Let it snow NAIL THE SHOTS WHEN THE MERCURY DROPS
IMAGE EDITING MASTERCLASS How to use selections to supercharge your processing
HORSEPOWER! The secrets of stunning equine images
TESTED Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD
WIN! EIZO CS2420 IMAGE-EDITING + EX4 CALIBRATION SENSOR WORTH $1,500 P74 PEAK DESIGN EVERYDAY BACKPACK 15L ZIP V2 WORTH $399 P17 AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
Get creative 8 FUN SHOOTING AND EDITING TECHNIQUES TO TRY
JUNE 2021
START CAPTURING
L E A R N MOR E AT SON Y.COM . AU/C A M E R A S
A L PH A A1
EDITOR’S NOTE
ESTABLISHED IN 1950 EDITORIAL Editor: Mike O’Connor mikeoconnor@yaffa.com.au Contributing Editors: Mick Fletoridis, Rob Ditessa, Drew Hopper, Anthony McKee and Saima Morel. ADVERTISING National Sales Manager: Jodie Reid (02) 9213 8261 jodiereid@yaffa.com.au Advertising Production: John Viskovich (02) 9213 8215 johnviskovich@yaffa.com.au
RIGHT: Some of my favourite covers from the last 12 months (or so). Shooting a showstopping and cover worthy image is far from easy.
SUBSCRIPTIONS WEB: www.greatmagazines.com.au CALL: 1800 807 760 EMAIL: subscriptions@yaffa.com.au SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 year/12 issues $107.00 1 year PLUS (print + digital) $118.00 Overseas 1 year NZ A$129 ASIA A$129 ROW A$160
VISIT: GREATMAGAZINES.COM.AU Australian Photography is published by Yaffa Media Pty Ltd. ABN 54 002 699 354 17-21 Bellevue Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Ph: (02) 9281 2333 Fax: (02) 9281 2750 All mail to:
GPO Box 606, Sydney NSW 2001 Yaffa Photographic Group includes: Australian Photography, Capture, www.australianphotography.com www.facebook.com/ australianphotographymag Publisher: James Ostinga Marketing Manager: Lucy Yaffa Production Director: Matthew Gunn Art Director: Ana Maria Heraud Studio Manager: Lauren Esdaile Designer: Ana Maria Heraud All editorial contributions should be sent to contact@australianphotography.com Australian Photography welcomes freelance contributions. Please check with the editor before submitting your story. Editorial guidelines are available via email and include full details on all requirements for story and image submissions. Please note that stories should be embedded in the body of the email, or supplied as email attachments in text format (.txt), rich text format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word format (.doc). Ideally, images should be supplied in JPEG format (.jpg) with a separate list of captions. JPEG compression should be no lower than 9/12 (75%). Digital images should be supplied at a resolution of 300ppi, at a physical size of at least 20cm and not larger than 42cm on the longest side.
ISSN 0004-9964
CAPTURING THE PERFECT SHOT MIKE O’CONNOR, EDITOR
W
hat makes for a great cover image? It’s something I get asked a lot – perhaps more than any other question by photographers – and yet even after editing this magazine for the last five years, it’s still something I struggle to quite put my finger on. I think this is because an image has to tick so many boxes to work on a magazine cover. From a technical perspective it’s got to be pretty much faultless in every regard – sharp, perfectly exposed, tastefully edited and with a composition that works for coverlines. And then from a creative perspective it needs to be something that you don’t see every day. Sure, the subject matter plays a part, but the best images have something else that makes them great – a sprinkle of magic dust, an x factor, a unique moment. This last part is perhaps the hardest of all. Study the technical elements of photography all you like, but if you’re not in the right place at the right time then they won’t be much use. I think we inherently know if we’ve got something in the bag as well. Liken it to that feeling you get when you look on your rear LCD and you can immediately see all the elements have lined up. It’s those images you rush home to edit first after a shoot, and the one you take the time to ensure is perfect in every way.
I’m not saying for a second that capturing a coverworthy image like this is easy of course, and its why so few photographers ever shoot more than just a handful. But one thing you can do when you’re out shooting is consider composing for a cover – leave a little bit of space around your subject for it to ‘breathe’ and take a few images in portrait format if you’re usually more used to shooting in landscape orientation. I’d also recommend positioning your main subject in the top third of the frame, as the bottom half of magazines are often obscured in newsstands. Finally, it helps to know your audience. Speaking for AP, I much prefer to run local subject matter of Australian subjects and places. Not every title is the same, so check with your local friendly editor. The other thing of course is that a photography magazine cover image should be aspirational. We want people to pick up the magazine and go ‘wow’. After all, our goal is to share images in these pages that motivate you to take better images, and it all starts with the first one you see in every issue. ❂
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presented by
entries close 13 june don’t miss out
More than $12,000 in cash and prizes supporting sponsors
PHOTO © CRAIG FRANKE
YAFFA 13156
22 THE CHILL FACTOR Cold conditions present all sorts of challenges for photographers, but with a bit of prep you’ll be shooting the snow like a pro. Dr Andrew Peacock looks at the subjects, the settings and the warm gear you’ll need for photography as we head into the winter months.
JUNE 2021
34 THE ART OF EQUINE One of the most graceful of all the animals to capture, the art of good equine images comes from having an intimate understanding of your subject. Katie Mendl shares her hard-earned tips for better horse photos.
44 SHAKE IT UP Feeling uninspired? We’re here to help! Drew Hopper shares eight shooting and editing tricks that’ll have you recapturing your creativity in no time.
CONTRIBUTORS
DEPARTMENTS 8 QUICK SNAPS The latest news and products from the world of photography.
14 BEHIND THE LENS
DR ANDREW PEACOCK Dr. Andrew Peacock works as an ER doctor in Queensland and is a regular finalist in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards. In the preCovid era he was a guide and photo instructor. See more at footloosefotography.com
Sydney photographer Benjamin Lee breaks down a moody, atmospheric image of one of Japan’s iconic buildings.
18 YOUR BEST SHOT Take a look at the best images from our ‘Yellow’ photo competition.
66 APS ONE FRAME AND COLUMN
KATIE MENDL
News, views and images from the Australian Photographic Society.
Katie Mendl has been a professional photographer for 10 years, dabbling in portraiture, editorial, fashion and wedding photography before finding her way back to her first love, horses. See more at calicopony.bigcartel.com
70 IMAGE DOCTOR
54 TESTED: SANDISK EXTREME PRO PORTABLE SSD V2 Sandisk’s newest SSD’s bring seriously fast read and write speeds, but you’ll need the latest hardware to really see the benefits.
Saima Morel critiques a selection of readers’ images, and picks the winner of the ASUS CS2420 image-editing monitor and calibrator.
DREW HOPPER
56 SMART SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
Drew Hopper is an Australian freelance documentary photographer exploring ecological themes, landscape and place. See more of his work at drewhopper.com
Using Photoshop’s selection tools gives you the power to make targeted selections quickly and easily. Shreyas Yadav shows you how.
COVER
SHREYAS YADAV
Captured by photographer Bronwyn Ellis in South Georgia, her image Blizzard Bond depicts two Emperor Penguins, and was a finalist in our 2020 Photographer of the year competition. The image was taken during a blizzard so strong “it was difficult to stay upright”, she says. Nikon D850, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens @ 130mm. 1/160s @ f4.5, ISO 200. +2.33EV.
Shreyas Yadav is an engineer and wildlife and nature photographer from India. He is also a writer and lifelong adventure explorer. See more of his work at shreyas-yadav.com
QUICK SNAPS
QUICK SNAPS SIGMA LAUNCHES FP L 61MP FULL-FRAME CAMERA
S
IGMA has announced a 61 Megapixel high-
resolution version of its full-frame fp camera, called the fp L. As well as the new sensor, the fp L gets a new hybrid autofocus system, an optional electronic viewfinder that screws onto the side of the camera, 24p video capture and support for USB Power Delivery. Physiacally, the fp L is pretty much unchanged over its predecessor and it remains the smallest full frame camera on the market at 113 x 70 x 45mm, weighing in at just 427g with battery and memory card installed. Beyond the sensor, which is almost certainly the same as that in the Sony A7R IV, the most interesting new addition is the bolt-on electronic viewfinder, which has 3.68 million dots and can be tilted upwards. That said, the video specs have seen a small boost, with the fp L capable of capturing UHD 4K 30p video internally and outputing 12-bit Cinema DNG Raw to an external SSD. The body and EVF attachment retails for around $3,649, and the body only for $3,049.
FUJIFILM LAUNCHES RETRO-INSPIRED INSTAX MINI 40TM FUJIFILM has launched its newest instant camera, the Instax Mini 40, an entry-level model complete with a retro-styled body. The new camera is covered in faux leather with some pretty swish silver accents, but beyond the vintage camera look, the Mini 40 has the same mechanics as the $90 Mini 11. That means a 35mm equivalent lens, auto-exposure, a builtin flash and a selfie mirror. Like the Mini 11, the camera is operated vertically. It works a little differently however, with a push of the large silver button under the lens compartment causing the lens to pop out and turn the camera on. Like most of the other Instax models, you can activate selfie mode by pulling out the frontend edge of the lens after the camera is powered up. Also accompanying the launch of MINI 40 is new Instax Mini Contact Sheet instant film. An ‘homage to classic film photography,’ the design of the new instant film is inspired by a photographer’s contact sheet. As with all instax film, Contact Sheet will be available in a single pack with 10 exposures. No local pricing or availability has been announced as of yet, but in the US the new camera is expected to be available by the end of April 2021, for $100 USD ($131 AUD), while the contact sheet instant film will set you back $14.99 USD ($20 AUD). You can find out more about the new products on the INSTAX website, instaxus.com/instax-products/instax-mini-40/
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QUICK SNAPS
High speed, precision AF. Ultra-telephoto zoom. Three VC modes.
150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD (Model A057)
For Sony E-mount. Di III: For mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras.
CANON CONFIRMS THE EOS R3 IS COMING SOON CANON has confirmed it is working on a new full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R3. Aimed at professional sports, wildlife and news shooters, the EOS R3 will feature a back illuminated, stacked CMOS sensor, a DIGIC X imaging processor, up to 30 frames-per-second (fps) shooting with AF/AE tracking, eye, head and body detection and an innovative new autofocus Eye Control Function not seen since the the EOS Elan 7NE back in 2004. The EOS R3 is expected to sit slightly below the EOS-1D X Mark III, but above the EOS R5 in the hierarchy of Canon models. On the inside, the R3 will sport an entirely new 35mm full frame sensor, and will be powered by a DIGIC X image processor that realises its impressive burst rate - up to 30 fps with AF/ AE tracking when using the electronic shutter, a statistic only Sony’s A1 can match currently. Canon says the R3 will also offer new technology to manage rolling shutter/image warping - a common challenge with electronic shutters, and will be capable of capturing moving subjects with ‘reduced noise’ in low-light environments such as indoor areas or night-time scenes. Onboard, there’s a next generation Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus (AF) system capable of tracking subjects’ eyes and heads as well as new capability to detect subject torsos, with Canon also confirming development is underway to enable detection of additional subject types too. Interestingly, the EOS R3 will also feature
an AF technology we haven’t seen for decades - Eye Control. First seen in Canon’s EOS 5 way back in 1992 before disappearing for good in 2004, the EOS R3 will be the first digital camera to offer Eye Control AF. This will allow users to select and move the AF point using their eye, via the viewfinder. A quick google search seems to suggest this was always a love-it or loathe-it feature, so it will be interesting to see how Canon adapt it for a new generation of shooters. As you’d expect from a professional-level camera, there will be built-in dust and moisture resistance at a similar level to Canon’s EOS-1 series bodies, and, like these, the camera will also feature a familiar built-in vertical grip. While we wait for word on the new camera, you can sign up for news at Canon.com.au.
TEAM AUSTRALIA WINS THE 2021 WORLD PHOTOGRAPHIC CUP
TEAM Australia has won the 2021 World Photographic Cup (WPC),
www.tamron.com.au
an international competition that invites photographic teams from around the world to compete. The win is Australia’s second since 2019, making it one of just three nations to have won the competition twice, along with Portugal and the USA. The WPC was founded in 2013 as a cooperative effort by The Federation of European Photographers (FEP) and Professional Photographers of America (PPA), with the lofty goal to ‘unite photographers in a spirit of friendship and cooperation.’ Each country is allowed to enter one team, and each team can enter up to three images in each of the six categories, commercial, illustration, nature, portrait, reportage and wedding. Australia’s team was made up of AIPP members Forough Yavari, Joshua Holko, Scott Portelli, Andy Cheung, Steve Scalone and Peter Rossi. | 10 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
LEAP INTO THE FUTURE
An electrifying moment in a dramatic still image. Cinematic 4K UHD videos that immerse viewers into another world. The new Nikon Z 6II, powered by the NIKKOR Z lenses, lets you create both with more confidence. Dual EXPEED 6 image-processing engines allow you to shoot stills longer at higher continuous shooting speed while supporting versatile recording options including 12-bit RAW video output *1*2. Eye-Detection and Animal-Detection AF are available in both stills and videos, along with a wide standard range of ISO 100-51200. Greater power, fewer limits: let your creativity reach new heights. 1 4 F P S W I T H A F/A E T R AC K I N G U P TO 1 24 S H OT S * 3 | D UA L S LOT S F O R C F E X P R E S S / XQ D & U H S - I I S D C A R D S | 10 - B I T H D R ( H LG) & N - LO G * 2 *1 Optional with charge. *2 HDMI external monitor/recorder required. *3 When using high-speed continuous shooting (extended) with single-point AF, 12-bit lossless compressed RAW (L) and a 128GB type-B CFexpress card.
QUICK SNAPS
World’s first 11-20mm F/2.8 *
For Sony E-mount
11-20mm F/2.8 Di III-A RXD (Model B060) Di III-A: For APS-C mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. *Among interchangeable F2.8 ultra wide-angle zoom lenses for Sony E-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras (As of March, 2021: Tamron)
RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Scott Peake’s Photo of the Year Winning image; Michael Morgan’s second place winning image and Danijel Palcic’s sunset downburst that came third in the competition.
THE WINNING SHOTS FROM STORM PHOTOS OF THE YEAR STORM Photos of the Year, a new photo competition launched in February, has announced the winners of the best storm photos from 2020. Nearly 650 images were submitted from eight countries in the competition, which is run by seasoned storm/landscape photographer Mike Olbinski. Storm Photos of the Year was created out of a desire to have a photo contest dedicated entirely to the genre of storms, and to build an annual archive of the best images taken every year, from anywhere across the globe. The image that took 1st place in the Photo of the Year category was captured near Ashby, Minnesota by U.S. storm chaser Scott Peake. A slow moving and photogenic tornado, free of rain, gave photographers a rare opportunity to capture the twister up close and with rainbows and a variety of foregrounds. A ‘fine art’ styled photograph by the Sunshine Coast’s Michael Morgan depicting a lone tree, a grazing cow and a distant lightning bolt against a stormy sky in Queensland won second place, with Danijel Palcic’s sunset downburst of rain with two powerful lightning
strikes along the coast of Croatia winning third. Meanwhile, Tim Baca won the Photographer of the Year award with a ‘fantastic’ portfolio that had a variety of compositions with subtle editing and great foregrounds. You can see all the winning and finalist images at StormPhotoContest.com.
PENTAX LAUNCHES 25MP K-3 MARK III DSLR
www.tamron.com.au
PENTAXIANS rejoice - the wait is over for a new camera, with the overnight announcement of the Pentax K-3 III DSLR, the successor to the now six-year-old Pentax K-3 II. On paper at least, the 25.6MP photos, up to 12fps capture and five-axis, 5-axis, 5.5 stop IBIS system in the K-3 III sound solid, if slightly unremarkable. The body is made of a magnesium alloy and includes extensive dust and splash protection. Where things do get more interesting is with the K-3’s newly-developed autofocus
system. The 101-focus point AF system is comprised of 25 cross-type focus points, and the system is driven by a new image recognition system, RGBIr. This uses machine learning to improve subject recognition, and it’s capable of recognising human faces and eyes and tracking their movement, including through the optical viewfinder. This is something no other DSLR has ever been able to offer.
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The Pentax K-3 Mark III should be available now. It has an RRP of $2,899 (body only). ❂
BEHIND THE LENS
THE CROW CASTLE PHOTOGRAPHER: BENJAMIN LEE
It was another cold and early wakeup call - one of many on our month-long trip in Japan back in 2018. Thankfully our sunrise shoot location (Matsumoto Castle) was only a 3-minute walk from our hostel. It’s always a bonus when you can book your Airbnb right next to your shoot location. Before I arrived in Japan, I had researched Matsumoto castle on Google and Instagram and found many picture-perfect photos of the castle in a pure wintery white setting. Unlike most castles in Japan, Matsuomoto has a dark and contrasting exterior, and a shot of it was high up on my trip’s shot list. From the hostel, we walked through the cold and sleepy town and arrived before sunrise. Travelling with other photographers is nice because we all knew why we were there. Without a word, we all split up and got to work, dashing around in the dark trying to get a sense of the castle to find our compositions.
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I walked around the moat and took a few test shots with the castle footbridge before settling on this simple, cleaner composition. The sun slowly started to peak over the surrounding mountains on the right and its colour started filling in the castle and the sky. It wasn’t the snowy wonderland I had in mind, but the stillness of the moat was a nice surprise. It created a perfect reflection of the castle with the occasional white swan floating by. During this shoot I noticed all the crows cawing and circling the castle. Coincidentally, it’s actually also known as the “Crow Castle” ( , Karasu-joˉ) due to its black exterior. All that was left was to wait for a few of them to fly into the right position. I have seen many of the Castles throughout Japan, but Matsumoto is definitely one of my favourites. It is conveniently (and purposely) located in the centre of town which makes it pretty easy to get to no matter where
you’re staying. It may not be the biggest or the most extravagant, but the way it’s positioned with a wide-open moat makes for a clean composition. The edits on this were simple, basic adjustments in Lightroom, with a radial filter on the right to emphasise the warmer light and colour coming from the sun. This photo ended up being one of my favourites from the trip, even though it didn’t turn out like what I was expecting. I find it is getting more difficult to plan perfect seasonal shots, with even the locals saying that the weather patterns seem to be shifting with less and less snowfall over the years. Even so, I’ll take this beautiful reflection shot of Matsumoto Castle, and I’ll be back for that wintery shot on my next trip. CANON 5D MARK IV, 16-35MM F/2.8 LENS @ 16MM. 1/160S @ F2.8, ISO 100.
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YOUR BEST SHOT
YOUR BEST SHOT YELLOW
Based on the sheer number of entries we received this month, it’s fair to say simple colour themes like this one are pretty popular! From dozens of great entries, here were our favourite shots that stood out and wowed us this time around.
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DIANNE MACHEN Number 2 HOW I DID IT I took this photo while we were on holidays in Sydney, and this yellow door caught my eye as it really stood out against the brown wall. It was one of those really quick shots as you are hurrying along the footpath.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Nikon D7100, Nikon 24-70mm lens. 1/200s @ f5.6, ISO 100.
SALEENA ELLIOTT Yellow wall EDITOR’S COMMENT Saleena Elliott’s fantastic image Yellow Wall was inspired by the work of Australian painter Jeffrey Smart, and you can definitely see some similarities to his unique style – especially so the use of leading lines and clear, delineated subjects. You’ve done well with your framing – the crossing sign is perfectly positioned to balance the frame, and the yellows really pop against that grey sky as well. There’s something about the mundaness of urban spaces that make them really suited to capturing with a smartphone – one day they’ll be there, and the next they’ll be gone. Well done on spotting such a great scene.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Apple iPhone 11. 1/1250s @ f/1.8. ISO 32.
TONY BARBOUR Flower Spray EDITOR’S COMMENT At first it’s not entirely clear what we’re looking at in Tony Barbour’s image Flower Spray – is this an artwork or a photo? This mystique is helped by his incorporation of a few photoshop elements, alongside the more traditional photographic ones, to create layers from left to right within the frame. The result is a collage of yellow lines, yellow paint and yellow flowers, but if you look closely, you’ll see some clever additions too – like how the yellow paint mimics the stems of the flowers. The dash of intrigue, combined with Tony’s creativity, made this our pick of the month.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Sony A7R III, Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 lens. Liquid – 1/6400s @ f2, ISO 1250, Flowers – 1/250s @ f8, ISO 640.
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Thanks to the team at Blonde Robot, Tony Barbour has won a Peak Design Everyday Backpack 15L Zip v2 bag valued at $399. Ideal for everyday carry and light photo carry, the bag is accessible on the top and sides via a single weatherproof 270-degree zip. Inside, configurable FlexFold dividers keep photo, drone, or everyday gear organised and protected, while outside, a 100% recycled 400D weatherproof shell keeps everything safe.
MORE INFO: PEAKDESIGN.COM
NITIN SAKSENA Yellow flower We all appreciate flowers when they are fully bloomed, but flowers in an unbloomed state can be equally beautiful. I photographed this Californian Poppy in the early morning while it was studded with pearl-like droplets adorning its curves. With my lens on its Macro setting and using Tungsten as my white balance to give a blue background, I made this creative image.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Nikon D810, Nikon 70-300mm lens @ 90mm. 1/320s @ f5.6, ISO 640.
LIZ ABEL Get a Grip HOW I DID IT The Pena National Palace in Sintra, Portugal is a riot of yellows and reds. Nearly every photo I took had a yellow element, but I love the simple juxtaposition of the bright palace paint against the bare blocks and the daisy’s struggle to gain a foothold on a high palace wall.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Canon Powershot SX60 HS. 1/1000s @ f5.6, ISO 100.
GEAR FOR THE CREATIVE AND THE ADVENTUROUS
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| 18 | JUNE 2021| AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
YOUR BEST SHOT
LINDA OLIVER Balloon Burst HOW I DID IT A shot from playing around with balloons filled with coloured water. I hung this one from the clothes line with a black plastic sheet in the background. My camera was set up on a tripod and it was a bit hit and miss to time the shutter with the moment the balloon burst, which I did by using a stick with a pin taped onto the end of it.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Canon 7D, 100mm lens. 1/60sec @ f4, ISO 200. Stick and pin cloned out in Lightroom CC.
CAMERA ACCESS
WITHOUT
REMOVING YOUR BAG
ALLAN COPSON Let the sunshine in
and the light was “bounced” off two large white boards. The image was shot in RAW and developed in Lightroom.
HOW I DID IT I used a combination of ambient light and speed light with the subject placed on a yellow infinite background. Two speed light were positioned either side of the subject
TECHNICAL DETAILS Olympus OMD EM5 MK II, 12-40mm lens at 38mm. 1/5s @ f10, ISO 100, tripod and two speed lights. | 19 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
YOUR BEST SHOT
HOW TO ENTER YOUR BEST SHOT IS OPEN TO AP SUBSCRIBERS AND APS MEMBERS. TO ENTER AN IMAGE IN THE COMP, CHECK THE COMPETITION THEMES AND INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AND EMAIL YOUR BEST IMAGE TO YOURBESTSHOT@AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
UPCOMING COMPETITION THEMES
AUGUST ISSUE SPORT
SEPTEMBER ISSUE BLACK AND WHITE
OCTOBER ISSUE DETAIL
May 31, 2021
June 30, 2021
July 31, 2021
YOUR ENTRY
NOVEMBER ISSUE PETS
DECEMBER ISSUE SEASONS
August 31, 2021
September 30, 2021
1. Email your entry to yourbestshot@australianphotography.com with the name of the competition theme in the email subject line, for example: Weather, Abstract, Landscape, etc. 2. The image file must be the same as your name, for example Jane Smith.jpg. If you enter multiple images, each new image file name should be appended with a unique number, eg Jane Smith2.jpg 3. A maximum of three images can be entered per person. 4. Images must be in JPEG format. 5. Email file size must not exceed 7MB. 6. Please include the following information about your entry in the body of your email: Name, image title and up to 200 words explaining how you created your image. Please also include technical details including camera, lens, focal length, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, tripod (if used) and a brief summary of any software edits.
DISCOVER A FASTER, MORE INTUITIVE EDITING WORKFLOW Lightroom Classic Photoshop CC + Camera RAW Premiere Pro CC Capture One
| 20 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
After Effects CC Final Cut Pro X Audition Skylum: Aurora HDR
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PHOTO TIPS: COLD W E ATHER
THE
FACTOR BY DR ANDREW PEACOCK
Planning a trip to colder climes this winter? If you want to come back with more than just frozen hands and feet, check out these tips for nailing the shot when the mercury drops.
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Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy. I took this photo on the way down from the summit of Italy’s highest mountain. I stood in the shade for longer than I wanted to with fairly numb fingers and waited for this ascending pair of climbers to appear as silhouettes on the ridge against the bright backdrop of the sunlight slope before taking the shot. The blue foreground colour accurately represents the blue hue of deep shadow under a clear sky. Light, composition and moment came together - three pillars for a successful photograph. Canon 5D, 24-105mm f4L lens @ 105mm. 1/160s @ f13, ISO 125.
A
cold environment presents a number of challenges for the outdoor photographer – an unfamiliar landscape, the weather and of course the low temperature can all make capturing something unique quite difficult. I’ve been fortunate to experience trips to the polar regions as well as some of the higher points on the globe, and over time have learned a few things about photographing where the subject at hand is set within a scene of ice and snow. Successfully getting the shot in a cold environment requires control over three aspects of the photographic process. The first is personal preparation, which means maximising your ability to function in an extreme environment. Secondly, it’s ensuring your camera can perform as it’s meant to in an environment it’s not really optimised for. And finally, the in-camera and personal creative processes in situations where extremes of lighting and contrast are at play. Let’s start first with personal preparation.
PERSONAL PREPARATION Although many people worry their camera will freeze or be damaged in cold conditions, it’s much more common that the photographer themselves will give up before their camera does.
Corey Rich, an adventure sports photographer from California, has weathered conditions of all types around the world in his pursuit of standout images. I assisted Corey on an expedition to the Karakoram Himalaya in Pakistan and he was unequivocal in telling me that his best shots occurred when pushing the edges of his physical comfort zone. At the end of a long day in the mountains when a tired climbing team is snuggling into a snow hole while the sun drops below the horizon, Corey can be found still working to capture images and resisting the overwhelming urge to join them. The only way to extend your cold tolerance is to be prepared with the means to stay warm for longer. I work as an Expedition Doctor, and it’s very clear to me that prevention is the key to staying out in the cold. A photographer handling a cold metal camera lying in the snow shooting at eye level with a penguin or standing still next to a tripod as night falls in winter, runs the real risk of hypothermia. Even a small drop in core body temperature will begin to subtly affect creative decision making (and the standard of your photos) and that’s not to mention the challenge of performing simple tasks like button control on the camera as hand dexterity is affected.
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PHOTO TIPS: COLD W E ATHER
“GETTING EXPOSURE RIGHT IN-CAMERA IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CAMERA SENSORS INHERENTLY GATHER MORE TONAL DETAIL ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE HISTOGRAM THAN THE LEFT. THIS MEANS ANY DETAIL ON THE LEFT SIDE CAN’T BE AS EASILY RECOVERED BY POST-PRODUCTION SOFTWARE...”
Layers of warm clothing (not forgetting your head), good wind protection, warm fluids to drink, and fuel in the form of high energy snack foods to keep the fire burning inside you are all important. So too is sufficient protection for your extremities. Good insulating footwear and, most importantly for the photographer, warm gloves that allow for finger dexterity are critical. Sweat on your skin can be deadly in the cold, so make sure to wear wool or polypropylene products against the skin to wick away moisture. Of course, despite the best of preparation, sometimes you will inevitably start to get chilled and you’ll need a back-up plan in place to re-warm. A few years back I was photographing ice climbing in the dead of winter in northern Japan, and when I got too cold, I retreated to a nearby hotel to soak in an onsen (hot springs). It was utterly glorious!
CAMERA PREPARATION Generally speaking, it’s rare for cameras to fail in the cold, but batteries are another story entirely. A friend of mine, Alaskan photographer Carl Battreall, has
ABOVE: New Zealand, Otago, Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Climbers, crossing the Fox Glacier neve on snowshoes. One of the challenges in extreme conditions is trying to convey a sense of what it feels like to be there with a single image. On this day we only ventured out of the alpine hut for an hour because of the high winds and extreme cold. I chose a low angle viewpoint and deliberately photographed toward the light, exposing for the windblown snow as the main subject, in an effort to capture a sense of what it was like out there. Canon 5D Mark III, 24-105mm f4L lens @ 105mm. 1/8000s @ f5.6, ISO 160. OPPOSITE PAGE: New Zealand, Otago, Wye Creek basin, ice climbing. This was a very chilly few days spent photographing and climbing while ‘glamping’ in a prefab hut in the valley. The natural beauty and architecture of the ice flows was what stood out, so while I did spend time hanging off a rope above the climbers looking to shoot close up ‘action’ it was this environmental portrait that was my favourite of the trip. Standing back to frame a wider scene and include scale for context can often tell a more interesting story about an activity and location that many people won’t experience directly. Canon 5D Mark III, 70-200mm f4L lens @ 70mm. 1/640s @ f8, ISO 640.
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PHOTO TIPS: COLD W E ATHER
“EVEN A SMALL DROP IN CORE BODY TEMPERATURE WILL BEGIN TO SUBTLY AFFECT CREATIVE DECISION MAKING (AND THE STANDARD OF YOUR PHOTOS) AND THAT’S NOT TO MENTION THE CHALLENGE OF PERFORMING SIMPLE TASKS LIKE BUTTON CONTROL ON THE CAMERA AS HAND DEXTERITY IS AFFECTED.”
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New Zealand, Otago, The Remarkables. A climbing party nearing the summit of Single Cone. We were buffeted by 50-60 knot winds at times on this day. A selfie or landscape photo on the summit was not going to be as interesting as one of the group traversing the last narrow ridge with that incredible backdrop of Lake Wakatipu, so I made the decision to unrope and stay behind to get the shot I had pre-visualised. Decisions like these are all about story telling in locations that need context for the viewer unfamiliar with such activity and terrain. Canon 5D Mark III, 24-105mm f/4L lens @ 28mm. 1/1600s @ f5.6, ISO 200. | 27 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Karakoram Himalaya, Pakistan. The perfect example of an incredible image taken while pushing the limits of the photographer’s comfort zone in cold conditions. Photo by Corey Rich. Nikon D600, 17-35mm f/2.8 lens @17mm. 1/15s @ f2.8, ISO 800.
OPPOSITE PAGE: A cold environment can be attractive for all sorts of photographic reasons. Landscapes of snow and ice often allow for minimalist and striking compositions and usually the air is clear and light clarity can be extraordinary. This photo I took of the milky way in a mid-winter sky above a snow igloo in the Cardrona Valley in New Zealand is a good example. One can’t help but think ‘brrrrr’ when looking at this scene! Canon 5D Mark III, 15 mm fish-eye lens. 25s @ f2.8, ISO 2500, tripod.
SHUTTER SPEED AND SNOW Falling snow is moving faster than you think so your choice of shutter speed will significantly alter its appearance in the image. If you want the snowflakes to show up like confetti they need to be frozen – no pun intended – with a relatively fast shutter speed. 1/250th of a second is a good place to start. The longer the speed the more blurred the snow will get until streaks appear. As with all aspects of digital photography there is no barrier to experimenting and being creative with this one change in camera setting.
LEFT: Gentoo penguins and a memorial cross in a snow storm on Petermann Island, Antarctic Peninsula. It’s tempting in conditions like this to put the camera away, and in fact it’s always good to do exactly that for periods of time so you experience this spectacular environment with all of your senses and not just through a viewfinder. But at some point it’s time to try and tell a story of the harsh conditions in which these tough birds thrive, and to do that you need a protected camera and a plan for keeping it that way. There are many sleeve type products on the market that will do the job well and give you the flexibility to spend time composing your image. Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens @ 110mm. 1/100s @ f7.1, ISO 200. | 28 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO TIPS: COLD W E ATHER
spent his fair share of time in the frozen mountains of that beautiful US state. He has one golden rule which is “let the camera be cold but keep batteries warm”. This is because the primary culprit when it comes to camera failure is the battery. As he explains, “you don’t want the battery to drain prematurely while in the camera in the cold, as it is difficult to warm up to an operating level again in the field once it has died. When really cold [it’s only a matter of degrees!] I won’t even have a battery in the camera unless I am ready to take a photo” To improve your camera’s battery life, it pays to become familiar with the camera menu and lens options available to reduce power consumption. Turn off all camera beep functions, turn off screen review after every shot, minimise your use of live view and turn off any lens or camera image stabiliser function (unless you really need it). If you can, instead of using the power-hungry LCD screen for composition, use your optical viewfinder to reduce battery use. I also like to keep camera batteries close to my body. In a pouch threaded through a cord around my neck does the trick, and then in my sleeping bag at night. When a battery in my camera drops to around 50% power, I will take it out and rotate it with a warm spare. Needless to say, it’s important to carry spare batteries with you for this system to work. Cameras and lenses at the more professional end of the spectrum (read: more expensive) are better weather sealed and will resist moisture better than cheaper products. All cold metal equipment will form condensation on and within itself when brought from a cold environment into a warm one. Then, if returned to a sub-zero temperature before that moisture can evaporate, ice crystals may form and damage the sensitive electronics of your digital equipment. Cameras with better weather sealing are much less likely to be affected by this. When I’m working on a ship in Antarctica, after shooting outdoors I remove the camera batteries to take back into a warm cabin, but often I leave the rest of my gear in a bag undercover outside in the cold. Similarly, Carl leaves his gear outside his tent when in the mountains and he also suggests putting cameras in zip lock bags to help keep condensation from forming. One final consideration that’s not completely unique to cold conditions is the need to turn off power and protect the camera’s internals from dust and other particles when changing lenses - unless you want to spend hours removing those annoying dust specks from your digital files!
elements) to look ‘right’ in the final image and to try and include whatever detail there was present in the original scene. In the days of film, some guesswork and experience was needed to get perfect exposure in high contrast situations especially with transparency (slide) film. In the era of digital capture immediate feedback of our images is available in the field, which makes this task so much easier.
CAPTURING SNOW Our eyes can perceive detail in shadow and in bright areas within the scene that our cameras cannot. What the camera can record is represented by a histogram (see page 31) which is a graphic representation of the dark to light spectrum of light (from left to right) captured for each photo. Find the menu option for turning
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS Photography in the cold doesn’t always feature snow or ice, but hopefully it will from time-to-time for you because it is so much fun to be out in. However, these elements do force creative decisions to be made because there is often an extreme of contrast in the scene. We want the snow (and other | 29 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
FAR LEFT: Altai Mountains landscape, Bayan-Ölgii Province, Mongolia. I was up very early near camp in this frozen valley, hopeful of some predawn colour in the sky. This low contrast scene with its muted tones was transformed into one of high contrast with difficult to control bright light bouncing off the ice and snow once the sun’s rays hit the valley. Canon 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm f/2.8L lens @ 23mm. 4s @ f20, ISO100, Tripod.
on the histogram on your LCD screen either in Live View or on the photo review screen to give you feedback – just watch that battery life! The lightest part of your photo, which, if present, will be snow or ice, will register as high points on the right of the histogram. The key to expose for it correctly is to get that edge of the graph to extend to the far right without ‘peaking’ beyond what the camera can record in the light part of the spectrum – a tall line that extends to the top of the histogram will appear on the right if this occurs. If you can avoid this, detail in the whites will be retained. In the field, I also monitor this by using a menu setting that causes any overexposed areas to ‘blink’ when I review an image on the screen – just about all digital cameras will offer this. Getting exposure right in-camera is important because camera sensors inherently gather more tonal detail on the right-hand side of the histogram than the left. This means any detail on the left side can’t be as easily recovered by post-production software ‘shifting’ of the histogram without compromising the quality of the final photo. Or think of it this way - an underexposed file is not the basis for a high-quality photo with snow and/or ice as a main feature.
YOUR LIGHT METER The camera uses a light meter to help set the exposure at the time you press the shutter. And, as advanced as it is, the meter doesn’t know if there is snow or ice in the scene, it just knows what is bright and light and what is not. It will try to average out the scene to a mid-tone. If white is the predominant tone in your image and you let the camera ‘decide’ on the correct exposure, the histogram may not have much information on the right side at all and any snow or ice will look more grey than white in the photo as a result. Some cameras may offer a snow setting for white balance, but this is only useful if shooting JPEG. Assuming you want to take full control, you will need to manipulate the exposure reading generated by the camera, which can be made with an adjustment to the exposure compensation, typically up (+) a stop or two of light. Given time to set the shot up, I will often experiment with just how much I increase the exposure compensation and fine tune it based on histogram feedback – if I adjust it too far, I’ll see the ‘blink’ and know I need to dial it back. The advantage of this is once set it can be left while shooting in that environ-
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PHOTO TIPS: COLD W E ATHER
LEFT: Iceberg detail, Alaska, showing the histogram with my exposure balanced to the right. Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L lens @ 255mm. 1/640s @ f8, ISO 400.
ment. Just don’t forget to adjust or turn off exposure compensation later on, or you’ll find your next set of photos might be way overexposed! It’s also worth remembering that in all snow and ice situations, photographing at the end of each end of the day means there will be less contrast in the scene. This will allow for more latitude in your exposure settings and is a good time to photograph people and other darker subjects in the environment. Finally, if you’re shooting in the snow, shoot RAW. JPEG’s have already been interpreted and processed by your camera and if you do make a mistake with the exposure on a unique, one off shot it’s very difficult to fix it afterward. When shooting RAW I can on occasion ‘push’ my exposure to the right allowing some minor ‘blinking’ of highlights on my LCD screen, confident that when I open the file in Lightroom I will find I was still within the range of highlight detail that the RAW file could record, even though my camera was telling me otherwise. Photography in cold environments can be fun and very rewarding and with careful planning you and your camera can perform flawlessly so get out there and be creative. ❂
MY CLOTHING SYSTEM
A thin merino wool layer top and bottom against my skin and a toasty warm ¾ zip neck long sleeve top and close fitting stretch polypro fleece tights on the bottom are my all important base layers. If I’m leading a Zodiac cruise, where I’m not very active, I’ll add a down jacket, and for all activities I need robust waterproof and windproof outer layers. For my feet (with thick wool socks) I pack a super warm and waterproof pair of tall Arctic Muck Boots. I have yet to find a perfect glove system for photography in the cold so I’ll pack a variety of thin and thick options to give me as much flexibility as possible for both wet and dry cold conditions.
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Join us in Tasmania for the photography workshop of a lifetime To find out more information about the workshop, go to worldphotoadventures.com or email julia@worldadventures.com.au
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PHOTO TIPS: EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY
THE ART OF
EQUINE BY KATIE MENDL
For centuries, horses have been drawn on the walls of caves, hung as paintings and tapestries on the walls of castles and carved into the earth on the side of mountains. They are a symbol of strength and beauty, and have been connected to and admired by humans around the world. Here’s how to create your own art when photographing these beautiful animals.
ABOVE: I was driving out of a horse stud when I saw this image emerging. The foal was walking towards his mother, Finch Farm Valerie. It was an overcast day, the light diffused by the clouds, so I didn’t need to worry about the directional light. I quickly composed the image in my head, then with my camera, and clicked. It’s an image showing the connection that runs between a mother and child, animal or human. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 200mm. 1/1000s @ f4, ISO 500. OPPOSITE PAGE: This is an image of my neighbours horse who often waits along the fence line for a treat. I tend to visit her later in the afternoon when the light is softer and the sun is almost down, and quite often zoom in on her features because she such a beautiful horse. Remember to make that eye sharp on your subject. It’s where our own eye will naturally connect with in any image, so you want it clear and powerful. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 185mm. 1/500s @ f7.1, ISO 1000. | 34 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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PHOTO TIPS: EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY
1. SAFETY FIRST, FOR YOU AND YOUR SUBJECT I know, I know…such a great way to start an article with everyone’s favourite topic, health and safety! In all seriousness though, you need to understand that protecting yourself and the horse needs to be your top priority. Photographing horses is not just a matter of jumping the paddock fence and pressing the shutter button. As beautiful as they are, horses can be very unpredictable. They have big, slightly stained teeth at the front, and two very hard, round missiles (aka hooves) at the back. Before entering a paddock or barn, make sure you get some experience around horses without a camera in your hand. Horses have an acute ability to sense emotions, so if you feel afraid, it’s likely the horse will too. Speak to the owners, ask questions about the horse and find out anything you need to know in regards to the nature of their animal, and then simply spend some time with the horse so you feel comfortable in each others company.
After 15 years of working with horses, I am still very aware of their mood, the proximity of their teeth and legs to my body, and how important is to be safe around a mob or with a stallion. Colts nibble, mares can charge, and foals can deliver an incredibly strong kick – so be careful! Finally, if you’re photographing horses at a show, anything with a little red ribbon tied on its tail needs a wide berth, and if the little darling then puts its ears back and bares its teeth as you walk past the business end, just forget it. You will most likely never be friends.
“IN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY I ALWAYS TRY AND POSITION MYSELF OR THE HORSE IN A WAY WHERE THE LIGHT HITS THE HORSE DIRECTLY, TO TRY AND AVOID DARK SHADOWS. OTHER TIMES, I WILL USE THAT SHADOWING TO CREATE A LIGHT AND DARK EFFECT ON THE SUBJECT, WHICH CAN LOOK SPECTACULAR ONCE CONVERTED...” ABOVE: This image was shot using natural light coming in through the stable door. We positioned Charlemagne in the entrance of the stable, using the darkness of the barn as the backdrop. I shot this while standing up, and simply worked with him (and a lot of carrots) to create shapes and poses with him. There is an element of post processing to tidy up the black background, however if you shoot it correctly in camera, editing is minimal. I also added a matt overlay to soften the overall darkness of the image. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 70mm. 1/500s @ f7.1, ISO 1000. LEFT: This is an image of the stallion, Massimo Quality IMP. I photographed this image in the afternoon, when there was still a little harshness in the light. I shot down low, so that I was looking up at the stallion, with the sky as the backdrop. I positioned myself several metres from the horse, which gave me the room to follow him with my camera while he galloped around the arena. I had to wait until he reached a spot where the light was flat on him so I could avoid strong shadowing. I had my settings ready so that I could track his movement, and then it was just a waiting game. That’s the thing with horses – they create the image, you just have to wait for that moment, and be ready to capture it. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 185mm. 1/500s @ f7.1, ISO 1000.
2. YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR TOOLS In photography, the most important tool is your knowledge, not your camera. I am predominantly a fine art equine portrait photographer, and over the years I have worked my way up to professional equipment that allows me to create the best possible art I can afford. But probably like many of you, I started with a dinky little bottom-of-the-range DSLR and a plastic portrait lens. And you know what? I still created magic. Yes, equipment can improve the end result, however if you don’t understand the essential elements of a good photograph, the light, colour, composition, the moment, and the subject, you will struggle to create good photographs. If you are starting out, worry less about what is in your hand, and worry more about learning about the elements that make for a good image. However, if you’re wondering what I use and recommend, these days I use Canon 5DSR bodies for my portraiture and fine art. The 50 megapixel camera allows me to deliver larger prints for my clients. My workhorse (pun intended) lens is my Canon 70-200 f/2.8L lens, and it rarely comes off my camera for several reasons. Simply put, the optics of this lens are incredible - it is sharp as a tack, fast, and doesn’t create the perspective distortion that wide angle lenses will. But importantly, the longer focal length allows you to capture different types of scenes. You can zoom in for sports images, or stand a distance away from the horse for a portrait that provides a more attractive angle and perspective. Finally for black background work where I am shooting equine portraits, I will occasionally pull out my Sigma Art 85mm lens. It’s beautiful, but heavy, due to the amount of quality glass in the lens, so I will usually use a monopod with this lens. My recommendation then for equine photography is a longer lens if you can – anything above 85mm should do the trick.
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PHOTO TIPS: EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY
I carry my camera everywhere. I knew where the sun went down, and how beautiful the light was during the winter. This is a tricky lighting situation, because I wanted the horses highlighted by the sunset, but not in compete silhouette. To retain some detail in the horses, I put my camera on manual mode and before asking the horses to run off the crop, I set my camera settings so I knew that I would be ready to capture the shot before they took off. They move fast, so you need to be a step ahead of the game, otherwise you will lose the shot. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 100mm. 1.1250s @ f5, ISO 800. | 38 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
“LIKE WITH ALL PHOTOGRAPHY, THE GOLDEN HOUR IS A GREAT TIME TO SHOOT. BUT IT’S AN ESPECIALLY GOOD TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH HORSES AS THE OLDER ANIMALS TEND TO RELAX AT THIS TIME OF THE DAY, WHICH MAKES FOR BEAUTIFUL CALM IMAGERY...”
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4. MOVEMENT AND ANGLES
RIGHT: I love to work with stallions. They are strong, muscled and intelligent. To capture this image, I hung a white backdrop on the wall of the stable, and simply opened the stable door to allow the natural light to filter in. I positioned the horse so that the light highlighted his head, and the rest just fell into place. You don’t need a big fancy studio, equipment, props or lighting. The backdrop was a piece of fabric from spotlight, and the stable is simply a room full of sawdust. You can create something beautiful without the bells and whistles. Just find yourself a beautiful subject and play. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens @ 33mm. 1/1000s @ f4, ISO 1600. FAR RIGHT: When you can’t get to Africa, go to your local zoo! I spent around half an hour in the zebra enclosure (under supervision) and just observed and photographed them. I photographed how they interacted with one another, and watched for interesting compositions that they created. In post processing, I simply converted the image into black and white and that was it. You will notice that once again, I have avoided heavy shadowing, waiting for the softer afternoon light, and waiting to shoot when the light was highlighting the subject fully. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF70200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 105mm. 1/320s @ f5.6, ISO 640. BELOW: Another image of opportunity. It was another overcast day, so I wasn’t overly concerned about directional light. I just made sure that my ISO was high enough to combat the darker conditions, ensured my shutter speed was fast enough to freeze the movement, and shot several images in a row. With so many horses moving so fast, it’s not easy to choose a moment to freeze, so I kept shooting until the mob had run past. Then I sorted through and chose my favourite. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 88mm. 1/2500s @ f4, ISO 640.
With equine photography, there are two main types of photography you should try to focus on. For sports images, you need to capture the horse at the correct moment in its movement sequence so it presents the horse in an attractive manner. Owners are typically looking for images that represent the horses athleticism, scope and peak appearance. As an equine photographer, it is your responsibly to learn these poses, and then capture them in movement. For showjumping, riders usually like an image where the horse is almost at the highest point of the fence, when the knees are tucked right up under the horses body, and the hind legs are extended as they are leaving the ground. For a large, wider jump, it is excellent when you can capture the horse mid air, sailing over the jump with all fours tucked right up under the body. When it comes to dressage, polo, camp drafting and others, they are a whole other kettle of fish, and if you are truly keen to enter the world of equine sports photography, it’s up to you to get to work studying other
3. LET THERE BE LIGHT Like with all photography, the golden hour is a great time to shoot. But it’s an especially good time to photograph horses as the older animals tend to relax at this time of the day, which makes for beautiful calm imagery. At the same time, foals will use the cooler hours to play and there are so many opportunities to capture their vitality in beautiful light. The warmer light presents a softness in the image with no harsh highlights, and the colours are saturated and rich, right from the grass to their sleek coats. My advice at this time of day, is to just try enjoy the quiet time in the presence of the horse. Quite often, I will just sit for an hour and observe the horses, and photograph them as they interact with one another. These types of images are my favourite - showing the horses just being horses, and capturing their connection with one another. Take this time to experiment too. A great technique is to underexpose your image and capture highlights in the mane and tail, or position yourself so the horse is backlit, with the horse in silhouette. As a rule, you should shoot with the light behind you, illuminating your subject and providing an even light on the horse. But rules are also meant to be broken, and backlit images can be incredibly beautiful. For black and white portraits I tend to shoot a little before the golden hour, as I want more contrast in my black and white tones. This is especially important in landscape scenes and environmental portraits, as for these I like to try and capture a range of shadow and highlight information. In black and white photography I always try and position myself or the horse in a way where the light hits the horse directly, to try and avoid dark shadows. Other times, I will use that shadowing to create a light and dark effect on the subject, which can look spectacular once converted into black and white. Honestly, art is all about experimentation, so shoot and upload, and give yourself time to capture the scene in different ways to see what styles you like. | 40 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO TIPS: EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY
photographers images to learn the best moments to shoot, or ask to do work experience with a sports photography business that can show you the ropes. With portraiture, you often haver a little more creative freedom. If shooting out in a paddock, I will usually work my way around the horse to get the best angle for the horse and light. This really comes with practice, but there’s a few things you can look for. You want to see the horses long strong neck, and the side profile works well also. Try to aim for a quarter turn to the head if you can as rarely does a front on shot of a horse do it justice. In an image, you want to see all the curves of the animal, not just two fluffy little ears, bug eyes and the flat side of its face! Finally, I recommend you avoid using continuous shooting. Practice until you can shoot the horse at exactly the correct moment in its movement. From experience, it can be distracting and frustrating to work with another photographer that just ‘sprays and prays’ on continuous mode, and taking the time to learn the technique is a much better option.
PHOTO TIPS: EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY
ABOVE: The connection that horses have with one another fascinates me, so a large portion of my work focuses on this. Here, paddock mates are simply comforted in one another’s company. I photographed them from below, looking up towards them, and you can see the light is harsher and there is more shadowing on the horses. Thankfully, the shadowing doesn’t take away from the overall aesthetic of the shot. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 70mm. 1/1600s @ f6.3, ISO 800.
THE EQUINE PORTR AITURE CHEAT SHEET My average natural light shoot typically starts approximately an hour before sunset. Once I’ve arrived, here’s how I work: • Canon 5DSR body with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens • My camera on Aperture priority. If shooting a backlit scene, then it’s onto manual, with a quick switch to get the correct exposure • My aperture will change depending on the shot, however usually remains somewhere between f3.2 and f8 • My ISO changes as the light changes. If I need a faster shutter speed, I’ll pop the ISO up however if it gets too noisy, I will usually widen the aperture and lose a little depth of field rather than raise the ISO too high • I rarely go under a shutter speed of 1/1000s, but that’s just me. Sometimes I’ll pull a rabbit from a hat and get a nice sharp image at 1/500th of a second • I am continuously changing my metering settings depending on the movement of the horses. If they are mainly stationary, I am on ‘One shot’. If they are trotting or cantering in the paddock, then I flick over to ‘Servo’ to track them • At the end of each shoot, I come home, load up the images on my desktop and save to a hard drive immediately!
5. TRICK OR TREAT A horse always looks better when it ‘pops’. This means the horse has its ears forward, eyes bright and it looks lively and alert! To do this, there are several tricks I use. Firstly, use a ringtone app like Zedge and download horse sounds onto your phone. You can use these to get the horse to pay attention and look around for where the ‘other horse’ is. Google is also good for horse neighs. In barn shoots, I will occasionally use a mirror to grab the horse’s attention. You will find that many stallions like looking at themselves in the mirror as they think that it is another horse, and when they see one, they come alive. I use a bucket of feed and have someone shake it behind me, or even get another horse to walk or stand behind me to make the horse more interested and get the expression I am after. Finally, remember, that horses are animals, and they don’t understand what we are asking of them photographically. It is up to you, the photographer, to draw it from them, encourage and be kind to the horse. At the end of the shoot, give them a treat if the owner doesn’t mind. They deserve a reward and positive reinforcement. Or maybe it’s just that I like spoiling horses!
6. THE FINER DETAILS Horses are big, however they have the most beautiful fine features that present great photo opportunities. Their long eyelashes and velvety noses, and their long willowy manes that create beautiful movement in the wind. Even their whiskers look beautiful when they catch the light. Try to capture these details as they can be great to add to the wider ‘hero’ images you capture.
| 42 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
LEFT: I was taught at college to never photography a subject from the back, but sometimes you have to break the rules! You can tell that the light is almost directly above the horses from the shadows on the ground, so it would have been taken in the middle of the day. Once again, the cloud has created a slightly softer light, and i photographed them while driving. The earthy tones of the horses and the surrounding environment are a perfect combination. The repetition of horses and manes and tails adds interest too. Canon EOS 5DS R, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 125mm. 1/5000s @ f3.5, ISO 800.
7. GET LOW AND GO, GO, GO! When shooting portraits, I tend to shoot at a low angle and at a distance where the horses head fills the frame. This creates a much more attractive perspective of the horse and helps to eliminate background distraction. I do the same for three quarter and full body shots. If I am shooting sport, I will mainly be shooting at standing height, however I do go down low to get interesting perspectives from time to time. As I said earlier, play with your camera angles and perspectives and mix it up. Sometimes you will create a little magic you didn’t expect. To be honest, I could write another 10,000 words on equine photography and still not covered all I want to share with you on the subject. However, I hope what I have shared gives you a start on capturing your equine subjects with a little more confidence. Happy shooting! ❂
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| 44 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO TIPS: CREATIVE SHOOTING AND EDITING
SHAKE IT UP
8 FUN AND EASY CAMERA AND EDITING TECHNIQUES TO TRY BY DREW HOPPER
Expand your creativity with these unique photography ideas.
A
s photographers, we’re always searching for that next picture-perfect moment to cherish and share with the world, but if we just shoot the same subjects overand-over again, photography has a funny habit of becoming repetitious. I find the best way to avoid this is to mix things up by trying different techniques both in-camera and in post-production. The best part is a lot of these techniques won’t cost you a cent - just some time and your imagination. So, let’s take a look at a few.
LEFT: Using my zoom lens, I zoomed in during the exposure to give this sense of motion on a facemask hanging on a wall in West Bengal, India. Even a short throw of the zoom ring was enough to create this effect. Canon 6D, Canon 16-35mm f2.8 lens @ 16mm. 1/10s @ f11, ISO 125. | 45 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
F E ATU R E
1
GAIN GRAIN Sometimes ‘rules’ are made to be broken, and on the subject of noise, clean noise-free images aren’t always better. So why not embrace the beauty of grain and use it to create more moody pictures? While this may seem counter-intuitive, increasing your ISO to a higher value to create grainy images can be a great way to add a timeless feel to your digital work. You can apply grain in-camera by setting a higher ISO, however, if you decide you aren’t happy with the result then you’ll be stuck with it. The better option is to shoot a low ISO and apply the grain in post. Most editing software has the option of either removing (via the noise reduction tool) or adding grain using a tool to increase the ‘grittiness’ of your raw image. The benefit of adding grain in post-production is that you have complete control over how grainy the image will be. Most software will even allow you to choose the size and density of the grain, so check the settings to find what effect you like best.
ABOVE: My wife laying in the river. There was very little light in the scene so I had to increase my ISO anyway to capture the shot. Obviously this added noise, so in post I added more grain to embrace the effect. Fujifilm X100V. 1/160s @ f2, ISO 1000.
2
SHIFT THINGS UP Tilt-shift, also known as the “miniature” effect, is a technique that can be used to create miniature worlds from real-world scenes. It’s also used a lot in architectural photography to straighten lines on tall buildings or when experimenting with selective lens blur for portraits. The effect is achieved from selective tilt and focus movements often with a dedicated (and pricey) tiltshift lens, however similar results are possible by creating the effect in post-production simply by adding blur to the top and bottom portion of the image to give it the miniature illusion. If you fancy giving it a try yourself, here’s how I achieve it in Adobe Photoshop. First, choose your image and then choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object, which creates a layer you can edit the effect onto. From there, go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Tilt-Shift, which opens the dialog. You can already see the effect starting to take place. For best results, try it with photographs taken from higher vantage points to help with creating tiny worlds below. You can even use tilt-shift for portrait photography to give help give your images that little something else.
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PHOTO TIPS: CR E ATIVE SHOOTING AND EDITING
LEFT: Two angles from our hotel window in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. The tilt-shift effect, which i created later in post, gives new light to a somewhat mundane scene here. Both images: Fujifilm X100V. 1/125s @ f8, ISO 1000.
| 47 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
RIGHT: This abstract image is actually children dancing in celebration of a wedding in the countryside somewhere in Bangladesh. I wanted to capture the sense of motion, so I slowed my shutter speed to blur their movements completely. Fujifilm X-T2, Fujifilm 23mm f/2 lens @ 23mm. 1/8s @ f16, ISO 200. FAR RIGHT: This Backlit forest at dusk was the perfect setting to shoot low key. This editing style lends itself to images where you want to give the final effect a moody atmosphere. Fujifilm X100V. 1/400s @ f7, ISO 160. BELOW: This high key image was captured using Fujifilm’s film simulation Acros monochrome filter. The in-camera JPEG filters in many cameras can bring a nice creativity to your work, and want to minimise your time spent editing after capture. Fujifilm X-T2, 23mm f/2 lens @ 23mm. 1/200s @ f2, ISO 800.
3
MAKE IT INTENTIONAL Intentional camera movement (ICM) is a fun experimental technique that can be implemented for all genres of photography. Whereas most other photography techniques involve keeping the camera stationary, ICM involves intentionally moving the camera during the exposure to capture a sense of motion. As weird as it may sound, it’s actually a very effective method to create unique results due to the unpredictability of it. The best way to do it is through trial and error.
4
Keep in mind what it is you wish to say with your work. For example, do you want to create a sense of calm or are you looking to create something more erratic? Faster and longer movements will result in more aggressive images, whereas slower more subtle movements will have the opposite effect. I find that 1/4s second works well as a starting point as it gives you just enough time to quickly move the camera to create the blurred effect.
HIGH KEY High key photography is a style of shooting and editing that focusses on bright, often overexposed highlights, while still keeping plenty of detail in the shadows. Think of it like eliminating harsh shadows and creating bright clean images. This effect is generally found in product photography when using a lightbox or studio portraits against a white backdrop. If you wish to convey a positive stylistic and “airy” feeling in your photography, then the high key look is a great way to achieve it. Simply overexposing an existing exposure by two or three stops with your camera’s exposure compensation dial can give great results, however, it is good practice to check your histogram to make sure that you aren’t losing highlight detail in the process.
| 48 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO TIPS: CR E ATIVE SHOOTING AND EDITING
5
LOW KEY
One way to add drama to your photography is to try shooting low key – and no, this doesn’t mean putting on camouflage and stalking your subjects on the street! The low key effect in photography means a predominantly darker tonality, which is the opposite of high key photography above. Instead of reducing contrast, low key lighting increases contrast through reduced lighting to allow the shadows to become the primary focus. I like to expose for highlights with digital, so I typically find light falling onto my subject and then expose for the brighter areas of the scene. Experiment with different light intensities until you are satisfied with your desired effect.
| 49 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO TIPS: CR E ATIVE SHOOTING AND EDITING
6
DOUBLE EXPOSURES In its purest form, a double exposure is a technique that layers two different exposures onto a single frame. Most modern mirrorless cameras have the option to shoot double exposures in-camera simply by enabling multiple exposures in the menu settings. However, if your camera doesn’t allow it, you can replicate the effect using Photoshop. The process involves selecting your background image as a layer using the quick selection tool or magic wand tool, then go to select > inverse to invert the selection. Next, create a layer and drag the second image on top of the first, then with that image selected press Ctrl and click on the layer clipping mask for the first image. Now unlink the mask and adjust the position of the second image until you’re satisfied. The next step is to blend the two images together, usually the screen layer is the best option for this and adjust opacity to suit.
The last step is to add your final layer by making a copy of the subject layer, dragging it to the top of the second layer and change the subject layer blending mode to lighten. It’s much easier when you’re in Photoshop with the images on screen. The key with double exposures is to think of your theme before shooting. Consider what it is you want to say through your photography - once you’ve got a concept you can then compose your shots. Fire off your base photo, perhaps a portrait, still life or a scenic image - it can be just about anything as long as there is a clear subject and a decent amount of highlight and shadow information with a neutral background. Now it’s time to take the photo to layer over the other. Abstract patterns for example tend to work well and give your image dynamism. The upside is with digital you can experiment as much as you want until you nail the shot.
BELOW: a double exposure of the skyline in Saigon, Vietnam. One photo was captured for the foreground houses and another for the high-rise buildings on the horizon. I used Photoshop to layer the two images together. Double exposures work best when your two images relate to one another in some way. Canon 6D, Canon 70-200 f/4 lens @ 127mm. 1/125s @ f4, ISO 800.
| 50 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO TIPS: CR E ATIVE SHOOTING AND EDITING
7
CREATIVE EDITING EFFECTS We’ve all got images backed up on our hard drives that never see the light of day. Why not give them a new lease on life and create something different in post? Typically, I prefer to get the shot as close to ‘perfect’ in the camera, however, sometimes more ‘work’ can be done to strengthen an image or even give it another meaning during the editing process. There are tons of great presets, effects and editing styles to try - some of my favourites include Nik Collection’s Analog Effects and Colour Effects. I sometimes use Analog Effects to give my digital images the film look simply by applying various creative effects in Photoshop. You can also use apps on your smartphone to apply different creative effects to your images.
| 51 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
ABOVE: This image is a double exposure made in Photoshop by layering a close-up of the canopy onto a wider scene. I also increased the grain to emphasise the abstract feel of the final image. Canon 6D, Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens @ 200mm. 1/320s @ f5.6, ISO 160.
PHOTO TIPS: CR E ATIVE SHOOTING AND EDITING
8 TOP: This portrait of my wife was captured using our bedroom as a studio. I created an atmosphere by making my white balance blue (by setting it to tungsten). Fujifilm X-T2, 23mm f/2 lens @ 23mm. 1/125s @ f2, ISO 2500. ABOVE: This image of a very lush green rainforest was intensified by using a daylight white balance and boosting the saturation of the greens in post. Fujifilm X-T2, 1024mm f/4 lens @ 10mm. 1/320s @ f8, ISO 250.
CREATIVE WHITE BALANCE White balance is a powerful tool when used creatively and can totally transform the atmosphere and feelings in your photographs, and adjusting it not only changes the colours but the way we view an image. Dramatically changing white balance can make your shots appear like they were captured at a different time of day, which can be useful for visual storytelling when setting the mood of a scene. In order to understand how different Kelvin levels work, its good practice to get out and try different custom white balance settings. For example, you could make your images feel colder by setting a lower Kelvin number 3200K to give a blue tone. Going in the opposite direction will make things warmer, for example, a white balance setting of 15,000K will give your images warmth. Note that setting the camera to auto white balance doesn’t mean you shouldn’t manually tweak the settings. The camera doesn’t know what your creative intentions are, and it definitely doesn’t know what you wish to convey in your images. ❂
| 52 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
✔ T E S T E D: S A N D I S K E X T R E M E P R O P O R TA B L E S S D
SANDISK EXTREME PRO PORTABLE SSD SanDisk’s new generation tough storage offers impressive read/write speeds thanks to the latest USB tech, but not everyone will have the gear to take advantage of all it can do.
S
we’ve seen before: it keeps the ruggedised rubber outer with orange carabiner/keyring clip, and in the hand it’s still nice to hold. It’s a compact unit too, with our 1TB review model measuring up at 11.2 x 5.8 x 1.15cm. The drive is IP55 water and dust resistant, but it’s worth noting that the port at the bottom remains exposed – leaving it a possibly entry point if you’re unlucky enough to expose it to liquid. Inside the rather minimalist packaging you’ll find the drive and two 9-inch cables: USB-C-to-USB-C and USB-Cto-USB-A. That’s better than an awkward converter dongle.
anDisk’s newest and fastest portable SSD may look a lot like its predecessors, but that’s just about where the comparisons end. Under the hood it offers serious performance for photographers, video editors and data hoarders who need the fastest possible USB 3.2 standard to move big files quickly. But this comes with a caveat to really take advantage of its capabilities you’ll need to have the latest transfer tech at hand.
ON THE OUTSIDE Visually at least, the SanDisk Extreme design is largely unchanged from what
SCORE
8.5
SPECS Available Capacities
2TB, 1TB
Interface
USB 3.2 Gen2x2(20Gb/s); backward compatible with USB 3.2 Gen2 and USB 3.2 Gen1
Connection
USB Type-C
Dimensions (L x W x H)
11.2 x 5.8 x 1.15cm
Encryption
256-bit AES Hardware with password protection
Format
Preformatted ex-FAT for PC and Mac compatibility; Can be reformatted and repartitioned to user desire
Warranty
5 years
Inside the box
SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD, USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable, USB Type-C to Type-A cable
Price
$399 (1TB as tested)
| 54 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
MOVING STUFF Sandisk recommended I test the drive on a USB 3.2 Gen 2X2 port in order to avoid bottlenecks and experience the full performance benefits of the drive, but unfortunately my 2016 Macbook Pro only offers Thunderbolt 3 (USB 3.0), so I was limited with my testing. That said and even with this bottleneck, speeds were still impressive – around 930MB/s, with the drive moving a 90GB file in about five minutes. The drive remained nice and cool to the touch throughout my testing as well. Really the only problem with the Extreme Pro isn’t a fault of it per se, but current market limitations. As of June 2021, there’s not a huge number of devices on the market that support USB 3.2 Gen 2X2, and it means you’ll likely need to look at a costly upgrade with an expansion card for your PC if you’re serious about getting the highest 2000mb/s speeds the drive is capable of delivering. For everyone else, I think transfer speeds of around 1,000mb/s are probably enough for most applications – although you’ll need to decide if future-proofing your storage now is worth the increase in price over the older Sandisk Extreme Pro SSD which are about $100 cheaper, and still max out at 1050mb/s. ❂
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TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
SUPER SELECTIONS BY S H R E YA S YA D AV
You may be familiar with Photoshop’s quick selection tool, but did you know there’s other ways you can make precise selections, including for colour, focus and subject? Here’s a crash course in making advanced selections in your post-processing workflow.
H
ave you ever photographed the perfect subject, but wanted to tweak just one colour in the image? Or have you ever wanted to edit just the out of focus areas in one of your images, leaving the in-focus parts alone? In Photoshop, there’s a selection of tools that can perform these actions, along with all sorts of others, quickly and easily. Better yet, once you’ve learned them, they will become a useful tool in your editing toolkit, especially so as they are incredibly accurate. So, let’s dive right in, with the first, making a Colour Range based selection.
| 56 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
1. COLOR RANGE BASED SELECTION
Color Range is a selection tool that allows you to select parts of an image based on its colour. This makes it easy to select a specific colour and then change its hue, saturation and/or brightness. Let’s start with an example. In this image of an Impatiens flower on the right, I wanted to make adjustments to the saturation of the petals, but I didn’t want to adjust the leaves or other parts of the image. A Color Range Based selection will allow me to do this.
STEP
1
STEP
2
CREATE A LAYER First, I create a Background Copy Layer by Selecting the background layer and dragging it over the Create New Layer icon (It has a + symbol). This means I will only make changes to my copy if I need to start again at any time. Now, let’s set up our colour range. With the Background copy layer selected, click Select > Color Range. The Color Range Window will pop-up.
SETTING THE COLOR RANGE I first select “Sampled Colors”. With this option selected, the tool selects pixels that share the same or similar colour with a click on an area of that colour in the image. Photoshop “samples” the colour and selects all of the pixels that are the same as, or within a certain range of, that colour (hence the name “Color Range”). If you click on the words “Sampled Colors”, you’ll see a list of different selection options. For example, you can instantly select all the pixels of a specific colour (reds, yellows, blues, etc.) or select the brightest pixels in the image by choosing Highlights, or the darkest pixels by choosing Shadows. These additional options can come in handy in certain situations, but we’ll stick to ‘Sampled Colors’ for this tutorial. Next, you’ll see three Eyedropper tools on the right. The main Eyedropper is selected by default, and that’s what you’ll use to select a colour from your image. From there, you can add to your selection with the middle Eyedropper, and subtract from your selection with the Eyedropper on the right. Doing this builds the colour range for the image. | 57 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
STEP
3
REFINING YOUR SELECTION
At the bottom of the window, you’ll notice the preview window displays the selections as a grayscale image. Like with a layer mask, areas in the image that are fully selected appear white in the preview window, while areas that are not selected appear black. Now, I uncheck the option ‘Detect Faces’ and check the option ‘Localised Color Clusters’, as this is the most appropriate for this style of image – if you’re editing a portrait for example, you could keep it selected. Fuzziness controls the selection area outside of your initial selection. The higher we set the Fuzziness value, the more brightness levels we include in the acceptable range. I recommend adjusting Fuzziness by previewing the image. For more precise colour selection, try to keep Fuzziness to lower values. A Fuzziness value of 40, for example, will select all pixels that are the exact same colour as the pixel we clicked on, plus all pixels that are within 40 brightness values lighter or darker, while excluding anything outside this range. With the Range slider, you can adjust the range of the selection. Here, I’ve kept it to the default of 100%.
STEP
4
NOW MAKE YOUR EDITS Finally, click Ok. You will see the marching ants around your selection. This is the area you can now make finite adjustments to. (To make these, first click on Layer > New Adjustment Layer, and then select the adjustment layer you want to apply, such as Vibrance, Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, etc.)
2. FOCUS AREA-BASED SELECTION Now, let’s learn how to make selections based on the area in or out of focus. Focus area-based selection is useful when you have a perfectly focussed object and an out of focus background, but you want to just focus your adjustments (such as Sharpening, Brightness/Contrast etc) to one or the other. Generally speaking, it works best with images which have a clear distinction
between the main object and the background. For this, I’m editing a shot of a Serpent Eagle that was perched on a dried tree. The eagle is in focus, and the background is out of focus. The first step, like with the Colour Range tool, is to create a Background Copy Layer by Selecting the background layer and dragging it to the Create New Layer icon ( + symbol).
STEP
1
OPEN THE FOCUS AREA WINDOW With the Background copy Layer selected, click > Select > Focus Area. The Focus Area Window will pop-up. Select the View Mode and choose which is convenient for you. I generally prefer the Marching Ants or Overlay View Mode Options. | 58 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
STEP
2
REFINE THE SELECTION Under the ‘Parameters’ option there are two options, In-Focus Range and Image Noise Level (found under Advanced). If you move the slider to 0, the entire image gets selected, and if you move the slider to the extreme right, only the parts of the image in clearest focus remain selected. By checking the Auto box, Photoshop will make an automatic selection, and in most instances, you’ll probably find the default does a good job of selecting the out of focus areas. However, if required you can manually adjust the In-Focus Range with the slider to clean up some of the stray selection areas. If your
STEP
3
image has noticeable noise in the out of focus areas, you can use the Image Noise Level slider to adjust this, or just leave it at auto. On the left side of the Pop-up window, there are two options to add to the focus area and subtract from the focus area. Like with the selection tool, you can use these to fine-tune your Selection. A quick tip – by tapping the Left ([) and Right (]) Bracket keys you can adjust the size of the tool’s tip. With the selection made, there is an option under the Output tab to ‘Output To.’ There are multiple options here such as Selection, Layer Mask, New Layer, etc. I generally choose Output to Selection or New Layer with Layer Mask.
SOFTEN EDGES Underneath the Output section, you can also check the Soften Edge check box, which runs additional processing to make for a cleaner edge. Depending on your chosen output, there will be an option to either choose the ‘Select and Mask’ button, or simply click Ok.
| 59 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
STEP
4
REFINE EVEN MORE... If you do choose the select and mask option, you’ll see a window allowing you to refine your selections further, just like with all masking in Photoshop.
STEP
5
...AND MAKE YOUR ADJUSTMENTS Finally, with the selection ready you can now make Targeted Colour and Tonality adjustments using the Adjustment Layer option, just like we did with Color Range selection above.
| 60 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
3. SUBJECT-BASED SELECTION
Updated most recently in Photoshop CC 2020, Select Subject automatically finds the main subject in your image and ‘selects it’ by drawing a selection outline around it. However, before you get too excited, results do depend on the image - if there are many out of focus areas on your chosen photo, then Subject-based selection may struggle to make its selections accurately. Where it shines is if there is a decent distinction between the main subject and its surroundings like with my chosen photo of an Oriental Turtle Dove. Let’s take a look.
STEP
1
CREATE A LAYER Firstly, like with Colour Range and Focus-Area based selections, first create a Background Copy Layer. With it selected, click > Select > Subject. You’ll see a selection made automatically that will either be quite accurate or need some tweaking.
STEP
2
USE THE QUICK SELECTION TOOL With the initial Selection made, you may need to use the Quick Selection Tool to make adjustments to the masked layer. You can select it on the left and then choose to either add or subtract areas as necessary. When you’re happy with the selection, Click on Select > Select and Mask.
| 61 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
TUTORIAL: PRECISE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP
STEP
3
THE SELECT AND MASK WINDOW Now, the Select and Mask window will pop-up – Here you can refine your selections, making adjustments for smoothness, feather, etc.
STEP
4
CHOOSE YOUR OUTPUT We’re nearly there. Under the Output Settings, > Select options from the Drop Down, and then select either ‘Selection’ if you’d like to keep the changes on the original layer, or ‘New Layer with Layer Mask’, if you’d like a new layer generated.
STEP
5
MAKE ADJUSTMENTS Finally, with the selection made, you can now make targeted colour and tonality adjustments to it using the Adjustment Layer option, as with Colour Range above.
| 62 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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BENQ SW271C IMAGE-EDITING MONITOR BY MIKE O’CONNOR
BenQ’s latest imageediting monitor promises accurate colours, improved workflow tools and better features than its predecessor. Mike O’Connor brings one into his home office to see how well it performs.
I
f there’s one thing COVID-19 has shown us, it’s the importance of having your home office setup dialled – and by this, I mean a proper workspace optimised for photography and editing. Up until recently, the weakness of my own arrangement at home would easily be my monitor, and long hours hunched over a 13’ Macbook Pro had shown me that my images (and my back) could really benefit from having something more established on my desk for both my own image-editing and work – enter the BenQ SW271C. | 64 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
THE SWEET SPOT The SW271C is BenQ’s latest 27’ image-editing monitor and its headline specs include 99% of the Adobe RGB colour gamuts, and support for more vibrant and true-to-life colour through Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) in addition to HDR10. The monitor also has a number of new features for videographers, including the ability to display 24p, 25p and 30p video at native frame rates. And usefully, a number of SDI to HDMI devices are compatible with the SW271C, allowing videographers to transfer uncompressed video to the display.
S P E CI A L P RO M OT I O N
B E N Q S W 2 7 1C I M A G E - E D I T I N G M O N I T O R
We’ve long advocated the benefits of image-editing monitors for photographers, but in a nutshell the ability to edit with accurate colour can be the difference between an image that pops as the photographer intended and one that doesn’t. One of my lockdown projects has been teaching myself the basics of colour grading, and doing this on a monitor like the SW271C that’s optimised for this exact type of thing has been a godsend. But it’s really printing where a monitor like this is especially useful for photographers. A wide gamut monitor, the SW271C is Pantone validated, and comes both Calman Ready and Calman Verified, two important indicators of colour uniformity. As an upgrade over its predecessor, the monitor also now supports third-party calibration as well. BenQ’s ‘Paper Colour Sync’ software is included with the SW271C. This produces simulated previews for different colour settings, printers and paper types, allowing you to preview a photographic print on your display. It’s especially useful to use in the final steps before you print. However, the other reason you might consider an image-editing monitor for your own editing is the oodles of fine detail suddenly revealed in your work. For assessing sharpness throughout your frame or just eyeballing the fine feather details on a bird’s wings, the jump from a typical LCD monitor to something like this is so dramatic I’d go as far as to say once you’ve experienced it, you’ll never go back to a lesser monitor. And this is coming from someone who’s used a MacBook Pro and its hi-res Retina screen for a number of years.
OUT OF THE BOX Once unpacked, setting up the SW271C is a doddle. There’s a variety of cable options included: USB-C/ Thunderbolt, USB 3, HDMI, and DP to Mini DP. The addition of USB-C is a welcome one, especially for video editors who want to take advantage of 4K video, along with MacBook Pro users like myself, and USB-C 60W power delivery is also supported. This means your monitor can also charge your USB-C laptop while connected – a great feature. Because photographers will often needs to change settings on their moni-
tors more frequently than the average user, BenQ includes a hotkey ‘puck’, with the newest Hotkey Puck Gen2 included here. This connects via its own dedicated port and now has a more premium feel and design over the earlier generations. The device is used to make changes to the OSD (on screen display) straightforward and simple, and allows for quick switches between sRGB, Adobe RGB and black and white modes, however these can be reassigned to your own mix if you prefer. The Hotkey Puck also gives access to GamutDuo mode, which lets you preview the same image in two colour gamuts side-by-side. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the SW271C was very colour accurate using its generic profile in both the SRGB and Adobe colour spaces right out of the box. I really appreciated that the monitor came with its own calibration report from the factory, which indicates the defaults and is a useful reference if calibration is new to you.
THE PANEL
SPECIFICATIONS Screen Size
27’
Resolution (max.)
3840 x 2160
Panel Type
IPS
Backlight Technology
LED
Response Time
5 ms (GtG)
Refresh Rate
60hz
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Display Colours
1.07 billion colours
Colour Gamut
99% AdobeRGB, 90% P3, 100% sRGB
Display Area(mm)
596.16 x 335.34
HDR
HDR10 / HLG
Display mode
Full, Aspect Ratio, 1:1
Colour temperature
5000°K / 6500°K/ 9300°K / Custom / User Defined
Connectivity
HDMI (v2.0) x 2, DisplayPort (v1.4), USB Downstream x 2, Upstream x 1, USB Type-C, SD card reader
Display Screen Coating Anti-Glare / Anti-Reflection Price
RRP $2,499
More info
Benq.com.au
At 27’, the size of the BenQ SW271C is really in the sweet spot for editing – it’s not so big that it takes up your whole desk, and it plays nicely with most software too – some bigger monitors run into issues with software that isn’t designed to be natively exported at such a large size. It can be easily switched between landscape and portrait orientation on its mount, there’s a neatly integrated holder for the puck, and the monitor’s overall styling is quite nice in an industrial way. BenQ have done a fantastic job of designing a monitor that’s usable even when in very bright conditions. The anti-glare/anti-reflection matte finish of the screen control glare very effectively, so much so I didn’t even need to use the included shade hood.
THE WRAP-UP BenQ have hit a home run with the SW271C. It’s a great size, displays fantastic yet customisable colour uniformity, is beautifully sharp and has very little glare. With an RRP of $2,499 it’s no small purchase, but if you’re serious about editing and exporting your work to the highest level, you’ll find the SW271C a more than capable partner. ❂ | 65 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
APS ONE FRAME
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY Japan is a beautiful destination for photographers, and embracing your inner tourist is the best way to experience this stunning country.
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WITH DIANA CLOSE
o visit Japan is an immersive experience quite unlike travelling in any other country. And as a photographer, you can interpret the experience in a myriad of ways – there’s opportunities for beautiful landscapes, bustling street images and tranquil travel shots. But what makes a visit to Japan even more special is the friendliness, helpfulness and generosity of everyday people you meet in the street. Our day visit to the Sandankyo Gorge,
near Hiroshima, was such an experience. We were able to visit in Autumn just before it was closed for the winter. It is a very beautiful area, and unexpectedly it began to snow. As we walked along the path above the waterfalls, we met a couple of local people walking towards us. As we didn’t have a common language, I mimed to them that it was cold. They immediately fossicked in their bag and pressed us to take a couple of hand warmers. It was obvious that they enjoyed being able to do this and would not accept payment. We experienced friendliness like this wherever we went. Our visit to the island of Miyajima, the location in the image here, left us with wonderful memories because of the many photo-
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APS ONE FRAME
graphic opportunities. Miyajima is best known for its Shinto Tori, a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at Shinto shrines. Miyajima is a tourist hotspot so the beach is often crowded, however in the late afternoon the crowds thin and small groups of people can be seen doing what tourists do. The scene here was tranquil and the light golden - a moment not to be missed. Very little was done in post processing. This image was cropped a bit, to the sky to obtain a panoramic effect and a slight cropping at the sides as well. Finally, a slight increase of contrast and vibrance and a slight decrease in clarity to emphasise the ethereal beauty.
THE AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Membership with the Australian Photographic Society caters for enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals in photography. The APS can help you improve your photography, increase your level of satisfaction and achievement with your images, and make lasting friendships with other photographers throughout Australia. All that is required is that you take two steps; the first, joining the society; the second, becoming involved in what it has to offer. Find out more at a-p-s.org.au.
NIKON D600. 24-70MM F2.8 LENS @ 36MM. 1/500S @ F8, ISO 320. | 67 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY.COM
APS FOCUS
THE SHOWCASE
Images are our visual record, and how we choose to showcase them is just as important as their capture. WITH BARBARA ROGALLA
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ABOVE:A photo book is a fantastic way to use your images, and give your work a life beyond the screen.
he photos we take tell the stories of our lives. Stories of travels, achievements, of our homes, of people still with us and of those long gone. Because photos are potent reminders of who we are and what we have done, I believe they deserve special consideration of where they are used after we have pressed the shutter. Here are three ways of displaying our photos: inside a book on the shelf, as a private exhibition on the wall, or as an AV (audio visual) on the screen. Firstly, as a writer, I like to capture stories inside of photobooks and display them prominently on my bookshelf. At times when I have guests over, they’ll pick them up, with the carefully designed covers grabbing their attention. The image above shows several books hinting at their themes and content inside: untamed landscapes, chasing
the light, and ageing with style. These stories remain constantly in sight, with only a few words and without consideration of syntax. The photos on my wall feature among the colours, shapes and textures of our furniture. Their influence carries over to the print medium, such as paper, canvas or glass, with or without a frame, or how their size influences the negative space around them. Should the message of the journey blend with the ambience of the room, or should it scream for attention by creating sharp contrast? Even the ambient light influences the nuances, depending on how it falls on the image throughout different seasons of the year and at different times of the day. Unlike photobooks and wall prints, an audio-visual display vanishes from view when the movie stops. In that respect, AV viewing becomes a discrete social event as people huddle around the television, perhaps trumping the audio with their own conversations. AVs have the capacity to transport stories of our adventures beyond our immediate surroundings. New possibilities of the val| 68 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
ue of sharing in the online environment has percolated our imagination since the world has become preoccupied with Covid. YouTube, Facebook, Reddit and Instagram are but a few examples, and basic video making software is free – the only limit is your creativity. Like ripples in a pond, digital technology has powerfully impacted on how we creatively display images of our journeys with relatively small cost. Decisions of how to show an image to other people will always challenge photographers. Attendance at local photo clubs stimulates discussions among people with similar interests, and APS members can also take advantage of exploring technical and aesthetic themes within different genres of photography by joining one or all of its five sub-groups: Audio Visual, Contemporary, Digital, Nature and Print groups. And, for the next few months, the Audio Visual group is offering free membership, with the possibility of putting new members in touch with a mentor if they think that would be helpful – I strongly encourage you to give it a try with your own stories. ❂
IMAGE DOCTOR
IMAGE DOCTOR
Images need a pick-me-up? The doctor will see you now.
BY SAIMA MOREL
IN ANSEL’S BACKYARD On a visit to Yosemite, John Egan wanted to catch the beautiful orange/yellow effect that sunset can have on the high points from the valley floor. He scouted the area the morning before and found a still pond which reflected well. He wrote: “ At the time of sunset, the pool was a mirror!” This view looks to be of Half Dome, which captures amazing light and colour in other images I have seen, and is spectacular in black-and-white and colour, summer and winter. The black-andwhite images by iconic American photographer Ansel Adams of Half Dome are now considered fine art. But back to your image! It looks a little light and pale in that sky area, and the simplest fix is to darken it and balance the lighting on the original and the reflection.
While you are at, crop the cars on the right and the scraggy branches intruding into the frame from the left. Cropping a little from the top of the frame would also not hurt – make those tweaks, and I reckon even Ansel Adams would approve. SAIMA’S TIP: Reflections are often darker than the original, so using a graduated neutral density filter over the brighter area of the scene – often the sky – could help to balance out the overall exposure. TITLE: Untitled PHOTOGRAPHER: John Egan DETAILS: None
ADJUST THAT APERTURE
TITLE: My Angel PHOTOGRAPHER: Cameron Meacham DETAILS: Canon 6D, Canon 85mm lens. 1/400s @ f1.8, ISO 800. Editing in Lightroom, with increased exposure, contrast, and clarity, decreased highlights and details lifted in shadows, Photoshop for cleaning up, spot removal and sharpening. Converted to black and white. | 70 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
This image of Cameron Meacham’s daughter was captured at home indoors using natural window light. The beautiful morning light on Gracie’s face caught his attention as “she was sitting innocently in her natural environment by the window in a beautiful moment. I really enjoy Gracie’s expression. I feel converting to black and white helps eliminate distractions and invites the viewer to focus on the face and the beautiful expression of the portrait”. Botticelli springs to mind when I look at this image. It ticks the boxes for beautiful subject, lovely lighting and nice composition. The black-and-white is also very flattering. The problem that you are encountering in this situation is that with an aperture of f1.8, there is very little in focus. Shooting at f2.8 or f3.5 would give more depth of field and allow more of her beautiful features to come into focus. Also, if the plane of her face were just slightly ‘flatter’ on to the camera - maybe by moving slightly to the left to shoot - more could be in focus. SAIMA’S TIP: Black-and-white portraits are classic and perennial.
TITLE: My favourite flower PHOTOGRAPHER: Daryl Fisher DETAILS: Nikon D7200, Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 lens @ 34mm. 1/10s @ f3.5, ISO 100. –2EV.
A SUBTLE HAND According to Daryl Fisher: “As I grow some dahlias at times, these colours stood out when I saw them so I picked them for some table top work. I set up a table with the backdrop material and had some play time to get the best out of how I could capture the colours. Hope I have done it. Especially, seeing how the glass vases can be very hard to try and capture at times. I have not used any flash at all, was just natural light from the half open garage door behind me. Had a bit of work in Nik to strengthen the colours, and also used structure to strengthen the image.” “A bit of work” is a little understatement here. This looks like a filter overdose, and the result is really more graphic and illustrative than realistic. The composition, with all the black empty space on the right, could work for a magazine double page spread - allowing text to fill that space. There is a lot of burning or masking, and the background is a heavy black and featureless. Even the cloth the vases are standing on starts to bleed into the blackness, which makes the vase on the left appear as if it is about to fall over an edge. Unfortunately it is the filter effect that takes most of the attention, and a little more subtlety may allow the natural beauty of the flowers to shine. SAIMA’S TIP: When you don’t know what to do with a background, black may seem an easy option, but it can be hard-edged and lifeless.
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A BIT MORE DOF Noah Yap came across these chicks in a willy wagtail nest after having seen the parents attack a dog. Knowing they must have been guarding their nest, he searched and eventually found it wedged in the low lying branches of a dead tree. On a positive note, this image is quite clear and sharp, and the framing is nice. However it would be even better if both of the birds were in focus. The front bird is sharp, but the one behind is not, as the depth of field is not sufficient. An f-stop of 11 would give you a deeper depth of field, but then you would have to inch up the ISO to ISO 2000, and then up to 3200, to get the shutter speed you need. One suggestion would be to shoot in RAW, shoot darker, and use negative compensation exposure to get a faster shutter speed. Then you can lighten the image later. On another matter, the image could also benefit with a little more contrast to give it a bit more impact. SAIMA’S TIP: Increasing contrast helps to make image content looks sharper and clearer. TITLE: Brothers PHOTOGRAPHER: Noah Yap DETAILS: Nikon D3400, 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 lens @ 300mm. 1/20s @ f6.3, ISO 1600.
GETTING DOWN One day in summer, Simon Changson spotted this pigeon walking up and down among a line of passengers purchasing tickets from a ticket machine at Central Station in Sydney. He wrote, “When I realised the bird was looking for food, my hand was quicker than my brain, and quickly pulled out my compact camera, lowered it down to the floor almost at the bird’s level. It was within a metre from me, and seemed to ignore my presence, which was to my advantage. I waited till it came across the bright golden sunlight reflected on the stone paving......click!”. Getting down to the level of a subject gives a bird’s eye view of the world – literally – but ground level rather than high up. When you have a whole lot of messy information in an image such as a documentary scene, there are a number of ways of reducing their impact. Cropping is one way, but
since this was not possible here, you opted for blur which lightens the edges of the frame. However, the result is that the unwanted distractions are still visible – and unfortunately still distracting. For this situation, I would recommend vignetting the scene, which darkens the area around the edges, and hopefully allows the two people and pigeon to be the points of interest. SAIMA’S TIP: Changing a point of view – as at ground level – or high up – as with a drone, opens up a whole new range of ways of seeing and possibilities. TITLE: Human Invasion PHOTOGRAPHER: Simon Changson DETAILS: Nikon V1, 10mm f/2.8 lens. 1/80s @ f2.8, ISO 200.
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IMAGE DOCTOR
FEATHER IT On a safari in Tanzania, Linda Bernau noticed this male lion sitting on this tiny hill “to overview the plains. The lion looked majestic and was the only animal in sight for miles. I edited the lion (contrast/ texture) to make it stand out more. I also blurred the background to have the focus on the lion.” This wonderful lion looks as if he is having the hair on his head and chest blow dried! However, I think that backdrop needs to be darkened. It is pretty wishy washy - and too light by at least half a stop. The blurring compounds the effect. The oval shape around the lion is also a little too defined with a sharp demarcation between the soft and not so soft spaces. Softening the selection or mask edge by feathering will help here. The blur needs to be gently graduated so that it is more natural and ‘real’. SAIMA’S TIP: Subtlety is the key so that we do not end up looking more at the technique rather than the whole image. TITLE: King of the plains PHOTOGRAPHER: Linda Bernau DETAILS: Sony A7R Mk II, FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS les @ 240mm. 1/250s @ f6.3, ISO 100. | 73 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
IMAGE DOCTOR
HIGH CONTRAST? GO BW! When Willie Krause was wrapping up a video call for work he noticed the harsh sun hit the building across from his window. “I rushed to get a photo that could contrast the metal against the texture of the bricks, which was difficult without blowing out the highlights. Five minutes later I was back in front of my laptop doing another work call. I love the industrial feel of the photo, lines, shapes and shadows. Surprising to think this is a school and not a manufacturing plant.” It is hard to believe that this is a school. It has an otherworldly feel and the architecture has shades of bauhaus-meets-Mexican cactus. For this image, I would definitely advise going for black-and-white. While the sky is blue, the rest of the image is nondescript colour, so it wouldn’t be losing much, and some high contrast would emphasise the chrome tubing and give it drama. While all the shadows add to the strange feel of the building, it would be interesting to shoot at another time of day, when there are fewer dark silhouettes against the sides. This way you could compare the different moods with this interesting building. There is also a slight lean on the right, so you need to give it a straighten by about half a degree on the left. SAIMA’S TIP: With strong lines, especially in architectural images, they need to be symmetrical, parallel and straight, so it is important to avoid any sort of tilt or lean. TITLE: A world of concrete, brick and metal PHOTOGRAPHER: Willie Krause DETAILS:. Nikon D5600, AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.8G lens. 1/640s @ f9, ISO 100.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN IMAGE
| 74 | JUNE 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
M PE T I T
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• Email entries to: imagedoctor@ australianphotography.com with “Image Doctor” in the subject line. • Include your name, image title and up to 150 words about how you created it. • Only one image per person per month. • Images must be saved in JPEG format. Maximum file size is 5MB. Include your name in the filename of the image. • An Australian address is required in order to receive the prize. • Employees of Yaffa Publishing or the sponsor are not eligible to win the prize. • The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
CO TO
ON
Thanks to our great sponsors Eizo, John Egan has won an EIZO CS2420 image-editing monitor and EX4 Calibration Sensor valued at $1,500. EIZO monitors reveal subtle details and colour tones in your photo files that would otherwise be hidden from view, and the EIZO CS2420 is a perfect entry level professional monitor made specifically for photographers and designers. Notably, it features a wide colour gamut - 99% of AdobeRGB. With a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 (HD), an excellent contrast ratio of 1000:1, and brightness of 350 cd/m2, you can edit graphics and images to the smallest pixel. Find out more at eizo-apac.com
PH O
EIZO CS2420 IMAGE-EDITING MONITOR + EX4 CALIBRATION SENSOR VALUED AT $1,500
LOOKING FOR MORE GREAT PHOTO CHALLENGES? JOIN ONE OF OUR ONLINE PHOTO COMPETITIONS AT AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Image courtesy Kris Anderson