Digital Camera world March

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SPICEUP YOURSHOTS!Inspirational ideas to make your best year ever!

ways to

The definitive guideto SLR photography

16 8 A G E SF E X P E

R T

A D VIC E

15 FREE VIDEOS

FREE! WITH

THISISSUE8 TIPS CARDSTO PRINT OUT

164-PAGEBUYER’SGUIDE

MASTINPRESETS

RAW EDITINGEBOOK GUIDE

GIFT 3

GIFT 4

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INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS!

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Welcome to your new issue of

3

Every issue featuresthe world’s best pros…

Even the most visionary folk can get

stuck in a rut, hit the proverbial brick

wall and struggle to get their creative

juices flowing. That’s why we’ve cunningly

compiled 52 inspiring ideas to kick-start your year.

We hope they’ll help you make 2015 your best

photographic year ever – just turn to page 38!

We’re also delighted to welcome Scott Kelby to

the Digital Camera team, with the start of his new

Photo Recipes series, in which we go behind the

scenes with the maestro.

In this month’s interview, we catch up with a

personal favourite of mine, Martin Parr, as he

prepares for his Super Stage presentation at

the Photography Show in March, where you’ll also

have the opportunity to see Don McCullin. If you

haven’t already got your ticket, book a place today

by visiting www.photographyshow.com

We talk to one of Britain’s

most renowned photographers

about his distinguished career and

controversial (to some) work on page .

Martin ParrMagnum photographer Britain’s best-selling

photography magazine

The photo maestro joins the

team for the start of a new

series, in which we go behind the scenes

of some of his greatest shots. See page .

Scott KelbyPhoto guru

Find out what lured this pro

shooter to global hotspots of

death and destruction, such as Auschwitz

and Khmer Rouge prisons, on page .

Ambroise TézenasDocumentary photographer

Ben Brain, [email protected]

Don’t miss the latest in

our popular Photo

Masterclass series. This

228-page guide is a

comprehensive

beginner’s course to

getting the most from

your SLR, and comes

complete with a free disc

featuring 10 expert

video lessons.

ON SALE NOW!

Teach Yourself PhotographyThe perfect New Year treat


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page://

ContentsISSUE 161 / MARCH 2015

MORE CONTENTS

18 10 Things to Try…Ideas and events, including gettingout at night to shoot ancient trees

62 Scott KelbyThe photography guru joinsthe Digital Camera team

70 Photo AnatomyRuth Asher reveals the techniquesbehind her cliff-edge shot

120 Image editorsDiscover the best software to helpyour photos look amazing

92 Martin ParrMeet Magnum’s renowneddocumentary photographer

SPICE UP YOUR SHOTS

Get inspired and creative allyear with 52 brilliant ideas forphotography projects

ON THE COVER


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t

EXPERT PHOTO ADVICE

55 Shoot! Scott Kelby, focus-stacking,metering systems and more

72 The Photo Fixer Claire Gillo helps a reader tacklethe art of urban light trails

79 Photoshop School Share your photos throughLightroom and raw-sharpening

86 Photo Advisor Shooting snowfall, off-cameraflash and correcting filter casts

146 Quizzical Are you tough enough to take onthe ultimate photography quiz?

VIDEO CONTENTS

ESSENTIALS

32 Postcards Meet the photographer whobecame a ‘dark tourist’

36 ViewFinder The next generation ofphotographers and more

52 Subscriptions Choose between print and digital –or get both for one great price

99 US print subs Get every issue delivered to yourdoor, ahead of the newsstand

134 Back issues Just click the Buy button tocomplete the gaps in your set

ContentsISSUE 161 / MARCH 2015

CAMERAS AND GEAR

102 Angle of View

104 Pentax K-S1 SLR that lights up

110 Fujifilm X100T Retro good looks and more

114 Leica D-Lux

A premium compact

116 GoPro Hero 4 Video camera for action-lovers

118 Flash triggers

133 Sling-style straps

GIFT 4MASTINPRESETSThe PortraDemo Packlets you try theseMastin Labs presets

GIFT 3BUYER’SGUIDE Camera Shopper 8 gives you 164 pages

of expert reviews and group tests in a handy PDF

GIFT 2 TIPS CARDS Get instant shooting advicewith eight cards to print out,at the end of this magazine

Downloadvia bit.ly/

dcm-portraUse your PC

or Mac

GearHacks

MAKE A DIYMACRO LENS

See page 69

GIFT 1 YOU CAN MASTERRAW EBOOKFind out how to import andprocess raw-format images,at the end of this magazine

Downloadvia bit.ly/

shopper8Use your PC

or Mac


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MORE VIDEO CONTENTS

What you’ll learn this month…Lightroom offers loads of ways for you toshare your favourite photos with friendsand family, from posting to social media to

printing a high-quality book. Discover thetricks and techniques today!

Watch this issue’s videos now

via www.bit.ly/dcvideo

Video ContentsISSUE 161 / MARCH 2015

3Use Lightroom’s Print module toarrange three images into a bannerRead the tutorial on page 82

2Use Lightroom’s Slideshow moduleto create a presentationRead the tutorial on page 81

1Turn a collection of images

into a printed bookRead the tutorial on page 80

5Showcase your pictures in aninteractive online gallery

Read the tutorial on page 83

4Export your images to social mediasites like Revel and Facebook

Video exclusive

NEW!Part 10:

Share yourphotos

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Video ContentsISSUE 161 / MARCH 2015

HOTSHOTS

Great additional content

Make the most of your digital camera

Learn the basics of Adobe Camera Raw

13Enhance detail whenyou sharpen your shots

Read the tutorial on page 84

10Use panning to takeimpressionistic shotsVideo exclusive

6Discover theessential tools inAdobe Camera

Raw with our tourEbook, page 6

7Use the powerfulAdjustment Brushto give portraits

a pro makeoverEbook, page 12

8Get to grips withimage blendingusing one photo

and Smart ObjectsEbook, page 14

9Add a varietyof cool creativeeffects using

Camera RawEbook, page 16

14Hands-on with theFujilfilm X100T

Read the review on page 110

11Use infrared shoots tomake moody scenesVideo exclusive

15Hands-on with thePanasonic LX100

Video exclusive

12Use light painting tocontrol low-light scenesVideo exclusive

You Can Master Raw

Creative SLR Skills

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www digit lc mer world com

HotSHOTSGet inspired by seven pages of the best

reader photography from around the world

Digital Camera March 2015

0


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www digitalcameraworld com Month 2014

Digital amera

1“The Palouse is one of the PacificNorthwest’s most photogenic

locations. From Steptoe Butte it looks

like a surreal wavy carpet, extending

in all directions for miles. I had to

act quickly after the sun set as the

landscape immediately sank into

a dark, hazy ocean of blue-green.”

Nikon D90 with Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G

VR lens; 1/8 sec at f/8, ISO 200

Twilight PalouseGabriel Tompkinswww.500px.com/gabrieltompkinsUnited States

March 2015 Digital Camera

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www.digitalcameraworld.comDigital Camera March 2015

2

Masked Tree Frog

2“On a trip to Costa Rica, this frog

was shot in shade trying to catch

a nap. It’s less popular and colourful

than the red-eyed tree frog, but has

loads of character. I exposed for the

rainforest background, then used

fill-flash to highlight the detail.”

Canon EOS 6D with 100-400mm lens;

1/500 sec at f5.6, ISO 250

River Pastels

3“Shot in the Magaliesberg

mountains, South Africa –famous

for their dramatic quartzite cliffs and

abundance of valleys, ravines, cliffs

and waterfalls. One of these ravines

presented an amazing kaleidoscope of

colours beaming up from a pool in the

river, captured late afternoon with a

polariser.”

Canon EOS 6D with 100mm macro lens;1/50 sec at f/8, ISO 640

Deborah Jordanwww.flickr.com/people/104399463@N07South Africa

3

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Month 2 14 Digital amera

3

March 2 15 Digital Camera

Sunset Bokeh

4“I isolated this one flower in

Johannesburg, with a macro lens

at sunset to create the colour scheme

of blue against orange and green. With

the wide-open aperture, a gentle

bokeh and an out-of-focus specular to

the right of the flower was conceived.”

Canon EOS 6D with 100mm macro lens; 1/1,250sec at f/2.8, ISO 800

4

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Digital Camera March 2 15

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Leaving the Nest

5 “In this picture from my series‘Japonaiserie’, I used a well-knownsymbol of Japanese culture, the paper

crane. The legend of the crane is

beautiful and inspired me to create

this photo.”

Nikon D300 with 12–24mm lens;

1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

In the Arms ofMother Nature

6 “Fairytales are not mere bedtimestories: they are a window on theculture and spiritual belief of a society.

I used this inspiration to create asurreal and poetic series, ‘Japonaiserie’.

I met the Japanese community in

Brussels and have fallen in love with

their culture.”

Nikon D300 with 12–24mm lens;

1/60 sec at f/4, ISO 320

Amélie Bertonwww.amelieberton.comBelgium

5

6

Would you like to see your own photos published in Hotshots?

We’re always looking for your best new photo. Just email the best shot you’ve taken recently

to [email protected] . Please include a low-res attachment (10MB or less): if

your photo is selected for publication, we’ll contact you to ask for a high-resolution, non-

watermarked version.

SEND US YOUR HOTSHOTS!

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Digital Camera March 2 15 www.digitalcameraworld.com

North Berwick Tidal Pool

7 “I chose a very long exposure, andconverted to black and white toemphasise the dynamic composition,

and keep a simple image.”

Nikon Df with 24–70mm lens at 44mm;

242 sec at f/22, ISO 50

Spurn Point

8 “I loved the patterns created bythe shadows and reflections. Ishot it as a long exposure, as I wanted

the smooth water to contrast with the

textures of the groyne.”

Nikon Df with 16–35mm lens at 16mm;36 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Dominic Byrne www.dominicbyrne.comUnited Kingdom

7

8

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…to try right now

things



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19things…to try right now

Use high ISO sensitivitiesfor stunning night shots

1 Becomestarstruck

This year, try to do more with your digital camera’s high

ISO capabilities. Being able to change ISO (light

sensitivity, or what used to be called film speed) is one

of the biggest advantages of digital cameras, but it’s surprising

how many photographers don’t like going beyond ISO 1,600.

While noise is more of a risk at higher ISOs, modern cameras

are much better at suppressing it, and Lightroom or

Photoshop can make short work of removing it.

Beth Moon has made some stunning nocturnal images of

ancient trees in her ‘Diamond Nights’ series by really pushing

ISO, also using flash where necessary. “I’ve always used film

until this series, and it is only because of the digital advances

of late that shots like this are now possible,” she explains.

“Most photographs in ‘Diamond Nights’ were created during

moonless nights, shot with a wide-angle lens and ISOs of

3,200 to 6,400. Exposures up to 30 seconds allowed enough

light to enter the lens without noticeable star movement.”

Beth says each location required a lot of experimentation

and different lighting techniques “Sometimes a short burst of

diffused light from a flashlight (shining through linen fabric)was sufficient. For wider landscape shots, bounced light from

multiple flashlights was used for a softer, more natural glow.”

www.bethmoon.com

Get started today

* Light pollution can be a problem when you are trying to

include bright constellations. Most of Beth’s remote locations

for ‘Diamond Nights’ in the southern hemisphere of Africa,

but Wales and Scotland offer ‘dark’ regions.

* A sturdy tripod and a cable release is essential for long

exposures. The BeFree carbon-fibre travel tripod range from

Manfrotto won’t max out your baggage allowance.

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY


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things…


0

You can get some greatshots of people atwork, particularly in themanufacturing sector

2 Capture people at workTake portraits that tell a story about their subject

Terry Livesey

CREATIVE PORTRAITS

Stuck for something to photograph? Look

no further than local businesses. You

can get some great shots of people at

work, particularly in the manufacturing

sector – an approach also followed by Martin

Parr in his ‘Black Country Stories’ project. But

you don’t need Martin’s status or level of

access to get memorable, and sometimes

profile-raising, shots.

Terry Livesey took some images of people

at work that got shortlisted in Make it Britain,

a major competition organised by UK

manufacturers’ association EEF. (Visit www.

bit.ly/dc161make for details.) “Manufacturing

offers endless opportunities for creative,

dramatic and eye-catching images, but the

tricky part is really capturing its essence,”

Terry explains.

“I’ve never entered the EEF competition

before, but felt I should take part, as I work

quite a lot with British manufacturing

companies. They have so much history, which

is fantastic, as it gives you so much subject

matter to choose from. I would recommend

starting by looking at companies on your

doorstep and keeping it local: they will be

pleased to work with you and you will besupporting your local heritage.”

www.terryliveseyphotography.co.uk

Get started today

* There are many approaches to work

portraits, but it’s important to capture a sense

of context and place – so be sure to include

tools and machinery.

* Try using a wide aperture and single AF point

with portraits so you can keep the subject

sharp and establish the context, without

sharply focused elements in the background

becoming a distraction.

* Try capturing the concentration ofsomebody working hard; full eye contact can

also be powerful and atmospheric.

* Black-and-white conversion works well, as

does subtly desaturating colours for an

‘industrial’ feel.

Martin Parrinterview and

portfolioSee page 92


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2 things……to try right now

www.digitalcameraworld.com

You can do product shotswith just your smartphoneand a bit of ingenuity

T i l o G o c k e l

4Reach forthe stars

You don’t even needa massive telescope…

Don’t miss the winning images from

the 2014 Astronomy Photographer

of the Year competition, on display

at the Astronomy Centre, Royal

Observatory Greenwich, London, until 22

February. (Visit www.bit.ly/dc161astro for

details.) There are lots of great images to

inspire you to enter, including James

Woodend’s winning shot of green aurora

dancing across the Icelandic night sky.

Other winning images on show include a

view of the Earth taken from the edge of

space with the help of a high altitude

balloon, swirls of superheated gas on the

sun’s surface, and a hybrid solar eclipse.

Don’t assume you need expensive

astro-photography gear to do well in

the competition, however. The Northern

Lights, for example, can be widely seen

over Scandinavia.

www.rmg.co.uk

www.500px.com/

imagesinspiredbynature

Get started today

* Getting to Iceland, where the NorthernLights look amazing, is not hard these

days, but signing up for a photo trip is still a

good idea. James took his winning image

during Light and Land’s winter tour to

Iceland with Antony Spencer and David

Clapp (www.lightandland.co.uk).

* “Although this is not a strong aurora,

they sometimes make the best reflection

shots,” says James.

* James used an exposure of 10 seconds,

which gives the water a glassy look, and

a relatively high ISO of 1,000.

James Woodend

When you need to do some quick but

effective product photography, you

can do it with just your smartphone

and a bit of ingenuity. Tilo Gockel proves this

with his image of a knife, taken simply with an

iPhone and some creative lighting.

“First, put the phone on a tripod and use a

cable release to ensure sharpness, or set theself timer,” Tilo explains. “For good depth-of-

field, you can stack some shots with different

focus. Here, I stacked two shots – one for the

blade and one for the handle – and combined

the two later in Photoshop. Then I used an app

called 645 Pro Mk III ( jag.gr/645pro) to tweak

the white balance and ISO and shot the knife

against a slate tile.”

For the lighting, Tilo tested different angles and

also used translum foil to get a nice gradation

across the knife’s surfaces. “For the warm-cold

contrast, I used a halogen light from the back

and two cool white LED torchlights from the

sides. The lamps and foil were fixed using

clamps from the hardware store.”

www.fotopraxis.net

Get started today

* For a nicer perspective on the product, Tilo

suggests shooting from a longer distance and

cropping in. Alternatively, use an add-on

telephoto lens for your smartphone. Check out

lens options from Photojojo (www.photojojo.

com) or Olloclip (www.olloclip.com).

* In Photoshop, Tilo combined his two shots

then cleaned up the background. He also

cloned out the metal support stand. Finally,

merged the layers using masks.

* Don’t forget to make colour and contrast

adjustments and do some sharpening to makethe shot look its best.

3Shoot products

with a smartphoneWho needs an SLR and an expensive,complex lighting system anyway?

PRODUCT SHOTS

ASTR0-PHOTOGRAPHY

Learn how tofocus-stack

multiple shotsSee page 56


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4


things…

…to try right now

5 Beautiful buildings

Don’t let the short, cold winter days get

you down – as long as the light is good,

you can still get great shots of historicbuildings. This wonderful shot of the city walls

surrounding Dubrovnik, Croatia, was taken at

sunset by Jeff Friesen, and shows that

composition and exposure is much more

important than the time of year.

“Walking around Dubrovnik provides

endless photo opportunities, as both the city

and the surrounding scenery are stunning,”

notes Jeff. “I’m sure pictures similar to mine are

taken all the time, but it’s the dramatic lightingthat makes the difference.

“I like the way the circular wall made a

curving visual path to the circular sentry tower.

It was a stormy day, but the sun came out and

provided dramatic lighting on the clouds.

I increased the sky contrast in Photoshop.”

www.jeff-friesen.com

Get started today

* Jeff used a tripod-mounted Canon EOS 5D

Mark II (“now claimed by the sea”) with a24–70mm f/2.8 lens. Jeff shot at f/22 for lots of

depth of field, choosing a slow shutter speed

of 1/4 second, and ISO 50 to minimise noise.

* The composition is wonderfully simple;

people would only have got in the way of the

clean lines, so bear this mind when you’re

shooting architecture.

Jeff Friesen

J a m e y S t i l l i n g s

Use long exposure and clean lines for maximum impact

ARCHITECTURE

INFRASTRUCTURE

Major nearby building projects can yield

some great shots, especially at night.

A bridge being built at the Hoover Dam in

Colorado fascinated Jamey Stillings, and he visited

the site 16 times, documenting its construction.

Jamey says his goal was “to acknowledge the

collective talents and labours of those who built

the bridge; to place the bridge within the historical

and aesthetic context of Hoover Dam and the

American West; and to initiate a dialogue that the

imposition of infrastructure within a natural

environment inevitably summons”. The image

features in a new Thames and Hudson book,

Landmark: The Fields of Landscape Photography.

(Visit www.bit.ly/dc161landmark for details.)

www.thamesandhudson.com

www.jameystillings.com

Get started today

* Be prepared to visit the site at all hours of day

and night, to get the best shots in the best light.

* You’ll usually need to contact the builders for

permission. Try offering some of your images to

them for publicity purposes in return for access.

* Use narrow apertures to get attractive

starburst effects on lights.

6Construction time againGet inspiration from bridges and other projects


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things…

…to try right now

Digital Camera March 2015 www.digitalcameraworld.com

P e n e l o p e U m b r i c o

8Make your own Lightroomsplash screen

Customise the popular raw image editor

Using Lightroom 5? Did you

know that it’s possible to

change the splash screen

that first appears when you open

the program? That’s right: you can

replace that roll call of Silicon

Valley coding champions with

something much more interesting,

like a favourite photo or company

branding. (Sorry, Emily Fu and

Brian Kruse: we’re sure you

actually are very interesting in

real life.)

Craig McCormick (www.

destructivepixels.com) has

posted an excellent video atwww.

bit.ly/dc161splash that shows how

to do it, but it’s actually quite a

simple process…

Get started today

* Select a new splash screen

image (JPEG or PNG format, up

to 900 x 600 pixels in size).

* Find your splash screen folder.

It’s at Users/[user name]/Library/

Application Support/Adobe/

Lightroom/Splash Screen if you’re

a Mac user, or Users/[user name]/

AppData/Roaming/Adobe/

Lightroom/Splash Screen if you’re

using Windows.

* If there’s no Splash Screen

folder at that location, you can

simply create one. Now just add

your chosen image to the Splash

Screen folder, and you’re good

to go.

Penelope Umbrico is fascinated by the

sun, and has come up with lots of

creative and inspirational ways of

shooting it. It’s not just about pretty pictures,

though. She did a search for ‘sunsets’ on Flickrand got 541,795 results. “I cropped just the

suns from these pictures and uploaded them,

making 4x6-inch machine prints from them.”

she explains.

“In much of my work, I address how

differently an image functions on the internet

than in physical time/space, the shifts in

meaning around the subject depicted in the

image in both contexts, and what happens to

the image’s perceived value when transcribed

from web-based to print-based media.” Whynot have a stab at shooting familiar objects in

thought-provoking new ways, too?

Penelope’s Sun/Screen exhibition is at the

Photographers Gallery until 3rd February;

www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk

www.penelopeumbrico.net

Get started today

* Penelope assembled her images from

thousands of sunset photos shared on the

web. The process of capturing images directly

from the computer screen creates a moirépattern, which she used for creative effect

* The sun is obviously very bright so avoid

looking at it directly through your camera when

you’re shooting. Direct sunlight can also

damage your camera’s sensor, so be

prepared to use a filter.

7 Show some solar flairThe sun’s scarce this time of year, so make the most of it...

CREATIVE SHOTS

LIGHTROOM

52 ideas formore creativephotography

See page 38


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D a v e K a i P i p e r

Unlike landscape photography, where you

sometimes have to travel miles to get to a

photogenic spot, interesting-looking people

can usually be found easily. They make great

subjects for portraits, with craggy, battered faces

particularly suited to a moody black-and-white

treatment.

Fashion photographer Dave Kai Piper usuallyshoots beautiful people, but jumped at the chance

to take some character shots of a fearsome-

looking biker called Dink as part of a seminar for

Cambrian Photography and Sigma. “When

photographing anyone, from model to rock star to

family to veteran biker, it is good to remember that

being photographed is a pretty intense thing for

many people,” says Dave. “Starting shoots in

familiar surroundings is always a winner; starting

with little or no lighting and building up is good too.”

If somebody in your town looks as striking as Dink,

why not offer to do some portraits with them?

www.ideasandimages.co.uk

Get started today

* Preparation is key. Dave had scouted the bikerclub-house location the day before, as he needed

to do the shoot in 15 minutes.

* Dave used Lee Gradient ND filters to kill ambient

light where he needed to create shadows, and

a Westcott Ice Light to highlight walls and details

in the background.

* Dave tested the exposure settings for the room

the day before and simply dialled in the settings to

his Nikon D800 while the assistant held the light

directly in line with his and Dink’s head. “We used

a smaller Profoto strip with grid and diffusion

panels to help control the light,” Dave explains.

* For the final shot, Dave shot Dink with a 50mm

prime lens, keeping the light low to give the scenea ‘pub’ look.

9 Take cool shots of the localsGritty, craggy, scary: take your pick…

Dave Kai Piper usually shootsbeautiful people, but jumpedat the chance to take shots ofa fearsome-looking biker

CHARACTER PORTRAITS

Dave Kai Piper took these shots of Dink

in just 15 minutes. Why not seek outinteresting characters in your area?


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8 things……to try right now


things…


Getty Images / Mark Webster

Your mission this month is to take images

that capture the creative possibilities of

the colour red. The beauty of shooting

red is that it has so many connotations:

earthiness, glamour, passion and, particularly in

Asian culture and spirituality, luck. Across the

Far East, red plays a role in happy occasions.

In Vietnam, for example, wedding brides

traditionally wear red rather than white.

“The Chinese have more than 30 symbols

for different kinds of red, and even more terms

to describe shades of red, so it’s no surprise

they consider red a revitalising colour,” saysVictoria Alexander, author of Colour: A Journey .

“Italians also give bright red underwear to be

worn for luck on New Year’s Eve.”

As well as great opportunities for the travel

and documentary photographer, a dash of red

is a great way to lift a portrait, landscape or

cityscape – a motion-blurred London bus for

example. Strong reds also occur naturally in

nature – think of red poppies, the red breast of

a robin against the snow, or even the russet

tones of a great sunset.

Red has endless shades, tones and

associations, so how you interpret this

challenging brief is entirely up to you!

Get started today

* The positioning of your light source is key to

how red is perceived. While front lighting showsred accurately, for example, back lighting mutes

it into pastel shades.

* There are obviously many shades and hues

of red, so don’t feel you only have to use a

bright and eye-catching crimson.

Shoot the colour red to for the chance to

win a new Lowepro rucksack worth

10 Take our latestphoto challenge

Your

Mission

To help you with this challenge, here

are some creative ideas that reveal

how red could be used in your own

photos. To impress the judges, you will need

to think beyond the very obvious, however.

Also, refer to a colour wheel so you can see

which colours match with red and which

clash, for some interesting creative effects.

One of the best colour wheel sites is Adobe

Color at http://color.adobe.com

How to make ita red-letter day

How to enter Visit the Open Contests page at www.photocrowd.com/a/

current and look for the Digital Camera Red contest. (If you’re not already

registered, it’s free to join.) Click Submit An Image to upload your entries. Theclosing date is 27th February. Winners will appear in issue 163 on 27th March.

Wina Lowepro Transit 350 AWEach month we’re giving away this excellent Lowepro camera

backpack worth £98 to the lucky winner of our Your Mission

photo challenge. For your chance to win one, upload your best

‘red’ image to Photocrowd at www.photocrowd.com/a/

current. (See below for full details.)For over 40 years Lowepro has been travelling the world

on the shoulders of the best photographers. Learning and

innovation are the key to its success.

The Transit Backpack 350 AW offers protection from the

elements for your gear, with a flexible layout and fast access.

Its innovative UltraFlex™ fit system gives you multiple

ways to organise your equipment. The Transit 350 AW

also includes the patented All-Weather Cover™ and

Hideaway Tripod Mount™ system.WWW.LOWEPRO.COM


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Four ways to make the most of red

things

…to try right now



1Add a bright pop of red to anotherwise neutral composition.

Here, the model’s lips and scarf standout against her coat and the walls,drawing the eye towards her.

3In this shot, the red stairs are setoff by the cool green walls. Red and

green are opposite hues on a colourwheel, which means they can clash indynamic ways.

2Red should attract a travelphotographer like a red rag to a bull.

If you see a person wearing red, see ifyou can take their picture, or look forred in an environment.

4 As red is such a bold colour, it’s apopular choice for selective colour

editing. Preserve a splash of red and youcan create a very striking effect, and it’sa very easy technique to try.

G e t t y i m a g e s / T h o m a s S c h m i d t

G e t t y i m a g e s / R a l p h G r u n s w a l d

G e t t y i m a g e s / A n d y R y a n

Who won ourlast Mission? Turn thepage tofind out…


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0 Your MissionNight photography


0


3rd Light WaltzBY KEVIN LAJOIE

Nikon D5200 with 10–24mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 14mm;

265 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100

2nd Lone Tree,Milky Way andShooting StarsBY PAUL APPLEBY

Canon EOS 5D Mk II; 30 sec at ISO 3,2000

Claire says Paul has captured this

magical night scene beautifully, and

the calm and stillness of the setting

is apparent in the final result. The portrait

orientation of the composition works well

and leads the eye in. The connection

between the elements is aided by the lone

tree leading your eye to the blanket of stars

above. The final finish has also been carefully

considered. A great image that has been

conceived to work on many levels.

1st & Crowd Vote*Eaton Park Tree LineBY MATTHEW DARTFORD

Nikon D7000 with 16 -85 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 25mm;

0.8 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Ben says Our atmospheric first-place

entry is a worthy night-time winner.

There are many technical aspects that

make this this shot work, including the

panoramic finish, the monochromatic cool

tones, and the thick dense fog creating the

perfect conditions. Matthew has done well

to keep the trees silhouetted while exposing

correctly for the light spilling out behind.

This image has a cinematic quality: you feel

the eerie scene could almost come to life.

* Chosen by the community at Photocrowd

Shona says Kevin’s night light trailimage deserves a slot on our podium.

The harshness and crisp streaks of

the man-made light works well against the

natural beauty of the outdoor setting. There’s

lots of movement in this image. Not only do

you have the sideways movement of the light

dancing across the scene, you also have the

forward and upward movement in the clouds

and stars, which Kevin has left plenty of

space to show. He’s also made excellent use

of the reflection in the water to add another

layer to the final result.

YourMissionWINNERS

Issue ’s themewas ‘Night photos’.

Here are ourtop shots…

2

1

See all the entries at www.photocrowd.com/c/121-night-photography

3

CrowdVote

winner

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2


…FROM THE EDGE

POSTCARDS

The amusement parkin the ghost town ofPripyat, Chernobyl.

All images: Ambroise Tézenas


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www.digitalcameraworld.com March 2015 Digital Camera

33

…FROM THE EDGE

POSTCARDS

Why did you decide to do a book about

’dark tourism’?

I decided a few years ago to explore darktourism [without worrying about whetherit would become a book]. With a long-termproject, it’s important to know where youneed to start, not where you want to go.

I got interested in the topic becauseI wondered why people liked to visit darkplaces. This is linked to an experienceI had a few years back while witnessing the tsunami in Sri Lanka. I saw the drama

unfolding, and read a few years later thatvisitors were coming to this same place tohave their pictures taken. The motivationsof these visitors puzzled me, and I startedto read about it.

How did you plan which places to visit?

I always carefully research subjects becauseit’s really important to have the backgroundknowledge. It’s OK not to have been to theactual places, but you do need to knowtheir history. I discovered the work ofProfessor J John Lennon, who co-wrotea book called Dark Tourism, and got in

touch with him, then started to visit somedark places myself.

Were the trips entirely self-funded, or did

you get sponsorship or commissions?

All self-funded. My life as a photographeris all about this balance between makinga living with commissions and reinvestingin my own projects.

Many of the images have people in.

Did anybody ask you why you were

photographing them, when it was

presumably the buildings or other remains

that everyone was interested in?

With a large-format camera and a tripod,you don’t actually point at anyone. Youare just part of the landscape, so peopledon’t really know when you shoot. It wasimportant to me to include people in thelandscape, standing beside what is left ofthe concentration camps, prisons and so on.

You don’t include many details of what’s left

of the horrors – piles of skulls or remaining

execution equipment, for example. Is this

because you wanted to focus more on the

actual places, rather than the grisly details?

I consider myself a landscape photographer,

so the distance between me and the subjectis very important to me – particularly as

Holidaysfrom hellLooking for a totally different take on travelphotography? Ambroise Tézenas visited a dozenmajor sites of ’dark tourism’ across the world

MISSION FACTFILE

Who: Ambroise Tézenas,a landscape and documentaryphotographer based in Paris.

What: Ambroise mainly doeseditorial photography, primarilyfor New York-based magazines,and commercial assignmentswith his agent Talent&Partner.For his ’dark tourism’ project,I Was Here, Ambroise visited

global hotspots of death anddestruction, includingAuschwitz, the Kennedy

assassination trail in Dallas,and Khmer Rouge prisons.

Kit list: For I Was Here,Ambroise used a large-formatSinar and a Toyo 45, both ofwhich he says are very easyto travel with. He just used asingle lens, a 120mm. Ambroiseuses a PhaseOne P45+ back forcommercial assignments.

More info:www.ambroisetezenas.com

1


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4

…FROM THE EDGE

POSTCARDS


If the sun was shining when I visiteda torture centre, then so be it.

Which place did you find the most

disturbing, and why?

Genocide sites are terribly disturbing. TheBirkenau concentration camp has beenleft as it was so it won’t happen again –but it does happen again, and that’s verydisturbing. I was struck by this hopelesshistory of humanity just repeating itself,without learning lessons from the past.

What was it like to work at Chernobyl – wereyou worried about radiation?

No, because I had read about the radiationbeforehand, and I knew it was OK to takephotographs there during a short stay.

What are the biggest lessons you learned

from doing I Was Here?

Humanity is depressing, and history repeatsitself. This is no great discovery on mypart, but the project did confirm it. Whensome of those places lose the memory ofsurvivors to validate them, visitors will loseinterest in going, but new sites will appear.

Paradoxically, while people todaydeny the reality of their own death, they

“I didn’t want to takepictures of places thetypical visitor couldn’tsee, and didn’t request

special access”

I chose to photograph places where terriblethings happened. The question of whereyou stand is a big one. Making pictures ofhorrible details would have made no sensein this work.

Why didn’t you shoot these images in more

dramatic black and white, or avoid bright

sunshine? That is the aesthetic choice a lot

of photographers would have made…

My aim was to document, so my approachneeded to be very accurate. I had a strictprotocol. For example, I visited places

through a tour operator and paid the entryfees along with all the other tourists.I didn’t want to take pictures of placesthe typical visitor couldn’t see, and didn’trequest special access. [The exception was]the site in South Lebanon. It took me twoyears to get approval.

Furthermore, I spent no longer on sitethan the typical visitor, and even kept mycaptions simple and ‘real,’ with no rewriting.

So this confrontation with reality hadto be in colour, even if it was impossible tobe totally objective. Making this work moredramatic than it actually was, by converting

to black and white or darkening the sky,would have been dishonest and clumsy.

2

2 Remains of Xuankou middle school,Sichuan earthquake tour, China.

3 The remains of Xiaoyudong bridge, partof the Sichuan earthquake tour in China.

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35

…FROM THE EDGE

POSTCARDS


enjoy a virtual confrontation with death

generally. Working on this project raised

a lot of questions for me about our own

responsibility. On a photographic level, it

made me think more closely about the

question of representation. In the process

of creation, it is essential that the substance

and the form come together.

Which images are you most proud of in

I Was Here?

I am proud to have done the project. If

photography is a solitary path, getting to

the end of a project with a book publishedis a relief. To me that’s the definitive way of

showing your work.

I Was Here must be a hard act to follow...

everything else must seem like bathos.

I am not sure what my next project is yet.

I am a slow photographer, and accept the

slow process of things, the need for time,

the need for maturity. Photography is a way

for me to keep asking myself questions.

3

4

5

6

To see more of Ambroise’s work, visit www.ambroisetezenas.com. I Was Here is published

by Dewi Lewis Publishingwww.dewilewispublishing.com

4 Gear left behind bythe Israeli army, ondisplay in the TouristLandmark of theResistance museum,Mleeta, Lebanon.

5 Clothes of the dead atthe Ntarama GenocideMemorial, Rwanda.

6 Rows of skulls at theBisesero GenocideMemorial, Rwanda.

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FROM A YOUNGER READER…My name is Saffron, and photography ismy whole life! I recently purchased DigitalCamera, and I am proud to say that I waspleased with the content. I was also pleasedwith the photography dictionary: it wouldbe very helpful for now, and later on in lifewhen I am doing my photography A-level.

Are you a photographer? Do you knowother famous photographers? It wouldmake my day if you could take a look atsome of my photography and maybe givesome feedback.

Saffron, 13, photographer

We think you have excellent potential and would

advise you to keep up the hard work. Being a

photographer isn’t a straightforward career, but

is well worth the journey. Hopefully we’ll be able

to keep giving you a few pointers!

ViewFinder

STAR LETTER

The place to air your views on the magazineand share your photographic experiences

Get your views heard We’d love to hear your thoughts on the magazine and all things photographic!So email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.facebook.com/digitalcameraworld

Norman, you’re absolutely right. It is the

photographer who makes the image,

and you can still produce award-

winning images with old kit.

A TIP THAT SHOULD STICKThis may be a useful tip for aphotographer on a budget: Plasticineapplied in the right places can reallyhelp to stabilise any unwantedmovement in a budget tripod.It’s so useful it should be in everyphotographer’s kitbag. It even turnedmy shaky old Hama into a rock!Brendan Doherty

Great tip, Brendan, and thanks for

sharing it. It just goes to show youdon’t need to pay a fortune to get

professional results!

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION A couple more comments in responseto our publication of behind-the-scenes photos of a Playboy shoot inDigital Camera …

I find it amusing that some ofyour readers are so offended at thepresence of tasteful nude or semi-nude photographs in your magazine.

Go to any art club in Britainand you will almost certainly findopportunities for ‘life painting’. Itis rare to find an amateur art showwithout some paintings of nudemen or women. I am sure that mostartists feel that the ability to capturethe human form and its varied skintones with complex areas of lightand shade is an essential skill. Thereis a huge difference between theartistic nude and pornography.

The human body is one of themost significant forms for artwork,

whether painted or photographic. Ifyour magazine were to self-censor

Above 13-year-old Saffron sent us a variety of herimages to review from her portfolio .

WIN AN ASPIRE PHOTO TRAINING VOUCHER

Our star letter wins a £50 voucher off training courses at Aspire

Photography Training (www.aspirephotographytraining.co.uk)

Left NormanLemon advises youto stick with your

older gear ratherthan upgrading.

STICK WITH ITI read David Brown’s commentsabout you pushing the latestequipment [ViewFinder, DigitalCamera ]. David, I am a pensionerlike you. I am very fortunate to beable to afford this modern gear – butI would rather use the older gear likeyour D and even older cameras,with great results in competitions.

So stick with your D and buyolder lenses. It’s the person behindthe camera who counts, not the

jewellery he wears around his neck.Norman Lemon

www.facebook.com/DigitalcameraworldJoin us on Twitter www.twitter.com/DCamMag or Facebook

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ViewFinder

all work of this nature, you would bemissing out on helping your readers

with a vital set of skills, whichmany of us would like to acquireor improve on.Tom Cunliffe

May I offer a solution to thistype of article. I have daughters,and I receive a magazine from aphotography society as well asbuying your excellent magazine.

I always go through the magazinesbefore my daughters look throughthem. Some of the articles in thesociety’s magazine are too racy, so

it’s usually out of bounds to them.I looked through your magazine and

WHAT WORKED FOR YOU...?

R

eading Digital Camera 159, I was

interested to see the ‘Flowers in Ice’

project [part of our 10 Creative Home

Projects feature]. With my first SLR purchasedin 2013 (a Nikon D7000), I have been on a

massive learning curve. I try to have a project

on the go to give me skills to practise.

Last year my wife gave me a Nikkor 50mm

1.8D lens, and I thought I would try to freeze

some sea shells in ice to get reflections in the

sunshine. I had a few attempts experimenting

with lighting and reflective surfaces. I never

quite managed to get the image I had in my

mind, but no doubt I will have another go in the

next few months.Every time I take the camera out, I learn

something new.

Ben Rutlidge

Persistence is key to becoming a great

photographer, and it’s great to see you’re

trying new things out. Keep it up.

Above The debatecontinues as wehave more dividedopinion about howwe should displaythis type of content.

ended up sticking pages together sothe content was not visible.

May I ask in future that if you runthis type of feature, you make it a

separate pullout with a warning onthe front, so anyone who has youngphotographers or may be offendedcan remove it, and put it in the bin.Simon Hepworth

Thank you for all your feedback on this

topic. It seems many of you are split

with your opinions, but we have taken

all of your points on board.

NO MORE RESOLUTIONI enjoy taking various types ofphotographs. I have a Fuji FEXR

and an X. What I find frustratingis the occasional wrong colourreproduction. When paying ,or more on medium-format cameras[Group Test, Digital Camera ],the colours vary so much? I canunderstand it from a compactcamera, but would expect perfectionwhen paying so much. I usually printA photos, so the extra resolutionwould be wasted on me!Gordon Degg

Thank you for your letter, Gordon. We

do these group tests to make sureyou’re getting the best of the best!

Fresh from our

wall

Want to keep up with the latest

Digital Camera news, views and

gossip? Visit our Facebook page

and tell us what you think about the

magazine or anything photography-

related. See www.facebook.com/

digitalcameraworld

I’m doing a print publication

this year. My first. Already three

days into it.

Davey D

To paraphrase The Fast Show,

this year I will mostly be using theletter P… I will be using other

modes rather than playing safe

using Auto.

Andy Hackett

I’m going to try to be braver at

heading out on my own! I’m

always so anxious in remote

locations before sunrise! I need

to man up.

Sarah Brooks

Iwant to shoot some sports

photography for the first time.I already have two outings lined

up for this week.

Bob Dunn

To get out there more and

stop holding myself back. I want

to try my hand at portrait

photography, so that’s what

I aim to do this year. No more

hiding – time to get out there!

Gemma Ironside

Digital Camera asked:

“What are yourphotographyresolutions for 2015?What new techniquesare you hoping to try?Have you got anyprojects lined up?”

Get involved: www.facebook

.com/digitalcameraworld


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igital amera November 2 14

ways to

SPICEUP YOUR

SHOTSInspirational ideas to make your best year ever!

8


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39

M a i n i m a g e : S e p e h r G h a s s e m i ( w w w . s e p e h r g h a s s e m i . c o m )

Whether you’re just

starting out in

photography

or you’re an

experiencedshooter who’s hit a creative brick

wall, you can take inspiration

from this bumper collection ofphotography ideas. You’ll find some

classic projects mixed with fresh

challenges that will help you take

your photography to the next level,

from fun photo assignments you canpolish off in a weekend to longer-

term projects that could feed your

photography for years to come. Try

something new today – and don’tforget to share your results with us…



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0


BE INSPIRED

Starting a self-portrait project –one that shows more artistry andoriginality than a set of social mediaselfies – can be richly rewarding. Italso has no limitations: the subject isalways available to have their picturetaken, even if they might not alwaysbe up for it… Creating a consistent theme for

your self-portraits, whether it’sthrough a concept or a visual style,

Never again will you be able to say that there’s nothing to shoot

will help to give the project focus,and there are plenty of approachesyou can take. For instance, if you have to fit thephotography around your day job,how about shooting the picturesat night? You could assume analter-ego and make that your theme,as illustrated by Dominick Reed’s

popular ‘Mr Flibble’ series (www.idrinkleadpaint.com). Alternatively,

how about integrating yourself intoa wider scene? This is an approach atwhich street photographer VivianMaier (www.vivianmaier.com) wasadept. On some occasions she evenonly included her shadow.

You really don’t need much in theway of camera kit for this project –you can even do it on a smartphone.

Coming up with a compelling themeis far more important.

Above Turning thecamera around onyourself can appeara little daunting –but you don’t evenneed to show yourface to capture aself-portrait!

Self -portrait pro ject1 © G e t t y / J u l i a D a v i l a - L a m p e


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SPICE UP YOUR SHOTS

A sk someone to write a list of things on a set of cards. It couldbe random, everyday stuff like‘hands’, ‘trees’, ‘food’, but ideally it’llbe subjects you wouldn’t normallyphotograph. Meanwhile, write down

a series of photographic treatmentson another set – for example, ‘mm’,‘black and white’, ‘long exposure’…

Take your photography in an unexpected direction

Above This shot byUmbreem Hafeezshows how you cancombine elementsin the scene to get anoteworthy result.

Go on a scavenger hunt

8 Shoot your ownphoto alphabet Rather than just head

out and photograph actualletters, find objects and shapesthat resemble letters (the frameof a set of swings forming theletter ‘A’, the curve of a riverrepresenting ‘S’). Some

photographers make a livingout of doing this.

9 Make wordsyour focus The challenge here is

not to fill the frame, but tocleverly incorporate wordsinto your compositions. Lookfor juxtaposition – such asan advertising hoardingdescribing the ‘rich taste’ of

a drink set in an area that’sclearly run down.

10 Paint withyour cameraYou may be used to

doing everything in yourpower to take a sharp photo,but it can be liberating to dothe opposite and move thecamera during a long exposure.Try working in Shutter

Priority, dialling in a shutterspeed of / sec or slower.

Again, ideally it should be styles youwouldn’t typically use.

Now all you have to do is randomlypick a card from each deck and thenfulfil the brief in a day. It’s a great wayto take yourself out of your comfort

zone – and to add some focus to yourphotography if you’ve found yourselfin a bit of a creative rut.

3The 90-degree

challengeEvery time you stop to take

a picture, you must then pointthe camera by degrees –

to the left, right, up or down –

and create a picture from

what you see there.

5Turn your digital

into a film cameraSimply tape up the screen…

Obviously we’re not really

recommending that you gum

up your camera with gaffer

tape, but avoid reviewingshots for a day.

4Use ‘a roll

of film’ for a dayTo force yourself to consider

every photo, slip a MB

memory card into your camera.

Only around Canon D

Mk III raw files fit onto

a card of this size.

6Lose yourself

in a new locationGo for a walk with one lens,

exploring a location on foot

that you normally drive past.

Set a timer to minutes –

every time it goes

off, take a photo.

2

© R o d d y L l e w e l l y n

7Choose a new

aspect ratioIf you usually shoot photos

in a : format, try shooting

in : or : or :. Live View

mode makes this easier, as

you can activate an aspect

ratio grid overlay.

© B e n B r a i n

© B e n B r a i n

U m b r e e n H a f e e z


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2


BE INSPIRED

Head out with the intention ofmaking shadows and silhouettesthe key compositional device in yourpictures. As photographers, we’reoften conditioned to use every trickin the book to open up the shadows,such as shooting when the light issofter at the start and end of the day,or using flash or a reflector to revealdetails previously lost in the dark.But this project encourages you touse shadows to hide details.

Shooting in the middle of the daybecomes a pleasure rather than achore, although you can get greatresults with the low, raking lightof a clear morning or evening, too.Finding a raised point of view canhelp you to extend the reach of theseshadows through the frame, althoughif the sun is behind you, be consciousof whether or not you include yourown shadow in the picture.

For further inspiration, check outMagnum photographer Trent Parke’sportfolio of dense, shadowy imagestaken in the harsh glare of

the Australian sun (www.magnumphotos.com/trentparke ).

In a notebook, write a list of

descriptive words about a subject,then photograph the subject with

these words in mind. For instance,

can you photograph snow in a way

that makes the end result feel cold?

How could you convey the scale of

sound produced by an orchestra?

The use of colour, tonality

composition, focus, movement and

more can all be used to evoke mood

in images. In the picture on the right,

the combination of blue hues, dark

tones and camera movement help

create emotion. How could you add

a evocative twist to photographs ofsubjects that you like to shoot?

Above Break all the rules when it comes toexposure and emphasise those darkshadows in the image. Magnumphotographer Trent Parke finishes hisimages with a high-contrast look.

Right It’s not just what you can see that’simportant. What you don’t see also sayssomething, so play around with this idea.

12 Master the artof abstract This challenge has

one simple rule: every time

you use your camera, you

have to shoot an additional

abstract image before you

put the camera away. Avoid‘cheating’ by cropping an

image in Photoshop – createit entirely in-camera.

13 Use a photowithin a photo Create a series of

pictures where an additional

picture, held in the frame,

adds context to the original

image. Instead of using a

physical print, how about

using an image displayed on

a tablet or smartphonescreen instead?

14 Defocus thecamera lensSharpness is

overrated: embrace excessive

blur instead. See the different

effects you can get from

focusing the lens both in

front of and behind the

subject. Notice how

highlights and shadowsinteract within the frame.

Make shadows the focus of your photos

Go dark11

Createemotion

15

Capture how a subjectmakes you feel ratherthan just how it looks

R o d d y L l e w e l l y n

G e t t y / G r e g o r S c h u s t e r

G e t t y


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SPI E U P YOUR SHOTS

16Take a creativecue from music

Pick a favourite piece of

music. Listen to it while youcapture an image that conveys

how it makes you feel, or

illustrates the lyrics that

resonate with you.

19 Collaborative

portraitsAsk someone to sit for a

portrait, but let them dictate

how they want to appear in

the photo. See how close you

come to making their

vision a reality.

18 Create a

photographic lieMake an image that contrasts

with the underlying emotion

of the scene or subject. For

instance, can you make

a happy event seem sador vice versa?

20Three-word

challengeHow do you avoid taking the

same photos as everyone else?

Try picking three words that

describe your photographic

style. Shoot images that

illustrate each one.

17 Right time,

‘wrong’ lensChoose the opposite lens to

the one you’d normally use to

photograph a subject. Take a

wide-angle lens to the zoo or

only use a telephoto for

landscapes.

B e n B r

a i n

M a g n u m /

T r e n t P a r k e

Get an abstract and

emotional result in the

natural environment.


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4


BE INSPIRED

You’ll have to dig deep for thisproject. The premise seemssimple: take a sheet of paper andphotograph it in different ways.You can’t cut it, but every other

creative avenue is open to you.Each picture needs to have a fresh

identity, whether that’s down to the

Discover the photo opportunities in an ordinary subject

Above Turn thebanal into thebeautiful with somecreative thinkingand a bit of origami.

Shoot a piece of paper ways

choice of lighting, the composition orthe situation you come up with. Takeinspiration from Brendan Austin(www.brendanaustin.com), whocreated mini mountainscapes from

crumpled sheets, or the beautifulpaper abstracts of Sherif Mokbel(www.behance.net/sherifmokbel).

22 Focus on the

small stuff Attend an organised event

and shoot candids, abstractsand small details that othersmiss – anything but themain event that everyone

else is there to see.

23Naked night

photographyShoot outdoors at

night without usingflash, a long exposure or

a tripod. You can only useavailable light, soincrease the ISO.

24Picture a

metaphorWrite down a list of

metaphors that have somemeaning for you, then produce

a series of photographs that

illustrate them in literaland non-literal ways.

25Take a single

image every dayThe ‘’ photo project is a

classic. But if you don’t wantthe pressure of having to find

a meaningful photo everyday, make it a weekly

endeavour instead.

26Photographone location

Choose one spot that’s closeto home and photograph it at

different times of the day,month and year. Capture theseasonal variation and the

changing light.

21

B e n B r a i n



27 Commit to amonth of monoStop shooting in

colour for a month. If you

shoot in raw rather than

JPEG, you’ll still record the

colour data for the image, but

change the camera’s Picture

Style to Monochrome to get

a black-and-white previewon the camera’s rear screen.

28 Pick a colour,any colour Your chosen colour

needn’t fill the frame, but

you need to compose shots

to make it clear to viewers

that this specific colour is

what the picture is really

about. One rule: you can’t

selectively colour a black-and-white photo.

29 Shoot theuninspiringWrite down a list

of locations and items that

you find intensely dull,

depressing, ugly, boring or

annoying. Now push yourself

to make beautiful photos of

these unphotogenic subjects.

You may be suprised howmuch you like the pictures…

i S t o c k P h o t o / P a t S e e


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SPICE UP YOUR SHOTS

This is a classic project witha concept that usually fillseveryone with dread. It can be hard

enough to approach a stranger in the

street and ask directions, let alone

ask them if they’d be willing to let

you take their picture. Having to do it

enough times so that you have portraits to show at the end of the

project? The chances are you’re going

to have to develop a thick skin.

Many photographers who’ve done

it will tell you that the hardest part of

this project is starting it. But once

you do, the pictures can flow pretty

easily, and it becomes an addictive

process. In fact, some photographesincrease the pressure on themselves,

making it a three-fold ‘’ challenge:

strangers photographed with a

mm lens in days!

This project doesn’t just have to

be a race to collect strangers, though.

It’s more important to pick the right

subjects and spend time finding out

a little about each person, so thatyour image captures their essence.

Are you up for a real challenge? Take 50 portraits of people you’ve never met before

Above DigitalCamera editor Bentook these candid

close-ups on thestreets of Miami.

Photograph strangers30 B e n B r a i n


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ESSENTI L GUIDE

Many of us have been brought upon the idea of using fill-flashfor outdoor portraits on sunny days,to reduce contrast and produce moreflattering results. But why not tryapplying it where you typicallywouldn’t, such when you’re shootinga landscape or while you’re indulgingin a spot of street photography – asituation where you’d normally be

trying to blend in, rather than drawattention to yourself?

Above Using aflashgun tobacklight hissubjects, SatokiNagata managedto capture thesebeautiful fleetingmoments in time.

32Geocaching

challengeLoad a geocaching app onto

your smartphone, thenhead out with a view to takingan artistic picture at

every geocache locationyou end up in.

33Faces in

unusual placesTrain your eye to spot ‘faces’

unintentionally formed byeveryday objects. Warning:this can be addictive! Seewww.flickr.com/groups/

facesinplaces for ideas.

35‘f/16 and

be there…’Using Aperure Priority, set

the aperture to f/ for a day.You’ll become more mindfulof the relationship betweendetails in the background

and the foreground.

34 Creative size

and scaleFor this project, you simply

need to make big things looksmall and small things lookbig – but the challenge is

doing both within thesame frame.

36Become a

photojournalistFind a local news story and

illustrate it with five picturesthat will make others careabout it. Approach a localnewspaper to see if they’ll

print the results.

Use an off-camera flashgun in creative new waysFar-out flash31

Satoki Nagata (www.satoki.com) did just that for his ‘Streets’ project,setting a slow shutter speed andusing an off-camera flash to backlightpassers-by. The resulting imageshave a dramatic and abstract quality.

To tackle a similar idea, you’llneed a way to get the flashoff-camera. A remote flash trigger isessential for working in busy streets,

although a remote cable will be finefor close-ups.

S a t o k i N a g a t a


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BE INSPIRED

40Make intentional

mistakesSeverely overexpose or

underexpose pictures. Crop asubject awkwardly. Focus onthe backdrop instead of thesubject. Use these ‘errors’

to fuel new ideas.

38…Now take a

step backCompose shots where the

subject is very small in theframe. How can you directa viewer’s attention to it?How can you use negativespace in a positive way?

39Shoot without

looking In Shutter Priority, set a fast

shutter speed to minimisecamera shake, then shootwithout using the viewfinderor Live View. Think of it as

camera ‘sketching’.

37Take a stepforward…

Set the focus on your

lens to four feet and don’tmove it – tape it down youhave to. This will force youto move in closer in order

to get your shots.

Take a portrait of someone, butdo so without including theperson’s face. How can you revealaspects of their personalitywithout the aid of eye contactand expression?

For a start, you’ll need toconsider the environment that theportrait is going to be shot in, as

well as how you’ll crop the shot,whether you do the latter in-cameraor later in software. The quality ofthe lighting and the choice ofcolours (or whether there’s anycolour at all) become crucial forconveying a sense of mood, andyou’ll have to rely on the otherfeatures of the portrait-sitter’s body

to tell a story. Here we took theconcept one stage further andcombined three shots together inPhotoshop to create a surrealfaceless portrait. With a nod to thegreat surrealist painter Magritte,this image is loaded with moodand meaning that can say a lotabout the subject.

Can you reveal someone’s personality without revealing their face?

Hiding yoursubject’s facialfeatures enablesyou to focus onother aspects ofthe image, like thebackground detail.

Faceless portraits41

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BE INSPIRED

46Make moving

picturesBring your stills to life bylearning how to make a

cinemagraph in Photoshop,or try shooting a time-lapse

that doesn’t feature a cityor landscape at night…

44Self-publish a

photo bookLink your pictures through a

narrative, colour, juxtapositionor in more unexpected ways.

45Record an image

without a cameraUse an all-in-one home

printer to make a scanogram.Place objects on the scannerand use the limited available

depth of field forsurreal results.

43Build a multi-

panel panoramaRather than taking one

sweeping view of a place, trybuilding a story through aseries of shots that can be

presented together in alarger format.

Right Go one step further and usepost-production techniques on your

double exposure to create an abstract.

Above Blend two subjects together incamera for an arty finish. Think about howthe colours and textures work together.

C ompose two (or more) picturesin order to create a multipleexposure. Most SLRs have a multipleexposure function that’ll allow youto layer several exposures together.However, while it’s admirable andutterly satisfying to capture a winnerin-camera, replicating the effect inthe digital darkroom is quick, easyand non-destructive – and just asvalid. Combine your images into onedocument and experiment withlayers and blending modes.

Dynamicdouble

exposures

42

Splice two frames togetherto create a unique view

BenBrain


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51


SPICE UP YOUR SHOTS

Look for ways in which you canconstruct your photos from linesand shapes, whether they’re explicitor implied. Don’t simply zoom in and

pick out an abstract set of shapes,but try to find these elements withinwider views and frame your photosaccordingly. Explore a town or city, asthe urban environment is packedwith potential and including humanfigures as a counterpoint can be aneffective technique. In this examplefrom the streets of London thephotographer has been playful withthe use of negative space to create anunusal street scene.

Spend a day training yourlens on intriguing shapesand patterns

Exploregeometry

48

ove SNet voluptat di dolum ipisci nitatem solor ad modis aliatur magnat.

Laccabo restorem rerum et ium hiliqui consequam con cullam sed ut es

Left Don’t shoot the same tourist snapsas everyone else. Instead, look around forquirky and original ways to record thedetails of your surroundings.

Right Often the most interesting view is the

one you have to look up at! In an urbansetting, keep your eyes open for shapes.

49Take a photoprop on tour

Choose a prop and create

pictures of it in multiplelocations. Make sure the itemis pocket-friendly enough to

take on your commuteor on holiday.

50Find a frame

within a frameIn this exercise, you have to

compose a shot using a ‘found’frame, such as Big Ben seenthrough a steamy tour buswindow, or a portrait shot

in a doorway.

52Create a still-life

with characterBring inanimate objects to lifethrough construced still-life

situations. For inspiration, seethe work of Victoria Ivanova

(www.px.com/

victoria_ivanova).

51Rent an extremelens for the dayA new lens can give

your photos a new leaseof life, particularly if itoffers a more extreme

focal length or aperturethan you’re used to.

SUBSCRIBEAND GET13 ISSUES

PACKED WITHIDEAS AND

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B e n B r a i n

Visit a location or touristattraction that’s reached‘postcard-perfect photo’ saturationpoint – somewhere like Bamburghcastle and beach, Buttermere orBath’s Royal Crescent – andphotograph the reality of what youfind there. You could focus on traffic jams or lines of tourists snapping theview with iPads at arms’ length. Howabout capturing the view as seenthrough the window of a café or car?

In the example here (see left), wefocused on the small plastic statuesof Michelangelo’s David that adornthe tourist shops of Florence, Italy.It was an unusual and original way toexplore the popular photo destinationwith a camera.

Capture a real sense ofplace, warts and all

A touristguide

with a twist

47


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March 2015 Digital Camerawww.digitalcameraworld.com

70 Photo AnatomyPro photographer Ruth

Asher talks us through

her cliff-edge shot

THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHTS

56 Core SkillsCreate a super-sharp

macro shot from multiple

images when you get togrips with focus-stacking

60 Creative ZoneUsing a tub of paint, a

flashgun and a ceramic

cooking dish, create anabstract work of art

62 Photo RecipesScott Kelby reveals his top

wedding shooting tips

and tricks in his DigitalCamera debut feature

66 Back to BasicsLearn to expose shots

more accurately as we tell

you all you need to knowabout metering

69 Gear HacksMake your own low-cost

macro lens from a lens

you already own and aDIY extension tube

Your complete camera skills improvement plan

OHS O T !

SLR CAMERA SKILLS

55


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SLR CAMERA SKILLS



6

Claire Gillo reveals how you can extendthe depth of field on your favourite lensby shooting and blending multiple images

STACK FOR

SHARPNESS

CORE SKI

Documents

Digital Camera world March