Innehållsförteckning för No. 256 från Digital Photographer

“Preparing for the unknown empowers us to create stunning images anywhere, anytime” As someone who spends a great deal of time indoors, sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen, I always find it refreshing to head outside to work in the open air. As photographers, consistency isn’t always exciting and we can soon get tired of the rather formulaic nature of studio shooting. Instead, we start to dream of the freedom that al-fresco imaging, complete with colourful backgrounds and golden lighting can provide. But the great outdoors isn’t always a haven. Sometimes that variety also means unpredictability and so in this issue, we have assembled a feature on overcoming the challenges of shooting environmental portraits (p22). Learn to make the most of both harsh and diffused lighting, manage…

It’s one of those accepted notions with which new professional photographers must quickly become familiar – your client will always want the image you didn’t shoot. Customer briefs often vary in their specificity and detail, especially when they too are unfamiliar with the process of working with photography at a professional level. This often leads to miscommunication and potentially a lack of cohesive direction for the shoot. After all, without a clear idea of what our clients want, we can only use our expert judgment to take an educated guess. At the other end of the scale, high-end clients might provide a commercial photographer with an extremely specific brief that they expect to be followed to the letter. This happens to be the case for the product photography session I’m…

Difficulty level: Advanced Time taken: 2.5 hours Cityscapes are highly popular subjects, even more so with the advent of social media trends. Platforms such as Instagram are awash with images of exotic urban environments, making a subject out of the light and colour contrasts such places offer. With so many images being created each day, it can be a challenge to produce unique results. In crowded markets, anything we can do to introduce a novelty to our work is a potential advantage. This can be a unique, thoughtful composition that captures a well-known subject from a new perspective, or it may be a familiar feature captured in an idealised way. When shooting this image of a busy city street, it made visual sense to use the traffic trails as a…

LIGHTROOM TUTORIAL We all keep our camera sensors as clean as possible but, even with regular cleaning, sensor dust won’t take long to bed back in when changing lenses. Although you can clone out dust spots quickly and easily in Photoshop, Lightroom’s cloning tools offer a Visualize Spots feature that shows spots in hard-to-see areas – perfect for photographers who process images exclusively within Lightroom. What you’ll be using Basic adjustments Lens Corrections Visualize Spots Spot Removal Tone Curve KEY TIP HOW TO FIX MISTAKES If you’re unhappy with a point you placed, press Ctrl/Cmd+Z to go back a step. For spots already placed, left-click on them and hit the Backspace key. To clear all cloning spots, click on the Reset at the bottom of the Spot Removal controls. BEFORE…

Working with models I’m really drawn to the portrait genre and would like to have a career in this sector. What advice would you give to me for working with models as this is something I lack experience in. Tim Johnson Great question, Tim! We handed it over to top fashion photographer Kayleigh Gresty, as she has some great advice when it comes to this subject. Read Kayleigh’s full interview on the next page. “Make sure you build a good relationship with your model,” says Kayleigh. “Ensure that you are warm and inviting and that they are comfortable with everything you ask them to do. Talk to them, make them realise you are a person too! I tell funny stories about myself and my experiences to help them loosen up…

Tell us how you got into photography and what inspired you? In 1979, I was taking a class in photography at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC, and visited the abandoned Willard Hotel, two blocks from the White House, to take what proved to be haunting images for a class project. I spent several days there, shooting the devastation in black-and-white film. I then decided to ask the company if I could continue to document its restoration into a worldclass hotel. I worked in the historic Willard Hotel for about two years, until it was fully restored. One day, the man who was in charge of the restoration passed by, carrying a mitt full of old, weathered photographic images. He told me they had no luck finding architectural…

For our latest competition in association with Photocrowd, we challenged you to submit your best summer lighting shots. After working through all the entries, the winners have been selected. Both crowd-voted and expert winners will win a licence to Affinity Photo professional editing software. Congratulations to all of the winners – as usual, the standard of submitted images was extremely high and it was a difficult task to pick out the best ones. 1 STPLACE WINNER Sarah kayaking on Spencer Pond Our comment: What golden vibes! We couldn’t resist the atmosphere in this shot, and David has done well to expose a deceptively challenging scene, retaining the quality of the mist and almost making the kayaker and mountain into a silhouette. What tops off the shot is the gentle reflection…

The smallest lens in the group, the Canon weighs in at a mere 160g. It’s the new and improved RF mirrorless version of Canon’s big-selling EF 50mm f/1.8 lens for DSLRs, various editions of which have been popular over the years. Naturally, it can’t compete with Canon’s pro-grade RF 50mm F1.2L USM for its tight depth of field, but that lens is no budget option at over 12 times the price. Despite its featherweight design, the lens feels pretty solid and is nicely finished too. As usual with Canon lenses that aren’t in the L-series club, you need to buy the hood separately as an ‘optional’ extra. The Canon ES-65B is pricey at around £38/$40 but you can reduce your budget with a relatively cheap independent hood. The design is…

Fishermen know that you don’t have to catch the biggest fish to enjoy your time on the water. After all, you can say that you did and enjoy the exaggerations of your adventures for a lifetime. Like those seeking to catch the biggest fish, photographers seek the perfect image. Unfortunately, it is harder for us to spread our arms and describe how big the fish was that got away; someone may want to see our image and judge its merits for themselves. My father-in-law was a well-known fisherman on the Snake River in Idaho. On occasion, I would accompany him. He knew all the best fishing holes and always created a fun trip. He went for one reason… to catch fish. I went because I loved being on the river…

The Nikon Z 30, Nikon’s new APS-C mirrorless is touted as its ‘best ever’ vlogging camera, but what does that mean, and is it what we expected? Nikon’s newest – and cheapest – mirrorless model targets vloggers, content creators and anyone looking to upgrade from a camera phone to a camera. Under the skin, it has a lot in common with Nikon’s other APS-C mirrorless cameras, the Nikon Z 50 and Z fc, to the extent that you could consider them essentially the same camera internally. Nikon does say, however, that a steady evolution of its technologies and algorithms means there may be differences and improvements. The sensor is the same APS-C sized 20.9-megapixel unit Nikon has already used in those cameras and offers the same full-width 4K UHD video…

Shooting portraits in the studio is a wellestablished method of capturing images of people under controlled lighting. A studio is a safe space for photographers and offers access to bespoke lighting and backgrounds. You can move your lights around at will, alter the intensity and direction, focus or widen the spread and easily modify how much light hits the surrounding background elements. You even have the ability to control the ambient temperature and have access to unlimited food, drink and shelter from the weather. So why would anyone want to take their photoshoot outside or into another ‘alien’ environment? On the other hand, the studio might not necessarily feel safe and comfortable to your subject. You might be familiar with it and it may provide the opportunity to surround yourself…

AFTER The accurate reproduction of colours is important to create a high-quality photograph. Colour casts can be corrected with editing programs but this procedure can be demanding. To avoid this, use the right white balance in-camera. This function creates the correct colour temperature under various lighting conditions. If the white balance is not used, the camera assumes the photo is taken in standardised lighting, although these conditions are not always present in practice. The light quality varies depending on the time of day, weather or external light sources. These factors affect the colour temperature and may appear However, when the white balance is set, the camera knows under what lighting conditions the photo is taken and responds accordingly. Most cameras have a function that allows you to set up an…

Every day, many millions of digital photographs are created and stored on databases. There is no doubt that the growth in digital storage has been hugely important in allowing us to back up our photography, however, there is a danger that these images quickly become forgotten, lost among the infinite amount of data. Even the photographs we remember do not receive the appreciation that is attributed to them. However, there are new solutions that address this problem and create new perspectives. Using portable printers is an enhanced way to share photographs directly in a physical form. Sharing photographs on location with clients or friends is a unique experience that people will not forget. For professional photographic work, this can be a unique selling point that your clients will remember. To…

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022 The Astronomy Photographer of The Year competition is an annual contest and exhibition that showcases the world’s greatest astrophotography. Now in its 14th year, the 2022 contest attracted more than 3,000 entries from photographers spanning 67 countries across the globe. The winning shots will appear in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. For further information and to view previous competition winners, visit www.rmg.co.uk…

96 Budget portrait primes This month, we’re testing four of the best 40mm, 50mm and 85mm budget primes especially suited for portraits – featuring lenses from Canon, Nikon, Samyang and Yongnuo. 104 Fujifilm X-H2S Aimed at sports and wildlife photographers, Fujifilm’s fastest ever X-series camera raises the game for mirrorless photography. Angela Nicholson puts the X-H2S through its paces 108 Sony Xperia 1 IV smartphone World-first camera phone zoom technology and 120fps video capture means the Sony Xperia 1 IV is exceptional, but is it too pricey? 110 Lenses We take two professional optics out into the field and test their performance – this month it’s the turn of the Sony FE 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II and the Canon RF 16mm F/2.8 STM 112 Accessories It’s the little things that…

Strikingly similar in design to the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 lens, this 40mm lens is both compact and lightweight, measuring 46mm long and weighing 170g. That is just 5mm longer and 10g heavier than the Canon lens on test. It’s naturally 1.33 f/stops faster than the Z 28mm and, coupled with the longer focal length, enables a tighter depth of field. The size and focal length make the lens particularly adept at candid portraiture in street photography. As with the Canon lens, the Nikon’s optical design is particularly simple, based on just six elements arranged in four groups, with no ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass present. This simplicity extends to the overall build, with no auto/manual focus switch or optical VR. There isn’t a genuine Nikon lens hood available, not even…

The Fujifilm X-H2S has been introduced as Fujifilm’s flagship X-Series camera and is aimed at sport and wildlife photographers in particular. Although it has the same pixel count as the X-T4, it also features a new 26.1MP APS-C format sensor with a stacked, back-illuminated design. That design is significant because it enables four times faster data readout and this – along with the new X-Processor 5, which is twice as fast as its predecessor – enables the most significant upgrades that the camera makes on the X-H1 (and X-T4). Perhaps the most jaw-dropping statistic associated with the X-H2S is that it has a 40fps (frames per second) full-resolution continuous shooting capability, which comes complete with full autofocus and exposure metering functionality. As you might expect, that blistering rate is only…

Photographer: Andy Hunting Instagram: @andypedant Image location: Aswan, Egypt Type of commission: Personal Shot details: Fuji XT-10, 12mm, 1/60sec, f/2.8, ISO640 About the shot: The exciting thing about being a photographer is discovering new motifs and perspectives. Especially in unfamiliar places, the probability of finding an interesting and new aesthetic is high. Fresh impressions are treated photographically in a different way than familiar ones. When travelling, time is often short and images approached from a unique viewpoint. When Andy Hunting travelled to Egypt, many new impressions and creative challenges awaited him. “This photograph is taken in the Temple of Philae on the island of Agilkia, which is between the old and new dams at Aswan. As soon as I came across these two Egyptians, I instinctively took a picture. Somehow,…

Video content is becoming an increasingly important part of the multimedia world and an integral feature of social media. Photography is a great medium, but more often these days, photographers are being asked to create additional videos. From a marketing point of view, a video is like gold. It can explain a product and illustrate different functions or facets far more comprehensively than a still photograph. Online users are used to scrolling through information – and a video can easily attract attention. In addition, telling a story can create an important level between the customer and the moving image. It has been scientifically proven that customers remember a combination of moving images and sounds longer than just an image with text. Therefore, it is all the more important that you…

You’re reading this because you are willing to learn, willing to unlock a brand new field that’s probably never been available to you. Why? Because no one is teaching it. We’re going to change that. The first rule to successfully selling your photography as art is that you have to learn to take off your artist hat and put on the art marketer hat. It’s tough love, but to sell your own photography, you have to shift from creating art that merely fulfils you, to reverse engineering what the customer wants to buy and is willing to pay for. So, what does this mean in the real world? Let’s explore how to make your photographic art work for you. Understand the market When I was in my late teens, I…

BACKGROUND COMPOSITION The design of the background can influence the effect of the photograph. Sergey chose to shoot at night. “The lights of the amusement park made this frame interesting and turned it into a setup full of magic,” he says. Through the clear delimitation of the background, the colours and lights are in stark contrast with the dark night. They are clearly visually highlighted and create a unique atmosphere. “I am a positive photographer. My goal is to transfer my energy to the person in front of the camera to create an outstanding photo.” Sergey Tsybulsky Sergey Tsybulsky is a photographer from Belarus who is always on the hunt for his next spectacular shot. What started as a passion developed into a serious part of his professional career. He…

Location: Wells Beach, Maine, USA @_ramireznathan_ https://500px.com/p/_ramireznathan_ WIN! SAMSUNG 256GB PRO PLUS MICRO SDXC MEMORY CARD WITH SD ADAPTER Every issue, one Digital Photographer reader wins a Samsung 256GB PRO Plus MicroSDXC memory card with SD adapter. Boasting up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s read/write speeds, the card is perfect for high-res stills and Ultra HD video. It is the go-to card for the modern content creator using mirrorless, smartphone, action cam and drone cameras. Find out more at samsung.com/uk/ memory-storage Tag us @dphotographermag for a chance to feature here Every issue, we’ll be sharing the best images from our Instagram community. Tag us on @dphotographermag for a chance to appear as our Shot of the Month.…

Most of the Full-Frame fraternity reach for a fast 85mm prime when portraiture is the order of the day. They are undeniably ideal for tight headand-shoulders shots but that’s not the whole story. Half-length or three-quarter length shots can be preferable, or ‘environmental portraits’ that show a person in the context of their surroundings. And then there’s the matter of family portraits and photographing couples, where you need to squeeze more than one person into the frame. A focal length of around 50mm, still with a fairly fast aperture, can often be a better fit. If you’re shooting with an APS-C format body rather than a full-frame camera, a 50mm lens will bring you back to an effective focal length of 75mm (80mm for Canon) which is great for those…

WEBSITE: sony.com Price: £1,299/$1,599 Everyone can enjoy a phone like the Xperia 1 IV, but Sony makes camera phones for camera fans – it’s that simple. The Xperia 1 IV is particularly exciting given its world-first tech. This is the first phone to support 120fps video capture across all of its rear cameras. Most impressive, though, is the inclusion of a true optical zoom. The phone’s periscope camera can take you from 85mm to 125mm continuously, despite the fact the Xperia 1 IV is a slim, fine-looking slab of frosted glass and blasted metal. With its 21:9 screen measuring 6.5-inches, the Sony Xperia 1 IV is taller than the competition. This is part of Sony’s Xperia design DNA, and the Xperia 1 IV takes few risks as the 2022 flagship,…