Issue 37 : October 2014
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Icons of Spring
ongratulations to Kevin Marshall for his winning image this month Blossoms. Such an icon of Spring! I love how your eye ‘walks’ down through the canopy of the blossoms. In this issue Scott Fowler shows us a thing or two about photography at the Rodeo!
Check out his awesome Rodeo shots and get his tips for photographing such an event. Kim Howells shares great advice for Colour Management: a must read to ensure the images you see on your screen are matching what you print. This issue also features Abstract Photographer Jane Trotter and some beautiful examples of her work. We also introduce you to the new Canon EOS 7D Mark II. Be sure to check out the other entries for last month’s Spring photo competition and get your image in for this month’s theme, Landscapes!
Hollie Wightman Hollie Wightman Resident Judge NZ Photographer
ABOUT Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free! EDITOR Hollie Wightman, hollie@nzphotographer.co.nz GROUP EDITOR Jennifer Liew ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson
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PCL’S NEW IPHONE AND IPAD APP FREE WEEKLY TUTORIALS!
•Photographic Printing New Zealand’s premium photo lab, PCL IMAGING, has made its latest evolution •Custom Framing into the palm of your hand. They have launched this month the iphone and ipad app 30 Karaka Street, Eden Terrace, •Mounting which allows users to edit, enhance and order photographs directly from their phones. Auckland (09) 309 8090 •Scanning PCL has been a photographic industry leader for over 40 years and once again is enabling photographers with the latest technological contact@pcl.net.nz development. The app itself isPrinting a direct result of another technology PCL has been using for several years called ROES or remote order www.pcl.co.nz •Inkjet entry software. This software was made available for MAC or PC and has been used to by thousands of happy customers. •Canvas Prints PCL will be holding weekly tutorials for the new app for their customers and if you mention this article you can join them for a free cupcake, espresso photographic print. The relaxed tutorials will take place at PCL every Thursday at 11am.
APP YOU FACE WEB 0800 ASK PCL STORE SITE BOOK TUBE
Next Month's Competition Landscapes or Seascapes L
andscapes! Or Seascapes! The Amazing places around us. As an extra challenge, should you choose to accept it, take those landscape shots in portrait form! Good luck! Entries close October 24th.
Rules: Images submitted must be no older than 12 months from the date of publication of this issue.
Entry to the competition is $5 and you can enter up to five images. Images must be no more than
GET SHOOTING AND WIN!
P
hotographers - This is a great opportunity to improve your photography skills and get some feedback from professional photography judges in a safe and friendly environment. Here's what's up for grabs:
100 dpi and no more than 1600px wide. Save them as jpgs in the prefered colour space of Adobe RGB (1998). If you don't know what this means, don't worry, but do Google it...●
• The winning image on the cover of the next issue • A high quality print of your image and cover to immortalise your achievement for your grandchildren, courtesy of PCL Imaging • $50 cash • And of course, bragging rights and the envy of your fellow NZ Photographer fans! Check out next month’s theme and enter at www.nzphotographer.co.nz!
Colour Management Is what you see on your screen what you get in print? Are the colours, contrast, and brightness consistent? By Kim Howells, Kim Howells Photography Training www.photographytraining.co.nz
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olour management is something that is too often put in the “too scary” or “too hard” basket. But if you want any sort of control over how your images look in print, you need to know a little about how to achieve that. Here are some of the basics on getting it right.
un-calibrated; even those that are supposedly ‘good out of the box’, whether PC or Mac. Step 3: Check that your calibrated screen matches your prints to a level that you are happy with. Use a reputable lab to print your images. If they don’t match, re-calibrate. If they do match, recalibrate on a regular basis (eg monthly) as screens can ‘drift’.
Step 1: Ensure that you are editing in an appropriate colour space. For most people, this will be sRGB, which is the profile used when images are displayed Step 4: Control white balance. If you are shooting online. Most labs also use sRGB (or are at least used in raw, you can leave your white balance correction until you do your raw edit. But if you are shooting to receiving files in this colour space). jpeg, you need to get this right in-camera. A good Be aware that if you edit in a larger colour space place to start is a digital grey card. (such as ProPhoto RGB, or Adobe RGB), and you convert to sRGB jpegs, clipping can occur due to how Don’t confuse this with a grey card for exposure; they are not the same. A digital grey card is the file is rendered; and if you put something other spectrally neutral, and can be used to create a than sRGB on the web, they may look truly awful. custom white balance in-camera, or to photograph and use later with the white balance tool in your Step 2: Calibrate your screen with a reputable raw program. device. This involves hardware and software that measure the colours, and sometimes contrast and Managing your colour is important, so that what you brightness, of your screen. It then creates a colour see is what you get. There is no point in adjusting profile to show you the corrected view. colour in an image if what you are seeing does not Almost all screens are too blue or purple when result in the end product being the same colour. ●
The Wonderful World of Rodeo By Scott Fowler www.scoiwi.com
By Scott Fowler
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he thrills, the spills, the adrenalin rush. It all happens during the rodeo. Doesn’t matter if it’s just a local event or a national event, it’s worth taking the camera out and capturing the action. There’s plenty of it all day long; all you have to do is keep up. Capturing an event like a rodeo takes nano-second reactions: pressing that shutter at just the right moment to catch the action.
It’s not always easy to get close to the action at some rodeos – especially national events. Local ones are usually a lot easier. Ask a member of the organization team and they’ll usually help you get a good location to set up. Try and get to the rodeo early so you can get the feel of the arena and the best place to get the action. Generally, you’ll need to use a long telephoto lens to fill the frame; wide angle lenses don’t work so well in this situation. Fast glass is important; a 70-200 F2.8 is a good starting point. Fast shutter speed is also important if you want to freeze the action, usually around 1/1000th of a second will freeze everything at F2.8. You don’t need much of a depth of field: you want the viewer’s eye to stay with the action. If the light conditions aren’t the best, take the ISO up to get the shutter speed you need. Watch out for dust on your lens, but be careful how you clean the dust off as you can scratch your lens. A small lens blower can work well.
you get your reaction time faster by anticipating the moment, which also means you have a lot less images to plough through to get to the good ones. With a little practice you can get very good at judging the right nano-second to press the shutter at to get that award winning image. I use continual focus, as this allows me to keep up with the action. During the breaks, go for a walk around to the chutes. If you want to do this, remember there is a dress code at rodeos: long sleeve shirt, hat, long pants and good footwear. If you’re not sure, ask. You can get some awesome images as the cowboys and cowgirls get themselves ready for their battle with the beast of choice. Same as before, use your long telephoto lens to get those sniper shots – some candid moments.
Try lying on the ground if you can, with your lens resting on your camera bag. This gives a whole different perspective to the event. Always try different angles when doing this as you can get some amazing images by either lying down or, by standing on the fence, getting higher up.
Don’t be frightened to go up and talk with a cowboy or cowgirl and ask to take their photo: most are very happy to. Narrow depth of field is a good way to capture these images, and B&W is often great for this behind-thescenes style of photography. If you have a business card you can give it out to the rodeo committee, as they are always interested in new images. You may even make a few dollars for your effort.
A lot of people use the spray and pray technique, which basically means they continually shoot at 10 frames a second, and spend a week going through thousands of images to get a hundred good ones: but even then you can miss that decisive moment. Try challenging yourself to do single fire. This way,
These images will often work really well in B&W as this removes the confusion of colour, and lets the story of the action come through: but some images will always have more impact, and only work in colour. The images in this article by me were taken using a Sony Alpha 850 with a 70-200 F2.8 lens. ●
FEATURE ARTIST
Jane Trotter Turning the Ordinary into the Extraordinary www.abstractedreality.com
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y love for abstract photography all began when I started photographing familiar, everyday objects around my home. Almost immediately, I discovered I wanted to explore more unconventional methods of interpretation and presentation. Valuing the truthfulness and authenticity of a photographic image, I decided not to heavily manipulate or artificially create my images, but instead embrace the challenge of conceptualising and crafting my abstracts ‘in camera’. For me, photography is not so much about artistically recording what is there, but creating something new and different out of what exists already. I want to alter and challenge the viewer’s perspective. Cheese graters, fruit bowls, plastic folders, can openers, glass jars, tea pots and even the inside of my clothes dryer suddenly took on a new appearance: an ‘abstracted reality’.
A few years ago I started making triptychs, and I’ve been captivated by them ever since! This wasn’t so much a departure from what I had been doing before, but rather, I viewed it as an extension and expansion of my existing photographic vision. I’d always enjoyed the freedom of making abstract images, and I found that working with triptychs captured my imagination and fuelled my curiosity even more. I enjoy the creative challenge in their construction; the opportunity to expand my thinking and approach towards an image; to extend compositional boundaries. The use of colour, bold shapes and strong, simple graphic design elements feature strongly in my work. I’ve always felt simplicity is one of the most important aspects of a good abstract image. Having a singularity of purpose and clear structural design are
FEATURE ARTIST
paramount. Abstract photography is not a licence to emotional, instinctive and subconscious level. do whatever you like, or to ignore the normal rules My training as a musician has been to analyse, of composition. If anything, these become even more interpret, transform and communicate: to create important and accentuated. something special and give life and meaning to the Music is my other love. I’ve been teaching the piano notes on the page; to imbue the music with my own for over 20 years and have composed five books of unique voice. These are also the goals I hold dear children’s piano music. I believe there is much creative in my photography: to give new life to a subject; to overlay between music and photography. encourage people to see it in a different way and appreciate its inherent form and beauty; to imbue the Both disciplines share a common means of communicating without words and work directly on an photograph with my own unique vision. ●
PRESS RELEASE
Introducing the New Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Cinematic movie functionality The camera captures every split second of the action in full HD quality, with a choice of frame rates from 24p to 60p for smooth movement and slow motion effects. Also supports uncompressed HDMI external recording including audio.
Explore new levels of in-camera creativity
Turning the Ordinary into the Extraordinary
Both Movie Servo AF speed and tracking sensitivity can be customised, giving you complete control for pullfocus effects and transition between subjects.
www.abstractedreality.com
Canon Eos 7d Mark II key Benefits: • Capture split-second action • Delivers fast, smooth and accurate focus tracking, shooting at 10 frames per second and with a 65-point cross type auto-focus system. • Exhibition-quality images you’ll be proud to display • Capture 20.2 megapixels. • Fast processing power
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he ultimate DSLR to capture the action other cameras simply miss. Building on the classleading performance of the iconic Canon EOS 7D and harnessing technologies found in the flagship EOS-1D X, this revolutionary camera is made for speed, providing the freedom for photographers to shoot a world of ever-changing action.
Completely rebuilt and redesigned, the EOS 7D Mark II sets a new benchmark for electrifying speed and power in the APS-C category. Made for life’s fastest moments, the camera can capture an incredible 10 frames per second (fps) without a drop in resolution, thanks to a new Dual DiG!C 6 processors, and it also features a 65-point cross-type AF system.
• Deliver enhanced image capabilities and a faster readout from the sensor through Canon’s Dual DiG!C 6 fastimaging processors. • Adaptable and customisable • You can reconfigure its controls into the layout that best suits your individual requirements.
Real Life image Quality Designed to help you capture the perfect moment in outstanding quality, the new Canon EOS 7D Mark II boasts a 20.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor with a native ISO 10016000 range, expandable to ISO 51,200. Together with an advanced high-resolution 150,000 pixel RGB+IR metering sensor and innovative flicker detection, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II ensures beautifully exposed sharp images. Completely adaptable to the way you shoot, the camera offers customisable body controls, and the new Intelligent Viewfinder II with approximately 100 percent coverage lets photographers shoot and change settings while looking through the viewfinder; so you don’t need to take your eyes off the action.
Capture slip-second action The Canon EOS 7D Mark II excels in high-speed situations, shooting bursts of an astonishing 10 fullresolution images in a single second, thanks in part to a newly designed shutter and mirror drive mechanism.
PRESS RELEASE
The outstanding responsiveness is matched by a blisteringly fast 65-point AF system, making possible high speed in low light conditions without compromise in terms of speed or quality. Boasting one of the most advanced AF systems in a camera of its class, each AF point is cross-type, with the centre point offering dual cross-type focusing at f/2.8, and EV-3 low-light sensitivity.
Clarity, detail and colour like no other Whether you’re shooting outdoors or indoors, under natural or artificial light, consistently accurate exposures are achieved with a new 150,000 pixel RGB+IR metering sensor: the first in an EOS to include infra-red and flickering light sensitivity.
The new cutting-edge flicker detection feature ensures images are only shot when light levels are at their This gives you unsurpassed accuracy in all light conditions and for all subjects. The Canon EOS 7d Mark brightest level: intelligently analysing the light source and detecting flickering light the eye simply can’t II lets you tailor the AF system, with a customisable menu similar to the EOS-1D X. This provides you free see. The cameras auto-focus system even works in reign over sensitivity and subject tracking, while a new moonlight. Additionally, EOS ITR AF and AI Servo AF III technologies, originally introduced in the EOS-1D dedicated AF Mode Selection lever lets you instantly X, work alongside the advanced metering sensor to switch between AF area modes without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. deliver accurate subject tracking.
Cinematic movies in your hand
Your Camera, your way
The Canon EOS 7D Mark II builds on its predecessor’s movie reputation with a new suite of pro-standard recording features. Superior AF performance is executed by Canon’s unique Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, so you can shoot with smooth, accurate focus. In a first for EOS, both Movie Servo AF speed and tracking sensitivity can be customised, giving you complete control for pull-focus effects and transitions between subjects. The camera captures every splitsecond of the action in Full HD quality, with a choice of frame rates from 24p to 60p for smooth movement and slow motion effects.
The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is engineered to shoot in demanding situations, with improved weather resistance and a tough magnesium alloy chassis, as well as built-in GPS and a digital compass to help you track your adventures.
Footage captured on the Canon EOS 7D Mark II seamlessly fits into existing professional video workflows, thanks to uncompressed (4:2:2) HDMI output to external recorders. Ensuring professional audio capture during every shot, the camera features new dedicated microphone and headphone sockets for external devices, as well as a silent control to prevent operational noise being captured if settings are changed.
For the first time in EOS, there is also a built-in interval timer which enables you to take a designated number of shots at a preselected time intervals. As part of the world- renowned EOS System, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II supports a number of accessories, including a new battery grip that enables longer, more stable shooting throughout the day. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II will be available in retail stores throughout New Zealand from November. For more information on the new Canon EOS 7D Mark II visit www.canon.co.nz ●
CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND 7th to 10th November 2014
Join international award-winning photographer, Scott Fowler EFIAP PPSA APSNZ for a long weekend of creativity and fun. All levels welcome. Take your photography to another level! Limited numbers, great location in Otago, South Island.
Contact Scott at scottfowlerphotography@scoiwi.com for more details
Cost: $790 including accomodation and tuition Covering: Creative Portraiture, Image Harvesting, Still Life, Macro, B&W, HDR, Creative Lighting, Post Processing and much more!
Blossoms by Kevin Marshall Cherry Blossom arches on Harper Ave Christchurch. Canon 7D, f9, 1/100sec, ISO 100, 50mm focal length.
Bee in Paris-dise by Edward Swift A bee searches for nectar behind Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Canon EOS 100D, f3.5, 1/2000sec, ISO 400, 50mm focal length.
LESS IS MORE NEW EOS 100D
The world’s smallest and lightest APS-C DSLR*, all performance, no compromise.
*As at 1st March 2013
Christchurch Botanical Gardens by Venkataraman Nilakant I like the reflection of the trees on the Avon river and the Daffodils in the background. The foreground signifies the departure of winter and the background signals the arrival of Spring with Daffodils. In this picture I was hoping to capture the starkness of winter and the joy of Spring. It brings to mind a line from a William Wordsworth poem: “When all at once I saw a crowd A host, of golden daffodils Beside the lake, beneath the trees Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.� Fuji X100S, f8, 1/30 sec, hand-held, ISO 3200, -0.3 exposure.
Watchful Tui, Cornwall Park by Steve Harper Nikon D300, 70-200+2X, 1/640sec, f5.6.
Kowhai at the Christchurch Botanical Gardens by Kevin Marshall The cleanness of the yellow flower again the blue sky was magic. Canon 7D, f2.8, 1/1000sec, ISO 100, 100mm focal length.
“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new” - William Thackeray
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PIXMA PRO-1. As dedicated as you are. As Travel Photographer Chris McLennan knows, a huge amount of effort goes into capturing the perfect shot. So when it comes to printing, you need a printer that makes all your hard work, sacrifice and risk worthwhile. The PIXMA PRO-1 is that printer. It’s the first* A3+ printer to utilise five distinctive monochrome inks in a 12-ink system, yielding the truest prints possible. Now from capture to output, you can maintain every nuance and colour with the utmost accuracy and precision. canon.co.nz/pixmapro1
*As of October 26, 2011.