Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2016 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

National Geographic is renowned for the high quality of its photography – so it’s no surprise that the entries to its travel photography competition are of an incredible standard. See for yourself… Third place, Cities Celestial reverie Jeremy Tan Lightning seemingly strikes Komtar Tower, the most iconic landmark of George Town, capital of Penang state in Malaysia. It is symbolic of the rejuvenation that the city has enjoyed in recent years. While many of its old neighbourhoods fell into neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s, a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008 sparked a transformation. Nikon D7100, 11mm, 20 secs, f/10, ISO100 SHORTLI STED , Nature The Wave Kenji Yamamura Getting to this location involved a long drive and a long hike, but it was truly worth it. The…

“Our eyes are naturally drawn towards lines and shapes that lead from one point to another The mission ● To include strong lines in your frame to lead the eye around the image Time ● One hour Skill level ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced Kit needed ● Nikon D-SLR ● Wide-angle lens ● Tripod (optional) ● ND filter for long exposures W hen we gaze upon a scene or an image, our eyes are naturally drawn towards lines and shapes that lead from one point to another. Scientific studies that track eye movement have proved this, and as photographers we can use it to our advantage when composing a photo. Include strong lines and you can lead the eye towards your subject. It’s a simple but very powerful visual…

Teach Yourself Flash Part 4 The mission ● To make a mobile macro lighting studio Time ● 30 minutes Skill level ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced Kit needed ● Nikon D-SLR ● Flashgun ● Flash bracket ● Flash trigger cable ● Flashgun diffuser This issue, we’re going to show you how to go guerilla-style and make your own macro lighting set-up that will work anywhere, at any time, and save space in your camera bag, as well as being relatively cheap. There’s no need for clunky ring flashes, or dual flash heads that sit on the end of your lens. You need just one flashgun, a Nikon D-SLR, a lens, a flash bracket, a wired flash trigger and a light diffuser to make a robust, mobile, macro studio. Diffusing…

THE N PHOTO APPRENTICE THE PRO... Name Anthony Greenwood Camera Nikon D700 Anthony’s background is in fine art and design, and photography has always been a big part of his professional and private practice. In 2010 he became a pro photographer, and delivers marketing images for clients in the design, hospitality and holiday sectors in Cornwall. He always uses Nikon cameras, and only uses prime lenses, saying, “They are great quality and well made… they are more than capable of taking some abuse!” anthony-greenwood.com THE APPRENTICE Name David Eales Cameras Nikon D810 & Nikon D4s David started his working life in the Royal Marines and spent many years as a diver, so he was the perfect candidate for this issue’s Apprentice. Now he’s studying for a BA (Hons) degree in…

Jargon buster Focal length This refers to the distance between the lens and the sensor when the subject is in focus. Geometric and chromatic distortion may vary depending on the focal length used. Moiré patterns Textures with densely packed detail can cause strobing, wave-like patterns and unwanted colour banding. Architecture and clothing are both particularly susceptible to moiré patterns. After light travels through your Nikon’s lens it is focused onto a specific point on the camera’s sensor. However, the image captured via your camera’s lens may not be an accurate representation of reality due to a variety of lens-related factors. Camera lenses differ in their manufacturing quality, and various types of lens (such as telephoto and wide-angle) are prone to capturing a distorted version of the subject. A fisheye lens…

13 September 2009 • Laos • Nikon D700 Dan Ballard grew up in a village of 75 people in Colorado where most people never ventured beyond the state border, let alone overseas. Yet he grew up with a passion for travel and photography, thanks largely to his mother, who was also a professional photographer (“She shot Nikon, which is why I do”), and a grandfather who regaled him with stories of his journeys. “He had hitchhiked up to Alaska and fixed tyres on the side of the road to get there. When I was growing up, he was always talking to me about travelling.” So, aged 20, Dan decided he wanted to be a travel photographer, and followed his grandfather’s advice to see the world. However, his early images proved…

The mission ● To capture the curl of a wave Time ● 30 minutes Skill level ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced Kit needed ● Nikon D-SLR ● Wide-angle lens ● Waterproof bag or housing ● Towel “Checking the tidal swell online and punching in a couple of settings beforehand is really important… Prepare for this shoot properly We’ve all sat on the beach with a long lens shooting the waves as they lap against the shore. But have you ever run into the sea with your Nikon in your hands? That’s not as crazy as it sounds. With a waterproof bag for your Nikon D-SLR you can keep your pride and joy dry while hopping in the water and photographing inside a wave. You’ll need to use a wide-angle…

“We’ll show you how to use auto masking to dodge and burn with much more precision The mission ● To use masks to select areas for adjustment Time ● Ten minutes Skill level ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced Kit needed ● Lightroom 5 or later Last issue we demonstrated how to use the Adjustment brush to dodge some dark standing stones, while burning more detail into the brighter sky. By altering the size, softness and flow of the Adjustment brush, you can target and tweak the tones of specific objects with precision. When you click on a photo with the Adjustment brush you place an Edit pin. This pin records the position and strength of all the tonal adjustments you make. Thanks to Edit pins you can make multiple…

“I always try to plan where and what I’m going to shoot, and checking weather conditions beforehand is a very important part of this Mission: To share the beauty of Britain Photographer: Waldemar Matusik Age: 43 Location: Bathgate, Scotland Kit: Nikon D7100, Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED, Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G, Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM Website: https://500px.com/waldemarmatusik About two years ago, when I was just a beginner, I bought my first D-SLR camera, the Nikon D3200. After about a year I upgraded my gear to the Nikon D7100. I choose to shoot landscapes in Scotland – there are so many beautiful places and amazing views, it’s a photographer’s treasure trove. After my Nikon D-SLR, my most important piece of equipment is, of course, my tripod. I…

The contenders SIGMA 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM £330, $450 TAMRON SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II £350, $500 SIGMA 12-24mm f/4-5.6 II DG HSM £530, $950 NIKON AF-S 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED £550, $750 NIKON AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED £640, $800 TAMRON SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD £850, $1200 NIKON AF-S 16-35mm f/4G ED VR £900, $1000 NIKON AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED £1460, $1700 How wide is wide? Back in the days of 35mm film, a 35mm lens was considered ‘wide-angle’, and anything with a shorter focal length was simply extravagant. We expect more from our wide-angle lenses nowadays. Most ‘standard’ zoom lenses for full-frame cameras shrink to 24mm at the short end, while the typical minimum of 18mm for DXformat standard zooms gives an ‘effective’ 27mm focal…

The mission ● To shoot a dynamic action shot with a fisheye lens and a flashgun Time ● 30 minutes Skill level ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced Kit needed ● Nikon D-SLR ● Fisheye lens ● Flashgun ● Wireless trigger ● Tripod or light stand “A fisheye… can give images a dynamic feel that’s ideal for certain subjects, like sports Manufacturers take great care to ensure lenses will produce minimal distortion, so that straight lines in a scene will be captured straight in the image. With fisheye lenses, however, they forego this approach and instead cram as many degrees of view as possible into the frame. The result is extreme distortion, with curvature that gets more pronounced the further things are from the centre of the frame. The widest…

The mission ● To set up, light and shoot an underwater portrait Time ● Two hours Skill level ● Beginner ● Intermediate ● Advanced Kit needed ● Nikon D-SLR with pop-up flash ● Underwater D-SLR case ● Two flashguns with waterproof cases ● Two light stands ● Clamps ● Diffuser panel ● Goggles With dedicated camera housings, waterproof lights and all manner of accessories, underwater photography can be expensive. The kit could easily cost thousands. But that type of gear is built to withstand the open seas. In a swimming pool, you don’t need to jump in at the financial deep end and you can achieve great results at a fraction of the cost. It’s not the easiest shooting environment, but being underwater has an effect on hair and clothes…

All this issue’s readers are making the most of the great outdoors, whether that’s the incredible scenery of Scotland, or London’s stunning modern skyscrapers. Our Apprentice is capturing other people enjoying the outdoor life, as he gets a masterclass in photographing the ever-cool lifestyles of surfers down in Cornwall. Let all of them inspire you to pick up your camera and get out of the house – the perfect subject is waiting beyond your front door. N-Photo Magazine, Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, UK, BA11UA mail@nphotomag.com…

Our globetrotting Contributor at Large, renowned photographer and prolific author Michael Freeman, presents a monthly masterclass that’s exclusive to N-Photo. Michael has published dozens of books on photography, including the bestselling Perfect Exposure. Last issue’s article on capturing form was about taking a photo that sums up the entirety of an object. This time, it’s all about surface texture. If it helps, think of it as the difference between taking a firm hold of something and reaching out to touch it. Which gives you a better sense of what something is, whether it’s river-smoothed stone, a rough-skinned pineapple or a leather handbag? This is up for debate, but photography generally conveys surface qualities well, so long as you make good use of lighting, scale and contrast. This trio of factors…

Nikon Coolpix AW130 WEB www.nikon.com SIZE 110x66x27mm WEIGHT 221g MATERIAL Mostly plastic FLOATS ON WATER No SHOCK-RESISTANT Yes SUBMERSIBLE Yes MAXIMUM DEPTH 30m PRICE £200/$330 Aquapac Waterproof D-SLR Case WEB www.aquapac.net SIZE 145x185x100mm WEIGHT 216g (without camera) MATERIAL Polyurethane FLOATS ON WATER Yes SHOCK-RESISTANT No SUBMERSIBLE Yes MAXIMUM DEPTH 5m PRICE £80/$100 NEXT MONTH: TELECONVERTERS V SUPER-TELEPHOTOS VERDICT There’s something to be said for taking your Nikon D-SLR into the water, as it means you can carry on shooting with a camera that you’re familiar with. The Aquapac facilitates this, but it’s fiddly and tricky to use. The Nikon Coolpix AW130 is much more enjoyable and versatile, and it’s nice to have an additional (and small) compact camera for snapshots on dry land as well as on (or in) the…

“I used a flat-pack hide design consisting of a timber framework and waterproof covering, which I then camouflaged with a mixture of netting and natural materials My work photographing golden eagles in Scotland is part of an ongoing project, partly subsidised by the North Harris Trust, to build up a library of photographs of a wide variety of subjects to promote the area for wildlife tourism. Over the last two years I have spent 172 days working on the North Harris estate, and there is still lots to photograph. I have used Nikon equipment for over 40 years, mostly because it’s so durable. When I was photographing golden eagles from my winter bait hide, I used a combination of Nikon D3s, D3X and D300 bodies with a 500mm f/4 VR…