Cover Image: Cover Image by: Alet Pretorius
Founder: Tristan Hall Design & Layout: Greg Wrench Contact: magazine@photocomment.net Website: http://photocomment.net To advertise in PhotoComment please email us at magazine@photocoment.net
photocomment
Š 2009
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W
e have a great magazine lined up this
We must thank all of you, our readers for your
month. Our scoop section is packed full
support over the past months. Every day more and
of interesting news, including the inventors of the
more people read our magazine and visit our
CDD winning a Nobel Prize. The Nikon D3S was
website.It has not been an easy road to get
announced and we look forward to getting our
PhotoComment to where it is now, so thank you.
hands on that. We feature Alet Pretorius this month in our
We are very excited that this month, in
Professional Portfolio. She is a photogrpaher for
association with Sony, we launch our very first
Die Beeld and has done some interesting work of
PhotoComment Photo Competition, say that fast 3
her own. Leon Laubscher was the lucky reader to
times. The theme is based on your experiences of
be featured in our Reader’s Portfolio.
2009 and we want your image that best defines your 2009. Get those entries off as soon as
While on that note we must apolgise to Christine
possible and Good Luck!
Meintjes for spelling her name wrong in the last issue, the mistake was corrected, but we do
All the best.
apologise most profusely.
Greg Photocomment Designer
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still photograph is called a still photograph because the picture doesn’t move, not because the objects in the picture are not in motion. The photographer's mission, should he decide to accept it, is to capture motion with stillness. - Vincent Versace ometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.
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he first half of the 20th century belongs to Picasso and the second half is about photography. They said digital would kill photography because everyone can do it but they said that about the box brownie in 1885 when it came out. It makes photography interesting because everyone thinks they can take a picture. - David Bailey
- Ansel Adams
Readers Comments We welcome feedback about what you think of PhotoComment Magazine. Your stories, experiences, questions, inspirations, are all welcome and can be sent to magazine@photocomment.net enter “Letters” as the subject. Each month we will publish some of your feedback.
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009 Two physicists who co-invented the CCD image sensor have been rewarded with a share of this year's Nobel Prize for Physics. Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith developed the charge-coupled device in 1969 while working at Bell Laboratories, producing the world's first solid-state video camera just a year later. Each receives a quarter share in the $1.4 million prize. 6 October 2009: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2009 with one half to Charles K. Kao Standard Telecommunication Laboratories, Harlow, UK, and Chinese University of Hong Kong "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the
transmission of light in fibers for optical communication" and the other half jointly to Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ, USA "for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor" In 1969 Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith invented the first successful imaging technology using a digital sensor, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device). The CCD technology makes use of the photoelectric effect, as theorized by Albert Einstein and for which he was awarded the 1921 year's Nobel Prize. By this effect, light is transformed into electric signals. The challenge when designing an image sensor was to gather and read out the signals in a large number of image points, pixels, in a short time. The CCD is the digital camera's electronic eye. It revolutionized photography, as light could now be captured electronically instead of on film. The digital form facilitates the processing and distribution of these images. CCD technology is also used in many medical applications, e.g. imaging the inside of the human body, both for diagnostics and for microsurgery.
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Adobe Releases Photoshop Elements 8 Adobe has released version 8 of its Photoshop Elements image-editing software. Both the Windows and Mac versions see the addition of functions such as 'Adobe Photomerge' Exposure, Recompose and Quick Fix previews. Automated analysis tools can be used to add tags and identify people in your images for easy organization. This latest release is now available for Windows, with a Mac version to follow soon.
Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D System Fujifilm has announced its 3D imaging system including the W1 digital camera, V1 picture viewer and 3D prints. The FinePix REAL 3D system is the world’s first three dimensional (3D) digital imaging system that captures realistic 3D still photographs and movies; providing 3D images that users can enjoy without special 3D glasses. “The FinePix REAL 3D system is unlike any other digital imaging product on the market today, and the first real, complete solution for 3D digital photography, putting Fujifilm at the forefront of imaging technology,” said Go Miyazaki, division president, Electronic Imaging Division, Fujifilm U.S.A., Inc. “With the FinePix REAL 3D system, Fujifilm is offering users a totally new experience in both still pictures and movies to capture precious moments just as their eyes see them.” Hopefully we will see it here in South Africa soon.
Picasa version 3.5 now available Google has announced version 3.5 of Picasa, its free imageediting software program. The latest version features improved tagging and import options and enhanced geo-tagging with integration of Google Maps. In addition, the company has also launched a Mac version of the software including most of the features of its PC version. Download it at http://picasa.google.com
Nikon Launches D3s, The Ultimate Camera For Professional News, Sports, And Wildlife Photographers Nikon has unveiled the D3S professional DSLR. The new model is an upgrade to the popular D3 and comes with 720p HD video recording and a sensitivity range up to ISO 102,400 for improved low light performance. Images are captured on a new 36 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor and buffer size has been increased for 48 RAW frames in one burst. Futher improvements include a faster contrast detect AF in Live View and in-camera RAW-processing. Body shape, quality and operation are virtually identical to the D3. The D3S redraws the boundaries for fast paced extreme photography.
Get Up Close With Nikon’s AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm F/3.5G VR Lens Nikon has also introduced an image-stabilised micro lens for DX format cameras, the AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm F3.5G VR. Featuring a whole host of goodies, including an AF-S motor for fast silent autofocus, Nikon's second-generation vibration reduction (VR II) system, and a circular diaphragm for attractive background blur, this lens gives 1:1 magnification at minimum focus distance of 28cm. The 85mm focal length (equivalent to 128mm on full frame) also gives a flattering perspective for portraits. The optical design uses 14 elements in 10 groups with one ED element, and the internal focus design means the front element does not rotate on focusing, enabling the use of lens-mounted macro lights.
Join The Canon Wild Amateur Roadshow Learn how to harness the power of your EOS camera and take great pictures anywhere, anytime. Special guest photographers will be at each event, including nature and travel specialist Andy Lund and wildlife photographer Heinrich van den Berg, who will share tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your camera. Johannesburg Saturday, 24 October Durban Saturday, 7 November Cape Town Saturday, 14 November Only a confirmed RSVP will ensure you a seat For more information and to register visit www.canon.co.za
CODP & Transitions Optical Competition ENTER EYE CATCHING PHOTOS AND HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF HEALTHY SIGHT
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recent study released to coincide with World Sight Day (8th October 2009) has revealed that eighty five percent of South Africans are unaware that extended exposure to the sun can be harmful and cause irreparable damage to their eyes. With this top of mind, The College of Digital Photography (CODP) in association with Transitions Optical is calling upon all aspiring photographers to submit their digital photographic entries to the Eye Care Digital Photography Competition to draw awareness to eye health and healthy eye care. The theme for the competition is ‘Eye Care’ and entrants are asked to focus on showcasing the one sense that most of us take for granted but without which the medium of photography completely loses its impact. “The eye is truly a tiny triumph of nature. Regarded as one of the most complex biological structures on Earth, the eye acts as a sensory link between the body and the world around it; the world you capture through the lens of your camera,” says Udo Kieslich, Director at the College of Digital Photography. According to Richard Pearson, Country Manager Transitions Optical SA, entries to the Eye Care Digital Photography Competition must clearly reflect a message of healthy eye care and eye health. At the end of February 2010, the digital photograph submitted with the keenest eye for detail will be awarded a digital SLR combo package. At the end of each month from September 2009 to February 2010, the 3 best images will qualify for a prize and will be entered into the main draw. At the end of the competition a grand prize winner will be chosen from the monthly winning entries.
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let Pretorius is our featured Professional Photographer this month. We were able to ask her a few questions. PC: How did you get into photography? AP: I studied Journalism and Political Science at Rhodes University and had to specialize in my 3rd year of Journalism. I choose photojournalism without ever having picked up a camera. It took me a while to get the hang of photography but once I started getting it right I was hooked. The medium suited my personality. I could observe from the sideline. Getting a great image gives you such a feeling of accomplishment and there is always room for improvement. PC: You are a photographer at the Beeld newspaper, any reason why you went into photo journalism? AP: I love the fast pace of a daily newspaper. You also get to experience places, people and events that other people only read about or see in pictures or television. The idea that the news stories we cover today is tomorrow’s history also appeal to me. PC: Working at the papers, do you prefer photographing hard news or pre-planned stories / documentaries? AP: I love both. The great thing about working at a newspaper is that you get to do both. I would, however, love to do more documentary work and spend more time on my photo stories. I try to do at least 2 preplanned documentaries where I spend more time but it is extremely difficult to do this in-between your day to day jobs for the newspaper. PC: I often see news scenes where photographers are crammed together trying to get the same shot, can you set your image apart from the rest? AP: In most cases you can get something different if you work hard at it and look at the scene differently. But that is not always what the newspaper wants. You have to find that balance between your own creativity and the brief of the newspaper. PC: What are the ‘rules’ governing image editing in your industry? AP: The rule generally is that you can’t change content. But there are no black and white rules as to when image
enhancement becomes content change. There definitely no-no’s such as cloning out anything other than dust marks. The industry relies heavily on the integrity and reputation of the photographer and the institution she works for. PC: What is your greatest challenge as a photo journalist? AP: I think finding the balance between having empathy with people but not becoming too deeply involved. PC: I see your blog has a number of photographs of live bands, is this your personal favourite genre? What tips could you give for someone looking to try their hand in this area? AP: I love photography and I love music so it was inevitable that I would combine the two. Live shows are also very visual by nature and with a little bit of knowledge and experience you are sure to get great pics. The challenge is to differentiate your pics from the other millions of music photographers. Try to get something unique. Technical ability is also important for great shots as the lighting conditions are challenging to say the least. The best advice I can give is to combine your technical
skills with your creativity. Having only 1 of these elements in a photo will result in an average photograph. PC: Any personal projects you are working on and willing to share? AP: I always have a couple of ideas floating around and am trying to find time to explore these. I am working a story at the moment about the rehabilitation of accident victims. I’ve neglected my music photography lately and am trying to give more attention to that as well. PC: How do you keep yourself motivated? AP: Doing personal projects that might not even be published is important to me. I also try to look at a lot of other photographer’s work. There are so many exciting photographers in South Africa that it is hard not to be excited about photography. Taking a good picture is the best motivation for any photographer, I think.
PC: Do you believe that a person must have an ‘eye’ for creating an image naturally or that it is a skill that can be learnt? AP: Having an eye is important but 80% of photography is experience and hard work. PC: Who are your influences? AP: I love the photography of Diane Arbus, Mary-Ellen Mark, Jodie Bierber, Dale Yudelman, David Goldblatt PC: At the 2008 Profoto Awards you walked away with several accolades, are you going for gold in 2009? AP: Getting acknowledgement for your work is always a good experience. It motivates and inspires you and forces you to uphold a certain standard in your photography but I try not to think about awards too much while I am working. Photography Competitions will always be subjective and what one person loves another might hate. [o]
putting a Sigma 50-500mm zoom lens that’s about thirty centimeters in length onto a camera the size of a compact but because of the four thirds you do wind up with a 1000mm lens as you multiply it by two. Therefore the 1442mm and 17mm are 28-84 and 34mm respectively. Apparently there will be a Leica M mount available for it soon that will enable you to use M lenses but we’re still waiting to find out if that will happen.
Review by: Jean-Francois Francen
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pon testing the Olympus E-P1 at the launch at Gold Reef City three weeks ago I realized that I want one. First thing that caught my attention is the size, the smallest digital single lens reflex camera currently on the market. Yes it is four thirds but it is still going to be a better quality image than any compact camera on the market and as good as any DSLR out there. The only difference that you will really notice between the four thirds sensor and the more widely used APS-C sensors on the market is a some-what noisier image, but at 1600ISO it was not as bad as I was expecting. Nowadays the noise is not just reliant on what sensor the camera has but on how well the cameras’ processor works. Take a look at the Nikon D3 and the new Nikon D3s, the same sensor but the processing power on the D3s enables it to shoot at a higher ISO with less grain. Not that that really bothers me as I rarely shoot at anything higher than 400ISO anyway. It is great to finally have a small DSLR that you can pretty much fit in your pocket. At the moment there are only two lenses available for it, the 14-42mm and a 17mm f2.8, and a OM mount is available that allows you to attach the current range of Olympus and Sigma autofocus lenses to it, although it does look a little silly
When I arrived at the launch each of the people attending were given an E-P1 and a standard 14-42mm to use for the day and while I was at it I quickly grabbed the 17mm as well, as I tend to prefer fixed focal lenses on my cameras. I attached the lens and then proceeded to take a few pictures of the supplied models and mess around with the cameras functions and settings. Here I have to state that the Olympus menu was a little confusing to master at first, after predominantly using Nikon and Canon for years but I eventually got the hang of it and found it straight forward once I got used to it. The first thing that got my attention was the fine art filters on the camera. Built in are a soft filter, a pale filter, a pop-art filter and a grainy black and white filter. I spent most of the day playing with the soft and pop-art filters. The softening filter is self-explanatory and the pop-art saturates your colors so much they jump out at you. The camera’s dynamic range and metering systems are also excellent and I would estimate them to be the same as the current range of Nikon and higher end Canons. The colors were accurate and there was good tonal range in the blacks and shadows. The whites were also well balanced out. The E-P1’s button layout is set out like a compact camera rather than a DSLR due to its size, and because of that I tended to push some buttons unintentionally on regular occasions. I was a bit more careful and got used to it after a while. Auto-focus was snappy and accurate and the camera has the usual multi point focusing systems and face detection that most cameras have today. To be honest I don’t even use all that stuff, I tend to switch it to center point focus,
focus on what I want and then recompose my shot and snap away. The Olympus lenses are as sharp and crisp as Olympus lenses have always been, despite the plastic feel of the 14-42mm, and I got good colour and contrast. Zuiko glass has always been one of my favorites, though nowadays I tend to find their lenses prices compared to the competitions fair. The shutter was responsive and once again I remembered that I was not playing with a compact camera. What really surprised me was the quality of the HD video, at 1080P the video was crisp and clear as I watched it on my computer when I got to work the next day, no lag and it filled my entire screen sans small blocks, compared to the quality of my current compact at half screen size. The sound was exceptional and audible without too much ambient noise.
The E-P1 is a camera that I am going to purchase eventually, budget willing as it is not cheap. The camera with either one of the two lenses will retail for about R13 500.00 to R15 000.00. The camera also has that retro look to it that makes me think it will blend in well with my Rollei twin lens reflex and my Olympus MJU II that I tend to use the most nowadays.
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his month’s reader’s portfolio was submitted by
Leon Laubscher. This is what he had to say.
PC: How did you get started in photography? LL: Getting started was quite by accident really. I wanted to write a book and needed photos for it. I decided that a decent camera would definitely help and bought one. I began taking photos and, after several people of influence commented on how much they enjoyed my work, I decided to enter a National Aviation photographic competition held by SA Pilot. To cut a long story short, I ended up winning the monthly and annual awards, which was photographic equipment, including a new camera and lenses. I really wanted to get out of my day job working as an IT expert for an office automation firm, when a friend asked if I would do her photos for a National Geographic article she was writing. I haven’t looked back since. PC: What genre or subject matter is your favourite? LL: Truthfully, the subject matter doesn’t really
matter to me, it’s the process that I enjoy: getting that perfect shot no matter what the challenge. It is about understanding light and how the camera interprets what our eyes see. But if I had to tell you what I get the biggest kick out of, it’s the one that EVERYONE says you should stay away from: Animals and Children. PC: What is your favourite image? LL: WOW, that’s a difficult question. It’s like asking me to choose between my children. PC: I remember once – when still shooting film – spending a day taking ‘amazing’ photographs only to realise by the 40th shot that I had not loaded the film correctly, hence the camera had not stopped advancing. Any such memorable learning experience you have had? LL: I did a pet shoot once and after about 10 shots realized I hadn’t loaded the memory card… needless to say that that will never happen again.
PC: What influences your photography? LL: Isn’t it fascinating how 3 different people can be in EXACTLY the same situation, sitting right next to each other watching the same event take place, and when you ask them a year later what happened they will all give you a different answer? To me memory is such a strange thing. What drives it, what feeds it and how much do we actually remember? PC: Is there an elusive image that you still hope to capture one day? LL: Yes. I have a list of a few that I’d really like to capture. I was in church a couple of years back and there was a young lady in front of me, with her back to me, she had pitch black hair and fair white skin, she was holding a dark black baby with huge eyes looking at me. I would really love to recreate that image in my studio one day. PC: The photographic landscape has and still is undergoing rapid changes with the increasing
popularity of digital. Recent developments include a new trend, that of video in all levels of DSLR cameras. Do you see yourself working in both mediums? LL: Yes, I have and will. I enjoy the challenge of the different mediums. I particularly like the creative editing stage of video. PC: Would the availability to shoot video or the lack thereof impact your decision in the next camera you buy? LL: No. I buy what I need. PC: What do you see as your greatest photographic challenge? LL: There is a huge drive to always be buying more and better equipment, when really what you have is great! My biggest challenge is to do the best with what I have. Don’t get me wrong I’d love better equipment but that’s not always possible. So I’m not going to beat myself up everytime one of my clients has better “stuff” than me. [o]
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placed and quickly accessible. My only piece of advice is that, should you purchase this camera with the Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8, you may want to purchase a second one (it is almost cheap enough to justify having two) so that you can weight train with them in the mornings. This combination of body and lens is heavy enough to put you into physio for weeks or have people looking at you strangely with your over built right arm.
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lmost a year ago we had the privilege of reviewing what was then one of the most talked about cameras at Photokina, the Alpha 900. Today we hold in our hand the A900’s little brother, the Alpha 850. This camera is a prime example of the potential for rapid progress offered by Sony in the digital SLR market, for while we call the A850 the ‘little’ brother of the A900 there is in fact very, very few differences between it and the bigger A900 except a R10,000.00 smaller price tag. Believe it or not, Full Frame and 24 megapixels is now available for well under R30,000.00. So what are the features that make the A850 littler? Firstly the frame rate has been reduced from 5 frames per second to a more common 3fps and while the prisms on top of both cameras may look identical the A850 offers a 98% field of view, 2% less than big brother. Handling Due to the otherwise identical nature of these two cameras the A850 possesses the same love or hate body styling and handling characteristics that we first spoke of in the A900 review. Never in the last 10 years have I come across a camera that had caused such division on the way that it feels! Oddly the vertical grip which works on both cameras seems to be a winner even for the critics who dislike the camera’s own grip, which makes me think that there is something going for the design team in that department. I for one like the design, I find that all buttons are well
Image Quality If you had asked me about this with the first few images I opened I would be speechless. I am still amazed at the level of detail available from this camera and particularly with the lenses we used during the review, including the Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8, the Sony 70-300mm G and the award winning 70-400mm G. Having used – even if just briefly in some instances – both Nikon’s and Canon’s similar cameras with competing standard lenses, I would say that the single greatest advantage the Alpha system has is the quality of the Zeiss and G series lenses. Bearing in mind the similarities between the D3x and the A900/850’s sensors I can only think that the slight edge I found in the Alpha images came down to the lenses. Noise levels are, to me at least, still remarkably low considering the resolution, remembering that this camera is not made to compete with the Nikon D3. The D3 with the smaller D700 now stand alone as the only 12mp full frame cameras in production and will outstrip any 20MP+ full frame camera in this area. Conclusion The A850 is a truly remarkable camera, there is however one problem Sony now sits with, they have created one of the greatest sibling rivalries on earth. Just ask yourself the question, would I really spend over R10k more for an extra 2fps and 2% field of view? That point aside, I think Sony have a winner. Now if I could only find a way to not return it... at least not just yet.
This is your chance to get your images published. For each issue we (the editors assisted by a panel of industry leading photographers) will choose a reader's portfolio that inspires and celebrates the art and craft of photography best for that month. You stand a chance to win a prize from Tandem Focus Distributors, one of our advertisers, should your portfolio be published. Include a self-portrait accompanied by a brief introduction of yourself, your style and your philosophy. Send us no more than 10 of your best images with your contact details to magazine@photocomment.net enter “Readers Portfolio� as the subject. Make sure the images are in JPEG format and no larger than 640x480 (or closest too), we will contact you for larger files if needed. Needless to say that the standard will be high and uncompromising so please put your best foot forward.
TANDEM
Growth of Photography Competitions
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s we've been gearing up to launch our first Photo Competition for the end of the year, I have been amazed at the rapidly growing number of photographic competitions opening over the past few months in particular those being used as a marketing campaign for products or services not usually associated with photography. What strikes me about this movement is that not so long ago I was debating the future of photography with the increasing number of cameras featuring video functionality and wondering whether we would lose the art of telling a story in a single frame. These competitions show that now, more than ever before in the history of photography, people have the opportunity to enjoy the wonders of still imagery. The themes of these competitions have varied from images of your ‘National Braai Day’ on heritage day to more prestigious events with multiple categories, like the Profoto Awards 2009 opening this month with sponsorship from Sony, for the second year in a row. Apart from these more formal competitions we have seen an almost cult like following in “Photo Challenges” which
usually take the form of a theme or single words like “fall” or “time” being issued to a photographic community as a challenge to go forward, interpret and capture that week, images that could answer the call to compete. Locally in South Africa the advent of digital photography and rapid decline of one hour labs did great damage to a legacy and love of personal or family images among the low income majority population of our country. Thankfully the advent of more and more affordable cell phones with cameras has seen this heritage return, even if the images are not of the greatest quality, what matters is that they can capture and share memories even more affordably than before. In my interactions with different groups of people across the continent I have found few, even among professional photographers, who cherish pictures in print as those to whom the photograph is still a privilege or luxury to own. Perhaps before we go out to pursue light through the often expensive black boxes (now with Nobel Prize winning CCDs) we should pause, ponder, and once more be mesmerised by the magic that takes place in our hands each time we gently press the shutter button and capture a single moment in time. A moment that may even win that prize, gain you admiration by your peers and rise to a weekly photo challenge. [o]