Innehållsförteckning för No. 619 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…

1 WATCH YOUR STEP When stalking subjects, always be mindful of where your shadow falls. If you inadvertently cast your subject into shade, it’s likely to quickly fly away or scurry off into the distance. Get into a picture-taking position using slow, deliberate movements. Invertebrates are also highly sensitive to sudden movements, so bring your camera up to your eye in a smooth motion, and practise adjusting your camera’s key controls to work quickly and intuitively. If your subject flies off, follow it and watch where it lands so that you can try again. Be prepared for lots of frustration and near misses – patience and perseverance are key when stalking subjects. 2 GET DOWN AND DIRTY Be prepared to get down and dirty when shooting little critters and plant…

The California Academy of Sciences has announced the winners of this year’s BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition, with Jaime Rojo taking the top prize for his stunning sunset image of millions of monarch butterflies amid fir trees in a Mexican nature reserve. Rojo captured his image, entitled The Forest of the Monarchs, at the Michoacan Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The butterflies arrive in Mexico’s humid Sierra Madre Mountains in the winter, after leaving their North American summer breeding grounds, and are the only butterfly species known to make an annual two-way migration, a journey of 3,000 miles. This year’s contest attracted more than 7,000 entries across six categories. Click the link to see more winning and shortlisted images, and read the stories behind…

www.nikon.co.uk £1,399/$1,299 I’m a fan of ‘superzoom’ lenses for walkabout and travel photography, as they give me the ability to react to unfolding photo opportunities at the flick of a wrist, rather than swapping lenses or carrying around more kit. I’ve been impressed with Nikon’s Z-mount lenses, including those for the Z 7II, the Z 8 and Z 9 and the Z fc, which deliver great image quality and all-round performance. Superzoom lenses tend to compromise image quality in favour of zoom range, although there’s little sacrifice when it comes to the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, which is good value for an all-in-one zoom. The newer Z 28-400mm doesn’t go as wide, but doubles up on telephoto reach, giving a greater dividend to photographers who aspire to super-telephoto superpowers…

Tripod brand 3 Legged Thing has announced a new range of ‘superkit’ bundles featuring its range of monopods. 3LT’s Legends and Punks monopods will now be available with the Docz stabiliser foot, as well as 3LT’s new AirHed Trinity compact pan and tilt head, with the aim of creating an ideal combination for wildlife and sports photography, as well as for video use. The AirHed trinity head is especially suited to video thanks to its smooth fluid panning axis and a spring-weighted tilt axis, making camera movements much smoother and more controlled. It’s equipped with a standard 38mm Arca Swiss quick-release plate, and is just 8cm tall and 9cm wide (without the included panning handle attached), yet still has a generous maximum weight capacity of 5kg. Four monopod superkits will…

1 SUPPORT YOURSELF This might seem like obvious advice, but use support when practical. A tripod is best, but for low-level work consider using a beanbag. With your camera fixed in position, you can refine focus and framing. Use your camera’s monitor to focus, using the magnify or zoom button to enlarge your point of focus for optimum precision. Macro photographers should consider using a geared tripod head, as this allows you to make micro-adjustments to the composition without unlocking and locking levers and knobs. 2 SWITCH TO MANUAL FOCUS When shooting handheld, autofocus is typically the best option, but AF has a habit of struggling when you’re shooting at higher magnifications, partly due to the reduced light and a reduction in contrast. Using the lens’s limiter switch, which is…

To capture great macro shots, you don’t just need good camera handling skills; you also need to know where to find subjects, and how to get them within range of your camera. This fieldcraft involves preparation, knowledge, technique, and patience, and is an essential skill if you wish to get close to timid insects. An understanding of your subject’s behaviour and favoured habitats will significantly increase your chances of capturing standout close-ups. Start by researching potential subjects, for example, the time of year when different butterflies emerge, their favoured plants, and the range of environments they inhabit – even a little knowledge will help you to look in the right place at the right time. Gardens, heaths, wetlands, woods and meadows are all great habitats for invertebrates, each attracting different…

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A bustling metropolis, such as London, provides a fascinating contrast of old and new, with modern glass-and-steel structures butting up against historic buildings. A case in point is the Millennium Bridge, which opened in 2000, crossing the Thames directly opposite St Paul’s Cathedral, which was completed in 1710, providing a wonderful juxtaposition that’s begging to be captured by the photographer. However, cities are also full of people, traffic, building work, and other unsightly distractions that could spoil your shot. Using an ND (neutral density) filter can help, by enabling you to use a long exposure to blur moving elements in your scene, for example to turn a choppy river into a smooth surface and making moving boats magically disappear, as in our image above. You can also use ND filters…

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…

Like every genre of photography, macro and closeup have their unique challenges. Working with short focus distances and high magnifications produces ultra-shallow depths of field, and so we need to work hard to compose a shot, keep essential details in focus, and light the scene in front of the camera effectively. It isn’t easy to add lighting when the camera is close to the subject, and even getting the framing right can be tricky with timid subjects. Because it’s such a technical discipline, capturing creative macro images can sometimes be a challenge. Many images will be well composed, for example, and accuately focused with a balanced exposure, but so much thought has gone into the technical aspects that the photographer hasn’t considered alternative possibilities. What about changing the lighting position,…

In macro photography, control of the background is essential to I give an artistic dimension to your composition, elevating it above simple naturalistic photography, which only captures a record shot of your subject. That’s why I place backgrounds on the same level of importance as the subject and the light. It’s not unusual for me to abandon the idea of photographing an insect or a mushroom if the background doesn’t suit. Indeed, the most common mistake in macro photography is to concentrate solely on the sharpness of your subject and neglect the background. When I’m composing images, I start by looking at the surrounding vegetation, colours, and contrasts, such as the reflections of a body of water between branches. To achieve a beautiful background, the biggest challenge is to find…

1 WIMBERLEY PLAMP You can attach one end to a tripod leg and use the clamp to hold a light or reflector, or to stabilise a flower stem 2 LED LIGHT A small LED device is a great accessory, allowing you to relieve ugly, dark shadows, or to illuminate your subject creatively 3 TELE-MACRO LENS A tele-macro, upwards of 100mm, provides a larger working distance, enabling you to take shots a greater distances from skittish subjects 4 MINI TRIPOD A mini tripod is great for low-level work, providing better stability than a beanbag. The Benbo Little Tortoise comfortably supports longer lenses…

HUMMINGBIRD STRETCH BARB D’ARPINO “A male hummingbird at sunset taking a moment to stretch while guarding his territory.” https://bit.ly/44HqL0t SUBMARINE RESCUE SERVICE DOM HAUGHTON “Taken at El Cotillo, Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. The rock reminded me of a partially submerged submarine, hence the title.” https://bit.ly/3AtIfBe TINTAGEL COAST SIMON WEEKS “Taken from Tintagel Castle, on the Tintagel Island peninsula in North Cornwall, UK.” GARDEN BEAST JANE ROBERTSON “A macro shot of a woodlouse taken in my garden. These creatures are very interesting to photograph close up.” FACEBOOK http://bit.ly/39py9lg FLICKR http://bit.ly/2VIgsJO PHOTOGRAPHY WEEK WANTS YOUR PHOTOS! Taken a portrait you’re particularly proud of? Shot a sensational sunset you’d like to show off? Then join the Photography Week Facebook community and share your best photos today! You’ll get feedback from fellow readers…

Gradients are often thought of as primarily a tool for graphic designers. After all, why would photographers need a tool that creates a straightforward blend between one colour and another? When they’re utilised in the form of gradient maps, however, gradients can be a powerful tool for toning and tinting your photos. A gradient map works by mapping colours onto the tonal range of your image, from shadow tones on the left of the gradient to highlight tones on the right, so you can tint shadows with one colour and highlights with another. You can use gradient maps to create all kinds of tonal effects, from vintage washes to dramatic colour shifts. If you’ve used the Split Toning controls in Camera Raw or Lightroom you’ll be familiar with the concept…