Photo Life July 2014 Sample

cPL_JULY14.qxp_Photo Life Jan 2005 2014-05-08 10:17 AM Page 1

ERA M A C STS TE

YOUR GUIDE TO EVERYTHING PHOTO

FUJIFILM X-T1 & SONY α6000

MASTER THE MEDIUM

Be a Better Photographer Without Buying New Gear

Photographing Waterfalls

GET GREAT PHOTOS THIS SUMMER!

RAW VS. JPEG What You Need to Know

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CLOUD COMPUTING SEE WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

AWARDS 2014 RESULTS INSIDE

PL_JULY14.qxp_Photo Life Jan 2005 2014-05-08 10:17 AM Page 2

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CONTENTS June/July 2014, Volume 39, Number 4

4 6 8 66

Contributors Editorial Exposure Close-up

VISION 20 Wet Behind the Ears: Cultivating a Beginner’s Mind

by David duChemin What if we stopped looking to new gear to make us better photographers and instead embarked on the difficult journey to master the medium?

Cover photo

by David duChemin

26 Showtime Travel Memories

TECHNIQUE 28 Photographing Waterfalls

by Ida Koric Water is the most dynamic of all landscape subjects, with its fluidity making it unique. Doing waterfalls justice requires a combination of planning and technique.

34 Photo 101 Reducing the Number of Pixels

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by Jean-François Landry Reducing the size of your files makes them easier to download and share.

36 FAQ Raw vs. JPEG: Which is Best?

by Jean-François Landry A Raw file is a little like a diamond covered in kimberlite. There are huge benefits to working with Raw files, but are they always essential?

38 In Pursuit of the Roadrunner

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by Scott Linstead The real-life greater roadrunner is, biologically speaking, a far cry from the creature pursued by Wile E. Coyote, but it’s equally entertaining. Here are some shooting techniques to capture this bird’s unique charisma.

GEAR 45 Digital Workflow Exploring the Cloud

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by David Tanaka The cloud is a shorthand way of describing massive computing power and exabytes of data storage lashed together in a global grid. Here are various options to suit your photography.

M

66 PHOTO LIFE

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48 The 24th TIPA Awards

by Guy Langevin As a member of TIPA, we participate each year in the selection of the best imaging products in 40 categories. The following products were chosen for their leading-edge technology, design and ergonomics, and price/performance ratio.

52 Review LaserSoft Imaging’s PrinTao 8

by David Tanaka

54 Review Fujifilm X-T1

by Peter K. Burian

56 Review Sony a6000

by Peter K. Burian

58 Gadget Guide

by Jean-François Landry

60 Imaging Products Review

by Peter K. Burian

PHOTO LIFE JUNE/JULY 2014 Volume 39, Number 4 171 St. Paul Street, Suite 102, Quebec, QC Canada G1K 3W2 418-692-2110 1-800-905-7468 info@photolife.com facebook.com/photolifemag

@photolifemag

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1-800-461-7468 photolife.com EDITORIAL Editorial Department editor@photolife.com Editorial Director Valérie Racine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vracine@photolife.com Administrative and Editorial Assistant Jenny Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .info@photolife.com Contributing Editors David Tanaka Peter K. Burian Art Director Guy Langevin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .glangevin@photolife.com ADMINISTRATION Publisher & Media Sales Director Guy J. Poirier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .gpoirier@photolife.com 418-692-2110 or 1-800-905-7468 Ext. 101 National Sales Manager Michael Skinner . . . . . . . . . . . . .mskinner@photolife.com 416-473-4624 Accounting Danièle Rose Riopel . . . . . . . . .accounting@photolife.com PHOTO LIFE (ISSN 0700-3021) is published six times a year (December/January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November) by Apex Publications Inc., a Canadian-owned company. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not, under any circumstances, including Cancopy, be reproduced or used in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

CONTRIBUTORS AND EDITORIAL STAFF Peter K. Burian

is a technology writer and freelance stock photographer. He is the author of several Magic Lantern Guide books on DSLR systems. He is also a digital photography course instructor with betterphoto.com. peterkburian.com

PHOTO LIFE is indexed in Canadian Magazine by Micromedia Limited. Back issues of PHOTO LIFE are available in microform from Micromedia Limited, 20 Victoria St., Toronto, Ontario M5C 2N8.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

David duChemin is a Vancouver-based photographer and adventurer. His bestselling books on the art of photography have been translated into a dozen languages. davidduchemin.com

Patrice Halley

has been shooting for magazines worldwide for more than 25 years. After moving to B.C. seven years ago, he started to pursue adventure photography. He now lives in Montreal. patricehalley.com A photographer and teacher based in Rossland, B.C., Ida Koric also runs a dog-rescue organization in her spare time. Her main photographic subject is waterfalls, of which she has photographed nearly 100.

Jean-François Landry

has been providing advice to photographic equipment buyers in Quebec City since 1989. He also shares his passion with amateur photographers through courses and magazine articles. cylidd.com

Guy Langevin has worked as a graphic designer in the photo industry for many years. You don’t collaborate with and befriend some of the best photographers in the country without learning a few tricks of the trade, so he became a photographic designer.

Trained in aerospace engineering, Scott Linstead stepped into professional nature photography after leaving a high-school teaching position in 2007. He is the author of the book Decisive Moments: Creating Iconic Imagery (2010). scottyphotography.photoshelter.com

Jenny Montgomery is a theatre director and writer who first learned her way around a darkroom in 1998. Photography runs in her family, so it was probably inevitable that it would be a part of her life.

Valérie Racine began working for Apex Publications in 2002. She currently serves as Editorial Director for both Photo Life and Photo Solution magazines. Her background includes studies in art, art history and communications, and she is passionate about photography.

David Tanaka

is a technology writer based in Lethbridge, Alta. His work as a photographer includes magazine assignments, fine-art printmaking and stock. He also teaches multimedia communication at Lethbridge College.

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Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, let us know by telephone, fax, regular mail or email.

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REGULAR PRICES $35.70 (1 year - 6 issues) $71.40 (2 years - 12 issues) $107.10 (3 years - 18 issues) Prices exclude applicable Canadian sales taxes. Make cheque payable to PHOTO LIFE. US residents pay in US funds and add US$10.00 per year for postage. Foreign residents pay in US funds and add US$90.00 per year for postage. Single copy: CAN/US$5.95 SUBMISSIONS PHOTO LIFE welcomes portfolio and article submissions for possible publication. Article submissions must pertain to the subject of photography and include images supporting the submitted text. All submissions must respect the publisher’s submission guidelines. Complete submission guidelines are available at www.photolife.com, from the publisher at write@photolife.com, or by calling 1-800-905-7468.

COPYRIGHT © 2014 APEX PUBLICATIONS INC. No material from the magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Despite the care taken in reviewing editorial content, Apex Publications Inc. cannot guarantee that all written information is complete and accurate. Consequently, Apex Publications Inc. assumes no responsibility concerning any error and/or omission.

Publications Mail - Agreement No.: 40010196 102-171 St. Paul Street, Quebec, QC Canada G1K 3W2 PRINTED IN CANADA

PHOTO LIFE

© Michael Cali

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You stake out a vantage point 800 feet high.

Contort up an antenna not made for climbing.

Defy the downward pull of 60 pounds of gear.

Fight your nerves, trust your equipment, then lean back as far as you dare.

Just to get one shot.

Finish strong. © Joe McNally

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EDITORIAL June/July 2014, Volume 39, Number 4

n this issue we have an article by David duChemin that addresses an aspect of the practice of photography that is not often considered. He explains that when travelling to Zanzibar, he put himself in a new situation that was out of his comfort zone. Though he has explored many different avenues in photography, underwater photography was new to him. This well-established and highly talented photographer let himself learn new basics with the open-mindedness of a beginner photographer. Had he done otherwise and chosen to have a know-it-all attitude, he would have totally missed out on the experience and all he learned from it.

I

One thing that is great about us humans is that we come with an intrinsic quality that can overcome many, many barriers: curiosity. If we cultivate this natural curiosity, it can counterbalance our fears and our pride. It can bring us back to the same open-mindedness of beginners and of children. With this outlook, what we know is no longer important; it’s what we don’t know that intrigues us.

If you are currently looking for a way to challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone, you might want to consider sharing your work with other photographers. One way to share photos is by participating in a photo contest (turn to page 43!). As you prepare and begin the process of selecting your images, take the time to really go through your photos and analyze your work. This is a great occasion to have a photo-presentation party at your house! Invite some friends over, hang some of your best shots on the wall, and ask for honest and constructive comments. I’ve been to this kind of party once; each person was invited to display one image—it was a perfect opportunity to learn and practice humility at the same time!

Valérie Racine Editorial Director

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JUNE/JULY 2014

© RENEE ROBYN

I once read that humility is the hardest quality for people to develop. From what I’ve observed since then, it seems that humility is also a key factor in our ability to learn. The best road to stagnation is to adopt an attitude of self-indulgence and misplaced pride, both of which are probably fueled by fear of change. As adults, we often have stagnant phases in our creative endeavours. We reach a place where we feel pretty good about what we do, and we camp out there for a while. Sometimes we enjoy coasting, and that’s fine. But when we begin to have the urge to challenge ourselves more, that’s when we need to get out of our comfort zone and explore.

COMING UP

Interview with fashion photographer and model Renee Robyn Travelling photography: how to prepare and work like a pro Colour spaces explained Long exposures and star trails Monetizing nature stock photography Our take on creative cloud services, part 2 Carrying solutions for your photo gear And more…

PHOTO LIFE

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EXPOSURE

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s

y.

YOUR VIEW . WHAT’S ON . IN FOCUS . BOOK REVIEWS

[your view] GUY’S PHOTO-THEMED MIXTAPE I cannot believe that Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” was not on his list. Or am a dating myself—both musically and photographically?

—David Moseley via email You’re not the only one! Jenny was mad at me for not including it. I brought her homemade muffins as an act of contrition. :) Oh well, hopefully you liked a few.

—Guy Langevin Actually I wasn’t really mad, but I do like “Kodachrome” and pushed for it to make the cut. (And, I’ll point out, that it’s a song from before my time, so it has nothing to do with age!)

Perhaps Guy will put it on his Photo-Themed Mixed Tape, Volume II? (Hint, hint, Guy...)

—Jenny Montgomery

ETHICS After reading Patrice Halley’s article, “Ethics in Wildlife Photography,” I can only think this yet again blatantly reinforces the way the world views everything and needs to consume, spit out, alter and regurgitate everything from photography to fashion, news and, of course, ourselves as a species. In a world of vacuous self-absorption, why would these sad ethics not be evident in nature photography? This only goes to enforce the fact that everything should be questioned and given a second look. As photographers or any media consumer we need to be constantly questioning [if] what we see is real, search for the angles not necessarily seen. The truth is out there, just so much harder to see, hear and find.

—Keven Munro via Facebook I just read the article about ethics in wildlife photography and agreed in all of it, but then I go to the next article, and when I see its images I cannot help but feel at least some of those images to be fully edited. I feel the theme of ethics should be explored in the whole photography world since edited images are present everywhere and steal the beauty of nature the same way they do to animals.

like Christmas for me for the last two weeks! Thank you and your team for putting on this contest and for continuing to offer us a beautiful Canadian photo magazine (in both French and English).

It’s very appreciated.

—Mathieu Rivard via email I just wanted to let you know that everything has arrived and what a wonderful prize package! I also want to take the opportunity to extend a warm thank you to you and Photo Life for sponsoring the photo contest! Also if you would extend my thanks and appreciation to all the sponsors who contribute in any way, I know their contributions help to make an event such as this possible and successful! Thank you to all involved!

—Beverly Jay via email

A READER’S OPINION OF THE NIKON DF Being a real world user of the Df, and looking past the technical data, this camera is awesome! The lighter weight, and handling is very good! I really like that the body is smaller than a larger DSLR. Image quality is top notch. After two months of shooting the Df, I am so happy that I bought one. Don’t believe the online reviews that say it’s a horrible offering from Nikon.

—David Sweeney via Facebook

IN RESPONSE TO WORLDWIDE PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY DAY Awesome, in one of my photography books it shows how to turn a DSLR into a pinhole camera. I want to give this a try.

—Mike Hill via Facebook

RE: DALE WILSON’S BLOG POST “EVEN ANSEL ADAMS RECOGNIZED TECHNOLOGY” A friend of mine posted this Ken Rockwell quote on a LinkedIn group I belong to: “Photography is the power of observation, not the application of technology,” and I liked it. The quote caused a bit of stir among members of the group, but personally I still firmly believe that technology is and will remain nothing without the art of seeing.

—Patrice Halley via Facebook

Perhaps it is time to create a term to be used when referring to images that have been altered and leave the term “photograph” to those left as they were captured.

—Mario Castanon via email

FROM WINNERS OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN 2013 Just wanted to let you know that I got all my prizes and that I am very happy. All that’s left now is to play with my new toys! The bags are great, the tripod head is of excellent quality, the small Sony camera is a true gem, the PocketWizards will replace my old Quantums and be a thousand times better! I will use my Blurb credits to make a photobook for my daughter who is going into high school next year. I could go on, but to put it briefly, it’s been 8

JUNE/JULY 2014

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