Tabla de contenidos para December 2019 en Practical Photography: Lite

ABANDONED, EERIE and reclaimed by nature, Chernobyl is top of many photographers’ bucket lists. So what better way to celebrate the launch of our new-look video than with a fascinating whistle-stop tour of this infamous disaster area and its endless photo interest. For the very first Practical Photography Live show, Kirk joins a Chernobyl tour to show what’s possible with a shoestring budget, lightweight gear and a creative eye. Simply insert your disc, or download the video at bit.ly/ppdisc1913 to start watching. We’ve also relaunched our YouTube channel so head over to youtube.com/ppmagazineto watch loads more fun photo-inspired videos. We’d love to know what you’d like to see more of, so send us your feedback!…

COMPETITION Cewe names Photo Award winners Cewe has revealed its 2019 Photo Award winners. Eleven photographers beat over 448,000 entries across the globe to claim their accolades. The top-rated shots, based around the theme ‘Our world is beautiful’, were selected by a panel of judges, including Chairman of the Board of Cewe, Dr Christian Friege, British photographer Christie Goodwin, and environmentalist and photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The overall winner, who also topped the Animals category with the same shot, was German photographer Ina Schieferdecker. Ina says it depicts a squirrel attempting to play a game of hide and seek with the camera. For gaining the highest honours, Ina won an impressive package of prizes including a holiday, photographic gear and Cewe products. Nature category winner Csaba Daróczi captured rabbits as they…

ALONGSIDE MY CAMERA, THERE ARE three other essential pieces of kit I always carry with me, so I’m opening up my kit bag to let you in on the tricks of my trade. Although some of these items may seem an obvious choice, each one plays an integral part in my workflow, and it’s worth the reminder that you need reliable gear, not because kit makes the photo better, but because you don’t want to be let down during that decisive moment. “YOU NEED RELIABLE KIT SO YOU’RE NOT LET DOWN DURING THAT DECISIVE MOMENT” I could probably write a whole column on filters and how useful they are, but it might be a little dry. For many landscape photographers they can be a powerful tool in the field. Whenever…

When did you become obsessed with motorsport? I grew up a stone’s throw from Silverstone, the biggest motorsport venue in the UK. Luckily my dad always had an interest in motorsport as well, so from the age of four I’d follow the F1 races on TV. When I was old enough, my best friend and I would often go to the circuit on weekends with our parents to watch the smaller racing series like the British Touring Cars, Formula 3 and the FIA GT Championship (as it was then). The chance to see and hear all these incredible cars hammering around a race track at blistering speeds alongside crowds of cheering fans was enough to get me hooked; the smell of race fuel and burnt rubber gives me flashbacks to…

This simple technique let’s you take the sort of car shots you normally see in magazines. All you need is a flashgun, a modifier and a way of mounting it all. 1 SET UP YOUR FLASH In this project you need to accurately place and move your flash. You will therefore need to mount it to a stable base, and the easiest way to do this is to buy a cheap flash bracket that will turn a normal tripod into a lighting stand. You will also need a trigger that fires your flash remotely when the shutter goes off on your camera 2 DIAL IN THE SETTINGS Set your camera to manual mode, and set the lowest native ISO. Choose the shutter speed at which your camera syncs with flash…

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.…

Issues with balancing the contrast between a bright sky and an ever-darkening foreground during sunset is usually the reason why many beginner photographers are disappointed with their shots of the setting sun. The camera simply can’t cope with such a huge exposure range. John’s solution uses modern tech to create an HDR image – one that’s composed of a number of different exposures merged in the edit. The more traditional approach is to use a graduated ND filter to darken the sky.…

With Halloween drawing close, we’ve toiled over our cauldron to brew up a beastly project for the final module of this year’s Camera School. Combining after-dark shooting with a long exposure, this project is all about creating a ghostly portrait. We’d like you to search for the creepiest location you can find, whether it’s a copse of gnarled trees, a dilapidated building or a deserted street. You’ll be capturing this project at dusk where darkness starts to creep in, so make sure that your location is safe or that you’ve brought along a friend to keep you company while you shoot. The only ingredients you’ll need for your photographic potion are your camera, a tripod and a willing model, so give us your best witch’s cackle and let’s get started…

Best for versatility Ideal for shooting a wide variety of subjects, the 18-55mm f/2.8 kit lens is the equivalent of a 27-84mm focal range on a full-frame sensor. Adjust your focal ring to 18mm to enjoy a wide field-of-view that allows you to capture your entire scene. This lens is great for shooting landscapes, portraits, street photos and more, making it a versatile addition to your kit bag. Best for quality With a fixed focal length of 16mm – which equates to 24mm for full-frame cameras – this lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4 and a minimum focusing distance of 15cm. With its compact size and lightweight feel, this lens is a practical choice for taking on long treks to a location. The high-speed autofocus helps to make this…

YOUR BRIEF For your homework, we’re asking you to shoot one mono spooky spectre image. Your shot should be taken with a slow enough shutter speed to let your subject walk out of frame and mounted on a tripod to prevent camera shake. You should be using a suitable backdrop and a central composition for the best results. Your focus should be placed in the centre of the composition over your subject. The image must be delivered in black & white. While we do allow light editing, your photo should appear natural . Once you’ve taken your image, resize it to within the 10MB limit and then upload it to camera-school.com/module-6. JUDGING CRITERIA ■ Your image should be shot on a tripod with a mid-aperture and a slow enough shutter…

LIGHT PAINTING IS a creative in-camera technique that’s ideal for adding interest to scenes when the light is fading. The only gear you need to achieve this powerful effect is a camera, a tripod and a simple torch, meaning amazing results are instantly accessible for everyone. Although well-lit subjects do look amazing, there are a couple of simple things that can easily go wrong with this technique – this guide will help you avoid them all. First off, make sure you plan your shoot when conditions are optimal. In blue hour, the period after sunset, natural light left in the sky creates a mix with torch light. However, shooting on a clear, starry night may make it harder to create even illuminations, though can make for a wonderful vista of…

Sony’s α 6400 has revamped the company’s APS-C line-up, bringing a renowned AF system, incredible focusing algorithms and a 180 ° flip-up screen. It has a strong emphasis on image quality, as well as providing great 4K video options and an external mic jack for vloggers and videographers. The company has used its highly respected sensor technology to pack in a 24.2MP chip that’s at the top of its game, crafting excellent image quality, solid low-light performance and some of the best colours we’ve seen from Sony. The latest AF algorithms are included, and the 425-point AF system is class-leading, with superb tracking abilities. It also has access to the entire range of E mount optics, which have a striking reputation for exceptional clarity.…

STURDINESS A tripod that isn’t sturdy is like a bicycle to a fish – completely useless. With this in mind, these tripods have been stress tested with the kind of kit you’ll be shooting on to make sure they can do the job. VALUE FOR MONEY & SUITABILITY While tripods aren’t known for being tech-heavy, they each have their quirks and abilities. This is essential when you’re differentiating between genres, as we are. Each tripod offers features that make it ideal for its class, and demonstrate great value for money.…

WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUE. THESE solid options are designed to withstand the harshest of shooting environments, will give you years of sturdy use and are created to carry the brunt of pro-level gear and all the weight associated with it. Their impressive maximum working heights are great to give you framing flexibility, and the payload potential will mean you needn’t worry about overloading your setup with bulky kit and chunky optics. Of course, as you’d expect from these options, they do come at a premium, and they are a far cry from the svelte travel options. However, the use of carbon fibre does a great job of reducing the carry load, while retaining the strength and durability of the traditional aluminium versions. They may not all be suited to…

ARE YOU LEFT IN AWE AT THE SIGHT of long exposures? Do you wish you could tame fast flowing waterfalls and turn them into serene scenes with that smooth glassy effect? With these five ND filters, and our complete guide to long exposure photography on page 32, you can easily achieve such iconic shots. Each of these offerings blocks out 10 stops of light, which allows you to shoot at longer shutter speeds. We’ve included the holder details to help get you started, and rounded up filters ranging from entry-level, that won’t break the bank, all the way up to the crème de la crème, as used by professional photographers the whole world over. SRB ND1000 Filter 84mm £30 SRB is a filter specialist that brings long exposures to…

Jonny Henchman A lifelong obsession with motorsport sees this issue’s star reader travel the country snapping dramatic images of turbo-charged cars and bikes. See p48 Sam Seeley Celebrating 100 years of the Royal Navy’s Photographic branch, Sam shares his award-winning portfolio and talks history and heritage. See more on p94 Ross Hoddinott Landscape ace Ross is a big fan of long exposures and shares his top tips for adding motion to your scenes. Get ready to distort reality on p44…

Olympus 500mm Rumour has it that Olympus is about to create a 500mm prime optic, with a possible fixed f/5.6 aperture, for its Micro Four Thirds line. What makes this incredibly exciting is the 2x crop, which would give it an effective focal length of 1000mm. We have also heard news that this optic would be compatible with the 2x teleconverter for a huge 2000mm reach. olympus.co.uk Nikon 12mm f/2.8 Nikon’s flagship mirrorless Z system is widely regarded as a success story. However, being a new system, the company is still strengthening its lineup. We’ve heard the next announcement may well be an ultra-wide fixed-aperture 12mm f/2.8 optic. This would be a huge draw to new and existing users, especially those who are looking for the perfect landscape companion to…

YOU DON’T NEED ANY professional or specialist gear for taking long exposure shots. If you want to extend your shutter speed into several seconds, or even minutes, during daylight then you will require some filters. We’ll look at those over the page, but here are the three basic bits of kit you will need to get started… CREATIVE CAMERA FROM £299 A creative camera is one that allows the user to take full control of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. For long exposure photography you will need to be able to set a shutter speed of several seconds, as well as having access to a bulb setting (which allows you to lock the shutter open) for longer exposure times. STURDY TRIPOD FROM £99 Trying to handhold your camera…

1 THINK CREATIVELY You don’t need media credentials to get great motorsport photos – you just need to think creatively and work within the limits of your location and equipment. Some of the best photographs I’ve seen by both professionals and amateurs have been shot from spectator areas. 2 GO WIDE, GET CLOSE If you have a telephoto lens of 300mm or above with a reasonably fast aperture, the fence doesn’t need to be a problem. Get as close to it as you can with the widest aperture available and the depth-of-field will allow you to blur it out completely in a lot of spots at race tracks. 3 DON’T FORGET THE NDS Use slower shutter speeds (sub-1/200sec) and pan with the subject to capture motion – too fast and…

PORTRAITURE IS ONE of the most rewarding photographic genres. However, editing can be a touch tricky. Luminar’s new range of portrait tools, including the AI Portrait Enhancer, make this challenging discipline easier than ever before. With little more than a few sliders you can create a professional-looking portrait with high-end skin retouching, perfectly highlighted eyes and even face reshaping for the most flattering edit in minutes. 1 Clean up the skin To make short work of this usually complex technique, head to the Portrait workspace icon, found on the right, and select AI Skin Enhancer. Now click the AI Skin Defects Removal box, and drag the slider right until you get the desired results. 2 Fine-tune your face You can now use the advanced sliders to lighten the…

WHEN YOU watch a film, you’re probably not thinking about the lighting in each scene. But it’s a habit you should really try to get into, as filmmakers are masters of making artificial light look natural, or using lighting effects to ramp up the atmosphere or drama in a scene. With some off-camera flash creativity, it’s possible to emulate the look of the big screen and create your own film noir-inspired thriller. Control the light As we discussed in the previous project, taking your flashgun off camera lets you control where the light is coming from, which means that you can light your subject from any direction you please. Backlighting is one of the most dramatic ways to illuminate a subject and it’s a look that’s used to full effect…

Hoya Circular Polariser Slim From £24 A great range of standard polarisers that won’t cost you the earth, they come in a number of thread sizes and feature a thin frame to allow use with ultra wide-angle lenses. hoyafilter.com Tiffen Circular Polariser From £50 An affordable range of polarisers with excellent optical quality for the price. Like the Hoya they’re also available in a range of thread sizes to suit most lens sizes. tiffen.com Lee Filters 105mm Circular Polariser £209 High quality and versatile, this is designed to fit the Lee 100 Filter Holder System and function with almost any lens size. It rotates independently of any other filters. leefilters.com…

“There are three filter types that will help transform your landscape images. A circular polariser is a must for landscapes, as it will darken skies, make white clouds pop and reduce haze. It also cuts down on reflections and glare, allowing you to see into water and saturate woodland and foliage. A graduated neutral density filter (GND) is dark at the top and transparent at the bottom and is used to balance a bright sky and relatively dark foreground. Neutral density filters are all dark and reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor. This enables you to use longer shutter speeds, blurring any element that is moving, such as clouds, water or foliage.” ■ Award-winning landscape photographer Chris Upton is a Fujifilm X Series ambassador. He also lectures, runs…

Capturing an effective spooky spectre shot relies on using the right settings and arranging the perfect composition. Your ghostly figure will be the centre of attention, so it should be in the middle of your frame. Read our instructions carefully for your best chance of grabbing yourself a gold rating. Create a central composition Place your subject in the centre of your frame for maximum impact and ensure that the horizon line in your scene is level. You can check this by using a hotshoe spirit level or by switching your camera to Live View and using the Virtual Horizon feature. Choose a background that is suitably spooky and free from distracting objects. We certainly don’t want to see any rubbish, but you should also try to clear the surrounding…

WITH MORE THAN 105 ROLES IN THE ROYAL Navy, the only person to experience them all is a photographer. Originally a Royal Marines Commando, I undertook my military photographer training at the Defence School of Photography at RAF Cosford. The course is intense. You cover a broad range of subjects in a very short period of time, starting with the fundamentals and moving on to areas such as medical, portraits, forensic, technical, intelligence and press photography. I found my passion during the portraiture phase of the course. In a world of virtual, instant connections we have crossed blindly into limited real-life physical interactions. Portrait photography breaks down this barrier and that’s what makes being a Royal Navy photographer so attractive and fulfilling. At sea, there is no internet connection, there…

Tripod Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB £120 A solid tripod is a must for light painting. Try the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB which is strong, light in weight, and highly adaptable in height. It also comes with a decent SBH-100 ball head. vanguardworld.co.uk Boom Phottix Saldo P190 £30 If you’re illuminating large subjects, or want to get top-down lighting, pop a light on the end of a stand like this one and use it as a boom. phottix.co.uk Light Ledlenser P7 LED Torch £40 Weighing only 175g but with a big 320 lumen output, the P7 runs off 3xAAA batteries, is weather resistant, has three brightness levels, and a focusable head for flood or sharp beam work. ledlenser.com Clothing Keep it dark You need…

WHAT YOU NEED ■ Photoshop CC ■ An urban building or city scene that has interesting textures URBAN SCENES ARE PACKED WITH GRIT, texture and tones that come together to give a real sense of place in an image. But the detail in such scenes can be hard to capture and accurately portray through a camera’s lens. This is when the edit is key for enhancing the gritty atmosphere in an image while maintaining the scene’s natural attraction, rather than losing key details to a flat, camera-generated JPEG. In four steps, it’s possible to take full control of a shot’s atmosphere using the Adjustment Layers feature found in Photoshop. We’ll show you how to inject mood, contrast and detail into an urban shot without going overboard on a hyper-real effect…

WHAT CONSTITUTES A TRAVEL TRIPOD? Simple, lightweight and compact, these three-legged companions are ideal for grabbing shots on the go, and while they may be shrunk-down versions, they still boast the capabilities to get the job done. Whether you’re trekking through the mountains, or jetting off to exotic climes, travel tripods are the perfect size to slide in your luggage and kit bag. These picks also all come with a head, which cuts down on cost, and increases the versatility of your shooting and framing options. Of course, you will notice a couple of weaker areas when compared to their full-size peers – for example, the trade-off for weight reduction and portability is a lower weight-bearing threshold, though if you’re carrying a mirrorless setup, that won’t prove to be an…

SMARTPHONE GIMBAL DJI Osmo Mobile 3 £99 ALTHOUGH DRONES MAY be the company’s bread and butter, DJI is also known for its lineup of ultra-smooth gimbals. Alongside the professional-aimed Ronin range is the Osmo Mobile collection for smartphones, which is what we’re looking at here. Main features DJI’s smartphone gimbals have gone from strength to strength with the Osmo range. Building on two generations, this handy tech is designed to give mobile phone users smooth video footage, making it ideal for vloggers and anyone who likes to share snippets to social media. The folding design makes it extremely portable, and the lightweight plastic construction keeps the weight down to a carry-friendly 405g. It’s built around comfort, with a large ergonomic handgrip to take the strain, as well as housing…

1 METER THE SCENE WITHOUT A FILTER Your camera’s through-the-lens (TTL) metering may struggle to select the correct exposure with a dense filter attached. Therefore, I would recommend you first take a meter reading without the filter in place, and then calculate the filtered exposure. 2 ADJUST FOR ANY COLOUR CAST Theoretically, ND filters do not create a colour cast. However, some extreme densities do display a cold or warm colour shift. Sometimes the cast can be attractive and desirable, but automatic white balance will normally neutralise colour casts in-camera, or you can correct it during a RAW conversion. 3 USE AN APP TO CALCULATE EXPOSURES Working out exposure times can be tricky. Use the chart that comes with the filter or download a dedicated app such…

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 CLOSED 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: O CLOSED ctober 2019 On sale: 29 August 2019 Homework deadline: 25 Sept 2019 Marks announced: 9 October 2019 \\ MODULE 5 CREATIVE FRAMING Issue: CLOSED 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…

1 SHUTTER-PRIORITY This mode allows you to take full control over your shutter speed. 2 SINGLE-POINT AF Single-Point AF allows you to choose the right focal point for your spooky scene. Turn to p88 for more. 3 AF-S AUTOFOCUS This autofocus mode will select and lock focus when you half-press the shutter button, and is key to sharp shots. 4 WHITE BALANCE White balance is an important part of any shot, and especially important when it comes to rendering colours accurately. As you’re working outdoors, use the auto setting for best results. 5 EXPOSURE COMPENSATION The exposure compensation option is a useful tool. Pressing this in and using the finger wheel will tell your camera to lighten or darken the scene when using shutter-priority mode.…

For this technique to be successful, you will need to use an appropriate shutter speed. Begin with a setting of 5secs, but be ready to adjust it. If the shutter speed isn’t slow enough, you may find that your subject doesn’t have time to walk out of shot, or that it’s difficult to time half of the exposure accurately. If 5secs is too fast for you to get good results, double your exposure time to 10secs (your camera will select a smaller aperture). If you’re still not happy with the effect, vary the time that your model spends in shot, trying shorter or longer periods until you get the right look.…

1 Set your focus mode Set your camera’s autofocus mode to AF-S for the best results. This means the autofocus will activate once as you half-press the shutter, and will lock the focus in place, even as your subject leaves the scene. This is usually activated via a switch, as above, but check your manual for specific instructions. 2 Use single-point AF Go into your camera’s AF menu and choose single-point AF. This gives you a single focus point that you can move around for an accurate focus. You can move your focus point into position by using your camera’s joystick selector or D-pad, or by pressing on the rear LCD if your camera supports touch functions. 3 Focus and shoot Half-press the shutter button to bring…

Head to the Adjustment tab and choose Levels. Create contrast by dragging the Black Level to the right, and the White Level to the left. Don’t worry if the background looks overdone. Click on the Layers tab, and then the Mask Layer icon at the bottom. Press Ctrl+I to invert the Mask to black, and you’ll notice the effect has disappeared. Press B for the Paint Brush Tool and open the Colour tab. Select white from the colour picker, below the sliders, and paint over your subject to boost contrast where required.…

WHAT YOU NEED ■ Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC or Affinity ■ An autumnal image which could do with a seasonal boost AUTUMN IS ONE OF the most beloved seasons for capturing the natural beauty around us. The changing of the leaves, the directional hazy light and the wispy clouds all lend themselves to crafting stunning imagery. That’s why we’ve created ten Actions for Photoshop CC, Presets for Lightroom CC and Macros for Affinity Photo, to help enhance that seasonal beauty in the edit. With these presets downloaded and installed, the perfect autumn imagery is only a click away. With our creative collection, you’ll be able to give any scene an autumnal hue, emphasise the golden colour of leaves and boost sunset shots. Read on to learn how to use the…

Fujifilm’s 26.1MP X-Trans X series is essentially a shrunken X-T3, with outstanding image quality, an advanced AF system and tones to die for. It features classic styling, giving it a retro feel, and deals superbly with low-light situations – despite weighing only 383g. The lens system is well respected, covering a focal range of 8mm to 400mm, with a diverse mix of zooms and primes. Fujifilm is also known for shoehorning a wealth of features and functions into its cameras, and the X-T30 is no exception. Sports Finder allows for a blistering 30fps at 16MP, while Pre Shot starts capturing images as soon as you half-press the shutter, ensuring you get the shot. The interval timer is ideal for time-lapses and a wealth of manual focus assistance is on hand…

WHY DO MACRO PHOTOGRAPHERS want their own form of tripod? The ability to move the camera away from the central axis and work at low heights can open up a new world of creativity in miniature framing. This trio of sticks each offers a swinging central column, which allows you to move your camera to positions not offered by other tripods in this list. They also let you get lower to the ground, meaning you can get closer to nature, insects and floral scenes to make the most of your optics’ 1:1 macro magnification. Just because they take a different view of the world, this doesn’t make them a one-trick pony. You can use these as traditional vertical tripods, with the head of your choice. They offer a high working…