Indice dei contenuti per May 2018 in Practical Photography: Lite

WHICH IS MORE important – technical prowess or artistic vision? Given the choice, I’d opt for the latter. After all, being able to ‘see’ images that others wouldn’t is what separates photographers from people with cameras. Artistic vision is also the driving force behind a wealth of new landscape techniques – wide-angle lenses and neutral density filters have been usurped by minimalism, abstraction and wide apertures (f/2.8 is the new f/22). This month we’re joined by six photographers at the forefront of this movement – we’re calling it Landscapes v2.0 – who each present a new and exciting way to add a contemporary edge to this classic subject. Your new obsession starts on page 36. WATCH FREE VIDEOS! Visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/ppmagazine to enjoy more than 80 brilliant…

Camera Buying Guide Unsure about which camera is best for your needs? Our ebook includes reviews, spec and prices for every camera available right now. Latest additions include Canon’s 2000D and 4000D, and the Sony α 7R III. 15 texture brushes Add eye-catching texture to your shots in an instant with this free pack of custom-made texture brushes for Photoshop and Elements. Photoshop video lessons Learn how to create instant retro results from RAW, make a powerful mono conversion in three simple steps and correct common lens distortions. DOWNLOAD THE DISC CONTENT AT bit.ly/ppdisc1806…

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS III With so many excellent lenses, Canon would be forgiven for resting on its laurels. However, we believe there will be an update to the astounding pro-level 70-200mm f/2.8. Already featuring image stabilisation, we would expect to see small refinements to the IS, as well as a more refined approach to the optics, which will result in faster focusing and sharper images. canon.co.uk Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III With the OM-D E-M1 and E-M10 both receiving recent updates, it’s high time we saw the next evolution of the enthusiast-level E-M5 range, the Mark III. While there is nothing certain yet, we’re hoping to see Olympus include a resolution bump, from the current 16MP to a new 20MP sensor, improved pixel shift mode, and the inclusion of…

I FIRST PICKED UP A CAMERA WHEN I WAS 25, HAVING decided that my imaginary career as a painter was likely never going to come to fruition. I immediately found that photography satisfied a creative need in me and soon my old Nikon D40 was travelling alongside me everywhere. The less said about those early images the better, although I keep them all visible on Flickr as a reminder to myself that whatever success I find now and in the future, my photographic beginnings were just as awkward and humbling as everybody else’s. Back in the early days, the one lens I was desperate to add to my collection was a wide-angle and I would spend hours on photo sharing sites, gawking at the power of an ultra-wide and how…

1 Think monochrome In order to shoot a great black & white landscape you need to visualise the scene in grey tones only. A useful trick for doing this is to fix a coloured filter to the lens so that when you look through the viewfinder you see the image in monochrome. The filter can be removed before you take the shot. 2 Control exposure Simply turning a colour shot black & white will never guarantee a good image. Black & white shots are much more dependent upon light and contrast than colour images. When shooting a scene for black & white use the histogram to ensure an even spread of tones and always bracket your shots. 3 Edit carefully Shoot your black & white landscapes in RAW so that…

Roy Henderson captured a unique view of a very traditional scene by getting up close and personal with the foreground detail in the fields in order to create a blurred backdrop. In both shots the composition is absolutely spot-on and the use of a limited colour palette and the bright sunlight really makes the shots sing out.…

1 Scout the landscape When looking for an abstract shot it can be useful to assess the scene through your camera’s viewfinder first. This gives you the advantage of using just one eye – which makes everything two-dimensional – as well as allowing you to zoom in and isolate parts of the landscape. 2 Keep it simple Once you’ve found a vista that offers potential, remember that a successful abstract is more about what you leave out than what you include. Avoid the sky, unless it is a uniform colour and tone, as it will be instantly recognisable and stick to a limited colour palette for impact. 3 Enhance by editing Abstract landscapes will always benefit from some tweaking in software such as Lightroom or Photoshop. Colours can be made…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO ADD A CLASSY feel to your shots and inject more mood, you need look no further than a striking black & white conversion. Dating back to the incarnation of film photography, mono images are an unashamedly retro throwback that remains a huge draw for photographers in the digital age. As well as looking great, black & white images have many practical applications. Mono treatments can be used to remove colourful distractions, or increase atmosphere in images that lack vibrancy, as is the case with our macaque monkey. Shots are much more resilient to black & white processing than other colour-based edits, so you can push the contrast much higher. It’s also a great way of saving an image taken at a high ISO from the trash,…

• SIZE OF OIL DROPS If you want more control over the size and position of your bubbles, you can use a pipette to delicately place the oil in the water and create the oil drop size that you’re after. If the droplets are too big, you can stir your glass with a spoon to break the oil up into smaller bubbles. • BLURRY IMAGES If your lens has any form of in-built image stabilisation such as IS or VR, you’ll want to turn this off as these systems can unintentionally introduce blur when your camera is locked off on a tripod. If you’re experiencing subject blur then this is because the oil is moving quickly in the water and your shutter speed isn’t fast enough to freeze the movement.…

TEXTURES ARE a fantastic way of giving your shots extra wow factor and making them more eye-catching. But usually you have to copy and paste your texture in and resize it, which can be a bit of a long process. So we’ve put together a custom set of brushes that you can load up in Photoshop or Elements to paint textures into your pictures instantly. Photoshop’s Brush Tool comes loaded with an arrangement of soft and hard brushes, great for blending images together. Our free brush pack boasts an assortment of cloud brushes that you can use to make a clear sky look less sparse, soft bokeh effects which will give your pictures a diffused, dreamy feel and large texture brushes that will add instant grit. We’ve also included a…

What sort of gear offers the biggest savings when bought used? As a used specialist, all of the equipment that we sell offers a fantastic saving versus new, and bargains can be found throughout our listings. However, lenses and cameras that have been replaced in the last couple of years can give the best value for money. How can I ensure that I’m buying used gear safely? The reason that mpb.com was started was because of the risks that photographers would face when buying and selling secondhand equipment online. Peer-to-peer sales on auction sites and online classified marketplaces sometimes offer attractive prices, however the anonymity of these sites make them risky options that can lead to issues and further expense later on. In addition, there is also a possibility that…

“MY CAMERA ENDED UP COLLECTING DUST ON A BOOKSHELF...” CENTURIES OF ART AND culture collide in Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk’s surreal, serene portraiture. With a Caravaggio-level mastery of light and shadow, and sly references to some of history’s most celebrated painters, Gemmy has established herself as a tour de force of portrait photography. With a loyal client-base and an impressive collection of awards, it’s clear that Gemmy is a burgeoning star on the rise... How did you become interested in photography? Ever since my childhood I’ve loved to paint and draw. I wanted to attend an art academy, but my life took me on a different path and I graduated as a goldsmith instead. I continued painting, but a few years ago my family situation changed and I suddenly had a lot…

Anna Doshina At the forefront of the film revolution, Anna has created a beautifully ethereal portfolio of lifestyle images that are full of light and hope. Get retro on p126 Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk Inspired in equal parts by Star Wars and Rembrandt, Gemmy’s detailed fine art portraits are from a galaxy far, far away. See p112 Irene Mendez Cruz Irene has turned an obsession with jellyfish into a truly amazing photo project that’s both beguiling and rather alien. Swim for shore on p162…

1 Visualise the scene ICM shots may look chaotic on first impression but the key to making an image that stands out from the crowd lies in understanding the sort of landscapes that work best for this technique. Vertical lines formed by trees are ideal, while high contrast or a strong colour will both add impact. 2 Set your controls There isn’t a ‘perfect’ setting for ICM shots, but a shutter speed of 1/8sec is probably the minimum required to give enough time to move the camera while the exposure is made. Dial in the lowest ISO you can, shut your lens down to its narrowest aperture and use an ND filter if you need to. 3 Move and experiment Vastly different effects will be achieved depending on how –…

1 Set the scene If you want to portray blurry movement in your shot you need something that moves. The sea crashing onto a beach makes a perfect study for this technique, but keep in mind that it’s only one element. Choose a composition that is strong even without the added movement blur. 2 Dial in a long exposure Put your camera on a tripod and weigh it down if there’s any chance that it might move during the exposure. Compose your shot, set your lowest ISO and narrowest aperture. Fit an ND filter and start with an exposure of around 20secs. Use the bulb setting and the self-timer to avoid camera shake. 3 Experiment with blur The wonderful thing about digital photography is the ability to instantly review your…

MEET YOUR GUIDE ALEXANDR NAUMENKO Alexandr is an architectural and landscape photographer from Kiev. He’s been taking photos since 1988 and runs an online store. 500px.com/architecturalphotographer NATURE MAY not appear to be very regimented, but for those who take the time to really look, patterns and abstractions will begin to emerge. Landscapes, for instance, can seem chaotic at first glance, but on closer inspection there is often an order to the scene – you just have to learn to see it. Keep on looking If there is one consistent piece of advice to take from this feature on contemporary landscapes it is to learn to ‘see’ the potential that’s in front of you. Beautiful ‘bucket list’ landscapes abound, but many of us may never get to visit them. That doesn’t…

MEET YOUR GUIDE JEREMY WALKER Jeremy is an award-winning landscape and commercial photographer whose work has been widely used in the advertising industry. He also runs workshops. jeremywalker.co.uk LESS IS MORE, so the popular phrase attests, and in landscape photography a certain ‘stripped down’ aesthetic can really add impact and make your shots stand out in such a crowded arena. Traditional landscape photography is often driven by detail – packing as much in as possible so that the viewer feels like they are transported to the scene. Get in tight While giant, arcing vistas shot on wide-angle lenses and chock full of detail are a perfectly respectable approach to landscape photography, in some cases a much more compelling image could be made by homing in on some of the elements…

FANCY TRYING OUT A NEW LOOK for a fraction of the cost of hair dye? All you need is Photoshop and the know-how to do it. We’ve outlined every step you need to take to pull off this fantastic hair recolouring effect. The trick is to start with a portrait that has light colourful hair, such as blonde or light brown, as this makes it easy to get natural results. You’ll learn how to swap hair colours, apply a dip-dye punk rock look and also turn hair from blonde to black. It’s a brilliant way of giving your model a makeover, and when you’re done you’ll be a master of recolouring, with the knowledge to change the colour of anything that catches your eye. 1 Make a rough selection of…

LIGHTROOM Skip exporting & go straight from Lightroom to Photoshop If you use Lightroom to work up your RAWs and the full version of Photoshop for more advanced edits, such as cloning or making composites, then this is a time-saving hack for you. It’s possible to take your edited RAW file directly into Photoshop rather than exporting it and loading it up manually into Photoshop. To do this, go to your Preferences in Lightroom and click on the External Editing tab. Now you’ll see a bunch of options below the Edit in Adobe Photoshop heading. You can set these to your preferred settings, or use ours (see right) for a good default setup. When you’re done, go to Photo>Edit In>Adobe Photoshop or hit the shortcut Ctrl+E. PHOTOSHOP Put your older…

Polaroid SX-70 From £100 Before the digital revolution in photography, the only way to see your pictures ‘instantly’ was with a Polaroid. It’s a photographic look that has been much-aped digitally, but this is the real thing – as used by the likes of Andy Warhol and David Hockney. Nikon F5 From £250 Nikon’s pro-spec 35mm film SLR is the pinnacle of the genre. There is really nothing better as the investment in film camera technology effectively ended here. Incredibly robust, these are the cameras that journalists took to war zones, and they still take great pictures. Hasselblad 500CM From £1000 If you’re serious about taking great shots on film then you need to try medium-format. And if you’re shooting medium-format, you have to try a ’blad. This classic 6x6…

AT ITS VERY SIMPLEST, photography can be reduced to pressing a button to take a picture. But the shutter button can perform in a variety of different ways. It can allow you to select the manner in which images are taken, and also let you control the shutter’s behaviour to suit the subject you’re shooting. The controls that govern the shutter button are known as the drive mode, and understanding how to use them correctly is essential to being able to completely master your camera. What is the drive mode? The drive mode lets you dictate precisely what happens when you press the shutter button to capture a frame. For lots of situations, simply taking a single shot is all that’s required. But most DSLRs offer five main drive mode…

• I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE NATURAL WORLD while growing up in Venezuela, with its beautiful Caribbean coastlines, scenic Andean landscapes and various exotic creatures. After high school I decided to study politics and social sciences at the Sorbonne, Paris, in order to gain an understanding of the world we live in and also to help me become a journalist. After graduating and working for a couple of years, I arrived at a career crossroads. When I found out that there was a Marine and Natural History Photography course in England I couldn’t believe it. It seemed absolutely tailored to me. Within a couple of months I’d packed my bags and left my life in France behind to pursue my dream. This course has given me both invaluable experience…

“SEARCHING FOR LITTLE CREATURES IN THE HALF-LIGHT ISN’T AN EASY TASK…” A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WHEN I FIRST started photographing wildlife, I decided I wanted to try and capture some images of wild butterflies. I already had a location in mind, a local nature reserve where I’d seen several species on previous visits, so I set out on a sunny afternoon armed with my macro lens and high expectations. It was well into June and the landscape was brimming with blooming flowers and buzzing insects. There were lots of butterflies too – I saw brimstones, common blues and skippers flitting around on the warm summer air. I set up my gear and moved through the meadow towards an area where a stunning sulphur-yellow brimstone was feeding. I found him…

MEET YOUR GUIDE VICKI MULLET Vicki Mullet is based in Seattle, Washington. She won the 2007 BetterPhoto.com Grand Prize. She shoots mainly abstract photography via ICM. vickimullet.com LANDSCAPE photography is seldom given to flights of fad-ism. It’s generally a conservative arena in which photographers strive for clarity, sharpness and intricate detail. But a recent trend has taken the rule book and not just tossed it aside, but launched it into the metaphoric stratosphere by introducing – and promoting – the landscape photographer’s traditional nemesis… movement. Shaking things up Think of landscape photography and it’s likely you’ll picture a camera firmly anchored to a hefty tripod, insulated from any shakes, rattles or rolls. But a quick search for ‘landscapes’ on sites like Instagram these days will return vistas full of flowing…

MEET YOUR GUIDE SIMON DÉCARPIGNY-BARREAU Simon is a 22-year-old student photographer from France. He has travelled throughout Europe shooting landscapes & cityscapes. 500px.com/simondecarpigny BLACK & WHITE photography is the very definition of ‘traditional’ and in landscape shoots it will always be synonymous with the great Ansel Adams, who wrote the book on imaging the great outdoors. But while the images made by Adams and his contemporaries are undeniably beautiful, nobody could possibly describe them as mould-breaking landscape photographs. Monochrome purity While black & white can be ultra-conservative, it also has the power to present landscapes that challenge the viewer in ways that colour will rarely be able to do. By removing distracting hues and tones from an image, the scene becomes a study in the purity of light and composition.…

MEET YOUR GUIDE ROSS HODDINOTT Ross is a multi award-winning landscape and nature photographer and the author of several books on photography. rosshoddinott.co.uk THE HUMAN eye is an amazing bit of kit. Its ability to take in a whole scene while still being capable of picking out the tiniest of details is unparalleled. It can cope with extreme variances in contrast and operate perfectly well in direct sunlight and almost total darkness. No camera could possible compete with what nature has given us, but the technology does allow us to picture the world in a way that we could never see it with our eyes alone. Photographing time We perceive the world second by second. The frame rate of the human eye is estimated to be up to 1000fps (we…

MEET YOUR GUIDE ROY HENDERSON Roy is a British photographer who started out as a hobbyist and now earns a second income through microstock photography. 500px.com/mrdoomits TRADITIONAL landscape shots tend to strive for a sharpness all across the image. With a camera firmly mounted to a tripod, photographers select their lowest ISO, dial in the narrowest of apertures and calculate hyperfocal distances like research physicists. The results are incredible studies in clarity with every element of the image in pin-sharp detail, from a blade of grass a few inches away from the camera to the distant mountains looming in the background. But is there a place in this arena for a different kind of look? Go shallow Shallow depth-of-field is a common and popular technique in photography. One of the…

Alexandr Naumenko certainly ticks the abstract box with this unusual view of a grassy field. The use of a long telephoto lens has compressed the perspective, making the rolling farmland look like an undulating carpet. It’s such a successful abstract image that it’s only once your eye settles on the blue, man-made, object in the shot that it is possible to get a true sense of the scale. “This shot of a hilly field was taken during a photographic tour around South Moravia that I organised in the spring of 2015. I shot it on a Sony α 7R with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, which is an excellent telephoto for landscape photography. This lens is great for ‘squeezing’ the perspective, and as a result the…

Weathered sea defences are a timeless long-exposure subject, and Jeremy’s deceptively simple shot belies the technical expertise that goes into visualising minimalist landscapes. “The colours and textures of this old groyne really caught my eye. I love the lines and shapes, added with the warm tones of the pebbles, which make for a strong, graphic shot. Giving the scene the long-exposure treatment with a 10-stop ND filter helped produce a calming, ethereal feel and gives a hint of interest to an otherwise flat sky.” Lone trees are another accessible subject that lends itself to minimalist compositions. Jeremy recommends keeping the horizon low in the frame to emphasise the sky.…

IMAGE QUALITY IS ONE OF the biggest factors we consider when buying a new camera or lens – in the digital age, where our audience can zoom in to inspect each and every pixel, we want the glass to be as good as possible. But optics aren’t everything, and it’s no surprise the charm and character of old film photos is popular again, with the likes of Instagram boasting an array of retro filter effects. The great news is, if you own a digital camera, you can do both! You can shoot clean colour images, and enhance image quality with our three quick tips on page 74, or go the other way and apply a lo-fi retro look to your shots. In this Lightroom tutorial we’ll show you how to…

IN TODAY’S ONLINE climate, the likelihood of thousands of people seeing your work is high. With this in mind, image quality has never been so important. Many zoom lenses have traces of distortion at the wider end of the scale, such as barrel distortion or vignetting – the darkness that manifests in the corner of the image. Some optics also create heavy chromatic aberration – the purple and green fringing around object edges – when shot in high contrast situations. Even the more expensive lenses can be prone to this troublesome effect. While more advanced versions of Photoshop, such as CS and CC, offer automatic fixes for these issues, these great Elements-friendly techniques will give you full control. Using some basic tools, we can address a majority of the imperfections…

THERE’S AN ENTIRE miniature world out there just waiting to be captured with your camera. Images like this have a surreal and graphic feel to them, and look like they’ve been created on a computer. In actual fact it’s a photograph and all you need to get similar shots at home is some water, a splash of cooking oil and a colourful sheet of paper you can use as a backdrop. Because oil isn’t soluble in water it floats to the top and, as it reflects light differently to water, it creates these fantastic patterns. It’s not an exact science so you’ll never take two identical pictures – part of the appeal is not knowing what you’re going to get. It’s fantastic fun to experiment with varying amounts of oil…

Richard Collins PP’s deputy editor is a hugely experienced journalist, tutor and pro fashion photographer. Dan Mold PP’s Photoshop editor is a former Digital Photo staffer who has encyclopedic photo knowledge. Louise Carey PP’s features editor is an award-winning fine art and documentary photographer. Is secondhand camera gear worth looking at? Q I’ve been browsing some of the used classifieds and it seems like there are plenty of bargains out there, but is old kit worth investing in or is it too outmoded to be of any use? Brian Lewis, Kingston upon Thames Richard says: Questions regarding which camera to buy are by far the most prolific in PP’s inbox, but they are also very tough to answer as each person’s needs and budget will be…

Use it as a back-up camera Once a camera’s value plummets it can become a ‘go anywhere’ tool. Keep it in the car so you never miss a chance to grab a shot, take it to places where you might be nervous about taking more expensive kit or get a waterproof housing and use it for underwater shots. Give it to your children Show the next generation there’s more to photography than smartphones and Instagram by getting them hands-on with a real camera. It could open up the door to a hugely enjoyable hobby that you can both share – just so long as they don’t take better shots than you… Convert it to infrared Digital cameras are inherently sensitive to infrared but they have a filter in front of…

“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO SOFT AND DREAMY IMAGES...” AS THE ICY COBWEBS OF winter are chased away by the blossoms of spring, you can be sure that Anna Doshina will be there to capture each and every moment. Using her beloved Contax 645 and countless rolls of film, she has collated a stunning lifestyle portfolio that showcases ordinary everyday moments, peaceful vistas and intricately-styled still life. How did you first become interested in photography? Ever since my childhood I’ve always been creatively inclined, immersing myself in various types of art such as drawing, music and poetry. But it was only when I started taking photography really seriously in 2008 that I felt like I was on the right track and I was able to quench my unceasing aesthetic thirst.…

CANON’S entry-level DSLRs are a starting point for many budding photographers who are unsure of their specific needs, but trust Canon’s excellent reputation. This drive for great quality at low prices was cemented by the introduction of the 10.1MP 1000D back in 2008. The wildly popular camera set the mould for the company’s subsequent entry-level models. The latest revamp to hit Canon’s APS-C DSLR 1000 series introduces two models and a new naming convention. The first is an update to the previous base model, the 1300D, and bears the name 2000D. The second is the 4000D, a budget offering which opts for several cost-cutting features and bears a similarity to the 1300D’s specs. Our biggest question is – what does an extra £100 buy you, and what does a £100…