uhfrv

CANON EOS R6 VS NIKON Z 7II Which mirrorless model is the best buy?

Practical advice for enthusiasts and pros

www.digitalcameraworld.com

FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Issue 243

EXPERT GUIDE TO

Capture stunning floral images in the garden, at home and in the wild SHOOT & EDIT

Edgy fashion PORTRAITS Get results with one light only INTERVIEW

Revealing RANKIN Discover advice from a master photographer

FREE Digital Guides

PRO SKILLS

TAKE BETTER URBAN SHOTS Practical techniques and ideas for capturing your next city break

OLYMPUS PEN E-P7 LIGHTROOM MOBILE EXPLAINED HOW TO SHOOT MACRO WITH LESS GEAR

WELCOME

niknaR ©

In your local city, why not revel in the challenge of finding new viewpoints and angles?

You don’t have to travel great distances to capture images with drama and intrigue, and our latest technique features can both be tried close to home.

On p22, explore ways to shoot urban images. On a city break you can hone so many photo skills, with iconic landmarks and bustling streets to inspire you. Even in your local city, why not revel in the challenge of finding new viewpoints? In our feature, learn how to plan a trip, experiment with exposure and focus on small details other photographers may miss, for stunning city shots.

For something more serene, turn to our pro flower photography guide on p36, where Andy Small shares easy but effective ways to capture creative floral images in your home, garden or nearby countryside.

As with exotic locations, using expensive camera gear doesn’t always guarantee a great shot, either.

Go behind the scenes with passionate Olympus pro Geraint Radford to shoot macro on a budget (p14), plus create edgy fashion portraits using just one flash (p50).

Of course, our gear section is still packed with the latest releases, and we’re excited to find out who wins in the Canon R6 and Nikon Z 7II head-to-head test (p96). The Olympus Pen E-P7 (p104) and Panasonic GH 5 II (p108) also get fully reviewed and rated.

The Photography Show returns in the UK this September, playing host to some exceptional speakers. Ahead of his appearance at TPS, great British photographer Rankin – someone who has shot every famous face from the Queen to Madonna – is the star of our exclusive interview on p72. You can find out more at www.photographyshow.com For now though, happy shooting!

Lauren Scott, Editor lauren.scott@futurenet.com

GET IN TOUCH Ask a question, share your thoughts or showcase your photos… @DPhotographer Tweet your opinions or images and see them printed

Instagram: www.facebook.com/ DigitalPhotographerUK @dphotographermag Share your thoughts and shots Follow and tag us

Email: Website: team@dphotographer.co.uk Get news, tips and reviews at Newsletter:http://bit.ly/DP-news www.digitalcameraworld.com 3

Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA

Editorial Editor Lauren Scott

lauren.scott@futurenet.com 0330 390 6246

Senior Designer Neo Phoenix Production Editor Catherine Hood Technique Editor Peter Fenech Senior Art Editor Warren Brown Content Director Chris George Product photography Bath Photo Studio

Contributors James Abbott, Benedict Brain, Claire Gillo, Angela Nicholson, Geraint Radford, Rankin, Matthew Richards, David Shaw

FENECH

Our technique editor Peter goes to great lengths every month to bring you practical camera advice and pro tutorials. This issue, he inspires you with fresh ideas for shooting on a city break (p22), using composition, perspective, colour and more. He also reviews two high-spec lenses from Canon and Panasonic (p110).

Website:

www.digitalcameraworld.com

GERAINT RADFORD

occiC iD ordnasselA ©

Our contributors PETER

JAMES ABBOTT

James is a regular contributor to DP, and we’re pleased to welcome him as our latest in-house editing specialist. Each month, James will be putting together tutorials on Photoshop and Lightroom to help you hone your processing skills. He starts with adjustment layers in PS (p58) and a guide to LR mobile (p60).

Website: www.jamesaphoto.co.uk

RANKIN

Rankin has been shooting for over This month, three decades, our shoot like and is celebrated a pro article as one of Britain’s focuses a sharp greatest practising lens on macro photographers. photography in the wild, as we shoot insects with minimal We catch up with him ahead of his kit but maximum enjoyment. Geraint talk at The Photography Show in September, to delve into his career, is our pro, and from p14, he shares advice for focus stacking, using flash creativity and personal projects. In effectively and engaging with online our interview from p72 find out how a master photographer gets to work. communities for greater reach.

Instagram: Website: @geraintradfordmacro www.rankin.co.uk 4

FOROUGH YAVARI

In our gallery space this month, we feature some of the best entries from the inaugural International Portrait Photographer of the Year Award. Forough, a fine art photographer based in Brisbane, Australia, was the overall competition winner. Discover her portrait story and other striking entries from p80.

Website: www.foroughyavari.com

Main cover image © Jacky Parker Photography / Moment via Getty images Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com Advertising Manager Michael Pyatt michael.pyatt@futurenet.com +44 (0)1225 687538 Account Manager Matt Bailey matt.bailey@futurenet.com +44 (0)1225 687511 International Licensing Digital Photographer is available for licensing and syndication. To find out more, contact us at licensing@futurenet.com or view our available content at www.futurecontenthub.com Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com Subscriptions New orders: www.magazinesdirect.com 0330 333 1113 Renewals: www.mymagazine.co.uk Customer service: 0330 333 4333 Email queries: help@mymagazine.co.uk Group Marketing Director Sharon Todd Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Senior Ad Production Manager Jo Crosby Ad Production Coordinator Chris Gozzett Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert Management Brand Director Matthew Pierce Head of Art & Design Rodney Dive Managing Director Future Passions Andrea Davies Chief Content Officer Angie O’Farrell Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, WV13 3XB Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 Digital Photographer (ISSN 1477-6650) September, Issue 243, is published monthly with an extra issue in March by Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA, UK The US annual subscription price is $175.37 Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150-15 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Brooklyn NY 11256.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Digital Photographer, World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150-15 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA Subscription records are maintained at Future Publishing, c/o Air Business Subscriptions, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3DH. UK All contents © 2021 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.

Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information.

You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

ANGELA NICHOLSON

Our gear guru Angela is with us again, pacing through the world’s latest cameras and tech.

This month, Angela casts an expert eye over the Olympus Pen E-P7 (p104) and the video-centric Panasonic GH5 Mark II (p108). You’ll also find her 10 new accessory suggestions (p112), including a field pouch, lens nest and mantispod.

Website: www.angelanicholson.com

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford Chief financial officer Rachel Addison Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards.

The manufacturing paper mill and printer hold full FSC and PEFC certification and accreditation.

Contents Regulars 10 News

Keep up to date with the latest industry announcements, products, shows and exciting photographic releases

12 Story Behind the Still

Natassa Triantafyllou explains how she captured emotion in her shot of Meteora, Greece

72 Interview

Portrait, celebrity and fashion master Rankin talks to us ahead of his appearance at The Photography Show this year

80 The Gallery

90 Shot of the month

Get involved with our growing Instagram community and discover our latest fave image

Practical skills 22 City break photo skills

Ready to leave lockdowns behind and explore the city with your camera? Find fresh ideas and inspiration with our ultimate urban guide

segami ytteG aiv tnemoM / yhpargotohP naMgnaT ©

Explore the winning shots from The International Portrait Photographer of the Year 2021

22

Take better city break shots

36 Flower photography

Taking exceptional floral shots requires thought and skill. Pro Andy Small gives his advice for successful images at home and in wild locations

50 Creative project

56 Shooting tutorial

Want more detail and less noise? Try out the technique of exposing to the right (ETTR) now

Editing skills 58 Photoshop tutorial

6

Shoot and edit edgy fashion portraits

58

Enhance image detail

36

llamS ydnA ©

60 Lightroom tutorial

Edit your RAW smartphone shots and get the best out of them using Adobe Lightroom Mobile

ttobbA semaJ ©

Enhance detail in your scenic images by using a Black & White Adjustment Layer

50

llebpmaC riatsilA©

Learn how to shoot and edit edgy fashion portraits using just one light off-camera. The setup is minimal, but the results are effective

Flower photography tips from a pro

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! AND GET A FREE BAG WORTH £70 TURN TO PAGE 48 TO FIND OUT HOW

Interview

Pro column

Balance photography with family life

80 Gallery

Are you a serious shooter trying to balance photography and family life? Photographer David Shaw has 10 pieces of advice for you

68 Career advice

From kit to commissioning, Claire Gillo answers more important business-related questions to boost your photo careers

70 Pro analysis

We examine a magical environmental portrait from pro shooter Alessandro Di Cicco and look at the kit and creativity needed to achieve it

114 Pro column

Benedict Brain returns for more photographic pondering, as he considers the landscape as a living entity and shares his favourite writers

New kit & reviews 96 Canon EOS R6 vs Nikon Z 7II

These similarly priced models are both spectacular mirrorless cameras but which is best to suit what you shoot? Find out which will take the lead in our expert group test

niL raY yaZ ©

Shoot like a pro: macro

drofdaR tniareG ©

14

62 Career feature

wahS divaD ©

62

At a wetland centre in Wales, we uncover tiny worlds with Geraint Radford. Go behind the scenes with the Olympus user and bug lover

niarB tcideneB ©

114

14 Shoot like a pro: macro

niknaR ©

72

Pro advice

104 Olympus Pen E-P7

It looks great, but does Olympus’ first camera since a change in ownership deliver what enthusiasts want? Angela Nicholson finds out

108 Panasonic GH5 Mark II

It may be a light refresh of the original, but the GH5 II still offers some impressive features for modern content shooters and videographers

110 Lenses rekraB lihP yb egamI

96

Group test: independent macro lenses

We test the latest optics to see how they perform. This month, it’s two lenses with different philosophies: a Panasonic for premium quality and a Canon for convenience

112 Accessories

Discover 10 more fun, functional or practically essential bits of gear to add to your arsenal 7

syawaevig & stfiG 8

Free e-book to download

Teach Yourself Photoshop Elements

While often regarded as the younger sibling to Adobe’s flagship Photoshop CC software, Photoshop Elements is still remarkably powerful. This in-depth book will help you to master the different workspaces, plus discover advanced edits, essential tricks and guides on how to use Elements’ Camera RAW editor.

To claim your free e-book, head to https://bit.ly/DP243-book

You’ll need to enter your details, and then we can email you a link to directly view and/or download your free e-books.

Free 10-page photo guide

How to improve your composition skills

Regardless of your choice of subject, exposure, camera type or the lighting in your image, the composition is the most influential aspect on its success. Composition controls what the viewer sees – it defines the parameters within which visual information is disseminated in the frame by clearly telling your audience what they should be looking at. In our free guide this month, learn how to identify the best elements of a scene and frame them for professional-level images.

We’ll be covering all aspects of composition, from the use of negative space to colour and repeating patterns.

Download the guide at https://bit.ly/DP243-book

Review test shots We think test shots are important when it comes to reviewing and comparing the latest camera kit, but we know it’s hard to tell the difference between test images when they’re printed as small versions in the magazine. You can open, view and compare test shots from our kit reviews anywhere you see the download icon (pictured on the right).

YOUR FREE ASSETS

are available to download on pages where you see this icon

DOWNLOAD THE TEST SHOTS https://bit.ly/DP-243

GET DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER FROM JUST £3 A MONTH INSTANT READING Access Digital

Photographer magazine on all of your devices and read us wherever you are

This digital edition offer is ONLY available via our online shop at Available on iOS and Android

IN FOCUS

ynoS ©

VLOGGING HEAVEN: SONY ZV-E10 ANNOUNCED

New Sony mirrorless camera is friendlier on the wallet for content creators After several weeks of rumours and delays Sony has finally revealed the ZV-E10, a mirrorless camera aimed at the vlogging market. The camera offers an affordable entry point to the Sony range and is pitched just below the A6000 range.

While sharing much of the same technology, the new model is slightly narrower and is constructed of mostly plastic-based materials, helping to keep the cost and weight down, enticing content creators who are just starting out. It measures 113 x 64.2 x 44.7mm and

has a weight of 346g. The camera’s control The ZV-E10 makes use of a 24MP sensor layout is similar to that of the A6100, so it with an ISO range of 100-32,000. Helpfully should be easy enough for photographers and for video shooters, and impressive at this videographers to move up to another higher- price, Sony’s S-Log mode is included, enabling a wide dynamic range and colour grading end camera, or add a second camera, to opportunities in post-production. A Portrait enable B-roll capture, for example. mode for vertical shooting for Instagram or As a first for APS-C Sony mirrorless TikTok is also present. cameras, the ZV-E10 features a vari-angle The Sony ZV-E10 is available for £680/$700 rather than a tilting screen. It is also enabled body only or £770/$798 with the Sony 16with enhanced audio capabilities featuring a large microphone grille on the top plate and a 50mm PZ kit lens. Visit www.sony.co.uk for all the detailed specs. slide-on wind muffler, much like the ZV-1.

iPhone image literally goes for gold in contest

The shot scooped up the top prize in the 14th iPhone Photography Awards

10

sekereK navtsI ©

The results of the 14th annual iPhone Photography awards are in. This year the top prize was a little unusual too, for a photographic competition, as the winning image has gained its creator a bar of gold. The honour went to photojournalist Istvan Kerekes of Hungary, who overtook all other contestants to capture the imagination of the judges with his shot ‘Transylvanian Shepherds’.

Interestingly, while no doubt many of the thousands of entries would have been taken on the most recent iterations of the iPhone, Kerekes captured his winning frame on a 2016 iPhone 7. Spokespeople for the Awards described the image: “In it, two rugged shepherds traverse an equally rugged industrial landscape, bearing a pair of lambs in their arms. The grit of the men and the bleakness of their environment are a moving contrast to the hope and innocence of the lambs in their care.”

While it’s hard to put a value on a great image, in this case it was exactly the cost of a gold bar from “the most recognisable private gold mint in the world”.

You can view all of the winners and honourable mentions at www.ippawards.com.

Rankin and Brooke Shaden headline TPS 2021

The exceptional speaker lineup for The Photography Show is revealed As with many live events The Photography Show and The Video Show had to go virtual last year.

However 2021 will see the triumphant return of the Show between 18-21 September to the NEC arena in Birmingham.

One of the highlights is always the Super Stage speakers and this year some of the biggest names in the industry will join us to offer their pro advice and fascinating insight.

Headlining the event is British photographer and director Rankin (see interview on p72). Best known as co-founder of Dazed & Confused magazine as well as for his photography of top models and celebrities, Rankin will discuss a number of his most exciting recent projects, including his involvement with TV’s Great British

Photography Challenge, as well as his portrait series focusing on the NHS during lockdown.

Adding to the ticket value are Brooke Shaden, Smokey Phillips and Magnum’s Olivia Arthur and Mark Power, who will no doubt wow

audiences with their spectacular imagery and thoughtful narrative on the photo industry.

For more information on the line-up and to book your tickets, head to www.photographyshow.com

Luminar AI updateadds Portrait Bokeh

New feature borrows inspiration from smartphones

There was a time when attempting to blur the background in one of your photos was an arduous task and it very rarely produced satisfying results. The advent of smartphone tech has moved things forward however and now a mode which diffuses background detail is starting to become a standard. While this has been seen in desktop software before, Skylum has added Portrait Bokeh mode to its most recent Luminar AI update. This mode aims to create realistic bokeh effects, which can be introduced to shots taken in less than optimal locations, or where the maximum aperture was not wide enough or could not be opened any further, due to exposure restrictions.

The new feature benefits from Skylum’s AI magic and so far the results appear to look quite natural. While simulated blur cannot yet match the quality of naturally generated bokeh with a fast prime lens, in a demonstration of the new features Skylum revealed a video comparing the simulated bokeh with that created by shooting with an 85mm f/2.8 lens.

The Luminar AI Update 4 also adds features such as Texture Previews, which allow for more accurate sky positioning, and more than 50 bug fixes. Take a look at www.skylum.com for more information.

In other news More snippets of photography news from around the world CLIP-ON CANON

Canon has revealed a patentfor a new clip-on telephotolens for smartphones.

While this may beone of thoseconcepts which don’tmakeit to production,it would certainly fitwith the firm’s recent run of quirky photography products, such as the PowerShot Zoom. This would reignite a somewhat stagnant market andcould add significant versatilityto camera phones suchas theSamsung S21 Ultra.

OLYMPIC CANONEOS R3

The much anticipated Canon EOS R3 has beenspotted at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,as pre-production models are put through their paces.Pro photographer JeffCable is confirmed to be testing the new camera and while he hadto be sparse onthe details hedid claim thatthe R3is, “distinctly Canon, which makes iteasy to pickup and start shooting”. Not much is known about the full specification of the EOS R3, but Cable was ableto share some images on his blog. See blog.jeffcable.comfor more info andto viewthe sample shots.

11

YOUR IMAGES

STORY BEHIND THE STILL

Photographer’s name: Natassa Triantafyllou Website: @natassat Image location: Meteora, Greece Type of commission: Personal Shot details: Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm f4 G, 1/320sec, f/11, ISO100 About the shot: The missing element in successful photography is emotion. As photographers we tend to become preoccupied with camera gear, settings and processing techniques, but what really makes an impactful image is its capacity to convey a feeling. With this shot Natassa Triantafyllou successfully captures the essence of how the location made her feel.

“Usually what I like the most in my shots are not the elements, or the colours, but the thoughts and emotions,” she explains. “I find some sort of peace and that makes my shots memorable to me. I tried to express this the moment I took the photograph.

Specifically, in this shot, I love the clear and frozen atmosphere and the feeling of being small in awe of nature.”

“This was taken on 20 December 2018 at Meteora, Greece. In the shot you can spot the Roussanou Monastery. I’ve always wanted to visit Meteora with snow but that doesn’t happen very often [at this location]. I took this shot after the sunrise, looking for different perspectives. The spectacular view of the iconic monastery above the rock pillars got my attention and at that moment I knew that I had to take the image.”

Natassa’s approach demonstrates how taking a few moments to work out what it is about a location or subject that makes you want to make an image can help you find focus and create a shot with an emotional effect.

Right

12

uollyfatnairT assataN© segami llA

Awe inspiring By using a longer focal length Natassa was able to compress perspective and bring the elements of the incredible landscape together.

The cool shadows and warm highlights offer a wonderful contrast

13

A PR E K I L T SHOO

Macro magic

Geraint Radford

Growing up in the UK’s Welsh valleys, Geraint found a deep love for and appreciation of nature and wildlife. He is a pro macro photographer, Olympus ambassador and describes himself as an insect’s best friend, vegan fella and bourbon biscuit lover.

www.geraintradford.com @geraintradfordmacro

Ready to get close and personal?

Editor Lauren Scott joins pro photographer Geraint Radford for a macro masterclass

14

light is also less harsh on often iridescent bodies, and on early spring mornings, insects such as dragonflies covered with dew drops can look stunning.

Even equipped with this knowledge, ongoing Covid travel restrictions mean that our shoot – an exploration of Llanelli Wetland centre in Wales, UK – takes place in bright summer sunshine.

Geraint assures me that we can still get professional results, as for many images, he’ll be using his flash to overpower the sun.

Geraint’s usual adventures have been on hold for the past year, like many of us. But when he can run workshops, they’re often held in the National Botanic Garden of Wales, where the Glasshouse provides a myriad of subjects even if the weather is bad.

In lockdown, he’s been busy working on a book for macro photographers. “It’s a mixture of howto guides with field

drofdaR tniareG © egami niaM

Macro photography is, at first glance, a niche genre. After all, if bugs and beasties aren’t your thing, why would you want to learn to shoot them? However, the skills you can glean from capturing subjects up close and in sharp focus can be applied to many different genres, from commercial photography to still life.

For this masterclass, I’ll be spending the day with Geraint Radford, a self-certified bug lover with a passion for sharing images of the natural world. I’ve met Geraint several times before, and his infectious enthusiasm for all things small and intricate is perhaps even more captivating than the shots themselves. For Geraint, macro photography isn’t just about the technique or practical side of taking photos, but a way to share with others the fascinating creatures and plant life that often gets overlooked.

The welfare of subjects is a priority, which means that all his “bug buddies” have been captured where found, and he never shoots in a studio environment.

If you’re already a macro enthusiast, you’ll know that the optimum time to head out with a camera is during the early hours of the day or at sunset. At this time, insects tend to move more slowly, making them easier to focus on at close magnifications. Softer natural

AMAZING MACRO

15

A PR E K I L T SHOO

Using flash for macro subjects

How to light and illuminate small creatures close-up

When you shoot insects with flash, you’ll likely be capturing little to no ambient light, and the benefit of this is that you can use a smaller aperture, increase the depth of field but also lower the ISO level. Geraint uses a flash for 90% of his images, setting it to Manual mode and around a ratio of 1/16th.

“I think I’m too comfortable really. But with the flash formula that I’ve cracked, I know that I can come back with pictures. If you get rid of the flash, it does simplify the technical side of shooting, but it forces you to become more creative, too.”

Using flash takes some experimentation. Tweak the power to suit your own setup, and utilise a mini diffuser for softer results.

A flash shot is made up of two separate exposures: one for the natural light and the other for the flash. The ratio is the balance or mix of light between the ambient and flash light

16

notes, but in a fun way. I’ve been working on it for a while, but I want it to be really interactive.”

One of the more offputting elements of macro photography is the assumption that it’s overly technical and that you need a lot of specialist kit. Refreshingly, Geraint takes neither approach, using an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, a 60mm f/2.8 lens and a set of extension tubes that enable him to get even closer to his subjects (which can be picked up for around £30/$30).

Geraint is now an Olympus ambassador, but he started out with their kit on a trial basis back in 2018. “I guess they found me on social media. I was posting images fairly regularly, but I went through the pro loan route. That put a face to my name, as I was in a conversation with them already.

A pro loan is designed for working professionals, really, allowing you to spend some time with certain products, figure out if you want to use it or not. I had the Olympus kit for about a month, but my Nikon kit was on eBay in about three days!”

A macro shot is defined as being 1:1 or life-size on the

camera’s image sensor, but using extension tubes, you can achieve magnifications much greater than this. “We’re way beyond a 1:1. I’m not a mathematician; all I know is that the ratio is very high. I was always fascinated by shooting at the maximum possible magnifications, but now I try to shoot that little bit further away to include some habitat detail.

When including the environment, I literally just use the camera and lens setup, with no flash.”

Geraint’s love of photographing bugs and beasties comes simply from an appreciation of being outside, so we don’t have any predetermined spots or subjects in mind. Instead, we walk on paths around the Wetland centre to see what we come across. It’s a very different approach to shooting static insects in a controlled home studio, and it is perhaps all the more enjoyable for it.

“You never know what you’re going to find. That’s what I like about this style of macro. I don’t necessarily look for species in particular…” says Geraint, spotting a particularly pretty ladybird. “If you go out looking for anything in particular, well, if you don’t find

AMAZING MACRO

f/7.1

ISO 64

1/250 sec

CRAB SPIDER

ISO 400

1/160 sec

GREEN SHIELD BUG

17

drofdaR tniareG © 2x

f/5.6

A PR E K I L T SHOO

5 6 3 4

1

2

drofdaR tniareG ©

it then your day is going to be ruined. So I tend to just go out and roam. See it as a treasure hunt. And it’s about being out, like the picture taking is almost secondary. Photography, I think, is really there to encourage other people to appreciate the insects, and my pictures are there to share the experience with others.

The tech is just incidental.”

As we muse over the joy of serendipitous insect appearances, Geraint next spots a shield bug.

“Usually, before I attempt to shoot the bug, I will find a similar scene and set the camera up ready.

When you find your subject, take a test shot nearby, so you first know your camera’s good to go.”

Composition is still important when shooting insects, and using the grid on your camera’s LCD screen can help. “I place the insect’s head on one of the grid lines. It doesn’t matter if I look away, then, as I can still come back and reposition it where it was easily.” This is a key trick when shooting several frames of a subject for a manual focus stack.

At such close working distances, focus is another challenge of macro photography. Often manual focus is the best option, but instead of finding a subject and then turning the focusing ring until it appears sharp, try setting the focusing ring to a point and move your camera closer or further away until it appears sharp.

Geraint’s camera is set to manual exposure and focus mode, with RAW files and the Olympus default Natural picture mode. He shoots macro video too. “Even with seven stops of stabilsation, when

Peer inside the kitbag of a macro pro

4

2

5

3

6

Olympus OM‑D E‑M1 Mark III “It was a toss up between this body and the OM-D E-M1X, which is a bit chunkier.” The model has in-built focus stacking of up to 15 frames, plus RAW image editing, which allows Geraint to share his images on Instagram quickly if required.

Olympus 60mm f/2.8 M.ZUIKO Digital ED Micro Four Thirds Lens This dedicated macro lens enables Geraint to shoot at close range in true life-size, and the continuous focusing ranges from 0.19m to infinity.

Novoflex flash bracket Geraint uses this grip bracket to aim his light above and over macro subjects, adjusting the camera flash into any angle.

18

Meike extension tubes “Olympus haven’t made extension tubes yet, but I’m hoping they do! I’ve got this set of Mieke tubes for micro four thirds cameras, one being a 10mm and one being a 16mm. Really, they’re a super affordable way to get closer to subjects.”

Olympus FL‑900R flash This flashgun is ideal for outside use, featuring a dust and splashproof construction.

It’s equipped with an LED light for movies, and can be used with the Olympus in-camera focus stacking feature.

TYCKA flash softbox This accessory diffuses the light, and secures onto any flashgun via velcro. It can be folded down into Geraint’s bag when not in use.

drofdaR tniareG ©

1

“My pictures are there to share the experience with others”

AMAZING MACRO

f/4

ISO 64

1/250 sec

WHITE PLUME MOTH

Timing your shoot

drofdaR tniareG ©

Insects are inherently small, which makes them not only a challenge to focus on, but also to track. They are generally more mobile in warmer weather, so by photographing them in cooler temperatures, you’ll be more likely to capture a sharp result. “For flying bugs especially, you want to be out super early in the morning,” advises Geraint. “They’re way more chilled out then, and a little bit more accommodating. That said, you can still get lucky in the middle of the day. Look for subjects in shaded areas where the sunlight is less harsh.”

Don’t forget that the lighting during the golden hours is more flattering, too, and backlighting can be used to outline and accentuate the delicate bodies of subjects. Geraint shot this damselfly in the late evening, isolating the subject in the frame, and taking care to avoid any distracting elements in the background.

19

A PR E K I L T SHOO

f/5.6

ISO 320

1/160 sec

EMERALD DAMSELFLY

Geraint’s guide to creating a focus stacked image

1

Setting up Select manual focus and exposure mode, so that exposures will be consistent for each frame of the stack.

Enable grid lines onscreen to help with subject alignment.

20

2

Shoot the sequence Pre-compose your image, then begin moving the camera in small increments and shooting a frame at each. Make sure in-focus areas overlap each other.

3

Editing Load frames into Lightroom and make basic adjustments, then select them and hit Edit In>Merge to Panorama in Photoshop. Untick ‘Blend images together’ box and click OK.

AMAZING MACRO

Focus stacking in‑camera

When the extension tubes come off and Geraint isn’t at such high magnifications, he uses the in-built focus stacking mode in his camera, which processes shots instantly

drofdaR tniareG ©

you’re shooting video, you’ll get camera shake up-close. The slowmo mode on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III shoots 120 frames per second and sorts that out.”

Geraint was on Olympus’ radar through his social media profile, but he tells me that he was late, relatively, to the Instagram party.

“I started it in 2017, but it was a slow start. I didn’t really get it.

When the stories feature came in, though, I started using it a bit more, as it was nice to take people along for the trip.”

While Geraint isn’t a social media obsessive, a lot of his work now comes from these platforms.

“People see the shots that I’m doing, sure, but it’s the stories, and the conversations that come out of them. People get to know me on there, and then perhaps when we meet up for a workshop, they already know what to expect.

It has made people accessible.”

4

Blending Once the files have been aligned, select all of the layers and then navigate to Edit> Auto Blend Layers.

Choose Stack Images and make sure that ‘Seamless Tones and Colours’ is ticked.

5

Extra tweaks Once the images are blended, flatten the layers for final adjustments to the file. I save it as a tiff file and load it back into Lightroom. Have a play and see what adjustments suit you.

Over the years, the end point of images has changed too – where once pro photographers would shoot for prints and calendars, often the final use of shots is now digital. “I don’t really update my website anymore, but I love ViewBug, because that’s a little bit more niche. Not a lot of people are on there, but the engagement is much higher and the pictures are displayed really well.”

Geraint uses the Olympus Image Share (OI.Share) app, which allows him to import shots via Wi-Fi and share them directly.

“Thanks to the Olympus Image Share app, within minutes, I can shoot a focus stack of a snazzy bug and share the picture to folks around the world… That’s so cool!”

It’s a joy to see Geraint lost in his own world, in the constant hunt for tiny and fascinating subjects.

“It’s almost meditative. You just can’t think about anything else.” DP

6

Sharpen for sharing If you are posting to the web, load your image into Photoshop again (sorry!) then go to Filter>Sharpen>Smart sharpen to add definition to the tiny details.

21

TECHNIQUES

Pictured Familiar but different Wherever you are in the world your local city will have details that viewers elsewhere will find captivating.As a photographer it’s your job to find and enhance theseaspects

© TangMan Photography / Moment via Getty images

22

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY

You don’t have to travel great distances to capture urban images with drama and intrigue

C

ityscapes and travel photography go hand in hand.

For photographers there is very little more enjoyable or creatively motivating than heading off to a new and exotic city, to explore the many and varied image opportunities. One of the biggest reasons for this enthusiasm is the unfamiliarity of a new setting. When faced with a scene or subject we have never seen or photographed before we are creatively challenged and forced to apply often rarely used skills and expertise. With any technical medium we can end up utilising the same workflow processes time and again, so it’s always a welcome change when knowledge we have archived can be brought forward into use.

Unfortunately a little known virus called Covid-19 has caused some disruption to our lives of late, both personally and professionally, meaning international travel is not as easy

as it once was. For many photographers this has posed a significant artistic challenge. The motivation to head out and shoot places close to home is often not as strong and it can be surprisingly difficult to actually find and shoot creative images in cities we know well.

One contributing factor to this is a lack of inspiration, leading to us failing to be awake to photo opportunities unravelling before us. In many cases the architecture, culture and people in a familiar city are as photogenic as any overseas. The key to unlocking amazing images close to home is to view your region as a tourist might, seeking out details you might otherwise walk past without consideration.

Over the following pages we will explore the fundamentals of pro-level cityscape photography, with a focus on capturing surprising shots without having to board an aircraft.

23

TECHNIQUES

Plan your shoot Be ready with an idea of which images you want to capture and where you need to be When travelling to any unfamiliar location, planning is key to ensuring an efficient and productive shoot, which is also safe and enjoyable. Today there are a plethora of tools we can use to plan a city-based shoot down to the finest detail. Using online resources we can work out where to stay to gain access to the most landmarks with ease, how long we should spend at any spot, and can even previsualise our composition before we even leave the house. This level of organisational ability enables us to arrive on-location with a clear goal for each frame and a sense of purpose. It reminds us that our job as a photographer is to capture the essence of a city – the culture, architecture and atmosphere which make it unique from other places. This approach is just as important if you’re shooting a familiar city, as it will enable you to look at it from a tourist’s perspective.

The first stage in planning any shoot is to look online for similar shots to the ones you hope to take. A quick Google search of the

city will reveal the most popular views of the location and where you should set up your camera to take them. This helps in two ways.

Firstly it tells you which shots are the ‘musthaves’ – the frames which people will expect you to capture and be disappointed if you don’t – and secondly it gives you insight into the less-shot views, allowing you to plan to shoot something a bit different. This aspect is an even more important consideration if you are shooting commercially. ‘Different’ doesn’t always sell well, so knowing what people want to see in images of a place is critical.

The next stage is to use a resource like Google Maps to examine the relative distances between places and ways to get around. This is especially important if you are carrying heavy camera gear – you need to minimise unnecessary movement as much as possible, in this case. Meanwhile Street View will allow you to actually see the buildings and street layout, making it possible to pick out potential subject matter ahead of your shoot.

Create ‘shoot routes’

Maximise the efficiency of your shoot and map your image sites hceneF reteP ©

Without planning, a lot of time can be spent wandering the streets of a city looking for images. While this can be enjoyable, it can lead to wasted time. Before heading out on your shoot put together a route plan, which takes you through or past as many shooting sites in the least time.

Alternatively, if you need to be in place at a specified time (like sunset) this can help get you where you need to be in the most efficient way.

Unmissable shots Some key subjects to start the narrative of your location

tnilF ymereJ ©

esumsA ©

THE TALLEST BUILDING

SKYLINE AT SUNSET

Not only is this likely to be the most noticeable but it can also put other landmarks in A ‘touristy’ shot maybe, but if done correctly it can capture the atmosphere of the context. When shooting a skyline use this as a compositional ‘full stop’ and use it in city ina way a daytime shot cannot. Commuters and residents are more likely to see this view every day,so it can give the city a homely feel viewers can appreciate. the background of other images, to suggest the relative location.

24

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Identifythe sunlight direction Maximise the efficiency of your shoots

Cities are highly vertical environments, meaning the horizon is rarely visible in all directions. This is why it pays to research lighting direction at different times of day, to enable you to photograph a building with light hitting a particular side, for example, or with the sun visible at the end of a desired street. Use resources like Google Maps or the Photographer’s Ephemeris to identify the ideal times and shooting positions.

uhZ ieW ©

hceneF reteP ©

REFLECTIONS

CITY LIGHTS

Whether these are captured in wet streets or rivers snaking through the city, Any large conurbation puts out a lot of light and this becomes a major feature of reflections add a creative but natural component to urban scenes. Look for colourful living and working in such an area. Capturing the shimmering, contrasting lights of walls and lights and then find a reflection of these to focus on for mesmerising results. office buildings and street lamps conveys the energy and life of the place.

25

TECHNIQUES

Get creative with your white balance Make the most of light and colour with informed WB choice

Cities are highly colourful places, and although this does provide great contrast potential, strongly coloured buildings can confuse automatic WB systems. The aim of cityscape photography is to enhance the character of the location, so AWB often won’t produce the most dramatic results. Instead start with the Daylight preset, which is a good universal setting, then use WB bracketing to capture reference images at the extremes of the Kelvin scale. These can act as an easier starting point for RAW processing later.

the many moods of a city by Vary the light Capture shooting in a range of times and conditions If there is one aspect which sets apart professional photography from the tens of thousands of images visitors to a city create every day, it’s lighting. Shooting during the middle of the day definitely has a place in our photo schedule, but there are creative reasons why capturing images early or late in the day is preferable. Firstly, sunrise, sunset and the blue hours of pre-dawn and twilight offer fantastic colour variance, which gives images depth and contrast. Beyond this however,

26

there are narrative benefits of shooting outside of regular business hours.

As we mentioned earlier, our aim is to introduce an emotional connection between the viewers of our image and the setting in which we created it. If our goal is to tell a story about life in a city then capturing it at a time of day when tourists are less likely to see it regularly is a great start to this process.

The vast majority of tourist images are shot during the daylight hours, as this is when most

visitors are exploring. Conversely the natives of a city are probably locked away, at work, during these times! Early morning or late in the evening are times when the inhabitants interact with their surroundings the most, travelling to or from home, visiting shops and restaurants and going about their daily life.

For this reason, capturing a full range of lighting conditions, through the whole day, offers a complete picture of the city and its many moods.

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Different ligting conditions

How to shoot at different times throughout the day

GOLDEN HOURS

A favourite time for photographers, sunrise and sunset offer fantastic colour and softer-yet-directional lighting. This works well for images of both old and new buildings as they will glow with high Kelvin colours. Watch out for loss of detail in the Red channel and lack of colour contrast.

BLUE HOUR

Available around 30 minutes before sunrise and up to an hour after sunset, this is the perfect time to shoot a skyline. The warm artificial lights will contrast with the cool natural tones, creating depth. This lighting is better for newer buildings, with plentyof windows. Daylight or Fluorescent white balance will preserve the cooler colours. hceneF reteP © segami llA

FAMILIARITY ADVANTAGES

Knowing the city you are shooting well has many advantages, not least your ability to revisit many times, where it is local, and to know where it is safe to stay shooting after dark. Being able to predict the weather is also useful.

There are some big considerations though. Firstly be mindful of the style of architecture in the area you are shooting and how this will pick up the colour of light.

Older stone structures absorb more light than modern glass buildings, changing the exposure balance and colour reflectivity. Next, consider the contrast of natural and artificial light, and how this will impact your white balance choice. Time of day, building style and how much light of each is present will dictate how cool or warm your image should be.

Above Timing a shoot during the blue hour willenable you to capture a pleasing mix of artificial and natural light sources in your urban scenes

Mixed lighting

HARSH LIGHT

What middaylacks insubtletyit gainsin graphic potential. Try exploring alleyways and building atria when the sun is casting long, deep shadows from above. Capture stark contrasts of brightness and rough textures, enhanced by the light position. This is an excellent time to create monochrome images.

27

TECHNIQUES

Experiment with exposure Work in challenging light while also using

exposure for creative and practical applications

tnilF ymereJ ©

trails to colourful streaks, but there are other By their very nature cities are static features benefits of slowing the exposure down to of a landscape, in that once a building is several seconds. Firstly it can introduce some constructed, it rarely changes during its movement into the sky, drawing patterns lifetime. For some buildings their design and across the top of the frame, as clouds move position has remained the same for several through the scene. This adds energy to the hundred years. This makes capturing unique cityscape and offers an ephemeral contrast and surprising images of well-known city to the static buildings. Secondly it softens the locations a challenge, since there are only so impact of distracting elements like many angles a building, square, cars and tourists. street or courtyard can be shot Right Exposure can also be used to from. The instinctive thing to do for Keep it moving Using extended play with the balance of natural and many photographers is to rethink shutter speeds artificial light. By underexposing focal length and attempt to find introduces a detail in the scene which might movement to people you can create silhouetted shapes of recognisable landmarks, offering be more often overlooked, by and traffic, which zooming in or capturing an ultracreates energy within a more interpretive representation a scene, without of a well-photographed subject. wide view. This can work, but will removing these Conversely, overexposing can often introduce further difficulties, details altogether produce minimalist studies. such as unwanted edge detail. In Whatever your aim, experimenting many cases it also feels like a with exposure settings allows you to alter the compromise, since it requires the context of tone of a scene, independently of composition the shot to be changed. and what is visible within the frame. Often What we really need is a way to shoot we need to capture a scene as it appears a composition which is both familiar but naturally, however there are times when which has a lesser-seen aspect or character. capturing something which the human eye A great way to achieve this is by getting can’t see will inject intrigue to views our creative with exposure. Extended shutter audience may think they know well. speeds are regularly used to reduce traffic

Capture daylight long exposures Create empty street scenes in the middle of the day

1

Find your composition Since we will be shooting extended exposures first find a good composition. Arrange the scene to emphasise movement once the shutter is opened (ensure objects are moving past the camera or away/towards the camera).

28

2

Secure your camera Ensure you are not blocking a pavement or placing yourself somewhere hazardous, then set up your tripod, using the top leg sections first. Or place the camera on top of your camera bag, on the pavement, for a dynamic angle.

3

Set filter density Attach an ND filter, stop down to around f/16 and check that ISO is at the lowest possible setting. A variable ND will allow you to control the length of your shutter speed to match the scene. Aim for an exposure of at least ten seconds.

4

Prevent light contamination As we are shooting in the day a DSLR is susceptible to exposure confusion, if light finds its way into the optical viewfinder. Many straps have an eyepiece cover to place over the VF, to ensure accurate exposure calculation.

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Work handheld

Keep on shooting even when camera support is unavailable

Make the most of light and colour with informed white balance choice

hceneF reteP ©

Viewpoints and city streets are rarely good places for tripods, making it a challenge to capture sharp images in low light. The first step towards a solution is to find an alternative surface to rest your camera. If this isn’t possible, steady yourself by leaning against a solid wall, keep your arms tucked in and hold your breath as you shoot. Next, activate Burst Mode, ensure image stabilisation is in ‘general’ Mode and shoot a sequence of nine or ten frames, at approximately ISO 1,600. Activating auto ISO and a minimum shutter speed is also a good option on low-noise cameras.

Metering matters

Evaluative metering will often fail to give you either accurate or dramatic exposures in many city scenes.

Switching to Partial Mode in medium contrast settings or Spot Metering for high contrast, midday images will give you the option to choose a balanced or biased exposure.

29

TECHNIQUES

Pick out the details Take a closer look at the small elements which create the atmosphere of a city Having the ability to see the bigger picture is not always an advantage, not least when trying to convey to viewers of a two-dimensional photograph what it was like to visit a city they may never have seen before. Wide vistas or views of entire buildings certainly convey drama, but if we want to make viewing our images an immersive experience, which transports the audience into the scene, we need to appeal to more of their senses.

What many of us miss is that the essence of a place is often in the small details. As we explore a location we subconsciously recognise clues about the atmosphere it possesses and sum together lots of snippets of visual information to

30

form a wider impression. This is why sometimes a place can remind us of somewhere else and we’re not sure why – it’s because it shares a colour scheme, similar smells and textures and physical layout. If we focus on shooting a collage of smaller characteristic details, we can build up a more lifelike and emotive picture of a city.

This is yet another advantage of knowing the city you are shooting intimately – you already recognise its atmosphere and have an insight into the aspects which make it unique. Look for people doing business associated with the city, such as those working at a famous market, or serving people at a waterfront cafe. Focus on colourful buildings and interesting staircases.

If there are unique buildings, exaggerate their difference from structures you’d find elsewhere, using strong perspective, or by incorporating contrasting architecture in the frame.

The secret to successful citylife images does not relate so much to what you capture, rather it’s how you capture it. The missing element in many less impactful photos is a lack of interaction between people and their environment. The images with the greatest story are those which depict the residents of the city living within it! Often this symbiosis is most visible when the photographer homes in on a simpler view and makes a feature of the individual elements which make the city alive.

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

What you might not think of as interesting photographically will be to someone who does not know a city as well as you do. Ask yourself how you would view it had you never seen it before and then try to find a subject.

Focus on colour

Make bright and contrasting areas of colour your main point of interest

hceneF reteP ©

tnilF ymereJ ©

Bright walls, painted plant pots, murals – these are all subjects which give an excellent impression of a city’s personality and the people who live there. Make sure you are shooting RAW, change your white balance to a mid-range preset, like Daylight, and isolate areas of colour in your frame. Look for contrasts or actively create monochromatic images, which are fully dominated by a single colour. Play with compositions which are both abstract and which feature identifiable objects, and shoot at multiple focal lengths, to find the perfect balance of detail.

hceneF reteP ©

hceneF reteP ©

Topleft Wide but close Details don’t have to be shot with a long lens. A wide-angle image can be a detail shot whentaken up close to an element, as it immerses the viewer in the scene

Above People at work Show people interacting with their surroundings for a strong narrative thread that creates an emotional anchor

Left Capture the character of buildings, squares, and even people by focusing on texture – an extra sensory hit

Textures

31

TECHNIQUES

Perfect your composition Learn to capture the cleanest, most dramatic perspectives in the busy city environment

This may sound like a simple process, but it is more than a case of shooting many images from different angles. As the photographer you have to understand what you are looking for, being able to identify when a composition is working well and when the frame is too busy, or has a detail imbalance. If you are being experimental with exposure, creating silhouettes for example, you have to be aware of overlaps between building structures, which will distort the outline. In such cases a change in focal length would be required to create separation.

The technical considerations can be intimidating, even for experienced photographers, but sometimes cityscape composition can benefit from simpler adjustment. The key to the perfect frame might be a slightly wider focal length, to incorporate some foreground vegetation, or to use another building as a natural frame. Just remember that ‘different’ will always hold the viewer’s gaze for longer.

Right Frames and foregrounds Take a wider view and capture citylandmarks in the context of their surroundings. Offer the viewer a glimpse of what it is like to approach a structure or famous spot

hceneF reteP © segami llA

By their very nature cities are hard things to photograph. The majority of scenes are built up along a vertical axis, since buildings are often taller than they are wide. Where they are short but wide you then have lots of negative space between them, which can leave photographic compositions feeling unbalanced. If you attempt to pitch the camera up or down you risk introducing converging verticals, while adjusting the yaw of the lens position will enhance lateral perspective. This creates strong leading lines which, without care, can drag the viewer’s eye out of the shot prematurely.

Meanwhile, simply rotating the orientation of the camera into portrait format, for tall subjects, can remove any sense of height or direction, producing a flat shot with no identifiable starting or ending point.

It’s apparent that, with cityscapes and city life studies, it’s important to adjust the composition on a scene-by-scene basis. No two urban environments are the same, even though the architecture may appear similar.

The layout of the street impacts how many obstructions there are between the camera and the subject, so this must be assessed before shooting begins. Then it is a matter of exploring the scene fully, to examine how all of the components work together.

Use extreme angles

Find an elevated perspective

It’s a challenge to get across the energy of a city location in a single 2D image so anything we can do to exaggerate the character of the place is of benefit. Shoot from a low angle with an ultra-wide lens to stretch the height of buildings, creating a towering effect. This is also a perfect technique for capturing impressive ceilings – just be sure to shoot up at exactly 90°. The reverse is also effective (shooting down), as is moving in close to an object with a lens of 16mm or wider.

Look for a position higher than street level to capture a view across the city. Use your knowledge of an urban setting to locate places which offer interesting lines of sight and which align with sunset or sunrise. This gives a unique perspective and allows easily overlooked details higher up the buildings to be studied.

Avoid ‘average’ perspectives at all costs

32

Make bright, contrasting areas of colour your subject

CITY BREAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Follow a composition workflow

1

Start mid-range A trick to prevent ‘setting bias’ – getting carried away with one setting choice and forgetting to try others – is to zoom to the median focal length of the lens. For a 24-70mm this is around 50mm. Capture images on either side of this.

2

Work through these steps to find the frame you thought you saw

Check the mirror image Try capturing a building from the opposite perspective. If shooting east, walk along the street and capture it looking west. This can alter the apparent shape of the building and control background detail or sky alignment.

3

Alter distance Move closer to and further from your subject. This will introduce some distortion but when used carefully can exaggerate height or physical separation. At each shooting position try a range of focal lengths to maximise coverage.

4

Vary the context Try capturing the subject closeup, with minimal detail around it in the frame, then zoom out to capture more of the environment.

Where there is relevant detail closer to the camera, try using this as a frame or as a leading line.

33

TECHNIQUES

BIG kit items 5 Core items of camera gear for city break photography

Discreet camera

It’s always helpful to avoid drawing attention to yourself as a street or travel photographer. For cityscape images a mirrorless camera or small form DSLR will be more inconspicuous. A model with an articulated screen is another benefit.

Superzoom lens While absolute sharpness is nice, a 24-240mm lens

(full-frame) or 18-300mm (APS-C) will enable you to recompose instantly, for almost any situation. Changing lenses is a big hindrance so having wide and telephoto focal lengths at your fingertips will be welcome.

Messenger bag Monopod

Backpacks are often more comfortable when carrying lots of gear, but for rapid access to your single camera and lens, an over-the-shoulder bag is ideal. The top access zipper gives you access to all of your kit, right at your hip.

While tripods are not always appropriate, monopods are useful for steadier shots on the street, especially in combination with today’s image stabiliser technology.

Alternatively a bean bag will make placing the camera on a wall or the ground easier.

segami ytteG aiV tnemoM / ecirp leinad eoJ ©

34

Polariser

Ideal for enhancing colour and removing/ strengthening reflections, a circular polarising filter is a must-have for both modern and ancient buildings, in any urban environment.

Be mindful of the 1EV light loss, but use this to moderate contrast and make images pop.

TECHNIQUES

FLOWER

POWER Pro photographer Andy Small shows you how to get stunning artistic floral shots in your home, garden and wildflower fields

D

uring the past yearmany photographershave had to resortto finding their inspiration much closer to home. This has not beenan issuefor me as, for thepast 30 years, Ihave ceaselessly explored the photographic possibilities of my garden and surrounding hedgerows in the Hampshire countryside, in the UK. As a fine-artphotographer, my underlying approach has always been to use my camera as creatively as possible, exploring ideas for digital photographs that echo my appreciation for other forms of art, such as painting and drawing.

When I first started exhibiting my work in the 1990s manypeople couldn’t believe that they were lookingat photographs. I assured them that they were, especially as this was before the days of computers and at the timeI was usingfilm and chemicals.

Using my garden and nearby countryside hedgerows as inspiration Pictured Shot at home or in the field, professional looking flower images can be more than just pin-sharp records

Creative abstracts

36

means that I am never at a lossfor photographic ideas. Ialso knew, fromthe beginning, that I did not want my images to be purely descriptive, nomatter how alluring the subject may be. SoI was drawn tothe moreintimate plants, avoiding themore showy specimens.

Seed heads have always fascinatedme and the different ways that plants have developedto disperse their seeds.

I have used a varietyof techniques and equipment over the years to help pursue my efforts to bring an artistic creativity to my images, including: wide-angle and macro lenses; panoramic views as well intimate details; infrared-converted cameras anddifferenttypesof filters; and multiple-exposures and intentional camera movement. Over the next few pages I’ll explain these techniquesso that you canfind inspiration close to home and shoot fantastic flora in yourown back garden or nearby green spaces.

FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Andy Small

To see more of Andy’s work, visit: @andysmallphotography www.andysmall.co.uk

llamS ydnA © :segami llA

Andy Small is a nature, landscape and macro flower photographer. He runs flower photography workshops for the Royal Horticultural Society at RHS Wisley and gives talks on his work to clubs and societies.

37

TECHNIQUES

To create a memorable picture, every part of the image needs to be as carefully and well thought out as the main subject

health. In photographing nature we are more than likely capturing fractal patterns. Using these in our shots is another of the key visual elements that we canuse in our compositions.

Positive and negative shapes

Giving the foreground and background equal prominence isone of my key messages The approach totaking plant portraits shares in composition. Manypeople will see the certainsimilaritieswith thosean artist might subject of the photograph as all-important; use when creatinga portrait of a person. however, in order to create a memorable However, trying to capturea likeness of the picture, everypartof the image needs to subject is not necessarily the onlyaim of the be as carefully and well thought out as the artist, and it helps to have anaffinitywith your main subject. subject. I am surrounded bynature By cropping the photograph of the poppies in my garden and when I go walkingaroundthe (top left)I have created new shapes in the fields near me. This gives methe opportunity background. These ‘negative shapes’ should to really get to know the different be givenas muchconsideration as the‘positive characteristics of thelocal flowers and plants. shapes’and their juxtaposition is crucial for the Spending time looking at subjects istime well final look of the photograph. Whether an image spent. Asa photographic artist I try to make Repetitive motifs is cropped or not, it is good practice to thinkof people aware of things they might not initially As humans we’re drawn to patterns –it’sa way the main subject and background as working notice themselves. we make sense of our world. We may already be in tandem. doing this unconsciously in our images, butwe Composition is key can use patternsto make images more Square or rectangular format?

Once I have decided on the aspects of my appealing. Patterns are everywhere and there’s This is often determined bythe subject and is subject that I want toexplore, my thoughts turn research to suggest that fractal patterns in something that can be decided later with to how best toconvey these in the final nature have a beneficial effect on mental cropping, but I prefer todo as much creative

PLANT PORTRAITS

38

photograph. A great deal of the successof an image will be determined bythe composition.

This is basically the arrangement ofvisual elements within the frame, butits effect is so much morethan this.

A successful composition can draw the viewer to what youwant them to seeand evoke differing emotional responses. Thereare a number ofvisual elements that we need to be aware of when composing our images andthe list is subjective, but thefollowing are what I consider tobe key…

FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Opposite When to go bold A dynamic complementary colour scheme and good use of positive and negative shapes, as well as strong diagonals, are key elements in this composition Right Repeating patterns Repetitive motifsare helpful to engage the viewer andthe square format suits the symmetry of the image Below Use photo theory A muted but complementary colour scheme, positive and negative shapes and a rectangular format, where the main image is slightly offset from the centre allowing it to grow into the space, were all used here

work in the cameraas possible. Square formats usually workwell for a symmetrical composition, whereas in a rectangular format it is usually a betteridea toplace the main subject slightly toone side.

Timing it right

When you choose to shoot is another artistic decision, in turn affecting the colourof lighting.

The goldenhours suit autumnal imagesas they bring out the warmer tones in subjects. Cooler lighting suchas that found on an overcast day can be used toaccentuatethe greens in leaves or blue and purpleflowers.Experiment withthe camera’s white balance tosuit your vision.

The colour wheel showing the primary, secondary and tertiary colour relationships 39

TECHNIQUES

During the past 30 years of taking images indoors I have always used natural lighting – all you need is a window

40

FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO SHOOTS

There are certain advantages to working indoors; control of lighting, lack of wind, isolating subjects andbeing creative with backgroundsare justsome. Working indoors also allows us to explore ideas that would be difficult toachieve outside.

Highlighting the different stages of the dandelion (below)is a goodexample of this.

Having a garden means I have a plethora of subjects to hand, which Ican pick and bring inside whenI have ideas for images. For those who don’thave access tothis you could tryvisiting your local garden centre to find and purchase differentspecimens to work with.

My studio setup relies on natural light and homemade props. I see it asan extension to working outdoors. It is a setupthat anyone can achieve with the minimum of expense (see Andy’seasy studio setup, right).

Natural lighting

During thepast 30 years of taking images indoors Ihave always usednatural lighting – all that you need is a window. Itis important for me to see the effects of thelight when setting up the flowers and, in the early days, when flash was the only alternative, this seemed very artificial and too overpowering for my delicate subjects. Evennow,with the introduction of LED lights,I still rely on my window for the best lighting.

Just likebeing outdoors the light from the windowcan vary so that, at some point during a sunny day, there will be direct sunshine and, on other days, acool, even light pervades. As I am not working commercially this has never been a concern, butmore of an advantage.

The windowis positioned behind the studio setup, which means that all ofmy subjects are backlit. To me this is the mostsympathetic lighting for delicate subjects, as not only does it enhance details of petals, for example, but also gives lovely highlights onthings like stems.

Opposite top High key Andy used a delicate approach to shooting this astrantia indoors using paintedcoloured backgrounds Opposite below left Lit from behind Using a lightbox gave Andy a white background and the option toplace the seeds where he wanted Opposite below right

Subject placement A subject should be placed as far away from the black box as possible to allow the light from the window to reach it Below

Back to black

Each of the flower and the seed shots were taken with backlighting, white card reflectors and the black box.

The arrangement was then composed in Photoshop

Backlighting can produce silhouettes, though this can be negated by theuse of reflectors; these are simply pieces of white card that reflectmore than enoughlight back onto thesubject.

The black background

I have taken many images with a black background. This combination createsa very dramatic effect, especially withlightercoloured flowers and seed heads. Iuse various cardboardboxesof differing sizes that are painted black inside. The back of the inside is coveredwith a non-reflective velvet.

This, together with ‘barn doors’on the box, means thatI can createthe ultimate pure black

background. The white card reflectors can then be positioned in front of the subject using spring clips.

The coloured background

My studio setup also allows meto use a variety of different-coloured backgrounds. After much testingI decided that using painted glass gave me the look I was after. The brushstrokes give a variegated look that addsinterest anddepth.

I paint theglass with acrylic that can alsobe removedwhen dry with a Stanley knife blade.

Due tothe translucent nature of glass, using a mixture of two or three different coloured panels stacked together can produce some great effects.

41

TECHNIQUES

SHOOTING OUTDOORS

While I can becomeengrossed in photographing subjects indoors, nothing beats being out in naturewith my camera. Asa photographer I consider myself very fortunate that, in theact of creating our artworks, we also experience being there as well.

One thing I have learnt through photographing outdoors is the benefit of being patient. Waitingfor thelight tobe right or the wind todrop is certainly never a waste of time.

a shoot, but again, don’tbe put off by a little bad weather. Shootingafter raincan transform an ordinaryplant into something magical, as water droplets add a layer of sparkle.

Stay local

It can be an advantage to photograph a place you know well. I often walk thesame paths everyday andmarvel at therapid rate of growth in nature. Recently, I noticed the hedgerowof hogweed seed heads on my usual cycle route a few days beforeI tookthis picture Keep an eye on the weather (above left)and knew it would makea great Photographing outdoors is very dependant on subject. I decided to takethe photo in the the weather.This doesn’tmean that I never evening when the sun was setting,to silhouette venture out in anything inclement – farfrom it, them against a colourful sky. But, depending in fact. It does mean, however, that the on the time of day and with differentweather conditions will influence the overall mood of conditions, many other imagescould have your image. Check the forecast the night before been created.

42

Wide-angle lenses

Working outside givesme the chance touse my wide-angle lenses that are rarely used when I am workingindoorsor in my garden. I have a 15mm prime lens, but my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8GAF-S EDis my go-tostandard lens.

I used this lens set at 35mm andf/16 to photograph the hogweedsagainst the sunset.

One of the advantages of using a wide-angle lens is that it enables me to add contextto the main subject,rather than isolating it as I would tend todo with mymacro lenses.

Telephoto lenses

A close-up approach isn’talways best for plants andfoliage. Using a zoom lens allows you to shoot subjectsfrom a distance, compress the perspective and eliminate any background clutter that might otherwise spoil the scene.

Camera mounted on a nodal slide for taking panoramas with a wide-angle lens

Nodal slide

When you use the panning function on a tripod head to produce images for stitching into a panorama, parallax errors can be introduced. This is because the point of rotation is under the camera, so the view shifts as you rotate the head. To stop this, the point of rotation needs to be where the light rays diverge – the nodal point. A nodal slide sets your camera back, so the nodal point sits at the point of rotation. To use it, first ensure your camera is mounted vertically and remains level as you rotate it. Then choose a point in the foreground or middle distance you can line up with a point in the distance and rotate your camera to the left and see if the two points are still lined up at the edge of the frame; rotate to the right and check to see if the two points are still in line. If not move your camera backwards or forwards on the slide until they stay in line as you rotate the camera.

Depending on the time of day and weather conditions, many otherimages could have been created Panoramic format

Sometimes taking a subject asa panoramic image is the bestway to convey a scene, such as a marvellous field of poppies.

One of the first panoramic images I took was of thebark ofa tree. Using my 100mm macro lens, I moved the camera up and down, taking pictures of different parts of thebark.

When I finally stitched the shots together I could print an almostlife-sizeimage with amazing detail.

It is possible, whenusing lenses witha longer focal length like I used forthe bark, to just mount the camera on the tripodand gradually move the camera todifferent parts of the subject in order tocreateyour pictures for stitching.

However, I foundthat it wasn’tas easy when attempting the same setup with my 15mm lens.

This is because wide-angle lenses needto rotate around their nodal point in orderto produce images that aren’taffected by parallax and so can be stitched. The most cost-effective solution, for me, was to purchase anodal slide. I used this setup to shoot thewonderful field of poppies (top left).

Top Panoramic vista A stitched panoramic image of a poppy field, using Andy’s 15mm lens mounted on his nodal slide Opposite left Golden hours The sunset added to the drama of the row of silhouetted hogweed plants Opposite right Changed angle Hogweed taken with a wideangle lens from underneath, offering the viewer a unique perspective Right Snow time These teasels were captured in the snow for a calming and low key result 43

TECHNIQUES

Opposite Unseen elements One reason Andy enjoys using his macro lens is that it can show details that would otherwise be impossible to see, as in the case of this goat’s beard seed head Right

Returning subjects

A Chinese lantern showing exquisite filigree – one of Andy’s favouritesubjects from his garden Bottom left New worlds With a macro lens you can be drawn into another world, in this case a hedgerow of cow parsley Bottom right What is abstract?

This image is about colour and shape rather than the flower itself, but is it actually abstract?

MACRO CLOSE-UPS

One thing I could not have managed without is a macro lens. It was like opening a window into a new world when Ibought my first macro lens 30 years ago,and I haven’t stoppedusing it since. I amcurrently the proud owner ofthe superb Nikon AF 200mm f/4D IF-EDMicro which took all of the images on this page.

Most people’s idea of macro photographywill probably bean extremely detailed close-up picture of an insect or flower thathas, perhaps, been even more pronouncedby the heavy use of focusstacking. Whilst I will continue totake photos like this,it has become apparent to me

44

that highly rendered detail is not always the most important thing I amlooking for.

One reason I findmy macro lens can be so engaging is that it shows me the world differentlyand in a way thatis impossible for me to experience with human vision. Utilising the shallowdepth of field when using the lens with a wide aperture is something Ilike to do, as it produces a painterly feel to an image andit is this qualitythat I find can be the most creative.

A different reality

A macro lens’s ability to focus in on small details gives me theopportunity to produce

images that could be seen as being abstract.

This highlightsan interestingdebateon what an abstract picture actually is to people.

In my view,these extreme close-ups aren’t strictly abstract, because they are depicting real objects andtheir reference is the natural world.

Another aspect that can be deceiving, when focusing closely ona subject, is thelack of reference to thescale of what is being depicted.

This adds yet another layer of mysteryto the image andhelps tomake itmore challenging for the viewer as they areseeing things that are not normally seen.

FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

A macro lens’s ability to focus in on small details gives me the opportunity tocreate abstract images Macro alternatives

Long before I purchased my first macro lens, I experimented with other less expensiveways of focusing closeron a subject. Thishas become relevant again for me in my role as a photography course tutor. Not everyone who attends my classes on creativeflower photography has a macro lens, so what arethe alternatives?

My first foray into the macro world was to use a reversing ring; excellent quality at a reasonable cost. Extension tubesthat sit betweenyour camera body and your lens are another great way ofenabling a lens to focus extremely closely.

A camera plate specifically designed for the D800E and a Gitzo Arca Swiss-type quick-release plate.

Tripods

One essential piece ofequipment, though, that I hardly ever take aphotograph without is a tripod. I have a couple of tripods: one is very lightweight and made of carbon fibre, which is comfortably portable; andanother more substantial one for indoor use. I usea ball-and-socket joint for both, which I find to be the most versatile. As well as the main tripod, choose your head carefully,as some offer morefine-tuning than others.

Apart from theobvious benefit of keepingthe camera still, using a tripod also helps us to takeour timeand consider the subject more.

45

TECHNIQUES

IMPRESSIONIST IMAGES

An impressionist approach has a great deal of appeal for me, as it affords me theopportunity to be themost creative with my camera. The idea is toconvey animpressionistic responseto the subjectthat results in the imagelooking more likea painting than atraditional photograph. There is a lot more emphasis on depicting movement, creating an atmosphere and the play of light, ratherthan having everything pin-sharp and conventionally well composed.

A lot of us have probably experimentedwith ND filtersto blurmovement in water and clouds, for example, and this was my starting point. There are many techniques that can be employedto create this style ofphotography, but what I use mainly are multiple exposures and intentional camera movement (ICM).

Whilst itis possible to use Photoshopfor this,it is important forme that, when I producethese pictures, all of theeffectsare done in-camera at

the time of shooting. My D800E has the option for combining up to ten different exposures in one frame,which can help massively.

ICM and multiple exposures

In the image of the trees (above) I have used a small amountof ICM on one of theexposures whilst altering the camera’s position for another two exposures. Although with experience it is possible topredict the outcome,the variables here make it difficult to know exactly whatyour final image will actually look like. This, for me, is the exciting part of the process;I have an idea of what I want the image to look like but it doesn’t actually exist inreality.

It is my completely unique creation.

Create a scene

This is a technique Ilike to use a lot. It involves planning ahead to create a view that doesn’t exist. In the case of theimage with the purple allium andblue nigella (top left)both plants were in different parts of my garden. I wantedto combine them in oneimage. Taking the allium Moving the lens first, I had to leave a clear space where I wanted Being a large lens, my Nikon AF 200mm f/4D the nigella to be. It was thena caseof moving IF-ED Micro has its own tripod mount. This the camera to shoot thenigella, then combining means that the lens and camera canbe rotated both with myD800E. 360 degrees within the mount bracket. Up to

An impressionist approach has a great deal of appeal for me, as it affords me the opportunity to be the most creative with my camera

46

ten different exposures can be made with my D800E, so by usingall ten quite a complicated image can be built up.

In the photo of the daisy (right)I have centred the lens on the middle of the flower. The petals appear whiter wherethe exposures overlap.

Each different exposure can, of course, have different settings. There is also the possibilityof using ICM whilst rotating the camera.

Moving the subject

The technique ofwalking all around a subject taking photographs, and then combining all the shots in a multi-layeredfinal image, has been popularised bythe photographer Pep Ventosa.

Working in a similar way I do the same thing indoors, not by moving myself but by moving the subject. This technique can be used to give a verypainterly feel to theimage.

FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

Above right

Multiple frames

Here, Andy moved the subject for each exposure, then combined themin his Nikon D800E Right

Surreal shot

This daisy image was created with multiple exposures taken at set intervals whilst rotating the lens 360 degrees Above left

Combined captures

The allium and nigella were brought together by combining two exposures in-camera Above middle Experiment A combinationof ICM and multiple exposures were used to create this image

47

UK-only subscription offer

Reader offer Free Vanguard VEO

Range 32 shoulder bag Take out a year’s subscription and get 13 issues direct to your door, plus a brilliant bag for carrying your camera gear

£70 Subscribe today at:

Gift wo rth

WWW.MAGAZINESDIRECT.COM/DPH/RANGE32 or call 0330 333 1113 and quote ‘BM24’ Make sure you use this URL or quote the code on the phone: other offers are available that do not include the free bag gift

48

Subscribe for a year and get this versatile bag to carry all your essential kit in

Lauren Scott Editor, Digital Photographer

What fits inside the Vanguard VEO Range 32 shoulder bag?

• A mirrorless/CSC/hybrid camera with lens attached • 1-2 lenses (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), a flash, accessories and a 13” tablet, with a travel tripod strapped on • It can also carry a small drone, such as the DJI Mavic Pro

Get a Vanguard VEO Range 32 bag Your convenient camera storage option, available withannual print subscriptions Great savings Subscribe annuallyfrom only £36* and receive 13 issuesa year The latest tips and insights Each month, a subscription to Digital Photographerchallenges and inspires enthusiasts and seasoned professionals alike totake truly phenomenal shots and get the best results from their kit

Annual digital subscription,£36

A year’s worthof Digital Photographer to readinstantly on your iOS or Android device This option does not include the bag gift

Annual print subscription,£50

Vanguard VEORange 32 bag 13 issuesof the print edition of Digital Photographerdeliveredto your door 25% off entryto The PhotographyShow

Annual print and digital bundle subscription,£55

Vanguard VEORange 32 bag 13 issuesof the print edition of Digital Photographerdeliveredto your door Digital edition for your phone or tablet (Available on iOS and Android devices) 25% off entryto The PhotographyShow

49

Edgy flash fashion portraits SHOOTING SKILLS

Photographer Alistair Campbell shows you how to create a fashion look with natural light and one off-camera flash for images with impact

Difficulty level: Intermediate Time taken: 1 hour For quite some time after I picked up my first DSLR (a Canon EOS 5D Mark II) I saw some great images knocking around, and remember thinking to myself “do these people just have a better camera than me, or what?!”.

In the end, the penny dropped and I began to understand that their success came down to the lighting setups. I now shoot images with a combination of natural light and off-camera flash.

While neither style is better than the other, introducing artificial light if you haven’t done so before can add another arrow to your photography arsenal. I have two Pictured Harnessing the power of daylight in combination withone off-camera flash can yield dramatic andeffective results

Mixed sources

All images by © Alistair Campbell

50

lights in my kit bag, but will very rarely use them both.

Using just a single light with a mixture of available natural light can create a blend of contrast, tone and shape for a portrait that packs just a little more punch.

Even if you have a basic knowledge of studio lighting, you can easily bring that onto location to start shooting images with interesting backgrounds and the helpful use of the sun to enhance the rest of the frame.

Or, by using the sun to backlight and your off-camera flash as a fill light for your subject. Let’s have a look at a simple single light setup to get some easy but effective fashion shots in the can.

What you’ll need

DSLR or mirrorless camera Strobe light or constant light Off-camera flash trigger Portrait lens – any will work, but around the 24-70mm range is great Adobe Lightroom 51

SHOOTING SKILLS

Shooting steps

1

2

1

Find location and prep model I like to find gritty locations which work well with a clean outfit and will often bring a lot of texture to your shots. I showed model Rhiane a few previous shoots, as it always helps if you can show your subjects moodboards or example images.

2

Position the light It doesn’t matter if you place your light to the left or right, but off to around 45° to the side, and at a 45° angle facing down to your subject is a good place to start. Of course, the further round you move, the more dramatic the shadows will become.

3

3

4

Turn exposure simulation off Unlike DSLRs, mirrorless cameras have real-time exposure changes as you tweak the settings.

Your camera can’t predict what it will look like when the flash fires, so you’ll need to turn this setting off. If not, your EVF may be too dark to see what’s going on.

4

Camera and flash settings I always set my flash to Manual.

Around 1/32 is again a good place to start. I’ll keep my ISO low for a cleaner shot, and use whichever shutter speed is flash synced to the camera. In the case of the Fujifilm GFX 100s it’s 1/125th and a nice mid aperture around f/8 is great.

5

Place model for test shots and tweak settings I’ll fire off a shot just to make sure everything is synced up. Then I tend to ask the model to jump in for a few more. It’s impossible to see what your shot will look like without seeing how your light falls onto the face. Rhiane was wearing a hat, so I lowered the light a little to avoid shadow on the eyes.

6

Play with poses and props I’ll typically start off with something quite conventional. But once you’ve got a few good shots in the bag you can take this opportunity to find a new space, shoot some interesting angles, change up the clothing a little or try out a different lens. If you have a great model they’ll only be too happy to try things out.

52

5

6

EDGY FASHION PORTRAITS LIGHTING PLACEMENT

CAMERA AND LENS CHOICE

Off to one side at around 45° is a good place to start, about sixfeet from your model. Make sure it’s at least head height or above to retain a more flattering light. When shooting on locationI’ll remove the honeycomb to allow a little light to spill onto the background (but not too much).

I was shooting on the Fujifilm GFX 100s as the main camera. For me, the colour that comes out of the Fuji system is just perfect. I used the GF 63mm F2.8 R WR which is one of the smaller lenses – I find the less bulk the better.

MODEL DIRECTION

Fashion can be relaxed, and often less is more. I find when I’m talking to models is a good time to shoot as they are often engaged with the camera.

Try not to guide people into positions that feel difficult to hold as it will show through. After a couple of good images are shot, show them.

The setup

SHOOTING HANDHELD

I don’t even own a tripod, I shot with one once and I felt it completely hindered me. Shooting handheld will allow you to be far more spontaneous and enableyou to use smaller adjustments to find just the right angle for the shot. Plus, there’s less to carry, which I’m all in favour of.

Adding an ND filter

Try adding an ND filter to open up the aperture for a shallower DoF

I switched to my backup camera, the Fujifilm X-T3 as I had a few more lens options there. The XF 16-55mm f2.8 is an absolute workhorse, and I have an adjustable ND filter that fits. I originally bought it to shoot video (as you are limited with shutter speeds), but it also works perfectly well for photography.

Being able to make the lens a little darker meant I could open up the aperture all the way to its maximum f2.8 and still keep my shutter synced at 1/125 for the lights. Even close to the background this will create a nice separation for your subject. If you do invest in a filter, make sure they don’t have any colour cast issues noted in the reviews.

53

SHOOTING SKILLS

Edit the shot

1

1

2

Open up Lightroom I do 99% of my editing directly in Lightroom. First I’ll select the appropriate colour profile.

For this edit I’ll be using Fujifilm’s built-in ‘Classic Chrome’. It’s one of my favourites so I often start here.

2

Get the overall base look Next make adjustments in the ‘Basic’ panel. Start by adding a contrast +10, pulling back highlights -20, and lifting shadows +40. Finally a small clarity boost +10 and reduce vibrance -15.

3

Experiment with the tonal curve Every image is different, and so is each personal preference, but here I will experiment by pushing and pulling the RGB and overall levels of the image.

You’ll often find a nice ‘S’ works well.

4

Manipulating your colours Again I experiment here with the colours in the scene. This image is mainly made up of red, orange and yellow. So I’ve used these to boost the brightness of those areas further, along with some small Hue tweaks to bring it all together.

3

4

5

Local adjustments to bring out detail We’ve done a dramatic edit and some areas are a little dark. So now I’m going to use one of the default local adjustment brushes, ‘Shadows’, to rub over these areas. In this case, the adjustment is mainly on Rhiane’s black dungarees to bring back some of the detail hidden in there.

6

Skin retouching And just as in step 5, I’m going to get a new default adjustment brush, ‘Soften Skin’, and work on the face area to smooth everything out. By default the brush is set to Clarity -100 but you may want to pull it back to -50 if this looks unnatural.

Press ‘O’ to see where your mask is.

Right Darks and lights The image out of the camera is only ever half of journey for me.

I usually work with RAF (Fuji Raw Image) files which are flat in nature, but allow for this style of dramatic editing – pulling and pushing the darks and highlights through the process 54

5

6

EDGY FASHION PORTRAITS AFTER

BEFORE

55

SHOOTING SKILLS

EXPOSE TO THE RIGHT

BEFORE

Maximise shadow detail in your landscape shots using a technique that makes use of the histogram

Detail in landscape photography is extremely important, and several techniques can be used to enhance it.

One that’s all about maximising shadow and tonal detail is exposing to the right (ETTR).

Exposing to the right is a technique where you use the histogram as a guide and expose with the histogram as far over to the right as possible without touching the side and resulting in highlights blowing. What you’re aiming for is the brightest possible image without losing any highlight detail. The image is then darkened during RAW processing so the overall exposure is correct, but since the exposure was bright this means you can lighten shadows to maintain detail without introducing noise and reducing tonal detail.

To make the most out of exposing to the right, you need to shoot in RAW and ideally at the base ISO of your camera, which is usually ISO 100 and provides the largest dynamic range possible. This means that more detail between the shadows and highlights can be captured, but you may still need to use ND grads to maintain sky detail in a high contrast scene.

Exposing to the right looks and feels wrong at the point of shooting because the image on the LCD screen will look brighter than if you used the ‘correct’ exposure, and this can be a little disconcerting at first. But once the image is being edited and exposure adjusted, the image will look perfect on top of maximising detail in darker tones.

1

2

3

5

6

Shooting mode Choose aperture priority Compose the shot Compose the shot or manual mode so exposure compensation and use the virtual horizon in Live View to can be applied without adjusting the aperture. help ensure the shot is level on the horizontal For aperture priority, add positive exposure axis. Once happy, change the LCD view mode compensation; reduce shutter speed in manual. to show the histogram to assess exposure.

ttobbA semaJ © segami llA

4

Camera settings Shoot with standard landscape settings such as ISO 100 with the aperture at f/11. Looking at the histogram in this view mode, we can see there’s lots of space on the right-hand side of the histogram where we can increase exposure.

56

Adjust exposure If shooting in aperture priority, add positive exposure compensation until the histogram is close to the right-hand side but not touching it.

If shooting in manual mode, you’ll need to increase shutter speed to lighten the image.

Above

Fooled into underexposure

This shot was exposed at the metered exposure and while the histogram looked good, the image is too dark Right

Bright is right

Exposing to the right has brought the exposure of this misty shot closer to where it should be for a natural-looking result

Use filters Attach camera to tripod and use ND grad or ND filters as required. For this scene, a polariser was used to increase saturation and to reduce shine on leaves, while a 4-stop soft ND grad balanced exposure.

Adjust exposure in Lightroom Usually, when exposing to the right you would at this stage reduce exposure to darken the image so it looks correct. In this misty and light-toned scene, however, the exposure has been brightened to maintain a natural look.

AFTER

57

EDITING SKILLS:PHOTOSHOP

PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL

Control colour with aEnhance Black & White Layer the detail in your scenic shots using colour luminosity

Meet the editing pro

James Abbott is a professional photographer and photography journalist specialising in shooting and editing techniques. His first book was recently released and covers professional image editing skills in both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo. @jamesaphoto www.jamesaphoto.co.uk

1

Create the working Layer Click on the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon and select Black & White from the list of options. When the dialogue opens the image will turn black and white, but by changing the Blending mode from Normal to Luminosity, colour will return.

ttobbA semaJ © segami llA

4

Make a selection Hold Ctrl (PC)/Cmd (Mac) and left mouse click on the mask attached to the Black & White 1 Adjustment Layer. Create a second Black & White 1 Adjustment Layer and when it opens press Ctrl+I to invert the mask and change the Blending mode to Luminosity.

58

Photo editing is full of contradictions and surprises; the deeper you delve into Photoshop, the more advanced the techniques become and by combining Adjustment Layers with Blending modes you can create some incredible effects. So, in this shot of some coastal mudflats, we’re going to take a look at how you can enhance detail in your scenic images using a Black & White Adjustment Layer to control colour luminosity.

Inset

Main

This image looks great but we can increase the sharpness and enhance detail in the foreground and skyto increase moodiness

The darker mud contrasts with the wet mud around the edge of the pool that has a bluish tint. Darkening the clouds has made them more prominent in the sky

A great starting point

What you’ll be using

Black & White Adjustment Layers Blending modes Layer masking Creating selections from masks Inverting masks

2

Enhance the foreground For this image, the Reds were reduced to -45 and Yellows to 20 to darken the mudflats and create greater contrast with the wet edges of the pool of water in the foreground. Blues were increased to 100 to lighten the sky reflection on the surface of the pool.

5

Increased mood and contrast

Enhance the sky To enhance the sky in this image, the Yellows slider was increased to 40 to counter the darkening of this colour channel when the Blending mode of the Layer was changed to Luminosity. To darken the clouds to make them moodier, Blues were reduced to -15.

3

Mask out the sky Make sure the Layer mask attached to the Black & White 1 Adjustment Layer is active by clicking on it.

Press B to activate the Brush Tool, D to set the palette colours to black and white, and press X to toggle black into the foreground and paint black over the sky area.

“Youcan enhance the detail in your scenic images” KEY TIP LAYER MASK BASICS

When painting black and white onto Layer masks, black hides the Layer/effect it’s attached to while white reveals the Layer/ effect. Both allow you to reveal and hide effects depending on whether the mask is predominantly black or white.

BEFORE

59

EDITING SKILLS:LIGHTROOM

LIGHTROOM TUTORIAL

Edit RAW phone shots inGet theLightroom Mobile best out of phone shots with Adobe Lightroom Mobile

Mobile phone photography has come a long way in recent years, and with most new smartphones offering RAW shooting you can shoot and edit RAW files directly on your phone for the ultimate convenience and image quality. What’s more, Adobe Lightroom Mobile provides a camera and advanced editing tools that will allow you to get the best from your phone shots.

KEY TIP HOW TO ACCESS SELECTIVE TOOLS To use the Selective Tools, which include the Graduated Filter, the Radial Filter and the Adjustment Brush, you need to have a current Creative Cloud Photography Plan subscription. To activate the tools, simply sign in to the Lightroom Mobile app with your Adobe login. Without a subscription, you can access all other controls but not the Selective Tools.

What you’ll be using Crop & Rotate White balance Light tools

3

Selective Edits Effects

Control brightness and contrast Click on the Light tab where you can control Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks and use the Tone Curve. For this image, Exposure was set to -0.04EV, Contrast to 30, Highlights left at 0, Shadows to 61, Whites to 30 and Blacks also left at 0.

60

1

2

4

5

Crop the image The phone used to take this image shoots in a 3:4 format, so it was cropped to 2:3 to make the image the same format as full-frame. Click on Crop at the bottom of the interface and choose a ratio by clicking on Original before using the tool to crop and straighten.

Add a local adjustment Click on the Selective tab, which provides access to the Graduated Filter, the Radial Filter and the Adjustment Brush. The Graduated Filter and Adjustment Brush function as they do in Lightroom Classic, but for the Radial Filter touch and hold the control point to invert.

Adjust colour Click on the Color tab and here you can adjust White balance, as well as convert images to black and white and colour grade them. This image simply needed a white balance adjustment, so Temp was increased to 5,283K and Tint to 70 to warm the image.

Enhance detail Click on Effects where you can adjust Texture, Clarity and Dehaze while offering the ability to add a vignette and grain. Here, Texture was increased to 11 to enhance texture, while Clarity was increased to 15 to boost mid-tone contrast and Dehaze was set to -25 for Orton style blur.

AFTER

Inset

In need of adjustment

Just likeRAWfiles from a DSLR or mirrorless camera, mobile phone RAW files need to be processed too. As always, shooting RAW provides more editing flexibility than JPEGs Main

Fast and easy edits

The highly intuitive Lightroom Mobile interface allows you to use many of the editing tools you’re used to using in Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC to edit shots in just a few minutes

ttobbA semaJ © segami llA

BEFORE

61

GO PRO

WORK LIFE BALANCE Landscape photographer David Shawshares ten ways to balance a love of shooting with family life

I

All images © David Shaw Written by Lauren Scott

n our modern fast-paced world, where emails ping on our smartphones and Instagram helps us to see what shots we’re missing out on at every second of the day, it can sometimes feel like we’re working all the time – or need to be. A dramatic outlook, yes, but there’s no doubt that the pressure on professional photographers has certainly increased with technology in recent years.

Along with this comes the nagging idea that we need to be shooting more to stay competitive, gain clients and customers and build a reputation, portfolio or business.

Most professional photographers are also self-employed, which means that the ‘office’ is at home, and the boundaries of work hours are easily blurred. Here at DP, we spend so much time dishing out advice and tips for the pro photographer – how you can upskill and sell yourself – but we rarely acknowledge that our nearest and dearest also have a part to play in our success, and that our photography can impact family life, too.

Over the next few pages, shooter David Shaw (www.all-photo.co.uk) will be sharing his advice for balancing a job, photography and family life. Even if your family unit is small, 62

or you’re generally in an independent situation, there’s still wisdom to be found in his advice.

“If you follow the advice of many professional photographers, one of their fundamental tenets is that to produce good images you need time,” David says. “There’s no doubt some truth in that; often the main difference between a professional and amateur photo is that the professional was able to visit the same location ten times. However, when you’re balancing a full-time career and a young family, time is a luxury many creatives can’t afford.

“In my wisdom, I decided to take up photography at the same time I started a family. As my hobby became more of an obsession, I’ve had to learn the hard way how to try and juggle family life, work and find enough time to satisfy my photography.

“It’s not easy, but with some creativity you can have your cake and eat it and build a portfolio that you’re proud of. Over the next few pages, I’ll be sharing a few things I’ve learned over the last five years (at the time of writing I am still happily married, gainfully employed, and my kids don’t think I’m a total clown. The verdict is out on the quality of my portfolio however!).”

WORK LIFE BALANCE

1

Include the family A big part of

planning a photography session can be the scouting – learning an area so that you can revisit when the conditions are right.

This provides the perfect opportunity to involve the family! Bring the kids, bring your partner; just be honest about it as it can be quite transparent if you try and hide your motivations. You’ll also be amazed where you can take a pushchair once you give it a go. A great tip can be to challenge older children to help you find interesting features to photograph. You’ll find that kids’ eyes and imaginations are usually better than your own.

63

3

GO PRO

Get to know your local area If you’re reading this in

2

Avoid FOMO (Fear of missing out) If you’re on social media, it can be quite

demoralising to see fellow pros sharing a shot of a misty morning when you’ve been unable to get out, or a bluebell wood in full bloom when you could only visit when the light was wrong. Try to enjoy the pictures for what they are and avoid comparing your circumstances with others. Once you get FOMO, you’re heading for arguments. Similarly, if you choose not to go out and something out of the ordinary develops such as an epic sunset or storm, try not to tell your partner about it repeatedly.

4

the UK, you’ll likely be reasonably close to an area of countryside (having a vehicle helps, obviously).

Cutting your travel time down obviously gives you more opportunity to take photos, and some of the most rewarding images I have in my portfolio were taken within five minutes of my home. Wherever in the world you’re based, define a reasonable radius of travel from your home and pick out favourite locations within that. Areas that change throughout the seasons or contain different habitats will give you more variety within your images with, again, less travel and time investment.

Get up early, go out late As a new parent you’ll probably find that early mornings or late nights aren’t a choice. However, once the kids start sleeping longer, make use of your new-found nocturnal abilities to go out early and take some photos while the family are still in bed. In spring and summer you’ll get fantastic light and still be home in time to make breakfast. That early alarm can be hard but catching some fantastic morning light can be quite euphoric.

5

Don’t push your luck Early on, it’s worth recognising that you won’t be able to go

and shoot every time you want to. If the kids have been up all night, or are ill, be prepared to forfeit going out, even if the conditions are perfect. If staying at home is mandatory, think about other ways you can work on your photography, such as editing, organising gear or getting your website and social media in gear.

64

WORK LIFE BALANCE

6

Stick to your plan If you only have a small window of

opportunity to be out with your camera, but the weather looks unfavourable, it can be tempting to stay in bed, or put off going out.

However, I’ve found that even on the blandest of days I’ve always found something to photograph, or caught some unexpected light, that I would have missed if I’d stayed at home. Once you start passing opportunities to go out it can really impact your motivation. Set yourself up for success with the path of least resistance – pack your camera gear up the night before, leave it in the car or near the front door, pack breakfast snacks, and anything else that will cause you to procrastinate.

7

Be friendly and talk to people Quite rightly, you’ll often find people unwilling to reveal

locations if you ask on social media, however, you’ll be amazed what people share if you talk to them when out in the field. Quite often you’ll be able to learn when to best visit locations, hidden parking spots, which places catch the mist and so on. That said, be respectful and remember that not everyone wants to be disturbed! You can then use this knowledge to shortcut your way to an awesome photo.

8

Don’t limit yourself to one genre It won’t always be possible

to go out and shoot landscapes during the golden hour, so why not try other forms of photography?

For example, water drop photography can be done during the evening from a kitchen table, macro photography can be practised in the back garden, bird of prey centres offer experience days with flexible times etc. It might not be your chosen medium, but if it keeps your camera from being put away, there’s less chance of you losing motivation and more chance of flexing your pro camera muscles.

65

GO PRO

9

Don’t forget the fun Even for pros, photography is

still something that should be fun. Being out with the camera is positive for wellbeing, and when you have a young family, the solitude and peace can be genuinely therapeutic. However, it can be easy to get caught up in trying to get the ‘best photos’ or most likes. Missed opportunities or long periods of bad weather can start to aggravate you if you’re not careful. Try to keep a perspective and enjoy the process and you’ll usually find the enjoyment remains.

10

Leave your camera at home (sometimes) When you’re trying to maximise your photo opportunities it can be tempting to bring your

camera with you wherever you go, especially if you go away on holiday. As supportive as your family may be, it’s worth trying to keep your camera at home on occasion. Not having the option to take a photo so that you can focus (pun intended) all of your attention on your family can be liberating.

66

Next issue

The latest kit reviews, tutorials and projects to hone your photo skills

Issue 244 is on sale

14 September 2021 The latest expert features: • Your pro guide to using filters • Shoot and edit urban mono scenes • Why you need to know about NFTs

With eBook & guide

FREE

5LANDSCAPE WAYS TO IMPROVEYOUR

Learn to create balance, use leading lines, add depth and harness contrast and brightness for the best results ever

Available at www.magazinesdirect.com

67

segami ytteG aiV tnemoM / segamI ieleZ reteP ©

COMPOSITION

GO PRO

Career advice

This issue Claire Gillo answers more of your burning questions and shares her top tips for working with models

Model in the city

I’m hoping to do a city photo shoot this summer with a model. I’m not used to shooting in an urban environment as most of my shoots are rural. Any advice?

Julia Hampton Firstly you need to be aware if you are shooting on private land. In the city, much of the land is private, although it may not be obvious, for example, shopping centres and car parks. If it is private you need to get permission before the shoot from the land owner. If you want to sell your images on a stock site, and the land is identifiable you will also need a location release form. If you don’t get permission you may get moved on by security guards, but if you are polite there is no reason this would escalate.

You are free to shoot in any public space without permission, however it is wise to do a risk assessment before the shoot. For example, could passers-by trip on your equipment? Do you have public liability insurance?

Finally think about where you want your images to end up and again, if you want them to sell on stock for commercial use, anyone who is identifiable in the image will need to sign a model release form.

Second camera?

I’m a location portrait photographer and I’m thinking about buying a second camera. I currently have the Canon EOS R5 and another would be really handy so I could have a wider-angle lens attached as normally I shoot with an 85mm but like to go wider for some shots to a 50mm.

It would also be useful to have another camera as a backup in case something goes wrong. I’m torn between getting another Canon R5, or something more affordable.

If I purchase another R5 I won’t have any money left in the savings, and I was hoping to buy some additional lenses this year.

Amy Valentine

about half the price of the R5 and although it hasn’t got a full-frame sensor like the R5, is still an excellent camera. The even cheaper It’s a great idea to have a second camera if you can afford it, however the Canon EOS R5 EOS R is also a great option, and if you want to save some more money have you thought is a pricey model and like you’ve pointed out it wipes out all your savings and you won’t be about buying second-hand? Of course at the end of the day the choice is completely yours able to buy any additional lenses, which are more likely to come in handy for your practice. and we can only offer advice, but we say go for Have you looked at other cameras in the a second/backup camera compromise and Canon EOS R range? The Canon EOS R6 is save your money.

Do I need a contract?

I work part-time as a photographer (mostly jobs for friends of friends and people in the local community) and don’t really take the legal side of my business that seriously. For example, I never get my clients to sign a contract. Should I be doing this?

Anna Smith

Well Anna, it can be a good idea to have your images and business protected.

You’ll be happy to know that under UK copyright law whoever takes the image owns the copyright, so as the photographer you are automatically signed the rights to any images that you take. The issue could arise if your clients didn’t understand this and used your images in a way that you are not happy with, for example if they tried to sell them as stock images online. utelE uloedA ©

ulgorakaM eluS ©

Shooting in an urban location can get you great results, however if you are on private property you need permission from the land owner

68

The Canon EOS R5 is a great camera, however as a second camera it is an expensive purchase, so a cheaper alternative might be a better option

We understand that it can suddenly feel like a big step up for your business when you have to think about legal contracts, however it needn’t be as overwhelming as you might think. There are many templated photography contracts you can download online, and adjust accordingly as a starting point. If your practice becomes more serious you might want to make the decision to pay a lawyer to draw up a legal contract in the future.

Remember even when we are working for friends and family it is still a job so it’s best to be clear about what your terms and conditions are for your images so you are protected.

When working with people you knowwell it can seem unnecessary to sign things like contracts, however you want to make sure your practice is protected

Working with models Photographer and model

CAREER ADVICE

Jade Lyon shares her tips for working with models on a photoshoot

What do you do?

I work as both a photographer and model, which I’ve been doing for over ten years now. I capture portraits, couples, maternity shoots, Oxford photo tours and nurseries mainly out on location with natural light. As a model, you might see me in anything from photography tutorial videos to working with smaller sustainable fashion brands.

Visit www.jadelyon.co.uk,

Below left Making contact Give your model plenty of info about location, timescale, outfits , and so on before the shoot Below right Work together Show your model the photos and they may come up with things to improve on

noyL edaJ © 3x

Being a model and photographer, you understand both trades… What tips would you give to other photographers who are working with a model?

It’s really useful knowing both sides of the camera. I highly recommend every photographer have their portrait taken so they know what it’s like! When working with a model, communication is really important.

As a photographer, you can be busy thinking about your setup, settings, and lighting but don’t forget to keep your model informed about what you’re doing. If the model is happy and you build a good rapport then they can pose and portray expressions much better and you’ll achieve better photos. Always give them an idea of the style and mood you’re trying to create so they know what to portray.

Showing the model the photos is helpful as a professional model may notice things to improve on such as their outfit or hair being out of place, adjusting their pose, or posing more towards the light. Also if you’re working with someone who isn’t a professional model showing them a good photo helps to build confidence and energy.

I’m often asked about making the initial contact. When contacting a model about working with them, always include a link to where they can see examples of your work.

Models always have to think about their safety so provide as much information as possible such as the location, timescale, ideas, outfits, is there a makeup artist or hairstylist, and your contact details as this helps them to know it’s a serious inquiry and also they can be really prepared for your photoshoot.

Left In the mood Let your model know the style and mood you are trying to create to help them portrayit

@jadelyonphotography / @jadelyon, Facebook: @jadelyonphotographyuk / @jadelyonfashionmodel 69

YSIS L A N A PR

WHY SHOTS WORK

NAME:

Closed Dreams

DATE: KIT:

October 2018 Canon EOS 5D MARK III Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM

WEBSITE: www.diciccophotos.com f/1.6

ISO 100

1/160 sec

“My advice for capturing a similar image is that you need to have a lot of patience positioning the lights one by one, all while taking example shots.”

FOCUS FALL-OFF

By using an apertureof f/1.6 Alessandro is able to feature a significant amount of the location environment in the frame, without the tangled detail of the forest setting drawing theeye away from the model. A telephoto, wide-aperture prime lens such as his 85mm f/1.2 optic allows compression of the scene and a steep focus gradient,blurring everything beyond a few feet from the subject – a must-have location portraiture lens. © Alessandro Di Cicco

Lighting continuity

With mixed lighting, using both natural and artificial sources,it’s important that the light direction makes sense and is realistic. Adjusting the position of your lights ensures an attractive structure which does not take the viewer out of the narrative. “In total I bought over 30 lanterns,” says Alessandro. “The most challenging part was actually setting up the lanterns oneby one and I spent the first hour playing around with them. When I started shooting I placed them differently in each frame.”

70

The Pro: Alessandro Di Cicco

Having started taking photos as a child Alessandro has spent years perfecting his style. Specialising in environmental portraiture, his images have a global following and he has built a strong base on platforms such as Instagram.

He also offers retouching services and photo tuition.

EYELINE

The bright central light and the gaze of the model act as a strong visual anchor, keepingthe viewer at the zone of interest. This means that while the lights anddetail in the background contribute to the atmosphere of the scene,they do not act asdistractions from the subject. Viewers of a photo naturally follow the eyeline of a person present, so if the model is not lookingat the camera, it is important to control where their gaze will directthe audience.

MUTED PALETTE

“At first I was going for a pinkish version of this photo, but then I processed it again and I wanted everything to be nearly the same colour – a soft pinky gold,” explains Alessandro. Part of the attraction of this shot is the almost monochromatic feel.

No single colour dominates the scene and, with the analogous hues of the model’s clothing she seems to become partof the environment. This produces an engaging,yet restful image.

71

INTERVIEW

Rankin John Rankin Waddell,

known professionally as Rankin, is a British photographer and director. He is known for his photography of famous faces and models including Kate Moss, Madonna and the Queen.

Rankin has also shot philanthropic campaigns for the NHS, Women’s Aid and Surfrider Foundation. He has over 60 book publications to his name and oversees a huge creative team with his brand and studio Rankin Creative, whose motto is “We want to Change the World.”

Rankin co-founded Dazed + Confused magazine in 1991, and in 2011 founded Hunger, the website and biannual fashion, culture and lifestyle magazine. This year, he hosted the Great British Photography Challenge tv show on BBC4.

To find out more, visit: www.rankin.co.uk 72

RANKIN

SEE RANKIN TALK ATTHE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW 19 & 20 September | 13:15 - 14:30 Fashion, film, philanthropy and flora Though famed for his celebrity and fashion shots, Rankin is not one to stand still, continually instigating different creative projects. Join us as he explores his motivations and approaches, how he weaves everything together, and why he enjoys having so many different elements to his work

RANKIN www.photographyshow.com

The legendary British photographer on fame, social media and his relentless curiosity for image-making

H

Written by Lauren Scott

All images © Rankin Photography Ltd

ow has the last year or so been for you?

It’s interesting that you ask me. I thought I was doing all right actually, but I think that there’s so much lost over these virtual mediums. Part of it felt like, “Oh yeah, it’s really great, because we can still keep working,” and we’ve definitely done a lot better than some businesses that have really struggled, because of restrictions.

We’ve been allowed to work all the way through, pretty much from June last year so, that’s been great, but I just think that what we gained in ease and the ability to just have these types of conversations, the loss is the personal one-on-one stuff. People don’t really, or haven’t till maybe the last few months, realised how important it is. Being a photographer, so much stuff is in the room, so much of it is what the vibe, what the energy, is. Now, in terms of my social life, I’m quite a solo person anyway. But if it had happened to me in my 20s, I would have been devastated.

The world has changed, though, and there are so

many good things that have come out of it, too, for the environment, and the whole process of why we’re doing things. Personally I’ve done some of my best work. And I’ve started to take photos on my own again, which I haven’t done for years.

That was one of my questions. What ratio of commercial work to personal work do you shoot?

I’ve always done personal projects. I’ve always believed, right from the beginning of college, that I just have to. I’m a photographer because I want to express my view of the world. I started a magazine at college and that’s a personal project in itself, and although it makes money, or even if it breaks even, it’s still a personal project.

But this year, what I’ve also done is my own solo stuff, with nobody in the room apart from me. I’ve wanted to shoot flowers for ages and I’ve been so excited and inspired by the work of Robert Mapplethorpe and Irving Penn.

73

INTERVIEW

“Photography for me is very optimistic”

74

RANKIN

Topleft

White Light

Embrace collection, 2020

Topmiddle Expression Embrace collection, 2020 Topright Internal Embrace collection, 2020 Below

Spirit

Rolls Royce,2011 Bottom left Entertainment Weekly, 2008

Robert Downey Jr

I couldn’t find my way in and didn’t spend enough time on it before, whereas this extra time made me do it. I was desperate to do something at the beginning of the pandemic.

I was itching to take pictures and because flowers have been there all the time I just went, right I’m going to do that. And I found my groove in it within a week and a half.

In a year I’ve done 67 pages of taking photos of flowers. Some of those days are whole dates on those pages, or some moments, but I’ve really enjoyed every minute of doing it. I was having intimate discussions with flowers, which sounds a bit crazy, but it did keep me sane.

What else have you been allowed to work on during the pandemic?

I got to a point in probably about November or October last year where I was phoning up people and going, “Can I go around and take some portraits, please? Can I just go out and take some portraits?” And luckily, because I’m a little bit well known, I was allowed to do that for the NHS. I’m a big believer in doing freebies. A lot of photographers get a bit angry about it and they feel used, but I always think about flowers, about it as planting seeds from the things that grow and if you do them, they always come back to roost, those freebies, so I do them willingly.

I’m in a very unique position to be able to do that though. I work my ass off over here on commercial jobs, and then work really hard to do my personal projects. I’m naturally inquisitive, so I want to show people how I see things. I’m very aware of my surroundings all the time, whether it’s people or environmental space or the weather.

Where do you get your ideas from?

I get a lot of ideas from reading books and they’re never about photography, they’re always about politics, thrillers. And things just come to me from that. Epiphanies; I like an epiphany. Photography for me is very optimistic, and I usually read an incredible amount. In fact, that’s one of the things I’ve found hard in the pandemic, reading, because I haven’t been able to concentrate.

I used to just work, but what I’ve found is that if I want to have ideas I need to not work, as well. For example, I’ll walk my dog and I’ll listen to an audiobook or I’ll listen to a podcast, and most people think of that as relaxation, but for me that’s my inspiration.

You’ve been shooting for over three decades. What helped you to stand out at the beginning of your career?

My mum said to me when I was very young, “If you choose a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” so when I found photography I grabbed it with both hands and I held onto it. I’m just one of these people, where if I love something I get obsessive about it. And I think 75

INTERVIEW that obsession meant that I learned everything very, very quickly.

The second thing was, I didn’t have anybody telling me what was right and wrong, so I was like a blank notebook. By the time I got to college, I kind of knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted to be, what I wanted to do as a photographer or how I wanted to take photos.

If you look at my work from back then, I was dealing with body politics, photographing older people nude, I was doing stuff that other people weren’.t.. I still do those taboo subjects.

But back then, nobody else was doing it. I was really interested in the art of photography, as well as commercial work, and what I did was bridge that gap. I went, “What I find interesting is these taboos and why they’re taboos. Why does everybody have to smile on the magazine cover? Why? Who invented this rule?”

Are you a natural contrarian?

My mum and dad said to me that my favorite word when I was growing up was why. And my big thing is, why not? So if someone tells me no, I go, “What do you mean, no?” I don’t understand the word. I approach everything in this really quite obtuse way, and some people probably do hate it.

And that’s why I stood out, because those combinations meant I was quite confident in my image making and confrontational in it.

And don’t forget the naivety of youth. I always remember I heard the Beatles saying they never thought it would last, and that’s the thing, I never thought my career would last. I was hanging onto this rock here, just for dear life going, “This is what I want to do with my life if it lasts,” and 33 years later I’m still here, so I feel very privileged.

I’m very nosy and inquisitive naturally, so those things all together create a very collaborative commercial photographer, because I can listen to people and get their opinion and be quite nosy with my audience.

If I could go back and tell my younger self

anything it would be, “Listen, don’t be such a dick. You don’t need to be a dick.”

So if you could go back, would you do anything differently?

Yeah, because the photographs wouldn’t have changed. It’s more the relationships with people. My collaborators, that would’ve been a bit more smooth. But it’s funny, because even now I can’t help, I cannot stand, I can’t suffer

stupidity. I cannot handle it. When people are not thinking smart I can’t not say, “That’s not smart.” I’ve got this really weird moral compass about how you should behave and my problem is that if people don’t behave and they’re not looking out for people or doing their job properly, I can’t help but call it out.

So I’m trying to learn how to get the best out of people, but without being rude. My view is sometimes a bit too black and white.

You talked at the beginning about how limiting virtual connections are, so are you excited to appear at The Photography Show in September this year?

I think shows like this are really important. I think we need it. We need an in-person, real life connection. We’re desperate for it. And photography’s been such a lifesaver for everybody, because it helps you process the world and it helps you see the world, so we’ve all been using it as a crutch and I think we all want to talk about it now. And the thing that a lot of people don’t realise about me is I love all photography. Anybody that takes a photograph I’ve got time for.

And now that everyone does or can take photos...?

One of the best things that ever happened

76

RANKIN

Above

Jude Law

Dazed & Confused, Issue 26, 1995 Right

Arnold Schwarzenegger

E. On, 2001 Opposite bottom Amber Hunger, Issue 6, 2014

“If I want to do something, I don’t see any mountain too high”

to me was stopping being jealous of other photographers and stopping comparing myself to other people, because the minute I did that, I just started to enjoy it.

Speaking of other pro photographers, who really inspires you?

There are photographers out there that I look at and I’m just like, “Wow, I wish I was as talented as you.” Sir Don McCullin is one.

What are your strongest personality traits and how have these affected your work?

I can get really relentless about something. If I’m unhappy, it’s really boring to listen to, and

I’m sure that everybody in my team will tell you it’s the biggest thing that’s a problem for me. But it’s also positive, because if I want to do something, I don’t see any mountain too high. I’m like, “We’re going there, and that’s what we’re doing.” And it’s like, “If you want to come with me, cool. That’s where we’re going.”

I’m very keen to feel comfortable and safe, especially these days, but I’m a big risk taker, so I do put all my money essentially back into my work. People ask, “Why do you do so well?”

And I say, “Because I keep delivering.” I’m like the post man. If I don’t keep delivering, I don’t have a job. And that’s the thing. If you come to me with a commission, I’ll deliver. And I can

pretty much deliver on most genres, or if I can’t, I know a man or a woman that can.

What can we expect from your talk at The Photography Show?

It’ll cover me being a director, and how that changes and shifts what I do as a photographer, as well as how I take on commercial work. I’ll also be talking about the The Great British Photography Challenge, because it’s about how photography has been democratised, and how exciting that is. The show is lovely, because it’s about amateurs, but actually from a professional level, what’s happening to photography is just mind blowing.

77

INTERVIEW I think there’s been more change in the last five to 10 years in photography than there has in the last 150 years. I mean, what is your take on Instagram?

It’s been constructed to be specifically addictive, and the creators that use it to make money have created such a warped perception of the world that kids are really learning from.

It’s dangerous, whilst also being incredibly good fun and quite exciting to use.

I’m not saying that all social media is entirely bad. People have more of a voice that they didn’t possibly have before, things can be seen and documented that haven’t been. But I don’t think at its heart it’s authentically trying to make the world a better place. If I had to really give you a really good, strong answer, it would be that that question is too big, because it’s so scary, the whole thing is.

Is that why you want to make a documentary about the digital gaze?

I want to understand and make sense of the digital revolution. You summed it up; more has happened in the last five years than has happened in the last five centuries. There are things that are happening to us that are having such a massive impact on us, both socially, culturally, personally, psychologically.

Using photography and documentaries, I’m trying to make sense of the world for myself, and help other people see what I see, but this is a tough one. And of course it feels a bit like, “What does he know, that old man?” But that’s my contrarian, you see. I just can’t help but ask, “Really, is this a good thing? Because it doesn’t feel good to me.”

Above HM The Queen 2002

78

Below Robyn Cobrastyle, 2008

If you could only use one camera and lens for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I don’t really buy into this camera stuff, and I’m sure that doesn’t go down very well. But I love photography and I love photographers, so there’s no hate coming from me at all. I’ve

RANKIN

always had a theory which is, if you are any good at this game of photography you can take a photograph anywhere under any situation with any camera and it will come out as a good picture. I totally hold myself to that.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

I used to think that one thing would happen and I would suddenly become successful, and I remember there’s a few things I’ve done where I go, “Oh, I’ve made it now. I’m there.” If you ever think you’ve made it, it’s a very fleeting feeling, for one, and also, it doesn’t work like that. There’s always something that’s going to knock you down, always. The reason I’m tough is because the real world is tough. We get knocked back all the time. It’s literally a constant struggle or fight.

And when people ask you what your best photo is…?

Most often I just say, “My next one”, because you have to be all about the next picture or thhe next commission. You’re not about the last picture, as you’ve done that and you know that’s going to stick. Like, I know my shoot with Lewis Hamilton yesterday was a good shoot. I know he walked away happy, the client walked away happy, and I walked away happy, and that’s the most that I can ask for. And hopefully one of those photos will go on to be iconic, and that’s what I strive for, but even if it doesn’t, that’s okay. I’ll get another go at it, sure, but that’s what I always push for. You’re only as good as the next one.

Top Memento Mori Hunger,Issue 7, 2014 Above Made Up 2008 Left Hunger, Issue 9, 2015

Collections 1

79

The Gallery THE GALLERY

The International Portrait Photographer of the Year Award 2021

The International Portrait Photographer of the Year Award 2021

The International Portrait Photographer of the Year Award, which is in its first year, follows a similar format to the International Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards (now in its eighth year). Pros and amateurs worldwide were invited to enter the inaugural competition for a chance to share in the prize pool of US$10,000 cash and make it into the Awards Book. For all the details and winners and the top 101 images, visit: www. internationalportraitphotographer.com

80

Maiden of the Suri tribe

Zay’s monochrome image won the Family Sitting category: “She is 25 years old, not yet married, and still guarded by her family. She is still waiting for her husband,” she explains © Zay Yar Lin

81

THE GALLERY

82

aemmalF ycnaN ©

iravaY hguoroF ©

Above

Solitude

The overall winner of the contest, Forough also won the Portrait StoryCategory Left Tribal Identity A young Suri boy paints his face with white clay surrounded by Suri women Right top

Wait, let me take a selfie

nnamgeiS annahoJ ©

“My twist on the similarities of a selfindulgent generation.

You can look back to any time period and witness selfishness and ignorance,and from all generations” Right middle

Dave Dances

A study of a hiphop producer, dancer and choreographer Right bottom

Paradise lose

“Kashmir may be a lost paradise,” says Sandeep. “There has been strife and tragedy; we hope for peace in the valley” ruhtaM peednaS ©

niL raY yaZ ©

83

THE GALLERY

wergitteP naI ©

Above

Justina 1985-2019

The Suri tribe have lived in the EthioSudan border area formany generations

Adrian entered and won with this image in the Portrait Story category of the competition

Like tears in rain

Below right Right Terrified The Mundari “This is about cattle herder Emily and the This shot of other kidswho a herder in were terrified South Sudan when the world featured in the shut down during environmental the pandemic” portrait category

tidarpteK tapinetaJ ©

84

Below middle

igrüB fesoJ ©

“This is the last photo I took of my girlfriend, before she died from CF complications”

Below left

Horde of The Suri Tribe

etiermiF divrA ©

euhgonoD nairdA ©

85

GURUSHOTS

Guru Shots

We joined up with online photo game GuruShots to print the winning images from the Tell Me A Story challenge GuruShots is billed as the world’s leading photo game. It’s an online platform conceived to give global exposure to people who love taking photographs. GuruShots members start out as Newbies and compete with other photographers to win challenges, increase their ranking on the site and eventually

86

progress to coveted ‘Guru’ status.

Challenges are voted on by Gurus and the wider GuruShots community, and there’s a fresh competition brief, such as this Tell Me A Story challenge, every day. Winners receive prizes from GuruShots’sponsors, including Lowepro, Kodak and Lensbaby. Visit www. gurushots.com to find out more.

WINNER Top photographer: The Yoda Samoa WINNER Top photo: N_G United States WINNER Guru’s top pick: Antonio Concas Italy

87

GURUSHOTS

Above from top left to bottom right: Aimée Arbic UnitedStates, Alexei Kapralov UnitedStates, Barbara Jensen Vorster South Africa, Bruno Tumiati Italy, Charlot Scicluna Malta, Dansiga Foto Norway

Above from top left to bottom right: Isabel Pestana Portugal, Juris Kraulis Latvia, Marija Scicluna Malta, Oceanic Photography Turkey 88

GURUSHOTS

Above from top left to bottom right: eleegp United States, Elias Ekonomou Greece, fabrizia chiappa Italy, Gwen Carr United States

Above from top left to bottom right: Peter Buchikas UnitedStates, Rajib Banerjee Canada, Rebecka Nilsson Sweden, rsanchezfoto Spain, Sana Filipovic Sweden, Seva Kisilenko Israel 89

YOUR IMAGES

SHOT OF THE MONTH Photographer: Sandeep Mathur Location: Fiordland, Kashmir Valley, India sandeepmathurphotos.in About the shot: “While exploring the saffron fields in the heart of Kashmir, a friend wandered off and as my gaze shifted around the landscape following her footsteps, this composition caught my

Tag us @ dphotographermag for a chance to feature here Every issue we’ll be sharing the best

images from our Instagram community.

Tag us on @dphotographermag for a chance to appear as our Shot of the Month.

90

RUNNER-UP Photographer: Florentina Olareanu Location: Evora, Portugal About the shot: “I initially took a phone picture of this open ceiling, because I just loved the combination of white and blue. Then I wanted to capture it with my camera, so I visited during different times of the day to hunt for interesting shapes, clouds and shadows.”

WIN! MICROSDXC SAMSUNG 128GB EVO PLUS WITH SD ADAPTER

Every issue one DP reader wins a Samsung 128GB EVO Plus memory card with SD adaptor, boasting 100MB/s & 90MB/s read/write speeds – perfect for UHD video. Plus, our runner-up wins a Samsung EVO Plus 32GB card with SD adaptor – ideal for high-res photography storage. Find out more at www.samsung.com/ uk/memory-cards 91

PHOTOCROWD COMPETITION

SENSE OF SUMMER THE BEST OF The winners of our latest contest with Photocrowd have been revealed

F

or our latest competition in association with Photocrowd, we challenged you to submit your best summer shots.

After working through all the brilliant entries, the winners have been selected and presented here.

Both crowd-voted and expert winners will win a licence to Affinity Photo professional editing software. Congratulations to all of the winners – as usual the standard of submitted images was incredibly high, and it was really tough picking out the best ones.

1ST PLACE WINNER Summer’sCall

Photographer: Marina Shipova Our comment: The round title is Sense of Summer and this image perfectly encapsulates that ideal. It does not literally depict a summer landscape or summer light, rather it conveys a feeling. We love the colour balance and depth of the scene while the moment has been chosen masterfully. A lovely image with bags of emotion. Well done!

WIN!Prizes fromAffinity Enter our photo contest in association with Photocrowd and win Affinity Photo

In our next competition, Urban and street scenes, we want images which capture the colour, movement and dizzying perspective of city environments. Why not use our city break photography feature from this issue for inspiration? Enter at www.photocrowd.com/digitalphotographerfor a chance to win a licence to Affinity Photo editing software (worth £48.99 for Mac or Windows).

Affinity Photo is a huge toolset engineered for modern photography professionals. Whether you’re editing and retouching images or creating full-blown multi-layered compositions, it has all the power and performance you’ll ever need. Speed, power and accuracy are at the heart of Affinity Photo’s workflow, with non-destructive editing, RAW processing and end-to-end colour management as standard. Edits work in real time, so there’s no waiting to see results.

Expert and Crowd winners will be able to pick between Mac, Windows or iPad versions. The winners of Urban and street scenes will be revealed in issue 246 of Digital Photographer, which goes on sale 2nd November 2021.

92

2ND PLACE

3RD PLACE

Photographer: Philip Joyce Our comment: There are some seriously summery colours in this shot. The bright, fiery reds and yellows convey the idea of a hot summer day while the stark light and shadow give the scene a highly graphic feel, reminiscent of some early 20th century paintings. Again it is not a literal interpretation of summer, rather it captures the sensation of a hot day. A well thought out entry.

Photographer: Madison Our comment: A very different angle on the subject!

This shot works in several ways. Firstly the top-down view is very graphic, so it holds the viewer’s attention, while the contrasting colours create a lovely balance.

The footprints and shoreline, across the diagonal, also give the shot a sense of direction.

Facade

Footsteps

1ST PLACE CROWD-VOTED Iwona Stachon Photographer: Golden green

93

KIT INTRO

96 Canon EOS R6 vs Nikon Z 7II

Kit These similarly priced mirrorless cameras perform well in different areas, but which is the best to suit what you shoot? Our head to head test dives deeper

The expert and independent reviews of gear we’ve bagged this issue 104 Olympus Pen E-P7

It looks great, but does Olympus’ first camera since a change in ownership deliver what enthusiasts want? Angela Nicholson finds out

108 Panasonic GH5 Mark II

It may be a light refresh of the original, but this video-focused Micro Four Thirds camera still offers some impressive features for modern content shooters and videographers

Our ratings

Our team of trusted and expert reviewers score gear thoroughly to help you make better buying choices.

Don’t go there Could be better Solid performer Excellent bit of kit Best on the market

Product awards

Digital Photographer’s awards are given out when a product really catches our attention!

Here’s our three most used accolades.

110 Lenses

We test the latest optics to see how they perform. This month, it’s two lenses with different philosophies: a Panasonic for premium quality and a Canon for convenience

112 Accessories

Looking for a new gadget, tripod or bag? Here are 10 fun and functional items to consider adding to your gear collection

Lab testing

Some of our product reviews also have in-depth lab data, graphs and scores. This means that the kit has been subjected to more rigorous testing. Lens tests are carried out using Imatest, and cameras are tested in our laboratory using DxO Analyzer hardware and software to check the image noise and dynamic range.

95

REVIEWS

MIRRORLESS MARVELS The similarly priced Canon EOS R6 and Nikon Z 7II are both spectacular cameras but which is best to suit what you shoot?

Mirrorless is very much the present and every bit the future.

The briefest glance at where all the focus has been for camera and lens development over the last few years makes that starkly obvious. For those making the transition from a conventional DSLR to a mirrorless camera, it pays to choose wisely.

Sony has been making excellent mirrorless full-frame cameras for eight years now and, indeed, the Alpha A7 and A7R were the first full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras to hit the market. Canon and Nikon entered the fray much later, just three years ago, with the launch of the EOS R and Z 7 respectively.

96

Despite the delay, it’s fair to say that most of the world’s top photographers shoot with Canon or Nikon cameras and, in both camps, mount adapters enable them to keep using their existing favourite lenses until they fully transition to new, native glass. This makes cameras like the EOS R6 and Nikon Z 7II very appealing.

The megapixel count is the first thing many of us think about when buying a new camera, with the feeling that more is merrier. A larger number of megapixels gives the possibility of capturing more fine detail and texture, with arguably smoother transitions in subtle graduations of tone and colour. You could also argue that it

gives you more freedom in creating largeformat prints, and for creative cropping.

There’s a flip side though, in that a more modest megapixel count is likely to give you cleaner picture quality with less image noise at high ISO settings, when you need to shoot under low lighting conditions, especially if you need to freeze any motion.

Data file sizes for images are much more manageable and, unless you’re into pixel peeping onscreen or viewing large-format prints from unnaturally close distances, a lower megapixel count should still suffice.

The similarly priced Canon EOS R6 and Nikon Z 7 II both have a lot to offer, but with different specialities. Let’s take a closer look.

GROUP TEST

It’s not just about the body

There’s a lot to be said for choosing a camera based on the lens lineup it supports. Canon and Nikon both make superb ‘trinity’ wide-angle, standard and telephoto f/2.8 zooms but, for our money, Nikon currently has the edge, especially in the 70-200mm sector. Nikon doesn’t have much fast glass in its arsenal, however, apart from the Z 50mm f/1.2 S and the frankly bonkers Z 58mm f/0.95 S NOCT. Canon has more to offer, with its RF 50mm F1.2L USM and its completely stellar RF 85mm F1.2L USM, the latter also being available in a ‘DS’ (Defocus Smoothing) version that further enhances the already beautiful bokeh.

Canon also currently wins hands-down for super-telephoto lenses, with top-spec 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4 luxury primes available, as well as compact, lightweight and relatively inexpensive 600mm and 800mm f/11 fixed aperture lenses. At the time of writing, Nikon’s lenses top out at a focal length of just 200mm, although at least its 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is tele-converter compatible, unlike Canon’s.

97

REVIEWS

Canon EOS R6 Price: £2,599/$2,499 (body only)

It loses out to the Nikon for megapixel count but has a wealth of redeeming features and a seriously strong all-round performance

The first round of Canon EOS R and RP mirrorless full-frame cameras were widely criticised for their lack of IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilisation) but that’s been fully addressed in the R5 and R6, which boast 5-axis, 5-stop stabilisers, boosted to 8-stop effectiveness when using certain optically stabilised lenses. The image sensor itself has a ‘mere’ 20.1 megapixels, which is pretty mediocre even compared with many low-budget full-frame cameras, as well as the much pricier, 45 megapixel EOS R6 (£4,299/$3,899). But that’s not an altogether bad thing.

The EOS R6 is designed to keep pace with the action, and features the same ‘deeplearning’ intelligent autofocus system as the R5. Programming for the system was based on inputting countless images, so that the autofocus can recognise people’s heads, faces and eyes and track them intelligently, even for sporty individuals wearing goggles or helmets.

It’s equally adept at tracking cats, dogs and birds, based on the same principle of learning from real images.

Another plus point for the autofocus system is that it utilises Canon’s much vaunted Dual Pixel AF system. In essence, all of the photosites on the image sensor that make up each pixel have a dual configuration, enabling them to act as a phase-detection point. As a result, you get hybrid contrast/phase AF detection across almost the whole image frame, along with a humongous 6,072 individually selectable AF points.

The EOS R6 can shoot stills at 12fps (frames per second) with enough memory buffer depth to keep going for 240 RAW images or over 1,000 JPEGs. If you feel the need for even more speed, the electronic rather than mechanical shutter option gives you up to 20fps. Bad light needn’t

98

stop play either, with a mighty sensitivity range that stretches to ISO 102,400, rising to ISO 204,800 in extended mode. The Z 7II tops out at ISO 25,600 and ISO 102,400 respectively.

Crucially, the EOS R6’s relatively low megapixel count pays dividends in retaining squeaky-clean image quality even at really high ISO settings, under very low lighting levels. It’s great for everything from weddings to musical and theatrical performances, or for shooting sports and wildlife at twilight or dusk.

Again, the autofocus system is quick and consistently reliable in near-darkness, with a range that stretches right down to -6.5EV, compared with the Z 7II’s -3 EV. Unlike the Z 7II, the EOS R6 has Canon’s now typical vari-angle touchscreen. This has the edge over the Nikon’s tilting screen for putting yourself in the picture, not only for taking selfies but also for vlogging. And speaking of video, both cameras can shoot up 4K UHD at 60p, with a slight crop factor, equating to 1.07x for the R6.

The LCD touchscreen is slightly smaller and less high-res than that of the Z 7II, at 3.0 inches and 1,520k dots, compared with the Nikon’s 3.2 inches and 2,100k dots, but there’s not a lot in it. Some might find that the lack of a top-panel info screen on the R6 is more of a problem, whereas the Z 7II features a useful OLED screen.

Both cameras have a 0.5-inch OLED viewfinder with a resolution of 3,690k dots.

Pictured

It’s chunky for a mirrorless camera

The EOS R6 is about the same height and width as the Z 7II but noticeably deeper, at 88mm compared with 70mm

GROUP TEST

INFO BUTTON

One of the ‘Info’ options is to display Canon’s more conventional Quick menu, which works well on the touchscreen.

VARIANGLE TOUCHSCREEN

The vari-angle touchscreen is fully articulated – ideal for taking selfies and for vlogging.

QUICK CONTROL DIAL Like some of Canon’s upmarket DSLRs, the R6 features a joystick-like Multi-controller plus a Quick Control Dial with a Set button at its centre.

Left Shot with the sun behind cloud, the R6’s Auto Lighting Optimizer has boosted shadows and reined in highlights but the image looks a little flat

Auto Lighting Optimizer

Middle left Clean images Even at ISO 12,800 under dull indoor lighting, imagesfrom the R6 remain very clean with minimal image noise Farleft Intelligent autofocus With its excellent autofocus system, shots are consistently sharp but there’s a lack of really fine detail and texture compared with the Z 7II 99

REVIEWS

Nikon Z 7II £2,819/$2,997 (body only)

The Nikon isn’t as action-packed as the sporty EOS R6 but it’s certainly no slouch and can deliver exceptional levels of fine detail Even the more budget-friendly Nikon Z 6II (£1,819/$1,997) outguns the Canon EOS R6 for resolution, with its 24.5 megapixel image sensor, but the Z 7II slams it firmly in the shade for resolving power, boasting a 45.7 megapixel sensor. It puts all those megapixels to very good use as well, enabling the capture of immensely fine detail and texture when paired with pretty much any of Nikon’s Z-mount lenses, which we’ve found universally fabulous.

In other respects, both Nikon cameras are virtually identical, with the same feature sets and layout of controls. That said, the Z 7II has 493 phase-detection autofocus points on its sensor, compared with the Z 6II’s 273 points, but that still falls a lot shorter than the EOS R6’s practically full-sensor coverage with 6,072 selectable AF points. Autofocus performance in near-darkness also lags behind that of the cat-like R6.

For tracking motion in continuous autofocus modes, the Z 7II is very adept and features specialist modes for people and animals but, again, the EOS R6 has the edge thanks to its artificially intelligent system. Impressively, despite the comparatively colossal megapixel count, the Z 7II nearly matches the EOS R6 for maximum burst rate, at least in mechanical shutter mode, at up to 10fps compared with the Canon’s 12fps. Unsurprisingly, however, the buffer capacity is somewhat lower, equating to 200 JPEG frames and between 46 and 82 shots in RAW quality mode, depending on the selection of image size, bit-depth and compression options.

Unlike the original EOS R, the first incarnation of the Z 7 had IBIS, putting it one step ahead for image stabilisation with any lens. A drawback in common was that both cameras only had a single memory card slot but that’s been rectified in both the EOS R6 and the Z 7II. Whereas

the R6 has dual SDXC UHS-II card slots, the Z 7II adds this format while retaining the XQD card slot, which is also compatible with CFexpress cards, both of which are robust with excellent performance, but are notoriously expensive.

Handling characteristics are very much par for the course in both of the Canon and Nikon cameras, building on the two companies’ typical design ethos. Some will find the Canon’s control layout more intuitive, whereas others will find it easier to navigate the Nikon’s buttons, dials and menu system. However, the Z 7II does feature a top-panel OLED display that enables you to keep track of important settings without always resorting to the rear touchscreen or over-cluttering the info display in the viewfinder.

As you’d expect, the Z 7II’s much higher megapixel count comes at the expense of highISO performance. Image quality tends to look much noisier, although fine detail and texture is fairly well preserved. The appearance of image noise is rather reduced if you resize high-ISO image sizes to the same pixel dimensions of the EOS R6.

For video, the Z 7II matches the EOS R6 for topping out at 4K UHD 60P, with an almost identical crop factor of 1.08x. Both cameras can also shoot Full HD 1,080p at up to 120fps.

The tilting rear touchscreen is good for movie capture in general, but lacks the full articulation of the R6’s screen for front-on viewing.

GROUP TEST SUB SELECTOR AND MULTI SELECTOR

Other similarities to the R6 are the joystick-like Sub-selector and Multi-selector, the latter with an OK button at its centre.

I BUTTON

The i button displays the i menu on the rear touchscreen, similar to Canon’s Quick menu, which you can customise to feature the settings you want.

TILTING TOUCHSCREEN

The tilting touchscreen has a good range of up and down movement but can’t be viewed from in front of the camera.

Left

Pictured

The Z 7II is slim but ergonomic

Buttons anddials fall easily under the fingers and thumbs, with an intuitively designed interface and plenty of customisable options

Active D-Lighting

Under identical lighting conditions as with the R6, the Z 7II’s Active D-Lighting also controls highlights and lowlights, but the resulting image has more drama Middle left At ISO 12,800, image noise is much more obvious than from the R6 but its appearanceis much reduced when downsizing pictures to a competing 20 megapixel size

Image noise

Farleft The resolving power of the Z 7II wins out for retaining ultra-fine detail and texture in the petals of the flowers in this shot

Fine detail

101

REVIEWS

www.canon.com

Canon EOS R6

Price £2,599/$2,499 Megapixels (effective) 20.1 Max resolution 5,472x3,648 Image sensor CMOS full-frame Autofocus Hybrid phase/contrast, 6,072-point Shutter speed 1/8,000 to 30s, Bulb ISO (extended) ISO 100-102,400 (50-204,800) In-body stabilisation 5-axis, 5-stop Metering range -6.5 to 20 EV Max burst rate 12fps (20fps elec shutter) Max video resolution 4K, 60/50/30/25/24p Viewfinder OLED, 0.5”, 3,690k LCD 3.0-inch, vari-angle touchscreen, 1,620k Connectivity USB C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Storage 2x SDXC UHS-II Battery LP-E6NH, 380 shots Dimensions (WxDxH) 138x98x88mm Weight (inc batt, card) 680g

FEATURES

Price £2,819/$2,997 Megapixels (effective) 45.7 Max resolution 8,256x5,504 Image sensor CMOS full-frame BUILD QUALITY There is a lot of Autofocus plastic in the Hybrid phase/contrast, 493-point construction but Shutter speed the R6 feels solid 1/8,000 to 30s, Bulb and includes weather-seals ISO (extended) ISO 64-25,600 (32-102,400) In-body stabilisation 5-axis, 5-stop HANDLING Quite chunky, it Metering range feels a handful in a -3 to +17 EV good way, and the Max burst rate vari-anglescreen 10fps comes in useful Max video resolution 4K, 60/50/30/25/24p Viewfinder QUALITY OF OLED, 0.5”, 3,690k RESULTS LCD Resolution is low compared with most 3.2-inch tilting cameras buthigh-ISO touchscreen, 2,100k shots are relatively Connectivity noise-free USB C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Storage 1x XQD, 1x SDXC UHS-II VALUE FOR Battery MONEY It’s expensive for EN-EL15c, 360 shots a 20MP camera Dimensions (WxDxH) but there’s enough 134x101x70mm under the skin to Weight (inc batt, card) make it good value 705g An amazing autofocussystem and effective IBIS ensure a great hitrate for action shooting

Overall Superb for fast-moving action, sports

and wildlife photography, the EOS R6 is also epic for shooting under verylow lighting levels, but it lagsbehind forsheer resolving power.

102

www.nikon.co.uk

Nikon Z 7II

CANON EOS R6

FEATURES

Upgrades from the Z 7 include dual card slots, dual image processors and faster autofocus

BUILD QUALITY

With itsweathersealed magnesium alloy build, the Z 7II is a tough yet slim and lightweight camera

HANDLING

The interface is highly customisableand overall handling is refined but there’s no flip screen

QUALITY OF RESULTS

Image quality has superb resolution and dynamicrange but gets noisy at high ISO settings

VALUE FOR MONEY

It’s very good value for sucha highresolution,featurepacked,well-built and capablecamera

Overall The Z 7II wins out for landscape

and architecturalshooting, and anytime you want maximum retention of fine detail, or ifyou want togo extra-large on printing.

NIKONZ 7II

REVIEWS

Olympus Pen E-P7 Price: £749 (approx. $1038) body only

The first camera from Olympus since its transfer in ownership looks great, but does it deliver what enthusiasts want? Angela Nicholson takes a look Just over a year ago, Olympus sold its camera business to a private equity firm and subsequently a new company called OM Digital Solutions was formed. The Olympus Pen E-P7 is the first camera to come from the new company, but its planning and development were largely done under the original owner’s tenure.

Prior to this, the most recent Olympus Pen camera was the E-PL10 (Pen Lite 10), which was announced in October 2019. However, the most recent Pen E-P camera was the Pen E-P5 in May 2013. So the E-P7 is long overdue and it combines elements of the E-P line and the popular Pen-F announced in January 2016.

In a significant upgrade on the E-PL10 and E-P5, the E-P7 steps up from a 16MP sensor to a 20.3MP chip combined with the TruePic VII processing engine. It’s a Four Thirds type sensor paired with the Micro Four Thirds mount.

It seems likely that the Pen E-P7 uses the same sensor as the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV as it (and earlier Pen models) has a contrast detection autofocus system. Olympus’s more advanced OM-D series cameras have a hybrid system that uses phase detection pixels. As usual, there are 121 individually selectable points.

Olympus’s image stabilisation systems have a great reputation and the one in the E-P7 is rated at 4.5EV of shutter speed compensation.

Traditionally, the Olympus Pen cameras don’t have a viewfinder while the OM-D series cameras do. The Pen-F confused things by having a viewfinder within its rectangular form.

Sadly, that’s a feature that Olympus hasn’t

rolled out to the E-P7; it is viewfinder-free.

There’s also no optional external viewfinder.

However, there’s a flip-screen that can tip up through 90° for viewing from above, and down through 180° to make it visible from in front of the camera and suitable for vlogging and selfie-shooting.

Olympus refers to the Pen-EP7 as a ‘featherweight beauty’, and it’s fitting. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if you like clean lines and retro styling, the E-P7 won’t disappoint. It’s also very light, weighing just 337g, and it’s best used with a small lens like the M. Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8, which has an effective focal length of 34mm. Or if you prefer zoom lenses, the M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ (effectively 28-84mm) makes a great choice. I also used it with the excellent M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro, but it felt front-heavy and the shallow but stylish grips don’t give the purchase you want for the weight.

While the E-P7’s exterior appears to be made from plastic, the dials on its top-plate and lens mount are made from metal, giving them a high-quality, durable feel. The mode dial, which has a firm and positive action, has markings to set the camera to Auto, program, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual, bulb, video, Art Filter, Advanced Photo and Scene mode. While the Art Filter mode gives quick access to the Art Filters, it puts the camera in charge of the exposure settings, so it’s better to select the one you want to use via the main menu or the Super Control panel – they’re listed with the Picture modes. The Color/ Monochrome Profiles (seeTalking Point), can only be activated via the switch on the front.

Advanced Photo (AP) mode is where you find some of Olympus’s

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if you like retro stylingit won’tdisappoint 104

FEATURES

5-AXIS IMAGE STABILISATION

Olympus rates the E-P7’sImage Stabilisation shutter speed compensation at 4.5EVand it’suseful for both low light stills andhandheld video where it keeps shake and wobble atbay.

USB-CHARGING

As is becoming more common, the E-P7 battery is chargedin-camera via aUSB connection.

This means it can be charged on the go using a power bank.

ART FILTERS

The E-P7 has 16 Art Filters that can be combined with an additional effect such as a frame or vignetting, and usedwith any of the available aspect ratios.

POP-UP FLASH

The Pen E-P7 has a pop-up flash that’s useful for providing a little fill-in light, but the camera is also compatible withOlympus’ wireless radio wave flash units.

4K VIDEO

While theE-P7 is capable of recording nice 4K(3,840 x 2,160) video at up to 30p, there’s no external microphone portnor any fancy codecsand Logrecordingoptions.

OI. SHARE APP

Thanks to itsWi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, it’s easy totransfer images to a smartphone running Olympus’s OI.ShareApp. It alsolets you control the camera remotely.

5-AXIS IMAGE STABILISATION

105

REVIEWS

Above

Good focus

It’s no sports camera, but the Pen E-P7 gets most subjects sharp quickly, even in poor light Left

Natural colours

In the default settings, the E-P7 benefits from Olympus’s great colour science anddelivers attractive, naturallooking images noslohciN alegnA © 4x

Right

Art Filters

The Art Filters are a great way of creating fun images quickly and easily. They’re perfect for sharing on social media

cleverest features such as Live Composite and Live Time mode that take the guesswork out of long exposure images and simplify things like painting with light or photographing light trails. There are also settings for double exposures, HDR photography, panoramas, shooting silently, or correcting keystoning or bracketing the exposure or focus.

As its design makes it unsuited for use with long lenses, the E-P7 isn’t likely to be used for shooting sport on a frequent basis. However, its autofocusing system is pretty quick and it copes well with low light while the Face & Eye Priority AF is effective.

At the lower sensitivity settings, the E-P7 captures a good level of natural-looking detail.

As they’re 20.3MP files, zooming into 100% on a computer screen isn’t quite as exciting as with a 50 or 60MP file, but equally, your storage drive doesn’t fill up as fast and your computer responds quickly.

It’s worth sticking below the native sensitive range maximum, which at ISO 6,400 is fairly low in 2021. At this setting, the RAW files have a fine texture of luminance noise in the midtones and shadows, and the JPEGs look similar. Pushing beyond this value increases the amount of noise in RAW files while the simultaneously captured JPEGs start to lose detail. By ISO 25,600 the JPEGs can look smudgy while the RAW files have lots of luminance noise.

One issue with the E-P7 is that in bright conditions, details aren’t very clear on the screen and it’s hard to assess the exposure.

The ESP metering does a good job in many instances and there’s a histogram view, but a viewfinder would make it easier. A viewfinder is also a key distinguishing feature between a smartphone and a dedicated camera.

TALKING POINT…

Monochrome Profile Control

In addition to Olympus’s usual array of Picture Modes and Art Filters, the Pen E-P7 has a switch on its front that enables you to select one from a collection of four colour and four monochrome profiles. These profiles are editable with control over the contrast via the Highlights & Shadow Control and vignetting using the Shading Editor. In addition, the impact of using traditional colour filters can be replicated for the monochrome profiles and the saturations can be adjusted for up to 12 colours by up to +/-5 steps using a colour wheel type control.

The Color/Monochrome Profiles can only be used with still images, but simultaneous RAW and JPEG shooting is possible so you can capture a ‘clean’ file as well as one with the effect applied.

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST RELEASES ONLINE: 106

@DPhotographer

www.facebook.com/DigitalPhotographerUK

OLYMPUS PEN EP7

100%

Tech specs

Megapixels(effective) 20.3 Max resolution 5,184 x 3,888 Sensor information Four Thirds Live MOS Shutter speed 1/16,000-60sec plus Bulb to 30mins ISO sensitivity ISO 200-6,400 (expandable to ISO 100-25,600) Exposure modes i-Auto, Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, manual, Bulb, Time, Advance Photo Modes, SceneModes, Art Filter, Movie, Live Time, Live Composite Metering options ESP,Centre-weighted, Highlight, Shadow,Spot Flash modes Auto, TTL-Auto, Manual, Red-eye reduction, Slow synchronisation with red-eye reduction,Slow synchronisation, Slow synchronisation 2nd curtain, Fill-in, Off Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro HDMI, USB 2.0 Weight 337g including battery and memory card Dimensions 118.3 x 68.5 x 38.1mm Batteries BLS-50 Li-ion rechargeable battery Storage SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II LCD Tilting 3-inc 1,037,000-dot touchscreen Viewfinder: N/A

FEATURES

Even with a flip-screen, the lack of a viewfinder seems a glaring omission for a camera in 2021

BUILD QUALITY

It feels unlikely to take much punishment, but with the right lens, it’s ahighly portable camera

In bright conditions, details aren’tvery clear on the screen and it’s hard to assess the exposure 3

1

2

4

HANDLING

Generally good but the various colour controls seem a bit disconnected and could be unified

QUALITY OF RESULTS

The foundations are good and with customisation you can produce unique images that look great

VALUE FOR MONEY

The price is too high for a camera without a viewfinder; there are better options forthe money

Overall There are some nicefeatures, it looks goodand can deliver great images, but the E-P7 doesn’toffer enough over the viewfinder-toting competition to makeit a compelling buy.

FLIP SCREEN 1 The screen can flip down through 180° so

CONTROL PANEL 2 SUPER PressingOK activates the Super

DUAL DIALS 3 Front and reardials on thetop-plate mean

THUMB RIDGE 4 The back of thecamera has just

it’svisiblefromin front of the camera and is useful for shooting selfies or vlogging.

that youcan adjust exposure quickly.

ControlPanel– a shortcut ‘quick menu’grid for key parameters.

enough room for your thumb.

107

REVIEWS

Live streaming

The GH5 II makes it easy to stream via a smartphone

Once you have Panasonic’s Lumix Sync app on your phone, it may take a couple of attempts to pair it with the GH5 II and get the Wi-Fi connectivity working, but from then on, it’s easy to stream to Facebook or YouTube or via RTMP/ RTMPS to your preferred URL using a stream key. The phone doesn’t show an image of what is streamed, it merely starts and stops the streaming while the camera’s screen can be flipped forward so you know what’s broadcasting.

Below

Depth of field

At f/4 on the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASP at 60mm, a subject can be isolated through shallow depth of field with a Four Thirds sensor

108

Panasonic Lumix GH5 II Price: £1,499/$1,698 body only

It may be a light refresh of the GH5 but the GH5 II still offers some impressive features for modern content creators

Panasonic’s GH-series of Micro Four Thirds cameras have been popular with keen videographers and are also very capable stills cameras.

The GH5 II upgrades the GH5 and is aimed at photographers, content creators, livestreamers and YouTubers – people serious about their photography and video creation.

However, the company has stated that the GH6 is in development and will sit above the GH5 II, aimed at filmmakers who need highend video features in a small camera body.

Right Although the GH5 II has the same 20.3MP Vari-angle screen sensor as the GH5, it has a new AR (AntiThe GH5 II’s vari-angle Reflective) coating to reduce flare and screen is a bonus for creative photography (in ghosting and it’s paired with the Venus Engine landscape orportrait 10 processor that’s found in the full-frame orientation) as well as videography and vlogging or Panasonic Lumix S1H. This more powerful processing engine enables the GH5 II to live streaming capture 10-bit 4:2:0 C4K (4,096 x 2,160) video at up to 60fps and 200Mbps or 10-bit 4:2:2 4K (3,840 x 2,160) at up to 60fps and 400Mbps. There are also 4K and 6K anamorphic modes and V-Log L is pre-installed so there’s no extra charge for a software upgrade code.

Notably, the GH5 II doesn’t have the ability to shoot RAW video. However, the GH5 II has enhanced live streaming capability and can stream via a wired or wireless connection to a router or a smartphone running Panasonic’s Lumix Sync app. There’s a firmware update promised by the end of the year to enable wired RTP/RTSP streaming.

Panasonic has persisted with a 225-point contrast-detection autofocus (AF) system with its DFD (depth-fromdefocus) technology for the GH5 II, but it gains Head/Body/Animal AF on top of the GH5’s Face/Eye detection. Although phase detection is generally deemed faster, the GH5 II’s AF system is pretty quick and it can be used with fastmoving subjects. The detection system

also does a good job of spotting its target, but it also sometimes sees heads or bodies where there aren’t any.

Like the GH5, the GH5 II can shoot at up to 12fps in single AF mode and 9fps in continuous AF mode, but its burst depth is much greater at 108+ RAW or RAW and JPEG files or 999+ JPEGs. Unusually, Panasonic has downsized from a 3.2-inch screen on the GH5 to a 3-inch unit on the GH5 II, but it has increased the resolution from 1,620,000 dots to 1,840,800 dots. A larger screen would be nice, but the GH5 II’s vari-angle monitor gives a good view and it’s not too badly affected by bright sunlight.

The GH5 II’s viewfinder is the same 3.68million-dot electronic finder as is on the GH5.

In the default settings it looks slightly brighter and less saturated than both the scene and the final image. In some cases, this led me to dial in an extra 1/3EV negative exposure compensation unnecessarily, so it’s worth adjusting the brightness and saturation of the viewfinder to get a more accurate preview.

The GH5 II’s body is made from magnesium alloy and it feels solid and durable. However, it’s also very big for a Micro Four Thirds camera; there are smaller full-frame mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z7 II and Z6 II or any of Sony’s A7-series. Some will see that as a plus point as the grip is pretty big and chunky, while others prefer a more compact camera.

Panasonic has been reasonably generous with the number of controls on the GH5 II’s body and as well as a lockable mode dial, there’s a dial to select the drive mode, a switch to select the focusing mode and dedicated buttons to access the white balance,

ISO and Photo Style. Also, most of the buttons are customisable, so they can be set to access the features you use the most often.

There are dual dials for adjusting exposure, but the default setting requires a dedicated button to be pressed before the exposure compensation can be adjusted. This can be changed via the ‘Dial Set’ options in the menu.

On the back of the GH5 II, there’s a rubberised joystick for shifting the AF point around when you’re looking in the viewfinder.

This is pleasantly ‘grippy’ and the control is very responsive, but those with small hands may find it a bit of a reach for their thumb.

On the image quality front, the GH5 II delivers the goods with plenty of detail and natural colour. However, the highest sensitivity setting (ISO 25,600) is a stop too far as the JPEGs can look rather splodgy while the RAW files have a coarse texture.

Summary

Ease of use Valuefor money Features Quality of results

Above

It may not have a headline-grabbing resolution or the largest sensor but the GH5 II is solidly built, and packs a lot of punch with a great range of video and stills features.

In the default Multiple setting, the 1,728-zone multi-pattern sensing metering system on the GH5 II does a good job of balancing the exposure across the frame in a variety of lightingsituations

Overall

Balance exposure

Right

Great colour

Reds can be tricky but the GH5 II has handled them extremely well here. The fine details are also resolved clearly to create a natural-looking image 109

REVIEWS DOWNLOAD TEST SHOTS

https://bit.ly/DP-243

PRICE: £909/$1,086 FOCUS DISTANCE: 50cm WEIGHT: 750g

Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM It sets new standards for full-frame focal ranges but how is its RF quality?

Build and handling

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a full-frame lens with similar focal lengths, but the likes of the Canon EF 28-300 f/3.5-5.6L IS USM were positively monstrous by comparison – that particular lens added 1.67kg to your kit bag!

At 750g the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM is far kinder on your back, and while it does feel like some compromises in construction have been made, the body still feels tough enough for most situations. Welcome too is the metal lens mount, which lends an additional pro feel.

The zoom and control rings are easy to reach and operate, making for an enjoyable and streamlined handling experience on the move.

Performance

This is where things get a little complicated.

Clearly there is a lot of digital correction going on behind the scenes – without the default profile, applied vignetting and distortion is some of the worst we’ve seen! Yet in a single click all of that goes away and you’re left with an acceptably sharp, undistorted image.

Corner-to-corner sharpness is impressive, as is chromatic aberration control. Bokeh is not a match for an f/1.4 prime, but the lens provided a surprisingly attractive background blur. AF speed is smooth and fast too.

Verdict

110

Below left

Long and stable

The RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM has an effective image stabilisation system, which is useful when shooting handheld at the longer focal lengths

Technical specs Manufacturer Model Web Elements/construction Angle of view Max aperture Min aperture Min focus distance Mount Filter size Length Diameter Weight

Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM www.canon.com 21 elements in 15 groups 84° - 10°20 f/4 f/36 50cm Canon RF 72mm 122.5mm 80.4mm 750g

BUILD QUALITY IMAGE QUALITY VALUE FOR MONEY FEATURES

Overall

hceneF reteP yb segamI

It’s a tough lens to review as the optics are supported by digital trickery, however we don’t think that matters. It works. For a full-frame lens this is an incredibly portable 10x zoom, which offers more than adequate image quality. It’s sure to become a travel shooting favourite.

Left

Uncorrected distortion

Without a correction profile enabled there is pincushion distortion in the vertical lines, shot at the long end. This is easily removed in RAW processing

Portability Handling Image quality (corrected) Hood not included Vignetting

LENSES

PRICE: £2,149/ $2,197 FOCUS DISTANCE: 37cm WEIGHT: 935g

Panasonic LUMIX S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 A 24-70mm pro zoom has a lot of expectations. How does this one perform?

Build and handling

The first thing you notice about the LUMIX S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 is just how solid it feels.

There’s a lot of metal used in the construction and it almost gives the impression of being machined from a single piece – very impressive. This does of course add weight, but not prohibitively so – you could happily carry this around all day. All controls are effortlessly operated and we really like the sliding ring philosophy for changing between auto and manual focusing. Any professional would be happy to use it in all conditions.

Performance

You can’t fault the sharpness here, especially around f/5.6. Even at the edges detail remains intact. Wide open the performance is still impressive, though there is a notable drop off at f/22. Vignetting and chromatic aberration are basically absent in our tests. Even wide open and along the boundary between some stonework and a bright sky, colour fringing was minimal. We did notice that, without correction, there was quite an abundance of barrel distortion at 24mm, with lines very obviously bending across the frame. This is easily removed of course, but is more pronounced than with other 24-70mm zooms we’ve tested.

Left

Standard range

The lens covers some of the most important focal lengths for professional photographers. Herethe 24mm end allowed inclusive views of the cathedral Below left

Low light essential

The constant f/2.8 aperture allows handheld shooting in lower light. Even wide open, where it will likely be often used, the LUMIX S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 is critically sharp

Technical specs Manufacturer Model Web Elements/construction Angle of view Max aperture Min aperture Min focus distance Mount Filter size Length Diameter Weight

BUILD QUALITY IMAGE QUALITY VALUE FOR MONEY FEATURES

Overall

Verdict

hceneF reteP yb segamI

With a fast AF speed, low noise footprint, great build and satisfying image quality, the LUMIX S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 is a true professional performer for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It has its quirks, and is quite large, but it is the perfect standard zoom for L-Mount users.

Panasonic LUMIX S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 www.panasonic.com 18 elements in 16 groups 22.9°-5.4° f/2.8 f/22 37cm L-Mount 82mm 140mm 90.9mm 935g

Image sharpness Low vignetting/fringing Build and handling Price Distortion 111

REVIEWS

ACCESS RIES

A collection of ten fun-yet-functional products out there for photographers

Above

WOOLNUT CAMERA STRAP Website:www.woolnut.com Price:£67 / $92

Available in black, cognac (brown) and green, the Woolnut Camera Strap is made from Scandinavian leather and natural wool felt. It’s adjustable in length and suitable for use as a neck or shoulder strap while the metal rings at either end make it compatible with a wide range of cameras.

Left

Above

PEAK DESIGN FIELD POUCH V2 Website:www.peakdesign.com

Price:£33 / $45

Sometimes you want something to carry a few small accessories such as a spare battery, memory cards, a lens cloth and a filter or two along with your wallet and keys. Step forward the Peak Design Field Pouch V2, which comes with a slim snap-on strap and can be threaded onto a belt and carried like a bumbag.

LENS NEST Website:www.lens-nest.com Price:£30 / $41.50 for a row of three

Launched on Kickstarter, the Lens Nest is designed to help you store and organise your lenses. It’s modular, coming in ‘right’, ‘left’ and ‘middle’ sections that fit together like a simple jigsaw puzzle to make a row. The Lens Nest is made from cork and comes with a set of rings and spacers so that it fits your lenses.

Left

GITZO CENTRE BALL HEAD SERIES 4 Website:www.gitzo.com Above

3Website:www.3leggedthing.com LEGGED THING LEO 2 Price:£220 / $305

Designed for travel, the Leo 2 weighs just 1.52kg or 1.85kg with the AirHead ball head and packs down to 37.4cm yet has a maximum height of 1.47m. Each of its five-section carbon fibre legs can be removed to form a boom or monopod with the centre column. The legs can also be replaced with the optional Vanz feet to create a table-top tripod.

112

Price:£460/$500

This heavy-duty ball head makes a great partner for Gitzo’s Series 3, 4 and 5 Systematic tripods.

It’s designed for use with large telephoto (400-600mm) lenses and can bear an impressive payload of up to 30kg. It’s supplied with a Gitzo D profile plate but it’s also compatible with Arca-Swiss type plates.

Above

Above

LENSBABY OBSCURA 50 OPTIC Website:https://camerajabber.com/reviews/lensbaby-obscura Price: £179 / $180

The Obscura 50mm Optic is designed for use with Lensbaby’s optic swap system which means it can be used with the Composer Pro II or Spark 2 housings which are available in a wide range of mounts. It offers three optics in one with pinhole (f/161), zone plate (f/32) and pinhole sieve (f/64) settings.

FREEWELL GEAR MAGNETIC VND FILTER KIT Website:www.freewellgear.com Price:£290 / $400

Launched on Indiegogo with some nice early-bird offers, this magnetic circular filter kit splits the two elements of a variable neutral density (VND) filter to enable its effect to be combined with a mist filter or used as a regular VND. There are two strengths of VND in the kit: 2-5EV and 6-9EV. Left

WANDRD ALL-NEW PRVKE 21 PHOTOGRAPHY BUNDLE Website:https://eu.wandrd.com

“More versatile than the average mini tripod, it can be used handheld or extended”

Price:£259 / $337

Refreshed for 2021 with an improved back panel and better shoulder straps, the Prvke 21 is a great backpack with a capacity ranging from 21L to 25L depending on how far the top section is rolled down. It’s made from waterproof tarpaulin and Ballistic nylon to give it a tough wipe-clean outer. The Photography Bundle includes a removable camera cube to keep your kit safe.

Below

LENSBALL PRO Website:lensball.com Price:£32 / $44

The Lensball Pro is the original crystal ball for photography. At 80mm in diameter it weighs 650g, so you won’t want to carry it everywhere, but it’s beautifully clear and gives a 180° view of your surroundings to add a different element to your images.

Above

PGYTECH MANTISPOD Website:www.pgytech.com

Price:£109 / $99

More versatile than the average mini tripod, the MantisPod can also be used as a hand-held vlogging support with the legs all folded in together to create a handle. Alternatively, with a couple of button presses it can be transformed to ‘extended mode’ and the head relocated to the end of the thicker of the three legs.

113

PRO COLUMN

I

A SENTIENT LAND Benedict Brain considers the landscape as a living entity…

never really know how to answer the question, “What kind of photographer are you?”. I’m just not sure where I fit. I heard the term ‘genre fluid’ the other day and I thought maybe that hit the nail on the head.

I’m often photographing in the landscape, however, I am reluctant to describe myself as a landscape photographer. Mainly, I don’t like the association and assumption that I’m the kind of photographer that gets up at dawn to chase the light in the magic hour at the world’s honeypot photo locations. I don’t have a judgement on this, not much anyway; it’s just not me. I’ll happily spend time in the mountains at dawn, but for me, this is about nourishing the soul and raising the spirits.

But as a photographer, I’d sooner be shooting in some semi-industrial scrubland and engaging in more humdrum topographies. To that end, I have been inspired by the New Topographics, especially by the work of Lewis Baltz, Stephen Shore and Robert Adams. Adams in particular has been a big influence on me with regard to

114

All images © Benedict Brain

the landscape and in his fabulous Adams is asking what else can you book, Beauty in Photography: Essays say with your photograph – can in Defense of Traditional Values, in it be used to imply an alternative meaning the essay Truth and Landscape, Adams says, “Landscape pictures or message? can offer us, I think, three verities Keeping Adams’ three kinds – geography, autobiography, of information in mind is what and metaphor. Geography is, if I strive for when I’m working in taken alone, sometimes boring, the landscape. So the image I’m PRO BIO autobiography is frequently trivial, showing here is part of an ongoing Benedict Brain is a and metaphor can be dubious. But photographer and award- project which I have tentatively winning journalist. He taken together… the three kinds of titled A Sentient Land. In the hispracticewith project I’m exploring aspects of information strengthen each other combines writing about photography and reinforce what we all work to and leadingworkshops. He the landscape, using photography keep intact – an affection for life.” regularly judges competitions to describe the land as a living, such asTheBritish My thoughts are that by dynamic and visceral entity which Photography Awards. geography, Adams is referring to is suggestive of a deep-rooted www.benedictbrain.com connection with myth and ancient a visual record of a place, the topography, the weather and the light and folklore. As I work through the images and the so on – in a descriptive way. Autobiography project evolves, I think I’m beginning to make suggests an element of personal expression, a work that is less one-dimensional with layers of sense of place and how you respond to it as meaning and this is the direction I want to take a photographer. And finally, as a metaphor, my landscape work.