Tabla de contenidos para June 2019 en Practical Photography: Lite

LENSES Tamron lines up latest lenses TAMRON HAS RECENTLY announced the development of three new lenses, set to be released in mid-2019. The line-up is said to bring two new lenses for full-frame DSLRs, while the third is aimed at Sony E mount users. The former includes the SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD, a classic focal length for travel and environmental portraits, as well as the 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD zoom lens. The 35mm marks the 40th anniversary of the SP (Superior Performance) range. It’s been designed to be robust, give outstanding AF performance and create pleasing bokeh in the out-of-focus areas. The 35-150mm appears to be a very ambitious release. This new compact zoom is designed for a mix of fast handling and easy transport, and features a…

I REMEMBER HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH A FRIEND of mine who stumbled across my Instagram feed and wanted to tell me how impressed he was with my imagery. Towards the end of what was a rather gratifying conversation, he said, “You rather like your reflections, don’t you?” It’s amusing that out of that conversation, among all the kind words, this was the sentiment that stuck. It strangely made me feel somewhat defensive, as if there was a suggestion that my work was rather derivative (which, to be fair, it can be). So why did I react so badly to the suggestion that I relied heavily on this particular landscape photography trope? What’s wrong with reflections? “REFLECTIONS ENCOURAGE YOU TO BREAK THE RULES OF PHOTOGRAPHY” I’m constantly seeking out opportunities to…

■ A shutter speed slow enough to move the camera while the shutter is open is the basis of this technique. Set the lowest ISO your camera has and, in shutter-priority mode, start with a speed of around 1/2 sec. If you can’t achieve a speed this low then wait until there is less light or consider the use of a neutral density filter. ■ The type of landscape you are shooting will affect how you move the camera. A good place to start is with trees – look for examples where they contrast with the background, either through being backlit or where they have a lighter tone, such as silver birches. Moving the camera in the vertical plane will ‘stretch’ the trees out like paint spread across a canvas.…

How did your style develop to the point you are at now? “THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S CREATIVE PROCESS IS ONE OF EXCLUSION” To be honest, I had become very disillusioned with photography, almost to the point of wanting to give up. I had realised we were all making images of the same places, in the same way and with the same equipment. Everything was becoming homogenised. I was bored. Then one day on Flickr I came across the work of Chris Friel and my life changed. I had never seen a camera used as he did. It was a revelation. At last here was someone who saw and showed the world in a totally different way – more akin to painting than photography. I contacted Chris and we have since become very…

How planned out are your shots? On the whole they are fairly unplanned. The locations are usually selected and the subject matter has to catch my eye – usually based on texture, contrast and colour – but the end result is not visualised or planned very often at all and if it is, it is rarely achieved. “WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO LET GO, EXPERIMENT AND TO BE PREPARED TO FAIL” What sort of techniques do you use and what gear do you shoot on? My principle techniques are multiple exposures and intentional camera movement. I use a Canon 5D MkIV and I only use one lens – the Canon 70-300mm IS L. I guess using only one lens would freak most photographers out but for me it is the…

Lisa Beaney is a professional wedding and portrait photographer and PermaJet Brand Ambassador. She has won many awards in social photography and is a Master of Photography for the Photographer Academy. She spends time training around the UK on behalf of trade organisations, as well as speaking and judging at events and offering a one-to-one mentoring service. Should I print for my wedding clients? You can’t guarantee your clients will have a colour calibrated device to see the images as we intend, so printing is really important to show the true quality of your work. What are the main things I should consider when shooting/editing a wedding in order to get a good print? I believe consistency is key – making sure you don’t have any areas that are either…

When I used to shoot on film, all the speeds were rated in ASA. My digital camera is in ISO, however – so what gives? Malcolm Douglas, Cornwall Ben says: ASA and ISO are both measurements of sensitivity to light, either in terms of film speed or sensor sensitivity. ASA is the scale created by the American Standards Association, but it is no longer widely used. These days, speed is labelled in ISO, which was created in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardisation. Before 1987, ASA and DIN were the two most common standards, with ASA using an arithmetic scale in which a doubling of sensitivity doubled the rating, while DIN used a logarithmic scale in which doubling the sensitivity added three degrees to the DIN number. The ISO…

SRB Elite ND Soft Grad Set £50 SRB has carved a fantastic niche as providers of quality kit at budget-friendly prices. These filters are no exception and you can save even more with our reader offer on p51. srb-photographic.co.uk Lee Filters Landscape Kit £170 The Lee 100 filter system rightly claims a place in every serious photographer’s bag and this kit has all you need to start you off, with a holder, graduated filter and pouch. srb-photographic.co.uk Cokin X Grad ND Kit £300 Cokin has been in the filters market for years and they produce a range of kit for all budgets. This is the premium end of their range and the quality on offer is exceptional. cokinfilter.com…

USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF lenses lets you see the world in new and unique ways, which is one of the main reasons to invest in a camera system that allows you to swap glass. This is truest of all when working with macro lenses. Though telephotos and wide-angles help us adapt to different subjects, macro lenses stand out because they can reveal things that we struggle to see with the naked eye. Being able to focus much closer than usual is what makes macro lenses so special. For instance, while a regular 105mm lens might only be able to focus as close as 100cm from the sensor, a 105mm macro lens might be 30cm, which can end up being just a few centimetres from the front element. How do macro…

MY INTEREST IN PHOTOGRAPHY BEGAN around three years ago. At the time, I wanted to find a good reason to get out of the house and start exploring the world. As I live in a small seaside town, I would walk long distances along the coastline and take photographs of the things I saw. That initial interest rapidly developed into a passion, and will hopefully grow further into a career. I enjoy shooting a mixture of portrait and landscape photography, as this enables me to work on different techniques and compositions within my photos. I shoot landscapes, as I like being able to capture and create a particular feeling from nature. You can photograph a field filled with golden light, or contradict that and go for rough seas with heavy…

WHEN IT COMES TO EDITING software, people instantly know Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom packages. However, there are a range of very capable alternatives out there, as we’ll explore over the coming months. First up is Skylum’s Luminar 3. This intuitive editing suite marks the debut of the company’s advanced Lightroom-rivalling Library feature, ideal for cataloguing and rating images, as well as culling your least favourite shots. While it may offer many similar in-depth features as Photoshop, such as Layers, Masks and a control panel that covers Exposure, Curves and Colour Balance, the real strength lies in its unique one-click approach. Thanks to a range of built-in Filters and Looks, you can create powerful edits with ease, and then fully customise them to your tastes. Here, we’re looking at four of…

1 LIGHTEST IN CLASS The streamlined body of the RP makes it the lightest full-frame mirrorless camera on the market. Tipping the scales at just 485g, it’s a great option as a walkabout camera. 2 INNER WORKINGS The RP sports a 26.2MP full-frame sensor at its core, plenty big enough to render fine detail and produce large prints. It has a built-in Low Pass filter to avoid problems with moiré. 3 CONFIDENT AF Canon’s world-renowned Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology is built into the sensor, allowing for quick and confident focusing on all manner of subjects, even in challenging light conditions. 4 RF lens mount The RP uses Canon’s RF lens mount built for the mirrorless format. However, the camera ships with an adapter to use any EF/EF-S lens to…

For similar money to the RP, the X-T3 from Fujifilm is well worth considering. It features an excellent 26.1MP APS-C sensor and is well-suited for video with 4K at 60p, or 120fps at 1080p. It comes with dual card slots, 425 phase-detection AF points across the entire frame and can shoot stills with continuous focus at a blistering 30fps. fujifilm.com If your heart is set on full-frame, Sony’s α 7 III is the pinnacle of entry-level CSCs. It packs in an excellent 24.2MP sensor, 693-point phase detection AF system and blistering 10fps burst rate. There’s uncropped 4K video, as well as slow motion 120fps at 1080p. It also boasts image stabilisation, ISO 100-51,200 and 15 stops of dynamic range. sony.co.uk…

FIT FOR PURPOSE Each product has been examined to ensure it can withstand the rigours of long treks and rainy days. This included taking into consideration factors such as the weight and comfort, plus any weatherproofing when scoring. VALUE FOR MONEY With so many options on the market, finding a product that gives you the best bang for your buck can be a daunting task. While we may have erred on the side of budget kit in this test, we have ensured that you’re not lacking in features or quality as a result.…

ONCE YOU’VE GATHERED TOGETHER all the kit any aspiring landscaper might need, there’s the challenge of safely and comfortably transporting it all to your chosen location. Practical camera bags are an important factor in a successful shooting experience, from shouldering the load of cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, batteries, sustenance and more, to providing easy access to all this kit should the perfect photo opportunity unexpectedly present itself. Protection from the elements should also be a key consideration for all-weather landscape enthusiasts. With this in mind, finding a good quality kit bag that will not only fit your latest bits and bobs, but also keep them secure and feel comfortable on those day-long hikes can be a challenge. Things become even more complicated when you’re trying to find this on a…

Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 £1289 A telephoto zoom for landscapes may not seem like a logical choice, but many photographers relish the longer focal length, thanks to its ability to pick out unique framing and precise details. Whether it’s capturing texture in the rocks, or isolating a floating island in the middle of a lake, it’s an increasingly popular tool in a landscape photographer’s arsenal. Though it’s twice the price of the other offerings in test, the Tamron supplies a fast f/2.8 aperture and is among the cheapest in its class, while boasting exceptional performance. tamron.eu…

THE TECHNICAL IMAGE PRESS ASSOCIATION (TIPA) IS the last word in photographic awards. Chosen by a panel of industry-leading journalists, representing 28 of the best photo magazines across five continents, including Practical Photography, the TIPA World Awards recognise the most outstanding releases of the previous 12 months. You can be sure that anything bearing the TIPA logo is a class-leading product worthy of your investment. tipa.com Best Full-frame Advanced Canon EOS RP The affordable EOS RP is a compact and lightweight mirrorless camera with a 26.2MP CMOS sensor, Digic 8 Processor and Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. Aimed at those seeking an advanced-level yet easy-to-use full-frame camera, it features a guided user interface so users can see on screen how switching modes affects their image. canon.co.uk Best APS-C Expert Sony…

• Best DSLR Prime Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art • Best DSLR Wide-Angle Zoom Tokina Opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF • Best DSLR Pro Zoom Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports • Best DSLR Pro Prime Canon EF400mm f/2.8L IS III USM • Best Mirrorless Prime Standard Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM • Best Mirrorless Prime Telephoto Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM • Best Mirrorless Wide-Angle Zoom Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S • Best Mirrorless Professional Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS • Best Expert Compact Ricoh GR III • Best Superzoom Compact Sony RX100 VI • Best Inkjet Photo Paper Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic • Best Imaging Software Skylum Luminar 3 • Best Camera Accessory Hoya Fusion One • Best Imaging Storage Solution Sony SF-G…

Olympus O-MD E-M4 Mark III Olympus’ mid-range Micro Four Thirds camera looks set for an update. The company recently re-affirmed its dedication to digital imaging, and we expect this to be the next release. There’s no official news yet, but we are expecting a bump in resolution, around the 18MP mark, as well as improved image stabilisation, 20fps burst rate and 4K video features. olympus.com Fujifilm X-H2 Fujifilm’s X-H1 was the company’s first serious entry into video, with a wealth of handy hybrid features. That said, the X-T3 is equally well-equipped, and with the X-H2 looking to be announced before the end of the year, it’s set to retake the video crown in Fujifilm’s line-up. We’re expecting to see 4k 60fps with a 400MB/s bitrate, as well as internal 4:2:2…

THINK OF SOME typical landscape shots you’ve seen. Chances are they were shot on wide-angle lenses with a focal length designed to get as much in the frame as possible without introducing any obvious distortions. But if you are willing to embrace different parts of the zoom range – and even to go beyond the standard focal lengths – then you open up some interesting possibilities. Zoom in for detail Landscapes can sometimes be tricky to approach photographically. There’s often a lot going on and it’s rarely possible to physically remove any elements from a scene. But by using the longer focal length end of your kit zoom lens it’s possible to ‘edit’ a landscape down to only the elements you want to include. Another useful result of using a…

ELITE FILTER HOLDER Crafted from three separate pieces of high-grade aluminium material, this brilliantly engineered square filter holder features an easy-release clip system for attaching and detaching the Elite Adaptor Rings and can house up to two 84mm P Size square filters, even when using one of SRB’s Elite Filters. ND SOFT GRAD FILTER SET If your horizon isn’t quite flat, the wider transition of a soft grad is a good option. This set includes 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 varieties with a smooth transition from light to dark. ND HARD GRAD FILTER SET Perfect for landscapes with particularly flat horizons, such as coastal scenes, this set includes three ND Hard Grad filters – 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 varieties – that reduce light entering a specific part of the lens, with…

If you find your camera struggles in a high-contrast situation, don’t worry! Ask your model to turn so that the sun illuminates the side of their face. As the sun begins to set and is lower in the sky, this will provide a strong level of side-lighting, which you can utilise in your photos. Think of the light as a fun tool for creative images, so look out for objects that will partially block the light and cast interesting shadows. Whether it’s buildings, trees or other large structures, these imposing stencils will create shapes that can throw a scene into a completely new light. As with a backlit shot, use exposure compensation here as well to make the most of any atmospheric lighting. Experiment to suit your lighting, but as…

I understand that it’s a good idea to use a wide aperture for portraiture. But when I try to do this outdoors in sunlight my camera won’t take a shot – why is this? Claire Walters, Portishead Ben says: I’m going to break your question down into two parts with my answer Claire, as you raise both a technical and creative point. The technical issue is simply that in bright light, even with your camera set to its lowest ISO value, there is too much light coming in through your wide-open lens for your camera to set a fast enough shutter speed to create a proper exposure. If you’re in some form of automatic mode, such as aperture-priority, then the camera won’t fire. Solving this technical issue is quite straightforward,…

I’ve heard the term lens breathing but I have no idea what it means. Can you enlighten me please? Sally Cartwright, Glossop Ben says: If you’ve ever noticed your composition alter slightly as you focus and refocus a scene then you’ve experienced lens breathing. It’s a phenomenon common to all lenses, though the more expensive models generally suffer less from it. As to the cause, it’s all down to some of the elements in the lens moving during the focusing action, altering the behaviour of the light passing through the lens. This results in a change to the effective focal length, and therefore angle-of-view of the lens, which either increases or decreases depending on the focus point. In reality, the effect is very subtle and it’s possible that you will…

Most digital cameras allow the user to define a group of settings and then assign those settings to a preset. This can be useful in travel photography where conditions may be variable and you need to be able to get a shot quickly. A good place to start would be an ISO of around 400, slow enough for quality but fast enough for shooting indoors. Choose aperture-priority, so you can control depth-of-field, and Continuous mode, so you don’t miss a shot. RAW output will give the best files to edit.…

■ REPRODUCTION RATIO The reproduction ratio of a lens is linked to its focusing distance. At the minimum focusing distance, a macro lens might have a 1:1 reproduction ratio, but as you focus further off, this will fall. 1:1 means that the subject is reproduced at life-size. If you hear a lens referred to as a ‘true macro’, this means that it has at least a 1:1 reproduction ratio. ■ MAGNIFICATION A 1x magnification rating is life-size and equivalent to 1:1. A 2x magnification would be called 2:1 and would be twice life-size, and so on. ■ MINIMUM FOCUSING DISTANCE Minimum focus describes the distance between the sensor and the closest point the lens can focus on a subject. ■ FOCAL LENGTH It’s not just the lens’ minimum focus and…

This photograph was taken last year on a beautifully warm summer evening at golden hour. I’d just received my first full-frame camera, the Canon EOS 6D complete with a 24-105mm L lens, and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to go out and take some photos. I was walking through a field of wheat near where I live and I saw a small red object placed in the middle of the path. At first I was a bit confused, but as I drew closer I realised that it was a child’s shoe. Old, weathered and forgotten, I knew it would make a fantastic scene for a photo, so I set up my camera and took this shot.…

PHOTOSHOP’S CONTENT AWARE functions have been with us for some time and you’re most likely to find them when operating the Spot Healing Brush Tool or Patch Tool to remove elements you don’t want in the frame – such as litter or distractions – to clean up an image. Content Aware functions are included in other tools too, such as the Move Tool and Scale functions, and although they’ll often do a good job, results aren’t always as you expect. The reason for alarming results is that you don’t have a whole lot of control. For instance, when using Content Aware alongside the Healing Brush or Patch Tools, you’re pretty much left at the whim of what the tool thinks you want to paint over the area in question, often…

THE MAJESTY OF A GLORIOUS landscape is hard to beat. Whether it’s framing a rocky outcrop, capturing a serene lake or freezing a tumbling waterfall, the right location can make it easy to get a good shot. Then, with the image taken, there are tweaks in post-processing that can help to elevate it to the next level, such as boosting the natural colours or adding atmosphere with mist. We’ve created a set of 25 bespoke Photoshop editing actions so you can improve the look of your landscapes simply and in minutes. The set includes black & white effects, contrast adjustments and much more – ideal for enhancing any landscape scene. 1 Load your free actions into Photoshop In Photoshop, go to File>Open then find the image you want to work…

The 26.2MP full-frame sensor provides plenty of clarity, and colours are well rendered by the DIGIC 8 processor. Straight out of camera, the RAW files are a little soft on the details. This is due to the presence of the Low Pass filter in place to remove any problems with moiré. However, this is easily remedied with the usual RAW sharpening. Despite giving pleasing results, the sensor in the RP doesn’t offer class-leading image quality. The chip is the same as that found in the 6D MkII, so the technology is a couple of years old and is surpassed on image quality by sensors used in the Sony or Nikon full-frame mirrorless models. That said, it’s still perfectly good enough for everyday shooting.…

When shooting in low-light conditions, you may need to increase the ISO sooner with the RP as there’s no image stabilisation to help at slower shutter speeds. We found that noise was well controlled up to ISO 3200, but above this setting grain is more noticeable and there’s plenty of room for improvement for high ISO detail retention when compared to its competitors. The dynamic range was disappointing too, just like the 6D MkII which shares the same sensor. If you prefer to underexpose your night shots to protect the highlights and then lift the shadows in post-processing, you’ll find it’s lacking in detail and the image quality quickly degrades.…

WHETHER YOU’RE SHOOTING long exposures, panoramas, HDR brackets or in low-light conditions, a solid tripod is an essential bit of landscaper’s kit. Even if your only ambition is to get the most from your lens and camera, a sturdy set of sticks will give you the best opportunity to compose and shoot a considered scene. There’s an array of tripods on the market, and it’s important to decide what matters most to you before buying. We’ve taken weight into consideration – with so many of the best vistas found at the end of a long trek, our choices are light enough to be carried with other kit. Each of our three examples also brings a little something extra – there’s a detachable monopod for space-saving flexibility, and a fully-articulated central…

Best DSLR Ultra-Wide Prime Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 This full-frame, ultra-wide, rectilinear lens has 18 elements in 11 groups – three aspherical elements, one high refractive element, three extra-low dispersion elements – and multicoated glass to reduce flare and ghosting. This manual focus lens has a petal-shaped lens hood. samyanglensglobal.com Best APS-C Mirrorless Prime Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM Stills and video shooters will appreciate the STM in this EF-M lens for its smooth, quiet focus. Compact and lightweight, it has 14 elements in eight groups. Its maximum aperture gives stunning bokeh. canon.co.uk Best Mirrorless Standard Zoom Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD This fast zoom for Sony E-mounts has elements that control aberrations and give excellent resolution. The anti-reflection coating reduces ghosting and flare, and an all-new AF system…

■ Most kit lenses can zoom out to the telephoto range so don’t be afraid to explore this focal length when you’re shooting a landscape. The best way to see the effect of different focal lengths is to line up on a strong focal point, such as a lone tree in a field, and then shoot three images at wide, normal and telephoto focal lengths. Look at the way a telephoto lens compresses the perspective and also removes unwanted elements in a scene. Use this setting on a range of landscapes until you fully understand the effect. ■ If you are lucky enough to have access to a very wide-angle lens (wider than 20mm on a full-frame or 14mm on a cropped sensor) then the best way to make use…

■ Social media may be great for sharing your favourite shots, but the impact from a high-quality print is impossible to beat. ■ Portrait Rag 285 is a cotton-rag paper with a rich matt finish that will create smooth skin tones and help to define detail and colour in your shots. ■ Portrait White 285 is one of the best fine art papers for weddings due to its crisp white base and superior coating, perfect for colour and vibrancy. ■ FB Gold Silk 315 is a baryta paper with a satin finish and warm base tint that makes it an excellent choice for those velvety blacks and creamy whites. ■ Learn more by visiting permajet.com…

I recently overheard someone saying that an image contained a JPEG artefact. What is this please? Martin Stevens, Humberside Louise says: As you’re no doubt aware Martin, when you take a shot you have the option to save the image as a RAW file or a JPEG (or even as both). You may also have noticed that JPEGs take up much less room on your memory card. This is because a JPEG is a compressed file, which means that while it contains the same number of pixels as a RAW file, some of the data has been discarded. Usually, JPEGs are not compressed enough to see any noticeable loss in quality, but if the compression is taken too far the file will display ‘artefacts’, which appear as pixelated or blocky…

TRICK PHOTOS HAVE been around for almost as long as photography itself, and thanks to the incredible power of today’s digital cameras and Photoshop, they’re even easier to achieve than ever before. Here, we’ve mixed up the shadows of two different subjects for a seamless eye-catching scene. For our concept, we used a child and a toy, but you can apply the same technique with pretty much anything you can think of – the more imaginative the better. Making a start Firstly we needed some shots to work with in Photoshop, so we locked off the camera on a tripod, then lit the boy with a flashgun on the floor behind him to make a large shadow on the wall. Keeping the camera and flash in position, we swapped the…

WE ALL WANT PERFECTLY exposed pictures and eye-catching subjects, and the Levels panel is a great way of getting them. It’s one of the simplest yet most important tools in Photoshop – its effect can be among the most dramatic. Levels adjustment layers give you full control over the basic ingredients of an image, literally the ‘levels’ of red, green and blue colour information, as well as blacks and whites that add up to create the different colours and tones in the digital picture. While Levels is a powerful way to alter your image, you can pair it with a Layer Mask to selectively edit your shot. For instance, you can lighten your subject, while leaving the rest of the image unaltered. Here, we want to improve the exposure of…

The EOS RP utilises Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology to set the focus. It’s a sensor-based, phase-detection AF system developed by Canon to provide smooth focus tracking in movies and fast autofocus when shooting photos. It made its debut on the 70D in 2013, so it’s nothing new, but is now a stalwart in Canon releases. Within every pixel are two individual photodiodes, which are read separately for phase-detection autofocus and together for imaging. To achieve focus, the left and right photodiodes are read independently and the resulting parallax images are used to calculate the phase-difference. Using this AF technique, the in-focus position of the lens can be rapidly calculated.…

Camera: Canon EOS RP Price: £1399 body only Effective resolution: 26.2MP Sensor: 35.9x24mm Processor: DIGIC 8 LCD: 3in Clear View LCD II, 1040k-dot, fully articulated touchscreen Shutter: Bulb, 30-1/4000sec Autofocus: 4779-point phase-detection Dual Pixel CMOS AF ISO: 100-40,000 (expanded to 50-102,400) Shooting speed: 4fps with AI Servo for 50 RAWs Video: 4K at 25fps, Full HD 1080p at 60fps Pop-up flash: No Other features: Face Detection and Tracking AF, Continuous Eye AF, Movie Servo AF Battery life: 250 shots Card type: 1x SD/SDHC/ SDXC and UHS-II Size (WxHxD): 133x85x70mm Weight: 485g Web: canon.co.uk…