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

DON’T GO TOO NARROW Neil says… I try not to use apertures narrower than f/11. I use ND filters, so I’m not bothered about too much light getting in camera. I also want the cleanest images possible and the narrower the aperture the more chance you’ll get diffraction, which impacts the resolution of your image. PREMIUM QUALITY Neil says… To maximize quality, I’ll use the Z 7’s base ISO (64) and will carefully compose my shots to minimize cropping. I use the virtual horizon overlay to ensure my horizon is straight and set the single AF point about three quarters of the way into the frame (I use AF-S and back-button focusing). FOCUS PEAKING Neil says… Despite the fact that I focus using the AF system, I like to utilize…

Unique Love ZAY YAR LIN Zay shot this heart-wrenching image while on a garbage fire project. At first he thought the dog was feeding her puppies, but then realized that she was already dead, still trying to look after her babies in death. Ayimpoka SARA DE ANTONIO FEU In certain parts of Ghana, albinism has been associated with witchcraft and magic, resulting in albino children being murdered. Thankfully Ayimpoka lives with her family, where everyone gives her love and protection. Mourning SHAHRYAR HOSEIN BEYGI Drawing on burial traditions in the Lorestan province, Iran, the citizens (mostly men) muddy themselves to mourn the death of their religious leader, Imam Hossein, who died 1300 years ago. Parents bring their children along and cover them for this ancient tradition. Alma and Alzheimers JASON…

The ideal image The ideal Raw image will have a dark background and a strong light source hitting your subject’s key features, predominantly from the same angle, to create harsh shadows. Open your image in Camera Raw and click on the Lens Corrections tab. Make sure that you have Remove Chromatic Aberration and Enable Profile Corrections are checked. Black and white With the necessary lens corrections enabled, return to the Basic tab and click the Black & White checkbox. This will desaturate your image. We’ll now attempt to darken the shadows and raise the highlights (retaining as much detail as possible). Start by increasing the Contrast slider. A value of +22 suited our image. Make it pop Persistent areas of background can be removed in Photoshop, but the more you…

The Mission – Use filters on a portrait, then bring them to life by adding colourful paints Time – 20 minutes Skill level – Intermediate Kit needed – Photoshop CC TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC You can have lots of fun with filters, blend modes and brushes in Photoshop – and the great thing is, they’re easy to use. A vibrant portrait effect like this might look complicated, but it’s actually pretty simple to pull off. In this project we’ll explain how. We’ve supplied a starting image, although it’s more fun to use your own – any portrait will do, but it helps if the subject is against a clear, bright backdrop. Aside from learning to use this effect, we’ll also uncover useful Photoshop features like Smart Objects. These…

I stepped out of my air-conditioned hotel into what seemed like a sauna. Within minutes I was dripping with sweat. The outside air temperature was about 35°C (95ºF) with 85 percent humidity – and this is normal for January in the Iguazú Jungle in Argentina. I’m here to photograph the famous waterfalls of Iguazú when they’re flowing at their best, but before I can mount the camera to the tripod to capture the first image, I have to wait until the temperature of my camera equalizes with the outside temperature. I have it securely sealed in a zip-lock plastic bag; otherwise all I would be photographing is misty images of the falls as the condensation covers my lens. I’ve experienced many extraordinary places around the world, but this place is…

Thrilled that Nikon USA is starting to roll out a series of stills and videos roughly titled ‘Performers’ (see https://youtu.be/X7UkXnZc4us), I came up with the notion to address the multifaceted capabilities of the Z mirrorless system. The Z 7 is hi-res and handles action, but is the camera I would think of for a set piece – a posed portrait. A defined moment that is under the control of the photographer. The Z 6 is more of a photojournalist’s camera, lower res, but fast, with an extended high ISO range. Great for low light, behind the scenes, quiet documentation. Both cameras embrace light in a beautiful way. And performers’ lives correspond to this. On stage, working out, in the ring, dancing, playing music – that is all part of public…

Star Letter Streets ahead I enjoyed the street photography article by Ross Harvey in N-Photo 103. For me personally, I define street photography as not simply capturing what people are doing in their environment, but also an emotion they might have at that time. Often, an emotional change in their facial expression only lasts a fraction of a second, so you have to anticipate it and shoot it quickly. This is rarely easy to achieve, but the more you observe people’s behaviour and anticipate what might happen next, the easier getting good shots is. I have spent the last year, or three, trying to perfect a technique or two that get successful shots with a wide range of cameras and lenses. Here are my conclusions… Less equipment is best. One…

£429/$477 A big attraction of this lens is its smallness. Compact and lightweight, it’s easy to pop into a spare corner of your camera bag for when you need it. It’s refreshingly inexpensive for an own-brand Nikon lens as well, undercutting everything else in the group for price. Even so, it has a high-quality optical path based on nine elements, although there are no aspherical or ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements. Build quality is pretty good, complete with a rubber weather-seal on the mounting plate and a fast, ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system. However, it’s the only lens in the group with seven diaphragm blades, rather than the more usual nine that you tend to find in 85mm primes. Performance This lens beats the Tamron f/1.8 for sharpness across most of the…

£799/$797 Last month, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S was the winner of our Big Test on ‘street lenses’. With that lens and the Z 50mm, the f/1.8 aperture rating enables great quality with a compact and lightweight construction, befitting Z-series cameras. But in the 85mm sector a faster aperture is often preferred, so this Nikon Z lens has to prove itself. Quality optics include two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and Nano Crystal Coat. Up-market build quality includes comprehensive weather-seals and autofocus is courtesy of a quick yet virtually silent stepping motor. The electronically coupled control ring enables high-precision manual focusing and can also be used for adjusting the likes of aperture and exposure compensation. Performance Sharpness across the entire frame is amazing even when shooting wide open, as is…

£1479/$1597 This Nikon lens is much smaller and only about half the weight of the competing Sigma 85mm f/1.4, but more expensive (especially in the UK). It’s only natural to feel you’re not getting as much for your money. The optical path consists of 10 elements, compared with the Sigma’s 14, and the forward elements have a considerably smaller diameter. As with the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8 lens on test, there are neither aspherical nor ED elements in the line-up. On the plus side, the Nikon’s compact and lightweight build make it easier to manage. Autofocus is quick and quiet for a ring-type ultrasonic system, and the mount has a weather-seal ring. Nano Crystal Coat minimizes ghosting and flare. Performance Shooting wide open, sharpness drops off more than with any…

Dispelling any doubts that an 85mm f/1.8 lens isn’t ‘good’ enough for top-level portraiture, the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S is an absolutely stellar performer. Not only can it deliver a really tight depth of field, but it can do so with stunning levels of sharpness across the entire frame for in-focus areas, along with deliciously soft and creamy bokeh for defocused areas, and super-smooth transitions in between. Stopping down a little enables you to gain greater depth of field with practically no degradation in the quality of bokeh. All in all, it’s a perfect lens for portraiture, and the in-body stabilizers of Z-series camera make for assured handheld shooting even under very low lighting levels. Of course, not everyone has a Z-series body and the vast majority of us…

Of all wildlife, birds are perhaps the most difficult to photograph. They’re twitchy and erratic, have an understandable distrust of humans, and move at breakneck speed through three dimensions, rather than the two that land-dwelling life forms are restricted to. But enthusiasm and perseverance goes an awfully long way, as Matthew Stadlen attests. Patience is also a virtue for capturing long exposures, and this issue our Apprentice heads to the South Devon coast to capture beautifully serene seascapes under the guidance of Neil Burnell. Samyang has launched not one, but two 14mm f/2.8 wide primes, one autofocus and one fully manual – even down to setting the aperture. Which is our winner? You might be surprised. Also in our Gear section, we compare portrait primes with 85mm and 105mm focal…

FRAME IT FIRST Neil says… Frame and focus your shot, and set your camera to its base ISO. Now input the desired aperture and set your shutter speed accordingly. I would then use focus peaking to double-check my area of focus before carefully attaching the filter. MATH CHEAT Neil says… If you’re a maths whizz, you can look up the formula for calculating the correct exposure time when using an ND filter. However, I use the Long Exposure Calculator app which does everything for you. Simply input the strength of ND filter used, your base shutter speed and voilà! PRECISE TIMING Neil says… After dialling in the shutter speed I’ll use my shutter release cable so that there’s no danger of jogging the camera when pressing the shutter button. I…

This compact shoulder bag fits a DSLR or Z mirrorless with lens attached, plus 3-4 extra lenses, flash, accessories and tablet. It keeps your kit clean and dry, with water-resistant and anti-scratch material on the bottom, plus a total coverage rain cover. The bag is well-padded all round, with a nonslip shoulder strap and belt connector, and offers speedy top access to your kit. Your special Christmas offer • Free shoulder bag worth £39.99• Enjoy six months of N-Photo for just £22.49 – that’s just £3.74 per issue!• Receive every issue delivered direct to your door each month• A thoughtful gift that keeps on delivering throughout the year Go Premium for £69 a year and you’ll also get… • Digital + print edition• Magazine binder• Expert PDF handbook• Photography Show…

The Mission – Understand how polarizers work and how to use a circular polarizer effectively Time – 30 minutes Skill level – Beginner Kit needed – Non-wide-angle lens – Circular polarizing filter TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC There’s nothing polarizing about this kit bag staple; it’s arguably the most widely used filter of all. Circular polarizing filters (CPL) are used to help prevent glare, cut through reflections and bolster the intensity of blue skies. They’re particularly handy when shooting landscapes and architecture, but their ability to reduce glare – even the shine of a person’s skin – means they have a broad appeal. You could write a very dense and scientific book on polarized light, but to put it simply, polarized light creates glare, which is something you can’t…

The Mission – Photograph candid street photos using a slow shutter speed Time – 30 minutes Skill level – Beginner Kit needed – Tabletop tripod – Compact lens TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC Street and travel photographers are constantly on the move, and are often required to work quickly in order to capture fleeting moments. In these environments, conventional tripods can prove cumbersome – subjects tend to behave differently around them and they simply aren’t welcome at all in some public spaces (especially in London). And yet plenty of superb street shots make use of slow shutter speeds to convey the fast pace of urban life. If you want to replicate this dynamic brand of photography discreetly, you have several options… Rely on image stabilization and steady hands; use…

TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC Where to get Capture NX-D IT’S MADE FOR NIKONS, AND IT’S COMPLETELY FREE! – As new Nikons are introduced, Capture NX-D should be the first software to support them. Another advantage is that it replicates Picture Controls and other settings. Capture NX-D is available as a free download from the Nikon website at http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd Summer is over, but for many of us it will have provided some colourful photos, thanks to the seaside’s sun, sand and blue sky. Many of the seafront attractions enjoyed by tourists today have adorned souvenir postcards for decades. This makes the seaside the perfect spot for a nostalgic retro makeover. In Capture NX-D we can adjust the colour and hue of digital shots to replicate the effect of inaccurate…

MISSION: Prove the lesser-known animals of Africa are just as photogenic as the Big Five PHOTOGRAPHER: Johan du Preez LOCATION: Kruger National Park, South Africa KIT USED: Nikon D800 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 WEBSITE: www.photox.co.za INSTAGRAM: @johandu76 I am passionate about African wildlife, especially the animals that are not so well known. Most people who come to Africa want to see the Big Five: the lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo. I’d rather photograph animals and birds like the blue wildebeest, southern ground hornbill, white-headed vulture, baboon and lappet-faced vulture. Most people don’t even stop to watch these animals, let alone photograph them. I want to show that even a completely common animal can make for a fascinating picture. The opportune moment Baboons are surely one of the funniest animals…

Q I found your skills piece on panning for motor sport in issue 103 really helpful. Would you use the same settings for racing cars coming directly towards you? Chris Carnes A We suggested a shutter speed of 1/320 sec as a good starting point for panning in motor sports shots. This should enable a reasonable success rate, while giving moderate motion blur to spinning wheels and the background. Slower shutter speeds down to 1/60 sec, or even 1/30 sec, help to convey a real sense of speed. However it is then much more difficult to keep the motorbike or car reasonably sharp in these instances. If the bike or car is coming directly towards you, you’ll need a faster shutter speed of 1/1000 sec or quicker, to freeze it…

Director David Lynch says that not only is full-on cinematic lighting not essential for filmmaking, but that having to make do and improvise leads you in new and potentially creative directions. Yes, it’s a riff on that old idea ‘turn a problem into an opportunity’, but don’t be lulled into thinking that, just because it sounds like a cliché from a self-help manual, it isn’t worth listening to. The quality of lighting plays such a crucial part in photography for most (with the exception of the contemporary art aesthetic of deadpan-and-proud-of-it) that it often takes centre stage. Quite a few of my previous Creative Paths have featured lighting as a main event, such as Life in the Shadows (N-Photo 82), Create a Look (N-Photo 79), and even The Why of…

£599/$699 Well known for its manual-focus lenses, South Korean manufacturer Samyang only makes two autofocus lenses for Nikon cameras, the other being the AF 14mm f/2.8 F. Build quality feels solid and robust, complete with weather-seals. It’s small and light for an 85mm f/1.4 lens, and not much bigger or heavier than the Nikon f/1.8. The optical design incorporates a hybrid aspherical element and Ultra Multi Coating, while autofocus is driven by a Dual LSM (Linear Supersonic Motor), similar to the linear ‘pulse’ motors used in a few recent Nikon lenses. As such, manual focusing and override of autofocus is courtesy of an electronically coupled control ring. Performance Autofocus proved quick and reliable in our tests, while ‘fly by wire’ manual focusing is smooth and precise. Centre-sharpness is a bit…

£899/$1199 Frankly enormous for an 85mm f/1.4 lens, this Sigma weighs in at 1130g! Typical of Sigma’s Art series, the design is firmly focused on image quality without any concessions to reducing size and weight. Despite not having an optical image stabilizer, the optical path is long and complex, based on 14 elements. These include an aspherical element at the rear and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, placed at the centre and towards the front. Autofocus is based on a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system. Sigma’s Art lenses are immaculately well built but, unlike some, this one adds the bonus of weather-seals. Performance Autofocus is both fast and accurate. Sharpness across the entire image frame is impressive even when shooting wide open, where it eases ahead of all the other…

£1799/$2197 Shorter, slimmer and less than two-thirds the weight of the mighty Sigma’s whopping 105mm lens, this Nikon has an identical focal length and aperture rating. It’s much more manageable for handheld shooting, although the price tag is more difficult to swallow. Unlike in the two Nikon AF-S 85mm lenses on test, this one has ED elements (three of them) in the optical path, while sharing the f/1.4’s Nano Crystal Coat. As with the Sigma, an incredibly tight depth of field is available. In the context of portraiture, you can have a single eye sharp while the surrounding eyelashes are blurred. You’re best off shooting with the help of a tripod, for the sake of focusing accuracy, at which point the Sigma is better balanced as it can rotate for…

THE PRO NAME: Neil Burnell CAMERA: Nikon Z 7 Brixham-based Neil is a graphic designer by trade who runs regular photography workshops. He studied art and photography at college in the early 1990s, but only started taking photography seriously about five years ago. His various fine art projects have won him multiple awards, and this year his Mystical series of images, taken in Dartmoor’s Wistman’s Wood, went viral. To find out more about Neil and his workshops, visit his website: www.neilburnell.com THE APPRENTICE NAME: Sally Holmes CAMERA: Nikon Z 7 Sally is an accountant and finance director for a security firm. She lives on the edge of Exmoor in the picturesque Brendon Hills, which she frequently rides through on horseback. Her dad encouraged her to take photos from a young…

When you see a bird, do you really see it? I ask because it’s perfectly possible to go through life with an almost total disregard for birds. Some people positively dislike them – something about their beaks perhaps, or their feathers? Most are just indifferent. But many of us do show at least some interest in the avian world and – thanks to social media – there seems to be a growing number of bird photographers opening our eyes to these treasures. In fact, the chance to share my images easily and to learn from others on Instagram and elsewhere has rekindled in me an interest in birds that waned during my 20s and early 30s. Without the buzz of uploading the results I would probably not have made the…

The Mission – Photograph studio-quality animal portraits in natural light Time – Four hours Skill level – Advanced Kit needed – Super-telephoto lens – Adobe Camera Raw – Adobe Photoshop TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC Photographing a wild animal in a photo studio isn’t exactly ethical. And besides, good luck trying to get a ring-tailed lemur to sit for a 20-minute shoot! However, it’s very possible to achieve studio-quality results using only natural light and a generous helping of Photoshop trickery. During a recent visit to a UK-based safari park, I made use of the bright conditions and produced a series of low-key animal portraits. Soft light is often favoured for portraits, but stylized low-key images can be produced using a single light. The harsh directional sun can somewhat…

The Mission – Fix grainy noise in high-ISO images with Affinity Photo Time – 10 minutes Skill level – Beginner Kit needed – Affinity Photo TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC When shooting in low light it’s often necessary to increase your ISO to get an acceptable exposure. But this is to the detriment of image quality, resulting in nasty grainy noise. Luckily, modern Nikons are performing better and better in low light. Imaging software is improving too, as recent tweaks to Affinity Photo’s demosaicing and noise algorithms demonstrates. With simple controls and good results, Affinity’s Denoise command can improve even terribly noisy photos, like this low-light portrait, which was shot at ISO22,800. However, the inevitable problem with noise reduction is a loss of detail. The command works by blurring…

TAP TO VIEW YOUR VIRTUAL DISC The Mission – Shoot a 15-minute exposure at sunset for blurred cloud motion Time – One hour Skill level – Intermediate Kit needed – Tripod – Cable release – Three-stop ND filter Neutral density filters are often used during daylight hours to block the flow of light and allow for blurring of water or clouds in landscapes. Less often do we see them employed at the very start or end of the day, when the light levels are usually low enough to allow for long exposures without the need for a filter. But what if we want a really, really long exposure? By stretching out our exposure to several minutes or more, the clouds slowly pass through the frame and any sense of shape…

MISSION: Capture surreal moments in nature PHOTOGRAPHER: Gareth Mon Jones LOCATION: Llangefni, Anglesey KIT USED: Nikon D810, Nikon Z 6, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Laowa 15mm f/2 TWITTER: @gazmon1980 INSTAGRAM: @gareth_mon_photography I have been taking photos for about five years now and got into photography by accident, really. I took my brother’s bridge camera to a local beach one afternoon, with my family, and took a photo during a spell of dramatic weather. I was hooked. I got into astrophotography and night photography first, because of my working hours as a plumber. Learning how to use my camera at night was crucial. Instead of reading a book in bed, I took my camera with me and figured out how to change the settings by the light of the…

Q Can you suggest a high-quality standard zoom lens for my D5600? I want to upgrade from my DX 18-55mm but keep the cost down. Alison Kershaw A Matthew recommends… The latest Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR is a super lens, but is expensive at £989/$1067. I’ve enjoyed using the now-discontinued and slightly ‘slower’ predecessor. Nikon AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR UPGRADING FROM AN 18-55MM, THIS LENS GIVES YOU GREATER WIDE-ANGLE COVERAGE AND MORE TELEPHOTO REACH RELEASED: 2008 PRICE NEW: £650/$650 ‘Excellent’ £200/$250 ‘Good’ £150/$150 The aperture rating and quality of this lens isn’t as top as in the newer f/2.8-4E, but it has a mechanically rather than electronically controlled diaphragm, making it compatible with Nikon’s back catalogue of DSLRs. The high-tech optical path includes three aspherical…

The purpose of the Remembering Wildlife series is twofold. Firstly, it is to raise awareness of the plight facing the featured species, and then secondly, to raise funds for its protection. So far we’ve published Remembering Elephants, Remembering Rhinos, Remembering Great Apes and now, just published in October, Remembering Lions. Each book is a wonderful and varied collection of images donated by many of the world’s best wildlife photographers, such as Marsel van Oosten, Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe and Greg du Toit, and we also include essays from some of the world’s leading conservationists. They are beautiful, collectible coffee table books, and 100 per cent of profits are donated to the cause. To this day, we’ve worked with more than 150 different photographers across the series of four books. Take…

Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct £8299/$8000 www.nikon.co.uk The Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct S was launched at the same time as the delightfully svelte Nikon Z 50 APS-C mirrorless camera, though the two couldn’t be more different when it comes to portability. This is a big lens, weighing in at around 2kg, and it’s hugely expensive for what is essentially just a standard prime. But then again, Nikon is not expecting to sell thousands of these. Like other innovative lenses from its past, such as the incredible 6mm Fisheye, it is destined to become the stuff of legends. Even though this is certainly a hefty lens, we were pleasantly surprised that its 153x102mm dimensions don’t quite dwarf the small APS-C Z 50. The lens has an LED information panel,…

Think portraiture and you’re probably thinking 85mm prime. And you’d be absolutely right – it’s the ideal tool for the job. Mounted on a full-frame body, the focal length gives a flattering perspective and enables a comfortable working distance, so you’re not crowding your subject and invading their personal space, but you’re still close enough to engage and give direction. Even if you’re shooting with a DX format body, an 85mm lens works brilliantly for tight headshots or for head-and-shoulders portraiture. Naturally, one of key attractions of a prime lens is that you can expect very good sharpness and low levels of distortion. That’s certainly the case with the vast majority of 85mm lenses, but blur is equally important. A main facet of ‘fast’ 85mm lenses is the telephoto focal…

The quality of bokeh isn’t just about the tightness of the DoF. The design of the lens and the quality of its elements are critical in delivering a smooth nature to background blur, especially for bright and detailed defocused objects, and points of light. A well-rounded diaphragm helps retain the quality of bokeh when stopping down. The above shots shows how it lengthens with narrowing apertures.…

£749/$749 Smartly turned out with a strong, weather-sealed metal barrel and mounting plate, the Tamron is no lightweight at 700g. Like other ‘Di’ lenses, it’s designed from the ground up for digital SLRs. Indeed, it features two types of nano-structure coating which work in tandem to keep aberrations to a minimum. Further high-tech finery includes a fast and highly accurate ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system and Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) optical stabilization system. The aperture is controlled by a nine-blade diaphragm, which is more well-rounded than in the Nikon AF-S f/1.8 lens on test. Performance Sharpness could be better at f/1.8, but it’s good enough and even across the entire frame. Despite the modest f/1.8 aperture, bokeh is excellent, matching most f/1.4 lenses for smoothness. Bokeh fringing is negligible, as…

£1299/$1599 You might think that Sigma’s 85mm lens is large (it is) but this one is colossal. Nicknamed the ‘bokeh master’ it goes long on focal length and extra-large in construction. Telltale signs include an oversized 105mm filter thread, due to the large diameter of the forward optical elements, and an included tripod mounting ring to evenly balance the 1645g weight of the lens. Imposing from the outside, the lens has premium components on the inside, including three FLD (Fluorite-grade Low Dispersion) elements, two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, and one aspherical element. As with the Sigma 85mm lens on test, fine-tuning and firmware updates are available via Sigma’s optional USB dock, but this lens lacks weather-seals. Performance Living up to its claims, axial and lateral chromatic aberrations are very…