Professional Documents
Culture Documents
gifts!
New projects
macro guide
New Videos
5 LessoNs
gift 2
free 28-page
digitaL mag!
gift 3
practical photoshop
Spring 2015
Issue 99
!
y
l
n
o
s
o
e
r
u
o
y
r
o
f
Canon
24 canon tips declassified
unlock your slrs potential
shortcuts to better shots
100%
Canon
paddling
for gold!
shoot through
the looking glass!
Create an optical-illusion portrait with
our magical mirror montage techniques
take creative
sunset shots
How to merge multiple
landscape images
brighten your
portraits up!
Eight great home studio
lighting kits tried and tested
3 fREE
GIfTS!
Master Macro pu
llo
+ new pop-out D- ut guide
Photoshop video SLR and
28-page Practical lessons +
Photos
digital magazine hop
See page 5
Canon Edition
T
n Were the only magazine in
the newsagent thats 100%
dedicated to Canon D-SLRs
making us 100% relevant
to your needs.
n Were 100% independent.
We dont answer to Canon
and dont rely on them for
advertising if Canon brings
out a new camera or lens
and its rubbish, well say so!
n Were all Canon D-SLR
enthusiasts and between
us weve got 200 years of
photography experience.
Were excited about passing
on what weve learned even
from our mistakes!
n We dont assume youre a
millionaire. We focus on the
Canon D-SLRs most people
buy, and feature software
and accessories within the
average persons budget.
see
page 84
for more
details!
As of next issue well be called PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine. Well be bigger, at 148 pages, and
have even better content including Canon pro interviews, more in-depth tests, a comprehensive buyers
guide, and new Canonpedia technical advice. Our Video Disc (or digital download) will have more skills
videos, plus theres a free A4 Portrait Posing guide each issue and all at the same 5.49 price, making
the magazine even better value! And to kick things off, we have a massive 5,000 photo gear giveaway!
Issue #99
Spring 2015
The Apprentice................. 8
We enlist the help of Team GB Olympians to
help our Apprentice shoot water sports
Your Letters.....................18
Another mailbag bursting at the seams
Subscribe today..............20
Inspirations gallery........22
We asked for your shots with the theme of
journey this is how you responded
PhotoPlus Skills.................41
Improve your photography and editing skills
Master Macro....................55
Take brilliant big shots of little things our
eight-page pullout has three fun projects
PhotoPlus Workshop......72
Learn to use all the Canon metering modes
Dream Team................... 76
Our team of boffins answer your questions
super test!
studio
lights
Page 8
New projects!
segmeNted
sceNic shots
Your Photos....................80
We tell you how you can improve your shots
Next issue.......................84
Help me buy...................90
Cant stretch to a pricey macro lens? Here
are five low-cost alternatives to consider
Super Test.......................96
Let there be light! Eight studio kits tested
Back issues....................106
Page 96
Page 48
3 free
gifts!
new projects
macro guide
gift 1
new Video
tutorials
gift 3
Free 28-page
digital mag!
Become a Photoshop wizard
with our free-to-download
28-page digital magazine
http://downloads.photo
plusmag.com/practical.pdf
(Be patient, it may take a
few seconds to download!)
Meet the
Who we are, what we do and our standout moments from the past 99 issues
Peter Travers
Editor EOS 5D Mk III
Adam Waring
Operations editor EOS 7D
peter.travers@futurenet.com
adam.waring@futurenet.com
Our contributors
Simon Butterworth, George Cairns, Antony Edmonds, Adam Gasson,
Claire Gillo, Peter Gray, Marcus Hawkins, Ali Jennings, Adam Lee,
Mike McNally, Victoria Palframan, James Paterson, Tom Welsh
Angela Nicholson
Head of testing EOS 5D Mk III
Matt Richards
Technical writer EOS 70D
Hollie Latham
Technique editor EOS 60D
Martin Parfitt
Art editor EOS 600D
angela.nicholson@futurenet.com
photoplus@futurenet.com
hollie.latham@futurenet.com
martin.parfitt@futurenet.com
Subscriptions
UK reader order line & enquiries 0844 848 2852
Overseas order line & enquiries +44 1604 251045
Online enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Email photoplus@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Licensing
Regina Erak International director
+44 1225 442244 Fax +44 1225 732275
regina.erak@futurenet.com
Management
Nial Ferguson Content & marketing director
Matthew Pierce Head of content & marketing, photography
Chris George Group editor in chief
Rodney Dive Group art director
Antony Edmonds
James Paterson
Marcus Hawkins
Simon Butterworth
Landscape photographer
Simon explains the story
behind his award-winning
abstract aerial shot of salt
pans, taken in Western
Australia. Page 114.
Print: 20,240
Digital: 4,289
Combined print and
digital circulation for
Jan-Dec 2014 is 24,529
All information contained in this magazine is for informational purposes only and is,
to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of going to press. Future Publishing
Limited cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies that occur. Readers
are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers direct with regard to pricing.
PhotoPlus is an independent publication and is not in any way authorised, affiliated, nor
sponsored by Canon. All the opinions expressed herein are those of the magazine and
not that of Canon. EOS and all associated trademarks are the property of Canon.
All submissions to PhotoPlus magazine are made on the basis of a licence to publish the
submission in PhotoPlus magazine, its licensed editions worldwide and photographyrelated websites. Any material submitted is sent at the owners risk and, although
every care is taken, neither Future Publishing Limited nor its agents shall be liable for
loss or damage.
Website
Flickr
Follow us on Twitter
and enjoy updates on
new Canon gear, new
camera techniques,
photos, news and more.
www.digitalcameraworld.com
www.facebook.com/
photoplusmag
@photoplusmag
www.flickr.com/groups/
photoplusmagazine
Future Publishing Limited 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
Paddling
forgold!
THE PRO...
Name: Antony Edmonds
Camera: Canon EOS-1D X
Sports photographer Antony is
based in Guildford and is one of
the worlds leading photographers
in the field of paddlesports. He is the official
photographer of the British Canoeing team at
national championships, international selections,
World Cups and World and European
Championships, and photographed the British
sprint and slalom canoeing events at the 2012
Olympic Games. For more on Antonys work see
his website: www.aephotos.co.uk
THE APPRENTICE
Name: Mick Child
Camera: Canon EOS 7D
ANTONYS TIP
Raw power
Antony ensures Mick is on course with his camera settings to ensure he doesnt find himself up that creek without a paddle!
Av mode
Exposure compensation
White water in bright sunlight can fool your cameras light meter,
making it almost impossible not to underexpose your shots, says
Antony. Before the paddler comes, I point my camera at the water to
take a quick reading to see how much positive exposure compensation
I need. Its unlikely youll capture all the detail in the highlights and
shadows, but its more important to make sure your subjects face is
correctly exposed as their expression is your main focal point.
Detail shots
Micks comment
EXPERT INSIGHT
Shutter speed
1/200 SEC
1/8000 SEC
EXPERT INSIGHT
Micks comment
MICkS TIP
kILLER kIT OF
THE PROS #2
Canon EF 70-200mm
f/2.8L IS II USM
This is my go-to lens for
slalom kayaking. With a
constant f/2.8 maximum
aperture, it produces beautiful
background blur, which is
great for isolating subjects
to make them stand out.
When I need that extra reach
I often combine it with a
Canon EF 1.4x extender.
ANTONYS TIP
Back-button focusing
The advantage of setting
your focus to either the
AF-On or * back buttons
is it isolates focus from
the shutter. Hold down
your chosen AF button
to focus, then fire the
shutter at the optimum
moment without
worrying about refocusing. Combined with AI Servo to focus track the
moving subjects, Micks success rate improved dramatically!
Micks comment
ANTONYS TIP
Keep you eyes on the prize
With such a long lens it can be difficult to
pick up the athlete when looking through
the viewfinder. Mitigate this by keeping
both eyes open until you know that theyre
about to pass through the frame. Doing
this also saves you from moving your lens
about too much, which can be exhausting
when shooting with the heavy 400mm.
Antonys
paddle
portfolio
Professional sports photographer
Antony Edmonds shows off three
of his best canoeing shots from
the Olympic Games
Control in the
midst of chaos
I use a
monopod
to take the
weight of
heavy
telephoto
lenses, such
as the
Canon EF
400mm
f/2.8, says
Antony.
When
panning the
camera, set
the lenss
Image
Stabilizer to
Mode 2, if
available; this switches off stabilisation
in the direction of camera movement
to avoid confusing the IS system.
Mikes comment
Antonys verdict
[1]
[4]
[2]
[3]
THANkS TO EVERYONE!
Be our next
Apprentice!
Do you need some help to take your
Canon photography to the next level? Let us
know what youd like help with and we could
pair you up with a top pro for the day. Send us
an email to photoplus@futurenet.com with
PhotoPlus Apprentice in the subject line,
and include your telephone number and address.
YourLetters
Send us your comments on the magazine, and photography in
general. Drop us a line any time at photoplus@futurenet.com
Out of Africa
Subscriptions &
digital editions
PhotoPlus is the
best magazine for
all Canon EOS D-SLR
photographers. If
youve missed a back
issue, or want to save
money, why not start
a subscription?
PhotoPlus is available
in print with our Video
Disc, and also as an
enhanced digital
edition, with all videos
included. For iPad and
iPhone users, download
the Apple Newsstand
app; Android and PC
users can use Zinio
to download digital
editions; were also
available on Amazons
Kindle Fire, Nook and
Google Play.
We helped South
African reader Malco
lm
find some top photo
spots on his UK visit
Catch up on back issues, in both print & digital editions see page 106
Your Letters
back issue go to www.
myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/
magazine-back-issues and search
for PhotoPlus. However, we only
stock back issues in print for around
six months. Digital back issues, on
the other hand, never go out of
stock, and you can read them on
your PC via Zinio. Go to http://gb.
zinio.com and search for PhotoPlus.
For more details on back issues,
turn to page 106.
Silver surfers
I read Michael W Morris letter in the
December 2014 edition of PhotoPlus
and agree that many people find
themselves in the same situation.
I struggle with enhancing my images
and cannot use the instructional
videos, which are often issued with
your magazine. If you could print an
article for us Silver Surfers it would be
very welcome.
Mrs K Hall email
Our readers range from complete
novices to advanced enthusiasts,
and we do try to cater to everyone.
We will be expanding our Skills
section in the new-look PhotoPlus
next issue, and will be tagging each
tutorial with the skill level required.
tell us about
your club!
Starting next issue, were
looking for camera clubs around
the world to write in and tell us
about yourselves. Tell us what
your club is called, where youre
based, your clubs website, how
many regulars you have, how
often you meet, and what sort of
Canon D-SLRs and lenses you
use, and what you like to shoot.
Email us now at photoplus@
futurenet.com, putting Camera
Club in the subject header.
Lifesaver!
Firstly I would like to thank you for a
great magazine. I started buying from
issue 22, and look forward to it every
month. Issue 96 has been a lifesaver
for me. Your Canon Lens Skills series
is going to be of great assistance,
as all the portrait lens advice and
techniques have been of great
assistance with a party shoot I did
over the weekend.
Kevin Campher Namibia n
In this low-light
photography tutorial
youll learn how to take photos
at twilight and capture the
subtle tones and colours of the
landscape after the sun has set
or before its risen http://ow.
ly/K6Mc7 PhotoPlus
Spring photography ideas: 17
amazing and inspiring tips and
tricks to try this http://ow.ly/
Kcy3o PhotoPlus
I got charged at by a
duck when I got a bit
too close to her babies this is
the last photo I got before falling
over backwards and
legging it, she was one
angry mama!
Ruth Mashiter
Never
mind the
photographer, save
the kit! Les Hoare
Ive done it all, from
climbing fences,
bridges and hanging off ceilings
to get the shots! All with no
ropes or helmets! Me and my
camera gear survived too!
Sohail Chaudhry
Photography is not
without its perils as
this shot of PhotoPlus editor
Peter Travers being swamped
by a wave at Portland Bill in
Dorset goes to show! (Dont
worry, both Pete and his
camera kit lived to tell the tale...)
So tell us about your most
hair-raising photography
exploits PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Subscribe to
OFFER 2
Digital
Available on Apple
and Android
Interactive content:
pop-up video and
image galleries
Keep every issue
on your tablet or
smartphone and
search content easily
Gifts included in issue
Save up to 35%
FREE gifts each issue,
including a Video Disc
Every issue delivered
direct to your door
FREE Manfrotto
Compact Advanced
Monopod worth
29.95
From 26.49
(based on a six-month
subscription)
SAVE
UP TO
35%
From 19.99
(based on a six-month
subscription)
SAVE
UP TO
45%
OFFER 4
A one-year subscription to
PhotoPlus both in print and digital
A Manfrotto Compact Advanced Monopod worth 29.95
The Ultimate Canon SLR Handbook Vol. 3
Master Your Canon D-SLR DVD
WORTH
200
Bigger
& Better
PhotoPlus!
SubScribe
GIFT
WoRTh
by 12 april tO
get Our Special 100th
iSSue! 148 pageS, free
a4 tipS card & new
canOn SkillS
guideS!
29.95
*With our UK print and
bundle subscriptions
OFFER 3
Print + Digital
Enjoy the latest news, techniques and inspiration delivered to
your door and instantly available on your Apple or Android
device. Each issue includes free gifts and interactive content.
Save up to a massive 59%
Print copy to read at leisure plus
digital edition to archive
FREE Manfrotto Compact
Advanced Monopod worth 29.95
From 31.99
Quote code
PMBUNDLE15
Your subscription will then continue at 31.99
every 6 months SAVING 26% on the shop
price and giving you an 83% discount on a
digital subscription.
SAVE
UP TO
59%
How to subscribe
Visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/phpmonopod
Or call 0844 848 2852 and quote PMPRINT15, DIGITAL15, PMBUNDLE15 oR UCPBUND15
*Manfrotto Compact Advanced Monopod comes with Print, Print+Digital and Ultimate Canon Pack subscriptions to PhotoPlus for UK customers only.
Prices and savings quoted are compared to buying full priced UK print and digital issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. If you are dissatisfied in any way you can write to us or call us
to cancel your subscription at any time and we will refund you for all unmailed issues. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change. Gift is subject to availability.
Please allow up to 60 days for the delivery of your gift. In the event of stocks becoming exhausted, we reserve the right to replace with items of a similar value.
For full terms and conditions please visit: myfavm.ag/magterms. Offer ends 15 May 2015.
PhotoPlus Inspirations
PhotoPlus Inspirations
RIGhT
LEFT
RIGhT
PhotoPlus Inspirations
ABOvE
The Night Train was a photo born out of two ideas. On one cool, clear, dark and moonless September evening
I headed for North Wales with the intention of capturing some Milky Way shots with my 6D. As the night unfolded,
I remembered a shot Id taken some months earlier of the Welsh highland Railway, heading into the Snowdonia
mountains. I thought the two shots might combine well. My first attempt exposed the sky and mountains well,
but the track was completely underexposed. Luckily, I had a torch, and, with a little experimentation, managed
to expose the sky and railway tracks with a burst of torch light, all in the same shot!
Camera: Canon EOS 6D Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Exposure: 30 secs at f/4; ISO6400
LEFT
PhotoPlus Inspirations
ABOvE
BELOW
The photo was taken of my wife Sarah early one morning on Spencer Pond
in Maine, USA, while we were looking for moose. The moose are easiest
to find eating in the water during the months of June and July. however,
at that time the bulls are growing new antlers that are not fully developed.
So we went in August when they are more beautiful, but unfortunately in
August the bulls are in the woods looking for girlfriends! So we never got
the shot I envisaged Sarah kayaking past a big bull moose standing in
the water, but this comes a pretty close second!
Camera: Canon EOS 400D Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Exposure: 1/640 sec at f/5.6; ISO400
Touring the Sogn og Fjordane area of Norway, we were returning from Balestrand.
It was an interesting journey picking our way through fallen rocks, driving rain
and gale-force winds. At the Nystlsvatnet lakes western extremity, this archetypal
Norwegian scene presented itself. I wanted to capture that Nordic essence and
portray a journey through the mountains into the clouds and the void beyond.
It was blowing a gale with intermittent, horizontal rain hand-holding the 300mm
zoom proved interesting. Utilising Image Stabilization and controlling my breathing
was vital to help capture a sharp shot.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM
Exposure: 1/100 sec at f/6.3; ISO100 n
!
y
l
n
o
S
o
E
r
u
o
y
r
Fo
Canon
30 | PhotoPlus Spring
Xxx 2012
2015
PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Spring
Xxx 2012
2015 | 31
Canon
001 Quantum
of ISo-less
If you need to capture action or
record an image in low-light,
increasing the ISO to give a faster
shutter speed is often desirable. But did you
know that higher ISO sensitivities actually
reduce both the buffer size which affects the
amount of pictures that can be taken before
the camera starts to slow down and the
maximum amount of shots that can be saved
to the memory card? With this in mind, its
worth shooting in small, controlled bursts at
high ISOs, rather than keeping your finger
firmly on the shutter release.
Picture Style Editor is available on the CD that came bundled with your
Canon EOS D-SLR and can also be downloaded from Canons website
32 | PhotoPlus Spring
Xxx 2012
2015
003 Tomorrow
never dials
On a D-SLR that has buttons with
dual functions such as the 7D
Mark IIs AF DRIVE its very easy
to press the button and turn the wrong dial
on the camera, adjusting the other setting
instead. Theres a secret to remembering
which dial to turn, though: the function on
the left is controlled by the Main Dial, while
the function on the right is controlled by the
Quick Control Dial on the back of the
camera. Once youve registered that,
youll never make a mistake again
DPP detects which ALO setting was used when the shot
was taken, although you can adjust the strength later
005 no camera
body does it better
By default, your cameras shutter release button activates
both autofocus and metering. But all current EOS
cameras allow you to remove the autofocus activation
from the shutter release and assign it to the rear * button instead.
Separating the focus and metering in this way has a number of
advantages: the lens wont refocus if you lift your finger off the
shutter release and you can use AI Servo mode as if it was One
Shot, taking your finger off the rear button when you want to lock
the focus. More advanced bodies have an AF-ON button that can
also be assigned in the same way in fact, assigning the focus
function to both rear buttons means that you wont be fumbling for
the correct one and missing shots.
BEForE CorrECTIon
AFTEr CorrECTIon
Leave more room at the edge of the frame when you intend to apply lens
corrections and carry out heavy edits, such as fixing converging verticals
006 The
wide-angle
is not enough
Lens Distortion Correction is available in
imaging software such as Lightroom or
Canons Digital Photo Professional, as well
as on EOS D-SLRs that offer Raw image processing.
Its a useful feature that can help to automatically
straighten bowed lines, and its effects are
particularly noticeable when youre using a wideangle lens to shoot seascapes with a clearly defined
horizon or close-ups of buildings and architecture. If
youre planning on using this feature then its worth
framing shots slightly wider. Otherwise, you may find
that details at the edge of the picture are lost as its
tilted and cropped when corrections are applied.
PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Spring
Xxx 2012
2015 | 33
Canon
007 The living
highlights
If your pictures contain prominent, strong
colours, use your cameras RGB histogram
rather than the brightness histogram to
judge the exposure. The RGB histogram
gives an indication of the brightness of the
three primary colours in an image. If one of
the colour histograms is clipped on the
right, it means that the colour will be
over-saturated. You cant always tell this
from the brightness histogram, as its
closer in size and shape as the histogram
for the green channel.
008 Q division
Canons menu system is, for the
most part, intuitive, but there
are ways to make adjustments
more rapidly. For a start,
all current EOS
D-SLRs include a
green My Menu
option, which
enables you
to register
frequently
used menu
options and
access them
all in one place.
009 A viewfinder
to a kill
The secret to accurate exposures when youre
shooting without looking through the
viewfinder? Block it. Whether youre shooting
long exposures using Bulb mode or self-portraits with
the self-timer, its worth covering the viewfinder to
prevent stray light from affecting the exposure. This is
good advice even if youre shooting in Live View mode.
The majority of Canon D-SLRs come with a rubber
eyepiece cover that attaches to the camera strap,
although the 1D X has a built-in viewfinder blind.
34 | PhotoPlus Spring
Xxx 2012
2015
0011 In-SPECTrE
the image
The SET button can be
customised with a host of
different functions, although
the lineup available differs between
cameras in the EOS range. One very
useful option to assign for cameras
with the play and magnification
buttons on the left-hand side of the
rear screen (such as the 7D Mark II
and 5D Mark III) is Magnify/Reduce.
This acts like the magnification
button, allowing you to blow up details
in the image to check for sharpness,
either during playback or in Live View.
The beauty of this is you can check
the image one-handed, rather than
Angela Nicholson
Quartermaster
PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Spring
Xxx 2012
2015 | 35
Canon
0013 Drive modes
are forever
Canons silent drive modes are excellent, but
they have a couple of trade-offs. First, theres a
very slight increase in shutter lag compared with
normal drive mode. Second, the continuous shooting
frame rate is reduced. This has implications for sports,
wildlife and other types of photography that require a fast
performance. Its also worth switching from silent mode
to regular high-speed mode when using the HDR (High
Dynamic Range) shooting mode, available on some Canon
D-SLRs, as any movement between the frames is less
likely to register in the final image.
0014 Another
way to dial
0015 Dr no (more
blurred shots)
As you zoom
into a scene
the focus can
shift, leading
to a soft image,
particularly
when shooting
video footage
0017 Moore
sharp images
The choice of aperture you set on the
camera has a crucial effect on the
sharpness of your images. Larger
apertures, such as f/22 and f/32, increase the
depth of field or the amount of front-to-back
sharpness there is but the trade-off is a softer
look to pictures. For the optimum quality stick to
the apertures in the middle of the range offered
by the lens, and avoid framing the subject so that
theyre close to the edge of the frame lenses
deliver their best quality towards the centre.
Canon
0019 Taken,
not blurred
One Shot AF mode is designed to take
sharp pictures of stationary subjects,
while AI Servo AF constantly adjusts the
focus to keep a moving subject sharp. So whats
the best way of taking sharp pictures of a subject
that randomly flits between being stationary one
second and up-and-running the next? You can, of
course, select AI Focus mode. Here, the camera will
flit between One Shot and AI Servo autofocus,
depending on when it detects movement. But who
wants to leave it to chance? One trick, which you
can use on the 70D and upwards, is to create a
custom control for the DoF (depth of field) preview
button one which allows you to switch from One
Shot to AI Servo while its held down.
0020 Mr white
(balance)
Canons Auto White Balance (AWB) performs
well most of the time. It may produce an image
thats a little cool on somtimes, and warm on
others, but its rare that colours are grossly out of whack.
And if you shoot Raw, you can easily adjust the white
balance later when you process your images in ACR.
However, a subtle shift in the camera position or zoom
setting can cause the AWB setting
to tweak the colour temperature.
This can be a problem when youre
shooting a sequence of pictures as
you wont be able to apply a single
white balance adjustment to all of
the images youll have to process
them individually. The secret here
is to manually set a white balance
the setting will be consistent,
even if it is slightly wrong, allowing
you to apply a global change to a
batch of images.
38 | PhotoPlus Spring
Xxx 2012
2015
0021 golden
eyepiece
You may need to periodically make
adjustments to the small dioptric
adjustment dial behind the viewfinder
eyecup. Its easy for the dial to be shifted out of
position when youre packing the camera away, and
the viewfinder will lose a touch of clarity. The secret
here is not to look at the image in the viewfinder as
you make adjustments, but rather the readout at
the bottom of the viewfinder and the AF point
overlay. Once they snap into focus, its job done.
0024 Batteries
die (another day)
PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Spring
Xxx 2012
2015 | 39
Skills
Online videO
Hollie Latham
technique editor
hollie.latham@futurenet.com
welcome...
the past
the Color
52 Combine
and present
64 Master
Range tool
in Photoshop Elements
ProjECt
in Photoshop Elements
ProjECt
your shots
a city
Shoot segmented
46 Convert
42 Transform
to monochrome
view into a toy town 48 sunset scenes
in Photoshop Elements
in Photoshop Elements
in Photoshop CC
maStErClaSS
Shoot a
66
spellbinding
composite with
a magic mirror!
in Photoshop Elements
PhotoShoP ElEmEntS/CS/CC
the latest versions of Photoshop elements,
Cs and CC have significant differences
from previous versions, with a redesigned
interface and major changes to the way
adobe Camera raw works. we are now
producing most of our tutorials with these
newer versions, and while its possible to
follow the lessons in older versions with a
little adaptation, we recommend upgrading.
PROJECT
Your guide
Hollie Latham
Transform a
city view into
a toy town
WaTCH
THE vidEO
http://bit.ly/PP_99
Hollie Latham
Checklist
What youll need
Get high
Key settings
Photoshop Elements
Super Tip!
Metering
Skills Create
Xxxxx xxxx
the toy town effect
Phrase Book
Exposure
compensation
Manual focus
Edit in Raw
Add a mask
Click the Add Layer Mask icon at the top of the Layers panel.
Select the Gradient tool, click Edit to open the Gradient
Editor and pick the Foreground to Background preset. Select the
Reflected Gradient icon and ensure foreground colour is black.
Add a gradient
watch
the video
http://bit.ly/PP_99
Your guide
Claire Gillo
Open the start image in Adobe Camera Raw to boost the tones
and contrast. In our example we set Exposure to +2.05 to bring
out the detail, Contrast to +27, Shadows to -38, Whites to +25, Blacks
to +33 and Clarity to +25 to boost the midtone contrast. Finally, use
the Crop tool to tidy up the composition. Click Open Image.
Add a gradient
Click the Channel drop-down menu. From the list we can now
tweak the Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue and Magenta channels
individually. In our image the most prominent colours are Red and
Yellow, so these are the two that will have the most effect. Adjust the
Hue slider +36 in the Red channel to and -147 in the Yellow channel. n
Photoshop CC
WaTCH
THE vidEO
http://bit.ly/PP_99
Your guide
Tom Welsh
PROJECT
Create a segmented
landscape effect
Portray the passage of time by displaying multiple images
in a single frame with our segmented landscape technique
Checklist
What youll need
Photoshop CC
Tom Welsh
Phrase Book
Polygonal Lasso
The Polygonal Lasso
shares a compartment
with two other lasso
tools, and you can
cycle between them
by tapping Shift+L.
The regular Lasso
enables you to draw
a selection freehand
while the Magnetic
Lasso attempts to
cling to edges. The
Polygonal Lasso, by
contrast, creates a
straight line from the
last point plotted with
each mouse click. Hold
Shift to lock the next
point horizontally,
vertically or diagonally
at 45. This comes in
handy for ensuring the
top and sides of your
triangle are perfectly
straight. If you plot a
point in the wrong
place, hit the Delete
key to erase it.
Keep it steady
Consistency is key
Super Tip!
.
Leave it be
Photoshop CC
Super Tip!
Make a selection
We had some
lovely sunshine
at Durdle Door, but
you cant rely on this
when heading
outdoors for a shoot
that may last several
hours. The weather
can catch you out, so
check the forecast and
prepare for the worst.
But bad weather can,
of course, provide very
dramatic and
compelling images.
So, as well as taking
waterproof clothing for
yourself, take a cover
for your camera too
this can be as simple
as bin bag to pop over
the camera
between shots.
Finishing touches
Try experimenting Slice and dice your image for a unique look
Once youve finished your image, try different ways to display
the segments. There is no right or wrong way to lay them out
so experiment! We also tried a more random triangle effect
and a patchwork using all the images many times over.
watch
the video
http://bit.ly/PP_99
Your guide
James Paterson
Merge past and present by combining two versions of the same scene
Before setting out to find the scene, try doing a little detective
work with Google Street View to find the spot it was taken. This
way you can check if any buildings have been built up or torn down
and get a rough idea of where to point your camera. For Street View,
go to www.maps.google.com, search for your location, then drag the
little yellow man at the bottom-right of the display onto the street.
Photoshop Elements
Line it up
Head out to find the right spot. With the acetate over your
cameras LCD, switch on Live View, then line up the scene using
the traced guides so that it matches as closely as possible. A zoom
lens is useful, so you can zoom in and out while moving back and forth
and up and down until the perspective looks right.
Click the Add Layer Mask icon in the Layers panel. Grab the
Gradient tool, set a black-to-white linear gradient, then hold Shift
and drag a line along the middle of the scene to add a gradient to the
mask. Next grab the Brush tool, and paint to fine-tune the blend, using
black to hide the layer and white to reveal it.
Grab the Quick Selection Brush and paint over the blue sky to
select it, then click the Create Adjustment Layer icon in the
Layers panel and choose Hue/Saturation. Lower Saturation to -100
and increase Lightness to match the skies. Finally, add a Photo Filter
adjustment layer on top of everything to help it gel together. n
ee t!
Fr -ou
ll
pu
Your
essential guide
How to master
Macro
Frozen
flowers
Create super-sharp,
frosty art, whatever the
temperature is outside
Freezing time
Set up
Lighting
Fine-art food
Short of pictures for your kitchen wall?
Find inspiration inside your fridge
Makeshift lightbox
Camera settings
Final touches
Soap film
Soap mix
Manual mode
These incredible
intricate patterns are
caused by the surface
tension on a film of soap
Master macro!
glycerine, a wire loop we bent a coat
hanger into shape and black paper or
black cloth to act as a background.
Keep the loop fairly small to start
with, as this will extend the life of the
film. Ours was around 10cm in diameter.
Have everything set up near a bright
window, or alternatively create a
tabletop setup and use bounced flash or
a lamp to provide the illumination. Youll
have to spend time moving the frame to
find the sweet spot where you can see
the patterns and achieve even
illumination across the film.
Starting out
Technical problems
Shooting in Raw
Best angle
New compositions
Smarter colour
Your guide
George Cairns
Photoshop CC
Make a selection
James Paterson
WaTCH
THe video
http://bit.ly/PP_99
Your guide
James Paterson
Shoot magic
mirror images
STeP BY STeP
Reflect on this
Learn how to shoot the mirror images
you need for a captivating composite
Use a tripod
Whenever you need to
shoot more than one
frame in alignment, youll need
to use a tripod. Tripods can
also help you fine-tune your
composition by giving you
extra time to think about
the framing. You could, for
example, include out-of-focus
foreground areas, as weve
done here. This could be a wall,
tree, or if you get down low
the ground. These soft areas
add depth and help draw the
eye in towards the subject.
Consistent exposure
Whenever you want to blend two or more exposures
while keeping the lighting consistent between
frames, the safest option is to use Manual mode. This
way, once you've taken a couple of test shots and settled
on a combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO,
there's no danger of anything changing between shots.
We shot at 1/100 sec shutter speed, f/4 aperture and
ISO800. The wide aperture produced a shallow depth of
field, so the foreground and background were nicely blurred.
Plan ahead
If your model is semi-clothed, like
ours, then be sure to get everything
set up beforehand. Settle on a composition
while the model is fully clothed, then finalise
your exposure settings. Your model won't
be happy stood around half-naked waiting
for you. Doubly so if its a chilly afternoon,
like our shot here!
WiTHouT RefleCToR
Try a reflector
For this shot, the
sun was behind
the model to the left,
and diffused slightly
through the trees. It
produced beautiful
backlighting over the
hair, but left the face in
shadow. We bounced
the sunlight back at
the models face using
a large silver reflector,
off to the side on the
right and hidden from
view in our shot.
WiTH RefleCToR
Phrase Book
Layer mask
A layer mask allows
you to mask part of
a layer to reveal the
underlying layer. Its
just like an eraser in
that you can paint
to remove parts of
a layer, but with the
added benefit that no
pixels are ever deleted,
theyre just either
hidden or revealed.
To add a mask, click
the Add Layer Mask
icon in the Layers
panel, then, once the
mask thumbnail is
selected, you can paint
with black over the
image to hide areas, or
white to reveal them.
Super Tip!
If you want to
book a model
for a nude shoot, then
do your research first.
Some models will be
happy to pose nude
or semi-clothed, while
others will not. If you
book models direct
through sites like
Model Mayhem (www.
modelmayhem.com),
theyll usually state
in their profile where
they draw the line.
In some cases, the
model might be happy
to pose for implied
nudity. This is the
route we took.
The model is wearing
pants and a strapless
bra, but because of
the posing and the
positioning of the
mirror, the nudity is
implied rather
than explicit.
Super Tip!
Eye catching!
Many images
will benefit from
subtle dodging and
burning by lightening
or darkening different
areas. Here weve
achieved this by
painting white and
black on a grey layer
set to the Overlay
blending mode.
However you dodge
and burn, the
important thing is
knowing how to guide
the viewers eye
around the image by,
for example, lightening
the subject and
darkening distracting
edges. Our eyes are
naturally drawn to
bright areas first, so
think about this when
choosing what to
accentuate or
de-emphasise
in your images.
Workshop
Welcome to the Canon D-SLR photography service centre
PROBLEM #43
4. ISO
1. Shooting mode
2. Camera meter
5. Exposure lock
3. Metering mode
Evaluative metering
is the default setting,
that the majority of
photographers rely
on day in, day out
STEP BY STEP
You dont have to rely on the brightness histogram to judge the exposure the rear display provides an excellent guide
Metering patterns
Most Canon D-SLRs feature a 63-zone metering sensor.
Evaluative metering measures the light in all these
areas, while Partial and Spot metering use the zones
concentrated around the centre of the image only. Higherend EOS cameras feature a dual-layer metering sensor,
with the first layer measuring blue-green light while
the second measures green-red light. This is designed
to reduce exposure errors caused by the colour of the
subject. The 7D Mark II introduced a new 252-zone dual
layer metering sensor for even greater precision, while
the 5DS and 5DS R feature the most advanced sensor in
Canons lineup: a 150,000-pixel RGB sensor that detects
colours and the type of scene youre shooting.
EvaLUaTIvE METERIng
PaRTIaL
Midtone madness
The meter inside your camera is tuned
to 18% reflectance or the amount of
light thats reflected by an object that
has a midtone value. This is why some
photographers take a meter reading from
a grey card and then set the exposure
manually. However, Evaluative metering
goes a step further and intelligently
adjusts the exposure to take account
of different brightness levels across the
entire picture.
However, Evaluative does weight the
exposure towards the AF point(s) that
have achieved focus. This means that if
BLack
ck
Ba gROUnd
gREY
ck
Ba gROUnd
WHITE
ck
Ba gROUnd
To fix the underexposure shown here, use exposure compensation or set the exposure
manually, but note that changing the background has little effect on the exposure.
Seeking
compensation
You can override the standard exposure
set by the camera meter and make a
picture brighter or darker with exposure
compensation. You can only use this in
Program, Aperture Priority or Shutter
Priority it doesnt work in Manual
or any of the fully automatic modes.
Although the scale in the viewfinder,
shooting menu and Quick Control
Screen only shows from -2 or -3 to +2 or
+3 exposure compensation, you can dial
in up to 5 stops each way. In fact, if you
activate the cameras Auto Exposure
Bracketing (AEB) function as well, you
can set up to 8 stops of compensation.
Remember to reset the compensation
after youve finished taking pictures, as
otherwise subsequent pictures may be
totally under- or overcooked!
Flash metering
SPOT
cEnTRE-WEIgHTEd
EOS 7D Mark II
1 Locked and loaded
If you keep inadvertently
knocking the AF Area
Selection lever around the
Multi-controller, you can
lock it by sliding the Multi
Function Lock switch to the
right. You can also lock the
Main dial, Quick Control dial
and Multi-controller.
2 Manual fix
5 Power tip
Peter
Travers
Editor
Hollie Latham
Staff writer
Adam Waring
Operations
editor
Angela
Nicholson
Head of testing
Matthew
Richards
Technical
contributor
For outdoor portraits, a burst of fill-flash can banish unsightly shadows while
also warming up skin tones to make them look more radiant and lively
Av mode
Exposure compensation
Sensitivity settings
In very dull lighting conditions, Av mode can result
in slow shutter speeds or long exposures. This can
make for blurred results, either due to camera-shake,
or because the person youre photographing moves
slightly during the exposure. Increase the ISO setting,
if necessary, for a faster shutter speed.
Flash compensation
Once youre happy with the brightness of the
background, you can make the main foreground
object (the person in a portrait, for example) brighter
or darker by using positive or negative flash exposure
compensation. Alternatively, switch to Manual flash
mode and adjust the strength for the best results.
Quick Fix
See-through
Windows
Quick Fix
Which hood?
CAMERA SKILLS
What to
look for
Gimbal heads
Hollie says
Support your
heavy telephoto glass
1 A gimbal head
enables smooth
panning and tilting
while keeping lenses
centred to avoid
overbalancing on a
tripod or monopod.
2 Gimbal heads are
ideal for tracking
action, especially birds
or aircraft in flight.
3 Top quality gimbal
heads tend to cost
between 350 and
500, but check the
maximum load rating
is sufficient for your
camera and lenses.
Using Live View, especially in cameras with a vari-angle LCD screen that you can twist to view more
easily while holding the camera aloft, enables easy composition as well as accurate light metering
4 Quality brands
include Benro, Custom
Brackets, Induro and
Wimberley. Manfrotto
makes a long lens
monopod bracket
that works in a similar
way and is cheaper to
buy, at around 130.
EDITING SoFTWARE
On the menu
Open in DPP
Manual edit
Quick Fix
Angela says
Camera lenses
are constructed from a
complex arrangement
of internal glass
elements. Those
mounted towards the
rear are generally
rather smaller and
lighter than those at
the front, especially if
theyre fast telephoto
lenses, where the front
elements can be very
large. By moving the
smaller, lighter
elements at the rear of
the lens to adjust
focus, autofocus can
be much speedier.
CAMERA SKILLS
Your Photos
YourPhotos
Get professional feedback on your favourite photos
Geelong Pier
By Will Dower
T
SHOH
OF T TEH
MON
STEP BY STEP
Peter Travers
Adam Waring
Hollie Latham
Editor
Staff writer
Operations editor
Convert to mono
Photo Critique
1
2
1
Your Photos
Charlie
on the
Rocks
By Rich Alderson
Magenta on Green
By John Thirkell
Shore Lark
By Geoff Pain
ACR edits
NEw LOOk
YOuR PHOTOS!
Next issue in the new-look
Your Photos we will be
showcasing a selection
of the best reader images
and stories. If youd like to be
considered, send 3-5 of your
best shots with 300 words
on the story behind the
shot(s) to photoplus@
futurenet.com with Your
Photos as the subject line.*
Tweak contrast
NOTE: By submitting an image you: (a) grant Future Publishing Ltd permission to publish it free of charge in the UK and foreign editions of our photographyrelated magazines (print & digital), and on our photography websites; and (b) confirm that you have the right to submit the image and that Futures use of the
image as set out above will not infringe the rights of any person. You agree to indemnify Future against any liability it suffers as a result of using your image.
go to
www.myfavourite
magazines.co.uk/
photoplus100
and subscribe befo
12 april to receivere
issue 100!
Angela Nicholson
Head of testing
angela.nicholson@futurenet.com
help me Buy
close-up gear
Page 90
Welcome...
Page 96
The PhoToPlus
raTings exPlained
When it comes to reviewing products and
services in PhotoPlus, we tell it like it is.
Were totally independent from Canon
and will never give someone a good score
just because they advertise. Eyes right
for a guide to our specific awards
Gear Update
ProMediaGear
Tomahawk
Web: www.promediagear.com
Price: 249/$299
A sturdy support that provides both stability and freedom
of movement when using a large lens is paramount,
which is why gimbal heads are favoured by many sports,
wildlife and aviation photographers. The Tomahawk is a
ball head gimbal attachment, rather than a full-blown
head, so it requires an Arca Swisscompatible ball head, such as the
ProMediaGear PMG, in order to work,
and fits to the head in the same way as
a quick release plate. Smooth motion is
provided by the use of steel bearings
rather than solid bushes, and this
movement can be locked easily if
needed. At under half the price of a
dedicated gimbal head the Tomahawk
is well worth a look.
GearUpdate
Sigma has announced a new addition to its Art lens range designed for full-frame cameras (and also
fully compatible with Canon APS-C-sensor cameras). The 24mm focal length provides a wide 84.1
degree angle of view, which is perfect for landscapes, while the large (f/1.4) aperture should appeal
to photographers who want to get creative. Sigmas 30mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses in this range
have already proved optically excellent, so we expect great image quality from this wide-angled
version. The lens has 15 elements in 11 groups, which include both FLD and SLD glass to reduce
distortion and chromatic aberration. Minimum focus distance is 25cm and the filter size is 77mm.
Broncolor Siros
Macro Alternative
We help a reader discover how to take close-ups on the cheap
THE READER
Name: Trefor Roberts
Camera: Canon EOS 70D
THE ExpERT
Name: Hollie Latham
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Coupling Ring
(72mm to 72mm)
Web: www.srb-photographic.co.uk
Price: 12.95
Holllie saysCoupling
ringsenableyouto
connecttwolensesby
theirfiltermountsandare
availableindifferentsizestofita
varietyoflensfilterthreads
(thoughifthelenseshave
different-sizedthreads,youll
needtouseanadditional
steppingring).Mountonelenstoyour
camerainthenormalway,attachthe
couplingring,thenattachthesecondlensin
reverse.Bothlensesneedtobesetattheir
widestavailableaperture,otherwisethere
willbeextremevignetting.Itsalsovitalto
steerclearoflong,heavylensesastheywill
placetoomuchstrainonthefiltermount.
Trefor saysThiscouplingringis
certainlyalow-costoption,and
convertstwolensesintoavery
powerfulclose-uplensforextreme
magnification.Butaswellasrequiringapair
oflenses,itprovedverytricky;thedepthof
fieldwasreducedtomillimetresandfocusing
accuratelywasntatalleasy.Composingthe
shotwasratherunintuitivetoo,asyouhadto
twistthefocusandzoomringsinthe
oppositedirectionasyoureusedto.
Enablesextremesuper-macroclose-ups;
goodvalueformoney;sturdyfit
Focusingandcomposingtricky;requirestwo
lenses;filterthreadsneedtobethesamesize
Kood Close Up
Filter Set (72mm)
Web: www.koodinternational.com
Price: 49
Hollie says
Thissetofthree
close-upfilters
comeinstrengthsof+1
(weakest),+2and+4
(strongest),andcanbeused
individuallyorstackedtoget
evencloser.Astheysimply
screwontotheendofyourlens,
allelectronicfunctions,such
asexposuresettingsand
autofocus,workasusual.
However,toreachevena
modest1:2magnificationratio(half
macrosize)onan18-55mmkitrequires
allthreefilterstobestackedtogether.
Trefor saysThesefilterswere
straightforwardtouseandaquick
fixtoincreasemagnification.Iwas
abletoshootwithoutatripod,andbeingable
tousetheusualfunctionsofmycamera,
suchautofocusandhavingcontroloverthe
92 | PhotoPlus Spring
April 2014
2015
depthoffield,madelifeeasy.Iwas,however,
concernedaboutthequalityofmyimages
whenstackingallthreefilters,andvignetting
becameapparent,butthisdidgivetheimage
anartyfeel.Thesetisgoodvalue,andcomes
inaneatboxthattakeslittleroominmybag.
Quickandeasytofitanduse;fullcontrolofall
lensfunctionsisretained;nottooexpensive
Requiresdifferent-sizedsetstofit
differentlenses;imagequalitysuffers
Lensbaby Macro
Converter
Web: www.lensbaby.co.uk
Price: 41
Hollie saysIfyouwant
thatcreativeLensbaby
lookinyourmacro
shots,looknofurtherthan
theLensbabyMacroConverter.
Itworksinasimilarwayto
extensiontubes;theconvertersits
betweentheLensbabybodyandopticto
enableyoutogetreallyclosetoyoursubject.
Includedisan8mmand16mmextension
ringthatyoucancombinetogeta24mm
ring.Themacroconvertersarecompatible
withallLensbabylensbodiesandopticsand,
dependingonwhatoptic,cameraand
converteryouuse,youcanachievefocusing
distancesbetween0and8.13inches.For
thistestweusedtheLensbabyComposer
ProwiththeSweet35optic(35mm,f/2.5).
Trefor saysIvehadaLensbabyin
thepastandoncethenoveltywore
offIsolditon,soIwasabit
sceptical.Ifoundthemacroconvertertobe
abitofafafftousefromstarttofinish.Itwas
fiddlytoassembleandyouwouldneedto
ownaLensbabyalready,whichifyoudont,
isanadditionalcost.Onceitsallsetupyou
havetosettheaperturemanuallyonthe
Lensbaby,whichwasntobvious,and
focusingiscompletelymanualtoo,sotaking
adecentshotprovedalittlebittricky!The
cameracantmeterproperlyifyoutiltthe
Lensbaby,soeachtimeIadjusteditIhada
completelydifferentexposure.Thatsaid,
onceIgotthehangofitIdidgetsome
interestinglookingclose-upimages.
betweenyourcameraandlensandthenyou
shootasnormal.ThisupdatedmarkIIversion
iscompatiblewithallEF-S,EFandTS-E
lenses,theresnomessingaroundwith
steppingringsfordifferentsizes.IdidfindI
neededtooverexposeslightlywhenusingthe
extensiontube,butthatwaseasyenoughto
adjust.Itsoneofthemoreexpensiveoptions
onthetest,butIthinkitswortheverypenny,
andisagreat-qualityCanonproduct.
Offerstheabilitytoproducecreativeshots;
compatiblewithallLensbabyoptics
Fiddlytouse,withmanualfocusingand
aperture;givesinconsistentexposures
Canon EF12 II
Extension Tube
Web: www.canon.co.uk
Price: 60
Hollie saysCanon
offerstwoextension
tubes,theEF12IIand
EF25II,whichsitbetweenyour
D-SLRbodyandthelensto
increasethedistancebetweenthe
lensandthesensor,enablingyouto
focusmuchcloser.Butthetrade-off
isthatyouwontbeabletofocusat
longerdistances.Thenumberofthe
extensiontubedenotesthelength,
sothe25mmgivesagreater
magnificationthanthe12mm.Thisis
reflectedinthepricewiththeEF25IIcosting
115,comparedto60fortheEF12II.As
extensiontubescontainnoglass,thequality
ofyourlensispreserved,butitwillrequire
morelighttoobtainacorrectexposure.
Trefor saysWhatIlikeaboutthis
extensiontubeisthatautofocusand
exposurearefullyfunctional,soits
likeshootingwithamacrolens.Itsquicktofit
Easytouse;imagequalityisretained;
compatiblewithallCanon-fitlenses
Moreexpensivethanmanyoptions;essentially
justahollowtubewithelectricalcontacts
Kooka EOS
Auto Focus
Reversing Ring
Web: www.srb-photographic.co.uk
Price: 100
Hollie saysTheKookareversing
ringenablesyoutomountyour
Canonlensinreversetoachievea
greatermagnificationwhilealsotransferring
allofthecontrolfunctions.Innormaluse,
thelargeobjectyouseethroughthelensis
reducedinsizeinordertorecorditonthe
sensor.Byusingthisreversingringand
mountingyourlensinreverseyoucan
achievetheopposite,sosmallobjectsare
increasedtomuchlargerinsize.Whenusing
azoomlenswithafocallength,forinstance,
of28-105mminreverseposition,youcan
achievemagnificationratiosof1:7atthe
105mmendto2.8:1atthe28mmsetting.
Trefor saysThisproductwas
straightforwardtoassemblewith
thelensinreverse.Itfeltsturdyand
goodquality,theconnectingringwasmade
ofaluminiumandthefinishedsetupfelt
secure.Thekitcamewiththreestepping
DOnT bE FOOLED
Manyzoomlensesclaimtohavemacro
functionality,butinrealitywhiletheycan
focusreasonablyclosely,bynomeans
cantheyreproducetruemacroimagesat
1:1.Youlloftenfindthatwhattheydooffer
isamagnificationratioof1:4or1:2
whichisjustquarterorhalflifesize.
94 | PhotoPlus Spring
April 2014
2015
ringstofitarangeoflenssizes58mm,
67mmand72mmwhichwasveryhandy
asIwasntlimitedtousingitwithjustone
lens.Iwasgobsmackedatthelevelof
magnificationthismethodproduced;itwas
veryimpressiveindeed!Allthelensdatais
transmittedtothecamerabody,including
autofocus,however,Ifounditeasierto
switchtomanualfocusandmovetheplant
untilitcameintosharpfocus.Considering
themagnificationthisproductcanoffer,it
representsgoodvalueformoney.
TREFORS VERDICT
Ihadagreatdaytestingouttherangeof
macroalternatives.Theproductsvaried
wildlybothinpriceandthewaytheyfunction,and
itsgoodtoseewhatyoucangetforyourmoney.
Thecouplingringisabudget-friendlyoption,
however,composingandfocusingwastricky.
Likewise,IfoundtheLensbabymacroconverter
veryfiddlytoassembleanduse.TheKood
close-upfiltersetwasaquickandeasysolution
butimagequalitywasaconcernonceyou
startstackingthemtogether.The
Kookareversingringwasvery
impressiveandexcellentvaluefor
money,butthewinnerformeis
Canonsextensiontube.Itwas
quicktofitandthecamera
andlensfunctionasnormal
soonceIstartedshooting
IforgotIwasusingit!Itsa
goodqualityproductand
offersreasonable
valueformoney.
Impressivelarger-than-life-sizemagnification;
goodqualitybuild;preservesautofocus
Trickytofocus;themostexpensiveoption
testedbutstillcheaperthanamacrolens
Studio Lights
Constant lighting or something a bit more flash?
We compare the most appealing and budgetfriendly options for the digital studio
Interfit EX200 Ti
180/$275
210/$350
3 Elinchrom D-Lite RX 4
245/$355
400/$650
Constant lights
5 Bowens Pixel Zoom Light
260, $450
295, $490
520, $660
575, $900
How we
tested
Quick-fire or constant?
Here are the most important factors to bear in mind
when choosing a lighting solution for your home studio
Take it slow
Unlike dazzling
constant lights, the
relative dullness of
a flash head (apart
from during the
very short burst
of flash) makes
for more
comfortable
portraiture
Super Tip!
Constant lights
based on halogen
bulbs tend to have a
colour temperature thats
equivalent to tungsten
room lighting. This can be
useful when combining
photographic lamps with
ambient indoor lighting.
Flash heads are typically
balanced for daylight. In a
studio environment, their
power will tend to
completely swamp any
room lighting but, if you
want to see the effect of
the lighting setup, youll
often want to switch
lights off anyway, so that
the modelling lamps give
the only illumination.
Some LED panels include
dual sets of daylight- and
tungsten-matched lamps,
in alternating pattern, so
you can switch
between the two.
Flash settings
Constant metering
White balance
Youll need to set the shooting mode
With constant lighting, you can use
and constant lights only really
2 your cameras built-in light metering 3 Flash
1 to Manual when using flash heads.
have a nominal balance for daylight
Many photographers set the sensitivity to
ISO100 and the lens aperture to f/8, for
optimum image quality. A shutter speed
of 1/125 sec should enable sufficient time
for the studio lights to trigger.
Elinchrom D-Lite RX 4
www.bowensdirect.com
www.theflashcentre.com
receiver cards
are available
ice
Target Pr
for both the
Bowens
Pulsar and
PocketWizard radio
triggering systems. Optical
slave triggering options include
a Smartcell mode that ignores
pre-flash pulses when using a
flashgun as a master.
Despite its high-end power
rating, the Gemini gave no more
maximum illumination than the
Elinchrom 400Ws and even the
Interfit 200Ws flash heads in
our tests. However, the overall
range is generous, equating to
f/4.5 to f/25. Power
adjustments are
precise and intuitive,
relying on two click
dials, one for full
f-stops and one for
1/10th f-stops,
complete with a digital
display. Recycling
times are also pretty
swift, at up to 1.3
seconds after a
full-power flash.
400
87
wiss precision
engineering comes to the
fore in the D-Lite range
and, despite being the smallest
and most lightweight flash head
in the group, this 400Ws edition
is heavy on high-end features.
It also feels particularly robust.
Unlike the competing Bowens
head, Elinchroms Skyport
wireless receiver is built-in.
Youd need to buy the
transmitter module separately
for wireless triggering, but its
included in various kits based
on the D-Lite RX 4 head.
The controls are supremely
intuitive and easy to use, despite
offering a wealth of
custom options if
ice
Target Pr
you so desire.
Advanced optical
slave modes enable
the head to be triggered
from flashguns, even when
theyre set to red-eye reduction
mode. Brollies, softboxes and
other modifiers are plentiful and
equally as well-made and
durable as the head itself.
The recycling time edges
ahead of the Bowens Gemini
500R to become the fastest of
any flash head in the group, at
1.2 seconds after a full-power
flash. The 150W modelling lamp
isnt quite as bright but
still gives plenty of
illumination for
adjusting lighting
setups. The Elinchrom
matches the maximum
light output of the
Bowens but power
cant be turned down
as much, the aperture
range in our tests
equating to f/7.1
to f/25.
245
94
Interfit EX200 Ti
www.interfitphotographic.com
www.lastolite.com
in 200Ws
and 400Ws
ice
Target Pr
options.
The EX200
Ti feels a bit less
robust than any of the
competing flash heads.
However, theyre tough enough
for the home studio and, like all
other heads in the group, the
main flash tube and modelling
lamp are both user-replaceable.
The Interfit manages to
match the maximum light
output of the Elinchrom 400Ws
head and even the Bowens
500Ws head, while also edging
ahead of the Lastolite 400Ws
head. However,
recycling time after
a full-power flash is
the slowest, at two
seconds. For wideraperture or shorterdistance shooting, the
Interfit also matches
the Bowens in giving
the joint least
illumination of the flash
heads at its minimum
power setting.
180
82
facility, so you
dont need to
ice
Target Pr
manually fire
the flash after
reducing its power
setting, and the flash
tube is now user-replaceable,
bringing the Lumen8 into line
with all other flash heads in this
test group. The overall build
feels tough, and theres a
high-quality feel to the casing,
switches and other external
parts of the head. At 3.3kg,
its very nearly as heavy as
the Bowens thats on test.
The Lumen8 is the only flash
head in the group to feature a
rotary power knob that
gives continuous
adjustment rather
than step-changes
(typically 1/10th
f-stops). As such, its
more tricky to make
precise adjustments.
Maximum light output
is also a little down on
competing flash heads,
even the lower-rated
Interfit 200Ws head.
210
78
Bowens Pixel
Zoom Light
www.bowensdirect.com
www.calphoto.co.uk
260
used in
conjunction
with the built-in
reflector. Optional
accessories include a glass
daylight correction filter,
diffusion filter, and four-leaf barn
doors. This really only covers
the basics. The heads build
feels reasonable but rather less
sturdy than the Bowens flash
head thats on test.
The halogen bulb has a
tungsten colour temperature,
but a key advantage over the
Elinchrom is that the Bowens
features a dimmer
knob. However, even at
the maximum power
setting and with the
head zoomed to its
spot setting, youre still
likely to require an
aperture of f/2.5 when
shooting at ISO100 and
a shutter speed of
1/125 sec, with the
head positioned two
metres from the target.
ice
Target Pr
72
ice
Target Pr
575
75
Elinchrom Zoom
Scanlite Halogen
www.theflashcentre.com
Manfrotto Spectra
1X1 MLS1X1F LED
ice
Target Pr
295
than ideal
to further
reduce the
amount of
illumination by adding
modifiers.
To beef up the output, you
can also run the head with a
650W bulb but, in this case,
youll certainly feel the heat
pouring off the head. Elinchrom
says that no modifiers can be
used in this configuration, apart
from basic metal reflectors.
Using a standard 21cm
reflector, the angle of lighting
coverage extends from
20 degrees to 50
degrees. Using the
300W bulb, the
maximum light
intensity equates to
an aperture of f/2 in
our test setup, whereas
a 650W bulb enables
a narrower aperture
of f/3.2, or a
correspondingly faster
shutter speed.
79
www.manfrotto.co.uk
ice
Target Pr
520
slimline and
lightweight
than the Calumet
lamp but feels equally
robust. A range of gel colour
correction filters are available,
for balancing the output with
artificial light sources.
There are no modifiers
available for the lamp but this
is only to be expected, given the
modest maximum brightness.
It also lacks a diffusion dome,
as supplied with the Calumet
LED lamp. Even so, the light has
a soft quality when positioned
close to the target.
Theres nothing in
it when it comes to
performance between
the two LED heads on
test. Both gave an
identical maximum
brightness, although
the Manfrotto has
slightly less wide-angle
flood coverage, at
50 degrees to the
Calumets 60 degrees.
80
Bowens Gemini
500R
Elinchrom
D-Lite RX 4
Interfit
EX200 TI
Lastolite
Lumen8
400W
Bowens Pixel
Zoom Light
Calumet Pro
Daylight 576
LED
Elinchrom
Zoom Scanlite
Halogen
Manfrotto
Spectra 1X1
MLS1X1F LED
Web
www.bowens
direct.com
www.theflash
centre.com
www.interfit
photographic.com
www.lastolite.
com
www.bowens
direct.com
www.calphoto.
co.uk
www.theflash
centre.com
www.manfrotto.
co.uk
Type
Flash
Flash
Flash
Flash
Constant
(halogen)
Constant
(LED)
Constant
(halogen)
Constant
(LED)
Colour temperature
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Tungsten
Daylight
Tungsten
Daylight
Maximum power
500Ws
400Ws
200Ws
400Ws
150/300W
45W
300/650W
45W
Power range
5 stops
5 stops
5 stops
5 stops
Up to 5,700
Lux
Up to 3,460
Lux
Up to 12,500
Lux
Up to 1,400
Lux
Power adjustment
1/10th f-stops
1/10th f-stops
(custom)
1/10th f-stops
Stepless
Stepless
Stepless
Via bulb
change
Stepless
f/4.5 to f/25
f/7.1 to f/25
f/4.5 to f/25
f/5 to f/22
f/0.5 to f/2.5
(300W)
Off to f/1.6
f/2 (300W)
f/3.2 (650W)
Off to f/1.6
1.3 seconds
1.2 seconds
2.0 seconds
1.6 seconds
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Modelling lamp
250W
150W
100W
100W
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Fan cooled
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Wireless RF trigger
Optional extra
Built-in
receiver
Built-in
receiver
No
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Dimensions
38x17x13cm
26x19x14cm
37x20x13cm
41x22x14cm
18x16x10cm
38x35x9cm
25x21x16cm
35x35x5cm
Weight
3.4kg
1.5kg
2.1kg
3.3kg
1.7kg
1.9kg
1.2kg
1.4kg
Target price
400, $650
245, $355
180, $275
210, $350
260, $450
575, $900
295, $490
520, $660
Verdict
87%
94%
82%
78%
72%
75%
79%
80%
Five things we
learned in this test
Some heads are available in twin or even
triple packs, complete with stands and
accessories. It can be cheaper to buy complete
kits if youre starting from scratch.
backissues
Catch up on what youve missed by
downloading a recent issue!
Buy a BINder
fOr yOur prINT
edITIONs!
Prefer print? Keep your mags together with our
binder, which neatly holds a years issues
www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/
photoplus-offers
Issue 93
NOV 2014
Issue 92
OCT 2014
Mountain landscapes!
Climb new heights with
your Canon photography
by capturing beautiful
mountain scenes
l Apprentice: creepy
crawly close-ups!
l Essential eight-page
guide to Canon Digital
Photo Professional 4.0
& Irista l Super Test:
superzoom lenses l Help
me buy a camera strap
l Workshop: lens filters
explained l Masterclass:
shoot stunning sunsets
Issue 91
sep 2014
All your digital magazines can travel with you wherever you go and even if you
delete them from your device, they are free to re-download at any time
Issue 98
apr 2015
Issue 97
Mar 2015
Issue 96
feB 2015
Issue 95
JaN 2015
Issue 94
deC 2014
Issue 90
aug 2014
Issue 89
Jul 2014
Issue 88
JuN 2014
Issue 87
May 2014
Issue 86
sprINg 2014
PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Spring
Xxx 2012
2015 | 107
Advertisement promotion
Osprey Ultralight
Camera Bags
Web: www.ospreyeurope.com Price: From 12
Osprey has developed a new, robust Ultralight series of
camera bags to make sure you can share your outdoor
adventures. Made from tough double ripstop
nylon and featuring high-quality padding,
the Ultralight camera bags
ensure that your camera or
other electronics can survive
even the toughest of
journeys. All have an
integrated neck and shoulder
strap, allowing you to wear
them when not stored in your
pack, and are available in a
range of sizes.
Hama Smart
Viewer Focusing Hood
Web: www.hama.com Price: 60
Eliminating photographic reflection and glare occurring in bright and
sunny conditions, Hamas Smart Viewer Focusing Hood features a soft
silicone eyecup to shield out excessive light. Quick to mount and
measuring only 4.9cm when folded, this portable, user-friendly hood
makes the ideal travel companion. Multi-functional, the upper part can be
used separately as a 2.75x magnifier for viewing printed images, whilst the
adjustable eyepiece offers practical dioptre compensation.
EssEntial OutdOOr
PhOtO Kit
A brilliant selection of
photography gear for when
venturing into the great outdoors
Hama Traveller
Premium
Tripods
Web: www.hama.com
Price: From 129
The ultra-lightweight, compact
aluminium construction of Hama
Traveller Premium Tripods makes
them ideal for on-the-go photo
opportunities, with non-slip
rubber feet and spikes offering
dependable stability on a range
of terrains for loads of up to
5kg. A rotatable central
column allows achievement
of professional-looking
macro shots, whilst
conveniently converting
to a fully-functional
monopod when
removed.
PhotoPlus
PhotoPlus
Spring
Xxx 2012
2015 | 113
My favourite shot
Simon
Butterworth
www.simonbutterworth
photography.com
Age: 56
Location: Scottish
Borders
Semi-pro for: 5 years
9000