Digital Photo Jan 2011

REVEALED INSIDE!

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Britain’s best-selling photography mag!STU

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STUNNING SILHOUETTESMADE EASY

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CAPTURE LIGHT SPHERES

Get it right � rst time with our clear and simple advice

Discover how these amazing shots are made

Stunning twilight & night shots are yours for the taking – we reveal how to set up your camera

LOW-LIGHT IMAGES

NEW CAMERA?LEARN HOW TO USE THE SETTINGS

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CREATIVE

TECHNIQUES

FREE

9 NEW

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117 MIN

S OF VIDEO

www.photoanswers.co.uk ISSUE 138 JANUARY 2011 £4.99

Cover Jan 2011 ja ks KH.indd 1 09/12/2010 11:32

DIGITAL PHOTO28 WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UK

FULL OF

EASY IDEAS

FOR FANTASTIC

LOWLIG

HT IMAGES!

0 INTRO Go Manuel! Lowlight ks ja KH.indd 28 10/12/2010 16:30

DIGITAL PHOTO 29WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UK

Discover the secrets of creative photography and master exposure with four hands-on shooting projects you can do with your D-SLR! We make it easy...

GET STARTED OVER THE PAGE

WE MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO LEARN

WHAT YOU NEED D-SLR/CSC PLUS PHOTOSHOP/ELEMENTSWHAT YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO CREATE GREAT LOWLIGHT PICS

STUA

RT STEVEN

SON

0 INTRO Go Manuel! Lowlight ks ja KH.indd 29 10/12/2010 16:34


Create your ownCreate your ownLight Spheres

Create your own

MAKE

AMAZING

LOWLIGHT

WITH

LAYERS

Light spheres make for an eye-catching addition to a lowlight scene.

FINAL IMAGE

0 TECHS 3-4 Go Manuel! Lowlight ks ja KH.indd 42 10/12/2010 17:26

WHAT YOU NEED A D-SLR OR CSC, TRIPOD & TORCHWHAT YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO CREATE A UNIQUE LOWLIGHT SHOT


Get a totally unique lowlight shot with nothing more than your camera, a tripod and a torch... TECHNIQUE BY PHIL HALL

THANKS TO THE LONGER-than-usual exposures, one of the best things about shooting lowlight images is the opportunity it gives you to try out great new techniques. And that’s exactly what you’ll be able to do with this fabulous lowlight project.

By incorporating striking ‘light spheres’ into a lowlight scene like the shot above, you can create a really unique image that

will get people scratching their heads trying to work out how it was done.

Over the next few pages, we’ll reveal exactly how our light spheres are created in-camera and then incorporated into the scene using Photoshop. And the best bit is, it’s incredibly easy to achieve great results – all you’ll need is a tripod, a torch and some string, along with your camera. Just turn over the page to � nd out how.

VIDEOLESSON ON THECD!

Shooting a lowlight scene and the light spheres separately allows plenty of control over where they appear in the shot.

0 TECHS 3-4 Go Manuel! Lowlight ks ja KH.indd 43 10/12/2010 17:27

Adjustment Brush


MAKE LOCALISED RAW ADJUSTMENTS IN MINUTES

PhotoshopMasterclass

» Your expert guide to the tips, tools & techniques that really matter...

LEARN

ALL NEW

SKILLS

FINAL IMAGEFINAL IMAGE

This � nal image has been created by making four individual adjustments using Adobe’s indispensable Adjustment Brush, located in Camera Raw.

TWO VIDEOLESSONS ON THECD!START IMAGE EMILY.DNG

062-065 Photoshop masterclass MT KH.indd 62 09/12/2010 15:12

BEFORE THE DAYS of Photoshop CS4 and CS5 we were very much restricted to making

global adjustments to RAW � les in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). Any changes made were applied to images in their entirety and with no way of choosing the precise areas we’d like to adjust, Adobe decided it was about time to revamp the Camera Raw

interface. This was done in Camera Raw 5 with the innovative Adjustment Brush tool. Designed to revolutionise the way we edit non-destructively, the Adjustment Brush o� ers speedy, precise and accurate control over localised adjustments.

The Adjustment Brush is one of the more useful tools inside Camera Raw and once you get familiar with it, you’ll use it a lot if

you’re a regular RAW user as it’s a real godsend for day-to-day image processing.

How is it used?The Basic tab that’s displayed each time a RAW � le is opened is replaced by ten sliders when the Adjustment Brush is selected. The typical way of working is to set the brush size and feather � rst before brushing over the area you wish to edit, tweaking the sliders afterwards for the desired e� ect.

If you make a mistake, the Erase option restores original detail and new adjustments in multiple areas of the image can be made. New adjustments are marked by a pin, which you can see displayed on the screen and provided the right pin is selected, alterations to any adjustment can be carried out in the future.

Before we start this month’s technique, take a look at the first Adjustment Brush video on the CD to learn some vital shortcuts.


WHAT YOU NEED PHOTOSHOP CS4 OR CS5WHAT YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO EDIT WITH THE ADJUSTMENT BRUSH

over localised adjustments... ”“ It offers precise and accurate control

DIGITAL PHOTO

Adjustment Brush explainedWhen you load a RAW � le into Photoshop, it’ll automatically open the Adobe Camera Raw interface and the Basic tab will greet you on the far right-hand side. To quickly change to the Adjustment Brush, you’ll need to get into the habit of using its keyboard shortcut which is the letter K. This will reveal a new list of 10 sliders. To make all the functions clearer to understand, we’ve added brief descriptions for each.

TURN OVER FOR MOREADJUSTMENT BRUSH TIPS

The Adjustment Brush o� ers localised control of many imaging variables in Camera Raw. We study it in detail… TECHNIQUE BY MICHAEL TOPHAM

CONTRASTGreat for lightening the bright areas and making dark areas even darker.

EXPOSURE Drag the slider right to increase the exposure and drag it left to decrease the exposure in the brushed area.

CLARITY Increases local contrast and can be used to soften hard outline edges.

COLORUsed to apply a tint of colour to the adjusted area. Select the hue by clicking the sample box.

AUTO MASKThis option con� nes your brush strokes to areas of similar color.

FLOW Controls the rate of application of the adjustment.

SHOW PINSUntick this option to hide the pins.

CLEAR ALLTo remove all adjustments, click here.

FEATHER Controls the hardness of the brush stroke.

ERASETo undo part of the adjustment, click Erase in the Adjustment Brush options and paint over the adjustment with the relevant settings.

ADDTo edit or change any previous adjustment, you’ll need to be selected on the Add option.

NEWTo apply an additional Adjustment Brush adjustment, ensure New is selected � rst. Its shortcut is (N).

SHOW MASKToggles visibility of the mask overlay in the image preview.

DENSITYControls the amount of transparency in the stroke.

SHARPNESSEnhances edge de� nition to bring out more detail. Drag the slider to the right to sharpen details, drag the slider to the left to blur details.

SATURATIONGreat for boosting the vividness and purity of colours.

BRIGHTNESSUsed to adjust the brightness of the brushed area. To the right increases brightness, to the left decreases the brightness.

062-065 Photoshop masterclass MT KH.indd 63 09/12/2010 15:15

Q I’ve taken some portraits of my girlfriend and turned them into black & white using Elements. To

complete the old-fashioned look, is it possible to apply some retro hand-tinting as well, as this is something I’d like to try? David Blakeney

A It’s always a good idea to send in your pictures with this sort of query David, but we’ll use our shot of Daniella to

show you how it can be done. Digital hand tinting is quite straightforward in Elements or Photoshop, but you need to avoid overworking

the image or you can end up with what looks like a regular colour image. And if you end up with a realistic-looking colour pic, you may as well save some time and avoid converting to mono and repainting in the � rst place! After you’ve made your mono conversion (hit Ctrl+Shift+U for a rough but very fast black & white rendition), adding the colour tinting is done by picking the colour and brushing it into a separate Layer. Here’s how it’s done...

How do I hand tint a portrait?

for a rough but very fast black & white

PHOTOSHOP SKILLSPhoto Answers is not only the name of our website, it’s also the place to come to for help if you have a photographic issue that needs sorting!

PHIL HALLTechnical Editor Phil runs DP ’s Gear section, so he knows exactly what kit you need and how to take great photos.

SUBMIT A QUESTION

MEET THE EXPERTS

VIA THE FORUMS ON WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UKJoin in the online chat where you can swap ideas, talk about gear, and help other photo enthusiasts out with photo-related queries.

BY E-MAILSend your gear, camera or imaging queries and supporting pics to: [email protected] and put ‘Answers’ in the subject box.

BY POSTWrite to us at this address:‘Photo Answers’, Digital Photo, Media House, Bauer, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA

JON ADAMSEditor Jon has a wealth of knowledge to share on all aspects of digital photography and Photoshop.

MICHAEL TOPHAMTechnical Writer Michael’s extensive camera and software skills mean he’s able to answer all your imaging queries.

DIGITAL PHOTO56

D-SLR & SOFTWAREADVICE!

» Your problems solved by our photo experts» Visit our website www.photoanswers.co.uk for even more photographic help & advice!

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START CHECK COLOUR MODE. We used DANIELLA.jpg from the free CD, so open this (or your shot) into

Elements or Photoshop, and make sure it’s in the right mode by going to Image � Mode and ticking RGB Color. If your shot’s still in colour, you can convert quickly to mono by hitting Ctrl+Shift+U.

PAINT IN THE SKIN TONES. Open the Layers palette and click on the Create a new Layer icon. Now click

where it says Normal and choose the Color Blending Mode. Open the Swatches palette (Window � Color Swatches) and pick a skin colour. Now using a soft-edged brush, paint over all the skin areas of the mono image.

1 2

STEP-BY-STEP

056061 Photo Answers Jan ja KH ADD PP COVER.indd 56 10/12/2010 09:58

PHOTO ANSWERS


HOW CAN I SCROLL THROUGH BLENDING MODES?

Q When I used Elements 5, I could click on a Blending Mode and scroll down with the mouse

wheel until I found one that worked. In Elements 8, I can’t seem to do this any more. I have been into Preferences and clicked Scroll on the mouse wheel. I can zoom in & out on the wheel but it won’t let me scroll through the Blending Modes – instead I have to click on each one individually which takes considerably more time. Jon Allen

A On a PC, with a multi-layered document and something other than the Background Layer

selected, try holding Shift and using the plus and minus keys on the keyboard to cycle through and apply the Blending Modes on o� er.

The only thing to watch out for is if you’re using a tool that has its own Blending Modes – the Brush tool for instance. If this is the case, you’ll cycle through those instead, so choose something like the Move tool before highlighting the Layer you want to change the Blending Mode of.

QUICK QUESTIONS

To see the e� ects of di� erent Blending Modes quickly on a PC, select the Move tool, then hold Shift and hit the Plus and Minus keys to cycle through them one by one.


ADD THE LIPS. Create another new Layer and again change the Blending Mode to Color. Now choose

a colour for the lips from the Swatches palette, and after reducing brush size with the square brackets keys, paint in the lips. If the e� ect is too loud, tone it down using the Opacity slider in the Layers palette.

FINISH PICK AN EYE COLOUR. Create another new Layer with a Color Blending Mode. Pick an eye

colour and paint in, then on another Layer, paint the hair. Adjust Opacity to get the e� ect you’re after. If you wish to change any colours, click on the Layer, hit Ctrl+U and then move the Hue and Saturation.

3 4

HAND-COLOURED EFFECTSWe took the mono image on the left and hand-tinted it to produce the result above. We then had to tone down the skin colour to stop the result looking too much like a regular colour picture.

HAND-TINTED IMAGE

START IMAGE

MORE EXPERT PHOTO ADVICE OVER THE PAGE

056061 Photo Answers Jan ja KH ADD PP COVER.indd 57 10/12/2010 09:59

WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UKDIGITAL PHOTO

Technique of the Month

3D MAY BE A HOT TOPIC in the � lm and TV world at the moment, but creating the illusion of three dimensions is something we photographers have been doing for a long time. Light, shade, size and angle all help to convince the eyes of our audience that the � at piece of paper we display our pics on really is a 3D object.

In this month's quick and easy technique, we’re going to show you how to make a 3D ball of images. To help things along, you'll � nd on our free CD a one-of-a-kind Photoshop template we’ve created that’s ready for you to add your best photos to. Once you have this, making a 3D Photo Sphere is just a few mouse-clicks away…

Create a great 3D experience from your favourite shots using our exclusive template TECHNIQUE BY GAVIN HOEY

Add your shots to a Photo Sphere

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTO SPHERE

FILL THE FRAMES. Press Ctrl+T to open Free Transform and resize the photo so it � ts under the frame. Click the tick once it’s the correct size and angle. Continue adding the rest of your

photos one at a time using Free Transform to rotate and resize the images to � t the frames.

FINISH FINAL EFFECT. Open SPHERE-BACKGROUND.JPG and go to Edit � Paste. Move the sphere so it touches the white line. Go to Edit � Paste and then Image � Rotate � Flip Layer

Vertical. Move the new sphere so it touches the white line. Drop the Layer Opacity to 30% and erase along the bottom.

2

4

START OPEN SOME PHOTOS. Open all the images that you’re going to use to make the sphere into Photoshop Elements. Now open FRAMES.PSD and ensure that the

Background Layer is active. From the Project bin (bottom of the screen) drag and drop your favourite image into the centre frame.

MAKE THE SPHERE. Go to Layer �Flatten Image. Now choose the Elliptical Marquee tool (M), hold Shift and drag a circular Selection from the top-left to the bottom-right corner.

Go to Filter � Distort �Spherize and apply a setting of +100%. Once you've done this, press Ctrl+C.

1

3

THE START IMAGESThe template FRAMES.PSD is on the free CD, along with the SPHERE-BACKGROUND.JPG le and FLORENCE 1-12.JPG les.

eyes of our audience that the � at piece of paper we display

along, you'll � nd on our free CD a one-of-a-kind Photoshop


136-137 TOTM sphere KH ja.indd 136 10/12/2010 10:50

DIGITAL PHOTO WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UK

WHAT YOU NEED PHOTOSHOP OR ELEMENTSWHAT YOU’LL LEARN MAKE A 3D PHOTO SPHERE

a 3D Photo Sphere is just a few clicks away ”“ With our Photoshop template, making

136-137 TOTM sphere KH ja.indd 137 10/12/2010 10:51

digital photo88

Enthusiast D-sLRsGear

www.photoanswers.co.uk

The latest enthusiast-focused D-SLrs that offer a range of high-end features and advanced controls for photographers looking to upgrade.

Canon eOS 60D…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£815Nikon D7000… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1099Pentax K-5…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £1059

what we tested

088-097 Enthusiast D-SLRs three way PH KH ja.indd 88 09/12/2010 16:34

DIGITAL PHOTO 89

ENTHUSIAST D-SLRS GEAR


ENTHUSIAST D-SLRS

BIG GROUP TEST!WE REVEAL THE BEST-BUY ENTHUSIASTMODELS

If you’re thinking of upgrading to an enthusiast D-SLR, then there’s never been a better time. We put the

latest three models from Canon, Nikon and Pentax to the test

TEST BY PHIL HALL

ENTHUSIAST D-SLR

ROUND-UP088-097 Enthusiast D-SLRs three way PH KH ja.indd 89 09/12/2010 16:34

RENOWNED for being the � rst manufacturer to break into the Micro FourThirds market with the innovative G1 in 2008, Panasonic has always been at the forefront of developing Micro FourThirds cameras, producing no fewer than seven models in the last two years. The G1, GH1, G10, G2 and more recently announced GH2 have all taken the shape of D-SLRs, whereas the GF series has been more about o� ering a Micro FourThirds feature set in a smaller,

pocket-friendly, compact body. Fourteen months on from the release of the GF1, Panasonic’s latest compact system camera (or CSC) to date is the GF2, which combines an interchangeable lens design with a sensor that’s larger than those you’ll � nd in a compact and is equal in resolution terms to a few D-SLRs on the market.

The older GF1 impressed us in the past and gave us something to get excited about in 2009. If the GF2 is to do the same it needs to

turn the four-star overall verdict the GF1 received into a � ve-star result. Let’s start by checking out its hottest features and latest developments.

Features & BuildAt the heart of the GF2 is a 12.1Mp sensor that produces the same resolution as the GF1. This isn’t an issue, though, because the detail this size of sensor has produced in the past is exceptionally good, especially for prints up to A3 size.

The bigger talking point is that the GF2’s dimensions have shrunk and it’s now Panasonic’s smallest CSC ever made. It’s not as small as the NEX-5 produced by Sony, but it’s noticeably more petite beside its predecessor. With less room on the back of the camera for buttons, something radical had to be done if it was to maintain the functionality of the GF1. The GF2 has done away

with a mode dial on the top-plate and adopts a 3in, 460k-dot touch screen at the rear. Elsewhere, it inherits a high-performance Venus Engine FHD processor that’s more powerful than that on the GF1. This has enabled HD video to be upgraded from 720p to full HD (1920x1080) with movies recorded to SD/SDHC media in the AVCHD format. As an alternative, videos can also be created in the motion JPEG/HD, QVGA, WVGA and VGA recording formats.

For autofocus, the GF2 uses a contrast-detect AF system and has a variety of modes to choose from including 1 Area Spot, 23 Area, Face Detection, AF tracking and Manual Focus. All the usual shooting modes you expect to � nd on a CSC are featured and as well as the M, A, S, P modes, there’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, which automatically works out the best

WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UKDIGITAL PHOTO 98

GEAR

PANASONIC LUMIX GF2» £599 (WITH 14-42MM LENS) » 12.1MP SENSOR » MICRO FOURTHIRDS » WWW.PANASONIC.CO.UK

The Micro FourThirds standard has grown in popularity in recent years, so what can the latest o ering from Panasonic bring to the table? We take a look at the new GF2 to � nd out...TEST BY MICHAEL TOPHAM

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PANASONIC LUMIX GF2KNOWLEDGE

GF2 lens kit combinationsPanasonic’s GF2 is available in three kit combinations. The cheapest option is to buy the body with a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, which comes to £599. If you prefer a � xed focal-length it can be bought with the 14mm f/2.5 pancake lens for around £630, and if you’d like it with both you’ll need to save up in the region of £730 for the GF2 twin lens kit.

Pop-up flashThe top-plate on the GF2 has seen quite a few modi� cations in comparison with the GF1. The pop-up � ash features a re-modelled mechanism and pops up in the blink of an eye when the Open button is depressed. It’s possible to tilt the � ash unit back with the � nger which is handy when you want to achieve a subtle bounce � ash e� ect.

D-Pad & Quick MenuHit the Menu/Set button in the centre of the D-pad and it’ll display the GF2’s bright and clearly laid-out menu system that’s broken down into six categories. The Q Menu button beneath is handy for making speedy changes to important camera settings such as Metering, AF Mode, Picture Settings, Motion Picture Settings and Image Quality.

098-101 TESTED Panoo GF2 MT KH ja.indd 98 09/12/2010 16:51


settings for your situation. To add to this, Panasonic has developed a more expressive set of My Color modes featuring a total of eight new presets including Retro, Pure, Elegant, Cinema and Silhouette. Looking back at the 100-3200 ISO range on the GF1, this is another area that’s seen improvement on the GF2, with the ISO spanning a broad 100-6400.

Featuring the Micro FourThirds lens mount, you’ll need to be aware of the 2x focal length multiplication when considering a lens. The 14mm f/2.5 Lumix G lens

supplied with our test model is available in kit form with the GF2 and is equal to a 28mm f/2.5 lens in traditional 35mm � lm terms.

Performance & HandlingWe were somewhat sceptical about how it would feel in the hand with its diminutive proportions, but the GF2 retains the feel of a large-sized compact and can be slipped in a pocket with relative ease, albeit with a bit of a bulge where the lens protrudes!

The aluminium body gives the GF2 a rock-solid feel when it’s

held, but you’ll need to be aware that the ultra-smooth � nish doesn’t o� er much in the way of grip. As a precaution, we tended to use it with the shoulder strap.

Introducing the new touch screen has been of great bene� t. Freeing up room on the top-plate, Shooting Modes are quick to select from the top-left of the screen and it takes a matter of

seconds to change Metering modes and AF modes using the Q Menu on-screen button. The idea of tapping the screen to � re

the shutter is a nice touch and it’s incredibly responsive to use in combination with Continuous AF, but our preferred method was to use the shutter button up top.

Further bene� ts of the touch screen are that it can be tapped once to isolate and resize the AF point and it’s superb for cycling through and zooming into images when you’re in playback mode.

Like the GF1 it retains the movie record button on the top-plate and also adopts a dedicated iA button to employ Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto mode. Our favourite control, however, is the command dial at the rear. In Aperture and Shutter priority modes it’s awesome for making quick exposure changes and in

Manual mode it can be depressed to instantly

switch between Shutter Speed and Aperture – a smart and

well-received feature.In our tests we

found there was little

99DIGITAL PHOTO

PANASONIC LUMIX GF2 GEAR

“ The aluminum body gives the GF2 a rock-solid feel when held... ”

Street price: £599 (with 14-42mm zoom lens)Resolution: 12.1Mp (4000x3000) Lens mount: Micro FourThirdsFocusing: 23-area AF, AF Tracking, Face Detection & ManualContinuous shooting: 3.2fpsWrite times: 2.0secs (RAW), 1.5secs (JPEG)ISO range: 100-6400Anti-shake: Lens-basedShutter range: 60secs-1/4000secMonitor: 3.0in, 460k dots Live View: YesHD video: Full HD (1920x1080)Storage: SD/SDHC/SDXCWeight (body only): 265gDimensions: 112.8x67.8x32.8mmVisit: www.panasonic.co.uk

AT A GLANCE PANASONIC GF2

098-101 TESTED Panoo GF2 MT KH ja.indd 99 09/12/2010 16:52

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Digital Photo Jan 2011