2020-11-01 Digital Camera World

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5 Place the uncompressed plug-in files 6 Enable the Colorbox module
With the archive uncompressed, you should be able Having already installed the Colorbox module, we now
to see 14 files in the directory, including the all-important need to enable it. (This process isn’t automatic.) Go back to
jquery.colorbox-min.js JavaScript file. If your folder displays your site’s Admin area and click the Extend tab. Scroll down
anything different, make sure you’re looking in the right two thirds of the page; under the Media section, place a tick
place – the [sitename]/modules/colorbox folder features to the left of Colorbox. Right at the bottom of the page, click
syntax that’s very similar. (This folder should contain 22 Install. Go to Reports and run a status report: if Colorbox
files, including eight sub-folders – see inset, above.) isn’t listed in Errors Found, then all is well.

7 Check out the effect of our new lightbox 8 Review the image caption information
Now let’s see what difference having an image lightbox Another feature of Colorbox is its ability to display a
has made. Click Back To Site in the top-left corner of the caption for the images, which pops up from the bottom of
screen and call up one of the galleries that you added to the the image being viewed when you mouse over it. At present,
main navigation. Click on an image and it will open in a pop-up it’s using the alternative text (a short description used by
overlay. A pair of buttons in the bottom-left corner allow you screen readers or when an image doesn’t load) that we input
to move through the images in the gallery, while an X in the for each photo while uploading the image files. To change
bottom-right closes the pop-up – everything is working fine. any captions, open the image file in the Content/Files menu.

9 Add some other key pages to the site 10 Assess progress and add other elements
With the image display looking better now, we can start So now we have a fully functioning photography
building out the site and adding some other key elements. website, organised into a series of galleries that display the
First off, let’s create an About page to outline the photographic images in a pop-up overlay with caption information. It’s a
services we’re offering. Click on the Content tab, click Add good start, but this is only the beginning. Other site elements
Content and select Basic Page. Enter the desired text plus you could think about adding include regular blog posts, to
an inline image cropped to an appropriate size. (We used 200 open a conversation with visitors to your site – and this is
x 200 pixels.) Other pages to build include the Welcome page. another function that Drupal supports right out of the box.

50 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

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3‫ژ‬Discover inspirational
photography content

³ȵƺȇƳǣȇǕ Ɏǣȅƺ ƏɎ ǝȒȅƺ ǣɀ Ə ǕȸƺƏɎ ȒȵȵȒȸɎɖȇǣɎɵ ɎȒ ƫƺ ǣȇɀȵǣȸƺƳ ƫɵ Ɏǝƺ ɯȒȸǸ Ȓǔ ɀȒȅƺ
Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ɯȒȸǼƳ‫ټ‬ɀ ǼƺƏƳǣȇǕ ȵȸƏƬɎǣɎǣȒȇƺȸɀ Ȓǔ ȵǝȒɎȒǕȸƏȵǝɵ ٫ Əɀ ɀƺƺȇ Ȓȇ Ə ɀƬȸƺƺȇ ȇƺƏȸ ɵȒɖ

hotographic inspiration Their selection includes some gems And while mainstream cinema has
from modern-day broadcast TV, in both been a major influence on the work of
P can come from anywhere documentary and reality formats, plus a panorama of leading photographers,
and take many forms, but made-for-streaming short films. And it has also produced some memorable
home entertainment isn’t then there’s World of Photography, the films about photography itself. We
programme that was a staple of US TV showcase some leading examples –
always one of the first in the late 1980s and early 1990s. old and new – over the page.

places you’d consider looking in. These are just some of the examples But photography doesn’t just attract
you’ll find, of course, and they’re all visual commentary; in recent times
Yet there are more options here available for free as long as you don’t podcasts have started to really come
mind being served advertising. (For an of age, so we’re including them, too.
than one would first think. YouTube is ad-free experience, you will need to
subscribe to YouTube Premium.) WHAT YOU’LL NEED
a repository of some amazing content
In the paid-for content space, Netflix Internet access or satellite TV
about photography, including TV series offers some compelling programming Amazon Prime, Netflix or other
about photography, including the streaming service subscription
from the days when cameras sold by the multi-season series Tales by Light (see Podcast app for mobile devices
opposite), as well as documentary films. Time required: as long as you want!
truckload, and collecting a packet of

freshly developed prints or processed

slides was one of life’s fondest rituals.

Our colleagues on the Digital Camera

World website have helpfully compiled

a round-up of the best programmes

about photography you’ll find online.

TV SHOWS STREAM PROGRAMMES ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

IȸȒȅ ɀǼǣƬǸǼɵ ȵȸȒƳɖƬƺƳ ƬȒȇɎƺȅȵȒȸƏȸɵ ɀǝȒɯɀ ɎȒ ɀȒȅƺ ɮƺȸǣɎƏƫǼƺ Ǖƺȅɀ ǔȸȒȅ ɵƺɀɎƺȸɵƺƏȸً
ǝƺȸƺ Əȸƺ Ȓɖȸ ɎȒȵ ȵǣƬǸɀ ǔȒȸ ɀȒȅƺ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ƫƺɀɎ ɀǝȒɯɀ ɎȒ ƫǣȇǕƺ ǣȇ ƬȒȅǔȒȸɎ ƏɎ ǝȒȅƺ

1 Master Of 2 World of 3 Wild Photo 4 The Fifth
Photography Photography Adventures Sense

A reality contest centred World of Photography was a This award-winning wildlife Photographer Harley Weir

around photography, this weekly half-hour show that photography series is in its has shot campaigns for some

show from Sky Arts sees aired on US TV from 1985 to fifth season. It follows host of fashion’s biggest names

contestants compete in a 1991. More than 175 half-hour and professional wildlife and her work has appeared in

“life-changing” challenge episodes were produced, and nature photographer magazines including Dazed,

to win the title ‘Best New including more than 450 Doug Gardner as he travels Pop, and British Vogue. In this

European Photographer’ story segments, and around around America, shooting six-part series of short films

and bag a prize of €150,000. 200 of those archived stories breathtaking imagery of – a collaboration between i-D

Now in its fourth season, the have been uploaded to a the natural world. Subjects magazine and Chanel No 5

show has a familiar format: special YouTube channel. range from walrus, bears and – she captures the lives of

a weekly challenge followed There’s a wide range to moose in Alaska to white- young creative women

by a weekly elimination. browse, so take your time. tailed deer in Tennessee. across different cities.

Sky Arts on Sky TV Streaming on YouTube Streaming on YouTube Streaming on YouTube

52 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

SPOTLIGHT ON TALES BY LIGHT Simon Lister/ Unicef

Áǝƺ ǔǣȸɀɎ ɎɯȒ ƺȵǣɀȒƳƺɀ Ȓǔ ɀƺƏɀȒȇ Ɏǝȸƺƺ Ȓǔ Ɏǝǣɀ ȅɖɀɎ‫ٮ‬ɯƏɎƬǝ ɀǝȒɯ ɖɀƺ ȵǝȒɎȒǕȸƏȵǝɵ
ɎȒ ǔȒƬɖɀ Ȓȇ Ɏǝƺ ǝƏɿƏȸƳȒɖɀ ƬȒȇƳǣɎǣȒȇɀ ǔƏƬǣȇǕ ɯȒȸǸǣȇǕ ƬǝǣǼƳȸƺȇ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ ÁǝǣȸƳ áȒȸǼƳ

pisodes 1 and 2 in Season media, on posters, billboards, and Other episodes in the third season
branding… and I’m going, ‘Gosh, my feature undersea photographer Shawn
E 3 of Canon Australia’s photos are being seen globally to help Heinrichs and Australian filmmaker
Tales by Light sees the this cause and help children.’ That’s the Dylan River, while season two sees
photographer Simon Lister main goal at the end of the day – if I can conservationists Jonathan and Angela
and actor and Unicef save one child’s life with all the photos Scott on location in Kenya, plus war
Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom I take over my lifetime, then that will photographer Stephen Dupont. All
travel through Dhaka, the capital of be incredibly satisfying for me. three seasons are a must-watch.
Bangladesh. On their journey, the pair Streaming on YouTube
explore hazardous environments that Simon’s two Tales by Light episodes
local children work in, as they highlight certainly meet Canon Australia’s Simon Lister
the international charity’s work to ‘important story’ requirement for
protect children from such dangers. the third season. Sequences in both Photographer
For Simon, photography and directing episodes make for uncomfortable Title: ‘Balloon Factories’, 2019
films are his twin passions. “It’s just an viewing, as Simon and Orlando come Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
amazing opportunity,” he says. “My face to face with the grinding poverty
hobby is being used by this incredible of the people they spend time with. www.simonlisterphotography.com
organisation [Unicef, the United Nations Instagram: @scilista
Children’s Fund charity], which is And this is nowhere more true than
showing my images, projecting them on the segments filmed in factories, where
buildings and putting them on billboards children have been sent to work from
in New York’s Times Square. an early age, and continue to do so in
“195 Unicef offices around the world conditions that are truly shocking. Both
are using my images on their social men are visibly affected by what they
see, and you will be, too.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 53

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FILMS ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHERS RENT OR BUY

Áǝƺȸƺ Əȸƺ ȵǼƺȇɎɵ Ȓǔ ȅȒɮǣƺɀ ƏƫȒɖɎ ȵǝȒɎȒǕȸƏȵǝƺȸɀ ٫ ȸƺƏǼ ƏȇƳ ǔǣƬɎǣȒȇƏǼ ٫ ƏɮƏǣǼƏƫǼƺ
ɎȒ‫ژ‬ɀɎȸƺƏȅ ȒȇǼǣȇƺِ ɖɎ ɯǝƺȸƺ ɎȒ ɀɎƏȸɎّ Rƺȸƺ Əȸƺ Ȓɖȸ ɎȒȵ ȸƺƬȒȅȅƺȇƳƏɎǣȒȇɀٌ

1 Rear Window 2 Blow-Up (1966) 3 City of God (2002) 4 Show Me The
(1954) Leading arthouse This Brazilian thriller is Picture: The Story
director Michelangelo loosely based on real events.
This classic Hitchcock film Antonioni decamped to Part coming-of-age movie, of Jim Marshall (2020)
Swinging London to shoot part crime-drama, it centres
needs little introduction. It this classic about a fashion around two friends in the The eponymous subject of
photographer (inspired by slums of Rio, whose life-
questions the lines between either David Bailey or Michael paths diverge as one this documentary was one
Cooper – opinion varies) who struggles to become a press
public and private, which is captures a murder on film photographer, the other a of the biggest rock ’n’ roll
while photographing a couple gangster. It’s a compelling
even more of an issue today. in a park. But the more he drama that moves at frenetic photographers of the 1960s
enlarges his prints, the less speed, and intoxicates you
James Stewart plays a sports he sees… A stylish film with with breathtaking and and 1970s, immortalising
David Hemmings as the lead. frequently terrifying scenes.
photographer laid up in his Amazon Prime, rent or buy Amazon Prime, rent or buy The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix

apartment with a broken leg, and many others. Marshall’s

with little else to do than to life was as colourful as the

watch the comings and musicians he photographed;

goings of the neighbours this 92-minute film brings

he overlooks. Then he thinks it to a wider audience.

he’s witnessed a murder… Showcase at Home,

Amazon Prime, rent or buy rent or buy

PODCASTS ENJOY THE LATEST PHOTOGRAPHY TRENDS

IǣǼǼ ɵȒɖȸ ƺƏȸɀ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ȵǝȒɎȒ ǕȒȒƳȇƺɀɀ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺɀƺ ǕȸƺƏɎ ƏɖƳǣȒ ɀǝȒɯɀِ Áǝƺɵ‫ټ‬ȸƺ ƏǼǼ
ƏɮƏǣǼƏƫǼƺ‫ژ‬ɮǣƏ JȒȒǕǼƺ ¨ȒƳƬƏɀɎɀً ȵȵǼƺ ¨ȒƳƬƏɀɎɀ ƏȇƳ ȒɎǝƺȸ ȵȒƳƬƏɀɎ ɀƺȸɮǣƬƺɀ

1 A Small Voice: 2 The Togcast 3 Graincast 4 Dive Stories
Conversations Specifically focused Three friends sit down It’s not strictly a
on landscape and travel to chat about photography podcast about photography,
With Photographers photography, this podcast and how it matters to them. but episode 1 of this new
is hosted by photographers The show’s discussions are series features world-
This fortnightly podcast Sam Gregory and Paul laid-back to the extreme, renowned conservation
Sanders. It includes gear frequently rambling and often photographers Paul Nicklen
delivers quality interviews reviews, interviews, image shooting off on wild tangents. and Cristina Mittermeier and
reviews and more. Verity Episode lengths vary wildly, is a rewarding listen. The pair
with a diverse range of Milligan, Michael Pilkington, clocking in at anything from share some of their incredible
Ben Osborne and Lizzie 30 to 90 minutes. This stories from the poles to the
world-class photographers. Shepherd have guested irreverent show between men tropics, plus their thoughts
recently; the tone is relaxed who are passionate about on ocean conservation,
With over 130 episodes to and chatty, but this easy their subject is definitely including their work with
listen is also inspirational. worth checking out. SeaLegacy and Only One.
date, interviewees have

included Zed Nelson, Tom

Oldham, Simon Norfolk and

Lynsey Addario. Episodes

typically last between one

and two hours, so host Ben

Smith really gets to dig deep.

54 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

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4‫ژ‬Bag a best-buy photo
product for home use

These top-rated photographic accessories will help you make the most of lockdown.
Full reviews at www.digitalcameraworld.com – click on the ‘Home working’ tab

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storage solution has them all.
Its tech spec offers an ideal powerful and just updated: From £275/$320 (4TB) versatile webcam is the best

compromise between price our best all-rounder for image all-round camera for video

and power. £620 editing. £1,099/$779 streaming. £176/$100

5 Webcam light 6 Photo printer 7 Scanner 8 Web conferencing
Rotolight Video Canon Pixma Plustek OpticFilm platform
Conferencing Kit. Transform TS9120/9150. Outstanding 8100. A maximum resolution
your virtual visage right out of print performance from this of 7,200dpi and superb Zoom. The easiest video
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9 Monitor for photo editing 10 All-in-one printer (prints, scans and copies)
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display is a great choice for photographers. £440/$500 Intuitive onboard controls via an OLED display. £120/$150

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 55

5‫ژ‬Send us your shots and
star in our photo gallery

(ǣǕǣɎƏǼ !ƏȅƺȸƏ ȸƺƏƳƺȸɀ ɀǝȒɯ ɖɀ ǝȒɯ Ɏǝƺɵ‫ټ‬ɮƺ ƫƺƺȇ ǕƺɎɎǣȇǕ ƬȸƺƏɎǣɮƺ ƏɎ ǝȒȅƺ

1 ‘Lady Beetle in Green’ by Andy Murdock Colour Efex Pro for the tonal contrast. The final elements would
“This shot wasn’t pre-planned, but rather the reaction have been the Topaz products, which are truly excellent.”
to a moment. I took it handheld, shooting vertically down a
sweetcorn plant, because the plant’s height meant that a tripod Digital Camera says: What a great shot – it takes you
wasn’t going to work. I wanted just the ladybird as the point of
focus so, shooting on my Sony A7R III with a 24-70mm f/2.8 G directly into the huge world of small insects. You don’t always
Master lens, I used an aperture of f/4.5. I did some basic editing need all the equipment to capture great images, as Andy has
in Lightroom, then cropped it in Photoshop and took it into proven here by shooting a handheld macro image without the
aid of a tripod. A beautiful job on the colours in post-production.

56 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

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2 ‘Blueberries’
by Ian Wardlaw

“In our digital photography group’s

monthly competition, the theme was

‘Blue’. I looked for some blue objects

to photograph and saw some

blueberries in the fridge, so I put

them in a bowl. This was then placed

in my small lightbox which has a

central hole to allow the camera

to be placed above the object.

“I used Camera Raw to improve

the exposure, colour and sharpness

before moving into Photoshop,

where I cropped the image to a

square. Next, I selected the bowl and

used the Dynamic Contrast filter in

ON1 Photo Raw to bring out more

detail. Then I found a suitable blue

background and used Blending

Modes to combine the two layers;

a further layer was added to give

a border and then blended in.”

Digital Camera says: This is a SEND US
YOUR IMAGES
great interpretation of the theme,
Ian. This is a shot any aspiring food Want to feature in this gallery?
photographer would be proud of. Then please email us a high-res
A lightbox is an incredibly handy image (at least 2.5MB) marked
instrument to have in your kit list for ‘Reader Images’ and including
food or product photography. The
lighter bowl helps to separate the a brief description to:
blueberries from the underlying
layer and border. Great tonal digitalcamera@
contrast on the berries themselves futurenet.com
brings in extra depth and shape.

3 ‘Jumping Out of
Lockdown’ by Alfie Yorke

“While I was out for a walk one day

this image came into my head. I asked

my little sister to run along the hay

bales and set my shutter speed to

1/400 sec. It was as simple as that.

During editing, I applied a preset

in Lightroom CC. I’m very pleased

with the results and wouldn’t change

anything about this photo.”

Digital Camera says: We can all

relate to this image. Photographs are
usually just moments in time, and we’re
sure that in the years to come, this
one will bring back some interesting
memories – 2020 was a strange time
for many families. It’s great that you
had some bright sunlight, enabling you
to increase your shutter speed and
capture your sister in sharp, crisp
motion between the hay bales.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 57

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4 ‘Ice Drop’ by
Mike Arevalo

“This photo was taken in April, as

part of a daily quarantine photo

challenge. The subject was ‘Water’,

and I really wanted to shoot a photo

where the water’s movement would

be frozen in mid-air. Once I decided

to use the glass, the rest of the

concept came quickly. I set up

a table and black backdrop with a

softbox on both sides, and shot with

an on-camera flash. From there,

I set up a 10-second self-timer to

shoot a burst of three shots; five

tries later I ended up with this.

“I made some basic adjustments

in Lightroom, boosting the contrast

and shadows and dropping the

blacks to get a crisp black look,

then cloned out a few distracting

water droplets. I couldn’t be

happier with the results.”

Digital Camera says: We love an

autumnal photo, and the trials and
tribulations of capturing this image
are exactly the reasons we love
photography in general. Sometime’s
it’s not the final shot that counts,
but the journey to get there. It
sounds like it was a little frustrating,
but fun, trying to get everything to
work on your own. We’d all love an
assistant on hand, but sometimes
you just have to make it work on
your own. Great job, Mike.

5 ‘Under the Jetty’
by Balbir Singh

“This image was taken at Coogee Beach

in Perth, Western Australia, using a Nikon

D7100 and Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 lens.

I tried a few shots before this one but couldn’t

get what I wanted. Then I put the camera on

a tripod and took a 30-second long exposure

with an aperture of f/9 at ISO 100. I edited

this frame in Lightroom Mobile, which I use

most of the time. The shot won a gold prize

in my local camera club competition, so

I was happy twice over. If I tried this shot

again, I would love to have a golden sky.”

Digital Camera says: Another image that

would perfectly fit a ‘Blue’ theme. The water
looks incredible; it was well worth setting up
the tripod to capture such an ethereal image
of the ocean below the jetty. Great sharpness
through using a mid-range aperture, and
the composition leads the eye around the
image, then draws us back to the centre.

58 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

6 ‘Vintage Converse’ by Hayley Waudby
“During the chaos of moving house, I took a break
by looking for a random subject to photograph. Kicking
off my favourite shoes, there it was – my Converse!
Shooting at 1/320 sec at f/3.5 and ISO 800 on my
Fujifilm X-T100, I used a simple setup: my lounge’s
coffee table and a clip-on LED reading light to get the
composition I wanted. Converting the shot to black-and-
white in Lightroom, I tweaked the texture and clarity to
give the final image a detailed, vintage finish. I started
out with a rough idea of what I wanted to achieve in
the shot and think I got pretty close – a retro feel
photographed from an interesting perspective.”

Digital Camera says: A great example of telling

a story through an inanimate object. The worn heels,
used laces and upturned toes mean these are a pair
of well-loved shoes. Downwards spot lighting creates a
natural vignette to draw the viewer’s eye to the subject.

7 ‘Reflection’ by
Dean Maddison

“This image of Loch Leven,

near Ballachulish, was taken

in November 2019, during

my trip to Glencoe.”

Digital Camera says: It must

be almost impossible to visit
Scotland and not come away with
a beautiful image of the landscape.
This is a classical yet fresh image.
The stillness of the water and
drama in the sky are held together
by the calm of the cliffs and boats.
An interesting wide crop gives this
a cinematic feel that wouldn’t be
out of place in a movie – it makes
you wonder whose boats they
are, and what they do with them.

8 ‘Conwy Castle at
Sunrise’ by Edyta Rice

“I waited several months for the right conditions to take this

photograph, aiming for high tides to coincide with soft, sunset

light on a calm, non-windy day. My main focus was to capture

perfect reflections and make the most out of this impressive,

symmetrical structure, which dates from the 13th century.

“Using my Nikon Z 6 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, I mounted

the camera on a tripod and framed the shot in such way that

full-water reflections and the surroundings of the castle were

visible. To enhance the sky, I used a NiSi polariser and a

three-stop NiSi graduated neutral-density filter. To finish off,

I took a separate shot of the sea defence wall and stitched them

both together using Photoshop. The bottom wall emphasises

the medieval look and provides a pleasing detail. I am pleased

with the result, but am also waiting for different conditions so

I can go back and capture the same scene in moody tones.”

Digital Camera says: There’s a really warm and calming

feel to this image. Waiting for reflections to be perfectly still
is a challenge in itself; people often forget the composition
of the reflections, sometimes cropping off the mirrored image
in the water. So we were happy to see it all there… twice!

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READER GALLERY EXTRA!

Thanks to all readers who
submitted entries to issue 233’s
‘Transport’ Facebook challenge.
The standard of entries was very
high, and we couldn’t let the
sheer amount of steam train
image submissions pass without
a mention. So here’s a selection
of the shots that made the
DC team go a little loco…

1 ‘Standing at Pickering’
by Alan Edwards

“This was the last train of the day

on a round trip from Pickering to

Whitby on the North Yorkshire

Moors Railway, a route that’s

popular with railway enthusiasts

and Harry Potter fans. Earlier in

the day crowds of people were a

challenge, so I waited for the other

passengers to clear the platform, 2 ‘The Devonian
Express’ by
and was lucky to capture just two

at the far end. Lighting was a Colin Wallace

problem, as the dark engine was “I took this image at Totnes

under a canopy with just the front Station in Devon. The sun

illuminated by the sun. was in the best place when

“I converted the image to mono the train arrived. For editing,

using the Nik Silver Efex plugin in I cropped the left and right

Affinity Photo, locally adjusting side a little, lightened the

the tones in the shadow areas.” shadows slightly and

added a dab of Dehaze.”

Digital Camera says: You’ve Digital Camera says:

done a great job to balance the light Great to see the vintage
and retain detail while shooting and colours of the steam train:
in post-production, Alan. It was so many are shot in mono.
worth waiting for the clear platform!

3 ‘Tornado at Night’
by Nick Steadman

“This was taken at the Didcot Railway Centre

during a TimeLine event that featured the

wonderful Tornado engine. As darkness fell,

I really wanted to capture a long-exposure

shot of the steam, which we don’t see much of

these days. The shot was taken with a Pentax

K-1 with a 6 sec exposure at f/7.1, ISO 100 at

a focal length of 105mm. As I didn’t want the

light in the background to be too intrusive,

the original shot was quite dark. So the image

was lightened, then cropped to remove

some distractions in the background, and

sharpened using a High Pass filter layer.”

Digital Camera says: Quite an ambitious

attempt at shooting longer exposures, Nick,
but it has worked well here. Although the train
is static, the longer exposure has introduced
some movement into the scene. It has also
helped that you lifted the overall exposure.

60 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

4 ‘Majestic’ by Brian Johns
“I took this shot at an open day at the Didcot Railway Centre,
so it was access all areas, using my Nikon D7500 with a Sigma
10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens. I was looking to capture the power and beauty
of the engine, and the low wide-angle position just increased its size
and beauty! It was one of those moments when you’re on the platform,
the train approaches and comes to rest, then lets out a big gasp of
steam. The surroundings and weather conditions suggested a set
of monochrome images, so I carried out a basic monochrome
conversion and subsequent edit in Lightroom.”

Digital Camera says: Didcot must be the hub of vintage railway

photography! You couldn’t have said it better, Brian: the low, wide angle
used here is the main factor to creating such a striking image. And it’s
a pleasing conversion into mono using Lightroom’s powerful tools.

5 ‘Dawn Steam’ by John Snow
“I was shooting in Weybourne Yard on the North
Norfolk Railway. It was a stunning dawn and the sun was
quite sneaky, but all the locos were brewing up, and the
smoke and shadows were really amazing. I didn’t have my
stills camera with me, so instead used the Photo facility on
my Canon HF G30 camcorder. The loco is a British Railways
Standard Class 9F – 92203 ‘Black Prince’. I processed the
image in Photoshop and again in Photolemur 3.”

Digital Camera says: They say the best camera is the

one you have with you, John. You can see how a camcorder
struggles a little more with highlights compared with a
DSLR. But that point aside, this image has a great tone.

6 ‘Steam Day’ by Rod Birtles
“This was taken at Buckfastleigh on
the South Devon Railway. I had been looking
out for shots of people in cabs, and also liked
the view down between the trains. I spotted
this chap looking like he might get out, so
the two things came together. I moved a bit
closer when I first saw him, then waited for
the right moment. In Lightroom I cropped
the image slightly, changed the white balance
and increased the contrast, plus a bit of
texture and clarity. Then I used Silver Efex
for the black-and-white conversion.”

Digital Camera says: A great spot here,

Rod – and perfectly timed, with the subject
in mid-action. The organic framing by the
carriages and the railway beneath lead
our eyes directly down the centre of the
photograph, then up to the trees. The
mono conversion was a choice well-made.

7 ‘Topping Up’ by Clint Horsey
“On a journey from Corfe Castle to Swanage, we had to stop to take on
water. I sat immediately behind the engine in case any good shots presented
themselves; many did, and this was one of them. I only had my trusty Lumix
TZ-80 to hand, and selected the sepia filter to get that timeless feel.”

Digital Camera says: Being observant as a photographer is usually

where a photograph begins, Clint. It’s great that you had the foresight to be
in the right place at the right time to capture this timeless-feeling image.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 61



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STEP BY STEP

32 Light Leak
effects on
your disc

Before After

Add cool light leaks FILE & VIDEO

for the retro look! www.digital
cameraworld
Use our free light leak effects to style .com/dc235
up your shots with a creative filmic feel
from yesteryear in Photoshop CC

Jon Adams ack in the days of film, if you About your Light
Leak FX pack
Jon is a professional B opened your camera before
photographer and winding the roll back into the Our 32 Light Leak FX files offer different
writer. He also provides canister – or, even worse, if your variations of light leaks, so you can pick
one-to-one and small- camera’s film chamber wasn’t the version that works most effectively
group tuition in both light-tight – you’d get a curious, but rather with your shot. 16 of them are
digital SLR and Photoshop attractive effect. Accidentally exposing the film’s horizontal, and 16 are vertical, so
image-editing skills. edges to daylight would fog the emulsion with you can pick one from the set that
a fiery, colourful glow that had a real charm! matches the orientation of your image.
Here I’m going to recreate this effect so you
can apply it to any image. When you download this
issue’s disc, you’ll find 32 great light-leak effects,
all custom-made to let you mix up a cool retro
look. It works effectively with all kinds of different
subjects, but it’s particularly good for imbuing
a photo with a nostalgic feel.

64 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

STEP BY STEP

1 Choose your light leak 2 Resize the light leak
After you’ve copied the Light Leaks FX folder to your computer, To change the size and recompose the light leak to fit your
open the image you want to add light leaks to into Photoshop CC image, press Ctrl/Cmd+T, and drag the corner handles of
(or use the provided start file Portrait.jpg for practice). Go to File the Free Transform bounding box to adjust. To break out
> Open, and navigate to where you’ve put the Light Leaks FX of proportion and resize the light leak out of its A4 ratio,
folder. Choose the one you want and double-click on it to load hold the Shift key while dragging any of the control handles.
it up. (I picked lightleak 31.jpg here). When it’s on-screen, press If you want to fine-tune the position, use the cursor keys
Ctrl/Cmd+A, Ctrl/Cmd+C and Ctrl/Cmd+W to select, copy on the keyboard; if you want to rotate the light leak,
and close it. Back on your picture, press Ctrl/Cmd+V to paste drag the mouse cursor outside the bounding box.
in the light leak. In the Layers Panel (Window > Layers), click When you’re happy with the overall look and position,
where it says Normal and set the Blending Mode to Screen. press Return or double-click inside the Transform
You’ll see the light leak shine through the pic. bounding box. This will set down the changes.

3 Adjust the intensity of the light leak 4 Cross-process the image layer
To make the light leak effect more pronounced or more subtle, To get an authentic retro look, try cross-processing the image.
click on the Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers Panel and select To do this, click on the Background layer to make it active, then
Curves from the list. When the Curves palette appears, click the create another Curves Adjustment Layer. In the Curves palette,
Clip Layer icon in the bottom-left of the palette: this makes sure reduce contrast a little by moving the black point in the bottom-
the changes only apply to the light leak, not to the image. Now left 10-20% up the vertical scale. Now click in the box that says
click in the middle of the diagonal line and push the curve up to RGB, and select the Red channel. Bend the Curve into a gentle
make it bolder, or pull it down to reduce the impact. If you’re not S shape by pulling it down at the bottom and pushing it up at the
sure, don’t worry – it’s an Adjustment Layer, so you can come top. Now select the Blue channel, and do the opposite to form
back to this step at any point to make some more tweaks. a reverse-S curve. Save the image under a new name via File >
Save As… and use the Photoshop (PSD) format. This keeps
www.digitalcameraworld.com your layers intact so you can make changes in the future.

NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 65

PHOTOLAB

Before After

Take control of colour

with PhotoLab

Discover a new way to adjust
hue and saturation with DxO’s
powerful image editor

Alistair hotoLab 3 is the latest version Customise the interface
Campbell
P of DxO’s raw processing, lens Thanks to PhotoLab’s fully customisable
Digital Camera’s correction and photo editing graphical interface, you can unhook any
technique editor first software. One of the best photo panel from the column on the right and
used a DSLR to shoot editing programs on the market, place it wherever you like on the screen,
movies, but fell for PhotoLab offers all the tools of regular photo which gives you a little extra flexibility.
stills photography and editors, but takes a different direction from
has never looked back. many of its rivals, putting raw processing www.digitalcameraworld.com
and lens corrections front and centre. It can
extract extraordinary image quality even
from the most humble camera equipment.
PhotoLab 3’s ColorWheel is a new way to
manipulate hue, saturation and lightness.
Rather than using familiar sliders for each
of the colour channels, PhotoLab 3 offers
a more visual approach. Here’s how it works…

66 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020

PHOTOLAB

1 Import your image 2 Select a colour channel
PhotoLab gives you a great starting point to Let’s get started by selecting one of the eight predetermined
work from, improving your image on import colour channels to adjust, by clicking the dot at the top of the
with various tweaks to your raw or JPEG file. Color Wheel panel. Start with red. You’ll notice that a small
Taking care of the camera, lens calibration and minor exposure section of the wheel is now highlighted by five small white
and tonal details means you can quickly get to work on colour circles. If you continue to click across the rest of the colours
to deliver your own personal style and aesthetic. Here I’ve at the top of the panel, you’ll notice that not all of their areas
imported an image that contains four different areas on the wheel are the same size. This depends on how much
of colour: green, yellow, red and some blue. of that colour is in the image. When I select green on my
example photo, it covers a much larger area on the wheel.

3 Select a wider 4 Adjust saturation
range of For the purposes of this
tutorial, I’ve increased the
colours saturation to the maximum
setting, so we can see which
If you go back to the red areas are being affected.
The white circles on the
color selection, you can outer area of the colour
wheel can also be moved.
select a wider range of This is to determine the
transition (or blending) of
colour by moving the the adjustments. The wider
the range, the more improved
white circles on the blending you will get. Turn the saturation back down to a normal
level, and use the final white circle to change the targeted
inside of the wheel. I’ve colour to another.

increased it here to

include some of the

orange tone, plus yellow

and some red-violet.

5 Experiment 6 Make
with colour adjustments

changes with Uniformity

Here I’ve selected violet The ColorWheel includes a

to create an obvious Uniformity slider, which can

visual difference. Our be used to make the colours

model and all the other in the selected range more

targeted areas have duly similar. We’ll initially use

become violet. Notice the slider by increasing it all

that if we home in on the way up to surround our

our model’s jeans, subject with an even green

though, they remain colour. (Notice that we’ve

blue: there is no bleed also extended the range of

into adjacent colours the green to incorporate

as you begin to change some of the yellow that

them. This is incredibly was also present in the

precise and very background). To conclude

powerful work by DxO. our colour adjustments,

Making a person purple may not be something you ever need to we’re going to do the same

do – but now we’re going to reset the image back to its starting with the red hues, to give

point, so that we can have a look at another way to use the a more even look across

wheel for better overall colour management. the clothing and skin.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 67

AFFINITY PHOTO

Before After

Clean up skin the easy way

Use Affinity Photo’s dedicated Frequency Separation
ƬȒȅȅƏȇƳ‫ژ‬ɎȒ ǣȅȵȸȒɮƺ ɀǸǣȇ ƏȇƳ ȸƺɎȒɖƬǝ ǔƏƬƺɀ

START FILE ffinity Photo offers a host Similarly, you can remove pimples and marks
on the high-frequency layer without harming
www.digital A of useful tools for portrait the colours underneath.
cameraworld retouching. Its healing and clone
.com/dc235 tools are ideal for removing marks In short, it means you can make our subjects
and imperfections, for example, look as if they’ve just had a two-hour mud mask
James while its tonal tools make it easy to boost tones facial treatment followed by a professional
Paterson and add impact to the eyes of a subject. Each makeup job, while still looking natural.
of these adjustments can be made on separate
With over a decade as a layers, which gives you the option to tone In this tutorial I’ll explain how to use Frequency
writer and photographer things down afterwards if an enhancement Separation, then how to finish off your portrait
behind him, James knows looks overcooked or unnatural – a common with impactful tonal changes to get your
exactly which Photoshop pitfall with retouching. subjects looking their best.
and Lightroom tools and One of the best features is the dedicated
techniques matter most. Frequency Separation command, which Radius control
effectively splits the image in two. A lower
layer holds low-frequency detail, which includes When you first engage the Frequency
tones and colours – in the context of a face, Separation command you’ll be asked to set
that’s basically the skin tones. The upper layer the radius for the effect. This determines the
has high-frequency detail, which includes all amount of blur applied to the low-frequency
of the fine, slightly more subtle textures, such layer. Setting the right amount is crucial. The
as skin pores and little lines on the face. exact figure depends on the resolution of your
By splitting the image in two like this, you can image and the size of the subject in the frame,
retouch one independently of the other. For so it has to be judged by eye. You want a radius
example, you could soften blotchy skin or bags that only just blurs the texture of the skin.
under eyes by cloning on the low-frequency
layer without obliterating all of the fine textures.

68 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

AFFINITY PHOTO

1 Frequency Separation 2 Remove uneven tones
Open the start file portrait_before in Affinity Photo. Press You’ll see two new layers in the Layers
Ctrl/Cmd+J to duplicate the background layer. Go to Filters > panel. Click the tick next to High Frequency to turn it off for
Frequency Separation. In the dialog box, choose a radius now and target Low Frequency. Grab the Healing Tool. Alt-click
that only just blurs the textures in the face and leaves gentle to sample a source near a blotchy patch of skin, then paint
transitions between the tones. Here it’s around 4px. Click Apply. to remove it. Continue working over the face.

3 Soft colour transitions 4 Retouch marks
The Clone Tool can also be useful for retouching the Low Highlight and reveal the High Frequency layer, then grab the
Frequency layer. Grab it from the toolbar, then press 2 for Healing Tool. Make sure it’s set to Current Layer in the tool
20% opacity. Alt-click to sample a clear part of the skin, options, then retouch little lines, pimples and small marks
then paint to tone down the bags under the eyes and on the skin. You can also use the Clone Tool to soften
the rough patches near the corners of the mouth. textures that might appear too harsh.

5 Boost the eyes 6 Enhance the tones
Make a new layer and set it to the Color Click the Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers Panel and choose
Dodge Blending Mode. Grab the Brush HSL. Target the Reds and lift luminosity slightly, then repeat for
Tool, then hold Alt and click to sample the Yellows. This gently lifts the skin. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer,
brown colour in the eyes. Paint over the iris to enhance the then plot an S-shaped curve to boost contrast. Target the Blues,
colours. If it’s too strong, lower the layer opacity to around 30%. and lift the bottom point upwards slightly as shown.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 69

CAMERA RAW

START FILE

www.digital
cameraworld
.com/dc235

Speedy HDR raw panoramas

Discover a handy feature in Camera Raw and Lightroom that
ƺȇƏƫǼƺɀ‫ژ‬ɵȒɖ‫ژ‬ɎȒ‫ژ‬ƬȸƺƏɎƺ‫ژ‬ǝǣǕǝǼɵ ƳƺɎƏǣǼƺƳ ȵƏȇȒȸƏȅƏɀ ǣȇ ɀƺƬȒȇƳɀ

James oth Photoshop’s Camera Raw start by using a tripod, engaging the camera’s
Paterson bracketing feature; next you shoot at least
B plugin and Lightroom have long three frames for the first ‘segment’
With over a decade as a offered separate features for of the panorama, then pan the camera
writer and photographer processing HDR exposures and horizontally (ensuring there’s a little overlap)
behind him, James knows combining panorama frames, and shoot another bracketed set, going
exactly which Photoshop but recently a new feature has been introduced on until the whole scene is covered.
and Lightroom tools and that combines the two tasks into one.
techniques matter most. Previously, you’d have to merge HDRs first then You may end up with a dozen or more shots;
stitch them into a panorama afterwards, but this thankfully they’re easily united with the Merge
handy command does both at once. It produces a To HDR Panorama feature in either the
detail-rich raw panorama with a heavily expanded Camera Raw plugin or Lightroom…
dynamic range, making it easier to tease detail
out of the tonal extremes. In this straightforward Perfect panos
tutorial, I’ll explain how it’s done.
There are many situations in which making You can save a lot of time and effort with some
a HDR panorama might be a useful technique. simple steps at the time you take your shots.
More often than not, the point of a panorama Use your autofocus system to find your focal
is to capture a sweeping landscape, which is point (preferably with a wide aperture like f/11
achieved by shooting several segments, then or f/16), then switch to manual focus to lock
stitching them together. With landscapes, those settings throughout your exposures.
though, there’s usually a slight imbalance It’s also a good idea to choose a White Balance
between land and sky – if you expose for the setting rather than relying on Auto, so that
sky, the land comes out dark, while exposing this doesn’t change between exposures.
for the land can end up blowing out the sky.
The solution is to shoot bracketed images
for each of these segments. Of course, you

70 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

CAMERA RAW

1 Open the image set 2 Begin the merge
Open Bridge and navigate to the set of panorama images. Click on Once the images are open, press Ctrl/Cmd+A to select all
the first image, then hold down Shift and click on the last image to the images, then right-click the selection and choose Merge
select them all. Right-click them and choose Open In Camera Raw To HDR Panorama from the resulting pop-up menu. After
from the resulting pop-up menu. (If you’re using Lightroom, a few seconds, the merged DNG image will appear in
import the photos and go to the Library Module.) the HDR Panorama Merge dialog box.

3 Experiment with projection 4 Fix the edges
The three processing options – Spherical, Cylindrical and Boundary Warp works by reshaping the edges of the panorama.
Perspective – at the top right each affect the way the panorama Here, dragging it to 80 allows you to correct for the tilt that’s
is stitched. Click through to find the best option for your image occurred in the set of shots (which often happens with
set. At this stage it can be useful to untick Auto Crop so you panoramas). You can then retick Auto-Crop to tidy up the
can see the edges. edges of the combined photo. Once you’re happy, click Merge.

5 Tidy up ghosting 6 Enhance the tones
One of the drawbacks of the HDR Panorama feature is that You can use tonal sliders and local adjustment
there’s no Deghost option – it can be found only when you merge tools to enhance your shot. Get the Graduated
stand-alone HDRs. For us, slight movement has caused ghosting Filter Tool, click the minus icon next to the Exposure slider and
in these flowers. Grab the Spot Removal Tool from the toolbar drag down from sky to land. Boost Dehaze to make the clouds
and paint to remove them. more intense, then make any final adjustments.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 71

PHOTOSHOP

GɯVƳȒEǣȸǕǼIƳTǣDɎِƏƬǼȒƬTEȅƏȅHOٖƳƺƬEȸ!‫א‬Ə‫דב‬

After

Create amazing
top dog portraits

Combine images with Blending
xȒƳƺɀ‫ژ‬ƏȇƳ ǼƏɵƺȸ ɀǸǣǼǼɀ ǔȒȸ Ə ȵɖȵ
ȵȒȸɎȸƏǣɎ‫ژ‬ɯǣɎǝ ƺɴɎȸƏ‫ژ‬ȵɖȇƬǝ

James FILE & VIDEO hoto shoots rarely go exactly to Before
Paterson
www.digital P plan, especially if you’re working a way that looks perfectly natural. This kind of
With over a decade as a cameraworld with children or animals. While compositing is easier than it seems – especially
writer and photographer .com/dc235 photographing the dog here, my if, like here, the subject was shot against a plain
behind him, James knows idea was to create a shot with backdrop (or if a tripod was used to keep the
exactly which Photoshop water drops flying out from the dog’s head at frames in alignment).
and Lightroom tools and all angles. But it proved tricky to get the dog
techniques matter most. to play ball, and even when I managed to get We can use the Lighten Blending Mode,
a usable shot, it didn’t have the scattering of so the droplets show through but the dark
water drops I wanted. However, I did have other backdrop does not, then fine-tune the blend
frames where the dog wasn’t right, but the with a Curves adjustment and, if needed,
water drops were plentiful. This meant I could use a Layer Mask to control what is visible.
piece together the drops and the dog from These skills are useful for all kinds of projects.
different frames to craft the shot I wanted.
When you have several similar shots of
the same thing, all taken under the same
conditions, it can make sense to piece together
the best bits. It’s all about augmenting the
in-camera results to improve the image in

72 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

PHOTOSHOP

Select the splash Copy and blend

1 Open the four start images in Photoshop CC, then go to image 2 Bring up the Layers Panel (Window > Layers),

three. Grab the Lasso Tool and drag it to make a rough selection then change the Blending Mode dropdown at the

over part of the splash in the background. Now grab the Move top from Normal to Lighten. Now only the pixels that are lighter

Tool. Drag the selected area up to the tab of image two, then than those on the layer below will show through, so the splashes

down into the image to copy the selection over. appear, but the dark background behind will be invisible.

Boost the highlights Mask the edges

3 We can enhance the splashes with a Curves Adjustment. Press 4 Bring in more splashes and drops in the same way. In the splash

Ctrl/Cmd+M, then drag the top part of the Curves line upwards we’ve used here, the edges of the selection look unnaturally hard.

to lighten the layer. Next, you want to pin the lower part of the In this case, a Layer Mask helps to soften the transition. Click the

curve downwards by placing a point: this darkens the shadow Add Mask icon in the Layers Panel, then use a soft-edged brush

tones, so the original backdrop stays hidden. tip and paint black over the image to soften the edges.

Build it up Enhance the tones

5 We can reuse layers and position them 6 The Camera Raw filter is ideal for those final tonal tweaks.

around the frame to build up the effect. Using the Move Tool, Highlight the top layer and press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Alt+E to

hold down Alt and drag a layer to make a quick copy. Try rotating merge a copy of everything, then go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.

layers to mix things up. Tick Show Transform Controls in the Choose a Profile in the browser to the right and use the tonal

Move Tool options, then drag the bounding box to rotate the layer. sliders in the Basic Panel to add Clarity and Contrast.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 73

7YINOWVUAIGRYOSPTRHOAOTTEOS

Benedict Brain reveals ways to enrich
the creative process of making photos

t’s been over two years since I started

I writing the Art of Seeing column for
Digital Camera. During this time I’ve
realised that not only is that act of
writing about photography an
interesting creative exercise in its own right, but it’s
also a good opportunity to take stock of my creative
process. I’ve noticed that there are certain ways
of working I use that shape the way I approach
photography. So this feature is aimed at giving you
a whistle-stop tour of seven ways of approaching
image-making that I think will help you on
your photographic journey.
This guide is less about mastering the basics of
photography and learning new and fancy techniques,
and is more focused on attitude and adding layers
of depth, thought and creativity. It’s about working
on long- and short-form projects, looking for
beauty in the everyday, writing about the process,
experimenting, and relishing in the sheer joy of
photography, along with daring to break out of your
comfort zone and learning to see like your camera.
It might seem a bit arty-farty at first – but
I guarantee that if you adopt some of these ideas
and feed them into your image-making, you will
grow as a photographer…

RIGHT:
Man on mobility scooter,
Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

Nikon D850 with Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 at 56mm

f/7.1 1/800 ISO
sec 100

CONTENTS page 76
77
Read, write and research 78
Learn to see with ‘camera vision’ 80
Shoot beauty and the banal 82
Experiment! Six ways to get creative 84
Express yourself in your images 85
Start a project – or a few
Break free from your comfort zone

74 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

Ben Brain

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 75

TAKE NOTE: READ,

‫ژ׏‬WRITE AND RESEARCH

Get into the habit of keeping a notebook and writing about why you
take photos. It will make you a better photographer – guaranteed

t might seem like a bit of a

I drag, but the act of writing
about your photography is
a great place to start your
creative journey. In the first
instance, it’s exceptionally useful to keep
a notebook and make a note of functional
information about your shots: camera
settings, the location, weather conditions,
the date, time of day and so on… But more
importantly, make a note about what you
saw and why you photographed it in
the way you decided to.
There’s no need to get too hung up
on writing beautiful prose – although
that’s always nice. If writing doesn’t come
naturally to you, that’s OK – but try to
write something. Not only will it help you
articulate your thoughts and what you’re
trying to communicate, it will also provide
a fascinating insight into your creative
growth over time.
I wish I had started keeping a log like this
earlier on in my photographic life. It’s also
a useful skill to develop as in the future
you may need to write an artist statement
for a website, exhibition and so on.

GET INSPIRED THREE WAYS TO FEED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

1 Photography books 2 Online galleries 3 Make your own book
Looking at and studying the Online galleries are easy to access I’ve spent 30 years slowly building
work of good photographers is one of and are free, but they can be a little my collection, and I use it as a constant
the best lessons you can have. Pick a sterile. The experience is rarely gratifying resource for inspiration. Making your
photographer who inspires you, or who or does the work justice. But look through own photo book is now more accessible
is an expert in the subject matter you photographers’ websites and portfolios than it has ever been – so not only can
are interested in. Looking through books to draw constant inspiration, and follow you start to build a collection of books by
can be a great source of inspiration. photography groups and photographers photographers you admire, you can also
While exhibitions are great, they’re on Instagram and Facebook, where add your own to the shelves. Produce
not always easy to get to, especially you might find a style that you want your own photobook with the many
in these times of Covid-19. to recreate, or draw from. websites that offer this service.

76 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOS

LEARN TO SEE WITH

‫‘ژא‬CAMERA VISION’

Be at one with your gear
ƏȇƳ ǼƺƏȸȇ ǝȒɯ ɎȒ‫ژ‬ɀƺƺ Ɏǝƺ
world through your camera

apturing the world through

C the mechanics, electronics
and optics of a camera is
a very different experience

to looking at the world

through your eyes. Learning to see how

your camera ‘sees’, and mastering the

ability to pre-visualise how your image

will look when it’s taken in a certain way,

will help you refine your photographic

creativity and give you the tools to

fully express yourself.

The two images below are essentially

the same scene taken at more or less the

same time, but both are totally different

in the feel they evoke. Both have been PRO TIP
realised by using different combinations
of settings and accessories. Neither

image is any better or worse than the Be kit wise

other: they’re just different. Having Really take the time to get

a sense of what you’re trying to to know how to control every

communicate will determine how you aspect of your camera so it’s
will use your camera to release this. second nature, and you can

change settings without

CASE STUDY YOUR CREATIVE TOOLBOX thinking too hard.

Use different techniques and settings to evoke different moods and emotions

1 Intentional camera movement 2 On-camera flash
A slow shutter speed such as 1/4 sec without a tripod Using on-camera flash has transformed the same scene
has introduced a sense of movement into this image, giving it an into a completely different image. The shutter speed is faster than
impressionistic feeling. Intentional camera movement is a popular the other image, so the tree is crisp and sharp,and the flash has
technique, but the real skill is knowing when you use it. Once illuminated the tree in a ghostly way. Isn’t it fascinating that by
you’ve mastered a technique, keep it in your creative toolbox simply changing a few settings and adding some flash, it’s
and only call upon it when it’s appropriate. Technique for possible to completely change the look and feel of
technique’s sake can be shallow and vacuous. a photograph and how it might be read?

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 77

‫ژב‬SHOOTING BEAUTY
AND THE BANAL

Embrace the everyday and get into the habit of taking pictures all the time

t is undeniably a PRO TIP WHY 1
THIS SHOT
I wonderful experience WORKS 23
to be taking photos at a
‘perfect’ location, at the 1 Study the scene 3 Think about colour
‘perfect’ time, in ‘perfect’ Even when you think The colour harmonies and tonality
conditions – but in reality, that doesn’t there’s nothing obvious to have also been handled to draw attention
happen often. And if you just sit around photograph, you can stumble to the subtle beauty of the scene.
waiting for it to happen, the chances across a scene like this, if you’re
are you won’t be taking many photos. looking with the right attitude.
One of the keys to growing as
a photographer is to take lots of 2 Composition
photographs. The more you are Careful and mindful
involved in the act of making consideration has been given
images, the better you will be. to the composition, ensuring the
The good news is that you can make verticals are straight and so on.
images anywhere and everywhere, at This helps ‘elevate’ the scene
any time. Whether you live in an urban to be worthy of attention.
metropolis, the wild countryside or
in suburban sprawl, there are myriad
photo opportunities. Sure, you might
have to look a little harder – but the
harder you look, the more you will see.

78 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOS

PRO ADVICE BE MINDFUL OF ANY OVERLOOKED LITTLE
CORNERS AND CONSIDER THEIR VISUAL POTENTIAL

Three seemingly banal scenes that seem more interesting when ‘seen with a keen eye…

1 Palm and building 2 A ship’s ladder 3 Under the A46, Bath
The dull wall of an office building can This simple ladder on the top of an The underpass of a highway might not
be transformed by composing the frame in air conditioning unit is a purely functional be top of the UK’s beauty spots, but don’t let
a way that draws attention to the graphic, feature, but one that can take on a visual this put you off seeking these little corners
geometric shapes, lines, tones and textures, beauty all of its own. The key to this out. Learning how to see and compose in
especially contrasted against the organic composition is the very small, but important situations like this will serve you well in
surface of the palm tree. While the image slither of background in the bottom-left other areas, too. Perhaps these quite
looks good in colour, converting it to black corner. This gives the image a sense of often overlooked places can be used
and white also helps emphasise the depth, and the dark tones contrast to communicate something on a
shapes and tones. well with the bright white. deeper or more visceral level.

CASE STUDY LOOK HARD AND LEARN TO SEE THE SHOT

1 Point of view VERSION 2
The trio of palm trees
in both these images are
the same; indeed the shots
were taken within minutes of
each other. As you can see,
deciding what to keep in or
out of the frame can totally
alter the view of the world
that you choose to show.

2 Previsualise VERSION 1

The second photo was pre-visualised as a black-and-white image.

Using the in-camera film simulation mode helped me to ‘see’ the shot.

3 Learn to look
Learn to look and take notice of everything, and you will start to see
images everywhere, even in seemingly bland locations. On first impressions,
this semi-industrial location on a particularly dull and drab day appeared
devoid of photogenic opportunities. However, a little time spent wandering
with curious eyes soon revealed some visual potential.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 79

INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOS

‫ژג‬EXPERIMENT! SIX WAYS
TO GET CREATIVE

Learn new skills and techniques, have fun and embrace the joy of photography…

he best way to build up 3D imaging or enjoying the delights of Once you’ve mastered a technique the real
multiple exposures, your experiments will art is knowing when and when not to use it.
T your creative toolbox is all serve to help you better understand All too often photographers will use a
to experiment with new the art, craft and science of photography. technique, just for the sake of it, because
techniques, ideas and it’s kind of cool, or gets lots of likes on social
approaches. No doubt you’ll It’s also good to get into the habit of media. Those aren’t good reasons. The best
fall in love with some techniques and fail to asking yourself, “What would it look like approach is to call on your repertoire of
see what all the fuss about is with others. if I did this?” Chances are there’ll be a lot techniques and skills and make a technical,
Either way, experimenting is a vital part of failures, but occasionally you’ll discover creative response that’s appropriate to
of the creative process. Whether you’re something awesome that works brilliantly your vision of the situation.
messing around with pinhole cameras, and gives you something to build on.

2 Pinhole photography
It is possible to take a photograph without a lens, and it’s
great fun using just a very small pinhole! There are many ways
to enjoy this process: some photo-sensitive paper and an old tin
can is a cheap and effective method; you can convert your digital
camera’s body cap; or you can purchase specialist hand-made
pinhole cameras. Not only is it fun and creative, but it will also
help you understand some basic principles of photography.

Things to consider…
• Slow shutter: a pinhole is typically very small, so exposure times

will be very long – you’ll need to keep your camera steady.
• Trial and error: Pinhole photography is slow and simple.

Don’t rush it: have fun and enjoy the process.
• Composition: It will be a challenge with a film-based pinhole

camera to frame your image, as there’s no viewfinder.

1 Slo-mo mojo
Using slow shutter speeds to capture milky water and
silky clouds is an ever-popular technique. It’s a fiddly process to
master, and there are lots of elements to get right (or wrong).
First, you’ll need a sturdy tripod and remote triggers. You’ll
also need neutral-density filters, and you’ll have to calculate
the extended exposure time. All of this can be plagued by wind
vibration, shutter shake and myriad other frustrations. However,
once you’ve nailed it, it does look cool and renders the world
and captures time in a distinctly photographic way.

Things to consider...
• Show restraint: Use slow-shutter techniques when it’s

appropriate for your vision, not every time you see moving water!
• Intentional camera movement: You don’t always have to keep the

camera steady: for an impressionistic effect, try using a slow
shutter speed while hand-holding your camera or while panning.

80 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020

3 On-camera flash 4 3D anaglyph
On-camera flash has been used in this shot and it wouldn’t Why not add another dimension to your photography?
typically be considered an ‘appropriate’ way to photograph in the Simply take two consecutive photos, moving your camera a
landscape. However, in the spirit of experimentation, it’s good to centimetre or so to the right between shots. Merge the images
ask yourself: “Why not? And what would it look like if I used flash?” as layers in one Photoshop file, and change the Layer Style
Blending options to create the red/cyan offset look. Put
Things to consider… on some red/cyan 3D glasses, and bingo.
• Apply intent: Flash helps define the crisp, graphic shape of
Things to consider…
the leaves, and the hard shadow emphasises their sharpness. • For your viewing pleasure: You can purchase 3D red/cyan
• Flash settings: Experiment with flash power settings to get
glasses easily and cheaply online.
the right balance between foreground and background.

5 Multiple-exposure 6 Abstract composition
Most digital cameras will allow you to shoot multiple Creating an image that is non-representative of a specific
exposures in-camera; some will restrict you to just two images, place, object or person is a great way to flex your creative muscles
while others offer many more. Either way, the layering of images and hone your eye. Colours, tones, shapes and textures can all be
on top of one another is great fun. Here, 10 images of trees used to great effect; while not specifically representative, they may
were stacked together in-camera using multiple exposures, serve well to evoke a mood or emotion. This image is of the side of
in an attempt to capture the energy of the wind. a ship… but it’s not about the ship – it’s about colour and shape.

Things to consider… Things to consider…
• Start small: Start by just layering two images, so you get • Get close: Isolate parts of a scene so it’s not obviously

a good sense of how the images blend. clear what it is you’re looking at.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 81

‫ژד‬EXPRESS YOURSELF
IN YOUR IMAGES
Photography can be so much more than just a visual record: try using it to
ɀƏɵ‫ژ‬ɀȒȅƺɎǝǣȇǕ‫ژ‬ƏƫȒɖɎ Ɏǝƺ ɯȒȸǼƳ ɵȒɖ Ǽǣɮƺ ǣȇ Ȓȸ ǝȒɯ ɵȒɖ Əȸƺ ǔƺƺǼǣȇǕ ƏƫȒɖɎ ǣɎ

ry thinking of photography PRO TIP THE STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE

T as a language: just as you 1 Geography 1 3
use spelling and grammar, This image was taken in the 2
structure sentences, and desert near the Pacific coast of
express yourself through Peru; superficially it describes
words, you can do the same with photos. a cactus plant in the desert.
In the same way the written word can
take on many forms, such as journalism or 2 Metaphor
poetry, the language of photography can Including human traces in
also be used in a variety of ways. Perhaps the frame, such as the intruding
you are drawn to be the visual equivalent hose pipe and pavement, adds
of a poet or a journalist: what you choose meaning and speaks to humanity’s
to show in your images and the way in relationship with the natural world.
which you show it will act as a signal
to the viewer and help tell your story. 3 Autobiography
You’ll need to first understand the The subtle colour palette
fundamentals of photography, but once and delicate handling of the light tones evoke the sense of place I felt at the time.
you’ve got that nailed, adding a little depth
and meaning to your work and expressing
how you feel about the world around
you will make your photos truly
stand out from the crowd.

82 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOS

CASE STUDY TWO TAKES ON GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK

Two images taken at more or less the same time can communicate very different stories

1 The Lost Frontier, Alaska 2 Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
These two images were taken within a few moments of each This image has a more ‘classic’ landscape vibe to it, and was
other. By taking a step back to include the deck of the ship and the the kind of photograph most of the passengers clamouring for space
passengers marvelling at the glacier, the image takes on a different against the ship’s rails were trying to capture. One is not necessarily
meaning. It becomes less about a beautiful picture of the landscape, better or worse than the other, but it is fascinating to note how your
and is more anchored in the tradition of documentary photography, point of view and what you decide to keep in or out of the frame
making a comment on mass tourism in the area. alters the way a picture is viewed and interpreted.
Fujifilm GFX 50R with 63mm f/2.8 lens Fujifilm GFX 50R with 63mm f/2.8 lens
1/340 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100 1/200 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

GET INSPIRED THREE BOOKS YOU MUST READ

1 Beauty in Photography 2 On Being a Photographer 3 Approaching Photography
by Robert Adams by David Hurn and Bill Jay by Paul Hill

A fascinating book, in particular This simply splendid volume is an The third edition of this wonderful book is

where Adams talks about landscape absolute must for your photography just about to be published, a testament to

photography and what in his view makes book collection. It’s a delightfully its enduring relevance. Using work by Hill

an engaging photo. Adams suggests accessible and candid conversation himself along some of photography’s

that focusing solely on geography, between the acclaimed photographers biggest names, Approaching Photography

autobiography or metaphor can result in David Hurn and Bill Jay. The duo discusses looks at photos as modes of expression.

boring images that are mere record shots, everything from the philosophy of art The first edition was published in 1982,

self-indulgent or pretentious; but he also and language to the best footwear to use. and this version has been updated to

suggests that if you can work all three Whether you’re new to photography or reflect the world of digital photography,

elements into an image, it can start have been at it for years, you’re sure but at its core Paul Hill’s analysis

to have meaning and interest. to benefit from their wise words. continues to offer valuable insight.

www.aperture.org www.lenswork.com www.routledge.com

83

INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOS

‫ژה‬START A PROJECT, OR A
FEW AT THE SAME TIME!

Stop thinking in terms of individual images, and use projects to give your work
ǔȒƬɖɀ‫ژ‬ƏȇƳ‫ژ‬ƳǣȸƺƬɎǣȒȇً ɯǝƺɎǝƺȸ ɵȒɖ‫ټ‬ȸƺ ƺɴȵǼȒȸǣȇǕ Ə Ɏǝƺȅƺ Ȓȸ ƳƺɮƺǼȒȵǣȇǕ Ə ɎƺƬǝȇǣȷɖƺ

W orking on a photo PRO TIP TELL A STORY
project that involves
multiple images, taken My project The Lost Frontier
is an ongoing inquiry into the
around a central theme impact of mass tourism in
Alaska. It fits in with a bigger
or idea, is a great way to ongoing project called
Modern Nature, which
approach your photography. Thinking rumbles on and is concerned
with humanity’s relationship
in terms of individual images is fine, with nature. Research fuels
the projects; as I learn more
but can leave the viewer wanting about the subject, the
photography and what
more. As a creative process, working I choose to shoot changes.
It’s a journey informed not
on a long- or short-form project only by photography, but by
news, geopolitics and science.
takes you on a creative journey,

and the images can evolve in

exciting ways as you discover

more about your subject.

Think of it as the difference

between a hit single and an enduring

album. Individual images become

part of the bigger story; some

pictures play significant roles while

others might be subordinate. It’s a

great way to give your work clout.

CASE STUDY OCEAN VIEW

This simple ongoing project is about the ever-changing beauty of the ocean

1 Consistency 2 Composition 3 Combined effect
The idea of repetition is central Using a formal approach, I always Individually each image looks fine,
to this project. By choosing to frame ensure before I shoot that the horizon is but as a group presented on a gallery wall,
and compose the image in exactly the dead central and level. This is an easy in a book or even on Instagram, they work
same way with each shot, I’m drawing rule for me to remember, even if it’s been really well, and reinforce the ideas I was
the viewer’s attention to the ever- a while since I last shot for this series; hoping to communicate. I have seen
changing beauty of the ocean. The wherever I happen to be in the world, some great projects that use a form of
variety of tones, colour and weather I can easily apply the same approach and repetition like this, such as Martin Parr’s
is emphasised by the repetition. add to a growing collection of images. index of Scotland’s red postboxes.

84 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

‫ژו‬BREAK FREE FROM
YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Áȸɵ ƳǣǔǔƺȸƺȇɎ Ǖƺȇȸƺɀ Ȓȸ ƳƏȸƺ ɎȒ ȵǝȒɎȒǕȸƏȵǝ ɎǝǣȇǕɀ ɵȒɖ ɯȒɖǼƳȇ‫ټ‬Ɏ ȇȒȸȅƏǼǼɵ ɀǝȒȒɎ

t’s all too easy to get stuck in is scary, especially if you don’t already ABOVE: Portraits taken
know them or you don’t have a personal in Papua New Guinea
I a creative rut. It’s also easy connection. While it can be daunting, if
to play it a little safe and stick you pluck up the courage and politely ask a This trio of portraits was made during a
to shooting the types of stranger if you can take their portrait, they’ll fleeting visit to the small and delightfully
photograph you know best. nearly always oblige. And if they say no, it’s remote island of Kitava in Papua New
However, if you challenge yourself to break no big deal: just ask someone else. I used Guinea. For the most part, everyone
the mould or dare to photograph things you to have a big hangup about this, but I have I asked was happy to have their photo
would normally shy away from, chances are overcome my fear and will often seek out taken. Before asking, ensure you have
it’ll make you a better photographer. For interesting people to photograph. your settings right so you don’t waste
many, the idea of making portraits of people their time fiddling around with menus.

THE CHECKLIST INVIGORATE YOUR PHOTOS WATCH BEN’S
TIPS VIDEO
1 Write engage in the act of taking depth and meaning to your
Keep a notebook photographs everywhere, work. For example, are you the Recorded for The
or journal and write a few anywhere and every day. visual equivalent of a poet or Photography Show 2020,
sentences about your images. Don’t restrict yourself to are you a photojournalist? Ben’s 24-minute video
Make a note of more than just honeyspot chocolate-box offers more creative
the technical details – consider locations at the magic hour. 6 Project photography inspiration
why you have made an image. Work on projects big and and practical advice, and
4 Experiment small, but try to think in terms is on this issue’s disc.
2 Camera vision Try new techniques of bodies of work rather than www.digitalcamera
Learn how to visualise and ways of approaching individual images. world.com/dc235
the way your camera sees, photography, and build the
and be at one with its features most successful experiences 7 Comfort zone
and functions so that they into your creative toolbox. Challenge yourself to
become second nature. work in areas that you don’t
5 Speak photo normally gravitate to, or try new
3 Take more shots Think of photography as things: you may be surprised at
Embrace the banal and a language, and try to add more what you learn in the process.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 85

Lexi Laine

Fine-art photographer

Title: Cardumen
Location: Tulum, Mexico
Date: 2020
www.lexilaine.co.uk

Lexi Laine exi Laine is an
artist who works in
tShheotmoof nth
L photography. Based
Lexi Laine takes to the water and scoops on the south coast
Ɏǝƺ‫ ژ‬ƺƏɖɎǣǔɖǼ ǣɿƏȸȸƺ ǣ!ƏȇɮƏɀ ¨ǝȒɎȒ ɯƏȸƳ of the UK, Laine
specialises in creating
86 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 ethereal underwater scenes in some
of the most pristine locations around
the globe. She has spent several
years training as a freediver to extend
the amount of time she can stay
underwater. Rather than using scuba
equipment, Laine chooses instead to
undertake all of her work on a single
breath-hold. More often than not, her
photographs depict a single female
or multiple women, featuring highly
skilled freedivers as the subjects.
This year she received the Beautiful
Bizarre Art Prize iCanvas Photography
Award for this image: ‘Cardumen’,
meaning shoal, is inspired by heavenly
scenes in baroque frescoes. Pale
limbs and delicate fabric form a stark
contrast to the dark muted tones and
the eerie branches. The circumstance
of these women seems incongruous,
but somehow their movement is
fluid and harmonious.
“Through my photography, I aim to
capture the feeling of being in another
world,” says Laine. “I enjoy exploring
contrasts; creating images that portray
the otherworldly beauty of natural
underwater environments, but often
with elements that seem incongruous.
“I’m driven by looking forward into
a potentially dystopian future, while
at the same time being influenced
by mythology and historical painting.
I greatly admire the aesthetic of
renaissance and baroque artists,
and the way they
used light to add
drama to the scenes
they depicted.”
beautifulbizarre.net

www.digitalcameraworld.com

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www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 87

Laurent Ballesta / Wildlife Photographer of the YearHighly Commended, Under Water
The Night Shift by Laurent Ballesta, France
As darkness falls on the remote coral Fakarava Atoll in French
Polynesia, the molluscs begin to move. These large topshells –
reaching 15 centimetres across the base – spend the day hiding
in crevices among corals, usually on the outer fringes of the reef,
withstanding the strong currents and surf. At night, they emerge
to graze on algal pavements and coral rubble.

Their thick, cone-shaped shells, shown encrusted with algae,
were so sought after – to make mother-of-pearl buttons,
jewellery and other handicrafts – that the species was once the
world’s most traded invertebrate. This led to its widespread
decline, and it is now the focus of conservation efforts.

Cruising behind these slow grazers is one of the reef’s top
predators – a grey reef shark, nearly two metres long – capable
of speeds of nearly 50 kilometres per hour and ready for a night’s
hunting. It pinpoints prey (mostly bony reef fish) with its acute
senses and often hunts in packs.

Using a wide angle, Laurent framed the night life stirring
beneath the reflections of the reef, contrasting the close-up,
angular topshells with the sleek predator behind.
Nikon D4S with 17–35mm f/2.8 lens in Seacam housing;
1/250 sec at f/11; ISO 800

Hotshots

Commended images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 – the
Natural History Museum’s showcase for the world’s best nature photos

Hotshots

Charlie Hamilton James / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

i

Highly Commended, Wildlife Photojournalism: Single Image
Amazon Burning by Charlie Hamilton James, UK
A fire burns out of control in Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil. A single tree remains standing – “a monument to human stupidity,” says
Charlie, who has been covering deforestation in the Amazon for the past decade. The fire would have been started deliberately to clear a
logged area of secondary forest for agriculture or cattle farming. In 2015, more than half the state’s primary forest was destroyed by fires
started by illegal logging on indigenous land. Burning has continued in the state, exacerbated by drought, as land has been cleared, legally
and illegally. Deforestation causes the destruction of biodiversity and the loss of the livelihoods of the people who depend on it.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with 24–105mm f/4 lens at 40mm; 1.6 sec at f/4, ISO 3,200

i

Highly Commended, Arshdeep Singh / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
11-14 Years Old
Treetop Douc by
Arshdeep Singh, India
When his father planned
a business trip to Vietnam,
Arshdeep read about the
endangered red-shanked
douc langur and asked to
come along. The meeting
was near Son Tra Nature
Reserve, a rainforest
stronghold for the langur.

Arshdeep struggled to
hold his lens steady and
shoot at a clear angle but,
just for a second, the langur
glanced at him – it was the
moment he had come for.
Nikon D500 with 500mm
f/4 lens; 1/1,600 sec at f/4
(-0.7EV), ISO 560

90 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

Evie Easterbrook / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

i Highly Commended, Wildlife Photojournalism:
Single Image
Paired-Up Puffins by Evie Easterbook, UK Memorial to the Albatrosses by Thomas P Peschak,
Highly Commended, 11-14 Years Old Germany/South Africa
A pair of Atlantic puffins in vibrant breeding plumage Unlikely as it seems, this display illustrates a conservation
pause near their nest burrow on the Farne Islands, success story. It represents the reduced number of seabirds
off Northumberland. Evie had longed to see a puffin; caught on longlines set by Japanese tuna-fishing boats off
when school broke up, she and her family managed South Africa’s coast. A boat’s main line can extend for more
two day trips to Staple Island in July. She stayed by than 80km, with thousands of baited hooks. In recent years,
the puffins’ burrows, watching the adults returning more seabird-friendly fishing practices have dramatically
with mouthfuls of sand eels. Puffins form long-term reduced the annual bird bycatch off South Africa.
pairs; Evie concentrated on this pair, aiming for Nikon D5 with 24–70mm f/2.8 lens at 36mm;
a characterful portrait. 1/125 sec at f/11, ISO 125
Sony Cyber-shot HX400V with 24–210mm
f/2.8-6.3 lens; 1/250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 80

i

Thomas P Peschak / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Andrea Pozzi / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

i Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals
Surprise! by Makoto Ando, Japan
Highly Commended, Plants and Fungi A red squirrel bounds away from its surprise discovery –
The Forest Born of Fire by Andrea Pozzi, Italy a pair of Ural owls. In a forest near his village on the
The Araucanía region of Chile is named after its Araucaria Japanese island of Hokkaido, Makoto had spent three
trees – here standing tall against a backdrop of late- hours in freezing conditions, hiding behind a nearby
autumn southern beech forest. Andrea had been tree hoping that the owl couple would pose or perform.
enchanted by this sight a year previously and had timed Suddenly, a squirrel appeared, then quickly fled.
his return to capture it. He hiked for hours to a ridge Nikon D850 with 400mm f/2.8 lens;
overlooking the forest and waited for the right light. 1/1,250 sec at f/8, ISO 400
Canon EOS 6D with 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens;
20 sec at f/8, ISO 640

i

Makoto Ando / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Garth Lenz / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

i

Eye of the Drought by Jose Fragozo, Portugal Highly Commended, Wildlife Photojournalism:
Highly Commended, Animal Portraits Single Image
An eye blinks open in the mud pool as a hippopotamus World of Tar by Garth Lenz, Canada
emerges to take a breath, which it does eery three to five As twilight falls on the Alberta tar sands, the stripped
minutes. The challenge for Jose, watching in his vehicle, landscape takes on an oily blue tint. This vast expanse
was to catch the moment an eye opened. For several – once boreal forest – is a section of the Mildred Lake
years, Jose has been watching hippos in Kenya’s Tar Mine, one of the region’s many tar mines that
Maasai Mara National Reserve. Hippos spend together form the world’s third-largest oil reserve.
the day submerged to keep their temperature To convey the scale of the operations here, Garth
constant and their sensitive skin out of the sun. chartered a plane and flew over the desolate landscape.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with 200-400mm f/4 lens Nikon D3 with 24-70mm lens;
at 300mm; 1/1,000 sec at f/11; ISO 2,000 1/250 sec at f/2.8, ISO 1,250

Jose Fragozo / Wildlife Photographer of the Yeari Wildlife Photographer
of the Year is developed
www.digitalcameraworld.com and produced by
the Natural History
Museum, London. Your
wildlife photography
has the power to
inspire, excite and
amaze. Whether you
shoot in the wilderness,
an urban environment
or on your doorstep,
Wildlife Photographer
of the Year is open
to everyone.
www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy

NOVEMBER 2020 D I G I TA L C A M E R A 93

Photo Answers Andrew
James
Bemused by barrel distortion? Woolly about
ɯǝǣɎƺ‫ژ‬ƫƏǼƏȇƬƺّ ³ƺȇƳ‫ژ‬ɵȒɖȸ ɎƺƬǝȇǣȷɖƺ ƏȇƳ ƬƏȅƺȸƏ Andrew is a highly-
ȷɖƺɀɎǣȒȇɀ‫ژ‬ɎȒ‫ژ‬[email protected] experienced writer
and photographer –
if you have a problem,
he is here to help.

Original Malcolm’s addition
of light rays using
Photoshop (left)
is effective, but
adjusting the tones
(below) brings out
the scene’s drama.

After

Shafted what you need to think about need to darken the
here is the overall look of the background more and give the whole
I visited Worcester photograph and what the image greater contrast: this will add
addition of the light shafts brings to some extra bite.
Q Cathedral to try the frame. You’re probably concentrating
on getting the tricky Photoshop bit If the predominantly white light brush
some indoor shots successfully completed, and forgetting content is over a bright or pale area, it won’t
that I could add shafts of about the kind of conditions in which cut through effectively, so adjusting the
light to. My first efforts lack light shafts naturally occur. background is the simple solution you
punch – any advice? need. Add an S-curve Adjustment Layer
Wherever you see shafts of light underneath the light effect, and you’ll
Malcolm Palmer occurring, whether it is radiating through quickly get the improved punch you want.
a cathedral window – as your image is You can play around with how much
You’ve done an excellent job mimicking – or down from storm clouds, contrast you think is needed to give
their inclusion adds a strong sense of drama your photograph the look you want.
A with this, Malcolm, and the to the scene. In your image, you’ve put the
addition of the shafts of light shafts of light in, but you haven’t processed
really lifts the image. However, it to make the most of the scene. You simply

94 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www.digitalcameraworld.com

Sometimes natural
conditions lend themselves

to high-key lighting.

Tech Check
High-key lighting

There’s more to this shooting style
than overexposing the background

What is high-key lighting? backgrounds referred
The term high-key essentially to as high-key?
means shadowless lighting. It What is regarded as high-key
comes from the early days of today has simply morphed from
studio lighting (in TV and film as the original definition of what
much as photography), where high-key lighting actually is. The
three-point lighting was generally type of images that bias to large
used to illuminate a subject. areas of white but show a high-
contrast subject are really a
The three points are called derivation of the high-key style.
the key light, the fill light and
the back light, and they work What sort of subjects suit
together to give shape to a a high-key approach?
subject. With the key and fill The modern high-key style
doing most of the illumination at suits lots of different subjects.
the same brightness level, near- Portraiture is one of the most
shadowless lighting is achieved. obvious, but there is nothing to
stop you shooting and processing
So high-key doesn’t have a high-key style with landscape,
anything to do with bright, wildlife or nature photography.
white backgrounds?
True high-key lighting has Can I shoot high-key outdoors?
nothing to do with white, Shooting a high-key style indoors
overexposed backgrounds. It with control over the lighting
just means even and shadow- makes it easier to get the look
free – or low-contrast if you you want, but in lots of outdoors
like to keep things simple. situations, without additional
lighting, you can shoot
So why are so many images shadow-free images.
with bright, even overexposed

Too hot to handle overall photograph looks wrong. If you Daylight: As shot
have a strong light source, either the Custom: Too warm
When I use white sun itself or the clear and obvious effect
of its presence, you can push the white
Q balance to warm balance a little further to the warm side.
If you have a landscape shot that doesn’t
up a landscape have strong and low directional light,
image, how far can I it can quickly look over-cooked and
push the effect? unnatural if you warm it up too much.

Colin Hall Of course, there will be exceptions to
this. Really the only way to know is to
Like everything in shoot raw, then play around with the
White Balance slider in whichever
A photography, Colin, there processing software you prefer. It’s
are no hard and fast rules. also worth asking someone who wasn’t
I think it’s all a matter of with you when you took the photograph
taste – and, perhaps with landscape for their opinion: I am sure we have a
photography, keeping things within switch in our heads that says ‘stop’
the boundaries of what looks natural. simply because we have a strong
Using the white balance to warm up memory of what we saw – regardless
your image is a really effective and of whether that memory is correct.
simple technique to use, but it’s easy to
ramp the warmth up to a point that the

www.digitalcameraworld.com

without any other lenses in your kit bag
to distract you. You can photograph
everything from wider ‘landscapes’ to
closer details; you’ll soon start to get a
sense of how the distortion works and how
to make sure you capture that important
sweet spot within your frame.

Don’t get frustrated if you don’t get
immediate results: the nature of the
Lensbaby models means that you’re
throwing some conventional photographic
practice out of the window. Not every shot
you take will work – but keep trying and
you’ll start to yield some interesting –
and, more importantly, very different
to the norm – results.

Above: Get your subject between you and ’Baby love Below: Get out and about with a sense of
the main light source, and you’re on the way experimentation, and you’ll quickly discover
to crafting a silhouetted shot. I’ve just inherited a what you can achieve with a Lensbaby.

Shaping up Q Lensbaby. What sort

Are silhouettes of subjects would be
suitable to shoot with it?
Q a good way to
Wilma Crouch
photograph wildlife?
You can shoot anything with
Mary White
A a Lensbaby – that’s the beauty
A good silhouette is always of it! I’ve had one in my kit bag
for years; although it only gets
A going to yield a really striking used occasionally, it’s really fun to use and
image, Mary, whatever type of can give a whole new twist to everyday
animal you are photographing scenes. Maybe that’s exactly what we all
– from the biggest of beasts, like an need right now. Depending on the model
elephant, to one of the smallest, like you have, they can be a little tricky to use
a butterfly. Having said that, getting a so you’ll need to practise quite a bit with
striking and effective silhouetted wildlife them and work out how best to get creative.
image isn’t easy because it relies on The Lensbaby website (lensbaby.com)
certain conditions, as well as some has galleries, with lots of images taken on
exposure control by the photographer. various models, that offer a good starting
It may be obvious, but a silhouette relies point for some inspiration. Then I’d advise
on backlighting, so your subject must be you to pop the Lensbaby on your camera
between you and a bright light source. and go out into your neighbourhood,
For this reason, it’s generally better and
definitely easier to shoot them when the
sun is low in the sky – either early or late.
That said, my example shot above was
taken mid-morning, when the deer were
resting under the shade of the tree and the
sky was bright but overcast. By shooting
from a position lower than the subject and
by taking a spot meter reading from the
brighter sky, the result is a strong silhouette
that looks black-and-white, although no
mono processing has been done.
One of the most important decisions to
make when you shoot a silhouette is how
you capture the shapes. They also need to
be strong, recognisable and simple. When
all these factors come together, you’ll
have a photo that really works well.

96 D I G I TA L C A M E R A

1

2 3

Image Rescue 4

Flat lighting means a Lightroom
session to fix this landscape

This telephoto landscape shot was taken on a
very flat day, so the image has a lack of contrast.
It needs some work to give it greater impact.

Lightroom Classic’s Histogram shows that we
are missing shadows so, to level the exposure up
in the Basic Panel, we can take the Blacks slider
to the left 1 , immediately improving the image.

We can also increase the contrast within the
midtones by pushing Dehaze to +30 2 , but this
has the knock-on effect of giving a slight purplish
colour cast to the trees. To counteract this, we
add a little more green to the image by taking Tint
fractionally left 3 – about -15 does the trick. But
overall we are left with slightly too cool an image.

Finally, we can go into the Tone Curve Panel and
select the Blue Curves Channel, then push it down
into the yellow 4 . This will warm it up.

Location location location

My camera has

Q GPS. How can

I see where
the image was taken
after I’ve downloaded it?

Karl Roden

Lightroom has a Map Module Above: You can focus-stack manually, but
some Olympus models, including the E-M1
A that reads the embedded GPS Mk III, can take care of the exposures for you.
data and allows you to see
precisely where each photo
was taken. I find it really useful, especially
when I’ve been shooting in remote locations
(such as Greenland), where there are no
handy road signs. It will even tell you how
many images you shot at each location.

Going loupe View your photo collection by In-camera stacking
where you shot them using
I struggle to see Lightroom’s Map Module. I want a camera with

Q the back of my Q the ability to focus-

camera’s LCD stack images. What
screen in daylight. What should I look for?
do you suggest?
Naomi Swift
Paul Smithfield
This feature is currently
You need to invest in a loupe
A restricted to the most up-to-
A that you can put over the date Olympus and Panasonic
screen, so you can see what cameras, so this will narrow
you’re doing. If you are just your choice down. I’d suggest you take a
reviewing a still image, you can handhold look at the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II or
the loupe; but if you are shooting video Mk III. It allows you to set up how many
or using Live View to shoot still images, shots you want to take and select
then make sure the model you buy can your focus differential. After a little
be fixed securely over the screen while experimentation, it’s easy to use.
you are shooting or filming.

www.digitalcameraworld.com NOVEMBER 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA 97

Perimeter

Norfolk is famous for big skies and
expansive horizons – but in this case,
it was the sand below my feet that
caught my eye at Blakeney Point,
appearing with revealing intimacy
like the fingerprint of the sea.
I framed the shot to emphasise the
diagonal rhythm. I used a wide angle
fairly close up to give the impression
of the pattern running on for ever.

Perimeter Bay. The big expanses of sand are
interspersed with handsome villages;
The pandemic leads Quintin Lake to their flint-clad Norman churches have
Ə‫ژ‬ƳȸƏȅƏɎǣƬ ƳƺƬǣɀǣȒȇ Ȓȇ ǝǣɀ ȵǝȒɎȒ ɯƏǼǸ round towers and generous porches
that give the perfect shelter for the
Quintin Lake I t’s mid-March, and the weary traveller to shelter from the rain.
Covid-19 pandemic is At Wells-Next-The-Sea, the pandemic
Roving photographer sweeping across the world. has caused panic-buying in the
Quintin is on a multi-year photo walk, Many other countries in supermarket, which has no customers
circumnavigating the whole of the UK coast. Europe are in strict lockdown, but and many empty aisles when I pop in.
www.theperimeter.uk harsh restrictions in Britain have not I’m carrying my own dried food, but
yet been enforced. Solo camping I can’t get anything fresh that I came
This month’s route seems like an ideal way to remain for. Surprisingly, the youth hostel
socially distanced, so I carry on walking remains open, but I’m the only guest.
Titchwell Marsh to Sheringham along the North Norfolk coast, starting
5 days, 49 miles; 6,253 miles total each day by listening to news bulletins, People have a blunt conversational
then spending the rest of the day style here: the tone seems unfriendly,
letting the wind blow that news away. but the content isn’t. Nevertheless,
there is creeping anger at Londoners
Most nights are spent nestled and other outsiders with second
in my tent amongst the dunes by homes coming to Norfolk to escape
expansive beaches like Brancaster the city and potentially spreading
the virus amongst the locals. As an
outsider, I start to feel unwelcome.

The dehydrated food and fuel I’m
carrying will run out soon, which
means my mobile social distancing
will no longer be possible. A national
lockdown is imminent, and my
family back home needs my help.

I accept the inevitable, decide
to pause the walk, and head for the
nearest train station at Sheringham
to go home. I find myself weeping as
I pack up the tent for the last time
in a while. Being forced to stop by
something entirely out of my control
is hard to accept after so many
obstacles previously overcome
over the last five years.

Six-and-a-half hours on an empty
train, and I’m home. The “See it, say
it, sorted” of the rail announcement
seems like the fears of a different
epoch now that the next few months
are defined by “Stay Home, Protect the
NHS, Save Lives”. Walking home from
the train station towards the enforced
domesticity of lockdown, the lack of
traffic is startling: a solitary jogger is
the only movement on the street.

98 D I G I TA L C A M E R A NOVEMBER 2020 www digitalcameraworld.com