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PLUS BUYERS’ GUIDES Issue 103 • August 2015
CANON 5DS & 5DS R TESTs
MEGAPIXEL
marvel
The pros (and cons) of Canon’s big-sensor DSLR revealed in our essential eight-page lab test
a bird’s eye view
The magazinneo.1 for
Aerial photography ace Vincent Laforet on his sky-high city shots
CANON
FREE CANON CITY GUIDE No.2
Paris’s hot photo spots
free!
222-page ebook B&w techniques worth £7.99
users!
expert canon skills
brilliant B&w shots 12-page guide to creating dramatic mono images new in-depth tests
prime time! Fixed-focal-length lenses for perfect portraits
BEAUTIFUL BLACK & WHITE
Julia Anna Gospodarou shows you how to create incredible black-andwhite images like this on page 28. Plus check out Vincent Laforet’s amazing sky-high aerial cityscape shots on page 66
Our Guarantee
Welcome...
W Peter Travers Editor
hen I come back in my next life, I want to be a golden eagle. Flying around, king of the skies, with the best views on earth to watch the world go by. This is what I imagine it’s like to be aerial photography ace Vincent Laforet, as he hangs out of the window of another helicopter, poised with his Canon EOS DSLR ready to take another stunning sky-high cityscape. This month we interview him and display possibly his best work to date; truly breathtaking shots of the biggest UK and US cities at night. Prepare to be awestruck on page 66. This month we also reveal our verdict on Canon’s 50-megapixel EOS 5DS and 5DS R cameras. I have to say the level of image detail that both cameras capture is truly incredible, and our honest, eight-page test includes a 50Mp image download so you can see for yourself, along with the pros and cons of such large-sensor cameras, on page 110. I’m also very excited to show off the fine-art black-and-white photography of the supremely talented Julia Anna Gospodarou. In her big 12-page guide, she explains how to capture and create dramatic monochrome masterpieces – see page 28. I also reveal essential tips for making some killer black-and-white conversions on page 56. Also inside this 148-page issue, our Apprentice hits the streets of London, in Canon School we teach you the benefits of controlling your shutter speeds, plus we test eight prime lenses for great portrait shots. And we have another ten great videos for you, plus a free Teach Yourself Black & White Photography ebook worth £7.99. See over the page now.
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CONTENTS 40
dslr & photoshop tips
The fine art of Black & White
Learn essential camera and photography techniques for creating marvellous mono images with our 12-page guide by Julia Anna Gospodarou
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Essentials
Canon pros
Our selection of the best images shot on Canon from our latest ‘trains, planes and automobiles’ photography contest
Get some top tips from this month’s pro on how to shoot city-slick street photography
18 Inspirational Canon imagery 8 The Apprentice David Noton On Location Subscribe today 40 26 The Canon Conversation The fine-art of B&W 66 28 My Kit Photo Stories 82 74 Save money when you subscribe, plus get a free Manfrotto LED light worth £45
Learn how to give your black-andwhite photographs a fabulous fine-art twist
The latest showcase of your top-quality images and the stories behind them
80 136 Back issues 145 Next issue 146 Canondrum Focus Point
Your views on the magazine, plus Shot of the Month, fun stats and much more Missed a mag? Didn’t get our special 100th edition? Details on back issues here
Find out what’s in store in the September issue, in just four weeks’ time... Think you know everything about photography? Put yourself to the test here!
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This month David captures original shots of the wonderful sights of Paris
Pulitzer Prize-winning pro Vincent Laforet on his aerial photography project Nature photographer Victoria Hillman tells us what bits of kit she can’t live without
New tests
104 Gear Update 108 Mini Test: Monopods 110 Full Test: EOS 5DS & 5DS R Find out about the very latest Canon-fit kit for your beloved DSLR
This issue we look at six streamlined supports to help you capture pin-sharp shots
We put the incredible 50-megapixel Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R through their paces with our new in-depth lab tests
Test: 118 Super prime optics This issue we put eight prime lenses to the test
Canon School 130 Complete Buyers’ 86 Canon DSLR Essentials All you ever needed to know about shutter speeds to help improve your shots
92 Software Solutions
Restore blown-out highlights in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, plus import images using Image Browser EX
97 EOS S.O.S
Guide for DSLRs and lenses
Every current Canon EOS DSLR – plus every available Canon-fit lens from Canon, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and more!
118
We come to the rescue and solve more Canon queries in this issue’s EOS Q+A section www.digitalcameraworld.com
Issue 103 august 2015
THIS MONTH’S
FREE videos
66 110
10 ways to improve your photography today
44
Project 1: Get great atmospheric shots of live music at festivals
48
Project 2: Shoot an Impressionistic cityscape using multiple images
50
Project 3: Replicate reality using watery reflections as natural mirrors Photoshop elements
free! B&W bookazine
worth £7.99
free! Official canon city photo guides No.2 Paris’ unique photo spots
54
56
60
Photoshop CC
Lightroom
Canon software
62
64
Project 4: Use in-camera multiple exposures for creative results
Tutorial 2: Spice up your portraits by adding brush-based bokeh
Project 5: Create and convert images for brilliant black-and-white shots
Tutorial 3: How to create your own photo book with the Book Module
Tutorial 1: Give your images a fun colour pop effect with the help of guided edits
92
Canon School: Restore highlights in DPP 4 and discover Image Browser EX
READ THE TUTORIALS… THEN WATCH OUR EXPERT VIDEOS
Look out FOR THIS ICON! Download your free 222-page Teach Yourself Black & White Photography ebook now from
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The Canon Magazine
Download the second of six Canon photo guides for Europe’s best cities from our Video Disc or from this link: http://downloads.photoplusmag. com/City_Guide_-_Paris.pdf
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THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THESE VIDEO TUTORIALS ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND NOT ENDORSED OR SPONSORED BY CANON OR ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
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Meet the team... Print 20,240 Digital 4,289 The ABC combined print, digital and digital publication circulation for Jan-Dec 2014 is
24,529 A member of the Audited Bureau of Circulations
Who we are, what we do, and our highlights of issue 103…
PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA Editorial +44 (0)1225 442244 photoplus@futurenet.com
Peter Travers
Adam Waring
peter.travers@futurenet.com
adam.waring@futurenet.com
Editor • 5D Mark III
Operations editor • 7D
Peter is a big fan of B&W imagery. See his mono-based project Page 53 and Julia Anna Gospodarou’s fine-art B&W photography guide. Page 28
The sign of a great festival is only having the haziest recollection of it, according to Adam, so he found this issue’s festival photography project very useful. Page 78
Hollie Latham
Martin Parfitt
hollie.latham@futurenet.com
martin.parfitt@futurenet.com
Technique editor • 60D
Art editor • 600D
Hollie had fun helping out with this month’s Apprentice shoot in central London with our street photography expert and Apprentice. Page 8
Keen-as-mustard train, plane and automobile-spotter Martin loved this issue’s Inspirations gallery, especially the Red Arrows display team shots. Page 18
Angela Nicholson
Chris George
angela.nicholson@futurenet.com
chris.george@futurenet.com
Head of testing • 5D Mk III
Group editor-in-chief • 650D
Angela loves fast prime optics, so she really enjoyed our Super Test Page 118 plus she loved getting her hands on the Canon 5DS and 5DS R. Full test on Page 110
One thing Chris has learned is that there are occasions that really do require more pixels… so he’s really excited by the 50-megapixel 5DS. Page 110
This issue’s contributors… Damien Demolder
Our street photography expert hit London with our Apprentice to capture some candid portraits. Page 8
Victoria Hillman
Nature and wildlife photographer Victoria reveals what kit she couldn’t live without. Page 82
Julia Anna Gospodarou
Fine-art Canon photographer Julia reveals her top tips and techniques for creating top mono images. Page 28
Andrew James
Our expert Andrew tells you all you need to know about shutter speed but were afraid to ask. Page 86
Advertising & Marketing Matt Bailey Account director 01225 687511 matt.bailey@futurenet.com Claire Harris Account manager 01225 687221 claire.harris@futurenet.com Sasha McGregor Advertising Business Manager 01225 687675 sasha.mcgregor@futurenet.com Charlotte Lloyd-Williams Campaign Manager Production & distribution Vivienne Calvert Production controller Mark Constance Production manager Michelle Brock Trade Marketing Manager 0207 429 3683 Printed in the UK by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Distributed by: Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT, Tel: 0207 429 4000 Overseas distribution by: Seymour International Subscriptions & back issues UK reader order line & enquiries 0844 848 2852 Overseas order line & enquiries +44 1604 251045 Online enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Email photoplus@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Licensing Regina Erak International director regina.erak@futurenet.com Management Nial Ferguson Content & marketing director Matthew Pierce Head of content & marketing, photography Chris George Group editor-in-chief Rodney Dive Group art director
Chief executive Zillah Byng-Maddick Non-executive chairman Peter Allen Chief financial officer Richard Haley
David Noton
This month David takes us on a journey across the channel to capture Paris in the springtime. Page 40
Brian Worley
Your latest queries and questions answered in our EOS SOS Q+A section by Canon guru Brian. Page 97
Vincent Laforet
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Canon pro on his career and the story of his amazing aerial city shots. Page 66
Matthew Richards
This month Matthew Richards puts eight super-speedy prime lenses to the test. Page 118
Our contributors Ben Andrews, George Cairns, David Clark, Damien Demolder, Adam Gasson, Julia Anna Gospodarou, Pete Gray, Victoria Hillman, Andrew James, Vincent Laforet, Adam Lee, Simon Lees, Andrew McLaughlin, Andy McGregor, David Noton, James Paterson, Matthew Richards, Tom Welsh, Brian Worley
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The PhotoPlus team Peter Travers Editor Adam Waring Operations editor Hollie Latham Technique editor Martin Parfitt Art editor Shona Cutt Deputy art editor Angela Nicholson Head of testing Ali Jennings Lab manager Shutterstock Cover photo
Tel +44 (0)207 042 4000 (London) Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 (Bath) Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, on behalf of Future. Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT. Tel 020 7429 4000. Overseas distribution by Seymour International.
PhotoPlus is an independent publication and is not in any way authorised, affiliated, nor sponsored by Canon. All the opinions expressed herein are those of the magazine and not that of Canon. ‘EOS’ and all associated trademarks are the property of Canon. © Future Publishing Limited 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.
We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
www.digitalcameraworld.com
PHOTOPLUSApprentice canon PRO Name:
Damien Demolder Camera:
Canon 7D Mk II & 1D X Photographer and journalist Damien has a wealth of experience when it comes to shooting almost any subject. However, his passion lies in street photography and he runs a variety of workshops in London, so was just the person to break Alistair in gently to surreptitiously shooting on the streets of the capital. For details of Damien’s courses, see his website www.damiendemolder.com
APPRENTICE Name:
Alistair Peebles Camera:
Canon Eos 650D Alistair runs his own design and print company in Winchester, Hampshire. As a keen bodyboarder and photographer, he has travelled all over the world to a variety of destinations to catch the waves and indulge in landscape and wildlife photography. Street photography is a new concept to him, so he was intrigued to discover more with Damien.
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www.digitalcameraworld.com
SHOOT WITH A PRO
candid camera
Our Apprentice travels to London this month with pro photographer Damien Demolder to capture candid street shots The Canon Magazine
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PHOTOPLUSApprentice TECHNIQUE ASSESSMENT
Is Alistair streetwise? Damien made sure that Alistair’s street-shooting settings were city-slick Shoot in Av mode For speed, Damien got Alistair to shoot in Av mode. “You can control the depth of field and let the camera work out the shutter speed,” says Damien. “In most situations, set a wide aperture to produce a shallow depth of field in order to isolate your subject from their surroundings. Shooting wide open will also ensure you’ve got fast enough shutter speeds to shoot handheld, as tripods are a big no-no in street photography. Increase the ISO to set a faster shutter speed, we need to ensure it’s at least 1/500 sec to freeze subjects on the move.”
Exposure compensation Alistair knew about the exposure compensation function on his camera but had never used it, so Damien explained: “If you’re in Av mode, you can turn the Quick Control Dial in either direction to adjust the exposure up or down, which will adjust the shutter speed to let in more or less light. This gives you far more control over your exposures, enabling you to quickly brighten or darken your image to create contrast.”
Focus & Drive mode “Some street photographers fire off a burst of frames to maximize their chances of nailing the perfect shot,” says Damien. “However, I think this takes away the spontaneity, so I got Alistair to set his Drive mode to Single Shooting and AF mode to One Shot. It’s good practice to anticipate the moment and take a single, well-timed image, rather than rattle off a series and hope for the best. For better results, don’t chase your subject, but manually select an AF point and wait for them to pass over it before firing a shot.”
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Top gear #1 50mm prime lens
Shooting with a 50mm lens on a full-frame DSLR will capture a perspective similar to what the human eye sees. “This is important to give a realistic impression of the scene and make the viewer feel like they’re there too,” says Damien. “A small 50mm prime is also less conspicuous, so you don’t stick out like a sore thumb, to increase your chances of bagging some great candid shots. It may be tempting to use a long telephoto lens in order to keep your distance, but it will become very obvious what you’re pointing at!”
Drawing with light “The definition of photography is ‘drawing with light’,” says Damien. “We want to capture photos with impact, and using the contrast in light will help us do this, as we’re essentially photographing the light and not the people. Too many people get caught up in capturing the subject and context, relying on it to make a great photo. As a street photographer you’re merely documenting a scene, but by capturing the light in that scene, you’re making your own interpretation of it.”
EXPERT INSIGHT
Graphic composition “Highly concentrated light can make for very graphic compositions. Look out for reflections and shadows cast from strong, direct sunlight. Alistair’s timing in these two shots are spot on as he’s visualized the image and waited for a subject to move through the scene, firing the shutter at the optimum moment. In the first shot he’s captured both the subject and his reflection in a rectangular patch of light, allowing for comfortable spacing around both. In the second image he’s used the shadow to add another dimension, by giving this passer-by some angel wings!”
www.digitalcameraworld.com
SHOOT WITH A PRO
alistair’s comment To start off with, Damien got me thinking about light. As it was a lovely, sunny day, he told me to look for spots of light and not to shy away from contrast. Being situated between two tall buildings provided us with strong bands of light and shadow, which was perfect for capturing subjects in a pool of light. For this image Damien suggested dialing in -1 stop of negative exposure compensation to darken the background shadows to make the subjects pop out from their surroundings.
HOT SHOT #1 The Canon Magazine
Lens
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Exposure
1/400 sec, f/4, ISO100
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PHOTOPLUSApprentice
EXPERT INSIGHT
Look for details “If you’ve got a great backdrop and the light is good, it’s simply a case of waiting for an interesting subject to walk into frame. Often the smaller details can make a photo; hair blowing in the wind or shimmering in the sun, interesting clothing and accessories, or facial expressions and human interaction all help to tell a story. Here, Alistair and I got down low and pointed our cameras up at the building as people walked past. This not only gave us an interesting composition, by framing our subjects at the bottom of the frame, it also allowed us to capture these candid portraits and go unnoticed as it looks as though you’re shooting the building, rather than the passers-by.”
Top gear #2
Nondescript camera bag “To help you blend in with the crowd and look like a tourist, keep kit to a minimum and carry it in a bag that doesn’t scream ‘photographer’. You’re also less likely be the target of thieves or moved on by security. Unlike a backpack, I can reach in and grab something without needing to put my trusty Domke shoulder bag down.”
Stage directions “Treat a street scene like a stage, anticipate where the subject is going to be and visualize the composition, then simply wait for them to pass through the frame before taking a photo. In most scenarios you’ll start to notice people taking a certain path, so their movements become predictable. You can almost direct them by moving to stand in their path to make them pass close by you. But make sure you move in at the last minute, so they don’t have time to veer off.”
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www.digitalcameraworld.com
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