win £10,000 OF prizes! Nikon D750, Botswana safari & more! Issue 50 • Sept 2015 www.digitalcameraworld.com
CORE NIKON SKILLS
WILDLIFE MASTERCLASS
NEW COLUMN!
Joe McNally
Top US pro joins the N-Photo team
interview
tim page
Meet the photographer made famous by Apocalypse Now
Join us in Africa on our most ambitious Apprentice ever
PRO INSIGHTS
Go WILD AT THE ZOO Shoot natural-looking images of animals in captivity
NIKOPEDIA
COMPOSITION RECONSIDERED
Think you know the rules? Think again…
BIG TEST
JUMBO telephotoS The 8 best lenses for going long
SPECIAL FEATURE
HEAD TO HEAD
D810 vs D4s
Want to know which is the best D-SLR ever made? We reveal all…
Learn from the legends of photography with our practical guide
5
ways to GET even more OUT OF N-PHOTO
Welcome to issue 50 of…
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■ Hello, and a very warm welcome to this, the 50th issue of N-Photo, which is without doubt our most ambitious issue yet. We’ve really gone the extra mile this month – quite literally in the case of this issue’s Apprentice in Africa – and we hope you enjoy reading it every bit as much as we’ve enjoyed making it. If I had to pick out a highlight, it would be the aforementioned Apprentice, where we teamed an N-Photo reader up with award-winning wildlife pro Lou Coetzer, a 600mm f/4 lens and a custom-built photography boat for a truly unforgettable photo safari. Of course, being in the right place with the right kit and the right coach is only half the story – you can read the other half on page 8. Another must-read article this issue is our feature 50 Photography Quotes to Live By, which offers a truly inspirational masterclass from 50 of the biggest names from the last 100 years of photography. And speaking of big names, they don’t come much bigger than Tim Page, whose stories of changing rolls of film while under fire in Vietnam offer a graphic insight into life on the front line of photography. Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you, whether you’ve been a subscriber since issue one, or you’ve just bought the occasional issue – we couldn’t have done it without you!
ABOUT THE COVER
Title Mara Elephant Photographer Greg du Toit Camera Nikon D4s Lens Nikon 600mm f/4 Exposure 1/400 sec at f/8, ISO100 Description There are elephant shots, and then there are elephant shots. Greg’s deceptively simple, highly graphic image pares the biggest of Africa’s ‘big five’ down to its unmistakable outline, from the tip of its tail to the tip of its trunk. Like a perfectly crafted sentence, there isn’t anything you could add or take away from this image to improve it. Even the glow of the sunset looks like it was designed to fit the subject – which, of course, is no accident. Website www.gregdutoit.com
www.nphotomag.com
Paul Grogan, Editor paul.grogan@futurenet.com
GET ISSUE 1 OF N-PHOTO COMPLETELY FREE! ■ To celebrate our 50th birthday, and to say a big thank you to all our readers for their custom
and support over the last 49 issues, we’re giving away the digital edition of our very first issue completely free – no sign-ups, no free trial, just a free copy of the issue where it all began, with our compliments. We’ve come a long way! To get your free copy, just visit bit.ly/NPhotoIssue1
Free
travel monopod Subscribe today and get a Manfrotto monopod if you live in the UK See p88
Issue 50 september 2015
64
Essentials The Apprentice 08 Cover feature
30
Our Apprentice goes on safari with top pro Lou Coetzer. PLUS win a weeklong photo safari in Africa for yourself!
Cover feature
50 photography quotes to live by
We can all use some advice from the masters of the art – discover what they said, and how to make their advice work for you
Be inspired by beautiful nature images from Nikon-using pros
What it’s like to shoot Wimbledon
Nikon Skills 50 Come fly with us 54 Say it with shadows 56 Tweak as you tidy 58 Get a grip! 60 Double the drama 62 Shoot the impossible 64 Draw a line in the sand
Master the skills you need to capture pin-sharp shots of birds of prey in flight Tell the story of what shadows get up to behind your back
Use Lightroom’s Quick Develop panel to edit your images as you sort Discover the benefits of attaching a battery grip to your Nikon Use some black perspex or a mirror to capture a cityscape with a difference
Combine three images to create an impossible camera-free mirror photo Create a cool optical illusion with the help of a laptop and tethering software
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22 Lightbox 28 On Assignment 42 Massive 50th issue giveaway! Go wild at the zoo 69 74 Over to You 88 Subscription offers 102 Cash from your Nikon 106 My Big Break Interview 108 119 Next issue Joe McNally 148
September 2015
Nikopedia Nikon Know-how 90 Cover feature
Think you know what composition’s all about? It might be time to think again. Michael Freeman’s here to bust some old myths, and provide some pithy pointers on capturing more original images
96
Nikon Software
98
Ask Jason
Take complete control of the tones in your images by altering highlights, shadows and midtones independently using Nikon Capture NX-D’s powerful Curves tool
Nikon Toolkit
We help a reader find the perfect body and lens combination for photographing trucks on the move
101
Cover feature
Cover feature
Can’t make it to Africa? Capture the continent’s wildlife closer to home Your stories, letters and more
Don’t miss out on the next 50 issues! Learn how to set up a photo website
Meet our new Nikon expert, the man with the solutions to all your Nikon-related problems at his fingertips
100
50 fantastic prizes – but there can only be one winner. Could it be you?
Head-to-head
When you’re photographing wildlife, is Nikon’s top-of-the-range D4s or pixelpacking D810 the best body to opt for?
The image that touched a nation
Cover feature
Tim Page tells the story of how he came to shoot from the front line in Vietnam You know you want it…
Cover feature
Our new columnist, top US pro Joe McNally, talks about lighting athletes
www.digitalcameraworld.com
expert HANDS-ON video guideS Whenever you see this button, simply use this web link… bit.ly/NPhoto50 to view our online video tutorials
69
Cover feature Think more creatively at the zoo to make the animals look like they’re in the wild
108
Test Team 122 New Gear
Feast your eyes on Nikon’s stunning new 600mm f/4 lens – and all the other latest hot new kit on the market
124 Mini Test
Stabilise a heavy camera and lens combination with a gimbal head – we help you choose from five great options
126
Cover feature
Discover how to capture pin-sharp images of birds in flight
02
03
Tweak your images as you sort them in Lightroom’s Library
04
Fit a battery grip to your Nikon and prolong your shooting
05
Use black perspex or a mirror to shoot a unique cityscape
06
07
08
Use strong sunlight to tell a story using nothing but shadows
Create an impossible mirror image using Photoshop
124
Big Test
Photographing wildlife is a serious task, and we’ve got eight big beasts that can do the job. Which of these monster telephotos will be king of the jungle?
138
122
01
Buyer’s Guide
All the stats you need on cameras and lenses, so you can buy with confidence
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126 Use a tethering Take full control of software to help the tones in your THE VIDEOSan AND INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS DISCshots ARE 100% INDEPENDENT NOT make optical illusion with CaptureAND NX-D ENDORSED OR SPONSORED BY NIKON CORPORATION OR ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
September 2015
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What animals would the team like to photograph in the wild? Print 22,708 Digital 7,184 The ABC combined print, digital and digital publication circulation for Jan-Dec 2014 is
29,892
A member of the Audited Bureau of Circulations
N-Photo Magazine, Future Publishing Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, UK, BA1 1UA Editorial mail@nphotomag.com +44 (0)1225 442244 Subscriptions and back issues (UK) 0844 848 2852 (overseas) +44 (0)1604 251045 Subscriptions nphoto@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Or go to www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/nphoto
Paul Grogan Editor
Miriam McDonald Operations Editor
Andrew Leung Art Editor
■ It wasn’t the right season for big cats on my trip to Botswana to photograph this issue’s Apprentice, but a leopard or cheetah kill would be near the top of my list.
■ Having panicked when faced with a wild monkey (though I did discover that they are scared away by flash), I think I’ll stick to fairly friendly animals. Otters would be fun.
■ Give me a Nikon in an underwater housing and some giant turtles and I’ll be happy. And if there’s a tropical beach to relax on afterwards, well, it’d be a shame to waste it!
paul.grogan@futurenet.com
miriam.mcdonald@futurenet.com
andrew.leung@futurenet.com
Paul Grogan Editor Andrew Leung Art Editor Miriam McDonald Operations Editor Matt Tuffin Staff Writer Angela Nicholson Head of Testing Ali Jennings Imaging Lab Manager Video production Pete Gray Producer Adam Lee Videographer Advertising Matt Bailey Senior Sales Executive matt.bailey@futurenet.com, 01225 687511 Claire Harris Account Manager Marketing & circulation Charlotte Lloyd-Williams Direct Marketing Executive Michelle Brock Trade Marketing Manager 0207 429 3683 Print & production Vivienne Calvert Production Controller Mark Constance Production Manager International & licensing Regina Erak International Director regina.erak@futurenet.com, +44 (0)1225 442244
Jason Parnell-Brookes Staff Writer
Ali Jennings Lab Manager
Angela Nicholson Head of Testing
■ Everyone picks exotic creatures, but there are fascinating animals all around us, even in cities. Anyone can photograph an urban fox, but getting a really good shot… there’s a challenge!
■ Bears have always appealed: people love them, and they have great expressions and ways of posing. Of course, I’d want a long lens for taking pictures. A very long lens.
■ It’s got to be a lion, hasn’t it? They’re such beautiful creatures, and simply seeing one would be amazing, let alone capturing it on camera. Getting one hunting would be perfect.
jason.parnell-brooks@futurenet.com
ali.jennings@futurenet.com
Management Nial Ferguson Content and Marketing Director Matthew Pierce Head of Content & Marketing: Photography, Creative & Design Chris George Group Editor-in-Chief Rodney Dive Group Art Director
angela.nicholson@futurenet.com
This issue’s special contributors…
Chief executive Zillah Byng-Maddick Non-executive chairman Peter Allen Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand 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.
N-Photo is an independent publication and is not in any way authorised, affiliated, nor sponsored by Nikon. All the opinions expressed herein are those of the magazine and not that of Nikon. Nikon, NIKKOR and all associated trademarks are the property of Nikon Corporation. © Future Publishing Limited 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
Lou Coetzer
■ Lou gives this issue’s Apprentice an expert lesson in wildlife photography, out in beautiful Botswana. Page 8
Tom Welsh
■ One fabulous skyline wasn’t enough for Tom – discover how to make more of any stunning location. Page 60
James Paterson ■ Turn your zoo photos from snaps into impressive wildlife portraits, with some help from James. Page 69
Michael Freeman
■ Michael delves into the mysteries of composition this issue – which rules should you break? Page 90
Tim Page
■ The legendary war photographer talks about his time shooting on the front line during the Vietnam War. Page 108
Joe McNally
■ A genuine photography superstar, Joe treats us to the first instalment of his all-new column. Page 148
Our contributors Ben Andrews, Tracy Angus-Hammond, George Cairns, Andy Cottle, Olly Curtis, David Eales, Ryan Engstrom, Stan Ford, Andrew Fowler, Neil Godwin, Geoff Harris, Marcus Hawkins, Craig Jones, Simon Lees, Tom Mackie, Andy McGregor, Mike McNally, Marc Mol, Leon Neal, Graham Parker, Chris Rutter, Joby Sessions, David Tipling, Andy Walker, Chris Weston, Jesse Wild Special thanks to… Bath & North-East Somerset Council, The Hawk Conservancy Trust, Lou Coetzer and CNP Safaris, Chobe Safari Lodge
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September 2015
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.
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www.digitalcameraworld.com
THE
In our most ambitious Apprentice shoot ever, we follow the photographic fortunes of reader Tracy Angus-Hammond as she heads to Botswana with multi-award-winning wildlife photographer and lifelong Nikon aficionado Lou Coetzer
8
September 2015
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Wildlife masterclass
Name Lou Coetzer Cameras D4, D800 ■ A former sports and portrait photographer with over 40 years’ experience, Lou is now one of the world’s most respected wildlife photographers. His experience in shooting fast-moving action and his work as a portrait pro have informed his approach to wildlife photography: “I am,” he says “in a constant search for exquisitelylit, dynamic action images shot against clean backgrounds. Only when there isn’t any action will I start to look for the graphic image.” He is the founder and owner of CNP Safaris, which runs photography workshops in Botswana, Alaska and elsewhere (see page 20). For details, visit www.loucoetzer.co.za or www.cnpsafaris.com
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Name Tracy Angus-Hammond Camera D3100 ■ Market researcher Tracy, from Johannesburg, South Africa, has been interested in photography for as long as she can remember. Her first photos were taken on an old 110 film camera, and she bought her first D-SLR – a Nikon D50 – with her second paycheque. She currently shoots on a Nikon D3100, and because her work as a market researcher takes her all over Africa, she has plenty of opportunity to put her photographic skills to the test, and to capture what she calls the ‘magic’ of her home continent. She’s especially interested in wildlife, and is hoping to learn how to take her photographs beyond the level of the standard tourist snapshot.
September 2015
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EXPOSURE 1/1000 sec, f/11, IS0800 LENS Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR
OUR APPRENTICE says… For this tight portrait of a crocodile basking in the sun [above], I took Lou’s advice about setting a high ISO, and used it to get the depth of field I needed. I set an aperture of f/11 in aperture-priority mode to ensure there would be enough depth of field to get the crocodile as sharp as possible from front to back. I also dialed in a stop of negative exposure compensation, as otherwise the dark background would have been rendered as an average midtone, and the highlights in the croc would have started to blow out. At ISO800 this gave me a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec – not quite as fast as I’d have liked on Lou’s 600mm f/4, but I didn’t want to push the ISO any higher – and thanks to the gimbal heads mounted on Lou’s boat, it was just about fast enough [see Killer Kit #02 and #03, and page 124 for more on gimbal heads]. I love the way the strong side-lighting brings out the texture of the croc’s skin, and helps lift it off the darker background.
EXPERT INSIGHT The need for speed Lou says… 90 per cent of wildlife shots fall down on shutter speed. You have to remember that a fast shutter speed isn’t just needed to freeze any camera shake, it’s also needed to freeze the movement of your subject. For longer lenses, such as Nikon’s 600mm f/4 [see Killer Kit #01] I try to use shutter speeds at least three times faster than the reciprocal of the focal length – so 1/1800 sec in the case of the 600mm, rather than the more usual 1/600 sec for static subjects.
Abstract thought
“Once you’ve got a classic portrait in the bag, try cropping in tighter to photograph a more abstract detail,” suggests Lou. “This works particularly well with a subject like this crocodile, with its rich patterns and varied textures. It’s a portrait of sorts, and it makes a nice addition to a wider portfolio.”
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September 2015
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Wildlife masterclass
TECHNIQUE ASSESSMENT Ready for a walk on the wild side? Tracy tends not to play too much with her settings, so Lou made a few suggestions…
Increase the ISO
Hot Shot #01 Don’t use VR
“I rarely use VR,” says Lou, “in part because it only helps with hand movement, NOT subject movement. It also slows down autofocus a fraction, and with fast-moving wildlife – a flock of spoonbills flying straight at you, for example – this can mean the difference between nailing a sharp shot and getting nothing. I prefer to use my ISO setting to enable faster shutter speeds.” (See Technique Assessment.)
Pro’s Killer kit #01 Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR Lou says… This is arguably the ultimate wildlife lens for subjects that are distant, or small, or both, as it boasts superfast AF and is pin-sharp across the frame. At 600mm, though, shutter speed (and therefore) ISO become even more crucial: the slightest movement of the lens, whether this is from camera shake or, say, the vibration from a boat or 4WD, can result in blurred shots. Try holding a pair of binoculars perfectly still, and you’ll see what I mean!
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Lou says… Tracy doesn’t really use her D3100’s ISO setting, but with wildlife, where shutter speed is everything, I always advocate setting the highest ISO possible while still maintaining the quality of the image. This may sound a bit counter-intuitive, but it gives you the flexibility to set a smaller aperture.
Use exposure compensation Lou says… Tracy shoots in aperture-priority mode, but she never uses exposure compensation. To protect highlights, and to preserve detail in whites, I tend to set -1EV, and sometimes as much as -2EV for darker subjects. Not only does this help prevent blown highlights, it has the added advantage of increasing the shutter speed.
Use the histogram view
Lou says… With high-contrast subjects in very bright light it’s worth checking your histogram every so often, to make sure you’re not losing detail in the highlights. This is especially important at the start and end of the day, when light levels can change quite quickly.
pro’s kit bag
Nikon D4 n Nikon D800 n Nikon AF-S 400mm f/4 n Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 (with camouflage coat) n Nikon 1.4x teleconverter n Nikon 1.7x teleconverter n Nikon 2.0x teleconverter n Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM n Sigma 1.4x teleconverter n Sigma 2.0x teleconverter
September 2015
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Hot Shot #02 12
September 2015
EXPOSURE 1/1600 sec, f/10, ISO800 LENS Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR
www.digitalcameraworld.com
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