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DEEP DIVE A beginner’s guide to underwater whale photography

TAKING FLIGHT The story behind Pamela Pauline’s remarkable bird montages

TESTED October 2021

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The cover photo for A Few of the Legends is a portrait of US war photographer, Eddie Adams, who captured the famous image of the Viet Cong prisoner execution. You can read more about the book at kickstarter.com/projects/ afewofthelegends/a-few-of-the-legends.

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GPO Box 606, Sydney NSW 2001 Yaffa Photographic Group includes: Australian Photography, Capture, www.australianphotography.com www.facebook.com/ australianphotographymag Publisher: James Ostinga Marketing Manager: Lucy Yaffa Production Director: Matthew Gunn Art Director: Ana Maria Heraud Studio Manager: Lauren Esdaile Designer: Ana Maria Heraud All editorial contributions should be sent to contact@australianphotography.com Australian Photography welcomes freelance contributions. Please check with the editor before submitting your story. Editorial guidelines are available via email and include full details on all requirements for story and image submissions. Please note that stories should be embedded in the body of the email, or supplied as email attachments in text format (.txt), rich text format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word format (.doc). Ideally, images should be supplied in JPEG format (.jpg) with a separate list of captions. JPEG compression should be no lower than 9/12 (75%). Digital images should be supplied at a resolution of 300ppi, at a physical size of at least 20cm and not larger than 42cm on the longest side.

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THE LEGENDS MIKE O’CONNOR, EDITOR

T

here are personal projects, and then there’s Peter Adams’ personal project. Started some 38 years ago (that’s two years before I was born), the Blue Mountains photographer has finally, finally, completed what must surely be his magnum opus, A Few of the Legends.

Featuring 500+ photos and interviews with photographers who represent the length and breadth of 20th century photography, the project is hugely ambitious and life-changing in a way you just don’t see these days. Just consider how the world of photography has changed in that time, or imagine explaining to a young Peter Adams that he’d be using online crowdfunding to help finance his completed book in the year 2021, and it would be promoted on a thing called a website!

The gargantuan logistics of producing a 600-page book aside, A few of the Legends is also about tenacity, perseverance, patience and, when potential subjects were playing hard to get, some plain old “I won’t take no for an answer” stubbornness.

The result is a book that genuinely does feature plenty of legends, and more than 250 of Adams’ interviews - Eddie Adams, Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Joe Rosenthal, Arnold Newman, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Olive Cotton, Max Dupain, Mary Ellen Mark, Don McCullin, and Sebastião Salgado, to name a few.

As Peter said in an interview last year, the initial concept with the project was to capture 40 photographers in North America, mimicking their style and using their equipment. He’d send them letters - no email in those days - and then, a month, or two later, would

get a reply. As time went on, the criteria opened to any photographer with a philosophy or great idea.

“There is no great piece of artwork that works unless it has an idea,” he explained. “If we’re talking about digital manipulation, putting a duck in a pond or a new sky in a landscape isn’t an idea – it’s a technical exercise, a craft. The people I wanted to include had ideas or philosophies about why they were taking pictures, or changing elements in the pictures.”

It’s inevitable of course that given the span of time, many of the legends in the book have since, to quote Peter, “departed to the great darkroom in the sky”.

Aware from the start that time for some would be brief, he began with the ‘old timers’, such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, who captured V-J Day – the photo of the sailor kissing a woman in Times Square to celebrate the end of WWII. If an interview went well, he often found himself spending more time with some of the greatest minds in photography, while in others it was a case of ‘never meet your heroes’. Every interaction is shared, often humorously, in the book.

And so finally, the project is officially complete.

And, after a slow start, the support from Australia’s photography community has risen to the occasion as well, with an initial crowdfunding goal of $8,000 now at more than $20,000 – a legendary effort to support a truly remarkable project. ❂

| 3 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

24 THE DEEP DIVE: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY There’s nothing like capturing the majesty and beauty of whales in their own habitat.

You take care of the diving, and underwater pro Matt Horspool will arm you with everything you need to know for capturing your own stunning images beneath the ocean.

44 BEAUTY ON THE BRINK: PAMELA PAULINE Sydney photographer Pamela Pauline is turning heads with her remarkable photographic artworks. She speaks to Rob Ditessa about how conservation is at the heart of everything she does.

32 CREATIVE MAGIC Professional photographer Dylan Fox shares a few tips that have helped him along his journey to become one of our most talented landscape shooters.

CONTRIBUTORS

DEPARTMENTS 8 BEHIND THE LENS Photographer Yan Zhang takes us along for the ride as he witnesses a truly once-ina-lifetime event in the Blue Mountains.

YAN ZHANG Sydney AI professor Yan Zhang is also a landscape photographer with a keen interest in alpine regions. See more of his work on Instagram @yan.zhang.australia.

10 QUICK SNAPS News and views from the world of photography.

56 TESTED: NIKON Z FC Is this the coolest new camera on the market?

AP editor Mike O’Connor takes a look at Nikon’s newest retro stunner, the Z fc.

18 STRAIGHT SHOOTER Darran Leal explores how changing your angle of view can totally transform the stories your images tell.

20 YOUR BEST SHOT Take a look at the best images from our ‘Detail’ photo competition.

66 APS ONE FRAME AND COLUMN News, views and images from the Australian Photographic Society.

MATT HORSPOOL Matt is an adventure travel photographer and special education teacher based in Sydney. His passion lies in exploring and documenting cultures and landscapes in areas of the world that many do not get to see. See his work at etchdphotography.com.

70 IMAGE DOCTOR

62 TESTED: DJI AIR 2S DJI’s newest compact drone pairs a big sensor to a tiny body to create a truly unique flying and imaging experience.

Drew Hopper takes one to the skies.

Saima Morel critiques a selection of readers’ images, and picks the winner of the ASUS ProArt Display PA148CTV imageediting monitor and calibrator.

DYLAN FOX Dylan is an award-winning Australian Landscape Photographer based out of Perth. See more of his work at dylanfox.com.au.

CHARLI SAVAGE

COVER

48 FRAME YOURSELF Creative artist Charli Savage shows how to create your very own surreal self portrait in this Photoshop capture-to-edit tutorial.

Captured by photographer Oat Vaiyaboon, he says he waited for four days before the conditions were right for to attempt the hike to the top of Mt Buffalo, Victoria. “It was a 45min knee deep hike following an imaginary trail to the top,” he says. “The wind started to settle as the sun set and quietness descended on the mountain top, as I stood in awe watching the colours change.” Canon 5D Mark III, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens @ 16mm. 30s @ f16, ISO 50.

Charli is a conceptual fine art photographer creating the magical and strange worlds from her imagination.

See more of her work at strangeworldphotography. com.au.

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BEHIND THE LENS

PRETTY IN PINK P H O T O G R A P H E R : YA N Z H A N G

In early February, my wife and I were visiting Lithgow in the Blue Mountains, NSW when we mistakenly drove down a dirt road. Before we realised it, we were lost, but were soon distracted by a group of people standing on a nearby hill who all seemed to be observing something at their feet.

Curiously, we stopped our car and joined the crowd.

One of them noticed our puzzlement, pointed to the ground and explained that the crowd was admiring clumps of striking pink flannel flowers, something very rare, and something seen only once in a lifetime.

The group were botanists who had travelled a long way to specifically study these flowers. In a way, we were lucky to meet them as in doing so we became one of the earliest Sydney residents to see the now legendary pink flannel flowers of the Blue Mountains. In the following months several places in the Mountains were decorated with these flannel flowers and keen flower lovers would descend on the mountains in great numbers to find them.

The flannel flowers’ generic name, Actinotus forsythil, means “bearing rays” and refers to the petal-like bracts surrounding each flowerhead.

Apparently, the flowers require extremely specific climatic conditions to germinate. The flowers bloom for one season a year after a fire, and only if there has been a spring rainfall. The seeds will lie in the ground for up to 40 years until the right conditions arrive.

Daisy-like at first glance, they have a distinguished structure – consisting of a cluster (umbel) of tiny pink flowers fringed not by petals, but by 11–12 furry-textured light pink bracts (modified leaves).

About 1–3cm across, the flowers grow in spreading clumps to 50cm high, and they like to grow in shallow and skeletal soils on ridges and cliffs.

In my own photography, I rarely take flower pictures, but for these precious treasures I had to make an exception. From February to March, I travelled to the Blue Mountains fourteen times, searching for new flowering locations, observing, and taking pictures of the flowers.

This photo was captured in Narrow Neck, Katoomba, on one of my many trips. Pink flannel flowers always grow together with burnt brushes, and I think the blooming pink flowers with burnt bushes here represents a symbol of the miracle of renewal following the devastation of 2019’s bushfires.

NIKON D850, 14-24MM F/2.8 LENS @ 20MM. 1/40S @ F11, ISO 200. | 8 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

| 9 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

QUICK SNAPS

QUICK SNAPS

DRONE SELFIE BAGS AGENDO ART PRIZE

J

ESSICA COLDRE Y, the 2021 Victorian

Government John Monash Scholar, has been awarded the non-acquisitive Agendo Art Prize for 2021 for her striking drone selfie ‘Pet Drone #1’.

Agendo is a highly regarded national event sponsored by the Crone family, and showcases the finest selection of emerging art by young artists across Australia.

Jessica’s eye-catching image was created during her time as the inaugural artist in residence at Yarra Ranges Tech School (YRTS), and marks the first time a photograph has won the Agendo prize in its 14-year history.

The self-portrait depicts Jessica dressed in a futuristic silver dress with a sky-hive beehive, absurdly taking a small drone for a stroll on a leash. She says her project “Fused 60’s space-age futurism with modern machines to question people’s fears, ecstasies, and mythologies about technology.”

“In my artworks,” she says, “I create experiments, moving between coding, 3D printing and electronics”. Jessica sees herself as a creative technologist who combines technologies to further conceptual ideas and test out futuristic propositions about society.

Paul Hicks, the Headmaster of Camberwell Grammar School who hosts the biennial competition, said that the Agendo Art Competition was conceived to support artists in a practical and meaningful way.

“I believe that one of the most important things about being an artist is the opportunity to share your work with people. For me, art is about helping people reflect on issues that shape the thinking of the future.” Jessica said.

“I’m humbled and grateful to receive the Agendo Art Prize.

It means I can continue making art and sparking conversations for new audiences.”

You can see previous winners of the award on the Agendo website, portal.cgs.vic.edu.au/agendo/.

MY RØDE REEL INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION OPENS THE My RØDE Reel International Short Film competition is now accepting entries for 2021.

This year the competition is offering its largest ever major cash prize, with the Judge’s Choice winner set to take home USD $250,000 in cash.

There will also be product prizes from RØDE, as well as competition sponsors Nanlite, Zhiyun, MZed, Musicbed, Adobe, Pelican, ARRI, DZOFIlm and Insta360 up for grabs/ Entrants are required to make a 3-minute short film, as well as a 3-minute behind-the-scenes film that features at least one RØDE product. Then as a final step, entrants need to upload both short films to YouTube and then submit them to the competition at myrodereel.com.

This year’s prize categories are: Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Animation, Behind-the-scenes, People’s Choice, Young Filmmaker, Sound Design and Best Chinese Film. Each of these category winners, except for best Chinese film, will walk away with USD $10,000 as well as other product prizes.

Since the competition’s inception in 2014, more than 20,000 films have been submitted to My RØDE Reel from over 100 countries around the world.

Entries close at 10AM AEDT on Wednesday October 20, 2021. To find out more about the competition and about how to enter your short film, visit myrodereelcom.

| 10 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

QUICK SNAPS

Our flagship ultra-wide zoom.

SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A041) Di: For full-frame and APS-C format DSLR cameras.

Joel Pratley’s NPP winning portrait, Drought Story 2020.

SYDNEY PHOTOGRAPHER WINS $50,000 NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE SYDNEY photographer Joel Pratley has won the National Portrait Gallery’s Living Memory: National Photographic Portrait Prize (NPPP) 2021 with his colour photo of farmer David Kalisch, titled Drought Story 2020, which captures the uncertainty and challenges of Australians affected by drought.

The competition received over 3,000 entries from which the judges, photographer Bill Henson, National Gallery of Australia Director Nick Mitzevich, and National Portrait Gallery’s Director, Karen Quinlan AM, selected 76 finalists.

National Portrait Gallery’s Director, Karen Quinlan AM, said the image reflected the fragility and uncertainty of the times.

“In a quintessentially Australian landscape, we see one man, completely surrounded and immersed by a power greater than himself. It is an extraordinarily powerful image.”

Joel says the winning image was captured as part of a photoshoot aimed at raising awareness for Rural Aid.

COMMERCIAL DRONE FLYERS MUST NOW PAY TO REGISTER THEIR DRONES THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

www.tamron.com.au

has introduced a $40 annual registration fee for drones weighing more than 500g that are used for commercial purposes.

Registration for drone pilots became mandatory in January, though was free until 26 July 2021.

Drones under the 500 gram limit, like the DJI Mini 2, are currently exempt from registration.

In the past we’ve written that CASA defines business use fairly broadly, and includes selling photos or videos taken from a drone or using photos or videos in content that is used to generate | 12 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

“Photography is also about being in the right place at the right time,” he said.

“As I photographed David on his farm, an immense dust storm hit highlighting the enormity of the challenges faced by farmers and the overwhelming uncertainty of their future. However, through the potential bleakness of that moment, the sun shone through the clouds, offering a ray of hope.”

As first prize winner, Joel receives $20,000 in Canon imaging equipment and $30,000 in cash from The National Portrait Gallery.

Asked what he would do with his prize money, Joel said he would donate some of it to David’s drought affected farm and use the remaining amount for a meaningful passion project. He is currently working on a project in Sydney’s Waterloo which tells the story of how communities, including the Koori community, are being impacted by the gentrification of the area.

You can see the other competition finalists at portrait.gov.au.

an income through advertising or sponsorship.

Business use also includes: inspecting industrial equipment, construction sites or infrastructure; monitoring, surveillance or security services; research and development; and any drone activities conducted for your employer.

Under the new rules, you can be asked to produce your certificate of registration by an authorised representative of CASA or member of the Australian Federal Police or State and Territory police services. Flying an unregistered drone that weighs more than 500g “for business or as part of your job” can incur a fine of up to $11,100.

Find out more about drone registration via the CASA website, casa.gov.au/drones/register.

QUICK SNAPS

Optical performance.

Full versatility.

TAMRON ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF ‘WORLD’S FIRST’ F2 ZOOM FOR E-MOUNT TAMRON has announced that it is de-

28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (Model A071) For Sony E-mount.

Di III: For mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras.

veloping the 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD lens, which the company is calling the world’s first mirrorless zoom lens for Sony E-Mount with a maximum aperture of f2.

Despite the claim, f2 zoom lenses are not entirely unique for mirrorless, with Canon’s RF 28-70mm f/2L USM lens being on the market for a couple of years at least, with that lens also offering a faster, constant f2 throughout the zoom range. However, the new Tamron glass is likely to cost less than the $4,500 you’ll need to shell out for Canon’s f lagship general purpose lens.

Tamron says the 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD will feature a VXD (Voice-coil eXtremetorque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism, that will enable ‘high-speed and highprecision’ autofocus.

At the same time, Tamron also released a development announcement for another general purpose zoom, the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2, which, like the 35-150mm, is expected to be available this year.

Both lenses will also be compatible with the new Tamron Lens Utility, which allows users to customise the functions and update the firmware through the lens rather than through the camera.

No information on pricing for the new glass has been released yet, but keep an eye on local distributor Blonde Robot’s website for more info.

SONY LAUNCHES ZV-E10 INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERA FOR VLOGGERS A LITTLE over a year after introducing its first

www.tamron.com.au

camera for vloggers, the fixed-lens ZV-1, Sony has launched an interchangeable lens version, the ZV-E10.

The new camera is built around the same 24.2 Megapixel sensor as the stills-focused A6100, but is largely optimised for video. Compared to the A6100, the ZV-E10 gains a swing-out touchscreen, a directional three-capsule microphone, and a one-touch mode button that replaces the dial to switch from stills for video. However, the ZV-E10 does lose the A6100’s EVF. Like its sibling, the ZV-E10 only offers electronic stabilisation, however Sony says that the camera does have the ability to record gyro sensor data in the camera’s metadata that can be used when applying stabilisation in post-processing.

With a native ISO range of 100-32,000, Sony says the ZV-E10 will offer eye and subject-tracking AF, along with the ZV-1’s vlogger-friendly Bokeh Switch mode, which toggles the aperture to blur your background or bring it into focus. In addition, a ‘Product Showcase’ mode applies AF settings best suited for presenting products on camera.

Video specs top out at 4K / 30p, and there’s Hybrid log-gamma, S-Log2, and S-Log3 profiles included. Slow-motion footage is available at 1080 / 120p, and livestreaming via USB is supported for phones with Android 11, though not yet available with iOS devices. The Alpha ZV-E10 can also be used as a high-quality web| 14 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

cam or live streaming camera by simply connecting it to a PC or smartphone.

Finally, Sony says the ZV-E10 will offer up to 80 minutes of video recording on a single battery charge, almost double the ZV-1’s 45 minutes.

The ZV-E10 and the ZV-E10 Single Lens Kit, featuring the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS power zoom lens are available in black or white, and start at $1,249.

You can find out more about the new camera at Sony.com.au. ❂

STRAIGHT SHOOTER

AMAZING ANGLES The angle of view we choose to capture a subject can totally change the look and feel of an image, as Darran Leal explains.

ABOVE: Shot in 2005, this image of Cerro Torre inPatagonia showed me that a macro lens could be used for many purposes. I loved my Canon 100mm macro lens and in particular for landscapes. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, Canon 100mm macro lens. 1/15s @ f11, ISO 100.

RIGHT: Shot in 2021, this is a handheld multi shot (10 images) image from one of my favourite landscape locations, Purnululu National Park.

I stitched it together in Adobe Lightroom and processed it in Adobe Lightroom. I was in chest deep water to get the angle I wanted, and any movement would cause a ripple. The fish were very annoying, at times! Sony A1, Sony 16-35mm lens @ 22mm. 1/40s @ f8, ISO 200.

L

et’s imagine for a second you have a stunning vista in front of you.

How do you choose to photograph it? This is a question that has been asked by all photographers in one way or another since the world's first photographs were made in a camera in 1826 by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

Techniques have changed since Niépce’s time, as have equipment and the medium of capture. But one facet that has remained the same is angle of view. What angle of view (lens and focal length) will offer the best perspective of the scene?

Or, which angle of view will best express the photographer’s creative vision?

STRAIGHT SHOOTER

I have had many lenses over my 40+ year career and I’ve used them all for landscape photography. I find that the two perspectives that offer me the most dramatic results are super wideangle lenses (16mm or wider) and lenses around the 100mm focal length. Each has their place, and part of the challenge of photography is understanding where and when to use one over the other.

For subjects with defined foregrounds, mid grounds, and backgrounds, it’s hard to beat a wide-angle lens. And although the tendency is there to reach for one when you want to try and give a sense of scale, I find simpler scenes work best with wide-angle lenses, as you run the risk of fitting in too much and jumbling up a scene. I’ll look for a strong foreground element and then build my scene from there.

Recently I bought myself a 14mm f1.8

lens that I’m looking forward to experimenting with for this reason.

You may have noticed many landscape photographers also favouring longer focal lengths as well (100mm or longer). Not all landscapes are the same, and you don’t have to cram as much into the scene as possible every time. In situations where there’s limited access, I will use my 100-400mm, even at 400mm if I need to, to isolate details or ‘compress’ the scene and to make things look closer than they are to each other in real life.

Sand dunes are one of my favourite subjects for this kind of photography.

Of course, with both of these lens types the physical angle with which you shoot them from can make a huge difference as well. Getting low with a wide-angle lens can turn a tiny subject into a dramatic hero of your image, and likewise, shooting down

with a telephoto can emphasise small size in a vast frame.

What is my favourite angle of view?

It’s whatever lens will do the job I have visualised. Visualising a result and how you are going to processes that image will increase your level of keeper shots, and it’s as important as what lens, and angle of view, you decide to use. ❂

| 17 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

DARRAN LEAL Darran has been teaching photography since 1981. His company, World Photo Adventures, takes small groups of photographers on professionally guided photo tours around the world, including a once-a-year trip with AP in 2022. More info: worldphotoadventures.com.au

YOUR BEST SHOT

YOUR BEST SHOT D E TA I L

Details are great to focus on as a photographer.

By drawing attention to a specific part of a subject that might otherwise have gone unnoticed, we can tell a much richer story.

These were our favourite images this month.

| 18 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

KATIE TURNBULL Fairy circus EDITOR’S COMMENT Katie Turnbull says she captured her lovely image Fairy Circus on a misty morning in May. “The sun was rising behind the webs, and it was beautiful watching the dew drops sparkling in the morning light,” she writes. “I love the ethereal areas of softness and areas of crisp focus.”

This is a lovely detail shot and a great example of where a busy image can work well provided it has enough points of interest for the viewer to explore. Just look - the delicate dew drops, the lovely out of focus bokeh areas, and the lovely lace curtain effect of the web itself. You’ve composed this very neatly, and it’s been edited with a deft hand. Well done on a great image.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon 100mm macro lens. 1/100s @ f6.3, ISO 200.

BROOKE HOWELLS Grain Stalk EDITOR’S COMMENT Brooke Howells says that working on her family farm provides ample opportunities for photographic creativity, especially at harvest time.

“The simple grain stalk by itself seems insignificant, but as a whole crop it is both powerful and a livelihood for many farmers,” she explains. “I was out working at harvest and wanted to create an image of simplicity, but also power in its simplest form.”

This image works so well thanks to some beautiful subtle light that emphasises the fine detail and snake-like winding shape of the stalk as it climbs through the frame. We especially love how you’ve captured all the fine details of the stalk and the all the individual pods which hold the grain as well.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Nikon D7200, 105mm macro lens. 1/1000s @ f3.2, ISO 100.

| 19 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Thanks to the team at Blonde Robot, Brooke Howells has won a Peak Design Everyday Backpack 15L Zip v2 bag valued at $399. Ideal for everyday carry and light photo carry, the bag is accessible on the top and sides via a single weatherproof 270-degree zip. Inside, configurable FlexFold dividers keep photo, drone, or everyday gear organised and protected, while outside, a 100% recycled 400D weatherproof shell keeps everything safe.

MORE INFO: PEAKDESIGN.COM

JAYDENE CHAPMAN Kite with blue rock detail HOW I DID IT This image is a composite, with the blue rock detail behind the kite captured at Broome’s rock cliffs.

I dropped in the background rock pattern behind the kite, and then turned the background colours (which ranged from oranges to blues and purples) to a bluish colour cast to lift the hint of blue detail around the bird’s eye and beak.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Canon 5D Mark IV, Sigma art 50mm lens. 1/160s @ f9, ISO 100.

One studio light, ¾ power.

RONALD FRITZ Cosmetic tattooing HOW I DID IT Cosmetic tattooing, or permanent makeup, can be used to correct imperfections in the skin, hide scars and correct vitiligo. It’s also often used by people who find applying makeup difficult because of things like poor eyesight, arthritis or other physical issues.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Nikon Z6, Nikon 70-200mm f4 lens @ 200mm. 1/160s @ f8, ISO 2000.

NEW COLOURWAYS midnight

sage

Available for

LEASH, CUFF, SLIDE, SLIDE LITE

| 20 | OCTOBER 2021| AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

YOUR BEST SHOT

NOLA GRAY

Better than a lifetime warranty.

White HOW I DID IT Playing with feathers on a rainy day. I used a torch to light the feather and then using an eyedropper, placed beads of water on the feather which magnified the effect, showing detail.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Canon EOS 700D, 100mm macro lens. 2.5s @ f25, ISO 100, tripod.

Filters for life.

No, really.

You break it, we replace it*

OKKO LITE SLIM UV PROTEC TOR LENS FILTER

OKKO LITE CIRCUL AR POL ARIZER LENS FILTER

UV

CPL

SARA CARTER Fragile HOW I DID IT This image was taken in Canberra on frosty -4C morning, I headed outside because I really wanted to see if bubbles from kids’ bubble mix would freeze. I experimented attempting to get them to land on some Nandina plants because I felt they would provide a good contrast to help show the details in the bubbles better. Luckily,

they did land and froze which was fascinating to watch. I even luckily managed to get one to land perfectly on some frost on the top of my backyard fence. It stayed perfectly placed just long enough for me to get a few shots to stack.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Sony A7, Sony 50mm macro lens.

1/60s @ f4, ISO 200. | 21 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

*Okko Pro range only. Conditions apply.

YOUR BEST SHOT

HOW TO ENTER YOUR BEST SHOT IS OPEN TO AP SUBSCRIBERS AND APS MEMBERS. TO ENTER AN IMAGE IN THE COMP, CHECK THE COMPETITION THEMES AND INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AND EMAIL YOUR BEST IMAGE TO YOURBESTSHOT@AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

UPCOMING COMPETITION THEMES

DECEMBER ISSUE SEASONS

JANUARY ISSUE INSECTS

FEBRUARY ISSUE BLUE

September 30, 2021

October 31, 2021

November 30, 2021

YOUR ENTRY

MARCH ISSUE EYES

APRIL ISSUE GREAT OUTDOORS

December 15, 2021

January 31, 2022

1. Email your entry to yourbestshot@australianphotography.com with the name of the competition theme in the email subject line, for example: Weather, Abstract, Landscape, etc.

2. The image file must be the same as your name, for example Jane Smith.jpg. If you enter multiple images, each new image file name should be appended with a unique number, eg Jane Smith2.jpg 3. A maximum of three images can be entered per person.

4. Images must be in JPEG format.

5. Email file size must not exceed 7MB. 6. Please include the following information about your entry in the body of your email: Name, image title and up to 200 words explaining how you created your image. Please also include technical details including camera, lens, focal length, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, tripod (if used) and a brief summary of any software edits.

| 22 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

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PHOTO TIPS: UNDE RWATE R PHOTOGR APHY

Our last encounter of the day presented us with some of the best visibility of this trip. It made for super clean images that required minimal spot and sediment removal during postproduction. Due to the white tones of Humpback Whales, careful exposure and shot angles need to be considered.

Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 lens @ 7mm. 1/400s @ f9, ISO 1250.

THE DEEP DIVE A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO UNDERWATER WHALE PHOTOGRAPHY

BY MATT HORSPOOL

Capturing whales in their environment is on the bucket list for many photographers, but it’s a genre of photography with its own unique challenges. Here are our tips for your first time below the surface. | 24 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

P

icture this: You are freediving 10m below the surface on one breath, floating silently amongst the endless blue ocean backdrop. You are here for one thing - to photograph a passing humpback whale and her calf.

Suddenly, a 30,000kg male escort glides into the frame, fanning its gigantic tail once, and disappears into the black.

You are totally out of your depth; humans aren’t made to be deep-sea divers, although admittedly, some clearly are.

But for most mere mortals, we are at the total mercy of the ocean environment and these beautiful and wild creatures.

Most people out there are satisfied with conventional whale watching tours as they provide a fantastic viewpoint with minimal risk. However, some people, like me, seek a deeper connection with nature. They make their way to the sacred waters of places like Tonga, Fiji and Tahiti and enter the mystical world of our oceans to swim with these giants of the sea.

DIVING IN You could be forgiven for thinking that photographing whales is an easy task due to their enormous size. After all, anyone armed with a camera phone can snap a half-decent shot of an elephant or other large animal and come away quite chuffed.

But unfortunately, the moment you dip below the surface of the water a plethora of other factors come into play beyond merely pointing the camera and pressing the shutter. Add in some split 50/50 scenes, and now you’ve got double the exposures to consider.

The following tips, tricks, considerations, and skills are ones that I’ve practised and honed over many hours in the water. They can relate to any number of underwater situations and not just photographing whales, but hopefully this guide will provide insight into how to best capture images in a safe and environmentally aware manner. As always, once the basics are mastered, then you can focus on creativity.

| 25 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: UNDE RWATE R PHOTOGR APHY

1

CHOOSING YOUR GEAR

LENS CHOICE

For the sake of this article, I’ll be focusing on handheld cameras that can shoot RAW and in manual/semi-auto modes. These pointers could also be used for mobile phones and action cams inside housings with basic manual controls. We will also only be using natural light. I won’t delve too deeply into gear choice, but please consider these few critical points.

For beginners, I would recommend choosing an ultrawide zoom lens. Whales are large, so anything from 11mm – 24mm (35mm equiv.) should accommodate most shots. For super-wide close-up images, you’ll be looking at using a fisheye lens. Remember, you will also need a dome port for a wide-angle lens. The bigger, the better, as it allows for those unique split 50/50 images above and below the water.

Whatever your setup, ensure you become familiar with the button layouts, as they will often be mapped differently to the camera itself. Worse still, some buttons may not even exist. Chances are the waters where you can legally swim with whales will be pretty clear, so as long as you are relatively close, you’ll come away with a great photo regardless of your kit.

And finally, if you are using a zoom lens, make sure it is set to the widest possible focal length before placing it inside the housing, so it’s ready to go.

HOUSINGS Underwater housings generally aren’t cheap. There is no way around this one. Each brand of housing sports unique features, exotic materials, and depth ratings, and let’s not forget the ports required for each specific lens you wish to use.

There are two general types of housings. Dive housings are rated for depth and functionality, and surf housings are built for durability. Surf housings usually can’t withstand high-pressure depths of more than 12m and are highly buoyant.

When deciding how much to pay for a housing, consider how much you value your camera and the main types of shots you want to capture. Point and shoot housings can cost as much as the camera itself. M4/3 housings usually cost more than the camera itself, and then full-frame and above options are ridiculously high in price. There are many great semi-affordable options out there; but I would recommend sticking to solid purpose-built housings rather than the soft plastic style bag options.

CAMERA SET UP I map my button layouts and controls differently when putting the camera inside my housing. It works better for my set-up. This is how I do it.

Firstly, I always shoot using back button focusing, both on land and sea. I find that when I’m bobbing around in the water, making quick turns, and getting hit in the face with waves, it’s challenging to keep my finger half-pressed on the shutter button.

| 26 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: UNDE RWATE R PHOTOGR APHY

SPLIT IMAGES For 50/50 split images, you’ll want the largest dome port possible. Technically, they’re quite challenging images to pull off without water on the top side of the lens.

The magic aperture is f11, however this does mean any drops on the lens will show up quite prominently.

There are numerous methods to help with this. The best I’ve found is to give the dome glass a good lick with your tongue around 20 minutes before going into the water.

You need the saliva to dry and not wash off straight away.

Then, keep the lens underwater until the exact moment you raise it out of the water.

I gradually raise the lens out of the water while firing a high-speed burst and hope for the best. To nail these shots, you should read the whale’s body language and wait for it to surface for air. Pre-set your single point Autofocus marker for the topside portion of the frame and drop your exposure value down to ensure the sky doesn’t blow out.

Good Luck!

OPPOSITE PAGE: During this Humpback encounter, I dove down to 8m to capture an image of a mother and her calf at face level. As I was firing off my shots, this enormous male escort powered straight past me.

Almost out of air, I managed to capture this single shot of his pectoral fin before he disappeared off into the darkness. Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 lens @ 7mm. 1/640s @ f8, ISO 1600.

RIGHT: Armed with my 6-inch glass dome port, I pre-empted this juvenile’s actions and knew that he would need to surface for air soon. I swam to the surface, ensured my shutter was fast and aperture narrow, then waited. As he emerged, I raised my camera at the same speed while pressing the shutter button to capture this shot. Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 lens @ 7mm. 1/3200s @ f7.1, ISO 2000. + 0.3 EV. | 27 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: UNDE RWATE R PHOTOGR APHY

Like any wild animal encounter, always ensure you stick tightly within your group and never surround or approach the whale from behind. In this instance we also made sure to keep a watchful eye on mum in case she decided to move. Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 lens @ 7mm. 1/320s @ f6.3, ISO 2000. + 0.3 EV. | 28 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

S TAY I N G SA F E Humans can’t breathe underwater and you are swimming in the ocean with wild animals. So be smart.

Learn to swim. You should be confident in treading water for up to 15 minutes, and be somewhat proficient in using fins, mask and snorkel. This is not the time to learn freediving!

Always listen to your guide. They know the whales better than we do and can read their behaviour. Got a shot in mind?

Mention it to your guide; chances are they can help you get it.

Maintain a safe distance of 7m (wherever possible). Often you will find calves are highly interactive and will want to physically play with you. I’ve heard of housings being smashed by playful juveniles. You also run the risk of injuring the animal if you get too close.

If weather conditions are bad for your camera, chances are they could be bad for your body. Wear the right wetsuit for conditions. If you are cold, you can’t possibly take good photos.

Be aware of other whales around you. While humpback whales aren’t generally aggressive, you are a heck of a lot smaller than they are and could be seriously injured.

“THE DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS OF A WHALE WILL OFTEN RESULT IN LIGHTING OF ALL TYPES AND ANGLES...”

QUICK TIPS • Have fun! Too often I forget to put the camera down for a bit and just enjoy the moment.

• Move calmly through the water and always keep the whales in sight.

• When using a wide-angle lens, try floating on your stomach for shots facing straight down. This will ensure your fins (or someone elses) are not in the frame.

• When swimming as a group, be mindful that others are also trying to take photos and enjoy their experience.

• Freediving fins are great for when you want to get down deeper to eye level. Particularly during swim by encounters. They are clumsy, however, when manoeuvring at the surface.

• Review your images when hopping back on the boat.

Ensure your settings were working and that your photos are sharp.

• Dry your housing out thoroughly each night and check your rubber seals for dirt and sand that could compromise the seal. Apply lube to keep the rubber from drying out.

• Add in a few silica gel packs you find in shoe boxes. These will help prevent fogging. Also, never open your housing in humid locations unless you are done for the day.

Some housings may have a distinct tactile click to signify halfway shutter focusing. Still, I like using my thumb to lock focus on the whale and wait for the right moment before firing the shutter. Ideally, you will want to map focus to a button near where your right thumb sits. This helps maintain a solid handhold position.

If your camera has one, set it to always display the rear screen and histogram. Looking through the viewfinder is next to impossible, and you’ll want your peripheral vision to be adequately maintained.

Perhaps more so than other genres of photography, it’s really important to shoot RAW. Light reacts differently underwater, and you’ll find that your white balance may differ more than you’d like.

The deeper you dive, the more red light is filtered from the colour spectrum, hence why everything becomes deep blue. In fact, at just 4.5m down, you begin to lose most red light completely. Add a horizontal distance into the mix and you’ve lost almost all your warm colours. You can fix a lot of this in post-production, but it is tricky to do with JPEGs. At the very least, if your camera has an underwater WB mode, use that. It also helps when shooting at a higher ISO, and noise reduction in post-production is also much more straightforward.

| 30 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: UNDE RWATE R PHOTOGR APHY

2 3

SHOOTING MODES Firstly, each encounter is going to be different. The dynamic movements of a whale will often result in lighting of all types and angles. From backlit, front illumination, and top-down lighting, you must be prepared for all situations. Changes usually happen very quickly as well, with whale interactions ranging from a few seconds through to 20 minutes. So, make sure your camera is setup before it hits the water.

As this article is aimed at beginners to underwater photography, I suggest using a semi-automatic mode like Aperture Priority. This may seem counterintuitive to all you pro-photogs out there, but this means we can set our aperture to say f8, and if we miss focus (which is extremely difficult underwater), we will still have most of, if not all, of the whale in focus. For those competent with manual settings, just apply the same principles to your setup.

Let’s start with shutter speed. On cloudy days, or when visibility is poor, aim for a shutter speed of at least 1/150s. This should be fine if the whale/subject is far away or isn’t moving too quickly. On sunny days with great visibility and close quarter fast movement, aim for a shutter speed of 1/1000s or faster.

As mentioned above, I almost always keep my aperture at f8. The exception is on cloudy days or when I dive deeper, where I may open up to f2.8 – f4. In regard to ISO, even as a M4/3 shooter I rarely go above ISO 1600, but don’t be afraid to push your ISO if you need to. On bright sunny days, I generally sit at ISO 400 and cloudy days at ISO 800 – ISO 1000. Remember that often these encounters are once in a lifetime moments. It’s easy to fix noise in post-production - blurry images less so.

From here, set your camera to Continuous Autofocus, and choose a setting that gives roughly five or more central focus points if possible. Water particles and other objects can confuse the camera’s autofocus if you leave it to choose a subject over the entire frame.

Finally, and this last one is critical - fire in burst/sport mode. I cannot stress this enough. Your time in the water with the whales will often be less than 15 minutes and could be the only encounter you have that day.

depicting a tiny person floating near a whale. Just don’t get too close! Remember too, that whales must come up for air at some stage, which gives you an excellent chance to capture a swathe of bubbles that can look impressive.

These tips and tricks are by no means the be-all and end-all but will hopefully give you some starting points to consider. If you find that they aren’t working for you, then, by all means, switch over to a sports automatic mode to get your shots. It’s best you leave your trip with some ‘noisy’ images rather than nothing at all.

Now that you’re armed with a new set of skills, it’s time to get out in the water and practice, practice, practice! It’s an absolute privilege to swim amongst these gentle giants and you really want to make the most out of every encounter you are gifted. ❂

THE ANGLES AND SUBJECTS The best conditions for underwater photography are early morning sun, midday clouds, and mid-afternoon sun. At these times, you’ll get beautiful, angled light rays without the strange-looking ripple shadows that can appear on a whale’s back in harsh midday light.

That said, a little backlighting also works wonders with humpbacks as their stomachs are usually white and can make them stand out in high contrast situations.

When photographing a mother and her calf, try to frame them together just like you would a family portrait, and don’t forget to switch to portrait orientation to fill the frame. Just like with a human portrait, aim to focus on the whale’s eyes.

I also like to try and add people for scale. Some of the most incredible images out there have been from a distance

ABOVE: We observed this mother and her calf for around 5-minutes and were utterly in awe of the loving bond these two enormous creatures had. After a few more minutes of watching, the juvenile came towards us for a curious look, all the while under the watchful eye of his mother. Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 lens @ 7mm. 1/160s @ f9, ISO 2000. +0.3EV. OPPOSITE PAGE: This juvenile Humpback Whale was incredibly boisterous and playful and keen to show off his moves. He performed a minor breach, then sat stationary in the water and just stared at us. This was my chance to capture a portrait shot, and I joke that he was posing for the camera. Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 lens @ 7mm. 1/320s @ f7.1, ISO 2000, +0.3 EV.

| 31 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Layer Cake. While photographing Tasman Lake in New Zealand’s South Island, I was fortunate enough to have these two large chunks of ice perfectly frame the snow covered mountain in the background. This photograph came together quite easily. One exposure, which I doubleprocessed in Lightroom. Once for the land and another time for the sky. This meant the blending process in Photoshop aligned perfectly. Sony A7R Mark II, FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS lens @ 122mm. 1/60s @ f16, ISO 100.

CREATIVE

BY DYLAN FOX

There are a bunch of less obvious techniques that will help you become a better photographer. Here’s three to add to your landscape toolkit.

MAGIC | 32 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

| 33 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

I

have been in love with, addicted to, obsessed with, and motivated by photographing nature for 14 years now.

In 2007 it became a part of my life, and the excitement and love for it hasn’t changed it turned into a career. It dictates my decision making when it comes to travel. It influences my state of mind. And when I miss an opportunity, it can burn me to my core. However, this only motivates me more.

During these last 14 years there have been a few things that have really assisted in my growth as a photographer. These aren’t technical camera skills or secret photoshop techniques as such. These are real things that I use to make better photographs. They have helped me a great deal and I hope they can help you too.

1. CREATE A MENTAL SHOW REEL When I first started looking at landscape photographs, I obsessed over them - I couldn’t get enough. I was looking at photos of places I was familiar with and seeing them photographed in a way I had never seen before.

On my very first landscape shoot I went out with some of the images I had in mind and tried to replicate them, which is something I think we all do in the beginning. Not very creative of me I know, but I was new!

Although I was lacking the most important part, the creativity, this did teach me a different lesson that I still employ to this day. The importance of studying the work of photographers that you admire. This doesn’t mean the most popular photographers, or your friends’ favourite photographer necessarily, but the ones whose work really holds your attention.

Simply spend time looking at their work. Figure out what it is that separates it from the pack – whether it’s the compositional techniques, the light, or the use of colour (or lack thereof).

But even more importantly, memorise your favourite images. Having a gallery of images in your mind that you

can accurately call on at any time is incredibly useful.

It will help you see things in the field when you are scouting a location. You may recall a mountain scene that has a striking resemblance to the rocky coastline you are scouting. Yes, they are different scenes, but the compositional elements, or light may be remarkably similar.

Furthermore, this will trickle into how you process your images. This becomes a subconscious thing. Your work will, over time, begin to develop a style, inspired by the work you love, with your own creative elements thrown into the pot as well.

2. LESS IS MORE ‘Less is More’ is a phrase I was fortunate enough to hear very early on in my landscape photography career, and its one that holds true to this day and something I constantly remind myself of.

You may have heard other phrases such as ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’ or ‘good design is as little design as possible’.

Although it is still something very important to me and how I compose photographs, it is even more important when you are just learning the ropes. This is because as you progress in your photographic journey, many aspects of shooting become sub-conscious. You no longer must think about what camera settings to use to get a desired look, or what tools you can use in postproduction to enhance the feel you are searching for.

Like how someone in their first year of playing guitar must actively think about where the notes are, whereas a seasoned professional can just play by feel.

This is exactly what will happen with how you compose your photographs if you put in the time. You will be in the field and compose a photograph with a fantastic composition by feel. Simply moving the camera around until all the elements ‘feel’ right, rather than having to use a camera’s guidelines to see if you are following the rule of thirds, for example.

| 34 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVE: As part of a three week cross-country trip that covered 9000km, I spent a couple nights in the Macdonnel Ranges in the Northern Territory. A beautiful and ancient landscape that really surprised me. It felt very much like the Kimberley region of Western Australia. A place I would love to return to. I hiked into this gorge before sunrise and crossed the river before scaling the gorge wall to find this view. Sony A7R Mark IV, Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G lens @ 12mm. 1/10s @ f11, ISO 200.

LEFT: Mount Lofty. Is there anything better than Autumn colour? The hills outside of Adelaide were showing off these colours during an overnight visit. Finding compositions in the chaos of forests and trees is challenging, but it can produce such beautiful results. Sony A7R Mark IV, FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS lens @ 200mm.

1/40s @ f16, ISO 800.

“TRYING TO COMPOSE ‘SIMPLE’ PHOTOGRAPHS THAT ARE VOID OF DISTRACTING ELEMENTS IS A PRACTICE THAT IS HUGELY BENEFICIAL FROM DAY ONE...”

RIGHT: Wedge Dunes.

An aerial perspective of the first light of day hitting the ridge peaks of sand dunes along Western Australia’s coast. DJI Mavic 2 Pro. 1/80s @ f5, ISO 100. +0.7EV.

| 35 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

“THE ‘RULES’ ARE GOOD TO LEARN WHEN YOU ARE STARTING OUT. HOWEVER, THEY AREN’T SET IN CONCRETE AND YOU CAN WORK OUTSIDE OF THEM.”

| 36 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Sugarloaf Rock. A stunning display of light over one of Western Australia’s icons. Shooting handheld allowed me to get this composition which I would have struggled to capture otherwise.

I really enjoy shooting handheld as it allows me to move with the rapidly changing lighting conditions. Sony A7R Mark IV, Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G lens @ 12mm. 1/40s @ f11, ISO 400.

| 37 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

So, trying to compose ‘simple’ photographs that are void of distracting elements is a practice that is hugely beneficial from day one.

Of course, It is certainly easier said than done. Particularly if you are shooting with a wide-angle lens.

Certain subjects are challenging too - forests for example are incredibly chaotic. Finding clear, concise, and beautiful compositions amongst this chaos is difficult.

Key I think is to not feel as if you must always show the beauty of an entire scene. Be minimal in your selection of what interests you. For example, it may be just an area of sea foam catching the sunlight that interests you, instead of the wide-open beach. Remember, what you choose to exclude is just as important as what you try to include.

3. BREAK THE RULES

TOP: Come Full Circle. I emerged from my rooftop tent before sunrise to explore the coastline we stayed on. I hadn’t been down here the day before so I wasn’t sure what to expect – It turned out to be an abstract heaven! The light that morning was also stunning. With the sun rising behind me, this rainbow appeared momentarily. Shooting handheld, I raced around to find a composition and managed a few frames before the rainbow was gone. Sony A7R Mark IV, Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G lens @ 12mm. 1/80s @ f9, ISO 640.

ABOVE: Gorge Reflections. A beautiful contrast of warm and cold colours reflecting off of the surface of the water.

Sony A7R Mark II, FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS lens @ 200mm.

1/200s @ f6.3, ISO 2000.

The ‘rules’ are good to learn when you are starting out. However, they aren’t set in concrete and you can work outside of them.

The rule of thirds for example is an easy way to know where to place subjects within a frame. It is a technique that is incredibly effective. However sometimes so is placing a lone subject dead centre in the frame.

The ‘rules’ don’t have to be the hard and fast ones either. For instance, in landscape photography, it is often thought that shooting at sunrise and sunset are the only times of day with light worth working with. This is largely accurate but there are always other opportunities.

Rainy days are often perfectly suited for photographing forests. The clouds create a nice soft light while the rain produces a similar effect to fog in a forest.

On the other hand, sometimes late morning or early

| 38 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTO TIPS: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

afternoon light can be great in a dense forest to help create dappled light and sun-star opportunities.

Mid-morning or early afternoon light can be fantastic for abstracts of moving water as the light creates patterns and textures in the water’s surface.

Don’t limit yourself to just those short windows of dramatic light at the start and end of the day. Yes, of course they are great times to photograph landscapes, but they aren’t the only times. Let your subject and the weather conditions dictate what you shoot, and don’t be so close-minded to not shoot something simply because of the time of day. Experiment. Try new things.

Be open to what nature presents you with rather than going on every outing with only one thing in mind.

This will lead to missed opportunities. I say this from experience. These days I much prefer to often go out with little planning and just see what I see.

As landscape photographers, we often think absolutely everything needs to be shot using a tripod. Although this has been true in the past, camera technology has come so far, and I find myself often going without a tripod.

I will always bring one with me, but wherever possible, I shoot handheld. It is incredibly freeing and can make setting up in awkward positions a lot easier. It also allows

me to work and adapt to changing conditions a lot easier.

Combine this with a steady hand and a camera body with good image stabilisation capabilities, and I have been able to make perfectly sharp images, hand-held, with an exposure time of 1/4 of a second. I prefer to use a faster shutter speed where possible, but it is an indicator of what can be done with current technology. This takes practice; however, it is another ‘rule’ of landscape photography that can be broken and can free up your workflow in the field.

I encourage you to take these suggestions and try incorporating them into your own work. Learn to use ‘rules’ like ‘less is more’ and find out when it works and when it doesn’t. Once you become proficient in this, or any other given technique, it becomes another tool in your kit.

Next time you are shooting wide-angle landscapes, try switching on your image stabilisation and shooting handheld images with slow shutter speeds to find out how far you can push the technology. Knowing what your camera is capable of will enhance what you can do with it creatively in the field. It is only a tool, and you should know it inside and out.

I hope these tips give you something to think about, and let you express your own vision more accurately through your photography. ❂

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| 39 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PROFILE: PAMEL A PAULINE

BY ROB DITESSA

F

rom behind a rare Vincentia Banksia plant, of which only six are known to exist in the wild, a threatened Carnaby’s Cockatoo peers towards its mates. Up above, Regent Honeyeaters and Gouldian Finches flitter while a Forest Red Tail Black Cockatoo eyes the viewer intently. Think you’re in paradise? Welcome to the ethereal, imaginary work of Sydney photographer and artist Pamela Pauline.

Today, it’s her highly composited work in two series, On the Brink, and Fragile Beauty, Rich and Rare, that are receiving plaudits around the world. In total, these two series of just 16 photographic artworks have taken nearly two years of full-time work involving research, travel, more than 25,000 photographs, and innumerable hours behind a computer to finally complete.

Art photographer Pamela Pauline’s remarkable images tell the story of Australia’s most precious threatened species, and their beauty and wonder we risk losing forever.

lived, elusive, and glorious moments of many plants not known to the general public. While most of the plants in the Plantbank are native to Eastern Australia, there were several species endemic to other parts of the country. This was my beginning.”

THE PHONE CALL A professional photographer since a career change in 2003, Pamela’s project as you see it today began in 2019. At the time, she’d read a remarkable story about a rare plant that was thought extinct but that had been discovered on a building site in Sydney.

That call led her to the Plantbank at The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, the home of the largest native plant conservation seed bank in Australia.

“In spring 2019, I went behind the scenes at the Plantbank,” she explains.

“Guided by the horticultural development supervisor, I timed these visits to capture the often short-

THE JOURNEY TAKES SEED After each photography session, Pamela began researching. She would categorise the photographs by the plants’ status, whether they were rare, vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, as well as by their geographic location.

Soon enough she was on a flight to Perth to visit the prestigious conservation garden at King’s Park. Then, a few months later, South Australia. A trip to the Australian National Botanic Garden in Canberra and the Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah provided her with more threatened species to photograph.

OPPOSITE: Yesterday features the Carnaby’s Cockatoo, the Forest Red Tail Black Cockatoo, the Orange Bellied Parrot, the Regent Honeyeater and the Gouldian Finch, all of which are threatened with extinction. The flora featured is all also listed as rare or vulnerable including the ancient Wollemi pine and extremely rare Vincentia Banksia with only six known plants in the wild.

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PROFILE: PAMEL A PAULINE

The result was “More research, more folders, more files”, she laughs, while stressing her gratitude for the help of the centres’ horticulturalists.

Then Pamela decided to add threatened birds into the mix.

TAKING FLIGHT “I visited rehabilitation facilities and breeding centres, zoos and refuges to capture threatened birds,” she says.

“It meant more research, more files, and more folders.”

Early on, Pamela read a book called Recovering Australian Threatened Species, A Book of Hope. It was a turning point.

“The book is a collection of essays about threatened species being recovered with perseverance, dedication and thoughtful planning,” she says. “It was the tonic I needed and that kept me going - hope combined with action is powerful.”

“I also read A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough and ended up recreating one of my artworks

entirely just so that I could include this book in it,” Pamela tells AP.

TO TAP THE CORE The drive to create these complex composite works came from Pamela’s passion to awaken and empower in people a deeper consciousness around biodiversity.

As she explains, images of suffering wildlife or the crisp-burnt remains of a once lush landscape give her a feeling of despair.

On the other hand, fleeting moments of beauty in life and in nature, kindness, and birdsong, energise and inspire her.

At the same time, her works rebel against the notion of taking photographs of everything and anything without any purpose.

“Nothing in this body of work was left to chance,” she says. “Every single photograph taken for this project is important for its value in the ecosystem and for the threat that it faces.”

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PROFILE: PAMEL A PAULINE

“BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE THREATENED FLORA SPECIES WERE ABSOLUTELY TINY, I HAD TO USE MY MACRO LENS AND FOCUS STACK AS THE IMAGES NEEDED TO BE SHARP FROM PETAL TO LEAF, FROM FEATHER TO FEATHER...”

LEFT: Featuring 65 threatened plant species and 8 threatened bird species from across Australia, the final file for Biophilia Bouquet was a monster 24 Gigabytes made up of 307 Photoshop layers.

RIGHT: Featuring the Orange Bellied Parrot, Parrots in Peril also highlights other threatened species from its habitat of Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.

FIND OUT MORE You can see more of Pamela’s work at pamelapauline. com, on Instagram @pamelapauline photography and on Facebook at facebook.com/ PamelaPaulinePhotography.

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THIS PAGE: Highlighting hundreds of threatened flora and fauna from across the country, Once Upon a Time presents an otherworldly landscape that represents the biodiversity crisis facing Australia.

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F E ATU R E

THE CAPTURE

IN • • • • • • • •

COMPOSING

With all the photography for the series taken outdoors, Pamela had to work around the conditions mother nature offered on the day. Bright light and wind were the greatest challenges, which meant some plants had to be photographed on several occasions. In time, this would THE KIT prove a bonus by providing a larger number for her final selection.

Canon 5D Mark IV 16-35mm f/2.8 lens “Because so many of the threatened 28-135mm IS lens flora species were absolutely tiny, I had to 70-200mm f/2.8 lens use my macro lens and focus stack as the 100mm f/2.8L lens images needed to be sharp from petal to Tripod leaf, from feather to feather,” she explains.

Shutter release Because all the photographs that Plamp (plant clamp) make up the images are of living subjects and not cut, none of their original colour has been drained from them.

“I find that using a grey card helps to ensure colour accuracy and minimises post processing,” she says.

“And again, for definition, I adjust in Lightroom prior to bringing them into Photoshop where I create my compositions.”

By the time Covid-19 erupted, Pamela found she had time to begin composing the artworks. Working through her photographs of the threatened species, she selected images for the series that she entitled On the Brink.

“I started the laborious process of masking out the background of each photograph, leaving only the subject visible,” she says. “I repeated this process for every bit of flora and fauna in my artworks.”

But she wasn’t done. “The subject matter of threatened species is serious, and I felt it warranted more depth. As an artist, I had the opportunity to tell a much deeper story, with a thoughtful underlying message.”

The role of the artist in historical times became her guide.

“I knew I wanted to pay homage to 17th century still life artworks,” she explains. “A textbook definition would suggest that involved producing ‘a record of current day surroundings, creating work that expressed emotion and revealed truths that were universal or hidden and finally, work that helped people to view the world with a different or novel perspective’.”

However, unlike traditional still life artwork, all the flora featured in her images are still alive and in soil,

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PROFILE: PAMEL A PAULINE

and the birds are all living creatures. As Pamela reminds us “Neither flora nor fauna was injured in the making of these works”.

OPPOSITE: The Wisdom of Birds features the Gouldian Finch of the Northern Territory, along with the desert Flannel Flower and other threatened species from that region. The book by ornithologist Tim Birkhead completes the picture.

LAYERS AND LAYERS

BELOW: Cockatoo Dreaming presents a solitary Forest Red Tail Black Cockatoo along with the endangered Grevillea Scapigera, known only from a few small populations in Southwest Australia, mainly road verges.

Pamela’s next project was Fragile Beauty, Rich and Rare, a body of work that includes one work representative of each State and Territory, along with two general Australian still life works.

After painting 10 different backdrops to use in each, Pamela scoured second-hand shops for books relevant to the environment of each State and Territory, borrowed her mother-in-law’s globe, and polished up her beautiful hourglass. With all these items at hand, the scene was set.

“The compilation process was similar to the On the Brink series, but I had to hone my floristry skills for this one, making sure that the composition worked visually, and that each element had the right shadow,” she explains.

“Unlike most traditional floral still life images, these works incorporate an abundance of flora. Biophilia Bouquet, for example, has 65 threatened flora species and eight threatened bird species. At 307 layers and 24 Gigabytes, I told myself that done is better than perfect, and finished the piece!”

Adding that having a good monitor and a powerful computer is crucial to creating artworks that are highly composited. Pamela says she uses an Apple iMac Pro and an Eizo Monitor.

“When you are working with over 300 layers in one large piece, the processing is slow and laborious,” she explains. “I also use a Wacom tablet for the very fine detail work.”

In completing this project over several years, Pamela says she has learned much and seen the extraordinary work being done by passionate individuals across the conservation sector.

“I created a body of work that I believe will be lasting and important, documenting many of Australia’s threatened species that are alive in 2021. But to me, the most powerful work is that which comes from the heart. I believe that the positive energy generated in the creation is infused in it and cannot be replicated.

Finding that passion, and unique voice, can be the most challenging part of the creative process.”

For now, her work continues to shine bright, attracting a new audience who she hopes will be inspired to take action. “We will all need to be engaged and motivated citizens if we are going to ensure a future for our unique flora and fauna,” she says. ❂

SEE THE FRAGILE BEAUTY, RICH AND RARE EXHIBITION Pamela Pauline’s Fragile Beauty, Rich and Rare (10 artworks) will be exhibited as part of the Head On curated exhibitions for 2021. The exhibition runs from Monday 1 November through Tuesday 30 November at the Maunsell Wickes Gallery, 19 Glenmore Road, Paddington NSW, 2021.

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PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

I created this image Empty Memories as part of my 30-day self-portrait challenge in September 2020. To produce it, I used a total of four images, shot in natural light at sunrise using a Canon 80D with a 35mm Sigma Art f/1.2 lens.

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PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

FRAME YOURSELF!

BY C H A R L I SAVAG E

In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn to shoot and edit your own surreal self-portrait.

B

ack in 2018, my imagination was swimming in an ocean of ideas I had for photos, however, I neither had the skill nor the knowledge to convert these magical and strange worlds in my imagination to a physical storytelling image. That is, until I discovered the world of conceptual photography – an illustrative style of photography portraying your ideas and stories in a creative way.

After teaching myself how to use a camera and Photoshop, I started photographing other people to portray my ideas and stories. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, I began to realise that when you photograph someone else, it also becomes their story. Using yourself as your subject brings a personal element to your work that you cannot get when photographing another person. It’s because of this that I am now mainly a selfportrait photographer and I hope to inspire you to experiment, by putting yourself in front of the camera as well.

Today, I’m going to show you how to create your own version of my self-portrait image ‘Empty Memories’.

You’ll be photographing this concept as a self-portrait and compositing it together in Photoshop.

PREPARING YOUR SHOOT Preparing ahead of time will help make the whole process less stressful. Let’s look at what you’ll need.

EQUIPMENT You’ll of course need a camera and lens. I use a Canon 80D with a Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art Lens. My camera has built in WIFI which connects to my phone. I then have the Canon App which I use to take my photos.

If your camera doesn’t have WIFI, you can use a remote or set an interval timer (most cameras have these). You’ll also need a tripod. | 49 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

LIGHTING Lighting is incredibly important. When you composite images together, lighting needs to match so the images blend together. For this reason, I always photograph everything in the same location at the same time. I use natural light and my ideal lighting is overcast weather or during blue hour (just before sunrise and just after sunset).

LOCATION Suggested locations are a beach / park / field. The flatter the area, the better. When the background is busy (with buildings, trees, etc.) it can distract from your subject, so I always search for negative space – it’s like having a blank canvas with endless possibilities. Keep it simple.

COSTUME Think about what you’ll wear. I go for clothing that doesn’t appear to be from one specific time-period and | 50 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

LEFT: Writing down a shot list will save you time, especially on more complicated images.

There’s nothing worse than getting home and realising you forgot to shoot part of your image. Take note of what shots you need to get before you shoot.

I’m usually choosing vintage over modern, however, the choice is yours. You can scour op-shops for clothing or just use something already in your cupboard.

PROPS For this specific image you’ll only need one prop – a frame. I chose a square wooden one, but you can use any frame you like. I do recommend using a square / rectangular one (rather than circular one).

The size doesn’t matter, you’ll be able to adjust this in Photoshop.

SHOT LIST A shot list helps you remember what you need to photograph. For this image you’ll need a total of four shots – A base shot, which is an image of you walking away from the camera, two ‘expansion’ shots – an image above and below your base shot so you can expand your image to a square, and a shot of the frame – a straight on shot of the frame you’ll be using.

THE SHOOT Once on location, set your camera on your tripod.

I tend to adjust the height to around waist height and I position my camera in landscape orientation.

Then, adjust your settings to suit your lighting and environment. I have my camera set to autofocus and I always shoot in RAW. Let’s start with a test shot. Depending on what you’re using to shoot (timer, remote, phone app), take a shot of you in front of the camera. You can opt to physically be walking away from the camera and shooting several images, or you can just stand, back to the camera, and have one leg slightly backwards, like you’re in the middle of taking a step (this is what I did). I find the camera focuses better when I’m not actually moving. Once you’re in a position you’re happy with, shoot your base image.

Next, we’ll take our first ‘expansion’ shot. you’ll go back to your camera, switch the focus to manual and slightly tilt your camera up towards the top of your base frame and take a photo of the sky. Then, while remaining in manual focus, slightly tilt your camera down to take a photo of the ground just below your base frame. These images will allow you to expand your frame into a square orientation once in Photoshop.

Now it’s time to shoot the frame. Shift back into auto focus. Try to hold the frame without covering too much of it with your hands and hold the frame so it’s front on to the camera. Try to shoot your frame against a contrasting background (such as the sky if the frame is dark, or the grass if the frame is light). This will make it much easier to cut out in the editing phase.

Finally, before leaving the shoot, make sure your images are in focus and have similar lighting / angles.

There’s nothing worse than getting home and realising you need to reshoot because one or more of the photos isn’t suitable.

THE EDIT Before I jump into my edit, I sort through which photos I’ll use in Adobe Bridge. I five-star which ones I like best and then filter by five-star, so I don’t have to go searching for them. You may prefer to do this in Lightroom or by other means.

Typically, in Photoshop, there is more than one way to do a certain action. For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll be using tools that are easy to explain in writing, and easy to use!

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FIG 1 STEP

1

EXPANDING YOUR CANVAS Start by opening your base image. Because this image will be created in a square format, you need to expand your frame. To expand, click image > canvas size and change the size to 20x20in, or a size you want to create in, so long as it’s square.

Next, open the expansion images (above and below your base frame). Usually these will open in separate tabs, so you’ll need to move them into the tab with the base image. To do this, use the Move tool to drag and drop them into the tab with your base image.

FIG 2

BLEND THE IMAGES Now use the Move tool to align the sky image with the horizon in your base image.

Don’t worry about making it perfectly aligned, close enough is good enough. You can lower the opacity of the sky layer to assist with aligning if needed.

Then, create a mask on the sky layer, choose a soft, round Brush at 100% opacity/flow and put your Swatch colour on black. Slowly erase the bottom of the sky image up to where your base image ends. Your aim is to blend the two images together seamlessly so as to look like they are one.

Repeat with the ground image. Your image should now be framed as a square. | 52 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

STEP

2

COMPOSITING THE FRAME Next, open the image of your frame. You need to cut the frame out of the background so you can move it into place in your main image.

First, place a mask on the frame layer. Use the Pen tool to create pinpoints in the corners of the inside of the frame. Connect the last point with the first point. Right click > Fill Path (Contents: Black / Mode: Normal / Opacity: 100). Press OK. Now the middle of your frame should be empty.

Right click inside the frame and choose Delete Path. [See FIG3] Repeat the pinpoints around the outside of the frame, connecting the first and last points and then change the path operations to Subtract Front Shape and then right click > Fill Path. You should be left with just the frame.

Right Click > Delete Path.

Using the Move tool, drag the frame into your main image. Making sure the frame layer is selected, press CTRL J twice to create two copies of the frame layer. If you want more frames, create more copies. It’s

easiest to work on one frame at a time, so turn off the other frame layers so they’re out of the way for now. You can turn these off by clicking the eye icon next to the layer.

Press CTRL T to select the frame you’re working on and move it into the position you want. You can slightly rotate the frames as well if you wish. [see FIG4] Once in a position you like, hit Enter. Now, select the mask on the layer and using the Brush tool on a soft, round setting you’re going to slowly erase the bottom of the frame to blend into the sand.

Finally, turn the next frame layer back on and move it below the first frame layer. Then repeat the above process. And then do the same for the third frame layer (remember to move the layer under the first and second frames so it appears at the back).

NOTE: As the frames are placed further into the distance, you’ll need to make them smaller by using the CTRL T function. Use your eye to make sure the perspective looks correct.

FIG 3

FIG 4

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PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

FIG 5

STEP

3

LIGHTING & COLOUR

COLOUR

Now that all your frames are placed how you want them it’s time to make sure everything looks blended and clean before moving onto the colour grade.

Here’s a couple of things to check:

Once everything looks blended and you’re happy with how it looks, you can move onto colour grading your image. If you prefer to use Lightroom, then now is the time to shift your image from Photoshop to Lightroom. I prefer to colour grade in Photoshop using a mixture of Camera Raw, Curves and Selective Colour.

• Is the lighting on the frames consistent with the rest of the image? If not, group together the frames (Highlight all the frame layers and press CTRL G).

Create a Curves Adjustment Layer, right click on Layer > Create Clipping Mask. This clips the mask to the group of frames and therefore will only affect the frames. Lower the highlights or raise the mid tones, depending on the lighting of your frames. For my image, I lowered the highlights.

[See FIG5] • Does anything need to be cleaned up? For my image, I cleaned up the sand to remove some of the twigs and I also straightened out the footprints.

I did this by creating a new empty layer and using the Patch tool. To use it, circle the area you want to get rid of and drag it to a spot that it can copy from. [See FIG6]

TIP: THE VIEWER’S EYE WILL NATURALLY GO STRAIGHT TO THE BRIGHTEST PART OF THE IMAGE, SO MAKE SURE YOUR BRIGHTEST PART IS ON YOUR SUBJECT.

FINAL WORDS Congratulations! You created your first self-portrait.

I hope you found true enjoyment in this process and will continue to experiment with self-portraiture and conceptual photography. When you first start, I know it can feel overwhelming and difficult, but please do not let this deter you. I promise it gets easier. Keep following your curiosity and adventure into the unknown because that is where the magic happens. The possibilities are endless, so let your imagination run wild. ❂

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PHOTOSHOP: CR E ATE A COMPOSITE IMAGE

FIG 6

| 55 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

✔ TESTED: NIKON Z FC

NIKON Z FC

It’s easy to dismiss Nikon’s newest mirrorless camera as style over substance, but lift the lid and you’ll find a likeable camera, although one not without a few quirks, as Mike O’Connor finds out.

N

ikon’s Z fc harkens back to classic Nikon film cameras of old while delivering a fully modern user experience. From a design perspective, it’s clearly a home run and especially so if you grew up in an era of film winders and light meters. But at the same time, plenty of cynics out there haven’t been shy to declare it simply a reskinned Nikon Z 50 aimed at a retro-loving audience. What’s the truth? Well, like many things, it’s probably somewhere in the middle. Let’s take a closer look.

BODY Let’s get it out of the way – this is a gorgeous camera, and one that even my wife, long fatigued at seeing new cameras show up on our doorstep, immediate-

ly declared ‘a lovely piece of gear’. Those beautiful old-school manual dials for adjusting ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation on the top panel are well machined, and they have a reassuring weight and even more satisfying kerchunk when you twist them.

The ISO dial in particular is a lovely thing to use as an alternative to the more usual menu-based ISO adjustments we’re used to on modern cameras – although it is a little strange that there’s no Auto ISO setting built into it. Instead, you’ll need to delve into the menu and add ‘ISO Settings’ to My Menu if you want to engage and disengage Auto ISO. The shutter speed dial has whole-stop markings from 4 seconds to 1/4000sec, but there’s also a 1/3-step setting, that switches

to using a command dial to set the shutter speed in 1/3EV steps for finer adjustment. Like the ISO dial, there’s no Auto setting on the shutter speed dial either, so if you want to set the camera to say Aperture Priority, you’ll need to do this via a dedicated switch under the ISO dial. It’s a little unusual when compared to how Fujifilm integrate their automatic and semiautomatic settings on the X-series bodies, but it becomes intuitive quickly.

Built out of a magnesium alloy, the Z fc is surprisingly light, but it’s a bit of a shame it’s not weatherproofed, and the exterior is only a metal-look plastic rather than actual metal. Despite this, it’s a solidly built camera that also won’t weigh you down like a 40-year-old FM2 camera probably would.

Speaking of weight, it’s a real shame that the matching DX 16-50mm f3.5-6.3 kit lens is so dinky. At 135 grams and with a plastic lens mount, it’s so light as to feel unbalanced on the body. I’d love Nikon to have put as much care into the design of this as they clearly have with the Z fc body.

On the plus side, the rear flip out fully articulating LCD (the first on a Z-mount camera) is bright and clear, and folds away neatly to protect the LCD panel when not being used or can be rotated to face forwards for shooting selfies or vlogging. The LCD is responsive to touch, and you can also navigate the menu and make setting selections with a tap on the screen.

Finally, the Z fc’s 2360k-dot EVF is nice and sharp, and the rubberised eyepiece is very comfortable.

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✔ TESTED: NIKON Z FC

IMAGE QUALITY Nikon’s familiar 20.9 Megapixel CMOS image sensor (the same as in the Z 50) is paired to an EXPEED 6 engine that allows up to 11 frames per second still burst shooting. Unfortunately, the downside of my relatively early access to the Z fc was the lack of any RAW file support in the usual Adobe programmes, so the images you see in this review are processed JPEGs. That said, they held up nicely to a bit of pushing and pulling in post, up to about 3EV, and even the high ISO results above ISO 1600 were excellent with noise well controlled until around ISO 6400.

The out-of-camera colours from JPEGs are also nice and accurate, without looking over-saturated, and there’s a variety of creative modes as well if you fancy tinkering with them. I liked that you can also see a preview of these in the Menu as well.

AUTOFOCUS A 200-point hybrid autofocus system recognises approximately 87 percent of the frame horizontally and 85 percent vertically, and the Z fc also features EyeDetection AF and Animal-Detection AF in both stills and video modes. This is a nice addition as these features were originally only introduced on the higher-end full frame Nikon Z 7II and Z 6II and put the Z fc ahead of the Z 50 in this regard. However, as both cameras share the same imaging engine, it’s possible a firmware update could change this.

ABOVE: Peeling bark on a gumtree in my backyard. I found the Z fc a really great camera for candid shooting and casual shoots around the neighbourhood.

Nikon Z fc. Nikon 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens @ 27.5mm. 1/160s @ f8, ISO 400.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Fine detail of an Agave plant in my neighbour’s garden.

The kit lens is no macro lens, but works well enough in a pinch. Nikon Z fc.

Nikon 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens @ 50mm. 1/80s @ f8, ISO 125.

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✔ TESTED: NIKON Z FC

SCORE

RESULTS HANDLING ★ ★ ★ ★

8.2

Great. The physical control dials are beautifully machined, but I’d love to see an auto mode for ISO on the dial however.

FEATURES ★ ★ ★ ★

Built with the bones of the Z 50, The Z fc should keep most photographers happy.

AUTOFOCUS ★ ★ ★ ★

Solid. The improvements in video AF are welcome, and for subjects in good lighting you’ll find most AF settings very reliable.

IMAGE QUALITY ★ ★ ★ ★

Great. I really enjoyed the creative presets built into the Z fc, and images held up well in post.

VALUE FOR MONEY ★ ★ ★ ★

At $1,699, the Z fc is fairly priced, although if looks aren’t important to you the Z 50 will give you a very similar experience for less.

FINAL WORD From its achingly cool retro looks to its solid imaging features, there’s a lot to like with the Nikon Z fc.

If you’re looking for a take anywhere camera or something to sit alongside a more serious imagemaking tool, this would be a great choice.

SPECS Sensor

20.88MP CMOS

Format

DX (APS-C)

Lens mount

Nikon Z

Size

(W x H x D): 134.5 x 93.5 x 43.5mm

Weight

390g (body only)

Autofocus

Hybrid (phase and contrast detection) AF with 209 AF points, Eye AF and Subject Tracking Eye-detection AF for Humans and Animals instills and video

Video

4K at 30/25/24p and Full-HD at 120/100/60/50/25/24p

EVF

0.39-inch type OLED display, 2.36M dots

Rear LCD

3.2’, 1,036,800 dots (345,600 px)

Memory

SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I

Connectivity

Snapbridge 2.6; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Price

$1649 w/ Nikkor 16-50mm lens

More info

Nikon.com.au

RIGHT: Lockdown may have limited my photography opportunities, but I still found a few hidden gems to test out the Z fc, like this stair-set outside our local library. Nikon Z fc. Nikon 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens @ 20mm. 1/100s @ f8, ISO 200.

When shooting stills, the Z fc focus modes can now combine face and eye AF with a large focus zone, which makes finding a subject and sticking to it easier. I found the autofocus performance solid, although must admit my testing of it was limited to chasing my daughter around the house due to Sydney’s current lockdown.

VIDEO Video maxes out at 4K UHD at 30p, which uses the full sensor width, although for slow mo there’s also Full HD at up to 120fps.

The addition of the flip out LCD suggests Nikon see the z fc being used by vloggers, and there is a 3.5mm stereo mic input built in as well. However, a lack of a headphone socket for monitoring audio may put some people off.

But it’s the absence of in-body stabilisation that’s probably a bigger shame here, with Nikon instead relying on optically stabilised VR lenses to provide stabilisation on this

and the Z 50. Unfortunately, there’s just not many VR lenses on the market, something that is hard to see changing anytime soon. Still, the included kit lens is stabilised which is a plus.

OVERALL I really enjoyed shooting with the Z fc, and even its quirks are quickly forgiven when you take it out onto the streets.

It’s beautifully made, well designed and the sensor and autofocus are very good.

However, it’s worth remembering that the sensor resolution, video, and ISO range are shared with the Z 50 and there is a bit of a jump in price between the two. Ultimately then, it’s a question of style versus substance and how important this is to you. I think in my case however, style just pips it this time. ❂

| 58 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

M S I C R E A T O R Z 16

FIRST LOOK: MSI CREATOR Z16 Power your creativity with the MSI Creator Z16.

BY DYLAN GIANNAKOPOULOS

W

indows-based laptops have come a long way and MacBook Pros are no longer the default for photographers and creatives alike. MSI’s latest offering, the Creator Z16, sets to challenge the status quo with specs and hardware designed to satisfy even the most power-hungry creative professional.

As a travel and landscape photographer, being able to work remotely whilst on the road is essential. Traditionally I use a 13-inch laptop and whilst it gets the job done, the small screen has always been a bugbear, particularly when editing detail-rich, high megapixel images.

THE GOLDEN RATIO Enter the Creator Z16, which aims to address this issue by including a QHD+ 16” Touch Screen panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio display. Taking upon the principle of the Golden Ratio, the 16:10 aspect ratio enables the screen to be 11% larger than a traditional 16:9 screen.

This gives increased screen real estate for things such as video editor timelines and photo editing film strips.

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Colour accuracy and fidelity is everything in photo and video editing. The Creator Z16’s screen is equipped with True Pixel technology. This enables highly accurate colours and is hardware calibrated in the factory to give 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. Using the included software True Color, you can easily switch between colour spaces, fine-tune your settings and calibrate the screen using supported devices.

The touch screen panel also works seamlessly with Adobe Lightroom and enables you to scroll and flag images in a very natural way. Another unique feature of the Z16 is the Flip-n-Share function which is made possible thanks to the 180° lay-flat hinge design. I found having the laptop open like a book with the screen flush to a surface offered better ergonomics when using the touch screen.

POWER WHERE YOU NEED IT Unlike desktop computers, laptops traditionally struggle and show their weaknesses when it comes to handling resource-intensive tasks. The laptop I’ve been using is equipped with the latest Intel® 11th gen core™ i9 processor and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 Laptop

M S I C R E A T O R Z 16

6GB GPU. Using uncompressed, 61MP RAW files from the Sony a7rIV which average 120MB per image, I put the Z16 through its paces in both Lightroom and Photoshop, and the high-end specs make it a photo editing powerhouse.

1:1 previews are rendered quickly and adjustments are applied effortlessly.

Even after stacking multiple images in Photoshop, with adjustments applied, the Creator Z16 did not skip a beat. This is made possible thanks to MSI’s Cooler Boost Trinity+ Technology keeping things cool to minimise CPU and GPU thermal throttling.

FUNCTIONALITY FOR CREATIVES Within the Creator Z16 ultra-slim 15.9mm metal chassis, MSI has included 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports supporting up to 40Gbps bandwidth, 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo, and a UHS-III high speed Micro SD card reader for off-loading your drone footage. And, throwing back to their gaming roots, MSI has included a customisable RGB keyboard. Whilst this isn’t going to be a feature for everyone, it allows for an additional level of customisation. Equipped with the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology, the laptop can achieve fast, and stable connections with lower latency. To top it all off, the Z16 is powered by a massive 90Whr battery with fast-charge technology.

FINAL THOUGHTS Few things are as disruptive to the creative process as having a computer that can’t keep up with you. The MSI Creator Z16 gives you the performance of a desktop computer wrapped in a slim, portable package. With its high-end specs and creator-focused design and features, the aptly named Creator Z16 is the perfect companion for creative professionals. ❂ Find out more: au.msi.com/ContentCreation/Creator-Z16-A11UX/buynow

ABOVE: Boasting a QHD+ 16” Touch Screen panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio display, the Creator Z16 makes editing from any location possible.

RIGHT: MSI’s thoughtful inclusion of both USB type A and type C ports means I never have to worry about getting caught out without the right type of dongle. | 61 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

S P E CI A L P RO M OT I O N

DJI AIR 2S

DJI’s newest drone may not be the aircraft we expected to see, but that’s not to say it isn’t unwelcome, discovers Drew Hopper.

A

rriving just a year after the release of its predecessor, the Mavic Air 2, the Mavic Air 2S is a welcome, although perhaps unexpected, addition to the Chinese company’s consumer drone line-up.

Why unexpected? Well even I must admit that when I first heard DJI were releasing an upgrade to its Air line-up, my initial thought was ‘why?’. It wasn’t that long ago that DJI released the Mavic Air 2, which still stands as probably the best compact mid-tier drone on the market. And, at first glance, the Air 2S appears to be almost identical to its predecessor. The front of the drone has received a subtle redesign to accommodate additional upward-facing sensors, but otherwise, it’s the same compact formula we’ve seen before. But is that the whole story? Well, not quite. So, let’s dive into it.

BUILD QUALITY The design of DJI’s Mavic still stands as among the company’s greatest creations. By making the drone portable while still compact in size and weight, Mavic drones quickly became the ide| 62 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

✔ TESTED: DJI AIR 25

LEFT: An aerial of Look At Me Now Headland, Emerald Beach, NSW Australia. The Air 2S handled the strong westerly wind like a champion making some incredibly dynamic images during sunset hour light. DJI Air 2S, DJI 22.4mm f/2.8 lens. 1/1240s @ f/2.8, ISO 100. Processed RAW in Adobe Lightroom CC.

al travel companion for many photographers. You’ll be pleased to know this foldable design ethos is still alive and well with the Air 2S, even if it doesn’t carry the Mavic name - it fits snuggly in a hand, making it easy to store in a backpack or one of the padded lens slots in a camera bag.

The controller is the same as that on the Mavic Air 2 and Mini 2, although it doesn’t have external antennas like earlier models. It’s a rectangular, gray block with removable control sticks, several camera and flight control buttons, and USB-C charging.

Some people have found it challenging to fit a smartphone to the controller, but I didn’t. It’s ergonomic to hold, it feels solid and includes everything you need to operate, including the standard gimbal wheel on the rear left side and shutter button/video on-off button on the rear right side of the remote. I really like that the slider switch in the middle of the remote allows you to quickly switch between modes: Cine, Normal and Sport while the RTH (Return to Home) button is easily accessible should you need to RTH quickly.

THE CAMERA Only a few years ago, getting high-quality pictures and stills from a DJI drone meant paying a significant amount of money. The Phantom 4 Pro was the first consumer-oriented drone featuring a 1-inch sensor, but at launch that retailed for more than $2,000. Fast forward a year or two, and DJI launched the excellent Mavic Pro 2, which successfully combined a smaller body with a 1-inch sensor, but still retailed for north of $2,000.

Now, with the Air 2S, you get the benefits of a 1-inch sensor and the advantages of DJI’s most compact body, for just $1,699. To put it in perspective, the sensor is about four times as large, in terms of surface area, as the Mavic Air 2’s camera. Not only is it physically larger, but it also has more pixels, 20MP, as well.

Combine that camera and sensor with a three-axis gimbal that keeps it stabilised and level, with the option to adjust the gimbal to 90 degrees downwards and up to 24 degrees upwards (disabled by default to avoid props getting in your frame) and you have a seriously capable imaging tool.

One drawback for some users will be the lens’ fixed f/2.8 aperture, which unfortunately doesn’t give as much flexibility in adjusting the focal plane or controlling exposures on the fly. Instead, DJI recommend using ND filters to control shutter speed, with the Fly More Combo version ($2,099) including a set.

While personally I probably would prefer an adjustable aperture to make the most of flight time when shooting still images, the ND filters do work well if you pre-visualise your scene. By comparison, the Mavic Pro 2 has a variable aperture which may be preferred by some people, especially videographers who often require critical control over shutter speed.

Single Shot, Timed Photo, AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing), HDR, Panoramas, and Hyperlapses are just a few of the extensive camera modes available on the Air 2S. In addition, a new SmartPhoto mode records full-resolution images by utilising scene analysis and deep learning to pick the best of three possibilities for your shot – HDR, Hyperlight, and Scene Recognition – very trick.

Oh, and the image quality? The 22mm lens (full-frame equivalent) with that f/2.8 fixed aperture lens combines beautifully with the sensor. Of course, it’s at its best in good light, and at low ISO values between 100 - 800. I noticed less resolving power higher than ISO 800, so I recommend staying below this for maximum image quality. The 12.6 stops of dynamic range when shooting RAW is not only impressive, but allows plenty of room to push the files in post when bringing back shadow detail.

| 63 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

✔ TESTED: DJI AIR 25

LEFT: A birds eye view looking down at the rugged coastline on the northern beaches of Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia. Thanks to the battery life of the Air 2S I was able to make the most of my time flying up and down the coastline in search of the perfect composition. DJI Air 2S, DJI 22.4mm f/2.8 lens. 1/1240s @ f/2.8, ISO 100. Processed RAW in Adobe Lightroom CC.

SCORE

RESULTS HANDLING ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Great. A very simple and intuitive design making it a joy to operate both for novice and seasoned professionals.

9

BUILD QUALITY ★ ★ ★ ★

Both the quadcopter and controller are made from a tough plastic that gives it a premium feel.

FEATURES ★ ★ ★ ★

Plenty of useful features. For stills, the automated modes are good, although I wish DJI had included the variable aperture from the Mavic Pro 2.

IMAGE QUALITY ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

VIDEO The Air 2S can film at 5.4K resolution at 30 fps, as well as 4K Ultra HD at up to 60 fps and 1080p at up to 120 fps. 5.4K is an upgrade on the 4K of the Air 2, with each frame from a 5.4K clip containing about 16.8MP, about twice that of an 8MB 4K frame.

Interestingly, neither the Mavic 2 Pro nor the Mavic 2 Zoom can match these features (with video maxing out at 4K on both), making the Air 2S an appealing quadcopter for videographers.

IN FLIGHT As you might expect, the DJI Air 2S is incredibly simple to fly. The flight modes, automatic video modes, collision avoidance, and manual flight controls give as little or as much assistance as you need, whether you’re a complete novice or a seasoned professional. Speaking of collision avoidance, a new four-way obstacle avoidance detection system and APAS 4.0 (the newest iteration of an autopilot system to automatically avoid collisions simply from bypassing obstacles it encounters) makes for a confidence-inspiring flying experience.

The maximum flight time of the Air 2S is an impressive 31 minutes, although that is three minutes less than the Air 2. Of course, this time will vary greatly depending on flight con-

ditions and user configurations with the return to home low battery function. I like to set mine between 25% - 30% just in case the drone is a long distance from the home point. It’s also worth noting how quiet the Air 2S is.

Compared to my old Mavic Pro, it’s a much more peaceful experience, and there were times during flights that the lack of rotor noise meant I was unable to locate it in the sky.

Finally, on the bottom of the drone is a handy little auxiliary light to help with take-off and landing during low-light situations. This could also be used to create interesting light on your subject when working at night.

IN SUMMARY In my opinion, the Air 2S is one of the best consumer drones DJI has made to date.

Compact, user-friendly, and extremely versatile, the AIR 2S also has excellent image quality, solid low-light performance, and impressive battery life. The DJI Air 2S is a joyful experience to fly, and even better to photograph with.

I recommend it highly. ❂

Very impressive. The 1” sensor works excellently well in low light. Images are sharp and I’m confident they’ll print nicely.

FINAL WORD The DJI Air 2S is a high-quality compact drone.

If you are on a budget and cannot justify the price of the Mavic Pro 2, then the Air 2S will serve you well.

SPECS Take off weight

595g

Dimensions

Folded: 180×97×77 mm (length×width×height) Unfolded: 183×253×77 mm (length×width×height)

Max Flight Time (no wind)

31 minutes

Max Flight Distance (no wind)

18.5 km

Max Flight Speed (near 19 m/s (S Mode) sea level, no wind) 15 m/s (N Mode) 5 m/s (C Mode) Camera sensor

1” CMOS Effective Pixels: 20 MP; 2.4μm Pixel Size

Lens

f/2.8, 35mm equiv. 22 mm

Video

5.4K: 5472×3078 @ 24/25/30 fps 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps

Price

$1,699, $2,099 fly more combo

More info

dji.com

| 64 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

APS ONE FRAME

THE AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Membership with the Australian Photographic Society caters for enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals in photography.

The APS can help you improve your photography, increase your level of satisfaction and achievement with your images, and make lasting friendships with other photographers throughout Australia. All that is required is that you take two steps; the first, joining the society; the second, becoming involved in what it has to offer.

Find out more at a-p-s.org.au.

| 66 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

APS ONE FRAME

SURFERS AT SUNSET Covid may have scuppered international travel plans, but that’s just made APS photographer John Hodgson even more determined to explore his home country.

WITH JOHN HODGSON

A

s a member of the APS since 1980, I have spent more than 20 years working with slides and monochrome prints, taking up digital photography in 2003. I’ve always enjoyed photographing a diverse array of subjects, including landscapes, portraits, architecture, wildlife ands still life. Since 2007 my primary photographic interest has been making Audio Visuals, although I still compete with still images in the Adelaide and Eastern Suburbs camera clubs.

Since I retired in 2012, the principal driver of my photography has been travel, both in Australia and overseas, and a number of my audiovisuals have been based on images taken in Europe, Africa, North America, China, Japan, New Zealand and outback Australia.

The onset of Covid in early 2020 put paid to most of my travel plans, but an array of border closures in the middle of that year saw me traversing nearly 10,000 kilometers across six states and territories. It all began in June, when my wife and I drove from Adelaide to Melbourne to see our daughter, who’d just had her third baby. A Covid outbreak in Melbourne saw us head north into NSW via the ACT, to avoid having to quarantine when we returned to Adelaide. Further border closures forced us to continue heading north into Queensland, then across Queensland into the Northern Territory, from which we returned to Adelaide in late July, avoiding the need to quarantine.

The trip afforded us lots of photographic opportunities in all the states and territories visited, but the most productive spell was in Coolangatta, where we spent five days staying on the beachfront in beautiful winter weather, highlighted by walks along the beach early and late in the day to watch and photograph surfers. This image was taken at Coolangatta late in the afternoon, looking across the water towards Surfer’s Paradise.

What I wouldn’t give to be able to travel there again! ❂ NIKON D7100, NIKON 70-200 F/2.8 LENS @ 70MM. 1/160S @ F7.1, ISO 400. | 67 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

APS FOCUS

THE 2021 MULLINS CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHIC PRIZE WINNERS The Australian Photographic Society (APS) has announced Canberra-based photographer Ian Skinner as the winner of the 2021 Mullins Contemporary Photographic Prize (MACPP) for his work ‘Ashscapes’.

BY THE AP TEAM

I

TOP: Ashscapes

by Ian Skinner.

ABOVE: A New Place to Stay by Anne Pappalardo.

RIGHT: Night on the Tier by Ian Terry.

an’s work was selected as the winning entry by this year’s judging panel of photographic artists, including Jacqui Dean, Judith Nangala Crispin and Julie Williams.

As winner, Skinner takes home a $10,000 cash prize and his work will become part of the Muswellbrook Regional Art Centre’s permanent collection of post-war contemporary paintings, ceramics and photography.

Skinner is a member of the APS and its Contemporary Group and was also a finalist in the 2020 edition of the annual competition. His concept statement for Ashscapes reads: “The catastrophic fires in Southeastern Australia in 2019-2020 were shortly followed by torrential rain. The rivers and creeks disgorged vast quantities of debris from the conflagration into the ocean so that the waves turned grey with ash, and convulsed with charred remnants.”

“Where the gentler waves reached their zenith on the beaches, small flecks of carbonised vegetation rested in ephemeral patterns suggesting the hills, ridges and valleys of their living selves.”

Ian Terry of Hobart, Tasmania has received the Emergent Designs Award (a $500 voucher) for his work Night on the Tier. Like Skinner, he is a member of the APS and its Contemporary Group, and he was also a finalist in the 2020 competition.

Terry’s concept statement for Night on the Tier reads: “This image is part of an ongoing project responding to the journeys of George Augustus Robinson who, assisted by palawa (Indigenous Tasmanian) guides, walked through Van Diemen’s Land in the 1830s to persuade palawa still on Country to give up their resistance to the European invasion of their island.”

“In following Robinson with his journal in hand I am seeking to connect the historical with the contemporary, to make sense of my existence in this island of dreams which was stolen violently from

its first people. This fractured landscape is where Robinson spent his first night on one conciliation expedition.”

Anne Pappalardo of Brisbane, Queensland has won the Momento Pro Award (a $250 voucher) for her work A New Place to Stay.

Her concept statement reads: “For 50 years, mum and dad had Christmas holidays at the Tallebudgera Caravan Park on the Gold Coast, Queensland. This place was where our most cherished family memories were made.”

“Age meant they reluctantly but bravely sold their vintage caravan and booked a spectacular high-rise beachfront apartment nearby at Burleigh, with high hopes for this journey toward a new tradition.”

“It rained torrentially and constantly for their two-week stay, and I took these images to reflect the gloom of our spirits and my parents’ remorse at the disappointing beginning to this ‘fabulous’ new holiday ritual.”

The winning works and those of all the other finalists, together with their associated concept statements can be found at a-p-s.org.au/index.php/exhibition/mullins-conceptual-photography-prize. ❂

| 68 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

IMAGE DOCTOR

IMAGE DOCTOR

Images need a pick-me-up? The doctor will see you now.

BY SAIMA MOREL

CENTRE STAGE This was taken by Amy Sansom on the mid north coast of NSW, and “is considered a ‘secret spot’ by locals with a reef break that only occurs with a certain wind and swell combination”.

The colour in that wave is quite gorgeous, and the light hitting the top breaks it into layers, giving it an even better effect. The white billowing spume is an added bonus. The diagonal of the foreground silhouette is also a nice touch. The lighting is cold and with those dark craggy foreground rocks and bushes gives a slightly ominous feel, but then the eye moves past that on to that wonderfully lit wave. My one thought is that the top third

of the water is pretty dead and doesn’t add anything to the image, so why not crop it to allow the really special elements to take “centre stage”?

SAIMA’S TIP: Look for the weakest, least interesting parts of an image, and frame to eliminate them.

TITLE: Hidden gem PHOTOGRAPHER: Amy Sansom DETAILS: Lumix GH5, Lumix G Vario 12-35mm f2.8 II lens @ 35mm.

1/800s @ f3.2, ISO 200.

THE RE-EDIT This is one of Blane Coulcher’s older photographs taken of an impending front. He wrote that “at the time I had recently come back to photography and my post editing skills were fairly nascent. Recently I had some time on my hands and I selected some old photos and had another crack at post editing in Lightroom with my deeper experience. Subsequently I have deepened shadows, and increased clarity and contrast. I like here the gothic symbolism of the impeding new order and the anticipatory smile of the angel, as she looks over ‘her’ proteges”.

That stormy sky and clouds are really quite special - after looking online I thought maybe they were nimbostratus(?). They provide a sensational background, and it’s great to have such a strong foreground interest with the statue.

It’s a shame that the angel’s feet are sitting so close to the edge of the frame. A little more space there would make the image look less truncated or chopped off at the bottom. Since you are working on your editing skills, it should be easier to go back and make the blacks a little blacker.

As is the contrast is a touch on the flat side, and this would give a bit more drama.

TITLE: Revelations PHOTOGRAPHER: Blane Coulcher DETAILS: Olympus OMD 1.1 @ 24mm focal length; 1/100s @ f20, 200 ISO. | 70 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

SAIMA’S TIP: Time can change your perspective and skills, so revisiting photos shot a month, a year ago, or even five years ago, can open up worthwhile possibilities.

TITLE: Untitled PHOTOGRAPHER: Troy Tompkins DETAILS: Nikon D850, 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens @ 600mm. 1/1250s @ f6.3, ISO 400.

JUST A FEW TWEAKS Troy Tompkins wrote: “This photo is of an Australasian Grebe that I came across while visiting my sister at Roma Queensland. There was a family of them on her dam so one afternoon as the sun was setting I snuck in and as they all ducked into the water I lay down by the edge of the dam. I could just peacefully watch them as they did their thing and I could get many photos. It was a beautiful afternoon”.

Shooting into the light has produced a simple and effective reflection image.

It is quite minimal and clean with no distractions such as spots or detritus on the water. I think that you could get even more out this bird’s colour through postproduction. You could enhance the yellow under the eye, and, using the sponge tool, you could emphasise the brown in the feathers of the body and the reddish tones on the neck. Just a little tweaking could make a good image even better.

SAIMA’S TIP: Looking at online images of the same subject matter can be inspiration to take your photos to another level. | 71 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

IMAGE DOCTOR

RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB This image was taken by Cameron Stewart with his Go Pro 7 Black so he could mark the location with GPS for a visit on another day. He says he found this wrecked boat near Bribie Island in Queensland while wandering the shoreline away from all the populated beaches, looking for interesting subjects.

This boat is a great subject, but unfortunately I think the camera has let you down here. As a video camera, it is good, but the size of the sensor is a limitation for stills. The result is that the image is quite pixellated and there is some banding in the sky. The colour in the sky

is nice, but the messy footprints in the foreground don’t add much, and it would be worth correcting the curve on the horizon right. Since you sent in the recognisance shot, I am guessing you haven’t been back to do a shoot. I just hope you use a still camera if you do!

SAIMA’S TIP: Tools – including cameras – are designed for specific uses, and using them for something different purposes is a risk.

TITLE: Untitled PHOTOGRAPHER: Cameron Stewart DETAILS: GoPro Hero 7 Black. 1/1000s @ f2.8, ISO 304.

MAKE IT CLEAR In this macro image, Akira Nakajima captured an origami crane in a small water droplet. He wrote,” The origami crane was suspended behind the water droplet that was clinging to a small twisted twig that I found in my vegetable garden.

The twig was positioned just above the water surface. You can also see a tiny air bubble in the water droplet. Nothing was added to the image through editing, the glittering appearance is a result of focus stacking”.

This looks like an indoor scene though the description suggests it was shot outdoors. It is one of those images that makes you scratch your head wondering what it is. It reminds me of those glass paperweights containing lovely frozen artefacts. I think that it shows good technical skills to get strong depth of field with those multiple images. Well done in terms of technique, but I am not so sure about the content.

The backdrop and the origami crane are colourless, and the highlight in the diaphragm and scratchy effects just add a little confusion.

SAIMA’S TIP: If an image needs too much explanation, it may just be too esoteric.

TITLE: In a Drop of Dew “Origami Crane” PHOTOGRAPHER: Akira Nakajima DETAILS: Fuji X-T3, Laowa 65mm 2.8 lens. 1/30s @ f5.6, ISO 160. | 72 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

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IMAGE DOCTOR

LIGHT AND DARK, YIN AND YANG While Bruce McDonald was “photographing an easterly seascape of waves, rocks and clouds, the sun began to paint up the sky from the north. I quickly relocated to a north-facing spot where the tide and swell moves along an eroded rock channel. It produced an ethereal effect between the rocks and the changing pastel sky”.

Your image gets a big tick for colour, being pin sharp front to back and a lovely smoky effect. That timed exposure has produced that “ethereal” result in the water against the rough textures of the rocks.

One option would be to make the rocks darker by

TITLE: Snapper Sky PHOTOGRAPHER: Bruce McDonald DETAILS: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens @ 16mm. 15s @ f16, ISO 100, tripod.

5% to 10% as darkness will emphasise the smoky water and make it stand out more. You have gone for a wide angle to capture as much as possible, but it is almost too much content. The best bits are in the smoky water in the middle and left. Cropping in could draw more attention to those rocks under the surface of the smoky water. You just don’t need as much of the rock platforms in the frame, especially that on the right.

SAIMA’S TIP: Darkness enhances the lighter elements of an image.

• Email entries to: imagedoctor@ australianphotography.com with “Image Doctor” in the subject line.

• Include your name, image title and up to 150 words about how you created it.

• Only one image per person per month.

• Images must be saved in JPEG format.

Maximum file size is 5MB. Include your name in the filename of the image.

• An Australian address is required in order to receive the prize.

• Employees of Yaffa Publishing or the sponsor are not eligible to win the prize.

• The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

M PE T I T

I

S

Find out more at asus.com.

HOW TO SUBMIT AN IMAGE

CO TO

ON

Thanks to our great sponsors ASUS, Amy Sansom has won an ASUS ProArt Display PA148CTV monitor valued at $599. The ASUS ProArt PA148CTV is a 14-inch FHD 10-point touch portable monitor designed for creators. It delivers exceptional colour thanks to 100% sRGB and 100% Rec. 709 colour spaces, and it is world’s 1st portable monitor that reach Calman Verified certification and factory precalibrated to provide a Delta E < 2 color difference.

The anti-glare IPS panel features wide viewing angles with minimal color shift, even when viewed from off-center positions.

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| 74 | OCTOBER 2021 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM