Digital Camera - August 2022

HELP ME BUY...
A budget macro lens!

Turn to page 116 to find out what
to look for, with six budget macro

lenses to choose from

Getty

SHOOT MACRO ON A BUDGET

PART 1

GET THE RIGHT
MACRO GEAR

Kit yourself out with the right equipment
to take amazing macro imagery

acro is a specialised field the most useful equipment for macro work.
Luckily, you don’t require all of them and
M of photography that draws you can get the essentials and add to your
on a whole assortment of kit bag as you go. Once you’ve started
specialised kit to help you shooting, you’ll learn which areas could be
improved and set your sights on a piece of
take better close-up pictures, kit that would make your macro shoots
easier. If you’re on a super-tight budget, lots
from LED lighting to illuminate your tiny of the items listed here can be picked up for
less from online sellers of pre-owned kit.
subjects, to focusing rails that allow you to

incrementally adjust your focus to achieve

total precision and create focus stacked

images, too. Here, we’ve laid out some of

CREATIVE CAMERA
FROM £400

An interchangeable lens camera such as a
mirrorless or DSLR will be ideal for macro
photography, and the larger the sensor, the
better. You may also want to look out for 4K
video recording for high definition video
clips of your tiny subjects, sensor-based
image stabilisation for sharper handheld
shots and a fast burst rate to give you more
chance of capturing a precise moment.

MACRO LENS LED LIGHTS PROFESSIONAL
FROM £300 FROM £75 TRIPOD FROM £100

A ‘true’ macro lens will have a reproduction LED lights are small, light and portable, Camera shake is caused by tiny movements
ratio of 1:1 or greater, meaning that a making them a great addition to your kit in the camera or lens and results in a blurry
subject will be captured at ‘lifesize’ – the bag. They come in different shapes and image. These vibrations are
same size as if you laid it across your sizes and some can be powered by amplified when shooting
camera’s sensor. A dedicated macro batteries or via the mains. Many offer close-ups hand-held.
lens will tend to have good image quality, brightness and colour adjustments to For this reason, a
autofocus and features like image fine-tune the lighting and make it cooler tripod is an extremely
stabilisation. Some macro lenses or warmer, or even digital colour gels. Many useful tool for
can shoot at up to 5x lifesize. LEDs can be controlled via an app, too. achieving sharp shots
and is essential when
using a focus rail for
focus stacked shots
where you need
all your images to
line up perfectly.

52 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

STEADY YOUR
SUBJECTS WITH
A ‘PLAMP’

Plamps, like this one from Wimberly,
are double-ended clamps with
articulating ball joints, which makes
them perfect for holding delicate
items like flower stems. A plamp will
help keep the stem steady, stopping
it moving about too much in the
wind when shooting outdoors. Top
tip: bring a second sturdy tripod
with you on your photoshoots so
you can clamp your plamp onto it
and give yourself a secure base.

FOCUSING RAIL ACCESSORIES FOR
FROM £70 PRO MACRO PHOTOS

This is a rail that attaches to the top of your MATIN WRAP‫ٳ‬AROUND LENS
tripod and allows you to incrementally slide REFLECTOR FROM £10
the camera and lens towards or further
away from your subject for a fine level These nifty reflectors have a hole in the
of focus control. A focus rail is essential middle that’s large enough for you to poke a lens
for focus stacking, where you need to through and redirect light back at your subject.
take lots of images at different
focus intervals to merge MINI REFLECTOR FROM £20
them all together for
a perfectly sharp A small 30cm portable 5-in-1 reflector is
composite shot. ideal for tiny subjects and can be used to
bounce and manipulate the natural light,
allowing you to use lower ISO values for 53
better image quality and have more
control over lighting.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CC I«…x ‫זחِחگ‬ٜx…

Editing software such as Photoshop CC is ideal
for bringing your macro images to life and also for
techniques such as focus stacking. Here, you can
use Photoshop’s Photomerge command to blend
together several images set to different focus
distances for a totally sharp and seamless final image.

RING LIGHT FROM £25

Ring lights emit an even amount of light directly from
around the lens for softer shadows. You can usually
get a budget-friendly LED ring light for macro use,
rather than the expensive flash units required for
portraiture, which need to be more powerful.

AUGUST 2022

SHOOT MACRO ON A BUDGET

PART 2

GO MACRO ON A BUDGET

You don’t have to spend a fortune on specialist kit – here
are four budget-friendly ways to shoot close-ups

USE A REVERSING RING

GIVE A STANDARD LENS MACRO
ABILITIES BY USING THIS
ECONOMICAL ADD-ON

Shoot through a lens backwards
using a reversing ring to increase
your miniumum focus distance

1 Get your reversing ring
Available online from retailers such as SRB, a reversing
ring won’t break the bank. Make sure you get one that
fits your camera mount, such as Canon EF or Nikon F,
and also has the correct filter thread for your lens.

2 Attach your lens
An old film 35mm or 50mm prime lens will work well,
as they often have a physical aperture ring that makes it
possible to change the aperture when mounted in reverse.

3 Rack the focus
Using the rear LCD screen or looking through the
viewfinder, move your camera back and forth until
your subject is sharp, then take the picture.

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SCREW A CLOSE-UP FILTER ONTO YOUR
KIT LENS TO FORCE IT TO FOCUS CLOSER

Close-up filters act like magnifying glasses that
you can attach to the screw-in front filter thread
on standard lenses, and allow a normal lens
to be able to focus much closer.

1 Close-up filter strength
Close-up filters come in varying strengths
that will make your small subjects appear
larger. For more versatility, we suggest
buying a set with different strength options.

2 Filter thread size
Check the filter thread size of the lens you wish
to use with your close-up filters and buy them
in that size. Your filter thread is easily found on
the inside of your lens cap or on the lens barrel.

3 Image quality
Putting any additional glass in front of your
camera lens will degrade image quality, so
a dedicated macro lens is always the best
solution. Close-up filters are very budget-
friendly, however, making them a good choice
if you’re just looking to have fun with macro.

54 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 wwwwww..ddiiggiittaallcameraworld.com

EXTENSION TUBES

EXTENSION TUBES FIT BETWEEN YOUR CAMERA
BODY AND LENS SO YOU CAN FOCUS CLOSER

Extension tubes are a super-useful tool that
allow you to turn a regular optic like a kit lens
or a 50mm prime into a macro one, or make
a dedicated macro lens focus even closer!

1 Get the right camera mount
A variety of manufacturers, such as Kenko
and SRB, make extension tubes. Make sure
you buy a set in the right fit for your camera
mount, such as Canon EF or Nikon F.

2 Manual or autofocus
Extension tubes come in a cheaper manual
variety, which require you to input focus and
exposure settings manually. It can be worth
spending the extra on ‘auto’ tubes – these
have electronic contacts that allow exposure
settings and autofocus to be used.

3 Stack ’em up!
Extension tubes are
usually available in a
trio of different sizes,
such as 12, 20 or
26mm, that you
can stack together
to increase or
decrease your
working distance.

SMARTPHONE
MACRO

GIVE YOUR SMARTPHONE CAMERA MACRO
CAPABILITIES WITH THIS NIFTY HACK

The best camera you have is the one you have with
you, and more often that not that’s the camera on
the smartphone in your pocket. Here’s how to let
yours focus super-close for incredible macro shots…

1 Find an old CD or DVD drive
You might have one of these gathering dust at
home, but if not you can pick one up on eBay
for around £5. Carefully take the drive apart
and extract the CD-reading lens.

2 Attach it to a hairclip
Use a hairclip to hold it in place; a few tiny
drops of superglue at the edges will help it
stick to the hairclip – just make sure you don’t
get any glue on the front or back of the lens.

3 Tape the hairclip to your phone
Now, tape the hairclip to the back of your
phone so it sits flush with the camera lens.
Give it a quick wipe to remove any unwanted
fingerprints and you’re good to go!

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 55

SHOOT MACRO ON A BUDGET

PART 3

SHOOT BEAUTFUL MACRO
BUTTERFLIES AND INSECTS

Capture the amazing detail in insects in your garden or at your local nature reserve

ou’d be amazed at the PRO TIP:
FOCUS PEAKING
Y detail of some of the tiny
creatures and critters Focusing is very tricky when shooting macro
that visit your garden, and close up to your subject, as the depth of
and getting close with field becomes very shallow, giving you just
a macro lens will reveal them in a thin slither of sharp focus, even with high
astounding detail. Here, we will look at aperture values like f/22. One recent
some useful tips when photographing innovation that many cameras have adopted
insects. It’s always worth putting is focus peaking: when using Live View on the
in the hours to get up early, as not rear LCD or electronic viewfinder, this places
only will you be greeted by amazing a vibrant outline around any sharp areas
early light from shooting in the blue within your scene that are in focus. Focus
hour as it transitions into the golden peaking makes it much easier to assess
hour, you’ll also be able to catch early which parts of the scene are sharp, as you can
morning dew droplets which will add
extra sparkle to your shots. then manually twist the
Many insects like damselflies and focusing ring until
dragonflies are torpid in the early you see the focus
hours and only start to move around peaking outline
once the sunlight starts to warm appear on your
them up. This makes it much easier subject, exactly
to get close to them as there’s less where you want
chance of scaring them off. Just be the focus to be.
extra careful and don’t knock the
branch they’re perched on with
your tripod, or get too close.

PRO MACRO FEATURES

FOCUS BRACKETING FOCUS DISTANCE WINDOW DSLR MIRROR LOCKUP

1 Some cameras, like Canon’s EOS R5 2 This is a window on the lens that 3 Even tiny vibrations are picked up
and R6, have a focus bracketing mode tells you exactly where the focus and recorded as camera shake when
that rapidly fires off a sequence of shots, distance is set. This is handy for shooting close-ups. The simple action of
changing the focus distance quickly setting the lens to its highest pressing the camera shutter button can
by a small amount in between frames. level of magnification, such as 1:1 to introduce camera shake, so it’s worth
Focus bracketing will increase the produce lifesize shots, or to set it to using the 2-sec self-timer mode or a
chance of getting a shot where the 1:2 for half-lifesize images and so on. remote shutter release if you have one.
focus is exactly where you want it to Some specialist lenses offer even more If you use a DSLR, the mirror slap can be
be, and also gives you a batch of images magnification, such as 5:1, which will enough to produce tiny vibrations and
where you can merge the sharpest bits take you in five times closer than lifesize, cause a softer shot. For the sharpest
together for a pin-sharp shot. If your handy for the tiniest of subjects. A large possible macro photographs on a
camera has this feature then it’s focusing ring is also desirable for a finer DSLR, the solution is to enable
certainly worth experimenting with! level of control when setting the focus. your Mirror Lockup mode.

56 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

1 Position
To make your insect shots
more intimate, avoid
shooting at head height and
get down low so that you’re
eye-level with your subject.
Butterfly shots look great
when you shoot them
front-on, or side-on,
as in this example.

2 Lighting 3 Background
Insects are likely to land Pay attention to your
in an area that might have background and make
poor lighting. This is easy to sure it is as well lit as your
remedy by bringing a small subjects so that it also
mirror or reflector that you looks vibrant. Shoot with
can use to manipulate natural a wide aperture and put
light and bounce it back onto distance between your
your miniature subjects. subject and background,
making it easy to create blur.

f/2.8 1/2000 ISO
sec 200

SHOOT MACRO ON A BUDGET

PART 4

HOW TO GET CREATIVE
MACRO EFFECTS

Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with these alternative approaches

hile dedicated macro Getty

W lenses are ideal and
also essential if you
want to shoot macro

professionally, you can

still achieve fantastic results with

other lenses, such as a Lensbaby or a

standard telephoto that can focus at

a reasonably close distance. Here are

some examples of alternative optics.

TRY USING A Lensbaby’s Composer housing attaches
CREATIVE LENS to your lens mount – combine it with
one of the brand’s Optics (like the
1 Portrait or street photographers Sweet 50) and a Macro Converter.
may own an experimental lens in
the form of a Lensbaby Spark 2.0,
a Lomography Petzval or similar.
These aren’t macro lenses, but if the
focal length is long enough you will
be able to get tightly cropped images
of your subjects that will look totally
different to images taken with a
typical macro lens, helping to
create shots that really stand out.

USE YOUR Roddy Llewellyn
TELEPHOTO
TO CAPTURE www.digitalcameraworld.com
GREAT MACRO
DOF EFFECTS

2 As it’s similar to what the human
eye can see, a lens with a 50mm
focal length is considered to offer a
‘standard’ view. Any lens above this
focal length is more zoomed in, with
a narrower angle of view, and is called
a telephoto. Many telephoto zooms –
such as a 70-300mm or 55-250mm
– are budget friendly, and because
of their telephoto zoom range, can
be used to get respectable macro
results. It’s because the high
magnification compresses the
perspective and makes it easier
to blur backgrounds when using
a wide aperture. Some telephoto
zooms offer a reproduction ratio
of 1:2, which is half-lifesize.

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

Getty

CAPTURE BOKEH TO CREATE A MOOD

3 Morning is a magical time for photographing insects, so be sure to get
to your location before sunrise. Insects tend to be torpid until the sun
warms them up, so you can get close without scaring them off. You’ll also
have wonderful light when shooting in the golden hour, and dew drops over
foliage can be transformed into beautiful bokeh. Wear clothes that you
don’t mind getting mucky, or bring a bin liner to lie on, as you’ll want

to get eye-level with your insect subjects for more intimate portraits. TOP TIP

Movement is magnified when

shooting macro, so even the small

vibrations from pressing the shutter
button can introduce camera shake.
While a camera’s 2-sec self-timer is a
solution, the extra time will slow you
down. It’s better to invest in a remote

shutter release so you can fire your

camera remotely without having

to touch the camera body.

Getty CAREFUL
COMPOSITION

4 Take time to fine-tune your
compositions and bear in
mind that tiny movements to
the camera, lens or focus will
have a monumental impact
on the final result. Minimising
movement will be easier if you’re
using a tripod, and a focus slider
or rail can certainly help too.

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 59

Before

PART 5

FOCUS STACK
FOR TOTAL
SHARPNESS

Discover the dark art of focus stacking
and use in-camera skills and Photoshop
to produce stellar results with total clarity

chieving a The solution is to create a SHOOT A FOCUS STACK
focus stack. This is where
A totally sharp you take a batch of images,
shot can be focusing on a different part
much more of your subject matter in
difficult when each frame, then merge the
shooting macro photography sharpest pieces of each shot
because your depth of field for a completely sharp photo.
becomes more shallow as A slider rail is handy for this,
your subject gets closer to the as you can keep the focus set
front of your lens. This means and rack the whole camera
that even a relatively narrow and lens forward or back
aperture of f/16 or f/22, which along the subject to take your
would usually deliver good shots, keeping everything in
sharpness throughout a proportion. If you don’t have
scene in normal conditions, a focus rail, you can get by
will only provide a shallow without one – simply
band of sharpness when refocus for each shot.
shooting close-ups.

PRO ADVICE USE A FOCUS SLIDER RAIL
FOCUS LIMITERS
1 Set up your camera on a sturdy tripod with a focusing
As the name suggests, slider rail attached to the tripod head. Now, frame up on
a focus limiter is a useful your subject at your desired magnification and focus so that
feature included on many the closest part of your subject is sharp. Go into Manual
macro lenses: it allows mode to lock the settings and use an aperture of f/11 for
you to lock the focus better sharpness in each individual image. Take the first
distance to a range of shot, move the slider forward a tiny amount, then repeat
preset distances. This the process, slowly moving the slider forward until you’ve
comes in handy if you captured every part of your subject in sharp focus.
know you’re going to be
shooting a subject just a
few centimetres away, as
you can enable the closest range in your limiter to stop
the lens hunting all the way to infinity. Alternatively,
if you’re shooting a portrait several metres away, you
could switch the limiter to the 0.5m to infinity setting.

60 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

f/8 MACRO ON A BUDGET

1/40 PRO TIP:
sec USE A LENS
HOOD FOR
ISO CLEARER
100 SHOTS

1 Depth of field When shooting on sunny
Focusing close to your days, harsh sunlight can
subject means depth cause haze and a loss of
of field is limited, even clarity, so it’s worth using
with a high aperture, so a lens hood if you have
for total clarity the best one to make sure you have
bet is to stitch together maximum contrast and
a series of photos. sharpness. Some lenses
don’t come with a lens
2 Aperture hood, and buying one can
A medium aperture value cost at least £50. Luckily,
like f/8 is typically the with a bit of ingenuity you
‘sweet spot’ of a lens. It can improvise your own lens
offers good sharpness, hood out of a cylindrical
making it easier to stack crisps tube and a small
your shots together. amount of duct tape. If
all else fails, you can use
your hand as a sunshade.

OPEN YOUR EXPOSURES BLEND THE SHARPEST PARTS TOGETHER

2 Open Adobe Bridge and navigate to the batch of images 3 Back in Bridge, navigate to the folder of your edited
in your stack. If you’ve shot raw files, you’ll need to open JPEGs and select all of them, then go to Tools >
them all in Photoshop’s Adobe Camera Raw and edit them, Photoshop > Photomerge. In the menu that appears, leave
making sure that all of your edits are consistent. An easy way Layout set to Auto, make sure Blend Images Together is
to do this is to edit your first image and get it looking perfect, ticked and press OK. Now, go to the Layers panel and select
then select all of the other raw files with Ctrl+A. Now, right- all of the layers by clicking on the top one, then hold down
click on the image thumbnail, choose Sync Settings and Shift and click on the bottom layer. Now, go to Edit > Auto-
make sure all of the edit options are ticked. Hit OK, Blend Layers. In the Blend Method choose Stack Images
then save them as JPEGs in a new folder. and tick Seamless Colors and Tones, and press OK to finish.

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 61

SPONSORED BY

CCaomlleegrea Marcus
Hawkins

Photographer and
writer Marcus is a
former editor of
Digital Camera

The complete guide to modern photography

Fast, powerful
and precise editing

software for PC,
macOS and iPad

affinity.serif
.com/photo

Add drama to blue-sky
days by converting to
black and white (see
page 78 for more)

Make the most of breaking through the clouds
the great outdoors to spotlight a feature in the
landscape, or a sinking sun
Take your landscape photography to new heights with our tips and bathing the scene in golden
techniques for staying creative, whatever the weather throws at you… light, you need to be set up
and ready and know how to
Landscape photography of the masters of landscape photography. You know where quickly adjust your camera
regularly tops our photography if you wish, fill your to stand to get the best view, settings to make the most
surveys of the most popular lungs with fresh air – and fill but there can be a lot of waiting of the opportunity.
photographic genres. It’s easy memory cards with fantastic around for the action to happen
to see why. Spending time in images of your favourite places. – which can be over all too There are some easy-to-follow
wild and beautiful locations, quickly once it takes place. For technical considerations that
photographing subjects that Photographing the great landscapes, it’s the window of can help to get you off on the
can be relied upon to always outdoors is, like many types of best light that can open and right track. Getting to grips with
deliver, is inspiring stuff. You photography, easy to learn but close within just a few minutes. aperture is a good place to start,
can tread in the footsteps tricker to become proficient in. Whether it’s ‘God’s fingers’ as the choice of f-number has
In some ways, it’s like sport an impact on how much of the
scene will appear sharp. Set
the camera to Aperture

62 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

CAMERA COLLEGE

Composition ‘rules’

Classic landscape techniques that are still relevant in the modern mirrorless camera age

There is a handful of guidelines numerous cameras. This follows Some foreground interest can be
for better composition which can the rule of thirds: simply position the good, in order to add depth and draw
be useful when you’re starting out. horizon along one of the lines or place a viewer’s eye into the picture. Leading
You’ll no doubt be aware of the rule of the subject at a point where the lines lines, such as rivers, roads and fences
thirds, a classic technique for placing cross, and you’re done! Or rather, you can also help to pull viewers from the
the horizon and subject in satisfying aren’t. You don’t have to follow the rule foreground to the middleground and
positions in the picture. Your camera of thirds, and a set of pictures can background. Try tighter crops to show
will have a grid overlay that can be quickly become boring if they all stick ‘pieces’ of the landscape, too, rather
displayed on the image on the rear to it. Instead, just try placing the main than the full scene. A longer focal
display, or in the viewfinder of feature of your picture off-centre. length can help to achieve this.

The horizon line and the end of the pier Foreground interest can help to Once you’ve got the wide shot, try
have been placed according to the rule provide an entry point into pictures shooting tight crops. It’s a great way
of thirds – which is a guideline, really. to go beyond the traditional views.
taken with a wide-angle lens.

Embrace Rain doesn’t stop play
the grey! Fit a lens hood and use a raincover, a
plastic bag or a shower cap to protect
Overcast and damp conditions can be your camera in a downpour. Keep a dry
surprisingly fruitful for details in the microfibre cloth to hand so that you can
landscape. It’s particularly good when you’re clear the front element of water drops.
shooting in forests, as it’s much easier to come up
with a satisfying exposure that captures detail in AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 63
shadows and highlights when you have soft light
and low contrast. A circular polarising filter is a
handy accessory for this type of photography, as
it will remove the glare from wet leaves and rocks
and saturate the colours. Check your shutter
speed, though, as it will become slower.

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SPONSORED BY

Working with extreme exposures

What steps should you take when you’re faced with bright white clouds and dark landscapes?

One of the technical adjust the exposure so
challenges of that the bright areas are
landscape photography is exposed correctly, and let
knowing when and how to the shadows fall where they
do something about the will. Shoot in RAW and you’ll
dynamic range of the scene. capture a wider dynamic
Faced with bright white range, enabling you use raw
clouds and shadowy software such as Affinity
foreground details, you may Photo to pull back some
be unable to capture detail details in those areas that
in all areas of the landscape appear lost in-camera.
using a single exposure. You
could end up with burnt- If the exposure difference
out clouds or a dark and between the sky and the
featureless foreground – or land is extreme, then you
both – depending on how can use a graduated neutral
you or your camera have density filter on the lens in
chosen to expose the image. order to darken the sky. The
There are several options modern way, however, is
for remedying this problem, to take a range exposures
though. You could simply from the same spot and
blend them in software.

Shadow falls Exposing the highlights correctly and letting the On reflection Include water in the foreground to bring a splash of

shadows simply ‘block up’ can lead to punchy-looking pictures. brightness to a dark landscape and produce a more balanced image.

Priority or Manual (or Flexible Priority on a apertures let less light into the camera. Fill your lungs with fresh
few cameras) and you’ll be able to choose This can lead to longer exposure times, Əǣȸ ٫ ƏȇƳ ˡǼǼ ȅƺȅȒȸɵ
the aperture directly. High f-numbers make and the risk of blurred pictures. You can ƬƏȸƳɀ ɯǣɎǝ ǣȅƏǕƺɀ Ȓǔ
more of the scene appear sharp, but avoid increase the ISO to combat this, as higher your favourite places
the highest couple of settings (such as f/32 ISO settings mean the camera needs less
and f/22) as these will lead to fuzzy details. light to record a picture. But you’ll probably
Many cameras now come with diffraction want to keep the ISO as low as possible in
correction that is designed to digitally order to get the best image quality. As a
counter the softness at higher apertures, result, the third ingredient of exposure – the
so you may want to run some tests with shutter speed or exposure time – is going to
your lenses to see whether this makes a get slower as the aperture decreases in size.
significant difference. It’s worth noting that In bright conditions this is unlikely to be a
it will have no effect if you shoot raw files. problem, but if you’re shooting in low light
then it’s something to be mindful of. Clouds,
The higher the f-number, the smaller the flowing water and other moving
aperture in the lens becomes, and smaller

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CAMERA COLLEGE

Go long as well as wide

Use a telephoto lens to bring a new perspective to your landscape photography

Shooting scenics with A 70-200mm lens, zoomed to 168mm, enabled a frame-filling shot of the trees on a distant
a telephoto lens can be hillside. The subtle ‘compression effect’ enhances the pattern and texture on display.
surprisingly addictive. Telephotos
have focal lengths that are longer
than the standard focal length for
your camera – which is 50mm for a
full-frame camera and around 30mm
for a camera with an APS-C sensor.
As well as making it easier to isolate
interesting details in the landscape
and crop out distractions, longer focal
lengths can make background details
look bigger compared to those in the
foreground, and closer to them, too.
This perspective effect isn’t down to
the lens per se, but rather the fact
that you have to stand further
away to frame a scene.
The longer the focal length, the
more pronounced the effect. You can
make the moon look much larger in a
scene by using a 600mm lens rather
than a 300mm lens, for example. But
even a short telephoto focal length
such as 85mm or 100mm will make
the trees in a forest appear more
densely packed together than they are
in reality. Moderate telephoto lenses
are also easier to carry when you have
to walk into the wilderness, too!

Camera skills Choosing and using a tripod

For photography in the great outdoors, you need some rugged support that won’t let you down

Weather resistant Ball vs three-way Quick release Support

If you’re shooting near (or in) Broadly speaking, there are two A tripod head with a quick- With wide-angle lenses, you’ll
water, consider using a carbon types of tripod head: ball and release system allows you to need to attach the camera rather
three-way. Ball heads are faster leave plates attached to your than the lens to the tripod head.
fibre tripod and extending to use as you generally have one camera and lenses so that they
the thinner bottom sections of lock to tighten and loosen the can be rapidly slotted or clipped Quick-release ‘L’ plates are
the legs first, so that you don’t ball, but a three-way head is onto the tripod. Quick-release available for cameras, allowing
more precise and easier to add-ons are available, so you can
have to spend time drying, move during panoramic shots. convert an existing tripod head. you to switch the body from
cleaning and greasing all horizontal to vertical without
having to change your framing.
of the leg locks later.

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 65

SPONSORED BY

Strip away the colour

Create a classic, timeless look by converting a landscape to black and white

Black and white mono conversion until you
photography and process your images in
landscapes go together like editing software. If you
Ben and Jerry. Stripping shoot in RAW and set the
away the colour means camera to its monochrome
that composition, texture, picture style, you’ll get a
shape, shadows and lines black and white preview
take on new meaning. on the rear display (and in
You can also extend your the EVF if you’re using a
shooting time far beyond mirrorless camera) but
the classic golden or blue the raw file will hold all the
hours that are favoured for colour information, so you
scenics, as black and white can do your conversion later
can produce dynamic at your leisure. When it
results in even hard light. comes to the latter, use the
Rather than shooting software’s colour sliders
in black and white and to change the relationship
trying to get everything between the colours – such
set properly in-camera, as darkening blue to create
you’ll have more freedom to an inky sky or lightening
experiment if you leave the green and yellow foliage.

Tone up Raw converters enable you to adjust the relationship Photo finish Some scenes will take a hard, high-contrast look, while others

between the colours when you’ve set the image to black and white. will suit a softer approach – in RAW mode, you get the flexibility to experiment.

elements within a scene could potentially so that you can concentrate on supporting IBIS has changed the
be blurred, although on many occasions the camera with both hands, it’s now ǕƏȅƺ ǔȒȸ ɀǝȒȒɎǣȇǕ
this can enhance an image. possible to take handheld pictures handheld but tripods
where the exposure is 1-4 seconds long. still have their place
What is more of a concern is the camera
moving during the longer exposure, leading A tripod still has its place, though: if
to pictures where even the stationary you’re going to add a strong neutral density
elements are rendered soft or completely filter to the lens to reduce the light and
blurred. The traditional way of getting purposely blur moving elements in your
around this is to use a tripod, although the picture, then you may be looking at
development of mirrorless cameras that exposures lasting 30 seconds or longer.
feature IBIS (in-body image stabilisation), Having a stationary camera also gives you
including the Canon EOS R5, Nikon Z 7 II the space to stand back and consider the
and Sony A7 IV, has changed the game composition, and it makes it much easier to
somewhat. Using a compatible stabilised shoot images that will be stitched together
lens and taking a picture via the self-timer to create a panoramic photo.

66 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

CAMERA COLLEGE

Camera skills Filter position

How to judge the transition from clear to dark

If you’re using a graduated DSLR. To remedy this, press
filter, it can be tricky to see the depth of field preview
where the dark section of button and make sure a
the filter falls on many relatively small aperture is
cameras – particularly in selected, as this will make
the optical viewfinder of a the dark line obvious.

Line up ND grads are available with ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ During a very windy day, a
shutter speed of 0.4 seconds
transitions. Go for soft when objects cross the line. was enough to create copious
amounts of motion blur.
Camera skills Remote control
Add motion blur
Take a picture from the comfort of your phone
Make your landscapes come alive by simply
Using a remote release to app on your smartphone keeping the shutter open for longer
trigger a camera while it’s to do this – although you’ll
locked firmly on a tripod need to remember to switch Using a relatively long exposure to shoot a landscape
enables you to ensure that off the camera’s Wi-Fi allows you to show viewers something that they
you’re getting the sharpest when you’re finished, as couldn’t see with their own eyes: motion blur. There are
image possible. With a Wi-Fi otherwise it will drain the basically two ways you can introduce this: by keeping the
enabled camera you may battery pretty camera stationary and allowing the moving parts of a scene
be able to use a compatible quickly. to move while the exposure is being made (above) or by
moving the camera to blur the whole image (below). The
Appy days Canon’s Camera Connect app can be used as exposure time that you need will depend on the speed of
movement that you want to record, but with landscapes it
a simple Bluetooth remote, or a Wi-Fi Live View controller. can typically be anywhere from one second to 30 seconds.
To achieve long exposures in bright conditions, you might
www.digitalcameraworld.com need to fit a neutral density filter to the lens. In many cases,
you’ll need to use a tripod if
you want some parts of the
scene to remain sharp, but
using a mirrorless camera
with a built-in image
stabiliser and a stabilised
lens, you may be able to
handhold the camera
steady for over a second.

AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 67

SPONSORED BY

Landscape photography tips
You won’t go wrong if you…

1 Get your timing right: Timing Grey, gloomy, breezy
is everything in landscape conditions can make for
photography. Time of year is crucial more evocative images.
if you want to capture seasonal colour or
shoot a sunset at a reasonable hour. Time
of day is important if you need the sun to be
in a specific position to illuminate a feature.

2 Try an alternative focal length:
You might instinctively reach for
a wide-angle optic to capture a
landscape, but what would the scene look like
if you move back and shoot with a telephoto
lens? Familiar views can take on a different
look and feel when they are shot with a
longer (or shorter) focal length than
they are typically photographed with.

3 Embrace gloomy weather: Clear
blue skies can be dull. Stormy
conditions can produce moodier
or more dynamic shots, so get a rain cover
for your camera and get out there!

4 Bracket your shots: To capture
detail in all areas, you might need
to bracket your exposures and
combine the results in software. Your
camera can take three pictures at different
exposure levels (look for a function called
‘Auto Exposure Bracketing’ or similar).

5 Have fun in the edit: A creative
crop, colour change or selective
exposure adjustment can give
landscape photos a breath of fresh air.
You might prefer the authentic, natural
look, of course, but even that will require
a little computer love to achieve.

The technical side of landscape to shoot a specific view from a particular ɖɎɖȅȇ ǣɀ Əȇ ȒƫɮǣȒɖɀ
photography is one thing, but timing is quite viewpoint, for example, then it’s worth event to plan around,
another. From the time of year to the time checking that the scene isn’t obscured by ƫɖɎ Ɏǝƺȸƺ Əȸƺ ȅȒȸƺ
you get up in the morning to the time you summer foliage. Will the sun or moon be subtle differences
choose to leave a location, being in the right in the right position in the picture at the between the seasons
place at the right moment will make more of time of year that you want to shoot? Is the
a difference to your landscape photos than location likely to be crowded with coaches
many of the technical choices you make. and throngs of tourists (at least one of
There is of course a seasonal element to whom will be wearing an eye-catching red
photographing the great outdoors, so it’s cagoule) at weekends? Is it ‘forest weather’
worth planning ahead. Autumn colour is (overcast) or ‘lake weather’ (blue skies)?
an obvious event to plan around, but there These are the types of questions that are
are more subtle differences between the worth doing some research on before
seasons that can play their part. If you want you pull on your walking boots.

68 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

CCH1lo7PAs2AiHLn0uL2Ogg2EuTdNOsattGeE: CAMERA COLLEGE

Reader challenge Great Outdoors

Enter your best shot to win a copy of Affinity Photo for Windows or macOS worth £49/$50

Whether you’re looking to push your colour inversion and intentional camera you confirm that you own the copyright to
scenic shots to new heights or your movement. A well-executed traditional the image and agree that Digital Camera
camera simply gives you the perfect view won’t lose points, though! can publish your image in relation to this
excuse to fill your lungs with fresh air, competition. You retain full copyright
this is the challenge for you! We’re looking To enter, either email your entry (one of your image and will be credited if it is
for landscapes rather than seascapes or per reader, please) to digitalcamera@ published. The closing date is 17 August
cityscapes, but that’s about it as far as futurenet.com, with the subject line ‘The 2022. The winner will receive a copy of
the subject criteria goes. You can use any Great Outdoors’, or go to www.facebook. Affinity Photo for Windows or macOS.
creative treatment to enhance the scene, com/digitalcameraworld, find ‘The Great Find out more about Affinity Photo at
from a panoramic or a circular crop to Outdoors’ post and upload your entry. By affinity.serif.com/photo
entering your image into this competition,

Meet our challenge winners!

Floral (issue 256): Nigel Barnes

Well done to Nigel, who wins a copy of Affinity Photo worth £49/$50.

Urban (issue 255): Anne Andrew Digital Camera says: In one of our most popular challenges yet, Nigel’s
dreamy shot stood out from the rest of the field. It’s a great study of
Well done to Anne, who wins a copy of Affinity Photo worth £49/$50. flowers in their natural environment, and the superb depth of field
that Nigel has captured really makes this image pleasing on the eye.
Digital Camera says: An appealing shot of reflections taken in Vancouver,
Canada. There’s so much going on – we particularly like the composition, Join us on Facebook!
the colour palette and the variety of shapes that Anne has included.
We’ll reveal the winner of issue 257’s Summer
Colour challenge in a live stream on 18 August at
5.30pm BST. facebook.com/digitalcameraworld

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 69

SPONSORED BY

Fast, powerful WATCH THE After
and precise editing VIDEO!

software for PC,
macOS and iPad

affinity.serif
.com/photo

Before

Six essential RAW tools for landscapes

Get to know Affinity Photo’s Develop Persona
and perfect your landscapes with raw edits

FILE & VIDEO ffinity Photo’s raw tools let you harness Perfecting your

www.digital A the power of the raw format. This can landscapes
cameraworld be invaluable at times when your
.com/dc258 exposure may not be spot on, or After you’ve finished working on the
when the contrast in the scene raw image in the Develop Persona,
James is too great to achieve a balanced exposure. click the Develop button to progress
Paterson In this tutorial, we’ll look at six of the best raw tools to the Photo Persona, where you can
and controls for perfect landscapes. Raw files hold make use of Affinity Photo’s vast
With over a decade’s greater dynamic range than their JPEG counterparts,
experience as a writer which means more headroom for pulling detail out of array of image-enhancing tools,
and photographer, James very bright or very dark areas. The benefits of raw are filters and effects to perfect your
is also an accomplished clear to see here in this scene, captured at the famous photos. Here, we’ve used the Dodge
image editor, and an Reynisfjara beach in Iceland. A combination of strong and Burn tools to add extra definition
expert in Affinity Photo. sunlight, black rocks and a slightly miscalculated long to the rocks and water. We’ve also
exposure (taken using a 10-stop ND filter) has initially removed a few of the clouds using
left the rocks and beach looking almost pitch black. the Inpainting tool – which lets you
But because it’s a raw file, there is plenty of detail simply paint over objects to remove
there; we just need to know how to tease it out. them – in order to create a simpler
The Develop Persona offers an array of powerful sky that better suits the composition.
raw tools to help us do so. We can use tonal controls
to perfect the exposure and colours, fine-tune
the white balance and more. These raw tools are
invaluable for all sorts of images, but landscapes in
particular – where technical perfection, crisp detail
and natural colours are requisite – will often benefit
hugely from a few simple raw adjustments.

70 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

SPONSORED BY

Sequence shown is for clarity – follow the numbered steps rather than reading from left to right 5 Brush Overlays 2 Crop tool guides 6 Gradient
Local adjustments Affinity Photo’s Crop Overlays
can enhance areas or tool offers three overlay
pull detail from under- guides that conform to Gradient Overlay lets
exposed objects. Brush Overlay different compositional rules. The
lets us paint to define an area most well-known is the rule of you create graduated
in pink. Use the ] and [ keys to thirds (shown here). The idea is to
resize the brush tip, and adjust place points of interest along the adjustments. You can change the
the hardness in the options. ‘Edge third lines in the image, creating a
Aware’ forces the brush to seek out pleasing composition. The two gradient style between linear, radial
edges as you paint, so it’s easier to other guides are diagonals and the
isolate objects. To remove golden spiral. With the golden spiral and elliptical. New overlays will
parts of the overlay, use guide, hit Shift+O to change the
the Overlay Erase tool. position of the centre point. be active in the Overlay panel.

Changes made to tonal sliders will

affect the defined area. We’ve

added overlays to lift the

foreground, desaturate

the sky and boost the

rock formations.

5 56

3 White balance 4 Detail refining 1 The Basic panel
With raw files, we can When shooting in raw When you open a raw
alter white balance plus JPEG mode, the file in Affinity Photo, it’ll
after shooting. This is JPEG version may appear in the Develop
useful for outdoor photos, as fine- look sharper. This is because Persona. The best place to begin
tuning the colour temperature can JPEGs are sharpened in-camera. is with the Exposure and Enhance
impact the scene’s atmosphere. With raws, we can control our panels (these can be dragged and
Either use the Temperature and sharpening. In the Detail docked around the interface).
Tint sliders or the White Balance Refinement panel, you’ll find While adjusting the sliders, it can
tool. With this, we sample from sharpening Radius and Amount be helpful to turn on the clipping
a neutral point. Shift-click to add sliders. The Amount slider warning buttons to ensure details
sample points to take an average, controls the sharpening strength, are not clipped to pure black or
or Alt+drag a box to while Radius determines the white. Here, the Exposure slider
sample an average spread outwards from edges lifts the image, and Clarity
of the colours. where the sharpening occurs. enhances the texture of the rocks.

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 71

72 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

READER SHOT
OF THE MONTH

Peter Howes wins a year’s
subscription to Digital
Camera for this image.
Well done, Peter!

Reader
gallery

Digital Camera readers show
how they’ve been getting

creative, submitting images
across a range of genres

1 ‘Pretty Flamingos’ by Peter Howes
“Taken at Chester Zoo, this is a cropped image of a flock
of flamingos. Although I liked the original shot, I felt that the
crop worked better and filled the picture with the distinctive
colour of the birds. It was taken on a Nikon Z 6 with a Nikkor
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 300mm and edited in Affinity Photo.”

Digital Camera says: A pleasure to include one of your

images in our reader’s gallery again, Peter. This is a really
beautifully captured and processed shot – we love the frame-
filling choice with the main subject up front, surrounded by
the matching colour, detail and texture of the feathers.

SEND US YOUR IMAGES!

Want to feature in our gallery? Please email a high-res image
(at least 2.5MB) marked ‘Reader Images’, and including
a title and brief description, to:

[email protected]

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 73

2 ‘Serendipity’ by Helen Shurmer Digital Camera says: We love to hear that
“Bluebells and greater stitchwort
flowers taken in woodland local to me. I tried our tutorials are inspiring you to get out and
to create an ethereal-type look in this image take photographs, Helen. This is a really
and was inspired to try manual focusing after beautiful shot – we’re a fan of shallow focus
seeing the flowers in your Spring issue.” photography and the fact you captured
it manually is great to hear!

3 ‘Prairie Splendor’
by Arne Skjolden

“Taken in Winnipeg, Canada,

on my Nikon D850 with a

polariser. Sun dogs are not

that uncommon in winter in

icy cold weather – I shot this

from a west-facing hotel

balcony in March, and the

temperature was a bitter

-23C with a 20km wind.”

Digital Camera says:

What a view from your
balcony, Arne! We’re enjoying
the use of negative space, but
perhaps the horizon could be
rotated to the right a degree
or two to straighten it up.

74 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

Reader gallery

4 ‘Reflection Street’ by Clive Jones AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 75
“Walking through Chester on a cold,
damp day, I thought I would try some puddle
photography. It was shot at a low angle close to
the surface to make the image more expansive,
and I increased the contrast when editing it.”

Digital Camera says: It is always a good

idea to have your creative brain switched
on whenever you’re out and about, even on
daily tasks. A really good spot, Clive – well done
for capturing something from the mundane.

www.digitalcameraworld.com

5 ‘McLaren’ by Digital Camera says: One of the best images
Larry Tampkins
we’ve received in recent issues for the gallery, Larry
“I saw this McLaren 570 and just had to capture its – perhaps you should ask McLaren for a job! We love
the way the darkness brings out the light, and the
stunning lines. I used a long exposure to capture cars in the background make the image worthy of
an advert. The edit you’ve opted for ties the shot
some light trails from cars passing behind it, then together very well and you must be very proud of it.

did a futuristic edit where the light blowing out the

front of the car accentuates its shark-like nose.”

6 ‘Gear Change’
by Robin Graham

“This is a stripped-down mini-

gearbox. I rearranged the gearing

and the bearings on a dark cloth,

used a small torch to light paint

at various angles and converted

the image to mono afterwards.”

Digital Camera says: Great

to have another image from you,
Robin, you’ll be speeding towards
your third soon, no doubt! A
really pleasing range of tones
in this image, which creates lots
of contrast – we wonder if the
creases in the black cloth could
be edited out for a fine finish.

76 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

CREATE TO CAPTIVATE

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WISE BUYS

You don’t just buy a camera, you buy into a whole system!
Our next favourite Wise Buy is the Fujifilm X-S10 with a

16-80mm f/4 lens – and it’s even wiser when bought used

rying to find the well when an XF 16-80mm F4 R The X-S10 offers high-grade
OIS WR lens is attached: the performance in a compact,
T perfect setup to suit weight distribution of this light and versatile body.
your shooting style camera and lens combination
can easily become is almost perfect when you picture profiles on board
a work in progress. The ultra- are moving around and include Classic Chrome, Provia,
portable and easy-to-handle taking photographs. Astia, Pro Neg and a range of
Fujifilm X-S10 is a compact Acros black and white profiles,
APS-C sensor mirrorless with Compact, with a 5x zoom so you’ll soon be shooting
more consumer-friendly dials reach at a constant f/4 stunning images in-camera
than other members of the X aperture, this optic has an with minimal editing. And if you
Series family (the Fujifilm X-T effective focal length of enjoy the moving image, you’ll
and Fujifilm X-Pro), and it’s 24-122mm in full-frame terms be pleased to know that the
more affordable. and covers a range of focal X-S10 shoots high-quality
The high build quality of this lengths from wide-angle to 4K video with the benefit of
camera is instantly obvious, mid-telephoto. Coupled with six in-body image stabilisation for
and the tech inside the case stops of optical stabilisation, smooth shooting. The X-S10 is
doesn’t pull any punches either, the Fujifilm XF 16-80mm F4 R a small camera with big tech on
with superb performance and OIS WR allows the user to board, and few compromises.
colour rendition from the comfortably shoot in a wide
X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor. variety of situations from night
One of the best all-rounders scenes to outdoors.
in the APS-C mirrorless camera
market right now in terms of The Fujifilm X-S10 will help
performance, quality and value, unleash your creativity to its
the camera handles particularly fullest extent. In common with
other Fujifilm models, bespoke

“The X-S10 is one of the best
all-rounders in the APS-C
mirrorless market right now”

Why buy from, and sell to, MPB?

MPB is the world’s largest online platform for The same
buying, selling and trading used photography customer
and videography equipment. It’s a much safer commitment applies
option than many used sellers or auction sites, to selling to MPB,
as every product is individually inspected and too. Online valuation
photographed, and given a condition rating. is both free and
commitment-free,
MPB offers a free six-month warranty on your used gear is picked up from
all products, packages are always insured your doorstep free of charge,
with a signature required on delivery, and and friendly support is offered every
with its 5-star TrustPilot rating, you can step of the way. It has never been
be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable easier or more sustainable to sell
and reliable company – one that recirculates and trade-in your old gear.
300,000 items of kit every year.

78 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE

This month’s super system Broughttoyouby

Consider getting this winning camera combination MPB

A WISE BUY CAMERA BODY… PPAOONWRDTEAVRBEFRLUEYL!

Fujifilm X-S10

MPB prices start at: £864

Fujifilm describes the X-S10 as a cross between the
company’s X-T30 and X-H1 cameras: you get the
cutting-edge tech from the former and the design
and in-body image stabilisation, in a miniaturised
form, from the latter. The X-S10 body is targeted
at both beginners and experienced users who may
shoot on DSLRs and want controls that are more
familiar to them than those found on a typical
Fujifilm camera. Packed with cutting-edge
technologies, the X-S10 is a capable mirrorless
camera that will help bring out the best in your
photography. The portability and power of
this compact camera will let you make deeper
connections with your photographic subjects.

GREAT FOR: With the benefit of in-body image
stabilisation, the X-S10 is a great option for both stills
and video, and vloggers will love the articulating rear
screen that can also be used in forward-facing mode.

CADOPOZNEO‫ٳ‬RSITOTT‫ٳ‬AUMANRL! LET … AND A PERFECT PARTNER LENS

Fujinon XF 16-80mm
F4 R OIS WR

MPB prices start at: £574

With a high-quality build and weather resistance,
this lens offers an angle-of-view range similar to
that of a 24-122mm optic in a 35mm (full-frame)
system and features a constant maximum
aperture of f/4 throughout the zoom range. The XF
16-80mm F4 also offers an impressive six stops of
built-in optical image stabilisation – perfect for
shooting at the longer end of the lens. Thanks to
an internal auto-focusing system and a quiet linear
motor, this optic is fast, accurate and discreet in
use. Compact and lightweight, weighing 440g and
measuring 88.9mm when set to its widest 16mm
focal length, the Fujinon XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR
is the perfect choice of lens to use with the X-S10.

GREAT FOR: Shooting a wide variety of photography,
from landscapes and wildlife to low-light work.

Trade in and upgrade your camera
gear today at: www.mpb.com/sell

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 79

David Hickey

tShheotmoof nth “Find your subject, compose
your shot then simply just
Testing a camera repair led David Hickey to wait for the light,” says
this stunning scenic view on the Isle of Skye David Hickey.

fter David finished writing his (even though no one else was there
but the sheep, who chose to ignore
A book, Photographers Guide: me), ‘I love this island!’
Isle of Skye and the North
West of Scotland, a highly “Skye is a great location for
landscape photography, but thanks
comprehensive and to experience I also know that for
an image to stand out, it has to look
detailed guide to all the different to how I have seen it before.
For this scene, there had been a late
best landscape locations, he says flurry of snow in spring, so Blaven was
freshly capped. I knew it wouldn’t last
that he found himself “at a loss” long though, as the wind was trying
its hardest to blow the snow back off
for what to do next. the peak, which looked amazing.

“I decided to continue writing “I loved how the sheep were milling
around on the hill below the peaks, like
guides about many of the other places a pastoral oil painting, so I framed it so
the sky above the Cuillins was balanced
I photograph throughout Scotland, with the amount of grass and sheep
shown below. I then looked up at the
and make them freely available sky, searching for holes in the cloud and
waiting for the light to move towards
on my website. the peaks, until it was highlighting
Blaven, and clicked away.
“But as I was shooting in the
“If it hadn’t been for the shutter
Cairngorms, my camera displayed repair and me itching to get out and
test the camera, I would probably
the dreaded ‘Error, restart your have missed this amazing shot.”

camera’ message, due to the shutter Photographers Guide: Isle of Skye
and the North West of Scotland
mechanism wearing out and the runs to 270 paperback pages
and can be purchased
curtain sticking shut. It had to be from Amazon UK for
£24.95 plus delivery.
sent for repair, and six long weeks For shipping overseas,
buyers can order the
later it was finally returned to me. book from https://
skyephotoguide.com/
“I immediately attached my buybook.html

David Hickey 70/200mm f/2.8 and went out to take

Fine art landscape photographer a few test shots, just to make sure that

Title: ‘Isle of Skye’ it was indeed fully repaired. I ended up
Location: Isle of Skye
Date: 2022 standing at this spot, next to the Elgol

www.skyephotoguide.com road on Skye, watching as this amazing

scene began to unfold in front of me

and shouting out loud for all to hear

80 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

BECOME A Fundamentals: 84 FILE & VIDEO
PHOTOSHOP Masking in
Lightroom www.digital
MASTER! Mimic Photoshop cameraworld
compositing by .com/dc258
82 using Lightroom’s
masking feature & PARCPET88SIOENTSS!

74

Get the Look:

Get creative

with contrast

Apply distinctive looks

to your photos by using

four techniques for 86
boosting contrast

This month… Presets and Actions:
Transform your edits in
Tool School: Explore Adobe’s Adaptive Presets Photoshop and Lightroom
Get to grips with this new functionality in
Lightroom and Photoshop’s Camera Raw OMFINVI5UD0TEEOS PHOTOSHOP/LIGHTROOM
Explore Adaptive Presets
VIDEO TRAINING
The issue 258 download includes
video lessons that build on our tutorials,
plus bonus videos with extra tips!
www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc258

LIGHTROOM PHOTOSHOP AFFINITY PHOTOSHOP
Compositing with masking Boost contrast in your photos Perfect your scenics shots AI portrait tips
PHOTOSHOP
Download FILE & VIDEO PHOTOSHOP Capture psychedelic colours HOW TO DOWNLOAD
50 minutes of Blending modes magic YOUR VIDEO
video training www.digital TUTORIALS
for Photoshop, cameraworld
Lightroom and .com/dc258 There are seven video
Affinity Photo. tutorials on Photoshop,
Lightroom and Affinity Photo

See page 6

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 81

TOOL SCHOOL

Before

WATCH THE
VIDEO!

BONUS
ADAPTIVE
PRESETS SET

Turn to page 88 to

find out more!

FILE & VIDEO After

www.digital
cameraworld
.com/dc258

Explore Adobe’s
Adaptive Presets

Get to grips with this new functionality in
Lightroom and Photoshop’s Camera Raw

James he latest updates to Adobe Lightroom Preset basics
Paterson
T and Photoshop include an exciting Presets let you apply tonal effects to
With over a decade as a new approach to using presets. By your photos with a single click. You
writer and photographer building artificial intelligence into presets, can use Presets in both Lightroom
behind him, James knows Adobe has taken things a step further. CC (shown here) and Lightroom
exactly which Photoshop Available in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom CC and Classic, and in Photoshop’s Camera
and Lightroom tools and Lightroom Classic (v11.4), the new Adaptive Presets Raw. As well as making use of the
techniques matter most. are powered by machine learning. They work in a similar inbuilt presets offered by Adobe, you
way to normal presets, but rather than altering the entire can find thousands of sets online.
image, they zero in on either the subject or sky, before What’s more, you can create your
applying tailored tonal effects to the area. own custom presets. After making
Additionally, a new control lets us fine-tune a preset’s a tonal effect, click the plus icon in
strength, and new premium preset sets offer a host the Preset panel in Lightroom (or the
of effects tailored towards different subject matter. new Preset icon in Camera Raw) then
With these improvements, Adobe continues the trend choose the tools/settings you’d like
in implementing AI into its applications. Aided by machine to include and hit Save. Newly added
learning, complex edits are gradually getting easier presets will automatically sync
and quicker, which is great news for photographers. between Lightroom and Photoshop.
• Don’t miss issue 259’s Skies Adaptive Presets pack
www.digitalcameraworld.com
82 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022

TOOL SCHOOL

Sequence shown is for clarity – follow the numbered steps rather than reading from left to right 5 Use Premium 3 Masks Panel 4 Make custom
presets After adding an Adaptive Presets
Adaptive Preset to
Premium Presets are boost your subject or You can now sync AI
sky, you can delve into the Mask
included in the paid Panel to adjust things. Masks will masks from one photo
have been generated for your
version of Lightroom/Photoshop. presets. You can add or subtract to others, so you can sync local
from the initial AI mask with the
The latest updates include five brush. You can also tweak the edits to your subject across a set
tonal sliders to adjust the effect.
premium sets: Portraits: Black & Here, the sky adjustment has of photos. You can also use AI
also amplified the noise, so we’ve
White; Portraits: Edgy; Portraits: added a touch of noise reduction. masks in presets you create

Group; Subject: Concerts and yourself, so you can effectively

Video: Creative. These are created make your own custom Adaptive

by pro photographers and editing Presets to alter the subject or

experts, so they’re great for sky in any way you choose. Here,

learning about tools and we’ve created a preset to add

techniques used by pros. a touch of warmth to the sky.

1 Adaptive Presets 6 Video presets 2 Preset strength
Adaptive Presets Another new feature in slider
work by employing AI CC is the option to edit
to isolate either the sky video using Lightroom’s The new Preset
or subject before adding tonal tonal tools, as well as trim the
settings to boost the area. You start and end of video clips. It’s strength slider gives
can make powerful selective only possible in Lightroom CC, but
adjustments to parts of your if you’re a Classic user there’s a you control over preset effects
photo with a couple of clicks. workaround that lets you apply
Here, the ‘Blue Drama’ preset presets and tonal changes by by allowing you to change the
isolates the sky and pulls out using the Quick Develop panel
some of the delicate cloud in the Library Module. There’s strength of the tonal change. If
detail, while the ‘Warm Pop’ a new set of premium presets
preset identifies the red car and geared towards toning video clips you think an effect is too strong,
boosts the colour and contrast. – you can apply these to stills, too.
lower the slider to tone it down. It

works with both normal universal

presets and the new range of

Adaptive Presets. Here, it lets

us increase the strength of the

Warm Pop preset. Like all sliders,

it can be reset with a double-click.

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 83

FUNDAMENTALS BONUS
HALO EFFECT
FILE & VIDEO
PRESET
www.digital
cameraworld Turn to page 88 to
.com/dc258 find out more!

WATCH THE
VIDEO!

Before After

No layer masks?

No problem…

Mimic Photoshop compositing by Expert tip
using Lightroom’s masking feature

Sean n Photoshop compositing, a neat trick This fill light can easily be pasted to other
McCormack photos. Move to the next image, then click
I is to create a layer between the subject the Previous button to copy the setting
Sean McCormack is and the background and add a radial from the last photo. This includes all Masks.
a photographer and gradient in white – this produces a With Lightroom Classic 11.4, any AI-based
writer, based in Galway. pleasing fog effect. Our brain sees mask is automatically generated.
He’s the author of The this fog and thinks there must be distance between
Indispensable Guide the subject and the background, effectively gives a pleasing lift, acting like an additional
to Lightroom CC. creating depth in the composite. background light. It’s subtle, but effective.
Obviously, the subject has to be cut out to
give a clear view of the background. This could While slightly complex, the trick we’re going to
be done with erasing, or using a layer mask in use involves using the Option or Alt shortcut key
Photoshop. Lightroom does not have the benefit of to activate the Intersect mode for Masks. Intersect
these layer masks or the ability to erase, but it does allows you to take elements of one mask and overlay
have a masking feature. Thanks to the redesigned it on another. Combining automatic masks with
masking in Lightroom Classic 11, we can still manually generated masks gives you great power
achieve this effect for portraiture. It’s probably for changing your image; more so, these changes
more effective for studio photographs and can be used to batch-process similar photos. To
produce the results in this tutorial, watch the video.

84 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

FUNDAMENTALS

1 Create the mask 2 Invert it
From the toolbar, click the Masking icon (the dotted circle under You don’t want
the Histogram). The mask type options will show. Choose Select the subject itself
Subject to start the process. You’ll see a ‘Detecting Subject’ bezel for this – you’re
on the photo. The subject will have a red overlay once complete. looking to work on
the background.
From the new
floating panel
that appears, right-click on the ellipsis (the three dots)
on the Subject 1 mask. Choose Invert to select the
background. The background will show as red.

3 Halo mask 4 Set Exposure
Hold down Option on Up to this stage, you have
macOS or Alt on Windows: the Intersect button appears. From made no changes to the
the menu that shows, choose Radial Gradient. Starting from image. Some users have
the middle of the face, roughly draw out a circular version used white masks and
of a Radial Gradient. This should create a red halo mask. wonder why the image
exports with no change
www.digitalcameraworld.com – it’s because you need
to change the settings
to see a result. Set the
Exposure value to taste:
here, I have used +1.88.

AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 85

GET THE LOOK

WATCH THE
VIDEO!

FILE & VIDEO Before

www.digital
cameraworld
.com/dc258

Get creative

with contrast BONUS
CONTRAST
Apply distinctive looks to your ACTION KIT
photos by using four advanced
techniques for boosting contrast Turn to page 88 to

find out more!

James Abbott ontrast is an important part James Abbott

James is a professional C of photography, whether that’s
photographer who increasing it for impact, reducing
specialises in landscapes it to create retro effects or using
and portraits. He’s an colour contrast for creative effect.
advanced Photoshop It’s a simple yet powerful visual effect, and within
user and has created the realms of photo editing, there are many ways
hundreds of tutorials. that these different types of contrast can be
controlled and even manipulated.
For our four techniques this month, we’re going
to look at more advanced and creative ways of
increasing contrast than simply creating an
S-curve or increasing the black and white points
using Levels. These will ultimately provide you
with an idea of how different Adjustment Layers,
blending modes and other settings can be used
in combination for creative effect. Of course, the
basic approaches to increasing contrast have
their place and remain extremely useful, but
we’re going to help you to think outside the
box to create your own more unique effects.

86 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

GET THE LOOK

1 Apply a
targeted vignette

Select the Elliptical

Marquee tool and drag

an upright oval over the centre of the

image. Click on the Create new fill or

Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom

of the Layers panel and select Curves.

Left-click on the centre of the curve

and drag down and right to darken.

This will be the centre of the selection,

so darken as much as you’d like in the

outer area. The Layer mask is selected

already, so press Ctrl/Cmd+I to invert

the mask to select the outer area.

2 Strong natural
contrast

Create a Levels Adjustment

Layer and close the

dialogue. Double click to the right of

Levels 1 on the layer in the stack, and

when the Layer Style dialogue opens,

set the layer’s Blending Mode to

Overlay. Next, go to Blend If, hold Alt/

Option, drag the right of the arrow to

80, then hit OK. Press Ctrl/Cmd+

Shift+Alt/Option+E to merge visible

layers to a new layer, delete Level 1

and change the Blending mode of

Layer 1 from Normal to Luminosity.

3 Increase colour
contrast

Create a Hue/Saturation

Adjustment Layer, click

the dropdown menu set to master

and select Yellows. Next, drag the

Lightness slider to -40 to darken the

moss. Click back on the dropdown

menu now set to Yellows, select

Greens and set Saturation to +30

before closing the dialogue box.

This increase in contrast will maintain

the original level of saturation in the

image that will have been reduced

when the Yellows were darkened.

4 Use toned contrast
Create a Photo Filter
Adjustment Layer, and
when the dialogue box
opens, click the dropdown menu set
to Warming Filter (85) by default and
select Sepia. Now drag the Density
slider over to 100% and close the
dialogue before changing the Blending
mode of the Layer from Normal to
Soft Light. Soft Light is a contrast
Adjustment Layer like Overlay, but
it’s not as strong. The effect is still too
strong here, so reduce the Opacity to
65% for a more natural colour effect.

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 87

ACTIONS & PRESETS

THIS MONTH’S BONUS SOFTWARE EXTRAS FILES & PDFs

Improve your shots with www.digital
our Actions and Presets cameraworld
.com/dc258
As seen in this month’s tutorials, you’ll be able
to enhance your photos in just a few clicks

his month, we have up your own library of actions How to use your Presets and Actions
and presets by collecting the Actions and Presets instruction PDFs are in
T curated a collection ones to be included in upcoming your download zip file
of actions and issues of Digital Camera. Once you have extracted
presets that will help the ‘dcm258-files.zip’
transform your image editing. One of the main advantages download on your
Actions and presets can make a of using actions and presets is computer, locate the Action
big impact on your photographs that they save you time – rather and Preset folders. Here,
in a matter of seconds: once than having to manually adjust you will find the actual files
they have been installed in a photo to give it a certain look, and PDFs containing full
Photoshop or Lightroom, they actions and presets will get you installation instructions.
are on hand for whenever you there in a few clicks. See below
need them – and you can build for this issue’s collection…

4 CONTRAST 1 HALO LIGHTROOM 8 SUBJECTS
ACTIONS ADAPTIVE PRESET ADAPTIVE PRESETS

For: Photoshop For: Lightroom For: Photoshop/Lightroom

This Contrast package, as seen in this Designed for use with Lightoom, As seen in Tool School, this comprises
issue’s Get The Look tutorial, contains this Halo pack contains an exclusive eight Adaptive Presets for Lightroom
Adaptive Preset. As explored in this
four Photoshop presets: Focused month’s Fundamentals tutorial, this and Photoshop: Booster, BW, Flat,
Vignette, Contrast Boost, Darken Grungy, Hue Shifter, Max Detail,
preset is ideal for portrait photos.
Foliage and Toned Contrast. Mute and Sharper.

Download your Actions and Presets from: www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc258

88 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

Advertising feature

Peak District, Derbyshire

Shootout Special

Scenic spots don’t get much better than this… Niall Hampton
and James Abbott take two readers to the iconic Mam Tor

Reader 1 Reader 2 In association with

Helen Storer Gavin The world’s largest online platform
Woolnough for buying, selling and trading used
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II photography and videography
Location: Norfolk Camera: Nikon D7500 equipment, MPB has partnered with
Location: Sussex Digital Camera to offer kit upgrades
Specialising in landscape and nature photography, to Helen and Gavin – see page 96.
Helen also runs small group workshops and Gavin combines his love of photography and travel
one-to-one tuition in Norfolk, home to huge skies to visit spectacular locations around the world,
and a stunning coastline. Helen would like to see if including the wild landscapes of the US, Iceland
it’s time to upgrade her trusty E-M1 Mark II setup. and further afield. Gavin is curious to explore the
https://storersphotos.com benefits of Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless system.
https://gsw.photography

Want to join us on an upcoming Shootout? Email [email protected]
to register your interest and share some photos, then we will get in touch

Shootout Special with MPB.com

Camera Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Lens M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm F2.8 Pro
Exposure 1/5 sec at f/5.6, ISO 64

Challenge 1 our position overlooking Winnats Pass, Helen
Helen Storer found a good spot and got ready to shoot.

Challenge 1 elcome to the Peak District for “Waiting for the clouds to break, I amused
myself by taking some ICM images,” she says.
Capture the W a Shootout Special supported by “Then the clouds broke and I grabbed this shot
wonder of MPB, where we’re challenging a without a tripod, without checking my settings,
Winnats Pass pair of readers to shoot their best and was pleasantly surprised with the result!”

scenics ahead of getting to try Expert opinion

some upgrades to their go-to kit (see page 96). Helen has taken full advantage of the E-M1 Mk
II’s stabilisation system to enjoy the freedom
Our original plan was to be on location at 4am of shooting handheld at slow shutter speeds.

to capture the sunrise, but poor weather led to

us delaying our start by two hours. Arriving at

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Advertising feature

Challenge 1 Camera Nikon D7500
Gavin Woolnough Lens Nikkor AF-S DX 18-200 f/3.5-5.6
Exposure 1/30 sec at f/11, ISO 180
s an enthusiastic chaser
AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 91
A of storms in the US,
Gavin’s proficiency with
weather software was
very useful during our
pre-shoot briefing. After triangulating
forecasts from different apps, we
decided to time our arrival for when
the rain was due to ease, and for
once the skies obliged.
“Given the weather when we started
the day, we were really excited when
the sun started to break through
the clouds,” Gavin recalls.
“The sun was still quite low and I
spotted that half of the valley was lit by
it, leaving the other half in shadow. So
with the leading line of the road heading
into the distance with the dramatic
clouds on the horizon, I thought this
would make a good shot. I waited for
a break in the traffic on the road, and
then was lucky enough to get some
lens flare from the sun, too. I am really
happy with how this shot worked out.”

Expert opinion

As the light broke through the clouds
after heavy rain, Gavin has captured
the light entering Winnats Pass very
well, and the inclusion of lens flare has
emphasised the intensity of the light.

Shooting from a high vantage point
can produce stunning results.

Add content by going wide

Gavin switched to his Sigma 10-20mm
zoom to widen the view, changing it from
his backpack to avoid the rain sputters. “I
liked the effect of the sun lighting a small
portion of the scene, making that part of
the hill stand out, while the rest of the
frame was still in shadow. As the clouds
were moving so quickly, I took a number
of shots until I got the one I wanted.”

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Shootout Special with MPB.com

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Exposure 1/500 sec at f/9, ISO 320

Camera Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Lens M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm F2.8 Pro
Exposure 60 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Challenge 2 Challenge 2 Norfolk, Mam Tor is a mountain,” laughs Helen.
Helen Storer “Wanting to do something different from the
Shoot a endless shots on social media, and given the high
classic view ur second location of the day was contrast when the sun broke from behind the
of Mam Tor clouds, I reached for my new Hoya infrared filter.”
O the gate looking towards Mam Tor.
It’s certainly an oft-photographed Expert opinion
scene, so we were keen to see how
our shooters would capture it. With Conditions up on the Great Ridge were ideal for
the sun shining most of the time now, it was a long exposures, and Helen’s use of an infrared
pleasant walk to get into position and the morning filter has lengthened the exposure in addition to
rain seemed like a distant memory. “Coming from the visual magic of infrared photography.

Try a long exposure

To create a dreamy floating
cloud aesthetic while we were
at the location, Helen popped
her E-M1 Mk II on a tripod
and reached for a Lee 0.9 ND
Grad filter and Lee polariser.
This allowed her to bag a
50-second exposure that
certainly shows this famous
view in several layers of light.

92 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

Advertising feature

Save time on editing out specks Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III
by keeping your lenses clean. Exposure 1/500 sec at f/9, ISO 320

Challenge 2 Camera Nikon D7500
Gavin Woolnough Lens Nikkor AF-S DX 18-200 f/3.5-5.6
Exposure 1/25 sec at f/11, ISO 100
or his gate shot, Gavin
AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 93
F opted for a different
approach from Helen,
favouring something
less abstract. “As can be seen in my
shots of Winnats Pass, leading lines
are important to me, so for this photo
I wanted to get the leading line of
the path along the ridge, and also
the sun lighting the valley through
the clouds,” says Gavin.
“I decided to go tight on the gate but
not straight on so I could get more of
what I wanted in the frame. The path
leads the eye to the hills and then on to
the sun breaking out from behind the
clouds, while also capturing the vibrant
green of the valley floor lit by the sun.
I love the contrast in this image, so
was very happy with the results.”

Expert opinion

Getting close and going wide is a great
way of adding drama to landscape
scenes – Gavin has got close to the
gate to use it as foreground interest
in this pleasing wide scene looking
out towards Lose Hill and Hope Valley.

Use exposure compensation

Gavin managed to capture another variation
of the classic gate shot by excluding it and
shooting behind the fence instead. “I wanted
to get the line of the path along the ridge
together with the dappling of the sun across
the landscape. As I was shooting towards
the sun, I used exposure compensation
and was really lucky when I got this
shot – I love the ray of light appearing
to put a spotlight on the path.”

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Shootout Special with MPB.com

Challenge 3 Camera Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Lens M.Zuiko ED 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II
Pick out details Exposure 1/200 sec at f/18, ISO 400
in the landscape
with a long lens

Challenge 3 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Helen Storer Exposure 1/500 sec at f/9, ISO 320

ext, it was time to www.digitalcameraworld.com

N train long lenses
into the valley to
pick out some
interesting details.
Helen was drawn to the Hope
Cement Works, an incongruous
addition to the landscape but
one that invites attention.
“The day was a mixture of
cloud, sun and spots of rain,
but every now and then the
sun would light up interesting
aspects of the valley,” says
Helen. “This 75-300mm lens is
ideal for picking out details from
afar – it’s not as sharp as I would
like, but as yet I can’t justify the
upgrade to an F2.8 Pro lens.”

Expert opinion

This intimate shot of the side-lit
cement factory works well
compositionally and could be
made more punchy overall with
a boost in contrast at the rear
of the scene to balance with
the trees at the front.

Go longer with MFT

With the 2x crop factor of the Micro
Four Thirds format, Helen’s 75-
300mm lens had an effective focal
length of 150-600mm in full-frame
terms. Scanning the landscape for
15 minutes, Helen settled on this
scene, where the vertical trunk of
the tree contrasts well with the
diagonal slope of the hill.

94 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022

Advertising feature

Camera Nikon D7500
Lens Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Exposure 1/1250 sec at f/6.3, ISO 360

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Exposure 1/500 sec at f/9, ISO 320

Challenge 3 running through it, and a single tree in the middle
Gavin Woolnough of it. As I fired off a few shots, I noticed how good
the tree looked when lit by the sun, throwing a
he money shot of the cement long shadow onto the field. Now I could see the
picture I wanted – the tree lit by the sun, with the
T works – picked out in a pool of sun rest of the field in shade. After a long wait, I was
with its chimney smoke pleasingly rewarded with the shot I envisioned, and I love it.”
side-lit – was proving elusive, so
Gavin turned the reach of his Expert opinion
150-600mm lens (up to 900mm on his crop-
sensor camera) onto more bucolic subjects. A fleeting moment of bright light hitting the
“I spent some time scanning the valley to find lone tree created an opportunity that Gavin
something that worked for me,” he recalls. “I took fortunately didn’t miss. Taking advantage of his
at least 50-60 shots, but nothing really excited camera’s 1.3x crop mode boosted his equivalent
me until I noticed a field with old stone walls focal length from 900mm to 1170mm.

Use found supports

Also using a crop-sensor camera,
Gavin can really home in on some
details in the landscape – and trees
seem to be really popular today.
“Shooting handheld in a strong wind
is always a challenge, so I had to use
what was around me to steady myself.
The wall allowed me to brace myself to
keep the camera as still as possible.”

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 95

Shootout Special with MPB.com

Challenge 4

Take some shots
with the MPB
kit upgrades

Challenge 4
Helen Storer

ith the three challenges

W in the Peaks completed,
it was time for our
readers to request their

kit upgrades from MPB

and take them to their local haunts.

Helen opted for the latest version of her

camera body and an M.Zuiko Pro optic.

“Back at base camp in Norfolk, I had

an opportunity to try the Olympus

OM-D E-M1 Mark III,” she says. “Its

condition was classified by MPB as

‘Excellent’ and it was spotless.

“As for the built-in ND live feature,

I can see the benefits of not carrying

around a Little or Big Stopper and using

this in-camera feature, but I would still

need my threaded Lee filters system

to use a polariser and an ND grad.

“I loved the lightweight yet robust feel

of the M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro,

and its high-quality images. With its

constant, bright aperture at all focal

lengths, it’s a winner for me and I would

definitely be interested in upgrading!”

Expert opinion

Telephoto lenses are essential kit for
landscape photography and Helen has
chosen the perfect scenes to test the
M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8. Shooting
from further back using a telephoto
eliminates converging verticals.

The four top kit upgrades from www.mpb.com

Olympus OM-D Olympus ED 40-150mm Nikon Z 6 Nikkor Z 14-30mm
E-M1 Mark III f/2.8 Pro f/4 S
£1,199
£999 £874 £879
“The most As its name Released to rave Spectacular
versatile suggests, this reviews in 2018,
pro-spec fast this 24.5MP body image quality and
all-purpose zoom will bring out the very best got the full-frame
in top-end Olympus cameras. mirrorless party started for Nikon’s excellent all-round
camera for professionals” was our enthusiast photographer following.
performance in a compact and
verdict on this 20.4MP MFT body.
lightweight package.

96 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022 www.digitalcameraworld.com

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Challenge 4
Gavin Woolnough

avin’s chosen kit

G upgrades from MPB were
a Nikon Z 6 and a Nikkor
14-30mm f/4 S lens, plus
a Nikon FTZ adapter so
he could also use the Z 6 with his tried
and tested DSLR glass. In addition to
the lenses Gavin used in the Peak
District (a Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G
ED VR II, a Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3
DG OS HSM | C and a Sigma 10-20mm
F4-5.6 EX DC HSM), he also owns a
Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
“The Z 6 has a bigger body than I first
thought, especially when compared to
Sony Alpha 7 cameras,” says Gavin.
“Combining the Z 6 with Nikon’s FTZ
adapter (MPB prices start from £199)
and my existing lenses does turn it into
quite a big piece of kit. I do like the little
joystick on the rear, which makes it a lot
easier to move the focus point, and the
electronic viewfinder – you can view the
last shot taken in it so you don’t have to
take the camera away from your eyes.”

Expert opinion

Opting for a kit upgrade that allowed
Gavin to use his existing glass was a
logical approach and illustrates the
flexibility of lens adapters – and also
the quality of images that can be
achieved when using adapted lenses.

Upgrading your kit with mpb.com In association with

Selling your old gear to MPB couldn’t be easier – online valuation is both free
and commitment-free, your used gear is picked up from your doorstep free
of charge, and friendly support is offered every step of the way. MPB offers
a free six-month warranty on all products, packages are always insured with
a signature required on delivery, and with its 5-star TrustPilot rating, you
can be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable and reliable company –
one that sells over 300,000 items of photo and video kit every year.

Trade in and upgrade your camera gear today at: www.mpb.com/sell

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 97

Photo Answers Andrew
James
Fazed by focal lengths? Puzzled by pincushion?Andrew James
³ƺȇƳ‫ژ‬ɵȒɖȸ ɎƺƬǝȇǣȷɖƺ ƏȇƳ ƬƏȅƺȸƏ Andrew is a highly
ȷɖƺɀɎǣȒȇɀ‫ژ‬ɎȒ‫ژ‬[email protected] experienced writer
and photographer –
Go wilder if you have a problem,
he is here to help.
I love shooting wildlife,
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Q but sometimes think

I should make my

compositions more interesting.

What can you suggest?

Veronica Balding

You don’t often get time to think about

A composition with wildlife photography
like you do with landscape photography,
but it’s great that you are considering
how to make your shots more interesting. There
are plenty of options at your disposal, and it’s also
important to remember that a simple crop can make
a lot of difference to the power of your composition,
especially when you are having to react to things
happening quickly in front of you.
When you do have time to really consider your
approach and want to nail that composition in
camera, I’d suggest the following options as a starter.
Your viewpoint makes a huge difference, and more
often than not you want to be eye-level with the
wildlife you are photographing, or just below it. This
helps ensure that your subject isn’t being dominated.
Shooting through an object between you and the
main subject is another great option when you are
using a telephoto lens. For example, you could
shoot through vegetation to create a blurred
natural frame around the whole of your subject
or perhaps just in the foreground.
Leaving active space in front of your subject can
also be a useful way to give your image balance.
This allows you to make the most of a beautiful
environment, and will help to give your shot
greater context.
These are all really good ways to make your
photos a bit different, but the most powerful option
is to shoot when the wildlife is doing something
interesting. While this can’t always be guaranteed, of
course, if you’re patient and react quickly when your
subject is behaving in an interesting way, this will
immediately give your photo greater visual impact.

Shooting through an obstacle that’s partially blocking
your subject – such as vegetation – can have the
effect of creating a blurred natural frame.

98 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022

Tech Check Fast lens

There can be confusion about what
this term means, so let’s clear it up

What is a fast lens? reasonably priced one, but with a smaller With their ability to produce pleasingly diffused
It’s a common misconception among newcomers maximum aperture. Fast lenses are also often backgrounds, wide-aperture fast lenses are
to photography that a fast lens refers to an optic’s referred to as professional lenses, and some are a go-to choice for creative image-making.
ability to focus quickly, but this isn’t the case. If labelled ‘Pro’, but of course you don’t have to be
a lens is referred to as fast, it means that it has a professional photographer to enjoy using them. image sharpness) you can get with a fast lens
a wide maximum aperture, typically f/2.8, but is a way to shoot really pleasing and creative
also potentially f/1.8 or f/1.4. Do I really need to use a fast lens? images where backgrounds are diffused.
Not necessarily – it all depends on the type of
So where does the term ‘fast’ come from? photography you enjoy and what you want to Which areas of photography are
It simply refers to the ability of the lens to achieve achieve. The improvement in noise control at best for fast lenses?
faster shutter speeds in low light by opening the higher ISO settings means you get faster shutter For creative control and fast shutter speeds in
aperture up to its widest setting. This means speeds in low light without necessarily always difficult lighting, fast lenses are particularly
when the hole (aperture) in the lens through needing to open your aperture right up. That favoured for portraiture, wildlife and sport.
which light passes on its way to the sensor said, the limited depth of field (through the
is physically at its largest.

Why aren’t all lenses fast?
As a general rule, the extra material that’s
required to create a fast lens pushes the price up,
and it’s not uncommon for most manufacturers
to have an expensive fast lens than a more

Blue sky thinking

I’ve taken some

Q landscape shots

where there is a
lack of contrast and colour
intensity, especially in
the blue sky area. I think
maybe I should have used
a polariser. Is there a way to
sort this in post-processing?

Daisy Moore

A polariser remains an Without polariser effect With polariser effect Andrew James

A excellent physical filter to keep tweak with the Luminance and Saturation though, as it can look over the top style-
handy. It gives you a number sliders for that colour can make a lot of wise if you push saturation too far.
of benefits, depending on the difference. Normally, taking the Luminance
conditions and how you use it, some of slider to the left to darken the tones in that Once you’ve done this, you could also use
which can’t be replicated in post- channel and the Saturation slider to the the Dehaze slider in the Basic tab because
production. What you’re asking about can right will give the intensity enough of a this will further increase the density of the
be mimicked if you’ve shot raw, but I’d still boost. Make sure when you are using the blues, but again, be careful you don’t go too
advise you to use an actual filter next time. Saturation slider that you don’t overdo it, far, because even a small right push of the
When you are in your raw processing Dehaze slider is quite aggressive.
software – for example, Lightroom or
Camera Raw – look for the HSL Panel
(Lightroom) or Color Mixer (Camera Raw),
as this is where you can change the
saturation and brightness of an individual
colour. Obviously in the case of a blue sky
it’s the blue channel you want, and a quick

www.digitalcameraworld.com AUGUST 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA 99

Clone call

I have been

Q trying to do some

complex cloning in

Photoshop, but when I mess

it up I have to start from

scratch, which is frustrating.

Is there a better way?

Sheila Allcock

There are advantages to using a telephoto lens to photograph damsels, such as being able Yes! Create a separate blank
to shoot from further away, but you’ll get crisper life-sized shots from a dedicated macro optic.
A layer and clone into it. Open
Damsels with no distress Of course, a telephoto lens is good for the Layers palette by going Andrew James
shooting damsels, and you are right that to Window > Layers and click
I have borrowed it allows you to stand further away, but on the square box at the bottom with a +
it doesn’t allow you to get those crisp symbol. This opens up a blank layer. Select
Q a Tamron 90mm life-size in the frame images that the Clone Stamp tool at the top of the main
a true macro will give you. window and tick the box next to Aligned.
macro to use with To the right you’ll see the word Sample
Wobble woes – make sure All Layers are selected.
my Nikon D5600, but am With the blank layer highlighted you can
I’ve been trying to now clone in the normal way. You’ll see the
struggling to get close to areas you are selecting appearing in the
Q do panning shots, blank layer. It might not be that obvious in
the damsels on my local the small icon in the Layers palette, but if
but get too much you switch off the Background layer, you’ll
pond. Should I use a wobble. What’s the solution see it clearly. If you do go wrong, you can
for a smoother action? select the Eraser tool from the Tools palette
telephoto lens instead? and touch over the bit of cloning you don’t
Joseph Hooper like to return the image to how it was. It’s a
Dave Harris quicker way of re-working a specific area
Panning is a technique that of cloning that doesn’t look right because
Your camera has an APS-C- you can see where the issue is, return it
A seems to catch a lot of people to its original state and work on it again.
A sized sensor, so the crop factor out and I’ve actually watched When you’ve finished you can either keep
means your 90mm macro is a group of photographers in the separate layer by saving it as a PSD, or
effectively 135mm, which is a workshop all wobble while they panned. flatten it by saving the image as a JPEG.
useful when it comes to photographing When you are panning and shooting at a
easily spooked insects. That said, it doesn’t fast shutter speed, a little bit of wobble When you switch off
make it easy to get the shot. When it comes won’t do too much harm, but if you are the Background layer,
to photographing damselflies, they will panning at a slow shutter speed then the you can see the area
often be quite active, making it hard to get best solution is to hold the lens at the end, you’ve cloned on the
right up close and get your shot without rather than the base. Make sure you have new blank layer.
them flying off. But it’s certainly not the telephoto’s lens hood on and hold this,
impossible, and there are several things you so you make a much more stable platform Before
can do to swing the odds in your favour. from which to pan the heavier lens. This
As a rule, they’ll react either to your way, the streaks you get on your shot After
sudden movement or your shadow falling should look more even.
over them, so part of the key is to move
almost painfully slowly and avoid getting
between the subject and the sun. I’ll often
focus from some distance back, then edge
in very slowly, keeping a single active AF
point on the insect. As long as the AF drive
is set to continuous, focus will remain in
the right spot. Doing this, even in quite
bright conditions, I’ve managed to get as
close as it’s possible to be with a macro.
The other option is to look for them
earlier in the morning when they aren’t
active. Hunt among the grass or bankside,
and you may find them covered in drops of
dew. Even as they start to move, until they
warm up they will be very tolerant of you.

100 D I G I TA L C A M E R A AUGUST 2022