FISHEYE LENSES FREE FREE OPTICS THAT GIVE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES TESTED
Practical advice for enthusiasts and pros
www.digitalcameraworld.com
VIDEO GUIDES Expert editing advice
Issue 219
PRO CAMERA SKILLS
SHOOT YOUR
SHARPEST
EVER SHOTS! Wildlife
Landscapes
Sports
Editing
ON TEST
FUJIFILM GFX 100 SHOOT & EDIT
PORTRAIT SKILLS
HDR SUNSET CITYSCAPES
Add character to people shots
CANON EOS 90D
Full test. The DSLR is reborn!
SHOOT PETS YORK HOVEST INTERVIEW HOW TO MASTER FREELENSING
How to master metering
Take control
Techniques
Let your camera know what detail is important in the frame
Light metering What is happening under the bonnet?
In the fraction of a second it takes to tap your shutter, a handful of complex calculations take place as the camera decides what the correct exposure is. Your camera has to work out how much light is needed to create a balanced exposure for the sensor, which begins with the question, “How sensitive is your sensor?” Before you can understand exposure metering you need to understand ISO sensitivity, and it’s a common stumbling block when trying to get a handle on the technicalities of exposure. When you select an ISO setting to shoot with, you are setting a range of sensitivity to light. At high ISO, the sensor is very sensitive to light and needs less of it to get an exposure. At low ISO the sensor needs more light to achieve the same result. The key word for exposure metering is balance. For any given scene, some elements are darker or lighter than others, so the correct exposure for one part of a frame may also be different to another. Metering systems let you determine how much you average those parts of the frame, or intentionally emphasise the lights or the darks. In most cameras the metering system is distinct from the image capture, either diverting the scene to a metering array or with special pixels hidden behind the sensor. The camera detects light coming through the lens and tries to apply an algorithm using input from the ISO settings, the metering mode and the photographer holding the camera.
Metering modes explained How much of the frame does each mode measure? Metering modes typically vary how much of the frame is being included in the exposure algorithm. Evaluative or matrix metering takes the entire frame and averages out tones, breaking the frame into regions but giving weighting to the focal point. At the opposite end is spotmetering, where a very small percentage in the centre of the frame is the input for assessing light.
46
Himalayan winter A few well-placed masking layers can bring balance to a complex scene
Under or over Bright zones in a scene skew your exposure metering, requiring positive exposure compensation
EVALUATIVE
A default mode (also called pattern or matrix) measuring light distribution across the whole frame, taking colour and focus data into account. It calculates whether a scene needs to be brighter or darker before choosing an exposure.
Centre-weighted
This mode measures light across the whole picture area, but strongly biases the reading to the centre of the viewfinder. The exposure is based mainly on the centre of the image, although the outer parts have an influence too.
Spot/partial
Spot metering only measures the intensity of light over a small circular area around either the active AF point or the centre one, depending on the camera. The partial mode found on some models is similar but measures a larger area.
Prime time Prime lenses typically offer wider apertures than zooms – this shot was captured with a 50mm at f/2
Wide range The wider you shoot, the more likely you are to pull in different exposure zones
Dial it down Exposure compensation can be used to retain highlights, or keep dark shadows where they belong
Spot metering Not all spots are created equal Smaller metering zones enable you to direct where in a frame the camera should read the exposure, but they can also lead to unpredictable results. What happens when the spotmetering mode limits the exposure evaluation to an area smaller than your subject’s face? You might take one frame where the metering spot falls on the subject’s black shirt, and then the camera tries to boost the exposure because it’s too dark. The next frame might fall on pale skin on their face and the camera underexposes to bring down the brightness. Watch out for slight variations in composition that lead to significant contrasts of exposure and make it hard to establish a baseline for the scene.
47
Techniques
Creative vs correct Step away from the average Complex light demands a more complex approach to exposures, presenting an opportunity to capture images that go beyond being ‘standard’. Shooting into the light is a common challenge for cameras and photographers alike, with wildly divergent exposure zones between the brightest and darkest elements in the frame. How do you determine which sections of the scene are the right ones to expose for, and how do you make sure the camera follows your instruction? A little technical skill here can lead to better creative expression. Backlighting presents an opportunity to either halo your subject in a bright glow, or to throw them into the darkness to create a silhouette. The choice is yours, and you shouldn’t leave it to the camera to decide. When shooting with even lighting there is still room for creative expression. Still life can be dragged into the realm of ‘dark and moody’ much in the same way Rembrandt did in the 17th century: by concealing parts of the scene and bringing negative space into the frame, you can build more complex compositions, and often remove eye-magnets that otherwise detract from the overall aesthetic. Photography is not about revealing everything – it’s about making visible precisely what the photographer wants you to see. The other end of this is to shoot for a light and bright look. Contemporary magazine photography leans into this as it reduces the amount of ink on paper. Light and bright also brings a creative attitude with it, a sense of the positive and inspiring. In purely creative terms, the ability to flood sections of your composition with light also presents an opportunity to mask unwanted background objects and simplify the scene. The idea of a correct exposure comes down to what you intend to do with the image. If you’re shooting with the intention of processing in a dark and moody feel, then you may gravitate towards a more underexposed style and avoid the sharp contrast of direct sunlight. The camera needs to know what your idea of correct exposure is. 48
Face first The subject is where you need your exposure to be best balanced
Into the sun Backlighting is a powerful tool to make your subject stand out
Back bokeh Shooting wide open enables maximum bokeh to blend into the backlighting
Contrast control Edit the RAW file to dial-in the right level of contrast for the scene
Contrast of style Silhouettes work best when you have strong contrast
Meter down If the camera tries to compensate for the darkness, dial-in exposure compensation to correct it
Small target Spot metering can also be used to expose for the light outside the passageway
Angle of light Textures emerge from shadows when the light angles across or into the lens
Total Exposure
Anything but ordinary Why choose to be average when you can be interesting? Cameras are designed to seek out the middleground, to look for the average and conform to what is standard. That doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Complex light is a joy for photographers because it opens the door to variations in expression. The harsh and flooded highlights of a scene may offer joy to one photographer, while another revels in the shadows created off to the side. Complexity of light means complexity of composition, provided you can control the shadows and highlights to suit your taste. This is why processing RAW files is so important, as those desktop skills are required to bring a little balance to the chaos of complex lighting.
Shadow play
Gentle details like incense burning are easily blown out if overexposed Below
Paro Dzong Long shadows add drama to a quiet moment in Bhutan
Negative space An absence of detail in dark sections can enhance the overall composition
All images © Piper Mackay
Complex light leads to more complex compositions
left
Incense and prayers
Middleground If your subject falls in the middle of the greylevels it will stand out from the chaos
High sensitivity In a darkened room, use a higher ISO to get in range of the exposure
Technique
58
REVEALING Home or away, learn to shoot portraits that reach into the soul of your subjects
W
hen we buy a new camera – the techniques involved are quite simple, and equipment can be kept the first thing most of to a minimum. But to succeed you us do is shoot portraits must be a skilled communicator, an of family of friends. organiser and a quick thinker if you’re Cameras are also dusted off on special occasions like birthday parties, going to put your subject at ease, draw out their character and capture christenings, weddings and Christmas it with your camera. to record the people present. Pre-planning and preparation will Once our interest in photography put the odds of success firmly in grows, we usually want to start your favour. If you already have ideas taking more serious portraits. It’s about lighting, posing and locations then that most of us are hit with it will save time at the shoot. Being the reality of how tricky people can prepared also means you’ll be more be to photograph well. There’s a big confident, which in turn will allow you difference between a quick snap to concentrate on your subject. taken at a party and capturing the Here we’ll take you through some true character of a person in a single, of the best methods and techniques compelling image. to draw out the true character within Portrait photography demands your subject. little in terms of technical know-how
Behind the mask People often don’t like having their photo taken, but there are approaches to capturing portraits that will reveal a subject’s character and personality All images © Lee Frost
59
SHOOTING SKILLS
Learn how to capture and retouch HDR shots in Lightroom and Aurora HDR with Serge Ramelli
SHOOT NATU HDR PHOTO 76
Creating a natural highdynamic-range (HDR) scene is an art in itself, because it is exceptionally easy to go overboard and make the image look unnatural. In this project, I am taking you to Paris to show you how to correctly compose and expose your scenes. Here, I want to show you my way of creating merged HDR images, to make them a pleasant and realistic experience for your viewers – just with that ‘pop’ that makes them stand out. I will show you my common HDR settings, explain why you need a tripod and reveal all my tips and tricks for how to capture the image and retouch it naturally in Lightroom and
Aurora HDR. I will share with you the key points so that you can implement these techniques in your everyday workflow. It is a simple process, and you just have to understand how to refine your approach. One of my golden rules is that whenever you are shooting an HDR landscape or a cityscape, don’t forget your standard shooting techniques; long exposure, compositional experimentation and the rule of thirds. The same applies for the retouching element. Be sure to consider multiple processing styles, including black and white or desaturated, because you might be surprised with the variety of results you get at the end.
URAL OGRAPHY
The Louvre in Paris Here is the final photo, shot in Paris, retouched in Lightroom then in Aurora HDR. You can see that it has a natural look, but it is still very colourful, with beautiful tonality All images © Serge Ramelli
Difficulty level: Intermediate Time taken: 2 hours
What you’ll need DSLR or mirrorless camera Tripod Wide-angle lens Lightroom Aurora HDR
77
Reviews
Price: £1,209 / $1,199
Canon EOS 90D Canon’s latest DSLR introduces a new APS-C format 32.5MP sensor and handling that gives it an edge over its predecessor With all the talk about mirrorless cameras, it’s easy to forget that Canon still has a very successful DSLR business. The EOS 90D comes as a timely reminder, making an enticing upgrade on the EOS 80D with a new 32.5MP APS-C format Dual Pixel CMOS sensor. It’s aimed at enthusiast photographers who want to shoot a wide range of subjects. Canon has teamed the sensor with its latest processing engine, Digic 8, and it enables a
standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-25,600 with an expansion setting of ISO 51,200 for stills. The standard range for movies is ISO 100-12,800, expandable up to ISO 25,600. When the viewfinder is in use, the Digic 8 engine also enables the 90D to shoot at up to 10fps with continuous autofocussing. That rate can be maintained for almost six seconds in JPEG mode as the buffer allows a burst of up to 58 images. With RAW files, however, the burst depth is 25 files. Naturally, achieving
With all the talk about mirrorless cameras, it’s easy to forget that Canon still has a very successful DSLR business 102
these burst depths demands that there’s a UHS-II card in the card slot. Switching to Live View mode increases the maximum rate to 11fps, but the focus is fixed at the start of the sequence. If you want to use continuous focussing (Servo AF) the rate drops to 7fps. Maximum shutter speeds of 1/8,000sec with the mechanical shutter and 1/16,000sec with the electronic shutter (Live View mode only) underpin the fast continuous shooting rates. In addition to the 45-point AF system that’s available for use when composing images in the viewfinder, there’s Dual Pixel AF in Live View mode. These are backed up by a collection of 16 customisation options, which include aspects such as the ability to adjust the focussing of certain lenses, options to change the AF point selection method and
9000
Canon EOS 90D
features 4K Video The 90D can capture 4K (3,180 x 2,160) with or without cropping. This means it can record 4K video with the same angle of view as Full HD or crop tighter.
UHS-II Card Slot Although the 90D only has a single card slot, it’s compatible with UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC media to enable up to 58 JPEGs or 25 RAW files to be shot at 10fps.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity enables the 90D to connect to a smartphone, computer, printer or cloud service for easy image-sharing and cablefree printing.
220,000-pixel metering sensor Left
Top
Above
While the 90D looks very similar to the 80D, it has a more refined, serious vibe
A bigger grip than its predecessor makes the 90D more comfortable to use
The EOS 90D accepts the same Canon BG-E14 battery grip as the 80D
More refined
Bigger grip
Battery grip
modes, and settings to tailor how the system responds to the movement of the subject. These are complex and take some thinking through, but we found the default settings very effective with a wide range of subjects, including fast-moving go-karts in very dim conditions and rugby players on a sunny days with a busy background. It always seems more natural to use the viewfinder when you’re photographing moving subjects, and the 90D’s optical finder is nice and bright thanks to the use of a pentaprism, plus it covers 100% of the scene. Using the viewfinder means using the 45-point AF system. While it’s 1-Point AF mode enables you to pick out the subject precisely, you have to be careful to hold the point over your subject. It’s far easier to use Zone AF
or Large Zone AF, as these give you bigger area to work with and you can see which of the points in the zone are being used. We found that the 90D does a very good job of identifying the subject, but the focus may not be exactly where you’d choose it to be in Large Zone mode. With the go-karts, for instance, it may latch onto their bonnet rather than the driver, but it’s not usually a major issue. One thing that is a bit more frustrating is that the AF points don’t extend close to the edges of the frame. If you’re used to shooting with DSLRs, then it’s unlikely to trouble you, but if you shoot with a mirrorless camera at all, you’ve probably got used to being able to focus very near the edges of the image frame. In fact, if you switch the 90D to Live View mode, you’ll find that there’s much better AF
When the viewfinder is used to compose images, the 90D uses a dedicated 220,000-pixel RGB+IR sensor to assess exposure, and it divides scenes into 216 zones for assessment.
Intervalometer An inbuilt intervalometer enables the 90D to shoot between one and 99 images, or an unlimited number of images, in a sequence with intervals of between one second and almost 100 hours.
45-Point AF System Like the 80D, the 90D has a 45-point AF system, and all of the points are cross-type with lenses that have a maximum aperture of at least f/5.6.
45-Point AF System
103