POP-UP VIDEOS 148 pages BUYERS’ GUIDES The Canon conversation ideo view the v
Issue 104 • Sept 2015
THE a to z of DSLR Modes
control YOUR
canon
The magazinneo.1 for
CANON SCHOOL
CANON ISO advice Turn down the noise users!
Unleash your camera’s full potential with our 14-page guide to using your EOS DSLR
pro interview
really wild photography
Danny Green reveals the secrets of his award-winning nature shots
free! 1
CANON CITY guide & essential guide to landscapes ebook worth £6.95
canon pro tips
photos with more punch Learn to use lights for dramatic action photos
lab tests for lenses
wide boys!
Eight wide-angle zooms www.digitalcameraworld.com to broaden your horizons
THE WORLD OF WILDLIFE
Canon professional and award-winning wildlife photographer Danny Green shares the secrets behind his fantastic nature shots on page 70
Our Guarantee
Welcome...
O Peter Travers Editor
ne of my favourite regular features in PhotoPlus is The Canon Conversation. I love reading our interviews and learning more about the Canon pros and how they started out. It’s fascinating to discover more about the person behind the lens, and how they’ve developed into the talented professional photographers they are today. Plus, of course, we get to see some of their very best photography showcased in the magazine. Award-winning wildlife photographer Danny Green features this issue, I hope you enjoy his revealing interview and wonderful wildlife images on page 70. This issue we also bring you the A-to-Z of the Canon EOS DSLR system, with our most comprehensive and in-depth guide to date. Over 14 packed pages, you can learn how to really take control of your Canon camera with key settings, functions and modes explained. See page 30. Our Apprentice becomes the Karate Kid and learns to create truly dramatic shots of martial arts and boxing, by using lights and black-andwhite conversions under the eye of Canon master Matt Pereira (page 8). As always, we also have some brilliant new photo projects to try, from using ND grads for better exposures of landscapes to shooting portraits in the sea, plus our creative Photoshop tutorials teach you how to really improve your images. In Canon School you’ll learn all about ISO settings, and we test eight wide-angle zoom lenses to broaden your horizons. Plus we have ten great videos for you enjoy, a free Essential Guide to Landscape Photography with your Canon DSLR ebook worth £6.95, and a Canon City Photo Guide on Amsterdam. See over the page now.
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• We’re proud to use the World’s top Canon photographers and experts. Meet them on page 6.
New deals! Great print & digital edition subscriptions The Canon Magazine
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CONTENTS Control your Canon
A to Z of the Canon EOS DSLR system
44
An alphabetical odyssey through your Canon camera’s modes, settings and functions
118
Essentials
Canon pros
We asked for your best photographs of gardens – see the best in this month’s gallery
Is our martial arts Apprentice on the road to enlightenment or facing the (karate) chop?
20 Inspirational Canon imagery 28 Subscribe today 30 A to Z of Canon DSLRs 78 Photo Stories 84 Focus Point 136 Back issues 145 Next issue 146 Canondrum Don’t take the risk! Subscribe and ensure you never miss another issue again In-depth guide to the Canon DSLR system, from autofocus to zoom lenses…
Every picture tells a story – the latest batch of your very own photographic tales Your feedback and thoughts on Canon DSLRs and photography, and more besides
Kicking yourself for missing our big test of the Canon 5DS? Get a back copy here
We’re beavering away on issue 105 of PhotoPlus while you’ve only started on 104 Another bunch of devilishly difficult questions to test your camera knowledge
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8 The Apprentice 44 David Noton On Location 70 The Canon Conversation 86 My Kit
Join intrepid travel photographer David in Italy’s beautiful forgotten corner In the hotseat this issue is nature photographer extraordinaire Danny Green Andrea Denniss tells us why she never goes on a shoot without some carrier bags
Canon School
90 Canon DSLR Essentials 96 Software Solutions 101EOS S.O.S
The plus-points and pitfalls of changing your camera’s ISO sensitivity settings Photos got a nasty orange tinge? Sort it out with DPP’s white balance controls
Confused by Canon? Flummoxed by flash? Baffled by your bag? Ask Brian…
New tests
110 Gear Update 114 Mini Test: print labs 116 Full Test: Canon G3X Super Test: 118 Wide-angle zoom lenses
Pimp your Canon with the latest assortment of add-ons and accessories
Popular low-cost labs pitted against pro services – are they worth the extra? Canon’s latest PowerShot bridge camera offers an awful lot of zoom
Eight super-wide zooms, for fullframe and crop-factor Canons, are given the test treatment
130 Complete Buyers’
110
Guide for DSLRs and lenses
Every current Canon EOS DSLR – plus every available Canon-fit lens from Canon, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and more! www.digitalcameraworld.com
Issue 104 September 2015
video! Bonus 5D/pSp_104_11 http://bit.ly
70
10 ways to improve your photography today
48
Project 1: Learn how to shoot completely sharp landscape scenes
8 Free! The essential guide to landscape photography Free 139-page ebook dedicated to Canon DSLRs users, worth £6.95! Download your free copy from http://www.ninabailey.co.uk/ pp/landscape.html
Free! Official canon city photo guides No.3 Amsterdam’s photo hotspots Download the third of six Canon photo guides for Europe’s most photogenic cities from our Video Disc or from this link: http://downloads. photoplusmag.com/City_ Guide_-_Amsterdam.pdf
The Canon Magazine
52
Project 2: Shoot in the sea with an inexpensive underwater housing
54
Project 3: Darken bright skies with ND grad filters for better landscape shots Photoshop elements
58
Project 4: Apply vaseline to add creative blur for abstract results
60
Project 5: Take your bird of prey photography to soaring new heights
Photoshop CC
Lightroom
66
68
Tutorial 2: Create a light bulb montage with core Photoshop tools
Tutorial 3: Show off your best images as a superslick slideshow
64
Tutorial 1: Change the feel of a scene by adding moody mist Canon software
96
Canon School: Remove colour casts and make quick JPEG edits
READ THE TUTORIALS… THEN WATCH OUR EXPERT VIDEOS
Look out FOR THIS ICON! ideo view the v
To view our ‘pop-out’ videos, tap these badges that appear alongside the tutorials inside the magazine, or type the link that appears alongside into your web browser.
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 104…
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 ‘Bruce Lee’ Travers was so excited to be part of the martial arts Apprentice shoot he did a roundhouse kick to celebrate (then damaged his groin). Page 8
Stats and facts addict Adam loves his technical geekery, so he really enjoyed getting his brain warped by the hyperfocal distance photo project this issue. Page 48
Hollie Latham
Martin Parfitt
hollie.latham@futurenet.com
martin.parfitt@futurenet.com
Technique editor • 60D
Art editor • 600D
Hollie’s highlight is our big ‘A-to-Z of the Canon DSLR system’ guide. She loves reading her ABCs! But her favourite letter? H for Histogram, of course. Page 30
Martin’s always had an eye for the birds and was excited when he heard James was doing a project on how to photograph birds... birds of prey, that is. Page 60
Angela Nicholson
Chris George
angela.nicholson@futurenet.com
chris.george@futurenet.com
Head of testing • 5D Mk III
Group editor-in-chief • 650D
Angela is a country girl at heart and loves shooting landscapes with true wide-angle zoom lenses – like the eight in this month’s Super Test. Page 118
Chris is a proper wildlife lover and really enjoyed the Danny Green interview: “His nature photos are fantastic, and I especially like his big bear shot!” Page 70
This issue’s contributors… Matt Pereira
Canon pro and kung fu master Matt showed our Apprentice how to use lights for striking martial arts shots. Page 8
Andrea Denniss
Photographer Andrea shows us what she carries on her portrait shoots – and you’ll be surprised. Page 86
Steve Fairclough
As a freelance journalist who also works for Canon Europe, Steve was ideal for our A-to-Z guide. Page 30
Andrew James
Expert Andrew this issue explains all you need to know about ISO to improve your results. Page 90
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 tells us how he shot Umbria in Italy – in very different weather conditions. Page 44
Brian Worley
Your latest queries and questions answered in our EOS SOS Q+A section by Canon nut Brian. Page 101
Danny Green
See nature photographer Danny Green’s revealing interview and stunning wildlife portfolio. Page 70
Matthew Richards
This month our testing supremo gets his white lab coat on to test wide-angle zoom lenses. Page 118
Our contributors Ben Andrews, George Cairns, David Clark, Andrea Denniss, Steve Fairclough, Pete Gray, Danny Green, Victoria Hillman, Andrew James, Andy McGregor, Andrew McLaughlin, Mike McNally, David Noton, James Paterson, Matt Pereira, Matthew Richards, Gavin Roberts, Lizzie Shepherd, 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 Cover photo iStock
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).
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PHOTOPLUSApprentice
Our karate kid Apprentice learns how to capture dramatic shots of martial arts and boxing with lights, under the guidance of sensei, Matt Pereira
Words Peter Travers Location shots Gavin Roberts
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www.digitalcameraworld.com
SHOOT WITH A PRO
APPRENTICE Name:
James Bagshaw Camera:
Canon EOS 70D
Canon Pro Name:
Matt Pereira Camera:
Canon EOS 5D MK III
James, 21, is from Cheltenham, and is currently studying geography at the University of Birmingham. He comes from a keen amateur photographer family, and his mum (Canon 400D) got him interested aged 13. James started with a Canon 450D and, after his 700D was stolen, he upgraded to his 70D. Two years ago his uncle (Canon 5D Mk III) got him reading PhotoPlus magazine. He’s earned some pocket money from shooting various sports at uni, but wanted to progress his photo skills – which is where we came in!
Matt is a 46-year-old professional ‘people’ photographer based in Guildford. After getting his first camera aged ten, he bought his first Canon DSLR, an EOS 10D, later in life. He’s now been pro for the past eight years, and is an expert at all sorts of portraits, from families and weddings to commercial work and action sports like martial arts. For his great portfolio, and details of his 1-2-1 photo workshops, go to www.mattpereira.co.uk
The Canon Magazine
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PHOTOPLUSApprentice TECHNIQUE ASSESSMENT
Kung fu master Matt helped young James on the road to enlightenment with his DSLR settings Manual is a must
HOT SHOT #1 Lens
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Exposure
1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO100
“It was great to see that James was confident using Manual mode when shooting the martial artists under the ambient light (1/200 sec, f/4, ISO2000). But when we got him using my lights, his shots were really overexposed. I explained that he’s in total control of the light source, and as we wanted the backdrops to appear dark so our fighters stood out, he needed to ‘underexpose’ his shots. An exposure of 1/200 sec at f/7.1, ISO100 fixed this, with the single front flash head lighting up the fighters,” says Matt.
Fixing your focusing “James’s 70D offered ‘back button focus’, so the AF-ON button could be used to trigger the focusing. This, again, is a very useful feature, but he hadn’t adjusted his custom controls so the shutter release button only initiates metering, not metering/focusing as standard. By fixing this, it meant James could focus on his subjects with the AF-ON button, leaving him then just to concentrate on timing when to press the shutter button to take the shot,” explains Matt.
James’s comment After getting my eye in with some sparring shots using the ambient light, Matt introduced a simple one-flash head setup to light the fighters from the front, and set up a dark grey backdrop for a cleaner shot. We got our karate kids Gareth and Julian to try a few kicks in slow motion – it wasn’t a full contact bout – and we found this high-kick to the head looked best! Matt taught me how to wait for the point of impact. It took a few goes but the lights helped quickly freeze the action. Overall, a strong first Hot Shot!
It’ll be all white “When shooting martial arts with lights you need to ensure the gi outfits don’t get blown out. I got James to enable Highlight Alert, so if his whites were overexposed they’d flash when reviewed on the LCD. You can always brighten up an underexposed shot, but can’t recover detail from whites in shots that are really overexposed. Err on the side of slightly darker shots if in doubt,” says Matt.
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www.digitalcameraworld.com
Top gear #1 Zoom lenses
“When shooting action you need to react quickly; I use zoom lenses to fit what I need into the frame. My three Canon zooms cover every focal length I need; Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM,” says Matt. “I mainly use the 24-70mm and only switch to my 70-200mm for a tighter composition, or to reduce the background area in shot.”
The Canon Magazine
Light up your action shots “James uses a Speedlite 430EX but had never used studio lights. I reassured him it’s much like using powerful flashguns,” smiles Matt. “Use Manual mode (I start at 1/200 sec, f/8, ISO100) then adjust the power or position of your lights to lighten or darken your subjects and backdrop.”
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PHOTOPLUSApprentice EXPERT INSIGHT
ARTISTIC B&W For the ultimate action images, pro photographer Matt likes to convert his shots to black and white, as he feels the lack of distracting colour reveals more drama while retaining an artistic atmosphere. Here’s how to make the most of the Raw colour action images with a black-andwhite conversion in Adobe Camera Raw… Desaturate There are many ways to convert your Raw images to black and white, but Matt finds the best way is to simply drag the Saturation slider to -100 in Adobe Camera Raw. High contrast “After tweaking the Exposure slider a little for the best brightness, I’ll boost Contrast a lot, to around +70, for a high-contrast look,” says Matt. “To bring out edge contrast in B&W images, I set Clarity to around +25.” Whiter than white “To ensure the white gi outfits aren’t blown out I’ll drag Highlights to -25, and Whites to -10, but will also lift the Shadows by setting this to +25.” Back in black “Finally, I want to turn my grey backdrop to as close to black as possible, which will help our fighters to really stand out, so I drag Blacks down, to around -70.”
top gear #2 Quality lighting kit
“A reliable set of lights is essential. For ease of use and mobility on the shoot I used a Ranger Quadra RX battery pack to power an Elinchrom flash head with an octagonal beauty dish attached. I also used two mains-powered RX250 flash heads with grids on,” says Matt.
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Mono picture style Matt set up his and James’s camera to the Monochrome picture style, with RAW+JPEG, so he had the Raw to convert, and the JPEG as reference. “While I’d rarely use the JPEG image converted in-camera, the Monochrome picture style is a clever way to see how your shots will appear when you make a proper mono conversion of the Raw images on your computer.”
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