photographer cheshire
m a y 2010
www.cheshirephotographer.com
expand your horizons dslr vs hybrid vs compact take the plunge focus learn how to capture the big picture
we give the low down on which breed of camera is best for you
cp chats to michael seymour about life as a freelance photographer
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liam cronin examines the latest in camera phone technology and asks if the gap between nokia and canon can ever be bridged natural light...
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capture the image capture the moment capture the memories
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contents
WKH YLHZĹ˜QGHU The majesty of the still image is one that will never die, so please join us on our journey across Cheshire as we bring life in to focus.
cheshire photographer: bringing life into focus The world around us is a EHDXWLIXO SODFH Ĺ˜OOHG ZLWK LQĹ˜QLWH DPRXQWV RI GHWDLO WKDW the human eye is unable to pick up on as it passes by. Here at the Cheshire photographer we believe that photographs play a vital part in examining the wonder that the planet has to offer. The county of Cheshire holds some of the most amazing woodlands, historical sites and landscapes that the country has to offer so lets get out there and use this to our advantage to take some breathtaking
photographs. The Cheshire photographer endeavours to showcase these areas as well as helping you to create your own masterpieces. ,Q WKH RIĹ˜FH ZH KDYH H[perts at hand to show you how to introduce various techniques in to your own portfolio without enduring the vast economic drawbacks that is associated with the industry. ,Q WKLV Ĺ˜UVW HGLWLRQ ZH KDYH focused on the rural aspect of the county bringing areas such as, beeston, northwich, tarporley and delemere in to
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michael seymour talks to the cheshire photographer about his life so far, favourite techniques and tips for emerging photographers.
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page 8 expand your horizons with liam cronin as he discusses how to improve the technical elements of your portfolio.
page 12 dslr, hybrid or compact? a rundown of the facts that you will need to know when looking in to buying your new camera.
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we discuss the issues with natural light. how to use it to your advantage, and what to avoid.
your latest dose of all the photographic news, be it camera releases or competition launches.
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focus: liam cronin talks about the ever advancing nature of camera phones whilst reviewing the all new sony ericsson satio
we give you a step by step guide to selective colour enhancement in adobe photoshop CS3.
page 15 macro shots without the damage to you bank balance as well as a look LQ WR UHĹ–HFWLRQV LQ photography
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michael seymour: OLDP FURQLQ WDONV WR IUHHODQFHU PLFKDHO VH\PRXU
A career in freelance photography is one that is rife with uncertainty. Where will the next job come from? How do you get started? Am I good enough? All of these are questions that play on the mind of a photographer when making the leap in to the industry. The Cheshire photographer has spoken to Michael Seymour, a regularly published freelance photographer and journalist. Michael grew up in Cheshire learning the industry from an early age, playing with his fathers old work cameras. ÄWKH ŘUVW camera I ever owned was an old Pen-
tax ME super, its about 20 years old now but I still use it regularly. “growing up this was an ideal camera as it was all completely manual which meant that I grasped how to perform basic functions very quickly, unlike today’s cameras of which most have an auto setting.” Said Michael From an early age Michael was
always experimenting with cameras and took every excuse he could to get his hands on a new piece of equipment be it a wedding birthday or other family function. “I have always been interested in capturing memories, probably because my own memory is so poor.” Said Michael By the age of 16 Michael had decided that A-levels were not the choice for him and decided to study for his B-Tech national diploma in photography at Mid-Cheshire College. “A-Levels really did seem too vague for me and non of the courses available offered me enough focus on what I really wanted to do. The diploma was fascinating to me and I could really see the future career path potential.” Michael has been a FRQQRLVVHXU RI ŘOP
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taking the plunge DERXW KLV \RXWK NLW DQG ORYH RI ORPRJUDSK\ cameras for as long as he can remember preferring the aesthetics that can be created using traditional cameras despite the drawbacks in convenience. The young freelancer’s portfolio is vast and covers all areas of photography such as macro shots, lighting effects and experimentation with exposure, however some of the most poignant images in his portfolio are based around the Lomography movement. Lomography focuses on snap shot photographs that are often intentionally over exposed, blurred or over saturated but each photographer carries their own particular style. “I love the ethos of the Lomography movement; ‘don’t think, just shoot’ its brilliant, it really encapsulates how I like to look upon the world.
“Even my favourite bit of kit comes from the Lomography PRYHPHQW LWV P\ Ĺ˜VKH\H Lomography camera, it’s a bit dated now but it really does still know how to cut the mustard. “It gives such an interesting effect on the prints and in my opinion nothing can match it.â€? Michael made his break on to the freelance scene whilst at university, selling several photographs to various newspapers in the area as well as building a substantial portfolio. “My advice to anyone looking to make a move in to the freelance photography industry is just to shoot everything you can, you never NQRZ ZKDW VRPHRQH PD\ Ĺ˜QG artsy
or important enough to spend their cash on. “Most of my favourite pictures I have in my portfolio are completely unplanned, and they seem to be the ones that sell. “Most importantly never be knocked back by somone telling you your images are not of use to them, times change and the good thing about photographs is that they don’t. Peoples opinions of the same image differ.� For more information on freelance photography please visit the cheshire photographer’s website, www.cheshirephotographer. com
natural light: a friendly foe Lighting provides us with the ability to see the wonderful world around us, producing shadows and creating shapes upon ordinarily mundane objects. For the photographer though, lighting does pose somewhat of an issue. To get the balance right between the two extremities of the medium takes time and practice but when you crack
it the world is literally yours for the taking. Be conscious of where the light source is. If it is right in front of you be careful not to over expose the image by adjusting shutter speeds, if the image is to bright, increase the shutter speed to allow less light in to the lens and if it is too dark, increase the shutter speed to allow more light in. If the light source is above
or behind you be conscious of the shadows and where they fall. The last thing you want is the colour of your focal point to be blunted by a shadow. Natural light is a bit of a double edged sword in this manner, work with it and your images will be brighter, more colourful and eye catching than anything that could ever be shot in a studio, but try to Ĺ˜JKW LW DQG \RX ZLOO ORVH
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SKRWRJUDSKHUV \RXU RQH VWRS VKRS IRU DOO QHZV WKLQJV SKRWRJUDSK\ ULJKWV FKDQJH for SKRWRJUDSKHUV 0HWURSROLWDQ SROLFH RIĹ˜FHUV are no longer able to prevent the taking of photographs under new regulations conWDLQHG ZLWKLQ WKH RIĹ˜FHUV handbook. Up until last week police RIĹ˜FHUV ZHUH DEOH WR SUHYHQW photographs being taken in Ă„VHQVLWLYHĂ… DUHDV DQG FRQĹ˜Vcate any images that had already been taken. The amended hand book VWDWHV Ă„2IĹ˜FHUV GR QRW KDYH the power to delete digital LPDJHV RU GHVWUR\ Ĺ˜OP DW DQ\ point during a search. Deletion or destruction may only
take place following seizure if there is a lawful power (such as a court order) that permits such deletion or destruction.� The adjustment in policy has been met with a sigh of relief from the photographical industry, Peter Thorp, Davenham Studios, said, �this is such a huge step forward for freelance photographers. “In the past it was almost impossible to get any photographs when the police were in risk of being in shot but now we can breath easy and just concentrate on getting that snap. “The law was very vague prior to this, and I’m not entirely sure the police were able to enforce it consistently, hence the issues that the industry was having.�
competition launch The Cheshire photographer has launched its photographer of the year competition. The competition is open to all photographers and categories range from best landscape shot to best use of lighting and the winner will receive ÂŁ10k worth of photographical equipment as well as studio time with the pros. The judges will be looking for how the photographs are composed, use of focus and lighting. In order to stand a chance of winning the competition
you need to send all of your pictures, maximum 3 per entrant, to; cheshire@photographer.co.uk
QHZ FDQRQ DQQRXQFHG canon has announced the release of the new 1D DSLR camera. the camera boasts over 25 customizable shooting modes as well as a hybrid auto white balance. the camera is due for releas in july of this year priced at apporximately ÂŁ4500
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OLDP FURQLQ JLYHV \RX WLSV RQ KRZ WR EROVWHU \RXU WHFKQLFDO SRUWIROLR Landscape photography is pivotal to any decent portfolio, but taking a good landscape photo can be a lot harder than it looks. It truly is a real skill to be able to squeeze miles of horizon in to a few inches without loosing any of the natural beauty that the human eye can see, but with a few simple pointers we can get you on track to capturing some stunning shots. It is important to remember the basic principles of photography before you begin to experiment with the more advanced techniques. One of the most vital rules to remember is the rule of thirds. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this technique it really is very simple, and you are probably doing it subconsciously anyway. Essentially you must remember to break what you can see through the view ŘQGHU XS LQ WR vertical thirds. Strictly speaking it is important to make sure that the focal point of the photograph is not solely contained within the middle segment. This helps to naturally frame the photograph and as a general rule looks more professional, but as with all
rules there are some exceptions. With this rule in mind you can start to look for the natural shapes within your surroundings, be it plants, mountains or cloud lines. There really is no real technique in to using these natural objects but being observant of what is going on around you will take you a long way. Natural lighting will also play a large part in all of the landscape photographs that you take so you need to be aware of how to use it to your advantage. Try to avoid having the sun shining directly in to the lens of the camera as this will create glare and could ruin the photograph. Where possible try to have the sun shining over your shoulder towards the area that you want to photograph this will highlight the area nicely and natural shadows should help to highlight areas of focal importance. However if this is not possible you can increase the shutter speed in order to combat the glare from the sun. Lighting can make or break a photograph so be aware and consider photographs you have seen previously.
Do not be afraid to play DURXQG ZLWK \RX GHSWK RI ŘHOG either. Get up close to a point of interest and slightly blur the horizon in the background. This will help to, once again naturally frame the object. All in all you need to remember what it is you look for in a good photograph and try to recreate it. Keep these tips in mind but do not be afraid to branch out and try something new.
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adobe photoshop selective colour enhancement made easy
We have all been there, you get that killer image that you know will look amazing given some care and attention in photoshop but you cant remember for love nor money how to get the effect you want. Well here at the Cheshire photographer we can help. Adobe photoshop is somewhat of a speciality of ours and nothing would give us more pleasure than to help out our readers. This month we are on hand to show you how to adjust and specify the colour range within your photograph. Firstly you need to open your version of photoshop, we recommend CS3, new versions of this programme DUH DYDLODEOH IUHTXHQWO\ EXW ZH ŘQG &6 WKH HDVLHVW to use and the interface seems to be the most user friendly. 2SHQ \RXU LPDJH ŘOH DQG SUHVV WKH Á4Â NH\ WR HQWHU the programmes editing mode, this will enable you to work freely over the top of the image without causing any irreversible changes. Once in edit mode you will need to select the ‘brush’ tool, you can do this by either pressing the ‘b’ key or clicking on the brush icon. Using the paintbrush you now need to paint over the parts of the image you would like to change, so in the case of the image of the eagle the entire photograph has been painted over apart from the beak and the sky. During this process the areas you are painting should be turning a red-pink colour dependant on the shade of the painting area. Once you have painted over the sections of the photograph that you want to edit press WKH Á4Â EXWWRQ RQFH DJDLQ WR H[LW WKH HGLWLQJ mode. The painted areas should now be outlined by a dotted line.
www.cheshirephotographer.com page 11 Next you need to select the lasso tool, you can do this by pressing ‘L’ or clicking on the lasso icon. Using the lasso tool right click anywhere on the image and go for the ‘select inverse’ option. This will enable you to alter the highlighted area outside of edit mode.
Whilst still using the lasso tool right click again and select the ‘layer via copy’ option, this will create a new layer of the highlighted area above that of the original photograph. On this new layer you can make any changes that you would normally be able to make in Adobe Photoshop and here in the &3 RIŘFH ZH GHFLGHG WR introduce greyscale to the highlighted area leaving only the sky and the eagles beak, which helps to create an attractive focal point to image. With a bit of luck this tutorial will have you well on your way to becoming a photoshop master, who knows, next time it could be cheshire photographer asking for your help.
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dslr, hybrid,compact? ZH KHOS \RX WR GHFLGH ZKLFK FDPHUD EHVW VXLWV \RXU QHHGV With the vast range of cameras available to you today it can become a bit daunting when buying a new camera, and this is not made any easier by the manufacturers, each of them claiming that their new camera out shoots the competitors. Well don’t worry, because the cheshire photographer is here to help. Firstly it is of paramount importance that you set a budget and stick to it. It is way too easy to walk in to a retailer and be sold all sorts of equipment that you don’t want or need, so by setting an upper limit to your spending you can aim to avoid this. After setting your upper limit it is important that you understand a small bit of the jargon, primarily the differences in the 3 types of camera we are discussing. A DSLR, or digital single OHQV UHĹ™H[ FDPHUD XVHV D V\VWHP RI PLUURUV WR UHĹ™HFW WKH light from the lens to the view Ĺ˜QGHU 7KLV DOORZV WKH SKRtographer to see the image immediately before the point of exposure, which in theory reduces the chances of poorly taken photographs. This type of camera is used extensively at professional lev-
el due to the extensive range of attachable lenses that are RQ RIIHU WKXV LQĹ˜QLWHO\ LQFUHDVing the range of photographs that can be taken. Next up it’s the hybrid camera. A hybrid camera sits somewhere in between the DSLR and the compact. Hybrids use electronics to digitally show the image in WKH YLHZĹ˜QGHU RU RQ WKH /&' screen on the
back. This is one of the drawbacks of this breed of camera however as the image that is shown does not always accurately repUHVHQW WKH Ĺ˜QDO TXDOLW\ RI WKH photograph. Hybrid cameras are also unable to use lens attachments and thus all images must be taken with the standard lens. On the plus side hybrid cameras do come with hundreds and hundreds of various different electronic setWLQJV VXFK DV PDFUR SURĹ˜OH and image stabilisers, all of
which go some way to make up for the lack of extra lenses. Hybrid cameras also cost VLJQLĹ˜FDQWO\ OHVV WKDQ WKHLU professional counterparts so if you are on a tight budget, this may be the way to go. Finally we need to look at compact cameras; the main advantage of these cameras is given away in their name. They are tiny. Unfortunately there are no lenses to add on or indeed many manual settings to play with other than zoom. It really is photography at its point and click roots. Compact cameras do come with several electronic functions like face recognition, image stabilisers and auto focus but these tend to be regarded more as gimmicks than serious functionality options. Compact cameras can also be picked up relatively cheaply and new models are being released all the time. When choosing your camera remember to think about when you will be using it, if you are looking for a camera that you can take everywhere with you and that will Ĺ˜W LQ \RXU SRFNHW WKHQ FKRRVH a compact, but if you want to take professional quality photographs that have been well thought out then go for a DSLR. If you are looking for a middle ground its probably best to go with a hybrid.
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focus: satio
WKH QHZ VRQ\ HULFVVRQ VDWLR FDQ LW UHDOO\ EH DV JRRG DV WKH K\SH" As mobile technology progresses the bridge between the humble telephone and the DSLR is being bridged. The general public no longer want to carry around a phone, a camera, an mp3 player and a GPS system. In the past the quality of pictures taken from camera phones has been questionable at best, but with the introdution of smart phones the photographic community has had to listen to the claims of the manufacturer. Sony Ericsson has always been regarded as the photographers choice of mobile, and with their new release, the ‘Satioâ€?, this trend looks set to continue. The phone boasts traits VXFK DV * FDSDELOLW\ :LĹ˜ and 256MB of RAM, which is more than most Windows 95 computers. On top of all this the phone contains a camera with the highest resolution yet to enter the mobile market at an astonishing 12 megapixels. In RUGHU WR SXW WKLV Ĺ˜JXUH LQ WR
perspective for you, the majority of middle range DSLR’s out there, such at the Canon 450D shoots at 12.2 megapixels. The phone itself is relatively small, in comparison to most cameras at least, and weight is not going to be an issue, even for the most feeble armed of users. There are, however, some drawbacks to having such a
small body for such a powerful camera. For example at the moment, even with its impressive 256MB of RAM, the phone is unable to offer a fully manual setting which would enable both manual focus as well as accurate zoom. On top of this it must be noted that the functionality of the camera phone, all be it good for a phone, is overpowered by even the lower spec compact cameras, with RQO\ Ĺ˜YH VHSDUDWH VHWWLQJ available to the photogra-
pher on the move. Despite this the phone does offer something that most cameras can’t, rapid accessibility in a tiny sub-frame. The images that you will produce from the Sony Ericsson Satio will impress you in comparison to other camera phones, if only for the level of detail that can be attained, however, the camera does lack an aperture setting meaning that depth of Ĺ˜HOG LV entirely deciphered by the phone itself which at times can become somewhat tedious. Overall the phone does what it does very well, it makes calls, plays music and it does take some attractive pictures, but, and this is a very big but, it will never replace the DSLR in the photographers arsenal although it would make a handy quick shooting side arm. It seems that the technology is just not there at the moment to encompass a fully functioning, professional quality camera and a phone all in the same shell.
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PDFUR PDVWHUSLHFHV Macro photography is quite simply breath taking. The sheer detail that can be seen through the lens in such seemingly mundane objects could hold the attention of even the most critical of onlookers. Unfortunately there is one main problem with macro photography, the cost. The technique is possibly one of the most expensive in the industry with thousands of pounds being paid for high end macro lenses. There are, however ways to get around these costs with minimal impact upon the quality of the photograph. Most modern day
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Water is a wonderful substance; it gives life to all things and can also take it away in an instance. As if this wasn’t enough, water also gives an added depth to any portfolio with UHřHFWLRQ SKRWRJUDSK\ 5HřHFWLRQ SKRWRJUDSK\ captures distorted images that are bounced of the surface of the water. Try to take these pictures on a sunny or bright day as this enables the maximum amount of light to be bounced off the water and thus clearer more prominent UHřHFWLRQV ,W UHDOO\ LV WKDW simple. So give it a go, we would love to see what you are capable of, send your pictures to cheshire@photographer. co.uk and they could get published in next months issue.
cameras come with an inbuilt macro shooting mode, and providing you know your way around the manual focus and aperture settings of your camera the results can be just as impressive as the latest in lens technology. Even the majority of compact cameras do come with a macro shooting mode, although it is harder to use effectively than the likes of a hybrid cameras or even a dslr’s due to the lack of manual settings. Obviously the lower spec the camera that you are using is, the harder it will be to create a breath taking macro shot, but keep
experimenting with focus, aperture and ISO settings and it will happen. Once you have taken the image it can be touched up using any photo editing software, we do recommend Photoshop CS3, in order to enhance the areas of intense colour, zoom or even to increase or reduce blur in certain areas to DGMXVW DUWLŘFLDO GHSWK RI ŘHOG ZLWKLQ WKH VKRW So before you fork out for that lens, just remember to experiment with what you already have, it could save you a lot of money.