Innehållsförteckning för No. 273 från Digital Photographer

As autumn moves into winter in the northern hemisphere and the days draw in, many of us will find ourselves with extra time to spare indoors. This is a great time for photography, but don't feel guilty if you find it a challenge to take yourself away from a radiator and out into the cold. There are plenty of opportunities to be creative at home and now is the perfect time to hone your image-editing skills. Post-processing is fast becoming the leading factor in the development of a photographer's style, so learning what's 'hot' in terms of editing trends can go a long way to keeping you ahead of the competition. To this end, we've got a ten-page guide on the editing techniques you need to know right now. Beginning…

Nikon has added a new premium supertelephoto lens to its range which is designed for handheld wildlife, sports and aviation photographers. The Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is just 278mm long and weighs 1,390g, making it the lightest in its class, according to Nikon. The zoom becomes the third in the Nikon Z lens line-up to offer a focal length of 600mm – and in terms of pricing falls in between that of the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S and the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR. A Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element has been used in the design to lead to a significantly smaller overall size and weight reducing the need for a tripod, though unlike other Nikon lenses with this type of element, such as the Nikon…

Canon has announced three new lenses for its mirrorless EOS R line of cameras, taking the total number of lenses available from 43 to 46. The new lenses include a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS STM telephoto zoom for sports and wildlife and an RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM ultrawide angle zoom for Canon’s APS-C format mirrorless cameras such as the EOS R7 and R10. The latter is a spiritual successor to Canon’s EF-S 10-18mm for its APS-C DSLRs but is both smaller and lighter, weighing just 150g. The third lens to be announced sits in a brand new ‘Z’ (zoom) line. The Canon RF 24-105mm F2.8L IS USM Z opens up new possibilities for hybrid shooters, offering both incredible image quality and a cinematic look with a constant f/2.8…

1 Profoto backpack When packing for a photo shoot, Vince needs a backpack to protect his kit in transit. It also needs to be practical when working in busy locations. This bag provides individual storage for each kit piece to make gear access easy. 2 Canon EOS R5 The EOS R’s form, and EOS 5D’s function, combined with the pro-grade AF of the EOS-1D X, make this body great for hybrid shooters. The body performs well at high ISO settings, giving Vince more flexibility in low light situations. 3 Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM Vince’s go-to lens is the ideal length for portraits with minimal distortion. The f/1.2 aperture allows enough light to enter the sensor for low-light scenes and creative bokeh without sacrificing image quality. 4 Canon RF 28-70mm…

TECHNIQUES MASTERCLASS SERIES Pictured Colour grading is often used in photography and film-making to improve the aesthetics of stills or footage and create a narrative. It refers to the process of tweaking and enhancing the colours in an image, whether you want to generate a warm, cool, vibrant, muted or even historical look. We might shift the brightness, saturation and hue of shadows and mid-tones to get a result that’s more atmospheric and moody than what our camera saw at the time. Colour grading has soared in popularity as editing software has become more intuitive and content creators look for ways to distinguish their work. In fact, it’s hard to see a photographer’s Instagram feed now without noticing their use of cinematic grading and the presence of downloadable presets. Editing…

Insert Everyday frame The photograph shows a detailed insight of the floral subject but lacks a little creative flair Main Atmospheric image By shooting through the object, the frame gains an extra element, adding colour and texture As photographers, we are always looking for creative ways to make our work stand out. One strategy is shooting through objects to create out-offocus foreground elements. This technique adds depth to the composition and draws attention to the subject. By adding those extra components, you can eliminate distracting and cluttered background elements to set the focus on key elements. It’s versatile too, and can be found in various photographic genres. This technique is particularly effective in wedding photography, where it adds a touch of romance and emphasises the subjects’ emotions. Wildlife photographers often…

Carrie Davenport Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland Specialisms Music and events Commercial Portraiture To see more of Carrie’s work: carriedavenportphotographic.com IG: @carriedavenport Carrie’s love of photography began at school and after deciding to leave the design agency she worked for, she started her photography business in 2005. Carrie works across many genres, including live events, and though based in Belfast, she regularly travels throughout Europe and further afield on her professional shoots. Career Path When did you start out in your current photographic genres? I’ve been freelance since 2006 and have always shot a mixture of things. I never specifically wanted to be a music photographer, which is where I started, I just wanted to photograph people. From live music, I started shooting portraits of musicians, then got asked to do…

Name: End of the day in Setubal Date: October 2019 Kit: Sony A350 Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Focal length: 35mm Website: www.daviddoresphotography.com @daviddoresphotography ISO f/16 1/20 200 sec “Capturing unique moments and creating dream photos is my passion. I love travelling around the world and showing off the best it has to offer. I hope to inspire others through the dedication I have for photography.” Vibrant colours As the title of his photograph implies, this frame was captured in the evening. “I was in Setubal, waiting for the day to end. I started to see the colour shift in the sky and knew I needed to get my camera out then,” says David. When the sun goes down, the golden hour starts adding incredible colours to the scene. To emphasise their…

Photographer: Ugo Barrière Title: After Golden Hour Location: Guadeloupe, south Caribbean @ugo_brr About the shot: “One evening, while I was photographing the golden hour, I saw a deep reddish tint in the sky and so I sent my drone up to see if I could capture it. By observing this view from 2,000 meters above Guadeloupe, I realised the beauty of this world. The lights on the ground are twinkling, a testament to our perseverance in the dark.” 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 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…

UNDER £50 THE BEST YULETIDE STOCKING FILLERS UNDER £100 MID-RANGE GIFTS FOR THE PHOTO AFICIONADO UNDER £200 IDEAL IF YOU HAVE A BIT MORE TO SPEND UNDER £300 IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO SPLASH THE CASH……

DOWNLOAD THE ASSETS Lauren Scott Lauren is an experienced photographer and journalist, having worked in the industry for many years, shooting a wide range of high-end genres and crafting articles, tutorials and buying guides for all user levels. She previously worked on our sister website, Digital Camera World and was the former editor of Digital Photographer magazine. To see more of Lauren’s work, visit: laurenscottphotography.com At the outset of the digital age of photography, many creatives were critical of what was more commonly referred to as photo ‘manipulation’ – a word that carried many negative connotations in its own right. Some hardened film devotees may have seen post-processing as cheating, merely because of how much quicker it was to apply effects at the computer, compared with the equivalent darkroom processes.…

Giving gifts to friends, family, customers or colleagues is a great way to bring a smile to their faces this Christmas. And with the season nearly upon us, now is the perfect time to sift through your archive of photos and give them a creative twist. Plus, there’s nothing better than reliving your past photo successes in physical form, especially towards the end of the year. Print companies such as CEWE, whose range we are focusing on here as a great example, offer a variety of products for any occasion and budget. The choice of high-quality options makes it easy to find unique ideas that creatively showcase your photography. And you can create these products online using easy-to-use building software. Jigsaw puzzle A challenging gift for people of all ages,…

For our latest competition in association with Photocrowd, we challenged you to submit your best candid moments. After working through all the entries, the winners have been selected and, as a prize, the expert winners will get a licence for 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 Vacant Thoughts Photographer Martin Duffy Photography Our comment: Street photography is all about picking out moments of curious alignment, where coincidental aspects come together in a way that feels staged. This image captures that candid observation – we love the appealing colour continuity between the woman’s coat and flask and the painted wall behind…

Price: £209/$229 Website: dxo.com The newly released PhotoLab 7 is the latest incarnation of DxO’s powerful digital asset manager and photo editor. Like most Digital Asset Management (DAM) apps, PhotoLab 7 allows you to organise your digital images by assigning them colour labels, ratings and keywords that you can filter through to find specific files quickly and easily. You can select or reject shots with a click and even filter files by the information in their metadata. That means you can choose to display your images according to their ISO speed, for example, to help you find the ‘noisiest’ photos that are most in need of being fixed. And that’s good news because PhotoLab 7 is particularly adept at smoothing out noise while preserving detail. PhotoLab 7 is packed full…

DOWNLOAD TEST SHOTS https://bit.ly/DPH273 PRICE: £1,199/$1,247 FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.27m (W) 0.85m (T) WEIGHT: 795g Build and handling The Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 proves that relatively fast f/2.8 constant-aperture telephoto zooms don’t have to be big and heavy. Nikon’s Z 17-28mm f/2.8, Z 28-75mm f/2.8 and this new Z 70-180mm lens are both relatively compact and lightweight, though they feel solidly built and include multiple weather-seals. This 70-180mm has an electronically-coupled focus ring that is smooth and precise, as well as being customisable. The zoom ring works equally well but, unlike with many constant-aperture telephoto zooms, there’s an inner barrel that extends as you stretch through the range. Performance The f/2.8 aperture is ideal for portraiture and wildlife photography when you want to isolate the main subject with blurred backgrounds, We…

PRICE: £1,121/$1,299 FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.33m (W) 0.85m (T) WEIGHT: 1,224g Build and handling Thanks to the design freedoms afforded by mirrorless cameras, we are becoming accustomed to seeing more exotic lenses, especially zooms. The fast maximum apertures make the 35-150mm a big lens and results in a screw thread filter diameter of 82mm. It weighs in at a substantial 1.224kg so even on the most compact of Sony Alpha bodies, it’s still quite a handful. However, the zooming collar is quite wide, so it affords a firm grip, and the manual focusing collar is a decent size and has a nicely weighted feel, despite being an electronic ‘fly-by-wire’ control. Performance AF is via a stepping-type motor (STM) which delivers a faster response, due to its low inertia. Importantly for video-makers,…

The modern world is moving at a rapid pace. Events happen at incredible speed and things change before we’ve even had time to get used to them. Subconsciously, I want to slow the world down – I want to stop time and magically hold on to what is passing. I have this feeling when I look through my camera’s viewfinder, it makes me slow down in this hectic environment and allows me to connect with myself and the things that matter. My camera acts as a therapy tool – it’s like a form of meditation. I observe the city, nature and people and it gives me a sense of balance. Going back in time, I realised that this is what attracted me to photography. Being an observer, documenting what is…

Leica maintains a high level of manufacturing through its innovation. This expertise now culminates in the next generation of the Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 Asph – an update to the M-Lens portfolio offering a state-of-the-art, versatile wide-angle lens for the modern era. This new lens presents improved technical features that equip the 28mm f/2 Asph with the latest sensor technology, ensuring expert compatibility for current and future camera generations. The closest focusing range still works via the rangefinder of all digital and analogue Leica M-series cameras up to 70cm, but Leica has also extended its range and ensured that all photographic needs are met with the latest technology. Internally, the lens features nine elements in six groups, enabling images to be taken with rich contrast and detail. The new Leica…

Getting the camera settings right and clicking the shutter might be the easy parts of the photographer’s job, but to be able to convey genuine emotion in a still image takes real skill. As the American photographer David Alan Harvey once said, “What we need is interpretation and inspiration. We don’t need to know what it looks like, but what it might mean and what it might feel like. We need images that speak to a deeper part of our humanity than the thirst for details.” For some photographic genres, capturing more than just what the subject looks like is essential. This is especially true for photographers who work with clients to promote businesses that represent a particular lifestyle or feeling. There is no better advertisement than to convey the…

Auto selection Use all the intelligent selection tools available to apply advanced compositing and retouching Selections have become a lot easier over the past decade of photo editing development, but the latest generation of software has taken this to a new level. It is now possible to tap a ‘Select Sky’ or ‘Select Object’ option and the application will automatically identify, select and refine the appropriate image area, based on colour and brightness. It isn’t perfect, but the pro skill here is to use auto selections as a starting point for more advanced extractions. AI recomposition The latest AI-based Generative Fill tools offer unprecedented freedom to recrop your images There is a lot of hype surrounding AI in photo editing right now but the reality is that it will be…

Classic lighting techniques never get old and form the basis for understanding how light works. It’s crucial to be mindful of how hard and soft light interacts with different skin ages, tones and textures. That’s not all, the light’s angle, height and position can make all the difference in your subject’s appearance. Soft lighting is often used in portrait photography. It gets diffused via a softbox or similar diffuser tool, giving a flattering look while enhancing the catchlights in your subject’s eyes. Hard lighting is a photographic technique that is not commonly used in portrait photography due to its distinctive features and specific style. It involves using undiffused light that creates a harsh, direct light, resulting in minimal transition between light and dark areas on the subject’s face. This approach…

It is hardly surprising that cities are popular subjects for photography. Many of us live in or close to metropolitan areas, meaning that we spend a large portion of our lives surrounded by buildings, street lights and vehicles. It is a surprise, therefore, when we discover just how complex the urban environment is when capturing accurate colour and exposures, leading to many disappointing shots. One missing element in many images is active sky colour. Most pro urban night shots aren’t, in fact, shot at night at all, instead, they are created during the golden or blue hours. At these times, it’s possible to create a feeling of darkness while minimising areas of empty black sky at the top of the image frame. Capturing accurate exposures of subjects illuminated from within…

LIGHTROOM TUTORIAL Lightroom is packed with a whole host of useful Presets that allow you to apply functional and creative effects with just one click of a button. They can’t do everything that you can using the manual controls, nor do they offer precise ways of making adjustments to your images. However, using a combination of both methods can mean a fully processed image in a few minutes – and that’s what we did here. White Balance Exposure Shadows & Highlights Blacks & Whites Presets 1 Make manual adjustments Not all adjustments, functional or creative, can be made using Presets alone, so you have to apply some manually. The main controls are White Balance, which you adjust yourself, and the Tone controls, including Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Whites and Blacks. 4Warm…

While many people have been able to make a successful living from photography, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to rely on just taking pictures to pay the bills. If you’ve already set up a photography business, you’ll no doubt have realised the necessity to adapt to the current climate and diversify your business, whether that’s by topping up your income by writing articles about photography, adding your images to stock libraries, making prints to sell online or running photography workshops. Even learning new skills, such as shooting video or operating a drone, can bring extra revenue streams that you can add to your repertoire, making you a more well-rounded photographer and giving your clients more options and reasons to hire your services. In this feature, we run through some ways you…

Astronomy Photographer of The Year 2023 The Astronomy Photographer of The Year is the largest astrophotography competition in the world. Now in its 15th year, the 2023 contest, organised by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, saw over 4,000 entries from 64 countries. The overall winners received a cash prize of £10,000, winners took home £1,500 and runners-up won £500. The winning images are now on exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London. For more info, visit www.rmg.co.uk…

100 Mylio Photos+ You can organise, edit and share your photo collection with this digital asset management app, but with so much competition on the market, how does it measure up against its peers? 96 Christmas Gift Guide 2023 Looking for the ideal gift to treat your favourite photographer this festive season? Whatever your budget, you’ll find the perfect photo present in our handy Xmas gift guide 104 Panasonic Lumix G9 II The latest Micro Four Thirds flagship has all the bells and whistles. Gareth Bevan finds out if the sensor format is still worth caring about 108 DxO PhotoLab 7 With AI-assisted noise reduction and downloadable optics modules, could this be the best Adobe alternative around? George Cairns puts the software through its paces 110 Lenses Every month, we…

Price: £1,699/$1,899 It has been almost six years since Panasonic released the original G9, but that was back when six years was a normal time between camera cycles. By today’s standards, that is an age to wait. However, for Panasonic, this means that the Panasonic Lumix G9 II is actually a fullyfledged upgrade from the first model that you can genuinely get excited about. With Panasonic’s recent focus on its full-frame cameras, with the well-received Panasonic Lumix S5 II and the growing number of L-Mount Alliance members, many were speculating that Panasonic might be phasing out its Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lineup. Panasonic and Olympus were the pioneers of the MFT sensor and mount, pushing it as a solution to achieve high-quality images with smaller cameras such as the technical…