ISSUE 4
Keeping you on track on your photography journey
IN THIS ISSUE Learn how to photograph dragonflies and damselflies Conceptual imagery from Achraf Baznani & Angel Wheller Photography Workshops - are they all they are cut out to be? Lightroom and Photoshop training
Phototrain Photography Competition Gold Award Winners
Equipment Reviews and much more inside!
Cover Photo by Gary Jenkins
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EDITORS PAGE
Contents Page
Welcome to the Phototrain magazine! In this issue we feature two conceptual photo artists taking their photographs into the realms of the imagination. Achraf Baznani steps us into his miniature world with a library of his talents on display. Angel Wheller shows us her world of fantasy with some beautiful photographs of her own personal role playing model granddaughter Moni. I bring you a review of the Canon EF 100400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS Mark II USM lens and also throw in a video tutorial on how I process my bird images. We are pleased to introduce a new member to the Phototrain team in the shape of Gary Jenkins. Gary a talented photographer from Haverfordwest in South Wales joins myself and Monica Doshi on our journalist team and his first feature can be seen on page 36 Photographing Dragonflies and Damselflies. He also features on the cover of the magazine with one of his wonderful macro shots of 2 Blue Tailed Damselflies in mating. Monica Doshi talks about Photography Workshops giving us her thoughts and accounts from first hand experiences. Ken Fisher our talented tutorial expert brings you his continuing videos on Lightroom and Photoshop for the beginner. Graham Orgill the Phototrain Photography Competition Judge displays this Issues winners from the weekly competitions held on Facebook Hope this issue gives you photographers some inspiration to get out there and shoot some images! Keep snapping folks! Les Arnott - Editor email: editor@phototrain.co.uk Website: www.phototrain.co.uk
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The Gear Guru - Les Arnott
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Photography Workshops. Are they all they are cut out to be? - Monica Doshi
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Focus on the photographer Achraf Baznani
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My Lightroom & Photoshop processing methods for bird photography - Les Arnott
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Lightroom for beginners - Ken Fisher
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Adobe Photoshop for beginners -Ken Fisher
26-35
Focus on the Photographer Angel Wheller
36-43
Photographing Dragonflies and Damselflies - Gary Jenkins
44-49
The Phototrain Photography Competition Winners - Graham Orgill
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We will be back in the wink of an eye!
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Links page
THE GEAR GURU - Les Arnott Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS Mark II USM lens General description The Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS Mark II USM lens builds upon success of the popular mark I model, with a redesigned optical system for superb sharpness, a three-mode Image Stabiliser that allows shutter speeds up to 4 stops slower than normal and an improved minimum focusing distance of 3.2 feet (compared to 6.5 ft). lens’ versatile focal range combined with its compact and lightweight build gives users freedom to shoot handheld, which is particularly useful in confined spaces and when speed is of essence. This solid, super-telephoto lens with rotating zoom design is ideal for a wide range of applications, including sport, portraiture, wildlife, pet and travel photography. Key features include: • Versatile super-telephoto zoom ideal for sport and wildlife • Traditional rotating zoom design (compared to push-pull on previous model) • New Optical Image Stabiliser provides up to 4-stop benefit, including three IS operation modes • New Zoom Touch Adjustment ring - customise the feel of the zoom control for different situations • New multi-layered Air Sphere Coating (ASC) helps to significantly reduce backlit flaring and ghosting • High quality optics - superb image quality right across the frame • Improved minimum focusing distance of 3.2 ft (compared to 6.5 ft) • Weather sealed against dust and moisture, for use under harsh conditions • Focus quickly, accurately and in near silence. Full-time manual focus override allows precise fine adjustment • Ring USM drive, high-speed CPU and optimised AF algorithms to provide quiet and fast autofocus • A Fluorine coating on lens surfaces reduces dirt clinging to the lens elements and prevents smearing • New bayonet-style ET-83D hood with side window permits filters to be adjusted easily • 0.31x magnification distance In Use The first impression I had of the lens was very good. Solidly built with a metal body that will take knocks, weather resistance and waterproofing both very important when applying the uses to wildlife or sports. The weight was not over heavy, although not light it was comfortable to hold and the grips to focus and zoom the lens has textured with a good feel in usage with smooth transition when rotating the rings. The rotating zoom ring is a new feature compared to the pull-push system of the MK1 version and is probably more natural for the majority of users than the older version. Testing took place with hand held shots on a 7D MK2 and I encountered no problems at all getting good results. It produced sharp images, perfect colour tones and no aberrations when shooting against light background or sky. The new image stabilisation really impressed me and together with the close range focusing was the reasons the lens became something I must own! I found myself lowering the ISO at times below ISO 400, not something I have been able to do before with 400mm 3
lenses but I got lovely detailed images when doing so with no blur from camera movement, even at stupidly low shutter speeds at times. If your subject is a fast mover this doesn’t help stop any blur but with a still subject it is perfectly possible to photograph subjects using very slow shutter speeds hand held. The Robin shot below shows the level of detail and the lack of any colour fringing around
the subject against the lighter background. Both images was took at 200 ISO with a wide open aperture at 400mm. The lens was quick to focus in the majority of trials on my 7D MK2, however it did search a couple of times in use and it did not perform as well in the focusing speed department when taking flight shots of birds (the actual focus itself was perfect, just slower to get there on the odd occasion) compared to my old Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L USM prime lens, which is so fast to focus in all cases and also a very sharp, solidly built lens. However the prime has no image stabilisation so you require reasonable light compared to the 100-400mm lens and you don’t have the versatility of a zoom or the advantage of shooting close range subjects such as butterflies and flying insects satisfactory. That said however the prime lens is cheaper and well loved, especially for the bird photographer and people who want a light lens that’s easy to carry and hold for long durations but still with a faultless level of detail in the right conditions. The speed of focus did seem better when the 100-400mm was attached to my Canon full frame IDX MK2 but then you lose that extra magnification a crop sensor provides which appeals especially to the bird photographer when shooting the smaller species. Conclusion A stunning lens and well worth the money. If you don’t have the money try searching for the prime either new second hand you’ll still be getting great quality! 4
Photography Workshops - are they all they are cut out to be?
Article by
Monica Doshi
We all enjoy going out with our cameras capturing the beauty and interest of what we see around us. It’s fun and gives us a visual memory of times, places, people and animals we have enjoyed seeing and of events we have experienced. Many of us strive to improve in our photography and these days there are many ways at our disposal to achieve this. We could take a do it yourself (DIY) approach using books, the internet with it’s chat forums, videos and other sources of advice. We could join a club or enrol on a course. There are a growing number of workshops available specialising in various aspects of photography. Some are expensive and the question is are they worth the investment? If you are a keen photographer, have ambitions to improve and you are wondering how you could achieve this then read on. I shall be discussing the merits and disadvantages of booking onto a workshop compared to taking a DIY (do it yourself) approach and touch on some of the factors you should consider when choosing a workshop. The DIY approach to improving your photography This method is the cheaper option and there are readily available free or inexpensive resources to support this way of learning. Many books are written on the subject and can be bought or borrowed to help guide us. The internet has a vast variety of support and advice from written articles to videos demonstrating how to go about various techniques and photography forums where you can chat to other photographers and share advice on techniques, where to go and equipment. Armed with knowledge you then go out and try these under your own steam. You have the advantage of being able to choose to go out when the weather and light are optimal or (if working indoors) try newly learnt techniques at a time that is convenient to you. When working on your own or with a friend you are less likely to encounter distractions or have others ‘photobombing’ your pictures. As with all learning there is a process of trial and error which can take longer with this type of learning and there is the danger of not obtaining feedback on your photo lithography improvement comes the satisfaction think that it is more satisfying of knowing that you have worked to achieve something and done. This approach needs some self discipline and dedication to keep at it. Learning via workshops There are a huge number of photography workshops available and a large variety between them. They range from half or one day sessions through to one or even two weeks of photography. Some are 1:1 and others in group sizes up to twelve participants or even more. You can arrange to participate on them locally or travel abroad. Some are aimed at improving your photography and some at offering that photographic experience e.g. the chance to photograph a rare species or to visit a place you may not have easily been able to visit yourself. Workshops cost money (they are not cheap) and some are more expensive than others. You may have to factor in accommodation, food and travel costs. My experience of workshops is that the quality of them are variable depends on who is leading them. On most I have learnt a lot and it has lead to a noticeable improvement in my photography. There was one notorious one whereby I felt I didn’t learn anything from the person running the workshop despite that I had only been a photographer for six months at the time. The focus of this workshop was about replicating their photos to the point where we were being told where to put the tripod, what lens to use and which settings to obtain that photo. There was nothing gained from this that would have enabled us to scope a new place, create and set up a picture or make informed decisions about camera 5
settings. Having said this, on balance, I have found workshops a very useful and productive way of learning. The research on potential places to go with your camera is already done by the facilitator so they can take you to places they know well, at the right time of the day (hopefully) for better lighting. Being with others feels safer especially when carrying expensive equipment. For indoor work the studio, props and models are already hired and the cost shared (through the workshop fees) between all the participants. The facilitator is available to teach and on some workshops they even have equipment that they can lend out for the participants to use and try out including cameras, lenses, expensive brand filters and studio lights. The facilitators are able to teach technique in the field and give feedback on your composition, camera settings etc as you are taking the photos. This way of learning on the job is a much better way of building skills. It builds confidence and gives you skills that you can then use in your future photography. On group workshops there is an opportunity to network and make contacts with other photographers. With larger groups there is the risk of constantly having other photographers in the way of the shot you are trying to achieve or, with wildlife, scaring the animals. There are also time limitations and you may find yourself being hurried a long to the next place before you feel ready to move on. There is the risk in that when booking workshops in advance you have no control on who the other participants are or what the weather is going to be like on the day. It can be very disappointing if, on the day of your workshop, the weather is so poor it curtails the workshop and your learning experience. Choosing a workshop So how do you know whether a workshop is going to be a good one and right for you? Start by defining what you would like to shoot and what you would like to achieve. Whilst stating the obvious there is little point in booking onto a landscape workshop if you are interested in street photography! Having decided what you would like to shoot research who offers workshops. Ideally, if you can, go by personal recommendations from other photographers. If not search who offers workshops. Most will have pages on Facebook and or the Internet. Indicators of a good facilitator are lots of likes on their page, plenty of good reviews for their workshops and participants who have been on workshops with them and returned for more. Other good indicators are of their own photographic competence. How have they fared in competitions? Do they hold any photographic qualifications? Whilst these do not always mean they are good at teaching, being good at what they do gives them a good base to teach from. Lastly look at their own work. What are their photos like? Do you like them? Are they photos of a standard and subject matter that you would like to emulate or aspire towards? Do they inspire you? Check out the maximum group size for the workshop. Small groups or 1:1 are better to ensure that you have a fair amount of individual teaching and that the facilitator can meet your objectives. The problems with larger groups are that the teaching becomes less individualised. It is difficult to set up a photo with out others being in your way (and vice versa). You should be able to see a rough itinerary for the workshop and use this to check whether or not it covers what you wish to learn. Having space for image review and editing is a feature of some workshops and is useful to give you feedback and advice on how you can improve your images. Workshops vary a lot in cost. As a general rule the less costly ones often have more participants but this isn’t always the case. They may also include insurance although most stipulate that you should take out your own insurance. Conclusion From personal experience I have found booking onto workshops very beneficial for improving my photography. This is especially so when the group size has been smaller and the teaching not only good and more tailored to my aims in learning. The opportunity to network other photographers with 6
similar interests has been great for sharing tips, learning and inspiring future photos. Having said this the workshops alone are not the complete answer. They introduce me to techniques and new ideas which I can then go away with to practice and build on. So in terms of which works best I would recommend a combination of both approaches. Use workshops to learn techniques, inspire you, gain feedback on your photos and learn to use your equipment. Then go away and use what you have learnt to continue to develop. List of Resources and Workshop Organizers. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a list of photographers who run or facilitate workshops and of resources helpful in improving your photography Some I have been on and recommend. Others have been suggested to me by acquaintances. http://drewbuckleyphotography.com/workshops - runs workshops for landscape, wildlife, night/ astro photography and Lightroom. He has run workshops for photographers in wheelchairs at suitable venues. http://www.melvinnicholsonphotography.co.uk - for landscape and seascape photography http://www.andyhoward.co.uk - for wildlife photography and recently featured on BBC Countryfile https://damiendemolder.com - street photography https://www.naturettl.com - online tutorials in nature photography, landscape, understanding camera settings, understanding your camera, Lightroom and more.
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A journey into a miniature world Talented photographer-artist Achraf Baznani plays with scale and proportion to create theatrical scenes that are dream-like, introspective and not a little bit whimsical. His images have been highly praised by art and photography lovers, hundreds of thousands of which follow him online.
Focus on the Photographer
Achraf Baznani
Born in Marrakesh the Moroccan photographer and filmmaker Achraf Baznani c arries on the traditions of Surrealism with his wild, imaginative, and wholly impractical imagery. Among his inventive scenarios, small human figures -often the artist himself- appear trapped within glass jars or the size of a camera lens; in other works, Baznani more or less dissects his body, as for example, in one, he cleanly removes his brain from his cranium, or in another, twists off his hand, much as if it were a light bulb. Imparted throughout such works are strong senses of humour and wonder, and as such, Baznani’s art offers a Surrealistic take on life experience in the digital age. A self-taught artist, Baznani has no formal photography education. He lives and works in Morocco. This is what inspires him about his conceptual creations: Conceptual photography is, first and foremost, about the concept of the photo. A conceptual photographer is trying to bring some 8
message about to the viewer, be it a political advert or a social commentary or an emotional outcry. There is some level of abstraction, thus, in my works: the image is not an explicit example of the concept, but a general expression of the idea. Conceptual photography makes healthy use of graphical symbols to represent ideas, movements, moods, anything and everything that the photographer might want to include in the message of their photograph. For my works, there are a variety of ways a concept falls into place, most often it starts with a spark of inspiration and grows from there, whether it is a person, design, story that needs to be told, regardless, it all starts with a single point. From there it becomes simple problem solving. I don’t spend very much time looking at what other people are doing. I like to stay aware and connected to what others are doing by following sites such as Flickr. Beyond that, I spend the rest of my time meeting people, creating, and really just living life. I think the best way to being inspired is not to just try to emulate others, but to find what inspires you in life and trying to capture and share it. I use Photoshop and Lightroom. I use Lightroom to correct and change the colorimetry pictures. Then I go on to the most important Photoshop retouching. To learn how to master these tools, I spent hours in front of my computer to study the tutorials available on the Internet.
Exhibitions 2015: Colour brust, PH21 Gallery, Budapest, Hungary 2015: Park Art Fair International, Triberg, Germany 2015: Gallery Globe, Adisson, Texas, USA 2015: Digital Private Exhibition Louvre Museum, Paris, France 2016: International Surrealism Now, Coimbra, Portugal 2016: Park Art Fair International 2016, Triberg, Germany 2016: Männer, Gräfelfing, Germany 2016: Inside my Dreams, Solo Exhibition, Rabat, Morocco 2016: Salon de la photographie Africaine, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Awards 2016: KUNST HEUTE AWARD, Germany 2016: International Prize Colosseo, Roma, Italy 2016: Golden Orchid Grand Prize, USA 2016: 1st Place Winner – Golden Ribbon in Notindoor photography magazine contest, US
Website and Social Media Page
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In my tutorial for this issue I feature the basic and the most important part of creation, getting the best from your RAW files.
My Lightroom & Photoshop Processing Methods for Bird Photography
I show how to bring back lost detail, how to remove and replace a realistic background using a colour selection and using a blur to create a natural looking enhancement to your bird and wildlife photography. That said these techniques can be used for any form of photography and are probably my most viewed videos so I hope they guide you towards getting the most from your own RAW files.
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Les Arnott
Good RAW conversion and any required editing gives a real boost to your work, from a simple edit, or even pushing it a step further and taking it into the realms of fine art. This is typical of a lot of the work I undertake these days it gives me both pleasure and relaxation to edit an image, just as much as it does taking the shot and they have proved very popular with the media, publishers and fine art groups. So from basics to creativeness master your first steps and you’ll widen your audiences. 21
Lightroom for Beginners with Ken Fisher’s LiVELiNK Training Videos
Ken Fisher’s Adobe Lightroom for Beginners Series
Hi Lightroom learners! We continue our basic learning videos continued from our previous issues. Remember if you missed any previous lessons, or you’re reading the magazine in printed form then head along to our website where you can view the interactive online magazine so you can see the video content for all the published issues totally free right from the link below! http://www.phototrain.co.uk/online-magazine.html Have fun! - Ken Fisher
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Hi Photoshop learners! We continue our basic learning videos continued from our previous issues. Remember if you missed any previous lessons, or you’re reading the magazine in printed form then head along to our website where you can view the interactive online magazine so you can
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Ken Fisher’s Adobe Photoshop for Beginners Series
see the video content for all the published issues totally free right from the link below! http://www.phototrain.co.uk/online-magazine.html Have fun! - Ken Fisher
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A talented conceptual photographer with a granddaughter as a model!
Focus on the Photographer
Interviewed by Les Arnott Angel Wheller lives in London, England and is a woman with a great passion for photography and creative concepts.
Angel Wheller
Her work includes landscapes, portraits and flowers. Angel has a skilful eye for design and composition and no restraints come to mind when it comes to editing and adding an artistic look to her works. She loves the use of Photoshop, enhancement and creativity play as much a part in her work as using the camera and lens does. Her granddaughter Moni is a favourite model and has featured in many of her concepts with Moni dressing up for the part and posing in a very professional manner for a young lady. It is these areas of Angels work I have concentrated on portraying in this feature. Angel has a great love for the fantasy novels such as The Hobbit, Lord of the Ring by J.R. Tolkien, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, classics such as Little Red Riding Hood and other fantasy related works such as the TV series Game of Thrones. She also has a strong love of nature and wildlife. I think all of these things combined inspire her work greatly, they have a feel about them I really love. Angel uses a Nikon 7100 and the lens Sigma 17-70mm for most of her shots of Moni and uses Adobe Photoshop along with overlays and actions from “Paint the Moon�. http://paintthemoon.net
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That completes a great collection of images from Angel Wheller. If you wish to see more of her work then visit her Facebook page at:: https://www.facebook.com/ Angelic-Photography-and-Digital-Artist-456063271078255/
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Photographing Dragonflies and Damselflies By Gary Jenkins AWPF CPAGB
Dragonflies and damselflies are probably some of the most unusual creatures you are likely to encounter. These aerial predators, with their graceful flight, have ancestry dating back 325 million years. They seem to populate every type of freshwater body from canals and rivers through to garden ponds and stagnant moorland pools. Unseen by many passers-by, they live in their own secret world, with their life divided between water and air. There are over 5000 varieties of dragonfly and damselfly but you will only see around 40-50 in the UK. At first sight you may wonder how you can ever photograph such small elusive creatures. Hopefully in this article you will gain a better understanding of how you can achieve images to be proud of. About Dragonflies and Damselflies Most of their life is spent underwater, first as an egg and then as a larva (or nymph). On emerging, their adult life is comparatively short, typically only a few weeks. For most species the whole process from egg laying to adult takes one or two years. Eggs are laid in mud, vegetation or directly in the water. Depending on the species the eggs will hatch after a few weeks into larvae (or nymphs). Time spent as larvae underwater depends on the temperature and availability of food. As the larvae grow they will shed their skins many times to reach full size. Most damselflies will take about a year to reach adulthood, whereas larger dragonflies may take two or more years. When the larva is fully grown it climbs out of the water onto vegetation, and the process of “emergence” begins. Its skin splits behind the head and the young adult emerges. This takes place over a few hours and the newly emerged adults are very vulnerable during this time as they are unable to fly. Adult dragonflies and damselflies are predated on by birds, spiders (many get caught in webs), frogs and larger species of dragonflies. Identification Newly emerged adults are called “teneral” and identification of the different varieties can be difficult due to their very subdued or negligible colouring. The empty larval cases, which are left behind, are called “exuviae” and these can be used to help identify the species. Dragonflies and damselflies, whilst related, are two very distinct groups. Dragonflies are significantly bigger and more robust than damselflies. They have a much more powerful flight while damselflies are smaller, more delicate and their flight is weaker and more fluttering. Dragonflies rest with their wings open while damselflies rest with their wings closed. The eyes of dragonflies are joined togeth36
Common Hawker Canon 1DX MkI, Canon 100mm f2.8 L with 20mm Extension Tube, Canon MR14-EX II Ring Flash ISO 800, f16 @ 1/100 er while those of damselflies are separate. Identifying individual species of both dragonflies and damselflies can be straightforward in some cases but, in others, requires careful assessment of the colouring and body shape to come up with an ID. An excellent book to help with identification is “Britain’s Dragonflies” by Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash. When To See Them Dragonflies and damselflies emerge from around mid-April through to September/October. As stated previously they can be found almost anywhere freshwater is found although some locations may only support a limited number of species whereas others will support a much greater variety. The location that I use supports a wide variety of damselflies with a small variety of dragonflies from May through to mid July after which the numbers drop off significantly. Fortunately I have other locations where I can then go to which support other varieties. Research on the internet and talking to other photographers is often a good way to find locations in your area but good observation when walking along streams and ponds can also reap dividends. To get good images of dragonflies and damselflies you have to be prepared to put some time and effort in. Different varieties emerge from their nymph stage at different times of the day and to get the widest variety of images you will need to vary your visiting times. Quite often I will visit the location twice a day, once at dawn and again later in the day. 37
Equipment You can, in theory, use any camera but a camera with interchangeable lenses is probably the most versatile and will allow most flexibility. There are two options with regard to lenses. The first is to use a macro lens and get very close. This relies on patience and a bit of luck to get within 12-18 inches of your subject. The other choice is to use a longer focal length lens and extension tubes in order to reduce the minimum focal distance. This second option allows you to keep a reasonable distance with less likelihood of disturbing the insect. As I use Canon my preferences are their 100mm macro lens and the 100-400 MkII. Both have excellent image quality and I use the 100mm all the time for damselflies, sometimes with a 20mm extension tube attached for very close work. An extension tube is simply a ring that fits between the camera body and the lens. It has no glass and fitting one reduces the minimum focusing distance of the lens. Be aware however that when using an extension tube infinity focus is lost. The 100-400 mm lens comes into its own with larger dragonflies due to its ability to focus as close as one metre which, when combined with the focal length, enables me to get good subject size on the sensor. For dragonfly flight shots I use the 100-400 with a 1.4 converter as I find this set up very versatile. Whilst using natural light is preferable you may find that, as you get close, you start to block the light falling on your subject. To overcome this it is useful to have a flash. A ring flash is ideal and I use a Canon MR-14EX II for 95% of my images taken with the 100mm lens and also on the Newly Emerged Male 4 Spotted 100-400 occasionally for a bit of fill in flash. Alternatively you Chaser Dragonfly Canon 1DX, Canon 100mm f2.8 L, can use hot shoe mounted flashes and use accessories such as flash extenders to get the light where you need it. Canon MR14-EX II Ring Flash ISO 800, f13 @ 1/100
I take a pair of Wellington boots and a self inflating camping mattress which I use to lie on wet grass or mud. I also take a change of clothing as I have on several occasions found myself lying partly in the water to get the shot. My final piece of kit is a hand or wrist strap. As you will probably be spending some time with your camera and lens over the water it provides that extra security against dropping your camera in the water. 38
Male Southern Hawker. Canon 1DX MkII Canon 100-400 MkII + 1.4 converter ISO 800, f8 @ 1/1600 Camera Settings For 95% of my work with the 100mm lens I have the ring flash attached and I shoot in manual. I use settings of 1/125 sec shutter speed, aperture f13-f16 and ISO 800. Some may query the relatively high ISO but I have found that noise at that setting on my camera is negligible with good exposure accuracy. I tend to use Aperture priority with the 100-400 mm lens plus a little fill in flash if needed. I tried various settings before settling on these and I would suggest you do the same to find the best ones for your camera and needs. Focusing & Technique Many photographers, when photographing close up, use manual focus or the ‘rock in rock out� technique. I tend to always use continuous autofocus with the focus point set to spot. This I find gives me a better success rate than other techniques. However it is important that you try different techniques to find the one that suits you best. A point to bear in mind is that at these short distances depth of field is very shallow. If photographing them from the side, to get the subject in focus along its length from head to tail, it is important to ensure that the plane of the camera sensor is parallel to the subject. Slight misalignment will result in sharpness tailing off along the length of the body. Sometimes you can be too close and moving back just 3 or 4 inches will give you the additional depth of field that you require. Many dragonflies, especially the larger species such as emperors and hawkers, follow set flight paths. They may have favourite perches or points on these paths where they will hover. Take some time to study them and watch what they do and where they go. Quite often you will be able to set up in a position to increase your chances of getting the shot. Using this technique can also help photo39
graphing them in flight, although this can be very frustrating and it is very difficult to achieve consistently sharp images. For flight shots I use my 1DX MkII rather than my MkI. The MkII has the ability to use all its 61 AF points at f8. This is an improvement over the MkI. I back button focus using the AF ON and AE lock buttons with the same settings but a different AF array on each button. The AF ON button will have all 61 points active while the AE LOCK button will have 9 AF points active. I then switch from one button to the other depending on whether the dragonfly is moving or hovering. I usually wear drab colours, greens or browns. Insects tend to be sensitive to ultraviolet light (UV) and brighter colours have a tendency to reflect more UV. Dragonflies and damselflies rely on their wonderful eyesight to detect movement and keep them safe. Given that they have almost 360 vision, when trying to get close, it is important to keep your movements slow. Moving quickly and clumsily will result in your target disappearing in a blur of wings. Keep your camera ready, and start taking shots as soon as you get within range. Keep taking them as you get closer. That way, if your subject does fly off you will have something to show for your efforts.
Female Beautiful Demoiselle. Canon 1DX MkI, Canon 100mm f2.8 L ISO 800, f13 @1/200
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Female Emperor Dragonfly egg laying Canon 1DX MkII, Canon 100-400 MkII ISO 800, f11 @ 1/250 41
Male Large Red Damselfly. Canon 1DX MkI, Canon 100mm f2.8 L, Canon MR14-EX MkII Ring Flash ISO 800, f16 @1/125 42
Male Southern Hawker Canon 1DX MkII, Canon 100-400 MkII + 1.4 MkIII Converter ISO 800, @ f81/1250 Conclusion In 2016 I devoted a great deal of my time to photographing these insects. At the end of October I could look back with a degree of satisfaction that I had managed to achieve a portfolio of images and had learnt so much about their lives and habits. I hope that this article will encourage you to try and photograph these beautiful creatures and that you will feel the same satisfaction with your images. I will be back out there when they start to emerge this year to try and achieve even better results. Good luck.
By Gary Jenkins AWPF CPAGB 43
The Phototrain Photography Competition - Judged by Graham Orgill We have a grand selection of winners to display in this issue from late January 2017 to March 2017. The weekly competitions we hold on Facebook have been full of talent from which Les Arnott and Phototrain Judge Graham Orgill have made some difficult selections from the quality posts contributed to our competition wall. So here are our Gold Award Winners a big congratulations to them all. If your a Facebook member and want to take part please join us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/735309709952413/
Gold Award Winner for 30th January 2017 Pamela “Astrogypsies” Weston
“A stunning image capturing the strength and force of the wave. The boat emerging on the top of the wave gives a great sense of proportion and scale, a much required element in an image like this to emphasize the drama of the event. Congratulations Pamela!” Judged by Les Arnott
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Gold Award Winner for 6th February 2017 Nigel Smith “A great capture of the bird in flight. Superb combination of exposure and shutter speed to freeze the motion and capture the detail in the feathers complete with a catch light in the eye. Unobtrusive natural background completes a great shot by Nigel.� Judged by Graham Orgill
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Gold Award Winner for 13th February 2017 Anita Gowing
“A great point of view, getting down to the same level as the subject. Excellent composition and exposure and sharp showing lovely detail with the essential catch light in the eye. Great reflection along with complimentary background and of course, that Ahhh factor. Yet another superb image from Anita.� Judged by Graham Orgill 46
Gold Award Winner for 20th February 2017 Tanja Albers
“A good composition beautifully exposed giving a mystical feel. I like the post treatment with the path leading off into the misty woodland, As the title suggests “Lets go for a walk. Great Image Tanja.” Judged by Graham Orgill 47
Gold Award Winner for 27th February 2017 Grad Slope
“A superb capture of this Heron in flight with good choice of shutter speed and exposure to record such detail throughout the bird. Nicely placed within the frame, obtaining separation of the legs and of the head from the wings at that precise moment in time.. Well done Grad.�
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Gold Award Winner for 27th February 2017 Lawrence Burrow
“A great point of view with superb control of depth of field rendering all but the subject out of focus. Enough suggestion of location to support the title “On the rails”, Use of monochrome creates the mood. A very effective and powerful image, well done Lawrence”
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