Innehållsförteckning för No. 627 från Photography Week

Autumn is a season of many facets, and two features that always capture the imagination are misty mornings and temperature inversions. These incredibly atmospheric conditions can, of course, occur throughout the year, but are particularly prevalent in autumn due to the typically lower temperatures at night, with clear skies and warmer temperatures in the morning. This simple recipe can create the most ethereal conditions for shooting, and experiencing them is the photographic equivalent of winning the lottery; even when you know what to look for in the weather forecast it’s still very much a game of chance, so persistence and a bucket full of good luck will always be required; that said, phone apps such as Clear Outside are great for providing highly detailed weather forecasts. There are two ways…

1 CHOOSE SETTINGS Reflections can be magical at any time of year, but in autumn light and colourful landscapes make them pop. Shoot on near-windless mornings for smooth water, with the camera in Aperture Priority at f/11 to f/16, and ISO at 100. 2 USE A POLARISER A polarising filter isn’t essential for shooting reflections, but it can help to make the reflected image stronger. Simply rotate the front of the filter until the reflection is at its strongest when looking through the viewfinder or using the LCD screen. 3 ADDITIONAL FILTERS You may find that you need additional filters when shooting reflections, such as an ND to lengthen exposure and smoothen choppy water, and possibly an ND Grad to maintain detail in the sky, which can be brighter than…

1 THE ELUSIVE FOX Foxes are one of the more difficult animals to photograph, but far from impossible. If you know that foxes visit your garden, observe when they’re most active – usually at dusk and dawn – and set up a camera by an open window, or outdoors and controlled by remote. 2 THE CHARISMATIC HEDGEHOG Since hedgehogs are nocturnal, you’re most likely to see them around dawn and dusk. Signs of hedgehog activity in your garden are minimal, but light footprints and droppings are a giveaway, so observe their routes to see where to set up your camera. 3 PARK SQUIRRELS Squirrels are a very common type of animal, and are fairly easy to locate because nearly every park with trees has them. Take time to observe their…

MUTE SWAN BARB D’ARPINO “In Collingwood in Ontario, Canada there’s a stretch of water that stays open through the cold winters, and many ducks and geese overwinter there. This swan was laying on one of the ice floes and keeping warm in its feathers.” https://bit.ly/4gr2SkM SHOVELLING SPRINKLES ANDREW HOLDING “Ever feel like you are shoveling… sprinkles?” https://bit.ly/3bExT22 THE THINKER CHRISTINE JACOBSON “This New Zealand fur seal was resting on the rocks on the Wairarapa Coast (the lower east coast of New Zealand/Aotearoa’s North Island. When I saw it in this unusual pose I was immediately reminded of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker.” http://bit.ly/2TKs1yF CLAPHAM COMMON COLOUR GEORGE JOHNSON “The rush of two London Underground trains, proving that even something as dull as a transport system can still show us the beauty…

Have you ever come back full of excitement after photographing a glorious sunset, only to find the results are slightly underwhelming? It’s happened to me plenty of times. When the last remnants of sunlight are gently kissing the landscape, the sky can light up with a violent blush of reds, oranges and yellows. But here’s the thing: your camera doesn’t see these colours in the same way as your eyes – instead, it assigns them numbers. These vary across different camera brands and models, and your white balance and exposure settings play a part. But the numbers your camera chooses aren’t always right or necessarily the best for your image. This is where the Calibration panel comes in. As you’ll see in this video tutorial, with a quick tweak of…

Canon has launched a new pocket photo printer, the Selphy QX20. Designed for wireless use with smartphones and other portable devices, the QX20 prints 2.7 x 2.7-inch or 2.1 x 3.4-inch photos on thermal sticker paper in around 40 seconds. You can choose from bordered or borderless printing, and Canon claims that its thermal dye sublimation printing technology produces rich, vibrant colors, while the water-resistant printed output can last for up to 100 years. The QX20 is designed to be a go-anywhere printer, and as such measures just 102.2 x 145.8 x 32.9mm (4.0 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches), and weighs a mere 455g. To enable truly wireless use it contains a built-in battery that can be fully charged in around 80 minutes over USB-C. The Selphy QX20 is compatible…

1 CHOOSE SETTINGS Shoot in Aperture Priority at around f/11 to get a large depth of field and maximum image sharpness. ISO100 will help you achieve slow shutter speeds that capture the subtle movement of the mist. 2 USE FILTERS When shooting at sunrise you’ll need ND grads to maintain sky detail, and the best option is a reverse grad. Reverse grads reduce exposure around the horizon, with less effect at the top of the frame. 3 MANUALLY FOCUS Manually focus one-third of the way into the scene beyond the foreground element that you’d like to be sharp and in focus. Manual focus is best, because autofocus can be fooled into locking onto the wrong part of the scene.…

Wildlife is a challenging yet rewarding subject, and in autumn you can take amazing wildlife shots in your back garden, the local park or one of the many deer parks up and down the country. Deer are an incredible subject at this time of year, but smaller animals such as squirrels, hedgehogs and wildfowl also make for wonderful images, and are much more accessible. For these smaller animals, shooting from a laying position or low to the ground will provide the most aesthetically pleasing shots, because you’ll be at the animal’s level rather than looking down on them. Shoot early in the morning around sunrise or close to sunset for the best light, and use a lens such as a 70‑200mm or a superzoom to get in close. To entice…

There’s a misconception that wildlife photographers need to wear camouflage clothes, but this can be much more problematic than wearing mid-tone or dark clothing of any colour. With camouflage clothes, animals may not be able to see you, but they will be aware of your presence, so there’s a greater chance of startling them. The most important thing is that what you’re wearing will keep you warm and dry in all weather, and that you’re not wearing strong deodorant or perfume/aftershave.…

This is the final issue of Photography Week (apologies if we’re just breaking that news here – see the Welcome page for more), and without a doubt our favourite part of producing the magazine for the past decade and more has been putting together this ‘Inspiration’ page, featuring images from the world’s biggest photo competitions, as well as other nuggets from the worlds of photo and video that have caught our eye. We hope you’ve been inspired to submit your own photos to some of these prestigious competitions. We’ll leave you with these breathtaking images from one of our favourite contests, Ocean Photographer of the Year, which this year was won by Rafael Fernández Caballero, with his stunning image of a rare Bryde’s whale about to devour a ball of…

Atmospheric mist, warm colours in the landscape, golden hours that aren’t too early or too late, and, if you’re in the UK, one of the most exciting events in the wildlife photography calendar – the deer rut. These make autumn one of, if not the most, interesting seasons for photographers. The landscape is awash with amazing opportunities – you simply need to know when and where to look for them – and locations can be as simple as your local park or as spectacular as the Scottish Highlands. The photography skills you’ll need to draw upon are generally the same as at other times of the year, but the difficulty in shooting autumn comes from the fact that seasons change at slightly different times in different parts of countries: in…

Light is the most important ingredient in photography; but far from performing a purely functional role, light can introduce powerful moods to shots, as well as making different subjects look visually interesting. For landscape images, shooting around sunrise and sunset is best, as you’ll be able to take advantage of soft, colourful light from the low sun. Shooting macro subjects after sunrise or late afternoon works well too, because the low sun can create dramatic sidelight, which when combined with reflectors can create strong effects that look as controlled as off-camera flash, but without all the hassle. For these situations, and when shooting in bright light generally, a polarising filter can be an invaluable accessory – not only does it take the edge off harsh light, it can also increase…

All wildlife is exciting to photograph at this time of year, but in the UK it’s deer that provide the most interesting images and exhibit the most dramatic behaviour during the rutting season. When shooting deer, the males will be the most animated of all, so look out for them roaring to make females aware of their presence, locking antlers with other males, and covering their antlers in bracken. The latter is a behaviour that even juvenile males take part in, so there are plenty of opportunities to capture it. Set any of these behaviours against a slightly misty backlit landscape, and you’re onto a winning formula.…

When you think about shooting portraits, long exposures and movement are probably among the last things that come to mind. But in this tutorial we’re going to show you how you can use motion blur to create a series of incredible abstract portraits in the comfort of your own home. While our photographs might look like they were shot using artificial lighting in a studio, they were actually captured in a spare bedroom. The key is setting up next to a large window or patio doors to allow indirect light to illuminate your subject. You can use a dedicated photography background like us, but a plain wall or sheet will provide a suitable backdrop too. Portrait photographers usually prefer the flexibility of shooting handheld, but in this case a tripod…

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