Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

STATIC PORTRAITS Kingsley says… Lynne’s camera was set to AF-C, so she changed it to AF-S for the portraits, in conjunction with Single Shot mode. We also ensured she was set to single-point AF and moved the AF point to the dog’s eye (closest to the camera) before engaging focus lock by half pressing the shutter button. ACTION SHOTS Kingsley says… We returned to AF-C with the Continuous High release mode for the motion shots, and used Dynamic Area AF modes to increase Lynne’s chances of getting the subject in focus. Half-pressing the shutter button was causing the AF system to hunt. We solved this using back-button focusing. FLASH SETTINGS Kingsley says… Setting the camera up for an outdoor flash portrait meant switching back to AF-S and single-point AF. In…

This month we’re taking you through the looking glass by showing you a fresh way to shoot landscapes. Many of us love to shoot in the great outdoors, but there are only so many ways to shoot landscapes traditionally. But with a clear glass sphere, from companies like Lensball, you can unlock creative new ways to shoot vistas. Due to refraction, when you take an image through a glass ball, the landscape inside will appear upside-down. You can choose to leave it as is, flip the entire picture in Photoshop so that the sphere is the right way up (go to Image>Image Rotation> 180º), or select just the image inside the ball and rotate that by 180º so that both the ball and landscape behind it are in the correct…

Your Nikon camera can meter a scene to capture details in the brightest highlights and darkest shadows. You can then use Capture NX-D to make global adjustments, such as boosting the contrast. Tools such as Tone (Detail) then let you selectively lighten shadows without blowing out your highlights. However, these tools affect all of the shadows in the photograph equally and, as such, need to be used sparingly. To make specific objects stand out more in contrast with their surroundings you’ll need to do some selective dodging and burning. Unlike Photoshop, Capture NX-D doesn’t possess dedicated brush-based dodge and burn tools. However, you can persuade Capture NX-D’s Color Control Point tool to target and tweak a specific tonal range and restrict adjustments to a particular region. This localized tonal adjustment…

MISSION: Photograph the beautiful moments of a Parisian engagement session before the couple’s momentous wedding day PHOTOGRAPHER: David Zaoui LOCATION: Miami (USA), photo shoot in Paris (France) KIT USED: Nikon Z 7, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Nikon FTZ adapter WEBSITE: www.wedding-davidz.com INSTAGRAM: @davidz_photographer I’ve been working in the wedding Industry for the past nine years, and have always found it fascinating to illustrate a story using nothing but photographs. Today, I have the endless pleasure of capturing pictures in countries all around the world, and have met incredible people and cultures worldwide during my photographic journey. This particular engagement photo shoot was taken in Paris. The couple here gave me carte blanche to find their perfect spot, so I came up with something aerial, romantic, shining and…

Star Letter In it to win it I‘m Alessandro and I was the Apprentice in issue 101 of N-Photo, shooting portraits, boudoir and art nudes with model Natasha J. Bella in her studio. I have just received my copy of the magazine and turned straight to the article, and wanted to share how happy I was to have this opportunity. I loved how friendly and easy it was working with both Natasha and Adam, the editor of N-Photo who joined us for the day to take all the ‘behind the scenes’ shots and take notes to write up the article. When I applied, sending in my portfolio, I was not expecting to get a call, but unexpected gifts are often the most appreciated! Since the first contact the N-Photo staff…

The Nik Collection is a set of seven plug-ins developed by Nik Software, then bought by Google and sold as a single suite, then discontinued and given away free, and finally rescued by DxO and relaunched as a commercial package. Google added the Analog Efex Pro plug-in during its time as owner, and DxO has updated the software to be compatible with the latest Mac and Windows operating systems, but the Nik plug-ins look much the same as they did when they launched. For most that would be a bad thing, but the Nik Collection plug-ins have a ‘timeless’ look about them and don’t seem to age. In fact, they rate as amongst the best photoediting software applications you can get. The only change made to the plug-ins themselves is…

APS-C OR FULL-FRAME APS-C (DX) format cameras are good for compactness and boosting telephoto range. Full-frame (FX) is better for a tight depth of field and, usually, high-ISO image quality. CARD SLOTS The D7500, D750, D500 and D850 have dual card slots. This enables the option of making instant backups of image files as you shoot. STABILIZATION All of Nikon’s SLRs rely on optical stabilization built into Vibration Reduction (VR) lenses, whereas the Z 6 and Z 7 have five-axis, five-stop sensor-shift stabilizers. MEGAPIXELS The megapixel count of the D850 and Z 7 enables the capture of fine detail, but file sizes are large and high-ISO noise can be an issue. DRIVE SPEED For high-speed continuous shooting, the Z 6 and D500 can reach 12fps and 10fps respectively. The Z…

Body for body, the D5600 is exactly the same size as the D3500 and only slightly heavier, at 465g. It’s smaller and more lightweight than either of Nikon’s mirrorless cameras in the test, and is quite travel-friendly. The D3500’s ‘Guide’ shooting mode isn’t available, but this camera is intuitive for beginners and expert photographers. A major handling enhancement is the fully-articulated touchscreen, which enables you to easily shoot from tricky angles in Live View and movie capture modes. Back in regular viewfinder mode, the camera benefits from a 39-point autofocus system, compared with just 11 AF points in the D3500. Nine of them are cross-type points as well, able to resolve detail in vertical and horizontal planes, whereas the D3500 only has one cross-type at the centre. Performance There’s no…

The D500 is living proof that there’s still a place in Nikon’s line-up for a professional-grade DX format camera. While the APS-C sized image sensor is small by full-frame standards, the camera itself has a chunky, solid build and goes large in features, specs and performance. At its heart, the D500 has the same 20.9Mp CMOS image sensor and EXPEED 5 processor that’s since filtered down to the D7500. But it adds the 153-point autofocus module that’s featured in the top-spec D5 and D850 full-frame SLRs. It also has a different control layout to the D7500, based on Nikon’s pro-grade interface. Both have a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen but the D500’s is ultra-high-res with 2359k instead of 922k dots. Performance Even better for action photography than the D7500, the D500 can…

With its 45.7Mp image sensor, the Z 7 marginally edges ahead of the D850 to become Nikon’s highest-resolution camera. Coupled with one of the spectacularly good new Z-series lenses, it’s capable of capturing incredible levels of fine detail. It’s also easier to make the most of its resolving power. A key factor is that there’s no mirror-bounce to unsettle the camera and cause vibrations. The other is that, as in the Z 6, there’s a highly effective five-axis, five-stop in-body stabilizer. The hybrid AF system, combining phase and contrast-detection, works as well as in the Z 6, although the Z 7 has 493 phase-detection points rather than ‘just’ 273 points. Again, though, there’s only a single memory card slot. Performance The max drive rate of 9fps beats that of the…

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‘Why are you taking this photograph?’ asks Nigel Forster, the pro landscape photographer who penned this issue’s lead feature. By asking yourself this most basic question, you’ll ensure the images you shoot convey the emotions that made you want to press the shutter button in the first place. It’s a fascinating read and guaranteed to help you craft carefully considered compositions every single time. ‘Because I want to share the joy that my dogs give me’ would be the response from our Apprentice. So we enlisted dog photographer Kingsley Singleton to help her take pet portraits to be proud of. In our Big Test, we help you decide which Nikon is right for you, helping you make the choice between crop-sensor and full-frame, DSLR and mirrorless. We also try out…

Kingsley says… One of the joys of photographing dogs is that you get to meet a wide variety of personalities and breeds. Each subject is an individual, they could be energetic, obedient or mischievous. My job is to convey that personality through pictures. I talk to my subjects throughout the shoot and issue encouraging commands, should I need them to sit, stay or come forwards. I often ask owners to bring along a few treats. They’re a great way to reward good behaviour and build trust, which is very important if you’re dealing with some of the more nervous subjects.…

Now in its 13th year, the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition showcases exquisite garden, plant and botanical photography from across the world. Categories include Abstract Views, Captured at Kew, Breathing Spaces, The Bountiful Earth, The Beauty of Plants and Wildlife in the Garden. There is no distinction drawn between professional and amateur photographers, so anyone can enter! For more information, to view the rest of the winner’s photographs and find details about this year’s competition, or check out the photo book, International Garden Photographer of the Year – Collection 12, please visit: www.igpoty.com…

All Nikon digital SLR cameras have a conventional phase-detection autofocus module. The main reflex mirror is partially translucent, so light can pass through it and be directed by a second mirror, downwards to the autofocus module. This module contains a number of autofocus points, each with its own set of sensors. The sensors compare the light entering from opposite sides of the lens; if the light is in phase, the lens is properly focused; if the sensors measure a difference in phase, they can tell the lens in which direction focus needs to be adjusted, and by how much. The module keeps on checking while the lens is adjusting, until optimum focus is achieved. A basic SLR typically has fairly few phase-detection autofocus points. For example, the D3500 has 11…

Sometimes a photo-worthy moment happens so quickly that it’s near impossible to compose the frame properly, like when a great white pelican suddenly appears next to your boat. At moments like this, a messy, distracting backdrop is often hard to avoid. Here the metal bars intrude on the composition rather than enhance it. But if we like we can remove distractions like this with simple retouching tools in Affinity Photo. One of the most powerful is the Inpainting tool. It’s a clever feature that’s conveniently easy to use, even for a complete beginner. We simply paint over parts of the image and the tool intelligently analyses the area, determines what we’d like to remove, then replaces the offending pixels by sampling and replicating those nearby. Here it means we can…

Most photographic blur effects occur when the subject moves during the exposure – think of blurred water or clouds, a fastmoving subject or a speeding car. Of course, for these kinds of effects a perfectly still camera is essential, but look what happens if we flip things around so that the subject remains still and the camera moves instead… With the right setup, we can create streaks of blur across our image. For this technique we quickly move the camera during a long exposure of around a third of a second to blur parts of the subject. But that’s the simple part. The slightly more complicated aspect is the lighting. The aim here is to light our subject partially with flash, and partially with continuous lighting. This way, the flash…

Q Would the Sigma 150-600mm | C be a good lens for shooting wildlife with my D7500, and could I use it with a 2x teleconverter? Allan Kay A I really like the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary lens. It’s not quite as sharp as the Sports edition at the very longest zoom setting but comes pretty close, it’s smaller, nearly a whole kilogram lighter, and much less expensive at the £799/$989 price point. With the 1.5x crop factor of DX format cameras, the lens will give you an ‘effective’ maximum reach of 900mm, which should prove ample. The D7500 also has an additional 1.3x crop mode, which would further extend the effective focal length to 1170mm, albeit with a reduction in image size from 20.6 to 12.1 megapixels. I wouldn’t recommend…

If a professional photographer’s success is to be measured by the number of flights they take in a year on assignment, then Alex Stead must be well on his way to the top. Hardly a week goes by when he’s not jetting to another continent working for blue chip clients in locations many of us can only dream about. There can’t be many other photographers of the millennial generation who can claim to have worked for Mercedes, Porsche, Lufthansa and the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, but Alex’s story is a measure of how the new wave of commercial photographers have broken through by raising their profile and influence through the reach of social media… Where have you just flown in from and what were you doing? I was in Tanzania and…

With more than 100 years on the clock, Nikon has a rich heritage in the manufacture of optical finery. The company shot to fame in 1959, with the launch of its first F-series single lens reflex camera. Nikon SLRs went digital in 1999, when the D1 became the world’s first commercially available digital ‘system’ camera, enabling the use of interchangeable lenses. Evolving in leaps and bounds over the past 20 years, Nikon SLRs have become spectacular cameras that are firm favourites with photographers the world over. The current range includes excellent options for everyone, from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals. But that’s not the whole story. We’ve now got the choice of whether to go for a conventional SLR or a mirrorless system camera. All SLRs have a reflex mirror…

With so much fuss about slim, lightweight mirrorless camera nowadays, Nikon’s range-topping SLR looks an absolute beast. With its built-in vertical grip, it’s frankly enormous. Mounted with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, it’s also a real heavyweight at 2.5kg. While physically big, it has a measly 20.8 megapixels under the hood, which will leave many photographers feeling short-changed, even before taking the £5400/$6000 price tag into account. The flip side is that the D5 has tank-like build quality. It’s built to withstand the toughest conditions that the most demanding professional photographers can throw at it. It’s also a real speed demon, racking up 12fps with continuous autofocus and metering, rising to as much as 14fps if the reflex mirror is locked up prior to the first exposure in a burst of…

The thieving D7500 steals most of the best bits from the D500, which costs nearly twice the price, and squeezes them into a smaller, lighter and more consumer-friendly casing. Following in the great tradition of D7xxx cameras, it has an interface that’s geared more to enthusiast amateur rather than full-on professional photographers. As such, everything is easy to get at, with direct-access controls for important shooting settings, and there’s an info LCD built into the top plate. The advanced controls and shooting options are backed up by an automatic ‘intelligent’ shooting mode, along with plentiful Scene modes and effects, all available from the shooting mode dial, so it’s still beginner-friendly. Performance Good for tracking fast-paced action, there’s a 51-point autofocus system, a super-fast 1/8000 sec shutter speed and a rapid…

Let’s face it, 24.5Mp is enough for most photographers. Settle for that instead of maxing out with the Z 7’s 45.7MP, and you’ll have enough money left over for an extra Z-mount lens or two. Both full-frame mirrorless cameras have the same headline features. The image sensor is coupled with a new-generation EXPEED 6 processor, they have the same superb 3690k OLED electronic viewfinder and tilting 2100k touchscreen, as well as an identical control layout. They have exactly the same slimline dimensions and are only about two-thirds the weight of the D850. A disappointment, however, is that neither has dual memory card slots, so you can’t create instant backups as you shoot. Performance With fewer megapixels to process, the Z 6 beats the Z 7 with a 12fps rather than…

THE PRO NAME: Kingsley Singleton CAMERA: Nikon D850 Stamford-based Kingsley is no stranger to photojournalism; he rose to the rank of deputy editor and now offers his expertise as a freelance writer. With more control over his time, he started photographing dogs for his local rescue centre and private commissions followed. Kingsley has been a Nikon user ever since he took photography seriously, and currently shoots with a D850 and a D810 in reserve. See his portfolio at kingsleysingleton.zenfolio.com It’s said that you shouldn’t work with children or animals and while this month’s Apprentice shoot was devoid of the former, there was no shortage of the latter. As pro dog photographer Kingsley Singleton arrived at Lynne Watkins’ home, he was nearly bowled over by three Dalmatians: Rosie, Bailey and Pongo.…

CROPPING Kingsley says… It’s not always possible to compose perfectly when photographing erratic subjects like dogs. Fortunately, big sensors (like the one in Lynne’s D810) allow plenty of scope for cropping. I use the classic presets in Photoshop’s Camera Raw converter, so it’s easier to make prints. CLEANING UP Kingsley says… Whether you’re shooting portraits or action shots, you don’t want to distract the eye from the subject. I’ll have a look around the image and use either the Healing Brush tool or Clone Stamp tool to remove what I don’t want. This could be leaves and branches on the ground or areas of bright sky. SHARPENING Kingsley says… If the focus of an action shot isn’t spot on, sharpening in Photoshop can help. I duplicate my layer (Ctrl+J) and…

Great reasons to subscribe now! ✓ Get a Vanguard Vesta Strive 30 bag An ideal compact and stylish messenger bag for a small Nikon DSLR or Z-system mirrorless with medium lens attached ✓ Great savings Subscribe from only £12.50* and get your issues delivered to your door, plus this great Vanguard camera bag worth £49.99 ✓ Free Video Disc Each issue, you’ll receive a Video Disc packed with fantastic photo projects Option 1 Quarterly subscription £12.50* • 3 issues of N-Photo print edition delivered Option 2 Regular subscription £51 • 13 issues of N-Photo print edition delivered• Expert PDF handbook• 20% off entry to The Photography Show Option 3 Premium subscription £69 • 13 issues N-Photo print edition delivered• Digital edition for your phone or tablet• N-Photo magazine binder• Expert…

Floating food stacks are very popular in both food photography and advertising. This trick shot requires a cunning combo of shooting skills and Photoshop techniques. We begin by setting up a series of wire platforms for each item in our burger to photograph. Then we remove the stack and shoot an empty frame. Next we piece together the frames in Photoshop and remove the wires at the edges. However, we’re still left with visible parts of the wire the food is resting on. For this, we need to use Photoshop’s powerful Patch tool to retouch the wires and finesse the image. It’s easier than it sounds, and there’s a full walkthrough in the accompanying video. We’ve supplied the starting images for our project here but if you intend to use…

James Paterson breathes new life into old prints by restoring and then colouring them using simple Photoshop skills Restoring old photos is one of the most satisfying of all digital touch-ups. Not only are we able to remove dirt, scratches and all the other detritus of time, we can also add our own creative input by colourizing these treasured old prints. This is a simple process of painting on different layers set to the Color blend mode, a technique that – with a little practice – even a complete Photoshop novice can do. Often the trickiest part of the process is choosing which colours to use. But with some images a little research can help. Here, for example, my initial plan was to paint London’s famous Tower Bridge with the…

MPB offers a next day delivery service & six-month warranty on all used equipment www.mpb.com A Our experts at MPB recommend… Originally launched in 2008 and still in production today, the Tokina 11-16mm is an excellent ultra-wide-angle zoom that has stood the test of time. It was updated to a Mk II edition in 2012. Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II THIS DELIVERS WIDE VIEWING ANGLES, HIGH-END IMAGE QUALITY AND HAS A SOLID BUILD RELEASED: 2012 (Mk II) PRICE NEW: £579/$499 BUY AT MPB.COM TODAY*: ‘Excellent’ £289/$294 ‘Good’ £254/$259 When launched back in 2008, Tokina’s DX format 11-16mm zoom received instant acclaim for its image quality, fast f/2.8 aperture rating that remains available throughout the entire zoom range, and its robust build. The Mk II edition, launched four years…

This assignment was about capturing the lives of Singapore’s smooth-coated otters; truly wild animals flourishing in one of the world’s most densely populated countries. As an otter obsessive, I’ve known of Singapore’s smooth-coated population for years now. When the opportunity finally arose to photograph them, I seized it with both hands. Due to Singapore’s huge growth and expansion during the 1960s and ’70s, the otters became locally extinct. Loss of habitat and polluted waterways drove them away from the city state, leaving the ecosystem in tatters. Then, during Singapore’s ‘green revolution’ in the 1980s/’90s, something remarkable happened: the otters came back! With the city’s waterways becoming clear and habitat being made available once again, the smooth-coated otter population began to rise again. Now, in 2019, there are approaching 90 individuals.…

Aimed at beginners, the D3500 is typically sold as a ‘kit’ that includes a zoom lens, rather than as a standalone body. The two most widely available options include the AF-P DX 18-55mm, either with or without VR. We’d definitely go for the VR lens. It’s only a little more expensive and is massively helpful in getting consistently sharp handheld shots. The vast majority of camera manufacturers make entry-level models, but the D3500 stands out from the crowd with its excellent interactive ‘Guide’ mode. It’s like having your own photography tutor built into the camera. There are plenty of scene modes to choose from as well, and the more advanced PASM modes let you stretch your photographic legs. Performance Despite its ‘basic’ feature set and price tag, the D3500 is…

The D750 looks and feels like a full-frame version of the D7500, with an almost identical control layout. As such, it’s beginner-friendly with Scene and Effects shooting modes, available via a conventional shooting mode dial, yet has direct-access controls for creative shooting settings. Both cameras feature a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen, a pentaprism viewfinder that gives full coverage of the frame, and sturdy build quality. Both cameras also feature the same advanced 51-point autofocus system with 15 cross-type points. However, the D750 makes 11 AF points available at f/8, for example when using a telephoto lens with a teleconverter, whereas only the central AF point works at f/8 in the D7500. Performance The D750 has a higher megapixel count of 24.3Mp compared with the D7500’s 20.9Mp. It can’t match the D7500…

Smaller, lighter and more easily manageable than the D5, this pro-grade camera is also only half the price of its big brother. Even so, it goes extralarge in megapixel count with a 45.4Mp image sensor. As featured in the D500 and D5, the D850 has Nikon’s top-spec 153-point autofocus system and late-gen EXPEED 5 processor. But that’s still a gen behind the Z 6 and Z Sportier than the D810, the D850 has a faster continuous drive rate of up to 7fps. You can boost this to 9fps if you add the optional MB-D18 battery grip and a EN-EL 18b battery. The memory buffer is big enough to hold between 29 and 200 shots in Raw, depending on size and compression. Performance The D850 works wonderfully and is capable of…

There’s something for everyone in Nikon’s range but, if we were buying one today, we’d grab the Z 6. It has a top megapixel count of 24.5Mp, a super-fast continuous drive rate of up to 12fps, rock-steady five-axis, five-stop in-body stabilization and an ace hybrid AF system. It delivers gorgeous image quality in just about any scenario, and is great value at the price. If you can’t resist a huge helping of megapixels, and you don’t need the Z 6’s squeaky-clean high-ISO image quality, you face a tough choice between the D850 and Z 7. For all-out action photography, the D850 wins out thanks to the tracking ability of its dedicated phase-detection AF system. But the Z 7 comes close and, overall, it works better in many situations, with its…