PHOTONews Canada Spring 2010 by PHOTONews Canada

YO U R S O U R C E F O R CANAD IAN P H OTO G R AP HY O FRE E C

VOLUME 19, NO. 1 · spring 2010 · $ 6.98

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News

DR. WAYNE LYNCH

Galapagos Archipelago Walking in the Footsteps of Charles Darwin

Peter Burian

How To Pick the Perfect Tripod DARWIN WIGGETT

Using Fill-In Flash

Photo by Wayne Lynch

DIGITAL DARKROOM:

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VOLUME 19, NUMBER 1 spring 2010

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YO U R S O U R C E F O R CANAD IAN P H OTO G R AP HY

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VOLUME 19, NO. 1 · spriNg 2010 · $ 6.98

PY!

News

DR. WAYNE LYNCH

Galapagos Archipelago Walking in the Footsteps of Charles Darwin

Peter Burian

How To Pick the Perfect Tripod DarWin WiGGett

Using Fill-In Flash

Photo by Wayne Lynch

DiGitaL DarKrOOM:

The Magic of Michel Roy PLUS: PM40040669 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 22 Telson Road, Markham, ON, L3R 1E5

COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE

Spring Tune-Up Time!

Cover Photo by Wayne Lynch © ”The Galapagos penguin brays like a donkey, which explains its nickname, the jackass penguin.“ Publisher Jacques Dumont jdumont@zakmedia.ca Editor Norm Rosen editor@zakmedia.ca Graphic Design Jean-Denis Boillat Contributing writers/photographers Dr. Wayne Lynch; Peter Burian; Darwin Wiggett; Michel Roy ADVERTISING adsales@zakmedia.ca Published by

Zak Media 189 Rue Alfred-Desrochers Saint-Augustin, QC, Canada G3A 2T1 Tel: 418 871 4294 Fax: 418 871 4295 www.zakmedia.ca PHOTONews is published four times a year (Spring; Summer; Autumn; Winter) by Zak Media for Amplis Foto, and distributed to 40,000 photography and video enthusiasts throughout Canada. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearingin this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. SUBSCRIPTIONS – Address change visit www.photonews.ca or contact Amplis Foto, 22 Telson Road, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 1E5 Tel: 905 477 4111 Fax: 905 477 2502 Subscription rates: One year (4 issues) $27.92 CDN, two years (8 issues) $55.84 CDN. Single copy price: $6.98. © 2010 PHOTONews Magazine, Zak Media Printed in Canada ISSN 1185-3875 Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40040669 Undeliverables to: Amplis Foto, 22 Telson Road, Markham, ON L3R 1E5

Spring is in the air! Canadians are about to emerge from the winter doldrums to enjoy the warm winds and bright sunshine of spring. It is, without a doubt, a breath of fresh air for all of us, as we turn our lenses toward nature and wildlife subjects, and put the cold of winter behind us. This is the ideal time to explore new perspectives and develop our skills as photographers! To this end, we have filled the pages of PHOTONews with photographs and techniques that will inspire readers to broaden their horizons and expand the scope of their photographic vision. Our team of contributing writers and photographers has expanded, with Dr. Wayne Lynch coming on board as our travel photography specialist, and Michel Roy has started a new series of Digital Darkroom articles to help us master the mysteries of post-processing. Equipment expert Peter Burian continues to advise readers on how they can make the most of today’s technology, and Darwin Wiggett applies the principles of photography to the world around us. Our goal as a team is to show you how to enjoy your photographic adventures to the fullest…so that when put

this issue of PHOTONews down, you will say to yourself “I know what I am going to photograph this weekend!” We have created a multi-media environment for avid photographers, with the website www.photonews.ca providing instant access to a wide range of information on the equipment and techniques used by photographers – from enthusiastic amateur to professional. Our flickr® group, www.flickr.com/groups/photonewsgallery/ provides a forum for you to share your pictures and interact with other readers, and the images that we feature in the reader participation portions of the magazine are drawn from the group pool, and the quarterly PHOTONews Challenge threads. If you haven’t visited the site yet, why not take a look – it’s fun, it’s free, and it’s all about photography! Norm Rosen, editor editor@zakmedia.ca Visit the website at www.photonews.ca Join the flickr® group at www.flickr.com/groups/photonewsgallery/ Questions or comments? Please send me an e-mail – editor@zakmedia.ca

News Canadian photo enthusiasts – for a free subscription to PHOTONews visit the website at www.photonews.ca and click on the “subscribe now” button!

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12 PORTFOLIO

Galapagos

The Enchanted Islands Walking in the Footsteps of Charles Darwin, with Dr. Wayne Lynch.

A New Artistic Medium!

Ryan Enn Hughes pushed the envelope of technology at the Cultural Olympiad with RGB MOVE.

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Spring Tune-Up!

Peter Burian explains how to get your camera – and your photographer’s eye – ready for spring!

Pick the Perfect Tripod

From head to foot, your guide to the ideal tripod system. By Peter Burian.

Green sea turtles nest on many beaches in the Galapagos Islands. Once nesting is completed, the turtles return to feeding grounds along the western coast of Central and South America.

Using Fill-In Flash

Darwin Wiggett shows how to add flash to your nature photos.

Digital Darkroom

The Magic of Michel Roy.

Reader’s Gallery

Highlights from the PHOTONews flickr® Group. Post your favourite shots! www. flickr.com/groups/photonewsgallery/

Spring 2010 | 7

A New Artistic

Medium! Toronto Filmmaker Featured at the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad

Set photography by Melissa Tait

One of the most interesting aspects of the Vancouver Olympic Games was the opportunity for creative artists to showcase a wide variety of leading-edge performances and technology through the Cultural Olympiad’s Digital Edition (CODE). More than fifty Canadian filmmakers responded to the Bell Canada sponsored program, producing leading-edge short subjects that portrayed the theme of “The Human Body in Motion”. Their work premiered online at the Vancouver Olympic Games website on February 5, and appeared on screens at key locations at the

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sporting venues throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Toronto photographer and filmmaker Ryan Enn Hughes pushed the envelope of technology to create a two-minute short film “RGB MOVE”, utilizing the latest digital SLR technology and professional studio flash

equipment to create an alternative artistic approach to the moving image - CODE describes this as “a motion-arts film that captures the power of the human body in motion through cutting edge, contemporary urban dance.” The RGB MOVE project is a mixture of art forms – modern dance, music, digital photography, and video. Our website, www.photonews.ca will carry a link to the video, and there are links at www.ryanennhughes. com that will take you to a special presentation, “Behind the Scenes of RGB MOVE”

describing how photo and lighting technology was applied to the project. PHOTONews asked Ryan Enn Hughes to describe this fascinating new approach to visual arts.

“RGB MOVE is a motion arts project that captures the style of Krump Dancer Amadeus Marquez using unique camera and lighting processes that reflect his raw energy. RGB MOVE was commissioned by CODE Motion Pictures and premiered at The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Shot entirely with digital still photographs and lit with photographic strobes, this motion project blurs the line between photography and filmmaking.

Central to the aesthetic of RGB MOVE was Broncolor’s Scoro Pack. The Scoro’s superfast recycling time and ability to sequence multiple flashes allowed us to light this motion project not with a continuous source - but with a photographic strobe unit. Two ‘lighting looks’ were developed for “RGB MOVE” – one for an ‘on-white’ set, the other for an ‘on-black’ set. Shooting in burst mode on a DSLR, at 1/15 of a second, with one strobe pop per frame created our

RGB MOVE Credits: Arash Moallemi, Co-Producer / Technical Advisor Amadeus Marquez, Krump Dancer Scott Jackson, Music / Beatbox Artist Kyle Wilson, Editor Yim Hung Kung, Art Director Adrienne Baker, Wardrobe Melissa Tait, Set Photographer Bradley Dworkin, Set Videographer Sarah Dea, Production Assistant James Kachan, Production Assistant

Spring 2010 | 9

Chalmers Arts Fellowship through The Ontario Arts Council.

A New Form of

Photographic Expression!

‘on-white’ look. The longer shutter speed of 1/15 of a second mixed ambient overhead lights with our strobe source and created a ‘ghosting effect’. For our ‘on-black’ look we made use of the Scoro’s ability to fire multiple flashes per frame. This allowed us to create the multiple exposure effect of our dancer. From a technical perspective this project would not have been possible without a unit like the Scoro. Its clean and consistent colour temperture, accurate spread, and its ability to keep up with over 25, 000 pops in a 12 hour period helped make RGB MOVE possible.”

About The Director Ryan Enn Hughes is a Toronto based Filmmaker-Photographer working in the fine art and commercial worlds. Ryan’s work is promoted commercially by Westside Motion. With the support of a Chalmers Arts Fellowship Ryan is currently exploring new technologies and experimenting with interdisciplinary production. Ryan’s clients have included The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, TD Bank Financial Group, The Canadian Armed Forces, The CFL, Magenta Publishing, Laforet Visuals, Lithium Studios, St. Josephs Media, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Magazine, The University of Toronto, and Ryerson University. Ryan’s work has been recognized and awarded by a diverse set of organizations, including The New York Times Photography Prize through Barnstorm XXI, Grand Prize Winner of The Show Your Ontario Photography Contest through The Magenta Foundation, Digital Pix Competition Multimedia Winner through PDN Magazine, and most recently a

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In the terminology of the performing arts, the Broncolor Scoro A4S could be referred to as the “Best Supporting Actor” – without this technology, the fast recycle times required for projects like the RGB MOVE would not be possible. Offering an easy to use interface, and 3200 watt-seconds (joules) of power, the Scoro A4S is rated for three lights, compared to the dual light outputs of competitive models. You can dial-in any combination of power settings to create the ideal lighting combination, from a minimum of 3.3 J right up to 3200 J per head. LED displays for each panel show you exactly what your light settings are at a glance, with ten f/stop levels. The LCD control panel provides a comprehensive menu of the full range of Scoro settings, including colour temperature adjustments in +/- 200K steps from -400K to +800K, flash duration, and light output levels in joules. The Scoro A4S uses ECTC (Enhanced Color Temperature Control) for electronically stabilized colour temperature – the result is very consistent output, and you can use any Broncolor lamp manufactured since 1972. The Scoro A4S is very fast, with a maximum speed of 1/12,000th of a second. In “speed mode” the Scoro can recycle fast enough to provide up to 50 flashes per second. At t.01 the flash duration is 1/8000 second. You can “lock in” eight user mode settings for fast set-up in the studio, or in the field. In low ambient light settings typical of the photo studio, the backlit LCD panel can be dimmed, and it can be adjusted for better visibility in daylight situations. The silicon keypad is also backlit for visibility in all lighting conditions. The Scoro is designed for portability – at 27.5 pounds, it can realistically be taken on location, as many photographers are now doing. Teamed with a portable generator for remote field work, this power pack is certain to be a favourite among commercial and fashion photographers. The Scoro A4S is a very clever design – the RFS antenna is built in to the carrying handle – where it is out of the way, and more durable than conventional styles. Rubber bumpers on the sides of the power pack offer protection, and reflect the real-world practicality of the design. The connections also reflect the experience of the Broncolor engineers – positive locks “click” the cables in – removal is quick and easy, but only when you want to disconnect the wires. For more information on the Scoro Power Pack, please visit www.bron.ca

WinterContest Congratulations to the winners of the quarterly PHOTONews Challenge!

1. Snowy Willows. “The snow was blowing pretty heavily by this time... “ Janice Lin (Liyen) captured this image with a Nikon D300. 1/160 second at f/7, ISO 400, 150mm focal length.

3. Frosted Leaf. Harris Hui captured this close-up image with a Nikon D300 and a 150mm macro lens, shooting at f/8, 1/15 second at ISO 200.

2. La Rivière. Phillip Grondin captured this view of the Rivière des Outaouais at 21mm with his Pentax K20D, shooting at 1/45 second, f/13, ISO 200. 4. First Snowfall. Serge Richard shot this classic winter scene with his Canon EOS 500, using a 24-70mm zoom at 40mm. “Walking out of the nature park with my wife, our dog, and a good friend, I stopped for a moment to take this photograph of the winter wonderland unfolding before us.”

Don’t miss our Spring PHOTONews Challenge – see page 50 for details, and post your best shot at the PHOTONews Flickr® group… www.flickr.com/groups/photonewsgallery/

Spring 2010 | 11

Galapagos The Enchanted Isles Text & Photographs by Wayne Lynch

Juvenile California sea lions, such as the one pictured here, are playful and readily approach divers. © Wayne Lynch

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I first went to the fabled Galapagos Islands, 1000 kilometres off the west coast of Ecuador, almost 20 years ago. I saw young sea lions use prickly cactus pads as water toys, tortoises as big as storage trunks, seabirds flaunt their flamboyant crimson and blue webbed feet, and tropical penguins share sandy beaches with black spiny lizards. Since that first trip, I’ve led nearly a dozen photo tours to these fabled isles for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, most recently in April, 2009. If a Galapagos adventure is in your future plans, I have a few suggestions that may help you get the most from your trip.

When Should You Go? There are two seasons in the Galapagos Islands: the cool/dry season from July to December, and the warm/wet season from January to June. In the warm/wet

season, the humidity is high and temperatures may climb into the low 30s C, so midday excursions in this kind of heat can be quite enervating. Generally, in this season, the skies are clear and cloudless with occasional heavy showers. Not surprisingly, the warm/wet season is the peak tourist season as it overlaps the Canadian winter when, for most of us, the novelty of shovelling snow has a limited appeal. During the early part of the cool/dry season in July and August, skies are frequently overcast, but temperatures are pleasant and reach into the mid 20s C. By the end of September, there are fewer clouds and photographic conditions improve greatly. Visitors at this time of the year can expect sunny skies most of the day, although the early mornings are often overcast. As the cool/dry season advances, there is progressively more sunshine and fewer rain clouds each day. One of my favourite times to visit the islands is from mid-October to mid-November when there are still some clouds around to make the skies more interesting for photography, and the heat and humidity are less stifling. Two groups of birds are of greatest interest to most Galapagos photographers. One of these is the tropical seabirds which include: the regal waved albatrosses, the crowd-pleasing Galapagos penguins, the daredevil plunge-diving boobies, the thieving frigate birds, and streamer-tailed tropicbirds. The other includes the land birds, especially the 13 species of Darwin’s finches, which embody the magic and marvel of natural selection. In scheduling a trip to the islands you may want to consider which group of birds you are most interested in photographing. Although many of the

seabirds nest throughout the year, the greatest numbers nest during the cool/ dry season. This is the time when cold ocean currents bathe the archipelago with nutrient-rich seawater. The seabirds capitalize on the resultant fertility to feed their offspring. If you want to photograph the endemic waved albatross, the cool/dry season is the ONLY time to go. From January to early April these majestic aeronauts are vacant from the islands while they soar to the coast of South America to forage. Darwin’s famous finches have a nesting cycle completely opposite to that of the seabirds. They nest primarily during the warm/wet season when rainfall coaxes luxuriant growth from the vegetation and many of the local wildflowers bloom. The finches synchronize their nesting to coincide with the flush of insect and plant life that follows the rains. The small black and brown finches are interesting from an evolutionary perspective but not terribly exciting to photograph. The large seabirds, on the other hand, with their colourful plumage and appealing courtship behaviour make ideal photographic subjects.

How Long Should You Stay? Ninety per cent of tourists spend only one week touring the islands. Visitors fly from the mainland of Ecuador, either from Guayaquil or Quito, and land on either Baltra or San Cristobal Islands, both on the eastern side of the archipelago. From there, they board a local ship and spend the next seven days cruising among the eastern islands where most of the local wildlife species can be seen and photographed. A few of the faster ships sometimes cruise over to the western islands of Isabela and Fernandina in a one-week itinerary

Spring 2010 | 13

The male great frigatebird inflates its crimson throat sac to attract a female partner and intimidate rival males. © Wayne Lynch

where it is possible to also see the rare flightless cormorant. I’ve done both one and two-week trips, and realistically the one-week trip delivers more bang for your buck. The two-week packages allow you to tour the western islands, which are certainly interesting to visit, but considerable time is spent travelling and there are fewer photo opportunities on the western islands than on the eastern ones. Most tours begin and end in Ecuador and the price typically includes return airfare from the mainland to the islands, all meals, transportation, and guide fees. Total tour costs vary greatly, ranging from $2500 per week to $5000 or more per week. The difference in price is mainly reflected in the comfort-level of the ship, the quality of the meals, and the calibre of the local guide, not in the selection of landings as most trips usually include stops at many of the same locations.

Take a Photo Safari! Virtually everyone travels to the Galapagos as part of an organized tour. The most important decision you’ll make as a photographer is whether to travel on a specialinterest photo tour or to join a general natural history tour. Every group that visits the Galapagos must be accompanied by at least one local naturalist-guide licensed by the Ecuadorian National Park Service. Generally, on specialty photo tours there is also a professional or semi-professional photographer as a second leader. Although the second leader definitely adds to the cost of the tour, he/she can lobby on your behalf so that the timing and duration of your landings is based on the best available lighting conditions rather than revolving around the meal schedule of the ship or the whim of the Ecuadorian guide.

14 | PHOTONews

This blue-footed booby is “sky-pointing”. At the same time as the bird arches its wings it gives out a long drawn out wolf whistle. © Wayne Lynch

Today, roughly 15,000 giant tortoises roam free on the islands. Formerly, there were an estimated 250,000.

Spring 2010 | 15

On some islands, prickly pear cactuses can grow as tall as trees, as they do here on South Plaza.ù © Wayne Lynch

The vibrant pink coloration of the Caribbean flamingo results from the birds’ diet of microscopic aquatic invertebrates. © Wayne Lynch

The Galapagos penguin is one of the most endangered of the 17 species of penguins in the world. There are perhaps fewer than 1500 breeding pairs.

16 | PHOTONews

Most Ecuadorian guides know nothing about photography or the special needs of photographers and if he/she is your sole leader you may find yourself repeatedly rushed and frustrated. For example, on my recent tour in April 2009, our photo group had breakfast before sunrise, went ashore as soon as we legally could just after sunrise at 6:00am, and stayed on land until mid morning when the light got flat. The non-photographic group, with whom we shared our ship, usually had a leisure breakfast at 7:00am and then went ashore roughly two hours after sunrise, often returning to the ship before we did. I guarantee, any photographer trapped on a general interest tour will end up being disgruntled and disappointed. A photo leader can not only arrange the optimal time to be ashore, but also answer questions about photography, equipment, and possibly also discuss Photoshop techniques during leisuretimes on the ship.

What Equipment Should You Bring?

The marine iguana is the only marine lizard in the world. At low tide, it feeds on algae that it scrapes from exposed rocks and from the ocean bottom. © Wayne Lynch

One of the things that make the islands such a wonderful photo destination is the unwariness of the wildlife. In many cases, the animals and birds will almost be close enough to touch, although naturally, this is strictly forbidden. Because the wildlife is so approachable, you do not need superlong telephoto lenses to get great wildlife photographs. In a pinch, you could actually make due with small focal length lenses, ranging from 20mm to 120mm. However, on all the islands, visitors must stay on a designated trail. Although birds and reptiles are often loafing or nesting beside the trail, or on the trail itself, sometimes the best shots are of subjects a short distance away and you need a telephoto to capture a strong image. The folks who travel with me, commonly also bring along lenses in the 200mm to 300mm range as I do myself. It is the photographic variety and closeness of your subjects that makes the Galapagos Islands such a unique and marvellous location in which to shoot.

Spring 2010 | 17

I’m a big fan of fill-flash to even out contrast and illuminate shadowed areas in my wildlife subjects. Unfortunately, many Galapagos guides believe that electronic flashes have a negative impact on the wildlife. Some even believe that flashes may damage an animal’s eyesight. For the record, there is no scientific proof that any electronic flash can damage an animal’s eyesight. If it did, every politician in the world would be blind after a few weeks of posing in front of the press corps. Sadly, the ban against using flash is not an official regulation, but many guides believe it should be prohibited and they independently enforce the ban, so don’t count on using a flash in very many instances. Next to your camera and lenses, the most important additional piece of gear to bring along is a tripod. I carry a Gitzo

carbon-fibre tripod on every outing ashore, and use it not only to stabilize larger telephoto lenses but also small focal lengths as well. The tripod allows me to be more analytical about my compositions and to study the edges of the frame for distracting elements that can often be eliminated simply with a slight shift to the left or right. The Galapagos Islands is one of those rare locations where few visitors are disappointed. Besides the obvious appeal for photographers, the tropical weather soothes the psyche and warms the soul, the snorkelling is outstanding, and the local people warm and friendly. And don’t forget the balmy dinners on deck as your ship motors to another picturesque location. It’s the perfect way to end a perfect day, and there are many perfect days in the Galapagos.

Newborn sea lion pups may nurse from their mother for eight months or more.

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Shallow rocky reefs fringe the northern coastline of Santiago Island, offering photographers a chance to capture the sunset beauty of the islands. © Wayne Lynch

The sally lightfoot crab is the most colorful creature in the Galapagos Islands. Hundreds of crabs may gather along the shoreline at low tide to graze on algae.

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Spring Tune-Up Text and photos by Peter K. Burian

Tune Up Your Equipment Start by getting your SLR camera, lenses and flash ready for a good workout. Charge (or replace) any batteries. Remove the lens and clean the mirror chamber – with maximum care to avoid touching the reflex mirror – using VisibleDust Chamber Clean swabs. Shine up your lenses with a clean, new microfibre cloth, with some Visible Lens Clean liquid to remove smears and smudges from the front elements. Use a drop of the liquid on a corner of the cloth; then dry the surface with another part of the cloth. Dedicate a second microfibre cloth for cleaning the LCD monitor. The Lens Clean product works well

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During the winter, and the long rainy weeks of March, many photo enthusiasts tend to hibernate. But with April approaching, it’s time to think seriously again about outdoor photography. Just as you’ll want a mechanic to prepare your car for spring, take the time to tune-up your photo equipment and to refresh your photographic skills. on this screen and on the optical viewfinder too. For the latter, use cotton swabs to apply the liquid and dry the small piece of glass. Clean the Sensor: Sooner or later, every DSLR’s sensor needs cleaning to remove dust. In order to determine whether that’s necessary, take a photo of a white sky or wall at f/22. Download the image and increase the contrast in imaging software (with Auto Contrast if you wish.) If specks are visible, there’s dust on the sensor. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on sensor cleaning. Then use a VisibleDust ZEEION antistatic blower; this product is more effective than the typical blower bulbs.

Whenever the sensor is exposed use extreme care not to touch or damage the sensitive chip. Follow the instructions in the camera owner’s manual as well as those that were provided with the cleaning accessory. Repeat the f/22 test to determine whether there’s still some dust on the sensor. If there is, use an Arctic Butterfly brush for a gentle sensor cleaning. This battery-powered brush spins prior to insertion in the camera to build up an electrostatic charge. It then uses that charge to attract dust, removing it from the imaging sensor. If specks are still obvious in the next f/22 test shot, you have a stubborn speck. In that case, I recommend the

VisibleDust Orange Series swabs and VDust Formula liquid. Hint: Prevention is always preferable to the solution. Try to minimize the amount of dust that gets into your camera. Keep the rear cap on all lenses. Vacuum your camera bag regularly. Avoid changing lenses in dusty locations. Whenever you switch lenses, do so quickly and carefully. Minimize the amount of dust that gets into your digital SLR camera and you won’t often need to worry about sensor (and chamber) cleaning.

On the weekend, plan to get outdoors to hone your shooting skills and your creative vision. Give yourself an assignment. I recommend landscape and nature photography at a major park or at a botanical gardens. Crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths are up quite early in spring; tulips and cherry or crab apple

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blossoms follow about a month later. If you live in an area with woodlands, you might want to go hiking to find wildflowers such as trilliums and marsh marigolds. Or drive to a lake where

Refresh Your Shooting Skills If you have not done much shooting during the winter, take an hour or two to review your owner’s manual – it’s a great way to become familiar with infrequently used functions. For example, you may now have the time to experiment with wireless off-camera TTL flash if your camera and your accessory flash unit supports that feature. (If not, consider buying an off-camera flash extension cord.) Also try the depth of field preview at several f/stops if that function is available. Then experiment with all of the options available in Live View.

Spring 2010 | 23

you can find frogs, water plants or driftwood on the beach. Regardless of the location, plan to take a serious approach to capture the essence of the subject. Work with pleasing light: Brilliant highnoon sunshine is harsh and it creates excessive contrast: extremely bright highlights and dark shadows. For better pictures, wait for a day with light cloud cover. Diffused light is soft and even, so you won’t need to worry about loss of detail in extremely bright and dark areas. This type of illumination also produces rich color saturation with accurate rendition of the various hues. Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8

I used the Tamron 90mm macro lens to capture this image.

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On sunny days, plan to shoot in early morning or late afternoon, when the warm, low-angled light is great for outdoor photography. If the scene includes foliage, shooting toward the sun will makes the translucent leaves glow with a beautiful shimmer. When the sun is to your side, the directional light will pick out details far better than the illumination from above around noon. In side lighting, look for studies in texture as the light skims rock surfaces to form pockets of contrast producing a strong tactile impression. Hint: A circular polarizing filter is very useful in most outdoor photography. In addition to enriching the color of a blue sky, this accessory offers another benefit. It can wipe glare (reflections) from foliage, water and other (non-metallic) surfaces to increase color saturation. A polarizer works best when the sun is at your side; rotate the filter until you see the desired effect in the camera’s viewfinder or on the LCD monitor in Live View. When buying a filter, look for a high-grade accessory that’s multi-coated or digitally optimized, for the best results. Start with wide angle shots: When you find a pleasing location, start by taking some establishing shots. Use the 18mm end of your short zoom lens to record an expansive sweep of flowers or an entire stream, field and trees.

Circle the area searching for the strongest vantage points. Find a position which will allow you to exclude extraneous elements. Try shooting from low angles too. Get down to ground level, shooting upward to frame blossoms against a deep blue polarized sky. An 18mm focal length provides a moderately wide angle of view, roughly comparable to that of your own two eyes. By comparison, an ultra wide zoom can encompass more than your eyes can see. If you’re always wishing that you had a shorter lens, check out the possibilities available in the 10-16mm range with a Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II LD Aspherical [IF] lens. Because very short focal lengths provide low magnification, depth of field – the range of acceptable sharpness – is often extensive in ultra wide photos. It’s possible to render a long line of trees as sharp for example. Set a small aperture such as f/16 and focus at a point about one-third of the way into the scene. A wide angle lens can include a vast area of a scene; compose carefully to exclude distracting elements that would compete for viewer attention. Fill the frame with a few objects that have some logical relationship to each other, such as a stream and a small bridge or a gazebo surrounded by colourful flowers. Often that means moving in closer to

Live view comes in handy for low-level photos.

the subject(s). This technique makes it easier to avoid including too many elements that will compete for the viewer’s attention. Switch to a telephoto lens: After taking the overviews, use a telephoto focal length for photos of small individual portions of the scene. (Eliot Porter called these “intimate landscapes”.) This technique requires viewing a scene selectively. Ask yourself what is most attractive about a particular location. Maybe it’s the way the small waterfall splashes over the rocks or the interaction among squirrels. Or perhaps your eye is attracted to the way that some side-lit tulips stand out against the dark surface of a large rock. Zoom in tightly with a telephoto lens to eliminate all the other elements. When you first discover an area of interest – perhaps the moss-covered rocks in a stream – start by visually exploring it from a variety of positions. Circle the subject if possible to find the strongest vantage point. If the background is distracting, search for an area of contrasting color or lighting. Try climbing a rock to find a high viewpoint to eliminate a cluttered background or bright sky. For the next shot, consider lowering yourself to ground level even if this means getting your feet wet or your knees muddy. Often this approach will provide the most intimate involvement with your subject.

Hint: If your longest lens’ focal length is 85mm or shorter, consider Tamron’s 70-200mm f/2.8 or 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC zoom. Either of these lenses can be useful for zooming in on the most pleasing parts of an entire scene. A telephoto lens can simplify your photographs. By excluding the foreground or a bald sky - or anything that interferes with a close appreciation of detail - it can help shape a more selective vision. Zoom in tightly and set a wide aperture (f/2.8, f/4 or f/5.6) for shallow depth of field and a softly blurred background. Try extreme close-ups: For some photos, plan to fill the frame with a single blossom or other small subject. Both of the lenses mentioned above are “macro” designated, indicating moderately close focusing ability. But a true Macro lens, like the Tamron AF 60mm f/2.0 or 90mm f/2.8 model, will allow you to focus significantly closer. That’s useful for including only a flower’s pistil and stamen framed against petals of vivid color. Because a Macro lens magnifies the slightest movement, mount the camera on a rigid tripod. If your subject begins waving in the breeze, set a higher ISO and use a faster shutter speed. Avoid using conventional on-camera flash in close-up photography. Instead, try a macro flash unit such as the Metz Mecablitz 15 MS-1. Or use off-camera flash held above and

Metz Macro Flash 15 MS-1 digital.

to one side of the subject; add a Lumiquest diffuser accessory for softer light. If you prefer ambient light only, use a silver or gold Photoflex LiteDisc reflector panel to bounce light right into your subject.

Just Do It We’re all busy with work and family, but serious photo enthusiasts always seem to find a couple of hours early on a Saturday morning. While others sleep in, load up your gear and begin refining your techniques for making beautiful images.

Shooting tulips close-up with the Tamron 18-270mm zoom at 18mm.

Spring 2010 | 25

Movement by Sarah Silver…

…Light by broncolor Scoro A Sarah Silver’s talent for refined light mixed with cascading water generates a stunning eye-catcher! The all new broncolor Scoro A allows up to 10 f-stops of light control, from 3 to 3200 J. A selectable flash duration from 1/450 to 1/12000 s and a charging time from 0.02 to 0.6 (230 V) are just some of the other highlights of this product, offering total creative freedom. Stop dreaming – discover the new Scoro A at your dealer’s showroom. broncolor Scoro A – Simply The Best. Scoro A4S Asymmetry 10 f-stops independent control over each of 3 channels Power Range 3200 J to 3 J with constant color temperature Flash Duration t0.1 1/85 - 1/8,000 s Colour Temperature adjustable in +/- 200 K steps Recycling fastest 3200J powerpack available

For your free full colour broncolor catalogue contact info@bron.ca broncolor Products are Marketed and Distributed in Canada by Amplis Foto www.amplis.com

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Innovation in the macro world!

15 MS-1 DIGITAL MACRO FLASH Wireless TTL flash control: Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung and Sony-Alpha Manual, slave and PC sync: compatible with virtually any camera Two integrated flashes, individually pivoting (0째, 10째, 20째) LCD matrix display

Metz Products Marketed and Distributed by Amplis Foto www.amplis.com

Ratio function (light distribution from left to right) from 1:1 to 1:8 Accessory diffuser disc for softer illumination 1st and 2nd shutter curtain synchronisation

USB Upgradable Tripod mount Complete with rings for 52, 55 and 58mm diameter lenses

Adjustable modelling light

Additional 62, 67 and 72mm adapter rings available

Integrated autofocus auxiliary light

Comes with case

metzflash.ca

Metz Products Marketed and Distributed by Amplis Foto www.amplis.com

Gitzo GT5531 without center column.

How to Pick the

PERFECT TRIPOD by Peter K. Burian

any photographers, particularly those working outdoors, have a love/hate relationship with the tripod. Perhaps their first investment in a tripod was a disappointment, or they selected a model that was not ideal for their needs. The fact is that although three legs offer the greatest stability for camera equipment, a poorly designed tripod can be a hassle to use. This is compounded when the head also creates frustration because it’s flimsy or difficult to operate.

A tripod was essential to shoot this low level view with a 300mm lens.

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There is definitely a solution to the frustration: buy the ideal tripod with the most suitable head and a few problem-solving accessories… think of the tripod as the focal point of a system of camera and accessory support equipment, choose your gear with care, and you will always have a “best supporting actor” at your side.

Yes, We Still Need Tripods! With the advances in DSLR anti-shake technology, you may wonder if a tripod is still an essential accessory. After all an increasing number of lenses – as well as Sony and Pentax DSLR bodies – are equipped with a vibration control system. Because an image stabilizer compensates for camera shake, it

Optimizing Portability

Whenever possible, the pros use tripods with long telephoto lenses.

can provide more “keepers” at moderately long shutter speeds. But as professional photographers will confirm, a tripod remains a valuable accessory providing benefits in technical and creative aspects. Let’s consider a few examples. • In high magnification photography – with a macro or long telephoto lens – the slightest vibration is amplified; that’s not a problem with a rigid tripod that can eliminate all camera movement. • The exceptional stability of a high-grade tripod also allows for making very long exposures. The solid support makes it possible to shoot a five second fireworks display or a 30 second exposure of a waterfall or very long exposures of star trails. • When the camera is firmly supported, you can make a series of photos that are perfect in terms of alignment so it’s easy to stitch them together with Panorama software.

•

A tripod is also essential when you want to make several photos of the same scene – identical in all aspects except for exposure – for a perfect compositing effect with High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging software.

A studio photographer has few concerns about weight, but outdoor shooters are always trying to minimize the load they must carry. Some are tempted to take only a very short, flimsy tripod/head combination, but that can be worse than no support at all. It merely lulls them into a false sense of security while providing very few razor sharp images. On the other hand, lugging a large, 10 kg accessory – in addition to a hefty camera bag – can become intolerable when you are hiking any great distance. A tripod with high quality metal legs can provide a very rigid shooting platform at a reasonable cost and weight. While you can find several low-end alternatives, many of the bargain tripods are disappointingly flimsy products. Manufacturers like Gitzo and Manfrotto recognize that photo hobbyists demand greater quality. That’s exactly why both employ the best aluminium for reliability, stability and acceptable weight. They also use one or more high-tech materials (for some products) that are lighter in weight but very strong. Carbon Fibre: Roughly 40% lighter than aluminum, this material (developed for aerospace applications) is highly suitable for leg tubes because it’s superior to metal in absorbing vibrations. Available in some Gitzo and Manfrotto models, carbon fibre is also more comfortable in winter, drawing less heat from the hands than metal does. In order to minimize total weight, many of Gitzo’s castings are made of magnesium; Manfrotto also uses this metal for CX series tripod components.

Manfrotto’s CX4PRO is carbon fibre light!

Recommendation: In addition to providing sharp photos at any shutter speed, a tripod affords the luxury of a careful study of the composition on the viewing screen. This allows for making minute adjustments until the image is exactly as desired. That can be useful in many types of serious image making: land and cityscape photography, formal portraits of people or animals, still life compositions, and so on.

The Gitzo GT 1531 Carbon Fibre.

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Use a tripod for night shots – it is better than shooting at high ISO settings.

While you can find cheaper tripods with carbon fibre leg tubes, remember this: carbon fiber can be very different in quality, depending on the production process and the percent of carbon fiber material. Superior materials are expensive to manufacture but provide great torsional rigidity. Gitzo manufactures tubes with a unique structure of 6 crossed layers that maximizes rigidity and vibration absorption. Manfrotto employs 100% carbon fiber and pull winding technology, a special manufacturing process that maximizes flexion resistance and torsional rigidity

Basalt: Employed by Gitzo for a new series of tripods, basalt tubes are constructed of fibers made from lava rock. These tripods are about 20% lighter than the aluminum models and offer better vibration damping. They bridge the price gap between aluminum and carbon fibre models. Cast Magnesium: Certain Gitzo and Manfrotto tripods feature components made of this material, which is 35% lighter than aluminium but even more rigid. Some of the Gitzo and Manfrotto tripod heads are also made of magnesium.

Recommendation: Since no accessory is of much value when stashed away in a closet, great portability should assure that you will use a tripod more frequently. If weight is an important consideration, you will want a tripod with high quality carbon fibre tubes. Don’t be concerned by the lower amount of mass, since these legs provide great rigidity and stability. A Gitzo basalt model is about 20% heavier but is less expensive than a Gitzo carbon fibre tripod because of lower manufacturing cost.

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Tripod Column Versatility Because most photographers insist on a tripod with a centre column, this feature is standard on most models. Problem is, a long column makes it impossible to set the tripod for low level shooting. You can buy a shorter column for some tripods or shorten the existing column with certain models; that can help but it won’t allow for very low camera placement. Both Gitzo and Manfrotto offer some tripods with

unique designs that solve this problem; some also provide another benefit with an adjustable column. Ground Level Set: Many tripods allow you to reverse the column so the camera is hanging downward close to the ground. That sounds like a reasonable approach, but in my experience, controlling an inverted camera – while lying on the ground – can be awkward and inconvenient. There’s a better alternative for three current Gitzo lines: Mountaineer, Leveling and Aluminum Series 2 and 3 models. These include a ground level kit that allows for removing the centre column entirely; the tripod head will then attach directly to the upper casting. (The kit can also be purchased separately for the older Gitzo tripods.) Particularly with a tripod that allows the legs to be fully splayed, you can achieve ultra low shooting angles. Horizontal Columns: In many types of close-up photography it’s impossible to move the tripod adequately close to the subject. In order to photograph a certain blossom for example, you might need to trample many others if you were to move the tripod to an ideal position. Manfrotto solved this problem by developing a Quick Center Column System; it’s available on the X Pro series of tripods. You can move the column from vertical to horizontal in a few seconds. That allows for positioning the camera/lens right up to the

With Manfrotto’s horizontal column, it is easy to get the camera lens close to your subject.

subject in many locations. When the centre column is not in the vertical position, the tripod can also be set for low level shooting.

equipped with a conventional column there’s no need for modification when you want to shoot at ground level.

The Best Leg Locks

Gitzo off-centre ball head.

Photographers disagree as to the ideal type of lock. Some prefer Manfrotto’s clamping levers; the new quick action locks are particularly fast to operate. Others insist on threaded twist locks for greater security. The latter, used by Gitzo for many decades, is not as quick to operate. However, their newer tripods with the Anti Leg Rotation system allow for a surprisingly fast setup. Just loosen all twist locks at the same time and pull down the leg before tightening each of them; setup takes only 15 seconds. Gitzo’s new G (for gravity)

The Gitzo Explorer series employs a different type of system. Instead of a centre column, these models are equipped with a free-moving arm that can be placed in any position. Especially with a Gitzo off-centre ball head, that allows for unconventional camera placement: close to ground, upside-down or right up to the subject. The combination is ideal in tight or awkward spaces, and for outdoor macro and nature photography, still life and architecture. Because an Explorer is not

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The Perfect Tripod Head While some tripod kits include a head, serious photo enthusiasts prefer to buy “legs only” and the specific head that they prefer. Ideally, this component should be solid with smooth, high-grade mechanisms and designed to support at least as much weight as the tripod. Three distinct types are available.

Lock provides a second benefit: the heavier the load the stronger the locking effect will be. If you want maximum setup/takedown speed, check out the (metal) Manfrotto 458B Neotec Pro Photo Tripod. It’s equipped with a rapid opening and closing mechanism; there are no leg locks at all. Simply pull the three legs downward; release them and they automatically lock into position. You can fold the Neotec tripod back up just as quickly; press the mechanism release button and push the legs closed.

I used a Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod with magnesium head to shoot this photograph at the Louvre in Paris.

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Pan/Tilt Head: This traditional type is usually equipped with three controls – handles and/or knobs – for each of the three axes. While the adjustment does take a bit of time, the pan head is ideal for fine-tuning a critical composition. Several Manfrotto models feature only knobs, without even one protruding handle; these are particularly compact/portable. Ball Head: Many sports, nature and wildlife photographers prefer the ball and socket heads for greater convenience. Instead of working with three handles to control the various axes, a single knob allows infinite adjustment of the camera’s position. The better heads are equipped with two separate locks: for the tilt and pan functions. With these, you can generally forgo tightening the latter in order to maintain the greatest ease/speed of use. Note too that Manfrotto and Gitzo ball heads intended for heavy equipment also provide a friction or tension control feature. This can prevent the camera/lens from flopping down when the tilt control knob is loosened.

I used a tripod to achieve precise composition for this shot of Inglis Falls, Owen Sound, Ontario.

Manfrotto also makes an innovative accessory, the 322RC2 Horizontal Grip Action head with a convenient trigger that unlocks/locks the head. A friction control wheel lets you regulate the tension of the mechanism to match the weight of your camera/lens. This head is made of magnesium for light weight (0.7kg) but offers a load capacity of 5kg. It’s equipped with the familiar Manfrotto quick release mechanism; a single plate is included in the kit but others of various sizes are also available.

Recommendation: Many outdoor photographers use a ball head (when shooting stills) because it’s quicker to operate than a pan/tilt head. While a tension/friction control feature does increase the cost, it’s worthwhile since it really reduces frustration with the camera/ lens flopping around. Those working in a studio – and Landscape and architectural photographers – usually use a pan/tilt head because it’s better for the most precise composition. Now that I’ve begun shooting videos (with a DSLR), I can finally appreciate the value of a fluid video head. This type would be a fine choice for anyone who wants to make professional-looking video clips.

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A video head makes all the difference for smooth productions!

Fluid Video Head: If your digital SLR camera includes a Movie mode, you’ll want a video head as well. This type resembles a pan head but the horizontal, vertical, and pan controls are very smooth, and they can be loosened, tightened or locked. You can adjust the tension to perfectly balance the weight of the

camera and lens, allowing very smooth, professional camera movement, dampened to eliminate jumps and abrupt stops as you pan the camera. The better models – including the Manfrotto 701HDV mini head, or the compact Gitzo G2180 – are equipped with internal fluid cartridges. The more affordable photo/video heads, like the Manfrotto 391RC2, utilize Teflon pads (or a silicon lubricant) for smooth pans/tilts. Add a professional flair to your video production by attaching a dolly to the tripod – your friends and family will be amazed at how smooth your videos will be! Regardless of the type of head, a quick release system can be a blessing. Available with most of the Manfrotto and Gitzo heads – or as an add-on accessory – this device consists of a clamp that can be opened and locked quickly. Attach a compatible plate to the bottom of your camera(s), or telephoto lenses’ tripod collars, and mounting/removing the equipment can be very convenient. What a pleasant alternative to unscrewing the equipment every time you suddenly decide to shoot handheld or switch to a different lens.

A tripod with pan/tilt head is ideal for precise composition at the Grand Canyon.

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A tripod with pan/tilt head is ideal for precise composition at the Grand Canyon.

The Bottom Line It should be clear by now that there’s no single tripod or head that’s “perfect” for everyone. And many versatile photographers own several. For example, I own a full size tripod with independent leg angles and locks for working on rough terrain with a pan/ tilt head plus a video head. I also own a smaller (but still rigid) tripod with a pro-grade magnesium ball head for use when hiking. Those, and a few accessories plus a monopod, can meet any of my needs. It’s simply a matter of choosing the most appropriate combination of items for any photographic application. High quality equipment is not inexpensive, but I always encourage photographers to buy the best tripod and head they can afford. Budget roughly what you would spend for your primary lens; you’ll probably use the tripod and accessories for much longer than you’ll keep any lens. A very stable platform for the camera provides maximum image sharpness, plus full control of the technical and creative factors discussed earlier. In fact, a suitable tripod is one of the most practical steps to bridging the gap between amateur and professional – at least in terms of the superior quality the resulting photos can attain.

Useful Accessories For the greatest ease in setting up your camera and tripod, nothing beats a quick release system – many heads offer this as a feature, and you can purchase a quick release accessory to add to your existing head. If you already own a very suitable tripod and head with a quick release system, certain accessories can increase its versatility or effectiveness. Retailers’ catalogues provide an indication as to compatibility with specific Gitzo or Manfrotto tripod models. You can also find such information – and lots of uncommon accessories as well as replacement parts – at www.manfrotto.ca and at www.gitzo.ca. Manfrotto makes many clamps and arms for holding accessories such as a wireless remote flash unit, a bounce card or a reflector. Their 035 Super Clamp is particularly versatile; it can be attached to a tripod leg or to a solid object with a round or square

Super Clamp

Magic Arm

surface. Use two Super Clamps, or a pair of Nano Clamps to hold a pair of wireless flash units, and you can transform your tripod into a copy stand. Add a Magic Arm to a Super Clamp and you will discover a new world of convenience in a wide range of situations. The following items would also be worth considering: extra quick release plates, a panoramic head adapter for convenience in shooting a series of photos to be combined into a panoramic image, a short centre column for low level work, tripod feet with retractable spikes, “location” or “snow” shoes for working on mud, snow or sand and a tripod carrying strap. A monopod with a compact Manfrotto 234RC swivel/tilt head is very useful for sports photography with telephoto lenses. Anyone who travels by air should also own a padded tripod bag of the suitable size.

Nano Clamp

Retractable spike foot

Spring 2010 | 35

Putting Flash

into Your

Nature Photos

by Darwin Wiggett

36 | PHOTONews

used to think that there was no place for flash in nature photography. After all, nature’s light is so glorious why would we want to jar the mood with a stark burst of flash? Plus who wants to carry even more gear and batteries around? Forget it, for me it was natural light or nothing. But even old dogs can learn new tricks if the rewards are big enough! I kept seeing fantastic nature photography supplemented with flash that got my creative juices stirred. Sometimes the flash was used subtly to fill in dark shadows or add a sparkle to the eyes of wildlife, sometimes it was used as the main light source with nature’s light as the fill, and other times it was used for otherworldly effects for surreal- looking images. I figured I owed it to myself to explore what flash had to offer to this nature photographer.

Solving the Deer-in-the Headlight look One of the easiest ways to make your photos look ‘flashed’ (stark and flat) is to just use the pop-up flash on your camera or use a flash mounted on the hot shoe of the camera. For example, in the photos of the Squirrel Monkeys (photo 1) at the Calgary Zoo, I just used a Canon 430EZ flash mounted on my Canon EOS-1n camera. The results are predictable with harsh shadows and stark frontal light –no wonder I rarely used flash! The easiest way to solve the problems associated with on-camera flash is to get the flash off the camera. I use a Manfrotto 233B flash bracket and an off-camera TTL cord to connect the flash and the camera. The bracket can be repositioned to get the flash off to the side or above or below the lens. I also like to

soften the harsh pin point light coming from the flash by adding a LumiQuest portable soft box which gives a more pleasing wrap-round but directional light. Photo 2 shows my flash set-up with a Tamron 180mm macro lens and a Metz 58 AF-1 flash mounted on the Manfrotto flash bracket. Photo 3a shows a caterpillar on the stem of a plant. The plant was along the shaded side of my house and the background was in full sun so the contrast range was too much for the digital sensor to record detail in both areas of the images. Obviously I needed to add some light to the worm and plant. Rather than just flash the worm with an on-camera flash, I used my flash off to the side of the camera to give me good side lighting for strong texture (photo 3b – Canon EOS-1ds Mark II, Tamron 180mm macro lens, Metz 58 AF-1 flash).

3b Spring 2010 | 37

4b 4a

Flash as Fill – Direction is Important Adding flash to fill in shadows works best when I use a soft box on my flash, position the flash off-camera in the opposite direction of the natural light and use TTL flash with exposure compensation set on the flash to -1.67 or -2 EV. Doing these three things will ensure that I have shadow detail but without the image looking ‘flashed’. Photo 4a was taken in bright sun with strong side lighting. In photo 4b I placed the Metz 58 AF-1 flash on my flash bracket with a

5 38 | PHOTONews

LumiQuest softbox to the right side of the frame to add fill to the shadows. The flash was set on TTL to give -1.67 exposure. The result (photo 4b – Canon Rebel XSi, Tamron 180mm macro lens at f16) looks really natural with both the highlights and the shadows retaining much more detail than seen in Photo 4a.

Creating Drama Using Flash for Backlighting My absolute favorite light is backlighting. Backlighting emphasizes form and shape and really adds drama to nature subjects. You can use backlighting as the only source of light

4b like I did in the detail shot of a leaf in photo 5. Here, I simply photographed the leaf sitting on the head of the Metz 58 AF-1 flash. The flash was used in TTL mode and the camera properly exposed the backlit leaf lit by the flash (Canon Rebel XSi, Tamron 180mm Macro lens, 1/125 sec at f16). Another alternative is to make backlight the main source of light with natural light providing the fill. For example, in Photo 6a I made a close up image of a lily flower. This image was shot with window light at ½ second at f22. The picture is fine but not overly exciting. None of the reproductive parts

6a of the flower really show their distinctive shapes. To show shape and form I simply placed the Metz 58 AF-1 flash directly behind the lily and fired the flash through the white petals. I kept the exposure at ½ second at f22 to keep the brightness of the ambient light but I set the flash to expose at +1 to make the flower petals brighter in the background (Photo 6b – Canon Rebel XSi, Tamron 180mm macro lens)

Macro Flash to the Rescue for Ultra Close Ups Whenever I make really tight close ups with my Canon MP-E 65 macro lens (magnifies 1-5x life size) often the end of my lens is only

inches away from the subject. Most of the time the lens casts a shadow on the subject and it is often impossible to get a regular flash between the lens and the subject. The solution is a macro or ring flash. This is a thin flash that screws on the front of your lens like a filter and fits between the lens and your subject (photo 7a). I like the Metz 15 MS-1 macro flash because it has two flashes on either side of the ring that can be adjusted for independent output (photo 7b). Plus it has a built in slave and wireless capabilities so I do not need to worry about flash cords hanging off my camera. When I do macro photography the last thing I want is flat frontal lighting – boring! Photo 8a shows a close up taken without the macro flash; the lens cast a shadow on the flower making it dark relative to the background. With the Metz 15 MS-1 macro flash I could properly expose the wall (1 second at f16) and yet still get directional light by having the left side of the flash fire at full output and the right side of the flash fire at 1/8 power (photo 8b – Canon Rebel XSi and Canon MP-65 macro lens).

6b The Metz macro flash easily lets you dial in lighting ratios from 1:1 to 1:8 for precision in lighting.

Flash for the Big Landscape Flash is not just limited to the macro and intimate scenes, flash can also be used to illuminate parts of a larger scenic. For example, in Photo 9 I used my Metz 45-CL flash and a LumiQuest softbox to subtly light the canoe (Mamiya 645 Pro TTL, 35mm lens, Velvia 50 film). In Photo 10, I used my Metz 45-CL flash off camera to add light to the two flowers on the left side of the frame so they were as bright as the other flowers (Mamiya 645 Pro TTL, 35mm lens, Velvia 50 film).

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9 10

Flash for special effects Finally, flash can be used to create images with a bizarre twist. In photo 11, I used my Metz 45-CL flash held off camera to light this cow in the dim dusk. During the ¼ second exposure the flash stopped the movement of the cows head but the ambient light picked up ghosting of the silhouette around the brightly lit face. As well the flash caused the cow’s eye to be highly reflective making this image of a ‘mad cow’ complete (Canon EOS-1n, Canon 24-70mm lens Velvia 50 film, f8).

Use your Built-in Pop-Up Flash. I am sold on the usefulness of flash in nature photography and have now made a permanent place in bag for this important tool. Even if you don’t buy an external flash with an offcamera cord, at the very least try the built-in

40 | PHOTONews

pop up flash that most digital DSLR’s and point-n-shoot cameras come with. It can also be a powerful lighting solution. For example I used the pop-up flash on my Canon G11 to light up the curve sign in photo 12. I almost always set my exposure flash compensation at -1 or -2 EV whenever I use my pop-up flash so that the flash does not overpower the natural light. In the case of photo 12, I set the flash to -2 EV because the sign was highly reflective and recorded too bright at other flash settings.

11 Darwin Wiggett is a nature and landscape photographer from Alberta who has published 11 books, including the best-seller “How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies”. Darwin writes articles for various photography magazines and leads photo tours, seminars and workshops around the country. His latest weekend seminar, to be held in Canmore, Alberta on April 24 and 25, is called SNAP! Mastering Digital Nature Photography from Capture to Commerce and is co-instructed by John E. Marriott and Samantha Chyrsanthou. For more information go to www.snapphotoseminars.com

DIGITAL Darkroom

The Magic of

Michel Roy Text and photos by Michel Roy

42 | PHOTONews

With the power of computers at our fingertips, photographic creativity takes on a whole new dimension. With a bit of ingenuity, and a basic understanding of Photoshop, you can transform a series of images into a flight of fantasy. We asked Michel Roy, a professional photographer and teacher from L’Ange Guardien, Quebec, to reveal the secrets behind this wonderful image… here, in text and photos, is a glimpse into Michel’s magical world. Photoshop is a great tool for correcting images. When it’s time to fix colours, resize images and adjust exposure correctly, it is the tool of choice for photographers. But the software can do so much more, especially now with 3D features and animation. It is a wonderful addition to the skills of a creative photographer! To explore the full creative potential of Photoshop, you must be ready to learn the art of using masks and adjustment layers. Let’s start with a whimsical composition I created with the assistance of my son Mathieu. The image is a compilation of six different photos. I shot the basic image of my son in my garage, which I have transformed into a mini studio. The image was done against a black background but it could have been done anywhere, with any background. To make your work easier, choose a flat and one colour background behind your subject… a white wall would be a great start. The first step is to duplicate the original layer. You can do this by selecting the background layer and clicking Ctrl-D. Save your work at this point in .psd format (and do it often), so all of your layers will be intact to work with when you re-open your composition. On the duplicate original layer, fix the details of the image. Adjust colours and exposure, and all of the little things that may need attention. Since most walls and backdrops will show

texture or a variance in tone, you can use the brush tool to paint the background so that it is uniform. Because I shot against a black background, I used the brush with black colour and made the background 100% black. (We will skip some steps in this exercise to take more time to learn the power of masks). Now it is time to start working with masks! Bring the photo of your background into your main document by dragging it. It will become a new layer automatically. To make a new mask, click on the square with a circle inside located at the bottom of the layer palette (Image A) if the layer palette is not visible click F7. The principle of using a mask is simple: black reveals, white conceals. So take a brush and paint on the mask you just created. Make sure that you are painting on the mask and not the photo itself! When the mask is active, a white square will be visible all around the thumbnails. To select the layer, click on the layer thumbnail. To switch your brush colours from black to white or white to black, just click the letter X on the keyboard. The brush size can be adjusted easily with the right and left bracket on the keyboard, or use the brush menu on the top left of the screen. When you get close to the edge of something you want to mask, use a smaller brush and choose the brush hardness appropriate to the effect you desire. In our example, the background layer was muted, by setting the layer opacity at 42%. After Matt and I were satisfied with the background, we placed the photo into the empty frame.

Spring 2010 | 43

The Magic of

As you add elements to your composition, you begin to see the magic develop. Bring the photo to life by dragging it into the document, and it will make a new layer automatically. Once the layer was in place, we transformed the image to make it fit with the empty frame. Click Ctrl/Cmd-A to select all the image within the layers, then Ctrl/Cmd-T to be able to transform the image. To be able to move each corner individually, just hold the CTRL button while dragging the corners into

44 | PHOTONews

place. You can now distort the image as you please by dragging any corner. When the image is where you want it, just click enter. You can make a mask like in the first step to make the image fit perfectly into the frame. Here is a good place to learn that you can disassociate the mask from the image if you click on the chain between the image and its mask thumbnail. Then if you move the image, the mask will still be at the same place. To lock the mask and the image again, just click between the thumbnails again. To make the image more realistic, we had to put some shadows under the finger that was holding the picture. Make a new layer (menu/new layer) or click the button next to the garbage can on the bottom of the layers palette. With a small brush with soft edge, paint in black next to the finger to create some shadows. Click on the new mask icon on the bottom of the layers palette and paint

in black on the finger to erase what should not be seen. Using the layer transparency, it is easy to make it even more realistic. Let’s bring in the birds now. Dragging the bird photo into the composition will make a new layer again. This time, we will use a different way to make the mask. If you have a selection, and you click on the new mask icon, the mask will be created with that selection. You can still fix your mask afterward by painting in black or white! So let’s do this… because the background is uniform on the bird photo, we will use the colour range method. Go to menu-settingscolour range. To select the colour you want to mask, you can click in the picture directly or in the preview window. To add another colour to the selection, click control while you are clicking on a second place in the image. Adjust the fuzziness so you have a good selection. It might not be perfect, but we can fix it

Michel Roy afterwards. Click ok. While the selection is active, click on the new mask icon. Photoshop automatically understands what you want to do and the mask is created for you here. Now make sure to click on the mask icon to select it. To do a more precise job, and to verify your mask, click on the mask thumbnail while holding the Alt key. Watch your image - it will become your mask! Now use black and white to make it clean. To return to normal view, just click back in the mask thumbnail while holding the Alt key again. For the second bird, we repeated exactly the same procedure that we used for the first bird. If your selection is not in the correct sequence when making the new mask, just invert the mask after selecting it by clicking Ctrl/Cmd-I. To make the image seem more alive, I used another image to make some snow drift in the scene. Bring the image into the composition by

dragging it. Then use the Ctrl/Cmd –T command to transform and rotate the snowdrift under the birds. To make only the snow visible, I erased (could have masked) the extra detail from the photo with the eraser tool. The advantage of using masks to accomplish the effect is that you can get anything from the image back at any moment by painting on the mask with white. If you use the eraser, it’s gone for good, so be careful. The snow part was against a pretty dark background, so I added quite a lot of contrast to make the white, white, and the darker area black. (Menu Adjustment – Brightness/ Contrast). To make only the white show through, I changed the layer mode (on top of the layer palette) to screen. At this point, you can go back, open each layer, select your masks, and make them better with your brushes. Use the X key to switch between the white and black colour but make sure that you select the mask and not the layer! Save your document. The final step is to flatten the layer, (Menu –Layer-Flatten layer). Use the Save As command to save your image in jpeg or any format for other

applications. You will still have the .psd file with all of your layers, so you can do more work on it, if necessary, or adapt it to other compositions. Once you learn to play with masks, almost all the corrections in Photoshop can be done with the mask techniques. It unleashes your magical power to select a part of the image and modify it with ease to create a new flight of fantasy! Good Photoshopping everyone!

Michel Roy

, from Quebec City, is a professional photographer and videographer specializing in a wide range of corporate and portrait assignments. Take a look at his website – it is eye candy for the creative photographer! www.digitaldirectphotos.com and his portfolio www.flickr.com/michelroy

Spring 2010 | 45

Editor’sChoice Ball Heads – Reinvented!

Rollei’s new Sportline 90

Manfrotto has introduced a full line of ball heads with payloads from 2kg up to 8kg. All models (except for the smallest 492 head) have a completely new friction control allowing micro movements without opening/closing the head lock. The convenient lock lever is repositionable for fast and convenient use. The 492, 494 and 496 heads have a simple flat plate, and the 494RC2, 496RC2, 498RC2 and 498RC4 feature a quick release plate. The quick release models include a secondary safety pin that avoids accidental detachment of the camera from the head.

Rollei’s new Sportline 90 compact digital camera is designed to be waterproof to 3 metres, and shockproof to withstand a drop of 1 meter without internal damage. With 8 shooting modes and three flash modes, including settings for night flash and sport photos, this is a pocket-size precision camera that is perfect for your active lifestyle.

LumiQuest Mini Softbox

Table Top Tripod Kit

The latest in the LumiQuest line of light control products enlarges and diffuses the light with the flash in the direct flash position. Unobtrusive and low profile, the Mini SoftBox is ideal for press and other fast-moving situations. Folding flat to approximately 3 ¼" x 4 ½", this flash accessory is ideal for softening shadows and eliminating red eye in flash photographs.

Manfrotto’s new 209,492 LONG Table Top Tripod Kit is an excellent travelling companion, with the sturdy 209 legs that fold to 13cm, the new 492 head with repositionable handle, and a telescoping extension that expands from 6” to 10”. With a 2kg load capacity, this kit can support a range of compact and bridge cameras, digital camcorders, and DSLRs with lightweight short focal length zoom lenses. Packaged with a handy carrying pouch, this is a must-have accessory for the avid photographer!

Because They Work Softens Shadows

•

Illuminates Evenly

•

LumiQuest SoftBox III

•

Attaches in Seconds

“Off camera flash with the SoftBox III and a little fill from the camera’s pop-up flash gives me studio-quality light while on the move.” — David Hobby

Veteran Photojournalist and Publisher of Strobist.com

www . lw. um iq ess ww lum i qu ue t .t c a. c o m

Light Control to Go!

The Photoflex DL-1212WG 12” (30cm) White/Gold LiteDisc™ reflector is ideal for lighting small objects. The white side reflects light with natural-looking results, while the gold side provides a strong warming effect. The LiteDisc™ folds to approximately one-third of its open size, and fits into a protective zippered pouch to fit in your pocket. Ideal for close-ups of flowers and small reflective subjects.

BRNO baLens Cap Simple White Balance Control The baLens consists of a snap-on lens cap with a removable translucent dome in the center. By simply putting the cap on your lens, pointing the camera at the light source and doing a manual white balance, superior colour correction is easily achieved – easier and more accurate than the camera’s auto white balance setting. The patent-pending baLens White Balance Lens Cap system comes with interchangeable neutral and warm filters. Available in 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, and 77mm sizes.

Reader’sGallery

1. Energy Plaza. Lisa Couldwell photographed this architectural abstract with a Pentax K200D and the 18-55mm kit lens, at 24mm. Hand-held at 1/45 second, f/16, ISO 200.

2. Varied Thrush. Anne Dorsey captured this image of a Varied Thrush in a Sorbus tree while strolling through downtown Vancouver. Photographed with a Nikon D50 and 70-300mm VR zoom at 240mm, shooting at f/5.6, 1/60 second at f/5.6.

48 | PHOTONews

PHOTONews Magazine is delighted to recognize the work of the following Canadian photographers, whose vision and creativity brightens our Reader’s Gallery this issue. Our new website now includes a special gallery section, where all readers can view the work submitted and post comments… we encourage you to post your favourite image, no larger than 600 pixels tall – a selection of the best of the images will be published in each issue of PHOTONews! Readers participating in the published gallery will receive a special gift. Photographers will retain all copyright to the images shown in the gallery, both on-line and in print. Take a few minutes to review your favourite images, and visit http://www.flickr.com/groups/photonewsgallery/ for complete instructions for submitting photo files to the PHOTONews Reader’s Gallery!

3. Mashatur Side Creek. Josh Langstaff, the “Waterfall Man” from Squamish, B.C., used a tripod and long exposure to capture this image of light and flowing water.

4. Hall of Lost Steps. Colin Cartwright made this hand-held 5-exposure HDR version of the Salón de Pasos Perdidos (Hall of Lost Steps) with a Nikon D300, shooting at 1/20 second and f/8. “The hall is in El Capitolio, the National Capitol Building in Havana - a very remarkable building in a very remarkable city.”

Spring 2010 | 49

FinalFrame

Michel Roy, our Digital Darkroom specialist, captured this image of a hummingbird – the shot took considerable preparation and thought – here is Michel’s technique: “I shot from a blind near the bird feeder, and used a background that I created from a photograph that I adjusted in Photoshop, printed on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, and mounted behind the feeder. The hummingbird was photographed with a Canon EOS I DS Mark III, with a 300mm f/2.8 lens plus a 1.4X teleconverter and a 20mm extension tube to achieve close focus. I used five speedlights – one master and four slaves set on manual at 1/32 power, positioned at strategic spots about 3 feet from the bird’s anticipated position. I shot in manual mode, ISO 250, f/16 at 1/250 second, and focused manually on the bird’s head since the rapid movement of the wings made auto focus difficult.”

Our PHOTONews Challenge for spring 2010 is “Spring Fever” – a theme that lends itself to a wide variety of interpretations. Look for subjects that represent a celebration of the season – wildlife, landscapes, friends and family enjoying spring sporting activities – any image that reflects springtime in Canada. To participate in the PHOTONews Challenge, please visit our flickr® group at www.flickr.com/groups/photonewsgallery/ and click on the discussion thread titled “PHOTONews Spring Challenge”. Post a 600 pixel wide version of your entry in this thread – please include your name, your location, a description of how you took the photograph, and why you feel it is a special image. Full instructions on how to join the flickr® group, and how to post photos, can be found at the flickr® site. The photo pool at our flickr® group will also be used to select images for our Reader’s Gallery – so take a look, sign in, and enjoy our interactive photographic adventures!

50 | PHOTONews

COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE:

Summer 2010 Our next issue will focus on the Canadian landscape, with a special feature by Dan Jurak on the nuances of composition and high dynamic range images; a tutorial on basic studio lighting with Eli Amon; travel adventures with Dr. Wayne Lynch; photo tech with Peter Burian; a field trip with Darwin Wiggett, and more magic from Michel Roy’s digital darkroom – PLUS your best shots in our PHOTONews Challenge and Reader’s Gallery – it’s going to be a spectacular issue! For in-depth information on the equipment and techniques used in this issue, please visit the website – www.photonews.ca. To participate in our flickr® group, please visit www.flickr. com/groups/photonewsgallery/ where you can sign up to exchange ideas and display your favourite photographs – it’s free, it’s fun, and it’s a friendly environment for photographers of all ages and skill levels.

Ultra Pro Series

NEW

The Ultra Pro Series shoulder bags are ideal for the professional photographer carrying multiple bodies with lenses attached, several additional lenses, ﬂ ashes, accessories and a laptop.

4 models available

Ultra Pro 7 Model 5607

Ultra Pro 11 Model 5611

Modular Accessory System™ attachment slots.

Tamrac Products Marketed and Distributed in Canada by Amplis Foto www.amplis.com

Ultra Pro 13 Model 5613

Piggy-Back Pocket™ zips open to allow bag to slip over the handle of rolling luggage

Ultra Pro 17 Model 5617

Laptop Pocket is Foam-Padded to hold most 15.4” screen laptops, paperwork or fi les.

gitzo.ca

basalt collection rock solid

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first tripod developed from volcanic rock. Advanced performance and durability at affordable prices. Made with Gitzoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative fibre tube fabrication capabilities, which were developed for the space program. Basalt fibre legs are tougher than aluminum, yet they are 20 percent lighter. An ground groundlevel levelset set G-lock G-lock intermediate solution between Aluminum and 6X carbon. With load capacities up to 33 lbs and weighing as little as 2.3 lbs, the series of six tripods and three heads in black and flame has the right support for your photography.

Gitzo Products Marketed and Distributed in Canada by Amplis Foto www.amplis.com

ground ground level level set set

anti-leg anti-leg rotation rotation

G-lock G-lock

reversible reversible column column

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