Innehållsförteckning för No. 525 från Photography Week

Welcome to the world’s No.1 weekly digital photography magazine. If you’re already a reader, thanks for your continued support and involvement; if you’re new to Photography Week, you’ve come to the right place! In addition to expert advice, brilliant tips and step-by-step tutorials, every issue features interactive galleries of brilliant photos, how-to videos on essential shooting and editing techniques, and in-depth reviews of the latest camera kit. But that’s not the whole story. Photography Week is more than a magazine – it’s a community of like-minded people who are passionate about photography. To get involved, just follow any of the links below and share your shots and comments. JOIN THE PHOTOGRAPHY WEEK COMMUNITY AND START SHARING! FACEBOOK http://bit.ly/39py9lg TWITTER http://bit.ly/2vGadLP FLICKR http://bit.ly/2VIgsJO We’re more than just a magazine – read…

All photographers know that you should shoot in raw for maximum image quality and greater flexibility when editing. But what, precisely, are the advantages when it comes to post-processing? Open a raw file in Photoshop and the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) editor will be launched. The application is structured differently to Photoshop, but the essential editing functions are similar. The difference is that all functions are visible and changeable at a glance, and you can also adjust some parameters that you can’t in Photoshop. When it comes to optimising both your workflow and your images, it’s important to know the pros and cons of both workspaces.…

The Epson International Pano Awards is the largest competition for panoramic photography, and the winners of the 2022 competition have been announced. Chinese photographer Jinyi He was crowned Overall Winner in the Open competition for his stunning image of the Dushanzi Grand Canyon in China’s Tianshan Mountains, which he created by stitching together 40 photos taken with a drone. Jinyi says: “As a landscape photographer, I am always passionate about exploring majestic landscapes rarely known to Western photographers.” This year’s competition attracted more than 4,000 entries from photographers in 98 countries, with prizes awarded in open and amateur Landscape/Nature and Built Environment/Architecture categories, plus a variety of special categories. Click the link to see more winning images at the Pano Awards website. SEE MORE IMAGES https://bit.ly/3EfFHJL…

1 LIGHT-PAINTING While your camera stays open for 20-30 seconds during your exposure, you could try using a torch to paint over objects in the scene, like the tower here. The length of time you’ll need to paint for will depend on the strength of torch and distance to subject, so a little trial and error will be needed to get it right. 2 PAINT THE SIDE Don’t shine your torch from the camera position, as this will leave the scene looking flat (as in the left-hand image here). Instead, walk around to the side or behind the objects or buildings in the scene (watch your step!) and illuminate them from there. A side-on angle will make the lighting more dramatic. 3 BLEND FRAMES You don’t need to get everything perfect in a…

www.sony.co.uk £2,099/$2,298 Building on the success of the original Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM, the second edition aims to deliver improved image quality and all-round performance, enhanced handling and more robust build quality, in a package that’s lighter and smaller. Indeed, Sony points out that it’s the world’s smallest and lightest 24-70mm f/2.8 trinity zoom, making it a perfect match for compact Alpha bodies. Optical design is a key feature of any pro-grade lens, and in this case the optical layout is completely redesigned from the original version of the lens. The GM II boasts five aspherical elements, including two XA (eXtreme Aspherical) high-precision elements, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and a further two Super ED elements. Next-generation Nano AR Coating II is applied to minimise ghosting and flare. There’s…

Voigtländer has announced two new lenses for Nikon mirrorless cameras. The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 Nokton is an ultra-fast standard prime lens for full-frame Nikon Z cameras, while the Voigtlander D 35mm f/2 Macro Apo-Ultron is an APS-C macro lens for the Nikon Z fc, Z50 and Z30. The Nokton 40mm f/1.2 is already available in Leica M mount and Sony E mount, but now Nikon Z owners can also enjoy this classic lens’s ultra-fast f/1.2 maximum aperture, compact design, precise manual focus adjustment and depth of field markings for easy zone and hyperfocal focusing. The 40mm focal length makes this an ideal ‘semi-wide’ standard lens for full-frame cameras like the Nikon Z5, Z6 II and Z7 II, but it will of course also fit Nikon’s APS-C models, offering an equivalent…

Capturing true skin tones can be a challenge under any conditions. Underexposure can lead to undesirable, oversaturated results, while even choosing the ‘right’ settings doesn’t guarantee accurate results. Every skin tone is different, and to achieve natural results you need to preserve subtle gradations in colour. Besides the white balance and exposure sliders, you can call on tools such as the HSL panel and Vibrance slider. Pay particular attention to orange and red tones, as skin tones are predominantly made up of these. Use RGB values as a guide and starting point. Use the eyedropper tool to analyse the current settings and choose a reference value for further editing. The lighter the skin tone, the higher the RGB values. In general, the rule is the highest factor is red, then…

GO STRAIGHT IN Unlock the background layer and select the custom ratio mode to stay in your preferred aspect ratio. Focusing on the main subject, use the Crop tool to create a section. Once you’ve settled on a suitable crop, apply the settings. GAIN VISUAL OPTIONS By zooming out of the photo, the outline of the original file becomes visible. Select the Move tool and then position the image within the set aspect ratio frame. With the help of the anchor points, it’s now possible to resize the photo.…

Sharpness is an effective creative instrument that can help direct the viewer’s gaze to certain aspects of a photograph. Every editing program offers various methods for sharpening, but whichever tools you’re using, it’s important to understand a few basic principles. The most important rule here is that more is not always better. Extreme sharpening can cause unwanted noise and, especially in bright areas, unsightly halos or lines. If every element within the image is presented in absolute sharpness, the viewer’s eye is overwhelmed and irritated by the unnatural detail. In addition to the sharp elements in focus, human vision also perceives out-of-focus subjects, but too often, this fact is not taken into account during post-processing, with the result that an image can lack depth. Be clear about how to best…

CUSTOMISE WORKSPACE Work out which functions you use most often and add them. Create separate workspaces for specific editing stages so that you can access your settings at a glance. CAMERA RAW FILTER You can take advantage of Camera Raw’s powerful and intuitive tools to quickly edit JPEGs as well as raw files. SYNCHRONISED EDITING When editing multiple images, save the previous settings as a preset. This procedure is ideal if your pictures are part of a set or taken under the same conditions. LENS CORRECTIONS Software programs can apply the optimum settings to correct lens distortions based on your camera make and model, and the lens used to capture an image.…

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2 HOURS Whether you’re just getting started with astrophotography or an old hand, the Milky Way is one of the most spellbinding areas of the night sky. And you don’t need specialised kit to capture it: all you need is your camera, a tripod and a decent wide-angle lens. In this project we’ll show you how to shoot for the core, which settings you need, and how to add impact to shots by painting foreground areas with light. A shoot like this is all about planning. We need to know where the cluster of stars that make up the core will be and when, and we need to know that they’ll be visible – otherwise there’s no point staying up late (the Milky Way core is only visible at certain…

N-PHOTO N-Photo is a monthly magazine for Nikon photographers, and is packed with technique and Photoshop video lessons every month. http://bit.ly/3atHLfO https://apple.co/2TNE26T PHOTOPLUS PhotoPlus is a monthly magazine for Canon photographers that features expert advice, tips and video tutorials on all things Canon. http://bit.ly/30FoOlQ https://apple.co/2vaIdzw DIGITAL CAMERA WORLD A monthly magazine that aims to improve your photography with an inspirational mix of amazing images and how-to articles. http://bit.ly/2RER7g6 https://apple.co/2RBrZqG DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER The monthly kitbag essential for enthusiast and pro photographers, packed with tutorials, exclusive interviews and the latest reviews. https://bit.ly/3lH4ucX https://apple.co/2SJf6ff…

There’s no question that editing is one of the most important steps in the creation of photographs. However, while post-processing can help us to create the perfect photo, it can also ruin images if used in the wrong way. Today’s editing programmes open up countless possibilities and, due to the poweful tools at your disposal, it’s tempting to take things too far. Radical changes can work, but they should complement images in a natural way rather than transforming them, and you should aim to adhere to the fundamental principles of image making. Post-processing is almost as important as the process of taking the image itself – never underestimate by how much even minimal changes can potentially improve the overall quality of your photo – but you have to proceed with…

1 CUSTOMISE YOUR WORKSPACE Drag out the colour editor to get an overview of all the settings. Select the skin tone option to access the fine-tuning tools. 2 ADD A LAYER Avoid adjusting the other parts of the photo by creating a new layer and masking off the non-skin areas with a brush. 3 SELECT TARGET TONE Hide the mask and then use the Picker tool to choose your preferred skin tone. The Colour Range Selection tool will then adapt your reference. 4 USE AMOUNT SLIDERS These settings allow you to adjust the hue, saturation and lightness of the selected tone. Try different settings, aiming at all times for a natural look. 5 ADJUST THE UNIFORMITY .It’s important to find a balance between natural and uniform settings. Take care not…

1 RULE OF THIRDS The rule of thirds is a tried and tested compositional aid. Simply divide the frame into a 3x3 grid – you can overlay a grid in live view mode – and compose the scene so that key elements sit along the gridlines or at the intersections between lines. 2 FIBONACCI SPIRAL Orientate towards organic forms and place the main subject at the end of the spiral. The composed structure directs the viewer’s gaze through the picture. This composition is variable, so exploit its potential by mirroring or rotating the spiral to suit your subject. 3 LANDSCAPE/PORTRAIT FORMAT Think about whether the original orientation of the photograph best suits the subject, or chimes with your creative vision. By trying out different formats you can gain new perspectives,…

NEVER SMILE AT A CROCODILE DALE MASON “This photo was taken on the Ord River in Western Australia. The crocodile is an estuarine crocodile (commonly called a saltwater crocodile), which was basking in the early morning light on a shallow bank.” https://bit.ly/3y6oqyN SPIRAL CAR RAMP ALEXANDER FENZL “This is a ramp for a car park at a shopping mall in Linz, Austria.” https://bit.ly/3lnVBrv GYPSOPHILA ANNA UTKINA “I photographed this gypsophila flower with my Canon EOS R5 and RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens.” https://bit.ly/3vdJEYD REFLECTIONS ON CAPODACQUA LAKE MARIO OTTAVIANI “This is an artificial lake at Capodacqua in Italy’s Abruzzo region which is fed by water from the Apennine mountains. The lake was created when the valley was flooded in the 1950s, and it’s known as the ‘Italian Atlantis’,…

1 USE A TRIPOD Even tiny vibrations can ruin star sharpness, which is why it’s vital to have a sturdy tripod. Prevent camera shake by setting mirror lockup or a two-second delay, so that (for DSLRs) the mirror doesn’t cause vibrations. A wireless shutter release can also help to prevent shake caused by touching the camera. 2 THE GALACTIC CORE The Milky Way appears as a band of stars across the night sky. The core is clustered around the Sagittarius A black hole, and it’s this that looks most impressive in Milky Way photos. The core is visible during March-October in the northern hemisphere, and February-October in the southern hemisphere. 3 CLEAR SKIES Cloud cover will ruin your chances of seeing the stars, so check the weather to make sure it’s a clear…

The eyes are the first thing we look at in a portrait, and that’s why when we’re shooting a portrait we focus on them: it doesn’t matter if everything else is a little soft, as long as the eyes – or, if the face is side-on, the nearer eye – is sharp. In this video tutorial we’ll show you four techniques you can use to enhance eyes in portraits using Photoshop. When it comes to editing eyes there’s a fine line between boosting them and pushing things too far – we’ve all seen ghastly portraits with blindingly white eyes – so always make your enhancements on a separate layer; this way, you have the option to tone down an effect by lowering the layer opacity. DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT FILES https://bit.ly/33UcGRR…