Innehållsförteckning för No. 268 från Digital Photographer

It’s hard to imagine a world without colour. Black-and-white photography is hugely popular as a creative genre, but the vast array of colours seen in the natural world can be a source of inspiration to us all as photographers. To that end, we have a feature this month all about capturing superior colour in your images. Turn to p24 to learn how to capture both warm and cool colours, work in mixed lighting and shoot images with incredible natural depth. Next up, our cover feature explores the wonders of the universe, detailing all the pro skills you’ll need to shoot stunning images of the night sky. With help from the top pros working in astro imagery, we’ll help you make the most of the clear summer skies. Turn to p36…

A Canon RF 200-500mm f/4L IS USM has been long rumoured and now the team over at Canon Rumors has managed to confirm its existence. We might even see it as soon as the end of this year. Canon already makes a similar EF version of this lens – the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x. But the latest rumour suggests that to reduce the overall size and weight of the lens, the new RF version will forego the 1.4x teleconverter but will add an extra 100mm in focal length to compensate. Wildlife and sports photographers needn’t fear, however, as Canon Rumors also claims that a newly designed separate teleconverter extension is also coming soon, which will also work with the recently introduced Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS…

Nikon has launched its first prime lens for the DX range of mirrorless lenses. The Nikkor Z DX 24mm f/1.7 joins four zoom lenses that are designed exclusively for Nikon’s APS-C sensor cameras – the Nikon Zfc, Z30 and Z50. The new 24mm f/1.7 lens provides a fast wide-angle lens that weighs just 135g (4.8oz) and measures 70x40mm (2.8 x 1.6in). It has a 36mm equivalent focal length when you take the crop factor into account. The lens is constructed from nine elements in eight groups, including two aspherical glass elements, uses a seven-blade iris diaphragm and has an 18cm minimum focus distance. It also has a stepping motor for fast, accurate, smooth and quiet autofocus. The lens is available now with an RRP of £289. In other Nikon news,…

Food photography, like many genres of product imaging, is rare in its blend of functionality and creativity. Many professional photographers find themselves shooting the same type of images over and over again, as is the norm for the ‘jobbing’ photographer. Clients often have highly specific requirements and there is, therefore, little room for true creativity at the professional level. Certain image styles just work and so there is often no need to venture far from the established photo setups, in whichever area we find ourselves specialising. Any artistic licence you may have has to be channelled within the confines of what is expected from a wedding, portrait or property photographer, for example. Food is different. Dishes are themselves works of art, crafted by recognised professional creatives. This means that the…

Difficulty level: Intermediate Time taken: 1 hour Summer may be the favourite season of beachgoers and sunbathers, but it’s less favoured by landscape photographers. The strong lighting casts deep shadows and bright highlights, stripping the colour from natural elements such as water and vegetation. In contrast to shooting landscapes during the golden hours (as discussed in our feature in Issue 266), daytime lighting in the summer is possibly the worst for scenic imagery. This becomes even more apparent when we try to capture long-exposure shots. Lengthening the exposure time can be a great way to introduce some movement to static scenes but during harsh summer daytime lighting, it can be almost impossible to push the shutter speed above a whole second. A 10-stop ND filter is useful here but, if…

Taking the step from enthusiast to professional photographer and turning your hobby into a career can seem daunting. How do you know when you’re ready, how do you market yourself, what should you charge and what do you do if the work dries up? These are just some of the big questions you’ll need to ask yourself when you come to making the leap. In this article, we’ll cover some of the key preparations you should make before taking the plunge. In an era when everyone expects photography for free, it can be difficult to make a decent living from purely selling images. Photographers often need to work smart and diversify. If you want to go pro, it’s a good idea to look at selling prints of your photos, writing…

Tell us a bit about you! I run a wedding photography business based in Ayrshire, Scotland, called Tandem Photo with my other half, David Elliott. As well as working together, we often work with second shooters. When hiring a second shooter for a wedding, what logistical aspects are you aware of as the main photographer? In terms of public liability, both David and I are named on our insurance policy and, when working with second shooters, we always work with photographers who are experienced and have their own business so they have their own public liability insurance. Check this in advance and never assume. David and I have been working together for years, so it’s easy to know what each other’s movements are going to be. But when working with…

GuruShots is billed as the world’s leading photography game. It’s an online platform that gives global exposure to people who love taking photos. GuruShots members start as Newbies and compete with other photographers to win challenges, increase their ranking on the site and eventually progress to ‘Guru’ status. Challenges are voted on by Gurus and the wider GuruShots community, and there’s a fresh competition brief, such as the Animal Kingdom challenge, every day. All the winners receive prizes from GuruShots’ sponsors, including Lowepro, Kodak and Lensbaby. For more information, visit www.gurushots.com…

Our ratings Our team of trusted and expert reviewers score gear thoroughly to help you make better buying choices. Product awards Digital Photographer’s awards are given out when a product really catches our attention. Here are our three most used accolades. Lab testing Some of our product reviews also have in-depth lab data, graphs and scores. This means that the kit has been subjected to more rigorous testing. Lens tests are carried out using Imatest, and cameras are tested in our laboratory using DxO Analyzer hardware and software to check the image noise and dynamic range.…

Maye Musk, a veteran model and dietician, is no stranger to the fashion and beauty industry. She has graced the covers of numerous magazines for over five decades, including Women’s Day, various international editions of Vogue and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Her unique style and beauty have been admired and captured by many photographers throughout her illustrious career – and I, too, have had the privilege of inviting Maye to my New York studio for a portrait session. As a professional photographer, I am always seeking to capture remarkable faces that exude character and personality. Maye is a perfect example of this. Her striking features, charming personality and timeless beauty make her a captivating subject for any photographer. To create this portrait, I used the medium-format Hasselblad X1D II…

The Fujifilm X-S20 has arrived with a few key upgrades over its threeyear-old predecessor, the X-S10. The headline feature of the X-S20 is its new and improved battery, with Fujifilm claiming an extra 800 more frames from a single charge than the previous version. The X-S20 weighs a diminutive 491g and the overall size and design of the X-S20 remain largely the same with a 2.36m-dot electronic viewfinder and a 1.84m-dot fullyarticulating LCD. The Fujifilm X-S20 features the previous-generation X-Trans IV back-side illuminated CMOS sensor, with 26.1MP and features 5-axis in-body image stabilisation for up to 7-stops of stabilisation. Other headline features include an X-Processor 5, which enables some pretty hefty internal upgrades when it comes to video and subject recognition. It can also shoot video at up to 6.2K…

Sigma has announced the world’s fastest 14mm lens – the Sigma 14mm F1.4 DG DN, available for Sony E-Mount and Panasonic/Leica/Sigma L-Mount. Sigma has designed this lens specifically for astrophotography, paying particular attention to optical aberrations and sagittal coma flare. The optical design includes one special low-dispersion, three fluorite low-dispersion, and four aspherical elements to improve corner sharpness and reduce chromatic aberration. This combination has also allowed Sigma to reduce the overall size and weight of the lens. The Sigma 14mm lens comes with a manual aperture control ring, which can also be set to auto, as well as locked so it doesn’t slip during movement, this control ring can be de-clicked if you intend to use the lens for video work. A manual focus ring lock function also allows…

DON’T MISS PART 4 Explore the next part of our Pro Masterclass series in Issue 269, available 8th August The Colour Wheel Use the Colour Wheel to determine which colours look best when used together and also to ensure you are shooting the full range of hues available. The world is full of amazing colours, from the luscious greens of woodland foliage to luminous materials in modern architecture, and from carpets of bluebells to eyecatching liveries on planes, trains and sports cars. Regardless of whether they occur in nature or are the product of human activity and preference, colours have the power to inspire the imagination and stimulate an emotional response in the viewer of a photograph. When only black and white film existed, photographers had to rely on coloured…

As photographers, we often rely on long exposures to illuminate dimly lit scenes. However, slow shutter speeds can do more than just provide brightness – by physically moving the camera while the shutter curtain is open, familiar scenes can be presented in a fresh light. The recorded movements add a level of abstraction to an otherwise static photograph. This technique, called Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), allows photographers to create images that showcase their creativity and artistically manipulate the shot. Here, the emphasis is not on sharpness but on controlled blurring, which brings out colours and textures while highlighting the lines and patterns. ICM allows us to create unique and captivating images that tell a story and evoke emotions. With ICM, the challenge is to expose the image correctly. As the…

NAME: Soaring Sparrow DATE: March 2023 WHY SHOTS WORK KIT: Olympus OM-D E-M5 III Olympus 100-400mm Hide, hired from Tim Robinson Wildlife Photography INSTA: @martingoffphotos ISO f/13 1/10 400 sec “Wildlife photography is all about escaping into nature and relaxing. As a Police crime scene investigator, I find it helps me to switch off, forget what I’ve been dealing with that week and reset my mind.” Martin Goff Martin Goff is a Police crime scene investigator and a passionate wildlife and nature photographer. He graduated in fine art photography and has previously worked as a freelance photographer but has continued to follow his passion. He says shooting wildlife is a form of escapism from the stresses of working at crime scenes. DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE Photography offers many more possibilities than just…

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 Photographer: Vince Preston Title: The Stag of Bradgate Location: Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, UK @life_in_pixels_wildlife About the shot: While I was walking across Bradgate Park, I came across a stream so I sat down next to the water. The next thing I knew was that I heard rustling from the bushes and a stag walked out and started drinking from the stream. Thankfully,…

The peak travel season is nearly upon us, so now is the perfect time to invest (or reinvest) in a set of sticks that is compact and low in weight, while still offering the robustness and support required for capturing all your travel memories. The group of four travel tripods we’ve assembled here are sold as kits complete with heads. All of them offer a maximum height of around 1.5m when extended, but they also fold down to around 40cm in length. Most of the models have a clever design feature that expands their usefulness in the field, whether that’s a built-in mini tripod or a phone clamp. Angela Nicholson Benro MeFoto RoadTrip Pro £240/$296 One of the most versatile tripods we’ve seen, but is it a jack-of-all-trades? uk.benroeu.com Benro…

Price: £299/$299 Website: datacolor.com We have long been fans of Datacolor’s previous-generation monitor calibrator, Spyder X, and rated the value-packed Spyder X Pro as ‘the best monitor calibrator on the market’. Now the time has come for a new range of Spyder calibrators, Spyder X2, which include a new, expanded lens-based light sensor with support for high-brightness HDR displays, plus extensively redesigned accompanying software, as well as native USB-C connectivity. With all this, Spyder X2 promises the most comprehensive monitor calibration yet. Many photographers go to great lengths to ensure accurate in-camera white balance and consistent colour in software raw processing, but all that effort is wasted if your monitor is deceiving you by displaying incorrect colour. Both the X2 Ultra and slightly cheaper X2 Elite are compatible with HDR…

In photography, capturing the perfect shot on your camera is only half the battle. Postprocessing and preparation for print can take lots of time and effort. Here, it’s important to consider the staging of the photograph to maximise its impact. However, many photographers overlook the importance of the printing material used. This is a missed opportunity, as providers such as WhiteWall offer countless varieties of materials that add a unique touch to the final product. Each material has its own effect on the appearance and durability of the photograph, allowing certain factors to stand out. Printing on unusual materials will also add a special touch that benefits your customers, showing attention to detail and commitment to quality. Overall, this will offer your photography business a way to stand out and…

James Bridle James Bridle is an award-winning music, sports and event photographer with over a decade of experience in the field. Based in Bournemouth, UK, he travels the world covering major events and capturing the emotion and excitement with his unique style and perspective. James’s talent and creativity have earned him a reputation in the industry and his work has been recognised by the British Photography Awards, where he was nominated for two consecutive years and, in 2020, he won the Events category award. jamesbridlephoto.co.uk @jamesbridlephoto There’s nothing quite like the thrill of experiencing live events. Whether it’s a vast music festival, an iconic sports stadium or a cosy, intimate venue, there’s something new and exciting for everyone. The energy and enthusiasm of the passionate fans and talented performers all…

For our latest competition in association with Photocrowd, we challenged you to submit your best spring colour images and, after working through all the entries, the winners have been selected. As a prize, the 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 select the best ones. 1 STPLACE WINNER Gracefully taking over the fields Photographer: Call Ross Our comment: How ‘spring-like’ is this shot? Everything about the scene shouts springtime, from the subject’s beauty to the rich palette of seasonal yellows and greens in the background. The composition is well-considered, allowing us to take it all in, including the swirly bokeh and…

Price: £2,349/$2,199 The vlogging camera space is heating up, with most of the major manufacturers targeting content creators with specially designed products. Sony was one of the first companies to recognise this market as a significant new area and has been making cameras in its vlogfocused ZV line for the past couple of years. Sony’s initial entries, including the ZV-E10 or Sony ZV-1F, have all focused on the entry-level vlogger, with 1-inch or APS-C sensors and affordable price points. With the ZV-E1, Sony now has something for the serious vlogger – afull frame vlogging camera, with image stabilisation and a subject recognition and tracking system, pulled out of its top-of-the-line professional camera. However, the ZV-E1 is hounded by the same question as the rest of the vlogging camera market –…

DOWNLOAD TEST SHOTS https://bit.ly/42OuPLx PRICE: £379/$357 FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.19m WEIGHT: 205g Build and handling The Nikon Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR fills a hole in the company’s line-up of APS-C format Z-mount lenses, as there were previously no ultra-wide-angle options. With its video-centric design, the Z 12- 28mm is a perfect match for the Nikon Z 30, which is better suited to vlogging than stills photography as it lacks a viewfinder. Despite its compact size of 72 x 63.5mm and lightweight build of 205g, the lens feels like a quality item. Unusually for a budget lens, it features weather-seals to enable a dustand splash-proof construction. However, a contributing factor to keeping the weight off is that the lens has a plastic rather than metal mounting plate, which is naturally…

PRICE: £1,399/$1,599 FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.30m WEIGHT: 1,170g Build and handling Building the Sigma 14mm F1.4 DG DN Art was a bold move, particularly as there is already the excellent Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art lens and the Sony FE 14mm F1.8 G Master. Focused primarily on astrophotography, the new lens has a bigger and weightier build than both f/1.8 optics out of necessity. That’s the cost of the extra two-thirds of an f-stop. The build quality is of an entirely pro-grade standard and the construction includes a brass mounting plate and multiple weatherseals, as well as a fluorine coating on the front element to repel moisture and grease. The manual focus locking switch is particularly useful for astrophotography, enabling focusfixing at infinity. Performance In our real-world tests, we found…

LENSBABY DOUBLE GLASS II lensbaby.com £219/$200 (OPTIC ONLY) £399/$370 (OPTIC WITH COMPOSER PRO II) Lensbaby, the manufacturer of hand-built lenses that enable creative effects to be applied in-camera, has introduced a revised version of its popular Double Glass optic. The Double Glass II is part of the company’s optic swap system and can be used with any of the lens housings (barrels), including the Composer Pro II and Spark 2.0, which are available in a wide range of mounts. The Double Glass II clicks into the housing with a twist and is then ready for action. It has a focal length of 50mm and is compatible with full-frame or smaller sensors. Unlike the original Double Glass optic, the Double Glass II has a 12-blade iris and ring to enable the…