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WelcomeT


EssEntials

COntEnts

CanOn prOs8 The Apprentice

Our lucky reader learns how to use lights to capture creative portraits with experienced pro portrait photographer Jesse Wild

42 David Noton On Location Our intrepid traveller David flies to

Denver in the winter to shoot the red rocks of Utah National Park, with added snow on top

68 The Pro Interview Professional wildlife photographers

and partners Angela and Jonathan Scott reveal their incredible careers and portfolio

80 My Kit Canon Ambassador and professional

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CanOn sChOOl84 Canon DSLR Essentials

Everything you need to know about using multiple flashes, but were afraid to ask

88 Software Solutions More indispensable advice on getting

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The Canon Magazine 5

Issue 121 January 2017

rEaD thE tUtOrials… thEn watCh OUr EXpErt ViDEOs

project 1 Liven up your Christmas parties by setting up a selfie station

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tutorial 2 Add a festive sprinkling of snow to lend portraits a winter feel

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Canon school Create prints with punch while keeping artefacts at bay

9 ways tO imprOVE yOUr phOtOgraphy tODay

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CanOn sOftwarE phOtOshOp CC

46

56

64

50

66

52

62

88

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Our contributors George Cairns, Ian Evenden, Ziv Koren, Peter Gray, Marcus Hawkins, Gareth Jones, David Noton, Matt Parry, James Paterson, Angela & Jonathan Scott, Jesse Wild, Brian Worley

Jesse WildWild man Jesse shows

this issue’s Apprentice how to take flash-lit portraits in the studio. Page 8

Matt ParryPro travel photographer

Matt pens this issue’s lead feature on getting great city shots after dark. Page 30

Angela & Jonathan ScottThe couple

behind TV’s Big Cat Diary on life on never-ending safari in Africa. Page 68

Ziv KorenCanon Ambassador

and photojournalist Ziv on the kit he relies on for his assignments. Page 80

George CairnsLearn to sharpen up

your shots with our Digital Photo Professional expert George. Page 88

Brian WorleyBrian gets to the bottom of

a whole host of your technical issues, and rates your pics, too. Page 90

This issue’s contributors…

Meet the team...

Who we are, what we do, and our very best bits of this issue…

James PatersonJames sets up a photo booth

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theApprentice

Katie, 39, from Stroud, studied photography in 2000, and has worked in picture library as a picture editor, and organized and planned creative photo shoots, but now she wants to concentrate on work as a photographer. She’s keen to master using lights for artistic portraits, so she asked for our help to boost her confidence. She’s building up her portfolio on www.katiejanewatson.com

nAme:

Katie Jane Watson cAmerA:

Canon eos 5D Mk ii

ApprenticecAnon pro

Jesse, 44, is a successful commercial and portrait photographer. He started as an assistant photographer in London in 1995, and turned professional portrait photographer in 2001. Now based in Frome, Somerset, he regularly shoots for publishing companies throughout the UK. He’s also a successful wedding photographer during the summer: www.wildwedding.photos

nAme:

Jesse WilD cAmerA:

Canon eos 5D Mk iV


SHOOT WITH A PRO

Capture dramatic portraits as top pro Jesse Wild teaches our keen Apprentice how to master artistic lighting setups

CREATIVE STudIo PoRTRAITS


theApprentice

hot Shot#1

hoW to shoot With lights“When shooting with lights, you need to sync your shutter speed for the flash light – too fast and your images will be partly obscured black bars – this is the shutter. The maximum flash sync speed on Katie’s Canon 5D Mk II is 1/200 sec, but 1/160 or 1/125 sec is a generally good shutter speed for flash-lit portraits. When you adjust your aperture, ISO or light’s power output, always do it in thirds of a stop, so you can make fine adjustments in equal measure. For example, if you widen your aperture by two thirds of a stop, then drop your light power by two thirds as well for the same overall exposure,” suggests Jesse.

techniQUe ASSeSSmentexperienced Canon pro Jesse checked over Katie’s camera settings to ensure she was ready to get perfect portraits with studio lights

mAnUAL moDe “Katie was already comfortable shooting in Manual mode, so she could independently set her aperture, shutter speed and ISO on her Canon 5D Mk II, although she didn’t quite understand how each affected her portrait results when using lights,” says Jesse. “I explained that the shutter speed controls how bright the backdrop is, the aperture determines how bright the subject is, while the higher the ISO, the further the lighting will project.”

ApertUre choice “although many people shoot at f/8 or f/11 when using lights, but I find it more interesting to have a shallower depth of field to blur your backdrops out of focus, and make sure your model stands out. I prefer to work at around f/5.6. When shooting with a telephoto focal length over 70mm with a wide aperture, depth of field is reduced even further for a more pleasing portrait shot,” says Jesse.

Lens Canon eF 70-200mm f/4l UsM

exposure 1/125 sec, f/6.3, iso160


SHOOT WITH A PRO

Vary the CoMpositionusing the same setup from Hot Shot #1, Katie was able to shoot the following portraits with a variety of different compositions very quickly, using the 70-200mm to go from vertical and full-length at 70mm, to horizontal and close-up at 200mm. Note too that the further model Nadia is from the wall, the more it drops out of focus.

KAtie’S comment For our first setup with Nadia, we used a fake white-brick wall

backdrop, using a simple one-light setup, positioned high and to her right. A large 152cm Phottix Para-Pro Reflective Umbrella fitted

with a diffuser created a lovely big, soft, light for a beautiful portrait. The Quadra light power was set at 2.7, and Jesse held a large white polystyrene board to her left to bounce light back into the ‘dark side’ of the shot.

top geAr #1portable lights

“We had initially planned to take portraits outdoors, but the wet winter weather meant a change of plan, and a studio shoot instead!” laughs Jesse, taking it all in his stride. “Our battery-powered Elinchrom

Quadra Ranger lights are equally at home indoors and more than powerful enough for our portrait shoot, and we’d often only be using them at around 2.0-3.0 power setting. I use lights whenever I can, indoors or out, as it means I’m in full control of my lighting and exposures, and can guarantee great results for my clients.”


theApprentice

top geAr #2Full-frame Dslr

“i use full-frame cameras, as their bigger sensors not only offer better image quality, but you get more background blur. My 5D Mk III’s shutter count is over 160,000 so I figured I best upgrade before it fails me on an important job!” smiles Jesse, “I’ve leased the 5D Mk IV, and found the sensor is much better, with more detail in shadows and less noise at higher ISOs.”

top geAr #3Colour checker

“i have many clients who need photos of products and clothing that show their colours 100% accurately, so I always use an X-Rite ColorChecker Passport to set my white balance,” says Jesse. “Hold it by in position under the lighting and take a shot. Then, in post-processing, set the white balance to the mid- grey block on the ColorChecker Passport for perfect colours.”

highlight Warning“When shooting with lights, it’s easy to position them too close or set them too high, resulting in blown highlights – areas in your image that are very overexposed and contain no detail,” advises Jesse, “To avoid this I got Katie to enable Highlight Alert

in the blue Playback menu, so any blown-out areas blink. We then adjusted our lighting power or position and shot again.”

top ten tipS for Lighting portrAitS1 Lighten up!

if your serious about shooting portraits, it’s worth investing in a home studio lighting kit; a pair of flash heads with softboxes won’t break the bank, and will make your portraits much better.

2 diffusers make a difference softboxes, umbrellas, grids and gels will all help you to create more interesting lighting for more interesting portraits.

3 Batteries are includedinvest in battery-powered lights and you’ll be fully portable and able to take amazingly lit portraits in the great outdoors too.

4 Exposure Using lights give you full control over your exposure and lighting. shooting in Manual mode, a good starting exposure is 1/100 sec, f/8, iso160. Make sure your shutter speed is at or below your Dslr’s maximum flash sync speed – eg 1/200 sec. Use a wider aperture and longer focal length (eg f/5.6 and 70mm) if you’d like to blur your backgrounds.

5 Light levels With your lights in softboxes, position them a few metres from your model and start off on a low power setting of 2.0, adjusting the power individually for the lighting effect you’re after.

6 Home studio if you have a large room in your house, or spare garage space, consider investing in a backdrop roll on stands for a clean, clutter-free background that can be set up and stowed away in minutes.

7 Standard zoom lens For full-frame cameras, like a 5D Mk iii, a 24-70mm or 24-105mm lens will be the most versatile. For aps-C cameras, like a 760D or 80D, use an 18-55mm or 15-85mm lens.

8 Wide-angle = wide load! Be wary of using wide-angle lenses at their widest focal lengths up close (eg 16mm on full-frame or 10mm on aps-C cameras) distorts people and will make faces look fat!

9 Flashguns Don’t have the space to store a full home studio kit? a pair of flashguns on stands, along with softboxes, can work just as well.

10 Wireless triggers Use wireless triggers and receivers to trigger your lights or flashguns – and avoid cables becoming a trip hazard and getting in the way.

SHOOT WITH A PRO

13

hot Shot

#2

Lens sigma 24-105mm f/4 Dg os hsM

exposure 1/125 sec, f/5, iso160

KAtie’S comment

We used two lights here; one

was directed on the blue backdrop at a low power of 1.6 with no diffuser and

a grid for directional light – this lightens the backdrop in the centre, falling off to dark at the edges. We positioned Nadia several feet away and shot at a wide f/5 aperture and 100mm focal length to blur the backdrop. The ‘key’ light was placed close to Nadia in a small softbox, with power at 2.0. A white polystyrene board acted as a reflector to fill in a little light behind her. I love the relaxed body shape of this profile shot, and the catchlight in the eye.

14

theApprenticehot Shot#3

Lens Canon eF 85mm f/1.2l ii UsM


SHOOT WITH A PRO


top geAr #4Fast standard prime lenses

on a full-frame camera, like the EOS 5D, 85mm is a great focal length for portraits, as you can stand a nice distance from subjects while filling the frame. Jesse uses the highly-desirable – and high-priced – Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM (£1649). The very wide aperture is perfect for shallow depth of field and dreamy portraits, but there’s also Canon’s EF 85mm f/1.8 USM at £279.

aF point set UpshalloW depth of field requires accurate focusing, otherwise you could end up with sharp noses and blurry eyes. “As Katie was using my 85mm at f/2, she needed to focus very accurately, so I got her to use a single AF point over Nadia’s eyes.

But don’t let the AF point dictate composition – use the one closest to the eye, then recompose for the best framing.”

JeSSe’S peopLe pictUreSportrait pro Jesse showcases three of his favourite photos

WigginS “Procycling magazine wanted a more sensitive shot of Bradley Wiggins for its cover, hence the moody lighting. This shot actually went inside the magazine as it didn’t have any eye contact, but I feel that it’s more reflective.”

girL on tAbLe “this was taken as part of a fashion shoot for Knitter magazine. It’s a more relaxed moment, after the main shots for the feature had been taken. I lit it with a big octabox as there wasn’t enough window light in the room.”

JeWeLLery Shoot a JeWeller was having a show in a luxury hotel, and these models were exhibiting his work. I thought it would be funky to do the shoot in the sauna as you wouldn’t normally wear that sort of jewellery in there. I shot with down lights and reflector.”

KAtie’S comment We simply got Nadia to sit on the studio floor here, while I used a small

step ladder to shoot down on her. A wide f/2 aperture on Jesse’s 85mm lens created a very shallow depth of field, so her face and eyes are

sharp, the focus dropping away to the floor. We used two Quadra lights: one main light front left, power set to 2.0 to soften the light, and to avoid harsh light and overexposure, we used a Phottix umbrella and diffuser, plus a Lastolie Skylite panel (1.1x2m diffuser) in front of it to soften it further; the second Quadra light lit the floor and background, fitted with small softbox and power at 2.3.

the Best apertUre“BeWare of shooting at your lens’s very widest aperture as image quality tends to suffer at the edges, and some cheaper or older lenses aren’t very sharp even in the centre,” warns Jesse. “Lenses are typically at their sharpest a stop or two above shooting wide open, so instead of shooting at f/4 on Katie’s 24-105mm, I suggested she use a different lens, like my 85mm f/1.2, and shoot at f/4 on that instead for better image quality.”


top geAr #5off-camera flash control

you don’t need to use expensive portable battery lights to get fantastic portraits like these; two flashguns with softboxes triggered remotely can work just as well. We’re currently using Hähnel’s fabulous Captur wireless remote controls, with a transmitter mounted on our DSLR’s hotshoe and receivers on the bottom of two flashguns on stands. A transmitter and receiver set cost £60, extra receivers are £40.

Flattering FoCal length“if you’re trying to fit a subject into the frame, and using a zoom lens, don’t be tempted to zoom out to a wide-angle focal length and shoot at 18mm or 24mm; you’ll end up with too much background, plus wide-angle close-ups distorts faces and bodies and aren’t very

flattering,” advises Jesse. “Instead, move back and zoom in at 70mm or above, for a much more pleasing image. This will also blur the background more. I encouraged Katie to shoot at the long end of her 24-105mm as much as possible, moving back as necessary for her compositions.”

theApprentice

eXpert inSight ADD geLS for coLoUreD LightS

gels – sheets of thin translucent coloured plastic – are a cheap and effective way of transforming lights. They’re a great way to turn a background into any colour you choose, without the need for setting up a new background roll. “You can buy gel holders and pre-cut gels, but we just used big sheets and taped them in front of the lighting heads, without diffusers,” explains Jesse. “We used two different colours – magenta and cyan – and pointed the two lights at the grey background roll for a two-tone effect.”

hot Shot#4



KAtie’S comment I was really excited to try this setup

after seeing some cool portraits with dreamy mixed-colour backgrounds. To get this

two-tone shot we put a pink gel and blue gel on two Quadra lights pointed at a grey backdrop. My third Quadra light had a Phottix umbrella and diffuser on it, again shooting through the Lastolie Skylite panel to light Nadia very softly to suit the mood of the background. Jesse held a reflector to her left. Sitting on a white box helped her pose to create more interesting body shapes. I used my Sigma 24-105mm lens at 105mm and f/5 to ensure the background was suitably blurred to finish off the look.


SHOOT WITH A PRO

top geAr #6shoot tethered

“When in the studio I shoot tethered, using Phase One’s Capture One Pro software,” says Jesse, “This enables me to shoot straight to my laptop so I can view images on a big screen, and also tweak my settings, such as white balance and adding a vignette, as I shoot – making my Raw images ready to be output as perfectly processed JPEGs on the fly. It’s a great way to work and saves so much time. Katie got on well with this method, although you do need to remember that you’re on a photo shoot, so can’t spend too much time tinkering with images on the laptop, as otherwise your model is likely to get very bored!” Capture One Pro costs €280/£300, but you can get a 30-day trail from www.phaseone.com

FoCUsing in loW lightstruggling to focus in the dark and with minimal AF points like Katie and her 5D Mk II? Try using the modelling lamps on your lights as this may help your camera’s AF points to lock on to your subject. Or try switching to manual focus on your lens and focus by eye.


theApprentice


exposure 1/125 sec, f/5.6, iso160

Shotof theDAy!

NexT mONTH WinteR sPORts & scenes


JeSSe’S verDict Katie had lots of great ideas for

creative portraiture, and a decent grasp of her Canon camera, photography and

using basic lighting setups – she just lacked a little confidence to do it all on her own. On our shoot her confidence really grew and, in the end, she understood when to adjust her camera or lens settings, a light’s power or position, or how to use the correct autofocus point for best composition, as well as directing Nadia for a great pose: all of which has come together brilliantly here for a top Shot of the Day.

KAtie’S comment This setup shows that you can

create a great outdoor winter portrait look indoors – where it’s warm and dry!

We put a dilapidated blue wooden door on its side, then Nadia dressed in a winter coat with the furry hood up. We used two lights, one high and to the right with a grid at 1.9 power to add a little rim light on the hood, and a key light with a Phottix umbrella/diffuser on the right at head height at 2.5 power to light Nadia. I used an AF point to focus on Nadia’s eyes and position her on the left of the frame, with creative space to the right. In Capture One, Jesse added a heavy vignette to darken corners and keep the attention on Nadia.

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01 Ferocious Frankie by Marcia MellorI wanted to try a dog portrait and thought a friend’s bulldog would make an interesting subject. I particularly wanted to feature a reflection, so put a black shiny mounting board on top of a large footstool and got the dog to lie on it. I lit the shot using two continuous lights plus a reflector.

Lens Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Exposure 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO1000

StUnnIng IMagEry FrOM thE wOrLd OF CanOn phOtOgraphy

fantastic canOn photography



INSPIRATIONS

02 Friendship by Mihail kopychkoI took this shot while on holiday on the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand. One day I noticed the neighbour’s boy walk down the street with this cat. It was a funny scene and one I shall never forget of two friends – the cute little boy and his cross-eyed Siamese cat!

Lens Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX dg hSM

Exposure 1/500 sec, f/1.8, ISO125

03 We’re Watching by benjaMin piperHere are my two Australian Kelpies patiently waiting for their photo to be taken. Every time I go out with the dogs, I take my camera with me. They’re very patient and pretty good at posing, so I really make the most of it.

Lens Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM


02

03


04 beach Virgin by elliot chrispThe is our energetic dog Spud on his first beach walk. As you can see, he didn’t walk much! I just caught this at the right time, with the sun casting his shadow in midair.

Lens Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM


05 i hate christMas by ranj kularThis was a studio shoot for a family, which had actually gone really well until we arranged some staged shots at the end. As you can tell, everyone was starting to feel tired and fed up, and I thought the dog’s expression said it all.

Lens Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM


04


05

All the images in this gallery were entrants to the PhotoPlus ‘Pet portraits’ competition hosted on Photocrowd – a website where a public vote on the best-liked images is pitted against expert opinion. To enter our current contest, and vote on your favourite photos, simply visit www.photocrowd.com

Each issue, our favourite image wins a Manfrotto Pro Light RedBee-210 backpack (worth £140), and a selection from our top ten choices will be printed in these gallery pages.www.manfrotto.co.uk

INSPIRATIONS


06

07 Mouse by kyle daMon parrThis is a portrait of my cat, named Mouse, taken during a spring day out in the garden. He was sat on our fence when something caught his eye and made him focus. In Photoshop, I used the Burn tool to darken the background and isolate him.

Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II


08 lazy days by candice brophyThis is Mew, a rescue cat. She loves watching TV, meowing and only drinks fresh water from the tap. She’s the boss of the house and quite a character!

Lens Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS StM


06 snoW patrol by dirk MallWitzThis portrait was taken in an area called Wahner Heide, near Cologne, during winter. The dog’s name is Xavi and he’s an Australian Shepherd. I shot in Raw so I could have more control over processing my image in ACR to ensure none of the highlights were blown out, which is vital when shooting in snowy conditions.

Lens Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM




04

07

08


INSPIRATIONS

09 jessy the Frenchie by julien WalkotteThis was taken on a Sunday walk with my dog Jessy, a French Bulldog. I edited the shot in Photoshop and Nik Software.

Lens Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM


10 tosh, the king by eManuel pereira aparício ribeiroI love my cats and I’m always trying to catch them in the perfect mood.

Lens Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS


09

10

NIGHTPHOTOGRAPHYGUIDE

CANON NIGHTPHOTO skIllsProving that the city truly comes alive at night, travel photographer Matt Parry shows you how to capture a wealth of photo opportunities after dark…



25 PRO TIPs fOR GREAT NIGHT

PHOTOs

Canon SkillS

e all know that sunset is one of the best times of day for photography. As the sun begins to sink below the horizon, the sky can light

up with glorious shades of colour, as it turns red and orange.

However, once nature’s spectacle is over, many people put their camera away and miss out on the opportunity to capture cities as they begin to put on their own light show…

If you have ever stopped to consider the light in an evening, you will see it

goes through a number of changes. Once the sun has disappeared below the horizon the sky starts to take on a bluish hue. This gets deeper the darker it gets, and is often referred to as ‘blue hour’ (the twilight period after sunset). At this point street, vehicle and building lights will come to life and create a whole new world of photographic potential for those in towns and cities.

Those that try to capture city lights at night often struggle, but with these simple tips you can soon be capturing stunning night-time cityscapes.

W About the authorMatt is an award-winning travel photographer whose images and articles have been published in leading travel and photography

publications. He’s visited over 50 countries across six continents, and his passion for photography evolved from a way to showcase his trips to become the driving force behind where and why he travels. You can see more of his images on his website: www.mattparryphotography.com



Using Live View in the dark reveals more than you can see through the viewfinder

01 Use a sturdy tripod

03 Use Live View for compositionin low light, try switching to Live View to compose your shot. Not only is it easier to find a composition that works, if your autofocus is struggling then Live View can help you set your focal point by using the 5x and 10x magnifier. An additional benefit of using Live View for long exposures is that it doesn’t let light leak into the camera through the viewfinder.

Current Canon DSLRs achieve good results in low light, thanks to advances in high ISO and noise reduction performance. But to achieve the best results for low-light cityscapes, particularly if you are after a clean, crisp shot with minimal noise, then you will need to shoot long exposures.

Using a tripod forces you to slow down and think carefully about the image you are creating – both compositionally and technically. They also offer considerably more flexibility than resting your camera on an inanimate object, such as a wall or bag.

02Shoot in manual

shooting in Manual can be a daunting prospect for many photographers but having full control over both the aperture and shutter speed will allow you – and not the camera – to dictate the final image. The exception to this is when you need an exposure length of over 30 seconds, in which case you should switch to Bulb mode.

a tripod enables longer exposures and aids

composition, too

Canon SkillS

04 Focus manuallyDeSpite the excellent autofocusing capabilities of Canon DSLRs, when shooting in low light even the best may struggle. Once you are happy with your focal point then try switching the lens from auto (AF) to manual (MF) to lock it. This avoids the camera hunting for autofocus once you click the shutter, and is particularly useful if you are shooting multiple exposures of the same scene.

05Set your ISO low

as a starting point, try setting the ISO to 100. This keeps your image as clean as possible and sets the level on which to base your exposure time and aperture. If you need additional light but you don’t want to increase your exposure length (for example, if stars are visible and you don’t want motion trails) increase your ISO.


Using Live View can help ensure you expose, compose and focus

your city night shots correctly

lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Exposure: 30 secs, f/18, ISO100



06 Mirror Lockup

08 Exposure

07 Turn off optical lens stabilization

when Shooting long exposures, even the smallest movement in the camera can impact the image. Enable the ‘Mirror Lockup’ function to avoid the minor vibration it can cause when the image is taken. Try saving this function in the ‘My Menu’ area of your Canon for quick access and to speed up your setup time – but don’t forget to turn it off again when not needed.

with your camera set up you are now ready to shoot. Play with combinations of exposure length and f/stop to get the desired effect of light and depth of field. The settings for both of these will, of course, vary depending on the amount of available light (both natural and artificial) and what you are shooting. In low-light conditions, light can change very

quickly so you will need to adjust your settings accordingly. With your ISO fixed, to let more light in you can either increase the exposure time or open up your aperture (use a lower f/stop number). Both will have a different impact on the final image. You can also increase ISO, too, but this may have a greater impact on image noise.

Canon’S image Stabilization (IS) technology detects camera motion and is therefore not necessary when using a tripod. Not only does it use up battery power, but turning the IS off will also give you the sharpest results as it is not trying to counteract a perceived axis motion that isn’t there, which can cause minor degradation of the image. But don’t forget to turn it back on when returning your camera to ‘normal’ handheld shooting settings.

it’s best to switch optical lens stabilization

off when using your camera on a tripod


Exposure: 30 sec, f/18, ISO100


09 Changing seasons

Use Mirror Lockup and a remote release, and turn off lens image

stabilization for sharper shots

Canon SkillS

10Set the camera to

trigger with a remote releasea reMote release removes any possible camera movement caused by physically pressing the shutter button, plus gives you the flexibility to control when and how long the shutter is open (in Bulb mode, for example). The Canon RC-6, wireless controller is a cheap and simple option that works with the infrared point on the front of most Canon DSLRs (check compatibility with your camera model).

when planning low-light cityscapes you need to be very conscious of the changing seasons. In winter not only does it get darker earlier, the sun also sets more quickly. This means less time to get the shots you want. In cities at least, this is

offset by there being more traffic (for light trails) and more lights on in office buildings. In summer the sun sets much later in the evening and has a longer twilight phase, which offers a lot more flexibility and shooting time.

lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM

Exposure: 0.6 sec, f/16, ISO100

the sunset is not only earlier in the winter months, it’s over more quickly, too…



11 Starbursts

starbursts are a side-effect of diffraction when

using narrow apertures

12 Ghosts

to aChieve the starburst effect on street lighting, try a narrow aperture between f/16 and f/22. The more diaphragm blades your lens has, the crisper and sharper the starburst – the wide angle Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM is wonderful for this! You may need to increase your exposure time to compensate for the narrow aperture, which in turn creates a greater risk of overexposing parts of the image.

14Turn off in-camera

noise reductionConsider disabLing your Canon’s noise reduction. The Long Exposure Noise Reduction feature can double the length of the exposure time. This is because the camera takes a second exposure without opening the shutter to determine which pixels are causing unwanted noise. It’s not much fun waiting for that when time/light is against you – if you shoot Raw then noise reduction can be done on the file in post-production.

CitieS at night can often be busy places, particularly those popular with tourists. It is therefore not always practical or possible to wait for a people-free shot. When shooting long exposures, even the slightest movement by a person will cause a ghosting effect. If they are constantly moving and the exposure is long enough they may not appear at all, but if they do it will be in a ghostly form.

13Light trails Light traiLs can be created by

any light source moving through your frame, such as traffic at night, while the shutter is open. Keep an eye on vehicles and open the shutter before they enter the frame and close it once past for unbroken light trails. You will find at night, shooting in Bulb mode with a remote release is the best way to do this.

Long exposures blur people into ghostly

apparitions

Canon SkillS

15 The night sky

Long exposures can capture the movement of the moon or cause

stars to form trails


light pollution in cities often rules out the chance of seeing lots of stars or the Milky Way. However on long exposures and with a clear dark night you may notice the beginning of the odd star trail (caused by the Earth’s rotation). Similarly, on very long exposures, like this one, you can even see movement in the moon.





16 Use ND filtersonCe the sun has set there may still too much light in the sky to get a sufficiently long enough exposure for your image (for example, the foreground may be in shadow or you might want to get movement in clouds or water). In this period before the ‘blue hour’, ND and ND grad filters are invaluable and allow you to control the exposure by holding back the light in all or part of your image. Lee Filters are particularly good as they don’t impact the colour of your image, unlike many cheaper filters.

18 Lens & camera choice

experiment with your focal lengths for nightscapes from

wide-angle to mid-range telephoto

17 Black and white vs colourFortunately night-time cityscapes look great in both black and white and colour. On cloudy or wet nights, long exposures can turn the sky a murky brown, which naturally lends itself to a mono conversion. However, why not try both and see what you prefer.

the beauty of long exposure cityscape photography is that great shots can be achieved with any level of Canon DSLR (with the only limitation being in the dynamic range performance of your camera in determining how much detail you can retain when restoring shadows or paring back the highlights in post-processing).

You can also shoot cityscapes with any lens and are only limited by the composition and effect you are after. While wide-angle and tilt-shift lenses are popular choices, try mixing up your composition by experimenting with focal lengths.



AfTER

bEfORE


19 Set yourself goals

Canon SkillS

20Bring a spare

battery or twodUring Long exposures your camera is working harder and for longer. Long-exposure photography can therefore drain your batteries quicker. If you are shooting on a cold evening this too can impact battery performance and so you should always ensure you travel with a fully charged spare.

when Shooting cities in low-light conditions, such as dawn, dusk and night, you only have a narrow window of opportunity to get your shots (especially

in winter). It therefore pays to be prepared. Plan where and what you want to shoot, and head to the location in plenty of time to get set up for the changing light.

Make a shooting plan before you arrive at your

location in the dark

images can be just as impressive in black and white as in colour, so

experiment in post-processing



21 Light painting

Painting these lobster pots with a torch helped

balance them with the brighter background

in poorly lit scenes when you want to create a focal point or light up an area that is in shadow you can create your own light through a torch – or even your mobile phone – by ‘painting’ that area with light. You can also add some fun light effects to your city scenes using wire wool, strobes, flash or coloured gels.

23 Plan for the light

22The weather

as with any form of outdoor photography the weather can play a big part. For long-exposure photography, rain is one of the most challenging elements to contend with. As you can see with this image of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, raindrops on the lens are unavoidable in the image when shooting at narrow apertures. Carry a lens cloth in your pocket and shield your camera with an umbrella, but be sure to keep it out of the frame.

iF you want to shoot a scene that includes an iconic building, bridge or monument when it is lit up, it pays to do some research as to when the lights go on. Check this against sunset time and direction, using an app such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Shooting a well-lit landmark soon after sunset should leave enough light and colour in the sky while reducing the risk of overexposing the buildings.

24Digital blending and HDR

Low-Light cityscapes lend themselves to HDR as they can include extreme contrasts in light and dark areas that may be hard to capture in a single exposure without blowing highlights or losing details in the shadows. This example used Lightroom’s HDR mode to blend three shots.

this shot of oia, santorini,

is a blend of three exposures

25 Work the angles

try shooting from a low-down angle for a dramatic viewpoint

of a familiar subject

Shooting iConiC buildings when they are lit up at night can often give you a more interesting and dynamic shot than those taken during the day. However, it is still important to consider your composition. This wide-angle image of the Eiffel Tower was shot low to the ground to show scale and give a different viewpoint to this iconic sight.



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Canon SkillS


01 The Colorado Valley and Canyonlands as viewed from the Island in the Sky

Lens Canon EF-24-70mm f/2.8L II USM


02 Buttes in the Colorado Valley, Canyonlands National Park

Lens Canon EF-100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM


DAVIDNOTONONLOcATION

NexT moNTh ICelaNd

E

0201

DAVID NOTONPro travel & landscape photographer

DaviD is an awarD-winning Canon photographer with more than 30 years’ professional experience. During his career David has travelled to just about every corner of the globe. In 2012, Canon invited David into its Ambassador Program by designating him an Official Canon Explorer. Info and photos at www.davidnoton.com

veryone in the bar, apart from me, is wearing either a baseball cap or a Stetson. I feel out of place, and, it has to be said, pretty ropey. As Wendy drove me to Heathrow I knew I was coming down with the lurgy and, sure enough, I felt progressively worse as we flew over Greenland. I’m now here in Denver en route to the

red rock landscapes of Utah. My burger bun is soggy and I’m not having the most scintillating evening, but then the first night of a trip rarely is. I end up in bed snotty and jet-lagged by 7pm.

The next day I drive on towards the Utah border where the cloud settles low and visibility deteriorates. I’m wheezing and spluttering as the snow turns to rain. Moab in the gloom looks bleak and depressing and I briefly wonder what I’m doing here. I know from my visit 20 years ago this town is surrounded by the most epic scenery, even so I sense the low point of the trip is nigh. I check into the motel feeling dreadful. Yet again I’m in bed by 7pm. The travel photographer’s life is a glamorous one.

Day three and I’m wandering around Moab trying not pitch headlong on the lethal black ice. Freezing rain is falling and the low grey cloud reminds me of Wales on a November’s day. In the Visitor Centre I’m taunted by the pictures on the wall of Arches and Canyonlands in gorgeous light. Back in my room I Skype Wendy; hoping she’s not about to tell me it’s lovely at home.

Five days into the trip and not a pixel has been exposed. The weather is even worse and I’m getting decidedly twitchy, the meter is running and costs are mounting with nothing yet to show for it all. I have to get out and about today whatever, cabin

fever is setting in. At the gates to Arches National Park I pay my entrance fee and drive up into the landscape of strangely shaped red rock. Up here the rain has been falling as snow so I stop at the first pull in as, in the distance, the first glimmer of sunlight penetrates the low cloud. Within a few minutes the whole scene is transformed, with the sun glistening off the fresh snow. My shutter chatters and spirits soar; this is what I came for.

Day 10 and I’m driving back to Moab after another epic session at Dead Horse Point, ecstatic. In the morning I shot the deep gorge of the Colorado River bathed by crystal-clear first light and dusted with snow, and in the evening I photographed Canyonlands from the Island in the Sky, utilising a long lens perspective to really emphasize the grandeur of the landscape. So often I find the tight angle of view of a telephoto portrays the scale of the landscape better, particularly one so vast as here. This morning, however, a wider view, featuring the graphic shape of a twisted hawthorne tree on the lip of the gorge, worked a treat as foreground interest. On this trip, as usual, I’ve used every lens from a 14mm super-wide-angle to the 400mm long tom; they all have their uses.

Utah in winter has been just so evocative; a rich photographic playground I’ve had virtually all to myself. In the bar, which has rapidly become my local, the chirpy barmaid serves me the local brew, Polygamy Porter; why have just one? My Man Flu has miraculously vanished and the gloom of the first five days is forgotten; life is good. All it took was a few exposed pixels.

Snowy UtahThe epic desert landscapes of Utah truly are a sight to behold – or would be, if it would only stop raining, complains David Noton

Arches & Canyonlands national parks, Utah, USA. February 2013

A twisted hawthorne tree on the lip of the gorge worked a treat as foreground interest

The Colorado Valley from dead horse Point at dawn

Lens Canon EF-24-70mm f/2.8L II



Welcome...with the holiday season in full swing, we’ve got some great projects lined up for you to try. Liven up your parties with a fun and festive selfie station – we show you the perfect setup. For an excuse to eat another mince pie, put your food photography skills to the test to capture some mouth-watering images. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at studio portraits but don’t know where to start, check out our beginner’s guide. Finally, give your camera a good clean, inside and out, to get it ready for the new year! We’re also giving away some fabulous free photo-editing software, DxO OpticsPro 9.

We’ve got some great tutorials, too: get to grips with the Refine Selection Brush tool in Elements; add a festive sprinkling of snow to your winter portraits in Photoshop CC; and find out how to give your monochrome photos a subtle tint in Lightroom to add some impact.

Sharpen up your photography skills with our all-new photo projects and expert guides

Hollie LathamTechnique [email protected]

New projects with video guidesFollow our Canon DSLR walkthrough guides and Photoshop editing videos

56 Spotless imagesOur cleaning guide on how to

keep your DSLR in top condition to ensure you capture top images

62 Brush up selectionsMake the most of the

enhanced Refine Selection Brush tool to cope with tricky edges

46 Festive photo boothLiven up your Christmas

parties by setting up a selfie station with your DSLR, tripod and flashgun

50 Get started with flashLearn how to use a home

studio flash kit and take beautifully lit portraits to be proud of

52 Food glorious foodWith the season to eat, drink

and be merry upon us, learn how to create images good enough to eat

58 DxO OpticsPro Get your free photo-editing

software, OpticsPro 9, plus upgrade to the latest version, OpticsPro 11

66 Add a subtle toneAdd a tint to your highlights

and shadows using different colours to evoke different moods and impact

64 Let it snow!Add a festive and magical

sprinkling of snow in Photoshop to help lend your portraits a winter feel

WheNever you see this icon you’ll find an accompanying video – tap the link and the video will ‘pop-out’ of the page (as long as you have an internet connection). You can also download project files to your computer.

vieW the viDeOS

vieW the viDeO

canon skills


The Mission

Set up a photo booth with your DSLR and a Speedlite Time neededOne hour Skill levelIntermediate Kit neededTripod • Flashgun • Cable or wireless release • Photoshop • Lightroom

Get the party startedLife-and-soul James Paterson livens up the party with a selfie station…

his festive season, why not spice up your parties by setting up a simple photo booth?

Armed with a bag of costumes, some home-brewed ale and a few questionable wigs, the PhotoPlus team did just that, descending on operations editor Adam’s house for an afternoon of selfie madness.

Anyone can set up a photo booth, but if you want to get the best quality photos then it’s worth going the extra mile by calling upon a few simple camera and

lighting skills. Over the next few pages we’ll explain how it’s done, from the gear you need, to the best way to light your guests.

It’s the lighting that can really elevate your photo booth beyond the ordinary. Sound lighting will make your guests look great, and that means they’ll keep coming back for more. At big events and fancy balls you’ll often see a full studio lighting set up for this kind of thing. But a more modest approach can still give great results. Here a single Speedlite

– bounced off the ceiling and wall behind the camera – provides a bank of even, flattering illumination.

Another way you can impress your guests is by setting up a rolling slideshow, so they can see their antics displayed on a screen moments after they’ve been taken. Then, once the party is over, you can go through the set of images, edit out any nudity, and put together a festive collage of your favourite shots. We’ll explain how over the page…

T

DownloaD projecT fileS To your compuTer from: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp121.zip


Photo Booth

Project 1

Video also online http://bit.ly/pp_121_1

01 Pick your sPotFirst we need a space to shoot – ideally pick a spot that’s out of the way of the rest of the party. Look for a plain backdrop – a clear wall is ideal, but if not hang up a board or sheet.

03 set your exPosurePut the flash in E-TTL mode then set your DSLR to Manual exposure mode with the shutter speed at 1/200 sec, aperture at f/8 and ISO800; this way the flash output will adapt to the exposure settings.

05 use a releaseA wireless or cable release stops the camera getting nudged and makes it easier for your guests. The Canon RC-6 remote we used here is ideal. It sends an infrared signal that triggers most Canon DSLRs.

02 angle your flashSet the camera up on a tripod and attach a Speedlite. Angle the head up and behind the camera to bounce light off walls and ceiling to produce softer, more even light than if the flash was fired directly at the guests.

04 PumP uP the PowerAt this point take a couple of test shots to perfect your settings. Bouncing flash like this can weaken the output and lead to underexposure, in which case use flash exposure compensation to increase the output.

06 Party onNow with everything set up, sit back and let the fun begin! If you like, you could make the area more booth-like by screening it off from the rest of the party. Why not add festive decorations and signs too?

sTep by sTep Build your own photoBooth the gear, camera settings and flash controls for great portraits of your party guests

Flip The screenit’ll make it easier for the guests if they can see themselves while shooting, so it helps if, like the EoS 750d here, your Canon has a flip-out screen. if not, you could perhaps hook your dSlr up to a tablet or tV and display the live View feed. when your camera is in Manual mode, live View uses ‘exposure simulation’ to show how the scene will look. But it only meters the ambient light and doesn’t account for the Speedlite, so the feed might be very dark. Consider disabling exposure simulation for a clearer picture, if your dSlr has this option.

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