Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

1 Lens stabilization mode Turn lens stabilization off when using telephoto lenses with a tripod. Turn it on if you shoot handheld. 2 Check the light Use apps such as PhotoPills and The Photographer’s Ephemeris to plan for the light in your location. 3 Stay level Use the spirit level in Live View to keep your DSLR level as you take overlapping frames for panoramas. 4 Hold your body Brace a heavy camera by keeping your legs and hips equal distance apart, and both elbows tucked in. 5 Accurate metering Stick some black gaffa tape over the viewfinder in very bright conditions, so that light doesn’t leak in and fool the camera meter. 6 Protect your gear Always clean your tripod, cameras, and lenses to remove sand and dirt after…

Sharpen up your photography skills with our all-new photo projects and expert guides 46 Colour theory lessons Head back to art class. Here’s a simple explanation on how to use colour as a compositional device 56 Specialist macro lite Macro shots looking dark and gloomy? Illuminate close-ups with Canon’s specialist Macro Twin Lite 60 Mono masterpieces Transform landscapes into beautiful black and white long exposures with Photoshop CC skills 50 Shoot with shadows Capture striking portraits using a Speedlite, a wireless trigger, and a small section of wire fencing 58 The Instagram look Use simple toning tools and layer tricks in Photoshop Elements to apply a trendy retro treatment 62 Blog-worthy collages Combine multiple images into one file using Lightroom’s print module – perfect for sharing online! 52 Creative nude…

VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_2 THE MISSION How to capture a striking portrait using wire fencing Time needed One hour Skill level Intermediate Kit needed Speedlite flashgun • Wireless triggers • Light stand • Fence Whether you’re shooting in a neglected urban location, or in a picturesque park as we are, it pays to take advantage of what these places have to offer when you’re taking portraits. A wire fence, for example, isn’t particularly interesting, but pair it with a Speedlite and you have all the ingredients for a cool portrait. In this project we’ll be firing a flashgun behind a wire fence and using the short, sharp shadows to envelop our model’s face for a striking portrait. We’ll trigger the flash off-camera with a wireless flash trigger, so that we…

VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_6 THE MISSION Convert a landscape to moody mono and blur the clouds to mimic a long exposure Time needed 15 minutes Skill level Easy Kit needed Photoshop CC Stretch an exposure to several seconds or more and the movement of clouds is captured as beautiful silky blur. It’s one of the landscape photographer’s most potent visual devices, but it requires a tripod and strong neutral density filter. If you don’t have this gear, or if you’d like to see how the look would work with a photo you’ve already taken, we can recreate the look with a combination of filter and layer skills in Photoshop. The long exposure, blurred clouds look goes well with a moody black and white treatment. We begin by converting our image…

Ted was born and raised in the south of England and moved to Scotland in 1996. After graduating, he had various jobs, including working as a freelance photographer. He set up a renewable energy consultancy in 1992 and became a full-time outdoor photographer in 2004. Morag was born in Aberdeen, brought up in England and returned to Scotland at the age of 19. As well as becoming a champion axe thrower, she also founded a small business making handmade soap. They met in 2006 and began working together soon afterwards. Their book, Zero Footprint, was published in 2014. They have undertaken commissions for brands including Fred Olsen and Scottish Power. They also lead photographic trips to locations including the UK, Iceland, Italy and the Faroe Islands. Next issue: Award-winning portrait…

Head of testing rod.lawton@futurenet.com THIS month the Super Test makes way for our annual Gear of the Year roundup, where we celebrate our favourite Canon products and accessories we’ve tested in 2017. Ben Andrews tests six backpacks for safely stowing your Canon gear, and I test Canon’s new entry-level mirrorless camera, the EOS M100. It’s a simple little camera, but is it too simple? HOW WE TEST…

Peter Travers Editor • 5D Mark III peter.travers@futurenet.com “Thanks to Chris Rutter, whatever the weather, and armed with the right clothing and camera skills, you can take great wintry scenic shots in any conditions.” PAGE 28 Lauren Scott Staff writer • 7D Mark II lauren.scott@futurenet.com “This issue I flew to Sharjah (close to Dubai) for an adventurous Arabian Apprentice shoot. It had a wealth of architecture to satisfy my inner tourist.” PAGE 8 Rod Lawton Head of testing • 6D rod.lawton@futurenet.com “Highlight of the year for me was a trip to Canon’s Utsunomiya lens factory. Canon’s lenses are amazing and you should see how they’re made!” PAGE 74 James Paterson Technique writer • 5D Mark IV james.paterson@futurenet.com “Capturing interesting photos can propel you into all kinds of unusual scenarios –…

Before the sun rose out in the desert, Beno checked David’s Canon camera settings SET YOUR CANON THE pair began shooting with a telephoto lens, looking both across the dunes and directly into the sun to the landscape beyond. “I advised David to set his camera to f/9, as this is generally the sweet spot of the lens. We also set an ISO of 100, as this would provide the greatest dynamic range and the least amount of digital noise.” INITIAL FRAMING BENO set up a low angle on the tripods. “I got David to include the grass, and frame some low shots looking toward and away from the sun. I work with Live View all the time to compose, and it was good to see David taking a similar…

Staff Writer auren.scott@futurenet.com HELLO again! As it’s the new year, what better time than now to delve into our diverse set of photo ideas? This issue we’ve got a daring nude lighting project that uses a projector to create patterns and textures. If you’d rather be refreshed on some photography basics, remind yourself how to use complementary colours in shots. Colour is a vital compositional tool, but one that’s often overlooked! As another portrait idea with a twist, use flash and wire fencing to cast moody shadows onto faces. Or, learn to eliminate pesky shadows on small subjects with Canon’s specialist new macro light. We all make new year’s resolutions – perhaps you’ve vowed to start a photo blog in 2018? If so, our Lightroom editing tutorial will show you…

RYB WHEEL Some of you may be familiar with this from art lessons. Red, yellow and blue are the three primary colours (which artists have used for centuries). We’ll be using it as our colour wheel in this project. The secondary triad of colours are purple, orange and green. RGB MODE RGB is important to photographers from a technical sense when editing images. Computer monitors and projectors use red, green and blue (RGB) as their primary colours, then mix them to create cyan, magenta and yellow. CMYK MODE This colour model was introduced for printing, and refers to cyan, magenta and yellow. When these inks are combined, the resulting mixtures are red, green and blue. Mixing all three gives an imperfect black.…

PHOTOSHOP TWEAKING A few simple tweaks in Photoshop can make all the difference. Increase contrast and colour saturation to give your photos extra punch. The Burn tool can also be very useful. Grab it from the Tools pane, then go to the tool options and set the Range to Shadows, and uncheck ‘Protect Tones’. This means you can burn in the darker parts of the image to full black, which helps to give it more of an abstract feel. 01 BOOKING A MODEL We booked our model – Miss Diamond Sparkle – through the website PurplePort, which can connect you with models direct. Models on the site have a helpful list of ‘levels’, so it’s easy to see whether they’d be comfortable with and experienced in nude work. 02 PRACTISE…

VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_4 THE MISSION Give your images an Insta makeover in Elements Time needed 10 minutes Skill level Easy Kit needed Photoshop Elements 2018 The retro analogue look is very popular at the moment, with apps like Instagram letting you apply all manner of vintage treatments to your phone snaps with a single tap. But what if you want more control over the look? It’s possible to achieve a similar retro toning effect in Photoshop Elements, and thanks to the power of Adjustment Layers, you have complete control over the toning at every stage. So in this project, we’ll explain the smart way to get that trendy retro look with a combination of fundamental Photoshop Elements tools and techniques. As much as this project is a guide to…

CASH WITH YOUR CANON PAGE 80 Thinking about taking the plunge and going professional? Read our tips and guidance first WITH PhotoPlusEXPERT PETER TRAVERS CANON EXPERT Peter’s been a passionate photographer for well over 20 years. He’s worked on PhotoPlus since the very first issue, back in 2007, and has been the magazine’s editor for the past six years. DIGITAL SLR ESSENTIALS PAGE 84 Learn how to take sharper shots with our sharp-shooting Marcus Hawkins WITH PhotoPlusEXPERT MARCUS HAWKINS PHOTO EXPERT Marcus has been passionate about photography for 30 years. A former editor of our sister publication Digital Camera, he has written about photography for Canon and Jessops, and uses a Canon EOS 5D Mk III. EOS S.O.S PAGE 88 Your Canon queries expertly answered by our technical guru Brian…

01 Show Gratitude Don’t take people for granted – ever. There are people who have helped you, so be sure to show you are grateful. Help them back, make friends, and help other people, too. 02 Learn from mistakes Understand your failures and move forwards. Get used to failing publicly; you might put out a less-than-perfect image and in this social-media-led world, people are going to tell you this. 03 Learn social media Handle social media with care. I wrote an article on the social media minefield for Hungry Eye: ‘The importance of being Social. (See Dave’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/people/ Dave-Kai-Piper/507872169) 04 Be humble and gracious Understand that there is always going to be someone better, or someone with more resources, more kit, more support, bigger networks and seemingly endless…

DEPTH OF FIELD is the amount of front-to-back sharpness in your image. There isn’t a dedicated DoF control on your camera; rather a combination of factors determines the extent of the depth of field, including the choice of the aperture, the distance at which the lens is focused and camera sensor size. Changing the aperture is the easiest of these factors to influence: high f-numbers such as f/16 and f/22, increase the depth of field, while low f-numbers like f/2.8 and f/4 reduce it. Even though high f-numbers boast the greatest front-to-back sharpness and might seem a good choice for landscapes and close-up work, they can actually lead to pictures that look soft overall. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, high f-numbers correspond with small apertures, and…

01 Lighten the load A jam-packed bag with a tripod strapped to it might weigh more than 15kg, so don’t underestimate the importance of wide, thick shoulder straps and a decent waist belt. 02 Escape routes Camera backpacks prioritize load lugging over easy access, but many feature side openings or even smarter systems to keep your camera accessible without setting the bag down. 03 Divide and conquer Versatile interiors can convert to house multiple camera configurations, or even a small drone. A fully removable inner compartment will create a conventional backpack in seconds. 04 A cosseted camera Not all bags are created equal when it comes to the thickness of interior padding. Look for a rugged plastic base and you needn’t worry about resting your backpack on wet ground. 05…

It’s that time of year again when we celebrate all the very best Canon DSLRs, lenses and kit of the year. It’s been a spectacular year across the board, with spectacular kit coming on stream for beginners, enthusiasts and pro photographers alike. In the entrylevel camp, highlights include cameras with a revolutionary interface, a stabilized ultra-wide lens that’s astonishing value for money, and a superzoom that breaks into super-telephoto territory. In the enthusiast sector, we’ve seen the reinvention of some favourite, classic cameras and lenses, along with a brand new super-tele lens that can change the way you shoot, and a studio flash kit that’s equally adept in the great outdoors. Pro-spec gear has been similarly remarkable, with two of the greatest cameras of all time vying for top billing,…

01 Getting teacher’s attention The tutor’s time is one of the most expensive costs of a workshop, so the more people there are on the course, the less expensive it is. A high student-to-teacher ratio is not always a bad thing, but it can limit your picture-taking opportunities in some locations and with some genres. If you want more time from your tutor, look for courses that offer one-to-one training – these can be a lot less expensive than you think. 02 Location, location, location You can go on photographic holidays almost anywhere in the world. This not only means that you get to see and photograph exotic places and wildlife, but you also get to spend time with other photography enthusiasts. How far you go, of course, will greatly…

Beno Saradzic Our Apprentice jets to Sharjah to meet Beno and shoot ancient and modern Arabian architecture. PAGE 8 Chris Rutter Chris shows how you can capture dramatic winter images when you plan for harsh conditions PAGE 28 David Noton David Noton uses his local knowledge to capture the beauty of a frosty Dorset morning. PAGE 40 Marcus Hawkins Want sharper images? Marcus shows you what settings to use on your Canon DSLR. PAGE 84 Leeming & Paterson Husband/wife photographers in SW Scotland share their unique take on nature photography. PAGE 64 Brian Worley Brian is here to solve even the trickiest and most technical of Canon queries. See all his answers on PAGE 88 Marina Reiter is a pro dog photographer whose kit is as key as her Canon…

“WE STARTED by shooting close-ups of the sand ridges, and looking for interesting shadows and contrasting elements rather than colours. I got David to include the grass, avoid footprints in the sand and frame a low shot," says Beno, who had many tips when it came to arranging the frame. “Sometimes the hardest part of composing is knowing what to include and what to leave out. A focal length that’s too zoomed and close can be unnecessarily abstract, whereas a frame that’s too wide can lack interest. Knowing the right focal length was the main challenge. Having a zoom lens such as David’s Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM can really help, as you can recompose quickly and find out what works.” They also experimented with the camera in a…

The Canon explorer shares some of his own images of Sharjah THE Al Noor Mosque in Sharjah is located on the Khaled Lagoon at the Buhaira Corniche. At night, Beno combined seven bracketed exposures to come up with this stunning HDR rooftop view. BENO used manual focus and tweaked the focus ring slightly to shoot four images at varying levels of focus. He then combined the frames in Photoshop for front to back sharpness. A low-level sun enhances the textures across the sand dunes. BENO chose to juxtapose these traditional architectural elements from the old Heart of Sharjah in the frame. This area is home to the largest historical preservation and restoration project in the region. When editing, Beno straightened the lines of the towers, upping the vibrancy of the…

TIP 01 Condensation SUBJECTING your kit to wild changes in temperature is a recipe for condensation. The best way to avoid it is to allow your kit to warm-up and cool down slowly inside a closed bag. If you do get condensation on your camera and lenses simply let it clear by allowing the temperature to equalize. Don’t swap lenses or take the body cap off your Canon, as this will cause condensation inside the camera. TIP 02 Be realistic packing your kit I USED to carry loads of kit on every shoot, but in the mountains every gram becomes a burden. So I’d suggest taking the essentials, one Canon body, a couple of lenses, along with a polarizer and ND grad filters, and the lightest tripod that will hold…

TIP 01 Correct clothing ALONG with protecting your Canon, you also need to make sure that you are well protected when shooting in wet, snowy, and cold conditions. A good waterproof jacket and overtrousers are essential for keeping you dry, and then use layers of clothes underneath these to keep you warm. Plus wear a hat to prevent heat loss through your head, and also a good pair of waterproof gloves. I also always carry a black bin bag to protect my Canon that I place over the whole camera during a shower, and then quickly remove to shoot in fast-changing weather. TIP 02 Weather forecast PREDICTING the weather for shooting rainstorms and moody skies is difficult. The ideal conditions are heavy clouds, but with enough breaks to let some…

Far from the deep snows and profound winter silences of his childhood growing up in Canada, David Noton uses his local knowledge to capture a frosty Dorset morning I open the curtains: frost! I wasn’t expecting that. I hurriedly grab my camera bag and head for the door. Forget breakfast. Forget all head for the door. Forget breakfast. Forget all inbox; conditions like this happen on only a few mornings a year. I have to make the most of it or a life of eternal remorse will ensue, but where to go? I grew up in Canada, so English winters are usually a sad disappointment. My childhood was littered with memories of digging cars out of the deep snow and the sound of skates on ice. I associate winter with…

VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_1 Colour is one of the most important and active ingredients of photo composition, but it’s often forgotten about until the editing stage. In portraits, landscapes and still-life shots, colour can be used to add depth, create mood or draw the viewer’s eye to a certain part of the frame, so it’s important to understand the basics of colour theory. What is a hue? What’s the difference between an RGB and a CMYK colour palette? Once the basic schooling is over, we’ll apply these ideas in a practical sense with some vibrant flowers and equally colourful craft papers. Of course, you can change the colour of backgrounds in Photoshop, but where’s the learning there? When you work with physical elements, it becomes easier to experiment with different…

COLOURED PAPERS If you’re working in a studio, you might want to set up some seamless coloured backdrops behind your subjects. As we were shooting close-ups of flowers to illustrate the techniques, we only needed a small background, and bought a set of coloured paper from a local craft shop. The more hues you have to try out, the better! 01 WHAT YOU NEED A variety of flowers was used to splash the colour into this shoot. We had a few clamps to hand, as these would hold our flowers in place in front of the paper. A mid-zoom lens was used for speedy recomposition. 02 THE LOCATION There’s no need to go overboard with studio lighting. Plentiful natural light, such as that from a large window, works well. If…

VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_3 THE MISSION Shine patterns from a projector for a creative nude shoot Time needed One hour Skill level Easy Kit needed Projector • Tripod • Black backdrop Nudes are among the most challenging of photographic subjects. It’s not just that they can take you out of your comfort zone. There’s also the challenge of finding an unusual concept. A strong concept can elevate the nude into the category of fine art, and prevent it from being just another photo of a naked person. One way to achieve this is with lighting. We’re using a projector – a novel, versatile light source. When patterns are displayed across a body, we can make vibrant, extraordinary nude photos. Lighting is crucial in nude photography as it emphasizes the shape…

VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_4 THE MISSION Learn to use Canon’s specialist Macro Twin Lite Time needed 15 minutes Skill level Easy Kit needed Macro lens • Canon Macro Twin Lite • Intricate subject Shooting intricate subjects at close distances poses several challenges, but one of the main ones is a lack of light. Having the camera close to a subject blocks out light and casts shadows. Because a narrow aperture opening is also required to obtain a sufficient depth of field, off-camera flash becomes almost necessary when shooting small objects of any kind. It’s lucky, then, that Canon have developed specialist light that’s perfect for macro subjects! The Canon Macro Twin Lite system we tried has two strobes which are controlled by a triggering unit. It’s easy to change the…

CanonSkills VIDEO ALSO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_135_7 THE MISSION To make a custom collage photo layout Time needed 15 minutes Skill level Easy Kit needed Lightroom 5 or later Displaying a single photo is often enough, but what about when you want to include several photos from the same shoot in one file? For blog posts, social media networks and online galleries, it’s easy to see where collages come in handy. Merging multiple images into one file provides an easy way to display your work, or even to produce a contact sheet for clients. Once you’ve edited shots in the Lightroom Develop panel, head for the Print Module. You’ll be working with rulers and file dimensions to create the perfect layout; while the process isn’t complicated, the measuring can be confusing at…

MAKE CASH WITH YOUR CANON Ready to turn your hobby into a living? In this issue we look at how to make the leap to becoming a pro photographer GOING PRO PhotoPlus EXPERT PETER TRAVERS CANON EXPERT Peter’s been a passionate photographer for well over 20 years. He’s worked on PhotoPlus since the very first issue, back in 2007, and has been the magazine’s editor for the past six years. Making your living full-time from taking pictures is many photographers’ dream, and it has to be said that on a good day it can be one of the best jobs in the world. But the dream can be a long way from reality. Establishing yourself as a photographer can take many years of hard work, although if you already have…

This month, we show you how the right camera settings and good technique can make your images pin-sharp PhotoPlus EXPERT MARCUS HAWKINS PHOTO EXPERT Marcus has been passionate about photography for more than 25 years. A former editor of our sister publication Digital Camera, he has written about photography and cameras for a wide range of clients, including Canon and Jessops, and uses a Canon EOS 5D Mk III. There are many ways in which you can squeeze the last drop of sharpness out of your Canon EOS DLSR’s lens and sensor, including mirror lockup, tweaking the digital sharpening settings – although this will only affect JPEGs, not Raw files – and controlling the depth of field. But the two fundamental aspects to get right from the start are focusing and…

Contrast can give a greater perception of sharpness, and it’s this trait that digital sharpening both in-camera and in software is built around. Digital sharpening exaggerates the contrast between bright and dark edges or outlines in an image and it produces the most effective results if it’s applied with restraint at different stages of an image’s life rather than in one big fat hit at the end. The first stage is ‘capture sharpening’. The majority of EOS cameras have an optical low-pass or anti-aliasing filter in front of the imaging sensor. This reduces moiré patterns – the rainbow sheen seen across images with fine, repetitive details. The trade-off is a soft image, but this can be counteracted with sharpening at the capture stage. In truth, this sharpening isn’t applied at…

PhotoPlus EXPERT BRIAN WORLEY CANON PRO Brian is a freelance photographer and photo tutor, based in Oxfordshire. He has unrivalled EOS DSLR knowledge, after working for Canon for over 15 years, and is on hand to answer all your EOS and photographic queries. Ask Brian! Confused with your Canon DSLR? Email EOSSOS@futurenet.com “Why won’t my EOS 650D/Rebel T4i trigger my studio flash when connected to my computer running EOS Utility?”Rick Pogue, Oregon BRIAN SAYS… If the camera works normally and triggers the studio flash when not connected to EOS Utility, it should work when connected to EOS Utility. The one situation where it might not work is if you use Live View mode when you have the camera connected to the computer. For Live View, the shutter must be open,…

94 Gear Update Canon compatible kit you’ll crave 120 Buyers’ Guide Every EOS and Canon-fit lens PAGE 101 GEAR OF THE YEAR PAGE 98 CANON EOS M100 PAGE 96 BACKPACKS TESTS & AWARDS WHEN IT comes to testing Canon DSLRs, lenses, photo gear and services in PhotoPlus, we tell it like it is. We’re 100 percent independent and we use our in-depth lab tests to find out how kit really performs and compares. Here are our main awards……

ONCE you’ve built up a comprehensive camera kit, carting it all about can be tricky. Even if you find a shoulder bag big enough, suspending so much bulk from one strap will fast become a pain in the neck. The increased capacity and comfort of a typical camera backpack means you can usually carry a full-frame body mounted to a sizable telephoto lens, along with a complete complement of extra optics and accessories. Expect at least one tripod mounting point, plus a separate space for a full-size laptop. But what really separates the best from the rest are extra features and useful details. Some bags have multiple compartments and access points so you can organise your gear, or carry a combination of stills and video equipment. Extra security like a…

Canon EOS DSLRs Canon splits its EOS lineup into entry-level, enthusiast and professional ranges; the 1300D and 200D are the most basic, the 750D, 760D and 800D for intermediates, the 77D, 80D and full-frame 6D Mk II for more advanced enthusiasts, while the 7D, full-frame 5D and 1D lines have pro-level features. With more expensive models, expect greater ease of use (thumb-operated scrollwheels replacing cursor keys), more robust build quality (weather-sealing and tough magnesium-alloy shells), more advanced functionality, and full-frame rather than APS-C image sensors. DSLR/CSC prices quoted are body-only unless stated ENTRY LEVEL CANON EOS 1300D (REBEL T6) TESTED IN ISSUE 120 PRICE: £289/$449 (US PRICE WITH KIT LENS) CANON’S entry-level, budget-friendly EOS DSLR gets up a minor upgrade over its predecessor with added Wi-Fi and NFC to make…

Key factors to watch out for THE MAIN factors to consider in a lens are its focal length, maximum aperture, and whether or not it’s full-frame compatible. We’ve categorized lenses by focal length range – from wide-angle to telephoto. The larger a lens’s maximum aperture, the ‘faster’ it’s considered to be – allowing you to control depth of field more, and offering better options in low light. Zooms are more flexible than primes, but tend not to have such fast maximum apertures. Full-frame lenses will also work with ‘crop-sensor’ EOS DSLRs, but crop-sensor lenses aren’t compatible with full-frame cameras. WIDE-ANGLE ZOOMS WIDE-ANGLE ZOOMS TELEPHOTO ZOOMS KEY: • BEST VALUE AWARD • BEST ON TEST AWARD TELEPHOTO ZOOMS STANDARD ZOOMS STANDARD ZOOMS SUPERZOOMS SUPERZOOMS WIDE-ANGLE PRIMES WIDE-ANGLE PRIMES…

THE NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR CANON USERS! FREE VIDEOS! In the next Canon Skills chapter… ■ How to turn paint drops in water into colourful shapes ■ Learn new techniques for great gig photos ■ New Lightroom, Photoshop and Elements tutorials PLUS ALL THIS... ■ Get back to basics with our big Canon DSLR techniques guide ■ Free! The Photography Show 2018 preview guide ■ Profile: Award-winning portrait photographer Jillian Edelstein ■ Canon EF 85mm f/4L IS lens test ISSUE 136 ON SALE 6 FEBRUARY * Content subject to change…