Table of contents for March 2022 in Digital Camera Magazine

Winter is still with us, but rather than treating it as a time to hibernate, there’s so much to reward the intrepid photographer who ventures outdoors. James Abbott has been busy doing just this for our cover feature – 40 tips and tricks for taking your best-ever scenic shots. Dive right in from page 50. For another grounding in winter weather photography, enrol yourself in Camera College (p60), then join a long-exposure masterclass in One to One (p8). You’ll find more creative photo projects, some of which can be tackled indoors, in Photo Active (p16). A feast of photographic treats awaits you throughout the magazine, including highlights from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021 (p42), while Matt Black takes us out on the road with him to discuss his epic…

STEP 1 ENTER THIS URL www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc252 Enter the URL www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc252 into the destination bar of your internet browser – we’re using Google Chrome, but other browsers work in a similar way. Please do not enter it in any search field or search bar. This will take you to a page on our website. STEP 2 JUST CLICK THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK Here you’ll find all the gifts and videos to accompany this issue of Digital Camera. Click on the link labelled ‘Download the disc for Digital Camera 252’ and your download will start, delivered from our own secure server. It may take a few minutes. STEP 3 ACCESS YOUR FILES Open the .zip In your Downloads folder, or wherever you chose to download your files to, double-click the dc252-disc.zip file icon.…

Having got the bug for aviation after a visit to the now-famous Mach Loop back in 2008, I decided that’s what I wanted to do. Somewhat easier said than done, though! After leaving college, I managed to secure a freelance position shooting for a large track day company in the UK: it allowed me to pursue aviation as a hobby, eventually progressing into a career. After a lot of hard work, covering my own travel, advice from peers in the industry, and some luck, I was given my first break for the magazine that I now work for, Vertical. That was back in 2013; since then I have travelled across the world, photographing civilian, parapublic and military helicopter operators in a variety of roles. The rush of opening the door…

Whenever you photograph any type of sports, the fundamentals tend to be quite similar. Take advantage of fast shutter speeds, helpful focusing techniques such as continuous or facial recognition, and high-speed burst modes, and you can fire off enough images a second to make a small animation worthy of a Tim Burton stop-frame movie. All of these tools are a hugely powerful arsenal when you’re trying to get the shot – however, technology has become so far advanced that having these guarantees in place almost takes the fun out of it, and reduces that proud feeling for the moment you nailed a killer shot. Armed with my Canon EOS 5D Mk III and a 24-105mm f/4 lens, I headed to a local live wrestling event run by CSF Wrestling to…

Shooting landscapes is all about capturing the great outdoors in ways that show others your vision of the world. Whether you’re aiming for dramatic light at the golden hour or taking a more subdued documentary approach, there’s something for everyone in this varied genre. Capturing dramatic light, vivid colour and interesting weather conditions is the most popular approach, and this is where we’ll focus our attention. As legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams once said, “The single most important component of a camera is the 12 inches behind it” – you, in other words. With this idea in mind, here are 40 landscape photography tips that will ultimately help you to improve as a photographer, and make those 12 inches even more important. Some tips may even surprise and excite you…

In winter weather, the choice of shutter speed is essential: it can mean the difference between a sharp shot and a blurred one caused by camera shake. But holding a longer lens steady in the low light and cold and windy conditions that are often encountered at this time of year can be challenging. Shutter speed also has an effect on the way moving objects are recorded, so it’s something to consider when it’s raining or snowing. Relatively long shutter speeds will register falling raindrops and snowflakes as streaks in a picture. The shutter speed you need will depend on how hard the precipitation is; but you can see in the sequence shown here that a shutter speed of 1/15 sec – approximately three stops slower than the 1/100 sec…

Chuck Claude In issue 250, we challenged our readers to submit their best photo taken at night. Well done to Chuck, who wins a copy of Affinity Photo worth £49/$50. Digital Camera says: A brilliant and well-conceived astrophotography shot. This abandoned petrol station makes a strong subject, captured in front of the Milky Way with a 120-second exposure. 2nd place: Nigel Glasgow How’s this for an intriguing street scene? The road leads us into the image, and the intersection of the strings of lanterns and the white sign call to mind the characters that feature in the sign itself. 3rd place: Rashmi Shukle Strong leading lines and a strong composition really draw the eyes of the viewer into this fine architectural capture. Join us on Facebook! We’ll reveal the winner…

What does LCD stand for? LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display; the technology is used in lots of different electronic devices, such as televisions, computer monitors, mobile phones and, of course, digital cameras, where the rear screen is an LCD. How do LCDs work? The display comprises of millions of different pixels; in theory, the quality of your LCD is going to be sharper and clearer with a greater number of pixels. Camera screens are relatively small compared with computer monitors or TV screens, though, so the difference isn’t as immediately obvious. All modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have high quality, clear and clean LCD screens. Can the screen intensity be altered? The brightness of an LCD can normally be altered via your camera’s settings menu. You can set the…

This month, we’ve spent some time with a compelling new camera phone. The Google Pixel 6 Pro is the brand’s latest flagship handset, and boasts impeccable camera specifications. As is de rigueur for such devices these days, the Pixel 6 Pro’s multi-lens array comprises ultra-wide, wide and telephoto cameras; it can capture 50MP stills and 4K video, and its new Tensor chipset will make short work of all the resulting image processing. So far, so very good, and the Pixel 6 Pro can be had for an outlay that aggressively undercuts some of its main rivals. For anyone looking to invest in – or upgrade to – a new handset, could Google’s new flagship be the best camera phone for your pocket? Read our full test of its image-making prowess…

£1,099/$1,099 www.nikon.co.uk he Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S fills a small gap in Nikon’s line-up of Z-mount standard zoom lenses, slotting in between the more compact Z 24-70mm f/4 S and the hefty Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S ‘trinity’ zoom. It’s sure to find favour with Nikon photographers shifting to mirrorless from a full-frame DSLR, where they have long enjoyed the versatile 5x zoom range of the AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. The F-mount edition is still highly popular, not just as a kit lens option with full-frame DSLRs like the D750 and the D780, but in its own right as a walkabout zoom. Compared with the F-mount lens, the new Z-mount counterpart ditches optical VR. That’s not really an issue for full-frame Nikon Z-series cameras, all of which have in-body…

It’s hard to pick an overall winner in this round-up of low-priced lenses for mirrorless cameras. Any buying decision will primarily be based on what camera you have and what you want to use the lens for, which brings focal length and aperture into the equation. Even so, the Tamron 35mm for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras stands out from the crowd. Its classic 35mm focal length makes it perfect for street photography and everyday, walkabout shooting, while the f/2.8 aperture is fast enough for most scenarios. Image quality is exceptional and bokeh is very pleasant when shooting wide-open, especially at fairly short focus distances. Everything’s shoehorned into a really compact, lightweight construction, with an inexpensive price. The Canon RF 16mm and 50mm lenses in the group perform admirably as fun-sized,…

Matt Black Documentary photographer A full member of the iconic Magnum Photos agency, Matt spent over five years on the road shooting American Geography. Buckle up for a ride on page 118 Gary Clark Landscape photographer Inspired by the beauty of the coasts of south-west England and Wales, Gary is a master of long-exposure photography. We get to see him at work from page 8 Kat Ehlers Event & portrait photographer Based in south-west England, Kat’s natural portraits with creative backgrounds have been published internationally. Find out more on page 16 Jon Devo Photographer and writer Jon loves to explore the intersection of tech and image-making. This month, he wonders whether manufacturers release too many cameras. Page 98 Lloyd Horgan Aerial photographer Lloyd’s speciality is shooting aircraft and helicopters –…

hen you live or spend some time in the UK, you soon realise there’s one thing the Brits have in common: we love to moan about the weather. “It’s too cold. It’s too hot. It’s raining… again!” No matter what’s happening, there’s a small weather forecaster inside us that loves to give its opinion. Luckily this month we’re joined by Gary Clark, who enjoys taking his camera out to local landscapes and battling the elements to capture striking shots – whatever the weather. “I’d never really consider shooting in the midday sun with no cloud,” he says, “but with my filters, I can go out no matter what. Ideally you’d have an overcast day to really open up the exposure time and shoot some silky-smooth images.” But this is England,…

There are a fair few editing styles that stand out in postprocessing – colour pop, split-toning, HDR and cross-processing, to name a few. Creating an antique effect in photos is another popular effect today; sometimes used on film posters or in holiday snaps to give them a timeless feel, or even as an option in a fun photobooth at a wedding. Here you’ll learn how to give your photos a very cool antique effect using Lightroom. This program offers many wonderful presets for giving any shot a new look in a couple of clicks – but sometimes, slapping on a generic preset doesn’t give you the best results. After all, every photo is unique. Learning the fundamentals of how this look is created will give you much more control over…

1 What to shoot Try to pick something with just a couple of colours. This will make it easier for your viewer to take in the image without being overwhelmed. Items with clean surfaces also work well; with glass you might get small bright hotspots from reflections, so rotate the item in small movements here and there to rescue this. 2 Choose a lens This was shot with a Fujinon XF 80mm lens, which allowed me to get within about 25cm of the product. This lens also has a reproduction ratio of 1:1. This means that the image of a subject projected onto the sensor (or film) is the same size on the sensor as real life, and is the minimum magnification to classify as true macro. 3 Focus your…

With over a decade’s experience as a writer and photographer, James is also an accomplished image editor – and an expert in Affinity Photo. SPONSORED BY Vintage photo effects are all the rage, but the problem with one-click filters is that they can start to look a bit generic. The best retro effects may take a little more care and effort to craft, but can end up looking far more distinctive. In this project we’ll look at how to transform a modern photo into a vintage classic with a series of simple tricks, from adding dirt and grime to tinting the colours. Whatever photo you choose to work on, these tricks can age it beyond recognition in no time. One of the easiest ways to fake the ravages of time…

This month… Tool School Master the Object Selection Tool Explore this powerful Photoshop tool and learn how to enhance images with local adjustments Fundamentals Mono landscapes in Lightroom Knowing the right finishing touches makes all the difference when you convert to mono Get the Look The power of Curves Take control of tones by letting one of Photoshop’s most versatile Adjustment Layers to do the work VIDEO TRAINING The issue 252 download includes video lessons building on our tutorials, plus bonus videos with extra tips! www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc252 61 MINUTES OF VIDEO FILE & VIDEO www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc252 Download 61 minutes of video training for Photoshop, Lightroom and Affinity Photo. FILE & VIDEO www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc252…

James is a professional photographer who specialises in landscape and portraits. He’s an advanced Photoshop user and has created hundreds of tutorials. In photo editing, there are three main ways of doing things: the wrong way, the long way and the right way. And when it comes to controlling brightness, contrast and colour control, Curves are definitely the right way. Curves work well for controlling brightness, contrast, colour corrections and colour effects because you can control which tonal areas are affected by placing and moving control points along a curve. At first, it can look like a rather intimidating control, but it doesn’t take long to build familiarity and grow in confidence using this versatile Adjustment Layer. In this tutorial, we won’t be stacking different effects using multiple Curves Adjustment…

This street scene has some good things going for it, but the fact our three main subjects are all in deep shade means we need to do some work to bring out the best in it. Working in Camera Raw we’re going to transform the shot into a clean and contrasting black-and-white photo. To get the ball rolling, we’ll click on the B&W button at the top of the Basic Panel to turn the image monochrome 1. We’re now going to use the new Masking options in the latest update of Camera Raw, so we need to click on the Masking icon and then on Create A New Mask; now choose Select Subject and hope that it picks out the three ladies 2. Fortunately, it does, so we can now…

Landscape Photographer of the Year 14 £26/$40 www.ilexinstant.com Showcasing the winning and commended entries from each category of this prestigious competition, this is a stunning collection of images of our natural world. Each image is captioned and accompanied by technical information to please curious readers. BEST FOR No serious fan of landscape photography books should do without this. The Pocket Photographer £14.99/$19.99 www.laurenceking.com While this book is pitched at getting the most from the camera in your pocket, it’s also a bona fide photography primer. Clearly explained and supported with helpful illustrations, author Mike Kus walks the reader through the key techniques that have propelled his career beyond his Instagram feed. BEST FOR Camera phone ’togs and photography newbies will love this. London in Lockdown £25/$30 www.hoxtonminipress.com Featuring the work…

£849/$899 store.google.com The Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro were announced months ago. In fact, the phones themselves were secondary announcements to Tensor, Google’s new chipset, which replaces Qualcomm’s chips in this new flagship line. With a global silicon shortage having been on the cards for a while, it’s little wonder that Google, like Apple, is bringing its chips in-house. But that isn’t the only new thing about the Pixel 6 line – not by a long shot. The two new Pixels feature shiny, sleek, novel designs. There’s a raised camera strip around the back, akin to Geordi La Forge’s visor from Star Trek; and, unlike the Pixel 5, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are Gorilla Glass and metal delights. Add a new 50MP image sensor across both…

£799/$999 www.elinchrom.com The Elinchrom One is a portable, high-performance monolight that’s about the size of a 70-200mm lens. Offering everything from high-speed sync to fast charging and recycle times, to the ability to use USB power banks to keep on shooting, this is a flash that promises to move seamlessly from studio to location. For flash aficionados, the Elinchrom One will be compared to the Profoto B10 – and while its rival is a more powerful option (on paper, at least), it also costs almost twice as much. It also features a budget challenger in the form of the Godox AD300. In terms of power, at minimum output it delivers 7Ws and a recycle time of just 0.06 sec; at maximum output it gives you 131Ws, and takes 0.9 sec…

If all of your photos are fast filling your computer’s storage space – or you need to keep your digital portfolio portable – it might be time to invest in a portable SSD. A conventional portable hard disk drive still offers the most bytes for your buck, but for top transfer speeds, a solid-state drive is a must. Transferring information to a bank of memory chips is far faster than writing this information to a spinning disc of magnetic material will ever be. SSDs are also far more robust than hard disks. With no moving parts, there’s no mechanical wear and tear to worry about, or get damaged in the case of dropping the drive. They’re also less power-hungry: they’re often powered via the host computer’s USB connection, rather than…

9 ALL-NEW PHOTO TIPS CARDS If your magazine doesn’t have printed cards, you can print your own using the PDFs in the Gifts folder of your download. This month’s selection covers refraction, colour gels and more. TAKE YOUR TIPS CARDS OUT WITH YOU! 274-page Buyers Guide ebook Over 270 pages of camera and lens reviews, plus buying advice for accessories! See the Gifts folder in your download and choose your next purchase. 16 free textures Give your images a vintage feel by adding dirt, scratches or marks in Affinity Photo. Turn to page 68. 8 expert videos for Photoshop and Lightroom Training for Photoshop, Lightroom, Camera Raw and Affinity Photo – see page 79 for a full listing of this issue’s topics! 61 MINS OF VIDEO…

10 things you can shoot and edit this month, from aviation and wrestling action to creating pop art Shooting on location offers endless possibilities for how you can compose your photos, or how you can pose your model. Back when I started to photograph people, my family and I used to live in Bristol. With so many amazing locations for photo shoots, the city makes a perfect backdrop. However, starting out as a portrait photographer had its ups and downs. After taking photographs of architecture for a while, I struggled to make connections with other people in this field. One day I discovered the Purpleport.com modelling website: there I met like-minded people and started gaining confidence. I had more and more photoshoots, and I was building my contacts and location…

There’s something so special about a black-and-white photo. By removing the colour information from your shot, you reveal other elements, like shape and texture. Going mono helps the viewer gain a fresh perspective on a familiar scene or subject. For some photographers, black-and-white might be something they haven’t seriously attempted so far: as an avowed casual snapper, I’d never done a mono conversion before starting my daily photo project last year – but in the end, more than half of my finished images were in black and white. Below are three tools that are found in most or all image-editing programs. When you process an image, make a habit of seeing how it looks in mono: you’ll be surprised at the results. Contrast The most direct tool for editing your…

Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award ‘Cool Time’ Martin Gregus Martin Gregus shows polar bears in a different light as they come ashore in summer. On a hot summer’s day, two female polar bears took to the shallow intertidal waters to cool off and play. Martin used a drone to capture this moment. For him, the heart shape symbolises the apparent sibling affection between them and “the love we as people owe to the natural world”. DJI Mavic 2 Pro with Hasselblad L1D-20c and 28mm f/2.8 lens; 1/400 sec at f/3.2, ISO 100 Winner, 15-17 Years ‘High-Flying Jay’ Lasse Kurkela Lasse Kurkela watches a Siberian jay fly to the top of a spruce tree to stash its food. Lasse wanted to give a sense of scale in his photograph of the…

Winter serves up some of the best light you’ll find for outdoor photography. The soft, diffuse light of a cloudy day can be wonderful for portraits and close-ups, while the dynamic sunsets at this time of year can bring landscapes and cityscapes to life – with the bonus that you don’t have to wait until late in the evening to capture the colours of dusk. Of course, that’s fine if it’s not raining. For many of us, there’s more of a chance of shooting in drizzle than greetings card-friendly snowdrifts. There’s still a lot of creative work you can do when it’s wet – even if it’s just editing shots at home! Backlit rain shot against a dark backdrop can look fantastic, for example, particularly if you use a slower…

Stormy winter conditions are ideal for long-exposure photography, as they make it easier to capture exaggerated motion blur. The coast is a great location to try this, as rough seas can be rendered smooth and creamy with an exposure of several seconds. You’ll need a sturdy tripod and an ND filter to capture a blend of sharpness and extreme blur that makes these types of images stand out. Don’t set up in a location that’s too exposed, and be prepared to act as a windbreak to block the camera from the worst of the weather. You’ll need a dry microfibre cloth (make that several) to wipe the filter on the front of the lens before you take a shot. If you’re using a DSLR, block the viewfinder too, as any…

1 ‘Pet Photography’ by Louise Charlotte “I set up a plain backdrop with a studio light set up to the left of my dog. I was very happy with how the lighting highlighted the whole of the dog’s face, producing only a few shadows.” Digital Camera says: We love this image, Louise. From the even lighting across your dog’s face – with an expression that makes you want to reach out and pat it – to the way it fades into the background, it’s a great shot. 2 ‘Stormy Skies’ by Mark Gilronan “Taken on a stormy day in Sidmouth, when even the seagulls seemed to be heading for cover. One of my main aims with the composition was to line up the top rail with the horizon to split…

With over a decade as a writer and photographer behind him, James knows exactly which Photoshop and Lightroom tools and techniques matter most. In the short time it’s been around, the Object Selection Tool has become one of the most useful on offer in Photoshop. Powered by artificial intelligence, it is able to recognise the content of your photos and seek out the edges of objects: you can now make a precise selection of any object within seconds, even if you’ve never used Photoshop before. With the release of Photoshop CC 2022, the Object Selection Tool has evolved further. Now you can hover over objects in the image and the tool gives you a handy overlay preview to show what will be included. You then simply click on the area…

£619/$599 www.nikon.co.uk Nikon’s AF-S DX 18-140mm VR zoom was launched back in 2013 and became a popular kit lens option with mid-range DSLRs from the D5300 and D7100 onwards. The new Z DX edition for APS-C format mirrorless cameras, such as the Z 50 and the Z fc, is more compact and weighs in at just 315g, compared with 490g for the older lens. It shares the same optical layout of 17 elements in 13 groups, but doubles the aspherical and ED count to two of each. A key feature for most casual shooters is the generous 7.8x zoom range, which stretches from a fairly wide-angle 18mm to a useful 140mm telephoto reach (equivalent to 27-210mm in full-frame terms, thanks to the 1.5x crop factor of Nikon DX cameras). That…

ith Black Friday and Cyber Monday merging into Christmas and January sales, you might well have treated yourself to a new mirrorless camera recently. There are certainly plenty to choose from, with almost every camera manufacturer offering some tempting treats. However, with all of the other seasonal spending and inflationary pressures taking their toll, chances are there’s not much left in the kitty for additional lenses. The good news is that there are some splendid budget prime lenses on the market, which deliver excellent image quality while really driving down prices. We’ve picked out some of the best money-saving options, in a wide range of mount options. These budget lenses typically have a compact, lightweight build, entirely in keeping with the ‘compact’ system camera ethos. And, apart from the manual…

Matt Black is a serious storyteller. Serious in the sense that he takes the time to delve deep into stories; serious in his dedicated approach to research; and serious in that he’s not afraid to tackle difficult subjects, although he does so with an acute empathy that is rare, even in the worthy world of photojournalism. All of this seems to stem from his roots – where he came from and how it has profoundly affected his outlook on life and his approach to documentary photography. Black comes from an area of California far away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, showbiz and multi-million dollar mansions. The Central Valley, a 450-mile-long valley that dominates the central part of the state, is an area that’s often overlooked but is known…