PRISMA Issue 23 by PRISMA Photography Magazine

by:AlexandraGodfrey

Issue 23 - 31 January 2025

INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF PRISMA

Editor-In-Chief: Louise Anderbjörk & Tristan Sharman

Majestic Wild Birds: Patience is paramount for wildlife photography, and Kaj proves shares how disappointing days out shooting is part of the process, especially when working with the subject of birds

Squirrel Photography: Tina shares how she got started with wildlife photography, describing how curious and feisty squirrels can be, as well as revealing how she shoots to get the best pictures.

Winter White: Snowy wildlife scenes can be the most difficult to photograph, but they can also be the most rewarding. Dawn outlines the settings and techniques she uses, as well as showing her stunning results.

Adventures in the Desert: Landscape photography is not just lush greens, it is also serene and golden desert This is certainly the case for Raminder, whose first trip to the Arabian desert proved to be a bucket list experience.

Learning the Trade: Photography is all about constant improvement Ruhulameen demonstrates how far he has come in the past year, by embracing his eye for detail and shooting more intentionally.

Discovering Costa Rica: Teeming with a great variety of wildlife, Costa Rica is a photographer’s dream Dee shares her results from countless visits, as well as advice for anyone looking to make a trip.

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Editor-in-Chief-LouiseAnderbjörk

Editor-in-Chief-TristanSharman

EditorialEditor-AlexandraGodfrey

PhotographyEditor-KaileeParsons

PhotographyEditor-MaggieZhu

CopyEditor-HermioneHampton

WebEditor-IainCunningham

MediaManager-LucileBelorgey

ContentManager-AmandaMacEachen

editor@prismamagazinecouk

Photo:KajOveJacobsen

Photo:DawnWilson

Photo:RuhulameenSheikh

Photo:TinaHaijen

Photo:RaminderSagoo

Photo:DeeWebb

Photo: Fikri Muharom

Issue 23 - 31 January 2025

NEW YEARS INSPIRATION

EditorialEditor: Alexandra Godfrey

ALEXANDRA GODFREY

Happy New Year to our new, and longtime, readers! As we reach the end of the first month of the year 2025, some of you might already be wondering if you can actually succeed in maintaining your New Year’s resolutions for 11 more months. That is, unless you have already lost that battle However, if that is the case, fear not! This editorial will hopefully put some spring in your step if your resolution relates to anything in the realm of arts and photography. For those of you just beginning your photography journey in 2025, welcome! You’re truly getting yourself into one of the most exciting arts out there. For those of you who have fallen into an artistic block, maybe we can get that inspiration flowing for 2025! And finally, if you’re none of the above and are absolutely slaying your artistic journey congratulations on being so organized, we envy you; keep at it! Art is normally portrayed as a spontaneous process to illustrate the creativity of an artist. However, sometimes a little guidance can help an artist maintain momentum in their work. In hopes of maintaining your 2025 photography resolutions, here is a little inspirationbroken down into month-for-month suggestions - to support you on your photography journey of making these coming 11 months some of the most memorable and successful ones yet! To start us off with January, let’s try some of that nighttime shooting. Pull your camera out of retirement and shoot those stars. Play with your nighttime features and begin your 2025 artistic journey In the month of Valentine’s, try working on some self-portraits This is the perfect opportunity to play with some fun backdrops and work with different textures with a self-love focus. Come March, I recommend playing with that depth and definition. Work on using the darkest and lightest pieces of an image to create a tonal contrast Then, in April, as winter truly turns to spring, try a new focus on capturing individual subjects; using lens blur techniques to create depth and isolating the subject. In May, with it’s colorful bloom, go out and explore those palettes. Spring offers perfect opportunities to use natural colors to enhance your photography - so make sure to make the most out of it! As the sun stands at its highest in June, use those silhouettes, whether that be from people, animals, or objects, to create an active background with a solid figure in the foreground In the month, it’s just to continue playing with those warm summer lights, perhaps exploring the creation of spirals by using flashlight. You can also attempt some beautiful long exposure photography with the use of a tripod and low shutter speeds Play with different shapes and designs,

consider implementing objects like cars or bikes to portray motion with your spirals. As the light dims, and with some occasional rain showers perhaps emerging, consider playing with reflections in your photos. Use a window, a mirror, or a source of water Focus on using the ripples in the water, and see how that can add a unique kind of texture to your photo With natural bloom now starting to fade in September, turn your gaze to urban environments and man-made structures. Can you capture any insightful glimpses of people’s lives or maybe even a snapshot that shows the processes of urban decay? October is the pinnacle of those autumn colors, so do not miss your chance to play with nature’s palette and capture the casual beauty of your surroundings whilst you can For then, depending on where you live in the world, by the time November comes around the availability of natural light might be limited. Thus, turn to the frames for your photos that you can find inside - anything that can surround an subject to add visual interest or additional layers for increased perception of depth Finally, in December, explore those stormy days with your camera Find the beauty in the often overlooked snow storms, rain showers, and foggy mornings, that can be some incredible sources of creativity and expression. Hopefully, these monthly guidelines can inspire you to get your creative juices flowing, even if it is just once a month. Because, time so easily flies by and traps us in the repetitive motions of daily life However, by giving time to photography every once in a while, we can nurture our creativity and spontaneity - making the everyday more fun!

Photo:AlexandraGodfrey

Photo: Alexandra Godfrey

MAJESTIC WILD BIRDS

PhotographyEditor:Maggie Zhu

KAJ OVE JACOBSEN

With rich wildlife only 40 minutes from my front door in Stavanger, I am truly lucky to be surrounded by such beauty I have always seen myself as a patient person, which can be a blessing when sitting in the photo hide for up to 10-12 hours during a shoot, waiting for a bird or two to show up. Or hunting for the perfect shot day in, day out. I would love to say that I get some amazing photos every time I leave the house, but that is far from the truth As it should be - that is the way photography works and the only way you can learn from your mistakes and improve To be honest, I also see it as a kind of therapy – just me and the camera, hoping the shorteared owl, goshawk or buzzards are out searching for food. If you’re spending the day shooting, it’s important to have all the equipment set up at least an hour before sunrise. Then if you’re lucky enough to spot a goshawk, buzzard, or eagle on the feeding, it’s important to have some self-control This is the part where it’s easy to scare the birds because they will be aware of everything The slightest movement of the lens will scare the birds, and you will have lost the opportunity to get some great shots. It’s important to let them settle before you pan the lens. If you are really lucky, there will be more hungry birds and there will be fight, in which case you don’t have to worry so much about movement of the lens They will be too busy getting a place at the table Within minutes you will have hundreds of photos, and the day will be a success. Then every hour of every day you spent without any birds will soon be a distant memory.

Photo:KajOveJacobsen

Patientcaptureof majesticbirds

Photo: Kaj Ove Jacobsen

WINTER WHITE

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

DAWN WILSON

There is nothing more serene than a pure-white landscape after snow has blanketed the Rocky Mountains, or the tundra of the far north The trees become covered in white frosting and the jagged peaks contrastingly rise out of the scene. The wildlife that remain in these conditions are some of the hardiest on the planet, with willow ptarmigan strutting through the snow, snowshoe hares concealing themselves with their white coats, or polar bears thriving in their favorite season Photographing animals in the snow, however, isn’t the easiest skill to master Falling snowflakes can wreak havoc with autofocus systems, and white balance aims to achieve 18% grey – a tone that isn’t appealing for white landscapes. Instead, overexpose by one to two stops is necessary to achieve a bright white look without blowing out highlights Additionally, locking the focus on a white animal running through a snowy landscape can be near impossible without a little bit of luck and quick reflexes For those reasons, plus the fact that photographers need to deal with cold temperatures, bulky clothing and gloves on their hands, winter wildlife photography can be one of the most fulfilling styles when the image comes together. White isn’t the only colour available Blue is ideal in snowy scenes, and the setting sun adds a golden warmth Unique perspectives can also be achieved by laying down, so you can shoot looking up at a willow ptarmigan and frame it against dark trees in the distance. To see more of Dawn’s work and the photo tours she leads, visit DawnWilsonPhotography.com or follow her on Instagram at @dawnwilsonphoto.

Photo:DawnWilson

Creaturesofthe snowylandscape

Photo: Dawn Wilson

LEARNING THE TRADE

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

RUHULAMEEN SHEIKH

After first beginning my photography journey just over a year ago, I looked back to see how far I had come I’ve gone from searching desperately for very certain species of species, to focusing more on the art of photography itself. Over the months I’ve carved out my own style although it still isn’t complete. I found that, no matter how big or majestic the subject – usually a bird – I always end up focusing on the smaller details I opt for close up shots of the body, rather than encapsulate the environment that the bird inhabits. I decided to embrace this fact, spending less time scouring for new species, and instead honing my skills on my locals, which are definitely not common for everyone in Australia. Some of my techniques I learned from social media like YouTube and Instagram, but most of my skill came from personal experience and through experimentation I started by focusing on the real world element. Instead of randomly snapping pictures of birds and hoping for the best, I started angling myself and timing myself for better lighting and framing. I learnt how to operate a camera manually, and focused especially on shutter speed to get sharper images, but a lot of my learning was in the processing and editing of the photo I improved drastically as I learnt about masking and colour grading, constantly experimenting with new ways to exaggerate and alter light, and create a certain mood using colours. Photography has been a very new and rewarding journey for me. I think I like it so much because it’s an exciting field that directly relates to my passion for birds I can’t wait to see how I progress next year!

Photo:RuhulameenSheikh

Photo: Ruhulameen Sheikh

SQUIRREL PHOTOGRAPHY

PhotographyEditor:Maggie Zhu

TINA HAIJEN

I first got “Squirrel Fever” from my husband, who always went to our local wood to photograph "his" squirrels When I saw the photos I fell in love with these beautiestheir unique expressions and wonderful curiosity that make for some great poses. It was almost like they were paid models, with hazelnuts of course! They strike different poses and even look as if they are smiling at the camera My husband shared all his tips and tricks – and a lot of patience! – and that is how I got started with wildlife photography Most of these shots were taken in Belgium but some were taken on a summer trip to Germany, where a friend showed us the best squirrel spots. On the last day I was fortunate enough to catch the black variant of the red squirrel. What an exciting moment – one even came to take some nuts from my hand! Some were more feisty, though, climbing all over our equipment I love photographing these rascals, they can be so curious and fearless. They can come so close that taking a picture is impossible with the wrong focal length. But this makes getting a good shot an even happier feeling. Great shots are possible when they are sitting still, but you do have to be prepared for spontaneous and sometimes hilarious action shots A tripod or stable surface can help, as can crouching, sitting on the ground or even lying down to get to their eye level. A still pond can provide reflections and, if you are lucky, you might see a swimming squirrel. But these cuties are not only found on the ground, they sometimes stare at you from the trees, so don’t forget to look up from time to time!

Photo:TinaHaijen

Photo: Tina Haijen

ADVENTURES IN THE DESERT

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

RAMINDER SAGOO

As a huge nature lover, I spend much of my time surrounded by lush greens, ancient trees, and trickling streams in the forests of England However, I had never been to the desert before, so when the opportunity arose, I was intrigued and excited. On a trip to Dubai for one of my best friend’s hen party celebrations, we had planned a day of adventure in the desert. We quad-biked across sand plains, surfed down a sand dune, and took a very bumpy dune-bashing drive in a 4x4 After the activities, we had time to enjoy the surroundings more peacefully I set aside a moment to soak it in and just be, appreciating the desert. Sand and sky. Vastness and greatness. Simplicity and serenity. It was nature as I’d never experienced it before. No lush greens in sight, just infinite blue skies and warm golden hues, as far as the eye could see I find deserts fascinating, the sand dunes sculpted by wind and time Covering 900,000 square miles, the Arabian desert is one of the largest deserts in the world, spanning the nine countries of the Arabian Peninsula. Layers of sedimentary rock deposited over 540 million years, where summer temperatures reach a scorching 54 degrees Celsius, then drop to -12 degrees during the winter It is a beautiful, awe-inspiring synchronicity of time and space I loved the undulating sand dunes and how the tones of the landscape changed as light moved throughout the day, effortless in its simplicity. Most of all, I loved the sheer vastness of nothing but endless sand and sky. My trip to the Arabian desert became a bucket list moment I didn’t realise was on my bucket list!

Photo:RaminderSagoo

Photo: Raminder Sagoo

DISCOVERING COSTA RICA

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

DEE WEBB

I discovered Costa Rica over 20 years ago whilst trying to escape the harsh Canadian winters with my husband Having grown up in tropical North Queensland in Australia, Costa Rica felt comfortingly familiar – a paradise teeming with life. While my love for nature predated photography, this country magnified my fascination. Costa Rica is a photographer’s dream. Everywhere you turn, there is something extraordinary: intricate flowers, alien-like insects, and birds in every size and colour The diversity is truly astounding – from dim rainforests to sparkling oceans, from macro shots of tiny creatures to towering trees. It challenges and rewards photographers at every turn. If you’re planning a photography trip there, I would highly recommend you hire a certified guide. These are professionals with four years of training and are stewards of the environment They will help you spot wildlife, improve your skills, and ensure ethical, safe practices It is also paramount to bring the right gear. A lens with a low f-stop is essential for dim conditions, but remember: bigger isn’t always better. Many subjects are close, and dense vegetation limits sightlines. Remember to take your time. Resist the urge to snap away at anything and everything Slow down, consider composition, light, and background Be mindful of your surroundings and your subject’s welfare It can be fruitful to embrace the rain – it often brings beautiful light, especially before or after a storm, and adds magic to photos. Costa Rica is built for rain, so shelters are abundant. Costa Rica will change you, as a photographer and a person

Photo:DeeWebb

Photo: Dee Webb

PRISMA PHOTO COMPETITION

Photo: Dee Webb

Cover art: Dee Webb