outdoor photographer vol. xvii
28,000 feet high an upward adventure
ansel adams the father of nature photography explored
amazing auroras once in a lifetime possibilities
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FEATURES 48 | OFF THE BEATEN PATH Third-generation landscape photographer Marc Muench talks about his career, his latest book, and what drives him. By Kim Castleberry / Photography by Marc Murench
54 | DISCOVERING INDIA Explore the subcontinent through the images of India’s Foreign Photographer of the Year, Frederic Roberts. By Christopher Robinson Photography by Frediric Roberts
60 | A PHOTO HIGHWAY Route 89 carves its way through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Western U.S. It’s a landscape photographer’s dream road trip.
HOW-TO 66 | CLASSIC FALL COLOR Capturing the best of autumn takes a combination of skill, preparation, timing and requipment. Text and Photography by Stan Trzoniec
72 | MAKING FLARE SHINE Lens flare is often avoided in professional photography. Here are some tricks anyone can add to make art out of the sun’s bright rays. Text and Photography by Todd Sali
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84 | CHOOSE THE BEST WORKSHOP
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From afternoon seminars to weekends in the fields to fullblown exotic tours, you’ll get the most out of a workshop when you select one that’s suited to your goals and schedule. By Rob Sheppard
EQUIPMENT 24 | FIRST LOOK: SIGMA SD1 The best Sigma DSLR ever.
78 | MACRO LENS GUIDE A proper macro lens is designed to eliminate aberrations, focus colors and attain maximum sharpness on close-up subjects.
92 | GADGET BAG: GPS Finding your perfect spot is becoming easy even for the technically challenged.
94 | HOW TO SHOOT STAR TRAILS Follow these tips and tricks for shooting in the dark.
COLUMNS 36 | Tech Tips: Our favorite Photo Tools 42 | Basic Jones: The Beauty Seeker
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tech
Nikon DX 85-300mm f5.6 In terms of general optical performance the Nikon AF-S DX 55-300mm VR II offers good value for the money. The lens is relatively compact and light weight making it a good choice for hiking and traveling. Although it does not focus quite as fast
Canon Ultrasonic Fishevye 5-15mm
as other lenses in the Nikkor lineup (like
The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens is
its Nikon DX format SLR user target audi-
so wide that getting adequate flash cover-
the AF-S 70-300mm VR II Nikkor zoom), the AF-S DX 55-300mm VR II will serve ence of family and travel photographers
age can be a problem. Expect to minimal-
well at a reasonable price.
ly need a flash with a built-in flip-down dif-
While also not ideal for fast action and low
fuser to cover the frame on a 1.3x or 1.6x
light photography, you can get some de-
FOVCF body. A Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Dif-
cent results from the AF-S DX 55-300mm
fuser will yield complete flash coverage on
VR II in these situations with a little prac-
all bodies. Bouncing the flash may provide
tice focusing and making use of the high-
adequate coverage as well.
er ISO settings on your camera to allow for
glass but it is an interesting lens nonethe-
I am impressed with the image quali-
a faster shutter speed to minimize poten-
less. At wide-open aperture it is a little soft
ty from a lens this wide. If you don’t mind
at the image borders and the contrast level
the severe distortion or are willing to post-
is a little on the low side. However, at medi-
process the distortion out, the Canon EF
um aperture settings the resolution figures
15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens will make a very
are exceptionally high and surely a bench-
nice wide angle lens for you.
Nikon 50mm f1.8 The Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 D is a low profile lens with less sex-appeal than the big
mark to beat. Distortions are negligible and vignetting is very well controlled. The build quality of the lens is very decent and the AF performance leaves nothing to be desired.
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
tial subject blur.
Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX APO Macro The use list for a macro lens is huge - our world is full of interesting little subjects. It doesn’t take a large studio or huge lights to produce high quality macro photographs. And it is fun. Even though I’m not enamored with the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Mac-
also has many uses. I would avoid actions
C a n o n E F 70 300mm f/4-5.6L IS
sports, but portraits are a good use - es-
The Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens is
pecially on a full frame body. The f/2.8 ap-
so wide that getting adequate flash cover-
erture produces a nicely-blurred back-
age can be a problem. Expect to minimal-
ground at this focal length.
ly need a flash with a built-in flip-down dif-
ro Lens’s AF performance, it is still a good medium length telephoto lens - which
In summary, the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Macro Lens delivers excellent optical quality but only fair AF performance in a solid package at a very reasonable price. It very well could be the best macro lens option for you personally.
fuser to cover the frame on a 1.3x or 1.6x FOVCF body. A Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce Diffuser will yield complete flash coverage on all bodies. Bouncing the flash may provide adequate coverage as well.
30mm F1.4 EX DC Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM is currently the only wide angle prime that was specifically designed for APS-C sensors and as such it has no direct competition. Nevertheless, users should carefully review the
I am impressed with the image quality from
benefits this lens provides versus the more
a lens this wide. If you don’t mind the se-
traditional FF type wide angles. On the pos-
vere distortion or are willing to post-process
itive side we have pretty decent center im-
the distortion out, the Canon EF 15mm
age performance, low levels of vignetting,
f/2.8 Fisheye Lens will make a very nice
good build quality along with affordable
wide angle lens for you.
price. On the negative side, we have poor border performance, occasional flare and color fringing. Are these limitations acceptable? Maybe, assuming you cannot find a better alternative.
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Portfolios Whose legacy will be remembered fifty years down the road?
Ansel Adams The grandfather of landscape photography. He is the one nature photographer that transcends the genre and even photography for that matter. His images are so well-known that photographers and tourists-alike are still trying to fill his tripod holes 60 – 70 years after his most famous images were made. Perhaps his greatest legacy were his environmental conservation efforts with the Sierra Club that led to creation of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks among other areas, and also the art education institutions that he helped to create.
David Muench Like Ansel Adams did with black and white landscape photography a generation prior, Muench is synonymous with color landscape photography. The now-cliche’d use of prominent foreground elements leading the eye through the frame to the background in the distance was a style that Muench became known for back in the 50’s and 60’s. You would walk into any library or bookstore in America in the past 40 years and be hard-pressed to not see his books or calendars even if you don’t know his name.
Joe McNally He is arguably the most prominent conservation photographer working today. His photography is actively used to further environmental causes in the American political system. His aerial photography of Alaskan landscapes are especially stunning.
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Galen Rowell A well-rounded photojournalist with a special ability to connect with a vast audience through his writings, Rowell influenced countless photographers in multiple genres beginning with rock climbing, wilderness adventure and then eventually landscape photography in the 2nd half of his career. The list of current working photographers that have followed in his footsteps reads like a who’s who in outdoor adventure and landscape photography and number too many to list. He was one of the first to utilize 35mm cameras exclusively in outdoor photography and popularized the use of graduated neutral-density filters.
Elliot Porter In contrast with Ansel Adams’ big landscape style, Porter’s photos were more “quiet” and focused on the intimate landscape scenes that are easily overlooked. It is easy to overlook his body of work in favor of postcard views but one needs to only look at the photographers that he influenced to see that his work has left a lasting impact. Photographers including William Neill and Charlie Cramer have styles that bear a strong resemblance to Porter’s vision. His most famous body of work is arguably the book, In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World.
Phillip Hyde A top Sierra Club photographer in the 50 – 70s, Hyde’s photography was instrumental in campaigns to save southwestern landscapes from flooding due to dams including the Grand Canyon and Dinosaur National Monument which led to the birth of the modern environmental movement. A number of leading nature photographers cite him as an inspiration for their life’s work.
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DiscoveringIndia “
When I look at the people I photograph, I see that they have a larg-
er vision of life, a vision that transcends monetary wealth. It is about their relationship with their god, with their land, neighbors, and family. It is the power of those relationships that I want to communicate.
–Fred Roberts
A
”
few months ago, Harish
19th-century image of a
Padmanabha replaced an
Navajo American Indian youth.
Indian oil painting and a watercolor long displayed above his dining room table in Bangalore with two prints from his rapidly expanding photography collection: Raghu Rai’s “Domes of Fame,” showing a bare-breasted woman lounging against a window that overlooks the Taj Mahal, and Annu Palakunnathu Matthew’s “Tom & Annu Before,” which juxtaposes a contemporary self-portrait with a
The switch in décor reflects Mr. Padmanabha’s own shift as a collector at a dynamic time on India’s photography scene. The 61-yearold mechanical engineer began acquiring paintings and drawings in the early 1980s, but now finds himself drawn primarily to photography-inspired, in part, by new Indian galleries showcasing this special medium.
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
“
India is a country that has enough problems and misery. It’s not that one wants to run away from it or shy away from it, but sometimes you don’t want it staring you in the face.
”
A few months ago, Harish Padmanabha re-
dian artist Subodh Gupta featuring met-
other patrons to find new audiences and
placed an Indian oil painting and a water-
al utensils piled on a rickshaw recently
escape expectations imposed by commer-
color long displayed above his dining room
brought $842,500 at auction, while work
cial commissions. “There is more of an in-
table in Bangalore with two prints from his
by Indian master painters like F.N. Sou-
centive to do our own projects. We create
rapidly expanding photography collection:
za command prices as high as $2.5 mil-
totally under our own steam,” says Clare
Raghu Rai’s “Domes of Fame,” showing
lion. On the other hand, prices for a limit-
Arni, a British photographer born in India
a bare-breasted woman lounging against
ed edition photograph by an artist in India
who lives in Bangalore and makes a living
a window that overlooks the Taj Mahal,
range from 20,000 rupees to 600,000 ru-
primarily as an architectural photographer.
and Annu Palakunnathu Matthew’s “Tom
pees ($416 to $12,500). Over the past two
In November, Ms. Arni exhibited a suite of
& Annu Before,” which juxtaposes a con-
years, such modest prices have attracted
works in vibrant colors documenting disap-
temporary self-portrait with a 19th-century
relatively younger Indian buyers in their
pearing professions in Kolkata, New Delhi,
image of a Navajo American Indian youth.
30s and 40s, seeking to experiment with
Bangalore and Chennai, such as silk dyers,
a medium that their parents barely consid-
medicine grinders and painters of movie
ered art. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and com-
posters -- a product of 18 months of re-
pany directors have been tapping galleries
search and travel. The show sold out two
to furnish their walls. Yuppies are turn-
editions of prints.
The switch in décor reflects Mr. Padmanabha’s own shift as a collector at a dynamic time on India’s photography scene. The 61-year-old mechanical engineer began acquiring paintings and drawings in the early 1980s, but now finds himself drawn primarily to photography -- inspired, in part, by new Indian galleries showcasing this medium. Photography’s power to lure collectors world-wide is matched by the pragmatic fact that it remains far more affordable than many art forms. An installation by In-
ing to photographs for home décor. Vintage prints, once considered dusty relics, suddenly have cachet and fetch $5,000 or more from private dealers. Artists better known for installations, video and performance are now experimenting with digital cameras. Contemporary photographers have seized on fresh interest from gallery owners and
Some gallery owners contend that the current financial uncertainty might actually be good for photography-collecting by allowing it to mature without the crazed speculation that infected the overall Indian art market. That includes short-term investors who in recent years kept some artwork, especially paintings in storage while seeking to flip them
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for quick profit. “The fact is, we need to
under conquest,” Mr. Pinney writes. Stu-
have more collectors than speculators,”
dio photography by Europeans and Indians
says Devika Daulet-Singh, director of pho-
also supplied a steady stream of portraits.
tography at PhotoInk, a specialized gallery that opened in New Delhi in February 2008. “If you can’t see the work on somebody’s wall, how are you going to develop an aesthetic or a taste for it?” she adds.
In the country’s art world, however, Indian painting and sculpture long held a more privileged position. Until a decade ago, photography was largely denigrated as an advertising tool or journalistic reinforce-
ABOVE: TWO CAMELS WATCH THE SUNSET.
But as prices escalated in the Indian art world for seasoned painters and novices alike, a quiet backlash grew stronger. The ranks of disillusioned collectors included tea and explosives entrepreneur Abhishek Poddar. He and his friends, who began collecting as teenagers, “started getting a little bored with the art scene,” he says.
India experienced a rather curious lag in
ment of an India that was viewed by the
“Anything and everything would sell, as
photographic appreciation compared with
rest of the world as poor and backward.
long as it was fashionable. Prices were go-
the West. Christopher Pinney’s book “Camera Indica” notes that the medium arrived in India shortly after its invention in 1840 and was promptly embraced by British rulers and India’s upper echelons. “Photography played a vital role in the formation of the Empire and informing the citizenry back home about the lands and the people
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
The map was sharply divided: Mumbai sheltered most of the commercial photographers, New Delhi claimed the bulk of photojournalists and Bangalore offered
ing crazy. There was no soul left in it,” complains the 40-year-old collector. “I can’t say this about every artist. But it was more the norm than the exception.”
more opportunities to wildlife photogra-
Turning to photography in 2000, Mr. Pod-
phers, given its access to nature sanctuar-
dar found himself disheartened by the fact
ies in southern India.
that photographers had few opportunities to exhibit their work, even though their
RIGHT: A BOY WANDERS AROUND THE SHOPPING DISTRICT OF MUBAI.
prices were quite affordable. That realiza-
schools. So there is no sense of its his-
by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1977 to work
tion eventually led to the September 2006
tory or its practice,” says Sunil Gupta, a
with Magnum Photos.
launch of Tasveer (“picture” in Hindi), a
New Delhi-based photographer and cu-
pioneering photography consortium -- led
rator who was educated at the Royal Col-
by Mr. Poddar -- that began with a gallery
lege of Art and worked for many years
in Bangalore and currently also organizes
in Britain.
shows in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolka-
Some art promoters seem willing to wait for the market to build and collectors to embrace new talent. “There is no money to be made immediately,” acknowledges Arun
Mr. Gupta and fellow curator Radhika
Vadehra, owner of Vadehra Art Gallery, the
Singh met with hundreds of photogra-
New Delhi venue for the Click! Show. “We
phers throughout the country and sifted
are just investing in the future for some-
through countless boxes of prints to put
thing which will become very, very lucra-
together the “Click!” exhibition in New
tive. When more and more shows happen,
“People thought we were a little mad,” Mr.
Delhi and London in early 2008. The
more talent will emerge and more people
Poddar adds. “They said, Why photogra-
show included the works of 150 pho-
will take chances,” he says.
phy, and, who buys photography?”
tographers. While many London buy-
ta together with local partners. The consortium has helped blur categories of photographers by providing an outlet for more creative impulses.
Basic information on the medium was scarce, let alone any kind of sophisticated critical discourse. “Photography as a medium has never been taught in Indian art
ers were willing to purchase unfamiliar names, Indian collectors gravitated toward the more famous photographers such as Raghu Rai, who was recruited
A current favorite among collectors at home and abroad is Dayanita Singh, whose studied black-and-white prints marked the November opening of the Berlin branch of the New Delhi gallery Nature Morte. Ms.
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
BLACK &WHITE Tips to make the finest photography without a trace of color. by Lucian Valdano
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Contrast
With the help of light you can get great contrast. Contrast will bring the tonal differences in your photography as you can’t use color. With side lighting, for instance, you’ll get longer shadows. Contrast is important because when there is a distinct contrast, with dark shades and bright light, you’ll be able to see things you didn’t see before.
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
Pattern & Texture Rich textures and detailed sceneries will help your photograph become comprehensible and exciting. Patterns are lucky in black and white photographs as colors aren’t taking the attention from them. So if you want to take a shoot where you’d like to emphasize on the patterns, then choose black and white tones instead of color.
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Subjects When taking pictures of large spaces, like landscapes or foliages; make sure that the same tone isn’t flowing through all the elements in your photography as this will give it a rather boring and dead look. Most black and white images are supposed to be dramatic and leave a striking impact on the viewer.
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
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Use RAW
If you have the opportunity to use RAW, do it! It will open up many new possibilities and give you more control of the image’s appearance.
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Outdoor Photographer Vol. XXVII
Low ISO
Shoot with the lowest possible ISO possible. While this is something that most of us do in color photography it is particularly important when it comes to black and white where noise created by ISO can become even more obvious. If you’re after this ‘noise’ (or grain) you can always add it later in your post production – but it’s harder to go the other way and take noise out.
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