Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

NEW YEAR! NEW SKILLS! We’ll make 2022 the year you raise your Canon photography game! Find out how from Page 4 Have you made any new year’s resolutions? I don’t normally entertain such things, but this year, with 2021 thankfully behind us, I thought I would, as a way to look forward instead of back. So I’m aiming to get out more with my Canon gear, experiment more with my photography, and try more artistic lighting techniques. With film cameras and retro gear proving more popular than ever, this issue we have a guide on how to buy and use Canon film cameras. I bought my first film SLR back in the mid ’90s, and lugged the chunky thing on my travels when I backpacked for a year around Australia,…

CANON PRO NAME: JEREMY FLINT CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D MK IV JEREMY IS a pro photographer that specializes in travel, landscape and location photography. Jeremy won the National Geographic Traveller Grand Prize in 2016 and the Association of Photographers Discovery Award in 2017. We met him in the beautifully architecture rich city of Oxford to take some incredible shots of buildings as day turned to night. www.jeremyflintphotography.com APPRENTICE NAME: HARI MANGAT CAMERA: CANON EOS 7D MARK II HARI IS a 68-year-old retired software engineer from Birmingham who has been interested in photography since his Dad bought an old box camera when he was just 11 years old. He’s since transitioned to a Canon 1000 film camera and in more recent years, a Canon EOS 7D Mark II. He wrote to…

The joys of Canon film cameras ONE OF the unashamed pleasures of film photography is the selection of cameras available to us. While technology has moved on considerably since Canon’s last film model was released in 2005, their legacy of innovation and quality was founded in the film era, with some ground breaking cameras paving the way for the technological advancements we take for granted in today’s digital line up of cameras. Thanks to the re-emergence of film, these cameras are once again more than just ornaments gathering dust on a shelf. Better still, these decades old machines are typically available at a fraction of their original selling price, meaning you can snag a real bargain. What to look for when buying ASIDE FROM the cosmetic condition of the camera…

Developing your film ONCE YOU have shot a roll of film you need to develop it before you can see your images. One option is to outsource the whole process to a lab that will develop, scan and print your film for you. The alternative is to do it yourself. This is typically more economical and ideal for those who like full control over each stage of the process. For example, you may want to use a specific developer to draw out certain characteristics of the film or how it was shot. The kit and chemicals are all available and very affordable, plus there are plenty of ‘how to’ tutorials online to guide you. Darkroom printing AS A photographer, you rarely forget the magic of seeing your images appear in…

WATCH VIDEO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_187_1 THE MISSION Learn how to use a ring light for pet photographs and portraits Time needed One hour Skill level Beginner Kit needed Ring light Stand Tape Blanket Ring lights have been used for distinctive photos for a long time, but in the past couple of years – thanks to the pandemic and endless video meetings – they’ve become increasingly popular. A ring light eliminates shadows, resulting in simple, flattering lighting over a face. The 360 degrees of illumination helps to give skin a flawless look – it fills out bags under eyes and reduces wrinkles. So it’s a popular choice not only for Zoom meetings, but also among everyone from YouTube presenters to fashion photography. Besides the characteristic shadow-less illumination, it also results in wonderful…

01 SQUARE THE CIRCLE The idea here is that if we divide the ring into equal segments then they’ll make for an interesting catchlight in our subject’s eyes. So we begin by cutting out several squares of cardboard, then tape them over the ring to break up the circle of light into small chunks. 02 POSITION THE SUBJECT We bring the ring light in fairly close to our subject’s face, this means that the catchlight show more clearly in the eyes. You may find that parts of the ring do not show as clearly as others, if this is the case, experiment with the height and angle of the light and camera. 03 CAPTURE THE EYES The reflection in the eyes causes them to sparkle with dots of light, while…

WATCH VIDEO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_187_4 THE MISSION Frame your images with our 26 free borders to make them fit to hang on your wall at home Time needed 30 minutes Skill level Beginner Kit needed • Photoshop CC How you frame a photo can have a big impact on the viewer’s perception of the scene. This is true of a physical frame you’d hang above the mantlepiece, but it’s also true of any creative treatments you add to the edges of the photo itself. In this month’s download, you’ll find a set of 26 organic borders – textured, fine-art edge effects that have been handcrafted with real brushes and acrylic paint. Adding one of these to your landscape shot will immediately inject an extra dose of artistry to your imagery. Applying…

01 THE MAGIC WAND TOOL The Magic Wand is found in the Tools panel alongside the Quick Selection Tool and (in Photoshop CC 2020) the Object Selection Tool. Click with the tool over part of the image, and it will look for pixels that are similar to the point you clicked on. You can set a sample size in the dropdown at the top. Point Sample uses a single pixel, while the other options let you sample from a wider area. 02 ADD, SUBTRACT, INTERSECT Like any selection tool in Photoshop, you have the option to Add, Subtract or Intersect with your initial selection. Add is especially useful with the Magic Wand: often you need a few goes to complete the selection. It’s better to set Tolerance low and click…

THE MISSION Use blend modes and painting tricks to boost skies, trees and buildings in Affinity Photo Time needed 20 minutes Skill level Beginner Kit needed Affinity Photo DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp187.zip Landscapes will often benefit from local adjustments to pull out detail, enhance colours or reveal textures in specific parts of the scene. One way this can be achieved is with layer blend modes. These are often thought of as a means to combine two or more images into one, but blend modes can also be hugely useful for enhancing colours and tones. In this project we’ll look at how to use blend modes in combination with other tools and adjustments to enhance the famous landscape of Meteora in Greece. We’ll break the scene down…

NAME: Julia Martin LOCATION: South Tyrol, Italy, and The Alps, Europe MISSION: Capture Alpenglow at dawn and dusk KIT: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Zeiss Milvus 2.8/21 ZE www.photographybyjuliamartin.com Whenever I’m photographing at dawn I must admit that I find myself hoping the early rise, often a cold one, will be worth the effort and I have to say that I nearly always find that it is. This was particularly true when I visited the beautiful Dolomite and Zermatt regions of the Alps. Using the magical light of dawn and dusk, my aim was to capture some of the iconic peaks, and lesser known ones, as well as many stunning sites along the way. Careful planning was needed, using apps such as PhotoPills and…

IT CAN be handy to have a circular polarizing filter available when you’re shooting a still life – filters aren’t just for landscapes! This type of filter enables reflections to be removed or reduced from the surface of non-metallic objects, so they’re useful if you want to remove some of the glossy hotspots on a piece of fruit, for example. They can also tone down some of distracting shine on glasses, cups and plates that might be adorning your arrangement. Using a polarizer does cost some light – around 2.5-stops at times – so you may need to compensate by increasing the exposure length. It’s worth using a tripod to avoid camera shake when shooting in low light. With the filter fitted to the front of the lens, rotate the…

Our Canon expert Brian explains how to set-up to shoot remotely to display bigger previews and for better photos hen photographing people or products on location, or in a studio, it helps to see a quick preview of the images. If you’re shooting for a client, or with a creative team, it’s almost imperative as a way to get the best photos and to display the results. Canon’s EOS Utility is the ideal tool for the job, and you can download it for free from Canon. Almost uniquely EOS Utility can work with the camera’s Wi-Fi connection for reliable cable-free tethering. Tethered shooting with EOS Utility is as simple with Wi-Fi as it is with using a cable. The key difference is that there’s no trip hazard and, depending on…

STEPHEN PHILLIPS, DEVON SAYS… This image was taken on the River Dart at Holne Bridge, Dartmoor. I wanted to capture the autumn colours of the leaves turning and I like to experiment with slower shutter speeds for the movement of water. I used the tree branch in the top left to frame the scene, but it could have been a little higher. Using a tripod allowed a low vantage point very close to the river in order to include the moss and dead leaves on the rocks through to the sweep of the river into the distance. BRIAN SAYS… I like the image, and think that your shutter speed has rendered the water with a more realistic texture than a super slow shot. I am drawn to the large expanse…

Limited back issues of PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine print editions are available on our new MagazinesDirect.com secure store at www.magazinesdirect.com/photoplus-magazine-single-issue But if you’ve got an iPad, Android, Kindle or Nook tablet, or iPhone or Android smartphone, you can download PhotoPlus back issues from the following digital edition options: • Got an Apple iPad or iPhone? Get the free PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine app in the App Store or at bit.ly/photoplus_app then browse through our back issues or subscribe through the app. • Kindle Fire or Nook HD? Simply search for PhotoPlus on Amazon’s Newsstand or in B&N’s Nook store. • Windows or Mac? Use Zinio to read PhotoPlus on your laptop or desktop computer or via the app! Go to www.zinio.com and search for PhotoPlus where you can buy back…

01 CIRCULAR OCTOPUS (UNDERWATER: FIRST) BY ALESSANDRO GRASSO Alessandro scooped up the first place in the Underwater close-up category with his fantastic octopus portrait. He told us, “In the past three years, the bacterium Mycobacterium sherrisii has caused the mass death of Pinna nobilis (noble pen shell) throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the empty shells of the large bivalve have been colonized by other marine species. In this case, an octopus takes advantage of the large shell to create its den and protect itself from predators. I used a slow shutter speed and circular panning motion to give dynamism to the image and emphasize the subject.” Lens Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Exposure 1/13 sec, f/22, ISO160 All of the pictures here are our top winning Canon…

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, England. 15:19pm. 5 June 2021 Lens Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Exposure 1/30 sec, f/16, ISO400 One of the best things I ever did to my photography was to change frequency. In 2009, ePHOTOzine, an online camera resource, asked me to ‘donate a camera’ for an infrared conversion and to provide a review. My donor was a 6D Mark I, which had been lounging around at home, since an EOS-1Ds Mark III forced it into retirement. This new medium was so compelling, that I didn't take another colour photo for four months. So what is all this about? Well in brief, your eyes see between violet, a wavelength of 350nm, to around 700nm, the wavelength for red. This is only approximate, but it gives a…

01 RING LIGHT A ring light has a circular bulb that results in 360 degrees of frontal illumination. This creates minimal shadows over your subject’s face, with gentle fall-off to the scene beyond. As such, it’s a flattering light source for portraits to pet photos. 02 CAMERA POSITION We shoot through the centre of the ring, so the light wraps around the subject from all angles. Some ring lights and flashes can be attached to your camera, but larger ones will need a stand. Be mindful to keep the edges of the light out of the frame. 03 DOUBLE RINGS Why not try using two ring lights instead of one? Here we taped a smaller light inside the larger ring. This gave us a different quality to the light, with…

RING LIGHTS are very popular for beauty, fashion and boudoir photography because of the flattering, shadow-free look they produce over faces and skin. However, the light is rather flat, so it can look a bit one-note. As such, it’s often a good idea to combine a ring light with another light source. In our dog photo, we mixed in window light, and for the boudoir shot here the ring light was used in combination with another LED, placed behind and to the right side of the subject. The ring light gives us those catchlights in the eyes and flattering light over the skin, while the rear light offers an edge highlight over the hair and body, helping to separate our model from the backdrop and adding depth to the portrait.…

WATCH VIDEO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_187_6 THE MISSION Use the Depth Blur neural filter in Photoshop to blur a background Time needed 20 minutes Skill level Beginner Kit needed Photoshop CC DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp187.zip Photoshop offers a box of tricks for all sorts of effects. There are those that can transform your image into something completely unreal. Then there are those that let you make more realistic changes. The Depth Blur filter falls into the latter category. As the name suggests, it lets you mimic the effects of in-camera blur by throwing a background out-of-focus. If your image has a foreground in front of your subject, this is blurred too. The result is realistic fall-off either side of your point-of-focus. Of course, we’ve been able to simulate…

01 MAKE A NEW LAYER Open the image and click the new pixel layer icon in the Layers panel. Next, click the Blend Mode dropdown at the top of the Layers panel and change it from Normal to Overlay. Grab the Brush tool, zoom in close to the trees and hold Alt to sample one of the brighter green colours. 02 PAINT BOLD COLOURS Hit 5 to set the brush opacity to 50%. Paint over the trees with the green colour to lift the tops of them where the sunlight highlights the edges. Vary the colour if you like, and choose a darker green to add depth to the shadows in the foliage. If the effect is too strong, lower the layer opacity slightly. 03 LIFT THE ROOFTOP Make another…

Professional photographers reveal their top six tools of the trade they couldn’t shoot without I’ve had an interest in photography since I moved to Singapore in 2010 as part of a career change from the military. Singapore was full of diverse nature: wild long tailed macaques living opposite me and snakes, lizards and tropical birds all within a stones throw away too – it was impossible not to take an interest! I now live in rural mid Wales and being surrounded by the natural world here gives me endless opportunities to develop my camera skills. My passion and job has taken me all around the world, taking photos of a wide array of wildlife species. The most significant aspect of wildlife photography for me is being outside, breathing fresh air…

REFINE EOS UTILITY If you prefer to use something other than DPP for viewing images, then change EOS Utility linked software preferences to ‘none.’ Use your other software to browse the folder or even auto import from where EOS Utility puts the pictures. When using DPP or other software you might prefer to disable the quick preview image shown by EOS Utility as shots arrive. 01 SET-UP THE WI-FI ON YOUR CAMERA Choose the Wi-Fi settings, and select EOS Utility from the available options. You’ll have a choice to use an easy network set-up, where the camera creates a hotspot to connect your computer to, which is great for location work. Or you can use an existing wireless network if available. The camera guides you, telling you when to start…

01 DJI Mavic 3 Cine quality drone £1879/$2199 www.dji.com DJI HAS updated its iconic flagship folding drone. The new model features a high-quality Hasselblad Micro Four Thirds CMOS camera partnered with a hybrid telephoto zoom on a single gimbal which can record at up to 5.1K video. It boasts omnidirectional collision sensors with up to 200m sensitivity, updated subject tracking and up to 46 minutes flight time. Two versions will be offered: the standard Mavic 3 and the Mavic 3 Cine. The latter offers Apple ProRes 422 HQ encoding and an on-board 1 TB SSD. 02 Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2X Ultra Macro APO The world’s smallest 2x macro lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras £TBA/$499 www.venuslens.net THIS NEW compact mirrorless full-frame macro lens provides an impressive 2x magnification while weighing it…

Canon faced some initial criticism for its big and hefty RF-mount lenses that somewhat negated the slimline advantage of mirrorless EOS R-series cameras – not to mention the equally hefty prices. More recently, however, the pounds have dropped off with a spate of compact, lightweight RF STM spec lenses, including the RF 35mm F1.8 Macro, 50mm F1.8, 85mm F2, and 600mm and 800mm F11 telephoto lenses, plus the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM, RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM, RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM and RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM zooms. The RF 16mm F2.8 STM is the latest prime to join the catwalk club, with slinky dimensions and a weight of just 165g, while delivering an ultra-wide viewing angle that’s ideal for shooting everything from cramped architectural interiors, through sweeping…

What to look for Canon EOS cameras Canon splits its EOS DSLR lineup into entry-level, enthusiast and pro ranges; the 4000D is the most basic, the 850D and 77D for intermediates, the 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 handling, more robust build quality (weather-sealing and magnesium-alloy shells), more advanced features, and full-frame rather than APS-C image sensors. Over the page, we also have the full-frame EOS R mirrorless cameras, the EOS RP as an ‘entry-level’ and more affordable option, the EOS R and R5 for serious photographers. Plus not forgetting Canon’s smaller compact system (also mirrorless) APS-C EOS M camera range. DSLR CAMERAS PRICES QUOTED ARE BODY-ONLY UNLESS STATED…

Letter of the Month In May 2021 I bought a Canon R5 with the firm intention of migrating from my DSLR setup to mirrorless. Back then I owned a 5D Mk II and 5D Mk IV and a range of EF lenses including the EF 50mm f/1.8, 16-35mm f/4L IS, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, 24-105mm f/4L, a Sigma 105mm and EF 100-400mm f/5.6L. So I bought a Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R with the full expectation that I’d be an RF user by the end 2021… not to be. I kept hold of my go-to 24-105mm and 100-400mm lenses, but to fund my aspirations I sold three lenses and the two cameras. I’d already accepted the significant price penalty moving from EF to RF lenses, as reviews proved they produce…

Abandoned in the quest for pixel perfection by camera makers and photographers alike, some film manufacturers endured. Spurred on by a new generation of photographers embracing the grain, the re-emergence of this retro medium has now sparked a new lease of life for our old film cameras. So why should you consider shooting film? For some it is the anticipation and excitement of seeing the image days or weeks after pressing the shutter. For others, it is the distinctive aesthetic or the individual characteristics of each film stock. And then there are the tangible outputs; long lasting negatives and unique prints. Many will counter-argue that film is limiting. Your ISO is fixed, your frames are restricted to the length of film in your camera – and getting it right in…

What film speed do I need? THIS WILL depend on your subject matter and lighting levels. Slower speed films between ISO50 and 200 are great for studio lighting or outdoor use on bright, sunny days and will give you finer grain results. At the other extreme a fast ISO3200 film is perfect for low light outdoor or indoor use as well as freezing fast action. Expect big, beautiful grain as a result! Sitting somewhere in the middle is ISO400, which is the perfect speed for mixed light and a variety of shooting conditions as it offers the most flexibility and versatility. Film formats THERE ARE three formats of film still regularly manufactured these days and the one you need is dependent on the camera that you will be using. Almost…

RING LIGHTS FOR MACRO Ring lights are often used for macro photography, as they help to reveal detail in close-up subjects. The light can also help lift subjects when the lens is brought in very close – which is often necessary with macro work – as the lens and camera (and you!) can cast a shadow over the macro subject and scene. The extra light provided by a ring flash will also allow you to stop down your aperture for greater depth of field, which is important for close-up photography. 01 PRACTICE ON A TEDDY If you’re planning on capturing pets it’s a good idea to practice first, so the lighting, backdrop and exposure are spot on before the shoot begins. A teddy is ideal, as you can place it…

Part 1 of new series! 01 FLASH AND MODIFIER We’re using a single flash setup for our classic portrait. You can get this shot with either a flashgun or flash head on a boom arm or light stand. We’ve also attached a beauty dish with a diffuser over the front for softer ‘wrap around’ lighting. 02 REFLECTOR Ask your model to hold a reflector out of frame to bounce the light back onto the underside of the face, adding in ‘fill’ light to lift shadows. Different sides of the reflector will give you other qualities of light: we used a silver side. 03 BACKGROUND Pay attention to your background and pick something uniform, like a wall with a single colour, so it doesn’t distract the eye from your portraits. Natasha…

WATCH VIDEO ONLINE http://bit.ly/pp_187_5 Part 1 of a New Series! THE MISSION Learn how to use the Magic Wand tool in Photoshop to its full potential Time needed 10 minutes Skill level Beginner Kit needed Photoshop CC DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp187.zip The Magic Wand is one of Adobe Photoshop’s best selection tools, especially if you need to target an area of an image that is uniform in colour or tone, like the backdrop to the bonsai tree image here. The tool works by seeking out similar pixels to the point that you click on, so it can be a huge help while you’re creating a fantastical composite like this, or for any time when you need to quickly lock on to part of an image Making…

01 ENABLE THE FILTER Open your image, go to Filter>Neural Filters. You’ll find Depth Blur in the Beta section. If it’s your first time using it you’ll need to download it. Once done, turn the filter on and it will analyse the shot, determine what your subject is and blur out the surroundings. 02 CHOOSE A FOCUS POINT The filter will automatically choose a point of focus for you (with portraits, for example, it will recognize and snap on to the face), but you can choose a different focus point. Uncheck the ‘Focus Subject’ box then click on the preview image to choose a focus point. 03 SET A RANGE The Focal Range slider lets you expand or contract your depth of field. It’s similar to your aperture setting in…

Photo essays from PhotoPlus readers and professional photographers alike JOIN IN THE FUN! One of the great things about photography is being able to share your view of the world. This month, one reader brings joy to those in need, while another captures the fiery colours on mountain tops of The Alps. We want your photos and stories! For your chance to show off your images in PhotoPlus, email three to five high-resolution JPEGs, along with a brief synopsis – explain why you took the shots, the location, whether they’re part of an ongoing project or a one-off shoot, and anything else unusual or interesting. Also include Canon EOS camera, lens and exposure details. Email images and info to photoplus@futurenet.com Catch us online at www.facebook.com/ photoplusmag www.instagram.com/ PhotoPlusCanonMag www.twitter.com/photoplusmag PROJECT INFO NAME:…

One of the benefits of shooting with a small scale setup is that you can take advantage of a wide range of accessible lighting solutions, such as an anglepoise lamp, a torch or a flashgun. You can also set up near a window, so you’re able to make the most of the diffused winter light. If you’re taking shots on a clear and sunny day, you can soften the light be taping tracing paper or white baking parchment to the glass. Use a sheet of white card or kitchen foil that’s been crumpled up and then flattened as a reflector to soften hard shadows. As the days are much shorter this time of year, you’ll be able to extend your shooting ops with artificial light. ‘Painting’ a still-life setup with…

YOU MAY end up shooting your still life in mixed lighting – or under a light source that doesn’t quite match any of the white balance presets – which leaves the image with an odd colour cast (this is particularly true if you’re shooting with household LEDs). You could spend a while tweaking things with the camera’s white balance shift/bracket men option, but it’s just as easy to place a piece of white card or paper in your still-life setup and take a shot, then use that to set a custom white balance on the camera. If you shoot Raw, you can click on the white area with your software’s white balance eyedropper tool, and copy that setting to your main image. PART 10 Next issue: Canon night photography techniques…

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. We’ve been ‘burdened’ by a dazzling array of Canon photo gear over the last year, arduously putting it through our stringent lab-testing regime, taking it out on the town and into the countryside, and generally revelling in photo opportunities aplenty. With manufacturers needing to deliver something special to make a splash in a highly competitive marketplace, and with not as much kit as usual being launched due to obvious reasons and global parts shortages, all of the new Canon EOS cameras, lenses and accessories we’ve tested over the last year have been top notch. Our best-on-test gear has really stood out, impressing us with spectacular performance, often at bargain prices, so here are the products that we reviewed and rated,…

Choosing lenses 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. 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. For Canon EOS R System mirrorless cameras you need dedicated Canon RF lenses. KEY: • BEST VALUE AWARD • BEST ON TEST AWARD Contacts Canon www.canon.co.uk Peleng www.digitaltoyshop.co.uk Samyang www.samyang-lens.co.uk Schneider www.linhofstudio.com Sigma www.sigma-imaging-uk.com Tamron www.tamron.co.uk Tokina www.tokinalens.com Zeiss www.zeiss.co.uk…