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PHOTO EDITING

A definitive collection for enthusiasts and professionals

Contents 70

INSPIRATION 20

Capture character

capture the culture

Landscape variety

action man

Techniques 42

unlock stunning natural colour

dramatic wildlife photography secrets

ro skills for p lighting the body

iscover the d secrets of low light and long exposures

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Master new landscapes

116

create pro portraits on location

Maximise the potential of lenses

One light portraits

126

shoot for the edit

capture artistic architecture

136

creative macro photography

Access over ten hours of free video tutorials and editing assets on FileSilo. Head to p178 to find out more.

5 pro

techniques for

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Create a high-contrast monochrome portrait

Our top tips ar just what you nee ed

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Focus in low light

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add punch with a polariser

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aster shutter m dragging

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etouch using r frequency separation

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SHARPER SHOTS

dapt local a contrast in lightroom

Career 160

How to be a better professional

164

build a brand and make your name

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meet the brief

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eal with on-shoot d setbacks

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Make time for yourself to shoot what you love, go on workshops, discover new artists that inspire you and make friends with other creativesâ&#x20AC;?

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Digital photographer Annual

The high ISO advantage Modern cameras are capable of lower noise at extreme sensitivities

If you’ve got a relatively recent camera, there’s a good chance that it delivers very good results at very high ISOs. Even if you do not plan to do much lowlight work, this is great news for photographers who want to capture the sharpest possible shots. Using a high ISO will enable you to shoot at a faster shutter speed to lower the risk of visible blur – which can be much more apparent on a highresolution camera. Noise often won’t be a problem until you reach ISO6400 and beyond, so favour a faster shutter speed and compensate with a higher ISO next time you’re photographing.

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Portrait perfection

Getting your settings correct for portraiture is extremely important, as any blurring in the facial features will become incredibly obvious. Talented photographer Gene Oryx ( www. geneoryx.com) has perfected the settings here

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Deep focus Francesco Riccardo Iacomino’s shot exemplifies the sort of front-to-back focus that many landscape photographer strive for. Understanding sharpness is vital for success

2 use the right settings

Ensure that your shutter speed, aperture and ISO choices will result in sharpness To ensure that your images are tack-sharp, you must choose the correct camera settings that fit with the kit you are using and the environment you are shooting in. Traditionally film photographers used a simple formula to work out the slowest shutter speed that they can use when hand-holding a camera to ensure that their images are sharp – and this formula is still applicable to most modern cameras. The idea is that you shoot at one over the focal length of the lens, so if you are shooting with a 200mm lens, your minimum shutter speed should be 1/200sec, and so on. Obviously, the faster the shutter speed that you use, the sharper your image will be, as there will be less chance for any movements to affect the capture. However, it is not always possible to shoot at speed, and

you may have to compromise with the other settings if you want to shoot faster. The only real exceptions to this traditional formula are when you are using modern higher-resolution cameras. You will be capturing far more detail and even the tiniest of movements will be visible and cause a lack of sharpness, so it is essential to shoot at a higher shutter speed to get tack-sharp shots. Generally, press photographers shoot at a minimum of 1/500sec to capture their subjects, no matter the lens, preferring to instead shoot at higher ISOs. However, even though using a high ISO means you can shoot at higher shutter speeds, it can also introduce noise, which will soften your images. Instead it might be a good idea to opt for a wider aperture to allow more light into your lens.

“The main control you have on focusing ability with your basic settings is aperture,” says skilled photographer Matt Reynolds (www. mattreynoldsphotography.com). “By stopping down your aperture you are able to increase your depth of field and therefore have more of the scene in focus.” Generally, shooting between f5.6 and f11 will produce the best-quality results, regardless of the lens you use. This is because a narrow aperture of around f16 or higher can create a softness in the image due to diffraction. A wide aperture below f5 will reduce the depth of field, so less of the scene is in focus. Most lenses have an aperture ‘sweet spot’, which is where your imagery will have the most clarity; it is usually around one or two stops from the maximum aperture.

sharper shots

3 Stabilise the shot

Any camera movement that occurs as the shutter is pressed can result in an unsharp image, so it is important that you keep your kit as stable as possible. The most straightforward way Monopods to stabilise your kit is to attach If a tripod is too restrictive, it to a tripod, but Stefan consider using a monopod for Lackner says it is important extra support. A monopod isn’t to remember the stability suitable for long exposures, but it’s is reduced the higher the a great choice to help with low-light tripod is built up. “One should portraiture, as well as action therefore avoid the middle photography, where you will be using fast shutter speeds. column, because it costs a lot of stability.” He goes on to say that keeping your tripod as compact as possible will also help you maintain the stability. “Also it’s recommended that you closely observe the ground. For example, small vibrations on bridges caused by traffic can harm the sharpness.” “I always use a good strong tripod when taking every image, which ensures there is absolutely no camera shake,” says Paul Ewing. “I use a Manfrotto 055 with a Manfrotto 498RC2 head. It’s a little bit heavy when carrying it up a hill, but it’s rock-solid.” Using a sturdy tripod is important when you are shooting a long exposure or are in low light: any knock to the camera will cause the image to blur and create an unsharp image. When choosing the right tripod for you, it is important to consider the weight of your kit as well as the terrain and conditions you will be using it in. Some tripods have feet with spikes on them, which will ensure that it can dig into Top Hazard Rocks the ground outdoors to limit the chance of Matt Reynolds says: “If not for the slipping. A tripod head is the most essential DoF properties of a 14mm focal part of the tripod as it will securely hold the length on full-frame camera, I would camera steady – we’d recommend using a have had to focus-stack to make this work. At 14mm you can get very close ballhead, as it enables a smooth and fluid and still have good focus front to movement while being able to securely lock back. The wider the focal length, the the camera in place. easier full depth of field becomes” It is extremely difficult to get a tack-sharp shot while shooting handheld, especially in low Right Use your tripod wisely light. Even the most minimal of movements For the ultimate in solidity, try can soften the lines in your imagery, so even when you are shooting handheld it is important to keep the legs on your tripod compact: longer legs lead to the to adopt a sturdy stance. Hold the camera possibility of some instability securely, keep your arms in and if possible Inset lean back against a wall to steady yourself. As Shooting handheld mentioned previously, a high ISO setting can If you have to shoot handheld, keep give you the high shutter speed needed to the camera close to your body and capture a scene sharply, but a high ISO setting tuck the arms in, and you’ll get away will often soften the image. with slower shutter speeds

Find out how to ensure your kit is as stable as possible for sharp imagery

Digital photographer Annual

Have you always been interested in photography? Our family had a 126 Instamatic camera when I was young. It came out for holidays, birthdays and at Christmas. I was certainly captivated by the results and the growing collection of family photo albums have become treasured family heirlooms. There was something magical about being able to capture fleeting moments and no doubt that was where my fascination with photography began.

guidebooks you’ve read or travelogues you’ve seen, nothing can prepare you for the reality of a new destination. I still feel like a child in a sweet shop when I’m documenting a new place. Everything seems photogenic. I particularly like searching for the best light, returning to a location when I think the light will be most favourable. It’s like a game, in some ways. Perhaps it’s a replacement for the hunter-gatherer instinct. Hunting out the best light, gathering the best perspectives…

How did you get started? In my former incarnation, I was a systems analyst. I took a one-year sabbatical, bought an around-the-world ticket and set off, equipped with a Canon EOS-1 and a couple of lenses. I shot as much as I could, hoping to build a portfolio that would be of interest to the big stock agencies. Looking back, the results weren’t that impressive, but having that time and freedom was invaluable as it allowed me to build the skills I would need to become a professional photographer.

What’s in your kit bag? The contents of my camera bag are dictated by the nature of the assignment. For NGO and most editorial work, I carry two Canon EOS 5D Mark IIIs with a selection of lenses including 16-35mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 50mm, 85mm, 24mm TS-E, Speedlite 580EX II and remote trigger plus all the paraphernalia that goes with that. I don’t have any lenses slower than f2.8 because I often need to work in low light and want that narrow depth of field. I’m most often working with lenses wide open. For stock photography and personal projects I use a combination of a Leica M-P and Sony a7R II, but use Leica lenses on both bodies. Again, wide apertures are essential for me and I like the fact that manual focus slows me down, forcing me to compose carefully and think more.

What got you interested in travel and editorial photography? I think my first interest is in travel, the photography is a consequence of that. I always enjoyed exploring and visiting new places. Photography offered me a way to open doors and, importantly, a means of earning a living while doing something that I really enjoyed – and still do. What do you find most exciting about travel photography? Why? I’ve yet to find anything that can beat the anticipation of arriving in a new location with a camera in hand. No matter how many

Do you have a favourite go-to lens? I do have a special fondness for the Canon EF 85mm f1.2. It can be hard to use and the depth of field is so shallow that it’s easy to lose critical focus. However, when it’s sharp, it produces the most wonderful bokeh and makes portraits really special. Those extra stops from the wide aperture really make a

InSpiration

Workflow on location Gough shares his top tips for managing images post capture while on the road

Be consistent Whether importing, storing, file naming, processing or exporting, consistency is the key and once you’ve established a workflow, try to maintain it.

Back up. Back up. Back up There’s no reason not to create multiple backups of files. Storage is cheap and relatively light. You can never have too many backups, but if you discover that you have too few, it’s probably too late to do anything about it.

Every computer disk or drive will fail eventually Carry out a little risk analysis exercise and ask yourself what would happen if (when) your computer crashes, or if you lose this drive or that drive. Could you recover it completely, quickly and easily? If not, it’s time to rethink and establish a more robust disaster-recovery plan.

huge difference in low light too, so if I had a ‘desert island’ lens, it would be the 85mm.

with how the light works in different locations at different times of day.

Do you have a favourite place to photograph? Genuinely, wherever I am at the time is my favourite place to be. It would be a challenge to do my job if you weren’t fascinated by each and every place. I don’t suppose there’s a place on Earth that doesn’t have something to offer. However, I’m especially fond of Asia, where people tend to live their lives on the street much more than in Europe and North America. I relocated to Bangkok in 2008 because Southeast Asia has so much photographic potential. Photographers can find engaging subjects literally every time we step onto the street in that part of the world. I’m running a photo workshop in Nepal in March next year and I’m really looking forward to introducing the group to some of my favourite places. I’ve been visiting Nepal regularly for 15 years so I’m becoming familiar

A lot of your images are very engaging. How do you go about achieving this? Thank you. I don’t think there’s a secret. If a photographer is engaged with their subject, the results will show evidence of that. That’s true for portrait, landscape, fashion or any other photographic genre. I know that my best images have been made when I’ve been most fully engaged with my subject. If you’re not interested in something, why bother photographing it? That would just be a chore. Is there a trick to approaching people that you wish to photograph? Not a trick as such, but my mantra is ‘tea first, photography second’. What I mean by that is that I tend to chat with people first. I’ll buy something in a market and chat with the stallholder. Often, I’ll find a place where locals are drinking tea, something that happens all

Keep an off-site backup Even those of us who make regular data backups sometimes overlook the risk of having all our data in one place. If there’s a fire or flood or some other catastrophic event, you don’t want to add to the misery by discovering that all your hard work has been lost. Swap backup drives with a friend and keep them separate.

Duplicate data When travelling, keep one set of data in your hand luggage and a complete copy in your checked luggage. Never travel with only one set. Bags get lost or stolen and returning from a trip to discover that your files have been lost would be a nightmare. If travelling with an assistant or companion, get them to carry one set of back-up drives. My complete workflow process is available in an e-book guide on my website at www.gavingough.com.

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Patan Durbar Square

Jote, Shibrampur, India

A group of men sitting and relaxing on a bench in Patan Durbar Square, India

A girl posing behind decorative bars beside the front door to her family home

Digital photographer Annual

Embrace perspective

Find a way to get down low or up high to create extra interest

Shooting from an unusual perspective is a good idea with many subjects, but it’s a particularly important approach to try when you are photographing architectural imagery, as it makes the ordinary appear extraordinary. You can use perspective to demonstrate the depth and scale of a scene, but also to distort and emphasise it. Perspective distortion is a warping of a scene that makes it look different to a normal angle of view. Wide-angle lenses

will cause extension distortion, where objects close to the lens appear unnaturally large compared to objects in the distance, creating more depth in the image. Distortion is usually most noticeable when you shoot buildings with a wide-angle lens: the wider the angle of view you capture is, the more the vertical lines will converge in the shot. You can overcome this kind of distortion by shooting with the camera placed perpendicular

to the building – although it is not always possible to fit the whole building in the frame when you do this – or you can use a tilt-shift lens to control the perspective. Perspective is not only altered by the focal length, but by your physical positioning. This is not just about moving closer or further away, but also moving in the vertical plane. Shooting from above or below can enhance perspective dramatically. A building shot from

TECHNIQUES

below, looking up with a wide-angle lens, will look more intimidating than in real life, and the converging vertical lines will emphasis its height. In addition, the sides of the building will act as lead-in lines, which are a classic use of perspective and help to draw the viewer through the image. Shooting from high up with a wide-angle lens, on the other hand, will extend the perceived distance, adding more depth and exaggerating the scale. If you want to err on the side of extreme distortion, try using a fish-eye lens because it will create a false perspective where the straight lines will appear curved, which is perfect for more creative shooting. Opposite-top-left

Extension perspective

Using a wider lens will increase the perceived depth and angle of view captured in the image

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From below

Shooting a tall building from below is a great way to create a dramatic perspective

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Look down

A wide angle of view will emphasise the depth captured in a scene, and shooting downwards extends the height

final

Correct perspective Use a tilt-shift lens to improve your architecture BEFORE

Compose with Live View This mode helps you to compose the scene. At this point, the top of the building won’t be visible.

Use a tripod Using a sturdy tripod makes it a lot easier to compose the image and operate the tilt-shift lens.

Focus You must use Manual focus with a tilt-shift lens. Zoom into the area you want to be in focus at an aperture of f8 to f11.

Position the camera Having the camera pointing upwards creates converging verticals, so ensure the back is parallel.

Shift the lens Do this until you can see the top of the building appear in the frame. Check the composition then take the photo.

Digital photographer Annual

Cover the viewfinder

compose with care

Combine the ideal elements within the scene at night Long exposures need to be composed just like any other shot, and guides such as the rule of thirds are just as useful. It’s also important to consider the whole scene and ensure that there’s something of interest in the foreground, middle and background of the composition, just as you would with an image taken in daylight. However, you can use light, or the lack or it, to reveal or conceal parts of the scene. One of the most important aspects to remember about shooting exposures of several seconds or more, is that moving objects may be recorded as a blur or, if they move fast enough, not at all. It depends how fast they move and how long the exposure is. Clouds, for example, can be recorded as a blur to give a sense of movement or an impending storm, but if you use a very long exposure they may cover the whole frame. And while the dark bodies of passing cars will be invisible, their bright lights will registered as streaks of light.

With an SLR it’s important to cover the viewfinder or close its blind during a long exposure, as otherwise light can leak in and bounce around inside the camera, resulting in strange, ghostly patches.

Above

Big Stopper, Little Stopper An ND filter is useful when you need to extend exposure time Lee Filters’ Big Stopper is one of the most popular neutral-density filters available for extending exposure time, but with a ten-stop rating, it’s stronger than you need in low light or dusk conditions. The Little Stopper makes a great alternative, cutting out 6 EV of light, turning an exposure of 1/4 second into a 15-second one.

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without

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Extending the exposure time to 50 seconds has created a much more interesting image with attractive blurring of the water. The clouds have

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Aurora over Reine

Mobius Arch, California

Shooting at ISO 1600 with the 5D Mark III means noise levels aren’t too bad, but the image still needs careful treatment

Noise can be problematic with areas of uniform tone, like the sky in this shot captured at a moderate sensitivity setting of ISO 800

TECHNIQUES

AIM FOR HIGH QUAlity results Long exposures can create unique image problems During long exposures the image sensor inside a camera starts to heat up, and this results in image noise. Unlike high-sensitivity noise, it is characteristic of the sensor, a bit like a fingerprint, and that provides a means for removing it. The easiest method is to use the in-camera noise-reduction system, but this doubles the time it takes to produce every image. When activated via the menu, long-exposure noise reduction will automatically kick in whenever

there’s an exposure of one second or longer. After the image exposure is made, the camera makes another of the same duration without opening the shutter. This dark frame enables the camera to identify where the noise is before extracting it from the image. To save time on each shot, it’s also possible to do this dark-frame extraction yourself, but it’s important to make a dark frame at regular intervals as the amount of noise will build up as the sensor continues to warm.

Three options available for tackling this issue

In-camera Your camera has two methods of noise reduction: high sensitivity and long exposure. The latter doubles the time each shot takes, but it’s the easiest way.

Use software Lightroom and Photoshop can reduce noise for long-exposure images, but dedicated software such as Imagenomic Noiseware can also do the job.

Black-frame extraction With the lens cap on, shoot a dark frame of equal length to the image’s. Put the dark image layer above the image and set the blend mode to Subtract.

Stack images Merge images of the same scene to reduce noise visibility

Change sensitivity settings When you find a great photo opportunity, but light levels are very low and you don’t have a tripod, the only option is to set a high-sensitivity setting.

Use continuous drive Your aim is to produce a series of images as near to identical as possible, so switch the camera to continuous drive and hold it as still as possible.

Shoot a sequence Be sure to set a shutter speed that enables you to get sharp shots, then shoot a sequence of ten images with the same exposure settings and composition.

Download the images Open the images in Adobe Bridge, select the ones you want to work with, then click Tools> Photoshop>Load Files into Photoshop Layers.

Align the layers There’s likely to be a little variation in composition, so use Edit> Auto-Align Layers to ensure that all the images overlay each other and everything lines up.

Apply Median Stack Select all the layers and head to Layer>Smart Objects>Convert to Smart Object, before selecting Layer>Smart Objects>Stack Mode>Median.

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Digital photographer Annual

Deal with on-shoot setbacks Wardrobe malfunctions? Agents being awkward? Keep calm, and find out what to do when your shoots go wrong

hotography shoots can be a logistical nightmare, regardless of their scale or style. On the day of a photoshoot, you’re having to realise a ton of planning in the hope that everything comes together, and that you get results to wow your client with. When one teeny element goes askew, it could easily throw off the rest of the shoot. But fear not. We’ve put together a brief guide on avoiding professional meltdown when faced with on-shoot stumbling blocks. “Setbacks are all part and parcel of most shoots, whether impromptu or set up in advance,” acknowledges freelance photographer Marcus Hessenberg (marcushessenberg.com). Working in the portraiture, documentation and travel genres has its own specific pitfalls, and he explains the difficulty of working outside a studio. “One of the big factors with most of my location work based in London is location permission. So many locations in Central London are privately owned and it is not unusual for a

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