Tabla de contenidos para November 2019 en Practical Photography: Lite

Sigma to announce Nikon Z lenses For adopters of the Nikon Z series, we’ve heard Sigma is set to start releasing its impressive range of Art lenses to the fledgling mirrorless system. This is set to include the recently announced 35mm f/1.2 Art, as well as the 12-14mm f/2.8 zoom. If true, this will be a huge bonus to the system, and drastically improve the range. sigma-imaging-uk.com Panasonic GH6 Putting an end to talks of abandoning the Micro Four Thirds system, Panasonic is set to announce the GH6. This update to the popular hybrid GH5S is reported to be packing a massive 41MP sensor, meaning it will likely offer 8K video. As well as this, we suspect it will improve on the Dual Native ISO found in the GH5S, and…

IF PUSHED, I’D BE HARD PRESSED TO NAME ONE location in the UK that I would consider to be my favourite spot to photograph wildlife. On our islands there is such a wide range of habitats, from the mountains of Scotland to flat coastline, all of which have their unique character and wildlife. However, over the last few years I have found myself being drawn back to Orkney and Shetland. While the Northern Isles are all very different, they share a wild remote beauty that I find so appealing. “IN A WEEK ON THE ORKNEY ISLANDS, I ONLY SAW ONE OTHER PHOTOGRAPHER” A few years ago, as autumn was turning to winter, I made the long journey north, by car and ferry, from my home to the Orkney mainland. At…

BLACK & WHITE photography has a particular affinity for the portrait artist. Stripping away colour renders the human form as a graphic construct, and, depending on the lighting, a monochrome portrait can be dreamily soft or full of dramatic impact. Here’s Andrew’s take on the use of black & white in this genre… Why does black & white work so well in portraiture? Black & white endures due mainly to its ability to involve the viewer. There’s a strippedbackness to the composition. Without the emotional responses of colours, it allows for more of a collaborative experience. What makes a great mono portrait? That really depends on the subject. Many photographers use a standard setup and rely on the strength of the sitter’s look. I prefer to examine the character of…

Manfrotto Manhattan Speedy-10 £79 With space to fit a DSLR plus lens, a couple of extra lenses, tripod and laptop, this messenger bag is easy to access. Makes a great first camera bag. manfrotto.com Lowepro Flipside 200 AW II £82 This nifty backpack will hold a DSLR, extra lenses, tripod and 7in tablet with ease. Opening from the back is a great security feature. lowepro.com Vanguard Supreme 37F £99 Undeniably tough and crush-resistant, this case is also waterproof too. It includes a pressure release valve, making it ideal for airline travel. vanguardworld.co.uk…

“Translating a 3D scene into a two-dimensional space is challenging. Try to compose your landscape so that a feature leads your viewer’s eye into the scene. Examples might be a stream, a fence or a line of trees. A wiggly or S-shaped line adds even more interest. Create depth by using two or more elements that are a similar size, but that are placed further away from each other. Layering is another technique where you might have ranges of hills receding into the distance. Think about the foreground, middleground and background when composing – especially important when using wide-angle lenses.” ■ Award-winning landscape photographer Chris Upton is a Fujifilm X Series ambassador. He also lectures, runs photography tours and offers 1-2-1 tuition. See more of Chris’ work at chrisuptonphotography.com…

Ben Hawkins With over 17 years as a photographic journalist, Ben is an experienced competition judge, picture editor and writer. Richard Collins PP’s deputy editor is a hugely talented journalist, photographer and tutor with an eye for the minimalist and abstract. Kirk Schwarz With over ten years spent as a wedding, fashion and product photographer, Kirk has an eye for finer details. Grand Union Canal by Chris Fletcher “As long as the composition is balanced, even the most unlikely locations can be transformed” This shot of the Grand Union Canal in Solihull was taken handheld using the diffused light at sunrise to soften the subject and its surrounding woodland. This helped to bring out the colour of the autumn leaves and of the boat itself. I regularly explore the…

Creating a dynamic composition is a key part of this module. We want you to capture two main elements – a framing object and a focal point in the centre of your shot. Make sure you read our instructions as carefully as possible, as this will give you the best chance of achieving a gold. Compose your frame To capture a successful scene-within-a-scene image, you’ll need to compose your framing object so that it covers roughly two-thirds of the scene. The middle third of the image will then be filled with the scene being framed. Right in the centre of the shot, we’d like to see your focal point. This can be a building, statue, tree, fountain, person or anything that can be recognised as a distinct focal point, rather…

While a mid-aperture may be slightly more forgiving than a wide aperture, focus is still an incredibly key aspect of this technique. As you’ll be relatively close to your framing object, it’s important that you place the focus squarely on your focal point in the centre of the scene. If your AF point is placed anywhere on your framing object, then the focus will be wrong and the central scene will be soft. To achieve an accurate focus, set your camera to its single-point AF mode. This means that you’ll have one focus point that you can move around and place wherever you like. Don’t be tempted to leave your camera in auto-area AF, as this will leave you with no control over where the camera ends up placing the…

Congratulations on creating your frame-within-a-frame shot – shooting is always the hardest part. After putting all of our tips into practice, you should now have an image that takes full advantage of this creative discipline… but are your lines straight? It seems like a simple question, yet shooting at wide angles, or low to the ground, can distort the vertical lines, making them appear as though they’re at an angle. This, in turn, can confuse the eye, while also losing a lot of potential impact for the viewer. In Affinity Photo, it’s a simple fix. Guarantee perfect geometry Straight lines will help to correct the perspective in your shots, but knowing how to measure the exact angles of your verticals may seem confusing. To remedy this, you can turn on…

I use the Fujifilm GFX 50R with the GF 45mm and GF 100-200mm lenses. It’s the perfect choice as it’s the lightest Fujifilm medium-format camera body, so I can carry it with me all the time and never miss a moment of inspiration. The quality of the medium-format sensor, sharpness and colours are incredible; it offers a lot of flexibility and still amazes me when it comes to the edit. It’s an intuitive camera system that inspires me to take better images. ■ Visit fujifilm-x.com for more info.…

THIS IS AN ACTION SHOT with a difference. You wouldn’t know it at first glance, but we’ve taken several photos, captured with both fast and slow shutter speeds, and combined them in Photoshop to make a final image with elements of both. It’s a high-impact action style that’s impossible to create with your camera alone, but one that’s simple to achieve if you follow along with our shooting and editing steps. Subjects that work Think creatively and you can try out this technique on lots of different action subjects, but one thing is vital – consistency. It’s far easier to blend the fast and slow exposures if your subjects are moving along a repeated path. That’s why trains make a good choice. By the end of shooting you should have…

When you add an Adjustment Layer it will appear in the Layers panel like a filter over the original image. But that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. All you need to do is double-click on the Adjustment Layer’s icon to reopen its Properties panel, from which further edits can be made. In this image, for example, we could reopen the Solid Color layer, and change the overall colour of the picture. And because Adjustment Layers also come with Layer Masks attached, you can vary how the effect appears on the image. For instance, here we’ve painted black into the mask over the subject’s face to bring back the original contrast in that area, making a stronger focal point.…

PRICE £9999 VIDEO 4K IMAGE RESOLUTION 102MP JAPANESE FIRM Fujifilm managed to redefine the medium-format genre with the GFX 50S. Now it’s back to cement the definition with the 102MP GFX100, a camera that delivers a huge amount of outstanding innovation at a fraction of the price of its rivals. While we acknowledge this may not be the camera for you, it’s still a huge leap forward for the industry, and an important milestone. Main features Under the hood you’ll find a 102MP medium-format sensor, that’s a full 1.7x larger than 35mm, though smaller than that found in Phase One cameras. It houses 425 points of on-sensor phase detect autofocus, and features a similar algorithm to the X-T3, including advanced tracking modes, and Eye AF. Carrying the weight is an…

Setting your camera to shoot in a monochrome mode is a really good trick for visualising a scene in black & white as it will change your Live View output to a mono image. But when using this handy trick, it’s good practice to set your camera to also shoot a RAW file. The reason for this is that all that colour data retained in the RAW gives you far more editing options when it comes to post-processing your mono images. The Black & White Adjustment Layer in Photoshop lets you tweak the colour channels of your mono shot, which results in a huge degree of control over the tones in your image. Skies can be darkened in the blue channel, while skin tones can be subtly altered in the…

1 USE THE TECHNOLOGY Set your camera to show previews in black & white. Most software supplied by camera manufacturers includes an option to add the exact profile to your RAW file as the camera-generated preview. This will allow you to recreate the image but with more finesse. 2 DE-FOCUS YOUR EYES Although it might feel odd when photographing portraits, squinting and defocusing your eyes will give you a clearer view of the form and composition of your potential image. 3 WORK ON YOUR EDITING Learn your software inside-out – use presets to start with and then adapt them to your own style. Presets are contentious, but this relates to ‘packs’ bought from photographers, with little to no adaptation.…

1 TRAIN YOUR VISION Set the camera to black & white when you’re starting out, but try to think how the colours will reproduce as tones too so you can learn to see in black & white. 2 STAY SIMPLE Black & white images are about mood, texture, line and shape. Concentrate on the simplicity of the image – in mono this can result in some spectacular photographs. 3 PRINT YOUR WORK Always print your images. You only truly feel the image when it is printed out and in your hand.…

BY NOW YOU’LL BE familiar with the great range of powerful Filters, Looks and Tools present in Luminar’s editing software, designed to help unleash your creativity. Next, it’s time to see those capabilities in action by following the editing process of one of Luminar’s most prestigious ambassadors, famed pro landscape photographer Daniel Kordan. Through Daniel’s workflow, you’ll see the brilliant Filters in action, working with Adjustment Layers for selective editing. This is achieved by adding precise Layer Masks to specify exactly where the effects of a filter will be applied. Following Daniel’s approach, step by step, you’ll see why Luminar is his number one choice. PART 5 EDIT FROM START TO FINISH WITH DANIEL KORDAN GET £9 OFF ANY SKYLUM PRODUCT Simply enter the code PPMAG19 at the checkout when…

1 Keep your distance There are few things more intimidating than having a stranger confront you with a giant camera. Keep your distance and people will usually be more relaxed. 2 Shoot reflections A great way to avoid drawing anyone’s attention is to shoot using reflections. They are a staple of street photography and can look very artistic if used well. 3 Get creative Try out some abstract photography, looking at artistic form more than documenting people and their comings and goings. Shadows make good subjects.…

The Fujifilm X-T20 is an exquisitely crafted mirrorless camera packed with amazing outdoor-friendly features. Described as a ‘love letter from Fuji’ and awarded five stars in Practical Photography (Spring 2017), the X-T20 features a 24.3MP APS-C X-Trans III sensor, UHD 4K video and 325-point autofocus, as well as touchscreen, Fujifilm’s famous film modes and a native ISO range of 200-12,800. The Fujifilm XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS is a small and versatile interchangeable zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 27-84mm, motor-driven AF and built-in 4-stop image stabilization. It’s the perfect camera and lens combo companion for your outdoor adventures! Plus, our four winners will become camera reviewers, with a guest slot on practicalphotography.com – where your first impressions of your prize will be shared with thousands. ■…

\\ MODULE 1 CLASSIC STILL LIFE Issue: July 2019 On sale: 6 June 2019 Homework deadline: 3 July 2019 Marks announced: 17 July 2019 \\ MODULE 2 ABSTRACT LANDSCAPES Issue: August 22019 On sale: 4 July 2019 Homework deadline: 31 July 2019 Marks announced: 14 August 2019 \\ MODULE 3 REFLECTIONS Issue: September 2019 On sale: 1 August 2019 Homework deadline: 28 August 2019 Marks announced: 11 Sept 2019 \\ MODULE 4 MONO TEXTURES Issue: October 2019 On sale: 29 August 2019 Homework deadline: 25 Sept 2019 Marks announced: 9 October 2019 \\ MODULE 5 CREATIVE FRAMING Issue: November 2019 On sale: 26 September 2019 Homework deadline: 23 October 2019 Marks announced: 6 November 2019 \\ MODULE 6 SPOOKY SPECTRE Issue: December 2019 On sale: 24…

Settings are key for turning a good image into a great one. Here are our suggestions to help you get the most from your camera. 1 APERTURE-PRIORITY This mode allows you to take full control over your aperture. 2 SINGLE-POINT AF Single-Point AF allows you to choose the right focal point for your creative framing shot. See p94 for more. 3 AF-S AUTOFOCUS This is the default drive mode and will take one photo when you press the shutter. Half-press the shutter to engage autofocus. 4 WHITE BALANCE White balance is an important part of any shot, and especially important when it comes to rendering colours accurately. In this situation, use the auto setting for best results. 5 EXPOSURE COMPENSATION The exposure compensation option is…

One of the most important aspects of this module’s technique is ensuring that the centre of your image – inside the ‘frame’ – is filled with a clear and distinct focal point. Without this crucial element, you won’t be rewarded with a gold. For the best results, ensure that your focal point is in the centre of your framed scene to achieve a strong effect. Try to avoid including distracting background details such as other people, parked cars or bright colours that draw the eye away from the subject, as this will detract from your focal point and dilute the effect of the frame.…

1 Set your focus mode Set your camera to its autofocus mode. Then navigate to the menu and select the single AF mode. This means the camera will focus just once when you half-press the shutter button. To set up AF-S, make sure you check your camera’s manual, as methods can vary between brands and models. 2 Use single-point AF Go into your camera’s AF Area menu and select single-point AF. This will give you a single focus point that you can move around the scene for an accurate focus. Use the D-pad while looking through the viewfinder or the back screen while using Live View to move the AF point around your scene. 3 Focus and shoot Half-press the shutter button to bring your image into…

Highlight your image in the Layers panel by clicking it and go to Filters>Distort>Perspective. This will bring up a bounding box. Click and drag on the bottom-left corner, bringing it in until the left-hand vertical lines appear straight – use the ruler for guidance. Repeat with the right-hand lower corner. You can also move the top corners if required, pulling them outwards. Click Apply. Finally, press C for the Crop Tool, set Mode to Original Ratio, drag the corners to crop out any blank pixel areas and press Enter.…

MY APPRECIATION FOR VISUAL ART STARTED at quite an early age; whether it was the image on a book cover, pictures of food on a menu or the album art that accompanied a CD, I was conscious of how images affect the way we feel and shape our memory of an event. I quickly became enthusiastic about the idea of creating my own images and, after a few years of attending summer courses and toggling between a phone camera and the family’s compact camera, my parents surprised me with a Canon EOS 600D. From then on, I made sure to always buy bags big enough to carry it with me wherever I went. Initially, I didn’t shoot portraits. I wasn’t interested in telling people how to pose or having anyone…

■ If you’re shooting trains, websites and apps like realtimetrains.co.uk and opentraintimes.com can help you find the busiest times to shoot. ■ Shoot more than you need. You never know when an extra frame or two will be useful in the final composition, or how things will look when they’re blended in Photoshop. ■ Unless you plan to use ND filters, it’s best to shoot at the beginning or towards the end of the day, when it’s not too bright to achieve slower shutter speeds. Also, try to work quickly so that the light doesn’t change between shots.…

EVER ON THE CASE TO MAKE COMPLEX image edits accessible to all, Photoshop houses an unassuming mathematical prowess that can be used to create stunning black & white conversions. This often-overlooked feature may seem complicated in nature, and probably isn’t something you’ve stumbled on before, but it is actually one of the simplest ways to convert an image to black & white with astounding results. The Calculations function takes the value of your choice of colour channel, selected from red, green, blue or grey, and blends it against a second selection from the same choices, using the range of Blending Modes. The process is scientific, and the result allows you to be in full control of the tonal range and contrast of your image – perfect for creating powerful mono…

IF YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT photography, you’ll already be shooting in RAW. This file format captures a truly colossal level of information, and is the key to creating great images with maximum control in the edit. The extra information stored within the files can only be unlocked in RAW editing software, which is why we’re giving away Corel AfterShot 3 to our PP readers. This brilliant editing suite has been designed from the ground up to convert RAW files, and packs in a wide range of powerful tools that represent the industry standard. As well as the ability to recover lost detail in the highlights and shadows, you can also take advantage of a collection of plug-ins, camera profiles and presets. It even boasts tools that you won’t easily find in…

As you’d expect from this level of camera, the dynamic range is exceptional. Not only does it capture a massive amount of data in the highlights and shadows, it also creates RAW files that can be pushed and pulled as much as any on the market. This was shot using backlight, and without a source of fill – something that can be a struggle for some cameras. However, thanks to the files, it’s easy to bring back the underexposed areas, and balance them out with the far brighter background. The Eye AF did a great job, moving around the 425-point system. There were certainly a few times where it just missed the iris, and favoured the eyelashes. It’s negligible, however, and still acceptably sharp.…

One of the most obvious benefits to having such a large sensor and huge resolution is the ability to crop so ruthlessly. The native measurement of 4:3 files is 11,648 by 8736 pixels, and even setting your camera to shoot in the more traditional 3:2 ratio will result in 11,648 by 7788 pixels. Zoomed in to 100% you’ll still find a great amount of detail has been captured, and this allows you to tighten up your shots in the editing process. The shot on the left was actually taken in the portrait orientation and we’re only displaying 50% of the image here. Despite the wasted pixels, you can clearly see the resulting image is exceptionally sharp as well as being packed full of colour and tonal detail.…

SO YOU’VE OPTED FOR THE SMALLER sensor of a Micro Four Thirds system, and are reaping the benefits of a compact camera packed with innovative features. A cropped sensor offers the brilliant bonus of doubling your lens’ effective focal length, meaning it’s a great choice for wildlife and sports enthusiasts who want to get close to the action, but don’t want to spend a small fortune on their glass. It’s also a great travel system, thanks to the lightweight nature of many of the cameras. This makes it perfect for slipping in a bag and touring foreign climes. However, as with all bodies of any sensor sizes, you really need a lens that can render crisp, sharp shots to get the most from your purchase. And you’re in luck –…

FOR MANY OF US, APS-C REPRESENTS THE first sensor size we’ll experience outside of a smartphone or compact camera. While they’re actually 1.5x smaller than full-frame, or 1.6x in Canon’s case, they pack in a lot of value for money, representing some of the best buys in the current market. Whether you’re rocking a traditional entry or enthusiast-level DSLR, or one of the brilliant range of new mirrorless bodies, you’ll be hard-pressed to find fault with the image quality. Much like the other formats in this test, one aspect that can make a huge difference to image quality is your choice of optic. However, some APS-Cs have a great trick up their sleeves, and allow you to use full-frame lenses to get a step up. Others, such as Fujifilm, feature…

1 TRY SHOOTING ON FILM Black & white film has a very narrow tonal range, making it an exacting medium on which to shoot. Get hold of a cheap SLR and photograph a few rolls of black & white on it. You will learn a lot about critical exposure and hopefully get a set of interesting shots in the process. 2 KEEP THINGS SIMPLE Monochrome compositions work better when there’s not too much going on in the frame. Look for minimalism in your black & white images and try to limit the number of elements in a scene. 3 GET IT RIGHT IN CAMERA While shooting RAW allows you to alter an image by quite a large degree in post-processing, there’s no substitute for getting everything exactly…

1 PUT IN THE HOURS Shoot at different times of day and find a lighting mood that works with what you are trying to say with your photos. 2 FIND INSPIRATION Watch black & white films and go to art galleries to look at the way the light is created by the cinematographer and the artist. Buy books in black & white and learn to visualise and get in the mindset of the photographer. 3 MAKE IT A PROJECT Shoot in black & white for a year as a project and make your own book at the end of the year.…

What would you do if the next time you were in pursuit of that perfect shot, you had an accident? If you dropped your camera, could you afford the repairs? If your camera bag and its contents were stolen on holiday, would you be able to replace them? For the price of a cup of coffee, you can protect your kit against theft and accidental damage with Ripe Photography. You can also get worldwide cover to protect your equipment wherever you are, and there’s a discount of up to 30% for new customers. ■ Find out more at ripeinsurance.co.uk/ photography/practical20…

Street photography is often called the most egalitarian genre of the art form as it requires only basic equipment and the ability to walk around with a camera. Engaging in the practice at night does require a few technical tweaks, however. ■ GEAR YOUR KIT UP Small, inconspicuous cameras are ideal for street photography, so a CSC or even a compact is ideal. A camera with a flip-out viewing screen is also a boon as you won’t draw as much attention if you aren’t looking through a viewfinder. ■ KEEP THE SETTINGS SIMPLE Aperture-priority is the best setting for street, and a medium aperture will help to produce sharp images as it will deliver a good depth of focus. Obviously, if you’re shooting after dark you may have to boost…

Richard Collins PP’s deputy editor is a hugely experienced journalist, tutor and pro fashion photographer. Kirk Schwarz As PP’s technique and gear editor, Kirk knows the best kit, and how to get the most out of it. Adam Atkins PP’s features writer is an accomplished professional sport and travel photographer. Are mono and black & white the same? Q I’m entering a black & white competition and in the submission requirements it says no other forms of mono image are accepted. What do they mean by this? Aren’t mono and black & white the same thing? Charlotte Wigglesworth, Surrey Adam says: There is actually a technical distinction between the two terms that’s not always obvious. Black & white is mono but mono isn’t necessarily black & white. Let me explain……

Affinity Photo is an award-winning photo editing suite that offers powerful features at an unbeatable price. A firm favourite with Practical Photography’s team of editing experts, the Windows and Mac versions of this software package are usually available for a one-off price of £48.99. However, everyone who enters Outdoor Photo of the Year 2019 will receive an exclusive 50% discount, so Affinity Photo could be yours for just £24.49! Not only that, but you can also download our in-depth ‘Affinity Photo Editing Guide’ ebook, which features 32 pages of easy-to-follow step-by-steps to Affinity’s key features and tools. You’ll find it at practicalphotography.com/affinity-tips ■ Visit affinity.serif.com/photo to find out more.…

Lightroom allows you to make a wide range of edits to your image, and these edits don’t always have to apply globally. Using the Adjustment Brush, you can paint anywhere on your image, and any edits you make will only apply themselves to this area. To start, open your image in the Develop module, and click on the Adjustment Brush, or press K. Now you can paint onto the area you wish to make adjustments to, using the Size, Feather and Flow to adjust your brush as required. If you’ve accidentally included an area you want to leave alone, hold Alt while painting to delete.…

Photography is all about interacting with your environment to create a composition. Using a little ingenuity, creativity and quick thinking, you can transform an ordinary scene into a fascinating image – you just need to think outside the box. For this module of Camera School, we’re asking you to look out for a specific kind of composition – a scene within a scene. This is where you’re using a real-world object to frame your main subject. You might have to adjust your thinking for this technique to start looking for alleyways, windows, doors, foliage or arches that open onto an interesting scene. Remember that it’s not just enough to have a frame, you must also have a focal point within that frame to capture. This could be a building, a…

Best for versatility Using a zoom lens can be helpful for this technique, as you’ll be able to adjust your composition without having to move. This is useful in busy situations where there are lots of people around. The 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, which is the equivalent of a 27-200mm focal range on a full-frame sensor, is an incredibly versatile piece of kit. Best for quality Ideal for shooting a wide variety of subjects from portraiture to street photography, the 18-55mm f/2.8 kit lens is the equivalent of a 27-84mm focal range on a full-frame sensor. Set your focal length to around 23mm to capture a wide-angle view of your scene without the barrel distortion that can be associated with super wide-angle focal lengths.…

By capturing a composition where the framing object fills the outer two-thirds of the image, the central scene fills the inner third, and the focal point is positioned in the centre, we’ve been able to capture a scene-within-a-scene shot that fulfils the brief correctly. This image is made even more successful because we found the best lighting for the scene. It’s likely that you’ll find the portion of image inside the frame appears much brighter than the frame itself, but that’s perfectly ok. To reduce the amount of contrast between the two elements, if you’re shooting outside, choose a cloudy day. This diffused light will help you to achieve settings that will correctly expose the inner scene, while balancing the details in your framing object. TIP SHOOT A SINGLE SUBJECT…

YOUR BRIEF For your homework, we’re asking you to shoot one creative framing photo. Your image should be shot with a mid-aperture and a fast enough shutter speed to prevent camera shake. Your framing object should cover the outer two-thirds of your image, while the focal point should be in the centre of the scene taking up the middle third. Your focus should be placed on your focal point. The image must be shot in colour. While we do allow light editing, your image should appear natural . Once you’ve taken your shot, resize it to within the 10MB limit and then upload it to camera-school.com/module-5. JUDGING CRITERIA ■ Your image should be shot with a mid-aperture and a fast shutter speed for a shot free from camera shake. ■…

■ Why is architecture such an important photographic subject to try? Architecture is an expansive subject. From pop-up kiosks to the super-designed, it will teach you about perspectives, angles, lighting and timing. Architecture is already a structured element in the environment that has been placed specifically by architects – I like to think of it as a ready-made piece of art. It will help develop discipline with your tools, and teach you to really slow down and consider your compositions to ensure that each choice you make to create an image is purposeful. Everything is in your control when shooting architecture, for example the time of day (or night) you choose to shoot at. ■ What’s your favourite subject and why? I’m into the bold, statement architecture with geometric design…

Unlike most portraits, which I shoot in the studio, this impromptu series was shot on a sunny day at home. My brother, cousin and I experimented with different coloured walls and textures, using a combination of clear honey and hair gel smudged onto the glass of a picture frame. It was important for these photographs to feel fun and vivacious, and I think that the textures help to give that essence. At the time of shooting, I had no idea what the outcome would be, but having seen the results, I can now look back with fond memories of the process – it inspires feelings of joy, creative freedom and love for the craft of photography and it serves as a reminder to me that above all else, I take…

WHAT YOU NEED ■ Photoshop CS 6 or above ■ Any image that you want to give a colour toning effect 1 Create a vintage, hand-coloured look using layers BY DULLING AND DISTORTING the colours and tones in an image, you’ll be able to create an instant vintage looking-effect that works well on a variety of subjects, but especially with portrait and fashion images. This quick and easy two-step technique uses Photoshop’s layers and colour saturation adjustments to create muted tones across an image for a washed-out finish. It takes minutes to apply, but the end result looks professionally toned. Adding effects like this isn’t an exact science though, so play around with the settings given here to suit the appearance of your own image. 1 Fade the colour and…

MOODY, DRAMATIC, ethereal, classic – these are just some of the styles that lend themselves perfectly to black & white. Going mono is an editing effect that can be hours in the making for the best results, and ensuring even tones with balanced highlights and shadows is a technique that takes time to master. Here, we’ve created 25 black & white editing actions to offer a wide range of styles and effects that – once installed – can be applied to your images in seconds. From faded fine art to grainy high contrast and creative presets that wrap themselves around highlights and shadows, you’ll find these actions on your free disc or download (bit.ly/ppdisc1912). WHAT YOU NEED ■ Photoshop CC ■ An image that would suit a black & white…

AfterShot 3 is ideal for photographers looking for a standalone RAW editing software with a powerful raft of tools, plus a brilliantly intuitive library system. Whether you’re an advanced user, or completely new to photo editing, you’ll be able to pick up the essential features with ease – especially if you follow our tutorial. To claim your free copy, all you have to do is go to the link below. Download AfterShot 3 at aftershotpro.com/ppmag…

You may have noticed settings in your camera that allow you to change your image capture in different bits... but what does it mean? Simply put, bit-depth is the amount of data captured in each file, and is responsible for the amount of colour and tonal detail in your shots. A lower bit-depth of 8 bits, for example, can hold 256 possible tonal values for each of the RGB colours. While it definitely sounds rather impressive, the nuances of real-world transitions means that it’s actually quite limited. This is something you may notice when you’re pushing exposures in image editing. 16 bits, however, holds a mammoth 65,536 tonal values, a massive boost, and extremely flexible when editing.…

Camera: Fujifilm GFX100 Price: £9999 Effective resolution: 102MP Sensor: 43.8x32.9mm Processor: X-Processor 4 LCD: 3.2in 2360k-dot Tilt-Type with touchscreen Shutter: Bulb, 30-1/4000sec,1/16,000sec electronic Autofocus: 425 Phase detect ISO: 100-12,800 (expanded to 50-102,400) EVF: 0.5in 5760k-dot OLED Shooting speed: 5fps for up to 14 RAW files Video: DCI 4K 4096x2160 30p, Full HD 2048x1080 60p Other features: Eye AF, Color Chrome Effect, Grain Effect, Skin Smoothing, Interval Timer, Auto bracketing, 16 Film Simulation colour profiles, 14/16-bit RAW files Battery life: 2x 400-shot Card type: Dual SD card slots Size (WxHxD): 156x164x103mm Weight: 1400g Web: fujifilm.eu/uk…

IMAGE QUALITY Each of these lenses has undergone real-world use, and the image files scrutinised to ensure they offer exceptional sharpness in their class. VALUE & GENRE There are so many lenses out there with a fearsome reputation, whittling our list down to nine was tough. We looked at sharpness primarily, but also made our selection based on covering a range of budgets. We limited ourselves to one genre per format, which means there should be something here for a wide range of photographers.…

This mid-range wide-to-telephoto zoom boasts a 35mm equivalent that’s close to a traditional 24-70mm, making it an ideal everyday lens. The 14 elements in nine groups include two aspherical elements, as well as one Super HR (High Refractive Index), one DSA (Dual Super Aspherical), one EDA (Extra-low dispersion Aspherical), one HR (High Refractive Index) and two ED (Extra-low dispersion) elements. Such a wealth of glass ensures excellent performance. olympus.co.uk…

If you’re not keen on ‘zooming with your feet’, this high quality zoom offers an equivalent focal length that’s similar to a 70-200mm. It’s great for a range of genres, including portrait and action, and boasts a whopping 23 elements in 16 groups, that include five ED (Extra-low dispersion) and one Super ED element, as well as HT-EBC (High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating) to control ghosting and flare. It’s incredibly sharp for a zoom, and even competes with a lot of the prime lenses in its range. fujifilm.com…