Digital Photo - February 2016

47

PROJECTS TIPS & IDEAS TO DO NOW!

SHOOTING

ISSUE 204 MARCH 2016 £4.99

ENHANCE LANDSCAPES WITH NIGHT SKIES

STARS

MASTER CURVES IN PHOTOSHOP Take expert control

Enhance your landscapes with glorious night skies

of contrast & colour

THE GREAT INDOORS

CAPTURE AMAZING IMAGES AT HOME Simple props. Smart camera skills Learn off-camera flash

MASTER CURVES IN PHOTOSHOP

Get better lighting the easy way

Think in threes

Present pics in a new way with 30 exclusive triptych templates

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MARCH 2016 ISSUE 204 £4.99

DIGITAL PHOTO MARCH 2016 ISSUE 204

Improve every shot you take

INSPIRING TECHNIQUES FOR STUNNING IMAGES!

Get long exposure skies

Shoot striking close-ups

Achieve dreamy sunsets in Photoshop Freeze moments the eye can’t see

Create elegant abstracts Pep up portraits in Lightroom Make photo art in minutes!

Enhance mood with the power of RAW!

PLANET PHOTO

By merging multiple files in Photoshop, Scott could include a dramatic starry sky in his landscape.

Your fresh fix of inspiration from the world’s best photographers

THE BIG PICTURE

A sea of stars Low-light landscapes can be brought to life by including the stars in the skies above.

This was exactly the case for Scott McCook when he was trying to bring a fresh angle to a coastal landscape shoot. “I set out with this vision to create a unique setting in one of Western Australia’s most beautiful coastal areas – Wyadup Rocks,” he explains.

With dark skies at this location, the Milky Way can be captured in its true glory, but to include the glow of the night sky in the rock pool foreground, Scott had to shoot multiple images at various exposures before blending the frames together in Photoshop. “The image took hours to fine-tune, but the result is somewhere that exists not only on this planet but also partly in my mind. For me, that’s what photography is all about.”

SCOTT McCOOK

What was used Camera Nikon D810 & 14-24mm lens Exposures Various Software Photoshop Visit 500px.com/scottmccook

8 DIGITAL PHOTO

GET THIS SHOT You can discover a simple technique to shoot and add star-filled skies to any landscape on page 32, but to get the best Milky Way images, you need dark skies.

In the UK there’s lots of light pollution, but the darkest area is in Northumberland – visitnorthumberland.com

DIGITAL PHOTO 9

PLANET PHOTO

By merging multiple files in Photoshop, Scott could include a dramatic starry sky in his landscape.

Your fresh fix of inspiration from the world’s best photographers

THE BIG PICTURE

A sea of stars Low-light landscapes can be brought to life by including the stars in the skies above.

This was exactly the case for Scott McCook when he was trying to bring a fresh angle to a coastal landscape shoot. “I set out with this vision to create a unique setting in one of Western Australia’s most beautiful coastal areas – Wyadup Rocks,” he explains.

With dark skies at this location, the Milky Way can be captured in its true glory, but to include the glow of the night sky in the rock pool foreground, Scott had to shoot multiple images at various exposures before blending the frames together in Photoshop. “The image took hours to fine-tune, but the result is somewhere that exists not only on this planet but also partly in my mind. For me, that’s what photography is all about.”

SCOTT McCOOK

What was used Camera Nikon D810 & 14-24mm lens Exposures Various Software Photoshop Visit 500px.com/scottmccook

8 DIGITAL PHOTO

GET THIS SHOT You can discover a simple technique to shoot and add star-filled skies to any landscape on page 32, but to get the best Milky Way images, you need dark skies.

In the UK there’s lots of light pollution, but the darkest area is in Northumberland – visitnorthumberland.com

DIGITAL PHOTO 9

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The Manfrotto PIXI EVO supports a wide range of camera and lens systems weighing up to 2.5kg. The tripod boasts twosection legs which are adjustable in five different steps, and offers two different leg angles via a sliding selector, enabling lowangle shooting. The fitted ball head allows you to shoot in landscape or portrait format, and an exposed dial under the 1/4in thread makes attaching your camera easy. Great for table-top shots and highly portable for outdoor use, it’s a fantastic accessory for every photographer.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. Offer closes on 25/02/2016. Please allow up to 28 working days to receive your gift, if the offer is oversubscribed we may send you an alternative gift. Gifted offer is available to UK subscribers only. Direct Debit is continuous until cancelled with your own bank. 55% saving is made when you purchase a print and digital subscription together. BT landline calls cost 4p a minute. Charges from other landline providers or mobiles may vary. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). Calls may be monitored for training purposes. For full terms and conditions please visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions. Closing date is 25th February 2016.

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AMAZING READER OFFER CHOOSE ONE OF THESE GREAT VALUE PACKAGES

ENJOY A YEAR OF DIGITAL PHOTO AND GET A MANFROTTO PIXI EVO

GIFT WORTH £44

PRINT EDITION DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR £53 for 13 issues by annual Direct Debit + Manfrotto PIXI EVO £59 for 13 issues + Manfrotto PIXI EVO when you pay by credit/debit card/PayPal

BEST OFFER!

PRINT & iPAD EDITION FOR INSTANT ACCESS £58 for 13 issues by annual Direct Debit + Manfrotto PIXI EVO

The Manfrotto PIXI EVO supports a wide range of camera and lens systems weighing up to 2.5kg. The tripod boasts twosection legs which are adjustable in five different steps, and offers two different leg angles via a sliding selector, enabling lowangle shooting. The fitted ball head allows you to shoot in landscape or portrait format, and an exposed dial under the 1/4in thread makes attaching your camera easy. Great for table-top shots and highly portable for outdoor use, it’s a fantastic accessory for every photographer.

iPAD EDITION FOR INSTANT ACCESS

SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO BENEFIT FROM:

£40 for 13 issues by annual Direct Debit + Manfrotto PIXI EVO

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE FREE UK DELIVERY TO YOUR DOOR OR INSTANT DOWNLOAD TO YOUR DIGITAL DEVICE

£64 for 13 issues + Manfrotto PIXI EVO when you pay by credit /debit card/PayPal

SAVE MONEY ON SHOP PRICES PLUS WE’LL SEND YOU A FANTASTIC MANFROTTO PIXI EVO

SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE OR ONLINE QUOTE REF: BCAA

w w w.greatmagazines.co.uk /dp

£40 for 13 issues + Manfrotto PIXI EVO when you pay by credit/debit card/PayPal CAMERAS SHOWN ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE OFFER

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. Offer closes on 25/02/2016. Please allow up to 28 working days to receive your gift, if the offer is oversubscribed we may send you an alternative gift. Gifted offer is available to UK subscribers only. Direct Debit is continuous until cancelled with your own bank. 55% saving is made when you purchase a print and digital subscription together. BT landline calls cost 4p a minute. Charges from other landline providers or mobiles may vary. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). Calls may be monitored for training purposes. For full terms and conditions please visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions. Closing date is 25th February 2016.

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THE

TS A E GRINDOOR

DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF...

Whatever the weather’s doing, you can take stunning, creative shots in the warm and dry.

Here are six great projects to get you underway WORDS & PICS BY THE DIGITAL PHOTO TEAM

PROJECT ONE

Make a message in your meal for a tasty kitchen-based still-life

MATTY GRAHAM / BAUER

This fun idea looks fantastic, can be set up in your kitchen and the only cost involved is 50p for a tin of alphabet spaghetti! A little prep work is needed and this starts by emptying the spaghetti onto a plate. Sift through with a fork to find the letters you need, before pouring the leftover sauce onto a second plate. Arrange the letters into a message, and place the plate on a textured background like a wooden chopping board or a gnarly old table. Set up your camera and tripod so you can shoot directly down on your subject. Switch the camera to Aperture priority mode (Av or A on the mode dial) and select a mid-range aperture of f/8 to get the sharpest results from the lens. Place a desk lamp low to one side to accentuate the shapes and create highlights in the pasta, and use Live View mode to assess the results before you shoot.

22 DIGITAL PHOTO

TAKE SELFIES WITH A DIFFERENCE OVER THE PAGE

DIGITAL PHOTO 23

THE

TS A E GRINDOOR

DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF...

Whatever the weather’s doing, you can take stunning, creative shots in the warm and dry.

Here are six great projects to get you underway WORDS & PICS BY THE DIGITAL PHOTO TEAM

PROJECT ONE

Make a message in your meal for a tasty kitchen-based still-life

MATTY GRAHAM / BAUER

This fun idea looks fantastic, can be set up in your kitchen and the only cost involved is 50p for a tin of alphabet spaghetti! A little prep work is needed and this starts by emptying the spaghetti onto a plate. Sift through with a fork to find the letters you need, before pouring the leftover sauce onto a second plate. Arrange the letters into a message, and place the plate on a textured background like a wooden chopping board or a gnarly old table. Set up your camera and tripod so you can shoot directly down on your subject. Switch the camera to Aperture priority mode (Av or A on the mode dial) and select a mid-range aperture of f/8 to get the sharpest results from the lens. Place a desk lamp low to one side to accentuate the shapes and create highlights in the pasta, and use Live View mode to assess the results before you shoot.

22 DIGITAL PHOTO

TAKE SELFIES WITH A DIFFERENCE OVER THE PAGE

DIGITAL PHOTO 23

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND

CAPTURE THE SKY AT NIGHT

Combine capture and Photoshop skills to suspend a dramatic, star-speckled sky over a scene.

Create stunning starlit scenes with a clever blend of camera skills and Photoshop techniques WORDS & PICS BY JON ADAMS

A

dding some drama in the heavens is a sure-fire way to improve any landscape and architectural image, and if you always carry a camera, you’ll never miss out on the opportunity to shoot your own stock of inspiring star-scapes. Capturing great skies during daylight hours is point-and-shoot easy, but the night sky presents much more of a challenge. Looking up at the starfield on a clear night is an awe-inspiring sight, and next time you see it, take a moment to capture its glory – a picture incorporating a night sky invokes that same sense of wonder in your viewer. Unlike daytime skies though, night skies require a little more camera knowledge, and a specific setup.

In this technique, we’ll show you how to capture a great night sky, and how to process the picture to make it really shine. This bit requires RAW conversion software – you’ll find Adobe Camera Raw built in to Photoshop and Elements, and it involves nothing more than adjusting a few sliders.

With your night sky captured and enhanced, we’ll then reveal a seamless way to blend it into other pictures. These can be true night scenes you’ve recorded with a long exposure, but with a few processing tricks, you can even use pictures you’ve taken during the day. From start to finish, no highly specialised kit is needed, so provided you have a DSLR or CSC and a tripod, you’re all set to head into the dark and capture the celestial wonder of the night.

Required kit DSLR or CSC

Tripod A 30secs exposure is needed, so a sturdy tripod is essential to keep your camera still.

32 DIGITAL PHOTO

JON ADAMS / BAUER

Any camera that can shoot in Manual exposure mode is perfect for this project.

TECHNIQUE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE OVER THE PAGE DIGITAL PHOTO 33

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND

CAPTURE THE SKY AT NIGHT

Combine capture and Photoshop skills to suspend a dramatic, star-speckled sky over a scene.

Create stunning starlit scenes with a clever blend of camera skills and Photoshop techniques WORDS & PICS BY JON ADAMS

A

dding some drama in the heavens is a sure-fire way to improve any landscape and architectural image, and if you always carry a camera, you’ll never miss out on the opportunity to shoot your own stock of inspiring star-scapes. Capturing great skies during daylight hours is point-and-shoot easy, but the night sky presents much more of a challenge. Looking up at the starfield on a clear night is an awe-inspiring sight, and next time you see it, take a moment to capture its glory – a picture incorporating a night sky invokes that same sense of wonder in your viewer. Unlike daytime skies though, night skies require a little more camera knowledge, and a specific setup.

In this technique, we’ll show you how to capture a great night sky, and how to process the picture to make it really shine. This bit requires RAW conversion software – you’ll find Adobe Camera Raw built in to Photoshop and Elements, and it involves nothing more than adjusting a few sliders.

With your night sky captured and enhanced, we’ll then reveal a seamless way to blend it into other pictures. These can be true night scenes you’ve recorded with a long exposure, but with a few processing tricks, you can even use pictures you’ve taken during the day. From start to finish, no highly specialised kit is needed, so provided you have a DSLR or CSC and a tripod, you’re all set to head into the dark and capture the celestial wonder of the night.

Required kit DSLR or CSC

Tripod A 30secs exposure is needed, so a sturdy tripod is essential to keep your camera still.

32 DIGITAL PHOTO

JON ADAMS / BAUER

Any camera that can shoot in Manual exposure mode is perfect for this project.

TECHNIQUE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE OVER THE PAGE DIGITAL PHOTO 33

PHOTOSHOP GENIUS

EMULATE A LONG EXPOSURE

RECREATE LONG EXPOSURE LANDSCAPES Get dynamic streaked clouds from sharp shots – all thanks to Photoshop’s Radial Blur filter TECHNIQUE & PICS BY MATTY GRAHAM

At a glance

You’ll learn How to recreate a long exposure effect on skies in landscapes You’ll need Photoshop or Elements Time required 5 minutes Difficulty level Easy

On the disc

Video lessons Watch as Matty runs through this innovative Photoshop technique on your computer screen.

Start images Try out the project using Lake.jpg – it can be found in the Start Images folder.

W

ith clouds scudding across the frame in an other-worldly manner, the lure of a long exposure landscape is strong.

All static elements remain fixed and sharp, but anything moving blurs out to reveal the passing of time.

To get this look in-camera, you need a strong Neutral Density filter to reduce the light entering the lens. You also need some time as each exposure can last in excess of a minute. But with Photoshop or Elements, you can emulate the effect of this optical filter by using a digital one. The Radial Blur filter doesn’t just add circular motion blur to an image as its name suggests – it can also add a zoom blur effect.

It unlocks the potential to create the drama of a long exposure with just a few clicks.

Before

After This shot was taken with a Canon EOS 100D DSLR using a focal length of 18mm. The camera was set to Aperture priority mode and an aperture of f/8 was used.

68 DIGITAL PHOTO

In just minutes, the clouds can be turned into blurred streaks, giving the look of a long exposure.

DIGITAL PHOTO 69

PHOTOSHOP GENIUS

EMULATE A LONG EXPOSURE

RECREATE LONG EXPOSURE LANDSCAPES Get dynamic streaked clouds from sharp shots – all thanks to Photoshop’s Radial Blur filter TECHNIQUE & PICS BY MATTY GRAHAM

At a glance

You’ll learn How to recreate a long exposure effect on skies in landscapes You’ll need Photoshop or Elements Time required 5 minutes Difficulty level Easy

On the disc

Video lessons Watch as Matty runs through this innovative Photoshop technique on your computer screen.

Start images Try out the project using Lake.jpg – it can be found in the Start Images folder.

W

ith clouds scudding across the frame in an other-worldly manner, the lure of a long exposure landscape is strong.

All static elements remain fixed and sharp, but anything moving blurs out to reveal the passing of time.

To get this look in-camera, you need a strong Neutral Density filter to reduce the light entering the lens. You also need some time as each exposure can last in excess of a minute. But with Photoshop or Elements, you can emulate the effect of this optical filter by using a digital one. The Radial Blur filter doesn’t just add circular motion blur to an image as its name suggests – it can also add a zoom blur effect.

It unlocks the potential to create the drama of a long exposure with just a few clicks.

Before

After This shot was taken with a Canon EOS 100D DSLR using a focal length of 18mm. The camera was set to Aperture priority mode and an aperture of f/8 was used.

68 DIGITAL PHOTO

In just minutes, the clouds can be turned into blurred streaks, giving the look of a long exposure.

DIGITAL PHOTO 69

CHANGING LIGHT

Variable Neutral Density filters are highly versatile exposure control accessories, and this month we assess three kit lens-friendly models under £90 TEST BY DAN MOLD

KENKO

HOYA

SRB

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Filter thread

G

enerally, to change your exposure, you have three options. You can make the shutter speed faster or slower, increase or decrease the size of the aperture, or adjust your camera’s ISO to make it more or less sensitive to light. But what do you do when you don’t want to change these parameters, or you’ve reached the maximum setting and still aren’t getting the desired exposure? Well, an accessory called a Variable Neutral Density, or VND for short, can be attached to the front of your lens and rotated to let in the amount of light you want.

A ND3-ND400 reduces the amount of light by around 1-8 f-stops. The minimum setting is good for when you want to reduce the light by a touch, while the maximum makes it possible to create ultra-long exposures, turning moving elements into a smooth blur.

While it’s possible to use several standard ND filters to block out different amounts of

light, a VND is more portable and less hassle, as you only have to attach a single filter.

The VND’s we looked at are all circular screw-in types, so they attach directly to the filter thread of your lens. This means you don’t have to buy or carry around an additional filter holder – the norm with regular ND filters. There are two types of filters on test, Variable Neutral Density (VND) and Variable Density (VD). VND filters claim a completely neutral colour cast so shouldn’t cause White Balance issues, while VD filters don’t make this claim.

These versatile filters are also extremely useful for anyone with an interest in DSLR videography. It’s best not to change the aperture to control the light in a video as this will change the depth-of-field and lead to inconsistent sharpness. Instead, attach a VND and turn the outer ring to get the correct exposure both indoors and out.

The circular filters on test are available in different filter threads to fit all manner of lenses.

Generally speaking, the larger the filter thread, the higher the price. Check the filter thread of the lens you want to use it with before buying.

Light-stopping power The filters reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor by different amounts. The lower the minimum number – the more light you’ll be able to let in, while the higher the maximum number, the more light you can block out.

Neutrality Check whether the filter is Variable Neutral Density (VND) or Variable Density (VD). The former shouldn’t introduce colour casts at any strength setting, while a Variable Density filter doesn’t promise to give consistent colour.

Included accessories Extra accessories, such as a case to store your filter, or handles that can be screwed into the front filter ring to help you smoothly adjust the strength level are of benefit, so look out for them.

DIGITAL PHOTO 105

VND FILTER GROUP TEST HOYA 52MM

KENKO 52MM

Sizes available 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82mm Price range £89-£169

Sizes available 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82mm Price range £59.50-£104.99

VARIABLE DENSITY X3-400 £89

PL FADER VARIABLE ND-3-ND400 £59.50

H

oya’s x3-400 is the only light-control filter we looked at to be billed as a Variable Density (VD), rather than Variable Neutral Density. This means it makes no promises about offering consistent colour transmission, though in our tests, it still gave good results (see page 110).

It’s available in eight sizes, ranging from 52-82mm. We looked at the smallest 52mm version and it was the most costly filter of the bunch. With a street price of £89 it’s three times the cost of SRB’s 52mm ND fader.

For your outlay, you get a 1.5-8.6 stops of light control in a portable package. If your camera requires a shutter speed of 1/250sec for a standard exposure, Hoya’s Variable Density would take this to 1/90sec at the minimum setting, and increase it to 1.6secs when set to its full strength.

Its black Almite frame feels hard-wearing and durable, and it has a slender width of 9.45mm. It slim when mounted too, protruding by just 7mm. Although thin, you can still get a good purchase on the adjustment ring as

K

1.5-8.6 STOPS

The adjustment ring sits flush with the filter barrel which makes it easy to find and turn.

“ UNLIKE ITS COMPETITORS, THE CONTROL RING ON HOYA’S VD FILTER SITS FLUSH WITH THE RIM MAKING IT EASY TO TURN” unlike its rivals, this sits flush with the filter rim. This was a bit of a double-edged sword – it made it a little trickier to remove as it was harder to get a grip on the rim itself.

Hoya’s VD filter has the smallest diameter on test of 54.3mm making it highly portable, but the provided hard case is quite large, possibly to accommodate all of the sizes Hoya makes in this range. The case measures 96x16mm which occupies much more space in your camera bag.

A quarter turn takes Hoya’s Variable Density filter from its maximum setting to the minimum, though it was the only filter here to label the minimum and maximum with regards to light transmission rather than stopping power. This was a little counterintuitive and took some getting used to.

There are two 90° gauges on opposite sides of the filter rim which take up a total of 180° of the filter rim. This means the remaining 180° area is a no-go zone where results are hard 106 DIGITAL PHOTO

Two gauges around the filter’s rim show you the amount of light restriction.

to measure and image quality is compromised drastically. Each gauge is divided up into 12 small notches, though it would have been more useful for the gauge to show eight notches at full stop intervals like we found on Kenko’s PL fader.

Because the filter is the smallest we looked at, we found it to be quite tricky to fine-tune the gauge to an exact setting.

Hoya claims the VD x3-400 will take a clip cap, but the 52mm lens cap from the lens we used only just sat on the filter, so you’ll need the next cap size up to protect the filter properly.

Verdict Pros: Lightweight, compact, easy to use the control ring when looking through the viewfinder Cons: Image quality compromised when not set to the gauge, hard to set in full stop increments

HANDLING IMAGE QUALITY VALUE FOR MONEY OVERALL VERDICT

✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪

enko’s PL Fader is available to fit eight different lens filter threads, ranging from 52mm to 82mm. We tested the 52mm version which has a street price of £59.50. This places it in between the most expensive Hoya model, and most affordable SRB filter reviewed here.

The PL Fader has the ability to reduce light by 1-8 stops, so this will turn a standard shutter speed of 1/250sec into 1/90sec at the minimum setting or 1.6secs at the maximum setting.

The ‘ND’ part of Kenko’s VND filter stands for Neutral Density so colours shouldn’t be affected in your images, but we’ll look at its image quality a little later (page 110).

The Kenko PL Fader was the heaviest filter of the three we assessed. Tipping the scales at 33g, it’s 10g heavier than the SRB model and 7g heavier than Hoya’s VD. This is hardly a huge amount in the grand scheme of things, and it

“ THE POWER GAUGE WAS THE ONLY ONE TO WORK ALL THE WAY AROUND THE RIM AND SHOW FULL STOP INTEGERS” does feel well-built and solid. The Kenko PL Fader isn’t as discreet as the others here.

With a larger depth of 12.6mm, it also protruded the furthest, adding an extra 9.97mm to the front of our lens. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it did make it easier to find and tweak the control ring, and also meant the strength-setting gauge was larger and therefore easier to read.

The supplied storage case is frustratingly large – likely designed for the biggest 82mm VND filter in the series. The filter measures 59.9x12.6mm, but the case requires 113.5x19.8mm of kit bag space. The outer ring was also a little too large to take the same 52mm lens cap as our test lens, so you’ll need an additional cap to protect it if you plan to keep it attached to your lens for longer periods.

These minor niggles were soon forgotten with the PL Fader’s excellent handling. Its filter gauge is the only one which worked all the way around the rim. A 90° turn takes the filter from maximum power to minimum, and there are four 90° gauges around the rim which clearly show the strength settings. Each gauge has eight bars so it’s easy to adjust the light

1.5-8.6 STOPS

Kenko’s PL fader comes with a handle, allowing you to control the light transmission really smoothly.

The gauge is clearly labelled and can be set to eight different full stop values.

flow in full stops. A recessed front filter ring is offered, which hampered the handling on SRB’s VND model, but the PL Fader cleverly includes a control handle. This screws into the front ring and offers an easy way to make adjustments.

Not only does the handle make it easier to change the filter’s density when your eye is concentrating on the viewfinder image, it also makes it really easy to get a smooth exposure shifts when shooting videos. For belt and braces, there’s even a spare handle supplied in the box should you misplace it.

Verdict Pros: Comes with a handle for easy adjustments, can be used all the way around the rim, gauge is clear and easy to use Cons: Hard case is oversized on smaller filters

HANDLING IMAGE QUALITY VALUE FOR MONEY OVERALL VERDICT

✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪

DIGITAL PHOTO 107