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CONTENTS
6WildlifeEnsureyou’reup tospeedwiththeessentialtechniqueandkitadviceyouneedtohelpyoutakeonwildlife– oneofphotography’smostchallenginganddiversesubjects
8EXPERT ADVICE:BASICTECHNIQUES
10EXPERT ADVICE:ANIMALSINACTION
12EXPERT ADVICE:ANIMALPORTRAITS
14EXPERT ADVICE:CREATIVEWILDLIFEIDEAS
16MASTEROF WILDLIFE:BENHALL
18ULTIMATEKIT: WILDLIFE20PHOTOSKILLS:ADAYATTHEZOO
26CoastallandscapesLeadingUKlandscapeprofessionalsprovideexpert adviceonshootingcoastal landscapes
28EXPERTADVICE:KNOWTHE ESSENTIALS
30EXPERT ADVICE:EXPOSURECONSIDERATIONS
32EXPERTADVICE:COASTALCOMPOSITION
34EXPERTADVICE:TIMEOFDAY
36MASTEROF COASTLINES:LEEFROST
38ULTIMATEKIT: COASTLINES
40Filters for landscapesDoyouknowyourNDsfromyourpolarisers?Here’swhyyoushouldbe usingfilters…42EXPERT ADVICE:THEESSENTIALFILTERS
44EXPERT ADVICE:USINGAPOLARISER
46EXPERT ADVICE:NEUTRALDENSITYFILTERS48EXPERTADVICE:NDGRADUATEDFILTERS
50EXPERT ADVICE:EXTREMENDS
52MASTEROF FILTERS:ADAMBURTON
55TravelTravelbroadensthemind– andallowsyou totakeincredible images.Topguidancewithin…56EXPERT ADVICE:GETPREPAREDTOTRAVEL
58EXPERT ADVICE:BESMARTWITHKITCHOICE
60MASTEROF TRAVEL:JONHICKS
62EXPERT ADVICE:PORTRAITS
64EXPERT ADVICE:LANDSCAPES
66EXPERT ADVICE:CULTURE
68ULTIMATEKIT: TRAVEL
70MacroLearnhowtosee theworldin fascinatingminiature.Catch themacrobug!
72EXPERTADVICE:GETTINGSTARTED
74EXPERT ADVICE:INSECTS
76EXPERT ADVICE:FLOWERS
78EXPERT ADVICE:CREATIVECLOSE-UPIDEAS
80MASTEROF MACRO:ROSSHODDINOTT
82ULTIMATEKIT: MACRO
84RawHarnessyourcamera’sfull potentialby shootinginRaw. It’seasierthanyouthinktomaster…86EXPERT ADVICE:UNDERSTANDINGRAW
88EXPERT ADVICE:EXPOSURE
90EXPERT ADVICE:EXPOSETOTHELEFT
91EXPERT ADVICE:EXPOSETOTHERIGHT
92EXPERT ADVICE:CONTROLCOLOURWITHEASE
94MASTEROF RAW:LEEFROST
96EXPERTADVICE:RAWDETAIL
99RAW TALENT:CREATIVERAWTECHNIQUES
115UltimatekitFromourextensivenumberof testsand reviews,webringyouourpickof theultimatephotokit
116PROFIELD TEST:CANONEOS5DSR
120GROUP TEST:POLARISINGFILTERS
124GROUP TEST:NDGRADUATEFILTERSYSTEMS
128HEADTO HEAD:PREMIUMTRIPODS131PCTEST:CHILLBLASTFUSIONPHOTOOCLITE
132WHICHLENS?:HOWWETEST
134LENSTESTS:ULTRAWIDE-ANGLEZOOMS
138PROFIELD TEST:CANONEF 11-24MMF/4LUSM
142LENSTESTS:PREMIUMSTANDARDZOOMS
146LENSTESTS:PREMIUMTELEZOOMS
150LENSTESTS:POPULARTELEZOOMS
152LENS TEST:SIGMA150-600MMF/5-6.3OSHSM
154PROFIELD TEST:NIKONAF-S300MMF/4EPFED
156LENSTESTS:50MMPRIMELENSES
158LENSTESTS:MACROLENSES
162PerfectexposuresCutoutanduseourfreegreycard!
TURNTOPAGE112TOFINDOUTABOUTOURFANTASTICSUBSCRIPTIONOFFERS
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6 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
GoWILD!ThenaTuralworldhaslongfascinaTedphoTographers,buTiT’snoTaneasy
disciplineTomasTer.wildlifephoTographyTakespaTience,skillandadashofluck
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iMage:rOss HOddinOtt
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8 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
1BaitingyoursubjectOneofthemostreabeways toentcewdfe
cosetoyour ens s through ‘batng’–
usngfoodorwaterto attract brdsor
mammastoa predeinedpace.Settng
upa ‘feedngstaton’w gveyoufarmorecontro over ghtngandthe ookofthe
subject’sbackground. It s mportantto
usesutabefood– forexampe, carron
forfoxesorbuzzards;or nuts andseedsto
entce sma gardenbrds.Water s another
goodway toattractwdfe. Subjectsw
use tto etherdrnkor bathe–andyoucan
capturestrkng magesof subjectsaong
wthmrror-ke relectons.
Feedng statonscanbe very smpeto
setup. Ifyouareadyhangoutnutfeeders
forthebrds nyourgarden, youareaready
hafway there.A coupeof nutor seed
feeders onpoes nyour gardenareayou
need.Thnkaboutthesun’spostonn
AFmode:PredictiveFocus
Whenhtahnmvnsubjects,swtchtectveAF,whchmakesteasetcatueshts.Bkeenunehaf-essentheAFshutte
buttn,theensw tackthe subject,ajustnfcuscntnuatkeethesubjectshanthefame.
Exposuremode:Shutter-prioritymode
Awfehtahe’stsachevna sucentfast shuttesee.Usn shutte-t(STv)vescntveshutte
see,whethecameawseectthecesnnaetue.Manas favuusnaetue-t.
Meteringmode:Multi-segmentmetering
Mut-znemeten (Cann’sEvauatve Nkn'sMatx) ssthatuwaewanttuseanthnese.Hweve,
stmetensusefunstuatnswheeuwshtmetefasma,seccaea–keumae.
reatontoyour feedng staton– nwhch
drectonwthe ghtbe at thetmethat
youw betakngphotos?Do youwant
yoursubject tobefront-t(deadurngthe
godenhours), backt or tfromonesde?
Paceyourset-upaccordngy.Ensuretheresadstanceofat east sxmetresbetween
yoursubject andtsbackgroundtoensure
yourbackdrop sceananddused.
Poston ‘props’cose toyourfeedng
statontomake magesappearmorenatura
andnterestng.Forexampe,when shootng
gardenbrds, pace chen-cadbranches
orsprgsof bossomcoseto thefeeders.
Pre-focusyour ensontheperch soyouare
prmedandreadyto takephotoswhenbrds
momentaryreston your‘prop’between
feedng.Toconceayourwhereabouts,use
adedcatedhdeor– f takngphotos nyour
garden–shoot from thegardenshedor
even fromahousewndow.
2ResearchyoursubjectFa toprepare;prepare tofa.
Ifyouwantto capture stunnng
wdfemages,youirst need to
knowyour subject.Wthoutan
understandngand passon foryour
subject, youwnever truy capture
tscharacterorbeabe toantcpate
keybehavour.Smpyventurng
outwthyourcamera nhand, just
ontheo-chancethat youmght
indandphotograph somethng,
wproducevery mtedsuccess.
Instead, researchpotentasubjects
thoroughyonne irst.Dscover
whattypesofhabtatstheyprefer,
therdet, andany keybehavour–kecourtshp dspaysormgraton.
Aso,indoutf thercoator
pumagevares dependngon the
season, andwhendo theybreed
andhaveyoung?Theanswers to
thesetypesofquestonswgreaty
hep your pursut of the‘perfect’
pctureandpreventyoufrom
wastngtmeandeort.Onceyou
arearmedwththe rghtknowedge,
researchsutabehabtatsand
reserves.In theUK,www.rspb.org.
ukandwww.wdfetrusts.orgare
goodpacestobegn.
r O S S h ODDI n OT T
b E nhA l l Basicwildlifetechniques
BEForEyoU STArTSHooTiNg,WiSE UpoN THETECHNiqUESTHATWill HElpyoUBAgSoMEgrEATSHoTS.HErEArEAHANdFUloFSTArTiNgpoiNTS…
Camerasettings
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Wldl
3Back-button focusngGoodfocusngtechnque sessentafor
wdfe.Opportuntesw beleetngwhen
photographnganmas– sothespeedand
accuracyof your focusngcanbethe
derencebetweensuccessandfaure.
Yourcamera’scentre focusngponts
typcay themostaccurateand sharpestof
a theavaabe focusngponts–
regardessofcameramakeor
mode.Therefore, ths s thepontyoupredomnateywantto use.
However, rareywyou acheve
thebestcompostonwththe
subjectpostonedcentrayn
theframe. Tophotograph
subjectso-centre usngAF you
coud focusmanuay, or shootn
sngeshot/AF-Smodeand keepthe
shutter reeasebutton sem-depressed, or
usetheAF-ockbutton.However,when
shootngwdfe, noneoftheaboveare
partcuarywe suted.Aso, youdeay
want tohave your cameraset toAF
contnuous shootngmode.A farbetter
optonforwdfephotographers s to
swtchtoback-buttonfocusng.Dongso
takes focusngaway fromthe shutterbutton
– nstead abuttonon thebackof the
camera s assgnedtothejob.Typcayths
buttons ethertheAF-ONor AE-Lbutton
–butconsutyourcamera’smanua.Whe t
mghttakeyoua shortwhetoget
accustomedto theswtch,youwind
separatng focusngandreeasngthe
shuttera farbetter technque.
Pont thecentraAF pontatyoursubject,press the
rearfocusbuttonusng
your thumb,andthen
recomposeyourshotwth
yoursubjectpacedwherever
youwantn frame.Now,when
youdepressthe shutterbutton, the
camerawon’ttry torefocusonthe
backgroundoranyothereements.
Back-buttonfocusngasomeans you
don’thave toiddearoundwthany das
shoudyouwshtoswtchtomanuafocus.
Eectvey, ayouneed todosnotpress
theback-buttonAFbutton– just adjustthe
focusngrngandtakeyourphoto.
WhiteBalance:Auto
AutoWBproducesverygood,accurateresultsnmoststuatons.IfyouareshootngRaw–whchwewouldalwaysrecommendtoensureyou
capturethemostdetalnyourmages–youcaninetunecolourtemperaturedurngpost-processng.
Releasemode:Continuous
Manycamerasarecapableofshootngupwardsof5fps (frames-per-second)–someareasfastas12fps.Byholdngyouringerdownontheshutterreleasebutton,you
cancapturelargecontnuousburstsofmages.Thssdealwhenshootngmovementoracton.
ISORATINGS:ISO40
Typcally,wldlfephotograrequreafastshutterspeedsubjectmotonortoelmnownmovementwhenshohandheld.Althoughyous
alwaysusethelowestpractcalISO,fasterISOsaltocapturefastmovementandworknlowlght.
4StalkngandieldcraftOneof themostmportant sk
wdfephotographersmust earn
siedcraft– theartofavodng
detecton. If yoursubjecthears, se
orsmes youbeforeyouarewth
pcture-takng range, twdsapp
ongbeforeyou’ve takenanyphot
Ahde s thebestdsguse,thougstakng softentheonyway to
getcose tosubjects.Wearmuted
coours,avodnosyfabrcsand
don't ceanyour‘stakng’outit–
thedrtert s,themore twdsgu
your scent!Deer, foxesandhares
haveapartcuaryacute senseof
sme–soapproachdownwnd.
Movesowyandwatch yoursubje
cosey– f tshowssgnsof uneas
or ooksdrectyat you, stopand
remanmotoness untt ooks aw
agan.Partof thesk sbengabe
to dentfyandusenatura cover–
ookfor areasof densevegetaton
bracken,treesandhedgerowsto
conceayourwhereabouts.
Whenstakng,amonopodor
beanbag s fareaser tousethan
a trpod. Trave ght– just takea
camera, teephoto ensand keep
accessores nyourpockets.
Dawn s typcay thebesttme
tostakwdfe,whenanmasare
preoccupedwthfeedng.The gh
sasobetterat ths tme,too.
r O S S H O D D I N O T T
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10 Wildlife
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s t e v e b l o om
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Animalsinaction
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QHowdoIgetbetteratchangingmy
camerasettingsquickly?
Practce.Toensureyounevermssagreatphoto opportuntyagan, adjustISO,apertandfocussettngs.Ideally,youneedtogettpontwhereyou canalterkeycamerasettnntutvelywthouteventakngyoureyeawfromthevewnder.Themoreyouuseyou
camera,themorenstnctvetbecomeswusngtoutntheeld.
QCanIstillachievepin-sharpnatures
indarkconditionsorpoorlight?
ThankstothencredblehghISOperformaofmostdgtalSLRs,yesyoucan.Inpoororfadnglght,selectyourlens’smaxmumapertureandncreaseISOsenstvtyupwaof3200.Thswllhelpgenerateasutablyfashutter.Also,swtchonmagestablsatonand–fpossble–useamonopod.Ifyoucuseasupport,keepyourelbowstuckedntyourbodyandthecamerarmlypressedtoyourfacetohelpmnmsemovement.
Q
Whatispanning?
Pannngswhenyoumovethecamentandemwththe subject’smotondurngexposure.Correctlypannedmages shouldresultn thesubjectbengcapturedsharplyaganstablurredbackground–mplyngafeelngofmoton.UsngpredctveAFmodkeep thefocusng pontoverthesubjectansmoothlypanwthtastmoves.BykeepngtheAForshutterbuttonpressed,thelenswtrack thesubjectand contnuallyadjustfoctokeept sharp.Youonlyrequrea relatvelslowshutterspeed–typcallyntheregon1/15sec.Ideally,youwanttobeparalleltotpathofyoursubjectforpannedmages.
QHowdoIachieveperfectlycomposed
actionimages?Whentrackngfastmovement,achevngtherghtframngn-camerasverydicultandfyoutrytoframeyoursubjecttootghtn-camera,yourskcuttngobtsofthesubject,lke lmbs,wngsor feet!Instead, opforawderfocallengthandntentonallyleavextraspacearoundthesubject.Byncludndegreeof‘spareroom’,yougveyourselfmaforerror.Thssapartcularlygoodtactcwphotographngfast orunpredctablebehavYoucanthencropmagesdurngedtngtoachevetherghtcompostonandbalance.
Wildlife
ma r k b r i d ge r
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WildlifeQ&A
3
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12 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
b e nha l l
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Shooting animalportraits
udedy u
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Animalportraitsagreatwildlifeportraittakescreativityandskillifit’stobeconsideredanythingmorethanasimplesnapshot
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Proview
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WildlifeTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
r o s s h oddi n ot t
1)Shootfromowdowntoburtheforegroundasweasthebackdrop–twmakeyoursubjectstandout.2)Thetmeofdaysasmportantaconsderatonasany.Herethesoftevenngghtenveopestheswannbeautfupnktones.
Q Whenshootnganmalportrats,
whatsthebestvewpont?
Theresnohardandfastrue–thebestvewpontwdependonthesubject,tssurroundngsandtheeectyoudesre.However,generayspeakng,a ow,eye-eperspectvewyedthemostntmateandnatura-ookngresuts.Therefore,getdow
owandtakephotosfromyoursubject’sheNotonydoow-eveshotsookmorenatubutasotseasertosupportyourcameraset-upusngetherabeanbagoryourebo
Q Whatsanenvronmentalportrat?
Asthenamesuggests,envronmenportratscapturethesubjectwthntheconoftsenvronment–forexampe,anurbannarecognsabegardenortownsettng.Tareessgenercthantghtycroppedportraandteastoryaboutthesubjectandtsreatonshpwthtssurroundngs.Ifyoucagetcosetoyoursubject,wderfocaengtworkbestforthsstyeofnaturemage.Dosowaowyoutodstortperspectve,wtyoursubjectoomngargentheframe,buwthtsenvronmentcearyrecognsabebehnd.Envronmentaportrats canconvemuchaboutthesubject–afeengofsoatdepthandwdness–andareweworthshootngwhen theopportuntyaows.
Q HowdoIbrngmyportratstolfe?
Theeyesarethekey.Wenstnctveookatasubject’seyesrstofa,sotsmportantthattheyarebtngysharp.AncecatchghtwbrngyoursubjecttofDependngonthesun’sange,youmaynetowatunttheanmamovestsheadtoonsdeforacatchghttoappear.Ifonedoesnappearnaturay, though,tryusnga reducburstoflashtoaddone.
Q What’sthebestfocallengthtouse?
Unfortunatey,theresnosmpeanswertoths,astwdependonthesubject’ssze,yourdstancefromt,andhomuchofthesubjectyouwanttoncudentheframe–aoft,orjusttshead?Howevegenerayspeakng,thelexbtyofazoombestsutedtoshootngportrats–somethntheregonof80-400mmwprovedeasutedtomostsubjects.IfyourDSLRhasa1.5xor1.6xfactor(eanAPS-Csensor),a70-300mmzoomshoudsuice.
WildlifeQ&A
scaleorevena feelngofsolaonoporra
mages. i snormallybes oavodsoong
porraswe subjec lookngdrecly
ouof frame–composonsendo feel
crowdedanduncomforable.however,ere
arealwaysexcepons oanyrule,soalways
bepreparedoexpermen.
Lgs also key– lowmornngorevenng
lgwlladdwarmandbeauyo your
poograps.tmngsalsomporan.
Wacforyoursubjeco dosomeng
neresngor qurky,lke ls ead, yawn,
sng, sou, lookupordown,neracw
syoung,or lookaler or nqusvebefore
rggernge suer– wll elpmake
youranmalporrassandoufromoers.
2
Pro tipWhenshootngtghtanmal
portratsthatilltheframewth
theface,youshouldamforas
muchsymmetryaspossble.Keepthefaceasparalleltothe
cameraaspossbleandplacet
centrallyntheframe.
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14 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
R o s s h o d d i n o t t
R o s s h o d d i n o t t
b e n h a l l
1SilhouettesWfc ook rkg hou. i ooy hoomwh cryrcogou– forxmp,pu,ow org.bo,rmchou
rpoyhoogowr hu’rco.bycorrcy xpogforhujc’
muchrghrckgrou,hmw rcor mpkyou. tochv
hcorrcg, k po-mr rg fromrghprof hc. sc
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h hpo’mrgwhyhg.trggrhhurwh hujc cy
pro furcryrcog.Coour of kygr.echur
u prov uqupof coour ocor your ujc g,wh h
uow hky, ro cpur hprfchou.
3Magicalmacronurphoogrphy ’ju ouhoog
rmmm–murwf
mk forfc ujc oo. a you
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2Concentrateononespeciesif youryw ocpurruy
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hv rof ghfu mgh
oryouyourujc.
CreativewildlifeideasChoosingyoursubjeCtisonething;Choosinghowtoshootitis
another.thesesuggestionsshouldgiveyoufoodforthought
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WildlifeTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
i s t o ck p h ot o
4Beautifulblack&whitebk& whe fe verke frwfe
hgrhy,u eyu hveee he wrkf eehgrherke
dv ly nkbr,yuwureyhkg. by emg he r
f ur, heemh f heh irmye heuje’ hrer, he
frm.Mhrme e hghghie,re ef uje’k,fur,
feher eg.cue h ur ver m urghe
reg ge– g w he yuuremreevemge quy.
smy uey fehekey gree uefu k & whe mge,
hkrefuy uyur m urrug.
6Shoot inbadweatherWeher hve hu
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rve mey we e. ny w
exeree e exrrry,u yuw
reurwhhuref freh mge,
ewk,mee ke-meee,
reurhmere mve
he wfe fu er hme
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16 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Ibegan my full-twldlf photorphcrr 2002. Thdustr hschd
sctlscth, wthth st
dvlopt th dvt of dtl.
Thsusqutpct o photorph
dth dustr rlhs hu.
Howvr, dspt th chs, psso
forwldlfd photorph hs’tdwdld
d phlosoph rs thss t
dd thdsof shootl– splto
kpstrvfor thtprfctshot!
"m work slwsvrd.It slso vr
ssol,wth usst prod tpcll
flltwutu d spr. Wtr
s uqustol fvourt tof r,
whl sur s orll lttl qutr.Dursurt,th lht shrshfor
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thrs lwsstcksof oic work to do.
Procss d cpto s, ftur
wrt,drwup vocs,swr
lsd othr rldtks up
rt dlof t,so uchso tht
sotst fls lk I hv lttltto
ctullo outd cptur frsh shots!
"althouh I stll spd rtdl of
t photorphUK wldlf,
worktks llovrthworld.I ld
photorphworkshopsdurwtr
dsprd frqutl w fro
ho.Whl I jovstxotcd w
loctos,I stll thost rwrds fro
shootthwldlfclosto ho. Lk
ost outdoor photorphrs,I pl wk
ccordto thwthrdth lht.I d
tht of fvourts rth
os tkthworstwthrcodtos!
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r cojursupc trulcl. I wll
lso vst ths loctost dt
,whchhlps to coflr
wth thldscpd tshtts.Ths
masterofwildlife…
BenHall
BnHnBn'bphgph.H pcbn
phgphnhnnuunnn, ncungcgyn nhBhwPhgphyanhwnnshrcaUsa.in2009hn'GgphcPhgphhY'.HhppnnuunvnpgncungBBC'WalkOnTheWildSide nbh2020VisioNph.Hhc-nTheWildlifePhotography WorkshophrHn.HcbbyLivingEdgegzn'pnnxpncphgph,hpcn'y '.
Bn’sktbg1)LoweproFlipside500: thbgy500hcbychnxn.icnbknnghcy-n
uggg,hchu!2)CanonEOS-1Dx&EOS-1DMkIV:thdslrpccpungcn.theos-1dx ghngngh.
3)CanonEF500mmf/4LIS:Phpyun.ixcpnpc quyncu,kngpcbhpncnh.
4)CanonEF100-400mmf/4LIS:thn vyv.th c
nghpcghubjcn hncp.5)CanonEF17-40mmf/4L:thynncpn.igquynxbng.
6)CanonEF50mmf/1.4: ivynhn,hughin'uuch,pckngpyk!7)CanonExtenderEF1.4xII:Cnvy500700!
8)Gitzo3541LSSystematic:thphpccbbyn (vy) ghgh.9)NikonTraveliteEX binoculars:Uuhn kngubjc.
10)Floatinghide:ahvci uphgphng
bn.Gyngughngvpnbckgun.11)SanDiskExtremeCFcards:thcbhnb.whnhngn x
chpn.CanonEF100mmf/2.8Macro:thgpuhnpcbcc-up.Gimbalhead: iuhhhh500n;khgh
uhnhngquckjun hcpn.Beanbag: ikungun-vubjc.i
gupphgvnhnp.
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21
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Biography
1) i’nuncnnngphbuhnhbnnnuicpubhvu.2)Ubnnvnnh,kpnyuhghg,pgncnnx.3)shngubjcn hcnx hnvnnhpybuh.
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WildlifeTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
“Myfavouritetechnique...”Stngnbwt“Weather cancreateawonderfu senseofatmosphere. Images taken nharshweathercondtons suchassnowor ran canasogveapowerfunsghtntothe subject'sfe.Theycanshowthetypeofcondtons thattheanmamust face nordertosurvve.Weatherasoadds anextraeement toa shot,whchcanater thevewer’s percepton.Fangsnowandrancan ookdramatcayderentdependngontheshutterspeedused,soI aways experment toind themost sutaberesuts for each mage.I amoftenaskedhow Iprotectmyequpmentwhenshootng nwetweather condtons. Imust admt I don'tgotoanyextraordnary engths,butI permanentykeepa neoprenecoveronmyongerenses. Thshepsto protectthe enseson adaybass,andkeepswhteCanonL-seresensesnceycamoulaged!I asohaveawaterproof coverthatitsovermy camera andens–evenwth a500mmattached. Ths samustwhenshootngnearsatwater!”
Favouritesubjects
1)MountainharesIspendalotoftmenwntercapturngmountanhares.ByDecembthercoatsarealmostpurewhtemakngthelookbeautfulagansta snowybackdrop.
2)GreatCrestedGrebesOneoftheirstsubjectsI concentratedonwhenmyntereswldlfephotographystarted.Thesestunnngbrdsdsplayan amazngarrayofbehavour.
3)brownbears Seengmyirstbrownbeathewlds anexperenceI wllneverforget.
Inowteachonseveralbearworkshopseachnthe Carpathanmountansn Slovaka.
4)reddeer IlookforwardtoOctober,notjforthewarmlghtandautumnalcolour,butfthestartoftheannualreddeerruttngseasonHearngtheclashngantlersgetsmyheartra
5)orCasThethrllofseengwldorcasstruunforgettable. EachyearI headto Icelandtophotographthemaganstabreathtakngbackdropofsnow-cappedmountans.
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18 Wildlife THEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
UltimatewildlifekitIFYOU’RESTARTINGTOGETSERIOUSABOUTWILDLIFEPHOTOGRAPHYTHENYOUWILLWANTTOINVESTIN KITTHAT’SUP
TOTHEDEMANDSOFTHISCHALLENGINGCRAFT.HEREAREASMALLSELECTIONTOCONSIDER–BESTSTARTSAVING!
Sigma150-600mm
f/5-6.3DG OSHSM/S
£1,500Sigma’ssuper-telephoto
zoom isperfect forwildlife.
Thisdust- andsplashproof
beast comesequipped
withanOpticalStabiliser
(OS) functionandaarray
ofpremiumoptics. Its
HyperSonicMotor (HSM)
providesquiet andfast
AF–essential fornature
photography.Checkoutthe
testonpage152.
CanonEF 400mm
f/5.6LUSM
£920
Canonuserswhopreferaprime lengthshould
considerthis high-
performancelenswith a
constant apertureof f/5.6.Its
fastAFandportabilitymakeit
perfectly suited toshooting
wildlife.It weighsa relatively
modest1,250gandthe
tripodcollarmakes it easier
toswitchformatswhen
mountedon asupport.
CanonEF 100-400mm
f/4.5-5.6LIS IIUSM
£1,900
This isa popular lens amongnaturephotographers
whoshootonCanonEOS
DSLRs. This is the second
generationmodel– thefirst
canbepickedupusedfor far
less. It’s a lens renownedin
theindustryfor imagequality
and superbhandling inthe
field. Italsohas ahandy
minimumfocusing
distanceof 1.8m.
TamronSP150-600mm
f/5-6.3DiVCUSD
£740Ifyouwish tocapture
intimateclose-upsofbirds
andmammals,Tamron’s
high-performancesuper-
telezoommight justbe
thelensforyou. Itboasts
VibrationCompensation
(VC)and anUltrasonicSilent
Drive (USD)toaidimage
qualityandfocusing.
Italsohas ausefulmaximum
magnification ratioof1:5.
NikkorAF-S 80-400mm
f/4.5-5.6GEDVR
£1,800
This5x telephotozoomoerssuperb imagequality
forNikonusers. ItsVibration
Reduction(VR) technology
allowsphotographers
toshootatupto four
stops slower thanwould
bepossibleotherwise.
Althoughquitechunky,it
iscomfortabletouse and
smallandlight enough to
suit handheldphotography.
Sigma 70-300mm
f/4-5.6 APODGMacro
£100A truly aordable lens
forwildlife, thisSigma is
compactand lightweight,
making ita greatchoice
fortravel.70-300mmis
a reallyuseful focal range
anditsApochromatic (APO)
constructiondeliversgood
imagequality.Its impressive
1:4maximummagnification,
makes ituseful forshooting
all kindsofcreatures.
NikkorAF-S300mm
f/2.8EDVRII
£4,000
Ifyouneeda fast telephoto,looknofurther. A truly
professional,fast,quiet
telephoto lens– perfect
forshooting fastactionand
for usein lowlight. ItsNano
CrystalCoastingsuppresses
ghostingand reducesflare.
Nikon’slatest300mm,
testedonpage154, oersa
morecompactoptionthat is
alsoconsiderably cheaper.
Goodpullingpowerisessentialwhenchoosingalensfor
shootingwildlife,sobesuretopickagoodone.These
guaranteegreatresults…
WILDLIFE
LENSES
B E N
H A L L
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WildlifeTHEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
Giotto’sMML3270B
aluminiummonopod
£25Anexcellent andcompact
four-sectionmonopod.Fully
extended,it is 167cmhigh
and itslarge foamhandgrip
makes it acomfortable
support touse. Ithasa
weightcapacityof 12kgand
thecamera caneitherbe
mounteddirectlyto thetop
ofthemonopod,orahead
canbeattached.
Benbo2 Tripod
£150
This isa heavy-duty
aluminiumtripod.Benbo is
renownedfor its innovative
anduniquetripoddesign,whichenablesthemto be
positioned inalmost any
configuration. Theyare great
forlow levelwork andare
apopularchoiceamong
naturephotographers. The
Benbo2 oersextraheight
thanks toitslonger legs.
ManfrottoMM294C4
carbon-fibremonopod
£60Ifyouneeda monopod,you
wantone that is lightweight,
but remainseectiveand
sturdy.This four-section
design is rigidand portable.
Its leglocksmakeadjusting
height a quickandeasything
todo.Thankstoitscarbon-
fibreconstruction, the
supportweighs just0.5kg, so
it'sperfectfortransporting.
GitzoGT3532LSSeries36X
SystematicTripod
£580
Anotherheavyweight
performerfromGitzo: the
RollsRoyceof thetripodworld. TheSystematic
range isdesignedwithout
a centrecolumn,making
themquickandeasy to
position lowto theground.
Being carbon-fibre,theyare
surprisingly light andhave a
loadcapacityof 25kg.
Therearejustsomegadgetsthatwecan’t
livewithoutaswildlifephotographers.Thesearetheultimateinaccessoriestopropupyourcamera,supportthatheavy
telephotolensandmakelifeeasieringeneral…
WimberleyWH-200MkII
£520
Aspecialisedhead, designedforphotographerswhouse
long, heavy telephotos. Its
Gimbal-typedesignenables
photographers torotate
telephotosaroundtheir
centreofgravity,making
themeasier tomanoeuvre.
TheWimberleyheadhas
becomea firmfavouritewith
natureenthusiastsdueto its
buildqualityandsturdiness.
PORTABLEHIDE
Keephidden ina freestanddomehidebyWildlifeWatcSupplies.They’reeasytoerandpackaway,availableindierentcamouflagecolopatternsandaremadefromproofed,breathablemater
BEANBAG
Whentakingphotosfrom
groundleveloranothersosurface,abeanbagisamushave.Theyarecheap,butsurprisinglysupportiveintherightsituation.
MEMORYCARDS
SanDiskExtremeProSDHCcardsaresomeofthefastesonthemarket.Ideally,optf32or64GBcards–theaddcapacitywillproveusefulwshootinghigh-speedbursts
BINOCULARS
Oneofthebiggestchallengofwildlifephotographyis
locatingsuitablesubjectsithefirstplace.Nikon’sTravebinocularrangeispowerfuyetlightweight.
WI-FIREMOTE
Youdon’talwayshavetobesatbehindyourcameratocapturegreatwildlifeshotwirelesscamera control,likCamRangerorWeFe,allowyoutocontrolyourcameraremotelyfromyouriPad,iPhoneoriPodTouch.
Benbo:www.patersonphotograCamranger:www.camranger.Canon:www.canon.co.ukGiotto’s:www.giottos-tripodsGitzo:www.gitzo.co.ukManfrotto:www.manfrotto.coNikon:www.nikon.co.ukSanDisk:www.sandisk.comSigma:www.sigma-imaging-uTamron:www.tamron.eu/uk/WeyeFeye:www.weye-feye.coWimberley:www.tripodhead.c
Accessories
Contacts
WILDLIFE
SUPPORTS
B E N
H A L L
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20 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
phoToGraphinG
capTiveanimalswithalittlevisionyoutoocanturnaregulartriptoyourlocalwildlifecentre intoaphotoexpedition.here'ssomeprotipsandtrickstocapturinggreatanimalportraits…
Aday at the zoo sn jusfrks– n
fc,lv frnsn fml m
nspnurwur lp
m ncmr– ’ll bmuc mr fun! Ins
fbngrgg brusr lgfrmn
nclsur nr; ucn spn ll m
uwnpgrpng nmls.
Ms fusmgbmrllsplb wl nmls
ncpvbu,wvrur snc, frmn wllfprk rs nrs 'll g
sngsspcculrcrurs. Wcs
spn zSLWpsnz nBfrsr,
wcsbnprngsnc1931 nuss
nncrbl numbrfspcsnclungbrwn
brs,cmps, grs, nafrcn ln pr,asn
lpnsn amurgr;rrll rn
nugurs n smll!Lcls
rwllfprks rlsgrpns nr fn
qur nsmllr nwlsm mlck
bggrnmls,sllv pln r.
tbuf wllfprkr s u
cnprc r cvrsnbl wllbs n
r scul.Fr nsnc,wn ’sfng
m uknw grmb prccup
ng g cns; bufr cmps ’s
bsm vsrnclsur frcls-ups.
alug um v brcnc gnggng prrsf wllfs uv cpv
unc, sll ss cllngs; suc s
sng rugr run bsclslk wr
fncs nppl,wrkngwlw rrs
nurl lg, nfrmiculvwpns. ofn
bsprrs cm w cnc,
sllw p-f-lnn -lvlvwpn
cnnc vwr;ll muc srsn
n,s w'vg fwpcsf vc….
Pro tip
w’,b
.
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22 Wildlife
EssEntialEquipmEnt:For thebestmagequaty, youneedacamerathatperformsweathghISOsand,formostanmas, a fast,ongens.Dueto the1.5xor1.6xcrop,anAPS-Ccamera(ketheNkonD7200orCanonEOS70D)wturna 70-200mmf/2.8ntoroughya 105-300mmf/2.8 forgreaterreach.Youmght asowantto consderoneofthe300mmzoomsbyNkon,Tamronor Sgma–twextendyourreach to450mmonAPS-C
butsacrcessomeof thesoft depth-of-edyougetwth thefaster f/2.8 teephotos.Whehandheds themostlexbeway toshoot,camerashakecanbea probemwhenusngongfocaengths, soconsdera monopod;a trpodcanbe restrctve na crowdedzoo.A fast 50mmens s deaforow ght andcosesubjects, keyou’ndn encosures.
CamErasEttings: Fewanmasmove fastncaptvty,so yourbggestconsderaton s tonda shutterspeedthatemnates camerashake.Therecprocarueshoudsteer yourght: fyou’reusnga foca engthof300mm,makesureyourshutterspeed sateast1/300sec, especay f shootnghandhed.
Setyourautofocus tosnge-pontso youcanfocusthroughfencesandbeprecsewthyour foca pontwhenshootngwthwdeapertures.Contnuousfocusngmayasoncreaseyour rateof sharp mages.
Useaperture-prortyormanuamode.Set
f/5.6orwderanda owISO; ncreasng tasneededtoachevea suicentshutter speed.Asyoumayben andoutof encosures,setyourWhteBaancetoAutoas a fa-safeoptonandtweak nRawedtng, fneeded.
BEars:Thesegrizzybutmajesticcreaturesareoftenin
encosureswiththickwoodand,makingiteasyforthemtohide.Theviewingpatformsareofteneevated,makinginterestingcompositionstricky.Waitfor thebears tocomeoutofthewoodedareasandgetasowasyoucan.Trytopredictthecreature'spathandgetinfrontofthebear,sowhenitstopsorooksupyoucancaptureyourportrait.
Flamingos: It'stemptingtoonyconcentrateontheargemammas,but birdsare usuayapentyatwidifeparks.Fromowsandeagestoexoticparrotsandcoourfupeacocks.Uncagedbirds,ikelamingos,areoftentheeasiestandmostphotogenicto photographthoughas
theycannotlyawayandyoucanincorporate theirbright,coourfu relections inthecomposition,too.
WHILEHandHELdIstHEmostfLExIbLEWaYtosHoot,camErasHakEcanbEabIgprobLEmWHEnusIngLongfocaLLEngtHs
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CHIMPANZEEs:You'lloftenneedalonglensforphotographingchimpanzeesoutside,buta fastportraitlensisidealfortheirindoorenclosure.Makesureyou'veafront-and-centrespotforfeedingtime,setaveryhighISO(oftenover1000)andyourwidestaperture.Thelightwillbelowwithnaturallightfallingfromabove–lookforshaftsoflightandbepatient.Oftenthechimpswillcometoyou.
Ifshootngthroughrenforcedgass
useapoarsngiter tocontroany
relectonsortry toshedyourensw
tsenshood,yourhandor–faesfas– putyourcoatoveryourhead.
Getascoseto thegassaspossbe.
Theangeofyourenscanasoado
worsenrelectons,so t'sbest tokee
paraetothegasswheneverpossb
Whenfocusngthroughthckgass,
your magesmay ooksofterthanus
especay fthegasssmurkyfrom
ingerprnts,dustandgrme.Lookfo
areasof gassthatareceanandens
yourshutterspeeds fastenoughto
avodsoftenngthe magefurther.
Howto:Shootthroughglass
tHEBEArNECEssItIELookoutforlow-levelviewingareasw
reinforcedglass:you'llhavetowaitforbeartocometoyoubutit'sworththewa
Expue:1/1000secatf/2.8(ISO20
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24 Wildlife TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
bigcatsarenotveryactive,butbeatthereadytocatchsomeactionandeyecontactoncethey'reonthemove
Ifyou’reusngsngle-pontautofocusandyourcameras stllndngtdiculttolockontotheanmal,andnotthefence,youetherneedtogetclosertothefencesot'scloserthanyourlens'smnmumfocusngdstanceorswtchtomanualfocus.Somelenses,lketheNIKKORAF-S70-200mmf/2.8lens,haveafocus-lmterswtchthat letsyousetthelenstoonlyfocusfromafewmetres tonnty,whchhelps.
Howto:Shootthroughfences
Lions:WhpsnadeZoohasaglassvewngareafortslonprde,whchalthoughschallengngtoshootthrough
thankstopawprnts,drtandgrubbyingerprnts,allowsyoutogetwthntouchngdstanceforstrongeyecontactanddetalshots.Bgcatsarenotusuallyveryactve,but beatthereadytocatchsomeactonandstrongeyecontactoncethey'reon themoveand theyturntherattentontoyou.Useatelezoomwthawdeaperturetozoomntoastrollngcattocaptureastrongportratwthblurredbackground.Shootngthroughcrowdsofpeoplecanalsocreatenceeects,lkethemagenthetoprght.
BACKGRoUnDs: Ifyouwantyourmagestolooklkethey’vebeentaken nthewld,angleyourcamerato avodncludngtelltalefencesandwoodenstakesaswellasusngawdeaperturetoblurthebackground.Trywatnguntltheanmalmovesnfrontoffolage,getlowerthanyoursubjectandshootuptowardstheskyand/orill theframewththeanmaltoncreasebackgroundblur.
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theliThislionkeptwalkingcircuitslargeenclosure,allwehadtodupandwaitforhimtowalkto
expsur:1/1600secatf/2.8
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CoastallandsCapesFewlandscapephotographerscanresisttheurgetoregularlyvisitthec
Foritsphotopotential.FromruggedcliFFstocrashingwaves,gentl
ripplesandglisteningboulders,it’seasytoseetheallureoFthe
C cTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Image:rossh
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28 Coastallandscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Tripodandhead
Thecoastlinecanbe
a challengingenvironment
somake sureyouhavea solid
tripodandhead tokeepyour
camerasteady instormy
weather,on wet sandor
uneven rockyground.The
biggerthebetterreally–
aluminium isheavierbut
cheaperthancarbon-fibre.
NeutralDensityfilters
NDgrads indensitiesof 0.6
and0.9help tonedownthe
skyso itdoesn’t overexpose.
SolidNDsextendexposure
timessoyoucanrecord
motion.A0.6 (twostop)
or0.9 (threestop) ishandy
forgeneraluse,whilesix to
ten-stopNDsallowdaytime
exposureslastingminutes.
Polarisingfilter
Useapolariserto eliminate
glare andreflections to
improveyourimage'sclarity,
contrastandincreaseits
coloursaturation, todeepen
blue skyandenhancecloud
detail. A polarisercanalsobe
usedto increasethe exposure
bytwostops (likea 0.6ND
filter)to blur thesea.
Scotland’sCoast£6
Nolongeravalablenew,butthereare
secondhandcopesonAmazonand
otherwebstes.Joes Brtan’s leadng
landscapephotographerandthsvolume
contansstunnngmagesofScotland’s
oftenwldandruggedcoastlne–
theperfectcompanonfyouplanto
exploretheScottshcoast.
Wide-anglezoom
A10-20mm(16-35mmon
full-frame) rangeis ideal. It
gives amassiveangle-of-view,
stretchesperspectiveand
depth-of-fieldis soextensiveyoucanget lowandclose to
emphasiselinesandforeground
interest.This is likelyto beyour
most-usedlens.
Standardzoom
An18-55mm(24-70mmon
full-frame)or similaris ideal for
generalusewhenshootingall
typesofcoastalscenery.The
wide-endcancapturedramaticviewswhile thetele-end lets
youfill theframewithdetails,
frompatterns insandand rocks
topeelingpaintonoldboats.
Telezoom
Though lessuseful than
wider zooms, a 55-200mm
(70-300mmonfull-frame)
lets youzoomin ondistant
partsof a scene, compressingperspectiveso theplanes ina
sceneappearstacked– ideal
forheadland shotsorscenes
withcrashingwaves.
WATERPROOFCOVER:
ItcanbeabascpolythenecoverlkeanOpTechRansleeveorsomethngmoresophstcated,
butyouneedtoprotectyourcameraandlensftstartstoran
orthere’sseasprayaround.
CLEANINGCLOTHS:
Usethemtokeepyourfilterscleanfromdrtandwatermarks.Checkfiltersregularlyastheyget
coatedquteeaslyandwashthemundercoldwaterfthefilm
ofspraysdiculttoshft.
SPIRITLEVEL: Buyahotshoe
-mountedsprt level (they’rencredblycheap)soyoucanensurethehorzonslevel(or
useyourDSLR’sntegraldgtallevelftoerssuchafuncton).
COMPASS:Usethstocheckthedrectonyou’refacngand
wherethesunslkelytorseandset.Youcandownloadappsfor
yoursmartphonefatradtonalcompassstoolow-tech!
TORCH:Handyforseengwhereyou’regongandwhat
you’redongwhenyousetoutorheadbackndarkness,andalsoforpantngwthlghtnlowlght.
REMOTERELEASE:Usethstotrptheshutterwthout
touchngttopreventcamerashake.Alsoforlockngthe
shutteropenforBulbexposures.
Accessories
W
EMAYCOMPLAINabout theweather,
Council Tax,thepriceof fuel andmany
otherthings, butlivingonanislandlikeBritainhas itsadvantages. Forstarters,howmany
othercountriesin theworld arethere that allow
youthechanceto reachthecoastwithina couple
ofhours’drive?Notmany, andif youcould,would
youwantto live there?
Thefact is,us Britsareincrediblyfortunate.Not
onlydowehaveanaccessiblecoastline,butlike
ourlandscape, it’salsofullofvariety:bustling tourist
resorts, picturesquefishing villages,stretches
ofgoldensand,desolateweather-beatenclis,
heart-stoppingviews,poundingsurf,tranquilcoves...Youname itandwe’veprobablygot it.
Addto that thevagaries ofourclimate, which
canchange themoodof a place inminutes,
andyou’ll seethatthecoastlineoers endless
photographicpotential. Butyouneedto be
prepared ifyouwantto comeawaywithshow-
stoppingresults, andthischapter tellsyou allyou
need tocreate yourbest ever coastal images.
Raiseatoasttothecoast!BEFOREYOUHEADFORTHECOAST,BRUSHUPONTHEESSENTIALSANDYOU’LLINCREASEYOURCHANCESOFCAPTURINGSOMECRACKINGIMAGES
Essentialreading
Coastalkit
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Coastal landscapes
TheDorsetCoast £12
Asurprsngnumberofproandscape
photographersvenDorset,ncudng
ChareWate,AdamBurton,DavdNoton,
MarkBauerandGuyEdwardes.There
aremanygoodreasonsforthat,andthe
exceentmages nAdamBurton’sbook
covermostofthem,fromTheJurassc
CoasttoGodenCap.
NorthumberlandCoast£13
Btofapatternemergnghere,butyet
anotherfantastcbookofcoastamages
byrenownedphotographerJoeCornsh.
Thsoneconcentratesonthebeautfu,
unspoedcoastofNorthumberandand
contansnsprngmagesofathekey
ocatons–BamburghCaste,
HoyIsand,Anmouthandmore.
TheNorfolkCoast £14
Norfoksrenownedfortsqueter
coastne–dunes,satmarshes,endess
shngebeaches,broadsandybaysand
pcturesquevages–sot’sagreatpace
toheadfyoufancyanaternatvetowd
andrugged!JonGbb’sbooksfuof
nsprngmagesthatwpontyouand
yourcamerantherghtdrecton.
l e e f r o s t
Q Istworthtaknga
professonalworksho
ThereareotofworkshopscoverngUKcoastnes.ContrbutorsLeeFrostand
RossHoddnotteadnumerworkshopsnScotand,Northumberand,Dorset,
Cornwa&Devonthroughotheyearandfyoucheckth
cassiedadsnDigitalSLRPhotography magazneyouindmore.EmaLeeonnfo
eefrost.co.ukandRossonrodawn2duskphotography.co
QWhattmeofyearsb
toshootthecoast?
Regardessoftheseason,evdaybrngssomethngder
asthecoastsnaconstantsoflux.Summer’sperhapstheastfavourabeseasonasth
ghtandweathercanbeba(andtherearemoretourstsbutotherthanthatyoucan
amazngshotsanytme.
QWhatcausesthetde
advanceandrecede
Tdesoccurduetothegravtatonaforcesfromthemoonand,toaesserexten
sun.Themoon’sgravtatonpucausestheoceanstobugetowardstsonsome
partsofthewordthetdeshghandnotherst’sow.A
theearthsrotatngontsaxthsmeanstheheghtofthetdesconstantychangnga
ocatonchangesnreaton
thepostonofthemoon.
Q Istmorediculttos
thecoastthannland?
Thesametechnquescanbappedtoatypesofands
–compostonandthequaofghtshoudtakeprortyyouneedtohaveareasona
understandngofdepth-ofied,theuseofNDgrads,Nandpoarsngitersando
patence.Andabtofuck!
CoastalQ&A
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30 Coastallandscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
ExposureconsiderationsObtainingthecOrrectexpOsureatthecOastisOneOfthemOstimpOrtantelementswhen itcOmestOgOOdincameratechnique…
Camerasettings
Exposuremode:Aperture-prorty(A/Av)
tooyoooooo-o-o.
Meterngpattern:Mult-zone
Yo'-zooo.coevvnko' m.
AFmode:SngleShot/OneShot
skossoook,oooyoo,oyoooy o.
Getting thecorrect xpsus
mpaadss f subj
yu’s, buyu d b
vm afuws asa
ssas xpsu s m ky. ts
s may baus aa fa ypa
sa ss baa va
adsapdu lvy f sa.
Sads asy lv adavy
sbassa b
pbma.Udxpsus ky
bausyuamas
d sas ‘ava’
sa abu may
asass a b
a ava sy
m u dak. t
bad s, a
s ky b,spayf
’s sul
saad a
smm s.
ts s wyabu
pvd yu’ awa a’s ky
appadady ay .
t ky s k y yupvw
mabuas sam fa
mabauspvwmamay
vyu a u df wma
asauay ddwas
sam w. Yu a usyu
xpsumpsafay asxpsu. ias 1/3sp
mss sam s
d basdwads sd–
a sam basdf usuay
das mas udxpsd,
wyusudyavd.of yu’
yd add+1/3 +2/3 sp,bu
m xmsuas– fav
– yu may d as
xpsu by+2 sps m. Asyu
dws, yu’kwxay
wa d bsfma s.
Apu mayaks py
vsuspd wsss,
baus yud suyu av
adquadp-f-d av
f--baksapss. hwv,
yu ad as, su spdsmusasb v sdaas y
amu fbu ddsa ad
s aava slu
suss fama.
tsuspdyuus w dpd
ypf s yu’sad
yu’ y av.if yuwa
apu damaf wavs as
s, fxamp,yu’
d a fas su
spdfz ly
wa dps – ay
fm 1/500-1/2000s,
dpd w
fus sas adwb s wavs a
fam. Basay,
b ads
wavsa, fas
qudsuspd.
A df a,
xpsusf ay fm a fw
sds a fwmusa f usd by
asa paps sm u
xu fsa asfm a
amsp mss assw sa
ms s, su as ps ad
js. t aksu.
Bwsw xms ps
a mayadvadadf yu’ a fa fasapapy,’sw
xpmw d su spds
dsads sw y
away sa ds. Yuak
ama asyu ad fyu’qu
appy w , s aaus a
swfassuspd.t ‘mky’ sa
ks a,bu d’ b mpd
awaysus xpsus– smms
pays da xu sa ad
fayu may y d axpsu f
1/4 1/2sd, spay fwavs a
was ass fud adyu’
usa wd-a s.Smay,a daw
addusk,w a 30-60sd xpsu
w v yumsy bak
wavs,s wa apps w yuy
xps s fv sds.
tm s mpa, spay w
s xpsus. ifyuwaa saky
sa usuay pays p
su as a wav s d aa
appa as ‘daaway’
ds wkbpapay,
Q HowdoIstopoverexposngtheskywhenIshootcoastalscenes?
Yoondy(nd).ayoovkyky’ooovo.uy 0.6nd(o-
o)o jo kyo’y o0.9nd(-o)ooo.
Q WllanNDgradconfusemyDSLR’smeterngandcauseexposureerror?
no, o v ooo yo yodslr’- (evvoco,monko)okoov.
Q IsthereanypontnsettngmyDSLR
tomanualexposuremode?Oyyooo–ooo o,y. by,
oooyooo’oo.
Q HowcanIworkouttheexposureforaten-stopNDilter?
my o(o-o)y1000.too,yo1/30o30oyyojk oo– 1/15oo;1/8oo;1/4oooo.
Q Isacoastalsceneeverlkelyto leadtooverexposure?
uookyooo,
oooykyoyyooooooyovoooyo.ikokoo,o.
ExposureQ&A
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LiveView
UseLveVewtoadcrtcafocusngbymagnfyngth
scene. Itasoheps accuragnanNDgradfyoustr
dongtvathevewinder
WhiteBalance:Auto(AWB)orDaylight
AutoWhteBaancesreabebutyoumaypreferaixedpreset,
nwhchcaseuseDayght.ShootRawandyoucanchange
tdurngpost-processng.
ISORating:ISO100
UsethedefautowISOsettngforyourDSLR,usuayISO100,
toensureoptmummagequatyandonyncreasefyou
needafastershutterspeed.
epecally heea reakedbywheur.
Ihe huer peedyuneed acheveaceraneecn’ lwenugh, evenwh
yur lene malle(mnmum)
aperureandhe Isoa lwe, yu’ll need
ueneuraldeny(ND)iler cu he
expure. A0.6NDncreaeheexpureby
wp (1/4ecbecmene ecnd);
a0.9NDbyhreep;a 1.2NDbyurp
andn.theen-pNDilerha
becmeveryppularr caal
phgraphya ncreae heexpureby
1000x yucanpen hehuerr
everalmnuen braddaylghand urn
heeamlk. Ienparen’ que
enugh,here’evena16-pNDilernw
rmHechcalledthefrecre!
Above:Toensureperfectcoastaexposureskeths,takeatestshotandrevewthemageandhstogramonyourLCD.
RossHoddinott
“Lvngcosetothecoast,Iearntmyphotomettecapturngthebeautyof theCornshcoastne.
OneoftheirstthngsIearnedwashowachevng thecorrectexposurewasa ttemorenvovedthanwhenshootngandscapesnand.Therskofunderexposuresfargreater,duetothehghghtsbengrelectedothewater’ssurface,sogreatercareneedstobetakenntermsofensurngthescenescorrectyrecordedanddetasn’tost.Theotherkeyfactorwthexposure sthe choceof shutterspeedasthsaectshowwatersrecorded–I’mamassvefanofwaterbengcapturedasamkybur,so ove touse ongexposures.”
Proview
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32 Coastal landscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Composition is key acaa
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Above)Hdtth–
tthdtht-t-bh.1)Ththhtttdthd,d,d.2)D'ttthtdtt!
For Full-Frame sensors
16 20 24 28 35
f/8 1.1 1.7 2.5 3.5 5.5
f/11 0.8 1.3 1.8 2.5 4.0
f/16 0.6 0.9 1.3 1.7 2.7
f/22 0.4 0.6 0.9 1.3 2.0
ForaPs-C sensors
16 20 24 28 35
f/8 1.8 2.8 4.0 5.5 8.5
f/11 1.3 2.0 2.9 4.0 6.2
f/16 0.9 1.4 2.0 2.8 4.3
f/22 0.7 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0
A DA m
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CoastalcompositionIT’snogooDfInDIngasTunnIngsceneIfyou’renoTsureonHowTomakeTHe mosTofIT. followTHIs sImplecomposITIonalaDvIce…
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Proview1
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Coastal landscape
specic dstance – the hyperfocadstance
– sodepth-of-iedextends from haf the
hyperfocadstance to ninty. Seethetabes,
aboveeft, for popuar wde-angefoca
engths. Ofcourse,the coastnesn’taabout
sweepngvews – tcanasobe the sourceof
somefascnatngdetas.
Down on thebeach,ook forpatterns
created by pebbes,seashes, rppes n the
sand,seaweedor weatheredod drftwood
washed-up by thetde. Thecooursand
shapes n rocks makegreat natura st-fes
f youmoven cose wth a standard zoom
andi theframe. You coud whe away
hours – once you’vetaken a fewnterestng
shotst’s mpossbe to steayoursef away.
If youhappen to vst a harbour on your
traves,ook forpeeng pantworkon od
doors andboathus, relectons n thewater,
cosof rope or obster pots on thequaysde,
or cratesof ishbengo-oaded from
trawers. These knd of subjects aredea for
du days, when sceneson a argerscae ack
nterest because theght s latand thesky
drab,and wherever yougo on theBrtsh
coastne, you’re boundto indsomethng.
l e e f r O S T
2
Q IstherearuletohowmuchskyIshou
includeinacoastalscene?
Notreally.Ifyouwanttoplaytsafeyoucou
dvdethemageareantothreehorzontalbandsthenplacethehorzonether1/3up
fromthebottomsotheskyoccupes2/3ofshot,orplacethehorzon1/3downfromthtopoftheshotsotheforegrounddomnate
Butftheskysamazngyoumaywantthattotakeupmostofthepctureareaandft’sborngyoumayreducettoanarrowstrp
acrossthetopoftheframe.Heavenforbd,theremayevenbeoccasonswhenyoupla
thehorzonacrossthemddleoftheframe
Q Whichisbestforcoastalshots,
landscapeorportraitformat?
Itdependsonthescene.Thelandscape
formatsmorerestfulbecausetechoesthehorzon,butfyouturnthecameraontssdeyoucan emphasseforeground ntere
especallylnes.The eyehasfurtherto travefrombottomtotop sothe compostonwl
bemoredynamc.
Q HowdoIknowifacoastalscenewil
makeagoodblack&whiteimage?
SetyourDSLRtoshootnbothRawandJP
thenselecttheMonochromecapturemodsotheshotsyoutakewllappearnblack&
whteonyourcamera’sprevewscreenandyoucanassesstthereandthen.TheRawiwllstllbecolour,soyoucanconverttlate
Q Whereshouldthefocalpointbe
positionedinashot?
The‘rule-of-thrds’s handyhere.Dvdetheframentoagrdusngtwomagnary
horzontal andvertcallnes thenplaceyourfocal ponton thetoprghtortopleftntersecton.The toprght ntersecton
generallyworksbest aswe naturallyscananmagefrombottomlefttotoprght.
CompositionQ&A
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34 Coastallandscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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CoastallandscapeTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
a da m
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1)Onblue-skydays,useapolarsertocuttwostopsofexposureandto saturatethecoastlne'scolours.2)Arrve30mnutesbeforesunrseforthebestlght.
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fcs re’qewh yexp
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hey’ll bewhe helgh’s fsc!
1
Q Whichforecastwebsiteisthebest?
Nosngleforecastngwebstegetstrallthetmesoyourbestbetstocheckafew
comparewhattheypredcttotheactualweaanddecdeonthebest.Trymetoice.gov.u
metcheck.comandxcweather.co.uk.Cloudcoverandprecptatonarethemanfactorsthere’snopontheadngoutforadawnshoo
f98%cloudcoverandheavyransforecast!
Durngthedayyoucanseetheweatherandwatchtchangesofyou’reoutyoumghtas
makethemostoft!
Q ArethereanyappsIcanbuythatwil
helpmepredictthelight?
Thereareseveralmobleappsworthcheckout.ThePhotographer’sEphemers(photoephemers.com)tellsyouwhenand
wherethesun(andmoon)wllbe,fromanywhereonearth.Itcosts£6.99fromtheAppStoreandscompatblewthPhone,
Pad,Androdanddesktopdevces.PhotoP(photoplls.com)ssmlarbutmoretrcksy.
Takeashotofascenewthyoursmartphonandtcalculateswhenthesunwllbenprm
poston.Italsoncludesdepth-of-eld,eldof-vew,exposureandtme-lapsecalculatoandevenMlkyWaynfo,allfor£7.99.PhotopsonlycompatblewthAppleproductsatthe
momentbutanAndrodversonsontswa
TimeofdayQ&A
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36 Coastal landscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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www.leefrost.co.uk
1)F-StopLokawthLargeProICU:It'sthbstbackpackI’vwd–thasladsfspac,swlladadt'scftabl.2)CanonEOS5DMkIII:Supb agqualty,xcllt
tgadaqualtyscaktajytus.3)CanonEF24-70mmf/4LISUSM:Salladlghtthathf/2.8wthIS t.A bllatall-ud.4)CanonEF16-35mmf/4LISUSM:Agatulta-wdzfCa;cuttg-dgptcswthagstablsat.5)CanonEF70-300mmf/4-5.6LISUSM: Supshapaddalfcpssgpspctvslatgdtalsasc.6)ZessDstagon21mmf/2.8T*:Abautfullyadwd-agl
p;thshapstthsadagatfcallgth.7)Samyang14mmf/2.8:Ulta-wdlsfthsbgcastalvws,gatfillgthfgud, shapad chap.
8)LeeFltersNDgrads:0.45,0.6ad0.9‘had’gadswhthhzsclaad0.6ad0.9‘sft’gadswhts’t.9)LeeFltersBgandLttleStoppers:Ilvusglgxpsusfcastalshtsadthssxad t-stpvssakthapp.10)HtechProStopIRNDilters:Ihavsx,ghtadt-stpvss.Thy’utalthathLaltatvsadalslsslklytbak!11)Helopanslmlne105mm
crcularpolarser:ScwstthftfyLFltshldvaa105thaddg.12)HoyaRevo77mmcrcularpolarser:Athsllplasthatscwsdctlyt
y16-35ad24-70.13)GtzoGT3542LSCFtrpod:Havyduty,sup-stgadwllad,thughthlglcksgtchkdwthsad!14)ReallyRghtStuBH-55Ballhead:Cpact,ck sldadqucktuswththLbackt.15)FenxE15torch:Hadywht'sdak,asusly6cbutdlvsupt170lus!16)Remoterelease: I’alwayslsgsIbuychapBay!17)SunCompass:Adspsabladfsussadsusts.
1
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mASTeroFCoASTLIneS…
LeeFrost
LwasbYksh
1966buthslvfphtgaphy–adthcastl–allytkhldwhhvdtDvasa
tag.Dughsaly20shwkdas awtvausphtgaphyagazsbfbakgaflacca1992.Scthhhasadaafhslfasbthabst-sllgauthadaaccplshdladscapadtavlphtgaph.Htavlsallvthwld,ladgphtgaphcwkshpsadtus,adshtsfpctulbassuchasGttyIags.LwdvdshstbtwSuyadthnthubladcast.
Biography
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3
l e e F r O s t
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Coastallandscape
l e e f r o s t
1
1)Puttheoddsofsuccessnyourfavourby
plannngandpreparng–checktheweather
regularly,makesureyouknowthetdetmes
thearea,sunrseandsunsettmesanddrect
and,mportantly,howtogetwhereyou’rego
2)There’satendencytosteerclearofwell-
photographedvews(lkeDunstanburghCas
Northumberland)butthey’repopularforarea
Justtrytoputyourownstampontheshots.
3)Returntothesamelocatonstmeandtm
agan,nderentweathercondtons,atde
tmesofday,nderentseasons.Gettokno
themwellandseekoutnewnooksandcrann
4)Setyoursghtshgh.Don’tassumethatyo
neverbeabletotakephotographsasgooda
thosebythetopnames.Youcan–t’snotdi
Theharderyouwork,theluckeryouget.
5)Dosomethngwthyourfavourtemages
ratherthanllngupharddrves.Makebgpr
andhangthemonthewallforeveryonetose
admreandcelebrate–they’reworksofart!
LeeFrost’sprotips
1)LvngonNorthumberland'spcturesquecoast,Lehasn'tfartotraveltocaptureamazngcoastalscen2)ShootnglongexposureswthextremeNDlterproventobeoneofLee'sfavourtephototechnqu3)Thesparsenatureofsomecoastalregonsmake
themthedeallocatonformnmalstfne-artmag
“Myfavouritetechnique”Longexposureseascapes“I ardungh chnquyarago, ongborhlfrBgsopprwavna wnk n makr’ y, andI ov hc!I producbauuin-ar magandwork b ondu orcoudyday,whch grabcau hUKwahr onk ha!Myavourong-xpourcn conan ark
man-madmnuchapo,groyn, j andpr, bcauhyconrawwh honoh a and ky.thcamrahaob rpodmoundandh nocudmanuayborhNDiraachd. I aondou anNDgradon h ky and h agndirorbyunglvVw. expourrang romono15mnu and Iuuay convr hmag omono.”Youcan vra xampa:ro.co.uk/mandd.ap
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38 Coastallandscapes THEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
Ultimatekit forcoastlinesFROMLENSESTOCAMERABAGSAND FILTERS, IFYOU’RE PLANNINGAPHOTOGRAPHICADVENTURETOTHECOAST
ANDONLYTHEBESTKITWILLDO,HEREAREASELECTIONOFTOPRECOMMENDATIONSFORYOUTOCONSIDER
You’remorelikelytouseawide-anglelenswhen
shootingonthecoastthananyother,soit’swellworthequippingyourselfwithagoodqualityzoomthat
coversultra-widetomoderatefocallengths.Hereareourrecommendations
Ifyouwanttogetitrightin-camera,you’llneed
threemainphotographicfiltertypeswhenshooting
coastallandscapes–NeutralDensity(ND)grads,apolariserand
‘extreme’Neutral Density(ND)forlongexposure
photography
WIDE-ANGLEZOOMS
FILTERS
Canon
Ifyou’reafull-frameshooter,theEF
16-35mmf/4LISUSM(£700)ishard
tobeat.Itboaststhelatestopticsfor
pin-sharpimagescornertocorner
andhasimagestabilisationtoreduce
theriskofshakewhenhandholding.
ForAPS-CtheEF-S10-22mm
f/3.5-4.5USM(£420)coversthe
sameeectivefocallengthrange
of16-35mmsoit’sidealforthose
sweepingcoastalviewswithbig
foregroundsand front-to-back
sharpness. Specialcoatings reduce
ghostingand flare.
Nikon
NikonoersanAF-S16-35mmf/4G
EDVRwithsimilarspecificationsto
theCanonbutlessexpensive(£830).
It'sNikon’sfirstultrawide-angle
lenswithVibrationReductionfor
full-framecameras.Itfeaturesa
sophisticatedopticaldesign to
maximisesharpnessandminimise
aberrations.TheAF-S10-24mm
f/3.5-4.5 G DX (£640) isNikon’s
APS-Coeringwithaneective
focallengthrangeof15-36mmanda
field-of-viewof109-61°–perfectfor
dramaticcompositions.
Sigma
The12-24mmf/4.5-5.6IIDG
HSM(£600)isanaordablewide
non-fisheyezoomforfull-frame
DSLRs,soifyou’reintoultra-wide
photographyitwillsuityoudownto
theground.Thelatestincarnation
alsooersthebestimagequalityyet.
ForAPS-Cusersthere’sthe10-20mm
f/4-5.6EXDCHSM(£300)orfaster
£380f/3.5variant.Botharepopular
lensesthatdonotdisappoint,
producing crisp,contrastyimages,
soifyou’reonabudget,oneofthese
couldbetheone.
NDgrads
Ideally,buyasetofthree–0.3,0.6
and0.9(one,twoandthreestops).Hard-edged gradsare moreeective
thansoft-edgedbutyouneedto
usethemwithcareifthehorizonis
broken.Thetwomainbrandsare
HitechandLeeFilters.Asetofthree
100mm-widegradscosts£109for
Hitechand£169forLeeFilters.Cokin
arecheaper–PSystem(85mmwide)
gradscost£44forasetofthree,or
youcanbuyHitechNDgrads(£70)
andusetheminyourCokinholder.
Polarisers
IfyouhaveaLeeFiltersorHitech
100mmkityou’llneeda105mmscrew-oncircularpolarisertofitto
thefrontofthefilterholder–theLee
Filters105mmLandscapePolariser
(£215),Sigma105mmEXDGCircular
Polariser(£179)orHeliopan 105mm
slimcircularpolariser(£175).If
youscrewthepolariserontoyour
lens,lookattheHoyaRevo(£120
for77mm),MarumiDHG(£55for
77mm),SigmaEXDG(£100for
77mm)andB+W(£175for77mm).
ExtremeND
Noself-respectingcoastal
photographerwillbewithoutaten-stoporsimilarNDfilter.Slot-in
100x100mmoptions includethe
LeeFiltersBigStopper(tenstop)and
LittleStopper(sixstop)(£99each)
andHitechProstopIRNDrange
(£99eachandalldensitiestoten
stops).Hitechalsomakea16-stop
FirecrestND filter (£120).Ifyouprefer
screw-in,lookattheHitechIRND
(£150for77mm)andHoyaProND
1000(£79for77mm).
r o s s h o d d i n o t t
r o s s h o d d i n o t t
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CoastallandscapesTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Packingyourkitforacoastaladventure?Agoodqualitybackpacknotonlymakescarryingyourgearmuch more comfortablebut whenyou’reshooting onthecoast itwillalsoprovide
yourgoodswithprotectionfromtheelements.Thesethreepacksarealluptothejob
phoTobackpacks
LoweproDryzoneBP40L
£165
Ifyouliketoshootinextreme
weatherconditions(wind, rain,
roughseas)thenthisisthepackfor
you.Itfeaturesawaterproofouter
witharolltopwhich,whenused
correctly,will preventwateringress
evenifyougetcaughtbyarogue
wave.Itwillcarryapro-sizedDSLR
withstandardzoomsattachedand
twomorelensesupto70-200mm,
aswellasaccessories.
F-stopLoka
£260
Thinkhighqualityrucksackwitha
removablepaddedcameracase
insideandthat’stheLoka.Youcan
customisetheinteriorwithoneor
moreICUs(InternalCameraUnits)
anditwillswallowmassesofcamera
kitaswellasclothes,foodand
anythingelseyouneedforadayby
thesea.Weatherproofingis good
too,thoughanoptionalpull-on
waterproofcoverisworthbuying.
TenbaDiscoveryMediumPhoto
£85Thepricetagwillappealtothose
onabudgetwhostillwantaquality
pack.Thisonewillcarryuptotwo
DSLRbodiesandfourtosixlenses
inthepaddedbottomsectionand
accessoriesinthetopsection.
Italsohasawaterprooofbottom
panel,pulloverwaterproofcover
forall-weatherprotectionandthe
rearcompartmentcanbeusedto
carryahydrationbladder.
WATERPROOFJACKET
Thisall-importantouterlaywillkeepyoudryandwarmdon’tscrimpandbuyagooqualitybreathable (egGort
jacketthat willlast foryearsAllthetopoutdoorbrandsproducethem.
MID-LAYER: Light-weig jacketscan bewornon theowninmild/dryweatherounderyourwaterproofjack
forinsulationinthecold/wFleeceischeapandlight,softshellis moreexpensivebutalsomoreeectiveanddown-filledjacketsarethewarmestbut mostexpensiv
OVERTROUSERS:
Goodqualitybreathableovertrouserswillnotonlykyouwarmwhenthecoldwblowsbutalsostopyourleggettingwetifyou’reshootitherainornearthesea.Fullengthzipsupthesideswillmakeitquickerandeasiertputthemonortakethemo
whenyou’rewearingbootGAITERS:Wearthese in
ofovertrousers to providewaterproofprotectionforylegstotheknee,butifyouwthemunderovertrousersyohaveeven betterprotectiofromroguewavesthatwasoveryourboots.
GLOVES: There’sno persolutionin termsofkeepinghandswarmandbeingableuse cameracontrols. HowethelikesofMacWet(www.macwet.com)provideglovwithdecentwarmththat alyouto operatethe camera
HAT: Preventbodyheatescapingthroughyourhea–checkouttheSealskinz’sWaterproofBeanie.
FOOTWEAR:WELLIES
arethemostpracticaloptio–lookatbrandslikeaHunteLeChameau,MuckBootorAigle.Wearthicksockstooyoupreferhikingboots,wegaiterstokeepyourfeetdry
Clothing
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40 Ff TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
essentialFilters
ForlandscapesWhilesoftWare,suchasPhotoshoP,mayhavetakenthePlaceofsomefilters,askanyself-resPectingdedicated
landscaPePhotograPherandthey’lltellyouthattherearesomefiltersthatsimPlycan’tbe emulated
Image:ross hoddInott
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42 Filtersfor landscapes
Screw-inScrew-infilters attachdirectly
tothelens.Theyareavailable
indierent threadsizes – for
example,58mm,67mm,72mm
and77mmareall popular sizes.You simplyneedto buya filter
compatiblewiththe diameter
ofyour lens.Circular filtersare
easy touseand,beingglass,
arenormallyhighquality. But
unlesseverylensyouown
happens tosharethesamefilter
thread, youmayneed tobuy
thesamefiltertypein dierent
sizes.UV/Skylightandthe
majorityof polarisingfilters are
circularfilters.
Slot-inSlot-infiltersaresquareor
rectangularpiecesofglass or
optical resin that attach tothe
lensviaadedicatedfilterholder.
Oneof thebiggestadvantagesofusingafiltersystemis that all
ofyour filterswillbe compatible
with allof your lensesthanks to
inexpensiveadaptor rings. Also,
somefilter types, likegrads,
areonlyavailable as slot-in.
Mostfilterholdersaredesigned
withmultiple slots,making
itpossibletocombinefilters
togetherwithoutvignetting,
whichis likelyif youattachtwo
ormorecircular filters.
Adaptor ringsIf youinvest inafiltersystem,
youwillalsoneedadaptor
rings tofit all lensesin yourkit
bagthatyouanticipateusing
for landscapephotography.Adaptorringsare available in
dierentfilter thread sizes. The
holdercanbequickly andeasily
attachedand removedfromthe
ring– usefulforwhenyouwant
toquickly swapfiltersfromone
lenstoanother.Someadaptor
ringshave beenspecifically
designedforusewithwide-
angles,being recessedinorder
tofurther reducetheriskof
vignetting spoilingyour images.
Filter systemsAfilter systemisaholder– or
bracket– thatattachesdirectly
toyour lensvia anadaptor ring.
Youcanthenslide squareor
rectangularfilters intoits filterslots. Slot-insystemsvaryin
size.Themostpopularare
84/85mmand 100mmsystems,
withCokin,HitechandLee
Filtersbeing themostpopular.
Smallerandlargersystems
areavailable,butgenerally
speakingarelesssuitedtouse
withdigitalSLRs.Somesystems,
likethe LeeFiltersholder,are
customisable, soyoucanalter
howmanyslots thereare.
Mainfiltertypes
WHENDIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY
overtookfilm,severalpeople
predictedtheeventualdemiseof
photographicfilters.Howwrongtheywere!
Whileitmaybe truethatmodernsoftware
suchasAdobePhotoshopandLightroom
hasreplacedtheneedforsomespecialist
filter types,manymorecontinuetoplayan
essential rolein photography– particularly
whenitcomesto photographinglandscapes.
Quitesimply, therearesomethingsyou
simplycan’treplicatein Photoshop–suchas
themesmerisingeectofacircularpolariser,
or thelight-absorbingandexposure-
extendingpropertiesofaNeutralDensity(ND)filter.Otherfilters,likeND grads,are
designedtobalance theexposurebetween
thelandandsky,allowingphotographersto
captureviewsauthentically in-camera.
Others,likeUV andSkylightfilters,areuseful
simplyduetothephysicalprotectionthey
oer toyourvaluableoptics – there’s no
softwareoutthere that can stop your lens
fromgettingchippedor damaged!
TheessentialfiltersforlandscapephotographyGETTINGITRIGHTIN-CAMERAISALWAYSPREFERREDTOFIXINGITDURING
PROCESSING.THELESSTIMESPENTIN FRONTOFACOMPUTER,THEBETTER…
Whilethereis a huge choiceof filters
available to thephotographertoday,
including special eect filters,coloured
gradsandsoftfocusfilters,in realitymost
ofthesefancyeectsarebestadded(if
required) duringpost-processing,where
theycan beappliedwithgreaterprecision
andtheeectcanbeeasilyundoneifyou
decidethatyoudon’tlike it.Therefore,
during thisguide,wewillconcentrateonly
onthefilter typeswefeel aregenuinely
essentialfor landscapephotography.
Filtersaregreat correctiveandcreative
tools,withthe potentialto transformyour
landscapeimagesfrom goodshots togreatones. Ifyouhavenotused filtersbefore, it
isabouttimeyoudid–you’llbe surprised
atthe results possibleandit will openupa
wholeworldofcreativepossibilities toyou.
And, bythetimeyou’ve finished reading
thischapter, youwillknoweverythingyou
need toinordertochoosetherightfilter for
thejob,use itcorrectly, andcapturegreat
filteredshotsin theprocess.
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Filtersfor landscapes
r o s s h oddi n ot t
CreativeOptical& DigitalFilterTechniques from£10
www.amazon.co.uk
RenownedauthorJosephMeehandetashowtouseoptcaand
dgtaitersncreatvedgta
photographyandgvesenoughnspratontoensureyounever
eavehomewthoutasetofiters
nyourktbag.
TheLandscape PhotographyWorkshop from£9
www.amazon.co.uk
Thsbookamstotakethereaderfromtheverybascsofequpment
andexposurethroughto
advancedtechnques.Landscapeessentas,suchasitraton,are
coveredndepth,gvngyou
greaterknowedge.
TheEssentialGuide toOutdoor Photography £9.99
www.amazon.co.uk
Thsgudetoshootngtheoutdoorsnotonydedcates
pagestousngiters,butaso
oersadvceandnspratononcapturngandscapesand
nature.Guaranteedtohepyoudeveopyoursksandpasson.
TheDigitalPhotographer’sGuide to Filters from£10
www.amazon.co.uk
Adeintvebookonphotogencitersforthedgtaage.After
readngthsbookby
RossHoddnottyouwfeeencouragedandnspredto
exporethecreatvepossbtesofusngiters–tradtonaanddgta.
Q CanyoutellmewhatdoUVand
Skylghtiltersactuallydo?
Theyaredesgnedtoabsorbtheeectsofutravoetght.Athoughthstypeofght
nvsbetooursensorysystem,tcanreduccontrast.Whebothitertypessharethesameroe,Skyghtitersare asotntedwt
aweakpnkcoourngtoaddsubtewarmttoshadows,whchcanhaveapaebushhucausedbyrelectedskyght.However,nt
theyaremostusefuforprotectngthefroneementof enses.Bengcear,theyare de
sutedtothsroe,protectngtheensfromdrt, sand,mostureandgettngscratched.
Q Whatare steppngrngs?
Theyaredesgnedtoadaptaiterto
enswhenthe twohavederentdameterForexampe,sayyouhada77mmiter,butwanted tocombnetwtha enswtha ite
threadszeof67mm–asutabestep-dowrngwoudaowyoutodoths.Theyare
reatveycheapand avaabe na varetyofszes.Step-downrngsaowyouto attachargeriterstosmaerenses;step-uprng
enabeyoutocoupesmaeriterstoarge
dameterenses.However,dueto thernatstep-uprngsgreatyncreasethe rskof
vgnettng,soarenormaybestavoded.
Q I’veheardofsomethngcalleda
‘ilterfactor’.Whats ths?
The‘iterfactor’sanndcatonofhowmuchghttheiterabsorbs.Thehgherthefactor,thegreaterthe ghtoss.Someiter
keUV/Skyghthavenofactorata.However,apoarsngiterhasa4xfactor,meanngtabsorbsapproxmateytwosto
ofght.TTLmeterngwautomatcaycompensate fora iter’sfactor,though,
soyoudonotneedtomakeanymanuaateratonstoexposurewhenusngiters.
Q Doestreallymatterwhatsze
iltersystemIbuy?
Unfortunatey, szedoesmatter.Themajorofwde-angestodayhavea argeiter
dameterof72mmor77mm.Therefore,fyouoptforan84/85mmsystem,therskofvgnettngshgh.Duetotheszeofmodern
wde-anges,a100mmsystem–ketheLeFtersorCoknZ-Prosystem–samuchbeopton.Athoughmorecosty,theargeri
szemakestpossbetouseiterswthoutprobems,evenatutra-wdefocaengths
LandscapefiltersQ&A
Essentialreading
Whileitmaybetruethatmodernsoftwarehasreplacedtheneedofsomespecialist filtertypes,manymorecontinuetoplayanessentialrolein
photography–particularlylandscapes
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44 Filters forlandscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Forlandscapephotographers,
mu-vi.I u
bu iw v
m yu m
b -.
smy k,y
uf .
By,yu u
u,vyum
m,vby’m‘.
pmfm f f
mwbw
wuf . By
i mu, yuvy mu
f u.Wy
ufu?W, m m,
u ,w
u yf uf’u.
Bybk fm
, i b u
vby.
Byi muwum’vwi–
vyulcdm lvVwm
–yuw m
yf u f.
tf
f m
u.Mbj, k
r o s s h oddI n ot
t
1)Raarrkrvr
arbrrra.
2)Aarraakrar,
rraravbra.
3)Bkaraarr,v
rrr‘’.
m,
mubyi.
Ui uyvy y;my
u i uyu v
yuk. F y,
imu fmkbu k
mvb.tum
90° .
tf, k90°
uw–
kw ‘Bw’’.hwv,
muw wy
ubu.
Myw v
myf bu
k.hwv, imum
b.du w b u
fmv f,u
w yuf
wu.
Withoutpolariser
Withoutpolariser
Withpolariser
Withpolariser
TransformsceneswithapolariserARguABlythelAndscApephotogRApheR’smostusefultool.heRe’swhyyouneedA polARisingfilteR…
lFst
“i aaarrarr
i’.iav
aha105rararrarrlfr’
rriandra,a
haRv77arrair-azi’r
r.i’arraair-
a,birakar,braa
rar.Aarraakarararv
vrrra,br
aaraaanradr-.”
Proview
2
3
1
r o s s h oddI n ot t
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Filters forlandscapes
l e e f r o s t
r o s s h oddi n ot t
4)Boostbueskesandcontrorelectedghtusngpoarser–theeectsvsbethroughthevewind5)Usngapoarsngitercanrestorenaturasaturayourmagesby cuttngthroughrelectedght.
Q Whatsunevenpolarsaton?Thssacommonprobemyoushoubemndfuof.Theeectofapoarsersattmostpronouncedat90°tothesunandeaseectveat180°.Therefore,atcertanangeyoumayindtheeectoftheiterperformsrreguary–wththeskybengdarkernsomeareasmorethanothers.Thssknownas‘unevenpoarsaton‘.Shortfocaengths,between16-35mm,aremostpronetothe
probemduetothebroadexpanseofskytheareabetocapture.Toaevateunevenskesthebestoptonstotryaretoreducetheeveofpoarsaton,useaongerfocaengthor(fpossbe)adjustyourvewpont.
Q Canyouover-polarsea scene?Yes,youcan.Theeectofapoarsercanbeveryseductve,butover-poarsatonwcreateunnatura-ookngresuts,sobecarefunottooverdotheeect.Coudessskandphotographstakenathgherattudesaratmostrskofookngtoodark.Youshoudbeabetodetecttheprobemthroughthevewinder,butawaysrevewyourmagesacheckthatskesremannaturaookng.
Q Whatsthederencebetweenlneaandcrcularpolarsers?
Onycrcuarpoarserswworkproperywmoderncameras. Athoughboth varetesacrcuarscrew-niters,thedesgnofthetypeaectsthemeterngaccuracyofdgtcameras.Thssbecauseautofocussystempoarseapercentageofghtn-camera,stheghthasareadybeenpoarsedbyaitthemeterngsaected.Crcuarpoarsersareconstructedwthawave-retardatonpate,one-quarterof awaveengththck.Thsaowstheghtpassngthroughtheitertorotateandappearunpoarsedtothcamera’smeterng system,ensurngyouganaccuratemeterreadng.
Q Dopolarsershaveailterfactor?Yestheydo.Theyhaveaiterfactorofsotheyabsorbuptotwostopsofght.Howeyourcamera’sTTLmeterngwautomatcaadjustforths.Duetotheriterfactor,poarscanbeusefuasamakeshftNeutraDenstyinordertoengthenshutterspeedstocreatvbursubjectmoton,kemovngwater.
PolariserQ&A
4
5
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46 Filtersfor landscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
NeutralDensity
Atfirstglance,nD ook
up.tyv
uyo, ddo
bob oou vbpum
quy.i doo,yb o
bo wou
. to,w nD d,
poop bo ow
u pdwoudvb
pobow.
so,wy youu?W, by
y xpoum,nD
owpoop ovybu
ubjmoo–movw, wy
opduddoud, oxmp,
wpodu dp mw
mo , dmop. anD
mpoomovm
– oy uyb vd
-m,wyou u.
nDpodud
od,ddo u d
umdd.tyo
r o s s h oDDi n ot t
1)TdknNDt,tmtt.T
vtc-nndt-nt.
vb boo-dw-v.
tdky y,mo
ybob.tmoommoo-,wo-d-opnD.
howv,o,moxm-op
voopopu (p50).a
nD’ omypdo ,
o mou.howv,ouy, bd
ddydy. foxmp,
0.3o2x o w o-op
dy;0.6o4x woop;0.9o8x
op,doo.
twoomonDbombd
ov o.
howv, 0.9nD– quv o -
op duo –w ou,
WithND &polarisiNgfilter
waNTToleNgTheNexposuresiNbrighTDaylighT?aNeuTral
DeNsiTyfilTerwillDoThejob
Withoutfilters
2
1
3
aounD oudbu,
omdpy oou
oomm bdwnD
ombd.t bwy ou
yuwd omuywk oou mpu
po-po.t vyqukdy odo,puy
yourwoo.smpydju
W Bd/o tdu ud.
Protip:Colourcastsboouovu
ou .foxmp,u
ow (ud)u pdo1/8oood.t p
xpouw
poo y pp
om. tqumo
popu omkw o
wvpp mkybu.
Wd,nuDy
dk vwdmy,
o boompod ou youm
bod.Youm’ttlm
wuomydjuo ’ o,
oyououd’domkymu
djum, mpymwo.
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FiltersforlandscapesTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
2)Ifyouwanttogeneratealongexposuretocreatvelyblurmoton,selectyourcamera’slowestISOratngtogetherwthasmallaperture.In thsnstance,ISO100and f/16sselected,buttheresultngshutterspeedof1/60secsnotlongenoughtocreateanattractveorntentonallevelofmovement.
3)Byattachngathree-stopsoldNDilter,theshutterspeedsarticallylengthenedto1/8sec.Thelongerexposurehelpscreateamoredelberatelevelofblurthatusuallyprovessatsfactory,althoughonthssceneIneededanevenslowershutterspeed.ToachevethsIalsoattachedapolarsngilter.Dongsohelpssaturatethecoloursnthescene,butalsolengthensexposurebyafurthertwostops.Theresultngshutterspeedof1/2seccreatesjusttherghtamountofmpledwatermoton,achevngarealsenseofmovement.
4)Movngwateraddsnterestandenergytomages.Inthsnstance,athree-stopsoldNDilterwasusedtolengthenexposuretmetoacoupleofseconds,whchblurredthewaterastdraggedbackoverthebeach.Indongso,thascreatedattractvetralsthatnotonlyaddnterestto thephotographbutleadtheeye ntotheframeandtowardsthebeautfullyblurredwaverollngn,alsocreatedbythearticallylongshutterspeed.
rsshntt
“Youetherlovesubjectblurorhatet.Personally,Ilovet.Ilkethefeelngofmotontcanmply–alttle
subjectblurcanmakelandscapephotographslookfarlessstatcandvsuallyfarmorestmulatng.IindIusesoldNDiltersquteabt.WhleIlkeusngextremeNDilters(turntopage50),thereectcanbetoopronouncedandkey
detalcanbelostaltogetherfyouarenotcareful.Therefore,IoftenfavouralowerdenstyND–forexamplea three-orfour-stopverson. Intherghtlght,thssenoughtocreateanntentonallevelofsubjectblur,wthoutthngsbecomngtooblurry.Ienjoyshootngcoastallandscapeswthanexposurelengthofbetween1/2secandeghtseconds,asthsslengthyenoughtocreateatmosphercresults,wthoutbengso longthatdetaland texturen thewaterdsappears.MyfavourteNDsLeeFltersProGlassthree-stopverson– extremelyhgh-qualtyglass, perfectlyneutralandoptmsedfordgtalcameras.”
Proview
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48 Filtersforlandscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Theskyis pcalllgran land,
w drnc nbrgnofnquvaln ovralopof xpour,
and lvlofconrabngograa
xcdournor’dnamcrang.
Forxampl,f oudcd oxpofor
brgr, our forgroundwll brcordd
oodar;corrclmrfor land,oug,
andwllboolgand glg
ovrxpod.Do oundla famlar
problm?sowa anwr?Onoluon
oa woormordrnlxpod
magandblndmogrdurng
po-procng.howvr,r aloan
n-camraoluon.BunggraduadND
lr, pobl obalanc lgn
g-conracn,allowngougngrgamomnourggr ur.
NDgradardgndo lp
poograprovrcomlmaonofa
camra’dnamc rangand rforrman
annallrp for vamajorof
r O s s h ODDi N Ot t
Above)Thssqncfmasshwshwaddndrnt
dnstsfNDradsactsthinalma–darnnthswthachadddst.Ththr-stradsasttfar.
1)Attachnailtrhldrtrlnsallwstslt
drntNDandNDradiltrsnqclandasl.
2&3)NDradsarssntalwhrthlandandsrqr
drntsrs.It’smrtanttalnthtranstnalararcslwththhrzntnsrtarfctrslt.
landcappoograpr.tarpcall
rcangular, lo-n plr,andaralf-
clar, alf-coad–wa ranonalzon
wrm.Gradarragforward
ou.Wourlroldraacd, ld
NDgradn fromopandn– wl
loong rougvwndr,or vaLvVw
–algnlr’ ranonalaraw
orzon.Bungagradofanappropra
dn, ouarabl obalanc conra
n lgandbrngnrcnwn
nor’ dnamc rang–nurngdal
rand rougou.
Onof momporanapcof
WithoutNDgraD oNe-stopNDgraD
tWo-stopNDgraD three-stopNDgraD
rsshntt
“DstthmrvndnamcranfDSLRs,NDradsrmanssntaltls.Thcntrast
btwndarrfrrndandbrhtrs
canbsvralsts,swthtradstwldbmssbltachvalandscathatscrrctlsdthrht.Ilttthnsrhtn-camrawhnvrssbl,andNDradsallwmtdths.Blndnsrsdsn’taaltm,astrqrsmrtmnacmtrandlssbhndthcamra.IalwascarrafllstfhardandsftNDrads;Isahardtw-stradthmst.HardradsarartclarlsflfrthCrnshcastallandscasIshtnarb.IsLFltrs:thqaltsnrvalldandthlarr-szdsstmsncssarfrwd-anlvws.”
Proview
NDgradseSSeNTIALINANyLANDSCApepHoTogRApHeR’SkIT,NDgRADSHeLpyouBALANCeexpoSuReS
2
r O s s h ODDi N Ot t
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Filtersfor landscapesTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
r o s s h o d d i n o t t
r o s s h o d d i n
o t t
uggra carefupaceme–parcuary
weug ‘ar’gra. if youaverey
pueer oo farow eoer–
oaecoaeareaoverap egrou–
eaw beere,oo,aw erefore
ookarcayark.Equay, fyouo’ e
eerowfareoug,youw creae
aobvoubrg ‘ba’coe oeorzo
wereekyrema uere.however,
w jua epracce,correcpoogof
gra eay oo a, fyouomage
er,eerror ormayobvouweyou
revewe magevapayback.
ndgra areypcay avaabe oe-,
wo-a ree-opreg.Wcey
yourequrew epeoegg.
temoprecewayoworkouwc
ey gra oue oakea po-meer
reagfromboekyaa, a
ecacuaeeerecebeweee
wo.For exampe,f ereagfrome
ky 1/500eca eoefore a
1/15ec,e erecewoubeve
op (a‘op’ aavgoroubgofa
expourevaue).t a faryypcaeve of
cora.however, wor rememberg
aoureyeaurayperceve eky o
begera ea, oo’aemp
obaacee gevey. iea,
ormaybe o eaveaaura ookg
wo-opcorabeweee kyaa.
terefore, a uaowere ere a
ve-operecebeweekyaa, a
ree-opgrawouuce–combg
wogra,orerogeeraeveop
worofgrauao,woucreaea very
uaura ala-ookgreu,wc
beavoe.smary, oomucrao
camakeeky ookooarkor e a
arcay g.tekeyougayype
ofraooryo creaeauraa
beevabe-ookg mage.
Q Whatsasoftgrad?
GraduatedNeutralDenstyiltersareavalableastwotypes–hard-andsoft-edge‘Soft’gradshaveafeatherededgenordertoprovdeagradualtranstonfromthecoatedportonoftheiltertotheclearzone.Thsmathemwellsutedtoshootngvewswthunevhorzons,astheydon’tnotceablydarkenobbreakngtheskylne,lkehlls,mountans,tre
orbuldngs.However,onlyapproxmatelyoftheilterscoatedwththeilter’sfulldensbeforetbegnstofadetotransparent.Thscabeadrawback,asoftenthebrghtestpartoftheskywllbe justabovethehorzonwheresoft-edgedgradsattsweakest.
Q Whataboutahardgrad?
‘Hard’edgedgradsaredesgnedwtmoreabrupttranston,wththefullstrengtherdenstyspreadoveragreaterproportofthecoatedregon.Theycanbealgnedwththehorzonmoreprecselyandallowphotographersto reducethebrghtnessoftheskywthgreateraccuracythana‘soft’gTheysutvewpontswthastraghthorzo
abeachscene.Onthedownsde,theyareleforgvngshouldyoupostonthe ilterpoosouseonecarefully.
Q CanNDgradsbeusedalongsde
othertypesofilters?
Yes,theresnothngstoppngyoufromcombnngderentilters.Forexample,yomghtattachagradtobalancethelghtnanunevenlyltscene,whlealsousngasoldNDarticallylengthenshutterlengthtoblurmoDerentiltersfulilderentroles.Howeveplacngpecesofglassorresnnfrontofyoulenswllnaturallyhavesomeeectonmagequalty–themoreiltersyouuse,themorebedegraded.Therefore,tsbestnottocombmorethantwoiltersatanyonetme,anddeverusethemjustforthesakeoft.
Q Doessensorszeaect theeectve
ofNeutralDenstygrads?
Tosomeextent.WhenusngacamerawthanAPS-Csze sensor,thegraduatedareaeectvelyspansalargerareaofyourmagInotherwords,agradgrowssofterthesmathesensorsze.Therefore,‘hard‘gradsmaynotbeasabruptastheymghtseem,whleteectvenessofa‘soft‘gradcanbeslghtlydmnshed.Smallersensorswlloftengetbetterresultswth ‘hard‘grads.
NDgradsQ&A2
3
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50 Filtersfor landscapes TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Overthepastcouofy,
xmNDquckybcom
‘mu-’i fondc
oog.W i fcoof uo
no, yowoogo
ngnxouo xm– n n
goodgyoub omoy u
dof condo ong.t
kyccc c yon
moon,cngu,mocnd
y-ccngu.aougx-o(1.8/64x),g-o
(2.4/256x)ndbNDi o
b, n-o(3.0/1000x)
on byfmoou.
Ungon owoogomoy
icyowud.Foxm,
nunid u dof 1/15cw
b ngndoonmnunko
ung n-oi–ono 1/8c;
wo o 1/4c; o 1/2c,
ndo on.Dungnxouof
ng,muccn : dfngcoudw
kbuok;mongww
b coddmoondg-k;w
co ndfogcnc ngung,
wyn.t ci
w byo g you oood
ofmo.t c on
ndccnnobcddung
o-ocng– ymucn
n-cmcnqu.
tdnyofxmND og
youcn, fnyng,wnyou
ougm.tfo,comoon,
focungndnyoionqud
ndodonoocngi.
any,Lvwcn o gd
wnungxmNDi.Onom
mod– ougno– wod
cnougmgonmonooow
youo wkcomoonndgnNDgd
woungo moii.
exmNDgi– funo
uwbyonfomcn.
how,knyi, yndobud
oy.Wng mgc
ndlng,xmNDbodd.
how,n connooc g,wn
oogngubjcwong,bod
k,gouogoyn, y
on onncyouo
byondcognon.tyfomyw
ngywndong-xou mg
w ofnucononobck& w.
r O s s h ODDi N Ot t
rOsshODDiNOtt
1)AccatacntwnntNDt,attcannanct.2)TcanctwwcantakaacntnwtwtantND.
3)Candfcfattacnt.4)Watcaacawtatn-t,tt’ak’tat.Wt!
Nofilter
teNstopNDfilter
ExtremeNDWANTToshooTexposuresiNThemiNuTes,eveNiNbrighTlighT?exTremeNDsAlloWyouToreNDermoTioNAseThereAlblur
1
2
3
TanafwttntactdattacnantND.ycantcattcacattt’ct.Taaanatnacantad–fa,NDCac.Anttn ttt ntd nt ttfact,wc 1000fatn-ttNDt.
Shutterlengths
Undxu
exuwhn-ND
1/500sec Two seconds
1/250sec Four seconds
1/125sec Eight seconds
1/60sec 15 seconds
1/30sec 30 seconds
1/15sec One minute
1/8sec Two minutes
1/4sec Four minutes
1/2sec Eight minutes
One second 16 minutes
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Filtersforlandscape
r o s s h o d d
i n o t t
Q WhatisavariableND?
It’sacrcuarscrew-ntypeNDthatsdesgnedtoabsorbghtkeotherNDs.However, unkeothersodND iters,varaNDshavearotatngfrontens–keapoariter–thataowsyoutoadjusttheiter’sstrength.Forexampe,Ten’sversonprovtwotoeghtstopsofghtcontro,gvngyo
theconvenence andlexbtyofhavngseveraNDitersnone.Hama,Heopan,Hoya,PoarodandTenarebrandstooofor.Inbascterms,theyaretwopoarsngistucktogether.Theycanbeusefu,buttheoften suerfromvgnettngand across-paeectatwderfocaengths.VarabeNDiareasoknownas‘faders’.
Q AreextremeNDs neutral?
No.AnumberofbrandsproduceextremeNDs–LeeFters,HtechandB+WDuetothedensty,theyatendtodspaysocast.LeeFtersBgandLtteStoppersbothacoobuecasttomages.Don’tworry,tho–thecastseasyenoughtoneutrasenpo
processngbyadjustngcoourtemperaturThatsad,therewbetmeswhenyouwwanttoretanthecastastcanaddextramtoyour mages.Many photographers convextremeexposureshotstoback&whte,scoourcastsarenotaconcern.
Q WhatdoIdoifshutterlengthexcee
30seconds?HowdoIexposeforlon
WthextremeNDs,therequredexposuretmmayexceedthecamera’songestautomatcshutterspeedof30seconds.Ifso,youcanseahgherISOorwderaperture,thoughnethoftheseoptonsaredea;uppngtheISOwncreasenose,wheusngawderaperturewreducedepth-of-ied.Instead,swtchycameratoBub(or‘B’)mode,cacuatetheshutterengthneeded,andtmeyourexposmanuay,usng aremotereeasetoocktheshutteropenfortheshutter’sduraton.
Q Do extremeNDs always absorbexac
theamountoflighttheysaytheydo
Notaways.Duetotherextremedensty,therstrengthcanvarysghty.Forexampe,thevaueofaten-stopNDcanrangefromanywherebetween9.5to 10.5stops.TherewhenusngextremeNDs,awaysrevewthhstogramandbepreparedtoengthenorshortentheexposureaccordngy.
ExtremeNDQ&A
4
LeeFrost
“Istartedusngten-stopNDitersyearsago,ongbeforetheLeeBgStopperappeared.
IovedtheworkofphotographerskeMchaeKennaandJosefHolehnerandwantedto achevea smareectdgtaywthoutreyngonowght.IboughtaB+W
1103.0NDiterandneverookedback.Imanyuse ongexposures forcoasta magesastheresawaysmovementntheseaandIovethecontrastbetweenthesmoothnessofthewaterandthesharpnessofobjectswhentheshutterhasbeeneftopenforseveramnutes.Iasoindtheunpredctabtyofthetechnque fascnatng– nsteadof freezngtme,wthanextremeNDiteryourecordthepassngoftmesoyouneverknowhowthemagewookunttheshuttercosesattheendoftheexposure.It’sawonderfuycamapproachto photographng the andscape.”
Proview
l e e f r o s t
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“Myfavourteilter…”Ps“AfterNDgrads, teter I usetemost sapoarser. Terst tme I tteda poarser
androtated te fronteementI wasastonsedyteeect.Eentoday,t strngs
a smetomyfacewenI attaca poarserandtenook trougmy ewnder.
“I oete resutsyoucanaceewensootngwta poarser nsdewoodand,
especay forestareaswtrockystreams.Woodand sdicutto soot formany
reasonsandpcturescanappeardu andackng ncoour.Onereasonfor ts s gt
relectngon countesstousandsof eaes,nottomentonrgtggtsrelectng
onwtewater,wcfoostecamerantounderexposngtescene.Wensootng
ntesestuatonsI awaysattacmy poarser androtatete front eementfuyto
remoerelectons.Once tegares remoed, tecameras aeto correctyexpose
andte truemagcoftesceneecomesapparentontecamera’sLCDmontor.
“Teresuts aeautfu forestpotograpwtrccooursanderdant foageony
posseecauseof tepoarser. Apoarsngter sawonderfu tooto oost te
mpactofyourpotosandts popuarty s sureto endure; tere snodgtaaternate
orprocessngeecttat rassootngwt apoarser.“
52 Fltersfor landscapes TheulTimaTeGuide ToPhoToGraPhy
masteroffilters…
AdamBurton
adBunnh
UK’dngndcpphgph,guyuppynggynd
undkngcnwdngcn.Hhphgphdv
hvncnnnndnwpcn
hndcphUK,pcuysuhWengnd.Hhwkdnypgu
gnn,cpnncudngBP,thaa,
TheTimesndNationalGeographic. Hguygupndn--n
wkhpndhuhdvbk,
ncudngTheSouthWestCoastPath, ndu-wd-wnnngndcpphgph.
Bography
IhAvEbEENworkngfu-tmeas a
professona andscapepotograper
snce2008.After seerayearsof runnng
mypotograpyusnesspart-tme
weasoanga dayjo, turnngfu-tme
wasanamtonofmne tat Iwas fortunate
tomake reaty.
“Ispendmucofmytmeouton ocaton
ntesout-westofEngandpotograpng
atmospercandscapestoemarketedtrougmyraresanddrectytrougmy
weste.Temages Icapturearereproduced
nmagaznes,ooksandcaendarsa oer
teword.Wen I amnotsootngforstock,
I ameterworkngoncommssonsor
carryngoutandscapepotograpytuton
ot nteUK andoerseas.
“Ftersareas essenta tomypotograpy
usnessasmycamerasor enses.
I purcasedmyrstsetoftersackn
2003soonafter I ecame nterested n
potograpy;eersnce toseeary days I
aeneereenanywerewtout tem.
“Eenn today’sageof dgtapotograpy,
I rmyeee teres stroomforters n
eery andscapepotograper'sag.In fact,farfromfacngextncton,ow stock ees
andongwatngstswoud suggesttat
tersaremorepopuartaneer!
“Forme andscapepotograpys aout
capturng teoutdoorsasautentcayas
posse.I wantmy magesto ea fatfu
rendtonof te andscapes Iwtness,te
coours representate of tegt andno
more.It seemstoe tecommonpercepton
amongstmanynon-potograpers tat
tersareusedto ntroduceartca coour
ntoanmage,ut tetrut squte te
opposte.Most potograpersutseters to
enae ter camerasto record andscapes
fatfuy,sometngteywoudeunae
toaceewt tecameraaone.
“Ofcourse, terearemanywerdand
wonderfutersout tere tatyoucan
purcase fyouketat typeoftng.but
forme, tereareonytreetypesofter
necessaryformy potograpy.In order
of mportance teseare:NDgrads,te
poarsngterand sodNDters.“
A L L I MA gE s : A DA M
b Ur T ON
1)myudbyh0.3,0.6nd0.9‘hd’dgNDgd,whccup.2)Wdndwychupducgndnccn.3)shucnynhcnndbhdyuh.
2
1
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Fltersfor landscapesTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Adam’sfavourtesubjectsforlandscapeilters
1)SunriSe&SunSet:Durngdawnanddusk,the
skycanbebrghtandthelandscapedark.Cameras
alwaysstrugglen thesestuatons,andthe endresult
usuallyoverexposesthe sky,orunnaturallydarkensthe
foreground.BycarefullyalgnngoneormoreNDgrads
overthesky,Icanselectashutterspeedtocorrectly
exposethedarkforeground,whleretanngthecolours
nthebrghtersky.Icarrysxgrads:one-,two-and
three-stopsnbothsoftandhardedge.
2)BlueSkieS: Itsnosecretthatpolarsersworkwell
wthblueskes.Whenshootngatrghtanglestothe
sun,a polarsernotceablybooststhesaturaton n
thesky.Ipartcularlylkeusngonewhentheskys
illedwth puywhteclouds.Thecloudsbreakupthe
ntenseblueandtheresultsstrkng.Beawareofyour
focal lengthwhenusngapolarserforthspurpose;
fyouareshootngwthawde-anglelensyoumay
notceunevenpolarsatonacrossthe sky.
3)WaterfallS:Whenshootngwaterfalls,norder
tosmooththewaterIlketoselectashutterspeedo
severalseconds.Asmanywaterfallsarelocatedn d
woods,sometmesmycameracanachevethsslo
shutterspeedwthoutassstance,butfnotthenIw
attachasoldNDiltertoextendtheexposuretme.
Thelong-exposureeectonmovngwatersabto
aMarmtethng;somepeoplereallydonotlkethe
eect,butpersonallyIlovet!
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TravelPhoTograPhy
T 55TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
TheworldisfullofincrediblesighTs,peopleandadvenTures,sowhylimiTyourphoTographyTo
jusToneparTofiT?prepareforanadvenTureinToTheexciTingworldofTravelphoTography…
Image:Jon hIcks
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56 Travel
1Travl guds suchasLonely Planet
andRoughGuides aralaysagood
startngpontasyoucanindout lots
of nformatonaboutdstnatons–hnto
go/hnnottogo,thxpctdathr/
clmat,currncy,vsa rqurmnts,hat to
sandgttng round,as ll ashrto
stay andhr toat.
2Vst mag-sharngbstssuch
asFlckror 500px,thnsarch your
dstnaton, stbackand admr loads
ofgratmagsthatll gvyouan daof
thscnryandsubjctmattryou’r lkly
toncountr.Youcouldvncontactsom
ofthphotographrsfor toptps.
3
Fndout thsunrsandsunst tms
forthplacsyou’ll bvstng,so you
havan daofhntogtupand
ho latyou’llndto stayout. If t’s rlvant,td tmsshouldalsob nvstgatd, andt’s
alaysorthchckngthathrforcast
thdaybforyousto.
4Usth ntrnt togathr
nformatononspcicthngs,
suchas carnvals, fstvalsand
clbratons,hrandhnthy tak
plac,hotogt thrandsoon.It may
alsoborthindnga localgudto assst
you– ths canb organsdfromhomby
contactng thrlvanttourstboard,or
hnyouarrvatyourhotl.
5Complailof rfrncmatral
that youcantakthyou. Ths can
bprntd shts, oryoucancrat
adocumntonyour laptopor tablt.Drag
anddropmagsortak scrngrabsof
nsprngmags/vsual das you’v found
onlnandputthmntoanalbumandnot
usfulnams, addrsss,tms,dats tc.
6Maksuryou takth rght clothng
and footar– youdon’tanttobtoohotor toocold,andblstrson
trdftcanhndrcratvty!Alays pack
somblstrplastrs, asll asordnary
plastrs andpankllrs.A hats ssntal for
hotclmatsplusfactor30+suncram!
7Bformbarkngon anovrsas trp,
chckthyour localGP orpractc
nursf youndany vaccnatons.
Rgular travllrs arlkly tobupto
datth jabsforthngs lkTtanus,Polo,
TyphodandHpatts B.Youmay alsond
shotsaganstMalara,YlloFvrorRabs.
THeReAReFew thngsn lf that armorxctngthanplannnga trp tosomhrn.Thorld samuch
smallrplacthan tas just a fyars ago,thrlatvly lo-costtravl accssbl toall.Thr’smorto travl photography thanshongupandpontng yourcamran thrght drcton,hovr. Prparatonshalfthbattl,andt’s noasr thanvrbfor torsarchyour dstnatonbforyour arrv. Bng nthrghtplacatthrght tmandquppdth thrghtskllsllhlp stackthoddsn your favour.Youdon’thav tobhadng tothothr
sdof thorld,or anyhrspcally
xotc, butthantcpatonof allthosnsghts andsounds s thrllngand nsprng.Asphotographrs,thr’sanxtraattractontobngabl toshootbrandnscnsandsubjcts.Ths scton spackdthvrythngyoundto prpar foryourtrp,makthmostof thopportuntsandrturnthamazngmags.
LonelyPlanettravelguidesFrom£12
www.amazon.co.uk
LonelyPlanet travlguds
arncrdblypopular– thr
broadrangofxprtadvc
andnsght ntopopular
locatonsaroundthorld
maks thma must-hav
fortravlphotographrs lookngforaalth
of nformatonandnspratonalmags.Try
on– you'llb mprssd!
TPOTY From£7.99
www.tpoty.com
Thrarsx volums n
thTravel Photographer
of theYear srsofbooks
– Journeys1-6. eachon
contansnnngntrs
to thTPOTYcomptton
fora spcic yar,so thy’rpackdth
amazng mags fromallovrthorldand
ara gratsourcof dasandnspraton.
l e e F R O s T
Bepreparedforyourphotoadventure!
Beingintherightplaceattherighttimeandequippedwith
therightskillswillhelpstacktheoddsinyourfavour
Plan&prepare
Essentialreading
byfailingtoprepare,youarepreparingtofail.whenyou’re
travellingacrosstheglobe,alittleresearchcangoalongway
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Trave
DigitalSLRPhotography£5www.digitalslrphoto.com
Don’tforgetyourfavourte
photomagwhenyouhead
otodstant shores!We
areavalable nelectronc
formatfor thePhone,Pad
andKndle Fre andwe’re
currently oerngivessues forjust£5 –
gvng youplenty toread andlotsof deas
to trywhle you’re travellng theworld!
EyewitnessTravel From£7.99
www.amazon.co.uk
Thesetravelgudesby
publsherDorlngKndersley
arewellworthcheckng
out– they’re notonly
packedwthessental
nformatonabouta
destnaton,butalsowellllustratedwth
colour magesto gve youan deaofwhat’s
there,plusmapstoindyourwayaround.
TRVLFreeitunes.apple.com
Downloadthe freePad
appforaccessto over 150
ssues packedwthfantastc
travel mages.There’s alsoa
fantastcbook avalable va
theAppbycontrbutorand
toptravelpro PeterAdamscontanng50
essays, magesandnstructonalvdeos for
just£2.99– deal f youtravelwthan Pad.
WithinTheFrame£24.19www.amazon.co.uk
Wrttenandllustrated
byDavdduChemn, ths
book sallaboutindng
andexpressngyour
photographcvsonwth
specic referencetotravel.
It’sa great tometo takeonyourtravels ast’s
full of deasandnsprngmagessoyoucan
refer totwhenyourcreatvty swearng thn.
j ohnb I r Ch
Q DoIneedtotakeproofthatIownallcameraequpmentItakewthme?
Itshouldn’tbean ssue,butwhenenterngs
countresyoumaybequestonedaboutwhyhavelotsofgear.Ifyou’reconcerned,takecoofyourrecepts,oralstofallthetems,tosa
tmeatcustomsfyougethassled.
Q WherecanIgetvsasfrom?
Itusedtobethatyouappledtotherelevantmnstrynyourowncountry,but
thesedaysyoucanusetheservcesofVsaHwhchtakesallthehassleoutofgettngvsasvrtuallyanycountryntheworld–headto
www.vsahq.co.ukformorenfo.
QShouldIletsomeoneknowwhereI’m
gongbeforeIseto?Ifyou’retravellngalone,especallyanywheremote,t’sworthlettngfrendsandfamlykyourtneraryandplans–gvethemacopy
ftheydon’thearfromyoutheyatleasthavedeaofwhereyoushouldbe.
Q Wllmymoblephoneworkabroad?
Itshould,butcheckwthyour
servceprovderrstasft’sanewphoneandyou’ve
neverusedtoverseastmayneedtobeactvated.Ifyou’re
gongtospendweeksnacountrytmaybe
worthbuyngasmcardlocallytosaveonphonechargesormaybeevenacheapphoneandsm.
Q HowcanIindoutnadvancefa
destnatons dangerous?
TheForegnOicessuestraveladvce fora
countresandterrtoresand thsresourceupdatedon aregularbass,especallyforplwhere there spoltcal unrestor outbreaks
ofdsease.Vst https://www.gov.uk/foregtravel-advce formore nfo.
TravelQ&A
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58 Travel
Travelphotography isbu cun
ccf cbdcumnnnnndn ccuc, und
mkuu dju . am mund u nu’ b
ndub,bcuw uku’ n
c, ndnn unndnumm
nwnundwf nddck.
luwm mdb n b
cnddf uwn dfxcb
c cck-n– nx k mn
undunun wfmnnd
dn dbf uu nd.
tdundn’ mbcuwu’
nwf wkmn,u’ ncun
mubjcnd u’ nd mqumn.snd
mwknuwc mu’ muuf.
Bekitsmart!
Essentialitems
Lenschoice
DOn’tpackeverythingbutthekitchensink
–smarttravelphOtOgrapherspacklight
anDOnlytakewhattheythinkthey’lluse…
Tripod
t mu fdwnnd
-dukwn
u’ ndnd
w. yudn’ c
wd, bu
uwnd d!gf
cmc(fb)cbn-
bmd’n
bubndqu w
b d,wcwn kw ndbukdwn.
Digital camera
anmkmdfcm
ud m
cmmnfuu’
nd.pbd bu
bu’b nd.
t’ b df
m, Dslr ndCsC
fuudcnn n
m.if uwbd,
kb ncnckudmd/n.
Backpack
adcnbckckud
ccmmd ukf
junu,nwn
uc u ucn
m muwn’
nd m ndck
m nu uc ck
mw n d.
t md
–wcmmndmf ufu n ud.
Memory cards
id,uwnnu
cd udn’
fmdun.
Fm, 16gBcd
f dzn8gBcdw b
ucnf fn-n
,wwnd
16gB+d.i dndn
ucmndw-
u!if ndub,km nunk u’u.
Ultra wide-angle zoom
inubf ccu,
ndcwuwn
m fund,nd
nubjcw mnu
n-f-wnd dn
cnbud ddmc
u. Ffu-fmw’
kn14-24mm,17-40mm
16-35mm,ndfaps-C
10-20mm 11-22mmc.
Standardzoom
Fnu,nddzm
dxndnfmmd
wd-n,f ccu
ndcnc,
f.Cfcun
mk ufufd,
nndbc.yu’u
nm nn.
a24-70mmf fu-fmnd
n18-55mmzmfaps-C.
Telezoom
tubnd, u
m nu
mmd, zm
cnbnubf cndd
nd,nd n
ccund ndc,
ndnwdfnd
cn.Fbfu-fm
ndaps-C 70-200mm
70-300mmw dck.
Fast prime lens
ac50mmf/1.8 (35mm
faps-Cn)nddn
cnb nubf n
ndd nw.t
ncmcnd
kumnmb
c,ndu’bb k
nncuzm
bcmw.pmn
ncdb.
TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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Trave
Q Isequipmentcoveredbyhouse
insurancewhenI’mabroad?
Itshoudbe,butmakesureyouknowt
mtsandrestrctons–youmayneedt
specfytemsofhghvaueandasocheyou’recoveredfornternatonatrave
ratherthanEuropeanony.Forspeca
cover,checkwthwww.goverhowe.co
www.towergatensurance.co.uk,
www.camerasure.co.ukand
www.aaduk.com.
QWhat’sthemaximumsizefor
handluggageon mostairlines
Youneedtocheckwthyourarneas
theszemtdoesvary,butt’susuay
56cmongx45cmwdex25cmdeep
Theweghtmtasovaresfrom6kgt
unspecied,dependngon thearne
Somearnessmpystatethatyoum
beabetoftthebagntotheoverheadockerwthoutassstance!
QWhichisthebestplaceforlens
Trywww.ensesforhre.co.uk,
www.enspmp.com,www.caumetre
co.ukandwww.hreacamera.com.
Remembertoetthehrerknowwher
you’betakngtheens,ncaseyou
needextra nsurancecover.
Q Brandedbatteriesareexpensiv
Arecheaper‘fakes’safetouse?
You’indcheapaternatvesonAma
andeBay–theyoftencostaquartero
prceofthemaker’sownandthought
maynotastasong,theyusuaywork
ineandmaketaordabetocarrysespares.Awayspacksparebatteresn
handuggageandnotnthehodwhe
lyng– ftheycauseairet’seaserto
wthnthecabn!
QMyhandluggageisoverthelim
howcanIavoidexcesscharges
Aphotographer’svestprovdesagre
waytocarryextracameragearwhen
you’recheckngnatarportsasnoon
weghsyou,andthevestwhaveots
pocketswhereyou can ‘hde’equpm
TravelQ&A
Don’tforget...
Laptop& harddrive
A aptopor netbook s
usefuas youcandownoad
yourmemorycards to t,or
ontoaportabehard drve,
soyouhavea your mages
backedup aswe ason the
memorycards.You’aso
have accessto thenternet
andema pus thefacty to
process mageswhe away.
Filters
Acrcuarpoarser sadeinte
must-have,pusacoupeof
NDgrads–0.3and0.6canbe
usedndvduayor together.
Ifyou’rentoshootng ong
exposuresasopackyour
ten-stop (orsmar)ND iter
andmaybea weakerND
wtha denstyof0.6or0.9for
moregenerause.
Cleaningkit
Cameras, ensesanditers
getgrubbywhenyou’re
traveng,anddustand
sandcanpayhavocwth
your kt, sopack somebasc
ceanng tems– anant-
statc brush, ceannglud,
sensor swabs,mcroibre
cothsandabowerto keep
everythngcean.
Pro tipTomakethechargingof
batteries,laptops,phones
etceasier,packafour-gang
extensionleadsoyouonlyneed
onewallsocket tochargefouritemsatthesametime.
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“Myfavouritetechnique...”Stitchingpanoramas“Fome,thewodaeitscomfotab to a 3:2 aspect ato. Aso,
theuseof awde-age es toecompassa expasesceecapush
eethgtoofaawawth toomuchfoegoudad sk, compaed
toshootgthesceeasapaoamawth a oge es.Befoe statg,
I esuetheotatgpatfoms eeedadthecameas settomauato
mataeeexposuesfo eachfame.WhteBaaces set foDaght,
aga tomatacosstec.Thefamesaeoeappedat east30%ad
sttchedwthPhotoshop’sPhotomege.Foa esesothe tham 70-
200mm,a oda a sittedtothe tpodheadat thecoectpostofo
theodapotof the es ad thecameaattachedpotatoetato.
Tt-shft esescaasobeused fo shootgpaosb takga fameat
eachedoftheshft, ethe upaddowosde tosde.Ths techque
gesa supe-wdeiedofewwthmCao17mmTS-E es.”
60 Travel
I’vEBEEnvEryfotuateto haehadthe
oppotut tosteecoutom
bucket stadthesome. Theumbeof
coutes stedtodatestadsat aoud
85ad twoudbecetomake t100befoe
fodgupmtpod's egsfo the ast tme.I tedtogoawa fouptoamoth,fou
tmesa ea,ad atps, egadessof
egth,aefoowedbseeaweeksof
edesspost-poducto.
"Lfeasa taephotogaphecabea e
oeexstece. Iw oftegodashad
takgto aoeapat fomhotestao
watestakgm odes estauats.
Athough thedas capassqutequck
f I’mbusshootg,t’s theogjoues
otmeswhetheweathe’sbad that
homesckesscakck. Thakfuthss
wheeSkpecabe ageatmoaebooste
whecatchgupwthhome.
"Iawas teacheatohae somepe-paedtpsto ewocatoso those
wheeaupdatetommagess equed.
The estof the eas opeadI wdscuss
cuet taetedswthmedtoat
Cobs befoemakgafuthebookgs.
"Foeas, teetsteskeFckad
mco-stockageceshaeloodedthe
maketwthcheapmagesaddedow
pces.Howee,afteecetspeakgto
apctue eseache,theeappeas tobe a
tedfohgh-edcetspagfapcesfo
excuseghtstoaodthe skof compettos
usgthe same mage.I hopehe’s ght!”
1)ShelbySeePedesianBidge,Nashille,USA.Exposue:1/160seca/10(ISO100).2)NewYokPublicLibay,NewYokCiy,USA.Exposue:1/25seca/2(ISO1250). 3)Agoodixosubjecaeinceaseshepoenialosocksales.
1
2
mAStErOftrAvEL…
JonwasboninConwallin
1962.HiswokingliebeganinHmDockyad,Deonpo,buaeeighyeasasashipwighheebakedonan oeland
ipoKahanduandlaunchedhiselasaaelphoogaphe.Hisbigbeakcaein1999whenhejoinedCobis,andaeyeasohadwokhewasableoealisehisdeaandeanaliingasaull-ieaelphoogaphe.
Biography
JonHicks
3
j onHI Ck S
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Trave
Jon’skitbag1)LoweproVertex200AWAreaygoodbagthatsasoarnecarry-oncompatbe.2)ThnkTankRetrospectve5AshouderbagformyOympusOM-DMcroFour-Thrdskt.3)AppleMacbookProlaptopFordownoadngcardsandtakngtothefamyonSkype.Movestooon ongtran rdes.
4)CanonEOS5DMkIIIwthReallyRghtStuL-bracket formountngthecameravertcay.5)CanonEF15mmf/2.8isheyeHandyfortghtnterorsandastro-andscapes.6)CanonEF24-105mmf/4LMychoceforshootngonthehoofnmarkets.7)CanonEF70-200mmf/2.8LThszoomsmymostusedens.
8)CanonExtenderEF1.4xIIForthattteextrareachwththe70-200mmzoom.9)CanonTS-E17mmf/4LMysecondmostusedensandvtaforarchtecturework.10)CanonTS-E24mmf/3.5LIIUsedessafteracqurngthe17mm,butstahandyensforarchtectureandpanoramas.11)CanonTS-E45mmf/2.8Astandardensthatasoshfts
andtts.Incredbyusefuandmyfavourte ensforpanoramas.12)OlympusOM-DEM-5Perfectfor'gongcommando'whenshootngnsubways,museums.13)PanasoncLumx7-14mmf/4Asuper-wdezoom(14-28mmequvaent). Perfectfor nterors.14)OlympusZUIKO45mmf/1.8Afastteephoto(90mmequvaent)that'srazor-sharp.
15)PanasoncLumx20mmf/1.7(Shownoncamera)Astandardens(40mmequvaent)that’stheszeofaenscapandsharpwdeopenatf/1.7.16)Canonrght-angleinderGoodforveryoweveworkandforshootngookngstraghtup.17)Gtzocarbon-ibre trpodI'vehadtforyearsandforgottenthemodenumber,butthsGtzohasneveretmedown.
18)ReallyRghtStuBH-40Md-SzeBallHeadAnexceentghtweghtheadwthagoodoadcapactyandnosag.19)ReallyRght Sturotatngplatform&nodalralConvertsatrpodheadforpanosnseconds.20)TabletoptrpodVeryhandyforshootngfromgroundevewthoneoftheTS-Eensesandthe rght-angeinder.
1
3
2
20
5
13
14
8
7 9
12
15
4
16
19
18
17
10 11 6
1)TheonyiterIcarrysapoarser.It’snob
secretthat theyaregreatforboostngsaturatremovngrelectonsanddarkenngbueske
2)Togetaroundssueswthobtanngmode
reeasesfromstrangers,burunreeasedpeopewthsowshutterspeedstomakethem
unrecognsabe.Aternatvey,shootthemfro
behndortrycose-upsofhands,especayfsubjects hodngsomethngnterestng.
3)Shootagansttheghtwheneverpossbea
canproducefantastcresuts.Trypostonng
sunbehndtrees,streetghtsoranythngesecanhdethegareforsomecooshouettesh
4)Don’tputthecameraawaywhentrans.
Rushngpedestransundercoourfuumbremakeforgreatsubjects,asdonterestngrelectonsonwetstreets.Remembertokeep
yourgeardrybystandngundercover.
5)Oncetheday’sieshavebeendownoadeandbackedup(twce),Isttchanypanosand
processafewmages.Thsgvesmeandeao
howthngsareprogressngandcanasobeamoraebooster,especaywhentheweathe
turnsbadorhomescknesskcksn.
Protips
j onhi ck s
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lFst
“IaeysoototatseI’mteUK,utt’samajoatofatIdoeI’mtae.Ioeto
meeteoe fomdeetcutues,sedtmettemadteact,adteotatsIetuometoftemaketetfomefamoesatsfy.Teumaacesamaz!
“Iamostaaysaskemssoist,soIaeteatteto.Iketookquckyaaae t, sootaded.I sometmesuseaeectouteeasadsteadIut
mysujectteestt.Sadesasafeet.Teetacetoaudsasooodfyouataackackoud,oI’osemysujectaasttetsotemaesaemoecotast.I aaystededto focusmauayomysuject’seyes,utscestctoaCaoEOS5DMkIII,cassueautofocus, I tedtousese-otAF.IoecaactefufacessoItedtoatatetoadsodeeoeadItkeyecotactseaymotat,soImaysoottmysujectookattecamea.Youcaeasomucaouta esoy ‘ead’teeyes.”
62 Travel TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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PortraitsphOTOgrAphIngpEOplEOnYOUrTrAvElSCAnbEOnEOFThEMOSTrEwArDIngprACTICES…
Proview
QShouldIpayportraitsubjects?
Isomecoutesyoueaskedfomoey,otesot.Ifyouaeaskedteyousouday,utoyasmaamout.Smaasofsoa,ecsoosaeotcayasyoucaoetemsteadofmoey,esecaytocde.
QShouldIgetmysubjectstosign
amodelreleaseform?
Ifyouattoseyouotatstouctueaesteyousoudeayetyousujectstosamodeeeasefom,utfomostcomettos,edtoasumssos,outttemoFck,Faceooko500xetc
youdo’teedaeease.
QShouldIsendmysubjectsphotos?
Tatoudeaeayceestue.Mayeoeaeemaosoyoucoudsedmaestatay.Otese,takeaoteofteaddessadutafetsteosteyouetackome.
TravelQ&A
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brettharkness
l e e f r o s t
BrettHarkness
“Gettngthetmetoshootpersoworkoutsdeofmyphotograpbusnessshard,butwhenIdo
Imakethemostoft.AcoupleofyearsagoItravelledtoIndatodocumentlocallfewththree-mleradusbytheRverGanges.
“Mydocumentaryportratsare shot– lkmyweddngs–veryquckly.Itmaybeabreencounternthestreetoraslowerbuld-upoveracupoftea.Itendtostnaplaceforawhle,justallowngpeopletogetusedtomIuseaCanon50mmf/1.2formostofmytr
work,asIindtthebestenvronmentalporlens.I ama greatbelevernwhatI call‘slenacceptance’.Byths Imeanapproachngasubjectandjustbybodylanguageandfacagesturesthere’samutualunderstandngthapcturespermtted.Ilovethatconnectoandthe50mmlensforcesmetonvadethesubject’spersonalspacesothe portratsstronger.Ioftenplacemysubjectnthecenoftheframeasthsdrawstheeyetothem.shootpeoplewherethey’vestopped,I donturnthemntobetterlghtorposethem.Iwtobetruetothemoment.”
Proview3
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64 Travel
l e e f r o s t
Themaindifferencebw
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Landscapestheworldisawonderfulplaceandfullofincrediblevistas.makethemostofyourvisit
QIfIonlytakeonelenswithme,which
onewouldyourecommend?az(24-70,18-55aps-c)g,17-40/16-35(12-24/15-30aps-c).
Q ShouldIprotectmycamerawhen
shooting inahumidenvironment?
n,g-10-15.
Q Ifit’sachoicebetweensunriseand
sunset,whichshouldIgofor?
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Proview
l e e f r o s t
l e e f r o s t
2
3
TravelQ&A
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compostonswllbe smple, colourfuland
graphc–andyouneedthesunto below
tocastshadowsthat revealtextureand
emphasseshapes.But fyou’reheadngtoa
tropcaldestnatonsuchasThalandorthe
Carbbean,themdday lghtcanbeproductve
whenshootngbeachscenesbeneathblue
sky.Overheadsunalsoworksforurban
landscapesn prettymucheverycountry.
Tomakethemostofany trpyouneed
tobepreparedtowork hard– thatmeans
gettngupearly, stayngoutlate, donga lot
ofwalkngaroundandillngeachdaywth
asmuchphotographyasyoucan.Travel
sderentfromholdayng–holdaysare
meant toberelaxng,butaftera successful
photoadventure, you’llneeda holday.If you
don’tyou’vebeentakng t tooeasy!
1)Earystartsareoftenrequredtomakethemostofthemornngght.Asthsmageproves,t'swortht!2&3)Thesoftghtatduskanddawnshardtobeatfyouwantyourtravemagestobefuofmood.4)Asweasmoretradtonaocatons,whynotpanatrptosomewherereayamazng–keAntarctca?
JohnBirch
“Ifyou’reafamymankeme,indng
tmeforserousphotographycanbetrcky.Acoupeofyearsagomy
famyandIwentonaly-drvehodaytotheUSA
andtworkedreaywebecauseeveryonegotsomethngfromthetrp.Bepreparedtodoqutea
btof researchand pannngbeforehand.It’sbesttonvoveathefamyandetthemchoosesomeoftheattractonsthey’dketovsttoo–LasVegaswasonourtnerary.TheUSAshugeandnvoves
quteaotdrvng,soIaowedforsomech-outdaysaroundthepoo.Iasohreda4x4,assomeocatonsweredownroughtracks.Sunrseshots
nvovedmesneakngoutat4amnthemornngwhethefamywereseepng,drvngtoaocatonnthedarkandsettngupnthepredawnght.
Standngontheedgeofawdernesscanyon,watchng thedeveopngsunrseenfod, sa fantastcfeeng–andthefamyhadagreattme,too!”
Proview
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66 Travel TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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1 3
2
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LFst
“Capturnga pace’ssprt swhat
attractsmetotravephotography.
Iovethechaengeofarrvng
andtakng mages thatte a story,makng
thevewerfeeke they’rethere.Sometmest’spossbetodothatnasngemage,but
Iprefertocreateaseresofmontagesthat
nktogetherkepecesn a jgsaw.Those
pecesmaybeportrats,detas,textures,
street scenes, andscapes– whatevert takes.
It’samaznghowevocatveandsymboc
somethngke shadowscastacrossawacan
bensummngupthefeeofapace.Itdoesn’t
havetobeaconcvews.Iketoreacttorst
mpressons. If somethngcatchesmy eyethen
I’shoott.Idondthatt’sbettertoshootand
edtaterthangnoreandhaveregrets.”
Proview
TraveTheuLTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
l e e f r o s t
l e e f r o s t
P e t e A dA m s
ptas
“AsenseofpacestheessenceofwhatI’mtryngtocaptureonmytraves,toconveyaspr
oftheocaton,afeengofwhattmghtbeketobethere–toamostbeabeto‘sme
thescene.Before travengweusuayhavepreconceptonsofwhatapaceskeandwhe theycoudbe abeedas cchés,thearesomeofthekeyshotstocapture.Trave
toVetnamrecenty,myheadwasedwtmagesofrcepaddes,htrbes,tempes,lowerseersonbcycesetc,butasthewo
gets ncreasngyhomogeneoust becomehardertoseederences.Thsswherersmpressonsare mportant,beforethesens
havebecomeattunedtoanewenvronme“Getoutandstartshootngas soonas y
can,makngmentanotesofwhatyound
nterestngandspeccto thedestnaton.Trynottobecomebaséaboutthesesubjemattersandcontnuetoshootandmprov
onthemthroughoutthetrp.Itcanbedictoseeascenethatperfectysumsupapaceeementsmaybetherebuttomakethe
photographmorenterestngtneedsahueement.Askaocatowakthroughthesceandmaybecarrywthyouantemofcothn
forthem towear foradded cuturareferen
Proview
QIsitworthpayingforalocalguide?
Itcanbefyouneedtondyourwayaroundbusymarketsandmednas.Agudewknowapacekethebackoftherhand,wgetyouothebeatentrackandovercomeanguagebarrers.
QShouldIgobacktothesame
placesmorethanonce?
Thatcandenteyhepyougetafeefor
thepace–youcan’texpecttogetthebestshotsonyourrstvst.Gobackonderendaysandatderenttmesofdaysoyoucancapturethechangngmoodofapace.
QIsitworthattendinglocal
festivitiesandcarnivals?
Absoutey–theyarengranednthecutureofmanypacessoyou’haveotsofopportuntestotakephotographsthatcapture thecharacterofthepeopeandthetradtons. InBhutan,forexampe, festvasareanmportantpartofocacutureandtapacereguarythroughouttheyear.
TravelQ&A
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68 Travel
UltimatekitfortravelTravellighTandTravelsmarT ifyou’replanningaphoToadvenTureoverseasandfancyinvesTingin
somenewphoTokiT,here’saselecTionofourfavouriTeTravelTripods,bagsandaccessories
CompaCtCamera:udslrt.acscp’lxgf7fj’X-T10 tt,tc’pstg16-qttttn’aw200ttt!
polarisingfilter:mtttttxtt .bth,b+w,c,lfthT.
spudzlensClotH:ptt
tttt-qttttq.
maxellairstasH:Tttw-fsdtpp.
portableHd: i’ ttt,t-tt.Twtdtpt–tt2Tbt£80.
sparebatterY:i’tttt,tttttttj.p!
Contacts
Travelaccessories
Benro:...Giotto’s:.tt-t..Gitzo:.tz..Lowepro:...Manfrotto:.tt..Peli:..Tamrac:.t..ThinkTank:.ttt.WesternDigital:..
BenroTravelAngel II
£200
Benro’sAngel range ncludes ths
carbon-ibreC2682TB1kt,whch
hasa maxmumheghtof 1.64m.
Ituses the180°legstoragedesgn
too, gvnga storedlengthof46cm
andncludesa ball & socket head.
It’ssturdy,but heaver thanothers.
Giotto’sVitruvianVGRN9225
£160
Vtruvan trpodshavereverse
technology legsthatfold through
180°degrees tosurroundthetrpod
centrecolumnandhead,makng
themmorecompact forstorage.
Suppledwth aball & sockethead.
A greatrangeof travel trpods.
GitzoGK1580TQR5Traveler
£520
Wantthe ultmatetravel trpod?
Thscarbon-ibreGtzoweghsonly
1.1kgand s just 35cmwhenstored,
yetextendsto 1.49mandwth the
suppledball & socketheadcanhold
loadsupto5.5kg.Great stabltyand
durablty,but atamuchhgherprce.
ManfrottoBeFree
£140
Anothertravel trpodwththe
nnovatvereverse-legstorage
beneit. In tsclosedpostont sonly
40cm longyet hasamaxmumheght
of 1.4m.Madefromalumnumand
suppledwth aball & sockethead.
A goodchocef you travel regularly.
w
tt.Ttt...
TravelTripods
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TraveTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Ifyou’reonaserousphototrpandwantthe
convenenceoeredbyarollerbag,youwon’tget
better thanthese...
Inneedofaspacousbackpacktoholdamedum
tolargeoutit?Consderthese comfortable and
protectveoptons...
roller
baGs
phoTobackpacks
LoweproVertex200AW
£140
It’s been arounda number
of years butstipopuar
withtrave (andandscape)photographers who prefer
its conventionadesign.
Hods a coupeof DSLRs,
haf a dozen enses, aptop
andotsof accessories. It's
ruggeddesign makes it good
for use in tough conditions.
ThinkTankAirportNavigator
£175
If youdon’t need anything
toobig,thencheck out
this neat roerbag,which
despite the smaer size, can
hod twoDSLRs, ateast
four ensesand pentyof
accessories, pusaptop
too. It boastseasyaccess,
a shouder strap as we as
pu-hande.Madeto Think
Tank’s usua highstandards.
TamracAnvil23
£260
A new, ightweight and
high-quaity bag. Cabin-
friendy, accepts up to a 15inaptop and arge DSLR or
two with teezoom, severa
enses, lashguns and
accessories. Aso incudes a
utiity bet that can be worn
to support the bag, or used
separatey with pouches.
PelicanPeli1510
£170
Designedto be waterproof,
crushproof and dustproof,
Pei casesoer the utimatein
protection. The 1510meets
carry-onrequirements for
most majorairinesand oers
a retractabe extension hande
and strong poyurethane
whees. If you reguary trave
with expensivekit, this is an
option weworth considering.
ManfrottoPro50
£180
Aimedat serious
photographers, thisbo
muti-ayeredprotecand canbe used with s
or bothshouderstra
It’sspacious,hodin
two DSLRs, teezoo
severa enses, lashg
tabet, aptop, tripod
accessories.Cabin-frie
LoweproProRollerx100
£265
The smaest in Lowepro’s
x-series,yet hods a coupe
of DSLRs,up to sixenses
pusotsof accessories. Its
modern design incudes
neat wheeand ock
features, higheve of
protection pusa cever
secret – the inner section is
removabe andconvertsinto
a fuy-protected backpack!
ManfrottoRollerBag
£300
A greatchoice if yout
with ots of kit, hodin
coupeof DSLRs,at ea
a dozen enses, lashg
aptop, tabet, tripod
other accessories. A n
touch is the retainer st
that hod the frontco
openwhen accessing
Styish, exceent prote
andcabin-friendy to
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72 Macro TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
AFmode:Manual
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Camerasettings
1Apertures&depth-of-fieldDepth-of-ednormayextends
roughy one-thrd nfrontof thepont of
focus andtwo-thrdsbeyondt.However,
whenshootng cose-ups, thsratoaterssghty, wththe zoneof focus fang
moreevenyethersde ofthe pontof
focus.Depth-of-ed s nherenty shaow
at hghermagncatons,so achevng
sucentdepth-of-ed s oneof thebggest
chaenges facngmacro photographers.
Athoughfoca ength andthe eve
of magncatonaect depth-of-ed,
aperture s ts overrdngcontro. Wth
depth-of-edbengso mted,you mght
assume that theanswer woudbe toaways
seecta sma aperture– forexampe,
f/16.Therewndeed be tmes when ths
s thebestopton. However,dongso w
notaways be practcaor desrabe. Thecorrespondngshutter speedmay grow
mpractcay sow;whe a otof depth-of-
edwon’t guarantee themostpeasng
resut.Forexampe,for somesubjects,
otsof depth-of-edw be yourprorty
nordertorecordyoursubject sharpthroughout; forothers, youmght favour a
shaowdepth-of-edto pace emphass
onyour subject orfoca pont.The keys to
understand howdepth-of-edaects your
subject – your choceof f/stopshoudbe
determned by the subject,stuaton andthe
resut youwant.
LveVewcan hepdetermne whether
thef/numberseected s sutabe ornot. On
somedgtaSLRs, LveVewgves an honest
revewof theextent ofdepth-of-edatany
gvenaperture– adjustthe f/stopand the
LveVewmage water accordngy.On
othermodes, youwneedto depress the
camera’s‘prevew’buttonn ordertogeta‘ve’ vsua of the extent of depth-of-ed.
R O S S H ODDi n OT T
R O S S H ODDi n OT T
Gettingstarted:EssentialtechniquesIMprovEyoursuccEssrAtEsubstAntIAllybysEttIngupyourcAMErAForsHootIngclosEupsubjEctsIndEtAIl.HErEArEtHEEssEntIAltIpstHAtyounEEdtoknowtobAgyoursElFsoMEgrEAtMAcroIMAgEs
2Focusing
Depth-of-eds renownedforbeng shaow at hgher
magncatons;so there s noroom
forerrorwhen focusng. ideay, you
w be usng a trpod. A support not
ony emnates therskof ‘shake’,but
t aows photographersto pace ther
pont of focus wthgreat precson.
Youcanuse autofocus, butwhen
workng so coseto thesubject,AF
canstrugge toock onto nedeta,
‘huntng’backand forth. Manua focus
s a morereabe opton, partcuary
appedvaLveVew.
LveVews a great focusngad.
Usng the‘zoom’button, t s possbetomagnfy specc areas – for
exampe,an nsect’s eye– norder
to make veryne adjustments. Wth
some subjects you have nochoce
butto shoot handhed– forexampe,
whenstakngbutterles. When
worknghandhed,t canbe dcut
keepng subjects nfocus – nudge
even sghtyback orforthandthe
subject w drft outof thefoca pane.
To enhance your chances ofsharp
resuts, optfor a smaer aperture to
provdea arger depth-of-ed. if the
resutngshutterspeed grows too
sow, ncreaseiSOaccordngy.
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MacroTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
WhiteBalance:Auto
LeavngWhteBalanceonAutomatcwllbeinenmostnstances.However,whenphotographngsubjectsofpredomnatelyonecolour,
tcanbefooled,soswtchtotheappropratepreset.
Shutter:Mirrorlock-up/Self-timer(withtripod)
Thetnestmovementcanaectcrtcalsharpness.Usngmrrorlock-up(wtharemoterelease)orthe
self-tmerfacltyhelpsmaxmsesharpness.
ISOrating:ISO100
Whenpractcal,keepyourcamISOattsnatvesettng–donwllkeepnosetoamnmumshootnghandheld,orphotog
asubjectwthmovement,ncreaseISOaccordn
3CompositionBenga tecncaycompetentmacro
potograperdoesn’t guaranteeyourcose-
upswbegood.Tesksof compostonare
just as reevant tocose-up potograpy –
gnorete artstc sde, andyourmacrosots
w notbe memorabe.It's mportanttat you
reman magnatveand creatve.
Oneof tebggesttemptatonsfor
cose-up potograperss tote frame
wt tersubject. We dongsocanmaxmsempact, avodngte framefor
tesakeoft.Intentonay eavng a degreeof
negatvespace aroundyoursubjectwmore
eectvey conveyte subject’ssze andscae.
Seectve focusngcan prove a good
compostonatoo. By usnga wder
aperture,kef/2.8 orf/4, youcan
ntentonaytrow everytng out of focus
otertan your subject orfoca pont.Dong
socanreayepdrectte eyeto your
ntendedpont, wtyour subject standng
outsarpy aganst dusedsurroundngs.
Seectve focusngcan epmpy dept.
Lookfor sape, formand repetton. Macro
potograpersavete abty to ggtmnature deta andtexture.Lnes cuttng
centray troug te frame, sucas mdrb
of a eaf, canookdynamc, partcuary
wenpaceddagonay.Don’t be afrad to
be unconventonaand be orgna.
Arguaby, te mostmportant tng to
remembers tokeep tngssmpe.If you
tryto cram toomucdeta nto your sots,
tey w ook overyfussyand tesubject’s
mpact wbe duted.Smpcty s often
tekeyngredent to acevng a strkngcompostonn cose-upsots.
r O S S h ODDI n OT T
r O S S h ODDI n OT T
4LightingYouneed totnk about
yourpostonvery carefuy –
oterwseyou maybock gt
fromttngyour subject.A degree
of gt s naturayostat ger
magncatons, too.Ts s ess
ofanssue wen sootng statc
subjects,as a trpodcan be usedsoud sutter speeds gettoosow
however, f yoursubject s movng
ncreasng teISO s a good way to
compensate.In owgt, las s
an opton. LED, rng-or twn-las
devces wcattac toteensar
avaabe, owevera relectorused
tobounceambentgt onto your
subject ooks morenatura.
Overeadgt canookars;
we wt front-tsubjects tcan b
dicut toavodyour ownsadow
Sdegtngs better – empassn
texture anddenngedges.
Backgtngs te mostdramatc,
toug. It wggt tnydeta,
ke ary lowerstems,and s we
suted to transucent subjects ke
eavesand tewngs of nsects.
Backgtngcan ncrease te rsk
of lareand foometerngsystems
toug, soattac a ens ood and
keepa ceck ontestogram.
Withoutreflec
Withreflector
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74 Macro TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Springandsummer thbt
tofyfo hotohct.g,ow,woo
hth tcyoohbtt
fohotohbof
ty.Thk toco foc ,
hotohbto ct
xtoyt. ico-,o
ct -k,wthh,
oototy, , vco jw
ot. it owotht
thy’ fvotco-bjct.
photohct’ty, thoh.
Thycov ct totco to,
tcyly ct kbttl
ol. icthv tcytolyo
cywyjtyo y tothhtt,o yowtyoftc.
a ‘t’co (105)thbtchoc,
ov woktc.
Bckochoc kycoto.
my,tctbcko ct
.Thfo,whtkhoto,
kyoowyoyto oy
wo thf.excyth
tctbyth chyo
hoot hty, oby
w t tot
howth-of-.
athoht to
oct ctyt,
wh thybybzz
bot,th owh
thyotctv.gtt
ctyco o
ct,whyoohvo
cotoovwhthy owht
thyw o.mov bt,
wh ct ctv, to
tcoto,to thowtt.
dot ctyvowyoto
t to, totyocfy
ovbckooto
ct cbcko,o t’wwoth
ttvyy.
Whhotohlhty,y
tbbjct,ty towyk
yoovtto .
Fox, thovt
ofyohjtth
foccb t tk
foyobjct tovhto
thowtho ltt
wy.Thfo, tcb
wothwhfocyo
(o bybjctof
z)thowy
fow towyobjcttt
hthohthvw.
athohcthotohycb
y, fttb, thtc
ooktyxtoy.
Tfvnsctsttg
1)Dragonfly: Lensetsttenjwetnbtts.Tenbetet,ftenetnnt tese‘pe’t estbsk.Nbestst fneenet swnttewnet.
2)Butterfly: Ptennsets, ptwenbkt.Tekns,nszeetepennntpe.Esesttptpwenfeenn net-lwes.
3)laDyBirD:Sbtf nppennsets.Teeesennpte,sn
beentpensettnstet ptp,kebntlwee.Jstbeetewtte.
4)BumBleBee:Beesettptpwe.Wtnexttbeflwes,keene,nwtftetst.Seetspete,kef/11,tepeesentspnessf sensbjet.
5)grasshopper:Fnnseewsntssesneettn.Btketsnssppeskefse-psbjets.
r o s s h o
ddi n oT T
r o s s h o
ddi n oT T
r o s s h o d d i n o T T
Water droplets
aftcoo, tht, ct'wwb
oth tyotofw.if yo
hotoh th thtyof ht,
yobjctwtok.
Shoot a silhouette
shottyobjctby hoott t
o tt . sct wh
yobjct’ otwcy
cobt fo thbcko.
InsectsBugS,crEEPycraWLiES,criTTErS–WhaTEvEryoucaLLThEm,youcaN’TdiSPuTEThEiraPPEaL
ico-,fctow
tot, ooyhotoh
bjct tcoto.
photohctbhvo.
Fox, ct htch,
lht,o voty.
myo how, o’tow
t tocoyo bjct,oyoy
fhttt cywy.
gt y tyottwh
ct t ctv, c thchcof ccf hoot.
Focothct’yto thy fctyh.
Summary:Shootinginsects Creativeideasfor insects
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MacroTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
r o s s h o
ddi n ot t
r o s s h o
ddi n ot t
Try adifferentangle
insecs aremoscommony sofromeer
a sdeorovereadvewpon.tryaead-on
vew nsead ocapureamorequrky
porra,or ryan unusua crop.
Makeyourownbackdrop
Bypacngabrgycoouredcardor
bendyoursubjec,youcanaddcoo
mpac oyourcomposon.Consde
subjec’soneswencoosnga coo
Try focus-stacking
take a seresof sos,adjusngyour foca
pon sgyeac frame,anden‘sack’
emages nPoosopo exenddep-
of-ed.handyagmagncaon.
1 2
Insecttutorial:rsshntt
We ebackgngnceyggs e
wngs of s fresy-emergeddamsely,
e sadowon s bodys ugy(1). te
seecedaperureof f/16as generaedan
unnecessary argedep-of-ed,we
surroundnggrassescreanga dsracng,
fussybackdrop. tensec sasovery
cenra,and nodomnanenoug n frame.
Asmarelecors used oreevee
sadowonedamsely'sbodyandbrgene mageovera. A argeraperure
off/8wasseeced,oep rowe nsec's
surroundngsouof focus.We camera
carefuypacedparae oensec,e f/
sopsgeneraes sucendep-of-ed.
Lasy,bymovngsgy coser, ensec
scapuredarger neframe.Pacng
sgyo eefof cenresrengense
nacomposon (2).
QHowdoIindnsectsubjects?Ifyouhaveagarden,thenthssagoodpacetostart.Nodoubt,youwfndbutterles,bugsandbeeshdngamongyourlowerbeds.Summer meadows,woodand,coasta ctopsand heathandamongthebestpacestoexpore.Itswortresearchngonnewhat naturereservesyohavecosetowhereyouve.Manysteswstwhatnsectfeyoucanexpecttoind,togetherwththebesttmeofyear.
QWon’ttheymovefIgettooclose?Thatsarskwthanywdsubject.However,fyouapproachcarefuy,youwoftengetwthnpcture-takngrange.Wthysubjectocated,gentymoventoposton.Avodsudden,jerkymovements,andtrynotdsturbthesurroundngvegetaton–nsectareverysenstvetomovementandvbrato
Q Ist okaytocaptureand refrgeratensectstomakethemmoredocle?
No,thssn’tethcapractce.Wdfephotographersshoudachevetherphotographsthroughacombnatonofsubjectknowedge,goodiedcraft,patencandsk.Itsfarmoresatsfyngtocapturea
greatnsectmagenthewd.
QHowdoIkeepasmuchofmysubjectfocusaspossble?
Inordertomaxmsewhateverdepth-of-iesavaabe,trykeepngthecameraparaetothesubject.Thssbecausetheresonyonegeometrcpaneofcompetesharpnessandbykeepngthecameraparaeyouwpacemuchofyoursubjectnthspaneaspossbe
InsectsQ&A
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76 Macro TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
i s t o ck p h ot o
r o s s h oddi n ot t
r o s s h oddi n ot t
r o s s h oddi n ot t
Flowersarea fvumng
-uhgh–nhy
hf ubjnhhhnyu k.Bhn uv
vbn, nngn
ng. Fvy muhn u,
h, z,gnnuu, hhy
hgh nv-nnguy
fhun. Fhng
– hnn mn.Yun
yu ubj b, k fuy.
if hnguvbm,kh
fyub hyuf.
Bfngyuhn
hnqu,ky h’h
nfm. lk fm ng –g
nnkun. thm
nngvnmghb fmnyvh,bu fnyu
n kh fmh
ng, 45° ngkngnnh
’n.th yf,n
h, hyufm.
in-uyunhghghnv
ky u,hf yumv
, yunb gh.
shngu,uv gv
yumn. Yunh
n,hyun’hv
nnhh n.
dungh f
f-u, y
hngn nvy, yu-unm
bjnn.
sng,gh nmy
bv–nv
v, hh ghng
unnn nugyhghgh.
ahny -uubj, hbgg
ngh-f-.
akyuf;hmuhf hubj
yun nh fu?whn
hghng, hmv,
kngu fnhugh
ung vyhznffu.
Byfungvynky
n f n,n ng
vyhng fuf
fu, bu
bufun ufu
-u.Unfuny,
h nf-ff/
h yk.if yu
unuhh u,
k f mg ung
n f/numbhm.
whn hqun,n mg
hvju hgh v fh-f-.
a,by ngh, yuunnngf
h-f-qukyg.
Dropets
ang k,
nn yu mg.
agyn yuhknu
n ngy.
Usea wideaperture
rvyhng hn h b
nf n.in,u h
h-f-. Yu f n n
ugnbuuunng.
Create a background
c bkbyng h
fbhnyuubj.wh
uf; k uh
mmnhhyu ubj.
Creativeideasforlowers
Fowersthere’snodenyingthebeauty
andvarietyofflora.here’show
tosecuregreatclose-ups…
exnvn.ovh,-ngn vk.
ovgh u,hngyuuvyn,n nu.
tyngf h– h f f, hnf ng mnmyb–ubu.
innyh, u pm–fmvy– hyuubjfy .
ay,bkgunh mn– yknynh gngnbhnyuubj.
Summary:Shootinglowers
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MacroTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
r o s s h oddi n ot t
r o s s h oddi n ot t
Flowertutorial:rsshntt
Wensnglwer cse-ups, ep-
f-es renwnefr bengsaw.
terefre, wuseemgca seece
ens’s smaesaperuren rer generae
eargespssbeznef fcus.hwever,
ngswas renereveryngese
wn eframe mucsarper, makng
backgruneemensmresracng(seeexampe,rg).in s nsance,an aperure
f f/22 prucesa ‘busy’cmpsnan
evewer’s eyesn’surewere see.
Bypng fra weraperure, s
pssbepace mucmre empass
nyur gvenpnf fcus.in eabve
exampe,f/4 generaes emsaracve,
sawznef fcus.despebengaken
jusmmensapar, ekf ew
magesarevasyeren. Anavanage
fusnga we aperure sa fasersuer
spee,usefu frfreezng mn.one
wnse,wenempynga weaperure,
yunee fcus veryprecsey.
Createa softfocuseect
ifyur cameraas a mupeexpsure
me, akene p sarpy fcuse,an
enaner nennayefcuse.te
resuwbe a reamy, sf fcuseec.
Shootdetail&patterns
tevens ansrucuref eavesare
parcuarypgenc. ifpssbe,s
emback agans esun–s eecw
gg nvua vensn neea.
after:/4
before: /22
QWhatexactys ‘gardenng’?
‘Gardenng’satermmacrophotographersuseforseectvey‘tdyngup’thersubject’sbackground.Thepractcepartcuaryappes towd-lowerphotography,when nearbygrasses, twgsanddeadfoagecancreatemessybackdroUsngscssors,youcanremoveanycutterfromthesubject’sforegroundorbackgroun
thatsprovngdstractng.
QDoIneedtoshootonastday?
Wndmovementsacommonprobwhenshootngoutdoors.However,tseatorectfywthpants,aslowersaren’tgontorunorlyawayfyouattempttostabsethem.Forexampe,anumbreaorwndbrcanbepacedcosebytoprotectyoursubjfromtheeements.Byusngheavy,cearpoythene,hednpostonbyahandfuofaumnumorwoodenrods,youcancreatyourveryownDIYwndbreak.
QWhchpartshoudIfocuson?
Thswgreatydependontheloweryourshootngange,thedepth-of-iedavaabeandtheeectyoudesre.Howeve
goodrueofthumbstofocusonthelowecentre,orthestamenscosesttothecamer
QAnytpsformagesharpness?
Athghermagnicatons,eventhesmaestcameraorsubjectmovementsexaggerated.Byusngatrpod,andtrggertheshutterwtharemotereease,youwpreventcameramoton.Byenabngmrrorock-up(fyourDSLRhasthefacty),tspossbeto emnate anynternavbratoncausedbymrrormovement.
Q Isapoarsngiterusefufor
lowerphotography?
Yes,apoarsercanproveveryusefu,reducanygareonpetasandeavesandrestorn
cooursaturaton.Theiterabsorbsup totwstopsofght,butsoongasyouareusngatrpod–andthelowersn’taectedbywnexposureengthshoudn’tposeanyprobem
QAnytoptpsformakngow-eve
photographymorecomfortabe?
Shootngcose-upsoftennvovesotsofkneeng,crouchngoryngdown.LveVeworarght-angeinderwmakecomposngow-evemageseaser.Itsasoworthcarryagroundsheettopreventyourcothnggettnggrubby.Kneepadsmakekneengfoproongedperodsmorecomfortabe,too.
FlowerQ&A
r o s s h oddi n ot t
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4OilandwaterabstractsYou’ indthatbymxnga tteowth
water, youcancreateabstractpatterns
toshoot.A gassorPyrexdsh s deafor
dongths. Pacea ttewater nthedshand
thenaddsomeoveo (orsmar). Aso try
addnga sma amountofwashng-upqud
–dongsocanhepgvetheodropets
moredeinton.Pace thedshonbrghty
coouredpaperorcard toaddcoour mpact
toyourabstract-ookngcose-ups.
6ColourimpactCoourwgvecose-upsmpact.Yourhomeand
gardenarefuof brghtycoouredob
Toys,pens andpencs,drnkngstraw
lowers andfoage.Whencoours th
prncpa subjectmatter, thebrghter t
better.Optfor a frame-ingcrop, so
mageappearstobeoverlowngwth
Redandyeowarepartcuarystrkn
advancngcoours.Even, shadowess
woftenhepenhancethervbrancy
5CrosspolarisationSandwchngcear pastcobjects– kethrowaway
cuteryorgeometrysets –between
twopoarsngmaterasresutsncross
poarsaton.The eectproducesa
kaedoscopeofcoourswthn thestresses
of thepastcsurface.Computermontors
andtabetsarepoarsed, sosetthe screen
towhteandpaceyourobjectn frontof
t.Attachapoarserto your ens, rotatng t
untyou acheve just theeect youdesre.
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80 Macro TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
N
o day isevertheme– there
nrutne ntte repettn.
Lken nturephtgrpher,m
fe revverunthe ghtnwether.apruntoctberrem buet
enfr htng ce-up;wlwer
ren bmnnect nreptere
gnctve. Fwer nnect hve hrt
fepn, echmnthpreent erent
ubjectnfrehchenge.
“argemuntf tme pent recceng
ctn nerchng frutbe ubject:
rgnlenbutterle remng m
fvurte. Thrughut prngn ummer,
i vt utbe hbttn t mrnng,
whennectre rmnt.i nrm etup
trp ceb tgveme mre cntr n
crefu cnerghtng nbckgrun.
i preferwrkngwth nturght,but tretrct me twrkngn vertcntn.
ifthe wnpee mre thn 8-10mph,
ubjectgett wnbwn tbebet
fcu rcmpemgeccurte.
"The ummermnth retrng but
rewrng: m trt t4.30m buti
vereveng the ntrcce net f
mntureubject.i penmt fm n
thecectchngup n etng,prceng
nwrtng, theght tpchrh n
nect verctve.if thewetherpermt, i'
nh the htng nthewrm,evenng
ghtunt fter10pm. itcnbe ng ,
butphtgrph ctve– ujutn’t
knw when umght cpture tht pechtu’ve w beenwtngfr…"
r o s s h oddi n oT T
r o s s h oddi n oT T
rss’sktbg1)F-stopgearSatorEXP:Aargebakpak,erngtsktrm.Exeptnaymrtabe.2)NkonD800EandNkonD810:ThehgerestntheD810speretraptrngmnatredeta,andtheargeiesawradegreerppng.3)NIKKORAF-S105mmf/2.8GVRMcro:Agreataengthrmar.ItsszeandVRmaketthedeaensrhandhedse-ps.4)NIKKORAF200mmf/4DED-IFMcro:Ateephtmarawsaargewrkngdstane,deartmdnatre.Ideay,thsensshdbe trpd-mnted.
5)NIKKORAF-S16-35mmf/4GEDVR:Agreataengthrwde-ange,envrnmentase-psshwngbakgrndhabtat.6)GtzoSystematcGT3541LS:Sd,strdyegs.Theak aentre-mnawsme tqkyadjst rw-evewrk.7)Manfrotto405gearedhead:Thenrvaedpresnagearedheadmakestperetrmar.8)Heopan105mmcrcuarpoarser:Aparsersgreatrphtgraphnglwersandpants,restrngnatrarsatratn.9)Rght-angeinder:Idn’tseanangeinderveryten,btIstawaysarrynenaseIneedtrw-evewrk.
10)NkonMC-36remotecord:Whensngatrpd,Iwsearemterdtpreventhavngtphysaypresstheshtterbttn.11)Lastoterelector: Isea45mreletr,whhsmrethanadeqaterse-psbjets.12)WmbereyPamp:Myextrahand!IwtenseaPamptsteadymysbjetrhdthereletrnpae.13)LexarSDcards:Itsmprtanttawaysarrypentyextrastrage.14)Battery:LveVewsngandranbatteres,sIawaysarryapeyhargedspares.15)Scssors:Greatrwhenyneedtdatte‘gardenng’tasbjet’sbakgrnd.
13
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2
13
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9
12
15
4
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5
MASTERofcLoSEuPS…
RossHoddinott
Rsshasbeenwrkngasa
-tmenatrephtgrapher
sne1997andsthewnnermtpeawards, ndngthe
BrtshWdePhtgraphyAwardsn2009.Hesthe
athr sevenphtgraphybks,ndng
DigitalMacroandClose-upPhotography , samember the2020VISIoNpht-teamand s
anAmbassadrrNknuK.
Biography
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MacroTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
“Myfavouritetechnique...”Bckgtng"I ovebackightingminiaturesubjects.Thereis nobetter ighttype forhighightingtiny, intricatedetaior asubject’sshape. Itcanbehardtomanage, though; theriskoflare isgreaty increasedbyshootingtoward theightsource,whieTTLmeteringhasa tendencytounderexposebackit subjects,so I’mreguarycheckinghistogramsandoftenappyingpositiveexposurecompensation.Backightingsuitstransucent subjects, ikebutterliesanddamselies,particuarywe. Theight’sdirectioniuminates theirwings frombehind,exaggerating theircoour,markingsandhighightingeverytinyhairontheirbodies.It isnormayeasiertoachieveaceanbackdropwithbackit subjects, too, asyouwioftenbe shootingintoanareaofshade,whichcreatesasimpedark,contrastingbackdrop.Thereis asothetemptation togoonestepfurtherandsihouetteyour subject,whichcanproduceequay strikingresuts."
r o s s h oddI n oT T
1)Butterflies:
Whocanresstthem
Theyareourmost
appeangandattra
nsect.Theyookbe
wthwngsopenla
don’toverookshoo
themwhentherwngsarecosedether–th
underwngsarebeautfuymarkedandoo
fantastcphotographedfroma sdeange.
2)Coastaldetai
Lvngcosetothe
Cornshcoast,I reg
vstthebeachwth
macroens.Thngs
seaweed,wavysand
patternsandgeoog
mghtsoundabtdutophotograph,butn
cose-upyoucan reveagreat texture,ntere
shapesandntrcatepatternsndeta.
3)WildfloWers
Fowersmakeforgrphotographcsubje
nframe-ingcose
Ienjoyusngashao
depth-of-iedtoso
vbrantanddecate
boomsaganstadusedbackdropofcoo
Theresutsspeakforthemseves.
4)deCay:Theres
justsomethngabo
peengpantwork,
machnery,spnter
wood,odropesan
decaythatseemsto
appeatoa
photographers.I ovehghghtngthedetatextureofodthngs–photographsoftenha
ine-artornostagcfeeaboutthem.
5)Water:Tnywat
dropetsookgreat
cose-up.Theyrele
andrefractther
surroundngs,
projectngttemag
ofnearbyobjects.W
dropetscancreate nterestng,abstractpatt
onlat surfaceskefaeneaves,meta andg
Ross’smacrosubjects
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WIMBERLEYPLAMP:Thisflexible armboastsaclampateachendandisamustformacroenthusiasts.Clamponeendtothetripodlegandtheothertoholdanobject,suchasaplantsteminthewind,orareflector.
SMALLSILVER/WHITEREFLECTOR:Aninexpensivecollapsiblereflectorcanmakearealdierencetoyourclose-upimages.Aswellasbouncinglightontoyoursubject,youcanalsousethewhitesideasabackdropinyourshots.
RIGHT-ANGLEFINDER:Thishandydeviceallowsfor comfortableviewingofanimagewhileclosetogroundlevel.Ofcourse,ifyourcamerahasavari-anglemonitor,youdon’tnecessarilyneedone!Brandedfinderscanbeexpensive,socheckoutbudgetmodelsfromindependentmakes likeSeagull.
MACRORINGFLASH:It’scommontoshootinsituationswherelightlevelsarelowandaburstofflashisawelcomeaddition.Amacroringflashisthebestoption,usingaseriesofflashheadsthatsitaroundthelenstoprovidedecentillumination.The£320SigmaEM-140DGMacroisapopularchoice.
REMOTERELEASE:Camerashakecanbeaproblemathighmagnification,sousearemotereleasetosnagstableshots.HahnelandHamamakedecentmodels,butourfavouriteisYongnuo’s£20TC-80– averitablebargain!
82 Ultimatekit THEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
Ultimatekit formacroTHERE’SNOESCAPINGITTOCREATEAMAZINGCLOSEUPIMAGESYOUWILLNEEDSOMESPECIALISTKIT.YOUNEEDN’TBREAKTHEBANKHOWEVER,ASTHEREARENOENDOFBUDGETCONSCIOUSMACROACCESSORIESOUTTHERETOO!
VelbonGEOE635D
£265
Madefrom carbon-fibreandbasalt,
the GEO oershigh stabilityas
wellas versatility.The two-section
centre-columncan be detached
forlow-level shootingat a height of
around 24cm. It comes suppliedwith
a PHD-65Qthree-way head.
Giotto’s YTL9353&MH1311head
£190
A solidall-purpose tripod that's also
a great choice forclose-ups.The 3D
column canbe rotatedthrough180°
andalong withthe low-angle adaptor
allows forlow-levelshooting(19cm).
The1311-652 ballheadoers friction
control foraddedprecision.
GitzoSeries2ExplorerGT2531EX
£460
Madewithoutcompromise, theGitzo
Explorerseries is theultimatechoice.
Madefrom lightweightandrobust
6xcarbon-fibre,legscan beset
independently at upto90°,while the
reversible centre-column oerseven
moreversatility. Thebestthere is.
Manfrotto055XPRO3&410head
£280
The latestin the classic055series
boasts extra versatilitythatmakes
it ideal forclose-ups,includinga 90°
centre-column mechanism, built-in
bubble level andminimumheight of
9cm.Use with the pro'sfavourite410
Junior or theX-PROthree-wayhead.
Thesegeneral-purpose
tripodscanbesettoverylowshootingheights,makingthemidealfor
macrowork
TRIPODS
FORMACRO
Contacts
Macroaccessories
Canon:www.canon.co.ukGiotto’s:www.giottos-tripods.co.ukGitzo:www.gitzo.co.ukKenko:www.intro2020.co.ukLowepro:www.lowepro.co.ukManfrotto:www.manfrotto.co.ukNikon:www.nikon.co.ukRaynox:www.amazon.co.ukRing48:www.amazon.co.ukSigma:www.sigma-imaging-uk.comTamron:www.tamron.eu/ukVelbon:www.velbon.uk
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RaynoxDCR-250
£50
Acut-price route intomacrophotography. This
excellentRaynoxDCR-250
SuperMacroConversion
Lensoerspremium
performanceanda+8
dioptremagnification. The
attachmentsimplyclipsonto
lenseswithfilter threads
from52mmto67mm.
Zeikosclose-upfilterset
£10
Close-upfiltersareoneof themostaordable
accessoriesavailablefor
macrophotographers.Most
sets, likethe Zeikos, include
+1,+2,+4and+10dioptre
filters, soyoucanstart taking
close-upsstraightaway. Just
besure toorder thecorrect
size tofityour lens.
NeewerRing48MacroLED
£30
A ringflash isthebest artificiallight source forclose-ups,
but it'sexpensive. Step
forwardthisLED ringlight,
whichuses48smallwhite
LEDbulbs toprovide abright
andconstant lightto lift
coloursandadddefinition.
Itcanfit filter threadsfrom
49mmto67mm.
Kenkoautoextension
£100
Whileyoucanbuymaextensiontubes for£
theseautotubes fromK
boast electroniccont
thatretainyour came
meteringfunctionsan
somecases,AF. TheK
set includes12mm,20
and36mmtubes forC
NikonandSonyfittin
Don’tworryifyou’reonabudget, thefollowing
fantasticbitsofclose-upkit
canbeusedtoshoothigh-qualityresults
CLOSE-UP
ACCESSORIES
WANTTOKNOWWHICHDEDICATEDMACROLENSESAREWORTHYOFYOUR HARDEARNED?TURNTOPAGE15
ROSSH
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ReleasethepoweRofRawshootinginrawneedn’tbedaunting.byworkingwithyourcamera’srawdata,youareableto
extracteverylastbitofdetailoutofyourimagesanduseyourdslrorcsctoitsfullpotential
Image:helendIxon
RTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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86 Raw TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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c a T h e r I n e m a c B r I D e
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errorforWhiteBalance
andexposure, allowingyoutoconcentrateon
otherelementssuchas
composition
2
1
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CtnmcB
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r.aidd,iddvdirdddd’v!oviddd
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Proview
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RawTheulTimaTeGuideTo phoToGraphy
EssentialtoolsCstnnsttncctn
hand. Ifyouwantto getthebest possible
results fromyour imagestheninmanycases
shootinginRaw isthewayto goas itoers
youmuchgreatercontrol.However, if speed
orcard space isthepriority,thenswitching
toJPEG is theobviouscompromisethat
you’llneedtomake.
R o s s H oddI n ot t
Lenscorrection
Ifyou’veshotwthawde-anglelens, theLensCorrectontabshouldbeyourveryirstportofcallnbothLghtroomandACRtocorrectanybarrel orpncushondstorton,frngngandunwantedvgnettng.ClckEnable ProileCorrectonsandselectyourlensproilefromthedrop-downmenu.
Straightentool
Forgotyourtrpodorshotonaslant?Notaproblem.UsetheStraghtentool(orAngletoolnLghtroom)tocorrectawonkyhorzon;youwlllosealttleoyourmage’sedgesndongsoasthemagesrotated,sousethstoolbeforeapplynganyinalcroppngusngtheCroptool.Fndthsnthetoolbar.
Croptool
Usethstooltochangetheaspectratoandtorecomposeyourmage.HoldShftwhleyouclckanddragtheCroptooltoconstrantheproportons.YoucanalsousetheCustomfunctonoptontoselectpresetaspectratos,suchas5x7nor8x10n,ortosetyourown.Youcanindthsnthetoolbartoo.
Zoom&Handtools
MagnfyyourmagestovewaspecicareanmoredetalbyclckngontheprevewmageusngtheZoomtool.It’susefulforretouchngmages,toevaluatenoandsharpnesscloseup.Formovnaroundamagniedmage,usetheHandtoolbyclcknganddraggntheprevewmage.
1)Getcreatvewthyourmage'scoloursbyshootngnRawandadjustngyourWhteBalance.2)Qualtycounts:Rawsarebggerbutmoredetaled.3)ChangngaRawile’sWBtoFluorescent(left)andShade(rght)bothgveanceresult.
3
QWhyshouldIshootRawandJPEG?
MostdgtalcamerasallowyoutocapturemagesnbothRawandJPEGformsmultaneously.Thss usefulfor anyonewantngtoexpermentwthRawbutnotwtorskdvngnheadirst.Thedownsdestt’llrequrealargeamountofmemorytosto
allofthemagesnbothformats.
QWhatcanyouactuallychangewhen
processngaRawile?
EverythngyoucandotoaJPEG,youcandaRawilebuttobetterqualty.Youcanadjutheexposure,nasmlarwaytohowyouwncamerausng exposurecompensaton,youcancorrectorbecreatvewthyourWhBalanceaswellassharpenandreducenosWhatyoucannotdoschangeyourdepth-ield,focuspontorshutterspeed.Youstlltogettheserghtncamera.
QHowdoIsetmycameratoshootnR
YoushouldbeabletoswtchyourcameratoshootngnRawbyheadngnto
ImageQualtysettngsonyourcamera’smsystemandsettngtheFormatoptontoRaRaw+JPEG.Ifyou’restllunsureabouthowdothsthent’sbesttoconsultyourcameramanualforfurtherdetals.
QAretherederenttypesofRawiles?
MostofthederentdgtalcamerabrandsproducetherowntypeofRawile;example,modernCanonDSLRswll produ.CR2iles,whlstNkonDSLRsgeneratea.NEFmage.Don’tworrythough,allRawiloperatenthesamewaywhentcomestoedtngthem npost-producton.
RawQ&A
R o s s H oddI n ot t
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88 Raw
It’sarguably themnonw
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QWhyaretherelashngbueand
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Proview
Troubleshooting
Pro tipTomakeseectveadjustments,
ratherthanedtanmagegobay,
usetheAdjustmentBrushnACR.
WthntheAdjustmentBrush
pane,usethesderstocreate
youredt,thenusethebrush
to‘pant’theadjustmentontospecicareas.
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Interface:TheBasicstab
PossiblythemostusefulpartofAdobeCameraRaw–theBasicspanelholdsmostofthepowertoadjustexposureandcontrast.
1)ExposurEMovetheslidertotherighttoincreaseexposureand theleft todecreaseexposure.Usethehistogramasaguide.
2)ContrastMovetheslidertotheleftto
decreasecontrast byincreasing themid-tonesandtotherighttoincreasecontrast.
3)HigHligHtsDragtheslidertothelefttorecoverdetailsinthehighlightsortherighttobrightenhighlights.
4)sHadowsMovetotherighttobrightenshadowsandthelefttodarkenthem.
5)wHitEsUsethisslidertolimitanyclippingofthehighlightsbypullingitleft,ormovetotherighttointroducespecularhighlights.
6)BlaCksTargetsonlypureblacksinyourimagetoadddepth.Becarefulnottolosedetail.
1
2
3
4
5
6
teCve
Ifyou’reusedtoCurvesinPhotoshop,thisissimilar.Itallo
youtoadjustcontrastacrossthetonalrang
adjustingthecurve.OryoucanusetheslidewhichismoreakintoLevels.
teeajmeIfworkingwithslidersisnotve
intuitive foryou,select the
TargetedAdjustmenttoolin thetoptoolbawhichallowsyoutomakeadjustmentsby
clickinganddraggingonyourimage.
geFe
Drawalineacrossyourimage
usingthistooltoapplyagradueect toany manipulations, suchas Expos
Contrast,Brightness, Saturationand Clarity
Greatfordarkeningskies!
Exposure:Essentialtools
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90 Raw TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
oftenunderexposinganimageisaresultofusererror,howeverprofessionalportraitphotographerdanidiamondrevealsit’shissignaturetechniqueanditcanonlybedonewhenshootingraw
Portraitsdndn
“Iapproachmy portrats na smar
way tohowI woud fI usedlash:
underexposng theambentght
beforeghtngthe subject.The
derencebeng thatI useonynatura ght
andpost-processngtechnques tomanuay
recovertheexposureexactywhere Iwant.
Normayths resuts nabaancedexposure
wheremysubjectstandsoutaganstthe
darkerbackgroundand I retanperfect
controof thehghghtsontherskn–
whchs themost mportant part!When
someonevewsanmage,ther eyes
naturaygo tothebrghtestpart irst –
I awayswantthat tobemysubject.
"Goodght svta tomytechnque;
I ook forsoft,drectona ghtandangemy
subject’sfacetowardt. I shootusngMatrx
meterngn aperture-prortymode andda
nuptoonestopof negatveexposure
compensaton,dependngon howmy
camerametersthe scene.I’takea shot and
thenassessthe mage;f I seestrong
hghghts thenI’ underexposeabtmore.
Myman focus stheskn, Iwantt onthe
darker sdeandfreefromhotspots.
"It'sdurngedtngthatthe magecomes
ave.ShootngnRawrecords ncredbe
shadowdeta,whch seaser to recover
thanbownhghghts. If youookatmy
portratsand cover themode’s faceyou’
notce therestof themage sst
underexposed.Butwhenyouftyour hand,
ther sknmmedateydraws yourattenton
andthe mageregstersas weexposed.”
‘Exposetotheleft’
I Ma Ge S : da NI dI a M oNd
“t’.i’jwbhw,c.fipclj ,kj’.ik ,kki’.ti .”
Processingthefile
before
after
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92 Raw
THEIMPACT OFcolour canmakeor
break an image. Rawfiles, straight
outof thecameraanddevoidofany
processing,have a tendency tolook flatandlifeless,so enhancingcolourshould be your
next port ofcall afteryou’vecorrected or
adjustedthe exposure ofyour image.The
mainadvantageof working with a Raw file
is that theprimaryand most important
adjustment, White Balance,can be made
withoutsacrificing image quality.
Furthermore,becausea Rawfile contains
more data than a compressed JPEG,it's
possible to manipulate colours to a greater
degree without the changes becoming
detrimental to imagequality. It's easy todo
too, giventhewealth oftoolsand
adjustments ACRputs at yourdisposalthat
can help youto perfect thehues andtoneswithin yourimages.
Youcanalsoconvert your Raw images
tomonochromein ACR by using the
WhiteBalance
AdjustingWhiteBalancecouldn’tbeeasierinAdobeCameraRaw,butthereareanumberofwaystogoaboutdoingit.Firsto,tryusingtheWhiteBalancemenuintheBasicpanel–itcontainsalloftheusualWhiteBalancepresetsthatyou’llfindincamera,aswellasaCustomoption.ThelatterallowsyoutoadjustWhiteBalanceusingtheTemperatureand
Tintslidersbelow.Temperatureadjuststhewarmthofyourimage,whileTintcontrolstheamountofgreenormagentapresent.Alternatively,ifyourimagecontainsa known-neutral,suchas agreycard,orevenanareaofwhiteorblack,youcansettheWhiteBalancebysimplyclickingonthatareausingtheWhiteBalancetoolinthetoptoolbar.
A DA M
B UR T ON
1)Rawfilescanlookflatandlifelessstraightoutofcamera.BringthemtolifebytweakingtheWhiteBalanceand
boostingcolourinAdobeCameraRaw.2) UseVibranceandSaturationtofine-tunetheimpactofcoloursinyourimage.
tools within the HSL/Grayscaletab. These
controlsallow youto tweak theluminance
ofthe individual tones inyour black & whiteimage, so quite oftenit's best toconvert
your imageto monochrome at theRaw
stage, rather thanin Photoshopitself. 1
BEFORE
AFTER
ControlcolourwitheaseRAWFILESARENATURALLYLACKING INCOLOURANDCONTRAST.BUTMASTERRAWPROCESSINGANDYOUCANGIVEANYCOLOURIMAGEMAXIMUMIMPACT
HSL/GrayscaleHSLisonethemostpowerfulpartsof
ACRwhenitcomestofine-tuningcolour,asitallowsyoutocontroltheHue,SaturationandLuminanceofeachcolourindependently.RemembertomakeanyWhiteBalancecorrectionsbeforeusingHSL.Fromhereyoucanalsoconvertyourimagetomonochrome.
ToneCurve
Moreoftenassociatedwithexposurecontrolratherthancolouradjustment,theToneCurvetoolcanalsobeusedtoadjusttheRed,GreenandBluecolourchannels.ChoosethePointtypecurvefromtheToneCurvepanelbeforeusingtheRGBmenutoselectthe
channelthatyouwishtoadjust.
VibranceandSaturation
There’sa keydierencebetweenVibranceandSaturation;the latterboostsallcoloursequally,while theformerismorerestrainedandintensifiesthe least saturatedtonesfirst.
Essentialtools:Colour
2HE L E NDI X ON
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TechniquestotryColour
Black&whiteConverting your imagetomono in
ACRis similar toaddinga Black& White
adjustment layer inPhotoshop,with the
benefitofgreaterscope foradjustment
inRaw. IntheHSL/Grayscalepanel, tick
Convert toGrayscaleanduse thesliders
toeasilyadjust theluminanceofthe
varioustonesin yourimage.Simple!
Split-toningThis techniqueis used tostylise
monochromeimages.Head intothe
SplitTonepanelandusetheHueand
Saturation sliders toaddcolourtonesto
yourshadowsandhighlights. Apopular
look is to introduce a touchofblue into
theshadowsanda pinchofyellowto the
highlights.Don'tgo toofar!
PresetsIfyoufinda lookthat you like, savetime
bystoringyoursettings. Aftermaking
adjustments, clickonthePresetspane
andselectSaveSettingsfrom themen
Pick theadjustments tosave,name it
andwhenyouwant touseit simplygo
ApplyPreset. Lightroom’sACRoers a
largemenuofpresets totry.
L E E F R O S T
R O S S H ODDI N OT T
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94 Raw TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
WHENI SWITCHED Fromfilm to
digital capturebackin 2008,
I jumpedin with both feet and
started shooting inRawfrom
theverystart. I didn’tsee there wasmuch
choice. I’d investedthousandsin top-endgear so what was thepointin notwanting
to get theverybest from it?It’svery rare that
myimages are usedin sucha way thathad
they notoriginatedfroma Rawfile you’d be
ableto tell– a JPEGat maximum quality is
every bitas good asa processedRaw file.
However, if you’ve paidfor somethingyou
might aswell useit, andfor me,shooting
Rawis thesame asdeveloping your own
films andmaking your own printsinstead
ofsendingthem oto a lab and having
automated machine prints made.
"There’s a misconception among
photographers that youneed loadsof
experience andknowledge toshoot Raw,
butit’snonsense. I hadvery littledigitalknowledge, butI took to Rawshooting with
noproblems.It’s actuallya much more
forgivingformatthanJPEG because allthe
rawdatafrom thecamera’ssensor hasbeen
recorded,so it’s much easiertocorrect
exposureerror orchangethe colourbalance
ofanimage,say, if you’restartingwith a Raw
file. This makesitbettersuitedto beginners,
whoare likelyto make more mistakes.
"While you doneedto spend more time ata computerif you shootin Raw, toprocess
each filereadyforprintingor publication,
I seethis time asan investment inmy work
toget the best from itrather than a waste.
Also,anychangesyou make toa Rawfileare
nondestructive until youmake a JPEG or,
preferably, a 16-bit TIFFcopy.Youcanalways
revert backto theoriginal Rawfileat any
stageand reprocess it– whichI oftendo.
"There areplentyof photographers who
argue infavour ofJPEG, but Rawsuits my
way ofworkingso I’ll bestickingwithit until
something bettercomes along!”
I MA GE S : L E E F R O S T
1)Rawfilescontainthebestqualityyourcameracancreate–sowhyshouldyouconsidersettlingforanythingless?2)WithRaw,youcanmakefulluseofyoursensor’sdynamicrange.3)ACRisnotasubstituteforgoodcameratechniqueorfiltration,butitdoesoeryoumoreopportunities.
MASTEROFRAW…
BorninYorkshirein1966,Lee’s
loveofphotographyreallytookholdwhenhemovedtoDevonasateenager.Duringhisearlytwentiesheworkedasawriter
onvariousphotographymagazinesbeforeembarkingonafreelancecareerin1992.Sincethenhehasmadeanameforhimselfasbothabest-sellingauthorandanaccomplishedlandscapeandtravelphotographer.
Biography
LeeFrost
“IprocessRawfilesusingAdobeCameraRaw(ACR)inPhotoshop.I’vealwaysuseditandseenoreasontochange.ItgivesmeresultsI’mhappywithandI’mveryfamiliarwithit,whichmakesprocessingquickandeasy.IsubscribetoPhotoshopCreativeCloud,whichautoupdatesAdobeCameraRawonaregularbasis.”
1) ItendtoleaveWhiteBalancesettoAutowhenshootinginRawasit’seasyenoughto
changetheWhiteBalanceduringRawprocessingtowhatevercolourtemperatureyouprefer–thoughIfindAWBtendstodoagreatjobmoreoftenthannot.
2)ShootinginRawdoesn’tsolveeveryproblem,sodon’trelyonitcompletely.IstilluseNeutralDensity(ND)gradsonmylenstotonedownthesky,forexample,becauseifbrightareasoftheskyblowoutduetooverexposure,no detailwill record.
3) IfyouwanttopulleverybitofdetailfromyourRawfiles,tryreprocessingthesameRawfilefivetimeswiththeexposureslidersetto-2,-1,0,+1and+2stopsthencombinethemalltocreateanexposurefusionimageusingHDR
softwaresuchasNikHDREfexPro.
4) IneverthrowmyRawfilesaway,otherthantheonesIdeletein-camera,unlessthere’sanobviousreasonto,suchasgrossexposureerror.IseethemasdigitalnegativesthatImayreturntointhefuture.Portableharddrivesarecheapsostoringthemisn’taproblem.
5) Ifyouwantthebestofbothworlds,setyourDSLRtoshootinbothRawandJPEGsoyoucanusetheJPEGsforaquickfixbutsavetheRawfilesforlater,whenyou’vegotmoretimeoryourconfidenceandexperiencehasincreased.
Softwareofchoice
Lee’sRawtips
1
2
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Raw
R O S S H ODDI N OT T
Detail: Essentialtools
Detail
YoucanaccessSharpeningandNoiseReductionfeaturesviathistab.
Sharpeningshouldbeusedinmoderation,andcanbeusedincombinationwithClarity.Somephotographerspreferto sharpenin Photoshop,but
ACR’ssharpeningtoolworksinthesameeectivewayasthepopularUnsharpMask,withthebenefitthatyoucanre-edityourresultsforprintorweb,withoutdamagingimagequality.UsetheZoomtooltoseetheeectsofyouradjustments.Noisecanbeaproblemifyou’recorrectingan
underexposedimage,orhaveshotathighISOsorusingalongexposure.NoiseReductioncanhelpminimisethesnowglobeeectcausedbyhotpixels.WhilemostadvancedcamerashavegreathighISOperformance,thehigherthemegapixelcountoftentheheavieryou’llneedtomakeadjustments.UsetheLuminanceandColorsliders
totargetthetwotypesof noiseandzoomintoyourimage200%toseetheresults.Noisereductionisoftenattheexpenseoffinedetailandqualityasitsoftenstheimage.UsetheDetailandContrastsliderstorecoversomedetail,butbewatchfulofreintroducingnoise.Detailisoftenconsideredmore
importantthanacompletelynoise-freeimage.
Clarity
FoundintheBasictab,theClarityslideraccentuatesthelevelofvisibledetailinyourimagebytargetingedgecontrast.Itcanhavedramaticeects,sobesttousewithextremecautiontoavoidintroducinghalosandnastyedgeartefacts.
QWhatdoyousuggest formanaging
workflowand optimisingstorage?
Tryandgetintothehabitofdeletingscrapshotsto reducewastingvaluableharddrivespace.InvestinginanexternalharddriveisagoodideaasthiswillallowyoutoarchiveyRawfiles,reducingtheamountofusedspa
onyourcomputer’sharddrive.
QWhywon’tPhotoshoporLightroom
openmynewcamera’sRawfiles?
Youhavethreeoptions.Checkwhethera fupdateisavailableforyoursoftware:inAdoprogramsdothisbyclickingHelp>Checkfupdates.Ifthisstilldoesnotsolvetheproblyoursoftwareversionprobablyoutdatesyourcurrentcamerasoyouneedtoeitherbuyadigitalupdateforthesoftwarefromthprovider(dependingonhowoldyourversis),buythelateststandalonesoftwareorsubscribetoPhotoshopCC.Ifyoudon’twaspendmoremoneyonthelatestprogram,candownloadaDNGConvertorfromadobe.comtoconvertyourRawfilesintoagenericformatthatwillopeninACR.Thepitfallofthisisyoumayloseanycameraandlensprofilesastheinformationisoftennotrecognisedbythesoftware,howeverit doemeanthatin20years,ifmanufacturersdectostopproducingorsupportingtheirindivRawformats,you’llstillbeabletoaccessanedityourRawfilesasDNG.
QCanIcontinuetoeditinPhotoshop?
Absolutely.WhileyoucandomostoyourrequirededitinginACRorLightroommanyphotographerspreferthefine-tuningtoolsofPhotoshopforintricateselectiveeditingandretouchingwithLayerMasks.Oyou’vefinishededitingACR,clickOpenIm
inthebottomrightcornertoopenthefileintoPhotoshopwhereyoucanthensaveyoueditedRawimageintheappropriateforma
QHowshouldIbestsavemyRawfiles
afterprocessing?
Onceyou’vefinishedmakingyouradjustmetoaRawimageinPhotoshop,it’sbesttosavfinalresultasa 300dpiJPEG.Bydoingthis thimagecanthenbeviewedonothercomputewithouttheneedforspecialisteditingsoftwandisreadytobeprintedandsharedonline.Keepa.PSDtoo,ifyouthinkyoumightwanre-edityourPhotoshoplayersatalaterdate.
RawQ&A
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THE IDEALCOMPANION FORYOUR DIGITALCAMERA
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RAWTALENTRAWFILESGIVEYOUAHUGEAMOUNTOFSCOPEFORCREATIVEPROCESSING.WETOOKAHANDFULOFRAWFILES
ANDGAVETHEMTOTHREEDIFFERENTPROPHOTOGRAPHERSTOSEEHOWTHEIRAPPROACHESDIFFERED
RawchallengeTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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6LensCorreCtionsI'mready to exp
themage to Photoshopfor ixng
dustspots and the wonky horzon. Ho
somethngs buggng me about theca
As t's postoned close to theedgeof t
frame,lensdstorton s causng t to le
over. InLensCorrections,IsetVertica
-21 to correct forths,and clckedCon
Crop to crop theedges. Much better!
5PreCiseAdjustments When used n
moderaton, the Clarty adjustment can
be a wonderfultoolto ncrease contrast n a
pcture.Althoughmy magehad beneited
from settng theWhte andBlack ponts,
I felta smallClarity adjustment of+13 would
help insh o themage. Fnally I appled a
smallamount ofVibrance– about+15–
to addsome polshto thepcture.
4exPosureAdjustments I darken the
Exposure slghtlyto -0.30, but wantthe
castle to be lghter,so ncrease theShadows
by+26. I usually stretch theWhte andBlack
ponts across the hstogramuntl just before
eachclppngtrangle lghts up. Here, a
substantal ncreaseof +48 fortheWhites
and-42 to theBlacks s used andnstantly
makes the pcture morepunchy.
AdAm’s finALrAwedit
Whilethechangesmadearesubtleand
sensitivetotheoriginalscene,Adamhas
addedmuchneededcontrast.
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6CLEANUPTHESHOTAsa finalstep,Iinto the imageanduse theClone
Stamp andHealingBrushtools to rem
sensordustandmarks.A smallcropo
image tightensupthecompositionan
a little sharpeningusingUnsharpMas
(Filter>Sharpen>UnsharpMask ) crisp
thedetails.I'mhappywiththeresults
Iwonderhow itcomparestotheothe
5INTRODUCECOLOURAsanycolourcasthasbeenremoved andtheBlack&White
adjustment layer hasmuted the landscape,
addingaVibranceadjustmentlayer
reintroducessometone.UnlikeSaturation,
Vibranceonly targetscoloursthatlack
saturation rather thanaectallcolours
regardlessofwhether they’reboldor not,
so tendsto producemorepleasingresults.
4ADJUSTTHE SKYRepeatingthe previousstep, I correct theskywithanother
Curvesadjustment layeranduse theLayer
Mask tohide theeect everywhereelse but
thesky.As it’s easierto revealtheeect than
maskit, I Invert theLayerMask thenusethe
Brush toolwith theBackgroundcolor set to
White torevealthesky, varying thebrush’s
opacity todiminish theeect inareas.
CAROLINE’S FINALRAWEDIT
Theresultingimageishighincontrastwithneutraltonesandatouchofdrama
–lookatthatreflectionpop!
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6CONVERTTOBLACK&WHITEWith thchangesmade,I convert theimag
monousingaBlack&Whiteadjustme
layer (Layers>AdjustmentLayers>Bla
&White). In theAdjustments palette, I
decreasetheBlue channelandincrea
theYellow channel– thismakesthec
pop. Finally, I gobackandtweakCurv
increasecontrasta touchmore.Alldo
5ADDAGRADFILTERWe’re gettingtherenow. Iwant toover-gradthe skytomake
themostof thoseclouds, so I addanother
Curves layer. I reducetheexposurefrom the
lower touppermid-tones,makingsurethat
theshadowsandhighlights arekeptintact
soas not toreducecontrast. I thenusea
gradient layermaskso thatonly thesky is
aected,muchlikeusinganNDgrad filter.
4INCREASECONTRASTThereareseveralways toboostcontrastbutI like
usingaCurvesadjustment layer (Layers>
Adjustment Layers>Curves) asit allows
forfineadjustments. I addan exaggerated
S-curveto theRGBchannel, before
selecting theBluechannelandremoving
blue from thehighlights– this adds yellow,
as it sits oppositeblueonthecolourwheel.
JORDAN’SFINALRAWEDIT
Ahighcontrastblack&whitewithdeepshadowsandbrighthighlights–certainly
atransformationfromtheoriginal!
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106 Rawchallenge:Flowers TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Originalfile
6remOvepOllenAthiaact, I zoom
to thpta that ha yowpo
potadct thSpotRemoval too, t
toHeal. I u a bruh zthat corth
arathat I watto hdada argFeather
tomak tbdwth thdg. ThOpacity
dr adjut tcorag. Octh ara
cord, I cck ot aga tomoor
xpadth coragorrappy a I it.
5SharpenThoyaraof thmag
that I wat p-harp thtam
ofth forgroud lowr. I cta w
AdjustmentBrushadcrak upth
Sharpnessdr,th carfuy bruh
or th ara wtha ma bruh wth arg
Feather ,tto82% . I ao crathClarity
dr ghty to crathcotrata w
a harpmutaouy.
4SelectiveadjuStment I makgmy
ToCur adjutmt, I otdta
om ofthhghghtaroud th
codlowr.It’a ay ix:I ct th
AdjustmentBrushadrducthExposure
dr, th bruh or tharato rtor
thdta.I cckNew tocta wbruh,
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Clarity tooftad brghtthpta.
3altercOlOurS I qut k thatura
coourof Mady’ mag, o I do’tpa
to do aythgtooradca.Itad,ug
Split Toning, I addr thhghghtad
hadow paraty.By chaggthHue
to60 I hac thwarmthofthyow,
adhftg thShadows to288add a pk
tg. I ft thSaturation forbotharoud
16 tokp thto mutdadubt.
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wthth mag' xpourformato
thhtogram. I th curthghty
to cracotratby pacg aachor
thmdd of thad pug upward to
crat a ubt butmooth cotour.
1createa baSe image I tartby makg
bac adjutmt bfor mog o to
aythgcrat. I crathExposure
ghty,Highlights adWhites to brght
thptaadrducthBlacksdr
todpth darkrhad.Toaod
orxpogthhghght, I oymak
ght xpourcraad tad op
upthhadowug thShadowsdr.
We’veseen sOmayof MadyDhr’
lora maggracth iat tofmajor
compttothatwhad toidout hr
crt. Wakdhrtouppyoof hr
faourthotadto tak uthrough howhprochraward-wg mag,
butwhatwa’turprg wahow bautfu
hrmag artraghtout ofcamra. Thr’
odyg hrphotographctat wh
ookgat thquaty ofhrRaw i.
Thmag Madyuppd thprfct
lora portratadhoda otof pottafor
hacmt ugbac adjutmt or
morxtrmcoour mapuato.
Proay, I apprcat thatura toof
thbacktboomadthkom mp,
ubt coour twak coud makth mag
ookfrhradoftr.
raWchallenge1:carOlineSchmidt
lightroomisidealforeffective,simpleeditsandcreativetints,whichwaswhatthisimagelacked
MA nDy DI s he R
iyu'yu'u-
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raWtiph
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108 Rawchallenge:Flowers TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Originalfile
TheTechnicaladvanTagesofu
Rwmkt toyo formot
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raWchallenge2:mandydisher
AwArd-winningflorAlphotogrApherMAndydisher
shAreshercreAtivepost-processingtechniques
Ma ndy di s he R
mytmw twoft t
owrbkt, rut m ot.
i’mwyrfuto ompot m
mr tryto oroppwr
pob; i o’t k towt ubpx.i’prootof pturof t oy
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3BOOstcOlOurandtOnes imr b yrto wyrbyoowtaltkyotoLayer>MergeVisible,
bforupttyr.Topu, i ppyguBur(Filter>Blur>GaussianBlur ) t180Pixels, ttt yr’BlendMode toSoftLighttFill r to 35% to owr ttrt.i t PhotoFilter jutmt yr,t toDeepBlue, wttoptyt25% . a, i utlyrMk torrofyow.
4dOdgeandBurnMot ofmy mbtfromtxpourjutmti uo-trut o
bur too t. i rt w yr (Layer>New>Layer ),t tBlendModetoSoftLight twt50%grey – ofwbo from tnwlyrmubox. i u oft bruotDodgeBurntoolstbout10% opty tomk tjutmt.it’quk, y torpxutou.
1Basicadjustment
Opmym acR, i ppyombjutmt: i rtExposureto+0.50, bootContrastto+0.30 ttShadowsbytktrto+100.iuacR toopTiFFJPegtoof iwtto ort opyto tstrRgBoourpforwb. For t roi oubktttoour p tto aobRgBwt 16-btpt– tm tmr' Rw–bfori xportto Potoopcs6.
2adjustcOlOur
aHue/Saturation jutmt yr byouto tu,turto tof t uoourrw toroour. ByttMaster ,i xprmtwt r totr toruturtow trtuoourut tbkrouwpbu.Ut ttt lyrMk, i tutBrushtool toromof tyowtofrom tor m.
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Mandy’SFInaLRaWEdIT
Iinshbyremovngdstractonswththe
CloneStampTool.LastyIsaveasa.psdiefor
futureedtng.AfterlattenngthemageIthenappysharpenngbeforesavngasaTIFFie.
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110 Rawchallenge:Flowers TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
ORIGINALFILE
6ADDSOME FLAREAsa finaltouchI decidetoaddsomeflare.I startbycreatinga
newlayerusingtheScreenBlendModeandfilling itwithBlack – thismakes theflareeditable,as opposed toapplying it toanimagelayer. I thengotoFilter>Render>LensFlareandchoosemyflarepositionandintensity. Theflareis quitecold,so I addaPhotoFilter layertotheflareto addwarmth.
5DODGEANDBURNAnotherwayto addselective contrast,and tomake your
imagepop,is dodgingandburning.I createtwonewlayers,changingtheirBlendModetoSoftLightandfillingthemwith50%grey.IusetheDodge toolat18%Exposuretobrightenthediskoftheflowers,as well as thepetals. I thenusetheBurntool todarken theshadowareas in thebackground.
4ADDCONTRASTI want toboostcontrastsubstantially, butonlyin themid-tones
sonotto risk clippingshadowsorhighlights.IuseaCurvesadjustment layer,addinganchorpoints tothecurve inthehighlightandshadowareas,beforemakingan ‘S’curvein themid-tones.This is trialanderrorandneeds tobecarefullyadjusted topreventanyof thetones lookingunnatural.
I’MA LONGTIMEFANofMandy’sethereal
flowerphotographs.Havingtriedfloral
photographymyself, I’mfullyawarethatit’s
not aseasyas youmight think,so imagine
mysurprisewhenIopenedMandy’sRawfiletofinda well exposed,near-immaculate
imagestraightoutofcamera.Hatsoto her!
Floralphotography ispretty farremoved
fromthetypes of images that I usually
process sothis shouldbe aninteresting
challenge.This is a simplecomposition,so
I’mgoing tobeconcentratingmyeorts on
adjustingthe colour,with slight tweaks to
exposurethroughdodgingandburningto
reallymakethepetals pop!WhilstMandyhas
chosennear-immaculatespecimens to
photograph, therearestill a fewareas that
couldbe tidied.Herewego…
RAWCHALLENGE3:JORDANBUTTERS
OURRESIDENTPHOTOSHOPEXPERTISLETLOOSEONMANDY’SFLORALRAWFILE.WILLHECOMEUPSMELLINGOFROSES?
MA NDY DI S HE R
TheWhiteBalancepresetsoeredbyyour
cameraandACRareuseful,butnothingismoreaccuratethansettingWBfromaknownneutral
areausingtheWBeyedroppertoolinACR.Ideally,
youwoulduseagreycardtoestablishaneutral
toneeverytimeyoushoot–inrealitythisisn't
practical,butyoucanstillsettheWBbyusingthe
eyedropperonanypartofyourimagethatyou
know,orthink,tobefreefromcolourcast.Of
courseWBcanbeusedcreativelytoo–here,
therewasnoknownneutralforme,aseventhe
petalsmighthaveatint,howeverwantingthem
tobepurewhiteIusedtheeyedroppertosetthe
WhiteBalancefromthenearestpetals.
RAWTIPWhiteBalance
3ADJUSTINGCOLOURAHue/SaturationAdjustment layer (Layer>New
AdjustmentLayer>Hue/Saturation) isaddedandI adjusttheHue intheMaster channelto turnthebackgroundgreen. I desaturatetheCyan,Blue andMagenta channelsanddialdownSaturation ontheRedandMaster channels.A LayerMaskmasksthis fromaectingthecentral diskof theflower.
2TIDYINGUPOpening theimage inPhotoshopCC,I createa duplicateof the
background layer bypressingcmd+J (Mac),orctrl+J (PC). I thenusethePatchtoolto removeanydistractionsandblemishes– therearea fewspecksof pollenon thepetals, a glimmerof lightonthelower petalandapinkblobatthebottomoftheframe,which areeasily remediedinminutes.
1CORRECTWHITEBALANCE I start byswitchingon thehighlight andshadow
warningsin ACR tomakesure that noareasofdata arelost,whichtheyaren’t. There’s aslightbluetintto thepetals,whichcouldbecorrect,but I’dlikethemto bepurewhite,soI use theWhiteBalanceeyedropper tosettheWhiteBalance fromthepetals– thisaddsyellowtothebackgroundthough.
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Ultimatekitprepareforsomeseriousgearenvy–we’vethoroughlytestedthemostdesirableequipmentonth
planettobringyouthisguidetotheultimatephotokit.ifonlythebestwilldo,turnthepageandbeg
UTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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116 Full-framedigitalSLR THEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
EVERYNOWANDthen,a DSLRs
launchedthatgets everyonetalkng.
Canondd tyearsagowth theEOS5D
as twas theworld’sfirstaordableand
reasonablycompact full-frameDSLR.Nkon
hadthe forumsbuzzngwhen theD800and
D800Eappeared, boastngamazng
36-megapxelsensors.Nowt’sCanon’s
turn agan tosettongueswaggngwththe
50.6-megapxelEOS5DS.Neverbeforehas
a 35mm-typeDSLRoeredsuchhghresoluton.Onpaper t’sagame-changer,
takngmagequalty toa level that hasnever
been seenbeforen a24x36mmsensor.
TherearetwoversonsoftheEOS5DS
– the5DSandthe5DSR testedhere.Both
camerasareexactly thesamebarone feature
– the5DSRhasa low-passcancellngfilter
onthesensor.Thelow-passfilter sthereto
preventmorépatterns nyour mages,whch
canoccurn areaswheretherearefine
repeatedpatterns,suchastheweaven
textles.Thelowpassfilterhdesmoréeects
byslghtlysoftenngthemage.Byremovng
t, orcancellngt astheEOS5DSRdoes,you
getsharper mages, butthere’sanncreased
rskofmorépatterns,whch,whenthey
appear, areverydicult togetrdof.In theory,
formostsubjectsmoréshouldn’tbe anssue,
sofor just£200extrayouget the5DSR and
evenbettermagesharpnessthanthe5DS
oers(whchretalsat£3,000).
InthefleshtheEOS5DSlooksjustlkean
EOS5DMk IIIandnpractce thandles lke
onetoo,so fyoualreadyownthatcamera,
theEOS5DS mmedately feelscomfortable
andfamlar. Ithasthe sameweatherproof
magnesumalloybody(thoughwthastrengthenedbaseplateandtrpodmountso
youcanclamp ttght tothetrpodheadto
reducevbratons);t takesthesamebattery;
thasthe sameshutter speedrange,exposure
modesand61-pontAFsystem.Themenus
andcontrolsarealsovrtually dentcal.
ThemanderencebetweentheEOS5D
MkIII(whchs stll avalable)andtheEOS5DS
s theleapn resoluton,from22.4-megapxels
to50.6-megapxels–more thandouble.The
EOS5DSalsohasdualDIGIC6processors to
allowadecentshootngandburstratedespte
thencreasedresoluton(upto 510Large
JPEGsor14Rawfilesat5fpswthaUDMACF
card nstalled),whereastheEOS5DMkIIIhas
oneDIGIC5processor(managng6fps).
Themeterngsystemof theEOS5DMkIII s
fantastc,but the5DSgoesa step furtherwth
ts150,000pxel, 252-zoneRGB+IRmeterng
sensor, plus youcanshootRawat reduced
resolutonsof28-and12.4-megapxels.
Aclevernewfeature stheoptonto seta
shutterdelaywhenusngmrrorlock-up,so
nsteadof havngto presstheshutter release
twce–onceto lftandlockthemrroranda
second totrptheshutter–youpress the
shutterreleaseonce, themrror lftsandlocks,thenafterthechosendelayperod the
exposure smade.Acamcontrolsmrror
movementandreducestherecolwhenyou
trp theshutter.Thsslowsdowntheshutter
movement,whchsoundsand feelsoddto
begnwth– buttdoesmake tqueter nuse.
Inuse,theEOS5DShandles justlke aEOS
5DMkIII. It’squtelargeandfeelssubstantal
CANONEOS5DSRBoastingthehighestresolutionofanyDSLRtodate,Canon’slatestlaunchhasraisedthebarwhenit
comestoimagequality.Butisthere
moretolifethanmegapixels?TEST:LEEFROST
SPECIFICATIONS
GuidePrice(bodyonly):£3,200Imagesensor:Full-frame(24x36mm)
Resolution:50.6-megapixelsMaximumimageresolution:8688x5792pixels
AFpoints:61including41f/4cross-type,fivedualcross-typeatf/2.8andonecross-typeatf/8
ISOrange:100-6400(expandableto50-12800)Shutterspeeds:1/8000sec-30seconds&Bulb
Continuousframerate:5fpsBuilt-inflash:No
Monitor:3.2inClearViewIITFT(1,040,000Kdots)
Storage:DualslotCompactFlashType1,SD,SDHC,SDXCANDFLUSD.UHS-1supported
Size:152x116.4x76.4mmWeight:845g(withbatteryandcard)
FLAGSHIPMODEL:Externally,onlythatdistinctiveredRbadgeseparatestheEOS5DSandEOS5DSR.
ULTIMATEDETAIL(LEFT):Thelevelyoucanzoominblewmeaway–tinyobjectsatadistancecanbeviewedindetail.NOMOIRÉ(RIGHT): TheEOS5DSRdoesn'tfeatureaopticallowpassfilter.Imagesaresharper,butattheriskofmoiré.
NIKOND810:ThesuccessortothesuperbNikonD800andD800E,thisisNikon’sbestDSLRtodate.Itoersafull-frame36.3-megapixelsensorwithnolow-passfilter.
CANONEOS5DMkIII: It’safewyearsoldnow,butitcanstillholditsown.The22.3-megapixelsensorproducessuperbresultsandthemassiveISOrange(expandableto102400)makesitabrilliantcameraforlow-lightphotography.
SONYALPHA7RMKII:Boaststheworld’sfirst
back-illuminated42.4-megapixelfull-framesensor(withno low-passfilterforincreasedimagesharpness),super-fast399pointAF,five-axisISand4Kvideo.
FULL-FRAME 100%ZOOM
Closest rivals
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Exposure:1/1300sec
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118 Full-framedigitalSLR TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
n thehand,but t’s notover-heavy andt’s
verywell balanced,whether you’reusnga
compactprme lenssuch asa featherweght
50mmorabg, heavytelezoom.Thecontrol
layout s logcalandthecontrolsthemselves
arebotha good szeandaccessble. Therear
screens bg, brghtandsuper-sharpandso
s the IntellgentVewinder II,whch shows
100%ofthemage area.There’s an
electronc levelon therearscreen ,whchsalso vsble nthevewindersoyoucan
checkthecamera s levelasyoushoot.
Lke allhgh-endDSLRs,the EOS5DShas
theusual selectonof exposuremodes–
aperture-prorty, shutter-prorty, program,
manual andBulb,plusa SceneIntellgent
Automode.MeterngpatternsareEvaluatve,
centre-weghted,PartalandSpot.Thereare
PctureStylesthatusersof ths cameraare
never lkely touse,althoughthe n-camera
HDRandmultple exposuremodesdo have
ther occasonal creatveuses.
TheAF systems fantastcfora camera
desgnedforgeneraluse.It oerssxAF Area
Selectonmodes fromsngleto61-pont,
plus youcancustomsethe focusngtosut
your needsusngivepagesofoptons nthe
AFmenusecton!LveVew sexcellent and
hghly recommendedfor crtcalfocusng
–youcanmagnfy thesubject6x or16x.
Ofcourse,what youreallywant toknow s
does50.6-megapxelsmake aderence?
Well, I’mpleasedto saytheanswers abgfat
yes! Imagequalty sstunnng.Shoot nRaw,
blow-up themages to100%onyour
computerscreenandyou’llbeamazed at
thedetal andsharpness.Imagesarecrsp,
punchyandthecoloursvbrant.Shoot ata
wdeapertureandthesharpareas lookeven
sharperbecausethecontrastbetweenthem
andtheout-of-focusareas ssogreat.I’veneverseenbetterfroma DSLRbeforeand
dynamcrangesexcellentat uptoISO3200,
matchngorbeatngboth theEOS5DMkIII
andtheNkonD810.TheISOrangeofthe
EOS5DShasbeencapped tohelpdealwth
nose–whchgetsworseasISOncreases.
ThenatveISOrange sonly 100-6400
(expandable to50-12800)whereaswth the
EOS5DMkIII t’s 100-25600(expandableto
50-102400).Inmost stuatons, ISO6400smore thanenough, andhavng testedthe
EOS5DSatall ISOsettngs,I’dbehappyto
uset atanyISO ncludng12800whenneeds
must.ButtheEOS5DMkIIIgvesbetter
resultsat thoseextreme ISOs (12800+).
in detail(RiGHt):Withgoodtechniquecomesincredibledetail,butanyshakeisemphasised.
FamiliaRlayout(BeloW):TheEOS5DSRisalmostidenticalinlayouttotheEOS5DMkIII.
iSocompaRiSon:TheEOS5DSR controlsnoisewell,up
toapoint.AreducedISOrangewithuseableimagequalityismoreuseablethanavastrangeofunusableISOvalues.
havng tested thePentax645Zmedum-
formatdgtal camera, I’dsay theEOS5DS
sn’t farbehnd t,desptecostng less than
half theprce.Thestandardoutputsze of
iles fromtheEOS5DSs almost75x50cm,
whchsdoubletheszeofiles from theEOS
5DMkIII. Ifyoulketo prntyour magesbg,
ths samassve leap forward nqualty.
Ofcourse,thereare mplcatonstocrammngsomanypxelsontoasensor
measurngonly24x36mm.Those pxelsare
smaller fora start,so there’sa greater rskof
ncreasednoseandreduceddynamcrange.
Thankfully,noseswell controlledandthe
OfcOurse,whatyOureallywanttOknOwisdOthOse50.6-megapixelsmakeadifference?well,i’mpleasedtO
saytheanswerisabigfatyes!imagequalityisstunning
iSo100
iSo1600
iSo200
iSo3200
iSo400
iSo6400
iSo800
iSo12800
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Handling
Ease of use
Features
Performance 2
Value
Overall 95/
Higher resolutionalsomeansbiggerfiles.
Rawfilesrangein size fromaround50-80Mb
(ontheEOS5DMkIII they’reunder30Mb),so
yougethalf orless imagespermemorycard.
Process thoseRawfilesand thesaved16-bit
TIFFstop300Mbeach,comparedto120Mb
forEOS5DMk IIITIFFs.You’ll needa
computerwithboth fastprocessorsand
plentyofRAMtohandlefiles. I useanApple
MacProwithdualsix-core2.4Mhzprocessors
and24GbofRAM,butif you’veonlygota
singleprocessorand4GbRAMyoumight
needtoupdateyourcomputer!
Thetwofactors that aregoing to
determinewhetheryougetthemostoutof
theEOS5DSare the lensesyouputon itand
howcarefully youuse it.Canon recommend
usingtheirownL-series lenses launchedin
thelastfouryears.I have the16-35mmf/4 IS,
24-70mmf/4 ISand70-300mmf/4-5.6IS
andall arecapableof handlingtheresolution
ofthecamera.Prime lensesfromthe likesof
Zeisswillalsoallowyougettheverybest
outof that50.6-megapixelsensor.
Intermsof howyouuse it,thecrucial
thingto rememberis thatANYerrorthat
could reduceimagesharpnesswill standout
likea sore thumb, soyouneed tofocus
criticallyandmakesurethe camerais rock
solidwhentheshutteris tripped.If youuse it
ona tripod,makesureit’sclampeddown
tight,firetheshutterwitha remote release
andusethemirror lock-up.If you’re
handholdingyoumustadopta stablestance
andusea shutter speedfastenough to
combatanycamerashake.This camera isso
sharp thatthe tiniestamountofmovement
willbe visiblewhenyoublowup theimages.
It’stotallyunforgivinganduser-error is
perhapsitsmainlimitation.Geteverything
right, though,andtheresultswillblowyour
mind.TheEOS5DS isagame-changerand
hasset anewstandard thatother
manufacturers canonlyhope tomatch.
I likedthe EOS 5DS somuchthatI bought one.Not the EOS5DS R testedhere,but theEOS5DS(see panel,above). Theimagequalone wasenoughto justifythe purchandI haven’tregretted mydecision fo
second. It's a joyto use and resultsarestunning. I’veneverseen such detaileimages from a DSLR.Useit withgreatand good glassandyou’ll beamazedresults. Fornow, it’sthe world'sbest D
Verdict
THEEOS5DSOREOS5DSR?
Isitworthspending£200moretogetthe‘R
itslow-passcancellingfilter?Personally,Idothinkitis.Theimagesproducedbythe5DS
alittlesharperthantheEOS5DS,buttheEOfilesarefantasticallysharpinthemselves,an
youfeelit’snecessaryyoucansharpenthem
matchthequalityoftheEOS5DSR,whereast
EOS5DSRfilescan’tbesharpenedsoeasily.WiththeEOS5DSR,youalsohavetheincrea
problemofmoirépatterns,andthoughitshouldn’tbeaproblemforgeneralphotogra
becausetheresolutionofthecameraissohig
someusersofthe5DSRarefindingtheygetmoirépatternsonanyshotwherefinerepea
patternsarecaptured.Ievenheardofawildliphotographercomplaininghegotmoiré
patternsonbirdfeathersinsomeimages.
IT'SALLINTHEDETAILS:ThesameviewpointsontwodierentCanonsandzoomedinto100
Thedierenceinresolutionis astounding.
CANONEOS5DSR
CANONEOS5DMKIII
Exposure:1/100secatf/8(ISO100)
Full-framedigitalSLRTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
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1)Multi-coating: Reducesthe
possibilityofflareorghosting
2)Blackrim: Stopsinternal reflections
3)Slimprofile:Helpsprevent
vignettingwithwide-anglelenses
4) Indexmark:Rotationreference
5)Serratededge:Gripforrotating
6)Frontthreads:Allowsuserto
attachalenscaporsecondfilter
Whattolookfor..
120 Circularpolarisers TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HoyaPro-1Digital
SCREW-INStreetprice:£100(77mm)
Sizes:55mmto82mmwww.intro2020.co.uk
Hoya istheworld's
biggestmanufacturerof
opticalglass andits
famousPro-1 rangehas
alwaysbeena standard-
setter, even ifHoyanow
oersanevenhigher
gradewiththeRevo
series. Street price isa
competitive£100or thereaboutsfor77mm.
Ina slim-profilemountwith indexmarking,optical
performanceisexcellent,withtop scores forzeroimpacton
sharpness,goodflare-resistanceandminimalghosting.Density
measured1.6 stopsand colourshoweda just-noticeable600K
cooltint comparedto daylight. Themulti-coatedsurfaces
cleanedupwell,withnopermanentmarks left bydried-onrain.
B+WXS-ProMRCNano
SCREW-INStreetprice: £175(77mm)
Sizes:49mmto86mmwww.bpluswfilters.co.uk
Over theyears,B+W
hasbuilt anenviablereputationfor
uncompromisingquality.
Made inWestGermany
witha slim-profilebrass
mount, theXS-ProMRC
Nanois itstop-of-the-
rangecircularpolariser,
withtoughMulti-ResistantNanoCoating. At£175, it'seasilythe
mostexpensive 77mmfilterhere.Overalldensitycheckedout
at1.6stopsandcoloureectivelyneutral,measuring just300K
cool.Opticalqualityis topdrawer,withzeroimpacton
sharpness.MRCNanomulti-coating is thebestin thebusiness
with veryhigh resistance toflare andghosting,and it's also very
easy toclean– theworstwecould throwat itjustwipedo.
Superbqualitypolariser,
withexcellentMRCNano
multi-coatingbeing
perhapstheoutstanding
feature.Topqualityfor
sure,butaveryhighprice.
Verdict
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
Asexpected,high
performanceall round
andgoodvaluefor
money.That'sbusiness
asusualfortheHoya
Pro-1range.
Verdict
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
Howwedid the testWeusedacombinationofcontrolledstudio testsand real-world
picture taking. Intermsofpolarising ability–darkeningblue skiesand
reducingreflections– thereis noperformancedierencebetween
anyof thesefilters. Andwe triedthemeverywhichway!
Sharpnessis notusuallya problemwithpolarisers,atleastnotwith
shorter focal length lenses thataretheirmost likelypartners.Longer
focal lengthsmagnify slight imperfectionsin filters though,soweput
themona200mmlens andrancomparisons through theImatest
MTFsharpnessprocedure.Thereweresome smalldierences.The
polarisers vary indensity,too–howmuchtheoverall exposurehastobe increased.Thedarkestneed1.9 stopsextra,andthe lighter-toned
varietyonly 1.2stops.That'sa handydierencein somesituations.
Flareandghostingarethebiggest threats to imagequalitywith
filters: it reduces contrastandmakes imageslookflatwhen shooting
into thelight,andghost imagescanformwhenverybrightlight
bouncesotheshinysensorandbackagainothe rearof thefilter.
Themostsignificantdierencewefoundwas theuseful advantage
themulti-coatedfilters showedwithreducedghosting.
Wesubjected thefilters toa varietyofabuses, andby farthehardest
thingtoremoveduringcleaningwasdried-onwatermarks.Thebest
filtershavetoughdirt-andwater-resistantmulti-coatings– rainwater
formsinto beadsandmostly runso,anddried-onmarksareeasyto
wipeaway.Thenormalmulti-coatedandnon-coatedfilters all
cleanedupeventually,but someneededa fair amountof hard rubbing
withamicrofibrecloth andopticalfluidto getthemproperlyclean.
IFYOUONLYeverbuyonefilter,make itapolariser.With theright
subjectandtechnique, resultscanbe dramaticallyimprovedand
impossibletomimicinpost-processing.Traditionallythey’rea
landscapephotographer’sfavouritefor theway theydarkenblue skies
andenrich thecolouroffoliagebyreducingpolarisedlight.Getthe
angleright,andyoucangetclearwateror glass,andenjoyvibrant
leavesandgrass.It canalsobeusedwhenshootingmotorsports,for
cuttingthroughashinywindscreen toshowthedriveror tobrighten
paintwork.Whateverthesubject, togetthe bestout ofapolarisingfilter
youneedtoknowyourangles– angleto the sun, angleto thesubject,
and thedegreeof rotation.Butif indoubt, justgiveit a twiddleandlook
throughthe viewfinder– it’seasy toseewhat’shappening.
There aretwo typesofpolarisingfilter: linearandcircular,but that
referstotheir opticalcharacteristics;nottotheir physical shape.Linear
polariserscanupset themetering andAF systemsofsomecameras,
sonowadaysthey’re almostallof thecircular typeyouneed.Thepolarisingfiltershere rangefrom£30toa pricey£175.Mostof
thebest valueonesareunder£100, andthemaindierenceis inthe
multi-coatingstosuppressflare,withdirt-resistantsurfaces. In terms
ofsheerpolarisingability, though,they allperformthe same.
1
56
4
3
2
Pricescanvarywildly, ascanperformance, sowe’ve testedawideselectionofscrew-inandsystempolarisers tofind theverybestbuys
TEST:RICHARDHOPKINS
Polarisingfilters
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CircularpolarisersTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
MarumiDHG
SCREW-INStreetprice: £55(77mm)
Sizes:37mmto95mmwww.kenro.co.uk
Whle notthe bggest
name ntheUK, Marum
hasoptcalroots datng
back to 1937 nJapan,and
tsproductsare hghly
rated. The Marum DHG
(DgtalHgh Grade) s
exceptonalvalue at £55
n77mm fittng, wth a
hgh-grade spec, ncludng a slm-profilemount. Densty
measured1.6stops, andcolour850K onthecoolsde. Whle
thss thegreatestvarance fromneutraldaylght we tested,
practcet's more notceable thanproblematc, and easly
corrected forcrtcalwork. Sharpnesswas unaected, flareresstance hgh, anddred-onwater marks cleanedup wtha
lttle eort. Hghperformanceat a great prce.
KoodCPLSlim
SCREW-INStreetprice:£30(77mm)
Sizes:37mmto86mm
www.koodinternational.com
Koods a UKbrand
producng a multtude
of photographc
accessores, allat great
value prces. Ther filter
range s wde, ncludng
bothsquare slot-nand
screw-mount types.
ThsChnese-madeCPL
comesna good qualty slm-profilemount ands of the
lghter-toned varety, wtha denstymeasurng only1.2 stops
handy forkeepngup shutter speeds. Colour castwas vrtual
zero – just 50Kwarm. Sharpnesssuereda lttle nthe
telephoto test, butthere wasno measureableeect at short
focal lengths.Lke alluncoated filters, there wassomeflare a
ghostngn dicultcondtons.
KoodCPL
SCREW-INStreetprice:£42(77mm)
Sizes:27mmto86mmwww.koodinternational.com
Thss a completely
derentfilter to the
Chnese-madeKood CPL
Slm, butt also comesat a
great value prce. Maden
Japan,the mounts good
qualtyand slghtlydeeper
andeaser to grp, though
t mayvgnettewth
ultra-wde lenses, causngdarkenng of thecorners.Densty
checked outat 1.8 stopsandcoloura slght750Kon thecool
sde ofneutral.Lke theKoodCPL Slm,sharpness suered a
lttle n thetough telephoto testthat magnfies anyslght
mperfectons n theglass, though nota problemwth wderlenses mostly usedfor landscapes, whle theuncoatedsurfaces
could nduce someflare andghostngwhenpushed.
HoyaSuperPro-1DRevo
SCREW-INStreetprice:£120(77mm)
Sizes:37mmto82mm
www.intro2020.co.uk
Recentlyntroducedas
topof theHoyarange, the
Super Pro-1 DgtalRevos
very smlar tothe Pro-1D,
asthenamemples, wth
evenbetterSMCsuper
mult-coatng. The man
advantage heres hgh
resstance to water
markng, stansand scratches– tjust wpesclean.The cost
oftheseuseful mprovements pushesthe prceup to£120n
77mm sze fittng. There's anndexmark ontheslmlne
mount foreasyreference of rotatonsettng, densty
measured1.6stops, andcolour just 550K onthecoolsdeof
neutraldaylght. There wasno measurable mpact on
sharpnessandresstance to flareand ghostngwas hgh.
Excellentperformance,
likethestandardHoya
Pro-1D,plustheRevo's
stainandwater-resistant
multi-coatingticksthe
finalbox.
Verdict
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
Intruth,optical
performanceisunlikelyto
disappointundernormal
conditions,andyoucan't
arguewiththeprice.No
slim-profilemountthough.
Verdict
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
Formostusers,mostof
thetime,theoptical
shortcomingswill
probablypassunnoticed.
Andit'samazingvalueat
£30in77mm.
Verdict
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
Notquitethebest,and
lackingawater-resistant
finalcoating,butitdoes
alltheimportantthings
verywell,andnothingcan
touchitfor£55.
Verdict
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
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Graduatedfiltersareavailableindierentstrengths,and alsowithahard-cuttransition line,orsoft-cut.Inaddition,thefocallengthofthelenshasabigimpactonhowstronglytheeectappears,withwide-anglesshowingmostdarkening(as illustrated), reducingsignificantlyasfocallength isincreased.Withtelephotolenses,thegraduatedeectbecomesalmostinvisible.Lensaperturecanmakea dierencetoo,withhigherf/numbersshowingmorestrongly.Usethelensstop-downbutton (ifyourcamerahasone)topreviewtheeect.
1)Nofilter.2)Two-stopshard-cut.3)Three-stopssoft-cut.TheseareLeefiltersandthenatureofthecutcanvaryslightlybetweenbrands.
1 2 3
Density&transition
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126 ND graduated filters TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
FormattHitechsystem (100mm) KoodP-system (84mm)Tested:0.9NDsoft-cutand0.6NDhard-cut
Filter:£45/Holder:£60/77mmlensadapterring:£23Contact:www.formatt-hitech.com
Tested:0.6NDand0.9NDsoft-cutFilter:£12/Holder:£6/77mmlensadapterring:£5
Contact:www.koodinternational.com
IFYOU'RELOOKINGfor 100mmfilters,butata lowercost
than Lee,Hitech isapopular option. Bothbrandshavetheir
devotees,somepreferring theHitechholder,as wellas the
prices.Hitechscome inanextensive rangeofsizes:67mm,
85mmand100mm(ashere), 150mmand theLucroit(165mm)system–forultra-widezooms like theNikon12-24mmthat
cannotuseregularfiltersbecauseof thebulbousfrontelement.
Theholderhasa solidaluminiummountingplate,rather than
theplasticusedby others. There isnopracticaladvantageto
that,andit'sslightlyheavier, butit certainlyconveysa nice
impressionofquality.Onthefront, there's a stackingsystem
that allowstheholderto becustomised fromone, twoor three
filterslotsanda kitof brassscrewsis suppliedfor that very easy
task.Ontheback, thelensadapterringdrops in,retainedbya
brasslockingscrew(asopposedtoLee's spring-loadedcatch)
that some feel iseasierandmore secure. It's a subjectivechoice
really, thoughif youhaveapreference, asa rule all100mm
filtersfit any100mmholder. Forultra-widelenses,a wide-
angle adapter (illustrated) isavailable for£32.
Thethree-stopsoft-cutND gradmeasuredexactlythree-stopsdensity,and thetwo-stophard-cutcame inat2.1 stops.
That'sprettymuchaperfectperformanceandwhile theexact
densitydoesnot usuallymatter toomuchin practice, within
reason, it's agoodsign.Colour
neutralitywasmorevariable,
withthe hardtwo-stopper
rating 'excellent'withalmost
exact neutrality,but thesoft
three-stopNDgradscored
only'fair'witha noticeable
magentacast. Sharpness
wasunaected, andflare
resistancewasgood–very
muchinlinewithothers.
KOODHASBEENstruggling tokeepupwithdemand,
awaitinga newbatchofhard-cutgradsandonly able to
supplyP-typesoft-cutfiltersfor thisreview.Noproblem
though, that'senoughto get agoodimpressionofwhat's on
oer andtheshortageswillbequicklyrectified. ThefullKoodrange includessmallerA-types andthelarger100mm-type,all
British-madeandatverycompetitiveprices.Forexample,the
Kood100mm-typeholder sellsfor £25, lens ringsare£9, and
the100mmgradsarejust£20each.That'sway less than rivals,
andthesavings addup toa substantialamountbythetime
you'vecollecteda few. Thefilterscomein retailpackagingof a
clear plasticenvelopelinedwiththincardboard.Koodsuggests
tokeep thisasprotectivestorage– functionalperhaps, just
about, buthardly ideal.Goodand easilyaccessible storage is
importantwithgradsasbytheirnature it's hardnotto leave
fingermarksthatcangetsmeared across thesurfacewhenyou
putthemaway,almostguaranteeingflareproblems.
TheKoodholdersarevery likeCokin,madeof precision-
mouldedplasticwiththe lensadapterring clippinginto the
back,andoutagain, inthe sameway.In fact, theKoodandCokinPfilters,holdersandadapterrings areinterchangeable.
TheKoodholderillustrated is thewide-angleversionwithone
filterslot,andit'sslimenoughtocleara 17mmlens (full-frame).
Thethree-stop softfiltermeasured3.2 stops, andthe
two-stopsoft2.3stops–both
acceptablyclose tospec.
Somecheaper gradshavea
reputation forpoorcolour
neutrality,yet thethree-stops
filter rated 'verygood'andthe
two-stops versionscored
'excellent'. Sharpnesswas
unaectedandresistance to
flareis asgoodasany.
AmixedperformancefromHitech,withonefilterbangon
target specificationandtheothersignificantlyo. The
aluminiumholder isa nice item,andHitechsaregreatvalue.
KeenpriceshavealwaysbeenKood'sacecard,and that
certainlystill applies.YetthecurrentKoodrangeisalsohigh
quality,competingwith thebeston thisshowing.
Verdict Verdict
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NDgraduatedfiltersTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Buildquality
Performance
Value
Overall
LeeFilters(100mm)Tested:0.9NDsoft-cutand0.6NDhard-cut
Filter:£80-100 /Holder:£59/77mmlensadapterring:£19Contact:www.leefilters.com
ASKALMOSTANYkeen landscapephotographer, and
they'llsay thebestfiltersaremadebyLee.Theymight
alsoadd themostexpensive, thoughthat'sbecause
they'renot justhighquality, butconsistentlyhighquality. Lee's
reputation isaboutbothmeticulousmanufactureandalsotightqualitycontrol. Thisensuresthefiltersyoubuytoday areexactly
thesameas thosea fewyears oldthatareabitworse forwear.
Leefilterscomein threesizes– theever-popular100mm-
typeillustrated, thesmallerSeven5range thatis 75mmwide,
andthegiant 150mmwideSW150range forultra-widezooms.
Lee100mm-typefilters are2.1mmthick, about 0.5mmmore
thanthe others, tohelpmaintain surfaceflatness.
TheLeefilterholder isoneofthe systemhighlights,made
fromhighqualityplasticwithbrassfittings,andthoughtfully
designedwitha lensring releasedby a spring-loadedcatch.
Theadvantagehereis theholdercanbepoppedonando very
quicklyandeasily,withoutneedingto removethefilter.Another
feature,also sharedwithsomeotherbrands, is thefilter slots
canbecustomisedto takeeitherone,twoormorefilters.
Awide-angle lensadapterring (illustrated) isalsoan optionat£37. Everythingcomesverywell packagedin toughpadded
walletswithVelcro'dclosuresand an identificationwindow.
Thethree-stopssoft-cutgradmeasured at2.8stopsactual
density, andthetwo-stopper
exactlytwo stops.Thecolour
was veryneutral too,with
boththe three-stopssoft-cut
filter andthetwo-stops
hard-cutrating'excellent'–
Lee Filters istheonlybrandon
test here toscoreanillusive
double.Sharpnesswas
unaectedandresistanceto
flarewasgoodtoo.
Trueto form,Leescoreshighest oneverything–exceptvalue!
What you'repayingforis notjustthehighquality,but also the
consistency fromfiltertofilter, andfrombatchtobatch.
Verdict
WEHAVETWOwinners,oneeach inP-typeand
100mm-type,andatbothextremesofthepricerange.Therearesomeverygoodfiltershere,
andyoudon'tneed tospenda fortune togethighquality
Asa caveatthough,it has tobe saidthat the
manufacturingprocess forgrads isa trickyone,and is
achievedmostlyby hand-dippingthe filters indye,so
someslightbatchvariation is inevitable.
LeeFilters isourBestBuyin thelarger 100mmformat,
withfirstclasscolourneutralityandgeneral imagequality.
TheLeeFiltersholderis anotherhighlightwithits
spring-loadedreleasecatchand customisableslots. You
can'treallygowrongwithLee, butat considerablecost.
Kood isourBestBuyP-type.Onthis showing, Kood
competeswell foraccuratecolourandoverall image
quality,at bargainvalueprices, andit'sonly theplastic
holderandbudgetstorageprovisionthat lowersthe score
forbuildquality.Not that there's anythingwrongwith
cheapplasticholders,nothingat all, just that they'renotas
nice touseas themoreexpensivealuminiumones.
Inouroriginalfive-waytest,alltheotherbrandshad
mixedfortunes,usuallywithonefilterscoringwell,butthe
other letting thesidedownwithawaywardcolourcast.
This canbe correctedin post-processing,butit'sanextra
taskthatshouldn'tbe necessary. It'swellworthlookingou
forstarter kitsoeredby somemanufacturers,witha
handycost saving.They includeafilterholderand lens
adapter ring,plusasmallselectionof populargrads.
Testconclusion
KoodP-system(84mm)
LeeFilters(100mm)
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Largecarbon-fibretripodsTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
BenroSolidbuildandall-round
performanceforaveryfairprice.Itsloadcapacity
meansitwillsupportprettymuchanyoutfit.
Giotto’s
TheYTL8213isverytall,
especiallywiththecentre-columnextended,
yetislighterthanmanysmallertripods.
Giotto’s
Thethickfoampadsothelegsareavery
welcomeadditionwhecarryingthetripodin
coldconditions.
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PCcustomisedforphotographersTHEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
I
STHISTHEbestphotoediting computer
that youcanbuy?Well,noactually. But
that's consideringChillblast'stopmodel
costs a jaw-dropping£13,000.But foratenthofthat price,£1,099 tobe exact,the
ChillblastFusionPhotoOCLiteisprobably
thebestpackageout there for high
performanceatanaordableprice.
Chillblast is a specialist builderofcustom
PCs,winnerofmany industryawards,andis
particularlywellknownforover-clockedprocessingchips toextractmaximum
performance,withwarranty-backed
reliability.Chillblast's other skillis building
PCswithcarefullymatchedcomponents,
selectedaccording to task, suchasgaming,
musicproductionorphotoediting.Gamers
forexample,need stacksofexpensive
graphicspower butarenotsodemandinginother areas,whereasphotographers are
almost theopposite.WithPhotoshopand
Lightroom, there's lesspressureonthe
graphicssidebuthighdemandfor sheer
processingspeedusing lotsof RAM,and
withhighmegapixelcamerassomequitenormaleditingactionsbuilduptogenerate
heavyworkloads.Photographers also
createlotsof imagedata thatneedsbig
capacitystorageandsecureback-up.
Attheheartof thePhotoOCLite is Intel's
fastest i7quad-corechip, over-clockedby
10%to4.4GHzand liquid-cooled forsafety.
There's16GBofRAManda 128GBsolid-statedrive tofurther speed thingsalong,
plus twinned1TBharddrives inRAID-1configuration. RAID-1 isa keyfeature for
photographers,withthe twoharddrives
mirroringeach other,duplicatingeverything
asyougoandcreating an instantback-up.
Ifdisaster strikes,it hasthemajoradvantage
ofautomaticrecovery, soyoucan continueworkingusing theundamagedharddrive.
Withmemorysocheapthesedays,all photo
editingPCsshouldhave RAID-1.
Inaddition, there'sa built-inmulti-card
reader,Blu-rayrewriter, andmoreUSBports
thanyoucanshakea memorystickat.In a
nutshell,performanceoutpaces thehighest
SPECIFICATION
Guideprice:£1,099Inteli7quad-corechip
Over-clockedto4.4GHzLiquid-cooledprocessor
16GBRAM128GBsolid-statedrive
Twin1TBharddrivesRAID-1configuredforback-up
Blu-rayrewriterwww.chillblast.com
TEST:RICHARDHOPKINS
ThekeytoAppleiMac-beatingspeedandprice
carefullymatchedcomponents,expertlychose
powerwhereit'sneededforoptimumphoto-ed
performance.TheChillblastFusionPhoto OCL
specifiedto perfectionand promises excellent
reliability,withextensivewarranty.
Verdict
CHILLBLASTFUSIONPHOTOOCLITE
Buildquality
Features
Performance
Value
Overall
Over-clockedInteli7quad-corechip /High-speedperformance/Optimisedforphotoediting /Built-inRAID-1bac
specAppleiMac, that somemightsay
thegoldstandard,yet a systembasedaround thePhotoOCLite iswaychea
–hundredsofpoundsless.
AllPCsarebuilt toorderandChillb
oersa wide rangeofupgraded
components tosuitpersonal needs, f
additionalRAMandmorepowerful g
cards, tobigger harddrivesandwhispquiet cases.Chillblastwelcomescust
tocalland discussmodifications too
machinesaretestedatfull loadfor24
andhavea warranty– twoyearson
everythingplus threemore labour-o
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Which lens?
TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
whetheryou’reshootingwildlife,natureorlandscapes,ourpickofthebestopticsfrom
DigitalSlRPhotogRaPhy ‘sauthoritativelenstestsensuresyoumaketherightchoice
image: adamburton
132 Lenstests
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134 Ultrawide-anglezooms TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HANDLING:Acompact andvery lightweightzoomwith smoothfocusingringsand sweethandling.Top-qualitybuild.
FEATURES:Focal lengthrangeis broadandversatile. Goodoverlapwitha standardrangezoommeans less lenschanging.Maximum
aperturesaremodest though.AUTOFOCUS: Canon'sUltrasonicMotor(USM) focusing is fast, positive andquietandoers full-timemanual override.
PERFORMANCE: Sharpnessis high,especiallyinthecentre,whereit kicksowell into the'excellent' zoneandthisis maintainedatallfocal lengths,only dippingunderat f/11.Edgesharpness isnotably lower, butstillconsistentlyaround the'verygood' leveland, unlikesome,there'snodrop-oatthelonger end. Peakresolution is thehighesthereat 129lines-per-mm.Aberrationscontrol is theusualmixedbagwithultra-wides. Barreldistortionat 10mmis+2.4%,whichratesas 'poor', thoughothers areworseand itquickly getsmuchbetterat longerfocal lengths.Vignettingis relativelyhigh,but
nevermuchof a problemevenwideopen,andchromaticaberration(CA)is about average.
VERDICT:Versatilezoomrange, great AF,anda high standardofsharpness– very highinthecentre– ismaintainedatall focallengths andapertures. It comes ina very lightandcompactpackagewithexcellentbuildquality, andbestofall thepricehas beenreducedrecently,making it great value.
CanonEF-S10-22mmf/3.5-4.5USM £420
DISTORTION:Strongbarrel+2.4%at10mm.Overallrating:Verygood
PEAKRESOLUTION:129lines-per-mm
atMTF20%,15mmf/4centre
CHROMATICABERRATION:Reducesat22mm.Overallrating:Fair
VIGNETTING:Moderate1.4EVat10mmf/3.5.Overallrating:Excellent
Lens Sharpness (%): 10mm EdgeCentre
60
1020
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F
a i r
P o o r 5
4 7 9
4 1
6 0
5 8
8 2
4 9
7 2
5 6
8 2
5 4
7 8
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/3.5
Lens Sharpness (%): 15mm EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r 5
8 7 7
4 5
5 9
6 1
8 3
5 4
7 0
5 3
8 4
I I
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4N/A
Lens Sharpness (%): 22mm EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e
l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r
6 3
7 5
4 9
5 8
6 4
7 8
5 9
6 9
6 2
7 9
I I
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4.5N/A
CanonEF-S10-22mmf/3.5-4.5USM
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 37/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 18/20
OVERALL 91/100
HANDLING: Light,compactandwitha solidfeel. Focusandzoomcontrolsaresmoothandnicelyweighted– excellent, asyou’dexpectfromaCanonL-gradelens.
FEATURES:USMfocusing,weatherproofedconstruction, and12 elementsin ninegroups(includingexoticglass andasphericalsurfaces),takecareof theimaging.Goodlenshoodandrobustlymade. It’sunusually large–good forshading,but takesupmorespace in thecamerabag.Filter size is77mm, incommonwithmanypro-spec lenses.
AUTOFOCUS: Canon’sUSMrarelydisappoints–alwaysfast, smooth,quietandaccurate.
PERFORMANCE: Onfull-framethislensmeetsourverygoodratingat f/4, thenjumpsinto theexcellentzone from f/5.6andholdson to it,
only starting todipslightlywiththe inevitableeectsof diractionat f/16.Thesamepatternis reflectedonAPS-C,onlywiththe higherresolutiondemandsof thesmaller formatpushingnumbersdown.The standard is veryhigh atmost commonlyused apertures.
VERDICT:Reassuringlysolid,a good lens thatdoeswellacross therange.Distortionandchromaticaberrationat thehigherend,butthese thingscanbeeither substantiallyimprovedoreliminated inpost-processing, orevenin-camerathesedays, sotherealityis nottoobad atall,all thingsconsidered.
CanonEF17-40mmf/4LUSM £550
DISTORTION (Full-frame):PoorDISTORTION (APS-C):Poor
PEAKRESOLUTION: 110lines-per-mmatMTF20%,40mmf/8centre
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame):GoodCHROMATICAB (APS-C):Fair
VIGNETTING (Full-frame):Fair
VIGNETTING (APS-C):Excellent
f/4 f/16f/11f/8f/5.6
LensSharpness(%):17mm(FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r
5 9
8 0
5 8
7 4
6 6
8 1
7 0
8 5
7 1
8 6
f/4 f/16f/11f/8f/5.6
LensSharpness(%):24mm(FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r 5
9 7 0
6 5
7 5
7 3
8 1
7 7
8 4
7 6
8 3
f/4 f/16f/11f/8f/5.6
LensSharpness(%):40mm(FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r
5 7
6 8
6 8
7 5
7 1
8 2
7 2
8 7
6 8
8 4
CanonEF 17-40mmf/4LUSM (full-frame)
HANDLING 20/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 34/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 20/20
OVERALL 92/100
APS-CONLY
APS-C/ FULL-FRAME
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138 Professionalultrawide-anglezoom THEULTIMATEGUIDE TOPHOTOGRAPHY
WIDEANGLESAREBY farmy
favourtelenses. Alwayshavebeen,alwayswllbe.Over the
years I’ve ownedthem nallshapes and
szes,from ultra-wdezooms tofull-frameandcrcularfisheyes.I just love theway they
bendandstretchtheworldand allow meto
squeeze somuch nto theframe.Foryears,Nkonregned supremewhen
tcame toproducngthe sharpest ultra
wde-angle zoom ntheworld, n theformoftheNIKKOR AF-S 14-24mmf/2.8G ED.
I oftenwonderedwhytherewas noCanon
equvalent anddespte benga devotedCanonuser,I ddhavea brefflrtatonwth
theNkon14-24mm,adaptng t formy EOS
5DMkIII. Theromancewasshort-lved–usng twas too muchlke hardworkdueto
thelackofelectronc contacts.I then tred
theSgma12-24mm,whchat thetmewasthewdest correctedzoomontheplanet.
Agreat lensfor the money,butnot the
sharpest tool n theshed.Butnow,afteryearsofwatng,Canon
hasfinally trumped everyone na wayeven
I neverdreamed of.Therlatest optcaloerng, theEF 11-24mmf/4L USM, s the
wdestzoomlens ever made.Ever.
I’d beentchng togetmyhands ontfrom theday Canonannouncedt, and
finallytookdelveryofonea fewdaysbeforeflyngoutto Havana. It’s a shametddn’t
comeattachedto anEOS5DS, butbeggars
can’tbechoosers I suppose!Thefirst surprsecame when I opened
thebox and tookthe lensout.Man,t’s bg.
Serously. Thefrontendlookslkehalf acrystal ballandasI gazed ntot,I could see
avery exctngfuture!
Achevngsuchan ncredblefocal lengthrangetakes someserous optcal
engneerngandthat’spartly whythe front
end ofthe11-24mmsso bg,andalsowhythelens s soheavy, tppng thescales at
over 1kg. Itboasts16 glasselements n11
groups. Thefirst three(the bggest three)
andthe last oneare asphercal. If thatweren’t enough, talso hasa SuperUD(Ultra
lowDsperson)glasselement anda UDglasselement to ncreasesharpnessand
further reduce colour frngng.
Thesecond surprsecame when I peeredthrough thevewfinder andzoomed back to
11mm.Man, t’s wde.Serously. If youhave
problemswthbalance,haveconsumedalcoholorsuer from adodgytcker,
I suggest sttng down todoths,otherwse
youmghtjust fall over.The field-of-vewsenormous.Somemghteven saygreedy.
I let mywfehavea quck lookthrough the
vewfinderand herlegs turnedto jelly.
“Wow, that’sncredble,” shesays.“Youshouldbuy one”. I menton theprce. “Okay,
probablybest notrush nto these thngs”.
Fast forward 48hoursandI’m explorngthestreetsofHavanaat dawn,slghtly
jet-lagged, slghtlysweaty n the35°heat
buteagerto startfillngmemorycards.I round a corner andstumbleuponanold
Amercancar. Notexactlydicult nCuba
– there are thousands of‘em– but I decdetoshoot tanywayandsee whatBgBertha
scapable of.
I pop tonmyEOS 5DMkIII, lockthatontomyGtzotrpod, take a deep breath
and zoombackto11mm.The car looks lke
aMatchboxtoy, even thoughI’m only 2maway.I move ncloser. Stll toosmall. Closer
stll.Nope,gongto have todobetterthan
that.Bythetmethecompostons startngtolookhalf decent, I’m soclose tothecar
that I feel lke I’veclmbed nsde theheadlamp.Whchhghlghtsan mportant
factor– 11mm svery,verywde.Toowde?
I’llletyoubethe judgeofthat.I takea shotandcheck the prevew
screen. Thecompostonlooksgoodbut
thesky’scompletelyblownout. Betterfit atrustyND grad.Whchhghlghts another
mportantfactor.Thanksto thatbulbousfrontend, youcan’tfit filtersat thefront,onlygels cut toszefora rearslot– whch
doesn’tsolvethe problem.Wth anyluck,
LeeFltersor Htechwll soon launchanadaptor fortherSW150andLucrotsystems
sograds and NDfilterscanbeusedon the
frontof the11-24mm.Butthat’sanotherfew hundred qudadded tothecostof the
lens.Kdneyanyone?
Obvously, youdon’t have touseND grads– nths case I shoota seresof exposures
that I canblendoncebackhomeusngHDR
EfexPro– butI’moldfashonedand
Canon’snewrecord-breakngzoomscausngquteastr.OnarecenttrptoCuba,LeeFrosttookoneoutfora
comprehensvefieldtest
TEST:LEEFROST
SPECIFICATIONS
Price:£2,800
Sensorformat:Full-frame&APS-CConstruction:16elementsn11groups
Maximumaperture:f/4Minimumaperture: f/22
Minimumfocus:28cmat24mm;32cmat11mmFilterthread:n/a(rearslot-n)
Imagestabilisation:NoFocusing:AFandManual
Angleofview: 126-84°dagonal;117-74°horzontal;95-53°vertcal(full-frame)
Numberofdiaphragmblades: NneDimensions:108x132mm
Weight:1,180gSuppliedaccessories:Lenshood,front&rearcaps
Website:www.canon.co.uk
CANONEF1124MMF/4LUSM
Above:MergngexposuresusngHDRsoftwareovercomesthedicultyofusngfilterswththebulbous11-24mm.Right:Theresultngmagequaltyssuperb,wthvrtuallynofall-oofsharpnessatanyaperture,evenwdeopen!
Exposure:Multiplebracketsatf/16(ISO400)
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Exposure:1/60secatf/5(ISO1600
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140 Professionalultrawide-anglezoom TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
preferto getmyshots ascose toinshed
n-cameraasI can.It saves tmeat thecomputer f nothngese.
Later thatdayI headto anodbudng
I’ve photographedbefore, toseehow the11-24mmcopeswth nterors.As expected,
t’s n tseement.The super-wdecapabty
aowsme tocompose shots that I’venevermanaged totakebefore, smpybecausemy
wdest ens(16-35mm)sn’twdeenough.
I turnthecameraon ts sdeandset to11mm Icancapture theloorandthe ceng
nthesameframe.Better st,wththe
cameracarefuy eveed, there’s nodstorton.Vertca nesremanvertca–
at11mm!I aso ove thedramatc
perspectve,whchemphassesthe nesandcurves beautfuy.Forarchtecture ths s
oneheckofa ens.Moreversatethanthe
Canon17mmtt-shft?Qutepossby.I evenusedt at11mmtoshoot
sequencesof magesthatwere
subsequenty sttched ntopanoramasusngPhotomerge nPhotoshop. Therewere a
fewfasestarts as thesoftwaregot togrps
wth thewdenessof themages,butI foundthat f I used theSphercaayout optont
handed themine. Imagne that–panoramasshotat11mm fu-frame! Itony
takes hafa dozen framesto cover 360°–
andthat’swth agenerousoverap.Asthedaysroby and I becomemore
accustomed, theens startsto fee famar.
It’s reayweput togetherands nceybaancedonmyEOS5DMk III.In some
stuatons I’mforced tohandhod,but
despte thesze,weght andackof IS,I conidenty shootatshutterspeedsdown
to1/60sec andthey’re tack-sharp.
Speakngofwhch,optcay,ths ens samazng. It’s qutepossby thesharpest ens
I’ve ever used,whch s saynga otgven
that t’s anutra-wde zoom. Itdoesn’tmatterwhchapertureyou shootat– from
f/4to f/22,corner-to-corner sharpness s
superb. At thewderend ofthefocaength
rangedepth-of-ied s aso enormoussoyou’neverneed tostopdownbeowf/5.6
orf/8to recordeverythng nsharp focusfrom thenear foreground to ninty.At
11mmandf/8, thehyperfocadstances
roughy 0.5m.Focusthe ens on0.5manddepth-of-iedwextendfrom25cmto
ninty!Notony that, fa-oat thecorners
snon-exstentataapertures exceptf/4,where t’s toosght toworryabout–amost
unheardof nanutra-wde zoom.
Dstorton smnma too– faress than nmyCanonEF 16-35mmf/4LIS,and I
thought thatwasgood!There s a tte
dstorton at11mm,butwe canforgvethat,andt’s easy enoughto correctusng the
LensDstorton Ftern Photoshop,though I
ddn’tbother.Canyou te?Exacty.At thetmeof testng,Adobehadn’tupgradedACR
to ncude aproiefor the11-24mm, butto
behonest, I don’t thnk the magesneedt asthey’re sogood. It’s amostas fCanonhave
stumbeduponsomemagc optca formua
byaccdentandusedt nthecreatonof thsens.Onceyousee theresuts,the £2,800
prcetagstarts toseemreasonabe.Just.
I apoogse fI comeacross asa tteover-enthusastc,but t’s rare that I getso
excted abouta ens.Theast tmewaswhen
Zessaunchedthe21mmf/2.8Dstagon.Butths swaybetter.Canonhas createda
ensthathasnorva.A ensthatw aow
youto takephotographsnoother ens can.I’dsay t’s toowdeat11mmforandscape
photography–you’dstrugge toind
sceneswheresuchamassve ied-of-vewworks.But forarchtecture andnterorst’s
competey athome,andfor genera
creatvephotography tw opendoors thatunt nowhavebeenirmycosed.
Exposure:1/400secatf/8(ISO100)
Above:Sttchngasequenceofshotsproducesamazng
panoramasthatcoverahugeield-of-vew.Right:Theultra-wdefocallengthoeredbytheCanonEF
11-24mmsperfectforshootngarchtectureandnterors.
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Professionalultrawide-anglezoomTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
Wow,thislensisinsane!It’sthesharpestwide-anglezoomevermade,thewidestwide-anglezoomevermade.It’s virtuallydistortion-freeandsuersfromminimalfall-o.Therereallyisn’tanythingbadtosay.Okay,at£2,800it’sexpensive.Butgiventheincredible11mmminimumfocalCanonhasachievedalmosttheimpossibleandgoingtocost.It’sauniquelensthatcandothingotherlenscan.Topqualitylensesarealsoalonginvestment–there’snoreasonwhyyouwon’tusingitin20years,whereasit’shighlyunlikelykeepyournextDSLRforfive.SoinsteadofupgryourEOS5DMkIIorMkIIItothenew5DS(whicasimilaramount),whynotbuythisawesomeleinstead?Orbetterstill,whynotbuyboth!
Verdict
Buildquality
Features
Performance
Value
Overall
CANONHASCREATEDALENSTHATHASNORIVAL.ALENSTHATWILLALLOWYOUTOTAKEPHOTOGRAPHSNOOTHERLENSCAN
Exposure:Onesecondatf/8(ISO400)
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142 Premium24-70mmzooms
VERDICT:While theCanonEF24-70mmf/2.8LMkII rules onultimateperformance, thisf/4L IS
versionoersa strongchallenge.Sharpness ishigh,wellonparwithotherrivals,theprice isvery competitive(it recentlydroppedby £400),plusit hasexcellent image stabilisation, fastAF,weatherproofingand ahandymacro feature.Onsizeandweight, it easilybeatseverything.
HANDLING 19/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 36/40
VALUE FORMONEY 18/20
OVERALL 91/100
HANDLING:Withamaximumapertureoff/4, itlooksand feels just likeasmaller versionoftheall-conqueringCanonEF24-70mmf/2.8LMk II,andit weighsasignificant25% lessat600g.Buildqualityis uptoCanon'sL-gradestandardofexcellence,includingweatherproofing.
Focusandzoomcontrolsworkastheyshould.FEATURES: Imagestabilisationclaimsfourstopsofcamera-shakereduction, a featuresharedonlywith theTamronin thisclass.Thebenefitof IS is reducedat shorterfocal lengths,thoughthere'snoquestion itcanbe extremelyuseful andthislenscanbe handheldat somecrazy-longshutterspeeds. Thedownside is ifthesubject ismoving,IS candonothingtopreventmotionblur.There'salsoa 'macro'mode;filter sizeis themorepopular77mm;lenshoodandsoft pouchprovided.
AUTOFOCUS ANDIS:AFis ring-typeUSMultrasonicwithfull-timemanualoverride. It'svery fast, recordinganaverageof under0.4secondsin thenear-to-farspeedtest, andisalmosttotallysilent.
Themacromode isengagedby pushing aswitchandzoomingpast the70mmmark.Don'texpecttruemacrolensperformance,thoughit'sundoubtedlyveryhandyandtakesthemaximummagnificationratiodownto animpressive1:1.4. It'sfine forthings likeflowerportraits,butat itsmaximumsettingit getsveryclose, just 3cm fromthe frontofthe lens,andthat'sactuallyinsidethelens hood!Imagestabilisationis veryimpressive,andwe
achieved100%sharp imagesat threestopsbelow theunaidedhandholdinglimit,and70%atfourstops.
PERFORMANCE: Onfull-frame,sharpness inthecentreis comfortablyinto the'excellent'sectorat f/4,improvingslightly at f/5.6, thendeclininggradually in linewithdiraction,only
dippingjustbelow'excellent'at f/16.Edgesharpness isnever lessthan 'very good'andimproves to 'excellent'at f/8whereitmatchesthecentre.Unusually, it'sactually strongest atlongerfocal lengths.OnthehigherAPS-Cstandard, sharpness in
thecentreis reducedmostlyto the'verygood'zone,thoughat 70mmitholdsonwell,rating'excellent' in themain. Attheedges,sharpnessisalways 'very good'witha noticeable liftwhenstoppeddown toaroundf/5.6-8.Themoremodest f/4maximumaperture
helpsachieveslightlybetterthanaveragescoreson aberrationscontrol.
CanonEF24-70mm
f/4LISUSM £700
DISTORTION (Full-frame)VeryGood DISTORTION (APS-C)VeryGood
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame)Good CHROMATIC AB (APS-C)Good
CanonEF24-70mmf/4LISUSM(APS-C)CanonEF24-70mmf/4LISUSM(full-frame)
VIGNETTING (Full-frame)VeryGood VIGNETTING (APS-C)Excellent
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
6 2
8 4
f/4f/2.8
7 2
8 0
f/5.6
7 3
7 6
f/8
6 9
7 3
f/11
6 2
6 7
f/16
N/A
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
5 9
8 0
f/4f/2.8
6 6
8 2
f/5.6
7 2
7 5
f/8
7 1
7 0
f/11
6 4
6 6
f/16
N/A
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
5 8
8 4
f/4f/2.8
6 5
8 8
f/5.6
7 3
8 5
f/8
6 9
7 9
f/11
6 3
7 2
f/16
N/A
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (APS-C) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
5 4
7 2
f/4f/2.8
6 4
6 6
f/5.6
5 9
6 0
f/8
5 6
5 7
f/11
4 9
5 1
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N/A
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (APS-C) EdgeCentre
60
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20
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40
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70
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90
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100
5 4
6 6
f/4f/2.8
6 2
6 9
f/5.6
5 9
5 9
f/8
5 5
5 5
f/11
4 9
5 1
f/16
N/A
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (APS-C) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
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50
70
80
90
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100
5 8
7 4
f/4f/2.8
6 5
8 1
f/5.6
7 0
7 7
f/8
6 4
6 7
f/11
5 3
5 8
f/16
N/A
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Premium24-70mmzooms
VERDICT: Ifyouwant thebest, andyouare aCanonuserwithverydeeppockets, thenhere itis. Veryfew lensescanmatch itsstandardofsharpness,andnoother24-70mmfor sure.WhatsetstheCanonMk IIapart isfabulousperformanceat f/2.8,atbothcentreandedges,onfull-frameandAPS-C.Andalsothe
consistently highqualityat all focal lengths,withnoweakspots.Mechanicalperformance,andtheweather-resistantbuildquality is topdrawer, too.But, andunfortunately there'salwaysa but, youcan't ignore thehighaskingprice.Start savingnow!
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 38/40
VALUE FORMONEY 15/20
OVERALL 89/100
HANDLING:Canonhasknockeda handy145gotheweightof theolderMkI version, andat805gthisMk IIis inlinewith thelighterSigmaandTamronoerings.Mechanicaldesignhasalsobeen revised, andit'sno longer like theNikonwiththat cunning'zooming' lenshood
feature (seeNikonreviewoverthepage)– theMkIInowhasa moreconventionallyextendingfrontsection.It'sweather-sealedandfeelsassolidandsmoothas you'dexpectfor a lenscostingalmost£1,500,withcontrolringsnicelyweighted.
FEATURES:There'sno imagestabilisation,surprisingperhapsfor sucha recentredesign,andinsteadCanonhasoptedtoconcentrateonsheeropticalexcellence.Tothat end,thereare19 glasselements,more thanany other,arranged in13groups,and includingplentyofexoticglassesand aspherical lenssurfaces.Thefiltersizegoesup to82mm.Lenshoodandsoft pouchsupplied.
AUTOFOCUS:AFis ring-typeUSMultrasonic,withfull-timemanualoverride. It'slightningfast, eectively instant,recordingjust0.35secsaveragein thenear-to-farspeed test. If youlistenverycarefully, youmight justhear itworking, butno-oneelsewill.Closestfocus is38cm,givingamaximummagnificationratioof1:4.8at70mm– typicaloftheotherlensesinthisclass.
PERFORMANCE: Canonhasput all ofthatexpensiveopticalglassto very gooduseandthiszoom'sperformance isoutstanding.Mostsignificantly,sharpness in thecentre at f/2.8 isvery high indeed, gettingonfor90%MTFonfull-framestraight outof thetrap– veryimpressive!There'sanever-so-slightincreaseat f/4, butit'sdiraction limited from thenonout,meaningthatsharpness cannot improvewith stoppingdown,butthecentreis neverless than 'excellent'onfull-frame,atanyfocallengthor aperture, andon APS-Cit only dipsbelowthe'excellent' line at f/16.Edgesharpness is closebehind,onbothformats,againmostlyin the'excellent'zone,justdippingdown to 'verygood'onAPS-Cateither endof theaperturerange.Aberrationsreductionis also toa high standard, andCAcontrolis better thanmost.
CanonEF24-70mm
f/2.8LIIUSM £1,400
DISTORTION(Full-frame):Good DISTORTION (APS-C):VeryGood
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame):VeryGood CHROMATIC AB (APS-C):VeryGood
Canon EF 24-70mmf/2.8L IIUSM (APSCanon 24-70mmf/2.8L IIUSM (full-frame)
VIGNETTING (Full-frame):Good VIGNETTING (APS-C):Excellent
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 8
8 8
f/4
7 3
8 9
f/2.8
7 9
8 7
f/5.6
7 7
8 3
f/8
7 1
7 8
f/11
6 4
7 2
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 9
9 0
f/4
7 5
8 6
f/2.8
8 3
8 7
f/5.6
8 2
8 4
f/8
8 0
7 9
f/11
6 9
7 2
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 5
8 7
f/4
7 1
8 6
f/2.8
7 5
8 7
f/5.6
7 4
8 6
f/8
7 1
7 9
f/11
6 6
7 2
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (APS-C) Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 6
8 2
f/4
6 7
8 0
f/2.8
7 4
7 9
f/5.6
6 9
7 4
f/8
6 3
6 7
f/11
6 0
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (APS-C) Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 9
8 3
f/4
6 8
7 7
f/2.8
7 7
8 0
f/5.6
7 1
7 7
f/8
6 3
6 9
f/11
6 0
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (APS-C) Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 6
7 9
f/4
7 4
7 6
f/2.8
7 4
8 0
f/5.6
7 2
7 8
f/8
6 5
6 9
f/11
6 0
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144 Premium24-70mmzooms TheulTimaTeGuideTophoToGraphy
VERDICT:TheNkon24-70mmf/2.8Gmaybe
a lttlebggerandheaver thanrvals, butthebuldqualty speerlessand there'sthe bonusofthatclever'zoomng' lenshoodtrck.Sharpnesssvery hgh, andwhle t'stechncallynot quteassharpastheCanonMk IIlensat f/2.8, that'stodebateslghtlyderng levelsofexcellence.
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 36/40
VALUE FORMONEY 17/20
OVERALL 89/100
HANDLING:TheNkon sslghtlybggerandheaverthanother24-70mmlenses, andfeaturesa reversenternal zoommechansmwhere t'slongest at24mm,andgets shorterwthncreasedfocal length.Nkonusesths tomproveshadngeicencyofthelenshood,
attachedto thefixedouterbarrel sothe frontofthelensmoves ndependently nsde.Theresult seectvelya 'zoomng' lenshoodthatmantansmaxmumshadngfrom24mmto50mm,andclosetomaxmumat70mm.Thssunque (nowthat thesmlarCanonMk I sdscontnued) andon allother zooms thehoodcanonly provdeoptmumshadngat thewdestfocal length,or twouldencroach ntothemagearea.Buldqualty s superb,weather-sealed,wth
finger-lght andslky smoothcontrolrngs,asyou'dexpect fromNkon.
FEATURES:Optcalconstructon s15elementsn11groups, ncludnga lberalsprnklngofexotcglasses. Flter szes thepopular77mm,hoodandcasesuppled.
AUTOFOCUS:Nkon'sAF sSWMrng-typeultrasoncwthfull-tmemanualoverrde. It'ssuper-fast, recordng0.38secondsn thenear-to-farspeedtest, andseectvelyslent.Focusnggoesdownto 38cm,measured fromthesensor, fora maxmummagnficatonratoof1:3.8 at70mm– smlar toother24-70mms.
PERFORMANCE: Optcalperformances veryhgh,though nthebattleof thebrands,thenewerdesgnof theCanonMkIIjusttakes thewn.On full-frame,sharpness rates 'excellent' nthecentreat f/2.8, rsesevenhgherat f/4, thendeclnesgradually, butneverdropsoutof the'excellent'zone. Edge sharpness followsasmlarpatternat a lowerlevel,butnotmuchlowerand salsomostlywellabovethe'excellent' lne.OnAPS-Cthepatterns repeated,wththe
hgherstandard requredpushngthenumbersdown. Sharpness nthecentreremans'excellent' throughout themd-rangeaperturesthough,andtowards theedgest snever lessthan'verygood'.Aberratonscontrol s typcalof theclass,
wthqutestrongbarreldstortonat thewdeend,turnngtomldpncushonatmdandlongerfocal lengths.Vgnettngs notceableatf/2.8onfull-frame,partcularly at24mm,butqucklyclearsathgherf/numbersandsneglgble nanycaseonAPS-C.There'ssomeCAtoo,butallof theseaberratonsare easlycorrected npost-processng.
DISTORTION (Full-frame):Good DISTORTION (APS-C):VeryGood
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame):Good CHROMATIC AB (APS-C):Good
NikonAF-S24-70mmf/2.8G ED(APS-C)NikonAF-S 24-70mmf/2.8G ED (full-frame)
VIGNETTING (Full-frame):Good VIGNETTING (APS-C):Excellent
NikonAF-S24-70mm
f/2.8GED £1,200
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
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0
100
7 4
8 8
f/4
6 5
8 2
f/2.8
7 3
8 7
f/5.6
7 0
8 4
f/8
6 5
7 9
f/11
5 9
7 2
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 9
8 8
f/4
6 5
7 7
f/2.8
8 2
8 7
f/5.6
7 9
8 4
f/8
7 4
7 9
f/11
6 8
7 3
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 3
8 4
f/4
6 9
7 4
f/2.8
7 6
8 6
f/5.6
7 7
8 4
f/8
7 4
7 9
f/11
6 9
7 2
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (APS-C) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
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6 3
8 0
f/4
5 9
7 2
f/2.8
6 2
8 0
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6 0
7 5
f/8
5 5
6 9
f/11
4 7
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f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (APS-C) EdgeCentre
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6 5
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5 1
6 6
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6 6
7 9
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6 5
7 4
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6 2
6 8
f/11
5 6
6 0
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (APS-C) EdgeCentre
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5 5
7 4
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5 2
6 3
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VERDICT:Even if you'reindierent tothevalueof imagestabilisation inthis class, the
combinationof a fast f/2.8aperture,withfineopticalperformanceandhighbuildquality, isenough topressthe 'buy itnow'buttonfor only£740.Butif youdo value imagestabilisation,andthere'sno denying thebenefitsin somesituations, thenit'salmost a no-brainer.
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 38/40
VALUE FORMONEY 19/20
OVERALL 95/100
HANDLING:Verynicelymadewith solid,weather-resistantbuild. It'ssmoothoperatingtoo,with afinger-lightfocusing ring andisn'ttooheavy at825g.There'sa zoom-lock, butit'snotreallyneeded.Nocomplaints atall.
FEATURES:Theheadline isVC(Vibration
Compensation)stabilisation,a featuresharedonlywith theCanon24-70mmf/4 IS,andclaimingfourstopsofcamera-shakereduction.Opticaldesignis 17elementsin 12groups,andTamronhasn'theldbackontheexoticstuwith threeLDglasselements,twoXRandfourasphericals.Filterthread is thelarger82mmsize; lenshoodprovided.
AUTOFOCUS ANDIS:AutofocusdriveisTamron'sUSDring-typeultrasonic,withfull-timemanual override. It'snot quiteasultra-rapid assome, recording0.5secondsinthenear-to-far speedtest,butin practiceatenthofa secondmakesnodierence,andit's very quiet.Closest focusis 38cmwithareproduction ratioof 1:5at 70mm–verysimilar to rivals.
Tamron'sVibrationCompensationstabilising systemusually impressesandnochangehere, scoring90%sharpimagesatthree stops belowthe handholding limit, and70%at fourstops.Excellent.
PERFORMANCE: Tamron'sdesigners facedatoughchallengehere,with theneedfor highsharpness ata fastf/2.8maximumaperture,plus theimage stabilisation system,andall atacompetitiveprice. They'vedonereally ratherwell,all thingsconsidered.It'snot quitethe sharpest24-70mmf/2.8,
that accoladegoes toCanon,but theNikonruns itcloseand this Tamronisverymuch inthesameball-park.Sharpnessin thecentreonfull-framestartswell intothe 'excellent' zoneatf/2.8, atallfocal lengths,andstays thererightthrough tof/11.Theedges rate 'verygood'atf/2.8, thenbounceup to 'excellent' from f/4.OnAPS-C,sharpnessis inevitablyreduced,
thoughin thecentreit breaks abovethe'excellent' lineatmid-rangeapertures.At theedges,sharpness holdsonwell,also reachingthe'excellent' lineorcloseto it through themid-range, andneverless than'verygood'.Goodaberrationscontrol isnoteasyon
fast,wide-anglezoomslike these, thoughtheTamron isonpar. Thatis tosaynotparticularlygoodbutwithnonastysurprisesandnothingthatcan'tbeeasily fixed laterduringpost-processing.
TamronSP24-70mm
f/2.8DiUSDVC £740
DISTORTION (Full-frame):Good DISTORTION (APS-C):VeryGood
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame):Good CHROMATIC AB (APS-C):Good
Tamron SP24-70mm f/2.8Di (full-frame) TamronSP 24-70mmf/2.8 Di(APS-C)
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Good VIGNETTING (APS-C):Excellent
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
6 8
8 3
f/4
6 3
8 5
f/2.8
6 8
8 1
f/5.6
6 5
7 8
f/8
6 2
6 8
f/11
5 4
6 4
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 2
8 0
f/4
6 1
7 9
f/2.8
7 6
8 1
f/5.6
7 2
7 7
f/8
6 7
7 2
f/11
6 1
6 3
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (FF) EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
7 0
8 1
f/4
5 5
7 7
f/2.8
7 3
8 5
f/5.6
7 3
8 1
f/8
7 2
7 5
f/11
6 4
6 4
f/16
Lens Sharpness (%): 24mm (APS-C) Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
6 5
7 3
f/4
6 4
7 4
f/2.8
6 4
7 1
f/5.6
5 9
6 8
f/8
5 4
5 9
f/11
5 1
Lens Sharpness (%): 40mm (APS-C) Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
6 7
6 9
f/4
6 7
6 7
f/2.8
6 8
7 3
f/5.6
6 8
6 8
f/8
6 1
6 1
f/11
5 0
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm (APS-C) Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
5 9
7 1
f/4
5 1
6 1
f/2.8
6 2
7 7
f/5.6
6 6
7 3
f/8
6 2
6 5
f/11
5 1
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146 Premiumtelezooms
VERDICT: ForCanonusers thatwantthebest,andcanaord it,lookno further.Thisis a
wonderful lens, bitinglysharpanddeliveringexcellenceon everyaspectofperformance.Evenwhenlookinghardforanyweakness, theworstwecouldcomeupwithwasitsslighterheavierweightcompared totheothers.Arecent£350pricedropmakes itan evenmoreappealingoption.
HANDLING 20/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 40/40
VALUE FORMONEY 16/20
OVERALL 96/100
HANDLING:Big,fatandsuperblyconstructed.Chunkyzoomand focusringsareone-fingerlightand smooth. It'sslightlyheavier thanrivals,butonceit'sonthecamerathatdisappears.Greatto use.
FEATURES: Everything youwouldexpectofthemostexpensive 70-200mmf/2.8zoom,includingultrasonic focusing,imagestabilisation,weather-resistantbuild,detachabletripodcollar andanexcellentflock-linedhood.Thebestbitsare inside–23elementsin 19groups, includingfiveofUDglassandonefluorite. Fluorite isCanon'smagic dust, andwhileothermanufacturersclaimglasswith similar properties, this istherealthingproducedin a dedicatedfactory.
Oneadvantageis theCanon'scloserfocusing, downto amagnificationratioof1:4.8at200mm,comparedtorivals'1:8.Basicallyfocal length ismeasuredat infinityfocus,andatcloserrange thisoftenreduces– so-called'focus-breathing'–andatminimumdistancea
marked200mmmaybemorelikeanactual150mm.Thislens fromCanonsuersmuchlesswith this.
AUTOFOCUSAND IS:Autofocus is smoothandquiet,andlightning fast. In thenear-to-farspeed test,the Canon averaged0.45seconds–thefastestofallthe lenseshere. It focusesquickerthanyoucanthink. There's full-timemanualoverride,too, ofcourse.
Image stabilisationclaims fourstopsshake reductioncompared to thenormalhandholdingruleof thumb,withdualmodesfornormalandpanninguse.Thischeckedoutwith a60%successrateat four stopsunder,risingto 90%at threestops,whichis verymuchthestandardfor thebestimagestabilisationsystemsthesedays.
PERFORMANCE:TheMTFgraphssay itall.Onfull-frame, sharpness never dropsbelow the70%'excellent' line,atanyfocal lengthoraperture, centreoredges. It'smostly runningbetween80%and90%throughmid-rangeaperturesfromf/4 tof/8– remarkableperformance.On thehigher APS-Cstandard,it's notfarbehindeither,neverlessthan'verygood'andmostlywell into the'excellent' zone.Aberrationscontrol is notaproblem,withdistortion, vignettingandCAall scoringeither'very good' or 'excellent'. Peakresolutionmeasuredahigh 117lines-per-mmat20%MTF, recordedin thecentre at70mmf/4.
CanonEF70-200mm
f/2.8LIIUSMIS £1,500
DISTORTION (Full-frame)Verygood DISTORTION (APS-C)Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame)Verygood CHROMATIC AB (APS-C)Verygood
Canon EF 70-200mmf/2.8L IIIS (APS-C)Canon EF70-200mmf/2.8L IIIS (full-frame)
VIGNETTING(Full-frame)Excellent VIGNETTING (APS-C)Excellent
Lens Sharpness (%): 120mm EdgeCentre
60
1020
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
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2 8 5
7 2
7 4
8 4
8 7
7 9
8 1
8 2
8 6
7 2
7 6
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 200mm EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
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E x c e l l e n t
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9 8 5
7 2
7 4
7 9
8 8
7 9
8 1
8 0
8 6
7 1
7 8
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm EdgeCentre
60
10
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30
40
50
70
80
90
0
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E
x c e l l e n t
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0 8 5
7 4
8 1
8 7
7 6
8 1
8 0
8 8
7 4
8 4
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
7 0
Lens Sharpness (%): 120mm EdgeCentre
60
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30
40
50
70
80
90
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100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
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7 5
5 9
5 9
7 7
7 8
6 8
6 9
7 4
7 6
6 6
6 8
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 200mm EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
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E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
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1 7 5
5 7
5 8
7 2
7 8
6 5
6 8
6 8
7 5
5 5
6 3
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm EdgeCentre
60
10
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70
80
90
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E
x c e l l e n t
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1 7 5
6 0
7 4
7 7
6 5
7 0
7 5
7 9
6 8
7 3
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
5 6
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Premium telezooms
HANDLING 20/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 40/40
VALUE FORMONEY 15/20
OVERALL 95/100
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm
f/2.8GEDVRII £1,580
DISTORTION(Full-frame)Good DISTORTION (APS-C)Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame)Verygood CHROMATIC AB (APS-C)Verygood
NikonAF-S70-200mm f/2.8II (APS-CNikonAF-S 70-200mmf/2.8 II(full-frame)
VIGNETTING (Full-frame)Excellent VIGNETTING (APS-C)Excellent
VERDICT:Ths sa very finelens. Apartfrommnorssueslke theclose-upfocus-breathng,t'salmost faultless.It'swonderfully sharp,wthexcellentmechancalperformanceandsuperbbuldqualty.On theotherhand, £1,600sasknga lot andwethnkt'serrngontheexpensvesde.
HANDLING:Lkeall hgh-endNIKKORlenses,ths lens just feels rght–aproper professonaltool.Smooth,finger-lghtcontrols,ruggedbuld, perfect. It'severythngwe lookfor.Therotatng trpodcollar sfixed,though the
foot sldesowtha screw-lockngclp.A smallpont,butthe lenshood snotas deepas tshouldbe,andt'snotsquaredosowon'tstandonend.
FEATURES: It's allhere– SlentWaveMotorfocusngwth full-tmemanualoverrde,VbratonReducton,weatherproofing, trpodcollar,hoodand case.Optcalconstructons21elementsn 16groups,ncludng sevenEDglasselements.All theselensessuer fromfocus-breathng,
theCanon leastand theNkonmost(SgmaandTamronareactuallyverysmlar). Thsreducesfocallengthatcloserangeandatamarked200mmtheNkon smorelke140mmwhenfocusedat 1.4m.Themaxmummagnficatonratoof 1:8meansyoucanfilla
full-framemagewthanA4magaznepage,butnothngsmaller.
AUTOFOCUSAND IS:Nkon'sSlentWaveMotorautofocus s veryquet andeicent.Notquteas fast astheCanonnsde-by-sdecomparson,averagng0.6secondsn thenear-to-fartest,but there's barelya tenth n t.More mportantly, when tcame totheservo-trackngtest t performed mmaculately.VRmagestablsatonclamsfour-stops
ofcamerashake reductonaganstthehandholdngrule,andwescored60%successat four stopsunder, rsngto 90%at threestops.Ths sanexcellentperformance fortheNkon,andpar forthecoursewthmodern top-gradelenses lkethese.
PERFORMANCE: Ifonly bythesmallest
margn, overall theNkons thesharpest70-200mmf/2.8lensyoucanbuy. Thecluestobest hgh resolutonperformanceare nthefractonallybetter figuresonAPS-C,andalsothepeakresolutonfigureof121lnes-per-mmthat sjustawhskeraheadof theothers,recordedat 200mmf/4. Inpractce, theNkon's advantages barely vsble, thoughatthe longendt bodeswellforusewthateleconverter. Lkethe Canon, sharpnessonfull-frameneverdpsbelow the70%'excellent'lne atanytme, andon APS-Ct'smostly nthe'excellent' zone,too.Aberratonscontrol s totheusual hgh
standard, though-1.8%pncushondstortonat200mms a lttlehgherthansome.
Lens Sharpness (%): 120mm EdgeCentre
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f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm EdgeCentre
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80
90
0
100
E
x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
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3 8 5
7 2
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8 7
7 7
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8 2
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7 3
8 8
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
7 0
Lens Sharpness (%): 120mm Centre
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7 2
7 4
5 6
7 5
7 9
6 1
6 8
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7 1
f/8 f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 200mm Centre
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7 2
7 5
5 8
7 6
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7 0
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f/8 f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm Centre
60
10
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30
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70
80
90
0
100
7 4
7 4
6 0
7 7
7 8
6 8
6 9
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7 0
7 8
f/8 f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
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148 Premiumtelezooms TheulTimaTeGuideTophoToGraphy
VERDICT:TheSigmalooks thepart, anddoes
thebusiness. It'ssharp,verysharp,givingnothingaway tomoreexpensive rivals,apartfromtheedgesat thelongend.AFandimagestabilisationperformverywell, too,butweatherproofingis absent. Itsbest feature,though, is theunbeatableprice–youcan'tquibbleat that.
HANDLING 20/20
FEATURES 19/20
PERFORMANCE 36/40
VALUE FORMONEY 20/20
OVERALL 95/100
HANDLING:Although thelightestlensofthegroup, it'sstill heavy.Zoomandfocusringsarelight andsmooth,though, bothturningin thesamedirectionasCanon.They'repositioneddierently,with thefocus ringnearest the
camera,reflectingthe arrangementof focusandzoom lens groups inside. Finishis Sigma'snewer smoothmatt.
FEATURES: There'sa full featuressetwithHypersonicAF, full-timemanual focusoverride, andtwo-stageimagestabilisation.Noweatherproofingthough– a signofSigmacuttingbackoncosts.It comeswithadetachable tripodcollar andlenshoodwithanAPS-Cextension.Opticalconstructionis 22elementsin 17
groups, includingtwoofFLDglass andthreeSLD. Themodestmaximumreproductionratioof1:8is clearevidenceof theusual focus-breathingthat reducesfocal lengthwhenshootingat closedistance.
AUTOFOCUSAND IS:Themechanicalcomponents performwell.While Sigma'sHSMwasslowestof thegroup,averaging0.65 secsinthenear-to-far test, that'sstillveryswift.More importantly, itwasplenty fast enoughtodealwith thetoughAF-trackingtestoutlinedonthe openingpage.Sigma'sOS (OpticalStabilisation)claims four
stopsofcamera-shakereduction andweachieveda 90%successrateat threestops, and60%at four stops.Excellentperformance,on aparwiththe others.
PERFORMANCE:Thebigquestion is,cana£800lensbe assharpasonecostingtwiceasmuch?Andtheansweris yes. Almost.Theoneexception isedgesharpnessat 200mm,wherebelow f/8it's considerably softer thanat anyotherpoint.Thisdoesn't appeartobe'badcopy'
syndrome,buta characteristicofthedesignthataectsperformanceonbothfull-frameandAPS-Cformats. Sharpness jumpsupwithstoppingdown,andit'salsoquite likely thatsubjects towardsthe edgesoftheframeatlonger focal lengthswill beoutoffocusanyway,but theproblemis there.Apart fromthat,allother aspectsof
performanceare in linewith theother lenseshere.There'smaybea touchofdistortionapparent, butthenit'snomore than theNikon.Peak resolutionat20%MTFmeasuredarespectable112 lines-per-mm,in thecentreat200mmf/4.
Sigma 70-200mmf/2.8EXDGAPOHSMOS £800
DISTORTION (Full-frame)Good DISTORTION (APS-C)Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame) Verygood CHROMATIC AB (APS-C)Verygood
Sigma 70-200mmf/2.8EX HSMOS (APS-C)Sigma70-200mmf/2.8HSMOS (full-frame)
VIGNETTING (Full-frame) Excellent VIGNETTING (APS-C)Excellent
Lens Sharpness (%): 120mm EdgeCentre
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1020
30
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80
90
0
100
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2 8 3
7 1
7 2
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7 8
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7 9
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6 7
8 3
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 200mm EdgeCentre
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1 8 4
6 9
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4 7
8 6
3 5
7 9
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm EdgeCentre
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10
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E
x c e l l e n t
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f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
7 0
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f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
Lens Sharpness (%): 200mm EdgeCentre
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4 7 3
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7 6
6 2
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3 4
6 7
f/8 f/16f/5.6 f/11f/4f/2.8
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150 Telephoto zooms TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HANDLING:As70-300mmtelezoomsgo, theNikon isbiggerandheavier. Layout is spot-on,andcontrolsarenicelyweightedfor fast andsmoothworking.Solid buildquality.
FEATURES: A full setof features includingSWMAF, andtop-gradeVR-IIimagestabilisationwithdualmodes:NormalandActive.Opticaldesigncomprises17 elementswith twoof EDglass,arrangedin 12groups,and theaperturediaphragmhas nineroundedblades.
AUTOFOCUSAND IS:SWMAFdrive(AF-S)isvirtuallysilent, fastandpositive.VR-II imagestabilisationclaims a four-stops reductionincamerashake;weachieved80%successatthreestops,and40%at four stops.WithbothAFandimagestabilisation, theNikonprovedclose to thebestavailable.
PERFORMANCE:Afinesharp lens,particularlyat300mm.Onfull-frame, centre sharpness iswayabove ‘excellent’atalltimes, andonAPS-C, itonly dips into the‘verygood’ zoneat f/11.Edge sharpness isweaker, butstillno
lower thanmost. Aberrationscontrol is par forthecourse,withbarreldistortionat 70mmturningtopincushion atmid-rangeand longerfocal lengths.SignificantCAat thelongend,thoughvignettingis neverreallytroublesome.
VERDICT:Thebestlens inthisclass, but ahigher price tag.Sharpness ishighthroughout,it’swellmadeandhasexcellentAF andVRimagestabilisation.
HANDLING:Mediumweight andwellfinished,
withmetalmount.Slightbarrelwobbleat300mm, though itdoesn’taect performance.Manualfocusing isvery good.Extendthezoomandpushthemacro/normal switchtoallowmuchcloserfocusing tounder1m.
FEATURES: NoISandMicro-MotorAF ratherthanUltrasonic,but focusinggoesdownto1:2magnificationratioat the longest focal length.OnAPS-C,thatfills theframewitha subject just45-50mmlongand atagenerous69cmMWD. Thebarrel rotateswhenfocusing,revealinga handymagnificationratiosscaleasitextends.Opticalconstructionis 14elements(oneSLD) intengroups.Lenshoodis provided.
AUTOFOCUS:Fairlyquiet andfast,averaging0.5secondsin thenear-to-far speed test,thoughit slowsa littleat 300mmand in lower
light.Manual focusis viaan AF/Mswitch.
PERFORMANCE:Sharpnessis remarkable fora£100 lens,performingclosetomuchmoreexpensivetelezooms.Aberrationscontrol istypicalofmosttelezooms.Vignettingis notreally aproblem,almostunnoticeableonAPS-C.There’s someCA,moresoatthelongerfocal lengths.
VERDICT:Thoughlight onluxuries,thislenshasa coupleof strongfeatures: theprice andthatextra-closefocusingability.Overall,opticalperformancecanholditsownagainstmuchmoreexpensivetelezooms.
NIKKORAF-S70-300mmf/4.5-5.6GEDSWMVR £420
Sigma70-300mmf/4-5.6DGMacro £100
DISTORTION (Full-frame):Good
DISTORTION (APS-C):VeryGood
VIGNETTING (Full-frame):Excellent
VIGNETTING (APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Good
CHROMATICAB (APS-Cedge):Fair
DISTORTION (Full-frame): Fair
DISTORTION (APS-C):Fair
VIGNETTING (Full-frame):Excellent
VIGNETTING (APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Fair
CHROMATICAB (APS-Cedge):Fair
APS-C/ FULL-FRAME
APS-C/ FULL-FRAME
HANDLING 20/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 38/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 17/20
OVERALL 95/100
NIKKORAF-S70-300mmf/4.5-5.6(full-frame)
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm EdgeCentre
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6 8
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f/5.6
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f/11
6 2
8 3
f/4.5
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6 1
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f/5.6
6 4
7 7
f/11N/A
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 32/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 20/20
OVERALL 88/100
Sigma70-300mmf/4-5.6DG(full-frame)
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm EdgeCentre
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6 2
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f/11N/A
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TelephotozoomsTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HANDLING:A smart-lookinglens, it feelsmeaty,marginally theheaviestof thisgroup,andsimilarto theNIKKOR70-300mmVR.
FEATURES: IncludesTamron’sUSDring-typeUltrasonicAF,withfull-timemanualoverride,andVCstabilisationclaimingfourstopsofcamera-shakereduction.Opticaldesignhas17elementsin 12groups,withoneLD andoneXLDglass.Minimumfocusingdistance is1.5mfromthesensorand that translates toanMWDof119cmfromthe lens front,giving amagnificationratioof 1:4at300mm.
AUTOFOCUSAND IS:USDUltrasonicAF isvery quietandlocksonpositively. It’s notthemost rapid,thoughonly a tenthorso behindmostrivals.Tamron’sVibrationCompensationissmartandhasauto-sensingofpanning
movementsodoesn’tneeda dualmodeswitch. Performanceis excellent.
PERFORMANCE:Sharpnessis high,excellentonfull-frame,justdippingat f/16.Anoticeabledropat300mmf/5.6andcentre sharpnessis‘excellent’againat f/8. Same forAPS-C,justata slightly lowerlevel.Limitedaberrations.
VERDICT:There arehardlyanydownsides.Theupsides aregoodAF andIS,high sharpness atall focal lengths,beatingeverythingexceptthemoreexpensiveNIKKOR70-300mmVRat thelongend, andtheCanon55-250mmSTM.TheTamronoers terrificvalue at£250.
TamronSP70-300mmf/4-5.6DiUSDVC £250
DISTORTION (Full-frame):Good
DISTORTION (APS-C):VeryGood
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Excellent
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Good
CHROMATICAB (APS-Cedge):Fair
APS-C/ FULL-FRAME
HANDLING:Physically,the Sigma70-300mmDGAPOMacro isidentical tothenon-APOversion. It’squite light at550g.Asexpected,there’ssomemovement in thebarrelwhenextendedto 300mm,butnothingtooworrying.Manual focusingis particularlygood.
FEATURES: APOis short forapochromatic,andrefers tothree lens elementsofSLDglass,asopposed to justonein thenon-APOversion.Costing anextra£50thanthe otherSigma70-300mmon test, SLDglass focusesallcoloursof lightmoreaccurately, for lowerCAandimprovedsharpness.
AUTOFOCUS:Impressivelyfast atanaverageof0.5 seconds in thenear-to-far speedtest,slowing a littleat thelongest focal length. It’saudible,butnot intrusive.
PERFORMANCE:Onfull-frame, sharpnessinthecentreis ‘excellent’ from70mmto135mmatallapertures,and from f/8at 300mm.Edgesharpnesslagsa little,whichis typical ofmosttelezooms. Performance is thesamefor
APS-C,buttheedgesharpnessholdsup better.Basically, it’s thesameas thenon-APOversion,thoughwithfractionally sharper imagesandalittlelesschromaticaberration.
VERDICT:Opticalperformance isgoodoverall,andwhilestill great value, it’snotsignificantlybetter thanthebargainSigmanon-APO.Nicetousewithgoodcontrolsand fastAF. Theextraclose-upmodeis abitfiddly, butveryuseful.
Sigma70-300mmf/4-5.6DGAPO £150
DISTORTION (Full-frame): Fair
DISTORTION (APS-C):Fair
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Excellent
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Good
CHROMATICAB (APS-Cedge):Good
APS-C/ FULL-FRAME
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 32/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 18/20
OVERALL 86/100
Sigma70-300mmf/4-5.6APO(Full-fra
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm Centre
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80
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7 8
8 1
f/8
7 2
f/
7 5
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f/11
7 3
7 8
f/4
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7 2
8 2
f/8
7 2
f/
7 2
8 0
f/5.6
7 4
7 8
f/11
7 2
7 8
f/4.5
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5 1
7 7
f/8
7 2
f/
4 8
6 7
f/5.6
5 6
7 8
f/11N/A
HANDLING 20/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 36/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 20/20
OVERALL 96/100
TamronSP70-300mm(Full-frame)
Lens Sharpness (%): 70mm Centre
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80
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7 5
8 3
f/8
7 1
f/
7 4
8 4
f/5.6
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f/11
7 1
8 0
f/4
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7 9 8 2
f/8
6 9
f/
8 2 8 4
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7 3 7 7
f/11
7 2 7 4
f/4
Lens Sharpness (%): 300mm Centre
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6 7
7 7
f/8
6 8
f/
6 1
6 5
f/5.6
6 4
7 4
f/11N/A
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imagedetail:TheSgma'spullngpowerletsyouillthe
framewththesubjectandcapturet nncredbledetal.
indetail
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inaction:TheNIKKORAF-S300mmf/4EPFEDVRproblemtrackingfastaction.WhenmatedtoanAPSthe450mmreachandfastmaximumaperturemakperfectcompactlensforshootingmotorsportorw
ConfusedbyNikon’slensabbreviations?Here’swhatallthoselettersactuallymean
E:Elermgedphrgm–There’mechanicaldiaphragmcontrol,whichresuinmoreconsistentexposures,especiallywshootingathighburstrates.
PF:PhseFresel–Alenselement,origidesignedforuseinlighthouses.Thesingleelementreduceschromaticaberration,dothejobofseveraltypicallenselements.
ED:Exr-lwDspers–Aspeciallenselementthatfurtherhelps toreducechromaberrationandcolourfringing.
VR:VbrRedu–Reducesbluractivelycompensatingforcameramovem
Abbreviationalleviatio
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156 50mmprimelenses THEULTIMATEGUIDETOPHOTOGRAPHY
Buildquality
Features
Performance
Value
Overall
FORMANYPHOTOGRAPHERS, the
thoughtofsubstitutingtheirstandardzoomfora 50mmlensseemsabackwardstep,withthe thoughtofswapping theversatilityofazoomforafixedfocal lengthseemingly illogical.Ofcourse,youand I knowbetter.Usinga
50mmis nothing shortof a joy,with thefastmaximumapertureand sharpopticsmorethanmakingupforthelossofazoomfacility. Therearecurrently twomaintypesof50mm– themostcommonis thef/1.8,withthe faster f/1.4 alsoprovingpopular.Thelatter typeboastsbetteroptics and
ahigherpricetagandis a favouritewithprofessionalsandenthusiastsalike.We'reinno doubtthatSigma'slatest prime, the50mmf/1.4 | Artlens, istheone thatevery
dedicated50mmuserwillwant toown.
Quitesimply, it's thesharpest50mmonthescene,barnone.OurlabtestsconfirmwhattheimagescapturedusingtheSigmaalreadytoldus– this50mmdelivers incrediblesharpness,excellentcontrastandminimaldistortion.It'sbenchmarkstu inthisregard.That's little surprisewhenyoutakeinto
accountitsmake-up–HypersonicAFprovidesveryaccurateandfast(aswell asnear-silent)focusing, thatlocksswiftlyontostatic subjectsaswell asdoinga fine jobfollowingmovingtargets,too. Theopticalset-up includesoneaspherical andthreeSLD(SpecialLowDispersion)elementstoproduceimages thatwill blowyou away.It's incredibly sharpat f/1.4 andgetsbetterasyouclosedownthe lens– f/5.6to f/8 gives
optimumresults,withdiraction reducingsharpness asyouclosedownto f/16.There isadownsideto allthisglass,but
onewe're sure usersdon'tmind,and that isthat the Sigmais biggerandheavier thananyother50mmf/1.4– infact it's not toofarothesize andweightofa 24-70mmf/2.8.It'salso expensive incomparisontoother50mmf/1.4s, too, butwhatdoyouexpect?!While around£700 isa lot topayfora
50mm,you'll knowwhereyourmoneywentassoonasyoufirst trythelens.Thedesignisstunning, themetal barrelwithwiderubberised ringhandlesbeautifullyandtheAFperformanceisexcellent. It'sthe imagequality thatgrabstheheadlines–whetherusedonfull-frameorwithAPS-C,youwon'tbedisappointed.Sharpness isveryhigh–ourtestshows it leavesrivalsin itswake.Ona moreartisticlevel, theimage fall-o
andbokehwhenusedwideopen isstunning,buttakecare–depth-of-fieldis soshallowyour focusingneedstobeprecise.Overall,we'dhavenohesitation
recommendingthis lens. It'ssimplythe best.
Guideprice:£850/Streetprice:£700Lensconstruction:13elementsineightgroups
Fiterthread:77mmMinimumfocus:40cm
Maximummagnification:1:5.6Diaphragm:NinebladesSize:85.4x99.9mm
Weight:815gSuppiedaccessories:Paddedcase,hood&caps
Fittings:Canon,Nikon,Sigma&SonyContact:www.sigma-imaging-uk.com
TEST:DANIELLEZANO&RICHARDHOPKINS
SIGMA50MMF/1.4DGHSM/APremiumstandardlens /Hypersonicfocusing/high-performanceoptics/Forfull-frame&APS-Csensors
ANOPTICALBENCHMARK(above):Sigma'slateststandardlensisoneofthefinestopticswe'veevertested.PORTRAITS(beow):Wecan'tfailtoraveaboutthequalityofimages– incrediblesharpnessand lovelydepth-of-field.
Weddingandportraitpros,aongwithmorealuententhusiasts,wiwanttogettheirhandsonthisremarkabeens.Itmaybeasargeandasheavyasapremiumzoom,butitsetsanewbenchmarkinopticaquaityandisthesharpest50mmwe'veevertested.
Verdict
Exposure:1/200secatf/2.8(ISO100)
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158 Macrolenses TheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HANDLING: Oneof the sweetesthandlingmacros. Everythingis justright – size, weight,
focusingand controls. Engineering-gradeplasticson the external barrel helpkeep weightdownand are warmer tothe touchin thecold.
FEATURES: Headlinestory is the Hybrid ImageStabilisation claimingfour-stops benefit atnormal distance, reducing to two stops at 1:1.Optics aretop-drawerwith 15 elementsin 12groups,including UD glass. Build of theweather-sealed barrelis excellent, andit comeswitha particularlygood anddeep lenshood,lined withblack flocking.
AUTOFOCUS: Ultrasonic AF is silent andswift,withfull-time manual override. Macros tendtobe slower focusingbecause of their longerrange mechanisms,but you'd not knowit here.
PERFORMANCE: All macrosare very sharp, but
thisis the sharpest here(just!) and recorded thehighestmaximumresolution figure at 110lines-per-mm. Excellentperformance fromf/2.8,peakingat f/4,and sharp right acrosstheframe. On APS-C,diractionhits earlierandharderthan full-frame andperformancejuststarts to dipfrom f/8.Distortionis negligible,CA wellcontrolled, vignetting minimalat f/2.8andgone by f/4. Minimum WorkingDistance isa smidge less than someat 13cm.The Hybrid ISalsocorrectslateralmovement – up-down aswellas angularpivoting– which is morenoticeable withmacro.It works verywell, andtested at exactly two-stops benefit at 1:1.
CanonEF100mmf/2.8LMacroISUSM £640
VERDICT: Inall key areas, this lens wins – if onlyby a short head. It'sextremelysharp,handles
beautifullyand hasthebestIS andAF. Asyou’dexpect from Canon, the build quality isexcellent and it’soptically brilliant. It’saroundathirdmorecostlythanrivalsthatrun it veryclose forimage quality at mid-range apertures.Butif you want thebest anduseCanon,thisis it.
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 39/40
VALUEFORMONEY 15/20
OVERALL 92/100
CanonEF 100mmf/2.8L MacroIS USM
DISTORTION (Full-frame):-0.1%(Excellent)
DISTORTION (APS-C):+0.4%(Excellent)
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Verygood
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Good
CHROMATICAB (APS-Cedge):Good
Lens Sharpness (%): Full-frame EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o
o r
f/16f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
6 5
7 1
7 2
7 7
7 5
8 2
7 6
8 4
7 4
8 5
7 3
7 8
Lens Sharpness (%): APS-C EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r
f/16f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
5 0
5 6
5 8
6 5
6 1
7 2
6 2
7 4
6 4
7 5
6 1
6 4
HANDLING: Thefirst thingyou noticeis thesizeand weight. It's a bitfatterand heavierthanmost,butin usethese thingsmelt away and it'sactuallya wonderful lensto use– chunky, easyto hold, superblysmooth.
FEATURES: BoastsVibrationReduction
claimingfour-stops benefit, Silent-Wave AF anda generous lenshood. Opticalconstruction is14 elementsin 12 groups, including one EDglass.Nikon doesn'tclaim weather-sealing,though the mount hasa rubbergasket.
AUTOFOCUS: Silent-Wave AF is excellent –fast,quiet, positive– asgoodas itgets, plusfull-timemanual override.
PERFORMANCE: Sharpness is very high, andyou'd expect no less, though being picky,thepeakresolution measured99 lines-per-mm –
justmissing outon the top grade.It's not easyto seethis in practice, andsharpness reachedexcellent levels on bothfull-frame and APS-C,onlyscoringa littlelower atf/2.8 andat highestf/numbers. As usual, distortion, vignetting and
CAareall very well controlled, andMWDis parforthecourseat 14cm.The VRmeasuredahandy 1.6-stops benefit at 1:1.One notabledierence is the wayNikon reportsaperturescompared to Canon. Whenfocusgets veryclose, theeective f/numberrises, eg fromf/2.8to f/4.8at 1:1. Allmacros dothis,butNikonchoosesto report it, whileCanonstays at f/2.8.TTL meteringcompensates automatically forthisso it makes no dierence in practice.
VERDICT: This wasthefirstlensto bringthebenefitsof stabilisationto macro photography.Since then, other brands havecaughtup andeven edged aheadon theoptical front,withAFandstabilisation systemsto match. Though theperformance dierences are marginal, whereNikonstillscoresis inbuildqualityanda solid,reassuringfeel thatNikon users willrelish.
HANDLING 18/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 38/40
VALUEFORMONEY 16/20
OVERALL 92/100
NikonAF-S105mm f/2.8GIF-EDVR
DISTORTION (Full-frame):+0.3%(Excellent)
DISTORTION (APS-C):+0.5%(Excellent)
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Verygood
VIGNETTINGAPS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Good
CHROMATICAB (APS-Cedge):Good
NikonAF-S105mmf/2.8GIFEDVR £620
Lens Sharpness (%): Full-frame EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r
f/16f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
6 3
6 8
6 8
7 2
7 3
7 9
7 5
8 1
7 5
8 0
6 8
7 5
Lens Sharpness (%): APS-C EdgeCentre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
E x c
e l l e n t
V . g o o d
G o o d
F a i r
P o o r
f/16f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
4 8
5 2
5 4
5 7
6 2
6 6
6 6
6 9
6 5
6 8
5 8
6 0
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Macro lensesTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HANDLING:A lttle longerandheaverthansome,butnotbymuch.Swtchesareeasy,andthefull-tmemanualoverrdefocusngspartcularlypostveandwellweghted.
FEATURES:Sgmahasbeencatchnga fewheadlneswthsomeveryhgh-spec lenses,and
thsmacro soneofthem.It has 16elements n11groups,morethanany otherhere, ncludngtwoof Sgma'sSLDglass.OptcalStablsatonclamsfour-stopsbenefit,andfocusng sHypersonc.The lenshoodsunque nhavnganextenson forusewthAPS-Ccameras.
AUTOFOCUS: TheHypersoncMotorcertanlymovesfast,but canbea tadnoserandjudderyaroundthe focusedpont.Normallynotmuchofacrtcsm,butbothstandardsandprcesarehghhere.AF hasa three-stagelmter.
PERFORMANCE: Allthatglasscertanlyworks!Sharpness sveryhgh,matchngtheCanon100mmL'sMTFpeakat83%andonlyjust fallngshortonmaxmumresolutonat 108lnes-per-mm.Edgesharpness sn't qute sospectacular
at f/2.8,butstll verygoodndeed.Dstorton,vgnettngandCA aremnmal.OptcalStablsatonworkswellandwemeasuredanmprovementof1.6stopsat 1:1. Though ths salotless than thefourstopsyoumghtexpect atnormalshootngdstance, t s stll verywelcomewthmacrowhere there softenpressuretoachevesuicentlyhghshutterspeeds.MnmumWorkngDstancecheckedout at14cm, verymuchn lne forthsclass.
VERDICT:Noexcusesatths level,notthatSgma reallyneedsany.Optcalperformancesrghtupthere,almostclass-leadng, andsotoos mage stablsatonandoverallbuldqualty.OnlytheHSMfocusng,to beverycrtcal,canbeoccasonallyhestantas t seeksperfectfocus.All round,the Sgmamakesastrongcaseandhastheedgeonprceovermarqueoptcs.
HANDLING 17/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 36/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 17/20
OVERALL 90/100
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DGOS HSMMa
DISTORTION (Full-frame):+0.2%(Exce
DISTORTION (APS-C):+0.4%(Excellen
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Verygood
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frame):Excellen
CHROMATICAB (APS-C):Excellent
Sigma105mmf/2.8EXDGOSHSMMacro £380
Lens Sharpness (%): Full-frame Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
6 8
7 3
7 4
7 7
8 0
7 7
8 2
7 3
8 3
6 8
7 9
Lens Sharpness (%): APS-C Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
5 3
5 7
6 1
6 0
6 8
6 3
7 0
5 8
7 0
5 6
6 2
HANDLING: Slghtlylghterthanyoumghtexpectandgenerallywellmade,thoughtherewassomeveryfractonalplay n themanualfocusngrngonourtest sample.Nothngatallserous, exceptthat, at thsprcelevel,everydetal sworthmentonng.
FEATURES:Thespecficatonwants fornothng,wthultrasoncAF, fourstopsofVbratonCompensatonandweathersealng(or atleasta gasketaroundthemount).On theoptcalfront, there are14 elementsn 11groups,ncludngoneof LDglass andtwoXLD.
AUTOFOCUS:UltrasoncSlentDrve sverygood– fast, smooth,quet andpostve–plustheres full-tmemanualoverrde.
PERFORMANCE: Sharpnesss excellent,thoughTamronseems tohavetakenaslghtlyderenttackhere.Whlenotqute reachng the
very hghestlevelsof someothersn thecentre,t's a veryclosecall andTamronhtsbackwthedgeperformancethat s soamaznglyclose tothecentret's almostoverlappng.Sowhle thepeaksmaybe slghtlylower, overall magequalty sexceptonalevenacross thewholeframeandatallapertures.Maxmumresolutonof91 lnes-per-mmat f/5.6doesn't trulyrepresenthowgood tstotal performances,ncludngexcellent controlof dstorton,vgnettngandCA. Tamron'str-axalVbratonCompensaton s mpressveat1.6stopsat1:1.MnmumWorkngDstancecheckedoutatahandy14cmfromthefrontofthe lens.
VERDICT:Thslensperformsextremelywellrght acrossthe board.Andthat's tskey
strength,wthsharpnessevenlyspreadat averyhgh levelacrossall areasof theframe,at allapertures (nevtablybar thehghestf/numbers).AFandVCarebothexcellent.A bgprcedrop(thsTamronwasprcedat£569not toolongago)means ths lens sverygoodvalue.
HANDLING 17/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 36/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 16/20
OVERALL 89/100
Tamron SP90mm f/2.8Di VCUSD Mac
DISTORTION (Full-frame):-0.1%(Exce
DISTORTION (APS-C):+0.3%(Excellen
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Verygood
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB (Full-frameedge):Very
CHROMATICAB(APS-C): Excellent
TamronSP90mmf/2.8DiVCUSDMacro £380
Lens Sharpness (%): Full-frame Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
7 0
7 5
7 6
7 9
7 9
7 8
8 0
7 6
7 7
7 4
7 5
Lens Sharpness (%): APS-C Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
5 5
6 1
6 2
6 5
7 0
6 7
7 2
6 4
7 1
5 8
6 2
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MacrolensesTheulTimaTeGuide TophoToGraphy
HANDLING:Aphyscallyshort lensconsder tsfocal length,althoughnotthe lghtest. It looks
andfeelslkeascaled-downversonof the180mmSgma,andsharesthesamehghbuldqualty.Topmarks.
FEATURES:A fullhouse,ncludngHypersoncAFwthfull-tmemanualoverrdeanddual-modemage stablsaton.Optcalconstructon s19elementsn 14groups,wththreeSLDelements (comparedtothe180mmSgma'sthree FLDelements). Trpodcollar,hoodandcasearestandard.
AUTOFOCUS ANDIS:HypersoncAFsnear-slentandfast, scorngan averageof 0.4secondsn thenear-to-farspeed test(1.5mtonfinty).Mnmumworkngdstance (MWD)s18cmfromthefrontof thelensat 1:1, roughly5cmless thanthe 180mmmacros, though
usefullylongerthan100mmmacrosthataveragearound14cm.OSmagestablsatonscored90% success at threestopsbelow thehandholdnglmt, and60% atfourstops.That'saboutasgoodas tgets.
PERFORMANCE: Anothervery sharp lensfromSgma,andnotablefor howcloselyedgesharpness tracksthecentre.On full-frame,sharpness salready'excellent'acrossthe frameatf/2.8,t gets auseful legupatf/4,andstaysabove the'excellent' lneto f/16. Frst-rateperformance, andthepatterns repeatedonAPS-Cataslghtlylower level,butstll 'excellent'throughthe md-rangeapertures.
Sigma150mmf/2.8EXDGOSHSMAPO £670
VERDICT:OnlytheSgma180mmssharperthanths, thoughapart fromat f/2.8 there's
reallynothngn t.MechancalperformanceofAFandOSsexcellent.Very mpressvestuagan fromSgma,thoughnevtablytheMWDslessthan180mmmacros, andthatcouldbe adrawbackfor someusers.Justonemore thngtonote– t's a realbarganatunder£700.
HANDLING 19/20
FEATURES 18/20
PERFORMANCE 37/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 20/20
OVERALL 94/100
Sigma150mmf/2.8EXDGOSHSMAP
DISTORTION (Full-frame):Excellent
DISTORTION (APS-C):Excellent
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Excellent
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATIC AB(Full-frameedge): Exc
CHROMATICAB(APS-Cedge): Excelle
Lens Sharpness (%): Full-frame Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
7 0
7 7
7 9
8 1
8 4
8 3
8 7
8 3
8 7
7 5
7 6
Lens Sharpness (%): APS-C Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
6 2
6 7
7 0
7 3
7 6
7 6
8 0
7 4
7 5
6 3
6 4
HANDLING: It'sbg andheavy,actuallyweghngmorethansome70-200mmf/2.8zooms.Superblymade,t feelssoldasa rockyetworkssmoothasbutter.Absolutelytop-gradebuld,only lackngweatherproofing–butnoneof thelongermacroshavethat.
FEATURES:Everythngyoumghtexpect for£1,300.Optcal desgn s19elementsn 14groups,and sgnficantly, threeelementsareofcostlyFLDglasswth fluorte-lkequaltes.AF sHypersonc,and Sgma'sOS magestablsatonsanotherhghlght.Hoodandcasesuppled.
AUTOFOCUS ANDIS:AFhasSgma'squetandeicentHSMdrve,wth a lmter setat 67cm,plusfull-tmemanualoverrde. It'sfast,recordng0.4secondsn thenear-to-farspeedtest (1.5mto nfinty).MWDs 22cmat 1:1,measuredfromthe frontof thelens, a coupleofcentmetresless thanrvals.Sgma'sOS magestablsatonrecorded80% sharp magesatthreestopsbelow theunadedhandholdnglmt,and50%at four stops. Evenatmacrorange,wegota two-stopsupsde.
PERFORMANCE: Very fewlenses,of anydesgnorprce,areassharpasthsone.On full-framesensorsat f/2.8,bothcentreandedgessoarhghabovethe 'excellent' lne,nudgng90%MTFatf/4,onlythenreducngn lnewthdracton.EvenatthehgherstandarddemandedonAPS-Csensors, sharpness shardlydented,and stllremans comfortablyabove 'excellent' to f/11.
VERDICT:ThemghtySgma180mmf/2.8presents a conundrum.For sheerperformance- fromthe stunnngsharpness, tofirst class AFandOSoperaton,to superbbuldqualty- thssclearlythe bestlongmacro lensavalable,barnone.But npractcal terms,t'sonebg lumpofa lens tomanhandleona macrosafar,wthanequallyheavyprce.
HANDLING 17/20
FEATURES 20/20
PERFORMANCE 40/40
VALUEFOR MONEY 16/20
OVERALL 93/100
Sigma180mmf/2.8EXDGOSHSMAP
DISTORTION (Full-frame):Excellent
DISTORTION (APS-C):Excellent
VIGNETTING(Full-frame):Excellent
VIGNETTING(APS-C):Excellent
CHROMATICAB. (Full-frameedge):Go
CHROMATICAB. (APS-Cedge):Good
Sigma180mmf/2.8EXDGOSHSMAPO £1,200
Lens Sharpness (%): Full-frame Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
7 2
7 6
7 9
8 1
8 4
8 5
8 7
8 6
8 9
8 1
8 7
Lens Sharpness (%): APS-C Centre
60
10
20
30
40
50
70
80
90
0
100
f/11f/8f/5.6f/4f/2.8
5 9
6 7
6 8
7 3
7 5
8 0
8 0
8 2
8 3
7 8
8 0
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