Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

“Road trippin’ with my two favourite allies, fully loaded we got snacks and supplies...” So begins Road Trippin’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which waxes lyrical about the simple pleasures of the life on the road. I love the song and I love road trips, but best of all, I love capturing them on my Nikon. In the Chilis’ case they got lost in the USA, whereas for this issue’s feature, we got lost in the wilds of Scotland. The views may be different, but the feeling of freedom is the same. You can find out how we got on, and what photographic wisdom and images we came back with, on page 26. Someone who did get lost in the USA is the reader behind this issue’s Photo Stories…

In this issue’s Lightbox gallery we present a selection of our favourite winning and shortlisted Nikon images from the 14th annual Smithsonian Photo Contest. The winning images were selected from more than 48,000 entries from no fewer than 146 countries finalist, Travel Firewalking Binh Duong, Vietnam Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over burning charcoal. In Ha Giang, a mountain province in northern Vietnam bordered by China, the Pa Then ethnic group observes this practice to usher in prosperity for the new year. Nikon Df, 24mm f/2.8, 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO640 WINNER, GRAND PRIZE Ramadan Prayers Pradeep Raja Kannaiah, Indonesia This is a shot of women praying inside Istiqlal Mosque, in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the month of Ramadan. Istiqlal mosque is the largest in Southeast Asia, and the world’s…

TOP TIP SNEAK PREVIEW Set your picture control to Landscape or Vivid to help you visualise what the image might look like once processed later. This reduces that moment of panic when what what’s on the screen looks flatter than what you see with your eyes! When road tripping in a campervan it’s especially easy to stay in bed, but there are at most two opportunities for golden light when photographing landscapes, so don’t ditch 50 per cent of them just for a lazy lie-in. I arrived at the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye late in the evening, with the aim of bagging a sunset shot from the summit. I was presented with a wonderfully clear sky, but I’d misremembered the length and difficulty of the…

Teach Yourself Flash Part 13 We’re going to show you how to create a powerful image of a car that’s seemingly screaming down the road. Essentially, we’ll be mounting the Nikon to the car we’re shooting with a suctionmounted attachment (we used the Delkin Fat Gecko mount) so the Nikon moves with the car, ensuring it stays sharp while the background blurs due to the movement of the car. Then, sat in the passenger sear, we’ll trigger the Nikon to take photos as the car is driven along (we advise getting someone else to drive, as you’ll be busy shooting). Our friend, Matt, took us out for a spin in his BMW Z3 Roadster, nicknamed ‘The Beast’, which is capable of some eye-watering speeds. Surprisingly, though, you won’t need to…

For our big project this issue we took our Nikon to the seaside. But shooting a seascape isn’t just another landscape shoot, as you’ve got the additional element of moving water to contend with. The secret is to capture waves as they crash onto land and convey that motion in your image. So taking control of shutter speed is the most important thing, but while you’ll need to use long shutter speeds, they’re probably not as long as you think. We’re talking a range of around 1/4 sec to 4 secs – any quicker and you’ll freeze the waves and they’ll look boringly static, but if the shutter is open for too long then you’ll end up with a shapeless wispy blur. Due to the lengthy exposure times required, you’ll…

My dad bought me a camera for my birthday when I was young and I’ve been addicted to photography ever since. I shoot Nikon because I love the stories behind the photographs. From Don McCullin’s lifesaving Nikon F to Thomas Mangelsen’s devoted studies of nature, the most compelling images always seem to feature Nikon. It’s now my turn to tell my Nikon story. Mission: To capture the incredible power and majestic scenery of Yellowstone National Park Photographer: Mark Warnes Age: 48 Location: Cardiff, UK Kit: Nikon D750, Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5, Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Website: www.markwarnesphotography.com Kit choice is important in Yellowstone. Timing is critical in a harsh environment like this – there’s often no second chance to get the shot. I needed to trust my cameras 100%, so I took…

Elegance, which we just saw, speaks for itself. It’s universally appealing, the equivalent of a pretty sunrise in a landscape. However, move off into the unusual, to the kind of body movements and actions that are unexpected and odd, and you have a rich area of ‘portraiture’ to explore. Our attention is always caught by people doing what we consider weird things, but before setting off on a hunt for the bizarre, it’s worth being clear what ‘strange’ actually means. Now this might seem irrelevant, but I had to do just that when, years ago, I made a book called Strange Food, and it turned out, not unexpectedly, that ‘strange’ existed only in my mind and that of the reader. Everything I photographed, and I won’t go into the details,…

Does a fixed high-density or a variable ‘fader’ filter offer better performance and value? Lee Big Stopper filter SMALLEST FITMENT: 49mm LARGEST FITMENT: 105mm FILTER MATERIAL: Glass MOUNTING: Additional holder and adaptor ring DENSITY: 10 stops OTHER DENSITIES AVAILABLE: 6 stops, 15 stops Website www.leefilters.com Price £100/$125 (filter only) How it works From waterfalls to busy streets, the Lee Big Stopper is a legendary filter that enables you to blur movement by making your exposure ten stops longer. It’s essentially a 100x100mm square sheet of very dark grey glass that fits into the standard Lee filter holder. Fitment As with other square or rectangular filters, the Big Stopper attaches to a lens via a holder and an adaptor ring that screws into the lens’s attachment thread. The Lee Foundation Kit…

This series covers the Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, in June 2015. I work for Bildbyrån, Sweden’s number one sports photographic agency, and we always cover the Champions League final; it’s one of the biggest sporting moments of the year and this was my second time shooting it. What was so special was that I literally spent 24 hours on the job; I flew out at around 4am from Stockholm to Berlin, went to the final in the evening, then departed again in the early hours of the morning. I needed to cover as much as possible before, during and after the match, but in a unique way. Our clients include all the major newspapers in the country, as well as…

There are some good ‘budget’ telephoto zoom lenses on the market. Nikon’s AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR (£520/$500) is the best in class, while the Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD (£300/$450) is a top bargain buy. But one thing that all so-called budget tele-zooms tend to share is a variable aperture rating that shrinks as you extend through the zoom range, typically down to f/5.6 at the long end. Expert and professional photographers generally prefer ‘constant-aperture’ zoom lenses wherever possible and, in the case of telephoto lenses, are often willing to sacrifice greater telephoto reach in order to get it. The favoured choice is therefore a 70-200mm zoom, with a faster f/2.8 aperture rating. At the long end of the (albeit slightly shorter) zoom range, they’re two stops faster…

Landscape photography is all about chasing the light. The quality, quantity and direction of light are what make or break a landscape photograph. If you’re mobile then you have more chance of reaching the right location at the right time. A car will do this, of course, but for true ease of shooting, nothing beats a campervan. I took one around the highlands of Scotland with the aim of capturing some stunning scenery at sometimes unsociable hours. Having the van meant I could park closer to where I needed to be and stay overnight, avoiding a timely trek from a hotel. This meant I was there in the middle of the action when the light was just right. On the go you also learn a lot, and you learn it…

W hether it’s being aware of the predictable weather patterns of somewhere flat like Florida, or the unpredictable nature of the mountainous highlands of Scotland, knowing what might come next tells you if you should stay put and keep shooting or cut your losses and move on. Waking up with the sun gave a natural rhythm to my photographic days in the highlands, and I felt more alert and more able to think clearly. That was crucial to creating this shot. From atop the Quiraing, I noticed a thick veil of mist forming over the sea in the distance. It had been cold but clear overnight, and the mist was thickening as the sun rose. Judging from the forecast, which was erring on the side of bright sunshine all day,…

Your Nikon’s sensor is a blank canvas onto which you can position your subject wherever you like. The typical approach is to fill the frame, but sometimes it might be more effective to leave certain areas empty. We call the empty parts of a frame ‘negative space’. This is typically anywhere that is either lacking in detail, blurred or otherwise plain and unformed. By contrast, the ‘positive space’ in an image will be areas of interest, such as your subject or other notable details in the frame. Just because the rest is ‘negative’, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. If we affect the balance between positive and negative space we can produce strikingly bold compositions, especially if we intentionally overemphasize the negative space. The key is in understanding how…

T he term cross-processing refers to a developing technique used in predigital chemical darkrooms. It involved deliberately developing print negatives using chemicals that were designed for use with slide film (or visa versa). The use of these incorrect chemicals resulted in a shift in colour and an increase in contrast. This darkroom technique created great stylized and eye-catching images. Cross-processed blues often took on a green hue, for example, while the shadows might feature a hint of magenta. This editing process is still popular now, especially with fine art, fashion and stock photographers. In the days of the traditional darkroom the results could be a bit hit or miss, so you had to experiment to get the desired shifts in colour and tone. But Lightroom’s Color panel enables you to…

Nikon School photography workshops cater for every level of photographic ability, whether you are new to taking photographs, a keen amateur or a professional. Nikon School offers a wide range of workshops suited to individuals wanting to learn more about photography or expand their creative horizons. Courses will help you improve your skills, develop your eye for a photo and learn to take control of your camera. Workshops are a mix of easy-to-understand theory and practical assignments. They’re attended by small groups of up to 12 delegates to ensure that everyone can benefit from the expert knowledge of tutors. From understanding your Nikon DSLR and lenses to image editing; from street shots to inspiring landscapes; the school’s workshops cover a variety of skills and subjects. Workshops take place at either…

YOUR PROJECTS CRITIQUED Andy Dines takes a fresh angle on a much-photographed part of the UK, the stunningly rugged Isle of Skye While the Isle of Skye is, without doubt, one of the most breathtaking areas of the United Kingdom, it certainly presents its own set of challenges (see pages 26-29 for more shots from Skye). As any landscape photographer will appreciate, weather plays a key part as, ideally, you want those beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Skye seems to have its own microclimate: the weather not only changes depending on where you are on the island, but can also turn quickly from a beautiful sunny day to zero visibility, with heavy rain and strong winds. Thankfully, due to its beautiful, diverse landscape, you can find photogenic locations and subjects to…

Roger Hutchings has three bodies of work that have attracted critical acclaim: Thatcher’s Britain, a long-term social documentary about Britain; Bosnia, a reflection on the civil war in Yugoslavia; and Ataturk’s Children, which examines the Turkish Kurds’ struggle for self-determination. For more info, visit rogerhutchings.com SEPTEMBER 1990 • AYODHYA, INDIA • NI KON FM “I didn’t really understand what was going on. There were so many things happening, so many people, such anarchy, such an extent of chaos. It was a very hard thing to photograph.” Roger Hutchings is recalling his first impressions of the Indian town of Ayodhya in September 1990, when he arrived to witness rioting Hindu pilgrims, led by the politician LK Advani, attempting to tear down an Islamic mosque. Advani and his followers claimed the disputed…

Nikon’s 100th Anniversary Commemorative Models Nikon turns 100 in style £TBA/$TBA www.nikon.com/100th As an avid Nikon fan, you may already be aware that 2017 – specifically 25 July – marks the company’s centenary. To celebrate, Nikon is marking the occasion with a number of special-edition cameras, lenses and accessories. Heading the line-up are Anniversary Editions of the D5 and D500, each featuring a gunmetal grey body with a 100th Anniversary logo, plus a special-edition body cap and embossed leather strap. The D500 also gets an exclusive metal case, and the D5 a commemorative booklet. Nikon has also given the special-edition treatment and dark-grey finish to its AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens, which along with a special display case also comes with the individual glass elements that make up…

The new D7500 slots in between the D7200 and the D500, right at the top of Nikon’s DX-format digital SLR range. It’s designed for keen enthusiasts who want the best possible combination of performance and value, and it would also suit those who are looking to upgrade to a more powerful camera from their first Nikon DSLR. The specs are very exciting. The 20.9-megapixel sensor is one of Nikon’s latest, and the 8fps continuous shooting speed is really impressive for a DSLR in this price bracket. Almost more amazing, though, is the D7500’s incredible maximum ISO setting. We make a lot of comparisons between the D7500 and the existing D7200 and D500 models in this special six-page preview, because this little group of cameras poses some interesting choices. The D7200…

For my road trip to Scotland I may have over-prepared, but on the next two pages are some of the most useful things I took with me, in addition to my camera kit. I hadn’t done the trip before, so I bought an Ordnance Survey map of Scotland. It gave me a top-down view of my shooting locations, that I then marked off with a pencil, and it showed the contour lines of the mountains, so I could see what sort of a hike I was in for. An updated view of the world is great when you have power, so I also packed my smartphone with Google Maps, and downloaded some offline maps for those times when there was no signal. I also updated my satnav, so I could…

We photographers have a bit of a love/hate relationship with movement. Sometimes it’s a real pain and we strive to keep it to a minimum. At other times, we want to celebrate it in all its blurry glory. The motion of traffic at night definitely falls into the latter category. By using a long exposure in the low evening light, the smooth motion of their lights creates wonderful streaks of colour through the frame. This is one of those camera skills that reveals the magic of photography – and the best part is, it’s easy! Anyone with a DSLR and tripod can do it. As such, it’s a great way to get started with long-exposure photography as there’s no need for extra filters or even a cable release. The challenge…

Purposely introducing camera movement is one way to capture a shot that stands out from the crowd. You may have tried the cameradrag technique – where you pan your Nikon during a long exposure – before. If you have, you’ll know how artistic the results can be. Depending on the movement and shutter speed, lines in the scene become blurred, and colours merge into one another (see page 80). In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to recreate the effect in Photoshop. One of the most important things is to choose the right starting image. Woodland scenes (for vertical panning) and beach shots (for horizontal panning) work well, as any trunks or horizon lines in the landscape become more prominent when blurred across the frame. Don’t agonize too much over…

THE PRO... NAME Kate Hopewell-Smith CAMERA D4s and D3s An internationally acclaimed wedding, portrait and boudoir pro, Kate was also a Nikon UK Ambassador from 2014-16. Her distinctive images have a unique, almost painterly quality (perhaps not surprising given her degree in art history), and she says of her work: “When people describe it as ‘artistic’ I couldn’t be happier.” She has recently launched a photography training company, Training byLumiere (www.trainingbylumiere.co.uk), which offers everything from one-day workshops to an intensive, six-month foundation programme (see page 69 for more details). THE APPRENTICE... NAME Danni Hide CAMERA D3300 Hailing from Barnstaple in North Devon, Danni first got into photography at college, but it wasn’t until much later, after pursuing a career in childcare, that she rediscovered her passion while on maternity leave.…

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the mag and all things photographic! Email us at mail@nphotomag.com or write to us at N-Photo, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, UK, BA1 1UA. We reserve the right to edit any queries for clarity or brevity. LETTER OF THE MONTH Birds of a feather On page 34 of N-Photo issue 70 the Capture Flocks in Flight article inspired me to try taking something similar. As is always the case, I couldn’t find the magazine anywhere when I needed it. So, I proceeded regardless and decided to ‘wing’ it when I got on location. I headed into Belfast city centre and to the Albert Bridge over the River Lagan where starlings come to roost each evening. I got several photographs of the birds and…

Elegance in the way people move their limbs is one of those qualities that resonates very clearly and easily with viewers, without analysis. We have a natural appreciation of it, and it’s something everyone is attracted to. Capturing it, on the other hand, doesn’t come so easily, because in the flow of someone moving – even something as obvious as walking – the graceful moments happen between others that are ordinary, or just plain awkward. Also, some people are naturally graceful, others clumsy. For a photographer this means paying close attention and reacting very quickly, and if you keep this as one of your goals – waiting for the graceful postures and not being satisfied with the ordinary ones – your success rate will be higher. This works in exactly…

Profile • In 2003, while studying photojournalism in Sheffield, Leon won The Times Young Photographer of the Year scholarship. • After two years on The Times, Leon joined Agence France-Presse (AFP), where he remained for nine years before joining Getty in 2016. • Major assignments include the Olympics in London and Rio, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, numerous Glastonbury Festivals and the Zombie Evacuation Race. • His dedication paid off in 2015 when he was named a Nikon UK Ambassador. Looking at Leon Neal’s portfolio (www.leonneal.com/ albums) you find yourself wondering if there is anything he cannot photograph. From prime ministers and US presidents to dancers, policemen and music festivals, Leon is one of the most published current affairs photographers working in Britain today. His artistic…