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Learn how to master your Nikon D-SLR
minutes of video guides to key SLR skills and to using Nikon’s editing software
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PMZ23 2013
INTRODUCTION CAMERA SKILLS
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ESSENTIAL KIT
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INTRODUCTION CAMERA SKILLS NIKOPEDIA
CHAPTER ONE
Camera skills
6
Nikopedia
88
Import and organise................................142 Colour correct..........................................144 Restore tonal detail ................................146 Edit in RAW ...............................................148 Create a video ..........................................150 Share your best shots .............................152
CHAPTER FOUR
Essential kit
154
Action lenses ............................................. 156 Memory cards ............................................ 168 Fisheye lenses ........................................... 178 Image-editing software............................ 188 Macro lenses ............................................. 200 Full-frame SLRs..........................................212
ON YOUR DISC
Using your Video Disc 224 How to view the accompanying video lessons and download our project files
ON THE DISC
How flash works .......................................90 Full-frame explained................................ 94 What is ISO? ..............................................98 Memory and formats ..............................102 How do I use the histogram?..................106 Live View explained..................................110 Custom Functions explained..................114
Master Nikon software 140
ESSENTIAL KIT
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
NIKON SOFTWARE
SLR college ................................................. 8 The ultimate Nikon checklist ................. 20 Focus on the big picture .......................... 34 Control bright skies ................................. 38 Shoot sunsets successfully....................40 Take it slow with seascapes ...................44 Get rid of shadows ....................................48 Make your zoo shots natural................... 50 Pet pictures made perfect ...................... 54 Fill faces with flash .................................. 58 What is Auto FP? ...................................... 59 Make bounce flash easy ..........................60 Perfect the strobist look ......................... 62 Take better photos in a day ..................... 64 10 creative home projects ....................... 76
In-camera processing ..............................118 How do movie modes work? .................. 122 Release modes explained ......................126 Dial M for Manual! ....................................130 Power to the people! ...............................134
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INTRODUCTION
CAMERA SKILLS
Illustrations: Andy/McLaughlin / www.amcillustration.com
ON THE DISC
ESSENTIAL KIT
NIKON SOFTWARE
NIKOPEDIA
CAMERA SKILLS
le n se s Te le ph o tofec t f or a re pe r g y ou bri n gi n il d l if e cl ose r to w
Portraits
Landscapes
Sports
Close-ups Digital workflow
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B ounce wal l s an d flash off of ce il a sof te r e ffi n gs f or ec t
ARE YOU A PEOPLE PERSON? P22
CAMERA SKILLS
l p y ou to Se n sors hel ow l i gh t f oc u s i n
How do you shoot?
INTRODUCTION
CAMERA SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
ARE YOU THE OUTDOOR TYPE? P24
DO YOU HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL? P28
ON THE DISC
ARE YOU A BORN ORGANISER? P30
ESSENTIAL KIT
i p od Usi n g a t rte s gu a ran en o : y st abil it t s! bl u rry sh o
ARE YOU AN ACTION MAN? P26
NIKON SOFTWARE
d fil te rs G ra d u aeten t bl ownhe l p p revi e s whe n ou t sk n dsc ape s a sh oo t i n g l
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INTRODUCTION
CAMERA SKILLS THE MISSION
■ Shoot milky seascapes with long shutter speeds at dusk ■ 3 hours
SKILL LEVEL
■ Anyone can do it ■ Some tricky aspects ■ Advanced technique
KIT NEEDED
■ Nikon D-SLR ■ Tripod ■ ND filter ■ ND grad filter ■ Cable release ■ Lens cloth
NIKON SOFTWARE
NIKOPEDIA
CAMERA SKILLS
TIME NEEDED
PROJECT FOUR CAMERA TECHNIQUES
Take it slow with seascapes
To get classic pictures at the coast, you need to take things slow, with a long shutter speed. We reveal how you can big up the blur Timing is key to shooting great seascapes. You need to be there at the right time of day, but just as important is the timing of the exposure. For a raging, stormy sea, a fast shutter speed can be appropriate, but with calmer waters, the best approach is to take it slow. Very slow. Shutter speeds that are seconds long turn even the gentlest waters into a smooth, silky blur, and the expanse of water takes on a milky white appearance that contrasts with the static rocks. All landscapes will tend to look their best if you get up at first light, or stay out until dusk. But these dimmer parts of the day are particularly appropriate for milky seascapes,
and the low light will give you longer exposures than shooting in the middle of the day. However, a little bit of blur in the water isn’t enough to give you the effect you want, which means you either need to shoot after sunset or just before dawn, when the only light is reflected from the sky. Alternatively, give your camera a helping hand by fitting an ND (neutral density) filter. These dark grey filters (not to be muddled up with graduated neutral density filters, or ND grads) block a percentage of the light
entering the camera and enable you to use shutter speeds that are seconds long, even in the middle of the day. ND filters are available in a variety of strengths. A three-stop ND will increase a shutter speed of 1/4 sec to 2 secs. A 10-stop ND will increase a 1/4 sec exposure to a full four minutes! As these filters make your camera’s viewfinder very dark, they aren’t the easiest accessories to use, but our step-by-step guide will show you how to make sure you always come home with a great seascape.
Shutter speeds that are seconds long turn even the gentlest waters into a smooth, silky blur, and the expanse of water takes on a milky white appearance that contrasts with the rocks
STEP BY STEP Tame the seas with a super-long shutter speed
ON THE DISC
ESSENTIAL KIT
Get your settings and location right and you’ll be able to capture stunning long-exposure seascapes Preparation is vital when it comes to shooting seascapes. You need to do your homework (or know the area well) if you’re going to be in the right place at the right time. And as you’re working on difficult terrain in low light, you need to have all your kit ready with the right settings to ensure you don’t waste any exposures. Shaky shots and wonky horizons are a risk for us all, but if you do all the right pre-shot checks, you’ll be able to minimise the chance of these mistakes occurring.
01 Pick your location
Ideally you need somewhere where you can get down near the water as it breaks over the shore. You also need the sun to be low in the sky so it picks out the rocks. For all this information, try a program or app that lets you work out the best time, date and spot to head to. LightTrac, which costs £2.99 for iPad, iPhone and Android phones, is a good choice.
02 Watch the tide
It’s no good just turning up at dusk or dawn – you need to check the tides. As a rule, these shots look better if the tide is going out because this ensures that the wet rocks glisten, but you also need the water to be high enough to break against your chosen rocks. UK photographers can visit bbc.in/tide-tables to check the tides online.
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CAMERA SKILLS NIKOPEDIA NIKON SOFTWARE ESSENTIAL KIT ON THE DISC
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CAMERA SKILLS
2
3
6
7
8
THE GREAT TABLE-TOP PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
ON THE DISC
ESSENTIAL KIT
NIKON SOFTWARE
NIKOPEDIA
1
Can’t head outside with your Nikon? Get creative in the great indoors! We show you some cool and fun techniques to try out right now 76 The Ultimate Nikon SLR Handbook 2013
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CAMERA SKILLS
CAMERA SKILLS
5
9
10
NIKOPEDIA
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and you won’t need to head off to the far-flung corners of the globe to try any of them out. In fact, you’ll be able to capture all the images in the comfort of your own home. You won’t need to invest in a stack of expensive accessories and specialist gear either. You’ll discover how much fun it is to work with water, oil and smoke, create arty black and whites, add painterly textures, play with model figures and experiment with photo science. So let’s get cracking and see what you can do in the great indoors...
F
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ON THE DISC
or many of us the idea of staking it out in some area of outstanding natural beauty for a couple of weeks, waiting for light, time, weather and composition to come together in one miraculous moment, is the stuff of dreams. The reality is that most of us juggle jobs, family life and domestic chores while trying to squeeze in as much photography time as possible in between it all. It’s tricky. This issue, we’ve got ten brilliant creative projects for you. They’re the perfect antidote to a normal, hectic life,
ESSENTIAL KIT
PROJECT 6 Macroworld PROJECT 7 Add textures to your pictures PROJECT 8 Moody monochromes PROJECT 9 Cross-polarisation PROJECT 10 Bokeh bubbles
NIKON SOFTWARE
PROJECT 1 Create light trails PROJECT 2 Smokin’ shot PROJECT 3 Make a splash PROJECT 4 Abstracts in oil PROJECT 5 Pin-sharp macro shots
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INTRODUCTION NIKON SOFTWARE
NIKOPEDIA
CAMERA SKILLS
Page 144
ON THE DISC
ESSENTIAL KIT
Page 152
Page 148
Page 146
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Nikon software
CAMERA SKILLS NIKOPEDIA
Page 150
Import and organise .........................................142 Colour correct ..................................................... 144 Restore tonal detail ..........................................146 Edit in RAW.............................................................148 Create a video.......................................................150 Share your best shots ......................................152
NIKON SOFTWARE
Page 142
ESSENTIAL KIT ON THE DISC
2013 The Ultimate Nikon SLR Handbook 141
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INTRODUCTION CAMERA SKILLS
YOUR COMPANION VIDEO DISC
ESSENTIAL KIT
NIKON SOFTWARE
NIKOPEDIA
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