely at professional sports and news photographers, the R3 taps into qualities seen in previous Canon’s DSLR and mirrorless bodies.

At the heart of the camera will be a new Canon-developed BSI (Back Illuminated Stack) CMOS sensor, backed up by a powerful DIGIC X imaging processor. It will feature an impressive top shooting speed of 30fps plus AF/AE tracking, eye, head and body detection and what Canon describes as a pioneering new autofocus Eye Control Function. This will enable users to simply select and move the AF point using their eye via the viewfinder.

As would be expected, build quality will be to a professional standard, with the same durability and dust and water resistance as provided in Canon’s

EOS-1 series bodies. The camera will also feature the integrated grip from the EOS-1D series. It’s also confirmed that the new EOS R3 will be fully compatible with Canon’s Mobile File Transfer smartphone

app, enabling images to be transferred and workflow to be speeded up while the photographer is on the move, using mobile network services and without the need for wired LAN equipment.

Also unveiled by Canon are three new lenses in the rapidly expanding RF range.

The RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM (£12,499.99) and RF 600mm f/4L IS USM (£13,409.99) are targeting professional wildlife and sports photographers, and they’re the first in the RF line-up to feature a double power drive method, enabling cameras to focus faster than ever before, even when shooting at 30fps. The third lens in the trio is the RF 100mm f/2.8L MACRO IS USM (£1479.99), said to be the world’s first AF macro lens with 1.4x magnification. ❚ canon.co.uk

NEWS

SUPER WIDE PRIME FROM SAMYANG SAMYANG HAS UNVEILED its first autofocus super wide angle prime lens, the AF 12mm f/2 E, which has been specifically designed for APS-C sized sensors.

Inside there are 12 elements in 10 groups, with 5 special lenses (1 H-ASP, 1 ASP, and 3 ED). The three Extra-low Dispersion elements and the two Aspherical (H-ASP & ASP) elements have been incorporated into the optical design to minimise chromatic aberration and distortion, while there’s also improved Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) to reduce surface reflection and lens flare.

6 | PROFESSIONAL PHOTO ISSUE 184

The existing Samyang manual focus 12mm f/2 has long been a favourite amongst astrophotography enthusiasts, and the new 12mm builds on that and adds AF into the mix. It’s also super compact, weighing 213g and measuring just 59.2mm in length, and it’s claimed to be the lightest and smallest AF 12mm lens currently in the market.

Other design features include a durable, all-metal housing, an ergonomically designed grip with a micro pattern rubber ring and a new modern design. There’s also weather-sealing and rear glass protection on board, to prevent dust, light rain, and snow from penetrating.

The lens is available from now and carries a srp of £359.99. ❚ intro2020.co.uk

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

PRO NEWS | THIS MONTH INNOVATION

NEW XPERIA PRO LAUNCHES IN EUROPE THE INNOVATIVE XPERIA PRO 5G communication device from Sony is now available in European markets following its initial introduction in the US and Japan.

One of its key USPs is the fact that it’s the world’s first smartphone to feature a dedicated HDMI input, allowing users to enhance their workflow by connecting the device to any HDMI input equipped camera to enable a 5G data link to broadcast video in real-time. Using compatible third-party live streaming applications, the Xperia PRO has the capability to stream video content from a camera that’s connected through the HDMI input to an RTMP server or directly to social media platforms.

The Xperia PRO HDMI input can also transform the device into a high-quality 6.5-inch 4K OLED monitor through the pre-installed External Monitor feature, which features a screen lock function,

screen brightness adjustment, zoom capabilities and adjustable grid lines.

Meanwhile a wired Ethernet or USB connection enhances the speed and stability of still image file transfer between the device and the camera. Users simply need to connect an Alpha brand camera to the Xperia PRO mobile device through the wired Ethernet or USB connection and the still images will then automatically be transferred to an FTP server.

As might be expected, technology at this level doesn’t come cheap. The srp of the Sony Xperia PRO is £2299 and it’s available through Wex Photo Video. ❚ sony.co.uk

VIDEO Click to see an introductory video that explains more about the features offered by the new Sony Xperia PRO.

AUDIO

SUPER SOUND FROM SARAMONIC THE NEW BLINK 500 Pro Series from Saramonic is an advanced 2.4 GHz wireless microphone system offering broadcast quality sound. Two kits are available in a choice of black or white. The Blink 500 Pro B1 and B1W feature a single transmitter, while the Blink 500 Pro B2 and B2W kits come with two transmitters.

Thanks to on-board dual channel receivers, the Blink units have the ability to mix or split audio from two different transmitters into two separate channels with mono or stereo mode, enabling recording of two people on separate audio tracks. They also come in what’s said to be an industry-first charging case, with single-button pairing for all units.

Other features include a 100-metre line-of-sight recording range, a bright OLED display and a headphone jack with independent volume control for audio monitoring. Designed to be used on the go, you can work with the included

8 | PROFESSIONAL PHOTO ISSUE 184

lavaliere mic and use the built-in omnidirectional mic in the second transmitter (included in Blink 500 Pro B2 kits), or have an interviewee clip it to clothing.

Alternatively, the transmitter can simply be placed close to the subject to record.

The Blink 500 Pro B1 kit is priced at £190, while the B2 kits with the two transmitters is £285. ❚ saramonicuk.com

LAUNCHES

TAMRON’S DYNAMIC DUO TWO NEW TAMRON lenses designed for Sony E-Mount cameras have been announced by UK and Ireland distributor Transcontinenta. The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD is for APS-C cameras, while the super telephoto 150-500mm f/56.7 Di III VC VXD is a full-frame model.

The 11-20mm is said to be the world’s first ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for Sony E-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras that features an aperture of f/2.8 and, despite this, it’s still ultra-compact, measuring just 86.2mm and weighing in at 335g. At the 11mm end there’s excellent closerange shooting performance, with a minimum focusing distance of 15cm and maximum magnification of 1:4.

Meanwhile the compact design of the 150-500mm – it’s just 209.6mm long – and the fact that it’s a lightweight at 1725g, ensures that it’s still possible to use it hand held even at its maximum focal length. To help with this Tamron’s proprietary Vibration Compensation mechanism is on board.

The optical construction of the 150-500mm features 25 elements in 16 groups, which includes one XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion), five LD (Low Dispersion), and two Hybrid Aspherical lens elements. The lens also features the VXD linear motor focus mechanism used in the 70-180mm f/2.8.

The Tamron 150-500 f/5-6.7 is on sale from June 10 for an srp of £1379.99, while the 11-20mm f/2.8 arrives two weeks later priced £819.99. ❚ transcontinenta.co.uk

PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

Our Second Spot Prize Winner!

Will You be a Winner in PPOTY? Our mega competition is hotting up as we present our second spot prize winner and ask our fashion and beauty judge and prize provider Damian McGillicuddy what he’ll be looking for.

F YOU HEAD FOR the Professional Photo website and take a look at the PPOTY entry portal you’ll be able to take a look through the entries for our mega competition stacking up, and there are some amazing images there, with more arriving every day.

With the competition free to enter

I

and an invitation to upload an image in each of the twelve categories every single month, it’s time to take part if you haven’t got involved already, and we’ll be awarding monthly spot prizes from now until the closing date at the end of August. By entering you’ll also be putting yourself in contention for one of

our amazing category prizes – details of which you can find outlined here – and you could ultimately go on to be crowned Professional Photographer of the Year, an accolade that would win you the amazing Panasonic Lumix S1R camera with 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS, worth a cool £3000. What are you waiting for?

SPOT PRIZE WINNER Adrian Stillwell Portrait Category

Film Noir with Ren

This image was one from my first photo shoot in 18 months and Ren the model is a friend who is really into the 40s’ and 50s’ look. This image was actually shot outside and not in a studio. The sun was setting behind Ren as she sat under a tree, so I placed a 2x3 softbox with a strobe at ¼ power about two feet from her, and the shade of the tree allowed me to throw sufficient light back to highlight her face while using the setting sun to act as fill light on her hair. I removed small blemishes and then darkened the shadows and deepened the blacks in post-processing, whilst trying not to lose detail in the hair. A black and white layer was added and the red and yellow levels were tweaked to lighten the skin a little. I cropped to create a square format, mainly because it seemed to suit the image best.

Canon 5DS and 24-105mm lens, lit with a single strobe with the setting sun providing the hair highlights.

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PPOTY SECOND SPOT PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED | COMPETITION

THIS MONTH’S PRIZE THERE’S A VERY SPECIAL spot prize being offered this month, £250 to spend on training that’s been generously provided by acclaimed fashion and beauty photographer Damian McGillicuddy. Damian is widely considered to be one of the best and most giving trainers around, and there’s a wealth of choices available on his dedicated website.

For example, you could take a look at picking up some core beauty photography skills, dip into Damian’s ‘Lego Block’ lighting system, take on board tips about how to get the most out of on-camera flash and discover how to achieve five different looks from a single light. All of those courses are available for a bargain £29 each and you can simply enrol online.

Damian also offers virtual mentoring, which is designed to take photographers on to the next level.

Available from just £10 a month for the Bronze level, with Silver and Gold at £45 and £99 respectively, it’s a chance to learn first-hand from a photographer who, during his 35-year career, has been there and pretty much done it all. Head to the website to discover full details and to sample a ‘sneak peek’ free video that explores a fusion of pin up and boudoir photography and gives you the chance to sample how Damian lights his images.

Tap to find out more about Damian’s photographic courses and mentoring available via his website.

HOW PPOTY WORKS The competition is open until August 31, 2021, there’s no fee to enter and everyone is welcome to take part. We’ve teamed up with our friends at The Societies to tie in each of our ten categories to one of the Societies that operates under their umbrella. Along the way we’ll award exciting and valuable spot prizes to highlight some of the best of the entries.

In September we’ll be choosing a winner for each of the ten categories, who will receive not just the section prize but also a twelve-month Professional Level Membership of the SWPP and a copy of Affinity Photo and the Affinity Photo Workbook, courtesy of Serif. Each of our ten winners will then be in with a chance of being judged our first-ever Professional Photographer of the year, and they’ll then be picking up that fabulous Panasonic S1R kit. It could be you!

HOW TO ENTER All entries need to be made online through the Professional Photo website and you’ll be able to enter as many categories as you like but we’re asking for single images only, and you’ll only be able to upload one image to one particular category each month, so a total of ten images a month across all the categories. Enter each month to give yourself the best chance!

Overall closing date August 31, 2021. Full details of all the prizes plus terms and conditions can be found online.

DAMIAN’S HOT TIPS! WE ASKED DAMIAN to reveal some of his fashion and beauty tips and to tell us about the type of work that resonates with him.

“To me great photography should be timeless,” he says, “which is why I particularly like images that have depth to them. One of my most prized possessions is a signed ‘Dark Summer’ book by Bob Carlos Clarke, and every picture in there has a narrative and tells a story, and it just makes the work so much more interesting.”

Acknowledging that it can be a little intimidating for a photographer working with a model in the studio for the first time, Damian advises that you really need to do your homework beforehand and have to turn up with some ideas in mind.

“The best fashion and beauty images will have a theme,” he says.

“I’ll often sketch out my lighting beforehand and will talk to my model and ask her to visualise a particular scenario. For example, on a recent shoot I went for a kind of Marilyn Monroe look, where the girl was sitting on a bed wearing an oversize man’s shirt and with ‘bed head’ hair. I asked her to visualise a peaceful Sunday morning, with the sun shining through the slits in the blinds and she’d just had the perfect night with the perfect man. It was a starting point and it gave her somewhere to go and a role to play.”

Damian also advises that you need to pick your model carefully.

“A lot of models these days will feel they know themselves the look they want to portray and they will be looking to stick to that.

It can be difficult to get models to leave their comfort zone and to try something that’s new. However, that’s invariably what I’ll be looking to do and I need to find someone who is willing to do that.” ❚ damianmcgillicuddy.photography

PPOTY CATEGORIES AND PRIZES: LANDSCAPE Olympus LS-P4 value £149 WILDLIFE Olympus 8x42 Pro binoculars value £449.99 WEDDINGS Voucher for £150 for use at One Vision Imaging PORTRAITS Spyder X Pro worth £159 TRAVEL AND TOURISM Fotospeed Voucher for £200 worth of paper FASHION Sigma I-Series 65mm f/2 DG DN prime in E or L Mount, value £649 MEDIA AND PRESS Sennheiser MKE 200 On-Camera Mic, value £87 SCHOOL AND EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY Nikon School Voucher, value £120 SPORT Rotolight NEO 2, value £319.99 COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL 12-month Pro Package with theimagefile, value £432

Competition Portal: professionalphoto.online/ppoty PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

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PORTFOLIO | HENGKI KOENTJORO

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PORTFOLIO

Treasure Islands Landscape and fine art specialist Hengki Koentjoro has the good fortune to be located in Indonesia, which gives him no less than 17,500 islands from which to take his inspiration.

WORDS TERRY HOPE IMAGES HENGKI KOENTJORO

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HERE ARE TWO major things in life that serve as inspiration for landscape photographer Hengki Koentjoro, one of them being the exquisitely beautiful surroundings of the Indonesian archipelago where he’s lucky enough to be based, and the other the potential of a black and white approach to interpret the subtle nuances of the scene that he’s looking to put across.

Master practitioners such as Ansel Adams and Michael Kenna have blazed a monochrome trail that Hengki is keen to follow and he finds himself in the enviable position of a glorious realm to explore that few, if any, might have ever focused on before.

“It’s very exciting for me because many of the 17,500 islands in this region have never been explored before,” Hengki explains. “Half of them don’t even have a name yet, and there are so many that it would take more than a single lifetime to savour them all.

“Add to that the richness of the marine biodiversity in this region, the vast number of active volcanoes that have led to Indonesia being dubbed the Ring of Fire and the fact that the land is also the location for the Borobudur Temple, the biggest Buddhist temple on earth, and you can see why I feel so blessed to be living here. There are so many locations around me that I just love to visit over and over again.”

Born in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, Hengki studied photography in Santa Barbara, California, where he majored in video production and minored

LEFT: Ultra slow shutter speeds, achieved through using powerful ND filters, allow Hengki to set slow shutter speeds and to blur motion.

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ABOVE: Hengki is capable of finding beauty beneath the water, as well as using it on a regular basis in his landscape shots.

in the fine art of photography. On graduating he made the move back to Indonesia, where he became a freelance videographer/editor, specialising in nature documentaries and corporate profiles, and he’s now based in Jakarta. While he’s earning his regular income through videography, most of his spare time is spent in the relentless search for landscapes and he’s built a huge reputation over the years for the quality of his work and has acquired a strong fine art following from collectors around the world.

Ask him why he’s so inspired by his surroundings and the answer is simple: despite his familiarity with this exquisite part of the world he’s never become immune to its charms, nor oblivious to the potential that literally lies around every corner here. He’s ›

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PORTFOLIO | HENGKI KOENTJORO

“It’s this ability to preconceive what can be achieved through his consummate control of the black and white post-production process that gives him the edge over his landscape rivals.”

particularly captivated by the transient light that can be found for just a short period in early morning, before most people are stirring, and it creates the timeless and slightly surreal atmosphere that ultimately pervades so many of his pictures.

“To witness the landscape in a new and different way is my motivation,” he says. “The tranquillity and serenity that you encounter early in the morning, mixed with mystery and mysticism are the things I’m searching for. The early morning sun casts long shadows that are perfect for creating silhouettes, and the quality of light at this time is perfect for me.”

Black and White World Hengki has also mastered the difficult art of seeing the world with an inner eye that’s attuned to seeing things as they will appear in monochrome. Instead of the vibrancy of colour, he’s noting the tones and the

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ABOVE: When arriving at a location Hengki makes sure he has no preconceptions, and he loves the excitement of not knowing what to expect from his shoot.

BELOW: Monochrome is king in Hengki’s photography, and its qualities shine through even when he’s focusing on underwater subjects.

form of the scene that’s in front of him, and it’s this ability to precisely preconceive what can be achieved through his consummate control of the black and white post-production process that gives him the edge over so many of his landscape rivals.

“Ansel Adams once said that you don’t take a photograph, you make it,” Hengki explains. “This forms the basis of my approach to black and white images. I love to create atmospheric photography by playing with black and white tonality. It’s not just black and white, but many different grey scales, ranging from the blackest black to the whitest white.

“It’s easier for me to play with this tonality in monochrome, because this medium gives you so much leeway. Burning and dodging are the two most important tools you have available to enhance mood or atmosphere in your photographs. You can create the feeling of luminance in your white tones and also build up highly dramatic velvety-black shadows, which helps to create a real sense of mystery.

“Monochrome can reveal shapes, lines, texture and details, and these excite me and I use them within my composition to create a graphic form of photography.

I also love the way that black and white results come across as being so timeless and classic.”

While his results are arrived at through processes that would be familiar to those working in a traditional wet darkroom, Hengki is instead taking a digital approach and melding it to the requirements of a modern photographer. His camera of choice is a Hasselblad X1D II 50C, used in tandem with a 45mm, the equivalent of a slightly wide 35mm full frame lens.

Medium format was the obvious format for someone

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HENGKI KOENTJORO | PORTFOLIO

devoted to fine art to select, partly because of the massive increase in resolution that’s created by the fact that the sensor inside is nearly 70% larger than that found in a full frame 35mm-style model. There’s also the 12-stops of dynamic range that’s delivered by the X1D Mark II 50C to consider – something that guarantees extra colour fidelity and gamut, and more detail in the shadows – while the galleries he’s selling through are increasingly looking at offering larger scale prints, potentially up to a metre square. When you’re going to this kind of size it’s crucial to have resolution in spades if the quality is going to be up to the level demanded by the biggest spending collectors.

Silver Efex Pro, found within DxO’s Nik Filters package, is what Hengki uses to convert his colour

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files to monochrome, and the actual post-production work is carried out using a combination of this software and Adobe Lightroom. In these programs can be found the tools to complete the process that started when Hengki first laid eyes on his location.

The algorithms and adjustments that are made possible are virtually infinite, and there will be a final vision in mind as the process gets underway.

“This is the stage where the creating begins,” confirms Hengki, “where you get to decide how much in the way of blacks, greys and whites to apply to create the mood or ambiance you’re looking for. It’s possible of course to capture the mood of a scene at the time you press the shutter, but at other times it might only be revealed during the post-processing ›

ABOVE: Hengki carries out his own post-production work and often the image will only be revealed at this final stage.

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PORTFOLIO | HENGKI KOENTJORO

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HENGKI KOENTJORO | PORTFOLIO

“The vast number of active volcanoes in the region have led to Indonesia being dubbed The Ring of Fire.”

THIS SPREAD: There’s a timelessness about Hengki’s photography, which comes from his classic approach and enduring love for monochrome.

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PORTFOLIO | HENGKI KOENTJORO

ABOVE: The light at the start and the end of the day is when Hengki gets much of his inspiration, and he loves the mood and atmosphere that can be found at that time.

stage. How much post-production might you need to apply? At the outset it’s hard to say, but it will be the image that ultimately controls you and not the other way around. It stops only when it’s ready.”

Finding the Market Having a successful full-time job as a cameraman/ DOP for audio visual productions ensures a steady income, and Hengki hugely enjoys his role producing corporate, documentary and music videos.

“It’s my bread and butter,” he concedes, “and I’m very lucky that most of the video shooting takes place outside the city for a couple of days and, after the principle shooting has been completed, photography takes over. I use this opportunity to

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explore the area alone even further when the rest of the crew has headed home. It’s just so much easier to be mindful when you’re on your own and being out and surrounded by nature is always a blessing.

“I try to be patient and to take things as they come, but to remain aware and ready to savour the moment. My belief is that as long as I dwell in nature, something good is always going to come my way, and my tip for any photographer is always to look behind you once in a while, since around 30 per cent of opportunities are happening out of your sight.”

Hengki is also a big fan of slow shutter speeds and is regularly working with ND filters offering 9 and 16 stop reductions. It enables him to set ultralong exposures, ensuring that any movement within

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HENGKI KOENTJORO | PORTFOLIO

“I’m inspired by the fact Michael Kenna’s compositions deliver the feeling that less is more, and I can find the minimalism I’m after in this vast ocean.” a scene becomes a blur and there’s an unnatural stillness that stops it appearing too real.

“It’s an effect that works particularly well when I visit my favourite ocean locations,” says Hengki.

“It’s the only place where a long horizon line is present, and I can use the extended exposure technique in tandem with water and clouds and also find interesting compositions that are based around simplicity. I’m inspired by the fact Michael Kenna’s compositions invariably deliver the feeling that less is more, and it’s easy for me to find the minimalism I’m looking for in this huge and vast ocean.”

There’s a sense of openness in terms of what Hengki is looking to achieve in his work, and he makes a point of never arriving at a location with his head stuffed full of preconceived ideas. “It’s better that way,” he says, “because it keeps you on your toes, that feeling of excitement that comes with knowing that what you’re after could be just around the corner but you don’t know what it will be exactly. Again, one needs to be patient and mindful.

“Other important elements such as the direction of the sun, the wind speed that creates different cloud shapes and the high and low and tides of the sea will all have an impact in terms of whether you come away with a good photo or a great one.”

Considering that he still views himself as something of a part-timer in the landscape field, Hengki has made giant strides in terms of establishing himself as a name to watch. His photographs have graced the covers of books and CDs, wine labels and magazines, and he’s represented by important galleries in the US, UK, Holland and Japan.

He’s also got a side line taking clients on what he terms ‘photo hunts’, using his extensive knowledge of Indonesia to set up ten-day expeditions for a maximum of three people to share his landscape location expertise but also to take time to appreciate local tradition and culture. Street photography is also on the agenda, as Hengki shares his intimate insights into the treasures of this beautiful region.

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ABOVE: The simplicity to be found in Hengki’s compositions gives them a lasting beauty, and he revels in a subtle, almost laidback approach.

VIDEO Watch Mark Witney interview Hengki and others about becoming a Hasselblad Master.

As with so many landscape photographers, Hengki is also hoping to use his imagery to open the eyes of his audience to the challenges facing the planet.

“Mother Nature is always the inspiration for me,” he says. “Unfortunately it’s possible at times to see the wrath of nature rather than its beauty in this region.

The effect of climate change is clear, in particular the raising of the sea level, which has eaten up most of the coastal area in north of Java island. I’m only too aware how fragile this beautiful area has become in recent years and I want to bring this to the attention of others through my photography.”

More information: ❚ hengki-koentjoro.com/fine-print

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PROJECT

A Century of

Portraits

Portrait specialist Jenny Lewis is no stranger to long-term projects and her latest, which saw her photograph subjects from birth to one hundred years old, took her four years to complete.

WORDS TERRY HOPE IMAGES JENNY LEWIS

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N TERMS OF A brilliant idea, the thought of photographing subjects within a tightly confined neighbourhood who range in ages from newborn through to 100 years old, and to further reveal a snippet about their life in an accompanying short text, takes some beating. But then come the logistics, and the herculean task of sourcing one hundred people who are all willing to be involved, who reflect the diversity of the location – in this case Hackney, in East London – and who have an interesting story to share, and you start to realise this is by no means

RIGHT: Vivi 3.

OPPOSITE: Renee 100.

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going to be a straightforward exercise.

Fortunately for portrait professional Jenny Lewis this was not untrodden ground, since she has a history of committing to long-term and challenging projects. Previously she’s worked on separate series that depicts artists in their studios around Hackney and mothers with their babies on the actual day of the child’s birth, spending five years on each. Both provided the basis for popular books published by Hoxton Mini Press, and the latest undertaking, 100 Years, has likewise just made it into print through the same publisher, providing not just a striking collection of portraits but a priceless record of a community at a set moment in time.

“It certainly turned into a project that tested me on all levels,” confirms Jenny. “First of all it was, of course, a challenge to find the people I needed, and it was something that became progressively more difficult over time. I had to source one hundred subjects and, as the pictures started to come together, the ages I had to find subjects for obviously started to dwindle as the numbers were ticked off.

“As with all of my projects I did overshoot to a certain extent – I probably produced around 150 portraits from which to make my final edit – but I still found myself with certain ages to match a subject to. There were also times where I found myself with too many people to consider. At my own age, 50, for example, I had six subjects who would all have been brilliant, and I had to make a choice about who to include. These were tough decisions.”

Jenny found her subjects through a variety of sources, such as word of mouth, social clubs, in the park and through recommendations but then, around two thirds of the way through the project, Covid came along and suddenly everything was locked down.

Almost overnight it became incredibly difficult to continue working, with people staying in their homes as advised and covering their faces when out and ›

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PROJECT | JENNY LEWIS about, while many of those in the older age groups that still needed to be sourced were now shielding.

“It all got really tricky,” says Jenny, “but I’m incredibly persistent and refused to give up. So, I reached out to people and got some help: the mayor of Hackney tweeted out for me, asking people to come forward, while a local GP helped by suggesting some of his patients because, obviously, he knew their ages and a bit about them. So, I could say to him, I really need to source some men in their 90s, can you help me, and he might ring them up and introduce us. It was very much a team effort in the end.”

Setting up the Shoots It was important to have a framework for the emerging set of portraits so there was a feeling of continuity about them and Jenny made the decision at the outset to shoot everything using just available light and to make things as simple as possible.

“Because I was paying for the whole thing myself, I didn’t really have the option to hire in gear,” says Jenny, “so I decided to keep things really minimal, and that approach also had the benefit of being less intimidating. You’re not coming into people’s space with loads of equipment cluttering up the place and it becomes more about them,which means that they’re then less likely to notice the camera.”

Kit throughout was a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, mainly used with a 50mm but with a 35mm as a backup if there was less room to shoot in or an upright three-quarter shot was required. For each session

“After the year we’ve just gone through, it felt really important that people should feel inspired and involved, and not so isolated.”

Jenny would book in an hour each for the portrait and for the conversation, with the picture taking usually being the first thing on the agenda.

“I’m a photographer rather than an interviewer,” Jenny says, “and so it usually worked best if I took my picture and during that time got to know the person a little better and they would be more relaxed by then as well. That first hour was almost like my research, so that by the time we started on the interview I knew the things I wanted to ask them about.”

Amongst the benefits of a project of this kind are the surprises that are thrown up, and the opportunity to get to know people representing a wide variety of age groups. “I particularly wanted to seek out the opinions and perspectives of older people and to hear their stories,” says Jenny. “Before I started the project I’d photographed a neighbour of mine, Nellie, who was 105 years old and she turned out to be so different to what I’d expected. I thought she would be quite fragile, and she wasn’t like that at all, so I wanted to overcome my preconceptions.

“I also had the chance to photograph younger people and I found them just as interesting. I’d almost forgotten what it feels like to be in your early

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20s, while my own children are no longer tiny, so photographing infants was also something of an experience. I realised that you do tend to surround yourself with people from the same age group as you and your partner, or maybe your children, and it’s good to move outside of that comfort zone.”

Jenny was aware from the outset that this would be a hugely time-consuming project, and one that would need to be carried out alongside her regular commercial work. It was very much a labour of love, something that would take over her life at times, and she was fully prepared to put the necessary hours in.

“This is my third book,” she notes, “and so I didn’t go in blind. I recall that I did say after I’d finished my second book that I wouldn’t do another one because it was just so much work, and there’s very little money in it. But it becomes an addiction, a passion, and I get so much out of it, so much pleasure, and it does help your career because it informs your work and your practice. What you’re doing becomes so fluid, because you’re photographing constantly.

“Ultimately you just forget about the money or selling something, and it reminds you about why you got into the business of shooting portraits in the

ABOVE: King 37.

One Hundred Years: Portrait of a Community aged 0-100 by Jenny Lewis, published by Hoxton Mini Press, Price £17.95.

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JENNY LEWIS | PROJECT

first place. You get so wrapped up in it, but it can be incredibly draining. I had plenty of times during the project where I thought I just can’t afford to do this any more. It’s too big a project. And then every time I nearly jacked it all in, I’d meet someone and have the most amazing afternoon with them. I’d be so glad I’d met them and it would just get me back on track.”

With the project now finished, Jenny is looking to promote it to as wide an audience as possible and, to this end, she’s recently set up an outside installation of seven images from the project, just down the road from her studio alongside the Regent’s Canal.

There’s also an installation of 30 of the pictures in a local doctor’s surgery and the work could also go into

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the Hackney Archives, held at Hackney Library, and possibly the Museum of London.

“I always wanted to bring the portraits back to the community,” says Jenny, “so that it feels more like it’s for everybody. After the year we’ve just gone through, it’s important that people should feel inspired and involved, and not so isolated. In years to come this will not just be a collection of portraits but, because it’s been shot inside people’s houses, it will also become a social document, and it’s exciting to be involved in something as important as that.”

More information: ❚ jennylewis.net

ABOVE: To ensure the project reaches as many local people as possible, Jenny has just set up an installation of work alongside the Regent’s Canal in Hackney.

BELOW FROM LEFT: Jack 7, Ron 92, Anjum 55 .

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Serving Up

Success!

The latest Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year Awards have once again delivered a hugely eclectic line-up of winners, showcasing some of the world’s best food imagery.

IMAGES PINK LADY® FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021

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ESPITE A TURBULENT YEAR of lockdowns and disruption, the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year Awards have delivered their usual strong mix of food-related imagery, and the restrictions of the pandemic were unable to defeat the celebrations. ›

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COMPETITION | PINK LADY

ABOVE: Breakfast at the Weekly Market by Vietnamese photographer Thong Nguyen portrayed local people enjoying their morning beef or chicken noodles, and it won the Food at the Table category.

BELOW: This sumptuous still life of winter vegetables and fruit secured a Food Stylist Award for German stylist Martin Grunwald and photographer Frank Weinert.

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LEFT: The Fujifilm Award for Innovation went to Bangladeshi photographer Abdul Momin for his entry entitled Making Rice Noodles.

BELOW: Happy Birthday by Li Huaifeng from China was the overall winner of the Food for Celebration category sponsored by Champagne Tattinger.

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PINK LADY | COMPETITION The winners were announced by French maître d’hôtel and TV personality Fred Sirieix, in an exciting Awards ceremony that effectively sidestepped lockdown by being live streamed on the competition’s YouTube channel, the unveiling of prizewinners was watched by an audience across the globe, including celebrities from the worlds of food and photography.

As always, the far-ranging categories attracted some wonderful imagery that explored all facets of the food business, and the overall winner was a good example of this. The shot, entitled Taste, was taken

by Chinese photographer Li Huaifeng, and depicts a a young family sharing in the joy of preparing food on a warm and sunny day in the city of Licheng, Shanxi.

“This picture is technically outstanding in its use of light and composition,” says Caroline Kenyon, director/founder of the Awards, “but what raises it to the level of historic importance is the depth of its storytelling and emotion. It tells of a year of isolation and living indoors, living in tiny communities of immediate family. Here, the scene is bathed with love, with echoes of Madonna and child. An exceptional shot which perfectly demonstrates that ›

RIGHT: The inaugural Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers went to Marina Spironetti for her portrait of one of the female butchers working at Dario Cecchini’s world famous shop in Panzano in Chianti.

BELOW: The Pink Lady Apple a Day Award went to Polish photographer Natalia Bogubowicz for her shot Apple in Cake.

ABOVE: Lumiere d’automne by Deborah Trocchia won the Food Influencer category.

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COMPETITION | PINK LADY

ABOVE: Drying Okra by F. Dilek Uyar from Turkey won the Bringing Home the Harvest category.

Women pick Okra flowers from the field and arrange them on a rope, then the dried flowers fall and the okra is ready for use the following winter.

ABOVE: The Street Food Award went to Vietnamese photographer Viet Van Tran for a well observed street image of four young girls enjoying a bowl of sweet soup, captured in the popular tourist destination of Hoi.

RIGHT: The Production Paradise Previously Published Prize went to Remko Kraaijeveld from the Netherlands for his gloriously decadent shot After Party, which was produced in one take with no Photoshop work.

RIGHT: The World Food Programme Food for Life Award went to Bangladeshi photographer Md Mahabub Hossain Khan for a heartrending image of a child snatching a drink from the garbage.

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PINK LADY | COMPETITION LEFT: The One Vision Imaging Cream of the Crop Award was won

by Emma Sheldrake from Australia, who was illustrating the beauty of home egg collection and the beautiful birds that are part of the process.

photography need not shock or disturb to be great or memorable. This exquisite image lingers in the mind.”

“On the competition’s tenth anniversary, it is wonderful that a record number of entries were received,” commented Phil Turnbull, CEO of APAL, owner of Pink Lady® and headline sponsor of the Awards since 2011. “Almost 10,500 entries were submitted from over 70 countries around the world.

As the reach of the competition grows further, it continues to be a truly global inspiration and

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VIDEO Click to view a film on the Pink Lady Competition website that celebrates 2021’s winning entries.

BELOW: Harriet Harcourt from Australia was the winner of the Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture Award for her evocative study of poached pears.

celebration of the art of food photography.”

In memory of Claire Aho, Finland’s greatest woman photographer, a very special category was created this year. The inaugural Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers was won by Marina Spironetti for her memorable portrait Female Butchers of Panzano Martina, one of the women trained by Dario Cecchini, world-famous butcher of Panzano in Italy.

Alongside the category winners, the highlyprestigious Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to the World Food Programme for its carefully-considered use of photography to explain its work in places of danger and deprivation around the world. Rein Skullerud, head of the WFP’s Photo Unit who also happpens to be a heroic photographer in his own right, accepted the Award on their behalf.

Extending the reach of the competition, an exhibition of the 2021 finalists will be premiering at The RPS’s HQ in Bristol from November 20 – December 12, and entry for visitors will be free.

More information ❚ pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com ❚ @FoodPhotoAward ❚ @FoodPhotographerOfTheYear

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World According to Dench

The

Dench recalls his first high class trip to India on assignment for The Telegraph and an equally opulent return years later, tasked with documenting the dazzling launch of Indian Vogue.

LIMBING ON BOARD the Airbus corporate jet I knew it was the way to fly and that it was unlikely I’d fly that way again. The paintings were Impressionist, bar granite, veneer trim walnut, scatter cushions plump and stewards dazzling. Chatting to one at the bar, I noticed we were taxiing for take-off. “Should I sit down?” I asked.

“If you like, I’ll bring over your beer,” they replied.

I chose the backward facing seat which directly faced Vijay Mallya. Mallya was reckoned to be India’s third richest man. He’s a qualified scuba diver, pilot, musician and former amateur racing driver. He’s also an airline boss, brewing tycoon and politician. The face of the Kingfisher brand and known as the King of Good Times. He speaks eight languages.

I engaged him in English, the only one I know.

“What are you reading?” “A helicopter brochure.

Someone not on my Christmas card list shot the previous one down,” he said with just a flicker of a smile. I looked apprehensively out of the window as the A319 Kingliner, which I’m told took a full year to fit out, successfully climbed up and away from the

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tarmac of London’s Stansted airport.

Touching down in Delhi, I peeled my face from the sofa as Mallya, shower fresh from his bedroom at the rear of the plane, walked fragrantly past.

A modern-day Maharaja dressed immaculately in blazer, tasselled shoes, dark glasses and a silken handkerchief in his top pocket. I parted from my empty pint glasses and followed him off the plane.

The next few days I lived in a machine-gun protected, air-conditioned, red Bentley chauffeured bubble of privilege. I photographed Mallya on his private jet from Mumbai to Delhi for business at the Indian Parliament (where he was an independent member of the upper house) and on his private jet from Mumbai to Bangalore (and back) so he could spend 15 minutes at the wedding of his treasurer’s son.

I photographed him being mobbed at a business convention and amongst the crowds at the Mumbai Race track, reflecting the fact that he was India’s second biggest owner and breeder. I yearned for him to be first at something! He owned 14 private residences including ones in California, New York, London, Monaco and all major Indian cities. At one of them I ate off a silver platter. He was always accompanied by a bodyguard who carried a small Louis Vuitton bag. I repeatedly asked what was in the bag but I never received an answer.

On the 18th December, I took a dinghy from the Gateway of India to join Mallya and guests to celebrate his 51st birthday on his 300ft yacht, Indian Empress, anchored in the Arabian Sea. For his 50th, singer Lionel Ritchie had been flown to Mallya’s half-milelong Kingfisher Villa in Goa to sing Happy Birthday and there was a fly-by of Kingfisher jets. On the Indian Empress, it was a more modest affair; guests chatted affably and quaffed champagne. Mallya opened gifts including a bejewelled knuckle duster, a cartoon of himself from the yacht’s crew and he was presented with a chocolate cake (after it had been checked by security). My first trip to India wasn’t full of the horrors I’d been fed by the news. My second trip to India was to prove equally impressive.

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PETER DENCH | PRO TALK

“

Mallya opened gifts including a bejewelled knuckle duster, a cartoon of himself from the yacht’s crew and he was presented with a chocolate cake (after it had been checked by security).

”

Return to India In 1998 I occasionally assisted German fine-art and fashion photographer, Juergen Teller, cutting out his contact sheets and arranging them into piles: red dress, gold dress, gold dress with red handbag.

It was easy work and £60 cash-in-hand. Models would drop by for castings, presenting themselves to the photographer in the hope he would photograph them to greatness. Teller would snap them at his studio entrance on a tiny street in west London, the work would later go on to become the book, Go Sees: Girls Knocking on My Door. Teller’s partner, fashion stylist Venetia Scott, strode in one-day and explained that people would work for free, just to be near him.

He asked if I’d like to work unpaid? I said no.

Nine years later, I’m recounting this to Teller as we queue at reception to check into a modest hotel in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The receptionist explains that I won’t be staying in this hotel, I would be staying at the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel Jodhpur, home of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family and one of the world’s largest private residences. A taxi whisked me across the vast golden desert of Rajasthan towards Chittar Hill with its exotic views over the historical blue city and imposing Mehrangarh Fort.

I was back in India to shoot a feature on the launch of Indian Vogue, who were hosting a party at the palace. Sweeping across the marble floors, past tiger heads, pink and gold cupolas, I photographed DJ

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Donna D’Cruz (once voted one of America’s 50 most beautiful people) as she musically massaged the buttocks of Bollywood stars and global fashionistas partying on the on the lush 26-acre lawns under the magnificent Rajasthstani night sky.

In the morning I flew to Mumbai to photograph the chef at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel for a separate feature, but it turned out he was away on holiday. I had some free time. The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 cricket final was being played between India and Pakistan at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa.

I settled in the hotel bar and watched India triumph by five runs. My flight was in five hours. As I toasted the country’s victory, the streets swelled with jubilant crowds. I necked the Merlot, dashed to my room and grabbed my kit and piled into a taxi to the airport.

All 18 million inhabitants seemed to be in the way.

The one-and-a-half-hour journey trebled. The taxi honked through gridlocks and bounced over potholes.

“Has anyone given you anything or asked you to carry on or check any items for them?” I’m asked at check-in. “No,” I reply, hoping the Chanel goodie-bag I collected at the party is just a scented candle. I made my flight a chapati before departure.

Vijay Mallya is currently the subject of an extradition effort by the Indian Government to return him from the UK to face charges of financial crimes in India. Juergen Teller is still a prolific and successful photographer.

PETER DENCH An Olympus Visionary, Peter is a highly regarded documentary photographer, writer and commentator, with a wry sense of humour running through his work. peterdench.com

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 31

PRO TALK

Matty Graham

WORDS & IMAGES MATTY GRAHAM

Ever wondered what the life of a busy working photographer is really like? Here to provide the insider’s view is Matty Graham, and he kicks off by telling tales of high-speed car shoots. ’M FEELING DIZZY, my back is killing me and in ten seconds I think I may vomit... This has been the best day of the year so far. The motion sickness is due to a technique known as car-to-car tracking, where I strap myself into a harness – loosening the straps a touch to take account of the lockdown lard - before clipping into anchor points within the car boot and then leaning out to photograph a £200k Lamborghini traveling at 50mph just a few feet behind us. The result is an action shot where the aim is to keep the car sharp, but to introduce the blur of the road and background to convey the sense of speed.

Although mine is very much a varied workload,

I IMAGES: As well as the vehicles I'm photographing, I'm also looking for other opportunities, such as character portraits.

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car photography is one of my favourite genres to shoot and the one I’ve been doing the longest. Some readers may recall a magazine called Max Power, which delighted and disgusted in equal measure, and working as a journo on this title was what initially led me to take up photography. Every day I’d be watching the very best image-makers in the game employ their skills and it proved to be a great apprenticeship.

Today I shoot for a number of automotive magazines including Car, while I also create video for an automotive YouTube channel.

There’s a huge amount of competition in automotive photography, so it’s a challenge to produce imagery that stands out from the crowd. Because I shoot a lot of landscapes as well, one approach I sometimes try to employ is shooting cars while employing what are traditionally more landscaperelated photography techniques.

One example of this is to capture a long exposure using an ND filter, blurring the sky as the car stays static. I’d argue that, even as a professional, car photography can only be done successfully if you’re passionate about the subject you’re covering . It’s also about contacts too: you need good relationships with the editors and designers out there who commission photoshoots, and it’s fair to say that opportunities are shrinking as budgets get increasingly squeezed.

Challenges include press cars turning up late –

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MATTY GRAHAM | PRO TALK

sometimes you may get just an hour to complete the job – along with the photographer’s old foe, bad weather, or else the light can be fading, which can have a huge impact on what you can do. There are bad days for sure, but fortunately many more great ones.

My favourite job of recent times involved filming an Aston Martin DBX and, although it called for a mega early start, I leapt out of bed and couldn’t wait to get cracking – I know I’m in the minority who can truly say they love their job like that. We had a lot of fun with the Aston, racing it against soupedup tractors and, at the end of the session, some 14 hours later, the presenter asked me; ‘do you fancy a drive?’ So there I was, drifting a car worth more than my house around a grassy field. Although the days are long, you get home and you’re pumped so full of adrenaline that you can’t sleep anyway, so I tend to crack straight on with the editing, and will often be finishing up at three or four in the morning.

If I were to offer advice to any photographer or videographer looking to step into the world of automotive, it would be to look to start niche. Focus on a sub-genre and make sure you own it, whether it be rally, classic cars or EVs (electric vehicles). Make contacts to gain access to the cars and start to build up your portfolio. This will open doors and you’ll soon be hanging out the back of a Range Rover boot, feeling sick, but loving every moment.

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“

If I were to offer advice to any photographer or videographer looking to step into the world of automotive, it would be to start niche. Focus on a sub-genre and own it, whether it be rally, classic cars or EVs.

”

More information: ❚ pixel-click.com

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 33

Making a

Splash

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PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE

SAILING ACTION | PRO TALK

Making a

Splash

When his local sailing club was looking for some top-quality action imagery to populate its newly redesigned website, sports specialist Paul Sanwell stepped in to get involved.

IMAGES PAUL SANWELL/OP PHOTOGRAPHIC

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HE THING ABOUT sports photography is that it’s full of variety and different disciplines will call for different sets of skills. Covering a close contact sport will be quite different from sitting on the touchline at a football match or capturing Formula One, for example, and so those who venture into this genre have to be ready for anything.

Given the fact that Cambridge-based Paul Sanwell spent 30 years of his career covering sports of all kinds as a newspaper professional, it’s perhaps not surprising then that he’s pretty much seen and done at all, and he’s no stranger to high profile accolades.

The inaugural winner of the IAAF Photograph of the Year award in Monaco during 2017, he’s previously focused on such events as the 2017 IAAF World ›

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ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 35

PRO TALK | SAILING ACTION

ABOVE: Xxxxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxx.

Athletics Championship event in London, the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer Norway, the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics, 2018 Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup and the University Boat Races since 2012. He’s currently preparing to head to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, with the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in China also on the horizon, and his work is viewed and used around the world.

All of which meant that he was a logical person to turn to when his local Sailing Club based at Grafham Water was looking for someone with the requisite skills to produce a set of high-quality action shots of its activities to add some colour and drama to its newly redesigned website. The challenges of this sport are all too obvious – fast moving craft, contestants some distance from shore and the constant threat

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of water and spray damaging costly gear but, once approached, Paul was keen to get involved.

“I have to say it was something of a dream assignment,” he says, “since I’m passionate about sailing, and wouldn’t have taken on the job if I wasn’t.

It wasn’t totally a labour of love since I anticipate I’ll be able to cover my costs and hopefully will make a little on top by selling pictures to those sailing and parents, but my primary motivation was to produce dramatic shots of the action out on the water.”

The partnership involves Paul attending a selection of Grafham Water SC’s major racing events in 2021 including the Optimist Inlands, RS Inlands, Laser Masters and the Windsurfing, Merlin-Rocket, Flying Fifteen, 29er and Solo open meetings. Throughout the aim is that the images captured will be made

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SAILING ACTION | PRO TALK available to buy through the club’s new online photogallery, and they will also be featured in the club’s race reports and, naturally, they are also displayed prominently throughout the body of the website.

On the Water In order to get into the heart of the action Paul realised from the outset that he would need to get out on to the water, and he’s become expert in preparing for an assignment that could, if it goes wrong, pose a significant risk to delicate camera gear.

“I’m a Nikon user,” he says, “and my regular kit consists of D4 and D5 camera bodies plus a D810 and D850. The lenses I have with me are my 24-70mm, 70-200mm and 300mm f/2.8 and I also have extenders with me so that I can work at 510mm and 600mm if I want to. I find that’s as much as I need: I do have an 800mm but it does get quite choppy out on the water and it can be difficult to keep things steady if you go too long. I also tend to have one camera body for each lens, so everything stays firmly attached and that lessens the risk of spray getting into the camera.”

Speaking to Paul his love for the sport of sailing comes shining through and he’s especially enjoying the opportunity to work with the children and young adults who are regularly taking part in events at Grafham Water. The Optimist races are a particular favourite of his and can attract over 100 contestants whose ages can range from 8 up to 14.

“What I particularly like is the fact that so many of the British Olympic sailors - the likes of Ben Ainslie for example - have started out competing in this discipline,” says Paul, “and I can’t help but wonder if I might in the process be capturing images of young people coming through who will ultimately go on to have great careers in the sport.”

The Grafham Water SC Photo-library is now live and being added to by Paul on an ongoing basis, and it’s one of those glorious partnerships that comes with benefits for both sides. While Paul is thoroughly immersed in the sport he loves and is enjoying the challenges that come with a testing subject, his pictures are providing the basis for an eye-catching website, the media can be supplied with stunning images for editorial use and competitors and parents also benefit from the opportunity to purchase highquality images produced by an experienced sporting professional. Paul is also being promoted through the website and is available for private commissions at Grafham Water and other UK sailing clubs.

It’s the classic win/win and a chance for a seasoned professional to put something back into his community while having the opportunity to stretch his creative muscles at the same time.

More information: ❚ op-photography.co.uk ❚ grafham.org/photos

ABOVE AND RIGHT: Along with the action shots, Paul is looking to provide a cross section of images that will also be suitable for a wide range of media uses.

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ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 37

THE ANATOMY OF A SHOOT

Mix & Match Tasked with creating a series of group portraits for an upcoming theatre production Paul needed to plan for the creation of composite line-ups of the actors to add extra flexibility.

WORDS & IMAGES PAUL WILKINSON

OU KNOW THAT it’s going to be an entertaining and productive shoot when the actors you’re photographing arrive towards the end of the day, laughing and full of chatter. There’s something quite magical about an evening session, but to be honest I’ve no idea why. Something about working into the small hours brings out the performer in me; maybe it’s all those nocturnal sessions in rehearsal studios with my bands over the years!

Anyway, the three comedy actors I was scheduled to photograph arrived at the studio replete with one sword, one axe, two – not three, I noted – capes, two furs, and one very dead crow. Jokes such as the immortal ‘this parrot has ceased to be’ ran

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through my head, but it felt a little clichéd given the company I was in!

The brief from the management company asked for a selection of PR and poster images for a new comedy theatre show called ‘Graeme of Thrones’ and, nope, that’s not a typo. That really was the name of the production, due to the fact that this is the name of the lead protagonist, the storyline being that he’s looking to recreate his favourite fantasy saga on stage, aided and abetted by his best friend Paul and Bryony, the girl he fancied at school.

The production had some serious pedigree behind it, seeing as it had been scripted by writers who had worked on comedy classics such as Mock the Week, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Have I

Got News for You. My images were designed to be used across a selection of promotional outlets, ranging from social media through to websites, theatre posters and programmes, and so I needed to produce a good variety of shots to suit every eventuality.

I’d worked with the production company previously, creating images for their Champions of Magic stage show, a very different concept perhaps but one that, in its own way, was equally ambitious. Given our history I was pretty excited about what our upcoming studio session would entail and, as I opened the door to find three actors clutching a sword and a stuffed bird, I figured it was going to live up to expectations.

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ANATOMY OF A SHOOT | TECHNIQUE

PRO TIPS ALWAYS KEEP CAREFUL notes, detailing all your lights’ positions and power settings, the backdrop and the camera’s position relative to the actors. You never know when you might need to rework an image as we did in this case. Without those notes, it would have been much harder to do.

ALWAYS TAKE A reference image of all of the people standing together if you can. This gives you a useful guide to relative heights when you’re looking to bring the separate components together later in post-production.

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THE SHOOT WE DIDN’T HAVE much time for the session – just a couple of hours – so everything had to be done at something of a sprint. The production of the final images for the client also had a tight timeline, which is something I’ve come to expect from this kind of job.

I love working with actors, and a significant part of our studio work is creating headshots. What was unique about this shoot was that I was working with not one but three comedians – and they were, quite frankly, hilarious!

Every lighting change, every reposition of prop or pose was

accompanied by unscripted, unending, side-splitting theatrics. It was honestly all I could do to hold the camera steady for laughing, let alone wrestle control of the session from the three of them!

My brief was to supply images to be worked up by the agency into posters and stylised graphics. In keeping with the spirit of the script, I was to meld the drama of Game of Thrones with the comedy of the actors in my studio.

However, the agency wasn’t sure of the order in which they wanted the actors on the page, so the group shots were to be shot individually and composited ›

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 39

TECHNIQUE | ANATOMY OF A SHOOT

Continued from previous spread… later in post-production, allowing us to change the positioning in the final images as much as we wanted later on.

Fortunately, creating believable composites isn’t necessarily hard to do. In some ways, it can be easier than posing a crowd, as we can pick out each individual’s best image without necessarily having to compromise the whole group. It does require a little thought and pre-planning though, in order to avoid hours and hours of Photoshop work down the line.

It might seem an obvious thing to mention – and you would be surprised how often this gets messed up – but the camera position must stay firmly fixed for a composite to ultimately be convincing. Any changes in the viewpoint will give away clues that things are not what they seem. I also prefer to use a long lens and stand as far back as possible as this also reduces any shifts in perspective or distance cues.

At the outset I also always take a shot of the entire group standing together.

It’s amazing how frustrating it can be to recall each person’s relative height later if I haven’t done this! Then it’s a case of creating plenty of variety and imagining how the interactions might look if the three actors were photographed together as a single group.

Throughout the session, we were laughing relentlessly: the most challenging part was getting them to stop joking long enough to capture each image! I had to get each actor to adopt their role from the show to translate into the image. The central character had to be deadly serious, while the other two had to look a little less convinced, if not downright confused.

We created movement using a small reflector with an assistant wafting it around – it’s much easier to control this kind of ‘wind’ rather than using a wind machine, and I was able to enhance the feel in any case during post-production.

Notice the mop head in the scene.

This was our studio mop, as we wanted the character on the right to look like a caretaker. Luckily, we had a mop and bucket to hand and I wanted the strands of the mop head to look like they were blowing in the wind in the same direction as the actors’ cloaks and hair.

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PRO TIP

USING REFLECTED LIGHT for the rim lighting gives a more subtle illumination that feels more authentic.

If you can’t reflect light from your walls, use a couple of big reflector panels made from foam or wood.

LIGHTING SET-UP: Three lights were utilised in this shot. Two were positioned either side of the subject pointing into reflectors while the third was a big softbox located just above the camera position that was there to act as the key light.

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ANATOMY OF A SHOOT | TECHNIQUE

POST-PRODUCTION

SETTING THE LIGHTING WHEN SHOOTING FOR a composite, the first thing I do is to set out the lighting and the studio backdrop – these stay the same throughout. For this session, I used mid-grey paper and three lights: two set up pointing away into the furthest corners of our studio and one key-light positioned high to the front. I wanted soft wrap-around light from the rear strobes to create separation from the background and some subtle kisslighting around the skin and clothing.

Although the images were relatively theatrical, I opted for a big softbox on the key-light rather than something harsher. One consideration when shooting a composite is that the lighting must look consistent across each of the component images, and this helps to avoid those awful pictures you see where it’s blatantly obvious that it’s not real.

Using the soft modifier on the keylight prevents the lighting from giving away too many secrets, that this was not a single shot but one brought together in post-production. The key-light was placed directly above the camera – which is not usually my preferred lighting pattern – but it would make the Photoshop work that little bit easier if I didn’t need to worry about where shadows would fall, as they would always be cast more or less behind the subject.

Using a grey background is helpful as it makes it simpler for me to change from a brighter to a darker look later on in post-production with relative ease. It’s always tempting to use a green or blue chromakey for this but, if your ultimate background colour is likely to be a neutral tone, grey is much more effective and this way you don’t get any colour cast thrown onto your subject.

THE FIRST STEP towards creating a convincing composite is to make sure each picture has exactly the same colour and brightness. This is easier to do if you haven’t changed the lighting or the positions as you capture each image.

Picking out the right elements to work with requires care. We had to select the three images that worked best when they were placed together, rather than our favourites. We ran numerous quickand-dirty tests in Photoshop until we found the optimal arrangement, combining body language, expression and character descriptions in the brief.

Having a grey background made it relatively straightforward to cut out each actor using a mix of selection

and path tools and then laying them up. Remember to double-check any shadows that should be present between the three actors in the final image. This is simplified by having the key-light directly above the camera, but there will still be subtle shadows and colour reflections between each of them, and these will need to be carefully created in Photoshop.

I added texture in the background as an example for the designers and provided versions of the images with and without this effect. As a finishing touch, I used Nik Color Efex to apply a subtle colour filter. This helps to bring the image together and make it feel more like it was shot as a single group.

The beauty of a set-up like the one utilised by Paul is that it’s subsequently very straightforward to drop actors in and out of a scene in a believable way, delivering total flexibility.

FOOTNOTE THE IMAGES WENT everywhere and were used for shows around the world. In the meantime, the sword sat in our framing rack as no one wanted to take a fourfoot-long steel weapon outside: at least it created plenty of interest!

About a year later, I was asked to replace one of the actors in the

composite who had dropped out of an impending US tour. Luckily, I still had all of the original files and had made notes of all the settings. We had to photograph the replacement actor in the same lighting and with the same pose – even the mop and bucket were still in our closet, so we were able to use them again.

MEET THE PRO Paul Wilkinson FMPA FBIPP FSWPP is a multi-award

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studio midway between Oxford and London. He is

forums and constructive critiques.

winning international photographer, with a boutique

and feedback on your images through the friendly

co-author of the best-selling book Mastering Portrait Photography and shares his skills and experience with

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£19.99. Available from thegmcgroup. com and all good book shops.

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 41

THE AFFINITY PHOTO TUTORIAL

Choose Your Colour!

Before Take advantage of the Selective Colour feature found in Affinity Photo’s Adjust Layers toolbox to assert control of the hues in your image and to explore the creative possibilities.

WORDS & IMAGES MATTY GRAHAM OLOUR CAN BE a crucial core element of an image and, as a professional photographer, you should aim to always be in control of the hues in your frames.

However, sometimes it’s simply not possible to dictate the colour you can achieve at the shooting stage and, in situations such as this, you can look to work with a well-featured imaging software package such as Affinity Photo

C

to manage the colours within your scene at the post-processing stage instead.

Amongst the tools found on board are Adjustment Layer options, which enable photographers to make big changes in a non-destructive manner – meaning they don’t alter the image irrevocably during the editing process. Selective Colour is an Adjust Layer option that puts photographers firmly in the driving seat in terms of playing with the look of an image

and potentially completely changing a hue from its starting colour.

This can be used to not only correct the colour within a scene so that it more closely resembles what the original situation would have looked like, but it also opens up a whole host of creative avenues that can be explored by the photographer. Best of all, the process takes just a few minutes to complete, so let’s get started and we’ll walk through how it all comes together...

After

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH AFFINITY PHOTO | TECHNIQUE

STEP ONE

CREATE AN ADJUSTMENT LAYER ONCE YOU’VE OPENED your image in Affinity Photo, make sure you’re in the software’s Photo Persona: if not, then select this from the top left of the interface. Head to the Layers panel and select the Create an Adjustment Layer option, which is identified by a half-black/white icon, and then pick Selective Colour from the options.

Selective Colour puts “photographers firmly in the driving seat in terms of playing with the look of an image and potentially completely changing a hue from its starting colour. ”

STEP TWO

START TO REFINE YOUR COLOURS A DIALOGUE BOX will appear and will give you the option of clicking on a drop-down menu bar displaying various colours.

Once you select one of these, you can then adjust a number of hue sliders (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) and, as you do, the colours in the frame will begin to change.

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STEP THREE

WORK WITH THE RELATIVE BOX IN THE DIALOGUE box, you’ll see an option called Relative, that’s ticked by default.

In this setting the software will work with the colour range that’s relative to the image you’re working with. Untick the box and you could find that the colour change executed is too heavy and compromises the look of the image.

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›

TECHNIQUE | IN ASSOCIATION WITH AFFINITY PHOTO

STEP FOUR

EXPERIMENT WITH THE BLACK, WHITES AND NEUTRALS

ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT be tempting to adjust colours such as Reds and Cyans, Affinity Photo also allows users to experiment with Whites, Blacks and Neutrals in the frame as well. When adjusting the sliders with these colours selected you can add a noticeable cast that can really benefit the finished image. However, the effect can be overloaded quickly, so use the sliders sparingly.

STEP FIVE

REMOVE UNWANTED PIXELS FROM THE ADJUSTMENT LAYER

Paint Brush AS YOU’VE ADDED an Adjustment Layer you can remove Tool (B) areas that you might wish to return to the original colour.

Head to the left-hand side of the interface and select the Paint Brush Tool (Keyboard shortcut B). Change the size of the brush using the square bracket keys and make sure the Opacity is set to 100% and the Hardness to 0% before brushing out the pixels you wish to hide.

STEP SIX

EXPORT THE IMAGE YOU CAN REVIEW the change to the image that the Adjustment Layer has created by heading to the Layers Panel, selecting the Adjustment Layer and then clicking the tick box on/ off. When you’re ready, you can then export the image by heading to the top of the interface and selecting File>Export before saving the file in your chosen format.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH AFFINITY PHOTO | TECHNIQUE

MAKE YOUR COLOURS POP ONCE YOU’VE EXPERIMENTED with the Selective Colour feature, there’s another Adjustment Layer that can make more of the colours in your frame. Head to the Layers Panel, click on the Adjustment Layer icon, but this time select the HSL option.

By dragging the Saturation slider to the right, you can boost the power of the colours already present. Alternatively, if the image suits a more desaturated look, you can achieve this by dragging the saturation slider to the left instead.

If you’re after a dramatic effect then playing with colour can give you what you’re looking for and enhance a shot.

Before

After

More information: ❚ affinity.serif.com

VIDEO Click here to watch an exclusive video where Matty talks through this and other useful Affinity Photo post-production techniques in real time.

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THE MOVE TOWARDS MOTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Filmmaking on the Move Run ’n Gun and vlogging-style filmmaking is becoming increasingly popular but what are the elements required for a good and usable kit?

We asked CVP to share their expert advice.

OT SO LONG AGO any serious filmmaking outfit you might consider working with would be guaranteed to be cumbersome and heavy, and it would require a small team of specialists to handle aspects such as audio, focus pulling and camera operation. Technology has evolved to change all of that, of course, and oneperson operation is now at the point where it’s relatively straightforward to do it all yourself, delivering ultimate flexibility and opening all kinds of exciting new doors.

But what do you need to have in terms of gear if you’re looking to piece together a reliable outfit that will be easy to work with while still capable of delivering a professional quality end result? There’s a huge range of options out there and you need to be very clear about what you’re looking to achieve and who your clients are likely to be. When it comes down to the serious business of investing then it makes sense to head over and have a chat with a reliable equipment agnostic supplier such as CVP, who will walk you through the choices and make sure that you’re not sold anything that isn’t necessary for your business at the present time.

Right at the heart of your kit will be

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your camera and, to give some idea of the enormous range of choices you’ll be faced with today, this could be anything from a high-quality smartphone through to state-of-the-art but still relatively compact cinema cameras that can deliver broadcast-quality results. You need to think carefully, not just about what kind of production you’re looking to achieve, but also what a particular kit choice will

enable you to do. Those looking to vlog will potentially be into minimalism, for example, where everything is highly self-contained, while if you’re working on something like a travel documentary your requirements are likely to be very different to what you might need if you’re looking to shoot a commercial production for a highprofile advertising campaign.

“These days pretty much any of the

The freshly revamped Sennheiser MKE 400 mic is designed to sit neatly on-camera and to greatly improve audio quality.

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Gimbals such as the DJI Ronin RS 2 have been designed to facilitate shooting on the move, and they’re just one of the solutions available to single person operators.

higher-end cameras could be used within a Run ‘n Gun set-up,” says CVP expert Jake Ratcliffe. “However, the features each can offer will have an important part to play and should be taken into consideration.

“This could, for example, be how well a certain camera might perform in a low light situation, how fast and reliable its autofocus might be, whether it features internal neutral density filters, how fast its boot time is, the length of battery life, whether it has a weather resistant body and even whether it comes with a dual memory card slot. You need to sit down and work out exactly what your priorities are, and there will be particular models that stand out as offering those facilities.”

Size and weight will also be something to think about, particularly if you’re planning to be walking around with your outfit for long periods of time, or you want to make sure everything can fit into a single carry-on case for taking overseas. In terms of full frame mirrorless models, cameras such as the Sony a7S III, the Panasonic Lumix S1, the Nikon Z6 II and the Canon EOS R6 would all be models to consider, while manufacturers such as Fujifilm and Olympus offer APS-C and MFT-sensored models such as the X-S10 or the OM-D EM5

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Mark III that are likewise set up to deliver high-quality 4K footage and are even more compact in size.

If you’re needing to piece together a Run ’n Gun style outfit that heads even further up the food chain then CVP recommendations would include models such as the Sony FX3 or FX6 and Canon’s EOS C300 Mark III or C70, and all come with a formidable line-up of specifications and yet are still portable enough to be suitable for those working as a single-shooter.

In terms of which lenses to work with then, again, there are choices to make and good and valid arguments to put forward for both prime and zoom optics. “You really need to be weighing up the pros and cons of each approach, because each will involve different compromises,” says Jake. “I’ve seen filmmakers work with both types, but zooms are arguably going to increase the speed that you’ll be able to work at and will give you more variety in terms of the focal length you’re using. However, primes are great for lower light scenarios and for super light and compact setups.

Lenses that feature built-in stabilisation

A model such as Canon’s C70 Cinema camera would make an excellent choice to use in Run ‘n Gun filmmaking.

are also going to be really handy, as shaky video never looks great and a stabilised lens is a super easy way to smooth out your footage without the need to invest in extra stabilisation.” ›

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THE MOVE TOWARDS MOTION | TECHNIQUE

All methods have “their pros and cons and it might make sense to look around to see the solutions that others working in your preferred area have come up with. ”

If you’re working with a larger cinema camera then a shoulder rig would be a great way to add stability to the set-up.

BUILDING THE KIT Once the camera choice is out of the way then it’s time to start considering the constituents of the kit you’ll be piecing together, and what you might be looking to base it around. At the most pareddown level this could be a simple gimbal, for example, that’s designed to accept a smartphone or maybe a compact-style mirrorless camera, and these work brilliantly if you’re looking to follow the action and want the ultimate in fuss-free operation, totally flexible but still with a high degree of stability that’s built in.

Once again there are gimbal choices available from a wide range of suppliers such as DJI, Benro, Zhiyun and FeiyuTech, and they come in at all price levels, from sub-£100 for a model such as the brand new Zhiyun Smooth-Q3 that’s designed for Smartphone use, through to sophisticated pieces of kit such as the highly-rated Ronin RS 2 (CVP price £699), which is light and strong and comes with a full colour LCD Touch Screen control panel.

“Gimbals are great,” says Jake,

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“but can be challenging for fast paced Run ’n Gun productions due to the initial setup time that’s involved. Other common solutions you could also look at would include well-balanced shoulder rigs, a simple lightweight handheld rig based around a cage or even a solid monopod.”

The advantage of a piece of kit such as a cage is that it comes full of threaded holes and has been designed to offer ultimate scope for attaching a wide range of accessories.

This enables the filmmaker to fix all of the things they need, from monitors through to external lights and microphones and topplate handles for low level shots, with just a couple of bolts and a hex key.

Everything can be pieced together to entirely suit the requirements of the individual within a minute or so, and you can even add handy ‘Magic Arms’ from the likes of Manfrotto and The Zhiyun Crane 2S with follow focus control is a good all-in-one option.

SmallRig to hold add-ons further away from the rig for added convenience.

All methods will have their own pros and cons, and it might make sense to look around to see the solutions that others working in your preferred area have come up with to decide whether that approach could work for you as well. Once again, a retailer such as CVP that deals on an everyday basis with filmmakers at every level would be well-placed to pass on the benefit of their expertise and to suggest the right route to go down.

“When it comes to kit that supplements your camera this will really depend on the production requirements,” confirms Jake, “but kit that is simple, reliable and compact is usually what people are looking for in Run ’n Gun scenarios. You could maybe be looking to add a supplementary bright 5in monitor so that it could be easily viewed no matter what the lighting conditions might be, or you could be needing an audio solution that’s straightforward for the single-person operator to work with.

“With regard to the latter, capturing audio on the go can be quite a challenge, so you want kit that makes your life easier.

If your budget allows it then a good mix of different audio solutions would be good to have in your outfit. An on-camera shotgun mic works great for capturing general ›

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THE MOVE TOWARDS MOTION | TECHNIQUE

Run ‘n “GunUltimately filmmaking is all about light weight, flexibility and working with a system that can be operated by an individual. The value of talking to someone who can offer you a good overview of how it all fits together can’t be overstated. ” audio that’s close to the camera’s position, while lavaliere mics are good to work with if you’re looking to capture dialogue, especially from a distance.”

New solutions for the rapidly emerging Run ’n Gun and vlogging market are being introduced all the time, with Sennheiser, for example, just launching its newly updated MKE 400 on-camera shotgun mic, which features a built-in windscreen and shock mount to help reduce handling noise. Also new from the audio specialist are a series of mobile kits that are directly targeting the single-person videographer, and these feature a microphone along with a Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod and Smartphone Clamp. There’s a kit for the MKE 400 (CVP price £199) and MKE 200 (CVP price £109) and also for two Lavaliere units, the XS Lav USB-C and the wireless XSW-D Portable Lav (CVP prices £99 and £289 respectively).

If you’re looking to include audio as part of your outfit then it’s also important that you add in a high-quality noise cancelling pair of headphones, since it’s crucial to be monitoring sound levels while you’re filming. If the sound is too low or it’s distorting you could be faced with unusable footage, and being in control of everything is all part of the joy of embarking on a journey as a single filmmaker. It’s a question of learning to multitasks and most people eventually pick it up with experience!

If you’re working as a one-person filmmaker and are looking to include audio then it’s crucial to invest in a set of headphones.

On the audio front it’s good to have options, such as this Lavaliere mic from Sennheiser.

Finally, don’t forget about supplementary lights, with LED versions being highly portable and versatile, and which can brighten up all kinds of situations if used for fill. “I would say that this accessory is pretty much an essential,” reflects Jake, “as you never know what lighting conditions you might encounter. You can use one on your rig or even go for a version that just sits in a camera’s hot shoe, and there are a few different solutions from brands such as Aputure, Rotolight, Aladdin and Litepanels.

These small lights can be really handy to have as part of your outfit in case you need

NEXT MONTH: If you’re moving into motion then you need to know the basics of how to set up and execute a well structured corporate video, and CVP experts will be providing the full lowdown on how to get started.

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to quickly set up some on-the-go lighting without having to carry around a full travel lighting kit.”

Ultimately Run ’n Gun filmmaking is all about light weight, flexibility and working with a system that genuinely can be operated by an individual, while being transportable in a single bag or case. Every filmmaker is bound to have their own preferences of course, but the value of being able to talk to someone who can offer a good overview regarding how everything fits together can’t be overstated.

“Ideally you’ll be looking for a reliable camera that you can pull out of your kit bag with minimal accessories and just start shooting,” says Jake. “We ask all kinds of probing questions when we talk to customers, and ultimately our aim is to recommend what’s going to be the best solution for them.”

❚ cvp.com

JAKE RATCLIFFE ONE OF CVP’s resident team of technical experts, and a self-confessed camera nerd who gets way too excited over kit, Jake’s background mirrors that of so many creatives these days. After graduating with a degree on photography he took up a freelance career and found that many of his clients were asking for video services so, rather than turn the work away, he started to teach himself the filmmaking basics.

Having been based at CVP for four years now, Jake epitomises the ‘equipment agnostic’ approach of the company and devotes his time to advising customers who might be looking for impartial feedback on which products to invest in as they look to make the same journey into motion.

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Creativity Accelerated Professional videographer and vlogger Keenan Lam spends vast amounts of time in post-production, but Nvidia’s latest RTX GPUs have dramatically speeded up his workflow.

S HYBRID CAMERAS become ever more affordable and feature-loaded, filmmaking is increasingly becoming a viable option for photographers looking for an extra discipline to cover. For some the option to shoot video can even take over, as was the case for London-based creative Keenan Lam. After starting his journey as a photographer, spending four months travelling around Asia with his cousin, he started to upload regular vlogs to the mix to add a little spice and, over time, motion started to take over.

“My big breakthrough came when I travelled to Iceland with a couple of friends who were also content creators,” says Keenan, “the aim of the trip was to create as many promotional photos and videos for brands out there as we could, ranging from snowmobile rides, food tasting experiences and hotel stays.

We did everything for free in return for their services, and it was a great way to build up our portfolios at the expense of having to work like crazy!

“Three days before we were due to leave, my good friend Luke (@watchluke) received a call from one of his clients, Specsavers, asking if he also knew a videographer who could cover the launch of their new glasses collection during London Fashion Week. He recommended me and we booked flights that same night. We both flew straight back to London the next day and headed directly to the show location with our suitcases – we had no time to go home!

“While I captured video Luke shot stills and, after the show was done, I edited my film and sent it over to the client. They loved it and, from then on, I realised I could try and take this full-time. So I delved into the world of freelance, hustling for any job I could find

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or get my hands on, spending countless hours on YouTube and the internet, learning how to create and film videos and improve my editing skills. It was the start of my career and how I came to be working in this business today.”

HANGING AROUND Being a prolific filmmaker means Keenan gets plenty of time out and about on the fun stuff, planning productions with his team and creating lively and engaging footage, but it also ensures that post-production is a big part of his life as well. While this can be creative and rewarding, it has also entailed lots of tedious hanging around, thanks to the data-heavy nature of video, which traditionally puts pressure on hardware, making rendering and routine software tasks extremely time consuming.

Not surprisingly anything that

promises to speed up this side of things is going to be welcomed with open arms, hence the enthusiasm with which Keenan greeted the introduction of Nvidia’s highly anticipated RTX 30 Series of GPUs. Overnight these made a massive difference to his operation, turbo charging his editing and saving huge amounts of time at a stroke. For a busy professional it’s been a big deal and it’s further helped to take a lot of the tedium out of the entire post-processing side of things for good measure.

“I’m currently aiming to produce at least one video per week for my YouTube channel,” Keenan explains, “whether that be tips and tricks for anything related to filmmaking, short films or even documenting my life during that week. YouTube allows me to show more of my personality online and it’s been a great way for me to stay motivated and

These days Keenan is a full-time videographer and vlogger, and he’s having to spend huge amounts of time editing his films.

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NVIDIA | ADVERTORIAL busy, while at the same time holding myself accountable. That schedule is nice, especially in a freelance world where routine is not so common.

“The post-production side has always been at the back of my mind. Can my computer handle what I want to do? Will it be able to render fast enough? With 4K being the norm, and the recent surge of cameras encoding in H.265, the thought of rendering and editing footage in higher bitrates and tougher codecs has always been a headache. I really dislike proxies because they can take hours. It’s why having a machine powerful enough to make light work of editing footage that would otherwise be frustrating to work with, is a priority for me.”

CURRENT KIT Right now Keenan is working with a custom-built small form factor PC – he likes the aesthetics – which features an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, 32GB RAM and a 9700K CPU. He’s been delighted with its performance, and it’s proved to be more than capable of zipping through everything that’s been required of it.

“Since upgrading to the new RTX 30 Series GPU, editing has become significantly smoother, faster and better to work with,” he says. “Rendering times have been noticeably faster, as well as the time it takes to analyse and stabilise shaky footage. I was accustomed to waiting for long periods of time for my timelines to render, but now it moves along quicker and just means there is less time for me to wait around as the computer does its work.

VIDEO

Take a look at how Keenan Lam rates Nvidia GPUs.

Time spent in post-processing has been cut dramatically, thanks to the latest Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU.

“I was used to working with high quality 4K footage from my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and, with multiple layers stacked on top with colour grading adjustments, I’d previously have to preview my timeline in half, or even quarter, resolution just to make it play back in real time, with no frame skips or frame lag. Sometimes I’d have to pre-render the sequence just to watch it back to see if there were any more changes that needed making.

“Having the Nvidia RTX GPU now

means I can play back most of my timelines in full resolution without frame drops, which makes the editing process a whole lot more enjoyable. There’s nothing worse than previewing your work in what appears to be 480p and not being able to read text properly, or even see if your shot was in focus or not.”

For Keenan the arrival of Nvidia’s new graphics card has been an absolute game changer, and it’s greatly added to his efficiency and saved him vast amounts of previously wasted time.

“Nvidia has really focused on the creators of this generation, where speed and performance are the ultimate priority,” he says. “It’s something I’d personally been waiting a long time for: faster rendering times, better timeline performance at higher resolutions and stacked clips. These are all things that have proved invaluable.

“It’s just great to know that I can rely totally on my hardware and be confident that it can handle whatever I throw at it. In conjunction with the Nvidia Studio Drivers, performance and usability in the creative programs that I use has become a lot smoother and more powerful, and it’s all helped to move my workflow on to another level.”

More information: ❚ youtube.com/keenanlamtv ❚ instagram.com/keenanlam ❚ nvidia.com/en-gb/studio

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Time Saving Style

Presets offer photographers a slick way to impose a chosen style and finish to their work with the minimum of postproduction time and effort and there’s a huge choice of looks out there.

FFICIENCY IN EDITING IS paramount, so anything that reduces the amount of time spent carrying out workflow tasks is something we should all be utilising.

Presets are one of the tools available that can minimise time spent in editing and they also have the added benefit of improving consistency in our work. So, what are they and what do they do?

Imagine a bundle of settings and configurations that can control and stylise an image. If these are then saved into a style, an action or a template, the result is what is commonly referred to as a preset, although this name can change depending on what editing software you happen to be working with. When you employ a preset it applies all the saved settings that make up that particular ‘look,’ and you can then opt to tweak and change things around as required from this starting point.

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CHOOSING YOUR PRESET You can use presets that are already built into editing suites, you can make your own or you can buy and install presets provided by specialist companies or individual photographers. The market for them is massive right now and there are lots on offer due to the almost infinite variety of different looks and approaches that it’s possible to come up with.

One of the key factors that makes

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WORDS & IMAGES AMY-LEIGH ATKINS

your work unique is the signature style you decide to employ and presets help to make this process much easier and more efficient. You can choose to go with anything, from a contemporary classic and timeless look through to a dreamy, romantic light and airy vibe, or perhaps over to the dark side where things could be moodier and more cinematic. It’s a broad spectrum with lots of choice available, and it’s down to the individual to decide on the look they feel best suits their audience.

Many of those buying presets are doing so because they’re searching for something they feel defines them, but the very fact that you’ve bought a particular style from a provider will mean that others might well have the same look as you. The only way that you’re going to have something that’s truly unique to yourself is to either make your own presets or to get a custom set of presets created specifically for you.

It’s also worth remembering that the ideal preset will simply be a base that can be tweaked to suit if necessary. You won’t find one single look that’s going to suit every lighting scenario, so a tweak-a-thon at the editing stage is almost inevitable, and this is going to cause you endless frustration if you can’t ultimately achieve exactly the finish you’ve been looking for.

Having realised that a single preset wouldn’t work on everything, seven years ago I started to create individual presets for

photographer friends that were designed to function in different lighting scenarios.

They loved them, told their friends, and thus Northern Presets Co was born.

So, if you’re happy tweaking a preset to suit your needs and you’re confident with that, then cool! However, many photographers aren’t so happy with this side of things, and my business has been set up to cater for those that would like a little experienced help to enable them to come up with a style that’s original to them and suits the audience they’re addressing.

FRUSTRATION FREE I work with photographers all over the world who have an idea of how they want to edit their images but who can struggle to achieve the results they’re looking for in their chosen editing suite. Sometimes photographers are simply overwhelmed by all of the varying styles available out there and they’re not entirely sure which way to go, which is where I’m able to help.

Whether you know what you want or not, achieving a frustration-free edit is always going to be a struggle. Some photographers I work with have already created their style over many years and just want that particular look that they’ve created building into a set of presets that can save them hours of tedious editing time. Having a full set of presets rather than just one, is not only going to be more ›

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PRESET ACTIONS | TECHNIQUE

Built-in Presets TO KICK THINGS OFF we’re going to take a look at software that features built in presets and there are two outstanding front runners in this department, namely Exposure and Skylum’s

Luminar AI, both of which are excellent. I’m also undertaking a quick run through of DXO and Adobe’s separate add-on solutions, which can also give the professional useful options.

❚ EXPOSURE X6 | $129 EXPOSURE X6 INCLUDES over 500+ presets, with an extensive number of film emulation looks based on film stock from Kodak, Fujifilm and Ilford. Alongside more conventional looks you’ll find a selection of eccentric presets, such as ones that emulate the colour grading in movies such as Jaws or The Wizard of Oz. The software is excellent value considering you get great editing facilities plus this huge line-up of presets. You can also create new presets based on any changes you’ve made or even make your own using all the options in the sliders. A must try! ❚ exposure.software

❚ SKYLUM LUMINAR AI | £69 THIS SOFTWARE OFFERS built in ‘templates’ – essentially the same as presets - but there will be automatic suggestions regarding which ones the program believes will best suit the imported images. AI is at work here and it does a great job. The templates within Luminar AI cover every style and vibe one could possibly want so the options are vast, but to have the best ones suggested as a starting point is helpful. Once again there’s further control that can be exerted if necessary once a template has been applied and there’s also the ability to save new ones based around changes that have been made. ❚ skylum.com

❚ DXO NIK COLLECTION | £133 THIS IS A SET of presets you can buy from DXO that are designed to complement the company’s Photo Lab software but they can also be used as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom. A particular standout is the Silver Efex Pro pack in the Nik Collection, with many photographers considering the options within here to be the ultimate black and white presets. DXO are leaders in understanding colour science and their presets definitely don’t disappoint. ❚ dxo.com

❚ ADOBE PHOTOSHOP | ACTIONS THERE ARE A huge number of actions available for use with Photoshop, and these work in the same way as presets but instead the settings are applied when using the ‘playback’ button in PS’s action window. You can ‘record’ a bunch of settings and save them as an ‘action’ to ‘playback’ and also apply the effects to other images, covering anything from full colour grading through to sharpening/softening actions. ❚ adobe.com

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TECHNIQUE | PRESET ACTIONS

Preset Specialists THERE ARE NUMEROUS companies out there specialising in creating and selling preset packs - but it’s important to know what you’re buying and to consider whether the preset you’ve selected is designed for the editing software you’re using.

Adobe Lightroom presets are the most common, since that’s the program so many in the industry are using. You can also

find a wide assortment of Photoshop Actions out there as well, and recently there has also been an increase in the availability of CaptureOne Styles. One word of warning: if you’re still on Adobe LR 6 then any .XMP preset file types won’t be compatible, so check the small print before you buy. There are so many providers to choose from, but worthy mentions go to;

Nirav Patel - Chroma preset

❚ MASTIN LABS

❚ DVLOP

PRESETS ARE OFFERED for both Lightroom and Capture One, which emulate film stocks from Fujifilm, Kodak and Ilford. Kirk Mastin was one of the first in the preset market, and over ten years ago he created Mastin Labs with a specific focus on recreating the beauty of film stock, but with the focus on the digital realm. These are subtle, timeless and elegant so, if that’s your jam, this is for you! ❚ mastinlabs.com

PRESETS ARE OFFERED for both Lightroom and Capture One, with a focus on working with artists and photographers who offer signature styles that can be made more accessible through the preset route. Varying from clean to moody to super stylised, there’s an incredible set of different looks available and I particularly like the DVLOP method of creating different lighting scenarios. ❚ dvlop.com

❚ SAM DOCKER

❚ MERIDIAN PRESETS

SAM DOCKER IS a UK based wedding photographer who shoots all over the world. After crafting his signature style over many years and becoming a well-respected educator in the industry, he was constantly being asked for his preset. Eventually he obliged by making it available for use by photographers looking to adopt his style. ❚ samdocker.co

ONCE AGAIN THE focus is on working with those in the business who have developed highly recognisable styles.

There’s a wide range of presets here that are designed to partner Adobe Lightroom, and lots of super cool styles to suit different photographers. Meridian also sell toolkits and lens flares, which can also enhance the look of images. ❚ www.meridianpresets.com

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Nova Collection

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PRESET ACTIONS | TECHNIQUE Continued from previous spread... efficient, but it will also help you to build a more consistent body of work. Also bear in mind that one preset isn’t going to respond the same way with all file types and, likewise, we know that camera sensors can record colours slightly differently, so it’s possible using a commercially available preset could result in a slightly different look to the one you saw advertised.

Custom presets on the other hand mean that you will get something that’s been specifically made for the kit you’re shooting with and which takes into account the colour it produces, and you can also get other file type fixes so that your preset responds the same with these.

This is particularly important for photographers who might regularly hire in second shooters on jobs. We also have to be aware of how each photographer might shoot varying lighting scenarios in different ways. How I shoot a backlit scenario might not be the way you would choose to do it, and vice versa. So, a single ‘backlit preset’ won’t be universal either.

A common theme with photographers who are working with a single preset and who are having to tweak it to suit

I’ve created a “Style Discovery Pack that has a range of different looks, so that photographers can explore these and see which vibe they most closely identify with. ”

If you ask Amy-Leigh to create you a custom preset then you’ll end up with a closely tailored look that will be unique to you.

different lighting scenario, is that unless it’s tweaked in exactly the same way, every time, for that specific lighting scenario, the images will be inconsistent. This is why having a custom set of presets built for the visual signature style you want for your work and how you shoot is paramount

AMY-LEIGH ATKINS Amy-Leigh Atkins is an editing educator working with professional photographers all over the world to achieve their vision in post-production. northernpresets.co.uk

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– everyone’s work deserves this.

This approach also gives you more of a USP for your brand, because your work won’t look like everyone else’s. And we’re not talking about having to go super stylised or for a dramatic approach to stand out. Rather it will be small nuances and different ways of achieving certain looks that are going to create the magic, and it’s often that aspect we’re admiring when we see work that appeals to us.

I’ve also created a selection of userfriendly preset packs that are designed to be employed as a starting point. These include different lighting scenario versions but also a full toolkit, including such things as an auto-straightener, a noise reduction action and orange skin fixes. I also created a Style Discovery Pack that has a range of different looks, so that photographers can explore these and see which vibe they most closely identify with.

Head for my website to take a look and naturally I’m more than willing to offer advice and to give you a steer regarding which direction you might want to head towards going forward.

❚ northernpresets.co.uk

NEXT MONTH Amy-Leigh talks to a selection of pros about the signature preset styles they’ve achieved and asks how they decided on their distinctive look.

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TIPA WORLD AWARDS 2021 WINNER

PHOTO STUDIO X REVIEW | IN ASSOCIATION WITH ZONER

Best Imaging Software Expert

TESTED

Zoner Photo

Designed as a well-priced alternative to Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, we take a look at what Windows-only workflow suite Zoner Photo Studio X has to offer the professional. WORDS AMY-LEIGH ATKINS

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N A SOFTWARE world that’s so dominated by the big players, Zoner Photo Studio X, or ZPSX for short, is designed to appeal to photographers who are looking for an alternative all-in-one workflow suite to big guns such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Still making a name for itself, ZPSX is considered by many to be the best photo editing suite you’ve never come across and it’s well worth checking out if you’re looking for a full editing solution. It’s considerably cheaper than rivals as well, costing $49 a year or $4.99 a month, though it’s worth pointing out

that, just at the moment, the program is Windows-compatible only.

What’s on offer is comprehensive and promises to cover most professionals’ full post-processing requirements. In this review I’m going to be looking at what it offers in terms of features and how effective these are, and I’ll also be checking out performance and asking who might benefit from using this suite.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Zoner’s user interface should be familiar to anyone who’s ever used a photo editing suite, and it features modules

entitled Manage, Develop, Editor and Create. It’s intuitive and quick to master and you can pretty much dive straight into working on images, which is great to report, whether you happen to be a postproduction beginner or a seasoned pro.

ZPSX features a unique tab system that performs in the same way as the browser/ finder tabs in your computer’s OS system, and this allows you to open new Manage or Develop tabs, enabling multiple parallel jobs to be on the go simultaneously. I particularly enjoyed this feature and, after using it, I have to confess to feeling a little short changed by other editing suites.

VIDEO Find out more about the features within the recently updated Zoner Photo Studio X program by accessing this independent in-depth video review by Adam Welch.

EDITOR MODULE

MANAGE MODULE

Manage is a full Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool where you can organise your images. It’s great that there’s three different options for importing files, the first being no import necessary. You can toggle through local folders on your drives on the left and select any folder you want to view and the images are retrieved in less than a second, so it’s super-fast.

You can choose to import images straight off the card and then back them up to a specific location and, lastly, you can also create and open catalogs to utilise the images in there too.

So, a trio of workable methods and it’s great to see all these available as it’s more usual to only get one or two of these supplied in rival editing/DAM suites. You can also use and apply metadata to organise files in any way that fits your needs.

The Manage Module has everything you need and, with the use of batch filtering, you can batch change any metadata or EXIF data in this mode too for maximum efficiency.

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Editor is the module where layer-based editing is possible and here you’ll find the tools you require to do more detail editing, including liquify, composite tools, retouching and adding effects or text. Performance is fast and everything you need is included within the ZPSX toolbox, so you won’t need to move your files into Photoshop to finish them off.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH ZONER | PHOTO STUDIO X REVIEW

Studio X

FREE TRIAL DOWNLOAD Tap to reach the page where you can download your 30 day free ZPS X trial.

DEVELOP MODULE Develop is where it’s possible to carry out non-destructive Raw editing using basic sliders and adjustment tools. This is the ever-familiar slider-based editing, where you can make changes to exposure, contrast, colour, white balance and more, and it performs exactly as you would expect it to.

The colour controls are easy to work with and extensive, with options to use it in basic or advanced mode, so if you’re someone who loves a more sophisticated approach to colour control you won’t be disappointed. There are also gradient and radial filters plus adjustment brushes, allowing quick touch ups of images. ZPSX also comes with built-in Presets that can be applied to an image with a single click, with the added advantage of being able to change the opacity of the style applied. This happens to be a little favourite feature of mine and it’s a sign of Zoner’s attention to detail. It’s not available in many other software suites and it’s great to have that extra control.

CREATE MODULE Create is where you can make photo books, collages, canvas prints, contact sheets, postcards and – my personal fave – video productions. Many photographers have to use external software to create videos or slideshows of images, all at an added cost of course, so for this to be available and included was a major plus point for me. I had to give it a go and was thoroughly impressed. Creating and editing video is a different ball game entirely to what we’re used to as photographers, but Zoner makes it super easy with its drag and drop timeline. Rendering was also speedy, which was a nice touch as I expected some lag here. The photo books feature is based around templates and is very easy to use, similar to other photo book making software, but it does come with the Zoner branding, which might not make it suitable for professional products. I couldn’t find a way of removing this, but if that doesn’t bother you it’s great to have the book option included, as it removes unnecessary costs with external software.

VERDICT THE BEAUTY OF Zoner Photo Studio X is that it doesn’t lock you into a set way of doing things. One of the strong points of this software is that it’s open, so you can choose your own workflow, to import or not to import. Work with either fullydeveloped Raw files or fast previews for sorting and culling, and edit images non-destructively or destructively. So, whatever your current working methods, there’s a way to fully emulate these and to integrate everything into the ZPSX system. This is great because, as we all know, the same workflow arrangement doesn’t fit every photographer’s needs.

ZPSX is a great package that combines the best elements of Adobe Lightroom

and Photoshop on top of added features, such as the creation of photo books or video editing, all in one space, enabling the photographer to run a really efficient workflow and to save money as well. The fact that, at the moment, Zoner is only compatible with Windows is something that is likely to be addressed in the future, but until that time it does mean that those working on iOS systems are currently excluded. Hopefully this will change at some point down the line and there are plenty who are working on Android devices and so it’s still a big market.

I would look at ZPSX as a unique opportunity to use something that works very well but is super cost effective.

With neat features like the tab system allowing multiple parallel jobs and the ease of importing (or not) with quick controlled edits this is a hugely impressive all-rounder and has to be seen as a real contender in the full editing suite markets.

There’s also another added feature called Zonerama on board as well, which is Zoner’s free unlimited, noncompression online user gallery (similar to Google Photos), which is fully integrated with ZPSX. It’s just the suite that keeps giving! If you want to take a closer look there’s a free trial available on the Zoner website – click link below – so try it out for yourself and I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.

❚ More information: zoner.to/pro ❚ Watch Zoner Photo Sudio tutorials

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ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 59

TECHNIQUE

Super Steady Secrets Unintentional camera shake will mark you out as less than professional and could lose you business, but Richard Bradbury is here to show you how you can sharpen up your act.

WANT TO TAKE you back to the time when you picked up your very first camera. Can you recall what those initial photographic principles were that we were told we needed to live by?

That’s right, the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed, and this holy trinity should always be at the heart of how we approach our photography.

Ultimately every image we shoot is a calculated compromise. ISO is your first decision, since it will determine the basic exposure level. Aperture will often be a creative choice, so we’re then left with shutter speed. This then becomes the

I

WORDS AND IMAGES RICHARD BRADBURY

most critical element of the three-way equation when it comes to sharpness, and it’s the reason why image stabilisation is so fundamentally important in the life of photographers, whatever level they’re at.

Fundamentally there are three ways to stabilise your digital capture. The first is easy: you need to master the technique of standing steady with your camera in hand if you want to break the rule that states your minimum shutter speed should be dictated by the focal length you’re using, so a speed of 1/100sec for a 100mm lens and so on. In reality most of us learn to find a suitable post, car or tree to prop ourselves

THIS PAGE: Using a solid column stand in the studio enables you to make finite adjustments to your final composition, whilst remaining in total control of any movement there could be in the subject.

up against, thus at a stroke increasing the ability to hand hold at shutter speeds that are down at the slower end of the scale.

The second consideration ties in with rapidly evolving technology, and the fact that in-lens and in-camera stabilisation systems are becoming ever more available, with up to eight stops of difference being claimed for the Canon EOS R5 and R6 for example: potentially a real game changer.

Finally, there’s an ever-increasing array of external devices designed for every conceivable genre or photographic specialisation that are now readily available, and often for a very affordable price. All three of these solutions have the effect of delivering extra usable image sharpness, so let’s take a closer look at what each has to offer the professional.

STAYING STEADY Your hand-holding technique will only improve with experience. Some of us find standing steady relatively easy, while others just can’t seem to get it right. Stand with your legs apart, wrap your camera strap around your wrists and lock your elbows into your sides. Whenever possible try to find a large static object to lean against or to hold on to for extra support.

Learning good steady shooting technique is not a cop out for the

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STAYING STEADY | TECHNIQUE professional, rather it’s good working practice since there will undoubtedly be times when you need to work on the fly and don’t have time to set up a tripod or some other steadying device. If you’re covering a wedding there will always be moments when a grab shot might be a winner, for example, and those who can develop steady hands will find that it’s a useful skill.

The development of high levels of camera and lens stabilisation has now added a really useful extra weapon to the armoury of the run ’n gun shooter, and if you combine this technology with solid hand holding skills things start to become really interesting. IS has been around for a time but in recent years it’s become increasingly sophisticated, and if you haven’t worked with one of the latest generation of super-stabilised models then you could be missing a trick.

All image stabilised lenses work effectively in the same way, even if the technology might carry different names.

Canon’s IS system for example works by having a central lens element mounted on tiny ceramic balls, which gives it the ability to shift as and when required. Minute gyroscopic sensors detect vibrations and servers then physically move the lens element on the balls to help keep the subject sharp on the sensor. When using stabilised lenses you can hear and feel the servos constantly correcting the lens shake, and they are especially effective when paired with longer lenses.

In-body stabilisation does what it says on the tin and works by ensuring that the image sensor is a floating device rather than being fixed rigidly in place, so it’s able to move as the camera shakes. Once again, it’s operated by a series of gyroscopic sensors, giving it the same properties as in-lens stabilisation, and the exciting thing

RIGHT: Set your exposure to between two and four seconds and then explain to your portrait subject that they need to keep very still. It gives you the opportunity to get some amazingly creative results.

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ABOVE: This image was shot with a 30-second exposure on a rocky beach. Travel tripods need to be stable but lightweight, so choose carbon fibre if you can.

LEFT: Don’t forget that you can go the opposite way and use movement as a creative element in your work.

is that most of the major manufacturers now produce specific camera/lens combinations that deliver extra stability.

What this has led to is a seismic shift in terms of the shutter speeds that good, usable pin-sharp hand-held images can be shot at, with some professionals producing

amazing results, using exposure times that are lasting several seconds. With more and more pros looking to add video content to the mix as well now it’s also thrown up the tantalising possibility of producing motion footage without the need for a stabilising device of some kind, something utterly unimaginable just a few short years ago.

Tie this in with the incredible advances that have been made with usable high ISO speeds and it’s clear to see what a sea change has taken place over a very short space of time. If you still cling to the notion that hand holding your camera is somehow unprofessional in all circumstances, it could be time for a rapid change of opinion.

TIME FOR A TRIPOD Of course, there remain plenty of occasions where a professional will still need to enlist the help of a specialist steadying device to get the job done, whether that’s to add an extra level of sharpness or to enable the camera to be in a rigidly fixed position so that the photographer is then free to conduct affairs from alongside.

Which brings us to tripods, of course, which even in these high-tech days are still an essential piece of kit for every professional. Most of us are likely to have several, which will come into their own for specific situations. In the studio we tend to use heavyweight units, which are primarily there to aid finite composition. ›

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TECHNIQUE | STAYING STEADY Those who are regular studio still life shooters might want to go further, and consider a column stand, and once you have one of these, I promise you’ll never go back. They offer the most solid base for any camera, especially if you’re working with large format. They are also essential if you need to make detailed movements within super accurate compositions.

They are bulky, heavy and expensive, but buy the good stuff and don’t compromise. Foba, Cambo and Manfrotto are probably the most popular makes, and they come with micro adjustments and a liquid cross arm that’s weighted via the centre column to counter balance heavy duty large format cameras. Expect to pay a minimum of £1000, with several models priced considerably higher.

One step down from the column stands are the strong full weight tripods that offer a stable base for portrait, fashion and smaller commercial jobs in the studio. Look at Gitzo, Benro and, of course, Manfrotto for good solid gear that will last. These larger studio pods can be expensive but they’re an essential piece of kit that you will learn to rely on every day, so do your homework and buy sensibly.

A good location tripod offers something different, and is a piece of kit that most professionals will look at acquiring at some point. They can be critical to the success or failure of your shoot, but luckily there are plenty of great options to consider.

These days carbon fibre and aluminium tubing deliver lightness and rigidity for the travelling landscaper. On a recent trip across the USA for Harley Davidson I was riding the two wheeled V twins for over a week and recording the journey along the way. I had to think carefully about my equipment choice since I was carrying a full complement of camera and video gear on the bike, so needed something lightweight.

Ultimately I purchased a MeFoto Roadtrip tripod for the job. This is a superb piece of gear, stable, versatile and lightweight. It packs down to almost nothing when you’re travelling: I chose the carbon fibre option over the aluminium model, which is frankly one of the best pieces of equipment I have ever purchased.

For me, a basic requirement of any tripod is the ability to extend up to at least chin height, so always check the maximum height on the specifications. Think hard about the head you’ll be using as well, since these are normally interchangeable and the one you choose is likely to be very much

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ABOVE: Many photographers think that gimbals are only useful for video production, but here it was helpful to shoot whilst running backwards capturing the action.

down to your personal preference.

There are now some amazing travel pods available, with Manfrotto’s Element Traveller series, Three Legged Thing’s LEO 2, Benro’s GoPlus Travel and the Peak Design Travel Tripod being some of the best, lightweight solutions currently out there. Prices range between £100-£300, so they won’t break the bank.

REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASES Something that’s often forgotten about is the fact that your own interaction with the camera can often be the cause of camera shake. Using a lightweight tripod is all well and good but remember that your lumpy

forefinger pressing on the shutter button at the beginning of your three-second exposure can be more than enough to ruin the ambience you’re trying to create.

Try setting your camera on a five to ten-second timer so that it has time to settle before firing or, like me, invest in a remote shutter release. This is also handy if you want to set up the camera and then appear in the picture yourself, and I used this self-portrait technique a lot while I was undertaking my Harley Davidson trip.

Most camera makers make a bespoke remote release and there are also a few good apps that work to deliver remote camera control. My experience of the apps has not generally been good, so I would recommend buying a dedicated remote shutter control device as they aren’t hugely expensive and they’re a great piece of kit to permanently keep in your bag. I use the wireless Pixel Pro TW-283 S2: at around £40 it’s cheap but it does a great job, as does the Hama DCCS at a similar price.

GRAB A GIMBAL There are, of course, some specialist pieces of equipment that are specifically designed for uniquely wobbly environments. If you need to be moving whilst shooting with either stills or a video set up then you’ll need to look into the wonderful world of the gimbal. Designed to maintain a level, vibration-free camera set up regardless of any movement on all three axes, they come in an array of shapes and sizes and can vary in price from £25 for a cheap Chinese manual device to over a £1000 for a finely tuned electronic piece of wizardry.

Gimbals are categorised by being either

Setting Mode 2 on the Canon IS lens stabilisation system allows you to pan with a long lens, relying on the built-in vertical stabilisation to keep your subject sharp.

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THE MOVE TOWARDS MOTION | TECHNIQUE

THIS PAGE: Ultimately learning about the factors that control sharpness and how to manipulate them to your advantage is the best way to ensure the results you want.

Try setting your camera on a five to ten-second timer so that it has time to “settle before firing or invest in a remote shutter release. This is also handy if you want to set up the camera and then appear in the picture yourself. ” manual or electronic. The manual versions do a great job but require a bit of practice for best use and are a little restrictive in that the camera will do what the camera will do until you really master its nuances.

It takes some time to understand what movement will cause the camera to swing or tilt on a certain axis as you move it around, so be prepared for a learning curve.

If you want to get more serious about gimbals then you need to go electronic. There really is a difference in the performance of these units when compared to their manual cousins, but that’s obviously reflected in the price you’ll pay. A decent electronic gimbal starts at around £300 and there are plenty of options from there upwards. One of my favourites is the Ronin S. It’s certainly not a budget option: it comes in at around £670, but it offers a pay-load of up to 3.6kg and a battery life of 12 hours. It has several automated smart features and is one-hand operated with a handy thumb located joy stick. More recent Ronin models include the RS2 and the RSC 2, with the latter being geared specifically towards the

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requirements of more compact camera operators. Its £389 price tag reflects the value for money these accessories offer the serious photographer.

Similar price tags can be found for models from the likes of Zhiyun and

Feiyutech, and, although they take a little getting used to, they can be set up relatively quickly and if you take the time to really get the feel of how to use them, then they’re incredible pieces of kit, and they have the ability to revolutionise your way of working. You can even use them to create timelapse sequences, and they’re particularly well suited to enabling rock steady video footage. As always, I would avoid the cheaper knock off brands. You tend to get what you pay for!

The exponential march of technological innovation means that it’s never been easier to shoot clean, well exposed, movement-free images, but remember that it’s the eye behind that camera that will always be the most important factor.

The technical wizardry that’s out there can only add so much. Stabilising accessories of any kind need to be a seamless part of your technical set up, freeing you to make creative decisions without fear of the dreaded camera shake.

More information: ❚ richardbradbury.com

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LISA DEVLIN

Ten Quick

SEO Wins!

If you’re a wedding photographer just getting back to business then it’s a good time to be considering the best ways to get your name out there and close to the top of the rankings.

E’RE ALL WELL aware of SEO and how important it is for photographers in all genres. Fundamentally it’s the practice of consciously including key terms on your website that your potential customer might be using to find your services on search engines.

We’re all fully aware that wedding photography is a saturated market and in some parts of the UK it’s challenging to rank well in search engines. However, the good news is that it’s never too late to start applying an SEO strategy to your website and, if you’re savvy and intentional, then you could get ahead of your competitors by following my tips.

W

1

Build Your SEO Foundations

Every single website has a meta title and meta description and search engines use this to decide if your page should appear for a particular term. So, first of all decide on the most important search term you wish to be found for. For me, I’m currently targeting my local area so I want to be found for Wedding Photographer Brighton and, if you search for that term, you should find me on page one of Google, which is where I want to be. I’ve devoted my Meta Title to this term and I also repeat it in the Meta Description.

My website is on WordPress, so this is easy to do using a plugin such as Yoast or All in One SEO. Just make sure that you don’t go over the recommended characters for either – that’s 70 for your title and 160 for your description (including spaces).

2

Aim to Stand Out

When writing your Title and Meta Description use this digital space to put across your personality. My site title is

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Wedding Photographer and Utter Legend - Brighton, Sussex and my description is Hi, I’m Lisa Devlin, a wedding photographer in Brighton, Sussex. I love an alternative, creative, natural or relaxed wedding. I also love gin. I want to start relationship building right from the very first point of contact. So, although I include the key term for Google, I then aim to make it conversational and hopefully amusing for the couples so that I stand out.

3

The ‘People Also Ask’ Questions

For most search terms, Google will also suggest related searches with a section called People Also Ask. They could be questions like ‘How much does a wedding photographer cost? Is four hours enough for wedding photography?’ These are valuable insights into what people are putting into search engines and can inspire you to create content.

4

Aim to Rank in the Google Image Search

5

Work on Getting Quality Backlinks

It’s easy to think that improving your SEO is all about words and copy but don’t forget the Image Search option too.

Your potential customer is highly likely to search images for decor ideas, style inspiration or to see images of venues set up for weddings. Chances are you could have those images either already on your website or lurking on a hard drive. Rename your images with a chosen search term in mind, like Brighton-TownHall-Wedding-001. Repeat this phrase in the metadata keyword list then export them resized for the web.

It’s important in Google’s eyes that other sites link across to you, and backlinks get rated by search engines, so the higher quality the site that links to you, the

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SEO RANKING | LISA DEVLIN

better it is. In our industry, wedding blogs could be a great place to have a link, so keep submitting your work to them. Also keep an eye on their socials for image requests. Wedding directories can also be a good place to have a link, and some are pretty cost effective or even free as are some of the business listing sites.

Similarly, if a venue or a supplier asks for images from me, I always say yes as long as they agree to link back to my site.

6

You Have To EAT

7

Have a Speedy Site

8

Create Interesting Content

Another important factor in your ranking was revealed by Google as EAT – Expertise, Authoritativeness + Trustworthiness. It wants you to prove your worth, so filling out your author bio when you create a blog post is good practice. Authoritativeness is going to come from your backlinks and Trustworthiness could be improved with some online reviews.

Search engines will give priority to sites that load quickly. You can test yours out by using Google’s Speed Test Tool, https://developers.google.com/ speed/pagespeed/insights. Good practice means never loading up images that haven’t been optimised for the web, and I do this with an action in Photoshop and I also use a plugin on my site that ensures all of the images being used are compressed. I never load videos directly onto my site, and instead they’re hosted in Vimeo and embedded via links.

Think of content that marks you out as an expert in wedding photography and is helpful to your potential couples. Your blog is your chance to show off your personality and connect to your ideal customers, and it’s also a showcase for your lovely images and demonstrates your full range of photographic skills.

Don’t feel that this has to be a dry place; try to have fun with writing blog posts.

9

Get Ahead of the Pack

Almost every photographer I’ve mentored wants to rank well as a wedding photographer in their area. All fine, of course, but I want people to also discover me when they’re searching around for

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venues. I figure this might give me an edge over my competitors since venues are nowhere near as competitive a market as wedding photography, and so it’s easier to rank well in searches.

10

Make Some Cornerstone Content

Search Engines love a wordy page or post: the more text the better. Creating a post that has around 1000 words will bring you lots of ‘Google Juice’. Fortunately you only need a handful of these kinds of posts to make a big difference, and this is exactly why I created a post that lists Micro Weddings in Brighton. This is a cornerstone piece of content that will hopefully appear early on in the wedding

planning journey for my future couples and will get me onto their radar.

Hopefully this has given you some useful tips and ideas for improving your SEO. Recently, I enlisted the fantastic Martin Watts from 8 Cats Digital to host a Barn Live day for me, doing a deep dive into SEO. This can be accessed in The Barn, the online learning part of Photography Farm, and you can sign up for free to check out a sampler course or for £55 a month or £250 a year, and stay for as little or as long as you want.

More information: ❚ photographyfarm.co.uk/ welcome-to-the-barn

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 65

MELISSA LOVE

Get Your Message

Out There!

Social media is hugely important for your business of course, but when it comes to the best form of marketing there’s little to touch the email list and here’s how to build a strong one. © STEPHEN PHILLIPS - HOSTREVIEWS.CO.UK

N THE LAST 24 hours, I’ve seen three separate people talking about how they’ve lost access to various social media accounts.

One friend hasn’t been able to post on his business page for months, another had their group of 70,000 people closed down due to some member-posted content and hacked Instagram accounts are very much on the rise these days.

Ask yourself, if you lost access to your social media accounts tomorrow, what kind of shape would your business be in?

It’s a chilling thought and I know I’d be totally panicking! But I do have a solid backup plan and that’s my email list. All of my business growth over the last five years has come as a result of growing this.

And I really do mean all of it.

Ultimately social media engagement can be seen as the icing on the cake, while your email list is tangible real estate that you own. Grow one that’s strong and vibrant and it will bring certainty to your marketing activities, by making your progress measurable through your opening rates, replies and the percentage of sales being generated from email campaigns. What it gives you is predictability when it comes to your income, and who doesn’t want that?

I

tried them all and there’s plenty of information online if you’re looking for this kind of extra detail. If you really want to know then ActiveCampaign and MailerLite would be my recommendations if you have less than 1000 subscribers, but what I’m more interested in here is telling you which features should be the deal breakers and which ones the bonuses.

Pick Your Partner If you’ve been hesitating about getting started, or have a list that you never communicate with, here are the things you need to be considering. ❚ Choose the right platform

❚ Setting up your lead magnet funnel ❚ Creating relationship building content ❚ Asking for the sale ❚ Repurposing everything I’m not going to do a platform comparison here because I haven’t

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Essentials

❚ More than one list or audience ❚ The ability to segment your target audience with tags

❚ Being able to create simple automations based on segmentation

❚ Easily embedded sign up forms ❚ Drag and drop email design Bonus Features!

❚ Split testing

❚ Website behaviour and the ability to carry out ecommerce tracking

❚ Facebook audience integration

Lead Magnet Funnel I wasn’t sure whether to drop the L-Magnet bomb straight out of the gate, because it’s the kind of term that sounds like it’s got ‘marketing hustle’ written all over it. If you’ve heard the term but aren’t sure what it means, it usually revolves around free content – perhaps a download or access to a video – that you give away in return for someone’s email.

Yes, it’s free, but you most certainly view it as a transaction, because no one usually likes getting more email.

A lead magnet is just the first step in creating an automated marketing funnel that will nurture new clients and firmly position you as the expert they need to be working with. If done well the initial

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EMAIL MARKETING | MELISSA LOVE

investment of time you make to create your lead magnet will be repaid many times over. I’ve got high performing lead magnets that have been working well for me for years. Use this tactic to kickstart building your email list and it should be followed by an automated sequence of relationship-nurturing emails and then an invitation to buy your services.

“On Friday, I combine all of my daily social posts into a blog post, which I can send out to my list.”

Build the Relationship So, you’ve made your way to someone’s inbox and it’s time to get to know your shiny new subscriber. I say subscriber, but you’re about to start building a relationship with a real human, so you need to really understand what you both want to achieve. You want more business, but you’re keen to be ethical and not salesy, while they want to get to know, like and trust you before they buy.

And here is where the ‘getting to know you’ sequence comes in, which does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s the email version of a first date, where you deliver value, position yourself as the expert and build trust, before you even think of selling to someone.

LEFT: There’s no doubting that social media is a crucial cornerstone of any modern business, but don’t neglect your email marketing strategy.

Here’s what you should do: ❚ Tell them about you and your world, what you’ll be sending them and how they can find you ❚ Show that you understand what they might be struggling with ❚ Make it clear how your expertise and approach can uniquely help them ❚ Lay out the journey they can take with you so they know what to expect If you create your welcome sequence with a human-first approach and deliver exceptional value, your new subscriber is much more likely to become a buyer.

proof that you know what you’re doing.

Video testimonials, case studies, social proof and behind-the-scenes tours are perfect material for Facebook retargeting and emails at the end of your sequence.

All this content should be driving your lovely warm subscriber to some kind of conversion event – a sales call, webinar or perhaps a link to buy your product – and this is where many small businesses will sadly leave subscribers hanging.

They might feel that asking for a sale is pushy. They forget to make the pitch or the call-to-action comes across as weak. But sending people to your contact page isn’t enough. For most creative businesses, getting your hot prospect on a video call is the best way to convert them. If you’ve been showing your face via video on social media or with retargeting ads, they’ll already feel they know you well enough to jump on that call. Don’t forget to ask for the sale. Your subscribers will be disappointed if you don’t make it easy to buy from you.

Ask for the Sale

Repurpose Everything!

If you’re been providing lots of high-value expert content during the ‘honeymoon phase’ of your relationship with your new subscriber, then it’s time to move into your sales mode. They shouldn’t be surprised by this: everyone who hands over their email for a freebie knows at some point they’re going to be sold to and, if you’ve done your job properly, they’re going to be actively looking for ways to take the relationship further.

At this point, they’re ready to see

For a long time I was reluctant to email my list regularly. I thought it was wasted content because not everyone would open and read it. Boy, was I wrong: my mistake was in not reusing and repurposing my content properly.

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Here’s my weekly workflow… ❚ Choose a topic for the week ❚ On Monday, I introduce it to my Facebook groups and my email list with an interesting story or mindset post

❚ I will then post about my topic daily through my social media channels

❚ On Friday, I combine all of my daily social posts into a blog post, which I can then send out to my list ❚ I round the week off by pinning my blog post to Pinterest ❚ I chat about the points covered on Instagram Live, which I then save to Instagram TV Total time commitment is equal to around 15-20 minutes per day, which sees me create daily social posts, two emails, one blog post, a live video and some Pinterest content. Most people, if they make it the first thing they do every morning, should be able to achieve that level of commitment. I can promise you that creating even just small chunks of content daily will significantly grow your audience and your engagement as well as making you super-efficient. This article you’re reading? Yep, created it from daily posts over a five-day period.

I can credit list building and email marketing as the single biggest growth factor for my business. Social media I can take or leave – though it’s certainly a nice juicy extra - but without my email list, I’d be lost. In short, it’s time to get off the fence when it comes to email marketing, so get serious about it and make it really work for you as well.

Join the Community If you’d like to hear more about joining my community, head over to: ❚ https://themarketingfix.co

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BUSINESS

Social Success

Time to

TURN

PRO

Social media is a key marketing tool for any small business, and Instagram is a particular favourite for photographers. Lucy Newson explains why it’s so special and shows how to make it work for you.

WORDS & IMAGES LUCY NEWSON F YOU’RE JUST starting out, or even if you’re established but haven’t yet looked into the full range of possibilities, social media is one of the key fundamentals for getting your name out there. Instagram has been a key building block for my rural lifestyle photography business from day one, from providing inspiration when I needed it the most, allowing me to connect with potential future clients and building my client base. Since starting up my business in 2018 when I was just 19 years old, over 80% of my commissions have come through social media, with 60% of these through Instagram alone.

There’s a vast number of social media platforms to choose from, but Instagram is the one that's working best for me. That’s because it’s a visual platform, making it the perfect place for photographers to build portfolios and to interact in the way we know best, namely through our imagery. I’m sure you have a hard drive living in your desk drawer full of pictures no-one but the client might ever have seen. These would be ideal to build a social presence around, but be sure you have permission to use them.

The figures for Instagram are seriously impressive. Some 90% of people on there follow a business, 50% of them have visited a website to make a purchase after seeing a product/service and 81% use the program to research what they’re looking to buy. You’ve got to try to tap into that!

I

Starting Up on Insta Despite common perception, you don’t need thousands of followers to be successful. Through connecting and collaborating I’ve now built a close community of just over 1000 followers.

That’s a number that might sound small but it’s worked brilliantly for me and has helped to keep my diary full. If you can manage a small amount of regular time each day it’s possible to build consistency

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and connect with your audience.

You do this by understanding more about the Instagram algorithm and what it likes. This is essentially a set of ‘rules’ that controls your content’s organic reach, namely the numbers of people who will see your photographs/videos without you paying for promotions.

The decision on which users will see your content is decided by the program looking at their past behaviour. So, if someone is spending lots of time looking at photographs of the Lake District, Instagram will ensure they’re showing them more of the same content so they

will spend more time on the platform.

To be successful you need to be posting consistently when your chosen audience is likely to be online, and you need to be trying out new features, using hashtags and connecting with your audience.

What to Post To keep yourself on track it’s important to spend some time understanding your target market. What are they looking for when on social media? What are their interests and what do they enjoy interacting with? You also need to take a long, hard look at every feature ›

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BUSINESS | TIME TO TURN PRO Instagram provides, for example stories, reels, IGTV and Guides.

Over time, through analysing statistics and insights provided by Instagram I’ve discovered that my most popular content features dairy farms and farriers at work.

At first that surprised me, as I post lots of photographs of adorable puppies and young poultry and assumed that these would attract the most attention.

However, it’s clear that my target market is drawn to the photographs that tell someone’s story and shows what they do, and this initiates conversations on the post, building momentum and the size of the community that’s reached.

Discovering what works best for you will take time and patience, but here are a few ideas to get you started: ❚ Showcase the products that you're offering, eg. albums and frames. ❚ Feature client testimonials. ❚ Offer tips and tricks to help your future clients plan for their photo shoot. ❚ Create a beautiful graphic that features your favourite quote. ❚ Promote your latest blog post. ❚ Include behind-the-scenes of your workspace to generate interest.

However, the most important photograph or piece of content you can share on Instagram, or any form of social media for that matter, is yourself. People buy from people. As photographers we’re service providers, and our clients are not only investing in our imagery but the experience as well. They need to know, like and trust us before investing, so make that as easy as possible for them.

Jump on stories in the morning to share about your upcoming photoshoot. Post a photograph of yourself in your studio or out on location and talk about why you do what you do. Don’t be afraid to stand out and to become the face of your brand.

As you begin to use Instagram,

post when it’s convenient for you. Just remember to be consistent: for example, if you’re usually putting things up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6pm, then always post at these times. The key

is consistency, and your audience will learn when to expect new content.

After a few weeks, if you’ve set up a Business Instagram Account, you’ll be able to access your account’s insights.

This gives details such as your best performing posts, the demographic of your followers and the times they are most active on the app. Over time you’ll see the trend for when your followers are online, and you can then post at this time.

Be Time Efficient As mentioned already, you don’t want Instagram taking up all of your time. So, I have suggestions that will make the whole process more efficient, and this helps me to create all of my content for an entire month in just two hours, meaning that any other time I spend on Instagram can be reserved for interacting with my followers and building the community.

Create a Bank of Images After every photoshoot, if my client has agreed to have their photos on social media I’ll save the strongest images in a folder created on my desktop. This means I no longer have to spend time searching for shots I can use each month.

Develop a Hashtag Directory It’s important that you include hashtags with your content, as these are essentially keywords that help your ideal clients discover you. You’re allowed up to 30 hashtags on any given post, and it’s important to use as many as possible as

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TIME TO TURN PRO | BUSINESS

long as they’re relevant. To save time spend an afternoon creating a directory of them. For me this involved looking through my images and noting recurring themes, such as British Farming, Dairy Cows, etc. I then searched for hashtags that supported this topic and put them in a spreadsheet. Then, when I create a post, I can copy and paste relevant hashtags and just add a few specific ones.

if you’re on the go all day but want to post at a specific time. There are many different scheduling tools out there, my personal favourite being later.com.

I use the free plan and it allows me to prepare a full month’s worth of content up front, which is ideal for my marketing plan. However, there are many other scheduling tools you can also consider and I would advise you try all of them to see which works best for your business.

Use Scheduling Websites/Apps These are purpose-built websites/apps that allow you to plan your social media in advance. With other benefits such as automatic posting, it’s a perfect system

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Good luck with your social media journey and be sure to make the most of the amazing marketing reach that it will make available to you!

Lucy Newson Lucy Newson LBIPP is an award-winning rural lifestyle photographer based in Essex, with private commissions across the UK. Capturing the everyday magic for those living in the countryside, she creates treasured ‘family heirlooms in-waiting’ for her clients through the selection of albums and artwork for their walls that she offers. ❚ lucynewsonphotography.co.uk ❚ info@lucynewsonphotography.co.uk ❚ @lucynewsonphotography

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BUSINESS

Time to

A Day in the Life…

TURN

Travel Photographer

PRO

Travel photography has not been easy over the past year or so but it’s still a hugely popular genre with lots of exciting possibilities. Annapurna Mellor explains what the job involves.

WORDS & IMAGES ANNAPURNA MELLOR

FIRST BEGAN TO take travel photography seriously back in 2013, when I spent a year backpacking solo around Asia. I went full-time freelance three years later, and was attracted to the genre because I so loved visiting new and exciting places. I was originally interested in travel writing and only started taking photographs to illustrate the blog posts I was writing, but very quickly realised I had more interest in the visual side of storytelling.

A typical day in my life will vary enormously. If I’m travelling then I’ll almost always be up before sunrise, and will have a spot in mind to visit to make the best use of that beautiful morning light. During the day I’ll usually have appointments and different places that I need to photograph planned in. For a magazine shoot this could be venues such as restaurants, museums and hotels or, for commercial work, I could be going on a tour or working on a shot list that's been supplied to me by the client.

I’ll always shoot the most important pictures at sunrise and sunset, as the light is best at that time of day. After sunset, I might have night shots to get, particularly if I’m working in a city, and then I’ll head back to my accommodation to download my cards for the day, backup the images, charge my equipment and set my alarm for the next sunrise!

When I’m not on assignment my work is much more computer based. After a shoot I’ll have a mountain of editing to do, which can take up a lot of time. I may also have captioning, writing or entering metadata to complete. When I don’t have editing, I spend my time replying to emails, sending out my work to potential new clients, writing articles perhaps and working on my online presence – such things as social media and my portfolio.

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On the Road On average I have one travel assignment per month, which will vary from three days to potentially two weeks, and then I’ll need to build in time for my editing.

This will vary throughout the year though: sometimes I have very quiet periods – such as over Christmas – and during summer I have had four back-toback assignments in a single month.

I also undertake personal trips where I work on making images in places and on stories that I feel particularly passionate about. This usually takes up between two to four months of the year and can involve a long trip to Asia over the winter.

I will sometimes sell stories from these trips, but they are more about improving my portfolio, challenging myself creatively, telling stories I care about and, of course, taking things a bit slower and enjoying the life of a traveller.

There’s definitely a lot of admin involved in my job, which is the less

exciting side. I spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer screen, editing, writing emails, pitching work, doing my accounts, planning shoots and writing.

I would say that I normally spend about a quarter of my time shooting for clients, while the rest is taken up on the computer-based side of an assignment.

Work for clients is usually organised by them and they will almost always be the ones financing the trip, or it could be sponsored by a tourism body. Some companies will pay a higher fee and will ask me to organise and pay for my own travel, which is actually quite a nice way of working as it gives me a lot of flexibility.

Personal trips which I take are always self-financed, and I tend to travel cheaply to make my budget go further.

For commissioned work I’ll usually sit down in advance with the client and discuss in detail the type of images they’re looking for, and I’ll put together a shot list based around this. Commercial

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TIME TO TURN PRO | BUSINESS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH MPB

As a travel photographer it’s crucial to keep the kit I use light and manageable, and my camera is a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, and I mostly work with a Canon 2470mm f/2.8 II lens, which I find is a really versatile travel lens. I usually also take with me a Canon 50mm f/1.2 and 70200mm, and sometimes a wide-angle if shooting hotels or interiors is involved.

On some trips I’ll also take a Gitzo tripod and, of course, lots of spare batteries and memory cards. I also travel with a laptop and two to three external hard drives so that I can back up my images as I’m travelling around.

More information: ❚ annapurnamellorphotography.com

work in particular is very structured, and the client will usually have exact images in mind which they want for certain campaigns. Editorial shoots will usually be more flexible, and I’ll work alongside a writer to put a story together.

Most of my work is either used in magazines or in commercial/advertising material. Unfortunately, stock has declined dramatically and I no longer see it as a viable way to make an income as a travel photographer. I prefer to sell directly to magazines or commercial companies, and keeping up a strong online presence is the best way to make sure my work is being seen constantly by those who might want to buy my images or hire me for an assignment.

Favourite Location If I’m asked what my favourite place might be to photograph, I have to say India. The people there are so friendly and curious and I love spending time in the Buddist areas in the Himalayas.

I usually spend a few months of each year there, and I enjoy the variety of cultures and landscapes that you get throughout the country. I’m fascinated by the religious diversity you can find and there’s a good mix of crazy, chaotic and colourful places, alongside more chilled spots. Other countries I’ve loved photographing in are Morocco, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam and Italy. I really like places where there’s a lot of life and atmosphere on the street.

MPB Used Kit List Travel photography calls for versatile, robust and lightweight gear and MPB’s used kit expert Marc Read has three outfits to suggest that can all do an amazing job.

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII (Excellent, £804) Mixing speed, reach and portability, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII is a pocket-sized camera that packs a wealth of stills and video versatility. This seventhgeneration camera in the esteemed RX100 series is the second to feature the impressive 24-200mm-equivalent ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* lens, which covers all your travel needs, from wide-angle through to lengthy telephoto. This delivers greater shooting flexibility in a variety of conditions.

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Fujifilm X-Pro 2 (Good, £649) + Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R (Excellent, £424)

The Fujifilm X-Pro 2 mirrorless model is a lightweight camera that boasts a Hybrid Viewfinder capable of instantly switching between optical and electronic finders, plus an updated image sensor and processor, which dramatically improves image quality. Meanwhile the Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R delivers outstanding performance, and is the ideal prime lens for those looking for exciting results.

Nikon D810 (Good, £869) + Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G (Excellent, £859) The Nikon D810 DSLR offers outstanding picture quality and is a remarkably wellbuilt camera. The impressive full-frame sensor at its heart allows you to capture every scene in complete clarity, and to print to a large scale if required. In tandem, the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G lens provides excellence in every department. Its lightweight nature further means that it’s easy to transport around, making it ideal for taking on travel adventures.

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TESTED

Pentax K-3 Mark III The new K-3 Mark III from Pentax is the manufacturer’s highestspec DSLR yet, and it’s a clear declaration of intent and a strong signal of continuing belief in mirrored technology.

HE MOVE IN recent years from DSLRs over to funky new mirrorless models has appeared unstoppable and, without a doubt, that’s where the lion’s share of R&D money is going these days. However, despite this seemingly unstoppable trend, not every professional is happy with that state of affairs, and a sizeable minority are preferring to stick with a DSLR way of working, attracted no doubt by keener pricing, sturdy build quality and far longer battery life.

It’s perhaps this crowd that will be most heartened by the arrival of the Pentax K-3 Mark III, the £1899 new flagship model for the brand’s APS-C sensor range.

Its arrival signals not just the end of the line for the K-3 Mark II, but it also drags the APS-C line closer to the out-and-out pro-spec levels that are being delivered by Pentax’s popular full-frame K-1 Mark II.

WORDS & IMAGES MATTY GRAHAM

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From the Pentax perspective the smaller-sensored DSLR approach is still very much alive and kicking.

Pentax owners know what to expect from their chosen brand, and the K-3 Mark III hasn’t strayed too far from that tried-and-tested DNA, while at the same time taking a significant step up in terms of features provided and onboard technology. From a pro’s perspective it’s also worth noting the build quality the new camera offers. In this respect it’s taking a leaf out of the book of its full-frame sibling, which is virtually bulletproof. The K-3 Mark III is packed with weather sealing that feels hugely robust to the touch, and it’s one of the reasons why the camera will tick all the boxes for professional wildlife and landscape photographers.

Pros are also likely to be attracted by features such as the newly-developed 25.7MP sensor, which is paired with a PRIME V imaging engine to deliver some impressive speed specs. Being APS-C there’s a 1.5x crop, which will get wildlife

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PENTAX K-3 MARK III | TESTED

The Pentax K-3 Mark III is fully featured and packed full of high-end specs and well up to professional use.

Work with a crop sensor camera such as the new Pentax K-3 Mark III and your long lenses will get you even closer to the wildlife action.

professionals even closer to their subjects, turning a 70-200mm lens into a 105300mm optic. While some will think a fullframe sensor is a necessity for a camera to be considered fully pro-spec these days, the truth is that crop sensor cameras can deliver huge benefits and many brands are now blurring the lines between their semipro and fully-pro line-ups of cameras.

Along with the weather sealing, other pro credentials for the K-3 Mark III include the camera’s ability to operate in temperatures as low as -10°C and the inclusion of the DRII (Dust Removal) mechanism which, as the name suggests, aims to rid the sensor of any troublesome dust particles. The shutter mechanism is rated to withstand 300,000 actuations ›

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TESTED | PENTAX K-3 MARK III

The new Pentax is “fast, but it also improves on precision as well, offering a whole new AF system that breaks fresh ground for Pentax DSLRs. While the Mark II could only offer 27 AF points, the Mark III ramps this up to 101, with 25 of these points being the more sensitive cross-type. ”

In the field the K3 Mark III is fast and responsive, offering highly accurate AF performance.

and the body is made from magnesium alloy, which provides considerable strength without pushing up the weight: at 820g, which includes battery and SD card, it’s not going to strain your back.

When it comes to power, the K-3 Mark III’s battery offers 800 shots on a single charge, which tallied with my findings in the field. That’s not bad, and the camera can also be powered up via a USB-C connection. For professionals who need more there’s also a battery grip available.

More Speed While the rugged build of the new camera might be something that Pentax owners would have expected, what’s new and ground-breaking from the K-3 Mark III is the speed and autofocus innovations that are on board, and it’s these specifications that will push existing Mark II owners to upgrade. Pro wildlife photographers will be able to take advantage of the new camera’s rapid burst rate, which enables capture of 12fps - that’s a big improvement on the average 8.3fps returned by the older K-3 Mark II, and it easily beats the full-frame K-1 Mark II, which offers just 4.4fps.

So the new Pentax is fast, but it also improves on precision as well, offering a whole new AF system that breaks new ground for Pentax DSLRs. While the Mark II could only offer 27 AF points, the Mark III ramps this up to 101, with 25 of these points being the more sensitive cross-type.

What’s more, the autofocus system is well placed to perform in low light conditions and is, in fact, able

to operate down to -4EV. Perhaps the biggest change will be noted when the camera is in continuous focusing mode: the K-3 Mark III is easily the fastest Pentax I’ve ever used and tracks subjects well while in operation, resulting in a high hit rate during a fast burst of images.

Look around the K-3 Mark III and you’ll find other nods to its professional credentials. For example, there are not one, but two SD card slots, enabling users to make an instant back-up of their images or choose to write stills to one

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In continuous focusing mode the latest Pentax is super fast at tracking subjects.

A battery grip that’s available for the new camera increases the power levels considerably and adds to overall balance.

PENTAX K-3 MARK III | TESTED

SPECIFICATIONS Pentax K-3 Mark III STREET PRICE: £1899 (body only) SENSOR: 26MP (25.73MP effective) APS-C CMOS with AA Filter Simulator MOUNT: K-Mount LCD: Fixed 3.20in touch sensitive LCD with 1620k resolution VIEWFINDER: Pentaprism finder with approx 100% coverage and 1.05x magnification AUTOFOCUS: SAFOX 101-point Phasedetection system SHUTTER: 1/8000sec to 30 sec, rated to 300,000 actuations BURST RATE: 12fps (up to approx. 37fps JPEG or 32 Raw) VIDEO: 4K (3840x2160, 30p/24p), Full HD (1920x1080, 60p/30p/24p) HEADPHONE PORT: Yes EXTERNAL MIC PORT: Yes BATTERY LIFE: Approx 800 shots DIMENSIONS: 134.5mm (W) x103.5mm (H) x 73.5mm (D) WEIGHT: 735g body only or 820g with battery and SD card

card and video to the other. And, yes, the K-3 Mark III does offer a decent line-up of video features, topping out at 4K 30p and boasting ports for both headphones and an external mic, so enhanced audio can be both captured and monitored. While I don’t think many professionals will be chopping in their Canon R5s or Sony a7S cameras to make movies with the K-3 Mark III, it does show that Pentax has worked hard to present a well-rounded camera.

Wildlife photographers shooting in low light or with longer focal lengths where shake can be more of a problem will appreciate the fact that the K-3 Mark III

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retains the Shake Reduction technology that’s included on the Mark II model, and this affords the user up to 5.5 stops of compensation. It’s easy to forget that Pentax was one of the few brands to really push ahead with In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) in their DSLRs. Interestingly, the K-3 Mark III also retains the Astrotracer feature that has proved popular with professional astrophotographers, and the ISO ceiling is absolutely huge – topping out at a massive ISO 1600,000. However, where Pentax has arguably dropped the ball is with the LCD design as, although the K-3 Mark III

features an impressive 3.2-inch LCD that’s touch-sensitive and works brilliantly, the screen is fixed, making setting up awkward low/high compositions really difficult.

This is a real facepalm moment, as the K-3 Mark III would have benefited hugely by including an LCD design similar to that found on the full-frame K-1, which features malleable stilts. Even a tilting LCD design would have contributed to the K-3 Mark III being a far more usable camera, and it’s a real shame this area has been overlooked.

One saving grace is that Pentax has included an Outdoor Brightness feature, and this allows users to increase the ›

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TESTED | PENTAX K-3 MARK III brightness of the LCD if required when shooting in bright sunlight.

Using the Camera In the hands, the Pentax K-3 Mark III feels exactly as a DSLR should; strong, wellproportioned and easy to get a firm grip around. All of these attributes are very useful if you’re working in wet weather conditions that might make smaller cameras slippery and harder to hold.

While not heavy, the K-3 Mark III is certainly not as lightweight as other APS-C DSLRs out there, such as the Canon EOS 90D (701g). What’s more, I tested the K-3 Mark III with some fast, weighty glass such as the Pentax 70-20mm f/2.8, so it could pay to bring along a monopod to pair with the lens’ collar if you’re going to be working out in the field for some time.

If you do need still more focal length, the camera offers an additional 1.3x crop mode and, while this does mean casting aside a few megapixels, if you’re shooting to share on platforms such as Flickr or other social media sites, the quality should still be fine.

If you’re new to Pentax bodies, the sheer number of dials and buttons on board will take a little getting used to, but the K-3 Mark III literally puts all the control in

The K-3 Mark III literally “puts all the control in the user’s hands and, for professionals, this can only be a good thing.

Users can put their mark on virtually every button, dial and setting. ” The new Pentax is going to hold great appeal for wildlife and landscape photographers.

The level of customisation on the K-3 Mark III is up to Pentax’s high standard, and you’ll be able to take full control.

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the user’s hands and, for professionals, this can only be a good thing. Users can put their mark on virtually every button, dial and setting, and this level of extreme customisation is almost bordering on overload. However, Pentax owners love this level of tinkering and, once the camera is set up to your liking, you’re good to go.

Reviewing the test images, I found myself impressed with the overall quality of the files. Although the K-3 Mark III offers a high degree of control when it comes to fine-tuning your JPEGs, I prefer to shoot in Raw format and the K-3 Mark III offers both PEF and DNG RAW file formats. There’s a high degree of tolerance when it comes to

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PENTAX K-3 MARK III | TESTED

editing the Raw files in software such as Lightroom, with highlights being able to be pulled back where required and detail able to be revealed in the shadows.

The colour science is typical Pentax, a rich, true-to-life rendition without any blue, green or yellow colour casts. Thanks to its 26MP sensor the K-3 Mark III can produce a maximum file size of 6192x4128 pixels, meaning that photographers should easily be able to make prints up to A3 in size or be able to crop into images without compromising on quality.

More information:

❚ www.ricoh.co.uk

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VERDICT THE K-3 MARK III serves up an interesting conundrum for pros who are either already invested in a Pentax system or who have maybe tried mirrorless models and prefer a DSLR way of working. At close to £2000 it’s not cheap, and you’re investing in technology some consider outdated.

Despite the fact that this camera features an APS-C sensor rather than a full-frame, the K-3 Mark III definitely offers enough top-level features to be considered a camera suitable for professional use. There’s also zero

doubt the rugged build will allow the camera to take the knocks of everyday use, while the K-3 Mark III also features good speed and an autofocus system fast enough for sport and wildlife specialists.

If you’re a landscape professional then perhaps the extra megapixels and fullframe goodness of the K-1 Mark II could serve you better, and it would be nice to see some newer glass being brought to market by Pentax, but there’s no doubt the K-3 Mark III will find a welcome home in the kit bags of a great many pro photographers up and down the country.

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FULL REVIEW

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 (UX582) Is the cutting-edge new dual-screen laptop from Asus going to change the world for professional photographers and videographers? Mike Jennings checks out its capabilities.

WORDS MIKE JENNINGS E TOOK A first look at the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 in our last issue and now the fully-functional version of the machine has arrived we can truly see what the highly innovative dual-screen UX582 laptop has to offer professional photographers and videographers. It’s time to seriously ask whether it’s able to justify its hefty £2999 price tag.

First let’s take a quick walk around this ground-breaking machine to see what it has to offer, and the best place to start of course is the double screen, which opens up some very interesting new possibilities. The main panel is a 15.6in OLED touchscreen with 4K resolution and an included 4096-point stylus, while the ScreenPad is a 14in IPS touchscreen offering 3,840 x 1,100 resolution.

The primary panel offers superb quality. Its maximum brightness capability of 374cd/m2 can handle any indoor or outdoor scenario, and the OLED display means perfect black levels and sensational contrast – better than any IPS panel. The average Delta E of 1.52 ensures accurate colours, and the temperature and Gamma levels of 6,609K and 2.22 are both superb.

When tested the screen rendered 100% of the sRGB colour space and delivered 94.4% and 99.1% results in the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 spaces with volume beyond 100%. The display also has Pantone and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 validation. In short, this screen will handle any colour-sensitive photography task you might choose to throw at it: you’re only going to get more accuracy if you’re working with high-end desktop monitors.

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The lower panel meanwhile has a peak brightness of 377cd/m2 alongside middling black point and contrast results of 0.39cd/m2 and 966:1. The colours are understandably less accurate here, and the relatively shallow angle makes everything look a little washed-out. That’s not a big issue, however: this display is designed to hold timelines, media players, web browsers and chat tools, so it doesn’t need to aspire to the same quality levels.

Performance High-end internals further bolster Asus’ brilliant screens. Intel’s Core i9-10980HK processor has eight multi-threaded cores and a theoretical peak speed of 5.3GHz, and the Asus uses Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics (see Box Out). There’s 32GB of memory on board and a 1TB SSD. All of this means there’s more than enough power available to allow advanced photo and video editing to be tackled, along with

The innovative design of the new Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and its highend components makes it ideally suited to editing.

The last creative laptop we had in for review was the Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel, which coincidentally comes in at the same price point. That laptop offers the same colour accuracy and resolution as the UX582’s main display, and it features an innovative tilting hinge and a built-in Wacom touchscreen. However, IPS technology means you don’t get the same deep black levels, and there’s no other laptop on the market at present offering a second screen in the style of the ZenBook Pro Duo.

office applications and multi-tasking.

While the UX582 offers tremendous power, it’s not necessarily the best option.

The Acer’s Core i7 processor was a little quicker in most benchmarks, while there are also other machines at this price and less with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900H, 5900HS, and 5900HX. Also look out for Apple’s MacBook Pro 16 when it appears with the M1 processor – that’ll be quicker, too. If you look elsewhere for more power, however, you’ll forego that second screen.

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ASUS ZENBOOK PRO DUO 15 | TESTED

Don’t expect exceptional battery life, either. In a conventional work test the UX582 lasted for 4 hours 20 minutes and, in a more challenging scenario, it lasted for just over an hour. That former result is better than older dual-screen Asus laptops, and it means you’ll get a reasonable stint out of this machine if you don’t push the components. But longevity unsurprisingly plummets in tougher applications, and using the battery restricts CPU and GPU performance. This machine is at its best when it’s plugged in.

On the Outside The magnesium-alloy body looks sleek, and build quality is consistently excellent.

It weighs 2.34kg, respectable for a high-

end machine, and the 22mm width is reasonable. It’s also been MIL-STD-810G tested to ensure that it’s going to be able to survive drops, vibrations, altitude, humidity and extreme temperatures.

Beyond this, the Asus strains against its dual-screen design.

The second screen pushes the keyboard to the front of the laptop.

The keys themselves have reasonable travel and are fast and responsive, but the layout is cramped, and the only way to get a numberpad is to use the virtual option on the trackpad. To be fair Asus does include a wrist-rest in the box, but in truth this is small and not particularly comfortable.

Meanwhile the trackpad is shoved to the right of the keyboard and it’s small and narrow, so anyone serious about working will use a USB mouse. The ports are inconsistent too: use an external mouse and you’ll occupy the only fullsize USB connection. The Asus does have two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and an HDMI output, but there’s no card reader or wired internet. On a machine designed for creativity, that’s disappointing. More pleasing are the additions of Wi-Fi 6 and a Windows Hello webcam.

primary panel delivers perfect black levels “andThe sensational contrast, and can handle any colour sensitive task you choose to throw at it. ” FEEL THE GEFORCE THE RTX 3070 on board the ZenBook Pro is one of Nvidia’s best laptop graphics cores and, in this laptop, it’s complemented by Nvidia Studio drivers. That’s helpful, because these have been optimised to deliver better performance and reliability in creative applications. Studio drivers likewise enhance the Adobe Creative Suite and dozens of other tools.

The RTX 3070 laptop chip includes 5,120 stream processors that use the Ampere architecture alongside 8GB of memory and ample Ray-Tracing ability. It’s enough power to tackle any creative task. Bear in mind, however, that the latest Nvidia laptop graphics cores rely on variable power limits to improve efficiency and thermal performance. In this machine’s standard performance mode the

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RTX 3070 peaks at 80W, which is the minimum available for this chip. If you deploy the UX582’s performance mode, that figure rises to 105W. On paper, the RTX 3070 laptop core peaks at 125W, but you’ll only find that in the beefiest gaming laptops, and the UX582 just doesn’t need that much grunt.

Instead the Asus strikes a good balance.

SPECIFICATIONS Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 PRICE: £2999 CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i9-10980HK MEMORY: 32GB DDR4 STORAGE: 1TB SSD GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 laptop 8GB DISPLAY: 15.6in 3,840 x 2,160 OLED Touch, 14in 2,840 x 1,100 IPS Touch PORTS: 2 x Thunderbolt 3/USB-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x HDMI, 1 x audio CONNECTIVITY: Dual-band 802.11ax wireless, Bluetooth 5.0 DIMENSIONS: 360 x 249 x 22mm (WxDxH) WEIGHT: 2.34Kg BATTERY: 92Wh OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit WARRANTY: 1yr RTB

VERDICT THE ASUS ZENBOOK UX582 is innovative and powerful and has plenty of plus points: the main screen has brilliant photo-editing quality, the second display adds versatility in loads of creative situations and the UX582 has impressive performance levels.

There are some negatives as well though. The components are impressive, but it’s still easy to find more powerful processing. Meanwhile the second display hinders the keyboard and trackpad, and battery life is unsurprisingly mediocre. It’s expensive too, and its connectivity is surprisingly inconsistent.

If you’ve got the cash and feel that second display could play a crucial role in your photography or video workflow then the UX582 does make plenty of sense – especially if you work with a USB mouse and you’re happy to stay rooted to the mains. But before you shell out be aware of the UX582’s limitations, because they mean this machine will not suit every creative.

More information: ❚ asus.com

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 81

MINITEST GREAT NEW KIT HEADING YOUR WAY

Kingston Workflow Station and Readers

EBUYER.COM

PRICE: WORKFLOW STATION: £98.39 SD AND MICRO SD CARD MINIHUBS: £34.49/28.79 | WORDS JIM MARKS

THINK OF A WORD with zero sex appeal and ‘workflow’ would fit the bill, but throw further words into that mix and ‘data management’ would run it close. However, before your eyes close and you head off to check out the latest camera candy online, let’s spare a thought for the art of this unseen back room/studio arena.

If you use multiple media devices such as cameras, drones, sound mixers and the like you will be creating data and, most probably, veritable Gigabytes of it. Memory has now become relatively affordable and we’re all being encouraged to capture 4K, 6K even 8K of it in our video footage.

Even audio files are increasing in size across the board, with the widespread adoption of 32-bit float files for improved quality.

The question posed by all of this heavyduty data acquisition is this: how do you get the files from all of those memory cards that you’re filling up swiftly and, most importantly, safely into your computer or storage drives, especially as the latest Macs tend to be mean in the extreme with the number of input slots they offer?

This is where Kingston’s Workflow Station comes in, acting as a simple one-stop-shop for ingesting memory cards into your edit suite. At the centre of everything is a four dock, mains powered, central hub that enables multiple cards to be read on the desktop all at the same time,

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Neat and beautifully thought through, the new Workflow Station and Readers from Kingston will speed up transfers.

connected through a single USB C input.

Each slot accommodates a miniHub that comes with two SD or Mini SD card slots and so it’s possible to be reading up to eight cards at one time if necessary, although to handle that kind of input you would be looking at working with a computer that features a Thunderbolt 3 connection.

This allows you to come back from a shoot and to transfer your files from four cards at maximum speed in one hit, greatly speeding up the entire process. I would find this really useful if, for example, I’m in a hotel and need to offload multiple cards to different destinations to clients who might be screaming for the work, or even just to download cards for security reasons before wiping them for re-use the next day.

The main unit is a studio based rectangular shape, which I would probably keep with my edit suite. The individual miniHubs slot into this base unit, and each is capable of operating as a standalone

reader. I love the flexibility of this design as it allows you to choose what suits you in the field. Sometimes you’ll take the mother unit with you, at other times just the single slot-in unit, which can be bus powered directly from a laptop.

VERDICT I WOULD ENCOURAGE purchasers of this device to also consider tying in a piece of dedicated data transfer software, such as Hedge https://hedge.video/ hedge. Admittedly this does come with a $129-a-year fee, but on the plus side it adds control and data verification, along with priceless peace of mind.

The Kingston Workflow Station utilises a USB 3.2 interface, so offload speeds are super quick. From my tests it also works seamlessly on PC or Mac, including the new M1 laptops.

Personally the one thing I would love to see being added is additional card support for the swappable hubs, as it would be great to be able to mix in CFast with the SD cards in the future. I’m told that Kingston is surveying the market before deciding which miniHubs will be next to be added to the line-up.

That’s the thing about data management. It’s definitely not sexy but it’s unarguably necessary, and Kingston’s Workflow Station is a well thought through, cost effective solution that will add to your card control.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH KINGSTON | ADVERTORIAL

Wickedly Fast Workflow You’ve read the review, but what’s the innovative new Kingston Workflow Hub going to offer the working pro? We caught up with globetrotting photojournalist Carrie Tang to find out.

ARRIE TANG PICKED up a camera professionally to have adventures, and she’s certainly achieved her aim. From capturing intimate supper clubs hosted by Michelin starred chefs to shooting at international music festivals, handling major advertising campaigns for A-List clients and documenting the Project Harar medical mission dedicated to transforming the lives of children and young adults in Ethiopia, she’s had an exceptional and busy career.

It’s all guaranteed to get the adrenaline racing, but there are occasions when there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day, and anything that could speed up the time-consuming but essential tasks that form an inevitable part of any assignment, such as downloading memory cards at the end of an intensive day’s shoot, is always going to be more than welcome.

Enter Kingston’s innovative and ground-breaking new product the Workflow Hub, which promises to turbo charge the transferral of files from memory cards to the computer, and Carrie is excited about the possibilities it’s offering.

“The Kingston Workflow Hub is a great piece of kit for photographers who need to upload media from multiple sources,” she confirms. “I’ve found it to be fast, light and portable enough to take on gigs with me and I like how you get one system that uploads everything including photos, video and audio all at the same time.

“I also love how you can pick and choose how you use it. For example, if you don’t need the whole hub or are only shooting with one camera body, you can take just the USB miniHub, or an SD or microSD reader depending on what you need for your shoot. So, if it’s just a quick on-location gig you can pop the miniHub

C

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To be able to sit “down together, upload everything at once and quickly pick out the best image or clip will be a real game changer, by potentially saving us hours of time. ” reader in your bag and subsequently transfer files to your laptop for maximum ease. It looks the business too, with its sleek and smart silver and black finish.”

In use Carrie has found the performance of the Hub very much lives up to the promise. “Transfers to my iMac are super quick,” she says, “even with all four docks being used, which I was really surprised about. I found the build light and compact,

and it’s also proved capable of being taken out and about on gigs. And the plug-andplay simplicity is a winner for me, with USB-C connectivity that just works when I need to upload images in a hurry.”

Looking ahead Carrie envisages that the ability to work with four readers with the potential to have up to eight card or USB slots in the dock all at the same time will be a dream for shoots where she’s working with a multi-cam production team.

“For example, when I’m shooting for Project Harar in Ethiopia, we can have up to four DSLRs on the go at once,” she says, “two shooting stills and two video, plus an audio recorder and a drone. Often we might then be receiving last minute requests for footage to be published in the local media or for the British Embassy. So, to be able to sit down together, upload everything at once and quickly pick out the best image or clip will be a real game changer, by potentially saving us hours of time.”

It’s good to see a manufacturer spotting what’s a clear a gap in the market and then designing up a product that genuinely helps professionals work more efficiently, and it’s clear that the Kingston Workflow Hub is rapidly going to endear itself to a new generation of creatives working across a wide swath of genres.

More information: ❚ carrietang.com ❚ kingston.com

VIDEO Click here to watch a video from Kingston that introduces its exciting and potentially game-changing Workflow Hub and miniHubs.

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 83

MINITESTS GREAT NEW KIT HEADING YOUR WAY

Smooth-Q3 Gimbal PRICE: £85 | ZHIYUN-TECH.COM | WORDS TERRY HOPE

SMARTPHONES HAVE REACHED a point now where the best of them are fully capable of delivering high quality 4K video footage. While for the vast majority of the time this is likely to be for personal use, there are definitely also professional applications: imagine, for example, that you’ve got a second shooter producing some BTS candid footage at a wedding you’re covering, and these kinds of impromptu and fun-filled clips can add greatly to an overall production.

However, you don’t want to be just waving your smartphone at the action because it looks unprofessional and results will be shaky and unsellable. Instead you need to be more in control and the introduction of a gimbal will add greatly to the stability you’ll be able to achieve. You’ll also be able to take advantage of onboard controls that make the whole process far simpler to undertake.

Enter devices such as the latest threeaxis Zhiyun Smooth-Q3, which are designed to be ultra-easy to set up and use and which are incredibly cost effective to buy. For just £85 you’ll be able to massively up-scale the quality of the footage you’re able to produce and the device is small and light enough to take with you anywhere.

I was able to unbox the Q-3 and to get it ready for action in just a few minutes. It’s worth noting that it doesn’t fold like some gimbals, rather you loosen a knurled knob to unlock the arm and then pull it upwards to its full height before tightening it again.

Then I needed to download the ZV Cami app to my iPhone 11 and pair it with the gimbal and then balance the entire set-up before I could start filming. It was all fairly straightforward and intuitive but there’s not a lot in the way of instruction in the box and so it get be a little fiddly.

Once you’re ready to go there’s a series of controls on the handle that are designed to be operated with just the one hand.

There’s an on/off switch and a trigger

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initiate the Smart Follow mode and you’ll then be locked on to it, so that’s useful if you’re trying to follow the bride and groom around a room, for example. You can also set slow shutter speeds on your smartphone and produce impressive hyperlapse sequences as you’re walking along, which can make eye-catching segments within your film.

Another innovative little feature is a built-in light at the top of the grip holding the smartphone. A tap on the top of this gives you a fill-in light so that you can lift the shadows on the face of a subject close to the camera or even on your own face if you happen to be vlogging.

VERDICT button on the back of the handle, while on the front you’ve got a mode and a record button plus a joystick to control direction.

One the side there’s a zoom control, so everything you need to do can be done without having to touch the phone itself.

In terms of features there are a few of these that will help the filmmaker.

For example, you can point the phone at a subject you’re interested in and then a single tap on the trigger button will

THIS IS A PIECE of kit that’s definitely aimed at the vlogger and Tik Tok community, but don’t shut your eyes entirely to the possibilities. Yes, it’s great for those markets, but it’s also a highly cost-effective way to produce stable and useful footage on your phone that could have a number of professional uses. Considering this is all for a cost that won’t break the bank, it could be worth checking out.

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MINI TESTS | TESTED

The new NiSi 15mm f/4 lens is a new direction for the manufacturer and opens up an intriguing range of options.

NiSi 4/15mm lens PRICE: £429 | NISIOPTICS.CO.UK | WORDS MATTY GRAHAM

WHILE THERE’S NO DOUBT that the emergence of mirrorless cameras has enabled brands to push new technology, it could also be argued that lenses for these full-frame mirrorless cameras can be a little on the pricey side. Step forward NiSi, who could have the perfect solution for landscape and architecture photographers who are looking for excellent image quality without wanting to break the bank. It comes in the shape of the 4/15mm lens – a manual focus optic with a 15mm focal length and a max aperture of f/4.

Of course, NiSi is best known for its range of excellent filter products, offering holders and ND/ND grad accessories. The brand has released cinema lenses before, so has pedigree in the lens making game,

SPECIFICATIONS FOCAL LENGTH (FULL FRAME): 15mm – APS-C 22mm LENS MOUNT: Sony E/Canon RF/ Nikon Z/Fujifilm X APERTURE RANGE: f/4-22 FOCUS TYPE: Manual LENS ELEMENTS/GROUPS: 12 Elements in 10 Groups FILTER THREAD: 72mm WEIGHT: 470g DIMENSIONS: 75.6x80.5mm

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but the 4/15mm is NiSi’s first lens for what can be called general photography.

Available for Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E and Fujifilm X-mounts, the lens is lightweight and highly portable, measuring just 7.5cm long and tipping the scales at only 470g – this makes this optic suitable for pro photographers who are looking to travel light or for those who don’t have much room in their kit bags.

The build of the lens is interesting and features a ‘12 elements in 10 groups’ design and this includes one aspherical and two Extra-Low Dispersion elements to provide enhanced image quality. If you’ve always relied on autofocus then the 4/15mm won’t need too much getting used to. The wide focus ring gives a lot of precision and, with the ability to magnify the live preview on a big LCD, you should have no problems achieving sharp focus.

One of the best USPs about this lens is its 10-bladed aperture, which creates fabulous starburst effects from light sources in the scene. This could work well with landscapes making use of the sun in the frame, or there could be multiple starbursts from streetlamps when capturing architectural imagery at dusk – the applications are numerous and serve to

VIDEO Click through here to watch Matty Graham’s full video review of the exciting new NiSi 15mm lens in action in the field.

add interest to the frame.

A smaller ring around the lens barrel enables the aperture to be changed quickly and the 4/15mm features a 72mm filter thread, enabling users to quickly add a holder and make use of those impressive NiSi ND filters that so many landscape photographers love to use.

The critical judgement on a lens of this nature though tends to be made based on price and performance. Costing just £429, the 4/15mm is great value and the quality of the images helps it punch well above its weight. After reviewing my test imagery, I’d place the 4/15mm on a level with optics costing twice the price.

VERDICT GREAT VALUE AND offering excellent image quality, the NiSi 4/15mm fills a genuine gap in the market and will be of particular interest to landscape shooters who have the time to make the most of a manual focus lens that is light, compact and incredibly well built.

ISSUE 184 PROFESSIONAL PHOTO | 85

“ THINGS I WISH I'D KNOWN ”

Matthew Rycraft Wedding specialist Matthew Rycraft recalls working his way up the hard way, and the value of building things up slowly, networking and aiming for award-winning results.

W

HEN I STARTED out, my mind was a world away from the success that would eventually come my way. I was young and still honing those skills. There was a lot of pressure on me at the time. Photography and a love of the lens had been in my family for three generations. A college photographic course beckoned.

Jobs, such as photographing the weddings of family friends, trickled in and I kept up my other work to make ends meet at a time when photography assignments were few and far between.

Looking back, I’m so glad that I did that – it meant working three or four times as hard and often doing something that was never going to be my calling. But ultimately it gave me that all-important key to the door.

It was the best feeling ever after three years hard work when I was finally able to give up my other work and become a full-time photographer. Building up a contact list and future bookings for weddings was one of the major factors in keeping my new business venture going in those first few months, giving me that reassurance – something I look back on now as even better than profit in those early days.

While working my way through a competitive market, I tried not to be too influenced by others. When I got to the point where I felt my photography needed more of an edge, I knew exactly what to research. Award-winning photography: always aim for the top.

It was a lot harder back then because there wasn’t the social media presence there is now, so it was more of a challenge to find people you admired.

Looking back, I probably should have practiced more and kept on pushing myself in the very early days. Now with the plethora of information and support around, there’s no excuse for not getting to where you want to be.

Young Matthew never thought about

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MATTHEW RYCRAFT MATTHEW IS WIDELY regarded as one of the best wedding photographers in the North West, and is ranked one of the Top 50 UK Wedding Photographers by SLR Lounge. Based near Liverpool, Matthew has taken top spot in Wedding of the Year for three years in a row and can boast over ten magazine front covers, as well as a host of Print Photography and International Awards. More recently he’s turned his hand to teaching, helping to nurture and develop the next generation of wedding photographers in his region. shadowing another photographer – he just went into the deep end. I should have found some local photographers to assist, spent some valuable time with them and learned about the business through their experience.

Here we are in 2021 and, after 15 years in the industry, I know my younger self should have been aware of the more difficult aspects of client working. Most work you get paid for is a challenge, especially if you criticise yourself – however, without this inward critique, it will always be an uphill struggle to get better.

It was very hard in the early days not to get very stressed at weddings – you have a lot to deal with and much to

cover, but finding that calm, flowing relaxed order to a day is key. I’d happily tell my younger self to chill out a little bit more and enjoy it. And slow down.

Don’t run around like a madman: you’ll just burn yourself out young Matthew!

Undoubtedly one of the best decisions I made was to have the business in my name. Building a reputation and a brand around Matthew Rycraft Photography has helped me in so many ways. Moving from those early days in a converted garage to opening a business premises and studio was the hardest and best decision I ever made. The separation from home life is very important.

If I could have a conversation with my younger self, I’d add that networking and finding a hardworking, trustworthy second pair of hands to support you is vital. Find the skills that you don’t have in other people. The more support you have, the more you’ll have time, energy and resources to do your job and, just as importantly, to keep that loving family life intact as well.

❚ matthewrycraft.co.uk ❚ instagram.com/matthewrycraft PROFESSIONALPHOTO.ONLINE