DIGITAL PHOTO NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE 213
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CREATE PERFECT LIGHT
CREATE PERFECT
LIGHT ✔
DISCOVER HIDDEN CAMERA FEATURES
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Shoot with filters Boost golden colours Fix scenes in Photoshop
“ I DIDN’T KNOW MY DSLR DID THAT!” Discover hidden camera features
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43 INSPIRING PROJECTS
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FIRST LOOK...
• Sony A99 II • Olympus E-M1 MkII • Fuji GFX 50S
• Try an action trick shot • Slow time to inject impact • Convert monos like a pro • Explore the video mode
And much more...
NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE 213 £4.99
PLANET PHOTO Your fresh fix of inspiration from the world’s best photographers
AERIAL ART
View to a thrill
TOBIAS HAGG
Drones offer photographers a whole new world of opportunities to see and show locations in a completely new way. Essentially, drones are helicopter technology for a few hundred pounds, rather than a few thousand pounds. Photographer Tobias Hagg used his drone to capture an overhead view of a classic Swedish pine forest. “I have travelled this road so many times in my life and I always wondered what it looked like from above,” he explains. Tobias used Lightroom to make some minor exposure corrections, but the minimal processing shows just how good drone cameras are becoming. Camera DJI Phantom Pro 3 Exposure 1/25sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400 Visit www.airpixelsmedia.com
GET THIS SHOT Tobias used an £800 drone to capture this aerial art, but those looking to take their first steps into aerial photography can pick up a used drone for around £250.
8 DIGITAL PHOTO
Drones allow photographers to capture a new perspective of a scene.
DIGITAL PHOTO 9
Golden hour light has the potential to transform a location and add a fine-art feel to your frame.
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MAKE THE MOST OF
It’s Mother Nature’s greatest gift to photographers, so learn to shoot your best landscapes with the power of golden hour
DIGITAL PHOTO 23
GUEREL SAHIN
W
hile photography can be enjoyed at any time of the day (or night, for that matter), there are certain periods that are more special than others. The golden hour is the name given to the time when the sun is low in the sky, and this occurs at dawn and dusk, casting a glow helping to elevate landscape images to a new level. Of course, as well as throwing up a range of benefits, shooting during the golden hour has its own challenges, too. This feature will not only arm you with all the information necessary to make the most from the best light of the day, but we’ll also share tips from the professionals, and explain how to take your pictures further using the power of Photoshop. Let’s get started…
HOW DID THEY DO THAT?
THE
ROTARY CLUB Photographer Scott McCook turns aerial views into fine art abstracts. He shares the secrets behinds his sky-high images... WORDS BY MATTY GRAHAM
A
ccording to Scott McCook – a 33-year-old photographer based in Perth, Australia – landscape photography can be more about the journey than the actual destination. What happens ‘in between’ will shape the conclusion. Alongside Scott’s amazing landscape portfolio is an ever-growing collection of aerial abstracts – another step in his photographic journey. “I’m fascinated by the land from the air and the abstract nature of aerial photography in the remote regions of the world,” he explains. “I would love to have the skills to paint with a brush on canvas but I am terrible at that. Luckily nature does a pretty good job of it when viewed from the sky and one thing I can do is capture it with my camera.” We asked Scott to share the stories behind some of his most stunning images... 16 DIGITAL PHOTO
Scott had to hold the camera steady out of the plane window and against the rush of the wind.
SECRETS BEHIND THE SHOT
“ There was a heap of turbulence”
This image was shot over some local tailing ponds near Perth. It was a 38-degree day and due to the heat we had a heap of turbulence. When you find these small airports in remote locations, you normally find a young pilot who’s been doing 15-20 minute scenic flights, so when you come along and say “hey we’d like to go up for a couple of hours” they normally jump at the chance. On this particular image the challenge was getting the red and orange colours to really pop. I used a colour editing technique that is found within Photoshop’s LAB colour mode. It allows you to edit colour and luminosity separately and in a way unlike other modes. Once you have mastered this technique it can be extremely powerful.
DIGITAL PHOTO 17
PHOTOSHOP GENIUS
CREATE VIRTUAL FLAMES IN PHOTOSHOP CC Add realistic fire effects to an image using the Render Flame tool in the latest version of Photoshop TECHNIQUE BY ANDY HEATHER
• Software Photoshop CC • Image type An image that has a subject with a straight edge
W
ith the giant leaps forward being made in photoediting software recently, it has now become possible to create photo-realistic elements from scratch. These virtual elements, if applied in the right way, look just like the real thing and they can be used to enhance your images in ways that were never possible before. An example of this is the new Render Flame feature in Photoshop CC. Using this feature you can create
a vast array of effects in your shots and the chances are nobody would realise that the flame wasn’t captured in camera. You could add flame to a candle, a roaring fireplace or, as in our example, give a martial artist mystical superpowers to create an eye-catching hero shot. With the right know-how, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination, so turn the page and follow along with one of your own shots to find out how it’s done.
ALAMY
Before
The original image features a martial artist striking a heroic pose in front of a nice, warm sunset, making it a perfect start image for a mystical flaming sword effect. 74 DIGITAL PHOTO
CREATE REALISTIC FLAMES
VIDEO LESSON ON THE CD
After Blending Modes and relighting techniques have been used to help the rendered flame blend with the photo.
DIGITAL PHOTO 75
5
OF THE BEST
MONOPOD S Looking for lightweight lens support on the go? Then a monopod should be at the core of your kit! WORDS BY MATT HIGGS
O
ffering excellent stability, monopods take the strain out of supporting heavy gear, allowing you to concentrate on the images that you’re capturing. While they can be used for any genre of photography, they’re particularly loved by professional sports and wildlife togs, who value the smooth panning movements they enable for the tracking of speedy subjects. Lightweight and collapsible, they’re also extremely portable which makes them a great choice when a hike to a location is required. With all five models featured in this roundup costing less than £70, we reckon everyone should own one!
How to choose a monopod If you regularly use heavy setups then look for a monopod that can safely support a high payload for peace of mind. Greater maximum extended heights will make comfortable chest-level shooting possible, particularly if you happen to be on the taller side. Here are some of the market’s top options... 114 DIGITAL PHOTO
NOVO
SLIK
Explora MP10 £44
Pro Pod 600 £59
It may be the cheapest option in the roundup, but the Explora MP10 has some of the most impressive specifications on offer. With a groupleading load capacity of 10kg, this monopod can safely support even the heftiest of setups with ease, while thanks to its lightweight carbon fibre construction it weighs in at only 386g itself. Collapsing down to a mere 53cm for easy transportation, its maximum extended height is 165cm, 5cm more than its closest rival. Erection of its 4-section column is fast and smooth and fixed using twist locks. A reversible 1/4in and 3/8in screw on its top allows a camera to be attached directly to it or a standard tripod ball head to be added. On this monopod’s base is a ground spike with a rubber foot attachment making it suitable for use in a variety of terrains. Shipped in its own carrying bag, it’s a real value for money option that’s perfect for enthusiasts.
Touting a respectable maximum height of 160cm, the SLIK PRO POD 600 measures only 54cm when fully retracted. However at 600g, it’s the heaviest monopod of the five, partly due to its tough A.M.T. (Aluminium-Magnesium-Titanium) build, a material that has a 40% greater strength to weight ratio than standard aluminium. While SLIK suggest that this monopod’s top load capacity shouldn’t exceed 5.5kg, it seems to take this weight with ease and will still be able to handle most telephoto primes comfortably. The PRO POD 600’s 4-section column utilises speed locks that, while fast to operate, can’t be retightened in the same way as those featured on the Vanguard, Manfrotto or Velbon. At its top a universal thread can be used to attach a camera or tripod head directly to it, while at its bottom a rubber foot offers solid stabilisation on the ground.
Quickspec
Quickspec
Load capacity 10kg Max extended height 165cm
Load capacity 5.5kg Max extended height 160cm
Collapsed length 53cm Leg sections 4
Collapsed length 54cm Leg sections 4
Weight 386g
Weight 600g
Visit www.novo-photo.com
Visit www.slik.com
MONOPODS MINI GUIDE
VANGUARD
MANFROTTO
VELBON
Veo CM-264 £69
290 Carbon £69
GEO E44 £69
Designed with both photographers and hikers in mind, the VEO CM-264 is a high quality monopod that doubles up as a walking stick. With its orange detailing and rubberised finish, it’s as stylish looking as it is practical. Extending to 160cm it offers a great working height, while it collapses down to 54cm when not in use. At 6kg it has the second highest load capacity on offer, but manufactured from carbon fibre it weighs in at only 460g itself. Comprising four sections, flip locks are used to fix this monopod at the desired height, and the open screws can be tightened if they begin to loosen. On its base is an anti-slip foot that has a retractable ground spike for use on different surfaces. Ball-type, this footing allows the monopod to be held against the ground while leant at an angle. A rubber cover protects its top screw from the elements when not attached to a camera or tripod head.
With a refined build the 290 Carbon from Manfrotto will take the strains of regular use in its stride. Bearing loads of up to 5kg suitable for a range of setups, it has a four-section column that uses magnesium flip locks to secure its height. These locks are tension adjustable, so that their performance can be maintained if they start to wane in strength. While its top height is a slightly weak 151cm, this does allow the monopod to retract to a mere 49cm, small enough to fit inside larger camera bags. At 500g its weight sits roughly in the middle of all those on offer. The 290 Carbon’s top has a 1/4in and 3/8in screw for attachment to a variety of cameras and tripod heads, a rubber foot is found on its bottom. Like the other monopods featured, a wrist-strap helps to keep it firmly in the user’s grasp, while it also has a textured rubber finish that provides a secure purchase.
If you’re looking for the most compact option that’s on offer then look no further. When collapsed, the Velbon GEO E44 is only 48cm in length and weighs a mere 314g! For portability this carbon fibre monopod can’t be beaten, but that comes at the expense of some of its other core specifications. Extending to 148cm it has the shortest working height of the five monopods featured, and Velbon also suggest a maximum load limit of only 2.5kg, half that of its closet rival, albeit still enough to take smaller DSLR or CSC setups. Its four-section column is locked in place using flip locks with open tightening screws for maintenance, while rubber footing at its base provides non-slip support. A 1/4in head screw sits on its top for attachment to a camera or tripod head. With foam gripping extending most of the way down its top section, it offers comfortable use even when in cold conditions.
Quickspec
Quickspec
Quickspec
Load capacity 6kg Max extended height 160cm
Load capacity 5kg Max extended height 151cm
Load capacity 2.5kg Max extended height 148cm
Collapsed length 54cm Leg sections 4
Collapsed length 49cm Leg sections 4
Collapsed length 48cm Leg sections 4
Weight 460g
Weight 500g
Weight 314g
Visit www.vanguardworld.co.uk
Visit www.manfrotto.co.uk
Visit www.velbon.biz
DIGITAL PHOTO 115
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